The Power of God's Word

        I was very impressed by the Alleluia verse read at today's Mass from James 1: "Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls."  The message is crystal clear.

The Yearning for God

        In an earlier post, I mention that God will not be happy until he has all of us.  This is also true the other way around; that is, we won't be fully happy until we have all of God.  

        At the beginning, we discover God and our life becomes meaningful.  As we get to know God better, we yearn for a more intimate relationship.  Eventually, we seek complete union with him in this life.  But God is so beautiful that even at full union the yearning for more of him does not stop.  Indeed, we and God are made for each other.  We'll never be fully content until we get to heaven.  I consider this to be our tremendously good fortune.             

Dealing with Our Enemies

        Jesus wants us to love our enemies.  Here are the various degrees of dealing with the enemies.

        (1) We hate them, wishing them the worst.

        (2) We don't like them, trying to forget them.

        (3) We still don't like them; nevertheless, we pray for them knowing that it's the right thing to do.

        (4) We see that God loves them too and no longer dislike them.  In fact, we pity them and ask God to bless them and lead them to salvation.  And we are at peace because the Lord's will has been done.

Live for God First

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7, Jesus points out that it's what comes out from within the heart that defiles a person.  We care so much about how we look outwardly to others and neglect to check our interiors which God alone sees.  We condition the body and forget all about the soul.  What God thinks of us is so much more important than what other people think.  Let's redress this imbalance and start living for God first.       

Believe in the Infinite God

        We either believe in something or we don't.  Half-believing can only mean that you are not sure yet.  The space between "true" and "false" is a vacuum.  Therefore, if I believe in God, I can go all the way for he is absolutely true.  We can deepen our faith infinitely in our infinite God.  Believe and live a miraculous life.   

We Can Be Perfect!

        I've been hearing the story of creation from Genesis told at morning Masses.  God's creative power is truly awesome.  This same God has created us, and he loves us as well and wants to make us perfect, then surely he can transform us beyond our highest expectations!  If we'll just cooperate with him, there is absolutely no limit as to what we can become.

How to Fight Temptation

        In the Lord's Prayer, we ask not to be led into temptation.  If we do face temptation, what shall we do?  I see temptation as a ploy of the Devil to lure us away from the Lord.  A deceiver always uses some kind of bait to distract you first.  Temptation by definition is something that's attractive; therefore, if you fight it head-on, you lose.  Remember how we learn to drive on an icy road?  When the car skids to one side, the right thing to do is to steer the car in the same direction, just opposite to how you normally would react.  The same applies here.  When you sense temptation, run away from it as if you're really scared, and you run toward the Lord who can deliver you from all evil.     

God's Most Marvelous Creation

        Attended a different church this morning for Mass and it happened that the Mass was said by the visiting priest who's giving a mission at that parish.  From his talk, I came away realizing that we human beings are the most marvelous of all that God has created.  Look at yourself ~ we can think, talk, reason, are intelligent, and possess so many other unique qualities when compared with other creatures.   We are the crown achievement in God's creation.  We should never ever degrade ourselves (or others).  Besides, we've even been made worthy to receive the Lord himself in the form of bread and wine.  All this calls for great rejoicing!  

Science Can Block Faith

        When people put their trust in science rather than God, they are in rebellion against God because they think that they know or can know everything.  Of course, even if they know a million times more than what they've discovered so far, compared to what God knows and can do, their knowledge amounts to zilch; they're only finding out what God already knew.  Also, don't forget: God creates; we just discover. 

A Great Secure Feeling

        During prayer before Mass started, I put myself totally in God's hands and felt great security ~ it's as if I were resting in the palm of a huge cupped hand holding me up and protecting me from all evil.  It's so good to be reassured this way. 

Thoughts on Super Bowl Sunday

        Today is Super Bowl Sunday, a big, exciting day for the multitude.  People plan all their activities around the game.  There are also other worldly events that captivate and thrill the masses.  But to those who have found God exciting, captivating, and thrilling, these events no longer impact them.  Having tasted God, nothing short of him can satisfy them anymore.  I do get the feeling that when one chooses not to follow God too closely, it could be that he really does not wish to lose the enjoyment of the things he's attached to.  It's most difficult to let go of them when they give him so much pleasure.  It takes determination, courage, and prayer to get detached from such shackles.

Why We Should Believe in God

        I believed in God to fill the void in my heart, in my life.  Basically, we all look for joy and peace.  Now that I am living much closer to the Lord with a strong faith, I see things a little differently.  God created us out of love ~ no question about this.  Since the human race had gone astray, God then sent his Son Jesus to us to redeem us.  So God really wants us to be back in paradise, where we should be.  Therefore, believing in him complies with his very wish, putting us in a win-win situation.       

A Most Important Question

        Tonight while listening to a rerun of a Father Corapi talk on EWTN, this question he asked struck me as a most important question for us: "Are you ready to meet your maker?"  Don't ever live as if you are never going to die!

Be the Light of the World

        I went to Vigil Mass today.  In the Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus wanted his disciples to be the light of the world to shine before others for them to see.  Yesterday I was thinking about the various TV programs on Jesus I'd seen in the past.  He was mainly presented as a historical figure.  I hope that we disciples will be a lot more personal than that!  We must be proud of following the Master and never be ashamed of it.  I'll never forget the Olympic diver I saw on TV quite some years ago who took his time to make the sign of the cross before each dive.  I once talked to a building contractor who used the Lord's name in vain repeatedly in his speech.  I started responding to his each mention by saying "Blessed be the name of Jesus" to myself, just loud enough for him to hear ~ he got the message.  Of course, be the light for all to see doesn't imply that we become pushy or self-centered.  As the Lord instructed, we shine so that others may see our good deeds and glorify our heavenly Father. 

Everything Is Healing

        God shapes us and corrects us.  He refines and purifies us.  Today I see that everything he does to us is healing, the process that makes us whole and perfect.

Serve God Now

        The best time to serve God is right now.  There is no excuse for not doing it because you think you faith is too weak or you are too busy or you don't have the talent.  God would appreciate your effort even more when you are still "little."  Your present condition is irrelevant.  Serving God is accumulating treasure in heaven, so don't pass it up. 

Follow Jesus like the Apostles

        This morning during Mass, I thought of the Apostles, who were called by the Lord and followed him all the way.  Times are different now, but it's the same Lord, the same calling.  So why not follow the Lord just like the Apostles?  This means spending time with him, listening to him, obeying him, and praying with him.  

Uncluttering the Mind

        Human beings have the tendency to get curious or even nosy about what's going on about us.  In this information age, it's so easy to be drawn into watching shows on TV, reading the news (and gossips) online, or talking to friends on the phone.  We end up with so much information in the head that we hardly turn our thoughts to God anymore.  In reality, much of what we absorb may be useless if it does not draw us closer to God.  We can unclutter the mind by simply allowing ourselves to be interested in only those things that can help us glorify God, then we'll experience much tranquility in the heart.