"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Thursday, July 4, 2019

**Communicating with God*

        As I flew home yesterday, I looked out the plane's window and saw the sun setting just above a sea of clouds, and I saw how the earth had been rotating on it own axis, creating day and night, and at the same time orbiting around the sun, creating the seasons, for perhaps billions of years, I knew that God exists and I prayed to him and knew that he heard me. I could communicate with this amazing God instantly! I was overwhelmed, feeling great joy!

*Boring World

        The world is boring and miserable, for sin has made it so.

*Opposite Extremes

        A soul on the brink of falling into hell and a soul ready to soar to his Father in heaven.     

Breakthrough in Trusting in God

        You no longer worry about or are bothered by anything, and offer up all your pains to God.         

*Man and Woman Becoming One Flesh

        In Mark 10, Jesus said, "From the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh." Today (June 30), the Lord made me feel this. My own 57th wedding anniversary is coming up in August. This oneness is unique, for one doesn't even feel this with one's own blood relations. Only union with God is superior.

***Self-Conversion First Priority

        Communion thoughts. Jesus wants us to bring others to him; but most of all, he wants us to surrender ourselves to him first. That is, God wants to convert us before we convert others. 

*Converting Others

        Only God can fundamentally change a person, and that person has to let God in to be changed. We should not hold onto them, but to release and consecrate them to God and do our best by example and through prayer to lead them to God. The rest is up to the Lord.

**Turning Suffering into Joy

        While away from home, I attended Vigil Mass at a St. Mary's Church. I had to offer up the heavy load on my heart to Christ my Lord, for the only way out is to suffer along with him. This in fact brought freedom and joy, for it further solidified my union with my most beloved.

*Mankind's Gravest Flaw*

        Thinking, speaking, and acting as if God does not exist.

***Process of Freeing Oneself

        You should belong to God alone and not attach yourself to anything or anyone else. Not because you don't care about all things and others, but because that's what God desires!

**Questions to Ask*

        We all have a soul that lives on forever. So what are you going to do with eternal life? Instead of living your life as if you'll never die, shouldn't you at least think about and be concerned about your soul before you die? Are you prepared to assert that Jesus came, died, and served no purpose whatsoever? Do you even give him a chance?

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

**Settle Eternity Before You Die

        Here's Fr. Mark Goring's latest video. It's worth watching to know that sin can cost us and purgatory exists. Our lifetime is relatively short, but we do have our whole lifetime to turn to God to avoid eternal condemnation, and that's enough time. [Dear Readers: As I won't be able to blog for the next eight days, I'll resume blogging most likely on July 4. God bless you all abundantly.]

Monday, June 24, 2019

**What Should Matter to Us

        We are easily bothered by ordinary events such as some old thing around the house finally stopping to work or some new thing we just bought turning out to be defective. Shouldn't we be more concerned about how mankind is falling fast and further away from God that they are near the brink of losing their souls? Yes, for we should let what matters to God the most matter to us the most too. 

*What Matters and What Don't

        I've mentioned that once you are in heaven, your past life on earth, how you fared, how you died, and everything else will be forgotten. What only matters then will be the presence of the Lord. 

***Approaching God Directly

        People wish to know God more, so they read a lot of books, attend conferences, go on retreats, seek out spiritual directors, say the many already formed prayers, etc. Yet God is the closest being to all of us – he can even enter our hearts and completely transform us! So take the fast track: approach God directly, open yourself up to let him see what's in your heart in order to hear from him firsthand. Attain union with him and you'll know that he dwells within you. God is ever ready to connect with you. Trying to approach him indirectly is basically foot-dragging.

*Faithful Living Without Anxiety

        Today's Gospel reading from Luke tells the birth of John the Baptist. As you know, Zechariah, the father of John, was made speechless for not believing the words of the angel Gabriel when he announced to him that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son, to be named John. After John was born, the neighbors and relatives made signs, asking the father what he wished the child to be called. Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name." Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. My thoughts are that God has his perfect timing and we must always trust in him fully with patience. This is living faithfully without anxiety.  

**We Are Wonderfully Made*

        Today's response, Psalm 139.14: I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. We are indeed wonderfully made by God. What an ingenious creation! We can do, and experience and enjoy so many things. We can even attain union with our creator and be made fit for entering heaven! God is wonderful and has made us wonderful. See this and rejoice. Feeling sorry for or being unhappy with yourself amounts to telling the Lord that he has done a crummy job in making you. 

**Our Clear Role

        Today is Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The entrance antiphon from John 1 and Luke 1 reads: A man was sent from God, whose name was John. He came to testify to the light to prepare a people fit for the Lord. I see clearly our role is to testify to Jesus to prepare whomever we come into contact for his Second Coming.