| " I came so that they might have life | | | | kingdom isn't like that. We can't work |
| and have it more abundantly" | | | | our way to heaven, because we can't do |
| (John 10:10b) | | | | anything to make ourselves right with |
| | | | God. The only one who can do that is |
| The divine feasts, as narrated both in | | | | God's perfect Son Jesus. When we |
| the Old and New testaments, speak always | | | | believe that He died in order to forgive |
| of abundance of food and drink. Nobody | | | | our sins, we agree with God on the |
| gets hungry at the table prepared by | | | | subject, and our eternal destination |
| God. God wants to share totally his | | | | becomes heaven. God gives us the gift |
| abundance with us, as he told the older | | | | for doing nothing more than trusting in |
| son in the parable of the Prodigal Son. | | | | Him. |
| But then, how many times we prefer to | | | | So today, instead of spending time |
| live in hunger than avail of this | | | | catching up on the office work, why not |
| abundance! The story of the Prodigal | | | | trust in God? Spend time in worship, |
| Son could be the life of anyone of us. | | | | not work, and instead of trying to enter |
| When we enjoy good health, when our | | | | heaven on your own credit, you'll arrive |
| business runs good and our banks | | | | there safely on your trust in Jesus. |
| accounts are full of savings, we easily | | | | We should end our day in prayer |
| forget about God. We only return to | | | | reaffirming that the goal of human life |
| him, like the Prodigal Son, when | | | | is to be with God. Our dream of quality |
| everything goes wrong. In returning to | | | | life is not brought about the riches or |
| him, we dream only of recovering what we | | | | material possession alone. We dream of |
| lost, not understanding that the most | | | | living free from sickness and death. |
| important treasure is God himself. God | | | | Only God can give this. |
| gives abundantly because he gives | | | | A good practice also is to meditate |
| himself. If we lose him, we lose | | | | constantly on the Holy Bible. Keep this |
| everything. | | | | Book of the law on your lips. Recite it |
| How many holy people spent their lives | | | | day and night, that you may observe |
| in the most abject misery and poverty, | | | | carefully all that is written in it; |
| yet they still exuded immense joy for | | | | then you will attain your goal. |
| the presence of God in their hearts. | | | | The well being brought by earthly riches |
| Poverty with God is better than | | | | pales in comparison to the happiness of |
| prosperity without him. | | | | heaven. The apostle Paul, who had a |
| You probably don't work for free -you | | | | first-hand experience of heaven, spoke |
| need money to live on, pay the rent with | | | | of it as happiness beyond words and |
| and save money for a rainy day. The | | | | imagination: "This man...was taken up to |
| Bible recognizes that a valuable worker | | | | Paradise where he heard word that cannot |
| deserves fair recompense. | | | | be told: things which humans cannot |
| Though the Bible recognizes the need to | | | | express". |
| earn a living, it also tells us God's | | | | |