Suffering to Be Welcomed

        Crosses are facts of life. Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). The crosses Jesus gives us as his disciples are always for our edification, never so heavy that we could not bear. There cannot be spiritual advancement if we are not willing to suffer. And if we are willing, suffering for Christ's sake becomes a great joy and strengthens our union with him. 

Getting More out of the Gospels

        I caught 3/4 of part 1 of "The Path of the Messiah" on EWTN. Raymond Arroyo and Jeff Cavins traveled the path Jesus took in the Holy Land. I could read all the things Jesus did in the Gospels, but seeing the real locations on a screen and hearing the Gospels read and explained, I received a knockout experience. The Holy Spirit generated so much deep joy in my soul that I felt physically drained at the end! So, the next time you read the Gospel, take your time and imagine vividly what really happened, and you'll get much more out of your reading.  

What Is "Doing Well"?

        I only hear people talk about someone doing well when that person has lived to a ripe old age, especially if his or her health is good, when the person has succeeded in graduating from college, when the person has landed a good job or made a lot of money in his business...it always has to do with that person's achievement in the world. I have never heard people talk about someone doing well when he or she has come to know the Lord well. Why? On the other hand, this may just work out fine because those who know the Lord well are most likely humble enough not to want to be known for anything in which their are doing well!                 

Mind as an Aid to Heart

        It's true that God looks mainly at the heart. Since we are human, often external distractions, our own emotions, feelings, and physical discomfort, etc. go against the heart's inclination. As Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." This is where the mind should step in. Even if one is going through dark nights losing all feelings of God's presence, the mind can still take charge and help him carry on the task of loving God.    

Heavenly Relationship

        The Lord and any of his faithful followers do many things for each other. They love each other; they serve each other; they are friends to each other; they understand each other; they listen to each other; and they would willingly suffer for each other. This is a relationship prescribed in heaven.

Staying with Christ

        I no longer look back nor forward. I am totally content because I know that as long as I stay with Christ, the eternal one, I'll be eternal with him.

Two-Way Belonging

        I went to morning Mass this morning. It was a relatively cold and windy, rainy day. Inside the chapel, you could hear the the rain water loudly gushing out of the downspouts outside. This was the kind of day that definitely makes you want you to be indoors. Yet I felt most content because I have my most precious treasure, the Lord God. But this is not a one-way thing ~ since I have him, I belong entirely to him too.

Pleasing Jesus Alone

        St. Gemma was always intent on pleasing Jesus alone, so even when others offended her, like calling her a stupid girl, she remained calm and collected. When she suffered, she knew she was suffering along with Jesus. Here is a great example for us to follow. Of course, there will be times when we must take action, but there is a big difference between reacting calmly and reacting with strong negative emotion. We should please others only if it pleases Jesus. Otherwise, whatever they do to us is not worth paying attention to.  

Great Wonderment

        I was watching a Globe Trekker Special on volcanoes on TV and saw how vast our earth was. At the same time I realized that the creator of it all I knew most intimately. In fact, he resides within me. This is indeed a great wonderment!

The Missing Virtue

        Humility is the foundation of all sanctity. I continue to read about St. Gemma. She was a most humble servant of God. In one of her visions, Jesus showed her a vast plain studded with trees. In the center was a square from which a majestic tree rose above all the others. He said to her: "Those trees are the virtues, but the tallest and the most majestic tree is holy humility." This is what this world sorely needs. 

Living in the World of Jesus

        Reading about St. Gemma makes me realize that she lived totally in the world of Jesus. This is what it should be with anyone who follows the Lord. To live in his world is to be detached from our world. In his world we are aware of his holy presence at all times and pleasing him becomes our only concern. Living in the world of Jesus is really another way of describing being in union with Jesus.         

Following God with Trust

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 1, the angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son to be named Jesus. We do not have angels showing up to relay messages to us; but if we trust in God, we'll know that he is always leading us, even if we do not receive messages from him. In this sense, God is always speaking to us. It's very much like the situation of two people in love ~ no spoken words needed; looking at or being with each other is sufficient. 

God's Greatest Love

        Another quick re-realization. The one who died on the cross was not just an ordinary human ~ it was God himself! Shocking and incredible, but awe-inspiring and unimaginably magnanimous. Yes, I am a sinner and I need to be saved. The Lord has done the right thing for all of us, for which I'll be eternally grateful. Now I can rejoice!

Key to Freedom

        During Mass this morning, it became clear to me in a flash that submitting to Jesus is the key to freedom (end of misery)! That's just it because he is truly our Lord and Savior!

Free Will Power

        God gave us each free will so we have the power to make free choices. When St. Maximilian Kolbe was still a child, in a vision the Mother of God came to him holding two crowns, one white and the other red. She asked him if he's willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that he should persevere in purity and the red that he should become a martyr. The saint said that he would accept them both. As you might know, he died at Auschwitz in 1941. 

       Similarly, in the case of St. Gemma Galgani, her guardian angel appeared to her holding two crowns, one of roses and one of thorns, inviting her to choose one. She chose the one that obviously belonged to Jesus, the one of thorns. The manifestation of her suffering the pain of being crowned with thorns Jesus experienced followed afterwards.

        Thus every choice we make matters because it charts our journey toward eternity. Wield the power of our free will for the glory of God always and our future glory will be assured.  

Communion Desire

        Today's Communion experience. After attending such a heavenly banquet, how could I not let it leave a permanent mark on my soul? How could I just leave right after Mass as if nothing extraordinary had happened? Right there and then, I wanted to be totally absorbed into the abyss of God's love and become nothing, yet desiring all of him.   

Our Only Option

        We must realize that God sees and knows so much more than we do. This means that we are more sinful than and not as holy as we think we are. We are only worthy to prostrate before him and beg for mercy, letting him do whatever he wishes with us. Total submission becomes the only option. This is heeding what Jesus had said: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Our Simple Role Made Clear

        True humility is to know our inabilities and limitations before the Lord. Basically, we are not capable of accomplishing anything without him. Any finite quantity compared to infinity has to be zero. God created and shapes all things. Our simple and clear role then is to obey, trust, and follow. 

Made Simple and Easy by God

        At church this morning before Mass began, I wanted to praise God the Father, but words failed to express my feelings. Frustration set in. I realized that as finite creatures, we are loaded with inabilities. Then the Father understood and helped me see that instead of trying so hard, all I need to do is to remain silent, passive, and enjoy his presence. God makes all things simple and easy for us.  

Go Eternal

        Do not dwell on anything that is passing or has passed. What is passing includes ourselves, and what has passed is the past. Dwell on the Lord God alone who never changes. Hold onto the Eternal and we shall be eternal too. 

Reacting to Shocking News

        Today's news headlines are shocking after the horrific school killings in Connecticut that happened three days ago: (1) "Deadly Oregon shooting at shopping center," (2) "Delhi woman gangraped in moving bus," (3) Six Hyundai workers kidnapped in Nigeria," (4) Pakistan blast: Market bomb kills 17," (5) North Iraq bomb attacks kill 25," (6) Bangladesh factory fire was sabotage ~ inquiry (111 workers were killed).

               What are we to do? I believe that every single person living should repent our sins before God for failing to make our world a holier place and cry out for his mercy to save us. President Obama promising to use the power of his office to do all he can to prevent another massacre of the innocent and senators starting to discuss more strict gun control do not understand the cause of such violence at all. (On the same day the Connecticut school tragedy took place, it was reported that a man with a knife (not gun) wounded 22 children and an adult at a primary school in China.) We have turned the world into an evil place and only God can turn us and all things around.

"I Need You, Jesus"

        Two days ago, I posted "Acknowledging Our Need for God." I have found saying "I need you, Jesus" often during the day most edifying. When I say it, I feel the Lord coming right over to me. When I am required to do a chore, I say it and find the Lord giving me strength and patience needed for doing a great job. This practice builds up the trust we need in him. I hope that you'll try saying it and let me know of your experience.

Looking for God

        I see life as a journey whose end goal is to find God, whether you realize it or not. For some, this realization comes early ~ for example, both St. Therese and St. Gemma felt in love with God when they were still a child. For others, they don't turn to God until they are on their deathbed. Anyway, if you believe as I do about life as stated above, you might as well start looking for God right now if you do not know him yet.  

Go to God First!

        You get a lot of spiritual advices from many sources such as books, friends, retreats, and the homilies we hear at Mass. Generally, you are advised to love God and others more, to pray more, to forgive others, to do more charity work, etc. All good advice, but I am afraid that they miss one big point ~ here's what I mean. 

          These advices ask you to initiate the doing by yourself and it always turns out to be a struggle and progress is usually slow. It may sound uncharitable for me to say that in a way God is excluded from the endeavor. Remember that nothing is impossible with God ~ this specifically implies that we cannot make spiritual progress without God's involvement and help. Therefore, if we have a problem, go to the Lord, the source of our power, first to ask for his help. Basically, it comes down to seeking union with him first, then he will draw you to him, making all things easy for you. "The Lord is my strength" (Psalm 28). "The Lord is my helper" (Hebrews 13). Go to him first for strength and help and your spiritual life will become airborne.  

Preparing for The Lord's Entry

        The opening song at morning Mass today consisted of only the line: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." To me, this is preparing our hearts for the Lord to enter, which is something we should have done and always do before we receive Holy Communion each time. The Lord has come, is here, and wants to enter, so it's up to us to get our hearts ready. We rejoice that Christmas is approaching and that the opportunity offered by the Lord for us to be united with him is ever present as long as we are still alive on this earth.  

The Ego Exposed

        The best hiding place for us is God, but our ego knows how to hide itself! The ego makes us focus upon ourselves and lose our focus on God. If we did something good, we love to go over it in our mind. If we said something clever, we love to guess how others might have received it. The ego fools us into thinking that self-importance is OK and that we are quite good already. Don't fall for it! We need to hide ourselves completely in the Lord in order to expose the ugly ego. God and ego do not mix.

To Be at God's Disposal

        Some nervous people are again preparing for doomsday, this time December 21 based upon Mayan prophecy, less than six days away. Jesus wants us to be alert for his second coming, but no one except the Father knows the time and day. Actually, we only need to be alert to what the Lord wants us to do at any moment by putting ourselves completely at his disposal, then we'll be ready. To be at God's disposal ~ what an awesome, ideal post for us! 

Occupation by Jesus

        When one is fully occupied with Jesus, there is neither time left for him to think about sinning nor any space left in his mind for sinful thoughts to occupy anymore. Besides, sins are already repulsive and nauseating to him. Let the Lord occupy you fully and you become holy.  

Our Presentation to God

        Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." Then what better way is there to be with God than to give your heart to him? This thought came to me today when I was meditating on the 4th Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Giving our heart to God seems to be an ideal way of making our "presentation" to God.

Perfect Balance

        As we grow older, our exterior appearance becomes less attractive to others, but we can balance it with an interior that's more beautiful for God to behold.

The Big Message

        Being in Advent, today's Gospel Acclamation at Mass, Luke 3.4,6 reads: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. All flesh shall see the salvation of God." It struck me that "the salvation of God" is the big message that we really should pay attention to. We can be so busy doing shopping, decorating the house, planning the Christmas dinner...and the salvation of God couldn't be further from our mind. But this message is BIG! It is big because it is beautiful, relevant, special and of critical importance to us. We should think about it and thank God for it every day. 

How Good Are We?

        We seem to know how good we are as a person; after all, we should know ourselves. But should we, especially if we have a big ego? Often, others do not see us as the person we think we are. Of course, it could be their problem. At any rate, what we need to be concerned about is how God sees us ~ we need to see ourselves through the eyes of the Lord. To cut to the chase: how is God going to judge us on the last day? My good suggestion: Concentrate on loving God and don't even think about how good you are.      

Where Is God in You?

        Today's horrible news: Killing in a Connecticut school leaves 27 dead, 20 of whom were children. God is always present, so the question is: where is God in you? Without God in our hearts, we are doomed! Think of the continuous silent killing of over one million unborn babies each year in this country ~ is it less horrible? Mark my words, as long as we have that abortion-is-OK mentality, other killings will continue. Lord, have mercy on all those who offend you and all those they victimized. 

Acknowledging Our Need for God

        If we acknowledge that we absolutely need God for us to do anything, then we will become totally dependent upon him, we will not rush ahead doing anything on our own, we will know that we are following his will, and we will be courageous and have peace. This wonderful acknowledgement works wonders.

Holy Eucharist Essential to Union

        At the beginning, receiving the Holy Eucharist means mostly a physical union with the Lord. Gradually, as we let the Lord draw us deeper into him, it becomes more a spiritual union. Then one is in full union with God and receiving the Holy Eucharist reinforces that union. 

My Shortlist of Saints

         (1) St. Mary ~ If you love Jesus, how can you not love his mother? She is the greatest saint and our mother in heaven. I love her especially for her obedience to God.

            (2) St. John the Apostle ~ I love him because he knew that Jesus loved him.

            (3) St. Therese of Lisieux ~ I love her because of her total abandonment in God.

            (4) St. Gemma Galgani ~ I love her for her willingness to suffer for God.            

Patience Needed

        We must never rush into action. Let the Holy Spirit initiate all things. Therefore, patience is a virtue to acquire. When someone tells me a story, I have the fault of prematurely assuming that it's not worth listening to, before I had a chance to hear the rest. Impatience is insufficient love. This quote from St. Teresa of Avila is good: "Let nothing disturb you, let nothing dismay you. All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God lacks nothing: God alone suffices."

Fount of Our Joy

        The "J" in the name of Jesus has to be associated with joy. The following is a partial list of joys that accompany the Lord.

           (1) Hearing his word, his voice

           (2) Talking and writing about him               

           (3) Following him closely

           (4) Calling upon his holy name

           (5) Waiting for him to speak

           (6) Asking for his forgiveness

           (7) Enjoying him in silence

           (8) Receiving him in Holy Communion!        

           (9) Suffering for him
           (10) Dying for him

The World and Us

        The entrance antiphon at Mass, Galatians 6.14, reads: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Here Paul showed his complete detachment from the world ~ a total severing between the two. This is understandable because after seeing the glory of Christ, the world would be about as attractive as a heap of dung. We face the same choice: the cross of Christ or the world.

This Numb Generation

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 11, Jesus let the crowd know that their generation was unresponding and "hard to please." He said, "John (the Baptist) came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" Their generation sounds just like ours ~ we look but don't see and hear but do not understand. Alas, our total immersion in this world has both blinded and deafened us, making us numb to the gospel truth.

God Alone Is Trustworthy

        Today is the Memorial of St. John of the Cross, priest and Doctor of the Church. He was also a great Spanish mystic and Carmelite friar. As a reformer of the Carmelite Order, for a period he was imprisoned and harshly treated by other Carmelite friars who opposed the reform ~ it was Christians against Christians. All the more we see that God alone is worthy to be trusted because he alone is holy.

Persist in Your Race

        A lot of things not really pleasant came up which I must attend to. It just shows that life never remains the same. St. Paul likened living for Christ to running a race. You're in it to finish and win an imperishable crown. Joy comes from the Lord, but tests too. Many saints (St. Teresa, St. John of the cross, St. Gemma, Blessed Mother Teresa, and others) all went through dark nights. What the Lord showed me is that we must absolutely persist even to the point of serving him mechanically if we do not feel his presence. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me" (Psalm 23). Before you know, life will be over. And if you haven't run a good race, you are likely to look back with sadness.

Making a Beautiful Connection Is...

talking to God from the heart.

Listening to God Is...

always doing his will.        

Forsaking Happiness in This Life

        In Luke 14, Jesus taught, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, 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 a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table."

       We can apply this lesson to our expectations in life. To avoid disappointment, it's better not to expect happiness in this world because things can go bad at any time. But we can certainly expect great happiness in the next world if we remain faithful.       

Preparing for Eternal Union

        Since God is all love, for us to return to him for full union we must be all love too. Seeking union with him on earth is preparing ourselves for that eternal union.

What Abortion Does

        Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The miraculous image of the Holy Mother as appeared on Juan Diego's tilma shows a sash around her waist, indicating that she's pregnant with child. I thought of the evil of abortion today again. When a baby is conceived in the mother's womb, the Lord creates the soul for it at the same time. When the baby is aborted, the soul no longer has a body to dwell in. What a cruel, dirty act that directly thwarts the will of God for life! (In case you are not familiar with Our Lady of Guadalupe, I encourage you to find the beautiful story online and read it.)  

It's Still Gossiping

     The Holy Spirit has made it clear to me that speaking ill of anyone, even if only mildly, even if it is fact, and even if no name is mentioned, in an ordinary conversation is still gossiping and is displeasing to the Lord. There is no point in making that person look bad to others when God already knows all about him.

God's Holiness

        Communion experience. What a great way to start off a new day! Not with hot coffee, a big breakfast, or nice wake-up music, but with an encounter with the Most Holy One! As I received the Lord, I sensed God's awesome holiness, so dazzlingly pure and refreshing, which makes one not want to touch anything else anymore!      

On Finding Jesus

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus, wanting to let his disciples know that it's not the heavenly Father's will that any of the little ones be lost, said to them, "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray." This is absolutely true and brings to my mind how one rejoices over Jesus after he searches all over and finds him to be the Lord and truth.