"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

A Trusty Recipe

        Put no trust in yourself and all your trust in God, then God is greatly pleased and makes you super strong.

The Only Tragedy in Life

        I have quoted Leon Bloy (1846-1917): "The only tragedy in life is not to be a saint," previously on this blog. Interestingly, Gabrielle Bossis' entry on February 11, 1943, in her journal recorded Jesus' saying to her: "The only tragedy in life is not to love God." Since both Bloy and Bossis were French, at first I thought perhaps Bloy had read Bossis' journal. Then the dates clearly showed that it's not possible, for Bloy died before Bossis began recording in 1936. Bloy definitely had said the right thing.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Pray for Courage

        Pray that we'll listen to God alone and have the courage to obey him, overriding all other considerations.

Following Jesus' Example

        Today is the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said to the disciples that whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the the kingdom of heaven. I saw that the Lord, being humble and the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, was indirectly talking about himself. Therefore, we are to follow his example.

Purpose of Resurrection

        As I continue reading He and I by Gabielle Bossis, I am impressed by what Jesus told her about his Resurrection. He said that he did not do it for his glory, but so that she might believe and live in the hope of her own resurrection.        

God Always Does It Better

        We love God, but he loves us so much more. We finally decide to seek union with him, but he has always desired to be one with us. While we hardly pay him much attention, he yearns intensely for us. We often get unhappy, but he is so easily pleased even if we just look in his direction. Sometimes we don't feel like seeing anyone, but he welcomes our approaches at anytime. Who always waits for whom patiently? God outperforms whatever you expect of him.

Our Dual Role

        It's necessary to be Martha in life, although it's more enjoyable to be Mary. If we'll just do everything with love for Jesus and in Jesus, offering it as our prayer, then we are Martha and Mary at the same time. 

Being One with God

        Let only love motivate everything you do, then you and God are finally one.

Getting Hit in Heaven

        We know God loves us, but with our finite mind it's impossible for us to fully comprehend his great love. Then we get to heaven and finally realize and the infinite magnitude of this love and it will be like being hit by the sweetest tsunami.  

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

God the Generous Giver

         Today is the Memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the beloved saint.
        Every time I brought someone closer to Jesus, I felt great joy. God is the source of this joy. We cannot love others without God wanting to express his love for them through us. We cannot feel joy without God wanting to share his joy with us. We cannot achieve union with him without God desiring union with us. He has given us everything, and when we give it back to him for his glory, he gladly gives us more.

Monday, September 30, 2013

How to Please Jesus

        WWJD stands for "What Would Jesus Do?" ~ many Christians ask this question to guide them in their actions. I thought of HTPJ this morning, standing for "How To Please Jesus." This helps me look for ways to please him at any moment of the day. It might be "smile at someone," "refrain from uttering a harsh word," or "turn to Jesus and say 'I love you, Lord.'" Life is made up of many little things and we can make all of them count.

Union with God Assured

        Our desire for union with God comes from God because he desires union with all of us! God being the eternal love, this desire of his is so much stronger and more powerful than any such desire on our part. Knowing this, we can remain passive and confidently let the Lord draw us all the way into him and success is assured. 

Any Room in Your Heart?

        Jesus told Gabrielle Bossis that the Holy Trinity is in each one of us, more or less according to the room that we allow it. Yes, if we don't allow the Lord any room, we can receive him in the Holy Eucharist everyday and still remain the same old person. But if we give him all the room we have in our heart, we'll be transformed into new, holy creatures in union with Christ. 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Taking Advantage of Sin

        Every sin we commit, no matter how minor, can make us realize how holy the Lord is and how weak we are. This is a perfect opportunity for us to grow humbler.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Tasting the Lord

        My Communion experience at Mass today.

All for God's Glory

        For those of us who love God, whatever happens to us is for our best and for his glory. In other words, for those of us who love God, what's best for us and what's best for God are the same thing!

Jesus Not Perfectionist

        If Jesus were like the perfectionists I mentioned in the last post, he would have chosen to ignore us. But it's precisely our imperfection that attracts him! While we're still imperfect, it's the perfect time for him to come to restore us.

The Perfect Perfectionist

        Perfectionists in the world demand perfection of others, seek the most perfect material goods to own, and want things turn out perfectly for their own sake; but they easily overlook their own imperfection. The "perfect" perfectionist is one who is concerned about his own spiritual imperfection first and foremost.