Communion experience. As the bread and wine were consecrated, they changed into the body and blood of Christ. That was a momentous moment, deserving our full attention. All my life troubles were overshadowed and for the moment forgotten. Matthew 20.20: "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age," was fulfilled.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
*Effective Evangelizing
Famous quote from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." When it comes to bringing others to Christ, we should do exactly the opposite. That is, we do not tell others what they can do for God – we tell them what God can do for them.
Obligation to Christ
The Resurrection of Christ changed everything: his disciples were revived and his church, invigorated, for the Resurrection proved clearly that Christ is God. Therefore, when he speaks, we must listen and obey.
*Going Straight to God
Catholics venerate relics of various saints. All saints are humble and would want to give glory to God alone. Therefore, they'd rather we go to the Lord directly and not center upon them. There is a fine line to be drawn here. It is perfectly fine to let the saints inspire us to increase our love for God, but we must never grow attached to any saint to the point that we lessen our focus upon the Lord. If you seek to attain union with God, it is best that you go to him directly and let absolutely nothing distract you along the way.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Unique, Unparalleled Rest
Communion experience. With Jesus, I entered the most relaxed state, abandoning myself in him ~ it's letting-go time.
Proper Mode of Living
Today's Communion antiphon is based upon John 20.19. The full verse reads: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." If Jesus could appear anywhere as he wishes, certainly he can be ever present with any of us. It follows that we must stay awake and live as if he is physically present with us.
Role as God's Creatures
God is our creator, greater than all his creatures. Naturally, we can only know what he wishes to reveal to us. Therefore, our role is clearly to trust, trust, trust in him. On a more personal level, we are the children of a loving God, our Father ~ all the more we can and should trust in him.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Divine Mercy
This is the Sunday of Divine Mercy. God is merciful because he is all love. And his mercy is infinite, which means that he does not condemn us as long as we still have time to repent of our sins. Moreover, it means that no matter how sinful we are, once we repent, we are forgiven and saved. Therefore, to think that God cannot save us is to limit his mercy, a thought offensive to him. Should God's mercy be finite, none will be able to survive. Praised be his divine mercy!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
How God Teaches Us
When God teaches us, he simply enlightens us and we see and understand things we never saw or understood before. He opens up a beautiful new world to us. This is learning without drudgery and with delight only.
How to Tell Others About Christ
To tell others about Christ, tell what he has done for you and can do for them. That is, the focus is to be on Christ with the goal of glorifying him.
**Sign You Have Encountered God*
In today's first reading from Acts 4, when the leaders, elders, and scribes ordered Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John replied, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." If you also feel impossible not to speak about the Lord to others, you have also encountered him.
Constant Renewal
Every time we turn to God, we get a chance to abandon ourselves to him, to be cleansed by him, and to start anew again.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Abandonment Time
Communion experience. A time to abandon myself to God, a time for union and obedience. How soothing it was to the soul!
On an Eternal Journey
We reap what we sow. To come right to the point, what we do now can help us get into heaven, not do anything in particular, or head us away from heaven. And we have only limited time to build up treasures in heaven for ourselves. The eternal journey starts now. Another awareness we must mind.
Jesus Is Power
This world is in chaos because it has largely rejected Christ. And the Church is weak because Catholics have not focused upon Christ as strongly as they could. It is through Christ our God that we receive power to live right and become blameless. Again, this is an awareness what the world needs.
*Critical Awakening Needed
A virus invasion on my computer yesterday prevented me from posting. Today I am resuming via a browser that was not infected, but I shall post yesterday's thoughts by yesterday's date, April 21.
In today's Gospel reading from John 21, the Resurrected Lord appeared to seven of his disciples who went fishing at the Sea of Tiberias all night and caught nothing. Jesus showed up about a hundred yards away on the shore and asked them to cast the net over the right side of the boat for a catch. They cast it and caught so many fish that they were not able to pull it in. Then, they realized it was the Lord. It is such a beautiful moment to realize "It is the Lord"! I lament that the world is largely not even aware of the existence of our awesome, loving God. Such an awakening is critically important for all of us, believers included, to come alive to live a godly life. There is on other way to salvation!
Thursday, April 20, 2017
*How Christians Invest
Business-minded people invest in good companies and stocks to profit themselves. Great artists invest in their own talents to earn fame and money. What about the Christians? Well, they invest in doing every will of the Lord, known only the him, to accumulate treasures in heaven. The investment is relatively longer-term, but the reward will be out of this world (pun intended)!
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