**True Wisdom

        Communion experience. The Lord made me see that true wisdom is not knowing how to make a lot of money or figure out some amazing, ingenious design. True wisdom is simply knowing that God has already done the work of saving us from death and we only need to believe and follow Christ to have life eternal.

**God at Work*

        Today's Gospel reading from Mark 6 tells the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand hungry people. After they ate and were satisfied, they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Here I see a clear case of God creating something out of thin air, truly awesome!

**To Love As God Loves

        In today's first reading from 1 John 4, the Apostle talks about God's love. We Christians already know that God is love. As for us, we are capable of loving others, but our love is more limited compared to the Lord's unconditional love. If loving others is going to cost us in some way, we become hesitant. To truly love others, we'll need to exercise our free will to accomplish it. Again, I am not a theologian, but I believe it's because we were born with original sin. If we were sinless, we should be able to love as God loves. So what we should do is to offer our free will to the Lord, letting his will replace ours. Then we'll be able to love more perfectly.

**What We Are Meant to Do*

        Today my second son just had his second child, a boy. These thoughts came to me. We were all created by God the Father, so we truly are his children and belong to him. It's clear that we are meant to remain with him. To stray away from him is to be lost, for we live in a dangerous world. Every child born should be offered to the Father for his protection and blessing. Each new life is most precious and important to him. Read what Jesus said in Luke 17.2: "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." Therefore, no one should sin and no one should be lost to the Father!

***How to Face Sin

        Let's face it, sin is the biggest problem of our life, for it affects our eternal existence. We should take it most seriously, but at the same time not let it bother us the slightest. How so? The Devil is real and wants you to sin as much as possible, while the Lord God wishes to save us from sin. So, if you go with the Lord, there won't a thing to worry about—he can remove all your sins and even keep you from sinning again. Be one with God and the Devil won't be able to touch you with a mile-long pole. 

**The Sick and the Sane (Our World Today)**

        First, the Sick:

     
        Now the Sane:

**Beware of Consequences of Sin

        The consequences of sin can be irreparable. For example, I criticize my friend Tom before other friends and as a result made them think less of Tom. To restore my friendship with Tom, I could always apologize to him and ask for his forgiveness, but it would be difficult for me to restore the trust the other friends originally had in Tom. An obvious extreme example would be to kill someone and the damage caused now is clearly irreparable. So our best policy is to not sin. And here is where we need God's help to make us holy. 

**Dealing with Our Sins*

        When you get to know Jesus well, the Holy Spirit sharpens your conscience to the point that you become acutely aware of every minute sin you commit. This is the Lord's way of keeping you holy. The loss of inner peace can be painful, for you know you have hurt your relationship with the Lord, now causing him pain. If the sin is minor, you can make amends by reciting the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner or just Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner. This prayer can be said with each breath you take. Fr. Mark Goring recently talked about it on his YouTube video. As soon as we have sinned, we need to restore our relationship with the Lord. Of course, if the sin committed is grave, you need to go to confession to take care of it. The worst thing is to let your sins pile up until they are sky-high. Now, in this weakened condition, it becomes increasingly difficult for you to want to get rid of them.

*God's Power Channels

        Communion thoughts. God is love and love is the source of his power. When we receive the Lord, we receive his love and become channels of his power.

***Go Straight to God Please

        Nowadays, we do not hear many strong, clear, inspiring messages coming from within the Church. Well, there are always big name speakers yon can hear at various conferences and gatherings, but this is more like getting a onetime spiritual booster shot. What we need to receive constantly is spiritual nourishment. Reading about the great saints is a good way to go, but the best way surprisingly overlooked is going straight to the Lord. After all, Christ is whom we need to know the most, the source of inexhaustible enrichment, and the one who can satisfy all our wants. Therefore, read the four Gospels and open yourself up to him as your most intimate confidant, then you will hear his sweet voice in your heart fulfilling all your spiritual hunger and then some. If you want to know someone, it would be a waste of time to ask others who might not know him that well to tell you about him. Instead, you go straight to the one you want to know. In this case, that one is our Lord, who is ever ready to receive you.

*Messiah of All

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, Andrew was the first one who followed Jesus. He then told his brother Simon Peter that he had found the Messiah, meaning Christ. The Jewish people had been expecting the Messiah to come for a long time. Even if we do not know anything about any Messiah, we all still have that empty feeling in us, yearning to be fulfilled. But Christ has come, and for all of us who recognize him to be our Messiah, he has fulfilled that void in us and delivered us from sin into freedom. He turns out to the Messiah of all.

*Union Provides Safe Refuge

        Today is the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. In the first reading from 1 John 3, the Apostle wrote "Whoever sins belongs to the Devil" and talked about the children of God and the children of the Devil. Here is a "new" perspective. I can see that every time we sin, we join the Devil's forces, and every time we do good, we go on God's side. So we belong to the Devil sometimes and to God other times. Again, I advocate seeking union with God, which will provide you with the best chance of belonging to God at all times.

***What God Wishes to Hear from Us Most***

        It was disobedience that got us banished from God. Since he loves us, it is obedience that will get us reconciled to him again. So what God our Father wishes to hear from us the most is "Father, do whatever you wish with me." If you cannot say it, then you are not perfectly obedient to him yet, putting it mildly.

**To Live Is Not to Have Life*

        Communion antiphon, 1 John 4.9: By this the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. We can be living, but not really living since we do not really have life. To have life is to have Christ, who is the life (John 14.6), so that we know we are going to live forever with God. It makes all the difference!

***Being Baptized with the Holy Spirit*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, John the Baptist continued to testify to Jesus, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him [Jesus]. The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." I am not a theologian, but I can testify that one way to have your spiritual life vitalized or set afire is to ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. It's simply asking the Lord to help you open up fully to the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit may work freely through you.

**Dealing with Sin*

        From today's first reading from 1 John 2: You know that Jesus Christ was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. We have all inherited original sin. And it is sin that robs us of inner peace. We sin when our weak human nature gives in to temptation. If you don't like your sins, then have Christ take them away from you. And he will keep you from sinning again if you remain in him. This problem of sin we must face and resolve before we leave this world.

**Christ Our Only Guide and Hope

        Today's entrance antiphon, Psalms 112.4: A light has risen in the darkness for the upright of heart; the Lord is generous, merciful, and just. Christ is the Light! He shows us how to live so that we might have life forever and all his teachings are based upon love, for he is love. There is no one else like him. Without him, the world will be in complete chaos and disorder. I see him clearly as our only hope. 

**Fusing with the Lord

        Communion experience. When two metals are melted under heat and mixed together, they form one alloy. When the Lord entered me, I let his love melt all of me so that we might become one entity.

**The Real God*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, John the Baptist gave his own testimony. Speaking about Jesus, he said, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." Indeed, our Lord is so holy and high above us that we are not worthy to untie his sandal strap, yet he ardently desires to enter us to be one with us. It is mind-blowing, most moving, and exhilarating to know. He is so far, yet so close; he is almighty, yet most humble. He is our loving Lord.

**Government Oppression*

       I lived in Central California, close to the state capitol of Sacramento. The state is under the control of Democrats and lately, Californians have been moving out of the state in droves. Besides high taxes, deteriorating living conditions in larger cities, etc., I could really feel the oppression of religious freedom in particular. Very clearly, evil forces are at work. This story came out a month ago just before Thanksgiving, but I missed it until yesterday, and I was shocked by it. To find out what it's all about, go on https://www.childrenoftheimmaculateheart.org/, then click on CIH in the News at the top and watch one of the two OAN videos and/or read one of the top two articles. The state government actually considers the Catholic faith "offensive." It's a pity that they don't realize that they are offending the Lord God right now!

*Conquering Emotions

         So it is now 2020. Today, January 1, is as usual the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Of course, we all hope that the new year will be a better one. Again, those who have Christ always see bright hope ahead, as the spiritual battle between good and evil rages on. 

       My first realization of this year is that we are all governed by our emotions. When they are negative, we lose our inner peace. We get angry, worry, sadden...all because we feel that way. So if we can let God take over our emotions, then we should experience peace. To attain union is the way to give all of yourself to God, your emotions included. When you have the Lord totally, you become stabilized. Now you enjoy deep peace and order. 

Happy 2020!

        I am posting Fr. Mark Goring's sensible and encouraging summary of 2019 to conclude my blogging this year.

     
         Have a most blessed New Year!

***God Drawing Us via Holy Eucharist

        Communion thoughts. I have already received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist many thousand times in my life. Looking back, I wish I had been obedient to him sooner in the past. It is unthinkable that we should receive the Most Blessed Sacrament and not let him draw us a little closer to him each time. What we should do is to let the him form us any way he wishes, then we would become holy in no time. Anyhow, I am grateful that as I receive the Lord daily, he is still drawing me closer to him each time (and I am glad that I still have some time left). When your desire to be one with him supersedes all other desires, you are close enough to him.

***God's Greatest Revelation***

      Today's Gospel reading, the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John, is so profoundly beautiful that anyone who knows Christ would totally understand it, while those who do not know him may not at all. It is fitting that at the end of this year, we read this greatest revelation from God to us. Here are the entire 18 verses:

        

        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

         A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  

          He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

          But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor my a man's decision but of God.  

         And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.

          John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grade and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

           All I can respond in total submission is "My Lord and my God."

**How To Become Holy*

        If you are determined to find a lost treasure, you must be willing to take the risk that comes with going about finding it. After you find the treasure, you'll be very happy that you took the initiative. Similarly, if you are determined to become holy, you must be willing to abandon yourself completely to God to make it happen. Once you've made the leap of faith, you'll know that you did exactly the right thing. No pain, no gain. No faith, no growth. 

**Another Big Deal*

        Today I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. That Jesus came to us and underwent agony, physical beating, ridicule, and finally death on a cross is a huge deal! Think about it. He willingly suffered to the extreme, submitted to his sentencing without protest and even asked the Father to forgive those who put him to death. That was not normal from our point of view. But now we know that he did it to save us for all eternity, so it is a big, big deal and we must be grateful and never forget it!

**True Wisdom

        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.  

**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).

***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.

***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! 

***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.  

**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.