**Happy with God*

         At Mass this Sunday morning, I rejoiced that I had such a holy God who can make me holy like him one day.

**Wise Advice**

         The Lord God is Lord and God, to be obeyed completely by us! Play any "game" with him and you'll always end up losing—this is a foregone conclusion. So wise up for the sake of your own soul.

**Most Worthwhile Exchange**

         Communion experience. When you give up everything for Christ's sake, you gain freedom and eternal life to boot.

**One Most Beautiful; One Ugliest**

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 1, how the birth of Jesus came about was told. We know that the angl Gabriel appeared Mary and announced to her that she had found favor with God, and through the Holy Spirit she would conceive and bear a son to be named Jesus who would be great and called Son of the Most High. Mary responded, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Anytime God asks us to do something and we say yes, it's such a beautiful thing! By the same token, anytime we ignore or say no to God, it has to be one of the ugliest things in the whole universe! We have caused disorder and lose our peace as a result.

***We Should Imitate Christ Because . . .

he is the perfect example of carrying out the will  of the Father.

**Be Righteous in God's Eyes**

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, God chose Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth to become the parents of John the Baptist because they were righteous in his eyes. We can never be really perfect, but we can surely be righteous. So, let being perfect be our goal and being righteous, our way. Intention and effort count. Obey the Lord always and we'll be favored by him now and made perfect one day. 

***Fulfulling God's Greatest Desire***

         Christmas Day is just a week away. We'll be celebrating the coming of the Messiah. The fact is that he has already come and is here with us. What we need to do has gone beyond making his paths straight—it's now making his dwelling in us as comfortable as possible. This requires our total trust in and complete obedience to him. It is fulfilling the Lord's greatest desire to lead us to the greatest possible happiness of our existence!

***Enormous Change for Us***

        Holding onto yourself is like trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps—you're not going to get anywhere. It's submitting yourself to Jesus Christ that sets you free. Now you experience his love, power, wonders, and enjoy his eternal peace. You were a defiled sinner, now your are made clean and heaven bound. The change is truly enormous! When you go along with the Lord, no way can you go wrong.

*****Rock Solid Truth and Reality*****

        Everything in our life will pass except our life in Christ that's everlasting! So rejoice in the Lord always!

***Only Connection We Need*

         Communion experience. I know I am now connected to the Lord God and heaven through Jesus. There's nothing else I need nor wish to connect to anymore. 

**Spiritual Dementia?**

         In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus told the parable of the Two Sons. The lesson was that whoever ultimately believes and obeys the Lord will enter his Kingdom. We know from John 3:16 that anyone who believes in Christ will not perish but have eternal life. It's so simple, but many just don' believe. This is like being given an admission ticket to heaven and you just don't want to take it. Spiritual dementia might be an appropriate name for it.

***Valid Question**

        In Mark 8 (also Matthew 16), Jesus asked, "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" I see people who pride themselves on getting along with everyone else (at least according to them). So you could also ask: "What profit is there for one to get along with the whole world, but not with God?"

***How We Need Christ!***

        Communion experience. We absolutely need Christ, for only he can take away our sins and make us perfect!

*****Following Christ Perfectly*****

        Today's Entrance Antiphon based upon Jeremiah 31:10 and Isaiah 35: 4—Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; declare it to the distant lands: Behold, our Savior will come; you need no longer fear. For us, Christ our Savior has already come, so we only need to trust in him and let nothing bother us anymore. We may appear cold externally, but I believe this is how the Lord wants us to follow him. When we don't let our will, feelings, and emotions get in the way, and remain unperturbed, we'll be able to see God's will clearly and carry it out confidently. 

**Involving the Heart**

         Serving the Lord without involving the heart is a wasted gesture.

***Be Ready for What's Coming***

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is most satisfying; how more satisfying we'll feel in heaven is hard to imagine. By the same token, hell will be more horrible than what we can possibly imagine. Everything will be magnified or intensified later. Prepare for the best for us and let the worst go, and we'll be fine.

****The Only One to Seek****

         Should God understand you totally, even if the whole world doesn't understand you, it doesn't matter anymore. This is not giving up; it's total victory!

***Joy of the Lord*

        As Christmas approaches, the readings at today's Mass reflect more the joy of anticipating the coming of Christ the Savior. Then I realize that in reality he has already come and is here with me totally, and my joy becomes uncontainable! The desire to spread this joy follows. Sadly, much of the world doesn't want to hear the good news of salvation, for Christ makes them feel uncomfortable. I think you know why. I've been even accused of judging them. They don't realize that judging is exposing all one's faults without mercy. Anyway, being misunderstood for Jesus' name is an honor and also joy. This joy is now part of the overall great joy.