Receiving the Son of God

        Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him, "Blesses are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." If we also believe as Peter did, then we must not receive Holy Communion so casually. As the Lord built his church upon Peter, we need to be staunch supports of this church by letting the Holy Eucharist, the Son of the Living God, truly transform us.  

Call to Become Saints

        I caught Dr. Paul Schenck (now Fr. Paul Schenck) telling his coming home story on The Journey Home show on EWTN. He became very pro-life after being horrified at seeing some mangled parts of aborted babies that had been dumped as garbage at an abortion clinic. Since abortion was legalized in 1973 in this country, abortions have been averaging over a million a year! This points up the great urgency for us to become saints, for being holy is the only and best way to fight evil.     

Food for Thought

         Matthew 7.21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
        John 6.54: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

        There is a somewhat surprising contrast here between the first halves (italicized) of these two verses.

Trust Is...

letting God have his way, do his things, take care of us, change us and the world... with us out of the way.        

Dealing with Worry

        Worry is always about something that has yet to happen. It's due to uncertainty. If we believe in Christ and know that we'll be with him in heaven, that alone removes the biggest uncertainty of life. The rest we should be able to manage well with God's help. All uncertainties pass. Consider them blessings because they provide opportunities for us to trust in God's love and mercy while they last.          

In Communion

        Communion thoughts. This is exactly what the Apostles received and ate at the Last Supper. I am now in full communion with the Lord and all the saints. We are one!  

Awesome God

        I feel trepidation when I ponder upon the holiness of God, yet all my fears vanish when I run to him, seeing him as my most beloved Father. 

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.