***Letting God Alone Influence Us

        The Lord God communicates with us in various ways. We may hear his voice or get dreams from him, or receive messages from him thru prophets, angels, saints, seers or anyone he sends our way. Naturally, he also speaks to our hearts directly, teaching us or inspiring us to take certain action. But it's essential that we remain fully open to him first. I am open to him everyday, yet some days I receive a bunch of thoughts to post and other days nothing much comes to me. This only makes it clear that it's all his doing. Now, Satan also tries to influence us, so we need to ask the Lord to block him out entirely for us. Anyhow, if we open up to the Lord only, Satan won't be able to approach us. Let's make the holy Lord our only influencer. 

***Remaining Free in the World*

        After I got home from morning Mass, I took a walk outside the house. It was a beautiful spring morning. The skies, clear and blue. The temperature, cool and most comfortable. The foliage displayed the freshest shades of green. The birds sang happily around you. And I wondered why many of us still get so messed up. It's clear that we mess up because we don't follow God anymore, we let the things of the world get to us, and we start sinning more and become self-centered. Now we are heading toward being lost forever. What we need to do is to start out with a foundation built firmly on the Lord God. Seeking to attain union with him thru the Holy Eucharist is my foremost recommendation. Once you become strong in the Lord, you wouldn't want to sin anymore. You can still enjoy the good things of the world, but they no longer can enslave you.   

***Incredible God*****

        A new priest, the grandson of one of our parishioners, celebrated Mass this morning. He did a beautiful job, showing great reverence and with joy. As he consecrated the bread and wine, recalling the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, I knew that the Lord had offered the greatest possible sacrifice for us. I was overwhelmed that he should love us this much and rejoiced that I have such an amazing Lord.  

**No Escape from Christ!**

        Also in today's reading 1 from Acts 4, Peter, referring to Jesus, said to the leaders of the people, elders, and scribes, "He is the stone rejected by you which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." This is a truth we must see too. Whether you know Jesus or not, whether you accept him or not, whether you are a Catholic or not . . . every single one of us must go thru him. There can be only one God and one Savior! It's almost common sense.

***Way to Remain Holy***

         In today's reading 1 from Acts 4, Peter cured a crippled man and told the leaders of the people and elders that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the man now stands healed. We really should do everything in Jesus' name, or in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Get in this habit and you won't sin anymore!

***Author of Life

        In today's reading 1 from Acts 3, Peter addressed the people, saying to them, "The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses." Peter called Jesus the author of life, and this we must see too. As such, Christ is absolutely to be revered. We not only owe our present life to him, we owe our eternal life to him too if we've already received that great gift.

***Most Beautiful Thing We Can Do

        If we recognize God to be our heavenly Father, then let us treat him so. We must worship him, be grateful to him always, and above all, obey him. This last act pleases him the most and benefits us the most too. It is the most beautiful thing we can possibly do as his children while we are on earth.  

**Filled-with-Life Experience*

        Communion experience today. The main or even sole purpose of attending Mass is to receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. When I received it this morning, I realized that it was the Lord who is the life filling me, vitalizing my present life to the fullest and making my next life eternal! It was almost too much for me to bear or contain. I couldn't have felt more content and exuberant. 

**Baring the Soul

        Christ the Lord is the only one to whom I can bare my soul with the greatest comfort, for he treasures and understands all souls, and can heal them and make them whole.

**Awesome Bread

        Communion experience. I received the bread that came directly form heaven, and that bread was the body of the Lord himself.