Beware!

        To allow abortion is to play God, the creator of all human life, thus placing your will over his. 

On Changing Oneself

        Some Christians say they cannot change themselves in any way, proclaiming that God has made them that way. They are right because no one can fundamentally change oneself. The real reason here is that they really don't want to change. If you truly want to change yourself for the better, just ask God for help, since nothing is impossible with him. To not do so is to not believe that God has any power over you, which is a sin. The secret of complete transformation is to abandon yourself in God to let him do the work, removing your personal struggle. What a beautiful way to soar, yet how hard it is to let yourself go!

Doing More for God

        Communion communication. I asked the Lord how I could do more for him. I heard him say, "Abide in me." My response: "Yes, Lord, I am yours." (We cannot do enough for God if we are outside of him.)

Awesome Responsibility

        We are supposed to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind. Accompanying this calling is the awesome responsibility to be holy. We must always do good and shun evil, instead of frolicking through life as is so easily done. Much is expected from those who have received much. And our reward will be great in heaven.      

Connected With God

        This morning I felt an intimate connection with God before Mass began. The entrance antiphon from Psalm 17 "To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me" depicted my feeling. Yes, God is immediate, here, now, ever present, and longing to connect with our hearts.

Godlessness!

        I watched the presidential debate yesterday. To my horror, Clinton, who is pro-abortion, was OK with aborting an unborn baby at any stage of its development, even to the day before it's born! How godless can you get? The video "Timely Message" I just posted is now more important than ever for Catholics to watch and hear. 

Timely Message

        Courageous sermon beautifully preached:

 

Christ Indwelling

        Communion experience. When I saw the consecrated host raised by the priest, I saw Christ himself, who should enter me shortly. I had no choice but to want to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.

More to the Point

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus asked his disciples to remain faithful, vigilant, and be prepared, for "the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect." We are familiar with the saying "Live each day as if if it were your last." Now, more to the point, it should be "Live each day as if it were your judgment day." 

Of the World or Not

        If you believe that Christ is your Savior, do you belong to him or still to the world? In John 17.16, Jesus prayed to the Father for all those he had given him that they do not belong to the world any more than he does. We are not free to embrace God completely so long as we are still partly of the world.

Greatest Accomplishment

        Communion experience. After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I saw the dust particles in the sunlight that had streamed into the church next to me. I realized that my physical body would return to dust one day, but my soul would be with God forever. This has to be the greatest accomplishment of the soul made possible by God!     

Longing for God

        On this Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist, I am most grateful that God has called me, although my first feeling at Mass was that I wouldn't be satisfied until I have all of Jesus and am with him for all eternity. This resulted from longing for him of my soul or rather, his drawing of it to him.

Daily Mass Attendance

        Communion thought. What draws me to daily Mass is the real presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Would you turn down a chance to attend the Last Supper?

Earthly Pleasures vs Heavenly Joys

        All pleasures derived from the world or the flesh are enslaving and over time become nauseating, but all joys received from God or the Spirit are liberating and forever refreshing.

Recognizing Our Foolishness

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch. In the Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus told  the crowd the parable of the rich fool. In the story, the rich man decided to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store all his bountiful harvest and other goods. Then he planned, after having so many good things stored up for many years, to rest, eat, drink, and be merry, not knowing that his life would be demanded of him that very night. The lesson was that the one who stores up treasure for himself is not rich in what matters to God. Anyway, I instantly recognized that we all were that rich fool at one time or another.

Jesus in Our Way

        John spoke about Jesus in John 1.3: All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. And Paul in Colossians 1.16: For in him were created all things in heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible; all things were created through him and for him. Jesus himself said in John 14.6: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And since we also know he will be our judge on the final day, it would be utter foolish for us to think that we can sneak by him unnoticed in anyway. Jesus, the way, is always in our way so long as our eternal destiny is not settled yet.

God Most Personal

        Since God knows everything about his creations, it does not matter if you are the only human existing or one among billions of fellow humans, God knows you most personally and cares about you. You are one of his most beloved creatures.

Jesus Is Joy

        Communion experience. The joy of waiting in line to receive the Holy Eucharist is not unlike the joy of waiting in line to enter heaven, for receiving the body and blood of Jesus is letting joy enter to fill you.