***A Good Question for Every Christian to Ask*

         "How aware am I of the Lord's holy presence?"

**What Separates the Wise from the Foolish*

        You are probably familiar with the Parable of the Ten Virgins, as told by Jesus in Mathew 25. In it, five of them are wise and the other five foolish. Let's say we now have two people named A and B. A thinks that probably most people will go to heaven, so he is not too worried about himself, while B thinks that getting into heaven may be hard, and that he had better prepare himself for it. Which of the two would you say is the wise one, and which the foolish one?

***Being Nice May Not Be Loving***

        Fr. Chris Alar gave this excellent talk answering the question, "Do Catholics have to be nice?" Being nice and being right are not the same thing. The original talk lasts almost 21 minutes, but I am presenting an abridged version through the host of Daily Dose of Christ. After a little over five minutes, the host concludes with his comments.

**Ultimate Wisdom, Ready for Us to Know**

        From today's First Reading from Wisdom 6, I found these engaging verses: "Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate." Certainly, the Lord God is our ultimate wisdom, and I also find him to be resplendent and unfading. If you love him, you easily perceive him; seek him and you find him. The Lord is forever present—he never plays hide-and-seek with you. Desire him, and he is there. Always be open to him, and he will reveal himself to you. Once you let him in, you will receive true wisdom—and your life will take off in the most spectacular way!

***Knowing God's Gurantee**

        God never promised that everything in this life would go our way and we would be happy. But he does guarantee that we’ll be happy forever with him in heaven if we follow him faithfully. Keep this in mind so you can make the right choice and start rejoicing today.

***Cruel Judgment Is Not from the Lord: A Lesson in Mercy***

        Recently, an online video showed a Baptist pastor in Texas teaching a group of kids how to smash a small statue of the Holy Mother Mary with a hammer. The lesson to them was that Christians should follow the Commandment of God that states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," which is one Protestant version. It so happened that a few days later, a Catholic priest was killed while preaching a sermon during Mass when a big crucifix accidentally fell off the wall and landed on him. That same pastor posted another video, saying that the death was a divine judgment that sent the deceased straight to hell. How outrageously misguided can you possibly be! First of all, a statue is simply a 3D representation of a drawing or photo of a person. Catholics do not ever worship statues! Anyone thinking otherwise does not have the Spirit of God in him. We are not to judge anyone, and this pastor just judged all Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and even Anglicans and Lutherans in the worst possible way. Did all that hurt Mary? It does in this way: Mary, like her Son, our Lord, only knows how to love us. When we offend them, they love us just the same, but now they are saddened by us and feel more sorry for us. This is the prayer Mary at Fatima requested that we say at the end of every decade of the Rosary: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen." Now you know how she truly feels about us.

**The Joy of Being Chosen**

         When you realize that God has chosen you to serve him, you should absolutely rejoice, for he wants you to be in heaven with him forever! This is no ordinary invitation—it's more like a direct appointment. It gives your life a noble purpose, allowing you to serve as an instrument for accomplishing his will. Loving and serving the Lord is the most honorable and rewarding vocation for every Christian.

**Aging with Peace**

        We all grow old. Most elderly people suffer from various health problems, spending a lot of time seeing doctors, visiting labs, and undergoing treatments. The wise move for us is to take care of our eternity while we are still young and healthy. Then, we will know exactly where we are going after death. When health problems come up later, we will be able to face them in peace. The sooner we get to know Christ, the more peace we will enjoy.

***Learning from the Lord**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus said to his disciples: "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones." I know of people who are known to be trustworthy and honest, but when it comes to small matters, they cheat a little bit. Perhaps we've all done something like that. According to the Lord, to be trustworthy and honest, we must always be so.

         Later in the same reading, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, who love money, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." The last part of the sentence I italicized hit hard. To be holy, we should never seek self-esteem.

***To Be Remembered or Forgotten by God***

        Today's Responsorial Psalm Response from Psalm 112 reads: "Blessed the man who fears the Lord." Later, I read: "The just one shall be in everlasting remembrance." It is so good to be just so that God will remember us forever. It would be horrible to go against the Lord and cause him to never know us.

**Empowered for Every Circumstance**

        We can learn from what Paul wrote in Philippians 4 from today's First Reading: "I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him [the Lord] who empowers me. Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress." The key here is learning to be self-sufficient. Once you have the Lord empowering you, you have the strength to adapt to all circumstances.  

*****The Plain Truth*****

        If you read the Bible, you will see that it is ultimately a story of good versus evil—or more accurately, humanity’s rebellion against God. This is precisely why Christ the Messiah came to us in person. We are called to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind; when we put ourselves ahead of him, we inevitably perish. Look at history’s once-mighty empires, dynasties, earthly kingdoms, and nations . . . where are they now? Today, evil has even infiltrated his holy Church. When Church leaders lack the courage to condemn the outrageous sins of the world, we are in deep trouble. A society may appear wealthy and affluent, but if it is morally corrupt, it will eventually collapse. God has warned us through numerous saints, Church-approved visionaries, and especially the Holy Mother, that a great chastisement is imminent if we do not return to him. There is still time to repent and change our ways, but it requires deep, persistent prayer. We must pray, believing that the fate of the entire world depends on us. Our earthly life is short. While we are still here, let us secure our eternity first, trusting God to take care of the rest.

***Cause for Joy**

        In today's First Reading from Philippians 3, Paul writes that for many, their minds are occupied with earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven. We are all citizens of various countries for the time being, but I feel so good that by belonging to Christ, I am already a citizen of heaven for all eternity!

***Greatest Suffering, Greatest Consolation*****

        Friday is again the day to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. I realize that nothing we suffer in this life can possibly compare to what Christ went through in saving us from sin! And this becomes my greatest consolation. We owe the Lord eternal gratitude.

***The Choices That Define Eternity***

        Whatever we do in this life ends up either (1) storing up treasure in heaven, (2) not drawing us any closer to God and thus wasting our time, or (3) digging our own grave to be our permanent abode. While (1) and (2) or (2) and (3) can be somewhat mixed, (1) and (3) are entirely incompatible.

**Better Now than Later**

        In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." Experiencing due punishment in this life is far better than facing it after death. While some may escape justice now, they will face a much more severe judgment later. Ultimately, repenting of your wrongdoings is the right thing to do, for God is infinitely merciful.

**The Real Party Pooper**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 15, Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes, "There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." If that's the case, I have a name for anyone who chooses not to repent: a "party pooper." 

**Only Gain You Need**

        The caption for today's First Reading from Philippians 3 by Paul reads: "But whatever gains I had, I even consider as a loss, because of Christ" If you truly have Christ, everything else by comparison feels like a loss. If you don't feel that way, it means you haven't fully surrendered to him yet.