**Christian Readiness

        Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr. As he was being stoned to death, he called out "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," echoing today's Psalm 31 response, "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit," which was what Jesus said just before he breathed his last on the cross, with the exception that he addressed God as Father, not Lord. All Christians should be ready to commend their spirits to God at any time. 

***One More Scene Change***

         Communion experience. Being in union with God is practically being in heaven already; it needs only one more scene change. 

***Inseparable Acts***

        Jesus' coming to us is inseparable from his dying on the cross for us. For he came to die in our place so that we might be saved from sin. These two acts constitute the greatest single act of love by God.

***Christmas Wishes***

    Merry Christmas to all of you whom the Lord God loves dearly!  Our heavenly Father is ever ready to embrace us with his everlasting love. May our hearts open wide to him so that we may be made aware of his holy presence at all times. 

***Easier than You Think***

        Communion experience. The Lord cleanses and sweetens our souls. To keep them clean and endearing to him, we need to continue dwelling in him. This state is easier to maintain than you think, for the deeper is your union with him, the more effortless your part becomes. In essence, when you let the Lord take over, he completely carries you!

***Huge Deal to Us

        We celebrate the birth of Christ now at Christmas time, but we really should rejoice at all times for the fact that he has already come and died for us, thus making our path to heaven straight and a joy to follow. Otherwise, many of us as sinners would've been doomed. And this is a huge deal, not something to be disregarded!

***Bright Side of Serving the Lord***

         No matter how hard we serve the Lord, we'll alway fall short of what he deserves from us, for he is infinitely greater than us. The good news is that if we truly feel it that way, surely he's going to exalt us way high!

**To Die ___ Jesus

        Communion experience. We can die in Jesus, die for Jesus, or die with Jesus. The last description seemed to fit how I wished to die this morning best. 

***Trusting in the Lord in All Things

        When you abandon yourself totally to God, you trust in him fully, so you even welcome his judgment of you, no matter how it's going to turns out.

**Livening Up the Faith

        The unbelievers are asleep and even many believers are barely awake. To liven up the faith, an encounter with Christ is needed. Of course, you need to  open up to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. Some see faith as a gift, but to receive it, you just have to open up and desire it. I don't see how the Lord can possibly refuse you if you truly ask for it from your heart.  

*****The Lord Most Endearing***

        Revelation 3:20, today's Communion antiphon: Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. How gentle, loving, and endearing the Lord is!

***Dealing with Family Estrangement*

        Our society has been so influenced by the Evil One that even many Christian families have fallen apart. In talking to some of the older fellow parishioners, I have learned that their children or some other family member no longer communicate with them. In one case, the grandparents are not even allowed to see their grandchildren. Satan has certainly done a good job of destroying the family. If you face such a situation, pray for the other side and make sure that you forgive them and will try your best to make peace. For taking care of your own soul should always be one of your top priorities.

***Best Way to Love God***

         Follow his will. So it comes down to knowing God's will. This means that we need to seek to attain the closest possible union with God in order to know his ways and thoughts. 

**Empty Wishing Without Christ**

        At this time of Christmas (holiday season to many), people wish each other joy and peace. Such good will will be just empty talk and not produce good results if we do not have Christ in our hearts. It is from Christ that we can truly receive peace and joy. So pray that all will come to know and receive him as our Savior before wishing anyone joy and peace.  

***Best Way to Exist***

        Never dwell on the past, for it's gone forever, nor dream about the future, for that's being self-centered and unrealistic. Instead, remain in Christ only and always, then you'll be safe and secure, set for all eternity!

**A Sane View of Life*

        We get stressed out in this world so easily whenever things don't turn out our way, for we are self-serving and have no faith in God. Meanwhile we ruin our own health and shorten our lives on earth. Know that these damages we do to ourselves are irreversible. So we are being both foolish and sinful. Fortunately, God can restore our insanity by freeing us from all our sins so that we can become selfless and carefree. With our soul healed, our physical health now matters a lot less. 

***To Love Enough

        There are ones we love very much in this life, but one day we'll have to say goodbye to them. To make the best of things, we should pray for their salvation so that we may see them forever in heaven. If you truly love God and them, God surely loves them even more and will hear your prayer. By the way, to not pray for someone's salvation shows that you really don't love that person enough.  

***Wisdom to Have***

          In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, the angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son to be named Jesus, and he would be great and be called the Son of the Most High. Mary wondered how that could happen when she had no relations with a man. The angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her to make it happen. And Mary gladly accepted the Lord's will for her. On the other hand, earlier when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the sanctuary at the temple to announce to him that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son to be named John, Zechariah asked the angel how he should know this, for he was an old man and his wife was already advanced in years. The angel said to him, "I was sent by God to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words"
          Both Mary and Zechariah responded: one tried to understand and the Lord was pleased, while the other doubted and was punished. The Lord knows every nuance of my thoughts and it's wise for us to trust in him 100% always.