*Changing Ourselves First

        We cannot always change others, but we can certainly let God change us. If we all do this, there will be peace in the whole world.

God Makes All Meaningful

        Attended a friend's funeral earlier today. Saw this sign at the funeral parlor with this quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: "Live a good life and in the end, it's not the years in a life, it's the life in the years." It sounded good, but somewhat vague, depending on what "life" means to you. Anyway, everything becomes meaningless when God is excluded.

Have Pity on Us, Lord!

        Communion time thoughts. Our God can take away all our sins and crush all evil, yet we put so little trust in him!

**Sluggish Christians

        Today's Catholics in general lack optimism. They focus upon their own sins, but do not place great hope in the Lord. They acknowledge their sinfulness and thank God for his mercy, but do not press forward to ask him to transform them in order to transform the whole world! In other words, they are not confident that God can solve all our problems and lack the fighting spirit needed to conquer evil. In this godless world, we need to recognize that not fighting hard is giving in to the enemy. Offense should be our best defense.   

Rejoice in the Lord Always

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." I thought about now that Jesus is always with us, we can certainly rejoice always.

*Unprofitable and Harmful Entertainment

        The entertainment industry in this country is a multi-billion dollar business, but much of what it produces is immoral. Let's face it – the whole industry primarily serves mammon. Even when its output seems innocent, it rarely propels you toward God. Therefore, cut out all spiritually unprofitable and harmful entertainment provided by the secular world so as not to waste any precious time of your life by knowing Christ the Lord well. 

Sweet Union

      Communion experience. The Lord melted in my mouth and I let myself be melted by his love to remain completely in him. 

***How to Get to Heaven

    I am going to list all the truths I have learned that will get you to heaven. It would be good to know them, even though you don't need to consciously follow all of them. So here I go, starting with what comes to my mind first: 

1. Believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
2. Eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist to remain in him (John 6.54).
3. Keep all his words.
4. Let God be your God and never play him yourself.
5. Abandon yourself totally to God.
6. Center your life around serving God and not yourself.
7. Remain meek and humble as the Lord and live hidden in him. 
8. Do to others what you want the Lord do to you.
9. Never leave yourself closed to God.
10. Never die without having all your sins forgiven or removed by God. 

     Again, I recommend seeking union with God. For once you attain union, the Lord will make all things easy for you. He is now your secret weapon, secret power, secret helper!

**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!