Great Start for Each Day

        Check that you and God are in each other as one.

*Unique Creatures

        While the Lord gives his thoughts to those in union with him, all thoughts expressed through each recipient still bear the imprint of that person, for each of us is a unique creature of God. We do not become God's puppets; we just become parts of him.

*Heart for the Lord

        Early this morning in bed, when I was still not quite awake, I sensed myself amid a huge crowd of the very rich, the famous, and the most learned. The Lord made me see that I should never feel inferior, for he looks only at our hearts. I already knew this, but the mental scene further impressed me. Anyone with a pure and clean heart can stand tall and be grateful before the Lord.

End of Search

        Communion experience. I have found the one worthy for me to live and die for – my life is now meaningful, fulfilled, and made whole, and my joy complete. 

Escaping Enslavement

        How to gain freedom from enslavement? You can run away, but this does not eradicate what enslaves you. Also, if you are enslaved by yourself, it becomes even harder. Conquering what enslaves you may even be less feasible with you in your enslaved condition. That leaves the best and only way out: run to God and seek refuge in him (or surrender to him). This way you are shielded by him from all evil and become absolutely free.

*Get Baptized by the Holy Spirit!

        You may wish to read my post "Be Einstein as Christians" of Dec. 31 again, for a key thought slipped my mind when I posted it. It has now been revised.

       When I was actively involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement in the 1970s, I underwent baptism by the Holy Spirit in my prayer group and it changed my life. The presence and power of the Spirit became palpable. I now recall that in all three synoptic Gospels, John the Baptist when he was preaching, proclaimed to the people, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire." So if you want the Holy Spirit to set your heart ablaze, why not ask Jesus directly to baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire? Ask straight from your heart and wait for beautiful things to happen! (It would be wonderful to hear your personal experiences. Feel free to share them as comments.) 

*A Lost Soul Is . . .

one who believes in himself more than in God.

Just You and God

          I see God our Father at the center and billions of us his children around him. The relationship between God and each one of us is what matters the most, for it determines our eternal destiny. This relationship is tested by how well we follow his commandment to love our neighbors. Ultimately, it comes down to how well each one of us obeys the Father. Therefore, think of just you and God, with you alone to maintain a good relationship with him as best as you can through obedience. Nothing else matters.

*Chasing After the New

        We have a new year, 2017 in the year of the Lord. The world just celebrated with fireworks and partying. Why do we welcome anything new? I believe that we are not satisfied with the old and hope that the new will bring us better things. That is why we buy new cars, move into new houses, get married again, look for new jobs, etc., hoping that things would improve to make us happier. In reality, it never works out this way. The truth is that we are imperfect and will never be satisfied until we are perfect ourselves. Here is where God comes in, for he alone is holy and perfect and is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13.8), thereby remaining forever new and refreshing. When we become his obedient children and return to him, we'll be perfect and new like him. Only then will we be completely happy and satisfied with ourselves.

A Last Challenge

        As the year is ending, I am throwing out a challenge to all. Beginning with the new year, live completely as an unknown to the world. That is, live for God alone in secret and receive joy from him in secret. And never forget to spread the good news and hope of Christ every chance you get. May God bless and reward you all abundantly!      

*Be Einstein as Christians

        To me, Einstein is one greatest thinker who has ever existed. He believed in an ordered universe, thought above the ordinary human level and came up with the beautiful and profound general theory of relativity. I wonder if we Christians can possibly reach the height in the spiritual realm comparable to that Einstein had reached in the realm of physics. The answer came in today's Gospel reading from John 1. I'll just quote the first five verses: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This knowledge is revelation from God to the Apostle John, and it is most beautiful and profound. We can also reach our height by achieving union with God. For in union, God's thoughts become ours and all things begin to make sense to us. We see that the Lord is in control and knows exactly what he is doing. And experiencing God at such an intimate level is definitely also beautiful and profound.

In Our Last Days

        In today's first reading at Mass from 1 John, the Apostle wrote: "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour." On this last day of 2016, we can also be sure we are in the last days before the Second Coming of Christ. We do not know when it will happen, but we know that it is imminent. This will be the most joyful and saddest day of all time. The true believers do not think about it much because they leave all up to God. The unbelievers do not think about it because of their unbelief. Nevertheless, it's always wise to be ready for any of God's surprises.

*Rejoicing Together in Each Other

        John 3.16: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. In Luke 15, Jesus said that there would be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. We see that God's joy lies in loving us and in our acceptance of his love. Therefore, let our joy lie in letting him love us to his heart's content, showing that we love him too. In this way, we and the Lord rejoice together in each other!

Year-End Advice

        Some Catholics do not like to go to confession. There can only be two reasons: (1) They are quite holy and all their sins are minor or (2) they are afraid of facing God with their sins. The right thing to do after you sin is to go immediately to God, repent, and ask for his forgiveness. In this way you keep yourself pure and clean most of the time. If you avoid facing God with your sins, your are being extremely foolish, for your spiritual condition can only worsen. As the year ends, this is the perfect time to go to confession to start the new year with a clean slate.

*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.