***The Illumination We Need

        We came into the world, knowing nothing. The only things we had were a conscience and a free will. Then we discovered the "secrets" of many things and started gaining knowledge. The big mistake is that we now think we know or can know everything. Now, God is the creator of all things and his knowledge starting out was already infinite. And this deserves our utmost respect. To think that we don't need God will be sheer foolishness. To submit ourselves to the Lord completely is the only logical and sensible choice for us to make. This is the illumination we need if we wish to have life forever. We need to see things from heaven's side.

***Jesus Most Endearing

          In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Jesus always speaks the truth from his heart. Here he spoke most endearingly. This is your and my Lord too, so rejoice!

**Are We Too Far Gone?

        From today's Psalm 2, I read. these verses: "And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice." Look at our world today. Not only the kings and rulers of the world and so many of us have no fear of the Lord, we all behave as if he doesn't even exist, and we don't even beg for his mercy! It's certainly a far cry from what God had expected us to be like.

***Seeking the True Joy

        Many of us have hobbies such as woodworking, cooking, needlework, reading, etc. But as we age, we have to give up doing such things that have always given us pleasure. I have friends who have physically weakened to the point that they have to give up all their hobbies. My suggestion is that we can always get to know Jesus better if our mind is still clear. The joy of knowing the Lord transcends any enjoyment you can find in the world. Once you know him well, everything else normally enjoyable becomes "boring" by comparison. I am not exaggerating; it's a fact. People don't learn this because they encounter the other enjoyable things easily first. Now is the time to enjoy what truly delights your soul and spirit, not what merely pleases your senses. Incidentally, if you are not interested in knowing God well, but still wish to get to heaven, you are taking a big risk.

***A Eucharistic Miracle

        The Holy Face of Jesus imprinted on a Eucharistic host.

*Imperfect but Innocent

           We humans are full of imperfections. For example, someone say something harsh about me and I lose my peace, even just momentarily. And we have inappropriate fleeting thoughts at times. If you consider these imperfections as sins, then they are unintentional ones. I believe that the Lord fully understands our human nature and that we won't be perfect until we get to heaven. It's good to know that we can be imperfect and be innocent, and that we'll be like the Lord after we see him. 

*In a Hurry to Go to Heaven?

        If I know that I am heaven bound, do I want to go now or later? Of course, I look forward to being united with the Lord completely, but at the same time if I am going to be with him for all eternity anyway, what's the rush? Should the Lord ask me when I'd like to go, I'd probably say that I prefer to wait until some loved ones for whom I have been praying for decades have finally come to believe in you. That'd be a reasonable request, but I'll still let him have the final say.

**Learning from the True Guide

        The colleges talk about providing you with a well-rounded education to help you thrive in this world. But the Lord God teaches you how to live in freedom now and forever. God, being the truth, can reveal all we need to know to live in this world and not be of it. He is the only guide who can truly set us free. The time to learn all that is now when we are still on earth.

**Teaching the Truth

           This Fr. Corapi video just got posted. Again, he hit the nail on the head.  This is real teaching. Would that all priests have the courage to teach the truth and not be concerned about offending people or not..

**God in a League of His Own

        These thoughts relate to today's earlier post "True Beauty." We live in a physical world, so we seek beauty and pleasure in nature, architecture, music, etc. Thus we visit parks, castles, museums, and attend musicals, concerts, etc. But we fail to realize that we can experience beauty and joy plus peace in the Lord God! What he has to offer transcends everything our world offers. Every enjoyable thing you can find in the world simply pales in comparison with what you can experience in the Lord. For the former passes, while the latter lasts forever.

***Our Move Now***

         Today's Gospel reading comes from John 12. I am going to put together some verses and part of one to show you that we must absolutely pay attention to these words of the Lord. Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day." What is made clear are the following: (1) Jesus and the Father are one. (2) Whoever rejects him gets himself condemned on the last day. We must clearly get these two points and decide what to do with ourselves. We are dealing with God!

***True Beauty***

        I saw a video presenting the most beautiful village in France. It was beautiful in a quaint way. It has history and some interesting natural rock formation. In any case, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but  there are definitely things we see or hear that we agree are beautiful. As I walked this morning, the Lord made me see that true beauty is to be felt in one's heart and soul—it is his peace. In heaven, what you see and hear will definitely be most beautiful, but the peace you experience in the Lord will surpass all that. Let me tell you that when you dwell in God, knowing that he loves and takes care of you, it is the most beautiful feeling this side of heaven.   

*Comforting Words

         In today's Gospel reading from John 10, we hear Jesus say to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand." These ironclad assurances are such a comfort for those who follow the Lord to hear!

***Ultimate Warning************

       I started this blog in 2009 and out of love have posted more than 11,200 messages, always extolling the God of Christ. Today, out of love I am going to post a most serious warning to those who consciously reject Christ. This needs to be made known. I don't intend to offend anyone. On the contrary, I wish everyone to get to heaven to enjoy eternal life.
         Jesus has come as the Messiah, fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies. He claimed that he is the Son of God and had come to save us from sin. He proved that he has the power to forgive our sins by miraculously healing the lame and the sick. Here's what John wrote about Jesus in John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be." In John 14, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In Matthew 14, Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Wow! That so many had seen the Resurrected Lord is undeniable. Back in John 10, Jesus knew that he was going to die and rise again, for he said to the Jews, "I lay down my life in order to take it up again. I have power to lay it down and power to take it up." Finally, the Apostles witnessed the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.”
         If you reject Jesus, then you reject all I've said above and more. This would amount to saying that Christ is not only not God, but that he is a liar, a phony, a false teacher, and that he never rose from the dead. If you turn out to be right, you gain nothing and still remain lost. But if you turn out to be wrong, then I know you'd wish that you were never born! Think about it. [Please help spreading this message to as many as possible for their sake and for the glory of God.]

**Evidence of Life After Death

        We have the first 20-minute video with a Scott Drummond sharing what he saw and how it changed his life forever after he was pronounced dead for 20 minutes. You would enjoy watching it, for it shows that life continues on after death and God exists. Scott also tells about the peace he experienced on the other side. The second 25-minute-long video is a follow-up, the first one being the main one to watch. I feel so blessed that I do not need to die to know that the soul lives on, God exists, and that I am going to enjoy peace and joy with the Lord forever.

***Jesus Is My Shepherd!

        Today's Gospel reading comes from John 10 in which Jesus spoke of himself as the good shepherd. He said, "The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice." And I realized that I am one of his sheep! I can indeed claim that "the Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack" (Psalm 23:1). 

**God's Great Mercy*

         God's mercy endure forever (Psalm 106:1). His mercy is infinite, for he does not judge you as long as you still have time on earth or before his Second Coming. Accept this mercy, and heaven is yours. Reject it and you gain nothing and can lose everything. The wise take full advantage of God's great mercy by praying for it unceasingly.

*A Depiction of the World

         It's estimated that we now have 7.9 billion people worldwide. I wish I can say that all of them are in total obedience to God. A realistic description would be that we have 7.9 billion people at various stages of rebellion against God. If I plot a graph, I am likely to get a bell-shaped normal distribution with the most number of people in half rebellion against God. This is why Jesus came to us. Our prayer and hope is that the peak of this distribution will shift to the right toward total obedience to God. Surely God can beat statistics!

***Divine Mercy Prayer

         In these times when God desires that we pray, pray, and pray, besides praying the Rosary, I suggest you pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy too if you haven't done so yet. In the main part, you begin each decade by saying, "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." Then you recite ten times the prayer "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." Last night the Lord made me see that this short prayer is neat, clear, and to the point. Of course, we can make other specific requests, but mercy is what we generally need the most for now. We can pray for that and let the Lord administer it as he sees fit. Click here to learn how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. God bless you all.

***Secret Blessings*

         As times goes on, many things continue happening and we don't even realize it until some time later. I used to live in a different city and heard that the neighbor across the street just had a new baby boy. I saw him once in a while in the following years when he played outside his house. Then one day the mother told me that her son was getting ready to go to college—I couldn't believe it! How could time have gone by so fast? Things have a way of sneaking up on us. I've mentioned that Christ is more real to me than any other living person I know and see. Apparently, I've been aware of his holy presence at all times for quite a while, so this feeling isn't new. Today, it dawned on me that before 2009, the year I started this blog, I never exactly felt this way. I now know that God's blessings can also sneak up on us without our being aware of it. When we live a secret life in the Lord, we receive his blessings in secret too. 

***Only One Savior

          In today's reading from Acts 4, Peter declared to the leaders of the people and elders that other than Jesus Christ, there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. We know that only God can save us, so Christ must be God. And there can be only one God, so Christ has to be our only Savior. Seeking salvation through anyone else is doomed to failure.

***All or Nothing with God

        We pray to God for many things, why not pray to him about everything? Would the Lord who loves you so much be happy if you are not with him completely? I don't think so. He has given all of himself to you so that you might live, shouldn't you give all of yourself to him too?  As I've said, with God it has to be all or nothing! We won't feel totally satisfied until we possess all of him. He has made us so that only complete abandonment to him can make us completely happy and content.   

*Cost of Rejecting the Best

        Again, I look at extreme cases to make me see things clearly. Suppose God has made salvation extremely difficult for us. Say we must go through many loops and meet all kinds of stringent requirements. Then even if we don't make it, the consequence understandably probably wouldn't be so bad. Now that the Lord has made salvation so simple and direct for us: basically, all we need to do is believe, I intuitively see that the consequence of not appreciating his great offer would be a lot more severe too.

*Jesus Tests Our Heart

        Jesus came to die for us so that we might have eternal life. Our proper response should be gratitude and joy, yet many ignore or outright reject him. I see that our hearts are being tested by the Lord. To a good extent, how we respond to him reveals how hard our heart is.  

***The Sad and the Beautiful

       Two things from today's first reading from Acts 9 stirred my heart. First, verse 31: "The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers." The Church today is in trouble precisely because so many of her hierarchy no longer walk in the fear of the Lord. They spew heresies and their own opinions, no longer following the teachings of the Lord, and as a result, have lost the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
        Next, verses 36-41 tell the raising of Tabitha to life by Peter. Tabitha had fallen ill and died. After Peter got to her bedside, he sent everyone out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. There's something very beautiful here. Peter knew that he could raise her by the power of the Lord, but he still turned to him and prayed first. I see the oneness of Peter and the Lord. Being in union with the Lord and turning to him—this was the beauty I saw.

***Demons Exist

        On most days I walk outside the house, the weather has been quite nice since spring began. When the sky is blue and clear, you see fresh leaves sprouting from all the branches and hear the birds singing all around you, and the temperature is perfect, you can't help feeling good and happy. But this morning was different. The sky was cloudy and grey, the wind rather chilly, and I heard strange sounds made by various animals. Since I am not a wildlife expert, I can't tell you what I heard. One sounded like an owl, but do owls show up in the morning? Anyway, I realized that things around us in life could change unexpectedly. I recalled how people lost their lives when a natural disaster suddenly struck. Worst yet, evil had caused many to lose their soul. Demons do exist! You may enjoy eating, drinking, partying, and doing all the fun things in life, but if you are not aware that evil, demons, and hell also exist, you are living in great danger, for things can change quickly and unexpectedly. There is only one in whom you can find security for all eternity and that's Christ our Lord and our God. [I posted the above 4 days ago and had found out that one strange sound I heard was actually the cooing of wild doves communicating with each other.]

**Way to Know God

       The fact I seem to know God well had made someone think that I must have worked hard at wanting to know him. True or false? It is true that when we want to find out about something, we often need to do a lot of searching and digging. To know about Jesus is the same; you need to do a lot reading or asking others about him. But to know Jesus is different. No searching, digging, or any labor-intensive work is required: you simply remain open to him to let him draw you to or into him. It couldn't be simpler. This also shows that learning by the heart is a lot more efficient than learning by the mind.

**Know the Truths

         Just saw Fr. Corapi's short video uploaded today. It's a joy to listen to him because he doesn't waste words and goes directly to the point. You can't possibly not know what's he's trying to tell you. This is refreshing. Let me give you the direct link to this video on YouTube so that you can see the four sites he lists under the video that can help you stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Holy Catholic Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCrU7WLf7O4

***Be Masters of the World

        Many things such as our upbringing, the neighborhood we live in, the kind of family we were born into, economic conditions, government policies, social norms—in fact, all our life experiences—influence and shape us. My point is we must let the God of Christ alone influence and shape us so that we may in turn influence and shape everything around us. We must be masters of and not slaves to the world! Start with Christ, ground yourselves deep in him, and do his will always to be free of the influences of the world. Let the Lord be your master first, then you'll become masters of the world. 

***Ready to Go to God?

        Simeon, after seeing Baby Jesus at his presentation to the Lord at the temple, was ready to die in peace. For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. Am I ready to go in peace too? Yes, because although I have not seen Jesus, I have gotten to know him so well that seeing him is not going to help me believe in him more. Besides, there's nothing left in the world worthy pursuing anymore. If Jesus is not ready for me to go because his work for me is not yet complete, that would be fine too. The important thing is that we be ready for him. 

***Abandonment to God Only Choice*

         Some people such as St. Thérèse of Lisieux fell in love with God when they were still children, while many others can't bring themselves to believe in God at a ripe old age. Were we born differently? We have Judas Iscariot who was with Jesus like the other Apostles, yet he became a traitor, while the others went on to become martyrs and/or saints. This is a mystery I honestly do not understand. As I pray for some of my loved ones, I face the same dilemma. So what am I to do? The only conclusion I can come to is that I must hand all the ones I pray for completely over to God. I do my part, but they are completely under his care now. The general conclusion is that I must abandon myself to the Lord in all things. I know that the Lord desires that we do not worry or be anxious about anything; this is to show that we have faith in him. Let us abandon ourselves to the Lord to become free in him.

***God's Most Momentous, Definitive Saying

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus says that everyone who believes in him has eternal life. This has to be the most momentous, definitive statement of all time. It could've only come from the Lord. It's a statement every human being must perk up their ears to give it their utmost attention.

**Evangelization Tips

         To evangelize effectively, we must appeal to the hearts of others, not their minds. Telling others to love God never works; you need to show why he deserves to be loved. The focus should always be on the Lord. Sharing your personal experience always beats presenting any impersonal knowledge.

**Living for Christ Alone (New Freedom)*

        Life is most fulfilling when you live for Christ alone. You sense that you are fulfilling his wishes now and know that you'll be with him forever a little later. People normally try to fulfill themselves by doing what they like to do for themselves. And in many cases, they do accomplish something quite beautiful and satisfying. But without God, any fulfillment will be experienced only in this life. To live for Christ, you only need to do all things, whether big or little, for him. For example, when you take the garbage out, just humbly tell the Lord that you're doing it for him. Since you no longer do anything for your own sake, you'll feel a new freedom!

***In Tune with God

         The Lord God loves us and wants us to have eternal life. Can you think of anything better for us than that? I don't think so. Therefore, if we go along with him, we receive the best. Because we have the true God, the God of Christ, we can confidently submit ourselves to him, trust in him, and follow his every word without question. Then we'll be in tune with God completely, living in freedom and peace. This is the way it should be. Again, it is easily attained when you let him be your Lord.  

**No Longer Hungry or Thirsty

        In today's Gospel from John 6, Jesus said to the crowd, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." I can testify to you that what Jesus had said is true. Of course, there is still the physical hunger for food and thirst for water, but all the other deeper needs have all been fulfilled. Once you have the Lord, nothing else can possibly satisfy you anymore.

***Pray, Pray, Pray

        This has been a command coming from heaven consistently for our salvation. There are short prayers you can say pretty much at any time. The 14-word Jesus Prayer is well-known—"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." You can almost pray this unceasingly. You can even shorten it down to "Lord, have mercy on me (or the world)." It's your heart's intention that counts, not how you exactly say the words. If the Holy Spirit inspires you, say whatever he wants you to say. Of course, praying doesn't mean praying aloud either, for hearing the words in your own mind is just as good. The important thing is to pray as much as possible for yourself and others, as the future of the world depends upon our prayers.

***God Is Forever

        I rejoice that my God is forever. Naturally, he exists forever. I cannot possibly comprehend forever or infinity without a forever, infinite God. Do you know that his love for us is forever? That the life he wants to give us will last forever? But know that if we get ourselves condemned, we'll be separated from him forever too. So remain with him always to be on the right side forever.

*****Our Most Fundamental Concerns

        (1) Sin We face all kinds of problems in life, but sin is a fundamental one we must deal with before we die. Burdened with sins, you die, and you are lost forever. Your soul must be liberated from your sins to gain spiritual freedom. 
        (2) Relationship with God It is God who has created you and wants to save you. He is the source of all life and he is as important to you as your own life! A close relationship with him is fundamental and essential. Being one with him is absolutely the most beautiful, rewarding relationship you can ever have with him.
        (3) Eternal life Another fundamental issue of critical importance to deal with. Get that settled and secured while you are still alive on earth, and you'll be happy forever!
        The good news is that all these three fundamental concerns are inextricably intertwined and can be easily taken care of at the the same time.

**We. Need Prayers

       In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus said to the crowd, "Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set the seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." Jesus gave us the simple answer to accomplish the works of God. We just believe in him, follow and obey him, and that's it! Why do we make it so complicated and hard for ourselves? The Lord has made it so simple and straight forward that we don't even need to figure out what to do. We have a clear and sure guide to eternal life and we still drag my feet! Again, we are the ones who need prayers the most.

***Calling for Praying for Ourselves!

       The Lord had suffered so much agony for us already when he died for us on the cross. The greatest agony he is suffering today is that we still do not believe in him, ignore him, outright reject him, and even deliberately bear false witness against him. If you have any heart, try putting yourself in his position to see how you would feel. We need to pray, pray, and pray for ourselves foremost!

*****Establish a Terrific Relationship with God***

        Here is the simple way to be on great terms with the Lord God: you just be completely truthful to him. You hide nothing and tell him everything from your heart. That is, you are completely open and frank to him. The Lord is already open to you, so now he will simply reciprocate by telling you everything from his heart. What a terrific, satisfying, privy relationship! 😇😇😇

***Our Heart Belongs to God***

        It is interesting that we know that our head does the thinking and our heart, the feeling. The heart is defiled when evil thoughts prevail. We are happiest when we follow a pure heart. Do you know that the Devil can only brainwash you, never capturing your heart? But God can totally win your heart through his selfless love for us. Therefore, give your heart to him and you can forget about the Devil and enjoy peace and freedom in your God.

*More than Being Good

        A good Christian is justified by God. This is the big difference from being just good.

***To Be with God Forever!***

         Communion experience. The Lord let me know that my union with him is forever. What a great joy!  

**How to Become Perfect

        In the second reading from reading from 1 John 2, John wrote, "Whoever keeps his [Jesus'] word, the love of God is truly perfected in him." Our spiritual growth is a process of perfecting God's love. Keep the word of Christ and we'll be perfect like him.

**God's Greatness

        In today's first reading from Acts 3, Peter said to the people, "The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away." First of all, Peter was right in calling Christ the author of life, the Resurrection being the proof. To rise again from the dead would be impossible unless you are the author of life. Secondly, it is noteworthy that Christ suffered and died so that those who played a part in putting him to death could still repent and be saved. Such is God's great mercy.

**No Fear in Jesus!*

            In today's Gospel reading from John 6, the disciples of Jesus was crossing the sea to Capernaum. It was evening and had grown dark. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." Remember this and trust in him to lose all your fears.

**Are Funerals Necessary?

        Royal Prince Philip of Britain recently passed away and many people enjoyed watching his funeral accompanied by the usual pomp and circumstance. Here are my honest thoughts about any funeral. If I die and go to heaven, I wouldn't care much about whether I get a funeral or not. The most good it can do is to shorten my stay in purgatory. A big funeral is always a waste of time and money. One the other hand, if I were not heaven bound, a funeral would be an utter waste of time and money. But since you don't know, you may want to offer a Mass for me. Anyway, funerals are mostly held for the living to witness. To want to have a showy funeral for yourself is definitely being foolish and vain. 

**How Often with the Lord?*

        In the Old Testament, we read about the various prophets serving and attending to the Lord day and night. Psalm 1:2—Blessed is the man who meditates on the law of the LORD day and night. In the New Testament, we learned that the early disciples of Christ served the Lord and prayed to him day and night. So the question is "How often do we even think of the Lord during the day?" To force yourself to think about the Lord continuously when you don't feel like it would be both painful and meaningless. Let the Holy Spirit draw you into it and it becomes effortless and a joy. Again, it comes down to being open to the Lord to know him first. Attaining union with God will take care of all such spiritual problems. 

*Proof of Disobedience to God

        Again, looking at the extreme scenario clarifies things. If every one of us obeys God, we'll have instance peace in the whole world. The fact that we do not have peace in the world shows that many of us are rebelling against God.   

Difference Between Know and No

        Know God and you become wise. No God and you remain a fool.

**Suffering Dishonor for God

        In today's reading from Acts 5, the Apostles rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name Jesus. Is there something odd here because we normally don't want to be shamed at all. But the power of God's love is so great that they didn't even care whether others understood them or not; they were simply elated in doing the Lord's will. They'd look odd only to those who do mot know the love of God, which is most intoxicating. Drunk with that love and you feel you no longer belong to the world! The world is the foolish one because it does not know the love of God.

*Prayer Power

        Messages from heaven have always asked us to pray, pray, and pray. This shows that prayer can move God to shape our future. Since God loves us so much, of course he'll listens to us. How many of us earthly fathers would ignore our children when they sincerely want to communicate with us? To pray shows that you obey and trust your Father, and he'll do great things for you. 

**Our Ideal family

          My relationship with my father was never close. I was pretty much brought up by my grandfather, I know many of you may not even have a father around. But don't worry, for we have the best Father in heaven, the ideal father, who loves you dearly and understands you perfectly. He has filled all my voids in life. I was deprived of intimacy with my mother much of the time too. The Holy Mother has turned out to be ideal for me. The Lord gave her to be our mother just before he expired, knowing that we'd need a good mother She's always with us, helping us do the will of the Father. All the saints make ideal brothers and sisters. God truly wants us to belong to his family in heaven.

****The Lord Our Enlightener

          When I see so many people do so many foolish things, I realize that Christ is truly the enlightener we need. For once you know him, you see all things in the right light. You see the true reality, the consequences of our actions, the spiritual war that's going on fighting for our souls, where we are heading, etc. God makes you see and understanding everything so clearly. Get to know the Lord well to be totally enlightened by him. Then life is no longer a dream, an unknown, or a puzzle. 

**Sin of Omission

         This sin is very easy to commit. I can be good all day, not committing any sin, but forget to do some of the good I could or should have done. To be truly holy, we must seek to do as much good as possible. Not doing anything bad is not always good enough. You are more than being lukewarm, but you are hot enough yet. When Jesus asked us to be perfect, he meant it. It is possible for us, for nothing is impossible for him.

**Only One Comfortable Way

        To see things clearly, I look at the extreme cases. I can live without Christ and remain living in the unknown, while heading deeper and deeper into the unknown. Or I can know Christ, follow him, and never ever worry about getting lost. When you know the Lord, you know the way and then some. 

To Live for God Means . . .

 simply doing his will.         

*Healing of the Soul

        The Lord is our greatest healer. He may not always heal our physical ailments for good reason, but he'll always heal our soul if you ask. First, have him take away your sins, for he is the only one who has the power to do that. Then ask him to heal you soul. Once that's done, your heart and your mind are healed as well. Now you are a whole person.

**Why People Don't Believe

        The Gospel reading comes from John 3: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Perhaps the world just doesn't get it, for its people only want to focus upon living their life and keep their "freedom" on earth. Surely they should know that life on earth will end, that God wants to give them life after death, and that once saved, you are truly set free. John gave the verdict later in the same reading: people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil. I think he nailed it on the head.

*****God's Transforming Power (Great News)

        Today's first reading came from Acts 5. Let me quote the first two verses, 17 and 18: "The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail." As I read, I stopped at the word "jealousy" because it seemed to be somewhat a strange word. Then I realized that it was because I hadn't felt jealousy for quite some time now. A chain of realizations ensued. The Lord has changed me. He has taken away all the sinful feelings offensive to him. That's why I feel so much peace in my heart. He has fundamentally transformed me! God is truly amazing! Yes, he can make any one of us anew if you would cooperate with him. I want the whole world to know him so that everyone may experience freedom, peace, and joy. This is no fantasy, it's the almighty, loving God woking!

***God's Will Be Done

        Hearing the Lord speaking to me in my heart gives me great joy. Yesterday I was very happy because the Lord gave me quite a number of thoughts to blog. As I was walking outside this morning again, I thought it'd be nice to hear more thoughts from him again. Then instantly I realized that I was expressing my wish and it may not be his. What I read in yesterday's Gospel reading from John 3 came to my mind. Explaining how one is born of the Spirit to Nicodemus, Jesus said to him, "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes, so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." So it happens as the Spirit wills. The Lord may wish to give me a hundred thoughts or zero thought according to his will. The joy coming from the Holy Spirit I can never anticipate either. God is free to do whatever whenever he wishes. We may ask humbly for favors, but not wish foolishly for any.

Losing Fear of Death

        No one can be sure that there is no God. In that case, I would be afraid to die, for I don't know what'll happen to me after I die. Since I know without a doubt that God exists and that he even loves me, I lose all fear of death. All very logical.

*Prioritizing. Our Needs

        We have our material needs. They may be necessary, but they are always temporary and may even be sinful.  Anyhow, we should always put our spiritual needs ahead of all other needs, for fulfilling these needs will get us into heaven. 

**We Let God Down

         Often we share Christ with others and no one shows any interest and we feel the letdown and a loneliness in this world. I realize how the Lord must feel when great multitudes of people have already deserted him. All the more we need to appreciate and love him to counter this imbalance.

*Being Truly Childlike

        When we were kids and didn't like what our parents told us to do, we asked why we had to do it. Many parent did not bother to reason with us; our father or mother simply answered "Because I said so." But God is nor ordinary parent, for he always knows what's best for us. So we can unquestionably obey him in all things. This is being truly childlike.

***Know, Treasure, and Rejoice In . . .

the fact that Jesus' ultimate death has gained for us ultimate freedom from sin. 

Our Relationship with God

        Since there are many Christians, we must examine our relationship with the Lord. Those who are weakly attached to him risk losing him altogether when the Devil attacks. Only those strongly linked to the Lord will survive all attacks and come through unscathed at the end. Be in union with God for maximum security. Just common sense. 

Inspired by Christ

        Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Today as I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries, I was inspired by the Lord carrying his own cross all the way to Calvary. 

***Going Against God

        Jesus advised us to store up treasures in heaven so that we may want to go there. Many of us are doing the exact opposite on earth, which is accumulating material possessions. But I have something in mind even better (or worse), that is, "piling up sins on earth." 

***Dying for the Lord?

        Jesus has loved us so much that he willingly died for us. If we love him, should we die for him? Know that he died for us so that we may live. So we should focus upon living for him. If death is called for in the process, then so be it. The Lord desires love from us the most, not death.

***Learning from God Directly*

        I have stressed the advantage of going to the Lord directly. All the prophets, great saints, visionaries . . . learn from the Lord directly, and I don't ever recall Jesus asking us to go through someone else first. He is open directly to anyone! This is why I advocate seeking union with the Lord, for there is no more direct approach than that. Imagine hearing the Lord speaking to you in your heart! You needn't listen to another voice anymore. 

****Close to Death

         We may have two more years to live or 50 more to live. Is "50 years" that much longer that two years? Next to eternity, even 100 millions years is nothing. So no matter how much longer we live, we are close to death. This means that we are close to heaven or to hell too. Most of all, we are close to God, for he is all yours if you desire him. I would definitely take advantage of that. But God can be so far away should you choose to reject him, even when he wants to be as close to you as possible. Think about that.

*****God Is Pure Delight!*****

        The Lord is pure delight! Knowing him is a delight, hearing him speak to my heart is a delight, learning from him is a delight. having him guide me is a delight, and his constant companionship is absolutely delightful! Of course, I want to go to him. But if I must remain longer in this world, that'd be fine too, for I get to enjoy him longer in this world.  

***Must Life Be a Tragedy?

         I know that Jesus is the Son of God and is God. He is also our one and only Savior. We'll have to pass through him after we die, for he is our final judge too. I am as certain about all this as the eleven Apostles who saw him, touched him, witnessed all the miracles he performed and his ascending into heaven after he rose from the dead. You see, when you get to know the Lord intimately so that you become one with him, he personally affirms such truths in you.  
        Then so many people still don't believe in him. Even though they can, they choose not to because they are full of pride and wish to remain as their own lord. At times like these, the Lord is urgently calling us to convert and pray, but people still go about their business as usual. Unknowingly, each of them is playing the role of the protagonist is a tragedy about their own life.

***Teaching Christ to Others*

         The Church has failed to teach our children. Parents should take on the responsibility of providing religious educating to their own children if they are able to. In talking to both of my sons, I realize that I had made the mistake of believing that they would learn all they needed to know by attending CCD classes at church. Today my older son told me that he was always told to do this or that, but was never given the reason, and that turned him off. As for my second son who's quite a bit younger, I recently found the book that was used when he was being prepared for receiving First Communion. I was appalled that not one word was said about the Real Presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. No wonder a large percentage of the young today do not believe that the consecrated bread and wine are the body and blood of the Lord anymore. This has to be an epic failure. About one confirmation class I was involved in at one church, the kids were taught how to behave and act before the bishop when he showed up, not a word about expecting the Holy Spirit to touch you when you're being confirmed. Once at yet another church I hinted that I could share with the kids that we can experience God with a CCD teacher, she showed total disinterest. So you have people who do not know God well teaching about God. As a result, you don't get drawn any closer to him. God is not to be taught like any other secular subject and church committee meetings are not to be run like business meetings at some company. Getting to know Christ first must be our No. 1 priority.  

**All Passes except . . .

        The weather was perfect as I was walking outside this morning. It was cool and clear, but I knew that in a few months, it would be scorching. So everything in this world passes. Where are some of the mighty kingdoms and dynasties of the past?  Where are the world-conquering rulers and heroes who were here? What about some of the big-name, much admired entertainers of our generation? Many are already gone. I am now really looking ahead... As he world is preparing for the arrival of the Anti-Christ, there will be more warnings and chastisements. At the end, we'll have the Second Coming of Christ. Again, all these things will pass except those who have been saved by Christ and are destined to live with the Lord forever. Dwell on him now and not the passing world. 

*Blessing of Knowing Christ

        The thought came to me that Christians are so blessed to have Christ as their shepherd and guide. The people who came before Christ had prophets to follow. Today there are so many people who still do not know the Lord yet. Of course, we'll all be judged by him differently but always fairly. Knowing Christ definitely makes the path to holiness and salvation precise and clear for us. 

**Responsible for Our Own Sins!

        We are completely responsible for our own sins—we cannot blame anyone for causing us to sin, as we are not supposed to sin. Each one of us will have to face God alone for we've done. The account is to be settled between you and God, not between you and someone else. So mind your own business.

Consider Your Eternal Future Now

         People just don't think about death, especially when everything seems to be going alright for them. But I want you to think ahead early. No matter how things are going with you, ask yourself if you are ready to leave this world? Asking more realistically, are you ready to meet the Lord to be judged by him? If you are not thinking about it at all, you are ignoring your entire eternal future. Face and resolve the issue now so that you may have peace of mind. 

*To Be Freed from Sin

             We easily fall into the clutches of sin and and become helpless. It is such a common problem. God is the only one who can free you from such enslavement if you'd ask for his help. That is, you submit yourself to him to allow his power to flow into you. It all comes down to whether you let the Lord be your Lord or not. There is absolutely no need to worry about what the Evil One might do. Turn away from him and to God, and he becomes powerless. Let God take care of the rest and you are freed from the clutches of sin for good.

**"The Lord Is with Us"

        The last thing Jesus told the eleven disciples according to Matthew 18:20 was "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Since the Lord knows everything about each one of us, of course he is with us. Even if we do not see him, we can be sure that he is more present than all others whom we know and see. In fact, after you receive Holy Communion, he even dwells in us. This is faith at its best.

***Christ, Trustworthy and Ever Present

        Today's Gospel reading, the first 14 verses of John, tells Jesus' third appearance to his disciples after being raised from the dead. The description was so beautiful that I broke down and cried as I read the verses. I learned the following. The disciples had been fishing in the Sea of Tiberias and by night still caught nothing. When it was already dawn, they saw Jesus standing on the shore, but did not recognize him. Then Jesus said to them to cast the net over the right side of the boat and they would find something. They cast it and weren't able to pull it in because of the number of fish. Then they realized that "It is the Lord!" So we should always trust in the Lord, never wonder what might or might not happen, and listen to him, for he is with us, watches over us, and will guide us. Every moment is an it's-the-Lord moment, for he is ever present. Again, I strongly recommend that you seek to attain union with him so that you may live a life carefree in this turbulent world.

***Rejoicing in the Lord!

        I am struck by verse 24 of Psalm 118, today's Gospel acclamation: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad. I look at today and see that the Lord loves me so much that he even died for me; that I am a  sinner, but he can easily make me pure and clean; that I can trust him with my soul; and that he is waiting or me to be with him for eternity. How can you possibly not rejoice when you are aware that you are being loved so much by such a great Lord? 

**Mary's Loving Messages

          Gisella Cardia of Italy began receiving messages from the Blessed Mother in 2016. In September of 2019, Mary foretold her about the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic from China. She is now known as the prophet of the end times. The main thing God desires from us has always been conversion and prayer, and Gisella hasn't added anything new. It only shows that how urgent it is for us to turn to God, repent, and obey him. I've found a couple of Gisella's messages dated April 18 and April 28, 2020, respecyively. I'll post them below, for they are encouraging and worth reading. 

            Beloved children, thank you for being in prayer and for having listened to my call in your hearts. Dear children, fight for your freedom: you are about to be enslaved by evil dictators. Beware of vaccines and all obligations, because they will not come from God, but from Satan who wants to govern your lives and minds. My beloved, earthquakes will be heard all over the world: I have touched the earth to warn my children, so that they can be ready for the terrible times that will arrive. Children, use discernment, for this is the time when there will be many false prophets. Pray much and continually, have faith in God alone and continue to read the Holy Scriptures. Beloved children, only faith can save you, never forget this. My Angels and Archangels will always be by your side: do not be lukewarm. Now I bless you in the name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

          Dear children, thank you for being united in prayer and for having accepted my call in your hearts. Beloved children, the powerful have planned everything, not taking God into account. It is useless for them to plan their escape before what will happen, because my safe havens will be prayer, sacrifice, penance and what God has already prepared for you. Rejoice, children, because you will see Jesus descending just as He went away [cf. Acts 1:11]. Beloved children, my Lord is suffering so much because He died for you and your sins, but the world is still acting in savagery. Shepherds are not taking care of the faithful: the churches are closing and soon the Eucharist will be taken away from you once again. What is to come will cause death. But you still do not understand! I have been sent to warn you, but many do not even appreciate my presence. Pray, children! Pray beneath the Cross of my Son, because the earth is full of demons. Man will lash out against man and from there war will begin. My beloveds, entrust everything to my Lord. Now I bless you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

**Opposite Visions of Life

        Here's what the Lord made me see this morning. Most people do not believe in Christ because they want to remain free on their own, falsely thinking that being able to do whatever they wish will make them free. Of course, only God who's greater than us can set us free. Following yourself is exactly what lost souls do. On the contrary, believers in the Lord see that life in this sinful world is full of trials, setbacks, sufferings, and hardships. But God watches over them, so they willingly endure all and wait for the day they'll be with him forever. In sum, nonbelievers live myopically for the present and believers wisely set their eyes on the everlasting future.

*Soul-Shakng Moments

         To be excited about Christ, you need a wake-up experience. Many cradle Catholics may be devout, but they don't show show much enthusiasm outwardly. I think it's because they were brought up as Catholics and never had a "wake-up" moment. I am a covert to Catholicism. One wake-up moment I remember was the time I realized that I was truly a sinner and needed Christ to make me new—the realization shook me to the core and I broke down! Afterwards, I was a different person. It was an encounter with the Lord, you might say. We all need such moments and can desire and be open to them. God is to be experienced!          

*Simple Step to Clinch Eternal life

        To have eternal life, you only need to acknowledge that Jesus is your Savior and believe in him. It's a simple step to take. You are not even required to become a holy saint. Of course, once you get to know the Lord intimately, you may very well want to be as holy as possible to pease him.

***Key to Recognizing the Lord

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 24, we read about how the risen Lord appeared to two of his disciples on their way to Emmaus. They did not recognize him until they saw him took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them at the table that evening. If you receive Holy Communion, fully aware that the Lord is present in the Eucharist, you will recognize his presence at all times.

**Eternal Life Is OK

        To want to have eternal life is not being self-centered. It is nice, but I want to have it because God wants me to have it! Our first priority is to obey God. Should he want to punish me for my wrongdoings, that'd be fine too. 

***Two Ways of Growing Old

        People become enlightened and wise or bitter and more stubborn than ever as they grow old. Let's look at the latter case first. The worst example would be someone who complains about everything and blames others always and never himself. He's set in his ways because he believes that's how God has made him. Of course, I am describing an extreme case, but I've known people more or less like that. On the other hand, he one who grows wiser realizes that he must depend upon God more as he grows older and weaker. This is a true blessing as he finally sees the reality. Now, abandoning yourself to God doesn't mean that you no longer ask God for favors. In fact, you are now free to ask for all the blessings you need. Only how the Lord is going to respond does not concern you anymore. You've been enlightened!

**Effect of a Change of Heart

        John 3.16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. The statement is so clear and simple. Yet we just have a hard time believing the Apostle John. This is because as sinners, we are still rebelling against God—the same perpetual old story. Only the wise recognize this reality that a change of our heart can send us to heaven instead of hell. 

**Sad State of Man (Ultimate Stupidity)*

        The Church does not obligate us to believe in any of the various prophecies and warnings that have been coming to us from heaven. The gist of all such messages has been that we must turn to God, repent, and pray hard if we are to avoid damnation. This is practically common sense, yet so few people care or pay serious attention. Having lost all humility, man is now so lost that it no longer listens to or think reason. Not seeing that pride is our downfall is ultimate stupidity.

**Joy in Union with God

         Happy Easter to  you all! We rejoice today, for the Lord is risen. I do feel that we need to rejoice in the Lord everyday in the interior of our heart, not just showing joy outwardly during the time of Easter. God is to be experienced and enjoyed every moment of our life. There is no better way to achieve that than attain union with him so that you and the Lord become soulmates.

*Making Heaven Rejoice

         Jesus told us in Luke 15:7 that "there will be great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents." We can make heaven rejoice once more after repenting by surrendering to God to attain union with him and become holy.

**About Sinning

        I just finished talking to my oldest granddaughter on the phone who will be graduating from college next month and start working for a company in Boston, not exactly a holy place. I recall my college days attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The opportunities to sin abounded. I still remember one fellow student boasting often about his illegitimate infant daughter living with the mother in nearby Detroit. Sinning is like stepping on quicksand. Once you start sining, it becomes easier and easier. But if you can refrain from committing small sins, you avoid committing big sins too. To stop sinning and enjoy inner peace, seek to attain union with God. You are never too early or too late for that. In union with God, you remain holy in God wherever you are.

***Spiritual Reality (a Warning)

        These thoughts came to me while walking this morning. We are the only creatures on earth that were made in God's image and possess a soul. The spiritual warfare fighting for our souls between God and the evil one is real. It will end one day for sure. Warnings have been coming from heaven to us all along. The central message is clear—we need to surrender to God, repent, and obey him. The latest messages coming from the Blessed Mother, St. Michael the Archangel, Jesus, the Father have all been most urgent. When this war will end and how severe the chastisements will be will depend upon how we respond to God. We can end up all going to heaven or with multitudes going to hell. It is important that we see this reality and not waste our time focusing upon the insignificant mundane things of life.

*Our Only Perfect Savior

         I love the last two verses from today's second reading from Hebrews 4 and 5: Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation. First, it is obedience to God that makes us perfect. Secondly, Jesus the Son made perfect became fittingly the source of eternal salvation. There is not another who can save us.

**A Delightful Thought!

         With spring in full swing, I look out the window and see fresh green leaves and blossoms on many plants. I realize that I won't be outlived by any creation in heaven or on earth, for I will live on forever with my God! The thought greatly delights me!

***Good Friday Thoughts

          This is Good Friday. It is good because God showed his greatest love for us on this day. Jesus followed the will of God the Father perfectly. He came to us to save us from sin by dying on the cross in our place. He knew what he had to go through, yet during his some 33 years on earth, he continued to perform good deeds and spread the gospel. A normal person in his place wouldn't have been able to sleep well every single night. He never complained again those who persecuted him. A normal good person in his place would have tried hard to justify and defend himself. The example of Jesus leaves me with no doubt that he is the divine Savior! For that, I accept him as my Lord and Savior. I am reaping abundantly now and that's only the beginning. Let us thank, worship, and glorify him today and always! 

*Living the Temporary Life

        People just get their priorities all wyong. They live in this world as if it's the only life they have, so they concentrate on living comfortably in this life, not considering what might happen after they die. Death might be their best blessing, for when they are near death, they may finally turn to God. The wise would settle their eternity first. When you do that, you'll see life in a new light and start living in freedom. It takes courage to buck the trend, but nothing is impossible for God and you'll be richly rewarded.

*Leaving This World

        This morning I also thought about ourselves besides God. We are merely passing through this world. Each of us was born through a family, but our association with our family is only temporary. Before God the Father, we are equally his children. When I leave this world, I'll leave freely, detached to all things left behind. As for the people I leave behind, I hope I'll seen them again. Anyway, I can continue praying for all souls from heaven. It's doing God's will alone we must heed. Things turn out best when we do that. Let's leave the world the way we came with our Father in full charge.

**The Lord God, What We Need

        As I was walking outside this morning, I thought about God's love for us. Things of the world are enticing because they gratify our senses and our desires. The Lord God operates on an entirely different level. I've fallen deeply in love with the Lord because his love, mercy, and holiness have touched me to the core, capturing my heart, my spirit, and my soul completely. Living without the God of Christ is living in emptiness. Believe and desire him, and you are fulfilled.