I have mentioned in the past that knowing that we are on good terms with God in this life is a great feeling. But if we love and serve God as much as we possibly can, knowing that we'll hear him say "well done" when we see him later, we can make that great feeling now even greater!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
On Longevity
People appreciate long lives. Most people want to live longer, admitting that they are not ready to meet the Lord yet. Someone I knew well passed away at 101 and right now I have quite a few friends whose parents are all in their 90s. Is longevity a blessing? Many martyrs and saints die young, then we have St John the Apostle living to a ripe, old age. When one lives long, it could be that God has more work for him to do. If the person has not come to God yet, it could be that out of his mercy, the Lord is keeping the door open a little bit longer. Then there are oldsters who suffered ill health in their old age ~ if the Lord is making that part of their purgatory, then it's something to rejoice about. What I am most concerned about are those nonbelievers who are basically not good persons and seem to have everything they need in this life. Recalling how Jesus taught to the disciples that hypocrites who perform good deeds in public to be seen and noticed have already received their reward, so it's possible that these nonbelievers are receiving all their reward in their long lives now.
At any rate, we shouldn't be concerned about how long we live ~ any length God decides on for us is right and good.
Serious About the Holy Eucharist?
If you take the two quotes from 1 Corinthians at the end of my last post seriously, then they should be brought to the attention of all parishioners from time to time, since the casual reception of the Holy Eucharist seems to be widespread. If people don't realize the seriousness of receiving the Lord, then the fault lies more with the clergy. Looking at the flip side, we see that receiving this Most Holy Sacrament with great reverence, realizing fully that the Lord is physically present, will definitely bring great blessings upon the recipient.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Holy Eucharist Our Greatest Treasure
Communion experience. First, I felt that the Lord had made us so that he and each one of us can fit together like a hand slipping into a perfectly fitting glove. Then I saw that the Holy Eucharist is such a great, wonderful, significant, and truly earthshaking gift from heaven Christ had given us. Through receiving this Most Holy Sacrament, the Lord's true body and blood, we are able to enter full union with him. [Let us be reminded by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11: "Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself."]
To Be Still in the Lord
Today is the Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. At Mass, I felt that I still had not totally let the Lord do everything for me yet because I sensed some "struggling" on my part at times. I knew that he wants me to be still in him, in his love, to rest in peace starting now, not after I die. Complete trust is what he seeks from us. In today's Responsorial Psalm 37, we heard read: "Take your delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's requests." I pray that he will grant me even more delight in him.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Do's & Don'ts of Converting Others
"Be loving and humble" covers it all. This means that any holier-than-thou attitude is out. Feeling self-righteous is out. Look up to rather than down on the person you wish to convert. The great saints always consider themselves to be the worst sinners before God. Never think that you are doing some great work or will receive recognition from God; it's the Lord doing the work through you. You do it for the glory of God alone. Be patient to avoid rushing ahead of the Holy Spirit. Leave all outcome to the Lord ~ trust is requisite. And by the way, example is better than talk. Last but not least, pray hard from the heart for the other person (as well as for yourself). St. Monica prayed and fasted for 17 years before her son St. Augustine was converted.
On Increasing Our Faith
Today's Gospel reading came from Luke 17. The Apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith and he replied, "If you have the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." Of course, Jesus spoke figuratively, but I always wondered how I could have this super strong faith. I can try very hard to increase my faith, but it just doesn't work. I see that it's a gift from God. Like overcoming sin and achieving union with the Lord, it has to be his doing. My part would be then to remain open, and when the Lord sees my desire, he will fulfill it.
Holiness as a Choice
Today is the Memorial of St. Josaphat. I am not too familiar with this saint, but from hearing the brief summary given by the priest at the beginning of Mass, the following thoughts came to my mind.
Saints are few worldwide. The history of any Christian church is filled with ugly pages. Therefore, the only clear conclusion I can draw is that every single one of us who truly wants to follow the Lord must aim for maximum holiness to make sure that the Body of Christ, his Church, on earth will remain as pure as possible.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Jesus Is All We Need
Life has its ups and downs; people succeed and fail. But once you possess Christ, you have everything. Ups and downs, success or failure ~ nothing counts anymore. This is what St. Paul meant when he wrote to the Philippians: "I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish..." In sum, relative to Jesus, everything else is rubbish.
What to Do with God
Communion experience. I feel that God is so much that it's impossible for us to thank him enough, praise him enough, or adore him enough. It seems that the only logical choice we have left is to submit ourselves to his love contently.
Going All Out for God
Gospel reading from Mark 12 at Mass ~ Jesus observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciple to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." This is a great example of loving God with all you've got, fulfilling the first commandment. It should inspire us to go all out every time we serve the Lord.
Jesus Extolled
I already know all about Jesus. His greatness is overwhelming and his beauty most dazzling. My intense desire is to have him teach me his ways, for his teaching delights and perfects the soul. When you have him, you possess the truth, the secret of freedom, God dwelling within you on earth, complete fulfillment, and the pathway to eternal dwelling in heaven.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Maturation
In today's BBC News - Viewpoint: Hoping for change, and coming up short, Kayla Ruble, a young liberal journalist in New York City writes how she enthusiastically voted for Obama as our first black president and gradually became disappointed in what he had failed to do and now found herself no longer inspired by him. But she still ended up voting for him this time because she believed that voting for the more conservative Romney would turn back the clock on many issues.
BBC also posts a chart showing the voter turnout, as organized by age. Here are the (% for Obama)/(% for Romney) ratios. For age group 18-29, it is 60/37; age group 30-44, 52/45; age group 45-64, 47/52; age group 65 or over, 44/56. It's clear from these figures that as one ages, one becomes more conservative (wiser?). I mentioned that I was also somewhat liberal when I was young, so I understand Kayla. In time God made me see everything clearly. When you are young, you are full of hope and with good intentions; you want to change the world your way. Then after you grow older, you realize that you are not always right and only God can change things.
What I want to say to Kayla is that voting for a more conservative candidate may be turning back the clock on many issues, but voting for a liberal one is moving the clock forward and you may ultimately find yourself on the verge of falling off a cliff.
Rejection-of-God Indicators
There are all kinds of indicators out there. For example, the health of the housing market and consumer confidence indicate the strength of an economic recovery. Increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and shrinkage of the total glacier volume are two indicators of global warming. Rejection of God in this country is also indicated by the following. Whom the people choose to be their president in an election indicates to a certain extent how much they reject God as a nation. How uncomfortable they feel when they hear God or some strong gospel message preached indicates how much they reject God as individuals.
Just like Walking with God
Today the beautiful picture of walking with God hand in hand came into my mind. Then I realized that since God is not physically here in person, receiving him in the Holy Eucharist and having him dwelling in my heart is just as satisfying.
Reliance upon God
As we progress spiritually, we shift from self-reliance more and more to reliance upon God. When I wanted to bring someone to Christ back in the past, I expended my own considerable effort, but not always feeling relaxed. Now I let the Holy Spirit guide me and trust fully that the Lord will change the heart, thus retaining my peace. When it comes to overcoming my own sins, self-struggle has been replaced by full trust in the Lord and the results have been beyond my best possible expectations. Basically, reliance upon God makes everything easy.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Holy Eucharist, Life-Giving, Life-Changing
Communion Experience. I just felt that the Holy Eucharist is both a life-giving and life-changing gift, and I yearned to be changed. I felt alone in God and that he had totally fulfilled me. My heart was completely still, remaining in deep peace.
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