I had a tooth that had cracked, so it was pulled out. It looked like it did not heal right and had started bleeding. At Mass this morning (memorial of St. Augustine), my mouth was full of blood when I received the Holy Eucharist. The mingling made me feel in a way that I was drawn even deeper into union with Christ. Also, it taught me to unite all my sufferings with his.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Receiving God's Mercy
As I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist this morning, I felt that it was a most merciful act for him to enter the sinful me. It was merciful of him to look more at my intentions and less at the actual state of my soul.
Let the Transformation Begin!
God has made each one of us into a unique creature. We all have different personalities, traits, talents, etc. And God leads us to him along different paths too, but he has one individual plan for each of us ~ he wants to mold each one of us into the perfect person as he has envisioned. So give the Lord the green light and let it begin. Don't expect to experience the same thing as any saint has experienced, but the end result will be just as satisfactory to God (and you'll be extremely satisfied too).
Think Far Enough Ahead
It was a beautiful morning with the sun out in the blue sky and the temperature just perfect, yet I knew that this would pass. Daytime is already getting shorter; soon there'll be colder, rainy, windy days and some plants will freeze and die ~ this has happened every year. Our life is also passing and soon we'll come to the end. We all tend to enjoy the good times and not think far enough ahead. Jesus asks us to store up treasures in heaven ~ this means that we must be aware our future after this life is over. (This kind of vision may rightly be described as heavenly.) As long as we have this awareness, we can enjoy the ongoing good times and accumulate treasures in heaven at the same time.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
God the Source of Our Joy
After I received the Holy Eucharist this morning, I also received a dose of the sweetest joy from the Lord. Once you taste it, you gladly reaffirm your surrender to him. It's fitting that so great a love is the source of such joy.
We Needn't Stand Alone
The Lord impressed these thoughts upon me during morning Mass. Each one of us is a unique being created by God and given a distinct soul and his own free will. Each of us alone makes his choices in what he thinks, says, and does. We came into the world alone and will depart from it alone. When God speaks to us, he speaks to each one individually. When we face God later, each person will have to answer to him strictly on his own. So it's alone all the way. Ultimately speaking, no one or anything can come between God and us ~ we alone are responsible for ourselves.
But we can take advantage of the situation by reversing it! Let's seek union with God and become one with him now, then we shall never stand alone anymore. Nothing can come between God and us ~ you can say that again!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
God Delights the Humble
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 23, Jesus pointed out the hypocrisies of the scribes and the Pharisees to the crowds and his disciples. He then told all that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
This is absolutely true because when you remain humble in the Lord, he always delightfully surprises you from time to time. True delights only come to the humble, for the high and mighty have only one way to go ~ down. The greatest reserved "surprise" for the humble will come, of course, at the end of this life.
Peace as Our Guide
"Peace be with you" ~ that's how Jesus greets his disciples. God always wishes us peace. So if you have great peace, you know that you love him. If you don't have peace when you do something, then it could very well be that you are not doing his will.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Ignoring the Devil Again
Many years ago, I read St. Teresa of Avila's classic Interior Castle. I am starting to read all her collected works. In the Introduction of the volume, I read: As for devils, she could say with complete freedom "I pay no more attention to them than to flies" and that the key element of her teaching about the devil is the utter uselessness of all fears concerning him. She also said, "I don't understand these fears, 'The devil! The devil!' when we can say 'God! God!' and make the devil tremble." It is gratifying to learn that she confirms what I have posted. That is, as long as we occupy ourselves with (or hide in) God, we may safely ignore the Devil.
Dear Atheists:
You believe that man invented God and use him as a crutch. I want to tell you that you've got it all wrong. My God did not come out of man's imagination ~ for your information, he came into the world almost 2,000 years ago and revealed to us who he is. And I did not seek him because I needed a crutch ~ it was his amazing love that drew me to him. I never expected to choose him ~ it was he who chose me! Keep your minds open and you might just be called by him yet.
About Atheists
Atheists do not believe that God exists, so they don't know how they got here nor the meaning of life. To Christians, not a single word of Jesus can be ignored, but the atheists wipe out the entire Judea-Christian history and the Gospel records. The gate to heaven is narrow and the road to it steep and atheists choose to tread the easiest way. Unfortunately, they don't know that it's the wrong way. And they have no guides and are shaped by the world they happen to be in. They are basically self-centered, claiming that there is no God, but setting themselves up as gods ~ no different from being idolatrous. The test of faith is the giving up of oneself and obviously, they totally flunked it.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Lord Is Hurting
I am still thinking about my post The Falling Away from God which I put up yesterday. If you had read that BBC report and the readers comments, you might feel just as sad as I am. At Mass this morning, the picture of the suffering Lord floated into my mind ~ it's an image of how he looked on his way to Golgotha to be crucified. Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22 was appropriate. In this parable of the wedding feast told by Jesus, the king invited many guests to this feast he gave for his son, but some ignored the invitation or refused to come. Others even mistreated and killed the servants dispatched to summon the guests. The king was enraged and destroyed them. Then he invited whomever his servants could find in the streets. One man came, was spotted not dressed in a wedding garment and also got punished. Jesus' last words were "Many are invited, but few are chosen." Today's situation is no different or perhaps even worse. The pressing question is: "How may we console the Lord?"
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Seeing the True Jesus
Today at Communion time at Mass, I understood that receiving the Lord was to obey and submit myself to him. After Communion, I saw the loveliness of the Lord and questioned how people could possibly reject him. May he be adored forever!
Never Question God's Way
In the Gospel reading taken from Matthew 20, Jesus mentioned "the last will be first, and the first will be last" in telling the parable of the workers in the vineyard. I think that the saying means that God can do whatever he wants and we have no right to question him. Even if my interpretation is wrong, what I have interpreted it to mean is still correct.
On Praying for Enemies
Today is the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Praying for our enemies is hard, so let's look to the Holy Mother as our example ~ she prays for everyone without exception and intercedes for all of us. Enemies need even more prayers than friends, so let's pray without being discriminatory.
The Falling Away from God
Atheism is on the rise (check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19262884) ~ people, including many lukewarm Christians, are rebelling against God. I feel sorry for them more than for the Lord. Like the ones who crucified Christ, they just don't know what they are doing! How sad that they do not know that union with God is the most beautiful state of existence and if everyone achieves that state, earth will become like heaven. Is there any hope for them? Definitely yes, only if they'd realize that God's mercy in infinite and that nothing is impossible with him.
The Holy Spirit & God's Will
This morning after I woke up, I sensed that it is the Holy Spirit who prompts all followers of Christ to do God's will. You could say that the Holy Spirit "is" God's will because to know the Holy Spirit is to know God's will. Let the Holy Spirit lead us in every little step we take.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Making Union Easy
When we attain union with God, it is God who does all the work by his holy love. All we need to do is "be open to him." The degree of difficulty following the Lord is inversely proportional to how much we open up to him ~ which is saying that the more we open up, the less difficult it is for us to follow him.
Going by the Lord?
Jesus entered the world to become one of us so that he could spread the good news of our salvation among us. And we have only one life to live in which to catch this critically important message of love, not before our birth or after our death. The period that's open for us is brief and unpredictable ~ I am speaking from the point of view of someone who has already found and accepted this truth. The Lord patiently awaits us ~ if we do not grab him soon enough, he'll be out of reach forever! This message is urgent indeed.
Monday, August 20, 2012
On Guard with Humility
Today I realize that we should watch out for pride even when the Lord is giving us joy. We must not let any such good feeling or other rewards affect whatever residual ego that's still left in us. This is tricky business; but to be safe, it's essential to receive all good things with great humility.
God Alone Suffices
After receiving the Holy Eucharist this morning, I felt that I was ready for death since I already possess the Lord. "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack" (Psalm 23), exactly!
Following the Lord Perfectly
The Gospel story from Matthew 19 at Mass tells about the young man who wanted to gain eternal life and asked Jesus what he must do. The Lord told him to keep the commandments. Since he had already observed them, he asked what he still lacked. Then Jesus told him that if he wished to be perfect, he should go sell what he had, give to the poor, and go follow him. St. Francis of Assisi did it ~ should we do the same if we wish to be perfect? For practical reasons, we may not be able to do it, but the bottom line (what Jesus really wants from us) is that we do not get attached to anything we possess so that we may be free to follow him.
Remaining in Jesus' Love
Today is the Memorial of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church. The Communion Song (John 15.9) reads: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you; remain in my love, says the Lord." "Remain in my love" ~ how tender and beautiful! Jesus has already shown us how great his love is. To remain in his love is to be in paradise, with our happiness now and forever ensured!
See How Jesus Evangelized
I look at Jesus to see how he spread the good news to others. He did it with great compassion, teaching and healing people along the way. He never did anything to promote himself, to show how good he was. He never forced others in any way to believe in him ~ he simply preached the gospel and let them decide whether to follow him or not. We must look to his example as we evangelize the world for his sake.
What to Do with God's Love?
A friend of mine used to say that he was happy any day he woke up, checked the newspaper obituary column and didn't find his name listed there. Of course, he was not being serious. This morning I woke up and felt happy because I knew that God still loved me, and I am being serious. Knowing that God's love is always there for me is a great consolation and joy. Each of us must ultimately deal with it ~ to accept or reject this love.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
God's Infinite Mercy
Besides love, infinity is other word by which to remember God. It would take infinite creative power to create just a single blade of grass. But I am thinking about his mercy. I can be the most wretched sinner of all and if I just turn to him, repent, and seek salvation, then I instantly become his son. This is only possible if his mercy is infinite. It is fitting for us to show our appreciation by taking advantage of this mercy.
The Lord Is Joy
Our pastor today gave a beautiful homily on Jesus as the bread of life. The Mass became a celebration for life. Receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord is entering him, his world, to be transformed into a new creature beautiful for him to behold. There is no greater joy in this life than letting God give us whatever he wants to give us! Jesus is joy ~ how can he not make us joyful? All in all, a beautiful day today!
True Bread of Life
In today's Gospel reading at Mass, John 6:51-58, Jesus made it absolutely clear in his discourse to the crowds that he is the living bread that came down from heaven and whoever eats this bread will live forever; and this bread is his flesh for the life of the world. The Jews who heard Jesus quarreled among themselves and questioned, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" It's obvious that they never doubted that Jesus was not speaking symbolically. Normally, when Jesus told a parable and if there was anything unclear to the listeners, he would explain its hidden meaning. Here, he's not using a parable and there's nothing to explain ~ he simply responded by repeating what he had said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life... For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood..." Even his disciples found the saying hard and difficult to accept; some of them left him. Now, did it strike you for a moment that Jesus didn't literally mean what he said?
The belief that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist had been held by all since the beginning of the Church. Those today who think that the Lord only offered the bread and wine as symbols are misinterpreting his words to fit their own erroneous belief. In doing so, they miss receiving the most holy of all the sacraments, making it impossible to achieve the most intimate union with him in this life. The Holy Eucharist, Christ himself, is the center of worship in the Catholic Church. Nothing, not even the Bible, can replace that.
Keeping the Soul Safe
Because God loves us (or if we love him), it is our duty to keep our soul safe. This means that we must avoid all external influences that can cause us to sin and remove all internal urges to sin. The best and only solution is total immersion in God, a.k.a. union with God.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Most Beautiful Relationship
When a man and a woman are joined by God to become one and even though they might not get along all the time, they want to preserve this union at all costs, there is definitely something beautiful about it. By contrast, breakups such as divorce, the dissolution of a friendship, leaving the Church, abortion...all have something ugly about it. Remaining in union of God then has to be the most beautiful relationship of all.
God Inspires
If a father is a good example that makes his son look up to him, the son usually wants to grow up to be like the father. This was the feeling I had at Mass this morning ~ the inspiring example of the Lord made me want to be just like him.
Be like Children Again
At this morning's Mass, from Matthew 19 we heard Jesus say that "the kingdom of heaven belongs to the children." Earlier Jesus had already said that "unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." I believe that when we were children, we had all experienced the warmth, comfort, and security when we were held by or just leaned against someone such as our mother or anyone who took good care of us ~ it's a great feeling to know that you are in the close company of someone who loves you. Now that we are adults, let's be like little children again ~ only now we seek comfort and protection in the heavenly Father. This way we enter the kingdom of heaven, enjoying the warmth, comfort, and security in God.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Union with God Is for All
If you think that union with God is not for you because only saints can achieve such union, then you are mistaken. You seek and achieve union with God first, then you become a saint ~ not the other way around ~ a saint is already in union with God.
God as Teacher
After receiving Holy Communion at Mass this morning, I felt so fortunate and grateful that the Lord made me see all my faults for my good. He is a most loving teacher.
On Following God
We are supposed to be God's instruments, speaking for him and doing deeds for him; but sometimes we forget and start doing our will as his ~ this is where we can lose our inner balance. I must remember that I am to follow God, not charging ahead of him. Whoever said "patience is a sign of holiness" is correct.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
God Loves a Contrite Heart
As I knelt and prayed in church this morning, I realized that this would be a terrible position for a hypocrite to be in ~ imagine approaching God when you are insincere, dishonest, unforgiving, resentful.... Then I saw that a contrite heart was all that's required to change everything.
Forgiving Others Through God's Mercy
This morning's Gospel reading at Mass was take from Matthew 18. Jesus wants us to forgive all our brothers and sisters from the heart if we want the heavenly Father to forgive us. This seems totally fair, but in practice, it can be very difficult for us as we all know. Ideally, to resolve the problem it would be best for us is to meet or contact the other party involved and show our desire for reconciliation, but this may not be possible for various reasons. The least we could do is to forgive from the heart so that when such an opportunity arises, we'll be ready. Of course, praying for the ones we have trouble forgiving is the very first move we should make.
I am thinking that it's through God's love that we are able to love others, then why can't we immerse ourselves in his ocean of mercy and "borrow" some of that mercy and use it to forgives others? Basically, we "make" God do everything through us.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Dealing with the Devil
The most effective way to deal with the Devil is not to challenge him. Give God your full attention and the Devil, zero; then he won't even be able to approach you. Ignore the Devil and he is as good as gone.
Being Daredevil for God
Once you have put all your trust in God, you become daredevil in the sense that you no longer worry about anything ~ all you care about is whatever has to do with God. In a way, God's business is now your business.
Clarifying Mary
On this Feast day of the Blessed Mother, I would like to make some of our Catholic beliefs about her clear, especially to our Protestant brothers and sisters.
(1) I don't think I need to say this, but there are still many who do not know the truth yet. The truth is that we do not worship Mary, as she declared herself in her song to God (see my last post) that she was simply a lowly servant of God.
(2) We love her as we love all the saints and angels. We love her precisely because we love God. She never causes us to love Jesus less; in fact, she inspires us to love him even more! Many Catholics and converts have found Jesus through Mary. This humble mother Jesus gave us from the cross never wants to draw attention to herself, remaining hidden in her Son always. She is a great model for us to follow and imitate. She is such a beautiful saint that even if she's not related to the Lord, you would want to know her. She is magnificent! (Read about the woman clothed with the sun in Revelation 11, today's first reading at Mass.)
Humble Love
Today's is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Gospel reading from Luke 1 contains the Magnificat, the beautiful hymn of Mary (verses 46-55). In praising God, Mary regarded herself as his lowly servant. Our love for God should also spring from humility. Love that's not humble is not pure. Look at Jesus ~ he remained meek and humble throughout his life on earth, showing his greatest love for us. If God can be so humble, it would be unthinkable for us not to be.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Dying for Gain
Today is the Memorial of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr, who died in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist at morning Mass, I felt that Jesus is totally worth dying for ~ through this death, I gain the whole God!
Union with God, a Brief Review
The goal of this blog is to draw all to union with God through the Holy Eucharist. This seems to be the right time to give a little summary of what it's all about, especially for new readers of the blog.
In principle, we should seek union with God, as Jesus calls us to be perfect. When we are in union with him, we become Christlike and will want to do his will at all times. This then fulfills the command of Jesus that we must love God as much as we can.
In practice, we also gain great benefits. Without union but with the good intention to become holy, we struggle with sin pretty much on our own and can find making progress hard and slow. Of course, God wants to help, but we are in our own way and in his, for we have not yet totally surrendered to God to give him a free hand. Once we go past the point of self-surrender, God then can draw us to full union with him and our struggle with sin will be no more. And freedom and peace of the heart will be awaiting us.
The Holy Eucharist plays the role of the facilitator. When we receive this Most Holy Sacrament, we become in union with the Lord physically. In this most intimate moment we ask him to draw us to complete union with him and he will not refuse us.
On Serving God
Serving God is answering God's call. It means that God has chosen you out of love. It is both an honor and a privilege. Serving God gives life meaning, goal, and hope on earth and at the same time generates joy in heaven. It is the path to God, our home. Those who give lifelong service to God will live forever.
Monday, August 13, 2012
To Be Free in God!
After receiving Communion this morning, I went limp at all levels ~ the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. It's a total letting go in God. In God We become free.
Jesus Forever New
Every time we learn something new from Jesus, there is something more for us to discover and learn ~ his wisdom and riches are inexhaustible. In this sense, he is forever new, hence forever refreshing.
Soul-Searching Time
Anytime we lose inner peace, it is the right time to go before God to do some soul-searching. Total honesty is necessary and we must leave no part of our innermost part unexposed. Then whatever the Lord reveals, we must obey at all costs, even at the expense of all our pride. This "relentless" search for the truth in our heart will bring us close to God, with us receiving great comfort and peace afterwards.
Tracing Sins to Ego
Soon after Mass begins, we confess to God and all brothers and sisters present: "I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do..." ~ we see that sin is committed at the thought, word, and deed levels. (I met once someone who believed erroneously that thoughts are not sinful as long as you do not follow through with bad deeds.) Thoughts and speech are perhaps more difficult to control than deeds. If someone criticizes you, evenly mildly and for good reason, resentment can easily arise like a conditioned response. When a group of people gossip about others, it's easy to join in. Both reactions show the presence of ego, the cause of so many sins. (As I said before, to progress spiritually, the ego's gotta go.)
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