In today's Gospel reading from Mark 3, the mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house in which he was speaking to a crowd. When informed that they were waiting outside asking for him, he said, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Looking around at those seated in the circle he continued, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." So we can become members of God's immediate family by doing his will, no initiation required! As a matter of fact, if we abandon ourselves in God totally, he immediately becomes all ours!
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Invisible Tug-of-War
In John 8.12, Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, "I am the life of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Jesus has always given us the good news, straight and clear, showing his love for us; yet people find him to be a stumbling block. How come? I see a tug-of-war going on. If you are still resisting God, it's because Satan still has a hold on you, preventing you from joining God on the opposing side. You'll be free only if you break all the shackles holding you as a prisoner. This is the time to wield the power of your free will to let God set you free.
Monday, January 28, 2019
*Soul vs. Material Possessions
Communion experience. Our soul is our most precious possession. Compared to the soul, all our material possessions are worth nothing!
Smart Living
Of course, in life we do have things we must get done to meet some deadline, but most things can be left undone for a while. If you are OK with that, you have abandoned yourself to God to some extent. We all are going to die and I am sure on that last day, there will be many things still unfinished or not wrapped up yet, and we'll just have to let go. Since we do not know the day we die, why not let things go starting right this moment? We are just passing through on earth, so don't let anything tie you down. Remain free and enjoy life.
**God Does Not Worry
Jesus told his disciples not to worry about what to say when they face coming persecutions, for the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say. I am happy that I do not have to think about what to blog, for the Holy Spirit tells my heart what to say each time. Worrying should not be any Christian's cup of tea.
Only One Everlasting Bond
All earthly bonds between loved ones will end, but the bond we make with the Lord will last forever.
A Three-Word Prayer
In the Gospel, a leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." Here I learn another prayer. I simply say to the Lord, "If you wish . . ." and he knows exactly what I ask of him.
Formula for Spiritual Progress
We are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. If we truly believe that Christ is our Lord and our God, we have no choice but also to believe in him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. What's tragic is that many Christians do not take God seriously enough; they believe in him rather casually, not much better than being lukewarm. If one does not know God well yet, tell him to love God more, to believe in him more, or to be holier will not work. They must understand that only God can make all these things happen. Therefore, teach or advise them to abandon themselves to God first and he will make all things easy for them. This is absolutely truly. I'll again say: save your energy and let God do the work for you.
***Worst Possible Oppression
We just had our Walk for Life on the West Coast, equivalent to the March for life held in various other part of the country. The right to life is our God-given right to live. Don't forget that for us who get to live, we also have the right to claim eternal life! To terminate the life of the unborn is oppression at its worst. I like to close with this quote I posted some time back: "Everyone who supported slavery was free. Everyone who supports abortion was born. And that, my friends, is how oppression works."
*Perfect Peace
This profound peace comes from dwelling completely in the Lord with you becoming totally nonexistent on your own. Your spirit is now set free and is filled with hope and joy in your most beloved.
Sunday, January 27, 2019
*Worst Case of Man Playing God
This past week New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (a self-professed Catholic) signed a radical pro-abortion bill into law, legalizing abortion for basically any reason up to birth in New York state. This is a clear case of man going against God. Satan has taken control of many in politics, the news media, the academia, and the entertainment business. I don't want to give the impression that America is going to hell, because we still have a patriotic, God-fearing, and God-loving majority who normally remain civil and quiet, but will rise to defend their liberty, their right to religious freedom, and their faith in the Lord if they must. The righteous may suffer awhile, but they will live forever. Let's pray the Fatima prayer: O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy!
Exercising the Heart Properly
We do things customarily without thinking much, but if we believe God with our heart, we should see, hear, think, and speak with our heart too. To live for God is to exercise our heart solely for his sake. Seek union with him and you'll automatically use your heart wisely in tune with God's will.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
**Ultimate Reality
I came out of church after Mass this morning. It was cold but sunny and beautiful. The parked cars, the trees, the sun light . . . all looked normal and delightful, but I saw the ultimate reality that we'll all face later – heaven or hell. I do not intend to jolt anyone, but the Lord made me see this reality that's veiled to many today. At least you see that heaven is one possible reality, and that should give us hope, expectation, and joy.
**To Be Spontaneous in the Holy Spirit
Jesus said in John 3.6: The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is like the wind. When the Lord Spirit prompts you to do something, it is spontaneous, never premeditated. Attain union with God so that following the Holy Spirit may become your second nature.
*Letting God Enlighten You
Communion experience. "Nirvana" is achieved without spending a lifetime in meditation. It's God entering and revealing himself to you, not yourself hoping to find some illumination on your own.
Another Reminder
Throughout all our life, we are engaged in battling evil with our soul at stake, whether you are unaware, faintly aware, or somewhat aware. What is critically important is that we come out on top in the end.
*Joy of Belief
When we find great joy in the Lord, serving him becomes a joy and you feel that everything you do for his sake is special. Today I did routine things like going to Mass, receiving Holy Communion, tidying up the kitchen a bit, and getting ready to blog, yet I feel God has made them all very special. The joy of the Lord is something no one can ever take away from you.
*Power of a Single Voice
I am only one voice among the multitude, but I feel that the Lord hears me and I can move his heart. Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom for the sake of the righteous among the wicked. The Lord agreed that if he finds 50 righteous people in Sodom, he will spare the whole place for their sake. But Abraham kept on asking: what if there are only 45, 40, 30, 20, and finally 10 righteous people? Each time the Lord agreed that he would not destroy the city for the sake of the righteous. (Read Genesis 18.16-33.) God values each of us equally, so every one of us can move his heart if we mean it and are persistent. With enough of us praying hard, there is no question that we can reshape our world.
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