***Cause of My Joy

        Christ is the one in whom we can rejoice forever. He is the cause of my joy. Today I feel extra joyful because I realize that my rejoicing in Christ is causing the whole heaven to be extra joyful.

**Ultimate Quest

        Communion experience. I have received the Lord. He is my ultimate quest and there is nothing besides him that's worth knowing.

***Our Only Teacher, Father, and Master*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 23, Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples, "As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ." If we have to choose just one being to be our teacher, father, and master, it has to be the Lord God, the God of Christ. He is the one for us to learn from, listen to, and follow. This should be obvious and I am bring it up for all to realize once more. 

**Turning the Tables*

        Today's first reading comes from Isaiah 1. In verses 16-17, the prophet gives the word of the LORD: "Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good." To do evil is easy, while to do good we need to learn. But once we attain union with the LORD, the tables are turned. Now evil becomes extremely repugnant to us, while doing good becomes natural under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

**Most Special Moment

        Communion experience. After I received the Lord, for a moment I became only aware of his existence as if everything else had vanished. 

**Key to Doing God's Will*

        It is important to realize that we are not only sinners, but on our own we are weaklings, not capable of accomplishing anything of true merit. By acknowledging that we can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5), we open the door to receiving power from the Lord. To be weak in God is a must for accomplishing his will. 

**Intimate Communion Experience

        Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 17 was on the glorious Transfiguration of Jesus. After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I felt as if my soul had been transported to heaven. A dry run of what's going to take place later?

***Greatest Division or Union*

         In Luke 12:51, Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." What the Lord meant was that over him, we would be divided. To this day, we witness the division between those who accept him and those who reject him. This division is so great that you end up either in heaven or in hell! Yet the Lord can also bring about the greatest possible union among us. We achieve that when we all attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist. I think we've all heard the motto "United we stand, divided we fall." Just know that if we are divided over Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we risk suffering the greatest possible fall. 

**How to Rest Our Mind

        We do physical work and get tired. We rest and we're OK again.  If we use our mind too much, we can get tired mentally too. This is the perfect time to abandon ourselves to the Lord to find rest in him. 

*****Letting God Impress Us*****

        Communion time feeling. I was impressed by the fact I had become inseparable from Christ who is my creator, Savior, constant companion, and a whole lot more. Consider that my good fortune, but it's more than that. It's realizing that God truly loved us and died for us to save us. This is what makes our bonding, union with him, so powerful and strong! The Lord is most impressive—let him impress you for your good and for his glory.