No Small Matter

        At Mass today during breaking of the bread, I was quite astounded to say and hear the familiar "you take away the sins of the world" following addressing the Lord as "Lamb of God." Taking away the sins of the world is no small matter! I must be aware of its power, scope, and effect on mankind, and understand its purpose, meaning, and what my proper response to it should be.

We Should Be Holy

        God, being all holy, can make us all holy! In fact, he wants us to be holy because he knows it's best for us. Being our loving Father, naturally he also wants us to be holy so that we may be like him. You might say that asking God to make us holy is right up his alley.           

Foolish Reponses

        This question asked by Jesus came to me: What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? The correct answer is obvious, yet most people do not take it seriously. I think it's because they still think they have time and don't want to deal with such serious stuff yet. Here a wise question gets a whole bunch of foolish responses.

God Our Cleanser

        Jesus taught that it's what comes out from within what defiles a person. Union with God ensures that your interior will have been cleansed by him.  

Intimate Communication

        If you are aware that God dwells within you, you will pray inwardly to him in your heart and clearly know his will.

Intention Matters

        Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori. A long time ago, I read something I never forgot, which I believe was said by this saint, although I cannot be totally sure. Anyway, a saint said that if we truly yearn for God, the soul may even skip purgatory and go directly to him after death. To me, God looks at our heart and takes our intention or desire into consideration. If I intend to glorify God in some way and fails, he still values my attempt because the intention was there. This is totally better than succeeding without any good intention.   

An Insecure State

        If you have not yet totally surrendered to God, you are in an unsettled, suspended state. Unsettled, because you cannot totally relax yet. Suspended, because you can be dropped and get hurt badly. 

Two Links to God

        Communion thoughts. I am proud of the Apostolic succession within the Catholic Church. Starting with my parish priest, I can trace all the way back to St. Peter and the Lord. When I received the Holy Eucharist today, the Lord directly connected with me. How good it is to have these two lines linked to God! 

It Is the Lord

        It is in Jesus that we enjoy our freedom.

        It is for Jesus that we rejoice in living and dying. 

        It is with Jesus that we become bold and unafraid.

        It is from Jesus that we receive peace and joy.

        It is about Jesus that we are not ashamed of bragging.

        It is to Jesus that we can turn when we are troubled.

        It is because of Jesus that we shall live forever.

        It is to him that we owe all our gratitude.

Declaration of Love

        Communion experience. As the Lord was changing the bread and wine into his own body and blood, he was declaring his everlasting love for us!

Be Renewed by God

        God can make all things new. Therefore, let him renew you by casting away your old fixed thinking, old foolish beliefs, old bad habits, old stubborn attitudes, old silly attachments, and most of all, your old ego. Then you'll have new freedom in the Lord. 

Greater Agony

        Today's Gospel came from Matthew 13. Jesus continued to preached the kingdom of heaven, using parables. It struck me that his greater agony than what he experienced during his Passion might be the sorrow so many caused him by rejecting the good news he preached. Sadly, this has continued to this day.   

Life Puzzle Solved

        My life was like a giant jigsaw puzzle that needed to be solved. Then Jesus came along and put all the pieces together for me. The picture that emerged was beautiful beyond my highest expectations.        

Seeing Ourselves

        Today I see that each one of us exists alone in the universe and God through his love and mercy sustains us and everything else in the universe. And there is absolutely no barrier to prevent us from slipping into our next life in the spiritual world. This makes all the more important that we return to God and not be lost forever.

Dislike Yourself?

        If you don't like yourself as a person, you haven't completely let God love you yet.

Enjoy and Skip

        I loved good music. Listening to Beethoven's great piano sonatas was an almost spiritual experience as the music revealed the depths of the composer's soul, raising my thoughts to God. Now that I know the Lord intimately well, the music no longer draws me as he is infinitely greater and more beautiful than any great music. May all the good things you encounter in the world serve as stepping stones along the way as you journey toward God. 

Purifying Our "Love"

        God is our standard. His love, selfless and pure, defines love. Unfortunately, we use the same word for our self-centered and impure feelings. Following God is the process of getting our "love" purified by his love.

Belong to God?

        If you are still attached to the world, then basically you still belong to the world.