***Union Benefits***

        Communion experience. Besides assuring us of eternal life, the Lord refreshes, uplifts, and heals those in union with him continuously.

**Decision Time Again

     Yesterday I blogged about the serious sayings of Jesus: John 3;16 and 3:18. In today's Gospel reading, the Lord said in John 3: 36 pretty much the same thing, but worded differently: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remans upon him." Again, it compels us to pay attention and come to a decision. Dismissing it would be most unwise.

***Exactly the One We Need***

        Do you feel lonely, abandoned, lost, or that life is empty?  Once you belong to Christ, you'll never be alone or lost again! 

*****How to Increase Your Faith*

        You cannot force yourself to increase your faith. The right way is to open up to God to let him give you everything you need spiritually.  

***Communion Joy

        It was great. I enjoyed the greatest intimacy with the Lord—he is now mine! 

**Greatest Invitations to Us*

        At Mass, the priest consecrates the bread and wine and say the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. First, Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my body which will be given up for you. Then, Take this. all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me. I consider these two invitations to be the greatest invitations I can possibly get in this life.

***Serious Sayings We Must Consider***

        The Gospel reading came from John 3. Verse 16: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." Then verse 18: "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." These are critical sayings, especially the second verse. To not take them seriously amounts to believing that Jesus is not speaking the truth here!

**Our Beating Heart

        After driving on a winding road to Mass this morning, I felt my heart beating a little faster. I've heard said that the beating heart is like a drum providing beats as you march toward death. That's not a happy thought. I prefer to think of the heart providing beats to encourage you to keep on doing God's will as you return to your home in heaven.

*God's Universal Mercy

        God's mercy is for all, so pray for the righteous as well as the evil ones. 

**Most Appropriate Prayer

        God will triumph over evil in the end, that is a given. So while the spiritual warfare is ongoing, our appropriate prayer is to ask the Lord to overcome evil as speedily as possible for the sake of all.  

**Silence Is Enough

        Communion experience. I remain silent, enjoying the Lord. When you are in union with your most beloved, words become superfluous. 

**Prayers God Will Always Answer*

         (1) Forgive me for my sins, (2) Pour your Holy Spirit on me, (3) Make me holy . . . . You see, God's foremost desire is that every one of us become perfect and be saved. If we all become perfect, we'll be one with the Lord and the world will be in peace. God loves each one of us to an unimaginable degree, so praying humbly for ourselves to become perfect is most desirable and appropriate.  

**Time for Self-Examination

        In today's Gospel reading from John 3. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." God has made it so simple for us to have eternal life, so it's alarming that many are making it most complicated for themselves! Time to examine ourselves.

*****Wonderfully Made by God*****

        When God forgives our sins and makes us clean, we just feel so good. Why so? Well, when our soul is not in order, we just lose peace—this is how God has "wired" us. Once the Lord cleanses us, our soul is healed and we are set free! It's that simple. Now you know to feel good always! God has wonderfully made us, so thank him with all your heart. If we feel miserable, we have only ourselves to blame.

***Driving Satan Crazy***

        Every time you see your own sinfulness, you surrender yourself to God more and become even holier. 

*****Being Renewed Unceasingly*

        Protestant Christians talk about the born-again experience. Christ can make us anew in him for sure, but I don't see this as a one-time thing. Instead, I see it as a continuous process with the Holy Spirit renewing us every single moment. This is what make living a Catholic life so exiting!

***God's Love vs. Our Love***

       When we love someone or something, we basically seek self-satisfaction. So our love is not pure. Since God is love, his love is pure and selfless. When we experience his love, we are transformed to love others as he loves all of us. We now seek to glorify God only, and we are set free. Yes, God can make us become like him!

**Small Foretaste of Heaven

        When you are totally immersed in the Lord, you are only aware of his loving glorious presence and become oblivious of everything else, including time. This is but a small foretaste of what it'll be like in heaven.