--A question for today: Whom can I bless today with a compliment, support, a kind deed? Don’t miss opportunities to be good to people; make blessing others – your parent and grandparents, your spouse, your children, your neighbor, your co-worker, your pastor, the grocery clerk, etc. – a priority. Sow seeds of encouragement and kindness.

--When we give up control of our lives to God, we allow Him to enter our lives – we become open to the word of God. “God, you are the leader now.” Our conversion to God doesn’t end until we are in full union with God in heaven. By our Baptism, we are called to forgive, to preach the good news, to heal, to respect life, to love life. We are called by Jesus to follow Him without turning back. At Mass end, we are called to “Go in peace, glorifying God by our life.” Our response is a resounding, “Thanks be to God” YES!

--We are all temples of the Holy Spirit and it is our job to take care of our “temple.” Adequate sleep and good nutrition, etc, can take care of our bodies; prayer, good works, reading the word of God, and allowing ourselves to be touched by the word of God will nourish our souls. We feed our bodies three(3) meals each day

– our souls deserve more than a snack one time a week.

--The worse our sins are the more we deserve God’s mercy. Make some quiet time to sit and meditate before a crucifix and be astonished at God’s mercy to us. May our lives reflect God’s mercy and love to others.

--Spiritual rebirth allows us to see reality as Jesus does – to see the deeper reality of things, not just the surface – like looking at an X-ray of reality. We were created to help others – this is our mission in life. We can each be a positive force for good, a blessing to others who are hurting and disadvantaged. When we stand up for others who can’t stand up for themselves we are doing God’s work on earth. Get involved in something bigger than yourself and make a difference. God is always gracious to us –may we be the same to others.

--Read the “Acts of the Apostles” from start to finish. This book of the New Testament tells the story of the beginning and expansion of the Church. It has been called both “The Book of the Church” and “The Book of the Spirit.” The history of salvation begins with God who sends His Son to bring us salvation. The Eucharist has a unique place in the life of the Church. The Mass is made up of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Imagine Jesus presiding at the Last Supper – there is one bread, one body. Jesus wants us to be one with Him. Christ comes to us in His self-giving death and His triumph over death. Eucharist is a life-giving gift. We lift up our hearts to God and give ourselves to Him in worship and praise.

--“Faith fills us with power we could never find on our own. It is a bridge between your heart and God.”

--Jason Blume --Life without Jesus is darkness. We are never alone – our Risen Lord always walks with us giving us courage and peace. When we are immersed in our problems we often fail to see the Lord in our lives – but our faith comforts us with the belief that God is with us giving us peace and strength. With God at our side we are witnesses to His love and light in the world. Offenses will no doubt happen to each of us but we need to be careful that these offenses and the people who inflict them in our lives don’t define our life. Forgiveness is powerful and God’s love is more than enough for us. Be good at forgiving and letting go. Don’t hold onto bitterness. Choose love and pray for those who have hurt us.

--Too often we try to determine our worth as a human being by what and how much we do, what others say and think about us, etc…. God, however, created us in His own image – we don’t have to try to convince anyone that we are good enough. Praise from people feeds our ego. Our value comes from being a child of God. Our mission is to build His kingdom on earth – not our egos.

--A final question: Am I fully committed to God who is calling me to Himself? I pray: “Dear God, I commit my life to following You – use me to help make the world a better place.”

May Almighty God bless the people of St. James Parish and all our dear ones with peace, joy, love, and all the goodness of His creation.