Slowly but Surely

        I went to morning Mass today, parked my car, and noticed that almost all the other parishioners walking toward the church walked rather slowly, for they were older folks. Surely they were going in the right direction toward heaven. Then I thought of those who were still young, could run fast, and loved to drive fast, but were not heading the right way, at least not yet. Here's a great contrast. Shall we say that old age can be a blessing to us?

Hope for Peace

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples that he had come not to establish peace on the earth, but rather division, even among the households. The Lord was letting us know that it was going to be spiritual warfare and people would either accept or reject the truth. We have the same situation today. Truth does not bend, so the only hope for peace is that we bend and accept the truth.

*Giving God the OK

        God can transform each one of us or bridge any differences among us, but we need to give him our permission first, for he respects the free will he has given us. Our future entirely depends upon if we say OK to God or not.

Initiating a Miracle

        God has created each of us as a unique being. The miracle is that even though we'll always have our individuality, we can will to surrender to him and become one with him. 

*Inspiring Holiness

        If you consider the vastness of the universe containing billions and billions of stars, you sense you own smallness and are humbled. Similarly, ponder upon the awesome holiness of God and you'll sense how wretched you are and be inspired to love him even more. 

Most Fundamental Prayer

        There are many things to pray for in our imperfect world because we are imperfect. While praying for specific things is fine, to get to the root of all our problems, the fundamental and most comprehensive prayer has to be praying for the conversion of all sinners. If we all become faithful followers of Christ, we would have peace in our hearts and the entire world. Pray for all your needs, but always pray for all the souls for the conversion of the world.

*Consider the Future Seriously*

        In today's Gospel from Luke 12, Jesus again taught his disciples to be vigilante and prepared, for he would come at an hour they do not expect. Today we do not think about the Lord much, and it follows that we do not think about life after death much either. Instead, we talk about mostly things of this life, what's happening with everyone, how we plan to invest with our money, where to buy good clothing, rising food prices, and other mundane things. The most people would do is to find a burial plot for themselves now, which is missing the whole point I am trying to make. I look ahead and realize that either the greatest shock of all or the greatest joy of all will happen to anyone after death. And we must now make choices and live this life to make sure we shall not encounter the unexpected. If you decide to prepare for it, you should come out fine. If not, then you will be shocked and crushed forever. 

We Need God's Pity

        As I was praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, these thoughts came out of my heart. Jesus never complained or protested while undergoing extreme suffering all the way to his death on the cross. It is clear that he had a mission, which is to carry out the Father's plan of our salvation. He revealed to his disciples in advance that he was going to be killed and rise on the third day. He had to die to redeem us from our sins, for we are powerless to save ourselves. How do we react to such incredible love reaching out to us? It seems so unfair, insensitive, insensible, even cruel, that we don't care very much about what God has done for us. 

Peace Most Precious

        Communion experience. The peace of Christ dispelled all my anxieties, putting everything in the right perspective. To remain in Christ is remain in heaven. To be anxious about earthly things is to remain in the world. 

*Secret of Knowing God

        If we shut the Lord out of our lives, naturally we won't get to know him. Today's response from Psalm 40: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Therefore, if we remain open and ready to do God's will, he will reveal himself to us for us to know him most intimately. I can testify to this fact from my personal experience. 

Incredible Living

        Communion experience. The union with God in Holy Communion is also definitive, incredible, and most refreshing. As a matter of fact, so is everything about Jesus. Those who belong to the Lord live the most incredible life.

Most Incredible, Relevant News

        Mark 10.45: The Son of Man has come to give his life as ransom for many. We get a lot of bad news daily and some good news at times, but the coming of Jesus into the world has to be the biggest and most definitive, incredible, ever refreshing news of all times. Unlike any other happening, it is relevant to our eternal existence! Think about it.

***Most Amazing Love of Jesus***

        Jesus is all mine, yet I want everyone to have him. I wish to be the one able to love him the most, yet I would rejoice if everyone else can love him more than I. It just shows that the amazing love of Christ for us can make us completely selfless. We cannot live without water or air, but we'll surely perish forever without his love!

**Most Soothing Feeling

        Communion experience. There is no feeling more soothing than the Lord entering your heart to set it ablaze, letting you know that he loves you.

**How to Love God*

        Know Jesus first and you will know how to love him, for you cannot love someone unknown to you. So "preach" Jesus only and let the Lord do the work.

Malice v. Honesty

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22, the Pharisees plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, asking, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person' status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" This is still the same trick used by government officials or common people today to test others. But the disciples of Pharisees at least got it right in their first two sentences: Jesus being always truthful and not concerned with whatever others think about him. May we have the same courage.

Only One True God

        Today's first reading came from Isaiah 45. The LORD let it be known that "I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me." This is unique about Christianity in which God directly communicates with his people since the beginning of Israel to this day. In Exodus 3, God said to Moses, "I am I AM." There is only one true God and he is the God of Christ.

World Lost

        We make sure that our house is good condition, our body is healthy, and our worldly knowledge of what affects us is kept up-to-date, but maintaining all these things will have been wasted if we do not make sure that we are also spiritually clean. The world is so deeply immersed in itself that it's got its priorities all wrong.