**Living by Prayer*

        The world has become increasingly blasphemous and godless. Christians are being marginalized and persecuted. But we do have Christ on our side and praying to him provides us with strength and endurance. I now say the Lord's Prayer every chance I get. It seems that I am living from prayer to prayer, and it has turned out to be a rewarding experience. The Lord will be coming (or we'll be going to him), so praying unceasingly is a great way to prepare ourselves for meeting him, especially now when the need for prayer has never been so urgent.

**Test Questions for Christians

         Today's Gospel acclamation based upon John 15.16: I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord. Two questions to test yourself if you consider yourself a Christian: (1) Are you aware that God has chosen you? (2) If yes, are you bearing fruit that will last? Not being able to give two firm yeses shows that you have much catch-up to do.

**God Calling All of Us

         Today is Feast of Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. How the Lord called Paul to serve him was most dramatic. From Acts 9, we learn that Paul was on his way to Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment any men or women who followed the way of Jesus. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, Sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so his companions led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see. Then the Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to Paul to lay his hands on him and say to him, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. 

       Sometimes I wish that God would call each one of us this way, but the Lord had chosen Paul to be his special instrument to carry his name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. He calls us too to be his instruments to do what suits us best. It's not how the Lord calls us that's important; rather, it's how we respond to his calling that matters.

**Overwhelmed at Mass

         It was a cold, windy, and cloudy day. Fr. S celebrated today's outdoor Mass. He is a young priest, but I respect him very much for always saying Mass with great reverence. The Lord filled me with hope, no matter how dark times seem. After I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I looked up and saw the entire sky filled with grey clouds. I realized the immensity of the universe and my smallness, yet the creator of this universe had just entered me to dwell within me! I am connected with him! It was an overwhelming feeling that God should care so much. One of those life's unforgettable moments. 

**Our Great Consolation

          Knowing that you'll have eternal life with God in heaven.

***How God Has Fulfilled Me

        Before I knew Christ, I was not a happy person as I searched for the meaning of life. I felt inadequate and wanted to be somebody. Even after I had accepted Christ, I was still struggling with myself. I wanted to do certain things, but wasn't able to for various reasons, so I was frustrated and saw myself as a failure. Looking back, I could have easily committed serious sins on various occasions, but the Lord had always held me back, so I want to thank him for that grace. We all want to be successful in the eyes of the world, but that certainly doesn't mean that you'll be happy. My first breakthrough came in the 1970s when I got involved with the Charismatic Renewal within the Church. It was the Holy Spirit who set my heart on fire as I searched for him. I was never the same again. The Lord God became alive for me and praying became spontaneous. The Lord made me see how easy we could progress spiritually when we submit ourselves to him. I became a happy person, but there's more to learn. In the last twelve years or so, the Lord amazed me further by drawing me deep into him, letting me know that he wishes to draw all to union with him through the Holy Eucharist. This blog was born. Of course, he teaches me the whole time right along. I finally feel that he has fulfilled me fully that my past doesn't mean anything anymore. When you possess God, all else is forgotten. He alone is more than sufficient for us!

**True Wisdom

         I have seen this in certain elderly people. They reach the point knowing that they're going to return to the Lord soon and become unattached to the world. Unfortunately, most of the younger generation do not acquire this wisdom easily, as the world is still very much attractive to them. The whole process of spiritual maturation is about detaching yourself from the world and attaching yourself to God. Growing old can be a blessing. Foolish and sad is the one who lives and dies, remaining a worldling.

***The Perfect Prayer***

         There are thousands or more composed prayers out there. Many of them are inspirational and beautifully written, but many others are just too wordy, unfluent, and sound somewhat contrived. Of all the prayers available to us, the Lord's prayer taught us by Jesus himself has to the most perfect prayer. You cannot take away a word from or add one to it. If there is one prayer I must choose, this one has to be it. This is the prayer that defines our relationship with God. If you pray it unceasingly from your soul, it will transform you. 

**Worse than Gambling

         When you gamble at a casino, you have at least a chance of winning some money if you are lucky. But if you reject Christ and believe that you'll be all right, then you'll absolutely lose everything: money, body, and soul, in the end. The wise will not gamble with their money and never bet against God!

***The BIG Awakening!

        In today's reading 1 from Hebrews 9, Paul referred to the God of Christ as the living God. We know that there can be only one true God. Whoever says that all religions will lead you to the same God is pure nonsense, putting is mildly. Anything that sows confusion comes from the Evil One. First off, all the non-Christian religions contradict each other and Christianity. So if you reject Christ now, you'll have the biggest awakening coming to you after you die: you'll realize that you had rejected the only God. I thought it would be good to let all know this now. Of course, you can say that it's your belief against mine. But are you sure about your belief? I know that I am absolutely certain about mine as I've said before, "When God personally reveals the truth to you, you just know that it is true (no proof needed)."

*****Perfect Way of Living

           When you and God are in full union with each other, your will and his will become identical. So you accomplish your will through him while he accomplishes his through you. Now you accomplish the Lord's will triumphantly via his strength—the perfect way to live!

****Complicit in Promoting Evil

         The West Coast Walk for Life will take place in San Francisco tomorrow, followed by the National March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Friday, January 29, next week. Anyone who voted for the current administration which is 100% for abortion partook in promoting abortion for at least four more years, during which time millions of unborn babies may die. I am not trying to scare anyone, for this is reality, and you can always repent your sin to the Lord and be forgiven. It is also a reality that we'll have to answer to the Lord for all our doings. Promoting abortion in any way is going against God who created us in his image, no matter what you think.

**Only One Direction to Go

        Recently, I came to know some people who are exited about finding relatives they've never met or had met when they were still children. After making connections, they are now interested in learning more about all the deceased relatives they can remember. Somehow, I have no desire to delve into the past. Even if you can trace my lineage all the way back to Adam and Eve, I am not excited. Where I came from doesn't matter; it's where I am going that I only care about. Once Christ has set you free, you head straight toward him.

*****Abortion Is an Abomination

        Today is Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. As long as we approve the killing of the unborn, how dare we still ask God to bless us? Should God bless evildoers who do not repent nor change their ways? I think not. For an abomination such as killing the unborn, God will not bless you until you repent and beg for his mercy. Legalizing abortion lies at the root of the disorder of our nation. Let me quote what Mother Teresa said: "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

***Most Horrible Ending***

           Good Christians are now being persecuted. There seem to be Judas everywhere. The division Jesus said that he had come to establish on the earth (in Matthew 10 and Luke 12) is now more clear than ever. The separation between those for him and those against him is sharper than ever. The faithful Christians are going through a horrible time, but this will pass for each of them individually. It's nothing compared to what the evildoers will undergo in the end for all eternity! Pray that they will realize this and turn to God before it's too late.

**Three Days of Darkness

        This video tells how Fr. James Blount received a sign from Mother Mary foreshadowing Three Days of Darkness. Before that happens, I believe that Illumination of Conscience will happen first. 

**Freedoms, True and False

        You can do whatever you want in order to feel free, but this is false freedom. For you do not truly know what's best for you. In a secular world, what attracts you the most may very well be the worst for you soul. You'll realize eventually that one cannot possibly free oneself. You can find true freedom only if you follow Christ, the God who created you. There is no freedom outside of him; for we'll all have to go through him when we leave this world. He alone holds the key to eternal freedom. When you try to be you own lord, you'll end up being your own prisoner. Only when you let Christ be your lord will you find true freedom, for his sole intention is to liberate you from self-enslavement.  

***How to Become Strong

        You can choose doing everything by your own strength or doing everything by God's strength. I prefer the latter because (1) God is infinitely stronger than I and (2) he would be doing most of the work for me. It's so much easier to let him lead me with me just following him every step of the way. This is basically abandoning myself in him, which is basically letting him carrying me all the way.