*Checking out the Real World*

        I am back. I was away the last ten days in order to "escape" from a big birthday celebration some of my family members and friends had been planning for me. I am grateful for their well-meaning intention, but I really didn't want them to go to all that trouble. (That God loves us is about the only thing that's truly worth celebrating.) So my wife and I decided to go on a week-long cruise to Mexico. The cruise was interesting, but I did miss attending daily Mass, and couldn't blog as internet access was not free onboard. The 4400+ passengers presented a microcosm of the population of the entire country, or perhaps more accurately, California, for the majority of the passengers seemed to be Californians. I met all kinds of people. There were many who enjoyed gambling at the casino and remained on board to take the same cruise again. One old gambler even boasted about how he could easily pick up young girls. There were Christians on board too. I met Protestants who did not understand Catholicism at all. Another passenger who's a Catholic, but pro-abortion. Then I aIso met a rare person, a Catholic who had been touched by the love of Christ to tears and understood me perfectly when I shared with her about attaining union with God thru the Eucharist. The casino and various bars were usually packed. Not surprising—I found the stage shows and other entertainment videos, music, etc., to be all secular and often impure. There was nothing that draws you to God. I feel sorry for the mostly lost generation on board, but I believe that if enough of us pray hard enough for them, they can still all be saved thru the infinite mercy of God. Two days before the cruise ended, I had the chance to be on the deck alone while many people were watching the stage show or having dinners. It was good to be able to enjoy the wind in your face, to hear only the sound of the waves, and to watch the crescent moon appearing, while communing directly with God the Father. This is a moment I'll always remember. (By the way, my wife and I didn't get to see much of Mexico this time, for it was so hot and humid that we were exhausted after walking just a couple of hours at each port.)