**First Christians

        From today's first reading from Acts 11, we learned that Barnabas found Saul in Tarsus and brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the Church and taught a large number of people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. So the first Christians were all Catholics. Unfortunately, there are Protestants today who do not know Church history and consider only themselves to be Christians. They, in fact, should be called Bible Christians, for the Bible alone became their guide, some 1500 years after Jesus established his Church. By the way, the Bible was only complied and put out by the Catholic Church near the end of the 4th century.

**You Come Before the World**

        To convert the world, convert yourself first. For if everyone converts, your goal is accomplished. God wants you to be holy foremost, and that really makes sense.

***Following God with Your Heart**

        At one extreme, we have sermons preached totally from the head, and at the other extreme, sermons totally preached from the heart. As you know, intellectual debates rarely change people's minds, while personal testimonies do change people's hearts. Serving the Lord, everything should originate from the heart with the mind always following the heart. Let the Lord reign in your heart to become an efficacious Christian 

***Life-Giving Repentance**

        In today's first reading from Acts 11, I came across the term "life-giving repentance." Indeed, repentance is life-giving. If you don't ever apologize to God for having offended him, how are you going to get into heaven? Repentance is the humility we need to reconcile with God. That you can feel so good after you get all your sins removed just shows that repentance is the right thing to do!

**A Stumbling Block*

        Once you decide to follow Christ with all your heart and soul, you do not ever look back anymore. So if you still "enjoy" dwelling much on the past, you are not ready to follow the Lord fully yet. Not going all out is dragging your feet.

***The Lord to Be Enjoyed!***

         Let the Lord transform you and he becomes most enjoyable to you and vice versa. This process knows no bounds, turning submitting yourself to him into a most exhilarating adventure!

***Assured Security in God's Hand***

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one." It is so good to know we who belong to the Lord are absolutely secure in his hand!

***Happy Mother's Day to Mary***

        Today is Mother's Day. We must remember to say Happy Mother's Day to our most holy Mother Mary. When we please her, we please her Divine Son Jesus. When we love Jesus, we gladden her. 

**Being Honest with God Essential*

        We are inclined to lie out of fear. Remember how Peter denied knowing Jesus three times? The last time I did something like that happened in 1998. I was attending a musical event in Kansas City. One evening someone I met and I decided to go to a nearby restaurant to have dinner together. When the waiter saw me, he asked me if I was the one who ate there the previous night. I more of less ignored him, even though it was true. I reacted this way because I did not want to appear to my companion that I actually ate alone without a friend. This might not be outright lying, but was nevertheless being dishonest out of fear. And I regret I did that. To follow Christ, we must be totally honest with him always. To be dishonest with anyone is to be dishonest with the Lord who knows all truths. 

**Exactly the One to Complete My Life*

        I came into this world, wondered what life was all about, and sensed that something was missing. Then I came upon Christ and believed in him. Now, many decades later I am more sure than ever that he is exactly the one I have needed to complete my life. So I did not come into this world in vain. And there is absolutely no one else who can replace him, for there can be only one God!

**Salvation Assured*

        Christ is to be followed to the letter ... no corner-cutting, no sloppy work, no cheating .... When mutual trust between you and God exists, you salvation is assured!

**Foretasting Heaven

        Communion experience. After receiving the Lord, it's as if time has stopped, for you are now with the eternal God, foretasting a little bit what it feels like to be in heaven! 

***Express Way to Heaven*

        Communion time thoughts. In heaven, we'll be in full union with the Lord God. On earth, we can virtually attain union with God through receiving him in the Holy Eucharist. I'd go the Eucharist way to ensure that I'll skip purgatory on my way to heaven. 

***Condition for Conversion*

         Today's first reading from Acts 9 tells about the conversion of Saul (Paul). He was a terrible threat to all the disciples of Jesus. Then on his journey to Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He asked, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." We know that he converted and became a chosen instrument to carry Jesus' name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. We may think that if Jesus can convert someone like Saul, he should be able to convert anyone. The answer is yes with a condition. First, let me say that Jesus called Saul in a rather dramatic way—that was fitting because he was chosen to carry out a most important task. We are chosen to serve God in a more ordinary way, so we hear him calling us when we sense the emptiness of living a worldly life, when someone shares Jesus with us, when we are shocked by the unexpected death of a friend, etc. In Saul's case, after encountering Jesus, he believed and changed from persecuting Jesus to serving him—this is the condition for conversion to happen. If we hear God calling and remain unchanged, then we remain unconverted.

***Happy Realization*

        During Communion, after I saw how perfect and holy the Lord was, sin became absolutely ugly and abhorrent to me, and I never ever wanted to offend him again!

**To Be All for Christ!*

        Today's Communion antiphon 2 Corinthians 5:15: "Christ died for all, that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and is risen, alleluia." We are to live for the one who died for us—this is totally proper, logical, and sensible.

***Becoming Free and Fearless***

        Jesus has given all of himself for us. If we can give all of ourselves for him, we become free and fearless! 

***Overwhelming Experience

        Communion experience. It's letting the Lord overwhelm you completely in the most delightful, fulfilling, and satisfying way.