Our days on earth are numbered. We become more aware of it as we age and our health starts to deteriorate. Then I thought of heaven. Once you get there, you can forget about time altogether, for you are going to be with your heavenly Father forever. How so nice! This should put a big smile on all of you who know that you are heaven bound.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
**Smart Thinking and Move
God is infinite, while we are finite. God knows everything, while we know practically nothing. It goes without saying that if we go against God, we'll invariably lose in the end. To be smart, always go along with the Lord. I might as well go all out and submit myself completely to him to make things work out as smoothly as possible.
***Receiving Truths from God
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." When God reveals some knowledge to you, you just know that it's true. To learn all the truths you need to know from the Lord, just reveal all of yourself to him first.
**Peace of Trust in God
Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. In the first reading from Acts 12, we hear how Herod imprisoned Peter and intended to bring him to trial before the Jews so as to please them. But the Lord sent an angel to Peter to set him free. In the second reading from 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes, "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day . . ." Paul shows his complete trust in the Lord. When we abandon ourselves in God, we experience a special peace. You just know that you are totally in God's hands and that everything will end beautifully.
**Sign of Readiness
If you are truly ready to return to the Lord at any time, you are ready for anything in this life.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
**Finding True Happiness
We all know that we are going to die, yet so many of us live as if we are not ever going to die? We know that we can never find true happiness on earth, yet so many of us still try so hard to find it? Even if I can live forever in this world, I won't be satisfied. Now that I know I am merely passing through, all the more I want to seek permanent peace and happiness in God, who alone can set us free. St. Augustine is absolutely right, stating in his Confessions "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." I can personally testify to that.
***Unique Faith Most Precious***
To have faith in something is to believe in that something, and you can have myriad different faiths. But there is only one faith that stands above all other faiths—that's faith in the Lord and God of Christ. This is the only faith that can set you completely free from sin, our life's greatest burden. When sin can no longer enslave you, you are free indeed!
***What Prayer Is*****
Just saying or reciting some prayer perfunctorily is not prayer at all. Prayer must originate from the heart; so true prayer is revealing what's in your heart to God.
Here is the well-known Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." If you feel compelled to pray this, or simply "Christ, have mercy on me" spontaneously, it is proof that the Holy Spirit dwells within you.
Monday, June 27, 2022
****Our Greatest Tragedy
We are all sinners. Living in this secular world with so many temptations, it is easy to serve mammon and live for ourselves with no awareness of God's love for us and his ongoing war with Satan fighting for our salvation. The dulling of our conscience is our greatest tragedy today.
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