*Glorifying the Holy Spirit

        I have started praying a novena to the Holy Spirit and come to appreciate him, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, even more. He really touched my heart this morning. He made me see that he is the active working agent of God, our guide, inspiration, and comforter. His seven gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and holy fear are all ours for the asking. He's the one who sets our hearts on fire and fills them with heavenly joy. Cry to him and he will comfort you. Here's the Lord you can completely trust. Pray that he will infiltrate your heart completely so that you may experience the love and peace of God. Pray to him as often a possible. To be a "slave" of the Holy Spirit is infinitely better than being the lord of the whole world. Glory be to the Holy Spirit!     

Yearning for the Lord

        Today is Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle.  After receiving Holy Communion, I felt like calling "Jesus" at the top of my lungs; but of course, I was in a church, not in a wilderness. So I settled for calling him from my heart. He would understand.

Appreciating Hard Times

        There are times when we need help and there is no one to turn to except God. They are certainly difficult times, but personally I treasure the chance to let faith take over and shine. The close bonding with the Lord that results is worth whatever trouble you may have to go through.

Conflicting Contrast

        Jesus sacrificed himself for the purpose of saving everyone. Today suicide bombers have sacrificed themselves to kill others who do not accept their faith so that they themselves might get to heaven. Both Jesus and the suicide bombers supposedly have followed the will of God. You figure that out. 

A Beautiful Moment

        I have a big maple tree outside my bedroom window. Just a week ago, the leaves turned into a beautiful red color before they gradually fell off the tree, getting ready for renewal in the spring. This symbolizes to me that we are beautiful when we are about to give ourselves up to God to be born again as new creatures in Christ. I did not photograph the richly-colored red leaves in the sun when they were still all on the tree; but a year ago, I did capture this image of a leaf in more subdued red, stuck on one bedroom window screen on a wet, windy morning.

*We Can Know God

       We can, because God the Father is real, Jesus the Son is real, and the Holy Spirit is real. If you are closed to God, then of course, it'd be impossible to know him. But if you are open completely and desire to know him well, he will let you know of his existence and presence. So it all depends upon you. Seeking union with God is the best way of knowing him intimately. In union, the Lord lets you feel and experience him in your heart, and anything the heart receives becomes part of you. Once you know God, you know him for ever.

       A note. There is the so-called dark night of the soul some saints experience. During such a period, you no longer sense the presence of God ~ it's as if God has withdrawn altogether. This does not mean that you no longer know the Lord. To illustrate, you can have an intimate human friend with whom you are no longer able to communicate, but of course, you still know him well. Anyway, beginning seekers of God will not experience dark night of the soul and may never experience it. God grants it only to advanced souls for specific reasons.

Joyful and Peaceful State

        In the state of union with God, you do not do any work for God ~ it is he who does all the work through you. Naturally, you don't ever worry for the Lord, for he takes care of all things. You merely remain open and be out of the way. That's why union is such a joyful and peaceful state.

Great Intimacy

        Communion experience. I experienced an intimacy with God that's out of this world, literally.

First Thing(s) First

        In life, we must set priorities. For the Christian, making Christ number one must be the top priority, overriding all other considerations. After that, nothing else matters much. You must settle the question if Jesus is your Lord in truth or in name only. In Matthew 6.33, Jesus confirms this priority: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides."

A Union Advantage

        One big advantage (a joy) of being in union with God is that your conscience becomes so clear and sharp that you are instantly aware of any sin you have committed. 

Exhortation to Be Vigilant

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus told his disciples to stay awake and be alert. He said, "That day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man." If you believe in Jesus, you must take what he said seriously. A Christian must be ready for death and judgment, the two things that can catch you by surprise like a trap (Jesus' words). Obviously, the world in general which does not pay Jesus much attention is in for the biggest shock ever. The least we can do is to pray for all souls (living and deceased) unceasingly.

Start Living in Heaven

        If we aim for getting to heaven, we should starting living as if we're already there now. In heaven, we shall fully enjoy the Lord, praise him, worship him, pray for the world, and be completely his. Attain union with God and we can do all these things. Then when we arrive in heaven, we won't face much of a change in routine, except that everything would be made easier.

Jesus in Your Life

        If you believe in Jesus, is he (1) in your life at all, (2) just part of your life, or (3) all of your life?

On Loving Yourself

        Anyone who knows and loves God, even though he realizes his own wretchedness, still loves himself because he knows that he is precious to him. Therefore, anyone who hates himself cannot possibly know God well. One can be happy only if he loves God and is happy with himself.

Forever With God

        God exists forever. He will love us forever. He wishes us to be with him in heaven forever. His words will remain with us forever. God will remain faithful to us forever, but we only have a short lifetime in which to decide whether we want to be with God forever.

Required for Salvation

        In the Gospels, Jesus has said to many after he had healed or forgiven them, "Your faith has saved you." It seems that believing that Jesus can help us is the minimum requirement for our salvation.

Extreme Opposites

        You are in union with God, one heart and one mind, and understand everything the Lord says. You do not know God; you are lost and what comes out your mouth is venomous, divorced from any truth.       

Special Relationships

        I am saying a novena to God the Father. I am particularly moved when I read the following in saying the prayer. (1) "I love You in union with Jesus Christ, Your Son . . . ." ~ Loving God while in union with him is special. (2) ". . . Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother." ~ Special that God and we share the same Mother. (3) ". . . thank You for making me Your child in Baptism." ~ another special relationship. (4) "Give me your Holy Spirit to enlighten me and to guide me in the way of Your commandments and holiness . . . ." ~ The Holy Spirit is here to help us in all things! (5) ". . . to appease Your justice provoked to anger by so many sins, and to offer You worthy atonement for them . . . ." ~ We are in such a special position that we can do these things!

God Calling

        During a quiet, dark night, it's easy to realize that you are all alone. During the busy day, learning about all the horrific things that happen around the world, you realize that the earth is not your home. God is calling.

Jesus Is Lord

        Communion thought. Loving Jesus is letting Jesus have his way.

True Concern

        If you truly love someone, you would want to do your utmost to help the person get to heaven.

Praying With Faith

        How to pray with great faith? Abandon yourself completely in God, not being concerned about how God is going to answer your prayer.

Wretchedness OK

        I don't mind my own wretchedness because it makes me realize how much I need God and to love him.

Sin and Mercy in Balance

        Christmas deepens my joy. We have such a loving Lord, the best mankind could ever have and precisely needs, yet so many people do not recognize his coming. I realize the truth that we are indeed born with original sin and that God is balancing it with his infinite mercy. This balance, we can easily tip by our free choice. 

No Other Way

        To see the truth, we must open our hearts to Jesus the Christ ~ there's no other way. The get our sins forgiven, we must repent to Jesus the Lord ~ there is no other way. To attain union with God, we must surrender to Christ our creator ~ there is no other way. To have eternal life, we must believe in Jesus the Redeemer ~ there is no other way.

How God Makes Us Strong

        Communion Experience. The Lord showed me that he does not make us strong by transforming us into some kind of a super human being; he does it by completely shielding us from all evil to keep our souls safe (drawing us into union with him).

Justified Boast

        Christians try not to get angry, have fear, be proud, or boast, but there is anger that's holy (Jesus cleansing the temple), fear that's healthy (reverential respect for God), and pride that's not self-centered (what parents feel when their children do well at school). Today's entrance antiphon, based upon Galatians 6.14 and 1 Corinthians 1.18: May we never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the word of the Cross is the power of God to us who have been saved. I agree that we must never boast about ourselves, but to boast in the Cross of Jesus is completely justified, for it is praising the saving power of God.

Making Peace

        Anytime any two people do not get along, you can be pretty sure that both are at fault, for no one is perfect yet. Even saints are imperfect; only God is. It takes two to tango. Following Jesus' advice "Do not judge" will go a long way toward creating peace. That family members do not get along with each other is common. Look for your own fault, admit it, and let go of the other person. For Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Measuring Faith

        Our faith in God is measured by how much we are willing to abandon ourselves in God.       

Quality, Not Quantity

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21 at Mass, Jesus saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the temple treasury and noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said to his disciples, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." It's quality, not quantity, that counts. St. Therese' Little Way shows the way to sainthood by doing every little thing with great love for God. Again, it's quality and not quantity. Performing one small act with love outperforms a million deeds done with little love.        

Incorporating God's Teaching

       Last night in bed I received a thought from the Holy Spirit which would be suitable for posting on this blog, but I was physically tired and fell asleep. This morning after I got up, I couldn't recall what that thought was all about. Anyway, these thoughts that visit me daily are like visiting friends now. In fact, they enter my heart and become virtually part of me. And I want to learn as much as possible from the Holy Spirit so that I may completely become part of him in spirit.   

*God's Will

        The will of God is to be embraced, treasured, followed, lived and upheld by us. It is always beautiful, loving, gentle, graceful, uplifting, and protective, intended to lead us to spiritual freedom and eternal bliss. It's definitely something to die for. Life becomes an excitingly beautiful journey when you seek to do God's will.       

Sin and the Holy Spirit

        God the Holy Spirit sharpens and guides our conscience to keep us holy.

Beginning and End

        God is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1.8), the beginning and the end. This really means that there is neither beginning nor end for God, for He simply Is. For us, God is our first beginning and our last end, for we were created by him at some point and shall end our journey in him one day.

Beautiful Living

        If you truly love God, you would want to give him your heart. Then you can follow your heart and be with God always. I can't think of a more beautiful way to live.

Time for Weeping

        Communion experience. Here's Jesus, our God and Savior, who can take away our sins, make us holy, and take us back to him to enjoy heaven for all eternity, wanting nothing but to love us; yet most of the people of the world ignore, dismiss, or even attack him. I felt sorrow for the Lord and even greater pity for our generation. If we do not know what's good for us, we cannot be any more foolish.

God's Calling

        Communion experience. God wants us to be be perfect!

Jesus Changes Things

        I feel sorry to say that ultimately, each of us exists alone in the universe. We may have friends and even others who truly care for us, but all this will be just for a short time. When we face God alone, he sees exactly what we are. But I am also glad to report that Jesus can completely reverse this bleak outlook. When you have him as your Lord or better yet, become one with him, you wouldn't even know what loneliness is. His love is more than sufficient; you even look forward to going to God, to face judgment or not. Jesus truly turns everything "downside up."

About Our Resurrection

        Today is Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. He said, "That the dead will rise even Moses made known, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." The Lord revealed that whether we are living or dead, God knows all about us. Even if we die, our past do not get buried. It shows again that the human soul lives on forever. The time to prepare for our resurrection is now when we are still living.

Making Things Happen

        Today's Gospel acclamation, 2 Timothy 1.10: Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. Of course, destroying death was not even a child's play to the Lord, for death had no power over him in the first place. With God, nothing is impossible ~ he only needs to will and it's done. Therefore, the key to making things happen is to seek his will. Find it, pray it, and great things will happen.

Euchristic Miracle

        On Feb. 8, 2011, I posted the video "The Holy Eucharist Is Our Lord!" Since the miracle took place in Buenos Aires, the language was in Spanish, albeit with English subtitles. Here is a more recent presentation in English as an alternative to the earlier one.

God's Beautiful Work

        It's only the bad news that gets all the attention, but let's not forget that God is doing wonderful work you don't hear much about through the multitude of his faithful servants (his children) all around the world. The most amazing and beautiful work has to be the transformation of the individual human heart performed quietly without any fanfare. 

Seeking Praise

        If you seek praise from other humans, it would only feed your ego, robbing you more of your freedom. If you serve the Lord humbly and faithfully, he praises your work without your asking and you remain free. Therefore, never live for praise; live only for God.

Suicidal Sin

        Normally, a person who sins against God can always repent, but the one who sins in the name of the Lord, believing that he is actually glorifying God, cuts off his own chance to ever repent.

God's Justice

        In today's Gospel reading of the parable of the ten gold coins from Luke 19 at Mass, we again heard Jesus say, "To everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." It looks like it's either you are in or you are out, you end up with everything or you end up with nothing, you make heaven or you miss it altogether.

Key Realizations

        To be a strong Christian, (1) you must know that you are inherently finite and limited. Even if you intend to place all your trust in God, you still fall short. Therefore, you absolutely need God. (2) You need to go deep into God, for only in God can you find true beauty and perfection. Entering him is entering heaven. The Blessed Sacrament is the portal to union with the Lord. 

God Always Just

        People who suffer misfortune often ask why bad things should happen to them or even question God's existence. This is understandable. Well, our world is an imperfect, sinful place; therefore, bad things must happen. It's what happens to you at the end that will justify everything. Putting it simply, a good person will enter heaven and a bad person won't. At that time you will see the overall picture and understand everything, for God is perfectly just. There is no other good explanation.

Zeal for the Lord

        In yesterday's Gospel reading from Luke 18, we have the blind beggar persistently calling out to Jesus, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Jesus heard him, stopped, received him and made him see. Today from Luke 19, we have the wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus who ran ahead of the crowd that's with Jesus, climbed a sycamore tree in order to see him, and eagerly waited for his passing. When Jesus reached the place, he looked up and asked Zacchaeus to come down, for he's going to stay at his house. We must also desire to see, to know, and to call out to the Lord, then we will be rewarded too. We can seek union with Jesus via receiving the Holy Eucharist to accomplish all these things.   

Soul Most Important

        The most important part of us is what we do not see, the soul. We see our physical body, important while we are alive, but perishable. If we lose our soul, we are lost forever. That's why Christ is critically important to us, and he knows it. Otherwise, why should he come into the world to die for us? The greatest tragedy today is that people do not look beyond this life ~ they live for the present life only. Equally tragic are those who live for the next life, but are misguided. Living for Christ is the only sure, straight way to eternal happiness.

Discerning Truth

       I've posted this before, but this is a good time to remind everyone again. Truth is truth only if it's 100% true. If something is only 99.99% true, it's still false. Using pure water as an example, we know that it's no longer pure, once you add some impurities to it no matter how small the amount might be. This applies to religions too. A religion can have many good things about it and is attractive, but if there is some teaching you find is wrong, you should beware.  

Know What's Necessary

        Most things we can live without. Some things are necessary only for the time being. But God is absolutely necessary to us for all eternity (who can take care of the eternal soul except the eternal Father?).

Hearing God's Voice

        Satan has deceived many into believing that they hear the voice of God. How do you discern what you hear? First of all, God speaks to you from within your heart, his voice always remaining gentle and loving. He will not rob you of your inner peace, so if you become obsessed with doing something, that cannot be from the Lord. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10.27). Therefore, be one of his sheep first and you'll know his voice. Remain in union with God and you are safe.

How to Pray?

         Today's Gospel reading from Luke 18 tells about the healing of a blind beggar. The blind man learned that Jesus was passing by and started shouting "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" People rebuked him, telling him to be quiet, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." 

       How should we pray? That has always been a question. After hearing today's Gospel, I believe that the form or format of our prayer does not matter as long as whatever we say is prompted and guided by our faith.

On Being Free

        The freest person is one who is most obedient to the will of God. God being the loving Father can never enslave us; it is we who enslave ourselves when we become self-centered ~ the ego again. Once God removes that, we are set free. Now love motivates all our thoughts, words, and actions. To love is to be free ~ we are back to God is love.

*All About Ego

        There is no spiritual freedom where ego reigns. In fact, the ego is the greatest obstacle in seeking God, so it would make a great gift for God if we offer it up to him. Ego wants you to believe that you are god, exactly what the devil wants you to believe. A big ego is a big banner raised high to get Satan's attention. It makes you want to appear great and lovable to others, while in reality others get turned off as soon as they notice the presence of ego ~ so who's the fool? Nevertheless, when the ego, being puffed up like a hot air balloon, gets punctured, you still get a shock and are hurt. A runaway ego can blind you to the point you no longer notice its presence ~ you are now in Danger Zone. An ego can never be satisfied; it can only be destroyed ~ and the best way of demolishing it is to starve it. Therefore, never feed an ego. As I have said in the past, I want to say again: "The ego's gotta go."

Be Ready for Death

        We hear tragic news daily about people dying around the world due to ungodly attacks and violence in general ~ what has just happened in Paris is an example. Any such event is always shocking, but my deepest concern are the souls of the victims ~ this is what counts. Let God get you ready for death should it happen to you, to avoid facing another much worse shock.

Boring Christian

        Christians do not see or hear Jesus well because they do not know him well. Going to church once a week is easy, but to take the Lord, his presence, and his teaching seriously is another matter. How often do you think of him or pray to him? Do you lose interest when people start to praise or speak well of him? If there is no zeal or fire in you, you are just a boring Christian. The remedy is to know the Lord intimately to get enlightened.

Sin Can Help

       The only good thing about sin is that it can awaken us to God. All saints were sinners in their past. The Lord especially notices great sinners, for he greatly pities them. When they turn to him, the liberation can be most exhilarating. If it helps, know that there will be great celebration and rejoicing in heaven too. If you are a sinner, be the cause of joy for yourself and the whole heaven!

Second Coming Certain

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 13 at Mass, Jesus talks about end times and his Second Coming. He came to us 2,000 years ago. I intuitively know that he will come again to bring all things on earth to a close, for God's justice must reign. I cannot imagine that God will leave us hanging on our own forever. Besides, our planet earth is of limited size ~ are we to believe that it's meant to be our permanent home? Say we were placed upon a small planet only a mile in diameter, how long would we last with a growing population? The earth is a lot bigger, but it's still finite in size. So the question of Jesus' Second Coming is only a matter of when, not whether.

God Our Only Refuge

        Communion experience. France just suffered a horrific attack by ISIS. This morning's breaking news: (1) A local high school football player got shot and died. (2) A tourist bus crashed in a nearby big city and injured 20. (3) Further south, a "destructive device" was found outside a store parking lot and detonated by the local sheriff's department. These were just a few things I saw reported on TV. I realized that there is only one true refuge for us, and that is God.

Praying Persistently

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18 at Mass, Jesus told his disciples about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. This to me "defines" our relationship with God. After all, God is our Father who knows only to love us. Therefore, we should feel free to tell him everything, ask for what we want from him, or even badger him. Great saints sometimes question, argue with, or complain to God. It all shows the great intimacy they have with the Father. As you know, to those closest to us we always feel free in expressing our honest feelings, but to strangers we usually hide them. And no one knows us better than God.

Out-of-the-World Living

        Every moment should be lived by us in prayer so as to remain in God at all times. Offer everything you do as a prayer to the Lord. Make him an integral part of your life and your existence. There is no life style more beautiful than being in union with God with the two becoming one. This is truly out-of-the-world, noble, exalted living.

Feeling Fortunate

        Communion experience. I felt that my love for Jesus is increasing and received great joy. I felt I was the most fortunate person in the whole universe. You can have the whole world, but I possess the creator of it! My existence is complete because I am back united with my creator, our loving Father. 

Happy Belonging

        Jesus belongs to me and also to all others who love him. We all don't seem to mind at all. I believe it's because we all belongs to him too.

Poignant Picture

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass continued from Luke 17. Jesus told his disciples that on the day the Son of Man is revealed, everyone will have to drop everything and leave everything behind. And I received the most poignant mental picture when the Lord said, "On that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left." I do not know whether being taken is good or bed; nevertheless, there will be permanent separation. If you want your loved ones to be with you for all eternity, do your utmost best to be a saint to them. This is showing that you truly love God and them. 

Our Perfect Path

        We may not actively commit sins, but not being holy is a sin of omission and we need to atone for that. The last several first readings at Mass all came from the book of Wisdom. They made me see that not seeking out God to know him is being unwise. Therefore, to get to know God and become holy is the perfect path for us.

Father Most Generous

        Communion experience. I'll always remember from the parable of the lost son what the father said to his older son, "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours." I thought of the inexhaustible riches of our Father in heaven and that they can be all ours if we are already with him. The joy of living in Christ is indeed equally inexhaustible.

Being Challenged

        Today's Communion antiphon, Matthew 10.39: Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it in eternity. After you hear this said from Jesus, you must either follow or walk away from him ~ no other possible choice.

Believe and You'll Know

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus tells us that the coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed ~ no one can say, "Look, here it is," or, "There it is." I do not see the Lord, but I know that he dwells in me. Faith is required, then it is substantiated by God and the unknown becomes known. It's faith leading to knowledge.

All-Encompassing Approach

        Communion insight. Union with God takes care of loving God which takes care of how we ought to live.

God to Be Loved

        The fact that Jesus is most lovable made me see that God is most of all to be loved.

Testing Our Love

        It's easy to love God who is holy and much harder to love people who are imperfect, especially those who have done us wrong. But Jesus gave us the second greatest commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Conclusion: We don't love God enough yet, if we do not love all our neighbors. That we are to see the Lord in everyone takes on a new meaning. 

Most Beautiful Way of Living

        Today's entrance antiphon at Mass, 1 Samuel 2.35: I shall raise up a faithful priest who will act in accord with my heart and my mind, says the Lord. It struck me that there's no more beautiful way of living than doing what God has in his heart and his mind.

Reminder

        If you know that God has chosen and called you, do not forget to thank him for it.

Be Set Ablaze

        Luke 12.49: I have come to light a fire on the earth, and how I wish the blaze were already ignited! The Holy Spirit is capable of setting our hearts ablaze. For the sake of our Lord and Savior, let it be done to you without delay! This fire will cleanse your soul, free you from sin, and lift your spirits to new heights.

Importance of God

        These are the two most important things for us to realize about God. (1) He is love. (2) He is exactly what our soul needs.

*Everything or Nothing

        Jesus has said in the Gospels more than once, "To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." This is so true. For example, the deeper you enter union with the Lord, the more you feel his presence and experience his love. Putting it dramatically, One either gains eternal life or loses even his own soul.

Eucharistic Power

        Communion experience. I can become what the Lord wants me to be ~ this is the power of the Holy Eucharist.

Love Is Selfless

        In the Gospel reading from Luke 17 at today's Mass, celebrating the memorial of St. Leo the Great, Jesus said to the Apostles, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" This would be something difficult for today's generation to stomach. My comment is that the love of God for us is already a great honor, privilege, and reward. If you truly love God, your only goal should be to please him alone. The Lord, the most selfless one, deserves our selfless love.

Will You Believe?

        If you do not believe in Jesus now, will you believe in him if he shows up today and you see a person who is totally politically incorrect, is of the meek and humble type our society easily looks down upon, and threatens your security and freedom in this world which you think you are entitled to?

Intimate Communion

        We say the Hail Mary when we pray the Holy Rosary while meditating upon the various mysteries. These are the words: Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and the hour of our death. Amen. Although I've said this prayers countless times, today for the first time, the phrase "pray for us" touched me. I am asking the mother of Jesus to pray for me and she is going to intercede with Jesus for me. I have immediate access to the Holy Mother. This is communion of saints.  

Beautiful Love

        The love of Jesus makes us want to love everyone else. I can tell you that the Lord is so beautiful that you would want to dwell in his love forever, but you will not understand until you get to know him yourself.

A Choice for Us

        As long as we sin, we'll never feel quite right. Either we remain feeling so till death or let Jesus replace that feeling with joy and freedom.

Simple Fact

        God by his nature is completely pure. We by our nature are prone to sin, so we need to rely upon God to make us pure. Then we'll be ready to return to God our Father.

For Simplicity

        Most written prayers are too wordy. Many novena prayers are good examples. Whoever composed them wrote with great devotion, but what you get to read are long, compound sentences stringing together too many ideas. Trying to follow them gets in the way of fully grasping what they say. My personal preference is for succinctness. Similarly, there are innumerous ways out there designed to make you holy, but all you need to do is to seek union with God ~ then all else will follow. In union, God will show you how to love. Focusing upon Christ alone is the same thing. God is simple with us. Adopting the various approaches to fostering our spiritual growth only complicates our progress.

Living for God Only

        What others know about you does not matter; only what God knows counts. Live and be aware of this and you'll be free.

Holding Onto Jesus

        Communion experience. Jesus is my anchor, my rock, and my salvation ~ I must not lose him. Then I realize that he will never leave me. And I don't even need to try to hold onto him ~ I only need to remain passive and be completely open to him.

Keeping Safe

        Both God and the evil one pull us stongly, but we are absolutely safe if we abandon ourselves completely in God.

Simple Logic

        Since God can take away my sins, it follows that he must know all about me and what's in my heart.

With Love All the Way

        To follow Jesus is to follow love. Let love lead you and nothing stop you.

Complete Fulfillment

        Communion experience. The Lord of heaven and earth entered me! What more could I ask for? I just wanted to "die" in him forever!

Our Life Goal

        Today's Gospel acclamation, 1 John 2.5: Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him. I just want to say that it's so beautiful: to perfect the love of God in us. Indeed, the goal of life for us is to be able to love others as Jesus loves us.

When to Accept Christ

        An unbeliever should not wait, expecting that somehow God will let him know without a doubt that he exists and is calling him, for that moment will never come for almost all of us (I have in mind exceptions such as the call of St. Paul by Jesus). Faith is required. If you cannot possibly dismiss Jesus completely from you heart, the time is ripe for accepting him. Once you take the leap of faith, your doubts and uncertainties will diminish over time. They will totally vanish when you attain union with the Lord. Faith is absolutely the key.

Jesus, a Stumbling Block?

        In Luke 12, Jesus said, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." Jesus is still a stumbling block to many today. Why? If he is not truly God, then it wouldn't matter whether you accept him or not. It's precisely because he is God that you find him hard to accept. Ironic, eh? I choose to believe in him because he is so extraordinary, for I do not want an ordinary god.     

Our Only Hope

        Communion experience. Christ is our only hope to deliver us from this life to eternal freedom. All other avenues are dead ends.

We Matter to Heaven

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 15, we learn from Jesus' parables that there will be great joy in heaven and rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents. This is important for us to know. It shows how much God and the whole heaven love us and are rooting for us. Wouldn't it be great that we repent and aim to become saints? If we do not and continue to sin, imagine how much sorrow we shall cause in heaven!   

Welcome Your Problems

        We face all kinds of problems in life, but think how wonderful it is that they give us the chance to consult the Lord about them! Getting the Lord involved intimately with us in everything ~ that's the idea. This is walking with God as his obedient children.

To Love Through Knowing

        If you truly love someone, you want to truly know the person. It's easy to be concerned about the person's welfare, pray for the person, or offer help in some way. To want to know and understand the person is to show your great love for him or her. Each of us probably knows people who love you, but how many of them do make an effort to get to know you well? For those of us who seek union with God, it's because we want to know him, as we love him.

All Desires Satisfied

      Communion experience. Loving and living in Jesus satisfies all my desires.

Learning to Love 2

        To love meaningfully, you must have the Lord in your heart. Seek union with him for rapid progress. Love God first and he'll make you love others.

Learning to Love

        Christ is love. If you want to learn to love, follow his example. Let Christ be reflected in every little gesture of yours, in responding to others ~ starting with members of your own family. Do not skip any opportunity and you'll be storing up treasures in heaven.

Conditions of Discipleship

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, we hear three of the most challenging statements from Jesus. To the gathered crowds, he said: "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." "Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." How do you react? Of course, surrender yourself to Jesus and all conditions are removed.

Evengelize, We Must

        Today is the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo. The Gospel acclamation, 1 Peter 4.14: If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you. We must be bold in bringing the gospel to others, not to worry about whether we might offend anyone or not. Of course, we should abandon ourselves in the Holy Spirit first and root what we say in love always. We are not doing our work, but doing God's work for him, leaving the outcome to him.  

Heart, Our Core

        God knows us thoroughly because he knows our hearts. To know God, we must also know his heart. Consecrating yourself to his Most Sacred Heart is a good start. God hears us only if we pray to him from our hearts, and we do not hear him if we harden our hearts. To convert others is to let God convert their hearts. Without a heart, I would be speaking gibberish to you now.

Perfect for Us

        There is no blood relationship between God and us, yet God the Father is our perfect father, God the Son our perfect brother, and God the Holy Spirit our perfect comforter. God is perfect for us.

Jesus Most Inspriring

        If I have a best friend and find out that he is also the best friend of some other people whom I don't even know, I probably would feel betrayed and may even get angry with him. With Jesus as our friend it is completely different. Even though I know that he loves everyone else just as much as he loves me, I still feel that he is my most personal friend. How come? I believe it's because he loves us selflessly and this love makes us selfless too. In fact, I want everyone to experience his love. Moreover, I'd be elated if everyone else loves him even much more than I love him. You see, his selfless, personal love makes us forget about ourselves to center upon him alone. What a great, inspiring Savior!        

Discerning Voices

        When God the Holy Spirit speaks to us, your hear his gentle voice in the quiet and stillness of your heart and you are humbled. By contrast, when the Evil One speaks to you directly or through some false prophet, he boosts your ego to make you believe that you are the important one and will be rewarded. This is the difference.

Being Tested

        Our life is a test period. How we perform during this period determines if we qualify for heaven or not later. The Holy Spirit who dwells within the Church guides us. Christ judges us at the end. And the Father gives out the reward or punishment.

Seduced by the World

          I have just begun praying the Novena to St. Jude for a special intention. I read in the Meditation part that in the Epistle of Jude, the Apostle denounces the heresies of that early time and warns the Christians against the seduction of false teaching. So many of our Christians today have been seduced by the teachings of so many false prophets. I thought of those who tend to overlook their minor sins by not even repenting them ~ they have been seduced by what the world teaches, and this is not OK. One should never be sloppy in living the spiritual life. God's mercy is infinite, but it is not to be abused.

Abandonment God-Centered

        Abandonment in God involves us, but is centered upon God. We simply vanish in him.

Perfect Short Prayer

        Thomas finally saw the resurrected Jesus and exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." This is not merely addressing him, it's more expressing his awe at seeing him. This is a most fitting prayer for us to say, complementing the Lord's Prayer.

Reality of Jesus

        I see anyone postponing acknowledging Jesus as being extremely foolish because he is our creator, he loves us, and he can make us live happily ever after. If there ever is reality, he is it. To accept (reject) him is to accept (reject) ourselves also.

Mark of a Free Soul

        Worldly attachments are very much like leeches, weakening you as they cling to you. If you are very much attached to the things of the world, you are not ready for leaving this world yet, and your departure may not be so peaceful or joyous. Feeling happy about dying at any time then is the true mark of a free soul.

Aiming High

        If you expect to spend some time in purgatory, you are not aiming very high. Love the Lord with all your heart and aim at becoming a saint, then you might very well skip purgatory altogether.

Living Christian

        For the faithful Christian, life only gets better as time passes, and reaches its absolute best at the end. For him or her, hope is ever present. Living Christian is the best way of life, irrespective of the person's social status, wealth or poverty, education level, his anything about him in the world.

Sign of Saintliness

        The marked difference between saints and not-quite-holy persons. Saints, who see the continuity of life, live for the next life first and the present life second, while the latter live mostly for this life.       

Challenging Proclamations

        Today is All Souls' Day. The Gospel acclamation at Mass came from John 11: I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die. In the Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus said, ". . . I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me." Such bold and challenging proclamations! They either are the truth or complete fabrications ~ we must decide. Under such circumstances, to ignore these claims is no better than to reject them.

Continued Healing Needed

        Last night I dreamed that I was lost, couldn't find the way to get back to where I needed to be on time. So what's going to happen now? ~ there was that panicky feeling. And I realized that I needed God to continue to heal my past, my subconscious, my heart and my soul.

Petitioning God Calls for Surrender

        In praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we petition the eternal Father for mercy on us and on the whole world. It struck me today that if we're to beg God for mercy, we need to submit ourselves to him first. Therefore, praying the Chaplet offers a chance to abandon ourselves to God once more.