Attending Daily Mass

        I have been attending Mass daily for over three year now.  Way back in the past, I did attempt to do the same.  Some of my friends attended daily Mass (this was at a different parish), so I thought it should do me good too.  But it didn't last long ~ I didn't feel I was getting enough out of it and besides, getting up early in those days was hard for me.  I already loved the Lord, but my thinking was more or less self-centered. 

        I am recalling all this because this morning as I drove to Mass, I felt that I had an important appointment with the Lord and was eagerly going there to meet him.  This time, definitely the Lord was drawing me.  What I pray is that even if I don't feel the draw, I will continue to go to him, for he always bless you extra for making the effort to please him and not yourself.           

On Obeying the Lord

        The strong in faith obey the Lord out of love, while the weak in faith obey him out of fear.

Jesus Gives Living Water

        In today's Gospel reading from John 4, Jesus told the the woman of Samaria by the well "whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  This statement really resonates with me because like the spring water Jesus does refresh my soul, especially when I receive him in the Holy Eucharist, and I do feel the constant surge or welling of the Holy Spirit within me.  As the Lord said, the water he gives indeed quenches the thirst of the soul, but it also intensifies the soul's yearning for him.  This is only natural, as once you have tasted something good, you desire even more of it.

Jesus Is Ours!

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass was the well-known Prodigal Son parable from Luke 15.  It's such a beautiful story depicting God's love for us.  Books have been written based upon this story.  It richly provides so much we could reflect upon.  What struck me this time was what the father said to the older son near the end: "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours."  To those of us who already belong to the Father, even if nothing special happens to us, we know that God's love is ever present and most of all, Jesus is ours.   

Surrender Leads to Union

        "Surrender" is the last thing people want to do.  To surrender is to yield or submit to another person, or to give oneself up.  But surrendering to God actually turns out to be the way to freedom.  God now takes over and starts removing all your worries, fears, and other negative feelings; for he is merciful, gentle, patient, understanding and full of compassion.  He does not boss you around; he even gave you a free will!  If you think otherwise, then you have not known him yet.  The whole goal or wish of God is to free us.  To surrender to him is to surrender to Love.  It's what every human being should do ~ to acknowledge that he is the Lord and to recognize and accept ourselves as his beloved children.  Therefore, surrender leads to union.  What else could you possibly wish for?

        A footnote.  God never forces us to love him, because there cannot be love if it's not genuine.  In the same way, there is no genuine faith if we are forced to believe.

Be Truthful

        To maintain the most intimate relationship with God, I see the absolute necessity of being truthful to him.  By that I mean laying yourself open before him, hiding nothing but revealing everything.  You want the Lord to see everything in your heart, your mind, and your soul to let him help you understand and see so that he may guide and heal you.  If you are closed to him, then he cannot help you.  So, be truthful to God and you'll be truthful to yourself too. 

A Conjecture

        Today's Gospel reading is from Luke 16 ~ the well known story about the poor man Lazarus who died and went to heaven, while the rich man died and landed in the netherworld.  Some people have asked why others seem to have everything in this life while they live a hard life.  Here is a conjecture.  No one is 100% good or 100% bad.  Let's say someone is only 10% good, then he's probably reaping his reward for the good part in this life already.  Someone 10% bad is probably just being "punished" for the bad in this life.  Obviously, the choice to suffer in this life and be rewarded in the next is preferable.    

Amazing God

        Yesterday when I saw Hunting the Edge of Space on Nova, I was further impressed by the immensity of the universe.  It's been discovered that there are now more stars than grains of sand on all the beaches put together.  Not only that, the stars are all racing away from each other further into deep space.  Our earth was estimated to have been born over 13 billion years ago.  You just have to respect utterly the creator of the universe, our God.
        Then there is the other facet of God.  He is spirit, lives in heaven and is love.  This deep love is just as amazing as the vast universe he has created.  We were all born into this physical world, but will enter the spiritual one later.  There are just so many beautiful mysteries to our finite mind.  The Lord is amazing beyond words that the only sensible action for us to take is to believe in, listen to, and follow him.

The Lord Answers

        Ask the Lord to do whatever he wants with you and guess how he answers you ~ he sets you free!

Jesus Is the Reason

        Why do I want to live?  Why do I not mind the trials and tribulations of life?  Why do I not give up in any setback I face?  Why do I feel peaceful in my heart?  Why do I not let anyone upset me?  Why do I pray for the world?  I could go on and on.  In short, Jesus has freed me to see that he must be the reason for everything I do.

Jesus Came to Serve

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus to command that her two sons sit, one at his right and the other at his left, in his kingdom.  That was a totally self-centered request.  Contrast this with what the Lord said at the end of this Gospel reading: "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."  A diametrically opposite statement.  To me, this saying alone shows that Jesus was totally sane, knew exactly what he's saying, and spoke the truth.

        When I received the body of Christ today, I realized that he was serving me ~ giving me new life.  If serving is good enough for the Lord, it should be plenty good for us.  And the best way to serve him is to surrender ourselves completely to him.  He has given himself to us ~ let's give ourselves to him.      

Loving Jesus First

        As I was doing a good job washing the dishes tonight, I was aware that I was doing it for Jesus.  Then he made me see that I must love him more than myself.  That is the way to freedom.  I believe that this is a truth that's clear to many, but following it could be hard. 

How to Feel Great

        To those who have not completely come to Christ and his Church yet, I offer the following thoughts.

        (1) It can be an awful feeling to be estranged from someone of your own family or anyone close to you.  I have known of cases in which a person near death finally wants to reconcile with those he's estranged from.  It's a great feeling to be back on good terms with everyone.

        (2) After you leave home for a while, you get homesick.  You finally return home and get that great home-sweet-home feeling ~ if doesn't matter much whether you have a shabby place or live in a magnificent palace.

        (3) I always feel good after taking a shower, shaving, combing my hair, and putting on some clean clothes.  You are now clean and well-groomed, feeling like a brand new person.  

        When you go all the way to Christ and his Church, you receive all three of these great feelings.  First, you are no longer estranged from God, more important than any of your family members.  Secondly, you know you have come home, your true home on earth and in heaven.  Thirdly, you will feel clean and renewed, beginning a new life in Christ.  Only God can make you feel this great.    

God Touches

        In the Gospel, we read about the woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.  She touched the clothes of Jesus and was healed.  I am thinking that in various ways the Lord touches us too, wanting to heal us.  Whenever I feel his holy presence, experience sudden joy, or want to do his will, he is touching me.  Most of all, as I receive him in Holy Communion, he touches my whole being to the extent that we become one.  The Lord in heaven unites fully with a soul on earth ~ what a glorious event! 

Happy and Free Is the One...

who seeks the will of God, finds it, understands it, embraces it, and does it with all his/her heart.   

Be Heavenward, Not Earthbound

        I caught a classical music program on TV, featuring the songs of Schumann, one of my favorite composers.  The music was great, singing beautiful, and the lyrics pure poetry.  Even though what I heard was enjoyable, somehow I felt that the whole thing was "earthbound."  And I realized that the experience provided only some momentary pleasure, nothing more.  On the other hand, God uplifts the heart heavenward and touches the soul at its deepest level, drawing you to him for all eternity!  There is just no comparison.   

Most Perfect Short Prayer

        The most perfect prayer is the Lord's Prayer, taught us by Jesus himself.  By extracting "Thy will be done" from the Lord's Prayer, I feel that I have the most perfect short prayer.  Saying it meaningfully requires our surrender to the Lord first.  To say it is to want to be in union with him.

Alleviating Jesus' Suffering

        As I was meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary after Mass, I felt sorrowful that I couldn't be there to alleviate in any way the suffering the Lord experienced on his way to Calvary.  Then he made me see that I still could do it now, since he still suffered.  Let's love him even more as the world spurns him!