The Peace Formula

        The absence of peace in the world can be traced directly to the absence of peace in the human heart. Our self-importance has replaced God. The solution is clearly to humble ourselves so that we may surrender to God. The reward will be peace in our hearts and peace in the world. This is so obviously true, yet so hard to realize! (Simeon's prophecy at the Presentation of the child Jesus that the Lord would be a sign of contradiction comes to my mind.) 

Totally Yours, Lord

        After receiving Holy Communion this morning, I just knew that the secret of happiness is to be totally God's, then all things minor or major other than him no longer matter. I was ashamed that earlier I got a little emotionally perturbed over some trivial matter.

Being Crowned by the Lord

        Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. At the Presentation of the child Jesus in the temple, Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce Mary's soul. The Gospel Acclamation reads: "Blessed are you, O Virgin; without dying you won the Martyr's Crown beneath the Cross of the Lord." So one can be a martyr without undergoing actual physical death. Anytime we endure suffering for the sake of Christ, we are martyrs and the Lord crowns us ~ what a great honor!

Embracing All of Christ

        Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. My after-Communion thoughts were that I must embrace all of Christ, including his sufferings. But by my nature, I love to just focus upon the love of God and unreservedly place my trust in him ~ this is why St. Therese of Lisieux appeals to me so much, for her approach and ways are simple like that. 

All Gifts Are from God

        By the way, today is the Memorial of St. John Chrysostom. After receiving Holy Communion, I wanted to love God even more, but felt utterly powerless to do so. So I had no choice but to ask him to help me because I realized that all gifts come from him.

What God Wants from Us

         Today's Gospel reading from Luke 6 at Mass was all about loving your enemies and not judging others ~ these teachings of Jesus distinguish Christianity from all other religions. What the Lord said was radical and stunning. Some excerpts: "...love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you... To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well... ...for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful... Stop judging... Stop condemning... Forgive..." 

       Here's another way of seeing it. We are to realize that every single person is someone God loves to death! And he teaches us this way because he wants us to be free! He wants us to be like him so that we may live with him for all eternity! If we wish to be good children in the Father's eyes, we might as well be good all the way, and we can do that with the aid of his transforming love. The Lord wants us to know only him, to know love, for he is love.

Supernatural Gift

        Every time after I have received the Holy Eucharist, the Lord grants me some particular feelings. This morning I sensed that this Most Blessed Sacrament is indeed supernatural, a miracle, and my soul was being fed by it. The desire I had was to want to be totally his.

Knowing the Holy Spirit

        To experience the Holy Spirit, surrender to him first. Then you'll feel his gentle prompting and presence as he walks with you through all things. I did question his presence in the past and he revealed to me that he is always with us, as Jesus had promised to his disciples before his Ascension. So don't look for him, just surrender to him.

Wonderful God

        When I look at the stars and into the vast space, I am awed and humbled by the Lord God who created the universe and everything that it contains within. Compared to him, I am truly nothing. How extremely foolish or even sinful it would be for me think that I can accomplish anything on my own. Then I look at how the Lord God sent his only Son to die for me to have me saved, I instantly feel that I am the most important object to him in the entire universe. Being loved for being nothing ~ what a wonderful God!   

Interacting with the Lord

        I am a finite creature with very limited intelligence and knowledge, whereas the infinite Lord God has unlimited wisdom and knowing. It is his love that bonds us together. I most enjoy interacting with him because I learn and gain so much from him. It's impossible not to become a better and happier person under his influence. Eventually, he raises you to a new height of existence, your heart free of worldly attachments and filled with internal peace.