***Only One Worth Living For***

        Communion experience. Christ is the one for whom it's worth our giving up everything, ourselves included, for. He must increase to 100% and we decrease to zero.

***Know the Truth***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, a demoniac saw Jesus and knew him to be the Holy One of God, proving that he indeed is. We need to recognize this truth too, for the eternal survival of our soul hinges on that.   

***Greatest Division Explained

        In today's Reading 1 from 1 Corinthians 2, Paul writes that Christians have the mind of Christ and can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. I see that those who have received the spirit of the world no longer possess a clear conscience; they are not able to distinguish right from wrong anymore. You see this all around you at all times. This has caused the greatest division among us. I suppose you can "blame" it all on Christ. Then know that he is our judge and our Savior, the Holy One.  

***Believing in God Properly***

        With the Lord, always keep things simple. Believe in him like a child. You only need to know that he loves you and you need to love him back by obeying him always. There'll be no doubt, no questions asked. Your faith is so single-minded that you don't need to see miracles nor hear prophetic warnings. You know the Lord will always lead you right and Satan can never harm you. Now you remain totally free in the Lord, enjoying his peace and joy.

***Loving the Lord*

        Today's Psalm response, Psalm 119:97—Lord, I love your commands. If we love the Lord, then we love everything about him, his commands in particular. It is in obeying his commands that we remain holy and in union with him. 

***Most Ignorant Fools*

        There are people who believe that they know more than anyone else, becoming so opinionated that they no longer listen to others. Not knowing the Christian truth, they don't see right from wrong. So these prideful individuals are now easy targets for Satan. They think they are smart, but they in fact are most ignorant fools. They are to be pitied. Pray for them all.

***Our Ultimate Quest and Rest*

        Christ the Lord is our God, our creator, and our Savior. I can tell you that knowing him can make you feel so good, experiencing freedom, peace, joy, and a lot more. So definitely give him a  try, for there is really not another being or thing that can fulfill our heart's desire to any extent.

**Clear Conclusion**

        This came to me today. If Christ is the truth, then we must follow him to the letter. This is so clear that there's nothing more I can say about it.. 

***Be Smart and Bold Please

        The Lord God is our only judge. Since he knows each of us thoroughly, he knows exactly how to judge us right. Not knowing God, we can never be sure if we'll be saved or not in the end; but, if we believe in Christ, eternal life is assured! So why not take the sure path rather than remaining uncertain all your life? In other words, why not be smart rather than remaining asleep the whole time?  

***Joy-Filled Encounter with the LORD***

        Communion experience. It's a most intimate, most endearing, most personal, most satisfying, most rewarding, and sweetest encounter with the Lord God!!!!!!

**How to Earn God's Trust and Grow Rich**

       Lesson from hearing the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25 this morning: To the servants who had successfully traded with the master's talents and profited, he said to them, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities." To the lazy servant who out of fear and buried the only talent he received so as not to lose it, the master was angry and took it from him and gave to the one who made the most profit. He said, "For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." We Christians need to be faithful in everything we do to earn the Lord's trust. Being fearful and timid just won't cut it. This is how we can grow rich spiritually.

*Cheering Messages

        Today's First Reading verse from 1 Corinthians 1: God chose the weak of the world. The Psalm Response from Psalm 33: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. The Gospel verse from Matthew 25: Since you have been faithful in small matters, come, share your master’s joy. Last, the Communion antiphon from Psalm 104: The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord; you bring forth bread from the earth and wine to cheer the heart. Upon hearing the highlighted parts read, my heart was gladdened each time.

***How to Know God***

         This is how I first accepted Christ. I felt the emptiness of life and met a humble Protestant Christian who lived a simple life and was always cheerful. Because of his example, I finally succumbed and accepted Christ as my Savior. In this case, only my heart was involved. This is how the Apostles came to believe in the Lord. Later when I wondered if I should become a Catholic, I started reading books both for and against Catholicism from the public library at Berkeley. I did that every weekend for over a year and finally knew that I should. Now, the mind was totally involved. So to know and love God, you only need your heart. I know of people who started out using their mind and never converted. The heart has to take over at somer point, and humility can certainly help.

*****The Lord Keeps Us Holy

        Communion experience. United with the Most Holy, to sin is no longer thinkable! 

*****Fantastic Promise*****

        One of today's Communion antiphons, John 6.54: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, says the Lord, and I will raise him up the last day. This promise should make all of us jump for joy!

***Christ Our Standard*

        From today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 1, we have "We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." By Christ we are divided. It logically follows that we have the dualities of good and evil, God and Satan, and heaven and evil.

**Crying to the Lord*

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 86: Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servants who trust in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Do we need to cry ro the Lord all the day long? Yes! Here, cry doesn't mean shedding tears; we simply yearn for the Lord, beg for his mercy, and want to share all that's in our heart with him—motivated by our love for him. So the crying goes on all the day long.

**How to Experience Peace*

         We lose peace when we don't listen to God. So obey him and we have peace. It's elementary.