Food That Sanctifies Us

        Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist I have just received is not only something from heaven, but also nothing short of being the body of the Lord! And this is the food that raises us to holiness.   

Recipe for Peace

        Do everything to please God alone to the exclusion of all else, then you'll have peace.

All About Surrender

        The word "surrender" is usually associated with unpleasant circumstances ~ for example, we surrender the city to the enemy, the thief surrenders the stolen goods to the police, one surrenders himself to a life of imprisonment, you surrender your office to someone. But there is one exception: when you surrender yourself to God, you gain unrestricted freedom (and eternal life to boot)!

The Authentic God

        Read through all the Gospels and you see that Jesus always spoke and acted with authority. Many attempted to trip him up with questions and he always had the right answer. Of course, there are many others in the world who speak with authority, but they do it only as experts on a particular subject or in a certain area, never as the all-knowing God himself! ~ this is the huge difference.

Mercy and Justice

        God's mercy is great. Jesus went through his Passion, died on the cross, but he never complained or condemned anyone. On the contrary, he prayed for those who put him to death. Everyone, including the ones who hammered the nails through his hands and feet, can be forgiven if they only repented and believed. Jesus asked us not to judge anyone as he never did while on earth, always leaving open the door to salvation. But there will be a final judgment, for mercy with no justice served is not true mercy.

Passion to be Welcomed

        Remembering how Jesus rebuked Peter for wishing that he's not going to suffer greatly and be killed? We must realize that Jesus, in carrying out the will of the Father, welcomed the cross; gladly suffered and died for us out of love. [How I wish that all nonbelievers see this.] To feel sorry for him is not what God wants from us. Instead, we should praise God, thank him for what he has done for us, and rejoice that we are so loved by God.

Best Unity of All!

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 11 at morning Mass, Jesus drove out a demon that was mute. The crowds were amazed and some of them said that he drove out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?" It is true that every nation, government, political party, organization of any kind, or family divided will remain weak and eventually disintegrate. A person alone can also be divided if he is unhappy about life and dislikes himself, and will fall in time. Only unity can produce strength and stability. And this leads me to see that the best (and most profitable) unity we can have is union with God! Such unity will make us so strong that no evil can touch us in this life. Since it's a unity not of this world, it will extend into our next life for all eternity too.

In Christ Is Freedom

        Why do we have fears, worries, get anxious, or feel self-conscious? Answer: because we are still attached to ourselves, still think we are somebody, don't fully trust in God yet, and care about what others think. Galatians 2.19, 20 provide the clue to the solution we need: I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. When Christ displaces us in us, nothing can affect us negatively anymore. The wicked will only make us feel sorry for them and we'll be able to forgive our enemies. No longer shall we be concerned about our own image; we simply do what the Lord wants us to do and let what follows follow. With God taking over our lives, we are set free.

Importance of Humility

        Without humility, one cannot have inner peace, love others truly, and be holy.

Saving the World

        Transformation of the world must start with the transformation of each one of us. And our transformation starts with following Christ, becoming humble, loving, and holy as he is. We may not witness notable success in our lifetime or even lose our life in the process, but we must take this path as it's the only right way.