Making Life Meaningful

        The God of Christ gives meaning to life. The more you cling to him, the more life becomes meaningful.

To Change the World

          The day before yesterday, I received a couple of thoughts from the Lord after I went to bed. I thought of getting up to jot them down on paper lest I forget, but I was too tired and fell asleep. The next morning I couldn't quite recall what they were. Today, as if to compensate for their loss, the Lord gave me a burst of almost 20 thoughts in quick succession. I'll try to blog them all this morning. 

        First, if we want to change the world, we must start by changing ourselves first. This is basic.

Biggest Fools

        God is the Lord. He created us and everything else. He keeps us breathing and supplies what we need for living while we are still alive. We can do whatever we want, but that will not change the fact that we shall ultimately be judged by him since all are in his hands. Therefore, atheists are the biggest fools (dumbest gamblers too).   

Destiny Warning

        If you let God control your destiny, you'll always end up where he is. Should you decide to control your own destiny, you may end up where you do not want to go. That is, he who follows God will be with him, but he who follows himself risks losing his way. 

*Look Beyond

        Just realize that September has begun. How time flies! We are heading into fall toward the end of the year. It seems that time marches on relentlessly and we are speedily heading toward eternal union with God or eternal separation from him, nonstop. I am not trying to cause apprehension in anyone; I am only stating reality. In fact, some of us would be pleased to know that they are getting closer to be united with the Lord in person, their beloved Father. In anything, looking far beyond always pays off. In this case, our eternal destiny is at stake.

*Beautiful Realization

        Today's Gospel reading came from Luke 5. Jesus got into Simon (Peter) the fisherman's boat and started teaching the crowds on shore. After he stopped speaking, he asked Simon to put into deep water and lower the nets. Simon and his partners had worked hard all night and caught nothing, but nevertheless, he obeyed. And they caught such a great number of fish that their nets were tearing. The catch filled both his boat and his partners' to the point they were in danger of sinking. Astonishment seized them all. Simon fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." What a beautiful response! If only we would all come to this realization. Of course, we now know that through repentance of our sins, we are reconciled to God.

Foolish Self-Serving

        In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 3, Paul writes that the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God. It came to me this morning that we do not always distinguish God's will from our will. We naturally choose to follow the world's way and do what we feel comfortable doing, not giving any thought to whether it's God's will or not. Self-serving comes first and we become foolish in the eyes of God. Only intimate union with God can make us more aware of God's will.

*How to Be Chosen

        Today's Response from Psalm 33 at Mass: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Does God choose his own people? Yes. Can you get him to choose you? Yes too. All you need to do is to ask him to choose you. 

Most Wonderful Day

        This would be the a most wonderful day on earth if every earthling turns to God, acknowledges his or her sins, repents of them, and asks for God's forgiveness. Can this happen? Maybe.     

*Faith Has to Be Meaningful

        Faith to be meaningful must be voluntary. If God in some way forces us to believe in him, we really do not have faith on our own. I don't believe anyone would want to follow a tyrannical god. Our God, the God of Christ, who is love, proclaims the good news of salvation and waits for us to respond ~ this is all fair and square. 

The Spirit Difference

        Unclean demons and spirits possess a person by taking control and subduing the subject. They must be cast out of the possessed as Jesus did in his days on earth. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit of God enters us only with our permission and leaves us when we reject him. He fully respects our free will and never tries to gain control of us. He only inspires, uplifts, and purifies us, empowering us to live a holy life in freedom.  

Stubborn Hearts

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4, Jesus taught on the sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum. A man with the spirit of an unclean demon cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!" What's interesting is that unclean spirits know who Jesus is and obey him, but many of us human beings do not. Shouldn't the Incarnation of Jesus and the examples of Paul and other great saints be sufficient evidence for us to believe?

Union Experience

        In today's first reading at Mass from 1 Corinthians 2, the following which Paul wrote resonates with me: We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

The Christ Difference

        They are many people who do not know Jesus. They are basically good people who won't harm anyone. When life becomes a mystery to them, finding no clear answers they are resigned to that fact. What's missing is hope and joy. Christ makes all the difference. With him, living becomes uplifting and is filled with hope. What a joy to know and have a loving Savior! There is so much to look forward to, for the best is still to come. Yes, it's upbeat all the way. Alleluia!  

Wise and Merciful God

        Each one of us is a unique being with strengths and weaknesses known to God. When we sincerely wish to serve God, he always makes use of our strengths to the point that our weaknesses practically become nonexistent. He is such a wise and merciful Lord.

**Secret to Life

        As Jesus said, narrow is the gate that leads to life. Do you know that if you open wide your heart to God, that gate opens wide too?

Asking for an Overhaul

        I attended Vigil Mass today. My Communion experience. I wanted God to take away not just all my sins, but also everything that shouldn't be in my heart I didn't know about. In other words, I asked for a thorough overhauling.

Submitting to God Is...

submitting to Pure Love. Why should you hesitate?