To Be Fit for Following Christ

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9 at Mass, Jesus makes it clear that following him comes before fulfilling all other obligations. The key saying is the last verse: No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God. If we want to follow the Lord, we must respond without hesitation. I am now praying for a fallen-away Catholic friend who told me that he's not ready to consider coming back to the Church yet because he still had a number of things to settle first. There will always be things to settle in life ~ postponing making the most important decision of your life because of them is definitely being foolish.

God Our No. 1 Guide

        Today is the Memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, my beloved model saint. The entrance antiphon, based upon Deuteronomy 32.10-12 reads: The Lord led her and taught her as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle spreading its wings, he took her up and bore on his shoulders. The Lord alone was her guide. I underline the last sentence because it reminds me to always go to God first to seek his guidance in everything. Never leave God out of our life.

Becoming Saints Clarified

        When I advocate that we become saints, it does not mean that we aim for being canonized and declared officially Saints by the Church after we die. It only means that we become saintly or holy, with our intention known to God alone. 

Two Tiers of the Christian Life

        Communion time thoughts. The Christian life can be seen as consisting of two tiers. The first tier is enjoying the Lord at his feet ~ adoring him, attending to him, waiting for him to speak to you, to teach you. The second tier is doing all the necessary things in life for his sake ~ trusting in him, thanking him, suffering for him, rejoicing with him...

Beyond Expectations

        God is so great that he is beyond our expectations. However we imagine his magnificence, his beauty, his wisdom, the extent of his mercy, etc., we fall short because it's plain impossible for the finite mind to grasp the infinite. In other words, God is always greater and more than what we can imagine him to be. Only saying that he is great beyond our expectations hits the mark.            ,

Simplifying Our Lives

        This morning I saw a flock of Canadian geese flying north overhead, honking along the way. Not questioning why they head north, they just followed their instinct. In fact, all nonhuman animals, with no concept of morality or good and evil, do what they do by instinct. By contrast, our lives are complicated by the fact that God has given us the free will to choose good or evil. But we can simplify our lives by choosing to follow Christ always. This assures that we will return to the Father, our creator, in heaven. 

On Communicating with God

        We may pray or speak to God at any time, for he is always ready and hears us. But to hear God speak to us, we must be in tune with him, for he senses every slightest disturbance in our heart. To be in tune with him is to be open and receptive, remaining in trust. The world does not hear God, precisely because it is in chaos. This vicious circle perpetuates its deafness to God's voice.  

Poignant Video

        The popular tango-song "Adios Muchachos" was composed by Argentinean Julio Cesar Sanders. Ezequiel Capurro who uploaded this video calls it the tango of his life, showing the history of his family. I like it because it made me think of life and God.

God as Our Defender

        Communion time thoughts. The world is a cutthroat place. Plenty of people sin in order to gain advantage over others. The aggressive ones attack others just to satisfy their ego. I feel sorry that they don't see how foolish they are before God. In the world, I feel like being a sheep among wolves. Yet I have no fear because the Lord is my defender. If you do not rely upon God to be your defender, you will have no defender in the end.     

Faith Complements Knowledge

        Accept the reality that it's just impossible for us finite creatures to understand God our infinite creator completely. Then once we know enough about God, let faith fill in the part of space that's still unknown to us. What's enough for us to know about God is that Jesus, the Son of God, did come into the world to die on the cross to redeem us so that we might have eternal life if we believed in and followed him.  

Who You Are

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" You can ask your friends that same question to see what they would say. It'd be interesting to also ask yourself, "Who am I?" As for the first question, there is really no need to ask if you feel that we should care only about what God and not what anyone else thinks of us. As for the second question, there can be many good answers. Right now, I feel good saying that I am just an empty vessel of the Lord.

A Time to Be Tamed

       A sinner without God is like a wild, untamed animal. He does what pleases him and in the process becomes chained to the world, destroying the very peace and freedom he sought. In today's first reading from Ecclesiastes 3 at Mass, we heard the familiar verse: There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under heavens. There is definitely a time for us to turn to God to be tamed by him so that we may live in peace and freedom.

We Need God

        This morning I was aware of myself aging. Like everyone else, my body is weakening every moment. One day, we'll all need more help from others. Then I realized that God is already helping us by sustaining our very existence, so we absolutely need him. The difference between his help and other humans' is that his help is always there, something we cannot dismiss. Therefore, let's acknowledge this and express our appreciation by telling God, our Father, that we need him.

Freedom Choice

        We have the freedom to choose to be free on our own or to be captured by God. The big surprise is that there is no freedom on our own and true freedom only in being a captive of God! (It's dead end vs. infinite open space.)

Know Our Lord

        Today's Entrance Antiphon at Mass: I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever. When God becomes our Lord, it does not mean that he is going to control or manipulate us and we don't have any say anymore. When he becomes our Lord, he becomes the one to watch over us, shield us from evil, guide our way, and help us in distress. And he even lets us, although this would hurt him greatly, leave him anytime we wish. This is our kind of Lord.  

Surrender, a Must

        If we, as Christians, do not surrender to God, then we are not going all out, not getting the most out of our discipleship. Basically, we drag our feet in following God, making it impossible for us to love him with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength, and all our soul. And union with him becomes out of reach too. Know that every time you receive Holy Communion, it's the Lord inviting you to surrender to become one with him.

On Being Truthful

       In parts of Psalm 119 read at Mass this morning, the psalmist asks the Lord to remove from him the way of falsehood. It brought to my mind the importance of being truthful to ourselves, to others, and the Lord. Do we always mean what we say? Do we try to give others the wrong impression of us out of pride? Does our ego prompt us to put on false acts? Do we try not to face God? Do we look deep in our own heart to see if we are hypocritical in any way? Start out by being truthful to yourself, then you'll be truthful to God and others too.

The Born-Again State

        In 2 Corinthian 5, Paul writes: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away.... In Galatians 2, Paul writes: I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.... This is the born-again state in which the old creation has completely died in Christ ~ it is union with God. 

How God Changes Us

        I am old enough to look back to see the many things, not all pleasant, that have happened in my life. If I had been shown them at the beginning before they happened, I am not sure that I would have wanted to live my life. Once I know God, the past does not matter anymore because all that has happened has lead me to the happiest time of my life. In the same way, joy in heaven would make us forget our life on earth. With God, it's getting better and better.

Aspire to Be like God

        We are never God, but if he inspires you, you can certainly want to be like him, and seeking union with him will help you reach your goal. 

What to Pray for First

        The Lord made me see that if we pray in his will, it will be done for us. Therefore, pray to know his will first.  

The Central Message

        To summarize the central message of these last four years of blogging, I can say that we came into the world and were lost souls. Then there was Christ, the light of the world with his message of love and salvation. Those who have found him are no longer lost; their lives become meaningful and they know where they are going now. Jesus makes all the difference simply because he is God. You will also know this truth if you seek him. And the best path to knowing him is seeking union with him through receiving the Holy Eucharist in the Holy Catholic Church which he has built upon St. Peter and the other Apostles almost 2,000 years ago.  

Clean and Free

        When you are saintly, you get that "clean" feeling. You become detached from the world because the world, being unclean, no longer attracts you. You are now clean and free.  

A Saint Anywhere

        If you want to be a saint, start being one in your own home or with those you knew well if you lived alone. That's because it's easy to show your best side to those who do not really know you yet. A saint at home is a saint anywhere.

Tasting Freedom

        Communion experience. Entering Christ through the Holy Eucharist felt like being a fish released into the sea or a bird liberated from its cage. You "swim and soar" to your heart's content.

Be Jealous and Proud

        We must jealously guard our sanctity for love of God. It is even more important than guarding our life, for it affects God directly. In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8 at morning Mass, Jesus said, "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light." Therefore, we must also be proud of our faith, be proud of having been chosen and called by the Lord. For anyone who's ashamed of Christ, it's better not to follow him.

Short Efficacious Prayers

        A short prayer said from your own heart would mean so much more to God than reading perfunctorily some long, wordy prayer composed by someone else. Here are a number of examples that can be said at anytime when you are awake: "Lord, I trust in you"; "I love you, Jesus"; "I need you now"; "I am with you"; "I am all yours"; "Thy will be done"; "Have mercy on me."

Measuring Love for God

         How much you love God is measured by how strong your desire is to save souls.

In Heaven on Earth

        Communion experience. In heaven I shall be dwelling in God forever. While on earth, I am in heaven when God enters me to dwell in me as I receive the Holy Eucharist.  

On Getting into Heaven

        Getting into heaven or is not determined by whether your good deeds outbalance your bad ones. The wonderful thing about God's mercy is that no matter how sinful you are, turning to him in genuine repentance will get you back in God's grace. Otherwise, heaven would be quite empty of souls. When you end up in heaven or in hell, you may be surprised by the presence of souls you had not expected to see and the absence of souls you had expected to see there. As Jesus has said, the last will be first, and the first will be last. Regardless, we must pray hard for the salvation of all the souls, for nothing is impossible with God.

Union Supreme

        Studying the Bible, reading a lot of good books, listening to tapes, watching religious programs, attending church missions, going on retreats ~ all these aids can inspire you to holiness, but nothing can beat surrender to God, for in union God becomes your personal help, guide, and teacher.

Easy and Simple

        Communion experience. Again, the Lord showed me that to enter him; I only needed to be passive, relaxed, and open ~ no struggle, no striving, no resolution to make. God makes it easy and simple. Right after receiving the Holy Eucharist, it's the perfect time to abandon ourselves to God, resting in heavenly peace. 

Like the Sun

        I looked out the kitchen window in the early morning and saw the red sun rising in the east, appearing not much larger than the moon. The sun is so much larger than our earth that if the earth stayed a solid ball, you could fit about 960,000 earths into a ball the size of the sun. And of course, the sun is so hot (with temperature estimated to exceed 27 million degrees F at its core) that if it were any closer, we wouldn't be able to survive on earth. The sun reminded me of God because, in a similar way, we do not realize the immensity and infinite warmth of God when we are not close to him. 

Simple, Happy Living

        Never compare yourself with others. Never envy others. Do everything to please God and not care if you succeed or not. Be holy by keeping a pure heart. It's just you and God, alone-together-always.

All Burdens Self-Imposed

        Burdens in life are real. An earthquake can destroy your house. A friend may turn against you. You want to a new car and worry about where the money is going to come from. In the last example, we clearly have a case of self-imposed burden. But once you know and trust in God, the loss of a house would no longer stress you out. If a friend turns against you, you would feel sorry and pray for him, still remaining peaceful. We now see that all burdens are really self-imposed and God can lighten them or lift them from you completely. 

Mixed Emotions

        Communion experience. Joy filled my heart, but God's sorrows in me remained.

Putting Off God

       It seems that many Christians are not looking at God squarely to figure out how they should deal with him. In the back of their mind they know that they should love him with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength, but their heart hasn't learned that yet. So they put off coming to any resolution. This is hiding from God. On the other hand, seeking union with God is going straight to the Lord to ask him to let us live in him. 

Expect Disconnect

        The Lord challenges us to become holy and perfect. If you accept the challenge, be prepared for this reality: you will face the disconnect between you and the world which in general does not know Christ. Even those who know him but not well may distance themselves from you. Nevertheless, the gain of intimacy with the Lord far offsets all losses.     

On Becoming a Saint

        To want to be a saint has nothing to do with pride. In fact, it has all to do with humility, for without humility one can never become a saint. So feel free to ask the Lord to make you a saint ~ he would be greatly pleased.

Fantastic Invitations

        Communion time realization. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is accepting God's invitation to let him love me, invitation for me to love him and to be united with him, and invitation to receive the gift of eternal life from him. A heavenly banquet only God can give! 

God's Extra Dimension

        God is great for being omnipotent, omniscient, and more, but the fact that he is also love make him totally personable and personal. This is cause for great rejoicing!

The Space of God

        God is an infinite space which you can enter when you wish and are ready. This space is absolutely beautiful because God is holy and perfect. It is also most sweet because he is love. How do you get ready to enter? Believe that Christ has died for you sins, be sorry for your sins, desire to be holy for God's sake, and you are ready. A total surrender at this point would earn you an instant entry pass. Otherwise, the Father will guide your every step of the way. Once you are inside the space, you'll feel like being a fish that has been released back into the water, enjoying total freedom. (I now realize I am describing the state of union with God again.) 

Expressing Love for God

        God loves us with an infinite love, but we are only capable of loving him finitely. But there is a way to satisfy the Lord: Surrender to him. This really is the best way of expressing our love for him.

Most Important Connection

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 7 at morning Mass, Jesus raised a widow's son who had died. Life and death are really connected together ~ God can make us slip from one state into the other. The biggest disconnect has to be between heaven and hell. The separation is not only unbridgeable, but also eternal. All the more we need to connect ourselves to Jesus, the only one who can save us!  

No-Brainer Choice

        With a muddy conscience, we sin and look away to ease any discomfort we feel. But know that if you were to see yourself through the eyes of the holy God, you would be shocked at seeing what you have done! There are just two choices: (1) Keep looking away from your sins, fooling yourself to believe that you are OK, and get the big shock later. (2) Lick the problem of sin now to clear up you conscience once and for all so that you may live in peace from now on. What is your choice?    

Always Coming Through..

        If you love God and follow him faithfully, he will groom, nurture, and prepare you for meeting all the challenges of life? No matter what happens, with his help you will come through in triumph.

Sad Facts

     It's sad to see many old folks reaching the point of not knowing what's going on around them anymore. It's even sadder if they hadn't taken the time to get to know Jesus when their minds were still clear.

Ego "Revived"

        I saw someone with a Maserati parked outside his office ~ a car rather rare around here. I imagine how proud the owner must feel. What if no one gives a hoot about it? Would the owner be disappointed? I think so if he has a big ego. Ego is our attachment to the self. A big ego always demands to be fed to grow even bigger, then it becomes a prime target of Satan. If you want God to notice you, then starve your ego to death, thus removing the biggest obstacle in your path to God.

The Eternal God

        Today is the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. At morning Mass, the eternity of God entered my mind. Of course, God must have always existed. In Exodus 3, he told Moses that his name is I AM ~ wow! For God, there is neither beginning nor end. which explains all the mysteries around us. Who are we to argue with or even question him? How much do we really know? We have no choice but to worship him. The big bonus we get is that he happens to love us and wishes us to live for all eternity too, with him ~ imagine. I can't help wanting to leap for joy!

On Discerning God's Will

        Looking back on my past, there were many times when I wasn't sure what God wanted me to do. That was because I had not completely surrendered to him yet. As a result, my own will was always in the way, conflicting with or obscuring his will for me. After I got to know the Lord well, my will and his became the same, and discerning was rarely necessary. Now, I just wait for him to reveal to me what he wants me to do according to his time table. As a result, I experience much peace.