The Gate

        Jesus said in John 10.9: I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. May I add that Jesus is also the gate to freedom?

The Only One

        Let Jesus be the only one to give you joy and the only one to make you feel sorrow.

Driving Lesson

        I drove almost 500 miles home yesterday. The highway was straight and cars clipped along between 80 and 90 mph. Some drivers drove even faster, trying to pass everyone, and then we would run into a big truck trying to pass another even slower one and everyone had to slow down and patiently wait for the passing to pass. Of course, my goal was to get home safely, not to let any faster or slower vehicles affect my inner peace. I was reminded of the similar process of seeking God. Our goal is to attain union with God and we must not let any distractions along the journey to distract or upset us.

Imbalance

        Jesus is exhilarating and uplifting, and heaven, pure joy; but the sinful world is downright sickening and boring.

The Lord

        Communion experience. There is nothing so beautiful, so inspiring, so satisfying as the Lord himself. If only you realize this truth, you'd drop everything and run to him!

Good Enough?

        We are good enough only after God has made us good.

Unbalance

        If you do not know Jesus, you have no idea how infinitely better you would feel should you know him. If you know Jesus, you already know how awful it was when you didn't have him.

On Feeling Sorow

        If the Lord feels sorrow, we must not attempt to "take over" his sorrow nor worry for him. What we need to do is to be sorrowful along with him, for we must remain in him always.       

Being Like the Apostles

        I attended Sunday Mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The Lord made me see that he could make us feel how St. Paul and the Apostles felt about him if we so desired.

Forming Strong Bonds

        God is a relationship builder. All bonds formed without him will fall apart in time, but all bonds formed by him will last forever. Union with God is the strongest possible bond, making all saints one in the Lord. It is in this relationship that we become super-strong. 

Our Duties to God

        God is to be praised, worshipped, thanked, and adored; but most of all, he is to be loved.

Loving Explained

        God by his nature loves us; we love others because he loves us.

To Be Exalted by God

        Praise God diligently and he will lift you up high.

Real Presence

        It is the Holy Eucharist I have consumed that makes me aware of the presence of Jesus within me.

Have Theories but No God

       It saddens me to see so many people spending so much time theorizing how they could maximize their profits in investing in, say real estate, what they should look for in shopping for a certain product, how best to grow plants, what to eat to stay healthy and live longer, etc. What good is it if you know all the theories, but not God?   

Suffering Intention

        To want to suffer for God is not the same as to be willing to suffer for him. The former is ego-oriented, while the latter shows your abandonment in him, pleasing him much more.       

Watching What We Say

        Never say anything that can possibly hurt another person's feelings, even if your intention is just to tease a little bit. It follows that you should also not yell at anyone in your own family. Then both you and the world will have more peace.

Returning Son or Daughter

        When you live for God alone, you have returned to the Father.

Communion of Saints

      I got back home late yesterday and am happy to have resumed attending morning Mass. I shall predate each post to reflect the day on which I received the insight. 

         Since your God is my God and your Savior is my Savior, we have communion of saints. United in God as one and we are never alone again ~ such a beautiful thing!

*Special Joy of Sharing

        It's almost 1:30 a.m. The moon shines brightly outside. Normally, I would be sound asleep in bed, but I was awake and speaking to the Lord in the quiet of the early morning. Everything came straight out from my heart ~ petitions, longings, prayers for others, etc. There was this complete openness and trust between us and I sensed a special, beautiful joy. How privileged I am! 

Jesus, Surprise of My Life

        Communion experience. I received the Holy Eucharist, and the Lord completely fulfilled my desire, joy overflowing my heart. I couldn't imagine that I could be happier!

Sweet Power of God

        I have already tasted the freedom, peace, and joy of Christ. Today he added another ingredient: sweetness. Every word from him is sweet to the ear. And it's as if everything about him has a fragrance to it too. Such is the power of God.

Formula for Freedom

        I thought I would stop blogging after my last post, then I attended Vigil Mass because I must leave home early tomorrow, and the Lord fed me with more thoughts. In the Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus said to one who would follow him, but wanted to say farewell to his family at home first, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." I immediately saw the formula for attaining freedom, which is following Jesus single-mindedly and single-heartedly, abandoning everything of the past and of the present. When we leave his world, we'll have to do this anyway to be free, so why not start now when you decide to follow Jesus?

Preparing for the Inevitable

         Last Wednesday, I posted about a friend who suffered two strokes. She is still found to lose blood somehow, requiring constant blood transfusion. Another friend is receiving stents for his two clogged arteries in his chest. This morning after Mass, I went to get some bread at the local market and met a fellow parishioner there who will undergo surgery on July 13 to get enough blood to circulate to his lower body. We shall all get to some stage like that as we age. I've already found out how one problem joint can prevent me from doing the many things so simple I never gave a thought about doing them before. All of you, young or old, who still have good health, think about how you would handle yourself when you become weakened or disabled in some way in the future. Will you be happy or unhappy? This is the time to prepare for that. Even more importantly, prepare for your transition to the next life now.       

        [Note: For the next week and a half or so, mostly likely I won't be able to blog. Please check back around July 8 or 9. God be with you always.] 

At the Lord's Table

        Communion experience. I received exactly what the Apostle did at the Last Supper!

Obligation to Jesus

        The only "justified" reason for not accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is believing that he is not God. If you cannot be sure, then you are obligated to accept and believe in him. Delaying your decision only adds urgency to making it.

Division for a Reason

        In Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." Indeed, Jesus is the most compelling controversial figure in the history of mankind. You have to be either for him or against him, precisely because he is true God and because true evil does exist.   

Answering Jesus' Call

        Communion experience. Receiving the Holy Eucharist reverently is answering Jesus' call to union with him. 

Another Union Benefit

        Not in union with God, the heart and mind dart every which way, driven by the ego. In union with God, both the heart and mind settle down, remaining in peace with the will of God. 

Challenge of Lifetime

        A lot of people believe in God, but they do not want to get close to him. This is being illogical. It's like you don't mind going to heaven, but you don't wish to see God. I believe the reason is that they still fear that God would take away their freedom, not realizing that they cannot be truly free without God taking away their sins first. This is the challenge each of us must meet and prevail in our lifetime, for our eternal life is at stake. 

All in God's Hands

        I never thought I would end up living where I am living now because I had the idea of settling in certain places. I also thought I'd pursue one career, but ended up with an entirely different one. I didn't know early in my life that later I would almost drown in a lake, fall from a tree, be sent twice to an emergency care unit in an ambulance and get well again. I had not expected that after living beyond the average life expectancy of men, God still called me to spread the message of union with him. I am most happy to end my life on such a high note and know this time that I shall end up being with our Father.

Most Wonderful Blessing

        Communion experience. The presence of the Holy Eucharist in the Church marks the presence of Christ at the center of the Church he had established. I felt so full spiritually after receiving this Most Holy Sacrament this morning that my heart almost wanted to burst ~ there is no more wonderful blessing a mortal can receive!

Making God Notice you

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciples, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'" The statement I italicized is what you never want to hear from the Lord. Do the will of God so that you may be known to him.

Union, the Fast Track

        I still remember reading the many great spiritual classics and biographies of the saints and their own writings in the past. So much of what I read inspired and taught me. In many of the volumes, I yellow-highlighted all the lines that spoke to my heart. I also attended many spiritual conferences and retreats. My heart was on fire after each time, getting more excited about the Lord than ever. But things have changed. Ever since I started seeking union with God, got to know the Lord intimately, and came to experience his beauty and holiness, all the spiritual books, conference messages, talks by some of the best speakers, etc., no longer uplift me, for all second-hand information loses its flavor when you now learn directly from the Lord himself. Besides, you already have the Lord to yourself ~ you no longer need anything to help you get there.

Seeking Consolation

        Communion experience. Concern about the condition of the world and what might happen in my own country after the presidential election placed a heavy burden on my heart and I rejoiced that I could turn to Christ to seek consolation, for he is the only one who can give me hope and joy.

Shortsighted Living

        The news came that a dear friend of ours has suffered two strokes in a row, but is now recovering. Life is fragile and hanging by a thread. We know that thread is going to break one day, but somewhat we are not impressed as long as it's not happening to us yet. Meanwhile we hang on to things that are even less dependable than a thread. What gives? If we do not pay close attention to all the obvious indicators about the transitoriness of life, how are we going to prepare ourselves for living the eternal life? 

Heavenly Relationship

        Do you know that God becomes the closest, dearest, most intimate friend to anyone who receives him reverently in the Holy Eucharist. This is a relationship made in heaven, a truly awesome achievement brought about by God! 

Classifying God's People

        People either accept or reject Jesus and are either good or bad, roughly speaking. So the four possible categories are (1) good people accepting Jesus, (2) bad people accepting Jesus, (3) good people rejecting Jesus, and (4) bad people rejecting Jesus. Obviously, you should want to belong in the first and not the last category. How about the middle two? I see that a bad person accepting Jesus can easily be saved if he would just repent of his sins and ask for God's forgiveness. But a good person rejecting Jesus risks being rejected by him before the Father, as the Gospel tells us. Naturally, the Lord alone knows why he is not being accepted. Nevertheless, knowingly rejecting Christ will definitely have serious consequences. 

God's Presence in You

        If you hear God speak to your heart, then he is dwelling within you.

Talent, a Blessing?

        God gave us talent not to serve ourselves, make us rich and famous, or make us feel more important to him. No, he gave us talent so that we might glorify him alone. So many talented artists live for the art they have created instead of serving God, or think that they are above others less talented. In such cases, no blessing would be a blessing. 

Sad State of Our Nation

        In this country at this time, godlessness is the root cause of our problems. Political correctness is followed more closely than the teachings of God. In this secular world, if a saint were elected president, he wouldn't last a week. This is how sad the shape this country is in. I hope that Jesus' realistic statement that those who enter through the wide gate with the broad road that leads to destruction are many and those who find the narrow gate with the constricted road that leads to life are few in today's Gospel reading at Mass (see today's earlier post "Best Travel Plan") will at least shock our conscience a bit.

Inseparability

        Today's Communion experience. Receiving the Holy Eucharist confirms that Christ and I are inseparable from each other. Where he is, I'll be. 

Are We Foolish?

        Many of us plan for our security, our retirement, our near future . . . yet do not seem to be concerned about life eternal at all. Isn't here a great imbalance? Don't you also see the ironic contradiction? Have we lost our common sense? Are we asleep or afraid to face death? Jesus' question comes to my mind: "What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" Basically, I think we are just being fools.

Best Travel Plan

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus spoke to his disciples, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." We need to stay sober and pay critical attention to these words of life. Our best policy is to find and follow Christ, then we won't need to be concerned about the width of the gate opening nor the condition of the road, nor where we'll end up. Follow Christ and go carefree ~ my slogan.

*Good Things, Bad Things

        In this life, we have both good and bad things happening to us. Beware that the good things you receive could be the reward you get for being a hypocrite (read Matthew 6) or for the actual good you've done. Anyway, reward received in this world means nothing if you can not get into heaven later. The bad things that happen to you now can actually be blessings if you accept them as part of your purgatory experience after death. I'd accept the bad now and receive the good later rather than the other way around.

State of Joy

        This morning's entrance verse at Mass from Psalm 24: The clean of hands and pure of heart shall climb the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place. To have clean hands and a pure heart is to never do anything filthy nor consider any thought sinful. A soul in such a state receives great joy, for its presence is welcomed by the Lord. 

Faith and Hope

        I have two joint injuries that have not healed for many months, but I do not feel down nor sorry for myself. I realize it's because I belief that God can still heal me. Whether he is going to heal me or not is another matter; it is keeping that hope alive that has sustained me. To have faith is to have hope. We often console or encourage others in unfortunate circumstances by telling them to keep up the faith or not to give up. These are not exactly empty remarks, because faith and hope in God do give us the strength and courage we need.

Sweet State of Union

        Psalm 27.4 of David ~ One thing I ask of the LORD; only this I seek: to dwell in the LORD's house all the days of my life. For me today, this is like asking to remain in union with Christ at all times. Indeed, to remain in such union is "home, sweet home" to those who belong to the Lord, for they would feel painfully uncomfortable the moment they "step outside the house." Only dwelling in heaven could be sweeter.

Who Is Jesus to You?

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They gave various answers. Then he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter replied, "The Christ of God." He told them, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." The he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Peter first recognized that Jesus was the Messiah from God, then Jesus spoke authentically as only God could. 

Sign of True God

        In today's second reading from Galatians 3 at Mass, Paul wrote: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. I do not see another God-centered religion other than Christianity in which all members are treated equally as heirs of God ~ another sign that the God of Christ is the true God.