"Bad" things happen to all of us. I just blogged about my unexpected accident the day before yesterday. Right now, I am praying for a friend who has cancer on the tongue and may have to have part of it removed. Another friend is getting ready to rush his father to a hospital right now. Worse things can happen to all of us anytime in this life. But knowing that better times are ahead can make a big difference to our outlook. True disciples of Christ know that they'll enjoy eternal bliss with their Lord in heaven one day. This alone makes all sufferings in this life tolerable or even a joy if you know you're enduring them for his sake. True Christians like their Lord fight evil and never complain about anything, for they know best days are awaiting them.
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
**What Really Matters
We all sin, what matters is if our sins get forgiven by God or not before we die. Bad thing happen to all of us, what matters is if we let then overcome us or not. We all want to go to heaven, what matters if we are willing to die to get there. We all want God to reward us, what matters is if you want to be rewarded in this life or the next. We perform good deeds, what matter is if we do them for ourselves or for God. Whatever we do, it's our motivation that counts. We get tired of living and wish to go to God right now, what matters is if you are sure that you are heaven bound. I can continue on ad inf. But one thing truly matters, that is whether you believe in and know Christ or not. If you do, all the above-mentioned concerns will be taken care of; you now only need to love and follow him alone.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
**Dealing with Accidents*
I am blogging late because an accident occurred to my wife and me this morning unexpectedly, ruining both of our cars. My wife was OK, but the impact did make me feel woozy for a moment. To be sure, I went to emergency to get checked out. Three hours later, I finally learned that I was all right too. My upper back and both shoulder feel a little sore, but they should recover in a few days. I am not sure that I'll make Mass the rest of this week, so I'll probably have less to blog. Anyway, accidents do happen to all of us; they have nothing to do with the kind of person we are. How you react to the accident matters more. If you get upset and start cussing, that would be the wrong attitude. If you thank God for however things turn out, knowing that there's a reason for it and try to learn a lesson from it, you have the right attitude.
***Prayer and Holiness
One big benefit we receive, often overlooked, is that when we pray much from the heart for others, we actually become holier ourselves. A great prayer life is not just a sign of holiness, it actually is a causes of your holiness.
**Christian Love
To love must not be laborious. It must come spontaneously from the heart of anyone who loves the Lord. Love thus unceasingly and you'll enjoy peace..
Monday, March 20, 2023
***Supreme Joy of the Lord God
On the way driving home after Mass, I turned on the radio to hear what's playing on the only local classical music station. I haven't done this for years. What I heard was George Enescu's popular Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1. The music was tuneful, although not as inspiring or uplifting as the music written by such great composers as Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert. Then I realized that the best classical compositions that used to move me almost to tears at times no longer have the same grip on me. You see, music is external and the sound enters you through your senses to create joy. By contrast, once you know the Lord God, having him dwelling within you, his joy simply bursts forth from your very heart. This is a joy that not only transforms your heart, but also heals your soul; whereas the joy of music can only stimulate you from without. Next to the joy of the Lord God, all other joys simply pale.
***Ultimate Fulfillment
Communion experience. Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Receiving the Lord is receiving the Lord God of the Most Holy Trinity. It's one's ultimate fulfillment!
**Purifying Our Thoughts*
It's so easy to think and say whatever comes to our mind. To be perfect, we need the Lord (the Holy Spirit) to form all our thoughts and opinions. This necessitates that we seek to attain union with the Lord first, and it's made entirely possible with the aid of the Holy Eucharist.
***Tragic Extreme Foolishness
We all need God to deliver us from evil and grant us mercy, for we all are subject to temptation and fall short of being sinless. Tragically, many today choose to remain in evil and reject God's mercy. This is being foolish to the extreme, truly not knowing what they do.
***Fighting Evil Today**
With evil looming over us everywhere, what can we do? The best way to fight evil is to surrender even more to God and pray even more fervently. If the burden on your heart is great, offer it up to God so that he may console you. Always do what the Devil doesn't want you to do. That the Lord will triumph is a foregone conclusion.
**God's Peace and Joy
A latest video from Medjugorje. See the joy in people's faces which I also experienced when I was there. Watch to the end to see the white doves showing up in the sky.
Sunday, March 19, 2023
****How Much Time for God?
As Christians, it's good to ask ourselves how much time we spend being aware of God's presence or doing things for God's sake. If the answer is less than 50% of the time, I don't think you can consider yourself to be passing. In theory, if God is the most important person to you, you should devote 100% of your time to him. This is entirely possible if you seek to attain union with him through the Holy Eucharist. Here's reiterating the three prominent union benefits. (1) You gain awareness of God's holy presence at all times. (2) You lose your inclination to sin. (3) You also lose the fear of death. Let God amaze you!
*****Act Most Pleasing to God*****
For us Christians, complete surrender to God so that we may become most obedient to him is the hardest act for us to perform. Thereby, it pleases him more than any other act we make. He has given all of himself to us. If we give all of ourselves to him, we truly become like him.
***Secret to Inner Peace*
I feel peace in my heart because I no longer fight myself! When you submit yourself totally to God's will, the "civil war" within you ceases altogether, leading to inner peace.
***Realization Leading to Happiness*
Once we realize that we have a perfect God, we begin trusting in him totally and can finally become truly happy.
****Beautiful Perfection
Communion time thoughts. There is something "perfect" here that's beautiful. We have the Lord God, our most loving Father, who has sacrificed his only begotten Son to save us from sin, and we realize this and submit ourselves to the him and receive the body and blood of his Son in the Holy Eucharist to attain union with him now and enjoy eternal life later with him in heaven forever. This is just perfect for both the Lord and us!
Saturday, March 18, 2023
***The LORD with Me***
People often don't understand me and that's understandable. But the Lord understands me before I understand myself! This is great, knowing that he is always ahead watching over, guarding, and guiding me! It is so good to have him be with me!