**Speaking Rule for the Christian

         A genuine Christian should always speak what he believes in from the heart without ego.

**Ideal State**

        Once we attain union with the Lord thru the Holy Eucharist, we'll be able to let the Lord initiate every thought and prompt every word we speak. This is the ideal state to be in to preserve our inner peace. When we are at peace with God, we are at peace with ourselves too.

***All Settled*

        The Lord God has to be infinite and omnipotent or he can't possibly be God. And through Jesus, we have no doubt that he loves us. Accept the above and we know we can totally trust in the God of Christ (by logic and common sense). So let's do it!! From now on, we know that the Lord will take complete care of us so that we may remain in peace always.

***We Cannot Serve God and Ourselves***

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus described the proper attitude of a servant to his apostles. He said to them, "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you.When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" Clearly, as long as the self-serving ego exists in us, we'll have no peace. Set ourselves on serving only God and we become free!

***Ultimate Joy***

         Todays is the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi. In the Gospel reading from Luke 10, the seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said to them, "Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Our ultimate joy is knowing that we'll ultimately be returning to the Lord in heaven to stay for all eternity!

**Good Fear vs. Bad Fear**

        You fear God because he is holy and you are awed and want to be holy like him—this is good fear. Here's the bad one: You are so sinful that you are afraid that God is going to punish you. We see that one is God-centered and positive, while the the other, self-centered and negative.

**Big Misunderstanding**

        People believe that if they let God be their Lord, they would lose their freedom, not realizing that they are slaves to their own sins! They will only see that this is a gross misunderstanding when they realize that they are sinners who need salvation and the Lord is indeed the one who can remove their sins and set them free. 

***Jesus Revealing His Status***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 10, Jesus appointed seventy-two whom he sent ahead of him to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." This last saying which I have italicized is monumental, for rejecting Jesus is rejecting the heavenly Father! This bold claim plus the irrefutable fact that he did rise from the dead is enough to prove that he is indeed the Son of God.

***Unchanging, Everlasting Lord*

         Communion experience. I received exactly what the Apostles received at the Last Supper. Hebrew 13.8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is to be trusted and relied upon forever!

**Better Rest**

         In the world, our body may find temporary rest if need be, but in Christ, our soul can find rest for all eternity, something we can't afford to neglect.

**Admission Free for Little Children**

         Today is the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 8, Jesus called a child over, placed it in the midst of his disciples and said to them, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." We are all God's children. Before the infinite Lord, we should remain as little as possible. Become like humble little children and entering the Kingdom of heaven is assured.

**How Shall We Become?*

        This is a good question to ask ourselves as we get older and closer to facing the Lord God. The only correct and logical answer: We shall become holier and holier everyday.

***Perfection of Conscience***

         In union with the Lord, he perfects your conscience and you see what he sees in you—an awesome freedom!

*Pure Joy*

         Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in union with him is pure joy!

**Following the Lord Our First Thing**

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus said to someone, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God." What we learn here is that we need to say yes to every call from the Lord without hesitation! This shows we are obedient to him and in union with him.

***A Forewarning***

        On my way to church for Mass this morning, I drove past a field covered with pumpkins, letting me know that Halloween is coming up on the last day of this month. My thoughts are when we are young and physically fit, we just go ahead and do whatever we'd like to do, such as getting ready to sell pumpkins for Halloween, without seeking any guidance from the Lord. We live like this until we grow old and can't do much physical work anymore. Then we realize that we need to depend on God more, but find it now hard to let him take control of our lives. Today is the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, my beloved model saint. The entrance antiphon was based on Deuteronomy 32: 10-12: "The Lord led her and taught her, and kept her as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle spreading its wings he took her up and bore her on his shoulders. The Lord alone was her guide." It's beautiful to let God alone be our guide. But if we wait around too long, we may not be able to achieve that goal! 

***The Coming Big Interview***

        Most of us in this life go through a number of interviews in order to land a job. The critical interview that really matters will take place after we depart from this world to face the Lord Jesus. He's the one who'll determine whether we go to heaven or not. It would be wise for us to prepare for that day as early as possible. As we age, we should become increasingly aware of the urgency to do so! If you are already looking forward to that day, you are most likely ready. If not, then you need to awaken now and start thinking before time runs out. 

***Best Way to Enrich Ourselves***

         A YouTube video showed how one person paid over $2,000 for an abandoned storage unit, hoping to find some "treasures" in it. Worldlings are always looking for ways to enrich themselves materially in whatever way they can. Then I realize that when I abandon myself to God, I don't have to scheme or toil, spend any money, nor get stressed to gain eternal life, something infinitely superior than anything you can find in the world!  I can't help rejoicing in that. May the whole world also realize that.