Test for Our Love for God

        I've been home sick since last Sunday. It's one of those bugs quite a number of us around here has been catching from the cold weather. I just looked at the readings for today's Mass on www.usccb.org/bible/. In Reading 1 from 1 John 4, the Apostle wrote: If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Therefore, if I still hold a grudge again someone, I can't claim that I love God yet. I could only say that I intend to love God, but I fall short of truly loving him. How much we love our brothers and sisters tests how much we love God.  

Life Is Simple in God

        After seeing so many people living a life with so many worldly concerns and complicated relationships with others both within and without their family, I come to see how simple and beautiful life becomes when you go deep into Christ. It's as if Jesus cleans out all the clutter, barnacles, cobwebs, and refuse in your life to set you free. By unburdening us, God simplifies our lives.

A Great Oversight

        Jesus asked, "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?" (Matthew 7.3). It's so easy to get upset over things or people because they turn out to be imperfect, and at the same time overlook our own imperfections (getting upset being one). If we are not perfect, how can we expect others to be perfect? It all comes down to "no sinner has the right to judge fellow sinners."

Life as an Assignment

        When a religious, especially one who has pledged poverty, is assigned to  a post, he does his best to perform his tasks. When he is reassigned to a new post, he simply moves on, does the same again, not attaching himself to his or her previous accomplishments in any way. This is also the way to live for us lay folks. We see our roles as assignments from God. We do our best to please him. When we are done, we are happy and move on, not attaching ourselves to what we've done because it's just an assignment from God. This way we'll always feel free and peaceful.   

To Be a Christian...

        To be a Christian is to be a disciple of Jesus is to follow him in all things and at all times is to be preoccupied entirely by Jesus is to live for him alone is to live in union with him is to live Jesus.

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.