Jesus Sets Us Free!

        In today's Gospel reading from John 8, Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  I can personally testify that Jesus did set me free ~ my heart tells me so.  Jesus cleanses and refreshes me by freeing me from the shackles of sin.  Anytime a sinful thought surfaces, it's as if I feel the taste of something awful in my mouth and want to spit it right out.  After tasting the sweetness and joy of the Lord, sin has become loathsome.  Yes, Jesus is the truth!

Staying with the Lord

        As I was getting ready this morning to visit some homebound folks, as soon as I got a little elated about sharing some of my good thoughts with them, I sensed that I was leading the Lord again.  So I banished them right away and expected to lean upon him for total support and guidance.  I have learned that it pleases him the most if we stay with him, neither rushing ahead nor lagging behind.  

For Those Who Do Not Believe

        The idea for this post came from today's 1st reading, Numbers 21:4-9. 

        Take a good look at Jesus.  If you believe, then you shall live.  If you don't, then only you are the cause, for the Lord is ready at any time to welcome and embrace you. He has done his part: he came to us, preached the good news and worked miracles, died for us and rose again.  Just what else do you expect to see?  To reject the Lord is to reject love, eternal life, and yourself.  Jesus is the life.  Choose life and you shall have life.  Take a good look at him again.   

Encounter with Love

        The love of Christ is beautiful, sweet, and purifying.  It can burn, but never hurts the heart.  In fact, it cleanses and soothes it.  This love is what love is all about, because it touches the soul and the whole being.  It renews us, transforms us, places us on a higher plane of existence, and draws us into union with him.  When I received Christ in Holy Communion this morning, I encountered this love. 

Go Deep into God

        God's depth is unfathomable in his love, mercy, patience, wisdom, understanding, and more.  Therefore, we can go as deep as we wish to discover more of his wonders, receive more of his riches, and be transformed more to be like Jesus.  This adventure is all ours to embark on.

I Finally Understood

        Yesterday I talked about the world appearing unreal to me because I had changed.  Now I remember the first time I read about Mother Teresa in the newspaper decades ago.  My first reaction was that it was unbelievable that someone would give up the pleasures of the world and go serve the poor and the dying in India ~ this was being extreme.  The news in a way "shocked" my conscience and I eagerly shared it with others.  I admit that deep down that I felt a great respect for her.  Also, I used to think that monks who live in secluded monasteries were not being productive, as they did not do anything constructive to benefit the society.  I now know better.  Mother Teresa was doing the most noble thing ~ loving God by serving others as Jesus had commanded.  And the monks prayed and strove to be holy ~ practicing their faith and doing what most pleased God.  I am truly thankful that by the grace of God, I had come a long way.  

The Unreal World

        I caught a show on TV showing how you can do all kinds of exercises at home to shape your body.  While this is a good show, somehow it was unreal to me.  Then I thought of all the normal activities most people engaged in ~ playing electronic games, watching entertaining TV shows, shopping for fun, etc.  Now the whole world looked unreal ~ it's the real world looking unreal.  I think it's because after you get to know Christ, you find out what truth is and what real living is all about.  Anything you do that does not advance you spiritually seems to be more or less a waste of time.  This is where that "unreal" feeling came from. 

God Be Our Only Focus

        To love God, we must focus upon him alone and not get sidetracked by or become attached to anything along the way.  As St. John of the Cross said, if a beautiful statue or image draws us to the Lord, we must never become attracted to it and lose sight of the Lord it represents.  On a pilgrimage, even if I witness a miracle, I should not let it distract me from my concentration on the Lord.  We are to zero in on him alone, the Lord of all.    

Conflicting Feelings

        When I was about to receive Holy Communion this morning, I felt that it was just too overwhelming to receive the Lord daily for a wretched sinner like me, then I also felt that he would not mind entering me again because of my love and yearning for him.  He won out.      

To Die in Christ

        When you love the Lord, it becomes natural for you to want to die in him. What I mean is that you want the old you to die so that he may make you anew.

Communion of Saints

        Today I see that the Communion of Saints we believe in is a beautiful thing.  All members of the Church, living or dead, in heaven or in purgatory, are in spiritual union, forming part of the Mystical Body of Christ.  When I pray, it is a comfort to know that the angels and saints can intercede for me.  They are my family and my support.  We've all heard stories of people who died and came back.  After the soul left the body, they could see what took place around the dead body.  This reinforced my belief that all angels and saints,through the power of God, can know everything about us.  We are not alone; we belong to the big family of God.  

Knowing God

        Naturally, the first thing is that you desire to know him; that is, you are open to him.  Then he will start drawing you.  This is the beginning.  The process is gradual, but may accelerate at some points depending upon your disposition.  You may not feel much that he is drawing you, then one day you look back and will see that the Lord is a lot closer to you than before.  You reach the point at which you are aware of his holy presence at every moment, day and night.  This is a great blessing, as it helps you stay holy. 

Union, Fulfillment

        When I received the Lord this morning in the Holy Eucharist, the bread of heaven entered me and I realized that Christ is now part of me.  I, a little branch, am now totally grafted onto him, the vine.  He feeds me to keep me living and I become part of him.  This is union, fulfillment.  I now lack nothing.

God Is Joy

        This morning when I was feeling content and peaceful in the Lord after Mass, all the past unhappy, painful experiences of life seemed to have receded and faded away.  This verse from Revelation came to my mind: "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Humility Effected by Union

        Thoughts this morning before Mass.  To be safe from fall, humility is absolutely necessary.  A humble soul is one that dwells securely in the Lord.  To become humble, one must want to be like Jesus, our perfect model of humility.  And this brings us right back to union with the Lord.

        When I received Holy Communion this morning, I saw again that I could not just regard this reception as taking any kind of food.  This reception must effect a deep union with the Lord, ultimately if not instantly.  This is what the Lord desires and how the soul finds perfect rest.     

Ask the Lord to Make You Well

        In today's Gospel reading from John 5, Jesus saw a man lying by a pool and knew that he had been ill for a long time.  He said to him, "Do you want to be well?"  And because of his helplessness, Jesus cured him. 

        I can't help sensing that at times Jesus asks us this same question too.  If you hear his voice, don't pass up the opportunity to answer yes.  Better yet, ask him to make you well before you hear him ask.

Dealing with Others

         The last line in the poem Do It Anyway attributable to Mother Teresa reads, "In the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and other people anyway" (see post of 8/27/10). All of us must deal with God in the end. If someone mistreats you, he or she will have to face God. About how we react to that person, we'll have to face God too. Realizing this fact, we can learn to remain cool in dealing with others in all things.

Why Christianity Is Beautiful

        Before Mass I was thinking how beautiful my Catholic faith was.  (I don't even consider Catholicism a religion because to me it's simply the truth.) 

        (1) The message is crystal clear.   God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.

        (2) God's relationship to us is made absolutely clear.  He is our loving Father and Jesus not only our God, but also our brother and our servant. 

        (3) God is Love and Mercy.  You cannot find another god like that.