No Escape from God

        Since God has created all things, and we are nothing without him, we might as well put our trust in him in all things from start to finish. This is being plain sensible and realistic.

Our Move

        God has offered us salvation. Christ came and died in our place, so the work had been done. The next move is ours. We must be willing to accept the good news and believe in it. And the Lord is waiting. The correct use of our free will is to choose eternal life for the glory of our creator. It's that simple.

The Lord Seeking Union

        Two verses of the Gospel reading from John 15 formed today's Gospel acclamation: Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord, whoever remains in me will bear much fruit. Jesus invites us to remain in him. As if this is not beautiful enough, he wants to remain in us! To be in each other is to be one, so the Lord is seeking union with us here. Naturally, in union much fruit will be produced.

Jesus, Our Only Hope

        Look around the world. In the Mideast, it's more like everyone fighting for everyone else, with almost all the Arab nations getting into action. Europe and America will certainly get themselves more involved, once terrorists step up their attack within those countries. And there are a host of African and Asian nations, Mexico, Ukraine . . . each engaging in its own war. Already millions of homeless refugees have been created worldwide, not to mention the vast number of casualties. We are truly facing a monumental humanitarian crisis, while committing moral suicide! The present chaos is in a way messier that the World Wars of the past, for it can potentially spread across the entire globe. At a time like this, Jesus messages stand out: "Do not judge," "Love your enemies," "Be humble" ~ these are just the few that came first to my mind. It's absolutely clear that following his words will bring us peace, but what are the chances that people will listen? Evil is real and judgment, unavoidable. I hope that the worst in some will bring out the best in others. It's time to pray, pray, and pray hard. 

Perfect Union

        Do everything for the sake of attaining union with God; then in union, God does whatever he wishes through you.

Banishing the Ego

        God wants us to mind our own business, that is, we are to do our part in serving God as best as we could and not be concerned about the outcome or what people think of us. This is the way to keep our mind uncluttered and our heart in peace.  

Getting off the Hook

        Communion thoughts. When we received the Holy Eucharist and abandon ourselves to God, we feel free. That's because abandonment gets us off the hook, you might say, as we now simply follow God, not having to decide where to go anymore. We must know that God is trustworthy and wants to make things easy for us always.

Banishing Our Worst Fear

        The human fear we should fear the most has to be that of losing our soul. The good news is that our soul is most precious to God our Father. So when we surrender to him, we become his children and no evil can possibly take our souls away from him anymore. The best deals we can only get from God.

The Good News!

       In today's first reading from Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the good news to the city of Derbe. This good news has to be the best news we can ever have: that we can get our sins forgiven and enjoy eternal life with our Father in heaven! It remains fresh, for truth does not change ~ but we must also be aware that we have only this lifetime to make the good news good for us.  

The Numbing of Conscience

       This morning on BBC News, it was somewhat of a shock to read this report on the Syria conflict: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32581007. Next I saw and read this news story on the Met Ball and got almost another shock because it contrasted so sharply to the first report: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-32586993. 

God Has Set the Standard

        Jesus has commanded us to love even our enemies, showing God's greatest love by dying on the cross himself for all of us. Therefore, any religion that teaches otherwise or falls short of this standard could not have been originated by God.

The Spirit of Harmony

        When we let the Holy Spirit fill us, we become obedient to God. Our heart hears him speaking to us and we follow what he prompts us to do. We are in perfect harmony with God. The Holy Spirit makes this ideal state real for us.

Thought Discernment

        Any thought of yours that inflates your ego cannot possibly have come from the Holy Spirit.

Self Comes First

        Before attempting to convert he world, convert yourself first. That is, be holy yourself first. Then let your own family or community be your testing ground. If you are a saint to them, you are ready to convert the world for the Lord. Take care of yourself and you take care of the world.        

No Substitute for Christ

        When I was young, I had many dreams I wanted to realize. I was full of hope, believing that I could make everything happen. At an advanced age, I can now look back and get a good look at the past. There had been happy times and sad times, but the best thing that has ever happened to me is without a doubt knowing Christ. Whether my past was happy or not becomes irrelevant, since I already have the very best of all things. Living for anything else is only a temporary crutch, useful for those who do not know the true God. If you have not begun with Christ yet, you must consider ending with him.   

On Loving Jesus

        Communion experience. After receiving the Lord, I asked him what he wanted me to do ~ he asked me to love him. I now realize that this is all I need to do ~ this should be my sole concern and only goal. Loving Jesus is the purpose and fulfillment of life. It is central, while everything else is at best peripheral. We are made for it so that we might live forever.

What We Can Do Matters

        President John F. Kennedy's most famous quote came from his 1961 inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Christians could easily challenge themselves by replacing "your country" with "God" in Kennedy's words. Sadly, as we get older we are more concerned about what we can do to enjoy life more before we die. Taking vacation trips and finding a good retirement home in advance are commonly expressed. It seems that in the increasingly shorter time we have left in life, we should be concerned about how we can love and serve God more, for getting ready to enter heaven to meet God is no casual affair.  

Union with the Apostles

        Communion impact. I heard the exact words the Apostles heard at the Last Supper and received exactly what they received at the Last Supper ~ I am one with them.

All God or No God

        In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus said to his disciples: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." If these grandiose words were spoken by someone else, I would've instantly dismissed them as coming from someone who didn't know what he's talking about. Then if God had spoken them, every word makes sense and is trustworthy. Again, Jesus is all God or no God.

Give Jesus a Chance

        In today's first reading from Acts 13 at morning Mass, Paul came to Antioch and spoke to all in the synagogue: "To us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to death...." The people of today are exactly the same ~ they hear Jesus mentioned again and again, but they just tune him out. To be open-minded does not mean that you should accept him ~ it merely gives him a chance. And giving him this chance may very well be giving yourself the chance to discover how you can live happily forever! 

Gentle Lord

        God is so gentle that when he teaches us, he simply opens our eyes so that we may see the truths for ourselves.

Strength from Union

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord to be one with him gave me great strength because I felt all his pains and that any attack from the evil one on me is an attack on him. 

God or Mammon

        In both Matthew 6 and Luke 16, Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve both God and mammon. If we do not choose to serve God, then we're surely going to end up serving mammon, as that's the easy way to go. Only in serving God will we find serving mammon distasteful. So the important thing is to decide as soon as possible whom we wish to serve or we'll be drifting through life being slaves of mammon.  

Jesus Our Comfort

        Let's look at our situation. We are bound to a planet of finite size and live only for a limited time. We may be actively looking for happiness or just sit around for happiness to happen. We keep ourselves busy to escape from facing reality. We see that whatever good we do will become history and be forgotten. To make life meaningful, we need is to latch onto something that's permanent and can make us live forever and be happy. This is where Jesus comes in, fulfilling what we desire. He is the one whom the Father has sent, the Perfect One, our Comfort. 

*Checking Jesus Out

        If you do not know Jesus yet, but are interested in checking him out, I propose that you do it this way. First, empty your mind of all prejudices, preconceived notions ... in fact, everything you have learned about him so that you may remain open-minded and objective. Then shut out all distractions and read any or all of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) as if you are reading it for the very first time. At the end you should be able to conclude either he is the true God or the most remarkable false teacher that had ever existed. But note: If you come to the latter conclusion, you'll also have to conclude that all authors of the books comprising the New Testament had been deceived by Jesus or they simply wrote fiction ~ all in all, even more incredible!

Highest Calling

        Today is the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena. As I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I felt his calling for me to be one with him. It seemed unthinkable that we would receive this greatest gift of heaven, but not want to give more of ourselves to him!

Love of Enemies

        The Beatitudes Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew include this one: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." It follows that if we are to make peace, we must pray for the conversion of our enemies, not their destruction. Indeed, later Jesus did teach, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

More Ave Maria Videos

        I have posted Ave Maria by 4 different composers (listed under Good Sites, Blogs, Web Pages... in the right margin). I am now replacing the Bach/Gounod video in the list with this version featuring Deborah Sasson, also with Andre Rieu. I think Sasson sounds a little bit more musical and polished than Skota.

              

        I am adding this Schubert's Ave Maria sung by Mirusia Louwerse, again with Andre Rieu. Barbara Bonney, already listed, may be more pure, but Louwerse is more expressive.

Love Bridges the Gap

        Communion experience. I felt totally unworthy to receive the Lord, for he is holy in heaven and I am sinful on earth. Then I saw the sun whose light and warmth still reach us even though it is almost 93 million miles away. In Jesus' case, his great love for us has bridged the gap. 

Superior Spiritual Life

        Repentance is absolutely necessary for salvation, since sin can only be forgiven through repentance before God. Surrender lifts one out of the ordinary pathway and makes one holy, thus greatly reducing the need for repentance. Therefore, repent but aim for surrender to live the superior spiritual life.   

Comforting Words

        In today's Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus said to the Jews, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." Since the words of Jesus will not pass away, even when heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 23, Mark 13, Luke 21), these words were a great comfort to hear again at morning Mass.  

Why God Wants Us to Be Holy

        Perhaps the post should have preceded the last one. There is no doubt that God wants to be one with us because he loves us. And this is why he wants us to be holy, for if we are filthy and soiled, how would it be possible for him to dwell within us? 

Letting God Make Us Holy

        God wants us to be holy and that's a high goal indeed, but no worry. Since he sets the goal, all we need to do is say yes to him and he'll make us holy without the need to crawl and struggle on our own ~ it's all up to us and all up to him, again with him doing the work. Note that all miracles are performed by God and surrendering to him makes us see miracles.

Ready to Follow Jesus?

        In Matthew 4, we read that as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men" and they at once left their nets and followed him. Then he saw the two brothers James and John in a boat with their father, mending their nets. He called them too and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. A good test for us to see how willingly we are to follow the Lord is to ask ourselves how we would respond should he ask us to leave the world to go to him. Would we hesitate or comply instantly?

Giving Up the World Easy

        To give up the world and embrace God ~ it just seems so hard to accomplish. The smart way is to embrace God first. Then once you find how attractive he is, the world just fades away without your having to detach yourself from it. It's a win-win situation to let the Lord do the work for you

Christ Our Only Hope

        Two most saddening incidents occurred. First, a 27-year-old Afghan woman named Farkhunda was brutally beaten to death near a shrine by a mob of men after being falsely accused of burning the Koran. Then in Pakistan, Sabeen Mehmud, a leading female human rights activist was targeted and killed in a drive-by shooting. Jesus must be shedding tears now while we should weep for ourselves. All the more I see the bright, shining light of Christ as our only hope, who alone wants to save us by dying for us, murderers included.

Growing in Faith and Trust

        Faith and trust do not miraculously increase; they are gained through experience. When you let the Lord draw you close to him, he uses every experience of yours, pleasant or painful, to help you grow in faith and trust. And you know it when it's happening. 

My Sins Removed

        Communion experience. Again, it was crystal clear to me that Jesus could take away the sins of the world and he was taking away mine.

Jesus Speaking Unequivocally

        It seems that what I read in the Gospels now takes on new meaning for me. In today's reading from John 10, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." Of course, I have read these verses or heard them read many times before, but today I heard them and just knew that it's unequivocally the Lord God speaking ~ there were no other possibilities. 

Hardened Hearts

        Horrible, terrible headlines! Two days ago, Chile's Calbuco volcano suddenly erupted, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Today, Nepal just had its deadliest earthquake in more than 80 years, killing already over 1,000. I see loud and clear that both are signs among numerous others that God wants us to turn to him. If you don't believe it, then you probably wouldn't believe that God is calling you even if you received a personal email from him. I suppose hardened hearts do not soften; they only break.

Making Salvation Easy

        God's mercy is constant and he has set the same rules for all ~ Jesus spelled out clearly in the Gospels how one can be saved. Therefore, how easy it's done would depend much upon that person's response. Sometimes though, it can turn out that salvation is harder than you think. Take the Protestant who believes that once saved, he is saved forever. Recall that Jesus warned that "not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7.21). So we have simplistic thinking here. Now take the Catholic who thinks that he is a pretty decent person and should have no trouble getting into heaven, yet he does not see all his imperfections. This reminds of the Pharisee who thanked God, telling him how good he had been and ended up going home not justified by God (Luke 18). Respond to God's calling and never exalt yourself, then you should do OK.

Feeling "Lucky"

        Communion experience. I felt rich, full, and content because I have Christ. As Psalm 23 reads: "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." I can honestly say that I am the luckiest person in the whole world. But, of course, there is no luck involved; it's all by God's mercy. 

Suffering for Christ

        The Crucifixion of Jesus teaches us to accept unavoidable sufferings that come our way. In doing so, we are united with the Lord and gain merit which we can offer to him for the salvation of souls. Seen this way, suffering is not only to be reconciled to, but also welcomed, for suffering for the sake of Christ does glorify God.

Hearing Jesus

        If you try hard to figure out what the Lord is saying to you, then you are too busy to hear him. The heart needs to remain still and receptive. When the message arrives, it's there, not even with a whisper. The Lord usually speaks to us this way to shape and form us so that we'll know what his will is and follow it.

Treating Jesus

        Today is the Feast of St. Mark. The Communion antiphon from Matthew 28.20 reads: Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord. I believe in this, so I treat Jesus as my Lord and my God and as someone who is present with me (and in me) at all times, even if I do not see him. This is all real to me, since the Gospels show that Jesus as a man could only have existed as God.

Entering Jesus

        To have Jesus, you must enter him. And entering requires your willingness to surrender to him. The deeper you enter, the more beauty and perfection you discover and the greater are your joy and freedom. Now that you know what you'll miss if you remain on the outside, enter him so that he may be yours! Since God never looks down on us, when you let him possess you, you possess him.   

Another Wake-Up Call

        What's inevitable is that one day soon, we will see ourselves as God sees us. The wise thing is to ask him to help us see it now so that we can amend ourselves to avoid being shocked later.

Not a Fairy Tale

Fullest living is following Christ in everything and in every way, because he is Lord. When you surrender to him, you decide to go home to your Father, no longer a rebel on the run. Then after you get home, the Father and you live happily ever after.     

Must-Have for Your Defense

        The foremost defense you need against evil is a clear conscience. Whatever measure you take to defend yourself should be guided by this conscience. When the truth is on your side, rest assured that God will bless and protect you.  

Cause of Emotional Imbalance

        I see attachment to people (our own family members included), material goods, pets, or anything else in the world as the main cause of our emotional imbalance. Detachment is the only cure, and only God can administer that. Bond yourself to God alone and automatically you become free, as you lose your attachment to the world. This is what spiritual growth is all about. Remember that we are just passing through on our way home.