The word I received from the Lord for today is humility. The Gospel acclamation at Mass came from Matthew 11.29: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. If God remains meek and humble, how dare we to be immodest and prideful? To those who have not found God yet, may I suggest that you assume that he exists and loves you, and you remain meek and humble, then he will find you. To be meek and humble is to be like God!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
"Not Me, But You"
This expression floated into my mind earlier this morning. This is how it should be when we stand in the presence of God. We acknowledge that we can do nothing without him. We need to remain passive and let him take us to wherever he wants us to go. We vanish so that only he exists in us. This is what it's all about.
Greatest Intimacy with God
Communion time thought. Receiving the Holy Eucharist within the Church is receiving the true body and blood of the Lord. By no other means and nowhere else can you attain such intimacy with God! Indeed, blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Again, There Are No Accidents
Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Matthew 17. To find the money to pay the temple tax, Jesus asked Peter to go to the sea, drop in a hook, take the first fish that comes up, open its mouth, and find a coin worth twice the temple tax. If something like this happens to us, we would probably think that it's pure chance. The lesson here is that truly nothing can happen without God's knowledge or approval. Again, there are no accidents.
Suffering cherished
When I am suffering mentally or physically, I just fling myself into the arms of Jesus, calling out his Holy Name and begging for his mercy with all my heart. He is the one who died for me, loves me, knows me the most, and hears me. I cherish such opportunities suffering provides because I get to enjoy my greatest intimacy with the Lord.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Carrying out Good Intentions
Just having good intentions is not good enough. I've learned that I should put all good intentions through the humility filter before carrying them out. Otherwise, my good intentions can easily be misunderstood. You cannot go wrong with humility.
On Changing the Heart
The human heart does not easily change. We usually do not do what we know to be the right thing to do. Only a fundamental change of heart can correct this. If you feel this way, then an encounter with God is needed to bring about a breakthrough. More surrendering is in order. Know that Christ is our only hope and that hope is always present for us.
Beauty of the Church
To see the true beauty of the Church, we should look at Jesus, how he built his church upon Peter, the apostolic succession and the teachings of Christ safeguarded to this day, and the transformation of so many souls into great saints. People err by noticing only the sins of her imperfect members, but this is a matter of human failure and does not in any way indicate that the Church is less beautiful.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
To Repent Is Divine
Benjamin Franklin used an old quote "To err is human, to repent divine, to persist devilish." To repent is indeed divine, a beautiful act by the heart. It's beautiful because it cleanses your heart immediately, restoring your relationship with God. Really, what else could you ask for? What's sad is that people in sin do not see that it's the single, most important act they need to perform if they are to be saved. Let all know that repentance can change one into a resplendent soul before God.
Jesus Alone Is Sufficient
Communion experience. My life is complete, fulfilled. I feel totally secure in him. It's impossible to ever feel lonely when you have him living fully in you!
Why Jesus?
At Mass, Father M before distributing Holy Communion raised the host and cup and said to all: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. I realized then that Jesus is the only one who can take away my sins, not Moses, not Mohammed, not Buddha, not Confucius, or anyone else, because he is God. This is reason enough for me to believe and follow him.
As a Grain of Wheat
Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. The Gospel reading at Mass came from John 12. Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit." We may not see our fruit in our lifetime. For example, the autobiography of St. Therese, The Story of a Soul, which has converted untold number of souls was not published until after her death. Our role is to die in Christ, serve the Lord, and let God produce whatever fruit he wishes.
Friday, August 9, 2013
No Complaining
The Gospel reading at Mass today came from Matthew 16. Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." To me, Jesus is saying that whoever wishes to follow him must do so without ever complaining. A complaining Christian has to be an oxymoron. As we follow the Lord faithfully, he will teach us to let nothing bother us. With no more complaints, we have inner peace.
The Scientific Attitude
Many scientists are atheists. They only believe in what they can see and figure out. Of course, what they cannot see or understand does not in any way prove that things do not exist ~ it only shows the limitation of science. No one has seen an electron, x-rays, light itself, or heard ultrasound; only their effects on other matters are known. Yet the effects God has on many of us are positive, life-changing, or even miraculous. To me, miracles scientists cannot explain only shows the existence of God. Scientists can never prove or disprove the existence of God using their methods. Believing that God exists will make all their searches and investigations so much more meaningful and rewarding. To think that science can explain or replace God is utter folly.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
What Not to Live by Alone
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and afterwards was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread. Jesus (quoting from Deuteronomy) said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4.1-4). As I was watching TV this morning, it came to me that one does not live by watching TV alone. Then I saw that one does not live by anything other than what comes forth from the mouth of the Lord alone. This reminder can definitely help me live a balanced life.
Monumental Question
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.
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.
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