Our Tragic Role

          Happy Easter to all who read my blog! I pray that you will always keep your hearts open to God's blessings so that he may enrich you in every way to the fullest. If you are with him, all he has is yours (Luke 15.31) – a mind-boggling promise, so take advantage of God's generosity!

     Today's Gospel reading from John 20 is about the empty tomb. The Resurrection of Jesus together with all his words and deeds are most powerful statements, but they won't do you any good if your heart shuts them out. Truth ages, but remains true forever. If the Resurrection changed the lives of the Apostles and numerous others, it can change yours today too. Yet many not only ignore God, they also avoid examining or looking into themselves. This is a generation that is so blind that they don't even see that they are taking part in a tragedy that would end with their own death.

It Comes Down to Faith

        How much you believe in Christ is so much more important than how you believe in him. Once I used an object I mistakenly believed to be authentic to pray for the healing of someone and the Lord still brought about a miracle. I was later puzzled, and then realized that it's how much you believe in him that counts, not so much the way you express your belief. At the fundamental level, it comes down to your faith, which is how your heart is connected to the Lord's heart. 

**Freed by God

        Once you know Jesus Christ, you'll find that he is the most awesome, most inspiring, and most beautiful Being of all beings. That is why no other person in this world, no matter how awesome, how inspiring, and how beautiful the people of the world think he or she is, no longer attracts me in the least. This is how the Lord frees us from the clutches of the world. Know God and you are free.

*It's Now or Never

        I was never very good serving on any kind of committee, for most people on a committee love to spend time talking and not getting to the point. I see things in a simple way and like to get to the point right away if possible. Now, life is brief and will come to an end sooner or later. It doesn't make any difference whether you count your time in years or seconds. So, in this limited span, do you want to remain as is or change in some way? Time is ticking away. If you don't grab Jesus, you'll miss him for all eternity and all the good things and good times you enjoy now will mean absolutely nothing. On the other hand, if you let him capture you now, all your sufferings, pains, and miseries of this life will become nothing and be forgotten once you are with him for all eternity.

God's Big Cross

        It's easy for us to be unhappy about carrying our little crosses in following the Lord, but know that on the way to the Cross Jesus had to carry all of our sins and hardships, including every heartache and pain, every injustice and illness, every oppression and poverty, every human misery; and he did it willingly in obedience to the Father out of love for us. We need to thank God for that unless you already believe that you do not need to be saved.

**Are You a Good Person?

        You may think that you are basically a good person, but that depends upon how you measure yourself. None of us is qualified to judge anyone, including ourselves. Anyway, even if the whole world thinks that you are a great person, it's no proof that you'll make heaven. As a matter of fact, the world usually gets it wrong. Therefore, do not judge or exalt yourself, but remain humble and let God alone be your judge. Only what God thinks of you matters.

*Perfect Disciple's Role

        In today's Gospel reading from John 13 for this Holy Thursday evening Mass, we shall hear read the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus at the Last Supper. Jesus gave his disciples a model to follow. If he, the master and teacher, had washed their feet, then they ought to wash one another's feet. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, ready to wash his feet, Peter said, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." I must include Peter's response which is typical Peter: "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." The clear lesson for me is that we must accept whatever the Lord wants to do to us without questioning, even if we do not understand. This is perfect trust and perfect obedience, making you his perfect disciple, ready to receive inheritance from God!

With Christ As One

        Communion experience. I was in touch with Christ, interlocking hearts and being detached from the world at the same time.

Secret to Greatness

        Today's entrance antiphon from Philippians 2: At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, for the Lord became obedient to death, death on a cross: therefore Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The Communion antiphon from Matthew 20: The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. These verses give us the complete secret of being exalted by God. All we need to do is to be obedient to the Lord and serve him.

Reverse Outlook

        We don't happen to be here on earth somehow and then want to find God somewhere. Do you know that God knew us before we were formed in the womb? that we were created in his image? that we actually belonged to him? that we had strayed away from him and he had redeemed us again through Christ? that now we can return to him? and that we is awaiting us?

More Serious Sin

        Do you realize that when you idolize a pop star or any other human being, you also help building up his or her ego, thus making you sin even more serious?

*Even Greater Feeling

        I have said that it is a great feeling to know that you and God are on good terms. But it's an even much greater feeling to know that God has completely occupied you and you are now all his!

Infinite Kindness

        Communion experience. I felt as Peter did when he was awed by the power of Jesus, fell at his knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Yet the Lord came to me, asking me to receive and consume him.

Avoid Sinning

        I attended the Vigil Palm Sunday Mass. The long Gospel reading came from Matthew 26 and 27, telling about the betrayal by Judas, preparation for the Passover, the betrayer, the Lord's Supper, Peter's denial foretold, the agony in the garden, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Jesus before the Sanhedrin, Peter's denial of Jesus, Jesus before Pilate, the death of Judas, Jesus questioned by Pilate, the sentence of death, mockery by the soldiers, the way of the cross, the Crucifixion, the death of Jesus, the burial of Jesus, and the guard at the tomb. The Lord made me see that every sin we commit against him hurt him, and that we must avoid sinning with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul.

The Human God

        The response at Mass was what Jesus cried out from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This completely revealed the human side of Jesus ~ so beautiful, so moving. Thanks and praise be to him forever!

*Sinner's Joy

        I am glad that I am a sinner. How so? You see, it's the realization that I am a sinner that makes me love Jesus my Savior!

Peace Eternal

        Attended Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Church in a city. I saw that once you are in union with Christ, the peace you experience in him is eternal. 

Who's the Boss?

        Before you know God, it's all up to you because you play him, controlling your own entire destiny. After you know and surrender to him, it's all up to him as he directs and leads you. It's from "all up to you" to "all up to God." It's all about "who's the boss?" 

Seeing It Both Ways

        If you encounter misfortune and ask God why it should fall on you, then you should also ask him the same question when good fortune comes to you. 

*How to Be Perfect Is . . .

the same as how to love God.         

God's Will Over Emotions

        As humans, we tend to follow our emotions and not our will. Since we can never go wrong by following God's will, it would be wise for us to do that exclusively to avoid being misguided by our own emotions.

Progress

        Once you have graduated from college, attending kindergarten would no longer be fun. Similarly, once you have known the heavenly Christ, the world becomes boring.

Home-Sweet-Home Feeing

      I used to pursue pleasures of the world, but now I feel good that God is my home. We all know that home-sweet-home feeling. But if your home is where God dwells, that has to be the sweetest home-sweet-home feeling. Indeed, there is no place like heaven, being home with God.

*Unforgettable Joy

        Communion experience. I was ready to let Jesus take me. It was an unbeatable upbeat and breathtakingly beautiful feeling! Now I knew why we should be so happy in heaven: because God feeds us with joy!

*Trust in God's Doing

       I attended Vigil Mass today. In the Gospel reading from John 11, we heard the raising of Lazarus. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he did not go to him for two days. Then when he arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for 4 days. Both sisters of Lazarus said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Nevertheless, Jesus ordered that the stone be taken away from the tomb and cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. Jesus knew all along that the illness of Lazarus was not to end in death, but was for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified through it.

        The important lesson here. We do not always know what God is doing, but we only need to know that he always knows what he is doing!

A Very Good Question

        If God came down from heaven to be born as one of us and then die in our place so that we might be saved and have eternal life, and we reject him, do you think that we still deserve heaven? 

A Very Good Thing

        As I age, like everyone else my physical condition deteriorates. But there is this very good thing: I am going to Jesus who is waiting for me!

Christ, the Deciding Difference

        For the last 15 days I have not been able to blog. Today I'll try to post all the messages received, but dating each by the day on which it was received. 

       For me, it was simple and crystal clear: No Christ, no hope. Since I know him, I know my sure way to eternal life. There is no greater difference anyone or anything else can possibly make to our existence.

Blessed Are the Imperfect

        For the imperfect realize that they are not qualified to judge others and that they need God who alone can make them perfect. [A note. For the next two weeks, again I won't be able to do any blogging, so please check back after April 11 for new messages. Meanwhile, pray unceasingly for the salvation of all the souls, both living and deceased. Yes, God hears and needs us ~ we can make a difference! May he bless you all.]

Fruit of Union

        When I watch some of the most talented jazz pianists play, they improvise freely, knowing exactly how they want to express themselves. I could see that they are one with the music. This reminds me that when one is in union with the Lord, he experiences the same kind of freedom, knowing exactly what God's will is and follows it with ease. In both cases, something beautiful results.

To See We Need God

        First, realize that you are imperfect, vulnerable, and helpless on your own. Then you will see that you need God. 

Eternal Joy

        All the joys we receive in our life are momentary except for the joy of or in Christ. That deep joy affects the soul and continues on into eternity, reaching its peak there. The Lord is our eternal joy!

Created by God

        Today it becomes clear to me that we are all individual beings created by God. Each of us is aware of his or her existence. You could say that we were never mass-produced, but made by hand carefully by God, one at a time. Should all billions of us become saints, there would be billions of different saints with each exhibiting his or her individuality. Cherish and be grateful for your unique existence.

*Love Makes Us Worthy

        Communion thoughts. God alone is worthy to be loved, for he is love. Because of him, all of us became worthy to be loved. 

*Taking God Seriously

        Following Jesus is serious business, for we are dealing with God. Too many people speak freely in church without restraint, especially right after Mass. True, we are not in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican where silence is maintained, but a church is a church, a sanctuary of God. Attending Mass may be likened to joining the Lord at the Last Supper where all focus was upon the Lord. God will take us seriously as we take him seriously.

Model Response to God

        Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. In the Gospel reading from Luke 1, after the angel Gabriel came to Mary and announced the birth of Jesus through her, she said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." The surely is a model response to God to all of us.

**God Badly Misconceived

        If you don't want to face God because you know you have offended him, you have the right kind of fear. But if you are afraid that God will lord it over you should you accept him as your Lord, you've got it all wrong, for this fear is baseless and unjustifiable. We address God as Lord out of reverence and awe. If God had wanted to domineer over us, why did he give each of us the free will in the first place? All God desires is to love and serve us. It'd be extremely foolish and unfair to conceive God otherwise.        

Jesus Forever Refreshing

        I felt great joy on my way to Mass this morning, for I was going to unite with Christ, receiving him again into my home, my heart, my whole being. It felt like I was going to see him for the very first time, for he is forever refreshing, wanting to renew us constantly. It is so good to have him and that's an understatement!

***Unbelievable Lord!

        Communion experience. This is the Lord who's going to cleanse my soul inside out to prepare me for entering heaven! It's always we say yes and he does the work. He is great because he serves us – unbelievable! 😇

*God Most Helpful

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus reiterated to one of the scribes the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." You wonder how you can possibly do that – it just seems hard. Where is the incentive? What's in it for me? The wonderful thing is that like anything the Lord asks of you, if you say yes and really mean it, he will help you accomplish it without expending much of your own effort and with you being rewarded with peace, joy, and freedom in the process!  

*Sinners' Predicament

        Sin is detrimental to our soul as cancer is to our physical body, but it's a lot more serious on a different level. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." In a way, all sinners are teetering on the edge of a precipice. Overloaded with sins, they can easily fall off the cliff. What Christ can do is to not only remove the burden of your sins, but also pull you away from the cliff into a safety zone. There you await until the time to be transported to heaven arrives.

*What God Thinks Matters!

        After watching how the politicians vote on various issues in Congress, it's easy to see that they mostly vote to win for their party and/or to benefit themselves, not thinking about what's best for the people, let alone what God thinks. This is a tragic situation. Ordinary citizens do the same, planning everything by and for themselves ~ never mind what God thinks. God is just about the remotest thought from their mind. Of course, the reality is that only what God thinks matters; but we have replaced God with ourselves. It's way past wake-up time!

**How to Change Ourselves

        Being aware that we must change is only the beginning. To effect any change, we must know how to do it. The best, proper, and, as a matter of fact, the only effective way to make things happen is to let God do the work. As our creator he certainly can perfect us, provided that we submit ourselves to him. Again, humility works wonders. 

**How to Hear God

        Today's first reading came from Jeremiah 7. The people of those days did not obey God, nor pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their hearts and turned their backs to the Lord. History sure repeats itself to this day. God is always calling us, but we must soften my hearts to hear his voice. The only way to discover, to know, to win over God is to approach him with open humility. To "demand" God to reveal himself to you is the dead wrong approach. Have pride and you are out!

No Time for Judging Others

        We should never look down on other sinners, for we do not know if we were in their shoes, living their lives and facing their problems, we would have done better and been holier than they. We are all sinners before God, so how can I possibly think that I am a better sinner than someone when I can't even read anyone's mind or heart? And who am I to judge anyone whom God loves? Our business is to follow God with full attention on him alone.

Viewing Our Sins

        We are born sinners. Everyone is 100% responsible for his own sins; blaming others won't get you off the hook. Of course, if your sin causes others to sin also, then it becomes doubly serious. Anyway, since God hates only the sin and not the sinner, you should do so likewise. Therefore, do not debase yourself after you have sinned, but realize that you have offended the Lord and ask him for forgiveness, and he'll make you pristine again. 

*Exalting the Humble

        Communion thoughts. Before we receive the Holy Eucharist, when we say, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed," we humble ourselves. Then we receive the Holy Sacrament and we are instantly exalted by God! 

**Only Logical Goal!

      Since Christ wants us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is, we should seek to be like him. The only means of achieving this is to let God do the work. To receive this help is to be open and submissive to him, which clearly points to attaining union with God as our goal. Imitating him from a distance is not good enough – we must become one with him!

*Lesson on Forgiving Others

        The parable of the unforgiving servant from Matthew 18 was today's Gospel reading at Mass. Jesus' message was that we must always forgive others. We already know that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. From this parable, we learn that once God has forgiven us, we'd better be forgiving like him. That is, if we expect to be forgiven by God, we should stop judging others – it's all about following his example. To not want to be like him is downright rebellion. 

*False Freedom

        You think that you are free when you take full control of your life, doing whatever you wish. It turns out that you won't have a say at judgment time.