Extraordinary Status

        Communion experience. Christ now dwells in me. I am no longer an alien sinner, for the Lord has made me part of him. 

**Last Reminder Reinforced

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16.19-31, Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus told to the Pharisees bolsters the reminder of my last post. Both the rich man and poor Lazarus died. Lazarus was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham, while the rich man descended to the netherworld where he remained in torment. The parable makes it clear that there is heaven and there is hell, and a great chasm exists between the two abodes preventing anyone from crossing from one side to the other. Furthermore, the parable reveals that the only way to avoid ending up in the place of torment is to believe that it exists and repent now before you die. God has been telling us this all along and we need to listen to him.

***Critically Important Reminder*

        In driving a car, the worst that could ever happen to you is a head-on collision. Therefore, avoid it at any cost. In your next life, the worst and absolutely most miserable thing that could ever happen to you is eternal separation from God the Father who has lovingly created you. Therefore, make sure that this will never happen to you at all costs by knowing that God loves you and believing in him with all your heart. This is my most loving advice to all.

God Most Delightful!

        Communion delight. I experienced God as my absolute delight, ending this month on a high note!

*First Duty to God

        Get to know him as much as possible so that we may be one with him. Then we can serve him according to his will effectively. 

**Master and Servant Are One!

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, Jesus said to the Twelve disciples, "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." We are so blessed to have our Master serving us! The amazing God of Christ is both our Lord and our Servant – rejoice! 

*Holiness Most Attractive

        Communion experience. I am a sinner and no other sinner can possibly save me. In receiving the Lord, I have the Most Holy One entering me to save me. God loves me, but it is his holiness that draws a sinner like me to him.

**Power of Our Free Will*

        God gave us the free will to test our faith. The faithful choose wisely and gain eternal life. The faithless choose foolishly and lose life altogether.

*Soul Over Body and Mind*

        Christ came to save our souls. Therefore, do not worry about losing your body or your mind; but by all means safeguard your soul!

**Union With God, His Desire

        God is more than just being within our reach; he ardently wishes that we enter to dwell in his house! God is more than merely being accessible; he yearns to take up residence in our hearts! This makes intimate union with him possible when we yield to him. This is the endearing God of Christ!

Are You in Trouble?

        If you you do not want God in your life and wish to manage everything by yourself, then you are running away from him or believe falsely that you know more than God. Either way, you are in trouble. My advice to you is that you seriously search your heart to understand the cause and ponder upon the consequences of your decision. This is being honest with yourself. It is a good idea to face yourself first before you face God.

Beyond Our Comprehension

        Communion experience. Our omnipotent and omniscient God is way beyond our comprehension. For example, how much he loves us is more than we can possibly fathom with our finite mind. In receiving the Lord today in the Holy Eucharist, obviously he entered me physically, but by faith I knew that spiritual union also took place, even though it was beyond my comprehension. 

A Reason to Rejoice

        We can repent to God of our sins at practically any time as long as we are alive.  

At Peace in God

        Communion experience. I have settled accounts with my Lord, so everything else doesn't matter anymore.

**Yes, Love Your Enemies*

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus spoke of love of enemies. He said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father." If you find it hard to love your enemies, let me put aside for a moment that it was Jesus' command and ask you what you would gain from not forgiving your enemies. I can't think of anything good. In fact, I see that hate begets hate and not forgiving our enemies will only be destructive to ourselves. If you can't come up with anything either, then you must accept the Lord's counsel. Know that God is not our enemy, but loving our enemies is loving God! 

Fair Treatment in the End

        Sin not only stains our soul, it also clouds our judgment, causing confusion. People are made to think that God is not always fair to us. We forget that there is life after death. You could say that life is unfair if we die and no longer exist, as some have a lot more of everything than others while on earth. Then again, if we all become nothing sooner or later, what's point of talking about being fair or unfair in our brief existence? Because the soul lives on forever, we can be sure that after God judges us, we'll see that everyone will have received fair treatment.  

Don't Be Lukewarm!

        Revelation 3.16: Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. God does not like us to be lukewarm. A lukewarm Christian is one who takes God only half-seriously. Picture him hanging off the edge of a cliff – he risks falling all the way down. Achieve union with God will put you on solid ground, for now you are with(in) him wherever he is.

*Breaking Down Barriers

        The amazing love of our Lord God is such that it can absolutely unite any two people anywhere in the world in him that they become adopted children of the same Father. Music also has the power of breaking down barriers among us so that we might live in peace on earth. Christopher O'Riley, an American classical pianist, has featured brilliant young musicians on his weekly hosted program From the Top on National Public Program for many years. Here he has six talented young immigrant musicians who came from various countries playing his composition This Land/Our Land together. It is beautiful when people can get along with each other happily. The most beautiful world, of course, would be one in which all people of the world are in union with God as one.