God All-Knowing

        Today I become extra aware that God knows everything about us. To him, both our minds and our hearts are exposed bare in the most bright light (x-rays might be more suitable). Every desire, wish, need, joy, sorrow, emotion, thought either good or bad... he knows. This awareness can make us aware of his constant presence and help us become holier.  

Following Jesus

        In the Gospel, Luke 5 this morning, Jesus saw Levi, the tax collector, and said to him, "Follow me." When I heard this, I was again elated because I knew that by following Jesus, I'd be walking in the truth.

Walking in the Truth

        The Response to readings from Psalm 86 at morning Mass: "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth." When I heard "walk in your truth," I was elated because it just feels so good to walk in the truth ~ you have nothing to hide, nothing to fear, and you know exactly where you are and where you're going ~ feeling both secure and carefree. 

Why Go to Mass?

        Going to Mass is not just an obligation. I go because I am going to meet God in person, not only meeting him but also becoming one with him. Then God already dwells within me, so I go to receive him again in the Holy Eucharist to seal this intimate relationship one more time. I do not see any contradiction here because God is present everywhere, both within and without me. The Lord cleanses and heals me again, transforming me some more. At Mass, it's as if I were present at the Last Supper. At Mass, I get to celebrate again the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord. I won't want to miss Mass for all the world.  

How to Get an Audience with God

        Today's Response to the Psalm comes from Psalm 51: "A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn." So, being contrite and humble is the way to get the Lord to see you. If you are proud and unrepentant, you might as well not even try. In this case, even though he'd love to admit you, you have not met the entrance requirements. 

Addiction Is Enslavement

        Last December shoppers fought for the new Nike Air Jordan shoe. Today crowd is rushing for another new Nike limited-edition shoe. On last Black Friday after Thanksgiving, bargain-hunters stampeded stores, resulting in shootings and pepper-spraying. In a way, this kind of addiction to material goods is no better than addiction to narcotics or drugs because it can ruin your soul too. We could call all of them world addicts. And as long as you are one, you are a slave to the world and not free to attach yourself to God, who alone can and is ready to free you.   

Accessing God's Power

        The power of God is infinite. He runs the universe, keeps us alive, works miracles... the list goes on and on. Great news! This same God is accessible to us and wants to share his power with us ~ we can do great things in this life, be saved, and have eternal life in heaven, all through his power! To gain access, just follow Jesus.

Be Delightful!

        There is much beauty in both nature and man's creations in the world. I see even beauty in music that may be considered by some to be worldly. If you hear the Gershwin song "Embraceable You" arranged by Earl Wild for piano (Yeol-Eum Son played very well on YouTube), you must agree that it's beautiful. When I hear the melody, the excellent arrangement and beautiful interpretation by the artist, they lead my thoughts directly to God, the source of all beauty. The talents of the composer, arranger, and pianist as well as our sense of appreciation and enjoyment all came from the Lord. 

        Since beauty is delightful, I thought that we can be delightful ourselves too. By letting God make us pure and holy, we become delightful to him ~ what can possibly be more delightful?

A Paradoxical Truth

        In the Gospel reading from Luke 9 at Mass, Jesus said to all, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever wishes to lose his life for my sake will save it." This is another simple paradoxical truth revealed by the Lord. The key is to live (lose one's life) for his sake.

Security in Jesus

        This morning's at Mass, the Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 1. As soon as I heard read the verse "Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away," I felt the rock-solid security in Jesus. Again, how good it is have him!

How Good It Is to Not Be...

        impatient, rude, jealous or envious, self-centered, quick-tempered, acting pompous or inflated, feeling hopeless, lonely or self-pity, brooding over the past and complaining about the present. How good it is to have Jesus!

Hypocrisy Displeases God

        Today is Ash Wednesday. In the Gospel reading from Mark 6, Jesus makes it crystal clear to his disciples that when they perform good deeds, pray, and fast, they are to do them in secret with only the Father knowing. In other words, if we truly wish to do good, it must be for God alone and not the slightest for ourselves. We'd be hypocrites if our goal is to make others see and notice us or to win praises from them, for all glory and honor belongs to God. For anyone who still has some hypocrisy in him, getting rid of it during Lent would give great glory and honor to the Father indeed. As I said in an earlier post, "the ego's gotta go". 

What Good Am I Doing?

        I've been talking about praying, transforming ourselves, loving God, etc., all this time, and I can hear someone say that rather than doing all this, why not go into the real world and do something constructive and helpful! Actually, I am doing things out in the world, but not in a big way in the eyes of the world. My answer to the question: "The reason why our world is such a tumultuous, disorderly, and tragic condition, needing much help, is because people in general have lost their faith in God and no longer love each other. What I am doing is exactly trying to correct this situation through God." 

God the Ultimate

        In the material world, there are good things and better things. First, the radio, then TV showed up and it became colored. Compact discs have displaced vinyl records. Even in the cooking business, you cook something good and someone else comes along to make the same dish a lot tastier. (But I must say that the flavor of the roasted peanuts I once had in a small Guatemalan village can't ever be bettered!) Moving into the intellectual world, we have the same. Certain areas of knowledge are definitely more advanced and a lot more exciting to study. There is great music and there's not-so-great music. In the spiritual realm, the ultimate is definitely God through Christ, for we cannot possibly find anything or anyone more satisfying in making life meaningful and in fulfilling our needs. He is the ultimate and a must-have for all of us ~ the improvement stops there.

        Mark 8.36: "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" The way to go: "Gain God and forfeit the world!"  

Lent Intentions

        Tomorrow Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. You can choose to make more sacrifices or to love more. While the former brings up a gloomy image, the latter sounds so much more cheerful. Besides, in loving you are making sacrifices and you don't even think of it as such! I think it's the better intention of the two. Lenten season is a perfect time for us to grow holier. 

Love Ever Present

        God is ever present and since he is Love, his love is ever present too. God has no beginning nor end, so his love is everlasting too. All creation may pass, but not his love ~ this is of great comfort to me. On top of it all, it's yours whenever you ask for it ~ I would ask for as much as the Father will give me. The more love you receive, the more fringe benefits you get too.        

Love like Fire

        God's love is gentle and soothing, yet serious and intense at the same time. If you welcome and embrace this love, it will heal, cleanse, and purify your heart. If you ignore, reject, or offend his love, your risk getting yourself separated from him forever. Like real fire, the love of God can warm or scorch you, so don't play with it.

God's Takeover

        This Morning when I received Christ in the Holy Eucharist, I just remained open, passive, and let him take over, knowing that he's going to heal my soul. I instantly felt myself "weightless" and free. When the Lord takes over, all shackles and fetters vanish.