***Conquering God (Not a Fairy Tale)

        God is like Mount Everest. To conquer him, we must climb the mount. Surrendering to God is like receiving a speedy aerial tram from him. Getting on it and you are pulled to the top fast. Then God is all yours. He and you now live as one happily ever after. 

Home of My Soul

        Good to be home again to receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist daily.

        Today's Communion experience. My soul found its home in Christ.

*Calling for Prayer

        In these last few weeks away, I did have the chance on several occasions to share about the necessity and joy of seeking union with God, so I might have sown a tiny seed in those hearts. But the harvest is immense and I felt utterly feeble in serving the Lord. The only choice I have is to do my little part faithfully and pray intensely for him to do the work, directly and through others also. Prayer becomes absolutely necessary for us to depend upon him.   

Cleansing the Interior First

            The Gospel reading today came from Luke 11. Here's the entire reading:

        After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to that is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you."

           The lesson here. We must always work from the inside out, starting with the heart. Similarly, to tell others about God, we must know God ourselves first.

***Christ Most Personal

        Today is the memorial of St. Ignatius. The entrance antiphon came from Galatians 2: I am crucified with Christ, yet I live; no longer I, but Christ lives in me. I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me. How more personal can God possibly get? Christ die for us as a whole, but he also did it for every single one of us as if there were only he and you. This is what's unique and great about our Lord – he is our pure joy!

**Jesus' Invitation, Our Salvation

        In Matthew 22, Jesus, in telling the parable of the wedding feast, said, "Many are invited, but few are chosen." Did you ever receive an invitation from Jesus? If you did, did you accept it? If you didn't, why not? Many reject his invitation – do you feel sorry for him or for those who reject him? (A good question to think about.) If you accept his invitation and get chosen, both he and you win. Rejecting his invitation and both he and you lose. With the Lord, it's all or nothing. He invites you to inherit all of his kingdom, nothing less. Reject his invitation and you'll regret it for all eternity.

Being a Loner or Lonely

        By definition, a loner is someone who prefers to be alone, avoiding the company of others. For God, you may even prefer to be a loner, and with him, you are never lonely. On the other hand, many seek the company of others because they do not know God and are lonely. While being a loner may be good, being lonely is always bad. 

What God Will Ask

        In this world of tech-savvy entrepreneurs, successful app developers are making a lot of money. I have known one recently associated with an app that has become so popular globally that the company is now estimated to be worth five billion dollars. My point is that no matter how successful you have become in the eyes of the world, in the end God will not ask you so much what you have done as what you have done for his sake. 

Letting Go in the Spirit

        A follow-up on the post "Something Very Odd." I think the only way to make Christ personal to you is to let the Holy Spirit take over so that you become spiritually free. Yes, seeking union is definitely the way to go.

*Which Life to Take Care of 1st?

        We have two lives to live, our life on earth and our life after death. Which one should we take care of first? Those who concentrate upon taking care of their life on earth will never get to taking care of the other one, for it becomes a lifelong task. But those who take care of their life after death first (and quickly) take care of their present life as well.  

*Something Very Odd**

        Christ is our Lord and God, yet among Christians, it is rare that we talk about or even mention him in our daily lives. Are we just nominal Christians? 

Keeping Christ's 2nd Commandment

        There is a great gap between the haves and the have-nots in today's world and our societies. Therefore, in starting a business or doing whatever else, it is important that we do not exacerbate this situation anymore. We must never aim for profiting ourselves alone by taking advantage of others. Ultimately, it comes down to loving all our neighbors as ourselves.   

Motivation Matters

        I know that Christian martyrs are glorified by God, but what about those who died for, say Communism? Lately, I learned that during the Chinese civil war in the late 1940s, many on the Communist side got slaughtered by the Kuomintang and were officially recognized by the Chinese Government as martyrs. This got me thinking that one could be misguided, but if his action is truly motivated by a desire to help others, God, out of his great love and mercy, would understand that, for he alone knows the heart. Therefore, motivation, rather than action, matters.

To Do No Wrong

        Within the will of God, there are an infinite number of things for us to do. Without the will of God, there are also an infinite number of things we could do. To be sure that whatever we do is good and meritorious, follow God's will always. 

***Most Delightful Living!

        First, you give your heart to God by sharing everything within it with him. He now enters your heart and transform you to his liking. This way you and God come to know each other most intimately, with you as his delight. Now we have two persons in deep love with one living in total freedom and without fear in the other.

**Perfect One for Love!

        We all need to be loved by someone, and also need someone to love – this is how God has made us. And the perfect one to love us and for us to love is the Lord himself, our Father! When we have him to ourselves, we are complete and fulfilled.

Fire of the Holy Spirit

        Communion experience. I wished the Holy Spirit to set my heart ablaze to burn away all the impurities and soothe my soul. [Please note that I shall have to take a hiatus from blogging for a month or so, as I'll be somewhere unable to attend daily Mass nor blog. Check back on October 18 or 19 for new postings. While reading any spiritual writings can be beneficial, the superior way is to meditate upon the Gospels and go to the Lord directly – communicating with him one-on-one with an open heart. Think of the Apostles – they just followed him and learned firsthand from him. Be his Apostle today too. God bless you all!]

Passing on God's Mercy

        Today's Gospel reading came from Matthew 18 on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Jesus wants us to forgive our brothers and sisters always. If God forgives us, we must forgive others, treating them as the Father treats us, or face severe consequences. By the way, when you forgive others, you gain freedom for yourself and find peace in your heart!

Sweet Consolation

        Today at Mass, I felt the sweet consolation from God, wiping away all my sorrows.

Mankind's Lows

        Here are three examples: (1) Coyotes smuggle poor Latin American immigrants into US for a hefty fee (often borrowed money or their entire savings) and abandon them across the border. (2) Recently, thieves looted evacuated homes and stores in Florida during Hurricane Irma. (3) Now, Whole Woman's Health, a reproductive health care organization is offering free abortions to women affected by Hurricane Harvey. Is this compassion? Don't they realize that abortion can affect a women more catastrophically than a hurricane? Abortion also destroys a new life, period. Does it ever occur to these callous people that a hurricane could be God's warning for being anti-life? (In case you missed my post Abortion Horrendous of November 28 last year, you may read it here.) 

Standing by Christ

        In today's Communion antiphon, Luke 22.28-30: Jesus said to his disciples, "It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." To stand by Christ in his trials is to know what causes him to suffer and do our best to alleviate his sufferings. This is following the Lord, requiring us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. To stand by him is the duty of and appointed task for all his followers.

True Kindness

        We are kind to others, then they don't care and we get upset. Here is the right and enlightened way. Be kind to others for the sake of Christ only, so you no longer care about if they appreciate you or not. Now you are being truly kind.

All Up to Us

        God always loves us. If we reject him, it's because we choose to do so. God takes us seriously (he even died for us). If we don't take him seriously, it's because we choose to do so. The ball is always in our court.

Two Extreme Cases

        (1) We keep ignoring Christ, time passes quickly and our life is over, over for good. 

       (2) We know that Christ will reward us for everything we do for his glory, no matter how minute. We remain faithful and keep building up our treasures in heaven. When life is over, we'll be where our treasures are.

**Freedom, Peace, and Joy*

        These are the three great gifts (rewards) of union with God. I list freedom first because it is a distinctive feature. It is God, the Truth, setting you free. All other so-called freedoms are man-made, not God-given. Freedom in God is absolute freedom, the freedom to do whatever you want in God's infinite space, resulting from being attached to God alone. Peace follows freedom. This is a deep-seated peace grounded in deep faith with the knowledge that your soul is safe in him. Joy is the joy that surpasses all understanding. It comes and goes as the Lord pleases. When it comes, it is powerful and intoxicating, affecting the soul. To paint a picture of these three gifts, I see peace as a calm lake with hardly any ripples on the surface, freedom as the refreshing air and cool breezes that circulate freely around the lake, and joy as an occasional dazzling light that appears over the lake, brightening the entire landscape.    

*Christian Sorrow

        Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. At the presentation of the child Jesus at the temple, Simeon, a righteous and devout man awaiting the consolation of Israel, in the Holy Spirit prophesied to Mary that the child was destined for the ruin and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign of contradiction, and that a sword would piece Mary's own soul (Luke 2.35). Of course, later Mary did eyewitness the sufferings her own son underwent, all the way through his crucifixion. The great sorrow she experienced was a holy sorrow. I used the adjective "holy" to distinguish it from the sorrow of anyone who does not know God and has lost a loved one. In this case, the sorrow is not pure, for the person also feels sorry for himself, lamenting over his own loss. The Christian focuses upon the will of God and the departed. If the soul is heaven bound, sorrow would be lined with joy. If there is any uncertainty, he would share the sorrow with the Lord. Yes, every Christian sorrow no matter how great has a silver lining, provided by the joy of the Resurrection of Christ.

Empowered by God

        Communion experience. The Lord entered me not only to purify and heal my heart but also to give me the power to live a triumphant life in serving him. At the end of Mass, Fr. S. blessed each of us with a relic of the Holy Cross and I felt greatly fortified.

Intention of God Revealed

        Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the Gospel reading from John 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John added: "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." The intention of God is clearly revealed here and we need to know it well.

**Tragedy to Avoid*

        It was tragic that eight elderly residents at a Florida nursing just died from excessive heat and high humidity after Hurricane Irma knocked out the air conditioning system. People die tragically everyday around the world. All of us are going to die, tragically or not. What matters more than the death of the physical body is where the soul goes after death. There is absolutely nothing more tragic than the soul getting separated from God for all eternity!  

*Easy Way With or Without God*

        To sin is easy, no effort required on your part. To become holy, you would need God's help, for only he can take away your sins. You may remain living with your sins; but if you wish to become holy and have the best possible future, make the effort to turn to God for help and he will take over and help you accomplish what you wish for. This effort you need to make is just that initial decision, for the rest is taken care by God. Both ways are easy, so choose wisely.

Humility and Obedience Must-Have!

        To want to be holy, to please God, to get into heaven . . . all these things must be taken seriously. For Catholics, humility and obedience are absolutely necessary. Humility means that we are willing to submit ourselves to God, and obedience means obeying all of the teachings of Jesus and his Holy Church. We may not succeed in reality, but the intention must be in us. Seeking union with God so that he may help us succeed is definitely the way to go.

Made Wholeheartedly Whole

        Communion experience. The heart can be unclean and/or wounded. Jesus enters the heart, washing it clean and healing all its wounds. The soul is now whole when the heart is made whole.

*God Is Ready

        God has already shown his love for us to respond to him. God has already clear the way for us to return to him. God is already merciful for us to repent our sins to him. God is ready to lead us to eternal happiness for us to follow. God is ready to be one with us for us to invite him in. God is ready to teach us for us to open up our hearts. God is already most beautiful for us to discover and enjoy. 

***Right Attitude for Salvation

        I know Christians who choose not to follow certain counsels of Christ. For example, they would not forgive someone they dislike, they just can't. Yes, forgiving your enemy can be most difficult, but deciding not to forgive is going directly against the will of God – certainly the wrong attitude. The smart, right attitude is to tell God it's hard for you to follow his will, but admit that he is right and you need his help. This change of heart exhibiting humility is absolutely crucial to your ultimate salvation.

Motivation Behind Helping

        If you help someone and the person does not show any appreciation, and you get annoyed or upset, then you only helped to please yourself. But if you help anyone for love of God, then, appreciation or no appreciation, you remain in peace, for you only expect to receive your reward in heaven. Anyhow, it's best not to think about your reward now at all and let God surprise you later.

Most Difficult for Mankind

        To change ourselves for the better as a person has to be one of the most difficult things for us to do. Even though we know our faults and sins and wish to change, it's no easy task. Otherwise, the world, the nations, our societies, and all families would be in much better shape. It is the ego, the pride, that grips us. I believe that in general, men are more wont to be their own master than women. The Lord God is the only one who can fundamentally change us – after all he is our creator. But we still need to yield our heart to him first. Again, humility is a must to get the ball rolling. 

*Making God Beautiful

        God remains beautiful as always. Naturally, those who do not wish to look his way do not get to see any of his beauty, but for those who love the Lord, the more they get to know him, the more beautiful he appears to them. Thus, in a way you can say that God can be as beautiful as we make him to be. 

*Rude Awakening Needed

        Today we commemorate 9/11. Now 16 years later, violent attacks continue around the globe. Jesus has never condoned violence. Godlessness pervades our world today. We run away from God by avoiding looking at our own sins. How tragic it is that we forget that our death is inevitable and our judgment inescapable, while squandering away each day until time suddenly runs out! 

Quenching the Soul

        Communion experience. Through the great gift of the Holy Eucharist, we achieve the greatest intimacy with God, our union with Love. The antiphon from Psalm 42: Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God; my soul is thirsting for God, the living God. The Body and Blood of the Lord quenched my thirst.

Coming to the Point

        No academic knowledge, theology, laws, rules, committees . . . can solve our problems if our hearts remain the same. Therefore, go after God to get our hearts transformed first. Otherwise, we'd be just beating around the bush. 

Minding Others' Business

        From today's 1st reading from Ezekiel 33, the Lord said to the prophet, "If I tell the wicked, 'O wicked one, you shall surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death." It seems that we should mind our business only when it comes to judging others, but not when it comes to warning others with the intention of saving them. In either case, the motivation must be love. It goes back to the second greatest commandment given by Jesus: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," something we easily forget or ignore.

*Sensible Choice

        God has created us with a soul that will last forever. And we are merely passing through a world that is transitory. Let's be sensible and attach ourselves to the eternal God and not to the passing world on our journey. 

*Go Direct to God Again

        I see people suffering, experiencing pains and sorrows. Is telling them "Trust in God" an easy way of offering help? This advice like "God bless you" does sound perfunctory. Besides, most people in suffering are too numb and weak to turn to God fully, plus that the advice could be perceived as being too simplistic for dealing with their complex problems. The reality is that God can truly help when you put your faith in him. The advice is right-on. How Can God help if you are not completely open to him? The Gospels show that God did not perform miracles where there was no faith. If God is all-knowing, powerful, and loving, then you need to put this advice into practice. Of course, time heals, but without faith it could take a long, long time.

**God Indispensable

        We exist only because God exists. We are holy only because God is holy. We are loving only because God is loving. We have hope only because God is our hope. We are willing to die for God only because he has died for us. We can have eternal life only because he loves us. This is certain: it would be better for us not to exist than to exist without him.

**Direct Approach to God Best

        You can listen to a lot of sermons, read a lot of good books on spirituality, attend spiritual conferences, go on pilgrimages and retreats, watch DVDs, participate in prayer groups, etc., but if you want to be able to fill the void of your life completely, satisfy your spiritual hunger for God totally, to be inspired to the maximum, challenged to serve God with all your heart, the best way is to read the Gospels, take Holy Communion most seriously, and go directly to the Lord – that's going straight to the top, the head, the source of all power, your Father, your creator – to tell and share with him everything and keep your heart wide open for him to heal you, speak to you, and teach you. 

***Critically Important Question!

        When we apply for a job, we fill our resume with everything we've done that we can think of to impress our potential employer. God needs workers too. Now is just like back then when Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." When you face the Lord on that day of appointment with him, he is going to ask you "What have you done for me?" – will you have a good list prepared to impress him?

*Getting Inside God

        I just heard on TV the orchestra version of the timeless aria "Sheep May Safely Graze" from Bach's Cantata No. 208. Beautiful music and things can draw us to God, but if you want to get inside him, there is only one way: seek union with him. Surrendering yourself to him will start you on this most satisfying, exciting journey.

Love Overwhelming

        Communion experience. The love of God was so compelling that my only appropriate response was to offer him my heart. Giving for God is always a joy; giving to God directly is extra joyful.

What to Do With God

        God is not to be tested, questioned, or even thought about much; he is more to be trusted, leaned upon, and enjoyed.

It All Starts in This Life

          Another picture I envision. We all live on the edge of a precipice. We know that we could fall off the precipice into the abyss below at anytime. It it happens, it's going to be oneway for ever. But many are sleeping, so they don't think about it. Then there are those who are not at all concerned, for they have always been awake and have tied themselves to Christ securely with his cord for now and ever.