Today is the Memorial of St. Agatha. The optional Memorial Psalm Response was: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit from Psalms 31. Before Jesus breathed his last on the cross, he cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." After receiving Holy Communion, I felt that this utterance was also most appropriate for us to express our readiness to abandon ourselves to God.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
A Prayer Request
Christians are currently being persecuted in various countries around the world. Read this report http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31124837 about the young Christian girl Asia Bibi facing the death sentence in Pakistan. Even though an earlier report had shown that the charge of blasphemy against her was framed, she is still not out of the woods yet. So I ask you to pray for the victim and her family. Moreover, pray also for the persecutors who usually need God's mercy even more. We include all because God loves us all.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Unbreakable Bond
Communion experience. I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist and felt the strong bond between us ~ there is absolutely nothing that can break his love for me. I knew that he would always defend me.
More on Free Will
I went to morning Mass and heard today's Gospel reading from Mark 6. Jesus was not appreciated in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house. In fact, many who heard him teach in the synagogue took offense at him. Because of their lack of faith, Jesus wasn't able to perform any mighty deed. Despite the rejection he received, he did not force anyone to believe in him. This confirms what I said in the previous post about not forcing anyone's free will. Naturally, God does create circumstances in which we willingly change our hearts to follow him.
Thoughts on Free Will
There are some religions in the world that force others to believe in what they believe in. If you don't go along, you are in danger of being charged with blasphemy and put to death. This made me think why God gave us the free will in the first place. With free will, faith becomes meaningful. If we are forced to believe, then there is no real faith. When Jesus preached his good news, whether we believe in him or not is our choice ~ he never browbeat us. So I see free will as a God-given gift we should leave each individual to exercise freely. To control it is to go against what God has intended. This means that we are to evangelize by example and not by force.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Acquiring Perfection
Communion experience. Perfection entered me ~ the perfect time to let the Lord rub off on me.
Praying with Faith
The Lord made me see at Mass this morning that praying with faith is praying with the knowledge that he will answer your prayer, but without any concern about how he is going to answer it.
God's Omniscience
In today's Gospel reading from Mark 5 at Mass, a woman afflicted with hemorrhages came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his cloak, and was immediately cured. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my cloths?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" What's clear to me is that God is aware of everything we do. Darkness is no place to hide ~ in the light of Christ, all is exposed. This is of great consolation to me, knowing that all wrongs will be corrected in the end, since God sees everything.
Longing for God Is...
the sign that his love has penetrated your heart so that you have fallen in love with him.
Our Beautiful Hope
In John 10.10, Jesus said, "I came so that they [his sheep] might have life and have it more abundantly." God is the source of life ~ he creates new life or makes old life new. Therefore, we can always begin afresh in God ~ this is the hope we possess, a hope his sheep greatly appreciate and rejoice in.
Number One Reality
We live in a real world. Not facing reality can only be considered cowardly or foolish. We all are going to die one day; our sins rob us of peace; we question the meaning of life . . . these are just some of the realities we all share. But the most important reality is that God our creator is love as revealed through Jesus the Son. Upon our return to him, we'll have to give an account of how we dealt with realities in this life. Acknowledging the reality of God sheds light on all other realities, enabling us to face them with courage and understanding.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
One the Use of Our Free Will
God gave us the free will. Do not let it roam free; but put it to good use by choosing to follow Christ always. With the will of God being the same as yours, you may now retire your free will for good.
Only Perfect Way to Go
After posting over 4,000 times, there are not many new things for me to say. I now either say the same thing in a new way or see the same thing more clearly. This morning at Mass I saw most clearly that total abandonment in God (total immersion in his love) is the ideal, only perfect way to go. Anything falling short of that may not be good enough, for God deserves absolutely our best, our all. Whatever we do or wish for should be done or asked in total abandonment to him without anxieties. We are meant to surrender ourselves to God for him to accomplish all things through us.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Responding to God
Learning about God through others' writings, speeches, and experiences can be inspirational, but God is so magnificent, beautiful, great, magnanimous, and glorious that you need to "tackle" him yourself directly in order to taste him. Seeking union with him is the ideal way ~ we need to give our all in order to receive him in full. This is responding to his calling and his infinite love.
Correct All Wrongs
There is only one life for us to live on earth. If you have not loved enough, forgiven, or tried to understand others, get all your wrongs corrected before leaving this world so that you may face the Lord without trepidation. Better yet, seek union with God now so that you will know only how to love. All sins are deadweights that keep us earthbound. Drop them so that you may soar heavenward.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Living Unplanned
Life rarely works out exactly as planned. I had never thought that one day I would end up where I am living now. If six years ago someone had told me that I would be writing a spiritual blog, I wouldn't have any idea what that person was talking about. This morning I ended up having to wait a long time to get my car tested for smog and the car did not even pass, all unexpectedly, upsetting the schedule I had mentally planned. Therefore, the sensible way to live is to trust in God every moment, come what may.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)