***Best and Worst Ways to Live***

        Living a secret life in Christ is most satisfying. The opposite way is to live for the world to see, then you simply keep feeding your ego and live in miserable self-enslavement. Living for God alone shows that you no longer care about you own ego, thus you live a truly carefree life. Also, knowing that you are pleasing the Lord and he is pleased with you is a joy that's beyond the world's understanding. To want the whole world to admire you is to fall away from God as far as possible. You cannot serve both God and yourself.

**Choosing the Best Part

        When Jesus was at the house of Martha and Mary, Martha was burdened with serving, while Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Jesus made it clear that Mary had chosen the better part (Luke 10:-42). At Mass after receiving the Holy Eucharist this morning, I knew that I had chosen the best part. 

****Statement Worth Believing

        Today is the memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. In the Gospel reading from John 11, Jesus went to the house of Martha and Mary. Martha said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." For he was going to raise him from the dead shortly. Then he said, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone one who lives and believes in me will never die." This is indeed a very bold statement—it's so bold that you have no choice but to believe in its truth, unless you're sure that Jesus was completely out of his mind. But the Gospels reveal that he always knew what he's doing and is most likely the most sane person who has ever existed.

Correction!

        I apologize that I gave the wrong link in my post Jesus with a Pulsating Heart earlier today. That one shows only the video. Now I've replaced it with one that also tells you about the miracle in English.        

**Influencing God*

        God is infinitely greater than us, yet we can move his heart and change his mind, for he is our Father who loves us to death! As long as we speak to him from our hearts, he listens to us and always responds by giving us the best for us to attain eternal happiness. Four days ago, we had the Gospel reading from Genesis 18 about which I posted under the title Learning About the Lord (from Abraham). We see that God gave in to Abraham bargaining with him that if he finds ten innocent people in Sodom, he would spare the whole city for their sake. Our God loves to hear from us. It's those who ignore him that hurt him the most. We should rejoice that we have instant access to our Father and can endear ourselves to him to make him happy.

**HappyTurnabout

        Abandon yourself totally to God and you'll be so happy that you don't ever want to complains about anything anymore, but only want to praise and thank God for all things.  

***Letting God Form Us

        In today's reading 1 from Jeremiah 18, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel." It just struck me what a beautiful thing it is for us to be like wet clay in God's hand to let him mold and shape us into whatever pleases him, as the end result is bound to be most beautiful.

*****Jesus with a Pulsating Heart*****

         The latest Eucharistic miracle. Click here to read about it and watch the video recording just below the first photo illustration. Make sure the sound is on and watch it in full screen mode. 

**The One We Need to Follow

        It is so clear we don't get along with each other almost everywhere is this world because we all follow ourselves. Christ is the perfect example showing us how we should live. If we all follow him, we'll have peace in world for sure. I am not trying to simply things because it is the simple truth. Sadly, the lack of humility on our part has blinded us from seeing it.

***God Enabling Us***

        Communion experience. Michelangelo's famous painting Creation of Adam came to my mind. This fresco appears in the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It shows God's index finger about to touch Adam's to give him the divine breath of life. When Christ entered me, I knew that he's going to empower me to become a new creature living in him and for him only.

***Joy of Finding Christ

        This is today's short Gospel reading from Matthew 13. Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." This is exactly the way we feel about Christ after we find him. Our joy is so great that we are willing to give up all we have in order to keep him. 

**Living a Privileged Life

        At Mass this morning, I saw the beautiful statue of Mother Mary in the chapel and I knew that she's constantly praying for me. No doubt that Jesus always listens to her and I felt it's such a privilege that she should pray for me. Later, just before I received Christ in the Holy Eucharist, I realized that the Lord had died for me to save me, I felt tremendously privileged! As Father Stephen wrapped up the Mass, he invoked God to bless all of us. Receiving blessing from the Lord God, another privilege! With so many great privileges, how can I possibly not prosper? 

***Powerful Joy

        When we encounter anything unpleasant in life, it's easy for us to wish that we had done things differently. For example, if someone is giving you trouble, you wish you had not bothered to know that person in the first place. Then you realize that you have Christ and are heaven bound, all you troubles on earth now fade away. Such is the power of the joy of Christ!

**Letting God Liberate You

        If it makes it any easier, surrendering yourself to God is simply remaining passive and resting yourself in God or letting yourself go in God. You experience the greatest liberation upon giving yourself to God, because he now carries you!

**Jesus Knows the Future*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explained the parable of the weeds in the field to his disciples. He said, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One. The harvest is the end of age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear." What Jesus said was very clear—he knew exactly what's going to happen at the end of age. It can't be something he just made up to fool us. Indeed, whoever has ears ought to hear.

**To Be Empowered by God

        When you are always sincere in doing anything for the Lord and truly mean what you say when you ask for favors from him, he'll know that you are trustworthy. Now is the time to be ready to receive power from the Lord.

***What the World Still Doesn't Know

         God not only can give us eternal life, he can also solve all our problems! 

*Experiencing Total Freedom*

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me thru the Holy Eucharist and I was drawn into his infinite space, experiencing total freedom. The truth will set you free. (John 8:32)