Jesus Did It Just Right

        Today Friday I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. I thought about how Jesus suffered without complaining whatsoever. He did not try to explain to those who wanted to kill him that he was innocent and had absolutely good intentions, etc. He just went ahead and did what he knew he must do to accomplish the mission his Father assigned him. Of course, to win us over, he could have used his power to amaze us, dazzle us, and bowl us over, then faith wouldn't be needed anymore. Overall, he did it just right so that those who choose to believe in him will have true faith in God.  

Be Free to Serve God

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 10, Jesus sent his Apostles away to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven at hand. They were going to take neither gold or silver or copper for their belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. That was indeed traveling light, and traveling light is always a good feeling. Even though we are not doing God's work going from house to house, we can also "travel" light by letting go of all our attachments to people and things. Not being encumbered thus, we become free to serve God.

Latching onto God

        All things in the world are finite, temporary, and passing. God alone is infinite, permanent, and forever ~ so let's latch onto him. 

Jesus Forever Constant

        Today is the Memorial of St. Benedict. The Gospel Acclamation, Mark 1.15, reads: "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." When I think about all the other similar sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, I realize that like the statement quoted above, they are just as relevant today as at his time. This is because he always spoke the truth, and truth does not go out of fashion. You may have come across the clever quote attributed to Louis Jouvet, the French actor-director: "The thing constant in a changing world is the avant-garde." The same can be said about the counsels given by Jesus.  

How to Think About Others

        Many of us are interested in other people, especially those we know, in how they live, what's happening to them, etc. The question is whether we think about God with just as much interest. The ideal way is to think about God at all times and be aware of others as God sees them, never apart from his love.

Some Thoughts on Living

         (1) Today I feel acutely that I am to live by every word spoken by God because I am totally dependent upon him. 

       (2) Half of 2012 has gone by ~ this prompts me even more to live in the present moment. There will always be unfinished business in life, so I am not going to let that bother me. Besides, this could be my last day on earth.

        (3) It's essential not to live in sin, for sin destroys life. How good it is to live in union with God instead! 

Nothing Has Changed

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Matthew 9. When Jesus drove the demon out of a mute demoniac, the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." Later, at the sight of the crowds, Jesus was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Today, like the Pharisees, disbelievers make movies, write books, and post online to discredit, ridicule, and defame the Lord. The crowds are just like the ones in the past ~ lost sheep without a shepherd. What's true then is still true today. The same can be said for Jesus ~ he is the same loving Lord always.

God Is Always Present

        If you don't think about God, don't believe in him, or just ignore him, then of course, you don't feel his presence and can easily say that there is no God. Then to those who turn to him, believe in him, and come to love him, his presence is made clearly known. This just shows that God (Christ) out of love has always been there, standing next to you and waiting patiently for you open your heart to invite him in. If we don't see God, it's because we are blind, not because he is not present. 

Closely Following the Holy Spirit

        A certain prayer group requires that every participant to speak always from his or her personal "I" ~ this is to avoid speaking for others. I think a superior way is to focus on the Lord always and speak whatever he prompts you to say, with the self totally out of the way, in a prayer group or not. This is not saying that you don't use the word "I" anymore ~ it's letting all thoughts be prompted by the Lord. In sum, follow the Holy Spirit in all things you say.         

Dining with the Lord

        The Communion Song at Mass, Luke 22.28-30: "It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." It is a great honor/joy to stand by Jesus in his trials ~ and this is merely a prelude to receiving even greater honor/joy later in his kingdom. God loves us so much that he does his utmost to make sure that we receive the greatest joy in his kingdom. (I am trying hard to stay calm.)

To Remain Free in God

        Today is optionally the Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions. The Psalm Response is Psalm 31.6: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." This is exactly what Jesus cried out before he breathed his last on the cross. It was so appropriate for me to say it as I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist ~ I just wanted to be his and remain free. God is my true refuge!

Power Perfected in Weakness

        In today's Second Reading from 2 Corinthians 12 at Mass, Paul talked about his thorn in the flesh the Lord gave him to keep him from being too elated. We're not sure exactly what it was. Paul begged the Lord that it might leave him, but he said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul continued, "I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

     I see that Paul put weaknesses in the same category as insults, hardships, persecutions, etc. We all have our own weaknesses and Paul showed that we ought to be content with (not to be ashamed of) them. For when we wish to serve God, our weaknesses are invitations to God for him to send his power into us. Accepting our weaknesses is actually a strength.

Essentials for Living a Christian Life

        They are (1) Prayer and (2) Labor ~ I am referring to all work done in serving God. If these two are performed to perfection, then you are perfect.

The Newness of Jesus

        In today's Gospel reading at morning Mass from Matthew 9, Jesus likened himself to a bridegroom and said that his disciples had no reason to fast when the bridegroom was still with them. "Bridegroom" brings to my mind celebration, joy, newness... and it's the newness of Jesus that struck me in particular today. He came to bring us the good news of salvation; he transforms us into new creatures; he's the first one to show us how great God's love for us is; he was always meek and humble (unlike any of us); he is most holy... he is so refreshing that he is forever new.   

Be Forgiving Always

        To forgive others who have offended you is very difficult for many. I've heard people say outright that they cannot possibly forgive one particular person. But we know that Jesus wants us to forgive, forgive, forgive... ~ so why not do it for his and not our sake? Let him deal with that person ~ it's not our business anyway! Don't forget that a forgiving person is a happy person.

Getting God Involved

        Get God involved 100% in your life. Get him involved in everything you do. Before you make a phone call to deal with some unpleasant matter, ask him to take charge and guide you in what you say. I have a computer problem right now ~ it's unlikely that God would fix it directly himself, but I could ask him to guide me in finding the right solution. He does not mind that we ask for his help in every little thing we do if we are sincere ~ he is bothered only by the sins we commit, including the lack of trust in him.

Conscience Is God-Given

        As I was driving to Mass this morning, my thoughts wandered at random. If you assume that God does not exist, and yet when you do something bad, deep down you still sense that somehow it's wrong, then I say that the assumption must be incorrect. The reality of conscience is proof that God exists. Otherwise, we just do whatever we like to keep ourselves happy and nothing should bother us. Without conscience, we would have destroyed each other long ago. The existence of conscience points to the existence of salvation. Today's Response to the Psalm, Matthew 4.4, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" is appropriate. To live by bread alone is to be self-centered, while to live by the word of God is to be saved.  

Enjoy God Too

        It is a beautiful day and we should enjoy it while we can! We have a most loving God and we should enjoy him as much as we could too!