Dying Happy

        Communion experience. He who has Christ will die happy.

No Complaining

        The Gospel reading at Mass today came from Matthew 16. Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." To me, Jesus is saying that whoever wishes to follow him must do so without ever complaining. A complaining Christian has to be an oxymoron. As we follow the Lord faithfully, he will teach us to let nothing bother us. With no more complaints, we have inner peace. 

The Scientific Attitude

        Many scientists are atheists. They only believe in what they can see and figure out. Of course, what they cannot see or understand does not in any way prove that things do not exist ~ it only shows the limitation of science. No one has seen an electron, x-rays, light itself, or heard ultrasound; only their effects on other matters are known. Yet the effects God has on many of us are positive, life-changing, or even miraculous. To me, miracles scientists cannot explain only shows the existence of God. Scientists can never prove or disprove the existence of God using their methods. Believing that God exists will make all their searches and investigations so much more meaningful and rewarding. To think that science can explain or replace God is utter folly.       

What Not to Live by Alone

        Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and afterwards was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread. Jesus (quoting from Deuteronomy) said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4.1-4). As I was watching TV this morning, it came to me that one does not live by watching TV alone. Then I saw that one does not live by anything other than what comes forth from the mouth of the Lord alone. This reminder can definitely help me live a balanced life. 

Monumental Question

        The Gospel reading at Mass comes from Matthew 16. Jesus started out asking his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" After they replied, he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" The answer can only be Peter's "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" or the denial of it. We are not obligated to answer any questions except for this one, for it is monumental, won't go away, and our eternal destiny hinges upon the answer we give.

Hardened Hearts

        Today is the Memorial of St. Dominic. At Mass, the response to Responsorial Psalm 95 reads: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Hardened hearts are precisely the world's problem. Everyone has so much to say; who's willing to listen to anyone? Unless we want to get our hardened hearts cracked by God and beg for his mercy, we are doomed.    

Becoming Spiritually Free

        Our physical body is always a burden to us ~ it seeks comfort and lets us know instantly when it experiences discomfort. But this burden we must live with in this life. Our spirit, the nonphysical part of us, can also be a burden to our conscience, resulting in mental discomfort. The good news is that we can be rid of our spiritual burdens. Since God is spirit, we can let the Holy Spirit fill us entirely, displacing our own spirit so that the self no longer exists. Union with God is the same thing ~ we have only God dwelling in us. We are now spiritually free. In other words, we are free when we no longer exist in ourselves. (Note: When we leave this world, we become physically free too.) 

Invitation from God

        Communion time reflection. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is no ordinary obligation or act. This Most Holy Sacrament is an invitation for us to become one with God. To want to receive it, we must be willing to answer yes to this invitation.

To Know God...

you must realize, feel, or sense his holiness.

On Seeking Sympathy

         Before Mass started this morning, the Lord made me see that seeking sympathy or pity for yourself is still an ego thing. This is wanting yourself to be noticed, wanting others to feel sorry for you. It is not unlike wanting others to notice that you pray hard or fast. Of course, it's all right to share about yourself with others if your motivation is pure.

      Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 15. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus, crying out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." After testing her, Jesus found her faith great and said to her in reply, "O women, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish." Obviously, seeking sympathy or pity from the Lord is perfectly fine because the motivation is pure and he is the only one who can truly help us.   

Jesus Still Leading Us

        The early Apostles had Jesus in person to follow; they could follow him wherever he went and do whatever he told them to do. Today Jesus is not visibly with us, but we do have the Holy Eucharist he had instituted for our sake. By receiving him in this sacrament with the same zeal and devotion the Apostles had for him, we will also know how to follow him and what his will is.

Calling for Union

        Communion experience. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is receiving God's calling for union with him. Once you recognize this, you will want to seek this union.

Peter Is Trustworthy

        Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Reading 2 came from 2 Peter 1. Peter stated that he was an eyewitness of the majestic glory of Jesus. While he was with him on the holy mountain, he heard the voice from heaven declaring, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." I too believe in the glory of Christ. Who am I to distrust the first Apostle of the Lord?

Asking and Answering the Lord

          Praying for the conversion of a loved one can be a big burden on the heart. When I asked the Lord about it this morning while I was driving to church for Mass, he simply asked me if I loved him the most? I answered him and knew that he had answered my question.

Approaching God the Right Way

        To find God, we must be humble first and remain open. If we expect God to speak or reveal himself to us before we would believe in him, we may have a long wait ahead of us. By an act of will or faith, we must submit ourselves to him first. It was by an act of will that I first accepted Jesus into my life. It's by an act of will that I confess my sins and ask for his forgiveness. It's by an act of will that I asked the Holy Spirit to baptize me. It's by an act of will that I surrendered myself to God. In each case, the Lord makes or made himself known after my move. Don't forget that God is so much greater than us. Let us beg from him, not the other way around.

Life of Jesus Examined

        The life of Jesus from the human point of view seems rather unappealing. Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but he had nowhere to rest his head (Matthew 8, Luke 9); he was not honored in his native place and in his own house (Matthew 13, Mark 6); toward the end, the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin constantly plotted to kill him; his own disciple betrayed him; then in the end, he went through indescribable suffering. Now let's look at the life of Jesus from God's point of view. He triumphantly succeeded in accomplishing the will of the Father. Being obedient, he never complained. Throughout his ordeal, he remained loving and forgiving, maintaining his deep inner peace. Through him, God the Father revealed his infinite love for us. The Father must feel great satisfaction that he carried out his plan of salvation for us whom he loves. The life of Christ shows that we too can have the same peace and be set free by being obedient to God the Father.  

What Conversion Is

        If darkness is the absence of light, then holiness is the absence of sin. Conversion is letting the love of God overcome our sins so that we may be holy.  

Communion Joy

        As I went up to receive Holy Communion this morning, I felt as if I was walking in a procession leading to God for his blessing. On my way back to the pew, I was in full enjoyment of being a child of God the Father. 

Nourishment for the Soul

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Matthew 14, Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed crowds totaling about five thousand men, not counting women and children. They all ate and were satisfied. This reminds me of our spiritual hunger ~ the soul needs to be nourished too. And the Lord has given us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist just to satisfy this deepest longing of ours.

Jesus' Unique Challenge

        Jesus is unique among all leaders, religious or secular. He is the only one who challenges you to follow him, but leaves the decision entirely up to you. And this challenge is such that you must accept or dismiss with no middle ground possible ~ ignoring it is no different from dismissing it. And your decision will bring enormous consequences. Jesus himself proclaimed to be a cause of division: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the world. I have come to bring not peace but the sword" (Matthew 10.34). This further bolsters the authenticity of his challenge.

Not Just Joy Alone

        Knowing Jesus is a great joy; but at the same time, the more you know him, the more you experience his suffering and pain the world inflicts upon him, which is great. This in turn enhances your joy because you know now that you are ever closer in union with the Lord.  

We Need Jesus!

        In these two last two days, the Lord hasn't given any particular thoughts. The only thing he made me see was why we need him. Without him, we are constantly being self-centered, thinking, saying, and doing things with not much genuine concern for others. I could say that we live disordered lives. With Jesus, we have a supreme model showing us how to put all things in order and one who can truly transform us into perfect beings. Love, hope, freedom, salvation are all presented to us ~ he is indeed the good news for us!         

That Heavenly Feeling

        Communion experience. In a way, I am already in heaven because of Jesus.

The Light of Christ

        During the Liturgy of the Eucharist at today's Mass, I thought of the light of Christ. This is the light that illuminates the truth, exposes all darkness, and heals the soul. This is the light in which I am content to live and die. 

Dealing with Suffering

        It is undeniable that as long as we sin, there will be suffering. Therefore, accept suffering as a reality ~ it's how we deal with it that matters. This is where God can support and guide us and we can learn to be patient and to trust in him.

The Greatest Love

        In John 15.13, Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." It must also be true that it is the greatest love to be utterly concerned about the souls of others. When we ourselves are drawn into Christ, we must do our utmost to draw others to him too. It is in loving others that we are assured of our own salvation.  

Why Is Hell So Unpopular?

This is a sober video that all Catholics should watch for their own good.

On Entering Jesus

        As you go deeper and deeper into Jesus, you discover more and more of his beauty. Staying on the outside, you'll never "see" his true beauty. He is indeed the infinite God.

Mother Miriam

Rosalind Moss is now Sister Rosalind Moss, Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God. Her journey of becoming a fulfilled Jew was one of the most beautiful stories I'd ever heard. Here is a more recent short interview of her by Marcus Grodi on EWTN.   

Most Beautiful Dwelling

        The Responsorial Psalm response at morning Mass read: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God! After I received Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, instead of feeling that he had entered to dwell in me, I felt that he was drawing me into him. I could claim that there is no place more beautiful to dwell in than the interior of the Lord! 

Foretold Judgment

        Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguouri. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus said to the disciples, "The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angles will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace...." Since Jesus foretold his Resurrection after death and it became true, we'd better believe that the judgment at the end of the age he foretold will come true too.

Marvelous Relationship

        This morning I appreciated very much the fact that God had made himself known specifically to us in the person of Jesus, who is divine. Through Jesus the Son, we know God the Father and become his adopted children. And the Holy Spirit ensures that we are all one with God. It is marvelous indeed.    

Crying for Joy & Sorrow

      During prayer after morning Mass, I wanted to cry for joy and for sorrow. For joy because Jesus loves me and has been so good to me. For sorrow because he is being rejected by so many. Rejecting someone who hates you is expected by that person, but rejecting someone who has died for you out of love amounts to putting him through death once more. You are killing your Lord and God!     

Jesus Is Our Answer

        What is a good life? What do you really want out of life? Only Christ Jesus provides clear-cut, completely satisfying answers. He not only gives us answers, he is the answer to all our questions! Read about him in the Gospels ~ his example speaks everything to us. Without him, you may find something to help you get by, but nothing can ever be as definitive and authentic as he is because he is God. One cannot exist without him whether you know it or not. Have him in your life and you'll never be lost again.   

Christians to Stand Out

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In Reading 1 from Exodus 34, Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of commandments in his hands. The skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. It made me see that an encounter with God must make us look different. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus likened the Kingdom of heaven to a treasure which a person finds, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has to buy. Do we feel that way when we find Christ? In any case, a Christian who has encountered the Lord and treasured the experience will definitely look radiant on the outside and feel joy on the inside. After all, we are to stand out as the light of the world.   

Keeping Motivation Pure

        I hear people talk about how they eat right for good health a lot. While the motivation may be self-centered, it could be made pure by desiring good health in order to serve God better. As a matter of fact, our ultimate motivation for all things should be loving and serving God so that we may remain pure before the Lord.

Heeding Jesus' Words

        I missed Mass this morning and read the Gospel reading for today from Matthew 13. Jesus explained to the disciples the parable of the weeds in the field. He mentioned the world, the Evil One, the Devil, the end of the age, angels, the collection out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers ~ throwing them into the fiery furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth, and the righteous shining like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. At the end, Jesus said, "Whoever has ears ought to hear."   

         Indeed, Jesus' words are life, the most important thing we'll ever hear. Listening to him or not can result in eternal life or eternal death. His words are especially acute with me now when I am constantly hearing about the deaths of many I personally knew and seeing so many other living friends who do not show any interest in knowing him or knowing him better.

        Note that Jesus separated those who cause others to sin from all evildoers ~ we must avoid causing others to sin like the plague.    

Proper Communion Response

        Today is the Memorial of St. Martha. John 11.27 was the communion antiphon: Martha said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into this world." My desire after receiving the Holy Eucharist was to ask the Lord to make me holy for his sake.

Learning from Suffering

        When I am experiencing any physical or mental pain, I realize how horrible the pains the souls in hell must be suffering and I do not wish anyone to ever experience that. So I learn to not judge anyone but pray urgently for everyone.  

Benefiting from Suffering

        When we suffer, we think of how Christ suffered and realize how much he loves us. And we are drawn ever closer to God. 

Unique Joy

        Just watched the Holy Father celebrating the Mass at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, concluding the World Youth Day festival, on EWTN. More than three million young people had gathered for the service and the joy was palpable. This joy is unique because it can only be experienced in Christ. I am just so joyful that I know this joy. It signifies that one has found the fulfilling truth. It is a joy that frees one from the clutches of the world. Alleluia! 

The Suffering Christ

        Communion experience. Since I still felt the pain resulting from the accident I mentioned, today after I received the body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the body I saw in my mind was the body of the suffering Christ on the cross. My own suffering didn't seem to matter that much anymore.

Swaying the Lord

        In today's Reading 1 at Mass from Genesis 18, Abraham intercedes for Sodom. He asks the Lord if he will sweep away the innocent with the guilty. The Lord agrees that if he finds fifty innocent people in Sodom, he will spare the whole place for their sake. Abraham keeps asking what if there are forty-five, forty, thirty,... innocent people. Finally, the Lord agrees that he will not destroy Sodom if there are at least ten innocent people.

        What I learn here is that holiness (being innocent) means a great deal to the Lord. Be holy and you can sway him from his plan.  

Jesus Alone Suffices

        Today's Communion experience. Because of the painful accident that happened to me, I experienced even greater joy by contrast. If you have Jesus, nothing else matters anymore.

Ongoing Healing

        Let God be your attending physician. Be ready for him to check and heal you in body, mind, and spirit at all times.

Dealing with Accidents

        Yesterday I had an accident which caused me physical injury. I started thinking about accidents. They are something that happens to everyone no matter how careful you are ~ traffic accidents, for example. Unlike God, we do not foresee what might be ahead. Accidents always come as a surprise or shock. The normal reactions are sorrow, bitterness, self-pity, worrying about the worst to follow, loss of hope, etc. ~ all negative and unhelpful. I believe that the healthy, realistic attitude is to accept that accidents do happen and they happen for a reason. Some of the things we can realize are the following: (1) Whatever has happened will pass in time. (2) Here's an opportunity for learning to be patient. (3) By offering our suffering up to God, it becomes meritorious. (4) Experiencing suffering makes us realize how terribly Jesus suffered for us, thus uniting us to him even more. (5) If we love God, he will never allow us to suffer to the point we cannot bear. (6) We can accept suffering as being purified by God in this life. (7) First, I thought if I am temporarily handicapped, how can I serve God effectively? Then he showed me that accepting suffering is serving him. (8) We can still pray to God for physical healing and he may do just that. In conclusion, be thankful to God for all things.

Banqueting in Heaven

        Communion experience. Just before receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I was content to bask in his light and enjoy my rest in him. After receiving him, I knew I had just attended a banquet in heaven. Seeing it this way, I am already a frequent guest at the dinner table of the Lord in heaven.

Chosen and Called!

        Today is the Feast of St. James, Apostle. The Entrance Antiphon from Matthew 4.18, 21 reads: "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother mending their nets and he called them." What a great honor and how good it is to be chosen and called by the Lord! If you don't feel he has chosen and called you, ask him to do so, for he calls us so that our life might be fulfilled and our joy complete.

Ideal State of Living

      To me, it is being in union with Christ, following every will of his. This way, you don't ever have to be concerned about what you should do and you know that he will always lead you to do what is right and pleasing to God. 

To Be the Best

        We all desire or at least dream to be the best in something. Once you know Jesus and fall in love with him, you will want to be his best possible disciple. You look at Christ, Mary, and all the other great saints in the Church and you get excited and will want to imitate and learn from them as much as possible.