In Tune With God

        To be in tune with God is to be aware of his presence, ready to communicate with him at any time, and not go off on my own to do what I want to do. Sinning easily gets us out of tune with the Lord and we no longer feel his presence nor hear his voice, and we sin even more. The Lord is ever present; so if we lose him, we are the cause. Being in union with him is the most effective way of remaining in tune with God.

Glorious Freedom

        In today's first reading from Romans 8, Paul mentions the glorious freedom of the children of God. That caught my ear, for the children of God are no longer bound by their life on earth. As death has no power over the resurrected Lord, the children of God also has been given life for ever. They are gloriously free because they are shielded by the love of God which nothing can separate from them.

Longing for God

          Communion experience. God exalted me as he made me yearn and long for him. I desired to give myself to him as much as to have him for myself.

We Have No Covers

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus points out the hypocrisy of the leader of the synagogue. Let's remember that no one can hide or escape from the Lord. He sees and knows everything about us ~ we are completely naked, exposed, and transparent to him. Let's keep this in mind as we live our lives. Believing otherwise is to believe that God is not all-knowing, making us look like fools.

Joy of the Lord

        I felt great joy at Mass this morning. How could I not when you possess Christ, the source of joy, already? The entrance antiphon from Psalm 105 read: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. The Communion antiphon from Psalm 20 was also into joy: We will sing out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God. It amazed me that I felt the same way about God as the psalmist did three millennia ago.

Number One

        Make God number one in our lives and we become number one in his eyes.

Jesus Unburdens Us

        Everything is hard if you do not know Jesus ~ there are just so many things to deal with, spiritually or otherwise. But if you know Jesus and let him take charge of your life, you are unburdened and everything becomes easy.

God to Be Leaned On

        In the Gospel reading from Mark 10 at Mass, we learned that a blind man kept crying out, asking Jesus to have pity on him. Jesus called him, and he threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. The Lord asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately, he received his sight. 

        Indeed, it's "ask and you'll receive." We must be used to asking Jesus for help, or it won't be easy for us. Yesterday I saw a woman sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against the wall of a bar restaurant. She looked very much in distress, so I got down to talk to her. She teared up quickly while telling me some of the horrible family problems. I suggested praying to Jesus for help, but I could tell that it's not something she would readily consider doing. It made me realize that it's important for us to develop the "natural habit" of turning to God for help anytime we are in trouble, for God is to be leaned on.

Our Arranger

        Trust in Jesus to let him arrange everything, big and little, present or future, including our death, for us.

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.