**Faith over Means**

        I've learned that faith is what make things happen, not the means you use to obtain what you want from God. A couple of examples to show what I mean. Once I blest my son when he suffered a severe virus attack, putting him in a dire condition, with a cotton ball soaked with the tears of Mother Mary which I saw flowing from her eyes on an icon at a certain monastery, and my son miraculously recovered shortly afterwards even though later I found out that the tears were not genuine. Second case, I am thinking of sending a donation to a religious organization asking them to help praying for certain individuals for whom I've been praying for a long time. Then what if they don't really honor that? I do hear the Lord assuring me that as long as I do believe in him, he will honor my wish.

***Eucharistic Experience***

        We have Eucharistic adoration at our church today, so I spent an hour there with the Lord. Here's what I experienced. (1) I yearned for the Lord and even union with him in this life couldn't totally satisfy me. I just knew that there's a higher perfect union awaiting me in heaven, and that's keeping me going. (2) You don't always have to speak to the Lord. Just simply being with him is a very satisfying form of prayer. You sit or kneel at his feet, enjoying his presence and being attentive to him. (3) I was still overwhelmed by the fact that the Lord I worship and adore doesn't mind entering me daily through the Holy Eucharist. It's like I am nobody and I am really somebody at the same time. In sum, the Lord is awesome.

****Time to Be Alert!****

        The Irish Saint Malachy, a bishop of the 12th century, prophesied about 112 future popes since his time, and our present Pope Francis turns out to be #112. Here's the saint's prediction on his last pope: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, "I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." I am not a prophet, but considering the states of the world and the Church today and the facts stated above, and using common sense, I can see that big things have to be imminent. How soon, I don't know. Nevertheless, they are likely to happen when we least expect them. We are in or near end times!

***Best Choice

        Communion experience. If I were given the chance to become the richest person in the world, to become the most famous idol of the world, to become the healthiest and longest-living person in the world, or to receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist, I would choose the last without any hesitation. 

***Only One True God***

        Only total reconciliation with the God of Christ will bring us peace.

        Only the love of the God of Christ can heal us, body and soul.

        Only the God of Christ can deliver us from sin. 

        Only the God of Christ cans lead us to heaven. 

        For he is the only true God.

***Savoring the Lord*****

        Communion experience. After receiving the Holy Eucharist, I truly savor tasting the Lord while the consecrated host remains on my tongue. Personally, I don't kneel yet because the Lord, having not yet occupied me fully, is only with me, and he shouldn't bow to anyone. I start to kneel only after I have totally consumed the Eucharist. (I'd like to mention again the time I really appreciated the Holy Eucharist and the Lord rewarded me by not completely melting away until after over twenty-two minutes.)

***Treasure Every Second We Have***

         It's already November 2023. We are losing our time on earth every second. Let's be aware that the Lord God is with us every single moment sustaining us. Without his support we would instantly die. So every moment we have now we should appreciate and cherish, while enjoying his presence and care. 

***Complete Trust Our Business***

        Jesus wants us to trust in him and not worry about anything. This means that we should never worry for him either, for he can take care of everything. And we should just pray that his will be done and not wonder about when and how it's going to happen. 

**Security in God

        Communion experience. I felt totally secure physically, mentally, and most of all spiritually in the Lord. 

***Only Proper Response

        Today I just feel that the Lord God is so beautiful and awesome that the only proper response for me is to yield myself completely to him. I also believe that this is what he desires from us and would please him the most.

****Enormous Difference****

        We basically battle with ourselves most of our lives—to be our own god or to let God be God. Be your own god and you cut yourself off from the true God. Let the true God possess you and you possess all of him as well! The difference is enormous, practically infinite, for you are looking at eternal death vs. eternal joy. 

**The Choice Is Clear*

        If we don't have the Holy Spirit occupying us, we are open for the evil one to possess us. If we don't belong to God, we are up for grabs by Satan. With God you experience freedom, peace, and joy; while with Satan, oppression, turmoil, and pain. Making the right choice should be a no-brainer unless you don't have a brain.   

*****HOW TO STOP SINNING*****

        We sin in thoughts, words, and deeds. Since thoughts always precede words and deeds, we sin in thoughts a lot more than in words and deeds. So, if we can keep our thoughts pure, we can stop sinning altogether! With so many temptations and evil influences around us, how can we achieve that? My answer is—attain union with God thru the Holy Eucharist. For the more you come to know God, the more sin becomes obnoxious to you. Finally, you remain clean and secure in the Lord, shielding us from all temptations and evil influences.

**Sign God Has Adopted You

        In today's reading 1 from Romans 8, Paul tells them that they have received a spirit of adoption through which they cry, Abba, Father! So if you feel like calling out "Abba, Father" from your very heart, it's a clear sign that he has adopted you. Rejoice!

**Spiritual Life in Essence*

         We empty ourselves and open up to God, and he does his work through us. We let it be all God's doing.

***Loving Our Neighbor a Challenge

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus said to a Pharisee, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." Indeed, God is love, and love is the answer to all our problems! In practice, loving our neighbor presents us with the greatest challenge today when evil is so prevalent that there aren't that many people you can fully trust anymore. So what are we to do? This much I know: If we love the Lord, he'll never subject us to any test we cannot pass. He knows each of us thoroughly and is merciful. So trust in him and follow him faithfully and you'll come thru fine.

**Banishing Sin Once and for All

        We need the Lord to forgive all our sins and then ask him to keep us pure so that we may not sin again. This second intention is no less important than the first one. 

**Reasons for Wanting to Go to Heaven*

         (1) To obey God, for he wishes us to go to heaven to live happily forever. (2) To glorify God, for he wishes us to be perfect and we'll finally become perfect in heaven.