Transforming Light

        Communion experience. I received the Holy Eucharist and saw Jesus as the light outshining the light emitted by the stars of all the galaxies in the universe put together. This light entered me! Let now the transformation begin.

Guidance for World Living

        Today is the Memorial of St. Benedict. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to the Apostles: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd like serpents and simple as doves." This strikes me as the way we should conduct ourselves in dealing with the world: to be shrewd to keep others from taking advantage of us and simple to preserve our purity. 

Important Awareness

        It is most important for us to be aware that God created us and every instant of our existence depends upon him! You can ignore him, but that does not change the fact. Without him, we are nothing. If you are not thus aware, then you should back yourself up with the awareness that hell exists and it's most important for you to guard against ending up there. 

Happy to Be Imperfect

        Communion experience. I was grateful that I was not perfect so that the Lord might enter me to heal me. And I desired that he would expose everything in my heart and eradicate anything that offended him.

True Reality

        Still at Mass, I became aware that we're living in a horrible, horrible world. Just read the news headlines to see what's happening around the world and in our own country. Since God looks at the hearts, he would see great darkness covering the entire earth and shining lights only from those who have chosen to love and obey him. This is true reality, not the beautiful sunshine, the nice houses in your neighborhood, or any other things external that you see. 

The Christian Life

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10 at morning Mass, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." This is the perfect instruction on how to live the Christian life ~ we receive freely from the Lord and give freely for his glory. We own nothing and we are free.

Sign of Holiness

        We get caught in slow traffic and start to cuss, in our mind first anyway. It's so easy to lose patience. Since we are not lord of the world, why should things always happen to please us? Even Christ encountered "inconveniences" so much worse than ours when he was on earth. We live in an imperfect world and what happens to us is permitted by God, not to screw us, but to make us more perfect. And this definitely makes patience a sign of holiness. 

We Are Debtors!

        Someone is greatly irritated because the person who owes him some money is late in returning it to him. I start thinking that we owe the Lord for everything and don't even consider giving any of it back to him! The Lord will surely deal with us as we deal with our debtors.

All About Love

        God is love. In fact, he alone is love, so love is God. All our love comes from him, the source. It is this love that can transform us, making us new, so that it may override everything in the universe.

Union and Hypocrisy

        This may sound harsh, but if we are not in full union with God, we can easily be hypocritical. In full union, one appears as he truly is. In partial union, one projects a false image.

Importance of Focusing on God

        When we lose our focus upon God, the ego can easily surface, making us lose our composure (peace). Then we start to speak unfavorably of others, though not in a deliberate way. I've seen this happening in people (myself included). This is judging, which the Lord wants us to stop. Take our eyes off the Lord and we'll surely slip, stumble, and fall. 

God in Full Charge

        Jesus promised that the gates of the underworld could never overpower the church he's going to build on Peter (John 16.18). God is in charge. It follows (yes, logically) that he must hear and answer all our prayers.  

A Most Reasonable Request

        God first created us out of love. We fell from grace and he gave his only Son to save us. We who believe in him are restored to being God's endearing children and become heaven bound. God initiated it all; we only need to listen and obey. 

True Happiness

        Any happiness that does not last for all eternity is not true happiness. In heaven we'll be truly happy. In fact, that is what it is for. Our heavenly Father wishes us to go to heaven and his Son has already paved the way for us. In our life on earth, the most happy we can ever get is to experience inner peace and spiritual freedom in God. Any earthling trying to find true happiness outside of God will only experience frustration and misery.

What to Do with Enemy

        If you have not done anything wrong, then the person who sins against you must have problems. In that case, pity and pray for him, and God will deal with him. The best way of changing others is to be the best example yourself. 

Being Made Whole

        Communion time thought. Jesus came to make us whole so that we would be fit to face anything in life, including martyrdom.

The Immediate God

        Communion experience. God is way up there in heaven and I am down here on earth. Yet the separation totally disappeared when Christ in the Holy Eucharist entered me. 

The All-Knowing God

        Today is the Feast of St. Thomas. The Gospel reading came from John 20. Thomas was absent when Jesus appeared to the disciples. They told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, but Thomas said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later Jesus came to the disciples again and Thomas was present. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." What didn't stand out to me until today was that Jesus knew exactly what Thomas had said a week earlier and responded to him. Conclusion: every single thought I think, every word I say, and every deed I do, the Lord knows. I feel totally secure!

How to Leave the World

        Thank God we have things we enjoy doing in this life, but let's not get attached to any of them so that when it's time for us to go, we'll be free and have an easy time. When you experience joy in heaven, everything you ever enjoyed doing on earth will fade into oblivion. Becoming attached to the world will only make your departure more painful. And I for one want to return to my God in my greatest possible joy!

Our Own Obstacle

        I've said that we are always our own biggest obstacle in journeying toward God. If you tell yourself that becoming a saint is not for you, my point is proven.

Sign God Is Love

        After receiving the Holy Eucharist today, Jesus became so "perfect" to me that I wished everyone to know him! He is already mine, yet I want to share him with everyone ~ it's precisely his selflessness that has made me selfless in this respect. All other good things tempt me to keep for myself to enjoy first, but only the truly good Lord wants me to give the very best to everyone else. What I want to keep the most for myself is also what I want to give to others the most. Yes, sign that God is love.  

God Our Refuge

        A Christian never takes his frustration or anger out on anyone. Instead he goes deep into God to seek consolation and guidance, and the Lord restores his peace. 

Misinterpretation

        The Church upholds the sanctity of life from the moment of conception and pro-abortionists misinterpret the teaching as disregard for women's rights. The Church upholds the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and was misinterpreted to be hatred for gays and lesbians. On BBC News today is this story making headlines: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-28113228. I don't know the singer Lovato, but I must point out her "misinterpretation" of Jesus when she said at a gay pride event in California as reported: "You don't have to hate because my Jesus loves all." It's true that Jesus loves all, but you must also remember what he said to the woman caught in adultery before dismissing her, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and from now on do not sin any more" (John 8:11). 

Another Sign Jesus Is God

        In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it clear that whatever we did (not do) to one of the least ones ~ the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the ill, the imprisoned ~ we did (not do) for him. This is an amazing statement, showing that he loves all of us and identifies himself with all of us. Only possible if he is God!   

Sign Jesus is God

        At Mass this morning, I realized that for all of us on earth, there were times when we needed guidance, not sure about what to do. Reading about Jesus in the Gospels, you find that he never hesitated, always knowing how to proceed. To me, another telling sign that he is God incarnate. 

Abandonment Time

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me and it was the perfect time to abandon myself to him and be his completely.

Love and Purity

        Love is always pure. Nothing impure can be love. We can be pure only if we live for God. If we still live for other humans or ourselves, we are not yet pure. Love and purity go hand in hand. 

Natural Conclusions

        If we do believe that God is love and truly exists, then we have no choice but to love him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Since we are all going to die one day, we should make sure that we return to God and not head into the unknown. 

Through God's Mercy

        When we receive the Holy Eucharist at Mass, we receive the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus. Were the consecrated bread and wine to appear as real flesh and blood, we wouldn't be able to receive them with ease (John 6:60). It is through the mercy of God that they remain looking the same, even though in substance they have changed.

Receiving the Son of God

        Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him, "Blesses are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." If we also believe as Peter did, then we must not receive Holy Communion so casually. As the Lord built his church upon Peter, we need to be staunch supports of this church by letting the Holy Eucharist, the Son of the Living God, truly transform us.  

Call to Become Saints

        I caught Dr. Paul Schenck (now Fr. Paul Schenck) telling his coming home story on The Journey Home show on EWTN. He became very pro-life after being horrified at seeing some mangled parts of aborted babies that had been dumped as garbage at an abortion clinic. Since abortion was legalized in 1973 in this country, abortions have been averaging over a million a year! This points up the great urgency for us to become saints, for being holy is the only and best way to fight evil.     

Food for Thought

         Matthew 7.21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
        John 6.54: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day."

        There is a somewhat surprising contrast here between the first halves (italicized) of these two verses.

Trust Is...

letting God have his way, do his things, take care of us, change us and the world... with us out of the way.        

Dealing with Worry

        Worry is always about something that has yet to happen. It's due to uncertainty. If we believe in Christ and know that we'll be with him in heaven, that alone removes the biggest uncertainty of life. The rest we should be able to manage well with God's help. All uncertainties pass. Consider them blessings because they provide opportunities for us to trust in God's love and mercy while they last.          

In Communion

        Communion thoughts. This is exactly what the Apostles received and ate at the Last Supper. I am now in full communion with the Lord and all the saints. We are one!  

Awesome God

        I feel trepidation when I ponder upon the holiness of God, yet all my fears vanish when I run to him, seeing him as my most beloved Father. 

Ultimate Fulfillment

        As 2014 FIFA World Cup competition continues in Brazil, you can catch the excitement and frenzy at the games on TV. It is a fact that as you get to know Christ the Lord more, your enthusiasm about football or any other form of entertainment in the world dwindles. It is evident to me that we all seek fulfillment in life and that fulfillment is found only in God. How can one not be excited about God when you know he's the one who can lead you to heaven?

God's Deliberate Plan

        Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Prophecies and foretold his own death and Resurrection to his disciples. Therefore, the Incarnation and Crucifixion had been deliberately planned by God, and that plan had to be the plan of salvation for all of us. 

Going Beyond Purity

        Of course, keeping our mind and heart pure pleases God very much, but we must go beyond that, for we can remain pure by staying put and do nothing. What we must do is to be filled with God's love to be motivated into loving others. The love of God is for us not to sit upon, but to spread far and wide for his glory.        

No Judging

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus told his disciples to stop judging. This is absolutely necessary for us to be able to love our enemies as the Lord also taught earlier. Judging and loving are mutually exclusive. 

A Root of Evil

        Is money the root of all evil? I say money is just one root of some evil. The root of all evil has to be rebellion against God. From that, all other roots spread. One bad root that comes to my mind is the fact that so many people worldwide, whether in a government, a religion, a society, a tribe, a company, a family, or any group want to have things their way. This causes all the unrest, turmoil, chaos, and conflicts in the world.  

Where Are Our Roots?

        We must realize that we are created by God and he has planned for our return to him. Therefore, our roots belong in heaven and not this world. Whoever roots himself deeply in this world is a fool.

The Freedom Test

        We need to be detached to the world and live to please God alone, but this is easily said when we live in comfortable homes and have all the necessities. Jesus didn't even have a place to rest his head when he's proclaiming the kingdom of God. St. Francis certainly passed the test. And Mother Teresa too. We can only imagine what we would do if we do not own anything in this world. If we are like the rich man in the Gospels who observed all the commandments, but could not part with his possessions, then we are not completely free.

Not Being of the World

        In John 18.36, Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews." We who have entered the kingdom of God also no longer belong to the world and can expect trials and tribulations, and persecutions.  

Tell God Anyway

        When our heart is troubled, we turn to God. Even though he knows why we are troubled, we still need to tell him. It's in hearing ourselves that we clear up any confused thinking and in opening up to God that we learn his will for us. Spiritual progress is made only by entering the Lord.

You Can Be Excellent

        We all feel good when we excel in something. Suppose you are frustrated because you don't have any musical talent, can't play sports well, find learning math difficult.... I sincerely recommend that you consider excelling in loving God. This is possible for everyone because God will personally help you achieve that, and you'll receive the greatest satisfaction of life as well. By the way, your final reward will be nothing short of heaven.  

Delivered from Evil

        We ask the Lord to deliver us from evil. This does not mean that we will not encounter or be attacked by evil anymore; it means that God will make us so strong that no evil can ever conquer our spirit, shake our faith, or separate us from his love. In him, our soul will be absolutely safe. 

Only Way Out

        Only God is infinite, perfect, and all-powerful, and we are none of the above. As I had posted in the past, this is a fact we must acknowledge before we approach him. In order to be holy like him, only he can make it happen. In order to make it happen, we must let him enter our soul by surrendering to him. To surrender is simply to open ourselves up completely to him ~ nothing more, and the Lord God will enter to do the necessary work, which will delight you beyond your expectation. Remember that for us, the only way out is to let God in.  

Sacred Duty

        We easily mess up our own lives in this world. Even if we don't, others can do it for you. But it's our sacred duty to always keep our relationship with God in as perfect an order as possible. People may not understand, but no matter because God understands. Again, care about only what God thinks.  

Jesus' Way of Living

        In today's Gospel reading ~ Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18 ~ at morning Mass, Jesus teaches about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The message is clear ~ we are to forget ourselves and remember only God. What people think of us should be of no concern to us. In other words, hide from all and live in God alone.