Jesus, the Only One!

        I went to Vigil Mass today. After receiving Holy Communion I realized that I absolutely need Jesus, for without him I'd be stuck with my sins forever, as there's no one else who can take away my sins and make me clean again!

Holiness Indicator

        One can have a conscience so muddy that he is no longer bothered much by committing any serious sin. At the other extreme, a saint can have a conscience so clear (sharp) that he would sense and thus avoid committing the slightest transgression against God. Therefore, the sensitivity of one's conscience measures his holiness.       

God Completes Me

        Communion experience. God fills me with whatever I lack.

Keeping Motivation Pure

        God motivates us to love others, but sometimes I sense that my motivation may not be as pure as it should be because personal views and feelings can interfere, often stealthily. To keep our motivation pure, we need be fully aware that loving others and loving God are exactly the same thing. 

Serving God Right

        Serving God must never involve the ego. If you succeed, God is glorified. If you fail, God is still glorified because you've been obedient and remain at peace. Naturally, the first thing your should do is asking the Lord to eradicate your ego so as not to be in his way.

Most Holy Eucharist

        Communion experience today. As I received the perfectly round, white host, I knew that Jesus can make us pure and perfect. Never receive this Blessed Sacrament in vain.

Our Greatest Honor Is...

to be at the beck and call of Jesus to serve him alone.              

Secret of Finding and Knowing God

        God is neither someone you have to look hard to find nor someone to chase after and catch once you have found him. He is someone here, just waiting for you to see, hear, and embrace. In fact, the effective way of finding and getting to know God is to let down your entire defense, remain open and passive, and humbly yearn for him. Trying hard on your own is totally counterproductive, whereas letting God do the work is the key to success. This is true with God all the way through seeking union with him.   

Offering of the Heart

        In the beginning at Mass, we confess to God that we have sinned in our thoughts and in our words, in what we have done and in what we have failed to do. We see that thoughts, words, and deeds all originate from the heart. If we can keep our hearts pure, we shall be clean. Therefore, let Jesus rule our hearts. The heart is surely the greatest possible gift we can give to God, a gift he would appreciate and be please with.

Extra Reason for Wanting to Go to God

        As a student, I always liked to ask a lot of questions because I wanted to understand things. It can be considered one of my shortcomings that I do not embark upon any "venture" until I have thoroughly figured it out. Sometimes you get where you want to go faster by taking the plunge and whatever necessary actions along the way. Anyhow, I really would like to know how God created all things, how he makes miracles happen, how he watches over us, etc. To find out all this is my extra reason for wanting to go to him.

Crossing a Threshold

        Today is the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In the first reading from Exodus 24, when Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has told us." If the people had "everything" to include "total surrender to the Lord" in mind, they probably wouldn't have responded thus so readily. It's still the same today; it comes down to "I believe, but not all the way yet." To accept God and not be a little god yourself anymore is just plain hard, but it's in abandoning yourself entirely to God that you enter spiritual freedom. How else can you be a true child of God if you don't believe in him like a child? I can testify that the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Holy Eucharist, is exactly what we need to help us overcome this difficulty to go all the way.

God Is for Letting Us Be Holy

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus denounced the scribes who loved to show themselves off before others and praised the poor widow who put all she had into the treasury at the temple. Each of us is capable of acting like the scribes or the poor widow. Without God, I am sure we would all be more like the scribes. The presence of God in our lives affords us the chance, an outlet, as it were, for doing good like the widow ~ we need that. In time, we'll leave no more room for committing sins.

On Changing Yourself

        I often hear people say that they cannot change in certain ways, even though they know that they should. They would even use the excuse that God has made them this way. I believe the plain fact is that they are just not willing to change. It's true that they cannot easily change themselves, but they totally disregard the fact that God can even turn them into great saints if they'll only let him. Stubbornness shows the lack of humility.

Appreciating the Holy Eucharist

        Today being a First Friday, there was exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after morning Mass. It was a profound experience to adore the Lord displayed in the monstrance on the altar, knowing that this same Lord entered me just a short while ago. Truly, through the Holy Eucharist we are intimately linked to heaven, uniting with God both physically and spiritually. Jesus is indeed with us always until the end of the age (Matthew 28.20).

Following Common Sense

        Plain common sense tells me that it's impossible for any finite creature like me to grasp the infinite creator our God. I know he loves us and is all powerful, but I really cannot comprehend how much he loves us, how his mercy will bring justice to us all, how he sustains all lives and keeps the vast universe in motion, etc. It is this realization that humbles me to surrender to him willingly. If you always want to do the appropriate thing, don't overlook common sense.

How Faith Comes About

        When I was away, I recorded the The Journey Home program on EWTN. Today I watched Holly Ordway, author, professor, and former atheist, sharing her story. She mentioned that when she was an atheist, she thought faith in God was something believers force upon themselves. This made me review how my faith came about. After I was convinced that Jesus was God who came into the world to die to save us, I accepted him as my Lord and Savior (the Protestant approach). The decision was an intellectual one. If faith was present, I didn't feel it. I prayed for my faith to grow, but never at any time did I force myself to believe harder. I don't think that's even possible, since faith is a gift from God and only he can increase it. Over the years, faith started to grow almost imperceptibly, as I desired to know God more. The great spurt came during my involvement in the Catholic Charismatic Movement, when the Holy Spirit took over, stirring my heart. When I finally started seeking union with God, I entered a new phase in which God accomplishes all things, faith included, through me and for me.
       
        Just in case you are interested in hearing Holly's story, I am posting her video here:

Perfect Abandonment Time

        Communion experience. After I received the Lord, I went completely limp (passive). It's time for the Holy Spirit to caress you, knead you, transform you ~ letting the Lord do whatever he wants with you. 

Love Indicator

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus gave the two greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Clearly, how much we love our neighbor indicates how much we love God. When we find out how difficult it is to love our neighbor as ourselves, we get an inkling of how great God's love for us is.