***Essential Understanding

        Another piece of advice from the Lord this morning. There are myriad things around for us to learns about, but all we need to know and understand are our state and our place before him and what he wishes for us.  

****Wise Advice from the Lord

        I got to the chapel at Mount St. Joseph for Mass a little early this morning, so I remained in my car for a while. Through the windshield I saw a panorama of distant trees and some houses. Somehow I sensed that I am in this world, but I am not really part of it. And the Lord showed me that in the limited time I have left on earth, I should just do his will—do one thing at a time—with love and no rush nor anxiety. It was good advice for me to have. 

**Ingredients of Good Discipleship

        (1) Unshakable faith in Christ and (2) total obedient to him.

*End of Unrest

        Now that I already know Christ most intimately, for me there's no more hiding, no more running around, no more trying to fill the void of life . . . I simply rest in him, enjoying his peace and my content.

***Sure Way to Immortality***

        Communion experience. Chinese emperors are known to have searched for the elixir of life, hoping to achieve immortality. Even today people try to find ways to look young and live a long life. As I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I knew that it's the bread of life, the living bread from heaven, and whoever eats it will live forever (John 6:51). The is fantastic! It's the sure way to immortality. You not only live on forever, you get to live on in peace and great joy as well! 

**God's Unique Peace

        The peace God gives is unique. When you have reconciled with God and know that you are going to him, you receive this peace that surpasses all understanding. It is through this peace that you get to know God. 

****Praising the Holy Spirit

         You can easily tell whether the Holy Spirit is present or not. When he reigns, we have peace, unity, and harmony. When he's absent, we have discord, bickering, and chaos. The Holy Spirit is most kind, patient, and gentle, yet he can bring about great miracles and set our hearts afire for God. I also see him as the protector of my soul. When filled with the Spirit, no evil can touch you. Praised be the Spirit of the glorious Holy Trinity.

***Most Beautiful Obedience

        During the liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass, we hear the words of the Lord asking us to take the bread that has become his body and eat of it, and the chalice of wine that has turned into his blood and drink from it. When we willingly obey and receive the Holy Eucharist (in a state of grace, of course), we perform a most beautiful act of obedience for which the reward is nothing short of eternal life!  

**Being Wise and Smart

        When you surrender yourself to the Lord, you are being both wise and smart. You are wise because you please the Lord and know that he's going to make you holy and a delight to him. You are smart because you may even get to go straight to heaven when you leave this world.

****A Beautiful Thing with God!

        In today's reading from Psalm 40, verse 9a reads, "To do your will, O my God, is my delight." You have to be in love with the Lord to feel that way. Only when you are deeply in love with someone are you willing to do what that person wills. And when that person is the Lord God, this becomes something most beautiful. 

***Evil Is Ugly!

        Both good and evil are manifest in this video. Both sides need our prayers, but one side needs a lot more.

**Mutual Giving*

        Communion experience. When the Lord was about to transform the bread and wine into his own body and blood during their consecration, I felt so grateful that I had to give myself to him totally. I gained a lot more than he did though, for he gained only little me, while I gained all of Almighty God!

***Excellent Way to Remain Righteous*****

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 15, we heard the parables of the lost sheep and of the lost coin. Jesus let it be known that there would be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Indeed, repentance is essential to being saved by God. No repentance, no salvation! But it's best that we do not sin against the Lord in the first place. An excellent way for us to achieve that is to be open and transparent to the Lord at all times. This way he watches over you and will let you know when your are about to sin. You now gain a super sharp conscience on guard to help you remain righteous. 

***Key Awareness***

        Let's be clear that we are completely at God's mercy. After all, he has created us and can do whatever he wants with us. We are totally dependent upon him for our very existence. This awareness should help us abandon ourselves to him without reservation. 

***Accepting Sufferings on Earth

        Looking at the problems we face in this life, I am glad that I won't be around forever. Most recently, after I caught COVID-19, the cough I had was pretty bad, making it almost impossible for me to fall asleep. Knowing that you are heaven bound can really help. It gives you the strength to endure all your sufferings patiently by offering them up to the Lord. Once in paradise, all past sufferings will be forgotten, for they are nothing compared to the eternal heavenly joy you experience. So accept your sufferings. It's thru suffering that God is glorified.

**Doing What God Commands

        In today' Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus tells his disciples that anyone who goes to him, listens to his words, and acts on them is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was destroyed. So acting on the Lords's words bears fruit, and fruit secures our eternal future. 

**Critical Connection We Need

        The most important thing we need to have in our life on earth is to be connected with God. Without this connection, we are lost souls. Once connected, we'll be with God our Father forever. Don't ever let the lure of the material world blind you from seeing this truth.

****Secret of Happiness

         If you are unhappy with anything, you are unhappy with God. One who enjoys the Lord totally is the happiest person, and nothing can rob him of that joy. If you have the Lord, nothing else matters. God is not only love, he is also joy. (If God makes you happy, that's plenty enough.)