Our Special Role

        Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Our Holy Mother is obviously a specially-favored creature chosen by God to carry out his plan.  Let's not forget that each one of us is given a special role in God's plan too, not so prominent but just as important in God's eyes.  We must do our utmost to fulfill our assigned function or duty, which is revealed to us through God's love and our loving him back.       

Love Must Rule

        1 Corinthians 13, 13: So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  Indeed, it is because God is love and there's nothing greater than God.  Anything done without love is ultimately empty.  It struck me today that even being pure is still being neutral.  To get into positive territory, we must actively love.                 

Prepare the Way of the Lord

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ambrose.  In Reading 1 from Isaiah 40, we hear "A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!  Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!"  This was before Jesus came into the world.  This same verse is still relevant because now he comes to us each time we receive him in the Holy Eucharist.  The desert and the wasteland are now us and we must prepare ourselves properly so that the Lord may find us easy and comfortable to enter.

 

The Presence of the Lord

        The Lord is present everywhere in our universe.  Receiving the body and blood in the Holy Eucharist particularly makes me aware of his holy presence.  You'll have to have a heart made of stone not to be affected by it.  Once you experience his loving presence, you'll want to give your heart to him and you'll never be the same again.

God Always Helps

        Any time I have something troubling me, I go to the Lord ~ I know that he has a solution for me; in fact, for any problem you may have ~ no doubt about it!  But sometimes you do have to search your heart hard to get in touch with the Holy Spirit dwelling deep within you to find the solution.  This is "fun" because you know that you'll have peace when you receive the answer.  Often the situation doesn't change externally ~ the Holy Spirit simply helps you perceive the problem correctly and shows you how to deal with it.  God is always understanding and reasonable.  He loves to help us if only we'll trust him.  You can never lose with his help.    

Jesus Simplifies Life

        So many people live a complicated life, facing complicated problems and carrying on complicated relationships ~ that's why they feel unhappy or even downright miserable.  But Jesus has come, is here and ready to simplify our lives.  Read about him in the Gospels.  He never gets theoretical, is always practical and keeping things simple.  Put your faith in him and your burdens will be easy to carry or even vanish in time ~ this is how God blesses the faithful.    

Measuring True Success

        True Success is not measured by how things turn out for you from the world's point of view.  The relevant questions are: "Has God being glorified?" and "Have you grown spiritually closer to God?"  

About Receiving Holy Communion

        We must take receiving Holy Communion seriously.  I see the act as making a pact with the Lord.  You let the Lord enter to dwell within you to work on your transformation, so something should happen afterward.  Since God remains the same always, guess who's left to change.  To anyone who anticipates much, much will be given.  Don't miss the opportunity to ask the Lord to set your heart aflame for you to experience more peace, joy, and freedom.     

Praying Seriously

        I was just reading an article on the most celebrated French jazz pianist Martial Solal.  When he talks about one solo disc he made, he says, "I liked the atmosphere while I was recording.  It was a very dark room with an excellent piano, a small studio and I played non-stop.  It was a very concentrated effort, and this is very important when you play: to have total concentration and not be disturbed by anything.  Then you can really get inside the music and play without preconceptions, allowing your mind to travel far away."  

        Praying to God is like that too.  It's best that we find a quiet place with nothing to disturb us and pray "seriously."  We concentrate on the Lord and pour our heart out.  We laugh, cry, talk, question, petition, praise, or just contemplate in silence as the Spirit leads.  There is no holding back, only love and trust.  This is true heart-to-heart communication with God.              

The Fantastic Love of God

        I have been thinking how beautiful the love of God is.  The best of all is that this sweet, gentle, yet most powerful love is free, yours for the asking.  For this Christmas, ask the Lord to give you this love fully.  Let this love surround you, embrace you, soak and permeate you.  Let this love fill your heart and mind.  Let this love purify you, renew you both internally and externally, transforming you into a creature lovely for the Lord to look at.  Let this love take over your life, guiding you through life without fear and worry, but always with courage and hope.  Last, ask this love to give you humility and help you surrender to the Lord without reservation.

        This request has to be the best possible present you can ever give to both God and yourself.     

Give Without Cost

        I was especially impressed by what the Lord said in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9.  The last line is "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”  The Lord has freely given us everything (nothing is of ours) and we are to freely give others what we have received.  This is the way that leads to freedom of the heart and mind.  We are simply on our way, journeying toward our Father in heaven.  The lesser the baggage we carry with us, the more pleasant and carefree will our journey be.  Like the disciples Jesus sent out to proclaim the Gospel of his Kingdom, we are to travel light and give freely.  

A Special Privilege

        The reading from Isaiah 30 this morning made me see that we have a direct communication line to the heart of God.  As long as we speak from the bottom of our heart with total sincerity and honesty to God, he will instantly hear us.  There is no need to pick up a phone or turn on your computer to send an email ~ it just can't be any simpler.  This privilege provides the opportunity for us to develop a most intimate relationship with our loving Lord ~ a privilege to appreciate, treasure, and be thankful for.  

The Joy of Christ

        Unlike the pleasures of the world, the joy of Christ bypasses all the senses and goes directly to the heart.  While worldly pleasures enslaves the heart, the joy of Christ frees it instead.

We Are What We Think

        We are what we eat, and it's also true that we are what we think.  An unselfish, undefiled, and holy person is one who does not think selfish, impure, and evil thoughts. 

Purgatory Makes Sense

        On my recent trip away from home, I saw and met so many people who basically are good people, but they do not know the Lord and pretty much live for the material world.  If I were in their place, I probably wouldn't have fared better.  If they don't get to heaven, then probably most of the world's population won't get there either.  I do personally believe that God's mercy is so great that only those who deliberately reject him will not make it.  Hence, the existence of purgatory makes perfect sense.  

        Do understand that I am merely stating a personal belief, not seeking to argue with anyone who might hold a different view.

             

We Must Follow Jesus

        In today's world, the souls of so many are in jeopardy.  We have absolutely no power to save ourselves ~ we can't even grow one extra hair on our own.  To be saved, our sins need to be forgiven and only God has that power.  He has created us; surely he can save us.  Therefore, he alone is the one we're to hold onto.  We must let everything else that obstructs us go, no matter how much pain this may cause us.  Ultimately, it's what God wants that counts.  To go against his will would be sheer folly.  He is the gateway for the soul to freedom.           

Heart over Head over Mouth

        During the trial, one spokesman of the other side really knew how to talk ~ he was obviously a talented speaker.  What came to my mind was that the three things  we all possess, appearing in the order of decreasing importance, are the heart, the head (mind), and the mouth.  If the heart is not in the right place, no matter how eloquent you are, what comes out will be unclean.  If the head does not have discernment, what comes out may show you as nothing but a hot-air balloon.  Therefore, be pure and wise (humble) first before you speak.    

God Delivers Us from Evil

        Where I was these last three weeks, I did have access to the Internet, but I was unable to do any posting because such sites as GoogleBlogger, Facebook, and YouTube were all banned.  At any rate, let me first thank the Lord and all of you who remembered me in prayer from the bottom of my heart for the outcome of my trial.  This "trial" was in reality a trial in court, at which I faced a sizable number of "enemies" telling rampant lies, fabricating stories, and making false accusations against me ~ a perfect example of bearing false witness against your neighbor.  By the grace of God, I was able to remain calm and even felt sorry for them.  At the very end, the Lord sprang a big surprise that neither I nor any of my opponents could possibly have expected and I was totally vindicated!  In a way, I was not surprised at all because when you put all your trust in God, he will invariably deliver you from all evil.  May he be praised forever.