**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!