Model Prayer for Us in Suffering

         I caught a cold and started coughing. Naturally, I hoped that the Lord would heal me; but still, it must be his will. Jesus' prayer while suffering his agony in the garden before his betrayal and arrest came to my mind: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22.42). [Matthew's version, 26.42: "Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!"] This should be the model prayer for all of us in suffering.

A Matter of Life or Death

        Jesus is to be taken most seriously because it's a matter of critical importance. If you don't take him seriously, then you do not know him well enough yet. Who is he to you? Whom do you treat him as? If you acknowledge that your eternal destination depends upon him, then do you even trust in him with your present life? Is your living consistent with what you believe in? To become like Jesus should be our foremost aspiration because it is the highest aspiration for us.

First Order of Business

        Today is the Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. After I received the Holy Eucharist, I saw that this bread was not food for my body nor for my mind, it was food directly feeding and nourishing my soul, preparing me for life in heaven, my ultimate home. Healing of the soul must be our top concern for the glory of God! 

Only Obstacle Between God and Us

        Today being a First Friday, I stayed for Eucharistic Adoration after Mass. The Lord made me see this: The only obstacle between him and us is us.

Purifying Our Love

        Communion time thoughts. After the Lord enters us, it's the perfect time to ask him to purify our love so that it will not be tainted with human attachment, self-love, selfishness, sentimentality, and sensuality. Then we can love as he loves.

Jesus Is Trustworthy

        He is so trustworthy that we can confidently let him do whatever he wants with us!

Most Under-Appreciated Person

        Yesterday I posted about God beyond our comprehension ~ God being so much greater than we can possibly imagine. This being the case, we can trust in him with full confidence. After all, we are supposed to love him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Yet, looking at reality, Jesus could easily have been named Most Under-Appreciated Person of the Year for the last 2,000 or so years. What gives?

Fighting the Right Battle

        Life is a battle ~ we can all agree to that. But what do we fight for? Making enough money? Taking care of our family? Living a comfortable life? Job security? Maintaining good health? Fame, power, wealth? If so, then we are fighting the wrong battle because our primary aim should be to overcome our sins!

Only God Good Enough for Us

        As we get to know Christ more deeply, we begin to lose interest in all the worldly things and activities. Eventually, they become downright boring. This just proves that spiritual needs, not physical and intellectual ones, are our deepest needs. The world can only patch us up temporarily, covering up our deepest longing for God. God is then our true fulfiller.  

God Beyond Comprehension

        Since God is infinite and we are finite, it's impossible for us to comprehend him fully ~ his love, his mercy, his wisdom, his saving power ... are all so much greater than we can possibly imagine. Therefore, let's put this to rest and concentrate on believing, following, and trusting God. Where is he taking us? This also we cannot imagine, but it will definite exceed our best highest expectation.   

Lost in Christ

        Communion Experience. Such an intimate, private, endearing moment when the Lord entered you and said to you, "I am now all yours."

God Absolutely Indispensable

        Today is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Thoughts at Mass in the morning: Only in God can we get totally cleaned up; only in in God can we be put in order; only in God can our wholeness be restored; only in God can we become perfect. And he is ready to make it all happen. 

Looking at Ego Again

        Happy New Year to all and peace to people of good will on earth. A good prayer to start the year off would be to ask God to cut out (or at least down) our ego. To me, the ego wants to exalt myself before others. A gym trainer recently remarked to me that the major cause of injury for those who exercise is ego. I thought about that and realized that he was right. Most men, anyway, in their desire to impress themselves tend to use weights heavier than they should handle, thus resulting in injury. You can be the only one in the world and still be hurt by your own ego. So, ego concerns just you and God. It is for him that we want to annihilate it before it hurts or destroys us.    

Last Lesson of the Year

        Looking back on all that had happened to me this year, I see God's hand in everything. How he shaped things might be imperceptible at the time, but became clear afterwards. Lesson: Trust in him and he'll always be there for you.  

Complete Satisfaction

        Communion experience. The Gospel Acclamation was based upon John 1: The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God. I felt completely satisfied in Christ because I was now a child of God who would take care of me for all eternity!

Our Greatest Revelation

        The Gospel John 1:1-18 was read at this morning's Mass. On this last day of the year, it is appropriate and good to hear this greatest revelation. If you believe that John spoke the truth, then this is all you need to know to joyfully accept and love Jesus with your whole heart and soul.

Our Last Days

        Reading 1 at Mass today came from 1 John 2. The Apostle began, "Children, it is the last hour..." That was written almost 2,000 years ago, but I realized that ever since Jesus ascended into heaven, our last days, the last leg of our journey for mankind as a whole, had begun, before the Lord's Second Coming. When he will come again becomes irrelevant ~ we remain in our last days. 

Stripped Down to the Heart

        I just watched a 6-minute BBC video online on "Global notable deaths of 2013." The deceased were Hollywood stars, influential writers, world statesmen, and so forth, names most of us would recognize. My thoughts are that when they (and later us) all appear before the holy, mighty, immortal God, all past fame, wealth, and power no longer count except what dwelled in their hearts. All become little, powerless creatures completely at the mercy of our creator, each receiving exactly what he or she deserves.