***Marching for Jesus in Iraq***

        Ending this month's blogging on a happy note: 
https://youtube.com/shorts/UT1ZaNE8Tfs?si=OS9FYeAhhHabxOsl

***Again, Your Choice

        God loves us so much that if you seek his protection, he will shield you from all evil. Of course, if you don't want to have anything to do with him, then you are on your own and instantly become an easy target of Satan.  

***God's Closeness

        Communion experience. The Lord is the Lord, yet he is as close to me as myself. 

***Fair or Unfair?***

        Christ shed his own blood for us and we only need to accept him to reap eternal life! Think about it.  

***Purifying Our Lives*

         This means doing only things that will help us get into heaven. Each of us does all kinds of things in life. Many of them are OK, but neither are they spiritually beneficial. So we need to thin out such activities. This may not be easy, for it could mean changing our way of life significantly. But change we must if heaven (loving God) means anything to us.

***Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus***

        As you know, numerous prophecies you'll find throughout the Old Testament, from Genesis to Zechariah, predicting Jesus' coming, his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. Even details such as being born from a virgin, being offered gifts at his birth, his coming proclaimed by a voice in the wilderness, coming riding on a donkey, being spurned and disrespected, being betrayed for thirty pieced of silver, his garments divided for which they cast lots, his ascension into heaven, etc., were all given. And Jesus fulfilled them all! This is pretty amazing and should no doubt bolster our faith in him. 

**A Question

        The great saints see themselves as worst sinners before God. But many of us Christians today see themselves as pretty good people deserving of heaven. Is there something not quite right here?

***An Insight***

        The Lord has made me see that thinking lowly of someone is as bad as thinking highly of myself. For both stem from the lack of humility.  We all fall short of loving God who alone is our judge.

**Great Satisfying Experience

        Communion experience. The LORD is all mine! What an immensely satisfying feeling!  

**Getting the Lord's Attention

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 5, a woman afflicted with a hemorrhage came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his cloak, believing that if she touched his clothes, she would be healed. Immediately her flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed. Since Jesus is not here for me to touch in any way and he did let the woman know that her faith had saved her, I can just pray for what I desire from him and believe that he will answer me.  

***Great Way to begin a Day*

         I love waking up very early in the morning when darkness and silence still prevail. In these moments of solitude, I sense acutely the Lord's presence both within and without me. It's the perfect time for me to commune with my most beloved to my heart's content. What an awesome way to begin a new day!

***False Front**

         You see so much false joy exhibited on many commercials and various TV shows. In general, people put on a false facade to hide any emptiness or loneliness they feel. Today I was shocked and saddened to learn that the parishioner who owned a very expansive car (I think it was a Ferrari) had committed suicide. I didn't know him personally, but everybody noticed his flashy red car with gold wheels. How I wish that I had the chance to tell him about Christ who can fill us full with hope and joy. This had happen to me twice before. In the first case, I witnessed to a friend about Christ and he was ready to consider entering the Church. He called a local priest for an appointment to see him, but it so happened that he was tied up and couldn't see him right away. The next thing I knew, my friend had committed suicide. Obviously, there was a deeper issue here I wasn't aware of. The second friend was at the peak of his career. He earned two PhD degrees, owned a lot of properties, traveled all around the world, and had a lot of friends too. His job was with a famous think tank. One day I called him and learned that he had committee suicide. How I wished I had shared the gospel with him earlier! So we must share the good new of Christ every chance we get. What we see is often the false front. There are lots of people who are lonely and/or feel hopeless out there. We must do our best to reach out to as many of them as possible.

***Greatest Stupidity

         It's believing that you can hide from God, you know more than he, you don't need him, or he doesn't care about you. 

***Greatest Division

        There is no greater division than that between good and evil, heaven and hell, having Jesus and not having him!

**Only Division That Matters

        True inner peace can only come from Christ. He wants us to have that peace, but we are divided by whether we listen to him or not. This is the only division that matters. Know that we'll all be judged by him, for he is the one who created us out of love in his own image. 

***Wise Move

        Take all the temporary pleasures of the world you can think of, whether wholesome or sinful. Compare them with eternal joy in heaven, and they would look like nothing. So get yourself detached from the world as much as possible to be sure that you'll have everlasting joy later soon. 

*****Saved in God's Love!

        Communion experience. I completely abandon myself to the Lord and he completely accepts me. Union is attained and I am saved in his love!

***Submission Begets Freedom

        When you submit yourself totally to God, you feel completely free, for he has now taken the load of sin off you! From now on, all your intentions should remain holy. The truth shall set you free—this is it.

***Mary to Keep You Holy*

        When impure thoughts surface and you turn immediately to the Holy Mother for protection, she'll mantle you to keep you safe, for she is immaculate and pure. Consider consecrating yourself to her Immaculate Heart if you haven't done so yet. You'll find online the various prayers commonly used. I made the act of consecration decades ago along with parishioners of the whole diocese. We each prayed for a whole month on our own and attended a special Mass at one large church together at the end.

*****Awesome Unique Miracle*

        At Mass, the Lord God actually converts the bread and wine into his own body and blood without changing their appearances for us to consume so that we may achieve union with him spiritually—this has to be the miracle that's most humble and most exalted at the same time.

***No Comparing with Others

        Because we'll all face God alone, there is no point in comparing ourselves with anyone else ever. We take care of our own salvation and just pray for all others.

***Signs You Know God Well

         You are happy with yourself, you are never lonely, you want God to save everyone, especially those in most need of his mercy . . .  

***Turn to God Now***

        Because you can become demential, die in sleep, or have a sudden death. 

***The Truth

        Without Christ, we have nothing. 

**Ready for Action**

        When Jesus tells us to always be alert, vigilant, and prepared, he also means that we are to always remain attentive to what he wants us to do. It's always "Lord, here I am, ready to serve you" for us.

***Unthinkable Thought

        Rejecting Christ amounts to saying that he came and died for nothing—this is totally unthinkable! If you cannot prove that he is false in any way, you have no choice but to believe in him 100%, for you are dealing with God! It's all or nothing, no fudging allowed.          

***Unique Pure Joy

        At Mass this morning, I witnessed the large crucifix displayed on the back wall above the tabernacle on the altar. If you do not know anything about Christ, you probably would be shocked to see a dead figure hanging on a cross. When I looked at it, I knew I was looking at my Lord and God who loved me so much that he gave himself up for me so that I might live. Filled with gratitude, I felt pure joy. I don't believe you can possibly create this unique experience under any other circumstances sans the Lord.  

*One Great Joy*

        It is the joy of of having a clear conscience, making us realize that we can experience peace only thru obeying God the Father and our creator. 

*We All Need Prayers

        Know that we need to pray not only for others, but also for ourselves. If we can entrust ourselves to God, we can glorify him even more by doing more good to others.

***Union with God a Must for Us***

        I first posted a video by Robert Nugent about his encounter with Mary and Baby Jesus on January 5 this year. Today I am posting his new video on union with God which I've been advocating since 2010 on this blog.

**Prayer Tips

        If you pray any good prayer that's been written by someone else, still pray with your heart, meaning every word you utter. If you pray directly from your own heart, you always mean what you say, so just remain sincere and open. Communicating with God is to be taken seriously and must involve your heart and mind fully.

***Simple to Become Carefree***

        Live for God only and he completely takes care of you. Now you are carefree. That's all there is to it.

*****Most Beneficial Food!

        Communion Experience. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is being made holy and immortal! You can't ask for more.

*****Letting Joy Transform You*****

        A person in love is always happy. Then when you are in love with the Lord God, your joy becomes so overwhelmingly powerful that you are transformed forever! 

*****Super Excellent Way of Living***

        Look forward to Christ's Second Coming or meeting him after you leave this world with anticipation and joy. And remain in complete union with him spiritually every step of the way now. 

**Obedience Leads to Liberation*

        Complete obedience to Christ leads to complete liberation of the spirit.

***Definitive Truth***

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 16, Jesus, before he ascended into heaven, appeared to the eleven and said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." That last statement is definitive. We must realize that Christ is the Truth and not to be dismissed without consequences. 

***Most Ardent Prayer*

        Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. The Lord converted such a hardcore persecutor of Christians as Saul (St. Paul), surely he can convert any of us. It is my most ardent prayerr that he would convert all of us in the world today.

*****Not Alone Anymore

        We are basically alone in this world, for there is not another person you can absolutely trust or depend upon. But if you already belong to Christ whom you can absolutely trust and depend upon for all eternity, you know you are not alone anymore! 

***Common Experience

                 I felt I had entered the garden of peace and joy.

**Peace begins with Us

         If you wish to have peace in the world, you must start with yourself to achieve peace within your own heart. This is where Christ comes in. Follow him all the way and we'll have peace within us and throughout the world. It's that simple.

**Bigger Fools*

         I came across this video on YouTube showing that many super rich people around the world have built their own bunkers or fortresses to protect them from nuclear attacks, zombie invasions, earthquakes, etc. You find installed surveillance equipment, barricades, amors, etc. Inside there's enough food stored to last for years. Many of them also have swimming pools, tennis courts, home theaters, art galleries, gyms, even an escape tunnel. I recall Jesus' parable of the rich fool in Luke 12. The rich man decided to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his bountiful harvest. He said to himself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?" To me, these builders of today are even more foolish, for they believe that they can survive doomsday.

**Nothing Impossible for God?

         If you believe that nothing is impossible for God, then you shouldn't worry about anything anymore. If you still do, then your faith is imperfect. Actually, believing that there are things God cannot accomplish is a sin, for it's saying that he is not omnipotent. If that were true, then you shouldn't believe in him at all. It's in believing truly that nothing is impossible for God that you experience his power and wonders. 

***Why Not Be Fit for God?***

         We exercise right, eat right, rest right, and we become fit physically. Know that if we obey Christ in all things, we become fit spiritually!

**An Absolutely Serious Reminder*

         If you love Christ Jesus more than anyone or anything in the world, you'll know that you are heaven bound. Getting into heaven is a most serious thing. Never ever gamble with your soul! 

**Reflections on Gospel Reading

         Today's entire Gospel reading from Mark 3: Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." First thought: The crowd all wanted to be with Jesus. It struck me that when we attain in union with him, he is right there with us in our heats. Second thought: When we follow Jesus at all times, people often think that we are out of our minds.

***We Have a Personal God***

        Early this morning, I saw the sun up on a rather cloudy day. Again I thought of how the sun had been rising and setting day after day on schedule for perhaps billions of years already. We have a God and creator for sure!  Then Christ came to us and we definitely know that God is our loving Father so personal that we can even attain union with him spiritually! 

**Sweet Tonic

         Communion experience. The Eucharist is the sweetest tonic for the soul.

***Constant Learning from God

         There are no accidents in life. Everything that happens to us conveys a message from our Lord God so that we may learn something from it and be drawn closer to him. Pity the evildoers who are blind to this, thereby not learning anything from God.

**My Only Thought*

        CHRIST ✟

***No Limit to How Holy We Can Be***

        Communion experience. Christ can make us as holy as we wish, but we must let him know of our wish first! 

****Prayer Response Assured

        Jesus prayed to the Father when he was on earth. Since Christ is now totally with me, I pray to the Father whenever he motivates me to. Surely the Father would hear and respond to me.

***Joy of Knowing Jesus***

        Looking back on our lives, we all can remember happenings that we regret. For example, I had always wanted to play the piano. Then in college while playing basketball, I collided with one player so hard that the nail of my right hand little finger got pulled out a little bit. This permanently warped the joint closest to the fingertip, so I have since played the piano with this handicap. And there have been many shall I say unfortunate happenings. Now that I know Jesus, they no longer bother me. I even see them as blessings, for it's thru them that I came to know the Lord. The joy of knowing him has simply made me "forget" all my past sorrows as I see even greater joy ahead! 

***Simple Truth and Fact***

        If you don't have Jesus with you, you can lose your soul forever. If you have him with you, you'll remain safe for all eternity. It's that simple!

**Experiencing God's Spirit*

         Communion experience. The Spirit of the Lord filled the whole of me. It's an experience out-of-this-world.

***A Mystical Experience***

        I left my clock radio on playing classical music softly when I went to bed last night. At about 2 a.m. this morning, I woke up and heard the music playing. Then I had a vivid dream. Normally, you don't dream when you are more or less awake. But dream I did, for I don't know how else to call it. In this dream I saw a life-size carved wooden statue of Christ's head and his upper torso on the cross. The only thing unusual about it was that he had a thick greenish vest-like garment with no buttons down the front on him. A maintenance man showed up who I thought was going to clean the statue. Instead I saw him pull out a tool and start to cut off part of the garment that rested on the Lord's right shoulder. I was shocked and immediately yelled at him "What are you doing to my Jesus?" twice. I woke up fully and knew that Christ was now fully mine, and whoever hurt him would hurt me too! I felt he's closer to me more than ever and experienced a new deep profound joy. Once more, I won't be the same again.

*****Living in Jesus*****

         We are still in the world, but we can live in the world of Jesus which is the Lord himself! He is an infinite space, providing total freedom and security. You are in the world, but of Christ now! The feeling is beautiful beyond words! You have to experience it yourself to understand it. To live in Christ is to live in the truth. And the truth sets you free! You see everything in the world passing but yourself anchored in the Lord for all eternity. What a great feeling! How can anyone not want to live in him?

***Blessed Extra

        Communion experience. Today I received two consecrated hosts—they must have stuck together. Since I don't believe in accidents, the Lord must have wanted to bless me extra. It gave me extra joy!

***On Way to Perfection

        It's my personal belief that on earth, God can help me grow holier and holier so that we become good enough to enter heaven, and in heaven God will make us as perfect as he wishes without any problem.This is something to look forward to and rejoice in right now.

***Christian Hypocrites

         In reading 1 from 1 Samuel 15, the prophet said to king Saul, "Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler." This reminds me of Matthew 10:33 in which Jesus said to the twelve, "Whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." We must not take this saying lightly. There are Christians who don't want others to know that they are—they'd better know that the consequences can be most severe! Whoever is ashamed of being known as a Christian has to be a hypocrite.

**To Be Smart

         We make so many decisions and do so many things on our own. But in the end, whether we were right or wrong, God will have the final say. To be smart, I am going to do God's will always and hear him say "well-done" when I appear before him. 

**Incredible Offering

        Communion experience. It's still incredible that the Lord would give up his own body and blood for us. 

***Why We should Obey God

        Today I acutely realize that the Lord delights in us. He cares so much for us that he only wants the best for us. We are his favorite creation. He just doesn't want us to sin and lose us! Know this so that we may be happy and not lament for all eternity.  

**Glorifying God in the Body

        In today's reading 2 from 1 Corinthians 6, Paul advised them to avoid immorality. He writes, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you...? Therefore glorify God in your body." We may enjoy any wholesome pleasure of the world, but we must not indulge in or become enslaved by it.

**Most Beautiful Response*

        Today's psalm response from Psalm 40: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

***God Is Good***

         Today is a happy day for me. Twenty-nine days ago on a Monday, I woke up with a knee pain, making it difficult for me to walk. So I stayed home and rested. Five days later, I started coughing a little. That's how my COVID started a year and a half ago. So I tested myself the next day and the result was positive, although there's no fever this time. That meant isolating myself again. After I finished my medication, the test turned negative. I didn't go back to attending daily Mass as my coughing hadn't quite gone away, though my knee happily no longer hurt. Then last Wednesday, I woke up and noticed that my right eye vision was all blurry. I saw an ophthalmologist the next day and she found that the blood pressure in the eye was dangerously high that any time a blood vessel could burst and cause permanent damage to the vision. (I believe that this was COVID-caused as I learned that this had also happened to a friend of my younger son.) So the doctor prescribed three new eye drops in addition to the one I'd already been using. I'll have the pressure checked again next Tuesday and believe that I'll be all right again. Today I felt good enough to attend Sunday Mass. Imagine the joy of receiving the Eucharist again! I'll be forever grateful to the Lord.  

Another Good Sign

**********MOST SERIOUS MESSAGE TO ALL CATHOLICS**********

      On January 4, I posted the video "A SERMON FOR ALL CATHOLICS" preached by a Fr. Gavin Bitzer based upon a sermon give by St. Leonard of Port Maurice (1676-1751). It truly made me see a number of things critically important for us to know. The stated facts that many souls went to hell might very well be true, for Jesus did say "Many are called, but few are chosen" and "How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." But we also know that we can absolutely work out our salvation with fear and trembling as St. Paul advises in Philippians 2. It is Satan who wants us to believe that we are good enough as we are to get into heaven so that we might lose our fear of God and as a result our souls too. DON'T FALL FOR THAT!
           The best and sure way to get into heaven is to attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist. But since not everyone chooses that avenue, I'll mention the requirements I learned from this sermon. We must realize that any good deed we perform cannot cancel any sin we've committed. A sin is a sin and the only way to remove it is to repent or confess it in the case of a mortal sin. Just one mortal sin unconfessed can keep us out of heaven even if we were the nicest persons in the whole world! Any time we knowingly disobey the teachings of Christ or the Church, we commit a mortal sin. Common examples are skipping attending an obligated Mass for no good reason, not forgiving someone, using birth control pills, making an insincere confession, and worse yet, receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin. We disobey because it's either easy to do so or too hard to obey and/or everyone is doing it. I see people showing up for Mass only on Easter and Christmas days, hoping to appease God—that won't work. Some ex-Catholics offer free services to a church instead of coming back to the Church—that won't work either. We can do thousands of good deeds, but if there's still one mortal sin on the book, the door to heaven is closed to us! 
       The other thing is prayer. If we don't pray, I don't see how we can possibly get into heaven. By praying, I don't mean reciting some prayers perfunctorily. Praying to God is sharing what's in your very heart openly with him. You may even cry out to him. Of course, with the Lord God, we must be totally sincere and honest, yes meaning yes and no meaning no, for we cannot fool him one iota. Last, know that salvation is between you and God. At judgment time, you alone will answer to him. Now is the time to realize that he loves you and would never want to lose you. So cast aside your pride, wise up and submit yourself to him, and you'll be happy for all eternity! Otherwise, you'll end up being one of the biggest losers that ever existed.

***Our Lady of Akita's Prophecy***

 

***Another Wake-Up Talk for Catholics***

        A talk about the sad state of the Church and the honest truth about some of our clergy. 

*****Recognize This Blasphemy (A Grave Warning)*****

        If you believe that you are a pretty good person and will most likely go to heaven, the Devil has likely got you, for this is exactly how he wants you to think. If you believe that all religions are the the same as long as you believe in one and you'll get to heaven, the Devil has definitely got you. For this amounts to saying that Christ really didn't need to have come and that he had come and died for nothing—a direct blasphemy! With such a belief, you'd better repent without delay for your soul's sake!   

*****Obedience Our Top Priority

        Today's psalm response from Psalm 40: Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Verse 7-8a: Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.” Obedience covers everything. If the Lord desires sacrifice and offerings, fine. If not, fine. Obedience is what pleases and glorifies him the most!

***LUKEWARM CATHOLICISM***

        On Jan. 4, I posted A SERMON FOR ALL CATHOLICS which probably would shake up some people, but it's what we need to hear. I had already posted some afterthoughts. I did learn something important from it and will try to share it with you soon. Today I came across this sermon given by a Fr. Bill Casey in 2002, but it's just as valid now. It's almost 40-minute long, but it's worth listening to by every Catholic. We really need to hear preaching like this if the Church is going to become hot.

****Christ the Perfect One!

        I now just know that Christ is exactly the one to complete my existence. He's the perfect solution to all my problems. He is perfect peace and pure joy. How do I know all this? You can find it out directly from him yourself.

***Different Existence Outcomes*

         Let's look at the typical life of someone who does not know Christ. He would try to make as much money as possible to get ahead in life. He would also try to enjoy the many pleasures of the world. At the same time, he probably has to deal with problems in his family, at work, and with various other people. As he ages, he looks forward to a comfortable retirement. Then his health starts to deteriorate and eventually reaches the point of having to depend upon others for everything. As death looms, he's not sure what he'll face. I can't say that he had a happy life. A much better afterlife would surely be a nice high point for his existence.
        Now let's look at the typical life one who does place all his trust in God. He probably would go through the same kind of things and face similar problems. But he'd make sure that whatever he does is always in accord with God's will. And he knows where he'll be going after he dies. He's totally satisfied with his life and knows that he's soon to hit the best part of his existence.

***Letting the Truth Set Us Free

       In this secular world, we are used to do what we want to do, so to do God's will just doesn't sound too good to us. We think that it's going to take away all our own freedom. Yet the exact opposite is true. That the world is such a sad state is precisely because we don't do God's will. To turn things around, we need to get to know Christ first. Once you realize how much he loves you, you repent of your sins and start to experience peace. Eventually, you progress to the point you want to do his will only with joy. For by giving up your own freedom for him, you are set free from your sins and the world! This is how the truth sets us free.

***One Continuous Life***

        The Lord made me see today that no barrier exists between this life and the next. When our time is up, we are immediately on the other side in spirit without our physical body to face eternity. So we must be ready for that. Our sins are real and God is real. His love and mercy are also real. If you're wise, you would live in anticipation, not oblivion, of that day, and in the meantime do everything in accordance with God's will right now. 

****Beautiful Encounter with Mary and Baby Jesus****

        I just came across this video. We truly have the most wonderful Lord and a most beautiful Mother in heaven. I hope that this video will motivate and inspire you to put all your trust in Jesus, letting the Holy Mother be your guide and companion in doing his will. 

**Hatred Is Murder*

        Reading 1 continues from 1 John 3. Verse 15 reads: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him." Strong words indeed, so we who follow Christ must not hate anyone. Since the Lord loves and died for all of us, we cannot hate anyone and still love him. To love the Lord is to love as he loves. To hate someone is judging that person, and our only judge is our Lord. 

****Reflection After My Last Post*

        Here are some thoughts that came to me after my last post yesterday. That sermon certainly contains many strong sayings you don't hear nowadays from most pulpits. This may precisely be why the Church is in such a sad state today. We more or less believe that we're good enough for entering heaven and avoid looking at the reality of hell squarely. Being cautious is always better than being lax. My advice is not to think about your chances of being saved, but focus instead upon loving the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your might. Salvation is to be worked out and you can never love God enough! If you commit a mortal sin, get that absolved by a priest ASAP. And pray unceasingly from your heart for the world and yourself. God will take care of everything if we do our parts diligently. Believe me, it you remain in him and do all things thru him, you will live a fruitful life filled with joy. How earnestly you want to go straight to God after you die is also a factor here.

***A SERMON FOR ALL CATHOLICS***

        Here's a sermon every Catholic needs to hear, but it's not for the faint-hearted. Still, it's better to hear it than not. Good point: A person does not go to hell because he is so wicked; he just can't get into heaven because he is not good enough.

 

***God Can Always Save Us (But It's Up to Us)***

        Here's a great story as told by a priest you'll enjoy listening to. 

***Signs from Heaven***

         This video is significant, for God speaks to us through signs.

****Setting Faith on Fire!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, John the Baptist testified to Jesus, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." Jesus can baptize us with the Holy Spirit! I am no theologian, but I know from personal experience that by asking the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit, he can set your faith on fire! Here's choosing to live a most exciting Christian life vs. living an ordinary lukewarm one.

***Solving Our Biggest Problem*

        From today's first reading from 1 John 2 & 3, I like the last verse most: No one who remains in God sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Knowing God is the solution to this biggest problem of ours: sinning. Here are the three steps to take to succeed. (1) Realize that sin is our biggest problem. (2) Resolve that we want to stop sinning. (3) Then we open ourselves up to God to let him take complete control of our lives. This is all there is to it. 

***Beautiful Way to Start Off the New Year

        (Even though I've gotten over my COVID, I still have a lingering cough and that's been keeping me from attending Mass. I truly miss receiving the Lord.) In today's reading from 1 John 2, the Apostle wrote "Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well." Since God the Father has revealed his Son to us, we must now accept them both. For they are one. And we might as well include the Holy Spirit, since our God is the Most Holy Trinity. When we remain in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are promised eternal life, becoming inseparable from our God.