Christian Joys

        The Christian receives many joys. Here's a partial list of possible sources: repentance; praising God; thanking God; praying to him; reading the Gospels; meditating upon the Lord himself, his Passion, his love, his mercy; hearing the word of God read during Mass; receiving the body and blood of the Lord; detaching ourselves from the world; total abandonment in him. The joy could also come unannounced at any time. A while ago, just listening to Pope Francis' homily at the Mass held in Philadelphia brought me unspeakable joy.

Joy Bursting

        Christians want to share their joy with others, not because they wish to impose their beliefs on them, but because the joy of Christ is so great that they cannot contain it anymore and this joy has made them so happy that they forget all about themselves and just want others to feel this happy too.        

Joy of Repentence

        Not long ago I mentioned to someone who did not know God that we need God because we are all sinners. His response was that how could he be a sinner since he had never killed anybody. This shows that without God, the conscience can get pretty dull. Look at the great saints ~ they humbly see themselves as the most wretched sinners. This leads me to pointing out that there is great joy in acknowledging our sins before God. When we repent and ask for God's forgiveness, he washes away our sins and we are made clean again. The feeling of relief and renewal absolutely uplifts the soul. Every sinner should experience this joy, for this is the way God has made us. 

God Revitalize Us

        Just caught on TV a glimpse of Pope Francis standing in his popemobile cruising through the streets of Philadelphia on his way to take part in a World Meeting of Families festival. After witnessing the enthusiastic crowds lining both sides of the street applauding and cheering nonstop, I felt great hope for this nation and its people.  

To Be Amazed or Shocked

        I just watched on TV Pope Francis' arrival at the seminary in Philadelphia. I was deeply moved by seeing the genuine joy on the faces of the cheering seminarians. Now imagine Jesus himself arriving at his Second Coming ~ how ecstatic his faithful chosen ones would feel, knowing that their beloved Lord will take them to live with him for all eternity! At the same time, those who will be left behind would experience the most indescribable horror and desperation. It's accepting Jesus now to be amazed later or rejecting him now to be shocked later.

Deep Satisfaction

        Today, deep, deep down I feel that Jesus has completely satisfied my needs. I know that's how God has made me. I now understand fully "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack."

Setting the Sights

        Pope Francis just finished saying Mass at Madison Square Garden. I saw the 20,000 there and knew that many of them I would meet in heaven. There we'll witness the beauty of God and see it in each other too. Heaven will be the most beautiful place the soul can ever experience. Follow Jesus now to secure your place in God's family and your later admission to paradise.

The Beauty of God

        I was watching a little bit Pope Francis speaking at a packed Madison Square Garden in New York City on TV. I felt great joy that the Lord had chosen me because knowing Christ has absolutely made my life beautiful. The world does not know him because it is immersed in sin. Sin has turned the world into darkness and those in it no longer see God. Sin has made the world so disordered that the world no longer believes that there is a living, loving God. It's absolutely tragic. The beauty of God is meant to be enjoyed by all! May the Lord soften our hearts so that we may all see and hear him clearly and be made beautiful for him to behold.

On Abandoning to God

        Communion thoughts. Have you set up a wall, a fence, or just a screen around you at all to shield you from God? How much you love God is proportional to how much you abandon yourself to him. Remove any separation between you and God so that you may abandon yourself to him completely. 

Opportunities for Intimacy

        Today's entrance antiphon at Mass: I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be be their Lord for ever. We get distressed many times a day and we can cry to God each time, and he hears us ~ such wonderful opportunities to get intimate with him ~ how blessed we are!