When to Repent

        Don't put off repenting your sins and think that you'll have time to do it later. True, some people get to repent just before they die, but you might not get that moment. Besides, if you plan that way, the Lord would see your insincerity and it may not work for you. My wise advice: Repent now while you are still alive and your mind still clear.

Passing into Our Next Life

        The soul lives on forever and life is continuous. We can make our transition into our next life smooth, easy, and joyful or rough, difficult, and horrible. It all depends upon how much we let Christ into our life.

God Always with Us

        Look at one of your good friends. You see him, you hear him, and he sees you and hears you. You ask him for help and he often complies. But he cannot always be with you. Now look at God. Even if you don't see him, he sees you and knows all about you. He hears you instantly and you can hear from him too if you are open to him. You ask for his help and he always complies in the best way possible for you. The Lord God is our superior and most trustworthy friend. And he is with us always!

God's Challenging Promises

        I have not gone through the Gospels to see how many times Jesus had promised that we would never die or have life forever if we believed in him, kept his words, did the will of the Father, or ate the heavenly bread he gave us. He'd done it time and again. Can we possibly dismiss all these promises? I think not. You'll have to be so foolish as to think that are greater than he. The only sensible choice is to yield and believe in them. 

All Is Vanity Except . . .

        On December 6th, I posted "Is Life Fair?" after I learned that one sister in Christ had passed away unexpectedly. She was only 53. Today I attended the funeral Mass at her church. Life is short. This saying of Thomas à Kempis in his spiritual classic Imitation of Christ came to my mind: "All is vanity, except to love God and serve him alone." To make it possible to love and serve God alone in our short life, seek and attain union with him, for we cannot succeed on our own.

Boasting in the Lord

        Today's is the memorial of St. John of the Cross. Galatians 6.14, the entrance antopjon: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. We boast in Christ, in his death and Resurrection, in his love for us, in that he has made us anew, freed us from sin, saved us and given us life everlasting . . . not out of self-pride, but out of gratitude. Eternal love deserves eternal appreciation. 

**Way to God Made Straight!

        Before Jesus came on the scene, John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord, proclaiming "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." Are you aware that now that Jesus has already come, he has made our way to him perfectly straight?

The Same Generation

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" Today's generation is just like this. They busily engage in activities in their own interest, not truly knowing what's best for them to do. They are deaf to the gospel of Christ, but always criticizing and judging others.

*Know You Are a Sinner?

        Here is a short video on a Jewish man who found Jesus. Before that happened, he never realized that he was a sinner. One must be aware of this reality before hoping to find God.

*Why Not Accept Jesus?

        I just listened to KingFace, a popular black conservative, giving a talk at the recent Blexit meeting held in Atlanta, GA. He told the audience that he recently accepted Jesus into his heart and got a big cheer from them. He asked himself "why not let Jesus into my life?" I think that this is a good question for unbelievers to consider. Instead of wondering why they should accept Jesus, why not think about why they shouldn't let him into their lives? Asking this way, they might see the light.

**Effective and Ineffective Praying*

        If we pray to God "May we love you more," "May we trust in you," "May we serve you faithfully," or for anything else this way, we are being timid as we still center upon ourselves. The right approach is to open up boldly to God—abandoning or surrendering ourselves to him. Then what we pray for will come to fruition, as we now rely upon God entirely.

*Being Good Not Good Enough

        That's because to get into heaven, you must repent for having been bad first.

*Only Approved Marian Apparition in America

**Knowing My God*

        Communion experience. As I went up the aisle to received Holy Communion, I knew I was going to receive my most beloved, my loving creator, the Holy One who died for my sins, is now dwelling within me, and will take me to him in a little while. 

***Heart for God

        Our intellect can help us understand God, but only our heart can capture God. Offer your heart to the Lord and he is yours. The heart is our direct link to God. Be one with him and you'll hear him speaking to your heart.

**Call to Action!*

        At the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples, "If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." We can know God! He has revealed himself to us completely, so it's our move now! I'd like to say this again and again so that the whole world might hear me and know.

*No Comparing Yourself with Anyone

         I've advised "Never compare yourself to anyone." It should always be between you and God, not between you and anyone else. This means that you don't compare holiness with others either. A true holy person loves God. If someone is holier, he rejoices for the Lord. If someone is not as holy as he, he remains humble and would pray for that person. It's always charity, never judgment. 

*Reverence Needed

        As disciples of Christ, you don't want to become robotic. I love St. Thérèse's Little Way. Following it, we should do every little thing with love for God. Today I realize that prayer is one of these things. You hear so many written prayers and readings said robotically, even at Mass. What we need to do is to not rush, but to mean truly what we say. I confess that I have rushed through prayers to save time myself. I think if we show great reverence, everything will come out right.

*How God Made Me Anew*

        Thinking back many decades, I see that I used to be a very different person. I was a spoiled child and a shy, moody adult. I wanted to excel in many things, but felt inadequate and inferior to others. The ego was big, for I wanted to be somebody. Trying to "improve" myself always became a struggle. I never felt free, peaceful, or any joy. Life was empty and meaningless. But Christ changed all that. The journey took a while, as the Lord lead me through the various stages; but there were breakthroughs as well. To make a long story short, I am now free, peaceful, and feel great joy. There is nothing I shall want, and the Lord is more than sufficient for me. I can't be happier. Yes, God is more precious to me than myself and everything else. 

***Why Go Directly to God

        If you want to know the Lord, then go directly to him. He is forever present and instantly accessible. In fact, he is ready to embrace you as his beloved child at anytime! Do not waste precious time by going through other human beings, even if they are saints. They can help, but it's not the same as getting help directly from the Lord himself. All it takes is an open, humble heart. God is accessible to all. He is as close to you as he was to the Apostles and the saints, and as he was to Adam and Eve. To not go to him directly and share everything with him is to avoid him.

***The Sacrament for Union***

        Communion experience. The Lord made me see clearly that he is truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Let's just say that consuming this Most Blessed Sacrament is the same as eating his flesh and drinking his blood. This may sound uncomfortable to some or many, but it completely fulfills my longing for intimacy with him. God understands our nature thoroughly. In fact, it's out of longing to be one with us that he instituted this sacrament in the first place!

*Sign of Salvation

        Today's Communion antiphon, 2 Timothy 4.8: The Just Judge will bestow a crown of righteousness on those who eagerly await his coming. If you believe that Christ will come again and long for his appearance, it's a sign that you've been saved. 

***Greatest Tragedy We Can Make!

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus said to his disciples, "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." Although we are not quite sure whom Jesus was referring to as "these little ones," we see how precious each soul is to the Father. What's important to him must be important to us. Therefore, we must make saving souls our top priority. The greatest tragedy for all is to run away from the Lord and end up being lost forever.

God Calling

        If you are tired of this world, it's God calling you to check him out.

***The Joy of Freedom!

      Do you know that if you are not happy, it's because God is not happy with you for being in his way? You are not allowing him to do what he enjoys doing with you: to make you perfect! Get out of his way and you'll feel this great joy of freedom.  

***Most Personal Lord

        Communion experience. As I went up to receive the Holy Eucharist, my heart leaped for joy. This was my personal Lord. He would have gone through everything he went through for you or me alone!

Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

        We are sinners and should not remain so. To rise above ourselves, we need God. Let Christ remove your sins and lift you up to where he is. How can we possibly not take advantage of this marvelous, incredible, and most beautiful opportunity? This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To Become a Joyful Person

        Whether you realize it or not, we are all spiritually thirsty and hungry and if that thirst and hunger are not satisfied, we become unhappy. Unfortunately, in our world full of attractions and distractions, we are prevented from seeing this truth clearly. If you realize this truth, it's God calling. Search for him with an open heart and you'll find him. Once your thirst is quenched and your hunger filled, you will be a joyful person.

*How a Christian Feels

        Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Isaiah 61.10 is the entrance antiphon: I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels. Isaiah describes perfectly how a Christian feels (or should feel).

***Our Glorious Attainment

        We seek union with God because by becoming one with the Lord, we come to know his will and become obedient to him. And we eagerly let him purify our heart. Once the heart is clean, the mind becomes clean too. With a clean heart and a clean mind, our soul now remains pure. What a glorious and joyous attainment!

**Let the Holy Sprit Revive You!

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 3, John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing his followers in the Jordan river as they acknowledged their sins. Even many of the Pharisees and Sadducees showed up. John announced to all, "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Of course, John was referring to Jesus. If you do not feel any zeal or fire in your faith, may I seriously suggest that you ask Jesus to come and baptize you with the Holy Spirit? For me, the Holy Spirit became real after I asked a whole prayer group to pray over me to be baptized in him. This happened over four decades ago and the effect has remained with me to this day!

Advent to Look Forward To

        In this season of Advent, we commemorate the coming of Christ into the world. The reality is that Christ has already come and can now even dwell within us when we open up to him. For the Catholics, receiving the Eucharist is having the Lord entering you physically to be one with you completely. What we should truly look forward to now is his Second Coming or meeting him after we depart from this world, whichever comes first.

**O Holy Night*

        As Christmas approaches, enjoy listening to this beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night."

Being Transparent to God

        God knows everything! So Anyone who tries to hide what he has done from others is making himself look bad and foolish before God. We are transparent to the Lord and we should act accordingly. Having nothing to hide is what he looks for (if that makes sense to you).

**Something to Do with God**

        Anyone who is happy with God is also happy with himself. And anyone who is afraid of facing God is also afraid of facing himself.

***Key Question We Face

        Before handing out Holy Communion, the priest says, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper." Do you believe that Jesus can take away your sins? This is a key question. If you answer no, then you have to disbelieve that he is God and that he rose from the dead. Furthermore, you also have to declare that all the Gospels are a big hoax and that Christ was entirely false. If you are not prepared to or cannot say so and still do not believe in him, then you can only be considered a major dishonest coward! 

When You Meet the Lord . . .

        If you never knew Jesus, when you meet the Lord, he will see how selfless (or self-centered) a life you have lived. If you knew the Lord, he will see how much you have devoted yourself to serving him. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." If you are his disciple, are you laboring to help his harvest?

Is Life Fair?

        Just received notice that a sister in Christ who lived a hard life and was a brave pro-life warrior has suddenly passed away. Is life fair? If you look at just our brief life on earth, then it seems most unfair is some cases. But if you look at our overall life from birth through eternity, then life is absolutely fair, for God is absolutely just and knows exactly how to reward or punish each one of us. So trust in God totally and forget about this question. 

**Of the World or with God

         Surviving to safeguard our soul is not easy in our secular, godless world. There are so many carnal desires we want to satisfy and we can easily become insatiable. We experience sensual pleasures but never truly feel uplifted in any way. This is vey much like wallowing in the mud; it's fun, but afterwards you know you are all filthy. On the other hand, we can come to know God well enough to enjoy him. We then experience peace and contentment and get that exhilarating clean feeling. The is like taking a nice long hot shower and afterwards you feel relaxed and comfortable. But there is nothing in the world you can truly compare to the freedom and joy you also experience.
          Those of the world are trapped. They continue to seek the very pleasures that cannot satisfy them for satisfaction and become enslaved. The only way to break out of this vicious cycle is to go to God, for he is the only one who can free us from sins.

*It's All Up to You.

        Only you can initiate union with God and once in union, only you can break that bond, for the Lord will never abandon you and the Devil is powerless against him. 

**Faith Essential*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, two blind men followed Jesus, crying out, "Son of David, have pity on us!" Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes, Lord, they said to him. Then he touched their eyes and said, "Let it be done for you according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. Faith is what enables miracles to happen. Without it, you don't see God as you remain in darkness. In today's world, I am afraid that when the Lord comes, he'll find little faith. Even believers place him pretty much on the periphery. God's mercy is infinite, but it cannot help you if you lack faith. Faith is our essential link to God and a strong faith makes us one with him, forming the most beautiful union this side of heaven.  

Taste God's Peace Now

        We've been listening to readings from Isaiah at Mass. If the Lord had foretold that peace would reign in the end, I can tell you that we can already experience this peace in our hearts when we have Christ the Lord dwelling within us. It is his presence that produces inner peace. When we have inner peace, external peace follows.

*Playing Hide-and-Seek with God

        We love to play hide-and-seek with God, even when we know we are lost. God is always trying to find us in order to bring us home. Those who give up playing and show themselves to God will be homebound, but those who keep on hiding all their life will be dead when God finds them. this is a game you want to lose if you play. As Jesus said: Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

***The Fire of Christ

        The Holy Spirit is the fire of Christ. Let the Lord Spirit fill you to the brim so that he may set your love for Christ in your heart aflame forever!

**Everything You Need*

        When you possess God, you are perfectly content. You no longer worry; you experience deep peace and lack nothing. Your cup runneth over.

***How to Give Your Heart to God*

        Do you take your heart out and throw it to God? No. You simply open up to the Lord completely and remain passive, and he will delightfully take possession of your heart (and you will be filled with great joy, the joy of freedom!).

*Awesome Combination of Virtues*

        Humility and bold faith make a wonderful combination. We are nothing, yet we believe that the Lord can make us into anything he wishes.

**Holding onto Ourselves

        We forget that God is all-powerful and we are weak, so we still hold onto ourselves tightly, even in loving God, instead of seeking power from the Lord to help us accomplish all things. Letting go of ourselves can be so tough!

***Secret to Entering Heaven

        The Gospel reading came from Matthew 7. In it, Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." So the "secret" to getting into heaven is to do the will of the Father–so simple. Attain union with God and you'll know and want to do his will.

*Cure for Moodiness

        If you get moody sometimes and don't enjoy that, Christ is your answer. Once you attain union with him, you'll never feel gloomy, depressed, or ill-humored again.