To know whether doing something is right or wrong, just see what would happen if everyone does it. To see if certain worldly pleasure is good for you or not, just see how you would feel if you get to "enjoy" it nonstop day after day. Take eating as an example. If I eat something enjoyable nonstop, sooner or later I would get sick of it and might even vomit it all out. Heavenly joy is totally different. More of it would delight and elate your spirit and make you want even more. Imagine how you would feel in heaven with God! This explains why worldly pleasures become distasteful to those who have experienced the joy of Christ. For those who do not know the Lord yet, detaching themselves from the world is virtually impossible. The only "easy" way for them is to know Christ, who is our liberator, first.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Following Jesus, the Only Way
In the last verse of today's Gospel reading, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be." To gain life, we are not able to lead ourselves since we do not know the way. Our only way is to follow Jesus, who alone can fulfill our desire for life. It's either Jesus or nothing for us.
Death Precedes Rebirth
Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. In the Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit." Before Mass began, I actually desired to die and rest in peace in the Holy Spirit. I sensed this to be necessary for resolving our destiny of ascent to God. It is death that provides rebirth.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
In Greater Intimacy
In today's Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus declared, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever." Once you have received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace, you must keep yourself as pure as possible in order to make his dwelling in you as comfortable as possible. Then you can talk to him and consult him within in great intimacy.
The Genuine Christian
In today's homily by Fr. M, he points out that people tend to act differently when they see that he has his collar on. We all act in a situation to make ourselves look good, but the Christian is to follow Jesus always. Therefore, he must always be his genuine self at all times ~ no acting ~ and being aware that God is present.
The Effortless Way
In today's second reading from Ephesians 4 at Mass, Paul spells out some new rules for the new life, "All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ." These rules would be most difficult to follow if you try to do it by your own effort. Again, the secret of success is to let God accomplish all things for you in you. Surrender and Trust is the effortless way.
Praising the Known God
I got back home last night. On the way, I drove by what seemed to be a barn with the large words "Praise God" painted on its end wall. I don't believe this would mean much to anyone who doesn't personally know God. But since I already know Jesus, I already know God, and I praise him for allowing me to see that signage.
Another Liberating Feeling
What we would feel when we are able to override all self-serving desires to please God.
That Clean Feeling
The other day when my heart was pure, I got that unbeatable, free, clean feeling, knowing that God was with me and in me. This verified the Beatitude of Jesus "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God." Indeed, this is how he had made us,
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Joy of Feeling Free
Today I realize that I don't have any desire to want to be like anyone else except Jesus. I recall that way back, I used to want to conform to what my peers were doing, or wished that I was in someone else's shoes or like that person. No more. I don't even think about winning any lottery unless all winnings can go help a good cause. In other words, Christ has set me free, and I rejoice in that.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
It's Either You or God
God is to be embraced, enjoyed, and loved. If you still do not believe in Jesus yet, you must ask yourself why. As you know, Jesus has to be either truly God or a totally false person. If you cannot prove that he is false, then you have no choice but to accept him as Lord and God. If you cannot do it yet, then it has to be because you still want to be your own little god.
God Our Must-Have
I attended Vigil Mass today at Holy Rosary Cathedral in this city I am staying at. These are my thoughts today. God is infinite and holy. No matter how holy I become, I am still a wretched sinner before him, as I am finite. This is precisely why all the more I need the Lord.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Complete Integration
A Catholic must completely let Jesus into his life ~ just believing in him is not enough. Only by being completely open to him as the Lord will he see that accepting all the teachings of the Church is inseparable from believing in Christ.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Common Courtesy
Before talking to or petitioning the Lord, always repent and ask him to forgive you any sin you are aware of first. This is to show that you respect him as your Lord and appreciate his great love for you.
Only Eternity Counts
It was Jesus who said, "The last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20.16.) How can this be fair? Though life truly seems unfair, eternal life and eternal condemnation will set everything straight in the end. The short span of our earthly life is nothing (zero) when compared to timeless eternity. In heaven, all
sufferings we endured on earth will have been forgotten. In hell, all
pleasures we enjoyed on earth will have meant nothing. Be wise and live for eternity, never for our earthly life.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Know Satan
When Satan tempts you to sin, he couldn't care less about you, for his goal is to attack the Lord. Therefore, if you cooperate with Satan, you are his accomplice!
Only Jesus
Communion experience. Jesus is my beginning and my end. With him, everything except for enjoying him can be forgotten.
Greatest Lesson
The Apostles followed Jesus, saw the wonderful, miraculous works he did, and believed in him as the Messiah. Then they watched him being killed mercilessly ~ it must have come as a terrific blow. With their hopes all dashed, they must be completely at a loss. Then Resurrection took place and reversed everything. The Church was born.
Beauty of Christ
Since I am on the road again, I won't be able to attend daily Mass regularly and posting on this blog will necessarily be sporadic too. Yesterday I attended Sunday Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in a little city where I spent the previous night. It was a beautiful church and I felt right at home. I sensed the overwhelming beauty of Christ and felt pity for those who are not aware of it. My first prayer was that the Lord would be worshiped, praised, treasured, and loved by all.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Praising God
Today I feel blessed and elated that among all God's creations, I as a human being was made in his image so that I may return to him in the end. God is to be praised!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Yearning for the Lord
Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist only intensified my yearning for the Lord further. I wished to be aware of his existence only and not my own. I suppose this would only be possible when you are in heaven.
Deaf-Blind Generation
The current big scandal is that Planned Parenthood has been caught selling aborted babies' body parts. The crowd in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13 reminded me of those PP people. The disciples asked Jesus why he speaks to the crowd in parables, he answered, "This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand." This pretty much describes our generation and I am sure that we've all personally known people like that.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Being Impelled by Christ
Today's Communion antiphon, 2 Corinthians 5.14, 15: The love of Christ impels us, so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised. Indeed, his love has impelled me to want to love him and die in him.
Joy of Union
One great joy of union with Christ is that you and the Lord share the same joys and sorrows.
Jesus Dispenses Joy
Today is the memorial of St. Mary Magdalene. In the Gospel reading from John 20, Jesus after his Resurrection appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the empty tomb and said to her, "Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Hearing this and what Mary Magdalen had said earlier in the reading, I was moved to tears. I knew then that Jesus, being always loving and gentle, could only give us joy.
The Ultimate Survivalist
Just last Wednesday, I posted about the TV show Doomsday Preppers on various survivalists preparing for the end of civilization. If we truly want to survive, we must go beyond driving a safer car, installing a burglar alarm system in the house, taking the flu shot before flu season starts, etc. We all are going to die, so the focus should shift to survival of the soul which is eternal. Since the world we live in is a sinner's paradise, we must be sure that we don't get defiled by all the sins that surround us. Therefore, the ultimate survivalist aims at safeguarding the soul, letting heaven, never this world, be his paradise.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Letting God Set Us Free
It's essential that we spend quiet time to commune with God regularly so that we may get to know him and have him reveal our true self to us. If we do not know ourselves, we won't know how to become holy. Self-knowledge is the key to letting God set us free.
First Vocation Call
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 12, while Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Stretching out his hand toward his disciples to make the point, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." The Lord made it clear that the vocation for a disciple is to do his will, preceding any other vocation calls.
Monday, July 20, 2015
On Becoming Pefect
God wants us to be perfect, but because we are finite, we can never be as perfect as he who is infinite. But we can approach perfection the way a curve approaches an asymptote in mathematics as time passes. Our lifetime goal is to surrender, trust, and abandon ourselves to God to the best of our ability and leave the drawing to God. In theory and practice, perfect cooperation brings perfection.
How Not to Judge Others
Jesus teaches us not to judge others. He is right. Before God who alone is holy, we are all sinners, so we are no better or worse than others. The way of not judging others is to never compare others with ourselves. This should also rule out gossiping.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Taking Death Seriously
Death is a reality, but a lot of people do not want to think about it. They act as if they are going to live forever. We absolutely need to be ready for death as it could happen at any time. I am not talking about getting life insurance to take care of your family or picking out a cemetery plot ~ I want to make sure that I am going to heaven and not hell, unless you believe that there is no life after death or that everybody goes to heaven anyway. For the Catholic, it's important to go to confession as often as necessary to remain in the state of grace. It's a great feeling to know that your soul is safe. Only a fool would gamble when eternal life at stake.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Best Gift for God
The best gift you can give to God is your heart. Giving it to him is to give all of yourself, showing that you truly love him. And he will shape, mold, purify, and condition it as he pleases and you'll receive exactly what you need to become whole and holy. After receiving the Holy Eucharist is the perfect time to make this offering.
Love's Demand
To love someone, you must want to know the person. To love God, just going to Mass faithfully is not enough . . . you must want to know him as much as possible ~ his thoughts, his feelings, his ways ~ and to be like him. That's why seeking union with God is the way to go. A married couple can coexist peacefully, but to truly love each other, they must strive to become soulmates. To help someone in need is showing your love; but again, to truly love the person, you need to show that you are interested in knowing him or her more in detail as a person.
Ultimate Freedom
If God is judging you right this moment, would you still try to hold onto the things you are attached to in the world? The right thing to do is to get detached to everything now (to avoid embarrassment later, to say the least). I believe I had mentioned that I was very much attached to piano music in the past. I subscribed to four or more magazines, eagerly awaiting the arrival of each issue to tell me about various composers, their works, featured pianists, the latest piano competitions, reviews of new CDs, etc. I would try finish reading the issue before eating my lunch or dinner. I would visit music stores to find the new CDs I wanted to add to my collection (no online shopping those days). I ended up knowing more about the piano than my piano teacher and we would talk about rather than playing it.
Finally, I realized that it's time to get detached. The first things I did was to terminate those magazine subscriptions, but I still kept one because I had that magazine from issue one. Later I realized that the Lord wanted me to make a clean cut and I unsubscribed that one as well. In fact, the last issue that arrived four years ago is still in its sealed condition. Listening to music is no longer my priority; prayer life is. (And I feel so much more free now.) To be detached from the world also means forgetting about all your past achievements and past experiences, whether they were pleasant or bitter. It means letting go of all your memorabilia as well. The past is gone; you now live anew in the Lord. You still fully enjoy what's good for you in this world, but are no longer enslaved by any of it anymore. As Jesus said in John 8.32: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Friday, July 17, 2015
Falling in Love with Love
I saw part of an EWTN program on Iraq, a country rich in Christian history, where the Church now is being persecuted. I caught the faces of those, young and old, attending church. They looked beautiful and my heart went out to them. I realized how lovely we must all look to God, despite our sins, for God loves the sinner and hates only the sin. If you truly understand this, you can't help but fall in love with this lovely, merciful God of ours.
Our First Priority
To pray the Our Father and say "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," we must start with doing God's will ourselves. How can we call God Our Father if we are still rebellious? Therefore, our first priority as God's children is to obey him.
How Can We Not?
When you have Christ, one who is totally trustworthy, all-powerful, and all-loving, to believe in, how can you possibly not feel good? Isn't this what we all wish for? I see myself as one whom God has already adopted and will officially take into his home on the day I leave this earth ~ how can I possibly not feel even elated?!
Bonding Through Suffering
A strong bond is usually formed between two people who go through some hardship together. Christ loves us so much that he suffers whenever we suffer. Therefore, every time you offer up your sufferings to Christ, he draws you ever closer to him ~ an opportunity you shouldn't want to miss.
Jesus Is God
"For You Are My God" written by Fr. John Foley, S.J., is the song I love to hear sung. My favorite version is the 1973 recording by The Word of God Music Ministry. The Word of God is an ecumenical, charismatic, Christian community in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Yesterday I search for it on YouTube, but did not find it, so I chose the recording done by the St. Louis Jesuits of whom Fr. John Foley was a member. All I can say is that when I listened to it, the Lord just let me know without a doubt that Jesus and the Father are one.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Assurance From God
Communion experience. Before giving out Holy Communion, as usual the priest raised the consecrated host and cup and proclaimed, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper." At that moment, I thought how anyone could possibly dismiss the Holy Eucharist, for to do so would be to refuse life. After receiving the sacrament, I was completely satisfied, for I knew that Jesus now knows that I love him.
Learning Not to Judge
Seeing how so many people in the world have not fared well, whether it's due to sheer bad luck or because they've done things plain wrong, makes me realize that any one of us could have been born any one of them. Were that the case, would I have done better? Since I'm not sure, I must not judge others.
Don't Misunderstand God
When Jesus calls you, you may think that he is going to force you to obey him in everything. No! When you hear him calling, he wants to give you the gift of eternal life!
No Small Act
If you know that you have sinned, the best therapy for your soul is to repent, confess to God, and ask to be forgiven. Then the Father will take away your sins and make you clean again. Know that repentance is a significant act of submitting yourself to God, definitely qualifying as a milestone in anyone's spiritual life. For that alone, God will exalt you.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Intentions Count
Since we are finite, we are unable to comprehend the full extent of God's love for us, nor are we able to fully express our gratitude to him. But all will be OK, as the Lord values our intentions.
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