***Pray for Dominican Republic***

        Yesterday I heard the sad news that the Dominican Republic, the only abortion-free country in the Caribbean, is now being pressured by the Biden administration to legalize abortion. The bishop there is pleading for help. You can watch the whole story here and consider helping the people here. I feel the heavy burden and just want to go to Christ my Lord to cry my heart out at his feet, begging for mercy. Only he can console me and that's what I need now.

***Our Greatest Oversight

         I have already quoted the famous saying of the French novelists Léon Bloy on this blog: "The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is to not become a saint." This totally makes sense, which leads me to think that our greatest oversight in this life is to not take eternal life seriously. We live from day to day, planning for this life and not thinking about the afterlife. It's as if since it's an unknown, we don't want to waste time thinking about it. Of course, this is a serious mistake. It amounts to treating Jesus as someone who came, died for us, rose from the dead . . . all for nothing. 

**Our Situation Before God

        From today's Psalm 103, I read these verses. "The Lord pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger an abounding in kindness. He will not always chide, nor does he keep his wrath forever. For as heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us." The Lords knows that we have inherited the original sin, that's why he is so understanding. As long as we do our best not to sin against him and repent after we sin, he'll always forgive us. But if we choose to sin against him, we reject his kindness and mercy and incur our own condemnation. It's all very clear. 

*****The Only One Trustworthy

        In the many decades of living in this world, I have met people who can change in a split second and become an entirely different person (usually when money is involved). As for the public figures you read about a lot in the news, there are those who appear to be totally upright and trustworthy until you learn what they are like in private, not the image they project in public at all. (Some of them had a dark past too, but that doesn't bother me as much.) The lesson leaned: We cannot trust too much in any living person, but should place all our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, the one who has proven to us that he truly loves us.

**Getting Ahead in This World Unimportant

        There are many pushy, aggressive people out there, They are the ones who would cut in line to get ahead of others if they can. This kind of behavior shows up in other circumstances too. The thought came to me today that if you know you are going to heaven, you are already way ahead. So just let them get ahead in this world and pray that they will know Christ and see things your way too.

**Seeking Understanding Not Essential

        When people don't understand us, we feel frustrated. When we are misunderstood, we feel even worse. Do not seeking understanding from the world. First of all, what good is it for others to understand you if not to boost your ego? Would having them understand you bring you any closer to God? Anyway, God already understands you well. When Christ was on earth, he just did the Father's will and never bothered with seeking understanding from others.

*****Process of Knowing God

        When you first encounter the Holy Spirit, he sets your heart afire. The Scripture comes alive and you yearn to know the Lord. You want to let whole world know about Christ. Because you are so happy in the Lord, you don't think about yourself too much. Then eventually the Lord withdraws, wanting to make you strong enough to stand on your own feet. Without him, you become more aware of your weaknesses, shortcomings, and minor sins. The desire for perfection leads you to seek union with God thru the Holy Eucharist. Falling deeply in love with Lord begins. Once you attain union, God, more beautiful than ever to you, is now your perfect soulmate. 

**Good Enough for God

        The Lord God loves you so much that he willingly died for you so that you might have eternal life. You probably have heard this numerous times already, but it's true. If you believe, you should feel great about yourself, for you are loved by God! And you'd never want to compare yourself with anyone else anymore. For what would the point be—you are already good enough for God? Now you realize that God loves everyone and you stop judging anyone. You are on your way to being completely liberated from the world.

***Letting the Perfect Lord Perfect Us*

        The perfect Lord lets me see all my imperfections. The more I see my own imperfections, the more I am bowled over by his perfection. The good news is that we don't need to struggle to become perfect; we only need to let him make us perfect. 

***Why We Lack Peace***

        We can talk about many things with others such as favorite foods, best travel destinations, cars, sports, etc., and if our views are very different from each other, that's OK. But when the topic gets more serious, such as abortion, the division shows up quickly. Then you finally talk about Jesus and many people feel uncomfortable and practically become your enemy. Why is it so? Could it be that people subconsciously know or sense that God is real? That God can cause the greatest division among us only shows that he matters the most to us! Only by submitting ourselves completely to him can we experience peace within us. Now you should understand why you don't have inner peace if you don't experience any.

**Praying for Others Now & Later

        I looked inside my house and saw all the things I had, some of which were quite personal, such as the photos I'd taken over many years. If I leave the world now, I can just let everything go and not say one goodbye. But there is one thing I cannot forget so easily—that's the people for whom I have prayed and God hasn't answered those prayers yet. Perhaps they will be answered after I am gone, but surely it'd be nice if they were answered before I leave. Then I am relieved when I realize that I can continue pray for them from heaven and will be even more effective because I am close to God more than ever.

**God's Ways Are Simple

        I look at my house and see that it always needs some kind of maintenance or improvement, and the work that needs to be done can be extensive and expensive. The same happens to our body as we age. We continue taking medications and supplements and exercise more just to slow down its deterioration. By comparison, maintaining our spiritual health is so much easier and more pleasant. We sin, we repent, and we are forgiven. Dealing with God is simple and always a joy.

**Why Hell Is So Horrible

         It is so because offending the God of Christ who loves us so much is most horrible! 

***Keeping Jesus Company

        Jesus is suffering tremendously for the sins committed against him by so many of us—are you willing to keep him company just to make him feel better? Letting him know that you want to remain with him in all circumstances would be of great consolation to the Lord who deserves all of our love.

***Christ Our Only Lord

        As followers of Christ, we respond to him only. What I mean is that listen to him only, obey him alone and not to anyone else. In essence, we live just for him. And it's absolutely worth it! 

**Love and Attachment

         Love and attachment are two different things. To be attached to someone may not be loving that person at all. In fact, if you love someone with God's pure love, attachment can get in the way. This is not easy to explain, but God's love must prevail at the highest level. Perhaps looking at Jesus can help us understand somewhat. The Lord loved the people with the greatest love and pitied them, yet he never got himself attached to someone to impede him in carrying out God's will. 

*About Wanting to Live Longer

         Many people are interested in eating right so that they might live longer. You see articles that tell you if you follow their diet, you can live two or maybe five years longer. How would you know, as this is not something you can do experiments on to find out? And living longer may not even be a blessing if your health deteriorates. Now, believing in Christ and being assured that you'll live on forever—this to me is a lot more relevant and exciting. 

****Ready for God?*

         God is always ready for you. The question is whether you want to be ready for him. I think you know what I mean.