I know a lot of Christian denominations do not believe in purgatory. They believe that once you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are saved forever. This is rather simplistic thinking. If it were true, there is no incentive for us to grow holy anymore. Then, as sinners how many of us are pure enough to get into heaven? Would a great sinner enter as easily as a saint? Remember that in Matthew 7.21, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven." I am not a theologian, but I see the existence of purgatory as a sign of God's great mercy. This is how heaven-bound sinners get purified. Naturally, the purification process depends upon your sinful state. Without purgatory, heaven would be a sparsely populated place; with it, many are saved. (Check the Catechism of the Catholic Church for a full explanation.)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Our Greatest Danger
Matthew 5.17-19 was today's Gospel reading at morning Mass. What the Lord said was earthshaking. To me, Jesus as God always spoke the truth, and truth does not go away ~ it gets fulfilled. Since the people of the world is paying little attention to the messages of Christ the Lord, the greatest danger they face now is not possibly another world war or some horrendous natural disaster, but the loss of their souls for all eternity.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Most Beautiful Relationship
Part of today's Entrance Antiphon at Mass from Psalm 17 read: Guard me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. I see the amazing relationship between God and any of us who belong to him. We are so small and limited, yet we are the apple of his eye, and he loves us. When we love him back, we have the union of the puny and finite with the holy, immortal, and mightiest. This is truly an incredibly beautiful thing!
On Forgiving Others Again
In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 18, Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother who sinned against him not just seven times, but seventy-seven times. I used to wonder if I should forgive an enemy who's unremorseful. The answer now is clearly yes. This teaching of the Lord is consistent with his teaching about judging not and loving your enemies. Holding a grudge against someone is like keeping poison in your heart ~ guess who's being poisoned. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant that followed in the Gospel reading, Jesus made it clear that God would not forgive us if we did not forgive others for the same sin. If we want God to forgive us always, we have no choice but to forgive others always. After all, it's only what God, not any other human being, does to us that counts.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Asking for God's Help
If I believe that God is my only help, then of course he is going to help me whenever I need his help! This is exactly what Jesus had said, "Ask and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7.7).
Union Coming into Focus
Today's response to Psalms 42 and 43 at Mass reads: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God? In reading the Psalms, I am amazed at how King David and the other psalmists were passionate about and intimate with the Lord they believed in so much ~ the longing, the begging, the praising. It seems that with our advantage of knowing Christ, we should truly be able to develop an even closer relationship with God. I see Union with God coming into focus.
Are We Any Better?
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4 at morning Mass, Jesus, like the prophets before him, was not accepted in his own native place. The people in the synagogue were furious at what he said, drove him out of town and were ready to hurl him headlong over the brow of the hill on which their town had been built. I thought of the many of us who are not necessarily angry at the Lord, but nevertheless are lukewarm or just do not care much about him ~ are they any better than those in the synagogue in his native place?
God Our Only...
Jesus is the only one we can fully trust. He is our only hope. He alone is our true rock and refuge. He is the only one who fully understands our plight and can save me from eternal damnation. He is the only one who can bring peace to our world if only we follow him. He is the only one who is infinitely merciful. He is the only one with the greatest possible love for us. He is the only one worth our adoration and praise. He is the only one who can transform us into holy saints. He is the only God Incarnate. He is our greatest treasure and miracle!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Story of a Jewish Catholic
I record The Journey Home programs hosted by Marcus Grodi on EWTN. This morning I enjoyed watching Dr. Robin Pierucci, a Jewish Convert, telling her interesting, beautiful story.
(You might also enjoy watching Rosalind Moss on The Journey Home I posted in 2013: http://journeyofimperfectsaint.blogspot.com/2013/08/mother-miriam.html.)
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Deep Journey
Communion experience. It was a deep journey into the interior of the Lord in a short time.
Powerful Acts and Words
I attended 5 p.m. Vigil Mass today. The Gospel reading from John 2 is powerful. Jesus drove those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers all out of the temple area. To those who sold doves he said, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. Then the Jews asked him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." He was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this.
Welcoming Trial
This morning in the church vestibule, for the first time I read this saying attributed to St. Augustine under the title "Trials and Suffering" taped on the CD and book rack. It reads: "Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial." I agree with everything here and the last sentence truly taught me. We can take advantage of trial by drawing ourselves closer to God. Through trial, we find out how strong our faith is and how much we trust in the Lord.
Most Beautiful Father
Today's Gospel reading at Mass contained the Parable of the Lost Son, Luke 15.11-32. Like the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, this parable is also on my must-read list because it tells of the love of our Father for us so beautifully. You have to be insane or idiotic not to embrace such a loving Father! (Pardon my honest expression.)
Take Your Shower
To be steeped in sin is like wallowing in mud. You may feel the pleasure, but you know that you are filthy. To have God forgive you and take away your sins is like getting washed in a nice, hot shower ~ you feel clean and invigorated afterwards. Know when to take your shower.
Making Yourself Happy
There are two ways to make yourself happy, one true and one false. The true way is to make others happy, and you'll feel good about it. The false way is to ignore others' feelings to get your way, and you'll never taste inner peace.
*God's Judgment
The Lord's judgment will always be just and remain the same. If you commit a more serious sin, it doesn't mean that he'll judge you more harshly. One thing that really works on our side: God's mercy ~ if we repent, our sins are forgiven. In conclusion, it's up to us to set the judgment we are going to receive at the end.
Friday, March 6, 2015
What's Good Will Be Well
Sometimes I wondered what's going to happen to the good people who do not know Christ and those who do not seem to get a fair shake in life, whom the world might brand as losers. After rereading Jesus' Beatitudes (Matthew 5.3-12) today, I knew that God would bless and take care of them.
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