Union Is like Playing the Piano

        When you learn to play the piano, the goal is to be able to forget completely about your fingers and put all your effort and concentration into expressing the music, making it sound beautiful. But due to human limitations, we can play a piece of music well enough, but never to the point of complete satisfaction. Similarly, in seeking union with God, the goal is to be become Christlike. The more we let go in the Lord, desiring to be changed, the more we progress. But since we are finite creatures, we can become more like him, but never reach his state of perfection. (Note that in both cases, letting go is the key.)

Critically Important Message

        In Scriptures, we see that Jesus always had the answer to any question he's asked. No one had been able to trap or stump him. He showed that he's the all-knowing God. In today's Gospel reading at Mass, Luke 13:22-30, Jesus talked about the narrow gate through which we must strive to enter in order to be saved. Once the master of the house has arisen, the door will be locked and those who are outside will be cast out forever; and they will see all those inside reclining at table in the kingdom of God. Everyone should take this reading most seriously because our response to the message will determine our eternal placement.  

Try to Be Faithful, not Successful

        I attended a Respect Life Leadership Gathering today. The task of changing the thinking of all to pro-life is daunting, but one presenter's quote from Mother Teresa was most encouraging: "God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try." To serve God is to not aim for success, but remain faithful. 

The Weakness Advantage

        We all know our own weaknesses in various areas, and being weak can be a disadvantage in life. Then the Lord makes me see that we can use this awareness to our advantage by letting it keep us humble before him.

The Unsettled Life

        As long as you do not know Jesus yet, you cannot be certain where you'll end up after death; therefore, you live an unsettled life. Happy is the one who lives a life with eternity all settled!

Good Reason to Be Happy

        We feel good when someone appreciates us, likes us, or thinks highly of us. Now, we have God continually loving us more than anyone else possibly can at all times, how can we not feel happy? Believe and rejoice!

How to Know We Love God

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 22, Jesus answered one Pharisee asking him which commandment in the law is the greatest, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." 

      The second commandment is not easy to follow because your neighbor may be an extremely unpleasant person or even an enemy who hates you. Nevertheless, we can't say that we love God if we don't love our neighbor. So, the second commandment serves as a test to see if we fulfill the first commandment or not. 

Obedience Sequence

        Seeking God's will, knowing his will, and doing his will ~ the delay usually occurs between seeking and knowing. Nevertheless, we have peace at the end always.     

Belonging to God

        Communion experience. After receiving the Holy Eucharist, I wanted the Lord to pulverize (vaporize is even better) any hard part or particle that's still in me so that I may be his completely. 

God's Serious Invitation

        Today is the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. Not only those invited should accept the invitation, but also attend the feast properly dressed. Those who did not take the invitation seriously were cast into darkness. Conclusion (also present day fact): "Many are invited, but few are chosen." It helps to see that God's invitation, his call, to us is for us to become his chosen ones. 

Can't Do God's Will on Our Own

       In John.15 Jesus says: "I am the vine, you are the branches. ... without me you can do nothing." In John 5.19, Jesus says to the Jews, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also." Again, in John 5.32, he says, "I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me." I looked up these quotes after the Lord made me see that I cannot do his will without him doing it through me! I must first clearly know what his will is, otherwise he will not be with me in my doing. It was a big realization and I was uplifted.

Life Is like a Dream

        The older one gets, the more the past seems like a dream. Like all dreams, life comes to an end. One who lives just for himself is often concerned about leaving a legacy, or may enjoy living his life as in a meaningless dream. For one who seeks and knows God, he lives for the reality that comes after his "dream life." 

In God We Forget

      Today is the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope. The Gospel parable came from Matthew 20. Jesus told the disciples that the Kingdom of God is like a landowner who hired laborers for his vineyard all day long. Some started working early in the morning, some later in the morning, some at noon, some after noon, and some in the last hour. In the evening, all received the same pay. Naturally, the ones hired earlier grumbled and one of them questioned the landowner. And he replied, "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?"

          The lesson here is that I must not compare myself with others nor let anything about others bother me. I am to be happy with all what the Lord has given me ~ I already have him who awaits me in heaven! Yes, in God, I can forget everything else.

How Many Times a Fool?

        In the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, the rich man stored up treasures for himself and God said to him, "You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things your have prepared, to whom will they belong?" Being called a fool by God is much worse than being called a fool called by another fellow human. I wonder how many times the Lord has so called me when I wasn't even paying attention. Probably innumerable times as one can be foolish in so many ways!

Vows for the Laity

        We the laity can too follow poverty, chastity, and obedience ~ the vows of the religious. For us, poverty is detachment from all material goods; chastity, keeping a pure heart and, for the married couples, also faithfulness; obedience, obeying the Holy Father on earth and the Heavenly Father in heaven.

God's Love Ever Present

        Today is the Memorial of St. Bernard. Communion antiphon, John 15.9, reads: As the Father loves me, so I also love you; remain in my love, says the Lord. After receiving Holy Communion, I wanted to remain in Jesus' love. I felt that nothing could possibly prevent that ~ I could be sick, imprisoned, constrained in any other way, then I wanted to be in his love and there I was.

The Humble Way

         The home is a good testing ground for our humility. If I can remain humble enough so that I do not provoke anyone else in the household, I'm doing OK. For those who live alone, try not to provoke yourself and lose peace. Remaining humble is the way of Christ. It is the correct way because if everyone practices it, there'll be peace in the world.

Another Challenge from Jesus

        Jesus wants us to put him first in our lives and follow him alone. He challenges here again. He must be either the most selfish person there is, asking for the absurd, or he is God, asking for what he rightly deserves. We must decide.