**Our Personal God

        In today's Gospel acclamation, John 14.23, Jesus said, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." This is the Lord making his promise with these endearing words to every single one of us, since he loves every single one of us. You must hear him speaking personally to you. He is our God, but specifically, he is personally your God.

Where to Find Peace

        Communion experience. To rest completely in the Lord is to know peace.

**Direct Way to God

        The path that leads to Christ may be steep, but it's straight, for God does not throw curves at us (pun not intended). So the straight approach becomes the best way to get to know Jesus, which is you go straight to him, open up yourself and start talking to him heart to heart. Yes, follow him like the Apostles. Any other less direct approach is beating around the bush. Do it the right way and you are with him instantly.

God Became Man

        Today is the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. The Gospel reading from Luke 6 tells us that the day before Jesus chose Twelve from his disciples to be named Apostles, he spent the night in prayer to God on the mountain. To me, Jesus fully showed his human nature. We did have God becoming man. 

Benefits of Knowing God

        When you hear the Lord speaking to your heart, the direct benefit is that he is teaching you, shaping you. A side benefit is that you know you are he are getting along fine.

***God Most Precious*

        Time marches on, awaiting no one. Besides, our time on earth is limited. God will be beyond our grasp after we die, so it's now or never. Now, you should see clearly how precious God is to us!

*Knowing God Is Sufficient*

        Once you know God intimately, you feel as if you already know everything. No, you do not feel superior to others, you only know that you now have sufficient knowledge that nothing else can be more essential or so exciting. Knowing God alone is sufficient for any of us. If not, you do not know him well yet. 

Soul-Touching Love

        Communion experience. The Lord touched my soul; he had reached the real me as only he as my creator could. 

***God Cannot Be Wrong!

        Jesus asks us to trust in him – he is only asking for what we should do and would be good for us. Everything he tells us is for our benefit. He wants to save us so that we might live with him for all eternity in heaven, so it's unthinkable that he should ever intend to harm us. If you do not believe in him, it's because you never really understood him correctly, for your sins kept you away from him. It's time we correct our wrongs and look at the Lord with contrite hearts.  

**Final Settling With God*

        Everything we do affects God and he is just, but also most thorough. We forget things; he doesn't. Our relationship with him will be exposed, examined, and judged and we'll be put in the right place where we belong – the final settlement of our existence.