When Sorrow Is Joy

        Communion thoughts. Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16.24). This means that sharing the Lord's suffering is a basic condition of discipleship. The fact is that experiencing Jesus' sorrows is not only an honor, but also a joy as you are drawn even deeper into him.   

Believe to See

        We know that for God all things are possible. This is not saying that they are probable. To see things happen, we must believe that God can make them happen. Those without faith do not see miracles.  

Jesus' Death

        It is well known that Jesus was crucified. How do we respond to his death? Did he die for nothing? Does his death have anything to do with me? Why? Our answers are critically important, for they can determine our eternal destiny. Ignoring Jesus' death is not a choice. Understanding it is the key to inheriting everlasting life.

Aim to Be Perfect

        Everything is relative. How good a person am I? The answer depends upon whom I compare myself with. Great saints feel that they are the most wretched sinners before God. Since God alone is holy and our ultimate judge, we know how good (or evil) we truly are when we are measured by his standards. Therefore, aim to be as perfect as he is, which happens to be his command.

Sorrow for the World

         In today's Reading 2 from 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that when the end comes, Jesus will hand over the Kingdom to his God and Father after he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

        Right now, a dark cloud hovers over my country and the entire world. The burden I bear along with Christ is sorrow for this rebellious world. I am not concerned about myself, for I am already in the Lord.

Follow Your Mother

        Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We are so blessed to have the mother of our Lord to be our mother too. Let her hold your hand, leading you along to do God's will, then every step you take is a step closer to the Lord. Jesus was born through her. So through her, we will always find her Son.

Difficult Wake-Up

       If you want to wake someone up from his sleep, all you need is an alarm clock or a rooster or a tap on his shoulder. But a person who is not aware of God's existence is often a lot more difficult to wake up. I recall in Mark 9, Jesus drove out a mute and deaf spirit out of a boy after his disciples had failed to do so. Later, they asked him why they could not do it. He said to them that that kind could only come out through prayer. In our case, prayer is absolutely needed to wake up someone who is spiritually asleep. 

Everlasting Beauty

        The beauties of all things of the world are fleeting, since the world passes. Whether the thing that's beautiful is animate or not, it doesn't make any difference. For example, a beautiful flower wilts, a beautiful human being ages, a beautiful landscape changes with season or disintegrates when a natural disaster strikes. As we hear sung in Gershwin's song "Our Love Is Here to Stay": In time the Rockies may crumble, Giraltar may tumble... How about the majestic stars and galaxies? Again, we know that they die and are born over time. Last, think of ourselves ~ we are not even here long enough to enjoy all the beauties. But the most beautiful of all beauties, that's also everlasting, but invisible to us for now, is our God, the creator of all beautiful things. On top of that, his perfection, sanctity, and most of all, pure love for us, make him the only beauty we can enjoy for all eternity. Embrace it now.

Our Wise Move

        We didn't know that we even existed before we showed up on this earth. Somehow, we were born, got here, and gradually became aware of our existence. We know we shall die, but don't know when. It's obvious that we are not in charge at any time. Therefore, admit that we do not know all things and should never act as if we were God. With such humble origins, we'd be wise to submit ourselves humbly to our creator.

Evangelizing Without Fear

       I caught a TEDx talk on YouTube by Linda Apple Monson on "Overcoming Stage Fright," delivered at George Mason University. She revealed how she was able to overcome her fear of performing on stage as a pianist. Here are the points I remember: (1) Prepare yourself well. (2) Forget about yourself, for worrying about yourself is being selfish. (3) It's not about you, so focus upon just being the channel through which the joy of music is transmitted to others. 

        Good advice indeed. Let's apply it to evangelizing the world. (1) Know God intimately. (2) It's all about God, not you, so leave all in his hands. (3) You are simply an instrument he uses to spread the good news.

Triumphant in God

        Communion thoughts. All who have chosen to follow Christ and do his will have already triumphed over the evil one and will remain so until the end of the age. 

Our Part to Play

        On this Friday, I meditated upon the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Jesus went through his Passion for us, but afterwards not everyone turned to God and became good, to this very day. Yes, Jesus did open wide the door to life, but people have to choose to enter it. For us too, our part is to live a holy life and be as loving as possible. The rest is up to God. 

Heavenly Banquet

        Communion experience. The Lord and I are already dwelling in each other. But going up to receive the Holy Eucharist during Mass is like accepting the invitation to attend a special heavenly banquet given by the Lord for me alone, at which I shall enjoy him to the fullest. This is ultimate fulfillment. After receiving him, while alone with him, I felt great sorrow for those in the world who are always squabbling with each other or others, completely oblivious to God's love for them. Please pray for them from your heart, unceasingly.  

Why Forgive Others?

        Today is the Memorial of St. Clare. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus wants us to always forgive others. I've blogged about forgiving others many times. Today I just want to add that if someone offends you unjustly, he has offended God too. Ultimately, as Mother Teresa had said: In the final analysis, it is between you and God. So that person has to answer to God alone. For this reason, you should pray for your offender so that he may not offend God again. Not forgiving him is clearly not trusting in God's mercy, souring your own relationship with God. Forgive him and let God take care of his problem.

Effective Communication With God

        The Lord God reads our hearts. Therefore, any dealing with him must involve our heart. If I go to confession and repent without sincerity, it would be worse than not going. Therefore, always communicate to him from the innermost of your heart and he, the loving Father, will hear you loud and clear.

Most Important Act

        This for us is to realize that we are sinners, need to repent of our sins to God, and then do it. This is of critical importance as we journey toward eternity. If you are a Catholic, aware that you are sinful, but do not want to go to confession, it only shows how urgently you need to go. Be smart and prepared always.       

Great Consolation

        Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. In the Gospel reading from John 12, Jesus said, "Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me." At a time I feel great sorrow and need consolation, it is so good to follow the Lord to serve him, resulting in being with him at all times. He is my greatest consolation.

Our Hope

        For those who follow Christ, there is only one hope, Christ himself, the only hope they need. For those who do not follow Christ, there is only false hope or no hope. Jesus is coming!

Love Calling

        Communion experience. As the Communion minister was handing me the consecrated host to be consumed by me, he proclaimed "The body of Christ." It was Love calling.

Truth Vanquishes Fear

        Today's Mass was optional for Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). She was taken with her sister Rosa and many other Catholics and Jews from the Netherlands to the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where she died with them in the gas chambers. A few days before her deportation, she dismissed the question about a possible rescue, choosing to share the lot of her brothers and sisters. My observation and personal experience: Once you know the truth, you become fearless.

Jesus All-Knowing

        In today's reading from Matthew 18, when the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." It struck me that we would never have come up with such an answer if we were asked this question by the disciples. It just shows that Jesus knew, further authenticating his divinity.

Liberation from Enslavement

        We lose freedom when we become firmly attached to something we cannot let go. I can cite two examples in my own life. In my younger days, I had always wanted to drive a fast, sporty car. I went through an MGB (sporty but not fast nor reliable), a Fiat sport coupe (I don't even remember the model number anymore; all I remember is that one day, the car's last day, the gearshift stick became completely detached), an RX 7 (attracted by its rotary engine), a first generation BMW M3 (bought it because my son's friend was forced by his father to unload it cheap), and then two decades ago a second generation M3 (which my son is now using). Of course, there were always cars even faster and more sporty out there. I finally realized that I was being enslaved by my desire and it had to stop. I now drive an old Prius with great peace of mind.

       My second enslaver was my love for music, especially classical piano music. I subscribed to a host of music magazines. Spent a lot of time visiting Tower of Records everywhere, looking for the latest LPs or CDs. One place I ordered recordings from was a mail-order outlet in Massachusetts. It stocked all the overruns and discontinued recordings. It was a treasure house where I could find numerous new labels, new composers, as well as hard-to-find recordings by well-known artists... all at bargain prices. One day I realized that I could not go on being driven like this for the rest of my life. What would be the point? It was difficult, but I started stopping my magazine subscriptions one by one. There was one I could not let go yet, since I started with issue #1. Later, I terminated it too (the last issue came and is still sealed in cellophane). The joy of freedom I experience now is on a entirely different level than the pleasures I derived from my old obsession, which were oppressive. The liberation was made possible by the grace of Christ in union with me.

Secret of Being Free

        We enslave ourselves when we are self-centered. There is only one way to be free: forsake your own little universe and let the infinite universe of God enclose you. You are free only when God becomes your center. Jesus said in Matthew 10.39, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Best Reason for Believing

        Either wanting to enter heaven or being afraid of hell can propel us to turn to Christ. But the best incentive is to realize that God loves us. Love him back and we can forget about heaven and hell.     

Aim for the Highest

        The documentary "The Story of the Hypercar" (available for watching on YouTube) features some of the top European car manufacturers that are engaged in building a new class of awe-inspiring performance sports cars. What impresses me the most are their vision, determination, and the belief that they can achieve what seems to be beyond reach at the moment. All this has inspired me to see that as Christians, we can also hold the highest expectations and believe that since nothing is impossible with God, nothing is impossible for us too. Aim for the highest possible goal of life, that of union with God. If the car manufacturers can succeed on their own, we certainly can with God's help. 

Be the Few

        Jesus said, "How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." This is true because many people do not choose to listen to him. But if you desire to attain union with Jesus, he will open wide the gate and make straight the road that leads to him.

Step to Freedom

        Our true status as a human being becomes clear only when we go before God. Hiding from him will lead you to a false conception of yourself. Knowing what you are really like is the beginning of freedom. 

Presence of God

        After this morning's Mass, I joined the Rosary group to pray the Luminous Mysteries in church. After Rosary, I felt peace and the presence of God. Though there were all kinds of noises going on, I had no problem concentrating upon the Lord. Even my kneeling position was so comfortable that I felt I could remain in it forever. This was a new experience and I knew that the Lord had something to do with it. 

To Receive God's Best

        Jesus said, "To anyone who has, more will be given." To those who truly love the Lord, he will always give them the very best for their good.

*Sharing His Sorrow

        Communion experience. The world is in horrible shape ~ war destructions, terrorist attacks, crimes committed by governments against their own people, people taking advantage of their government . . . the list goes on and on. The outlook on my own country, the US, looks dim ~ the mind-blowing national debt, ongoing abortion of babies, the continuing breakup of families, further suppression of religious freedom, the moral decline, uninformed voters who would vote for any candidates who promise to continue giving them free aids, the biased news media that distort and slant facts, the worsening polarization of the nation, etc. I saw the dark cloud overhead and felt the tremendous sorrow that Jesus feels. My sorrow increased to the point that I sought relief from the Lord. Still, I wanted to enter him even deeper to share his sorrow and seek more consolation. Without him, I knew I wouldn't be able to survive. 

Jesus' Divinity

        Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Peter, John, and James all witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and heard the Father's voice coming from a bright cloud casting a shadow over them: This is my chosen Son; listen to him. It's proof to me that since the Father is divine, Jesus the Son is divine too.

Lamenting

        Today, many in this world reject Jesus and even many Christians have fallen away from their faith. Those who still remain remain with him, but not really in him. If God is not first in your life, how do you rank him? 2nd? 5th? 30th? Last? Do you pretty much live the way you want most of the time? Is the Lord only Lord in name only? Treating him lightly is treating the good news he has revealed to us, that God loves us, all his miraculous deeds, his Resurrection...lightly. Of course, to reject him is to dismiss all these wonderful things in one stroke. What have you done?

Get Personal

        Strengthen your relationship with God by sharing everything in your heart with him.

Unique Relationship

        Communion experience. Jesus is the only one with whom you can form the most beautiful, intimate personal relationship based upon selfless love with no fear whatsoever.

Only One Way

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Again, it must be either you or God. We cannot live our life our way and call on God only when we need him. Common sense.

No Our Way

        Today's Response to reading from Deuteronomy 32: It is I who deal death and give life. True that both our birth and our death are planned by God. It would be extremely foolish for us not to let him plan everything in-between for us too.

Wasted Effort

        No matter how much pleasure you derive from the world, for sure it won't get you into heaven.

Being Truly Catholic

        A Catholic must incorporate his faith into every part of his life, living as one whether inside or outside his church. That is, the faith is not just integral to, but is his life. Being ashamed of his faith is the first thing that has to go, while attaining union with God should be his ultimate goal. 

Abandonment Time Again

        Communion experience. The bread and wine became the flesh and blood of my Savior ~ this was what gave me hope. It's now abandonment time. Physically and spiritually, I cast myself entirely upon the Lord. 

Speaking God's Thoughts

          In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples who they say that he is. Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him, "Blesses are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father."
          Later, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed... Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

        This shows very clearly that when God speaks to us, he places what he wishes to convey directly in our heart, as Peter in the first instance showed. In the second instance, Peter just conveyed his own feelings, not what God thinks. We must be connected with God most intimately so as to speak his thoughts always with us out of the way.

Time for Loving God Back

        God the Father has always loved us from the very beginning. The demonstration of his steadfast love culminated in the coming of the Son into the world to spread the gospel and undergo the Passion. God has loved us first, it's time for us to love him back.

Body Apart From Soul

        This morning I became acutely aware of my own soul, my being that I am I, and that my body is not a permanent part of me, to be shed in due time. For the time being, it is a burden I must carry with me at all times and everywhere. This awareness helps me to see what's essential and what's not, which definitely lightens my attachment to my body.

Beautiful Truth

        God is infinite and we are finite. Finiteness compared to infinity is equivalent to zero. Therefore, compared to God, we should not feel that we are important in the slightest. But God thinks that we are utterly important to him, and this is what counts, making our lives meaningful and joyful. This is the beautiful Christian truth. 

Union Sealed

        The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament that seals our union with God. Without it or not believing that it is a sacrament, you can talk about union all you want and not attain it to the last degree. In John 6, Jesus said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." Anyone who does not believe that the Lord is present in the Holy Eucharist should read and meditate upon Jesus' entire bread-of-life discourse in John 6.

Jesus at Our Service

        In today's Gospel from Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman came and called out to Jesus to have pity on her, for her daughter was tormented by a demon. After Jesus tested her and found that her faith was great, he finally said to her, "Let it be done as you wish." Her daughter was healed from that hour. Let us know that the Lord would say the same thing to us, should we wish with great faith. He always hears us and will act upon our request in due time.

Holy Spirit Most Gentle

        The Holy Spirit dwelling in us reveals to us that God is most gentle and sweet. It is God the Holy Spirit that prompts us to endear ourselves to and yearn for God. 

*Next Life Coming Right Up

        I woke up sometime after 1 a.m. this morning. It was dark and quiet. I love moments like this because I feel the presence of God. Realizing that my soul lives on forever as my soul, I saw that when I leave this world, it's not me leaving my body, but rather my body separating itself from me. Thus, I saw that my transition into the next life (which is going to or away from God) as a smooth and instant process.  

No Holding Back

        Communion experience. I felt so content that I wanted my oneness with the Lord to be as firm and intimate as possible. No holding back ~ it's all of Jesus or nothing!

To Excel as a Christian

        If you are a Christian and the type who would always do the best possible job you can in whatever you do, consider being the best possible Christian you can be first. An excellent Christian will do everything for Christ, automatically resulting in doing his or her best in everything.

Justice Turned Topsy-Turvy

      Jesus is the source from which we receive mercy, yet people crucified him 2,000 years ago and have continued to do so nonstop ever since! If we reject his mercy, we reject the only one who can take away our sins. To treat the one who can do justice to us unjustly amounts to dooming ourselves.