*Receiving God's Peace for Us*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." You can be sure that Jesus wants to give us his peace, When we accept it, we will have untroubled and unafraid hearts.

**Heavenly Joy vs. Worldly Pleasure

        As humans, we seek pleasure in this world to satisfy ourselves. Such pleasures don't last long, but can still enslave us. The source is always external. When we are overdosed with them, they can turn distasteful. Temporarily they give some people something to live for, but the emptiness of life remains. On the other hand, heavenly joy can only come from God. It emanates from the inner heart and affects your whole being, your soul! Its sweetness is intoxicating. Once you have tasted it, all worldly pleasures are no longer tasty. This joy uplifts and refreshes your spirit every time you experience it because it comes from above. It makes you yearn for God. It's definitely heavenly!   

**Sin Made More Serious

        Christians especially face persecution today in these dark times. I reported earlier how California officials delayed permitting a mansion to be used for housing sex trafficking victims just because Catholics were going to run the operation. More recently, an evangelical Christian organization built a new field hospital in New York designed to treat any overflow patients from a nearby hospital, but city officials did not trust the organization just because the church opposed same-sex marriage. When we cause others to sin also, our sin becomes a lot more serious. It's the same with preventing others from doing good.

***Simple Key to Union with God

        In today's Gospel from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" and again "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." All this is just so beautiful, filling my heart with joy! So it is love that will get God to come to dwell with us and reveal himself to us. In sum, open your heart up to let the love of God lead you to full union with him.

**We Are Made for Heaven!

        I followed Fr. Mark Goring's Sunday Mass on TV today. In his homily, he says that we are made for heaven. That resonates with me. Yes, God's sole wish is to save us from sin so that we may go to heaven; we are made to be heaven-bound! Why would you ever want to go against God's intention to your own detriment? Wouldn't that be sheer folly? Obviously, we are not made for living on this earth forever. As Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world," we are never meant to belong this world either.

*A Double-Edged Rock

        Jesus is the rock that can cause us to stumble or make us strong. If you trample over it, you will stumble. But if you seek it for protection, it will support you and shield you from evil attacks. 

Do Things More God's Way

        Today is Mother's Day. Many mothers receive good wishes, presents, and special treats. All this is fine. My thoughts are that we almost always follow customs and traditions or do things simply to fulfill our social obligations. But our ways are not usually God's ways. Since God is concerned about saving souls most, it should be proper and fitting that we always do things with the salvation of souls in mind foremost as Christians should.

*No Concern About Heaven*

        If you know you are heaven bound, you are most probably right. If you know you are headed for hell instead, you are most probably correct too. What if you are not sure where you'll end up? You are right again. Play it safe by following Christ closely and you needn't be concerned about heaven and hell anymore?

*Becoming Wise Growing Old

        Some scientists come to believe in God as they discover unending scientific wonders, while other scientists come to believe that science can provide answers to all our questions and we no longer need God. What about us who believe in God and are aging rapidly? I know oldsters who have grown so set in their ways that they no longer wish to change in any way, while other aging believers realize that they would have to rely upon God more and more, and finally start to abandon themselves to God. The latter are surely being wise.

**Jesus Is One with the Father

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." Perhaps it would sound more "right" to hear Jesus say "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, the Father will do it" and "If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will do it." The way Jesus said them only shows that he and the Father are truly one. The Father could have said all that to us.

***Most Beautiful Communication

        John 31B-32, today's Gospel acclamation: If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord. When you listen to the Lord and obey him, you get to know him. Since he is the truth, to know him is to know the truth. This is logical. I can also vouch for this truth from my own experience. After I got to know the Lord most intimately, he let me know who he is. When God lets you know something, you just know without any doubt, for he plants it right in your heart as only he as your creator can. You now know that he is in you. This makes you fall in love with him even more! 

*Best Acts of Charity

        People show their love in different ways. Some call you often to see how you are doing; some tell you that they love you or send you presents; some don't say much but always do things for you; still others may donate money or just pray for you. Which way is best? That depends upon the motivation behind the deed. All acts done for the sake of the Lord God meaningful to him would have to be ranked best.

**Opposite Views

       Foolish Living: Going all out to satisfy the desire for pleasure and gain, but living without inner peace. Eternity uncertain.

          Wise Living: Casting aside the desire for worldly things and living a life known and pleasing to God only in peace and joy. Eternity locked in with Christ.

         The foolish ones view the wise ones as boring people and feel sorry for them for not knowing how to enjoy life, while the wise ones think that the foolish ones are, well, foolish, and feel sorry that they don't take care of their own souls.

***Truth Before Our Eyes!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Wow! This has to be one of Jesus' boldest proclamations. It compels us to listen up. "He is the way" tells us that we must follow him to know where we are going. He is our true guide. "He is the truth" tells us that he is the absolute reality. And "He is the life" lets us know that we can have eternal life through him. We always look for things to satisfy ourselves in this life. Jesus is right here telling us that we only need to seek and follow him to be satisfied for all eternity!

**Reason Jesus Is Not Welcomed

        In logic, if a hypothesis leads to a conclusion, then negating the conclusion would necessarily negate the hypothesis. For example, if it is raining, the grass would be wet. If the grass is not wet, then it cannot be raining. The conclusion is irrefutable. Jesus has said in Mark 2 and Luke 5 that he had come not to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. If we are all righteous, we would have no fear and welcome Jesus. But since so many of us avoid facing him, it must be that they are sinners afraid for themselves. Logic does not lie. 

***We're Being Tested Again

          In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus continued, "If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak."

        These sayings are important for us to understand. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to tell us what we should and should not do and left the decision to us. It's like God telling Adam that he's free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they ended up dying. Now we are being tested again by God. He is giving us a second chance. If we hold fast onto Christ, then we are surely to pass the test. Note that there won't be another second chance this time!

**Jesus as Our Light

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said, "I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness." I see Jesus as the light that illuminates my mind, dispels the darkness around me, exposes what's in my heart that should be removed, and reveals the way to union with him.

**In God's Household

        If we believe in Jesus, we must see that he uses us to further his kingdom on earth and attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit. If we presume that the Lord is not going to speak to us, of course, we won't hear from him. But if we are all ears and eager to hear from him, we will hear his voice. It is an honor, privilege, and joy to know that the Holy Spirit is with you and that you belong to God's household.