We pray often on God's behalf. For example, I pray that the whole world will come to know Christ. We pray for the Lord's will to be done. Does he really need our help? I see now that he wants us to pray thus to deepen our union with him. When our will becomes all his, all our prayers will be all his too. Then we'll be like Jesus praying to the Father.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
God's Modest Request
The Lord does not call everyone to undergo physical death to prove that we love him. For most of us, he asks us to accept our daily cross to show that we have died with him.
All Done by God
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Gospel reading contains John 3.16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. God has created us, has come to save us, has called us, makes our journey home easy (see my last post), has loved us first and will love us forever. We only need to let him do what he wants with us and remain grateful.
Taking the Road to Heaven
In Matthew 7, Jesus said, "How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." The thing to do first is to enter that gate and get on that road. This is accomplished by finding Jesus and being willing to follow him. How constricted the road is will depend upon how well you "follow the directions" and "obey the signs" along the way. Again, seeking union with God will put you on the fast track with the road straightened and flattened out by the Lord!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
A Simple Process
Becoming holy starts with the desire to change. The change begins when you let God take over to do the work ~ now, the sky's the limit.
"Smart" Living
Get rid of your ego and you'll live in peace, for without an ego, no one can hurt your feelings anymore.
Our Biggest Problem
Of all our problems, which one is the biggest? You needn't look far ~ it's our ego, because it keeps us from knowing God.
Designed to Be Holy
When you do something well, you feel good. For example, if you can play a piece of music on the piano beautifully, you feel good. This is normal human reaction, not pride. In the same way, when you are holy with a clear conscience, you feel peace in your heart ~ in this case, the thing you do well happens to be you. So we can say that God has so made us that we do not have peace until we are holy.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Centering on Self First
In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 6, Jesus asked his disciples, "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?" Our business before God is to perfect ourselves first before trying to perfect others. In fact, I should have said to perfect ourselves only, because even after we become perfect, we're not supposed to judge others. Therefore, center upon ourselves before the Lord and seek union with him ~ our only duty and business, and let our examples inspire others to perfect themselves.
One Great Catholic Joy
I was watching online part of the replay of Pope Francis' visit last month to Korea. He was meeting the youths that came from all over Asia in Daejean. The tremendous enthusiasm shown by the young people and the joy of the Holy Father in greeting them moved me to tears. I realized that one of the great joys of being a faithful Catholic is the sense of belonging, knowing that you are in communion with the Lord God and all other Catholics, in heaven or on earth. Belonging to the Church is belonging to the body of Christ, with all the faithful sharing the body and blood of the Lord.
How to Love Someone
While praying the last decade of the sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary on the Crucifixion of the Lord, I could hear the pounding of the nails into his hands. I heard the Lord say: To love someone, you must be willing to suffer for that person.
What Do You Want to Be?
When I was a little kid, I was often asked by adults, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I didn't really know, but my various answers revealed my ambitions and dreams. Now that I have grown up, I just want to be what God wants me to be. I may sound resigned or submissive; but in a way, more ambitious than ever. And this is one "dream" that will become reality too.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Attachment & Detachment
Being attached to someone is not loving that someone. On the other hand, being detached to someone is not unloving that person. In other words, attachment and love are not the same thing. Detachment may seem cold, but it's so much more beautiful than attachment because it's letting go in God. I'll always remember the time my wife and I took her mother to a company celebration ~ that was the company where my wife worked many years ago. Helium-filled balloons were passed out to everyone. And everyone held onto their balloon, intending to take it home afterwards (and watch it shrink under the bedroom ceiling daily). Then my mother-in-law decided to let hers go. My wife and I watched her balloon soaring quickly into the blue sky and finally disappearing ~ a beautiful sight, but we also marveled at Mother's equally beautiful detachment.
Difficult Loving
Today's Gospel reading at Mass continued from Luke 6. Verses 27-38 are all about "love your enemies," "turn the other cheek," "stop judging," and "forgive." According to Jesus, this is showing your love. From the practical point of view, it makes sense too because if you are not bothered by others in any way, you have inner peace. Furthermore, if everyone followed Jesus' advice, the world would definitely be peaceful ~ proof that he was right. Then what if you are now in Iraq or Syria where Christians are getting slaughtered? All I can say is that if you believe and love the Lord, he will never put you in a situation where you will not pass the test.
A More Serious Sin
In the 1st reading from 1 Corinthians 8 at morning Mass, Paul wrote: "If food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin." Paul is saying that even what you do is not a sin per se, it becomes sinful if it wounds others' consciences when they copy you. In most cases, what we do is sinful, and if that causes others to sin also, we have committed a much more serious sin. A common example would be parents who behave badly causing their children to behave in a similar way. It is basically keeping others away from God!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Shaking Off the World
We can be attached to the world so much that it becomes like a piece of chewed gum stuck in our hair. The most effective way to shake the world off you is to be in union with God because only his holiness can overcome the world that has succumbed to a great extent to the evil one. Yes, be a saint to become detached from the world.
Beatitude Living
Today the Gospel read at Mass was the Sermon on the Mount from Luke 6. Jesus gave us the Beatitudes in which he (1) blessed those who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated, excluded, insulted, and denounced as evil on account of him, and (2) grieved for those who are rich, filled, laughing, and spoken well of by all. In sum, the Lord wants us to live for him and not for the world, and our reward, as he promised those he blessed, will be great in heaven.
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