We know that we are all sinners. We know that God is all holy. We know sin and holiness do not mix. Now, know that that gap has been bridged by God through the giving of his only Son, Jesus. Also know that there are no bridges behind us for us to make any kind of retreat to safety.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
*Indispensable Company
In union with God, you enjoy his company at all times. You enjoy what Paul talked about, the peace that surpasses all understanding. When you sin ever so slightly, you lose that peace instantly and want to get right back amidst the company of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You know that you'd never survive outside their company. God does "pamper" his children.
Friday, June 10, 2016
To Be Holy
Communion experience. To receive the Holy Eucharist is to accept the Lord's invitation to become holy by being one with him. Unlimited grace will be bestowed upon you via this Most Blessed Sacrament. To be holy is to be free, to shine in God's sight, and to dwell in God,
High Standards Our Hope
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better...." The Lord has certainly set high standards for us to be perfect, but we do need standards, and low standards are no standards. Rather than bemoan what we have to follow, let us rejoice that God wants us to be holy just like him. These standards give us hope. If we surrender to God, he will make us meet these standards with no sweat.
Hearing God Speak
In today's Reading 1 from 1 Kings 19, it was read that at the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the Lord came to him, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind came by, followed by an earthquake, and fire, but the Lord was not in any of them. Finally, there was a tiny whispering sound and Elijah heard the Lord speak to him. God truly speaks to us in a whisper. In fact, he usually speaks silently to our heart, not through our ears, for he wants to reach our innermost. Therefore, we will not hear God speak if we are not used to opening up our inner heart and examine our conscience before the Lord. If you make your heart completely transparent and accessible to the Lord, you are ready to hear his sweet voice speaking to you at any time.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
To Be With God Is...
to be filled with God and in God. You have settled down forever, no more looking ahead or back. You are content and free, no need to look out for yourself nor seek fulfillment. God now envelops and occupies you. Finally, you are home.
Becoming More Perfect
Communion experience. God entering you to make you holier! It was most gratifying ~ thanks be to God.
Illustrious Company
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all in each other. Do you know that when you are in union with God, you join the company of the triune God?
Getting Along With God
Also in today's Gospel reading, Jesus said, "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift." So don't expect that you can get along with God if you cannot even get along with your brother or sister. It follows that thinking you alone are favored by God and all others are despicable has to be most abhorrent to the Lord.
Impossible God Makes It Possible
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus warns that whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, whoever says, "You fool," will be liable to fiery Gehenna, etc. Then how can we possibly avoid punishment? Recall that after Jesus said to his disciples, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God," they asked him who then can be saved. And Jesus looked to them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." So the Lord's rigorous demand for our perfection above must be balanced by his infinite mercy.
Union Privileges
- Certainty of God's existence.
- Being aware of his constant presence within you.
- Absence of tendencies to sin.
God Uplifts Us
First thought at Mass this morning was that God uplifts our heart, drawing us heavenward. The feeling was absolutely refreshing! The Lord has "spoiled" his children, for without him, nothing else uplifts their spirit. When sin disturbs them, they run straight to him to have their peace restored.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
*Sins Before God
Communion experience. I, still a sinner, was going to receive the holy body of Christ. My first quick thought was that I don't wish to contaminate the Lord. Then I realized that God is impervious to sin. We are sinners only because we shield our sins from God. If we expose them to him, they lose their hold on us. I received the Lord with gratitude and joy.
Simplifying Life
Jesus told his disciples not to worry or be anxious about tomorrow, life, or anything else. In fact, he wants to simplify our lives by letting love alone guide us in all that we do. While sin complicates and destroys lives, love simplifies them and builds them up. Simply love all others as Christ loves us and we are heaven bound!
To Be Like God
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5 at Mass, Jesus says, "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven." We probably have totally different ideas about how to be least or greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways his ways (Isaiah 55.8). We and God hold different views simply because God is holy and we are sinners. But we can submit ourselves to God and have him take away our tendencies to sin so that we and God might think the same thoughts and hold identical ways. This will be perfect reconciliation, us becoming one in perfect harmony with God.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Key to Freedom
Once you know God intimately, he opens up your heart, revealing to you what's in it. Once you see that as he sees it, you are set free. Self-understanding does lead to freedom.
Being Carefree
We were carefree when we were young because we thought we would live forever. Now that we have grown old, we can still be carefree in God, which is being realistic and wise, what we should have been from the very beginning.
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