Day 330: Praying for Others

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

Do not underestimate the power of your prayers.  The greater your trust in the Mercy of God, the more powerful will your prayers be for those who need them.  The Lord knows all things and He knows who needs what.  But He wants to dispense His grace in union with those who ask for it.  Your prayers for others are the most powerful way that you can bring the Mercy of God into this world (See Diary #1603).

Do you pray for others?  If not, resolve to do so.  Your prayer may be for a specific need or a struggle that another is enduring.  But we should always leave the specific result to the Mercy of God.  Offering others to God and trusting that He knows the best outcome for any situation pleases our Lord and wins an abundance of grace for those in need.

Lord, I offer You, this day, all who are troubled and burdened.  I offer You the sinner, the confused, the ill, the imprisoned, the weak of faith, the strong of faith, the religious, the laity and all Your priests.  Lord, have Mercy on Your people, especially upon those in most need.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 329: Confessing with Delight

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

Why do you fear Confession?  This glorious Sacrament is offered to you from the tender Heart of our Lord.  Through this glorious gift Jesus lifts the burdens you carry so that you can more fully share in His Mercy.  If you understood this, there would be no hesitation in running to Confession on a regular basis.  You would desire it not because it reveals your misery, but because it heals it and removes it forever (See Diary #1602).

Try to spend time looking at your attitude toward the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  If you see hesitancy within you, examine the reason.  Is it fear of facing your sin?  Is it fear of facing the priest?  Fear should never be a factor.  Let go of any fear you have by putting your eyes on the end result.  That end result is freedom and union with God.  This is a Mercy you need and will never regret receiving.

Lord, please free me from the fear of this glorious Sacrament.  Help me to see my sins honestly but only as I also gaze upon Your infinite Mercy.  Give my heart a burning desire for this Mercy and a longing for the freedom it brings.  I love You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 328: Heaven

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

Heaven invites us into a life of glory and fulfillment that is beyond what we could ever comprehend.  Not even in Heaven will we fully comprehend the glorious mystery of God and His Mercy.  From Heaven, the saints, radiant with glory and grace, look down upon us with love, seeking to lavish us with the Mercy of God.  Seek Heaven as your primary and ultimate goal in life.  Do all things with this goal in mind and the treasure you will build up for all eternity will be more abundant than you could ever hope for (See Diary #1592).

Do you think about Heaven as your one true desire in life?  Every act of love offered here on Earth will be remembered and exalted in Heaven.  Everything we do on Earth should be but a preparation for the glorious day of our passing from this world into our eternal home.  Ponder your desires and if the glories of Heaven is not front and center, be aware of that fact, redirect your focus and seek to place your eyes on this ultimate prize.  As you look at the beauty and splendor of Heaven, the Lord will draw you to it with a burning desire.

Lord, please flood my heart with the joyful delight of Heaven.  Help me to keep my eyes on this goal and to do all in this life as a preparation for that sweet encounter.  I love You, dear Lord, and have great hope in the day of our perfect union.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 327: The Hidden Presence of God

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

God is hiding.  But why?  He hides under the veil of secrecy and silence so that we will diligently seek Him.  He does not choose to compete with the distractions of the world since He wants you to choose Him as your one desire.  Desire to seek Him, hidden in your heart, hidden in the holy Sacraments, hidden in the silence and hidden in the people whom you encounter throughout your day.  The Lord is there, waiting for you to discover His Heart filled with unfathomable Mercy.  Seek Him with all your might (See Diary #1591).

Ponder the hidden presence of God today.  Be aware of the fact that the presence of God is all around you, constantly calling to you and inviting you into His Heart.  If you allow yourself to become disinterested or distracted by the world, you will never discover how close He is.  Reflect upon His hidden presence and do not hesitate to seek Him today.

Lord, I love You but at times I fail to live that love fully.  I become so very distracted by things that mean little in the end.  Help me to regain my focus and to seek You with all my heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 326: Waiting on the Lord

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

One common struggle many people have is that of impatience.  We tend to want what we want when we want it.  In our fast-paced society we are used to instant everything.  A full meal can be reheated within minutes, text messages can be sent worldwide in seconds, news travels the moment it happens, and for many people almost anything they could ever want or need is generally only a short drive from their homes at the nearest superstore.  All of this fosters a tendency to want what we want when we want it.  But the Lord does not work this way.  He has His own timing which is always in accord with His perfect wisdom.  Very often we can experience a temptation to do what we think is in the best interest of the truth and to do it now.  But sometimes God chooses to wait before He acts.  When He acts, His ways become clear and convincing and His wisdom is unmistakable (See Diary #1587).

Reflect upon your desire to do great things for God or to speak the truth in one situation or another.  Is your impulse from the Lord or is it your own impatience prompting you?  This is an important question to reflect upon because God’s Truth can only come forth at His command, in His time.  If we try to push the Hand of God we will be doing so on our own.  Yes, God will use even our misguided or impatient works for His glory, but our plans done in our way will never accomplish the glorious works of God as He can only accomplish them.  Reflect upon your patience with the Will of God and make an act of surrender this day.  Your trust and surrender will open the doors of Mercy in accord with the perfect Will of God.

Lord, I surrender to You and Your perfect Will.  Give me patience so that I may set aside my own ideas and plans, submitting only to You.  May I learn to wait on You, dear Lord, and act only as You command.  I love You, my God.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 325: Relying on the Saints

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

Imagine the soul who has lived a life filled with complete abandonment to God.  They achieved the heights of holiness and were not deterred by earthly distractions.  Throughout their life they sought to serve our Lord and to be a continual instrument of Mercy for others.  Many people were saved on account of their sanctity and their total devotion to the Will of God.  Now imagine that holy soul entering into the glories of Heaven.  What a profound experience of absolute joy!  Nothing could be more glorious than that moment.  But once in Heaven, is it conceivable that this holy soul will forget about those on Earth?  Is it possible that the people who were loved and served so deeply would disappear from their minds as a result of being in Heaven?  Most certainly not.  In fact, once in Heaven, the holy souls who lived on Earth are even more consumed with a desire to spread the Mercy of God.  Seek out these saints.  Seek their intercession, ask for their inspiration, follow their example and know that you have a myriad of holy men and women seeking to serve you from the glories of Heaven (See Diary #1582).

Ponder the saints this day.  Especially ponder their burning love for you and their desire that all people receive the Mercy of God.  God uses them from Heaven and continually sends them to distribute His grace.  Open your heart to these holy men and women and they will pour forth the Mercy of God into your life.

Oh, holy saints of God!  How glorious you are in your Heavenly splendor!  I thank you for your love and service on Earth and now I call upon your intercession from Heaven.  Please pray for me and for all people that we may imitate your holiness while on Earth and obtain the glory in which you now share.  Saints of God, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 324: That Longed-for Moment

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

What do you long for in life?  If you could pick one thing that you desire above all else what would it be?  Would it be death?  Probably not.  Surprisingly, the greatest saint would probably desire death over anything else in life.  Not an early death or a death of their own choosing; rather, they would see death as the gateway to their true home and anticipate the joy of that encounter with much hope.  This may not be something you normally think about but it’s worth doing so.  When a person has Heaven as their greatest desire it means, in part, that they have come to such a point in life that the things of this world do not matter to them.  They long for Heaven and to be with God eternally.  This does not undermine their love for family and friends.  This love is eternal and will remain with them in Heaven to an even greater degree.  The key to this desire is the realization that Heaven will be so glorious and fulfilling that there is much excitement about obtaining it.  This may not be your normal way of thinking about death but it is worth pondering and examining your earthly desires in the light of this ultimate goal (See Diary #1573).

Spend time today pondering death.  But do so in a new way.  Look at it not as an end to your life; rather, see it as the beginning of a new and glorious life of perfect fulfillment.  Reflecting upon death does not mean you wish for it to come soon.  We should only desire to obtain Heaven in accord with God’s timing.  But, nonetheless, we should desire it and desire it with all our soul.  In fact, keeping our eyes on this ultimate prize will help us walk through the hardships we endure here and now.

Lord, of all the many desires and goals I have in life I pray that I may desire Heaven above all else.  Please free me from the foolish desires of this life and set my heart solely on You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Day 323: Your Unique Mission

(A Daily Reflection on Divine Mercy)

God gives to each person a unique mission.  Some are called to very public lives; others are called to quiet and simple lives.  Some are called to use their minds in powerful ways; others are called to use their hearts in special ways, but each person has a unique mission from God.  What is your mission?  Seeking to know what the Lord asks of you is essential to your journey of holiness and, therefore, happiness.  When fully embraced, this mission will bring abundant fulfillment to your life because of one simple fact: every mission is a mission of Mercy.  The struggle many people have is that they embark on selfish endeavors in life, failing to commit all their energies to the work of the Lord.  The Lord wants you to work day and night on His mission.  This is not too much to ask.  In fact, it’s what you were made for and the only way to obtain what you truly desire.  His mission will certainly include moments of fun and rest, work and struggle, laughter and tears.  It will also require a complete death to yourself.  But it’s worth it!  Seek the mission God has given you and embrace it with all your heart.  If you do, the Mercy of God will pour forth through your life (SeeDiary #1567).

Reflect, today, upon this simple question: What is my mission in life?  It may come to you slowly, over time, taking twists and turns as you go.  But never stop seeking to serve our Lord and His perfect plan.  This plan will become the delight of your soul.  Ponder it and if you are on the wrong path, correct your direction in life.

Lord, I thank You for calling me to a blessed and unique mission in life.  I choose, this day, that which You have given to me.  I promise to say “Yes” to You throughout my life and to never tire of fulfilling Your Will.  I love You, Lord.  Help me to love You with my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The inventor of clock, Dor was given a chance to redeem himself for the things and people he lost for questioning the greatest gift God bestowed on men- Time. He was sent to the present time to teach two person the the very essence of the thing he meditated upon. On his journey with Sarah, a girl who wants too little time for feeling unloved and unappreciated and Victor, a man who tried to evade death, Dor realized that in yearning for all the things that he lost, he forgot the things that he still have.

I unhesitantly rated this great book of Albom because aside from its story, it made me realizes too that the reason why God limits everyone's time limited is that to make every moment precious- not nursing the past but rather unwrapping the Present- the valuable gift we most of the times took for granted..

Complaining on something will never do any good. It will only eat the appropriate time we should be starting and rising from the recent fall. Everyday, look for something that will make us good and better than who we were yesterday...Godbless us all.

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Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I rated this book with 5-star after realizing something very important in life that I have just found after some mystified moments upon finishing the book. At first I thought I will just finish the book just to say that I've read it but after closing the cover page of the book I even asked the same question Pi gave to the two japanese officials, "Which story do you prefer?" And like how the japanese officials and Yann Martel in the movie chose his version of the story with the Bengal Tiger and the orangutan and the hyena and zebra so as I. And afterwards Pi added, "so as with God"...

This maybe a little philosophical and theologically explained that I tried to digest for some moments of silence. Its message is hidden but the answer will always be upon us. Upon you.

Pi practiced hindu,catholicism and islam.Each of them have its own theological perspective and ideologies that contradicts each one. But this book makes me realized that it is us who make our own way to make our religion be different from the others and upon nursing them ensing up with which who religion is true. It is like two person looking for the one side of the coin and the one with the other side. The one looking t the head may tell that it is the true face of the coin while the other may argue that his is the right picture but they didnt realize that they are looking at what they are arguing- a coin. Same as with God, we manage to debate on who is the real God but we forget to see that it is still the same God who we are worahipping. the creator, the savior and the loving of all. If that religion can make you whole and pleasing to God be good at it. No argument.

Lastly this book seems not just only the Life of Pi but it coukd the the Life of Yours...

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