***No Upper Limit!***

        God being perfectly holy and boundlessly merciful, there is no limit to how much we can love him, praise him, adore him, worship him, trust in him, believe in him, fellowship with him, listen to him, learn from him, and obey him. This is what makes following Christ so fulfilling and satisfying.

***To Bear Rich Fruit for God**

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus told the Parable of the Sower to the crowd, describing a sower who went out to sow his seed. Afterwards, he explained the meaning of the parable to his disciples, saying: "The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance."

         We see that we must watch for the Devil, believe in the word of God deeply, guard against temptation, and not let the anxieties, riches, and pleasures of life affect us in order to bear much fruit for God. To fulfill this tall order, seek to attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist first. For once you attain union with God, you fulfill his ultimate desire.

*****How to Go Straight to Heaven***

        According to Fr. Mark Goring, Mirjana—one of the six visionaries of Medjugorje—once asked the Blessed Mother where most people go when they die. She answered that most go to purgatory before ultimately passing through to heaven, the next greatest number go to hell, and only a few go directly to heaven. This sounds logical to me. Even though we are all sinners, God's mercy is so great that most people are still saved; however, they need a final purification through the fire of God's love in purgatory before entering the glory of heaven. Fr. Goring believes that if we completely abandon ourselves to God, there is no reason we cannot go straight to heaven when we die. I agree with him. If we are willing to let God do whatever he wishes with us, of course he will bring us straight to himself when we die.

**Way to Get Your Sins Forgiven**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, a certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. There was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet, weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. Because she showed great love, Jesus forgave all her sins. We can love God in different ways and be forgiven—the important thing is that we love him. Now, start doing it.

***Heavenly Joy on Earth***

        This story is going viral online right now. The video I am going to show is just one of six I have encountered on YouTube so far. I totally understand what this priest, Fr. Brent Bowman, experienced. When you are in union with God through the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Spirit often enkindles great joy in your heart that is impossible to resist. It completely takes over your whole being; you simply immerse yourself totally in the Lord. You are now a soul that belongs to him alone. It is a moment of heaven on earth!

***Secret of Knowing Anyone (What We Lack Today)***

        The best way for two people to get to know one another and deepen their relationship is to share their inner thoughts. Unfortunately, this rarely happens, even within families—we are simply too busy leading our own separate lives. Even Christian families often fail to pray together. When we do gather to have a good time, our interactions usually remain on a superficial social level. Satan’s influence has been subtle but palpable. Deepening our relationship with God works the same way. If you are completely open with the Lord and share everything in your heart, he will reciprocate by sharing his heart with you! The good news is that it is much easier to know God intimately, if you truly desire it.

**Pathetic Situation**

        Part of today's Gospel Acclamation is based on what Peter realized about Jesus in John 6:68: "You have the words of everlasting life." Everlasting life is the greatest gift God wants us to have, and also the greatest gift we can possibly expect to receive. Then pride gets in our way and we get all bogged down. What a pathetic situation!

*****God Is All About Love***

        In today's First Reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul gives a beautiful discourse on the way of love. Let me quote these four verses from Chapter 13: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Now you can measure yourself against Paul's criteria and see how loving you are.

**Sign of End Times**

        In Matthew 5:37, Jesus says to his disciples, "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one." I love this saying—it highlights the importance of being non-duplicitous and reflects how Jesus teaches. We should all strive to be like that. Unfortunately, many people do not talk straight when dealing with others. Even the Church no longer speaks clearly, causing great confusion among the flock. The end times are definitely here.

***A Timely Reminder***

        The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this saying of Jesus to his disciples: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Certainly, Jesus will always be with us. As long as we are alive, we must decide what to do with him. I am simply here to remind everyone that he is patiently waiting for our response, and our time is limited.

***Sorrow of Today's Church***

        Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. In the First Reading from 1 Corinthians 12, Paul stresses that we are many parts of one body, all baptized in one Spirit. The problem with the Church today is that many of its members no longer listen to the Holy Spirit and have started going their own way, bringing great sorrow to the Lord and the faithful. This could very well be a sign of the end times—meaning we need to be all the more vigilant, ready, and praying for God's mercy.

***'Christ, Our Only Lifeline***

         We absolutely need Christ! As sinners, we must repent to God to rid ourselves of our sins. For us Catholics, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which was instituted by Christ. For this reason, Christ is our lifeline—he is far more important to us than we are to ourselves. Without him, we are nothing; with him, we will be safe and secure for all eternity!

***Know Your True Reason**

        Christians are in the world, but not of the world—the difference is immense. If you belong to the world, you will pass away with it. But if you are not of the world, you belong to God and will live forever! The right choice is a no-brainer. If this isn't clear to you, I challenge you to find your true, honest reason, if only to be fair to yourself. Refusing to think about it only proves all the more that you need to.

****Easy Sin, but Potentially Deadly****

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus told the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant to Peter. Once again, the Lord made it clear how important it is to always forgive others. Withholding forgiveness is an easy sin to commit, so we must be extra vigilant. I am posting this as a warning: Don't let this common sin become the obstacle that blocks you from entering heaven!

**How to Be the Lord's**

        These are Paul's wise words from today's Second Reading from Romans 14: "None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." Certainly, to die for oneself does not make any sense, but to die for the Lord—who loves us and died for us—makes perfect sense. It follows that living for him should precede our death. To become the Lord's, we must go with him all the way.