What's Life All About?

        This post is for those who are not yet believers in Christ or still in the early stages of their faith journey.  I remember myself in those early days.  Just like most others, my goal was to get ahead in life, preferably ahead of all those who knew me.  The way to do it was to learn from friends or books on the subject; believe me, most friends were eager to impart their "wisdom" on survival or dealing with others, and the books were many out there, each touting its effective approaches to reach your goal or achieve happiness in life.  Of course, almost none of these sources ever mentioned God ~ you were really on your own.  

        My question to you: if this is also your present thinking or goal, is this what life is all about?  There is really so much more to it, after I have come to know Christ well.  Concentrating on this life will never bring us true happiness ~ many nonbelievers have found out in time and believers know because they have tasted Christ, the source of true joy and peace.  Basically, God made us this way out of love.  Whether you believe what I've just said is true or not, believe in Christ to find out for yourself.         

Only True Joy for Us

        Christ the Lord, for now and ever.

To the Spiritually Sick:

        When the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus, they tried to trap him by asking what he had to say about the case, knowing well that in the law Moses ordered such woman to be stoned.  Jesus paused and then said, "Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her." 

        People today push away or reject the Lord.  What came to my mind is the line: "Let any among you who are not spiritually sick be the first to push away the Lord." 

We Are the Rebels!

        This message and the next one I'm going to post are inspired by the letters of Elizabeth of Schonau I just read from the book of her works.

        Everything in heaven and on the earth serves God except us.  We have the free will and we rebel, disrupting the harmony of the universe.  This came to me as shocking truth.  Are you helping to restore this harmony before the day the Lord is forced to do it?    

God Most Satisfying

        It is our human nature to search for things that satisfy us better all the time.  For example, we look for better tools, upgrade our computers, find the latest gadgetry, build more comfortable houses, etc.  So, why not go straight to God first, who can provide the most satisfaction?  This is what Jesus talked about: "Drink the living water given by him and you'll never thirst again."  Start at the top end to get the most out of life.  Smart move. 

Jesus Is the Lord of All

        In today's Gospel from Matthew 12, Jesus proclaims to the Pharisees that he is the Lord of the sabbath.  Of course, Jesus is the Lord of everything!  Being meek and humble is his way too.  He has the final say in all things.  We think that we are free to do what we want to do, but we end up before him at the Final Judgment.  We are always at his mercy, as it should be. 

No Time to Lose

        I am feeling the urgency of serving God in this life.  The time of a life is short or in many cases, really short.  Whatever you sow in this life affects what you reap in the next.  The condition of the present world definitely adds to the urgency.  There are still things I do, such as reading certain magazines, that are not harmful spiritually; but nevertheless, use up time that might be better spent in prayer or serving the Lord.   

        I had a dream last night.  I had a kit of some sort of electronic parts to assemble.  The many parts were contained in a box of decent size.  I was anxious to build the assembly, so I walked into a room, started to take the parts out of the box to spread on a table.  Then soon many others came and started doing the same thing, each with his own kind of kit.  Before I realized, the parts from the other kits had joined mine on the table and some parts, in fact, had fallen off the table.  Right then, I knew that it wouldn't be possible to complete my assembly anymore because I didn't even know what parts were mine and whether some had already fallen off the table ~ I (and the others in the room) had all wasted time on our unprofitable undertakings.  This dream confirms my feeling of urgency.   

Be Meek and Humble First

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus refers to himself as being meek and humble of heart.  Of course, his whole life bore witness to that.  So, if we are to imitate the Lord and become like him, we must learn to be meek and humble ~ it's absolutely required.  What's most necessary also happens to be most difficult to acquire.  Then again, the Holy Spirit can make it easy for us.  Where we fall short, God can achieve.  What an opportunity for us to place our trust in God here! 

The Lord Watches over Us

        I started reading the works of Elizabeth of Schonau, a German Benedictine nun of the 12th century.  She received many divine visions of heaven.  I am now increasingly aware that we here on earth can only see and feel to the extent what our physical senses reveal to us.  It's as if there is a one-way mirror around us ~ we cannot see what's on the other side, but God and all other creatures in heaven can clearly see us, blessing us, protecting us, or answering our prayers.  The Holy Spirit is always in action.  Our faith should include this awareness.  We are well watched over by our loving Lord.     

The Secret of Entering God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus tells how the Father has revealed things hidden from the wise and the learned to the childlike.  I've always noticed that there are usually more women than men at Mass in churches all around the world ~ perhaps men are less likely to become childlike?  Anyway, before the Lord this is the attitude to assume.  You may already be wise and learned, but you can still be childlike.  Realize that when we go before the Lord, all our intelligence and knowledge don't count at all ~ we must start over by becoming empty and receptive like a child.  This is the secret of entering God.

Most Rewarding Job

        Jesus wants us to accumulate treasure in heaven, not on this earth.  Every will of the Lord is a treasure.  By doing it we are being obedient.  Every thought, every word, every intention, every move, every gesture... makes a difference because the Lord sees everything.  Loving and serving him at all times is the most rewarding job you can have in this life. 

The Greatness of God

        God is so loving, so merciful, so understanding, and so good.  At the same time, he is all-powerful, all-wise, all-knowing... ~ indeed, nothing is impossible with him.  When I realize such infinite greatness, I can only throw up my hands and surrender, believe, worship, and follow with all my heart, all my mind, all my strength, and all my soul.  Asking any questions is totally out of place. 

The Lord Renews

        One thing I love about the Lord is that no matter what kind of condition I may be in, he can renew me.  When I let him, he constantly makes me into a new (better) person.  The hope is always there, so goodbye to despair and grief.  Every time I receive Holy Communion, the Holy Spirit transforms me into a person more like the Lord.   

All or Nothing with God

        I've been "accused" of being not easygoing because it's usually all or nothing with me.  There are Catholics who are not like that and believe in or accept only those teachings they think are true.  The problem is that if they are right, they would be believing in a Church that's not 100% correct.  Either way, they end up wrong.

        For an all-or-nothing person like me, I don't have this problem.  At least if I am right, then I am right. 

Jesus Restores Happiness

        I saw myself in a mirror this morning.  When you look at yourself, it's good to ask if you see a person that is truly happy.  If not, then you probably have been shaped too much by the world and need Jesus to lift you up.  As St. Bonaventure explains: "Happiness is nothing other than the enjoyment of the highest good.  Since the highest good is above, no one can be made happy unless he rises above himself.  But we cannot rise above ourselves unless a higher power lifts us up.  Divine aid is needed, and is available to those who seek it from their hearts humbly and devoutly through prayer."   

Preparing to Bear Fruit

        Today's Gospel reading is from Matthew 13, the parable of the sower, given by the Lord describing how various people receive or react to the word of the kingdom.  My own reaction is to open myself completely to him, to be receptive to his word, letting him sow or pluck whatever he wishes in my heart.  The soil must be properly prepared before it can bear fruit and yield manyfold.

         

How Not to Judge Others

        Jesus tells us not to judge others.  Can we form opinions about them?  Can we criticize them constructively?  Can we correct our brothers and sisters for their own good?  I believe that the answer is yes to all these questions if we do it without diminishing our love for them.  If someone bothers or disturbs us and we look down on or even feel less compassion for the person, then that's judging.  It follows that if we don't judge, we retain our inner peace.  This, I believe, is the way the Lord intends.  

All About Love

        After finishing reading Julian of Norwich Showings, I have become extra aware that Jesus came into the world to reveal to us that God is love.  That is, all of God is love.  This is the central message.  This is basically the definition of God.  He created everything out of love.  He loves us.  He loves us so much that he wants us to love him back, and he provides us with this love to do it.  Love leads us to eternal happiness.  Love is the answer to peace on this earth.  To love is to do God's will.  To love is to be free.  It's all so clear now!  Let's follow love, our God, to complete both his joy and ours.