It is already the last day of 2019. Let's realize that everything in this world is passing. We'll be gone soon one day too. There is no reason to get ourselves attached to anything that passes or perishes. The eternal God who loves us is the only one to whom we need to attach ourselves. This is being truly farsighted and wise.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
**Joy of Submission**
This is joy you receive when you submit yourself totally to the Lord. Now you know this is going to lead you to union with him. More joy ahead!
*Effective Praying*
When we pray to the Lord and wish to get clear, specific responses from him, we need to ask for what we wish for clearly and specifically, and with great confidence. Vague and general prayers do not bring good results. Get to the point and the Lord will get to the point too.
**God or the World*
Today's first reading came from 1 John 2. John advised members of the community, "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." We need to listen to this advice more than ever, as our world is becoming more enticing than ever. The spiritual battle has comes down to God vs. the world. We already know who will win in the end, so let us choose sides accordingly.
***Straight Talk (a Strong Reminder)
Jesus challenges us, for we must decide whether he is the Son of God or merely a hoax. If you cannot say that he is a phony, then you have no choice but to believe in him 100%, no middle ground possible here. There has been no one else like him ever. And if you believe that he is the Lord but do not follow him all the way, be warned that everyone who does not acknowledge him before others he will not acknowledge before the heavenly Father (Matthew 10, Luke 12).
Sunday, December 29, 2019
***Most Important Truth
There are a million things you can learn in life, but there is one truth that is more important than anything else you need to know—God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life (John 3.16). Ignore it at your own risk.
*Perfect Attitude Towards God
Communion experience. I approached the Lord. No questions, just total submission. I experienced great peace.
*Need to Have a Perfect Family
On this Feast of the Holy Family, let's look at our own families on earth. Some families can be considered happy, but there are a lot more unhappy ones around. Then all families on earth are only temporary, for we are all equally children before God, our eternal Father. I believe that the Lord has made us so that we all feel the need to belong to a perfect family forever and has given us his only Son just to fulfill this need. When we believe in Christ, we'll be with the Holy Family one day. God always thinks of everything ahead for our sake.
**In Fulfilling God's Plan
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 2, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. What the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod had died, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph again and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." But when Joseph heard that Herod's son was ruling over Judea, he was afraid to go back there. So he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth. Again what had been spoken through the prophets was fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.
We can see that God had ordained everything, yet Joseph was allowed to discern what right action to take. That's how we should follow the Lord: fully believing that he'll guide us in all things and using our best judgment in carrying out what we are asked to do.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
***Realistic Dream Living
"Be one with God and enjoy his presence every moment of your life." This is not something you only dream about, for you can realize it easily if you let God fully into your life!
**Life Destroying Death*
Communion experience. Jesus said in John 6.51: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." And again in John 6.54: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." As I receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I believed and knew that I was heaven-bound, and all fear of death vanished.
*How Wonderful God Is
It depends upon how open your heart is. Keep you heart closed and you won't see a thing. Open it up all the way and you see all his wonders.
**Casting Off Sins*
We sin, but since we have Christ, we do not need to fear sin anymore. Christ our Savior can remove our sins if we accept him and repent. But let's go even further: Surrender ourselves to the Lord to attain union with him and we can become like him, losing even the tendency to sin! The Lord is powerful. Unquestionably he can make us holy.
**Remembering the Unborn*
Today is the Feast of Innocents, martyrs. When I think about how Herod ordered those baby boys to be slaughtered, I think of how the pro-abortionists today are murdering millions of unborn babies every year. I have difficulty imagining how the Lord must feel when he sees so many of the unborn he has created do not even get a chance to live in the world they are born into. As the innocent unborn will all be following the Lamb, I just pity their murderers.
***God Instantly Accessible
Today I am amazed that God is so easily accessible to us. When we pray to him, we are instantly linked to him and he hears us instantly. In fact, he already knew what we are going to say to him. Then I receive the Most Blessed Sacrament at Mass and he enters me physically to be one with me. When I say yes to him and we become one spiritually. He now dwells within me! If you wonder where the Lord is, that's because your heart is all shut!
Friday, December 27, 2019
***God for the Down and Crushed
Whenever you feel down or crushed, it is God calling you to turn to him for help. This is better than hearing inspiring messages daily. Being open to God or not makes all the difference. I could say that the Lord is at your service at any time and always! So allow him to come to you to give you all the help you need. Do not struggle on your own. The lower you feel, the more he loves to raise you high. After he helps you, you'll alway feel better than ever. God strengthens our faith through trials and tribulations.
**Joy of the Holy Spirit
Communion experience. I experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can only give us joy. To me, he is Joy! Pray to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. He can revitalize your spiritual life and make it pure joy.
**Our God Extraordinaire
Today's Communion antiphon began with John 1.14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. This is another big deal. God came to us by becoming one of us! I never would have expected that. Learning about it to let it sink in is going to take some time. Perhaps this is so unbelievable that people don't bother to believe in it. Personally, I'd rather have an extraordinary God than a predictable one. Our God needs faith to believe in him, and this faith is born once you realize how great his love is.
***To Live in God Alone
When you have God, you have everything. When you are one with the Lord, everything of the world fades away. How good it is to live only in the One who loves you the most!
*Joy of Resurrection
Today's Gospel reading, the first eight verses of John 20, tells about the discovery of the empty tomb of Jesus by Mary of Magdala, Peter, and John. You could tell that the narrative was true. How these disciples felt moved me deeply, for they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Since I already know the outcome, I heard the Gospel and was filled with sweet joy.
*Affinity for Saint John, Apostle*
Today is the Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist. I feel an affinity for this Apostle for these reasons. (1) He was the younger, if not the youngest, Apostle. I still remember the time I was often the youngest among others. (2) He lived to a ripe old age and I have lived likewise. (3) He referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved—this has to be the best title you can possibly give yourself. I also know and feel Jesus' love for me. (4) The Lord revealed to John his glories in a mystical way, resulting in his writing of Revelation. The Lord has revealed to me himself in an entirely different way, most personal and intimate, through a modern blog for all to read.
Saint John, pray for all of us to follow the Lord as you did, each in our personal way.
***Our Church Belongs to Christ!
I was praying for the world, my country, my government, my family, and myself. Then I realized that I must pray for my Church too, with the many scandals still ongoing and the Pope being accused of heresy. Suddenly, I also realized that my Church was established by Christ, so she is truly his Church—of course he is going to straighten all the things out. I felt greatly relieved.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
**God Our Healer and Restorer
Sin has muddied our conscience, defiled our hearts, caused us pain, wounded our souls, and disfigured our images before the Lord, keeping us away from him. But he, being our creator, can heal and restore us thoroughly, even to the point of transforming us into holy saints. Remember that nothing is impossible for God, if we would only allow him to do the work.
***Commending Ourselves to God
Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr. He was filled with wisdom and spirit. As he was stoned to death, he called out "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." David, in Psalm 31, prayed to God: "Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, Lord, God of truth." Before Jesus breathed his last on the cross, he cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Can't imagine that we don't want to commend ourselves to God. After all, We were created by God, owing our very existence to him. He is the one to whom we rightfully belong. So let's commend our heart, our mind, our body, our soul, my spirit, and our all to the Lord, our creator and Father.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
**Learning from God
I am most grateful for God's mercy on us. I am awed and inspired by his holiness. And I admire his humility the most, for he is omnipotent, yet he never looks down on us. We are nothing, so we should never let pride or ego get in our way. He has made us in his image and we can be like him if we remain humble most of all.
**Truth About Not Facing the Truth
It's clear that we are sinners, that we need a savior, and that God loves us (Christ is our living proof). So if we do not believe in God to be our Lord and Savior, it's not because what's been mentioned is false, but because we are afraid to face the truth.
*Our Only Focus
Seeking union with God is the means to the end of knowing God. Achieving union with God is not a status symbol. Whatever we do, the focus should always be knowing the Lord.
*God's Mercy Undeniable
On this Christmas day, I see the mercy of God to be undeniable. He sent his only Son to come into the world to be one among us and died for us so that we might be redeemed from sin. He will come again to judge us, giving us the chance to choose life or death in the meantime.
*The Peace of Christ
Jesus our Savior has come to bring us peace, but he has also caused division among us and there won't be peace in this world until we all have accepted him as Lord and Savior. Then where is this peace? For now, it is the inner peace he has brought to all those who follow him. For this, we can rejoice and be grateful. The peace of Christ must first begin in our hearts.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
***Reflecting on My Blog*
This blog began in 2009 and it's in 2010 that the Lord made it clear to me that I was to let the world know that he wants to draw all to union with him through the Holy Eucharist. So this should speak to the Catholics most since they receive this sacrament at every Mass. Has the blog been a success? This is not for me to know or to be concerned about, for I am merely doing that the Lord instructs me to do. All is in his hands. But I can tell you my experience in general. Union with God is something people tend to shy away from; it is not something they want to latch onto right away. I could sense the disconnect in talking about it with others, laypeople or not. You don't get any reaction from them. Perhaps it's the fear that they cannot make it, so don't even think about it. As the pageviews are approaching 166,000, the message must have sown a seed in quite a few souls. Anyway, I am simply plowing along as the Lord leads me, which gives me great joy! My closing advice to all for the year on this Christmas Eve: Follow Christ all the way—yes, seek union with him—then your journey will be an absolutely safe and most exhilarating and uplifting adventure.
**Big Deal
"The forgiveness of sins"—we surely have heard that mentioned numerous times; but today, the Lord made me see that it is indeed a big deal. Essentially, we are all born sinners and sins not forgiven will keep us earth-bound. Only God can take away our sins and make us heaven-bound. To deal with our sins, we need God. Otherwise, we'll be stuck with them forever. To have our sins forgiven or not to have our sins forgiven, that is the big question!
**Solving Our Problem with Sin
As long as we keep sinning, we will not have inner peace. That's how the Lord has made us. He's letting us know that we cannot get along with sin and be happy, and that as long as we carry sins, we cannot get into heaven. We sin because we are self-centered. If we surrender ourselves to God, we become God-centered and our problem with sin will be no more. Not carrying any sin, our inner peace is then restored.
*Danger Zone
Without God, our mind wanders freely in all directions. We may not have evil intentions, but we seek to fulfill all our temporal desires. We are now in danger zone, may lose all self-control, and become addicted to certain sins. If we have God, he becomes our anchor and guardian, and we don't easily stray away from him anymore. When the Lord makes us feel good, we no longer desire anything that cannot truly make us happy.
Monday, December 23, 2019
*Only God and You
Let you be known to God alone, so live "secretly" in him. Live as if there are only God and you, as only he matters.
**Longing for Christ Only
Communion experience. I received the greatest joy and felt the deepest longing for Christ. I long for him precisely because he has fulfilled all my other longings on earth.
**A Lopsided Scene*
Today's Communion antiphon, Revelation 3.20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." God is so polite, yet so intimate. If you still turn him down, then you are playing God and definitely have a problem with your heart and need to examine yourself to get it fixed. The Lord will wait for your response as long as you wish, but you have only a limited lifetime to respond to him. Look at this way: he is offering you the opportunity to be happy for all eternity and you couldn't care less. How more lopsided can it be?
*Beware of the Ego
Anytime you want to draw attention to yourself, it's your ego rearing it's ugly head.
***Leave the Blessing to God
In today's continuous reading from Luke 1, we heard the birth of John the Baptist read. When all heard about the amazing signs that accompanied the birth of John the neighbors and relatives witnessed, they were sure that the hand of the Lord was with the child. Of course, we know that John the baptist got beheaded under the orders of King Herod later. How could we see such a brutal ending to be fit for someone whom the Lord greatly blessed? Clearly, God's ways are beyond our ways and his thoughts beyond our thoughts. What we see fit may even be an obstacle Satan wants to place in God's way (Matthew 16.23). What's best for us to focus on is what Jesus said in Matthew 16.25: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Amen.
***God Becoming Real!
When sometimes we even wonder whether God truly exists, that's because our faith is weak and we do not really know him. Here is the cure. Be courageous! Take a leap of faith to surrender yourself to God to be one with him. Once you attain union with him, he will become more real to you than anyone else you know on earth—I am telling you! This is now real living, being one with the living God.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
***Be with God Now to See Him Later*
Communion experience. When you are one with the Lord, you are with him in heaven spiritually. In a sense, you have already completed your spiritual journey. You die and you see immediately the Lord who has been with you all your life!
***To Be the Freest Person on Earth
In today's reading 2 from Romans 1, Paul calls himself a slave of Jesus Christ. For he knew that to be a slave of Jesus Christ made him the freest person on earth. I second that. (It follows that to be your own master is to be enslaved by yourself, and you are not free at all.)
True Joy in Christ
Watching those commercials on TV, you notice the phony joy paid actors display in selling or promoting a product or service. Without Christ, even the joy we seek and experience in this life seems to be empty or shallow. Only the joy of Christ is pure joy because it originates from the Holy Spirit. When we rejoice in Christ, that joy we feel is true joy.
**Well-Balanced in Christ
Once you have Christ, you never feel inferior to anyone anymore, for you already have the Lord; and you do not look down on anyone anymore, for you are humble in the Lord. You are now a happy well-balanced person.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
*Getting Personal with Jesus*
Communion experience. I felt that that Jesus was my home, the end of my search, my answer to all my questions, my all, my everything. Perhaps "my ultimate fulfillment" is closest to what I want to say. Then I feel best when I just say "Jesus is mine."
In Tune with the Holy Spirit
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, we read about Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant (John the Baptist) leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, knew that Mary was the mother of her Lord. When we know that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, it is also the Holy Spirit who has revealed it to us.
**Our Ultimate Fulfillment
Today's entrance antiphon from Isaiah 7 & 8: The Lord and Ruler will be coming soon, and his name will be called Emmanuel, because he will be God-with-us. Jesus is indeed God-with-us. He is also God-in-us, the one to be in union with. He is our ultimate fulfillment!
Wrong Priorities
People are always thinking about acquiring wealth, how to invest their money for good returns; concerned about their health, what to eat and what supplements to take; and worried about getting old, how they can still look young or who's going to take care of them later. They do not know that if they seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first, all these needs will be provided them besides (Matthew 6.33).
Friday, December 20, 2019
The Unworthy Exalted
Communion experience. I felt most unworthy as I approached the Lord to receive him. After he entered me, he greatly exalted me.
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