**An Overwhelming Experience**

        Communion experience. The Lord came to me, filling me to the brim.

**Blueprint for Being Blessed

        From today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, we heard the Sermon on the Mount, which consists of the Beatitudes. Jesus tells his disciples that blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. He concludes by saying, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." Ultimately, if we follow Christ and accept whatever he sends our way, we will be truly blessed.

***We Shall Be Like God!***

        Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. In the Second Reading from 1 John 3, the author writes: "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." The statement "We shall be like God" makes perfect sense to me. First, God created us in his own image. Furthermore, when we finally see him, we will be sinless just as he is.

**Source of Inner Peace**

        A true Christian always experiences peace deep in his heart, because he already knows the outcome of the spiritual battle between God and evil, and where he'll be going after this life.

***Be Christ-Centered Always***

        I see people trying to know and love Jesus more. They focus on how they can achieve that. The intention is good, but the approach is still self-centered and won't be effective. A Christian should do everything centered on Christ, as he is the source of power and grace. If you want to know the Lord, go straight to him. After all, he is the one who can show you the way to accomplish anything. Center on him, and you'll make giant strides spiritually. By the way, every time you receive the Holy Eucharist, abandon yourself completely to the Lord to attain union with him. Then, all your spiritual problems will be taken care of.

*****Ultimate Proof We Need Salvation*****

        When we look at how Christ came to us and was crucified on the cross in our place so that we might be saved from sin and inherit eternal life, we are overwhelmed by God's immense love for us and happily submit ourselves to him—this proves that we are indeed sinners and need salvation! Otherwise, we would not have been affected by what Christ underwent at all.

**Enjoying Life's Good Things the Christian Way**

        Today is already November 1; time marches on relentlessly. I found myself thinking about how we live our lives on Earth. We usually spend 12 to 16 years going to school during our youth and pass our final years in weakened or poor health. This leaves about five decades for us to work, seek pleasure, and do what we like. During this period, we usually become attached to many worldly things. Yet, compared to eternity, the average lifetime doesn't even last a nanosecond. All the things we are attached to will vanish the moment we pass away, so there is no point in letting the world ensnare us. We must learn to enjoy all the good things in life freely, while being able to let them go if we must. Being resolute and decisive—moving on and never looking back—is the true way to follow Christ.

**Thirsting for God**

        Today's Responsorial Psalm Response from Psalm 42 reads: "My soul is thirsting for the living God." This thirst is a joyful longing for the Lord, showing that the soul is truly in love with the him. What a beautiful feeling! If you thirst for God, you are feeling his love for you—be grateful and rejoice.

**The Dilemma of Departing**

        In today's First Reading from Philippians 1, Paul writes: "For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit." This same dilemma crosses our minds too, especially when we advance in years. Then I realize that it's really up to God. Whatever the Lord wants is fine with us. Dilemma resolved!

***We Are Our Own Bottlenecks**

        This is a sequel to my last post. On the spiritual path, we always become our own bottlenecks. The Lord God, who loves us to death (pun not intended), is waiting for us to return to him so that we can enjoy eternity in paradise. Yet, we are so nonchalant about the whole thing—this is definitely not cool. Our salvation depends entirely on God's mercy; all we have to do is raise our "Yes" sign. How can we be so unfeeling toward both our heavenly Father and ourselves?

*****Wake Up to Life!*****

        God has already revealed his plan for our salvation through his divine Son, Jesus. We are free to accept or reject it; therefore, eternal life or eternal death is entirely our choice. I am speaking this truth plainly because evil influences have muddied the consciences of so many who are drifting, virtually asleep, through this life.

**Meeting the Lord Halfway**

        Today's Gospel Acclamation, John 10:27, reads: "My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me." Jesus already knows us inside and out. If we open up and let him know us, then he'll reveal himself to us in return. When that happens, we'll be perfectly in tune with the Lord!

******AN URGENT, SERIOUS WARNING******

        If you cannot prove that Jesus never existed, or that he was real but a false teacher, and you reject him as your Lord and Savior, then this has to be the greatest rejection of truth—one that will directly impact your eternal existence. I may sound harsh or extreme, but I am dead serious about this. This warning is motivated solely by God's pure, selfless love for all of us. Not to announce it would be committing a grave sin of omission on my part. I only wish the very best for the Lord and all of us. May truth prevail!

**A Warning Against Confusion**

        Jesus always talks to us straight, without any duplicity. His messages are always clear. If we don't quite grasp them right away, it's because the content is profound. Any teaching that is ambiguous or confusing is not from the Lord (Matthew 5:37). Beware!

**A Common Fault of Ours**

        One common fault among all of us is that we easily find things about others to criticize, while almost never noticing our own shortcomings. This shows a lack of basic humility. As Christians, we should always perfect ourselves first, and let others know of their imperfections only for the purpose of their edification.

***Battling Evil, a Christian Duty***

        In today's First Reading from Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul instructs us on how to battle evil. I will quote the first three verses to show that the devil and demonic spirits are real: "Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." I am amazed that Paul recognized this reality so clearly in his own time. Today, we see popular celebrities openly following Satan, drawing millions of fans along with them. Christians must actively fight against evil—not out of fear, but out of a duty to follow our holy Lord and save as many souls as possible. Ultimately, a Christian who remains indifferent to saving souls cannot be genuinely following Christ.

**We May Be in the End Times**

        Today is the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. Here is the First Reading from Ephesians 2: "Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Sadly, two thousand years later, we are not at that point yet. Could we be in the end times now?

***The Only Friend We Need***

        Jesus, who loves us with the greatest love and is completely trustworthy, is the best possible friend we can ever have. In fact, he is the only friend we need. While earthly friendships eventually fade, our bond with Christ lasts forever. Consider this a gentle warning: once the Lord becomes your best friend, you may lose other friends because you no longer fit into their world. But this is such a small price to pay when you consider the immense reward waiting for you in heaven!