It is totally different from any enjoyable pleasure you encounter in the world. You experience it in your heart and soul, although something you see or hear could've triggered that. It simply bursts forth like a spring from within of which you have no control. It is both exhilarating and calming, always uplifting. You are drawn to the God's holiness, purity, and his sweet love. The whole experience is most refreshing and soul-cleansing; you just know that it's the Holt Spirit at work.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
***Union with God***
When you involve Christ in all your thoughts, your words, and your deeds at all times, you are in full union with him. There is now no separation between you and him.
*****To Have God's Company or Be Alone*****
I have posted that we basically are all alone with God, for he is the only one who totally understands us and will judge us in the end. We may have a multitude of friends, fans, or followers in the world now, but when the time comes for us to face the Lord to give an account of ourselves, no one else will be around. He's really all we need for existence and survival. Separated from him, we really become alone, not a good thing. We absolutely need God's love and companionship!
***Learning from a Parable***
Today's Gospel reading from Luke 19 is on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It is a beautiful but poignant one. I am going to reproduce it in its entirety below and share some of my thoughts'
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"
My thoughts: (1) Being rich and enjoying all the pleasures of the world won't make it any easier for you to get into heaven. If fact, it can make it even a lot harder. (2) Sufferings in this world as undergone by Lazarus are not necessarily meant to punish us. It can be part of our purgatory or a great blessing when we accept it for the Lord's sake. (3) Receiving what's good in this lifetime and what's bad after we die is so much worse than having it the other way around. (4) The eternal separation from God after we die is so terrible that everyone should take it most seriously and prevent it from ever happening. Losing our soul for betraying the Lord who has died for us is the most horrible thing that could ever happen to us. (5) That the rich man still asked Abraham to warn his brothers showed that he still had a heart. It seems that he was not really a bad person; he simply lacked compassion—a lesson for us here. (6) Abraham was right. People who did not listen to Moses and the prophets were not likely to listen to someone from the dead. Those who do not listen to the risen Christ the Lord today also are not likely to wake up to the whole truth right under their nose. Prayers that can change their hearts are urgently needed, for the Lord can change all things.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
**Total Abandonment in God*
A lot of things in life can get us down and it's good that we have the Lord to whom we can turn, to seek both guidance and comfort. We are just passing thru this world on the way to our permanent home in heaven. This realization should keep us awake and not to become overly concerned about any problems we face. Total abandon in God is the way to go always.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
*****ONLY WAY TO HAPPINESS*****
You can live for God or for yourself in this life. You may think that you'd be a lot happier to live for yourself, but I can guarantee that'll lead you to a most miserable life later. The truth is that living for God is infinitely better than living for yourself. This is something you absolutely need to realize, but it does take a leap of faith to get started. Once you get going, you'll experience freedom, peace, and joy, and never ever want to go back again! Letting the God of Christ be your God is the only way to permanent happiness! Letting the God of Christ be your God is the only way to permanent happiness! Letting the God of Christ be your God is the only way to permanent happiness!
***You Are God's Treasure***
If you realize that Christ the Lord has already redeemed you from the power of sin, or eternal death, you must never ever look down on yourself again. Instead, you should rejoice and do your utmost to safeguard you soul so that you'll return to the heavenly Father to live with him happily forever! Don't mess it up!
***God's Amazing Power**
This morning I got out of bed and saw the bright sunlight that came thru the window hitting the large round mirror on the wall, and the reflected light from it casting a perfect circle of light on an opposite wall—it was quite a striking sight. The sun definitely made its presence known thru my visual sense. Then I thought of the Lord Lord. He has made his presence known to me thru my heart! I don't see him, yet I am more certain of his presence in me than that the sun will rise again tomorrow. Such is the power of our invisible God.
***Smart Way of Approaching God*
Admit to God that you are foolish and you are being wise, that you are weak and you become strong, that you are sinful and you are made clean, that you need to submit yourself to him and you are set free, that you hunger and thirst for him and you are satisfied, that you are unworthy of him and you get uplifted, that you feel sorry for other souls and you are comforted . . . you get the idea.
Monday, March 17, 2025
*Prayer Tip*
The more you mean what you pray for in your heart, the more effective your prayer will be. If you just say your prayer without feeling it, then of course the Lord is going to dismiss it right away. Always be fully sincere with God.
**How's Your Vision?
Don't waste time building up your wealth on earth. Instead, spend time on storing up treasure in heaven, and your return will be infinitely greater. It's the difference between living selfishly for yourself and living selflessly for God. It's also the difference between being utterly foolish and being heavenly wise.
***The Three Heavenly Gifts***
Freedom, peace, and joy manifest our closeness to God. Someone in full union with God feels completely free in the Lord, enjoys deep peace in his own heart, and is always filled with great joy. The three come and go as one. Whatever the Lord gives, you always get the whole package. There is no such thing as partial salvation.
****Secret to Peace and Freedom***
The more we surrender ourselves to God, the more we become free of ourselves and experience inner peace. This is how God has made us. If you realize this truth, you are not far from him.
**Impressive Awareness
At Mass this morning, the Lord impressed on me that he could indeed take away all my sins! 😇
**Wise Move
In Mark 9:40, Jesus said to John, "Whoever is not against us is for us." So if you don't go deliberately against the Lord, you can still be saved. But in this case, I'd go all out to be for him so that I'll be saved for sure, not to mention all the other benefits I'll gain.
Sunday, March 16, 2025
***Greatest Human Tragedy***
I'd say hands down it's rejecting Christ our Savior, for it would lead us to the greatest separation from God.
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