People who are afraid of facing God also have difficulty accepting all the problems in life. Those who have already given themselves to God are ready to meet any challenge coming their way, knowing that God is with them.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
**Spreading Joy in Heaven
In today's Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes, "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." We who repent to God regularly should rejoice that not only God forgives our sins, but also we cause great joy in heaven. Spreading joy itself is a joy.
***Our Only Gain
In today's first reading from Philippians 3, Paul wrote, "But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ." Only the Lord is absolute; everything else is relative. Once you know him, everything else pales by comparison. If he is a spoiler, it is for your own good. Pity those who are deeply entrenched in the world, for they do not know him yet. The Lord alone is supreme.
**How God Has Affected Me
I used to be restless. Then I found Christ and now experience profound peace. Spiritually, the Lord has completely satisfied me. I only long for him, for he has deeply touched my soul and I belong to him now.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
***All for Him for Us*
One reason I pray to God is to show my obedience to him. The Lord deserved all the support we can give him. And he needs it so that he in turn may help us more.
**Answer to Our Desire
We all want to live happily ever after and Jesus can actually fulfill this desire of ours by granting us eternal life!
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
**Letting the Saints Bless Us
As it's All Saints day today, I am asking all the saints to bless me and pray for me and the world. Why not? They are one with us in union with the Lord and will be happy to intercede for us in glorifying God. Take advantage of all the extra help you can get to make your job easier and even more rewarding in serving the Lord.
**Letting Joy Reign!
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, we heard the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gave us the Beatitudes and said at the end, "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." Faithful Christians should realize that there will be so much glory coming to them greater than they can possibly imagine and start to rejoice and be glad right now, no matter how dark the world seems.
**Something to Look Forward To
Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. In the second reading from 1 John 3, the Apostle wrote, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Of course, we look forward to going to heaven. The other thing we can really look forward to is that we shall be like God!
**Praying Hard Needed
The world is falling apart, but I know in the end it'll be all straightened out by God. In the meantime, we must pray hard and unceasingly so that it may turn around. This is the right thing to do, for if everyone prays to God like that, we'll have instant peace and order. If you do not pray hard, you obstruct the Lord.
***God in Charge
I am open to the Lord everyday. On some days I receive as many as ten thoughts or more to blog. On other days, maybe just two, three, or four. Yesterday I received none. This shows clearly that the Lord is in charge. He gives and take away as he pleases. It makes me trust in him even more.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
**Ego Our Enemy
Ego can destroy us if not checked. It make you feel good, but what good is it? Do you also feel more peace? If not, then it's only a false good feeling. If someone praises you and you like it, what do you really gain? Isn't that just vanity? In truth, you are being fooled, thinking that your are something, but in reality you are nothing more. A puffed-up ego is like a balloon filled with some gas. Once it gets punctured, you'll feel the hurt. Hopefully, you'll then wake up and understand what it's all about and become more humble.
***What Makes a Message Powerful
You can talk about how to love Christ or Christ the Lord. Any message or homily that tells you how to love God is just some good advice, never very memorable. Only by focusing upon the Lord can you expect to convert or change the hearts of people, for he alone is the power that draws all to him.
**Easy to Be Foolish
I see some people who have just retired starting to build their dream house, travel around the world, collect their favorite cars, or do whatever they have always wanted to do in a big way. This looks more like beginning a new life in this world than retiring from it. I wish them the best, but at the same time I recall the parable of the rich fool from Luke 12. To retire and really live it up is definitely not being wise. To be wise is to grow closer to God as the day of meeting him gets closer.
*More Important than Myself
Communion experience. The Lord is more important to me than my own soul, for without him, I wouldn't be existing at all.
***Making Jesus Come to Us
In today's Gospel reading from Luke19, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. Being short in stature, he could not see him because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. Today we don't see Jesus, but we can actually invite the Lord to enter and dwell within us. Before receiving Holy Communion at Mass is the perfect time to do this—we remain completely open and anticipate his entry. By the way, this is exactly how we attain union with God over a period of time.
**Faith Necessary
To know someone doesn't guarantee that you'd get help from him if you needed it. It's the same with the Lord. You must know and believe in him in order to be saved. That is, faith is requisite.
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