Saturday after Epiphany

The one who possesses the bride is the bridegroom; this reflects a person's longing and the search for a deeper connection. St. Augustine said “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee."

John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.

Catholic life represents an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb. To participate in the banquet, your soul, mind, and body should be in harmony. 

The Bride, Bridegroom, and best man serve as three metaphors for Catholic life. The Bride represents the soul in the presence of the Lord, reflecting the inner realm of an individual. The Bridegroom symbolizes a joyful heart in the presence of its bride. The best man signifies the outer person who embraces the voice of the heart. Together, these elements depict the total joy of a person.

This describes a person's total condition when in the presence of the Lord. In that presence, an individual seeks only His will, and the Lord hears and provides for whatever is requested.

1 John 5:14 And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 3:21 Beloved, if  hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God. 22 and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

To approach this presence, we must have confidence in him. Our hearts should not condemn us. Therefore, it is important to keep his commandments and do what is pleasing to him.

The rosary is an effective tool for aligning a person's three states—bride, bridegroom, and best man—enabling them to participate in this feast and experience complete joy. The rosary serves as Jacob's ladder, connecting the physical and spiritual realms.

Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean. This cry will change every situations of Life.

Luke 1:9 Zechariah was chosen to enter the sanctuary of the Lord; 13.The angel said “Your prayer has been heard." 19 And the angel said to him “I am Gabriel who stand before God." .

For God to hear a prayer, you have to enter His presence. Prayer is about engaging with God.

To enter His presence : 

1. Realize the Call to enter His presence(Upright reason )

2. Like His presence(a meek heart).

3. Likeness to His presence (Cultivate habits that reflect His virtues).

4. Have an awakened soul.

5. Internally focused brain .

6. Aligned soul heart and body(harmony).

7. Surrendered state of self. (Will)

To enter His presence, one must surrender their state of self. This requires a coordination between a person's internal and external states.

For the internal state, the soul needs to be alive and active. For the external state, it requires the coordination of three faculties: an internally focused mind, a gentle heart, and virtuous habits (muscle memory).

Spiritual sleep, spaghetti brain, selfish heart, and sinful habits will all break the harmony of a person.

When God speaks, a selfish heart grows hard. If we fall into the trap of life's worries, we will not hear God's voice. Negative habits also prevent us from hearing God's voice.

The easiest way to attain a surrendered state of self is

by chanting four Rosaries daily and meditating on all the mysteries of Christ and Mary.

A surrendered self, abiding in Christ, and alignment with God's will are the keys for prayer to bear fruit.

True reflection and imagination from an internal state, and true thinking from an external state, should be aligned to execute God's will.