Our Edifier

        God changes things for us, but he often changes us instead so that we might be able to deal with what we face. Nevertheless, all will be for our good and edification.

Our Deliverer

        I was away for a couple of days, so here are some thoughts I had I am now posting late. Last Friday I just knew that Jesus can absolutely deliver anyone from any spiritual quagmire they might be in if only they will submit themselves to him for help.        

Perfect Guide

        Going back to my early days, I see the times when I was not sure what I should do. I tried this, tried that, wasting years as a result. Many of today's youths also lack guidance. In college, they don't know what they should major in and often get into all kinds of trouble. We all need good guidance, and that perfect guide is Christ, I can testify. From him, you learn to know right from wrong. By following him with trust, you always have peace, no more confusion, anxiety, or wasted time. He guides your heart directly and you know that he's leading you toward eternal bliss.        

Perfect Saint

        Today is the optional Memorial of St. John Paul II. Many of us have our favorite saints and John Paul II is one of mine. Then I thought of Christ, the greatest saint of saints and the only perfect saint. It becomes clear that he's the only one we need to imitate.

Beautiful With Christ

        Today's Gospel acclamation, Philippians 3.8-9: I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him. I think it so beautiful "to be found in Christ," and equally beautiful "to find Christ in us."

Continuity of Scriptures

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 17 at Mass reads: To you I call; for you will surely heed me. O God; turn you ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me. Here is the God of Christ, the Father he prayed to. I absolutely feel comfortable praying to this same God as a Christian. The New Testament has now joined the Old, completing the Scriptures. Then I realize that to the unfulfilled Jews who do not know the New Testament, their Scripture comes to an abrupt halt and they still remain unfulfilled.

Direct Learning from God

        When you learn from spiritual writers or speakers, you are learning from what they have learned from other spiritual writers and/or speakers. Learning from the great saints who have learned directly from God is superior. Better yet, be in union with God and learn directly from the Lord yourself. Then what he places in your heart will be all you need to know to become holy. The direct route is the fast track.

God Our Only Deliverer

        Communion experience. The Lord let me know that Freedom comes only from abandoning ourselves to him, not to any other prophet, another teacher, or any other human.

Choosing Final Destination

        There can be no greater contrast between two places than that between Heaven and hell. In heaven you enjoy eternal bliss, and in hell you suffer eternal torment. We shall all end up in one or the other place. (There is no reincarnation. Turning into another person, an ant, or whatever in our next life is pure wishful fantasy.) Our life on earth is extremely brief, so choosing your eternal destination becomes top priority. Don't be enslaved by material possessions, for we are just passing through. Steer firmly toward heaven to ensure that it'll be "home, sweet home" for you.

*Power of Sin

          Sin has no power over God; it has only power over us! When sin destroys our soul, we are destroyed forever. To continue to sin is heading straight toward a place where the suffering of the souls makes me shudder. Jesus has changed everything. Acknowledge that he is our savior and we are saved. With him, sin loses all its power over us. We can respond to God or remain an eternal fool.

Discerning God's Calling

        All Christians want to know God's calling or vocation for them. Know that his ultimate calling is for us to be one with him because when we attain union with him, we will know his will. This is the fast track to discerning what God's specific callings for us are.

Standing Before the Lord

        Today's Gospel acclamation, Luke 21.36: Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man ~ Jesus said this. That we shall stand before him one day is inevitable. Sins weaken us, so to be vigilant is to be sure that they are taken away by the Lord as soon as possible. Of course, if you are pure enough to receive Holy Communion, you should have the strength to stand before him. Nevertheless, the best preparation is made by seeking union with God. When you attain it, you'd want to go to him in earnest so as to meet your most beloved.   

Again, God Is Real

        Throughout history to the present, there have been many who yearned for God, experienced a calling, believed in him and followed him joyfully even to death (for example, the Christian martyrs). If we just happened to be on earth by some kind of accident with God nonexisting, I don't believe what I described above could ever have occurred. Intuitively, I again know that God exists and has made it possible for us to know him.

God Ever-Present

        When I got up around six this morning, I did not turn on any light and saw that it was still quite dark outside. In this quiet darkness, it was easy to sense your loneness. Yet immediately I knew that Jesus was present, more certain than I knew that the sun would soon rise.

Jesus, Savior and Sanctifier

        Communion reflections. When Jesus went on the cross, he carried all our sins upon himself. We surrender to him and we become clean. When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, all his love enters us. We surrender to him and we become holy.

Formula for Happiness

        Learn from God how to love and you'll be lovely to him and happy yourself.       

Spiritual IQ

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus told the crowd the parable of the rich fool. The fool is the rich man who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God. He says to himself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!," not knowing that his life will be demanded of him that night. Here's someone who probably has a lot of business acumen, but a low spiritual IQ. Obviously, a high intellectual IQ can get you into a university, but you would need a high spiritual IQ to get into heaven.   

Journey of Faith

        I still remember when I first became a Christian, there were instants at which I sensed the existence (not presence) of God to keep me going in my journey of faith. As I persisted, my faith grew, but I was still amazed by others of stronger faith. When I asked the Holy Spirit to baptize me during my involvement in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement, things started to happen. I actually experienced the presence of God and his power of transforming us. When you let the Holy Spirit take over, your spiritual growth soars without effort on your part. Those were the memorable four and a half years of my life. Finally, the Lord withdrew and the time had arrived for me to surrender to him so that his graces might pour freely into me. Now I do not have to make myself believe anymore ~ the faith is automatically in place as I enjoy his presence within me and about me. Throughout the entire process, God remained gentle, patient, and loving. He truly respected my free will in order to make my faith meaningful to me. What a great Lord!