Communion experience. As the Communion minister was handing me the consecrated host to be consumed by me, he proclaimed "The body of Christ." It was Love calling.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Truth Vanquishes Fear
Today's Mass was optional for Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). She was taken with her sister Rosa and many other Catholics and Jews from the Netherlands to the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where she died with them in the gas chambers. A few days before her deportation, she dismissed the question about a possible rescue, choosing to share the lot of her brothers and sisters. My observation and personal experience: Once you know the truth, you become fearless.
Jesus All-Knowing
In today's reading from Matthew 18, when the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." It struck me that we would never have come up with such an answer if we were asked this question by the disciples. It just shows that Jesus knew, further authenticating his divinity.
Liberation from Enslavement
We lose freedom when we become firmly attached to something we cannot let go. I can cite two examples in my own life. In my younger days, I had always wanted to drive a fast, sporty car. I went through an MGB (sporty but not fast nor reliable), a Fiat sport coupe (I don't even remember the model number anymore; all I remember is that one day, the car's last day, the gearshift stick became completely detached), an RX 7 (attracted by its rotary engine), a first generation BMW M3 (bought it because my son's friend was forced by his father to unload it cheap), and then two decades ago a second generation M3 (which my son is now using). Of course, there were always cars even faster and more sporty out there. I finally realized that I was being enslaved by my desire and it had to stop. I now drive an old Prius with great peace of mind.
My second enslaver was my love for music, especially classical piano music. I subscribed to a host of music magazines. Spent a lot of time visiting Tower of Records everywhere, looking for the latest LPs or CDs. One place I ordered recordings from was a mail-order outlet in Massachusetts. It stocked all the overruns and discontinued recordings. It was a treasure house where I could find numerous new labels, new composers, as well as hard-to-find recordings by well-known artists... all at bargain prices. One day I realized that I could not go on being driven like this for the rest of my life. What would be the point? It was difficult, but I started stopping my magazine subscriptions one by one. There was one I could not let go yet, since I started with issue #1. Later, I terminated it too (the last issue came and is still sealed in cellophane). The joy of freedom I experience now is on a entirely different level than the pleasures I derived from my old obsession, which were oppressive. The liberation was made possible by the grace of Christ in union with me.
Secret of Being Free
We enslave ourselves when we are self-centered. There is only one way to be free: forsake your own little universe and let the infinite universe of God enclose you. You are free only when God becomes your center. Jesus said in Matthew 10.39, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Best Reason for Believing
Either wanting to enter heaven or being afraid of hell can propel us to turn to Christ. But the best incentive is to realize that God loves us. Love him back and we can forget about heaven and hell.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Aim for the Highest
The documentary "The Story of the Hypercar" (available for watching on YouTube) features some of the top European car manufacturers that are engaged in building a new class of awe-inspiring performance sports cars. What impresses me the most are their vision, determination, and the belief that they can achieve what seems to be beyond reach at the moment. All this has inspired me to see that as Christians, we can also hold the highest expectations and believe that since nothing is impossible with God, nothing is impossible for us too. Aim for the highest possible goal of life, that of union with God. If the car manufacturers can succeed on their own, we certainly can with God's help.
Be the Few
Jesus said, "How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." This is true because many people do not choose to listen to him. But if you desire to attain union with Jesus, he will open wide the gate and make straight the road that leads to him.
Step to Freedom
Our true status as a human being becomes clear only when we go before God. Hiding from him will lead you to a false conception of yourself. Knowing what you are really like is the beginning of freedom.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Presence of God
After this morning's Mass, I joined the Rosary group to pray the Luminous Mysteries in church. After Rosary, I felt peace and the presence of God. Though there were all kinds of noises going on, I had no problem concentrating upon the Lord. Even my kneeling position was so comfortable that I felt I could remain in it forever. This was a new experience and I knew that the Lord had something to do with it.
To Receive God's Best
Jesus said, "To anyone who has, more will be given." To those who truly love the Lord, he will always give them the very best for their good.
*Sharing His Sorrow
Communion experience. The world is in horrible shape ~ war destructions, terrorist attacks, crimes committed by governments against their own people, people taking advantage of their government . . . the list goes on and on. The outlook on my own country, the US, looks dim ~ the mind-blowing national debt, ongoing abortion of babies, the continuing breakup of families, further suppression of religious freedom, the moral decline, uninformed voters who would vote for any candidates who promise to continue giving them free aids, the biased news media that distort and slant facts, the worsening polarization of the nation, etc. I saw the dark cloud overhead and felt the tremendous sorrow that Jesus feels. My sorrow increased to the point that I sought relief from the Lord. Still, I wanted to enter him even deeper to share his sorrow and seek more consolation. Without him, I knew I wouldn't be able to survive.
Jesus' Divinity
Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Peter, John, and James all witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and heard the Father's voice coming from a bright cloud casting a shadow over them: This is my chosen Son; listen to him. It's proof to me that since the Father is divine, Jesus the Son is divine too.
Lamenting
Today, many in this world reject Jesus and even many Christians have fallen away from their faith. Those who still remain remain with him, but not really in him. If God is not first in your life, how do you rank him? 2nd? 5th? 30th? Last? Do you pretty much live the way you want most of the time? Is the Lord only Lord in name only? Treating him lightly is treating the good news he has revealed to us, that God loves us, all his miraculous deeds, his Resurrection...lightly. Of course, to reject him is to dismiss all these wonderful things in one stroke. What have you done?
Friday, August 5, 2016
Unique Relationship
Communion experience. Jesus is the only one with whom you can form the most beautiful, intimate personal relationship based upon selfless love with no fear whatsoever.
Only One Way
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Again, it must be either you or God. We cannot live our life our way and call on God only when we need him. Common sense.
No Our Way
Today's Response to reading from Deuteronomy 32: It is I who deal death and give life. True that both our birth and our death are planned by God. It would be extremely foolish for us not to let him plan everything in-between for us too.
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