***Valuing Our Soul

        According to Maria Simma, Padre Pio has said God values every soul far more than the entire universe. Yes, God values every soul so much that he even died on the cross to save us. Since it concerns our soul, shouldn't we at the least show that we care about it too? If not, we are ungrateful and make God's work so much harder. To not value what God values is in truth downright rebellion.

**No Chance-Taking with God

        I drove home from gym this morning. I usually turn left from the big busy street I am on onto a smaller one. With the absence of traffic lights, I must wait for a break in the oncoming cars in the left lanes. With these cars moving around 60 mph, I must make it quick or wait for a long time. I took a chance and made it quick, but realized that the risk of having an accident was also higher. Then I realized that with God, we must never take a chance. We must absolutely do everything right, even if a lot of patience is required, so that nothing can go wrong. In other words, we should take God most seriously and listen to his every word. For the risk here is not just the death of our body, but also our soul. 

***Wise Advice***

        If you think that you know better than God, you are not smart at all (putting it mildly). God is infinite and the creator of all things, so no one can possibly outsmart him. The Lord knows all things; he doesn't even have to think! He knew you before you were born and knows what's ahead for you. If you try to outsmart him in any way, you'll end up losing even more. The only way to win all the way is to submit yourself to him and follow him. This is being truly smart and you'll receive the greatest satisfaction to boot!

***To Face Sins or Not*****

        There can only be two reasons for Catholics not going to confession. (1) They have no sins to confess. (2) They are afraid to face their sins. This in itself is a serious sin. Sins are to be dealt with and removed by God. If you cannot face them, how can you face God? This puts one in quite a predicament.

***Another Amazing Eucharistic Miracle

        I have blogged about Eucharistic miracles in the past. Here's a new video that's worth watching.

***Must-Face Reality

        God created all of us, so we really belong to him who knows everything about us. Whatever we do affects him (and ultimately us too). If we obey him, we'll have harmony in the universe. If we rebel, we create disorder. As simple as that. And it's impossible for us not to have anything to do with God. There's absolutely no possible hiding nor escape. For one day we'll have to face him to give an account of ourselves.

**Sorrow Turns into Joy

        Today is the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. The Gospel reading from John 20 is beautifully moving. After Mary found the tomb empty early Sunday morning, she thought that someone had carried Jesus away and wept. Later Jesus appeared to her and said to her, "Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." Imagine her joy! We can rejoice too when we realize that Jesus' Father is our Father and his God is our God. If you love the Lord, he'll always turn your sorrow into joy.

****Way to Become Perfect*

        To be perfect, we must do everything we should for Christ and mean what we do when we do it. If you realize this, then you are ready and the Lord will make everything effortless for you to succeed. He always does that when you put all your trust in him.

*****How to Know Christ*

      When Jesus was on earth, many people saw him, but they didn't all believe in him. It's knowing him that's more important than seeing him. Today we do not see him, but we can get to know him thoroughly. After all, he is God and nothing is impossible for God. But we'll have to be completely open to him, which is really the only obstacle we face. It comes down to deciding who's most important to you—he or you. In Luke 9:24 Jesus says, Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

****No Praising Ourselves!

        If we shouldn't judge others, we shouldn't praise ourselves either. If we acknowledge God to be our only judge, then only he knows whether we deserve to be praised or not. In any case, only what he thinks of us matters. 

***God Has So Made Us

        I have no doubt that God has so made us that we don't feel 100% fulfilled until we attain full union with him. I think we all intuitively sense this, but we are just too busy to think about it or take it seriously. While the Lord is always calling us, the secular material world has pretty much drowned out his gentle voice. Have pity on us, O Lord.

**A Heavenly Day

        Today's Communion experience. I didn't exactly go to heaven, but the Lord from heaven came down to unite with me. This surely made my day heavenly.