All Sins Are Sins

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners." Since God is holy, before him we are all sinners. To think about whether I am a bigger or lesser sinner than someone else is pointless. That's why God asks us not to judge anyone, and the saints consider themselves to be most wretched before God. What's important is that we realize our own sinfulness and repent to the Lord, then all our sins are forgiven!

Pray as God Wished

        Today's Gospel Acclamation at Mass, based upon Ezekiel 33.11: I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live. Therefore, when we pray for the Lord's protection against attacks from an enemy, we must not judge him, but pray for his conversation. 

Joy of Learning

        Today's Response to Psalm 86 at morning Mass: Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth. If you love the Lord, you would find his teaching a joy and want him to teach you every moment of your life.

Promise of Paradise

        Today's Communion experience. I felt as if I had heard what Jesus said to one of the two criminals who were crucified along with him, the one who realized that he had been condemned justly for his crime and asked Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom: Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23.43). 

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."