How We Die Matters

       The current big news story is the mass killing of 12 people at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine whose cartoons have mocked politicians, bankers, the police, and religion (both Jesus and Pope Benedict were targets). Apparently, the published mockery of the Prophet Muhammad has triggered this horrible attack by some extreme Islamists.  

        I am not judging anyone, but I'd like to point out that making fun of others may be fun, but as Christians, we must always respect others' feelings. We live in an evil, dangerous world ~ all the more we need to be holy. One day we'll face God and he's going to ask us not just how we have lived, but also how we died. Would you feel comfortable telling him that you got killed for making fun of others? Be holy so that you'll be blameless when he asks you that question.

Hidden Prejudice

        I have sensed in myself that there are certain things I see, or hear or read about I just don't much care for, for no apparent reasons. Since they are minor, I don't bother to analyze what the underlying reasons might be. But today I ask the Holy Spirit to wipe out all my hidden prejudices so that I may be more perfect in God's love and be completely fair in dealing with others in all things.

Jesus Not to Be missed!

        With a God who created the infinite universe and died for us out of love, who am I to question or reject him? Do you question him because you've been conditioned to never trust anyone? Do you question because you believe that science can explain everything? Perhaps you reject God because you've been seduced by the world? Do you reject him because you are looking for a god to your liking, if you are looking at all? Jesus is not to be missed ~ remain open and still to let him gather you in his arms. Life is short, and you'll never have another chance again for all eternity!

Believing in Infinity

        The Hubble Space Telescope has taken some amazing pictures in space. This link http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30699647 takes you to a report on BBC News today. The second picture is a shot of the Andromeda Galaxy, our own Milky Way's big neighbor, two million light-years away. Just how far away is two million light-years in miles? A little calculation gives the answer: 11,756,999,620,000,000,000, almost 12 billion billion miles! As far as today's astronomers know, there are billions of galaxies out there. I have no problem with a universe that is infinite, knowing that our God is infinite in every way. 

God Comes to Me!

        Today's Communion experience. God came to me. I was called to his supper and fed the living bread that came down from heaven; I didn't even have to be in heaven! 

Message of Love

        In today's 1st reading from 1 John 4, the Apostle made it clear that God is love. We all more or less know how to love, but God showed us what love should be like when he sent his only Son into the world to die for us. I can now say that God came to purify our love and show us that life should be all about learning how to love. This is the message for all, Christians or non-Christians.

Sin Disturbs Peace

        As long as we sin, we will not experience inner peace, for sin causes unrest and turmoil within us. This is how God has made us. That's why when we repent of our sins and become reconciled to God, we gain inner peace again.

How to Find God

        In case you are still searching for God, here is the best attitude to assume. It is the same as for those who seek union with God. The goal is to know God, so the keyword again is "passive." You will not find God if you actively search everywhere, reading all kinds of books, etc. Believe that he exists and tell him that you want to know him. Then remain humble, passive, and open, waiting for him to speak to your heart. 

Better than Winning the Lottery

      Perhaps everyone in his lifetime has dreamed of winning the lottery. In reality, the chance of winning any lottery for anyone is infinitesimal. And when someone wins, he is the sole winner. Does winning make the winner any happier in the end? Not according to one documentary I watched on past lottery winners. 

      Dreaming that you succeed in entering heaven is a much better choice. Chances are you'll surely succeed if you follow certain instructions. There is no limit to how many people can win. And winning guarantees everlasting happiness.  

We Must Decide

        Today is the Memorial of St. John Neumann. The Communion antiphon, Matthew 19.29, reads: Everyone who has given up home, brothers, or sisters, father or mother, wife or children or property for my sake will receive many times as much and inherit everlasting life. Suppose you do not know that Jesus had said it and hear someone else saying it now, you would definitely think that the speaker must be crazy to make such a promise unless, of course, the speaker happens to be God. This is just another saying of Jesus that compels us to decide whether he was a crazy man or is God.   

Anxiety-Free Living

        I talked about how we should live the present moment, not the past nor the future. This means that we focus upon doing God's will every moment. Living as such will inevitably lead us to our final destination of bliss in heaven. 

To See My Bad Side

        Communion experience. I wanted the Lord to reveal all my faults and shortcomings.

Close the Gap

        A gap usually exists between what one preaches and what one practices. Perhaps it's a the-heart-is-willing-but-the-flesh-is-weak case. Perhaps it's just easily said than done. One can talk about God all the time but fail to show love in one instance. This is the gap I want to bring attention to. Only with God's help can we live up to our own expectations.

Move On, Focus, and Forget

        Each of us has many experiences in life that seem hard to forget. Most recently, someone turned out to be not the person he had made others believe him to be ~ that was both a surprise and a disappointment. It made me think that one should never trust anyone fully. Then the right thought came to me: We should move on, focus upon God alone, and forget all else that disturbs our peace. 

Receiving the Triune God

        Communion experience. It's not just Jesus entering me; it's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ~ the glorious Holy Trinity ~ all entering me!

To Be in the Gospel

        Today's Gospel reading was John 1:29-34. To see all the amazing things, you must put yourself in the scene, in the story. Listening to the Gospel read as a bystander won't do you any good. In the reading, John the Baptist claimed that he did not know Jesus, yet when he saw Jesus coming toward him, he referred to him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world ~ God must have revealed this to John. John also proclaimed that Jesus existed before him. We know that John was born before Jesus, so he must be referring to Jesus' eternal existence. John also testified that he saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon Jesus. Last he said, "Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." ~ quite amazing that from the very beginning, John already knew and announced publicly who Jesus is. 

How to Sin No More

        Reading 1 at morning Mass came from 1 John. The last verse read from Chapter 3 stuck in my mind: No one who remains in him (Jesus Christ) sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Therefore, know Jesus and remain in him and we no longer sin.

Involving the Heart

       I've been photographing on and off my whole life. I learned photography by reading many books on the subject. At the beginning, not knowing what to look for, I just took a lot of pictures and tried to find any good ones I might have shot. Gradually, I began to let my heart tell me if what I see is worth being photographed or not. That is, I looked for images that connect with me visually, emotionally, or even at the spiritual level. The result was that no longer did I waste any shots and what I captured always revealed my personal vision, identifying me as the photographer. This has been a most satisfying experience.
        I bring this up because I see that seeking holiness is somewhat analogous to becoming an accomplished photographer. Reading spiritual books, joining prayer groups, and participating in other such activities can definitely inspire you to become holy; but if you want to reach sainthood, you must approach God with an open heart and make connection with him directly, as in seeking union with him.