God's Loving Wish

        John 17:20-26 was this morning's Gospel reading at Mass. Jesus prayed to the Father: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us. And I have given them the glory you gave me ... that they may be brought to perfection as one. Father, ... I wish that where I am they also may be with me." Here Jesus expresses with so much love that he wishes us to be in union with him! "To be where he is" should be our wish.

Most Special Power

        To make us stand out as disciples of Christ, God could have given each of us some special power such as the gift of healing, yet he gave us only love. If you realize that God is love, then he had given himself to us, as Christ had amply made that clear. To conclude, we have already received the Lord himself to be our special power and we are to be recognized by his love in us.

Power of the Holy Eucharist

        Communion experience. After receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I rested and trusted in him, knowing that through this Blessed Sacrament all spiritual goals can be attained. Love and enjoy God's power!

God Chooses Us

        Today is the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle. The entrance antiphon is based upon John 15.16: It was not you who chose me, says the Lord, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last, alleluia. To all of you who are following the Lord: He has chosen you and you are to bear fruit. (Just a reminder.)

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven

        If the road to heaven is narrow and steep, I could also picture it as going through a keyhole. If you don't know what's on the other side of the hole, you wouldn't try going through it because you have no interest plus you know that's impossible. Then those who have peeped through the hole and see how beautiful the other side is would want go through that hole at any cost, and God surprises them by opening up the door wide to let them through. 

Everlasting Honors

        I happened to see an old black-and-white film clip on an educational TV station. It showed athletes winning Olympic medals and glamorous movie stars receiving Oscars, etc., back in the 1960s ~ all big news. What flashed across my mind was that they received honors that fade quickly as time passes and from people who were also passing themselves. All those honors seem rather forgettable. I'd prefer receiving anything from the Lord God who lives forever. Receiving even the tiniest gift from him is a great honor that lasts forever.

On Finding God

        Reading 1 at Mass came from Acts 19. For three months, Paul debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God in the synagogue at Ephesus ~ so it wasn't always easy to convert others then. It's no different today. To come to God, one must first desire to seek him. In today's life, enticements and miseries easily get our first attention. Even if the desire is felt, to find God one must remain completely open and objective, and this is not easy for many who are so opinionated, judgmental, and full of pride. The password here is "humility." Once you log on, God is right there. 

Most Important Activity

        I saw online a picture of a conductor conducting an orchestra and thought of the many things we do ~ necessary housework, driving to work, shopping, watching TV, plain resting, etc. Then I saw prayer as an activity too. In fact, it is the most important activity of our life because it is communicating with our creator, our Father, the one without whom we cannot exist. Prayer brings blessings on us, produces fruit for God, can change our present life and decide our eternal destination. Prayer should come before all other activities in life.    

Exaltation by God

        Communion experience. It's not just physical union, but also spiritual union. God elevates us to a higher state, in fact, the highest possible state, of existence!

Jesus to Be Our Focus

        Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. For me, the music at Mass wasn't quite uplifting, then I realized that we must focus upon Jesus who alone is holy and perfect and never let any experience at Mass or, for that matter, any imperfection in anything or anyone throw us off. Look for Jesus beyond what we encounter, keep our eyes on him, and we'll be secure and have peace.  

On Dying in Sins

        In John 8.21, Jesus warned the unbelievers, "I am going away. You will look for me but you will die in your sins." It struck horror in me to hear the part "you will die in your sins." It means dying with sins still unforgiven ~ a state I never want to be caught in! Jesus is here to forgive our sins ~ not taking advantage of this is to commit suicide (pardon my language, but it's the truth). Repentance easily takes care of our sins, unless you think you are just too almighty to bow to the Lord.   

Praying Right

        When someone causes a problem for us, it's easy to pray about it without including the "enemy" in our prayer, but that person's "welfare" is essential to the resolution of the problem. The highest form of prayer is to leave everything in God's hands, letting him do whatever he pleases. 

Problems Are Tests

        We all face problems of life. Sometimes they appear right out of the blue. I believe that God gives us problems to test us. How we deal with them forms a permanent record he will look at when he judges us. Pray for divine help, be patient and trust in him fully, and offer all our burdens up to him ~ this is the way to go.   

In Absence of God

         (1) To hold onto power, politicians would lie to cover up any scandal. They are so slick that they can answer any questions put to them, appearing as if they can do no wrong.

      (2) People would vote for the same politicians as long as they keep receiving benefits from the same government, regardless of all other issues.

        (3) In a criminal case, millions of taxpayer money could be spent prosecuting and defending one suspect and you still end up not sure about the truth. People, ignoring the all-knowing God, have become experts at concealing evil deeds.
         Such a sad state we're in!

Taming Our Wildness

        By ignoring God, we can easily become like wild predatory animals, seeking to devour others to satisfy our own selfish desires. And we may end up losing our own lives in the process. We need Jesus to tame us by letting him into my lives to transform us into good sheep. Then we'll be safe and content. It's all up to us.

The Living Lord in Holy Eucharist

        Today's Communion experience. I realize that what I am about to receive is not just a symbol, but the living Lord who can make me holy. He is going to penetrate my heart with his love and heal my soul by his grace.

Spiritual Warfare Summarized

        Since the human body is transitory and only our soul is eternal, spiritual warfare is all about winning souls. And God is the only one who can save souls. If you do not let God help you, Satan will win (and you lose). But if you seek God's help, then the victory will be his and yours. God and Satan fight over you for different reasons ~ God wants to win because he loves you, while Satan because he hates God and therefore you too. 

On Having Faith

        If you know all about God, you don't need faith anymore. Having faith in God is believing in him before you know all the answers to your questions. It is being passive so that he may enter your life to transform you. Believe me; he shall reveal all you want to know once you put your faith in him.

Getting Maximum Help from God

        We get maximum help from God when we have complete trust in him. Any worrying or uneasiness on our part won't make things the slightest better. We pray and trust and let God "worry about" the outcome. It is getting out of the way to let the Lord be in full charge. This is doing his will! 

Aim for Living

        Communion experience. I came to see that we are not to live for bread, for fame, wealth, or any other success in this world for our own sake ~ we are to live for Jesus alone. Then God and man are reconciled, together, united ~ our eternal destiny sealed.

Jesus the Source of Our Joy

        In today's Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus told his disciples that a little while and they would no longer see him, and again a little while later and they would see him, hinting at his coming death and Resurrection, but he promised them that their initial grief would turn to joy. To me, the J in "Jesus" stands for "joy." He is love, but he's also the source of our joy. I watched Journey Home on EWTN this past Monday. The featured guest was David Currie, who wrote the popular book Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic. (You can watch the entire May 6, 2013, interview on YouTube.) One of the two reasons he gave for coming into the Church was the Holy Eucharist. After studying John 6 and the history of the early Church, he came to believe that the Holy Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ. He mentioned this belief twice. Each time I heard it, the Holy Spirit filled my heart and soul with such "crushing" joy as to confirm that I had just heard the truth.

Our Will Counts

        There are times when we are physically or mentally incapable of performing certain tasks, but it is our will (intention, desire) that counts before God. You can have the best health and the highest IQ, but if you have no will to serve God, what you have is worth nothing. On the other hand, you can be wheelchair-bound and illiterate, but if you will to serve God, you shall be blessed. 

What to Do with Sin

        We must reject sin by all means because it is our ticket to eternal death. The only one who can rescue us is Christ. In our lifetime, we have the option to remain in sin and head toward eternal death or let Jesus keep us away from sin and lead us to eternal life. It's that simple.

Schubert's Ave Maria

The singer is American Soprano Barbara Bonney.

Knowing God's Love

        When there is nothing more to post about, there's always the love of God. I have always believed that God loves us, but it "wasn't real" until I started seeking him. Therefore, if we do not desire to know him, we remain intellectually convinced only. Seeking union with him definitely opened up the flood gate. Now I don't just believe, I know God loves me, for he has overwhelmed me with his presence.

Becoming One with God

        Jesus the Son and God the Father are in each other, so they are one. This is the model for us to follow when we seek union with God. Through the Holy Eucharist, Jesus enters us so we may enter him. Then we become one.      

Life Is Precarious

        Jesus has taught us to stay awake, for we do not know the day on which the Lord will come. We also do not know when we shall meet the Lord. I serve on the team of visiting the elderly at their homes or care facilities in our parish. One person I visited for the first time a week ago unexpectedly passed away yesterday. Life fleets! Everyone, especially the young in busily pursuing their worldly careers, need to be awakened to this fact. And we must help all by bringing the good news of Christ to them. Life is slippery and precarious until we have settled safely in the hands of the loving God.  

How Can You?

        At fraction of the Bread at Mass, before receiving Communion, we asked Jesus to have mercy on us and grant us peace. God is the source of inexhaustible mercy. We sin a thousand times and he forgives a thousand times if we repent. He does not condemn us; only wants to save us. How blessed we are to have such a merciful God! He wishes peace to be with us. This peace is ours if we believe in him and ask for it. How fortunate we are to be so favored! Salvation is ours for the taking. If you are aware that you're a sinner, how can you not embrace the love of God? How can you?    

Mary's Love for Her Son

        On April 18, I posted about Rachmaninov's Prelude in D, Op. 23, No. 4. Now, here's the one in E flat, Op. 23, No. 6. This beautiful piece expresses for me the love our Blessed Mother has for her Son and for all of us. Sergio Fiorentino plays faster than most other pianists, but his playing "sings" the sweet melody best.

Key to Union

      Today's Communion experience. Jesus made me see that total surrender to him is the only way to completely enter him, to fully belong to him, to become one with him. 

Prayer Should Include All

        There are other religions whose followers wish to wipe out the Christians, but we must not be like that. Jesus wants us to love our enemies and pray for those who have most need of his mercy. I am disappointed that during Prayer of the Faithful at Mass, petitions on behalf of our enemies and those who suffer the most in the world are not heard. For example, shouldn't we pray for all those contemplating suicide bombing, the innocent victims of all bombing attacks, and even the recent surviving Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Praying for them is not being unpatriotic; on the contrary, not praying for them is ignoring the compassion of our God for all.

Hell Not to Be Ignored

        In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asked his disciples, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" St. Faustina was led by an Angel to the chasms of hell. She saw these kinds of tortures: (1) loss of God, (2) perpetual remorse of conscience, (3) constancy's of one's condition, (4) terrible suffering caused by a spiritual fire penetrating the soul without destroying it, (5) continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, (6) the constant company of Satan, (7) horrible despair and hatred of God. There are other more special tortures too. (For a complete description, read her Diary, 741.) To me, the worst part is suffering not for a finite period of time, but for all eternity! Those who believe in God need not worry about hell, for they will end up in his company; but those who don' believe that hell exists had better be concerned about God, for they could easily end up in hell.

Start Loving God Now!

        The need for loving God is urgent because everything is passing! Every living moment provides opportunities for us to serve the Lord; do not let time pass by without showing his love for us to others. Save as many souls as possible by seeking union with God or whatever means he provides you. Do not delay loving him, for time is fleeting! God will ultimately ask each one of us how good and faithful a servant we have been. Live a life to glorify God and he will glorify you later ~ this is his promise you can count on. 

Ultimate Freedom

        Communion experience. I wished to die in Christ, with Christ, and for Christ so that I would have nothing of myself left and be free of myself. Imagine your freedom when you are no longer aware of your own existence but that of God!  

The Peace of God

        On earth you may experience peace when you relax on a beautiful beach, sipping your favorite drink and listening to your favorite music, with the surrounding temperature and cool breeze being just about perfect and you temporarily forgetting all your troubles in life. The peace of God is different. It seats deep in your heart and tastes sweet to the soul, unaffected by anything external. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us that the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is so because it is placed in our hearts by God.  

Priorities of Life

        Following Christ is both peaceful and exciting. But if you don't let God be the most important person in your life, you will not experience peace. Anytime you see someone upset, that would be the case. The proper order of our priorities: God, our family, ourselves.

Confession Pride

        Even after I have made a good confession, I still came away going over in my mind what I had said, wondering whether I looked good or bad before the priest. This is still pride and should not exist. Make my honest confession, hiding nothing, get forgiven, thank God, walk out, feel good, never look back, and resume serving the Lord ~ this is how it should be.

Our Spiritual Connection

         Do you wish you can touch God like holding his hand? Or hear him speak to you? Do you know that we are spiritually connected to him even more intimately than any physical or mental contact? The Lord has chosen us and nothing can take us out of his hands; we are God's adopted children and Jesus is our brother; and we will inherit his kingdom and live with him forever ~ these are all God's promises! Yes, we are indeed connected to God, alleluia.        

Humility Practice

        Regard everyone to be holier than yourself and you no longer judge or look down upon anyone ~ a great way to practice humility and retain interior peace. 

Gospel Remains Fresh

        In the early days of Christianity, the gospel was new. People either accept or reject it, and the persecutions of Christians were severe. Today 20 centuries later, the gospel is no longer news, so people have become indifferent. They need to go back into those early days to snap out of their tepidity. Know that truth remains forever the same and the gospel always fresh.

Being Secured for Eternity

        Luke 9.62: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." Jesus was referring to how we should follow him. Looking back upon our past, no matter how pleasant our memories, stops us right in our track from following him. For us, the best is yet to come, so there's no point in going back into the past. The good disciple doesn't wonder about the future either because he is already with Jesus, his future. Staying with him every step of the way is being secured for all eternity.

A Right Time for Everything

         I read John 7 last night. When his brothers asked Jesus to go to Judea to do the works for his disciples there to see, for the feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet here, but the time is always right for you." Later, Jesus did go up to the feast, went to the temple area and began to teach. The Jews tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him because his hour had not yet come (John 7:30). This shows that there is a time (hour) for everything we do and everything that happens to us. Doing whatever we feel like doing or rushing ahead of the Holy Spirit is easy, so is wasting time. Following the Lord with discipline, patience, and calm puts our time to its best use.   

Form Without Substance

        As a photographer in the past, I often saw images that had form with no substance. One well-known photographer exhibited superb craftsmanship, topnotch print quality, but the image was always "dead" making no emotional connection with me. Perhaps this is analogous to any Christian who is outwardly pious but is devoid of Christ in his interior.   

One and Only Relationship with God

        Just think that we and Lord God can become one! Union with God through receiving him in the Holy Eucharist: this extra special relationship does not exist in any other world religion or anywhere else in this whole universe. 

Living for God Alone

        We sin to escape God, but this attempt is doomed from the start. If we cannot escape God, we might as well learn to face him. What I want to say is that we really should live for God alone. This is made easy if we are aware of his holy presence at all times. Therefore, pray that he'll grant you this favor after receiving him in the Holy Eucharist each time.

Seeking Our Own Perfection

        At morning Mass, I simply wanted to be in Jesus, to become like him. I believe God has placed in us the desire to be perfect even though we'll never be perfect. To sin is to be imperfect. Since we do not ever find peace in sinning, the quest for our own perfection begins. This is how searching for God begins. This is also what seeking union with God is all about. 

God Alone Perfect

        Today is the Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles. At morning Mass I saw the perfection of God's love. Jesus has demonstrated this love to us with his own life and death ~ it just cannot possibly get any greater! I turned to the world to see if there is anything that can be regarded as perfect ~ I failed to find any. It looks like perfection belongs to God alone.

Purpose of Living Long

        Many wish to live long ~ they admire and marvel at old folks still in good health. If you wish so too, what is your purpose? Think before you respond, for the answer generally reflects how much you love the Lord. What do you think the best answer should be?

Christian Life Easy

        Since God can make all things new, he can make all things easy. When that happens, following Jesus becomes easy. (Hint: Think Union with God.)

Passive Praying

        In praying the Holy Rosary after Mass, the Holy Spirit inspired me to remain passive even in prayer. In other words, I was to put all my trust in God and not in my words.