Today is the memorial of St. Martha. In the Gospel reading from John 11, Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die." She said to him, "Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Jesus made a definitive statement and Martha gave the perfect response. Something truly beautiful happens when we and God become of one mind and one heart. If that happens to every single one of us on earth, I wouldn't be surprised that Christ would come right away to take us all into heaven.
Saturday, July 29, 2017
**Best Possible News!*
We all need someone to go to. When we were young, our parents were the natural ones to go to for solace and help. As adults, God becomes the best and logical choice by all means, for he is GOD, our Father and loving creator. The Christian reality is that through the sacrifice of Christ the Son, God has cleared the way for us to return home to him in heaven forever. It is rejoicing all the way through eternity!
Friday, July 28, 2017
**It All Depends on You*
Following Jesus is difficult if you do not surrender to him totally, but becomes super easy if you do. Not encountering any resistance in you, the Lord is able to do all the work in freedom for you. So it all depends on you to depend on God or not.
*Never Shut God Out
With God we should never draw any line. For example, it is inappropriate to tell God that you believe in him, but you just can't and won't forgive a certain person you dislike. The proper respectable attitude is to admit that God is right, you are weak and need his help. Never close the door on God, but always keep your heart open to receive the help you need from him.
Wishful Longing
I long to see my beloved Lord. Therefore, personally I wish that he would come now or soon, but not to judge us ~ only to give everyone another chance to turn to him for salvation. Nevertheless, I must always submit my wish to his.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
*Justifying What We Do
Sometimes we justify what we want to do by stretching things a bit. To make up an example, I can say that I watch TV a lot every day to entertain myself, and when I am happy, I do a better job of everything else I should do and make others happy too. Other common examples of justifying what you do: saying "God has made me this way" and "I must use my God-given talent."
There is only one justification for what we do: Do we bring ourselves or others closer to God?
*Final Arrival
Life is always in progress; we keep learning and changing. Today you are not quite the same person as you were yesterday, and tomorrow you'll be different again. And as we go through the various phases of life, we seem never to come to some appropriate end. But, with Christ, you believe in him and it's done for you. Once you've settled your eternal destiny, everything else matters little. Life is now complete; you've entered its final, perfect phase.
Hard-Heart Generation
One of today's Communion antiphons, Revelation 3.20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I believe that most of us, in USA here anyway, have heard the Lord's voice at one time or another, albeit sometimes only faintly, but never bothered to open the door for even a peek. And this is tragic. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explained to his disciples why he spoke in parables to the people. He said it's because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. That Isaiah described the heart of the people as gross is still accurate today.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
*Getting Into Heaven
After we die, we either return to God or are separated from him for all eternity. If we do not believe in Christ or believe in him with a weak faith, we should never take it for granted that we are going to heaven. Also, even if we do not do anything evil, we'll have difficulty getting into heaven if we live an entirely self-centered life. For to live for yourself only is not to live for God at all. We must do our utmost to safeguard our soul, created by God and most precious to him!
Believe While There's Time!
People believe in the existence of God, yet they have no idea what kind of God they would accept. For me, Christ is the true God from both the subjective and objective points of view. You can believe in some god, but only the true God can reveal himself to you within your heart. Love, peace, freedom, deep joy and your own transformation are all solid signs that that you have the truth.
Another mental image came to me this morning. Living our life is like walking along a precipice. If you slip, you can fall off it and plunge toward the bottom. If you do not know Christ, you may or may not survive, depending upon your circumstances and how good a person you are. If you know and believe in Christ, you can be sure you will be safe with him no matter what happens.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Becoming Great
Communion experience. Receive the Lord with humility and love, and you become great in his eyes.
Greatest Correction We Need
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, asked Jesus to command that her two sons sit, one at his right and the other at his left, in his Kingdom. That was typical of being a human mother, looking after her sons. When the other ten apostles heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Again, so typical of being selfcenteredly human. Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave." This is the greatest correction we all need.
Greatest Foresight
Today's response from Psalm 126: Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Everything we do affects God: we either please or offend him, and nothing goes unnoticed by him. We store up treasures either on earth or in heaven. Jesus knows that where our treasure is, there also will our heart be (Matthew 6.21). To see that we reap what we sow matters more than ever.
*Greatest Possible Honor
Today is the Feast of Saint James, Apostle. As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their fishing nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. Do you know that the greatest honor is not being named a Nobel laureate, selected as the MVP during a championship game, awarded with an Oscar in the entertainment field, or any other honor the world can bestow on you? The greatest honor we can ever possibly receive, not necessarily noticed by the world, is being chosen by Christ to follow him now and live with him forever in heaven later!
Monday, July 24, 2017
Great Stillness
Communion experience. I felt great stillness in God, who is my beginning, my present, and my end forever.
**Sinner's Fear
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 12, some of the scribes and Pharisees demanded to see a sign from Jesus. Any unfaithful generation would not believe until it sees some kind of proof. People in general easily accept what the new media put out or what their friends tell them, but when it comes to hearing about Jesus, they readily shut their mind. How come? I would say it's because deep down they know that they are sinners and, naturally, any mention of God would make any sinner feel uneasy.
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