Thanks to Our Enemies

        What good is it to have enemies? For one thing, they drive us closer to God. 

Forever One

        Communion experience. Love penetrated my heart and permeated my soul ~ how could I ever let my Lord go?

Power of Prayer

        Go deep into God and he makes you perfect.

Wise Living

        Do everything right yourself before correcting others' wrongs.

Beautiful Journey

        This is following Christ, always moving forward and never looking back.        

The Gift of Suffering

        When you undergo suffering and truly realize how much Christ has suffered for your sake, you are drawn into deep union with him. In such a state, you become totally dependent upon him and acutely aware of good and evil. In the depth of God, all impurities are cleansed from your soul. Since these effects are permanent, accepting sufferings for the sake of Christ can definitely lead one to holiness.    

Uncertainties Are Blessings

        Uncertainty about what is going to happen to us always makes us feel uneasy. If you know that some evil might materialize to crush you, you begin to experience what the Lord must have felt when he went through the agony in the garden. This would be the perfect time to get on your knees and abandon yourself entirely to God until you feel the deep union between you and him. So uncertainties are blessings. And, you know what, God always shields and delivers you from evil and restores your peace at the end. 

Dying Honorably for God

        On January 8, I posted How We Die Matters on the recent mass killing at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. I mentioned that I wouldn't feel comfortable telling the Lord that I got killed for making fun of others. Today I thought I would feel the same if I died of a heart attack because someone made me angry or deliberately hurt me emotionally. Therefore, I would remain forgiving by placing my entire trust in the Lord. Dying as the result of my own sin is not dying for God. 

God's Presence

        As I was taking a morning walk, praying the Luminous Rosary on a beautiful day, I saw that if I were walking behind Jesus, I would be absolutely fearless knowing that he was right with me. Then I asked myself why shouldn't I feel this way, knowing that he was with me in spirit. His spiritual presence, of course, is independent of his physical appearance.

Never Get Discouraged

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7 at morning Mass, a Greek woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit came to Jesus and fell at his feet. She begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the fool of the children and throw it to the dogs." She replied and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under that table eat the children's scraps." Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter." Sometimes the Lord just tests us, and we mustn't get discouraged. In fact, we should never be discouraged, for the Lord holds all our hopes in him. 

Most Important Safety Measure

        If we keep our heart clean and pure, evil cannot touch us and our soul is safe. This is our most important protection. Now we can let everything else go and let God take care of our body and mind as well.

Dealing with the Heart

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7 at morning Mass, Jesus said, "What comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile." We can say that God deals with the heart. We are daily dealing with the heart too. For our own heart, as long as we keep it clean, we should have no fear of evil. To convert anyone, it is the heart we should aim at.  

Not to Shock You

        With the world abounding with evil, unexpected shocking things can happen to anyone. If you cling to the Lord, you'll come through safe. But there is one shock that's absolutely the worst which you'll never get over, but is preventable if you think ahead: that is the shock of finding yourself in hell.  

Drawing the Line

        It's OK to feel sorrowful, but not OK to be bitter.

Suffering, an Opportunity

        When things go hunky-dory, it's easy to trust in God. The test comes when things no longer go well ~ this is the time to trust him even more. No one knows suffering better than the Lord himself and he will pull your through with him.

Going After the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6 at morning Mass, people recognized Jesus and quickly brought in the sick to him. They begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed. What's clear to me here is that those people had faith. When we pray for someone for healing, we often do it out of duty without conviction. I see and believe that the Lord wants us to truly desire what we ask for and ask for it with no reservation. It's going after the Lord intensely. When you have faith, you don't even think about it. 

God Is Huge!

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1 at Mass, Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law who was sick with a fever. Later in the evening, he cured many who were sick with various diseases as well as drove many demons out of those who were possessed. Obviously, the Lord can do anything. Without him, there would be nothing. With him, wonders and amazing happenings abound. The following are all huge events: his coming into the world, revealing his love for us, his Resurrection, Ascension . . . we just can't take them for granted. He is Alpha and Omega. As the center of our universe, and he also wants to be your center. If God does not appear huge in your life, then you must be living a pretty mundane life.  

Supernatural Encounter

        Communion experience. Christ lifted me out of this world ~ he changed my spiritual status and set my destiny. There's nothing more I could ask for.

Identifying the Bad Guys

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 6 at morning Mass, Jesus saw the vast crowd and his heart moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Today's world is in the same situation, as vast numbers of its population drift through life not knowing where they are heading. God does not change: he is still moved with pity for us. If there is going to be any hope for our salvation, we must realize that we are the ones stubborn and rebellious, remaining blind and deaf to the Lord. 

Best Friend

        If you agree that how good a friend you have is measured by how well you and your friend know each other, then God absolutely has to be the best possible friend you can ever have, for he knows you through and through and you know that he is forever trustworthy and unchanging in loving you.

Feeling the Need for God

        We do not feel the need for God because we live in a busy world ~ there are the numerous, necessary chores to perform just to stay alive and the myriad material, secular distractions surrounding us, vying for our attention. We even forget that everything is passing. Now, when you have a chance to be in solitude, forget all about the things that keep you busy and distracted and see yourself alone, existing in the vast space of the universe for the time being, which is reality. If you feel that life as such is empty, then you need God, who is ready to house you in a heavenly place for all eternity!

Secret of Peace Stated

        Another insight received during the Holy Hour. The secret of peace can be stated thus: Have no desire of your own; only follow the Lord.       

Intimate Exchange

        While kneeing before the Lord in the Holy Eucharist during the Holy Hour, I saw the perfect time to carry on an exchange with the Lord ~ I told him anything in my heart I felt like sharing and knew that he would tell me anything he would want me to know. We were like equals: I gave all of myself to the Lord while he gave all of himself to me ~ the intimacy wiped out all barriers between us. It was one of the most worthwhile hours you could possibly spend on earth.

*Key to Knowing the Lord

        While walking in solitude to attend an evening Holy Hour at the local seminary, the Lord revealed to me that anyone who is pure will become his most intimate friend. So it's sin that prevents us from knowing him!

Appropriate Utterance

        Today is the Memorial of St. Agatha. The optional Memorial Psalm Response was: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit from Psalms 31. Before Jesus breathed his last on the cross, he cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." After receiving Holy Communion, I felt that this utterance was also most appropriate for us to express our readiness to abandon ourselves to God. 

A Prayer Request

        Christians are currently being persecuted in various countries around the world. Read this report http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31124837 about the young Christian girl Asia Bibi facing the death sentence in Pakistan. Even though an earlier report had shown that the charge of blasphemy against her was framed, she is still not out of the woods yet. So I ask you to pray for the victim and her family. Moreover, pray also for the persecutors who usually need God's mercy even more. We include all because God loves us all.

Unbreakable Bond

        Communion experience. I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist and felt the strong bond between us ~ there is absolutely nothing that can break his love for me. I knew that he would always defend me.

More on Free Will

        I went to morning Mass and heard today's Gospel reading from Mark 6. Jesus was not appreciated in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house. In fact, many who heard him teach in the synagogue took offense at him. Because of their lack of faith, Jesus wasn't able to perform any mighty deed. Despite the rejection he received, he did not force anyone to believe in him. This confirms what I said in the previous post about not forcing anyone's free will. Naturally, God does create circumstances in which we willingly change our hearts to follow him.  

Thoughts on Free Will

        There are some religions in the world that force others to believe in what they believe in. If you don't go along, you are in danger of being charged with blasphemy and put to death. This made me think why God gave us the free will in the first place. With free will, faith becomes meaningful. If we are forced to believe, then there is no real faith. When Jesus preached his good news, whether we believe in him or not is our choice ~ he never browbeat us. So I see free will as a God-given gift we should leave each individual to exercise freely. To control it is to go against what God has intended. This means that we are to evangelize by example and not by force.

Acquiring Perfection

        Communion experience. Perfection entered me ~ the perfect time to let the Lord rub off on me. 

Condition of Accepting God

        Since God is love, to accept God you must believe that he loves you.

Praying with Faith

        The Lord made me see at Mass this morning that praying with faith is praying with the knowledge that he will answer your prayer, but without any concern about how he is going to answer it.  

God's Omniscience

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 5 at Mass, a woman afflicted with hemorrhages came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched his cloak, and was immediately cured. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my cloths?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, Who touched me?" What's clear to me is that God is aware of everything we do. Darkness is no place to hide ~ in the light of Christ, all is exposed. This is of great consolation to me, knowing that all wrongs will be corrected in the end, since God sees everything.

Longing for God Is...

the sign that his love has penetrated your heart so that you have fallen in love with him.

Our Beautiful Hope

        In John 10.10, Jesus said, "I came so that they [his sheep] might have life and have it more abundantly." God is the source of life ~ he creates new life or makes old life new. Therefore, we can always begin afresh in God ~ this is the hope we possess, a hope his sheep greatly appreciate and rejoice in.

Number One Reality

        We live in a real world. Not facing reality can only be considered cowardly or foolish. We all are going to die one day; our sins rob us of peace; we question the meaning of life . . . these are just some of the realities we all share. But the most important reality is that God our creator is love as revealed through Jesus the Son. Upon our return to him, we'll have to give an account of how we dealt with realities in this life. Acknowledging the reality of God sheds light on all other realities, enabling us to face them with courage and understanding.

One the Use of Our Free Will

        God gave us the free will. Do not let it roam free; but put it to good use by choosing to follow Christ always. With the will of God being the same as yours, you may now retire your free will for good.  

Only Perfect Way to Go

        After posting over 4,000 times, there are not many new things for me to say. I now either say the same thing in a new way or see the same thing more clearly. This morning at Mass I saw most clearly that total abandonment in God (total immersion in his love) is the ideal, only perfect way to go. Anything falling short of that may not be good enough, for God deserves absolutely our best, our all. Whatever we do or wish for should be done or asked in total abandonment to him without anxieties. We are meant to surrender ourselves to God for him to accomplish all things through us.

What I Need

        Communion experience. Jesus alone is enough for me.

Responding to God

        Learning about God through others' writings, speeches, and experiences can be inspirational, but God is so magnificent, beautiful, great, magnanimous, and glorious that you need to "tackle" him yourself directly in order to taste him. Seeking union with him is the ideal way ~ we need to give our all in order to receive him in full. This is responding to his calling and his infinite love.

Correct All Wrongs

        There is only one life for us to live on earth. If you have not loved enough, forgiven, or tried to understand others, get all your wrongs corrected before leaving this world so that you may face the Lord without trepidation. Better yet, seek union with God now so that you will know only how to love. All sins are deadweights that keep us earthbound. Drop them so that you may soar heavenward. 

Living Unplanned

        Life rarely works out exactly as planned. I had never thought that one day I would end up where I am living now. If six years ago someone had told me that I would be writing a spiritual blog, I wouldn't have any idea what that person was talking about. This morning I ended up having to wait a long time to get my car tested for smog and the car did not even pass, all unexpectedly, upsetting the schedule I had mentally planned. Therefore, the sensible way to live is to trust in God every moment, come what may.  

God-Centered Living Is...

doing everything for the glory of God. "Everything" includes not only praying for others, serving others, and other good works, but also thinking, speaking, washing dishes, performing house chores, and everything else. Honoring God, the Alpha and the Omega, becomes our sole motivation. This is transcendental living!   

Daily Cycle

        All day long I know that God loves me. Even if you don't feel it, just read the Gospels and you'll know undeniably that Jesus died in our place so that we might enjoy eternal life. Then the morning comes around and I receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist at Mass and am completely reconciled to him again. There is nothing more I shall lack.

Complete Fulfillment

        Today's Communion experience. How good it is to receive the Lord who has given me the gift of faith, wiping out all uncertainties! And how good it feels to know that I am loved by him! 

Perfect Contentment

        Communion experience. Having received Christ, my soul was ready to leave the world to go to him.

Foremost Life Aim

        Union with God is meaningful for us because God has the power to heal and draw our soul. On earth, such union between two imperfect humans is just not possible. It is through union with God that we have communion of the saints and become all sons and daughters of God the Father. Therefore, seeking union with God should be our foremost aim in life.

Criteria for Choice

        Do not look for a religion that merely makes you feel comfortable. Rather, seek the true God of Christ through his Church, who can transform you to fall in love with him.

World versus God

        The world feeds our ego with temporary pleasures to enslave us, but God fills our heart with permanent joy that frees us.

Losing Jesus

        I attended the late morning Sunday Mass today. After Liturgy of the Eucharist started, I suddenly felt what it would be like should I lose Jesus forever ~ the horrible feeling was absolute desolation, the worst ever possible gloom. Now I know what eternal separation from God would feel like. May no one ever end up in the nether world.