Hard-Heart Generation

        One of today's Communion antiphons, Revelation 3.20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door to me, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I believe that most of us, in USA here anyway, have heard the Lord's voice at one time or another, albeit sometimes only faintly, but never bothered to open the door for even a peek. And this is tragic. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explained to his disciples why he spoke in parables to the people. He said it's because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. That Isaiah described the heart of the people as gross is still accurate today.

*Getting Into Heaven

        After we die, we either return to God or are separated from him for all eternity. If we do not believe in Christ or believe in him with a weak faith, we should never take it for granted that we are going to heaven. Also, even if we do not do anything evil, we'll have difficulty getting into heaven if we live an entirely self-centered life. For to live for yourself only is not to live for God at all. We must do our utmost to safeguard our soul, created by God and most precious to him!

Believe While There's Time!

        People believe in the existence of God, yet they have no idea what kind of God they would accept. For me, Christ is the true God from both the subjective and objective points of view. You can believe in some god, but only the true God can reveal himself to you within your heart. Love, peace, freedom, deep joy and your own transformation are all solid signs that that you have the truth. 

          Another mental image came to me this morning. Living our life is like walking along a precipice. If you slip, you can fall off it and plunge toward the bottom. If you do not know Christ, you may or may not survive, depending upon your circumstances and how good a person you are. If you know and believe in Christ, you can be sure you will be safe with him no matter what happens.     

Becoming Great

        Communion experience. Receive the Lord with humility and love, and you become great in his eyes.

Fantastic Trip

        Abandon yourself in God and the Lord transports your spirit to be with him. 

Greatest Correction We Need

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, asked Jesus to command that her two sons sit, one at his right and the other at his left, in his Kingdom. That was typical of being a human mother, looking after her sons. When the other ten apostles heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Again, so typical of being selfcenteredly human. Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave." This is the greatest correction we all need.

Greatest Foresight

        Today's response from Psalm 126: Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Everything we do affects God: we either please or offend him, and nothing goes unnoticed by him. We store up treasures either on earth or in heaven. Jesus knows that where our treasure is, there also will our heart be (Matthew 6.21). To see that we reap what we sow matters more than ever. 

*Greatest Possible Honor

        Today is the Feast of Saint James, Apostle. As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their fishing nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their  father and followed him. Do you know that the greatest honor is not being named a Nobel laureate, selected as the MVP during a championship game, awarded with an Oscar in the entertainment field, or any other honor the world can bestow on you?  The greatest honor we can ever possibly receive, not necessarily noticed by the world, is being chosen by Christ to follow him now and live with him forever in heaven later!

Great Stillness

        Communion experience. I felt great stillness in God, who is my beginning, my present, and my end forever.

**Sinner's Fear

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 12, some of the scribes and Pharisees demanded to see a sign from Jesus. Any unfaithful generation would not believe until it sees some kind of proof. People in general easily accept what the new media put out or what their friends tell them, but when it comes to hearing about Jesus, they readily shut their mind. How come? I would say it's because deep down they know that they are sinners and, naturally, any mention of God would make any sinner feel uneasy.

**Union With God Examined*

        Union with God is essentially union in will with God. It is extraordinary because it involves the Holy God and a sinner. Yet, it is quite natural, for it's the union between the creator and his creature, between a loving Father and his beloved child. It's definitely God's will to want to be one with us. When we become obedient, union is achieved.      

Personal Holiness Necessary

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus told three parables to the crowds. In explaining the parable of the weeds to his disciples, he said that at the end of the age he would send his angles to collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers to be thrown into the fiery furnace. It's interesting that he grouped those who cause others to sin with those who do evil. Watch out! We may not think that we are evil in any way, but if we do something that causes others to sin (like being a bad example), then we are just as bad as the evildoers. In fact, it can be worse. For example, I post something inappropriate online and result in turning myriads of people away from God. Only personal holiness can safeguard our soul.

**How to Know God

        Let this be God's doing again. You simply remain 100% open to let Christ in for him to make his presence known to you.        

Considerations for Oldsters

        When you are young, you plan for your own future for survival in the world – that's understandable, for you do not automatically know that you were created by a loving God. But as you grow older and see that death is imminent, it would be wise to plan for how you should live for the remainder of your life on earth. You can try to do as many things as possible for your personal enjoyment or concentrate upon serving God in the best way possible. These two choices needn't be mutually exclusive, for serving God can often incorporate doing enjoyable things. Besides, when you are intent on serving the Lord, everything you do becomes a joy.

God Worth Living For

        Communion time thoughts. (1) Life is worth living only because God loves us. He is the only one worth living for. (2) God can heal the whole world and make it perfect, but man wouldn't listen to any of that. (3) When God fills the void of our life, we become perfectly content. Certainly, the God who has created you can heal and change you if you let him.

***Great Christian Open Secret

        Today's Communion antiphon, based upon 2 Corinthians 5.14,15: The Love of God impels us, so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised. This is the great Christian open secret: By living for Christ and not for ourselves, we become free! The key to opening the door to freedom is surrendering to God. You have no peace only because you are still fighting him – elementary!

**Joyfully Following Jesus*

        Today is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. I am presenting the entire Gospel reading, John 20.1-2, 11-18, for it is so moving and beautiful. You can sense that it's an account of exactly what happened. 

On the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
"They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don't know where they put him." 

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
"Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
"Rabbouni," which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
"Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he told her.

        Do you ever miss Jesus when you do no see him? Do you ever feel that your Lord has been taken away from you? Of course, we now know that nothing can possibly take away his love for us. It's a joy to know that Jesus' Father is our Father and his God, our God. How more close-knit can we be? And more joy: we are also going to the Father and God as Christ had done!

Sign of Union With God

        One predictable sign that you are in union with God is the absolute certainty that God is real and dwells in you.

Mercy Over Sacrifice

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 12 (and in Matthew 9 too), Jesus quoted "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" from Hosea in response to the Pharisees' question. I think I see why God prefers mercy over sacrifice from us. Let's say that you have two sons trying to please you. The first son knows that he is unworthy of your love and does things to "punish" himself in some way, hoping to win you back, while the second one, also feeling unworthy but goes on joyfully doing good deeds to help others. I think you would be more pleased by the second son and even feel sorry for the first one, for self-sacrifice is still self-centered – an act with no joy in it – while helping your neighbor is following the second greatest commandment of God.

***Going All Out With God

        People tell you to move a step closer to God, good advice – but I tell you to run to God and jump right into his lap, hold onto him tight and shout as loud as you can "I love you"! After all, your heavenly Father loves you more than you can possibly imagine, so you can totally let yourself go, letting him satisfy your deepest longings for all eternity! You'll be one smartest and most blessed person in the world when you take full advantage of all his promises and generous offers! Yes, he becomes all yours at the wish of your heart! We should live for nothing but the God of Christ! (Note. what I have recommended above may seem to be extreme, but it is in fact what God deserves and we should do. Think about it.)

**Strengthening Your Union With God

        When we do fun things with friends, we bond with each other; but stronger bonds are formed when we go through difficult times together. And there is no better way of strengthening our union with God than offering up all our sufferings to him, for out of love he always suffers for our sake – that is, he is happy when we are happy, and unhappy when we are unhappy!

A Piece of General Advice

        All of us are at various stages of spiritual growth. You may not be ready to serve God with all your heart yet, but the important thing is to always leave that door ajar for him, and the time will come when you are called to serve him more and better. Think of God as your loving Father. If he is not on your mind constantly yet, just keep him in your mind. 

Our Homecoming

        Communion thoughts. Since God is my creator and knows everything about me, then, of course, I should let myself be his completely. It's only logical and natural to go back to where you came from. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is a direct invitation to do just that. All obstacles on our return have been cleared by our loving Father.  

*Wrongheaded Thinking

        Wake up! God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; we are the ones who move away from him. It is completely wrong to feel or think that we have moved ahead and God belongs to the ancient past. 

*Most Wonderful Name

        In today's first reading from Exodus 3, Moses, hearing the voice of the Lord from the burning bush, asked him, "When I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I am who am." And he added, "This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: I AM sent me to you." "I AM" is truly the most wonderful name fit for God, and only the Lord himself can give it to us.

*Side Benefit of Union With God*

        The main reason for seeking union with God is to please and glorify him by showing that we love him as our Father and want to belong to him completely. One great side benefit of union is that your transition from this earth to heaven will be absolutely smooth and joyful. 

What We Fear Most

        I had a scary dream this morning in which I was being chased by someone. I woke up and asked myself what we fear the most in life. The answer was clear: the loss of our life. And it's also clear to me that all the more important we should seek eternal safety in Christ.

How to Live Each Day

       You've heard that we should live each day as if it's the first day of your life or the last day of your life. It's even better to live each day as if it is your day of judgment.

*Life Is Like a Dream

        If life seems to be like a dream, that's because you have gotten to know Christ and found that he is the true reality.

Most Signifiant Statement

        If you ever want make a significant statement in your life, make the statement that you are with God all the way, known to him alone.

On Approaching the Lord

       There are many beautiful articles, statues, pictures, etc., in many religious gift shops, aimed at aiding you along your spiritual journey, but there is also the hidden danger that attachment to them can hang up your spiritual progress. If you are able to focus upon the Lord, I would recommend that you bypass all such possible distractions and go directly to him. Never let the trees blind you so that you lose sight of the forest.

*More Than Forgiving Us

        Communion experience. Not only Jesus can take away our sins, he's the only one who can remove all our prejudices as well.        

*Heart-to-Heart With God

        We can only touch the heart of God with our own heart and never with our mind. That's why preaching with the mind is never effective. It must be heart-to-heart communication all around.

Sad State of Souls

        In the city I visited, mentioned earlier (6 posts back), I also saw homeless people everywhere. This made me think that if we live from day to day, not thinking about nor knowing where we are going, we are basically lost. Even if we have set goals, we are still lost if the these goals are worldly ones. Sadly, many people do not realize this until their moment of death. This city also shocked me somewhat when I read in its visitors' guide not only where to shop for fashion, jewelry, souvenirs, etc., but also where to get tattooed and buy sex toys! What Jesus said in Matthew 24.37-39 comes to my mind: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. 

God Our Liberator

        Without God as our light and guide, we become followers of the world and/or ourselves. It's only by following God (the God of Christ) that we can be liberated from sin and it's enslavement.

What We Should Look Forward To

        Since we were created by God, returning to him would be going home to the Father. How can we possibly not feel happy about it? It is what we should look forward to with great expectation and start rejoicing now.

God Indispensable

        As surely as we need food to sustain our life on earth, we need God to have life after death.  By the way, even our food on earth comes from God.

Total Dependence

        Today, while praying the Our Father, the words made it crystal clear to me that we are to depend upon God entirely and that we have no say in anything nor any contribution to make. 

True Success

        An interesting BBC article tells the story of Carl Rodrigues, a successful Canadian IT consultant, who in 2001 decided to quit his job and retire to his basement to develop a best-selling computer product. After a month of working "crazy hours," he came up with the idea of a software system that would allow the user to control his or her mobile phone from their laptop. Today, his company named Soti is worth $1billion. Again, I cannot help thinking that when we place our trust in Christ (no need to spend crazy hours), we can "achieve" eternal life with no effort on our own!

True Cool Person

        Just visited a city where I saw many hippies and hipsters in so many of its neighborhoods. You see tattoos on exposed body parts of almost everyone. I cannot help thinking that the true cool person is one who does God's will in private, not influenced in the slightest by the world.

*Tragic Ignorance

        People reject God because they do not wish to be controlled by anyone, not knowing that the true God only wants to set them free and give them eternal life! 

**Union With the Perfect One!

         Communion experience. The Lord is perfect. When I received him, I was receiving the Perfect One who could make me perfect – a stunning experience!
            [Note: I won't be able to blog for the next week or so, so please check back for new postings after July 18. Meanwhile, let's continue to pray for all souls, living and deceased, and yourself too, unceasingly. Since I mean it, I don't consider it cliché to say "God bless you" to all of you out there who read my blog regularly.]

Prioritizing Praying for Yourself

        We pray for others and often neglect to pray for ourselves. We need to pray for ourselves for the sake of God! If we do not become holy first, how can we effectively change the world for the glory of God? To be humble is to acknowledge that we need God to make us holy and strong. So put God first, yourself next, and the rest all after you.

**God Also Suffers Like Us

        Today Tuesday is the day to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. It dawned on me that it's not just us sinners suffering on earth, but God also suffered and still suffers. When we think of God, we tend to think that he's got everything . . . he can do whatever he wants to do and and create whatever he'd like to have, and besides, he lives in heaven! Why would he want to suffer? Of course, he sacrificed himself on the cross all because he truly loved us. How can you not be moved by such a loving Father? Yet there are still so many of his children today who couldn't care less about his existence, so he continues to suffer for our sake. 

*God Comes Before Heaven

        Communion experience. I was completely occupied with being one with the Lord. Not even heaven could have distracted me. After all, we don't get to heaven to be one with God – we seek union with him now in order to get into heaven.

Faith With Full Confidence

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9, a woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." From that hour the woman was cured. I got to thinking about the kind of faith we should have. I've been praying for some loved ones to become great believers in Christ for many years. This woman showed me that I must go beyond believing that nothing is impossible with God and believe that God will grant me what I ask for without a doubt. If I have to "force" myself in any way to believe that it will happen, then my faith is not there yet. So it must be a faith with full confidence. Let me quote Mark 11.24, in which Jesus said, "I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours." Amen.

*Winers and Losers

        Jesus repeatedly gave the message "To anyone who has, more will be given; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away." This also applies well to anyone seeking the Lord. If you are closed to God, how do you expect him to ever enter your heart? So you will remain being cut off from him to the end. But to those who search for him sincerely with humility, they will be richly rewarded.

*Worst Wake-Up Call*

        If we remain asleep and aloof from Jesus in this life, we shall wake up in shock after we die to see that every knee of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth shall bend before him (Romans 14.11 & Philippians 2.10). This is not good.

**Most Humbling Experience*

        Communion experience. Jesus is meek and humble. As God, he treated me as his equal when he entered me. Such an experience is to be cherished forever!

Peace in Perfection

        Our world is imperfect even without us sinning. All of a sudden, I have trouble sending email out, due to some change my server had made and it does look like I have to spend extra money to get this problem fixes myself. Then this morning, I discovered an underground sprinkler system leak, most likely due the inferior workmanship of the installer. We must accept the fact that life is much about facing problems and overcoming difficulties, dealing with people issues, making and changing plans, seeking answers and learning new things, etc. You can let all these things make you lose peace or accept them as reality for the time being, knowing that everything will be perfect after you get to heaven. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus advises us to remain meek and humble and to find rest in him. To remain meek and humble is not complain about things. To find rest in him is to make him our refuge. Only in him shall we find peace and happiness, for only in him shall we find perfection.