On Being Possessed & Best News

        If you let the Devil possess you, you are a goner. If you let the world possess you, you may get passing pleasures out of it, but you will never experience true freedom nor peace ~ most likely you've already figured this. What you may not know is that if you let the Lord God "possess" you, you'll experience complete freedom with deep inner peace. You see, it's impossible for God to be oppressive or enslaving, for he is Love. His sole wish is to save and free us so that we may be where he is after this life ~ Jesus has made it all clear. If you agree that this has to be the best possible new for us, you would rejoice right now! Turn away from Christ and you'll never experience the freedom, peace, and joy that are meant to be yours.

Why I Believe in Jesus

        (1) The Gospel convinced me that Jesus is God.

        (2) The lives of the great saints testify to this truth.  

       (3) This last reason may be the most convincing of all. Through seeking union with the Lord, he let me know without a doubt that he is real, the truth.

The Living Bread

       Communion experience. I was called to the supper of the Lamb! What an honor! What a treat! I was to receive the bread of life, the food essential for my soul. This gives me the nutrition that keeps me as a living branch of the vine that's Jesus. 

Body of Christ to Remain Intact

        In the news today: A Roman Catholic parish priest at an elite French ski resort has been stripped of his Church functions for refusing to renounce Freemasonry. The body of Christ must remain as one. Therefore, on the part of any Catholic, there must never be any disobedience that would fracture the body of Christ in any way. All other considerations cannot be from the Lord. Seeking union with Christ ensures our obedience.   

Dust Turning Immortal

        Psalm 103 read at Mass reminds us that we are dust and that our days are like those of grass. We bloom like flowers of the field and the wind sweeps over us and we are gone, our place knowing us no more. These thoughts, like the realization of how vast our universe is, similarly humble me. I am mortal, and I depend entirely upon my God to make me immortal.

We Are Responsible!

        Life is like a balance and we have the power to tip the scales for God or the world. Without our free will, God could easily "outweigh" the world. But since we've been given free will so that faith may be made meaningful, we are now solely responsible for what we choose to do.

Jesus' Most Astounding Words

        Again, let me repeat the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, as recalled by the priest during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass: 

        "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you."

         "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me."  

         What the Lord has said is astounding and earthshaking beyond words ~ I felt it during the consecration. He's offering himself to us! Bible Christians interpret the Bible literally, yet here they believe that Jesus only meant what he said symbolically. The Last Supper was too serious an occasion for the Lord to say anything he didn't really mean. 

Achieving Spiritual Breakthroughs

        In today's news, Yitang Zhang, a mathematician at the University of New Hampshire, has proved one of the great results in the history of number theory. The problem had remained unsolved for hundreds of years, so Zhang' proof is truly an astounding breakthrough. He had spent over twenty years thinking about the problem. By contrast, to achieve any spiritual breakthrough, you do exactly the opposite ~ you remain passive in the Lord and he break all the barriers for you. 

Different Levels of Existence

        This picture popped into my mind. We don't all live on the same level. There are a high level and a low level with various levels in between. Those who seek wealth, fame, power, and happiness in this world only for themselves and not caring about anyone else live on the lowest level. Those who love God and do everything for his glory live on the highest level. When they leave the world, they glide from their level smoothly into heaven. Then there are those who live between these two levels. With God's great mercy, they may still be saved in the end, but there's no certainty.  

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.