If you want to go wherever God wants you to go, you'll end up where you want to be. If you don't want to go where God wants you to go, you'll end up where you don't want to be.
Monday, November 14, 2016
*Beyond Repentance
Letting go in God is to trust God in all things. That means you no longer attach yourself to anything but God. That means you keep the word of Christ to the letter. That means you are no longer influenced by what others think of you. Letting go goes beyond repentance, made possible by God.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Obedience Makes Perfect
Communion thought at Vigil Mass. The only appropriate response to God for us is to obey him in all things, making us his perfect children.
Even Better Feeling
It's a good feeling to know that you and God are getting along, but it's a terrific feeling when you are in union with God, knowing his will and obeying him always.
*How God Teaches Us
The way the Holy Spirit teaches us is unique. It's not an intellectual illumination because it doesn't require any harding thinking or reasoning on our part. It is a spiritual illumination, as God speaks directly to the heart, bypassing the brain. Truly original and most refreshing.
Exploring God's Space
Communion experience. The deeper I enter the Lord, the more beauty I see, and the more I want to go even deeper. This is exploring the Lord's infinite space. It's excitingly peaceful!
No Way Around Jesus
Today's Communion antiphon is based upon Jesus saying in Matthew 10.39: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. It is clear that whether we lose or find our life involves Jesus explicitly, which brings to mind Jesus' proclamation in John 14.6: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Therefore, Jesus is in our way, but the good thing is that he is our way.
Effective Praying
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus, via a parable, teaches his disciples the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. Foremost, prayer needs to come from the depth of the heart. Sometimes God tests your persistence, so do not stop communicating with him if you love him.
No Secret Way
When people find out that I am truly happy in the Lord, they congratulate me and are happy that I have found happiness. What I want to make it known to all is that what I have found is not something by luck I happen to stumble upon and happen to work for me. No, this is God's familiar, universal call to every one of his beloved children. There is no secret, and only your response matters.
How God Sees Us
When God looks at us as our creator and Father, he sees the beauty of each soul, but is grieved by the sins that have stained us. Say you have a favorite vase and it falls into mud and gets dirty all over, would you throw it away? Of course not, and this is how God sees us, for the sin is not the sinner. Mary asked us to recite the Fatima Prayer at the end of each Rosary decade: Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. We are not to judge anyone, but pray for everyone.
*God's Beauty*
The beauty of God's creation we can see with our eyes, but the beauty of God himself we can only see with the eye of our soul. It's this vision of the soul that imparts great inner joy to the beholder.
God Has Made Us
As I headed for morning Mass today, I saw the blue skies, white clouds, and the colorful fall foliage in hues of yellow, amber, and red. Why weren't they in some other colors? I immediately knew that God was real, for he had made them beautiful for us to behold. We also understand what good and evil mean, and can feel joy or sadness ~ again pointing to his existence. All I can say is that God has made us this way. Don't forget that he has made us in his image so that we can choose to believe in him too!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Another Simple Fact
Jesus said in John 8: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin" and "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." So the fact about us is that, first, as sinners we easily become our own slaves. Then we hear Christ calling us, we believe and follow him, and we are set free.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
*Assured Facts
Those who live for the world will die with the world, and those who die for God will live with God.
To Be in God
When God and you are in each other, he and you become one. But since he is infinite and you are finite, it's difficult to see that you can possibly contain him. So, why not picture that you are in him, totally containing you? Surely, you are now one with him, since you now dwell in and belong to him wholly.
Power of Transformation
The Holy Eucharist, being the true body and blood of our Lord, is packed with grace to make you holy, new, and beautiful for God to behold. Therefore, consume it with complete submission to his holy will and wonderful transformation will take place in your heart and soul. In Matthew 8, when Jesus was ready to go to the house of a centurion to cure his paralyzed servant, the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed." This is the kind of attitude and faith we should hold.
Be Alert and Ready!
Jesus will come again to judge us, but no one knows when that will happen. Therefore, we must absolutely be ready, for when he surprises us by his unexpected appearance, there will not be any time left for repentance.
Unobstructed Communication
The more you open up your heart to God, the more you hear his voice in your heart. It's such a great joy to have unobstructed communication between you and the Lord.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Sweet and Delightful
Communion experience. In life we experience agony, anguish, sorrow, bitterness . . . but there is one thing that is always sweet and delightful, and that's our Lord Jesus the Christ.
New Hope for America
The morals of any country or society that has cast God aside will inevitably degenerate, and that downslide in these last few decades of this nation has been rapid. If liberal Hillary Clinton had won the presidential election, the degeneration would surly continue. Talking about taking care of the people while giving no protection to the unborn is no true compassion, only hypocrisy. True compassion is selfless. With Donald Trump just elected to be the next president, there is at least hope that things can begin to turn around, for he is pro-life and promises to protect religious liberty.
This morning's entrance antiphon, Revelation 21.2, at Mass: I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. How beautiful it would be to have a holy nation, a new America!
This morning's entrance antiphon, Revelation 21.2, at Mass: I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. How beautiful it would be to have a holy nation, a new America!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Agony and Peace
Can peace and agony coexist in one's heart? Yes, if you willingly accept agony for the sake of God. Our prime example is Christ the Lord himself.
*Jesus' Coming to Us
When Jesus promised that he and the Father would come to those who loved him and kept his word, do you think that he would just come to be next to us? Did he have distance in his mind? Of course not! When he spoke of coming to us, he's talking about coming to enter us to dwell in us as one.
Attitude of a Servant
Today's Gospel passage was Luke 17.7-10 in which Jesus describes the attitude of a servant. In the last verse, he says, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" Yes, with God, we do not question or reason but only believe and trust. Without humility, God becomes unapproachable.
Memorable Interview
Yesterday I watched Dr. Paul Schenck being interviewed by Marcus Grodi on The Journey Home TV program. He was intellectually articulate and worth listening to. Telling how he became truly pro-life was a memorable experience for me. It should wake us up to the horror of abortion, the killing of innocent human babies.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Second Opinion
It's common that we obtain at least a second opinion when we are unsure about what we are supposed to do. Recently, some doctors advised a friend of mine to undergo surgery to solve her back problem, while other doctors advised against that. Our opinions are just opinions; they can be helpful or not. Then I thought of God. If we listen to him, we don't ever need any second opinion. Personally, I see the Lord God simplifying our lives.
Our Frist Priority
Communion experience. The Holy Spirit made me see that before attempting to change anything around us, our first priority should be to change ourselves first. This completely made sense to me. Then he also showed me that as sinners, we have no right to judge other sinners.
All Will Be Settled
The world seems so unfair when the evil ones get away with whatever they do and the good people get beaten down and suffer. That's because we live in a sinful world. But this is just the beginning, for in the end, all will be settled. It will be either eternal dwelling with God or eternal separation from him, and this is what matters.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Present at the Last Supper
Communion experience. I felt as if I was one of the Apostles at the Last Supper, hearing Jesus offering us his own body in the form of bread to eat and his own blood in the form of wine to drink.
How Good and Rich We Are
We are only as good as how much we let God transform us and as rich as how open we are to receiving gifts from him.
So Much in Christ
In Christ, we can be free of sin, gain entry to heaven, and live with our Father in bliss for ever, in addition to having our own resurrection on Judgment Day. There is so much for us to look forward to and rejoice about!
God for Everything
You go to God not just to get your sins forgiven, but also to get your heart purified and your soul liberated! Let him fill you with hope, courage, peace, and joy. If you belong to him, all he has is yours. This is what a good Father is for. (These were my first thoughts before Mass this morning.)
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Joyful Realization
Communion experience. I felt great joy realizing that Jesus could take away all my sins.
A Self-Realization
Before Communion was given, I ran out of words in praising and thanking God for his love and greatness, and I realized then that I was finite before the infinite God.
God or Us
Also in today's Gospel of Luke 16, Jesus said, "No servant can serve two masters." It follows that we can not serve ourselves and God at the same time. It's "serving God alone," not even "God first, we second."
All or Nothing
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus said to his disciples, "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones." This says that a trustworthy person is one who is trustworthy in all matters, that is, he has consistency. Similarly, a faithful Catholic is one who follows all teachings of the Catholic Church with consistency. Sadly, there are many Catholics who follow only those teachings that are palatable to them and veer away from others they think they can ignore. With God, we must go along 100%, giving our all and never overriding his will. Loving God not with all our heart is not an option ~ either we are with him all the way or not. Complete surrender to God is our only way out, but it's the logical, realistic, and most glorious way. Once in union with God, you will never ever want to leave him again ~ it's that beautiful!
Securing Your Real Future
If you know exactly where you are going after you die, that is, you are certain that you are going to live forever with God, your entire outlook on life will change and you will experience peace and freedom. Should you wait until the last moments of your life and wake up to reality, you might still make heaven, but then you've already squandered away much of your lifetime ~ not a pleasant thing. Be a visionary and secure your real future for all eternity first.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Ultimate Fulfillment
Today being a first Friday, I attended Eucharistic Adoration after Mass. With the Holy Eucharist displayed in the monstrance on the altar, the sanctuary became the holy of holies. It is hard to imagine that this same bread of heaven entered me personally a while ago during Mass. I could only tremble in awe. Being one with the One you are in love with ~ what more could one possibly ask for?
Linking to God
In today's first reading at Mass from Philippians 3, Paul spoke of all followers of Christ as having their citizenship in heaven. We become citizens of a country because we love the country and the country welcomes and accepts us. As citizens of heaven, we love God and God welcomes and accepts us. To link ourselves to God, to heaven, is the most important single thing we need to do in this life. It may sound selfish, but it's exactly what God wishes.
Every Prayer Counts
If you were the only human God had created, he would have died for your sins. Since you are that important to him, every prayer you utter from your heart he hears and heeds. Therefore, never cease praying and trusting in him.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Healthy Living
Memories exist in our mind, but they are like virtual images we see in a mirror ~ they do not exist in substance. Memories are always about the past. Lingering over memories is a waste of time, a fruitless activity. The Christian is untethered from all past memories, be they pleasant or bitter. He or she lives forth with faith, hope, and charity ~ Christ now is the only draw. Such healthy living leads to eternal life.
Our Only Second Chance
Everything we do in thought, word, and deed is known to God and thus consequential to our eternity destiny. If you had started out badly, only repentance and asking for God's forgiveness can reverse your course, giving you a second chance ~ there are no other means.
Communing With God
My heart was heavy when I went to Mass this morning because of the many pressing issues on my mind. The entrance antiphon from Psalm 38 read: Forsake me not, O Lord my God; be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation! This perfectly mirrored my feelings. Then at the same time I did not want to hear the Lord say "O you of little faith," which he had used on his disciples on different occasions. Later, the response to Psalm 105 read: Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord! And that was the answer I needed to hear.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Death Perfectly Timed
Surrendering to God makes you see that when your body starts falling apart, it's the time to shed it and return to God, removing all fear of dying.
Foolish Evildoers
Evildoers are myopic and the greatest fools because they think they can get away with what they do from God, not knowing that at the end they will have to face God to account for their every single thought, word, and deed.
Our Certain Resurrection
Today is All Souls Day. The entrance antiphon from 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 reads: Just as Jesus died and has risen again, so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep; and as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be brought to life. I believe in what Paul believed in. Our life does not end with death, for the soul is everlasting. Through Christ, we shall rise again. With Christ, we always have hope, for he is our hope. All who believe in him will live with him for ever.
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