Exercising the Heart Properly

        We do things customarily without thinking much, but if we believe God with our heart, we should see, hear, think, and speak with our heart too. To live for God is to exercise our heart solely for his sake. Seek union with him and you'll automatically use your heart wisely in tune with God's will.

**Ultimate Reality

        I came out of church after Mass this morning. It was cold but sunny and beautiful. The parked cars, the trees, the sun light . . . all looked normal and delightful, but I saw the ultimate reality that we'll all face later – heaven or hell. I do not intend to jolt anyone, but the Lord made me see this reality that's veiled to many today. At least you see that heaven is one possible reality, and that should give us hope, expectation, and joy.

**To Be Spontaneous in the Holy Spirit

        Jesus said in John 3.6: The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is like the wind. When the Lord Spirit prompts you to do something, it is spontaneous, never premeditated. Attain union with God so that following the Holy Spirit may become your second nature.

*Letting God Enlighten You

        Communion experience. "Nirvana" is achieved without spending a lifetime in meditation. It's God entering and revealing himself to you, not yourself hoping to find some illumination on your own.

Another Reminder

         Throughout all our life, we are engaged in battling evil with our soul at stake, whether you are unaware, faintly aware, or somewhat aware. What is critically important is that we come out on top in the end.

*Joy of Belief

        When we find great joy in the Lord, serving him becomes a joy and you feel that everything you do for his sake is special. Today I did routine things like going to Mass, receiving Holy Communion, tidying up the kitchen a bit, and getting ready to blog, yet I feel God has made them all very special. The joy of the Lord is something no one can ever take away from you.

*Power of a Single Voice

        I am only one voice among the multitude, but I feel that the Lord hears me and I can move his heart. Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom for the sake of the righteous among the wicked. The Lord agreed that if he finds 50 righteous people in Sodom, he will spare the whole place for their sake. But Abraham kept on asking: what if there are only 45, 40, 30, 20, and finally 10 righteous people? Each time the Lord agreed that he would not destroy the city for the sake of the righteous. (Read Genesis 18.16-33.) God values each of us equally, so every one of us can move his heart if we mean it and are persistent. With enough of us praying hard, there is no question that we can reshape our world.

**Neglecting the Soul

        Too many people are concerned about their own happiness in this life and not about the well-being of their soul. Is it because they don't believe that there is a soul or believe that their souls are just whole and fine? Or could it be that they, in their sinful state, are just plain afraid of facing God?  

***Only One You Need to Know

        In Jesus, all things have come together and made sense to me. I know that one day I shall understand everything. Know the Lord and you'll know everything!

*Expedient Way to Pray

        I have a lot of things in my heart to let the Lord know about. Going through them one by one would take quite a bit of time. At church after Mass this morning, I simply opened my heart wide to God and knew without the slightest doubt that he saw everything in there and knew exactly what I asked of him. 

***How to Do Great Things

        Never think what God calls you to do is small or insignificant. Anything you do with perfect obedience is great in his eyes. 

**The One to Live For

        We are created by God to live for something. It's a fact that we all seek something to make life meaningful. If you do not know Christ yet, you naturally start seeking financial security, good health, a happy marriage, good education for your children, etc. But you sense that these things are just not good enough to live for, because they are not perfect and do not last forever. Now perhaps God should be considered. Those of us who have heard the Lord's call and responded can declare triumphantly that he is indeed the one who has made us look for something to live for and that we know we won't be satisfied until we find him. 

**Genuine Giving*

        If you give someone a nice gift so that the person might like you, then it's like bribing the person and you have the wrong motivation. But if you give solely to make the receiver happy, then even if the person doesn't like and rejects the gift, you wouldn't mind. This is giving with the right motivation. Genuine giving is giving without expecting any reward, and God will reward you. It follows that genuine love is not affected how we are treated by others. Look at Jesus. Some of us love him, some of us don't care about him, and some even hate him, but he loves us all just the same.

*A Life After Death Experience

        I posted Fr. Jose Maniyangat's testimony of his life after death experience some years ago and found out that the link to that YouTube video no longer worked. Anyway, you can now read the whole story on the website of his healing ministry here.

**What God Has Done

        Today's Communion antiphon, John 15.16: It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. When I think about it, the Lord has always been around, and I chose him only after he had chosen me and revealed himself to me. Of course, he also loved us first. So this is the Lord who has created us, sustained us every instant, died in our place to save us, chosen us, and been watching over us, listening to and answering our prayer requests, healing and guarding our soul, teaching and feeding us spiritually, giving us hope, inspiring us to do great things, and calling us to become one with him. When we have this Lord, we are set for all eternity. 

The Soul Lives On!

        This is the problem – we do not die and become nothing, for the soul lives on forever! Therefore, it is imperative that we live our life right so that we may have the right afterlife.  

Extreme Conceptions About God

       There are those who follow the God they believe in and would wipe out all those who do not share their beliefs with a vengeance. And there are those who follow the God they believe in and would willingly lay down their own lives for their friends, following the example of their God. There is only one God and who do you think got it right?

**God Is to Be . . .

worshipped, adored, praised, glorified, loved, accepted, treasured, appreciated, thanked, trusted, imitated, obeyed, served by us, held onto, embraced with all our heart, experienced, tasted, entered deep into, one with, and enjoyed forever.         

*The Perfect One for Us

        The perfect one for us to rest our spirit in is Christ the Lord, who alone can make us perfect. And we receive perfect peace when we attain complete union with him.

*Day of Mourning*

        Today is the Day of Prayer for the Protection of Unborn Children. Evil had infiltrated the human hearts in this country and is still continuing seeking the ruin of souls. The darkest day of this country has to be the day our Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973. On this day, the green light was given to those who don't mind killing the unborn for whatever reason, resulting in creating the greatest holocaust in the history of mankind. We need to weep for the unborn, the abortionists, and ourselves. But for those of us who are with Christ, there is great hope, for no evil can possibly defeat God. And there's also the joy of Christ's Resurrection, sustaining and rejuvenating us. Just as God will surely vanquish evil, his joy will wide away all our sorrows. We agonize with the Lord for a short while now, but will rejoice with him later forever.

***Stark Contrast Between Two Marches

        The March for Life and Women's March just took place in Washington, D.C. One group clearly knew its righteous goal, while the other seemed confused and lost. Here's a video put out by TPF Student Action. The contrast is pathetic.

Joy of Reconciliation

        Communion experience. It was complete reconciliation with the Lord > great joy!

*Living for Jesus

        When we truly live for Jesus, we do everything for him and through him, which is the same as letting him do everything for you, which is doing everything with him as one. It is letting him motivate you in all the things you do. Enter deep into the Lord and you'll know his motivations.

*Be Great Christians

        A pianist who dazzles his audience with his technique but does not bring out the intention of the composer cannot be a great pianist. Similarly, a speaker who impresses others with his eloquence but does not make the central message clear cannot be a greater speaker. Hopefully, when we live as Christians, people will see the Christ in us and not just us.

***Something We Must Do

        Confessing our sins to the Lord goes beyond getting ourselves forgiven. It shows that we trust in God's mercy, that we are humble enough to submit ourselves to him, that we want to to please him, our Father, and that we comply with his wish for us to enter heaven. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. On the other hand, not confessing your sins is heading straight toward eternal darkness.

**Perfect Match

        Communion experience. I focused on the Lord and saw that he is infinite, merciful, and filled with love for me. I focused on myself and saw a sinner, needing salvation and to be loved. So God and I are a perfect match to become one for all eternity. A breakthrough in seeing. 

**Being Truly cool

        People today think that they are cool by dressing, decorating, and carrying themselves differently from others. But this outward coolness only reflects one's inner insecurity. The truly cool person is one who leaves all things to God and remains unruffled (cool) interiorly always. 

***Vanquishing Sin the Smart Way

        The smart way to fight temptation is to run away from it. The smart way to kill your ego is to starve it. Similarly, the smart way to overcome any sin is to ignore it and head straight for the Lord. Seek union with him and you'll be shielded from all evil. How nice it is that you would rest in God while he removes even all your tendencies to sin! God to be loved is to be enjoyed too.

God All-Knowing?

        From today's first reading from Hebrews 4: No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Because God knows everything going on with us, we need to render an account to him at the end. Of course, you are free to believe that God does not know everything that's going on with you, so there is no need to render a thorough account or even any account to him. In that case, you have a God you can easily fool or you are just making a big fool of yourself.

How to Enjoy More Peace

       If you think about or view someone and lose peace, you are judging that person. Therefore, do not judge and you'll enjoy more peace. 

*Why Messages Are Weak

        Christians are to bear witness to what God has done in their lives. Therefore, those messages we hear or read that are simply opinions and commentaries on the Lord or his teachings do not make much impact on us and are generally forgettable.

Source of Our Peace

        We do not have inner peace because we sin against the Lord. True peace can only be found in the God of Christ after we reconciled ourselves to him and know that we have been saved. This is how God has made us. I acutely sensed this at Mass this morning. (Footnote: There is only one God. I specified God as "the God of Christ" because many have falsely believed that Jesus is not God the Son.) 

*Amazing Life We Have

        Afterthought after the last post. It is amazing that God can and wants to fully restore our original status so that we may return to him to enjoy eternal happiness. This is not a dream – this is truth which has been revealed to us by God the Son! Get in tune with Christ and listen to and obey him, and you are in – a simple step you can make as easy as you want to.

**No Limit to Becoming Holy*

        As sinners on our own, we are most unworthy to be saved. But because God so loves us, he has provided the way to have our sins removed and our souls saved. Not only that, he can make us as pure and as holy as we'll let him. This is precisely what makes living in Christ exciting! If your spiritual life is on the dull side, you have not let the Lord into your life enough yet. 

*Equal Concerns for All

        If we live each day as if it's our last day on earth, then we should also treat others as if it's their last day on earth.

Keeping Motivation Pure

        I just posted about obedience to God, then I realize that sometimes we do little things we don't think much about and have no intention to hurt anyone either, but nevertheless our motivation may not be that pure. Therefore, what we have done is still a sin. Am I being nitpicking? Maybe, but it's necessary because it is part of obedience to God. Don't forget, as sinners we need God's help in all things.

Obeying the Lord first

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus cleansed a leper and said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. Here is a clear case of disobeying the Lord. We usually do what is natural for us to do, but we need to listen to the Lord carefully and do what he wants us to do even if doing it goes against our grain.

***Dwelling in God

        I see union with God in a new light today. It is true that in union, God and you become one. We know that God the Son and God the Father are in each other and they are one. But for us, it is more accurate to see us in God and not the other way around, as he is infinite and we are finite. I could say that the Lord is in me, but that's because I am in him. So from now on, I am going to see myself completely dwelling (hidden) in God. I now belong to him and to his house, learning from and being fed by him directly. 

Obedience to God Leads to . . .

calmness of the heart.

***Transfiguration of the Heart***

        The Lord made me see today that if we let him have our heart, he can totally transfigure it! Receiving the Hoy Eucharist is the perfect time to ask him to do this. A transfigured heart is one in total union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a terrific grace we can receive from the Lord. It is hard to imagine that we can attain that state, but this is what would please him the most. With God, the higher you aim, the more he makes you realize your goal, as there is no limit to how much he wants to favor us.

*Jesus Our Extraordinary Friend

       I dare guess that many of us have heard the Christian song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Jesus is our friend for sure, but he is in truth the only friend you need to have. Here's why.

        (1) He is a friend who always wants to be with you.

        (2) He is a friend you can always trust, for he is most faithful.

        (3) He is most understanding, for he knows you through and through.       

        (4) He will always be kind to you.

        (5) He will be your wisest guide, for he knows everything.

        (6) He can make you beautiful before God.

        (7) He can lead you to heaven. 

        Jesus is our perfect friend.

See Ourselves Thru God's Eyes

        Today at morning Mass, the first thing the Lord made me realize was that he can make us see all things through his eyes. We may feel inadequate in serving him, but he showed me that we are most precious to him and that despite the deficiencies we feel in us, we can always serve him in some way comfortable to us with humility. The Lord truly loves the weak with a good heart. I have posted before that anyone who is unhappy with himself must not have known the Lord well yet. This remains true. If God loves you, how can you not love yourself? After you come to know the Lord well, you begin to see things exactly as he sees them and become a well-rounded spiritual being.  

*Finding Stillness in God

        Our mind seems to have a mind of its own – we have great difficulty in controlling our own thoughts. Somehow, this morning I experienced a great stillness in my heart and was able to focus upon the Lord without any distracting thoughts. I sense that if we remain still in the Lord, even our thoughts come to find rest in him.

**Sweet, Precious Joy

        Communion experience. I feel great joy in my Lord. Even though his joy is available to all (which I don't mind), I consider mine to be mine alone. It is so sweet and precious that you want to possess it all.

***Go Directly to God***

        Let's face it. Deep down we all know that life is empty without God. We do have that spiritual hunger and thirst within us whether you think about it or not. If evildoers seem not to feel it, it's because they choose to ignore it. The fact that we do not have inner peace is clear indication that we do not have enough of God in us. The Lord is always knocking on our doors. Nowadays you hear so many voices out there in the world that are confusing. Even the Church lacks clear-cut leadership, thus hindering the Holy Spirit. Being weak and being meek are not the same thing. Evil is rampant and time is urgent. There never should be time for dillydallying. Do what the Lords wants and never mind what people think. The good news is that we can always go to God directly to get our hunger satiated and thirst quenched. In fact, the direct way is the best way. Of course, at no time you should disobey the teachings of the Holy Church. It's a story too long to tell here: I have learned that trusting in the Lord alone, not even letting any miracle get in the way, is the way he desires. If you read St. John of the Cross, you'll find him making this point. Go straight to God now and you'll go straight to him later too.   

*Quality, Not Quantity

        I took a walk outside my house today. I live in a city, but in the "country" part of the city. I could still hear the street traffic in the distance, but nearby were tall trees and large granite boulders. A stream also flows by my house. Now that rain season has begun, it's doing quite well. Amazingly, there is plenty of wildlife all around. So far, I've seen or heard deer, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, possums, wild turkeys, humming birds, egrets, Canadian geese, woodpeckers, hawks, many squirrels, snakes, lizards, and unfortunately, rats too. There are also goats, sheep, alpacas, horses, cows, to keep the weeds down, chickens, ducks, geese, and, of course, dogs and cats. As I was taking the walk and praying the Rosary, I heard frogs croaking nearby, geese honking overhead, and dogs barking in the distance, creating quite a cacophony. I knew all these sounds would all pass, our own lives on earth too. It's like everything that passes has its own clock. Each of us has one too and only God knows when each clock will stop ticking. I wasn't sad or anything – my thoughts just drifted toward God as usual – how could I possibly not be aware of his presence when he dwells within my heart? He let me see it's not how long I live, but how I live my life that matters. It's quality over quantity! It comes down to whether I live for God or not.

*Again, We Need God

        When one loses inner peace for whatever reason, he becomes occupied with his own state and serving God couldn't be further from his mind. Therefore, maintaining inner peace is of utmost importance, and that peace can only be restored by entering deep into the Lord. There are millions of things around us tending to upset our peace, but one Lord can fundamentally transform us to become unperturbed by any of them. For he is our shield, our refuge, our rock, and our stronghold.

**Planned Parenthood Exposed

        This is the month Walk for Life or March for Life will be held nationwide in the United States. The Lord has placed a heavy burden on the heart of those who love him, realizing what a grave sin we are committing. Plant Parenthood is basically all about abortion. Here is a video you may not want to watch because it'll make you sick. Pray hard that God will crush all evil and save all souls!

The Pain We Cause God

        Be with Jesus to realize and feel the pain we inflict upon him so that we may sin no more.

**Fair and Square

       (1) God will forgive our trespasses if we forgive those who trespass against us. 

        (2) If we acknowledge Jesus before others, Jesus will acknowledge us before the Father. (Matthew 10.32.)

         (3) If we are ashamed of Jesus, he will be ashamed of us.

         (4) If we trust in him, he will trust in us.

         Exception: If we do not love him, he still loves us.