It is undeniable that as long as we sin, there will be suffering. Therefore, accept suffering as a reality ~ it's how we deal with it that matters. This is where God can support and guide us and we can learn to be patient and to trust in him.
Friday, August 2, 2013
The Greatest Love
In John 15.13, Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." It must also be true that it is the greatest love to be utterly concerned about the souls of others. When we ourselves are drawn into Christ, we must do our utmost to draw others to him too. It is in loving others that we are assured of our own salvation.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
On Entering Jesus
As you go deeper and deeper into Jesus, you discover more and more of his beauty. Staying on the outside, you'll never "see" his true beauty. He is indeed the infinite God.
Mother Miriam
Rosalind Moss is now Sister Rosalind Moss, Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God. Her journey of becoming a fulfilled Jew was one of the most beautiful stories I'd ever heard. Here is a more recent short interview of her by Marcus Grodi on EWTN.
Most Beautiful Dwelling
The Responsorial Psalm response at morning Mass read: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! After I received Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, instead of feeling that he had entered to dwell in me, I felt that he was drawing me into him. I could claim that there is no place more beautiful to dwell in than the interior of the Lord!
Foretold Judgment
Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguouri. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus said to the disciples, "The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angles will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace...." Since Jesus foretold his Resurrection after death and it became true, we'd better believe that the judgment at the end of the age he foretold will come true too.
Marvelous Relationship
This morning I appreciated very much the fact that God had made himself known specifically to us in the person of Jesus, who is divine. Through Jesus the Son, we know God the Father and become his adopted children. And the Holy Spirit ensures that we are all one with God. It is marvelous indeed.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Crying for Joy & Sorrow
During prayer after morning Mass, I wanted to cry for joy and for sorrow. For joy because Jesus loves me and has been so good to me. For sorrow because he is being rejected by so many. Rejecting someone who hates you is expected by that person, but rejecting someone who has died for you out of love amounts to putting him through death once more. You are killing your Lord and God!
Jesus Is Our Answer
What is a good life? What do you really want out of life? Only Christ Jesus provides clear-cut, completely satisfying answers. He not only gives us answers, he is the answer to all our questions! Read about him in the Gospels ~ his example speaks everything to us. Without him, you may find something to help you get by, but nothing can ever be as definitive and authentic as he is because he is God. One cannot exist without him whether you know it or not. Have him in your life and you'll never be lost again.
Christians to Stand Out
Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In Reading 1 from Exodus 34, Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of commandments in his hands. The skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. It made me see that an encounter with God must make us look different. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus likened the Kingdom of heaven to a treasure which a person finds, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has to buy. Do we feel that way when we find Christ? In any case, a Christian who has encountered the Lord and treasured the experience will definitely look radiant on the outside and feel joy on the inside. After all, we are to stand out as the light of the world.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Keeping Motivation Pure
I hear people talk about how they eat right for good health a lot. While the motivation may be self-centered, it could be made pure by desiring good health in order to serve God better. As a matter of fact, our ultimate motivation for all things should be loving and serving God so that we may remain pure before the Lord.
Heeding Jesus' Words
I missed Mass this morning and read the Gospel reading for today from Matthew 13. Jesus explained to the disciples the parable of the weeds in the field. He mentioned the world, the Evil One, the Devil, the end of the age, angels, the collection out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers ~ throwing them into the fiery furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth, and the righteous shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. At the end, Jesus said, "Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Indeed, Jesus' words are life, the most important thing we'll ever hear. Listening to him or not can result in eternal life or eternal death. His words are especially acute with me now when I am constantly hearing about the deaths of many I personally knew and seeing so many other living friends who do not show any interest in knowing him or knowing him better.
Note that Jesus separated those who cause others to sin from all evildoers ~ we must avoid causing others to sin like the plague.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Proper Communion Response
Today is the Memorial of St. Martha. John 11.27 was the communion antiphon: Martha said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into this world." My desire after receiving the Holy Eucharist was to ask the Lord to make me holy for his sake.
Learning from Suffering
When I am experiencing any physical or mental pain, I realize how horrible the pains the souls in hell must be suffering and I do not wish anyone to ever experience that. So I learn to not judge anyone but pray urgently for everyone.
Benefiting from Suffering
When we suffer, we think of how Christ suffered and realize how much he loves us. And we are drawn ever closer to God.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Unique Joy
Just watched the Holy Father celebrating the Mass at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, concluding the World Youth Day festival, on EWTN. More than three million young people had gathered for the service and the joy was palpable. This joy is unique because it can only be experienced in Christ. I am just so joyful that I know this joy. It signifies that one has found the fulfilling truth. It is a joy that frees one from the clutches of the world. Alleluia!
The Suffering Christ
Communion experience. Since I still felt the pain resulting from the accident I mentioned, today after I received the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the body I saw in my mind was the body of the suffering Christ on the cross. My own suffering didn't seem to matter that much anymore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)