Why We Need Jesus

        (1) We are sinners and need salvation.

        (2) We are mortal, but wish to live.

        (3) Jesus is the only one who can remove our sins and give us eternal life. 

        Out of pure love, he came into the world precisely to fulfill these needs of ours.

Sowing and Reaping

        We reap what we sow ~ this is like a law of nature. In today's Gospel reading from John 12 at Mass (Feast of St. Lawrence), Jesus said to his disciples, "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." Here, the falling to the ground and dying is the sowing and the production of fruit, the reaping. The Lord is the master sower ~ he sows good seed in our hearts and reaps good fruit from us. Let every thought, word, and deed of ours sow something good so that he may harvest rich fruit from us. Laboring for God is always rewarded manyfold in both this life and the next. 

Humility and Feeling of Inferiority

        Being humble is entirely different from feeling inferior. Being humble is a response to God's calling, while feeling inferior stems from not knowing God's love. Humility is a strength and any inferior feeling, a weakness. A humble person is "proud of" his humility, but anyone who feels inferior is afraid of being humiliated. In both states, the common feeling is inadequacy, yet in one case the spirit is lifted up high and in the other, insecurity and nervousness reign. The deciding factor here is played by the presence of the love of God in one's life.       

Delight and Sweetness

        Today's Communion verse, Wisdom 16.20, reads: "You have given us, O Lord, bread from heaven, endowed with all delights and sweetness in every taste." When I think of the Holy Eucharist, the first words that come to my mind are also "delight' and "sweetness." 

If God Is to Be Number One...

in your life, then (1) think about him more than you think about anybody else, (2) talk to him more than you talk to anyone else, and (3) perform all deeds for his glory. 

Consider Another's Intention

        Here's a lesson I just learned. Someone out of kindness advised me strongly  to do something which was to me obviously unnecessary, so I felt annoyed ~ it's clearly a case of two people assessing the situation differently. Then I realized that the Christian way is to listen calmly, explain why I saw things differently, and thank the person for being caring, which I forgot. I know that God looks at our intention (from the heart) first and the act that follows second ~ this is what we should do too.  

The Old Must Go

        Thoughts right after Holy Communion: To dwell in God perfectly, I must let God thoroughly renew me, for whatever is old in me has no place before him.  

Faith Moves God

        Today is the Memorial of St. Dominic. The Gospel came from Matthew 15 ~ Jesus at first tested a Canaanite woman by not paying attention to her begging for pity on her, for her daughter was tormented by a demon. Then her great faith and persistence finally won him over. How good it was for her to hear the Lord say, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." That last line is pure music to the ears. How good it is to know that faith can move the heart of God! 

Never Stop Praying

        It happens often and we would pray for something and God doesn't seem to pay any attention, then we get discouraged and stop praying for other things ~ this is a big mistake! God can answer (1) right away, (2) later, (3) in an unexpected way, or (4) with a no because what we ask goes against his will. Since he always hears us and we do not know how he is going to answer us, we should never stop praying.                

Thinking About the Holy Spirit

        Jesus and the Father are easy to grasp because Jesus was born into our world and he told his disciples that whoever had seen him had seen the Father. As to the Holy Spirit, I had difficulty in relating to him in the early days of my spiritual journey. Finally, as I experienced him, I felt comfortable and fell in love with him. He is easier to feel than to describe ~ all I can say is that he conditions my heart and forms my conscience, and is the source of my spiritual joy. When you are in union with him, you know you are in union with God, the Holy Trinity. 

God Prepares the Soul

        I had to be home early, so I went to an earlier morning Mass at the seminary. Again, I happened to be the only attendant; received an extra portion of the Eucharist and was elated. God touched and rescued our soul, preparing it further for entering heaven. What an excellent way to start the day!  

God Most Radiant

        Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. During the supernatural change, Jesus' face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light ~ a glimpse of his divinity. To me, this is as glorious as his Resurrection. After receiving Communion, I prayed that his resplendent radiance would thoroughly cover and penetrate my heart and soul to forever change me.

My Funeral Wishes

        (1) The cheapest coffin is good enough for the body. Wasting money on anyone, dead or alive, is wasting money.

          (2) Eulogy is inappropriate; only God deserves praise.

        (3) The service should be a celebration for the beginning of a new life in paradise with the Holy Trinity, the fulfillment of my most ardent wish. Any tears shed should be tears of joy.

        (4) Only prayer can help the deceased; elaborate or fancy services satisfy only the living, not the deceased.

         (5) A simple tombstone should say something that glorifies God.

The Horror of Abortion

        Today I attended the 10:30 Sunday morning Mass. This Mass usually draws many families, but today I saw even more children wandering away from their parents and making noises. When I saw these beautiful young creatures, the horrible thought of abortion came to my mind ~ millions of other equally beautiful God-given lives had been snuffed out before they even had a chance to be born, in this country alone ~ it's the horror of horrors! How do we expect God to forgive us if we do not repent and turn around? How kind of future will this country have? I agree with Mother Teresa who said that the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. Do your part to end this crime against God and humanity.

Learning While Serving

        In serving God, we do good not only to others, but also to ourselves because God shapes and teaches us in the process. I always learn something when the Lord shows me how I could have done the job better, and that means I should be a better person in some way. When God makes you a better person, you become a happier person too.   

Knowing Jesus Makes a Difference

        This morning I attended the funeral service of the decease friend I mentioned a few posts back. He was a good man, volunteering for a lot of good causes, so the turnout at the service was quite impressive. Since he was not a religious person, God was never mentioned. And on top of that, the large room in which the service was held was rather dimly lit. As a result, I couldn't help feeling some gloom. In no way I was judging him, for God is perfectly fair and just and I had prayed for his soul to rest in peace; nevertheless, I couldn't help feeling that I was living totally in light, seeing my life and soul in great clarity. This is the difference knowing Jesus has made.  

Proper Prayer Focus

        People who exercise with weights are advised to put 100% of their effort in lifting the weight and not waste any energy on exhibiting any strains in their face. Piano players are also advised against exaggerating their playing gestures. There is a point here which I can apply to praying. If there is something that weighs heavily upon our heart, the intense emotion we feel while we pray to God is best channeled 100% into putting our trust in God, thereby relieving the burden on us. It is, instead of trying hard to want to lighten the load by ourselves, concentrating upon letting God do it for us.      

Ashamed of Jesus?

        In Matthew 10, we learn that Jesus said to the twelve disciples before sending them out, "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." Fair enough. I should think that being too embarrassed to let others know that we have faith in him is basically denying him. Timidity is a sign that we have not given the Holy Spirit free rein yet. A timid Christian is an unfit one, for he cannot bear much fruit. Since the Lord always spoke the truth, we must take his words seriously. Not paying attention to the above-quoted sayings can bring about dire consequences.