"Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." Psalm 114:7-8 (NLT)

Meditation: I was sitting outside this morning to enjoy the cool breeze and warm sun with my cat, Dixie, and I noticed how beautiful the flowers were that Donna, my wife, had planted in pots on our concrete patio. I thought that some people believe that plants respond to kind words spoken to them. So I told the flowers how beautiful they looked.

Then I thanked God who created such beautiful flowers for us to enjoy. He has left us such beautiful reminders of the Paradise Adam and Eve once enjoyed. Just as the Israelites thanked God for the water from the rock, be sure to thank God today for all the gifts, graces and blessings he has provided for you!

God does remarkable things all the time. You just have to be paying attention to see them. For example, have you really noticed the people and ideas God exposes you to?

My parish priest is from India; I met a Buddhist; I read about yoga by a Hindu; I read about Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk whose spiritual teachings were influenced by Eastern thought; I read a text on the Muslim religion; even my neighbor's cat is named Kali, the Hindu Goddess of death and destruction! 

What am I to make of these encounters with the East? The answer may surprise you: God sent me these experiences to expand my love for all his children. Whom have you met recently?

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.