Opposite Reaction

        The more I read about horrible, sinful acts in the news and see impure, sinful shows on TV, the more I turn to God to ask for his mercy on all, for he is the Lord of salvation. God's power is always there ~ the sole reason why the world is so messed up is because we have ignored or misinterpreted God. Otherwise, Satan would absolutely have no power over us.

Let Only Truth Affect You

        If people say false things about you, do not let them bother you. False things are false, so they do not exist. If someone wants you to panic by spreading the false rumor that the world will end tomorrow, wouldn't you feel rather stupid to let it affect you? So, let only truth affect you. In fact, let only Jesus affect you and you'll always have inner peace. 

Perfect Humility

        Jesus is sinless, yet he suffered so much while he was in this world. Is his suffering just or unjust? From the human point of view, it would seem most unjust to punish anyone who's not guilty. But from God's point of view in the overall scheme of things, anything that happens according to his holy will is just. And Jesus our Lord had the perfect humility to regard all his sufferings to be just.  

The Glorious Mysteries

        Before Mass began, I had some time to dwell upon the first three Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Here are some brief thoughts.

        (1) Resurrection. The disciples didn't believe that Jesus was alive until they saw him in person. It must have been such a great joy to them, for after disappointment all their expectations were fulfilled again. Knowing that the Lord has risen, we too are filled with joy. In fact, everything associated with the Lord is a cause for our rejoicing. We can proclaim aloud that "Jesus is our joy!"

      (2) Ascension. I am sure that when the disciples saw the Lord ascending into heaven, they felt sad because they were not going to see him for a while. At the same time, it should be obvious to them that there is a heaven where Jesus was ascending to. Overall, the joy wiped out any sadness. We should feel that way right now.

        (3) Descent of the Holy Spirit. That was affirmation that God did not want to leave us alone ~ the Holy Spirit is our greatest consolation on earth. With him, we should be ready to rock and roll!

         These glorious mysteries are truly joyful ones.    

Catholics Under Attack

        Glenn Beck visited recently the Vatican to observe and be part of the historic ordainment of new cardinals. You may not be one of his fans, but the message of this video report, Catholics Under Attack, by him has everything to do with all Christians, Jews, and other religious groups. Watch it:

 

Deriving Joy

        When one is in union with God, the self exists in God only. All he wishes is to glorify God, who shields him. This is how he derives all his joy.   

Two Beautiful Acts

        When the Lord transforms a heart, it's such a beautiful act, because anything he touches becomes beautiful.

       The lord knows exactly what he is doing, for he is full of wisdom. We are not to question, but to trust. Trusting in the most loving God becomes a most beautiful act. 

         When the Holy Spirit made me see these truths, I was moved to tears. 

The Slow Ones

        The Holy Spirit just made me see this. Jesus came into this world and showed us the power and the truth of God. It has always been us, the finite ones, who are slow to catch on, to understand, and to believe. It takes some a lifetime to see.

Called to Be Holy

         God is all holy. Even if I become a great saint, compared to the Lord, I would still be unholy. I believe that how much we desire to be holy matters a lot. Where we fall short, God's mercy will cover. If you think that being holy is not cool, you've been brainwashed by the world. If you love the Lord and want to follow him, you are called to be holy. If you think that's an unattainable goal, then it's you who are limiting both yourself and God, not God. In Matthew, Jesus said to his disciples, "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" ~ would the all-knowing Lord ask for the impossible from us? 

        In any case, holiness is being Christlike. Holiness is knowing that you are in God's good company. Holiness is refreshing, uplifting, and a joy. It is feeling victorious and secure in the Lord. It is experiencing freedom because the world no longer has a hold on you. When you're holy, God smiles. Being holy is the highest state of human existence. It definitely is cool.

       For Catholics to become as holy as possible, seek complete union with the Lord through receiving the Most Holy Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist.

A Treat for the Soul

        Listening to some nice music played while working helps time pass, but the serious music lover would play, for example, a Beethoven symphony, and listen to it intently with eyes closed, sitting a comfortable chair, for its entire length. Today as I was praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, I felt that it would be pure joy for me to meditate on the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Like the serious music lover, I would contemplate and marvel at these glories of God, with my eyes closed, sitting in a relaxed position. The Lord is always a treat for the soul.  

Accepting Inconveniences

        This morning I was getting ready to go minister to a group. First thing that happened was that a small pouch I needed to use accidentally fell into the toilet bowl. Then I forgot to bring any paper tissues or a handkerchief with me ~ what if I would need to blow my nose in this allergy season? Also, this was the first time for me to use my renewed ID, but the office person who issued it neglected to punch a hole in the card for me to attach a clip to it. Later, I realized that I forgot to bring the list of phone numbers I needed too; but fortunately, I could still recall those numbers. I did my best except that I hurried a little bit and things that can cause inconveniences still happened. The Lord made it clear to me that I should not let any such thing bother me. I got back just fine as if all those things had never happened. If things end well, then nothing really bad has happened. Never dwell on the past.     

What's the Point of Sinning?

         When one applies for a job, his past academic and work records will be examined. When one applies for entrance into heaven, the record of every thought, every word he ever uttered, and every action he ever took will be scrutinized. I mention this because I recall what a friend said a long time ago. We went to the same university and I visited him when he's working in New York. In those days neither of us was a Christian. Naturally, single guys talked about girls. He told me that a lot of guys were picking up girls to have sex with and he could do the same, then he added, "What's the point?"  I still remember that question because after you get some pleasure or fun from doing it, afterwards where does that get you to? It's true with every sin you get something out of committing it, but you end up falling further away from God. If you ever think of making heaven, you're heading the wrong way.

The Day Will Be Here

        Over a month ago, I arranged for a get-together at my home for the group involved in the ministry of visiting the homebound. First a week went by, then another, and another. Finally, the day is here. And I realize that the day we appear before the Lord to be judged will be here too, more certain than that the sun will rise tomorrow ~ it's only a matter of time. The wise would prepare for that day beforehand.   

Resting in Jesus

        Today's thoughts after receiving the Holy Eucharist: I am one with Jesus again. I can now rest perfectly in him.

Thinking About Heaven

        If I believe in God only because I want to go to heaven, I could feel somewhat guilty because it seems that I am being selfish, whereas the right reason should be because I love God. This brought to my mind that in my immature youthful days, I always felt a little uneasy when I went to my bank to withdraw my own money. Of course, I can take out my own money at any time as I wish! We shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to go to heaven either ~ it's where God wants us to go! We are not forgetting God because if he is not there, I don't think we would want to go there. Anyway, it is called heaven because it's where God is. So, I am going to dream about heaven, my destination; but I still yearn for my God, not heaven.

How Souls Look

        Those who attend Mass daily are usually souls with strong faith and devotion. This morning as I watched them returning to their seats after receiving the Holy Eucharist, I saw them reflecting the beauty of Christ. Then I thought of all the unbelievers in the world ~ how did they look to me? And I realized that by not turning to God, they were only hurting themselves and I felt great pity for them.

Power of the Holy Spirit

        The Holy Spirit has unlimited power. Since Jesus' kingdom does not belong to this world, the Holy Spirit exercises his power only in God's kingdom. This means that he can do great things in our spiritual lives.

To Dwell in the House of the Lord

        Psalm 27 is the Responsorial Psalm for Mass today. Verses 1 & 4 are so beautiful that I'll just quote them here without comment.

       "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, that I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple."