**In God's Great Intimacy

        Today is the Memorial of St. Francis Xavier. The Communion antiphon (Matthew 10.27) reads: What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the rooftops, says the Lord. I feel particularly the intimacy with the Lord – he speaks to our hearts quietly in private and what we hear is so endearing and compelling that it would be impossible for us not to want to proclaim what we hear aloud to the world. This is the fire the Holy Spirit ignites in us. The Lord now live within us.

***The Gaze of Christ

        If I keep looking at you, you would certainly feel uncomfortable. But if you let Christ gaze at you all he wants and you'll be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Wellbeing of the Church

        This is determined by how much her children obey Christ their Lord. Seek union with the Lord is the best way to get to know him intimately. Once you attain union, obedience becomes a nonissue.         

How God Blesses the Faithful

        Communion experience. I attended Vigil Mass today. The Lord made me see that if we believe in him with all our heart, he would bless us by letting wonder things happen interiorly to us. 

Not Ready to Die Yet

       Most people are not ready to die yet. If you are a Christian and do not wish to die yet because you still want to take care some unfinished business or see some event happen in your lifetime, you don't have a good reason. For death is God calling you. If you do not wish to die yet because you are afraid, that is an honest good reason. Now is the time to make amends for all the sins you have committed against God and get ready to face the Lord in peace.

*Warning to the World Asleep

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus said to his disciples, "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." Like death, facing the Lord is unavoidable, but most of the people in the world are still not fully awake. Sadly, many would wish that they had not been born when that day arrives.

Sign You Need God

        Avoiding God in any way indicates that you need him. The more you avoid him, the more foolish you are and the more you need him.

**Detachment Principle

        We all seem to be aware that we are not free because we are attached to many people and things in this world. So how can we become free? Well, normally, we regard ourselves to be more important than everyone or everything else. Therefore, if we can get detached from ourselves, we'll be detached from all other things too. This happens when we abandon ourselves to God and become attached to him alone. 

Offering to God

        Communion experience. I have nothing to offer him except myself, so I just ask him to take whatever he wants from me, myself included.

***Talking About Jesus***

        If Jesus is truly a joy in your heart, you will want to talk about him as much as you can, because talking about him would be a joy in itself. If you truly know Jesus, it would be impossible not to think about him all the time, for he is that beautiful and exciting to know. If he is your life, you will want to talk about him more than anything else. If he has done wonders to you, you will want to share that with everyone. Everything passes except him. Know him well to let him become your greatest joy.

**Highest Possible Honor*

        Today is Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle. When Jesus saw him and his brother Peter fishing at the Sea of Galilee, he said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. When we are called to follow Christ, we are receiving the highest possible honor. Being called by the Lord is proof that he loves you. He is letting you know that your name is written in heaven. If you remain faithful, your reward will be nothing short of eternal happiness.

**Seeking Spiritual Advice

       At a small group gathering at church yesterday, the subject of finding a spiritual director came up. True that there are times we are not sure how to proceed spiritually, so having a director to give you advice can be helpful. But to find a director who is wise, knowledgeable, and just right for you is not always easy. Now I do think that having a personal spiritual director is a luxury. The best way is to go straight to Jesus, who is most holy and knows everything about you. The Apostles had only Jesus to guide them. If you seek union with him, you will hear him speaking directly to you in your heart. 

**Surrender Is Freedom

        As long as you have not opened yourself up completely to let God in, you are not free.     

*Catholicism Is Judaism

        I know that many of you have watched the video I posted on 11/8/18. Roy Schoeman, a Jewish Harvard professor, tells how he became a Catholic. I listened to some of his other talks on YouTube and realized that Catholicism is really the modern form of Judaism. You see, when a Jew recognizes that Christ is the true Messiah as prophesied, he is fulfilled or completed, not having to give up anything he learned before. So spiritually, I can now say that I belong to Judaism too.

Forms of Persecution

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus tells about the coming persecution. He says, "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives." We might not face persecutions as severe as those mentioned by Jesus above, but we do suffer and carry the various crosses of life in serving  him – these are forms of persecution because of his name too. May we persevere till the very end, for our reward will be great in heaven.  

We're All Perfectionists

        Some people want to get all things done perfectly and others are a lot sloppier in whatever they do. You can say that not everyone is a perfectionist. But I do see that God has made us all perfectionists in this way – we can never be completely happy until we can be happy forever.

Only God Knows It All

        As you know, God's ways are high above our ways and his thoughts high above ours. We live a very limited time and see only what's happening at the moment, whereas the Lord knows all of the past and the future, and things have been evolving according to his plan since our creation. When we see someone dies unexpectedly at a relatively young age, we see it as a tragedy. What if the soul of the deceased goes directly to heaven? And when we see someone who has lived to a ripe old age and is still going strong, we envy him and consider him lucky. What if later he dies and does not make heaven? Only God knows what is going on. We need to focus upon following the Lord alone and not dwell upon things we do not really know.

Heavenly Contentment

        Communion joy. When I received the Eucharist, I felt totally fulfilled and satisfied. Truly there is nothing I lack, for my most beloved had entered me to be one with me.