Sticking to Jesus

        Communion experience. I want to be where Jesus is ~ the only place for me! I pray that I will never wander away on my own or let anything keep me away from him.  

Consequence of Sin

        Mark 9.42 from today's Gospel reads, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Sinning by ourselves is one thing; causing others to sin is a much greater sin (I had brought this up in the past). For example, visiting a porn website is sinful, but the one who developed the site bears much greater responsibility, for what he has done could cause tens of thousands of others to sin. Pause and think before you sin, for the consequence of sin can be horrible.

Sin and Eternal Life

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 9 at Mass, Jesus made it clear that we must resist temptations to sin or we could end up in Gehenna. To get the point across, he used strong language (read vv 42-48). God is self-giving and we, as sinners, are self-serving. We sin in order to gratify ourselves. And the gratification is only temporary, often momentary. So, is it worth giving in to temptations for some temporary gratification only to risk losing our eternal life? The question Jesus asked his disciples comes to my mind: What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

Focusing on Christ Alone

        Quite some time ago, a fellow Catholic told me in person that he would send me some information about a retreat movement; I gave him all my contact information, but never heard from him again. It just shows that next to Christ, none of us is perfect. Don't forget that Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' disciples. What is important is that we focus upon the Lord alone and let nothing distract or disturb us. Some people love to point out the sinful failings within the Church throughout history, forgetting that God remains forever holy and we are the ones who fail. Focusing upon the Lord is that remedy for our failings.  

How a Contemplative Prays

        A contemplative prays with the heart and not the mind, and he prays with unspoken words. All his prayers are spontaneous and most personal.

Teaching with a Purpose

        Having been chosen by God the Father, he continually teaches me to live this life with the purpose of preparing me for death and entering heaven. I am looking forward to it with peace. 

No God, No See

        Still in the current news is the huge tornado that has ripped through the suburbs of Oklahoma City, causing horrific devastation of properties with scores killed. There have been all kinds of natural disasters happening almost continuously around the world, up to taking hundreds of thousands of human lives at a time. Yet people continue to fight each other, kill each other, persecute others ~ how blind, ignorant, and foolish can you be? Don't they realize that they are going to die themselves one day soon too? When are they going to wake up to know that we are all at the mercy of God? I suppose that if you don't know God, you just don't see. 

Fair Trade

        At Communion time, it seemed that if Jesus was ready to enter me for full union with me, it'd only be fair that I surrender all of me ~ body, mind, and soul ~ to him. Only by remaining in each other with the Lord will I be able to bear fruit (John 15:4-5).

Begging for God's Mercy

        Have you ever gotten down on your knees begging or crying out for God's mercy, even if you are not facing any crisis or in a jam? It is something most beneficial spiritually we should do as often as possible. Doing it shows that we are willing to submit to God, need his mercy, and want to be drawn close to him. This is imitating the humble tax collector who begged for God's mercy beating his breast and whom Jesus justified (Luke 18). Not ever having done so shows the lack of humility.

God Can Change Us!

        Why do so many people feel down and depressed? Never say God cannot change you until after you have surrendered to him. Nothing is impossible with God who specializes in transforming us with love. We are always our own obstacles, keeping us from being transformed by God ~ surrendering to him clears the way. Let Hope enter.

Being Prepared for Heaven

        Today is Pentecost Sunday, the great day of the Holy Spirit. We do not see the Spirit, but we know that he dwells in us whenever we are drawn to God. Knowing the Holy Spirit is knowing the gentle sweetness of God's love. At Communion time, I knew that the sanctifying Spirit was preparing me for heaven and would take me there when the times arrives. 

Allowing God to Love Us

        Once I heard David Leatherby, a Sacramento businessman, telling his inspiring conversion story in person. (You can read his "These Graces Were No Accident" story on TheDivineMercy.org.) I've never met his son Jeremy, now a parish priest in Sacramento, but I watched some of his videos on YouTube and listened to his homilies which I subscribe to. What impressed and inspired me was his deep spirituality and his intense love for Jesus that came through. In yesterday's homily, he mentioned that to love God, we must allow God to love us ~ be passive more than active. Indeed, the secret of possessing God is "to be passive and open" ~ it's back to letting God do all the work.

The Lord's Wish

        After receiving Holy Communion this morning, I asked the Lord out of gratitude what he wished me to do. His instant answer was "Remain in me."

Concise Guide to Living

        Today we heard the last six verses of John read at Mass. When Peter asked Jesus about what's going to happen to John, Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." Here we're given the best concise guide to living, namely following the Lord and not being concerned about anything else.

No Power over Us

        Second thought today. Like Jesus, we are in the world, but not of the world. After Jesus was arrested and brought before Pilate to be tried, he said to Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above." We can say the same about us. Since we are totally in God's hands, the world would have no power to touch us without his permission. 

Empty Without God

        First thought today. I recall how the world celebrated the arrival of 2000 with much hoopla. Then hoopla has always been part of the world. I do see the emptiness of it all if God is left out of it. You can whip up a good time, but everything is meaningless without his involvement. Only God can fill our void. 

Power of God

        The link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22556750. These beautiful pictures show the raw power of the sun. The images are awesome. What comes to my mind is the miracle of the sun that took place at Fatima in 1917. Up to 100,000 witnessed the sun appearing as an opaque, spinning disc, casting multicolored lights, and finally careening towards the earth in a zigzag pattern. Naturally, that was mere child's play for God, the creator of our universe. 

              

Playing with Fire

        For those who faithfully follow Jesus or knowingly reject him, their future is determined (though still changeable). But for those in the middle who are lukewarm believers, their future is still indeterminate ~ they are playing with fire!