Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Praying With Faith
How to pray with great faith? Abandon yourself completely in God, not being concerned about how God is going to answer your prayer.
Wretchedness OK
I don't mind my own wretchedness because it makes me realize how much I need God and to love him.
Sin and Mercy in Balance
Christmas deepens my joy. We have such a loving Lord, the best mankind could ever have and precisely needs, yet so many people do not recognize his coming. I realize the truth that we are indeed born with original sin and that God is balancing it with his infinite mercy. This balance, we can easily tip by our free choice.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
No Other Way
To see the truth, we must open our hearts to Jesus the Christ ~ there's no other way. The get our sins forgiven, we must repent to Jesus the Lord ~ there is no other way. To attain union with God, we must surrender to Christ our creator ~ there is no other way. To have eternal life, we must believe in Jesus the Redeemer ~ there is no other way.
How God Makes Us Strong
Communion Experience. The Lord showed me that he does not make us strong by transforming us into some kind of a super human being; he does it by completely shielding us from all evil to keep our souls safe (drawing us into union with him).
Justified Boast
Christians try not to get angry, have fear, be proud, or boast, but there is anger that's holy (Jesus cleansing the temple), fear that's healthy (reverential respect for God), and pride that's not self-centered (what parents feel when their children do well at school). Today's entrance antiphon, based upon Galatians 6.14 and 1 Corinthians 1.18: May we never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the word of the Cross is the power of God to us who have been saved. I agree that we must never boast about ourselves, but to boast in the Cross of Jesus is completely justified, for it is praising the saving power of God.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Making Peace
Anytime any two people do not get along, you can be pretty sure that both are at fault, for no one is perfect yet. Even saints are imperfect; only God is. It takes two to tango. Following Jesus' advice "Do not judge" will go a long way toward creating peace. That family members do not get along with each other is common. Look for your own fault, admit it, and let go of the other person. For Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
Measuring Faith
Our faith in God is measured by how much we are willing to abandon ourselves in God.
Quality, Not Quantity
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21 at Mass, Jesus saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the temple treasury and noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said to his disciples, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." It's quality, not quantity, that counts. St. Therese' Little Way shows the way to sainthood by doing every little thing with great love for God. Again, it's quality and not quantity. Performing one small act with love outperforms a million deeds done with little love.
Incorporating God's Teaching
Last night in bed I received a thought from the Holy Spirit which would be suitable for posting on this blog, but I was physically tired and fell asleep. This morning after I got up, I couldn't recall what that thought was all about. Anyway, these thoughts that visit me daily are like visiting friends now. In fact, they enter my heart and become virtually part of me. And I want to learn as much as possible from the Holy Spirit so that I may completely become part of him in spirit.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
*God's Will
The will of God is to be embraced, treasured, followed, lived and upheld by us. It is always beautiful, loving, gentle, graceful, uplifting, and protective, intended to lead us to spiritual freedom and eternal bliss. It's definitely something to die for. Life becomes an excitingly beautiful journey when you seek to do God's will.
Beginning and End
God is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1.8), the beginning and the end. This really means that there is neither beginning nor end for God, for He simply Is. For us, God is our first beginning and our last end, for we were created by him at some point and shall end our journey in him one day.
Beautiful Living
If you truly love God, you would want to give him your heart. Then you can follow your heart and be with God always. I can't think of a more beautiful way to live.
Time for Weeping
Communion experience. Here's Jesus, our God and Savior, who can take away our sins, make us holy, and take us back to him to enjoy heaven for all eternity, wanting nothing but to love us; yet most of the people of the world ignore, dismiss, or even attack him. I felt sorrow for the Lord and even greater pity for our generation. If we do not know what's good for us, we cannot be any more foolish.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Jesus Changes Things
I feel sorry to say that ultimately, each of us exists alone in the universe. We may have friends and even others who truly care for us, but all this will be just for a short time. When we face God alone, he sees exactly what we are. But I am also glad to report that Jesus can completely reverse this bleak outlook. When you have him as your Lord or better yet, become one with him, you wouldn't even know what loneliness is. His love is more than sufficient; you even look forward to going to God, to face judgment or not. Jesus truly turns everything "downside up."
About Our Resurrection
Today is Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. He said, "That the dead will rise even Moses made known, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." The Lord revealed that whether we are living or dead, God knows all about us. Even if we die, our past do not get buried. It shows again that the human soul lives on forever. The time to prepare for our resurrection is now when we are still living.
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