"the greatest of these is love" (1 cor 13:13)
"Jesus turned around and saw her and said, 'Courage, daughter! Your faith has restored you to health.' That very moment the woman got well." —Matthew 9:22
I write this after recently receiving a second opinion from a doctor about my cancer. The second doctor concurred with the first one that my cancer is medically inoperable, untreatable, and terminal. Therefore, it is medically probable that I will die in the not too distant future (before you even read this).
Nevertheless, whether I live or die, the overriding priority for me and everyone else is our relationship with the Lord. We must be fully committed to Him by His standards. Then we must accept God's grace to deepen that relationship as much as possible. The Lord is always leading us into the desert to speak to our hearts (Hos 2:16). He wants to lead us to a relationship with Him which transcends every other relationship. This love for Jesus is analogous to the best of marriages (see Hos 2:21ff), although it goes way beyond marriage.
Life and death are so very important, but our love for the Lord is the most important. Daily deepen your love for the Lord.
Prayer: Father, may I abide in You and abide in love (see 1 Jn 4:16).
Promise: "The little girl got up. News of this circulated throughout the district." —Mt 9:25-26
Praise: St. Anthony reflected the love of Jesus by his compassion and his ministry of healing in both physical and spiritual ways.
Reference: (Deepen your love for the Lord by reading the Bible every day. We have several tape series to help you. Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. 15-minute Bible Teaching - New Testament is forty audio tapes starting with #700. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is 32 audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or 17 video tapes starting with V-21.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, December 13, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 18, 2003