Godlessness Spells Doom

        Candidates running for Presidency often ask people if they are better off now than four years ago. Of course, they mean economically. If you ask me if we are better off spiritually now than before, I would say that if not worse, we certainly have not improved since the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, as economy gets better, people would pay even less attention to God. A country that's economically strong but morally bankrupt will in time fall, but one that's spiritually strong will always survive. In other words, if we leave God out of the picture, then for sure we are doomed. I believe that many will agree with me, but how many will pay serious attention?

The Lord Feeding Us

         I believe that once you belong to the Lord, he pours grace on you continuously. You are connected to him, getting fed at all times. He knows what you need and what's best for you at any moment. He draws you closer and closer to him, strengthening the union. During prayer time after Mass, I now speak less words and think less thoughts. Instead I spend more time just remaining quietly in his holy presence. My mind is so peaceful that it no longer wanders. Sometimes I am so relaxed that I am not sure if I am still awake or asleep, yet somehow I know that the Lord still actively feeds me because I am a branch on his vine.         

God's Delightful Mercy

        At Communion time, I realize that if the Lord is going to dwell within me, it is my duty and mission to make the dwelling place as clean, pleasant, comfortable, and beautiful as possible for him. It turns out that I only need so wish and he is going to accomplish all this for me. The Lord cleaning the house for me ~ what delightful mercy! He is to be adored forever.    

Joy Meeting Joy

        Luke 15:1-10 was read at Mass this morning. Jesus taught that just as we have great joy in finding a lost sheep or lost coin of ours, there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Then I realized that we have equally great joy when we were lost and are found by God. We are now saved, safe, going home to the Father ~ it's joy meeting joy.

God Can Change Us!

        Today's early thoughts at Mass. The Lord can truly turn everything around or upside down. The best news for us is that he can fundamentally change or transform us no matter how poor a shape we're in, if we so desire. Therefore, he is our bright hope. Without him, we'll be in total darkness, so he is also our only hope.

Jesus Is Our Creator

        Today being Thursday, I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. I love the second mystery, the Wedding at Cana. The wine ran out. The mother of Jesus told the servers to do whatever he tells them. It seems clear that Mary already knew the greatness of her Son. Jesus told the servers to fill six stone water jars with water, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. So we have a total of 120 to 180 gallons of water. The next thing was that what came out of the jars was wine which the headwaiter, not knowing where it came from, judged to be better than all the wine the guests had tasted so far. Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs and so revealed his glory.       

       As a miracle, this one is not particularly spectacular, but you don't have to be a scientist to know that water remains water and doesn't become something else without at the least adding something to it. Like all the miracles Jesus performed later on, this one is just as amazing. In my mind he had to be the creator of all things to easily accomplish a feat to us like that.

Having Life in Christ!

        Today one of the two Communion Songs offered at Mass was John 6.57: "Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me, says the Lord." After receiving Holy Communion, I remained completely passive, letting the Lord feed me, and I knew that I have life because of him. This means that I'll forever be living in him ~ what unspeakable joy!

The Rule to Live By

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 14, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Later, "Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." In other words, to become his disciple, we must make him No. 1 in our lives. This is the only rule we need to live by. If everyone follows it, the world will become a paradise.

Jesus Our Booster

        Corruption is a worldwide moral perversion. In our own country, there are high government officials who put savoring their high power position ahead of serving the people, the rich who have insatiable greed for money, and the poor who will vote for any government who supports them financially, other important issues notwithstanding. And there are numerous other types of corruption such as cheating on income reporting practiced by many. All these things make you mourn. Then I see Jesus our Lord standing alone before all others when he was arrested, questioned, sentenced to death, and underwent his Passion, being completely obedient to the Father ~ my courage and hope now restored, the big boost I need. 

Reacting to Election Outcome

       The election is over. I see an increasing polarized nation with more infringement upon religious freedom coming. In a secular society, such persecution is expected or even welcomed by those who are faithful to the Lord. Is there a lesson here for us? Rather than pointing the blaming finger at the enemy, I feel that the Lord wants us to examine ourselves first. It's the teaching on noticing the wooden beam in our own eye first before attempting to remove the splinter in our brother's eye (Matthew 7, Luke 6). Atheists and nonbelievers do not hear God speak, so any lesson is for us. 

         We need to ask ourselves many questions. How strong is our faith? How much do we really love the Lord? How faithful are we in following the teachings of our Church? How united are all the Christians? How united are we as Catholics? Did we just vote for our sake or for the glory of God? How bold are we in proclaiming the gospel? How much do we pray? Do we always obey the Holy Spirit? Do we play politics within the Church? These are all important questions and I am not just asking the laity, but the clergy as well. As in our personal spiritual life, it is us who are our worst enemy. The war against drugs will continue as long as the demand for it is present; similarly, the war against evil will continue as long as we do not give ourselves completely to God. We must be willing to carry our cross and be prepared to become martyrs if necessary. Don't put your hope in man or any government; put it in the Lord God alone, for you won't find true freedom anywhere except in him! 

Securing Your Future Now

        There is heaven and there is hell ~ Jesus made it clear and many saints and seers have been granted visions of one or the other or both. (It's worth watching the video A Judgment Experience on this blog.) For us, what we should "fear" are the things we don't see but are out there. Heaven and hell are the only two possible, very-near-future destinations for all of us. Time passes by quickly and the time left for each of us is unknown. Put your trust in Christ and start living a holy life right now and your future will have been secured. 

Accept God's Invitation?

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 14, Jesus tells the story of the man giving a great dinner. He invited many, but one by one they all began to excuse themselves. Each could not come, claiming that he had some business to attend to or something that tied him up. The master of the house in a rage ordered his servant to go out and bring in everyone else to fill his home and said to the servant, "I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner." 

        Clearly, the invitation was to dine in the Kingdom of God. I can't help thinking that Catholics who do not follow all the teachings of the Church are rather like those guests who found excuses not to accept the invitation. The danger here is that they could miss out on entering the Kingdom of God altogether.

Holy Sorrow

        Today is the big day of voting when the American people choose their next president. As a Catholic, I feel great sorrow because many Catholics vote in contradiction to the teachings of the Church. This is holy sorrow because it is a sorrow that the Lord feels. Ordinary sorrows are self-centered and can rob us of peace, but holy sorrows do not. Jesus suffered agony, scourging, insults, and excruciating physical pain, yet he remained peaceful and loving. Therefore, holy sorrows (and holy joys) are Jesus' sorrows (and joys).

What Heart Is Made for

        It became clear to me during prayer after Mass that God had given us the heart for communicating with him. We don't need to say words and our brain can only think, not speak. With our heart, we link ourselves directly to the Lord's heart and prayer becomes heart-to-heart communication with him ~ it's now communion at the exalted level.

God Repays

         The Gospel reading from Luke 14 at Mass: On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." 

      The lesson is clear. Love but do not expect repayment and you will be repaid by God. Again, it's the selfless way of building up treasures in heaven. Basically, the more we empty ourselves, the more God replenishes us.

Selfless Way to Freedom

        Today's first reading at Mass came from Philippians 2. The verse that stood out for me is 3a: "Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory." In other words, we must be selfless. Jesus is totally selfless and he is free. Hence the secret of becoming free is to abandon ourselves in God. We cannot fly in space like the birds, but we can soar in Christ with total freedom. What a contrast to living selfishly with all our heavy burdens!

God Most Considerate

        I first read St. Teresa's Interior Castle some decades ago. Now I am about to reread it. The Introduction tells me that it took her only two months of writing time to complete the book, her last work. To quote from the Introduction: Interior Castle presents the saint's spiritual doctrine through the unifying outline of seven dwelling places among which there is a division into two sections. The first three groups of dwelling places speak of what is achievable through human efforts and the ordinary help of grace. The remaining four groups deal with the passive, or mystical, elements of the spiritual life.

        It is gratifying to learn that what I've learned from the Lord is a simplified version of her synthesis. I have posted that the two parts of the spiritual journey are marked by the point of self-surrender. In the first part, we struggle on our own most of the way and in the second, we remain passive with God doing the work for us. The Lord simplifies things for me so that with a simple mind, I can understand. The Lord is always most considerate.  

Safe in Savior

        If you live in a more affluent society today, you face the onslaught of temptations daily. One his own, no mortal being can remain secure and be unaffected. But there is Jesus, our Savior. In him, we are safe from all evil. In him, temptation cannot exist. In him, we find true peace.