The Day Will Be Here

        Over a month ago, I arranged for a get-together at my home for the group involved in the ministry of visiting the homebound. First a week went by, then another, and another. Finally, the day is here. And I realize that the day we appear before the Lord to be judged will be here too, more certain than that the sun will rise tomorrow ~ it's only a matter of time. The wise would prepare for that day beforehand.   

Resting in Jesus

        Today's thoughts after receiving the Holy Eucharist: I am one with Jesus again. I can now rest perfectly in him.

Thinking About Heaven

        If I believe in God only because I want to go to heaven, I could feel somewhat guilty because it seems that I am being selfish, whereas the right reason should be because I love God. This brought to my mind that in my immature youthful days, I always felt a little uneasy when I went to my bank to withdraw my own money. Of course, I can take out my own money at any time as I wish! We shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to go to heaven either ~ it's where God wants us to go! We are not forgetting God because if he is not there, I don't think we would want to go there. Anyway, it is called heaven because it's where God is. So, I am going to dream about heaven, my destination; but I still yearn for my God, not heaven.

How Souls Look

        Those who attend Mass daily are usually souls with strong faith and devotion. This morning as I watched them returning to their seats after receiving the Holy Eucharist, I saw them reflecting the beauty of Christ. Then I thought of all the unbelievers in the world ~ how did they look to me? And I realized that by not turning to God, they were only hurting themselves and I felt great pity for them.

Power of the Holy Spirit

        The Holy Spirit has unlimited power. Since Jesus' kingdom does not belong to this world, the Holy Spirit exercises his power only in God's kingdom. This means that he can do great things in our spiritual lives.

To Dwell in the House of the Lord

        Psalm 27 is the Responsorial Psalm for Mass today. Verses 1 & 4 are so beautiful that I'll just quote them here without comment.

       "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple."

Beautiful Praying

        After Mass was over, the interior lights in the church got turned off, creating two rather dim areas in the back. I was sitting in one praying and someone sitting in a bright spot didn't realize that anyone else was in the church. She started praying aloud in Spanish, which I didn't understand; but obviously, she's talking to the Lord straight from her heart, with nothing held back. Her pleading tone was so sincere and fervent that made me see how beautiful praying can sound to both God and us when it's done with total trust in God. Later on, we talked a little bit, in English, and she told me that she's telling the Lord that she wanted to do his will from now on. So we have beautiful intention, beautiful praying, and beautiful listening.                                                                                               

Being Holy, a Good Feeling

        When the body is healthy, we feel good. Likewise, when the soul is healthy in a pure and clean state, we feel uplifted and carefree. St. Augustine said that "God has made us so that our hearts are restless until they rest in him." It follows that I could say that "God has made us so that we feel good when we are holy." This is our reward for remaining close to God.

Awesome God

        The Entrance Song at this morning's Mass taken from Psalm 68 reads: "O God, when you went forth before your people, marching with them and living among them, the earth trembled, heavens poured down rain, alleluia."

        Reading these verses made me realize how awesome God is. Here's a Lord who is infinite in every way, with whom nothing is impossible, and who loves us with the greatest possible love. He is so awesome that if it weren't for his love, I would be prostrating before him with tremors. Then his love draws us to him, removing all fears. In a way, this love has made him even more awesome!

The Right Serving Attitude

        In John F. Kennedy's inaugural address half a century ago, he made this notable saying: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." I brought this up because I am thinking that in performing spiritual tasks, I must not ask how it can benefit me spiritually, but ask how I can glorify God.