***Our Heart Belongs to God***

        It is interesting that we know that our head does the thinking and our heart, the feeling. The heart is defiled when evil thoughts prevail. We are happiest when we follow a pure heart. Do you know that the Devil can only brainwash you, never capturing your heart? But God can totally win your heart through his selfless love for us. Therefore, give your heart to him and you can forget about the Devil and enjoy peace and freedom in your God.

*More than Being Good

        A good Christian is justified by God. This is the big difference from being just good.

***To Be with God Forever!***

         Communion experience. The Lord let me know that my union with him is forever. What a great joy!  

**How to Become Perfect

        In the second reading from reading from 1 John 2, John wrote, "Whoever keeps his [Jesus'] word, the love of God is truly perfected in him." Our spiritual growth is a process of perfecting God's love. Keep the word of Christ and we'll be perfect like him.

**God's Greatness

        In today's first reading from Acts 3, Peter said to the people, "The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away." First of all, Peter was right in calling Christ the author of life, the Resurrection being the proof. To rise again from the dead would be impossible unless you are the author of life. Secondly, it is noteworthy that Christ suffered and died so that those who played a part in putting him to death could still repent and be saved. Such is God's great mercy.

**No Fear in Jesus!*

            In today's Gospel reading from John 6, the disciples of Jesus was crossing the sea to Capernaum. It was evening and had grown dark. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." Remember this and trust in him to lose all your fears.

**Are Funerals Necessary?

        Royal Prince Philip of Britain recently passed away and many people enjoyed watching his funeral accompanied by the usual pomp and circumstance. Here are my honest thoughts about any funeral. If I die and go to heaven, I wouldn't care much about whether I get a funeral or not. The most good it can do is to shorten my stay in purgatory. A big funeral is always a waste of time and money. One the other hand, if I were not heaven bound, a funeral would be an utter waste of time and money. But since you don't know, you may want to offer a Mass for me. Anyway, funerals are mostly held for the living to witness. To want to have a showy funeral for yourself is definitely being foolish and vain. 

**How Often with the Lord?*

        In the Old Testament, we read about the various prophets serving and attending to the Lord day and night. Psalm 1:2—Blessed is the man who meditates on the law of the LORD day and night. In the New Testament, we learned that the early disciples of Christ served the Lord and prayed to him day and night. So the question is "How often do we even think of the Lord during the day?" To force yourself to think about the Lord continuously when you don't feel like it would be both painful and meaningless. Let the Holy Spirit draw you into it and it becomes effortless and a joy. Again, it comes down to being open to the Lord to know him first. Attaining union with God will take care of all such spiritual problems. 

*Proof of Disobedience to God

        Again, looking at the extreme scenario clarifies things. If every one of us obeys God, we'll have instance peace in the whole world. The fact that we do not have peace in the world shows that many of us are rebelling against God.   

Difference Between Know and No

        Know God and you become wise. No God and you remain a fool.

**Suffering Dishonor for God

        In today's reading from Acts 5, the Apostles rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name Jesus. Is there something odd here because we normally don't want to be shamed at all. But the power of God's love is so great that they didn't even care whether others understood them or not; they were simply elated in doing the Lord's will. They'd look odd only to those who do mot know the love of God, which is most intoxicating. Drunk with that love and you feel you no longer belong to the world! The world is the foolish one because it does not know the love of God.

*Prayer Power

        Messages from heaven have always asked us to pray, pray, and pray. This shows that prayer can move God to shape our future. Since God loves us so much, of course he'll listens to us. How many of us earthly fathers would ignore our children when they sincerely want to communicate with us? To pray shows that you obey and trust your Father, and he'll do great things for you. 

**Our Ideal family

          My relationship with my father was never close. I was pretty much brought up by my grandfather, I know many of you may not even have a father around. But don't worry, for we have the best Father in heaven, the ideal father, who loves you dearly and understands you perfectly. He has filled all my voids in life. I was deprived of intimacy with my mother much of the time too. The Holy Mother has turned out to be ideal for me. The Lord gave her to be our mother just before he expired, knowing that we'd need a good mother She's always with us, helping us do the will of the Father. All the saints make ideal brothers and sisters. God truly wants us to belong to his family in heaven.

****The Lord Our Enlightener

          When I see so many people do so many foolish things, I realize that Christ is truly the enlightener we need. For once you know him, you see all things in the right light. You see the true reality, the consequences of our actions, the spiritual war that's going on fighting for our souls, where we are heading, etc. God makes you see and understanding everything so clearly. Get to know the Lord well to be totally enlightened by him. Then life is no longer a dream, an unknown, or a puzzle. 

**Sin of Omission

         This sin is very easy to commit. I can be good all day, not committing any sin, but forget to do some of the good I could or should have done. To be truly holy, we must seek to do as much good as possible. Not doing anything bad is not always good enough. You are more than being lukewarm, but you are hot enough yet. When Jesus asked us to be perfect, he meant it. It is possible for us, for nothing is impossible for him.

**Only One Comfortable Way

        To see things clearly, I look at the extreme cases. I can live without Christ and remain living in the unknown, while heading deeper and deeper into the unknown. Or I can know Christ, follow him, and never ever worry about getting lost. When you know the Lord, you know the way and then some. 

To Live for God Means . . .

 simply doing his will.         

*Healing of the Soul

        The Lord is our greatest healer. He may not always heal our physical ailments for good reason, but he'll always heal our soul if you ask. First, have him take away your sins, for he is the only one who has the power to do that. Then ask him to heal you soul. Once that's done, your heart and your mind are healed as well. Now you are a whole person.