**Our Only Hope**

        We all need God, not just for our salvation, but also for solving the problem of not getting along with each other on earth. Just look at any number of families, chances are most of them have at least one member not getting along with another. The same happens in any government and among the nations worldwide. We, of course, are incapable of fundamentally changing ourselves unless we let God our creator transform our hearts and purify our souls. Here's another reason we need the Lord God in our lives. 

**Love and Humility**

         Today's entrance antiphon: In the beginning and before all ages, the Word was God and he humbled himself to be born Savior of the world. God is love and most humble. Love and humility go hand in hand. You cannot love God or others if you have a lot of pride, and you cannot be humble if you don't love anyone. To be like God, we must learn to be humble. To get into heaven, humility must be your password.  

*****An Epiphany Moment***

         One big realization is that we are sinners and we need salvation. The other big one is that Christ is our Savior who loves us and has already died and paved the way to salvation for us. Now, if we hear a big click, realizing that these two are inherently integrated like cause and effect, then we have a new hope, a new joy, a new beginning, and a new journey! It is truly life-changing! 😇😇😇

***It-Is-I Moment***

        Today's Gospel reading from Mark 6 is mainly about Jesus walking on water. When the disciples from the boat first saw Jesus walking on the sea toward them about the fourth watch of the night, they thought it was a ghost and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" I wonder if you ever have moments hearing the Lord say "It is I" to you. Most likely, I think we hear it when he has a message for us. Whenever I have something to blog from my heart, I know that it's from him. I treasure hearing his voice because it lets me know that he loves me and I am one of his sheep. 

***Praying Alone a Must

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6, after Jesus had multiplied the five loaves and two fish and fed the five thousand, he made his disciples get into the boat to precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Then he went off to the mountain to pray. It strikes me that it's really important that we spend time with God alone. We are so occupied doing the many things of the world that we practically lose touch with him altogether. Worshipping the Lord with others at Mass is necessary, but praying to him on our own is equally important. This is to truly enjoy his company, get to know him as a friend, and learn to become like him.

***Way to Find Rest**

        Communion experience. I am home, no more drifting, wandering, or searching. In Christ I find my eternal rest! Here's the most efficient way to find rest in the Lord: Go straight to him, open up fully to let him draw you to him, and you are home. (The Holy Eucharist can serve as a great catalyst in this process.)  

**Live What You Believe In**

        Nothing is impossible for God. Common sense alone tells us so. He has always existed, so he has to be almighty. If that were not true, how would he be able to manage our little planet, let alone the vast universe with seemingly infinite stars and galaxies? So if you believe that God, the God of Christ, that is, for there are no other qualified candidates that can even approach him, then you should live what you believe in by placing your whole trust in Christ!

*****Eternal Life Secret*****

        When we live for Christ, we are so happy that we are willing to die for him, then we "find out" that we are going to live forever! It should be obvious that if we are afraid of dying, we really need to live for Christ or we'll surely die.

***Plain Reality (Blunt Truth)***

         Jesus is our creator and our loving God. Without him, we wouldn't even exist. Not believe in him and we become lost souls, for there's no on else who can save us.

**Disadvantage in an Antichrist World*

        In today's first reading from 1 John 3-4, the Apostle talks about the antichrist and the world. It made me realize that we are already starting off with an antichrist world; so to follow Christ, we need to be set free from it in order to belong fully to the Lord. I hope that realizing this disadvantage will make us all the more  want to become detached from the world as quickly as possible. 

***Know How Much We Can Hurt God!***

         We all know that when we sin, we hurt the Lord, but do we really feel it? Say someone we don't care for much ignores or offends us, that probably wouldn't affect us much. Then if it were our own son or daughter whom we love very much doing it to us, I'm sure we'd feel greatly hurt. Now, our God loves us with the greatest possible love, even dying for us on a cross so that we might enjoy heaven. Imagine how much he would feel hurt if we ignore or offend him! That would be beyond our grasp! If you could experience a tiny fraction of how he feels, I am sure that you'd never want to sin against him again!

**Our Dreams vs. God's Will

        Chasing after our own dreams for personal gain invariably leads to a feeling of emptiness of life, while doing God's will always fulfills the desires of our hearts. 

***Best Thing You Can Do***

        When you surrender yourself totally to God, your estrangement from him is no more, now everything about you is made right, and heaven rejoices. This is the best thing you can possibly do for both God and yourself! 

***Sharing God's Joy*

        Let the love of Christ overwhelm you completely and you'll receive the joy that lasts forever!

**Sharpening Our Conscience**

        Only by knowing Christ and God's love for us shall we be able to discern clearly what's right and what's wrong.

***What Following Christ Entails

        A Christian in union with Christ is always joyful and content; he does not complain about anything. Suffering will be his only burden when he sees the world offending the Lord, then he will offer it up to him to console him. Following Christ is to be with him every step of the way.  

***Relationsiop with God Test

        Christ Jesus is to be enjoyed and appreciated now and forever. If you don't experience much joy with him, your relationship with him is still not quite up to par yet. 

***Definitive Proclamation*

        Today is the Memorial of St. Elizebeth Ann Seton. John 6:51 is the Communion antiphon: I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord. Whoever eats this bread will live forever; the bread I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world. Here is one definitive statement made by Christ. The message is so clear that to reject it, you'll have to know that Christ totally didn't know what he's talking about or it's because your pride has blinded your mind's eye.