**Loving God Full-Time

        We usually turn to God for help only when our hearts are troubled. This falls far short of fulfilling the greatest commandment "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" given to us by Jesus. Turning to God to praise and thank him even when everything is fine is just as important. Loving God is not a seasonal thing; it should be a full-time job.

**Jesus, Cause of Unease**

        People are in various stages of wakefulness when they hear Christ mentioned. It seems that the name makes many feel uneasy because they know that they are sinners. You tell some of them about the Lord and they just go on as if they didn't even hear you. In the worse case, they accuse you of judging them! I believe that all of us are situated somewhere between not believing in Christ at all and believing in him wholeheartedly, and we could move either direction. Note that Christ is not like any other subject which you can talk about freely and no one puts up any guard. Perhaps people do sense that he might truly be the Lord who can read our hearts and will come to judge us. Last, I can testify that if you believe in Christ with all your heart, you'll experience the great possible ease and comfort.

**Christ Readies Us

         Communion experience. You are now all Christ's ... you are home! It would make a perfect last moment on earth.

***A Most Beautiful Thing***

         We all remember the time when we were kids, we just played, did all kinds of fun things, were excited about making new discoveries and learning new things ... while feeling carefree the whole time because our parents took care of everything for us. Now we have our heavenly Father who can take even better care of us, and if we trust in him we can become even more carefree! If you don't believe me, let me ask you if have ever tried it. If you had, then how far did you go? The first thing I sensed this morning at Mass was that trusting in Christ like a little child is absolutely a most beautiful thing, for it does make you feel carefree again!

**Obvious Conclusion**

         The Lord God is omnipotent and loves us with the greatest love; therefore, he can and will totally fulfill us, perfect us, and save us for all eternity if we let him.

***All God's Doing***

         We are never somebody until God makes us somebody. That is, we are lowly until God exalts us.

**Christian Perspective on Living**

        In today's first reading from 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul reminded the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord would come like a thief at night. Therefore, they must not sleep, but stay alert and sober. I am thinking that if we knew the exact day of the Lord's coming, most likely we'd slack off and not get ready until he's about to show up. This wouldn't be good for us! The proper way is to live every day as if it's our last day on earth, then it won't matter when the Lord is going to come. We focus upon loving and serving the Lord every moment in peace and with joy, knowing that the very best is to come.  

**Down to Two Choices*

        We either let God divide or unite us. The first choice will result in the separation of those who are against him from those for him. This division will be permanent and heart-wrenching for many. On the other end, the second choice will result in the union among those who follow the Lord. This union will also be permanent and so strong that no other force can possibly break it up. To each his own. But I do pray with all my heart that that we'll all be united as one flock under one shepherd, Christ the Lord. 

***Living the Proper Way*

        The past is gone forever, so don't waste time thinking about it. The future is not here yet, so don't waste time dreaming about it. The present is right where you are, so live in it, loving the Lord with all your heart. Soon your best future will be your present forever as things cannot possibly get any better. Get excited now!

**Best Outcome vs. Worst Outcome**

        Listen to the God of Christ, obey him, and we are saved forever. Ignore him, and we are lost forever. Basically, if you have Christ, you hare everything. If not, you have nothing.       

***God's Perfect Plan***

         We are all alive now, but we'll all die one day. Then if we belong to Christ, we'll have life eternal in heaven after we die. This is God's perfect plan for us—making us "perfect" now to be fit for heaven!

***Making God Like You***

         The Lord God always loves us. But if you are a hypocrite or evildoer, he doesn't like that at all. So if you are good enough to make him like you, you are really in! Whether anyone else likes you or not doesn't matter as long as the Lord is pleased with you. But don't stop there, for there is so much, much more you can get out of loving God. Make him ecstatic and you'll be ecstatic too, for the Lord always shares his joy with his faithful servants.

***Awesome "Lfe-Changing Experience***

        Communion experience. The Lord I received in the Holy Eucharist totally cleansed and healed my soul. With him dwelling in me, I simply rested in his love, enjoying his holy presence to the hilt.

***Repayment the Wise Choose*

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus went to dine at the home of one leading Pharisee. He said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." When we invite anyone to dine with us, we usually take into account how many times that person has invited us.The Lord wants us to forget all about getting repaid when we are kind to others; our sole goal is to love and nothing else. Besides, God's repayment for our kindness will be infinitely more satisfying than anyone else's to us in the world. Always focus upon the Lord beyond all things.

***Remaining Holy***

Our mind can only think of one thing at a time. Let that be the Lord Jesus always. Then Satan won't be able to influence you anymore. Thus you remain holy in peace.

***Jesus Will Come Again***

         Very well said:

*A Fine Distinction

       To make sure that God's will shall always prevail, it's best to remain open to let the Lord inspire or reveal to you what he wants you to do. Otherwise, you run the risk of following your own will. Just a fine point that's worth mentioning. God bless you all!

*****CHRIST IS THE ONE*****

        This is how I feel about Christ. The amazing thing (miracle) is that by believing in him totally, you just know that he is your God! (This is proof to me that he is the true God.) Knowing the truth, my life is no longer a void or puzzle; it's now purposeful with me filled to the brim with unabated joy. My Lord is now also my most beloved soulmate! If your "God" is vague and impersonal, you've got the wrong one. By the way, there can be only one true God and Christ fits that bill beyond all expectations!