*No Reason Not to Believe*

        I think we are all familiar with the story of the woman caught in adultery from John 8. When the scribes and the Pharisees thought she should be stoned according to the law of Moses, Jesus said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Jesus was being completely logical! If any of you do not believe that Jesus is your Lord and your God and are as holy as he is, then maybe you have the right not to believe in him – I am being logical too. Of course, you still have to deal with all the miracles he performed and the Passion he went through, which I did not bring up.

Ultimate Fulfillment

        Communion experience. Since Jesus is love, love entered me. I absorbed all of him and the union with him was sealed. On this side of heaven, this was the ultimate fulfillment. 

*Compelling Sayings

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?" These sayings of Christ show clearly that he spoke as God or you must dismiss them as nonsense. The last question he asked was so sensible and to the point that anyone with a sane mind should remember it as long as he or she is still living. To read them all and put them aside would surely be a mistake that can make you regret for all eternity! God is so compelling that we are forced to choose to listen to him or not at all.

Fulfilling Love

        We are made by God to be needy for love. People are lonely because love is lacking in our self-centered world. But human love is never pure enough to fulfill our need for love in the first place; only the love of God is pure and great enough to transform us spiritually. Once you know that you are loved by God, you are never lonely again.

Most Blessed Position

        Communion experience. God had made known to me everything I needed to know and sheltered me completely under his wings.

*Ashes to Saints

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6 on this Ash Wednesday, Jesus teaches that we must live for God alone with zero ego. Let's remember that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. Yet the most amazing thing is that God can turn us into glorious saints if we let him. His teaching of today actually gives us the recipe. If we do everything for God with great humility and love, then we become saints. This is exactly what both Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint Joseph Marello have learned from the Lord.

Sword of Mercy

       God's mercy is a two-edged sword. If you trust in it, you are saved. But if you reject it, you are condemned.

*Somber Thought

        The Lord gave me this somber thought on this first day of March, an Ash Wednesday: Anytime you judge someone, you endanger your own soul.

*God to Mend Our World

        We live in a world full of imperfections, but we can let God mend that part for us to make the world ideal for us!

*Salvation Depends Upon Us!

        Even though God is our Savior, salvation of the world absolutely depends upon us! Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few." As God's instruments, we must work hard to spread the good news, as the time is more urgent than ever! There is no time for snoozing, none to waste. Not harvesting for God is committing a serious sin of omission. The least one could do is to pray daily for the salvation of the world.

Unfair to God

        I was at a shopping mall. You could hear the loud music playing through the sound system and see the crowd busily shopping or eating at the food court. I was also aware that God was lovingly watching over us and hoping to get some attention from us. Yet how many shoppers even turn their thoughts to him for an instant? Probably very few. This is an unfair world.

Not Bored Anymore

        It's common to find people getting bored after retiring from work. I am retired and sometimes people ask me what I do with all my time. Besides attending Mass daily and blogging, I do not have enough time to do all the various other things I need to do. Anyhow, if you live for Christ, it's impossible to ever get bored. On the contrary, life becomes more exciting than ever – God had filled all the voids of life and made living purposeful. You are now on call, ready to serve the Lord when he calls you, and he does need as many servants as possible to help him save the world! It's a big task that comes with a big reward. 

A Personal Prayer

        I love you, Lord. Therefore, take away my sins; make me pure, make me strong, and make me yours.

Extra Appreciation

        When you are sick with fever, praying to God becomes difficult. Therefore, I appreciate extra when I am well and can pray to him from my heart with a clear and cool mind.

*One More Beatidude

        In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us the Beatitudes, all blessings. From my point of view, I also feel "Blessed are they who fall in love with the Lord and become one with him."  

Maker of Beautiful Things

        Know that saints are made by God. Our future resurrection is also made possible by God. The special joy we feel for him is given to us by him too. The list goes on and on and on – God is the maker of all beautiful things!  

Classy Calling

       In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5.38-48, Jesus certainly raised the bar high in teaching his disciples about retaliation and love of enemies. He concluded by asking them to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect ~ it had to be a great honor to receive such a classy calling from the Lord. And certainly he wishes to honor each one of us thus too.  

Sign of Abandonment

        The closer you get to know God, the more clearly you see how everyone is journeying toward God at various stages and become more tolerant of all believers or nonbelievers. This is a sign that you are abandoning yourself more to God.