In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." I don't think Jesus is saying that saying farewell to your family first is not appropriate. The main point he makes is that if you want to follow him, you must be resolute and not hesitate. It you want to go straight to heaven, then stay on that path and not wander off, take breaks, or get yourself distracted.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
****How to Learn from God
Our ego and our pride have made us slow learners of the truth. We do not see the wonders of God all around us. We do not hear the good news preached to us. God knocks at the door of our heart constantly and we just ignore him. Let me tell you how you can learn fast or even effortlessly from God. All you need to do is to turn to the Lord and invite him to enter your heart and you will start to hear from him, for he needs a receptive heart that welcomes him. Now, if you can open up your heart all the way, dropping all resistance, for him to enter and dwell within you comfortably, then you'll instantly know the whole truth, for Truth is now with you. This is learning from the Lord effortlessly. It's truly fantastic!
*****What It's All About*****
Three years ago, a Hubble study showed that our universe has trillions of galaxies. Well, that number is truly mind-boggling, but why should we stop there? As far as I am concerned, our universe can be infinitely vast, as our God is an infinite God! It's more logical to say that the universe is infinite than to say that it is finite, as a finite universe would raise even more questions. As I was praying this morning, I sensed the infinite depth of God's love, and that love deserves our total submission to him. It dawned on me like a revelation. We either submit ourselves to the Lord to become one with him or rebel against him to be cast out forever. This is what it's all about! When all the righteous are saved and Satan and all the evil spirits are cast into hell forever, we'll have eternal peace.
***What to Do with Today's Evildoers
Satan only knows how to deceive you and spread hatred. He lures you with false promises. Read the Gospels to see how he tempted Jesus. Satan also attacks anyone who follows the Lord. He has attacked many saints most viciously. Well, I see so many evildoers today operating just like Satan. You cannot reason with them, for they are no longer rational. They only want to take control of you by any means necessary. They are on the brink of falling into hell and they don't seem to be unaware of that. It is so very sad. The ignorance of the Most Holy Lord has to be the most detrimental ignorance to anyone. We can only pray for God's mercy on them. It's most appropriate that we pray as Jesus did on the cross before he expired: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
***God Makes All the Difference
Everything is to be measured against God. We can make a lot of money, but this itself is nothing compared to having God. We can lose a lot of money, but this is nothing compared to losing God. Living comfortably a hundred years on earth is nothing compared to living in heaven forever. The worst suffering in this life is nothing compared to suffering in hell without God for all eternity. God makes us see the truth. He makes all the difference and nothing else matters. I could go on, but you get my point.
**A Great Adventure
In today's Gospel from John 1, Nathanael came to Jesus and said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." For us who have believed in the Lord, we not only see great things, we also experience great things internally. Following the Lord is a great adventure throughout.
**God Makes Us Special
Today is the Feast of the Archangels Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. When we fulfill the word of the Lord and heed his voice, we become like these good angles. Praising God, blessing God, adoring him, glorifying him, and thanking him exalts us to a special status. We are not the same anymore. Attaining union with the Lord in total submission would be ideal. God transforms us anew and lifts us up to him, and we become holy and beautiful like the good angels. Praise him.
**Praying with Intensity
We can pray fast or slowly; it's the intensity of our prayer that matters the most. How much do we mean what we say to God? How urgently do we desire to communicate with the Lord? How much pain do we experience in the heart? Praying lukewarmly is a waste of time. (I am not talking about contemplative prayer here.)
Monday, September 28, 2020
***Doing the Lord's Work Well*
In John 15.5, Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." When I realize that without Christ I truly cannot do anything and that he is with me, I gain great strength and courage and lose all anxieties. I am now calm, ready to do his work. Try it. It''s letting God make everything easy for you.
**Great Power of Christ the Lord
Nothing is impossible for Christ, for he is the Lord God. The many miracles he performed witnessed by many were most impressive. But equally amazing is his power to transform us. When you let him forgive all your sins, your heart become clean and pure. When you let him heal your inner wounds, your soul is made whole. When you abandon yourself to him, you become a holy person. The Lord can completely make you anew. So take advantage of his great power to get you ready for heaven. We have a most powerful helpful God.
Sunday, September 27, 2020
**Who's More Important than Us?
In today's second reading from Philippians 2, Paul writes, Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. The first part is manageable, I can stop being selfish. But the second part, to regard others as more important than yourselves, that is much harder. Sure, God is more important than me, but others? In Luke 9, Jesus did say, "For one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest." It's good to know this. Perhaps, to start with, we can as least regard others as important as ourselves.
*Communion Experience
Today I actually started to attend Sunday Mass at my church again. I had to register in advance, for only a hundred parishioners are allowed inside the church at one time. And, of course, all wore masks and sat apart. Many rows of seats were taped off, so I couldn't even use the kneeler attached to the chair before you. This is California, you know. Anyway, it's good to receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist again. I trembled with joy, hoping that the Lord will draw me even deeper into him.
***God's Gifts for Following Him
Following Christ is not forcing yourself to follow him in any way. Instead, you go passive to let the Lord take over. The rewards are freedom, peace, and joy. I am repeating this here to let you know that this is true fact. For Christ your creator is the only one who can fundamentally transform you internally. Freedom, peace, and joy are what you receive after you make him truly Lord (beyond calling him Lord). I listed these gifts in the order they normally come. Of course, they can overlap.
**Fighting for the Church*
As a Catholic, I'll never leave the Catholic Church, even if everyone in the Church becomes corrupt. For this is the Church Christ has built upon Peter for us. To reject her amounts to rejecting Christ. Catholics like all sinners can become evil, but Christ remains holy and perfect forever. This is something all Catholics must clearly see. The fact that the Church is being attacked so viciously by Satan is precisely because she is the true Church. We are going through a most difficult period now, but the Lord will cleanse and restore his Church again. This is the perfect time for us to surrender ourselves to the Lord even more to help him fight the spiritual battle.
***What Alone Matters to Us
Each of us now lives among billions of fellow humans, but ultimately, we are alone with God. For all of us in the world will pass away and the Lord alone remains. We'll come to meet him face to face and give an account of what we've done. No one else will be there to speak for us. Each of us came from God alone and will return to him alone and be judged by him alone. So only God and how he wishes us to live matters.
*God and Worry Mutually Exclusive
You cannot abandon yourself to God and worry about things at the same time. Choosing one excludes the other. To abandon yourself to God totally is to give up everything else. To worry about all things is to have no trust in God whatsoever.
**Our Greatest Attainment
When we follow Christ faithfully and do everything according to God's will, we are in perfect harmony with God, becoming one with the Holy Trinity. For us, there is no greater or more beautiful and rewarding attainment than that.
**A Message to the Foolish
In John 14.6, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In fact, we cannot bypass the Lord in any manner. Whatever we do he knows. You want to go to heaven, you have to go through him, as he is not only our Savior, but also our judge. And he exists forever, for he is the life. If you think you can ignore him, you only fool yourself.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
***Christ Brings Life to Light!
2 Timothy 1.10 is today's Gospel acclamation: Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. I do feel that Christ has liberated my spirit. He has made me see what life is all about and what is beyond this life. I am no longer lost. In fact, he has brought me to become one with him! Now I see all things as he sees them. He has truly brought my life to light and made me ready to live eternal life with him in heaven. There is no greater satisfaction than this!
**Don't Lose Your Eternal Freedom!
Today's first reading comes rom Ecclesiastes 11.9—12.8. After reading it, I understand that we are free to do whatever we want in life, but God will bring us to judgment one day. After the judgment, we'll either have freedom forever or no freedom at all. This is good for us to realize and remember so that we might live right.
***The Union with God Experience
How much we hear from the Lord is directly proportional to how much we abandon ourselves to him. In complete union with God, you and he become one. You now enjoy his most intimate presence within you. You are his and no longer of the world.
Friday, September 25, 2020
***Communicating with God Properly
When you pray or talk to God, you must do it with all your heart, meaning every thought and word from the innermost of your heart. It's as if you take your heart out of you and offer it all to the Lord. This is baring your soul before him. Then you'll enjoy your reward. The Lord will always give you back manyfold more than you give him.
**Our Most Fundamental Calling
You pray to the Lord, asking him whether he wishes you to become a religious or remain lay, to get married or remain single, to become an engineer or a teacher, etc. It should be clear that the Lord most of all wishes you to love him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind—that is, he wishes you to become holy like him. Become one with him first and all other callings will be made clear. So seek to attain union with the Lord through the Holy Eucharist so that you may fulfill his most ardent desire.
**A Neglected Awareness
We are used to doing whatever we feel like doing and don't think about how we might affect others. But If our action does cause others to sin, then we have committed a serious sin. Of course, if you know the Lord well enough to have developed a super sharp conscience, this will no longer be an issue.
**Am I a Religious Right-Wing Extremist?
Someone I know who's also Catholic has called me a religious, right-wing extremist. I really don't care whether I turn out to be right-wing or left-wing, I only follow the Lord Jesus Christ. But I do feel honored to be considered an extremist for Christ, for how can you love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all you mind, and with all your strength, if you don't go all out for him? If I am an extremist, then Jesus has to be the most far-out extremist of all. Obviously, this person hasn't totally accepted Christ yet. Revelation 3.16: So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Here we learn what the Lord prefers.
**Don't Explain God Away
People who always try to explain away the wonders, signs, miracles, and even existence of God are close-minded, unknowingly allying themselves with the Devil. The right attitude, if you don't know God yet, is to remain neutral and open, and do your investigation conscientiously.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
**Encountering the Lord*
It is possible for a Christian to believe in Christ, but not experience anything that fires up his faith. An encounter with God is missing. In today's video by Fr. Mark Goring on spiritual preparation for coming tribulations, he talks about our need to meet or encounter God. He cites the man born blind in John 9 who was healed by Jesus. He told everyone that he was blind and now he could see. Looking back, I can say that being baptized by the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement was definitely an encounter for me. We need to open up to encounter the Lord. Otherwise, we remain lukewarm at best, not being productive as his servants. Encountering the Lord changes our life for his glory!
***The Greatest Unifier
I am so happy that I am not only in love with the Lord, but also with all the holy angels and saints in heaven. There is total communion among all those who love the Lord. God's love is the most beautiful and greatest unifier there is. This union is unbreakable by any external force. What a tremendous blessing!
***God Is Ready and Waiting for You***
I love the late night or very early morning. When I wake up, it's quite dark or moonlit all around. I don't have neighbors living close to me, so it's generally quiet all around too. No distraction; pure solitude. And I acutely sense the Lord's presence in and around me. It's such a wonderful feeling that makes me wonder how anyone can say that there is no God. He is so close that you don't even need to look for him. You only need to remain still, open your heart wide, desire him, and he will reveal himself to you. Solitude can absolutely help.
**Sign You Don't Know God
Those who know God see clearly that there is the greatest good, God, and the greatest evil, Satan, while those who do no know God are not even aware of the existence of evil or have already been deceived by Satan to become evil.
**Clear Sign You Need God
The more you feel uneasy and avoid turning to Christ, the more you need him in your life, because he is your loving creator and God.
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
***Evidence of Eucharistic Miracles
I had posted about Eucharistic miracles before. Here is another video you should watch, also by Ray Grijalba of thejoyofthefaith.com.
**Miracles of Padre Pio
Today is the Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina (better known as Padre Pio). So I am going to post a short video about the holy priest made by Ray Grijalba of thejoyofthefaith.com.
*****Straight Talk About Heaven and Hell*****
It's so important for us to realize that heaven and hell are real and that we'll end up in one or the other. I am talking reality, more real than anything else in this world. For us, it'll be a oneway trip, no return and no way out whatsoever for ever. Make your choice and your reservation through Christ the Savior right now while you still have time. If you know your house might burn, would you just do nothing now? Your soul, your most precious possession and gift from God, is infinitely more important that a house! Listen to me and don't forget this warning: it'll be either heaven or hell!
***Priorities of a Christian
A bona fide Christian lives for Christ and not for himself. He prepares himself not for living this life, but for living the eternal life later. He focuses upon building up treasures in heaven and is not intent on seeking fame and wealth in the world. He is selfless and wants to serve and glorify God only. He wants to be like Christ.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
***Secret of Belonging to God's Family
This is today's entire Gospel reading from Luke 8: The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you. He sad to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." The Lord reveals to us what unites us to him above all other relationships. It is acting on the word we hear from him.
***Our Top Concern***
We are afraid that we can catch the coronavirus and die. We're afraid that wild fires could spread to our area and burn down our houses. We're afraid that the mob can show up in our neighborhood to attack us. There are so many things we are concerned about, and many of these concerns are legitimate. But how much concern do you have for your own soul? Do you ever seriously wonder where your soul will go after you die? If you don't ever ponder such questions, then you have wasted all your time living. I may sound harsh, but I want you to value your own soul before anything else. This is precisely why Christ the Son of God came to us and died for us! Are you going to trash something for which he died? Not taking care of your own soul amounts to rejecting God's love for you altogether. So please make concern for your own soul your top priority, and you'll be truly happy from that point on.
***How God Sees You
When the illumination of conscience happens, you'll see the state of your soul as God sees it and you may be shocked. It is easy to think that you are a pretty good person and that you'll most likely be OK with God, as there are so many truly bad people out there. But this is seeing yourself as you see it. The reality is that God knows every little sin of which you may not even be aware! So you should go to him and ask him to reveal the state of your soul to you so that you'll be ready when the illumination of conscience takes place or when you die and go before his judgment. On the other hand, you should realize how much God loves and treasures you and that if you believe and trust in him wholeheartedly, you need not fear anything anymore, for you're going to live forever with him in heaven. This totally takes care the state of your soul, and how God sees you is no longer a concern.
Monday, September 21, 2020
**Goal of the Christian
The main goal of all of us who follow Christ should be to attain union with him so that we may get to know him thoroughly so that we may become like him.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
*As Long as We Get to Heaven
Today's Gospel reading is from Matthew 20. It recorded Jesus telling the parable of the workers in the vineyard. A landowner hired laborers to work in his vineyard at various times throughout the day. Some started working about nine in the morning and others started as late as five in the afternoon. In the evening, all laborers received the same daily wage. The ones who had worked longer hours grumbled about this to the owner. The lesson was that God does not cheat anyone. He fulfills his promises, but he can be extra generous when he wants to. And he is free to reward us however he wishes. I'd like to present the Lord's case like this. Let's say that I faithfully serve the Lord my whole life, die, and go to heaven. An evildoer repents just before he dies and is saved. He also shows up in heaven. Should I complain to God that he's not being fair? Of course, not. Whatever makes God happy should make me happy. Besides, once God has rewarded us fully, nothing else matters. Whether you get to heaven first or last, you should be happy.
***Faith Leads to God
Today's Psalm 145 response: The Lord is near to all who call upon him. Faith in the Lord is believing in one you have not seen nor heard to be the truth. The amazing part is that once you hold this belief, the Lord reveals to you in your heart that he is indeed the truth. So when you put your faith in the true God, he will reveal himself to you. This is completely logical and has to be true, as it is the contrapositive to the true statement "If he don't hear God saying anything to your heart, you must not believe in him at all." (Logic. It A implies B, then not B implies not A.)
***Our Dream Existence
The first reading comes from Isaiah 55. In it, the Lord says: My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. About this, we can be sure. Therefore, we need to know the Lord to know his ways and his thoughts. And there is no better way than surrendering ourselves to him to attain union with him. As one, we and the Lord become soulmates, understanding each other perfectly in all things. This is our dream existence!
**When Does God Calls Us?
God calls us to turn to him at all times. He is calling us when we feel discouraged, when we feel oppressed, when we feel hopeless, when we are sad, when we are frustrated, when we are persecuted, when we feel misunderstood, when we feel alone, when we feel lost, when we feel the emptiness or life, when we feel burdened, when we long for peace, when we are sick of hearing the bad news around the world, when we see so much evil going on around us, when we feel sorry for all kinds of victims in the world, when we are saddened by the continuous killing of the unborn, when we are shocked by the ongoing sex trafficking, when we realized that evil has infiltrated our Church, when we see so many hypocritical, corrupt, and lying politicians showing only hatred for others with no love for their country, and when we start to hate the godless ourselves. If we don't turn to God now, then we are no better than all the others who have rejected God.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
**Three Days of Darkness*
The Three Days of Darkness will seem to be God's last warning to us. We'll probably have the Illumination of the Conscience first. No matter, just love the Lord now with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Seek to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist would be ideal.
*Vatican Corruption
Matthew 10.26: Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known, says the Lord.
**The Righteous Have God's Ear
The wicked do not hear nor pray to God. But the righteous cry out to him and he hears and listens to them. In such evil times as ours, we need to go to God and pour our heart out to beg for his mercy on all. If we are not able to act physically to help the situation, we can always go to the Lord to ash him to crush evil and save all souls, for he cares for us all.
Friday, September 18, 2020
**Change Yourself, Not God
God cannot be faulted. He is perfect, holy, full of love, and understands everything. If you are unhappy, it's time to look at yourself. It's the Lord calling you to go to him for help. You must reconcile yourself to him first so that he may make you anew. Then you'll see things clearly as he sees them. Let him be your guide and refuge from now on and you'll experience peace and joy and gain eternal life to boot!
***God's Beautiful Words
God is beautiful in every way, his words included. They bring hope, encouragement, consolation, and joy to our soul and spirit. Keep them and he comes right to you to be one with you. If you think God is remote or unreachable, that's because you have a hardened heart.
**God Our Soul Healer
Left on our own, we become spiritually ill and disordered. If we will only open wide our hearts to let the Lord in, his holy presence within us alone will heal our souls. The best time to do this is when we receive him in the Holy Eucharist, instituted by the Lord for us to attain union with him.
***Glad We Have God
In this mixed-up, lost, chaotic, evil world, I am so happy that we have an all-knowing, compassionate Lord who will judge everyone with perfect justice and put everything in perfect order in the end. Let's pray, hope, and remain patient, for God will always deliver those who trust in him.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
**Living a Most Rewarding Life
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, a Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. A sinful woman in the city learned about this. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she came and stood behind Jesus at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. Since she showed great love for the Lord, he forgave all her sins. What I learn here is that every little thing we do motivated by our love for the Lord he knows, and he will reward us for it. We only need to serve him faithfully without fail and we'll live a most rewarding life now and forever.
**Secret of Finding Rest in Christ
Today's Gospel acclamation, Matthew 11.28: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Do you know that when you labor and toil in life, Jesus can help you? Do whatever you must do for his sake and you'll find it easy. It is exactly when we do all things for our own sake that we get stressed out. See yourself as an employee working for the Lord and you'll receive power, strength, and peace on earth, let alone the great reward you'll receive in heaven!
**Eye Witness Report of the Resurrection
In today's second reading from 1 Corinthians 15, Paul wrote: I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. There are many other writings showing that Christ did rise from the dead, but listening to what Paul said here alone is enough to believe that the Resurrection of the Lord indeed took place.
**Superior Advantages of Knowing God
If you are self-centered and aware of yourself only, you'll never get to know God. But if you are aware of God's holy presence and center your attention upon him always, he will reveal all the truths, his thoughts, his ways, and his wisdom to you to set you free and make you wise in all matters.
***The Greatest Losers
Our greatest achievement is not being able to get to Mars and beyond, not figuring out ways of eliminating all life-threatening diseases, not producing enough food to wipe out world hunger, etc. All mentioned above would take vast amounts of money, research, time, and effort to achieve with no guarantee of success. The greatest achievement for each of us is get to heaven! It takes only faith in Christ and success is assured. Such great news, but so few pay serious attention, for their ego has made them see only themselves. Those who lose eternal life have to be the greatest of all losers for sure!
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
**Today is like Jesus' Days
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus said to the crowds; "John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But the wisdom is vindicated by all her children." So the crowds always blame you, no matter what you do. This is exactly what our phony politicians and phony news reporters and newscasters have been doing for years and are still doing everyday today spinning lies against those they hate. Repent, for Jesus is coming!
**Phony Catholics
In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 12, Paul wrote: Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thing. I don't expect today's politicians who proclaim that they are Catholics to be all saints, but if you measure what they do against the standards Paul has set here, I am afraid that they fail meeting any of them.
***What We Must Realize
Another big important realization: we shall all have to answer to God. So, are you ready for that moment now? I wouldn't wait until the last minute, for you may not have that minute.
***Our Soul Our Treasure
My big realization is that unlike all other forms of life created by God, we are created in his image and given a soul. That is why we are so precious to him and should safeguard our soul as our greatest treasure. To not care about your soul is to not care about God, thus dooming yourself. It's so very clear.
***Most Urgent and Perfect Time
We are at a time when we urgently need to go all out to pray to God with all our heart and with all our might to ask him to save our country, the Church, and the world. We always need God, but now we need him more than ever, for so many souls are being deceived and swept away toward eternal death. It's do-or-die for us, the perfect time to surrender ourselves to God completely to help him fight the spiritual war.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
***To Be the Freest Being Existing!
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant to teach us that we must forgive others as God forgives us. If he is merciful to us, then we must be merciful to others. Not being able to forgive others is a clear sign that we do not fully know the Lord's love yet. Only knowing his love fully will you be able to love and forgive all others. And you'll feel the liberation! Nevertheless, do the will of God always and you'll be the freest being in the whole universe!
**To Be a Full Christian
In today's second reading from Romans 14, Paul writes: "If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." To be a full Christian, we must belong to the Lord, then we must live and die for him. Otherwise, living is meaningless.
***Time Running Out for Sinners
Today's first reading from Sirach 27 is what today's sinners need to hear. Let me quote part of it.
Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord's vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High's covenant and overlook faults.
Since these sinners don't even pray, they are not likely to heed these words. How sad that they have reached the point only some dire calamity might perhaps get their attention!
***A Great Feeling
Today I just know that God has created me to come into the world to find and know him so that I might return to him never to leave him again. It's such a great feeling to know this!
Saturday, September 12, 2020
*Mars in 4K
The new images from Mars are amazing. They show another world. But somehow I am not amazed that much because I already know intimately the one who created Mars and the whole universe.
***Action Needed Now!
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus said to his disciples: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?" Many say "I trust in the Lord" and don't do anything more. We cannot listen to God's words and not act on them. Staying lukewarm is not an option. As he promised later, "Anyone who listens to and acts on my words is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it." That's the way to go, especially as we are now entering end times.
***Yearning for God
Today's Gospel acclamation John 14.23: Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. I, for one, want the Father and the Son to come to me. Just remember that the Lord God is all holy and loves us to death. He deserves to be loved with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind. And we must not sin one iota against him. Abandoning ourselves to him completely is the only possible, logical move for us to make. Let me know if you know of a better way.
**Stay Away from the Demons
From today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 10, Paul wrote: I do not want you to become participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons." We must discern clearly what comes from the Lord and what doesn't. It's easy to think that since everyone is doing it, it must be OK. And it's difficult to uphold your beliefs not to cave in, absent great courage and strong faith. Pity those within and without the Church who have already been deceived by the Devil and lost sight of the truth. To ground ourselves deeply in the Lord is our only salvation.
Friday, September 11, 2020
***Joy of Having Secured Eternity***
I am so happy to have Christ all to myself because having him, I am all set to live on as one with him for ever! I feel like telling you this a million times, for his promise is absolutely trustworthy, backed by his own sacrifice on the cross to save us. There is no greater joy and satisfaction than knowing that you have secured your eternity. The most crucial problem of your existence is no more.
Thursday, September 10, 2020
**Simplifying Loving
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus said to his disciples, "Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." In other words, we must love others as the Lord loves us and we must not expect anyone but the Lord to reward us. Let's just make it simple: love God and don't think about anything else.
**Know God 1st to Know What's True
In today's 1st reading from 1 Corinthians 8, Paul writes: Knowledge inflates pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him. How true this is! I have just seen a case of someone who is proud of what he knows, yet what he knows is all false—a case of not knowing God and thus the truth. To be able to discern the good from the evil, one needs to know God first. Paul also writes that if we love God, we are known by him. How good it is that we let God know us! There is no more rewarding life than remaining in perfect union with our God!
**God Alone Worthy of Appreciation
I was watching a recorded piano recital played by the renowned and great Canadian virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin. At the end of playing one of the scheduled pieces, a fan walked up to the stage to give him a bouquet of red roses. This is a nice way to show your appreciation for someone who's giving you so much pleasure. I just couldn't help thinking about the need for us to show our appreciation for our Lord. He is not just another great human being; he is the one in whom you can fully trust with your heart and soul! He is the only one who deserves our full surrender. It's such a joy that we have him to whom we could go to get our eternal life taken care of. I shall appreciate and love him always.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
***Loving Our Holy Mother
Yesterday was the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the birthday of our Mother. She is the Lord's most important and holiest creature participating in his plan of salvation for all mankind. She is totally with those who are for her Son. If you are one with the Lord, you are one with her too. If you go to her, she will always bring you to her Son. We all need a perfect mother to look after us and we have Mary whom our Lord gave us to be our Mother. Do the will of the Father hand in hand with your Mother and you shall succeed always.
Monday, September 7, 2020
*To Die and Hate Your Life
In today's Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." I see that we must die to ourselves so that the Lord may take over. Otherwise, we stand in our own way and remain unfruitful our whole life. He who loves his own life has attached himself to the world. To hate one's life to is be detached from the world. We cannot love God and the world at the same time. The more you know the Lord, the uglier the world becomes to us. If you "hate" this world, you are close to God. Now, go all the way to become one with him.
**Ripple Effect of Your Sin
I have finished reading The Warning by Christine Watkins. The testimonies of the eleven people who had experienced the illumination of conscience already make up the most interesting part of the book. From these true stories, you learn that God knows every minute sin you've committed and that every sin has a ripple effect on others. Your sins can be forgiven by God, but the harm they've done to others cannot be erased. Knowing all this should make us think twice before we attempt to do anything. Attaining union with the Lord so that you become aware of his holy presence at all times will properly resolve this problem.
Sunday, September 6, 2020
**To Get Through All Things
When we worry about things, that's because we don't trust in God. Of course, since God can and will take care of all things, we don't need to worry for him at all. So we really don't need to worry about anything. We only need to focus upon the Lord to get through all things.
Saturday, September 5, 2020
*Putting Own House in Order First
There are those who profess openly that they follow Christ and want to convert others to be like them, yet they are unhappy about themselves, about their own lives, and others, and they love to complain. This is a contradiction. One who truly trusts in the Lord is always happy and content, never lonely, and is willing to carry the cross the Lord has given them. We must put our own house in order first before we can effectively draw others to God.
***Please Pray the Rosary—Urgent!
We have the most important presidential election in the entire history of this country coming up in less than two months. It virtually comes down to whether we choose to go with evil or with God. I strongly urge that you start praying the Holy Rosary everyday from now on. If do not know it yet, just go online to find out how to pray it—it's not complicated at all. I believe that praying the Rosary is our effective weapon in overcoming evil and saving our nation and our own souls because the Blessed Mother has personally told us so, many times.
You may wish to join the four-week long The Spiritual Rosary Pilgrimage as presented by the following video. Personally, I recommend praying nonstop through October and beyond.
To Avoid Ever Sinning
To point out those who do evil so that others may be warned is proper and our duty, but to talk about others' shortcomings or faults idly is something else—very easy to do, but not pleasing to the Lord. It is in reality a form of judging, as it is not motivated by love. I sense this myself when I commit this sin. I must focus upon the Lord always and not do anything I wouldn't do right before him. The reality is that he is actually present with us at all times.
Friday, September 4, 2020
**Beauty of Being Prepared*
From today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "The Son of Man will come with angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct." It is absolutely certain that this will happen. Don't think that because it's not happening yet, you don't have to pay any attention. When it happens, it'll be too late for you to change! This is the beauty of being prepared, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 14, Luke 12)
***Be Realistic with Life and Death
Today's response from Deuteronomy 32: It is I who deal death and give life. What matters most to us are our life and our death. And the Lord is the one who brings both death and life. So if we place both our life and our death in his hands, we will have both a good life and a good death. If we don't, nothing good will happen to us.
***Our Greatest Marvel . . .
that we have such a great, loving, holy Lord who cares for us and wishes us to exult with him for ever in heaven! Wake up and rejoice!
Learning from the Weeds
I weeded a little outside this morning when it was still cool. I have quite a number of ornamental grasses around the house. And I often find weeds growing among them you can hardly tell unless you notice that their blades are slightly more flexible and darker in green. These weeds can be easily pulled out, as they are not deep-rooted as the grasses are. This brings to mind the evildoers in our midst. Outwardly, they can look very much like the rest of us, but they harbor a dark heart and are not rooted in God. They will be easily spotted and cast out by God if they do not change their ways.
Thursday, September 3, 2020
***Fortunate Christians!
Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. What a glorious event! Jesus' face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light, as reported in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 17. Christ no doubt is the Lord! I recall going to Mt. Tabor on my pilgrimage to the Holy Land many years ago. The road that lead to the top was quite rugged. At the top was the Church of the Transfiguration. A beautiful church, but I kinda wished that they had preserved the spot so that we could see exactly what the surroundings in which the Lord's Transfiguration took place were like. Nevertheless, one day soon I'll be seeing my Lord face to face. How fortunate we Christians are when we can be overwhelmed by the glory, sanctity, love, and mercy of our God at all times!
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
*Letting God Alone Judge Us
I have started reading the book The Warning by Christine Watkins about the illumination of conscience that's expected to happen to everyone in the world, perhaps soon. At any rate, it is the Lord who can make everyone realize the state of their soul. We must stop judging others, take care of our own soul first and then help others to be saved. God is both merciful and just, thus everyone will be rewarded or punished in the end, receiving exactly what they deserve.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
**We Are Blind Without God
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 15, Jesus said to the crowd, "Hear and understand. It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out the mouth is what defiles one." Then his disciples told him that the Pharisees had taken offense at what he had said. He said in reply, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." It is true that we must have the Lord in us to see everything right. Otherwise, we are just expressing our own opinions not rooted in the Lord. The evildoers of today are obviously blind and pitiful. Only those filled with the Lord see the truth and speak the truth, for their guide is the Lord.
***Man's Tragic Ignorance
To be aware that we need God, we must first be aware that we are sinners. Unfortunately, many sinners today do not realize this; they do what they feel like doing with no love whatsoever for others. One example is the senseless looting, burning, and killing that are being carried out by some extreme groups in some of our major cities. They have turned evil! This is the great tragedy of our times, practically assuring that God will send greater chastisements our way, and many will then perish. How I wish that everyone will realize that if all of us repent and submit ourselves to the Lord, we'll have peace in the world now and home in heaven later! The spiritual warfare is real. Accepting the gospel of the Lord is all we need to do to be saved. Sinners, you have only yourselves to feel sorry for. Wake up from your stupidity and know that God loves you!
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