***Good Friday Joy

        Today's Psalm response comes from Luke 23:46: Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. As I read the response, the Holy Spirit made me shed some joyful tears and I couldn't help crying out "Why do you have to do this, Lord?" It was a human response and the Lord knows.
        I am going to do the Station of the Cross on my own today. I've found the Traditional Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori online. It's succinct, providing the opening and concluding prayers and allowing for unlimited meditation in-between. You can see the PDF files here.  

*****Amazing Prophecy!

        Today is Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. The first reading from Isaiah, 52-13—53-12, prophesying the coming of Christ, some 700 years before it actually happened, is dramatic and truly amazing. You should read it yourself, as it's too long to reproduce here. I am sure that people at that time didn't fully understand that prophecy, but we can look back and see everything beautifully fulfilled. You can say that God's clock runs a lot slower than ours, but whatever he reveals to us in advance always comes true in time. Thank you, Most Loving Father, for giving us your Most Beloved Son so that we may have eternal life! 

**Pity the Myopic Ones

        The war rages on horribly between Russia and Ukraine, causing the destruction of so many properties and human lives. All for their own survival on earth? How ironic and blind! Doesn't anyone think of God and afterlife anymore? Pity all those who see only the trees and not the forest.

**Pleasing God and Myself

        Over the years in the past, I did many things on my own, but always felt that I could've done better. I did learn to do better over time. Once you've known Christ the Lord, you feel differently. As long as I remain faithful in union with him, even though I am still far from being perfect, I know and also know that the Lord knows that I am doing my best. When I know I please the Lord, I feel the joy palpably!

***The One to Follow

        On this Holy Thursday, we had Evening Mass of the Last Supper. In the Gospel reading from John 13, Jesus washed the disciples' feet to give them a model to follow, so that as he had done for them, they should also do. In any situation, it'd be good for us to ask what Jesus would do before we do anything. This takes courage and discipline, but it's the way to become a bona fide disciple.

**Old Age Blessing

        When you are young and healthy, there are always things you specifically want to do or accomplish. Once you get older, you realize that your time left in this world is limited and if you already believe in Christ, you question what the point is of doing anything that's going to satisfy just yourself. So you become famous, important, or admirable for a little bit more, will that make you look better before God? The answer is clearly no. In the time you have left, whether you are old or still young, the wise thing to do is to serve the Lord and start storing up you treasure in heaven. Believe me, the inner peace you'll enjoy alone would make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, many of us do not realize this until we are very old or just before we die.

**Only Way for Us

        As I was enjoying my time with the Lord at Mass this morning, it came to my mind that some of the Ukrainian soldiers might be aiming their weapons at their enemies, deciding when to blow them up. This is what evil can lead us to. All I can say is that we are at the mercy of God, so we need to love, obey, and trust in him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. I don't see another way. Then even though we walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil (Psalms 23:4).

**The Christian March

        "Never look back" is a good motto for Christians to follow. We should always march forward fighting the battle for the Lord God on our way home back to the Father. When we repent our sins, we simply pause briefly. Once our sins are forgiven, we are recharged and move full speed ahead again without looking back. 

**God Loves Our Soul

        Communion experience. The Lord's love for me is an inherent love for my soul! And I am to respond to him from my soul.

**In Heaven Already

        At Mass this morning I knew that the Lord had already revealed all the mysteries I need to know for my salvation. I am not in heaven yet, but in a way I am already there, as there is absolutely no barrier between the Lord and I now. 

**God Invulnerable to Evil

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 26, Judas Iscariot was getting ready to betray Jesus. This shows clearly that evil is real and Satan always tries to attack God. This time he lost again because he didn't know that it's God's plan that Jesus should die so that we might all be saved. Anyway, follow God no matter how bleak things seemingly look, for evil can never thwart his plan.

**God Loves High Aimers

        Always aim high before God. You want to be good enough to go straight to heaven! If you are satisfied with going thru purgatory first, then you are like the student who is happy if he can just pass the course. He can miss the passing grade by half a point and flunk the course. And that's not being smart. God loves high aimers who trust fully in his mercy and generosity. Allow God to lift you up as high as he wants you to go. This is being smart!

****Incredible, Awesome Sacrament*

        Communion experience. Before receiving the Lord, I was excited, realizing that we can attain union with God and become holy! This is absolutely awesome, exhilarating, and most humbling! Then when I received the Lord, it's like the heavenly banquet being delivered right to me—again, awesome and incredible!

***Amazing Lord!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 13, Jesus announced Judas' betrayal and predicted Peter's denial. I am amazed by the following. (1) Jesus knew that he's going to suffer greatly and be crucified, yet he humbly accepted it all and never complained. He's no ordinary human. (2) He knew in advance when and how Peter was going to deny him. Only God has such power. 

**Union with God Solidified

         Today Tuesday is the day for praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. I am thinking that people bond with each other when they have a good time together, but the bonding is even stronger when they go thru some tough or difficult time together. When we meditate on the Passion of Christ and feel his sufferings, our union with him is also solidified.  

**Eternal Life Begins in This Life

        When we follow Christ, we not only gain eternal life, we start experiencing freedom and receiving peace and joy in this life. By contrast, living without Christ is living a lost, meaningless life devoid of real peace and joy that can last forever.

**Letting God Prepare You

        God is in charge. We should put ourselves in his hands before doing anything. This way, whatever happens to us would be expected. If you do not put yourself in his hands and do whatever you feel like doing, whatever happens to you may shake or shock you and it would be difficult for you to deal with it properly without losing your peace.

*****Max Giving, Max Gain*****

        Communion experience. Christ shed his most precious blood to save me from eternal death—he couldn't possibly have given me more than all of himself. I surrender myself to him totally and gain all of him plus eternal life—I can't possibly gain any more that that. It's God's lopsided love!