On Loving God

        Today's Gospel reading from Luke 7 tells that a woman came to Jesus weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment she had brought in a alabaster flask. Because she showed her great love, Jesus forgave her sins. The way she expressed her love might seem excessive or over the top to some, but if you truly worship the Lord, you can never show enough love. It's OK to be crazy about showing your love for the Lord, even if it makes you look like a fanatic, a slave, or a fool, for loving God is a great honor and privilege.

Fear of Death Dissolved

        We all die, and we avoid thinking about it when death is not yet on our horizon. But when death is imminent, it could strike fear in anyone who is unprepared for it. On the other hand, if you are already in union with God, you are sure of the Lord's existence in you as much as you are of your own and you've been longing for him all along. As a result, you see death as your triumphant return to your loving Father. Union with God has dissolved all fear of death.              

*Imperfection Accepted

        Communion experience. Jesus revealed to me that he accepts our imperfections as long as our intention remains pure, for as humans we are naturally imperfect.

On Doing God's Will

        Some Christians tend to go ahead do what they want to do, reasoning that if it goes against the will of God, they will know when they do not succeed. The more faithful Christians will remain patient and not rush into action, for they have learned that not awaiting God to direct them always results in wasting more time and energy in the end.

Disobedient Catholics

        As Pope Francis is coming to visit the United States, people start talking about the many American Catholics who buck the teachings of the Church on contraception, woman priesthood, etc. Catholics who believe that they are right and the Church wrong in its teachings are playing god, for the Holy Spirit will never initiate in us any action that tends to fracture the Church. Disobedience is most displeasing to God.

Only One Good Reason

        There is only one "good" reason for rejecting Christ, which is that you can prove that he is not truly God.

Spiritual Progress

        I have prayed to Jesus to heal my badly sprained left wrist, but nothing miraculous seems to have happened after two months. Years back, I would have felt disappointed, wondering why something so easy for the Lord he wouldn't perform. Today, not only am I more certain than ever that he heard me, but I feel completely at peace. So I have grown spiritually, and I am very happy about that. 

Living for God Alone

        Learn from Matthew 6.1-8. We are to do all the things for the Father for him alone, never for our own ego or others to know. A blessed life is one that's lived secretly in God for God. Our best treasures are those stored up in heaven, invisible to all but God. What's meaningful to him is what matters, not  what others know or think about us. Live without ego for the Father for a short time now and you'll end up living forever in heaven! 

Dealing With Sin and Sinners

        God hates the sin but loves the sinner. We must also make this distinction. Unfortunately, we tackle sin by judging and punishing the sinner. If we see as God sees, we would try to remove the cause of sin first. All this brings us back to that we should become holy. And seeking union with God is the perfect solution.

Attaining Life's Goal

        Communion experience. It is abandonment time. I welcome the Lord entering me and rejoice in letting myself go in him. You do not know freedom until you reach this union. The goal of life is now attained.

Salvation Requisite

       To be saved, we must humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God. This is absolutely requisite, no matter how inadequate our attempt might be. So why are we so hesitant or reluctant to make the commitment?

Truth or Baloney

        Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The entrance antiphon, Galatians 6.14, reads: We Should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are save and delivered. In the second reading from Philippians 2, Paul writes:  At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In the Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus says, "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" and John says: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. We must decide if Paul, Jesus, and John are speaking the truth or a bunch of baloney.

Dancing for Joy

        Communion experience. I felt so much joy that I felt like getting up to dance. Of course, I couldn't very well do that at Mass (although it did happen at charismatic Masses), so I just let my heart dance.

Make Life Beautiful

        I can testify that when you believe in everything Jesus says, life truly becomes beautiful.

Talking About the Heart

        I've been mentioning the heart these last two days, so I started to think about the heart. We all have a physical heart that beats throughout our life. But when God looks at the heart, he is really looking into our innermost conscience. For lack of a better word and the fact that a beating heart keeps us alive and is affected by our emotions, we use the word "heart" to mean that innermost part of us. This is the "heart" that wields our free will, stores good and/or bad thoughts, rejects or accepts God, yearns for God, and hears and sees him. Perhaps "soul" might be a better word.

Start With the Heart

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus said to his disciples, "A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks." Therefore, if you wish to be full of goodness, ask God to fix your heart.

Through the Heart

        God is someone you can get to know most intimately without being seen or aurally heard. That's because he knows your heart.

Most Secure Feeling

        A lost soul does not know where he came from nor where he is going. In today's Gospel acclamation, John 14.23, Jesus said, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." Hence, anyone who loves Christ not only understands his existence and knows his destiny, but also are aware that God the Father backs him up all the way in all things while he is living on earth, providing the most secure feeling.

*Best Empty Feeling

        This is appearing before the Lord as an empty vessel, wipe open with zero resistance and no attachment to the world, eager to let him fill you with his pure self. This has to be the most free feeling you can possibly experience on earth.       

Hollow Advice

        I heard again this morning on a TV show the advice "Reach for the stars" given to encourage someone to realize the American Dream. I couldn't help feeling that next to the advice "Reach for God" it sounded rather hollow.

*Clensing the Heart

        The secret of getting rid of what should not be in your heart is to ask God to reveal it to you. If your intention is sincere, the Lord will remove it for you as well ~ that's killing two birds with one stone.  Never try to do it on your own. We are to rejoice in the fact that God knows our heart so well!

Love Melts Heart

        Communion experience. I let God completely melt my heart with his love.

Using the Heart

        Let God cleanse and purify your heart. Then live, learn, study, understand, hear, see, and love with your heart. Only the heart can get to know God.

Inner Peace from Christ

        Today is 9/11. Fourteen years ago today, it was a most horrific day for this country. Ever since, the world hasn't been the same. Our world is now chaotic and completely out of order. What man needs is inner peace, for there can be no external peace without inner peace. And Christ can provide just that if only you desire it from him. If you don't believe me and have inner peace, I have nothing to say. Otherwise, you need to take me seriously.

Jesus Forever Relevant

        In today's first reading from 1 Timothy 1, Paul admits that he was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. In the Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus called anyone who notices the splinter in his brother's eye, but does not perceive the wooden beam in his own, hypocrite. Today's world is still full of people fitting Paul's and Jesus' description. Just watch those in the news as well as the commentators ~ you can easily spot them. Jesus' message is as relevant today as it was then.

Missing the Boat

        Communion thought. Not knowing Jesus is missing the boat that happens to be paradise.

For God Alone

        In today's reading from Luke 6 at Mass, Jesus taught about love of enemies and not judging others. I realized how far and removed our world is from his teaching. What should we do? I believe that the faithful ones should always respond to God alone, to live for him only. Following him and we will know how to respond to the world.

God Is a "Gentleman"

        I had wished that God would convert everyone the way he converted Paul (Acts 9.1-9). I thought that if God applied force, people would buckle. People somehow got the idea that the Lord knocked Paul off his horse. Rereading Act 9 shows that Jesus asked Paul "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" almost pleadingly. It shows me that God is always gentle with us because he loves us. He treats us truly like we are his children.

Most Pressing Question

        Do you know where your soul will go after you die? Once you can answer yes, you don't need to be concerned about having no answer for any other questions.

Strongest Bond

        Nothing whatsoever can possibly separate us from God's love for us. I rejoice that because of this, the strongest bond is formed between all those who love God. Not only I belong to God, I also belong in the company of the Holy Mother, all the saints, and all my brothers and sisters who love the Lord on earth. I am overjoyed.

In-Heaven Feeling

        Communion experience. On earth, when a man and a woman fall deeply in love with each other, they feel heavenly. Today after receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist, I literally felt that I was in heaven.

Brokenheartedness Healed

        In Luke 4.18, today's entrance antiphon at Mass, Jesus read from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me and sent me to preach the good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted." The word "brokenhearted" hit me because Jesus has already healed my heart so that it cannot be broken anymore. Of course, I still can feel sorrow or disappointment, but I will never feel despondent or dispirited, for deep down in my heart, the peace of Christ has settled.

Opposing Tendencies in Us

        In each of us, there is the tendency to sin and the tendency to do good. In one who does not know God, the tendency to sin usually dominates the tendency to be good. For one who has attained perfect union with God, not only the reverse is true, the tendency to sin is also completely purged. 

Truth of What Jesus Said

        In John 4.13-14, Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The Lord has completely quenched my thirst, filling me to the brim. The intoxicating joy I receive from the Holy Spirit does feel like a spring welling up within me. In John 8.12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Yes, Jesus makes me see everything clearly, the way to be washed clean by his blood and the way to return to the Father in heaven. In John 14.6, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." The way, yes ~ it is through him that we go to God. The truth, again yes, because he is God. The life ~ he is eternal life, the source of life, and through him we gain access to eternal life! The Lord spoke only truth.

The Cause of Unhappiness

        It is sin, our sin. Think about it.       

Loving Without Limits

      Today is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blesses Virgin Mary. Communion time thoughts. It is amazing how much you can fall in love with God! How so? It must be because God is love. This love is pure love, upon which love is defined, not the kind the world knows. This love enables us to love others and makes the human soul beautiful. Infinite love deserves our falling in love with God without limits.        

The Happy One

        Quite often I learned something about a person that I never would have expected. I suppose many have a dark side to them. Happy is the one who always dwells in the light of Christ, having absolutely nothing to hide, and keeps his inner peace.

How to Expect Life

        If you expect life to be rosy at all times, you will certainly be disappointed numerous times. To be realistic, expect life to be full of ups and downs and face them one at a time, placing all your trust in God. Then there will be less disappointments and a lot more pleasant surprises. Again, this is getting out of God's way.

Why No Quick Healing?

        If we pray to God for a physical healing and nothing happens, what are the possible reasons? We certainly can rule out that God did not hear us, God is unable to heal us, and God does not care. I also do not believe that God meant to punish us. Teaching us, yes. The possible reason could be that our faith is weak, not that we are sinners. The most likely reason is that it's not the right time for our healing, for he wants to build us up spiritually.

First Step to Holiness

        Let God find fault with us, since knowing our faults is the first step to becoming holy.

On Listening to God

        As I have said, when we speak to God, he is all ears; he listens to us alone. Therefore, when he speaks to our heart, we should also listen to him attentively. It's to be heart-to-heart always. Otherwise, we are not yet his sheep, as Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10.27).

A Double-Barreled Approach

        When I ask God to shield me from all evil, I want him to use a double-barreled approach ~ protect me from evil and keep me from doing evil myself.

Finally, Some Happy News

        Thousands and thousands migrants were trying to reach Austria and Germany which were willing to take them, but Hungary blocked them from traveling by train; so they started walking the 100 miles from Budapest to the Austrian border. Now a convoy of private cars have crossed from Austria to Hungary to help collecting stranded migrants. The happy news today is that hundreds of migrants, mostly from Syria, have arrived at Munich train station to applause after boarding trains in Austria. There were cheers from a large group of Germans who had come to welcome them, with many handing out sweets and water. Watching the video on BBC News, I was quite overwhelmed to see the happy, smiling faces on these newly arrived refugees. It's the truth that if you make someone happy, you'll be happy too.

Shame on Our Government . . .

(1) for not treating our veterans right ~ they lay their lives on the line to defend our freedom and can't even get decent medical treatment after they get home and (2) for not doing anything to help the Christians in Iraq who are being persecuted and facing genocide.

Conversion

        Communion experience. I saw myself on my own as a most imperfect creature, weak, timid, often confused, and most of all, prone to sin. Then Jesus came along, opened my eyes, ears, and most of all, my heart, and healed all my infirmities. I was made anew in him by him. It's been a most exhilarating experience!

Playing God

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus made it clear that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. It's equally true that any law should be meant for the wicked and not for the righteous (1 Timothy 1.9). Unfortunately, our Supreme Court has legalized both abortion and gay marriage. Obviously, not all of the nine justices on the court know God. A glaring case of playing God themselves.

Planning for Eternity

        As long as things exist, eternity exists because a thing just does not appear from nothing and vanish into nothing. Even nothing is something missing ~ if everything in the universe disappears, the space left behind still exists. When I came into the world, the world was already here. When I leave, it continues to exist. Things come and go, but eternity is a reality. It follows that God must be a reality too. In fact, he is the only logical explanation for all that exists. Had absolutely nothing existed, I wouldn't be here now to talk about it. The only alternative would be that we have God existing for all eternity. The wise one is the one who makes sure that he will have life for all eternity as the soul is eternal.        

What Life Is All About

        We are to be holy so that we can save as many souls as possible for the glory of God.

Making God Number One

        Never avoid God in any way and he will be number one in your life.

When You're With God

        Communion experience. I was alone in God, with God ~ an exclusive, private, and most treasurable moment. When you are with God, he is all yours and you are his only audience!