**Having Faith in God is Beautiful**

        Believing in the true God of Christ is indeed beautiful, for you are completely transformed into a new creature, living in Christ and free from the world, and know that you will soon be with him in paradise for all eternity. 

*****Infinite Faith in an Infinite God*****

        I'd like to start this month with another video by Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. Listening to him preach is incredibly satisfying because he focuses directly on Christ. Many other homilies lack power because they center more on us—on how we can follow the Lord better. Truly, having unshakable faith in Christ can banish our worries, fill our hearts with peace, and solve all our problems. Does it sound too good to be true? Not if your have great faith!

***Perfection Formula***

        The secret is to surrender yourself to God, by surrendering yourself to his love. In practice, you just let him love you!

**The Prayer We Need**

        Also, in today's Gospel reading, Jesus said to Peter, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." We also promise to follow the Lord, yet we continue sinning against him. Pray hard that he will perfect us and not test us to the point of failing him.  

**How Christ Suffered for Our Sake**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 13, while reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. Later, Satan entered Judas and he left at once. Then Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come.'" The disciples were not sure what was happening, but the Lord had been carrying out the Father's plan all along. It is hard for me to imagine the agony he had to endure through all those years he was with us.

**Taking God Seriously**

        Today, many of us Catholics love the Lord, but not seriously enough due to a lack of total reverence. While Christ is our dearest friend and even our soulmate, we must not forget that he is, first and foremost, our Lord and our God. The best way to take him seriously is to obey him in all things—something we often fall short of doing.

**Rejoicing in Our Savior**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, lived. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Imagine how happy and grateful Lazarus must have felt with his Savior. Now we who love the Lord have also been saved by the same Lord for all eternity. Let us rejoice in and be grateful to him as well. 

**Lessons from the Gospel**

        Today's Gospel reading is long—it begins with Judas' Betrayal in Matthew 26, goes through the entire chapter of Matthew 27, and ends after Jesus' Burial. Two thoughts came to me. First, Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times before the cock crows. Of course, Peter strongly denied that. Then it happened exactly as foretold, and Peter remembered Jesus' word and began to weep bitterly. Have you ever broken down like this after realizing that you have let the Lord down? If not, you may need to grow closer to him. Second, Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests and elders wanted to get Jesus crucified. When negative emotions take over, people lose their conscience and become ungodly. It's important that we remain submissive and in tune with the Lord to keep our hearts and minds pure at all times.

***Secret of God's Love***

        Today is Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. We began outside the church, hearing the Gospel read from Matthew 21 on Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Then we walked in procession into the church carrying palms to begin Mass. I felt God's overwhelming love for us . . . so powerful, so beautiful, so generous and merciful! Yet this love is also most kind and not intrusive, for our free will can easily reject it. Here the Lord tests us. Accept his love and we are saved; reject it and we are doomed.

***A Warning Reminder***

        Life on earth for us is extremely short. Against eternity, its duration is practically zero. Let's say it lasts just one nanosecond for convenience' sake. In this nanosecond, if we choose to believe in Christ, we gain eternal life; and if we don't, we are lost for good! Christ exists forever, but the chance for us to secure our salvation through him does not.

**Beautiful Consecration**

        Watch the full Benediction and Consecration of the United States for it's 250th anniversary at this year's Catholic Prayer For America Gala on Thursday March 19, Feast of St. Joseph.

***Sure Thing**

        When you love God and persevere through the trials he sends for his glory, you emerge stronger and holier than ever!

***The Only One**

        Communion experience. I receive the only one I can entrust my soul to.

**Need to Surrender to Christ***

        Verse 10b from today's Reading 1 from Jeremiah 20 says: All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. "Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him." In the Gospel reading from John 10, the Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus for what they considered to be blasphemy and tried to arrest him. We see that evil has existed since humanity was created; all the more, we need to surrender to Christ to keep our souls safe forever.

**Pleasure vs. True Joy**

        We derive pleasure from the world, but only God can give true joy. Delicious food, beautiful music, a good massage—these are all external pleasures that make us feel good through our physical senses, which we can turn off if we so wish. But inner joy the Lord plants in our hearts bursts forth so overwhelmingly that it's impossible to suppress, directly enrapturing the soul.

**Communion Joy**

        I felt great joy that the Lord had freed me from my ego.

***What Pleases the Lord Most**

        Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The readings from Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10 made it clear that the Lord did not desire sacrifices and oblations nor did he take pleasure in holocausts and sin offerings, but rather desired our obedience to his will. Seek to attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist first and you'll be able to to accomplish that.

**Full Dependence on Holy Spirit**

        In Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." If you trust fully in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will teach you what to think, say, and do at all times!