***Last Message of 2024***

        I am posting Christine Niles's latest beautiful message to conclude my 2024 blogging. 

***Most Satisfying Fulfillment*

        Communion experience. It is the most satisfying fulfillment to end the year when you know that you have the Lord. 

***My Statement of the Year***

         There will be no peace until we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and that he is our Lord, our God, and our Savior.

***Year End Thoughts***

        Today is the last day of 2024. It is fitting that my church has planned a Eucharistic procession for this afternoon so that we'll have a chance to walk, pray, and witness together through the neighborhood. Our year end joy should be that we are getting closer to meeting the Lord in person. And the most appropriate New Year's resolution for us should be to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

*****One More Reason We Need God

        Everyone had close calls in life. We do our very best to remain alert, watchful, and prepared, and bad things still happen. Clearly, we need God's help by trusting in him to the fullest. Now, even should the worst of the worst happen to us, we still end up safe, sound, and forever happy in heaven! How cool can that be!

**Good Test Question*

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 2, we heard read the encounter of the Holy Family with the prophetess Anna at the temple where the presentation of the child Jesus took place. Now, there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah. Earlier, he came in the Spirit into the temple; when he saw the Holy Family, he took the child into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation ...." Now, many of us have already known the Savior, even attained union with him thru the Holy Eucharist—are we ready to go in peace yet?

**Can't Love God and the World*

        In today's first reading from 1 John 2, we heard read "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world." We should know that whatever makes us forget about the Father is from the world and is not to be indulged in or embraced. Accept only what comes from the Father to remain in his love.

***Trust in God Alone*

         Love and trust fully in God; love but do not trust fully in any fellow human.

***Be Holy First***

        In John 8, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus. To test him, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” He said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Of course, if you were without sin, you wouldn't throw a stone at anyone. Anyway, to me the Lord here makes it clear that we need to be holy ourselves first.

***The House Where We Belong

         Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. When Jesus was twelve years old, the holy family went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. As they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him. Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Since Jesus' Father is also our Father, we must be in that house too.

****Dishonesty Galore*

        We get a lot of fake news nowadays. Looking at You/Tube videos on news and other topics, you can see many of them are fake or grossly exaggerated to attract viewership in order to make more money. Usually, the thumbnail image is staged or doctored with a clickbait title or description, and the narration AI-powered. So always use your discernment and don't trust in anything that's been manipulated. The world is full of scammers and we need to remain vigilant. We need salvation more than ever!  

***God's Message*****

        Every time you do something and lose peace, it's the Lord God telling you that you did not seek his will. 

**Gate to Freedom**

         From John 14:6, we know that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. In John 10:9, Jesus said, "I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved ...." I can also positively state that Jesus is the gate through which we gain complete freedom of the spirit.

*****Antithesis of God's Love*****

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 2. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph to ask him to take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there, for King Herod was going to search for the child to destroy him. You see, when Herod first heard that the magi from the east had arrived in Jerusalem to look for the newborn king of the Jews to do him homage, he was greatly troubled. He assembled all the chief priests and the scribes of the people and found out that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Then he called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the child's birth. Finally, he ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. Herod committed this evil because he felt threatened by the emergence of another king. Now, look at today's proabortionists. They decide to kill their own unborn just for convenience sake! They may not be as ruthless as Herod, but there are just as heartless.

**Central Question

        Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs. In  the first reading from 1 John, the Apostle talks about God as light. He writes that if we walk in that light, we have fellowship with one another and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Are we walking in light or in darkness? This is the central question.

***Loving Advice

        God is love. Every word Jesus says and every deed he performs are motivated by love, for he is God. If we don't like what we hear or see from him, that is because we are still too proud of ourselves. Be humble and all things will end well.

***Most Wonderful Experience**

        Communion experience. I rested in the Lord and my mind became so clear that I saw the whole truth. 

**Learning from a Dream**

         This morning I had a dream a short while after 5 a.m. I was at a restaurant that served all kinds of fancy dishes. They used fancy cooking utensils, all kinds of ingenious food processing apparatus, and exquisite dinnerware. For some reason, all items were discarded after use. So I started to save as many of them as possible, thinking that I'd surely have an amazing one-of-a-kind collection. I found a large table outside already with some of the used items placed on it. I temporarily placed my items in a separate pile on it and went inside the restaurant to tell my wife who I knew was eating there to tell her about my exciting undertaking. I then quickly went back out to continue looking for more things. Then I saw the table and all the things on it were gone—they'd been taken to the trash! I couldn't believed it and actually cried, mourning my loss. I thought I'd already become detached from the things of the world, but apparently I wasn't quite there yet. I believe that the Lord God sent me this dream to help me attach myself to him alone even more.

***Great Joy**

        Communion experience—I feel great joy, knowing that Christ is my Lord and my God forever.

**Stark Contrast**

         A day in union with Christ is like a day in heaven! It's not a stretch to say that a day without Christ is like a day in hell.

**Becoming Fearless

         When a Christian is willing to do all things for Christ's sake, he loses all fears, including the fear of death, for he now has eternal life!

**Christian Readiness

        Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr. As he was being stoned to death, he called out "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," echoing today's Psalm 31 response, "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit," which was what Jesus said just before he breathed his last on the cross, with the exception that he addressed God as Father, not Lord. All Christians should be ready to commend their spirits to God at any time. 

***One More Scene Change***

         Communion experience. Being in union with God is practically being in heaven already; it needs only one more scene change. 

***Inseparable Acts***

        Jesus' coming to us is inseparable from his dying on the cross for us. For he came to die in our place so that we might be saved from sin. These two acts constitute the greatest single act of love by God.

***Christmas Wishes***

    Merry Christmas to all of you whom the Lord God loves dearly!  Our heavenly Father is ever ready to embrace us with his everlasting love. May our hearts open wide to him so that we may be made aware of his holy presence at all times. 

***Easier than You Think***

        Communion experience. The Lord cleanses and sweetens our souls. To keep them clean and endearing to him, we need to continue dwelling in him. This state is easier to maintain than you think, for the deeper is your union with him, the more effortless your part becomes. In essence, when you let the Lord take over, he completely carries you!

***Huge Deal to Us

        We celebrate the birth of Christ now at Christmas time, but we really should rejoice at all times for the fact that he has already come and died for us, thus making our path to heaven straight and a joy to follow. Otherwise, many of us as sinners would've been doomed. And this is a huge deal, not something to be disregarded!

***Bright Side of Serving the Lord***

         No matter how hard we serve the Lord, we'll alway fall short of what he deserves from us, for he is infinitely greater than us. The good news is that if we truly feel it that way, surely he's going to exalt us way high!

**To Die ___ Jesus

        Communion experience. We can die in Jesus, die for Jesus, or die with Jesus. The last description seemed to fit how I wished to die this morning best. 

***Trusting in the Lord in All Things

        When you abandon yourself totally to God, you trust in him fully, so you even welcome his judgment of you, no matter how it's going to turns out.

**Livening Up the Faith

        The unbelievers are asleep and even many believers are barely awake. To liven up the faith, an encounter with Christ is needed. Of course, you need to  open up to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. Some see faith as a gift, but to receive it, you just have to open up and desire it. I don't see how the Lord can possibly refuse you if you truly ask for it from your heart.  

*****The Lord Most Endearing***

        Revelation 3:20, today's Communion antiphon: Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. How gentle, loving, and endearing the Lord is!

***Dealing with Family Estrangement*

        Our society has been so influenced by the Evil One that even many Christian families have fallen apart. In talking to some of the older fellow parishioners, I have learned that their children or some other family member no longer communicate with them. In one case, the grandparents are not even allowed to see their grandchildren. Satan has certainly done a good job of destroying the family. If you face such a situation, pray for the other side and make sure that you forgive them and will try your best to make peace. For taking care of your own soul should always be one of your top priorities.

***Best Way to Love God***

         Follow his will. So it comes down to knowing God's will. This means that we need to seek to attain the closest possible union with God in order to know his ways and thoughts. 

**Empty Wishing Without Christ**

        At this time of Christmas (holiday season to many), people wish each other joy and peace. Such good will will be just empty talk and not produce good results if we do not have Christ in our hearts. It is from Christ that we can truly receive peace and joy. So pray that all will come to know and receive him as our Savior before wishing anyone joy and peace.  

***Best Way to Exist***

        Never dwell on the past, for it's gone forever, nor dream about the future, for that's being self-centered and unrealistic. Instead, remain in Christ only and always, then you'll be safe and secure, set for all eternity!

**A Sane View of Life*

        We get stressed out in this world so easily whenever things don't turn out our way, for we are self-serving and have no faith in God. Meanwhile we ruin our own health and shorten our lives on earth. Know that these damages we do to ourselves are irreversible. So we are being both foolish and sinful. Fortunately, God can restore our insanity by freeing us from all our sins so that we can become selfless and carefree. With our soul healed, our physical health now matters a lot less. 

***To Love Enough

        There are ones we love very much in this life, but one day we'll have to say goodbye to them. To make the best of things, we should pray for their salvation so that we may see them forever in heaven. If you truly love God and them, God surely loves them even more and will hear your prayer. By the way, to not pray for someone's salvation shows that you really don't love that person enough.  

***Wisdom to Have***

          In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, the angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son to be named Jesus, and he would be great and be called the Son of the Most High. Mary wondered how that could happen when she had no relations with a man. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her to make it happen. And Mary gladly accepted the Lord's will for her. On the other hand, earlier when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the sanctuary at the temple to announce to him that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son to be named John, Zechariah asked the angel how he should know this, for he was an old man and his wife was already advanced in years. The angel said to him, "I was sent by God to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words"
          Both Mary and Zechariah responded: one tried to understand and the Lord was pleased, while the other doubted and was punished. The Lord knows every nuance of my thoughts and it's wise for us to trust in him 100% always.

*****Serious Advice***

        The Lord of Christ is the one to whom we must pay attention, respond, and be obedient! Otherwise, it'd be better that we never came into being.                          

***True Love Is . . .

pure and completely selfless. Our love for others in the world is never quite pure, while God's love for us is so pure that it's able to transform us to become like him. Compared to his love, our own love for others is not true love at all.

**How to Be with God*

        Communion experience. The Lord is the one for us to live in, to die in, and to remain in forever.

**Acknowledgement**

        When you call Jesus "My Lord and my God" from your very heart, you acknowledge that you now belong to him.

***Question I Still Want to Ask*

        The Lord God our Father has already paved the way for us to enter heaven thru his Son Jesus—are you to just say "No, thanks" and turn away? Are You?

**Unbelief vs. Faith

          Not believing in Christ is easy—you just live for yourself. You think you are in control, but you are really not at all. In fact, you can end up losing everything! To have faith in Christ is only somewhat hard when you are deciding whether to follow him or not. Once you've decided to follow him, your journey becomes a total joy. Now you can soar to new heights and end up inheriting all that the Father has prepared for you in heaven.   

***Going All the Way!***

         Christ is a real person. Because he is almighty, it is possible for us to attain the most intimate union with him. And following him becomes effortless and a joy. The Lord is to be experienced and enjoyed. The first requisite is that you be completely open to him; don't allow any uncertainty, doubt. or reservation to get in your way. It's total abandonment time—you make the plunge and never look back, and you'll be happy that you did it.

***Keeping Door to Heaven Open***

        Communion experience. I wish to surrender myself to Christ totally, but there may still be rebellious streaks in me I am not even aware of. I ask the Lord to take them away too. Now the door to heaven is wide open for me.

*****Know the Situation We're In (Warning!)**

        Today the Lord made me see clearly that in this universe that contains our earth, we are the only agitators rebelling against and betraying him, creating disorder and chaos in the process; while he is to be loved and obeyed with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. Will we ever wake up to realize the pitiful state we're in? To sleep thru life is easy, but what we'll have to pay for that is too horrible to even think about!  

***Church Losing Her Tradition***

         It All began with Vatican II. Pray that the Lord will completely purify and restore his Holy Church.

***Recipe for Making Heaven Our Home

        Acknowledge that God is our Father in heaven and we are his beloved children, then be genuinely childlike to him.  

***Never Offend Christ the Lord!***

        You may not believe in him yet, but you must never look down on him, hurt him in any way, or try to deceive him, for he is the Almighty God, infinitely superior than all of us in every way. Besides, he loves us with the greatest possible love and deserves all our love. Reject him and you doom yourself. 

***What Should We Live For?***

         It's a good question. I could think of many answers, but picking the best one might be tough. Then it dawned on me that in union with God, I already possess the Lord and there's really nothing else to live for!

***God's Love Is . . .

our safest and most joyful refuge.         

***Heavenly Experience***

        When you remain completely in the Lord, you are so impressed by what you feel and experience that you become totally unconcerned about your own existence. This is being set free, a heavenly experience! 

***Right Way to Know God*

        If you really want to know God, love him as much as possible, become holy, and live only for him, then seek to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist first, and all that you desire will follow. 

*****How Close Do You Follow Christ?*

        Matthew 16:24, today's Communion antiphon: Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me, says the Lord. To all followers of Christ, on the list of all the people you follow, how do you rank him? First? Third? 10th? Last? Is he even on your list? You are a true follower only if your list has only his name on it!

***Greatest Human Tragedy**

        The Lord God has spoken to us since the time of Adam and Eve, Then 2000 years ago, Christ came and lovingly revealed the whole truth to us. As always, many of us don't believe in the God of Christ as if he never even existed, Mind you, the truth remains true forever. As unbelievers, they remain lost. 

**Incredible Exaltation**

        Communion experience. The Lord made me from the dust; now he has made it possible for me to live forever in heaven. What a great exaltation!

***Salvation Secret*

        We cannot save ourselves at all, but if we remain in Christ, he'll do all the work. 

***Effective Preaching***

        Christ is to be preached from the heart. Any message preached from the head always sounds cold and casual. Let the Holy Spirit set your heart on fire first, then your messages will exude both power and passion.

***Honing Our Obedience***

        The word I heard from the Lord today was "obey." I do many things each day, never intending to hurt the Lord in any way, yet I sense that I don't always get the priorities right. For example, I like to watch the latest news a little bit on YouTube, then I end up watching some other interesting videos. As a result, blogging and doing other necessary chores get delayed. The Lord's voice is ever so gentle you can easily dismiss. Today I realized that I must obey all his small commands I hear. If he sees that we are trustworthy with all small commands, he knows that we'd be trustworthy with all his commends. In this way, we perfect our obedience.

***Remaining in Christ***

        Care only about what he cares about and let only what affects him affect you the same way.

***Focusing upon God Alone Is . . .***

to seek his will only, trust in him fully, love him to the max, and no longer mind yourself.

**Our Present Time Most Precious*

        Many people turn or return to God as they get old or in their final days, but the right time to do that is anytime you hear God calling. How much we receive from the Lord in our next life will depend upon how much we love him now, and certainly the more time we spend loving him, the greater will our reward be. So be sure to spend the time you have wisely, not squander any of it away.

***How to Get Lifted Up**

        Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Communion antiphon, Luke 1:52, reads "The Lord has cast down the mighty, and has lifted up the lowly." To be lowly is simple—you just forget about yourself and focus totally upon the mightiness of the Lord. And he'll lift you up high without fail!

***Signs the Spirit Dwells in You

        Once way back as a Catholic, I wondered how I'd know that the Holy Spirit actually dwelled in me as I'd been told. Now I know. You don't have to witness any miracle or speak in tongues to know that. Here are some of the signs showing that the Holy Spirit is actively working in you, in no particular order: You fall in love with the Lord or Christ, yearn for him, are fired up for spreading the gospel, are willing to suffer for him, seek humility, feel his presence at all times, love to pray or reveal everything in your heart to him, love to call God Father, don't judge but forgive everyone, loathe sinning, yearn to receive the Holy Eucharist, and surrender yourself to him with great joy.

***Time to Act Decisively*

        Lying down on my bed this morning, I was doing my daily eye drops on my right eye. Since I've been advised to wait at lease 5 minutes between drops, I turned on the classical radio station to see what's being played. It was the hour of film music. I must say that some of the composers had written some most beautiful memorable music. My days of being a music aficionado surfaced in my mind. I remembered how hooked I was on searching for new composers, new music, and new record labels. This went on continuously. One day I finally realized that I must free myself from this enslavement and I did it cold turkey. Afterwards I experienced great freedom. My thoughts are in life, there are times we need to act decisively to change or correct our course for our own good. To continue living and not paying any attention to where we're headed will surely not end well.

**Jesus Our Rest*

         In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said to the crowds: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Whether we labor for ourselves or God and feel burdened, we need to go to him to find rest. Mark my words, you'll only find true rest now and forever in him, for he is our creator and has made us that way. When we rest in him, all our problems become his and we experience true peace.

**Perfect Fit Experience.

        Communion experience. Uniting with the Lord can be likened to a jigsaw puzzle piece being snapped right into its place, forming a perfect fit.

***Most Divergent Ways***

      We can reject the greatest love of the God of Christ for us and get cut off from him forever or we can open ourselves wide to accept this love wholeheartedly and be made ready to enter heaven forever. There are no two paths more divergent. All it takes is a change of heart now to get on the better one.

**Feel More for God than Ourselves*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus told his disciples that it's not the will of their heavenly Father that one of the little ones be lost. So every soul is precious to God the Father. We feel sorry for ourselves after we commit a sin; we really should realize first that we grieve God greatly when we sin. Feeling this sorrow of his will definitely help us sin less and become holier over time.

***What's Good Enough

        This is not a new message, but is worth hearing again. Being a real nice person is not good enough; having all your sins taken away and becoming holy is crucial.

*****Feeling the Lord***

        I really feel Christ today. I feel his presence, his tremendous love for us and his great sorrow for our ungratefulness. His joy is always with me, yet the burden on my heart is heavy. Knowing that he understands me thoroughly, I feel drawn closer to him more than ever. The bittersweet feeling gets sweeter.

**Rejecting Salvation

         To be Saved by God is so simple—you only need to believe in Christ the Savior. But we foolishly think we are too smart for that—so pitiful! 

***Joy All the Way***

        The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Savior would come, and he indeed showed up two thousand years ago. It is time for us to rejoice and await his next coming. But if you seek union with him thru the Holy Eucharist, he'd come straight into your heart to dwell within you! More joy before entering heaven!

***Letting God Be Our Witness**

        In today's reading from Philippines 1, Paul writes, "God is my witness ..." What a powerful statement! God does see everything that's going on, exposed or hidden, and we must be aware of this so that we may live a life without blemish before him. 

***What Pleases God the Most***

        To serve and glorify God, you can sing in the church choir, compose hymns, help building a new church, volunteer in various ministries, pray extra hard, etc. But to please God the most, surrender yourself completely to him first.

*****Greatest Invitations of Our Existence*****

        At each Mass, the priest in consecrating the bread and wine repeats what Jesus said at the Last Supper to his disciples: "TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT: FOR THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU" and "TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT: FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME." These are the two greatest invitations of our whole existence! And when we accept them with open hearts, we give our greatest responses of our whole existence, for we now have eternal life! 

*****Rock Solid Reality*****

        Every moment you live without acknowledging Christ as your Savior is a moment you risk losing you soul forever! 

**Freely Receive, Freely Give*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, Jesus sent out the Twelve to various towns and villages to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven at hand, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons. He said to them, "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." Indeed, all things we have come from the Lord as we own nothing. Therefore, we are to provide all things freely to those in need. 

***The Love that'll Judge Us***

        God loves us with a pure selfless love. Once we experience this love, we are inspired to love him and the world with the same love. And we'll be judged by how much this love we possess in us.

***To All Those Enslaved to Sin***

        The Devil loves to trick us into thinking that something that happens unexpectedly and gives us great pleasure must have come from God, even deep down you know that it's sinful. We are then thrown into a state of confusion and great turmoil. This should be a clear sign to you that it did not come from the Lord, but was perhaps allowed by him to test you. You should then turn to and seek refuge in him as soon as possible. In reality, it's easier said than done, and great tenacity is required to be set free again. Once free, you'll find yourself close to the Lord more than ever. 

***Time to Wake Up!*

        Today's entrance antiphon: Behold, the Lord will come with descending splendor to visit people with peace, and he will bestow on them eternal life. Look, all God wants is to save us from sin and give us eternal life! There can be no better news! But many of us still do not pay any attention—are you saying that you have no sin at all? 

***Best Attitude to Assume Before God***

        Be true and open, acknowledging your complete helplessness without him. Wonderful things will now happen.

*****Perfect Fulfillment*****

        Communion experience. Once you are with the Lord, you simply want to remain in him, not wanting to look ahead nor back at anything else anymore, for he is the perfect fulfillment. 

***On Forgiving Others and Selves**

        There is no one who's not worth forgiving. As long as we repent our sins, the Lord is ready to forgive us. Don't forget to forgive yourself too. No matter how sinful you are, you are worth being forgiven by the Lord, for his mercy is infinite. I know of someone who finds it impossible to forgive anyone who's done wrong, so he stops going to church because he wants to be honest with God and thinks that attending church would make him a hypocrite. What warped, dumb reasoning, as this is defying God and not believing that he can change us! The right attitude is to tell the Lord it's difficult but he's right, then ask for his help. Having the right intention is critical!

***Great Feeling*

  Knowing that I can totally entrust Christ with my soul!     

***There's Only One Lord***

        In toay's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciples: "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." Anytime we say "Lord Jesus," but do not follow God's will in all things, we are hypocrites.

**Course of Life

        We all live, die, and live or die again. The first death is just a quick transition. The second life or death will be final and forever. Make sure you end up with life.

**Valid Questions**

        God, having given all of himself to us, is ready for you to give all of yourself to him so that most wonderful things may happen. So why are you still hesitating? Are you more important than him?

*****WAKE UP!***

        If you do not believe in Jesus yet because heaven does not attract you enough, then consider the absolute horror of being punished in hell for all eternity! As these are our only two alternatives, make your choice now or never. (Not believing that heaven and hell exist is as bad as saying that we don't have day and night on earth.)

***We Are on Our Own!***

        These thoughts that came to me are nothing extraordinary, but they just hit me like a revelation! Here I go. I am I and you are you, we all know that. This is quite amazing when you think about it. Each of us is aware of our unique existence and is responsible for our actions before the Father our creator. No one else can do anything about it. Basically, we alone choose to be for or against the Father. What we'll reap in the end will depend entirely upon what we sow now.

***Sweetest Moment on Earth***

         It is the moment I receive Christ my Lord and my God in the Holy Eucharist.

*****Another UIgent Warning***

        We are so influenced and shaped by the secular world we live in that it's virtually impossible for us to correct ourselves to live a holy and blameless life. Why bother changing ourselves? Well, our eternal wellbeing is at stake. Our only hope is to have Christ our creator enter us to fundamentally transform us. That's why we need to grasp him while we can, or we'll be left behind in the abyss forever.

**Worldly Pleasure vs. Spiritual Joy*

         The former requires your effort to acquire it, is always transient, and can become tiresome once you have too much of it; whereas the latter the Lord generates in your innermost, lasts forever, and remains refreshing and exhilarating.

*****Sublime Experience*****

        I am on my journey to heaven. Receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist at daily Mass is like making a beautiful stop along the way to meet my beloved Lord to dine at the heavenly banquet he has prepared for me! It's an overwhelming experience that enraptures my whole being! That I should be so blessed is well-nigh incredible. 

*****Best "Home Sweet Home"*****

        Surrendering ourselves to God is like the prodigal son, realizing that he has sinned against his father, decides to return home, repent all his wrongdoings to him, and start out anew. It is an awakening, a change of heart, that makes the whole heaven rejoice—yes, it's heaven-shaking! (By the same token, unrepentant sinners are party poopers.) When heaven is your home, the return has to be the sweetest "home sweet home." Surrendering to God also completely restores our inner peace and you become worry-free—this is how God has made us! For me, it filled the entire void of my life. With the aid of the Holy Eucharist, you can even attain union with God! Now, it's no exaggeration to say that you've arrived in seventh heaven. 

***Acknowledging God As Our Father***

        In today's reading from Luke 10, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike." So be childlike to become God's chosen one and he'll reveal all the hidden "secrets" to you. As a matter of fact, be childlike and he'll fill you with the Holy Spirit, making you anew and ready for heaven. To be childlike simply acknowledges that the Lord God is our Father, making us his heirs.

***Longing for Jesus*

         Communion experience. Yearning for the Lord goes beyond just seeing him; it desires to be in full union with him, not just on earth but in heaven! 

***Being Open to God

        Always leave your heart open to the Lord so that you may hear him speak to you anytime. An open heart is a humble heart that's welcomed by heaven. To be open to God is to be open to heaven. 

**What Having Faith Entails**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 8, a centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant who was lying at his home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully. As Jesus was getting ready to go and cure him, the centurion said to him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed." Because of his faith, Jesus healed the servant unseen. In Mark 11:24, Jesus said to his disciples, "All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." So, after we ask for what we want from the Lord, we must not let it bother us anymore; he desires that we trust in him and remain in peace.

***God's Transformative Love***

        Normally, when we find something we greatly treasure, we like to keep it to ourselves. Christ is only one who can make us truly selfless, as the more joy we receive from him, the more we want to share it with all others! We may even reach the point of willing to lay down our lives for others! Such is the transformative power of God's love.

*****Getting into Heaven Easy*****

        Focus on serving the Lord every chance you see fit with the goal of saving as many souls as possible. And don't count your successes or failures, for they are in the Lord's hands. This is not asking too much, but it'll surely get you into heaven.

**We Are the Culprits*

        In Luke 12:51, Jesus said to his disciples: "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." But any division is actually caused by those of us who do not accept him!

***Unique Gifts from the LORD***

        Disciples in union with the Lord experience spiritual freedom, profound peace, and inexplicable joy, and they are life-changing! Only Christ can provide these three; they are no other possible sources.

***Evil in This Life

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 25: To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame. It seems that in this life, we'll always have enemies, those who are not for God, attacking us. So we need to trust in God to defend us and keep us safe at all times.  

***True Pope?***

        Pope Francis has caused much controversy and confusion, fracturing the Church in the process. Many church officials and theologians have already accused him of being a heretic. Our Lady of Fatimas, Our Lady of Garabandal, and Our Lady of Akita all foretold of the days when bishops would be against bishops and cardinals against cardinals—those days are right now. Here is a video presenting a number of warning signs that seem to be related to the Pope. 

*****Be Concerned About God 1st

        When we sin against the Lord, we usually lose peace and feel bad about ourselves. But it's more appropriate to realize that we have hurt the Lord and feel sorry for him. Do whatever is necessary to console him first and he'll automatically heal us. Again, focus on God first always.

*****True Love*****

         We say "I love you" a lot to others, but this love is never pure like Christ's. His love for us is unconditionally selfless, willing to lay down his own life so that we may live forever! So if we love someone, but are not concerned about the salvation of that person's soul, there is no true love. We need to love the Lord first, then we can truly love others.

***Biggest Fools***

         They are the evildoers who reject Christ.

***Proof God Has Created Us******

        I've found that the Lord God is the only one who can fundamentally transform me (making me holy, that is). This proves that he is indeed my creator. 

***Minding God Alone (Wise Advice)***

        Never compare yourself with anyone else nor mind what others think of you. Care only about how clean you are before God and what he thinks of you. For everything will be settled between just you and God.

***To Be Most Thankful For***

        It was Thanksgiving day, the day before yesterday. There are many things to be thankful for, but Christians must be most grateful for God's love for us. Without his love, we wouldn't have all the nice things to be thankful for. Let me add that the God of Christ is our only God, Savior, life, bright beacon, truth, and hope.

***Another Reason We Need Christ***

        Admit it, our biggest problem is dealing with others without sufficient love. The only one who can fundamentally change us to become loving is Christ our creator. For this reason alone we need him!

**Lord, Have Mecy

        Communion experience. I felt like crying as I saw how horribly the world (myself included) had been offending him. Lord, have mercy on us all! 

***Prayer Not to Forget*

        We always want things to go our way instead of God's way. "Thy will be done" would make an excellent correction prayer.

***Only One to Live For***

        Christians should focus upon Christ only from whom all power and mercy flow. Any message preached not centered on him is invariably uninspiring. Christ is the only one who can stir our hearts and fill us with the Holy Spirit. Live for him only. 

***Only Way with God***

        First thought at Mass today: Worshipping the Lord God is of central importance; everything else we do must be subject to that. Both intuition and common sense tell us that with God it has to be all or nothing. Christ came and showed that it was to be so. Otherwise, what would be the point of believing in him?

***Most Grave Matter*****

        From today's reading 1 from Revelation 20, we heard that "The dead were judged according to their deeds." This had to be the final judgment, for the Lord does not judge us while we are still alive. So the time on earth is the only time we have to make sure that our deeds will be good enough for our names to appear in the book of life. Otherwise, we'll experience the second death that's eternal, according to the reading.

*****The Christian Truth*****

 

**Opposite Outcomes*

         For those who reject Jesus, going to heaven will be most difficult. But for those who follow Jesus, the opposite is true, that is, going to hell is now completely ruled out!

*****God's Rock Solid Assurance***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus spoke of the coming persecution. He said, "You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." How good it is to know that the Lord will protect those who follow him so that their eternal lives will be secure!

**Prayer Advice

        Before asking for anything from the Lord, enter into as close a relationship as possible with him. 

**Basic Truth*

        To enter heaven, we need to be free from sin; and only Christ, our creator, can take away our sins. 

****Being Captured by LOVE

         Communion experience. The Lord cleansed me and peace reigned in my heart. The overwhelming crush of his love came on and seized me. How good it is to be captured by LOVE!

***God Is Forever***

         In Matthew 28:20, one of today's Communion antiphons, the resurrected Lord said to the eleven disciples, "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Such assurance, so good to hear! God is forever, one we can always trust! 

***Today's Joy

         Christ has redeemed me from sin thru his love and mercy. Now I am free and on my way to be with him for all eternity! This is an insuppressible joy!

***Joy of Abandonment***

        Communion experience. I remain completely passive, letting the Lord take charge, and my joy is complete.

**Enslavement or Freedom**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 18, Jesus admits before Pilate that he is a king, but his kingdom does not belong to this world. If we belong to this world, we become enslaved by it. But if we belong to Christ, we dwell in his kingdom and remain free from all evil influences. It's so very clear.

***Most Generous King***

        Today is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. My first thought was that I could ask of him for anything that's good for me from his inexhaustible riches and it's mine!

**Total Fulfillment*

        Communion experience. Psalm 23.1: The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. That is totally fulfilled!

***The Lord Most Sweet***

        Today's psalm response from Psalm 119: How Sweet to my taste is your promise. We normally see the Lord as one who is almighty, holy, splendid, magnanimous, etc., but he is also sweet. To me, his voice and his words spoken always with great love are all most sweet!

**Calling on the Lord*

        Communion experience. i called on the Lord, not to ask for help, but to express my gratitude and joy for having saved me.  

**We Are Sombody*

        Today is Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary. God choosing to have his Son born through Mary, a human, shows how how highly he regards us. 

***In God's Eyes*

        1 Corinthians 3.19: The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God. In the same vein, I dare say that "Relative to Christ, the absolute truth, we are all phonies."

***Double-Barreled Power*

        Communion experience. The Eucharist has the power to not only lead us to eternal life, but also make us holy.  

***All We Need to Do***

        The Lord has come and will come again, but we don't when that will be. So there is so point in thinking about it. All we need to is to be ready, which means that we obey the Lord in all things and be as holy as possible, no more and no less. 

***Living Outside the Box

        We accomplish many things in life, many of which are good and even amazing. But we do them shall I say in a horizontal space, never rising any higher spiritually. It's the humble Christians serving their Lord faithfully that rise above the box, so to speak, as they store up treasures in heaven.

***Incredible Union***

        Communion experience. By the Father's great mercy, the immense gap that separates a finite sinner from his infinite, holy creator is no more.

*****Christ Essential to Us*

        In John 14:6, Jesus declared, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Therefore, without him, we are lost and dead and doomed.

*****Critical to Be Open to God***

        From today's first reading from Revelation 3, we heard read: If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. The Lord is always knocking at the door. In fact, anytime he comes to your mind, it's him wanting to speak to you, but he can't enter unless you open your heart. What a pity you shut him out your whole life and end up being shut out of heaven forever later!

*****Most Intimate Relationship***

        When you meet someone with the same interests, you can easily hit if off and enjoy each other's company. When I was studying math in college, I greatly enjoyed talking with other math majors about math. Since my other interests were piano music and photography, it's great fun talking about piano music with my teacher, and photography with other fellow photo enthusiasts. Now that Christ is my closest companion, do we talk with each other? Of course we do, but when you are in union with the Lord, you and he already know each other fully without any exchange of words or thoughts. The relationship is on the high spiritual level, the soul level. In all other relationships, there is much sharing, but no deep union. 

***Powerful Holiness***

        God's love is most powerful. Equally powerful is his holiness! When you bask in it, you become holy.

***Saving Faith Most Precious***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus healed a blind beggar because of his faith. Indeed, it's by our faith that God saves us. No faith, no salvation; so treasure your faith and allow it to grow until you totally abandon yourself to the Lord.

***Becoming Victorious in Christ

        Today's response to readings from Psalm 1 based on Revelation 2:17—Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life. My thought was that when we follow Christ, we become victors as we overcome sin and secure eternal life! It's time for rejoicing from that point on.

*****Communion Awakening**

        The Lord fully gave himself for my salvation! 

***Our Imminent Appearance Before Christ*

        Today's Gospel acclamation based upon what Jesus said in Luke 21:36— Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man. We'll all have to appear before the Lord one day—happy is the one who is ready and can't wait to meet his most beloved Savior and soulmate! 

*****Beware!***

        In this life, we experience both things that make us happy and things that make us unhappy. In our next life, we'll end up being either extremely happy or extremely unhappy for all eternity! But we do have the chance to predetermine all that while we're still alive now.  

***Powerful Payer Against Evil***

        The late Fr. Gabriele Amorth was Vatican's leading exorcist. Here's one of his powerful prayers that can benefit all of us.

***It Looks like a Miracle

        https://youtube.com/shorts/5wbG_M9rcPw?si=4sblX9FHaghY2Dh4

***Ultinate Fulfillment

        Communion experience. When you are in union with Christ, you are no longe concerned about life or death—you simply want to remain with the Lord. 

**Everything Is Possible For . . .

those who love God.

***True Intelligent Test***

        No matter how high your IQ is, if you don't see that God loves you and believing in Christ can lead you to eternal life, you are not smart at all!

*****A Warning and Reminder

         Everyday you put off accepting Christ, you put your soul at risk. You may pooh-pooh what I've just said, but I said it because I knew it to be the truth, not merely believing in it. When the Lord reveals something to you, you just know it's true, no proof needed! So this warning/reminder stemmed completely from God's immense love for all of us. 

***More Important Than Me***

        Communion experience. The Eucharist, the Lord himself, is the only thing that's more important to me than myself. For without Christ, I'll have neither life nor soul. 

***Warning to the Prideful***

        In Matthew 19:24, Jesus said to his disciples, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." I am sure that this is even more true for one who is full of pride, for humility is a must for entering heaven.

*****BE PREPARED NOW*****

        In today's Gospel reading, Luke17:26-37, Jesus talked about the day of the Son of Man. You must read it yourself. The scenes described are unforgettable. Here are some samples. "For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be." "As it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." "On that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left." If you believe in Jesus, you'd better prepare yourself for that day, whether it comes in your lifetime or not.

*****Love, Our Ultimate Goal*

        Since God is pure love, selfless love is the solution to all our problems, including being damned for our sinfulness. For us, the direct path is follow Christ with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, then we'll be able to love all others as he loves us.

**Our Life Aim

        Communion experience. I saw that getting ourselves ready for meeting Christ the Lord is truly our life aim. 

***We Are Called To . . .

enjoy Christ the Lord, not the world. 

*****Sign You're in Union with Christ***

         You know that the Lord dwells in you, as you feel his holy presence at all times.

***Be Imprisoned and Free***

        Today's first reading came from Philemon 7. Paul wrote this letter during an imprisonment, possibly in Rome. My thought: When we let the love of God imprison us, we are set free! 

***Unavoidable Realities to Face***

         (1) We are all sinners. (2) We need God to remove our sins in order to get into heaven. (3) We all shall die and leave this world. (4) Last, we'll be judged by Christ to see if we are clean enough to enter heaven.

**Experiencing the Holy Spirit*

        When you are in union with Christ, you are in tune with God the Holy Spirit and feel his power guiding you. You experience the Spirit live! 

***Greatest Gift and Blessing***

        Realizing that Christ is the truth and God

**Pure Foolery

        Since we are finite creatures, we cannot realize how omnipotent, wise, loving, and great God truly is. If we think that we know it all and don't need God, that would be pure foolery.

**The Renewal

        Communion experience. The Lord cleanses and heals our souls and makes us holy and whole again.

**Our Only Power Source

         We can pray as hard as we want, but power comes only from God. Pray hard to let him make us holy and fruitful. Without him, we are nothing.

**Christian Duty**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus explained the right attitude a servant should have to his disciples. He said to them, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" Yes, serving God is our duty, not to show that we are being extra good. We merely do what we should and not think about receiving any rewards. God remains the Lord and we, his lowly (but beloved) servants.

***The Death That Gives Birth*

        Communion experience. To die in Christ is to begin living the new eternal life. 

***Perfect Combination***

         Today's entrance  antiphon from 1 Samuel 2: I shall raise up for myself a faithful priest who will act in accord with my heart and mind, says the Lord. It struck me that obedience to God is truly a beautiful thing! In the Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus said to his Apostles, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." Here I was struck by the beauty of having a great faith. Obedience and faith do make a perfect combination that can lead us straight to eternal freedom!

**Communion Wish

        To vanish from the world and dwell in Christ alone 

***The Right or Wrong Approach***

       When you want to know and love God, you can focus upon Jesus or yourself. Usually, when we see that God is not that close to us, we start thinking how we can get closer to him. This is never that helpful because you still think that you can do it on your own. The right approach is to do the very opposite—you focus upon the Lord and forget all about yourself. Remain open to let him inspire you and draw you to him. This is relying upon the Lord and not yourself. This is how we should live the Christian life. Any message telling you that you can do it won't work, but if you trust that God can do it, then it'll be done for you. 

**Sinning Depicted

         This was what I saw mentally this morning. Every time we commit a sin, we grow a thorn that pokes out, making us look ugly and hurtful to others. When we repent and beg Christ's forgiveness, he plucks it out. We hurt a little and are healed, looking wholesome again.

***Smart Move*

        Communion time thoughts. Things happen unexpected all the time, so we are not in control at all! Realizing this, if you were smart, you would completely submit yourself to God. 

***Going All the Way with God (Most Exciting Living)***

        The LORD is infinitely good and powerful, so feel free to ask him to make you holy and great in his eyes. Do not limit him nor yourself! The more you trust in him, the more power you receive, and the better and happier you become. Only with God can you go all the way, for his mercy is unlimited and his riches inexhaustible. This way you gain all he has for you, and you'll be overwhelmed!

***Reverencing the Lord Always***

        In today's Gospel reading from John 2, Jesus cleansed the temple by driving out all those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers, for making his Father's house a marketplace. This makes me realize that we must reverence our churches as our Father's houses, especially if the Holy Eucharist is present in the tabernacle. In such cases, irreverent talking, unrestrained laughing, indecent dressing . . . would all be inappropriate. Last, if we regard ourselves yo be temples of the Holy Spirit, we should keep ourselves pure, blameless, and pleasing to God.

***Best Evidence for God's Existence

        Though we do not see God in person, the fact that Christ has come, told us all about the kingdom of God, died for us so that we might have eternal life and then rose from the dead is ample evidence that God exists and loves us. To believe in Christ is to believe in God, as he is God.  

***Christian Requisite*

       To be open to God and clean of heart always. 

*****Future of the Church?*****

        This is a disturbing video and it seems like we are heading in that direction. We need to beg for and trust in God's mercy!

***Our Biggest No-No***

         There is just one thing we must not do—it is sinning against God, the God of Christ. Remember this and persevere, and you'll be happy forever one day.

*****Great Communion Joy!

        I have akready said that the Eucharist, being God's most humble miracle, is his greatest miracle. To me, the transformation of the bread and the into the real body and blood of our Lord without any visible sign is absolute astounding! It's so earthshaking that should the earth know how great this miracle is, it would shake in its orbit. And if I can truly comprehend its greatness, my soul would leap out of my body for sheer joy!

***How We Impact Heaven***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 15, Jesus addressed the parable of the lost sheep to the Pharisees and scribes. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." We are like that man in the parable, and God who created us in his image is like us. The parable reveals how precious we are to God. So the question is "Do we want to bring joy or to bring sorrow to heaven?" Of course, our decision will greatly affect our own destiny too. 

*****Important Message for the Rich***

        In Matthew 19, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Now, one of gates into Jerusalem was named "The Eye of the Needle," and was quite small, since camels heavily loaded with goods would have to be unloaded to pass thru. If that were the eye of a needle Jesus had in mind, that would mean it's definitely possible for anyone rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, but he would have to unload all his possessions first. Anyway, all of us who are not poor should take this message seriously. If in practice we cannot unload all we have, we must at least become detached to it.

***Power of the Heart

         By choosing to submit yourself to Christ and follow his will, you are set free and become heaven bound—all done with a change of heart. 

**Exciting Following Christ*

         Communion experience. There's no limit to how deep you can enter union with the Lord, that is, no limit to how much you can love him. This is what makes following Christ exciting!

**Price/Reward Ratio Considered*

        When you follow Christ and become divorced from the world, there's a price to pay. But relative to the reward you'll be receiving, it's practically nothing. 

***Requisite for Discipleship

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus addressed the 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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." The Lord spoke as the Lord God here, measuring our discipleship by how wholeheartedly we follow him. It's perfectly logical and makes sense that we should follow him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

**Making Our Love Great**

        We show our love for others by helping them financially and/or materially; while Christ, whose love for us is most pure, wishes to save our souls foremost. So if we love others but are not concerned about their souls, then our love is not great enough. 

*****You Ain't See Nothing Until . . .*

you know Christ. As we grow up in this world, we see and learn new things every day. We can see the whole world and earn high degrees in various fields at colleges and universities. Our knowledge and vision are constantly expanding and this can be exciting. Then one day we run into Jesus Christ and discover the reality and truth, and our understanding and perception change completely. We now see the world to be utter lost and boring, heading into self-destruction. Only God and heavenly things are now meaningful and exciting. This is enlightenment and progress, as we are set free from sin and become new creatures in Christ. Existence now is fantastic and life totally fulfilled.

***Perfecting the Union***

        Communion experience. When you receives the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, you absorb him physically totally. If spiritual union doesn't follow, you have received him in vain—it's the spiritual part that completes the union, making it perfect. That is, we receive him physically in order to achieve spiritual union with him.

**What's Your Excuse?**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus told the parable of the great feast. A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. Today Jesus invites all of us to dine in the kingdom of God, but many reject his invitation, giving various excuses. Could it be that they want to play God themselves? If you really believe that Jesus' intention is bad or that he is false, I can respect that. But if you are not being honest with yourself, then I can't really respect you.  

***Power of God's Peace*

        Communion experience. When you receive the peace only the Lord can give that surpasses all understanding, you are ready to go to him, dropping your worries and concerns about all things. Basically, you are ready to comply with whatever he wants you to do at any time.

***Loving God***

        At morning Mass today, I felt so grateful to the Lord for having loved and saved me that I willingly surrendered all of myself to him. When you let God make you feel good, you gladly want to make him feel good to feel even better. Loving God becomes natural and a joy.

***Goal of the Christian**

         He is to forget all about himself and focus upon glorifying Christ alone. He is then set free and heading straight to heaven! 

***Most Precious Special Gift

         Communion experience. Historically, humans have sought the elixir of life, hoping to live forever; but do you really want to live in a sinful world like ours forever? The Holy Eucharist is in an entirely different class, for it can actually bring us into union with God so that we end up enjoying heaven for all eternity!

***Instant Perfection

        We are measured by how much we are like the Lord. So if we can love others like how he loves all of us, we become perfect.

**Compensating Physical Weakness**

        Today's offertory antiphon came from Psalm 103; Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits. And he shall renew your youth like the eagle's. The last saying made me realize that God can renew us spiritually! It is most appropriate that as we age and grow weaker physically, we can always ask the Lord to help us grow stronger in him spiritually!