*Defeating Sin

        If one keeps on sinning, he can reach a point of no return in the sense that he will not be able to overcome his sins anymore. On the other hand, one can reach for God in advance to prevent ever committing any serious sin. Best of all, seek union with the Lord right away no that sin no longer becomes an issue. Sin is real and deadly. Dwell in the Lord is the most effectively way to deal with it (or rather not to deal with it).

**Perfect Day for Our Rebirth

        Today is Pentecost Sunday. On that day, when the Holy Spirit descended upon all those gathered, the Church was born. This is the perfect day for us to let the Lord Spirit take full possession of us so that we may be liberated and set afire with the love of God—to be made anew! Make today the day of your rebirth too. 

***God Turning Sorrow into Joy

        When the Lord fills us with joy, we can cry with joy. When we hear sad news such as the global child sex trafficking I posted about, we can cry too. In this case, we feel sorry for the children, but deep down we feel sad because the evildoers are hurting the Lord God who loves them. Since we feel the pain for the sake of our Lord, we are drawn even closer to him and our suffering becomes bearable and even sweet.  Yes, the Lord always gives joy to those who love him!

**One Thing We Must Not Put Off*

        I know of one person who rents a house and pays her rent always late with penalty. Why doesn't she make a simple switch to paying on time, since she pays every month anyway? But for some reason, she just keeps putting off doing this. This brings to my mind the people who think that they might accept Christ, but keeps putting it off. You can put off doing many things, but believing in the true God is not something you should casually lay aside, for you do not know how much longer you'll be around. Jesus advised us to remain vigilant and be ready for his Second Coming two thousand years ago. With us getting closer to that day, his advice is becoming more urgent than ever. We need to snap out of our inaction, for we are dealing with eternal life and eternal death!

**Minding Our Own Business

        In today's Gospel reading from John 21, the disciple John asked Jesus, "Master, who is the one who will betray you?" Peter saw John and asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered Peter, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." We know that John lived to a ripe old age and Peter got crucified later upside down. It is clear that the Lord has a plan for each one of us and we are to mind our own plan only by following him. 

**Need to be Grateful to God

        If we do not know the God of Christ, we would sin, struggle, sin, struggle, continuing thus without end. We would be enslaved by sin, remain in darkness, and die in sin. Christ is the only one who can free us from sin, bring us out of darkness into light, make us clean and fit for enjoying eternal life in heaven. For this alone, we need be grateful to God.

**Love God = Fight Evil

        Following the post Evil You Need to Know of May 28, I am airing Candace Owens' interview with Tim Ballard of February this year. Child sex trafficking has to be as abominable as abortion. If we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, then we must fight evil with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

***Most Perfect Prayer

        As I was praying the Rosary while walking outside the house this morning, the Holy Spirit made me see that when we pray the Our Father, the prayer Jesus gave us, slowly, word by word, and mean everything we say with all our heart, the Father hears it in his heart and will draw us as close to him as possible as his most beloved children.

***How Are We Going to Die?

        In today's Gospel reading from John 21, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him and foretold the kind of death he would glorify God. Does the Lord know the kind of death each of us will have? I believe that if we are like Peter who knew that he had been chosen and remained faithful and that he's going to the Lord in heaven, then yes. For those who still have not chosen Christ yet, then how they're going to die will depend upon what action they take in the remainder of their lives. Choosing Christ settles everything! Not choosing him is to live in great uncertainty always.

***Awesome Reciprocal Relationship

         If you trust God, he will trust you. If you acknowledge him before others, he will acknowledge you. If you are proud of him, he'll be proud of you. If you reject him, he will not know you. If you please him, you become pleasing to him. If you humble yourself before him, he will humble himself to exalt you. If you share everything in your heart with him, he will reveal what's in his heart to you! If you want to be one with him, he is ready for you too! Now you can control how you want God to respond to you.

***Jesus Indispensable*

        We must always stand with Jesus, stay with Jesus, and cling tight to Jesus. Even better, we abide in him. For without him, we are lost and nothing. Abandon ourselves in him and we are made anew, forever liberated and secure!

**Evil You Need to Know

        Evil is real. Some stories can break your heart. Most of us do not hear much about child trafficking, but there are millions of victims out there. This new short video brings some good news. Tim Ballard is inspiring and admirable, and his organization Operation Underground Railroad deserves our support and prayer. The other earlier short video that follows tells you something about Tim and his operation. (You may want to watch more videos about Tim and O.U.R. on YouTube.) 

 

*Instant Obedience Required

        God's commandments are to be obeyed without question. If you believe in Jesus, you must do what he asks you to do without delay. Either he is your Lord or he is not. When Jesus called the Apostles to follow him, they dropped everything and followed him instantly. If you hesitate, you are unfit. Trust in him completely and your reward and satisfaction will be great! 

**To Make Our Existence Extraordinary

        I saw the film Quartet on Roku. It's about retired musicians all living at a quite beautiful home together. Naturally, with many residents who were quite famous before, you see some showing big egos. But there are also others with kind hearts. One male resident particularly enjoys flirting with one female staff member. What you see is how we typically behave everywhere else. The story does end happily. This is a movie fun to watch. My thoughts are that we need to lift our life out of ordinary existence. Embracing Christ puts us on a higher plane. Enjoying fun in the world just keeps us on the lower level, not experiencing any spiritual joy and liberty. This is unsatisfying to me, while we can have the whole of our Lord God to ourselves!

***Perfect Move for Us to Make

        In today's Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father. I am going to put some of his sayings together to make my point. Jesus said, "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them. Consecrate them in the truth. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth." I see that once we've been chosen by God, our relationship to him becomes truly deeper and more intimate than we can possibly realize. So seeking union with God is exactly the right thing for us to do—we simply acknowledge that God so wants us to be his and we want to cooperate. Union can now take place.

**Departure Blues

         In today's reading 1 from Acts 20, Paul continued to speak to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus, admonishing, encouraging, and edifying them, as he was going to depart from them. When he had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with them all. They wept loudly, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship. 

        Such is life on earth. When we leave this world, we'll be departing from all those whom we've loved or known. Our concern should be if we'll ever see them again in heaven. Once in heaven, we'll have our most beloved Father with us forever, no more departing! This is what we should look forward to always.

***Jesus = Eternal Life***

        In today's Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ."

**A Joyful, Exciting Adventure

        Today is the Memorial of St. Philip Neri. In reading1 from Acts 20, Paul addressed the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus, "Now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me." This is how we should live the Christian life, letting the Holy Spirit prompt and compel us, not knowing fully what will happen. Following Christ is an adventure. We don't see the immediate detail, but we know that we are doing the right thing and heading in the right direction. It is downright exciting and comforting. Paul also knew that none of those to whom he was speaking would ever see his face again. Is this something sad? Not if you follow the Lord exclusively. The joy of seeing anyone again in heaven will surely far exceed any sorrow of separation you feel on earth. God alone is more than sufficient for all of us! 

*A Lesson in Prayer

        When we pray for someone to come back to God, it doesn't seem to happen and we get disheartened. It has to be that God wants us to give up worrying and place our whole trust in him. In Mark 11, Jesus said to his disciples "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." Trust, not worry, is what the Lord wants from us and it is through trust that our prayers are answered!

**Our Likely Response to God*

        God says to us: "My children, I created you out of love. You disobeyed me, but I still love you just the same. Obey me from now on and return to me, for I am ready to have you back to enjoy eternity with me in paradise."

        We respond (not sure about addressing God as Father): "Well, I'll have to think about it." (No thank you or goodbye.)                                  

**The Brown Scapular*

        I wear both the Brown Scapular and the Miraculous Medal because I believe that I would receive the spiritual benefits the Blessed Mother had promised through St. Simon Stock and St. Catherine Labouré, respectively. The biggest promise for wearing the Brown Scapular is this one: "Whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire." This is an unbeatable promise. As for the Miraculous Medal, those who wear it with confidence will receive great graces. I can testify personally that the Lord has been pouring graces on me nonstop since I wore it. Mind you, wearing the Scapular or the Medal is not being superstitious. It is simply an act showing that you do trust in God's promises. I am posting an older Fr. Mark Goring video to let him explain the Brown Scapular to you. Of course, you can find all about the Scapular and the Medal online.

***No Higher Exaltation on Earth!

        In today's Gospel from John 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me." In union with Jesus, you will know that Jesus is with you. And since the Father is with him, the Father is with you too. And the Holy Spirit too. Jesus said in Matthew 23, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Now you humble yourself to let God be your Lord totally and he exalts you to be in union with the glorious Holy Trinity! 

**Best Reason for Us to Die

        Today is Memorial Day in USA. We honor all those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. They are heroes for sacrificing themselves for their (and our) country. Then I thought of those who got killed while committing a crime, not dying for any good cause. Many others simply died of old age. At the other extreme, Christians got martyred for their faith. We all die for various reasons. If we just live for God alone, then no matter how we die, we'd be glorifying God. This is the best reason for us to leave this world.

**Unstoppable Journey

        A lot of things can happen in life. We may lose our job, our home, loved ones, etc., but life must go on, right? Then I see that life in Christ is a continuous journey to where he is forever. What we encounter along the way are simply distractions, tests, or lessons. As nothing can possibly take us away from the Lord, nothing can possibly stop or derail our journey to him. And this is a beautiful awareness and feeling. Lord Jesus, I am coming! Viva Cristo Rey!

**We Are the Apostles Now!

        Before Jesus was taken up into heaven, he commanded the eleven Apostles to go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature, and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28, Mark 16). Now two thousand years later, the command should still be in effect, as not every creature and nations have become disciples of Christ. We are now the Apostles and should make proclaiming the gospel our first order of business!

***What God Deserves

        For a Lord like Jesus who loves us so much that he even died for us, he absolutely deserves all our love and gratitude. The best way to show that is to submit ourselves to him to let him make us holy and perfect.

*Everything According to God's Plan

        Today's Gospel reading are the first 11 verses of John 17. Jesus was fulfilling all the prophecies of the Old Testament. He now knew that his hour had come to accomplish the work the Father had given him to do, giving eternal life to the ones he had given him. And he would be leaving the world and going to the Father. All this is most amazing. You can be sure that his Second Coming will be fulfilled in due time.

**God Always Blesses Us

        Today's reading 2 comes from 1 Peter 4. Peter wrote: "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name." So if we are insulted for being Christians, we know that the Holy Spirit rests upon us. And if we are made to suffer as Christians, we glorify God. No matter what, we get blessed.

***Another Union Advantage

        It's hard for many Catholics not being able to attend Mass to receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. This Most Holy Sacrament is essential in helping us complete our union with God on earth. But if you have already attained union with the Lord, you know that you already belong to him and that he shall keep you forever. Therefore, even though you cannot receive him physically for the time being, you receive great consolation knowing that he is already in you and with you. This is another union advantage. The one you yearn for the most is already one with you.

**The Earth Our Prison

        I have already mentioned the Aerial America series on the Smithsonian Channel. Today I watched the state of Illinois from the air. Of course, Chicago being the most prominent city of the state, was featured. The narration began with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, touched upon the past corruption of the city officials, told how notorious gangsters Al Capone and John Dillinger operated, etc. Anyway, as I saw the earth from above, it was clear that we are all bound to the earth. We can move around the earth, but cannot get off it very far. Even if we go to another planet, we still cannot escape gravity. I see my brief existence on earth as a period of imprisonment for my sins. All the more I long for God to set me free after this life. Most fortunately, Christ has already promised me to do just that! For this, I rejoice greatly in him.

*Grief Becoming Joy

        In today's Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." The Lord was talking about his impending crucifixion and resurrection. I can't help seeing that we are going through the same experience now. Christians are weeping and mourning over the persecution of Christ and his followers, while the world is rejoicing over that. But our grief will ultimately turn into great joy when we meet Christ in person! History does have a way of repeating itself.

**Our Only Hope for Unity

        The world is polarized. You have the rich vs. the poor, conservatives vs. liberals, globalists vs. nationalists, socialism vs. capitalism, pro-abortionists vs. pro-lifers, etc. At the most fundamental level, it comes down to God vs. Satan, i.e., good vs. evil. Believing in the God of Christ is the only way for us to become unified. It's all up to us. All up to us.

***Smart Spiritual Living

        Union with God is the best way to stop sinning, for in union the Lord completely shields you and removes your tendency to sin. The way to fight sin is to stop it at the earliest possible stage. Nick it in the bud! The smart, way of beating Satan is to turn away from him, not out of fear, but to thwart him. You want to have nothing to do with him. Disregard him, ignore him, and focus upon the Lord Jesus instead. With Satan, treat him as a nobody and he becomes a nobody to you. On the other hand, with God, treat him as everything and he becomes everything to you! 

**Living Our Life Right

        You have heard that we should live everyday as our last day on earth. This is good advice, so we don't waste time doing things that won't help us get into heaven. Many people wish that before they die they could reconcile themselves with any loved ones who are estranged from them. Well, thinking that this might be your last day on earth can get you started on restoring those relationships right now. You do your part to make the move, so you'll be in the clear, and leave the outcome to God. We want to face God knowing that we've done all we can to be clean and blameless for both his and our own sake.  

**Time for Action!

        Today is The Ascension of the Lord. The Gospel reading came from Matthew 28. The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. The Risen Lord appeared and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." So there will be an end of the age. Whether it be tomorrow or a million years from now, it doesn't matter. Just as the dinosaurs had become extinct, the world as we know it will come to an end. Now is the time to prepare for our future. Not making heaven is so much worse than becoming extinct. Now is the time to trust in Christ to cast aside all uncertainties. 

**Betraying Jesus Today

        The Lord made me see that when Christians knowingly sin against him, they betray him as Judas Iscariot did. It doesn't matter how you appear on the outside to others, what kind of mansion you live in, what kind of position you hold in or outside the Church, the Lord knows every single heart. I feel the greatest sorrow for people who knowingly do evil things and never show any sign of repentance, and you see plenty of them today. You can still sin and be smart and repent, knowing that God loves all sinners. But to sin and remain in sin and not repent, that surely takes the cake.

***Everything God's Is Ours!***

        In today's Gospel reading from John16, Jesus said to his disciples, "Everything that the Father has is mine." In the parable of the lost son (Luke 15), the father said to the elder son, "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours." In Romans 8, Paul wrote: We are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him. In conclusion, everything God has can be ours! Think about it and rejoice. Also, everything God has is good. It is impossible that he will not give us what's good for us when we ask for it. We can even have the Lord God, the Father, to ourselves!

**Don't Forget Returning to God

        In today's reading 1 from Acts 17, Paul said to the Athenians that it's in God that we live and move and have our being. How true! Without God, we won't even be here. But as sinners, we lack one thing: not all of us have given God our heart yet. So we just go through the motion of living, moving, and having our being in God. Give your heart to God and we can say that we live, move, have our being, and are returning to our God. 

***Having God Support Us to the Max

        As I was walking and praying outside the house this morning, the Lord made me see that the more we trust in him, the more we shall experience his wonders. Obviously, if there's zero trust, you won't experience him at all. Most Christians have some faith in God, so they experience him to some extent. But if you put all your trust in him, he will support you to the max! The truth is that our Father has always wanted to support us fully; it's us who won't let him do it. Such a loving Father will never leave us as orphans. Put all your faith in him. Do not struggle and labor on your own. Rely upon him completely to experience his love and care. Let him catch you whenever you fall! 

        By the way, it had happened quite a few times in the past that I would have a thought to post and find out that Fr. Mark Goring had basically the same thought presented on his YouTube video that day. Today I got back into the house and watched his new video and the same thing happened again. You can hear him below.

**Simple but Difficult to Accept

        In today's reading 1 from Acts 16, Paul and Silas were put in prison in Philippi. About midnight, while they were praying and singing hymns to God, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw all this, he trembled with fear. He rushed into Paul and Silas' cell and fell down before the two. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So simple, right? But what bothers me is that people are willing to go through hoops to win some trivial prize, yet they don't even want to consider believing in Jesus to be saved forever! Something is very wrong here for sure.

**Best Treasures for Us

        You can accumulate and store up treasures of the world, but they are perishable and can never be truly yours. Besides, when you die, you have to give them up all if they haven't perished yet. Then if you follow Christ and serve him faithfully, you accumulate and store up treasures in heaven that will never perish. When you get to where they are in the end, they are yours forever! The difference between the foolish and the wise is even greater than that between earth and heaven.

**Signs of Abandonment to God

        No matter what you face or go through, you have peace deep down in your heart. Suffering for God's sake is a joy. God is now your greatest joy. You trust in the Lord and are no longer concerned about consequences. Anxieties and worries are gone. All his will is now your will. In your urge to praise the Lord, you receive the gift of praising him in tongues. When a Spirit-filled priest pray over you, you rest in the Spirit and experience profound peace. You feel completely liberated. You know that you are in the Lord.

**What Life Is All About

        Life is all about how much you submit yourself to God. Our time on earth is limited. We can let God be our God or play God ourselves—these are the two extremes. As long as we do our best to let God be our Lord, we are on the right track. Once you attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist, you belong to him totally and are ready to enjoy eternal life. Receiving the flesh and blood of the Lord completes and perfects that union.

***About Truth*

        How do I know that Christ is true God? My answer: the Spirit of truth reveals it to me. It sounds as if I am trying to avoid an argument, but I am telling you as straight as I can. Truth is never complicated nor roundabout. It's always blunt and never slippery. It cannot be scientifically proven. If you have to explain a truth, it cannot be one. Truth always challenges us to accept it or reject it, so faith is required. And you must discover it on your own.

***God Breaks Down All Barriers

        When you are in union with the Lord, no barrier exists between you and him. When you meet another person also in union with him, no barrier exists between you and that person either. The Lord breaks down all barriers among those in union with him. It follows that the best possible friends we can find in this life are to be found through union with the Lord. 

***Why Jesus Causes Division

        In Luke 12.51, Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." That Jesus causes division is precisely because he is the one against whom we'll all be measured. We choose either to follow his example or not to follow his example.

**Union with God Promised

        John 14.23, today's verse before the Gospel: Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. When they come to us, of course they are not just going to say hello and leave; they are going to enter and stay with us! Union with God is promised here. 

*Standing Tall in the World

        In today's reading 2 from 1 Peter 3, Peter advises all to keep the conscience clear and remain righteous. This is truly the right way to live. If you are blameless in the eyes of God, who can really harm you? Whatever others do to you no longer matters.

***God Deserves to Be Praised!

        After watching today's Fr. Goring video, I am prompted to post my own thoughts on praising God. Catholics in general are not used to praying aloud spontaneously. During my involvement in the Catholic Charismatic Movement four decades ago, I learned that openly praising God was the key to receiving the Holy Spirit in full. We thank God a lot, but we don't praise him enough. The Lord loves hearing us praising him. The charismatics say "I praise you, Lord" repeatedly. After all, there really are not many other ways of saying it. In the urge to praise God (in frustration, you could say), strange words start to flow out of the mouth. This is the beginning of singing or praising God in tongues. It is really the natural outcome of wanting to praise God as prompted by the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues can also mean speaking a language the speaker personally does not know. I believe that's a more special gift the Lord gives with a different purpose. Anyway, we must not stop praising God, whether we do it in tongues or not. Wonderful things will surely happen to anyone who praises the Lord unceasingly.

**Pushing God to the Limit

         First, God is almighty and nothing is impossible for him. Secondly, he loves us! Yes, he absolutely loves us! So we should feel free to approach him and ask for whatever we want. If what we ask for pleases him, we shall receive it. If not, we shan't and know that we were wrong. At any rate, God would be pleased that we regard him to be our loving Father, as long as we don't intentionally sin against him.

*****Our Greatest Joy!

        I want to talk about Jesus only, all the time. I want to tell the whole world about Jesus! Why? Because he is pure joy, the greatest joy we can possibly experience! This is the joy that comes from heaven and can gladden our souls and uplift our spirits. This is the joy that can purify our hearts, wipe clean our conscience and make us forget all our troubles and sufferings. If everyone is filled with this joy, we'll have peace on earth. It is irrepressible, to be enjoyed to the fullest by the soul. It surely is the greatest gift from God, the Lord himself. How I wish that everyone will given in to him to experience such sweet joy! Then we can all live happy, die happy, and be happy forever.

***Critical Fundamental Choice

        There are many ways of living out there for us to choose from. With the world in such a horrible shape, I see clearly that there are only two basic ways of living: we either live in Christ or outside of him! It is critical that we make a choice at this most fundamental level ASAP while we still have time. 

***The World Our Enemy

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus told his disciples that the world did not know the one who sent him and thereby hated him and them for not belonging to it. Dear Christians, be aware that the world is your enemy, so do not fall in love with it. Evil has infiltrated and influenced the world to a large extent, setting it up as a trap to ensnare as many souls as possible between now and final judgment. Don't fall for it. Stop seeking happiness in this world. Instead, detach yourself from the world by seeking refuge in the Lord so that you may survive safely till eternity. Christ is our only hope, the one who can vanquish evil.  

**Better than Miracles

        Miracles are wonderful and shouldn't surprise us. They serve a purpose. But it you already have faith, you don't need to witness them anymore. Remember what Christ has said to Thomas: Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed. Besides, Jesus as the enabler of all miracles has to be greater and more glorious than all of them. He has already come to us himself. So if you already believe in him, you only need to focus upon him and not the miracles. 

***Going All Out for God

        Christians are given the greatest commandment "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." So if we truly love and follow the Lord, we must go all out, not do it only when we feel like doing it. God has already gone all out for us—see how he showed his greatest love by dying on the cross for us! With God, it has to be an all-or-nothing proposition for us, or we are not taking the greatest commandment very seriously. 

**What Having Faith Is All About!

        In Mark 11, Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." To believe that you will receive what you ask for is to abandon yourself entirely to the Lord. This is what Jesus wishes from us. This is what having faith is all about!

**Hearing from God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus also said to his disciples, "I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father." Pay attention to everything Jesus has said and we know exactly what God wants us to know.

**Healthy Christian Outlook

        We all have happy memories and bad memories, but it's the happy ones that can keep us attached to the past. Being oversentimental is a form of self-indulgence, which can weaken us spiritually. A Christian should always look forward to meeting the Lord in person, as the past is gone forever and the best is sure to come.

**Love Leads to Freedom

        Today's Gospel comes from John 15. Jesus said to his disciples, "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." I see that when one regards himself as the most important person, he becomes a self-centered slave to himself. So if one is able to lay down his life for his friends, then he is free, as Jesus has demonstrated that to us himself! Love is truly the key to freedom, and we can be like Jesus when we surrender ourselves to him.

**Jesus Calling for Union

        Today is the feast of St. Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot as the new Apostle. In the Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus continued to speak to the disciples. He said to them, "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." To me, Jesus is calling us to remain in union with him, and it's in union that we will experience him as our sole joy.

***God Completing Our Existence

        For all ages past, people have looked for some god or gods to worship, adore, praise, and glorify. If there is an extraordinary almighty, holy God, then of course we need to look into it. I am not even talking about salvation of our souls. Then we have Jesus with outstanding character and virtue, infinite mercy, and amazing power who fits the bill perfectly and more—how can we not worship, adore, praise, and glorify him? With such a beautiful Lord to worship, our lives are fulfilled and made complete. That those who believe in him receive freedom, peace, and joy only confirms that he is the true God.

***Most Beautiful Assignment*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus said to his disciples: "Remain in me, as I remain in you. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit." Jesus is talking about being in union with him. We must remain in him completely, not just partway in. He also said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." I just asked for something I'd wanted and now wait for it to be done for me. Remain in Jesus and bear fruit to glorify the Father—this surely has to be the most beautiful assignment we can ever have. 💮💮💮

**Afraid for the Right Reasons

        Most people are open to hearing whatever they come across daily, yet when they hear "Christ is Lord" proclaimed, they often don't even want to think about it. How come? Could it be that he challenges us to the core? That he would expose us as we are, thus making us feel uneasy? That he might be the true God who knows everything? I think so. In Philippians 2, Paul wrote: "At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." I believe that Paul was saying exactly what he knew to be true.

**Know Your Limitations

        There are only so many ways you can help others. You can help them financially or give them materials things to fulfill their needs; you can give them good advice or inspire them by your example as a believer in God; and lastly, you can pray for them. The outcome is still up to the person you try to help. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. So, beware of your limitations and leave it all to God.

*Receiving God's Peace for Us*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." You can be sure that Jesus wants to give us his peace, When we accept it, we will have untroubled and unafraid hearts.

**Heavenly Joy vs. Worldly Pleasure

        As humans, we seek pleasure in this world to satisfy ourselves. Such pleasures don't last long, but can still enslave us. The source is always external. When we are overdosed with them, they can turn distasteful. Temporarily they give some people something to live for, but the emptiness of life remains. On the other hand, heavenly joy can only come from God. It emanates from the inner heart and affects your whole being, your soul! Its sweetness is intoxicating. Once you have tasted it, all worldly pleasures are no longer tasty. This joy uplifts and refreshes your spirit every time you experience it because it comes from above. It makes you yearn for God. It's definitely heavenly!   

**Sin Made More Serious

        Christians especially face persecution today in these dark times. I reported earlier how California officials delayed permitting a mansion to be used for housing sex trafficking victims just because Catholics were going to run the operation. More recently, an evangelical Christian organization built a new field hospital in New York designed to treat any overflow patients from a nearby hospital, but city officials did not trust the organization just because the church opposed same-sex marriage. When we cause others to sin also, our sin becomes a lot more serious. It's the same with preventing others from doing good.

***Simple Key to Union with God

        In today's Gospel from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" and again "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." All this is just so beautiful, filling my heart with joy! So it is love that will get God to come to dwell with us and reveal himself to us. In sum, open your heart up to let the love of God lead you to full union with him.

**We Are Made for Heaven!

        I followed Fr. Mark Goring's Sunday Mass on TV today. In his homily, he says that we are made for heaven. That resonates with me. Yes, God's sole wish is to save us from sin so that we may go to heaven; we are made to be heaven-bound! Why would you ever want to go against God's intention to your own detriment? Wouldn't that be sheer folly? Obviously, we are not made for living on this earth forever. As Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world," we are never meant to belong this world either.

*A Double-Edged Rock

        Jesus is the rock that can cause us to stumble or make us strong. If you trample over it, you will stumble. But if you seek it for protection, it will support you and shield you from evil attacks. 

Do Things More God's Way

        Today is Mother's Day. Many mothers receive good wishes, presents, and special treats. All this is fine. My thoughts are that we almost always follow customs and traditions or do things simply to fulfill our social obligations. But our ways are not usually God's ways. Since God is concerned about saving souls most, it should be proper and fitting that we always do things with the salvation of souls in mind foremost as Christians should.

*No Concern About Heaven*

        If you know you are heaven bound, you are most probably right. If you know you are headed for hell instead, you are most probably correct too. What if you are not sure where you'll end up? You are right again. Play it safe by following Christ closely and you needn't be concerned about heaven and hell anymore?

*Becoming Wise Growing Old

        Some scientists come to believe in God as they discover unending scientific wonders, while other scientists come to believe that science can provide answers to all our questions and we no longer need God. What about us who believe in God and are aging rapidly? I know oldsters who have grown so set in their ways that they no longer wish to change in any way, while other aging believers realize that they would have to rely upon God more and more, and finally start to abandon themselves to God. The latter are surely being wise.

**Jesus Is One with the Father

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." Perhaps it would sound more "right" to hear Jesus say "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, the Father will do it" and "If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will do it." The way Jesus said them only shows that he and the Father are truly one. The Father could have said all that to us.

***Most Beautiful Communication

        John 31B-32, today's Gospel acclamation: If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord. When you listen to the Lord and obey him, you get to know him. Since he is the truth, to know him is to know the truth. This is logical. I can also vouch for this truth from my own experience. After I got to know the Lord most intimately, he let me know who he is. When God lets you know something, you just know without any doubt, for he plants it right in your heart as only he as your creator can. You now know that he is in you. This makes you fall in love with him even more! 

*Best Acts of Charity

        People show their love in different ways. Some call you often to see how you are doing; some tell you that they love you or send you presents; some don't say much but always do things for you; still others may donate money or just pray for you. Which way is best? That depends upon the motivation behind the deed. All acts done for the sake of the Lord God meaningful to him would have to be ranked best.

**Opposite Views

       Foolish Living: Going all out to satisfy the desire for pleasure and gain, but living without inner peace. Eternity uncertain.

          Wise Living: Casting aside the desire for worldly things and living a life known and pleasing to God only in peace and joy. Eternity locked in with Christ.

         The foolish ones view the wise ones as boring people and feel sorry for them for not knowing how to enjoy life, while the wise ones think that the foolish ones are, well, foolish, and feel sorry that they don't take care of their own souls.

***Truth Before Our Eyes!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Wow! This has to be one of Jesus' boldest proclamations. It compels us to listen up. "He is the way" tells us that we must follow him to know where we are going. He is our true guide. "He is the truth" tells us that he is the absolute reality. And "He is the life" lets us know that we can have eternal life through him. We always look for things to satisfy ourselves in this life. Jesus is right here telling us that we only need to seek and follow him to be satisfied for all eternity!

**Reason Jesus Is Not Welcomed

        In logic, if a hypothesis leads to a conclusion, then negating the conclusion would necessarily negate the hypothesis. For example, if it is raining, the grass would be wet. If the grass is not wet, then it cannot be raining. The conclusion is irrefutable. Jesus has said in Mark 2 and Luke 5 that he had come not to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. If we are all righteous, we would have no fear and welcome Jesus. But since so many of us avoid facing him, it must be that they are sinners afraid for themselves. Logic does not lie. 

***We're Being Tested Again

          In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus continued, "If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak."

        These sayings are important for us to understand. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to tell us what we should and should not do and left the decision to us. It's like God telling Adam that he's free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they ended up dying. Now we are being tested again by God. He is giving us a second chance. If we hold fast onto Christ, then we are surely to pass the test. Note that there won't be another second chance this time!

**Jesus as Our Light

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said, "I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness." I see Jesus as the light that illuminates my mind, dispels the darkness around me, exposes what's in my heart that should be removed, and reveals the way to union with him.

**In God's Household

        If we believe in Jesus, we must see that he uses us to further his kingdom on earth and attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit. If we presume that the Lord is not going to speak to us, of course, we won't hear from him. But if we are all ears and eager to hear from him, we will hear his voice. It is an honor, privilege, and joy to know that the Holy Spirit is with you and that you belong to God's household.

***The Sin We Must Repent Of

       Historically, the world wars, the Holocaust, revolutions, genocides, dictatorial regimes, etc., have killed millions and millions of lives, and we are appalled. Yet most of us seem to have acquiesced to the even greater nonstop killing of the unborn worldwide. Perhaps because the killing is silent and has been legalized by many governments. But this direct and willful termination of life is undeniably denying that God is the author of life and that he loves us and commands us not to kill. In the case of the unborn, the victim is not only innocent, but also defenseless. This has to be a cruelest sin we can possibly commit against God. For this sin alone, we need to repent to God to avoid any further chastisement and damnation of the soul.  

**The Great Split Warning*

        We are all marching toward death, and when we face death, there'll be two paths waiting for us. One will take us to heaven and the other to hell. I am just putting up a road sign to warn you of what you might run into ahead. Follow Christ now and I'll change the sign to point to heaven only. Warning of the split is no longer necessary. 

***Time for Church to Repent***

        Repentance is the key to entering the kingdom of heaven. Christ teaches that and the Church teaches that. Sadly, the Church is not practicing what it preaches. Shouldn't the authorities of the Church to be our shining example openly repent of their corruption, covering up scandals, being timid in condemning and stopping evil such as abortion, failure in teaching the truth such as the real presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, being lax in evangelizing souls, trying to be political correct instead of following only Christ? I am not here to judge . . . I am only echoing what many faithful Catholics feel about the Church today. Repentance is required of every sinner on this earth, even non-Christians.

***Praising the Lord!

        Today the Lord of Christ lets me see clearly that he is our God, our Light, our Guide, our Model, and our Judge. No one can possibly bypass or hide from him. He is the absolute reality. Blessed are we to have such a God who also loves and understands us. Without him, we are utterly lost. With him, we gain everlasting life. I rejoice that he called me and that following him has been an immense joy. 

**Good News Becomes Great News*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Knowing that we shall never perish is already such good news. Knowing that no one can possibly take us out of the Father's hand makes the good news even better. That we can become one with the Father and the Son has got to be the best icing on the cake.

**Why Christianity Is not Winning

        In today's first reading from Acts 11, the disciples went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. A great number believed and turned to the Lord. I am wondering why this is not happening today. First I thought that everyone pretty much has heard about Jesus, so it's nothing new to get excited about anymore. Then I realized that it's because of the allure of the the well-developed material society on the one hand and the lack of zeal and spirit in most Christians on the other hand. Ultimately, it is the lukewarm Church that's responsible for the present situation. If we can be as excited and spirited about our faith as the early Christians, the world would be a lot different today. We have not abandoned ourselves in the Lord completely. Perhaps this is also why we do not see that many miracles being performed today. Only a total recommitment to the Lord by the Church and all of us can turn things around.

**The Power of God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said, "I have power to lay my life down, and power to take it up again." The power of the Lord comes from his will. Whatever he wills, it's done. Since he can will anything, he can do anything. Compared to him, we have zero power, for to accomplish anything, we need to toil and labor. But if we acknowledge to the Lord that we are nothing before him, he will empower us to do good.

**Please Die in Peace*

      If I do something and lose peace, I know that I've gone against the Lord. Then I undo what I've done and regain peace, and I get confirmed. We want to be able to correct all wrongs so that we may leave this world in peace. One thing that can put a heavy burden on our heart is that we are not on speaking terms with someone we love or who used to be close to us. The first thing you can do is to pray for that person (and for yourself too). Then maybe you can send the person a card at Christmas time to wish him or her well. *Take the first step to see how far you can get. Of course, you must forgive that person (and yourself too) before the Lord first. If you die with peace in your heart, you will enter peace. But if you die with a heart in turmoil, you will encounter turmoil on the other side too.

What Christianity Is All About

        In reading 2 from 1 Peter 2, Peter wrote: Christ himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. This is what Christianity is all about and Peter fully realized it then. If we realize it now, it's time for us to become full-fledged Christians.

God Most Dependable

        In Matthew 6.33, Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." We want so many things, and most of all, we want to make money. We are so busy that we either don't have time to seek the kingdom of God at all or seek it when there is some time left over. Let me testify to you that if you seek to please God first, you'll enjoy freedom and peace and all the things you need will be provided you by God besides. He is most dependable. If you don't try him, it's your loss.

***God the Most Beautiful

        Today's responsorial Psalm is Psalm 23, which consists of only six verses. If the parable of the lost son is the most beautiful parable of all, then Psalm 23 has to be the most beautiful Psalm of all. Verse 4 reads: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. How can you not feel good when you read this? God is just too beautiful to even imagine! Don't think about going to heaven; just think about being with him forever!

***A Sweet Blessing

       In today's first reading from Acts 2, Peter spoke up at Pentecost, "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when all the people heard this, they were cut to the heart. Letting the Lord cut you to the heart is a sweet experience. It  shows that he is with you, he matters to you, and you feel for him. So let him cut you to the heart as much as he wishes. Jesus makes everything sweet for us!

***Time to Wake Up to Hell!

        Another Fr. Mark Goring video. I am not specifically promoting him; I am promoting the messages he gives us because they are timely and true. Both heaven and hell are real; Jesus spoke about them. We'll either end up in heaven or in hell after this life is over, yet I cannot recall hearing them being preached much about from the pulpit of our churches. The word "heaven" might have been mentioned in passing, but hell is treated as if it doesn't even exist. Being politically correctly is absolutely incorrect for Christians, who are supposed to follow and speak for Christ only. Avoiding talking about heaven and hell is being timid, weak, negligent, and foolish; it's trying to avoid the unavoidable. Time to wake up to truth and reality, for souls are at stake!

How's Your Conscience?

        Our built-in conscience acts like a guide. Whenever we do something that's not good, we feel it. In worst cases, we can lose our sleep. In mild cases, we try to ignore it. But God still knows. If the conscience is not maintained well, it gets dull and becomes finally muddy. Now you can be in danger of losing your soul. Always take care of your conscience by keeping it clean and sharp so that you may be blameless before God, and you'll have peace.

*How Not to Judge

        When the Lord tells us not to judge, we are not to judge ourselves either. We are not even to think about how good or bad we are—we just do our best to obey the Lord in all things and leave all outcome to him. 

***The Illumination of Conscience Warning***

        I've read about the Illumination of Conscience that has been prophesied by many to happen to us. It will be an act of God's great mercy to make us see our spiritual state as he sees it. I knew that as long as I were prepared, I would be fine. Then after reading about and watching this video by Christine Watkins on this Warning in the newsletter from Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope, I realized that I must spread this message to help others prepare themselves too.  Please watch the entire video, as it could make all the difference to your soul!

***Testimony You Must Hear***

        I must have posted Fr. Mark Goring's videos close to twenty times because he is filled with the Holy Spirit and I understand exactly how he feels about Christ. I have heard many testimonies, but his I've just listened to has to be one of the best. Put whatever you're doing aside and listen to his story, for it can make your life new too. Jesus is to be experienced and enjoyed!

***Church's Great Negligence

        These are sad days for the Church as many Catholics no longer believe that the Holy Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Jesus. It is most urgent that the Church authorities should do their utmost to inform and reeducate their flocks of the truth. Sadly, I see only complacency. If this problem is not corrected, the Church will surely decline further and we'll all have to answer to the Lord. It's so sad to see Catholics leaving the Church, not aware that they are going to miss receiving the most precious heavenly gift from God! I am glad that Fr. Mark Goring just put out this video to tell us how important it is to believe in and receive the Holy Eucharist.

***Union with God Achieved!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus says (verse 56): "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My Blood, remans in me and I in him." To remain in each other is to be one. (If A < B and B < A, then A = B. A mathematical certainty.) It is clear to me that if you truly believe that the Holy Eucharist is the true body and blood of Christ and partake of it, then you and he become one. Union with God is achieved!

**Our Omniscient Lord

        In today's first reading from Acts 9, we hear the conversion of Saul. Saul was persecuting the disciples of Christ horribly and Jesus stopped him in the track and asked him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Read the first 20 verses to to get the whole beautiful story. When you persecute the Lord, he knows. So if you are good to him but do not hear him speak to you audibly, you can be sure that he knows too. The Lord knows every thought we think, ever word we utter, every deed we perform, and more. Do you feel good about this? If you don't, then you definitely have things to hide, not good. If you are glad that the Lords knows all about you, it shows that you trust in him totally, a great sign.

**We Need a Mother

        Traditionally, the Church has set aside the month of May to honor our Blessed Mother, Mary, the mother of the Son of God, who is God. Each one of us needs a good mother; this is how God has made us, and Jesus has given us her own mother from the cross. I am going to let Fr. Mark Goring tell you how we all need to invite Mary into our home in the video he posted today.

***Solution to All Problems

        Evil has infiltrated the world. It has specifically infiltrated the Church, sowing confusion and discord. But we know that the Church of our Lord will prevail in the end, so she is being chastised and pruned now. Also, it could be that end times are near. No matter what, each of us who follow Christ is being tested. We must never abandon the Church and must seek refuge in the Lord more than ever. This is the best time to go deep into our God. All the more we need to seek union with him. It is the solution to all our problems: to become holy ourselves.