What I Seek

       As I was watching Rick Steve's travel video Croatia: Adriatic Delights on PBS, showing the mountains, the forests, the sea, and other scenic sights, I got this new feeling that this finite earth was not big enough for me. The earth's gravitational pull on me was another restraint. I know now that I seek not only what lasts forever, but also what is infinite and can make me feel free. The Lord is then my answer. Maybe it's because I have tasted him that I feel this way. 

More on Our Spiritual State

        Here's another observation. We came into the world, grew up learning how to survive and get ahead. We were encouraged to go for whatever we want to do. We became convinced that if we don't give up, we shall succeed. The end result is that we take charge and follow our own wishes, good or bad. Especially in a country like the United States here where there is freedom of speech, no one likes to be told what to do. Humility can easily be perceived as being weak. All these things make it difficult for us to surrender to God and obey him, and we remain rebels. 

The Current Spiritual State

        In general, people living in our disordered secular world know deep down that they need God. Finding it hard to face God, they enter the escape mode by ignoring him, despite their continuing lack of inner peace. I am speaking of true inner peace, not merely feeling OK. We need to wake up to the reality of God, who alone can bring order to the world, peace to our hearts, and save us. 

Best Investment!

        Storing up treasures in heaven was what Jesus taught in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6. I see this as the best investment we can possibly make in this life, for it is absolutely safe and the return is truly out of this world (pun intended) ~ gaining entry into heaven. Begin investing by seeking union with God.

Conversion by God

        Today's Reading 1 at Mass came from 1 Corinthians 11. As you know, Paul used to be one of the terrible persecutors of the followers of Jesus and was converted by the Lord himself. In this epistle, he "boasts" of his great labors; imprisonments; beatings; being stoned; numerous brushes with death; getting shipwrecked; facing dangers from rivers, robbers, Jews, gentiles; going through sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, cold and exposure ~ all for the sake of preaching the gospel of God. We must also let God bring about a fundamental change in us, for we cannot do it by ourselves but for the grace of God.  

On Killing Others

        It's sad that you hear about suicide bombing happening almost every day in various parts of the world. To sacrifice oneself for some cause may be regarded by some as worthy or even noble, but if it involves killing other innocent people, even children, then it has to be misguided and wrong. God has clearly commanded us not to kill, so carrying out such attacks has to be a selfish act. (Abortion is in the same category.) By the way, if you terminate someone's life before that person has had a chance to repent before God, then you are also responsible for the possible loss of that soul! 

Best Spiritual Journey

        It should be obvious to all that once you are in paradise, with the Father wiping away every tear in your eyes, you will no longer remember your past. Therefore, the best spiritual journey would be one in which you never look back on the past, but focus only upon living for the Lord, making every present moment the beginning of your journey. Remember our journey can make us look good or bad before the Father, so travel the best one.

Most Incredible Father

        God loves all of us. He sacrificed his own Son so that we may return to him to dwell with him in heaven forever. I knew all that, but this morning I particularly saw this love as being very special, that I was so favored by him, and that I belong exclusively to him. This is how he can make all of us feel. It's time to proclaim that we have a most incredible heavenly Father, worthy for us to worship, adore, praise, love, and obey! 

Letting Go in Christ

        Today's Communion experience. I wanted to abandon myself in the light of Christ ~ a totally letting go. He is to be trusted.      

Living the Secret Life in God

        In today's Gospel from Matthew 6, Jesus taught his disciples to do all righteous deeds, to give alms, to pray, to fast, ... never with the intention to be seen or known by others. Indeed, I see living a secret, hidden life in God as the most beautiful way of living. It shows that your faith is genuine, that you are humble and want to glorify God alone, and that you abandon yourself to him. The reward is interior peace. 

Jesus, the Light We Need

        Burglars shy away from bright lights. In general, sinners feel more comfortable in darkness when they are not seen. If something you do in darkness you wouldn't do in broad daylight, it must be sinful. But if you have Jesus as the light of your life, his light will shine upon you at all times and you'll remain holy night and day. 

A Major Concern

        Went by a large cemetery yesterday. I immediately saw that every single one of us is just passing through, so our major concern should be where we're heading after this life. And this is precisely the Lord's major concern too. With us sharing the same concern, it can certainly be resolved through cooperation.

Stop Hurting the Lord

        Yesterday's Communion experience. I saw how sinning hurts and repulses the Lord and we shouldn't sin, not even for a nanosecond. Seek refuge in the Lord and you'll be shielded from all evil and protected from all temptations.

God Asks for Perfection

        In yesterday's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus really raised the bar ~ he commanded his disciples to love their enemies so as to be perfect. The Lord always challenges us and is ready to lift us up to his level, the highest possible level. Yes, he asks us to become one with him, so that we may be perfect.  

Union Recommended Again

        Accepting and believing in Christ is just the beginning. To truly get to know the Lord, you must get inside of him, and seeking union is the way to that discovery and fulfillment. 

We Do Need Christ

        Before morning Mass began yesterday, I was reminded in prayer that we are all dust, and we are at the mercy of God as dust is at the mercy of the wind. Like all things of the world, we are here today and gone tomorrow. Since both we and the world are passing, there is no point in talking about security in this life. However, dust or no dust, passing or permanent, the one who has entrusted himself entirely to Christ already has his eternal life anchored in God.

God Proved Himself

        Yesterday I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. As you know, the mysteries are Agony in the Garden, Scourging, Crowning with Thorns, Carrying the Cross, and Crucifixion. The fact that Jesus, an innocent man, went through his life and these extreme sorrows without any complaint and still forgiving everyone, his persecutors included, to the very end is inhuman, as no ordinary human can achieve that. This further proves to me that Jesus is indeed our loving God.

On Finding Our Center

        Today I watched Part 1 of Fr. Robert Barron's DVD on "Blessing, Three Paths to Holiness" at my church. It was on Finding the Center. I totally agreed with and understood what he said. That is, without Christ being our center, life is stormy and directionless and we get pulled in all directions by forces of the world and our own desires. When we have Christ at the center, all is calm because we are in harmony with God. It's the difference between Martha and Mary. It's the contrast between the disciples getting terrified at sea when a violent storm came up and the Lord sleeping calmly in the stern. So many people now are living a disordered life oblivious to God's existence until one day some personal crisis finally wake them up. Here we have crises and suffering manifesting the mercy of God.