In Praise of Mary

        When we do God's will, the Blessed Mother is our best partner. She guides us every step of the way and protects us under her care. She is Mom most kind and most helpful. If you ever feel the need for a mother, go to her. If you are not ready to approach the Lord God yet, go to her first and she will go with you to present you to him.

Safeguarding Your Union

        Let nothing take your eyes off Jesus. Pay no attention to what religious order you belong to, what miracles you've witnessed, what mystical experiences you've had, what great gifts God has given you, or what great works you are doing for him. Be single-minded and your union with him will be secure.    

Looking at Life

        It's not how long you live that's important; it's knowing where you'll go after you die that matters.

False Joy

        On an NBC TV show this morning, I caught a glimpse of the regular reporters on the street of New York (Time Square? ~ I guess since I don't follow NBC at all) with a group of attractively clad dancers dancing in the background. Later, the reporters joined in; all seemed to have a good time. I realized that many people, especially public figures, are used to hiding behind a false facade, since presenting a good, happy image is so important. TV shows, the commercials, all present a world clad in false joy. If we cannot live to be truthful to ourselves, how can we live to be truthful to God? 

Enjoying God

        Our lifetime is limited, so I want to spend my time enjoying God and not the world, for God himself is a permanent joy while the world imparts only passing pleasures.

Looking Outside the Box

        If you are a perfectionist, do you ever consider your own imperfections?

        If you are the decisive type, do you ever decide how much you should love God?

        If you think you are tough, are you tough on yourself own shortcomings?

        If you consider yourself a doer, do you do unselfish things?

        If you are an inquisitive person, do you look into the meaning of life? 

        If you believe you have vision, do you ever look beyond this life?         

        If you are a good speaker, is your heart in the right place when you speak?
        If you want to find God, do you let God in first to find you?
        If you are rich and wealthy, why do you still worry so much?
        If you think about living a long life, shouldn't you think about death too?

Body and Soul

        We have our body and our soul. The body deteriorates every moment and will be completely worn-out one day ~ nothing we can do about that. Since the soul lives on forever, we should take the greatest care of it when we can by nourishing it and safeguarding it to keep it pure. Any imbalance should favor the soul and not the body.

The Superior Way

        After morning Mass I stayed for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at church, as today is the first Friday of the month. What I saw was that although the road to heaven is narrow and steep, the gate of heaven at the top is wide open, since Christ has redeemed us. The question is how best to reach the top. Making the arduous climb on your own is the obvious way, but seeking union with God to let him take over is much superior. Once you are in union, you are outside the gate. A tram will beat two legs anytime.  

Sinner Advantage

        Communion thoughts. I rejoice that I am a sinner because Jesus loves sinners! He would transform sinners into saints so that they may live in heaven while on earth.  

Beautiful Realization

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5 at morning Mass, Jesus got into one of the two boats, the one belonging to Simon (Peter), alongside the lake. He asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Later, he asked Simon to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch. Simon and his fellow fishermen had worked hard all night and caught nothing, but lowered the nets anyway. They caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing so that their partners in the other boat had to come to help them. Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." That was one life-changing moment for Peter. How beautiful such a moment is when a soul receives the light of Christ in his heart and realizes what he truly is before the Lord!

Most Enjoyable Living Is...

loving God intensely with passion. 

Enjoy the World Rightly

        Enjoy the world the wrong way and you can lose your life forever. Enjoy God first while you are in the world, then you are safe and secure to enjoy the world the right way.

Reward You Can Count On

        Nothing can escape the Lord our God. The good news is that you will be rewarded richly for everything you do for his glory, in this life or in the next, or both. 

Anything Is Fine

        Today's Communion experience. I yearned for the Lord, so anything coming from him would be welcome. I decided to ask him to transform me to his heart's content, knowing that he could make me the happiest person on earth. 

No Personal Preferences

        I have greater affection for certain saints over others. Then I realize that when it comes to glorifying God, pleasing him should completely override my personal preferences. I should willingly and gladly do whatever is necessary, enjoyable or not, to glorify God.    

Faith Understood

           In Matthew 17.20, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Again, in Luke 17.6, he said to the apostles, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." I've always been intrigued by what the Lord had said here ~ how can I get this faith the size of a mustard seed? 

            Once I actually challenged someone who had lost all his hair to believe in Jesus and assured him that his hair would come back after I prayed for him. Of course, nothing miraculous happened. Then there's the time I prayed for my son when he was near death, and he miraculously recovered. This time the petition just came forth spontaneously without any hesitation. Recall how Peter in his boat saw Jesus walking on the sea and wanted to do the same. Jesus said "come" and Peter got out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus. But he became frightened and began to sink. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

        My new understanding of faith: (1) I cannot "force" myself to have faith. For example, it'll be utter foolishness to believe that I can go out and heal any sick person I run into. (2) Faith can work miracles only if you are doing God's will. If I get out of a boat on my own, believing that I can walk on water, it won't happen. But if Jesus had actually commanded me to do it, then I would do fine if I believed in him. (3) Conclusion: Do God's will always and trust in him completely while doing it. (4) Last, since faith is a gift from God, seeking union with him will definitely enrich this gift.

It's the Lord

        Communion experience. After I received the Holy Eucharist, I knew it was the Lord who had entered me, the one who spoke with authority, healed the sick miraculously, died on the cross in our place, was raised from the dead on the third day . . . enough.  

Urgent Call

        Through the horrible news we read and hear daily, revealing the ungodliness of our world, God is urgently calling us to greater holiness and to pray harder for all souls, those who sin, those who suffer, and those who seem to have no hope. After we die, it'll be too late. 

How Open Are You?

        If you remain closed to God, you will not experience him. If you surrender to him, he enters into oneness with you. It's clear that you experience God only to the extent you are open to him. Your move next.

Offering Must Be Holy!

        The first request made by Our Lady of Fatima is to sanctify our daily duties. Here is the official My Morning Offering prayer:

      O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with it the offering of my every thought, word, and action of this day.

      O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them together with myself to Mary Immaculate ~ that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!           

        If we are prepared to offer God our every thought, word, and action of the day, we'd better make sure that every thought, word, and action of ours is good and pure. I see making this morning offering an excellent way to keep us holy. 

Formula for Saving Ourselves

        Jesus' saying "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" from my last post is in fact the formula for saving ourselves. It simply points out that living selfcenteredly is bad for you and living for God is the way to go. To live a fulfilled life, live for God ~ that's all there is to it.

Unforgettable Saying

        Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." This commanding saying of the Lord, recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, popped into my mind today. It is so striking that we must take it seriously! Again, it challenges us. Who else but God can say something like that? We must respect the Lord for telling it like it is and believe in him. 

Pinpoint Diagnosis

        Lack of inner peace in a soul is caused by the soul's rebellion against God.

Changing Labor into Joy

        Today is Labor Day in the US, a national holiday. Doing God's will is never labor, even if it involves hard physical or mental work. That's because you no longer do it to please yourself ~ whether you succeed or not is now in God's hands. By the way, this is the way to live a stress-free life, the way God has always intended for you.  

Worth Repeating

        God is always calling us. He is calling you in everything, happy or sad, large or small, that happens to you. See every such thing as an opportunity to be drawn closer to the Lord. Learn from every experience so that you continue to grow holier. Then you'll live a happy, rich, and fulfilled life.  

Getting Personal

        Communion time thoughts. As I received Holy Communion, I recalled John 6.56: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." How more personal can you get?     

Faith Essential

        The revelation "God is love" through Christ Jesus is the truth that has solved the mystery of human existence and provided us with the hope of living forever with God. Then with faith in Christ, we have everything. Conversely, without this faith, we have nothing. 

Just God and I

        Communion experience. It'd be easier for me to live without food than to live without the Holy Eucharist. After receiving him today, it's just "my God and I," alone together.

Going Through the Front Door

        All messages you hear from the pulpit advise us to love God or grow holier, but having good intentions and achieving results are two separate things. One can hear these messages a thousand times and still remain pretty much the same old person, which can be frustrating. In the world, people can often achieve what they desire through the back door, but I propose that you go boldly through the front door. "Going through the front door" is going straight to God to seek union with him. The fundamental change takes place after you enter him. Now, it's he changing you, no longer you trying hard to change yourself ~ an absolutely amazing and rewarding experience! [This in fact is the central message of this blog ~ I am stating it again after seeing all the frustrations in people.]

No Lazy Christians

        At Mass today the Gospel reading was the parable of the talents from Matthew 25. It was clear that God expects us to make good use of what he has given us to be fruitful. There is just no place for lazy Christians in his kingdom. Believing in the Lord, then sitting back to play it safe does not please him. A Christian needs to remain alive, awake, alert, and adventurous. A timid Christian is only as good as a dead one.  

Ultimate Living

        Union with God is letting God live in you while you are living. Receiving the Holy Eucharist, the most holy sacrament, is essential for reaching that ultimate level of intimacy with him. It's all about letting God love you and you loving him back.

Greatest Love

        Today, Matthew 25.40 came to my mind: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." Imagine ~ doing something for one of the least is the same as doing it for Christ the King! The Lord is truly selfless, marking his love for us as the greatest love. We have a revelation here!

God over Guns

        The big sad story in today's news is that a girl, nine, accidentally kills her shooting instructor while being shown how to use an Uzi submachine gun at a firing range in Arizona. It's a fact that so many citizens now own or carry guns for security reasons. It is my belief that if we trust in God foremost, he will not put us in situations where we'll need to use a gun. Without God for our protection, no weapon can keep us safe.

Predictable Journey

        If you have not surrendered to God yet, you are basically a fugitive fleeing from being captured by God. Then one day you realize that God wants you, not to restrict your freedom, but to release you in his love. You stop running and surrender. You get that you're-home feeling because you experience such great relief and joy! And you know that your journey will end in heaven.

An Ego Test

        Let's say you believe that you love God very much and find out everyone else you know loves God a thousand times more than you do ~ what would be your reaction? If you rejoice greatly, then congratulations, for you have passed the test!

Woe to Hypocrites

        Yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's Gospel readings at Mass are all drawn from Matthew 23, in which Jesus denunciated the scribes and Pharisees by calling out "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites" at least seven times. It's obvious that they offended God greatly. Hypocrisy is being phony. It is duplicity, deceiving God and treating him as if he is not all-knowing. Bad appearing to be good is even worse than bad being honestly bad. Ego is at the root of all this. At the same time, the wrath of Jesus shows that God is always honest, genuine, and selfless to us.

Let the Heart Hear & Think

        Today's Gospel acclamation at Mass, Hebrews 4.12: The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Reflections and thoughts of the heart, not of the mind ~ interesting! You see, when God speaks to us, if we are not receptive, his word simply passes through the mind and never reaches the heart. Only when we are open can the word enter the heart to generate reflections and thoughts. Let the Lord speak to your heart always so that you may remain alert and vibrant spiritually. 

All for Jesus

        Like St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Joseph Marello, we can also do everything with love for Jesus. For example, when you wash dishes or take garbage out at home, you do the best possible job you can with joy, not for yourself, but for Jesus. Be like this in everything you do, big or small, and you'll be free and happy, since you no longer center upon yourself. Fact: the less you "care about" yourself, the more God is going to take care of you. Life now becomes purposeful.

Discerning False Beliefs

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16 at Mass, when Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus replied to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." So, if you ever encounter a religion, denomination, or cult believing that Jesus is just a great teacher or prophet, but not the Son of God, stay away from it as you would from a plague!

God Is Fair

       (1) If you make God no. 1 in your life, he will reward you with the maximum amount of grace you need to become holy in this life and top honor in the next.

       (2) If you do not honor God or make him last in your life, you may not even make it into his kingdom.

         (3) If you judge others severely, God will judge you severely. (Matthew 7.1.)

         (4) If you forgive those who trespass against you, God will forgive your trespasses. (The Lord's Prayer.)
         (5) The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. (Luke 6.38; Mark 4.24.)        

It Pays to Be Courteous

        Once again the Lord entered me as I received the Holy Eucharist at morning Mass. This was his invitation for union or strengthening our union. If you are courteous enough to respond to Christ positively each time after you receive him, you are on your way to becoming a saint.

Most Beautiful Thing

        There are many beautiful things to see in our world. You might find them in a fashion show, a Cirque du Soleil performance, a fine art exhibit, or in nature and the stars. But the most beautiful thing may only be seen by God ~ it is doing his will! For only anything done for the sake of God is truly beautiful. It pleases the Lord, adding to your treasure in heaven and making you more beautiful in the process.

Surrender and Rest

        "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you" ~ I have used this saying of St. Augustine a few times before on this blog. I found it to be true at Mass this morning as I experienced great peace resting in the Lord. Logically, St. Augustine is completely correct. From Scriptures also, we know that God provides us with rest. 

        To find rest in God, we must surrender to him first. This is simply the act we must make to free ourselves, the essential first step in seeking union with God. When you surrender, you break through the greatest barrier of your spiritual life. It opens wide the gate to let all the grace of God pour through, putting your spiritual progress on fast track with the Holy Spirit doing the work. If this sounds exciting, it's because it is. You will want to surrender unless you prefer to struggle with your sins all your life on your own.   

Unholiness Not Pretty

         I've witnessed people who are basically good people, not wicked or evil in any way, but are spoiled, impatient, hot-tempered, selfish, or inconsiderate. They don't clearly see this themselves because they are just being themselves, but what others see about them is definitely not pretty. If we look ugly to others, we look a lot worse in God's eyes, for God is holy. On the other hand, looking good to others does not necessarily translate into looking good to God, for God sees the heart. At any rate, to look truly good to all, seek holiness in God.

Change in the Right Direction

        We all change over our lifetime. We are certainly a different person every year. Think back if you are old enough and recall what you were like before. Now you are probably more mature, more poised, smoother, wiser... or perhaps more cynical, more self-centered, more impatient, more worldly.... The point is we are all subject to change, so why not let God change you in the right direction of becoming holier? This would absolutely be the best utilization of the rest of your lifetime. And an exciting adventure will it definitely be too.  

Joy of Christ

        The joy of Christ is most refreshing ~ it cleanses and frees the soul. It originates from within the heart where the Lord dwells, bursting forth like a spring and instantly permeating the whole soul. All in all, a most intoxicating experience.

Seek God First

        Jesus taught us to forgive and love our enemies, but people say it's too hard...impossible, so they just don't take it seriously. What they do not see is that nothing is impossible for God, and, with his help, all his teachings are within our reach. Always seek God first and he will make you holy. 

Time for Self-Examination

        It is a sad day to read about the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, resulting from the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by the police, and the beheading of the US journalist James Foley by the extreme Islamic group IS in Syria. We pray both Michael and James will find peace in the Lord and pray also for the salvation of all living souls in the world. The cause of all sinful acts is not knowing the true God. Therefore, instead of just focusing upon blaming those who have committed the sins, let's also examine ourselves to see if we know the Lord or not.     

Dependent on the Holy Spirit

        This is post no. 3876 since I started this blog with my conversion story in 2009. When the blog more or less took off in June of 2010, I was surprised and never thought that it would go on too long. Now it's clear that it's been the Holy Spirit all along, putting thoughts in my heart whenever he wishes, since I never have to think about what to post next. This is also confirmed by the fact that my interior life has been changing continuously. Anyway, it's absolutely marvelous and wonderful to have known God.

Love Overwhelming

        Communion experience. Jesus, most sweet to the soul, completely fulfilled me and filled me with his love. I was moved by the Holy Spirit to ask the following questions:

        (1) How can you possibly not forgive anyone?

        (2) How can you possibly want anyone to end up in hell?

        (3) How can you possibly not love God?

        (4) How can you possibly not want to go to heaven?