***What the World Still Doesn't Know

         God not only can give us eternal life, he can also solve all our problems! 

*Experiencing Total Freedom*

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me thru the Holy Eucharist and I was drawn into his infinite space, experiencing total freedom. The truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

**True Communication with God

        I have some wax buildup in my right ear, so my hearing is temporarily somewhat muffled. I came to realize that God actually speaks to us and even makes us see things via our heart. This kind of communication is crucial to our spiritual life, mattering much more than being able to see and hear physically things around us.  

**The Lord's Expectations of Us

         Jesus said to his disciple, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." He didn't say "be holy." Since you can be holy and still be imperfect, he expects much from us. Of course, he deserves the very best from us. If we truly take this commandment seriously, he'll make us as perfect as we wish without much effort on our part—that's right.

***Most Appropriate Response to God*

        Communion experience. I received the Lord and the only response I could come up was begging for his mercy on the whole world and me. I felt that's the appropriate first response before any others.

****Learning About the LORD (from Abraham)

       In today's reading 1 from Genesis 18, Abraham intercedes for Sodom. The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was so great and their sin so grave that the LORD was going to look into it. Abraham said to the LORD, "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again, asking the same question, but reducing the number of innocent people by five to forty-five. The LORD answered again, "I will not destroy it, it I find forty-five there." Abraham persisted, asking and reducing the number of innocent people to forty, thirty, twenty, and finally 10. The LORD gave the same favorable answer each time.
         We learn the following from this reading. (1) We need not hesitate asking the LORD any questions we have from the heart. (2) Persistence on our part brings greater success. (3) Specifically, we see God's great mercy at work here. By being holy ourselves, we can save innumerable other souls.

***Valuing Our Soul

        According to Maria Simma, Padre Pio has said God values every soul far more than the entire universe. Yes, God values every soul so much that he even died on the cross to save us. Since it concerns our soul, shouldn't we at the least show that we care about it too? If not, we are ungrateful and make God's work so much harder. To not value what God values is in truth downright rebellion.

**No Chance-Taking with God

        I drove home from gym this morning. I usually turn left from the big busy street I am on onto a smaller one. With the absence of traffic lights, I must wait for a break in the oncoming cars in the left lanes. With these cars moving around 60 mph, I must make it quick or wait for a long time. I took a chance and made it quick, but realized that the risk of having an accident was also higher. Then I realized that with God, we must never take a chance. We must absolutely do everything right, even if a lot of patience is required, so that nothing can go wrong. In other words, we should take God most seriously and listen to his every word. For the risk here is not just the death of our body, but also our soul. 

***Wise Advice***

        If you think that you know better than God, you are not smart at all (putting it mildly). God is infinite and the creator of all things, so no one can possibly outsmart him. The Lord knows all things; he doesn't even have to think! He knew you before you were born and knows what's ahead for you. If you try to outsmart him in any way, you'll end up losing even more. The only way to win all the way is to submit yourself to him and follow him. This is being truly smart and you'll receive the greatest satisfaction to boot!

***To Face Sins or Not*****

        There can only be two reasons for Catholics not going to confession. (1) They have no sins to confess. (2) They are afraid to face their sins. This in itself is a serious sin. Sins are to be dealt with and removed by God. If you cannot face them, how can you face God? This puts one in quite a predicament.