In today's Gospel reading from Mark 13, Jesus said to his disciples: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come." The Lord had repeatedly warned them of his coming this way. Should he come suddenly and find us asleep, we're no better off than those who rejected him.
The sharing of my spiritual thoughts and experiences
Sunday, December 3, 2023
***What We Truly Need to Know***
Today's response to Psalm 80: Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved. With God, it's all about our salvation. We need the Lord, for without him we'd be lost forever in sin. This is basic knowledge, critically important for us to have! Heaven awaits and we choose not to show up?
***Maximum Trust*
Today's entrance antiphon contains the following words from Psalm 25: To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. If you can entrust your soul to God, you can entrust everything else to him.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
**Union on a Grand Scale
When we are in union with God, we are in union with all those who are in union with him. Thus we are also in union with all the saints and angels in heaven and all those who are holy in the Lord on earth. This is more grand, powerful, and glorious than we normally realize. We are definitely not alone! Take full advantage of that.
***God's Calming Effect
Once you know Jesus well, especially when you've attained union with him, nothing basically alarms you anymore, for you now belong to the Lord alone. This can give people the false impression that you're a cold person. Then pleasing God is not to please the world.
**How to Become Vigilant
In today's Gospel from Luke 21, Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day will catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." To be vigilant at all times is to be aware of God's presence at all time. We forget about God most of the time and that is not right. Again, I advocate that you seek to attain union with the Lord through the Holy Eucharist so that you may already be with him at all times by then. (By the way, could that day be the day of Illumination of Conscience that has been prophesied since the 16th century and again in the last century?)
Friday, December 1, 2023
***God on My Side
Communion experience. Christ is all for me! Psalm 27:1 echoes my feeling: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
***Know What's Coming Always*
Be alert, vigilant, and prepared for your coming meeting with the Lord. If you do, your judgment will bring you good news. If not, it'll shock you to the core.
**Understanding God's Ways*
The LORD is super powerful, but he only uses his power to teach us, guide me, and draw us to him, all out of love. He never flaunts his power to berate or subdue us, for he totally respects our free will and wishes only to inspire us to have faith in him. Once faith is born, he is able save us.
**Just Passing Thru*
Today's realization. I am just passing thru, stopping over on this planet for a short while. Nothing I have now belongs to me. When I depart, it'll be just myself, the way I came. Then I'll be appearing before the LORD, all naked, as it were. Hopefully, I'll be welcomed to stay with him forever, for anywhere else would be unbearable.