*****Joyful Day!

        A Most joy-filled Easter to all! Christ is Risen! The Lord is I AM; he always exists. He is the life, the creator of all life, so death is nothing to him. In today's Gospel reading from John 20, Peter and John found the tomb empty and I believe that it might have dawned on them that the Lord had indeed risen from the dead. When I received the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist today, I received the body of the risen Lord. My reconciliation with God is complete—what a joyful day!

**Lesson from the Lord

        In Matthew 19, Jesus said to his disciples, "Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first," referring to those who will inherit eternal life after giving up many things for the sake of his name. To me, the Lord is telling us not to look down or judge anyone, for those who seem to be not as holy as we are may enter heaven before we do. 

***Our Most Positive Model***

        When you think of Christ, you forget all the negative things, for he is our hope and our most positive model. Is there another one who can make us eternally happy? Positively none!

***Living in Reality?*

        You are not, if you are not aware of the presence of the real God, the God of Christ. Strong statement, yes; as truth is never flimsy.

**Families in Crisis

        Fr. Patrick Peyton who used to promote the Rosary popularized the saying "The family that prays together stays together." He is right. Today the Christian family is typically divided because it does not pray together. Many of us pray alone, but praying together as a family is a different matter. Families usually break up when parents are lukewarm or not strongly united as children grow older. They face the assault of the entire secular society, the whole godless world. Satan aims to destroy the family and we must be fired up to fight and win. 

*****How Christ Suffered for Us!

        Because of my past frozen left shoulder, I've been dead hanging from a bar from time to time to stretch my shoulders to keep them in good condition. Even with the aid of wrist support hooks and not hanging with my full body weight, I can only hang comfortably for about 2-3 minutes. As I was hanging this morning, I thought of Jesus hanging from the cross. There were no wrist supports and his hands were totally pierced with his own body pulling on them for hours. How excruciatingly painful it must have been for him on top of all the other sufferings he had already endured. We must never forget his love and be forever grateful for what he has done for us. 

****Owing My Life to Christ*

        Today's long Gospel reading comes from John 18 and 19. After he said, "It is finished," he bowed his head and handed over his spirit. I became sharply aware that I owe my whole life to him! He is my Savior and the Savior of all! Again, sweet tears of joy flowed.

***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.