God Indispensable

        When we find it difficult to love others, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love to be poured out on others. When we have sins to overcome, we go deep into God and he fills us with his pure love, banishing all evil desires. When we seek peace and freedom, we go deep into God and he fills us with his sweet love, dispelling all our anxieties and attachment to the world. When our hearts are troubled, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love that heals the soul. The Lord fights all the battles for us! Absolutely, we cannot live (or survive) without him.   

How We Die Matters

       The current big news story is the mass killing of 12 people at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine whose cartoons have mocked politicians, bankers, the police, and religion (both Jesus and Pope Benedict were targets). Apparently, the published mockery of the Prophet Muhammad has triggered this horrible attack by some extreme Islamists.  

        I am not judging anyone, but I'd like to point out that making fun of others may be fun, but as Christians, we must always respect others' feelings. We live in an evil, dangerous world ~ all the more we need to be holy. One day we'll face God and he's going to ask us not just how we have lived, but also how we died. Would you feel comfortable telling him that you got killed for making fun of others? Be holy so that you'll be blameless when he asks you that question.

Hidden Prejudice

        I have sensed in myself that there are certain things I see, or hear or read about I just don't much care for, for no apparent reasons. Since they are minor, I don't bother to analyze what the underlying reasons might be. But today I ask the Holy Spirit to wipe out all my hidden prejudices so that I may be more perfect in God's love and be completely fair in dealing with others in all things.

Jesus Not to Be missed!

        With a God who created the infinite universe and died for us out of love, who am I to question or reject him? Do you question him because you've been conditioned to never trust anyone? Do you question because you believe that science can explain everything? Perhaps you reject God because you've been seduced by the world? Do you reject him because you are looking for a god to your liking, if you are looking at all? Jesus is not to be missed ~ remain open and still to let him gather you in his arms. Life is short, and you'll never have another chance again for all eternity!

Believing in Infinity

        The Hubble Space Telescope has taken some amazing pictures in space. This link http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30699647 takes you to a report on BBC News today. The second picture is a shot of the Andromeda Galaxy, our own Milky Way's big neighbor, two million light-years away. Just how far away is two million light-years in miles? A little calculation gives the answer: 11,756,999,620,000,000,000, almost 12 billion billion miles! As far as today's astronomers know, there are billions of galaxies out there. I have no problem with a universe that is infinite, knowing that our God is infinite in every way. 

God Comes to Me!

        Today's Communion experience. God came to me. I was called to his supper and fed the living bread that came down from heaven; I didn't even have to be in heaven! 

Message of Love

        In today's 1st reading from 1 John 4, the Apostle made it clear that God is love. We all more or less know how to love, but God showed us what love should be like when he sent his only Son into the world to die for us. I can now say that God came to purify our love and show us that life should be all about learning how to love. This is the message for all, Christians or non-Christians.

Sin Disturbs Peace

        As long as we sin, we will not experience inner peace, for sin causes unrest and turmoil within us. This is how God has made us. That's why when we repent of our sins and become reconciled to God, we gain inner peace again.

How to Find God

        In case you are still searching for God, here is the best attitude to assume. It is the same as for those who seek union with God. The goal is to know God, so the keyword again is "passive." You will not find God if you actively search everywhere, reading all kinds of books, etc. Believe that he exists and tell him that you want to know him. Then remain humble, passive, and open, waiting for him to speak to your heart. 

Better than Winning the Lottery

      Perhaps everyone in his lifetime has dreamed of winning the lottery. In reality, the chance of winning any lottery for anyone is infinitesimal. And when someone wins, he is the sole winner. Does winning make the winner any happier in the end? Not according to one documentary I watched on past lottery winners. 

      Dreaming that you succeed in entering heaven is a much better choice. Chances are you'll surely succeed if you follow certain instructions. There is no limit to how many people can win. And winning guarantees everlasting happiness.  

We Must Decide

        Today is the Memorial of St. John Neumann. The Communion antiphon, Matthew 19.29, reads: Everyone who has given up home, brothers, or sisters, father or mother, wife or children or property for my sake will receive many times as much and inherit everlasting life. Suppose you do not know that Jesus had said it and hear someone else saying it now, you would definitely think that the speaker must be crazy to make such a promise unless, of course, the speaker happens to be God. This is just another saying of Jesus that compels us to decide whether he was a crazy man or is God.   

Anxiety-Free Living

        I talked about how we should live the present moment, not the past nor the future. This means that we focus upon doing God's will every moment. Living as such will inevitably lead us to our final destination of bliss in heaven. 

To See My Bad Side

        Communion experience. I wanted the Lord to reveal all my faults and shortcomings.

Close the Gap

        A gap usually exists between what one preaches and what one practices. Perhaps it's a the-heart-is-willing-but-the-flesh-is-weak case. Perhaps it's just easily said than done. One can talk about God all the time but fail to show love in one instance. This is the gap I want to bring attention to. Only with God's help can we live up to our own expectations.

Move On, Focus, and Forget

        Each of us has many experiences in life that seem hard to forget. Most recently, someone turned out to be not the person he had made others believe him to be ~ that was both a surprise and a disappointment. It made me think that one should never trust anyone fully. Then the right thought came to me: We should move on, focus upon God alone, and forget all else that disturbs our peace. 

Receiving the Triune God

        Communion experience. It's not just Jesus entering me; it's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ~ the glorious Holy Trinity ~ all entering me!

To Be in the Gospel

        Today's Gospel reading was John 1:29-34. To see all the amazing things, you must put yourself in the scene, in the story. Listening to the Gospel read as a bystander won't do you any good. In the reading, John the Baptist claimed that he did not know Jesus, yet when he saw Jesus coming toward him, he referred to him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world ~ God must have revealed this to John. John also proclaimed that Jesus existed before him. We know that John was born before Jesus, so he must be referring to Jesus' eternal existence. John also testified that he saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon Jesus. Last he said, "Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." ~ quite amazing that from the very beginning, John already knew and announced publicly who Jesus is. 

How to Sin No More

        Reading 1 at morning Mass came from 1 John. The last verse read from Chapter 3 stuck in my mind: No one who remains in him (Jesus Christ) sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Therefore, know Jesus and remain in him and we no longer sin.

Involving the Heart

       I've been photographing on and off my whole life. I learned photography by reading many books on the subject. At the beginning, not knowing what to look for, I just took a lot of pictures and tried to find any good ones I might have shot. Gradually, I began to let my heart tell me if what I see is worth being photographed or not. That is, I looked for images that connect with me visually, emotionally, or even at the spiritual level. The result was that no longer did I waste any shots and what I captured always revealed my personal vision, identifying me as the photographer. This has been a most satisfying experience.
        I bring this up because I see that seeking holiness is somewhat analogous to becoming an accomplished photographer. Reading spiritual books, joining prayer groups, and participating in other such activities can definitely inspire you to become holy; but if you want to reach sainthood, you must approach God with an open heart and make connection with him directly, as in seeking union with him.  

Heaven Is Ready

        Today being 1st Friday of the month, we had Eucharistic adoration after Mass. The "O saving Victim" was sung. It went like this:

   
         O saving Victim, op'ning wide

         The gate of heaven to all below,

         Our foes press on from ev'ry side;

         Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.

The first two lines got my attention ~ the gate of heaven is wide open! This means that God is ready for us to go back to him! What's holding us up?   

What Can We Give to God?

        At Mass again this morning, when the bread was being consecrated, the priest broke the host and said as Jesus did at the Last Supper, "Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my body which will be given up for you." I heard Jesus giving up his own body! I started to think what I can give up for him ~ I came up with nothing because there is nothing I can consider to be mine. All I could do was abandoning myself to the Lord. 

       Next thought. If we truly have nothing that's ours, then why so many of us are keeping so many things in this world to themselves?      

Road to Holiness

        To want to be holy is laudable. Many books, videos, homilies, TV programs, workshops, etc., can be inspiring, but by what means can we make progress? The logical answer is to let God help us. How? Again, seeking union with God is the way ~ you receive immediate, direct help from the Lord along the way and you are holy when you reach union with him. 

Are You Honest with God?

        We all tend to protect ourselves and keep secrets to ourselves. Hence, opening ourselves up completely to God is not easy, something we normally don't think of doing. To be honest with God is to be willing to let God see everything in your heart and in your mind ~ if he reveals things that shouldn't be there, you must be willing to let God root them out even to the point swallowing your pride to make amends. If you are not ready for that, God is not yet an integral part of your life. 

We Belong in God's Family

        Today is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. In the 2nd reading from Galatians 4, Paul tells us that through the work of Christ we are now adopted sons and daughters, also heirs, of God. This makes me see that God has always considered us to be his own, never outside the family. He will never reject us, only us rejecting him. With this awareness, we can confidently follow Christ to our home ~ great news!  

False Living

      All hopes not placed in God are false hopes. Worshiping pop stars, name brands, glamour, wealth, economic power . . . and not the true God is false worship. It's sad that people have built their own little Berlin wall around them to keep God out and continue to live in false hopes, false dreams, and with false beliefs. Make us see the light, Lord!

Christ Is Hope!

        On this 1st day of 2015, I wish I can start posting on a happy note, but I was disturbed and saddened by the news yesterday that a 17-year-old transgender teenager in Ohio committed suicide after years of struggling with her Christian parents' refusal to acknowledge her true identity as a female. I know that there are lots of people out there who are depressed for different reasons, feeling that there is no hope for them anymore ~ how I wish, how I wish I can convey to and convince them that Christ is our hope, that he is the answer, that he is the help they need, and that he loves them and can turn everything around for them! Help us, Lord.

Year-End Proclamation

        We already know that Jesus is Love infinite. I'd like to proclaim to the whole world that Jesus is also Joy boundless!        

Best Resolution for New Year

        Many people are making resolutions now for the New Year. They tend to impose these resolutions upon themselves mechanically without asking for God's help. There is only one resolution you need to make: Turn to God and resolve that with his help you will let him do whatever he wants with your heart. Say it sincerely from your heart and wait for wonderful things to happen to you.

Year-End Thoughts + Request

        Today is the last day of 2014. Other parts of the world have already celebrated the new year. We are all older, but if we are also holier and more ready to meet the Lord, then we are on the right track. I'd like to ask all to pray daily for what you consider to be your enemies during the coming year.

Progression of Sin Analyzed

      All sins begin with an impure heart. The mind receives the thought first, making entertaining sinful thoughts the most common sin. Left unchecked, the sin propels the sinner into action, and the easy action to take is to speak words. Hence, sinning in words is the next most common sin, often causing others to sin in their thoughts and words. The other action is to perform the deed to fulfill the sinful intention. This sin may be the least common of the three here, but it can affect others devastatingly. 

God's Overwhelming Love

        Communion experience. In John 6.51, Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." I actually received this bread from heaven without having to go there! What a gift! What a privilege! The Lord "pampering" his children again! 

Testifying to Christ

        It was read in today's Gospel reading from John 1 that John the Baptist came to testify to Christ, the light; he cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" I too can testify to Christ as the light, our Savior. I am certain because God has spoken to my heart through his love ~ there's nothing more I need to know.

God Makes It Easy for Us

        Today's Gospel acclamation at Mass from John 1: The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him he gave power to become the children of God. May I point out again how easy God has made it for us to be saved?

Power at Our Beck and Call

        Communion experience. Almighty God condescended to enter puny me ~ all that superpower now dwelling in my heart. How could I not let it transform me?

Better Being Slave than Ruler

        Communion time thought. To be a "slave" of God is infinitely better than to be the ruler of the world. (I put slave in quotes because it's through obedience to God that one gains full freedom.) 

Joy of Being Christian

        To be a Christian is to be joy-filled. The joy comes from having heard the good news of salvation and tasted the sweetness of Jesus. If you don't feel any joy as a Christian, you just have not got it right yet.

*How Lovely Our God!

        I love the Communion antiphon a week ago, which was Revelation 3.20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. The tone of how anything is said reveals very much the one who says it. Here I clearly sense how polite, gentle, patient, considerate, and longing Jesus is, to the point I feel sorry for him. I am not even worthy to wait on the Lord and he invites me to dine with him? This is how lovely my loving God is!

Our Big Choice

        We are the trophy in a battle God and Satan engage in as God wants to save us, while Satan in rebellion wants to destroy us. We lean toward Satan because it makes an easy, attractive choice, unless we are acutely aware of the dire consequence involved. Therefore, I see here more "Man vs. God" than "Satan vs. God" because our right choice can put Satan out of the picture. Think about it ~ we and God always win or lose together! 

Discernment Advice

        When God leads us to do something, he would never want us to feel anxious about it. Therefore, if you think of something you want to do for God with anxiety, it could not have come from God.

No Getting-Old Blues

        When we clearly see signs of old age in us, we should not lament that our time on earth is getting shorter, but rejoice in the fact that our time of seeing Christ is getting equally shorter. Let this joy wipe out all our sorrows.  

Submitting to the Holy Spirit

        I have not said enough about the Holy Spirit in this blog. The Holy Spirit to me is the one who can change our lives. He is the one who can make us anew and keep us refreshed. In church at Mass this morning, I gave my mind, heart, and soul all to the Holy Spirit again so that there would be left in me only the consciousness that I am a child of God our Father.

We Can Be Ready Too

        Today's Gospel reading from Luke 2 was on the Presentation of the child Jesus in the temple. The holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon, a righteous and devout man, that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. When the parents brought in the child Jesus for presentation, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation." Although we do not see Jesus with our eyes, we can see, hear, and feel him in our heart and be ready to go in peace too.

To Live Jesus

        Today's entrance antiphon at Mass is John 3.16: God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life. God made it so simple for us! Jesus died so that we may live! Let's seek union with him so that we may live Jesus.

Ego No Beauty

        Exercising your ego may make you feel good, but it also makes you look puffed-up and ugly to those who can spot you, let alone God.

Feeling Good

        There are many things I enjoy doing, such as expressing myself through photography, playing the piano, writing this blog, evangelizing for Christ, etc. But if I don't get to do any or all of these things, that's OK too. It feels so good to be able to say this!

Something About Jesus

        Have you noticed that we feel comfortable talking about sports, cars, politics, movies, cooking . . . just about any subject, among friends or acquaintances, yet when the subject is Jesus, people start feeling uncomfortable? Might it be because Jesus is God? The Lord himself said that he had come not to bring peace, but rather division (Luke 12.51). God intends to save, not please, everyone. If you feel uncomfortable with the Lord, then you have a problem.          

We Have Been Saved!

        I checked in on the site Pope Francis ~ Latest News (link in my Good Sites, Blogs, Web Pages... list). I found the Holy Father saying in one news piece that we have already been saved. This struck me as being true, since Jesus has come and done all the work necessary for us to be saved. God is ready so that if we believe and cooperate with him, we become shoo-ins. We are not saved only if we don't want to believe and be saved. 

Secret of Salvation

        Jesus gave us the commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Today the Lord made me see that he had given us here both a measuring stick for and a test of our love for him. It also reveals the secret of our salvation.  

To Be Childlike Again

        Communion thoughts. When a child is brought up by good parents, the child does not have to worry about its own survival. The child just plays without a care in the world, knowing that the parents are taking care of him or her. Now that we are adults, we should be childlike again, this time trusting God in taking complete care of us.

Becoming Burden-Free

        Our heart feels all kinds of burdens because we treat them as burdens. We do not trust in God because we don't let ourselves do it. In other words, we are our only burden. Therefore, if we can give ourselves to God completely, we become burden-free. That is, live for God and we are free. Pure logical reasoning has revealed this simple truth. And it sounds right too.