**Letting Evil Make Us Holy

        When you read or watch the news daily, it is easy to be saddened by all the bad things that happen around us. Natural disasters and accidents due to human error do occur, but most bad things are caused by sin, when humans inflict evil upon fellow brothers and sisters. Anyway, we feel frustrated when we see no way of helping the victim(s) in any way. I do suggest that besides praying for them, see each bad happening as an opportunity for us to become more obedient to the Lord God. Our desire to grow holier should please him and help making amends for the sins of the world. 

*From Atheism through Occult to Faith*

        The video on the Shroud of Turin by Russ Breault lead me to read more about him. Here is his most interesting and captivating conversion story. It confirms my belief that if you really want to know Christ, he will come to you! A video worth watching. 

*Shroud of Turin

        Russ Breault has studied the Shroud of Turin for over 25 years. Here is one of his shorter presentations on this burial cloth. You'll hear some amazing facts as well as some of Mr. Breault's personal insights.

**Greatest Tragedy and Foolishness

        Jesus is the only one who can unify all of us and give us eternal life as well, yet the world continues to ignore him – heading toward self-condemnation.

**Left vs Right

        I have said before that I do not ask myself if I am a conservative or a liberal – I do not think that way. I just go by what Christ has shown me. Today, it's more accurate to say that we have basically the left versus the right in America. In today's Gospel readings from John 7, the Jews were trying to arrest and kill Jesus. This reminds of what the left is doing today. Leftists are good at calling names, spreading lies, and accusing the right without facts. They are most concerned about controlling the populace so that they might hold onto power. The left has no regard for the unborn nor religious freedom. It fits the fascist mold. Hypocrisy and double standard come to my mind. The right is far from being perfect, but it's closer to being right. Follow Christ always to discern right from wrong.

**Prayer Simplified

        Since the Lord dwells in my heart, fully knowing and understanding all my wishes and desires, I only need to pray "Have mercy on me" and he will respond to all my petitions. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy now makes more sense to me. 

*Most Private Moment

        Communion experience. It was the most private moment of my life with just my Lord dwelling within my heart.        

God Recognized as Father

        Today the Lord particularly made me see the Father-son or Father-daughter relationship between him and us. It does help to see that God is truly our Father and we are his children, obedient or rebellious. We are one family. Journeying toward the Father on earth is our growing-up process. We can get corrected, disciplined, or even punished if we misbehave, but everything the Father does to us is motivated by an undying love to get us to be one with him for all eternity! Understand this and we shall remain within the family. Now we can rejoice as Paul writes in Philippians 4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice!

God Most Personal

        Communion thoughts. The Lord created us, knows everything about us, loves us, desires to be in union with us and lead us to eternal joy. We should rejoice that the one who can be so personal to us is our God and Father!

*Ever-Present Challenge

        There is a great challenge we must deal with. Jesus has come and said, "I am the resurrection and the the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live." Elsewhere in the Gospels we can find similar statements promising eternal life. What God has promised is as solid as a rock and do not go away. Therefore, if you are aware of any such promise, you must deal with it's challenge ASAP, for the promise expires the moment you die.

Feasting the Soul

        Communion experience. Absolute feast for the soul!

Slow Learners Are We

        The Lord God is forever beautiful. It just take us time to realize that, little by little. Again, it is us who do not catch on quickly.

*Trusting in God's Help

        In today's Gospel reading from John 4, after Jesus had arrived in Galilee, a royal official asked him to go to Capernaum to heal his son who was ill and near death. Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." Later the official realized that it was exactly at the time when Jesus said, "Your son will live" that the boy began to recover. You see, the Lord constantly works for our good in the background. He never gets in our way; it is us who block him from helping us. Therefore, trust in him and let him do what he loves to do the most, helping us. 

Heaven on Earth

        God absolutely has the power to make us all one. In fact, it is his most ardent desire that we be in union with him. The link needed is our consent. Imagine that we all belong to one loving Father and in perfect spiritual communion with each other – this would be heaven on earth!

**God, Our Life-Changing Joy

        Communion experience. There is such great joy and profound satisfaction in telling others about Christ the Savior. For he is the one who can truly make us selfless and set us free. Such is the power of God! When God becomes your, joy, you can't wait to ascend to him.

*Dear Atheists:

        Atheists accuse Christians of inventing their God because they need a crutch to lean on. This accusation is so ridiculous that it only shows their total ignorance of God (I am just expressing myself, not meaning to restate the obvious). The need for a crutch may be right, as I did feel the empty void in my life, but how could we Christians possibly invent God? It surely beats me! I suppose we could come up with a fictitious god to fool ourselves. In that case, we probably wouldn't feel particularly great. I must compliment the atheists for believing that we Christians are capable of all coming and working together to come up with the awesome, fantastic God we know, who has a Son named Jesus who came from heaven to us 2.000 years ago, performed miracles, and died for us to save us . . . I could go on and on. Oh yeah, we also invented the Church with all her teachings too! The fact is that when I searched for God, he came into my life and my heart – I didn't even have to hallucinate or imagine anything in my head. Well, to each his own. We'll all find out after we die. But I suppose if you are an theist, you believe that you would become nothing after death. I guess that is not bad if it turns out that you were right. What if you were wrong? I am not going to tell you. You atheists certainly do not have high expectations. All I ask is that you do not attack us, who are actually on your side, praying hard for you. 

***Heart for God

        Let the Lord condition you heart, not your mind. To touch anyone's heart, you must speak from your heart, for the mind remains neither hot nor cold, while the heart can be set ablaze by the Holy Spirit. Only the heart can yearn for the Lord. Give your heart to God so that when you evangelize, people will hear his voice and not yours.

Learning About the Lord

       Today we had Mass celebrating the "Second Scrutiny" for the RCIA candidates. The first 41 verses of John 9 comprised the Gospel reading about the man born blind. Here is what I learned. (1) Jesus said to his disciples that the man was born blind was not because he or his parents sinned, but was so that the works of God might be made visible through him. And Jesus made the man see. Conclusion: Many things happen just so that we might witness the glory of God. (2) Some of the Pharisees could not believe that Jesus was from God. The Jews asked the parents of the healed man and then the man himself repeatedly and still could not believe in his healing. Observation: Those who have no humility do not see the truth. (3) Jesus found the man healed who now believed in him, and said to all around, "I came into the world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind." Some of the Pharisees there said to him, "Surely we are not also blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains. Observation: Cool, profound response by Jesus.

          My final belief: Jesus is no ordinary man; he came through as the most amazing God in every way.