We lose inner peace because we live in a chaotic, imperfect world. I am thinking that even if for all my life I have perfect health and no financial worries, can do whatever I enjoy doing, and am loved by everyone, I still would not have true inner peace if I realize that I am mortal and do not know where I (or my soul) will go after death. It's clear to me that God is the missing piece of our life.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Goal of Life Made Simple
God's desires that we simplify our lives by loving him alone and nothing else.
Goal of Prayer
The primary and only goal of prayer is to glorify God, not to obtain what we wish for.
New Existence in God
Communion experience. Knowing Jesus begins our new existence in God; attaining union with him is reaching the pinnacle of that existence.
Happy With My God
I am pondering over the act of suicide bombing which you practically hear about occurring daily somewhere in the world. As far as I know, the bomber believes that he or she is carrying out God's will by sacrificing his or her own life to kill others indiscriminately. It's impossible for me to comprehend that God would hate anyone to want them dead, as the God I know is the one who has died in our place to save us ~ a God full of love, compassion, and mercy, and who wishes us to always forgive others, never judging. You go figure. I am just completely satisfied with the God I know.
Mary Over Martha
Today's Gospel reading, Luke 10.38-42, is about the two sisters Martha and Mary. Jesus came to their home and Martha was anxious and worried about the serving, while Mary just sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Jesus made it clear that Mary had chosen the better part. Of course, we have to be Martha at times because it's necessary, but to be Mary is essential in order to serve the Lord well. In fact, choosing to be Mary turns our role as Martha into a joy.
Avoiding the Most Horrible
Today's response to Psalm 130 at Mass read: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? Indeed, it would be the most horrible thing that could ever happen to you to be so marked by the Lord! Then remember that he is infinitely merciful and he will never mark you if you let him take away your sins.
God Calling!
I see God calling us at all times. Horrific crimes committed around the world (domestically, killings within the family are common), unprecedented natural disasters (South Carolina is currently experiencing catastrophic flooding after days of historic rains), personal tragedies, the emptiness of worldly living . . . all these are clear and loud signs telling us to turn and return to God. Suppose you live to 63 ~ you live almost 2 billion seconds. In any of those seconds, you have an infinite number of chances to turn to God. Waiting until Judgment Day will be too late.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Perilous World?
Communion thoughts. The world is perilous only to those who do not know Jesus, for they can easily lose their way forever. For those who have Jesus, they are safe in a boat from all storms because the Lord is in the boat with them, sleeping peacefully (read Matthew 8.23-26).
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Intuitive Knowledge
The more I get to know Jesus, the less attractive the world becomes ~ I just know that God has made me in such a way as to make me want to return to him.
Intoxicating Love
Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist intoxicated me with love, sweetening my soul.
Time for Giving
I have my favorite charities and would like to leave them with part of what I possess after I die. Then I realize that this is not really being generous because it's as if I need everything of mine now and I am going to take care of myself first and others later when I don't need anything for myself anymore ~ this is putting my needs ahead of God's! Therefore, the time to help others is now if we can, not after we die.
Warning of Hell
As you know, the more polluted the air, the more beautiful the sunset. In other words, looks can be deceiving. On a beautiful day in an upscale neighborhood, everything looks neat and orderly, but wait until you know what's in the hearts of those walking outside and those living inside the houses. Again, looks can be deceiving. Today's world has been completely tarnished by sin. Every day every moment, we see, hear, and feel things that tempt us ~ it's just too easy to succumb to evil. People have reached the point that they no longer want to know God and his love; they just want to have a good time, unaware that what they do can send them on their way to hell! I speak strongly because the world now needs to hear it, as hell is real ~ Jesus mentioned it. It's out of love that we should warn the world of the reality of hell, for it has already rejected God's love.
Serving the Poor
I caught this Journey Home episode on YouTube and was impressed and inspired by Fr. Richard Ho Lung's coming-home story. He founded the Missionaries of the Poor order (http://www.missionariesofthepoor.org/) whose work reminds me of Mother Teresa. This video is worth watching for Fr. Richard's words of wisdom and his great humility.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Supernatural Healing
Communion experience. I received the Lord and he was physically consumed by me, but the most important part is the supernatural healing of my soul as only he can bring about!
Soul Before Body
We are alive because the eternal soul dwells within our physical body. After the soul departs, the body decays. Hence, do not be attached to the body so much, but keep clean and pure the soul which God treasures. Anyone who is concerned much about his health but ignores his spiritual well-being is being plain foolish.
Most Special Gift
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 10, the seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said to them, "Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." If your name is written in heaven, it means God has already chosen you and your future is assured for all eternity. There is nothing in which you can rejoice more! This encompasses being loved by God, becoming his faithful servant (and his adopted child), and receiving the pass to heaven. God gives only most special gifts.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Be Like Children Again
Today is the memorial of the holy guardian angels. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." We can all remember the time we were children. We put our entire trust in our parents, believing in everything they told us. We knew we were taken care of, never having to worry about what to wear, what to eat, or what's going to come tomorrow. We just focus upon playing and having fun. I believe that is how Jesus wants us to be like now that we have grown to be children of our Father in heaven. God can certainly rejuvenate us.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Peace and Security Among Chaos
It's bad enough when people kill each other as if there is no God and no hell, and it's even worse when people start killing others in the name of God. Once a war has started, it's never easy for it to end. Our current world is embroiled in the worst mass killing and destruction we've every seen. Mankind is truly on the path of self-destruction on both levels, the physical and the spiritual. Today is the memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, my beloved saint. After her, I also seek my peace and security in Christ the Lord who always delivers and never disappoints. How I love him!
On Praying for Others
As I pray to God for someone, the Lord definitely knows what he is going to do, although I do not have a clue. At any rate, I must not guess or expect how he is going to respond, but trust in him completely as if it's not even my business. In this way, when I pray for someone, I am actually praying for myself too.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Prayer to Be Inclusive
Pope Francis customarily reminds us to pray for him. We must pray for him and everyone else too, since God loves us all. To deliberately exclude someone from our prayer is to exclude ourselves from God's love.
Our Highest Accomplishment
Attaining union with God has to be considered man's highest accomplishment, since it is all brought about by the Lord, thereby pleasing him very much.
Freest State
To be holy is to go deep into God. Within the infinite space of God's love, the spirit is set free. There is nothing more liberating than total abandonment in God.
The Way to Grow
Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of the family unit, since families make up each nation and the world. The family being composed of individuals, it all comes down to personal holiness. Therefore, the best way to influence and convert the world is to concentrate upon your own spiritual growth and not be anxious about anything else.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Beautiful Faith
Today is Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels. In the Gospel reading from John 1, Nathaniel believed that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel, because Jesus told him that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Like Nathaniel whom Jesus called a child of Israel with no duplicity in him, we should also believe. Today the Lord made me sense and feel the beauty of believing in him ~ it's the faith that counts, not whether we actually see or hear the Lord.
Pouring Out the Heart
The Lord God is the greatest in all things, and he is absolutely the greatest psychiatrist we can ever have if you need one. I love to pour my heart out to him because he is the only one who understands me even better than I and knows what troubles my heart if any, often difficult for me to explain to him clearly myself. Even if your heart is at peace, carrying on heart-to-heart talks with him is beautiful way of maintaining your intimacy with the loving Father.
Monday, September 28, 2015
God Indispensible
Even if you can find someone in this life who truly loves you, completely understands you, and is one you can fully trust, you still need God to take away your sins.
End of Evil
The evil rampant in the world is quite horrifying. The good people fight against evil as hard as they can and still feel overwhelmed. Then one day God will come and dispose of all evil in no time.
God's Omnipotence
When a supermoon and a lunar eclipse occur at the same time, we have a supermoon lunar eclipse. The world just witnessed one. It hasn't happened in 33 years and won't for another 18. The regularity of the combined motion of the sun, the earth, and the moon that makes prediction of such an event possible has to be attributed to the omnipotence of our God.
Infinite Mercy and Power
Know that even if you are the worst sinner of the entire world, God can transform you into a great saint ~ such is the mercy and power of God.
Most Desirable
It's much more desirable and beautiful to have a pure and clean heart than to possess multiple talents of all kinds.
Justified Envy
Envy has been considered one of the deadly sins, but there is an exception. If you long to possess the peace and freedom a Christian has received from God, such envy is perfectly OK.
Bad Things Are Good
If we obey God, bad things that happen to us are good because they strengthen us by drawing us close to him and may even form part or all of our purgatory. If we are disobedient to God, bad things that happen to us are good because they shake us up, forcing us to look to God for help. Either way, we get blessed.
Key Humility
Humility is a virtue, and the key humility is our submission to God our creator, for through it we gain eternal life.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Learning from Pope Francis
The Holy Father is heading for the Philadelphia airport right now on his way back to the Vatican. From what I've seen and heard in the media these last few days, his example has taught me to not judge, love all, and trust in God and his love alone and not in myself. When you leave all to God, you have peace.
Pray for Yourself
Pray to God for others is easy, but don't forget to pray for yourself too. It takes humility to acknowledge that you are weak, finite, and need God's help. Imagine how happy the Father would be when you trust in him and go to him for help! If you are a parent, you would perfectly understand this. The only barrier between God and us is our sin; and we need to go to him to get our sins removed, then we'll be ready to become one with him, enjoying him fully. Love Christ and you'll be rewarded for all eternity!
Our Part Missing
Today's Gospel reading at Mass came from Mark 9. I urge you to read verses 43-48 which teach us about dealing with sin. It tells us how important it is for us to be holy, for the consequences can indeed be grave. God is merciful, but not to stop sinning is to abuse his mercy. After receiving Communion, I saw that God has given us all, his own Son and all we need to know and do to be saved. What's left to be done is giving ourselves to him. It's now up to us.
Christian Joys
The Christian receives many joys. Here's a partial list of possible sources: repentance; praising God; thanking God; praying to him; reading the Gospels; meditating upon the Lord himself, his Passion, his love, his mercy; hearing the word of God read during Mass; receiving the body and blood of the Lord; detaching ourselves from the world; total abandonment in him. The joy could also come unannounced at any time. A while ago, just listening to Pope Francis' homily at the Mass held in Philadelphia brought me unspeakable joy.
Joy Bursting
Christians want to share their joy with others, not because they wish to impose their beliefs on them, but because the joy of Christ is so great that they cannot contain it anymore and this joy has made them so happy that they forget all about themselves and just want others to feel this happy too.
Joy of Repentence
Not long ago I mentioned to someone who did not know God that we need God because we are all sinners. His response was that how could he be a sinner since he had never killed anybody. This shows that without God, the conscience can get pretty dull. Look at the great saints ~ they humbly see themselves as the most wretched sinners. This leads me to pointing out that there is great joy in acknowledging our sins before God. When we repent and ask for God's forgiveness, he washes away our sins and we are made clean again. The feeling of relief and renewal absolutely uplifts the soul. Every sinner should experience this joy, for this is the way God has made us.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
God Revitalize Us
Just caught on TV a glimpse of Pope Francis standing in his popemobile cruising through the streets of Philadelphia on his way to take part in a World Meeting of Families festival. After witnessing the enthusiastic crowds lining both sides of the street applauding and cheering nonstop, I felt great hope for this nation and its people.
To Be Amazed or Shocked
I just watched on TV Pope Francis' arrival at the seminary in Philadelphia. I was deeply moved by seeing the genuine joy on the faces of the cheering seminarians. Now imagine Jesus himself arriving at his Second Coming ~ how ecstatic his faithful chosen ones would feel, knowing that their beloved Lord will take them to live with him for all eternity! At the same time, those who will be left behind would experience the most indescribable horror and desperation. It's accepting Jesus now to be amazed later or rejecting him now to be shocked later.
Deep Satisfaction
Today, deep, deep down I feel that Jesus has completely satisfied my needs. I know that's how God has made me. I now understand fully "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack."
Friday, September 25, 2015
Setting the Sights
Pope Francis just finished saying Mass at Madison Square Garden. I saw the 20,000 there and knew that many of them I would meet in heaven. There we'll witness the beauty of God and see it in each other too. Heaven will be the most beautiful place the soul can ever experience. Follow Jesus now to secure your place in God's family and your later admission to paradise.
The Beauty of God
I was watching a little bit Pope Francis speaking at a packed Madison Square Garden in New York City on TV. I felt great joy that the Lord had chosen me because knowing Christ has absolutely made my life beautiful. The world does not know him because it is immersed in sin. Sin has turned the world into darkness and those in it no longer see God. Sin has made the world so disordered that the world no longer believes that there is a living, loving God. It's absolutely tragic. The beauty of God is meant to be enjoyed by all! May the Lord soften our hearts so that we may all see and hear him clearly and be made beautiful for him to behold.
On Abandoning to God
Communion thoughts. Have you set up a wall, a fence, or just a screen around you at all to shield you from God? How much you love God is proportional to how much you abandon yourself to him. Remove any separation between you and God so that you may abandon yourself to him completely.
Opportunities for Intimacy
Today's entrance antiphon at Mass: I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be be their Lord for ever. We get distressed many times a day and we can cry to God each time, and he hears us ~ such wonderful opportunities to get intimate with him ~ how blessed we are!
Following the Lord
Normally, when God uses you, he does not always reveal his purpose at the start. I believe he just wants you to follow him in faith. Even after the purpose has become clear, he does not reveal right away what action you should take. Again, he wants you not to listen to your own voice but to put your trust in him. All this teaches patience and actually makes following the Lord exciting.
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