**A Short on the Shroud of Turin Exhibit**

         https://youtube.com/shorts/o0V_LiV51Do?si=XK-6qj-lz8s8Miwy

**To Become Intimately Related to Christ**

        Here is today's entire Gospel reading from Matthew 12: "While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.' But he said in reply to the one who told him, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.'" Conclusion: Conclusion: When we do the will of our heavenly Father, we are instantly brought into an intimate relationship with Christ.

**How Is Your Faith in Christ?**

        How strong is your faith in Christ? Do you ever doubt? The Lord tests everyone from time to time, but know that he will never test those who love him beyond what they can bear. Once you pass the test, your faith becomes stronger than ever. Consider every test a blessing.

**You Cannot Love God and the World**

       According to Jesus, the first and greatest commandment is, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Yet, it seems that many Christians are still far more interested in the things of the world. It is a blessing that the Lord's mercy is infinite, but we should always strive to love God more by becoming more obedient to him. 

***From Mohammad to Jesus***

        A week ago, I posted a short entitled A Muslim Woman Finds the Truth. Here is the complete version of that story, produced by EWTN. 

***Final Judgment and a Grave Sin***

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explained the Parables of the Weeds to his disciples. He said, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear." Two things are worth noting. First, at the end of the age, Christ will deal with the evildoers and the righteous once and for all. Second, if we also cause others to sin, our sin is particularly grave!

**Prompted by the Spirit**

       In today's Second Reading from Romans 8, Paul writes: "The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will." When we struggle to express our yearning for God, the Spirit within us prompts these inexpressible groanings, yet the Lord understands us perfectly. Any prayer inspired by the Spirit is always effective.

***Critical First Understanding***

        It is critically important for us to know our own state, understand who our Lord and God is, and know what he wants from us at the earliest possible moment. First, we are lost sinners without God. Next, Christ has revealed to us that God is all-loving and intent on saving us from sin so that we may return to him in heaven. If we understand this clearly and accept it, the riddle of our existence is solved, and we are free to return to the Lord, our loving Creator.

***Sinners Need to Think Correctly**

        As sinners, we tend to think incorrectly. For example, we think that because we are so sinful, we will never become saints. This is false humility. The truth is that the greater our sins, the more we need to become holy, and God can surely make that happen. True humility is believing that nothing is impossible for God.

        I just watched a short Catholic video showing that the most precious blood of Jesus can wash us clean. Would you like to be sprinkled with this blood? Again, if you think that since you are unclean, you are not worthy to have this holy blood touch you, you are thinking incorrectly again. Since the blood can make you clean, accepting it is exactly what you need to do to please the Lord.

**Wise Move Against Sin**

        Inheriting Original Sin makes it easy for us to sin, but fortunately, we are given a conscience to make us aware of it. Once we start sinning, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop. Because Christ has complete power over sin, it is wise to submit to him as early as possible so that sin never overcomes us.

**Christians in Name Only**

        There are many who think they are better Christians than everyone else, Christian or not. They quote the Bible to show that others are wrong, but ignore all the verses that plainly show that they are wrong. Basically, they are judgmental, lack true humility, and have not yet completely submitted to the Lord. When they are still full of pride, the evil one targets them.

****Glitz vs. Glory****

        The fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary is the Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. This is absolutely beautiful and awesome! Then I thought of the world's celebrities, putting up the glitziest shows to impress people with their huge egos. By contrast, the former is refreshing and uplifting, while the latter is vulgar and sickening.

***Beyond Union***

        We can go beyond attaining union with God, because loving him has no upper limit! This is exactly what makes following Jesus so exhilarating.

***The Importance of Believing in Jesus**

        Today I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The second mystery is the Wedding at Cana. I pictured Jesus attending a wedding celebration just like everyone else. It struck me that attending such customary events is perfectly fine as long as we personally have faith in the true Lord. Without him, everything we do is ultimately meaningless.    

**The Most Consequential Difference**

        Without Christ, life is empty and meaningless; that is, we are totally lost. Once we accept him as Lord and Savior, we find the true purpose of life and are completely fulfilled. Now we are home for all eternity. The difference is as great as that between heaven and hell!

**The Humility Advantage**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." If you want to follow someone egocentric and proud, then Jesus is not for you. But if you can follow him—who is meek, humble, and completely selfless—your humility is good enough to get you into heaven.

***Lopsided Love at Its Best***

        The Lord God has paid the price to set us free from sin and smoothed the way for us to enter heaven, but it is not automatic, for we have to do our part. We only need to repent of our sins and follow Christ, and God will take care of the rest. For me, this is truly a gift from heaven. 

**Connecting with God Most Intimately**

        Isaiah 26;9a from today's First Reading reads, "My soul yearns for you at night, yes, my spirit within me seeks you at dawn." Now I realize that my yearning for the Lord comes from the soul, far beyond the heart level.

***Knowing You've Been Chosen*

        Jesus says in John 15:16, "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain." So, if you feel compelled to do everything to glorify the Lord, know that he has surely chosen you—rejoice! 

**Superior Way to Know God**

        Today's Gospel Acclamation features Jesus' exclamation to the Father in Matthew 11:25: "Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike." Being childlike is better than being wise and learned because you no longer doubt or question the Lord.

**Logical Conclusions**

        Today's Psalm 94:9-10 reads: "Shall he [the LORD] who shaped the ear not hear? or he who formed the eye not see? Shall he who instructs nations not chastise, he who teaches men knowledge?" Since the LORD gave us the ear and the eye, he totally hears and sees us. Since he also gave us the brain and the conscience, he has the right to chastise us. 

**Start of a Good Day**

        I prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary this morning. As I reached the final mystery—the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven—it struck me that heaven is not an imagined place far away. Mother Mary is already there, and pretty soon, I'll be joining her! This brought me real peace and joy.

**Divided World**

        There are many people who find it hard to surrender themselves to Christ. Some do not feel the need to do so, while others refuse to give up control of their lives. On the other hand, for those of us who have chosen to follow Christ and are experiencing freedom, peace, and great joy, it is hard to understand how others remain unaware of the truth that can completely fulfill their existence. Christ is so near to us, yet He can seem so far away to others.

***Necessary Humility**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus reproaches Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, three unrepentant towns. He warns them that it will be more tolerable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom on the day of judgment than for them. For the Christian, repentance must come before everything else. If you are not sorry for having offended God, you cannot enter heaven.

**A Muslim Woman Finds the Truth**

       https://youtube.com/shorts/5OUXs6wZEeE?si=aZv8fc_vm_nQFCvp

***Final Settlement***

        For all of us, nothing is settled until we have settled with God through Christ.

**How We Live Matters!**

        In this life, we usually do what we like to do, not giving it much thought. The reality is that we'll be passing into another life after we die, and what we do in this life will shape our next one! As one who follows Christ, I already know that everything I do now will be overseen by the Lord to determine my eternity. So how we live now absolutely matters. Living casually is being reckless.

**Mercy, Not Sacrifice**

        In today's First Reading from Isaiah 1, the Lord made it clear to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that he did not care for the number of their sacrifices, had had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings, and found no pleasure in the blood of calves, lambs, and goats. First of all, making such sacrifices without involving yourself—such as through fasting—is no true sacrifice. In Matthew, twice Jesus said to the Pharisees, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." So, to make sacrifice without reforming your life is hypocritical.

**Ultimate, Satisfying Reality*

        All the things we encounter in this world, ourselves included, are real, but they are never stable, for they change or fade away. Once you have settled in Christ the Lord, you dwell in him who is stable forever—he is the ultimate, satisfying reality for us.

**A Good Realization**

        When you realize that you are ready to go to God in peace, letting go of everything in your life becomes easy. Unfortunately, that realization usually occurs only near the end of life. Happy and blessed are those who realize this early on. Christ died at thirty-three; perhaps that is a good age by which to aim for such spiritual readiness.

*Same Crowds Today*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, the disciples of Jesus ask him why he speaks to the crowds in parables. He replies, "This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them." This describes many people I see around me today. They are exposed to the good news, but their hearts remain unmoved.

***How Pride Grows*

        We all come into this world as infants, helpless and not even knowing how to survive on our own. As we grow, we learn more and more about everything, based upon what past generations have discovered and learned. One thing we often fall short of learning is what is right and what is wrong. Then, one day we do something sinful and say to ourselves it's all right, since it's just a little thing. This is the moment  we think we know more than God and become ignorant fools! We forget that God knows everything and that we started out not knowing a thing.

**Are You Fooling Youself?**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." Anyway, the Lord knows everything. Whatever you think, say, and  do, he sees and knows. Basically, you do everything in broad daylight right before him. To think that nobody knows what you are up to is truly fooling yourself. There are no smart evildoers.

**Division in the World**

        The world offers many interesting things. When you are young and innocent, you are curious about everything. Then as you grow into an adult, you learn the ways of the world, and your interest remains mostly on a secular level. But those who feel the call of the Lord discover the true beauty of Christ's sacrifice and love for them. Their interest then rises to a higher spiritual level, which naturally creates a divide—even within families.

**Best Thing You Can Do for Yourself**

        God is love. To let yourself go in the Lord is like diving into an ocean of love where you will be transformed and protected forever! This is absolutely the best possible thing you can do for yourself and, ultimately, for God.

**Mercy Demands Submission**

        In praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, for each decade we pray, "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world," and then, "For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." For me, every time I pray for God's mercy, I submit myself to let him draw me as close to him as possible, and that is most comforting. Mercy demands submission, and the result is union.

*****God's Most Awesome Gift*****

        I have already blogged that the Holy Eucharist, being the most humble miracle, is the greatest and most exalted miracle of all. It is the Lord God sharing his own body and blood with us! Receiving it is the perfect way to achieve union with him, and we must never take it lightly. If you believe in it, it will make you holy in this life and happy forever in the next!

**Be Shrewd and Simple*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." To me, the Lord wants us to be shrewd (alert) in dealing with the world and remain simple (pure) in him. We can achieve that, since the Holy Spirit will be guiding us. 

**Common Sense Advice

        If you follow yourself more than God, good luck! If you follow God 51% and yourself 49% of the time, you may have a chance of getting into heaven. Then why not try your best to follow God always? Even if your don't quite make it, God would understand, for your intentions are good.

**The One for Us to Submit To**

        The fact that God is the Creator of heaven and earth is reason enough for us to submit completely to him; this is not even considering that he created us out of love and has paved the way for us to shed our sins on earth and return to him in heaven!

*****Presenting the Whole Truth*****

        In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." In John 14:6, he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Being the truth, he is the one on whom we can absolutely depend. Being the light, he leads us out of darkness. Being the way and the life, he takes us to the Father in heaven to enjoy eternal life. And that is it—you have the whole truth!

****Jesus' Serious Warning!****

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus sent the twelve Apostles to the lost sheep of the house of Israel to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He said to them, "Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." We cannot ignore these words, especially the last half, which I have italicized. Essentially, it tells us that rejecting the gospel of the Lord will result in facing the most severe consequences.  

***True Wisdom***

        Realizing you won't be on earth for long, you are truly wise if you choose to follow Christ instead of yourself. Your reward will be great beyond all your expectations! 

***What We Should Only Boast About**

        Lower back pain is a common ailment among the populace here. I was always proud of having a very strong back until the time I fell while pruning a tree. When the ladder toppled sideways, I was forced to hang from a branch. Since I was wearing work gloves, before long, my hands just slipped out of them and I ended up landing on my buttocks about ten feet below. Two vertebrae were crushed, and I was never the same person again. Ever since, I have learned never to boast about my own physical condition. St. Peter and the other Apostles come to mind. They were all young and in good physical shape, for sure, when Christ first called them. Besides John and Judas Iscariot (who committed suicide), they were all martyred. So we should only boast about the Lord and his goodness, never about ourselves.

*****Fully Secure in Christ*****

        I believe in Christ as my Lord, my God, and my Savior. He lets me know in my heart and my mind that he is truly the one I believe in, leaving absolutely no doubt—a sign of a true God here. Therefore, my eternity is fully secure in the Lord, with nothing that can possibly touch that. I rejoice greatly in my most beloved, loving Lord!

***God's Incredible Humility***

        In Matthew 11:29, Jesus said, "I am meek and humble of heart." Being God, he is the meekest and humblest person of all! He could easily have used his mighty power to impress us, but that wouldn't have won our hearts. All of his wonderful deeds were performed out of pure love. We should be humbled every time we recognize our own pride. It is this great humility of our Lord that has finally won many of us over to follow him into his kingdom. 

***Only Two Ways for Us to Go**

        Today's Psalm Response, Ps 105:4b, reads, "Seek always the face of the Lord." We either seek the Lord or turn away from him. If we can ward off the evil influences of the world, we can more easily seek God. The more open we are to the Lord, the more secure our souls are in him. If we'd rather remain in the world, we risk losing our souls forever. Starting early and on the right path is critical!

**Letting Joy Prevail**

        Normally, we pray to God when we feel sorrow in our hearts, and afterwards, our sorrow turns into joy. So, why not start praying with pure joy? Shouldn't talking to our dearest and most loving Father always be a great joy?

**Still Lost and Abandoned Today**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Let us realize that today we are troubled and abandoned by our own choice, since we have already heard about the Lord. We need him to shepherd us now more than ever!

*****Salvation, Our Must Choice!*****

        Christ has come and shown us the way to salvation, clear and straight. If you don't see it, it can only be that you don't want to see it. By rejecting salvation, you in effect are choosing damnation!

***My Union-with-God Experience***

       It was through receiving the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and wine, at each Mass that I attained union with the Lord. These are the three telling signs: (1) I feel the holy presence of the Lord at all times, nonstop. (2) All the good, enjoyable things in life simply pale next to God's beauty and attractiveness. What is worldly and unclean becomes absolutely boring or loathsome. The Lord developed a super sharp conscience in me, and I just don't ever want to sin again! (3) My fear of dearth no longer exists, as I yearn for my God.

         Since I had a bad fall, I have not been attending Mass for over two and a half weeks. I miss receiving the Lord, but once you have attained union with him, receiving the Eucharist simply gives you more joy, while the union remains intact.

**Saving Unconverted Family**

        At church, I meet parishioners who attend Mass alone because their spouses are not Catholic. I also notice that the children of many older couples leave the faith once they leave home. This causes much pain in these families; in fact, I have personally experienced this. I came across a YouTube video that resonates with many facing this exact issue. Here it is. (Note: If you are interested in reading all the comments, you can always hit the Play button to watch it on YouTube.)

***How I Feel About Jesus**

        What drew me to Jesus was his total obedience in carrying out the will of the Father by undergoing his Passion. I know he does not want us to feel sorry for him, but we absolutely need to thank him for loving us so much as to die for us so that we might have eternal life. This incredible love deserves all our gratitude and adoration.

*****Christ vs. the Unknown***

        Some people face death without knowing what awaits them on the other side. Their only choice is to take a chance by plunging into the unknown—what a tragic and unfortunate situation! Compare this with those who know and trust in Christ completely: they know exactly where they are going, whom they will encounter, and that everything will exceed their wildest expectations—in fact, it will be perfect for them. The difference between these two situations is as great as the difference between heaven and earth!

**Resting in the Lord**

        Since God is Spirit, to rest in him is to rest in him spiritually. That is, we surrender ourselves and everything else to him completely. Any physical benefits we receive afterward flow from this surrender. This is the way to achieve absolute freedom, for you now belong entirely to God.

**Patience, a Sign of Holiness**

        When we are unwell physically or mentally, we tend to lose our patience, which serves as a great test of our holiness. Jesus endured his struggles without ever taking them out on anyone—this is the example we should follow. Patience is unquestionably a great virtue.

***Time Becoming More Precious*

        With every passing year, each second becomes more precious, leaving us less time to spread the good news to every creature.

**Achieving Union with God**

        In mathematics, it is a certainty that if A is a subset of B, and B is a subset of A, then A and B are identical. So if we are willing to let God dwell in us, and we are willing to dwell in God, then we are united with God as one. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is the way to achieve this ultimate union.

*****We Are God's Powerhouses!***

        In today's Second Reading from Romans 8, Paul starts out by saying, "Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you." To all my brothers and sisters in Christ: "If you believe that the Spirit of God dwells in you, know that this is the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead! If he could raise Jesus from the dead, imagine what he can do for you!" 

**Don't We Ever Get Serious?**

        Today, at leisure in our spare time, we all talk about mundane things, and rarely anything serious. The Gospels show that Christ is always serious, giving momentous messages and revealing crucial truths. People were attracted to him more by his miraculous deeds and less by his authentic teachings. Today, he is not getting any better reception from us. All the things that attract this world are mostly secular. The spiritual warfare continues. If we don't wake up soon enough, it may be too late for us. It comes down to choosing earthly fun for the time being or heavenly joy forever.

**Believing in Your Own Prayers**

        In Mark 11:24, Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." Therefore, if you believe in the Lord, believe in your prayers. "Every prayer we say from the heart helps the Lord to shape this world for the better."

**Easier than Getting a College Degree**

        To get into heaven is somewhat like trying to get a college degree. You have work to do and certain requirements to fulfill. However, to achieve the former, you basically only need to follow Christ. Also, not everyone can graduate from college, but everyone can get into heaven if they put their trust in the Lord.

**Following Christ in a Secular World**

        We can never love God enough. We are saved by his infinite mercy, not our own holiness. In this secular world, most Christians follow culture more than they follow Christ. It is a sad situation, but not tragic, because God's grace is vast. When it comes to our souls, wisdom means admitting we are flawed sinners who completely depend on the Lord for salvation.

***Happy About Our God***

        Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle. I think we are all familiar with the story of doubting Thomas as recorded in John 20. He was not with the other disciples when Jesus came, so they said to him,"We have seen the Lord." But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the nailmarks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now, a week later his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" What we often overlook is that the Lord knew exactly what Thomas said, even when he was not there. As God, he knows every single thing about every one of us. The fact that there are billions of us now on Earth doesn't make any difference. I am so happy that we have an omnipotent God like that, who can oversee and take total care of us!  

**To Be Rooted in God**

        Not only am I a branch connected to the vine that is Jesus, but I also want to be deeply rooted in the soil that is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—who, like a tripod, provides the most stable and balanced support for us.

**Future Joy Overwhelms Present Struggles**

        I woke up early this morning to another beautiful day. I felt happy and uplifted, even though I had not fully recovered from the fall I took over eleven weeks ago. Thinking about my future happiness with the Lord in heaven—where there is only spiritual joy and no more physical suffering—made all our earthly struggles seem immaterial.

**Following God with Feeling**

        Do you feel the Lord? Is your love for him passionate to some degree? If not, you are not emotionally involved yet, which shows you haven't been following him with your heart. The living Lord is to be followed with all your heart, not just your mind!

***Specifically Created by God***

        Whenever we sin against God, we lose our peace—that is how he has made us! The fact that when we stop sinning we enjoy the most beautiful and profound peace shows that God specifically made us for himself.

**We Hurt God the Most**

        When we sin against someone, rather than feeling sorrow for the person we hurt, we often lose our peace and feel guilty about what we've done. Let us realize that because God loves us infinitely more than we love ourselves, he now must feel infinitely worse about our sins than we do.

*****Church in Crisis*****

        Currently, evil has infiltrated the Catholic Church, causing great division and the loss of reverence for the Lord. This is what I and many others see. The message "cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops" explicitly prophesied at Akita, echoed at Garabandal, and implied at Fatima by Our Lady is being fulfilled right now. Within the Church, we have traditionalists against liberals or progressives. My personal feeling are that the Church must never let the changing world influence its traditional teachings. The loss of reverence for God and the Eucharist is obvious in what is seen at most Masses—the homily, the music, and how the congregation behaves throughout the liturgy. We are in end times, but God will triumph. Nevertheless, we need to pray harder than ever.

***Our Next Big Transition**

        No doubt the next big transition in our lives is death. Since it is imminent, how close we are to it is irrelevant. To those who already belong to Christ, death has lost its sting and even to be welcomed. It's the lost souls we need to pray hard for. To ignore death is to ignore life!