From today's Gospel reading, John 17.11b-19, we learn that (1) we who believe in Christ have been given to him by the Father so that we may be one with him as he and the Father are one, (2) Jesus protects and guards us so that we'll not be lost, (3) he wants us to share his joy completely, (4) the world will hate us for not belonging to it, (5) the Father will keep us from the Evil One, and (6) Jesus consecrates himself for us, so that we may be consecrated in truth. Note that he does not say that we won't suffer or be persecuted by the world.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
For Fairness' Sake
If we pray for the ones we love, those who are dearest to us, then to show that we are fair and love God, let's also pray for our worst enemies, those who are most despicable to us in the world. Then the world will be a better place.
On the Holy Spirit
Today's Communion verse, John 14.26: The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all I have told you, says the Lord. The Holy Spirit is not someone you see or hear, but the spirit that moves and shapes your heart almost imperceptibly until you know that he dwells in you. He is the great teacher, our advocate, and our protector.
God Who Died Once
Today's entrance verse based upon Revelation 1.17-18: I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. Such awe-inspiring statements! What can I say but to believe in the Lord who died for me with my whole heart? (Today's Gospel reading John 17.1-11a, with Jesus praying as the Son of the Father, was also truly awesome.)
Dangerous Thinking
Some believe that they are good enough that God is not going to punish them for what they are. This is dangerous thinking, for only God knows how truly good we are ~ we are no judges of anyone, ourselves included. Look at the great saints who considered themselves wretched worms before God. It is Jesus who said, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted," and thinking well of oneself is surely exalting oneself. When the humbling takes place, he may be in for a shock, seeing that he is not as good as he thought he was. It would be so much better to humble ourselves now and be exalted later.
Monday, May 18, 2015
God Is Bigger!
Even though I saw sin as a big thing in my last post, I see even bigger the immensity of God's love, mercy, and willingness to suffer anguish for us. This should move and strengthen us to cease sinning against him. Seek union with him now.
Sin Is Big!
After morning Mass at this church I attended as a visitor, I entered the basement chapel to meditate and pray. Afterwards I checked out the Stations of the Cross. At the 7th Station, I read "Jesus exhorts the women to weep not for him but for themselves; weep more for our sins than his sufferings." Jesus really makes a big point here (cf. Luke 23.28). Sin is a big thing ~ it offends God and can destroy us. It is to be avoided at all costs! What we see happening in the world shows clearly what sin can do to us, let alone what it can do to our souls. There is everlasting life and there is everlasting death. The urgency to stop sinning is greater than ever! I am no doomsday prophet, just a present-day realist seeing what Jesus has lead me to see.
To Follow Jesus
Today's entrance verse at morning Mass, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1.8), made me aware that we are to be Jesus' witnesses. The Gospel acclamation, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3.1), reminded me that we have been raised with Christ. In the Gospel reading from John 16, the disciples said to Jesus, "Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God." So, as followers of Jesus we believe in him, are raised with him, and become his witnesses.
My Lifeline
Prayer is my lifeline. Without prayer, I am alone and doomed; with prayer, I am linked to God, my light, my life, my hope and my freedom.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Focusing on Jesus
If I always center upon Jesus, seek him alone, turn to him for all my needs, letting no one affect my steadfastness, and even if the whole world with all Christians turn away from Jesus, I still remain with him, then I am the most secure person in the whole world.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Most Significant Change
Communion experience. When the bread and wine were changing into the body and blood of Christ during consecration, it seemed that all else happening in the world became relatively insignificant.
Jesus Not to Be Dismissed
I attended a local church nearby for morning Mass. The Gospel acclamation, John 16.28, read: I came from the Father and have come into the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. The Communion verse, John 17.24, read: Father, I wish that where I am, those you gave me may also be with me, that they may also see the glory that you gave me. I found these two sayings of Jesus impossible to dismiss; we must believe that Jesus knew absolutely what he was saying or not at all. I love the Lord for speaking definitively always, not allowing us to take the middle ground.
Friday, May 15, 2015
At God's Mercy
Due to the inferior vision in my left eye, if I do not watch my steps, I am liable to trip over some obstacle and fall. This has happened on the average about once a year in the last five years or so. Once my chest landed on the armrest of a sofa after I missed a step upon entering a darkened living room in someone's house. It took eight weeks to recover from the fall. The day before yesterday again I tripped on the street unexpectedly, bruising and/or scraping both knees, my left wrist and my chin. The concussion caused a momentary loss of the memory, but examination showed that there's no internal bleeding in the brain; so I know I should be all right in a few weeks. Yesterday I got the news that a friend was informed by her doctor that she now has an inoperable brain tumor just weeks after learning that her lung cancer had been brought under control. My stark realization is that everything that happens to us is at the mercy of God. The important thing is when some misfortune or mishap happens whether we will have God with us or not. Without God, we would feel depressed or even devastated; but with God, we can offer up my sufferings and be relieved, consoled or even healed.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
God Omnipotent
For the next three weeks or so, I'll be on the road quite a bit, so I might not be able to blog daily. Anyway, on a flight yesterday, the plane encountered turbulence during its descent that I got airsick. It struck me that our earth rotates around its axis once a day so that anyone on the equator would be traveling through space at over 10,000 miles per hour, plus the earth also revolves around the sun once a year in an elliptical orbit; yet the combined motion is so smooth that we do not even feel it. And this probably has been going on for billions of years. I couldn't help but marvel at God's omnipotence.
Making Jesus No. 1
If you make Jesus #1 in your life, you will have eternal life ~ can you do it? Imagine that you are standing on the edge of a cliff and God asks you to jump off. You obey and try to jump off, and find your feet stuck to the ground ~ you are completely safe. This is exactly what happened to Abraham when God commanded him to offer his son Isaac up as a burnt offering (Genesis 22). As Abraham was about to slaughter Isaac, the angel of the Lord stopped him, for he passed the test. Likewise, when you go ahead to make Jesus #1 in your life, you will be completely safe.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Grateful to God
Today's Communion experience. After receiving the Lord, I was so grateful and asked him, "How could you?" He answered, "Because I am who I am." And I knew that he is love.
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