In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13 on the parable of the sower, Jesus said, "To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Does this sound fair? In reality, this law works in our material world well. And it works spiritually too. It has to do with the mindset. If you want to become holy, God will help you and you grow holier and holier. One the other hand, if you don't believe in God and reject all his graces, you end up losing even your own soul. It's all simple and logical. It's the haves vs. the have-nots. The former understands everything, while the latter knows nothing.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
***World without the Word***
Today's alleluia at Mass: The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will have life forever. Christ is constantly sowing the word of God. It falls on us, but we do not accept it. So we remain apart from him and yield nothing. And we'll end up worse than being nothing! This is the sad state of the world. Hardened hearts are to be most pitied.
**Suffering Leads to Glory
Paul wrote in today's second reading from Romans 8: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. Through this saying, the Lord made me see that we as sinners must undergo suffering in order to be able to know God's glory. It's like we must go through fire to be purified. If there are no sufferings, we are already in heaven. Suffering makes heaven all the more sweet. Revelation 21.4: God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away. I can't wait.
*Responding to God's Words
In Matthew 24.35, Jesus said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." In that case, we must believe in and follow every word he has said and is saying to us now.
Different, but Unified as One
God has made us all differently. He wants all of us to be holy, but holy in our own individual way. Let him make the best of us so that we might become like him. Again, we still remain ourselves, each a disciple of his, but now united as one in him.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
**Church Burning!
Two church fires, one in Florida and one in California. The first Florida church burning is definitely premeditated. The second is still being investigated. Watch the first 15 minutes or so to learn about the Florida incident. You can witness a small miracle there. It's time to consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary if you have done so yet. Pray the Rosary daily.
***Pity the Evildoers!
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known." Pity the evildoers who are already getting themselves condemned when God has not even judged them yet!
***Padre Pio's Healing Prayer
Beautiful, Powerful words.
Below is the full text of the prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me. I thank you for sending your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the world to save and to set me free. I trust in your power and grace that sustain and restore me. Loving Father, touch me now with your healing hands, for I believe that your will is for me to be well in mind, body, soul and spirit. Cover me with the most precious blood of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Cast anything that should not be in me. Root out any unhealthy and abnormal cells. Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild and replenish any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection by the power of Jesus’ precious blood. Let the fire of your healing love pass through my entire body to heal and make new any diseased areas so that my body will function the way you created it to function. Touch also my mind and my emotion, even the deepest recesses of my heart. Saturate my entire being with your presence, love, joy and peace and draw me ever closer to you every moment of my life. And Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to do your works so that my life will bring glory and honour to your holy name. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
**Difference Awareness-of-God Makes
If you are only aware of living this life, you will end up doing many wrong things, since you don't have truth guiding you. On the other hand, if you are fully aware that there is life after death, that heaven and hell are real, and that God can save you, you will live this life doing all the right things to stay on the path that will take you straight to God and heaven.
***Unavoidable Moment of Obedience
While on earth, we can choose to obey or disobey God. After we die and go before the Lord, we'll absolutely have no say but obey when he tells us where to go: heaven, purgatory, or hell. Be smart and learn to obey him on earth.
Friday, July 10, 2020
**Letting Nothing Upset You
Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow nor be afraid. This challenges us, but deep down we know he is right. Why should we let anything upset us? How foolish of us to want everything to happen the way we want! Who are we? This is rebellion against God, causing the world to be in such a sorry state. Overall, God is in total control. We are living through a tiny chunk of time and shall be gone. While here, he just wants us to trust in him, experience inner peace, and secure our own soul. Anything more is from the evil one.
***Be Holier than Others
One should never think that he is holier than others, but he may desire to be the holiest person in the world, not out of pride, but out of his desire to humble himself before the Lord. We often see others' faults easily, but not our own serious sins. Our first order of business should be to perfect ourselves as much as we can and not ever compare ourselves with others. Some of the great saints saw themselves as the most wretched sinner before the Lord, and they were exalted by him.
**Learning to Fight the Spiritual War
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus talked about coming persecutions. I am going to quote some of the things the Lord said to the Apostles that impressed me: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." To be simple as doves is to remain pure and to be shrewd as serpents is to be smart enough not to fall into the traps of the Devil."
"Men will hand you over to courts and scourge you in synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." When you depend upon God to the utmost, he will always come through for you. The Lord can and is to be relied upon to the max, for he is infinite.
"You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved." Never forget this. Be strong and tough in the Lord to endure whatever comes our way. Never give up and always hope in him. Our best awaits us.!
***Knowing Your Freedom in God!***
In John 8.32, Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." How true that is! Once I know the Lord, I know that I am free. It's not just the feeling or something I heard—I just know it in my heart. When God lets you know something, you truly know what you know! This is a wonder of God those who do not know him cannot comprehend.
***Another Wake-Up Call*
If you can realize for a split second that the Lord has a truly merciful soft heart filled with pure love for you, you will be so overwhelmed and filled with grief for yourself and want to prostrate yourself before him to ask for forgiveness and love him with all your heart, all you mind, and all your soul! But if you close your heart always, you sentence yourself to living a miserable life forever. This I can tell you.
*Law of Reciprocity
In Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Of course, we are weak and cannot always perform as well as we'd like to, but it's our intention that matters. Back in Matthew 11, Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." So the Lord can lighten all our burdens. If we'll let him, we can be strong as we want! When we wish to serve him well, he will serve us well.
**Difficult Question Made Easy
The difficult question: "Should I believe in Christ?" Ask yourself this easy question first: "Do I want to go to heaven?" The two questions are different, yet the same.
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