Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod

Kimi Skota of South Africa sings beautifully.

Showing Love in All Things

        This morning I heard this story about St. Joseph Marello. When his barber was no longer able to give good haircuts because of the loss of eyesight, the saint, already a bishop, continued to go to him just to support him ~ showing love is more important than looking good in a new haircut. Like St. Therese, St. Joseph Marello advised all to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. Every day we have numerous ordinary opportunities to be charitable. Let's make them extraordinary before they vanish.

On Yearning for God

        I believe that since union with God will not be perfected until we are in heaven, yearning for Christ remains with us on earth.

God Uplifts Us

        I must describe my journey with God as an uplifting experience. Again, here's my simple view. God dwells high above us in all respects. We have no way of reaching him on our own. Since we know that he loves us (a great deal as a matter of fact), we ask for help and he readily complies. Actually, he is elated, for all this time he's been waiting for us to ask. He then lifts us up. Carrying us, he walks with us. With him, we can only go higher. Hence, the journey is an uplifting experience all the way.    

God's Drawing of Us

        One of the most rewarding, satisfying experiences in seeking union with God is his drawing of you close to him. The Holy Spirit does not shove or push; he gently lets you experience greater intimacy with the Lord and sense the peace that comes from knowing that your will and God's are in harmony. 

Love Is the Answer

        Here's a riddle not that difficult to answer: What is mankind's ultimate fulfillment? The answer clear to me is love. If everyone loves as Jesus had commanded, there would be peace in the world. Since God is love, then God is our ultimate fulfillment. Perhaps one reason people hesitate to love is the realization that they could lose their lives if they practice it in this evil world ~ look at how Jesus lost his on earth. But we are going to die anyway, so it'd be far better to lose our lives on earth than to risk losing eternal life later.     

God Has Made Us!

        This morning I became aware that I can see, hear, and smell; that I have all kinds of emotions and feelings; that I can sense beauty and ugliness; that I know good from evil; that I can conceive God; that I can blog with a purpose ~ that's because God has made me! He has precisely designed all of us this way. He has also given me the sense to realize that mankind couldn't have come into being by accident. If it were so, then it had to be a fantastic miracle and only God can produce miracles.

Soak Up the Lord While We Can

        Earlier today I visited two old homebound folks who were terminally ill. They can no longer eat solid food, need oxygen support for breathing, and have hardly any physical strength left. Their conditions have deteriorated rapidly in just one week. The made me realize that we are all going to reach that helpless point. What we should do now is to help ourselves with God as much as possible ~ not unlike the bears fattening themselves before hibernation. Soak up the Lord, live him, immerse in him, grab hold of him tight, while we still can. 

Essential of Spiritual Life

        Communion experience. I felt that Christ in the Holy Eucharist was perfect for my soul. The Most Holy Sacrament completes my spiritual life. 

Unloading Ourselves

        Since we are always our own burden, we give ourselves (surrender) to God and we are free. A simple common-sense truth.       

Get the Truth from God

        Here are some common examples of negative thinking: "I am unattractive"; "I am inferior"; "I don't like myself"; "Nobody likes me"; "God does not care about me"; "God cannot help me." First of all, these thoughts represent only one's own feeling at a time. Anyone who has truly known God would have felt just the opposite in each case. To think that God does not love or cannot help us is even sinful! The fact is that God loves us; he delights in us; we are precious and dear to him; and he can and will help us! ~ plenty of us can testify to that. Don't let your feeling dictate your thinking or form your opinion ~ find the truth from God always. 

Our Business

       We see God granting special favors, supernatural or otherwise, to others ~`what do we think and how do we feel?

       First of all, how God grants favors is none of our business.
      Secondly, know that whatever the Lord does is always for the good of all and for his own glory.

      Last, remember the older son in the prodigal son parable? When he got jealous after seeing how the father favored the return of his younger brother, destitute but repentant, with a great celebration, the father said to him, "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours." So, if we don't seem to receive any special favors from the Lord, it could be that he has already given us everything!

       Anyhow, our business is to concentrate on serving the Lord and rejoice in him. 

Requisite for Following Jesus

        The Gospel reading came from Mark 10. A man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus mentioned the commandments and the man said that he had observed them from his youth. Then Jesus said, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. The Lord could be testing the man. Nevertheless, he showed that detachment from all material possessions goes beyond obeying all the commandments; without it, you won't be able to follow the Lord freely.

Life's Narrow Window

        Reading 1 at Mass was from Sirach 17. What I learned was that we must glorify and praise God in this life. If we don't, we'll end up in the nether world where no one can glorify and praise God. Our life is a very narrow window which can close at any time. Therefore, glorify and praise the Lord while you still can. 

How God Has Made Us

        Yesterday the Lord showed me that humans, knowing that they are mortal, wish to be immortal. So they search for things that endure and ways of living a longer life. Only to avoid facing the problem, they immerse themselves in the world. Those who have found God are happy because God is everlasting and through Christ they'll inherit eternal life in heaven, so much better than living forever in this world. Again, God has so made us that we won't be satisfied until we find him.

Tasting the Lord

        After receiving Holy Communion, I saw myself still on earth, but had just tasted the Lord in heaven. Not a bad start!

Freedom in Union Explained

        In union with God, his will is your will and your will, his. So, in union with God, you have the union of the two wills. With only one will left, you experience great freedom. 

All or Nothing

        Can you possibly imagine that God is finite in some way ~ not all-knowing, not being able to create something, only loving us to a certain degree? I can't. With God, it has to be all or nothing. Since he is not nothing, he must be infinite, perfect, and all-embracing. 

Most Beautiful Name

        Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity ~ what a glorious day! At Mass I felt that God was in me, part of me, and all around me. During the singing of Gloria, I heard Jesus addressed as "Lamb of God" ~ what a beautiful, appropriate, unforgettable, endearing name! It speaks of the greatest love, mercy, sacrifice, and total obedience to the Father. 

Whom to Admire?

        People admire anyone who seems to have a lot of friends. Should we count drinking buddies, fellow sports fans who watch games with you, and those you shoot the bull with as friends? To Jesus, whoever does the will of his heavenly Father is his brother, his sister, and his mother (Matthew 12:50) ~ may I just add "his friend" to the lineup? For the Christian, the Lord is all the friends you need, and all those who does his will are your true friends. So, admire God and the saints, not anyone popular with a lot of friends in the world.

On Being Possessed & Best News

        If you let the Devil possess you, you are a goner. If you let the world possess you, you may get passing pleasures out of it, but you will never experience true freedom nor peace ~ most likely you've already figured this. What you may not know is that if you let the Lord God "possess" you, you'll experience complete freedom with deep inner peace. You see, it's impossible for God to be oppressive or enslaving, for he is Love. His sole wish is to save and free us so that we may be where he is after this life ~ Jesus has made it all clear. If you agree that this has to be the best possible new for us, you would rejoice right now! Turn away from Christ and you'll never experience the freedom, peace, and joy that are meant to be yours.

Why I Believe in Jesus

        (1) The Gospel convinced me that Jesus is God.

        (2) The lives of the great saints testify to this truth.  

       (3) This last reason may be the most convincing of all. Through seeking union with the Lord, he let me know without a doubt that he is real, the truth.

The Living Bread

       Communion experience. I was called to the supper of the Lamb! What an honor! What a treat! I was to receive the bread of life, the food essential for my soul. This gives me the nutrition that keeps me as a living branch of the vine that's Jesus. 

Body of Christ to Remain Intact

        In the news today: A Roman Catholic parish priest at an elite French ski resort has been stripped of his Church functions for refusing to renounce Freemasonry. The body of Christ must remain as one. Therefore, on the part of any Catholic, there must never be any disobedience that would fracture the body of Christ in any way. All other considerations cannot be from the Lord. Seeking union with Christ ensures our obedience.   

Dust Turning Immortal

        Psalm 103 read at Mass reminds us that we are dust and that our days are like those of grass. We bloom like flowers of the field and the wind sweeps over us and we are gone, our place knowing us no more. These thoughts, like the realization of how vast our universe is, similarly humble me. I am mortal, and I depend entirely upon my God to make me immortal.

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.