Going All the Way

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus taught Peter to keep forgiving a brother who sinned against him. According to Jesus, we are either forgiving or not forgiving. Forgiving means forgiving always, and if we can only forgive a fixed number of times, then we are basically not forgiving. The same goes with obeying God, loving others, being holy, etc.  Obeying God means obeying him in all things; loving others, loving all the way; being holy, doing it the best you can. See how God tried to save us by dying for us ~ that's going all the way!

An Obligation

        If you believe that God is your Father and you are his child, then you have the obligation to honor, obey, serve, and love him, especially because he loves you so much.

Joy-Giving Conscience

        It's a joy to know that when you are on the verge of sinning, you are able to stop or turn away quickly. This is like you recognize quicksand in front of you and you immediately walk away from it. If you stick out your foot to test the sand, you've started sinning. A clear conscience assures inner peace ~ this is how God has made us.

Thirst Quenched

        Today's entrance verse from Psalm 84: My soul is longing and yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. The Communion response from Psalm 42: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God! It amazes me that the Psalmists before the time of Christ were already in such a state of great intimacy with God. 

       Communion experience today. The thirst of my soul for the Lord was there, but I was assured that it would be completely quenched one day.

A Christian's Focus

        Liberal and conservative politicians are making strong statements about what they are in this year of election. A Christian need not bother with being a liberal or a conservative, for he simply follows Christ. That is, a Christian focuses upon solely being Christlike and is not concerned about what anyone, himself included, thinks of him. 

Let God Exalt You

        God is infinite. His love is infinite. Therefore, ask him to give you all the grace you need to become holy and one with him. Aim high and he'll lift you high. 

How to Be Perfect

        Communion experience. God is perfect and we can be too if we obey him perfectly.

Source of Inner Peace

        Obedience to God, as unrest results from rebellion against God. 

We Are Loved!

        At Mass we again heard the Parable of the Lost Son from Luke 15. The father was so happy to see his repentant, lost younger son coming home that he prepared a big celebration to welcome him back. But the older son got angry because he thought the father was being unfair, since he had been with the father all along and never been treated like this. What we need to know is that God loves us all and we must never question what he does, for knowing that he loves us no less is more than sufficient for us. In fact, we must rejoice for this very reason.

Interesting Dreams

        I had an interesting dream last night. I dreamed that I had committed a number of sins (not clear what they were). I was worried and somewhat horrified. Then still dreaming, I realized that I was only dreaming so that I really had not committed those sins and was greatly relieved. Another similar dream I might have blogged happened decades ago before the fall of Communism. I dreamed that I was trapped in a Communist country and was horrified. Again, in my dream I realized that I was only dreaming and that in reality I was sleeping in a bed at home in a non-Communist country. Great relief again.

         On the other hand, the pleasant dreams I enjoyed the most were those in which I experienced the presence of Jesus.

Inseparableness

        Communion experience. I simply remained still and passive and let the love of my Lord completely envelop me, making me inseparable from him.

Self-Imprisonment

        Read about Jesus in the Gospels. He is all good. He is holy and full of love and compassion for the people. With great authority, he brings the good news. Great miracles support that he is the Savior of all. If you cannot say that he is all phony-baloney but still do not accept him, it's because you are still a slave to your self-importance. 

Most Special Status

        Communion experience. After receiving the Lord, there were just the two of us in each other, with me shedding all my burdens and attachments. 

Our Last Chance

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16 at Mass, we heard The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. When Lazarus the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. And he cried out to Abraham for help. But now there's a great chasm between them to prevent anyone from crossing. The rich man then begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his father's house to warn this five brothers, lest they should come to the same place of torment. But Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. If they will not, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead." A good point. Now, in addition to Moses and the prophets, we have Jesus, the Son of God, to listen to. He is truly our last chance.

Most Private Moment

        Communion experience. I was able to forget all about myself and the troubles of the world and focus upon my creator and Lord only.

Why We Are in Trouble

        We know that we are sinners. When we do not let God (Christ) be our Lord, the world becomes disordered. These two sentences pinpoint why we are deeply in trouble. The remedy is clear: we only need to give in to God.

Ideal Companion

        No human being can or would want to understand me fully, but God already knows all about me. Imperfections in other humans I see all the time, but God is always perfect. I am annoyed by my own imperfections, and God removes them. No one except him alone can unburden my heart, heal my soul, and uplift my spirit. When you are in union with him, he becomes your soul mate, bosom buddy, and the love of your life. The Lord is the ideal companion each one of us needs, and I greatly rejoice in that.        

Engulfed by the Lord

        Communion experience on this Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. I was completely engulfed by Jesus, my greatest and only consolation, away from the chaotic, squabbling world, all fighting for their own gain.