Wake-Up Moments

        Every time we are happy on earth, we should think of heaven where we can be infinitely happier. Every time we suffer some hardship on earth, we should think of hell where we can suffer infinitely worse.

On Converting Others

        Jesus conquers us with love. He is Lord, but serves us at the same time. We must do likewise in converting others.

We Are the Fools

        Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Gospel reading from Luke 23 shows how great the mercy of God is. Two criminals were crucified alongside Jesus. Now one of them reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

        I can't help being greatly impressed by the Lord's mercy. Here a criminal expressed his fear of God, acknowledged that he's justly condemned, and asked Jesus to remember him in the last minute of his life, and Jesus saved him without the slightest hesitation. We are the ones, not God, making it hard for ourselves to be saved.

Being Fair to God

        Asking for God's mercy requires our surrendering to God. Think about it.

Bold Humility

        True humility is accompanied by boldness, made possible by God's love. Witness Jesus in action. Without boldness, we have only timidity.  

Levels of Achievement

        I met a billionaire who started out as a dishwasher. He is indeed a business genius greatly admired many in the world, but such achievement does not lift him above the world. On the other hand, union with God is an "achievement" on a higher level, so much higher that one is lifted to the level of the Divine. 

In God's Hands

        If you believe that it is God who is keeping your heart beating and alive, then you know that he is completely holding you in his hands. 

Levels of Humility

        Humility calls for hiding even facts. Suppose there are things that can make me look good. If I have ego, I will want to tell them. Without ego, I probably don't have the urge to bring them up. But if I have humility, I would want to make sure that I do not reveal them.

To Be Pure...

we need to keep all our thoughts and motives pure. This is only possible when God makes it possible. Hence we need to seek union with God.

Most Precious Moments

        The most precious moments of life are those moments when you are aware that you and God are one. You will treasure your life when every moment of your life is precious. 

Life's Purpose

        Life must have its purpose. For life to be meaningful, it has to be loving God. Loving God prepares us for returning to him in heaven, completing our journey. The greatest tragedy is to not complete our journey, leading to eternal separation from God. All the saints saw this clearly. Nothing new is said here, only the same thing said a little differently. 

True Charity

        To want to make more money so that you can give more money away sounds good, but the thinking is wrong. What matters is not how much you can give, but how willing you are to give whether you make any money or not.

A Sensible Decision

        God sustains everything in the universe, myself included. My soul will leave my body anytime he wills. Therefore, the sensible choice for me is to acknowledge that I depend upon him completely and to let him do whatever he wishes with me.

Jesus Consoles the Humble

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus said, "All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humbled themselves will be exalted." We've all been humbled at one time or another. If we accept those humbling experiences, we should find great consolation in the Lord's saying. 

No Judging of Others

        The saying "The Last will be first and the first will be last" of Jesus should teach us not to judge others.

Genuine Love for God...

remains constant whether life is sweet or goes sour.

Living Blindly

        In our consumerist societies today, people buy what they want now and not worry about whether they can afford it or not. Then they run out of money and end up in deep water. With this same mentality, people seek worldly pleasures first without worrying about any possible consequences. This time the soul can end up in deep water.

Self-Deception

       We are nothing, but all our material aids that make our life comfortable, convenient, and conceited have deluded us into believing that we are important.