Counterweight to Sorrow

        Learning about the horrific sins committed against God throughout the world nonstop surely brings tears to anyone who loves Christ. But we do have a counterweight ~ the joy and hope we have in Christ restore our trust and peace in him, and our tears stop flowing.

Sweet Freedom

        Today's Gospel reading came again from John 8. I was thirsty for it like parched land. A couple of Jesus' sayings are: "If you remain in my word...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin." 

        How simply true these statements are! To sin is to become a slave ~ that's why a sinner has no peace because he is not free. (You might say that he's like one who lives in a fish tank.) But Jesus frees us because he is the truth! I place freedom ahead of peace and joy, not because it's more important, but because peace and joy cannot come unless you are freed first. 

God Is Holy!

        As I posted before, the Holy Spirit sharpens our conscience. Not only that, it purifies the heart to the point that sinful thoughts can no longer originate from it, let alone take root in it. This is a great gift from God. It makes you acutely aware that the Lord is holy! He truly deserves all the glory. 

God Is Instant

        During Mass, I thought about how instant God can be. When I repent, my sins are taken away without delay. He's already anticipating what I'm going to say before I start to pray. He's instant because he's ever ready to please us. Yes, to please us by sending his only Son to us to serve and save us ~ this is our God!   

Challenging Sayings

        The Gospel reading at Mass was taken from John 8. Jesus couldn't have been clearer. He is "I AM" and those who do not believe in him will die in sins. He also said that he was sent by the Father and the Father was with him. The sayings are all pivotal and so challenging that they need to be fully accepted or fully dismissed. At the time, many came to believe in him. You are not dealing with another ordinary human being here.
        Last thought. We must accept what's presented to us by God as is and not keep looking for what's palatable to us.

Best Job to Fill

        The Christian as a worker has the best boss he can possibly work for. The boss is most kind and merciful, and provides all that the worker needs to do his work and to live on. His fellow workers are all members of the same loving family. After he retires, he'll receive a permanent dwelling place in paradise. Better yet, when you apply for such a position, you don't need to compete against other applicants, for there are always welcoming vacancies. Furthermore, you won't be screened for academic qualifications or health, and it's never too late to apply as long as you are still living in this world. As a worker, you fulfill a most urgent need. Overall, it's the best and most rewarding job there is.     

God's Will Brings Joy

        Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The angle Gabriel was sent from God to Virgin Mary to announce her conception of Christ. Mary's final response was: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." The response to Psalm 40 at Mass read: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will."

        What a joy it is to be ready to do God's will! What a joy it is to hear his will made known! And what a joy it is to actually do his will! These three consecutive stages continuously fill the whole of the Christian life with joy. Enjoy our God!

Mother Teresa

        I watched a documentary on Mother Teresa. Most memorable saying of her was, when she told others why she's doing her work, "All for Jesus." One of the commentators, Dan Rather, also said something memorable. Let me paraphrase him: "In contrast to the simple, humble, little woman who did truly great work, people in the world with big egos who try hard to accomplish their dreams are living in illusion." After seeing how Mother Teresa loved others, the love of Jesus is more beautiful and more glorious than ever. 

Dying like a Grain of Wheat

        I attended vigil Mass today and the Gospel reading was taken from John 12. Most memorable sayings from the reading: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be." 

        As I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I saw the opportunity to ask to die in him like the fallen grain of wheat so that I might serve him and be with him always.

Wrong Expectation

        Sometimes we expect God to fit our specifications of him ~ how unreasonable! Instead, we should find out what he is truly like and fit ourselves to what he requires of us.

Joy Doubled

        In doing the Stations of the Cross after Mass, at one place John 16:22 was read: "But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." My heart was already rejoicing. Hearing that no one will take my joy away from me simply doubled my joy!  

Beyond Touching Jesus

        As I received the Holy Eucharist at Mass this morning, I felt more than seeing, touching, and embracing the Lord ~ I felt the total physical and spiritual union with him.

Sweet Isolation

        As one is drawn deeper into Christ, he necessarily feels his isolation from the world more. But what sweet isolation! for God is so much more interesting that the mundane world.

Our Hours Will Come

        In today's Gospel, we also heard at the end that the authorities tried to arrest Jesus, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come. I realized that there is an hour for everything in our lives too. Based upon how we live for God, when these hours will arrive is determined by God. The faithful waits for them with total calm. 

Where Are We From?

        The Gospel reading today was from John 7. Jesus, teaching in the temple area, let it be known that he came from the Father, who sent him. As disciples of Christ, we can similarly claim that we came from Jesus, who sent us.

Is There Reproductive Justice?

        Yesterday I attended a forum on "Reproductive Justice: Does a Woman Have a Right to Choose?" at a local college. The panelists were made up of five well-known pro-choice, pro-abortion females. Naturally, abortion was the biggest issue among the reproductive rights claimed. What I basically saw was that they don't believe that anyone, not even God or Church, should tell a woman what to do with her body, not admitting that the child conceived is not really a part of the mother's body. They admitted that abortion terminates a life, but it's the mother alone who knows whether it should keep the baby or not. One panelist had gone through an abortion herself and knew how painful an experience it was, so she wanted to make sure that others would have an easier experience ~ why didn't she make sure that others wouldn't have to go through an abortion? 

       They used the position taken by Catholics for Choice to bolster their own. I almost laughed out loud when one said that the bishops should not tell women what to do with the unborn because they don't have any children themselves. I wanted to tell them since they don't really know God, they are not qualified to preach to others on moral matters.

        I believe that they're probably all church goers and do care about women's welfare; but unfortunately, they are misguided. Until the heart is touched by the love of God and converted, the chasm remains between the pro-abortion camp and the pro-life one. I also sensed that they might feel that the pro-lifers care only about the unborn ~ how I wish they know that we love the pregnant mothers, the unborn babies, and even them!       

God Only Knows...

how to love. Therefore, his response to our prayer is always love.

Growing Old Profitably

        In theory, Jesus can transform us instantly into a holy person. In practice, how much we change is proportional to how much we let him change us. In other words, we reap what we sow. My thought today is that as we grow older, our bodies get weaker; one excellent way to balance or counteract that is to grow stronger spiritually. That is, as we age, we let Jesus change us more and more, if not the whole way instantly.