Jesus Speaking as God

        One of the Communion antiphons was Matthew 28.20. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord. We must take this saying seriously. For if he did speak the truth, then obviously he knows where we are and what we are doing at all times and is present with us. He has to be God.

**Love Your Enemies

        Often people judge you harshly, are not grateful for what you've done for them, don't want to listen to you, ignore you, misunderstand you, or even look down on you. That's OK if your conscience is clear, knowing that you have always acted out of love. God understands everything and that's good enough for you, for you aim to serve and please him alone. And always pray for your enemies in all forms.

Be Transformed by God at Mass

        If you go to Mass as a blank canvass for God to paint whatever he wishes on it. You can be sure that he'll end up with a masterpiece at the end of Mass.

*Entering the Lord

        Before a large ship arrives at a port, the captain must carefully negotiate all the obstacles to steer the ship slowly all the way through docking. By contrast, we can enter God instantly by casting aside all our cares and head straight for his heart. The only question is whether we would do it.

***Talking to God

        We ought to be in awe of and worship our God, but since he is love, we can also talk to him about anything from our heart freely to develop the most intimate friendship with him. You see, love simply removes all barriers between God and us. This is our extraordinary, wondrous God, our Father, brother, and counselor. So even if you don't know him, start talking to him can lead you to living the most wonderful life on earth. 

Communion Joys

        Communion experience. Letting the Lord into my heart is a great joy, so is the chance to prostrate myself before him, completely submitting myself to him.

God for Sinners Only

        We receive the Lord into our heart, not because we are holy enough; we receive him precisely because we are sinners and need him to take away our sins. 

*Jesus Irreplaceable

        If you quit your job, you still have a chance to find another one. But if you quit Jesus, there'll be absolutely nothing left for you to hold onto for eternal security.

**God's Selfless Love

        Today is Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel reading from Matthew 25 was on the judgement of the nations. Jesus identified the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the ill, and those in prison as the least of his brothers. And he made it clear that whatever we did for one of his least brothers, we did for him, and whatever we did not do for one of his least bothers, we did not do for him. Any of us could very well be one of his least brothers. It follows that  any one of us is as important to him as himself. Jesus truly loves us as himself!

One Shepherd, Many Foes

        Psalm 23 was today's responsorial psalm at Mass. Its first verse is well-known: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. We have only one shepherd, our God. And we surely need him, for we have innumerable foes.

Another Good Chance

        Every time you ask God for something, it is a chance to offer him your heart once more.

**Telling Sign

        The more you turn away from Jesus Christ, the more you need him! If he makes you feel uncomfortable, then he matters to you. That's because he is God and has created you.

Our Most Important Mission

       It glorifies God to harvest souls for him, for he loves all of them to death! To perform our mission well behooves us to be holy ourselves. Therefore, seek union with God foremost so that we may become effective channels through which the Lord can draw all to himself. There is nothing more satisfying or fulfilling than serving him faithfully.

**Life Seen As a Test*

        We came into the world, not knowing how we got here – it is clear to me that God must have created us. How else would that have been possible? He also gave each of us a free will, a conscience, and a heart, and we were ready to be tested throughout our life. How we make choices ultimately determines our eternal destiny. Fair enough.

*Sharing the Joy of Christ

        If you experience the joy of Christ, let it be seen by all. Sharing it with others can potentially save souls. I am thinking about some of the friends and others I knew who had shockingly committed suicide. If I had shared my joy with them, I possibly could have made a difference. It's a balancing act because we can't always pop up and tell them about Christ if the timing is not right. Still, it's better to err on the bold side than being too cautious. You should not worry about offending your subject if the Lord does provide an opening. And always follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, never your own inclination.

**Worthy to Be Loved by God!

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. I am quoting one verse from his answer to them, for it struck me. He said, "God is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." So we are all alive to him – meaning that he notices and knows each one of us. We are not just nobody; in fact, we are at the apex of his creation, worth sacrificing himself to save us. How can we possibly reject ourselves or reject him? Indeed, we should thank him and love him with all our heart by seeking union with him so that we may experience the only perfect out-of-the-world relationship of our existence on earth!

In a Sorry Spiritual State

        This is a materialistic world. Children born into it learn to be materialistic fast. On this Black Friday after Thanksgiving, people got up early and headed excitedly for shopping malls to hunt for bargains. God is at a disadvantage. It can be considered a miracle that one would think of God before him- or herself. I watched a short BBC video titled "What do people say before they die?" Interestingly, most of the interviewed did not talk about death, not knowing what would happen afterwards. Instead they looked back and wished they had done certain things or asked for some little thing to be done to fulfill their last wish. Again, God was hardly mentioned. Even though God had come into the world and proclaimed loud and clear the good news of salvation, and we should be full of hope and look forward to returning to him with joy, he has rarely been placed in the forefront of our mind. What we can count on is that the Lord knows that we are weak and that he is infinitely merciful.

Genuine Thanksgiving

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17 on this Thanksgiving Day, ten lepers met Jesus. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" Jesus saw them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned to Jesus, fell at his feet and thanked him. What a beautiful gesture! Jesus then said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." That was his reward for thanking God in humility! In Luke 18, we find the Pharisee in the parable speaking to God, "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes ...." Jesus made it clear that this Pharisees went home unjustified, for he had exalted himself. Again, humility makes you genuine and win the heart of God.