Standing by Christ

        In today's Communion antiphon, Luke 22.28-30: Jesus said to his disciples, "It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." To stand by Christ in his trials is to know what causes him to suffer and do our best to alleviate his sufferings. This is following the Lord, requiring us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. To stand by him is the duty of and appointed task for all his followers.

True Kindness

        We are kind to others, then they don't care and we get upset. Here is the right and enlightened way. Be kind to others for the sake of Christ only, so you no longer care about if they appreciate you or not. Now you are being truly kind.

All Up to Us

        God always loves us. If we reject him, it's because we choose to do so. God takes us seriously (he even died for us). If we don't take him seriously, it's because we choose to do so. The ball is always in our court.

Two Extreme Cases

        (1) We keep ignoring Christ, time passes quickly and our life is over, over for good. 

       (2) We know that Christ will reward us for everything we do for his glory, no matter how minute. We remain faithful and keep building up our treasures in heaven. When life is over, we'll be where our treasures are.

**Freedom, Peace, and Joy*

        These are the three great gifts (rewards) of union with God. I list freedom first because it is a distinctive feature. It is God, the Truth, setting you free. All other so-called freedoms are man-made, not God-given. Freedom in God is absolute freedom, the freedom to do whatever you want in God's infinite space, resulting from being attached to God alone. Peace follows freedom. This is a deep-seated peace grounded in deep faith with the knowledge that your soul is safe in him. Joy is the joy that surpasses all understanding. It comes and goes as the Lord pleases. When it comes, it is powerful and intoxicating, affecting the soul. To paint a picture of these three gifts, I see peace as a calm lake with hardly any ripples on the surface, freedom as the refreshing air and cool breezes that circulate freely around the lake, and joy as an occasional dazzling light that appears over the lake, brightening the entire landscape.    

*Christian Sorrow

        Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. At the presentation of the child Jesus at the temple, Simeon, a righteous and devout man awaiting the consolation of Israel, in the Holy Spirit prophesied to Mary that the child was destined for the ruin and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign of contradiction, and that a sword would piece Mary's own soul (Luke 2.35). Of course, later Mary did eyewitness the sufferings her own son underwent, all the way through his crucifixion. The great sorrow she experienced was a holy sorrow. I used the adjective "holy" to distinguish it from the sorrow of anyone who does not know God and has lost a loved one. In this case, the sorrow is not pure, for the person also feels sorry for himself, lamenting over his own loss. The Christian focuses upon the will of God and the departed. If the soul is heaven bound, sorrow would be lined with joy. If there is any uncertainty, he would share the sorrow with the Lord. Yes, every Christian sorrow no matter how great has a silver lining, provided by the joy of the Resurrection of Christ.

Empowered by God

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me not only to purify and heal my heart but also to give me the power to live a triumphant life in serving him. At the end of Mass, Fr. S. blessed each of us with a relic of the Holy Cross and I felt greatly fortified.

Intention of God Revealed

        Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John added: "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." The intention of God is clearly revealed here and we need to know it well.

**Tragedy to Avoid*

        It was tragic that eight elderly residents at a Florida nursing just died from excessive heat and high humidity after Hurricane Irma knocked out the air conditioning system. People die tragically everyday around the world. All of us are going to die, tragically or not. What matters more than the death of the physical body is where the soul goes after death. There is absolutely nothing more tragic than the soul getting separated from God for all eternity!  

*Easy Way With or Without God*

        To sin is easy, no effort required on your part. To become holy, you would need God's help, for only he can take away your sins. You may remain living with your sins; but if you wish to become holy and have the best possible future, make the effort to turn to God for help and he will take over and help you accomplish what you wish for. This effort you need to make is just that initial decision, for the rest is taken care by God. Both ways are easy, so choose wisely.