***Old Warning Once More!

        On Feb. 1, I mentioned that I probably would not be able to blog until after Feb. 10. Well, things have turned out differently – I am back and blogging. Here's what has happened. I was asked to see three people south of here in Los Angeles, Temecula, and the San Diego area. My wife was already in Los Angles. I did not get a strong call to go until I heard that the friend in the San Diego area who recently lost her husband was feeling somewhat down, so I thought it would be a good time to lift her spirit by telling her about the Lord who can fill us with so much joy and hope. Yesterday I took the short flight in the morning. It had been raining hard all along the coast. At times in flight, the turbulence was so bad that the plane shook and jerked you thought it might break apart. Anyway, after a little over an hour, the flight continued past the arrival time for about 20+ minutes in grey and murky layers of clouds with horrible visibility. The time was before noon, but it looked so dark outside that you thought it was almost evening. Finally, the pilot announced that the plane was going to return to where we started, for he could not locate the airport landing strip and did not want to waste more fuel. It was all very dramatic. We finally got back, all passengers cheered. Clearly, the Lord did not want me to complete this trip for reason not clear to me yet. I also suffered from motion sickness, feeling dizzy and nauseous. Slept all afternoon and all night, feeling almost normal now. I thought of the suffering in hell again. It would be so much worse than feeling motion-sick and, worst of all, suffering for all eternity! I truly wish that no one would ever end up there. Do not commit any mortal sin. If you already have, go to confession and get it absolved. Salvation means saving your own soul too and first! This may be one of the reasons I did not complete this trip. 

Absolutely Sensible Advice

        In Matthew 6.33, Jesus said, "Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [the pagans seek] will be given you besides." He is saying that we should choose God and heaven first, and not worry about everything else. [Note. I probably won't be able to post anything until after the 10th of this month. Meanwhile, God's blessings on all of you who visit my blog.]

Letting the Kingdom of God Grow

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus said to the crowds, "The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." This is a beautiful picture. We should be the soil for the Lord to make rich so that the seed he plants in us can grow to its fullest potential. Know that what we produce may not be impressive or even visible to us, but it would be great in the eyes of the Lord.

Safe in God's Light

        I see the Lord, the only one radiant in the darkness all around me, and I know that I am safe in his light which dispels all evil.

*Heart for God

      A kind heart alone is not good enough for God; it must also be pure.

God Is Fair

        Put Jesus first and he'll put you first. 

*How to Stop Hiding!

        It is easy for us to hide things from others, things that would make us look bad. But it is impossible to hide anything from God. Therefore, if you can completely open yourself to God, letting him take away everything that shouldn't be in your heart, then there'll be nothing you need to hide from others anymore. You are now liberated and free!

**Unequal but Fair

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus told the parable of the lamp and ended by saying, "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." How does this make sense? Think of yourself as a receptacle. If you leave it uncovered, wide open, God would fill it with all he wants to give you, so you receive more and more. If you leave your cover on, then pretty soon whatever you had would either rot, so you have to throw it away, or be used up, leaving you empty with nothing. Lesson: never close your door on God. 

**Right Way to Approach God

      Martha Argerich is unquestionably one of the top pianists in the world. I watched this old video on YouTube when she was rehearsing the Schumann piano concerto and liked what she said about how she approached music. You can watch the video by clicking here. To find out what she said that resonated with me, read below.

          "You must try to achieve directness with music. You know, like with a person. If you figure you know how you'll act with someone, it' a fiasco. That's not how it works. You have to be in tune to how that person is at that given moment, not to the idea you have of him."

         We should approach God this way too. That is, we go directly to him, remain open and spontaneous (no preconceived ideas), and tune in to him. And great benefits will come through to us.

***Be Meek, Not Weak

       There is a fundamental difference between being meek and being weak. It takes courage to be meek, which is to remain humble without ego. If you do not have the courage to speak out for the Lord or do what is right, then you are being weak or timid. For me, the Holy Catholic Church was established by Christ who promised that the gates of the netherworld should not prevail against it, so I firmly believe that the Church will always teach and safeguard the truths as she has so far done. Then because of it, all the more Satan wants to ruin her. With evil prevailing over the whole world, the time is so urgent that we follow Christ and be extra strong and active in fighting the battle for him. Sadly, there is a lack of both unity and strong leadership within the Church. At the meeting of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore last November, there was really no progress made in addressing the abuse crisis within the Church. Three days ago, I posted about the New York Catholic Governor Andrew Cuomo signing the horrible pro-abortion bill into law. The response from Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as to whether Cuomo should be excommunicated as some other bishops had suggested was weak and evasive, showing that he was definitely no warrior or even soldier for Christ. He basic message is that we can go against the teachings of the Holy Church or commit other mortal sins and still receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist when we feel like it. I also personally wish to hear a clear, strong, decisive voice coming from the Holy Father. This is no time to play nice, for billons of souls are at stake, while Christ is continuing to suffer because of us. The Lord was meek and humble, but he also spoke out without any fear. You can say that he is God and we are not, but aren't we supposed to imitate him?

*Our Best Good News

        In the first reading today from Hebrews 10, Paul lets all know that where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no longer offering for sin. Let me just remind all once more that even though we are sinners, God has already resolved the problem! We don't ever need to be burdened or enslaved by sin anymore, for the Lord can make us clean if we repent. This is not just good news; it has to the best possible news we can ever get. For with our sins removed, the way back to our Father in heaven is made all clear.

**Losers and Winners*

        We all play little games in life. This is what I mean.  We have good and evil in this world and we make sure that we get the best for ourselves. It's figuring out how to make the most money, get the best possible deal, get into the best school, ensure that we have good health, etc. But there are also heaven and hell and one big game we mustn't neglect to play, and that is figuring out how we can get into heaven and not end up in hell. So, we have those who foolishly play and win all the little games, but lose the the big one they forgot about, and those who wisely play and win the big game before "playing" any other games. 

***You Must Experience God***

        God needs to be experienced. We need to get in touch with him, to get connected to him, and if fact, to become one with him. How do we do it? It's quite simple. First, be completely honest with yourself and with God. In a quiet chapel or somewhere you won't be disturbed, open yourself up to God to let him see everything that's in your heart – hiding nothing – this is important. Then he will make you see what shouldn't be there, the true reasons you are unhappy about certain things, why you have no peace in general, etc. You'll be revealed things that you would never see if you hadn't gone before him like this. Once you see all these things, you'll experience relief and new joy. After all, self-understanding is the key to spiritual freedom. If you feel like crying, cry your heart out, for it's the Holy Spirit touching your soul. The joy comes from knowing that God has removed the barrier between you and him. You are now connected directly with him. Yes, we all need to go through a breakdown to be made anew by God. Now, experience and rejoice in him as your most intimate soulmate. Your joy is now complete. (A footnote. If you are a Catholic, the best time for you to open up to the Lord is right after you receive the Holy Eucharist.)

**God Can Be All Yours

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 3, the mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house in which he was speaking to a crowd. When informed that they were waiting outside asking for him, he said, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Looking around at those seated in the circle he continued, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." So we can become members of God's immediate family by doing his will, no initiation required! As a matter of fact, if we abandon ourselves in God totally, he immediately becomes all ours!

Invisible Tug-of-War

        In John 8.12, Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, "I am the life of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Jesus has always given us the good news, straight and clear, showing his love for us; yet people find him to be a stumbling block. How come? I see a tug-of-war going on. If you are still resisting God, it's because Satan still has a hold on you, preventing you from joining God on the opposing side. You'll be free only if you break all the shackles holding you as a prisoner. This is the time to wield the power of your free will to let God set you free.

*Soul vs. Material Possessions

        Communion experience. Our soul is our most precious possession. Compared to the soul, all our material possessions are worth nothing!

Smart Living

        Of course, in life we do have things we must get done to meet some deadline, but most things can be left undone for a while. If you are OK with that, you have abandoned yourself to God to some extent. We all are going to die and I am sure on that last day, there will be many things still unfinished or not wrapped up yet, and we'll just have to let go. Since we do not know the day we die, why not let things go starting right this moment? We are just passing through on earth, so don't let anything tie you down. Remain free and enjoy life. 

**God Does Not Worry

        Jesus told his disciples not to worry about what to say when they face coming persecutions, for the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say. I am happy that I do not have to think about what to blog, for the Holy Spirit tells my heart what to say each time. Worrying should not be any Christian's cup of tea.

Only One Everlasting Bond

        All earthly bonds between loved ones will end, but the bond we make with the Lord will last forever.

A Three-Word Prayer

        In the Gospel, a leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." Here I learn another prayer. I simply say to the Lord, "If you wish . . ." and he knows exactly what I ask of him. 

Formula for Spiritual Progress

        We are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. If we truly believe that Christ is our Lord and our God, we have no choice but also to believe in him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. What's tragic is that many Christians do not take God seriously enough; they believe in him rather casually, not much better than being lukewarm. If one does not know God well yet, tell him to love God more, to believe in him more, or to be holier will not work. They must understand that only God can make all these things happen. Therefore, teach or advise them to abandon themselves to God first and he will make all things easy for them. This is absolutely truly. I'll again say: save your energy and let God do the work for you.  

***Worst Possible Oppression

        We just had our Walk for Life on the West Coast, equivalent to the March for life held in various other part of the country. The right to life is our God-given right to live. Don't forget that for us who get to live, we also have the right to claim eternal life! To terminate the life of the unborn is oppression at its worst. I like to close with this quote I posted some time back: "Everyone who supported slavery was free. Everyone who supports abortion was born. And that, my friends, is how oppression works."

*Perfect Peace

        This profound peace comes from dwelling completely in the Lord with you becoming totally nonexistent on your own. Your spirit is now set free and is filled with hope and joy in your most beloved. 

*Worst Case of Man Playing God

        This past week New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (a self-professed Catholic) signed a radical pro-abortion bill into law, legalizing abortion for basically any reason up to birth in New York state. This is a clear case of man going against God. Satan has taken control of many in politics, the news media, the academia, and the entertainment business. I don't want to give the impression that America is going to hell, because we still have a patriotic, God-fearing, and God-loving majority who normally remain civil and quiet, but will rise to defend their liberty, their right to religious freedom, and their faith in the Lord if they must. The righteous may suffer awhile, but they will live forever. Let's pray the Fatima prayer: O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy!

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.