**Akita Warings and Prophecies

          The Akita messages seem to reinforce the Fatima ones. The possible fire falling from the sky mentioned could conceivably be a large meteor on its way to hitting the earth.

**A Matter of Knowing the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus came to Capernaum, entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Today many teachers or homilists are weak or instantly forgettable, for they sound like someone who doesn't personally know the Lord yet. To be effective, you must know the Lord and then share you thoughts based upon personal experience. Knowing the Lord in person is the key here.
          Also, in the synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit, he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are—the Holy one of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. Since the unclean spirit knew who Jesus was, it had to obey him. If we truly know who Jesus is, we would have no choice but to obey him too. The fact that many still do not believe in Christ is because they do not truly know him yet.

**Agonies to Be Welcomed

          If you have a good conscience and sinned against the Lord, you experience the agony as you are being tested by the Lord. Then you can be sinless yourself and see that the world is offending the Lord horribly, and you taste the Lord's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest and Crucifixion. In the first case, the agony makes you abandon yourself to the Lord. In the second, you and the Lord become united in suffering. Welcome these agonies, for through them God purifies and strengthens you and draws you deep into him. 

*Saint Anthony of Padua

          St. Anthony is well-known as the patron saint of lost things. As far as I can remember, every time my wife and I lose something and ask for help from the saint, we always get it back. My younger son recently gave my wife a pair of AirPods to help her hearing. Yesterday she wore them before going to Walmart to shop. This is the biggest new Walmart around here. After shopping for 40 minutes or so, she was on her way home and realized that her left AirPod was gone. So she drove back to the store, praying to St. Anthony along the way. She then parked her car close to where she parked earlier and started tracing her steps back to the store, looking for the pod the whole way, but saw nothing. So she went to the customer service counter inside the store and asked about it. The lady rep told my wife that another employee Cindy who usually worked outside the store had picked up a pod. So she had someone go look for Cindy to get it. Lo, it matched my wife's right one perfectly. Again, thanks to St. Anthony and the Lord. [One clarification. Protestants pray to God only. When Catholics pray to a saint, they do not worship the saint as God at all. "Pray" here simply means "to make a request to someone or for something," one of the definitions of the word "pray" as a verb.]

*We vs. God

        Infinity is a concept, not a number. It is infinitely large. Any finite number compared to infinity becomes zero. A google is the number written with a hundred zeros following the numeral 1. It's big all right, but still finite and becomes nothing next to infinity. Our finite life on earth also becomes nothing when we consider that our soul will live on in heaven or hell for all eternity. Since we are finite and limited, all the more we need God who alone is infinite in every way. You have to be out of your mind to believe that we can survive on our own without God. And it would be sheer folly to think that we can rebel against God and still come out ahead. Looking at the finite us before the infinite Lord, submission to him is our only sane and sensible choice. Besides, he loves us.

Priest Speaking from the Heart

           Judases are not Catholics.  We need to support courageous priests!

***All the Lord's Doing

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus continued speaking to the crowd with parables. In the parable of the seed growing, he said, "This is how it is with the kingdom of God, it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of it own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. When the grain is ripe, it is harvest time." Do you know that this is exactly how we grow when we yield ourselves to God? We come to know his ways and thoughts, attain union with him, grow wise and holy, become eager to do his will, experience freedom, peace, and joy, and lose all fear of death—we know not how either. It's all the Lord's doing.

**Living as a Christian

        In today's first reading from Hebrews 10, Paul says it all about living as a Christian. We have been enlightened and will suffer for the Lord's sake. Remain confident and we'll have great recompense. We need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. Live by faith. We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and possess life. Exactly!

**Warnings from Our Lady of La Salette

        I was blessed to have visited Our Lady of La Salette in the French Alps twice. The Blessed Mother appeared there to two children in 1846. Here is one video I just saw informing us of some of her prophecies. It seems that they are being fulfilled today. Take a listen. 

****Have God or Nothing****

        In today's Gospel reading, Jesus also said, "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." So you have the haves and the have-nots. You either are with Jesus or are not with him. You either get to heaven or you don't. With God, it's all or nothing; you can't go halfway or be lukewarm. Didn't the Lord command "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind"? Believing in God is for the humble-hearted only, not the half-hearted nor the faint-hearted. Have God or have nothing, your choice.

***Warning to Evildoers

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus told the parable of the lamp to his disciples. He said "There is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come yo light." He also said, "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." Evildoers, take notice. If you harm the good people, how much more God will "harm" you who are evil! For nothing can be hidden from him. Everything we do will come back to either justify or condemn us.

****Making the Universe Perfect****

        Today is Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas. Reading 1 continued from Hebrews 10. Paul wrote the following: Since we have "a great priest [Jesus] over the house of God," let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope for he who made the promise is trustworthy. A sincere heart, absolute trust, a clean conscience . . . these are what the Lord deserves from us. If you give him all that and more, you'll know that you are doing the right thing and it'll give you the greatest good feeling! Make submitting yourself to God your top priority so that you may become one with him. When man becomes obedient to God again, God's will is done on earth and the universe is made perfect. 

**To Bear Fruit for God

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus told the parable the sower to the crowd. Later he explained to his disciples that he was the sower who sows the word of God in us. In some cases, Satan comes at once to take away the word sown. In some cases, people receive the word at once with joy, but when tribulation or persecution comes, they quickly fall away. There are also people tho hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. So, to be rich soil for the word of God and bear fruit abundantly, we need to keep Satan away, be strong in the Lord and trust in him, and be detached from the world. It seems that remaining in union with God is the state for us to be in.

***Most Wonderful News

         In today's first reading from Hebrews, Paul made it clear that the priests of his days who offered those same sacrifices could never take away sins. But by the one offering of himself, Jesus has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no longer offering for sin.
         This is the main message of our salvation. That is, if we believe that God has redeemed us through the sacrifice of his own Son, we only need to believe in the Son, repent of our sins, and he'll take them away and grant us eternal life. You probably have heard this so many times and no longer pay much attention to it. When I really think about it, I see that this revelation is truly incredible, awesome, amazing, momentous, earthshaking, compelling, right on target, and exactly what we need to know. That's why it's called the "good news." In fact, it is the best possible news you can hear in your lifetime. Everyone should give it his utmost attention, look into it, and test it out. It is unthinkable that one would ignore this most wonderful news about gaining eternal life.

*Intention Under Scrutiny

         There are only three possible intentions in whatever we do: we do it for God, for ourselves, or for someone else. Often doing it for someone else is also doing it for ourselves. It takes discernment to know our true intention, but knowing the Lord definitely makes you more alert. Of course, we should always do all things for the sake of God, directly or indirectly. Doing whatever we feel like doing without considering whether we offend God or not is using up the time you have for storing up treasure in heaven. Seek to attain union with God so that you may have the right intention each time you do something.

***Joining God's Family

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus said, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Now you know how to belong to God's family.

***What God Wants to Know

          I believe that when God judges us, the first thing he wants to know is how much we labored for his sake on earth. I see that this is equivalent to knowing how much we belong to the world on earth.

**Worse than Communism

         Communists follow atheistic leaders who do not believe that God nor Satan exists. For a Christian country to follow Satan knowingly is a lot worse than becoming Communist.

**Living by Prayer*

        The world has become increasingly blasphemous and godless. Christians are being marginalized and persecuted. But we do have Christ on our side and praying to him provides us with strength and endurance. I now say the Lord's Prayer every chance I get. It seems that I am living from prayer to prayer, and it has turned out to be a rewarding experience. The Lord will be coming (or we'll be going to him), so praying unceasingly is a great way to prepare ourselves for meeting him, especially now when the need for prayer has never been so urgent.

**Test Questions for Christians

         Today's Gospel acclamation based upon John 15.16: I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. Two questions to test yourself if you consider yourself a Christian: (1) Are you aware that God has chosen you? (2) If yes, are you bearing fruit that will last? Not being able to give two firm yeses shows that you have much catch-up to do.

**God Calling All of Us

         Today is Feast of Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. How the Lord called Paul to serve him was most dramatic. From Acts 9, we learn that Paul was on his way to Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment any men or women who followed the way of Jesus. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, Sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so his companions led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see. Then the Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to Paul to lay his hands on him and say to him, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. 

       Sometimes I wish that God would call each one of us this way, but the Lord had chosen Paul to be his special instrument to carry his name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. He calls us too to be his instruments to do what suits us best. It's not how the Lord calls us that's important; rather, it's how we respond to his calling that matters.

**Overwhelmed at Mass

         It was a cold, windy, and cloudy day. Fr. S celebrated today's outdoor Mass. He is a young priest, but I respect him very much for always saying Mass with great reverence. The Lord filled me with hope, no matter how dark times seem. After I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I looked up and saw the entire sky filled with grey clouds. I realized the immensity of the universe and my smallness, yet the creator of this universe had just entered me to dwell within me! I am connected with him! It was an overwhelming feeling that God should care so much. One of those life's unforgettable moments. 

**Our Great Consolation

          Knowing that you'll have eternal life with God in heaven.

***How God Has Fulfilled Me

        Before I knew Christ, I was not a happy person as I searched for the meaning of life. I felt inadequate and wanted to be somebody. Even after I had accepted Christ, I was still struggling with myself. I wanted to do certain things, but wasn't able to for various reasons, so I was frustrated and saw myself as a failure. Looking back, I could have easily committed serious sins on various occasions, but the Lord had always held me back, so I want to thank him for that grace. We all want to be successful in the eyes of the world, but that certainly doesn't mean that you'll be happy. My first breakthrough came in the 1970s when I got involved with the Charismatic Renewal within the Church. It was the Holy Spirit who set my heart on fire as I searched for him. I was never the same again. The Lord God became alive for me and praying became spontaneous. The Lord made me see how easy we could progress spiritually when we submit ourselves to him. I became a happy person, but there's more to learn. In the last twelve years or so, the Lord amazed me further by drawing me deep into him, letting me know that he wishes to draw all to union with him through the Holy Eucharist. This blog was born. Of course, he teaches me the whole time right along. I finally feel that he has fulfilled me fully that my past doesn't mean anything anymore. When you possess God, all else is forgotten. He alone is more than sufficient for us!

**True Wisdom

         I have seen this in certain elderly people. They reach the point knowing that they're going to return to the Lord soon and become unattached to the world. Unfortunately, most of the younger generation do not acquire this wisdom easily, as the world is still very much attractive to them. The whole process of spiritual maturation is about detaching yourself from the world and attaching yourself to God. Growing old can be a blessing. Foolish and sad is the one who lives and dies, remaining a worldling.

***The Perfect Prayer***

         There are thousands or more composed prayers out there. Many of them are inspirational and beautifully written, but many others are just too wordy, unfluent, and sound somewhat contrived. Of all the prayers available to us, the Lord's prayer taught us by Jesus himself has to the most perfect prayer. You cannot take away a word from or add one to it. If there is one prayer I must choose, this one has to be it. This is the prayer that defines our relationship with God. If you pray it unceasingly from your soul, it will transform you. 

**Worse than Gambling

         When you gamble at a casino, you have at least a chance of winning some money if you are lucky. But if you reject Christ and believe that you'll be all right, then you'll absolutely lose everything: money, body, and soul, in the end. The wise will not gamble with their money and never bet against God!

***The BIG Awakening!

        In today's reading 1 from Hebrews 9, Paul referred to the God of Christ as the living God. We know that there can be only one true God. Whoever says that all religions will lead you to the same God is pure nonsense, putting is mildly. Anything that sows confusion comes from the Evil One. First off, all the non-Christian religions contradict each other and Christianity. So if you reject Christ now, you'll have the biggest awakening coming to you after you die: you'll realize that you had rejected the only God. I thought it would be good to let all know this now. Of course, you can say that it's your belief against mine. But are you sure about your belief? I know that I am absolutely certain about mine as I've said before, "When God personally reveals the truth to you, you just know that it is true (no proof needed)."

*****Perfect Way of Living

           When you and God are in full union with each other, your will and his will become identical. So you accomplish your will through him while he accomplishes his through you. Now you accomplish the Lord's will triumphantly via his strength—the perfect way to live!

****Complicit in Promoting Evil

         The West Coast Walk for Life will take place in San Francisco tomorrow, followed by the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 29, next week. Anyone who voted for the current administration which is 100% for abortion partook in promoting abortion for at least four more years, during which time millions of unborn babies may die. I am not trying to scare anyone, for this is reality, and you can always repent your sin to the Lord and be forgiven. It is also a reality that we'll have to answer to the Lord for all our doings. Promoting abortion in any way is going against God who created us in his image, no matter what you think.

**Only One Direction to Go

        Recently, I came to know some people who are exited about finding relatives they've never met or had met when they were still children. After making connections, they are now interested in learning more about all the deceased relatives they can remember. Somehow, I have no desire to delve into the past. Even if you can trace my lineage all the way back to Adam and Eve, I am not excited. Where I came from doesn't matter; it's where I am going that I only care about. Once Christ has set you free, you head straight toward him.

*****Abortion Is an Abomination

        Today is Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. As long as we approve the killing of the unborn, how dare we still ask God to bless us? Should God bless evildoers who do not repent nor change their ways? I think not. For an abomination such as killing the unborn, God will not bless you until you repent and beg for his mercy. Legalizing abortion lies at the root of the disorder of our nation. Let me quote what Mother Teresa said: "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

***Most Horrible Ending***

           Good Christians are now being persecuted. There seem to be Judas everywhere. The division Jesus said that he had come to establish on the earth (in Matthew 10 and Luke 12) is now more clear than ever. The separation between those for him and those against him is sharper than ever. The faithful Christians are going through a horrible time, but this will pass for each of them individually. It's nothing compared to what the evildoers will undergo in the end for all eternity! Pray that they will realize this and turn to God before it's too late.

**Three Days of Darkness

        This video tells how Fr. James Blount received a sign from Mother Mary foreshadowing Three Days of Darkness. Before that happens, I believe that Illumination of Conscience will happen first. 

**Freedoms, True and False

        You can do whatever you want in order to feel free, but this is false freedom. For you do not truly know what's best for you. In a secular world, what attracts you the most may very well be the worst for you soul. You'll realize eventually that one cannot possibly free oneself. You can find true freedom only if you follow Christ, the God who created you. There is no freedom outside of him; for we'll all have to go through him when we leave this world. He alone holds the key to eternal freedom. When you try to be you own lord, you'll end up being your own prisoner. Only when you let Christ be your lord will you find true freedom, for his sole intention is to liberate you from self-enslavement.  

***How to Become Strong

        You can choose doing everything by your own strength or doing everything by God's strength. I prefer the latter because (1) God is infinitely stronger than I and (2) he would be doing most of the work for me. It's so much easier to let him lead me with me just following him every step of the way. This is basically abandoning myself in him, which is basically letting him carrying me all the way. 

***Biggest Loser

        He is not the one who has lost all his money gamboling at a casino. He is not the one who has lost his whole fortune on the stock market. Neither is he the one who has lost his home and all his belongings in a fire and become homeless. Neither is he the one who has been rejected by his family and all his friends. The winner of the big losers is ... drum roll please ... the one who has lost his soul to the Devil!      

****Learning Directly from the Lord

        I have posted in the past that when you open yourself up to the Lord completely, he lets you know exactly who he is. No proof is needed; the knowledge is deposited right in your heart! It's a personal thing, for the Lord alone makes that possible—proof to me that he is real. In John 1, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of he world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." How did John know all this? It's the Lord who revealed it to him. In Matthew 16, when Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in replay, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." Again, the Lord had let him know that. Of course, all the greats saints knew God intimately. Here is sufficient evidence for you to believe in the Lord, if he has not revealed himself to you in person yet. The best way to know who he is is still to open yourself up to him to learn it firsthand from him. When you know him without a doubt, you are in union with him.

***Need for Christ***

        Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world, did all the good works and performed great miracles, and still got crucified because he upset all the hypocrites and evildoers and was betrayed. Since we are just ordinary human beings living in this evil world, all the more we need Christ so that even if our body is killed, our soul will be safe.

**Lost Time

        Any time you spend doing things that do not contribute to drawing anyone, yourself included, closer to God. 

*Those Who Fear God

         It's interesting that those who fear God and those do not fear God both do not fear the Devil for different reasons. Those who fear God obey God and the Lord is with them, so they no longer fear the Devil anymore. Those who do not fear God do the work of the Devil and are in cahoots with him, so they don't fear him, at least not yet. Actually, those who fear God become friends of the Lord and lose all their fears, while those who do not fear God remain to be his enemy. 

****Our Dangerous World!

         This is a dangerous world, dangerous to your soul, that is. There are so many material sensuous things to give you pleasure, high-tech inventions to make you feel that you have super power, and opportunities to lure you into thinking that you can become rich. If you do not have a firm faith in Christ, you are easy prey. Going to hell has never been made this attractive. This explains why today there are so many people around with no principles. They do whatever that would benefits them. You see this even among Christians, Church clergy included. What Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 rings more true than ever: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." I am ready to go the Lord myself, but I feel sorry for the young people who do not know the Lord well and are about to enter the society to make a living on their own. They start out already with a big strike against them. Please pray for them in particular.

**Christians Do Not Despair

        No matter how tough times get and how bad things go, a Christian never despairs. He always hopes in the Lord, knowing that he'll be exalted by him in the end. Even though he suffers persecution and experiences agony as the Lord did, he always rejoices in following his master. 

**Only Thing You Need to Secure

           Life has its ups and downs. Dynasties begin and end. Rulers emerge and fall. Fashions come and go. Everything in this world passes or perishes, but our soul lives on forever. So be wise and secure your soul and let everything else go. 

***Reality of Life

        Each of us will face God and be judged after we live a relatively short time on earth. No matter how powerful we become, if we are not with God, we'll lose our life forever in the end. For those who love and follow the Lord, life is an endurance test. You'll have some good times and may go through some really tough times, but it's what you gain after your brief life ends that counts. This is reality! So be patient, remain strong, and love God alone always. Time passes quickly and eternity awaits.

***Most Appropriate Gift for God***

          In today's Gospel acclamation from Ephesians 1, Paul prayed that God might enlighten the eyes of our hearts. Yes, our hearts have both ears and eyes to hear and see. This is how we connect with God. If the heart is not involved, we cannot know God. Give your heart to God, then he will revealed himself and the whole truth to you. Our hearts rightfully belong to our Father, for only he can purify and comfort them.

***Saving the Soul*

        To save your soul, you need Christ, of course. Then you must believe that he is the Savior. Others can pray for you to help you make it happen. Of these three parties, God is already on your side and others can help, but you are the main one responsible for the salvation of your own soul. These thoughts came to me because someone I know is dying right now. He is a good friend of my oldest son; a very nice person. I knew him too. [My phone just rang; it was my son informing me that he just passed away.] 
        Let me tell you a little bit about this friend. He was in the 70s. He came from an old Italian family well-known locally. He left the Church a long time ago. Some years back, I tried to get him back into the Church, but his response was that he wasn't ready yet, as there were still so many things in the world to take care of. That was a typical excuse I'd heard from many others. Then he started losing his memory, no longer recognizing everyone. His health deteriorated and entered a hospital. I hoped to go see him, but with the coronavirus lockdown, it wasn't possible. I texted his daughter a prayer for her to read to her father, basically telling God that he's sorry fo his sins and asking the Lord now to forgive him. Then he came home, for the hospital couldn't do much for him anymore. I went along with my son to see him twice. I prayed aloud, hoping that he would hear me. The second time, his eyes opened slightly and with his mouth open, his chin started to move up and down as if he were praying. That was a good sign to me. I called my parish priest about giving him extreme unction. After obtaining permission from the daughter, Fr. P went to him the day before yesterday and administered the sacrament. Today, he is gone. I pray that he's with the Lord now. Happy and wise is the one who gives his soul to God before he goes to him!

***Our Perfection

        In today's first reading from Hebrews 5, Paul wrote about Christ: Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Our perfection too can only be made by the Lord, and obedience to him is the key to achieving that perfection.

*Prayers God Will Answer at Once

1. "I am sorry that I have sinned against you. Pleases forgive me and take away my sins."
2. "Please help me become holy to serve you." 

      The Lord will answer these two prayers exactly the way you wanted without delay.

Shaping Our Own Destiny

           In Matthew 24 (and Luke 21), Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." You can be sure that what he had said would come to pass. What he had not said could change, depending upon how we behave toward him. We are free to choose to obey or rebel against God. We get to shape our own destiny.

**Reflections at Mass

          Went to the outdoor Sunday morning 10:30 Mass again. Another beautiful day; couldn't believe that the temperature was above 60 F in the middle of the winter. I felt good that we could enjoy such peace in the Lord, then I immediately saw the most horrible evil we were capable of doing to God. All you need to do is look at history and what has happened in this country now. We can be holy as the Lord or evil like the Devil. It all comes down to this. 
           The sky was light blue and cloudless with the low bright winter sun shining right in my eyes. Then I remembered I had seen such a bright sun with absolutely no glare three time before. The sun just looked like a pure white consecrated host, pulsating as if it had a living heart. I saw this miracle in Texas, Medjugorje, and Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, a group of us pilgrims were together, yet some of us saw the miracle and others couldn't because of the intense glare of the sun. This itself was a miracle. Anyway, it became clear to me that God was real! 

*One Who Knows Everything

        Did you ever notice in the Gospels that when Jesus talked to someone or a group of people, he already knew what's on their mind? Sometimes he asked them a pinpoint question, knowing what they were thinking. And he knew of his own coming Crucifixion and Resurrection. He is so far ahead of us that I feel absolutely safe and secure to put my whole future in his hands. The omniscient Lord is the one to keep and treasure for all eternity!

***Know Whom You Belong To

        Today's second reading comes from 1 Corinthians 6. Paul writes, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body." If you already follow Christ, know that you now belong to him. Therefore, treat yourself as God's most precious belonging, and keep yourself clean and blameless!

****Secret to Union with God

           Excerpts from Psalm 40 at Mass today: Sacrifice or offering you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offering you sought hot; then said I, "Behold I come. In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight." We see that obeying the Lord, doing his will, is what he desires the most. Let that "dictate" everything else we do, sacrifice, offering, etc., all included. This is the secret to union with God.

**God be with You

        In today's first reading from 1 Samuel 3, the Lord repeated called Samuel. When he finally realized that it's the Lord, he answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening. Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. It is so good to have the Lord being with you. This way you can't go wrong in what you do and will be his effective servant. He is with you when you belong to him totally. Attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist and you'll know that he is with you and in you.

***Sinners Being Called!

        The Gospel reading at Mass comes from Mark 2. When some scribes saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." All you sinners, raise your hand. Jesus is calling you right now.

**God's Living Sword

        Today's first reading comes from Hebrews 4. Here is the first verse: The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. If you truly know the Lord and have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you would feel the word of God cutting you heart and penetrating your soul, illuminating your conscience and guiding your thoughts. Definitely an exhilarating experience! You also know that the Lord dwells within you and whatever you experience can only come from him. You can bear witness to it, but not prove it. It is faith that enables us to know and become one with the Lord.

**Happy Living in This World?

        Whether something is good or bad for us becomes clear when we ask what if everyone does it. For example, casting one false ballot may not look too bad, but if every citizen of the nation does it, we won't have a republic anymore. Again, not believing in God may not seem to be a big deal, but if everyone on earth is an atheist, the whole world would surely go to hell (pun not intended). Similarly, whether you can be truly happy living in this world becomes clear when you ask what if you don't die and get to live in this world forever. As long as the world remains, sinful, godless, and chaotic as it is, I don't believe you'd be happy spending eternity here. I'd much prefer spend my brief time on earth and return to my Father to spend eternity with him in heaven.

**Amazing Power of Faith

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus was preaching in his own town to a packed crowd so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, "Child, you sins are forgiven." (Later, he healed him too.) The lesson here is that if your faith is strong, believe in him firmly, and try your hardest to reach him, he's ready to forgive all you sins! Such is the power of faith! Let's exercise that faith and watch miracles happen.

*Clear Conscience Required to Be Smart

        To be considered smart, one must have a clear conscience. One can be very sharp intellectually or very shrewd in business, but if his conscience remains muddy, he is still a fool (in my book).

**Grave Oversight*

        In Luke 17, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the day of his coming. He said, "As it was in the days of Noah: they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed." This passage came to me as I learned that someone I know was very excited about finding others related to him through DNA testing. We often spend much time engaging in trivial or mundane activities and forget all about preparing ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ or our judgment day. This has been one of mankind's gravest oversights.

****Our Key to Glory

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, a leper came to Jesus and begged him to make him clean. Jesus, moved with pity, did just that. Then the Lord told him not to tell anyone about his healing. But the man went away and and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. We have a case of someone what did not obey the Lord but followed his own inclination. Perfect obedience to God means casting aside our own feelings and emotions and following his command alone. It is the key to becoming holy and one with God and entering heaven afterwards.

**Happiness is Relative

         Everything is relative. I have not been to heaven, but I know that if I spend one minute in heaven, I'll never want to come back to earth anymore. As the Lord is infinitely greater than we, the joy in heave will be infinitely greater than any happiness we experience on earth. Only fools will attach themselves to the world.  Only fools will think that they have only one life to live,

**Spineless Cowards

          It's sad to see that so many people today don't act on principle. They would change their stand or switch allegiance so long as it would benefit them. This is happening with many politicians and big corporations right now. They show themselves as hypocrites. The Lord is keeping the day of his Second Coming a secret, so no one will be able to switch to believing in him on learning that he is coming. Those without principles will surely lose big time.

***The Art of Doing God's Will

         We have the well-known book The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump and the classic The Art of War by Sun Tzu. What about the art of doing God's will? Well, you don't need to read any wordy book to learn that. Just abandon yourself completely in God and you'll know how to do his will perfectly. 

**Our Choices of Freedom

        If you truly follow the Lord, your faith will be tested continuously. You may have to pray hard constantly to get though all your trials and tribulations. Outwardly, this may appear unpleasant, but deep down you'll always have the Lord's peace. After you leave this world, your'll experience complete freedom for all eternity. On the other hand, the evildoers appear to have the freedom to do whatever they want in the world, but they have essentially fallen into Satan's trap. After this life is over, they will be imprisoned with no freedom whatsoever for all eternity. Going against God is never a good idea. 

***World's Fatal Mistake

        Reading 1 has been coming from Hebrews. Paul glorifies the Lord in his epistle. In today's reading, Paul writes that Christ is the one for whom and through whom all things exist. We recall that the Apostle John wrote "All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be" about Christ at the beginning of his Gospel. These are all huge statements! That the world doesn't look up to anyone so meek and humble as Christ has to be its fatal mistake. The humble and the wise see the truth, believing that Christ was with God in the beginning and is God (John 1). As God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours as the heavens are higher than the earth, our highest praises still fall way short of God's true greatness.

****God Calling Us Unceasingly

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew and then James and his brother John to follow him, and they complied right away to become his first disciples. God calls us too. Whether he calls us aloud and in a whisper, it's the same Lord. Anytime you entertain a thought, say something, or perform a deed and lose inner peace, the Lord is calling you. This is the time to turn to him for help and guidance, not hide or run away from him. It's a moment of grace. In your lifetime, you'll probably have hundreds of thousands such moments, unless you are already quite saintly. If you ignore the Lord every time he calls you, you need his help for sure. Don't forget that our time on earth is limited.

***Our Lady of Victoria Novena***

        Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B., has urged all to start praying this Novena beginning tomorrow January 11 for nine days to beg God and Our Lady to reverse the deceitful "results" of the recent fraudulent presidential election. You can read her letter here. You'll find the link to the novena in that letter. I invite you to join her and me to pray this novena, for nothing is impossible for God.

**Perfecting Our Union with God

        Today's Communion experience. I received exactly what the Apostles received at the Last Supper, the first Mass. This Most Blessed Sacrament perfects our union with God.

***Making the Lord Feel Free in Us

        I attended the Sunday 10:30 AM outdoor Mass. Since it's the only on-site Mass scheduled for the weekend, the parking lots were quite full with cars. Again we all wore masks and sat apart. It was another nice dry day during this supposedly wet season. Early during Mass, the Lord made me see that to let him enter us, we must be open to him. But to give the Holy Spirit complete freedom to operate within us, we need to go beyond being open—we must not judge, hold any grudge against, or look down on anyone; that is, we must be like the Lord, his heart filled with love for everyone. If you do not feel at peace for any reason, you restrain the Holy Spirit. Be like the Lord so that he may feel free dwelling within you.

**Magnificent Truth

        John 1:29, today's Gospel acclamation: John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching him, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John knew then this magnificent truth, that Jesus was the Lamb to be sacrificed to save us from our sins. Now we all know and should believe.

****Most Precious and Glorious Faith

         Today is The Baptism of the Lord. One of the second readings comes from 1 John 5. The Apostle writes "The victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" That's why our faith in Christ is so precious and glorious! We who firmly believe that he is the Son of God and our Savior possess the "secret" of living everlastingly with him! My oh my, this is pretty incredible, yet so simple. I am going to rejoice every moment of my life over this.

*Test Question for Getting into Heaven

        The Lord: "How much time did you spend doing things for my sake on earth?" 

**Seeing Your Own Sins

         To face our own sins is to face reality, as we are all sinners. If you think that you are holier than you truly are, then you'll be in for a shock when you see God, for he knows sins you are not even aware of or have forgotten. It's much better to humbly acknowledge that you are a sinner needing God's mercy. This should incite you to become holier. Later, it'll be good to hear God tell you that you are better than you think you are. Great saints saw themselves as most wretched sinners before God and the Lord greatly exalted them.  

*How A Christian Lightens His Burden

        When we carry a heavy burden on our heart, we normally try to forget it. We may listen to some soothing music, go traveling, or even visit a bar to get intoxicated. These are all forms of escape and do not offer a solution. What should a faithful Christian do? A good Christian would not run away from anything but temptation. Whatever problem he has, he goes to the Lord to seek help. If you give your heavy burden to him, he will help you carry it. Doesn't Jesus say in Mark 11:28: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest"? United with the Lord, you'll find the strength and guidance to deal with the problem and consolation. Every burden shared with the Lord will draw you into deeper union with him.

*To Be Watchful and Alert

         In Mark 13, Jesus told his disciples to remain watchful and alert, for they would not know the time of his Second Coming. To be watchful and alert is to be ready, and the best way for us to be ready is to follow the Lord and become holy and blameless. Then he can come anytime.

****Warning We Must Heed****

         We have a pandemic going on now which has caused many deaths around the globe. We've had wildfires destroying many homes and propeties in my own state of California. Floods are now inundating many countries. Earthquakes continue shaking up various regions worldwide. And I can never forget how terribly tsunami waves wiped out so many villages and towns along the coast of Japan not that long ago. I must mention the wars started by man that had ruined so many countries and killed people. All these occurrences were horrible, for they destroy lives. But they are nothing compared to what's coming, especially for those who reject Christ now. At the Second Coming of the Lord, we'll all be judged and sent to either heaven or hell for all eternity. 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." Jesus has given us the warning and we must not ignore!

***Time for Weeping***

        These verses from Luke 23 came to me. As Jesus was lead away carrying his own cross to be crucified, a large crowd of people followed him, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do no weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that times people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and the hills, 'Cover us!'"
        During these dark day when the future of this country and mankind in general appears bleak, we need to weep for ourselves for having forsaken God and allowed evil to infiltrate the world, our societies, and even the Lord's own Church. I myself am already an old man, but I do fear for our children and grandchildren if they do not turn to the Lord. We are near end times. Be aware of the big awakening that's coming from the Lord.

*Measuring How Much We Love God

        In today's reading 1 from 1 John 4, the Apostle writes, "Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Whoever loves God must also love his brother." These two statements are contrapositive to each other. In logic, if one of the statements is true, the other has to be true. Since God is love, we know that if we love God, we would love all others. Then it is clear that we can measure how much we love God by how much we love others. Now we see where we stand in loving God.

***Sharing God's Sorrow and Joy

        This is how Jesus changes our sorrow and joy. Before I knew the Lord, I was a self-centered person. For example, when my beloved grandmother died, I was saddened more because I lost someone who had been a great consolation to me; I wasn't thinking for her sake. Now, if someone one passes away and I know that person's soul is going to God, I feel joy, not sorrow. I would feel sad only if the deceased were clearly evil, for the Lord would be feeling sorry for that soul. In other words, you now feel sorrow and joy as Christ feels them. When times are evil, I feel the agony along with the Lord. People tell me to relax and not let it affect you so much . . . just trust in God, for he is in control and knows what he is doing. Christ knew that too, but he still underwent his Passion. I am not worrying nor losing my peace; I am just experiencing agony and spiritual suffering. The former keeps you away from God, while the latter unites you to him. If I suffer, it's for the sake of Christ and not for myself. I know that the Lord is in control and knows what he is doing, but you need to care about how he is feeling for our sake. At any rate, joy always underlies whatever sorrow you feel when you remain in the Lord. 

*Such Is Our Life

        When I was young, there was the whole world to explore. I made up a whole list of things I wished to learn: swimming, skating, horse riding, etc. Death couldn't be further from my mind. My focus was on the immediate future. Like everyone else, making a lot of money was the No.1 dream and goal. Of course, we grow old fast. But because we'd been conditioned by the world for so long, we easily remain unchanged. So we don't consider God seriously until we are in our last years. This is tragic in a way, but we can still return to God if we reconcile ourselves to him. Such is his mercy.

*Clear Vision of Life

        As I age and after living long enough to see so many things come and go, I now have a crystal clear picture of what life is all about. We are all going to leave the world one day. God has created and loves us, and we'll never be happy until we have reconciled ourselves and returned to him. Everything in this life passes. Attaching ourselves to things of the world is a waste of time. We need to love and obey God and build up treasure in heaven in the brief time allotted to us on earth. Such an understanding and vision will help us get through life with aplomb.          

**Suffering Along with the Lord

          When you experience agony along with the Lord, you are drawn ever deeper into union with him and that becomes a great consolation.

Petition to Protect Election Integrity

          If you are a U.S. citizen and feel that we need to protect election integrity, please click here to sign this petition.        

***The Apostle John on God's Love

        Today's first reading comes from 1 John 4. The Apostle writes, "Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. Not that we have loved God, but that he loved us." We can learn quite a bit about God's love here. Anyone who hates obviously does not know God. When we love, we are born anew in God. Since God is love, when we love, we become like him and one with him. God has made us in his image and loves us to death—this is one of the greatest revelations. For this alone, we can rejoice forever! So he first loved us, we realize it and love him back—it's us returning all the way to God. 

***Fit to Be God's Abode

         We have two lives to live, a physical one and a spiritual one. The latter is hidden, but a lot more important, for living it right will make living the other one right too. As we are "trapped" in the physical body, physical action is unavoidable. Spiritually, we need Christ to purify our hearts and souls to make us holy. Then all thoughts, all words, and all deeds coming out of us will be pure too. Now, we are fit for God to dwell in us. 

**God Forbid Such a Wish

        We often wish that we'd done things differently. For example, you wish that you had bought a stock whose price has just skyrocketed. Way back, I wished I'd accepted a different job offer when the one I chose didn't work out too well. But missing such opportunities is not the end of the world. We wish we had been friendlier to someone who passed away suddenly. This is a more serious case, for we cannot correct the situation anymore. Now, there is one wish you must never ever let occur to you. That is, after you die, you'd wish that you had accepted Christ as your Savior when you were on earth.

**More on Illumination of Conscience

        I've posted about the illumination of conscience which had been revealed to various mystics, visionaries, and seers, and which I believe to be imminent. Here's a video that further illuminates this subject.

**Certainty in the Lord

         I am more convinced than ever that if we place our trust in the Lord completely, no matter how tough times get, our soul will be secure in his hands and we'll get through and emerge victorious in the end. 

**Sure Way of Finding God

        If you look for God but don't know how to or don't find him, then you need God's help. Just assume that he exists and you ask him humbly to help you find and know him. To give you a head start, go straight to Jesus and ask him for help, as I already know that he is the true God. And you'll have your breakthrough!   

***God Completing Our Joy

            Communion experience. I attended the only Sunday Mass scheduled at 10:30 AM. Again, it was held outdoors with everyone wearing a mask. It was a beautiful cool sunny day, not windy at all. I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist again and felt that it was the most precious, intimate union with God one can possibly experience on earth. You become one with the One who created you and loves you to death! This is the life-changing fulfillment we all need! This is God completing our joy, you could say.

*Revelations for Us

        Today is the Epiphany of the Lord. God has revealed the mysteries of his kingdom to the prophets, the holy Apostles, and many of his holy servants. But he reveals truths to all ordinary humble and devout folks too. We may not receive anything startling or new, but often the Lord makes us see old truths anew, uplifting our spirit and bolstering our faith. So remain open to the Lord always to let him reveal his mysteries to you.

***How Much You Love God

        God has already died on the cross to show how much he loves you. If you love him and believe that you ought be willing to die for him too, then you are saved. But if you love him and are actually willing to die for him, he will exalt you to the max.

**Why I Pray

        I pray extra hard nowadays. I may pray too fast or too slow, be too distracted or too sleepy while praying, but I know that if my desire is intense and heartfelt, the Lord hears me and will respond to me. Today as I was praying, I wondered why I prayed to him so much. The answer came to me: it's because he is our only hope and nothing is impossible for him! That's the reason.

**Belief in Christ

        In today's reading 1 from 1 John 2. the Apostle wrote, "Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well." John and the other Apostles, not counting Judas Iscariot, followed Jesus for three years, watched all the great miracles and deeds he performed, and saw him risen from the dead and ascend into heaven. Since John and the other Apostles had become totally convinced that Christ is the Son of God and is one with the Father, I can totally believe in him as they did. I don't need to see him in person now. Also, my personal experience with the Lord alone is good enough for me to believe in him with all my heart and with all my soul.

**Most Sorry and Pitiable State

          We who believe and follow Christ know that God is always with us. Even though we go through darkness, we still trust in him and know that we'll emerge victorious in the end. Enduring suffering and persecution is part of the process of attaining eternal life. On the other hand, those who don't believe in God have no truth to guide them or rely upon; they just do what they want to do to please themselves. When things don't work out their way, they panic and go completely insane. There is no sorrier or more pitiable state than being lost and on your way to losing your soul forever. [Jesus asked in Matthew 16 or Mark 8: "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" People can get it, but choose not to.]

***Our Spiritual Battle***

         While God and Satan fight for our souls, we fight ourselves. To help God win, all we need to do is to make him No. 1 and ourselves No. 2. When God wins, we also win. (Note that when Satan wins, we lose.)

*How We Can Change the World

        Each of us who are finite has a small role to play, while the infinite God who knows the overall scheme of things plays the big leading role. When we pray hard to the Lord and ask him to empower us to change the world, we become one with him and things start to happen.

*Big Prayer for This Year

        We can choose to live in the world or in God. This is how we are divided. To know the truth, we must live in God, the God of Christ. The world is filled with lying, fraudulent, hypocritical, and corrupt people. Wealthy people are applying for Government aid for those who have been hit by COVID-19, and getting it. Hospitals inflate the COVID death figures to receive more money from the Government. Congress proposed to pay another $600 to each citizen who needs help, but surreptitiously tacked on amendments to pay millions and millions of dollars to a whole bunch of foreign governments to fund some ridiculous-sounding projects or programs! What's happening? Something fishy's going on here for sure. The loss of fear of God will result in the downfall of all of them if they don't change their ways. My big prayer this year will be that the people of the world will choose God over the world. Nothing is impossible for our Lord!

***Only Resolution You Need to Make***

          It's January 1, 2021. Should I say Happy New Year to everyone? We wish others good health a lot too. But without involving God, such gestures seem rather empty, much like customarily asking "How are you?" when greeting someone you haven't seen for a while. Of course, there's no harm in saying any of the above. As for New Year resolutions, I used to make them, but not anymore. Again, without involving God, all of them failed or were forgotten. To genuinely improve ourselves, we need God. After all, he created us and should have no trouble making us better and happier in every way when we so desire. Once you have submitted yourself to the Lord, making resolutions is no longer necessary, for the Lord now teaches, molds and shapes you directly. The only resolution you to need to make and follow through is submitting yourself to God. And you are set for life.