Finding Our Own Spirituality

        We are all called to be holy. But since we are also individuals with different personalities and talents, God's plans for us are all different too. He draws us to him via various avenues. There are many saints we can learn about and it's good to find one whose life experiences and spirituality appeal to you, then you can follow his or her ways. I've already mentioned St. Therese of Lisieux as my model because I admire her total abandonment to God and love her simple Little Way. 

Loss of Inner Peace

        The loss of inner peace stems from our disobedience to God. Obey the Lord and inner peace is restored ~ a simple and direct cure. Besides being love, God is also the source of our joy and peace.       

Everything in Its Right Place

        I'll always remember many years ago in a music composition course I took, the professor said that Beethoven's symphonies are great because every note is in its right place. Not long ago, I needed a black cord for a small crucifix to wear around my neck, but I could only find a reel of white nylon cord around the house. So I took about 30 inches of it and started coloring it with a black permanent marker on top of a large rectangular sheet of white paper to keep the ink from staining the desktop. It took a while and I got it done ~ the dried cord came out perfect. Later I noticed that the pen strokes left on that piece of background paper formed a beautiful abstract image ~ there's something cosmic about it, reminding me of a galaxy perhaps. What I like about it is that every line and every dot seem to be in the right place. [When an art gallery curator asked me to submit a work for a group show as a former founding member of the gallery, I submitted that image.] 

         I now look at my own life in Jesus and also see that everything under his watch and care is happening at the right time, that is, falling in the right place. This indicates that my life in the Lord is going to be perfect too.  

Loneliness and Self-Pity Banished

        Speaking of fringe benefits of being employed by the Lord (see my last post), I can mention two probably many millions of people in the world now desperately need. (1) When God becomes your Lord and friend and begins to use you to serve him, loneliness vanishes. No human companionship can possibly compare with his. (2) You know that God loves you and will lighten any burden that's too much for you to bear alone, so you don't ever feel sorry for yourself anymore. Both loneliness and self-pity are exiled forever.     

Being Employed by God

        Recently, an event triggered some old memories which I thought would be interesting to share with the family members involved. I did not get a chance and at the same time the Lord made me see that there's really no point in looking back or reminiscing about the past because I belong to him now. As my own man, I can do whatever I feel like doing. As a follower and servant of Christ, I am now his "employee" and must do whatever he wants me to do. May I add that since the pay, the rewards and fringe benefits are out of this world (pun intended), I am more than happy to follow his orders.

A Bold Exhortation to All

        When we were born, we were pure, innocent babies. Then we grew up in our morally corrupt societies and became morally corrupt beings. Life is short. How much time do you have left? In the time you still have, I exhort you to turn to God, ask for the forgiveness of all your sins, and start seeking union with him so that you may be transformed into a saint ~ yes, a saint. Make this bold move and you'll lose nothing and gain all of God! Love him with all your heart and live the greatest life the rest of the way until you are welcomed into the kingdom of your heavenly Father. This has to be the most sane, logical, wise, and profitable decision you'll ever make!   

Communion of Saints

        During today's Mass, I also felt that I knew the Blessed Mother and all the other saints in heaven intimately. It is the love of God that breaks down all the barriers and unites all those who love him into one family, one body. Before them, I am comfortable in being who I really am ~ nothing for me to pretend or hide anymore.  And I know that they will intercede for me whenever I ask for their help. We are all in spiritual communion with God.   

God Is Good!

        Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  At Mass, I felt being so blessed by God ~ there's the most satisfying, wholesome feeling in living in the Lord. The Gospel from Luke 1 was read and we heard the account of the Annunciation. Mary's final response to the angel Gabriel ~ "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" ~ showed precisely how we should respond to the Lord each time. During Communion I felt in my untroubled heart great gratitude for the unbelievable amount of grace he had poured upon me. God is good! 

Most Sensible Act

        The first commandment Jesus gave us is to love God first. If we truly love God, we shall love all our neighbors too. And if someone we love offends God, the pain we feel is doubled because the Lord is hurt and the offender's soul could be in jeopardy. To love God and avoid offending him, all we need do is surrender to his love. This surrendering brings us home, back to where we came from ~ it is reconciliation, reunion, restoration of order and harmony, fulfilling God's will. There is absolutely nothing more sensible for us to do than surrendering to Love.

Speeding up Spiritual Union

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church. After receiving Holy Communion at Mass, I realized that it is truly the food that feeds the soul. Earlier almost two years ago, I first saw receiving the Holy Eucharist as a physical union with the Lord that "triggers" the spiritual union to follow. This is still true, but today the Lord made me see that the Holy Eucharist also expedites the spiritual union as much as we wish! When we are ready to be God's, he is ready to be ours.     

Thought Checking

        WWJD to many stands for What Would Jesus Do. It is a good question to ask if you are not sure about what to do in a situation. I think it is also good to ask yourself when a questionable thought enters your mind: What Would Jesus Say? It's WWJS to keep our thoughts pure.

The Biggest Miracle

        It is Jesus coming down to earth to give his own life so that all of us (now numbering over seven billion) may have eternal life.

All We Need to Know

       God is all-knowing. To me it means that a clear, overall plan for all things is in existence always. From Scripture reading, we could safely say that God knew the plan of salvation before the world began and that he knew each one of us before we were born. I don't believe that every little thing is rigidly predetermined because God still has to deal with our free will. As we sin, rebel, repent, return to him, start praying harder...God must accommodate all these variations in his overall scheme. 

        We are not all-knowing, but we have the good fortune that the Lord has already revealed to us all we need to know, that is, the good news that he so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Inappropriate Thought

        Any thought that makes us want to be noticed by others does not come from the Lord. Entertaining such thoughts prevents us from ever experiencing inner peace.

St. Gemma Galgani

        For me, reading the writings of past saints and servants of God has been most inspiring and rewarding spiritually. One of the very earliest books I read was St. Therese's The Story of a Soul which affected me a great deal. Over the years, I've read more of her writings as well as many other books about her ~ I consider her to be my spiritual director. Yesterday I discovered St. Gemma Galgani whom I didn't know on www.mysticsofthechurch.com, a site maintained by Glenn Dallaire of Connecticut. I became immediately attracted to her extraordinary love for Jesus, so I am going to read up on her. (Late last night I was pleasantly surprised to be informed by a fellow parishioner that the relic at the altar of our church is St. Gemma's.) 

How God Responds to Us

        When we look for some kind of response or sign from God, we usually look externally. The better way is to search deep within your inner heart and you'll often find messages which the Lord has already quietly placed there for you. 

God Needs a Chance

        Why do so many Catholics say that nothing is impossible with God, yet ruling out the possibility that they can become saints? Do they think that they are not good enough material, that is, God did not do a good enough job in making them? Or do they think that God does not wish them to become so holy? Search the heart and find the true reason. And if that reason is self-planted or unjustified, then ask the Lord to remove it so you can be on your way to becoming a saint for his great glory. All the Lord needs is to be given a chance to show you how truly he can work miracles in you.

Most Exciting Journey

        At morning Mass today, the Lord made me see the following:

        (1) When a soul no longer minds suffering for Christ's sake, he or she is free.

      (2) Following Christ every step of the way to the summit is the most exciting and rewarding journey you can ever make.