Diametric Ways of Drawing

        This morning after Mass ended at church, an elderly parishioner on her way out, stopped momentarily by me to ask me how my Easter was. That's just a small, kind gesture, but it contrasted sharply with all the evil deeds committed against humanity worldwide. Both God and Satan are drawing people, but their ways are diametrically different. God inspires and uplifts us, while Satan lures and tempts us. God wants to free us, while Satan, to enslave us. God aims to make us selfless, while Satan wants us to be self-centered. God makes us feel clean, while Satan robs us of inner peace. To let God draw us, we remain open and passive; to let Satan draw us, we focus upon fulfilling our own desires. Know clearly who's drawing you and react accordingly. In both Matthew 16 and Luke 9, Jesus has summarized for us: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."     

Going Home Happily

        This morning's Gospel reading at Mass came from John 20. Mary Magdalene was weeping at the empty tomb, thinking that someone had taken the Lord away. Then Jesus appeared, and said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Jesus is only Son of God, yet we have the same Father and the same God! Knowing this should make us eagerly look forward to going home to our Father and our God. 

Enlightened Living

        Once you see the hand of God in all things, that he is guiding and molding you every step of the way, you do not mind whatever you are going through anymore.

You Can Not Possibly...

over-love, over-obey, or over-trust God.        

All His

        Communion experience. I am now all his, so he's going to fight all the battles for me.

Stupid Sinners

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 28, the guards assigned to watch at the tomb of Jesus were shaken with fear when they saw him raised from the dead. Some of them went and told the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests gave a large sum of money to the soldiers and told them to say that Jesus' disciples had come and stolen the body at night. The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. It seems that lying to cover up the truth is such a stupid act. As a matter of fact, committing any sin is being stupid because you think you can fool God. 

Let Joy Be Our Lord!

        With the Resurrection of Jesus giving us so much joy, how can we possibly even think of sinning? Let this joy pervade all areas of our life so that we may remain holy!

Union, a Two-Way Thing

        On this Easter Sunday, I want to enter the infinite space of the Lord entirely to dwell in him, then he lets me see that I must let him enter to occupy me fully by receiving him in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.        

Easter Hope

          Tomorrow is Easter, but my anticipated joy is preceded by sorrow when I watch the world news today. The Mideast has been embroiled in turmoil involving various government troops, rebels, militias, warlords, religious extremists, foreign volunteers, Sunni and Shia Muslims ~ too numerous to mention. Civilians continue to suffer ~ they get slaughtered, kidnapped, raped, robbed, and displaced. I believe this has to be one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history with no end in sight. One headline today: "Iraq Tikrit: looting and lawlessness follow recapture." The picture that accompanies the story shows Iraqi Shia militia, who helped recapture Tikrit from Islamic State, jubilantly displaying the V sign with raised arms. I just wonder what's really there to be happy about. Do all people think this way? Don't people ever feel sorry anymore? I suppose no one expects us to be remorseful nowadays. What is the world coming to? Has it painted itself into a corner? I hope not. The tragedy is that those who do not believe that Christ is the Savior are the ones who need him the most! This is the time to heed the Lord's warning in Mark 4.25: "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." My fervent hope is that the world will see that hope for all of us is ever present, since Christ is ever present.

Be Extraordinary Now

        Looking back in history, countless humans have come and gone. Where are they now? If we don't do anything different, we'll be like most of them ~ attached to the world, following the world's way, and disappearing into the oblivion. What we should do is something extraordinary. We need to be lifted out of this world, break free of this life, and set our eternal destiny. This is where Christ the Lord comes in. He has already died for our sins and shown us the way, the truth, and the light. There is only one true God and we only have one window in this life to seize him. Do not wait.

Pleasure of Pleasures

        At noon on this Good Friday, I prayed the Stations of the Cross with the congregation at my church. At Station XVI, we recited John 16.22: "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." The joy of Christ is indeed our greatest pleasure, which the world cannot give. Once you have this joy, no pleasure of the world will ever be able to satisfy you, plus you'll be able to discern if a pleasure is beneficial or harmful to you. 

The All-Knowing Lord

        I am happy that Jesus knows all about me so that he may mold and shape me as he sees fit, lift me up when I am down, strengthen me when I am weak, and shield me from all evil. 

The Offering Way

        Here is a way to help free yourself to get through life. Offer God your every thought, word, and action. Whatever you must do, pleasant or otherwise, offer it to God. Offer yourself to him as well. In other words, do everything unselfishly for his sake. This will not only free you from being burdened, but also turn you into a saint.  

Sinking in Sin

        It is Holy Thursday. At Evening Mass of the Last Supper, the washing of disciples' feet will be reenacted to show that we are to do for others as the Lord has done for us. This morning the Lord made me see how beautiful the world would be if we didn't sin, for it is sin that has caused today's miseries, pains, and sufferings among us all. The need for surrendering to Christ is greater than ever; would that the whole world senses this urgency! 

Beautiful Way of Finding God

        Read the Gospels and meditate upon the Lord. Let what you read speak directly to your heart. See how amazing, how beautiful, how refreshing he is. Marvel at his intentions, words, and deeds. Then believe in him, follow him, fall in love and give yourself entirely to him. You now know you've been chosen and are on your way home to him, your Father and creator. Peace, joy, and freedom sustain you the rest of your life on earth.

Need for Prayer

        We need to pray to God to praise him, thank him, to show that we love and trust him. Another reason more practical is this. Since everything works through God and nothing can happen without his knowledge and permission, to make good things happen, we need to go straight to his heart with our requests, and prayer directly links our heart to his.

First Things First

        Before we ask the Lord to have mercy on us, we should repent our sins and be ready to be merciful to our brothers and sisters.       

         Before we ask the Lord to grant us peace, we must be willing to do his will.

Following God's Example

        This morning's Entrance Antiphon at Mass taken from Philippians 2 reads: At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, for the Lord became obedient to death, death on a cross: therefore Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is such a profound statement. We have the Lord obedient to himself for his own glory! It shows that God will go to any length to accomplish what his love demands. Naturally, he alone deserves to be glorified. What's proper for us to follow is to also let love motivate everything we do to the glory of God our Father.