The Lost Attracting the Lost

        This is a generation of lost souls. I see films, literature, fine arts, song writers, etc., often produce works that are ambiguous, aimless, without a clear message. They can be intriguing and fascinating, but never satisfying. They resonate with a large audience precisely because the audience is largely lost too. To me, all these souls are unknowingly looking for God, only in the wrong places. All they need to do first is to open up to Christ to let themselves be found.

Time to Appreciate Mary More

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

        A timely message from Fr. Mark Goring.

Be True to God and Yourself

        Always be true to Christ and yourself. Let love, never ego, motivate all your thoughts, words, and actions. How others will receive you is not of your concern. You'll know you are being true if your heart remains at peace, as the Lord grants peace always to those who obey him.

**Self-Preservation First

        The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris caught fire a few day ago. The fire damaged the church so badly the spire collapsed. Various treasures within the church were damaged or destroyed too. The news shocked people worldwide. – it was sad news for all. Then I realize that any church is basically a building that can never last forever. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the first century. Most people who visit Notre Dame are tourists, not pilgrims. Do people feel sad about the dwindling church attendance in France? Of course, I'd like to see all great cathedrals and basilicas preserved. But I also see that God would much prefer that we keep our souls safe and unblemished. Therefore, be concerned about your spiritual condition first before all other concerns about things material.

*Making the Wise Choice

        Happy Easter to all! The church was packed at the first morning Mass I attended; the number of attendees just about doubled its normal size. Is this a good or sad thing? If we are confronted by Christ, we face the choice of living for him or for ourselves – there is not a 3rd choice! Don't count upon turning to God in the last moments of your life, for you may die in your sleep, die unexpectedly in an accident, die suddenly due to poor health, or loose your mind before you die. Since we can not escape from God, we should choose to follow and live for Christ now.

**Root Cause of Division

        Seeing how this country is so divided on so many issues, resulting in extremists accusing, slandering, and even physically assaulting those they could not tolerate, I can pinpoint the root cause of all this – people have cast God aside to play God themselves so that they now judge others as if they themselves are perfect. Pity those who are not aware that anytime you think you know more than God, you are in big trouble for sure.

***Know God 1st, Then Enjoy the World

        This world we live in is like a big amusement park. It is filled with attractions to get your attention, to appeal to your senses. Some people can't even live without listening to loud music at all times. Materialism, consumerism, commercialism dominate our lives. We learn to get ahead of others, so I doubt many people would understand what humility is. We have a world of "egomaniacs" looking for amusement for themselves. I am not even mentioning the seedy side of life. Anyway, the world is full of shallow people who do not even know themselves. To acquire depth, we need to take time out to look into ourselves to learn what we are first. This is getting in touch with our own soul so that we can get to know God, who can only be known at this level. Immersing in this world cuts us off from ever knowing God and that makes a great tragedy! So here's another of my wakeup calls: Know God first, then enjoy the world in freedom.

**Ultimate Challenge

        We are all more of less adventurous in different ways. We want to challenge ourselves physically and mentally. Traveling to explore new places and studying for a higher degree are common choices, but some would want to scale Mt. Everest, sail solo across an ocean, or even perform daredevil feats at the risk of losing their lives. May I challenge each of you to place your trust in God entirely? Nor only you won't put your life at extra risk, the unique excitement you receive on this adventure will be long-lasting and spiritually refreshing, remembered by God forever.

Feeling Good in Freedom

        When we do something well, we feel good. Watch a musician who has performed well, a student who has successfully passed an exam, a scientist who has made a great discovery, or an athlete who has broken a record. I myself had always felt good after finishing building a piece of furniture in my younger days and am still happy today whenever I am able to capture a nice image with my smartphone. Then there is the happiness and satisfaction you experience after God has entered your life and succeeded in transforming you in many ways. So how does this "feeling good" differ from all the others? Well, when you are on your own, feeling good is short-lived and feeds your ego each time, while the good feeling given to you by God is long-lasting and actually frees you from your ego. Therefore, know God first and you'll enjoy all good feelings in freedom.

*Fear of Death No More

        Do you ever joke about your own death? If you know you are returning to God, you lose all your fear of death and don't care about how much longer you live anymore. This is part of how God sets you free. To die or not is no longer of concern. Now, joke about your own death all you want.

To Be Weak in God to Be Strong

        If you feel that you are weak in any respect, rely upon God even more. Then you become strong in him and you'll be able to overcome all your weaknesses. The Lord loves to help those who humbly acknowledge their weaknesses and seek his help. 

**Our Greatest Relief!

        Today is Holy Thursday and no morning Mass was offered. Realizing this last night before I went to bed, I felt relieved that I could just go to sleep and wake up the next morning anytime I want to. Of course, I am not saying that I don't like attending Mass – I am merely saying that anytime some restriction is removed, we just feel relieved. Then I thought of our greatest relief. When we get to know the Lord intimately and become one with him, we and God become inseparable, meaning that nothing can prevent us from going to heaven anymore. What a great relief! With Christ, things can only get better. 

**Best Way to Pray*

        Most Catholics are not used to praying spontaneously. They normally read or recite prayers already formed or learned, and there is a plethora of them for practically every occasion and every need. Since I was a convert from Protestantism and also involved with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement at one time, I feel a lot freer praying via my own words. I don't like to read others' prayers because (1) they are not my thoughts and may not impact me much, (2) they are often wordy and too general, while I prefer to be more specific and to the point, (3) sometimes when I read one, I have to figure out what is being said, making it impossible to focus upon the Lord at the same time. I believe God loves to hear what comes straight from our hearts the most and it doesn't even have to be said in words. If you only want to recite one prayer, it would be the Lord's Prayer, for it is fundamental and all-encompassing. Don't get me wrong – all other prayers are good. But when we ask God for this and for that, soon we lose track of what we ask for. Here is what I feel to be the simple, proper, and most expedient way to pray. You go to the Lord and open yourself to him, and he will see everything in your heart . . . all your needs spiritual or otherwise. Let him then transform you to make you holy. In short, seek to attain union with God is the best way to pray and to fulfill your spiritual aspirations.

***Being One With God

        God is everywhere, which means he can be in us too. You really cannot picture God in any physical way, since he is spirit. But you certainly can become so intimate with the Lord to know that he and you are in union as one, completely inseparable from each other in spirit! Now, he is immediate and always present. Where? How? It no longer matters.

**More Horrible Than Herod

        In Matthew 2, we read about the massacre of the innocents. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem to look for the newborn Messiah, king of the Jews. King Herod heard about this and was greatly troubled. So he called the magi secretly and sent them to Bethlehem to search for the child. After the magi found the infant Jesus with Mary his mother and did him homage, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. So they departed for their country by another way. When Herod realized that he had been deceived, he became furious and ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. Of course, it was an atrocious deed done by Herod. But this crime becomes insignificant when you compare it to the millions and millions of innocent unborn babies being aborted nonstop in our nation alone over many decades and still now. Herod alone ordered the killing, while we have a vast number of people supporting abortion, resulting in its legalization by the Supreme Court of this nation! Who are the greater sinners? God will certainly reveal this in the end.

*Minding Our Own Business

        This means that we do not judge others and make sure that we are blameless before the Lord. We cannot do great good if we are not holy. Yes, we care about our own souls foremost. We respect the free will of everyone else's and care about their souls by loving and praying for them. After all, it always comes down to being between each one of us and God in the end.

**God Making You What You're Not!

       Do you wish that you can be bold in witnessing for the Lord? Do you wish to be on fire to serve him? Do you wish that you can be what you cannot achieve in becoming holy? Do you wish that you can do whatever God wants you to do? If all your answers are yes, then you are more than halfway there, for nothing is impossible with God. Just let him change your thinking so that you may see as he sees. Trust in him that he'll make all your wishes come true in time. Do not struggle on your own, but focus upon his power and expectations of you. Then he shall surprise you by accomplishing everything through you. And you'll experience the true freedom and joy in glorifying him. Bottom line: God knows all about you and can make you the best possible you for him and you!