Jim Van Vurst, OFM

As humans no man can guarantee his future life. The time we have on earth is limited. When death comes we have only ourselves to present to the Lord. We take nothing with us.

One of the graces each of us has is being an “instrument of peace” that God can use for the sake of others. Indeed, we are the hands of God in touching the lives of others.

There are those times when an opportunity arises that can make a difference in our lives and we have the choice of using it or putting it aside. It’s good if we’re able to say “yes” to those moments from time to time.

Our relationships with each other as children of God give us a closeness even deeper than blood relationships. And when as children of God we act and try to obey God’s word in our lives, we are closer than ever to each other.

We’ve all experienced miracles in our lives. We’ve felt lifeless and helpless. But the merciful Lord–perhaps in the guise of a friend–came and raised us back to life again.