Ultimate Fulfillment

        As 2014 FIFA World Cup competition continues in Brazil, you can catch the excitement and frenzy at the games on TV. It is a fact that as you get to know Christ the Lord more, your enthusiasm about football or any other form of entertainment in the world dwindles. It is evident to me that we all seek fulfillment in life and that fulfillment is found only in God. How can one not be excited about God when you know he's the one who can lead you to heaven?

God's Deliberate Plan

        Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Prophecies and foretold his own death and Resurrection to his disciples. Therefore, the Incarnation and Crucifixion had been deliberately planned by God, and that plan had to be the plan of salvation for all of us. 

Going Beyond Purity

        Of course, keeping our mind and heart pure pleases God very much, but we must go beyond that, for we can remain pure by staying put and do nothing. What we must do is to be filled with God's love to be motivated into loving others. The love of God is for us not to sit upon, but to spread far and wide for his glory.        

No Judging

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus told his disciples to stop judging. This is absolutely necessary for us to be able to love our enemies as the Lord also taught earlier. Judging and loving are mutually exclusive. 

A Root of Evil

        Is money the root of all evil? I say money is just one root of some evil. The root of all evil has to be rebellion against God. From that, all other roots spread. One bad root that comes to my mind is the fact that so many people worldwide, whether in a government, a religion, a society, a tribe, a company, a family, or any group want to have things their way. This causes all the unrest, turmoil, chaos, and conflicts in the world.  

Where Are Our Roots?

        We must realize that we are created by God and he has planned for our return to him. Therefore, our roots belong in heaven and not this world. Whoever roots himself deeply in this world is a fool.

The Freedom Test

        We need to be detached to the world and live to please God alone, but this is easily said when we live in comfortable homes and have all the necessities. Jesus didn't even have a place to rest his head when he's proclaiming the kingdom of God. St. Francis certainly passed the test. And Mother Teresa too. We can only imagine what we would do if we do not own anything in this world. If we are like the rich man in the Gospels who observed all the commandments, but could not part with his possessions, then we are not completely free.

Not Being of the World

        In John 18.36, Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews." We who have entered the kingdom of God also no longer belong to the world and can expect trials and tribulations, and persecutions.  

Tell God Anyway

        When our heart is troubled, we turn to God. Even though he knows why we are troubled, we still need to tell him. It's in hearing ourselves that we clear up any confused thinking and in opening up to God that we learn his will for us. Spiritual progress is made only by entering the Lord.

You Can Be Excellent

        We all feel good when we excel in something. Suppose you are frustrated because you don't have any musical talent, can't play sports well, find learning math difficult.... I sincerely recommend that you consider excelling in loving God. This is possible for everyone because God will personally help you achieve that, and you'll receive the greatest satisfaction of life as well. By the way, your final reward will be nothing short of heaven.  

Delivered from Evil

        We ask the Lord to deliver us from evil. This does not mean that we will not encounter or be attacked by evil anymore; it means that God will make us so strong that no evil can ever conquer our spirit, shake our faith, or separate us from his love. In him, our soul will be absolutely safe. 

Only Way Out

        Only God is infinite, perfect, and all-powerful, and we are none of the above. As I had posted in the past, this is a fact we must acknowledge before we approach him. In order to be holy like him, only he can make it happen. In order to make it happen, we must let him enter our soul by surrendering to him. To surrender is simply to open ourselves up completely to him ~ nothing more, and the Lord God will enter to do the necessary work, which will delight you beyond your expectation. Remember that for us, the only way out is to let God in.  

Sacred Duty

        We easily mess up our own lives in this world. Even if we don't, others can do it for you. But it's our sacred duty to always keep our relationship with God in as perfect an order as possible. People may not understand, but no matter because God understands. Again, care about only what God thinks.  

Jesus' Way of Living

        In today's Gospel reading ~ Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18 ~ at morning Mass, Jesus teaches about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The message is clear ~ we are to forget ourselves and remember only God. What people think of us should be of no concern to us. In other words, hide from all and live in God alone. 

The Joy of God

        I have gone through suffering, pains, both physical and mental, many times. Then God gives me joy and all is forgotten as if nothing ever happened. Such is the joy of God that penetrates the soul.         

Perfect Prayer Is...

asking God to make you perfect because that is in accordance with his wish.

Thoughts on Envy

       Envy is not as bad as jealousy, but envying someone is still a sin. If you console yourself by thinking that you already have God that is better than anything the other person has, you are not really better off. But if you think that you already have God and there's truly nothing else you want, then you are OK.
        If you are envious of someone, chances are if you switch places with that person, you would look down on that person. Envy basically stems from the lack of humility.

Whatever You Do

         Whatever you do, make a point that no one knows about it, especially if you do something good. 

       Whatever you do, make a point that God knows about it, especially if you do something bad.