Even though our life on earth is relatively brief, it does provide us with many opportunities to increase our faith. When we are receptive to God, he also uses every moment to teach us. It is through living on earth that we receive our faith. Besides, our life is given by God. Thus life is essential and precious too.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Faith Over Life on Earth
Faith in Christ is infinitely more precious than life on earth, for the former guarantees life eternal, while the latter is over in the blink of an eye. If you ever have to choose either faith or life to keep, you should clearly choose faith.
**Life's No. 1 Concern
If you have any foresight and courage at all, you should do your best to make sure that you soul will enter eternity happily, for it exists forever. A pointed question: what's the point of living if you future life is going to be even more miserable?
Guidelines for Living
In today's first reading from Acts 5, the Apostles rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name of Jesus. So it's not what others do to you, but how you respond to the Lord that matters. What the world thinks of you is utterly unimportant relative to what God think of you. And always follow the will of God and not be concerned about your success or failure in whatever you do.
Joy of Resurrection
It's a great joy because the Resurrection of Jesus definitively gives us the hope of eternal life ~ simple as that.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Profound Interior Renovation
Communion experience. God entered me and I was never going to be the same again.
*Compelling Truth
In this morning's first reading from Acts 5, the Apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin and the high priest forbade them to teach in Jesus' name. Peter and the Apostles chose to obey God rather than men and this infuriated the members of the Sanhedrin. In the Gospel reading from John 3, John wrote about Jesus, the one from heaven: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." We see the clear division Jesus caused and that we must choose sides. The sign of truth is that it does not override our free will; it only compels us to either accept or reject it.
*On Borrowed Time
I got up this morning and realized that it's another day, and of course this has happened to me thousands and thousands of times. But today I realized something extra, that we are all on borrowed time. We don't know exactly how many days we borrowed from God, but that number is limited. When we return all the days to him, we shall be checked for how we "took care of" our days. Did we squander them as the prodigal son did in the parable or listen to and obey what he had taught us through Christ the Son of God? I am citing two extreme examples. Remember that everything that comes from God will return to him.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
*Big Screwup
Reflecting on the earlier post "Declaration of Critical Truth," I see that God has made salvation simple and straightforward for us, but we have made it convoluted and hard for ourselves!
Great Privilege
Communion experience. I received exactly what Jesus handed out to his disciples at the Last Supper.
*Declaration of Critical Truth
John 3.16-21 was today's Gospel reading at Mass. Here's verse 16: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. You've probably heard this verse quoted and seen it on billboards so often that you don't think about it much anymore. To think about it, it is a declaration of the most beautiful truth of critical importance to us! We should really know it by heart and think about it often. Here are verses 19-20: And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. Here we have the "sickness" of the world clearly diagnosed by the Apostle John just about two thousand years ago.
*Expecting the Unexpected
Jesus always taught his disciples to be watchful and alert, for they did not know when the Son of Man would come again. Wise is anyone who expects the unexpected. Recently, I heard about the sudden death of two persons, one in the 70s and the other at only 61. Both were seemingly in great physical shape before they died. There are also Christians on the lax side who think that spiritually they are OK, not realizing that God might think differently. For Catholics, frequent confession is a good defense in preparing for the unexpected. *To avoid eternal regret, never neglect the everlasting soul.
*Breakthroughs of Life
I see two breakthroughs of life. The first is most important – it raises you to a new level of existence. You find Christ, discovering and accepting the truth that God is love and can save you from your sins. And you are no longer lost, with you future secured for eternity. This is a huge deal, for you are now separated from the secular world and live in the sphere of God. The second breakthrough is attaining union with God. This is fine-tuning and for the perfectionist, but the reward of experiencing freedom, peace, and joy is tremendous – a foretaste of heaven. Christ makes all the difference we absolutely need.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Momentous Event
Communion experience. As the bread and wine were consecrated, they changed into the body and blood of Christ. That was a momentous moment, deserving our full attention. All my life troubles were overshadowed and for the moment forgotten. Matthew 20.20: "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age," was fulfilled.
*Effective Evangelizing
Famous quote from John F. Kennedy's inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." When it comes to bringing others to Christ, we should do exactly the opposite. That is, we do not tell others what they can do for God – we tell them what God can do for them.
Obligation to Christ
The Resurrection of Christ changed everything: his disciples were revived and his church, invigorated, for the Resurrection proved clearly that Christ is God. Therefore, when he speaks, we must listen and obey.
*Going Straight to God
Catholics venerate relics of various saints. All saints are humble and would want to give glory to God alone. Therefore, they'd rather we go to the Lord directly and not center upon them. There is a fine line to be drawn here. It is perfectly fine to let the saints inspire us to increase our love for God, but we must never grow attached to any saint to the point that we lessen our focus upon the Lord. If you seek to attain union with God, it is best that you go to him directly and let absolutely nothing distract you along the way.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Unique, Unparalleled Rest
Communion experience. With Jesus, I entered the most relaxed state, abandoning myself in him ~ it's letting-go time.
Proper Mode of Living
Today's Communion antiphon is based upon John 20.19. The full verse reads: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." If Jesus could appear anywhere as he wishes, certainly he can be ever present with any of us. It follows that we must stay awake and live as if he is physically present with us.
Role as God's Creatures
God is our creator, greater than all his creatures. Naturally, we can only know what he wishes to reveal to us. Therefore, our role is clearly to trust, trust, trust in him. On a more personal level, we are the children of a loving God, our Father ~ all the more we can and should trust in him.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Divine Mercy
This is the Sunday of Divine Mercy. God is merciful because he is all love. And his mercy is infinite, which means that he does not condemn us as long as we still have time to repent of our sins. Moreover, it means that no matter how sinful we are, once we repent, we are forgiven and saved. Therefore, to think that God cannot save us is to limit his mercy, a thought offensive to him. Should God's mercy be finite, none will be able to survive. Praised be his divine mercy!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
How God Teaches Us
When God teaches us, he simply enlightens us and we see and understand things we never saw or understood before. He opens up a beautiful new world to us. This is learning without drudgery and with delight only.
How to Tell Others About Christ
To tell others about Christ, tell what he has done for you and can do for them. That is, the focus is to be on Christ with the goal of glorifying him.
**Sign You Have Encountered God*
In today's first reading from Acts 4, when the leaders, elders, and scribes ordered Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John replied, "Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." If you also feel impossible not to speak about the Lord to others, you have also encountered him.
Constant Renewal
Every time we turn to God, we get a chance to abandon ourselves to him, to be cleansed by him, and to start anew again.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Abandonment Time
Communion experience. A time to abandon myself to God, a time for union and obedience. How soothing it was to the soul!
On an Eternal Journey
We reap what we sow. To come right to the point, what we do now can help us get into heaven, not do anything in particular, or head us away from heaven. And we have only limited time to build up treasures in heaven for ourselves. The eternal journey starts now. Another awareness we must mind.
Jesus Is Power
This world is in chaos because it has largely rejected Christ. And the Church is weak because Catholics have not focused upon Christ as strongly as they could. It is through Christ our God that we receive power to live right and become blameless. Again, this is an awareness what the world needs.
*Critical Awakening Needed
A virus invasion on my computer yesterday prevented me from posting. Today I am resuming via a browser that was not infected, but I shall post yesterday's thoughts by yesterday's date, April 21.
In today's Gospel reading from John 21, the Resurrected Lord appeared to seven of his disciples who went fishing at the Sea of Tiberias all night and caught nothing. Jesus showed up about a hundred yards away on the shore and asked them to cast the net over the right side of the boat for a catch. They cast it and caught so many fish that they were not able to pull it in. Then, they realized it was the Lord. It is such a beautiful moment to realize "It is the Lord"! I lament that the world is largely not even aware of the existence of our awesome, loving God. Such an awakening is critically important for all of us, believers included, to come alive to live a godly life. There is on other way to salvation!
Thursday, April 20, 2017
*How Christians Invest
Business-minded people invest in good companies and stocks to profit themselves. Great artists invest in their own talents to earn fame and money. What about the Christians? Well, they invest in doing every will of the Lord, known only the him, to accumulate treasures in heaven. The investment is relatively longer-term, but the reward will be out of this world (pun intended)!
Security in Christ
Jesus will come again to judge us at the Second Coming, but if you attain union with him now, you become inseparable from him and will remain secure from now on.
*Get to Know God First
We can learn about Christ, hear about him and talk about him, but if we do not know him, we do not receive power from him and remain the same old person. Many who have decided not to accept Christ never did attempt to get to know him. This is like looking for a mate to marry and not trying to get to know the candidate first. God deserves a better chance, if you believe that he exists at all. Again, humility is the key to finding and knowing God.
God Can Change Us!
Today's entrance antiphon from Wisdom 10: They praised in unison your conquering hand, O Lord, for wisdom opened mouths that were mute and gave eloquence to the tongues of infants, alleluia. Look at the wonderful miracles Jesus performed on earth and most of all, his own Resurrection. Yes, God can change us if we give him the OK.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
**Freedom in Serving God
If I succeed in drawing someone closer to Christ, it is not me doing the conversion but the Holy Spirit, for all power comes from God. As a servant of the Lord, I experience tremendous freedom in knowing that I am merely an instrument he uses to accomplish his will and that I have nothing to do with what he is doing. Hurrah!
Becoming One With God
Communion thoughts. Receiving the Holy Eucharist is more than being touched or embraced by God. The Lord actually enters me to unite mystically with my soul. I become all his!
*God Full of Surprises
Today's entrance antiphon, Matthews 25.34: Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. So we did not just happen to appear on earth to remain lost; God had actually prepared for our return to him from way, way back. God surely is full of surprises. At the same time, it'd be more surprising if our loving God had not done anything like that.
**Enjoying God to the Fullest
If God is to be first in your life, turning to him should never be your last resort. In fact, through receiving him in the Holy Eucharist, you can attain union with him. In such great intimacy, no words are needed to share everything with him. How good it is that he sees and cares about all your desires and wishes. This is enjoying the Lord to the fullest.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Determining Our Destiny
We determine our own destiny first, for God can not force us to do what he wants us to do. But if we do decide to follow him, then he gets to determine our destiny. Needless to say, he will always lead us to the right happy place.
*Bold Preaching Needed
The preachings you hear nowadays in general are on the mild side, lacking fire nor zeal. It seems that the concern is that if you preach the message too strongly or to the point, you might turn the people off, for they are not ready yet. Is there ever a time when we can say that we are ready to hear the good news? I don't think so. The need to hear the Lord is ever present, whether you are ready or not. I can't possibly believe that Jesus ever had this concern when he preached. Truth is to be proclaimed freely without getting watered down or held back. How the people react to you is how they would react to God – not the preacher's concern. The Holy Spirit is gentle, but bold and fearless. To evangelize effectively, we must respond to the Holy Spirit alone and cast aside all our own concerns.
*On Recognizing Jesus or Not
In today's Gospel reading from John 20, Mary of Magdalene stayed outside the empty tomb weeping, thinking that someone had taken Jesus and laid him elsewhere. Then Jesus appeared next to her, but she did not know it was Jesus, for she thought it was the gardener – Mary had a good reason for not recognizing the Lord. But today many do not recognize Jesus because they are blinded by their self-importance. If we do recognize him for who he truly is, we would see that he is absolutely the most critically important person to our existence!
Dying in Sleep
Is dying in sleep a blessing? Yes, if the deceased had already reconciled with God. No, if the person hadn't accepted God and now missed the chance of repenting to God in his last moment.
Monday, April 17, 2017
**Perfect Ending*
Do you realize that not only Jesus can take your sins away now, but get you into heaven later and you become perfect at last?
*Breaking News
In case you don't realize: we are so worthy to be saved by God that he personally died on a cross in our place to redeem us!
Saved or Not?
Yesterday, I got the news that a cousin of mine passed away in his sleep. He had always seemed to be in good health, while his younger sister suffered poor health; so it's unexpected that he left first. I had the chance to tell him about Christ for a number of times, but he just couldn't make himself believe. He appeared to be a decent man, always cheerful and fun to be with. I first figured that if I could forgive him, surely the Lord would forgive him. Then I do not really know his heart. Maybe he couldn't be blamed for not believing, for he was not convinced that Christ was the Savior yet, which is not the same as knowingly rejecting him. Then again, if someone truly believes that Christ is God, he wouldn't possibly dare to reject him. Anyway, not knowing where his soul is, I could only trust in God's infinite mercy. But this I know: any believer who does not take his faith seriously can be in worse shape than an unbeliever.
Loving With Pure Love
In union with God, we see ourself as children of God. The love of God purifies all our emotions and we see the world and its people as God sees them. No more maudlin sentiments and everyone is the same to us. This is not being harsh, only fair, as God loves us equally. Pure love is motivated by obedience to God alone with no meddling by our own emotions or views and carried out with no fanfare. Perhaps that's why God might mistakenly seem to be cold to some.
How We View Ourselves
I am already old and can remember that in the old days, most news was domestic. News about giving aid to some foreign country sounded rather foreign. In those days, various countries were pretty much isolated from each other and as a result, we felt more nationalistic. Later, as communications around the world opened up and we saw that what happened in one country could easily affected the rest of the world, we saw ourselves more as citizens of the world. What I hopefully expect is that we would evolve to the point we see ourselves as children of God and not of the world. This is the highest and correct view, transcending all other views.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
**Man's Greatest Achievement
No doubt, the surrendering of oneself to God, enabling him or her to return to the Father in heaven.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)