**New Awakening Needed

         Here's what I read from the 1st reading from 1 Timothy 6. "If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains." We should be content if we have enough food and clothing. Then I see that the world has fallen into the trap of wanting to be rich and is pretty much out of control. Everybody is in the game; becoming rich is now the the accepted goal and way of life. Man has strayed further away from God.
       The reading continues on. "But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith." To make the change, submitting ourselves to God is the only answer. Since chances don't look too good, I believe God will do something big to wake us up. 

*****Disabling Satan

        Because we have inherited original sin, we all tend to sin. Satan knows that and he exploits that in his fight against God. So if we have God take away our urge to sin, then Satan loses all his power over us. Seeking to attain union with God will help us accomplish just that. Be one with God and he becomes your refuge and shield against all evil.

**How to Be Real Heroes

        We enjoy watching films and videos showing Superman or some hero or a bunch of kids with super powers saving the world from being destroyed. Of course, they are all fictitious characters. But we can be real heroes in saving our real world. We simply become saints and do God's will only. Then God will save the world and all of us from eternal damnation. Now we are heroes in God's eyes. This will sound fictitious only to unbelievers. For those who have faith, it's a no-brainer.

***Thanking Mary*****

        If you had read my post "A Jewish Convert Story" of Nov. 8, 2018, you would have learned from that amazing story that Mary's favorite prayer is the one she asked St. Catherine Labouré to inscribe on the Miraculous Medal she ordered her to strike, which reads "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse for thee." So many of us ask her unceasingly to pray us. Today I realize that she loves us so much that she prays for her children anyway. So it's time to thank her and to tell her that we love her. What a joy to have such a beautiful, caring mother! God is love, and Mary is our Mother filled with that love.        

***Our Ultimate Call from God*****

        To be like God, we need to know his ways and his thoughts, and then follow his will thoroughly and throughout. And the best way to achieve that is to attain union with God through the Holy Eucharist. This is the Lord's ultimate call for every one of us and is completely within our reach because it is what he wants for us. Say yes to God and it'll done for you! 

*****Our Concerns Now

        Our fundamental concern is the safety of our soul. With the coming of the illumination of conscience or our own death, our immediate concern should be our readiness for either of these events. The time to be ready to stand before the Lord is right now.

***God Is Hope*****

        As I prayed the sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary this morning, the Lord gave me these thoughts. (1) When Christ suffered agony in the garden, only the Father alone was there to console him. Think of it, the only one who can truly console us in any agony is also our heavenly Father. (2) Christ knew all along that he's going to suffer and be killed for our sake, for he is God. Thinking about the Passion, how can you possibly not love him, I ask you? (3) After the Crucifixion, all the disciples thought that they were finished. Their Messiah was dead, what could they possibly do? Then we had the Resurrection and saw that the Crucifixion was a total triumph of the Lord. Yes, God is our hope!

**Division, the Natural Outcome

        In Matthew 26 or Luke 19, Jesus taught that "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." Does this sound unfair to you? I see this to be fair if you understand how one become someone who has or who has not. The one who has is the one who works hard and bear fruit, while the one who has not is the one who is lazy and does not bear fruit. Of course, one will grow rich and the other one lose everything. These are natural outcomes. This is how at the Second Coming, you'll chosen either as a sheep or as a goat. This is the division Jesus talked about.

****Praying freely to God

         There are many good prayers, the Lord's Prayer, the Holy Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, etc. But when you pray something long, the mind tends to wander. So I sometimes just pray the holy name "Jesus" or simply dwell upon the Lord silently. Such simple prayers makes it easy to focus upon the Lord and are just as efficacious as any other good prayer. I encourage you to let the Holy Spirit guide you in inspiring you to pray however he wishes you to pray to the Lord. The important thing is to feel free with the Lord as in union with him. After all, the Lord God is your home, your refuge, and your most beloved. 

***Satan Dumber than a Dog

        My neighbor's two small dogs barked a lot whenever they saw me walk by the low wired fence on the property line. Then I hung up a DogSilencer which emits an ultrasonic tone when activated by the barking. This sound which only dogs can hear apparently is unpleasant to them. In a short time they stopped barking. Here I see that dogs can learn to accept defeat, but Satan keeps on fighting God even though he knows he can never beat God in the end. In this way, Satan is not even as smart as a dog. This also tells you a lot about those who follow Satan.

**Another Christian Joy

         If you know Christ, know that you are in touch with reality and rejoice! 

***What the Lord Will Surely Do***

         Thoughts on the Lords's Prayer. The Lord personally taught us this prayer which I consider to be the most perfect prayer. He wants us to ask him (1) to give us our daily bread, (2) to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, (3) to lead us not into temptation, and (4) to deliver us from all evil. Unquestionably he shall do all these things to us if we ask for them.

****Ideal Time to Die

        I was watching a documentary on the life of the composer Franz Schubert. He died when he was only 31. I know Chopin died at 39 and Gershwin at 38. They were all very talented or geniuses. The question "When is the ideal time to die?" came to me. The answer that came to me was "After you know the Lord thoroughly."

***Most Beautiful Exchange***

        Communion experience. The Holy Lord was present and I was about to receive him in person. He's the one of whom I desired all. As he entered me giving all of himself to me, I gave all of myself to him. Now we became one.  

**Secret of Saving Ourselves

      In last Sunday's Gospel reading from Mark 8, Jesus said to his disciples, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it." Here we're given the secret of saving ourselves! Live for the Lord and we'll live forever, Live for ourselves and we'll be doomed. It's somewhat surprising, but expected. Now you take it or leave it.

***Eucharistic Mega-Procession

         Today is September 15. In catching up, I am supposed to start blogging what came to me on September 12. Then I just saw this video which cheered me up after my last posting. So I am going to jump ahead and post it now. This just happened in Hungary. It's good news indeed. :)

***Pray for Mexico!

        It's sad to hear that Mexico has legalized abortion. Evil is real! The only way for us to realize it is to know God. Not knowing God is openly inviting the Devil to enter your lives. The proabortionists have caused the Lord great sorrow, foolishly placing themselves on the edge of a precipice over hell. 

**God's Plan for You

        For everyone of us, God has a unique plan. Don't expect that this plan will make you feel somewhat important in this world or be marked with any remarkable events, for his plan is designed to make you holy and pleasing to him so that you will have eternal life. You may remain unknown in the world, but you will be "famous" to him.