***Key to Recognizing the Lord

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 24, we read about how the risen Lord appeared to two of his disciples on their way to Emmaus. They did not recognize him until they saw him took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them at the table that evening. If you receive Holy Communion, fully aware that the Lord is present in the Eucharist, you will recognize his presence at all times.

**Eternal Life Is OK

        To want to have eternal life is not being self-centered. It is nice, but I want to have it because God wants me to have it! Our first priority is to obey God. Should he want to punish me for my wrongdoings, that'd be fine too. 

***Two Ways of Growing Old

        People become enlightened and wise or bitter and more stubborn than ever as they grow old. Let's look at the latter case first. The worst example would be someone who complains about everything and blames others always and never himself. He's set in his ways because he believes that's how God has made him. Of course, I am describing an extreme case, but I've known people more or less like that. On the other hand, he one who grows wiser realizes that he must depend upon God more as he grows older and weaker. This is a true blessing as he finally sees the reality. Now, abandoning yourself to God doesn't mean that you no longer ask God for favors. In fact, you are now free to ask for all the blessings you need. Only how the Lord is going to respond does not concern you anymore. You've been enlightened!

**Effect of a Change of Heart

        John 3.16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. The statement is so clear and simple. Yet we just have a hard time believing the Apostle John. This is because as sinners, we are still rebelling against God—the same perpetual old story. Only the wise recognize this reality that a change of our heart can send us to heaven instead of hell. 

**Sad State of Man (Ultimate Stupidity)*

        The Church does not obligate us to believe in any of the various prophecies and warnings that have been coming to us from heaven. The gist of all such messages has been that we must turn to God, repent, and pray hard if we are to avoid damnation. This is practically common sense, yet so few people care or pay serious attention. Having lost all humility, man is now so lost that it no longer listens to or think reason. Not seeing that pride is our downfall is ultimate stupidity.

**Joy in Union with God

         Happy Easter to  you all! We rejoice today, for the Lord is risen. I do feel that we need to rejoice in the Lord everyday in the interior of our heart, not just showing joy outwardly during the time of Easter. God is to be experienced and enjoyed every moment of our life. There is no better way to achieve that than attain union with him so that you and the Lord become soulmates.

*Making Heaven Rejoice

         Jesus told us in Luke 15:7 that "there will be great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents." We can make heaven rejoice once more after repenting by surrendering to God to attain union with him and become holy.

**About Sinning

        I just finished talking to my oldest granddaughter on the phone who will be graduating from college next month and start working for a company in Boston, not exactly a holy place. I recall my college days attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The opportunities to sin abounded. I still remember one fellow student boasting often about his illegitimate infant daughter living with the mother in nearby Detroit. Sinning is like stepping on quicksand. Once you start sining, it becomes easier and easier. But if you can refrain from committing small sins, you avoid committing big sins too. To stop sinning and enjoy inner peace, seek to attain union with God. You are never too early or too late for that. In union with God, you remain holy in God wherever you are.

***Spiritual Reality (a Warning)

        These thoughts came to me while walking this morning. We are the only creatures on earth that were made in God's image and possess a soul. The spiritual warfare fighting for our souls between God and the evil one is real. It will end one day for sure. Warnings have been coming from heaven to us all along. The central message is clear—we need to surrender to God, repent, and obey him. The latest messages coming from the Blessed Mother, St. Michael the Archangel, Jesus, the Father have all been most urgent. When this war will end and how severe the chastisements will be will depend upon how we respond to God. We can end up all going to heaven or with multitudes going to hell. It is important that we see this reality and not waste our time focusing upon the insignificant mundane things of life.

*Our Only Perfect Savior

         I love the last two verses from today's second reading from Hebrews 4 and 5: Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation. First, it is obedience to God that makes us perfect. Secondly, Jesus the Son made perfect became fittingly the source of eternal salvation. There is not another who can save us.