Praying Right

        When someone causes a problem for us, it's easy to pray about it without including the "enemy" in our prayer, but that person's "welfare" is essential to the resolution of the problem. The highest form of prayer is to leave everything in God's hands, letting him do whatever he pleases. 

Problems Are Tests

        We all face problems of life. Sometimes they appear right out of the blue. I believe that God gives us problems to test us. How we deal with them forms a permanent record he will look at when he judges us. Pray for divine help, be patient and trust in him fully, and offer all our burdens up to him ~ this is the way to go.   

In Absence of God

         (1) To hold onto power, politicians would lie to cover up any scandal. They are so slick that they can answer any questions put to them, appearing as if they can do no wrong.

      (2) People would vote for the same politicians as long as they keep receiving benefits from the same government, regardless of all other issues.

        (3) In a criminal case, millions of taxpayer money could be spent prosecuting and defending one suspect and you still end up not sure about the truth. People, ignoring the all-knowing God, have become experts at concealing evil deeds.
         Such a sad state we're in!

Taming Our Wildness

        By ignoring God, we can easily become like wild predatory animals, seeking to devour others to satisfy our own selfish desires. And we may end up losing our own lives in the process. We need Jesus to tame us by letting him into my lives to transform us into good sheep. Then we'll be safe and content. It's all up to us.

The Living Lord in Holy Eucharist

        Today's Communion experience. I realize that what I am about to receive is not just a symbol, but the living Lord who can make me holy. He is going to penetrate my heart with his love and heal my soul by his grace.

Spiritual Warfare Summarized

        Since the human body is transitory and only our soul is eternal, spiritual warfare is all about winning souls. And God is the only one who can save souls. If you do not let God help you, Satan will win (and you lose). But if you seek God's help, then the victory will be his and yours. God and Satan fight over you for different reasons ~ God wants to win because he loves you, while Satan because he hates God and therefore you too. 

On Having Faith

        If you know all about God, you don't need faith anymore. Having faith in God is believing in him before you know all the answers to your questions. It is being passive so that he may enter your life to transform you. Believe me; he shall reveal all you want to know once you put your faith in him.

Getting Maximum Help from God

        We get maximum help from God when we have complete trust in him. Any worrying or uneasiness on our part won't make things the slightest better. We pray and trust and let God "worry about" the outcome. It is getting out of the way to let the Lord be in full charge. This is doing his will! 

Aim for Living

        Communion experience. I came to see that we are not to live for bread, for fame, wealth, or any other success in this world for our own sake ~ we are to live for Jesus alone. Then God and man are reconciled, together, united ~ our eternal destiny sealed.

Jesus the Source of Our Joy

        In today's Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus told his disciples that a little while and they would no longer see him, and again a little while later and they would see him, hinting at his coming death and Resurrection, but he promised them that their initial grief would turn to joy. To me, the J in "Jesus" stands for "joy." He is love, but he's also the source of our joy. I watched Journey Home on EWTN this past Monday. The featured guest was David Currie, who wrote the popular book Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic. (You can watch the entire May 6, 2013, interview on YouTube.) One of the two reasons he gave for coming into the Church was the Holy Eucharist. After studying John 6 and the history of the early Church, he came to believe that the Holy Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ. He mentioned this belief twice. Each time I heard it, the Holy Spirit filled my heart and soul with such "crushing" joy as to confirm that I had just heard the truth.

Our Will Counts

        There are times when we are physically or mentally incapable of performing certain tasks, but it is our will (intention, desire) that counts before God. You can have the best health and the highest IQ, but if you have no will to serve God, what you have is worth nothing. On the other hand, you can be wheelchair-bound and illiterate, but if you will to serve God, you shall be blessed. 

What to Do with Sin

        We must reject sin by all means because it is our ticket to eternal death. The only one who can rescue us is Christ. In our lifetime, we have the option to remain in sin and head toward eternal death or let Jesus keep us away from sin and lead us to eternal life. It's that simple.

Schubert's Ave Maria

The singer is American Soprano Barbara Bonney.

Knowing God's Love

        When there is nothing more to post about, there's always the love of God. I have always believed that God loves us, but it "wasn't real" until I started seeking him. Therefore, if we do not desire to know him, we remain intellectually convinced only. Seeking union with him definitely opened up the flood gate. Now I don't just believe, I know God loves me, for he has overwhelmed me with his presence.

Becoming One with God

        Jesus the Son and God the Father are in each other, so they are one. This is the model for us to follow when we seek union with God. Through the Holy Eucharist, Jesus enters us so we may enter him. Then we become one.      

Life Is Precarious

        Jesus has taught us to stay awake, for we do not know the day on which the Lord will come. We also do not know when we shall meet the Lord. I serve on the team of visiting the elderly at their homes or care facilities in our parish. One person I visited for the first time a week ago unexpectedly passed away yesterday. Life fleets! Everyone, especially the young in busily pursuing their worldly careers, need to be awakened to this fact. And we must help all by bringing the good news of Christ to them. Life is slippery and precarious until we have settled safely in the hands of the loving God.  

How Can You?

        At fraction of the Bread at Mass, before receiving Communion, we asked Jesus to have mercy on us and grant us peace. God is the source of inexhaustible mercy. We sin a thousand times and he forgives a thousand times if we repent. He does not condemn us; only wants to save us. How blessed we are to have such a merciful God! He wishes peace to be with us. This peace is ours if we believe in him and ask for it. How fortunate we are to be so favored! Salvation is ours for the taking. If you are aware that you're a sinner, how can you not embrace the love of God? How can you?    

Mary's Love for Her Son

        On April 18, I posted about Rachmaninov's Prelude in D, Op. 23, No. 4. Now, here's the one in E flat, Op. 23, No. 6. This beautiful piece expresses for me the love our Blessed Mother has for her Son and for all of us. Sergio Fiorentino plays faster than most other pianists, but his playing "sings" the sweet melody best.