*Best New Year's Resolution

        It's time for making New Year's resolutions. If this is what you traditionally do, may I suggest the best possible resolution for anyone: surrender yourself to Christ 100%. You will find out what God is really like (how beautiful he truly is) after you have fully surrendered to him.

*Only Thing That Matters

        Whether you believe in God or not, or believe in him a little or a lot, the only thing that matters is how much you have surrendered yourself to him. Rejecting God and living in union with him illustrate the two extremes.

Focus Is the Message

        Any message that focuses upon the listener to tell him to love God is necessarily weak and ineffective, for the listener is a finite being himself. To be powerful and effectual, the message must focus upon the power of the infinite God who can transform us and draws us all the way to union with him! In general, to live the spiritual life par excellence, you also always focus upon the Lord and not yourself, letting him transport and do the work for you.

We Rise or Fall

        Today we heard the presentation of the Jesus read from Luke 2. When Joseph and Mary took the child Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, the righteous and devout Simeon saw them there. He in the Holy Spirit said to Mary, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Simeon's prophesy has come true, for those who do not welcome Christ in their hearts will fall and those who do will rise in the end. This is the division Jesus himself said he had come to establish on the earth. It has to be so because the world is in sin and needs salvation. This division exists as long as sin exists among us.

If Only We Can See . . .

        Sins are blemishes on our soul. If only we can see them as God does, we would see how filthy and ugly we are and never want to judge others anymore.

Joy of Following the Lamb

        Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The Communion verse based upon Revelation 14.4: Behold those redeemed as the first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb, and who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. I love the words "follow the Lamb wherever he goes," for I sense its beauty. It means we shall always be with him, no more parting and no more sorrows.

*Blessings

        People thank God for having given them good health, long lives, strong marriage bonds, etc., but poor health, short lives, family problems, etc, can be blessings too. In fact, God blesses us all in drawing us to him. If we let all the things we receive from the Lord draw us closer to him, then they all become blessings. 

Shortsighted Living

        People, young and old, talk excitedly about making money in this life, but they never mention the need for storing up treasures in heaven lest they be considered nuts. The older folks spend a great deal of time planning their retirement in this life, but rarely think about their inevitable permanent retirement from this life. This is a myopic world afraid of facing reality.

Powerful Prayer

        After Thomas saw the mark of the nails in the hands of the resurrected Jesus and the wound in his side, he believed and exclaimed: "My Lord and my God!" I find this to be a most powerful prayer. The combination of "Lord" and "God" acknowledges that Jesus is our God and how much we need him. When we say the prayer, we pledge our definitive allegiance to him.

How Big Your Ego?

        Ego and inner peace are mutually exclusive. An egocentric person disregards the will of God who alone can bestow inner peace. If you ever wish to grow spiritually, the first thing you should ask God to remove is your ego, for it is fundamentally the biggest obstacle in anyone's journey toward God. Your way to God is only as clear as how much you keep your ego out of the way. 

Praise Be to the Holy Spirit

        The Lord Spirit can set your heart ablaze; you'll feel the warmth, but his flame does not scorch you in any way. When you completely let the Holy Spirit filtrate and ignite you, he shields you from all evil and guides you in all that you do. He is the most wonderful protector and counselor.

Condition for Worshipping God

        If we truly worship God, we would surrender or abandon ourselves completely to God. If we haven't done so yet, then we do not truly worship God yet.

Our "Martyrdom"

        Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr. Before Jesus breathes his last on the cross, he cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," echoing what David wrote in Psalm 31. As Stephen was being stoned, he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Most likely none of us is facing death at this moment, but if we wish to die to self and live in Christ, we can call out anytime to the Lord, as Jesus and St. Stephen did. You can do no better than entrusting your spirit to God.

No Time After Death

       Every day in the news we hear that some famous person has died and/or some tragedy has struck somewhere causing the death of many. The most recent examples are the death of UK pop superstar George Michael at 53 and the crash of a Russian military plane into the Black Sea with 92 on board. This has led me to see how important it is for us to prepare for meeting God when we are still alive. After death, there is absolutely nothing we can do anymore. In sum, reconcile yourself to God while there is still time. This is one wisest piece of advice I have for anyone.

       May I add that reconciling yourself to God eliminate many of the inner struggles you face in this life too.

*Best Celebration!

        We celebrate Christmas for the coming of Christ into the world. But this celebration would be meaningless if we stop short of letting him come into our hearts. We should celebrate Christmas for his coming into the world so that he may enter us! If we let him in all the way, becoming one, then both we and God win and heaven rejoices.

Great Christian Joy

        Christmas happens to fall on a Sunday this year. I attended Christmas Eve Mass yesterday late at 10 pm to avoid the huge crowds normally attending earlier scheduled Masses or today's Christmas day Masses. My prime joy of attending Mass is to receive the same Lord again. At Christmas time, he is lovelier than ever! Being in love with love is a Christian's great joy.

All for One

        Thoughts during consecration of the bread and wine. God's love for us remains constant. Whether there are 10 billion or one million or a hundred or just one of us, that love remains the same. He does not love each one of us more for the reason that there are more of us. It follows that God has suffered, died, and done all the good things just for my or your sake alone.

In Light or Darkness?

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, we heard the canticle of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zachariah, fill with the Holy Spirit, prophesied that his son would go before the Lord to prepare his ways for him to come to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's row, to guide their feet into the path of peace. Now that Christ has already come, are you in his light or sitting in darkness and death's row? You may be living in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood with friendly neighbors always smiling at you when they see you, and the day and season may happen to be beautiful too, but spiritually are you in Christ's light or in darkness? This is what matters to God and should matter to you! Seek Christ and remain in his light to stay away from death row for good.