This is what we should do everyday, even if we give it only a few minutes. That short period of prayer and meditation will surely give us the proper tone and color for the day, whatever may happen along the way. 

This is what Christ himself did. There are so many references in the gospel of how Christ would get up early in the morning, even way before daybreak, and go to certain place just to pray, to talk with the Father.

Christ always felt the need to touch base with the Father. In fact, before he launched his public life, he had to spend 40 days in the desert to pray and fast. And to think that he is God himself! It gives us the idea that even in that Trinitarian nature of the one God, there is a perpetual knowing and loving among the three divine persons, a perpetual praying and relating with each other.

Being the image and likeness of God, we too should realize that we need to touch base with God in the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And we should do this daily.

No wonder that all the saints, whatever their particular conditions and situations were, were always men and women of prayer before they were known for some spectacular feats and anything else.

It’s important — in fact, indispensable — that we touch base with God always because without him we are nothing, even if we manage to show ourselves to be something or to have done something great for a while.

Touching base with God will give us the proper and constant perspective amid the changing circumstances of our daily life. It will remind us of who we really are, where we came from and where we are supposed to go. It will enlighten us about the proper attitude we ought to have toward our daily work, concerns, projects, duties, etc.

We have to do everything to overcome whatever obstacle there may be in fulfilling this most basic daily duty. We have to stir up our faith. We have to fight against our laziness, both physical and mental. We need to find time and in fact give priority to it. That’s because nowadays, there are just so many things that are so alluring as to grab us away from this duty.

Touching base with God will put us in the best condition to face the day, whatever way it will turn out. It will prepare us to react properly both in good times and bad. It will reassure us that God is in control of everything, and gives us all the appropriate means to handle whatever predicament we may be in.

Touching base with God will also remind us that our life here on earth is a pilgrimage to our definitive homeland. We do not have our definitive home here on earth (cfr. Heb 13, 14) Everything that we do should be a step forward to that homeland.

Touching base with God will also remind us that we are actually co-creators with God and co-redeemers with Christ of our own selves. It will sharpen our sense of duty and priority amid the many competing values and tasks we have to choose along the way.

To touch base with God is actually not difficult to do. All that is needed is the right disposition of faith, hope and charity with their corresponding ‘requirements.’ In the practical level, all that is needed is just a few minutes, usually in the early part of the day, and an appropriate place that is conducive to prayer and meditation.

Let us encourage everyone to develop the habit of touching base with God everyday. We need to have catechesis on this, and practical lessons and even classes to put this practice in place in the life of everyone, especially the young ones./WDJ