We must love God foremost—there is no question here. It follows that we should become like him, meaning that we must be concerned about becoming holy. This makes God first and we second. What about the others? Well, everyone of us will answer to God and be second to him on his own. Once you have perfected yourself, you'll know exactly how to love others. God only expects you to respond to him alone, nothing more. So there'll be no third.
Sunday, March 13, 2022
**God's Healing Words
I've been watching some Ocean Conservation Namibia videos showing how its members rescue seals entangled in loops of fishing lines or pieces of fishing nets. Sometimes they even find fishing hooks piercing the face or the mouth of the seal. The injury often causes deep cuts around the seal's body. Of course, each seal has to be caught with a net or by hand first. This is the unpleasant part of the ordeal for the seal. Once the entanglement is cut and removed, you could sense the seal feeling relieved. The lead me to the following thoughts.
The Lord's words work in a similar way. They can cut you to the heart when you hear them. But like surgical instruments removing cancers and tumors, they restore the health of your soul. Deep down you now feel liberated and grateful. When love wounds you, it heals you.
**Don't Let Satan Target You
If we remain in the Lord, then Satan cannot do a thing and we are completely safe. But if we do not have the Lord, we become Satan's easy targets and are led into sin. Should Satan be of concern to us? That depends upon us. Personally, I'd rather remain in the Lord and forget all about Satan.
Saturday, March 12, 2022
***Be Clear About Our Role
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus told his disciples to love their enemy and pray for those who persecute them that they might be children of the heavenly Father. He commanded them to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. This is a key teaching. The Father loves us all equally and we are to be like him, loving everyone, friend or foe. Each of us shall answer to God the Father alone and has no business of judging anyone. Our only business is to love, obey, and serve the Father. Let's be clear about our role.
Friday, March 11, 2022
**How Far Apart Are We and God?
If we were truly aware of our sinful state and need for salvation, we would be prostrating ourselves before the Lord God, repenting of our sins, and begging earnestly for his mercy. If Christ were truly No. 1 in our life, we would be thinking and talking about him most of time instead of all the other things of the world.
**Why Do We Get Angry?
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said to his disciples, "I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother is liable to judgment." Why do we get angry? Many things can make us lose our cool, but I can see that we get angry basically because we lack humility. Being angry with someone is liable to judgment, precisely because it manifests the presence of our ego and pride.
***God Is Fair
Today's Psalm response from Psalm 130: "If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?" If the Lord judges us to be guilty, we are guilty indeed. But his mercy is infinite. He made it clear to Ezekiel in the first reading today that he does not derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked man, but rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live. He is on our side and for us. He only wishes to save us, not condemn us. By choosing to commit iniquity, we choose death ourselves. God's way is totally fair. We must not let our pride and the world blind us so that we no longer see the truth!
***The Only One
There is only one person to whom we need to get close to know most intimately, and that's Christ the Lord!
*****Test of Your Love for God*****
At Mass this morning, the Lord made me see that loving him is measured by how much we don't judge and how much we forgive others. If you truly love God, you would not judge anyone and always forgive everyone.
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