***A Denial We Must Not Deny*

          Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Today, we not only do not wish to carry our own crosse, we create crosses for others. This goes directly against following the Lord. We are no better than the Pharisees to whom Jesus had said "Woe to you" on many occasions. Despising carrying our own cross is despising the Lord carrying his cross for us now. 

***Present State of the World

        Today I feel that the Lord wants me to go over the basics of following him. He has already revealed to us all we need to know to be saved for all eternity. It's now up to us to carry out what he has commanded of us. If we have no faith, we won't witness any miracles. If we do not pray, we won't ever hear his voice. We then simply remain where we are and wither spiritually. While we continue thus, the Lord suffers horribly. This is the sad state of our present world, self-centered with hardened hearts.

***"Challenging" God

         The Lord God challenges us. He promises that if we do what he tells us, he'll give us many good things, including eternal life. Our heavenly Mother promises to save us from the fires of hell if we faithfully wear the brown scapular. So it strikes me that we can "challenge" the Lord and the Holy Mother to fulfill their promises by doing exactly what they ask us to do. Since the Lord God can never make empty promises, we can be sure that we'll receive all the blessings as promised, including eternal life.          

***Knowing God Is Pivotal

        If there were no God nor heaven, then life wouldn't be worth living. If you still think that you can do good and live happily sans God, you are simply trying to make yourself feel good. It won't work, for you don't have anything solid to back you up. Knowing God changes everything, as I've been testifying to you on this blog all these years. He becomes your rock solid foundation, your source of guidance and inspiration, and your eternal hope. Now you are wide awake, living in the most beautiful reality.

***Joy of Following Jesus!

           In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus taught the crowds by the Lake of Gennesaret from Simon Peter's boat a short distance from the shore. After he had finished speaking, he asked Simon to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch. Simon had worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Jesus' command he lowered the nets. When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish that their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
           Earlier, right after I read that Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man," the Lord right then filled me with unspeakable joy because he made me feel the joy of following him. An unforgettable moment of the Holy Spirit in action.

**Either Saved or Lost*

        Today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 98, tells us that the Lord has made his salvation known to us. Is there anyone who really believes that he doesn't need salvation? If you do not know where you'll be going after you die, then you are lost and need salvation! We are either saved or lost. To me, the feeling of being lost would be unbearable. I believe this is how God has made us so that we may look for him. And I praise and thank God that I've found Christ to be precisely the Savior I need to make my existence both meaningful and glorious!

**Pray, Pray, and Pray

        Another sensible talk on prayer and the hour of our death by the speaker of the previous post on purgatory.

***Purgatory Made Clear

        A good video on learning more about purgatory.

***Reason for Prayer

         We pray to God for various reasons. Many prayer are supplications, for we need his help. Then I also pray the Holy Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, etc. simply because the Lord wants us to pray them now to help him save souls. Whatever he wants us to do for whatever reason, we should comply gladly. Obedience to God in all things is the best way to show our love for him. 

*****Remaining New Forever (Most Exciting Living)

        We all like new things. Living in a new house, wearing new clothes, visiting a new country, beginning a new year...all such experiences are exciting. Now, do you know that the Lord God can make you new continuously? Remain in him and he cleanses you and refreshes you at all times, and you remain new. All new things get old, but God can keep you new forever! Is there another way of living that's more exciting and delightful? I don't think so.

**To Be in Tune with God

        Today is September 1; we are entering the last third of the year already. Ever since the pandemic started, most of us have spent much time staying home. If we became more aware of God's presence, that would be time well spent. To be attuned to what God is telling or showing us is central to our spiritual well-being. God shapes all things and there is always a message in whatever we experience. Tuning the Lord out is to be lost forever. The more attentive you are, the more he helps you understand. The ultimate is for us to attain union with him, then we'd be completely in tune with him. 

*Good Knowing Where We Are

        In today's first reading from 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul writes, "For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him." Amen. It's good to be reminded that we are in the light, wide awake, know what's going on and what's to come, and are not destined for God's wrath. Most of all, that Christ is with us! 

***Amidst Your Most Beloved***

        Jesus is the Most Beloved Son of the Father. When the Father loved us so much that he gave his Most Beloved Son so that we who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life, we are most beloved by the Father too. This love of the Father that can save us surely can transform us. It is this love we want to be immersed in forever. With your most beloved all around you, there's nothing more you can ask for.

***Letting God Alone Be Judge***

        At Fatima, the Holy Mother gave us this prayer to add to the Rosary: O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the the fires of hell; lead all soul to heaven, especially those who are in most need of your mercy. Note that God wants us to pray for the worst evildoers. Christ came to us precisely to save those who needed his mercy. So what we are asked to pray is completely in line with his teaching: "Do not judge," "Forgive others," "Love your enemies." Any of us who wish that all evildoers go to hell, instead of praying for their salvation, forgets that God's mercy is for all. Therefore, repent to let God alone be our judge.

***Most Beautiful Bonding***

        People say that a good marriage happens between two people who are different from each other, but can complement each other. This doesn't sound quite right to me. Then you hear said that a happy marriage happens when the couple share the same interest in many things. There's more truth in that. Let me say that the best and most beautiful bonding between any two people, in marriage of not, whether they are different or share the same interests, takes place when both of them surrender themselves to God. When you become one with the Lord, you truly become one with each other. Thru God, all barriers are overcome. Any bond God has created, no one will be able to break. 

**What Matters and What Doesn't*

        Suppose you know that you'll be entering heaven tomorrow, I am sure you would feel so happy and forget all the troubles you have now on earth. On the other hand, suppose you know that the world will end tomorrow, depending upon the state of your soul, you'd either welcome or be terrified of that, but all the troubles you have now would likewise be forgotten. Both our death and the end of the world will happen. Looking at them in advance can help us see what truly matters and what doesn't.

*Two Modes of Living

        For those who live for themselves, they work hard to achieve their goals, doing what they want to do. Of course, they'll have setbacks and get frustrated. This is not exactly happy living. In the end, they'll find no treasure stored up in heaven. It's is a life laboring for nothing. On the other hand, we have those who live for the heavenly Father alone, following only his will. Whatever happens to them in this life they know will be taken care of by him. They simply delight in trusting in him. And it's just a matter of time that they'll soon be with all the treasures they have stored up in heaven.

**Continuing Spiritual Warfare

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." All were amazed at his words. They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" Then he told them that no prophet was accepted in his own native place. When they heard it, they all got furious, rose up and drove him out of the town. Fast forward to the present and we see that people are trying to keep Jesus out of their lives, despite the fact that he has come and given us the best possible news. It shows that people haven't "improved" after two thousand years. The spiritual warfare rages on and it'll have to come to a resolution. I believe that we are entering that final phase now.