Simple Truth

        I see this life providing us with time to prepare ourselves for the next with Jesus as the perfect guide. If you listen to and follow him, he'll surely lead you to heaven. If not, you are just lost, to be blunt about it. I may seem to simplify things a bit, but the truth is always simple ~ not grasping it is then our problem.

Urgent Question

        On this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, I'd like to ask this question: Is Jesus truly our Savior or not? We'll find out for sure after we die, but why wait till then when it'll be too late? He is so prominent that we must answer this question for ourselves now while we're still alive! Another reason why time on earth is so precious.

Settling in God

        Communion experience on this memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe. It was the settling of the heart in God, letting God envelop you completely to heal your heart and soul ~ an experience only God can give. If everyone experiences Christ thus, there would be universal peace. Indeed, the Messiah is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9.6).

Love's Challenge

        From Matthew 25.40: Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did it for me. It's not just "my brothers," but "the least of my brothers." It just shows that we are to love all with no exceptions. This is our challenge: to love unconditionally and non-discriminatorily. 

How Awake We Are

        If there were a scale indicating how awake we are, those who love and trust in God the most must appear at the very top end of the scale.   

Covering Forgiving Others

        In today's reading from Matthew 18 at Mass, Jesus used a parable to teach Peter to keep forgiving a brother who has sinned against him. The lesson is that we should forgive others as God forgives us. In essence, always treat others the way we expect God to treat us. The ultimate goal is then to save all souls by loving them because God loves us all. Mark 8.35, Jesus saying "Whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it" ties in well.   

Communion Desire

        Communion experience. It sounds selfish, but it's not: I desired to absorb the Lord completely into my soul.

Be Open to God

        We are finite and powerless to raise ourselves, but if we remain open to God, he will stoop low to lift us up. To be closed to God is to banish ourselves altogether. So, be open to God to let him exalt you to great new heights! 

Reading the Gospels Right

        The Gospels are to be read as if you are reading them for the very first time. If you assume you already know them because you've heard them read many times before, then you'll miss seeing the wonders of the Lord's life and what he teaches. God remains forever new!

Perfect Relationship

        It's such a beautiful thing to go through life with Jesus ~ you share the same joys and sorrows, going through both happy and hard times together. Through thick and thin, you bond with your God and friend. There's nothing more perfect than beginning your intimate, eternal relationship with God right now on earth!   

Ultimate Rest

        Communion experience on this memorial of St. Claire. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is the perfect time to abandon myself in him, for he enters me to be one with me! He has already died for me out of pure love ~ can you possibly imagine that he is now holding back in wanting to help me? No, that's impossible. I look forward to receiving my Lord, for in him I find true rest, fulfilling the purpose with which he has created me.

Heavely Joy vs Worldly Pleasure

        To know whether doing something is right or wrong, just see what would happen if everyone does it. To see if certain worldly pleasure is good for you or not, just see how you would feel if you get to "enjoy" it nonstop day after day. Take eating as an example. If I eat something enjoyable nonstop, sooner or later I would get sick of it and might even vomit it all out. Heavenly joy is totally different. More of it would delight and elate your spirit and make you want even more. Imagine how you would feel in heaven with God! This explains why worldly pleasures become distasteful to those who have experienced the joy of Christ. For those who do not know the Lord yet, detaching themselves from the world is virtually impossible. The only "easy" way for them is to know Christ, who is our liberator, first.