Only Way to Live:

To live in Christ by surrendering to him, letting everything else go (if you want to be happy and free).        

Most Pleasing to God

        A contrite and humbled heart. (Today's response to Psalm 51 at Mass: A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.)

Living, a Process

        We are always going through a process. When we build a house, we get busy with construction. After it's done, we start to maintain or improve it ~ always something. In a way, things in life do not end; they merely change. Today's Gospel acclamation at Mass, Amos 5.14, reads: Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you. As we move along in the process, is God with us? This is the key question. Our process will lead us nowhere if we do not have God with us. 

Ignorant Living

        I woke up before 5 a.m. Got out of bed and looked out the bedroom window ~ it's still quite dark, but I could make out the trees and rocks with no problem. I knew that soon it would be daybreak. I saw clearly the passing of time and everything else. I would be gone too. Recently, a huge pine on the north side of my house toppled during a storm and badly damaged three other smaller pines as well on its way down. The scenery keeps changing. The last time I went back to the town where I attended college, I could hardly recognize that it's the same town. With wars and fighting going on in the Mideast and Ukraine, people and buildings are being erased from the surface of the earth daily. Yet so many people still go on behaving and acting as if they are going to live forever. Without realizing how transient everything is, especially the human life, they are far from realizing that they are sinners and need God for salvation.

A Union Experience

        Today's Communion experience. The Lord entered me. We melted into each other and melded into one.

Going Beyond Good Personal Relationship

        Of course, it feels good that you and the Lord are on good terms, but God is such a treasure, prize, and joy that you should go way beyond maintaining a good personal relationship with him. Enter his depth, explore to discover his beauty and perfection, and become one with him, then he'll be your most beloved for you to enjoy to your heart's content.  

Going Beyond Being Clear and Pure

        Of course, our conscience needs to be clear and our heart pure, but let's not stop short. We must diligently pray and help those in need and actively love everyone to spread the good news. If you surrender yourself to Christ, he will give you joy and zeal in living for him.     

Secret of Pleasing God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6, Jesus makes it clear that we are not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them. Otherwise, we would be hypocrites! In other words, we shine as light for Christ, but hide ourselves in him. It is in aiming to please God alone that we please him.

Ash Wednesday Thoughts

        Today Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. In the first reading from Joel at Mass, we heard the Lord asking us to return to him with our whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Then I saw how various government leaders around the world in order to remain in power had made decisions causing the death, injury, and displacement of millions of people. Closer to home, I lament that an old man is suing someone who had helped him much in the past purely out of jealousy. All these poor souls do not know God. We need to fast, weep, and mourn for ourselves, but let's not forget to do the same for all the foolish ones who seem not to know that they do not live forever and will face God after they die.  

How God Speaks to Us

        God would rather we remain in union with him and be holy so that we'll always know and do his will than expect him to tell us every little thing we need to do. He doesn't want us to be his puppets. He wants to shape and form us so that when we listen to our conscience, we'll hear him speaking.

The Three L's

        God should be your Lord, your Life, and your Love.

Ultimate Rest

        Communion experience. I received the Lord and felt that I was enjoying the ultimate rest in him.

Why We Should Live

        Journey to the Center of the Earth, the classic science fiction by Jules Vernes had been made into a movie several times. I saw the first 1959 version and remember the film to be quite exciting to watch. For me now, seeking union with God may be considered Journey to the Center of God, exciting in a different way. As we explore God in his infinite depth, the discovery is endless. To be in union with him is to be in paradise. He is the very reason we should live. 

All or Nothing

        God is ever present, so you may speak to him or hear him speak to you at any time. Seeing it this way, we have plenty of time. On the other hand, life is brief and it's easy to go through life without ever thinking about God. Looking at it thus, we don't have much time at all. It comes down to this: those who care about God will find and know him and those who do not, will miss and lose him entirely. As Jesus said, "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Mighty Declaration

        Today's Gospel acclamation, John 14.6: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. What a bold statement! How fitting it is for God to declare this!

Joy of Finding Christ

        I still remember the time I almost "lost" my wife in Merida, Mexico. It's night time and we were driving around looking for a place to stay for the night. She looked in a travel guide, spotted a recommended hotel, followed the map (no GPS then) and guided me there as I drove. We got there, and since there's no parking allowed on the street, I told her to go check out the place while I drove around the block before returning. Well, driving to make four right turns in a row to get back didn't turn out to be simple, even though the blocks were all rectangular. I saw one-way streets I could not enter and back alleys I should skip. Finally, I right turned onto what appeared to be a decent street. Little did I expect that the street lead me to a huge market square filled with people. By the time I slowly emerged from the square after "plowing" through the crowds, I had no idea how far I had drifted from the hotel site. Now I didn't know how far I should drive after making each right turn and just kept spiraling away in rectangles. A last-ditch plan jumped into my mind ~ I would comb each street one by one horizontally and if necessary, vertically too, to cover the entire downtown area, even if it should take all night. Naturally, I started to pray. Then I saw the map on the vacant passenger seat next to me, picked it up and noticed a tiny pencil dot at one spot ~ could that be the mark my wife had made? I parked the car in front of a store still open even though I wasn't supposed to stop, jumped out the car, ran into the store with my map and kept pointing at that dot on the map in front of a store person, as I did not speak Spanish. After a while he understood my intention. He then located his store on the map and traced out the route on the map for me to take. The next hurdle was that the street signs were all in Spanish and difficult to see at night, so I made a list of symbols for myself. For example, R3 means that I turn right for 3 blocks, L5, left for 5 blocks, and so on. Following the list, driving and counting, the hotel finally came into view. You can imagine the joy I felt seeing my wife again who had been waiting on the dark side of the street for almost an hour! I am sharing this because the joy of finding Christ is even sweeter, for it delights the soul continually day after day.

God's Deep Peace

        From Psalm 31.3-4, today's entrance antiphon at Mass: Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! This is why one in deep union with God always retains peace within the innermost core of the heart, despite ripples caused by any storm on its surface.

With and Without God

        Without God, a person does his best to find happiness on his own and finds none; he has lived an empty life. On the contrary, one who knows God finds joy and peace in the Lord. He understands that life comes with trials and troubles, but he knows that God will see him through all adversities. Here's one living a fulfilled life realistically, with the best yet to come!