**Direct-to-God Advantage

        Going direct to Jesus is superior to learning about him through the writings of any human, with the exception of the Gospels, for when you approach the Lord direct, the Holy Spirit teaches you direct.  

***Shortcut to Loving God

        We are being told to love God, to love God, to love God; but it's hard to love him if you do not really know him that well yet. Once you know him well, you wouldn't need anyone to remind you anymore. So how do we get to know God well? Simple, we do what we can and have God do the rest. Which is: we surrender ourselves to him and let him reveal himself to us or accomplish whatever we desire of him. Super neat!

All About Union

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus said to his disciples, "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." Basically, Jesus is taking about union with him, what he desires.

Be Like the Apostles

        In these weeks after Easter, the first readings at Mass have been taken from Acts. We hear how the Apostles and disciples preached the good news fearlessly and with joy. It is obvious that they had personally encountered God. So why can't we be like them, for we have the same God, the same Spirit, the same access to the Lord? We should be able to spread the gospel with the same zeal, fire, and boldness. God surely knows us and can use us effectively in the best way he sees fit.  

*On the Road of Life

        I wake up this morning and realize that it's another day of my life. I also see that we are all walking along the road of life which will end one day and that each passing day is a step closer to the end. We may gradually see the end coming or not at all. If you already know Christ well and, in fact, long to meet him, it is a sure sign that you are on the right road. If you have no idea what awaits you or do not even look ahead, you are surely on the wrong road. Yes, there are many signs along the way and you should read them to discern which ones are trustworthy and which ones deceptive. Whether you agree with me or not, I am just sharing this personal insight.

*Bonding With God

        As I watched the priest consecrating the bread and wine during the liturgy of the Eucharist, I marveled at the selflessness and ingenuity of God. For bonding, some societies devise secret handshakes or conduct initiation, while other organizations go to the extreme of making blood pacts. But our Lord just simply gives us himself to consume under the guise of bread and wine so that we may become one with him. It has to be the most beautiful and intimate bonding on this earth.  

To Be Part of Jesus

        The Lord's words in today's Gospel reading from John 15 are powerful. Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned." Jesus was not talking about doing things for your own sake; to be fruitful is to do what glorifies God. How to be sure that you are one of his branches? Seek to attain union with him is the assured way to go.

Aging Blessing

        Aging gives us no choice but to become more and more dependent upon others. Disregard your pride and you'll see that it is a blessing. True, physically, you'll need others to help you; but spiritually, here's finally your chance to abandon yourself totally in God's hands. A great time to enjoy God to the fullest!  

God's Mercy at Work

        When we are young, we live as if we're going to live forever and God is seldom on our radar. As we age and our physical condition starts to weaken, we finally realize that death is imminent and begin to turn to God. I see this as God's mercy at work, preparing us to meet him. Would that we realize this earlier in life so that we could have lived a cleaner and more fruitful life. Anyway, happy ending is what matters now.

Approaching God Effectively

        Many who seek God take the wrong approach. They more or less challenge God to reveal himself to them. Suppose that God is real, the proper attitude would be to humble yourself and pray that he would take pity on you and let you know of his existence and/or presence. I believe this approach will get you quick results. Of course, when you start out without faith, you're likely to do the opposite. The smart approach is definitely the humble approach, for God loves to exalt those who humble themselves.