Getting Rid of Jealousy

        If you hear about someone you know who has gotten ahead of you say in wealth, popularity, or social standing, how do you feel interiorly? If your neighbor wins millions of dollars in a lottery, you congratulate him, but how do you really feel in your heart? If you still have a tinge of jealousy, then you are not completely happy with God yet. Jealousy is sneaky. Like ego, it can be deep-seated. Only God can remove it completely from you. Ask him to do that, so that you may enjoy peace.  

Discerning God's Thoughts and Ways

        This morning I realize that when we think that something is good, beautiful, or cool, God might think otherwise. Indeed, God's thoughts and ways are high above ours. For instance, some of those whom we regard as great heroes or leaders of the past might not even have made it to heaven. Therefore, whenever we are tempted to do anything, we must be sure that we won't go against God's will. It's a vigilance we need to practice in walking with the Lord.  

One Lifetime, One Eternal Destiny

        God is the fountain of life. How does he give us life? He creates us, sustain us while we are on earth, and gives us eternal life in heaven if we believe in him. How can we possibly brush aside this most wonderful offer and promise? If we destroy life such as that of the unborn on earth, we destroy our own eternal life. After we die, we'll have no more power to alter our course. We have only one limited lifetime to set our eternal destiny.

Our Nation's Horrendous Blemish

        Today is Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (45th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade). Abortion has been the black, soiled stain on the soul of this nation. The infamous Holocaust, ethnic cleansing that took place in Asia and Africa, mass slaughtering of civilians by various invading nations in past wars, killings done by terrorists in the name of their caliph . . . are horrible enough, but the destruction of lives that are totally defenseless and innocent has to take the cake! Abortion directly violates God's Commandment "You shall not kill." It wipes out life which the Lord God has created! We cannot possibly follow Christ and support abortion at the same time.  

**All About Us*

        March for Life begins this weekend nationwide. After morning Mass today, a bunch of us started pounding dozens of white crosses into the ground in front of the church to commemorate the aborted unborn. After all the crosses were up, while driving home I felt the great sorrow that the Lord feels for this horrendous sin our nation commits against him. In that moment, the Lord made me see that we are basically creatures with a good heart, but because of the original sin we inherited, we become sinners when we are subject to temptation. All we need to do is to have God shield us from all temptations for us to remain sinless. Of course, given our free will, we must want to ask the Lord to protect us, which means that we must yield ourselves to him first. This is at the crux of the whole matter. 

*Preparation for Departure

        It is not a good feeling to know that you are not ready to die yet. It shows that you are still tied to the world and yourself and that you are not spiritually free. The Lord is not going to drag you into heaven if you are reluctant to go there. Therefore, voluntarily detach yourself from the world and yourself so that you may freely soar to God when he calls you. It might turn out to be quite a battle, but it's a battle you must win and you can absolutely win with God's help. Think of it as preparing for taking the happiest trip you'll ever have, which, of course, is true.

***Unbelievable Intimacy

        Communion experience. Each time I attend Mass to receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist, I am dining at his table with him serving me, giving me himself to consume as nourishment and the promise of eternal life. It's unbelievable and unbeatable intimacy and union!  

***Know God Now!*

        Jesus makes it amply clear in the Gospels that if we see him, we have seen the Father, that if we know him, then we know the Father, and that he and the Father are one. Therefore, know Christ and you don't need to ask where God is or who he is anymore. We now learn from the Lord directly!

***Going Directly to God***

         You believe in God and want to do your very best, that is, to give 100% of your effort, to serve him; but you will not get far if you do not surrender yourself to God completely first. This is something people do not realize (or do not want to face). I am repeating the same message I have said before in various ways because it is important. If you want to go extreme with the Lord, then set aside your concern, you own effort, yourself, and go directly to him to receive power directly from him. I am making it as directly as possible to you again.

**Out of Your Mind for Christ

        Today's Gospel at Mass consisted of just two verses from Mark: Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." I can understand that because one time when I showed my great enthusiasm in Christ, one of my relatives also thought that I was out of my mind (although he didn't seize me). I suppose that if you seem to have gone overboard for something others do not understand, you look abnormal or odd to them. At one time I did visit a nearby prison regularly to assist a deacon in his prison ministry and a nonChristian friend of mine just couldn't understand why I should spend my time doing that. Decades back, when I first read about Mother Teresa who had gone to India to devote her life to serving the dying and the poor, I almost thought that she was out of her mind. Well, know Jesus and you'll understand everything.