***Speaking Out!

        An urgent, important message for all Americans to hear. 

*Unself-Centered Rejoicing

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 10, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The Lord hit the nail right on the heard. Knowing that God has chosen you is what truly matters and worth rejoicing about. The focus should always be on what he does for you and not on what you do for him.

**Joy of Learning from the Lord

        From today's reading from Psalm 119, we hear "O Lord, the revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple." This is followed by the Gospel acclamation, Matthew 11.25: Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. In college, when I studied mathematics, I virtually had to push my mind to the limit to solve some of he homework problems. Now, to learn the truth from the Lord, I only need to remain simple and be childlike. What a joy!

**Courageous Priest and Bishop

        We need more priests like Fr. Goring and bishops like Bishop Strickland.

Knowing the Lord Intimately

          Today's Psalm reading comes from Psalm 139 of David. I'm amazed that the psalmist knew the Lord so intimately. I am reproducing the entire text below, for it's a joy to read.

          Lord, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize; with all my ways you are familiar. 

        Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, there you are.

         If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea, even there your hand guides me, and your right hand holds me fast.

         You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you that I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. 

*The Righteous and the Wicked

          Today is the Memorial of the Hoy Guardian Angels. In the first reading form Job 38, the Lord mentioned the wicked on earth to Job. This made me see that the world is divided into two camps which may be called the righteous and the wicked. The Lord God knows exactly which camp we belong to. And we can switch from one camp to the other at will when we are still alive on earth. To remain righteous is easy if you have God; to remain wicked is easy if you do not have God. Simple and clear.

**Our Exciting Challenge

        Things happen unexpectedly, but we must trust that God's timing is always perfect, for he knows exactly what he is doing. Jesus told us that he would come again at an hour we do not expect. Signs and warnings may precede certain prophesied events such as the illumination of conscience and the three days of darkness, but we still do not know when they will take place. So we must be prepared and trust the Lord in all things—this is our exciting challenge.

**Consequences of Rejecting the Gospel

        Today is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. It's her intense love for Jesus that first inspired me to love the Lord. I consider her to be my first spiritual guide. In the Gospel reading from Luke 10, Jesus sent seventy-two of his disciples ahead of him to every town and place to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He said to them, "Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." This shows that if you reject the gospel of Christ, you will suffer consequences. It is most serious, for it amounts to telling the Lord that he is not true, putting it bluntly.   

***Urgent Calling to Prayer

         We are now engaged in a spiritual battle so fierce that we must not put off praying anymore. There are Christians now who've been deceived by Satan and believe that those Christians who do not embrace the left are now lost souls! I am not kidding! Satan is good at sowing confusion. If you don't stand strong and firm with Christ, you can be swayed easily by all his enemies who are legion. So anytime you feel the Lord calling you to pray, you must pray without delay and with all your heart. Yes, pray unceasingly, as we are in end times now. The time for the Lord to separate the goats from the sheep is near.

**No Looking Back

           In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." I don't think Jesus is saying that saying farewell to your family first is not appropriate. The main point he makes is that if you want to follow him, you must be resolute and not hesitate. It you want to go straight to heaven, then stay on that path and not wander off, take breaks, or get yourself distracted.

****How to Learn from God

            Our ego and our pride have made us slow learners of the truth. We do not see the wonders of God all around us. We do not hear the good news preached to us. God knocks at the door of our heart constantly and we just ignore him. Let me tell you how you can learn fast or even effortlessly from God. All you need to do is to turn to the Lord and invite him to enter your heart and you will start to hear from him, for he needs a receptive heart that welcomes him. Now, if you can open up your heart all the way, dropping all resistance, for him to enter and dwell within you comfortably, then you'll instantly know the whole truth, for Truth is now with you. This is learning from the Lord effortlessly. It's truly fantastic! 

*****What It's All About*****

           Three years ago, a Hubble study showed that our universe has trillions of galaxies. Well, that number is truly mind-boggling, but why should we stop there? As far as I am concerned, our universe can be infinitely vast, as our God is an infinite God! It's more logical to say that the universe is infinite than to say that it is finite, as a finite universe would raise even more questions. As I was praying this morning, I sensed the infinite depth of God's love, and that love deserves our total submission to him. It dawned on me like a revelation. We either submit ourselves to the Lord to become one with him or rebel against him to be cast out forever. This is what it's all about! When all the righteous are saved and Satan and all the evil spirits are cast into hell forever, we'll have eternal peace. 

***What to Do with Today's Evildoers

        Satan only knows how to deceive you and spread hatred. He lures you with false promises. Read the Gospels to see how he tempted Jesus. Satan also attacks anyone who follows the Lord. He has attacked many saints most viciously. Well, I see so many evildoers today operating just like Satan. You cannot reason with them, for they are no longer rational. They only want to take control of you by any means necessary. They are on the brink of falling into hell and they don't seem to be unaware of that. It is so very sad. The ignorance of the Most Holy Lord has to be the most detrimental ignorance to anyone. We can only pray for God's mercy on them. It's most appropriate that we pray as Jesus did on the cross before he expired: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." 

***God Makes All the Difference

          Everything is to be measured against God. We can make a lot of money, but this itself is nothing compared to having God. We can lose a lot of money, but this is nothing compared to losing God. Living comfortably a hundred years on earth is nothing compared to living in heaven forever. The worst suffering in this life is nothing compared to suffering in hell without God for all eternity. God makes us see the truth. He makes all the difference and nothing else matters. I could go on, but you get my point.

**A Great Adventure

         In today's Gospel from John 1, Nathanael came to Jesus and said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." For us who have believed in the Lord, we not only see great things, we also experience great things internally. Following the Lord is a great adventure throughout. 

**God Makes Us Special

         Today is the Feast of the Archangels Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. When we fulfill the word of the Lord and heed his voice, we become like these good angles. Praising God, blessing God, adoring him, glorifying him, and thanking him exalts us to a special status. We are not the same anymore. Attaining union with the Lord in total submission would be ideal. God transforms us anew and lifts us up to him, and we become holy and beautiful like the good angels. Praise him.

**Praying with Intensity

          We can pray fast or slowly; it's the intensity of our prayer that matters the most. How much do we mean what we say to God? How urgently do we desire to communicate with the Lord? How much pain do we experience in the heart? Praying lukewarmly is a waste of time. (I am not talking about contemplative prayer here.)

***Doing the Lord's Work Well*

          In John 15.5, Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." When I realize that without Christ I truly cannot do anything and that he is with me, I gain great strength and courage and lose all anxieties. I am now calm, ready to do his work. Try it. It''s letting God make everything easy for you.