Seek and You Will Find

        We heard about Mt. Everest, the highest mountain on planet earth.  You may not have seen it, but it's there in Nepal.  You will see it if you travel there.  The same with God.  The fact that you don't see him does not mean that he does not exist.  In fact, the existence of God is more certain than that of Mt. Everest.  Without God, there wouldn't be Everest.  The reason people don't believe is because they have not gone looking for God. By learning about Jesus, studying the Scriptures, praying for guidance and enlightenment...they will begin to find him.  And then they'll see that he has been there all along.    

Best Hiding Place

        As I was consuming the Holy Eucharist during Communion, I asked the Lord to consume me for me to become totally dissolved in him.  Let's look at it from a practical point of view ~ God is everywhere and there is absolutely no place to hide from him.  In other words, there is no place to go except the Lord himself.  Besides, in him you'll find maximum security, love and kindness, consolation and comfort... everything your heart desires. There's no better hiding place!

God Is for Forgiving

        In today's Gospel reading, Jesus also asked his disciples to forgive their brothers.  To always forgive others (or love your enemies) is the hallmark and a unique feature of Christianity (to me the mark of truth).  God forbid that any Christian will ever contemplate launching terror attacks on others in His name!

Don't Cause Sin!

        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.  It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin."  Sin indeed has no place before God.  Sinning on your own is one thing; causing others to sin is so much worse!  Let's ask the Lord to help us be pure and holy.    

Living in God's Love

        God's love is like a torrent, ready to engulf us; our heart is the gate and our mind the key that controls the gate. Once we decide to open the gate, the tremendous flow of this love will sweep us off our feet, lifting us to a new high. We now live in his love.

Great Feelings at Mass

        I attended the early Sunday morning Mass and received the following.

        (1) The Mass opened with an Amy Grant song: "The Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path..."  What I felt was the absolute clarity of the Lord's message.  Jesus had shown me the clear path to follow to salvation in him.

      (2) Reading 2 was taken from 1 Thessalonians 4.  I felt the bright hope in life which is the Lord and this had made all the difference to me.  Living with hope leads to eternal life, whereas living without, to eternal separation from God.

        (3) During Communion, I felt that the giving from the Lord and the receiving on my part was 100% one-way.  I truly owe gratitude to him.  I survive by his mercy alone.

Sin Offends God!

        After I heard on the radio the story of Steve Rossi of Schenectady, someone who would do all he could to hold onto power and control others, I became extra aware of how terrible it is to be selfish and have no regard for others.  We all know in conscience that hurting others is bad, but do we also realize that all sins offend the loving, blameless, holy God?  Now, this is serious!  Since God equates loving our neighbors to loving him; so, to not love others is to not love God.

No Fooling the Lord

        In the Gospel reading from Luke 16 for today's Mass, these sayings of Jesus stand out. 

        To his disciples:

        (1) "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones."  [It's wrong to justify cheating a little bit in small matters by saying that I'll be honest in more important, big matters.  Not being 100% honest is being dishonest.  With the Lord, we must be good all the way through.]
        (2) "No servant can serve two masters.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  [Again, honesty matters.]

        To the Pharisees:

        (3) "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."  [Pretty strong language.  The Lord loves humility.]  

To Be in Christ

        I did not get to attend today's morning Mass, so I just read the readings online (http://www.usccb.org/bible/).  The first reading is taken from Romans 16.  Paul uses the expressions "in Christ" and "obedience of faith."  They generated these thoughts in me.  Can you say that you are in Christ?  Just knowing about him is certainly not in him.  Even knowing him may not quite be in him yet.  To be truly in Christ is to have total obedience in him.  To be truly in Christ is to be willingly transformed by him.  To be ultimately in Christ is to be in union with him.

True Joy from Within

        During Communion, the Lord gave me these thoughts.  True good feelings and happiness do not come from without; they come from within.  I may feel momentarily pleased when someone compliments me or be exhilarated by driving a fast car; but true, lasting joy comes only from the Holy Spirit dwelling within.