The Spirit Difference

        Unclean demons and spirits possess a person by taking control and subduing the subject. They must be cast out of the possessed as Jesus did in his days on earth. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit of God enters us only with our permission and leaves us when we reject him. He fully respects our free will and never tries to gain control of us. He only inspires, uplifts, and purifies us, empowering us to live a holy life in freedom.  

Stubborn Hearts

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, Jesus taught on the sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum. A man with the spirit of an unclean demon cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!" What's interesting is that unclean spirits know who Jesus is and obey him, but many of us human beings do not. Shouldn't the Incarnation of Jesus and the examples of Paul and other great saints be sufficient evidence for us to believe?

Union Experience

        In today's first reading at Mass from 1 Corinthians 2, the following which Paul wrote resonates with me: We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

The Christ Difference

        They are many people who do not know Jesus. They are basically good people who won't harm anyone. When life becomes a mystery to them, finding no clear answers they are resigned to that fact. What's missing is hope and joy. Christ makes all the difference. With him, living becomes uplifting and is filled with hope. What a joy to know and have a loving Savior! There is so much to look forward to, for the best is still to come. Yes, it's upbeat all the way. Alleluia!  

Wise and Merciful God

        Each one of us is a unique being with strengths and weaknesses known to God. When we sincerely wish to serve God, he always makes use of our strengths to the point that our weaknesses practically become nonexistent. He is such a wise and merciful Lord.

**Secret to Life

        As Jesus said, narrow is the gate that leads to life. Do you know that if you open wide your heart to God, that gate opens wide too?

Asking for an Overhaul

        I attended Vigil Mass today. My Communion experience. I wanted God to take away not just all my sins, but also everything that shouldn't be in my heart I didn't know about. In other words, I asked for a thorough overhauling.

Submitting to God Is...

submitting to Pure Love. Why should you hesitate?

God Came First

        Sometimes we wonder why God is the Father and has a Son, and there's also the Holy Spirit. Why not just one God? We think only human beings have fathers, sons, and other family relationships. We forget that God exists before we were created! Whatever God has revealed to us, we must accept. To compare God using ourselves an the example is ludicrous.  

Contentment

        Communion experience. I felt so happy, being content in Christ my Lord.

How to Be Happy in the World:

        Belong to God and not be of the world.        

*Sign You and God Are One

        When God becomes real to you more than anything else you see, hear, and touch, you know you and God are in each other as one.

*Shaping Your Future

        As I age, the Lord draws me closer and closer to him. I see this as his mercy at work and am most grateful for that. Growing old and not letting God change you a bit is wasting precious time on earth. Before you go to him, you want to be in as holy a position as possible to make your meeting with him your greatest joy before entering heaven. This way you have a future you can look forward to.

**Two Joys of Union

        (1) Being aware that God knows exactly what your heart harbors.      
        (2) Seeing clearly what God's will is.      
        These are great joys because they reflect your intimacy with God who keeps you in union with him.

You Are Loved!

        No matter who you are, you feel good if someone, whether inside or outside your family, tells you that he or she loves you. Jesus has come and revealed to us that God loves us. Now, even if no one else has ever said "I love you" to you, you should be elated and start loving yourself and others. For how can you not love anyone whom God loves?

Appreciating God

        Communion experience. God alone is worthy to be worshipped, adored, and praised. He is our most beloved, the treasure of all treasures and the pearl of all pearls. With him, life is joyfully worth living. Without him, it'd be better if we were never born. 

Pure Love

        Pure love is unconditional, selfless love. That's what our love for God and for others for God's sake is. All other so-called "love" for everything else is, strictly speaking, not love. Pure love can only originate from God, for he alone is love.

Deeper Into Christ

        When you first find and accept Christ, you feel great joy. Then as you get to know him more intimately, you increasingly feel his sorrow and as a result, enter even deeper into him to seek consolation. You now feel even more of his sorrow, but the underlying joy sustains you, for no sorrow can overcome that.