God Most Essential

        We all need God. Without him, we would cease to exist. Without his assistance, our hearts would instantly stop beating and our lungs stop breathing. And we are at the mercy of God, for without it, we would carry our sins to our grave with no hope of ever enjoying eternal life. God is to be appreciated and latched onto.

Reason for Your Choice

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus gave his testimony to John the Baptist. All the people listened, including the tax collectors, who were baptized with the baptism of John and acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves. Today, we have the same situation: those who accept the plan of God for us as revealed through Christ and those who do not. Which camp do you belong to? Christians know exactly why they accept Christ. If you are a modern day Pharisee, you'd better know your reason for rejecting him for your own sake. [To dismiss Christ is to dismiss at the least what was recorded about him in the four Gospels, all the other books in the New Testament, and his 2000-year-old Church with all her great saints.] 

*Most Worthy Lord

        I worship the Lord God for the reason that he is eternal. I adore him, for he is just. I praise him, for he is holy. I thank him, for he is merciful. I admire him for his perfection. I enjoy him for his beauty. I appreciate him for teaching me wisdom. Last but not least, I love him because he loved me first.

Refreshing Transformation

        When God transforms us, he reconditions us. We still have the same heart, the same soul; he simply "overhauls" them. Now, with a clean heart and a spotless soul, we experience deep peace in the heart and great freedom of the soul. There is nothing else more refreshing.

Another Challenge

        Obey God alone and never mind what everyone else is doing, what is popular out there, the latest fads, political correctness, what people say about you . . . .

Our Beautiful Challenge

        Today is the Memorial of St. John of the Cross. In the Gospel reading from Luke 7, John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" I am sure that John was aware that he was the one to prepare for the way of the coming Lord and make straight his paths (Isaiah 40.3), so I am a little surprised that at the time he was not sure that Jesus was the one yet. What I learn here is that when God assigns us to do something, we are never given the complete plan, the details, what awaits us next ... not even the reason – we are simply expected to cooperate with him. When Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son, she only needed to accept the assignment, not knowing what her future holds. So here's our challenge: When the Lord asks us to do something, we need to do it without questioning, knowing only that it would glorify him. I truly see the beauty in accepting such a challenge. 

*Quick Guide to Living

        To love like Christ is to be like God. Abandoning yourself in God will make you one with him. To remain humble is to let God exalt you. Be open to God and he will fill you with his grace. Trust in God and you'll have inner peace. Letting God be Lord will set you free. Be weak in God to become strong. Vanish in God and he will surely notice you. Make God the center of your life to make life meaningful. If you want to go to heaven, start following him now.

On My Journey Home

        Communion experience. Here I was receiving the Lord one more time. It had been another day of enjoying him and storing up treasures in heaven, and now, one more opportunity to strengthen my union with him and moving one day closer to meeting him in person. 

Key to Union With God

        Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the Gospel reading from Luke 1, the angle Gabriel came to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus to her. After she understood what God wanted to do with her, she said to the angel, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Indeed, it is the key to achieving union with God when you can say "May it be done to me according to your word" each time to the Lord.

Views of Death in Contrast

        Without knowing God, death is not a pleasant thought. You realize that life is fragile and that being old and frail can be likened to a candle whose flickering flame can go out anytime. The worst feeling is not knowing what will happen after death. Those who follow Christ know that he has conquered death for them. As they age, they know that they are getting closer to being with him in bliss for all eternity and their longing for their beloved one will finally be fulfilled. There is no greater contrast than that between these two differing views.  

Awesome God

        Today's Communion experience. I trembled but was filled with great joy at the same time. 

Linked to Heaven

        Communion experience. It was Jesus calling me to his table at which I was served the living bread of life. Jesus was as immediate to me as he was to the Apostles at the Last Supper. I have tasted heaven and am now linked to it. 

Process of Spiritual Awakening

        We first believe that Jesus does exist as a historical person; then we believe that he is God; next, we accept him as Lord and Savior; we come to know his love for us; we fall in love with him; we desire to be one with him; finally, we achieve union with him. This seems like a long process, but the speed of progress and the extent to which you can progress depend entirely upon you. In theory, the moment you abandon yourself completely to God, you are in union with him.

Changing Life's Goal

        We all basically strive to make enough money to survive in order to satisfy our physical and mental desires. In short, we have been enslaved by self-centered desires. Then Christ enters our life and makes us see that if we live for him for his glory by following his will, we would be free, and on top of that, have eternal life. If you think that this is too good to be true, you can always try it to find out.    

All About Life

        I see myself as someone traveling on my journey back to my creator and Father. On earth, I am just passing through, carrying no burdens. If you don't believe that there is a God, then you have no idea where you are going. In other words, you are lost. In this case, you might as well live a completely self-centered life, enjoying life as much as you can and not caring about others, while you are on earth. The fact that atheists are not living like that 100% yet shows that they still have a God-given conscience. 

Eager to Receive More

        Communion experience. Jesus said, "To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich." With this in mind, I eagerly desire to receive more from the Lord who is infinitely rich.

Own Ways in the Way

        In the Gospel reading from Matthew 11 at morning Mass, Jesus told the crowds what their generation was like. Today's generation is not much different. People are full of biased opinions, readily judging others. Those who run for public offices and their supporters are prime examples. Then there are some people I know personally who are basically good people, but very strong in holding onto their own beliefs. In one case, a man does not want to bother anyone, even though clearly he needs help because of failing health. He turns down any help from others who are genuinely concerned about him. Perhaps it's his pride? a stubborn trait? The point I want to make is that you may have your own ways as long as you are not dealing with God. With the Lord, we must soften our hearts and give in if we expect to be saved, for no one other than the humble will be able to stand the Lord.

*Beauty of Faith

       If you believe in the Lord with your whole heart, everything about him, about you, and about everything else will make perfect sense to you, for there is no contradiction in God.