God as Our Backer

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 3. As John the Baptist was baptizing people from all regions in the Jordan River, many Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism. John chided them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of you repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

        Indeed, before God, even if I can trace my lineage to an illustrious king, it would not make any good. It is what we are that's relevant. Where we came from belongs to the past and where we are heading determines our ultimate destination. We only need God to back us!

On Overcoming Evil

        How do we love others for the sake of Christ? We won't have any problem with those who are already holy, so it comes down to dealing with the unholy in the world. Overcoming evil with love ~ this is the challenge we face. We must accept this approach because it's God's way. Since it may cost us personally, total dependence upon God is called for. 

More Dying

        Communion thoughts. Every time I receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist, it's a chance for (the old) me to die some more in him.

Perfect Antidote

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 9 & 10. Jesus went around to the towns and villages, teaching and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. This is still true today when you see people lost and lonely all around. And it is still true that Christ is the perfect antidote for the troubled and abandoned. 

Superior Learning

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, whose sermons were known to have greatly helped the conversion of St. Augustine. When we seek and get to know God, he fills us with wisdom and understanding far superior than anything we could possibly learn from the world, for he reveals the absolute truth to us as he has done to all the great saints. 

Stepping into Freedom

        Today is a first Friday and we had adoration of the Blesses Sacrament after Mass. I saw that if in his holy presence, we are bold enough to ask God to do whatever he wishes with us, then we'll have stepped into the realm of freedom. This is showing our trust in the Father, abandoning ourselves in him, and inviting him to be one with you. The Lord is now surely free to take care of all our things. 

Cup Always Full

        Some people see a half-filled glass as half empty. These are the ones who're usually not happy about their own lot and see others as being more fortunate than they are. Then we have others who see the same glass as half full ~ they are happier, appreciative of what they have and optimistic about the future. Finally, the fulfilled Christians know that their cup is always full to overflowing, as they receive grace upon grace from the Lord. 

We Are at Fault

        If everyone in this world is as holy as Jesus, we'll have a peaceful world filled with joy ~ no question about it. Even should tragedy befall us, we'd still be strong, filled with faith and hope, and praise the Father. As I have said before, it is our sin that messes up our own lives and the world, causing continuous, great miseries. We are at fault ~ this is important to realize so that we may look to God for mercy and salvation.

Direct Learning from God

        There must be tens of thousands of books out there giving spiritual advice. But the best, expedient way to learn is to surrender to God, letting him enter your heart to teach you directly.

A Free Relationship

        Our relationship with God is also a free one in the sense that God freely gives us his love with no strings attached and we are free to respond to him any way we choose. Amid God's free giving and our free responding, faith is born. 

A Jealous and Generous Relationship

        Before Mass began in church this morning, I saw my relationship with God to be a jealous and generous one. Jealous, because I enjoy the Lord so much that I want to possess him totally and not let anyone take him away from me. Generous, because I enjoy the Lord so much that I want everyone to possess him and experience the same joy.

Healing the Soul

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 15, we read that great crowds came to Jesus, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet and he cured them all. Today, such miracles are no longer so common, except for the healing of the soul. When we repent of our sin and ask for healing of the soul, the Lord instantly complies. We have his great mercy on our side.

More than Number One

        God is not to be number one in our lives ~ he is to be the only one in our lives.

Sharing the Good News

        Today's Communion antiphon, Matthew 10.27: What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light, says the Lord, what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. Therefore, we must make Jesus the Truth known, one way of another. We can tell others about him and/or live our lives as faithful disciples. Not to share the truth is like being the servant who dug a hole and buried his master's money in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). Subsequently, all that he had was taken away from him. Good news is to be shared with all and not kept in secrecy.  

Highest State of Existence

        Today is the Memorial of St. Francis Xavier. In the Gospel from Luke 10, Jesus praises the Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for having revealed those things hidden from the wise and the learned to the childlike. It is the childlike to whom the Son wishes to reveal the Father. The highest state of our existence is then to be childlike first and seek oneness with the Lord to achieve perfect harmony with his will.

How God Has Made Us

        Quoting St. Augustine once more: God has made us so that our hearts are restless until they rest in him. It's also true that God has made us so that we are not completely free until our hearts surrender to him.

Living the Dream Life

        Is life a dream? The answer depends upon whether life is meaningful to you or not. Everything you see, hear, touch, and experience is real enough, but if you do not know where you came from and where you are going, then your life will be like a dream. To those who know Christ to be the eternal truth, life is no longer a puzzle. Everything that happens to them makes sense and they know where they are going more surely than they know that the sun will come up the next morning. The beautiful dream of their life has become a reality. Everything is now real, extended beyond this life.

Expecting the Unexpected

        The Gospel reading was taken from Matthew 24. Jesus said to his disciples that the coming of the Son of Man would be as it was in the days of Noah. People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. The flood came and carried them all away. He therefore told his disciples to stay awake and be prepared, for he would come at an hour they did not expect.

          It's critical that we be ready always, joyfully anticipating the coming of the Lord.