Eternal Life at Stake

        In the Gospel reading at Mass continuing in Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." Here Jesus made it clear that there is life after death and hell exists. I used to teach mathematics at a community college and many students were afraid of the subject because they thought that it's just too hard. I firmly believed that they didn't do well because they were too lazy to think hard, so I bet them that if they should think so hard as if their life was at stake, they would solve all the problems quickly. Now, if we live as if my eternal life is at stake, we would succeed too. In fact, there's no "as if" about it ~ our eternal life is definitely at stake!

Only One Important Goal

        Our one big goal in life should be to love God. From a practical speaking point of view, I could just say that the big goal is to make heaven. Then in life, there are numerous other small goals, out of necessity or not, for us to accomplish. Here, whether we succeed or fail doesn't matter that much ~ only reaching that big goal is absolutely important, for it matters for all eternity! So be wise ~ focus on the big goal and set the small ones to help you achieve it.  

Where God Comes In

        On the physical level, we can pretty much take care of our problems. If we are sick, we go see a doctor. On the intellectual level, there's plenty of knowledge out there for us to absorb and learn. It's on the spiritual level that only God can help us. Here's where he comes in to remove our spiritual deficiencies and bring us into wholeness. Once we are healed spiritually, the problems on the two lower level will become insignificant or disappear. That's why we need to seek God first and foremost.  

"Bickering" over Bickering

        I feel sorry for the those who love to bicker over small matters to the last penny. They just want to take all the advantages they can get. They miss the overall picture of what living is all about. Bickering is a total waste of time while you can aim high, hold lofty visions, and reach for the stars. If you decide to quit bickering, may I suggest that you go as far away from it as possible, that is, get to know God, who can definitely help you quit.

What Unbelievers Miss

        At least two things an unbeliever will never experience. They are the peace that surpasses all understanding which St. Paul mentioned and the sweet joy that intoxicates the soul which the Holy Spirit generates deep within you at various moments.

Most Satisfying Vocation

        It struck me during Mass that Discipleship is a most beautiful word! (I made the "d" capital because I am referring to following Jesus, the true God.) Being a disciple of Jesus has to be be the most satisfying vocation in the world. And whoever wishes to enter it will be welcomed by God in person! 

The World in Balance

        Today's Gospel Reading comes from Matthew 10. Jesus to his Apostles: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves...beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts... Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents... You will be hated by all because of my name..." You could say that all this is even "truer" today than in Jesus' time. The news all over the world is shocking to the point that we are becoming numb. I see the world caught in a vortex sending all those in it to a bottomless pit and the saddest thing is that they are not even aware of it, still deeply immersed in the things of the world and in themselves. The true God, our only hope, couldn't be farther from their minds. Yet I can't feel too sad because the whole dire situation is balanced by the infinite mercy of God and I trust in his mercy.  

We Are All Prophets!

        Reading 1 at Mass all this week has come from Hosea, the prophet. We who follow Jesus and listen for his voice do hear him speak to our hearts from time to time, since the Lord wants to teach and shape us. For example, all my posts initiate from the thought buds the Holy Spirit placed in my mind and felt by my heart. I see that when we share the good things we hear from Jesus with others, we are in a way speaking as prophets. Check out the first definition of "prophet": A person who speaks for God or by divine inspiration. 

Be Surprised or Be Disappointed

        I mentioned that I was into photography in the past. Recently, I got invited to participate in a coming group show. Although I am not active nowadays anymore, I did conceived of a couple of images ~ an abstract piece which I may entitle "Heaven" and a moonlight scene still to be worked on. So I saw the invitation as an invitation for me to bring these two images into reality. Then the mind quickly projected ahead and started thinking about sending out invitations, friends showing up at the opening...I cut it off right there. I know that if we expect too much, we're likely to be disappointed ~ the fact here is that some of my friends don't even understand art much and some may even dislike what they see. (A slight digression. One famous pianist gave a recital and really didn't play that well. After the recital is over, his friend, another pianist, went backstage to "congratulate" him and said, "You did it again!") So it's better to not expect anything and be surprised later. What Jesus says in Luke 14.10 comes to mind: "When you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table." The lesson again to me is: Do not project ahead but live in the present moment, then you will not be disappointed and can only be surprised. 

Completely at God's Mercy

        This morning I realized that in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we beg God's mercy by offering him the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of of his Dearly Beloved Son in atonement for our sins... Then in St. Gertrude's Prayer for the souls in purgatory, again we start out by offering the Eternal Father the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. Both these prayers were dictated by Jesus, to St. Faustina in the first example. It just clearly shows that we have no merit at all. Mercy comes only through God's mercy. Our only suitable role is to surrender to his Divine Mercy. We must realize that this is a terrific blessing that God cares for us. 

Jesus Did It Just Right

        Today Friday I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. I thought about how Jesus suffered without complaining whatsoever. He did not try to explain to those who wanted to kill him that he was innocent and had absolutely good intentions, etc. He just went ahead and did what he knew he must do to accomplish the mission his Father assigned him. Of course, to win us over, he could have used his power to amaze us, dazzle us, and bowl us over, then faith wouldn't be needed anymore. Overall, he did it just right so that those who choose to believe in him will have true faith in God.  

Be Free to Serve God

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 10, Jesus sent his Apostles away to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven at hand. They were going to take neither gold or silver or copper for their belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. That was indeed traveling light, and traveling light is always a good feeling. Even though we are not doing God's work going from house to house, we can also "travel" light by letting go of all our attachments to people and things. Not being encumbered thus, we become free to serve God.

Latching onto God

        All things in the world are finite, temporary, and passing. God alone is infinite, permanent, and forever ~ so let's latch onto him. 

Jesus Forever Constant

        Today is the Memorial of St. Benedict. The Gospel Acclamation, Mark 1.15, reads: "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." When I think about all the other similar sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, I realize that like the statement quoted above, they are just as relevant today as at his time. This is because he always spoke the truth, and truth does not go out of fashion. You may have come across the clever quote attributed to Louis Jouvet, the French actor-director: "The thing constant in a changing world is the avant-garde." The same can be said about the counsels given by Jesus.  

How to Think About Others

        Many of us are interested in other people, especially those we know, in how they live, what's happening to them, etc. The question is whether we think about God with just as much interest. The ideal way is to think about God at all times and be aware of others as God sees them, never apart from his love.

Some Thoughts on Living

         (1) Today I feel acutely that I am to live by every word spoken by God because I am totally dependent upon him. 

       (2) Half of 2012 has gone by ~ this prompts me even more to live in the present moment. There will always be unfinished business in life, so I am not going to let that bother me. Besides, this could be my last day on earth.

        (3) It's essential not to live in sin, for sin destroys life. How good it is to live in union with God instead! 

Nothing Has Changed

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Matthew 9. When Jesus drove the demon out of a mute demoniac, the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." Later, at the sight of the crowds, Jesus was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Today, like the Pharisees, disbelievers make movies, write books, and post online to discredit, ridicule, and defame the Lord. The crowds are just like the ones in the past ~ lost sheep without a shepherd. What's true then is still true today. The same can be said for Jesus ~ he is the same loving Lord always.

God Is Always Present

        If you don't think about God, don't believe in him, or just ignore him, then of course, you don't feel his presence and can easily say that there is no God. Then to those who turn to him, believe in him, and come to love him, his presence is made clearly known. This just shows that God (Christ) out of love has always been there, standing next to you and waiting patiently for you open your heart to invite him in. If we don't see God, it's because we are blind, not because he is not present. 

Closely Following the Holy Spirit

        A certain prayer group requires that every participant to speak always from his or her personal "I" ~ this is to avoid speaking for others. I think a superior way is to focus on the Lord always and speak whatever he prompts you to say, with the self totally out of the way, in a prayer group or not. This is not saying that you don't use the word "I" anymore ~ it's letting all thoughts be prompted by the Lord. In sum, follow the Holy Spirit in all things you say.         

Dining with the Lord

        The Communion Song at Mass, Luke 22.28-30: "It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." It is a great honor/joy to stand by Jesus in his trials ~ and this is merely a prelude to receiving even greater honor/joy later in his kingdom. God loves us so much that he does his utmost to make sure that we receive the greatest joy in his kingdom. (I am trying hard to stay calm.)

To Remain Free in God

        Today is optionally the Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions. The Psalm Response is Psalm 31.6: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." This is exactly what Jesus cried out before he breathed his last on the cross. It was so appropriate for me to say it as I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist ~ I just wanted to be his and remain free. God is my true refuge!

Power Perfected in Weakness

        In today's Second Reading from 2 Corinthians 12 at Mass, Paul talked about his thorn in the flesh the Lord gave him to keep him from being too elated. We're not sure exactly what it was. Paul begged the Lord that it might leave him, but he said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul continued, "I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

     I see that Paul put weaknesses in the same category as insults, hardships, persecutions, etc. We all have our own weaknesses and Paul showed that we ought to be content with (not to be ashamed of) them. For when we wish to serve God, our weaknesses are invitations to God for him to send his power into us. Accepting our weaknesses is actually a strength.

Essentials for Living a Christian Life

        They are (1) Prayer and (2) Labor ~ I am referring to all work done in serving God. If these two are performed to perfection, then you are perfect.

The Newness of Jesus

        In today's Gospel reading at morning Mass from Matthew 9, Jesus likened himself to a bridegroom and said that his disciples had no reason to fast when the bridegroom was still with them. "Bridegroom" brings to my mind celebration, joy, newness... and it's the newness of Jesus that struck me in particular today. He came to bring us the good news of salvation; he transforms us into new creatures; he's the first one to show us how great God's love for us is; he was always meek and humble (unlike any of us); he is most holy... he is so refreshing that he is forever new.   

Be Forgiving Always

        To forgive others who have offended you is very difficult for many. I've heard people say outright that they cannot possibly forgive one particular person. But we know that Jesus wants us to forgive, forgive, forgive... ~ so why not do it for his and not our sake? Let him deal with that person ~ it's not our business anyway! Don't forget that a forgiving person is a happy person.

Getting God Involved

        Get God involved 100% in your life. Get him involved in everything you do. Before you make a phone call to deal with some unpleasant matter, ask him to take charge and guide you in what you say. I have a computer problem right now ~ it's unlikely that God would fix it directly himself, but I could ask him to guide me in finding the right solution. He does not mind that we ask for his help in every little thing we do if we are sincere ~ he is bothered only by the sins we commit, including the lack of trust in him.

Conscience Is God-Given

        As I was driving to Mass this morning, my thoughts wandered at random. If you assume that God does not exist, and yet when you do something bad, deep down you still sense that somehow it's wrong, then I say that the assumption must be incorrect. The reality of conscience is proof that God exists. Otherwise, we just do whatever we like to keep ourselves happy and nothing should bother us. Without conscience, we would have destroyed each other long ago. The existence of conscience points to the existence of salvation. Today's Response to the Psalm, Matthew 4.4, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" is appropriate. To live by bread alone is to be self-centered, while to live by the word of God is to be saved.  

Enjoy God Too

        It is a beautiful day and we should enjoy it while we can! We have a most loving God and we should enjoy him as much as we could too!

Jesus' Extraordinary Coming

        Thoughts at Mass. When I was young and heard that my older cousins were coming, I looked forward so much to their arrival because I looked up to them and knew that I was going to have a great time playing with and learning from them. It's the anticipation of the coming that excited me. Now that I am a lot older, more mature and wiser, it's the coming of Jesus, God, that's most exciting to me. I am not referring to the Second Coming on Judgment day ~ I am thinking about the more immediate coming of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist I was about to receive, at which he's ready to enter deep into my being to heal my soul. This is no ordinary coming.

Jesus Inspires

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 9, Jesus first forgave the sins of a paralytic. Then when some of the scribes started thinking that Jesus had blasphemed, Jesus, to show that he does have the authority to forgive sins, followed with healing the paralytic as well. The crowds saw this and were struck with awe.

     How good it is to hear Jesus say "Your sins are forgiven"! These healing words instantly free the soul. In the sacrament of reconciliation, we hear these same words from Jesus through the priest.

      The awe with which Jesus strikes us does not produce fear; instead it makes us exclaim wow and humbles us.

        In conclusion, all attributes of Jesus inspire us to become holy.

Be an Empty Vessel

        The picture of being an empty vessel for God appeared as a most beautiful one to me this morning. When we are empty, we are ready for God to fill us with whatever he wants to give us. And it is a given that God can only give what is good for us and for his glory. Being receptive is such a beautiful attitude that's most pleasing to God! When he sees a receptive, empty vessel, he will start purifying it without your asking. Once it's clean, he will fill it with treasures to overflowing so that you may glorify him with joy and ease.    

Powered by God

        When one trusts in God, he lets God power him in all that he does. Thus he does things only in accordance with God's will, believing that God will accomplish what he wills through him. In a way, it's God leading the way with him keeping in step as his assistant. Following God this way totally eliminates anxiety.  

Taming of the Soul

        Rebellion and Obedience are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Persistent rebellion against God leads to permanent separation from him and total obedience to God, to union with him ~ they are poles apart! All souls start out with rebellion, but they are absolutely tamable by God, as nothing is impossible with him. Know that when you rebel against God, you're fighting a fore-known losing battle. Wouldn't you rather let him tame you to bring you to perfect harmony with him? The answer should be a nobrainer. 

Step by Step to Union

        If you are not quite ready to fully surrender to the Lord yet, then each time when you receive the Holy Eucharist, just ask him to bend you a little bit more to draw you closer to him. In time, you'll be in full union with him before you know it. Remember that we cannot do anything on our own, but God can accomplish anything through us. 

Going Up to God

        Yesterday was a day of full moon and the moonlit landscape outside my window appeared especially beautiful after dark. I saw that it's all a part of the planet earth. Then I thought of Jesus who lived here and finally ascended into heaven as his disciples watched him being lifted up and taken from their sight by a cloud. Our Blessed Mother was also bodily assumed into heaven. And there's Elijah being taken up in a whirlwind. I know that I won't be leaving the world in such a dramatic fashion, but I also know that my soul will rise to the Lord one day, perhaps very quietly. That'll be a day of great, great joy for me. My only sadness would come from realizing that many who have not believed in Jesus yet may not experience any joy when they leave this world and afterward.

Suffering for the Sake of Love

        Nobody feels good when someone suffers, yet as I was praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary today, thinking about the Lord's agony, the extreme physical pains he bore, the unjust insults he received, the shedding of his most precious blood..., I experienced the greatest sweet joy because this is how much he loves us! I'll never be able to thank him enough and shall rejoice in him forever. 

We Are like Thomas

        Today is the Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle. He is known as the doubting Thomas because he was not with the other disciples when Jesus came (after the Resurrection) and when they told him that they had seen the Lord, he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." This was not really as bad as Peter denying the Lord thrice. Anyway, this honest account of Thomas makes me believe in Jesus even more ~ he's just like many of us today! We don't believe in Jesus because we are human like Thomas.  Later Thomas finally saw Jesus and believed ~ this should be sufficient for us to cast away all our doubts and believe in the Lord.

Proper Response to God's Love

        God loves us with an infinite love, so how should we respond to him? Of course, we should love him back; but since we'll never be able to love him as much as he loves us, why don't we just remain completely open to let him love us as much as he wants? Be "spoiled" by God!

Enjoyment, Not Attachment

        There are many beautiful things for us to enjoy, but it would be wrong for us to become attached to them. Since I knew and was interested in music, I can cite some examples. I am sure that many of you are probably familiar with the Styne/Cahn song The Things We Did Last Summer. Both the music and lyrics are so beautiful that it can bring back old memories and make you cry. You can hear the many versions on YouTube, including Frank Sinatra's. If you feel good listening to it, just thank God for it, for all things beautiful come from him. 

    Two other piano solos you most likely will find enjoyable are these videos on YouTube, 

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJFQ6j7Rrt0

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k2vQgC_hbc. 

The first piece is based upon Gershwin's song Embraceable You. The great American pianist Earl Wild just made a virtuoso etude out of it and in this video the Korean pianist Yeol-Eum Son interprets it possibly even better than Wild himself. The second video is based upon the song En Avril made popular by the French singer Charles Trenet. Then Alexis Weissenberg, the Bulgarian-French pianist arranged it for piano solo and in this video the Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamilin plays it. (To hear Trenet sing the original song, go on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Piuuuzhho.) Again, enjoy the music, thank God, and move on. God gives us beauty for us to enjoy and not to become enslaved by it. We should let all enjoyable experiences draw us even closer to God, for his beauty is beyond comprehension until we are with him in person.          

Fit to Follow Jesus?

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 8 at morning Mass, we heard the following. A scribe approached and said to Jesus, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nest, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."

        The point is that if we want to follow the Lord, we must not be concerned about or attached to anything else. The priest in his homily told about a young man interested in becoming a religious came to the seminary to learn about the religious life and he showed up with two pets, a dog and a parrot. The seminary gave him a chance for trial, but he lasted just a few months and left. His attachment to his pets was a clear sign that he's not fit to follow Jesus yet. Of course, people have all kinds of attachments to different things, but only the one who's attached to Jesus alone is free to follow him ~ he or she has wisely chosen the best.

Certainty in Jesus

        Even though Jesus suffered most excruciatingly in his life on earth, he's always optimistic, knowing that he would be victorious in the end. This Jesus has given us hope in him. No, more than hope...we can be certain in him, for his victory is now our victory!        

Jesus Our Revelation

        If we don't have God, we easily become self-centered creatures ~ this is for sure. Jesus came and revealed clearly that for those who believe in him, they will live forever (eternal life with him in heaven). His love for us is what attracts and draws us to him. Then we fully accept and believe in him and we are transformed into new loving creatures. This is a simple summary of the true Christian experience.

Selfless Serving

        This is serving God when you no longer notice that you are doing it and only God notices you.

Three Beautiful Acts

        At Mass I came to see three beautiful acts. They are:

        (1) Giving yourself to God.

        (2) Bringing souls to God.

        (3) Serving God.

On Priesthood

        This weekend our parish is celebrating our priest's 40th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood. I started thinking about the sacrament of holy orders. It's truly a high calling because an ordained priest will be given the power to change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ and it is through him that we the faithful get to receive this Most Holy Sacrament. Priesthood is truly an awesome vocation. Thank God for our priests.

Thorough Healing by God

        In my last post, I asked the Lord to work on my soul, heart, and mind. God always wishes us to have peace. Once he transforms us, we no longer experience the following: anger, impatience, worry, anxiety, nervousness, mental depression, fear, hatred, envy, jealousy, lust, greed in every form, obsessiveness of any kind, yearning for appreciation or recognition, and even insomnia. The love of Christ has now displaced all things negative. Thorough healing must begin in the interior and only God can reach our innermost. When we are in trouble, shouldn't we go see the One who created us?   

Midyear Prayer Request

        Tomorrow will be the last day of June. I do not ever look back on the past. What's in store ahead for me? I don't think about that either. At Mass this morning, which happened to be the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, the great Apostles, I just ask the Lord to further (1) heal my soul, (2) condition my heart so that I'll be totally obedient to his will, and (3) purify my mind. Joy awaits me when he complies with my request.

Levels of Knowing

        My last post is concern about whether God knows us. So what is knowing? I know a lot of people, but do I really know them? On the other hand, I have never seen Jesus or met any of the great saints, yet I feel that I know them intimately. To know is a relationship after all. To know well is to have an intimate relationship. In this case, it's the love for Christ that's the common bond, making this intimate knowing possible. It's a knowing not on the physical or mental level, but through the soul.  

Getting God's Attention

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciples, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not...do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'" Obviously, to call Jesus "Lord, Lord" to get his attention or pointing out that we did mighty deeds in his name won't do us any good. Jesus shows us that we must do the will of God in humility, then he will notice us.

How to Be a Cool Christian

        Many jazz musicians and pop entertainers are known to be cool. Kids nowadays want to look cool. To be cool is to do one's thing well and looking totally unperturbed. Jesus was definitely cool. Here's how we can be cool.

        (1) Never judge anyone.

        (2) Trust in God fully so that we do not worry nor get anxious.

        (3) Show compassion for all.

        (4) Be optimistic and joyful always.