*****A Message to Listen Up To

        Fr. Mark Goring's message today. Most timely and what we all need to hear. Paying attention to God is absolutely necessary. If you ignore God, you'll be ignored by him. 

*****Letting the Lord Transform Us First

        To battle for God, we need to let God change us fundamentally first. Otherwise, despite our good intentions, we won't do much good. I've watched a video showing how to recover from the loss of parishioners due to the pandemic. The first piece of advice offered was to make everyone extra welcome. Throughout the whole video, Christ was not mentioned once. If you do get everyone back, talk to them happily, and be extra friendly, you are not drawn any closer to the Lord. All fundamental changes can only come from above. Once we are transformed by God, we'll automatically have the Holy Spirit guiding us. Seek union with God first to serve him well. This is the formula for spiritual success. 

A Valid View of Life

         We are just passing through this world. Life is a test and the earth is our training place. The goal is to reach heaven. If we learn and do well, we'll pass at the end. If not, we'll fail and be left behind. 

***Our State Never Any Clearer***

        In today's Gospel from Acts 13, when the Jews saw the large crowds that had gathered to hear Paul preach the word of God, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what he said. Later they even incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and his companion Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. It's clear that that the spiritual warfare had intensified ever since Jesus came to us and has been continuing to this day. Only the enemy has changed from the Jews to the globalists. Satan has never stopped fighting hard. But one day this will be all over with God coming out on top. It's all very dramatic and we are the ones caught in the middle who must choose sides. Our eternal destiny depends upon the choice we make now!

**Stick to Logical Thinking

        The other day I lay down in my bed to put an eye drop in my right eye. As usuaI, I temporarily put the the bottle cap on top of the comforter to my left. Since the bed hadn't been made yet, the comforter was a pile of mess. After I applied the drop, I searched for the cap with my left hand, and it wasn't there. I got up to look for it and didn't spot it either. So I rubbed my hands over the entire comforter and again felt nothing. As a last resort, I took the comforter off the bed and started shaking it; still nothing fell out. I was mystified—perhaps it's really gone! In the back of my mind, I knew that'd be impossible—the cap had to be somewhere in the room. I am telling all this to show you that sometimes our experience can fool us into believing in something that's illogical. This is the way with Christ too. Following logic, we should be able to see that Jesus is truly our Lord and Savior, for the overall evidence is overwhelming. But our experience in life makes us question that. I do admit that here we have the factor of whether you are willing to submit yourself to Jesus or not when you realize that you are a sinner. But my main point is that once we are convinced that something is true, we should not ever look away to let ourselves be fooled. (By the way, I did find that bottle cap later. When I shook the comforter, it actually fell to the floor. But since it's a very light object, I didn't hear the sound of it hitting the floor. I didn't see it first because it'd rolled under the bed.) 

***Attack on Christendom

        All Catholics need to hear this talk by Michael J.Matt to get a clear overall picture of the spiritual war that's been waged against Christ and his Church by the world.

***The Illumination We Need

        We came into the world, knowing nothing. The only things we had were a conscience and a free will. Then we discovered the "secrets" of many things and started gaining knowledge. The big mistake is that we now think we know or can know everything. Now, God is the creator of all things and his knowledge starting out was already infinite. And this deserves our utmost respect. To think that we don't need God will be sheer foolishness. To submit ourselves to the Lord completely is the only logical and sensible choice for us to make. This is the illumination we need if we wish to have life forever. We need to see things from heaven's side.

***Jesus Most Endearing

          In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be." Jesus always speaks the truth from his heart. Here he spoke most endearingly. This is your and my Lord too, so rejoice!

**Are We Too Far Gone?

        From today's Psalm 2, I read. these verses: "And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice." Look at our world today. Not only the kings and rulers of the world and so many of us have no fear of the Lord, we all behave as if he doesn't even exist, and we don't even beg for his mercy! It's certainly a far cry from what God had expected us to be like.

***Seeking the True Joy

        Many of us have hobbies such as woodworking, cooking, needlework, reading, etc. But as we age, we have to give up doing such things that have always given us pleasure. I have friends who have physically weakened to the point that they have to give up all their hobbies. My suggestion is that we can always get to know Jesus better if our mind is still clear. The joy of knowing the Lord transcends any enjoyment you can find in the world. Once you know him well, everything else normally enjoyable becomes "boring" by comparison. I am not exaggerating; it's a fact. People don't learn this because they encounter the other enjoyable things easily first. Now is the time to enjoy what truly delights your soul and spirit, not what merely pleases your senses. Incidentally, if you are not interested in knowing God well, but still wish to get to heaven, you are taking a big risk.

***A Eucharistic Miracle

        The Holy Face of Jesus imprinted on a Eucharistic host.

*Imperfect but Innocent

           We humans are full of imperfections. For example, someone say something harsh about me and I lose my peace, even just momentarily. And we have inappropriate fleeting thoughts at times. If you consider these imperfections as sins, then they are unintentional ones. I believe that the Lord fully understands our human nature and that we won't be perfect until we get to heaven. It's good to know that we can be imperfect and be innocent, and that we'll be like the Lord after we see him. 

*In a Hurry to Go to Heaven?

        If I know that I am heaven bound, do I want to go now or later? Of course, I look forward to being united with the Lord completely, but at the same time if I am going to be with him for all eternity anyway, what's the rush? Should the Lord ask me when I'd like to go, I'd probably say that I prefer to wait until some loved ones for whom I have been praying for decades have finally come to believe in you. That'd be a reasonable request, but I'll still let him have the final say.

**Learning from the True Guide

        The colleges talk about providing you with a well-rounded education to help you thrive in this world. But the Lord God teaches you how to live in freedom now and forever. God, being the truth, can reveal all we need to know to live in this world and not be of it. He is the only guide who can truly set us free. The time to learn all that is now when we are still on earth.

**Teaching the Truth

           This Fr. Corapi video just got posted. Again, he hit the nail on the head.  This is real teaching. Would that all priests have the courage to teach the truth and not be concerned about offending people or not..

**God in a League of His Own

        These thoughts relate to today's earlier post "True Beauty." We live in a physical world, so we seek beauty and pleasure in nature, architecture, music, etc. Thus we visit parks, castles, museums, and attend musicals, concerts, etc. But we fail to realize that we can experience beauty and joy plus peace in the Lord God! What he has to offer transcends everything our world offers. Every enjoyable thing you can find in the world simply pales in comparison with what you can experience in the Lord. For the former passes, while the latter lasts forever.

***Our Move Now***

         Today's Gospel reading comes from John 12. I am going to put together some verses and part of one to show you that we must absolutely pay attention to these words of the Lord. Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day." What is made clear are the following: (1) Jesus and the Father are one. (2) Whoever rejects him gets himself condemned on the last day. We must clearly get these two points and decide what to do with ourselves. We are dealing with God!

***True Beauty***

        I saw a video presenting the most beautiful village in France. It was beautiful in a quaint way. It has history and some interesting natural rock formation. In any case, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but  there are definitely things we see or hear that we agree are beautiful. As I walked this morning, the Lord made me see that true beauty is to be felt in one's heart and soul—it is his peace. In heaven, what you see and hear will definitely be most beautiful, but the peace you experience in the Lord will surpass all that. Let me tell you that when you dwell in God, knowing that he loves and takes care of you, it is the most beautiful feeling this side of heaven.   

*Comforting Words

         In today's Gospel reading from John 10, we hear Jesus say to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand." These ironclad assurances are such a comfort for those who follow the Lord to hear!

***Ultimate Warning************

       I started this blog in 2009 and out of love have posted more than 11,200 messages, always extolling the God of Christ. Today, out of love I am going to post a most serious warning to those who consciously reject Christ. This needs to be made known. I don't intend to offend anyone. On the contrary, I wish everyone to get to heaven to enjoy eternal life.
         Jesus has come as the Messiah, fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies. He claimed that he is the Son of God and had come to save us from sin. He proved that he has the power to forgive our sins by miraculously healing the lame and the sick. Here's what John wrote about Jesus in John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be." In John 14, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In Matthew 14, Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Wow! That so many had seen the Resurrected Lord is undeniable. Back in John 10, Jesus knew that he was going to die and rise again, for he said to the Jews, "I lay down my life in order to take it up again. I have power to lay it down and power to take it up." Finally, the Apostles witnessed the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.”
         If you reject Jesus, then you reject all I've said above and more. This would amount to saying that Christ is not only not God, but that he is a liar, a phony, a false teacher, and that he never rose from the dead. If you turn out to be right, you gain nothing and still remain lost. But if you turn out to be wrong, then I know you'd wish that you were never born! Think about it. [Please help spreading this message to as many as possible for their sake and for the glory of God.]

**Evidence of Life After Death

        We have the first 20-minute video with a Scott Drummond sharing what he saw and how it changed his life forever after he was pronounced dead for 20 minutes. You would enjoy watching it, for it shows that life continues on after death and God exists. Scott also tells about the peace he experienced on the other side. The second 25-minute-long video is a follow-up, the first one being the main one to watch. I feel so blessed that I do not need to die to know that the soul lives on, God exists, and that I am going to enjoy peace and joy with the Lord forever.

***Jesus Is My Shepherd!

        Today's Gospel reading comes from John 10 in which Jesus spoke of himself as the good shepherd. He said, "The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice." And I realized that I am one of his sheep! I can indeed claim that "the Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack" (Psalm 23:1). 

**God's Great Mercy*

         God's mercy endure forever (Psalm 106:1). His mercy is infinite, for he does not judge you as long as you still have time on earth or before his Second Coming. Accept this mercy, and heaven is yours. Reject it and you gain nothing and can lose everything. The wise take full advantage of God's great mercy by praying for it unceasingly.

*A Depiction of the World

         It's estimated that we now have 7.9 billion people worldwide. I wish I can say that all of them are in total obedience to God. A realistic description would be that we have 7.9 billion people at various stages of rebellion against God. If I plot a graph, I am likely to get a bell-shaped normal distribution with the most number of people in half rebellion against God. This is why Jesus came to us. Our prayer and hope is that the peak of this distribution will shift to the right toward total obedience to God. Surely God can beat statistics!

***Divine Mercy Prayer

         In these times when God desires that we pray, pray, and pray, besides praying the Rosary, I suggest you pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy too if you haven't done so yet. In the main part, you begin each decade by saying, "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." Then you recite ten times the prayer "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." Last night the Lord made me see that this short prayer is neat, clear, and to the point. Of course, we can make other specific requests, but mercy is what we generally need the most for now. We can pray for that and let the Lord administer it as he sees fit. Click here to learn how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. God bless you all.

***Secret Blessings*

         As times goes on, many things continue happening and we don't even realize it until some time later. I used to live in a different city and heard that the neighbor across the street just had a new baby boy. I saw him once in a while in the following years when he played outside his house. Then one day the mother told me that her son was getting ready to go to college—I couldn't believe it! How could time have gone by so fast? Things have a way of sneaking up on us. I've mentioned that Christ is more real to me than any other living person I know and see. Apparently, I've been aware of his holy presence at all times for quite a while, so this feeling isn't new. Today, it dawned on me that before 2009, the year I started this blog, I never exactly felt this way. I now know that God's blessings can also sneak up on us without our being aware of it. When we live a secret life in the Lord, we receive his blessings in secret too. 

***Only One Savior

          In today's reading from Acts 4, Peter declared to the leaders of the people and elders that other than Jesus Christ, there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. We know that only God can save us, so Christ must be God. And there can be only one God, so Christ has to be our only Savior. Seeking salvation through anyone else is doomed to failure.

***All or Nothing with God

        We pray to God for many things, why not pray to him about everything? Would the Lord who loves you so much be happy if you are not with him completely? I don't think so. He has given all of himself to you so that you might live, shouldn't you give all of yourself to him too?  As I've said, with God it has to be all or nothing! We won't feel totally satisfied until we possess all of him. He has made us so that only complete abandonment to him can make us completely happy and content.   

*Cost of Rejecting the Best

        Again, I look at extreme cases to make me see things clearly. Suppose God has made salvation extremely difficult for us. Say we must go through many loops and meet all kinds of stringent requirements. Then even if we don't make it, the consequence understandably probably wouldn't be so bad. Now that the Lord has made salvation so simple and direct for us: basically, all we need to do is believe, I intuitively see that the consequence of not appreciating his great offer would be a lot more severe too.

*Jesus Tests Our Heart

        Jesus came to die for us so that we might have eternal life. Our proper response should be gratitude and joy, yet many ignore or outright reject him. I see that our hearts are being tested by the Lord. To a good extent, how we respond to him reveals how hard our heart is.  

***The Sad and the Beautiful

       Two things from today's first reading from Acts 9 stirred my heart. First, verse 31: "The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers." The Church today is in trouble precisely because so many of her hierarchy no longer walk in the fear of the Lord. They spew heresies and their own opinions, no longer following the teachings of the Lord, and as a result, have lost the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
        Next, verses 36-41 tell the raising of Tabitha to life by Peter. Tabitha had fallen ill and died. After Peter got to her bedside, he sent everyone out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. There's something very beautiful here. Peter knew that he could raise her by the power of the Lord, but he still turned to him and prayed first. I see the oneness of Peter and the Lord. Being in union with the Lord and turning to him—this was the beauty I saw.

***Demons Exist

        On most days I walk outside the house, the weather has been quite nice since spring began. When the sky is blue and clear, you see fresh leaves sprouting from all the branches and hear the birds singing all around you, and the temperature is perfect, you can't help feeling good and happy. But this morning was different. The sky was cloudy and grey, the wind rather chilly, and I heard strange sounds made by various animals. Since I am not a wildlife expert, I can't tell you what I heard. One sounded like an owl, but do owls show up in the morning? Anyway, I realized that things around us in life could change unexpectedly. I recalled how people lost their lives when a natural disaster suddenly struck. Worst yet, evil had caused many to lose their soul. Demons do exist! You may enjoy eating, drinking, partying, and doing all the fun things in life, but if you are not aware that evil, demons, and hell also exist, you are living in great danger, for things can change quickly and unexpectedly. There is only one in whom you can find security for all eternity and that's Christ our Lord and our God. [I posted the above 4 days ago and had found out that one strange sound I heard was actually the cooing of wild doves communicating with each other.]

**Way to Know God

       The fact I seem to know God well had made someone think that I must have worked hard at wanting to know him. True or false? It is true that when we want to find out about something, we often need to do a lot of searching and digging. To know about Jesus is the same; you need to do a lot reading or asking others about him. But to know Jesus is different. No searching, digging, or any labor-intensive work is required: you simply remain open to him to let him draw you to or into him. It couldn't be simpler. This also shows that learning by the heart is a lot more efficient than learning by the mind.

**Know the Truths

         Just saw Fr. Corapi's short video uploaded today. It's a joy to listen to him because he doesn't waste words and goes directly to the point. You can't possibly not know what's he's trying to tell you. This is refreshing. Let me give you the direct link to this video on YouTube so that you can see the four sites he lists under the video that can help you stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Holy Catholic Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCrU7WLf7O4

***Be Masters of the World

        Many things such as our upbringing, the neighborhood we live in, the kind of family we were born into, economic conditions, government policies, social norms—in fact, all our life experiences—influence and shape us. My point is we must let the God of Christ alone influence and shape us so that we may in turn influence and shape everything around us. We must be masters of and not slaves to the world! Start with Christ, ground yourselves deep in him, and do his will always to be free of the influences of the world. Let the Lord be your master first, then you'll become masters of the world. 

***Ready to Go to God?

        Simeon, after seeing Baby Jesus at his presentation to the Lord at the temple, was ready to die in peace. For the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. Am I ready to go in peace too? Yes, because although I have not seen Jesus, I have gotten to know him so well that seeing him is not going to help me believe in him more. Besides, there's nothing left in the world worthy pursuing anymore. If Jesus is not ready for me to go because his work for me is not yet complete, that would be fine too. The important thing is that we be ready for him. 

***Abandonment to God Only Choice*

         Some people such as St. Thérèse of Lisieux fell in love with God when they were still children, while many others can't bring themselves to believe in God at a ripe old age. Were we born differently? We have Judas Iscariot who was with Jesus like the other Apostles, yet he became a traitor, while the others went on to become martyrs and/or saints. This is a mystery I honestly do not understand. As I pray for some of my loved ones, I face the same dilemma. So what am I to do? The only conclusion I can come to is that I must hand all the ones I pray for completely over to God. I do my part, but they are completely under his care now. The general conclusion is that I must abandon myself to the Lord in all things. I know that the Lord desires that we do not worry or be anxious about anything; this is to show that we have faith in him. Let us abandon ourselves to the Lord to become free in him.

***God's Most Momentous, Definitive Saying

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus says that everyone who believes in him has eternal life. This has to be the most momentous, definitive statement of all time. It could've only come from the Lord. It's a statement every human being must perk up their ears to give it their utmost attention.

**Evangelization Tips

         To evangelize effectively, we must appeal to the hearts of others, not their minds. Telling others to love God never works; you need to show why he deserves to be loved. The focus should always be on the Lord. Sharing your personal experience always beats presenting any impersonal knowledge.

**Living for Christ Alone (New Freedom)*

        Life is most fulfilling when you live for Christ alone. You sense that you are fulfilling his wishes now and know that you'll be with him forever a little later. People normally try to fulfill themselves by doing what they like to do for themselves. And in many cases, they do accomplish something quite beautiful and satisfying. But without God, any fulfillment will be experienced only in this life. To live for Christ, you only need to do all things, whether big or little, for him. For example, when you take the garbage out, just humbly tell the Lord that you're doing it for him. Since you no longer do anything for your own sake, you'll feel a new freedom!

***In Tune with God

         The Lord God loves us and wants us to have eternal life. Can you think of anything better for us than that? I don't think so. Therefore, if we go along with him, we receive the best. Because we have the true God, the God of Christ, we can confidently submit ourselves to him, trust in him, and follow his every word without question. Then we'll be in tune with God completely, living in freedom and peace. This is the way it should be. Again, it is easily attained when you let him be your Lord.  

**No Longer Hungry or Thirsty

        In today's Gospel from John 6, Jesus said to the crowd, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." I can testify to you that what Jesus had said is true. Of course, there is still the physical hunger for food and thirst for water, but all the other deeper needs have all been fulfilled. Once you have the Lord, nothing else can possibly satisfy you anymore.

***Pray, Pray, Pray

        This has been a command coming from heaven consistently for our salvation. There are short prayers you can say pretty much at any time. The 14-word Jesus Prayer is well-known—"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." You can almost pray this unceasingly. You can even shorten it down to "Lord, have mercy on me (or the world)." It's your heart's intention that counts, not how you exactly say the words. If the Holy Spirit inspires you, say whatever he wants you to say. Of course, praying doesn't mean praying aloud either, for hearing the words in your own mind is just as good. The important thing is to pray as much as possible for yourself and others, as the future of the world depends upon our prayers.

***God Is Forever

        I rejoice that my God is forever. Naturally, he exists forever. I cannot possibly comprehend forever or infinity without a forever, infinite God. Do you know that his love for us is forever? That the life he wants to give us will last forever? But know that if we get ourselves condemned, we'll be separated from him forever too. So remain with him always to be on the right side forever.

*****Our Most Fundamental Concerns

        (1) Sin We face all kinds of problems in life, but sin is a fundamental one we must deal with before we die. Burdened with sins, you die, and you are lost forever. Your soul must be liberated from your sins to gain spiritual freedom. 
        (2) Relationship with God It is God who has created you and wants to save you. He is the source of all life and he is as important to you as your own life! A close relationship with him is fundamental and essential. Being one with him is absolutely the most beautiful, rewarding relationship you can ever have with him.
        (3) Eternal life Another fundamental issue of critical importance to deal with. Get that settled and secured while you are still alive on earth, and you'll be happy forever!
        The good news is that all these three fundamental concerns are inextricably intertwined and can be easily taken care of at the the same time.

**We. Need Prayers

       In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus said to the crowd, "Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set the seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." Jesus gave us the simple answer to accomplish the works of God. We just believe in him, follow and obey him, and that's it! Why do we make it so complicated and hard for ourselves? The Lord has made it so simple and straight forward that we don't even need to figure out what to do. We have a clear and sure guide to eternal life and we still drag my feet! Again, we are the ones who need prayers the most.

***Calling for Praying for Ourselves!

       The Lord had suffered so much agony for us already when he died for us on the cross. The greatest agony he is suffering today is that we still do not believe in him, ignore him, outright reject him, and even deliberately bear false witness against him. If you have any heart, try putting yourself in his position to see how you would feel. We need to pray, pray, and pray for ourselves foremost!

*****Establish a Terrific Relationship with God***

        Here is the simple way to be on great terms with the Lord God: you just be completely truthful to him. You hide nothing and tell him everything from your heart. That is, you are completely open and frank to him. The Lord is already open to you, so now he will simply reciprocate by telling you everything from his heart. What a terrific, satisfying, privy relationship! 😇😇😇

***Our Heart Belongs to God***

        It is interesting that we know that our head does the thinking and our heart, the feeling. The heart is defiled when evil thoughts prevail. We are happiest when we follow a pure heart. Do you know that the Devil can only brainwash you, never capturing your heart? But God can totally win your heart through his selfless love for us. Therefore, give your heart to him and you can forget about the Devil and enjoy peace and freedom in your God.

*More than Being Good

        A good Christian is justified by God. This is the big difference from being just good.