***A Wake-Up Call***

         Before we face God, we must face and deal with our sinfulness. Otherwise, it'll be a disaster when we face him! So wake up when you still have time. Deal with your sins before you face God. To ignore or try to hide them is being as foolish as you can be!

**Rejoice if You've Been Chosen**

         Today's Communion Antiphon, John 15:16—It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. It seems that we can make the Lord choose us—we only need to love him and be willing to bear fruit for him. Then I suppose I think this way because he has already chosen me in the first place. Anyway, if you know you've been chosen, rejoice!

**Humility's Double-Barreled Advantage*

         When you are humble, God exalts you and demons are afraid to attack you. 

***Pray-for-Life Time***

         Yesterday Washington, D.C., held the annual National March for Life. Today we have Walk for life West Coast held in San Francisco. A busload of parishioners from my church left right after morning Mass to join that walk. Even though Roe vs. Wade has been overturned and made abortion illegal, the liberal states continue to provide abortions and California is the worst offender. Abortion is one great evil, the very antithesis of God's love. Anyone who believes that abortion is OK serves the Evil One. Once you experience God's love, the horror of abortion becomes absolutely clear. One thing about doing God's will is that you always feel peace and joy afterwards. The pro-abortionists think that they have to right to abort any unborn child, yet they experience only pain, turmoil, depression, regret and/or sorrow afterwards—that tells you they have gone against the Lord!  If you type "abortion" in the Search box, you can pull up my past posts on this subject. Please pray for the end of abortion and the conversion of those who do not know God's love yet. God bless you.

**Ranking the Lord**

         In Matthew 22, Jesus gave us the greatest and the first commandment: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Who is No.1 in your life? If you rank the Lord above yourself, then you are A-OK. But if he's not even on your list, that would be terrible and you'll reap what you sow. Best yet, have only the Lord on your list and he'll exalt you beyond your highest expectations!

*****God's Mercy Is Infinite*****

         I love praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Praying it from the heart can truly change you into a forgiving person to others and yourself! Listen to this amazing story to learn about God's infinite merdy and thank him for that. 

***Confidence in the Lord***

        Communion time thought: If Christ can get me into heaven, he surely can and would make me holy and blameless.

***Beware of This***

        God is ever present and his presence is most holy. Wherever you are, you are in his holy presence! So sin no more.

**How to Hear God Speak to You**

         To hear the Lord's voice, you must be open and ready to do his will.

***To All Pick-and-Choose Catholics*

        Here's a video with a message that may help those Catholics who have difficulty in accepting all the teachings of the Church.

**Love Jesus . . .**

for there is nothing sweeter and more fulfilling than loving Love.

*****Living in Christ*****

        We have Christ and the world, the two opposites. If you live in world, you have no clue about what living in Christ is like. Bur if you are already living in Christ, you know all about what living in the world is like, for you came from the world. I am going to tell you a little bit about what living in Christ is like. If you are still a prisoner of the world, you can learn a lot.

        In union with Christ, the Holy Spirit sets your heart on fire and make you aware of his Holy Presence at all times. You develop a super sharp conscience such that all sins become loathsome and repulsive, and you don't ever want to sin again. Under God's mercy, you are totally set free from sin. Serving God and carrying any cross for his sake are both joys. What's amusing to the world is now utterly boring. Apparently, you are now living on a higher spiritual level. You easily forgive everyone, experiencing profound peace. Prayer is heart-to-heart communication with God who is now also your best friend and soulmate. You lose all fear of death and look forward to the day you return to him. 

***Joy of Receiving Christ**

        Communion experience. Fr. B raised the host held in his hand and said the words of Jessus at the Last Supper: TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT: FOR THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. Our response was "My Lord and my God." As I said that, I was exuberant and so proud that Christ is all mine!

****Our Only Way****

         In John 24:6, Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This means to me that Jesus is our final judge in deciding whether we get to enter heaven or not. Today it also struck me that only through him can we be set free from sin and our soul find eternal rest. That makes him OUR ONLY WAY!

*****Right Approach to God*****

        I don't want to keep repeating the same message again, but I really felt it strongly this morning that I'd like to bring it up again, perhaps a little differently this time. Jesus Christ is like a most beautiful sun before us. He is almighty God, our creator and Savior, full of love and mercy. We really should run toward him and call out, "Take me, Lord. I am all yours!" If you stand afar and hope that you'll get to know him, you'll only waste your time. As I've said before, the best and proper way is go all out straight to the Lord, submitting yourself to him completely to seek union with him. You want him to become your most beloved Lord and soulmate. The would give him so much joy that your desire will be fulfilled quickly! God is not someone to be looked at and admired from a distance; you want to let him capture and possess you totally so that you become his forever! 

**Made for Each Other**

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus said to his disciples, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” This just reminded me that we were all made by the Lord God not for ourselves, not for anyone else but him alone. And his purpose was so that he might love us. Realizing this, we should live for him and love him with all our heart and our soul.

**Lamenting This Hard-Hearted Generation

        When Jesus called the Twelve to be his Apostles, they dropped everything and followed him. By contrast, with the Lord speaking to us through all the things we see and hear, our hearts are more hardened than ever. This generation may not be more evil than that of Jesus' time, but we surely have been more adversely affected by our more materialistic world. 

***Best Career Choice*

         I came across this YouTube video showing a large group of families from China now living as a community in France. Since I do not know French, I didn't understand everything. I believe they all immigrated to France as political refugees quite a while back. The whole community was interested in music and many of their children now are accomplished musicians. Of course, the parents really supported the kids and the kids were talented and worked hard. Their days ahead will probably be even more stressed. I can't help thinking that to become holy and accomplished to the Lord is so much easier. You simply surrender yourself to him and to let him lead you to reach your goal effortlessly! I am not even saying anything about the fantastic reward you'll be receiving in the end.