**War or Peace

         If we all obey the God of Christ worldwide, we'll have instant peace, for his second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. If we all rebel against the God of Christ, we'll be embroiled in a fierce spiritual war till the day we die or his Second Coming, whichever comes first. These are statements of truth Christ has already made amply clear.

*Identifying Evildoers

         The Evil One cannot stand the Lord and his people. He attacks them out of sheer hatred. You cannot reason with him, for he does not listen to you. Well, today's many evildoers behave just like that. You can only pity and pray for them.

*****How We Came to Be

         I read today's first reading from Revelation 4 and learned that we came to be and were created because of God's will. This is something we should think about and cherish. We are not some casual, random creatures; we are truly special because God willed us into being! We bear a most special relationship to him. He knows us and we should get to know him intimately too! We already know through Christ that he loves us to death. To reject him is to reject our own existence!

*****Our Tender Lord

          In today's reading from Revelation 3, we also hear our humble Lord speaking most tenderly from his heart: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. It anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." If you hear him and still don't let him in, you don't have a heart.

**Expecting the Unexpected

        In today's first reading from Revelation 3, the Lord said: "If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you." If you don't pay any attention to his warning, you are playing a dangerous game with the Lord. He can come when you least expect him and catch you totally unprepared and cast you into darkness. But those whose name is already in the book of life will eagerly await the Lord's coming at any moment, for their joy will be complete.

***What We Want God to Do for Us

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, a blind beggar, realizing that Jesus was passing by, kept calling out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came  near, Jesus asked him, "what do you want me to do for you?" He replied,"Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight. We can also shout to Jesus, "Son of God, have pity on me!" We may not have a physical impairment, but we can certainly tell him what we want him to do for us. Personally, I would replied to the Lord thus, "Lord, please answer all my prayers." I believe that he will do just that.

***Going Separate Ways*

         Inspired by today's reading from Psalm 1, the just the Lord will watch over and they will prosper, but the wicked the Lord will dismiss and they will vanish. (Luke 13.27: "I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!")

***Our Wonderful Gift from God!

          From today's first reading from Revelation 2, I learned these two things. First, no matter what we endure and suffer, we must never grow weary. Following the Lord is always exciting. Knowing that victory is assured in the end for each of us who follow him, how can we possibly grow weary?
         The next thing I learned was that repentance is a beautiful thing; it brings up back to God. It wipes us clean and we get to start anew. This is absolutely a most wonderful gift by which we can get back to God's grace instantly at any time, for he is always ready to forgive us when we repent. There is nothing on earth better than this precious gift! How can we possibly consider God, the God of Christ, to not be easily accessible?

*Mass Experience in Troubled Times

        I attended Sunday Mass at 5 p.m. yesterday because when I contacted my church early Saturday, Saturday Vigil Mass and the two Sunday morning Masses were already filled, as attendance at each Mass is now limited to just 100 people. Everyone sat with a mask on, sitting at least 6 feet apart, with kneelers all up and taped in place. Not many parishioners talked to each other after Mass. It's all very surreal. But I stilled received my Lord. He is my greatest and only consolation amidst the turmoil in these evil days. I petitioned the Lord to protect his people and crush all evil. Since he is merciful, he shall wipe out evil and save as many souls as possible.

**Saying "I Trust in God" Not Enough

           In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, Jesus told the parable of the talents. We can learn from this parable that we must remain faithful in all small matters and be fruitful. That is, we must not miss every chance that comes our way to spread the gospel of Christ. We cannot be like the servant who received the one talent and buried it in the ground, instead of using it to make a profit. It's not good enough to say "I trust in the Lord" and not diligently work to be fruitful. 

***Start Enjoying Freedom Now

        We must be fully aware that we may leave this world at any time. I am not being pessimistic, I am being realistic! This should teach us not to get ourselves tied down by the things of the world. Start enjoying freedom from the world now and you'll likely enjoy freedom for all eternity. If you do not free yourself from the world, you'll likely never have freedom.

*****To Be Receptive to God

         I woke up before 5 a.m. this morning and it's still pitch dark outside. I felt I was in the most comfortable sleeping position with my arms and head and every other part of my body in the right spot, totally relaxed. Then I thought that this is the way we should feel before the Lord so that we may be completely receptive to him. There should not be any barriers between us and God. We remain wide open and he is totally free to enter to dwell in us. This is the ideal state of our soul, to be in union with the Holy God, our Lord, our Father, our Brother, our Friend, and our Most Beloved.

**Praying for Justice

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, the Lord told the parable of the persistent widow. In it a dishonest judge finally gave in to a widow who kept bothering him to render a just decision for her against her adversary. Jesus then said, "Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily." This is exactly what we need to hear and believe in when our nation is on the verge having a presidential election being stolen by an evil party. I would like to invite you to join me in urgent prayer that all that's in darkness will be exposed and that truth and justice will prevail.  

***Our Most Humble Lord***

        As God, the Lord is more humble than all of us! This should put us to shame and at the same time inspire us to become humble like him. (1) He is God, yet he did not mind becoming human like one of us. (2) As our maker, he did not mind being born through one of his creatures, our Holy Mother. (3) He who is without sin wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist like all the others sinners. (4) As our Lord, he came to serve all of us, even washing our feet. (5) He came to die for us so that we might live—this is almost astounding beyond belief! HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY NOT LOVE OUR MOST HUMBLE GOD???

*Ultimate Humility and Exaltation

         Jesus said, "Whoever humbles himself will be exalted." To surrender ourselves completely to God has to be exhibiting our ultimate humility, and the Lord will exalt us ultimately to residing with him in heaven forever.

**Demonic Evidence

        Jesus said in Matthew 5.37: "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No." Anything more is from the evil one." This came to me early this morning. I see that our mainstream news media and crooked politicians have been doing exactly the opposite. They are now demonic. The devil is the father of lies, as the Apostle John had said. Then I saw Fr. Mark Goring's new video whose message resonates with my thoughts. 

***Prayer Focus

         As I was praying, the Lord showed me that we must focus upon him and our prayer alone and nothing else. This is in accordance with what Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 11.24: "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receiver it and it shall be yours." It's so easy to doubt whether you'll receive what you ask for when praying. This doesn't help a thing and only shows your lack of faith. We must not worry in all circumstances. I know this is easily said than done, but it's the truth.

****Unforgettable Scenes***

        Luke 17:26-37, today's Gospel reading for Mass describes some of the most poignant scenes for me. Jesus told about his coming in the future to his disciples. It will be as unexpected as it was in the days of Noah or Lot. People will be eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting, building, and the Son of Man is suddenly here as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other. Then someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. There will be two people in one bed; oner will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left. 
         This could happen at any time now. We must be ready ourselves and labor to bring as many others to Christ as possible.