"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

***An Insight***

        The Lord has made me see that thinking lowly of someone is as bad as thinking highly of myself. For both stem from the lack of humility.  We all fall short of loving God who alone is our judge.

**Great Satisfying Experience

        Communion experience. The LORD is all mine! What an immensely satisfying feeling!  

**Getting the Lord's Attention

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 5, a woman afflicted with a hemorrhage came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his cloak, believing that if she touched his clothes, she would be healed. Immediately her flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed. Since Jesus is not here for me to touch in any way and he did let the woman know that her faith had saved her, I can just pray for what I desire from him and believe that he will answer me.  

***Great Way to begin a Day*

         I love waking up very early in the morning when darkness and silence still prevail. In these moments of solitude, I sense acutely the Lord's presence both within and without me. It's the perfect time for me to commune with my most beloved to my heart's content. What an awesome way to begin a new day!

Monday, January 29, 2024

***False Front**

         You see so much false joy exhibited on many commercials and various TV shows. In general, people put on a false facade to hide any emptiness or loneliness they feel. Today I was shocked and saddened to learn that the parishioner who owned a very expansive car (I think it was a Ferrari) had committed suicide. I didn't know him personally, but everybody noticed his flashy red car with gold wheels. How I wish that I had the chance to tell him about Christ who can fill us full with hope and joy. This had happen to me twice before. In the first case, I witnessed to a friend about Christ and he was ready to consider entering the Church. He called a local priest for an appointment to see him, but it so happened that he was tied up and couldn't see him right away. The next thing I knew, my friend had committed suicide. Obviously, there was a deeper issue here I wasn't aware of. The second friend was at the peak of his career. He earned two PhD degrees, owned a lot of properties, traveled all around the world, and had a lot of friends too. His job was with a famous think tank. One day I called him and learned that he had committee suicide. How I wished I had shared the gospel with him earlier! So we must share the good new of Christ every chance we get. What we see is often the false front. There are lots of people who are lonely and/or feel hopeless out there. We must do our best to reach out to as many of them as possible.

***Greatest Stupidity

         It's believing that you can hide from God, you know more than he, you don't need him, or he doesn't care about you. 

***Greatest Division

        There is no greater division than that between good and evil, heaven and hell, having Jesus and not having him!

**Only Division That Matters

        True inner peace can only come from Christ. He wants us to have that peace, but we are divided by whether we listen to him or not. This is the only division that matters. Know that we'll all be judged by him, for he is the one who created us out of love in his own image. 

Sunday, January 28, 2024

***Wise Move

        Take all the temporary pleasures of the world you can think of, whether wholesome or sinful. Compare them with eternal joy in heaven, and they would look like nothing. So get yourself detached from the world as much as possible to be sure that you'll have everlasting joy later soon. 

*****Saved in God's Love!

        Communion experience. I completely abandon myself to the Lord and he completely accepts me. Union is attained and I am saved in his love!

***Submission Begets Freedom

        When you submit yourself totally to God, you feel completely free, for he has now taken the load of sin off you! From now on, all your intentions should remain holy. The truth shall set you free—this is it.

***Mary to Keep You Holy*

        When impure thoughts surface and you turn immediately to the Holy Mother for protection, she'll mantle you to keep you safe, for she is immaculate and pure. Consider consecrating yourself to her Immaculate Heart if you haven't done so yet. You'll find online the various prayers commonly used. I made the act of consecration decades ago along with parishioners of the whole diocese. We each prayed for a whole month on our own and attended a special Mass at one large church together at the end.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

*****Awesome Unique Miracle*

        At Mass, the Lord God actually converts the bread and wine into his own body and blood without changing their appearances for us to consume so that we may achieve union with him spiritually—this has to be the miracle that's most humble and most exalted at the same time.

***No Comparing with Others

        Because we'll all face God alone, there is no point in comparing ourselves with anyone else ever. We take care of our own salvation and just pray for all others.

***Signs You Know God Well

         You are happy with yourself, you are never lonely, you want God to save everyone, especially those in most need of his mercy . . .  

***Turn to God Now***

        Because you can become demential, die in sleep, or have a sudden death. 

***The Truth

        Without Christ, we have nothing. 

**Ready for Action**

        When Jesus tells us to always be alert, vigilant, and prepared, he also means that we are to always remain attentive to what he wants us to do. It's always "Lord, here I am, ready to serve you" for us.