Learning While Serving

        In serving God, we do good not only to others, but also to ourselves because God shapes and teaches us in the process. I always learn something when the Lord shows me how I could have done the job better, and that means I should be a better person in some way. When God makes you a better person, you become a happier person too.   

Knowing Jesus Makes a Difference

        This morning I attended the funeral service of the decease friend I mentioned a few posts back. He was a good man, volunteering for a lot of good causes, so the turnout at the service was quite impressive. Since he was not a religious person, God was never mentioned. And on top of that, the large room in which the service was held was rather dimly lit. As a result, I couldn't help feeling some gloom. In no way I was judging him, for God is perfectly fair and just and I had prayed for his soul to rest in peace; nevertheless, I couldn't help feeling that I was living totally in light, seeing my life and soul in great clarity. This is the difference knowing Jesus has made.  

Proper Prayer Focus

        People who exercise with weights are advised to put 100% of their effort in lifting the weight and not waste any energy on exhibiting any strains in their face. Piano players are also advised against exaggerating their playing gestures. There is a point here which I can apply to praying. If there is something that weighs heavily upon our heart, the intense emotion we feel while we pray to God is best channeled 100% into putting our trust in God, thereby relieving the burden on us. It is, instead of trying hard to want to lighten the load by ourselves, concentrating upon letting God do it for us.      

Ashamed of Jesus?

        In Matthew 10, we learn that Jesus said to the twelve disciples before sending them out, "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." Fair enough. I should think that being too embarrassed to let others know that we have faith in him is basically denying him. Timidity is a sign that we have not given the Holy Spirit free rein yet. A timid Christian is an unfit one, for he cannot bear much fruit. Since the Lord always spoke the truth, we must take his words seriously. Not paying attention to the above-quoted sayings can bring about dire consequences.

The True Born-Again Experience

        During Communion time at Mass, I want to die in Christ, so that I can live for him. 

That Independent Feeling

        At Mass this morning, I feel for the first time that I am independent of the world, which will have no influence on me, and that I can stand tall and straight on my own in God. 

Know When Satan Shows Up

        Being human, sinful thoughts do pop up in our minds. If we discard them right away, no sin is committed. But if you feel the temptation to dwell upon them, know that this is when Satan has found you and you must turn to the Lord instantly to avoid being drawn into sin. If you are in union with the Lord, you are secure in him and these occurrences are merely little annoyances you can easily disregard.  

Faith Makes Life Extraordinary

        Gospel reading at today's Mass came from Matthew 13. Jesus did not work any mighty miracles in his own native place because of the lack of faith of the people there. That is why the people who have no or little faith find their lives quite ordinary, while those who strongly believe in God experience great wonders and are always amazed at how the Lord works in their lives.

A Perfect Request

        If you truly love the Lord, then ask him to make you perfect. You do it for his sake and not at all for your own. We owe everything to God, so let's not shortchange him. Not asking for this favor is not believing that he can make you perfect. Look at all the saints he has made and you know that he can make you one too. It's the perfect way to show your faith in him and love for him.  

Why I Want to Go to Heaven

        I want to go to heaven only because I want to go home, back to my creator who loves me, and to dwell with him, my Lord and God, forever. Putting it humorously ~ without him, it's just no fun.

Knowing God Is Knowing the Future

        If one does not know God, then the future to him would be just the later years of his life. To plan for his future is merely to plan for better living as he ages. To him, this is very much long-range planning. Now, for someone who seriously believes in God, the future is the next life for which he plans now. He knows that his present life is extremely short and planning for it alone is planning for something that will soon vanish. It just shows that when you know God, he gives you vision and wisdom to keep you on the right path.

Pope Benedict & Teresa of Jesus

       A deacon friend just sent me Pope Benedict's reflection on the spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the Carmel Reform movement. I would like to quote some sayings by the Holy Father and some by the Saint the Holy Father quoted. They are beautiful and inspiring (any emphasis is added by me.)

       Pope Benedict: "Holy people are those who humbly let Christ penetrate their soul and act through them, who truly allow him to play the lead in all their actions and aspirations, inspiring every project and sustaining every silence."

     St. Teresa: "A life of prayer consists in being on terms of friendship with God, frequently conversing in secret with him who, we know, loves us."

        St. Teresa: "The friends of God should be strong, in order that they may support the weak."

        Pope Benedict: "Following in the footsteps of Teresa of Jesus allow me to say to all who have their future before them: may you too, aspire to belong totally to Jesus. Do not be afraid to say to Our Lord, as she did, 'I am yours; I was born for you, what do you want to do with me?'" 

        There is nothing I can add.

Following God Faithfully

        Life as a whole is a big opportunity for us to practice trust in God. We are often unsure about what we are supposed to do, but these are the perfect moments to remain patient and wait for the Lord to speak to or lead us. We don't question, just follow. Later, when we look back, everything will be clear to us. What we are sure of is that following God faithfully is heading toward heaven.

Ego Is Up to God

        I recognize again that ego is one of most difficult things for us to annihilate because it grows easily and can be deeply grounded in us already. Nevertheless, it has to go if we truly love God and want to become humble. Its removal would be a huge battle for us to fight alone; but with God's help, it can become relative easy. The amount of ego we have is inversely proportional to how much we submit ourselves to God.  

God in Contrast to Man (Us)

        Yesterday I saw a short 1948 British classic film clip on Classic Arts Showcase on TV. It reminded me of the old Alfred Hitchcock and many other movies. It's quite obvious that everything was staged for maximum dramatic effect. I thought of other shows in the entertainment business and the many artworks created by man ~ they all seem so contrived and artificial. The crop of contemporary classical music compositions is to me also more craft than art, cleverly written but sounding mechanical and sometimes repetitive after you listen to the musical greats, such as Beethoven and Brahms. I am not downgrading these man's creations because they are achievements, interesting and pleasing many ~ I am only stating what I feel. Then I turn to our God, who is totally natural, genuine, and pure ~ how refreshing, invigorating, and inspiring for a change.  

Most Endearing Words of Jesus

        During the Eucharist Prayer at Mass, when the priest was repeating Jesus' words: "Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my body which will be given up for you." I underlined "my" because when I heard it, it was so personal that I stopped right in my track and felt that such love and sacrifice absolutely deserved my complete surrender to him. Soon later, the priest repeated again Jesus' words: "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me." These words were so endearing that my joy overflowed.

Making Love Mutual

        The Gospel reading at Mass came from Matthew 13. Jesus likened the Kingdom of heaven to a treasure or a pearl of great price. Once a person finds it, he is so joyful that he goes and sells all that he has and buys it! Do we feel it that way? Do you know that to God we are his treasures and precious pearls? God and we are really made to love each other! If this feeling is still not mutual, then we ought to work hard to redress any imbalance.

Belonging to the In Crowd

        Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori. The Gospel Acclamation John 15.15b reads: "I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me." What an astounding statement! We are definitely in! Through Jesus, we know what the Father is like! This knowledge should keep us happy and deeply satisfied!

To Fathom God's Thoughts & Ways

        Isaiah 55.8, 9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Then what we should do to learn God's thoughts and ways. Seek union with him and you will begin to know his thoughts and see his ways. This should be a journey full of exciting discoveries.

Realist Wins Out

        One who knows and has experienced the love of God cannot possibly be a pessimist. And he is not an optimist either because an optimist only expects a favorable outcome and is never certain about the future. So what is he? He is a realist, for he knows exactly what he is doing, where he is heading, and is certain about his future (with God). 

Honors and Dishonors

        The late Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and the US Olympic swimmer Mark Phelps have been in the news. The statue of Paterno was removed from outside the football stadium for his involvement in the cover-up of sexual assaults by his one-time assistant Jerry Sandusky, while Phelps has just won his 19th gold medal at the London Olympics and people are already asking if he is the greatest all-time Olympic athlete ever. One was dishonored and the other honored. How important are honors and dishonors? They may be important to the living, but not necessarily to God. I am sure that some of those we honored as great human beings in the past might not have made heaven, while among those who were persecuted, calumniated, or stripped of honor are saints now with the Lord. In any case, let neither honor or dishonor you receive in this world affect you the slightest. 

Ways of Seeking Happiness

       When people of the world are unhappy, they compensate by seeking happiness somewhere, hoping to get cheered up and forget their troubles. Going to drink at a bar or seeing a movie are just two examples. The problem is that what they seek are still things of the world, which provide only temporary escapes and have no healing effect. By contrast, the one who believes in the loving God turns to him when his heart is troubled. God alone can heal the soul and restore inner peace. It's a case of "To the one who has, more will be given" (Matthew 13, 25; Mark 4). 

Causing Others to Sin

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Gospel reading during Mass came from Matthew 13. Jesus in explaining the parable of the weeds of the field to his disciples mentioned himself (the Son of Man), the Evil One (the Devil), the angles, and the Father. At harvest time (the end of the age), Jesus will send his angels to collect all who cause others to sin and all evildoers to be punished. 

        I am struck by the separate category in which those who cause others to sin are placed. Normally, we are aware of our own sins, but we don't often think about whether they might cause others to sin. For example, if a father uses bad language, he doesn't think about how his son might pick it up from him. Obviously, the more people we cause to sin, the more severe our punishment will be. The best policy, of course, is to be aware that any sin displeases God and to stop sinning. 

Trusting in God to Keep Going

        Blogging has been great for me to learn to trust in the Lord. Earlier for quite some time, I couldn't help wondering what I was to blog next because I didn't have a clue. Then eventually, I let the Lord do whatever he wants ~ I'd be happy with a million ideas or zero. So far, he has been putting thought buds in my head at various times of the day. To be honest, I don't even recall exactly what I posted in the last couple of days; but each posting has been an enjoyable learning experience for me. Let's trust in God and keep going. 

Real Spiritual Success

        To become holy is the best way to love God because when you are holy, you automatically (this seems to be my favorite word) start to love others as Jesus does and serve God with joy. Spiritual success is not measured by how many external, visible deeds you do, but by how much internal love you have for God and how much humility you have in serving others.

Going Extreme in Jesus

        If you feel like going all out to do something, how about doing it in Jesus? When you go to the extreme in him, there is absolutely no downside risk, only great rewards. Here's what you could do. Love him to the extreme; trust him to the point of looking foolish; abandon yourself, all your possessions, and your concerns to him recklessly; forget totally about yourself and see only Jesus; and seek union with him at all costs.

Suicide Is a No-No

        Read in a local newspaper online about someone who just committed suicide. I know that this is also the tragedy that happens to many war veterans who suffered wartime traumas. My heart goes all out to them. If you ever contemplate ending your life on your own, please hold off a moment and give the Lord Jesus, the true God who loves and died for you another chance. I want to shout as aloud as possible to you that once you know him, you will want to live, live, and live; to live in him, with him, and for him. To die in him, yes; but never, never to die on your own without hope. To die in Jesus is to live, but to die without hope is to die forever. Please do not make your God weep for you! Make him love you instead. He has a special love for the weak, the poor, the destitute, the disadvantaged. That was exactly why he stooped low to become one of us. [Feel free to ask me questions by using the Post-a-Comment box. If you wish me to respond in private, include your email contact. You comment will not be shown on the blog.]

God Satisfies Us Fully

        At Communion time during Mass, I felt that God had satisfied all my inner needs and granted all my life wishes, fulfilling "The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack" (Psalm 23). I remained at great peace. 

God Does Speak to Us

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 13, Jesus used parables to explain the kingdom of heaven to the crowds. God has also uses various signs, including dreams, visions, etc., to convey messages to his people. Basically, what I want to say is that God always speaks to his people through different means, both extraordinary and ordinary. What we must do is to remain alert, hear, discern, and interpret what comes our way. All what God wants us to know or understand is important and most beneficial to us.

What Jesus Did Promise

        Hearing some Harry Potter film music played brought magic to my mind, which in turn reminded me of the preaching of some non-Catholic Christians ~ they essentially preach that if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he will bless you with money, good jobs, and all the other good things in life. (Like magic, this just sounds too good to be true.) When things don't go well, such believers then blame it on their own weak (not erroneous to them) faith. Anyway, Jesus never promised such things as such preachers claim. What he did promise were inner peace, freedom, and eternal life. If that last item is not good enough for you, then Jesus is not good enough for you either. 

The Coming of Jesus

        Christmas is celebrated in the secular world, including even many basically non-Christian countries, but is this true celebration? Even for a Christian, if Jesus has not come into his or her heart yet, what is the point of celebrating his coming into the world? It is true that he came once almost 2,000 ago, but he is also ready to come into our hearts any time we open up to him. This coming or entering calls for true celebration because when it happens, you spread joy around the entire heaven! Revelation 3.20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." I will never forget the Lord's loving invitation for me to dine with him ~ naturally, it is still open for everyone.

Jesus Is My Proof

        I was reminded that evil is real when I saw the signs posted along a road that leads to a prison, warning all drivers not to stop or turn around. Actually, it should be obvious to anyone whenever you listen to or watch the daily news. If there is evil, then there is also God because his love and beauty are manifested in so many ways among and around us. I might have relied upon my common sense or intuition, but Jesus had made it an absolute certainty for me. Against him, all the true and all the false are exposed. Against him, all good and all bad are to be measured.

God Makes All Things Easy

        We are advised to do good deeds, be kind and forgiving, and love others by our pastors, well-meaning friends, self-help books, etc., but we don't always find it easy. Doing it is often like going through a mechanical motion with not much heart put into it. To be successful in what we are advised to do, forget all about it and concentrate instead upon knowing Jesus. Once you get to know him well or better yet, have fallen in love with him or best yet, achieved union with him, all these things come automatically ~ very much like the shedding of all your sins. God now takes over and all things mechanical become natural. Here's another wonder of God.   

An Overwhelming Feeling

        I went to Mass this morning and it turned out that I was the only person attending. It's like I was invited alone to be at the banquet from heaven given by Fr. M for the Lord. I also attended the vigil Mass at 5:30 p.m. in lieu of tomorrow's Sunday Mass and received the Lord again in the Holy Eucharist. The feeling was so overwhelming that I thought that God had "annihilated" me or swallowed me up; but there was no fear, only the feeling of great intimacy and security. To disappear in God, to be in him, to be absorbed by him...it seemed such a natural thing for us. It's going home all the way! He made me want to love him even more. 

Being What God Has Made Me

        Thoughts at mass this morning ~ "I am no longer my old self with all the weaknesses and blemishes; I am what God has remade me into, a new creature."  

To Be in Top Spiritual Form

        Summer Olympics is underway in London, England. It's a known fact that athletes train day and night for years just trying to make the Olympic team. It's definitely hard work that calls for much sacrifice to put yourself in top form. Is it equally hard to put yourself in top form spiritually? Well, that depends upon your tactics. If you struggle on your own, no matter how good your intentions are, you'll not find it easy. In fact, making decent progress may seem impossible. If you change tactics and acknowledge before God that you need him and desire his help, placing your entire trust in him and yourself at his disposal, then all becomes easy, for he now does the work in you for you.  

Bearing Fruit for God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13 at morning Mass, Jesus explained the parable of the sower. Basically, the seed sown on the path, on rocky ground, or among thorns bears no fruit. Only the seed sown on rich soil, the one who hears the word of the kingdom and understands it, bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. It's indeed amazing to see how vegetables in the right soil in my planters grow so fast from tiny seeds into mature plants, bearing fruit along the way. Zucchini and cucumber practically double in size in a few days. When we hear the word of kingdom and understand it, we can be rich soil too. Then we can amaze God by bearing fruit manyfold. Let us be used by God to do great works.

Checking Jesus Out

        Assume that Jesus is not God. You'll find what you read from the four Gospels contradicting your assumption. If you still don't believe in him, then assume that he is God, and you'll find that everything you read in the Gospels makes sense and supports your assumption. Perhaps now you'll believe!   

God and Life

        Today's Response to Psalm at Mass: "With you is the the fountain of life, O Lord." Life cannot be separated from God, for God is the life. There can be no life without God. I have life because of him, and I shall have eternal life because of him too. Life is consciousness, life is vitality, for God is the originator. Our duty is to be thankful for the gift of life by keeping it sacred and unblemished. 

Minding God's Business

        Don't mind someone else's business is good advice only if that someone is not God. To follow God, we must be totally involved with him; yes, even to the point of "butting in" or badgering him. We want to know what the Lord's will and plan for us are. We should find out as much as possible by communicating constantly with him. He must have our full attentiveness. Yes, we must be about God's business at all times.

Mary's Obedience to Jesus

        This morning as I was praying the second Luminous Mystery of the Holy Rosary, the Wedding of Cana, I thought of what Mary said to the servers when Jesus was told that the wine ran out: "Do whatever he tells you." Of course, Mary could be spoiling her son or was afraid of him to say something like this, but I don't think so. I believe that she already knew that Jesus was divine, the Son of God.

Prerequisite for God to Respond

        Before we ask God to take away our sins, we must repent first, this being a prerequisite. In the same way, before we ask God to give us something, we must admit our need for it. For example, if you need more courage and strength, you must admit to him that you are timid and weak, thereby needing his help. Then he will answer you. Again, if you want to find God and just ask him to reveal himself to you, it won't work. You must first admit that you are lost and need him to guide you, then he will do just that. Similarly, if you want to belong to him, you must surrender first. I think I have made the point clear. Remember that for God to come, we must be completely "out of the way."

All About Love

        Following Jesus is following love; is letting God love you; letting yourself fall in love with him; is to live, rest, and rejoice in his love; to let love transform you; to spread his love among all to glorify God... ~ it is all about love.

To Serve or Not to Serve

        The Gospel Acclamation at Mass read was John 15.16: "I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord." In the Gospel reading from Matthew 20, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be you slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." The message is very clear ~ we must go and bear fruit that will last, that is, to serve.

        The people of the world just do the opposite...they bear fruit that does not last and lord it over others. They strive for top honors, prestige, position, power, wealth, and control. And the world admires, honors, or even worships them for it. All you do is look at the statues erected in the public squares, parks, and even on university campuses such as Penn State (in the news lately). At any rate, to enter the kingdom of God, humankind must pay close attention to what Jesus has said above.

When God Calls You...

        Today is the Feast of St. James, Apostle. The Entrance Song was taken from Matthew 4, combining verses 18 & 21. "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother mending their nets and he called them." It's all about calling. I could not suppress my joy when I realize that I have been called too. What a great honor and grace! Being called; Jesus wants you; God has chosen you; God entering your life, wanting you to experience his love; your name is indeed written in the book of heaven; your future is all set; you are bound for heaven to live in eternal happiness with the Father ~ how can one not feel happy?

Ego to Be Annihilated

        I do a certain ministry at a place where one must pass a guard at the gate. Many guards know me and they simply wave me in, but this last one who was new to me was very strict with procedure ~ I had to show my ID, sign in, etc. I felt somewhat offended, but I also realized that he's merely performing his duty, so I tried to dismiss my negative reaction. There were also times when someone unintentionally said something that seemed to put me down, again I must not let that bother me. Overall, we should remain undisturbed whether our ego gets kicked or stroked, for it should not have been present in us in the first place.   

One Family in God

        The Gospel reading at morning Mass was from Matthew 12. While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, the mother and brothers of Jesus appeared outside. Jesus, stretching out his hand toward his disciples, said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." This confirms the fact that our present families are only families on earth. In spirit and in heaven, all believers are absorbed into the one large family of God's people. This also adds meaning to the Catholic belief in the communion of saints. "Praying" to the saints is nothing more than talking to family members.

Sensing God's Love

        During morning Mass, I again felt the infinite love of God for us and thought that you have to have a heart made of stone not to be moved by it. Perhaps the mind  gets in the way? At any rate, if you don't sense God's love, pray for the necessary grace so that he may open up a whole new beautiful world for you to enter. 

Never Mind that You Are Ahead

        These thoughts follow my last posting. Since we live and die at God's mercy, we should always remain humble. It would be plain foolish to think that I have better health, more wealth...better this or more that than others. I may feel that I am ahead; but Matthew 20.16, "The last will be first, and the first will be last" may apply here too. 

Ready for Death?

        Two friends just passed away. One I only heard about yesterday. The first one was known to be a Catholic, who went through a long bout with cancer. The death of the second was totally unexpected, sending shock waves through many of his friends. I don't believe that he had any firm belief in God. The news got me thinking again that we are totally at God's mercy. I see each of us linked to God by a cord. As long as we are connected to him, we have life. When he disconnects us, we die. While living, we alone are able to choose to believe in God fully, somewhat, or not at all. The wise, ready for death, live each day as if it is their last. Live in peace now and you don't need to worry about RIP for later.