I heard someone say that he just couldn't be holier and wouldn't mind going through purgatory first. This attitude is worrisome to me, for it amounts to saying that God cannot make one holy. If you don't aim high, you may not even make purgatory! So, believe that God can make you holy with your permission. Aim high and you'll be assured of getting into purgatory or even getting into heaven without going through purgatory altogether!
The sharing of my spiritual thoughts and experiences
"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
Monday, March 16, 2020
*** Messages Coronavirus Brings
As this virus is now pandemic, the message from God is loud and clear. It is that we need to turn to him to repent of our sins. It just seems most difficult for most people to deal with their own sins. In the worst cases, they are not even aware that they are offending the Lord. As the Second Coming of Christ approaches, we seem to be falling away from God even further. Here is a calling for those who do believe in the Lord to double or triple their effort in praying for all falling sinners.
*How to Fight Evil
To fight evil, we normally go after and actively attack it in whatever ways we can. But there is the superior way. It is that we go before God, confess our sins, ask him to make us clean, and then beg him to crush the evil. If every one of us does this, there won't be any evil around. To be realistic, we still need to actively fight evil at this point in time, but we must let the Lord make us holy first so that we may rely upon him to crush all evil.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
***Pure Love from Us
We can love many things or persons in the world. We may love music, stamp collecting, traveling, fine food, our pets, or someone who attracts us. Such love are in general self-centered and can enslave us, so they are really not pure. Then we can love God. Is this love different? I believe so. You see, God is already unconditionally loving us. When we love (or more correctly, fall in love with) him, we are set free by his love. We are not self-centered because we can't help wanting to please him only. Love for God is the purest love we may possess, for it is in fact his pure love that makes us love him.
**Source of Our Living Water
Since I did not go to Mass, I read today's Gospel reading John 4.5-42 at home. It's all about Jesus asking a Samaritan woman to give him a drink at Jacob's well. I have heard this reading many times before. Today, as I read it myself, I was astounded by the many things Jesus said. Now, if you do not see him as the Messiah, you would be confused like the Samaritan woman was at first. Today I saw him as the Lord and was amazed by the amount of truth he reveals to us. I do encourage you to read these 38 verses yourself to let him speak to your heart.
**Is Life Meaningful?
Suppose you live in a beautiful place in a most comfortable house with a most beautiful view. Let's even say that the weather is always perfect. And you have no problem whatsoever financially and can enjoy anything you wish. And you have perfect health always as well. Everyone loves you and thinks highly of you with no one ever giving you any trouble. Then you die and become nothing. Would you say that you have lived a meaningful life? If yes, where's the meaning? Let's now look at a case at the other extreme. You born poor and lived all you life in a miserable condition. People look down on you and treat you badly. And you are always sick and suffer pains all your life and you wish to die. You do die and become nothing. All that suffering for what? Is your life now meaningful? For most of us, we lead a life between these two extremes. So what is a meaningful life we can realistically live?
For us, life becomes meaningful only if we see a higher purpose and know that we'll have a better life after death. The reality is that all things beautiful on earth are earthbound, evil is real, and suffering unavoidable. God is the eternal reality and wants in fact to deliver us from this world that imprisons us. Life on earth is a test. If we believe in Christ, we shall pass this test and head toward eternal life. So we can live right and make our life completely meaningful, as we enter the most beautiful final part of our existence.
*Missing Sunday Mass
Two days ago Friday, the bishop of my diocese finally granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday for all members of the Catholic Faithful. It's sad not to go to Mass. Although I could still go, but being in the high risk group, I didn't want to take the risk and end up affecting all my family members. I just watched a video on the city of Nanjing in China which claims that the number of cases of coronavirus infection there has dropped to zero. The control is strict and thorough alright, but it seems to me that what has helped the most is not letting people get close to each other. So, what can we do if we stay home on Sunday? I urge you to listen to Fr. Mark Goring on this video which came out yesterday.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
***Supreme Advantage of Being in Union with God
I just watched a very good podcast. The speaker made it clear for all Christians that this is the time to go all out to battle evil for God. In the first half of the talk, he brought up various things for us to follow. I'll just mention a few. (1) First of all, be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect, as Jesus had commanded. (2) We must deny ourselves and take up our cross to follow Christ. (3) Do not presume that you are going to heaven. (4) You must have faith and also works. (5) Do not remain complacent. These are all good things to remember, but if you try to follow them all, it may not be easy. That's why you should gain access to the power that can help you accomplish all these and more first. This is done by attaining union with God! When you are one with the Lord, you'll automatically do these things without thinking about them. Besides, you would know that the Lord is taking you with him to heaven!
*A Decision We Face
Today's Gospel reading from Luke 15 is the best-known parable of the lost son. We learn that sin saddens our Father greatly, but admitting to him that we have sinned cheers him up greatly, so much so that the whole heaven rejoices. That a simple choice by us can affect God so much only shows how much he cares for us. We need to decide whether we continue sinning or repent.
Trust in God Best
God will be our final judge, casting all evildoers into hell in the end. How should we approach him? All we need to do is to trust in his mercy, for he wishes to pardon us and delights in his clemency. If we would just follow the Lord in full confidence, there's really not a thing to worry about.
*Seek the Lord, Not What's Peripheral
I've always been attracted to the Carmelites and their spirituality, St Thérèse of Lisieux being my favorite saint. I thought that visiting Mt. Carmel in Israel would be an exciting adventure, then I realized that I could enjoy the Lord every moment anywhere. It's experiencing the Lord, not anything that's associated with him, that should be central to us.
Friday, March 13, 2020
***Most Extraordinary Soulmate!
By definition, a soulmate is a person with whom one has a strong affinity, shared values and tastes. Obviously, when you are God become one, you become soulmates. But wait, this is no ordinary relationship, for God happens to be your creator and truly knows all about your soul. So that makes him the most extraordinary and fantastic soulmate you can ever have!
***The Greatest Feeling***
It's so great to be one with the Lord. Of course, it goes without saying that the Lord and you are now completely open to each other, with you in him and him in you. You pray to him, but you are really speaking to him right within your heart and soul. And you know that you are absolutely safe in him. Praise be to him, your most beloved!
***Church Needs to Repent
Outside of China, Italy has been most affected by the coronavirus. The current lockdown has made Rome look like an abandoned city. During this Lenten season, I feel that the Lord is calling all Church leaders, beginning with the Holy Father, to publicly renounce their sins to inspire the whole Church to follow suit. If they can humble themselves like this, the Lord shall surely bless them and the whole Church abundantly. This is the way to avoid divine chastisement. For reinforcement, watch Fr. Goring's new video "Pachamama & Coronavirus" below.
***He Is Our Life!
I have stopped attending daily Mass for the time being, as coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the county I live in. This morning at home, as I was gazing upon an image of my Lord being baptized by John the Baptist, I saw so clearly that Christ is the life. In John 14.6, Jesus did say (to Thomas) "I am the way and the truth and the life." Indeed, the world without him is dying, but those who possess him have and will have life eternal without a shadow of a doubt!
Thursday, March 12, 2020
***If You Don't Listen to God . . .*
Also from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man, suffering torment in hell, begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his father's house where his five brothers lives to warn them, lest they too end up in the place of torment. But Abraham replies, "The have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them." He says, "Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." Then Abraham says, "If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." Now, consider us. Jesus, the Son of God, the Lord himself, greater than Moses and all the prophets, had come, and many of us still do not listen to him! What is going to happen to them? I can only pray for them and leave the answer to God.
*Keeping Peace in Troubled Times
Today's Gospel reading is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. As you know, the rich man dresses in purple garments and fine linen and dines sumptuously each day. And lying at his door is Lazarus, the poor man, covered with sores, who would gladly eat the scraps that fall from the rich man's table. When the poor man dies, he is carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also dies and is sent to the netherworld where he suffers torment in flames. Between him and Lazarus, a great chasm exists to prevent anyone from crossing to the other side. At this critical time when the world is fighting to rein in the coronavirus, it is good to be reminded that after we die, we'll end up in either heaven or hell. As long as we are sure that we are headed for heaven, we can remain in peace.
Trust Only in the One Who Knows You
Excerpts from Jeremiah 17, today's first reading: Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. The man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD, is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds. Therefore, trust only in God, not in other human beings or even yourself, for only he is trustworthy. Also, God will be the one to reward (or punish) us, for only he knows our minds and hearts.
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