In today's Gospel reading from John 7, we learned that the Jews were trying to kill Jesus. As he was teaching in the temple area of Jerusalem, they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him because his hour had not yet come. This got me thinking that we all have our hours to meet as we follow the Lord on our journey. We should welcome every one of them as we move closer to uniting with our Lord in heaven.
Friday, March 15, 2024
***Feeling the Holy Spirit's Presence***
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form as a dove after he'd been baptized by John the Baptist. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of those present. For us, this Spirit of truth is invisible, but we can definitely feel his presence within us. Here are some telling signs: You feel a great zeal for the Lord as if your heart is on fire; Christ is now your primary source of joy; you love and pity all humanity, praying unceasingly for its salvation; your focus is exclusively on pleasing the Lord, not yourself; you look forward to going to him . . .
Thursday, March 14, 2024
*****Most Beautiful, Powerful Force
Communion experience. You experience the most beautiful, powerful force in the whole universe. The peace you feel is a peace you can easily die in.
***Being Genuinely Good***
Do all things to please the Lord God; otherwise, doing whatever to please someone or yourself purely for your own sake is being phony.
*****Only Thing We Need to Do*****
Follow and obey Christ (and not think about anything else)—so simple!
***Why The Church Is Being Persecuted
I see two reasons: (1) The Catholic Church being the Church Christ has established on Peter, Satan is now attacking her as one of his prime targets. (2) Since the hierarchy of the Church has not been vigilant enough and has allowed evil to infiltrate and corrupt her, the Lord God is now chastising the Church in the process of purifying and restoring her.
**Levels of Art
Look at the artists of the world, they make films, write songs, present concerts and shows, do paintings, sculptures, etc. Here are the various levels of their works. At the lowest level are the works that are blasphemous, offensive to God, or pure evil. Next level up we have works that are worldly and impure; they are not from the Lord for sure. On the next higher level are works that are more of less neutral'; the may be clean and attractive, but don't really uplift you spiritually. Then we have impressive works that are inspiring and more spiritual, but not pointing to God specifically. At the highest level are works that actually inspire and draw people to God. Since our God is a specific person, the God of Christ, any work that does not point to him cannot be fully meaningful.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
*****My Blogging History*****
Well, I have exceeded 15,000 posts. I started blogging in 2009, just to tell my conversion story and it was done quickly. Then more thoughts came to me and I wondered what's happening. I figured that after posting 60, 70, or maybe 80 times, I'd probably run out of things to say. After all, there are only so many ways you can say "I love you" to the Lord. As blogging started to take off in 2010, I asked him what he's up to. It gradually became very clear to me that he wanted to draw all into union with him through the Holy Eucharist! This amazed me that he should use me, not even a kindergarten level kid before him. Then I realized that in blogging what he wanted me to say, he's really teaching me too. I am so grateful that I've learned so far so much from him that I am now living the most exciting life as a Catholic. The Lord can truly change us if we do not harden our hearts! He is truly the one to be worshipped, adored, praised, loved, and thanked forever!
***How Sin Affects Peace***
When we sin, we lose our peace. It's that simple, for this is how God has made us. I believe that in heaven, we'll be transformed by the Lord to not want to sin anymore so that we'll enjoy peace for all eternity. Another reason to follow Christ!
*****The Criterion to Meet*****
All the work we do in this life is judged by whether we glorify our loving Lord God or not, or stated in another way, whether we love (or obey) him or not. Nothing else matters.
*****Miraculous Happening*****
Communion experience. Receiving the Lord is our greatest exaltation! We are so greatly exalted, yet we remain most humble. We are so unworthy, but the Lord deems us worthy. All are just miraculous!
*****Direct Way Recommended*****
To know God's will, you need to know him first. And the best way to know him is to go to him directly, for he is instantly accessible to us. Any other way will only slow you down. And seeking union with the Lord through the Holy Eucharist is the preferred direct way.
***Letting Christ Start You Anew
If Christ is your Lord, know that he is always with you. Anytime something goes wrong or you feel lost or unhappy for whatever reason, ask him to straighten everything out to help you start anew with hope, resolution, and most of all, obedience to his will. This is sticking with the Lord and receiving power from him to triumph over evil and overcome any obstacle in following him, which is your main objective.
***Pitfall-of-Sin Warning***
Keep sinning and you are headed to a dead end. To be more descriptive, I could say that you are headed to a precipice and after you get there, you may fall off its edge into the deep pit below and never to get out again.
***Living the Best Possible Life***
If you know Jesus now, your are living the best possible life! You might've had a lousy life before, but that''s all gone! You are now made anew by the Lord, free from sin and heaven bound. You can become a saint if you so desire! Follow the Lord and never look back as your future gets better and better!
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
***What's Necessary to Overcome Evil***
Repentance is necessary for fighting evil both within and without us. We can't be saved if we do not repent our sins first. And we are in no position to fight evil if we haven't repented all our sins yet. Be holy first, then you'll be saved and fit to fight evil.
****Total Abandonment**
We should be willing to let the Lord do whatever he wishes with us. This includes accepting any punishment we deserve from him. Have no fear, but be filled with joy. This is possible because we know that he is good to us.
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