Ego can destroy us if not checked. It make you feel good, but what good is it? Do you also feel more peace? If not, then it's only a false good feeling. If someone praises you and you like it, what do you really gain? Isn't that just vanity? In truth, you are being fooled, thinking that your are something, but in reality you are nothing more. A puffed-up ego is like a balloon filled with some gas. Once it gets punctured, you'll feel the hurt. Hopefully, you'll then wake up and understand what it's all about and become more humble.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
***What Makes a Message Powerful
You can talk about how to love Christ or Christ the Lord. Any message or homily that tells you how to love God is just some good advice, never very memorable. Only by focusing upon the Lord can you expect to convert or change the hearts of people, for he alone is the power that draws all to him.
**Easy to Be Foolish
I see some people who have just retired starting to build their dream house, travel around the world, collect their favorite cars, or do whatever they have always wanted to do in a big way. This looks more like beginning a new life in this world than retiring from it. I wish them the best, but at the same time I recall the parable of the rich fool from Luke 12. To retire and really live it up is definitely not being wise. To be wise is to grow closer to God as the day of meeting him gets closer.
*More Important than Myself
Communion experience. The Lord is more important to me than my own soul, for without him, I wouldn't be existing at all.
***Making Jesus Come to Us
In today's Gospel reading from Luke19, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. Being short in stature, he could not see him because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. Today we don't see Jesus, but we can actually invite the Lord to enter and dwell within us. Before receiving Holy Communion at Mass is the perfect time to do this—we remain completely open and anticipate his entry. By the way, this is exactly how we attain union with God over a period of time.
**Faith Necessary
To know someone doesn't guarantee that you'd get help from him if you needed it. It's the same with the Lord. You must know and believe in him in order to be saved. That is, faith is requisite.
**Worry or Trust in God
Worrying shows the lack of trust in God. This is the God who has created our vast universe and also died himself in order to save us, and you believe that he will not take complete care of us? As humans we are weak, but we are capable seeing the truth too. Worrying never improves anything; it only makes you feel worse. All things pass. God is so good that if you trust in him, even if you lose your life on earth, you will live forever in heaven. Abandon yourself totally in God to banish worrying altogether. Yes, God is to be trusted.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
**Great Miracles in Comntrast
Today I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. The 4th and 5th Mysteries are Transfiguration and Institution of the Eucharist. Both are awesome and glorious miracles, yet they contrast with each other. The Transfiguration witnessed by Peter, James, and John was truly dazzling to the eye, while the changing of the bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, normally invisible, affects directly the soul of the one who receives the sacrament. (I said "normally invisible" because many Eucharistic miracles have taken place.)
***Most Valuable Sociable Person
Some of us are more sociable than others. Being sociable is not good if your intention is not pure, but it can be great if your intention is all good and clean. Do you realize that Christ, who has nothing but selfless love for us, is the most sociable (and friendly) person there is? He's ever ready to communicate with us at the heart level. Yes, he longs to know you most intimately. He'll always listen to you. Since he understands you perfectly, he'll always give you the best possible advice too. He patiently awaits. He's the No. 1 person you should want to know. Once you know him, he'll become the only one you'd want to know, for he is that delightful and endearing. There is a lot more I can say, but it'd be a lot more exciting for you to find out things on your own.
**Great Blessing
Another reason I feel so good believing in Christ is that he has made my conscience and mind so sharp and clear that I can discern if something is good or evil, right or wrong, true or false . . . easily. This provides an extra safeguard for the soul.
****God Most Trustworthy
The triangle is geometrically the most rigid of all polygons. A truss in civil engineering is a structural frame the design of which is based on the rigidity of the triangle, thus providing maximum strength. Also, a table with three legs offers the greatest stability. I thought of the Triune God, comprising the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three in and as one. Intuitively, I sensed the strength and stability of our God in whom we can fully trust.
***Our Necessary Choice***
In today's first reading from Philippine 1, Paul wrote, "I do not know which I shall choose I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit." This teaches us that in serving God, we should not do what we wish to do, but do only what is necessary. The key word is "necessary."
***Believe Before It's Too Late
We face all kinds of problems and try to solve them, but more often than not, they worsen. Personally, I see that solutions to all our problems lie in how much we seek and trust in God's help. With most of us who think that they know best, they'll never learn this truth. Nothing is sadder than finding out that you should have believed and now it's too late. We need to be wise and foresighted. Without foresight (and humility), hindsight just shows how wrong we've been.
***In Critical Need for God
As sinners, we need the God of Christ for salvation. With evil seemingly prevailing worldwide, we need him now more than ever! It's believe-in-Christ-or-be-banished-forever time.
**Resting in Peace Now
In Matthew 13, Jesus spoke to the people in parables. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it." I bring this up because today I feel that I already own that field and that pearl, and now I can just rest in peace.
Friday, October 28, 2022
**More Shroud of Turin Discoveries
I have a small Albert Gilles copper piece showing the face of Jesus in 3D, based upon the image on the Shroud of Turin. It's been hanging on the wall over my bed ever since I bought it in Quebec, Canada, many years ago. I just knew that it was the face of Jesus. But today, despite overwhelming scientific discoveries show that the Shroud is most likely authentic, unbelievers still think that it's a fake, so much for the chasm between believers and unbelievers. I have posted about the Shroud quite a number of times. Two of the videos you can find listed under Good websites, Blogs, Videos . . . in the right sidebar of my blog page. I came across this video presenting the many discoveries so far. It's worth watching. Since the presentation goes by rather fast, you may consider setting the playback speed to 0.75. Just click on the Settings gear and choose Playback speed to change.
***I Am a Hero!
As you know, we all hold ourselves as prisoners. With Christ's help, I was able to set myself free from me. And now, I have the Lord to myself. So you can say that I have conquered myself and I have conquered God. Glory be to Christ!
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