July 11, 1998 (P.S.: July 17,19,20,22,23,26,27,30,31)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

How are you? It is nice to communicate with you again. Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Benedict of Nursia (481-547, A.D.) who received the title of patriach of Western monasticism. Indeed, the contemplative lifestyle has sometimes been described by both the East and the West as an "angelic life". At the same time, this form of Christian living is known to be most detached from worldly ties and most involved in one's "loving union with God".

Although not every one is called to be a monk, every one in the human family without exception is called to be in constant "loving union with God". One may describe it as the goal of all creation, salvation, sanctification, education, relaxation, receiving the sacraments, going to Heaven, daily living, etc. In short, one may say that our "loving union with God" is the ultimate goal of all human existence, in the past, present and future.

As many people today are seeking a "loving union with God", many of us seem to have forgotten that perhaps the exact opposite is equally true, i.e., God is seeking a loving union with us. Whatever God has done or allowed to happen, it seems to be God's ultimate goal in both the short and long run. It appears to be God's wisdom and nature to often afflict the too comfortable and comfort the afflicted in varying degrees, so that we may ever attain a closer walk or union with God. Happy are we who can see this ultimate realty and meaning always.

Let us approach the World Cup final (July 12) with this goal in mind. Hence, even after the whole series of soccer games is finished, we may not feel in any way empty but be ever refreshed to do God's will.

May the whole Divine Heavenly Family be with us always!

Yours sincerely in Christ and Our Heavenly Mother,

The editor

P.S.1 (July 17) Yesterday the Church celebrated the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. As a reminder (for both you and me), don't forget to pray the Litany of Our Lady after your Rosary (whenever you have the time). As a popular analogy portrays, it is often better than eating the icing of a cake when you say it very slowly and meditatively, full of love for Our Heavenly Mother. Try it and you will experience this very truth for yourself. To download the Litany, click here.

P.S.2 (July 19) Today is the birthday of one of our friends. One may say God created us to attain a "loving union with us". Apparently, for the very same reason, God redeems us, sanctifies us, educates us, blesses us, prunes us, forgives us, gives us Our Heavenly Mother, sends us to Heaven, and especially unites with us through the Blessed Sacrament. For an awesome quote on Christ's Holy Eucharistic Communion with us, click here. In spite of everything, we Catholics should be unceasingly proud of and be unceasingly grateful to God for this infinite gift of Christ whom even the whole universe (of universes) itself cannot contain. Have we not been freely yet most undeservedly given the greatest Treasure of more than the whole universe?

P.S.3 (July 20) As God is all in all, our communication and union with God is often improved by our communication and union with our sisters and brothers in God. Likewise, our communication and union with others is often improved by our communication and union with God. Both are important. Yet, as the Scriptures deal with the two Great Commandments of God (cf. Mt 22:37-40; Lk 10:26-28; Mk 12:29-31), our union with God is greater than our union with others.

P.S.4 (July 22) To help elaborate the concept "all in all", a note seems fitting here. As it is, God being "all in all" is a process which needs continuous response from all creation so that God may be forever "all in all" at last in the universe totally transformed (cf.1 Cor 15:28), except in those beings or parts who remain forever un-transformable, un-sanctifiable or un-heavenizable (i.e., those who are self-condemned to Hell). Indeed, our union with God is best improved when are in communion, communication and union with God, as well as with those who have continuously responded to God and allowed God to be "all in all" in them, e.g., the Holy Angels and Saints. In brief, we need to be in constant communion, communication and union with the Divine Heavenly Family (i.e., the Holy Trinity together with Its whole family of Holy Angels and Saints), as well as with the people of God on earth, however imperfect they are sometimes. This may help unfold in part the mystery which the Church calls the Communion of Saints.

P.S.5 (July 23) Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373). We are grateful to her for many insights about Christ and Our Blessed Mother. We will list some of them in due time.

P.S.6 (July 26) We must admit that we can afford only a few minutes to a few hours every now and then working on this website. The P.S. (postscript) system set up here would then give us greater freedom and convenience (in greater frequency or infrequency) to add new addenda almost instantly, without going through an elaborate publication system like that of a journal or book. Hence, the new contents may be subject to minor revisions later upon further examination. Unless it is a major revision, the date will not be revised.

As there is no perfect writing, many authors in retrospect would have done almost anything to further perfect their published works. Usually it is too late to do so in conventional publications. This imperfection, however, can be easily corrected by electronic publishing. This is part of its pros and cons which may take a while for the general public to normalize it. We do ask for your much-appreciated pardon and understanding for this unconventional way of communication here. Thank you, our dear sisters and brothers in Christ.

P.S.7 (July 27) The First Reading at Mass yesterday (Gen 18:20-32) portrayed the unspeakable importance of being a truly good Christian (or Abraham-like intercessor, reparator, negotiator, prophet, etc.) for the world, or for a certain person, community, situation, etc. In the case of Sodom, when God did not find the required number of righteous persons, God went ahead and destroyed the city (cf.Gen 19:24-28). However, in the case of Nineveh, God did not annihilate the city after the people repented (cf. Jon 3:10). "The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them." (Jon 3:5)

Rev. George Maloney, S.J., in his excellent work Listen, Prophets! (N.J.: Dimension Books, no date given), strongly calls on every Christian to pursue this prophetic vocation for others. He concludes: "Today the world has desperate need for prophets who mediate Jesus Christ and His intercessory power before the Father's throne on behalf of the human race." (p.154) Following Christ's perfect example, many truly good Christians appear to have become Abraham-like negotiators or intercessors for the world and others. Pius XI in Miserentissiumus Redemptor calls Our Heavenly Mother the intercessory Reparatress.

Without doubt, conversion or repentance of hardened sinners is one of the greatest miracles after the Transubstantiation of the consecrated bread and wine. As the Church teaches, the spiritual state in which we die is the spiritual state in which we will live, whether fully sanctified in Heaven, to be further sanctified (or purgated) in Purgatory, or forever un-sanctifiable (i.e., beyond purgation) in Hell. Indeed, if the devils and those living in Hell could repent, Hell would instantly turn into Purgatory and eventually into Heaven. This bespeaks clearly our noble yet heavy responsibility to pray daily for the conversion of hardened sinners which oftentimes occurs, as experienced nuns and priests have told us, in the last moments of their lives. For our encouragement, there was a person who had to pray for his friend daily for 59 years before his final conversion.

As we cannot face God empty-handed before God's Judgment Seat at the end of our earthly life, we may like to start doing some (more) works of mercy for the world and those in our family and neighbourhood, etc.. For an excellent way, click here.

P.S.8 (July 30) If we were to focus with our rational mind on God's infinite love or mercy, the existence of Hell and anyone remaining there for all eternity would become absolutely ridiculous and incomprehensible.

If we were to mediate on God's infinite justice alone, we might wonder why we had not been treated like the fallen angels who were given no second chance. The truth is that "we were God's enemies, but He made us His friends through the death of His Son. " (Rom 5:10)

If we were to mediate on God's infinite holiness in light of God's infinite love and justice, it might become easier for us to accept the teaching of the Church and the revelation of countless Saints about the mystery of Hell that Hell is everlasting and that many can go there. How can those who remain forever un-sanctifiable (i.e., irreversibly diabolical) become ever united in love with God who is by nature infinitely holy? If God allowed those irreversibly satanic to really enter into Heaven, would Heaven and its environment not become instantly and irreversibly contaminated and destroyed? God's infinite love and justice for those who are forever sanctified in Heaven (or redeemed by the unfathomed suffering of Christ and oftentimes their countless crosses) absolutely and eternally forbid it.

Above all, God does not condemn anyone to Hell. God has been dying, and in fact the Son of God has literally suffered and died, to redeem us from our self-condemnation to Hell. As we know, it is our conscious mortal sin or unrepentance from it which condemns us there.

If the above or any writing cannot convey well the truth about Hell, that does not mean the non-existence or nonsense of it, etc. We might have to prayerfully fall back to and humbly accept the teaching of the Church (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, pp. 221-222; etc.), if not also the affirmation of countless canonized Saints and mystics. As we know, it is almost impossible to readily accept such a doctrine in this scientific age in which science together with our rational mind have generally become the ultimate measurement of everything [cf. Ian G. Barbour, Religion in an Age of Science (New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, 1990)].

P.S.9 (July 31) Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. Let us pray for the Jesuits as well as all the other clergy in the Church for their innumerable sacrifices and services for us.