A famous line from the 1992 move “A Few Good Men”, had Jack Nicholson stating to Tom Cruise that he “could not take the truth” about what it took to protect the country.  I am going to make a dangerous assumption that every person here is, in some way or other, looking for truth.  Young people especially are looking hard for truth. So, what is the deepest truth of life? What penetrates and pervades and saturates every blade of grass, every cloud in the sky, every rock, every single human heart? What fills everything that is, was, or will be, with an utter fullness?  Only one thing—the everlasting, unbreakable, overpowering love of God.  Without God's love, nothing would exist, nothing would have meaning.

That is what Jesus witnesses to. "For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."  That’s why we call Jesus a King—the King of Truth.  Jesus is everything -- everything we need or will ever need. And Jesus is the face of God.  Yet, for all this, we still take Jesus and the love of God for granted in life.

Let’s say you’re totally weak and ill, yet you have one person who devotes him or herself to your every need and care.  Would you be so grateful to that person, you would never forget them?  You’d probably tell everyone about them.  God not only takes care of us, God gives us our very life.  Yet we treat life as if it is ours—even abusing our bodies, treating our souls carelessly, forgetting whose life this really is. (Hint: Not ours!)  How to change that attitude?  Maybe by practicing gratitude, for starters.  Appreciate the love God put into your heart, so you have it to give to someone else.  We didn’t invent love!  So thank the inventor.

This afternoon, The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed following the 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. John Capistran.  Solemn Evening Prayer and Benediction will be celebrated at 5:00 p.m.  While the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, at least two people should always be present.  You and your family are invited to spend some time during the day in prayer, giving glory to God for the many blessings you have received. 

THANKSGIVING DAY MASSES – This Thursday, November 25th is Thanksgiving.  Masses will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. at St. John Capistran and at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas More.  You may bring non-perishable items to church to be donated to our local food pantry.