Joy That Liberates Us

        All the pleasures of the world you can derive from sex, food, alcohol, bodily comfort, material possessions, fame . . . cannot liberate us. In fact, once we are addicted to any of them, we become burdened and enslaved. But the good news is that once you experience God's love and are overwhelmed by his holiness, all the worldly pleasures lose their appeal and your new joy sets you free. 

To Worship God Properly

        God is to be worshiped, I think we all know that. But do you also know that to worship God properly requires surrendering ourselves to God completely?

To Be Receptive to Christ

        I feel sorry for so many people who are so in this world as if they are going to be here forever. They create their own problems due to not knowing what life truly means. If you try to tell them about Christ, they just do not get it. This makes me realize that to be receptive to God, one must (1) realize that he is a sinner and (2) feel the need for God. If that time is not here yet, all you can do is sow a seed now and keep praying for the person.  

Life Needs God

        At church this morning, I learned that three youths of our community met their tragic deaths around 2 a.m. yesterday when a possibly drunk driver in a black vehicle with lights off going the wrong way hit their car on the freeway. This is as unexpected as being hit by a tsunami or a roadside bomb. Life can be here this moment and gone the next ~ all the more we need to place ourselves completely in God's hands. When you pray, I would appreciate very much that you remember them all, including the surviving hit driver who is now hospitalized.

Adoption Time

        It is through the Holy Spirit that we cry out, "Abba, Father!" as adopted children of God (Romans 8, Galatians 4). Anytime you feel compassion toward someone, that's the Father wanting to connect with you. If you don't know him yet, this would be a perfect time to ask him to adopt you.  

Honor Your Parents

        Jesus repeatedly denounced the scribes and Pharisees by saying "Woe to you, you hypocrites." If your parents are still living, honor and love them. for neglecting them now and showing up at their funeral to say something nice about them is being hypocritical. 

The Nearness of God

        I attended a mini-retreat this morning at a local seminary and we had Eucharistic adoration after Mass. Seeing the Eucharist displayed on the altar perhaps not more than 10 feet away, I was amazed that my God was so close to me that he even physically entered me earlier to become one with me!

What Would Jesus Have Done?

        With the Charlie Hebdo attack still fresh in my mind, I asked Jesus what he would have wanted me to do if he had been irreverently mocked by the magazine. I heard the Lord say, "Forgive and pray for them ~ they know not what they do," echoing the first words he spoke in his final hours on the cross. 

Only One Desire

        There is only one desire you need: Desire God only and give all your other desires to him.

Home with Jesus

       Communion experience. I am home because I already have Jesus ~ now I can let everything else go.

Trusting in God at Its Best

        In this chaotic, disordered world, we can feel helpless, wondering what we can do to make the world a better place. Don't get discouraged when sometimes all you can do is performing a little gesture such as a smile. Do your best to love and let God take care of the rest. This is trusting in God at its best.  

Proper Order of Concern

        We possess three conditions: the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. We tend to be concerned about our physical well-being the most and our spiritual well-being the least. It's proper to reverse this order, for it's only when we are spiritually fit are we fit to deal with mental and physical problems, not the other way around.

Choosing "a" God

        There is only one God, but there are numerous conceptions of him out there. Personally, I would choose the God who is love, teaching us to never judge, always forgive, and love even our enemies, and has demonstrated this love by coming down to us from heaven in person and dying on the cross for our salvation. Any other "versions" of God that fall short of this one, I can not and will not accept.

Wake Up to Death

        Another young man I used to know has died of cancer. People around the world are tragically getting killed everyday ~ look at the current Charlie Hebdo incident. We all know that we are going to die one day, yet so many of us still live as if they are going to live forever. Perhaps they are afraid to face death? Anyhow, to wake up to death is to face reality. Then know God through Jesus the Son and you'll live forever, making death a nonissue.  

God Indispensable

        When we find it difficult to love others, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love to be poured out on others. When we have sins to overcome, we go deep into God and he fills us with his pure love, banishing all evil desires. When we seek peace and freedom, we go deep into God and he fills us with his sweet love, dispelling all our anxieties and attachment to the world. When our hearts are troubled, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love that heals the soul. The Lord fights all the battles for us! Absolutely, we cannot live (or survive) without him.   

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!