**Worldly Pleasure vs. Heavenly Joy

        Any mundane pleasure you derive from giving in to temptation is alway short-lived and will cause you to regret later, but the joy you receive from God penetrates your heart and soul and will last forever.

*Fanfare or No Fanfare*

        We came into the world without much fanfare, let's leave the world that way too. Once we arrive at our permanent home in heaven, it'd be appropriate to have all the fanfare you want. Then again, we'll leave it to the Father.  

***Spiritual Progress

        If you are no longer bothered by the evils of the world, but go even deeper into the Lord, you have reached a higher spiritual level. 

*****Only Miracle We Need to See*****

        We all hope to witness miracles so that we might believe in God more. Miracles to us are things that are not normal nor natural. But what's normal and natural? When we came into the world, we see things God had already created for us on earth, and we accepted them as normal and natural. But miracles to us or not, they are all made by God. So to him, they are all normal and natural. In a way, all God's creations are miraculous. Look at our body, it's a miracle! The trees grow, the birds sing, the sun provides light and heat . . . miracles abound! We humans tried so hard and finally came up with something like the smartphone, but compared to the eye God has created for us, it's absolutely nothing! Anyway, the greatest miracle of all has to be Christ the Lord, who came down from heaven to save us. You don't need to seek another one. He is brighter than the shining sun—if you don't see it, you are blind. 

*****Ideal Journey to God

        When you open up completely to the God of Christ, you enter his infinite space and experience great freedom. From then on, things just get better and better until you return to your Father in heaven to dwell in his house forever. 

***Our Biggest Obligation***

        It is clearly "To obey God, to do his will." This will not only bring instant peace to this world, but also send all of us to heaven in our next life!  Just imagine.     

**Trustworthy to God?

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, after telling the parable of the dishonest steward to his disciples, Jesus said to them, "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones." It is clear that the Lord demands that we be thoroughly honest in all matters. A good test question to ask ourselves: "Am I honest enough to be trustworthy to God?"

***Most Beautiful Relationship*

        Thoughts before Mass began this morning. We can abandon ourselves to God totally. Give all of ourselves to him, literally hearts and soul. We let the Lord do whatever he wants with us and receive all the blessings from him. And we become completely carefree. Such a beautiful relationship with God! Just thinking about it gives one joy! 

**Being Super Smart

         If you are not a faithful Christian yet, it has to be that you just don't believe in Christ or that you are putting off believing in him fully. In the first case, you have a good reason, albeit a sad one. In the second case, your decision is not a smart one. If you know you are going to meet the Lord anyway, postponing making your commitment simply wastes your limited available time. Should the nonbeliever decide to convert, he'll be ahead of you. Believing in the Lord so that you may be saved for eternity is something you must take advantage of without delay. This is to be realistic and super smart.

^**How to Hear the Lord Speak*

        It's all done in silence. First, you remain silent and still. Then you listen for his voice speaking to your heart silently.     

**Most Important Reality**

        To not think or talk about God is to ignore the most important reality, for you owe him for your very existence right now. 

**Intelligence, a Common Sense Choice*

        In scriptures, we learn what makes you wise and what makes you foolish. So we choose to be smart or to be dumb before the Lord. Obviously, if you were smart, you'd choose to go along with him, and if not, you go against him. 

***To Live Openly and Secretly

        This is the ideal way of following the Lord God—you live with your heart completely open to him and live secretly in him for him alone. (And God will reward you in secret too.)       

**True Ideal Way of Livijng

        We all try to live our lives the way we want, then things never quite work out that way and we feel that our dream of living an ideal life is just a dream. I'd been thru all that and now know that Christ can take care of this. Whatever we lack and can't achieve, he can provide in a far superior way. It may not be your ideal way, but letting him have his way will get you to enjoy freedom, peace, and perfect contentment. There's just not another way to equal it. His way is the true ideal way for us, not to mention the fantastic reward you'll receive at the end. I recommend that to you with all my heart.

**The Knowing-God Difference

        People who are afraid of facing God also have difficulty accepting all the problems in life. Those who have already given themselves to God are ready to meet any challenge coming their way, knowing that God is with them.        

**Spreading Joy in Heaven

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." We who repent to God regularly should rejoice that not only God forgives our sins, but also we cause great joy in heaven. Spreading joy itself is a joy. 

***Our Only Gain

        In today's first reading from Philippians 3, Paul wrote, "But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ." Only the Lord is absolute; everything else is relative. Once you know him, everything else pales by comparison. If he is a spoiler, it is for your own good. Pity those who are deeply entrenched in the world, for they do not know him yet. The Lord alone is supreme.

**How God Has Affected Me

        I used to be restless. Then I found Christ and now experience profound peace. Spiritually, the Lord has completely satisfied me. I only long for him, for he has deeply touched my soul and I belong to him now.