Year-End Summary

        Believing in, following, and loving Jesus will lift your existence to a new level that's not of this world, for you belong to him now.  At that level you'll be in commune with God, enjoying the union, and no longer weighed down by things of the world.  Love reigns supreme and freedom captures the heart.  You know that Truth has chosen you, found you, and called you.  You are home and his forever.  There is no greater peace you can possibly possess on this earth. 

End-of-Year Reflection

        2010 is coming to its end.  With the exception of God alone, everything passes.  We are all journeying on toward God or the unknown, depending upon your personal convictions.  Right now, a friend of mine is waiting to die at any moment, but he's well prepared to meet the Lord.  Often I hear older folks say that they want to travel or do other things they enjoy while they still have good health and can move about.  That seems to be sensible thinking.  Then there are others who realize that life is so brief that they'd better use the remaining time they have left to devote themselves to serving God.  Another valid point of view, polar from the first but definitely wiser.  When we meet the Lord face to face after this life, he's going to ask us what we've done to glorify him.  The lowlier we serve God in this life, the higher he is going to raise us in heaven.  Jesus the Lord is our supreme example.
        What are 2011 and the future going to be like?  That would depend a great deal upon us.  Suppose that from now on, everyone in the world starts  rebelling against God, you can imagine the kind of world we are going to have.  Now if everyone starts believing in and loving God, what would the world be like??  It's clear that we have the power to move God and shape the world.  God is our only hope; Jesus, our only savior.  My hope for the New Year is that we will always hope in God.               

God Helping Us

        I see God helping us who love him from two directions.  From the outside, he makes sure that whatever happens to us will be best for our soul.  From the inside, he transforms us interiorly so that we'll always do his will.  This is how he loves us.

Choose God over the World

        In today's Mass reading from the First Letter of St. John, the Apostle exhorts us not to love the world or the things of the world, for all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father.  To be fair, there are good things in the world too.  For Christians we must make the right choice always, so it seems that life is basically a big test ~ you either pass or fail.  I hope that St. John's exhortation will help us choose God always over the world. 

Our Limitations, a Grace

       During prayer before morning Mass, I felt my own limitations.  I even had trouble expressing some of my thoughts; the words were just not there.  This feeling of inadequacy to me was a grace.  God made me realize that I was truly nothing and should remain forever humble before him.      

Go with God First

        If we get it spiritually right first, then we'll have a easier time in the world because we have God to keep us from being corrupted by the world.  On the other hand, it we start out in the world without God, we get corrupted first and it'd be a lot harder to get up to get it right with God. 

Cast All Cares upon God

        Let God take over your life and you will be free.  This is an exception to "If it sounds too good to be true, then it can't be true."

        First, God is love and he will never lord it over you.  Secondly, he is totally trustworthy, reliable, and only wants to help you.  Thirdly, you with a finite mind and a crooked nature, will never be able to free yourself.  Last, when you surrender to him, all your problems become his to solve.  

        Therefore, cast all your cares upon him.         

How to Love Others

        Let yourself be loved by God first.  (This has got to be my shortest post.)

We Are Prodigal Too

        I venture to say that we all know the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32).  We may not be as bad as he was, but we are all prodigal to some degree and the Father's great love applies to us as well.  God always loves us.  Now, rejoice.   

My Pleasure!

        I once checked into a hotel and one desk clerk was extra helpful.  Every time I asked her to do something, she always responded enthusiastically, "My pleasure!"  That really made me feel good.  I got to thinking that we should respond to the Lord the same way.  "My pleasure," "At your service," "At your disposal" ~ they all sound pretty good.  In other words, be glad to do his will always.