**Jesus Is Lord

        Today is the feast of St. Andrew, Apostle. In today's Reading 1 from Romans 10, Pauls starts out with "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." We must never hesitate to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and should proclaim it as much as possible. A Christian who does not confess that Jesus is Lord for whatever reason only shows that Jesus is not his or her Lord yet. Even if you can say it, you must live to prove that you mean it. Otherwise, you are still not genuinely a Christian. To acknowledge that Jesus is Lord is acknowledge that is foremost in your life.

***Begin Anew with Christ

          I have moved into my house for about 15 years or so and notice that some of fixtures and things have begun to show their age. I recall the various subcontractors I had to deal with, some were excellent and some not so good. The bad ones left me with bad memories. I know we all have had unpleasant experiences with others that can haunt us. Then I see Christ and know that he can and will liberate me from everything negative. The Lord is like a filter. When we go through him, all that is unclean, disordered, destructive, or distracting will be filtered out. He is our end and in him nothing that hurts, haunts, or enslaves us can possibly exist; we become liberated, new creatures in him! So let nothing disturb you now, but let Christ alone fill you with his peace. 

***My Greatest Blessing

        It's having Christ who is most loving, most merciful, most understanding, most beautiful, most holy and perfect as my Lord! There is not another being who can possibly satisfy and fulfill me as Christ does!        

***Amazing Graces

        Do you realize that we can connect with the Lord God our creator and savior instantly and at any time? What a wonderful grace! And that we can also repent minor sins directly to the Lord and more serious sins through the sacrament of reconciliation, and be forgiven and become all clean again? Another amazing grace! Thank you, thank you, and thank you, Father. 

****Highest Exaltation

         In Matthew 23, Jesus said, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Here's the proof. When you humble yourself before the Lord, realizing that you are nothing and you need him, you open yourself up and the Lord enters you fully to dwell in you—you and the Lord are now one. This has to be highest exaltation you can possibly get from the Lord in this life. Rejoice, rejoice, and rejoice!

***Jesus' Second Coming

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 13, Jesus told his disciples to be watchful and to be alert, for they did not know the time the Lord would come again. Jesus made it clear that he will come again, and this time to judge us. How do I know? Well, if there won't be any judgement, then we really don't need to be watchful at all. For those who have always been faithful to the Lord or are already in union with him, they are ready for anything. So this is really a warning to those who are not yet ready. Since those who do not believe that the Lord had come the first time will have no reason to believe that he will come a second time, there is no point in letting them know when the Lord will come again. Besides, keeping the time and day unknown will help separating the true believers from the true unbelievers.

**Our Goal in Life

        In today's second reading from 1 Corinthians 1, Paul wrote, "God our Father will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." I see that our whole goal should be to become irreproachable on the day we face Christ. The way to achieve that goal is to become irreproachable now before that  day arrives unless you have the magic of becoming holy instantly. 

**Letting God Make You Beautiful

        Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Reading 1 comes from Isaiah 63 and 64. The last verse reads, "Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands." The image that we are the clay and the Father is the potter is a beautiful one. To acknowledge this is willing to let the the Lord mold and shape you to his heart's content so that you become most beautiful for him to behold. 

**Getting into Heaven Is Easy

        On our own, we can never be good enough to get into heaven. But if we let God help us, the problem is no more. As Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 19:26, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Besides, the Lord wishes and desires that we all get into heaven.

***Sober Warning and Advice

          This is today's Gospel reading, Luke 21:34-36. 

        Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man."

        We may not carouse or even be drunk, but may very well be anxious about something. Since the day of the Lord's coming will catch us by surprise, to be vigilant at all times is truly the appropriate advice. It would indeed be horrible to have the Lord catch you in the midst of spreading fake news, cussing at someone, committing an impure act, or doing ballot stuffing. I personally see attaining and  remaining in union with the Lord as our best preparation, as you'll already have the Lord dwelling in you.

***God Is Our Life

         In yesterday's 1st reading from Revelation 20, the book of life was mentioned. In today's 1st reading from Revelation 22, an angel showed John the river of life-giving water, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On either side of the river grew the tree of life. In John 11:25, Jesus Said, "I am the resurrection and the life." In John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life." So simply, God who is the source of all life is life. For us, to know the Lord is to have life eternal. It was also revealed to John that the Lord is coming soon for all his servants and that night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light. Surely it is this light that will sustains our life for all eternity.

***Knowing Enough to Be Saved

        The Gospel reading at Mass continues with readings from Revelation. Many people have tried to interpret the book Revelation and arrived at different conclusions. I am content to learn just what's clear and leave the many mysteries alone. From today's reading from Revelation 4, I learn that anyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the pool of fire, the second death. Of course, i do not know when this will happen or exactly what the second death is all about, but I do know that I need to make sure that my name is written in the book of life. Again, I don't need to know exactly what the book of life is, but I know without a doubt that I only need to be in Christ to have my name written in it. This is good enough for me.

**Praying Without Doubt

        You have two choices after you ask for some favor from the Lord. (1) You feel unsettled, always wondering if he is going to grant you what you've asked for or not. (2) You know that the Lord has heard you and will answer your prayer, not wondering about how he's going to do it. I think the second option is much better, for it shows that you have faith and you leave the door open for God to surprise you.

****Are You Honest with God?

        We must be completely honest with God, sharing everything and hiding nothing. This is absolutely important if you truly want to know the Lord and be in total harmony with him. This is also the key to experiencing freedom in the Lord. "Honesty is the best policy" works with God too.

**Not Shocked by Evildoers

         They lie to the American people daily and now try to steal a national election by fraud. What can you expect from anyone who has no qualms whatsoever about killing the unborn? When you rebel against the Lord, you instantly become the greatest loser in the world. Even if you gain the whole world, you still end up losing your own soul. May God have mercy on them.

***Feel It for Jesus!

        To be one with the Lord, we must feel what he feels. If he suffers, let's suffer along with him. If he is joyful, let's be joyful too. To be united with our Savior is to have life eternal, and is our greatest joy!  

*****Warning of Second Coming

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus spoke about his Second Coming to his disciples. That's right, he was still living among them. He told his disciples, "When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." We must be prepared and look forward to this day of our redemption. If we don't, what could happen to us would be unthinkable. 

***Christ Is Joy!***

        Today is Thanksgiving Day in USA. I thank the Lord for all he has done for us. I especially thank him for having turned everything into joy for those who follow him. The Lord has given me freedom, peace, and joy, more or less in that order; yet joy comes to my mind first whenever I think of him. It must be because freedom and peace are experienced quietly and joy can be truly overwhelming. Anyhow, the Lord is the source of our joy. The Resurrection, Ascension, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit fill us with joy. Heaven is all joy. Follow Christ and you'll have joy forever!

**Complaining Is Not Christlike

         Even though it's not Friday yet, I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary for a special intention. I realized that the Lord suffered so much and died on the cross for us willingly and that we who trust in him really should not complain about anything in life anymore! The Lord does not wish us to ever worry or be anxious about anything. Complaining only reveals our self-pity and lack of trust in God.  

***Completing Our Relationship with God

        This morning I had a dream and woke up around 4:20 a.m. It was an unusual dream that's not easy to describe and would be incomprehensible to all, yet the personal message to me was clear. So I'll just tell you what I learned. When we normally want to establish a relationship with someone, we would get to know that person first. And if the person is worth knowing and meets our approval, then we try to befriend the subject, and so forth. What the Lord showed me is that he loves us, wants to save us, and even be one with us, and that he has already prepared this most intimate relationship for us to enter into. The invitation is out. We only need to accept it and we'll have the most treasurable relationship we'll ever need. 

***Our Role in God's Plan

        You see, God has his perfect plan for the whole world and all of us. He knows exactly what he is doing. We only need to get to know him so that we may know his will and follow it. Nothing more is necessary. Doubting, worrying, predicting what might happen . . . are all out of place. Just trust and obey him and things will work out the best. I think you will agree with me if you apply common sense and think logically.

**Opportunity in Evil Times

        As our nation and the whole world seem to be undergoing vicious demonic attacks, those who are with Christ do experience a heavy burden on their hearts. But let us see that this is also a wonderful time for us to abandon ourselves completely in the Lord. You've probably heard the saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." For us, it would be "The more Evil arises, the stronger we become in God." Our ultimate victory is, of course, assured.

**True Blessing of Living*

        Most people wish that they will have a long life because they see it as a blessing from God. Maybe or maybe not. Let me give you the truth. How long you live on earth does not really matter. What matters is how much you enjoy God while you are living.

**God's Most Generous Offer

         Today's Gospel acclamation, Revelation 2.10: Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. A lifetime, no matter how long, is nothing when compared to eternity. This promise is so fantastically generous that we cannot possibly ignore? God always wants us to have the very best for all eternity! 

**Enemy of the People*

        Today's fake mainstream news media are indeed the enemy of the people. They lie, fabricate stories, and are completely biased, attempting to brainwash us into believing that the lies are truths and the truths, lies. This is what the Communists do. Right now, under all videos on YouTube that talk about the Presidential election, Google placed this note: The AP has called the Presidential race for Joe Biden. How dumb can they be? Obviously, Google's trying to swing an election. Secondly, they think we are so ignorant that we don't even know that election is determined by the court under law and not by the news media. These losers are so pathetic that they may fool some people, but they make themselves look even worse in the eyes of many more others. If you are fake and deceptive, God will expose you in the end. Ignore these media now is the best way to deal with them. For if we can ignore the Devil totally, he won't be able to do any harm to us. 

***God Fundamentally Changing Us

        I recall my younger days before I knew Christ. I was not a happy person, for I did not know exactly what I should do, felt inadequate in many ways, desired to become somebody, and finally, questioned the meaning of life. I would say that like many others around my age, I did not know who I was yet and was still searching for an answer. Christ changed all that. Let's say that he completely reset me. He removed all my confusion, self-pity, hangups, feeling of hopelessness, sinful desires, and all other mental disorders. To me, this proves that he is indeed my creator, my God, and that only he can fundamentally change us. Try to change yourself in any way without the Lord is doomed to failure. If Christ can get us into heaven, surely he can make us anew!

**Praying with Faith

           One can go to God to ask for something that's good, but at the same time wonder if he'll ever grant him the favor. Then another one can go to him, focusing totally upon him and never wondering for a moment about what might happen. Which of the two do you think the Lord would rather deal with? To the first person, the Lord would probably say, "O you of little faith," while the second person fulfills what the Lord said in Mark 11.24: "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours."

**Looking Beyond This Life*

          We must realize that we must not be of the world and that our home should be in heaven. We live to 70, 80, or even 90, then what? It is the fool who does not think beyond this life, this world. The wise see the complete picture as God sees it and act accordingly. Pity the evildoers who are not aware of the existence of a just God. Christians who know the Lord are liberated free from this life and this world. Focusing upon yourself alone will surely lead one to self-annihilation. 

***Becoming Most Talented to God

        There are many talented people around. Some of them are so amazing that they have become famous and rich and earned great admiration from many of us not so talented. The Lord first made me see that any talent we're given should be properly used to glorify him and not ourselves, and that we can all acquire a talent that would be most pleasing and even admirable to him, which is the talent of keeping our hearts clean! To acquire this talent, we only need to repent our sins and ask the Lord to make us clean. This is just the start, for you can acquire even more talents to become holy and blameless before him! Nothing is impossible for God and we can surely tap his power to become the most talented person to him.  

***Our Final Judgment***

        Today is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25 on the the judgment of the nations by the Son of Man, Jesus will come to separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on this right and the goats on his left. The king will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Interestingly, the Lord gives the good news to the righteous first. The Second Coming is as certain as his first coming into the world 2,000 years ago, and I look forward to the return of our Lord.

**We Are Wonderfully Made

         Psalm 139.14: I praise you, Lord, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! This morning I realized this when I realized that I could see, hear, feel, eat and survive, come up with abstract ideas, and on top of it all, know God! Many people believe that humans did evolve from apes. There may be evidence of physical evolution in animal species, but the capability of conceiving the existence of God is not something that can possibly evolve from any animal such as the ape. Anyway, know that you are wonderfully made by God and you'll be happy with both yourself and God.  

***Christ's Wonderful Blessing!

        Each one of us is aware of our own existence. I know I am I, and you know you are you. When we attain union with Christ, his existence becomes even more certain than our own! We come to know him even more than ourselves! This is truly amazing, because we do not physically see or hear him, yet our heart tells us so. It is all the Lord's doing, a most wonderful blessing to us.

***Union with God Depicted***

           When you and God are in each other, you and God are in union. But the Lord is infinite and we are like a little drop in the ocean, so how can he possibly enter and dwell in us? Perhaps we can picture that the Lord fills the entire space and we merely blend in perfectly. To achieve that is quite simple. If you can be completely open to the Lord so that there is absolutely no barrier between you and him so that he may enter you freely as he wills, then you are in union with him! You now experience total freedom in God!   

***Christ Our Only Truth

        I see so clearly that Christ is the truth. I do not consider Christianity to be a religion, for it is the absolute truth. If you want to consider it to be a religion so you can compare it with all other religions in the world, then let me point out what distinguishes Christianity from the rest. (1) The Christian belief is founded upon God's unconditional, pure love for us. (2) The God of Christ is all powerful, but also meek and humble so that we can even attain union with him. (3) The message of salvation is made crystal clear to us. (4) God never lord it over us as we have the free will to accept or reject him, making faith meaningful. These features stand out as no other religion can come close. Without the God of Christ, life becomes pointless.

**Keeping the Faith

        If you believe that the Lord God knows everything about you and you do believe in him, then you should aim to live up to this belief. You would do everything for the sake of glorifying him. When you pray, you would do your utmost to mean what you say from the heart, for he knows how sincere or serious you are. This is having faith. Your eternal life depends upon how you think, speak, and act. Now, this becomes easy once you attain union with God. But our union with the Lord can never be perfect on earth as we remain sinners. Again, our intention becomes our grace.

***Our Only True God

           Without the true God, we would all be doomed. The God of Christ is the only true God. The world is still in chaos because not the people have accepted him yet. But to those who have, you can be sure that all their sorrow will soon turn into joy forever.

*Getting Hell Right

        Some things we must get right in this life, for if we get them wrong, we won't be able to correct ourselves anymore. Hell is one of those things. If for whatever reason you end up in hell after you die, you just can't change that anymore. So don't ever say "The hell with hell!" It matters as much to you as God. Get to know and love the God of Christ and you won't have anything to worry about, for you will be with him forever!

**No Time to Waste

        In Matthew 7:7 (or Luke 11:9), Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." May I suggest that we speed things up by going straight to the Lord, open ourselves up wide, and let him see everything we desire in our hearts. He is most ready to help, so let's not waste any time. Learn to rely upon him every moment of our brief life on earth.

***God's Pure Love*

         Our love for others is never that pure. We love for selfish reasons. For example, a man loves a girl partially, if not wholly, because she is attractive to him. If she is not, he'll probably not even look at her, let alone love her. Again, if we like someone as a friend, it's because he or she is fun to be with or can benefit us in some way. Otherwise, we most likely would not bother to know that person. I do admit there are times we feel called to help someone we don't even know in need, but to help someone who is our enemy, that is an entirely different matter. Now, God loves all of us, even if we rebel against him. That love is absolutely unconditional and pure. Only by accepting his love for us ourselves can we possibly love others with a pure love also.

***So Close or So Far Apart, a Choice***

         You can have two people who believe in and love the Lord Jesus and become one in him. All it take is for one of the two to turn away from the Lord and now they can't be further apart. We can let God unite us or set us apart. The choice is so hard for some, yet so easy for others. And that's the way it is.

*An Instructive Dream

        I had this dream early in the morning today. I was in an environment filled with all kinds of noises, including humans chatting incessantly. Then all of a sudden, a loud pure tone came through and stopped everything, and there was peace and quiet. To me, the cacophony of noises symbolizes all the outright lies, biased views, and fake news that are being spewed out by so many godless politicians, entertainers, and mainstream news media nonstop. The pure tone symbolizes the voice of the Lord. And if we choose to hear him alone, we can shut out all the other crap.  

**War or Peace

         If we all obey the God of Christ worldwide, we'll have instant peace, for his second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. If we all rebel against the God of Christ, we'll be embroiled in a fierce spiritual war till the day we die or his Second Coming, whichever comes first. These are statements of truth Christ has already made amply clear.

*Identifying Evildoers

         The Evil One cannot stand the Lord and his people. He attacks them out of sheer hatred. You cannot reason with him, for he does not listen to you. Well, today's many evildoers behave just like that. You can only pity and pray for them.

*****How We Came to Be

         I read today's first reading from Revelation 4 and learned that we came to be and were created because of God's will. This is something we should think about and cherish. We are not some casual, random creatures; we are truly special because God willed us into being! We bear a most special relationship to him. He knows us and we should get to know him intimately too! We already know through Christ that he loves us to death. To reject him is to reject our own existence!

*****Our Tender Lord

          In today's reading from Revelation 3, we also hear our humble Lord speaking most tenderly from his heart: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. It anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." If you hear him and still don't let him in, you don't have a heart.

**Expecting the Unexpected

        In today's first reading from Revelation 3, the Lord said: "If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you." If you don't pay any attention to his warning, you are playing a dangerous game with the Lord. He can come when you least expect him and catch you totally unprepared and cast you into darkness. But those whose name is already in the book of life will eagerly await the Lord's coming at any moment, for their joy will be complete.

***What We Want God to Do for Us

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, a blind beggar, realizing that Jesus was passing by, kept calling out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came  near, Jesus asked him, "what do you want me to do for you?" He replied,"Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight. We can also shout to Jesus, "Son of God, have pity on me!" We may not have a physical impairment, but we can certainly tell him what we want him to do for us. Personally, I would replied to the Lord thus, "Lord, please answer all my prayers." I believe that he will do just that.

***Going Separate Ways*

         Inspired by today's reading from Psalm 1, the just the Lord will watch over and they will prosper, but the wicked the Lord will dismiss and they will vanish. (Luke 13.27: "I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!")

***Our Wonderful Gift from God!

          From today's first reading from Revelation 2, I learned these two things. First, no matter what we endure and suffer, we must never grow weary. Following the Lord is always exciting. Knowing that victory is assured in the end for each of us who follow him, how can we possibly grow weary?
         The next thing I learned was that repentance is a beautiful thing; it brings up back to God. It wipes us clean and we get to start anew. This is absolutely a most wonderful gift by which we can get back to God's grace instantly at any time, for he is always ready to forgive us when we repent. There is nothing on earth better than this precious gift! How can we possibly consider God, the God of Christ, to not be easily accessible?

*Mass Experience in Troubled Times

        I attended Sunday Mass at 5 p.m. yesterday because when I contacted my church early Saturday, Saturday Vigil Mass and the two Sunday morning Masses were already filled, as attendance at each Mass is now limited to just 100 people. Everyone sat with a mask on, sitting at least 6 feet apart, with kneelers all up and taped in place. Not many parishioners talked to each other after Mass. It's all very surreal. But I stilled received my Lord. He is my greatest and only consolation amidst the turmoil in these evil days. I petitioned the Lord to protect his people and crush all evil. Since he is merciful, he shall wipe out evil and save as many souls as possible.

**Saying "I Trust in God" Not Enough

           In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, Jesus told the parable of the talents. We can learn from this parable that we must remain faithful in all small matters and be fruitful. That is, we must not miss every chance that comes our way to spread the gospel of Christ. We cannot be like the servant who received the one talent and buried it in the ground, instead of using it to make a profit. It's not good enough to say "I trust in the Lord" and not diligently work to be fruitful. 

***Start Enjoying Freedom Now

        We must be fully aware that we may leave this world at any time. I am not being pessimistic, I am being realistic! This should teach us not to get ourselves tied down by the things of the world. Start enjoying freedom from the world now and you'll likely enjoy freedom for all eternity. If you do not free yourself from the world, you'll likely never have freedom.

*****To Be Receptive to God

         I woke up before 5 a.m. this morning and it's still pitch dark outside. I felt I was in the most comfortable sleeping position with my arms and head and every other part of my body in the right spot, totally relaxed. Then I thought that this is the way we should feel before the Lord so that we may be completely receptive to him. There should not be any barriers between us and God. We remain wide open and he is totally free to enter to dwell in us. This is the ideal state of our soul, to be in union with the Holy God, our Lord, our Father, our Brother, our Friend, and our Most Beloved.

**Praying for Justice

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, the Lord told the parable of the persistent widow. In it a dishonest judge finally gave in to a widow who kept bothering him to render a just decision for her against her adversary. Jesus then said, "Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily." This is exactly what we need to hear and believe in when our nation is on the verge having a presidential election being stolen by an evil party. I would like to invite you to join me in urgent prayer that all that's in darkness will be exposed and that truth and justice will prevail.  

***Our Most Humble Lord***

        As God, the Lord is more humble than all of us! This should put us to shame and at the same time inspire us to become humble like him. (1) He is God, yet he did not mind becoming human like one of us. (2) As our maker, he did not mind being born through one of his creatures, our Holy Mother. (3) He who is without sin wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist like all the others sinners. (4) As our Lord, he came to serve all of us, even washing our feet. (5) He came to die for us so that we might live—this is almost astounding beyond belief! HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY NOT LOVE OUR MOST HUMBLE GOD???

*Ultimate Humility and Exaltation

         Jesus said, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." To surrender ourselves completely to God has to be exhibiting our ultimate humility, and the Lord will exalt us ultimately to residing with him in heaven forever.

**Demonic Evidence

        Jesus said in Matthew 5.37: "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No." Anything more is from the evil one." This came to me early this morning. I see that our mainstream news media and crooked politicians have been doing exactly the opposite. They are now demonic. The devil is the father of lies, as the Apostle John had said. Then I saw Fr. Mark Goring's new video whose message resonates with my thoughts. 

***Prayer Focus

         As I was praying, the Lord showed me that we must focus upon him and our prayer alone and nothing else. This is in accordance with what Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 11.24: "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receiver it and it shall be yours." It's so easy to doubt whether you'll receive what you ask for when praying. This doesn't help a thing and only shows your lack of faith. We must not worry in all circumstances. I know this is easily said than done, but it's the truth.

****Unforgettable Scenes***

        Luke 17:26-37, today's Gospel reading for Mass describes some of the most poignant scenes for me. Jesus told about his coming in the future to his disciples. It will be as unexpected as it was in the days of Noah or Lot. People will be eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, building, and the Son of Man is suddenly here as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other. Then someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. There will be two people in one bed; oner will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left. 
         This could happen at any time now. We must be ready ourselves and labor to bring as many others to Christ as possible. 

***Most Anticipated Moment*

          The moment I most anticipate is not the moment I go to my Lord, but the moment he comes to us again at the Second Coming. When I go to the Lord, that's just one single moment for me personally, but when the Lord comes again, that's the huge moment for all of us to be set straight once and for all. Let us realize that we can turn to the Lord to be saved at any time now. Time marches on and if you do not act, you'll miss your chance of redemption forever! Get ready for the Second Coming and you'll be ready to meet the Lord personally too.

**Our Mission in Life

         Knowing what your specific mission is in life is a great consolation. You know exactly what you are supposed to do for the Lord, not a moment of your time is wasted on earth. It's a beautiful feeling of satisfaction. If you are not quite sure what your mission is yet, just pray humbly to the Lord about it. I definitely recommend seeking to attain union with God first, through the Holy Eucharist if you are a Catholic. It may take some time for it to become crystal clear to you. But when he reveals it to you, your life is filled with purpose.

***Bad Examples of Church Leaders***

        Repentance is what Jesus and the Church preach. It is the hallmark of being a bona fide Christian. If you don't repent of you sins, you won't get into heaven. This we all know. The laity is supposed to repent regularly, yet those leaders of our Church who are known to have been involved in scandals, corruption, and deception have never even admitted that they were at fault; they continue to play the blame game. When you care about looking good before people, but not before God, that's pretty sad. Just remember how displeased Jesus was with the Pharisees and the scribes of his time. 

**Praying That'll Get You into Heaven

         In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." This I know for certain: if you call on the name of the Lord with great reverence and love from your heart, you will enter the kingdom of heaven. I prayed this morning by just saying the most holy name Jesus from my very heart repeatedly, taking my time worshipping and loving him, and I experienced fantastic communion with him.

**God is Fair and Just*

        We all live different lives. Some grow rich; some remain poor. Some live a long life; some die young. Some have good health; some suffer from physical ailments. Some get to live an easy life; some have to struggle hard to make a living. I can go on ad infinitum. But to understand, you need to have the overall picture, including where each person ends up after death. And only God knows all that. If you knew too, you'd see that God treats everyone fairly with perfect justice. 

***The Battle We Fight

         I prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, while adoring the Lord at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doral, FL, on livestream. The Lord made me see that with both him and Satan fighting for our souls, we are basically fighting ourselves, as we must choose sides. If we all choose to follow God, Satan will instantly be defeated. The fact that the battle lingers on shows that we have not or not all of us have entirely gone over to God's side yet. Yes, the Lord wants to answer our prayers, but we are still in his way. 

**Making the Family Stronger

        It is tragic that there are so many dysfunctional families around. The ideal family would be one that centers on the Lord God. Absent that, most good families live relatively peacefully together. The members see, talk to, and help each other, with each still living a somewhat private life. What's missing is the true sharing of their inner selves with each other. If they would get to know each other deeper, the bond will surely grow stronger. (By the way, this is also how its works between God and us.)

**Our Ultimate Wish*

          We all wish for things in this life. If there is only one wish you can make concerning yourself, what would that be? Here's what I think is the best proper wish: that we attain perfect union with God because that's what he wishes for us the most. Again, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."  (Matthew 5:48)

***Unique Joy of Knowing Christ!

        The joy of knowing Christ is unique because it makes us selfless. Knowing the Lord makes you so happy that you'd want everyone to know him to have this joy. The is nothing like it in the world. In wanting to spread this joy, you don't even mind losing your own life. This is the transforming power of God's great love. May we all experience it! Praise be to the Lord.

***The Decline of Conscience

        What has happened to the examination of conscience we are supposed to perform at the end of each day? I haven't heard that being talked about in decades. Like many good old virtues, it has gone out of fashion. The explains why the sacrament of reconciliation is no longer taken seriously. We are free to live the way we want. The Church is more concerned about climate change and dialoguing with everyone than saving souls and fighting evil. Whereas the Church should influence the world, it's more the other way around now. 

**Practicing the Endearing Prayer

         I have somewhat revised "Most Endearing Prayer" I posted yesterday, so you may want to check it out. I am practicing this prayer now and wish to tell you how satisfying and rewarding it is. I do not say "Jesus" aloud. As I say the name mentally or quietly, I present to the Lord my wishes and desires without words. So I quickly go through all my petitions, while calling on the holy name of my Lord draws me close to him more than ever!

**It Matters to Know!

        Just watched Fr. Mark Goring's new video this morning and feel that it needs to be seen by all. 

***A Principle, a Law, a Given

           If you have the God of Christ on your side, you always win in the end. Depending upon the battle you are fighting, you may win tomorrow, next month, ten years from now, or most certainly, after you die.

****Division to This Day***

           Jesus knew that his coming to us would cause division (Luke 12:51). Two thousand years later, the division is worse than ever. The Church now is even deeply divided within. This all proves that the spiritual warfare between God and Evil is real, that heaven and hell exist, and that there will be the Second Coming of the Lord and final judgment of all of us. No question about it.                              

*****The Light of Christ!

        The image I received from the Lord today. Christ is the only shining light in our universe or outside our universe. Without him, there'll be complete darkness.

Alternative News Sources

         In these days when almost all major news media and and the big tech giants suppress and censor conservatives, newsmax.com, oann.com, and breitbart.com are some of the news sources from which you can get true stories, and the list is growing.

***Most Endearing Prayer***

           Romans 10.13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. We can call on the Lord simply by repeating the most holy name "Jesus." This we can do continuously right after we get up in the morning, anytime during the day, and as we go to sleep at night. Each time we address the Lord from our very heart, he already knows our intention(s). This is a simple one-word prayer that truly endears us to the Lord.

***Totally Ashamed of Our Bishops!

        Biden may not even be our president yet. The U.S. Bishops have already joined the fake media in supporting this notorious fake Catholic. This surely made me squirm. Listen to Archbishop's Vigano's letter slamming them.

*Temple of God Indestructible

        Today's Gospel reading came from John 2. Jesus cleansed the temple by driving out all those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers out of the temple area. The Jews asked him what sign he could show for doing this. Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." He was speaking about the temple of his Body, for he did rise from the dead on the third day later. The Lord is not only the temple of God, he is God. When we also become the temple of God, we can be sure he will also raise us up too. 

**We're the Temple of God!

        In today's second reading from 1 Corinthians 3, Paul wrote, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and 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." It is good to know this truth when we are now surrounded by evil forces intent on destroying us! 

**Our Life Journey in a Nutshell

         The Lord created each of us in his image. We all came from him and we shall return to him. And we will be judged according to how well we have followed his will. 

***Time to Listen to God Only

        Today, with almost all the mainstream media spewing fake news, all the more we need to tune into God interiorly alone and shut out all external evil noises that are pure garbage.   

***The Sacrament of Confession

        One sign that tells how conscientious Catholics are is how often they go to confession. In generaI, I do not see the majority of catholics taking this sacrament seriously enough. Keeping the soul clean and pure is important—that is why the Son of God came to us to die for us in the first place. It is God's primary intent to save all of us for all eternity, so we must also do our best to save as many souls as possible, including our own, of course. I think Catholics shy away from confession for these reasons: (1) They do not realize how important this sacrament is to the soul. (2) Their conscience is dull to the point that they don't feel that that are really that sinful. (3) They know if they go to confession, they'll find it very difficult to honestly repent some of their sins, so they just stay away. This is serious. (4) They cannot change their sinful ways and wish to remain so. This is very serious. Being human, we are weak without God. If I sin in a certain way and find it impossible to change on my own, and say to God "Sorry, I just can't change," this would be a serious sin in itself. The correct approach is to admit my weakness and say to God "I cannot change on my own, but I must listen to you, so help me." This is the key to being saved! Without the humility to submit yourself to God, you won't be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

**Getting Inside the Door Now

        From today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, we hear the Gospel of the ten virgins. The five foolish ones were not prepared when the bridegroom arrived and were locked out of attending the wedding feast. When they knocked on the door to ask the Lord to open the door for them, he said in reply, "Amen, I say to you, I do not know you." Know that the door is now before his Second Coming. If you are wise, you would get ready to get inside the door right now, for you do not when it will close for you. With God, we should always be ready and prepared.

***Most Comforting Words

         In today's second reading from 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul, in expressing hope for the dead, wrote, "We shall always be with the Lord."         

***One Thing We Must Not Forget

          No matter what we undergo, we must always yearn for the Lord and praise him!

Comforting Prayer

        Today we need to fight evil and do good at the same time. The prayer before the first reading at Mass was what I needed to hear: Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue in freedom of heart the things that are yours. Pray that the Lord will ward off evil so that we may spend more time doing good.

***Choosing Heave or Hell*

        This post ties in with the post "Avoiding the Worst Oppression" I wrote yesterday. If you know you are heaven bound, you would become detached to all the things in the world. You enjoy the good things, but you know that things in heaven will be so much more enjoyable. You wouldn't mind the bad things that happen to you much anymore, as they will pass and be all forgotten after you get to heaven. Now, let's suppose that you know you are on the way to hell. You should realize that all things, good or bad, that happen to you on earth will no longer mean anything, as you'll be suffering terribly in hell for all eternity. Since you are not in heaven or hell yet, I hope these thoughts will help you see clearly which way you should choose to go.  

***How to Know God

         You can let ten thousand people tell you how to know God or you can go directly to the Lord on your own, open up to him and tell him that you desire to know him.

*Clarifying Faith

        People who do not know Christ tend to think that we who love the Lord have gotten brainwashed somehow. This couldn't be further from the truth. Brainwashing is always forced on you externally by someone, whereas coming to believe in God happens internally voluntarily. Faith is now born, the mark of the Christian belief. There is no one more gentle than the Holy Spirit. Your brain gets illuminated, not washed. We are always free to change our mind at any time. The Lord loves us, but we can either accept or reject him. 

**Suffering with Joy

        The possibility that this country may be taken over by a party that would suppress religious freedom and cause more godlessness has placed a heavy burden on many of us. The battle between good and evil has never been so intense and clear. I am compelled to pray unceasingly to the Lord with a heavy heart. Then I realize that I am suffering along with Christ and decide to offer all my sufferings up to him. I remain hopeful in my Lord, as nothing is impossible with him. The joy is that I am now united with him more than ever. 

***Only Rule We Need to Follow*

         I went into deep prayer in solitude and the Lord, the God of Christ, made me see clearly that he is the only one we need to reconcile with, trust in, and obey. There is nothing more and we'll have eternal life. It's so simple and beautiful.  

**Clear Lesson from the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus said to the Pharisees, "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 fact that God knows our hearts shows that he is God and our creator. "Abomination" is a severe word. Here, regarding yourself to be more important than God is an abomination to God. Think of it, it's pretty much spiritual common sense. Obviously, remaining humble before the Lord will be most pleasing to him.

**Empowered by the Lord

         I like what Paul wrote in Philippians 4, today's first reading: "I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through the Lord who empowers me." Paul has learned to reply solely upon God. Empowered by our Lord, we should be able to live triumphantly in every circumstance too. 

*****Avoiding the Worst Oppression*****

         If we were spiritually oppressed or politically suppressed we would feel so bad that all other problems don't matter much anymore and lose joy in all the things we normally enjoy doing. All you need to do is to talk to someone who lives or has lived in a country that doesn't allow you to worship God or speak freely. But my point goes further. If we were in hell, the spiritual suffering would be infinitely worse, knowing that we've been cut off eternally from God! You don't want to wait until you are there to find out, for you cannot get back out of hell—the truly horrible part of it. The great news is that you can prevent that from ever happening to you. The central message of Christ is loud and clear, if only you'll listen to him. I am here to awaken everyone once more that Christ is our Savior. He is here to save us from going to hell by leading us to heaven. How can you possibly let your stupid pride get in the way and not follow him?

***Pray Boldly

          In Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." We didn't even ask for our salvation and he came and died for us. What he said to his disciples makes total sense. Of course, he will answer our good prayers when he loves us this much. So be bold when you ask for favors from him, especially now when we need to pray for our country as evil has already corrupted so many human hearts.

**Happiness Beyond This Life

        Again, I'd like go over something that should be obvious, but not taken seriously. Try all you want, you'll never find true happiness in this life. All lives end in time, so any happiness you find on earth is short-lived. And we cannot be truly happy if our happiness is only temporary. We desire permanency, as we sense that we have a soul that's everlasting. So we should look beyond this life. Lo, there is Christ who can promise you eternal joy, and those who have chosen to follow him are filled with real joy in their heart, spirit, and soul. Heaven is what we need to fulfill our desire for happiness, and Christ fulfills that desire perfectly.

Loneliness, Begone!

         Once you possess the Lord, you and he become one. You will rejoice and suffer along with him on earth, but you'll never be lonely again from now on. 

**Successful Praying

        We can pray halfheartedly or with all our heart. To pray effectively, we must go all out and pray from the bottom of our heart, with a strong will and voice and a deep faith, to connect with the Lord to move his heart. Let the Lord know that we mean business. Also, always pray with great hope.          

**Happy is the One Who . . .

keeps God's word, for the Father will love him and both the Father and the Son will come to him and make their dwelling with him. (John 14:23)

****Deep Prayer Experience

        Three posts back, I posted "To Be Drawn Deep into God." I just took a short break and went to my bedroom to pray for a few minutes. This time I truly prayed with all my soul, with all my heart, and with all my strength. I could not have been more honest. I even questioned the Lord. After I finished, I was absolutely exhausted. This is a new experience for me. I used the present tense "is," as I still haven't fully recovered yet. This "spiritual exhaustion" is felt all around and within the heart, different from any physical exhaustion. I now feel closer to the Lord more than ever. It's as if I have felt his suffering. Jesus had said to his disciples, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Of course, Jesus didn't mean for us to move mountains, but I now understand fully that if we really have the faith to change things, we have that power. To pray with great faith puts us in union with the Lord.

**The Good of Knowing Christ

        Quoting Paul from today's first reading from Philippians 3, "I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Can you relate to that? This is so true. When you know Christ, everything else becomes insignificant, as God is infinitely great. Whoever knows Christ knows that he's been chosen and that his name is now in the book of life. 

****A Modern Parable of the Son

          Here is a story that's being going around online. I think you'd enjoy reading it.

      A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. The would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam-conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift." The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of  the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200. Another angry voice. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids." But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the  painting." Being a  poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." What about the paintings?" "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!" 

        God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything! 

***To Be Drawn Deep into God***

        Our faith is being tested right now when the outcome of our presidential election is still unclear. No matter how bleak things look, the truly faithful never panic or give up; they continue to believe in the Lord and know that nothing is impossible for him. In fact, I see the golden opportunity to pour our heart out to the Lord whenever we face a crisis. When I do that, I feel closer to him more than ever—what a blessing! Often my feelings are so deep that I have trouble expressing them, yet I know that the Lord understands me thoroughly—how satisfying! Sharing you thoughts and feelings with God at the deepest possible level truly brings you and him together into deep communion—a most rewarding experience!

**Big Things for Us*

          There are two big things in life; they are big because they can affect our whole life. The first one is marriage. Finding the right person to marry is a gamble to a certain extent. You do you best to choose the right one and the marriage can still fall apart later. The next big thing is your career, the kind of work you should do. I dare to say that there are probably more unhappy workers than happy workers out there. My point is that with these two things, we need to hand them completed over to God, asking him to lead us to the right person or job. He absolutely knows what's best for us, and we must be patient and trust in him with all our heart. Actually, the biggest thing of all for us is to let God lead us in all things, with us following the perfect plan he has for us. Then we'll end up happy forever!

***Important Realization***

        Let's face it. All of us are born onto a battlefield where a fierce spiritual battle rages on between God and Satan for our souls. We eventually learn that to win this battle, we need God. I have lived long enough to know that I cannot beat evil without God, for I am a potential evildoer myself. This realization has made me submit myself to God completely. The evil you see, hear, and encounter all around you can place a heavy burden on your heart and soul. You finally see that letting God into your soul to let him fight the battle for you is the most sensible thing to do. And your eternal life is assured as well. So, give up fighting evil by yourself and give up fighting God, then both you and God win.

**Be Spiritually Smart

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus said to the great crowds, "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." If you are spiritually smart, you would realize the this is the Lord speaking and that we must love him first and most.

***Never Postpone Accepting God

        If you do not seek God early or do not respond when you first hear him knocking at the door of your heart, you are likely to drift further and further away from him as time goes on. Then your last moments on earth may be your last chance to repent your sins in order to save your soul. Of course, you may not have such moments, for you may die suddenly or suffer dementia before death. Accepting the Lord is something one should never postpone!  

***Urgent Need to Be Renewed by Christ!

          I am going to quote parts of what Paul wrote in Philippians 2 from today's first reading: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold onto the word of life,
      My guess is that an average person today reading this advice would not comprehend its meaning and think that it sounds antiquated or out-of-date. It may not even connect with every Christian. My point is that we have fallen so far away from the Lord God that a fundamental change of our heart by Christ is urgently needed for us to be made anew!

***Lamenting This Nation, a Warning***

        Looking at how the presidential election is turning out, I can say that this nation has already lost half of its soul. It's hanging by a thread over an abyss. Christ is whom we need for salvation, but the world does not see the light. The door for us to return to the Lord remains open, but not many choose to enter it. I am cut to the heart to see so many souls on the path that leads to destruction. To seek power and glory for your own gain in this world is the very opposite of submitting yourself humbly to the Lord God. Christ is coming anytime now and I pray that all will be ready for their judgment.

*****Sweetest Thing God Did for Me

        I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary today. As I got to the 5th and last mystery, The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus on the Cross, I felt that Jesus going through all that was the sweetest thing he could possibly have done for me, for I realized that I was a sinner. 

*Getting Things Done

        When God wants something done, he simply will it. When we want him to do something for us, we must pray from our very heart to ask him to do it for us. For those whose faith is weak, they pray from their heart only when they are a dire situation. For those who have faith in the Lord, they always pray from the heart—this is much more preferable. Attain union with God to enjoy communion with him at the heart level at all times.      

**Today's Saddest Reality

        The greatest reality is that Christ had come to save us, for God loves us. The Lord our loving creator is to be worshipped, praised, adored, and obeyed, as he alone is the Lord of all. Yet most of us do not recognize or accept this reality or just don't take it seriously. This seems to fulfill what Jesus had said: "Many are invited, but few are chosen." It is today's saddest reality. Once our hearts are hardened, we cease seeing the truth. 

**Letting God Reveal Himself to Us!

        In today's first reading from Philippians 2:5-11, Paul wrote that though Jesus Christ was in the form of God, he took the form of a slave, came in human likeness, humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Then God greatly exalted him that 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. How did Paul know all this? It had to be revealed to him by God. We can confidently believe in Christ as much as Paul did. And the Lord will reveal himself to each of us too!

**Your Only Meaningful Inheritance

        In today's Gospel acclamation, Matthew 25.34, Jesus says, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Most of us would be pleased to inherit some material wealth from our parents, but that can cause others to dispute you in court. Imagine inheriting what God has prepared for you in heaven! It will be indisputably all yours. So never mind your earthly inheritance which merely passes through you, focus upon inheriting your heavenly treasures that will be yours forever.

***What Our Soul Needs the Most

        After All Saints Day, it's All Souls Day today. The most important thing for our soul is to be in peace in God.  This peace can only come from God and is what we receive after we surrender ourselves to him. I am giving away the riddle of life here. Reconciling yourself to God and you'll enjoy peace forever. Rebelling against the Lord and youll suffer unrest forever. 

**Be the Lord of Your Possessions

        We all possess material things, a lot in some cases, and we enjoy them. That is fine, but we must never let them enslave us. God is our Lord; and we are to be the lord of our possessions, not the other way around. Those who let their material things possess them are not free to go to the Lord and will suffer great pains on the day they must leave all their things behind.

*****Great Pro-Life Message!

        A great homily preached by Fr. Mathias Thelen. The specific pro-life message begins at 3:24.

***A Truth Disclosed

         Today is already the first day of November, the Solemnity of All Saints. In the first reading from Revelation 7, John had a vision of a great multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, crying out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." All the angels stood around the throne. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
         The Lord has made me see clearly that he has so made us that we become free only when we worship him alone! If we choose to be God ourselves, we invariably shall end up enslaving ourselves.