I am showing a Fr. Mark Goring video again. This one was uploaded to YouTube today. I like his messages because he is Spirit-filled and speaks to the point from his heart. Today he hit the nail on the head again. The tragedy is that we know or were at least told that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, but we do not feel his presence and power because we have not surrendered ourselves totally to him yet. So the Holy Spirit is in us, but not yet completely of us, as we still belong at the least partially to the world.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
**Free and Secure in the Lord!
Communion experience. There is absolute security in the Lord. When your soul is secured by him, you are indeed secure. Now you live a God-centered life. You desire to please and glorify him alone, and you are indeed free. There is no better position to be in.
**What Truly Counts
You can do all the right things, but if your motivation is not pure, you accomplish nothing. So it all comes down to how holy you are, not how you follow all the rules or look right before others. Remember that God only needs to look into your heart and at your soul.
*Better or Worse than We Can Imagine
In Luke 22.28-30, today's Communion antiphon, Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper, "It is you who have stood by me in my trials and I confer a kingdom on you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." Stand by the Lord and our reward will be greater than we can possibly imagine. I also know that God is more beautiful and heaven more glorious than we can possibly imagine. Interestingly, accounts by those who died and came back to life reveal that on the other side without the physical body, their senses and awareness became even sharper than ever. Reading the accounts of those who had been given the privilege of seeing hell by God, we can be sure that suffering in hell is also more horrible than we can possibly imagine. Be good and God will surprise you. Be evil and he'll shock you.
*The Ball in Our Court
In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6, Jesus sent the Twelve out to preach repentance. He prepared and instructed them. This he said to them: "Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." I was struck by it. I see that when Jesus preached to others, he never force it onto them; he simply proclaim the truths and let you make up your mind so that if you believe, you'll have faith. One big mistake unbelievers make is thinking that God should come to them to reveal himself to them or even beg them to believe in him, while their hearts remain closed. They do not realize that you'll find God only if you are humble enough to be willing to go to him first. Christ is ready for us; you either take it or leave it.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
**"Unbelievable" Church Leader
Pretty shocking story to me. At a time like this, all the more we need to go directly to Jesus and put our trust in him. *To be holy, follow our Lord only.
**Becoming Heavenly Rich
Today's Communion experience. I felt what Jesus said in Matthew 13.12: To those who have, more will be given and he will grow rich. The Lord has been blessing me spiritually nonstop, drawing me deeper and deeper into him every time I receive him in the Holy Eucharist. I feel that I am now richer than all the world's richest put together!
***Urgent Need to Be One with God!
Following posting the video "End Times" yesterday, this new one by Fr. Mark Goring needs to be watched by every Catholic too. It is more urgent than ever that we stand firm to remain as one with the Lord.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
***END TIMES?!***
If you just attend your parish church, and hear the routine prayers said for the Pope, the bishops, and our Church at Mass, everything appears to be normal. But the truth may be far different from what you think. Here is a video all Catholics must watch, for we may very well be in end times. [You might have heard about the prophesies Saint Malachy (1094-1148) made about the Popes. He started with Pope Celestine II of his time and prophesied about 111 future Popes in succession, covering a total of 112 Popes. Interestingly, Pope Benedict was #111, so could Francis be our last Pope?]
**The Veil Removed*
Came across this short video. The comments are also worth reading. They show that the film has made many of them appreciate the Mass and the Holy Eucharist more. May you benefit from watching it too.
Trusting in God's Judgment
Today the Lord made me see that he is the perfect judge, for he has made all of us, knows us through and through, and understands our hearts perfectly. We simply do not meet any of these qualifications and should not judge anyone. Our role is to do our best to pray for others, testify to them what God has done for us, and leave the rest to him who loves us all. To trust in God is to trust in his mercy and judgment.
**To Have Perfect Faith
Today's Gospel reading from Mark 5 tells about Jairus' daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage. The woman afflicted with hemorrhages had heard about Jesus. She went up behind him in the crowd and touch his cloak, saying to herself, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be healed." She was immediately healed. Jesus, aware that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" The woman, realizing what had happened, came forward, fell down before Jesus, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." Let me repeat this part of what Jesus had said: your faith has saved you.
Jairus was a synagogue official. He came to Jesus to plead with him to save his daughter who was at the point of death. Jesus went off with him. Then the woman with the hemorrhage appeared and interrupted his journey. After curing her, while he was still speaking, people from the house of Jairus arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message, Jesus said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did continue on to Jairus' house and raised the girl back to life. The central message of Jesus' saying here is again about faith: Do not be afraid; just have faith. You can say that this is easily said than done, but it is the key to living in God. If your faith is perfect, you would believe in God totally and have no room for fear, anxiety, or worry anymore. The only way to perfect our faith is to let God do it for you, and the only way to let him take over is to surrender yourself completely to him. We just have to go through the Lord!
Monday, February 3, 2020
*Awful Losing-the-Lord Feeling
I am used to hearing Jesus speaking to me in my heart ever since I started blogging. Last night after I got in bed, he gave me a thought to post. Normally, I would jot down the idea so I won't forget; but this time I was too sleepy and made it a point to post it first thing this morning. Unfortunately, today I can't recall it. This had happened to me once before, and I felt bad about it. Now I again feel I have lost something most personal. From now on, I want to make sure that I do not forget whatever the Lord wishes me to do. Lagging behind in following him can make one feel awful—you almost feel as if you have lost the Lord.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
***Choose to Receive Your Reward
Back in the old days, I could easily count all the models of cars made by GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Today you have countless models made by a great number of companies worldwide, including super expensive and fast cars of which many hope to own one. The thing is driving any of these super cars won't get you a centimeter closer to heaven. (I am not trying to be funny.) Of course, there are many other things in the world that can give us pleasure as well. What I hope is we would not ever hear the Lord say to us "You have already received your reward"! Personally, I'd rather receive any reward coming to me later in heaven. Then heaven itself is already our best possible reward. In any case, reject any reward that does not get you any closer to heaven. If you don't, you may end up receiving all you reward on earth.
***Exciting to Have Found God
Yesterday I blogged that there is no limit to how holy we can be. The is the same as saying that there is no limit to how close we can get to knowing God, as he is infinite in every way. We can surrender to him as best as we can, but only he can perfect that union. Finding God is exciting enough. Discovering that we can get to know him more and more without end makes it even more exciting!
Saturday, February 1, 2020
*Facing Tough Times
Today's Gospel reading from Mark 4 tells how Jesus calmed a storm at sea. I came home after Mass and saw Fr. Mark Goring's new video "Tough Times Ahead." He applies the lesson he learned from this reading to handling the tough situation the Church has put us in today.
**God Making Us Holy
Communion experience. The soul is even more fundamental than the heart. That the Lord would enter me and heal my soul, making it whole and perfect, was both overwhelming and rewarding. He may not always heal us physically, but he'll always help us spiritually as much as we want him to. Living the spiritual life is exciting precisely because there is no limit to how holy you can be.
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