**Close to God?

        The moment we die, we see God, so we are that close to him. But if we don't make heaven, then we are in reality not close to him at all! Seek union with God on earth and we can get really close to him in this life and even closer in the next.

***Love Continues On

        When the Lord God created us, it was a great loving act. When we strayed away from him and he sacrificed his own Son to redeem us from sin so that we may return to him in grace, it is another great loving act.

**Remain in Christ and Bear Fruit

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus asked his disciples to remain in him, as he remains in them, so that they could bear fruit. To remain in the Lord is to let his words remain in us. As for the fruit we bear, we may not necessarily see it. But as long as we obey him, we can be sure that our fruit multiplies, storing up treasures in heaven.

***God's Special Joy***

        The Lord gives us freedom and peace, but his joy is extra special—overpowering, exuberant, and intoxicating, deeply affecting our innermost. It's not caused by anything that stimulates your senses externally; it's just there bursting forth from your heart whenever the Holy Spirit chooses to touch you. It's a life-changing gift.

**Most Joyful Sound

        When you hear the priest breaking the consecrated Host, it's a most joyful sound, for the Lord is now ready to let himself be given to each of the faithful to consume. The disciples of his day knew him by the breaking of the bread.

***Solution to All Our Problems

        At Mass this morning, the first realization I had was that Christ is the solution to all our problems. Our worst problems are caused by sin. Since Christ can free us from sin, and assure us of eternal happiness, we really don't have any permanent problems anymore. Since nothing is impossible for the Lord, all problems will eventually become nothing in him. That he asked his disciples in today's reading from John 14 not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid is totally justified.

*****Through Christ Always

        Since we cannot go to the Father except through Christ, let's do everything in his name and thru him. This is how we pray and trust. Seeking to attain union with Christ thru the Holy Eucharist is the perfect approach.

***Ultimate Fulfillment and Union***

        Communion experience. No one can take me away from Christ and no one can take Christ away from me. This union is for all eternity! Belonging to Christ fulfills us completely! 

**What to Offer God

        We love God and offer our hearts to him. Perhaps it's harder to offer God our will to become obedient to him always. Nevertheless, offer all of ourselves to him. 

***Simple Truth

        Do you know that God is ever ready to love you, and all you have to do is to let him love you and you'll be freed from sin and saved forever?