To Be Receptive to Christ

        I feel sorry for so many people who are so in this world as if they are going to be here forever. They create their own problems due to not knowing what life truly means. If you try to tell them about Christ, they just do not get it. This makes me realize that to be receptive to God, one must (1) realize that he is a sinner and (2) feel the need for God. If that time is not here yet, all you can do is sow a seed now and keep praying for the person.  

Life Needs God

        At church this morning, I learned that three youths of our community met their tragic deaths around 2 a.m. yesterday when a possibly drunk driver in a black vehicle with lights off going the wrong way hit their car on the freeway. This is as unexpected as being hit by a tsunami or a roadside bomb. Life can be here this moment and gone the next ~ all the more we need to place ourselves completely in God's hands. When you pray, I would appreciate very much that you remember them all, including the surviving hit driver who is now hospitalized.

Adoption Time

        It is through the Holy Spirit that we cry out, "Abba, Father!" as adopted children of God (Romans 8, Galatians 4). Anytime you feel compassion toward someone, that's the Father wanting to connect with you. If you don't know him yet, this would be a perfect time to ask him to adopt you.  

Honor Your Parents

        Jesus repeatedly denounced the scribes and Pharisees by saying "Woe to you, you hypocrites." If your parents are still living, honor and love them. for neglecting them now and showing up at their funeral to say something nice about them is being hypocritical. 

The Nearness of God

        I attended a mini-retreat this morning at a local seminary and we had Eucharistic adoration after Mass. Seeing the Eucharist displayed on the altar perhaps not more than 10 feet away, I was amazed that my God was so close to me that he even physically entered me earlier to become one with me!

What Would Jesus Have Done?

        With the Charlie Hebdo attack still fresh in my mind, I asked Jesus what he would have wanted me to do if he had been irreverently mocked by the magazine. I heard the Lord say, "Forgive and pray for them ~ they know not what they do," echoing the first words he spoke in his final hours on the cross. 

Only One Desire

        There is only one desire you need: Desire God only and give all your other desires to him.

Home with Jesus

       Communion experience. I am home because I already have Jesus ~ now I can let everything else go.

Trusting in God at Its Best

        In this chaotic, disordered world, we can feel helpless, wondering what we can do to make the world a better place. Don't get discouraged when sometimes all you can do is performing a little gesture such as a smile. Do your best to love and let God take care of the rest. This is trusting in God at its best.  

Proper Order of Concern

        We possess three conditions: the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. We tend to be concerned about our physical well-being the most and our spiritual well-being the least. It's proper to reverse this order, for it's only when we are spiritually fit are we fit to deal with mental and physical problems, not the other way around.