**Today's Joy*

        I rejoice that God has made me in his image and can make me become like him. 

**Ways to Get Rewarded*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus gave his disciples the Beatitudes. He would bless the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of him. There are just so many ways to get blessed. Be or do all of them and our reward will surely be great.

***What We Should Do for Jesus

         John 21. Jesus asked Peter three times, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Each time Peter responded, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Then each time Jesus asked him to do something. They were "Feed my lambs," "Tend my sheep," and "Feed my sheep." The Lord asks us if we love him too. If we answer yes, I could hear him say "Pray for the conversion of the whole world" to us.

***Sweet Sorrow***

        When you feel sorrow for Christ's sake, it is a sweet sorrow. For you know that you are with him and he will console you. 

***The big Transition

         First you hunger and thirst for something to fill the void of your life. Then you find Christ and fall deeply in love with him. Now you long for him all along.

***Enough Is Enough***

         June is now known as Pride month. I happened to run into a gay parade a few years ago in Taipei, Taiwan, and was taken aback by the sickening displays I witnessed, especially inappropriate for the young children to watch. Here's a video that presents views many of us share. We are tired of the movement trying to impose its way of life on the majority. The young lady who spoke in the first 52 seconds gave an excellent speech, followed by members of the gay community who agreed with her.

*An Announcement

        Two days ago, I posted Irresistible Love, a short on an ISIS leader who encountered Jesus. Today I learned more about him. His name is Afshin Javid and has become a poplar speaker. He also has a book out entitled As Easy as Drinking Water, a Muslim Forgiven. He pastored his own church in Vancouver, Canada, once, but was fired for misconduct in certain areas. For this reason, I have removed the post Irresistible Love. My apology for not having done some investigation before publishing the post.

***Facing Reality*

        In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So every moment we do not face Christ, it's a moment we hide from reality. 

*A Great Consolation

        In John 21:17, when Jesus asked Peter the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had asked him yet one more time and he responded, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." When we say to Jesus, "Lord, you know everything," we show our trust in him, knowing that he understands and will take care of everything for us. This is of great consolation to us, filling us with joy.

***On Giving to God

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus was teaching in the temple area. He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." So how willing we are to give counts more than how much we give. Once we decide to give, we must do it and never look back. This is the extra message I received from the Lord.

**Joy Tinged with Sorrow**

        Communion experience. The Lord fills me with great joy; but it's tinged with great sorrow, for many have not yet accepted him!

**The Most Pitiful

        There are those who not only ignore God who loves them and wants to save them from eternal death, but keep doing the evil works of Satan, heading toward total self-destruction. They are to be pitied the most. It's good vs. evil the whole time.

**God Made Me See*

        Before morning Mass started, my first thought was that I used to be blind to the truth, but now God finally made me see everything, the true and the false. Fr. John started the Mass with Amazing Grace, the hymn containing the line "I once was blind and now I can see." Later the first reading from Tobit 11 told how Tobit's sight was restored by God through Tobit's son Tobiah. All confirming my initial thought.

*An Evil We Must Fight*****

         Another video to make your aware of the reality of child trafficking. This sin is as evil as abortion, and we Christians must fight this and pray to the Lord for his intervention! It is most urgent, so make it your top petition. Here's this 17-minute video on Rumble. By the way, O.U.R., Operation Underground Railroad, is an organization that's been fighting child trafficking effectively on the frontline and deserves our strongest support.

***Our Greatest Burden (Why We Are Unhappy)

        Sin is our greatest burden. That's why those who remain in sin do not have inner peace. That's why I feel so free and happy every time Christ takes away my sins. In union with the Lord, you get to enjoy him and remain holy. This is living in heaven on earth.

***Our Greatest Folly***

        Communion time thoughts. All the Lord knows is to love us with the greatest possible pure love. He only wishes us to be happy for all eternity. Yet we still do not submit ourselves to him. In so doing, we do ourselves the greatest possible disfavor, forgoing having the most beautiful, intimate relationship with God that can fulfill and satisfy us to the fullest!  

***Jesus Our Brother***

        Jesus taught us to address his Father as Our Father and from the cross he gave his own mother to be our mother. So he is not only our LORD, but also our brother. Let us rejoice and thank him for such generosity!

**Sensing Eternity

         Communion experience. The Lord is eternal. United with him, I become eternal with him. Mind-blowing realization!