Today's Gospel reading comes from Luke 9. Let me just leave you with this memorable saying of Jesus without any comment: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
**Beautiful Transformation**
This is today's Gospel Acclamation based on Philippians 3:8-9, "I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him." This is a profound statement. It shows how we can gain Christ, and how people can now see the Lord in us. It's absolutely beautiful!
**Key Realization**
It dawns on me that we can ask God questions, but we should always do so with trust, for he is omniscient and knows what's best for us.
**God Meeting You All the Way**
Trust in God and he trusts in you. Open your heart to him and he reveals himself to you. The Lord always reciprocates your faith. If you call him Father, he will call you a son or daughter.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
**Fear No Evil**
I had a vivid dream last night. I was visiting a city and entered a building that was supposed to be haunted. I experienced the presence of various evil spirits, yet I had no fear at all, knowing that the Holy Spirit was with me since I had received the Lord in the Eucharist earlier at Mass. It is true that when the Lord is with you, no evil spirit can touch you. Psalm 23:4 came to my mind: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me." Amen.
Monday, September 28, 2026
**The Least Shall Be Greatest**
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus said to his disciples, "The one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest." If you are full of pride, you are on your own and can only fall. But if you are truly humble, God will exalt you without limit!
**Admirable Faith!**
In today's first reading from Job 1, the LORD allowed Satan to take away all that Job had, but not to lay a hand on his person. Then, misfortune befell his livestock, his sons and daughters, and the house they were dining in. Job cast himself prostrate upon the ground and said, "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!" In all this, Job did not sin, nor did he say anything disrespectful of God. I especially admire and love that last sentence. What a great attitude!
**A Wakeup Call**
Seeing all the amazing technological innovations and advancements made today, we tend to think that we are capable of achieving anything. We forget that it took us many centuries and countless individuals working our brains off to get to where we are today, whereas the Lord God can achieve infinitely greater things in an instant should he so choose. Our false pride simply distances us further and further from the Lord our Savior. Here is my wakeup call to all: The more we think we know, the more ignorant we are of God's omnipotence. Humility, not pride, is our ticket to eternal life!
Sunday, September 27, 2026
**Believing Is the Key**
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus told the Parable of the Two Sons to the chief priests and elders of the people. Afterward, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him." We see that entering the kingdom of God is not a matter of how sinful we are, but rather whether we believe or not.
**Our Ultimate Aim**
In today's Second Reading from Philippians 2, Paul, citing Christ Jesus as an example, advises everyone to do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory. Instead, he urges us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves, looking out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others. This is a high standard and certainly something for us to work on, as becoming more like the Lord is ultimately our aim.
**Best Blessing**
When God rewards us, it may be a monetary blessing, but it can come in any form. I value any blessing that is unknown to me so that my ego does not get inflated.
**Ultimate Challenge**
There is usually a gap between our heartfelt love for God and our actual practice of loving others. To close this gap, we must follow the Lord's every word to the letter. This means practicing what we truly believe. It remains the ultimate challenge for every Christian.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
***Repeated Reminder***
From today's Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 90, I'd like to single out this verse: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." Not wanting to sound like a broken record, I'd like to remind everyone again that we have only one life to live and one place to go after death, so let Christ make it good for us—this is being supremely wise!
***Christ Changes Things!**
Today's First Reading from Ecclesiastes 11 and 12 is a poem on youth and old age. It is true that no matter how we choose to live our lives, God will bring us to judgment in the end. In a sense, all things are vanity, as the author of Ecclesiastes states. However, after knowing Christ, life can be lived in complete humility, and the fear of judgment is no more!
**God Is All for Us!**
Romans 8:31b reads, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Because Christ died for us, we know He is all for us. Therefore, we should have no hesitation in placing ourselves completely in His hands. Eternal life is now ours! Remember, eternal life cannot be earned; it is received purely through faith and trust.
Friday, September 25, 2026
**The LORD Is My All**
This is the first stanza from today's Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 144: "Blessed be the LORD, my rock, my mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust." I can easily add, in no particular order, that the Lord is also my God, Savior, King, master, light, life, refuge, shepherd, teacher, guide, best friend, confidant, comforter, and soulmate.
**There Is a Time for Everything**
Today's First Reading comes from Ecclesiastes 3. I am going to post the first eight verses here because they are quite beautiful: "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." To me, this is about accepting life. At my age, it is a time to get detached from everything in the world. By the way, a time to surrender to God is not mentioned, but it definitely belongs on the list.
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