Alone in God

        This is a most beautiful, sweet state for the soul. I can't find an exact word for it, but it's the very opposite of loneliness or isolation. Let the Lord enter you in that state and you have union!

To Be an Annoyance

        If you feel annoyed by something, what comes out of you will annoy others and you become an annoyance yourself.  

How to Approach Unbelievers

      Continuing reading Elisabeth Leseur's diary lead me to review how I should approach others who do not believe in God or whose faith is still weak. Here's what God had made me see.

         Never assume a holier-than-thou attitude. Love and a desire to understand must always prevail. Approach all with humility (Mother Teresa of Calcutta comes to mind). You are dealing with God's other children, so trust in him to change their hearts. 

Jesus "Spoils" Us

        After receiving Holy Communion this morning at Mass, I felt that he's all I needed. Having encountered and tasted him, nothing short of God can ever satisfy or console me anymore! I must have him or none.

Bad Sign of All Times

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 7, Jesus pointed out to the crowds that when John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine and they said that he was possessed by a demon; then the Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said that he was a glutton and a drunkard. It just shows that people were quick to criticize others ~ still true to this day. I am dismayed to read so many negative comments on many websites that are self-righteous, unkind, derisive, even cruel or vicious. Freedom of speech doesn't mean we are to disregard decency, courtesy, civility, and freely say things to hurt others. This lack of self-control among present-day politicians, the news media, and people in general exposes the big ego problem we have, for speaking out makes us feel important. St. James calls the tongue a restless evil full of deadly poison that needs to be tamed. We need to listen to God more and not to criticize so readily.  

No Beauty Without God

        Everything about God is beautiful, most of all his love. He makes us all beautiful. He has so made us that we appreciate beauty. We sense the beauty of our faith in him. We discover greater beauty as we enter deeper into him. There can be no beauty without God! 

Best Unions

        The union of two souls in harmony is a beautiful thing, but there are just no perfect soul mates on earth as no two people are identical. Union with God is not only beautiful, but also perfect because one can surrender to God and there will be only one will, effecting perfect harmony. Next best would be the union of two souls both already in union with God, such as exists between two saints.

Are You a Christian?

        Continually reading the diary of Elisabeth Leseur, I am further impressed by her special love for those who needs God's love the most. She also writes that he who has ceased to love is not a Christian, is not a disciple of Christ, and that there is no exception to this rule. A strong statement, but she's right. If I do not serve the Lord with any zeal, I am not really a true Christian. We need to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Then we'll die happy and ready to receive our reward in heaven.         

Seeing the Real Lord

        We normally read what Jesus says in the Gospels as something said by someone in a remote land some two thousand years ago. But if you picture yourself at the scene, watching him and hearing his every word, you'll get the impact as his disciples did then. Now you easily see that he is speaking as our Lord and Savior. 

God Our Enjoyment

        Went to morning Mass. I started with complete emptiness because I wanted Jesus to fill all of me. When I received him in the Holy Eucharist, I was so filled and fulfilled that I had this "holy" feeling, a feeling the world cannot give and to which all other good feelings pale into insignificance in comparison. God is truly our enjoyment!

Number One Consideration

        I have started reading The Diary of Elisabeth Leseur, subtitled The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest. Elisabeth (1861-1914), a holy, French woman, used her husband Felix's efforts to destroy her faith as means to grow in love for him and for God. When she died prematurely, Felix was still an unbeliever. Then he found her diary and was transformed after reading it. In 1915, he reconciled to the Catholic faith and became, later, a priest. I expect to be inspired by reading her beautiful writing myself. So far I've been impressed by her special love for those whose birth or religion or ideas separate them from her. We Christians must let love reign over all other considerations because God is love.

Perfect Contentment

        Communion experience. Again, Jesus made me forget all other things ~ perfect contentment in him alone.

The Greatest Relationship

        Today's Gospel reading, Luke 7.1-10, tells the story of the healing of the centurion's slave. Based upon what the centurion essentially said to Jesus, we now say at Mass before receiving Holy Communion, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." I see the greatest and perfect relationship to be the ideal relationship between God and man: we no longer question God, and feeling unworthy, we trust in God and he takes care of us. 

Touching Jesus Needed

        In both Matthew 9 and Mark 5, a woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Jesus, saying to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." She touched the tassel on his cloak and was immediately cured. We need to be open and desire to touch the Lord. Once that contact is made, we are on our way to healing and freedom. 

On Asking Favors from God

        Each time you ask the Lord for a favor, ask him also to make you holier. This shows that you are sincere in your request and he'll be more pleased to grant you what you ask for.  

Only Logical Goal

        If you love God and yearn for him, union with him becomes your only choice.

God Uplifts Us

         Communion experience. God always uplifts us. He exalts us to the level where we get to meet him in person.

What Jesus Is About

        During the liturgy of the Eucharist, how appropriate it is to refer to the consecrated bread as the Bread of life and the consecrated wine as the Chalice of salvation! "Life" and "salvation" ~ that's what Jesus is all about.