**Thanking God Especially Today

        It is Thanksgiving Day and I was happy to see many people at Mass this morning. What do I have to be thankful for? First, I am thankful that God loves us so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Next, I am thankful at Mass that he again gave all of himself to be one with us in the Holy Eucharist. It's a no-brainer.

*Equal Before God

        We are all most important to ourselves as we know ourselves best and try to take care of ourselves first. Everyone feels that way, so before God we are all equally important to him. Before him we are not superior (or inferior) to anyone else. Therefore, we must not judge or look down on anyone. This is to see everyone as God does.

**Test of Our Love

        In Luke 6:32, Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them." The test of love is whether you love those who do not love or even hate you. The love of God is pure and blind; you just love. If people don't appreciate our "love" and turn against us, of course that would turn us off, but we should never view them as our enemies, for the love of God is devoid of any hate or bitterness.

**Heavenly Advice for Us

        Today's Gospel acclamation, Revelation 2.10c: Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. This advice the Lord gave to the angel of the church in Smyrna we also need to know and follow in these times of great evil.

**Thanks to Sin

        Because I realize how ugly all my sins are, I come to realize the awesome holiness of the Lord God. This is the only good thing I can say about sin.

*****Stunning Realization!*****

        I was asleep, woke up, and realized that I know the Lord God better than anyone I see on earth—this is absolutely stunning and I was filled with joy! It has to be the Lord's doing! So how can anyone say that we cannot know God? He's been waiting all our lives wanting to know each of us badly and we just shut him out. God wants to love us—let him do it! He wants to save us so that we may live happily forever—let him do it! First of all, he wants to know us, so welcome him with open arms for a change! Are you afraid of him because of your sins? If you don't have a better reason, all the more you need to open up to him! For heavens's sake, let's stop being so blind, so spoiled, so prideful, and so stupid! Being a sinner is bad enough to start out with. To me, to remain unbelieving in the one who truly loves and can save us borders on insanity if I may say so.

***Christ Taking Care of All Things

        If Christ can secure our eternal life, surely he can and will take care of everything else for us! A perfect logical conclusion. 

****Our Most Important Concern

        Let's be realistic and talk basics. If you believe that we all possess a soul and the soul lives on forever, then the most important thing we should do in this life is make absolutely sure that we get to heaven. Of course, Christ has already made it known to us that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. So you must look into him unless you can find someone else who can promise you the same even more convincingly. Time is running out for all of us. Here's the best of luck to all.

**Only Way to Change Ourselves*

        Today I realize that we are complex sinful beings that only God our creator can fundamentally change. We can change ourselves on the surface only. This is a basic fact we need to recognize if we ever hope to change ourselves to experience the freedom, peace, and joy in God. It shows that we fundamentally need Christ.

**The Sin Situation

        We cannot take sin lightly. Anyone with unremoved sins is like sitting on the edge a precipice and can fall off it if he's not careful. When Christ removes your sins, it's like he's placing you on level ground with no precipices in sight anymore.

**Communion Experience

        Today is The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. I received my King in the Holy Eucharist, the food of immortality! There is nothing I lack anymore.

**A Simple Observation

        Sin is the main cause of the corruption, the disorder, and the suffering in our world. If you recognize this, especially in evil times such as ours now, all the more you should turn to Christ to ask him to make you as holy as possible. 

**Letting God Be Our Refuge

        Things come up in life that seem to disappoint or discourage us, setting us back in some manner. This is the time to seek refuge in the Lord to restore our perspective. In the overall scheme of things, most things that happen are quite trivial, and good might even come out of theses experiences. The Lord is where you can go to gain understanding of all things and receive guidance. Of course, this is also where you can get consolation and encouragement. Whenever the world tear us down, the Lord can build us up even more. Let God whom nothing can overcome and to whom everyone must succumb be your refuge, rock, and stronghold.        

***Faith Without Questions

        In today's Gospels reading from Luke 20, the Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and the scribes were always asking Jesus difficult questions in an attempt to trap him, but they failed each time, for he knew all the right answers. We should trust in our Lord, knowing that he has all the right answers to all our questions. Therefore, belief in him steadfastly and never let what you do not know stand in the way.

**Believing in the Lord

        Even as ones who follow Christ, we still tend to hold onto our own beliefs when it comes to issues such as administering justice to criminals, forgiving others, turning the other cheek, etc. I don't have all the answers, but I do believe that if I love my Lord, he will never put me to any test that I cannot pass.

**Solution to Division Among Us

         Jesus has told us that because of him, there'll be division on earth. Even among those who follow him, there's much division, let alone those who do not follow him. I see division practically in every family with distinct characters holding individual beliefs, not getting along with everyone else. Large models of division are our government and the Church. We are far from surrendering ourselves completely to the Lord—it's this disunity that weakens and can destroy us! Turning to and surrendering to Christ is our last call, for there's no other recourse available. He's our only hope and the one we need. True unity can come only thru uniting with him. Thus, union with Christ is the solution to restoring us to peace and harmony with God and fellow human beings.

*****Most Satisfying Relationship Possible

        The Lord God is invisible to us and many don't even sense his presence, yet we can form the closest possible relationship with him. How so? First, being our creator, he knows everything about us and understands us perfectly. He can take away our sins, heal our souls, and make us anew. Secondly, by seeking union with him thru the Holy Eucharist, you come to know him most intimately and he becomes the ideal perfect soulmate you have always wanted. Now he is more real and indispensable to you than anyone else. Rejoice that the Lord has made you this way for him!

****Seeing What's Coming

      In today's Gospel reading, Luke 19:41-44, Jesus laments over Jerusalem: As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will smash you to the ground and your children within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." As evil is trying to take over the world, I see the worst coming for the Church and its members. There'll be increasing persecutions against all Catholics and the Eucharist may even disappear, according to some prophecies. Of course, we are not obliged to believe in such messages coming from private sources, but at the same time we should not ignore them either. The fact that there are so many prophecies coming to us now shows the urgency of our times. And the fact that they, coming from so many different sources, are very much in agreement with each other adds to their credibility. I do feel the urgency to do whatever extra we are called upon to do. Christians must recognize the signs of our times. Sure, we'll be all right if we trust in God and God will triumph in the end, but we still need to take action and do what's necessary to save as many souls as possible. If you are only lukewarm, you'd better get hot! If you are already hot, you can get even hotter! God now needs us more than ever.