***Will You Be Ready When You Are Out of Time?***

        I thought I was done blogging today. Then I saw this video and heard the homily given by this Catholic priest responding to the recent tragic crash of a private jet in Florida, and I had to share it.

***God Warning Us Again!***

      Another video by Jerome Chong on the Polish mystic and stigmatic Katarzyna Szymon. We must ask ourselves: How many times must we be warned before turning to God?

**The Right Outlook**

        This same thought impressed itself on me again today. In this imperfect, evil world, we will never find true happiness. Christ is the only one who can grant us eternal joy. So while we are in this world, we should live for him alone. Even when the world passes away—which it will one day—it will not affect us at all.

***The Reward of Delighting in the LORD**

        I particularly like this verse from today's Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 37: "Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests." Of course, to receive all your heart's requests from the Lord, it stands to reason that you appreciate, enjoy, and cherish him; after all, no father enjoys giving gifts to children who dislike or even loathe him.

**How to Live the Christian Life**

        In today's First Reading from Titus 2, Paul advises us to live devoutly as we await our blessed hope: the appearance of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the core of the Christian life—living devoutly while waiting for the Lord. Though we will be completely liberated when we finally meet him, seeking union with him now gives us the strength to live devoutly today.

*****We Are Holy!*****

        Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In Reading 2, from 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy." All Catholics have heard these words before, but hearing them again inspires us to take them to heart. We house the Holy Spirit, and we are holy! Therefore, we must live out this truth and treat other fellow believers accordingly.

**Loving God Amidst Unfaithfulness**

        The more the unfaithful abandon God, the more the faithful love their Lord. This is the ultimate response.

**Why Is the World in Such Disarray?*

        A straightforward answer: Its inhabitants have strayed from God, their creator.

**A Call to Unwavering Faith***

        The rise of Communism was correctly predicted by Our Lady of Fatima as far back as 1917. Then, in 1960 at Garabandal, Spain, she appeared and warned us again that Communism would resurface and cause great suffering before its eventual end. Today, this has already begun to happen in Europe and America. When things get worse, the Lord will intervene. This is just my personal belief. Meanwhile, we must remain steadfast and hold onto our faith. No matter how dark the days ahead may seem, the final victory belongs to God.

***A Good Question for Every Christian to Ask*

         "How aware am I of the Lord's holy presence?"

**What Separates the Wise from the Foolish*

        You are probably familiar with the Parable of the Ten Virgins, as told by Jesus in Mathew 25. In it, five of them are wise and the other five foolish. Let's say we now have two people named A and B. A thinks that probably most people will go to heaven, so he is not too worried about himself, while B thinks that getting into heaven may be hard, and that he had better prepare himself for it. Which of the two would you say is the wise one, and which the foolish one?

***Being Nice May Not Be Loving***

        Fr. Chris Alar gave this excellent talk answering the question, "Do Catholics have to be nice?" Being nice and being right are not the same thing. The original talk lasts almost 21 minutes, but I am presenting an abridged version through the host of Daily Dose of Christ. After a little over five minutes, the host concludes with his comments.

**Ultimate Wisdom, Ready for Us to Know**

        From today's First Reading from Wisdom 6, I found these engaging verses: "Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate." Certainly, the Lord God is our ultimate wisdom, and I also find him to be resplendent and unfading. If you love him, you easily perceive him; seek him and you find him. The Lord is forever present—he never plays hide-and-seek with you. Desire him, and he is there. Always be open to him, and he will reveal himself to you. Once you let him in, you will receive true wisdom—and your life will take off in the most spectacular way!

***Knowing God's Gurantee**

        God never promised that everything in this life would go our way and we would be happy. But he does guarantee that we’ll be happy forever with him in heaven if we follow him faithfully. Keep this in mind so you can make the right choice and start rejoicing today.

***Cruel Judgment Is Not from the Lord: A Lesson in Mercy***

        Recently, an online video showed a Baptist pastor in Texas teaching a group of kids how to smash a small statue of the Holy Mother Mary with a hammer. The lesson to them was that Christians should follow the Commandment of God that states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," which is one Protestant version. It so happened that a few days later, a Catholic priest was killed while preaching a sermon during Mass when a big crucifix accidentally fell off the wall and landed on him. That same pastor posted another video, saying that the death was a divine judgment that sent the deceased straight to hell. How outrageously misguided can you possibly be! First of all, a statue is simply a 3D representation of a drawing or photo of a person. Catholics do not ever worship statues! Anyone thinking otherwise does not have the Spirit of God in him. We are not to judge anyone, and this pastor just judged all Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and even Anglicans and Lutherans in the worst possible way. Did all that hurt Mary? It does in this way: Mary, like her Son, our Lord, only knows how to love us. When we offend them, they love us just the same, but now they are saddened by us and feel more sorry for us. This is the prayer Mary at Fatima requested that we say at the end of every decade of the Rosary: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen." Now you know how she truly feels about us.

**The Joy of Being Chosen**

         When you realize that God has chosen you to serve him, you should absolutely rejoice, for he wants you to be in heaven with him forever! This is no ordinary invitation—it's more like a direct appointment. It gives your life a noble purpose, allowing you to serve as an instrument for accomplishing his will. Loving and serving the Lord is the most honorable and rewarding vocation for every Christian.

**Aging with Peace**

        We all grow old. Most elderly people suffer from various health problems, spending a lot of time seeing doctors, visiting labs, and undergoing treatments. The wise move for us is to take care of our eternity while we are still young and healthy. Then, we will know exactly where we are going after death. When health problems come up later, we will be able to face them in peace. The sooner we get to know Christ, the more peace we will enjoy.

***Learning from the Lord**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus said to his disciples: "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones." I know of people who are known to be trustworthy and honest, but when it comes to small matters, they cheat a little bit. Perhaps we've all done something like that. According to the Lord, to be trustworthy and honest, we must always be so.

         Later in the same reading, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, who love money, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." The last part of the sentence I italicized hit hard. To be holy, we should never seek self-esteem.