In Living, we can operate at the mind level or at the heart level. Sometimes you hear a homily at church that's too intellectual and it leaves you cold. While anyone who shares personal experiences from the heart usually makes a better impression. We operate at the mind level a lot in socializing with others, as we talk about mostly superficial, worldly things. To operate at the heart level is to be more genuine, the way we'd be when talking to God. Since the Lord is always present, it'd be better for us to operate at the heart level whenever possible.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
**Most Fundamental Prayer Intent
At Mass today, I heard the prayers of the faithful read. They are good prayers, very much like the ones we pray on our own. Then it struck me that the most fundamental prayer that should take care most of these prayers is praying for the conversion of sinners. If we all convert, then the world will become the best possible place for us to live in for the time being. So I urge you to pray for the conversion of all sinners first. For that is also God's foremost intent for us. Go with God always.
**Crowning Moments of Life
(1) Realizing that you are a sinner, searching for a savior and finding Christ. (2) Falling in love with the Savior, desiring union with him and attaining it through receiving the Holy Eucharist.
**Awakened to Beautiful Reality
At Mass this Sunday, it dawned on me that if God were not infinitely merciful, we'd all be doomed! But because we have a God who is all love, we now can confidently secure our place in heaven in advance.
***Most Important Reminder***
The Lord God is readily available and totally accessible to us. He's forever waiting for us to wake up and turn to him so that he might turn us into holy saints, ready for entering heaven. Union with God is easily attainable thru receiving the Holy Eucharist if you'll let the Lord do the work. All I've said is no hyperbole. It is all true and worth every bit of our attention.
****Don't Be Traitors
When we sin and do not repent, we offend Christ our Lord and Savior. Of course, he's hurt by our action, but most of all he feels sorry for us, for we now are headed in the direction of losing our soul. Christ has died for us, so he truly loves us more than he cares about himself. Let's not betray our only Savior.
Saturday, December 3, 2022
**Liberation Through Death*
Today I see that death is liberation. It is thru death that we enter total freedom in God. We have gone thru our trial and passed our test on earth. Now we are finally fit for heaven forever! We are back to the home intended for us to really experience the magnitude of the Father's love for us! Joy now reaches its apex. Death is to be welcomed!
**Total Dependence on God
Communion experience. I acknowledged my total dependence upon the Lord and knew that he's going to give me all the support I need to get thru this life on earth. I could now die in peace.
***Best Way to Live***
I've more or less talked about this at various times in the past. Let me just sum it up in one sentence here: Live for God alone and be not concerned about anything else. That's right.
****No God, No Freedom*
0ur Father, being our creator, knows all about us. The smart thing for us to do is to share everything we have on our mind with him from our heart. Cry out to him if you feel like doing so. This removes all the barriers between you and God the Father—you are now free! When you don't have God, you simply remain your own prisoner.
Friday, December 2, 2022
**God's Transforming Power
Communion experience. Trusting in God's power of transforming us, I knew I wouldn't be the same old sinner again.
***Do Not Limit God
An afterthought to the last post. The blind men believed that Jesus could heal them and he did heal them according to their faith. So whenever we ask the Lord to heal us or someone else, we should ask for a miraculous healing first, for the Lord is almighty and he loves us. As a matter of fact, whatever we ask from him, always ask for the most from him and it might turn out to be the best for us too. This I know: The Lord is most happy when we trust in him the most.
****Obeying God First and Always*
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, two blind men believed that Jesus could heal them and he opened their eyes according to their faith. Then he warned therm sternly to tell no one about it. But they went away and spread word of him thru all the land. Of course, if something good happens to you, you want to share your joy with every one else. But here, the men should have rejoiced in God's mercy first and less in their own freedom. Besides, they should've heeded Jesus' warning. We are human, but we must obey God and not always follow our own inclination. Sure, we feel bad that Christ got crucified for our sake, but rather than wishing that he didn't have had to suffer, our right reaction should be to thank him and be willing to suffer along with him.
**Suffering in Peace
If we all believe in God and faithfully follow his will, we'll have peace on earth. But there'll still be sufferings, for natural disasters can strike, we can get sick, and accidents invariably happen. You could say that it's a good thing that we won't be living on earth forever. I do see our time now as an opportunity for us to learn how to suffer. If we accept our sufferings patiently and offer them up to God, we not only atone for my own sins and those of the world, but also get to unite ourselves to Christ in his suffering. This surely is an excellent way to prepare ourselves for entering heaven.
Thursday, December 1, 2022
***On Our Own Without the Lord
When we simply do all things, usually fun things, and not't think of God at all, we just while away our time. As Catholics, we should do all things in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is not hard. It's just being aware that we do everything in his presence and should do it for his sake and glory. In John 15.5, Jesus said: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." Sure, we can do a lot of things on our own, but we won't be bearing any good fruit, if at all.
**Heart to Provide Sixth Sense
We experience the world thru our five physical senses. To experience God, we need to have our heart provide the sixth sense, for you can not know God without involving the heart. Let us treasure our heart and put it to good use.
***Different Ways to Success***
To succeed materially, you go after something you want and never quit to make yourself rich. To succeed spiritually, you do the exact opposite—you let yourself go in God to allow him to do all the work to make you holy. Of course, what God can achieve is always far greater than what we can.
***Fulfilled to the Max
Communion experience. I belong to Christ totally and he is all mine. You can't possibly get fulfilled more.
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