**Divine Mercy Miracles**

         Since we just had Divine Mercy Sunday, I saw this video and would like to share it with you. 

**Best Attitude**

        The Lord has wonderfully made you, so never be unhappy about yourself—just let him perfect you.

***Shame on Us***

        We Christians are supposed to love the Lord more than anything else; however, we usually focus exclusively on pleasing ourselves, treating him like an afterthought.

**Signs You've Been Born of the Spirit**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." You know you have been born of the Spirit when you feel the holy presence of the Lord at all times, are on fire with love for him, and find it impossible not to spread the gospel to everyone.

***Feeling the Disciples' Joy**

        Today's Gospel reading came from John 20. It started with verses 19 and 20: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. At this point, the Holy Spirit also filled me with unspeakable joy! Alleluia.

**Heard from Peter**

        Today's Reading 2 came from 1 Peter 1. When I heard the last two verses, 8 and 9, read, I felt as if Peter was speaking directly to me, and I was deeply moved. Here they are: "Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now, yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Amen.

**An Elementary Truth**

        Christ has already died for us. If we are now willing to die for him, we are saved and gain eternal life in heaven. 

***How to Receive Complete Forgiveness***

        With Divine Mercy Sunday approaching, it is a blessing to know we can receive this extraordinary grace from God.

***Perfect Resolution***

        Whatever the Lord wills, it is done! So we need to get the Lord to will what we will and we shall have our way. But to achieve that, we must will what he wills first. The perfect resolution is reached when we attain union with the Lord, for now his and our wills are the same.

****Revere the Lord, Please****

        It seems that as Christians, we always fall short of loving God. I believe that the cause is the lack of reverence for the Lord; people are too casual in their approach. They fail to realize that the Lord is ever-present and sustaining every moment of our existence. We must remember that he is Love and our mighty creator, deserving our utmost respect and reverence. In other words, we must take him most seriously. If we have already been too much influenced by the world, a significant change ln our lives will be needed before it is too late.

**Why Not Rely upon God?**

         We are finite and weak, but we have a loving Lord who is infinitely strong. Why don't we go all out to trust in and rely upon him totally? This is how we can become super strong and also holy and free of ourselves.

****It Is the Lord!****

        In today's Gospel reading from John 21, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. Peter with six other disciples went fishing and caught nothing the whole night. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was he. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net with the fish.

        The moment you recognize that it is the Lord ought to be one of the most exhilarating moments for any of his followers. You don't have to actually see him—you only need to see that it's his doing or that he has a hand in what you see. Come to think of it, since the Lord is ever present, every moment should be an "it-is-the-Lord" moment. Realizing this can help us live a truly intimate life in Christ!

**Easter Joy Brings Peace**

         The Resurrection of Christ revived all his followers, and the Church was born. Today, we live in the assurance of eternal salvation, and peace ensues. 

***Our Only Savior***

        From today's Reading 1 from Acts 4, verse 12a reads: "There is no salvation through anyone else [other than Jesus]." I totally agree here. There is no one else who can claim that. Resurrection alone shows that Christ is indeed the author of life and God. Of course, as our creator, he can save us.

****First Everlasting Joy****

        Christ's Resurrection makes it possible for us to rejoice in God forever!

***My Loving Warning***

        Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and follow him, and you are saved forever. The more you delay, the higher your risk of losing him forever—as sudden death can occur without warning.

*****Easy to Please!*****

        The Lord Jesus is wide open to us. In Matthew 7, he says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." The Lord is so easy to please! He is overjoyed if you just cast a glance in his direction. So ,tell him that you love him often. Repent your sins without delay from you heart. Thank him for everything. Pray to him as your most personal friend and talk to him as your soulmate unceasingly. Yes, let him know you want to be like him . . . imagine how happy you can make him feel!

**Time to Choose Sides**

         Christ stands as the absolute truth. In the end, we'll be separated by him into two groups which can in appropriately named Sheep and Goats (cf. Matthew 25:31-33). He'll place all those who are with him in Sheep and those not with him in Goats, for he has said that whoever is not with me is against me. All the sheep will be saved for eternity and the goats, cast out forever. As long as evil exists, this division remains. If you are smart, you will start preparing now. Not doing anything plays right into Satan's hands.

**Out of Darkness into Light**

        Today's Communion Antiphon based on 1 Peter 2:9 reads: "O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia." The Lord has certainly called me—I was blind to the truth and now see it so clearly. (When I received the Lord in the Holy Sacrament, I knew I was receiving exactly what the Apostles and all the great saints had received.)

**Trusting in God All the Way**

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 24, the resurrected Lord appears to his disciples in Jerusalem. He tells them that everything written about him in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled—specifically that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. We can be sure that the Lord always knows what is coming and how everything will finally end. Therefore, trust in him all the way and not worry about a thing!

****Christ Exists Forever!**

         From today's First Reading, Acts 3:15 reads: "The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses." Obviously, it is impossible for the creator of life to die, for he is the beginning of all things.

**How You Feel Without Ego**

        When you no longer have an ego and people hurt you, you only feel sorry for them, not for yourself anymore. I believe this is how Jesus feels, for he is most humble and meek, and full of love.

***God's Love Is . . .*

infinite, pure, generous, and completely selfless; it is unconditional and meltingly sweet, yet absolutely overwhelming.

***Be Alive for God!***

         When you are enthused about doing something, it is always more fun. The same is true for leading a spiritual life. Being a lukewarm Christian is merely scraping by—you certainly won't please the Lord. It is essential to let the Holy Spirit enkindle within you the fire of love, allowing you to live by loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind. Ultimately, attaining union with God through the Holy Eucharist is the answer. Be completely open to God and he will fill you to overflowing.

*****Greatest Gift of This Life*****

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 24, the disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. When the Lord Jesus first broke bread at the Last Supper, he instituted this Most Holy and Divine Sacrament—the greatest gift we can receive in this life: the Lord himself. It unites us to him both physically and spiritually, leading us to eternal life in heaven!

***Never See Yourself the Same Way Again***

        Today's Entrance Antiphon, based on Matthew 25:34, reads:"Come, you blessed of my Father; receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, alleluia." This is a monumental statement; we were in the Father's plan before the creation of the universe! We are not just random beings—each of us has a major role to assume in God's plan. We who were made in God's image truly belong to him!

***Ignorance May Not Be Bliss**

        The Passion Jesus underwent was extreme: the agony in the garden, scourging at the pillar, crowning with thorns, carrying of the cross, and crucifixion. There are many other details I could mention. If you have no qualms dismissing all that, you must believe that you do not sin—nor do you care about the fate of your soul after death.

**Seeking What Is Above**

        Today's Communion Antiphon, Colossians 3:1-2, reads, "If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; mind the things that are above, alleluia." We all tend to seek things that are of interest to us. For example, men enjoy talking about cars, tools, and sports, or drinking beer at a bar with each other. It's great camaraderie, but these things do not make us holier or uplift us to God, for we are very much influenced by whom we associate with. It's by seeking the Lord above that we can grow spiritually. In fact, the closer you get to him, the speedier will your progress be. To become holier just gets easier as you allow the Lord to do more and more for you. For the Christian on his journey, it always gets better and better.

***Enjoying he Lord to the Fullest***

        If you are a baptized and confirmed Catholic, the Holy Spirit should already dwell within you. However, if you are unsure of this, I encourage you to seek union with God through the Holy Eucharist. Upon reaching that ultimate intimacy with the Lord, you will feel the Holy Spirit guiding your thoughts, words, and deeds, allowing you to experience, savor, and cherish the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at all times.

**My Resurrection*

        Communion experience. The Lord has already raised me from the dead spiritually, while I believe in a future bodily resurrection, according to the Church's teaching.

**To Love God Is . . .**

to love everyone and everything as he loves.

**Serious Awareness***

        If living for God is building up treasures in heaven, then living just for yourself is squandering away everything you have and ultimately losing your own soul.

**Fools & Hypocrites Abound**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 28, it happened earlier that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Later, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." We see that the chief priests and the elders not only did not believe, but they even tried to hide the truth with falsehoods, on the same level as today's "fake news" and crooked politicians. How utterly foolish and hypocritical one can be!

***Time to Go Home to the Father!***

        When you fully surrender to Christ, you receive complete peace and feel free. You finally realize that the Lord loves you and that you belong to him!

**Easter Sorrow**

        I attended morning Mass at my church, and it was absolutely packed. I did not arrive early enough and had to park my car around 1,000 feet away from the church entrance. My joy in the Lord was tempered with sorrow for those who only show up for Mass at Easter and Christmas. The only way to improve this situation is for us to be more like Christ ourselves.

***Easter Joy to All!***

        Today is Easter Sunday, the day Christ rose from the dead. It is the Lord's resurrection followed by his ascension into heaven that makes it possible for us to die and have life in heaven with him for all eternity—this should give us the greatest possible joy! He is truly the life and light of the world!

***Perfect Time to Let Love Reign***

        On this Good Friday of the Lord's Passion, we commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of God's only Begotten Son for the sake of saving us from sin. It shows the greatest love possible. If you know that you are a sinner, all the readings at today's Mass are worth going over. The first three verses of Reading I from Isaiah 52 already hit me pretty hard. Isaiah amazingly prophesied the coming of Christ in the 8th century BC. The Gospel reading consists of John 18 and 19, two entire chapters. This is the perfect time to read about Christ and let God's love move you. Do it with an open heart and you'll never be the same person again. 

**To Be Saved for Sure**

        There are ex-Catholics who no longer attend Mass regularly but still do some good work for the Church occasionally. Perhaps out of guilt, they still try to earn some merits, hoping that the Lord will still save them. It that is their intent, it won't work, for salvation is not based upon good works outweighing bad ones. You can do multiple good deeds, but if you are still unrepentant of one serious sin, you cannot be saved. All sins must be forgiven! The good thief who was crucified next to Christ was saved when he asked the Lord to remember him when he came into his kingdom. To be saved, you must want to be saved from your very heart. Hoping to be saved is taking a losing chance.

**Faith the Lord Deserves from Us**

        With the world in chaos and evil infiltrating our societies, governments, and churches, I will still trust in Christ with faith unshakable, knowing that in the end, the Lord will put everything in order and banish evil forever. Here are the first three verses of Psalm 27 to uplift our spirits: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, these my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; though war be waged against me, even then do I trust.

***True Fact**

        True freedom, true peace, and true joy can only come from knowing Jesus Christ, the true God. How much you experience these gifts depends entirely upon how deep your union is with the Lord.

**Having Faith in God is Beautiful**

        Believing in the true God of Christ is indeed beautiful, for you are completely transformed into a new creature, living in Christ and free from the world, and know that you will soon be with him in paradise for all eternity. 

*****Infinite Faith in an Infinite God*****

        I'd like to start this month with another video by Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. Listening to him preach is incredibly satisfying because he focuses directly on Christ. Many other homilies lack power because they center more on us—on how we can follow the Lord better. Truly, having unshakable faith in Christ can banish our worries, fill our hearts with peace, and solve all our problems. Does it sound too good to be true? Not if your have great faith!

***Perfection Formula***

        The secret is to surrender yourself to God, by surrendering yourself to his love. In practice, you just let him love you!

**The Prayer We Need**

        Also, in today's Gospel reading, Jesus said to Peter, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." We also promise to follow the Lord, yet we continue sinning against him. Pray hard that he will perfect us and not test us to the point of failing him.  

**How Christ Suffered for Our Sake**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 13, while reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. Later, Satan entered Judas and he left at once. Then Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come.'" The disciples were not sure what was happening, but the Lord had been carrying out the Father's plan all along. It is hard for me to imagine the agony he had to endure through all those years he was with us.

**Taking God Seriously**

        Today, many of us Catholics love the Lord, but not seriously enough due to a lack of total reverence. While Christ is our dearest friend and even our soulmate, we must not forget that he is, first and foremost, our Lord and our God. The best way to take him seriously is to obey him in all things—something we often fall short of doing.

**Rejoicing in Our Savior**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, lived. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Imagine how happy and grateful Lazarus must have felt with his Savior. Now we who love the Lord have also been saved by the same Lord for all eternity. Let us rejoice in and be grateful to him as well. 

**Lessons from the Gospel**

        Today's Gospel reading is long—it begins with Judas' Betrayal in Matthew 26, goes through the entire chapter of Matthew 27, and ends after Jesus' Burial. Two thoughts came to me. First, Jesus foretold that Peter would deny him three times before the cock crows. Of course, Peter strongly denied that. Then it happened exactly as foretold, and Peter remembered Jesus' word and began to weep bitterly. Have you ever broken down like this after realizing that you have let the Lord down? If not, you may need to grow closer to him. Second, Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests and elders wanted to get Jesus crucified. When negative emotions take over, people lose their conscience and become ungodly. It's important that we remain submissive and in tune with the Lord to keep our hearts and minds pure at all times.

***Secret of God's Love***

        Today is Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. We began outside the church, hearing the Gospel read from Matthew 21 on Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Then we walked in procession into the church carrying palms to begin Mass. I felt God's overwhelming love for us . . . so powerful, so beautiful, so generous and merciful! Yet this love is also most kind and not intrusive, for our free will can easily reject it. Here the Lord tests us. Accept his love and we are saved; reject it and we are doomed.

***A Warning Reminder***

        Life on earth for us is extremely short. Against eternity, its duration is practically zero. Let's say it lasts just one nanosecond for convenience' sake. In this nanosecond, if we choose to believe in Christ, we gain eternal life; and if we don't, we are lost for good! Christ exists forever, but the chance for us to secure our salvation through him does not.

**Beautiful Consecration**

        Watch the full Benediction and Consecration of the United States for it's 250th anniversary at this year's Catholic Prayer For America Gala on Thursday March 19, Feast of St. Joseph.

***Sure Thing**

        When you love God and persevere through the trials he sends for his glory, you emerge stronger and holier than ever!

***The Only One**

        Communion experience. I receive the only one I can entrust my soul to.

**Need to Surrender to Christ***

        Verse 10b from today's Reading 1 from Jeremiah 20 says: All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. "Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him." In the Gospel reading from John 10, the Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus for what they considered to be blasphemy and tried to arrest him. We see that evil has existed since humanity was created; all the more, we need to surrender to Christ to keep our souls safe forever.

**Pleasure vs. True Joy**

        We derive pleasure from the world, but only God can give true joy. Delicious food, beautiful music, a good massage—these are all external pleasures that make us feel good through our physical senses, which we can turn off if we so wish. But inner joy the Lord plants in our hearts bursts forth so overwhelmingly that it's impossible to suppress, directly enrapturing the soul.

**Communion Joy**

        I felt great joy that the Lord had freed me from my ego.

***What Pleases the Lord Most**

        Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The readings from Psalm 40 and Hebrews 10 made it clear that the Lord did not desire sacrifices and oblations nor did he take pleasure in holocausts and sin offerings, but rather desired our obedience to his will. Seek to attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist first and you'll be able to to accomplish that.

**Full Dependence on Holy Spirit**

        In Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." If you trust fully in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will teach you what to think, say, and do at all times!

**How to Best Know the Lord**

        If you want to know the Lord, don't be like those in the crowd who call out to him only when he passes by, but be more like the Apostles who followed him at all times.  

***Jesus Is Calling!***

        Today's Communion Antiphon (John 12:32) reads, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself, says the Lord." Jesus is calling you now! Are you responding?

***Our Great and Only Hope!***

        In today's Gospel reading from John 8, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin." Later again, he said to them, "You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." I pray that none of us die in our sins, as the consequences are unimaginably horrifying. However, we can completely reverse this by believing in Jesus, who, as our Savior, removes all our sins!  

**Communion Experience**

        I received and united with the one who is the creator of heaven and earth, and all the wonderful things in between.

***Great Lesson from the Lord***

       In today's Gospel reading from John 8, the scribes and the Pharisees caught a woman in adultery and brought her to Jesus. 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?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. In response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more."

      Jesus' response to the scribes and Pharisees is a lesson for all of us. If you are a sinner, you have no right to judge others. Even Jesus, who is sinless, did not condemn the woman, but rather told her to 'sin no more.

***Heavenly Experience

        Communion Experience—a most intimate private encounter with the Most Beloved One. 

***Winning with the Lord***

        When you live for Christ, you are so happy that you don't mind dying for him. Once you die, your eternal life begins. With the Lord, you just can't lose!

**My Testimony in Two Sentences**

        Without Christ in my life, I lead a virtually meaningless, empty existence. Once I placed my faith in him, I gained eternal life and found complete fulfillment.

*****Test Your Spiritual Intelligence*****

        Today's Communion Antiphon (John 11:26) reads: "Anyone who lives and believes in me will never die, says the Lord." This truth is as simple as it gets. The Lord has made it impossible for us to die—unless we rebel against him. You'd have to be the ultimate fool to choose eternal death!

**Wise Move**

        Since the Lord created us out of love, it follows that we should remain faithful and do everything for his glory. In doing so, we form a perfect, eternal bond with him, ensuring we are truly prepared for the moment we go to him or he comes to us.

**Modes of Living**

        In today's Reading II from Romans 8, Paul talks about living in the flesh vs. living in the Spirit; they are mutually exclusive. If you live in the flesh, you belong to the world; but if you live in the Spirit, you belong to Christ. We should easily know which mode we are living in, unless we just don't care to know. The Spirit frees us, while the flesh enslaves us. The earth is like our launching pad. Once we take off, we either soar upward to  God or crash-land back on earth and die for ever.

**Central Fact We Must Be Aware Of**

        In today's first reading from Ezekiel 37, the Lord God says: "O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD." In many other places in Scripture, God lets us know that he is our beloved Lord. We must never forget that he is indeed our Lord and also our creator and most loving Father!

**God's Incredible Sweet Love**

        Today's Communion Antiphon based on 1 Peter 1: 18-19: By the precious Blood of Christ, the Blood of a spotless and unblemished Lamb, we have been redeemed. Read it again. Let it sink in. It all happened for our sake; let your heart be moved by God's most sweet love.

**World Divided by Truth**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 7, some in the crowd who had heard Jesus, words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others, "This is the Christ." But still others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Of course, the Pharisees did not believe in the Lord at all and thought that the crowd was accursed. Today we also hold different opinions. To seek the truth, we must remain objective, open, and humble. Too many people today have pretty much decided to follow their own hardened hearts, even hoping that Christ is not the truth. That is being as bad as the Pharisees of Jesus' day.

***Reality We Must Be Aware Of***

        It may be a beautiful day, but we live in a chaotic world in which evil is waging a fearsome war against the Lord God, fighting for our very souls. How we live our lives will directly affect our eternal fate. To remain complacent, as if nothing earthshaking is happening or will happen to us, amounts to saying that Christ's coming and what he went through are irrelevant!

**Following Your Vision**

        Anyone without a vision will not get anywhere. For me, that vision is to return to my creator and Father in heaven after this life—a path already made possible through believing in and following Christ. The way has been paved, and it's only a matter of time before my vision is fully realized!

**Christ, Only One Worthy to Believe In**

        Christ challenges us all; he will not go away as long as we are alive on earth. Reading the Gospels alone compels us to ask if Jesus is truly our Lord and Savior, and the stakes are too high to ignore him. Personally, I totally believe in him because he is incredible and amazing. I don't think that any of us would be happy with a mundane and ordinary god. And there is simply no one else who can even compare to him.

**Reflections on Growing Old**

        Having lived quite a bit beyond normal life expectancy, I am totally ready to meet Christ, my Lord and my God—a blessing in which I greatly rejoice. When you are old, the energy is just not there, which is why you see old folks doze off easily. A nap or good rest replenishes the body; a weak battery that needs constant recharging is a good picture of this. We all become like old batteries if we live long enough. The important thing is that we remain strong and vigorous spiritually as we leave this life and enter eternity.

***Our Ultimate Fulfillment***

        This is to love and be in union with Christ forever.

**Salvation Made Simple**

        What impressed me today is God's tremendous love and his perfect plan of salvation for us. In today's Gospel reading from John 5, Jesus said to the Jews, "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life." It can't be any simpler! The Lord has done all the work—we only need to believe as he has asked.

**Know God's Motive Clearly*

        Today's Communion antiphon, John 3:17, reads, "God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." We must be clear about God's motive: He only wants to save us, not to judge us. This should remove any fear we have of the Lord. If we ever get judged, it has to be the result of our own actions. 

***Transformative Moment with the Lord**

         Today is the Optional Memorial of Saint Patrick. The Gospel reading from Luke 5 is on the Call of Simon the Fisherman. Alongside the Lake of Gennesaret, Jesus got into one of the two boats, the one belonging to Simon. He asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him. Simon Peter gave such a beautiful, heartfelt response, realizing who Jesus was and who he himself was. Would that we all could have such a transformative moment.

***Called to Be Saints***

        We are all called to be saints, yet no two are alike. The Lord knows each of us intimately—exactly how we should serve and glorify him. Be holy as he desires, letting him mold us every step of the way for an exciting life!

**A Clear Picture**

        You either belong to God or the world. If you are not with God, then you are with the world. Since the God of Christ is eternal and the truth, the bond you form with him will last forever; whereas the world passes, and any bond you form with it is unreliable and only temporary—afterwards, you'll be left all alone for all eternity.

**Suffering to Be Offered to God**

        Once you experience the sweet, sublime presence of the Lord, every other worldly experience becomes boring. When you hear people incessantly blab or gossip about trivial, mundane things, you feel as though you are being dragged away from the Lord—a feeling that can be unbearable! This is a form of suffering anyone in union with Christ undergoes, and is to be offer up to God.

***How We Are Set Free***

        Jesus is the light. On our own, we remain in darkness and are self-centered; thus we are not free. Basically, we have the blind leading the blind. When we follow Jesus, we remain in the light always and center on him. By getting ourselves out of the way, we are set completely free. I might add that we also experience one of the greatest possible feelings.

***Urgent Call to Repentance***

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus opened the eyes of one born blind. The pastor's message was that God can open our eyes to see the truth, but we often choose to remain blind. We hear the good news, but we just close our hearts to it—how sad that our pride has hardened our hearts, causing the Lord great sorrow! It is time for us to repent, for we are crucifying him all over again!

***Ultimate Fulfillment Is . . .***

 living in the will of Christ, feeling exactly what he feels at all times.

**Positive Outlook*

        I see people dwelling on the past, wasting their limited, precious time on earth, whereas we should be focused on Christ the LORD full-time, praying and serving him, while waiting for the joyful day of joining him in heaven!

**Endless Love**

        I was impressed by the phrase "endless live" in a video I watched recently—it perfectly describes God's love for us. We must never cease to love others at every opportunity for his sake. This is how we progress spiritually toward living the eternal life. If we remain stagnant, we are, in reality, falling behind the Lord.

***We Are Out of Control Too!

        We lament the fact that in today's society, our children are often out of control, not realizing that as children of God the Father, we ourselves are often way out of control!

**We Must Take Sides

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus said to the crowds, "Whoever is not with me is against me." Therefore, we cannot remain neutral—unless you have never heard of Christ. We must take a stand, for we cannot ignore the Lord God!

***The LORD is the One

        Common experience. The Lord is eternal and remains the same forever. He loves me with an everlasting love and is most trustworthy. He is now my rock and my stronghold . . . how can I not feel elated!

**Ego, Begone!**

        I've been asking the Lord to completely eradicate my ego. Early this morning I had a dream in which I was with a group of friends and had the chance to show off a little bit; however, I decided against the whole idea. I actually felt good about that. Now I am happy that if I could do that subconsciously, I ought to be able to do even better consciously. Praise the Lord for that!

***Our Great Delight***

        Communion time thought. Pleasing the Lord is always a delight, and that delight is great when you allow him to perfect you.

***A Reminder and Warning***

        In today's Gopspel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus says to Peter, "Unless each of you forgives your brother and sister, the Father will not forgive you." Sadly, many people today do not take this critically important statement seriously. When you no longer fear God, you may end up facing exactly what you fear the most! 

**Spiritual Sweetness**

        Communion experience. The heavenly, divine sweetness of the Lord engulfed my soul.

***Christ Our Model to Imitate*

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place." Later, when they disliked what they heard, they were filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built to hurl him down headlong. Ultimately, he was even crucified. This should teach us never to complain if people reject or persecute us for the sake of the Lord.

**God's Eternal Outlook**

        Communion experience. The Lord, being eternal, aims at solving all our problems for eternity. Eternal life for us is his top priority, and we should be grateful to him for that.

*****Secret of Soaring to God Effortlessly*****

        Go passive and surrender yourself completely to God, and he will lift you all the way to his bosom. (This can be accomplished in instantly.)

**Living Not by Bread Alone**

        Also in today's Gospel reading from John 4, Jesus said to his disciples, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work." Likewise, we should live by doing God's work; this is what sustains us.

**Sign You Are on Way to Eternal Life**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 4, Jesus, at Jacob's well in Sychar, saw a Samaritan woman come to draw water. He said to her, "Give me a drink." The woman responded, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water... whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." If you feel that Christ has completely quenched your thirst, you are on your way to eternal life.

**Sign You Are with God**

        The first part of today's offertory antiphon from Psalm 19 reads, "The judgments of the Lord are right; they gladden the heart, and are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb." If you feel that way about the Lord's judgments and welcome them, you are already with him.

***Call to Believe***

        Many prominent scientists and notable individuals have studied the Shroud of Turin for decades, concluding that no human could have created the image and that the man on the cloth was a crucified person whose suffering matches the biblical description of Jesus. Recently, scientists have found the DNA on the Shroud to be unexplainable. Yet, some still think it might be just an anomaly. It seems some people never come to believe, no matter how overwhelming the evidence may be. For me, the moment I saw the image on the Shroud many years ago, I just knew that it was the Lord, and I believed!

***Pure Joy

        Communion time experience: To be in union with Christ is pure joy!

*****We Are Loved by God!*****

        Today's Gospel reading from Luke 15, the Parable of the Lost Son, beautifully illustrates how deeply our heavenly Father loves each one of us. You'd need to have a heart of stone not to be moved by it. It's incredible that we are loved so much, and when we return to him, all of heaven rejoices! 

**Cherishing the Lord**

        Communion experience: I deeply enjoy the Lord and his love.

**Another Simple Realization**

        If I don't do anything about my sin, it will destroy my soul!

**Simple Realization*

        The Lord is infinite, almighty, and holy, while I am finite, lowly, and a sinner; therefore, my place is to obey and follow him totally.

***Our Only Chance Now***

          This morning we heard the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus from Luke 16. After the poor man Lazarus died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, "Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames." Abraham replied, "My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing." He said, "Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment." But Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them." He said, "Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Then Abraham said, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead."

       We have a poignant exchange here. Today we have Jesus the Lord among us. He is the only one who can save anyone who listens to him. It's strictly between each of us and the Lord: it is now or never!

**The Only Trustworthy One**

        We have from today's First reading, Jeremiah 17: A curse on those who trust in mortals; a blessing on those who trust in the Lord God.  It is true that we can never trust in any mortal fully, but we can trust in the Lord God unreservedly, for he takes care of us for all eternity.

**Resurrection Experience**

        Communion experience. The definition of resurrection is the act of rising from the dead. Without Christ, I was spiritually dead. When I received the Lord I believe in, I was saved and granted eternal life—a spiritual resurrection now, prior to my final resurrection.

***Recipe for Peace**

        If you want to have peace, don't look for it outside of you. Instead, let go of your ego so that you may trust in God fully.

**"Jesus Is Our Lord and Savior" Made Clear**

         In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, Jesus predicted his own Passion and Resurrection to his disciples. Then he said to them, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." His purpose was also made clear; all has come to pass. This leaves no doubt that he is our Lord and Savior.

**Manifestation of God's Love**

         Communion experience: When we love God, his love for us turns into mercy.

**Proper Behavior in God's Presence*

         Since the Lord is ever-present, we must always remain humble.

**Not Practicing What You Preach**

        In today's Gospel reading rom Matthew 23, Jesus denounced the scribes and the Pharisees for not practicing what they preach. As long as our ego still exists, we are not as good as we sound. Sometimes it's better for us to listen than to preach. Anyway, preaching should be motivated by the Holy Spirit, not your ego. 

**How We Need God*

        If you feel good after repenting of your sins to God, it clearly shows that you did sin and God can take away your sins. For this reason alone, we need God.

**Bang-Up Job**

        Communion experience—the Lord entered and banished all my sins forever!

****Sinners' Concern****

        We are all born with a conscience, meaning it is impossible for us to ignore that we are sinners. When we do things that steal our peace of mind and cause us to hide, it shows we have sinned. If we don't address this, we are sure to face eternal death. The good news is that if we confess our sins to God and ask him to take them away, we are saved forever.

**Cause for Great Joy**

        Today I realize that no matter how imperfect I am, Christ will always be with me. Being abandoned or lost is impossible now; I am all set for eternity!

**Everlasting Faith!

        Today's Entrance Antiphon, Psalm  27:8-9, reads: Of you my heart has spoken: Seek his face. It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face from me. There are many other verses in Psalms that earnestly seek and express a longing for the Lord. It is amazing! Since now we have Christ, the Son of God, who descended into the world to be with us for 33 years, we should feel closer to God more than ever!

**Consummate Power of God's Love**

        We can all be different from each other in our backgrounds, upbringings, personalities interests, and talents, yet become one through union with Christ the Lord. 

**A Mutual Relationship**

         How well you know God depends entirely on how open you are to letting him know you.

**The Right Focus**

        Focus upon ourselves, we can never be free. When we forget ourselves and focus only upon the Lord, we are set free. Even when we look deep inside ourselves, it is the Lord we seek.

**Teaching Us to Be Perfect**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven." Then he started teaching them by saying, "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors..." and followed with "But I say to you..." thereby elevating the standard. In other words, we must not think that we are good enough, for the Lord wants us to be perfect! (And he deserves it.)

**No-Brainer**

        In today's reading from Ezekiel 18, the Lord GOD says, "Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live?" Clearly, if we want to cause the Lord pain, just be wicked. But if you want to make him happy so that you may live, then turn away from your evil. It's plain and simple.

**Ego Our Most Dogged Enemy**

        The ego incredibly difficult to eradicate. Anytime you feel bad because you think that you've done something that made you look bad, it's your ego acting up. In fact, most of the time we lose our peace, we can trace it back to the ego. To be truly ego-free, you have to be like Christ the Lord, who was able to turn the other cheek every time. Let's imitate him so that we may become ego-free one day.

**Our Heavenly Father Forever Good to Us**

        In today's Gospel reading from 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. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." How good it is to know that the Lord is wide open to us, and we can ask, seek, and knock to our heart's content and he'll always respond by giving us the vey best!

***We Need the Lord*

        From today's Reading 1 from Esther C, we have the verse "I have no protector other than you, Lord." This is true because the only protection we truly need is to ensure our souls do not end up in hell, and only the Lord can provide that. We absolutely need the Lord, as we cannot survive without him in this life or the next.