God's Calling

        Communion experience. God wants us to be be perfect!

Jesus Changes Things

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

About Our Resurrection

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

Making Things Happen

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

Euchristic Miracle

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

God's Beautiful Work

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

Seeking Praise

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

Suicidal Sin

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

God's Justice

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

Key Realizations

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

God Always Just

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

Zeal for the Lord

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

Soul Most Important

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

Discerning Truth

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

Know What's Necessary

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

Hearing God's Voice

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

How to Pray?

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

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

On Being Free

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