In John 21, when Jesus signified by what kind of death Peter would glorify God, he said to him, "When you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do no want to go." It is true that when we grow old, we'll have to depend upon others to do various things for us. But the Lord is always present and will be the only one left at the end able to help us. The time to start relying upon him is now, not after we've grown old or when we are dying.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
**Precious Childlike Joy
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus praised the Father for having hidden many things from the wise and the learned and having revealed them to the childlike. We can remember our childhood joy when we were free to play most of the time with not a thing to worry about, having our parents taking care of everything for us. If we become childlike to God, we shall experience such carefree joy. And that joy shall make us forget about wanting to sin again.
Way to Attain Union With God
The Lord says in John 6.56: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. This is proof to me that receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is the way to attain union with him.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
*Are We Bullheaded?
It is Jesus who can make us see the truth, think right, see right, and act right. He is the exact guide and teacher mankind needs. And he'll even reward anyone with everlasting life who follows and learns from him. Yet, so few of us take him seriously. What's going on? Think about it.
Key to Salvation
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus reproached the towns that were not repentant, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, and warned that they would suffer consequences on the day of judgment. Why is it so hard for so many to repent? To be saved, one must realize that (1) he is a sinner, (2) hell exists, and (3) God loves him and wishes to save him. Then it's time to repent. If one's mind is clear and heart willing, he can accomplish all these things in a few seconds. Putting off repenting is putting the soul at great risk.
*Life Without Christ
Your future is certain when you know Christ and follow him. Otherwise, your life is a cliffhanger, for you do now know how it's going to end. I could also say that life without Christ is like hanging off a cliff – you may fall off it if you are not careful. Maybe you think that you are being brave, but I'd rather choose to go with Christ to be wise.
Monday, July 16, 2018
**This Holy Feeling*
I do not mean it to be feeling that I am holy. I mean it to be aware that the Holy Lord dwells within me, that he loves me, and that I belong to him entirely. It is such an awesome and beautiful feeling.
*Sin Not a Problem Anymore*
Communion experience. I inherited the original sin through no fault of mine, and God took care of that by sending his Son to us to proclaim the good news of salvation. In Holy Communion, I was completely reconciled to the Lord, my original sin no longer a barrier.
**First Steps in a Spiritual Journey
Accepting God's love for you is usually the first step you take in your journey of faith. Letting that love embrace you completely is the first step you take later when you decide to seek union with God.
*God in Contrast to the World
God can quench all your thirst, fulfill your innermost desires, and fill the empty voids of your life. God can soothe your heart and heal your soul. You can never get tired of enjoying God. Replace "God" with "the world" in the statements above and none of them remains true anymore. God is someone you can never love enough, while the world is something you cannot possibly love.
**Riddle of Life Solved
This morning the first thought that came to my mind was Luke 12.51 in which Jesus said to his Apostles, "Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." It so happened that the reading at Mass from Matthew 10 was on that same saying: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword." And later in Matthew 25, speaking about the final judgment, Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." The division finalized.
So this is the reality of life. Having inherited the original sin from our ancestors, we all became sinners. Then God loved us so much that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. The division comes about when we do not all believe in the Son. The ball is in our court.
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