God Our Only Hope

        There is just so much bad news you hear from all over the globe. Again, I want to remind all that God is our only bright hope. Focus on the fact that God has turned many human beings into saints. So if we all let God transform us, then we'll have a peaceful world ~ it's as simple as that. In reality, of course, not everyone will listen to this truth, but this does not invalidate the truth that God, the God of Christ, is our only hope.          

The Christian Life

        The Christian life can be said to consist of two parts. You find Christ, believe in him and ask him to come into your life ~ this is the first part. You want him to transform you until you become like him ~ this is the second part. It's in this second part that you become holy, experience freedom, and know that you are now a new creature. Without this part, you are only a Christian in name only. 

Best Discovery of My Life

        I watched a documentary on a legendary photographer who photographed what people wore (clothes) in New York City. He's good and loved what he did. I totally understand it because I used to photograph a lot myself. And it's through this medium that I discovered myself. I reached a point that I felt exactly what emotionally moved me and knew how to capture that image, and that anyone who saw my work would recognize that it's mine. In other words, the images became me. This gave me great satisfaction because those serene, calm, and somewhat enigmatic images showed clearly what kind of person I was.

        The discovery of Jesus changed everything. I see now that the discovery of myself still kept me self-centered. The light of Christ has totally revealed him to me and me to him. It's this mutual understanding that matters. Essentially, knowing that I am loved by him has freed me, making my old discovery totally forgettable.

How Important Is Jesus to You?

        Today is Super Bowl Sunday, a big special day for football fans. It's a fact that many Catholics do not attend Mass on Sunday except when it happens to be Easter or Christmas, just to ease their conscience. Now, for many football fans who normally do attend Mass, skipping it on Super Bowl Sunday for their convenience does not seem to bother them either. The question basically boils down to whether you love yourself or God more. 

        The following comes to my mind. (1) Is Jesus truly your shepherd? As you know, his sheep hear his voice and follow. (2) The first disciples dropped everything instantly to follow the Lord when he called them. Hesitation or looking back shows unfitness. (3) Matthew10.32-33: "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." Obviously, if Jesus is not number one in your life, you won't be treated as number one by him in your next life. 

Taking Advantage of the Holy Eucharist

        As I received the Lord in Holy Communion this morning, I realized that I had done it innumerable times already. I started attending daily Mass in November, 2007; so counting just these last 4+ years alone, I have done it over 1,500 times! So, if I have not been a better Christian by now, I really should be ashamed of myself and might as well turn into a log. Fortunately, I am most grateful that Jesus has blessed me more than I deserve. If we will just become a tiny bit holier each day, we can go a long way after a thousand days! [This reminds me of a story about Irena Orlov, the pianist I mentioned in a post late last December. A student told her that a piece was too hard for him to learn. She asked him to count the number of measures in the piece and it turned out to be 54. Then she asked him if he could learn to play just one measure a day, and obviously, the answer was yes.]

Joy and Sorrow

        I was praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary today. The Sorrowful Mysteries, culminating in Crucifixion of the Lord, will follow later. Then the Glorious Mysteries come at the end. In our own life, joy and sorrow take their respective turns. It's easy for one to be in one state and not think about the other. But for us who believe in Jesus, no matter how much sorrow we experience, let's always remember that our final state will be everlasting joy!   

Dark Days Are Here!

        Just read on BBC News that a Christian group in Bath has been banned from claiming that God can heal illnesses on its website and in leaflets. The Advertising Standard Authority there said that such advertisements could encourage false hope and were irresponsible. The dark days are indeed here. Christians are now being squeezed on all sides. The happy news is that this will only hasten the Lord's return. The sad news is what he will find when he comes.  

God Is Humble

        Again, after seeing some stunning pictures of galaxies on a TV program, I was in a way "stunned" by the humbleness of God, the creator of our universe. With such great power, God has never tried to show off in any way ~ that's saying that he never looked down on us. Jesus came into our world ~ he healed the sick and raised the dead, multiplied fish and bread and calm the wind and sea; but he did all out of love, never for a moment intending to show that he was superior to us. Of course, since the Lord is already the greatest, what's the point of letting others know that he is great? More basically, I believe that God is humble because that's his nature, for without humility you cannot genuinely love others. As for us who are definitely not the greatest, all the more we should remain humble. We should never show off before others to make others feel inferior.

Loving All Equally

        We naturally feel that our family members among all the people in the world are the closest to us. What does Jesus see? He said that whoever does the will of God is his brother and sister and mother (Mark 3.35). And he wanted to love our neighbor as ourselves. And Jesus identified himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, and one in prison (Matthew 25). It's clear that to the Lord, every single soul is equally dear to him. To follow his example, we must see all as loved ones of God and love them with no differentiation. 

Do All for Love

        Once you have been compelled to love Jesus, let this love, which really came from him, propel you in all that you do.

Love Compelling

        When you read the Gospels and finally realize how amazing God's love for us truly is, you will be compelled to love Jesus ~ only an irrational person will not so choose.

Battling Satan

        In fighting a battle, every little effort matters and every single moment counts. Remember that Jesus wants us to be perfect and this is how we should deal with Satan. In other words, we must be fully vigilant and do whatever we can to help without hesitation.

Time to Consecrate Ourselves

        Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a good day to consecrate or reconsecrate ourselves to God. I feel great sorrow that the Church is being persecuted by the current administration at the top and "under attack" by other non-Christian organizations. Religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution is losing its protection. When Satan seems to prevail, we need to seek refuge in the Lord more than ever. 

Vision Affects Living

        A vision of a child is different from that of an adult who has many more life experiences. A farmer's vision is again different from what a high government official sees and understands. What we see affects how we live our lives. If we have the vision of truth, we will live right too. So, get to know Christ and ask him to let you have his vision of the world. 

Power over Sin

        This morning at Mass, the Lord made me see the power we can have to overcome sin. Of course, only he has the power to take away our sins, but he has given us the choice to repent, get our sins forgiven, and reconcile with him again. I thought about it and saw that it was a tremendous power we can channel from God for our benefit. This is a unique power that comes only from God. Whatever God does, he accomplishes. Prepare yourself and give the Lord the go-ahead and it will be instantly done. 

Sad State of the World

        I am greatly saddened by the fact that so many Catholics do not take they faith seriously. Attending Mass on Sunday is not on their priority list and the reception of the Holy Eucharist becomes perfunctory and produces no change in them. Being lukewarm is worse than being cold (Revelation 3:16). 

        Today I heard the absurd news that in France, quite a number of once baptized but now atheists want the Church to de-baptized them. One has begun a lawsuit already. Of course, this is something that cannot be undone. It's rather like deciding you don't want to live in this world anymore and asking your mother to put you back in her womb.  

        More saddening news ~ those candidates who are involved in fighting to become front runners in our political party primaries are spending vast amounts of money in media attacking each other, and these false accusations actually influence many ill-informed voters. Money definitely works here. With enough money, you can pretty much "buy" the office you want. By the way, the candidates are all known to be Christians!  

        I know, we all fall short or way short. Jesus came in the first century and was rejected by many and put to death. In this 21st century, we are acting no better. The next time he comes, he will be doing the judging and we shall not have the chance to say anything. My advice is: Wake up and reform before it's too late ~ that same age-old warning.

Listen, Obey, and Act

        From today's Gospel reading taken from Mark 1 at Mass, we hear that Jesus entered the synagogue to teach and the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Now that we know Jesus is God, this is no longer surprising in the least. Therefore, we should not only pay attention to his teaching, but also do what he tells us to do. Listening alone is not enough ~ to obey and act becomes mandatory if one truly believes in him. Again, this is the logical conclusion. 

God Forever Cares

        Today is the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Gospel from Mark 4 is about how the disciples got scared when a violent squall came up and their boat was filling up with water. And they thought that they're going to perish. So they woke up Jesus asleep in the stern, and he calmed the wind and stilled the sea for them. Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" 

        It's true for all of us that when things don't go our way, we think that God has abandoned us and we start to worry. It just shows our weak faith and lack of trust. Let us remember that God is always with us, in everything, large or small, that happens to us. He is present right now as I am peacefully typing and will not stay away when things go bad for me. Lack of trust is caused by forgetting that God is ever present and that he cares for us. 

Preparation for Loving God

        After my last post, I see this logical sequence. First, get your heart cleaned up by the Lord, and then you'll feel so good that you can't help but fall in love with God.

Being Clean Before God

        During prayer before Mass began this morning, I felt so good to feel "clean" before the Lord. When your have repented, have gotten all your sins forgiven by God, and have had the Holy Eucharist cleanse and purify your heart, you are set free by God ~ this is absolutely the best feeling you can possibly have in this life! I felt so elated that I wanted to proclaim aloud my love for God. Later, I was further gratified to hear during the recitation of the psalm that the response was: "Create a clean heart in me, O God." How good it is to go before the Lord and hear him say, "My child, you are clean"!

Power of the Holy Eucharist

        God's word is like a mustard seed, once it's planted in us, takes root and starts to grow, we bear much fruit. This morning during Mass, I saw that once the Holy Eucharist, which is the body of our Lord, enters us, it has the power to transform us until we become perfect. That's why the Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift God has left with us. It is through this Bread of Life that we are able to attain union with God. 

Jesus Is the One

        This morning before Mass began, I just knew that Jesus was the One, the only one, who could make me permanently happy. It's as if he's the perfect missing piece for the incomplete jigsaw puzzle that was my life. I also know that he is the One for everyone who will let him into their lives. The truth remains true forever, unaffected by anyone's rejection of it. 

Christian Love

        I attended a memorial Mass this morning. One of the readings was taken from 1 Corinthians 13 on love. The familiar part as St. Paul describes it: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." The Christian love is beautiful! Obviously, anyone who has this love will also have peace and joy in his or her heart.

Unanswerable Question

        In the last post, Jesus asked Paul, "Why are you persecuting me?" Know that every time we sin, the Lord asks us that same question if we could only hear it. For Christians, this is a question to which a good answer does not exist.    

The Conversion Experience

        In the last post, the conversion of Paul was mentioned. Paul had been persecuting and punishing the Christians. Jesus came to him in a great light from the sky and Paul was blinded and fell to the ground. Jesus asked Paul, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Paul replied, "Who are you, sir?" And Jesus said, "I am the Nazorean whom you are persecuting." (How I wish that every one of us sinners will hear the Lord say this!) Paul then asked, "What shall I do, sir?" The conversion had already started.

        This was a powerful, life-changing experience for Paul. God touched him. It's important that we experience a conversion in our lives. You may be a cradle Catholic, but when you were born you really didn't know what's it's all about yet and you should have some kind of awakening experience later to make your belief more meaningful. I know that everybody's spiritual journey is different, but to not have experienced the power or fire of the Holy Spirit at some point in the spiritual life is not leading a satisfying one, to me anyway. 

To Be Chosen by God

        Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. In Reading 1 from Acts 22, we learn how Paul was chosen by the Lord to be his instrument and went through a complete conversion. To be chosen is usually good news, such as being chosen to fill a position, to attend a university, to receive an honor, etc.; but to be chosen by the Lord to belong to his fold is the best of all things! It means that we belong to him, we've been adopted by the Father, we are to bear lasting fruit in this life, we are heaven bound... To be chosen by God is something to be thankful for and rejoice about every day.    

Doing Away with the Free Will

        Our free will is a gift from God. Use this gift to choose to do his will always and then give it back to God. We are not free as long as we need to choose between good and evil. Once we have decided to follow the Lord, we are liberated and free and the free will is no longer needed.  

Taking God's Point of View

        Taking the other person's point of view often helps us understand a particular situation we're in. Putting yourself in the shoes of someone who offends you can make you less judgmental. When you find it difficult to believe in the good news of Christ, try to see it from God's point of view. Imagine that you are in his place. You love mankind, your own creation, and want to save it. So you send you own son down to earth to spread the good news, even allowing him to die in order to complete the necessary work. I think you would see that it is truly amazing, but also logical, that a God of love would do this. Now I hope that you would come to appreciate the good news to the point that you will want to accept Christ as the true Savior of all.   

Praying with the Heart

        Since God looks only at our hearts, it's of paramount importance that we maintain a pure heart in the right place. In prayer, what words we use, how we say them, what posture we assume, how awake we are... all these things matter less than how sincere we are, how deep and urgent we feel, and how much we trust, as the Lord looks into the heart. He is the heart specialist.  

Lucky Us

        After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I saw how fortunate I was to have the Lord come and enter me, whereas the three magi had to travel long distances following a star to find the newborn, child Jesus in a manger.   

Joy Is the Holy Spirit

        During Mass I sensed that the Holy Spirit is pure joy. He illuminates us to receive the light of the Lord. Everything coming from the Holy Spirit is sweet and joyful. It's a joy to surrender to Joy. If you don't like the word "surrender," then think of embracing the Holy Spirit with your open heart ~ it's the same thing. 

Beauty Is God

        Today is the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales. I still remember reading his classic work Introduction to the Devout Life many years ago. I was most impressed by the simple and sensible advices he gave for the people in the world. Anyway, on my way driving to Mass this morning, I again sensed the great beauty of God ~ everything about him and everything associated with him are beautiful. His creations reflect his magnificence and beauty. If all of us on earth are saints and do not sin, we would be living in paradise! Unfortunately, there are sinners aplenty in the world. But for those who love God, paradise still exists in the heart.   

Heart for God's Safekeeping

        I posted about giving our heart to God. The heart is the most precious part of us ~ what better place is there for its safekeeping than God? During the Eucharistic Prayer at each Mass, we're asked to life up our hearts to the Lord. This is the perfect moment to offer our heart to God. While the Lord is keeping it, it gets a thorough healing and purification as well. 

The True Good News

        The news we hear daily is 99% bad news, which only seems to get worse each day. But for us who believe in Christ, we have the Good News with us. Bad news comes and goes, but the gospel remains forever. The joy and hope of this good news is powerful enough to displace all the sadness and despair caused by the bad news. Today's Gospel Acclamation at Mass, 2 Timothy 1.10: "Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and has brought life to light through the Gospel." Jesus wants to fill our hearts with joy! 

Blessings in Disguise

        We all go through trials and tribulations in life. One thing of which I am absolutely sure: For those who love God, trials and tribulations are blessings in disguise because God put you through them to draw you closer to him. You emerge spiritually stronger and more fit. Recently, a friend passed away after much suffering, despite the many prayers said for his healing. I saw his suffering offered up to God as part (or all) of his purgatory. All trials and tribulations suffered in God's behalf give him glory and benefit souls. How can anything you do for God be wasteful?  

Our Father Desires Intimacy

        During Mass, the Lord made me see that having the desire to pray to him alone pleases him. Imagine how much he looks forward to hearing what we have to say. So let's share everything in our hearts with him. Let him be the first one we turn to when we face a problem. Our Father loves to have our trust and our desire for intimacy. 

Seek Only God's Acceptance

        Today is the Memorial of St. Agnes. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, the relatives of Jesus thought that he was out of his mind when he let the disciples and the crowd come into his house. Jesus was also rejected in Nazareth, his hometown, prompting to him to say that "a prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." This is still true in today's world. Then I realize that we only need to seek God's understanding and acceptance of us. Jesus cared only about pleasing the Father. If Christians had wanted to be accepted by their own folks or any other fellow humans, there would not have been saints and martyrs.         

Be the Best Christian

        Jesus wants us to love God with all our heart, with all our being, with all our strength, and with all our mind. In this presidential election year, politicians are doing their utmost to stay in front with the hope of winning the presidency. Many musicians and athletes sacrifice just about everything to train for competitions. St. Paul likened living the Christian life to running a race ~ you are in it to win the prize. As Christians, let us also be the best by loving God as Jesus had asked. 

Lack of Inner Peace

        Here's a simple observation. The lack of inner peace can be traced to self-centeredness because we believe that we are most important and how things turn out matters a great deal. By letting go in God, peace is restored and we are free again.

Being One with God

        Jesus the Son is in God the Father and the Father is in the Son, so they are one. In mathematics, if A is in B and B in A, then it's a certainty that A and B are one. Union makes us one with God. When we surrender to God, we are in him; but how can God, so much greater than us, be in us? I am assured by the fact that Jesus gladly and willingly descended to earth to become one of us in order to save us. To be just like us, he asked John the Baptist to baptize him. He even washed the feet of his disciples to show his humility. In John 14, after promising that he would send the Holy Spirit to us, he said, "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you." And that's how we become temples of the Holy Spirit. By instituting the Holy Eucharist, the Lord made it absolutely clear that he can dwell within us. So, believe, surrender, and receive the Eucharist, and we are one with God!    

God Can Help

        After Mass, I was thinking about why we need God. Left on my own, the best I could do would be to keep myself alive by working at a job, to try to stay healthy by exercising and eating right, and to get some fun out of this life if possible. Then after some years, I would just pass away, the body starting to rot and the soul floating somewhere. It's not a happy picture, but it's all true.

        On the other hand, with faith in the Lord, he will lift our souls to heaven after death and raise our bodies one day, not to mention all the extra benefits we get to receive in this life. Let's face it ~ we are just helpless on our own. We need God if we want to get anywhere. And his mercy is ever ready for us.   

God and the Devil

        Today is the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbott. The first words I read from the Entrance Antiphon are "The just..." ~ right away I thought of "the unjust." Then I saw the existence of opposites in our world: the good, the bad; the pure, the impure; the beautiful, the ugly; the loving, the hateful; the kind, the cruel; the joyful, the angry...  Yin and Yang are real! Intuitively, I also saw the existence of God and the Devil.    

Freedom in God

        Some may ask how we can still be free if we totally submit ourselves to God. Wouldn't we become constrained by him? Let me say that it is God who gave us the free will in the first place so that we may choose to do whatever. If you believe that God is controlling you, you have the power to break loose any time. The fact is that God doesn't control you ~ he only knows how to love. He has made us in such a way that we are free only when our will and his are in harmony. Another reason why you feel free after submitting to him ~ it's simply that you don't need to worry about what to do on your own anymore because God now shows the way. In reality, to be on you own is to be a lost slave to yourself. 

Be Renewed For the Lord

        This morning's Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Mark 2. Verses 22 & 23: "No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak... Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins... Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

        For the Lord to dwell in us, we must be new too. And Jesus is the renewer. We must ask him to renew us and then invite him to remain in us. I know that all youngsters are excited about new experiences. Do you remember riding your first new bike, trying on a pair of your new favorite shoes, or visiting the zoo for the first time? When Jesus renews us, we experience the same joy, only deeper and more personal. Be new to be fit for the Lord.  

Salvation Our Objective

        God's foremost will is to save all mankind. He can't help it because he is love. Therefore, we must make salvation our foremost goal too. Let us be compliant tools in God's hands, a pleasure for him to use, to save as many souls from perdition as possible. God's joy will be our joy too.

The Depth of Christ

        This morning before Mass began, I saw in my mind the infinite depth of Christ that I wanted to dive deep into it to search and explore, to listen, learn, and rest. Then I wanted to abandon myself, to let go and be totally open to his light, letting him heal and transform me. The beauty, profundity, and power of the depth of our Lord is what makes him so attractive.

Wonder of Wonders

        I was praying the Rosary while strolling through the house. I happened to look out one window and saw the towering oaks and pines, huge boulders, and the running creek among them. The scene was familiar, but the objects I saw struck me this time as wonders! Then I "saw" the greatest wonder of them all, the behind-the-scene creator of all these wonders, our God ~ he is especially wonderful because not only did he create us, he also loves us. How fortunate and blessed we are!  

Are You Shortsighted?

        A friend just passed away after a long illness. I did not know him well, but I did sense that he was a good person, loved the Lord, and I have no doubt that he is with Jesus right now. I may not be the next person to go, but we are all in line waiting for our turn to meet the Lord. This brings to mind the reality that so many adult people are totally occupied with how to live comfortably and safely each day in this life as if they're never going to die. The right thing to do should be taking care of our eternal destiny first and then living our present life as an appendage in our overall journey." Not following this order is being extreme shortsighted. 

To Live the Best Life

        Here's how: (1) Love God to the utmost and (2) trust in him to the utmost. Again, simple and logical. I just don't know of a better way.

     

      

Afraid of Jesus?

        This morning at Mass, I felt that Jesus was the most endearing person one could ever possibly meet. Then why are there so many who already knew something about him still do not approach him? Are they afraid of him? If so, why? 

        I believe that they are afraid, not because they haven't heard that God loves us, but because they are aware of their sins. We learn from the Gospels that all demons and evil spirits fled or begged for mercy when they were confronted with Jesus. In a similarly way, anyone in partial or total darkness do not feel comfortable in the presence of the Lord, who is the light. Ironically, these are precisely the people who need to know the Lord to become fearless.