Union with God Necessary

        Today's Gospel reading came from Mark 8. Jesus began to teach his disciples that he must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed... Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." So, how can we think as God does? The only way is to get to know him fully, and union with him provides the exact answer.

       Later Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." To deny oneself is one of the hardest thing to do, yet it is the way to freedom, to save one's own life. God cannot enter us if we are still in our way. Again, union with God provides the solution.

Letting God Fill Us Fully

        Since we are nothing, it is necessary and perfect for us to give all of ourselves ~ heart, life, and soul ~ to God in order to receive his love, grace, and mercy to the fullest. Then we shall be more like him.

God High Above the World

        Once you have tasted the Lord, all things of the world become downright boring and all the world loves to talk about becomes gibberish. Hence, if you are still having a great time enjoying the world, it is an indication that you have not truly known the Lord yet. All the pleasures of the world pale into nothing compared to the joy of knowing God. May all glory and all honor go to him, for he alone is to be worshiped.

Getting Close to God

        Sometimes we think we are being a pretty good person and feel like giving ourselves a pat on the back, but we must realize that no matter how saintly we become, before God we are full of imperfections and sinfulness ~ we are much worse than what we think, for God's standards are indeed lofty. It just shows that we need God more than we think we need him. Then if we truly are humble and acknowledge our wretchedness before God, he lifts us up close to him as if we are already perfect. This is another beautiful paradox with God.  

Ready for Seeking Union with God?

        Inspired by what I read in St. Teresa's Life, these questions popped into my mind:

        (1) Do you believe that Jesus can change a soul completely?

        (2) Do you believe that Jesus can free a soul from the love of things?

        (3) Do you believe that Jesus can make a soul love him?

       If your answer to all three questions is yes, then you are ready for seeking union with God.

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.