**Best Place to Be (Surefire Formula)

        Today's Communion antiphon, John 15: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. To remain in Jesus' love to to remain in him, for he is love. There is no better place to be. In fact, this is part of the simple surefire formula for getting into heaven: Remain in Jesus and let God take care of the rest.

*Joy Over Pain

        In today's Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus, with his departure from the world and succeeding Resurrection in mind, said to the disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." Jesus was right, for we know that once we get to heaven, our joy will make us forget all the pains and anguish we suffered on earth. Start rejoicing now if you know you are heaven bound. Do not forget that the daily Mass is a celebration of the Lord's sacrifice resulting in our salvation. [A footnote. No one will take your joy away from you: the joy God gives is a joy that stays with you forever.]

**Way to Union (Winning Feeling)*

        When you let God transform you and the transformation takes place, you are amazed and can get quite excited, for something you've tried to change on your own without success God now does it effortlessly. Even though the Lord did the work, you can't help feeling that you have won! Now your relationship with him is more intimate than ever. As you continue to let God perfect you, the same thing happens again and again. You are on your way to union with him.

Looking Beyond This Life

        The most recent terrible tragedy is the terrorist attack in Manchester, England, which killed 22 and injured many more. One lesson we can learn from this is that all the more we need to look beyond this life and make settling our eternal destination our first priority. Most people do not think about it for various reasons. Only the ones who have put themselves completely in God's hands know that they will be fine no matter what happens to them.

*Christ Is Everything

        Life is imperfect until you have Christ. Your joy is incomplete until you have Christ. Your eternity is unsettled until you have Christ. You are nothing until you have Christ. You have everything when you have him.

God Is Peace

        Communion experience. The world is in chaos, but I am at peace with God, in peace with God, and in peace in God. 

*Smart Rise to Top

        We all want to rise above ourselves. Let Christ determine our destiny and we will end up where he is.

Us Too

        Jesus had his Resurrection and Ascension. Do you know that by his power, we'll have ours too?

Planning for Eternity

        A saint is one who loves God. A mystic is one who also loves God, knows him well and communicates directly with the Lord. Do not ever say that you cannot be a saint or a mystic, for nothing is impossible with God. It follows that you can store up treasures in heaven now, get there and inherit what God has for you later. God is your limit who has no limits. Use your brief time on earth for planning and readying yourself for eternity and God will make everything come true. 

**Our Tragic Error

        Since God is our loving creator, Father, and Savior, who can accomplish anything he wants, it would be indeed most foolish of us not to believe in, appreciate, or trust him. Not seeking union with him is falling short of taking full advantage of what he has to offer – a tragic error on our part, relatively speaking. It's like being offered a most precious pearl and you just admire and enjoy looking at it, but stop short of reaching for it to claim that it is all yours.

*God Is With Us

        In today's Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus said to his disciples: "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." His disciples first did not know what he meant. Of course, Jesus was telling them about his coming death and resurrection. We need not to be concerned about whether we see him or not, for later he promised that he would be with them always, until the end of the age. Every time I receive the Holy Eucharist, he enters me and unites with me in the most intimate way. As long as I am still alive and breathing, I know that he is with me, for my very existence depends upon him.  

Our Ideal State

        It's been my experience that as long as I remain in Christ, I have inner peace. The moment I step out of him to be on my own, that peace gets disturbed. We are in the ideal state when we have Jesus at our center with us remaining in total submission to him.

**Jesus My Center

        Jesus draws me to him, making me see that he is the absolute indispensable center of my life. He keeps me safe, for nothing can take me away from him! And he feeds me and fills my cup with living water continuously. Remember that he's the one who would turn the left cheek to the one who strikes him on the right one, hand his cloak to someone who wants to go to law with him over his tunic, and go with anyone for two miles when pressed into service for one mile? (Matthew 5.39-41.) In the same manner, even though my faith is limited, he always gives me more than I ask for. How can I possibly not love my most generous Lord?

Self-Generated Fear

        Know that if you feel uneasy about abandoning yourself or just turning to God, it is not God who wants to instill fear in you. How can he when all he wishes is to love and be intimate with you as your Father? If you hesitate or feel uneasy, that's because you are resisting him, thereby generating your own fear. May this understanding clear the way for you to approach God.

Aging Is a Blessing

        In my younger days, I pushed myself as hard as I could when working out in a gym. Now, my foremost concern is not to risk any injury when I exercise, walk, or just get out of bed. Aging slows one down, but does make you turn to God more. In this way, you are wiser. At last, a dreamer turns into a realist, and that should be one best thing that ever happens to you.     

**Jesus Essential!

        When I hear the sweet voice of Jesus in my heart, I feel his presence, his love, his mercy, his gentleness, his assurance, deep joy, gratitude, consolation, and my oneness with him. He is all we need, for there is nothing greater or more satisfying than God our creator. It's time for all prodigal sons and daughters to go home.

Treating God the Father

        With Father's Day coming up next month, this question came to me: Shouldn't we treat our heavenly Father at least as well as we treat our earthly fathers? 

Two Most Important Prayers

        To help us love God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength, we need to pray that we will always be obedient to God in all things and that he will lead all souls to heaven.