***All the Lord's Doing

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus continued speaking to the crowd with parables. In the parable of the seed growing, he said, "This is how it is with the kingdom of God, it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of it own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. When the grain is ripe, it is harvest time." Do you know that this is exactly how we grow when we yield ourselves to God? We come to know his ways and thoughts, attain union with him, grow wise and holy, become eager to do his will, experience freedom, peace, and joy, and lose all fear of death—we know not how either. It's all the Lord's doing.

**Living as a Christian

        In today's first reading from Hebrews 10, Paul says it all about living as a Christian. We have been enlightened and will suffer for the Lord's sake. Remain confident and we'll have great recompense. We need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised. Live by faith. We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and possess life. Exactly!

**Warnings from Our Lady of La Salette

        I was blessed to have visited Our Lady of La Salette in the French Alps twice. The Blessed Mother appeared there to two children in 1846. Here is one video I just saw informing us of some of her prophecies. It seems that they are being fulfilled today. Take a listen. 

****Have God or Nothing****

        In today's Gospel reading, Jesus also said, "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." So you have the haves and the have-nots. You either are with Jesus or are not with him. You either get to heaven or you don't. With God, it's all or nothing; you can't go halfway or be lukewarm. Didn't the Lord command "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind"? Believing in God is for the humble-hearted only, not the half-hearted nor the faint-hearted. Have God or have nothing, your choice.

***Warning to Evildoers

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus told the parable of the lamp to his disciples. He said "There is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come yo light." He also said, "The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you." Evildoers, take notice. If you harm the good people, how much more God will "harm" you who are evil! For nothing can be hidden from him. Everything we do will come back to either justify or condemn us.

****Making the Universe Perfect****

        Today is Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas. Reading 1 continued from Hebrews 10. Paul wrote the following: Since we have "a great priest [Jesus] over the house of God," let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope for he who made the promise is trustworthy. A sincere heart, absolute trust, a clean conscience . . . these are what the Lord deserves from us. If you give him all that and more, you'll know that you are doing the right thing and it'll give you the greatest good feeling! Make submitting yourself to God your top priority so that you may become one with him. When man becomes obedient to God again, God's will is done on earth and the universe is made perfect. 

**To Bear Fruit for God

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus told the parable the sower to the crowd. Later he explained to his disciples that he was the sower who sows the word of God in us. In some cases, Satan comes at once to take away the word sown. In some cases, people receive the word at once with joy, but when tribulation or persecution comes, they quickly fall away. There are also people tho hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. So, to be rich soil for the word of God and bear fruit abundantly, we need to keep Satan away, be strong in the Lord and trust in him, and be detached from the world. It seems that remaining in union with God is the state for us to be in.

***Most Wonderful News

         In today's first reading from Hebrews, Paul made it clear that the priests of his days who offered those same sacrifices could never take away sins. But by the one offering of himself, Jesus has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no longer offering for sin.
         This is the main message of our salvation. That is, if we believe that God has redeemed us through the sacrifice of his own Son, we only need to believe in the Son, repent of our sins, and he'll take them away and grant us eternal life. You probably have heard this so many times and no longer pay much attention to it. When I really think about it, I see that this revelation is truly incredible, awesome, amazing, momentous, earthshaking, compelling, right on target, and exactly what we need to know. That's why it's called the "good news." In fact, it is the best possible news you can hear in your lifetime. Everyone should give it his utmost attention, look into it, and test it out. It is unthinkable that one would ignore this most wonderful news about gaining eternal life.

*Intention Under Scrutiny

         There are only three possible intentions in whatever we do: we do it for God, for ourselves, or for someone else. Often doing it for someone else is also doing it for ourselves. It takes discernment to know our true intention, but knowing the Lord definitely makes you more alert. Of course, we should always do all things for the sake of God, directly or indirectly. Doing whatever we feel like doing without considering whether we offend God or not is using up the time you have for storing up treasure in heaven. Seek to attain union with God so that you may have the right intention each time you do something.

***Joining God's Family

         In today's Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus said, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Now you know how to belong to God's family.

***What God Wants to Know

          I believe that when God judges us, the first thing he wants to know is how much we labored for his sake on earth. I see that this is equivalent to knowing how much we belong to the world on earth.

**Worse than Communism

         Communists follow atheistic leaders who do not believe that God nor Satan exists. For a Christian country to follow Satan knowingly is a lot worse than becoming Communist.

**Living by Prayer*

        The world has become increasingly blasphemous and godless. Christians are being marginalized and persecuted. But we do have Christ on our side and praying to him provides us with strength and endurance. I now say the Lord's Prayer every chance I get. It seems that I am living from prayer to prayer, and it has turned out to be a rewarding experience. The Lord will be coming (or we'll be going to him), so praying unceasingly is a great way to prepare ourselves for meeting him, especially now when the need for prayer has never been so urgent.

**Test Questions for Christians

         Today's Gospel acclamation based upon John 15.16: I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. Two questions to test yourself if you consider yourself a Christian: (1) Are you aware that God has chosen you? (2) If yes, are you bearing fruit that will last? Not being able to give two firm yeses shows that you have much catch-up to do.

**God Calling All of Us

         Today is Feast of Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. How the Lord called Paul to serve him was most dramatic. From Acts 9, we learn that Paul was on his way to Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment any men or women who followed the way of Jesus. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, Sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so his companions led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see. Then the Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to Paul to lay his hands on him and say to him, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. 

       Sometimes I wish that God would call each one of us this way, but the Lord had chosen Paul to be his special instrument to carry his name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. He calls us too to be his instruments to do what suits us best. It's not how the Lord calls us that's important; rather, it's how we respond to his calling that matters.

**Overwhelmed at Mass

         It was a cold, windy, and cloudy day. Fr. S celebrated today's outdoor Mass. He is a young priest, but I respect him very much for always saying Mass with great reverence. The Lord filled me with hope, no matter how dark times seem. After I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I looked up and saw the entire sky filled with grey clouds. I realized the immensity of the universe and my smallness, yet the creator of this universe had just entered me to dwell within me! I am connected with him! It was an overwhelming feeling that God should care so much. One of those life's unforgettable moments. 

**Our Great Consolation

          Knowing that you'll have eternal life with God in heaven.

***How God Has Fulfilled Me

        Before I knew Christ, I was not a happy person as I searched for the meaning of life. I felt inadequate and wanted to be somebody. Even after I had accepted Christ, I was still struggling with myself. I wanted to do certain things, but wasn't able to for various reasons, so I was frustrated and saw myself as a failure. Looking back, I could have easily committed serious sins on various occasions, but the Lord had always held me back, so I want to thank him for that grace. We all want to be successful in the eyes of the world, but that certainly doesn't mean that you'll be happy. My first breakthrough came in the 1970s when I got involved with the Charismatic Renewal within the Church. It was the Holy Spirit who set my heart on fire as I searched for him. I was never the same again. The Lord God became alive for me and praying became spontaneous. The Lord made me see how easy we could progress spiritually when we submit ourselves to him. I became a happy person, but there's more to learn. In the last twelve years or so, the Lord amazed me further by drawing me deep into him, letting me know that he wishes to draw all to union with him through the Holy Eucharist. This blog was born. Of course, he teaches me the whole time right along. I finally feel that he has fulfilled me fully that my past doesn't mean anything anymore. When you possess God, all else is forgotten. He alone is more than sufficient for us!