Self-Realization

        It is God who has made me see the truth. I thank him and rejoice in him.

*Year-End Insight

        Today's Mass celebrated the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We heard the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple from Luke 2. There was a prophetess named Anna who never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. I realized that the ultimate point of prayer is to let the Lord make us perfect. You see, we sin against God, and to restore order and harmony we must become obedient children so that God's will may prevail. It is in constant obedient prayer to the Father that we learn and are transformed.

Year-End Realization

        As the year ends, the Lord God leads me to reflect on myself or the human race as a whole. I realize that God can be absolutely trusted or counted on, otherwise he cannot possibly be God, and it is us who are the weak, failing to bring ourselves to believe in him. The peoples of the world welcome and celebrate New Year, hoping that things will get better and that they will be happier, but they do not realize that nothing like that will happen if they do not first believe in God and become his obedient children.

Fulfilled by God

        Communion experience. God came to me to fulfill me. What I received from the Lord were the three Cs: consolation, contentment, and completion.

No. 1 Priority

        God is to be enjoyed to the fullest. Therefore, our No. 1 priority of life should be making our relationship with God as perfect as possible. Then everything else just wouldn't matter much anymore.

**Correcting Our Focus*

        Good to be home and resume attending daily Mass again. The thoughts I felt in my heart today were nothing new, but worth re-expressing. Once more, the Lord made me see that focusing upon how we can get to know and love him more is not the productive way, as it's much like concentrating upon ourselves to figure out how we can lift ourselves off the ground. The right, quick and efficient way is to focus upon the Lord exclusively to let him draw us to him. We must always let God take the center stage and he'll do all the lifting for us. 

Key to Seeing God

        Only the humble will see God. If we voluntarily humble ourselves before God, he will exalt us high. If we do not humble ourselves before God, we will be humbled by him and crushed forever in the end.  

How Much Are You With God?

        We can go to Mass every Sunday out of habit and not feel anything. Robotic Catholic might be a fitting name. Then there are those who hang on to God because they feel miserable about life. Truly blessed are those in union with God, who no longer struggle on their own, just living a triumphant life in the Lord. [Since I'll on the road with my son for the next three or four days, I won't able to attend daily Mass nor blog. I should be back on Dec. 30, if not sooner.]    

*Beautiful Prayer for Us

        Today is Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr. Response at Mass from Psalm 31: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. As Stephen was being stoned, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Before Jesus breathed his last on the cross, he cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." This should be a prayer for us too. Whether we face martyrdom of not, it shows our trust in the Lord and readiness to go to him.

*Great Question

        What profit is there to be the most famous and admired, the wealthiest, the most honored, or the most talented or intelligent person in the whole world when your name is not even written in heaven? 

**God Our Consolation

        There are things in our hearts that no other human beings can possibly understand or are impossible for us to express precisely to them, yet the Lord knows them all perfectly without our saying a single word. Therefore, I appreciate him immensely and treasure my intimacy with him. He is our greatest consolation!

Sorrow on Christmas Day

        Merry Christmas to all of you! Should it be a joyful day? Of course. Yet at the same time, I felt great sorrow. As usual on Christmas day, the church was filled to overflowing as on Easter day. The adjacent space normally partitioned off had to be opened up to accommodate the extra crowd. And people chatted and chuckled so much before Mass began that the priest had to tell all to quiet down. I am not here to judge anyone, but I am sure that many were there just for Christmas. You probably have heard about cafeteria Catholics who only pick and choose the teachings of the Church they can accept. These Christmas and Easter Catholics are known as submarine Catholics who surface just twice a year. Can God be pleased with them? I doubt it. My sorrow came from feeling his sorrow.

***Letting God Do It

        If you want to search your heart to see what's in there, do not do it by yourself, for you are not capable of understanding yourself thoroughly. Instead, go before the Lord, open your heart up, and ask him to search it. And he will help you see what he sees and what shouldn't be there. Then ask him to cleanse and heal you heart. This conforms to the smart practice of always entrusting God to do the hard work for you. This is how you get to live a life carefree in the Lord. We struggle so hard on our own to do so many things, forgetting that God can accomplish what we want to achieve for us. Good example, to attain union with God, a lot of people dismiss it for being too hard. But ask the Lord to do the work to prepare you and it becomes totally attainable. Just remember that we are weak and God is super strong and eager to help. 

Deep Joy in Christ

        Communion experience. I experience deep joy in the Lord. This is a joy that wells up from within the innermost of the heart and touches the soul, making you aware that the Lord indeed dwells in your heart. It seems that he keeps me alive just so I might taste this joy.

Finding or Not Finding God

        I often like to depict a spiritual situation with a picture. In life, you will come to a Y intersection sooner or later. One road will take you to God, the Truth, while the other one will lead you to explore on your own. Since God is not there, you will invariably hit a dead end. I know, because it's either finding God or becoming lost.

**How to Possess All of God

        If you want all of God for yourself, give all of yourself to him. Make your humble move first.

*A Bright Spot in Old Age

        What can get better and better as we age? Certainly not our physical condition, as the joints get stiffer and even getting out of bed in the morning becomes a challenge. Likewise our mental condition, as we forget things more easily. I used to be able to learn playing a piano piece in a few weeks, now I practice for months or longer and still keep hitting the wrong keys. Poorer eyesight doesn't help. But there is a bright spot and it's our spiritual condition which can improve as long as we are alive! By remaining close to Christ, we can become more acute and wiser spiritually, and grow holier with no limit whatsoever. This is definitely something we should not overlook, but to rejoice about.  

**God Is Calling You*

        Today's Communion antiphon, Revelation 20.3: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. You can easily picture this scene. The knocking may be faint to you right now, but if you stop and listen carefully, you will hear his voice and you know it. Whether you will open the door to let him enter is another matter. The Lord is insistent because he wants to save you. He is gentle because he want your faith to be genuine. He is ever so polite and patient that I almost feel sorry for him, but I think I ought to feel a lot more sorry for those who do not wish to hear his voice or hear but do not open the door to let him in. Anyway, reading this verse makes me respect and love my God even more. Ignoring his voice is ignoring your own eternal future.

God Removes All Fears

       If you don't know God, experiencing fear is common. This is generated by not knowing what is happening or might happen. For example, people fear abandoning themselves to God. In the Gospels, we read that people saw Jesus perform some mighty, wondrous deed, were amazed, and started to fear. Now, if you know Jesus well, you have a different story. Know that God loves you dearly, you are at ease with him. And you are no longer concerned about Satan, since God now protects you. In conclusion, knowing God removes all fears.

What God Is to Me

        Communion experience. God is my life, my soul, and my existence. I don't mean them literally. My life because he is as dear to me as my life; my soul because he is as close to me as my soul; and my existence because I owe my whole existence to him. God is also my most beloved. This I mean literally.

*Christmas Present for the Lord

        Give your heart to God as your Christmas present for him. The heart still remains within you; giving it to him simply permits him to transform it to his heart's content. We and God become one when our hearts become one. It's a sheer win-win joy! 

**God to Be Praised!*

        We petition and thank God, but often neglect to praise him. While petitioning and thanksgiving center upon what we'd like to receive and what we have received, respectively, from God, praising is centered upon God alone, most likely most popular in heaven. In the Charismatic Renewal Movement of the Church, praising God has been the first order of business, and wondrous things happen as a result. Of course, the vocabulary for praising God is rather limited and this explains why your hear God being praised in tongues. You see, speaking in tongues is not something mysterious, but simply the natural outflow from us with an intense desire to praise God. Praise the Lord as often as you can to receive great blessings from him. 

*Rallying Cry*

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 24: O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! As 2017 is coming to a close, we are also getting closer to Jesus' 2nd Coming. Here is my rallying cry to all who can hear: Let the God of Christ enter! Open your heart! If you shut him out, you will be shut out by him. Would you rather end up to be all alone than go over to his side to join him to be taken care by him forever? . . . . .  

**The One to Live For

        We all need something to live for. When there is nothing to live for, people experience despair, and contemplate suicide. My former piano teacher live for music and other artists I know for their art. Many parents who do not do well live to make sure that their children will have a brighter future. For me, living for Christ is absolutely the best, for he is the eternal loving God. He fills my life with hope and will grant me the brightest possible future I could ever wish for. 

Love Is Sufficient

        Is God a mystery? There is so much we do not know about God, but at the same time we can attain union with him and feel that we have known him for all eternity. In fact, once I realized that he is all love, there was no more need for me to know more about him. Love alone is sufficient.

***Union With God for All!*

        Union with God is loving God with all you've got, the giving of yourself to God. It is an unspoken, simple but profound, most intimate relationship with the Lord. You open yourself 100% to him and he communes with you freely. It is imitating how God the Father and God the Son are in each other. Above all, it is what God desires from us. Union is achieved by submitting yourself completely to God. When that happens, he takes over and accomplishes all that's impossible for you to accomplish. It's letting God be God. We struggle hard only because we have not let God reign over our private little kingdom. Union is for you and me, for everyone! Why do you not consider it? Is it because you don't think you are good enough? Then let God make you good enough! Is it because you don't think he can make it happen to you? Then you don't believe that nothing is impossible with God! You don't need to be a mystic or saint first; it is in union that they become mystics and saints. Short of union, you remain struggling through your life, which strictly speaking, is rebelling against God.

**Beware of Slipping*

        Life and death seems to be such a pair of opposites, yet they are seamlessly connected, for we can slip from life into death in an instant. I got this feeling when I felt dizzy once after neglecting to take my medication for a short time. Another time I fell, suffered a concussion, and momentarily lost my consciousness. So is heaven and hell a pair of opposites. Here exists a chasm between the two that's impossible to cross, but slipping from our present state into either one of them can happen in an instantly too. Therefore, beware of this to be sure that we do not end up where we do not want to go.

Faith and Truth

        God is our truth and this remains true forever whether we believe in it or not. If we are not connected with God, we are simply lost. If we have faith in God, then we are saved, as Christ had demonstrated to those who believed in him. Faith connects us to the truth, making all the difference to us.    

Journey of Love.

        We get to know God through the following possible stages. Of course, many never reach stage 6, but are still saved. (1) We feel the emptiness of life. (2) We seek God. (3) We check out Christ and find that there are sufficient reasons for us to believe in him. (4) That little bit of early faith makes us take the plunge, accepting him as our Savior. (5) You wish to know him even more and press on. (One common mistake is that some erroneously believe that once you have accepted Christ, you are saved forever. Then they slack off and put their salvation in jeopardy again.) (6) Another critical point is reached: should you surrender to Christ completely? If you do, the Lord starts taking charge of your life completely. As he continues to transform you into a new creature, you become less attached to the world and experience more and more peace and freedom. (7) You feel God's presence, his power and love, and start to fall deeply in love with God. (8) Finally, you desire union with him and attain it, aided greatly by the Holy Eucharist. All in all, it's an exciting journey. It is exciting because you are directly involved.

Love Banishes Fear

        Christians are not only to rejoice in Christ always, but they are to become fearless. We need to fear God only if we are not with him. Once you belong to him, he banishes all your fears, for now you are with the Lord who is in charge of all things that exist, their sole creator. He gives and he takes away. He creates and he destroys. But he is always love.

God Is Not a Crutch

        People accuse Christians of believing in God because they look for some kind of a crutch for support. I had never felt that way. If I were ill and desperately need some medicine for healing, I might try anything I can get my hands on – this would be looking for some kind of a crutch. When I sought God, starting out I didn't even want to believe in him. I gave in only after I discovered how truly beautiful he was. So it was God drawing me, not me looking for a crutch.

**God Wants Us Back Always

        Relative to God our Lord, we are lowly, unholy, frail, and useless on our own, yet he loves us and is eager to raise us to his level. No matter how immense that gap is between him and us, if we love him back and it is gone. We are the prodigal sons and daughters, and as long as we return to the Father, we are welcomed back into his family. Through the Holy Eucharist, we can even attain union with the Holy One! If you are not with God at all, the gap between you and him is infinite. But just remember that he can make that gap disappear anytime you so wish.    

*Restoring Our Beauty

        We are beautiful only if we are beautiful to God. In reality, we are always beautiful to God, our creator and Father; it is sin that make us look filthy and ugly. So just ask him to take away our sins and we'll be beautiful for good and to ourselves too.

**More Precious Than Our Soul*

        What is more precious than our soul? God our creator! For without God, our soul would be lost forever. With him, he can heal our soul or even create a new soul for us, for nothing is impossible for him! This is the God you can trust with all your soul.    

Sensible Planning

        We came into the world penniless and will leave the world and be penniless again. So it would be sensible and appropriate for us to will that all the money we have borrowed from the Lord during our lifetime be given away for his glory after we leave this world. 

**Giving Away Your Heart

        I recall my favorite saying of St. Bernadette's which I first posted back in 2009: "If we receive Jesus with love and make sure that he dwells happily within us, he is bound to pay us rent." Today the thought came to me that letting Jesus own our heart is even better than having him rent it, for as owner, he will have to do all the maintenance work, while we get his blessings anyway.      

**God Is Our Joy!

        Philippians 4.4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! We are exhorted to rejoice throughout the Scriptures. To be Christian is to rejoice in God always. It's hard to imagine that one can love Christ and not smile. The thought of God alone should make our hearts bubble with joy. We are so blessed to have a God who loves us to death, who is infinitely merciful, and who has revealed to us his plan of salvation, clearing the whole way for us to enjoy eternal bliss with him in heaven. So let your heart leap for joy! God is not only the source of our joy, he is our great joy! 

*Important Consideration

        If you believe that you do have a soul, that you do not just become nothing after you die, then looking into the afterlife and the existence of heaven and hell becomes absolutely necessary if you do have a sound mind and some common sense. If you ignore it, you should at least understand what your reason is. Gambling with your money is being foolish. Gambling with you soul is far beyond being foolish.

*Humility and Holiness

        Witness Christ who was misunderstood, falsely accused, horribly maltreated, and finally crucified. He did not protest to claim that he was innocent and his enemies wrong; he even asked the Father to forgive them. This is true humility. Now look at ourselves. Anytime someone disagrees or argues with us about something, most often trivial, we so want everyone else to see that we are right and our "opponent" wrong! Where is our humility? We may be considered nice and decent by ourselves and others, but without true humility, we definitely are not holy (nor cool). 

Receiving Life Through Christ

        In the olden days, emperors of China searched for the elixir of life, hoping to gain longevity or eternal youth. Today we have anti-aging creams and pills widely available on the market. When I last received the Holy Eucharist, it dawned on me that I was receiving the Lord who was to grant me eternal life in heaven! Never mind the elixir of life or those anti-aging stuff.                                   

**An Insight*

        The fact that Jesus underwent his Passion from the Last Supper to his death on the cross willingly without protest shows his genuine love for us.

**No Better God!*

        I love my Lord because not only I can share honestly whatsoever is in my heart with him, I can also laugh with him or cry with him. There is no better God or friend; he is to be savored and cherished. What a joy and privilege to know him! 

**Do You Know?*

        You can share anything with the Lord from your heart without feeling ashamed because he understands you perfectly and will be only too happy to cleanse you and make you whole again!

A Christian Stance

        Look up to God only and never look down on anyone.

Amazing Truth

        Do you know that the God of Christ is nothing short of being able to take away all you sins and give you eternal life? If you already know, then think about it seriously.

***Most Sweet Voice

        The voice of the Lord is the sweetest of all voices, for it is not only pure, but also most intimate, speaking directly to you from within your heart!   

*Pitiful Generation

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said to the crowds about their generation, "John (the Baptist) came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon." The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" Our generation today is no different. People judge you outright and with their mind made up criticize you no matter what you say or do. We have a firmly closed-minded generation that urgently needs God's mercy shutting God out. 

Greatest Privilege

        Communion experience. I felt completely satisfied and was elated that the Father has chosen me to belong to his family.

Following Jesus Properly

        Today is Memorial of Saint John of the Cross. Matthew 16.24 is the Communion antiphon: Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me, says the Lord. It seems that Jesus already knew that he was going to carry the cross on which he was to be hanged before his Crucifixion and he wants us to be like him. As our shepherd, he is also our model.

Another Union Advantage

        Seek union with God so that loving him not only is a duty you feel you must fulfill, but also becomes your second nature. 

Living in Joy

        God loves us so much that any expression from us showing that we care for him, no matter how minute, greatly pleases him. We all know when we make someone happy, we feel happy too. Therefore, when we go all out to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, we are rewarded with great heavenly joy.

*Secret of Living a Blessed Life

        Make Jesus the Lord your focal point and never look beyond him. And do this in secret. Then you'll be filled with hope, lose all anxieties, and experience consolation in your heart, thus living a most blessed life.

*True Humility

        Anyone who is full of pride with a big ego does not turn to God, for he is playing God already. Therefore, those who seek union with God are the ones who truly possess humility, knowing that they are weak and helpless without him. 

**Completing the Union

        Communion thoughts. It is an elementary mathematical theorem that if A is a subset of B and B a subset of A, then A = B. So if we wish to dwell in God and we let God enter to dwell in us, then God and we become one. Every time I let the Lord in through receiving the Holy Eucharist and accept his invitation to dwell in him, our union is complete. How so cool it is! (I'm just excited.)

**The Family We Need

        Today's is Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In case you are not familiar with that story that changed Mexico forever, it is a beautiful one. I have visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and saw the miraculous image that appeared on St. Juan Diego's tilma there more than once. Many of us never had a mother's love. Make Mary your mother and she will keep you close to her Son always. And Jesus becomes your bother. If you never had a father's love, we have the best Father in heaven who can heal your soul and fill all the voids of your life. Then the Holy Spirit becomes your protector and teacher. Have the God of Christ and you shall lack nothing for all eternity! God has so made us that our life is incomplete until we find and settle in him.

*Just Us and God

        We do not live in the world alone, for God is ever present. All other fellow humans will pass away, but God is always there. So it is our relationship with him, our Father, that matters the most to us. The secret of getting along with him is to remain absolutely humble before him and then ask for anything we need for a safe trip back to him in heaven. Quite simple.       

*Never Get Sidetracked

        Communion thoughts. I was looking forward to receiving the Lord into me. Then I thought if I were now offered to attend the greatest Christmas party in the world or take the most fantastic vacation there is, all expenses paid, or get a ticket free for the chance of winning a billion dollars, would I skip Holy Communion? The temptation to say yes is great, but I still would choose to receive Christ, for we must keep our journey back to God on track. [Afterthought. What if I were given a billion dollars outright? In that case, I would skip Communion this time, take the money, and plan on giving it away for good causes and resuming receiving Holy Communion tomorrow.]

*Faith Works Miracles

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, as Jesus was teaching, some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed to him. Not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he not only forgave his sins, but also healed him. It just shows how faith can produce miracles. If we believe that nothing is impossible with God, we must practice what we believe. That is, we take God's word seriously, abandon ourselves totally in him, and let our faith reap its rewards.

Incompatible Twosome

        Ego and inner peace cannot coexist within us. 

**Beyond Expectations

       Today's response to Psalm 85 came from Isaiah 35: Our God will come to save us. The Jewish people had been waiting for the promised coming of the Messiah. They mostly likely were expecting to see the appearance of someone like a great king who would deliver them from all their enemies on earth. If Christ had come like that, probably everyone would have cheered and the Crucifixion would not have taken place. The fact is that he came as our Savior beyond all expectations – to deliver us from all enemies, including death, for all eternity! And we, being born after his coming, have the advantage of being able to understand what his mission was all about. All in all, rejoicing is in order!

**Safeguarding the Soul

        Whatever you do, ask yourself if it's going to benefit or damage your own soul and anyone else's too. After all, this is our Lord's No. 1 concern. 

***Ready for the Day of Judgment?

        We will be judged by God after we die or when Jesus comes next, whichever comes first. When the judgment will take place is not important. What is important is whether we are ready to be judged right now, since either can happen at any time.

*Ours for the Taking!

        Think of God as water and that we are spigots that control the flow of that water into us. How much water we are willing to receive is entirely up to us. This water is living water, powerful enough to give us life everlastingly. On earth, it quenches our thirst, cleanses us, heals our soul, shields us from evil, and keeps us strong to face all trials and tribulations. God's power is all ours for the taking! 

Making Straight God's Paths

        I went to Vigil Mass today. The Gospel reading came from Mark 1. Mark started the Gospel by quoting Isaiah: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." And John the Baptist did come as the messenger and Christ followed. Of course, the whole point of the Lord's coming is to enter our hearts, so how are we to prepare his way and make straight his paths? It turns out that we are the only obstacles in his way. Therefore, if you wish to receive him, you must be passive and out of his way for him to enter smoothly without encountering any resistance. 

Concern About Satan

        Those not in God need to be concerned about Satan the most, yet they are not concerned at all. A sad situation. On the other hand, those safely in God need not be concerned about Satan and are not concerned. A most happy situation.

Intimate Moments With God

        Communion experience. After receiving the Lord, I felt I was close to him more than ever. In those few moments, peace reigned over both my mind and my heart. I knew that once I get to heaven and belong to God completely, peace will reign over me forever.

*When to Enjoy God

        He is best enjoyed when you have a pure heart and a clear conscience.

Forgetting About Ourselves

        To live for God alone, one must forget about himself. This is possible only if you let God draw you to him first, for as you are drawn closer to him, you become more aware of his presence and less of your own. Nevertheless, at the beginning when you wish God to draw you, you need to make the conscious effort to get yourself out of his way.

*God All-Knowing

        Today is Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blesses Virgin Mary. In the second reading from Ephesians 1, Paul wrote, "Blesses be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him." In Jeremiah 1, the Lord said to the prophet, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you." There are many other verses from Scriptures I can quote. What is obvious is that God does not have to plan in advance – he already knows everything. Therefore, we can trust in him fully, knowing that all things will work out in the end.

Signs You're in Love With God

        You long for him and want to be in union with him, and you are eager to spread the good news of salvation to as many others as possible.

Our Only Hope

        Communion experience. Christ the Lord is the only one who can get us into heaven, for there is only one God.

*Taking the Fast Track

        As long as we focus upon how we can love God or what we should do to love him, our spiritual process will be slow and laborious. Forget about ourselves and focus 100% on the Lord instead to let him draw you to him fast. That is, always head straight for the Father to learn everything spiritual firsthand from him! If your heart is ready, you will hear his voice.

Spiritual Growth Indicator

        How much we yearn for the Lord indicates how much we have grown spiritually.

**Love Tests Us*

        We are all being tested by the love of God, which is his love for us. We'll be judged by how we respond to his love. In this way, God's love also acts as a sword that divides us. Those who pass the test will enjoy the beauty and glory of God forever, while those who fail will be sorry and forlorn of comfort for all eternity.

The Greatest Saint Is . . .

one who loves the Lord with all his heart, all his mind, all his soul, and all his strength, and does not let anyone notice that.

**Best Exchange There Is!

        Attain union with God, then all his thoughts and ways are yours and all your problems and burdens are now his. 

How We Are Set Free

        Jesus said that the truth would set us free. It sets us free by letting us know that God loves us, has redeemed us and cleared our way to eternal happiness in heaven with him, and no one except us can change that – we are set for eternity. 

Compelling Examples

        The Apostles Thomas and Paul are great examples that can help turning unbelievers into believers. Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen, but he got to touch his wounds personally when he appeared to him and Thomas proclaimed "My Lord and my God!" Paul on the other hand was a ruthless persecutor of all those who followed Jesus after his Resurrection, then the Lord called him and he turned 180 degrees around and became his apostle, spreading the good news to the gentiles until he was martyred. To me, these two examples validate the fact that Jesus is God and can change any of us.    

**Start Dancing With God*

        God is all powerful and know exactly what's best for us, but we are the weak ones, the guilty ones, full of pride, not willing to connect ourselves to him. It really takes two to tango to make things happen. So, start "dancing" with the Lord so that his power and knowledge may be ours too!

On Doing God's Will

        To do God's will, seek union with him first. Then you'll know his will when the Holy Spirit prompts you. Pray for a sign only when you are not sure about what his will is.

***How to Know God

        How well we know God depends entirely upon how much we surrender ourselves to him. To surrender to God is simply to give him complete freedom to enter your heart to do whatever he wishes. Naturally, he wants to be your most intimate friend, and you end up knowing him as your most intimate friend as well. 

Inescapable Meeting

        At Mass this morning, I knew that I would see Jesus again, whether at his Second Coming or after I die. Meeting him is unavoidable, since we were created through him and will have our eternal destiny determined by him. He is King of the Universe and rules over all in heaven and on earth. Only in him shall we find life forever.

*Disbelieve at Your Own Risk

        Yesterday I watched the film "The Case for Christ" on Netflix. It's based upon a true story of an atheist journalist who set out to prove that the Resurrection of Christ never happened. In the end, he found the evidence against him overwhelming and believed. There are still many out there today who do not even believe that Jesus ever existed. In any case, if one cannot prove that he is right, the logical and wise choice for him would be to believe, for Christ must be accepted fully or rejected. When you chooses not to believe, you are gambling with your soul! 

***Dream Relationship With God

         We may feel the peace of the Lord most of the time, but the test comes when someone misunderstands you or says something you feel uncalled for about you. Then you lose your cool. To remain objective and admit that we can be wrong is most difficult for mankind to deal with. 

       We know that God is always present with us, but we need to practice this awareness. If I am aware that he is watching me at all times, I know I would behave a lot better before others. Since Jesus and the Father are in each other, I believe that the even better practice is be aware that God actually dwells in us. Catholics are blessed to have the Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist and receiving this Blessed Sacrament regularly greatly facilitates or strengthens our union with him. Now we have the Lord sitting on a throne in our hearts. Yes, we have been dethroned – the best thing that could possibly happen to us. Now, not only God is with us, we are in each other as one, doing all things together in perfect harmony. 

Highest Privilege

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is the highest, biggest, most special and rewarding privilege of my life on earth.

Matching God's Mercy

        We plead God to have mercy on us a lot, but we also need to do our part as recipients of his mercy. To expect 100% of his mercy, give 100% of yourself to him, and this means complete submission of ourselves to him. You reap what you sow.  

**Taking Advantage of God

        God is infinite and powerful, and he loves us. We were made in his image and can call him Father. His ardent wish is not to control us, not to force us to be holy, but for us to trust in him so that we may get to heaven to live in everlasting joy with him! Please do understand him correctly! Therefore, we should take maximum advantage of our most privileged and favorable position and ask for and get all the help we need from him – there is no better way to show our trust. This is truly a no-brainer unless your brain is disordered. First thing we need do is to settle our eternal destiny with God. Then we can relax and enjoy serving him the rest of our lives.     

Reacting to a Speedster

        On my way home after Mass, I was driving at a decent speed and a speeding car behind me all of a sudden illegally crossed the double solid lines to pass me when we were already nearing a stop sign ahead. Here are some of my reactions: (1) It is alarming that someone would drive in such an unsafe way. (2) He got in front of me and I don't like it (it's the bad pride surfacing). (3) He might get into an accident – should I care? (4) Perhaps he has a good reason for speeding. (5) I hope he realizes that everything we do will have consequences. (6) He cannot be my enemy, for he doesn't even know me. I feel sorry for him and pray that God will illuminate and bless him (as I come to my senses).

**Preparing for Jesus' Coming

       In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus told his disciples to be vigilant at all times and pray that they have the strength to stand before the Son of Man when he comes, for that day would catch everyone who lives on the face of the earth by surprise like a trap. I belief that before he comes to judge us, to separate the sheep from the goats, he already knew everything about us. And the moment you realize that he is here, your time for reconciliation with him also expires. After not listening to him and not paying attention to his warning your whole lifetime, do you think he still should hear your last confession? God's mercy is ever present and his love, ever wanting to unite us with him. Seek and attain union with him now and you don't ever need to be concerned about his coming anymore.

**Evil of Abortion

        Jesus said in John 15.13: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." He lived up to what he had preached and demonstrated it by going on the cross himself. (We certainly can at the least demonstrate our love for the Lord by living, if not dying, for him.) The diametrical opposite would be to take other human lives for our own benefit or convenience. Then it can be said that there is no greater evil than terminating the lives of innocent, defenseless babies for selfish reasons. I do understand that choosing to abort an unborn child is not easy and can be most agonizing to the mother, so the large blame must be placed upon those who are pro-abortion and have contributed to making the mother choose abortion. If such holocaust does not horrify us, then we have indeed become an ally of the devil. 

God Determines Eternity

        Only God, being eternal, knows eternity and has the power to determine all things that have to do with eternity. Since our soul lives on forever, we'll have to deal with eternity. In this way, God becomes our agent. Therefore, we must take God seriously, as he'll be determining our eternity. 

To be Like Jesus Is . . .

to remain humble, pure, and holy, and be filled with great love for all our brothers and sisters without exception. (I underlined "and" because the part that followed is specifically most difficult for us to put into practice.)    

*Imitating Christ, Our Aim

        God has created us in his own image. The difference is that we were created at various times, while God has existed forever. We are the only creatures on earth who can understand good and evil, virtue and sin, and our creator. Thus Jesus asks only us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is (Matthew 5.48). Therefore, we should aim to imitate Jesus to become perfect. First, let him purify us and fill us with his love. Then yield to him with an open heart so that he may teach us his thoughts and his ways for us to follow the Father's will perfectly as he did. 

**Truth About Being Free*

        We easily build walls around us, shutting God out, thinking that we are now secure and free to do whatever we feel like doing. The truth is we have only succeeded in enclosing ourselves in a private prison. True freedom is found by breaking down all barriers between God and us and connect ourselves to him by sharing the same space with him. Then we'll have security as well. In essence, we can never be free until we let God be our God – a truth we must realize.

*Coming to Senses

        If you are running away from God but not truly happy, then God is calling you! It's impossible to escape or hide from him, something you should know. And there will be a price to pay in the end for evading him, which basically amounts to rejecting his love for you. There is really no alternative out there, for there is only one creator, one Lord, and one Savior. Stop running away from him, face reality, turn to your Father as the prodigal son, and you'll find hope, joy, and experience the greatest homecoming welcome of your life to boot!

**Sad Reality*

        Today is the feast of St. Andrew, Apostle. In the first reading from Romans 10, Paul wrote: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So God has truly made it simple for mankind to be saved, but we simply do not wish to yield to him for selfish reasons. This is the plain sad fact! There is nothing more I can say, only plenty to pray about.

*Worthy commitment

        Members of many religious orders take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. A more general basic commitment we the laity can make is to reserve ourselves for use by God alone. This should bring great joy to both the Lord and ourselves.

Make-Believe Living

        As I drove to church this morning, I saw that one neighbor had already displayed various, colorful things (I had no chance to see exactly what they were) in their side yard in preparation for the coming holidays. Christmas decorative lights have started showing up on various houses too. I wonder if all these things really cheer people up. Perhaps they do, but the true joy has to be experienced deep within the heart. The world is good at showing faux joys, especially in advertising and show business. All the fun things people do to entertain themselves without involving God are rather empty and it seems that people are just killing time, to be blunt about it. This couldn't be farther from being vigilant and preparing for the Lord's coming at the unexpected time. 

Responding to Persecution

        In this morning's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus talked to the crowd about the coming persecution because of his name and how they should deal with it. I see that for his followers, every hardship they face is a form of persecution because of his name. The Devil would tell you to hit back, to retaliate, while the Holy Spirit wants you to rejoice in it for the sake of Christ. And you make the choice as to whom you should listen to.  

Only One, Trustworthy

        The only one you can and should trust completely is the one who can save your soul.

Jesus Speaking as God

        One of the Communion antiphons was Matthew 28.20. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord. We must take this saying seriously. For if he did speak the truth, then obviously he knows where we are and what we are doing at all times and is present with us. He has to be God.

**Love Your Enemies

        Often people judge you harshly, are not grateful for what you've done for them, don't want to listen to you, ignore you, misunderstand you, or even look down on you. That's OK if your conscience is clear, knowing that you have always acted out of love. God understands everything and that's good enough for you, for you aim to serve and please him alone. And always pray for your enemies in all forms.

Be Transformed by God at Mass

        If you go to Mass as a blank canvass for God to paint whatever he wishes on it. You can be sure that he'll end up with a masterpiece at the end of Mass.

*Entering the Lord

        Before a large ship arrives at a port, the captain must carefully negotiate all the obstacles to steer the ship slowly all the way through docking. By contrast, we can enter God instantly by casting aside all our cares and head straight for his heart. The only question is whether we would do it.

***Talking to God

        We ought to be in awe of and worship our God, but since he is love, we can also talk to him about anything from our heart freely to develop the most intimate friendship with him. You see, love simply removes all barriers between God and us. This is our extraordinary, wondrous God, our Father, brother, and counselor. So even if you don't know him, start talking to him can lead you to living the most wonderful life on earth. 

Communion Joys

        Communion experience. Letting the Lord into my heart is a great joy, so is the chance to prostrate myself before him, completely submitting myself to him.

God for Sinners Only

        We receive the Lord into our heart, not because we are holy enough; we receive him precisely because we are sinners and need him to take away our sins. 

*Jesus Irreplaceable

        If you quit your job, you still have a chance to find another one. But if you quit Jesus, there'll be absolutely nothing left for you to hold onto for eternal security.

**God's Selfless Love

        Today is Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel reading from Matthew 25 was on the judgement of the nations. Jesus identified the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the ill, and those in prison as the least of his brothers. And he made it clear that whatever we did for one of his least brothers, we did for him, and whatever we did not do for one of his least bothers, we did not do for him. Any of us could very well be one of his least brothers. It follows that  any one of us is as important to him as himself. Jesus truly loves us as himself!

One Shepherd, Many Foes

        Psalm 23 was today's responsorial psalm at Mass. Its first verse is well-known: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. We have only one shepherd, our God. And we surely need him, for we have innumerable foes.

Another Good Chance

        Every time you ask God for something, it is a chance to offer him your heart once more.

**Telling Sign

        The more you turn away from Jesus Christ, the more you need him! If he makes you feel uncomfortable, then he matters to you. That's because he is God and has created you.

Our Most Important Mission

       It glorifies God to harvest souls for him, for he loves all of them to death! To perform our mission well behooves us to be holy ourselves. Therefore, seek union with God foremost so that we may become effective channels through which the Lord can draw all to himself. There is nothing more satisfying or fulfilling than serving him faithfully.

**Life Seen As a Test*

        We came into the world, not knowing how we got here – it is clear to me that God must have created us. How else would that have been possible? He also gave each of us a free will, a conscience, and a heart, and we were ready to be tested throughout our life. How we make choices ultimately determines our eternal destiny. Fair enough.

*Sharing the Joy of Christ

        If you experience the joy of Christ, let it be seen by all. Sharing it with others can potentially save souls. I am thinking about some of the friends and others I knew who had shockingly committed suicide. If I had shared my joy with them, I possibly could have made a difference. It's a balancing act because we can't always pop up and tell them about Christ if the timing is not right. Still, it's better to err on the bold side than being too cautious. You should not worry about offending your subject if the Lord does provide an opening. And always follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, never your own inclination.

**Worthy to Be Loved by God!

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. I am quoting one verse from his answer to them, for it struck me. He said, "God is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." So we are all alive to him – meaning that he notices and knows each one of us. We are not just nobody; in fact, we are at the apex of his creation, worth sacrificing himself to save us. How can we possibly reject ourselves or reject him? Indeed, we should thank him and love him with all our heart by seeking union with him so that we may experience the only perfect out-of-the-world relationship of our existence on earth!

In a Sorry Spiritual State

        This is a materialistic world. Children born into it learn to be materialistic fast. On this Black Friday after Thanksgiving, people got up early and headed excitedly for shopping malls to hunt for bargains. God is at a disadvantage. It can be considered a miracle that one would think of God before him- or herself. I watched a short BBC video titled "What do people say before they die?" Interestingly, most of the interviewed did not talk about death, not knowing what would happen afterwards. Instead they looked back and wished they had done certain things or asked for some little thing to be done to fulfill their last wish. Again, God was hardly mentioned. Even though God had come into the world and proclaimed loud and clear the good news of salvation, and we should be full of hope and look forward to returning to him with joy, he has rarely been placed in the forefront of our mind. What we can count on is that the Lord knows that we are weak and that he is infinitely merciful.

Genuine Thanksgiving

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17 on this Thanksgiving Day, ten lepers met Jesus. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" Jesus saw them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned to Jesus, fell at his feet and thanked him. What a beautiful gesture! Jesus then said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." That was his reward for thanking God in humility! In Luke 18, we find the Pharisee in the parable speaking to God, "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes ...." Jesus made it clear that this Pharisees went home unjustified, for he had exalted himself. Again, humility makes you genuine and win the heart of God.

One Great Feeling

        After taking a shower, you feel good because your whole body is clean. After you repent and have God take away all your sins, you feel great because now your whole soul is clean. This has to be one of the best feelings you can possibly have, since it comes from the Lord, removing all barriers between you and him.

What We Must Mind

        We must mind our business by not judging others, comparing ourselves with others, mentally censoring their behavior, or gossiping about them. The thing we must mind is their salvation.

Critical to Defend

        In our violence-prone society, many people take self-defense lessons to protect themselves. This is all good. But my thoughts are that in our sin-ridden societies, learning how to defend our souls is even more urgent, as our body will perish one day, but the soul lives on forever.

**Faith at Work

        The tactics for fighting temptation I just posted is consistent with how we should approach God. It goes back to always placing our trust in him to let him shield us and do the work on the front line for us. If faith can save our soul, surely it can get us out of any jam. The Lord loves to help the weak. Acknowledge truly that you are helpless without him and he will help you with all his might. It's plain faith-at-work. 

Fighting Temptation

        Know that the evil one wants you to believe that you are strong enough to fight temptation head-on so that he may lure you even deeper into it. Your soul is at stake! So the smart winning tactics is to run away from temptation straight into your Father's arms without delay, the moment you sense it. We ask the Lord not to lead us into temptation in the prayer he taught us. Now we can switch to asking him to protect us from temptation.  

*Zeroing in on Christ

        The title points to the way to eternal happiness. Since Christ is our God and Savior, it is logical and evident that he is whom we need to focus upon the most and love the most. If we obey and live for him alone, we shall experience freedom and peace now and everlasting joy later. This is my testimony to you. Of course, this presents a test to see if we would choose ourselves over him or not. Face it, we cannot escape the Lord in any way and whatever happens to us hinges entirely upon his mercy! Seek union with him now to smooth your way to eternity.

*Silly of Us

        We tightly hold onto things that pass or pass away, yet we forget that we ourselves also last only a brief time on this earth. Putting it mildly, how silly can we be?

At the Soul Level

        Communion thought. Jesus our Lord is not just to be consumed physically by us; he is to be absorbed by us into our very soul! 

God More Than Enough

        Never mind that people ignore you, hurt you, sin against you. Feel good that God always watches over you, cares for you, and seeks union with you. (No way you should reject such a friend.)

Behaving Before God

        If every move and word of yours are being videotaped, you probably want to make sure that you look good and do everything right. Now, if you realize that God sees better than any of the recorders, for he also perceives what's in your heart and mind, shouldn't you at least try to be holy at all times for him? 

If You Feel Depressed ...

        To those who are suffering depression, know that there is always hope in the God of Christ. You see, God has made us so that nothing can make us truly happy until we find and possess him! He wants to and can be all yours if you desire him. Then you'll know him by his love as he wipes away all your fears and tears. To despair when Christ the way and the truth and the life is present and had specifically come into the world to give you joy is both tragic and making you look foolish. When you get depressed, the Lord your Father, gets depressed even more, for his love for you is great beyond our comprehension. Why not cheer up to put a smile on his face, eh? 

**Small Step, Giant Celebration**

        If you wish to worship the Lord, praise him, enjoy him, rest in him, be in union with him . . . you can make all these happen by surrendering yourself to him, for he already knows all your wishes and only needs you to open the door to let him into your heart. This one simple step taken by you will have the whole heaven rejoicing for you and praising God! (You are never alone.)

Beyond Enjoying the Lord

        Communion experience. Before I go to him in person, the Lord and I are already in each other. Another wow!

**Sure Way to Heaven

        We always follow our hearts. So while you are still here on earth, start giving your heart to Christ and your'll end up one day in heaven.

*One Will Better Than Two

        It's so easy to do what we feel like doing, but there is no merit in that. The wise seek union with God first so that God's will and theirs may become one. Then in union, doing what God wants them to do becomes just as easy. 

Amazing Faith and Healing

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, when a blind beggar heard that Jesus was going to pass by soon, he started shouting repeatedly, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" When Jesus saw him, he 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." He immediately received his sight. My reaction to this incident was "Wow!" Let's all turn to the Lord to ask him to heal us and make us anew.

*Why I Choose Jesus

        I choose Jesus above everyone else, for he is the only one who understands me thoroughly and can set me free, fill my heart with joy, and take care of me for all eternity. He is also the only one who could enter to dwell in my heart after I invited him, drawing me ever closer to God. 

Power of Sacraments

        Communion experience. God gave us the sacrament of Penance so that when the priest absolves us from our sins, we know we are forgiven. He gave us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist so that when we received his body and blood, we know that he is ready to be one with us.

*Union Through God Only

        Union is only possible through God. Union with others is possible only when all involved have attained union with God. Our individual aim is to attain union with God to fulfill his desire first. 

On Bearing Fruit

        Today we heard the parable of the talents from Matthew 25 read at Mass. The lesson is that God expects all his servants to bear fruit with diligence. Jesus came to divide us into those who believe in him and those who don't. Now here is a finer division. Among his servants, there are those who bear fruit and those who don't. The end result is that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away (vs. 29).

*On Judging Christianity

          Since it is much easier for human beings to sin than to be holy, when you look at what Christianity can do for you, focus more upon the small minority of saints rather than the great majority of lesser holy Christians. Best yet, focus upon Jesus Christ alone and ignore all others, for only he is worthy to believe in, worship, and follow.    

**How Heavy Your Heart?*

        A pure heart is like a balloon filled with helium, soaring upwards to God effortlessly, whereas a filthy heart is like one what's weighed down by lead, always falling as low as it can go. Recommendation: See God the top heart specialist as soon as possible for your weight problem.

***Turning to God?*

 Warning! The following message might make some of you feel uncomfortable.      

        If you are not taking God seriously yet, imagine that this is your last hour on earth – what would you do? Would you finally turn to him, tell him you are truly sorry for having offended him all your life, and ask him to forgive you? If your answer is yes, then why not do it now, for you might go unexpectedly leaving you with no chance for repentance? If your answer is no, then there is nothing we can do for you but prayer. I see our lifetime as a golden opportunity to settle our eternal destiny, not a time to squander away. My motto for all: Never carry your sins to your grave! What's the point of looking beautiful in an open casket with a filthy heart within?

**How Important we Are*

        Communion thought. We are God's missing piece. We are the ones who can complete his joy!

**Ideal State of Being

      I am going to describe this state in different ways, but they are all interchangeable. Here we go. Complete submission to God; total obedience to God; letting God be your God; union with God; being inseparable from God; in perfect harmony with God; deep in love with God; completely open to his mercy; acceptance of his love; letting him love you freely; taking our proper place before God; resting in his peace; complete abandonment in him; having complete trust in him; living for him alone; God becoming our center and anchor. As you see, we cannot leave God out. Desire him alone and he is yours.   

Degrees of Sinning

        Sexual harassment charges against politicians, Hollywood moguls and stars, and other well-known public figures have been popping up all over this country. Of course, some of them might not be true; nevertheless, we are seeing manifestations of men's impure thoughts. Currently on Facebook, an Ohio supreme court judge openly brags about his sexual conquests with particulars. He believes he's speaking on behalf of all heterosexual males and does not think it improper to divulge such private information. From the Christian point of view, it is one thing that you sin without others (except God) knowing about it and quite another – far more serious – if you do not acknowledge that you have sinned and cause others to follow your example and sin also. 

**Exactly What We Need*

        Communion experience. Jesus completes us, our existence, not just for now but for ever!

**Prepare for the Most Unexpected

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus continued telling his disciples about the day of his coming: "On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind. I tell you, 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." These scenes described remained vividly in my mind once I had heard them. I thought of the tsunamis, floods, fires, mudslides, earthquakes – all such natural disasters had happened suddenly and many lives were taken. We may die before his coming, but it shouldn't make any difference. If we prepare ourselves now, whether we shall be taken or left becomes a moot point. *Never let there be a moment you wish you had listened to Jesus. Heed his words now.

Letting God Make You Beautiful

        We see and hear both beautiful things and ugly things, but what's truly beautiful or ugly is what's beautiful or ugly to God and it is what's in and comes out of your heart. Therefore, be in union with the Lord so that he may keep your heart pure, making you beautiful to him always.

**Love Makes Things Beautiful

        Today Friday I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. They are Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Carrying of the Cross, and Crucifixion – all most horrific events. Then I saw that because it was love that prompted the Lord to bear such sufferings willingly, all these events became most beautiful. 

*Into the Perfect World

        Right now, cracks had appeared in my stucco houses walls and rains have started, so water might get inside the house as it did last year. One toilet is not flushing right. Last night one of the outdoor motion sensor lights no longer shuts itself off. At any rate, in this world things go wrong constantly, and we ourselves go wrong too, as we sin continuously. It is an imperfect world to say the least that can never make us truly happy here. If you want to find the perfect world, seek the God of Christ who alone can satisfy us now and make us happy for all eternity later. Again, this is how he has made us.

**Greatest Servant*

        Communion experience. In receiving Christ, I realized that God is our greatest servant, as he gave himself out of sheer love for our salvation. "My Lord and my servant" – absolutely amazing, all made possible by love. Now he is more my Lord than ever!

*Most Critical Realization

        Jesus gave himself up for us. (John 3.16.)

*Looking the Right Way

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus told his disciples about the coming day of the Son of Man, but said that first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation. For me, this speaks loudly that evil is real and the spiritual warfare is always ongoing. Therefore, we must choose sides. It may be chilling to say that hell is not vacant, but not thinking about it wouldn't do you any good. Instead, the best thing we should do is to focus upon the love of God, our Father, who can eradicate all our fears and fill our hearts with joy and hope.

**Two Ways of Living*

        We either follow our own nature or follow God. When we follow ourselves, we can do good or easily sin. And it's in our sinful state that we experience the loss of inner peace. When we follow God, we are no longer concerned about whether we do good or sin – we simply do his will and bear fruit. This is why and how we experience both freedom and peace.

Opposite Effect

        God humbles us to exalt us!

Biggest Blessing

        Communion experience. The one who loves me the most and whom I love the most entered me to be one with me – it was the biggest blessing of my life!

Critical Realization 3

        Once you realize that you are so blessed to have Christ and how God loves all of us so much, you wouldn't ever want to judge others again.

Critical Realization 2

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus cleansed ten lepers and only one gave thanks to God. We must be aware of what God has done for us and be grateful for it. Without him, we wouldn't be existing or now breathing. Without him, we wouldn't have all that we have. Without him, we'd be lost forever!

Critical Realization

        Once you realize that God is the only who can save you from you sins, you'll want to accept and believe in him with all your heart.

**Analogy of God's Presence*

         At Mass this morning, I noticed that the shadows of some palm branches cast on a wall by a ceiling spotlight were absolutely still and I realized that none of us on earth could sense that we are moving through space. How fast are we actually moving? We know that the earth rotates about its own axis once every 24 hours or so and is approximately 8,000 miles in diameter. About the axis, those who live on the equator whirl through space at roughly 1,000 miles an hour. Then the earth itself revolves around the sun once a year. Knowing how far we are from the sun, we can calculate that the earth is whirling through space at, get this, 67,000 miles per hour. Plus the fact that our solar system itself is whirling around the center of its galaxy at 490,000 miles per hour! I'll stop right here, ignoring any motion of the galaxy. This is like the fact that we do not physically sense the presence of God, yet he is all around us, watches over us, and knows what's in our hearts.   

No Glamour, but Freedom

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus taught the proper attitude of a servant. He said to his disciples, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" This is what Jesus meant by "deny yourself." This is living for God alone. There is certainly no glamour associated with the role of being a disciple, but your reward will be freedom in this life and exaltation by God in the next.

A Day's Plan

        This morning I arrived at church and realized that it's another day. It could be another day to live for myself, to pursue what I want to accomplish. But it's so much better to make it another day to grow closer to God. Here I got to receive him in the Holy Eucharist once more, gained more time to pray for the salvation of all mankind, and now would meet my Lord one day sooner. 

*Our Part to Be Freed From Sin

        Jesus can take away any of your sins, no matter how crushing or devastating it might be, but you must want to give up you sin, turn to him, and sincerely ask for his forgiveness and help. 

Union via God's Love

        Communion experience. As I walked up the center aisle to receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I was going to be completely open to God's love, accepting it with all my heart. After all, union with God is letting his love in to work on you. 

Union With God Urged

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur." Two observations. First, sin separates us from God, so anything that tends to distance us from God cannot have come from him. We must do our utmost to remain in union with God. Secondly, we must never cause anyone to sin. Therefore, our example as a disciple of the Lord must be perfect. Again, union with him should take care of that. 

**Power of Truth

        I watched online an interview with a world famous pianist already in his 80s, reminiscing about his old teacher, the various conductors he worked with, his landmark recordings, and other experiences. To anyone interested in classical music, it was quite interesting. Then I thought of the Gospel stories about Jesus. By contrast, they are unforgettable, evergreen, forever refreshing, powerful, and most significant as they are relevant to our eternal existence. They are so because they are more than mere facts – they are the truth.

Wise Preparation for Next Life

        In heaven, we'll be in full union with God, but we can start seeking union with him now. Once we have attained union with him on earth, our transition into the next life will be absolutely smooth and a joy.

**Condition of Spiritual Progress

        While meditating on the Lord and his life is good, to make rapid spiritual progress, you must desire him first. This is the necessary movement of the heart for you to know him.

***Taking Jesus Seriously

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins. The message is again that if we remain foolish, do not stay vigilant and prepare ourselves fully for his coming, we shall be shut out of the kingdom of heaven. Since this is the very Lord who revealed early in his ministry that he would be killed and rise in three days and all that came true, we'd better give serious attention to everything he has said.

Critical Recognition

        Luke 24.35: The disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. We all need that moment at which we recognize that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Pray for that moment if you haven't had it yet.

*Superior Living

        When you live only for yourself, you grow proud. Things go well and your become even more self-centered. Things go badly and you can be devastated. By contrast, living for God is wonderful because you don't take everything so personally anymore. When things go well, you rejoice in the Lord. And when they don't, you feel fine too, as he has willed that. Living for God is the perfect way to remain humbly in communion with him. 

**Love Most Beautiful

        I love the Blessed Mother and many other saints. Why? It's because they are so beautiful and lovely, made possible by their love for Christ. Christ is the one who has shown us how beautiful love can be and that he can make all of us beautiful!

Redirecting Negative Feelings

        Since I am familiar with piano playing, I know that many performing pianists when they experience nervousness on the stage channel that wasted energy into concentrating upon playing the music even better. In the same way, when we pray to God and nothing seems to happen, we can channel our anticipation into placing our trust in God even more. 

*Time to Abandon Ourselves

        Everything we need and enjoy comes from God. He always gives. Instead of feeling grateful or responding to his love, we who are powerless to save ourselves hold tightly onto ourselves and won't let ourselves go. How foolish we are, not to abandon a sinking ship! It's time to get on God's rescue boat and sail with him to eternal security.  

To Be Smart or Dumb

        To be smart is to know that God is greater than you, that he is your Father and loves you, that you should obey him and he'll bring you eternal happiness. To be utterly dumb is to rebel against God and believe that you can survive without him – do you really think that when you pit yourself against God in any game you play, you can come out on top? 

*Key Step to Heaven

        In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter responded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the 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." Here is the first truth we must come to acknowledge to be saved. The journey to heaven begins with this little giant step.  

Unique Inner Peace

        You experience the ultimate inner peace after God has made you clean and you and God become one in total harmony. There is no other peace greater or more profound. This is how God has made us.

*Better Way of Doing Good

        My thoughts following might very well upset some people, but please hear me out. I do believe that the Holy Spirit made me see it. Parish churches have been raising money by many ways. Some common examples are holding bingo nights or auctions, selling raffle tickets or tickets for feeds. Everyone has a good time and helps a good cause. But does the end justify the means? For the means play on your gambling instinct, your desire for material goods or your indulgent appetite. Wouldn't it be far better to do good without the need to be lured into doing it. What the Lord wants from us is doing good in secret without expecting to receive any gratification or reward.

Only God Can Do It!

        Today is Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In the Gospel reading from John 2, Jesus at the beginning of his ministry already knew of his Resurrection when he said to the Jews, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." He was speaking about the temple of his Body. For me, anyone who can destroy death has to be the creator of life, our God.

Perfect State of Existence

        Revelation 21.3: I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. When we belong to God and he becomes our God, we and God become one and he is all ours. God and his people in perfect harmony – this is our perfect state of existence. 

**Quick Reminder

         We can only get rid of our sins during our brief time on earth.        

**Glory and Humility

        I blogged not too long ago that the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ on the altar during Mass is as great and wonderful a miracle as his transfiguration on Mt. Tabor. During the transfiguration, when his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light, he displayed his dazzling glory. Then when he quietly comes in the form bread and wine for us to consume, he shows his utter humility. Glory and humility in one person – what an awe-inspiring combination!

All Will Be Fair

        Life seems unfair until you realize that there's our God who is always just and there is also life after death. Then you know that all will be fair at the end.

Appreciation Through Loss

        We often don't appreciate something until after we lose it. Years ago, I left my wife in front of a hotel in Merida, Mexico, to check if there was any vacancy. Since I couldn't stop my car there for long, I told her I would drive around the block and back, not realizing that it's much easily said than done. It's also late evening and hard to look for street signs plus the fact that I did not read Spanish. Soon I went around and around and lost my way. To make a long story short, I found my way back almost an hour later. Of course, the overwhelming joy of finding my wife waiting out there made me appreciate her even more. Today's example. I enjoy the peace of the Lord until I commit a sin. It only needs to be a minor offense to make me lose my peace. This makes me treasure his peace even more.

Christ Speaking as God

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus laid down some conditions for discipleship. 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 who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." Was he mad and being irrational? Not if he spoke as God.

**Fundamental Focus for All Christians*

        In the older days, many youngsters attending Catholic schools experienced harsh treatment that would affect their whole life. Tragically, his had caused many to leave the Church. Of course, there were truly loving and understanding nuns and teachers too, but the "horror" stories you hear a lot more. I believe that the major cause was not knowing the Lord personally well enough, for you can know all the teachings of the Church, say all the prescribed prayers, be active in ministries and still remain a cold person. One other thing I see is that children can go through religious classes for years and lose their faith in college or later. Again, the focus of the classes might not have been proper. Once I suggested sharing personal spiritual experiences with the children and the person in charge of the program didn't seem to know what I was talking about. The goal of all programs and activities should be to bring the participants closer to Christ. Even Bible studies can become so focused on history and other peripheral facts that you feel you are taking an academic course. As for preparation for confirmation and other similar programs, the ceremonial aspect gets top attention, whereas the focus should be 99% on the Lord. The strength and vitality of the Church depends foremost upon how well her people know the Lord.

Most Beautiful & Pleasing to God!

        Communion thoughts. Jesus listens to us! He makes us see our sins; we ask him to take them away and we are clean. There is nothing more beautiful and pleasing to the Lord than a pure heart filled with his love.

Feeding on Jesus

        One of the Communion antiphons today was what Jesus said in John 6.57: Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. What struck me was that anyone who feeds on Jesus will have life. So how do we feed on Jesus? To me, to feed on Jesus is to depend upon him for everything, not just for spiritual sustenance and growth. To feed on the Lord successfully, we must become branches of his vine. That is, we become part of him, inseparably in union with him.   

**Fooling the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus tells the parable of the great feast. It illustrates the point that God invites many to dine in his kingdom, but one by one they excuse themselves, giving some reason for not being able to attend the feast. It is absolutely true that many are called, but few pay attention. If you turn Christ down for some reason, are you being truthful? If not, then you  are merely trying to fool the Lord, which only a fool would do.

Easily Overlooked Sin

         Here's today's Gospel reading from Luke 14:

         On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

         The clear lesson here is that when we are being kind to others, we should do it for the Lord's sake and not expect to receive repayment. This would be true charity. Do anything to get ourselves recognized or appreciated is a sin that is often easily overlooked.

Truth Prevailing

        Jesus said in John 8, "If you remain in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." My testimony is that when you get to know the Lord intimately, you just know that he is the truth because he reveals it to you "automatically."

All About Life

        To be deep in Christ is to have life, life eternal, for he is the source of all life and is our life.

Resting in Christ

        Matthew 11.28: Jesus says, Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. This is one of his well-known sayings familiar to many. I am quoting it now because his promise is true, for when I rest (let go) in him, he does the work for me and I experience rest (peace).

Action and Reaction

         Communion experience. Humble yourself before Christ to the max and he will exalt you to the max.        

*Always Merciful

        Witness the Christians who have lost their lives throughout history because of their faith. We get rejected by others often in this world for various reasons, but God who loves us will never reject us. When we reject him, we reject ourselves, but he remains open to us as long as we are still living on earth.

**God Alone

        Today's Gospel acclamation from Matthew 23: You have but one Father in heaven and one master, the Christ. Therefore, obey God alone in this life (and everything should turn out fine). In fact, we should live for him, die for him, serve him, glorify him, please him, and care only about what he thinks about us alone.

*No Longer Smart

        Smart persons tend to think that they know more than God. When that happens, they are no longer smart. 

*Division on Earth

        In Luke 12, Jesus says, Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.... This is reality as I notice that among all the families of my parish, few of them still have their grown-up children remaining faithful within the Church. If Christ were just a man, this wouldn't have mattered much. But since he is also God, the division makes all the difference, for it comes down to a clear separation between believers and nonbelievers. Believers must expect to be rejected, ridiculed, or accused in such a divided world. Nevertheless, they should continue rejoicing, for they are being persecuted on account of Christ.

*Letting God Initiate All Things

        Today's Communion antiphon, John 15.16: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. It seems to me that when we pray for the conversion of someone, we should pray that God would chose that person. That is, we ask the Lord to initiate things. The dramatic conversion of St. Paul was a great example.

Heal All of Us, Lord!

        Communion experience. The Lord forgave all my sins and healed my wounds, but I thought of those I might have harmed in the past through my fault. So I asked the Lord to heal them as well, for this was important to me.

Christ My Guiding Light

        The world is so dark that Christ our light appears more beautiful than ever. I rejoice that I have him as my shining beacon.

God Our Last Resort

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 105: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. These verses were timely for me to read, for I had a burden that only the Lord could remove from my heart. This is the God with whom nothing is impossible. It is good that when I feel hopeless in solving a problem, I can turn to the Father who can and will take care of it one way or another. I truly felt today that was what God was for. Praise him!

Special Love for God

        Communion experience. I felt a great love for the Lord for being able to change me and making me holier. 

**Challenging Message

        Today is All Souls Day. From the Gospel reading from John 6: Jesus said to the crowds, "This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day." The message is plain and clear. If you have no proof that he is lying to you, then you have no choice but to believe in him with all your heart. 

God Perfecting Us

        Communion experience. This was receiving the Lord who can make you perfect! He'd make you to be like him to see things his way! It should be most exciting!

Our Ultimate Concern

        The latest shocking news is the terror attack that took place in New York City in which a suspect drove a truck through people, killing 8 and injuring 11. It's easy not to expect something like that to happen to you, since you are in an entirely different location. But all these things happen unexpectedly. The victims this time didn't expect that they would be struck either. May I mention that the coming of Christ will also happen at an unexpected time. The best policy and wise plan is to be prepared always: when you are ready to meet God, you may ease your mind over all other concerns.

Living With God

        See everything, large or small, difficult or easy, unpleasant or pleasant, that happens to us as giving us an opportunity to grow holier, learn from the Lord, and trust in him even more. After all, he is our God, Father, teacher, guide, and friend who loves us greatly. Besides, with him we get to respond properly in all situations. Let him live with you and he'll protect and guide you always. 

To Be Like God!

        In the second reading from 1 John, the Apostle wrote: "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." We shall not only see the Lord, but shall be like him! Rejoicing is in order. Better yet, start to be like him by seeking union with him now.

***Christ Can Save Us!

        Today is Solemnity of All Saints. In he first reading from Revelation 7, in a vision the writer saw a great multitude from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." I want to cry out aloud in unison with the multitude to proclaim that Christ, the Lamb, can save us! Later in the vision, an elder revealed to the writer that those wearing white robes were the ones who had survived the time of great distress, washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Again, I want to cry out to let all know that Christ can make us clean! Don't you know all this good news yet?

Peace and Strength from God

        Communion experience. I experienced profound peace in the Lord and received courage to deal with the various problems of life. The strength comes from becoming detached from the problems.

*Most Tragic Misunderstanding

        Believing that Christ who only wants to love you and lead you to heaven wants to take away your freedom and force you to obey him in all things.

Grab Jesus While You Can

        The world in deeply divided into those who follow the God of Christ, those who neither follow nor reject him, and those who outright reject him. Since we will all be judged by Christ, it comes down to whether you believe in him or not. He is our center and reference point. There will never be another one coming who is God and loves you so much that he would save you from sin by sacrificing himself. 

Dazzling Glory and Amazing Love

        Communion experience. When the transfiguration of the Lord took place on Mount Tabor, we witnessed the dazzling glory of God. When we took the consecrated bread and wine that had change into the body and blood of the Lord through transubstantiation, we experienced the amazing love of God.

Most Essential Knowledge

        There are so many interesting things in this world for us to explore, discover, pursue, and learn, and most of us are doing just that. This is fine, but all this knowledge is only useful to us in our time on earth. Our priority should be as Jesus has advised his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first. The Lord asked his disciples, "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" Here we may ask: "What profit is there for one to gain all the knowledge of the world and not know God at all?"

***Thoughts on Salvation

        If anyone should knowingly reject God, salvation for him would be difficult; but again, nothing is impossible with God. Most people who believe but not seriously might be unknowingly teetering on the brink of becoming lost forever. An any rate, we must pray for everyone. Keenly aware of the horror of being separated from God forever, I must cast aside all personal feelings and wish everyone to enter heaven. Of course, the Lord is infinitely more merciful than I, so it's logical to believe that he would want everyone saved even more! This is what all of us should realize, that God so wants us to return to him to be free and happy. If you still turn away from him, then you truly become a helpless soul.  

***Worthy to Be Loved*

        The almost infinite number of prayers we say are based upon this one prayer: Thy will be done. Therefore, perfect obedience to the Father makes you worthy to be loved by him. 

***Simple Secret to Happiness

        We are unhappy because we want things turn out the way we want. So if we let things turn out the way God wants, we are off the hook and become free. Then however things turn out, we are Ok with it. In other words, the secret to freedom and peace is to let God be God, nothing more. Yes, it does go against your human nature, but your human nature tends to sin, so let God change it!

*Astute Observation

        Since God lives forever, we'll live forever too if we hold onto him tight or attain union with him. 

***To Love God Properly

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus gave the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." How can we possibly do so? Well, since his love is the greatest, we can ask him to let us use his love. But how are we to receive it? Answer: we be wide open to let him love us. Then his love will pour in and fill our hearts. Now we are ready to love him back.