***Mutual Glorification*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 13, after Judas had left the Last Supper to begin getting Jesus arrested, the Lord said to the rest of the Apostles, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him." So anytime we do God's will, we glorify God and he in turn glorifies us. 

***Living for Victory*

        Psalm 27:12, today's entrance antiphon: Do not leave me to the will of my foes, O Lord, for false witnesses rise up against me and they breathe out violence. So evil has ben around ever since our creation. Even Jesus was betrayed by one of his Apostles. Accept this fact and and join our Lord in his battle against evil and we'll surely come out victorious!

***The Split We Create Among Us*

        This is an afterthought after the last posting. If we remain closed to God, we'll never learn anything from him. The evil influences around us are so great that we really need to open up quite a bit to the Lord to become strong enough to grow holier. Then once we get going, the sky is the limit. This bring to my mind what Jesus said in both Matthew and Mark: To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

****Effortless Way to Progress Spiritually****

         How can we get to know the Lord well? It's simple: You just remain completely open to let him reveal himself to you. This is the effortless way and the result can be astounding! The common mistake is to try so hard on your own as if God doesn't even want to know you. The truth is that he longs to know all of us most intimately, but we more or less do not open up completely to him. If you want to give all of yourself to him, again, be open to let him take possession of you.

****Christ Indispensable to Us**

         In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead was. Mary, one of Lazarus' sisters, took a liter of costly perfumed oil and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair. Then Judas the Iscariot, the disciple who would betray him said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?" Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." This just made me aware of how indispensable Jesus is to all of us. As air and water are vital for keeping us physically alive, Jesus is essential to the preservation of the integrity of our soul for all eternity.

**Making Going to Heaven Hard or Easy**

        It you are reluctant to leave this earth and not really looking forward to going to God, you may have trouble getting into heaven. For example, if you expect someone to come to your home and find out that person's not that willing to come, you may decide not to want this unhappy guest come at all. On the other hand, anyone who greatly looks forward to returning to the heavenly Father with joy will likely go straight to heaven. The good criminal who were crucified next to Jesus is a good example.

**God's Invincible Power**

        The Lord is pure love. In union with him, no evil can come close.

**Where to Find Eternal Peace*

        Communion experience. I don't just sense, I know that only in union with Christ (God), will you find eternal peace. 

***Faith Works Wonders

        Today's long Gospel reading, Luke 22:14-23:56, began with The Last Supper and ended with The Burial of Jesus. As you know, two criminals were also crucified along with Jesus. one on his right, the other on his left. Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." What's clear here is that as long as you believe that Jesus can save you and ask him to have mercy on you, you are saved! If you already know this, now believe in it, for with God, nothing works without faith.

*****Jesus Christ Is Lord

        Here's today's second reading from Philippians 2: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. I reproduced it here because I have come to the same conclusion.

****Palm Sunday Reminder***

        You get only one chance to know Christ the Savior, to be sure that you'll get into heaven. After this earthly life is over, that chance is gone forever! On this Palm Sunday; Christ is getting ready to fulfill the Father's will by dying on the cross in our place. Only a truly loving God can initiate such a compelling act of love. It's time for us to die for him by dying in him out of gratitude. When we do this, we live forever!

*****Formula to Peace and Freedom*****

        Today the Lord made me see clearly that the most proper, glorious, and rewarding thing for us to do is to surrender ourselves completely to him. The lack of our interior peace and spiritual freedom is completely due to the lack of our trust in God or, shall I say, our rebellion against God. Return to him like the prodigal son and all will be well! If you see this truth, the Lord is calling you. If not, you only prove that I am right.

**Another Reason to Follow Christ*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 11, the chief priests and the Pharisees were so concerned about losing their power that they, ignoring all the wonderful signs Jesus had performed, saw him as a threat to them and planned to kill him. This is the same with the people of today. In this country, members of one political party, intent on holding onto their power, try hard to destroy the leader of their opposition party who has accomplished many good things for the country. They are today's Pharisees, only concerned about themselves and not a bit about anyone else. So if you don't know the God of Christ, your views and reasoning just become warped and wrong. Only by following Christ will we be able to become selfless and know how to love all others right. 

**Three Levels of Belief

        We can (1) totally believe in Christ and follow him, (2) belief that Jesus exists, but have no faith or do not know him, or (3) ignore or reject him. These levels of belief are more or less reflected in these three levels of living, respectively: We do (1) everything according to God's will, (2) all things dutifully, neither for God or ourselves, or (3) all things to serve ourselves only. 

**What's Most Important for Me*

        At Mass this morning, I realize that the most important thing for me is to trust in the Lord and not worry abut anything else. Therefore, receiving the Holy Eucharist daily is a top priority. All the problems I have in life I'll deal with dutifully, never letting them make me lose my focus. Realizing that when my life ends, I'll have to leave everything behind also helps.

***Loving God Is Easy (& Welcome)**

         It is beautiful to see people kneeling in a church adoring the Lord. This makes me realize that loving another human being in the world is often a lot harder, for the person may not care or even resent us for whatever reason. On the contrary, the Lord is always open and ready to receive any sinner turning to him. Imagine the immense joy we bring to him and the whole heaven when we decide to love him! 

***End and Beginning

        Communion experience. I've reached the end and beginning. End, because there is nothing beyond Christ I need to seek. Beginning, because I've started living a life in Christ that will me take me straight to him.

***Banish Your Pride and Live!

        Today's Communion antiphon, Romans 8:32—God did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all; with him, he has given us all things. God has indeed given us all things, even his own Son! We need to realize this, for he has already paved the way for us to return to him in paradise—what more can you possibly ask for? Let's be humble and gratefully submit ourselves to God to avoid being destroyed by our own stupid pride in the end!