Pure Love

        Pure love is unconditional, selfless love. That's what our love for God and for others for God's sake is. All other so-called "love" for everything else is, strictly speaking, not love. Pure love can only originate from God, for he alone is love.

Deeper Into Christ

        When you first find and accept Christ, you feel great joy. Then as you get to know him more intimately, you increasingly feel his sorrow and as a result, enter even deeper into him to seek consolation. You now feel even more of his sorrow, but the underlying joy sustains you, for no sorrow can overcome that. 

Dwelling in Jesus

        Communion thoughts. I know that Jesus and I dwell in each other, but I prefer to see that I dwell in him, an infinite space filled with love that gives me total freedom, yet keeping me safe. So, in him alone, I am safe and free.

Communion Consolation

        Communion experience. Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle. He was also named Nathanael, in whom Jesus recognized to have no duplicity. Since I do not see the Lord, again, it was a great consolation to taste the Lord in Holy Communion.

Longing for Christ

       Christ is as intimate to me as I am to myself. In fact, he knows and understands me more than I myself. Since I do not see him, I long to hear his sweet voice speaking to my heart. Then he assures me that even if I don't hear it, he always hears me. I love my Lord.

Life-Transforming Sacrament

        Communion experience. The Holy Eucharist is the Lord. It is sweet, fragrant, and tonic to the soul. This is the Blessed Sacrament God has given us to be united to him as one.

*Be Ready for God

        Let your heart and mind be a blank ready for God to imprint whatever words, thoughts, pictures, or impressions he wishes upon them for your edification and joy.

What Turns God Off

        Beginning yesterday, we heard Jesus' denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees read from Matthew 23 at Mass. The Lord starts out with the strong words "Woe to you" in many of his accusations. What offended him most was their hypocrisy ~ phoniness in modern day language. Since God already sees everything in our hearts, thinking that he wouldn't know what we are hiding directly insults his omniscience. A hypocritical person cannot possibly experience true peace in his heart. And God loves an honest, sincere, soul with no duplicity.   

*God Does Love Us

        Suffering in this life is caused by our sins. The fact that we can get to heaven shows that God loves us.

*I Live on Forever Too!

        What is infinity? Is the universe infinite? These questions bugged me ever since I was a little boy. The concept was impossible for my finite mind to comprehend, until I found God. Of course, God cannot have a beginning, an end, or is limited in his power someway. With an infinite God, an infinite universe is totally logical and possible. And I thought of my own soul which God had created at some point and now it lives on forever like him. In this sense, I have also become infinite. Then realizing that I shall live on forever with my God in heaven becomes absolutely overwhelming, making me grateful for his mercy. How can you not possibly rejoice when you have such a caring Father?

Either We or God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 23, the last two verses, 11 & 12, struck me the most: "The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Obviously, the ego has no place before God. The choice is between serving ourselves and serving God. The battle goes on continuously until we give in to God totally. This is fully consistent with what Jesus had said earlier in the Gospels: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will safe it." It would do us good to remember these sayings of the Lord.

Seeking Unlimited Freedom

        I cannot be happy living on any planet of finite size. Would you be happy to live on a sphere, say just 10 feet in diameter? Well, our earth is, of course, a lot bigger, but it's still limited in size. I want to live in the Lord because his space is infinite. Only in him can I experience unlimited freedom.

Protecting the Soul

        Give God your soul, which was created by him in the first place, then you will overcome all evil, keeping the soul safe, throughout you whole life on earth. 

Recipe for Peace, Freedom, and Joy

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22 at Mass, Jesus gave us the greatest and first commandment and the second like it. They read:
        You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
        You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
        If we obey these commandments, we shall have heaven on earth.

On Knowing Jesus

        Knowing about Jesus is not the same as knowing him. You can know all about him but still do not know him. An example I have in mind is a tour guide I met in the Holy Land. He knew every story in the Bible, but he was not a Christian. Normally, you get to know Jesus after learning something about him. Once you know the Lord intimately, you have him and no longer care about knowing about him.

Ways of Surrendering to God

        (1) Let the majesty, beauty, and pure love of God overwhelm you.

        (2) Be completely open to God to receive whatever he wants to give you.

        (3) Abandon yourself to God.
        They all lead to union with God.

Compelling Jesus

        Communion experience. Jesus' love, his humility, his glory, his invitation to us, his messages, his promises, his desire to be one with us... are all most compelling. Surrendering to him is basically letting him overwhelm us with his perfection, holiness, and beauty. 

God's Invitation

       In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 22.1-14, Jesus told the parable of the wedding feast to teach what the Kingdom of heaven is like. A king gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants to invited them to the banquet that had been sumptuously prepared. Some ignored the invitation and went away. The rest laid hold of the servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king sent his servants into the streets to invite to the feast whomever they could find, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man not dressed in a wedding garment. He ordered his attendants to bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside.

        This is a poignant story which revealed the following to me:       

       (1) Jesus said at the end of telling the parable, "Many are called, but few are chosen." This has been true to this very day.

        (2) God's invitation is to everyone.

        (3) We must take his invitation seriously or suffer serious consequences.

Safeguarding the Soul

        When our health deteriorates, there is only so much we can do. Eventually, we lose the battle and die. But losing the body one day is normal and expected. It's the soul that we must protect and never lose. This is where Christ comes in. Accept, believe in, and follow him faithfully is the only safeguard we need. There is no other assuring way. 

Love Still Imperfect

        Sometimes we genuinely want to help others. When they do not quite listen to us or have misunderstood our intentions, we feel unappreciated and get annoyed. This is because our love is still not perfect ~ we are still concerned about our own feelings. Pure love thinks 100% of the person you wish to love with only God present within you.

Compellingly God

        Look at Jesus. Let's say that he is not God. Let's even ignore the fact that he performed so many miracles and rose from the dead himself. Then we see a man who was meek and humble, willingly let others lead him to crucifixion, and still prayed from the cross that God the Father would forgive those who took part in putting him to death. Not another human being would have behaved like that or the subject would have been considered to be the strangest or weirdest person that had ever lived. On top of all this, Jesus admitted that he is God ~ that makes him delusional as well. You decide.

Dealing With God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20.1-16, Jesus told his disciples what the Kingdom of heaven was like via a parable. A landowner went out to hire laborers for his vineyard throughout the day. They all agreed to work for the usual daily wage. When it was evening, the owner had the laborers summoned to give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first. At the end when the first saw that everyone got the same usual wage, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, "These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat." He said to one of them in reply, "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?"

        There are a number of things we can learn from this parable. 

        (1) God is generous to all.

        (2) He is entitled to do whatever he wishes.

        (3) We should be happy that he rewards us for our labor.

      (4) How others are rewarded is not our business. (In heaven, would you still grumble that someone up there had an easier life than you on earth?)

        (5) Being envious of others shows that we are not satisfied with God.

        (6) We are not in a position to question the Lord.

        (7) Be grateful to God for his mercy to all.

*Better Way to Go*

        It is much better to live a life as holy as possible with God's help and be assured of entering heaven speedily after death than living it your own way most of the time and hoping that a lot of Masses and prayers will be offered for you after you die. To be sure, Masses and prayers can only help those in purgatory. If you don't make heaven, there is nothing anyone can do about it! Think ahead, be smart, and choose the better way now.

All Things Affect God

        Everything I experience, you name it, makes me think of God, as I see that he knows all things that happen and they affect him. This is my happy state.

Apocalypse Is Near!

        TFP Student Action, defending moral values on campus, is a project of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property. I received an email from John Ritchie, its director, this morning. It informs me that yesterday, on the holy Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, a satanic Black Mass took place at 7:00 pm in Oklahoma City. Let me lift from his email report on the public prayer rally held against the Black Mass some details below.    

At 5:30 PM, TFP Student Action volunteers helped organize a large prayer rally of reparation right in front of the Civic Center, the public venue where the Black Mass was perpetrated against Our Lord. In addition to the unspeakably offensive Black Mass, the satanic group allegedly attacked the Virgin Mary too, pouring filthy substances on her statue before smashing it to pieces. On this dark day for America, however, throngs of faithful from across the country arrived to console Our Lord and the Blessed Mother. In fact, Catholics rolled in from Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. We were blessed and honored to be able to stand up for Holy Mother Church, the true Mass, and the Holy Eucharist – praying the rosary, holding signs and displaying banners outside the Civic Center.          You see, evil has never been so brazen. God has never been so reviled in a public, city-run venue, with the complicity of city officials who refused to cancel the black mass.  Never has the spiritual battle between good and evil been so apparent and so vivid. That's why you and I must continue to watch and pray. May God reward you a hundredfold and truly transform America into one nation under God.            You can see the rally against this black mass on this short video:

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.