***God Breaks Down All Barriers

        When you are in union with the Lord, no barrier exists between you and him. When you meet another person also in union with him, no barrier exists between you and that person either. The Lord breaks down all barriers among those in union with him. It follows that the best possible friends we can find in this life are to be found through union with the Lord. 

***Why Jesus Causes Division

        In Luke 12.51, Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." That Jesus causes division is precisely because he is the one against whom we'll all be measured. We choose either to follow his example or not to follow his example.

**Union with God Promised

        John 14.23, today's verse before the Gospel: Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. When they come to us, of course they are not just going to say hello and leave; they are going to enter and stay with us! Union with God is promised here. 

*Standing Tall in the World

        In today's reading 2 from 1 Peter 3, Peter advises all to keep the conscience clear and remain righteous. This is truly the right way to live. If you are blameless in the eyes of God, who can really harm you? Whatever others do to you no longer matters.

***God Deserves to Be Praised!

        After watching today's Fr. Goring video, I am prompted to post my own thoughts on praising God. Catholics in general are not used to praying aloud spontaneously. During my involvement in the Catholic Charismatic Movement four decades ago, I learned that openly praising God was the key to receiving the Holy Spirit in full. We thank God a lot, but we don't praise him enough. The Lord loves hearing us praising him. The charismatics say "I praise you, Lord" repeatedly. After all, there really are not many other ways of saying it. In the urge to praise God (in frustration, you could say), strange words start to flow out of the mouth. This is the beginning of singing or praising God in tongues. It is really the natural outcome of wanting to praise God as prompted by the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues can also mean speaking a language the speaker personally does not know. I believe that's a more special gift the Lord gives with a different purpose. Anyway, we must not stop praising God, whether we do it in tongues or not. Wonderful things will surely happen to anyone who praises the Lord unceasingly.

**Pushing God to the Limit

         First, God is almighty and nothing is impossible for him. Secondly, he loves us! Yes, he absolutely loves us! So we should feel free to approach him and ask for whatever we want. If what we ask for pleases him, we shall receive it. If not, we shan't and know that we were wrong. At any rate, God would be pleased that we regard him to be our loving Father, as long as we don't intentionally sin against him.

*****Our Greatest Joy!

        I want to talk about Jesus only, all the time. I want to tell the whole world about Jesus! Why? Because he is pure joy, the greatest joy we can possibly experience! This is the joy that comes from heaven and can gladden our souls and uplift our spirits. This is the joy that can purify our hearts, wipe clean our conscience and make us forget all our troubles and sufferings. If everyone is filled with this joy, we'll have peace on earth. It is irrepressible, to be enjoyed to the fullest by the soul. It surely is the greatest gift from God, the Lord himself. How I wish that everyone will given in to him to experience such sweet joy! Then we can all live happy, die happy, and be happy forever.

***Critical Fundamental Choice

        There are many ways of living out there for us to choose from. With the world in such a horrible shape, I see clearly that there are only two basic ways of living: we either live in Christ or outside of him! It is critical that we make a choice at this most fundamental level ASAP while we still have time. 

***The World Our Enemy

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus told his disciples that the world did not know the one who sent him and thereby hated him and them for not belonging to it. Dear Christians, be aware that the world is your enemy, so do not fall in love with it. Evil has infiltrated and influenced the world to a large extent, setting it up as a trap to ensnare as many souls as possible between now and final judgment. Don't fall for it. Stop seeking happiness in this world. Instead, detach yourself from the world by seeking refuge in the Lord so that you may survive safely till eternity. Christ is our only hope, the one who can vanquish evil.  

**Better than Miracles

        Miracles are wonderful and shouldn't surprise us. They serve a purpose. But it you already have faith, you don't need to witness them anymore. Remember what Christ has said to Thomas: Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed. Besides, Jesus as the enabler of all miracles has to be greater and more glorious than all of them. He has already come to us himself. So if you already believe in him, you only need to focus upon him and not the miracles. 

***Going All Out for God

        Christians are given the greatest commandment "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." So if we truly love and follow the Lord, we must go all out, not do it only when we feel like doing it. God has already gone all out for us—see how he showed his greatest love by dying on the cross for us! With God, it has to be an all-or-nothing proposition for us, or we are not taking the greatest commandment very seriously. 

**What Having Faith Is All About!

        In Mark 11, Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." To believe that you will receive what you ask for is to abandon yourself entirely to the Lord. This is what Jesus wishes from us. This is what having faith is all about!

**Hearing from God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus also said to his disciples, "I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father." Pay attention to everything Jesus has said and we know exactly what God wants us to know.

**Healthy Christian Outlook

        We all have happy memories and bad memories, but it's the happy ones that can keep us attached to the past. Being oversentimental is a form of self-indulgence, which can weaken us spiritually. A Christian should always look forward to meeting the Lord in person, as the past is gone forever and the best is sure to come.

**Love Leads to Freedom

        Today's Gospel comes from John 15. Jesus said to his disciples, "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." I see that when one regards himself as the most important person, he becomes a self-centered slave to himself. So if one is able to lay down his life for his friends, then he is free, as Jesus has demonstrated that to us himself! Love is truly the key to freedom, and we can be like Jesus when we surrender ourselves to him.

**Jesus Calling for Union

        Today is the feast of St. Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot as the new Apostle. In the Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus continued to speak to the disciples. He said to them, "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." To me, Jesus is calling us to remain in union with him, and it's in union that we will experience him as our sole joy.

***God Completing Our Existence

        For all ages past, people have looked for some god or gods to worship, adore, praise, and glorify. If there is an extraordinary almighty, holy God, then of course we need to look into it. I am not even talking about salvation of our souls. Then we have Jesus with outstanding character and virtue, infinite mercy, and amazing power who fits the bill perfectly and more—how can we not worship, adore, praise, and glorify him? With such a beautiful Lord to worship, our lives are fulfilled and made complete. That those who believe in him receive freedom, peace, and joy only confirms that he is the true God.

***Most Beautiful Assignment*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus said to his disciples: "Remain in me, as I remain in you. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit." Jesus is talking about being in union with him. We must remain in him completely, not just partway in. He also said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." I just asked for something I'd wanted and now wait for it to be done for me. Remain in Jesus and bear fruit to glorify the Father—this surely has to be the most beautiful assignment we can ever have. 💮💮💮

**Afraid for the Right Reasons

        Most people are open to hearing whatever they come across daily, yet when they hear "Christ is Lord" proclaimed, they often don't even want to think about it. How come? Could it be that he challenges us to the core? That he would expose us as we are, thus making us feel uneasy? That he might be the true God who knows everything? I think so. In Philippians 2, Paul wrote: "At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." I believe that Paul was saying exactly what he knew to be true.

**Know Your Limitations

        There are only so many ways you can help others. You can help them financially or give them materials things to fulfill their needs; you can give them good advice or inspire them by your example as a believer in God; and lastly, you can pray for them. The outcome is still up to the person you try to help. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. So, beware of your limitations and leave it all to God.

*Receiving God's Peace for Us*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." You can be sure that Jesus wants to give us his peace, When we accept it, we will have untroubled and unafraid hearts.

**Heavenly Joy vs. Worldly Pleasure

        As humans, we seek pleasure in this world to satisfy ourselves. Such pleasures don't last long, but can still enslave us. The source is always external. When we are overdosed with them, they can turn distasteful. Temporarily they give some people something to live for, but the emptiness of life remains. On the other hand, heavenly joy can only come from God. It emanates from the inner heart and affects your whole being, your soul! Its sweetness is intoxicating. Once you have tasted it, all worldly pleasures are no longer tasty. This joy uplifts and refreshes your spirit every time you experience it because it comes from above. It makes you yearn for God. It's definitely heavenly!   

**Sin Made More Serious

        Christians especially face persecution today in these dark times. I reported earlier how California officials delayed permitting a mansion to be used for housing sex trafficking victims just because Catholics were going to run the operation. More recently, an evangelical Christian organization built a new field hospital in New York designed to treat any overflow patients from a nearby hospital, but city officials did not trust the organization just because the church opposed same-sex marriage. When we cause others to sin also, our sin becomes a lot more serious. It's the same with preventing others from doing good.

***Simple Key to Union with God

        In today's Gospel from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him" and again "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." All this is just so beautiful, filling my heart with joy! So it is love that will get God to come to dwell with us and reveal himself to us. In sum, open your heart up to let the love of God lead you to full union with him.

**We Are Made for Heaven!

        I followed Fr. Mark Goring's Sunday Mass on TV today. In his homily, he says that we are made for heaven. That resonates with me. Yes, God's sole wish is to save us from sin so that we may go to heaven; we are made to be heaven-bound! Why would you ever want to go against God's intention to your own detriment? Wouldn't that be sheer folly? Obviously, we are not made for living on this earth forever. As Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world," we are never meant to belong this world either.

*A Double-Edged Rock

        Jesus is the rock that can cause us to stumble or make us strong. If you trample over it, you will stumble. But if you seek it for protection, it will support you and shield you from evil attacks. 

Do Things More God's Way

        Today is Mother's Day. Many mothers receive good wishes, presents, and special treats. All this is fine. My thoughts are that we almost always follow customs and traditions or do things simply to fulfill our social obligations. But our ways are not usually God's ways. Since God is concerned about saving souls most, it should be proper and fitting that we always do things with the salvation of souls in mind foremost as Christians should.

*No Concern About Heaven*

        If you know you are heaven bound, you are most probably right. If you know you are headed for hell instead, you are most probably correct too. What if you are not sure where you'll end up? You are right again. Play it safe by following Christ closely and you needn't be concerned about heaven and hell anymore?

*Becoming Wise Growing Old

        Some scientists come to believe in God as they discover unending scientific wonders, while other scientists come to believe that science can provide answers to all our questions and we no longer need God. What about us who believe in God and are aging rapidly? I know oldsters who have grown so set in their ways that they no longer wish to change in any way, while other aging believers realize that they would have to rely upon God more and more, and finally start to abandon themselves to God. The latter are surely being wise.

**Jesus Is One with the Father

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." Perhaps it would sound more "right" to hear Jesus say "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, the Father will do it" and "If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will do it." The way Jesus said them only shows that he and the Father are truly one. The Father could have said all that to us.

***Most Beautiful Communication

        John 31B-32, today's Gospel acclamation: If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord. When you listen to the Lord and obey him, you get to know him. Since he is the truth, to know him is to know the truth. This is logical. I can also vouch for this truth from my own experience. After I got to know the Lord most intimately, he let me know who he is. When God lets you know something, you just know without any doubt, for he plants it right in your heart as only he as your creator can. You now know that he is in you. This makes you fall in love with him even more! 

*Best Acts of Charity

        People show their love in different ways. Some call you often to see how you are doing; some tell you that they love you or send you presents; some don't say much but always do things for you; still others may donate money or just pray for you. Which way is best? That depends upon the motivation behind the deed. All acts done for the sake of the Lord God meaningful to him would have to be ranked best.

**Opposite Views

       Foolish Living: Going all out to satisfy the desire for pleasure and gain, but living without inner peace. Eternity uncertain.

          Wise Living: Casting aside the desire for worldly things and living a life known and pleasing to God only in peace and joy. Eternity locked in with Christ.

         The foolish ones view the wise ones as boring people and feel sorry for them for not knowing how to enjoy life, while the wise ones think that the foolish ones are, well, foolish, and feel sorry that they don't take care of their own souls.

***Truth Before Our Eyes!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Wow! This has to be one of Jesus' boldest proclamations. It compels us to listen up. "He is the way" tells us that we must follow him to know where we are going. He is our true guide. "He is the truth" tells us that he is the absolute reality. And "He is the life" lets us know that we can have eternal life through him. We always look for things to satisfy ourselves in this life. Jesus is right here telling us that we only need to seek and follow him to be satisfied for all eternity!

**Reason Jesus Is Not Welcomed

        In logic, if a hypothesis leads to a conclusion, then negating the conclusion would necessarily negate the hypothesis. For example, if it is raining, the grass would be wet. If the grass is not wet, then it cannot be raining. The conclusion is irrefutable. Jesus has said in Mark 2 and Luke 5 that he had come not to call the righteous to repentance but sinners. If we are all righteous, we would have no fear and welcome Jesus. But since so many of us avoid facing him, it must be that they are sinners afraid for themselves. Logic does not lie. 

***We're Being Tested Again

          In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus continued, "If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak."

        These sayings are important for us to understand. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to tell us what we should and should not do and left the decision to us. It's like God telling Adam that he's free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they ended up dying. Now we are being tested again by God. He is giving us a second chance. If we hold fast onto Christ, then we are surely to pass the test. Note that there won't be another second chance this time!

**Jesus as Our Light

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said, "I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness." I see Jesus as the light that illuminates my mind, dispels the darkness around me, exposes what's in my heart that should be removed, and reveals the way to union with him.

**In God's Household

        If we believe in Jesus, we must see that he uses us to further his kingdom on earth and attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit. If we presume that the Lord is not going to speak to us, of course, we won't hear from him. But if we are all ears and eager to hear from him, we will hear his voice. It is an honor, privilege, and joy to know that the Holy Spirit is with you and that you belong to God's household.

***The Sin We Must Repent Of

       Historically, the world wars, the Holocaust, revolutions, genocides, dictatorial regimes, etc., have killed millions and millions of lives, and we are appalled. Yet most of us seem to have acquiesced to the even greater nonstop killing of the unborn worldwide. Perhaps because the killing is silent and has been legalized by many governments. But this direct and willful termination of life is undeniably denying that God is the author of life and that he loves us and commands us not to kill. In the case of the unborn, the victim is not only innocent, but also defenseless. This has to be a cruelest sin we can possibly commit against God. For this sin alone, we need to repent to God to avoid any further chastisement and damnation of the soul.  

**The Great Split Warning*

        We are all marching toward death, and when we face death, there'll be two paths waiting for us. One will take us to heaven and the other to hell. I am just putting up a road sign to warn you of what you might run into ahead. Follow Christ now and I'll change the sign to point to heaven only. Warning of the split is no longer necessary. 

***Time for Church to Repent***

        Repentance is the key to entering the kingdom of heaven. Christ teaches that and the Church teaches that. Sadly, the Church is not practicing what it preaches. Shouldn't the authorities of the Church to be our shining example openly repent of their corruption, covering up scandals, being timid in condemning and stopping evil such as abortion, failure in teaching the truth such as the real presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, being lax in evangelizing souls, trying to be political correct instead of following only Christ? I am not here to judge . . . I am only echoing what many faithful Catholics feel about the Church today. Repentance is required of every sinner on this earth, even non-Christians.

***Praising the Lord!

        Today the Lord of Christ lets me see clearly that he is our God, our Light, our Guide, our Model, and our Judge. No one can possibly bypass or hide from him. He is the absolute reality. Blessed are we to have such a God who also loves and understands us. Without him, we are utterly lost. With him, we gain everlasting life. I rejoice that he called me and that following him has been an immense joy. 

**Good News Becomes Great News*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Knowing that we shall never perish is already such good news. Knowing that no one can possibly take us out of the Father's hand makes the good news even better. That we can become one with the Father and the Son has got to be the best icing on the cake.

**Why Christianity Is not Winning

        In today's first reading from Acts 11, the disciples went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. A great number believed and turned to the Lord. I am wondering why this is not happening today. First I thought that everyone pretty much has heard about Jesus, so it's nothing new to get excited about anymore. Then I realized that it's because of the allure of the the well-developed material society on the one hand and the lack of zeal and spirit in most Christians on the other hand. Ultimately, it is the lukewarm Church that's responsible for the present situation. If we can be as excited and spirited about our faith as the early Christians, the world would be a lot different today. We have not abandoned ourselves in the Lord completely. Perhaps this is also why we do not see that many miracles being performed today. Only a total recommitment to the Lord by the Church and all of us can turn things around.

**The Power of God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said, "I have power to lay my life down, and power to take it up again." The power of the Lord comes from his will. Whatever he wills, it's done. Since he can will anything, he can do anything. Compared to him, we have zero power, for to accomplish anything, we need to toil and labor. But if we acknowledge to the Lord that we are nothing before him, he will empower us to do good.

**Please Die in Peace*

      If I do something and lose peace, I know that I've gone against the Lord. Then I undo what I've done and regain peace, and I get confirmed. We want to be able to correct all wrongs so that we may leave this world in peace. One thing that can put a heavy burden on our heart is that we are not on speaking terms with someone we love or who used to be close to us. The first thing you can do is to pray for that person (and for yourself too). Then maybe you can send the person a card at Christmas time to wish him or her well. *Take the first step to see how far you can get. Of course, you must forgive that person (and yourself too) before the Lord first. If you die with peace in your heart, you will enter peace. But if you die with a heart in turmoil, you will encounter turmoil on the other side too.

What Christianity Is All About

        In reading 2 from 1 Peter 2, Peter wrote: Christ himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. This is what Christianity is all about and Peter fully realized it then. If we realize it now, it's time for us to become full-fledged Christians.

God Most Dependable

        In Matthew 6.33, Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides." We want so many things, and most of all, we want to make money. We are so busy that we either don't have time to seek the kingdom of God at all or seek it when there is some time left over. Let me testify to you that if you seek to please God first, you'll enjoy freedom and peace and all the things you need will be provided you by God besides. He is most dependable. If you don't try him, it's your loss.

***God the Most Beautiful

        Today's responsorial Psalm is Psalm 23, which consists of only six verses. If the parable of the lost son is the most beautiful parable of all, then Psalm 23 has to be the most beautiful Psalm of all. Verse 4 reads: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. How can you not feel good when you read this? God is just too beautiful to even imagine! Don't think about going to heaven; just think about being with him forever!

***A Sweet Blessing

       In today's first reading from Acts 2, Peter spoke up at Pentecost, "Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when all the people heard this, they were cut to the heart. Letting the Lord cut you to the heart is a sweet experience. It  shows that he is with you, he matters to you, and you feel for him. So let him cut you to the heart as much as he wishes. Jesus makes everything sweet for us!