A Last Challenge

        As the year is ending, I am throwing out a challenge to all. Beginning with the new year, live completely as an unknown to the world. That is, live for God alone in secret and receive joy from him in secret. And never forget to spread the good news and hope of Christ every chance you get. May God bless and reward you all abundantly!      

*Be Einstein as Christians

        To me, Einstein is one greatest thinker who has ever existed. He believed in an ordered universe, thought above the ordinary human level and came up with the beautiful and profound general theory of relativity. I wonder if we Christians can possibly reach the height in the spiritual realm comparable to that Einstein had reached in the realm of physics. The answer came in today's Gospel reading from John 1. I'll just quote the first five verses: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This knowledge is revelation from God to the Apostle John, and it is most beautiful and profound. We can also reach our height by achieving union with God. For in union, God's thoughts become ours and all things begin to make sense to us. We see that the Lord is in control and knows exactly what he is doing. And experiencing God at such an intimate level is definitely also beautiful and profound.

In Our Last Days

        In today's first reading at Mass from 1 John, the Apostle wrote: "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour." On this last day of 2016, we can also be sure we are in the last days before the Second Coming of Christ. We do not know when it will happen, but we know that it is imminent. This will be the most joyful and saddest day of all time. The true believers do not think about it much because they leave all up to God. The unbelievers do not think about it because of their unbelief. Nevertheless, it's always wise to be ready for any of God's surprises.

*Rejoicing Together in Each Other

        John 3.16: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. In Luke 15, Jesus said that there would be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. We see that God's joy lies in loving us and in our acceptance of his love. Therefore, let our joy lie in letting him love us to his heart's content, showing that we love him too. In this way, we and the Lord rejoice together in each other!

Year-End Advice

        Some Catholics do not like to go to confession. There can only be two reasons: (1) They are quite holy and all their sins are minor or (2) they are afraid of facing God with their sins. The right thing to do after you sin is to go immediately to God, repent, and ask for his forgiveness. In this way you keep yourself pure and clean most of the time. If you avoid facing God with your sins, your are being extremely foolish, for your spiritual condition can only worsen. As the year ends, this is the perfect time to go to confession to start the new year with a clean slate.

*Best New Year's Resolution

        It's time for making New Year's resolutions. If this is what you traditionally do, may I suggest the best possible resolution for anyone: surrender yourself to Christ 100%. You will find out what God is really like (how beautiful he truly is) after you have fully surrendered to him.

*Only Thing That Matters

        Whether you believe in God or not, or believe in him a little or a lot, the only thing that matters is how much you have surrendered yourself to him. Rejecting God and living in union with him illustrate the two extremes.

Focus Is the Message

        Any message that focuses upon the listener to tell him to love God is necessarily weak and ineffective, for the listener is a finite being himself. To be powerful and effectual, the message must focus upon the power of the infinite God who can transform us and draws us all the way to union with him! In general, to live the spiritual life par excellence, you also always focus upon the Lord and not yourself, letting him transport and do the work for you.

We Rise or Fall

        Today we heard the presentation of the Jesus read from Luke 2. When Joseph and Mary took the child Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, the righteous and devout Simeon saw them there. He in the Holy Spirit said to Mary, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Simeon's prophesy has come true, for those who do not welcome Christ in their hearts will fall and those who do will rise in the end. This is the division Jesus himself said he had come to establish on the earth. It has to be so because the world is in sin and needs salvation. This division exists as long as sin exists among us.

If Only We Can See . . .

        Sins are blemishes on our soul. If only we can see them as God does, we would see how filthy and ugly we are and never want to judge others anymore.

Joy of Following the Lamb

        Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Communion verse based upon Revelation 14.4: Behold those redeemed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb, and who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. I love the words "follow the Lamb wherever he goes," for I sense its beauty. It means we shall always be with him, no more parting and no more sorrows.

*Blessings

        People thank God for having given them good health, long lives, strong marriage bonds, etc., but poor health, short lives, family problems, etc, can be blessings too. In fact, God blesses us all in drawing us to him. If we let all the things we receive from the Lord draw us closer to him, then they all become blessings. 

Shortsighted Living

        People, young and old, talk excitedly about making money in this life, but they never mention the need for storing up treasures in heaven lest they be considered nuts. The older folks spend a great deal of time planning their retirement in this life, but rarely think about their inevitable permanent retirement from this life. This is a myopic world afraid of facing reality.

Powerful Prayer

        After Thomas saw the mark of the nails in the hands of the resurrected Jesus and the wound in his side, he believed and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!" I find this to be a most powerful prayer. The combination of "Lord" and "God" acknowledges that Jesus is our God and how much we need him. When we say the prayer, we pledge our definitive allegiance to him.

How Big Your Ego?

        Ego and inner peace are mutually exclusive. An egocentric person disregards the will of God who alone can bestow inner peace. If you ever wish to grow spiritually, the first thing you should ask God to remove is your ego, for it is fundamentally the biggest obstacle in anyone's journey toward God. Your way to God is only as clear as how much you keep your ego out of the way. 

Praise Be to the Holy Spirit

        The Lord Spirit can set your heart ablaze; you'll feel the warmth, but his flame does not scorch you in any way. When you completely let the Holy Spirit filtrate and ignite you, he shields you from all evil and guides you in all that you do. He is the most wonderful protector and counselor.

Condition for Worshipping God

        If we truly worship God, we would surrender or abandon ourselves completely to God. If we haven't done so yet, then we do not truly worship God yet.

Our "Martyrdom"

        Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr. Before Jesus breathes his last on the cross, he cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," echoing what David wrote in Psalm 31. As Stephen was being stoned, he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Most likely none of us is facing death at this moment, but if we wish to die to self and live in Christ, we can call out anytime to the Lord, as Jesus and St. Stephen did. You can do no better than entrusting your spirit to God.

No Time After Death

       Every day in the news we hear that some famous person has died and/or some tragedy has struck somewhere causing the death of many. The most recent examples are the death of UK pop superstar George Michael at 53 and the crash of a Russian military plane into the Black Sea with 92 on board. This has led me to see how important it is for us to prepare for meeting God when we are still alive. After death, there is absolutely nothing we can do anymore. In sum, reconcile yourself to God while there is still time. This is one wisest piece of advice I have for anyone.

       May I add that reconciling yourself to God eliminate many of the inner struggles you face in this life too.

*Best Celebration!

        We celebrate Christmas for the coming of Christ into the world. But this celebration would be meaningless if we stop short of letting him come into our hearts. We should celebrate Christmas for his coming into the world so that he may enter us! If we let him in all the way, becoming one, then both we and God win and heaven rejoices.

Great Christian Joy

        Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday this year. I attended Christmas Eve Mass yesterday late at 10 pm to avoid the huge crowds normally attending earlier scheduled Masses or today's Christmas day Masses. My prime joy of attending Mass is to receive the same Lord again. At Christmas time, he is lovelier than ever! Being in love with love is a Christian's great joy.

All for One

        Thoughts during consecration of the bread and wine. God's love for us remains constant. Whether there are 10 billion or one million or a hundred or just one of us, that love remains the same. He does not love each one of us more for the reason that there are more of us. It follows that God has suffered, died, and done all the good things just for my or your sake alone.

In Light or Darkness?

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, we heard the canticle of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zachariah, fill with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that his son would go before the Lord to prepare his ways for him to come to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's row, to guide their feet into the path of peace. Now that Christ has already come, are you in his light or sitting in darkness and death's row? You may be living in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood with friendly neighbors always smiling at you when they see you, and the day and season may happen to be beautiful too, but spiritually are you in Christ's light or in darkness? This is what matters to God and should matter to you! Seek Christ and remain in his light to stay away from death row for good.

How God Nurtures Us

        As Christmas approaches and the year is coming to a close, we tend to look back and review our past. What comes to my mind is that God knows exactly how to nurture us. As we open up to him, depending upon the stage we are in, he teaches us, tests us, and strengthens us as he sees fit, knowing exactly how much we can bear and how fast we can grow. In other words, he will never do anything to turn us away – there is truly great loving sensitivity on his part. We should never fear when he is grooming us to become saints. Your joy in him can only increase when you trust in him with all your heart.

On Distributing Communion at Christmas Mass

        Every Christmas many lapsed Catholics show up for Mass and the churches are packed to standing room only for any late arrivers. This is a yearly phenomena. Now, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states this teaching: "The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason." Therefore, deliberately skipping the Sunday Mass is a serious sin. I believe that all priests have the obligation to explain this before giving out Holy Communion at Christmas Masses. Those who are not in a state of grace can always go up to receive a blessing. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 wrote, "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drink judgment on himself." In view of the seriousness of receiving Holy Communion, we owe all receivers the explanation for their benefit. It is completely wrong to think that you should not offend any lapsed Catholics in hoping that they would return to the church. Our only concern should be to make sure that the Lord God is not offended!

Sin and Its Consequences

        In one way, we can say that life is all about fighting or conquering sin. We are being tempted all our lives. We sin basically to please or satisfy ourselves, to have things our way. Sin can send us to eternal death, unless you do not believe in God at all, but that would be like gambling when the stake is extremely high. The big consideration is whether sinning is worth it, for any pleasure you get out it is short-lived and any guilt associated with it can remain with and haunt you. Jesus asked, "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" Know that every sin you commit puts a filthy stain on your soul, putting you one step closer to forfeiting your life.

The World in a Stupor

        Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist cleanses the heart and heals the soul, exactly the prescription our world needs. Alas, the world in darkness is completely unaware of this, unconscious that it not only cannot cleanse and heal itself, but also sorely needs to be cleansed and healed.

God and I

        Communion experience. It was just the Lord and I in each other as one; my eternity all settled. Truly, the Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack (Psalm 23).

*God's Salvation

        This morning's entrance antiphon came from Isaiah: A branch shall sprout from the root of Jesse, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God. Christianity is all about the salvation of God! If you recognize this, then the Lord has opened your eyes. If not, then you might as well dismiss it. I do believe that people have difficulty in dismissing Christ outright, so they choose to look sideways, basically out of fear that he could be God speaking the truth. To me, this actually confirms that he is the truth, for anything you can accept or reject with ease cannot possibly be significant.

Intimate Experience

        Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist is the powerful sacrament that leads you to spiritual union with God. The experience of receiving and consuming it is even more intimate than that of touching or embracing the Lord in person. 

Our Special Roles

        God made John the Baptist the herald of the Messiah, preparing the way of Christ and making straight his paths – an important role in fulfilling the Scriptures. But God has a role for each of us to assume too, perhaps not as "glamorous," but equally important. We must first be open to God and willing to serve. Then he will reveal his special, individual plan to each of us. Life becomes purposeful and fulfilling only after you know the role God wants you to play.

Most Important Reality

        Jesus is my most important reality. When the Lord communicates with your heart constantly, this just comes about naturally. There is no coercion from him whatsoever, for he is gentle and loving always. In his company, I am living my most meaningful life.

*Time Well Spent

        If you do everything, big and little, for the sake of God, then you will not have wasted any time when you leave this world.

Astounding Truth

        Christianity is unique in that God personally died for our sins out of love. The unimaginable and incredible happened! It is awesome, amazing, and deeply and profoundly moving! How can anyone not rejoice?

Fruit of Union With God

        Inner peace due to absence of inner struggle against sin.

Resigning to God

        Communion experience. The Lord is too immense for me to comprehend, so I just resigned to resting in and savoring him.

Great Division and Distinction

          Jesus said to his disciples, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, rather division." This division is no ordinary minor division, for it could result in the eternal separation between those who follow Jesus and those who don't, with a chasm no one can cross. There is no greater distinction than that between those who have Christ and those who don't.

On Loving God

        Loving God is unique in the sense that you can never love God enough. He deserves all of our love, but being imperfect, we always fall short. Actually, loving God is best achieved by abandoning ourselves in him, so we can also say that we can never abandon ourselves to God enough. Fortunately, it is our intention that matters to the Lord.    

Letting-Go Time

        Communion experience. Now that I have Christ, I can let everything else go, including grievances against anyone. All inappropriate desires and greed end. It's abandonment time, letting-go time, time to forgive, and time to go free. Yippee!

Unseen Miracles

        Communion time thoughts. Miracles can be unseen to be miracles. Christ the Lord himself is to me the biggest miracle, yet he is unseen to me today. During the liturgy of the Eucharist, I knew that a wonderful miracle was taking place when the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of the Lord. Then I was a witness of the unseen miracle. 

Train to Be Safe

        We as finite beings are only strong and safe in God. Without him, we are in the danger zone, vulnerable to attacks that can easily take down our souls. You can certainly experience this the moment you step away from God. Therefore, the only way to shield yourself from evil is to enter even deeper into God any time you sense any kind of temptation. Let this become your second nature to keep your soul safe at all times. 

Joy Killers

        The conversion of the soul usually takes time, for it's an awakening process that involves much learning by the heart. It shows how tenaciously an individual can isolate himself in the castle he's built around himself, so to speak, attempting to ward off any penetration into his interior. Unfortunately, he also makes himself impervious to God who only wants to illuminate him and save him from the true perils to his soul. Anytime a sinner wakes up, repents, and returns to God, the whole heaven rejoices. A soul who does not repent becomes not only a lost one, but also a great joy killer.  

Praying Unceasingly?

        Should we pray to God for something we need just once, believing with great faith that he will answer us? I think not. I believe that the only time you don't need to ask him repeatedly is when you abandon yourself to him and ash him to do whatever he wishes with you. Otherwise, for other things you feel compelled to pray for, such as the conversion of a loved one, you need to pray unceasingly. It's not that you lack trust in God. On the contrary, you want to show how much you need and rely upon him. Suppose you have two children. One comes to you and asks for something s/he needs just once and the other one asks you for what s/he needs day and night nonstop, which child to whom you are more likely to give in? I think the answer is clear. Since God is our loving Father, the more we ask him, the more endearing we are to him. Again, I am thinking common sense here. As a matter of fact, I feel closer to the Lord each time I go to him with the same petition. Another reason, since the world sorely needs our prayers, praying unceasingly to God every chance we get for the world can help fulfill that need. 

We Are Alone!

        As Christmas draws near, some of my relatives and friends will be coming to my home for a brief stay. This should be a happy occasion, for get-togethers as such do not happen on any regular basis. In a few days, it'll be over. I start to think that we are basically alone in our existence. Even if you have many loved ones living with you all your life, what they can do to help is limited as far as how you stand before God is concerned. Before the Lord, you are definitely alone, alone to account for what you've done, alone to face his judgment. If we prepare ourselves well now, that should be a joyous moment. Otherwise, it could be the most terrible moment of our existence. To prepare ourselves well, again it's something only we alone can do. Yes, mind your own business is right.

Be Children to God

        Communion time thoughts. When the adults are taking care everything, the children do not have to worry about a thing. Similarly, if we let God the Father take care of everything, we wouldn't need to worry about anything either. This points to submitting ourselves completely to God to achieve inner peace. It seems so common sense. 

*No Heart, no Fire

        God wants to have our heart, not our mind. If we speak about Christ with our mind only, then everything merely sounds rational. It's only in speaking with our heart that we can set other hearts on fire too. So keep your mind and give God your heart; the mind will follow. Remember that you can only set the heart on fire, not the mind. (When the mind is on fire, it means you have a big headache.)

The Optimistic Christian

        A Christian knows that God wants to bestow eternal life upon him and also looks forward to the resurrection of the body when his lowly body will be changed to conform to the glorified body of Christ (Philippians 3.21). Hence, his faith remains lively with hope and joy. If you don't feel so optimistic as a Christian, then you probably have not looked far enough beyond this life yet. 

God Most Essential

        We all need God. Without him, we would cease to exist. Without his assistance, our hearts would instantly stop beating and our lungs stop breathing. And we are at the mercy of God, for without it, we would carry our sins to our grave with no hope of ever enjoying eternal life. God is to be appreciated and latched onto.

Reason for Your Choice

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus gave his testimony to John the Baptist. All the people listened, including the tax collectors, who were baptized with the baptism of John and acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves. Today, we have the same situation: those who accept the plan of God for us as revealed through Christ and those who do not. Which camp do you belong to? Christians know exactly why they accept Christ. If you are a modern day Pharisee, you'd better know your reason for rejecting him for your own sake. [To dismiss Christ is to dismiss at the least what was recorded about him in the four Gospels, all the other books in the New Testament, and his 2000-year-old Church with all her great saints.] 

*Most Worthy Lord

        I worship the Lord God for the reason that he is eternal. I adore him, for he is just. I praise him, for he is holy. I thank him, for he is merciful. I admire him for his perfection. I enjoy him for his beauty. I appreciate him for teaching me wisdom. Last but not least, I love him because he loved me first.