Let Joy Be Our Lord!

        With the Resurrection of Jesus giving us so much joy, how can we possibly even think of sinning? Let this joy pervade all areas of our life so that we may remain holy!

Union, a Two-Way Thing

        On this Easter Sunday, I want to enter the infinite space of the Lord entirely to dwell in him, then he lets me see that I must let him enter to occupy me fully by receiving him in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.        

Easter Hope

          Tomorrow is Easter, but my anticipated joy is preceded by sorrow when I watch the world news today. The Mideast has been embroiled in turmoil involving various government troops, rebels, militias, warlords, religious extremists, foreign volunteers, Sunni and Shia Muslims ~ too numerous to mention. Civilians continue to suffer ~ they get slaughtered, kidnapped, raped, robbed, and displaced. I believe this has to be one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history with no end in sight. One headline today: "Iraq Tikrit: looting and lawlessness follow recapture." The picture that accompanies the story shows Iraqi Shia militia, who helped recapture Tikrit from Islamic State, jubilantly displaying the V sign with raised arms. I just wonder what's really there to be happy about. Do all people think this way? Don't people ever feel sorry anymore? I suppose no one expects us to be remorseful nowadays. What is the world coming to? Has it painted itself into a corner? I hope not. The tragedy is that those who do not believe that Christ is the Savior are the ones who need him the most! This is the time to heed the Lord's warning in Mark 4.25: "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." My fervent hope is that the world will see that hope for all of us is ever present, since Christ is ever present.

Be Extraordinary Now

        Looking back in history, countless humans have come and gone. Where are they now? If we don't do anything different, we'll be like most of them ~ attached to the world, following the world's way, and disappearing into the oblivion. What we should do is something extraordinary. We need to be lifted out of this world, break free of this life, and set our eternal destiny. This is where Christ the Lord comes in. He has already died for our sins and shown us the way, the truth, and the light. There is only one true God and we only have one window in this life to seize him. Do not wait.

Pleasure of Pleasures

        At noon on this Good Friday, I prayed the Stations of the Cross with the congregation at my church. At Station XVI, we recited John 16.22: "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." The joy of Christ is indeed our greatest pleasure, which the world cannot give. Once you have this joy, no pleasure of the world will ever be able to satisfy you, plus you'll be able to discern if a pleasure is beneficial or harmful to you. 

The All-Knowing Lord

        I am happy that Jesus knows all about me so that he may mold and shape me as he sees fit, lift me up when I am down, strengthen me when I am weak, and shield me from all evil. 

The Offering Way

        Here is a way to help free yourself to get through life. Offer God your every thought, word, and action. Whatever you must do, pleasant or otherwise, offer it to God. Offer yourself to him as well. In other words, do everything unselfishly for his sake. This will not only free you from being burdened, but also turn you into a saint.  

Sinking in Sin

        It is Holy Thursday. At Evening Mass of the Last Supper, the washing of disciples' feet will be reenacted to show that we are to do for others as the Lord has done for us. This morning the Lord made me see how beautiful the world would be if we didn't sin, for it is sin that has caused today's miseries, pains, and sufferings among us all. The need for surrendering to Christ is greater than ever; would that the whole world senses this urgency! 

Beautiful Way of Finding God

        Read the Gospels and meditate upon the Lord. Let what you read speak directly to your heart. See how amazing, how beautiful, how refreshing he is. Marvel at his intentions, words, and deeds. Then believe in him, follow him, fall in love and give yourself entirely to him. You now know you've been chosen and are on your way home to him, your Father and creator. Peace, joy, and freedom sustain you the rest of your life on earth.

Need for Prayer

        We need to pray to God to praise him, thank him, to show that we love and trust him. Another reason more practical is this. Since everything works through God and nothing can happen without his knowledge and permission, to make good things happen, we need to go straight to his heart with our requests, and prayer directly links our heart to his.