Fantastic Promise

        Today's Gospel Acclamation, what Jesus said in John 14.23: 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. How loving and lovely that God should want to get us so intimately involved with the Father and the Son! It is truly a fantastic promise that we must not forget as long as we live.

The Thread Difference

        Our life hangs precariously by a thread, but faith in Jesus makes that thread unbreakable and we get pulled up to him in heaven when our time is up. Without Jesus, we could drop deep into the unfathomable darkness below when the thread snaps.

Up to the Unbeliever

        Matthew 10.34: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword." Jesus is the cause of division, as there is a chasm between those who follow him and those who do not. Only the unbeliever can eliminate that separation by turning himself to God.

       Speaking of changing oneself, fundamental change must come from within the heart. We have no power to change anyone fundamentally except through God. To initiate the change, the person involved must again turn to God to ask for it himself.

Losing Jealousy

        Do you know that once you possess Jesus, you are no longer jealous of anyone? 

Inexhaustible God

        Know that God is infinitely rich and deep that we can never possibly exhaust him in anyway. Therefore, confidently ask him for all that you need to be perfect, as he is perfect. Be ambitious and greedy!

Going to the Extreme

        Going to the extreme on your own is always ego-oriented and wrong. Only in loving God is going to the extreme completely justified.

Leaving No Legacy Happily

        We normally think about what legacy we are going to leave behind after we are gone. I thought of all the material things I possess, some of which important to me at one time or another. For example, I was interested in piano music and had acquired a sizable collection of CDs. I am still interested in taking photographs and have now accumulated many quite beautiful personal prints of my works. So what am I going to do with them? I quickly realized that I should not be concerned about what's going to happen to them at all. Knowing that I am returning to the Father who will make me happier than ever, there is no point in ever wanting to look back on anything that's not mine in the first place and will surely pass in time? You know well that eternal joy will easily make one forget all his past.

To Each His Own 😞

        I attended Vigil Mass at my church today. Communion experience. I knew that Jesus was going to take away my sins and be one with me, thus exalting me to the highest possible status as a human being. There's no more desire to be fulfilled. How I wish that everyone would experience peace this way. But whenever I tell others about it, they are happy for me and would congratulate me. It's thanks, but no thanks. They still go their own way, preferring to find peace their way. 

We Need Mercy

        Again, horrific, terroristic tragedy struck the French people, this time in Nice. Whom should we blame? The Lord showed me that all of us who had not loved him and our neighbors perfectly bore some responsibility in allowing such an evil event to happen. For the salvation of all of us, victims and enemies included, let's beg Christ for his mercy as we are all sinners. 

Jesus, Our Anchor

        In this life and world, things come and go so that there is not a thing you can count on. Jesus alone is safe with us. He is our anchor for all eternity.

Mercy vs Sacrifice

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 12, Jesus points out to the Pharisees that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Temple sacrifices are easy to perform. Even if you sacrifice yourself in some way for the sake of pleasing God, it is negative and inferior to loving others for his glory. One who loves exclusively for God's sake can forget about suffering for him. Mercy covers it all.

Christ and Classical Music

        Not many people appreciate classical music. It actually turns many people off. To understand it, you must first show an interest in and then listen to it attentively, letting it sink in. In time you will sense its beauty, be moved by it and become a classical music lover. The best, more abstract classical music can deeply touch one's soul. I bring this up because I see that people pretty much treat Christ like classical music. 

Baptism of the Lord

        I have mentioned that while in Los Angeles recently, I attended Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angles, on July 3 precisely. There I saw many wall tapestries designed by the renowned California artist John Nava. The one titled Baptism of the Lord moved me very much. Here's God incarnated, humble and meek, still asking John the Baptist to baptize him, even though he didn't need it. How can we not adore such a magnificent, magnanimous Lord? You may see the image on this page: http://www.johnnava.com/COLA/bap3.html.

A Blessed State

        To be humble is to regard yourself as (not believe that you are) the least of all your brothers and sisters before the Lord. This is not only most pleasing to him, but also enables you, stripped of ego, to get in touch with your true self. You now remain freely in God, being completely selfless and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Calling for All

        Union with God is a calling for everyone. To think that you must be a saint first to attain union is placing the cart before the horse, for sainthood is the result of being in union with God. It is unthinkable that the Lord would say to anyone that he or she can never be a saint, for he can turn a stone into a saint if he so wishes. Since to be one with him is precisely his most ardent desire for us, he shall answer our prayer to achieve that without delay!  

Jesus, the Burden Lifter

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me . . . and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." Jesus was speaking the truth. His yoke becomes easy and your burden, light, that's because when you go to him for rest, he will make everything easy for you. Seeking union with him is the ultimate route. It's a choice between letting the Lord lighten your burden or carrying it all by yourself.

Top Priority

        Most parents love their children very much. They normally give them more attention than to their own parents. But it's "Honor your father and mother" that's one of the Ten Commandments. Without parents, no one would exist. Without our Father in heaven, none of us would be here. Therefore, "Honor our Father in heaven" should be our #1 priority. 

Better Believers

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus praised the Father for having hidden things from the wise and the learned and revealed them to the childlike. In general, it is harder for a Ph.D. to believe in God than a less educated person. The Ph.D. would think that he has the knowledge, the analytic power, and the know-how to find answers on his own, while the not-so-learned one is ready to trust in anyone who promises to help him. The wise and learned will do fine in research or finding facts, but their approach will not work in looking for God. The childlike are no doubt the better believers. We can and should learn from them.  

Eternal Punishment Is Real

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 11. Jesus reproached the towns Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, for he had done mighty deeds in the midst of the their townspeople and they had not repented. Thus, they would be judged severely on the day of judgment. Eternal punishment is real as eternal life is. If you live casually, believing that somehow everything will end OK, you are living in fantasy. If Jesus does not shake you up, you are pretty much a goner. Not all religions are the same, for there can be only one whole truth. Is there no point in Jesus' Incarnation? He was quite specific about how we should follow him to gain eternal life. The time to be realistic is now, before our span on earth expires. Not knowing how brief that span is only adds to the urgency.

Thorough Understanding

        Communion experience. I was joyous and thankful that I have a God who thoroughly understands my heart and all my deeds. He cannot possibly ever misunderstand me, for he knows me better than I know myself. Such a privilege! For this, I greatly feel secure in the Lord. 

Speaking as God

         In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and...." Division results because of the fact that we are sinners who need salvation. The sword sharpens the contrast between good and evil.

         Jesus also said: "Whoever loves father or mother than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." We need to pay close attention here, for the Lord clearly speaks as God. 

Our Move Now

        Today is the Memorial of St. Benedict. From the 1st reading from Isaiah 1, we learn how the Lord detested the wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their misdeeds and evil doings became loathsome and unbearable to him. They simply weighed him down. In other words, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah completely turned him off. Do we also want God close his eyes and not listen to us? Christ has already redeemed us ~ it is now our choice to turn God on or off.

Simple Formula

        I attended Vigil Mass today. Communion experience. The Holy Spirit made it absolutely clear to me that to gain eternal life, all we need to do is to live for Christ only and forget about ourselves completely. Such a simple formula that we can all understand.

*Must to Know

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus said to his Apostles, "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." In these two sentences, Jesus simply delineated the condition for us to be accepted or denied by God the Father. They are terribly important, compelling us to choose sides while we are still able to. To dismiss the words of Jesus is to dismiss Jesus the person, for in both Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." I am putting an asterisk next to the post title, not because my message is insightful in any way, but because it's critically important for all, believers and nonbelievers alike, to be aware of.

God Working Now and Then

        When I was involved in the charismatic renewal several decades ago, the Holy Spirit did the work for me as a favor and my spiritual progress was rapid. Today God is doing the work for me even more, that's because now he's got my full cooperation. 

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!