Abandonment Time

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me and it was the perfect time to abandon myself to him and be his completely.

Love and Purity

        Love is always pure. Nothing impure can be love. We can be pure only if we live for God. If we still live for other humans or ourselves, we are not yet pure. Love and purity go hand in hand. 

Natural Conclusions

        If we do believe that God is love and truly exists, then we have no choice but to love him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Since we are all going to die one day, we should make sure that we return to God and not head into the unknown. 

Through God's Mercy

        When we receive the Holy Eucharist at Mass, we receive the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Were the consecrated bread and wine to appear as real flesh and blood, we wouldn't be able to receive them with ease (John 6:60). It is through the mercy of God that they remain looking the same, even though in substance they have changed.

Receiving the Son of God

        Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him, "Blesses are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." If we also believe as Peter did, then we must not receive Holy Communion so casually. As the Lord built his church upon Peter, we need to be staunch supports of this church by letting the Holy Eucharist, the Son of the Living God, truly transform us.  

Call to Become Saints

        I caught Dr. Paul Schenck (now Fr. Paul Schenck) telling his coming home story on The Journey Home show on EWTN. He became very pro-life after being horrified at seeing some mangled parts of aborted babies that had been dumped as garbage at an abortion clinic. Since abortion was legalized in 1973 in this country, abortions have been averaging over a million a year! This points up the great urgency for us to become saints, for being holy is the only and best way to fight evil.     

Food for Thought

         Matthew 7.21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
        John 6.54: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

        There is a somewhat surprising contrast here between the first halves (italicized) of these two verses.

Trust Is...

letting God have his way, do his things, take care of us, change us and the world... with us out of the way.        

Dealing with Worry

        Worry is always about something that has yet to happen. It's due to uncertainty. If we believe in Christ and know that we'll be with him in heaven, that alone removes the biggest uncertainty of life. The rest we should be able to manage well with God's help. All uncertainties pass. Consider them blessings because they provide opportunities for us to trust in God's love and mercy while they last.          

In Communion

        Communion thoughts. This is exactly what the Apostles received and ate at the Last Supper. I am now in full communion with the Lord and all the saints. We are one!  

Awesome God

        I feel trepidation when I ponder upon the holiness of God, yet all my fears vanish when I run to him, seeing him as my most beloved Father. 

Ultimate Fulfillment

        As 2014 FIFA World Cup competition continues in Brazil, you can catch the excitement and frenzy at the games on TV. It is a fact that as you get to know Christ the Lord more, your enthusiasm about football or any other form of entertainment in the world dwindles. It is evident to me that we all seek fulfillment in life and that fulfillment is found only in God. How can one not be excited about God when you know he's the one who can lead you to heaven?

God's Deliberate Plan

        Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Prophecies and foretold his own death and Resurrection to his disciples. Therefore, the Incarnation and Crucifixion had been deliberately planned by God, and that plan had to be the plan of salvation for all of us. 

Going Beyond Purity

        Of course, keeping our mind and heart pure pleases God very much, but we must go beyond that, for we can remain pure by staying put and do nothing. What we must do is to be filled with God's love to be motivated into loving others. The love of God is for us not to sit upon, but to spread far and wide for his glory.        

No Judging

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus told his disciples to stop judging. This is absolutely necessary for us to be able to love our enemies as the Lord also taught earlier. Judging and loving are mutually exclusive. 

A Root of Evil

        Is money the root of all evil? I say money is just one root of some evil. The root of all evil has to be rebellion against God. From that, all other roots spread. One bad root that comes to my mind is the fact that so many people worldwide, whether in a government, a religion, a society, a tribe, a company, a family, or any group want to have things their way. This causes all the unrest, turmoil, chaos, and conflicts in the world.  

Where Are Our Roots?

        We must realize that we are created by God and he has planned for our return to him. Therefore, our roots belong in heaven and not this world. Whoever roots himself deeply in this world is a fool.

The Freedom Test

        We need to be detached to the world and live to please God alone, but this is easily said when we live in comfortable homes and have all the necessities. Jesus didn't even have a place to rest his head when he's proclaiming the kingdom of God. St. Francis certainly passed the test. And Mother Teresa too. We can only imagine what we would do if we do not own anything in this world. If we are like the rich man in the Gospels who observed all the commandments, but could not part with his possessions, then we are not completely free.

Not Being of the World

        In John 18.36, Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews." We who have entered the kingdom of God also no longer belong to the world and can expect trials and tribulations, and persecutions.  

Tell God Anyway

        When our heart is troubled, we turn to God. Even though he knows why we are troubled, we still need to tell him. It's in hearing ourselves that we clear up any confused thinking and in opening up to God that we learn his will for us. Spiritual progress is made only by entering the Lord.

You Can Be Excellent

        We all feel good when we excel in something. Suppose you are frustrated because you don't have any musical talent, can't play sports well, find learning math difficult.... I sincerely recommend that you consider excelling in loving God. This is possible for everyone because God will personally help you achieve that, and you'll receive the greatest satisfaction of life as well. By the way, your final reward will be nothing short of heaven.  

Delivered from Evil

        We ask the Lord to deliver us from evil. This does not mean that we will not encounter or be attacked by evil anymore; it means that God will make us so strong that no evil can ever conquer our spirit, shake our faith, or separate us from his love. In him, our soul will be absolutely safe. 

Only Way Out

        Only God is infinite, perfect, and all-powerful, and we are none of the above. As I had posted in the past, this is a fact we must acknowledge before we approach him. In order to be holy like him, only he can make it happen. In order to make it happen, we must let him enter our soul by surrendering to him. To surrender is simply to open ourselves up completely to him ~ nothing more, and the Lord God will enter to do the necessary work, which will delight you beyond your expectation. Remember that for us, the only way out is to let God in.  

Sacred Duty

        We easily mess up our own lives in this world. Even if we don't, others can do it for you. But it's our sacred duty to always keep our relationship with God in as perfect an order as possible. People may not understand, but no matter because God understands. Again, care about only what God thinks.  

Jesus' Way of Living

        In today's Gospel reading ~ Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18 ~ at morning Mass, Jesus teaches about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The message is clear ~ we are to forget ourselves and remember only God. What people think of us should be of no concern to us. In other words, hide from all and live in God alone. 

The Joy of God

        I have gone through suffering, pains, both physical and mental, many times. Then God gives me joy and all is forgotten as if nothing ever happened. Such is the joy of God that penetrates the soul.         

Perfect Prayer Is...

asking God to make you perfect because that is in accordance with his wish.

Thoughts on Envy

       Envy is not as bad as jealousy, but envying someone is still a sin. If you console yourself by thinking that you already have God that is better than anything the other person has, you are not really better off. But if you think that you already have God and there's truly nothing else you want, then you are OK.
        If you are envious of someone, chances are if you switch places with that person, you would look down on that person. Envy basically stems from the lack of humility.

Whatever You Do

         Whatever you do, make a point that no one knows about it, especially if you do something good. 

       Whatever you do, make a point that God knows about it, especially if you do something bad.        

Precious Moments of Life

        They are meaningful, memorable, fulfilling, and healing. These are the moments when and after you receive the Holy Eucharist. In them, God connects directly with the soul.

True Communication with God...

goes beyond words from the mouth and is always initiated by the heart.

Most Beautiful Faith

        There is a documentary out there titled "Hellbound?" with many pastors, ministers, authors of books, even an atheist, and others considered Christians joining in the debate about the existence and nature of hell. They all have strong views with much to say. It occurred to me the most beautiful faith is accepting Jesus with your whole being, with no questions to ask, and no curiosity about anything like whether hell exists or not. This is the childlike faith the Lord asks of us, the message of Divine Mercy, and what St. Teresa meant by "God alone suffices."

Important Questions

        After Mass this morning, still sitting in the pew, I noticed a beetle crawling on the concrete floor of the church at a considerable speed. I wondered if it knew where it's going and what made it change directions so often. This brought to my mind whether we know where we're going and what determines our path in our spiritual journey. Do we know better than a beetle?

Occupied by God

        When you are in union with God, you come to experience his love and beauty so that you stop judging others and lose interest in all things attractive to the world. It's equally correct to say that in union with God, your focus is always upon him so that there's no time for doing any ungodly thing.

Freedom Verified

        Accepting and believing in Jesus leads to the taking away of your sins and thus freedom, but it's in union with him that he verifies this freedom by letting you experience it.

Degrees of Knowing God

        If you know God in your mind only, it's superficial knowing. If you allow God to let you know him in your heart, then you have intimacy.

Being Alive in a New Way

        I attended the Pentecost Sunday Vigil Mass today. I was aware that the Holy Spirit dwells in me, keeping me alive in a new way. Alone, I merely stay alive now and shall die alone one day. With the indwelling Spirit, I am living in God and shall live with him forever. This is the big difference. 

Happy with Authority

        Spiritually, we need an authority to guide us. On our own, as many in the world are, it's easy to follow what we feel like or what everyone else is doing and not question our conscience, which most likely is already muddy or numb due to the lack of guidance. We basically become lost souls. I feel good that Christ and his Church has provided me with clear, authoritative teachings to guide me. The fact that they are hard for some to follow only bolsters their authenticity and truth. Of course, there are many others out there who claim that they have the truth and can guide us, but only Christ laid down his life for us and taught us to love even our enemies. Whoever has the greatest love is the authentic one to follow.

Taking Advantage of God

        I know a fellow Catholic who thinks small, does not trust others much, and always nitpicks or bargains in order to gain some advantage for himself. Most of you probably have run into that type. Once you find out what he is like, you just want to avoid dealing with him again if possible. My point is that God is the one we should take full advantage of, for he has the greatest riches and free gifts to give us. Suppose you want eternal happiness, go to him. How myopic it would is for a Christian to concentrate upon gaining the upper hand in small things and neglect turning to God to ask for what truly matters!  

Peter, Head of the Church

        Before Jesus left our world, he told Peter that he was going to build his church upon him and gave him the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16). In today's Gospel reading from John 21, the Resurrected Lord asked Peter to feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep ~ further confirmation that Peter had been appointed to head the church.  

Goal of Living

         Today is the Memorial of St. Boniface. This was what the Holy Spirit laid in my heart as I listened to Father M's homily given at morning Mass.

           Our goal of living should be to defend the Lord, his honor and his glory, and not to follow our own ways at all.

Reason for Rejoicing

        In today's Gospel from John 17 at morning Mass, Jesus prayed for those whom the Father had given him. I rejoice for I have also been chosen by the Father to be protected by Christ and made one with him. My name is already written in the book of heaven that awaits me. Christ will be my joy for all eternity.  

Our Mistaken Cognition

        Do you ever think it is normal that God exists forever with no beginning or end and is infinite in every way? We came along when he created us. Being finite, we mistakenly believe that we are the norm and find it hard to perceive (deal with) God. It's high time we wake up and reverse our cognition. Then we'll find it easy (natural) to submit ourselves to the normal God.