**More than VIPs to God*

         God the Father loves us so much that he willingly sacrificed his own Son to save us! We are most precious to him! How can we not take care of our own souls? How can we not humbly thank and love the Father? 

*****Don't Get Tripped by This

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus taught his disciples to say the Lord's Prayer. I believe the most difficult part of that prayer for us to say is the part "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." But follow him we must, for the Lord added: "If you do not forgive men their transgressions, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." So, never judge and always forgive.
          Fr. Goring's new video reinforces that point. 

***Understanding Good and Evil

         We all understand good and evil. This morning I saw that as an amazing thing! It made me see clearly that God exists and this was how he had made us. It all made perfect sense.

****Making Life a Prayer

        Do everything for God's sake, then your whole life becomes one beautiful prayer. 

*****Most Extraordinary Meeting*****

         Communion experience. Receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist is no ordinary meeting. You have the creator of heaven and earth entering you to be united with you! It's more than just touching the Lord physically; it's spiritual union! You now belong to your most beloved Lord and are not the same old person anymore. 

***God's Awesome Holiness

        God has made us so that being holy feels great. God is attractive and most beautiful not only because he is love, but also because he is most holy. Love holiness and you'll love God. Only the Devil can't stand holiness. If you don't want to get close to God, you have been influenced by the Devil. Once you are holy in the Lord, you are shielded from all evil and set for eternity. 

**Spiritual Progression

        Before we believe in God, we need to realize that we are sinners who need salvation. After we believe in God, we need to realize that we are imperfect and must become holier. This second realization is essential if we are not satisfied with being merely lukewarm. Why not make attaining union with God your goal, for God deserves the very best from us?

**How to Pray More*

        In these trying times (and during Lent), we can increase our prayers in this way. Do all necessary things, no matter how small, mundane, or uninteresting they might be, for Christ joyfully with love. Offered up this way, they make great prayers. Do extra if you can. For example, call someone whom you haven't seen or talked to for some time to find out how he or she is doing. There are always good things you can find and do. They make good prayers too. When you increase your prayers like this, you joy increases too.

**Submission Before Petitioning

        We petition the Lord for all kinds of favors. It seems that we should submit ourselves totally to him before petitioning for anything, or at least initiate both at the same time. Once we earn the Lord's trust, we'll more likely receive what we ask for.

**Happy Realizations

        Two realizations at the beginning of today's Mass. (1) As followers of Christ, we are indestructible!  (2) Our God deserves our unquenchable faith! 

***Rejoicing in the Lord

        Praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary this morning, I realized that this was the LORD who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and with whom I would be one day soon. At that moment, I was filled with great joy.

**Why We Should Love God

          The most important and proper reason should be that God loves us and is most merciful to us. Realizing that he can free us from sin and get us into heaven is also a good reason, but secondary. That we want Satan to lose the spiritual war he wages against God even sooner and worse is also valid. Loving and serving God, our Father and creator, is our duty.

***Obedience Begets Freedom*****

        When I obey the Lord, I become one with him, and all my will is now his as well. It follows that in his infinite space I am free to do whatever I wish. Another way of looking at it: When you obey the Lord, sin no longer has any power over you and you are set free!

***Riddle of Life Solved***

       Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 18:24) So if we don't deny ourselves, we cannot be following him. Again, it comes down so clearly to "us vs. the Lord." Now you understand why we don't have peace in the world and our hearts. Now you see why there must be heaven and hell and that eternal life is real. 

**Holiness Always Called-For

        At Mass at the small chapel at Mount St. Joseph Seminary this morning, feeling the holy presence of the Lord in the tabernacle right in front of me, I was very aware that I must remain holy. Then I realized that Lord is present everywhere outside the chapel too, so I need to be so aware at all times, no matter where I happen to be. 

**Living in Christ Forever

        Communion experience. Since Jesus is with me always, I no longer fear death. It follows that there's no need to fear anything else anymore.   

***God Perfecting Us

        Communion experience. The Lord made me see all my imperfections before him. Then when I received Holy Communion, he perfected me. What a rewarding experience! (Of course, being human, we become imperfect again, then the Lord is there to perfect us again.)

**God Challenging Us, a Blessing

        I love the Lord challenging us; otherwise, spiritually we would just remain lukewarm at best. By challenging (not lording it over) us, he inspires us to go all out for him as he had done so for us in saving us from condemnation.