***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!