2B18.   1Samuel 3:3b-10, 19.  This Sunday opens our walk with Jesus through his public ministry.  The foundation is being laid down as we hear Samuel say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  The first reading calls upon us to have minds open to hear and understand; and wills open to obey and love.  In our first reading Samuel hears the Lord calling but does not know that it is the Lord who is calling because he does not know how to listen for the voice of the Lord.  The first reading says, “At that time Samuel was not familiar with the Lord, because the Lord had not revealed anything to him as yet.”  The Lord became a human in our midst to say in part that he did not want to be just a distant person far from us.  He came then and comes now to become a familiar part of our lives.  It is not the familiarity that breeds contempt but rather engenders love.

When asked by a Pharisee in Matthew 22:36-37, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the great?”  Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  This is a new and old testament demand that God be the love of our life, the love that is our life.  We can only truly love someone with whom we are in personal and cordial contact.  We can know a cold fact, e. g., there is a God out there somewhere in the sky, but that is not love.  God makes himself familiar to us in prayer.  It is a relationship that grows by our becoming more and more committed to him and his will, treating him as the God of our lives.  It is a relationship that grows deeper and stronger day by day until the day we die to this world.

John 1:35-42.  When John the Baptist said of Jesus to two of his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” they knew that he was telling them that Jesus is the Messiah.  So when Andrew, one of those two disciples, found his brother, Simon, he said to him in reference to Jesus, “We have found the Messiah.” What does it mean to be called the Messiah?  In Mark 15:32a, the chief priests with the scribes said, “Let the Messiah, the King of the Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”  In John 18:36a, Jesus says to Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”  The Messiah is the king of the world beyond this material world.  Then in John 18:37c, Jesus says, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  Jesus is the voice of truth because he himself is the truth.  Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  The very person of Jesus that is the Word spoken by the God the Father is the truth.  This material world, a world in which things are here today and gone tomorrow, can limit us to the world of our earthly horizon, blinding us to the world that is beyond it, the spiritual world that is forever.  The Messiah came to lead us to the fullness of truth, to the whole of reality.  In Luke 9:35, God the Father came as a voice from a cloud saying, “This is my chosen Son: listen to him.”  Hear him by letting not only his words but also his very person be the very life of our hearts, minds and souls.  Jesus changes the name of Cephas to Peter, which means rock, to say that Jesus will be a new life for him, a rebirth in the Christ, which will make of him a whole new person in Christ.  Jesus wants to do the same with all of us.

1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20.  In this epistle God reveals the fullness of truth that is so diametrically opposed to the thinking of this world.  “You are not your own.  For you have been purchased at a price.”  Our bodies, for that matter, our lives, our very persons belong to the God who gave us life so that we may live forever in the joy of his love.  The attitude of this world is that this is my body and I will do whatever I want with it.  As the angel Lucifer did, we can reject God’s ownership over us and so merit that eternal future called hell. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?  But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.”  To have eternal life we must be joined to the only one who is able to give eternal life, Jesus.  Any immorality of the body, or otherwise, is a choice to separate ourselves from Christ.  When we choose to belong to Christ, how wonderful it is to realize each day of our lives that we are temples of the Holy Spirit!  Jesus said in John 16:13: “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”  When Jesus left this world he gave us the Holy Spirit to enable us to have Jesus who is truth himself as our daily life so that we can find our way to heaven and the joy of an eternity there.

Romans 13:14.

BaptB21.   Isaiah 55:1-11.   Many of the Hebrews, who had been taken off into captivity to Babylonia, eventually integrated themselves into Babylonia as prosperous citizens, so much so that, when invited to go back to Judea, only a remnant later returned.  In this scripture the Lord is inviting all of them to return, promising them a wondrous bounteous richness.  “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near” is to say God is inviting you back now but will not hold out the invitation for long.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways your ways, says the Lord.”  God is telling all the Jews that they must think as He thinks and not as human beings do.  “My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”  When God speaks, his words accomplish their purpose.

Mark 1:7-11.    “John the Baptist proclaimed: ‘One mightier than I is coming after me.’”  John’s baptism of Jesus announces the adult entrance of God’s Son into this world as do “the heavens being torn open” with the Spirit “descending upon him” and a voice proclaiming “from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” This is a reaffirmation of the proclamation of the angels at his birth: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”  (Luke 2:11)  He is all-powerful yet humble, calling on us to respond positively to his loving presence but not forcing us.  Just as the Jews were invited to go back to their homeland in the first reading, so too we are called upon by God at Jesus’ baptism to make our home with Jesus who came into our world to be at home with us.

1 John 5:1-9.   When we fully accept and live with Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we receive birth into the spiritual life, “begotten by God,” becoming a child of God.  With Jesus as our Lord, we obey his will.  Who is our Lord and Master, Jesus or the ways of this world?  When we believe in Jesus, entrusting ourselves to him as the Son of God, we conquer and are victorious over the world’s claim over us to be the driving and ruling force in our lives.

His baptism in the waters of the Jordan along with the Spirit who descended upon him and his shedding of blood on the cross give witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Let us accept him for who he should be for us, the Lord and Master of our lives, sent to us from the heavens by our loving God.

Epiph21.    Isaiah 60:1-6.   Isaiah was encouraging a disheartened remnant of Jews who had relatively recently been released from captivity.  They were a poor people with little resources who had returned to a land that had been ravaged by war and they needed to rebuild.  Isaiah is calling upon the people to have faith in their glorious God who will make them a light to the nations.  Proclaiming the praises of the Lord, the nations will come, bringing gold and frankincense.  Israel will be the light, the shining radiance.

Matthew 2:1-12.     Magi from the ancient faith of Persia were astrologers who attempted to read the stars as a way to read messages from the supernatural to the people of earth.  As Catholics we traditionally believe that God used a special star to lead the magi to the newborn king or Christ or messiah of the Jews.  The magi acceptedthe star as a guiding light from God.  They, who were Gentiles, came to do homage to the king of the Jews whereas Herod, representing the Jewish establishment, sought to kill theChrist.  John 1:5reads, Jesus is the light that “shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  The way to Jesus is fraught with difficulties.  We seek to bring to him anything and everything that we have that is of value; after all, he gives us the most valuable thing we can ever have, eternity in heaven.

Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6.   Paul speaks of the mystery that was made known or revealed to him that he, in turn, makes known to the Gentiles.  It was a mystery because it had not been revealed to people in other ages.  The revelation is Jesus, God who became human to bring humans to God.  John 1:11-12 reads, “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.  But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.”  How magnificent it is to be children of the almighty Creator of the universe!   God has invited us to belong to him.  However only by living daily in the power of the Holy Spirit can we make our divine adoption a genuine reality.

Epiph18.   Isaiah 60:1-6.  Isaiah writes here of the return of the Hebrews to Israel.  Isaiah 45:3a writes that God says, “I will give you treasures out of the darkness, and riches that have been hidden away,” probably meaning that King Cyrus, on allowing the Hebrews to go back to Israel, returned to them the treasures taken from the Temple by the Babylonians when the Jews were taken into captivity. The Wikipedia article on ‘Cyrus the Great in the Bible’ states, “Among the classical Jewish sources, besides the Bible, Josephus (1^st century AD) mentions that Cyrus freed the Jews from captivity and helped rebuild the temple.  He also wrote to the rulers and governors that they should contribute to the rebuilding of the temple and assisted them in rebuilding the temple.”  I believe that Isaiah was referring to this when he wrote, “the wealth of the nations shall be brought to you.”  By extension we take this to mean that this is a prophetic reference to the gifts of the magi.

Matthew 2:1-12.  “Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’” Even though these magi were what we would call pagans; nonetheless, they were obviously in prayerful union with God so that they could come to know the significance of the star.In the Acts of the Apostles (10:34-35) it says, “Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, ‘In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.  Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” Prayer or communication with God is not only God listening to us but also us listening to God, i. e. a dialog, not just a monolog.  Not only does he tell us, “Ask and you shall receive,” but also, “have the ears to hear.”  The problem, of course, is that religion is primarily a faith and not a science.  Our God is invisible to our eyes and inaudible to our ears.  So there is the need for a spirit  ofdiscernment that what comes to us is truly from God.  We have the sacraments, sacred and religious buildings and literature and good people in our lives through whom the Lord often enough speaks to us.  1 John 4:1 reads: “Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  However, only if we grow daily in giving our hearts and minds to the Lord through God the Holy Spirit, will we truly have the internal and external voices to speak to the Lord and the external and internal capacity to perceive the Lord speaking to us.

The devil communicates also.  Herod who so connived in his attempt to murder the child Jesus through his perceived gullibility of the magi and later through “the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16) seemed to be in close contact with the devil.  In these Scripture verses concerning the magi there is a stark contrast between the magi who lived in the light of Lord and Herod who dwelled in the darkness of the devil.  Psalm 72:10-11 reads: The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.  All Kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”  This psalm speaks of the qualities of the promised Messiah.  The magi help to fulfill the prophecies of Psalm 72.  They offer the best they have and so should we.

Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6.  “You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.”  “It has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus though the gospel.”  The magi represent the acceptance by the non-Jews who choose to be believers in the Christ as the Father’s Son and Redeemer.  We receive all that Christ came to give.  We are the adopted children of God the Father through the work of his Son.  In our own individual humble way may the love of Christ which the Spirit imbues in us reveal the glory of the tiny babe!

FamB20.    Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3.    God has made Abram rich but given him no children and his wife was too old to bear a child.  Abram’s hopelessness to have a family offered the opportunity to God to show his gloriously mighty caring power.  God promised Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  Then Sarah bore Abram a son in her old age.  When God made his promise to Abram, Abram simply accepted God at his word.  Our reading says, “Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him (Abram) as an act of righteousness (holiness).”

Luke 22:22-40.   Matthew 1:24b says, “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”  Although Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit, once Joseph took his wife Mary into his home, Joseph legally became Jesus’ father.  Joseph and Mary, who are referred to in this Sunday’s reading as “the child’s father and mother,” brought the baby Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord.  Four times it is mentioned that they were doing everything as good Jews in compliance with the Jewish Law.  The sacrifice they offered in the Temple was the sacrifice mandated for the poorest of families. (Leviticus 12:8 & Exodus 13:2 & 12)  Simeon spoke prophetically that Jesus was “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  Also traditionally it has been understood that the sword that would pierce Mary’s heart was Jesus’ crucifixion. Likewise Anna spoke prophetically that Jesus was the one for whom “all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”  In Jesus, divinity took on humanity.  Jesus was truly a human being without losing his divinity; however, his divinity had to stand back so as to allow Jesus’ humanity to develop as a true human being.  As Abram entrusted himself to God’s promise, so Mary put her faith in the word of God spoken through the angel Gabriel that she would be the mother of Jesus, the “Son of the Most High.”

Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19. This reading begins: “Brothers and sisters: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.  By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought the one who made the promise was trustworthy.”  This Sunday is dedicated to the Holy Family.  They are the Holy family because their lives individually and their life as a family unit were lived in their faith in God, entrusting themselves to the God who is trustworthy.  They invite us to do the same.

 

FAMB17.   Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3.  “Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited to him as an act of righteousness.”  Abraham needed to have male descendant from his wife Sarah to establish a line of descendants, as the basis of God’s Chosen People.  He trusted that God would do what he had promised, despite the fact that Sarah was beyond her child-bearing years.  That trust was credited to him as an act of righteousness because he believed that no matter what God would never fail him. And so Isaac was born.

Luke 2:22-40.   “They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”  The act of presenting or consecrating a child to God is recognize and honor the fact that all life is from God and belongs to its creator and not to the one created.  God has given us conception as human beings to be loved by him forever and, being loved by him, we have been given the calling to be love as God is love, as his sons and daughters in the image of God our Father.  Simeon had the Holy Spirit who revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died.  Even before John the Baptist, Simeon introduced to the world the Messiah, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”  Joseph and Mary, “the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him by Simeon.”  Simeon, foretelling Mary’s witnessing the passion and death of Jesus, says to Mary, “you yourself a sword will pierce.”  Simeon also foretells, “This child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel,” which I interpret to mean that many will go to heaven and many others to hell as they manifest from their hearts their acceptance or rejection of Jesus.  Anna, the prophetess, also foretold that Jesus would lead his followers to redemption.  “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.” Since the angel Gabriel came to Mary, one might imagine that the angel made timely visits to Jesus’ parent to keep them informed about their extraordinary child but apparently not.  After the incident of the boy Jesus teaching in the Temple, John 2:50-51 says, “But they did not understand what he said to them.  He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.” Mary is a model for us of one who is attentive to God who reveals himself a little here and there.  As Mary stayed close to God, ready to listen to what God wishes to reveal, we should do the same.  Our gospel reading (John 112:40) ends, “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.  John 12:52 ends “And Jesus advanced {in} wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”  Jesus, in his humanity, was a real child who grew up under the care of his parents.  Jesus was not God masquerading as a pretend human being.  It is very difficult but necessary to keep in balance that Jesus is both human and divine. Joseph is referred to as his father because, even as a adopting father, he is a real parent to Jesus.  This feast of the Holy Family is an invitation to us to think of ourselves as members of God’s family here on earth, as members of the church, and as members-in-formation of God’s family in heaven.

Hebrew 11:8, 11-12, 17-19.  “By faith Abraham obeyed,” “not knowing” to what land God was calling him.  By faith he believed that God would make of Sarah and him a great nation, even though they were well beyond the age to have a child.  By faith he believed that, even if he offered up Isaac as a sacrifice, God would still raise up Israel as a great nation.  Abraham calls upon us to be a people of faith in the God who is always faithful.  In Mark 9:22b-24, the father of a boy whom a demon had possessed says: “’But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us’.  Jesus said to him, ‘If you can!’  ‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.’  Then the boy’s father cried out, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief!’”  We live in a world that that requires physical proof of everything but as people of faith, we realize we put our faith a God who made the universe.  We have a reality beyond the reality that only our eyes can see.

Adv4B20.    2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16.   King David had come to a stable time in his life when he was victorious over his many enemies and quite well-to-do.  He naturally thought that it was time for him to do something for God who had so much for him.  It is so human to think of God as being on our level.  God is the source of all good.  Whatever anyone has that is good came, comes and will come from God.  No one can give him anything that is good that God himself has not had eternally.  God turns the tables on David.  David who already has received so much from God will receive even more.  God promises David a house or a dynasty that will be composed of one heir who will rule eternally.  The Lord God said to David thought the prophet Nathan, “I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm.”  “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”

Luke 1:26-38.   This gospel is traditionally referred to in the rosary as the Annunciation.  The angel or messenger of God announced to Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever.” This fulfills the prophecy found in the first reading.  Also Mary is celebrated for her submission or obedience to God’s will.

Romans 16:25-27.  Paul concludes this epistle with a doxology or hymn of praise: “To him—-be glory forever and ever. Amen.”  The long section between those words calls upon God to strengthen the Roman Christians to be obedient to God, which obedience is their faith lived out in their lives.

Adv4B17.   2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16.   Through the prophet Nathan, God says, “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in?’” God goes on to assert that it is he who gets things done, using David as his servant.  In the narration that follows, using the word ‘I’ eleven times, God makes it clear that it is his omnipotence that has accomplished the good things that have been done for Israel.  It was not David but God with David’s cooperation who accomplished all the good.

Luke 1:26-38.  The angel Gabriel, sent by God, announces to Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,.”  Mary responds, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  Mary accepts her role as servant of God’s will, as David had been ages before.  Since Mary recognizes that it will not be by her action that this birth will occur, she asks the angel, ‘How can this be?”  “And the angel said to her in reply, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” It is God’s power with Mary’s cooperation that brings about the wondrous divine act of divinity taking on humanity so that in his humanity Jesus is able to offer himself up to the Father as a redemptive sacrifice for our sins and so open the gates of heaven to those who wish to enter by living out a life of faith in Jesus the Christ.

In the Christmas Vigil Mass, Isaiah (62:5) proclaims, “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you.  And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.”  Through Mary all humanity that serves God as Mary did, in a sense, becomes a bride to God.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:2: “For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  In the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:10b), the five wise virgins went into the wedding feast with the bridegroom.  At the judgment time those who have filled their lives with holiness become the bride of Christ, the new Jerusalem (Revelation. 21:2), God’s holy people.

At the end of the first reading, God says through the prophet Samuel, I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.  Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”  Through Mary’s son Jesus, God fulfills his promise.  In this Gospel reading, the angel says to Mary, Jesus “will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his Father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Romans 16:25-27.  Paul glorifies God who has made known to all nations the mystery kept secret for long ages that Jesus is Lord and so we ought to obey him by putting our faith in him.

Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29.  “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord,” for fulfilling his promises made to David.

Adv3B20.   Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11.    The Lord God has anointed the prophet Isaiah to proclaim a year of favor to reconstruct what was broken; to enable those who were unable, since they were without adequate resources; to free those who were bound up or held back so that all may be made whole and productive.  The prophet rejoices from the depths of his heart in his God who works such wonders.  The Lord God has made him glorious like a garden that bears new growth out of what was barren before.  All nations will be will be amazed at the glorious work of the Lord God.

Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.  In these verses from the Magnificat Mary exults in the spectacular work of the Lord in her.  She rejoices that God has filled her lowliness with his magnificent  blessing on her.  The Almighty has used his might to raise her up from her relative insignificance, someone who was not worthy of anyone to pay any attention to her, by the great things he has done for her.

John 1:6-8, 19-28.   As Isaiah was sent from God, so was John the Baptist.  He witnesses, declares, testifies to the coming of the Lord God into this world.  At first the representatives from the Sadducees, then those from the Pharisees question John.  John declares that he has the same task that Isaiah had, i.e., to prepare the way of the Lord.  The Pharisees ask John as to how he has the right to purify or baptize.  John answers that his baptism is only by water.  The baptism that has divine power belongs to the one who is now following him, one who is far greater than he.  Our first reading from Isaiah proclaimed that God was about to do something wondrous.  In the Magnificat Mary rejoices in what a spectacular thing God has done in her.  In this gospel reading John the Baptist prepares the Jewish nation to receive their Messiah, the light who will take away the darkness.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24.   In this conclusion to his letter Paul encourages the Thessalonians to maintain order in their church community so to be found holy at the coming of the Lord.  This reading continues the theme of this Sunday’s reading to joyfully ready oneself to greet the coming Savior.

Adv3B17.   Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11.  God’s Spirit anoints Isaiah to announce God’s empowerment to the lowly, i.e. the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners.  Isaiah, made by God the glorious herald of freedom for the captives of Israel, proclaims, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.”  Through Isaiah God brings the good news of his restauration of the People of Israel.

Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.  Paralleling Isaiah’s joyful proclamation, Mary likewise rejoices in the work of God to raise up the lowly, i.e., Mary, her very self, as well as all those who have so little but do respect God as the God over them, especially Israel.  Mary and Israel are mentioned as servants of God’s Will.  On this Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing, both Isaiah and Mary renew in us the spirit of rejoicing in the Lord always, for the God who is everything good forever, comes into our lives to give us the eternal joy of his life.

John 16-8, 19-28.  When the people saw the miracle of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, getting back his power of speech they said in Luke 1:66b: “’What, then, will this child be?’  For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”  Zechariah proclaims in his Canticle about John the Baptist, in Luke 1:76: “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” This Sunday’s Gospel says John came “to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him (Jesus).” The end of St. John the Evangelist’s Gospel, John (20:31) says, “but these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of god, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”  John the Baptist’s testimony as well as the Scriptures shine the light on Jesus preparing us to receive him our Savior and God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24.  Paul gives us ways to help us have Jesus as the God of our lives.  First, “rejoice always.” If God is truly the God of our lives, we will necessarily be joyful because we have everything that is good and we have all that forever.  Secondly, “Pray without ceasing.  In all circumstances give thanks.”  Be in ceaseless communication with the Lord, both speaking to him and allowing him to communicate with us so that our life is a never ending life with Jesus within us as we see him always working for our good in our lives.  Jesus tells us in John 15:5b, “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (good). Third, “Do not quench the Spirit.” Do not let the ways, which the world has ingrained in us, drive us to shut him (the Holy Spirit) down.  Fourth, test everything.  The devil’s wiles are endless and he is a genius in twisting what seems to be good into evil.  Fifth, “May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  To go to heaven, the home of the saints, we must become saints.  We become saints by cooperating with the Holy Spirit who, because he is God, can and will make saints of those who work with him and not against him.  God, who is always faithful, is working within us to make of us his true sons and daughters.  We need to be faithful to the One who is always faithful, collaborating with him daily.