CLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE

by Dr. Jim Savage

"We talk about God in the third person. We teach about God. However, we don't teach about our spouses or about good friends. We introduce them, not teach about them. Too often we relate to God as a myth or a theorem to be talked about and not as a Friend." (Norman Shawchuck, "A Guide To Prayer For All Who Seek God" Upper Room")

"The more you can feel safe as a child of God, the freer you will be to claim your mission in the world as a responsible human being. And the more you claim that you have a unique task to fulfill for God, the more open you will be to letting your deepest need be met." (Henri Nouwen, "Embraced By God's Love")

St. Therese's life of trust in God gave her the conviction that no separation on earth was final. Indeed, she understood that the God who created her was drawing her to Himself throughout her life, and that death was the final separation which would result in union forever with the Source of All Life and Love. The sentence Therese wrote in one of her last letters says it all: "I am not dying; I am entering into Life!" (St. Therese of Lisieux. Spiritual Life, 2000)

"In the prayer of adoration we love God for Himself, for His very being, for His radiant joy." (Douglas V. Steere)

I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you, as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is....And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself." (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Dear God, be with us All today as we strive again to hear Your Voice. We so want to follow You on the Way that Jesus taught. Help us to be supportive to All, to be Your arms of comfort surrounding those in need of love, right Now. Help us to be unafraid of whatever life will bring so that we may be a strength for those in need of a Friend, right Now...Help us to Share Life with one another whatever the circumstances, right Now. We give You thanks, Loving God. We are grateful, Christ Jesus. We will listen and we will wait to feel Your Guidance, Holy Spirit, thank You! Amen. May it be so.