In the world of technology, you constantly hear about new exciting breakthroughs and achievements. Even in piano performance, by finding out more about the composer and the composition, improving playing techniques, listening to other interpretations, and talking to other musicians, the pianist learns to play better. So I start thinking about discovering new ways of loving God more. And I realize that unlike all other areas, loving God more does not involve labor-intensive work nor superior brainpower ~ all we need to do is to surrender to and rest in him more. Dealing with the Lord is always straight and simple.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Become Free Now!
I watched on YouTube an interview with Valerie Tryon, the British-born classical pianist who resides in Canada now. She said that she's playing the piano less and less because there are other things she wants to attend to and she does not want to play the piano in her coffin. I thought that was a wise statement which we could benefit from. If we are attached to many things in this life, it's time to start detaching them so that it'll be easier for us to go when the time inevitably arrives. There is nothing we can take with us ~ everything in the entire universe belongs to God anyway. The sooner we let go, the sooner we become free. Doing it the last minute will be nigh impossible after living a whole life in slavery.
Preconditions for Eucharist Reception
Communion time thoughts. Where God's light shines, sin cannot survive. We should not let God and our sins cohabit in us. Before we receive the Holy Eucharist, we must first be free of mortal sin and secondly, desire to be purged of all our venial sins through reception of this Most Holy Sacrament.
God's Great Mercy
Jesus is the Messiah. He came into the world not to condemn sinners, but to save them. The message was made crystal clear to all ~ anyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved (Romans 10). The gate of mercy is wide open. Therefore, anyone who does not make it through that gate has only himself to blame.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Our Perfect Act
It has been a grey, wet, windy day. The leaves on many deciduous trees got blown off their branches overnight. I went to Mass and rain water was leaking through the roof of the church. Nevertheless, I experienced warm joy in my heart. I already mentioned the joy of hearing the Lord calling, of following him, and of feeling the freedom of the heart in the last two posts. Today's Communion Song from John 1: Andrew told his brother Simon, "We have found the Messiah, the Christ," and he brought him to Jesus. Here is the joy of finding the Anointed and of bringing another to him. When we are willing to leave all to follow the Lord, it is a perfect act on our part, beautiful beyond words.
Freedom of the Heart
When you are in union with Christ, your heart is in union with his Most Sacred Heart, and then you can do whatever you want to your heart's content.
A Beautiful Way of Living
I did not post anything the previous two days not because I did not have time or was sick or anything like that ~ it was because the Holy Spirit did not trigger any thought suitable for posting in me. This blog will come to an end someday. When it first got going, I didn't know where it's heading until after what God had made me experience revealed it to me that the goal was to draw all to union with him through the Holy Eucharist. When there is nothing more to post, then he's ready for me to go onto the next thing which will be made clear to me again. This is how he leads us ~ we wait, he calls, we follow, and he makes it clear. Today is the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle and brother of Peter. When Jesus first called him, he left everything and followed. This is how ready we should be at all times. What an exalted honor to be called by the Lord! What a beautiful way of living ~ to anticipate his call and be ready to follow the moment we hear his voice!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Truth Experienced
Today everything I experienced during Mass was meaningful because I was experiencing the truth. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is receiving the invitation to dwell in heaven with the Beloved Lord himself after this life.
God's Love vs. Ours
God's love is pure. Our love is something else. When God loves us, we don't mind that he loves all others. And when we love him, we are glad if others also love him. But when we love another one with our love, we tend to possess that person and do not welcome others to love the object of our affection. And it that person loves others, we get jealous. The world will have peace only if we love as God loves because only his love can set us free.
Most Beautiful Promise
Today's Gospel Acclamation at Mass, Revelation 2.10c: "Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." This is a most beautiful promise for those who are faithful. There cannot be a better reward than the crown of life! Living faithfully is not even a price to pay ~ it is a joy to cherish!
A Simplified Spiritual Game
Christ and the Devil are engaged in a tug of war and you are left with choosing the side you want to help. If you help Christ, then he wins and you win too. But if you help the Devil, he wins and you lose.
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