Year-End Summary

        Believing in, following, and loving Jesus will lift your existence to a new level that's not of this world, for you belong to him now.  At that level you'll be in commune with God, enjoying the union, and no longer weighed down by things of the world.  Love reigns supreme and freedom captures the heart.  You know that Truth has chosen you, found you, and called you.  You are home and his forever.  There is no greater peace you can possibly possess on this earth. 

End-of-Year Reflection

        2010 is coming to its end.  With the exception of God alone, everything passes.  We are all journeying on toward God or the unknown, depending upon your personal convictions.  Right now, a friend of mine is waiting to die at any moment, but he's well prepared to meet the Lord.  Often I hear older folks say that they want to travel or do other things they enjoy while they still have good health and can move about.  That seems to be sensible thinking.  Then there are others who realize that life is so brief that they'd better use the remaining time they have left to devote themselves to serving God.  Another valid point of view, polar from the first but definitely wiser.  When we meet the Lord face to face after this life, he's going to ask us what we've done to glorify him.  The lowlier we serve God in this life, the higher he is going to raise us in heaven.  Jesus the Lord is our supreme example.
        What are 2011 and the future going to be like?  That would depend a great deal upon us.  Suppose that from now on, everyone in the world starts  rebelling against God, you can imagine the kind of world we are going to have.  Now if everyone starts believing in and loving God, what would the world be like??  It's clear that we have the power to move God and shape the world.  God is our only hope; Jesus, our only savior.  My hope for the New Year is that we will always hope in God.               

God Helping Us

        I see God helping us who love him from two directions.  From the outside, he makes sure that whatever happens to us will be best for our soul.  From the inside, he transforms us interiorly so that we'll always do his will.  This is how he loves us.

Choose God over the World

        In today's Mass reading from the First Letter of St. John, the Apostle exhorts us not to love the world or the things of the world, for all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father.  To be fair, there are good things in the world too.  For Christians we must make the right choice always, so it seems that life is basically a big test ~ you either pass or fail.  I hope that St. John's exhortation will help us choose God always over the world. 

Our Limitations, a Grace

       During prayer before morning Mass, I felt my own limitations.  I even had trouble expressing some of my thoughts; the words were just not there.  This feeling of inadequacy to me was a grace.  God made me realize that I was truly nothing and should remain forever humble before him.      

Go with God First

        If we get it spiritually right first, then we'll have a easier time in the world because we have God to keep us from being corrupted by the world.  On the other hand, it we start out in the world without God, we get corrupted first and it'd be a lot harder to get up to get it right with God. 

Cast All Cares upon God

        Let God take over your life and you will be free.  This is an exception to "If it sounds too good to be true, then it can't be true."

        First, God is love and he will never lord it over you.  Secondly, he is totally trustworthy, reliable, and only wants to help you.  Thirdly, you with a finite mind and a crooked nature, will never be able to free yourself.  Last, when you surrender to him, all your problems become his to solve.  

        Therefore, cast all your cares upon him.         

How to Love Others

        Let yourself be loved by God first.  (This has got to be my shortest post.)

We Are Prodigal Too

        I venture to say that we all know the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32).  We may not be as bad as he was, but we are all prodigal to some degree and the Father's great love applies to us as well.  God always loves us.  Now, rejoice.   

My Pleasure!

        I once checked into a hotel and one desk clerk was extra helpful.  Every time I asked her to do something, she always responded enthusiastically, "My pleasure!"  That really made me feel good.  I got to thinking that we should respond to the Lord the same way.  "My pleasure," "At your service," "At your disposal" ~ they all sound pretty good.  In other words, be glad to do his will always.     

Mutual Giving

        During the Liturgy of the Eucharist at morning Mass today, the priest consecrated the bread and wine and the Lord was ready to offer himself to us again as our bread of life and spiritual drink. I was wondering what I could give to him for exchange.  His answer was that I should give him my heart.

Are You Ready to Die?

        At this morning's Mass, the pastor asked us if we're ready to die right now.  Simeon was ready after seeing the child Jesus with his own eyes, but we have in a way already seen so much more than Simeon.  We have the Gospels, the testimonies from the saints, the teachings of the Church, and much more. 

        If your answer is "no," then is it because the faith is not there yet? there is still too much attachment to the world?  What is holding you back?  This question needs to be urgently addressed while we still have life (time).   

Let God's Plan Unfold

        Today's Gospel reading was from Luke 2 on the Presentation of the child Jesus in the temple.  You are probably familiar with the story of how the man Simeon was ready to die after seeing Jesus because the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  What struck me was that this wasn't anything earthshaking.  It just seemed to be something that came along at the proper time in God's plan.  The entire life of Jesus on earth also seemed to proceed naturally, one event at a time.  He remained humble and meek, going about doing the Father's will quietly with dignity.  Our own life should be lived like that too with no intention to make our own waves or call attention to ourselves, but to seek and do God's will quietly in his time.

Are You in the Light?

        Today's first reading at Mass was from 1 John 2.  Verses 9 & 10 read: "Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.  Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall."  It's clear that if there is still someone you cannot forgive, then you are not in the light yet.  When you truly see Christ in everyone, then you are securely in the light.  A good test for us to take. 

God's Awesomeness

        Today I approached the Lord before Mass with great trepidation.  I didn't mean it in a bad way; I just felt God's awesomeness and my unworthiness.  Nevertheless, his love and mercy came through just the same, removing all fears and apprehension and drawing me ever closer to him. 

In Complete Union with God

        At today's Mass, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, Reading 1 is from 1 John.  The Apostle speaks of God as light.  The following beautiful picture came to my mind: 

        By virtue of God's light shining upon us, we are transformed into light, and the two lights merge together in complete union so that they are no longer distinguishable from each other.      

The Compassion of God

        In my last post, I pointed out how common, daily occurrences can affect us.  We get disturbed, upset or emotional, lose peace, and turn negative in thoughts, words, and/or deeds.  Then I thought of God.  When we sin against him, he does not react the way we do ~ he becomes even more compassionate and looks upon us with even greater pity, for his love and mercy knows of no bounds.   

Be Weighed Down or Lifted Up

        I've been observing others and examining my own past to see why we lack inner peace.  A lot of things out there in the world go wrong and they do bother some of us, the more conscientious ones; but overall, things that happen close to us generally affect us more.  

        Here are some examples showing how we can lose peace.  Someone is given a much better Christmas present than what you've received.  Someone who joined the company later than you gets promoted first.  someone puts some kind of extra burden on you either knowingly or not.  You suffer a financial loss in some way.  Someone who owes you a debt delays repaying you.  Your rich friend buys a lot of things you cannot afford.  Someone's behavior or speech annoys you.  You are misunderstood by others.  Someone cuts you off on a freeway.  Such examples are many and common.  The emotions involved are anger, envy, jealousy, self-pity, fear, frustration, distress, etc.  The causes are a big ego, selfishness, being judgmental, impatience, lack of humility, lack of trust in God, etc.  As a result, you get weighed down with a heavey heart.   

        Here's how all can change.  Let Christ take over your life and all the above-mentioned causes can be removed.  There is no other way to free yourself!  God does not weigh us down; instead, he lifts us up as high as we wish to go.  He is God and he is love.  So, there are many, many things in life that constantly weigh us down; but only one God who can lift us out of the pits and make us live in him in peace and freedom.  (This is absolutely true as the saints and many others have experienced it.)