*God Knows Us!

        We are concerned about how well we know God, but do you realize that whether we know him or not, he knows every hair of our head, every atom of our body, everything we've done, every thought we have, and even what we shall do next? For me, it is a great consolation to know that God knows me so thoroughly, that he sees and watches over me so that I am not alone, abandoned, nor unloved. Once I get to know him well, he'll make me understand myself even more. Now, self-realization becomes the beginning of my journey to complete freedom in him.

**Aiming High

        In any endeavor, to achieve maximum progress you aim as high as possible. Now, if you aim all the way for attaining union with God, you'll experience the most rapid spiritual growth. (No great insight here; just common sense.)

**Most Beautiful Relationship

        Final thought of the day. Here's the South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son playing Chopin's great composition, the set of 24 Preludes in the 12 major and 12 minor keys. The playing is absolutely masterful, making a huge emotional impact on the listener. The original video had been deleted, so this one is a replacement I found. The Preludes starts around 38:40. Everything beautiful I see or hear makes me think of God. God's love for us is pure and simple, on a more abstract level than any music. And if we love him back with the same pure and simple love, you have the most exquisite, beautiful relationship in the whole universe. Now enjoy the music.

***How Love Works

        Thought of the day: Once you let Jesus take care of you, for all eternity you are taken care of by him. What an incredible favor!

*Gracias a Cristo

        Without Christ, I wouldn't be existing. Now that I am here, without him I would be stuck in sin and have no life for all eternity. (Existing without life – what an unthinkable state!) I am most grateful to the Lord.

**Precious Time

        Psalm 84.10-11: O God, watch over our shield; look upon the face of your anointed. Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Every second with Christ is most precious. If you know him well, your whole life becomes most precious from now on.

**Waiting for the Unknown

        I enjoy taking pictures with my mobile phone. The exiting part of it is not knowing what will catch my eye next. I mention this because living the spiritual life is like this. I am excited about what the Lord will speak to my heart next. Waiting for the unknown to happen is always exciting. In these cases, the unknown is always good, beautiful, and satisfying. 

Hurricane Lesson

        Right now, Hurricane Harvey has caused catastrophic floods in southeastern Texas. We do not know precisely why God allows such disasters to hit us, but the general message is clear – he is letting us know that we are at his mercy and must not sin against him or we'll have to take the consequences. This is not old-fashioned thinking. I merely see that everything that happens to us has a lesson or warning for us. Shall I say that I am just a believer in the Lord?

Delight or Woe

        Today is the memorial of St. Augustine. Response from Psalm 149: The Lord takes delight in his people. By contrast, in the Gospel reading from Matthew 23, Jesus denunciates the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy by saying "Woe to you" repeatedly. Naturally, we want the Lord to take delight in us and not ever say woe to us. 

*Successful Living

        A half-filled glass can be seen as half-full or half-empty. You can see life as facing problem after problem with respites in between. No matter what your perception, the successful (triumphant) life is remaining in union with God and taking all the problems of life in stride together with him. 

Christ Our Source of Power

        Communion experience. I looked forward to receiving my Lord, for he is most awesome. I saw myself receiving his power to change myself, for he is the source of all power. The refrain of the closing hymn "Here I Am, Lord" at Mass was most appropriate: Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.

*Uniquely Wonderful Lord

        We are awed by the holiness of our God, yet because of his great love for us we have no fear in revealing everything in our inner heart to him. We are most blessed to have such a uniquely wonderful Lord.

*Greatest Obedience

          Jesus tells us that the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends. This helps me to see that the greatest obedience is to lay down your old life for your Lord.  

Guidance From Above

        Yesterday I heard the story of how Dr. Ray Guarendi reverted back to his Catholic faith on EWTN. He is a practicing clinical psychologist, quite well-known nationally. After I heard him, I realized that there are so many people out there lacking inner peace because they do not know what to do in any unpleasant situation. It's like they hear different voices telling them to do different things at the same time. I felt somewhat that way in the past too when there was no clear moral guidance. Now I am so happy that one of the best things about knowing Christ is you know exactly what you should do in each situation. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit provide just one voice for you to follow. And when you follow, confusion flees and peace and freedom prevail in the heart. The Lord God will help anyone in a quandary if he will submit himself to his guidance. 

***Rejection Most Serious

        Jesus came into the world as the Son of God to die for us on the cross so that we sinners might be saved and enjoy eternal life. Therefore, to reject him is to reject God's love for us and to say that Christ had come and died absolutely for nothing, amounting to writing him off entirely! Is it too much to hope that those who do not accept the Lord will ask themselves what their true reasons are? Are they too cowardly to face God because of their sins? Whatever the reason, such rejection is total folly and will bring on serious consequences.

True Soul Food

        Communion experience. I received the Lord in the Holy Eucharist and he purified and healed my soul, readying it for heaven.         

Why Love Your Neighbor?

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 22. Jesus gave the second great commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Why? Simply because God loves your neighbor as much as he loves you. Also, since we are all sinners, no one has the right to think that some of us deserve to be loved more and others less.

*Power of the Heart

        God does not care about how we look, how we dress, how we speak or even how we pray. He looks at our heart only to see how it receives him. Whoever has a heart that loves and yearns for him will find favor with him.    

Showing Your Love for God

        Communion experience. Submitting ourselves to God (letting him be our God) is one way of showing our greatest love for him.

No Duplicity for God

        When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Of course, the Lord knows each one of us thoroughly and is pleased with those who have no duplicity. To have no duplicity is to be genuine and honest always – no longer presenting ourselves differently to different people in order to gain recognition, earn approval, or to benefit ourselves in some other way. What people see is what we are. A synonym for "duplicity" is "hypocrisy." Know that duplicity invariably robs us of our inner peace. 

Know When You Are Chosen

        Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle. The Gospel was read from John 1. Philip already knew that Jesus was the one about whom Moses and the prophets wrote. He took Nathaniel to see Jesus and Nathaniel too recognized that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel. If you also realize that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior, know that God has chosen you! Therefore, rejoice.

Enlivening Our Spiritual Life

        God always hears us, but if our faith is weak, he cannot perform miracles for us. If we put all our trust in him, then we hear him also and wonderful things start to happen. For our spiritual life to come alive, mutual trust must be present and it's up to us to supply the missing part.

**Christ Most Trustworthy

        As I was praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary today, I meditated upon the Passion of Christ. He suffered agony in the garden, was scourged at the pillar, crowed with thorns, forced to carry his own cross, and got crucified. He even prayed for those who did all these things to him. It dawned on me that here was a complete demonstration of what he taught: "Offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well," "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5.39, 44), and more. Yes, the Lord truly meant everything he said to us. Another reason he can be trusted.

On the Frontline

        As I age, I become more aware that my days on earth are numbered. Hence, I abandon myself even more in the Lord. Come what may and I'll be ready. It's of such comfort to know that my Father will take care of me for all eternity. There's no shirking back, only looking forward to meeting my beloved Savior.

*God's Humility

        Communion experience. When the consecrated bread and wine became the flesh and blood of the Lord for us to consume, it was humility at its best. Unlike anything else, I sensed the great beauty and the transformative power of this humility.

*Never "Judge" God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20, Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard to his disciples. A landowner hired laborers to work in his vineyard at various times of the day and gave all of them the same pay in the evening. Those who had worked longer hours were not happy. The owner replied to one of them, "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?" Jesus again made the point that many "who are first will be last, and the last will be first."  

          Here are my thoughts. God is ready to give all of us eternal life at the end. Are we to grumble that he is not being fair? Once you are in heaven, are you still going to complain to God that some others you see up there had not worked as hard as you did in serving him on earth? There is no place in heaven for anyone who still harbors envy. So, be content with whatever you receive from the Lord and mind your own business. If God cannot please you, you won't ever be happy anywhere.

**With Christ

        Communion experience. With Christ, all else is forgotten and all is forgiven. With him, heaven is brought down to us. Later, it simply gets lifted back with us in it.

***Our Dream Existence

        God can do so many things for us. He can forgive our sins. He can save us and lead us to heaven. He can guide us and teach us. And he can ultimately become our most intimate friend and one with us. All these things we can desire and they are ours. In the parable of the lost son, the father said to the son who was always with him, "Everything I have is yours." Let us wake up to the reality that we are so blessed and in such a dream position to gain everything from God our most loving Father.

When Being Self-Centered Is OK

        The only time we are not considered self-centered is when we are concerned about our own soul, for our soul is God's biggest concern.

More Awesome Than Eclipse

        Today has been a big day for many Americans, for they got to see a total eclipse. I have seen an eclipse at least twice before, so I am not that excited. Besides, where I live, we only got to see a partial one. Now that we know astronomy, eclipse is a totally natural phenomenon. I am more amazed by the fact that we alway see the same side of the moon and that after so many years (millions and millions?) the moon still goes around our earth and our earth around the sun regularly. It seems that this would be impossible if the universe did start out with a big bang with its parts flying violently in all directions. Also, how did all those parts get to be so round? (I am going to ask God when I see him later.) Anyway, to see a supernatural miracle of the sun, read about the one that appeared at Fatima where Mary appeared to three children. It was truly awesome and showed the mighty power of God. 

No Escape for the Christian

        People go to a bar to drink, take a luxury cruise, seek any kind of fun, or just sleep or walk aimlessly to forget their problems, but such escapes from reality are only temporary. The advantage the Christian has is that because he already knows the reality of God, he doesn't need to escape from anything anymore. He is a secure person, knowing exactly where he is heading. With faith, he takes facing all his problems in stride. Wouldn't you rather be a Christian too?    

*Soul's Glorious Moment

        Communion experience. Partaking of the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord was a monumental moment for the human soul. I was at a loss for words when I realized how incredibly glorious it was for God and the soul to merge and become one.

Obstacle to Perfection

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 19, from the advice Jesus gave to a rich young man, we see that observing all the commandments may make you holy, but if you wish to be perfect, Jesus advised the young man to sell what he had and give to the poor, and then go follow him. The young man went away sad, for he had many possessions. Attachment to material goods is the greatest, common obstacle that blocks us from following Christ with all our heart. We are not free as long as we cannot let them go. It may not be practical to get rid of all your material stuff, but at least if you are called by God to do so, you should be willing to comply. 

Worshipping the right God

        We all seek God. People worship the sun, nature, animals, mythical gods, self-proclaimed deities, or various idols they have created for themselves. Even atheists have their own god – they simply make themselves into gods to proclaim that God does not exist. What is important is that we worship the true God, our creator and beloved Father.

What Is Good

        Everything that makes us turn to God is good, including the fear of going to hell.

*Smart Use of Our Lifetime

        Whether you believe in God or not, every single one of us will have to appear before Christ sooner or later. Therefore, I see our lifetime as the crucial time to get to know and love Christ the Lord as much as possible.

***Christ Our Safety Net

        Life hangs by a thread. When that thread breaks, Christ is the only one who can catch you to save you. Get that protection now before that fall happens.

*Surrendering to God Is . . .

no more than being open to God, letting him enter your heart freely with you out of the way.

**On Loving God*

        Today the Lord made me see that in heaven, loving him would require no effort on our part, but on earth, we would need help in loving him. Therefore, surrendering to him on earth is necessary.

Be Truthful Always

        We must mean everything we say at all times. Otherwise, we simply try to fool God who hates untruth.

Our Greatest Challenge

        God is always present, so we face the challenge either to accept him or to reject him completely. Ignoring the challenge does not make it go away.       

***Most Amazing Relationship!

        God is our creator, Lord, Savior, Father, brother, friend, guardian, spiritual guide, confidant,  and even servant. We worship, praise, and adore him, beg for his mercy, and at times argue, bargain, or laugh with him, even retorting to him, and he doesn't mind. This absolutely special, beautiful, and delightful relationship is only possible with our God, the God of Christ. And I most treasure and enjoy it.           

What We Must Do Urgently

        Sin hurts God. Every time we sin, we betray the Father and sadden him greatly by being unappreciative of his greatest love for us. Then sin hurts us, the sinners. It becomes a burden on our heart, robbing us of inner peace and impairing our health. More importantly, sin can weigh us down to the point that we lose God for all eternity. To get our sins removed by God is absolutely the thing we most urgently need to do in this life.

**"Whoopee!" Time

        Do you realize that when we surrender to God, we experience no enslavement, only freedom? Not only that, we are also raised to the level of being one with him! 

A Special Peace

        At the end, Jesus will put all his enemies under his feet, destroying the last enemy, death. Everything will be subjected to him. (1 Corinthians 15.) John wrote about Jesus: "He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be." (John 1.3). Jesus himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14.6). This is our great and awesome Lord. This morning he made me see that when we subject ourselves to him, we shall experience a special peace, the peace of being in perfect harmony with God. 

*Christianity's Unique Feature

        Communion time thoughts. One popular bumper sticker reads: Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven. No matter how bad we are, the God of Christ is always ready to forgive us. That is, as long as we are still living on earth, God will always give us a second chance, which means that the hope for our salvation will always be there. This is what God's infinite mercy is all about. And this is what makes Christianity unique and wonderful.

Forgive We Must

        The lesson from today's Gospel from Matthew 18 is very clear. We must be merciful to others as our heavenly Father is merciful to us, and always forgive those who have sinned against us. This is following the example of Christ the Lord and is what must distinguish his followers. Whatever we do to others, we must let love reign, overriding all other negative feelings. If we want God to be forgiving to us always, then we must likewise be forgiving always.

**What Is Honor?

        We bestow all kinds of honors on people in this world. Does it really matter? Do you even care? We erect statues to honor past heroes who might be suffering in hell now. In the case the honor bestowed results in boosting the ego of the honoree, then it acts more like a curse than a blessing. The Church also honors saints by canonizing them. This serves to inspire others to love God more by following their examples. As far as the saints are concerned, who only wish to follow God's will, being officially declared saints is not going to thrill them in anyway. 

         Conclusions. The world bestows honors mostly for vainglory. In the presence of God, no one deserves to be honored. When we honor someone, we must do it for the sake of glorifying God. Not to forget, if God has called you to serve him, you have already received the highest possible honor, an honor that humbles you to boot.   

**Doing Things Without God

        John 15.5: At the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." What Jesus meant was that without him we cannot be fruitful for God's sake. We can perform good deeds, but without him we are still stuck with our sins. In fact, to be good is not good enough, for Jesus wants us to be perfect as the heavenly Father – definitely we need his help here.

Pray for Fire

        Today's Response to verses read from Psalm 66 at Mass: Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire. Normally, we ask God to fill us with peace and joy, but asking for fire is entirely appropriate. His fire can consume all our sins, purify our souls, and ignite our zeal to go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature as Christ had commissioned his disciples before he ascended into heaven.