***Good Question to Ask Ourselves

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." The Lord knows everything, so what's the point of not willing to let him know anything about us? Could it be that we are afraid of him? This is a question we must ask ourselves if we don't want to look too foolish before the Lord.

**Most Wonderful Love*

        God's love is holy, awe-inspiring, glorious, and most powerful in making us whole. At the same time. it's gentle, merciful, sweet, and most consoling to the spirit.  

***Abandonment Time

        Communion experience. When the most pure love fills you, you are ready to abandon all of yourself to God your Father.

**How to Die for Christ*

        Jesus has died for us. How can we die for him? Simple, just deny yourself and obey him.

***Be the Best You for God

         Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. John was called to point the way to Jesus. God has a mission for each of us to fulfill. When you succeed, you become the best you.

*****LET'S END CHILD SLAVERY!*****

        On June 8, I posted An Evil We Must Fight about the horrible crime of child trafficking. Now the movie Sound of Freedom is out and I strongly urge everyone to go see it. It comes out on July 4th in the States and many people have already bought tickets. Please watch the video below and do your part to end this evil. 

***How to Stop Worrying

        If you can give yourself, your family, and all your possessions to God, you'll not worry about anything anymore. 

***Our Greatest Blindness

         Not seeing that God loves us!

**Communion Wish

         After receiving the Lord, I wished that he would take me completely apart and rebuild me into a new, perfect creature. This would definitely please both of us very much.

**To Move or Not to Move*

        My wife and I have been wondering if we should also leave California, as many other residents have already left for Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and other states. This wouldn't be so difficult if I were single and much younger. I still remember the days I could easily pack all my belongings into one old car and take off. In fact, that was how I came to California. I parked my car overnight in a garage in Los Angeles and someone broke into it and took all my clothing. And I was left only with my books. Today as I look around my house, I see so many possessions, some really big. To move to a different state would mean disposing of many old things, changing info on many accounts, notifying a lot of people, finding a new home, acquiring new things to start all over again, etc. It's going to be a hassle. What I have is like a big "mess" accumulated after having lived so long. In theory, I can just get rid of everything and leave, but in practice it's not that simple. I must seek and follow God's will always, remembering that I am merely passing thru this world. 

***Special Union Consolation

        In union with the Lord, you feel both his joys and his sorrows. Rejoicing and suffering along with him brings a great consolation to the spirit.

***Living the Secret Life in God

        In today's reading from Matthew 6, Jesus taught about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Essentially, the Lord teaches that if we do all these things openly to show how righteous we are, then we are like the hypocrites. Instead, he wants us to perform all righteous deeds secretly, known to the Father only, hidden from others. Then the Father wi'll repay us in secret. Blessed are those who remain humbly in the Lord, for they will have inner peace. 

***To Be Perfect like the Father*

        Also in today's reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said to his disciples, "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." How do we become perfect? Answer: Accept and submit yourself completely to the Father's love, the only power that can fundamentally transform us to become like the Father. 

**Love Begets Peace

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus tells his disciples to love even their enemies. This naturally means that they are not to judge anyone. If we do likewise, we'll have peace.

****What the Lord Deserves

        The Holy Lord deserves that we be perfect for him, and he can make that happen. We only need to submit ourselves to him and be willing to endue any suffering that comes our way. 

***Need to Remain Calm and Collected

      Yesterday the Lord let me know that I need to remain calm no matter what people say or think about me. This is particularly difficult in a family situation in which you know everyone well. At morning Mass today, I heard in Matthew 5 what Jesus said to his disciples: ". . . offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles." Then Fr. Steven in his homily talked about shutting the doors to the demons of anger and violence. All I heard confirmed what the Lord wanted me to work on.

***Sweet Sorrow***

       On this Father's Day, I feel great sorrow for our most loving Father because so many of us still reject his Son, our Savior. Then my sorrow turns sweet because I realize that I am suffering for the Father's sake. 

**Only Appropriate Response*

        Communion experience. God's love and mercy makes me speechless and want to submit myself to him completely.