Living in Peace

        The ego is difficult to eradicate completely. Because of its presence, we are bothered by others for various reasons, we disapprove of them and start judging unknowingly. The solution is to seek refuge in the Lord, letting him be the only one to affect you. This way, you only care about what he thinks of you. It's you and God alone, living in peace. If you can live in peace with God, then nothing in the world shall be able to take that peace away from you. 

Ego-Prompted

        I now realize that judging others is also ego-prompted. We should first focus upon our own, not others', imperfections. Let each set his or her own standards. Without ego, one no longer loses peace over what others do. 

God Knows All About Us

        In today's Gospel reading at Mass from Luke 19, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, was seeking to see Jesus; but he, being short in stature, could not see him because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. What's comforting to me is that Jesus knows our intentions and will reward us with every good act. Knowing that he knows all about us is a reward in itself.

All God's Doing

        Communion thoughts. All grace comes from the Lord. If I do any good, it's all his doing. Therefore, I am going to let him be my Lord and do all his things through me and for me.

Sin Can Sink You

        At today's Mass, our pastor Fr. P told the story of a man who just passed away four days ago. He had stayed away from the Church for 47 years for various reasons (or excuses). Finally, some family member contacted Fr. P and he was able to make an appointment with him for the following week. It shows once you stop being faithful, it's not easy to go back ~ you become so used to your "freedom" and don't know how to face the guilt anymore. Anyway, the man was actually happy to see Fr. P. He had the chance to be anointed, make his confession, and receive Holy Communion. The next day he passed way. Father learned from the family members that he was a happy, changed person on his last day. The broader lesson: Sin is like quicksand ~ the deeper you sink into it, the firmer it holds you and the more difficult it is for you to free yourself from it.  

True Loving

        Today's entrance antiphon at Mass from Matthew 25 includes part of verse 40: Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did it for me. It is clear that serving the least of our brothers means more to the Lord than serving the unneeded. Similarly, loving our enemies is more meritorious than loving our best friends who never give us any trouble. Love sets no conditions and does not know when to stop.  

Going Eternal with God

        Communion time thoughts. God has no beginning nor end. He gives me my beginning and end in this world, and will give me a new beginning in the next life with no end ~ that's right, no end! 

Let Christ Be Known

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25 at Mass, we heard the parable of the talents. It made me ask if I am being useful to the Lord, for anyone lazy will lose whatever he has. Fr. M in the homily correctly pointed out that we don't share with others enough about Christ to evangelize. We should not only be good examples, but good Christian examples. Anyone who is ashamed of saying the name of Jesus, the Lord will be ashamed of. 

Another Great Feeling

        Last Friday, I posted that the best feeling we can possibly have is knowing that we are on good terms with God. It goes without saying that the companion great feeling is knowing that we are heaven bound. With this awareness, our outlook on life is completely changed. We are now content, joyful, detached from the world, and always thankful to God.   

Holy Eucharist Power

        The Holy Eucharist is the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. When we receive the Blessed Sacrament, we receive God our creator and the creator of the universe into us. Believing this enables the Lord to make us anew into saints. It is Jesus who can perfect us. Let God do great things with us and through us. Rejoice!  

Great Achievement

        A European robot probe launched into space by scientists ten years ago has successfully landed on a small comet 500 million km away from Earth. This is certainly a great feat. Yesterday I watched the documentary Design Is One on the renowned couple Massimo and Lella Vignelli. They are indeed accomplished designers in many areas. These are just two examples of what mankind can achieve. Then I thought of how any one of us can perform a simple act to please God. Would that be considered an achievement? I say yes because it is appreciated by God. In fact, any act expressly expressing one's love for God is greater than building the Great Wall or the Great Pyramid, or any achievement not expressly aimed at pleasing God.

Feeling Unworthy

        Communion experience. I felt I was totally unworthy for the Lord to enter me. It was the encounter of the infinite and zero. Who am I to receive such grace, such love! Then I realized that no one is worthy before the Lord and he came to lift us up precisely because we were unworthy. 

Best Feeling You Can Have

        I had mentioned in the past that you cannot possibly beat the feeling knowing that you are on good terms with God. In today's first reading from 2 John at Mass, John mentioned "walking in the truth" and "to remain in the teaching of the Christ" ~ these are ways to achieve that. In the Gospel acclamation from Luke 21.28, Jesus told us to stand erect and raise our heads at his Second Coming when our redemption is at hand. How good it is to welcome him with no fear at judgment time! Be in union with the Lord now and you'll be ready for that. When you give yourself over to God, you gain everything, including the Lord! The best feeling in the world is then knowing that you are getting along perfectly with your most beloved.    

Never Alone

        It dawned on me that when I am in union with Christ, I am in union with the Father, the Holy Spirit, the holy angels, the Blessed Mother, and all the other saints ~ how can I ever be lonely?

World Lost

        A quick survey of the types of movies on Netflix shows clearly that the world mostly does not know God and is lost. With no guidance, films are made to entertain with no consideration of moral consequences ~ reflecting messed-up lives, empty existence. We have the sad state of the blind leading the blind.

Greatest Miracle Worker

        Today's Communion experience. I do not drink anything alcoholic, but today I was drunk with peace and contentment after receiving the Lord. He's the one who can perfect our love and make us selfless ~ he's our greatest miracle worker!  

Love Intoxicating

        Today is the Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Inspired by Mother Cabrini's love, my two thoughts are (1) we are God's treasure and (2) Christ is in each one of us. Christ loves us because we are his treasure ~ there's no greater love than his love for us! How can we not rejoice? How can we not rejoice? Because of this great love, we need to love others as he loves them. Seeing Christ in each person is the best way to help us love them. It's all about love. To be in the circle of God is to be transformed by his love. It's the most perfect circle you can possibly belong to. How fortunate we are!

Speaking as God

        Today's Communion antiphon (Matthew 10.39): Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it in eternity, says the Lord. Unless Jesus didn't know what he's talking about, he had to be telling the absolute truth as God.

Faith Moves God

        Reading from Luke 17 continued at morning Mass. Today Jesus healed ten lepers and only one returned, fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. Jesus said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." Elsewhere in the Gospels, many were healed because of their faith. Faith is the conduit needed for transmitting God's power. When you have difficulty believing and still believe, that faith is even more valuable.

Serving Attitude

        Today is the Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, the first saint who was not a martyr. In the Gospel reading Luke 17.7-10, Jesus said to the Apostles, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" It's clear that the correct attitude for us is to concentrate solely upon serving the Lord ~ the reward will only come after we've done what we've been asked. In other words, God first always.

Get Ready for the Unexpected

        Someone I knew just died of a heart attack unexpectedly at age 40 ~ a big shock to all who knew him. When I was young, I learned to expect the unexpected by regularly setting money aside for unforeseen emergencies ~ a practice which I believe is obsolete with most of today's young people. Adults buying life insurance, saving enough money for retirement, etc., are all good planning, but the truly wise would get ready for the next life by putting themselves in God's hands now. This is having common sense plus foresight, what the Lord kept reminding us when he was on earth.

In God's Company

        Today's Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I really felt that I was in God's company and thereby safe from all evil.

All for Love

        It's good to be back to attending daily Mass again. Today is the Memorial of St. Leo the Great. In the Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus said to his disciples, "If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him." To rebuke and to forgive are two sides of the same coin, both done out of love. If a brother sins, it's better to say something to him and be disliked than not to say anything. In the latter case, you'd be committing a sin of omission. To be ready to forgive always shows that you do not judge and are not annoyed by the sinner. Love knows no bounds.

Power Source

        How many blessings you'll get through receiving the Holy Eucharist depends upon how much you believe in the sacrament and how much you desire from the Lord. To those who believe and ask for much, much will be given. The Holy Eucharist has the power to heal our soul, making us whole.

Whom to Follow

        Follow only God. Follow others only if it's part of following God.

Praying for Our Children

        In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham by asking him to offer up his only son Isaac as a burnt offering, and Abraham willingly complied. Since he passed the test, the angel of the Lord prevented him from laying his hand on the boy. Here's a great lesson for us who pray for our children that have lost the faith in which they were brought up. Like Abraham, we must put our trust entirely in God.  

Most Valuable to God

        Stock prices go up and down and real estate values rise and fall, but our value to God remains unchanging, for he loves us with an everlasting love. Rejoice that we are God's most valuable creation in the universe.

Key to Freedom

        We normally regard ourselves to be more important than anything else. Therefore, if we can give ourselves to God, we can give everything else to him too. Then we are free! 

Seeing the Truth

        Anyone recognizing who Jesus is sees the truth, and the truth will set that person free. (John 8.32)

Sin Defined

        In the broad sense, sin is any act that is self-centered. Therefore, living a God-centered life eliminates all sins.

Our Need for Attachment

        We cannot live alone ~ human beings need to attach themselves to something that can provide them with rest. Obviously, attaching ourselves to another human being just like us is no solution. Attaching ourselves to material things or abstract ideas cannot be a permanent fix either. That leaves God the only one for us to attach to for good. 

Make Catholic Life Exciting

        One must not settle for being merely Catholic. To glorify God, one must seek union with him to live the exciting Catholic life. (We have the Holy Eucharist!)

Fulfilled Life

        A fulfilled life is one that was empty, but is now completely occupied by God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The soul is now both free and secure.

How Open Are You to God?

        Two testing questions: (1) Are you willing to let God show you what's in your heart? (2) Are you willing to let him take away what should not be there?

Blotting Out Sins

        Know that Jesus can take away not only your sins, but also your tendency to sin when you attain union with him.

How Jesus Converts Us

        Every human life has happy moments and unhappy ones with more or less peaceful periods spaced inbetween them. On the practical level, living for Jesus simply converts us by giving us the healthy, balanced outlook on life and the strength and courage to deal with all the unhappy things of life.   

Humility Matters

        It's being smart to know that you have limitations and being stupid to think that you know it all. 

On Loving God

        We should love God ~ the important question is how much we love him. Do we love him more than anything else? Do we love him only? 

Must-See Truth

        In this world there are millions and millions of things for us to get interested in, but only love matters as Jesus has made it amply clear. Until we see this truth, we cannot know God and be transformed by him.

Mutually Exclusive

        As darkness cannot exist where light is present, no evil can originate from us who are filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Learning from the Lord

        For the next few weeks, I'll be away and unable to post anything, but I'll take note of anything coming from the Lord and post them all sometime after November 7. If my posts are edifying to some, they are basically lessons meant for me. This process of learning has been delightful, for there is no studying, no memorizing, no hard thinking, no lectures to attend, no homework to do, and no exams to take ~ I simply wait for the Lord to place his teaching in my heart. 

Secure in Jesus

        My first thought was that amidst this godless world in which powerful secular forces can easily drown or sweep one away, we must hold tight onto Christ. Then this morning before Mass started, the Lord made me see that I, as one of his sheep, was already linked securely to him. Jesus says in John 10.28: I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand ~ most assuring.  

Inspiring Example

        http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28863019: God bless this Buddhist philanthropist. Christians can learn from her humility and generosity.

Heaven vs. Hell

        If you are in heaven for one second, you'll experience such joy in God's everlasting love that you would want everyone to go there.

        If you are in hell for a second, you'll experience such horror from eternal separation from God that you would not want anyone to go there.

A Sad Tale

        I know of one very aggressive person ~ she would try to crush anyone who she believes has offended her. Let me embellish my story a bit. Say that she becomes so powerful that everyone stays out of her way. Some twenty years later, she dies. Now she's just a puny soul with absolutely zero power before the Lord ~ only God's mercy can save her. It's a tale with a rather sad ending. Indeed, as Jesus said, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"          

Outer and Inner Joys

        The public in general enjoys watching sports. Look at the cheerleading and exciting fans at sport events. I attended a university that was a football power and wouldn't think of missing a game. Even when the weather was freezing, I and other rooters did not mind wrapping ourselves in thick blankets and shivering for over three hours through the entire game. Of course, when our team won, we felt great joy and celebrated wildly. This is the kind of outer joy that takes over one through the senses. 

        God gives us great joy too, but he does it completely in the opposite way. For God, our heart is the primary target. When we are open to him, only he can gain access to it. He wants to shape our heart because what it is, we are. When the Lord deposits joy in our heart, it's there, bypassing all the senses. And this joy bursts forth like a fountain, infiltrating our entire being. This is the inner joy that only God can give, surpassing all other joys. It's definitely heavenly!  

Do We Hear?

        God is always trying to tell us something. We can learn from everything that happens to us. With global Ebola outbreak deaths rising above 4,000, I wonder how many of us even think that there is a message for us there.

How to Be Happy

        A self-centered person cares only about self-preservation and himself enjoying life. If everyone is self-centered, a world with only-take-and-no-give people would cease to function properly and be in turmoil. Flat stated, self-centered living causes unhappiness. It follows that we can be happy if we take ourselves out of the picture by giving ourselves to God ~ a simple theory that has been proven correct by the lives of many saints and others.   

All for God

        Communion experience. Today after receiving the Lord, all I could do was to say "all for you," meaning that every thought, every word, and every action are to be offered to Christ. Why? Because he has already shown me that this is the only way to live a happy, fulfilled, and meaningful life, him being God.

Asking for Prayer

       http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29519109: This news came out two days ago ~ I didn't think of asking for prayer online until now. Please urgently pray for Fr. Hanna and his parishioners. It's natural that we pray for the victims, those who are on our side, or those whom we perceive to be good people; but do not forget that God loves everyone equally and commands us to love our enemies. In fact, those who create victims are the ones who are in most need of God's mercy. Therefore, pray for both sides. Never be stingy with prayers.