Temptation vs. Joy in God

        All temptations keep us earthbound, only joy in God makes our spirit soar heavenward in freedom.

Highest Possible Honor

        In John 15, Jesus said to his disciples, "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit." You may be chosen as Person of the Year, the recipient of an honorary degree, or the gold medal winner in some competition, but all these notable honors are nothing compared to what you receive when God choses you to follow him now to enjoy eternal life with him later in heaven. Think about it.

How Well Knowing God

        Once you get to know God intimately, you can't help but fall in love with him. Now you have reached the top level of knowing God.

Exciting News

        Today is the Feast of Saints Phlip and James, Apostles. In the Gospel reading from John 14, when Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus said, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." So, if we know Jesus, we know the Father. If we want to know what the Father is like, we only need to look at Jesus. Therefore, we can know about as well as know the Father. Exciting!

Most Favored Creature

        These realizations make me see that we are most special. (1) God made innumerable creatures. (2) He created only us in his image. (3) He became one of us. (4) And he laid down his own life as testimony that he loved us.       

Joy Complete

        At Mass this morning, I knew that I was not alone nor on my own, since Christ is with me. In fact, I now see that everything is happening for a reason. I am totally at one with God, my creator, and feel that through Christ, he has fulfilled my life and completed my joy ~ sort of a nirvana moment. At one time in my past, I was interested in abstract mathematics. Whenever I studied or worked out the proof of some theorem and saw how beautiful, clear, thorough, and complete it was, I felt great delight. It's the same feeling, but even deeper and more satisfying, when I come to know God. 

*"Shocking" Experience

        Communion experience. In receiving the Holy Eucharist, God humbly lowered himself to draw us all the way to his bosom, exalting us to the highest possible status ~ shocking, but most delightful! (Only our God, the God of Christ, can do this.)

Advice Not Quite Sound

        It's common to hear successful people telling others to persevere, never give up, believe in what you can go and go after what you want to do, and your dream will come true. This piece of encouraging advice sounds good, but is not sound. First, you are hearing from those people who happen to have succeeded. Secondly, in reality you can waste a lot of time pursuing a goal that's just not right for you; and stories of failure are never broadcast aloud for everyone to hear. Last, Jesus never taught thus. This advice might work in the secular world, but it in reality replaces trust in God with trust in yourself, which can never fill the void of one's life. Better advice is to follow Christ who alone can lead you to living a joyous and fulfilled life.

A Christian's Work

        Sitting in the family room, I looked up and saw the many books on the shelves. They were mostly travel guides, books on gardening and plants, and some collections of short stories. I thought about each author who must have put in a lot of work to get each book published. As Christians, what should we be busy with or work hard for? In Luke 2, when Joseph and Mary finally found the 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple after looking for him for three days, he told them that he must be about his Father's work. I thought this should be our mission too ~ to be busy with the Father's work, working in his house. It would be time smartly spent for a glorious future.

Precious Opportunity

        Communion experience. We must let the Holy Eucharist change us each time. The more we abandon ourselves, the deeper our union with God, and the more thorough our spiritual transformation. Rejoice when such opportunities still exist. 

Diametric Opposites

        In today's reading from John15 at Mass, Jesus mentioned the world's hatred of him and his disciples. For me, the very existence of this hatred from the evil world only proves that the Lord is truly the Holy One. Hatred and love are like Yin and yang. Both exist with one always pointing to the other.

Looking Farther Ahead

        People don't look too far ahead ~ they only look forward to attending events scheduled for the coming days one by one. For example, I have noted on my calendar such events as our church's pancake breakfast, funeral service of a friend, dental checkup, grandson's graduation from junior hi next month, etc. We are truly here today and gone tomorrow. No one knows when that tomorrow (or last moment) will be. The most important thing is to look far ahead to see where we are going. If we know our destination, then we do longer live from event to event, for the events are like receding telephone poles we see from a moving train as we travel toward our final destination. There is no comparison between knowing that you'll arrive safely at the end and not knowing when train might crash along the way.

Making God Your Refuge

        Imagine that you live in the country in a nice house among beautiful, peaceful surroundings. There are birds singing and a nearby brook running. Moreover, you have no financial worries and no one to bother you. Mostly likely, you would be too happy and content to think any evil thoughts. Now, let's thrust you into the working environment of a big city. You have a stressful job and you work hard, but no one appreciates you. You even have to fight for finding a parking space wherever you go. Besides, the cost of living is high and people do take advantage of you. Very likely, you would hate living there and might even devise ways of hurting your enemies. The point I wish to make is that our environment can greatly affect our behavior. My recommendation is to let God shield us from all evil. To be in union with God is to be immersed in him and have himself surround us completely. Making God your refuge is the way to go.

*Making Abandonment Easy

        Communion thoughts. Who am I that the Lord should die for me? Who am I that the he should feed me with his own flesh and blood? Paradoxically, when I am important to him, I lose my self-importance. Abandonment to God now becomes easy.

Big Question

        In today's Gospel reading from John 15, Jesus said to his disciples, "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." Therefore, we should let love motive us in doing everything! Obviously, if that were the case, we would enjoy peace and joy in this life and this world. The big question: "Why don't we do it?" 

Greatest Deed

        I posted (on 3/31/2015) that premeditated sins are much more serious than spontaneous ones. By contrast, premeditated good deeds are much greater than spontaneous good deeds. The greatest premeditated (planned, if you will) deed has to be Christ's dying on the cross for our salvation. He knew in advance and all along the plan and carried it out in perfect obedience to the Father. The greatest and most amazing deed of all human history!       

My Everything

        At Mass this morning, I knew I was going to rest in Christ. Then if he is my rest, he is also my rock, my refuge, my protector, my brother, my friend, my confidant, my teacher, my physician, my counselor, my guide, and best of all, my Lord and God. 

Extreme Love

        Sometimes we don't even like ourselves (which shows the existence of ego), but God always loves us. He wants us to be happy not only in him in this life, but also for all eternity with him in heaven! His laying down his own life for us on the cross makes it amply clear.