*Bittersweet Part of Christian Life

        Jesus said at his trial before Pontius Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." (John 18.36.) As followers of the Lord in this hostile secular world, we can't help feeling that we do not belong here. As it is, this is the bittersweet part of living for Christ, a form of spiritual martyrdom.

Rule for Following God

        In yesterday's Gospel reading from John 21, Jesus signified to Peter the kind of death by which he would glorify God. In today's reading from the same chapter, Peter asked Jesus what would happen to John, the other disciple, Jesus said to Peter, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." Here was given the succinct rule for following the Lord: we must follow him single-mindedly with no concern about the future of anyone or anything. 

All-Embracing Trust in God

        Trusting in God is meaningful only if we trust him in everything. And trusting him in everything requires that we seek his will in everything first. Then we trust that he will take care of our past wounds, present needs, and future everything through eternity and that all our prayers will be answered in due time. It's an all-embracing trust that our Lord deserves.

Wise & Appropriate Action

        In today's Gospel reading from John 21 at Mass, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. I hear Jesus speaking to each of us: "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you grow old, someone will dress you and lead you where you may not want to go." This is true, and I see that "following Jesus" would be the exact wise and appropriate action for us to take. This was exactly what the Lord asked Peter to do afterwards.

**Guide to Cool Living

        In living our life, we do numerous things. Here's the basic guide I believe in. Whatever we do, we do it for the glory of God and, fun or no fun, we enjoy doing it without getting attached to it. 

**Our Cross to Bear

        The more you get to know Christ, the greater your joy; but at the same time, the more you feel his sorrow for the world which does not listen to his voice, and his sorrow becomes yours too. Then, feeling the burden, you turn to the Lord even more for consolation. The cycle continues on. To be one with Christ is to share his joys as well as his sorrows. This is the cross we must bear willingly for and with him in this life. This we know, if we remain in him, all our sorrows will turn into joys in the end. 

Only One

        Communion experience. God is the only one whom I can trust with my soul and in whom I can rest my spirit.

Greatest Mercy

        The One who has the greatest love also has the greatest mercy. We can be merciful at times, but only God's mercy is infinite and possesses saving power.

God's Desire

        On this memorial of St. Justin, Jesus in the Gospel reading from John 17 prayed for all those the Father had given him to be one with him, as he and the Father are one. This is God's desire that we all be in union with him. It is the lack of this union that has fractured the Church in the past and caused chaos throughout the world today. Intimate union with God is our only hope for assured salvation.

Completion of Journey on Earth

        The human heart is restless, causing all kinds of thoughts to go through the mind continuously. It seems powerless for us to keep it still, until you come to know and put your trust in God. The Lord our creator is the only one who can put our restless heart to rest, for he has made it that way. By submitting ourselves to him, our journey on earth is complete and we receive his peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding.

*Love's Concern

        The Lord God loves all of us and wants to give us eternal life. Therefore, if you truly love someone, your would want that person to go to heaven. We often try hard to make a person happy in this world, but fail to consider the eternal wellbeing of that person's soul.  

Doing God's Will

        Jesus went through the horrible sufferings and death no human would want to undergo. He did it because it is the will of the Father. It shows that we must let the will of God override all other considerations. This makes discerning God's will all the more important.

**In Proper Perspective

        Putting things in perspective. If you know that you are going to heaven to remain there forever, whatever pains, sufferings, sorrows, agonies, miseries ... you go through and experience in this short life on earth becomes practically nothing. On the other hand, if you know that your going to be separated from God for all eternity after you die, all the riches, wealth, prestige, power, fame ... you enjoy now becomes absolutely nothing.

Fulfilled Promise

        Today's Communion antiphon based upon Jesus' words from John14 and 16: I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you again, and your heart will rejoice. To those who know the Lord well or are in union with him, they know that he has not only come, but is dwelling in their very heart. 

Role of the Christian

        Today's entrance antiphon based upon the words of Jesus to his disciples in Acts 1: You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and you will be my witnesses, even to the ends of the earth. I see that the role of the Christian is to let the Holy Spirit empower him to become the best possible effective witness of Christ.

*God's Understanding Matters

        We who believe and trust in God are not to seek human understanding on earth, but to know and follow God's will coming from heaven. Without faith in God, human beings simply learn from and influence each other, and can never rise above themselves. In seeking to do the will of God, we enjoy private communication and spiritual communion with him. All God desires is that we follow his will in peace and he'll understand us perfectly.

Jesus' Descension

        Communion thought. Even after Jesus' Ascension, he still descends to us to sustain, nurture, console, guide, and uplift us through the Holy Eucharist.

**Urgent Notice

        Either Jesus will come in our lifetime or we'll see him right after we die. So the time is definitely short. This makes knowing him now all the more urgent.