Isn't it amazing how God can make something out of nothing? He made beautiful you and me by the power of his word. He speaks the word and it comes to be. We see first hear of this amazing reality at the beginning of The Bible. He speaks all that is in the heavens and earth into existence. The pinnacle of his creative word is us! We are the apple of his eye. Notice he does not even lift a finger in order to make us. He just speaks the command and there we are! And his command is life.

Jesus came to earth and showed us that God's word is all-powerful. He calmed the Sea of Galilee. He multiplied the fishes and loaves on the hillside. He made the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak and the dead rise. All this he did through the power of his word. He spoke and it came to be. And all his commands were a command for life.

Last night there was a loud party next door. I finally called the police at 4:14 am. I will not go into my uncharitable thoughts right now but the Holy Spirit was once again connecting the dots for me. Yesterday, only a few hours earlier, I had preached a homily at a funeral about how we all need a community in which the purpose is to worship God alone, i.e. church. We all need community but it will never be good enough to gather around a sporting event, a beer keg, or even an important altruistic cause. We need to gather around God whose command for us is Eternal Life. The party ended about 5 am. (Not that I am bitter that I will need to be joyful and awake and alert to hundred's of people today at masses and appointments). I could not help but think of what commands the beer and loud music were doing for the partakers in the party. Would there be any hangovers, sickness, DUI's, accidents or other headaches? What about hearing loss? As we can see, there are so many ways life can be taken in a drunken party which is the exact opposite of what God wants to do for us. Would any of the revelers be in church on Sunday morning to receive God's command of life?

Every command God gives is a command for life. Name how God's commands have given you more life. Praise God for showing the way to life. Tell all people that God's command is LIFE and we need to gather in church together to grow in the Eternal Life he commands for us.

Blessed by the BEST,

+Fr. John