In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” There is a big misunderstanding here even among Christians. They hesitate to take the Lord's yoke, thinking that it would be a heavy burden to them. We must believe in what Jesus has said here. He knows our individual capabilities and limitations and will only give us what suits us best. Believe me, the more you trust in him, the more he makes it easy for you. To be afraid of what God wants to give you can only come from Satan. Welcome all that comes from him in meekness and with humility and you become a "superman."
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
**Sane, Realistic View of Life*
Life has its ups and downs, but that doesn't matter much in the overall scheme of things. It's your final victory that counts. Remain patient and be steadfast in following and serving the Lord. Soon this life will be over and you'll enjoy eternal happiness. I am not being pessimistic nor optimistic; I am simply being realistic.
**State of Being Lost
It's interesting that those who know they are saved know exactly where they are going, while those who don't, don't. If nonbelievers knew where they are headed, they would've stopped and turned around. It just shows that when you are lost, you are lost.
**God Has a Plan
God has a plan for each of us. We all have a particular role to play at any particular time in serving him. It'd be tragic if we are unaware of this and end up wasting our lifetime following our own plan or wondering what we should do. Of course, to follow God's plan, you must know God first and trust in him. It comes down to either knowing where you are going or remaining lost on your own.
***No Better Way to Live
When I blog, the thoughts are already there. That is, I never have to think about what to blog in advance. I love this, for it teaches me to trust fully in God. The days I don't blog are usually the days I don't receive anything, and that's fine with me too. The Lord gives and takes away, all is up to him. You just go along with him all the way and end up always being with him. There is no better way to live!
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
***Communion Appreciated
Communion time thoughts. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is not just going thru the motion of an empty ritual. It is receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament from the Lord that can completely renew my spirit, heal my soul, bestow upon me the power to overcome all evil, and draw me into union with him. There is absolutely nothing else that can accomplish so much in us.
**Made in God's Image Were We
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep to his disciples. He said to them, "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these littles ones be lost." In this respect, we are just like the Father, showing that we were made in his image.
**Have You Lived Right So Far?
Suppose you have just one more hour to live, and you think of all the things you did to others that you shouldn't have done as well as all the things you didn't do to others that you should've done. If you come up with quite a list, you haven't lived your life right so far. If you can't think of anything major, then congratulations for being ready to meet your maker.
Monday, December 5, 2022
****Clear Evidence Abortion Is Evil*
The Lord God chose Virgin Mary, a human being, to bear his Divine Son. This act alone shows to me that abortion would be evil.
***No Action Is Best Action***
God is our leader. To follow him, it'd be a mistake to go chasing after him. The right "action" is no action—you simply remain open to let him lead you. That is, you get out of the way to let God come to you to make your life wonderful!
***Key to Winning God
When we kneel or prostrate ourselves before God, we show our submission to him. When he sees that, he is free to give us all the help and blessings we need. This is the secret of winning the Lord. No submission and you cut him off from you for good.
***Salvation's Choice*
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed but determined to see Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "As for you, your sins are forgiven." And he healed the man too. We see that to have your sins forgiven, you must have faith first. This seems quite obvious. So anyone who feels the burden of sin should consider putting his faith in Jesus to have his sins forgiven by him. This is the only way to become sin free, for Jesus is our only Savior. It all comes down to choosing Jesus or sin.
**Happy Realization!
Today I realize again that God has come, is with me now, and will meet me again in person. I am no longer lost, for I know exactly where I'll be going after my time here is over! This makes all the difference to me.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
***How God Treats Me*****
Communion time thoughts. The heavenly Father loves me with warts and all. Christ the Son died for and saved me. The Holy Spirit illuminates and consoles me. This is how the God of the Most Holy Trinity treats me.
**Our Operating Levels
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.
**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.