A Proper Time for Everything

        In today's Gospel Reading from Luke 1, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was asked what he wished the newborn child to be called.  The moment he wrote "John is his name" on a tablet, his mouth was opened and his tongue freed (he was made mute earlier when he didn't believe that his wife, Elizabeth, advanced in years, would bear a son as the angel Gabriel had told him).       

        It just makes me realize that there is a proper time for everything and God knows exactly those times at which his wishes will be fulfilled.  There were times when I didn't know which way to move and I prayed hard about it.  Then something like a signal showed up and I was able to move.  Patience is required here (the perfect example is seen in our Lord waiting for us to turn to him).

Holy Spirit, the Great Teacher

        In Psalm 25, today's Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist asks the Lord to teach him his paths.  Teaching is the word here.  The Holy Spirit is the greatest teacher there is, and spiritual growth is so much more important than gaining physical strength or  intellectual knowledge.  The Spirit teaches one by revealing "secrets" of God's love to the heart.  All schools and teachers in the world can make you more knowledgeable about things of the world, but only the Holy Spirit can make you holier and more pleasing to God.  

Best Gift for God

        Again, it's Christmas gift-giving time.  In today's 1st Reading from 1 Samuel 1, Hannah the mother gave Samuel the child to the Lord. 

        What would be the best thing for us to give to God?  It's easy to give what we don't need or from our surplus without hurting ourselves the slightest bit.  I think the best gift we can give to God would be ourselves, for he deserves what's most precious to us.  A side-benefit: once we surrender ourselves to God, all subsequent giving becomes easy and painless.  

Keeping Jesus in Us

        As Christmas comes closer, we anticipate the coming of Jesus.  When we pray or sing "Come, Jesus," we express our yearning for him.  For us Catholics in the state of grace, the Lord is already dwelling within us.  We only need to pray that we'll be holy enough for him to continue his dwelling happily in us.  Receiving the Lord himself in the Holy Eucharist every time only serves to intensify and deepen this union with him.  (I consider this the greatest privilege we have in this life.)

Using Our Free Will

        As I drove to Mass this morning, I realized that God is capable of doing anything, except that in our case the free will he has given us can prevent him from doing what he wants to do with us.  We can use this free will to either keep him out or let him in ~ it's our choice.  

Wonder of Wonders

        Although I believe in God without any doubt, I still find it hard to get over how God can love us so much that he willingly died in our place.  Then I think about how we who believe get to know God intimately and become his adopted sons and daughters.  Wonder of wonders!

Curing "Stupidity"

        This morning I recalled many of the "stupid" things I did in my past.  Those were the days when I did not know the Holy Spirit well.  Now I know that God wants everything we do to be motivated by love.  The stupid things I did before were all motivated by me with no concern for God.  

        Since the voice of the Spirit is always gentle, we must learn to listen carefully with our hearts.  At any rate, the more we unite with the Lord (through receiving the Holy Eucharist and prayer), the more we become Christlike, and the clearer the promptings of the Holy Spirit will be to us.  In time, doing God's will becomes our second nature ("our only nature" would be even better).        

God with Us

        Isaiah prophesied: "...the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."  Emmanuel means "God with us."  So, as we commemorate the birth of Jesus at Christmastime, let's also remember that God actually decided to become a human being to live among us, and that he'd be with us always as he had promised.

Be Open to God

        Be open to God to let him enter to accomplish what he wants done in or through you, just as Mary opened up to the Holy Spirit for her to conceive and bear a child, our Lord.  Nothing is impossible with God! 

Think Before You Sin

        When you sin, it's like putting up an eviction notice asking the Lord to get out of you.  How do you think he would feel?  Can you bear not having him staying with you?  You'd better think twice before you sin. 

How to Pray

        Present your prayer to God as if it's a most beautiful gift you have found for him.

A Time of Giving

        Christmas is a time for giving ~ so let us give to God all we have and shouldn't have: our life, health, soul, talents; our family, material possessions; our sins, fears, worries, angers, pains, hang-ups, bad habits, plus any other thing you can think of ~ the more the merrier. 

No Sin, No Fear

        It came to me that we have fears because we sin.  Jesus committed no sin, so he never had any fear.  Agony yes, but never fear.  A sinful person does not trust in God and never feels secure, so fear easily sprouts from his heart.  A holy person feels secure in God and has no room for fear to take hold in him.  Where the Holy Spirit dwells, fear does not exist.    

A Christmas Exhortation

        Christ is the light of the world.  If you turn your back to hide from this light, you shall remain in darkness.  But if you turn to this light to let it shine upon you, you will feel its warmth and gentleness and also the love and mercy of God.  Reject this light in this life and you shall never see it again.  Accept this light now and you are on your way to living eternally with God.  It's that simple, so don't make it hard on yourself and on God.  

On Accepting Our Crosses

        If Jesus accepted his Cross and we are to follow him, how can we not take up our little crosses? 

Holy Communion Thought

        As I received the Lord today, I realized that I was a great sinner, yet he reached way, way, way down to offer himself to me ~ it's pretty hard to believe, and I felt great gratitude for his mercy.          

Thy Will Be Done

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 1, we also learn that Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him in a dream and took Mary into his home.  This is a good example for us.  If we feel uneasy when we say "thy will be done..." in praying the Lord's Prayer, then it's clear that we and God are not really in accord with each other yet ~ a sign showing that more submission is in order.  Remember that taking orders from God does not mean that you'll be given an unpleasant task to perform.  On the contrary, you'll always feel rewarded and peace after obeying him.  Pray that we'll develop a zeal to anticipate and be ready for God's call at any moment.         

Abortion Is Dead Wrong

        Today's Gospel reading is from Matthew 1.  It tells how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.  Through the Holy Spirit, God made it possible for the child to be conceived in Mary.  I am thinking that today, abortionists through their own will make it possible for the child to be killed in the mother ~ the opposite of God's doing.  Just intuitively, I see that abortion is dead wrong.