***How to Know God

        To know God, we must loosen up first. That is, we remain open, should he choose to communicate with us. The big mistake is to expect God to come to us when we don't even try to meet him halfway. The worst position is to play God, then you won't ever know him. Humility is what he loves. (Note: For the next three weeks or so, I won't be able to blog daily. I do expect to catch up before this month ends. May God bless all of you who read herein. Ask for his blessings yourselves too. If you sincerely believe that he is blessing you, you'll know or feel it.)

***Prayer Joy*

        The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) Christ has given us is the perfect prayer for us as God's sinful children. If we mean and follow everything in that prayer from the heart, we can become holy! Today when I prayed it before Mass began, I was filed with great joy. 

***Be like Christ***

         God wants us to become like him so that we may return to him in heaven. We are called to be holy, period. So make that your top goal. (If you haven't read Thomas Kempis' The Imitation of Christ yet, read it to help you reach that goal.)

***Believe First Always***

        Today's Communion antiphon, Jesus' saying in Matthew 18:3—"Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Again, this is a very clear statement. We are far from entering the Kingdom of Heaven because we are far from being childlike when it comes to believing in God. The wise would start out believing. Should you find that he is false or doesn't exist, you can always disbelieve then. If you start out not believing, surely you'll never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Know that the Lord has a soft spot for the humble: If you are humble enough to believe in him, he'll humble himself to welcome you with open arms.

***Our Glory

        The cross was the glory of Christ, and Christ is our glory. That makes the cross our glory too.

***Lord Our Only Guide***

        Today is the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the first person who made me realize the beauty of loving God. I am most grateful to her. The entrance antiphon reads "The Lord alone was her guide." Indeed, we need the Lord to guide us in everything. Should we are to follow someone else, that has to come the Lord first. Following ourselves is the worst way of living, inevitably leading to the loss of inner peace in this life and even beyond.

*****All God's Doing*****

        Even though I do not see Christ, he is more real to me than anyone else I see. This has made it possible for me to feel his holy presence at all times. It has to be his doing and I rejoice in that.

*****Fast Track to Knowing God*****

        To know and learn from God, we commonly seek help from someone else. It might be reading a book that person has written or listening to a talk of his. If you attend a big conference, you still learn from a lot of other people. Chances are all of them are seeking to know the Lord themselves. Of course, if you learn from a saint, you can benefit a lot, for he or she is most likely a lot more advanced spiritually. Then since saints learn most from the Lord directly, and the Lord is instantly accessible to all of us at all times, it makes sense that we go directly to the Lord too? In fact, this is the best, most efficient and quickest way to achieve your goal! Should you wish to attain union with God, this is the only way!. It's not incorrect to say that by comparison, all other indirect approaches more or less amount to beating around the bush.

***Tragic Ignorance***

        Most of us hope to do something big to make ourselves rich, famous, and influential to satisfy our ego, not realizing that doing a tiny small thing to please our heavenly Father is infinitely more satisfying both now and later after we leave this world! 

**All Our Sins Are Known to God**

        I'd like to post what Jesus said to his disciples from today's Gospel reading from Mark 9: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" No sin can be hidden from God. Should there be a book for each of us kept in heaven, every sin of ours would be recorded in it. If you are smart, you would have Christ take away all your sins now to get them all check off in that book.

***That Clean Feeling*

         This was what I experienced before Mass this morning. It felt so good (heavenly). When you are clean, you feel totally free before the Lord, enjoying his love for you to the fullest. You are in intimate union with him, inseparable as one. No other feeling on earth can beat that. You now belong to God and it's bye-bye to the world.

***A Warning Reminder***

         If you keep putting off looking into Christ, you are trying to put off the inevitable judgment every one of us will have to face when we leave this world. Trying to avoid the unavoidable is being plain stupid (I couldn't think of a milder word). 

***Christ Our Determinant

         Communion Experience. With Christ, life is completely fulfilled. Without him, life remains a void. It's all very clear.

***Christ Is Our Joy***

        When you have Christ, you have perfect joy, and you forget everything else. 

*****Being Most Optimistic in God*

        Seeking union with God thru the Holy Eucharist is being most optimistic, for you believe that you can reach God directly to become one with him! This is being daring and doing exactly what the Lord wants from you! Yes, he loves a soul who desires all of him and is willing to submit himself to him completely. This soul is ready for the Lord to perfect him. If you love the Lord, you should make it as easy as possible for him to change you.

***How We Feel About the Lord**

        In today's Gospel reading for Luke 9, the disciples of Jesus were afraid to ask him about a saying they did not understand. That was proper, for they knew that Lord knew everything. It's understandable that many today do not fear him because they don't know how awesome he is yet. Then there are others who do not feel comfortable with him; they are the ones who actually need to know him right now. Of course, those who have attained union with him feel only love with all fear having turned into reverence.

***False Belief***

        Today is the Optional Memorial of Saint Wenceslaus, martyr. Now, countless martyrs have died for their faith in Christ throughout history, and you say that all religions lead us to God? That is not only illogical but also nonsensical, unless you are one of those who are pushing for a one-world religion.

*****Best Short Prayer***

        "Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God" is the prayer we can say at any time unceasingly. It really brings you into union with him, making following him a breeze, eliminating all anxieties.  

**Overwhelming Experience

        Communion experience. I realized that the Lord was giving all of himself for my salvation.

***Know Sin Well*

        We all know that we sin, but we often don't realize how ugly and deadly it can get! For if you don't control your sins, you can lose your soul for all eternity! The loss of peace after you sin should remind you of this danger. So we need to "respect" sin and take it seriously. On the other hand, we can always have Christ take away all our sins and make us holy and beautiful for the Lord to behold. 

*****An Outstanding Day*****

        Communion experience. In John 6, Jesus declared to the crowd, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." These are familiar sayings, but when I received the Lord in the Eucharist, I became acutely aware that eating this food was going to make me live on forever! I was overcome with gratitude and great joy. Now I feel more carefree than ever, rejoicing in another day the Lord has made!

***Greatest Division or Union**

        Jesus came to us and caused division, for not all accepted him. This division will lead to the greatest separation from God in the end. On the other hand, Jesus brings about the greatest union among those who are in union with him. Once you are thus united with him, nothing external will be able to break that bond. All then become one in the Lord for all eternity. You decide which way you want to go.

*****God Most Exciting*****

        From today's reading 1 from Ecclesiastes 1, I quote verses 9b-10: Nothing is new under the sun. Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us. We discover and learn new things; they are new to us only because we didn't know them before. The Lord God is the only one who can create new things, things that never existed before. This is also saying that he's the only one who can make miracles happen. He makes us sinners anew and we become saints. The great miracle of the sun that took place in Fatimas had not happened before. How about the Resurrection of Christ? The Lord God is awesome, amazing, and most exciting, worthy to be worshipped, adored, and praised by us. 

**Balancing Trust Against Concern*

        As a Christians, I trust in the Lord, but at the same time I am most concerned about the world seemingly becoming more godless than ever. The urgency I feel to help the Lord to save the world is great. Then I must strike a balance here. Surely God is in control and knows what's going on. Besides, his final victory is already in the bag! So I am just going to trust in him and pray as hard as always, but not allowing my concern to ruffle my inner peace.

***Our Primary Goal on Earth***

        Communion experience. The Lord strengthens my union with him, readying me to meet him. On earth, our primary goal should be to ready ourselves for meeting God. 

***Most Consequential Test on Earth***

         Do we accept or reject Christ as our Savior?

**Our Spiritual Food*

        From today's first reading from Proverbs 30, "Give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need." For us Catholics, the spiritual food we need consists of Christ''s word and his body, the Eucharist. 

***Compelled to Respond

        Christ has come down from heaven to die on the cross so that whoever believes in him may live forever—how can we possibly ignore such a wonderful proposition? If it sounds incredible, we should at least look into it. We know we are sinners and don't know what's going to happen to our souls after death, so remaining unmoved and not doing anything about it is being utterly foolish. (Should you realize that your souls are what God and Satan are fighting for, you would jump right into action to help God fight this war!)

*****Clear Sign We Are in End Times*

**Soul Healer

        Communion experience.The Lord goes straight for the soul, making it pure and whole again.

***Hallmarks of the True God***

         To me, these are the hallmarks of the God of Christ as our true God. He declares the truth to us. He lets us respond to him with our free will, showing only love and not coercing us in any way. Once we have accepted him, we are completely free to reject him. The fact is that I am so happy and satisfied with him as my Lord and God that I voluntarily want to submit myself to him even more. All this can only happen when you are dealing with the true God.

***Bread from Heaven

         Communion experience. This bread which had come directly from heaven healed my heart, my soul, and my spirit.

**Direct Opposites

        Christ is the light that makes us see the truth, while Satan's darkness makes us "blind" to the truth.    

*****Most Urgent Prayer

        After Jesus was crucified, he prayed from the cross: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." Today, our world is in no better shape, so saying this prayer is relevant and apt. It all comes down to us being saved or damned! I ask that you beg for God's mercy on all souls fervently as often as possible, for the matter is most urgent. 

*Only Thing God & Satan Have in Common

        God is awesome, while Satan is awful. 

****An Important Reminder to All****

         Being a nice kind person to all is nice, but it doesn't guarantee that you will enter heaven. What can guarantee that you will is that all your sins have been forgiven by God. (Hint: Christ is our only answer.)

*****How to Feel Christ's Presence*****

         Many decades ago before I accepted Christ, I sensed God's existence briefly a few times, each time lasting for just a split second. This helped me come to accept him as my Savior. Now I feel that he is ever-present within me. Feeling his presence can really help you grow spiritually, for you realize that he is absolutely real! The best way to make this happen is to let him see that you are completely open to him, then he will reciprocate by presenting himself to you the way you have presented yourself to him.

**Pathway to Inner Peace*

        If you do not experience inner peace, it's because you and the Lord are not quite together yet. Attaining union with him through the Holy Eucharist is the best way to acquire that peace.

**Prerequisite for Loving God**

        We cannot love God if we are unaware of and not doing anything about our own sins and imperfections. Always start with becoming holy for the Lord's sake first.

**Formula for Greatness

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 9, Jesus said to the Twelve, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Now we know how to be great before the Lord. Serve all others on earth to build up our treasures in heaven. 

***Why We Need to Follow Christ

         (1) We are sinners. (2) On our own, we don't always know what's truly good or bad (evil) for us. (3) Christ's teachings show clearly what we should do and should not do in order to gain eternal life.

***Today's Epiphany

         The Lord God is infinite, so I, a finite creature, can only comprehend as much as he "allows" me to. Therefore, being totally dependent upon him, I should surrender myself to him.

***Great Consolation***

         I know many people in this life, but one day I'll be leaving all of them, not sure if I'll ever see them again. So I'm going to love them now, not getting myself attached to them in any way though. As far as Christ is concerned, he's already with me and will always be forever—what a great consolation!

**Key to Salvation**

         Having the humility to listen to the Lord God

**Heavenly Relationship

         For us who follow the Lord wholeheartedly, he remains in union with us as we glorify and serve him with joy, securing our salvation.

**Ever-Present Willingness*

         Today is the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and evangelist, who was martyred in Ethiopia. We may not get martyred, but we must be willing to accept martyrdom, should it happen to us. Again, we may not be called to give all we have away to the poor, but we must be willing to do so, should we are so called. The point is that we must be willing to do whatever the Lord wants for us. 

***How to Become Free***

         Let Christ overwhelm you completely, then you are set free! This should be an epiphany moment for all of us.

**Letting God Overwhelm Me*

         Communion experience. The Lord completely overwhelmed me, setting me free. Submission to God leads to freedom.

***Authentic Truth***

         Today's Communion antiphon from Matthew 10: Jesus said, "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father." To me, this is the Lord God speaking, contradicting what Pope Francis has declared recently that all religions lead to God. No other religious leaders have ever said anything like this. There is only one true God and only one sure way of going to him. 

***The Crisis We Face*

         If you do not know Christ, even though you still have your God-given conscience, you can still think that right is wrong, and vice versa. For example, way back I thought abortion was OK, for it sounded right. Only after knowing Christ's love for us did I realize that it was dead wrong. Today so many young people with Christian upbringing have fallen prey to the influence of our godless world and no longer possess a clear conscience. This is a crisis that could result in the loss of innumerable souls! The spiritual war will continue until Christ's Second Coming. In the meantime, we must relentlessly fight evil to maximize the Lord's final victory over evil.

*****Holy Communion Most Precious

         Communion experience. Treasure the Lord, for his food makes you holy!

***Hearing from the Lord***

         Hearing the Lord speaking to your heart is such a rewarding experience! It's a great comfort to know that he is with you. And his sweet words are tonic for the soul, soothing and uplifting the spirit. Let him speak to you to draw you totally into union with him, which is paradise!

***True Freedom!***

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus said that the one to whom many sins are forgiven shows great love for others, but the one to whom little is forgiven loves little. Being forgiven by the Lord is a big deal! When your sins are forgiven by him, you are able to love freely—you now enjoy true freedom.

**What Makes One a Fool*

         Many car owners, especially those who'd suffered a bad traffic accident make sure that they always drive the safest cars, even if they might cost a lot more and are less maintenance free. They are being sensible; but if they are not at all concerned about the safety of their souls, then they are being most foolish. The fact is that anyone who ignores his soul is already a big fool.

***Communion with the Lord

         Communion experience. I am so joyful that I could freely pour my heart to my Lord and my God, and he totally understands me. . 

***Our Foremost Calling

         It is to be holy so that we may love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. If everyone is holy, there'll be heaven on earth. So let seeking union with God thru the Holy Eucharist to become holy be your foremost priority. 

**Communion Experience

         It felt as if I was participating at the Lord's Last Supper, not just there as a spectator.

**Reacting to God's Power*

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, as Jesus drew near to the gate of Naim, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, a widow. When Jesus saw her, he was moved with pity and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God. If you didn't know Christ, you would surely be stunned and seized with fear when you witness such a powerful miracle performed; but to those who already knew him well, they would simply praise God with a big knowing smile on their faces.    

**No Longer of the World*

         In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes "Now you are Christ's Body, and individually parts of it." Yes, we Christians are parts of Christ, intimately belonging to him! He is our world now. Let us feel that difference, live that difference, and rejoice in it. 

**Today's Big Realization*

        The Lord God cares about me and watches over me every moment. 

***Submission to God Leads to . . .***

freedom, peace, and joy.      

***Only God Can Do This*

         Communion experience. Best way to describe my feeling of complete fulfillment and total satisfaction: My cup overflows.

***Necessary Realization

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, a centurion sent elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to come and save the life of his slave who was ill and about to die. But when Jesus was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed." Jesus was amazed by his faith and healed the slave. It's true that we are not worthy to have the Lord come to us. Humbly realizing this is necessary for him to hear us. Sadly, there are many prideful individuals who think highly of themselves and are sure that they'll make heaven. Apparently, they don't really know the Lord yet.

***Only God Can Cure Lonliness***

         When you are in union with the Lord, you never feel lonely anymore even if you are not doing anything. On the other hand, worldlings are always involved in various activities with others, yet deep down they still feel lonely.

*****Breakthrough to Knowing Christ*****

        If Christ is indeed our Lord and our God and we are to love him with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, then why do we not even talk about him when we are not at Mass, not in a Bible study class, not on a retreat, etc.?  The answer is that we are just not totally with him yet. To remedy this failing, seek to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist. This requires that you trust in him and open up completely, abandoning yourself to him with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all our mind. Then you'll become aware of his holy presence within you at all times! 

*****All Religions Lead to God?*****

        Pope Francis has just announced that all religions lead to God. This really bothers me. If it were true, then why did Jesus even bother to come and die for us? We could just seek God in any way we like and get to him! I might as well ignore Jesus' last command to his disciples that they go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature! Another problem to square with is that all religions understand God differently with teachings contradicting each other. Note that I am not saying that if you're not a Christian, you won't get to know God. Take those who were brought up as non-Christians who do not know Christ at all. If they are basically good people, God could very well save them since he is fair and just. But in that case, they are still saved thru Christ! Here's a video by John-Henry Weston of LifeSite providing a clear response.

***Christ Most Compelling*

         Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This is the entrance antiphon: We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered. Accepting Christ is not easy for many, but they should realize that proving that he never existed, he didn't rise from the dead, he is not divine, or he was a false teacher is even harder; in fact, nigh impossible. Now you are compelled to make a choice. This is another mark of the true God.

**Christ over Past**

         History can be interesting, but to me, the past is a dead end as it doesn't lead us anywhere. A Christian should focus instead upon Christ exclusively, for he leads us directly to eternal freedom of the spirit.

***Taking Care of Sin Now & Forever***

        Communion experience. The Lord can take away all my sins and heal my soul. Equally important if not more, I asked him to take away also my tendency to sin.

***Good Rule for Remaining Holy***

         Let only Christ the Lord, not anyone else, affect or influence you.

***The Urgency We Face (and Our Obligation)***

        We who follow Christ faithfully experience great inner peace; but being close to him, we also feel the urgency to help him save souls—for he is still being terribly persecuted or betrayed by the world! We can't just believe that everything will be fine and do not actively help the Lord in converting the world. Our time on earth is extremely limited. While he is fighting for us, we should at the least be fervent prayer warriors fighting alongside him.

*****What God Wishes for Us (Absolutely Fantastic)*****

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus also said to his disciples, '"Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful." And in Matthew 5, he said to them, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Clearly, he wants us to be like him. And it's also clear that since he asks for that, it will surely happen if we go along with him. Letting God transform us as he wishes truly makes life exciting and worth living, for it completely restores our relationship with him, gladdening both him and us to the max, while heaven rejoices! 

**Love Has No Favorites**

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners," Clearly, to the Lord, sinners are those who discriminate against others of their choice and he wants us to be generous to all others equally as he is to us.

***Mark of Greatest Love***

         In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 8, we learn from Paul that to sin against our brothers is to sin against Christ. By the same token, to love our brothers or sisters is to love Christ. We are as important to the Lord as himself.

***Absolute Security in Christ***

        Make Christ your center, your base, your Lord, and your guide, and remain in him at all times, then you'll never ever be lost! This is easily accomplished when you attain union with him.

**Dwelling in God, Not Ourselves

        Since God does not enslave us and we only enslave ourselves, dwell in him always and never in ourselves to remain free. But if you are already in union with the Lord, dwelling in yourself will be dwelling in him too—another union advantage.

**A Simple Truth*

          The Lord God of Christ can be totally trusted, so do all things for his sake, no matter what the consequences, and your reward will be great in heaven . . . a simple truth easy to remember.

****Most Enjoyable Feeling****

         When you are in union with the Lord, you sense his presence at all times. That is why when you see others having fun or a good time participating in some activity divorced from him, you just can't get excited about it. Anytime anything diverts your attention away from the Lord, you feel you are being pulled away from him and it's not a happy feeling. Being with him is truly more enjoyable than anything else!

**Prayer Beoming More Intimate*

        Surrender to the Holy Spirit so that he may dwell within you. Now you pray to him feeling most intimate to him.

**New Freedom**

         When we believe in Christ and no longer judge anyone and only wish all well, we experience a new freedom!

*****Proof It's God's Plan***

         In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus chose twelve of his disciples to be his Apostles. The fact that he included Judas Iscariot, knowing fully well that he's going to betray him, proved that he was faithfully fulfilling the Father's plan for our salvation. Yes, God loves us and wishes to save us from sin so that we may have eternal life! Please for God's sake and your own sake, believe.

**Only One Holy Judge*

        In today's reading 1 from 1 Corinthians 6, Paul is not happy about brother going to court against brother before judges who are unholy unbelievers. They should be wise enough to be able to settle the case between themselves. Today we are judged not only in court, but also by various government departments and even the secular news media, all of them unholy. Just know that we have only one judge who is absolutely just, the holy God of Christ. Only his judgement matters!

**Cause for Elation

        Today my first feeling at Mass was pure elation when I realized that Christ my most beloved Lord had chosen me to belong to him!

*** Loving Christ to the Max***

        Christ has willingly died out of love for us, and we should love him back. Even if we don't get the chance to literally die for him, we should be willing to do so if given that chance.

***Ugly Consequences of Not Knowing God***

        This is today's Gospel reading from Luke 6. On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus. The scribes and the Pharisees are so intent on finding a reason to accuse Jesus that they became totally blind to the wonderful miracle he performed on the man with the withered hand. Today we have radical politicians filled with so much hatred for their political opponents that they have become completely blind to their own sins and anything good about others. This is deadly to the soul! Only knowing Christ can save them!    

**Proper Way of Approaching God*

        We should always thank God first, for he has loved us and given his own Son for our sake. Then it's fitting that we praise him next. Finally, we can ask for what's good for us and for his glory. So it's with gratitude we praise God, then we petition him for we need and want.

**Clear-Cut Truth**

        The Lord God is all holy, but we sin and become defiled. So all that's good for us comes from the Lord and all that's bad for us are caused by ourselves. Then Christ can transforms us to make all things that happen to us good.  

Pope Gets Called Out

***Our Choice Again**

        The God of Christ, our creator, can fundamentally change us. We can let him make us holy or remain the same sinners.

**God's Power & Our Openness*

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7, Jesus healed a deaf man. Of course, Christ being God, nothing is impossible for him. From the Gospels we know that raised the dead, calmed storms, multiplied bread and fish . . . his power is on an entirely different level, and we can receive or benefit from this power if we believe in and are open to him! That he can get us into heaven is without question absolutely certain.

***Supreme Rule to Follow***

         Have faith in the God of Christ and let nothing ever disturb you, but let only the Lord inspire and support you all the way on your return to him.

*****The Holy Trinity Is Real

        Communion experience. I experienced all three; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!  

***How to Know God Better (a Requirement)***

        In my early days, I believed in the God of Christ, but I didn't feel his presence. In other words, the faith was there, but my personal relationship with the Lord was weak. This relationship only grew as I experienced God more. When I got involved with the Charismatic Renewal Movement within the Church later, it's the Holy Spirit who deepened that relationship tremendously. Now, as I sought to attain union with God thru the Holy Eucharist, that relationship hit a peak. So the Lord God is to be experienced for us to know him better. And to experience him, we must open ourselves up to him. 

**Big Question**

        First thought at morning Mass today. The Lord God is so good that he only wants to love and make us happy forever! So why do so many of us today not only ignore him, but even hate him? To me, this is proof that the spiritual warfare between God and Satan is real.

*****Urgent Prayer*****

        Please pray for America now at this crucial time. 

**Pakistan Being Converted*

        Great new, hallelujah! 

***Start with God, Not Yourself***

        This post is a corollary of the last one. The wise way to live is to start with God, that is, you settle your relationship with him first (attaining union with him thru the Holy Eucharist would be ideal). Then you'll live a righteous and fruitful life now and enjoy pure bliss later. The wrong way is to start out on your own without God, and you'll be lost now and likely for all eternity too. The sooner you follow Christ, the greater is your eternal happiness assured.

*****Smartest Thing to Do**

         When things are going well and we have no worries, we tend not to think ahead. Then things go bad and we are shocked. For me, the smartest thing to do is to get our eternal future settled first. Then no matter what happens the rest of our lives, we know that all things just come and go and soon we'll be in paradise!

****One Great Realization

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus got into Simon's fishing boat and asked him to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch. Simon and his crew had worked hard all night and had caught nothing, but at Jesus' command he obeyed and caught a great number of fish to the point that the nets started tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that both boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at th knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." What a great and beautiful realization! Anytime we see the Lord perform a wondrous deed, we should realize that as sinners, we do not deserve witnessing it. Yet the Lord continues to amaze us out of love for us!

****Being Fools for God*

        In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes "If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God." Of course, the worldlings see Christians as fools. So who's right? Personally, I'll take God's side at any time. So to be fools for the Lord is just fine and even an honor.

**Our Most Holy Guide**

        The first thing I sensed his morning at Mass was the awesome holiness of the LORD. I immediately saw that he's the one to guide us in every way and all things.

**See the Worst to Appreciate the Best

        You may not think about Christ at all. Then think about the possible consequences of ignoring him and you may just want to know him. It's like you don't really think about going to heaven, then once you realize how horrible hell is, you want to go to heaven after all.

****Effortless or Time-Wasting Living****

         The Lord God intends that we trust in him fully and abandon ourselves to him completely so that he may take full charge of our lives. On our own, we inevitably struggle, toil, and worry. Seemingly impossible goals such as getting to know God well, attaining union with him, becoming holy and blameless, etc., can all be realized when we get the Lord fully involved, for he makes the process effortless each time. When we do not take advantage of the mighty loving Lord, it is truly sad and we end up wasting time living.

**Be Attentive to God's Calling*

        At Mass this morning, I sensed God's awesomeness. Such an awareness demanded a response from me. In fact, anytime you sense God's existence for an instant, that comes from him and you should respond sincerely and respectfully from your heart. Do not ignore such a grace. Having a hardened heart is worse than suffering a heart attack, for it will destroy your soul for sure.

***Secret of Inner Peace Revealed*

         The Lord God created us out of love. Christ came to us and confirmed that. We either accept him as our Lord and our God or we don't—there's not a third choice. Accept him and we have peace. Otherwise, no peace. That's all there is to it.

***The Christian Truth***

         This post is appropriate to follow the last one I just published;

*****Most Important Subject*****

        I've been known as a one-subject person to talk to, and that subject is Christ. It's not exactly a compliment on me; but I don't mind, for it is the most important subject for our existence. One day soon we'll all realize that when we leave this world. But for some who are still asleep now, it may be too late then.

***Only One Worth Living For***

        Communion experience. Christ is the one for whom it's worth our giving up everything, ourselves included, for. He must increase to 100% and we decrease to zero.

***Know the Truth***

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, a demoniac saw Jesus and knew him to be the Holy One of God, proving that he indeed is. We need to recognize this truth too, for the eternal survival of our soul hinges on that.   

***Greatest Division Explained

        In today's Reading 1 from 1 Corinthians 2, Paul writes that Christians have the mind of Christ and can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. I see that those who have received the spirit of the world no longer possess a clear conscience; they are not able to distinguish right from wrong anymore. You see this all around you at all times. This has caused the greatest division among us. I suppose you can "blame" it all on Christ. Then know that he is our judge and our Savior, the Holy One.  

***Believing in God Properly***

        With the Lord, always keep things simple. Believe in him like a child. You only need to know that he loves you and you need to love him back by obeying him always. There'll be no doubt, no questions asked. Your faith is so single-minded that you don't need to see miracles nor hear prophetic warnings. You know the Lord will always lead you right and Satan can never harm you. Now you remain totally free in the Lord, enjoying his peace and joy.

***Loving the Lord*

        Today's Psalm response, Psalm 119:97—Lord, I love your commands. If we love the Lord, then we love everything about him, his commands in particular. It is in obeying his commands that we remain holy and in union with him. 

***Most Ignorant Fools*

        There are people who believe that they know more than anyone else, becoming so opinionated that they no longer listen to others. Not knowing the Christian truth, they don't see right from wrong. So these prideful individuals are now easy targets for Satan. They think they are smart, but they in fact are most ignorant fools. They are to be pitied. Pray for them all.

***Our Ultimate Quest and Rest*

        Christ the Lord is our God, our creator, and our Savior. I can tell you that knowing him can make you feel so good, experiencing freedom, peace, joy, and a lot more. So definitely give him a  try, for there is really not another being or thing that can fulfill our heart's desire to any extent.

**Clear Conclusion**

        This came to me today. If Christ is the truth, then we must follow him to the letter. This is so clear that there's nothing more I can say about it.. 

***Be Smart and Bold Please

        The Lord God is our only judge. Since he knows each of us thoroughly, he knows exactly how to judge us right. Not knowing God, we can never be sure if we'll be saved or not in the end; but, if we believe in Christ, eternal life is assured! So why not take the sure path rather than remaining uncertain all your life? In other words, why not be smart rather than remaining asleep the whole time?  

***Joy-Filled Encounter with the LORD***

        Communion experience. It's a most intimate, most endearing, most personal, most satisfying, most rewarding, and sweetest encounter with the Lord God!!!!!!

**How to Earn God's Trust and Grow Rich**

       Lesson from hearing the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25 this morning: To the servants who had successfully traded with the master's talents and profited, he said to them, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities." To the lazy servant who out of fear and buried the only talent he received so as not to lose it, the master was angry and took it from him and gave to the one who made the most profit. He said, "For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." We Christians need to be faithful in everything we do to earn the Lord's trust. Being fearful and timid just won't cut it. This is how we can grow rich spiritually.

*Cheering Messages

        Today's First Reading verse from 1 Corinthians 1: God chose the weak of the world. The Psalm Response from Psalm 33: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. The Gospel verse from Matthew 25: Since you have been faithful in small matters, come, share your master’s joy. Last, the Communion antiphon from Psalm 104: The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord; you bring forth bread from the earth and wine to cheer the heart. Upon hearing the highlighted parts read, my heart was gladdened each time.

***How to Know God***

         This is how I first accepted Christ. I felt the emptiness of life and met a humble Protestant Christian who lived a simple life and was always cheerful. Because of his example, I finally succumbed and accepted Christ as my Savior. In this case, only my heart was involved. This is how the Apostles came to believe in the Lord. Later when I wondered if I should become a Catholic, I started reading books both for and against Catholicism from the public library at Berkeley. I did that every weekend for over a year and finally knew that I should. Now, the mind was totally involved. So to know and love God, you only need your heart. I know of people who started out using their mind and never converted. The heart has to take over at somer point, and humility can certainly help.

*****The Lord Keeps Us Holy

        Communion experience. United with the Most Holy, to sin is no longer thinkable! 

*****Fantastic Promise*****

        One of today's Communion antiphons, John 6.54: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, says the Lord, and I will raise him up the last day. This promise should make all of us jump for joy!

***Christ Our Standard*

        From today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 1, we have "We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." By Christ we are divided. It logically follows that we have the dualities of good and evil, God and Satan, and heaven and evil.

**Crying to the Lord*

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 86: Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servants who trust in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Do we need to cry ro the Lord all the day long? Yes! Here, cry doesn't mean shedding tears; we simply yearn for the Lord, beg for his mercy, and want to share all that's in our heart with him—motivated by our love for him. So the crying goes on all the day long.

**How to Experience Peace*

         We lose peace when we don't listen to God. So obey him and we have peace. It's elementary.

***Most Satisfying Project***

        Anytime time we finish a worthwhile project, we feel good about it. For example, I used to design and build pieces of furniture for my own home, using basically one radial saw. Looking at the finished product is always a joy. Do you know that it's even a lot more satisfying when you give the Lord God full freedom to work on you as his project and finish up with a most beautiful piece of work that's you? Think about it.

**Refining the Spiritual Life

        We do so many things in life, but how many of them draw us closer to God, to be blunt about it? I myself find it easy to go on YouTube to watch some news and end up watching many other videos that are either entertaining or give useful information on various subjects. Then I realize that time is limited and precious, and if we spend time doing things that do not make us better Christians, we are wasting our time here. So I've decided to bypass all activities that are unnecessary in following Christ, thus making my life purer and more productive.

***Relating to the Lord

        God has created us in his own image so we can get to know him. He loves us to death, wishing to save us from sin so that we may have eternal life in heaven. Meanwhile, he is sustaining us on earth every second and shielding those of us who love him from evil. Know all these truths so that we may relate ourselves to him dearly, as we are no strangers nor outcasts. 

**Connecting with God*

        To know the God of Christ, just keeping our eyes and ears open won't do much good—we need to soften and open our hearts to connect with him! Let giving our hearts to the Lord God be our ultimate goal.

***Going Beyond Our Limits*

        As finite humans, we are limited in every way, but we can be unlimited in loving God! For in loving God, we receive power to love him even more, exceeding all limits. Now the Lord carries us, making living exhilarating.

*****Our Best Treasure***

         Communion experience. The Lord is all mine! He is the only treasure you want everyone else to possess too—he's that good!

**Need to Accept Jesus*

        If what Jesus says inspires or makes sense to you, you should accept and believe in him even if it's demanding or hard to swallow. As a matter of fact, the difficulty you encounter only exposes your need to accept him. The Lord knows our hearts!

***Dealing with the Ego*

        The ego is our nasty enemy. You cannot get rid of it entirely, but you can starve it by not feeding it. As soon as you sense it surfacing, ignorer it outright. This is exactly how we deal with temptations from the devil as well.

*****Face of Jesus and More*****

        Watch this video to 10:06. The best part comes after 6:10, showing the awesome Eucharistic miracles! Time to believe in Jesus the Christ, our Lord God and Savior!

***Rule for Smart Ones

        Never bend God; instead, bend yourself to fit him.

***Serving God Overriding All Else***

        My wife wasn't feeling well yesterday, so she rested in bed in the afternoon. Meanwhile I was blogging away, enjoying the Lord's companionship. Then she, feeling hungry, called out to me to get her some food to eat, but I responded OK, I'll do that soon, since I was finishing up one post. Then I realized later that I should have stop blogging and do what she had ask for right away, for I could always finish that post later. In other words, serving God should take first priority, even over enjoying him. I remember how St. Juan Diego chose to skip his set meeting with Our Lady of Guadalupe and went to see his sick uncle instead, and Mary understood and wasn't offended at all. That's a good example for all of us to emulate.

**Your Choice**

        We can reconcile with God right now, later, at the time of death, or never. You decide. Putting it off is never wise.

***To Love & Not to Love Yourself*

        We should love ourselves, for we are most precious to the Lord, loved by him to death. Then we must also not love ourselves, meaning that we are to hate our own ego. So love God and be selfless—the two go hand in hand. Freedom is born when you forget all about yourself and trust in God completely.

***Sign of a Strong Faith

         You are completely open to the Lord and completely comfortable with him.

**Only One We Can Count On*

        I got to Mount St. Joseph for morning Mass early and parked under a huge oak. Since we go thru a dry season here each year, sometimes a big dry branch would break and fall suddenly. Well, I could get my car crushed, but the chance of that happening was slim. Anyway, in this world, things happen unexpectedly at all times. World War III could break out tomorrow, etc. My thoughts shifted to the Lord God. The chance that he will stop loving us is absolutely zero, and all his promises we can account on completely—so he's the one in whom we can trust unreservedly.

*****Apostasy Warming***

         The Church Messed up.

*****Critical Message for All (Especially the unbelievers)*****

        It will be a different Jesus at the Second Coming. 

**Stark Contrast**

        The wise never do anything to risk losing the soul, while the dumb sin nonstop without reservation.

***Death No More*

        Communion experience. I have received the body of my Lord, no way I can possibly die anymore! 

*****Be Aware of the Holy Spirit!*****

        God the Holy Spirit is real. When you realize that you have offended God and repent, the Holy Spirit in you is working. When you feel God's love and are moved to tears, the Holy Spirit has touched you. You thank God for his mercy, it's the Spirit prompting you. You feel sorry for someone and offer help, the Spirit has moved you. You want to serve God, praise him, or yearn for him, the Spirit of God is right there. At this moment, I feel great joy glorifying the Holy Spirit, for he is in me. A Christian is in love and union with God the Holy Spirit. Be aware of his holy presence always, praise and adore him, share all that's in your heart with him, and be open to him to receive the power of love from him without end.   

***Thanks Be to the Perfect One

        Communion experience. Way back before I knew Christ, life felt like a big void. Today I know that Christ is the one to who has perfected my life and completed my existence.

***One We Need Now (Our Only Way Out)***

        Do you realize how much we need someone like Jesus now? The world is in total chaos and disorder The evil ones serve only themselves and want to enslave the rest of us. Clearly, we need to stop sinning and start loving. The only one who can change our ways is Jesus Christ, but we'll have to turn to him first! I pray that the world will wake up to the truth, for without Christ our Savior, we are doomed for sure. 

*****Smart Way of Reaching God*****

        If you are not progressing fast enough spiritually, that's because your are not reaching high enough. Christ is the highest point for us, so go straight to him for the speediest progress. In theory (truth), you can become a saint instantly if you abandon yourself to him all the way. The Lord can help you advance as far as you want effortlessly when you let him. All other approaches are time-wasting roundabout ways. I personally advocate that you take the direct, most proficient and expedient way of knowing Christ by seeking to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist.

**Importance of a Sharp Conscience

        The more you know the Lord, the more you develop a sharp conscience, enabling you to distinguish right from wrong. Thus you'll be able to respond correctly in each situation. Pity the ones who have a muddy conscience and do not know peace.

**Soaring Feeling

        Communion experience. I felt as if my soul was soaring to the Lord.

***God to Be Explored!***

        The more you submit yourself to Christ, the more you'll be blessed and rewarded by him—there is no limit to how far you can go! So start exploring the infinite space of your Lord God.

***A Christian's Hope***

        A Christian is always full of hope, for he knows that the best is yet to come. And he also knows that he'll see greater things and the greatest at the end! 

***Unbeatable Feeling***

        Today is the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle. Jesus said of him as a true child of Israel in whom there was no duplicity (John 1: 47). I love the description "no duplicity." It means being truthful always. That way you are being genuine and have nothing to hide. As a result, you have peace, feel free with the Lord, and sleep well every night. Also, you are ready to be judged by him. A terrific feeling indeed! 

***Where My Heart Belongs*

        This morning at Mass, I truly felt that Jesus is the only one who can draw me away from anything else, no matter how pleasant or enjoyable it might be, for my heart is already his.  

**Live Your Best Life Please**

        There are many things in this world you can enjoy, but there are also many unpleasant problems you must deal with. For example, I now see water dripping down from a ceiling light fixture in my bathroom occasionally even when it's not raining. Figuring out the cause is not exactly fun. And of course there are many other more serious problems caused by sin to face. Currently, all social security number information of the entire population of this country got stolen and is being sold on the internet, and we are forced to freeze our credit for protection. In any case, this is not the kind of life you want to live forever. Fortunately, this life will end. So it would be extremely wise to accept Christ as your Savior now in order that your afterlife will be filled with nothing but joy. Yes, God intends that we enjoy him to the fullest!

*Regret upon Leaving the World

         I think mine will be having sinned against God and not loved him enough.

***God's Undeniable Existence (What We Need to Do)*

        The Lord God has done so many wonderful things as God, creation of the universe filled with infinite galaxies and our plant earth with plentiful things for us to live on and enjoy. We mustn't forget ourselves, marvelously created in every way. It is he who keeps us alive every moment. Last, never forget the sending of his own Son to us to free us from sin. The list of wonders is endless. His existence, power, and love are overwhelmingly present, yet many are blinded by pride and remain lost. It's so one-sided and unjust. This clearly reveals the existence of that underlying war between God and Satan with both aiming at capturing our souls. And we cannot afford sitting idly by without choosing sides and joining in the fight.

***Holy Greed*

        When God is blessing you directly or through someone like a priest, and you are completely open and receptive, nothing can stop that blessing from coming to you. Of course, yourself can ask God to bless you too. But in all cases, be sure that you are in a state of grace first. Then ask for all the blessings you want. that would glorify God. This will definitely heighten and excite you spiritual life.

**Best Place to Be In*

        Communion experience. To be in union with the Lord is better than being anywhere else. 

**Shocking Reality?

        Today's Gospel reading was the Parable of the Wedding Feast from Matthew 22. Jesus' conclusion after telling the parable was "Many are invited, but few are chosen." I show it in red because it's a pretty shocking statement. I've always prayed that God would save all souls. Perhaps now I should pray specifically that all those who are called would respond favorably and be chosen. 

**Defeating Our Biggest Enemy

        Sin is the biggest enemy of our life. As sinners, we struggle against it our whole life. Now, if you repent your sins to Christ and ask him to forgive you, he takes them all away and you are set free! Really, no problem is too big for him, our Lord and our God. So wise up please.

***Joy of Being New*

         Today's is the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate New Year because it gives us hope that we'll have a better year. Anything new makes us feel good. Do you realize that when you yourself become new, it's even more exciting? Every time we receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, he heals our soul—it's like we have a brand new soul again. In today's Reading 1 from Ezekiel 36, we heard that the Lord could give us a new heart and place a new spirit within us. It has to be the best feeling when we have a new heart, a new soul, and a new spirit all at once. God can make all things new, so let him make us new too!

*****My Blunt Loving Warning*****

        I am coming right to the point. If you definitely believe that there is life after death, then live every moment for Christ now, for this will produce the happiest result! If you believe that there'll be nothing after you die, then by all means do whatever you want now and I guarantee that you'll have a miserable life in this world and a much worse one later for all eternity, mind you.

***Amazing Love***

        Today I am amazed that I (along with innumerable others) can fall head over heels in love with Jesus, a man who was crucified on a cross. This is something we can mull over our whole lifetime. 

*****The PERFECT Meeting*

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in the Eucharist is a perfect meeting. It's perfect because there is no better way of meeting the Lord in this life. At this meeting, you and the Lord enter full union with each other, fulfilling each other's desires! It's reaching the ultimate point of your life.

*****What Life Is All About***

        In view of all the extraordinary benefits of surrendering to God I listed in the last post, I can also come up with a list of horrible disadvantages of rebelling against God. It's so very clear that life is all about whether we obey God now or not. We cannot ignore this criterion, for it will be used by the Lord at judgment time! I am reminding all now so that you may all pass this critical test when the time comes.

***Extraordinary Benefits of Surrendering to God***

        (1) You solve the whole mystery of your existence! When you and God reconcile, you restore your relationship with him and the entire heaven rejoices! (2) You experience freedom, peace, and joy; you are now worry-free. (3) You enjoy God's holy presence at all times. (4) You fall deeply in love with the Lord, knowing that you are a brand new creature. (5) In union with him, sin becomes absolutely repugnant. (6) Death is no longer fearful. (7) You never feel lonely and is always full of hope. (8) You now love and never hate anyone. (9) Talking to the Lord is a joy. (10) Hearing his voice is even more satisfying.

**Be Happy and Big-Hearted

        Today's Gospel reading was the Parable of the Workers of the Vineyard. At the end of the day, the landowner paid all the workers the same daily wage, irrespective of how many hours they had worked. Obviously, this made those who were hired first or earlier unhappy. The owner said to to them, "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?" Jesus added, "Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." My interpretation on this is that if we all get to heaven, be happy, for there's no point of minding that some had lived a more sinful life than you?

*****BEST POSSIBLE NEWS*****

        This is my second realization today. There is only one true God, the God of Christ, and he is all love. To live on forever, we only need to possess this love. Nothing else matters! This is the love that sets us free and enables us to attain union with our God. I have just given you the best possible news for your existence!

**Let the Transformation Begin*

         Today is the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbott and Doctor of the Church. After hearing Reading 1 from Ezekiel, this thought entered my mind: We are not God, but the Lord can make us become like him—this is enlightening, inspiring, and most exciting! So abandon yourself to the Lord and let the transformation begin.

***A Beautiful Prayer***

        Communion time thoughts. When you are ready to receive Christ in the Eucharist, it is the perfect time to surrender yourself to him completely. This results in a permanent union with God forever. This act of giving oneself to God is in itself a beautiful prayer, for it embodies perfect obedience to the Lord.  

***The Next Level

        The Gospel reading came from Matthew 19. A young man approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" He answered him, "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." We see that keeping the commandments is just getting started. To proceed beyond that toward perfection, We must actively do more. Again, seeking to attain union with God thru the Holy Eucharist is the direct way aimed at attaining perfection. 

**God Makes All Things Simple for Us

        Today's response from Deuteronomy 32:You have forgotten God who gave you birth. We didn't just happen to appear on earth; we were created by God! This knowledge or awareness can make a huge difference in our outlook. It relates us instantly to the Lord; all that's left for us to do is to believe in him. 

***Our (the World's) Pitiful State***

         We cannot love both God and evil. The more we know God, the more evil repels us. So if you think the world is a pretty nice place, you must not know God yet. The world is full of self-promotion, while mocking God. Even with Christians, it's self first and Christ second or even last. A chastisement from God is due. but are we ready for it? Living as if there's no tomorrow is bad; living as if God does not exist has to be the worst! If we don't wake up soon, it'll be too late—you don't have to be a prophet to know this.

***Growing-Old Grace***

        As we age, we can become more self-centered or more God-dependent. The self-centered would focus upon enjoying the world as much as possible in the time they still have left—this is being foolish! On the other hand, the wise, realizing that they are becoming increasingly helpless on their own, choose to abandon themselves totally to the Lord—finally they trust in him with all their heart. This is a beautiful grace getting them ready for gong home to the heavenly Father.

***Holding onto Christ*

        Communion experience. That Christ can get me into heaven is good enough reason for me to hold onto him. You hold onto the Lord for dear soul!

*****One We Must Never Ignore or Lose*

        Some have not heard about Jesus. If you have, you should absolutely look into him. If you already know him, then please never, never let him go. We can afford to ignore or lose anything but Jesus the Christ, for he is the truth, the way, the light, and our only Savior! To ignore or lose him is to ignore or lose your own soul altogether.  

***Best Way to Stop Sinning***

        As you surrender to God and sense his awesome holiness, sin becomes increasingly repugnant to you. This is why attaining union with the Lord through the Holy Eucharist is the perfect way to banish all your tendency to sin.

***Communion Joy***

         I am united with the one who loves me the most and whom I love the most!

***Essential Sorrow and Joy***

        To be saved, we must experience one sorrow—the sorrow for our sins (contrition). To be saved, we also need to experience one joy—the joy of surrendering ourselves to God (to become obedient to him).

***Missing the Greatest Joy*

        From today's reading 1 from Ezekiel 18, we heard "The one who sins shall die." You sin and you die—this is so common sense and clear, yet many do not take it seriously. Pity them for not knowing the great joy of salvation, the joy of knowing that God loves us all so much.

***Intenifying Our Relationship with God***

        This is something all Christians should do as often as possible That is, we cry out aloud to the Lord, calling upon his holy name from our very soul to voice all our needs, desires, as well as our love for him. If you are not that type to express yourself like that, you can always do it quietly or in silence—it's the intensity you feel that matters. When we take the Lord seriously, he takes us seriously.

*****Akita Messages (Serious Warning)*****

         The messages from ur Lady of Akita to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa of Japan were officially approved by the Church in 1984. Sr, Agnes just passed away yesterday on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's good to hear these messages again as the prophecies are being fulfilled now. 

*****Obedience Comes First*****

        We should not do only things we enjoy doing; we should instead do only what the Lord wants us to do. If we're not pleased with or don't understand it, we should still do it out of obedience alone. Then everything we do becomes a joy!

***Most Satisfying Food***

        Communion experience. I received the food that would make me live forever! If that doesn't satisfy you, you are eiher totally ignorant or out of your mind.

**God Is Almighty!

        The Lord knows all about us and deals with each one of us, and there are now not just Adam and Eve, but over 8 billions of us. Obviously, he handles all of us simultaneously. It just shows that our God is omnipotent. We can certainly rejoice in that!

***Inspired by the Lord***

        I arrived at Mount St. Joseph Seminary for morning Mass early, so I waited in the car prayerfully. It was a beautiful day and the view from the the top of the mount was impressively panoramic. The Lord placed these two thoughts into my mind. (1) If I stop managing my own life and let him take over, I would be set free completely. (2) Suffering in this life is OK as long as I remain with him and emerge victorious in the end. That these two thoughts revealed the truth to me was crystal clear.

***Limitless Ways of Loving God***

        The theme of this blog is essentially "to love God." Each message posted is a variation on this theme. So far I have posted more than 15,600 times. It just shows that the number of ways to say "I love you" to the Lord is limitless. This is precisely what makes following Christ exciting and exhilarating!