***Our Duty and Our Honor***

        Today's Communion antiphon, Luke 22: 28-32. It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. "Stand by the Lord in his trials," "Stand by him at all times," this is our calling, what we should do, and it's most consoling to him and most rewarding for us.

**God on My Side

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6, as soon as Jesus and his disciples arrived at Gennesaret, people recognized him and began to bring in the sick wherever he was. They laid them in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed. I felt elated that this amazing Lord is on my side.

***God Truly Awesome***

        The first 19 verses of Genesis made up today's first reading at Mass. It tells the first four days of God's creation of our universe. The LORD's mightiness awed me more than ever. The scientists can explain all they want how the universe was formed, but they can never explain how all the matters involved at the beginning came into being in the firs place. I find God's creation of all things logical, satisfactory, and most beautiful. To understand all things, we need to go to the Creator to find the answers. I'd ask the Lord to help us understand ourselves foremost. Then ask for great faith in him. 

**Sin Likened to Physical Injury

        Yesterday I couldn't find my house key after searching for it for quite a while, so I thought it might have accidentally fallen into the kitchen garbage. I started to look through it and got my right hand middle finger tip cut by the sharp edge of a metal can top that had been discarded. It wasn't a deep cut, but it did bleed quite a bit and disabled the use of that finger. Until it's healed, I won't be able to wash dishes, exercise with weights, or playing the piano. Then I see that committing a sin is like cutting yourself like that—it disables you from getting into heaven. In order to be able to do all the physical work, we need to recover from the injury first. Likewise, to get into heaven, we must have our sin(s) removed first. Of course, it's best that we don't get ourselves injured physically and we don't sin at all.

**Call to Be Outstanding

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 5, Jesus tells his disciples as salt of the earth to not lose its taste and as the light of the world to shine before others that they may glorify the heavenly Father. So let's hear him and be outstanding as his followers. 

**Sad State of the World

        Since conversion refers to conversion of one's innermost self, God speaks to us via the heart. Even though the Lord is always calling us, most people just don't hear him because the world has already gotten their attention and turned them into spiritual zombies. Perhaps they will awaken at the hour of their death. This is the present state of our world.

***Receiving Power from the Lord

        Communion experience. When you receive the Lord with all you heart, all your mind, and all your soul, you receive power directly from him to overcome evil and to do his will! A great triumphant feeling.

***Preparing for Judgment*

         We are all sinners and live a holy life or a not-so-holy one. And none of us can escape judgment by God after we die or at his Second Coming. In other words, our judgment is imminent. Christ had told us 2,000 years back to remain vigilant and be prepared always. We are on our own; but if we are with him, we'll never be lost and alone again. Today's reading of Psalm 23 at Mass shows how beautiful it is to live in the LORD. I'll reproduce it below for your edification.        

        The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

**A Sin of Omission*

        Communion time thoughts. We worship the Lord and he lets us consume his own body and blood—this absolutely raises our intimate relationship with him to an extraordinary level. If we receive him and not ask him to make us holier, we would be committing a sin of omission.  

***Most Beautiful Heartfelt Prayer***

        When the Apostle Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, he finally believed and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" It was a conclusion and declaration coming straight from the heart and soul. You can't get more beautiful than that. And it is now my favorite prayer. 

**How We Should See Death

        A glass of water may be seen as half empty or half full. So death can be seen as the end of this life or the beginning of a new glorious life in God. Knowing that God will resurrect us one day further helps us see death in a different light. To die once to live forever is definitely worth it.

**Important Truth to Realize

        I hope we all see it. That is, our world will not get better the slightest until more people turn to God and repent of our sins. 

***Best Blessing to Ask For

        If you ask God to bless you, what do you really want from him? To give you good health? To keep your family safe? To save your crop? The blessing to please him and profit you also the most is actually to ask him to make you holy.

**Made for God*

        I am amazed that when you truly turn to God and open yourself up to him, he makes you see all your faults clearly. There is something here. It's like he is a light that's able to expose all your imperfections. Then you realize that it shouldn't be surprising, for after all, he's your creator. All I can say is that we are truly made for God. In that case, he can make us perfect for sure if we let him.

**Consequences of Our Doings*

        What others do to us on earth affects our subconscious and shapes our dreams in sleep. What we do to others on earth affects our soul and shapes our entire afterlife. 

***The Lord Is the Holy Spirit

        Communion experience. I received the Lord into me and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

**Presenting Ourselves to God*

        Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. When Simeon, to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that he should not see death before he had seen he Christ of the Lord, saw the child Jesus at the temple, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation . . . ." We, who have not seen but have already known Christ and even received him in the Holy Eucharist, we should be ready to go to our Master in peace at any time. 

***Trusting Alone Not Good Enough

        Some people say that they trust in God, so they are not too concerned about how bad the world is becoming. This attitude sounds admirable, but is it good enough? God wants us to trust in him, but he also wants us to respond to what he calls us to do. In our troubled times, the Lord wants us to pray and fast extra had so that we can mitigate any impending chastisement and avert another world war. The salvation of the the world is more urgent than ever. How many of us do heed this calling seriously can make a huge difference. So trust alone is not enough; we need to trust and act as we are called.