The Gospel reading at Mass comes from Matthew 16. Jesus started out asking his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" After they replied, he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" The answer can only be Peter's "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" or the denial of it. We are not obligated to answer any questions except for this one, for it is monumental, won't go away, and our eternal destiny hinges upon the answer we give.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Hardened Hearts
Today is the Memorial of St. Dominic. At Mass, the response to Responsorial Psalm 95 reads: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Hardened hearts are precisely the world's problem. Everyone has so much to say; who's willing to listen to anyone? Unless we want to get our hardened hearts cracked by God and beg for his mercy, we are doomed.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Becoming Spiritually Free
Our physical body is always a burden to us ~ it seeks comfort and lets us know instantly when it experiences discomfort. But this burden we must live with in this life. Our spirit, the nonphysical part of us, can also be a burden to our conscience, resulting in mental discomfort. The good news is that we can be rid of our spiritual burdens. Since God is spirit, we can let the Holy Spirit fill us entirely, displacing our own spirit so that the self no longer exists. Union with God is the same thing ~ we have only God dwelling in us. We are now spiritually free. In other words, we are free when we no longer exist in ourselves. (Note: When we leave this world, we become physically free too.)
Invitation from God
Communion time reflection. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is no ordinary obligation or act. This Most Holy Sacrament is an invitation for us to become one with God. To want to receive it, we must be willing to answer yes to this invitation.
On Seeking Sympathy
Before Mass started this morning, the Lord made me see that seeking sympathy or pity for yourself is still an ego thing. This is wanting yourself to be noticed, wanting others to feel sorry for you. It is not unlike wanting others to notice that you pray hard or fast. Of course, it's all right to share about yourself with others if your motivation is pure.
Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 15. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus, crying out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." After testing her, Jesus found her faith great and said to her in reply, "O women, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish." Obviously, seeking sympathy or pity from the Lord is perfectly fine because the motivation is pure and he is the only one who can truly help us.
Jesus Still Leading Us
The early Apostles had Jesus in person to follow; they could follow him wherever he went and do whatever he told them to do. Today Jesus is not visibly with us, but we do have the Holy Eucharist he had instituted for our sake. By receiving him in this sacrament with the same zeal and devotion the Apostles had for him, we will also know how to follow him and what his will is.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Calling for Union
Communion experience. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is receiving God's calling for union with him. Once you recognize this, you will want to seek this union.
Peter Is Trustworthy
Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Reading 2 came from 2 Peter 1. Peter stated that he was an eyewitness of the majestic glory of Jesus. While he was with him on the holy mountain, he heard the voice from heaven declaring, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." I too believe in the glory of Christ. Who am I to distrust the first Apostle of the Lord?
Asking and Answering the Lord
Praying for the conversion of a loved one can be a big burden on the heart. When I asked the Lord about it this morning while I was driving to church for Mass, he simply asked me if I loved him the most? I answered him and knew that he had answered my question.
Approaching God the Right Way
To find God, we must be humble first and remain open. If we expect God to speak or reveal himself to us before we would believe in him, we may have a long wait ahead of us. By an act of will or faith, we must submit ourselves to him first. It was by an act of will that I first accepted Jesus into my life. It's by an act of will that I confess my sins and ask for his forgiveness. It's by an act of will that I asked the Holy Spirit to baptize me. It's by an act of will that I surrendered myself to God. In each case, the Lord makes or made himself known after my move. Don't forget that God is so much greater than us. Let us beg from him, not the other way around.
Life of Jesus Examined
The life of Jesus from the human point of view seems rather unappealing. Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but he had nowhere to rest his head (Matthew 8, Luke 9); he was not honored in his native place and in his own house (Matthew 13, Mark 6); toward the end, the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin constantly plotted to kill him; his own disciple betrayed him; then in the end, he went through indescribable suffering. Now let's look at the life of Jesus from God's point of view. He triumphantly succeeded in accomplishing the will of the Father. Being obedient, he never complained. Throughout his ordeal, he remained loving and forgiving, maintaining his deep inner peace. Through him, God the Father revealed his infinite love for us. The Father must feel great satisfaction that he carried out his plan of salvation for us whom he loves. The life of Christ shows that we too can have the same peace and be set free by being obedient to God the Father.
Monday, August 5, 2013
What Conversion Is
If darkness is the absence of light, then holiness is the absence of sin. Conversion is letting the love of God overcome our sins so that we may be holy.
Communion Joy
As I went up to receive Holy Communion this morning, I felt as if I was walking in a procession leading to God for his blessing. On my way back to the pew, I was in full enjoyment of being a child of God the Father.
Nourishment for the Soul
In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 14, Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed crowds totaling about five thousand men, not counting women and children. They all ate and were satisfied. This reminds me of our spiritual hunger ~ the soul needs to be nourished too. And the Lord has given us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist just to satisfy this deepest longing of ours.
Jesus' Unique Challenge
Jesus is unique among all leaders, religious or secular. He is the only one who challenges you to follow him, but leaves the decision entirely up to you. And this challenge is such that you must accept or dismiss with no middle ground possible ~ ignoring it is no different from dismissing it. And your decision will bring enormous consequences. Jesus himself proclaimed to be a cause of division: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the world. I have come to bring not peace but the sword" (Matthew 10.34). This further bolsters the authenticity of his challenge.
Not Just Joy Alone
Knowing Jesus is a great joy; but at the same time, the more you know him, the more you experience his suffering and pain the world inflicts upon him, which is great. This in turn enhances your joy because you know now that you are ever closer in union with the Lord.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
We Need Jesus!
In these two last two days, the Lord hasn't given any particular thoughts. The only thing he made me see was why we need him. Without him, we are constantly being self-centered, thinking, saying, and doing things with not much genuine concern for others. I could say that we live disordered lives. With Jesus, we have a supreme model showing us how to put all things in order and one who can truly transform us into perfect beings. Love, hope, freedom, salvation are all presented to us ~ he is indeed the good news for us!
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