"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Friday, January 6, 2023

**Don't Live for Your Possessions

        We know one day we'll leave this world. Take a good look at all your possessions. After that day, you'll lose them all, for you'll have no more control over them and it's bye-bye forever. Realizing this, I hope you'll see all you things and your attachment to them differently. Putting it mildly, it's just plain silly to live for all those material things that you'll lose forever soon. Besides, they don't care a bit about you.   

***No Double Life*

         Live only for Christ in all things at all times. Make his judgment of you a pleasure.

***Our Greatest Power

        Today Friday I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Jesus foreknew the agony and all the sufferings he'd have to undergo, yet he went thru them in total obedience to the Father with the greatest humility. How was that possible? This answer came to me: "Love makes all things possible." You see, nothing is impossible for God and he is love.

**Most Content Feeling

        Communion experience. I now have my Lord and my God—it'd be impossible for me to feel more content.

**To Be Holy, or Not to Be Holy

        The Holy Spirit makes us holy, so if you don't want to be filled with the Spirit, it's in a way telling the Lord that you don't quite want to be holy. Our intention is alway important to the Lord. It's much better that you have the best intention even if it turns out that you don't quite make it. 

**Be Filled with Holy Spirit!*

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, we learn from John the Baptist that while he had baptized people with water, Jesus would baptize all with the Holy Spirit. It stands to reason that if you wish to be filled with the Holy Spirit, just ask the Lord for it. This is a request he'll always grant, for what you want is exactly what he ardently wants for you.

**Living the Christian Life

        A Christian who lives for the Lord leads a two-track life. He feels and suffers for the wounds inflicted upon the Lord by the world, and at the same time rejoices in the great mercy the Lord has on his soul. 

Thursday, January 5, 2023

**Common Sense and Beyond (God's Existence)*

        This thought came earlier which I forgot to blog. Not everyone believes that God exists. But common sense tells us that if God does exist, he would be at a much higher level, super intelligent and almighty. So if we, who don't even know how much longer we are going to live on this earth, think that we can know everything and don't need God, this would be sheer folly. Anyway, nothing can replace God. If you have no God, your existence is devoid of meaning. Common sense again. The great evidence showing that God exists and is even our loving Father is Christ Jesus. This is personal experience going way beyond common sense.

***Why Christ Is Indispensable***

        He is because only he can make you perfect. You need him unless you have no sin or choose to remain in sin forever. I am being frank about this.

**Our Cooperation Needed

        Jesus wants to be one with us. We only need to want to be one with him to make miracles happen. 

**Joy of Knowing That Jesus Knows Me

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, Philip found Nathanael and told him that he had found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth; and brought him to see Jesus. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael believed and said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." The Lord knows everything about anyone and I feel the great joy of knowing that he knows everything about me. So I believe in him and he looks after and takes complete care of me.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

***God Can Turn Things Around

        I started watching this video a few hours ago and was greatly saddened to hear that numerous Catholics in northeastern Nigeria were hunted downed, killed, with their homes and churches burned and destroyed by the Boko Haram, the Islamic terrorist sect that aimed at wiping out Western education. After I learned such atrocities, I felt such a heavy burden that I wanted to pray extra hard for these persecuted Catholic brothers and sisters. Then the electricity went out because of the current storm. I had no choice but to go to bed and prayed a Rosary in the dark. A couples of hours later, lights came back on and I got up to finish watching the video. It turned out things did turn around and the Church now is growing bigger and faster than ever, and I rejoice at that. Watch the video to hear the whole story from the bishop there. Never lose our faith in our God, for he is loving and almighty. I am thankful to the Holy Mother for saying fiat always to the Lord in serving him. 

***One and Only True God***

        Loving Jesus fulfills all one's desires. I can testify to that. I believe that as our loving creator, he has made us this way so that if we get lost, we'll want to look for him. Also, the Lord loves us and desires that we love him back. To think that he won't be able to satisfy us completely is just absurd. By all this, I know that Christ is our one and only true God.

**Quick Way to Heaven

        To skip purgatory and go straight to heaven after you die, do everything out of love for God.  

***Maximum Reward***

        Communion experience. I received what would make me incorrupt and immortal The Lord is surely good!

***To Be Perfect and Happy

        Zeal for God comes from God. In fact, all good things come from him, for he wants to maker us perfect and happy. We can never be totally happy if we are not perfect. So connect yourself to the Lord to receive all the good things from him to make you perfect and happy. The Lord has all you need. If you ask for the good things, he'll always give them to you.

**Called and Begotten

        Today is the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. In reading 1 from 1 John 3, the Apostle writes that "no one who is begotten by God commits sin." In the Gospel reading from John 1, Jesus calls his first disciples. We who now follow the Lord should know that he has called us and God has begotten us. This is an important realization. Not being aware of this can impede our spiritual progress. Converts often realize this more than cradle Catholics. Know that we are special and reborn, destined for doing great things for God's glory.

**To Be Humble Is to Be Humble

        If you acknowledge that you are nothing before the Lord, you should do the same before all others too. This may be hard to do, but if you truly want to be humble for God's sake, shouldn't you go all the way?