In the Gospel reading today from John 4, a Samaritan woman came to a well to draw water. Jesus was resting there and told her that whoever drinks the living water he gives would never be thirsty again, that water would become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. I can personally testify to this truth, for Christ fulfills all my needs, absolutely nothing else out there can possibly satisfy me more. When the world has lost its attraction, you know that you have drunk that living water.
The sharing of my spiritual thoughts and experiences
Sunday, March 23, 2025
***Listen to God with Our Hearts*
In today's Scrutiny Year A reading from Psalm 95, the psalmist wrote "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." This is like a direct plea coming from the Lord himself. We all sense the emptiness of life at one time or another—that's the Lord calling. If you ignore his voice, you have a hardened heart. God almost always speaks to our hearts, so we need to be extra sensitive to what we sense in our hearts.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
*Intention Matters
Whether we are perfect or imperfect, as long as we intend to love God, he is pleased.
*****Snart Responding to God's Love***
Today we heard the parable of the lost (prodigal) son read from Luke 15 at Mass. It's been regarded by many to be the most beautiful of all Jesus' parables. It reveals how much God the Father loves us. I am reproducing the first part of the parable below and going to share a thought on it.
A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, "Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me." So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, "How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.'" So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son." But his father ordered his servants, "Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found." Then the celebration began.
Now that we see how great our Father's love for us is, it would be smart of us to go to him, repent, and beg for his mercy the moment we realize we have sinned. Or you'd rather go thru what this lost son had gone thru and then come to your senses?
***Who's to Blame?*
Today's response from Psalm 103: The Lord is kind and merciful. True, the infinitely merciful God just wants to love us and save us from sin so that we may be happy forever, yet we ignore him, reject him, or even mock him! Who's at fault? Certainly, not the Lord. Has sin so muddied our conscience that we have become this thickheaded and heartless?
Friday, March 21, 2025
***Unleashing Your Potential for Doing Good
We tend to sin, but we are also capable of doing good. So choose to do only good and our future is assured. Naturally, we would need help from the Lord God for whom nothing is impossible. Submit yourself completely to him and seek union with him and he can make that happen effortlessly for you. That's right because it all depends upon how much you let yourself go in him.
****Total Abandonment Time****
As we age and get weaker physically day by day, we tend to depend on others more and more. But don't forget that this is the perfect time for us to abandon ourselves totally to the Lord God! We can't reverse the aging process, but we can surely accelerate our spiritual progress without limit. Looking our best to meet the Lord would certainly give both God and us great joy.
***Waking Up to Reality***
Evil is real! So God has to be real! It follows that the spiritual battle fighting our souls must also be real! Realizing this should make us seek refuge in God, I already know Christ and all this—I am just trying to wake everyone up to this reality so that they may not lose their souls! That God truly loves us is our best possible news!
Thursday, March 20, 2025
***Joy of the Holy Spirit*
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.
***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.'"
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!