**On Questioning the Lord**

        In today's Gospel Reading from Mark 11, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached Jesus and said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things?" Jesus said to them, "I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said to him in reply, "We do not know." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things." You see, when we approach the Lord, we must genuinely want to know something. If our intention is insincere or malicious, we will only set ourselves further back. With the Lord, we must be sincere, humble, and reverent always.

***On Departing This World**

        To remain a lost soul is to depart this world and stay lost forever. You might reunite with others you once knew in the afterlife, but it will offer no comfort. Because of this, I would absolutely follow Christ to gain eternal life; bidding farewell to this world would be the happiest thing I could ever do. Besides, I will finally be reunited with all my saved loved ones.

***Prayer Secrets***

        Also in today's Gospel reading from Mark 11. Jesus said to his disciples, "Have faith in God.  Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions." So here we learn the secrets to effective prayer: Make sure that we don't hold any grievances against anyone, and believe without a doubt that we shall receive whatever we ask for. May I add, this is how we will always have peace.

***Reverence for God's House!*

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 11, Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, "Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves." If the Lord even cleansed the area outside his house, imagine how much more we should revere the Lord inside our churches!

****Lesson on Love***

        In today's First Readind from 1 Peter 4, Peter writes: "Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Yes, we are to love each other intensely! Yes, we are to love each other intensely! If we have God in our hearts, we will be able to love others. Every moment of every day is an opportunity to love someone. But we must always let the Lord love us intensely first, so that we may truly become a channel of his love.

**Suffering for the Lord**

        Physical suffering can draw us close to Christ. First, when I suffer, the greatest suffering the Lord  underwent out of love for us immediately springs to my mind. He is still suffering today for the innumerable souls who still have not yet submitted themselves to him. My suffering is nothing compared to his. Nevertheless, the fact that I am suffering along with him really brings us together as one. Secondly, when I suffer, I sense his holy presence acutely and know I can slip into his side instantly, should he call me home. This further unites us. In conclusion, suffering for the Lord in this life is a blessing. God's mercy is infinite and his joy, eternal. 

**Danger to Be Aware Of**

        Verse 11 of today's First Reading from 1 Peter 2 struck me: "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul." It made me see how the world is constantly luring us away from God.

***Requisite for Understanding God***

        You do not need to be highly educated to understand the Lord; in fact, it is best to approach him like a child. All that is required is an open, humble, and loving heart!

**Universal Way of Serving God**

        To serve God, we can do the following: (1) witness for Christ, (2) help others with physical needs, (3) help others with financial needs, (4) fast so that God's will is done, and (5) pray that God's will is done. If, for whatever reason, you cannot do any of the first four, you can always pray unceasingly and do just as much good, or even more.

***How to Be GREAT and FIRST***

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 10, Jesus said to his disciples, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." "To be the servant and slave of all" truly goes against our grain, but we must do our best to imitate the Lord. This I know: If we can achieve that, we'll be ego-free and experience great peace. Even if that goal is difficult to reach, we should always aim for it. Don't forget that nothing is impossible for God!

****Going Infinite****

        God's love is infinite. It follows that we should not limit our love for him and others. The more we love, the more free and fulfilled we become—this is what makes following Christ exciting! Let this love be our only motivating force; let's go infinite after the Lord, embarking on the greatest and most rewarding adventure! 

**Only Way to Know Jesus Is God**

        Unbelievers often demand proof that Jesus is the true God, or that God even exists, but it is ultimately impossible for a creature to prove its Creator. My response to them is this: You will come to know that Jesus is our God, and the absolute truth, if you are humble and receptive enough to ask him to reveal himself to you directly. Once you hear from him, all your doubts will vanish. (Note: In rare cases, God converts specific individuals to serve him, as in the case of St. Paul.)

**Sure Way to Be Saved**

        I stopped posting when I didn't feel too well yesterday, I am back now. In yesterday's Gospel reading from Mark 10, Jesus said to Peter, "Many that are first will be last, and the last will be first." In general, this is true, for we have no way of knowing who will be saved. But if we always make following Christ our first priority, we can be sure that we'll be saved, and this is what matters. 

***Secret to Salvation

        The last three verses of today's First Reading from 1 Peter 1 read, "Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy." We are to be holy because God is our model and he is holy. If you try your best to be like the Lord, you will be saved.

**An Awareness to Help Living Wisely**

        The Lord God, who creates all things, must know everything that occurs to govern the universe. Being omnipotent, he transcends both space and time, as well as all physical laws. Consequently, he knows our every thought, motivation, word, and deed—there's no escaping him! To live in ignorance of this truth is, therefore, downright foolish!

***A Beautiful Mother for All!***

        I must also mention that in today's Gospel reading from John 19, before Jesus handed over the spirit  to the Father on the cross, he gave his own mother to the disciple John (and all of us) to be our mother. What a great, beautiful gift! We all have an earthly mother, but we do need a perfect mother to fill a void in life, and Mary is the Father's answer to us. I truly thank and praise God for that. I see Mary as a mother who is always keeping me close to her Son, assisting me in doing the Father's will, and comforting me when I am in distress. 

***A Most Beautifu;l Moment in Human History***

        Today is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. The Gospel Reading from John 19 describes the last moments of Jesus' death on the cross. Here is the first part of the reading. "Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I thirst.' There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit." This is a most beautiful moment in human history—Jesus fulfilling the will of the Father out of pure love to save all of us for eternal life!

**Let's Drink of the Spirit to the Full!**

        Today is Pentecost Sunday. Verse 13 of the Second Reading from 1 Corinthians 12 reads: For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit intoxicates us—in the sense of spiritual exhilaration—it is fitting to speak of 'drinking of the one Spirit.