What We Can Do Matters

        President John F. Kennedy's most famous quote came from his 1961 inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Christians could easily challenge themselves by replacing "your country" with "God" in Kennedy's words. Sadly, as we get older we are more concerned about what we can do to enjoy life more before we die. Taking vacation trips and finding a good retirement home in advance are commonly expressed. It seems that in the increasingly shorter time we have left in life, we should be concerned about how we can love and serve God more, for getting ready to enter heaven to meet God is no casual affair.  

Union with the Apostles

        Communion impact. I heard the exact words the Apostles heard at the Last Supper and received exactly what they received at the Last Supper ~ I am one with them.

All God or No God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." If these grandiose words were spoken by someone else, I would've instantly dismissed them as coming from someone who didn't know what he's talking about. Then if God had spoken them, every word makes sense and is trustworthy. Again, Jesus is all God or no God.

Give Jesus a Chance

        In today's first reading from Acts 13 at morning Mass, Paul came to Antioch and spoke to all in the synagogue: "To us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death...." The people of today are exactly the same ~ they hear Jesus mentioned again and again, but they just tune him out. To be open-minded does not mean that you should accept him ~ it merely gives him a chance. And giving him this chance may very well be giving yourself the chance to discover how you can live happily forever! 

Gentle Lord

        God is so gentle that when he teaches us, he simply opens our eyes so that we may see the truths for ourselves.

Strength from Union

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord to be one with him gave me great strength because I felt all his pains and that any attack from the evil one on me is an attack on him. 

God or Mammon

        In both Matthew 6 and Luke 16, Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve both God and mammon. If we do not choose to serve God, then we're surely going to end up serving mammon, as that's the easy way to go. Only in serving God will we find serving mammon distasteful. So the important thing is to decide as soon as possible whom we wish to serve or we'll be drifting through life being slaves of mammon.  

Jesus Our Comfort

        Let's look at our situation. We are bound to a planet of finite size and live only for a limited time. We may be actively looking for happiness or just sit around for happiness to happen. We keep ourselves busy to escape from facing reality. We see that whatever good we do will become history and be forgotten. To make life meaningful, we need is to latch onto something that's permanent and can make us live forever and be happy. This is where Jesus comes in, fulfilling what we desire. He is the one whom the Father has sent, the Perfect One, our Comfort. 

*Checking Jesus Out

        If you do not know Jesus yet, but are interested in checking him out, I propose that you do it this way. First, empty your mind of all prejudices, preconceived notions ... in fact, everything you have learned about him so that you may remain open-minded and objective. Then shut out all distractions and read any or all of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) as if you are reading it for the very first time. At the end you should be able to conclude either he is the true God or the most remarkable false teacher that had ever existed. But note: If you come to the latter conclusion, you'll also have to conclude that all authors of the books comprising the New Testament had been deceived by Jesus or they simply wrote fiction ~ all in all, even more incredible!

Highest Calling

        Today is the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena. As I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I felt his calling for me to be one with him. It seemed unthinkable that we would receive this greatest gift of heaven, but not want to give more of ourselves to him!

Love of Enemies

        The Beatitudes Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew include this one: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." It follows that if we are to make peace, we must pray for the conversion of our enemies, not their destruction. Indeed, later Jesus did teach, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

More Ave Maria Videos

        I have posted Ave Maria by 4 different composers (listed under Good Sites, Blogs, Web Pages... in the right margin). I am now replacing the Bach/Gounod video in the list with this version featuring Deborah Sasson, also with Andre Rieu. I think Sasson sounds a little bit more musical and polished than Skota.

              

        I am adding this Schubert's Ave Maria sung by Mirusia Louwerse, again with Andre Rieu. Barbara Bonney, already listed, may be more pure, but Louwerse is more expressive.

Love Bridges the Gap

        Communion experience. I felt totally unworthy to receive the Lord, for he is holy in heaven and I am sinful on earth. Then I saw the sun whose light and warmth still reach us even though it is almost 93 million miles away. In Jesus' case, his great love for us has bridged the gap. 

Superior Spiritual Life

        Repentance is absolutely necessary for salvation, since sin can only be forgiven through repentance before God. Surrender lifts one out of the ordinary pathway and makes one holy, thus greatly reducing the need for repentance. Therefore, repent but aim for surrender to live the superior spiritual life.   

Comforting Words

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Since the words of Jesus will not pass away, even when heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 23, Mark 13, Luke 21), these words were a great comfort to hear again at morning Mass.  

Why God Wants Us to Be Holy

        Perhaps the post should have preceded the last one. There is no doubt that God wants to be one with us because he loves us. And this is why he wants us to be holy, for if we are filthy and soiled, how would it be possible for him to dwell within us? 

Letting God Make Us Holy

        God wants us to be holy and that's a high goal indeed, but no worry. Since he sets the goal, all we need to do is say yes to him and he'll make us holy without the need to crawl and struggle on our own ~ it's all up to us and all up to him, again with him doing the work. Note that all miracles are performed by God and surrendering to him makes us see miracles.

Ready to Follow Jesus?

        In Matthew 4, we read that as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men" and they at once left their nets and followed him. Then he saw the two brothers James and John in a boat with their father, mending their nets. He called them too and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. A good test for us to see how willingly we are to follow the Lord is to ask ourselves how we would respond should he ask us to leave the world to go to him. Would we hesitate or comply instantly?