Crowds of people were so taken up with Jesus that they spent three days with Him (Mt 15:32). They had nothing to eat in a deserted place and were in danger of collapsing before they could get food (Mt 15:32-33). This was not due to bad planning; rather, it was because these people were so intent on Jesus that they were not concerned with food and time.

If we would only forget about ourselves, concentrate on Jesus, and worship Him! May each of us be able to say: "One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord" (Ps 27:4). May our flesh pine for Him, and our souls thirst for Him and cling to Him (Ps 63:2, 9). Let us pray with the psalmist: "When I am with You, the earth delights me not" (Ps 73:25). May we pray with St. Ignatius of Loyola: "Give me only Your love and Your grace, that's enough for me." May each of us lose ourselves in the love of Jesus and say: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me" (see Gal 2:20). For His sake, let us forfeit everything and count all else rubbish so that Christ may be our Wealth and we may be in Him (Phil 3:8-9). Jesus is the Bread of life (Jn 6:35). He alone is all-sufficient. We need only Jesus. He is our Life (Jn 14:6).

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, July 15, 2000

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 17, 2000