At the Last Supper and each Mass today, Jesus offers us his own body and blood and asks us to partake of them. And we do just that in obedience to him. It strikes me that we should obey him in all the other things he tells us to do as well. In fact, we should have done that first in order that we may fully deserve receiving him in the Holy Eucharist. Then since the Eucharist can absolutely help us grow to be holy and obedient, let us proceed by resolving to be obedient and receiving him at Mass simultaneously.
Thursday, February 15, 2024
**The Christian Life
Following Christ, you experience both joy and sorrow. Joy is a given, for how can you not feel it when you have a Lord who loves you to death? Then as you love him, you also experience all the sorrows the ungrateful world has caused him and you feel truly sorry for him. Overall, joy always wins out!
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
***Thinking Ahead
Communion experience. I know that when I go to my Lord, it'll be only me with nothing else. So I give myself to him totally to expedite the process later. I experience great joy!
***From One Extreme to Another*
We are dust. Then the more we surrender ourselves to God, the more we are set free. Eventually, through the Holy Eucharist we attain union with him and become like him. God can accomplish anything we deem impossible—truly amazing and exciting!
**Gauging Your Spiritual Progress*
If you are journeying toward the Lord, do you feel that you know him more each day? Do you feel that you have definitely passed the point of no return? Do you still have doubts? Do you experience freedom, peace, and joy? Are you a more forgiving person now? Are you happy with yourself? Do you still feel lonely at times? Do you still get anxious or worry about things? Do you sleep well? Do you thank God often? Do you still hate some people? Do you do all things for the sake of Christ? Do you still complain about things? Do you find it easy to pray? Do you enjoy praying? Do you truly pray from the depth of your heart? Do you tell everything about yourself to the Lord? Do you feel his presence within you? Do you ever feel prompted by the Holy Spirit? Do you ever pray for miracles to happen? Do you think about the Lord often? Are you ready to meet him? Are you excited about him? Do you have a strong desire to bring others to him? Do you evangelize every chance you get? Are you a humble person now? Do you still enjoy worldly things? Are you ready to surrender yourself to God? Do you hesitate in letting others know that you follow Christ? Can you say that you belong to him now? Do you yearn for him? Do you long to become a saint? Do you really believe that nothing is impossible with God? Are you in love with him? Is he No.1 in your life? Do you know that you are definitely heaven bound? Do you love him with all your heart, all your mind, and with all your soul? I think I have asked enough questions for the time being and believe that you know whether yes or no is the better answer to each question. The Lord be with you!
***A Most Sorry State***
The good news is all around us, yet our hearts remain hard and frozen, so we remain blind, deaf, and mindless.
***Doing Good sans Ego
Today is Ash Wednesday. The ash reminds us that we are dust and to dust we will return. If we truly realize his, then ego has absolutely no place in us. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 6, Jesus taught his disciples not to perform righteous deeds in order that people might see, and to always pray and fast in secret for the Father alone to see. The reward ego brings you is not from the Father, for it doesn't glorify him. When we do all the good things for God the Father sans ego, he will repay us in secret. This is the reward that will be infinitely more satisfying.
*****Christ for the Hardhearted
Alas, people have hardened their hearts so much that they no longer feel sorry about their wrong doings. Not willing to confront their own sins is playing with fire! No humility, no repentance of sins, no cleansing of of the soul, no entry into heaven—it's going astray all the way! But if you turn to Christ for help, he can and will turn you around instantly. He's not called our Savior for nothing.
***Fractured Church and Families***
Fr. Patrick Peyton who launched the Family Rosary Crusade in 1987 popularized the phrase "The family that prays together stays together." Indeed he spoke the truth, but sadly today family members don't even talk or listen to each other in the same family! Everyone follows his or her own way. We have church members whose children don't ever show up to see them. It's not surprising when the Church is already so fractured herself. What we have left is a small but strong remnant Church. The Lord will surely come to us soon.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
***Love All the Way***
God has first loved us. Then it is he who has called us. If you feel drawn deeper into him, it's him again. It's love all the way. To not accept the God of Christ is to reject his love.
***God's Peace
In Philippians 4, Paul writes "The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Once you know that God loves you, give yourself to him, and secure your eternal future, the peace you receive is truly wonderful. You now know that you are totally in his loving hands and you are not anxious about or afraid of anything anymore. It's the peace that comes from having been set free from sin!
***Contrasting Weights
When the Devil takes hold of you, you'll feel like being crushed to death under a heavy weight and all your hope is gone. When the holy LORD takes charge of you, you also feel a powerful crushing force that's irresistible, but this is the weight of his love and now you know you are going to live forever!
*God We Can Trust
In today's first reading from James 1, the author wrote that "God tempts no one." I can see that this is true because God is always truthful and forthright. In fact, he is the one who can keep temptation away from us. So he is the one we can and should trust wholeheartedly.
***Holy Anger Is Differemt***
In Matthew 2, Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves in his attempt to cleanse the temple, his house of prayer. We all get angry with a cause too. The Lord showed me that our anger must be free of hatred. So if anyone upsets you, you still pity and pray for him.
***Suggestion***
We pray for our loved ones who have passed away. It'd be infinitely better to have loved and converted them when they were still alive and know that they are now in paradise.
***Our Consolation and Joy
Unrest and sorry happenings prevail in our world and I've found Christ to be my consolation and joy. This has totally lifted up my spirit. Christ is the only one who can wipe away all our sorrows!
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