A Great Secure Feeling

        During prayer before Mass started, I put myself totally in God's hands and felt great security ~ it's as if I were resting in the palm of a huge cupped hand holding me up and protecting me from all evil.  It's so good to be reassured this way. 

Thoughts on Super Bowl Sunday

        Today is Super Bowl Sunday, a big, exciting day for the multitude.  People plan all their activities around the game.  There are also other worldly events that captivate and thrill the masses.  But to those who have found God exciting, captivating, and thrilling, these events no longer impact them.  Having tasted God, nothing short of him can satisfy them anymore.  I do get the feeling that when one chooses not to follow God too closely, it could be that he really does not wish to lose the enjoyment of the things he's attached to.  It's most difficult to let go of them when they give him so much pleasure.  It takes determination, courage, and prayer to get detached from such shackles.

Why We Should Believe in God

        I believed in God to fill the void in my heart, in my life.  Basically, we all look for joy and peace.  Now that I am living much closer to the Lord with a strong faith, I see things a little differently.  God created us out of love ~ no question about this.  Since the human race had gone astray, God then sent his Son Jesus to us to redeem us.  So God really wants us to be back in paradise, where we should be.  Therefore, believing in him complies with his very wish, putting us in a win-win situation.       

A Most Important Question

        Tonight while listening to a rerun of a Father Corapi talk on EWTN, this question he asked struck me as a most important question for us: "Are you ready to meet your maker?"  Don't ever live as if you are never going to die!

Be the Light of the World

        I went to Vigil Mass today.  In the Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus wanted his disciples to be the light of the world to shine before others for them to see.  Yesterday I was thinking about the various TV programs on Jesus I'd seen in the past.  He was mainly presented as a historical figure.  I hope that we disciples will be a lot more personal than that!  We must be proud of following the Master and never be ashamed of it.  I'll never forget the Olympic diver I saw on TV quite some years ago who took his time to make the sign of the cross before each dive.  I once talked to a building contractor who used the Lord's name in vain repeatedly in his speech.  I started responding to his each mention by saying "Blessed be the name of Jesus" to myself, just loud enough for him to hear ~ he got the message.  Of course, be the light for all to see doesn't imply that we become pushy or self-centered.  As the Lord instructed, we shine so that others may see our good deeds and glorify our heavenly Father. 

Everything Is Healing

        God shapes us and corrects us.  He refines and purifies us.  Today I see that everything he does to us is healing, the process that makes us whole and perfect.

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.