To Rejoice Always

        In Acts, we learned that the apostles rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name Jesus. In today's reading from Acts 13, the Jews stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and left, but were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. True followers of Christ do everything for his sake. They put their trust in him entirely and rejoice, no matter what the outcome may be. There is freedom and joy in serving God, following the Holy Spirit. In complete contrast are those who want things to turn out their way, experiencing neither freedom nor joy.

Response to Communion

          Communion experience. Our only logical response after receiving the Lord in Holy Communion is to let him make us holy.

Not Ready for Jesus

        Jesus went through his Passion. He endured agony, was scorned and scourged, had to carry his own cross on which he was to be nailed, and finally got crucified so that we might be saved. Naturally, all those who are fully aware that they are sinners are grateful for God's love and mercy. Since everyone basically knows that he or she is a sinner, the only reason people put off believing in Jesus has to be that they are not ready to deal with their sins yet.

**Best Way to Know Christ

        To know about Jesus is good, to read the Gospels is good, to study his teachings is good, to learn what the saints have learned from Jesus is good . . . but the best of all is to go directly to the Lord himself to get to know him (as in seeking union).

Letting Love Prevail

        God is great because God is love, the greatest force there is. Love is the answer to world peace, inner peace, and our salvation. To seek union with God is to seek to be like him so that we might love as he loves. We must let love dominate our lives, motivating all we do. This is the way to let God exalt us to the highest level of our existence. Be with him now to be with him forever!  

Neat Deal

        Communion experience. Jesus entered me to invite me to be one with him. I accepted his invitation with all my heart, and the deal was sealed.

Chosen and Appointed

        Today's Communion antiphon based upon John 15.16: I have chosen you from the world and have appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, says the Lord. So Christians must know that they have been chosen and appointed by God (no small honor), then go out and bear fruit. Now their life becomes purposeful and their reward will be nothing short of eternal life.

***Critically Important Words

        In today's Gospel reading from John 12, as the feast of Passover approached, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He recapitulated about himself: "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me." I highlighted his words in red because their meaning is clear and are critically important for us to hear. Ignoring them is not a workable option. We must read them and make up our mind. 

The Same Forever!

         It is easy to ignore or at least take less seriously events that happened a long time ago. But that would be a big mistake when considering Jesus. As the Son of God, he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13.8); therefore, passing time does not invalidate or affect in the least his authenticity and truth – he is present today just as he was in the days of the Apostles.  

Why Union With God

        Union is what God desires the most from us, for he loves us so much. When we attain union with God, we come to understand his ways and thoughts. Nothing can make us feel more secure and consoling than knowing that we now belong to him. And it's in intimate union with God that we become totally free. What Jesus said in today's Gospel reading from John 10 at morning Mass describes the beautiful state of belonging to God: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." 

Beware of What Creeps Up

        Old age creeps up on you. You may still feel fit in your 60's, but when you get to the 70's, you can definitely feel it in your bones, joints, and movement. After that, the decline accelerates. The other thing far more dangerous that creeps up on you is sin. With the advance of science and technology, people falsely believe that mankind can do anything. The convenience and ease science and technology have brought to life make it easy for us to forget about God. Self-glorification results in godlessness. I have lived long enough to see the rapid decline of morality and indulgence in self-gratification. What creeps up unnoticed can surely sink us. 

*Safe in God

        Communion experience. It became so clear that evil is real; but in Christ, I knew I was completely safe. How good it is to have him!

**Joy of the Holy Spirit

        The spiritual joy one receives from the Holy Spirit is unlike any of the joys that the world gives. In fact, I would consider the latter to be only temporary happy feelings, for they do not touch the soul, while the joy of the Holy Spirit can be overwhelming in transforming it. In my charismatic renewal days 4 decades ago, all who prayed to be baptized in the Holy Spirit experienced amazing spiritual renewal and joy – we were on cloud 9! To repeat my own experiences, all unexpected, I received the gift of tears (pure joy), the yearning to know Christ which made the Gospels come alive, the urge to pray constantly, and an exuberant bubbling feeling throughout my upper body that lasted nonstop for several months. Overall, the spiritual progress was rapid as the Holy Spirit took over and made it easy. Finally, ever though I did not see the Holy Spirit, I knew (and know now) that he is God and he is real. Praise be to him forever!

*The Way to Eternal Life

        We and God are meant to come together. The Father loves us and have so much to give us. (How can one possibly turn down the offer of eternal life?) He is ever ready, waiting for our move. There will be no coming together without us. Our present life provides the great opportunity for us to stop playing God ourselves, turn to Christ, claim his promises, and start living unselfishly and wisely for him. Then after this brief life is over, we'll enjoy living in heaven for all eternity. 

*How to Know God

        God already knows everything about you. If you want to know him, allow him to know you first.

*Following Christ Made Easy*

        In today's Gospel reading from John 6, many of the disciples of Jesus thought that his saying was too hard and left him. Is following Christ hard? It all depends upon your approach. On your own, you'll definitely find it hard or even impossible. But if you believe that nothing is impossible with God and let him do the work for you, it becomes super easy. Therefore, submit yourself to him, let him know of your desire, and it shall be done.

Key to World Peace

        If only everyone realizes that we are all sinners before God, we would get along with each other a lot better. We would see that all sins offend God and that we are equally unclean before him. Acknowledging and repenting our sins is not only the key to salvation, but also to peace in the world.

Reason to Believe

        Today being the first Friday of May, we had perhaps 60 people attending morning Mass at church. After Mass, we had Eucharistic adoration. I saw that God looked down upon us and knew every single heart there intimately. For me, that was reason enough for me to believe in him.