***Freeing the Holy Spirit

        We ask the Lord to send his Spirit to renew the face of the earth. The Lord is ready, but are we? We can go through the ceremony of Confirmation, but if our heart is not in it, nothing dramatic will happen. The key to preparing ourselves properly is to submit ourselves to God first. Without our submission, the hands of the Spirit are tied, so to speak. This is not talked about much probably because yielding to God is the most difficult step for anyone to take in the spiritual life, which is all about how much we let God be God. Anyhow, the Lord is readier than we are, so surrender yourself to him to let him do what you ask of him. This, in fact, is one basic principle of living the successful Christian life. 

*Drink of the Holy Spirit Fully

        Today is Pentecost Sunday, celebrating the birthday of the Church. From the second reading of 1 Corinthians, Paul writes: In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. The Holy Spirit is indeed the one who can unify all Christians and of whom our spirits need to drink to get sanctified. If your heart is not on fire yet, ask the Holy Spirit to zap you and he'll do just that – I am speaking from personal experience. The Christian life comes alive once you are aware that the Spirit does dwell within you. 

God of Peace

        Communion experience. Perfect peace can only be found in the God of Christ, the Lord lets me see.

*Good Enough Relationship

        No one on earth can understand us perfectly, but God knows us perfectly and that is good enough for us! Then if we let him in for us to get to know him well, we'll have a relationship good enough for the Lord too.        

Man's Big Error

        Believing that God is beyond reach or that he does not care about us.

Man's Biggest Flaw

        Lack of humility before God.

Tragic Reality

        God loves us to death, but the world does not wish to be aware of that.         

***Living Forever With God

        Communion experience. Every time I receive the Lord in Holy Communion, he heals my soul. This prepares my soul well for meeting him. Today I feel that he is all mine and I am all his. With God, you just live forever!

**Our Role and Our End

        In today's Gospel reading from John 21, the Resurrected Lord revealed himself to his disciples and asked Peter three times "Do you love me?" Peter responded affirmatively each time and Jesus asked him and to feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep. Then Jesus said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." The Lord said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. 

           For those whom God has chosen to follow him, he definitely has a role for each of them. We are to glorify God in the way designated by him. The Lord also knows exactly how we are going to die. I am not saying that everything is predestined to the last detail, for our free will can alter things. But every time things change, the Lord knows how that's going to affect our journey to him. In my own case, I know I am going to him, and only he knows when and how.

*Wise Decision

        Communion experience. I realized that the Lord created me and recognized that it is best for me to remain in him forever. (No more straying away.)

Life's Basic Test

        How we exercise our God-given free will.             

***Our Ultimate Calling

        In today's Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus prays that all those who believe in him may be one, and that they and he may be in each other. This is a clear call to union with him! It is our first and final calling!

*How Not to Waste Time*

        We attempt to do so many things in life and easily lose our peace. Doing the will of God should be our sole goal, for this stores up treasures in heaven for us. If you are always busily doing your own things without considering the will of God, you may regret later. Time is more precious than gold, for every second you serve only yourself is a second lost forever and our time on earth is limited. I read once that when you drive an expensive sports car, you should shift its gears as if you're handling an eggshell. Time is a lot more precious than the gears of any car. Spend it wisely and you'll have eternal life!

**God Most Accessible

        Communion thoughts. Here's the Lord I worship and adore, yet he lets me consume him. It shows how much he desires to be one with us. This is our most approachable God!

*Mutually Exclusive Worlds

        After hearing today's Gospel reading from John 17, I saw that we either belong to the world or belong to God. Those who belong to the world hates those who belong to God. The distinction or separation between these two classes couldn't be any greater. Again, a mental image surfaced in my mind. I see all those who belong to the world bobbing in an ocean (the world). Many of them are practically totally immersed, while others are still afloat at various depths. Those who belong to God are being held up by him high above the ocean. So it's either you are wet or you are dry.

*God Is My Wall

        Communion experience. It's easy for us to build a wall around us to keep God out partially or completely. Having received the Lord, now he's become my wall. This is not a wall to keep me in, for there is only emptiness outside of it; this is more a wall to keep me safe for me to remain firmly in the Lord.

**How the Holy Spirit Teaches

        Today's Communion antiphon, John 14.26: The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all I have told you, says the Lord. When the Holy Spirit teaches you, you don't need to think hard nor memorize anything – the lesson is right there deposited in your heart. What a delight! And whatever he teaches is always refreshing and uplifting.       

**Ultimate Disorder

        God's infinite mercy is ours for the asking. He waits patiently for us to acknowledge his presence or even just a glance in his direction. And he longs to be in union with us! How do we respond? We ignore him most of the time. Some of us couldn't care less and some even claim that he is dead! Sin has blinded our eyes, poisoned our brains, and fouled our hearts. This has to be the ultimate disorder. Alas, any generation that forgets that it is at the mercy of God is indeed a lost one.