Know Our limits

        Scientists try to figure out how our universe came about. If we exclude God, we do not even know how we first came about. So we have a bunch of unknowns trying to figure out other unknowns ~ it can't be any easy task. If we include God, then we realize that at best we are merely observers discovering how existing things work and that there is but one all-knowing creator, our God.  

Aching Heart

        Even after we've found God or attained union with him, the yearning for him continues. I believe it's because we are still material, living in a physical world, while God is Spirit (John 4.24). And I believe that after we shed our body, we'll be able to fully enjoy God without an aching heart.

Up to Us

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. Once this smallest of all the seeds on the earth is sown in the ground, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade. How we respond to the word God sows in us determines whether we fulfill his kingdom or not. We all have the intellect or common sense needed for receiving his word, so it boils down to whether our heart is willing or not.

Amazing Truth

        In Christianity, we believe that God came down to earth, sacrificed himself on the cross so that we may have everlasting life with him in heaven. This is either the most incredible truth or just a fairy tale. Since all fairy tales are imagined and Christ is historically real, we are left with the most amazing truth!

Best Father

        My sons have grown up, but I still remember that when they still lived with me, I instinctively protected them from all harm and always wanted them to receive the best in life. If this is true with a finite, sinful mortal like me, imagine how much more our heavenly Father would protect us and give us the very best!

Powerful Love

        It's easy to get upset when things don't work out right for us, and life is full of such instances. Sometimes we tend to assume that someone intends to screw us up when it's not the case. The point is that we experience a lot of negative emotions in life. When I feel something disturbing my inner peace coming on, I just turn to Christ and immerse myself in his love ~ and I find this love so beautiful and powerful that nothing else matters and all my negative emotions just dissolve into nothingness.                

Vain Living

        "All is vanity except to love God and serve God alone" (Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ). To live not doing God's will is to live in vain (the thought came to me this morning).

Simple Progression

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus said, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus wants to bring us back to God our Father. All we need to do is the will of God. The Holy Eucharist is the perfect sacramental vehicle for accomplishing this goal. So it's a very simple progression: Holy Eucharist > Obedience to God > Back to God.

The True Jesus

        Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. Before his conversion, Paul zealously persecuted followers of Jesus. Here in Reading 1 from Acts 22, Paul tells how Jesus first called him: "On that journey [to Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment followers of Jesus] as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' I replied, 'Who are you, sir?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'" It strikes me that Jesus was gentle and polite in speaking to one of his then worst enemies and humbly referred to himself as "Jesus the Nazorean" rather than "your Lord and God." This should put all of us at ease in approaching the Lord who spoke the truth when he said "I am meek and humble of heart" (Matthew 11).

Dealing With God

        God knows everything about you and can detect the minutest insincerity in you. Examine your conscience to see how much you conceal from him and change. Stop being foolish, thinking knowingly or unknowingly that he does not know or care. 

Our Reference

        How are we doing? Good? Bad? It all depends upon what reference we use. Everything is relative. We may think that we are making good spiritual progress, but before the holy Lord, we are all wretched sinners. That's one big reason we should remain humble and not judge anyone. Let God be our reference and we won't go astray.

*Power of God's Holiness

        Communion experience. The holiness of God is awesome and most powerful. No sin can exist where his holiness reigns. Therefore, go humbly before the Lord to let his holiness obliterate all your sins so that you may be clean again. How beautiful it is to bask in God's holiness to remain pure!

Loving Jesus

        If you love Jesus, you would love his words, his teachings, the joy and consolation as well as the gifts and tests that he gives you, to hear his voice, to share his suffering, to rejoice in his glory . . . everything about him and from him.

God Waiting

        God is ready to give you all you need to get you to heaven ~ aren't you going to respond?

Most Beautiful Life

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 4 at Mass, we heard that Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

This event had to be as astounding as any of the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. In fact, Jesus' whole life is astounding act after astounding act until even after his death, revealing fully to us the love of God for us. His life on earth had to be the most beautiful, amazing, and awe-inspiring life of all.  

Believing in Jesus

        In John 20, we read that after Thomas saw the resurrected Jesus, he believed and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." If I do not believe, then I do not believe that Thomas actually saw Jesus. If I do believe, then, of course, there is no need for me to see Jesus. What happened to Thomas and what Jesus said to him help me believe in the unseen Lord with my whole heart.

Joy of Following Christ

        Self-importance imposes a big burden upon us. When we follow Christ as Lord and Savior, we lose our self-importance and joy ensues.        

Living Right

        When you follow Christ, you will never feel inferior nor superior to anyone, as you know that God loves everyone. In other words, you feel just right. And you are free to do whatever you want to do, which is pleasing God (and yourself). Then you receive the peace in your heart from the Lord and can't help but love him even more. It's a virtuous cycle.