Since we are sometimes good and sometimes bad, God rewards and chastises us. We can choose to be rewarded in this life or the next. If you were smart, you'd want to be rewarded in the next life, since that can only mean being granted eternal life. Therefore, choose that and let all the chastisement you deserve come to you in this life. Of course, you can be super good and the Lord will reward you in this life as well. This is being super smart!
Monday, April 18, 2022
***Secret of Attaining Union with God***
At Mass, I felt so good that I could let the Lord see all my weaknesses, imperfections, and faults, and tell him all my wishes, desires, and expectations. It is the willingness to let him enter you that completes your union with him, for he is ever ready to reveal himself to you.
***Only Fitting Response to Christ***
Today's Communion experience. The Lord is so good that the only proper, sensible, logical good-enough response for us is to go beyond believing, knowing, and consuming him to yield ourselves completely to him without reservation!
**Best We Can Do
Christians like everyone else die, but they do not remain dead. Instead, thru death they return to the heavenly Father to enjoy life forever with the resurrected Lord. This fulfills God's wish for them. It's all God's doing and no one can possibly do any better.
Sunday, April 17, 2022
**Clearing Your Enemy's Name*
Have you ever been hurt by someone and feel like retaliating? Most likely that person had a problem and didn't specifically mean to hurt you. Pity him if he needs help. Maybe he didn't know Christ yet. If you are already a Christian, shouldn't you forgive him? Anyway, I saw this cool video with a good message which should help us become better Christians.
*****Joyful Day!
A Most joy-filled Easter to all! Christ is Risen! The Lord is I AM; he always exists. He is the life, the creator of all life, so death is nothing to him. In today's Gospel reading from John 20, Peter and John found the tomb empty and I believe that it might have dawned on them that the Lord had indeed risen from the dead. When I received the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist today, I received the body of the risen Lord. My reconciliation with God is complete—what a joyful day!
Saturday, April 16, 2022
**Lesson from the Lord
In Matthew 19, Jesus said to his disciples, "Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first," referring to those who will inherit eternal life after giving up many things for the sake of his name. To me, the Lord is telling us not to look down or judge anyone, for those who seem to be not as holy as we are may enter heaven before we do.
Friday, April 15, 2022
***Our Most Positive Model***
When you think of Christ, you forget all the negative things, for he is our hope and our most positive model. Is there another one who can make us eternally happy? Positively none!
***Living in Reality?*
You are not, if you are not aware of the presence of the real God, the God of Christ. Strong statement, yes; as truth is never flimsy.
**Families in Crisis
Fr. Patrick Peyton who used to promote the Rosary popularized the saying "The family that prays together stays together." He is right. Today the Christian family is typically divided because it does not pray together. Many of us pray alone, but praying together as a family is a different matter. Families usually break up when parents are lukewarm or not strongly united as children grow older. They face the assault of the entire secular society, the whole godless world. Satan aims to destroy the family and we must be fired up to fight and win.
*****How Christ Suffered for Us!
Because of my past frozen left shoulder, I've been dead hanging from a bar from time to time to stretch my shoulders to keep them in good condition. Even with the aid of wrist support hooks and not hanging with my full body weight, I can only hang comfortably for about 2-3 minutes. As I was hanging this morning, I thought of Jesus hanging from the cross. There were no wrist supports and his hands were totally pierced with his own body pulling on them for hours. How excruciatingly painful it must have been for him on top of all the other sufferings he had already endured. We must never forget his love and be forever grateful for what he has done for us.
****Owing My Life to Christ*
Today's long Gospel reading comes from John 18 and 19. After he said, "It is finished," he bowed his head and handed over his spirit. I became sharply aware that I owe my whole life to him! He is my Savior and the Savior of all! Again, sweet tears of joy flowed.
***Good Friday Joy
Today's Psalm response comes from Luke 23:46: Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. As I read the response, the Holy Spirit made me shed some joyful tears and I couldn't help crying out "Why do you have to do this, Lord?" It was a human response and the Lord knows.
I am going to do the Station of the Cross on my own today. I've found the Traditional Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori online. It's succinct, providing the opening and concluding prayers and allowing for unlimited meditation in-between. You can see the PDF files here.
*****Amazing Prophecy!
Today is Good Friday of the Lord's Passion. The first reading from Isaiah, 52-13—53-12, prophesying the coming of Christ, some 700 years before it actually happened, is dramatic and truly amazing. You should read it yourself, as it's too long to reproduce here. I am sure that people at that time didn't fully understand that prophecy, but we can look back and see everything beautifully fulfilled. You can say that God's clock runs a lot slower than ours, but whatever he reveals to us in advance always comes true in time. Thank you, Most Loving Father, for giving us your Most Beloved Son so that we may have eternal life!
**Pity the Myopic Ones
The war rages on horribly between Russia and Ukraine, causing the destruction of so many properties and human lives. All for their own survival on earth? How ironic and blind! Doesn't anyone think of God and afterlife anymore? Pity all those who see only the trees and not the forest.
**Pleasing God and Myself
Over the years in the past, I did many things on my own, but always felt that I could've done better. I did learn to do better over time. Once you've known Christ the Lord, you feel differently. As long as I remain faithful in union with him, even though I am still far from being perfect, I know and also know that the Lord knows that I am doing my best. When I know I please the Lord, I feel the joy palpably!
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