**What Christ Wishes for Us**

        If you already have Christ on your side, let nothing disturb your peace, no matter how chaotic the world is around you. All worries and fears are not only counterproductive, but also displeasing to the Lord. Remember how he first greeted his disciples after he had risen? He said, "Peace be with you!" And this is what he wishes for us.

**Check Your Fruit**

        Today's Communion Antiphon, based on John 15;16, reads: "I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, and have appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, alleluia." We all bear fruit, but some of us bear only fruit that quickly perishes. So examine yourself to see what kind of fruit you are producing. Does your fruit last? Does it help you store up treasure in heaven?  

*****Truth We Need to Know*****

          Today's Gospel Reading: John 3:16-21, reveals first the absolute central truth, then an explanation of why some people do not accept it. You are most likely familiar with these verses—but since it is critically important that we take this message most seriously, I am reproducing it in its entirety below.

        God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

        And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

***Truth Has to Come to Light**

        In today's First Reading from Acts 5, the captain of the temple guards and the chief priests learned that the apostles whom they put in prison were in the temple area and teaching the people. When you know the Lord, you can't help but share the gospel out of pure joy! It is humanly impossible to keep such a glorious truth secret. This is how the Lord has made us!  

**Including the Lord Always**

        We ask the Lord for help when our hearts are troubled. Why don't we incorporate that whenever we face any problem? For example, I have a computer problem which I don't quite understand right now. I am not going to ask the Lord to fix it for me, but I could certainly ask him to lead me to find the solution somewhere. It is good to integrate the Lord into every part of our life just to strengthen our union with him. 

**Communion Experience**

        The Lord is present in person, transforming the consecrated bread and wine into his own flesh and blood. We stand on holy ground, basking in his light. When we receive the Holy Eucharist, our souls are healed. Though we are not in heaven yet, the Lord is already with us.

**Logical Conclusion**

        Since God loves us and understands us perfectly, his judgment of us will be perfectly just.

***Ideal Easy Living**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus: "You must be born from above. The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." It is all the Lord's doing—we simply believe in him and let him accomplish whatever he wishes with us. This is living the ideal "easy life"!

**Understanding How God Loves Us**

        Verse 13 of today's Gospel reading from John 3 reads: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man." And the Communion antiphon, based on Luke 24: 46 & 26, reads: "The Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory, alleluia." By seeing the truth of these two statements, we understand how God the Father loves us.

**Divine Mercy Miracles**

         Since we just had Divine Mercy Sunday, I saw this video and would like to share it with you. 

**Best Attitude**

        The Lord has wonderfully made you, so never be unhappy about yourself—just let him perfect you.

***Shame on Us***

        We Christians are supposed to love the Lord more than anything else; however, we usually focus exclusively on pleasing ourselves, treating him like an afterthought.

**Signs You've Been Born of the Spirit**

        In today's Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." You know you have been born of the Spirit when you feel the holy presence of the Lord at all times, are on fire with love for him, and find it impossible not to spread the gospel to everyone.

***Feeling the Disciples' Joy**

        Today's Gospel reading came from John 20. It started with verses 19 and 20: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. At this point, the Holy Spirit also filled me with unspeakable joy! Alleluia.

**Heard from Peter**

        Today's Reading 2 came from 1 Peter 1. When I heard the last two verses, 8 and 9, read, I felt as if Peter was speaking directly to me, and I was deeply moved. Here they are: "Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now, yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Amen.

**An Elementary Truth**

        Christ has already died for us. If we are now willing to die for him, we are saved and gain eternal life in heaven. 

***How to Receive Complete Forgiveness***

        With Divine Mercy Sunday approaching, it is a blessing to know we can receive this extraordinary grace from God.

***Perfect Resolution***

        Whatever the Lord wills, it is done! So we need to get the Lord to will what we will and we shall have our way. But to achieve that, we must will what he wills first. The perfect resolution is reached when we attain union with the Lord, for now his and our wills are the same.