***Best Tidings for Us*****

        We can never be good enough on our own to enter heaven, but Christ can make that a certainty if we believe in him. This is truly the best possible news for humankind!

***Timely Message

        I came across this video which is a 5-minute excerpt from a much longer speech given by President Donald Trump at the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, 2017. It's a message still good and worth listening to today.

****Most Pitiful State

        I am thinking about those who do not know or have Christ. When they die, not truly knowing what awaits them, helplessly they enter the unknown. What a pitiful state!

***The Only One***

         Communion time thoughts. Christ is the only one we need to listen to, follow, obey, please, and imitate.

**Happy Ending*

        We first realize that God loves us unconditionally and wants to save us from sin so that we may have eternal life. Then we realize that we are poor sinners who are not even worthy to receive him. This makes us fall in love and desire to attain union with him. Joy and gratitude now fill our whole being.  

***Living a Most Blessed Life and Improving***

          Today is the Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas. First reading antiphon from Hebrews 10:7: Behold, I come to do your will, O God. The response from Psalm 40: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Gospel acclamation, Mark 3.35: Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. It seems that the main message for today is to do God's will. Certainly this should be our No.1 goal in following Christ, for it will please him the most and get us into heaven. It is the way to live a most blessed life!
      To do God's will perfectly requires perfect union with him. If we haven't surrendered fully to God yet, our ego can still dictate what we do. For example, someone says something that makes us look bad in some way; we without hesitation start to justify ourselves and even think of retaliation. You see, we are so ingrained in reacting the way we normally do and don't even consider how Christ would have reacted in such a situation. Of course, he had always remained calm and turned his other cheek, showing his great humility and meekness. Granted, we'll never be able to be as pefect as he, but we can certainly become more submissive to him to become more like him.  

**Christ Completing My Life*

        Communion experience. Christ completes my joy in this life with my eternity all set.

***Pity the Sinful World*

        Christ is like the brightest light shining over us, yet much of the world, blinded by pride and enslaved in sin, remains in darkness. Is there any hope for all those people? Of course, but only if they'd let Christ into their hearts. For now, they behave like spoiled brats telling the heavenly Father to leave them alone. 

**Living in Joy*

        You love Christ the Lord and receive his joy unceasingly. Every moment of your life now is a joyful one.

*****Pure Perfection***

         You are in full union with the Lord, knowing and understanding his ways and thoughts. You pray for what pleases him the most. He hears you and answers your prayer just the way you'd wanted. 

***Secret Love of Christ*

         This is his love for us to be shared with the whole world, but to be enjoyed secretly between he and you.

**Opposite Effect**

        Let the love of God crush you, and amazingly you'll feel free and more elated than ever!

**Questions for All*

        If we are not God and only he is, then who are we to reject his love for us? What good reason do we have? 

***Taking the Lord Seriously*

        If you truly believe that Christ has saved you so that you now have eternal life, you'd be walking around radiating joy at all times! If you don't feel that way yet, you haven't quite taken the Lord seriously. 

***Greatest Possible Union***

        In today's reading 2 from 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes that all us followers of Christ are parts of Christ's one body. Therefore, if we all attain union with the LORD, we would have the greatest possible union in Christ and become the most powerful force for the good of humanity and the glory of God..

**To the Strongly Opinionated

        There are many today who are strongly opinionated. This is OK if you also have the humility to listen to others' opinions. Unfortunately, they think that their opinions are always correct or the best. If they do not change in time, they'll be liable to judgment. 

***God's Healing Love***

        Today's Communion experience. I see God's healing power stemming form his great love for us. This love we need to accept fully so that we may be healed fully before returning to him. 

***Only Way Forward for Us**

        God remains holy forever, but we sinners can change and improve spiritually. So let's get going so that we may have life forever.