*Total Submission to God

        To submit to the Lord totally is to trust in him gladly in everything, even if he needs to punish you for whatever reason, knowing that his mercy is great.

**Reaction to Liturgy*

        I became a Catholic prior to Vatican II, so I am familiar with the old Latin Mass. Now we have the priest celebrating Mass facing us, standing between us and the tabernacle. This morning at Mass, the Lord unexpectedly made me see that the priest could easily become the center of our attention rather that the Lord. In the old days, the priest stood facing the tabernacle like the congregation, so we all focused in the same direction upon the Lord. Hearing the language I understand instead of Latin is fine with me; it's taking the focus away from the Lord that's disconcerting. 

**How to Acquire Humility

        Humility is a great virtue. Without it, never mind trying to get into heaven. If you remain humble, God will exalt you. How can we become humble? Simple—you simply surrender yourself to the Lord!

*To Be Childlike

        Today is Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. The Gospel reading came from Matthew 18. Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven." How do good children behave? Well, they believe in and obey the father without question, knowing that he takes complete care of them. This is what we adults should be like to the Father. After all, aren't we all God's beloved children?

The Lord Is My Shepherd . . .

        The Lord God our creator has implanted in our soul a thirst only he can quench. That is why those who have become one with the Lord no longer lack anything. 

***Warning to a Disordered World***

        If you had read my post "Bright Hope for Our Time" about the prophecies made by Our Lady of Good Success yesterday, you would understand what's going on in the Church and the world right now. We have all become disordered. Another small example was just in the news. A gay male senior at a high school in Tennessee was crowned as a gender-neutral homecoming queen. Here's a teen boy wearing a gold dress believing that he was a queen. It is only by giving our heart completely to God that we can keep it pure and in good order. You can believe or claim that you are a Christian and still be influenced and swayed by the Evil One without realizing it. To come to the point, you can belong to God or to Satan, and if you are in-between, you are taking an awfully big chance hoping that you can be saved. 

**Greatest Happy Ending*

        It is just plain impossible for us to escape God unless we become absolutely nothing, which again only God can make happen. So the smart, sensible thing for us to do is turn to him and give ourselves totally to him. And he turns out to be our most loving creator and Father! 

***Saint Thérèse

        Today is October 1, the memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Deuteronomy 32.10-12 was the entrance antiphon: The Lord led her and taught her, and kept her as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle spreading its wings, he took her up and bore her on his shoulders. The Lord alone was her guide. Matthew 18.3 was the Communion antiphon: Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. What marked Thérèse as a saint were her childlike belief in Jesus and trusting in his guidance alone. It's a singular faith that was simple, pure, and unwavering. She is my model saint.

**Bright Hope for Our Times*

        This is a video about Our Lady of Good Success. She prophesied in the 16th century for our times through Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, a Spanish mystic in Quito, Ecuador. I chose this presentation over some of the others on the same subject. You'll be amazed how the prophecies have come true and heartened by what's still going to come. There is also a Part I you can look up and watch.

***To Be Safe from Satan

        Satan is tricky. He is the master of deception. What he presents always looks or sounds good outwardly, but is always defective in some way. He can even produce false miracles and apparitions to fool you. That I can tell you from my own experience. Only God is perfect in every way. I really appreciate the advice of St. John of the Cross. He counsels that if you are seriously interested in seeking union with God, then focus upon the Lord alone and do not let anything else distract you, no matter how attractive, alluring, wonderful, or even miraculous it seems. Of course, these are not his exactly his words, only what he essentially stated. I'll always remember that.

Our Pressing Issue

        We are rightly concerned about our environment, our living space, our air, our water, etc. But our inner peace, our soul, our eternal existence are so much more important. Common sense tells me that the earth is not to be mankind's permanent abode. First of all, the earth is a finite body, so it's surface area and its resources are limited. If the human population keeps growing, one day we'll run out of space as well as resources. God would not have put us on such a planet if we are not going to come to some kind of an end one day. That end could be his Second Coming, I don't know. So the #1 issue should be our own eternal survival, as each of us will only live a short time on earth and be gone.

*Beyond Expectations*

        Communion experience. Today's Communion antiphon, Jeremiah 15.16: Lord God, when I found your words, I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart. When we yearn for the Lord, hearing his words is a joy, gladdening our heart. But we do not see him, nor can we touch him. Then the Lord gave us his own flesh and blood to consume to satisfy our yearning for him, exceeding all our expectations.

***Evil amid Us

        Luke 17.1: Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur." When you cause others to sin, it is indeed a grave sin. It saddens my heart to see that the hierarchy of our own Church is promoting globalism and a new humanism and is much concerned about "global warming" instead of condemning the continuous global murdering of the unborn, addressing the issue of general disbelief in the Real Presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, questioning why so many Catholics are leaving the Church, etc. When evil has infiltrated the Church hierarchy, it's a sign that something momentous is happening. It's time to take complete refuge in the Lord.

*Our Power to Know God

        If we ignore God, we'll never know him. If we let God be our God, then we can get to know him most intimately. To know God is impossible or easy—it's all up to us. The truth: we are not free until we relinquish our control of ourselves to God.

**A Spiritual Warning

        The evil forces of our godless world are so deceptive and prevalent that we must be deeply grounded in the Lord and remain vigilant in order not to be influenced by them. Seeking to achieve union with God is absolutely the best way to keep your soul pure and safe. Be one with the One who one day will completely trounce evil. 

Jesus Most Satisfying

        Communion experience. The Lord filled my cup to overflowing.

**Our Ultimate Voice

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, we heard the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Both the rich man and poor Lazarus died. The rich man, suffering in the netherworld, saw Abraham far off with Lazarus. He said to Abraham, "I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house to warn my five brothers, lest they too come to this place of torment." But Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets. If they will not listen to them, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." I see Jesus as our ultimate voice, for he is far more than Moses or the prophets—he is God and will be our judge too. Therefore, we must listen to him! After him, there will be no one more worthy to listen to.

***Key to Spiritual Success***

        Do you know that you do not have to try hard to hold onto Jesus? As a matter of fact, he is always waiting for you to abandon yourself to him for him to become one with you. You accomplish great things when you remain passive to let him be your Lord. You want to love him, let him love you. You want to be strong, let him make you strong. You want the Church purified and restored, trust in him to make it happen. In total union with the Lord, whatever you will is whatever he wills. You let him and he'll have it done, since you are no longer in his way.

Prayer Obedience

        True we can ask God for anything that comes to our mind, but let's obey him in prayer too by asking the Holy Spirit at the start to guide us in our prayer. This way, we remain in tune with the Lord throughout.

***Perfect Relationship

        I've been married to my wife for over 57 years and you can say that she is the person I know best in this life, but not that we thoroughly know each other. After we die, that relationship will be gone. Our relationship with the Lord God is on an entire different level. This relationship can be perfect for these reasons: we can reach a complete mutual understanding with the Lord, we can become one with him through obedience, and the relationship can last forever! Therefore, establish this heavenly relationship with God to live on an exalted level.

*Priorities Out of Order

        In the news just now, Pope Francis calls for an ethical use of technology. Good idea, but personally I don't think it'll do much good when so many people do not even know or love Christ yet. Without God, doing anything for the good of others doesn't always happen.

***Two Timely Urgent Messages

Watch the first 2 minutes 46 seconds of the first video for the main message.



Catholics, unite!

*Lack of Reverence at Mass

        This lack of reverence brings to my mind the picture of the disciples of Jesus falling asleep when he was praying. Instead of trying to amuse the congregation in some way, why can't we focus our entire attention upon the Lord? Instead of talking aloud and laughing the moment Mass has ended, why can't we wait at least until we have entered the vestibule of the church?

Final Settlement

        Communion experience. I had finally settled, resting completely in God's hands. 

*Christ the Only Truth

        Today is the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul. The Gospel reading came from Luke 9. Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They replied, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." It is important for us to realize who Jesus truly is. Then we'll know that not all religions are the same and that Christ is the sole truth.

***Key to Getting Close to God***

        Some people are used to read prayers written by others; they have trouble saying their own. Some don't consider themselves to be contemplatives and have to rely upon words. And there are numerous books out there teaching you how to pray. Of course, the goal is to be drawn close to God. Let me say that if this is your goal, all you need to do is to open yourself up to God, surrendering to him, and he will draw you to him in no time. As long as you do not abandon yourself completely to him, you can read a thousand of these books and pray all you want, it won't draw you any closer to him. As Jesus said in Matthew 26.41: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Here the flesh is your own pride. Only God can draw you to him, but you have to let him do it.

*Focusing upon the Holy Eucharist

        With so many Catholics no longer believing in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, Fr. Mark Goring makes a great point in this short video:

**Best Spiritual Journey

        If you believe that heaven and hell are real, then you should see them always before you and make sure that every step you take is going in the right direction. Best yet, be one with Christ the Lord and not worry about anything. This is the simple, carefree, and assured way to go.

**Huge Challenging Claim*

        John 14.6 was today's Gospel acclamation. Jesus made this earthshaking statement to his disciples: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That first sentence is a most bold claim, and the second sentence that followed authenticates it. Not believing in what he claimed here is equivalent to believing that he was a phony.

*It Makes a Huge Difference

        The truth you either see or you don't. Once you know Christ, you are set for eternity. This life is only temporary, for you know exactly where you are heading. On the other hand, if you don't know Christ, you are not sure what life is all about. You are basically heading into the unknown, not a comfortable feeling. The difference can't be any greater.

**Sharing Yourself with God*

        There are many prayers already written that are beautiful and you can certainly use them to pray to God. But I still believe that the Lord loves to hear prayers that come directly from your heart. Only you know your own feelings and thoughts best, so prayers formed by you in your heart speak most intimately to the Lord. You don't even need to be concerned about correct grammar, proper wording, or how fluent or clumsy you are ... just thinking about your intention is good enough for the Lord to know. The main point is to let him see the genuine you. Keep sharing yourself with him like this and you will hear from him and develop a most intimate relationship with him. Then you will experience his holy presence. Naturally, receiving him in Holy Communion can greatly expedite this process. In sum, open up to God to let him open up to you.

Peace of Christ

         There will be no peace as long as we rebel against God. The peace of Christ comes to us when we reconcile ourselves to God completely. It is the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4.7).       

*Relying upon the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus sent the Twelve to proclaim the Kingdom of God at the many villages. He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic." This is trusting in God that he will always provide what you need —great advice for all. But many of us don't even believe in that, so they never find out whether it works or not. The truth of the matter is that the more you rely upon the Lord, the more he supports you.

Our Only Way

        Communion experience. I saw Jesus as our only hope, our only way out of bondage and misery, our only way to be liberated forever, and our only way to heaven. John 14.6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

**Foremost Important Relationship

        Here is today's Gospel reading from Luke 8: The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." I see that we have mother, brothers, and other blood relatives, but to God we are all equally his children. What unites or separates us is whether we keep God's word or not. Our relationship with God is foremost among all our relationships. Each of us is important to our Father. Therefore, we must love everyone for his sake.

Our Great Sorrow

        Today's response from Psalm 122: Let's go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. What a joy to be chosen by God! What a joy to know Jesus! What a joy to follow him! What a joy to know that I am returning to the Father! Yet there is great sorrow. The Lord loves all of us, yet there are many who might not make it to his house. How can we deal with this sorrow? All we can do is to pray hard for and trust fully in God's mercy on all souls. Being extra holy ourselves can definitely help. One thing I do know: in the end our great joy will overcome all sorrows.

**Unique Loving Father

        The Lord God is so holy, perfect, and high above us that we need to worship and praise him in awe and with great reverence. Yet he is so loving and tender that we can place ourselves completely in his hands, for his ardent desire is to adopt us to be his children to live with him in heaven forever! What I wish to highlight here is the unique duality of awesome almightiness and tender lovingness our heavenly Father possesses.   

*Best Move for Us*

        There are so many things to pray for, too many to possibly cover. At the same time, I am aging and can no longer do many things physically with ease. So I see that the only sensible and really always the best move for me to make is to submit myself even more to God—it's one thing anyone can at any time do unrestrictedly. 

**The Truth of Love

        Communion experience. God is love. I realize that it is love that created us, saves us, and heals us. Commune with the Lord to receive the power of his love. This truth is what today's world urgently needs to know and wake up to.

**Christ Is Power

        If we preach to others how we should or can love God, we sound nice but not much will happen. It's like telling our children to be good—they need to know why and how. But if we preach Christ, then we preach power, for only he has the power to change our hearts. So, know Christ ourselves and then preach only him!

***Most Beautiful Experience of Life***

        More thoughts followed from the last post. If we think God won't know what we are doing, we become instantly the biggest fool of the whole universe. The light of Christ can reveal everything in our heart, even things we do not even see ourselves. It is so beneficial to go before the Lord to let him reveal what's in your heart. What you learn will amaze you. This is a challenge! You must be sincere and honest to yourself and thus to God. Remain still and look as deeply as possible within your heart. Eventually, you'll come to know and understand yourself. (I did this after receiving the Holy Eucharist in front of the tabernacle in a most peaceful chapel. All this helped.)  A somewhat parallel example: At one time in the past, I studied mathematics. Once in a while the professor would throw his students a most challenging problem to solve. I remember the time I spent the whole weekend working on one proof. I thought as hard as I possibly could and caught a glimpse of the solution—I scribbled it down, for I knew I would lose it instantly the moment I let it go. When we examine our own inner self, we should also go as deeply as we can. But here we won't forget what we have discovered. With God's help, we can truly achieve self-understanding, which is the beginning of knowing God. As you and the Lord explore and share all your "secrets" together, you get to know him intimately. Eventually, you can't help but fall head over heals in love with him! This is the most beautiful experience you can have in this life, for it transforms your heart and shapes your soul! 

***No Escape from Light!

        Today we heard the parable of the lamp read from Luke 8. Jesus said to the crowd: "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be be known and come to light. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away." Jesus is our light, for nothing can be hidden from him. Those who welcome his light see their own imperfections and know exactly how to ask the Lord to help them, and he makes them holier. But those who hide from his light are blind to their sins; they remain in darkness and lose their life altogether. 

**What Life Is Like to Us

        Life can be seen as a peaceful period of time interspersed with many disruptions or as a series of disruptions interspersed with short peaceful periods in-between. Since I receive the Lord daily, I see my life as a continual dwelling in him who protects me from all disruptions and blesses me with inner peace.

Are You Trustworthy or Not?

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, the parable of the dishonest steward was read. Jesus said, "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones." People are either trustworthy or not trustworthy. It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or not. I had Christians who promised me to do something for me and never heard from them. I bet we all had friends or acquaintances who owed us money or borrowed a book from us and never mentioned it again. And they are lawyers and government officials who do not follow the laws themselves. One small incident I still remember. I was learning how to develop prints in a city photo lab many years ago. A staff member told all learners never to dip their hands in the developer. In the darkroom, I saw this very staff member doing exactly what he forbade us to do; he was rubbing the paper with his fingers in the solution, attempting to make the image appear sooner. If we want God to trust us, we must be trustworthy to him.

*Jesus Revealed

        We do not know what we want until we know Christ, for he leads us into a new existence out of this world. He is our missing piece that makes us see the whole truth. He is absolutely essential for our soul, our whole being. Yes, he is our treasure, pearl, and prize. And he turns out to be our creator, Lord, and loving God.

**How to Know the Lord

        John 10.14 is one of today's two Communion antiphons. I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep and they know me. It comes down to knowing the Lord as our shepherd. Do you truly know him? If not, seek to attain union with him and you will know him when you become one with him. A most amazing life-changing experience!

What's Our Concern?

        Living in this physical world, we are most concerned about my physical existence. We wish each other good health and believe that to have good health is most important to us. The last thing we are concerned about is our spiritual well-being. Therefore, those who are ready for Jesus' Second Coming will have an excellence chance of being saved and those who don't even think about the Lord will have a much smaller chance of being saved.

Worse than You Think

        Is the spiritual condition of the world better or worse than you think? In Mark 7, Jesus said to his disciples, "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile." Since these evils may not manifest themselves and we can't see what's hidden in people's hearts, the spiritual condition of the world is definitely worse than you think. When we think that we are good enough for God, it only shows that we are not, for lack of humility. 

*Experience Your Conversion

        As sinners, we can all experience conversion. When we truly repent of our sins, we experience it. Besides, God always wants us to become holy and he can surely help us succeed. Open up to the him and you'll experience being converted by him continuously, living a life ever refreshing. 

**Cleansing Time for the Church*

        Today is the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle. Matthew 28.19-20 was the entrance antiphon: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that I have commended you, says the Lord. This is the chief mission Christ has given to his disciples. Then you look at the Church today, busily occupied with covering up all the scandals and allying with the world's leftists and globalists. As the members are losing their faith and leaving the Church by the droves, the Church doesn't even seem to care. Yes, there are still clergy and laity that are God-loving and God-fearing, but the hierarchy has become more like our politicians or the Pharisees. Schism within the Church has already begun (look at the German Church that wants to go even further left). In fact, the present division could end up with a breakup into more than just two factions. This is a sad, trying time for all of us, but God will triumph in the end. Pray hard that he will cleanse and restore his own Church again quickly.