We Are Responsible!

        Life is like a balance and we have the power to tip the scales for God or the world. Without our free will, God could easily "outweigh" the world. But since we've been given free will so that faith may be made meaningful, we are now solely responsible for what we choose to do.

Jesus' Most Astounding Words

        Again, let me repeat the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, as recalled by the priest during the Eucharistic prayer at Mass: 

        "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you."

         "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."  

         What the Lord has said is astounding and earthshaking beyond words ~ I felt it during the consecration. He's offering himself to us! Bible Christians interpret the Bible literally, yet here they believe that Jesus only meant what he said symbolically. The Last Supper was too serious an occasion for the Lord to say anything he didn't really mean. 

Achieving Spiritual Breakthroughs

        In today's news, Yitang Zhang, a mathematician at the University of New Hampshire, has proved one of the great results in the history of number theory. The problem had remained unsolved for hundreds of years, so Zhang' proof is truly an astounding breakthrough. He had spent over twenty years thinking about the problem. By contrast, to achieve any spiritual breakthrough, you do exactly the opposite ~ you remain passive in the Lord and he break all the barriers for you. 

Different Levels of Existence

        This picture popped into my mind. We don't all live on the same level. There are a high level and a low level with various levels in between. Those who seek wealth, fame, power, and happiness in this world only for themselves and not caring about anyone else live on the lowest level. Those who love God and do everything for his glory live on the highest level. When they leave the world, they glide from their level smoothly into heaven. Then there are those who live between these two levels. With God's great mercy, they may still be saved in the end, but there's no certainty.  

Sticking to Jesus

        Communion experience. I want to be where Jesus is ~ the only place for me! I pray that I will never wander away on my own or let anything keep me away from him.  

Consequence of Sin

        Mark 9.42 from today's Gospel reads, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Sinning by ourselves is one thing; causing others to sin is a much greater sin (I had brought this up in the past). For example, visiting a porn website is sinful, but the one who developed the site bears much greater responsibility, for what he has done could cause tens of thousands of others to sin. Pause and think before you sin, for the consequence of sin can be horrible.

Sin and Eternal Life

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 9 at Mass, Jesus made it clear that we must resist temptations to sin or we could end up in Gehenna. To get the point across, he used strong language (read vv 42-48). God is self-giving and we, as sinners, are self-serving. We sin in order to gratify ourselves. And the gratification is only temporary, often momentary. So, is it worth giving in to temptations for some temporary gratification only to risk losing our eternal life? The question Jesus asked his disciples comes to my mind: What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

Focusing on Christ Alone

        Quite some time ago, a fellow Catholic told me in person that he would send me some information about a retreat movement; I gave him all my contact information, but never heard from him again. It just shows that next to Christ, none of us is perfect. Don't forget that Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' disciples. What is important is that we focus upon the Lord alone and let nothing distract or disturb us. Some people love to point out the sinful failings within the Church throughout history, forgetting that God remains forever holy and we are the ones who fail. Focusing upon the Lord is that remedy for our failings.  

How a Contemplative Prays

        A contemplative prays with the heart and not the mind, and he prays with unspoken words. All his prayers are spontaneous and most personal.

Teaching with a Purpose

        Having been chosen by God the Father, he continually teaches me to live this life with the purpose of preparing me for death and entering heaven. I am looking forward to it with peace. 

No God, No See

        Still in the current news is the huge tornado that has ripped through the suburbs of Oklahoma City, causing horrific devastation of properties with scores killed. There have been all kinds of natural disasters happening almost continuously around the world, up to taking hundreds of thousands of human lives at a time. Yet people continue to fight each other, kill each other, persecute others ~ how blind, ignorant, and foolish can you be? Don't they realize that they are going to die themselves one day soon too? When are they going to wake up to know that we are all at the mercy of God? I suppose that if you don't know God, you just don't see. 

Fair Trade

        At Communion time, it seemed that if Jesus was ready to enter me for full union with me, it'd only be fair that I surrender all of me ~ body, mind, and soul ~ to him. Only by remaining in each other with the Lord will I be able to bear fruit (John 15:4-5).

Begging for God's Mercy

        Have you ever gotten down on your knees begging or crying out for God's mercy, even if you are not facing any crisis or in a jam? It is something most beneficial spiritually we should do as often as possible. Doing it shows that we are willing to submit to God, need his mercy, and want to be drawn close to him. This is imitating the humble tax collector who begged for God's mercy beating his breast and whom Jesus justified (Luke 18). Not ever having done so shows the lack of humility.

God Can Change Us!

        Why do so many people feel down and depressed? Never say God cannot change you until after you have surrendered to him. Nothing is impossible with God who specializes in transforming us with love. We are always our own obstacles, keeping us from being transformed by God ~ surrendering to him clears the way. Let Hope enter.

Being Prepared for Heaven

        Today is Pentecost Sunday, the great day of the Holy Spirit. We do not see the Spirit, but we know that he dwells in us whenever we are drawn to God. Knowing the Holy Spirit is knowing the gentle sweetness of God's love. At Communion time, I knew that the sanctifying Spirit was preparing me for heaven and would take me there when the times arrives. 

Allowing God to Love Us

        Once I heard David Leatherby, a Sacramento businessman, telling his inspiring conversion story in person. (You can read his "These Graces Were No Accident" story on TheDivineMercy.org.) I've never met his son Jeremy, now a parish priest in Sacramento, but I watched some of his videos on YouTube and listened to his homilies which I subscribe to. What impressed and inspired me was his deep spirituality and his intense love for Jesus that came through. In yesterday's homily, he mentioned that to love God, we must allow God to love us ~ be passive more than active. Indeed, the secret of possessing God is "to be passive and open" ~ it's back to letting God do all the work.

The Lord's Wish

        After receiving Holy Communion this morning, I asked the Lord out of gratitude what he wished me to do. His instant answer was "Remain in me."

Concise Guide to Living

        Today we heard the last six verses of John read at Mass. When Peter asked Jesus about what's going to happen to John, Jesus said to him, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me." Here we're given the best concise guide to living, namely following the Lord and not being concerned about anything else.

No Power over Us

        Second thought today. Like Jesus, we are in the world, but not of the world. After Jesus was arrested and brought before Pilate to be tried, he said to Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above." We can say the same about us. Since we are totally in God's hands, the world would have no power to touch us without his permission. 

Empty Without God

        First thought today. I recall how the world celebrated the arrival of 2000 with much hoopla. Then hoopla has always been part of the world. I do see the emptiness of it all if God is left out of it. You can whip up a good time, but everything is meaningless without his involvement. Only God can fill our void. 

Power of God

        The link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22556750. These beautiful pictures show the raw power of the sun. The images are awesome. What comes to my mind is the miracle of the sun that took place at Fatima in 1917. Up to 100,000 witnessed the sun appearing as an opaque, spinning disc, casting multicolored lights, and finally careening towards the earth in a zigzag pattern. Naturally, that was mere child's play for God, the creator of our universe. 

              

Playing with Fire

        For those who faithfully follow Jesus or knowingly reject him, their future is determined (though still changeable). But for those in the middle who are lukewarm believers, their future is still indeterminate ~ they are playing with fire!

God Going Overboard

        At morning Mass, I sensed this in his loving us. To save us, he let his own Son to be punished in our place. He gives us his own body and blood to eat and drink in the Holy Eucharist. Our life, another immense gift. It must be the nature of infinite love that drives him to go to extremes. Maximum gratitude from us is in order. 

Revelation Made Anew

        Through Jesus the Son, God the Father has revealed all we need to know for us to be saved forever. I have always believed it to be divine revelation. Now, I know that it is as if God has made the revelation anew.

Absence of Peace

        Our ego may be dying, but eradicating it may take some time because abandoning yourself to God takes time. Today I caught myself scheming something in my own interest. I had forgotten what it was, but at the time the momentary absence of peace I felt told me that I wasn't following the Lord. The absence of peace always indicates the absence of God.  

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.