God Knows What's Best

        In this morning's Gospel reading from John 4 at Mass, a royal official asked Jesus to heal his son who was near death. Without going, Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said and left. Later he found out that his son began to recover just at the time Jesus said to him, "You son will live." We know that recovery does not always happen when we pray for someone who is ill. There is no question that only God knows and gives what is best for us. Naturally, the best for us has to be eternal life with him in heaven. Therefore, however God answers our prayer, we can be sure that he has this intention.    

On Evil Ego

        You hear said "Money is at the root of all evil," not "Money is evil." Yet I can say that "Ego is evil." Ego wants to make yourself god over God. You will not have inner peace as long as ego is present. Humility is the antidote to ego and seeking union with God is the solution to the problem. (By the way, egoists make Satan's best targets.)

Taking Care of Jesus

        Early this morning, I woke up after midnight and Jesus was present. I realized that he is my God and also my brother and friend ~ this combination made me love him so much that I wanted to "take care of" him. It means that I want to make sure the he is happy and loved by all. The least I could do is to love him myself with all my heart and hopefully inspire others to love him too. Loving Jesus should be our joy.    

God's Certain Love for Us

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass is the well-known Parable of the Prodigal son from Luke 15. For me, this is the most beautiful, moving parable ever addressed by Jesus. The story has inspired numerous writers and artists. Perhaps the current best-known book is The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen, named after the renowned painting by Rembrandt. Pure love is made clear only through action. The greatest example we have is Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. In the parable, how the father welcomes the return of the lost son shows exactly how our heavenly Father loves all of us. You can be certain that this is true because it is firsthand information from Jesus who came from the Father and is God! 

Amazing Union

        God is perfect, pure, and free, while we are imperfect, sinful, and enslaved. What is amazing is that when we enter union with God, we lose all we have and win God. 

Self-Justification Unjustified

        For Christians, self-justification has no place in their lives. They are what they are, and God sees all and is the one to judge them. Any self-justification done is simply effort wasted. 

The Humility Connection

       Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Luke 18. Jesus addressed a parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. In the story a Pharisee and a tax collector went up to the temple area to pray. The Pharisee took up his position and prayed, "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity ~ greedy, dishonest, adulterous ~ or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income." But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus told that the latter went home justified, not the former. Then came the punch line: "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." 

       It is clear that being self-righteous amounts to self-glorification, succumbing to one's own pride, while remaining humble keeps you connected to God.

The Christian Concern

        Since God is love, if we love God, all we need to do is to imitate him, which is, to love as he loves. The only concern we have is whether we love enough. 

Duality of Being Christian

        A Christian is both timid and bold ~ timid because he realizes that he is finite before God; bold because God empowers him. A Christian is both humble and proud ~ humble because God is great to him; proud because he has God. A Christian is both invisible and visible ~ invisible because he hides himself in God; visible because God dwells in him. 

Answering the Vocation of Loving God

        How can we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength? Surely, if we strain with all our might, it's not going to work because it has to come from the heart. And we are blessed that the Lord is our heart specialist. All we need to do is to let him see this sincere desire in our hearts and he will happily fulfill our wish. It's that simple.

Our Overriding Vocation

        People consider whether they should become a religious or a married person, an engineer or a lawyer, to go to work or to stay home, etc. The Lord has made it clear to me that the overriding vocation for each one of us is to love God with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength. This is not a choice but our duty. It is the purpose of life. We can not be happy and free without fulfilling this duty. And this is absolutely true. 

Do What Truly Matters

        Now long ago, I saw the documentary on the birth of Silicon Valley in Northern California on PBS TV. It began not long after Fairchild Seimconductor in the late 1950s started revolutionizing the transistor industry and created the first silicon integrated circuit. Within a decade, the company dominated the IC market. Then internal troubles began to surface the company earnings dropped. One by one the original founders of the company left to form their own companies that grew to prominence in the 1970s. Intel was also born in that period. Other entrepreneurs swarmed to the region to start their own businesses and Silicon Valley was born. All this was very interesting and the achievements in the scientific field were impressive. Fortunes rose and fell. The documentary was very much like a movie. What truly matters is not how successful these pioneers were, how they are remembered, or how long there are going to be remembered. Where are they now? My personal aim has been shifted to building up treasures in heaven. In Mt 6:19, 20, Jesus said: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal." This kind of vision reaches infinitely beyond what any brilliant scientist, inventor, or entrepreneur can hope to accomplish because it came directly from God. Aim high to reach high. 

Perfect Letting-Go Moment

        This is right after I receive Holy Communion with the Lord still melting in my mouth. It is the perfect (easiest) time for me to cast away all my cares and put my entire trust in Jesus.

God, Logical to Love

        What one thing would you be willing to embrace, to hold onto, and to even die for? If I say Love, I believe that you would agree with me that it is the logical answer. Then God is Love. In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Mark 12, Jesus gave the two greatest commandments, the first of which is: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. (The second: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.)

Being Exalted by God

        When I receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I am letting the Lord exalt me!

Most Satisfying "Job"

        This evening I attended a holy hour for vocations to the priesthood and religious life at a nearby chapel. The presiding priest mentioned that a survey showed that those who were most satisfied with their job turned out to be clergy and the religious, because their hearts are undivided. Then we who are lay persons can be equally satisfied with living our lives if we devote ourselves to loving God single-mindedly.   

Surrendering to God Is...

          (1) obeying God always. Each one of us is a prodigal son or daughter, so why delay our return to the love of the Father?

        (2) to give Jesus our heart. Where our heart is, there we'll be also. What an excellent way to go to him to be with him!

No Judging for Us

        Today's reading at Mass was taken from Luke 11. Jesus drove out a demon that was mute and some of the people thought that Jesus did it by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. This reminds me of how the press report about the election of a new Pope ~ all they see are politics and intrigue taking place behind the scene. 

        To judge others is always the easiest thing to do. In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus taught all not to judge others. He asked, "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye." Therefore, we need to examine (not judge) ourselves first so that we may not judge others.  

The Blessed Sacrament Unifies

        In preparation for electing the next successor to St. Peter's chair, cardinals around the world are already in Rome attending the conclave. I was just watching on EWTN the College of Cardinals praying in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. After they finished praying the Holy Rosary, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist) followed. When I watched all the cardinals kneeling before it, worshiping, the Lord made me see at that moment that it's the belief in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that holds the Church together! Witness how Christians without the Blessed Sacrament split into innumerable denominations. 

All About Life

        Communion Experience. When I saw the consecrated bread and wine held high by the priest while saying the doxology, I knew that I was looking at the Lord, the one with whom I am going to spend my eternal life, and all anxieties vanished. As I received the Lord, I knew that I was receiving life itself and felt eternally grateful. 

Not Looking at Jesus

        Not looking at Jesus is both easy and hard. It is easy because you are doing OK on your own, you don't have time, you don't need someone to tell you what to do, and besides, he may make you feel uncomfortable. It is hard because you do want to know the meaning of life, you do wonder about life after death, sometimes you feel that you need direction and help you don't find in the world, and lastly, you find it hard to ignore him because maybe he is the true God he said he was. Make the right choice and everything will turn out right for you. 

Dying to Live

        I've started reading Pope Benedict XVI's Way of Cross, trying to do one station a day. The Holy Father quotes John 12:24 in the presentation at the beginning: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." This is beautiful truth, both simple and profound. Each one of us is a grain of wheat. First, we need Jesus. Then if we meet him, but do not die, we remain the same. If we die in him, we experience great joy because we are born again, being transformed into new, beautiful, creatures in full freedom. To die in Christ once is to live forever!

Learning to Forgive

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Matthew 18. Jesus taught Peter to forgive his brother who sins against him not just seven times, but seventy-seven times. Remember in the Lord's Prayer, we say: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"? Forgiving others can be most difficult, but forgive we must! Here's the solution. Just as realizing the immensity of the universe can humble us, discovering the greatness and beauty of God can makes us forget all our troubles. Therefore, seek union with God and he will make us as forgiving as he. When you experience the peace afterwards, you'll know that you've done God's will!

Man in Contrast to God

        In meditating upon the Sorrowful Mysteries early this morning while walking on a treadmill at the gym, I saw Jesus remaining calm, quiet, humble, and obedient to the will of the Father throughout his suffering from Agony in the Garden to his Crucifixion. Then I looked up and saw the commercial being played on the TV mounted directly ahead on the wall, showing a bunch of people dressed in all kinds of weird costumes, acting crazily like buffoons. Since there was no sound, I didn't know what product was being pushed, but what I saw couldn't have provided a greater contrast. 

Surrender and Be Transformed

        Again, Caryll Houselander wrote in her A Rocking Horse Catholic that ordinary people who are not saints rarely surrender themselves to God wholly. It's likely to be a more gradual process; it may be only after many Communions that they will even begin to know God as He really is, well enough to dare to abandon themselves to and for Him. [Based upon the experiences of the saints, we can confidently surrender to God with readiness.] She concluded that if we offer ourselves and let God transform us into Himself, we shall see the world with Christ's eyes, rejoice in it with His zest for life, and love it with His Heart. [This is what union with God is all about.]

God's Merciful Heart

        Communion experience. Again I heard the familiar words of Jesus during consecration of the bread and wine: "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you" and "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 struck me as words from someone with a most selfless, tender, and merciful heart. 

Falling in Love with God

        In this world we view a couple in love as the luckiest two people ~ they are aware of only each other, ecstatic in each other, so happy that they love everyone else too. Exactly the same thing happens when you are in love with God, albeit the feelings are on the spiritual level. So, be open and let the immense ocean of God's love sweep you off your feet.

Letting God Transform Us

        Continuing reading Houselander's A Rocking Horse Catholic, I find that some of her experiences resonate with mine. We both experienced the healing power of the Blessed Sacrament. She was healed of her psychological suffering. We both agree that at the "touch of God," an unhappy person incapable of living fully can recover to live gloriously. Her description of surrendering to God for the saint was quite beautiful: "...a tremendous fling of the heart, comparable to a leap into the fire of eternal Love, to burn with its heat, to take the radiance of its light..." We also concur that once the soul (my word) is healed, we can begin to enjoy life and everything (I would say "enjoy God"). I like her pointing out that this change is as secret and as real as the Body and Blood of Christ; no one sees any change, but what happens is the work of God. Let union with God be his work in us.

Forgotten Commandments

        This morning one BBC news story on lethal weapons was titled "Robot warriors: Lethal machines coming of age." The era of fighting wars with killer robots is approaching. This made me realize how far we had forgotten about the Commandment "You shall not kill." I looked at the list of all Ten Commandments and it came somewhat as a shock to see that the other nine were equally ignored by most of the world. 

Understanding God's Mercy

         The great mercy of God was made amply clear by Jesus in the parable of the lost (prodigal) son. In the true story of the woman caught in adultery, the infinite mercy of God was again clear. When the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus to test him by asking what he says to Moses' commandment  that such woman be stoned according to the law, Jesus said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." In response, one by one they went away. Jesus, left alone with the women, asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, from now on do not sin any more." 

        We see that no matter how sinful we may be, Jesus is not ready to condemn us yet until we've had every chance for repentance and reform. (This is one reason why we should not judge anyone, period.) Since we don't know how long we are going to live nor how we are going to die, it would be wise for us to repent and reform right after sinning each time. Repentance is the key to avoiding final condemnation.

Honesty of the Evangelists

        Caryll Houselander was a prolific, popular, Catholic, English writer the first half of the last century. I am reading her A Rocking Horse Catholic, an account of her early life. When she was still a little girl, an adult lawyer friend of hers named Smoky tried to convince her mother that if Jesus Christ was really God and if he did found a Church, that Church had to be the Roman Catholic Church. One  piece of evidence he presented was the integrity of the witnesses, the four Evangelists. He said that only absolutely honest witnesses determined to give the facts would have recorded the words of Christ on the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ~ words which could easily have cast doubt on the divinity of Christ. I think he made a good point here.

Most Fitting Name

        In today's first reading from Exodus 3 at Mass, the Lord revealed to Moses that his name was "I AM." To me, this had to be God speaking, proving that he is eternal, for no one else can fit that name. 

Death Our Wake-Up Call

        Most recently, a friend passed away because of failing health; one church member died unexpectedly of a heart attack; and another person I knew died under more tragic circumstances. After hearing the news each time, the generally feeling was that "there's nothing we can do about it." But, we can do a lot before we are gone! Jesus has already shown us the way to eternal life; so for ourselves, we can take full advantage of that. For others, we can help by spreading the good news and living a holy life. Then whenever death sneaks up on us, we are prepared and ready.

Satisfied with God

        If God is still a mystery to me, that's because I am a finite creature. But God, being infinite, already knows everything about me ~ this is good enough for me.

The Real God

        Early this morning, I saw the grayish sky filled with somewhat hideous-looking black clouds. The dramatic view probably would have inspired a poet to write a poem or a artist to do a painting. Then I knew that no matter how talented the poet or painter may be, the work produced can never match the vivid, original scene imprinted on my mind. Similarly, man-made colors can never match the colors of real flowers. I thought of the real God and knew that no matter how great our imagination, we can never grasp the beauty and glory of the real God (for the time being anyway).      

Continued Alienation from God

        The Apostle John already talked about the many antichrists that had appeared in his first Epistle. He regarded anyone who denies the Father and the Son to be the antichrist. Polycarp, the early Apostolic Father, called anyone who preached false doctrine an antichrist. If that's the understanding, then today our world is certainly overwhelmingly populated by antichrists. 

       President Obama came out again today voicing his support for gay marriage in California. By the way, in 2004 he opposed same-sex marriage based on his religious faith. So where is that faith now? If he'd changed his view because he saw the trend changing, then he is an opportunist. According to BBC, there is a Clinton-era piece of US federal legislation called the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as solely being between a man and a woman. The Obama administration has already stopped enforcing the law nor defending the legislation in court. I naively thought that only criminals ignore the law! 

        God created a man and a woman, not two men or two women, at the beginning. Yes, whatever we do, even under the guise of love, God's intention and design must never be violated. There cannot be true compassion in legalizing abortion because it ultimately hurts the mother (not to mention the unborn child). In the same way, legalizing same-sex marriage further cuts us off from God. Without the love of God, we won't know how to love.

"Where Is God?"

        People see sufferings all around and ask "Where is God?" Suppose that there are no sufferings at all, would they then ask the same question? I doubt it. God came two thousand years ago in person and not all believed in him. If he comes again today in person, would all then believe in him? I doubt it. So, don't ask "Where is God?" again.

The Greatest Possible Difference

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Luke 16. It's the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. This is a terrifying story because when poor Lazarus died, he was carried away by angles to the bosom of Abraham, but the rich man died and descended to the netherworld where he suffered torment in flames. When the rich man cried out to Abraham for help, Abraham was powerless to help him, for a great chasm separated them. I can imagine that in such torment, the rich man wished that he had never been born. Eternal separation from God is so horrible that you wouldn't want anyone to experience that! On the other hand, dwelling in heaven with God for all eternity can be ours too. These are the only two choices we have. Believing in Jesus or not believing in Jesus absolutely can make the greatest possible difference to us.

Love Making Its Round

        Morning thought. We should relate to God exclusively and in private, and let all our actions flow from this relationship. When we are in union with God, all that flows out of us comes directly from him. We love others because we love him.  So love comes from the Lord and returns to him, completing its purpose.

Rewarding Prayer Experience

        This morning I joined some church groups in praying outside an abortion clinic, part of the 40 Days for Life vigil. I was honored to have a woman driving by, yelling something obscene at me. Jesus wanted his disciples to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, care for the ill, visit prisoners. I am sure that if the Lord were here today, he would have included "save the unborn." Praying together with other dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ out of pure love for the Lord to save lives and souls, risking possibly persecutions, discomfort, and humiliations is truly a rewarding experience, humbling and uplifting at the same time.  

God's Mercy Depicted

        I am thinking that God's mercy has to be infinite. If it is finite, then who can get to heaven? Where do you draw the line? It just does not work out. The God of Christ will forgive us an unlimited number of times as long as we repent. You may picture that the door of mercy is always open. When we sin, we disable ourselves and can't get to the door anymore. Then we repent and we are healed and can get going again. Basically, God wants to get all of us into heaven. With such mercy, you'll have to turn away from him and choose not to repent to get yourself condemned. Sadly, there are too many doing just that.

Let God Get to You First

        People do not think about God because the world has gotten to them first. Deeply immersed in the world, God is easily forgotten. One day their world is gone ~ for example, they suffer a heart attack or lose all their possessions ~ then they turn to God. To avoid wasting so much of your valuable lifetime, let God get to you first, then you'll be holding onto something permanent, stable, and dependable that will never go away. 

The Trapped World

        On the way back from morning Mass, I saw the modern world as a place full of traps. There is a trap in everything we hear, see, read, and encounter. I say "trap" because it aims to keep us away from God. This is reality as you can see trapped victims everywhere. But the situation is not hopeless, as the Lord is almighty. Once you have grounded yourself firmly in him. you will notice all the traps and be alert enough to bypass them. (Actually, this can be fun!)    

What Attracts Me to God

        After discovering the marvels of science, some scientists choose to believe in the existence of God, while others choose not to. Similarly, after learning about the holy God, some sinners are attracted to him, while others choose to hide from him. For me, what attracts me to God is his perfection in his love and every other way, beautiful beyond words. 

Dying for Each Other

        I used to live near a burger joint advertising that their burgers are so good that they are to die for. Since God has actually died for us out of love, certainly he is good enough for us to die for, be it the dying of the old self or our physical death. Two persons willing to die for each other shows the greatest love between them. When one of the two happens to be God, there'll be no sad ending ~ only glorious, eternal joy!   

Ultimate Transformation

        This morning at church before Mass began, I saw every one of us as an empty vessel. It remains useless as long as it is empty. But after God has filled it with himself (the Holy Spirit), it becomes his glorious vessel fit for heaven. With the Lord as the source, all good things (thoughts, words, deeds) flow outwardly from it. This is the ultimate transformation.

God Is with Us!

        Communion experience. I witnessed the Most High in the consecrated bread and wine elevated by the priest at the altar before distribution. The Lord is above us; the Lord is around us; the Lord is in us ~ God is with us! 

Seek Humility First

        Our pastor in his homily at Mass warned us to be aware of spiritual pride. It became clear to me that to be holy, we must seek humility first. Humility makes the strongest foundation for spiritual growth. And the Lord loves to exalt the humble.

God Following Our Example

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6 at morning Mass, Jesus said to his disciples, "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you... For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." So if I do my best to help others enter heaven, the Lord will surely do his best to help me enter heaven. 

To Ignore or Not to Ignore Jesus

        Today's Gospel Acclamation is based upon parts of John 6:63c, 68c. I am of one mind with what Peter said to Jesus in 68c: "You have the words of everlasting life." This is another earth-shaking statement on which you must either agree or disagree with Peter. Jesus just cannot be ignored!