Looking at Oneself

        We probably see ourselves daily in the mirror every morning after we get up and before we go to bed. Next time take a good look at your mirror image, but see it as another person. In the questions that follow, I assume that the subject is a male for simplicity, but feel free to change him to a female as the case may be. 

        "How does he look to you? How do you feel about him? What do you think of him? How is he living his life? How is he coping with it? Is he happy inside? If not, why not? Do you admire or feel sorry for him? Is he happy to continue the way he's been? Is anything missing in his life? Does he need changes in his life? How well does he know God? Should he love God even more? What would be your best advice for him?" I think that this is a good way to look at oneself. Hopefully, this examination will bring you closer to God.  

Clear-Cut Assignments

        Jesus said (to the Pharisees and Herodians), "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." He said (to a would-be follower), "Let the dead bury the dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." In a similar way, I could hear Jesus telling us: "Leave the things of the world to the world and remain in union with me where you belong." 

The Not Quite Unobtrusive I

        It is so easy to want to do what I like to do or to make things happen the way I like to see happen and forget all about giving God glory. The "I" looming large in front of us, though not in any obtrusive way, still shows the lack of perfect humility. It points to the need to consult the Lord always before proceeding. 

Dealing with Division

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three..." As long as sin exists on earth, being his disciples will unavoidably receive skepticism, criticism, misunderstanding, ridicule, or even persecution from others ~ sin and God just do not mix. All you need to do is look at the Lord himself. If he could not even escape harm from division, who are we to run away from it? He was not even honored in his hometown, as we sometimes are not understood among our own kin.  As long as we remain in union with the Lord, we need not let division disturb our peace, as the cause of it is sin, not us.

God Amazing

        Here's a link that shows how talented God can make us: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20036511. After watching this 7-year-old, also watch the video up next about the 9-year-old who is an amazing painter. If God can create such prodigies, imagine how infinitely amazing God himself must be! 

Waging War Against God

        Basically, we all want to be gods, so we disobey the only true God by shoving him aside or ignoring him (as we don't have the guts to confront him directly). An onlooker on the side would see the scene of billions of battles being waged by each psuedo-god against the true God. I feel sorry for the psuedo-ones because they are basically fighting a losing battle. And I feel sorry for the Lord because it's billions-against-one and these battles do hurt him because the wounds are inflicted upon him by his own whom he loves.

A Gift in Waiting

        If you do not know God through Jesus, you'll never know if he is the true God or not. Once you believe in Jesus and come to know God more and more, this Lord will let you know without a doubt that he indeed is the true God. This is his gift for those who love him. Now you are well on your way to freedom.   

God Makes Us See Right

        Once you know the Lord, you begin to see the world by his standards, and the world falls far short ~ you see that it is in such a sorry, pitiful state and is dull, boring, and even nauseating in God's presence. Know the Lord and his glorious light will reveal the true worth of everything to you. 

To Be Rich in Heaven

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12 at Mass, Jesus told the parable of the rich fool. In it, God said to the rich man, "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong? Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God." Let me add that in Matthew 6, Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." So we need to set our hearts on eternity. Store up treasures in heaven starting right now by doing everything that matters to God and you will be rich in heaven. 

Living in Each Other

        Today's Communion experience. Jesus comes to live in me and there is no need for me to live on my own anymore, for I now live in him. 

A Blissful State

        Be perfectly in tune with the Holy Spirit so that he fills all of you so that you no longer are aware of your own existence so that he guides you in everything to glorify God.        

Destined to Belong to God

        The Response to Psalm 100 at this morning's Mass: "The Lord made us, we belong to him." If he did make us, then what did he intend to do with us? To discard us? To leave us alone? To enslave us? I don't think so. Jesus told us that God even takes good care of the birds and flowers. To love us has to be the answer. That's why he reached out to save us when we went astray ~ he wants us to belong to him. 

God, Creator of Our Universe

        This is October, the month in which 30,000 to 100,000 people witnessed the miracle of the sun near Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The extraordinary solar activity, lasting approximately ten minutes, occurred after Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the three young shepherd children at noon. Here I quote from Wikipedia: "According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the shadows on the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. The sun was then reported to have careened towards the earth in a zigzag pattern, frightening those who thought it a sign of the end of the world." 

         This just made me realize that whoever can move the sun easily like that had to be the creator of our universe.

How to Experience the Holy Spirit

        Children in my parish are preparing to receive confirmation, so I think of the Holy Spirit. If you read my old postings, you might remember that I questioned the Lord at one time how I might know that the Holy Spirit was dwelling in me. Now I fully understand that if we do not surrender to the Holy Spirit, we will not experience his presence in us, for he is most gentle. How much his power is felt by us depends upon the extent to which we surrender to him ~ you can say that we are in the driver's seat. To go at full speed, surrender fully to receive full power.

Irresistible Love

        Communion experience. Pure love hit me and I was rendered totally helpless. The only choice left is this blessed state is to surrender and be annihilated by this love. God does more than healing the soul!  

A Reminder

        Since God knows everything about us, be aware of how everything we do affects him.

Challenged to Serve

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 10 at Sunday Mass, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Again, the Lord challenges us and he knew exactly what his mission was. We must absolutely pay attention to these sayings of his, for neglecting them risks not entering his kingdom of heaven. Let's believe that he did come to give his life to save us and ask him to empower us to be meek and humble in order to serve.  

Differing Desires

        I see that all my past desires for things of the world are self-centered because I wanted them to satisfy myself. But the desire for God is different ~ when he draws you, you are touched and moved by his love and the desire for him is given to you by him. Therefore, this desire is basically self-giving. Self-centered desires always enslave one, while the self-giving desire for God makes you feel even freer.