*Playing Your Role Right?*

        All the great saints played a role in glorifying God. We too each have a role to play, whether we are saints or not. The main thing is that we love and obey God, no matter what our roles are like. Let the Lord take over and everything becomes easy. Life is hard only when you want to do everything on your own!

**Discerning Thoughts*

        Our thoughts pop up nonstop throughout the day. Many thoughts seems quite natural, but they may not be that innocent, often subtly ego-oriented. So learn to discern your thoughts. It helps to have a sharp conscience so that you may catch the not-so-good ones and banish them outright.      

***Minding Your Own Business

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard: A landowner hired various laborers to work in his vineyard at various hours. At the end of the day, all workers received the same daily wage, despite the fact that some had worked more hours and others less or a lot less. Those who had worked the most grumbled. The landowner said to one of them, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.
          In this life, some turn to God early and others in their last moments before death. Once you get to heaven, anything that happened to you on earth will be forgotten. To let the Lord be Lord is to let him do whatever he wishes with you. Follow him singularly and never compare yourself with others. This is the way to lead a happy life in God. 

***Taking Prayers Seriously*

        Since God has already given his only Son to save us from sin, of course he listens to our prayers. This means that each one of us has the power to influence and sway the Lord. Being this important to him, we should always pray seriously. Besides, you are not speaking to anybody; you are speaking to the Holy One who created you and loves you the most.  

*****How God Has Made Us

        Communion experience. I surrendered myself to the Lord, received him into me, and my union with him was accomplished—I was completely fulfilled, unspeakably satisfying. This is how the Lord has made us!

**Worldly Pleasure vs. Heavenly Joy

         Any pleasure of the world is temporary and tends to enslave you. If you get an overdose of it and you can even get sick of it. By contrast, the joy of the Lord is ever refreshing and liberating. It deeply affects the heart and soul and doesn't wear off. It's so intoxicating that you can never get enough of it. 

****Reaping the Best from God

        Today is the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 19, Jesus said to his disciples, "Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life." To me, giving up everything for Christ's sake is surrendering yourself to him completely. May I add that eternal life from the Lord is infinitely better than any other gift we can possibly receive in this life.

*****Union with God for All*****

        To attain union with God seems so advanced and not-for-me. Yet it's so basic and what the Lord most desires of us. With the aid of the Holy Eucharist, it becomes something entirely within our reach. If you love the Lord and wish to be perfect as he has commanded, you should make that your first priority. Ruling it is out is telling the Lord that he has not made you good enough or he is incapable of transforming you. Either way, that's a grave sin. You should rejoice that he thinks so highly of you that he can make you perfect! To believe that you cannot become a saint is debasing yourself or false modesty, not something coming from the Lord. I hope you will all seek to attain this highest state of existence on earth, fulfilling God's great expectation of you. "Nothing is impossible for God" is absolutely true. Again I recommend that you read the spiritual classic He and I by Gabrielle Bossis, which tells how the Lord longs to be one with us.

***God Most Beloved

        Communion experience. The Lord is dearer to me than my own soul! If you desire more than the Lord, you have to be totally out of your mind. 

***How to Love God Best***

         The direct and simple answer: Surrender yourself to God first and foremost.

**God's Kindness

        Being human, we always fall short of loving God enough. Fortunately, the Lord looks more at our intentions, not so much how well we succeed in carrying them out.   

**Simple View of Life

        We are in God's hands. If we are happy with that, we remain secure for now and always. If we are not, we lose peace. This is what life is all about. We either accept God contently as our Lord or rebel against him, remaining in misery. 

***Levels of Obedience***

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 19, A young man approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered to tim, "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." The young man said to him, "All of them I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." It seems that following all the commandments may be good enough, but there's always that next level of perfection. Here it is giving away all your possessions. An analogy for Catholics may be that going to Mass, fulfilling all your obligations, and remaining righteous may be good enough to get into heaven, but we can always aim for perfection by making a complete surrender to the Lord to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist. 

****The Lord Reciprocates

        If we trust in God, he will trust in us. If we take him seriously, he will take us seriously. If we honor him, he will honor us. If we serve him, he will serve us. Be open to him and he will reveal himself to us. If we forgive others, he will forgive us. Obey him and he will grant us our wishes. If we want to attain union with him, he will gladly unite himself to us. In sum, treat the Lord right and he will always treat you right, and his treatment is edifying, liberating, life-changing, and most rewarding.

*****Call to Boldness*****

        At Mass this morning, I saw in the pew in front of me a daughter sitting between her two parents. The girl seemed to be 10 or 11 years old. The mother was constantly holding her close to her side, caressing her at times. The love there was obvious. We parents pretty much all went through that stage. Then a point was reached at which the daughter or son just grew independent of you and left home and often the Church too. I've seen this happen to many families. So what went wrong? Well, I see the cause to be a relatively weak Church going against overwhelmingly powerful secular forces. To be strong, we need both parents to be fully dedicated to the Lord. Being lukewarm just won't cut it. I have not seen Catholics make the sign of the cross and say grace before a meal in a public restaurant. Many don't even do that at home. And there are many other signs of weakness. At a time like this, the Church and all of us need to be on fire to go on the offensive! We need to be as shrewd as serpents (Matthew 10:16). We cannot afford to remain complacent when the glory of the Lord is at stake.

**Learning Becomes Easy and a Joy!*

        Yesterday I posted about childlike faith most valuable. Today I see an advantage (benefit) of being childlike. You see, when you are like a kindergarten kid to the Lord, he reveals everything to you at your level, and that makes learning easy and a great joy!        

***Forever with God***

        Communion experience. The bond we form with God is forever. His love for us is forever. This is precisely why he can truly satisfy us and make us happy forever. This is the Lord whom we can trust and rest in forever. If you are still looking for the truth that can set you free, check out Jesus Christ first to save time. 

**Looking Ahead to Second Coming

        Christ will come again to judge all of us, the living and the dead. Seek union with him thru the Holy Eucharist is the best way to prepare ourselves, for in union the Lord has already entered you and his final coming will simply be an awaited confirmation. It'll only be a shock to those who have not prepared themselves.