**Toward Total Abandonment*

        As I age, I realize that I must depend upon the Lord for all things more and more. Our whole life should be a process of shifting our independence to total dependence upon God. The sooner we achieve this, the better off we are. It's letting go of the world and yourself and start clinging to Christ alone. It's total abandonment to God to become free and secure your eternal life.

**Freedom of Speech Matters

        Another straight talk from Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.

**Sobering Warning

           This is today's entire Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 13:

         Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." So if you think you already know Jesus, but slack off and do not remain watchful, you may end up last and get cast out of heaven.

**Thoughts on Prayers*

        God hears all our prayers. If we don't pray at all and continue sinning, we'll be chastised for sure. If we all pray for his will be done, we'll all be rewarded for sure. In reality, not everyone prays, so what we'll receive will be determined by how many of us pray and how fervently we pray. Nevertheless, pray hard and fervently always!

**Right Thing to Do*

        If everyone in the world believes in Christ, follows his example of loving others, and resolves to become holy, the world would have instant peace and be filled with joy. So even if the world were 99.99% evil in reality, you know the right thing to do.

***To Rest in Christ

         We wish that all who die would rest in peace. I want to be more specific: I want to die and rest in Christ, for only he can give us true peace now and for all eternity.

**God Is . . .

         When you hear "God" mentioned, what's the first word that comes to your mind? Most Christians probably would say "love." I'd say "life," for only God can create life and make it eternal.

***When Being Childlike Is Appropriate***

        Believing like a child works only when you believe in the true God of Christ!

***Appreciating Our Creation

        We are absolutely God's unique creation. He created inanimate objects such as rocks . . . then living things like trees. At the next level, we have insects, birds, and nonhuman animals. Finally, he created us in his image with souls. Unlike other animals, we look all different from each other. And we can become his sons and daughters to inherit his kingdom. Be aware of this fact and be thankful and rejoice in it. 

***Smart Move*

         Tell the Lord that you wish to receive all your reward from him in heaven. This makes him grant you eternal life.

***Absolute Truth***

        Christ remains the truth irrespective of whether you believe in him of not. 

***To Attain Union with God Is . . .

to reach the highest level of spiritual freedom on earth.

**More than My Lord and My God**

        Jesus is my Lord and my God.  But he is so close to me that I feel that he is also my life and my soul!

*Sense of Humor Changed

        Recently, I heard some jokes that really made people laugh. Since they made fun of others, I didn't feel that they were funny at all. I then realized that the Lord had changed my sense of humor.

**Sad Reality

        Recently, I heard about some oldsters in pretty bad physical shape still talking about buying a new house or getting one more dog. When we are young, we focus upon acquiring many things. As we age, we either begin to wake up to our need for God or remain as oblivious as ever.

***Being Heartless*

        Jesus died for us purely out of love. If we don't even care, then we are heartless indeed. 

**When We Become Free

        We are not free as long as we still live in our physical body. We become free only after we leave our body and return to the Father in heaven. 

***Living Without Christ***

         In John 15:5, Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." We do all kinds of things for our own sake, divorced from Christ. To come right to the point, that's all for nothing.