**Timelessness in Heaven*

        On earth, we feel the passing of time and everything else as we grow old. Then I realize that in heaven, we'll be young and the same, and experience the constant peace and joy of being in union with God forever. When we embrace God's love fully, we are settled for all eternity and time is no longer a consideration.

***Everything Belongs to God***

        We came into the world all naked and will leave without being able to take anything with us. We ourselves and all the things we have in this life belong to God alone. Realizing this can greatly help us get detached from ourselves as well as all the things in the world. Otherwise, living can be most burdensome and leaving the world, a rough experience. And we could also end up in a place we never want to be. Traveling unburdened is the way to go.

***Are We Alone?*

        Aside from the Lord God, specifically Jesus Christ, there is no one whom you can totally trust, who totally understands you, or who can save you from sin and get you into heaven. So each of us is basically alone with God. If you do not have him, then you are really alone.

***Most Pitiful Ones***

         There are people who have so much pride that their hearts have hardened to the point that they turn away from Jesus totally. So Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who created all of us and the whole universe, the most humble and exalted holy God is not even good enough for them—this is absolutely insane, shocking and revolting! They are to be pitied the most.

**Heavenly Experience

        Communion experience. When you are in love with Christ, you feel that you are literally already in heaven! 

**Christ Deserves Our Full Trust*

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, the devil tempted Jesus three times. Jesus responded to the devil's last attempt by saying to him, "It is written You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." So let's not ever be like the devil testing Jesus, but trust in him fully always.

***Appreciating the Lord***

         You can always see anything in opposite ways. For example, a glass of water may be seen as half empty or half full. Today I see the holy Lord God in the most favorable light. Because of him, I am now aware of all my imperfections (mainly sins) so that I can ask him to take them away all to make me holy. This is a huge deal! It is changing my life now, and is going to save my soul in the end—an even huger deal! 

**A Wake-Up Question**

        You believe in God, but do you also seek him? If you don't follow the Lord closely, you can lose him quickly! For the Lord is a dynamic Lord, not a static one.

***Most Desirable Virtue*

         Christ being most high is most humble. The more humble we are, the more we become like him and are exalted by him. Humility eradicates the ego, frees our soul to love others and brings peace to our innermost. When we remain most humble, we become invulnerable to Satan's attack and super safe in the Lord. Be humble and God will have a hard (or real easy) time judging you. Humility is the key to entering heaven.

***Greatest Spiritual Malady Today***

         The Communion antiphon based upon Matthew 9:13 today—I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord, for I did not come to call the just but sinners. Mercy stems from love, and is a virtue, while sacrifice is an act. If we love God, we'll automatically perform sacrifice for him when we are called to. So start from love always, that is, be merciful always. Tragically, much of the world today does not hear the Lord and and continue to remain in sin. Witness the current wars between Israel and the Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia—the killing and dying goes on with no side willing to give in a little bit to achieve peace.

***Jesus' Holy Face Again***

        My Lord and my God!

***Between Just You and God***

         Today's Psalm 51:6a: Against you [God] only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. Yes, when we sin, we truly hurt God only, for he is the holy one. And we'll all be judged by him alone. It all comes down to whether we obey God or not. Quoting Mother Teresa:—"In the final analysis, it is between you and God."

***Learning from the Lord***

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?" Here are some of my thoughts. (1) The Lord has already carried his gigantic cross for our sake. How can we possibly not want to carry our own little ones and still wish to follow him? (2) "Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it": No one other than the Lord God can say this and make sense. He is awesome! (3) The last statement "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?": This was addressed to all of us then and now. We all understand it, but how many of us take it seriously? The Lord leaves it up to us. By the way, we do reap what we sow.

***Most Foolish Are the Ones Who . . .

live as if God doesn't exist or doesn't know what's going on with them.

*****Miracle Food*****

         Communion experience. The heavenly bread nourishes, purifies, and heals the soul, wiping out all fears.

***Perfecting Your Reconciliation to God Is . . .

perfecting your return to him.

**Holy Habit

         No one likes complainers. Thank the Lord for whatever you experience, pleasant or painful, and he'll reward you many-fold.

**Day to Start Looking Beautiful

         Ash Wednesday is the perfect day to realize that we are nothing but dust. When we are humble, we look beautiful to the Lord. So this is also the perfect day for us to start looking beautiful to the Father if we are not that pretty yet.