Jesus underwent the Passion, suffering so much, yet he remained meek and humble, not protesting that he was innocent in the slightest, and even prayed for those who put him to death. Did he demonstrate turning the other cheek, remaining meek and humble, and loving his enemies? All that, yes; but most inspiringly above all, he demonstrated his perfect obedience to doing the will of the Father. (This should be our #1 duty too.)
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
How God Feels
We care about how we look, how to impress others . . . but hardly about how our clean and pure our hearts and thoughts are. Shouldn't we care about how God feels in the first place?
Most Important Sorrow
Today, Tuesday, is the day to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Naturally, we are aware of the sorrows Jesus underwent. And there's the sorrow we feel when we see others suffering or in distress. But there is one sorrow we tend to forget, that we have sinned against God. If we do not repent, we cut ourselves off from God. Hence, this make it the most important sorrow of all sorrows.
Monday, October 24, 2016
Most Special Grace
Communion thoughts. Jesus is God ~ you probably have heard this said many times already. But if you truly believe that he is, then he has called you, for no one can make you believe this except the Lord himself.
Union With God Necessary
In today's first reading from Ephesians 4, Paul advises us to live as children of light. The response that followed to Psalm 1 reads: Behave like God as his very dear children. What a high calling for us ~ to be obedient to God as his beloved children solely to please him! We are to heed his advice to be perfect as he is by imitating him. This behooves us to seek union with God, for it is through union that he can make all happen to fulfill his desire. The Lord has called, and the Lord can and will surely make it happen.
My Only Consolation and Joy
This morning, I felt that turning and praying to the Lord God is now my only consolation in this dark world. The Lord God is the only true joy we have. The entrance antiphon at Mass came from Psalm 105: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. This two verses echoed my feeling and what I was trying to do.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Tapping God's Riches
Attended Vigil Mass at church. I realized that Jesus has riches inexhaustible that we can turn to him to seek and ask for them to our heart's content. God will give us whatever we need to magnify his glory. Let's take advantage of that with maximum trust.
Power of the Eucharist
Communion thought. If you have been attending Mass faithfully, believing that the Holy Eucharist is truly the body and blood of the Lord, and receiving this Blessed Sacrament for years, you should already be a saint by now.
No Better Feeling
We obey our parents at home, our teachers at school, or our boss at work; and feel good after we carry out what we're told to do, as if a burden has been lifted from our shoulders. Obedience to God is different because it involves the heart as well as the soul. Obeying God is obeying the one who can remove our sins, make us whole, and lead us to eternal bliss. That is why I can say that there is no better feeling than knowing that you and God are on good terms.
Sins Over Suffering
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus made it clear that there is no direct relationship between suffering or mishaps and sinfulness. That is, one who suffers much is no indication that he is more guilty (or holier for that matter). The important thing, he said, is that we repent in order not to perish. Which is saying that the soul is so much more important than the body and that taking care of sins should come before taking care of physical suffering.
Using Free Will Wisely
Satan is far and hidden, yet it's so easy for us to fall into his traps and be enslaved by him. God is immediate and ready, yet it's hard for us to submit to him to be delivered into total freedom. Realizing our sinful state and need for salvation can go a long way in heading ourselves in the right direction. Remember that God has given us the free will; use it to make wise choices only.
Friday, October 21, 2016
A Metaphor
Communion experience. I saw Jesus as a mighty current and we are all in it. If you are obedient to him, he keeps you afloat and you flow downstream securely and effortlessly to where he is heading. To rebel against him is to swim upstream against the mighty current on your own, resulting ultimately in fatigue and death.
Beware!
To allow abortion is to play God, the creator of all human life, thus placing your will over his.
On Changing Oneself
Some Christians say they cannot change themselves in any way, proclaiming that God has made them that way. They are right because no one can fundamentally change oneself. The real reason here is that they really don't want to change. If you truly want to change yourself for the better, just ask God for help, since nothing is impossible with him. To not do so is to not believe that God has any power over you, which is a sin. The secret of complete transformation is to abandon yourself in God to let him do the work, removing your personal struggle. What a beautiful way to soar, yet how hard it is to let yourself go!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Doing More for God
Communion communication. I asked the Lord how I could do more for him. I heard him say, "Abide in me." My response: "Yes, Lord, I am yours." (We cannot do enough for God if we are outside of him.)
Awesome Responsibility
We are supposed to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind. Accompanying this calling is the awesome responsibility to be holy. We must always do good and shun evil, instead of frolicking through life as is so easily done. Much is expected from those who have received much. And our reward will be great in heaven.
Connected With God
This morning I felt an intimate connection with God before Mass began. The entrance antiphon from Psalm 17 "To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me" depicted my feeling. Yes, God is immediate, here, now, ever present, and longing to connect with our hearts.
Godlessness!
I watched the presidential debate yesterday. To my horror, Clinton, who is pro-abortion, was OK with aborting an unborn baby at any stage of its development, even to the day before it's born! How godless can you get? The video "Timely Message" I just posted is now more important than ever for Catholics to watch and hear.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Christ Indwelling
Communion experience. When I saw the consecrated host raised by the priest, I saw Christ himself, who should enter me shortly. I had no choice but to want to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.
More to the Point
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus asked his disciples to remain faithful, vigilant, and be prepared, for "the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect." We are familiar with the saying "Live each day as if if it were your last." Now, more to the point, it should be "Live each day as if it were your judgment day."
Of the World or Not
If you believe that Christ is your Savior, do you belong to him or still to the world? In John 17.16, Jesus prayed to the Father for all those he had given him that they do not belong to the world any more than he does. We are not free to embrace God completely so long as we are still partly of the world.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Greatest Accomplishment
Communion experience. After receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, I saw the dust particles in the sunlight that had streamed into the church next to me. I realized that my physical body would return to dust one day, but my soul would be with God forever. This has to be the greatest accomplishment of the soul made possible by God!
Longing for God
On this Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist, I am most grateful that God has called me, although my first feeling at Mass was that I wouldn't be satisfied until I have all of Jesus and am with him for all eternity. This resulted from longing for him of my soul or rather, his drawing of it to him.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Daily Mass Attendance
Communion thought. What draws me to daily Mass is the real presence of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Would you turn down a chance to attend the Last Supper?
Earthly Pleasures vs Heavenly Joys
All pleasures derived from the world or the flesh are enslaving and over time become nauseating, but all joys received from God or the Spirit are liberating and forever refreshing.
Recognizing Our Foolishness
Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch. In the Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus told the crowd the parable of the rich fool. In the story, the rich man decided to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store all his bountiful harvest and other goods. Then he planned, after having so many good things stored up for many years, to rest, eat, drink, and be merry, not knowing that his life would be demanded of him that very night. The lesson was that the one who stores up treasure for himself is not rich in what matters to God. Anyway, I instantly recognized that we all were that rich fool at one time or another.
Jesus in Our Way
John spoke about Jesus in John 1.3: All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. And Paul in Colossians 1.16: For in him were created all things in heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible; all things were created through him and for him. Jesus himself said in John 14.6: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. And since we also know he will be our judge on the final day, it would be utter foolish for us to think that we can sneak by him unnoticed in anyway. Jesus, the way, is always in our way so long as our eternal destiny is not settled yet.
God Most Personal
Since God knows everything about his creations, it does not matter if you are the only human existing or one among billions of fellow humans, God knows you most personally and cares about you. You are one of his most beloved creatures.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Jesus Is Joy
Communion experience. The joy of waiting in line to receive the Holy Eucharist is not unlike the joy of waiting in line to enter heaven, for receiving the body and blood of Jesus is letting joy enter to fill you.
Call to Persist in Prayer
After hearing the parable of the persistent widow read from Luke 18 at morning Mass, I was encouraged to ask the Lord to keep this nation from sliding into worsening immorality, corruption, hypocrisy, suppression of religious freedom, and disrespect for the sanctify of human life for the sake of those who are faithful, righteous, and laboring hard for his glory. I ask you to join me in this prayer if you feel so prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Way to Salvation
I see living in Jesus, with Jesus, and for Jesus as the only certain way to salvation.
*Whom You Live For
The severity of sin is proportional to how much you live for yourself. To hope to be saved, you must at least live for God more than for yourself.
Act of Will
Jesus said to Thomas, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." We can also be sure that Jesus will bless those who do not feel like praying and still pray or do not feel like helping someone they don't like and still help. It's the act of will that matters.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Two Union Effects
In union with God, you no longer need God to lead you on, since you are already with him, resting in him. And you do not derive strength from yourself, but through your intimate trust in God.
A Warning to Heed
Today is the Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church. In the Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." What Jesus had said here should be alarming to both believers and nonbelievers, but is fair and square, for he spoke as God.
Two Fundamental Questions
Are you truly aware that God loves you? If so, do you respond appropriately to him?
World in Darkness
As I woke up from sleep this morning, I saw Jesus alone as the light of the world, brightening my day, for the world was enveloped in darkness. The world will brighten up instantly if every one of its inhabitants starts to repent and beg for mercy from the Lord.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Putting Selves Aside
We ourselves are always the greatest obstacles between us and God. Therefore, great things do not happen to us interiorly until after we hand ourselves and all other things over to God. Hereby is revealed the secret of joy and freedom.
Great Moment of Life
Communion experience. It was God and I alone together in union ~ the most private and intimate moment of life.
Giving-Back Time
During the liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass today, I saw that Jesus had given himself to unite with us by instituting the Holy Eucharist. Of course, he was going to complete his giving by dying on the cross for us later. If we do believe that we are created in the image of God, it is time now to give ourselves completely back to him.
Amazing God-Man
Jesus as God is amazing when you examine the many wonderful miracles he performed and how death had no power over him. Today I see that Jesus as man is equally amazing. His mercy, compassion, humility, and teaching has inspired so many of us to become holy and willing to live and die for him with joy.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Just What We Need
Communion experience. How good and blessed it is to be loved by a God who died for me in order to save me. This God of infinite mercy is just what every one of us needs to complete and perfect our life.
Our Awesome Responsibility
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 11, we continued to hear Jesus denounce the Pharisees and scholars of the law for their evil deeds. The thought came to me that we essentially determine our own destiny, depending upon whether we hear and obey God or not.
Total Commitment
If we truly love Jesus, believing that he is the life, the truth, and the way, then we must follow his commands and live a holy life, not concerned about how foolish we might look in the eyes of the world. And our reward will be great in heaven.
Truth Over Feelings
Somehow, we came into being and wonder what life is all about. And we start to search for answers. If you just look for something you feel comfortable with, most likely you would skip over Christianity. But if you want to find the truth, putting aside all subjective feelings, then Christianity has to be the select choice.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Abandonment Test
If you have abandoned yourself completely to God, you'll be able to say to him, "Do whatever you want with me, Lord" with ease and in peace. It's the "Thy will be done" test.
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