When Sorrow Is Joy

        Communion thoughts. Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16.24). This means that sharing the Lord's suffering is a basic condition of discipleship. The fact is that experiencing Jesus' sorrows is not only an honor, but also a joy as you are drawn even deeper into him.   

Believe to See

        We know that for God all things are possible. This is not saying that they are probable. To see things happen, we must believe that God can make them happen. Those without faith do not see miracles.  

Jesus' Death

        It is well known that Jesus was crucified. How do we respond to his death? Did he die for nothing? Does his death have anything to do with me? Why? Our answers are critically important, for they can determine our eternal destiny. Ignoring Jesus' death is not a choice. Understanding it is the key to inheriting everlasting life.

Aim to Be Perfect

        Everything is relative. How good a person am I? The answer depends upon whom I compare myself with. Great saints feel that they are the most wretched sinners before God. Since God alone is holy and our ultimate judge, we know how good (or evil) we truly are when we are measured by his standards. Therefore, aim to be as perfect as he is, which happens to be his command.

Sorrow for the World

         In today's Reading 2 from 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that when the end comes, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father after he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

        Right now, a dark cloud hovers over my country and the entire world. The burden I bear along with Christ is sorrow for this rebellious world. I am not concerned about myself, for I am already in the Lord.

Follow Your Mother

        Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are so blessed to have the mother of our Lord to be our mother too. Let her hold your hand, leading you along to do God's will, then every step you take is a step closer to the Lord. Jesus was born through her. So through her, we will always find her Son.

Difficult Wake-Up

       If you want to wake someone up from his sleep, all you need is an alarm clock or a rooster or a tap on his shoulder. But a person who is not aware of God's existence is often a lot more difficult to wake up. I recall in Mark 9, Jesus drove out a mute and deaf spirit out of a boy after his disciples had failed to do so. Later, they asked him why they could not do it. He said to them that that kind could only come out through prayer. In our case, prayer is absolutely needed to wake up someone who is spiritually asleep. 

Everlasting Beauty

        The beauties of all things of the world are fleeting, since the world passes. Whether the thing that's beautiful is animate or not, it doesn't make any difference. For example, a beautiful flower wilts, a beautiful human being ages, a beautiful landscape changes with season or disintegrates when a natural disaster strikes. As we hear sung in Gershwin's song "Our Love Is Here to Stay": In time the Rockies may crumble, Giraltar may tumble... How about the majestic stars and galaxies? Again, we know that they die and are born over time. Last, think of ourselves ~ we are not even here long enough to enjoy all the beauties. But the most beautiful of all beauties, that's also everlasting, but invisible to us for now, is our God, the creator of all beautiful things. On top of that, his perfection, sanctity, and most of all, pure love for us, make him the only beauty we can enjoy for all eternity. Embrace it now.

Our Wise Move

        We didn't know that we even existed before we showed up on this earth. Somehow, we were born, got here, and gradually became aware of our existence. We know we shall die, but don't know when. It's obvious that we are not in charge at any time. Therefore, admit that we do not know all things and should never act as if we were God. With such humble origins, we'd be wise to submit ourselves humbly to our creator.

Evangelizing Without Fear

       I caught a TEDx talk on YouTube by Linda Apple Monson on "Overcoming Stage Fright," delivered at George Mason University. She revealed how she was able to overcome her fear of performing on stage as a pianist. Here are the points I remember: (1) Prepare yourself well. (2) Forget about yourself, for worrying about yourself is being selfish. (3) It's not about you, so focus upon just being the channel through which the joy of music is transmitted to others. 

        Good advice indeed. Let's apply it to evangelizing the world. (1) Know God intimately. (2) It's all about God, not you, so leave all in his hands. (3) You are simply an instrument he uses to spread the good news.

Triumphant in God

        Communion thoughts. All who have chosen to follow Christ and do his will have already triumphed over the evil one and will remain so until the end of the age. 

Our Part to Play

        On this Friday, I meditated upon the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Jesus went through his Passion for us, but afterwards not everyone turned to God and became good, to this very day. Yes, Jesus did open wide the door to life, but people have to choose to enter it. For us too, our part is to live a holy life and be as loving as possible. The rest is up to God. 

Heavenly Banquet

        Communion experience. The Lord and I are already dwelling in each other. But going up to receive the Holy Eucharist during Mass is like accepting the invitation to attend a special heavenly banquet given by the Lord for me alone, at which I shall enjoy him to the fullest. This is ultimate fulfillment. After receiving him, while alone with him, I felt great sorrow for those in the world who are always squabbling with each other or others, completely oblivious to God's love for them. Please pray for them from your heart, unceasingly.  

Why Forgive Others?

        Today is the Memorial of St. Clare. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus wants us to always forgive others. I've blogged about forgiving others many times. Today I just want to add that if someone offends you unjustly, he has offended God too. Ultimately, as Mother Teresa had said: In the final analysis, it is between you and God. So that person has to answer to God alone. For this reason, you should pray for your offender so that he may not offend God again. Not forgiving him is clearly not trusting in God's mercy, souring your own relationship with God. Forgive him and let God take care of his problem.

Effective Communication With God

        The Lord God reads our hearts. Therefore, any dealing with him must involve our heart. If I go to confession and repent without sincerity, it would be worse than not going. Therefore, always communicate to him from the innermost of your heart and he, the loving Father, will hear you loud and clear.

Most Important Act

        This for us is to realize that we are sinners, need to repent of our sins to God, and then do it. This is of critical importance as we journey toward eternity. If you are a Catholic, aware that you are sinful, but do not want to go to confession, it only shows how urgently you need to go. Be smart and prepared always.       

Great Consolation

        Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. In the Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said, "Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me." At a time I feel great sorrow and need consolation, it is so good to follow the Lord to serve him, resulting in being with him at all times. He is my greatest consolation.

Our Hope

        For those who follow Christ, there is only one hope, Christ himself, the only hope they need. For those who do not follow Christ, there is only false hope or no hope. Jesus is coming!