Time to Appreciate Mary More

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

        A timely message from Fr. Mark Goring.

Be True to God and Yourself

        Always be true to Christ and yourself. Let love, never ego, motivate all your thoughts, words, and actions. How others will receive you is not of your concern. You'll know you are being true if your heart remains at peace, as the Lord grants peace always to those who obey him.

**Self-Preservation First

        The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris caught fire a few day ago. The fire damaged the church so badly the spire collapsed. Various treasures within the church were damaged or destroyed too. The news shocked people worldwide. – it was sad news for all. Then I realize that any church is basically a building that can never last forever. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the first century. Most people who visit Notre Dame are tourists, not pilgrims. Do people feel sad about the dwindling church attendance in France? Of course, I'd like to see all great cathedrals and basilicas preserved. But I also see that God would much prefer that we keep our souls safe and unblemished. Therefore, be concerned about your spiritual condition first before all other concerns about things material.

*Making the Wise Choice

        Happy Easter to all! The church was packed at the first morning Mass I attended; the number of attendees just about doubled its normal size. Is this a good or sad thing? If we are confronted by Christ, we face the choice of living for him or for ourselves – there is not a 3rd choice! Don't count upon turning to God in the last moments of your life, for you may die in your sleep, die unexpectedly in an accident, die suddenly due to poor health, or loose your mind before you die. Since we can not escape from God, we should choose to follow and live for Christ now.

**Root Cause of Division

        Seeing how this country is so divided on so many issues, resulting in extremists accusing, slandering, and even physically assaulting those they could not tolerate, I can pinpoint the root cause of all this – people have cast God aside to play God themselves so that they now judge others as if they themselves are perfect. Pity those who are not aware that anytime you think you know more than God, you are in big trouble for sure.

***Know God 1st, Then Enjoy the World

        This world we live in is like a big amusement park. It is filled with attractions to get your attention, to appeal to your senses. Some people can't even live without listening to loud music at all times. Materialism, consumerism, commercialism dominate our lives. We learn to get ahead of others, so I doubt many people would understand what humility is. We have a world of "egomaniacs" looking for amusement for themselves. I am not even mentioning the seedy side of life. Anyway, the world is full of shallow people who do not even know themselves. To acquire depth, we need to take time out to look into ourselves to learn what we are first. This is getting in touch with our own soul so that we can get to know God, who can only be known at this level. Immersing in this world cuts us off from ever knowing God and that makes a great tragedy! So here's another of my wakeup calls: Know God first, then enjoy the world in freedom.

**Ultimate Challenge

        We are all more of less adventurous in different ways. We want to challenge ourselves physically and mentally. Traveling to explore new places and studying for a higher degree are common choices, but some would want to scale Mt. Everest, sail solo across an ocean, or even perform daredevil feats at the risk of losing their lives. May I challenge each of you to place your trust in God entirely? Nor only you won't put your life at extra risk, the unique excitement you receive on this adventure will be long-lasting and spiritually refreshing, remembered by God forever.

Feeling Good in Freedom

        When we do something well, we feel good. Watch a musician who has performed well, a student who has successfully passed an exam, a scientist who has made a great discovery, or an athlete who has broken a record. I myself had always felt good after finishing building a piece of furniture in my younger days and am still happy today whenever I am able to capture a nice image with my smartphone. Then there is the happiness and satisfaction you experience after God has entered your life and succeeded in transforming you in many ways. So how does this "feeling good" differ from all the others? Well, when you are on your own, feeling good is short-lived and feeds your ego each time, while the good feeling given to you by God is long-lasting and actually frees you from your ego. Therefore, know God first and you'll enjoy all good feelings in freedom.

*Fear of Death No More

        Do you ever joke about your own death? If you know you are returning to God, you lose all your fear of death and don't care about how much longer you live anymore. This is part of how God sets you free. To die or not is no longer of concern. Now, joke about your own death all you want.