******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!

**The Living Kingdom of God**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus tells two parables. He asks, "What is the Kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in a garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches." Again he says, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened." We see that the Kingdom of God involves growth and expansion. And that's how we should live our spiritual lives: growing in holiness and doing great works.

"God's Design for the Family"

        In today's reading from Ephesians 5, Paul talks about the proper roles of husbands and wives. He writes: "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the Church.... Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church.... So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. (...) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. (...) In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband." Clearly, God created men and women with different roles so that the family might be perfect. The head and the heart are equally important in forming an ideal family. If the wife wants to be the head also, or if the husband does not love the wife as himself, the family breaks apart. This is exactly what is happening to us nowadays, as Satan aims to destroy the family. To fight this, we need to surrender to God completely first, for only through him will we be able to overcome all evil.

**The Christian Advantage**

        As a Christian, I know God, I know that both heaven and hell exist, and I know where I'll be going after death. This is a huge advantage, as I see that those who choose not to believe in Christ do not know anything or are not certain about God, heaven, and hell—they are, in essence, lost souls.

**The Rich, Beware!**

        When we live in a relatively affluent country, we don't always realize that there are many people living in horrible conditions all around the world. In Matthew 19, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Common sense tells us that if we are well off, all the more we need to believe in Christ.

***The Only Way to Holiness***

        We know that to please God and enter heaven, we must be holy. However, we cannot become holy on our own; only the Lord can take away our sins and fundamentally change us. To experience that change, we must surrender ourselves completely to God—there is simply no getting around it. We cannot run from God, nor can we reject him as our Lord, period. St. Thomas is absolutely correct in addressing Christ as "My Lord and my God."

***Preparing for the Happiest Meeting***

        In the early 1990s, Waiting for God was a popular British sitcom. The show featured two spirited, rebellious seniors living in a retirement village, fighting back against the condescending staff. It was quite funny and entertaining. The title struck a chord with me because it dawned on me that the moment we are born, we begin waiting for God. The sooner we realize this, the more time we have to prepare ourselves for that meeting. The physical body is only a temporary dwelling, while our soul lives on forever. Therefore, make sure that when you see God, it will be the happiest meeting of your entire existence!

**Forever Unhappy?**

        Today's Communion experience; I receive the Lord, who can perfect me and lead me to eternal life, and I am completely satisfied. If this does not bring you joy, nothing will, and you shall remain unhappy forever.

*****True Lord and True God*****

        Christ is my Lord and my God. Since I belong to him, I dwell in his infinite space and am free to do whatever I want. At the same time, the love I feel from him draws me deeper and deeper into him. I now experience total freedom, peace, and joy—this is the true God! If you experience none of the above with your god, you are following a false god. The true God delivers you from all oppression and impurity, serving as the ultimate personal companion for you to enjoy for all eternity.

***Truly Tragic Death**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus calls people to repentance. It seems to me that Jesus is saying that people dying tragically does not mean that they are more guilty or greater sinners. We all die one way or another. If we do not repent, our deaths will be truly tragic.

*****A Matter of Spiritual Life or Death*****

        Today's Gospel Acclamation, Ezekiel 33:11, reads: "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion that he may live." If you choose to remain alienated from God, you will face eternal death and sadden him who loved you—is that truly what you want? On the other hand, if you convert, you will live forever and all of heaven will rejoice. Faced with these two realities, you have a monumental choice to make.

**Joy of Union in Christ**

        Today's response to the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 122) reads: "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." Once you attain union with the Lord through the Holy Eucharist, you are already settled in his house, and your joy becomes constant.

**Our Primary Vocation**

        In today's First Reading from Ephesians 4, Paul emphasizes the importance of building up the Body of Christ. This is truly the primary vocation of every follower of the Lord. If you are a member, how much are you contributing? Or are you just coasting along? We are all different, but each of us can offer what we do best. This is how we remain united as one in Christ, enjoying our union with God.