Jesus Has Few Friends

        There's this story about St. Teresa of Avila. Once, when she was traveling to one of her convents, her carriage tipped in crossing a torrential stream and she fell into the muddy water, injuring her leg. Soaked and hurt, she cried to God, "Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!" Humor aside, the Lord still has few friends today. In our present secular societies, people look up to pop stars, rock musicians, sports heroes, those who have glamour, wealth, and/or power. Mother Teresa was inspiring, but how many of us wanted to be like her? The humble, meek, and self-giving image of Christ just does not appeal to the world anymore. Timid Christians ashamed of him are legion. What is certain is that if we ignore the Lord, he will ignore us in the end too. The worst thing you can possibly hear said to us is "I do not know you" from the one who loved us the most (Matthew 25.12, Luke 13.27).

Changing Perspective

        Sometimes I wonder what I have done for Christ. It seems that I haven't succeeded in bringing many people to him or done anything extraordinary for his glory. Then it dawns on me that I am again seeing things from my perspective, while the Lord only wants me to be holy so that I might be saved, and not be so concerned about what I have accomplished in his name.    

Cause of Uneasiness

        The more one feels uneasy upon hearing the name of Jesus, the more that person needs to surrender himself to the Lord for mercy.

Going Beyond the Heart

        Today's Communion experience. I felt joy in my soul.

Fundamental Truth

        Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The last part I italicized is a truth in itself. Since Jesus is the truth, knowing him solves the puzzle of life. I now know where I came from, why I am here, and what my final destination is going to be. Through Jesus, I now belong to God, my creator and Father. In other words, I am now free!

Reading God's Mind

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6 at morning Mass, the first thing Jesus said to his disciples was: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. All the teachings Jesus gave us told us what he, God, is like. His desire was for us to be like him. The reason could only be love.  

Be a Contrarian

        An investor in stocks is called a contrarian if he buys when everyone else is selling and sells when everyone else is buying. Often he ends up making more money than many regular investors. Here's how to be a contrarian Christian.

        The more things go against you, the more you put your trust in God. The more your enemies attack you, the more you seek refuge in God and pray for their conversion. The more you undergo suffering, the deeper you enter God for strength and consolation. The more you run into problems, the more you welcome the challenge. Moreover, be determined not ever to let evil defeat you, not ever to let any sin of yours be the cause of your death ~ die only for the glory and love of God.

Breaking Free of the Maddening World

        The world seems to have locked itself in a perpetual vicious cycle with almost every nation and everyone wanting to do things its or his way, resulting in waging all forms of wars against each other ad infinitum. The only way to break free of this madness is to let Jesus (not any god who's not all love) save us. Here, saving us means making us not of the world, thereby getting us ready for heaven after this life. There is no other way, for there is only one true God.

Concentrated Living

        To learn to play a piano piece, you learn faster if you take on a small number of measures each time. Trying to swallow the whole piece at once always results in longer overall learning time. It works the same way in living the spiritual life. The truth is that we can only live in the present moment because the past is gone and the future is not here yet. Therefore, focus upon serving God, overcoming sufferings, putting your trust in God, and so on, every present moment you live. Projecting into the future can only weaken your present concentration. If you see or rest in God, you are seeing or resting in him now.

Love, Our Answer

        Since God is love, love is the solution to all our problems. Like Jesus we must love everyone, including our enemies, and love the cross sent our way. Let the love of God set us ablaze so that we may shine brilliantly in the world.

Wasting Time

        Communion time thought. Doing anything not for the sake of Christ, dying included, is a waste of time.

The Suffering Test

        In suffering, one sees the opportunity to trust in God even more, offering up his suffering and thanking the Lord for his mercy; another gets upset, worrying and complaining to or even cursing the Lord.  Suffering brings out the best and the worst in us. 

God Takes Care of Us

       The Lord told Jeremiah the prophet, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." In Matthew 25, Jesus said that on the day of the Judgment of the Nations, he would say to his chosen sheep, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." How can I not be elated upon hearing that God knew me before I was born and that he had prepared a place for me from the very beginning? Such great comfort! 

In Harmony with God

        Communion thoughts. The Holy Eucharist is the Lord himself perfecting us. Receiving him with reverence, love, and appreciation puts us in perfect harmony with him ~ a most beautiful thing.

Discerning God's Will

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7 at morning Mass, Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." At the end, he added, "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you." This tells me clearly that I could ask the Lord to shield me from evil, but not to destroy my foes ~ praying for their conversion would be his intention.

Our Best Defense

        If we keep a clear conscience, the Lord is with us and we no longer need to be afraid of any attacks from evil enemies. Since our soul is safe in him, these attacks become more like annoying mosquitoes and flies around us.

Birds Behave Better

       http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026 ~ this link takes you to a happy, amazing story about the bond formed between a young Seattle girl and a horde of crows. Perhaps, dogs aside, crows are our best friend too. Viewed morally, these grateful crows in the story put a lot of us to shame. 

Time Running Out!

        There is just so much time we have on this earth. That time is running out is what we should be aware. When we face God, we will have to account for everything we did in our life. Did we glorify or offend the Lord? Not hurting anyone, just minding your own business, won't do you any good, for the sin of omission can be as serious as the sin of commission. Overall, you reap in this life and/or the next what you sow in this life.