Jesus, Greater than the Prophets

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus pointed out one of the prophecies he was fulfilling. Of course, he fulfilled all the numerous prophecies in the end ~ this shows that what he said would all the more be fulfilled. And here he said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day" ~ you can count on that. Then "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever" ~ you can count on that too.

Still More on Forgiving Others

        In today's Reading 2 from Ephesians 4, Paul asked his brothers and sisters to forgive one another as God had forgiven them in Christ. To forgive is not always easy; but if we don't forgive others, we really don't have any good reason to ask God to forgive us who might have committed even worse sins. To not forgive is to not want to be like Christ, amounting to rejecting him. It is basically also being judgmental and you'll never have peace that way. Once you forgive (let go), you will feel the unburdening and experience new freedom and know that you had done the right thing. Think of forgiving others as the freeing of yourself.          

Choose Your Surroundings

        We get affected very much by our immediate surroundings. When we are in the mountains, in the forests, or on the lake, the beauty of nature relaxes and inspires us. When we watch an entertaining show, the story or display can move or dazzle us. Therefore, let us surround ourselves with the glorious Holy Trinity and all the angels and saints and be inspired, moved, dazzled, and uplifted by them. 

Prepare for Soaring to God

        When we want to soar to God, we find that we can only do it in spirit, as our body is earthbound. It is like a chick who wants to fly but its wings are not quite ready yet. So, this would be a good time for us to prepare ourselves for soaring to God without delay the instant we shed our body. (By the way, I know that I am I, never I am my body. This to me is clear that I have a soul, besides my body.)

Beware of Comfort

        When a person feels comfortable in life, he does not think of God anymore ~ he is then in a dangerous state. It's like a pig wallowing comfortably in mud, but it is most filthy. 

God, Our Source of Love

        Without God, our own love can easily become self-centered. Only by letting God love us first and experiencing his pure love at first hand can we then transmit this love to others. Love is not LOVE unless it is perfect, and God is the source of perfect love. 

God Sweetens Our Life

        I definitely don't want to sound mushy, but I must use the word "sweet" to describe the many things about the Lord. I feel this way about his teaching ~ every single word that comes out of his mouth is sweet to the ear. His mercy is absolutely most sweet to the soul. Then there is the unspeakable, sweet joy the Holy Spirit gives as he wishes. I must also include the sweet healing of the soul we receive from the Lord.  

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!