Life is our big test. At some time early in our life, perhaps around the time we started elementary school, we became aware of the existence of good and evil. Since man disobeyed God at the beginning, we all inherited the original sin. God can just pardon us all, but that would be going against his principle. So in this life, we must choose to repent and return to God or not to repent and remain in sin. This is what the test is all about, and it's absolutely critical, for the consequences of our choice will affect our eternity.
Friday, September 3, 2021
**Simple Way to Become a Saint
This is the Little Way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. We do everything little thing for God with great love, and we become saints. So, just do everything for God to show that we love him and let him take care of the rest.
*Ready to Meet God
When we are ready to go to God at any time, we are ready for him to come at any time.
***How to know God Fast*
Plunge yourself directly into the God of Christ, cry out to him from your heart, and asking anything you want to know from him. This takes courage and may not be easy for you right new, but if you remain timid, you won't get anywhere. If you do that, the Lord would be overjoyed, this I can tell you! What can you possibly lose? Would he strike you dead? Of course not! On the contrary, he most ardently desires that you live happily in heaven with him in the end! Go to him boldly and you'll experience a breakthrough. It is truly exciting to know the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You want to enjoy peace, freedom, and joy now and forever.
***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.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
***"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.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
***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.
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