Ultimate Test of Freedom

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Matthew 19. A young man asked Jesus what good he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The young man said he observed all of them and asked what he still lacked. And Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." The young man heard it and went away sad, for he had many possessions. Here we have the ultimate test of freedom! It separates those who merely believe in the Lord from those who believe and follow him. You may not need to actually sell that you have ~ it's the willingness to be detached from all material things that matters. This detachment should also include detachment from your loved ones and yourself, for pure love has no room for attachment to anyone other than God.   

God's Perfect Timing

        The Lord speaks to me when he needs to shape me, or draw me ever closer to him. And this could happen any time. Having him teach you is such a joy. I especially marvel at his timing whenever I need his support. What I precisely need to hear would come spaced apart in stages so that the buildup is maximum when I need his help the most. Yes, our God knows and cares about us thoroughly.

Changed Attitude

        If you know you are heaven-bound, your whole attitude changes. You no longer care about a little suffering, a little inconvenience. So what, if your meals are not too tasty or your bed not that comfortable? You simply stop complaining, when you realize that love awaits you in heaven. What's a hundred bad years compared to everlasting happiness? God is to be praised!  

Thinking About Heaven

        Massenet's Meditation, written for the violin, has been a favorite of most well-known violinists. Listening to Nigel Kennedy playing it, I felt as if I'd been transported into heaven and sensed that the joy with God would be greater than anything I could possibly imagine. Of course, you may feel something different.       

Lesson on Faith

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus and pleaded with him to heal her daughter who was tormented by a demon. At first, Jesus did not respond to her. And his disciples wanted to send her away too. But the woman persisted. Then Jesus, to test her, gave reasons why he should not attend to her. She ignored all concerns and continued asking for help. Jesus finally gave in and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." The woman's daughter was healed from that hour. Fr. M in his homily made it clear that faith accompanied by persistence and single-mindedness gets God's attention. Note that worry does not play a part here. A good lesson for all.  

Recognizing Satan at Work

        There are many misguided people doing evil out there, but there are also those who deliberately do what they know is wrong to hurt us. Today God made me see that it's Satan who had manipulated the latter. Therefore, we need to ask the Lord (1) to shield us from Satan's attack first and (2) for mercy on the wrongdoers, and leave it at that. 

Recognizing God's Greatness

      With such a great and loving God we have, we should aim high. His infinite power and unlimited capabilities are always there; it's a matter of our recognizing and taking advantage of this fact. Do not be satisfied with you status quo, but ask him to empower you to become holy.  

A Time to Rejoice

        When the Lord draws you so powerfully that you intensely long for the final union with him in heaven, rejoice, for he has chosen you to be his and you are now free to leave this world when he calls you to go to him.  

Secret of Holiness

        You can resolve to become holy for as long as you live and the result will be a struggle all the way with no guarantee of success. But if you seek union with God first, then God enters and does all the work for you ~ this is the secret of becoming holy, simple and most beneficial. In other words, to reach God, you open yourself to let God in to reach you, and your goal is achieved.   

Sense of Urgency

        We are to forget the past, leave the future alone, and live in the present only, moment by moment; but we must be acutely aware that time passes and our present life is brief. This sense of urgency is needed to keep us attending to God's agenda.

"Inseparable"

        Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After receiving Holy Communion, the word that came to me was "inseparable." Jesus and I are now one, and nothing except by my choice can possibly separate us. My soul is secure in the Lord ~ I am already home.

The Spirit of Joy

        The Holy Spirit is that spirit. He refreshes us and renews us. He is most gentle, but powerful in his loving ways. He motivates us to love others. He's the one who makes us yearn for God and makes us hunger to hear God's words. At his discretion, he fills our hearts with great joy from time to time. 

Solitude

        People are so occupied in the world that they don't know what solitude is. They always have to have someone with them, to talk to, or just have music turned on when they are alone. Basically, they are shutting God out. In solitude you are alone, but this is also an excellent time to get in touch with God. The Lord is always present and has no hearing or visual problems. In fact, he is waiting for you to give him some attention all along. Anyone with half a heart should feel sorry that he's been so much neglected, ignored, shoved aside, and even rejected outright after he has sacrificed himself on the cross to save us. In solitude, you can turn to him, talk to him, bare anything in your heart, or even console him, and he will understand, heal you, and let you know that he loves you. All this may sound sentimental or even mushy, but it's all true. This is how approachable God is, for he is our Father (and brother). Therefore, cherish and relish your solitude.       

New Perspective of Ourselves

        On July 18, I posted about the yo-yo world champion Black. I thought that yo-yo was just a simple toy you let drop and try to reel back in. Then I saw Black's performance and my jaw dropped. Now, if you think that a ukulele is just a baby guitar you can't do much with, you should watch Jake Shimabukuro on YouTube. He has made the little instrument a virtuoso one, and his fantastic playing has earned him worldwide recognition. So here we have the yo-yo and the ukulele, both people didn't expect much from. Then a master or genius came along and totally changed our perspective. Since God is the greatest master of all and the creator of all geniuses, if we let him freely use us as his instruments, he will surely accomplish great, fantastic things through us. It's time to change our perspective of ourselves! 

Clarifying Our Vision

       Our No.1 goal in life should be to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. The list following clarifies our vision as we try to reach that goal.

         Highest wish ~ to love God

         Highest desire ~ to be with God forever

         Highest revelation ~ "God is love"

         Highest prayer ~ that all souls will be saved

         Highest calling ~ to become a saint 

         Highest state ~ union with God

         Highest satisfaction ~ knowing you're loved by God

         Highest recognition ~ being son or daughter of the Father 

         Highest destination ~ heaven

         Highest reward ~ eternal life in heaven

Want to Be a Saint?

        If God asks you this question and you answer no, it has to be either because (1) you don't believe you can be a saint, which is believing that God is not all-powerful or (2) you believe you are not worthy to be one ~ false modesty here. Either way, you cannot be justified.

         What if you answer yes? Now you must be careful because (1) if you do it to feed your ego, you've started out on the wrong foot and (2) if it's for God's glory, then you are OK.

To Become like Children

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 18, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." I thought of how I trusted in my parents and grandparents when I was a child, knowing that they supported my living and guided me in all things. I felt good when they held me. I didn't have anything big to worry about and was carefree. Now that I am an adult and know that God is my Father, certainly I should trust in him more than I did in my earth parents. It is time for all adults to become like children again ~ to seek union with the Father and become saints ~ so that we may enter the kingdom of heaven.

Loneliness Cure

        Without God in your life, you can have millions of followers on social media, all the material things to keep you comfortable and occupied, and be known all over the world, and still be lonely. With God in your life, you can be alone anywhere and know that he is with you and waiting for you for even greater intimacy in heaven.