Serve God Now

        The best time to serve God is right now.  There is no excuse for not doing it because you think you faith is too weak or you are too busy or you don't have the talent.  God would appreciate your effort even more when you are still "little."  Your present condition is irrelevant.  Serving God is accumulating treasure in heaven, so don't pass it up. 

Follow Jesus like the Apostles

        This morning during Mass, I thought of the Apostles, who were called by the Lord and followed him all the way.  Times are different now, but it's the same Lord, the same calling.  So why not follow the Lord just like the Apostles?  This means spending time with him, listening to him, obeying him, and praying with him.  

Uncluttering the Mind

        Human beings have the tendency to get curious or even nosy about what's going on about us.  In this information age, it's so easy to be drawn into watching shows on TV, reading the news (and gossips) online, or talking to friends on the phone.  We end up with so much information in the head that we hardly turn our thoughts to God anymore.  In reality, much of what we absorb may be useless if it does not draw us closer to God.  We can unclutter the mind by simply allowing ourselves to be interested in only those things that can help us glorify God, then we'll experience much tranquility in the heart. 

    

Desire to Know Jesus

        At the Presentation of the Lord, when Simeon saw the child Jesus, he took Jesus into his arms, blessed God, and said, "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation..."  We should also desire that the Lord will not let us go in peace until we have come to know him.

God Alone Purifies Us

        From Malachi 3 at today's Mass, we read that the Lord refines and purifies his people.  There are all kinds of powers in the world, but only God has the power to cleanse the soul.  Let him do that unto us in this life to make us ready to face him in the next.   

Consecration to God

        Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  Joseph and Mary presented baby Jesus to the Lord according to the law: "Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord."  We too should present ourselves (and our children) to the Lord at some point in our lifetime.  If the opportunity for making the consecration in public does not exist, we can always do it in the privacy of our own heart.

Crucifixion for Us

        Today I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.  As I got to the last one, the Crucifixion, I saw that Jesus was crucified on the cross because out of pure love he wanted to save us.  What can we do to express our gratitude?  We can crucify our old self and live anew in him to show that we love him.  Of course, we do not actually crucify ourselves physically, but we can certainly do that spiritually.  Then we'll be standing with the Lord on the same side, bonded by love.

Keeping Eyes Fixed on Jesus

        In Hebrews 12, today's first reading, Paul talks about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.  I had the thought on the way to Mass that if I don't keep my eyes fixed on the Lord, I would be "wandering," the word that came to my mind.  Wandering is aimless, heading in the wrong direction most of the time, and we lose precious time.  By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we are assured that we are always going in the right direction.

We Are Our Own Enemy!

        The greatest and first enemy we face in our spiritual battle are ourselves.  If we can conquer ourselves, then everything else becomes easy.  The recipe for conquering ourselves involves a surrendering ~ surrendering to God, that is.  To conquer ourselves, we need a power greater than us, otherwise it's six against half a dozen.  We are so fortunate as to have the loving God ready to join in the battle at our beck and call.  (The Christian life is definitely not dull.)

Most Joyful Advice!

        Jesus has advised us to do many things.  He wants us to deny ourselves or sell all our possessions to follow him, to love our enemies and forgive others, to not be anxious about tomorrow, and many more.  These we must follow even though they can sound "harsh" to our ears.  Today during Eucharistic Prayers, as I heard the priest quoting what Jesus said at the Last Supper: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you" and a little later "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me," it just hit me that these two pieces of advice had got to be the most joyful advice from the Lord!  And I also realized that by taking it, all the other advices can become joyful too.