Doing the Will of the Father

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1 at morning Mass, Jesus cured the sick and drove demons out of those possessed. In fact, in his entire ministry he always helped those who were helpless. Yet when he was persecuted by his enemies, got sentenced and put to death . . . throughout the whole ordeal, he never tried to lessen his own suffering ~ this is the amazing part. Obviously, carrying out the will of the Father was his overriding mission. Any of us who does the will of God likewise will be with him and saved, as the Lord had promised.

*Look at the Bright Side

        If we have perfect health and live in a completely stress-free environment, we probably wouldn't think about God at all. Therefore, see your physical problems and stressful encounters as blessings. It is easy to notice the gloomy side of things and forget to look at the much brighter side of them.

Powerful Sorrows

       Today Tuesday is the day for praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Why should the Passion of Christ move me so much? I believe it is because deep within I know that I am a sinner and need God's salvation. Otherwise, it would be just one of the myriad sad stories of the past. 

Salvation Without Cooperation?

        Salvation is free in the sense that God alone has made it possible, but we still need to cooperate with him to be saved. Otherwise, faith becomes unnecessary, Jesus didn't even have to come to us, and we can keep on sinning. God gave us the free will precisely for us to choose to believe in or to reject him. Note: Once you have chosen to follow Christ, your are free to retire your free will. (This post is prompted by a non-Christian friend who believes that he is going to heaven anyway.)

Only Way to Freedom

        How happy and free we are in life depends upon how we handle ourselves. If you play God, you won't be happy because you are not him. Those who are happy let God be their Lord and follow his will and see all problems as his problems. Abandon yourself to God is the only way to freedom. When you taste this freedom, you'll know that you have the truth.         

*God's Companionship

        God is always there for us. It is when we stray away from him that we lose his companionship. Of course, you need to get to know him first. Anytime I miss my intimacy with him ever so slightly, I know that I have strayed away, usually in thoughts. This is good for me, for it makes me want to go right back to be in full union with him. It is this intimate companionship that makes life sweet, satisfying, and worth living.

*Heaven and Hell

        Heaven exists because God is love. Hell exists because sin is real. Our free will exists because God wants to give us the chance to choose him.

*Do You Hear Yourself?

        It is easy for us to hear others talk and then criticize them, but hard to be aware of exactly what and how we speak to others. It is hard because when we speak, the intention to listen to ourselves is not there. So if someone criticizes what we have said, that person may have a point. If we do not hear ourselves, mostly likely we are not as perfect as we think we are. In sum, be sensitive to what you say and know that other speakers do not hear themselves well either. This can help us avoid unnecessary arguments.  

Entrusting Your Soul

        Communion thoughts. You can fully entrust your soul to Jesus, for he is the soul healer. Now, there are those who sell their soul to the devil for riches on earth. With Jesus, not only you gain eternal life, you also inherit all that the Father has in heaven.

Division and Unity

        Jesus said that he had come not to establish peace on earth, but rather division ~ you see that this has been happening to this very day. But let's not forget that he has also brought unity among all the faithful disciples, the communion of saints, and for many of us union with God. (Note that there is no unity on the other side.) 

*Revelation Amplified

        Revelation from God needn't be some new knowledge we learn for the first time; it could also be a confirmation that something already revealed to us is absolutely true.

A Creation Secret

        The more we give ourselves to God, the more we experience freedom. How so? Answer: God has created us this way.

*In God's Light

        Today is the Epiphany of the Lord. In reading 1, Isaiah speaks of God as the light that shines upon us. Today, if you are not in the light of Christ, you are still in darkness, for only in him is your path to eternity made crystal clear! 

*Sorrow Lined With Joy

        Is the death of Jesus a tragedy? No, because the love of God triumphed. Of course, I feel sorry for the suffering Christ underwent, then I am even moved more by God's love for me. So it's great sorrow lined with greater joy.

*A Plea to Turn to God*

         What hurts me the most is to see so many of us continue to ignore God and go their own way, sinning as if there would be no consequences. To them I address the following questions and remarks. 

       Don't you know that you are hurting the very Lord, your creator and Father, deeply? What has he done to deserve all this? All he wants to do is to love you and give you eternal life! He has already died for you on the cross, so why do you continue to wound him mercilessly and unceasingly? Don't you realize that you are returning love with ingratitude, thus cutting off the only hope of your life? How cold and hard can your heart possibly get? Instead of offering it to the Father as you should, you have killed it. He is weeping for you, while you should be weeping for yourself. His mercy is infinite, but it's useless if you reject it all. Know that if you choose not to turn to him, you choose to be lost forever. Creating a tragedy with yourself being its protagonist is tragic indeed! 

*Have Jesus, Have Your Way

        Communion thoughts. Once you have Jesus, what you want is always what he wants, and you'll have all you want.     

Need to Involve God

        There are many human teachings out there advising you on how to think positively, to fulfill your personal goals, to live without stress, to make friends, etc., but without the involvement of God, they are basically self-centered and all efforts must still come from you alone – think of trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Only by doing whatever with God's help and for his sake will you have the best chance to succeed and have joy too.

Blessed During Consecration

        During the consecration of the bread and wine when the Lord transformed them into his own body and blood at Mass today, I felt blessed to be present at this great miraculous happening.