**Know Your Calling and Role

        In today's Gospel reading from John 1, John the Baptist testified to himself. He admitted that he was not the Christ, denied that he was a prophet, and said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." We who follow Christ must also know who we are, what our role or calling is. It does not have to be specific, but we should at least know clearly that we are to serve God. In my own case, since 2010 the Lord has made it clear to me that he desires union with us through receiving him in the Holy Eucharist. I will devote myself to spreading this message as best I can for the remainder of my life.

*God Most Understanding and Just*

        God is both strict and lenient. He is strict because his words are truth and we must believe and obey them. He is lenient because he is love and will consider our circumstances and intention in each case and modify the rules, you might say, to be fair to us. 

Alone With God

        Communion experience. Only God and I were present. In a church filled with priests and parishioners, there was no one between the Lord and me. It was the most beautiful, private, exclusive moment of union with God.

Three New Realizations

(1) That the Lord knows the future is reason enough for us to trust in him.

(2) To trust in God is to trust in the power of God.

(3) To know God well, be aware that he is most holy first!

Blessed Art Thou Among Women

        Today January 1 is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. We all need a perfect mother and that mother is the mother of our Lord whom he has give us to be our mother. When you feel drawn to this Mother, the Lord is drawing you to him. Being most holy and close to the her Son, sometimes I feel that Mary is the only intercessor I need. I love the mother of my Lord, our Mother.

Rejoicing in the Lord Always

        Happy 2019 to all! Nowadays you can easily watch the New Year's celebrations around the world online. I sampled a few of them and would guess that Dubai had the most beautiful fireworks display. I wonder why people are so happy to welcome each New Year. Is it because they hope or believe that things will get better for them in the new year? Or is it because they see themselves getting a new start in life? Perhaps they are happy simply because New Year is new? The reason could be a mixture of all three or more. I can't help shifting my thoughts to Jesus, who is forever new to us. What I mean is that he can continuously teach us something new, make us anew, and give us fresh hope at all times. Besides, the happiness he gives is not anticipatory – we actually receive deep, sweet, refreshing joy in our heart that's soul-cleansing. That explains why once you've tasted the Lord, New Year is just not very exciting anymore.

***Yearend Insight

        Because we are at the complete mercy of God, the most sensible, intelligent, and logical thing for us to do is to abandon ourselves completely to God. The proof is in the peace and freedom you receive. 

Most Fundamental Resolution

        Reviewing what I lack spiritually, I see that I need to see Christ in everyone more. Of course, making any resolution on my own will not amount to anything if I do not let the Lord help me adhere to it. Looking at it this way, the most fundamental resolution is clearly to surrender ourselves to God in all things.

***Astounding Truth

        The first 18 verses of the Gospel John were read at today's morning Mass on this last day of the year 2018 of our Lord. The words are earthshaking, soul-shaking. I shall reproduce verses 1-5 and most of verses 10-14 below.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God . . . . And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.

         As the year ends, it is fitting to review how it all happened at the beginning.

Peace and Joy to All!

        Communion experience. Deep joy rooted in deep peace only God can give.

Start Finding Life Now

        Our goal on earth is to find life now and forever in Christ. Therefore, detach yourself from your present life and start living in and for Christ now. Every journey begins with a first step.

Walking in Step With God

        I realize that in glorifying the Lord, we mush temper our zeal so as not to interfere with his time table. There is a delicate balance here to achieve. We can sense that by making sure that our ego does not take part and listening quietly to the voice of the Lord in our heart. Seeking union with God is the way to go. 

**A Reality to Recognize

        All of us came from God and will have to answer to him alone – not to you, me, or anyone else – in the end. This should teach us not to ever judge others or get over-concerned about their salvation. What is proper for us to do is to pray for each other with all our heart and leave it all to God.

**God Is Waiting

        To let God draw us deep into him is the same as letting him enter deep into us, as either way results in union. Since the Lord longs to become one with us, it is inconceivable that he would refuse our invitation for him to enter us. The ball is now in our court.

Trembling Before the Lord

        Communion experience. I trembled upon approaching the Lord to receive him, not because I fear him, for he loves me, nor because I fear the evil one, for he absolutely has no power over me when I am with the Lord; I trembled because the Most Holy One was about to enter me, still a most wretched sinner.

Another Critical Realization

        Today is the Feast of Holy Innocents. Evil is real. King Herod, attempting to destroy the child Jesus, the prophesied king of the Jews, ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. Today's Response from Psalm 124: Our soul has ben rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare. Has your soul already been snared by the evil one? Is it in danger of being snared by him? We must be aware that evil snares are all around us at all times, so that if we do not remain vigilant and watchful, we can easily lose our soul. 

*Thinking Simply to the Point

        It may be difficult to believe in Christ, but it is practically impossible to prove that he never existed, that he never told the truth, or that he never rose from the dead. To believe in him only requires stopping playing God yourself, but people choose to ignore and not to resolve this issue as long as possible. So we see that Christ has to be our Lord and God. Then he must come again to judge us or our whole existence would be meaningless. Whether his Second Coming will happen in our lifetime or not, we must be ready for it, and this is my final point. 

**God Completes Us

        We all have our own shortcomings, but God can heal us spiritually, fill our hearts with joy, and make us whole so that we no longer see them as obstacles. In fact, they now make us even more dependent upon him in all things. The Lord always completes us where we fall short.