God and the Devil

        Today is the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbott. The first words I read from the Entrance Antiphon are "The just..." ~ right away I thought of "the unjust." Then I saw the existence of opposites in our world: the good, the bad; the pure, the impure; the beautiful, the ugly; the loving, the hateful; the kind, the cruel; the joyful, the angry...  Yin and Yang are real! Intuitively, I also saw the existence of God and the Devil.    

Freedom in God

        Some may ask how we can still be free if we totally submit ourselves to God. Wouldn't we become constrained by him? Let me say that it is God who gave us the free will in the first place so that we may choose to do whatever. If you believe that God is controlling you, you have the power to break loose any time. The fact is that God doesn't control you ~ he only knows how to love. He has made us in such a way that we are free only when our will and his are in harmony. Another reason why you feel free after submitting to him ~ it's simply that you don't need to worry about what to do on your own anymore because God now shows the way. In reality, to be on you own is to be a lost slave to yourself. 

Be Renewed For the Lord

        This morning's Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Mark 2. Verses 22 & 23: "No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak... Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins... Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

        For the Lord to dwell in us, we must be new too. And Jesus is the renewer. We must ask him to renew us and then invite him to remain in us. I know that all youngsters are excited about new experiences. Do you remember riding your first new bike, trying on a pair of your new favorite shoes, or visiting the zoo for the first time? When Jesus renews us, we experience the same joy, only deeper and more personal. Be new to be fit for the Lord.  

Salvation Our Objective

        God's foremost will is to save all mankind. He can't help it because he is love. Therefore, we must make salvation our foremost goal too. Let us be compliant tools in God's hands, a pleasure for him to use, to save as many souls from perdition as possible. God's joy will be our joy too.

The Depth of Christ

        This morning before Mass began, I saw in my mind the infinite depth of Christ that I wanted to dive deep into it to search and explore, to listen, learn, and rest. Then I wanted to abandon myself, to let go and be totally open to his light, letting him heal and transform me. The beauty, profundity, and power of the depth of our Lord is what makes him so attractive.

Wonder of Wonders

        I was praying the Rosary while strolling through the house. I happened to look out one window and saw the towering oaks and pines, huge boulders, and the running creek among them. The scene was familiar, but the objects I saw struck me this time as wonders! Then I "saw" the greatest wonder of them all, the behind-the-scene creator of all these wonders, our God ~ he is especially wonderful because not only did he create us, he also loves us. How fortunate and blessed we are!  

Are You Shortsighted?

        A friend just passed away after a long illness. I did not know him well, but I did sense that he was a good person, loved the Lord, and I have no doubt that he is with Jesus right now. I may not be the next person to go, but we are all in line waiting for our turn to meet the Lord. This brings to mind the reality that so many adult people are totally occupied with how to live comfortably and safely each day in this life as if they're never going to die. The right thing to do should be taking care of our eternal destiny first and then living our present life as an appendage in our overall journey." Not following this order is being extreme shortsighted. 

To Live the Best Life

        Here's how: (1) Love God to the utmost and (2) trust in him to the utmost. Again, simple and logical. I just don't know of a better way.

     

      

Afraid of Jesus?

        This morning at Mass, I felt that Jesus was the most endearing person one could ever possibly meet. Then why are there so many who already knew something about him still do not approach him? Are they afraid of him? If so, why? 

        I believe that they are afraid, not because they haven't heard that God loves us, but because they are aware of their sins. We learn from the Gospels that all demons and evil spirits fled or begged for mercy when they were confronted with Jesus. In a similarly way, anyone in partial or total darkness do not feel comfortable in the presence of the Lord, who is the light. Ironically, these are precisely the people who need to know the Lord to become fearless. 

Chance of a Lifetime

        Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from Paradise. Then God sent his only Son into the world to prepare the way for our return to the Father. All the necessary work for our salvation had been done. Now we're given another chance to obey God and be restored to the state of grace. It's all quite simple and logical. Do not miss this chance of a lifetime.