***Dream Relationship With God

         We may feel the peace of the Lord most of the time, but the test comes when someone misunderstands you or says something you feel uncalled for about you. Then you lose your cool. To remain objective and admit that we can be wrong is most difficult for mankind to deal with. 

       We know that God is always present with us, but we need to practice this awareness. If I am aware that he is watching me at all times, I know I would behave a lot better before others. Since Jesus and the Father are in each other, I believe that the even better practice is be aware that God actually dwells in us. Catholics are blessed to have the Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist and receiving this Blessed Sacrament regularly greatly facilitates or strengthens our union with him. Now we have the Lord sitting on a throne in our hearts. Yes, we have been dethroned – the best thing that could possibly happen to us. Now, not only God is with us, we are in each other as one, doing all things together in perfect harmony. 

Highest Privilege

        Communion experience. Receiving the Lord in the Holy Eucharist is the highest, biggest, most special and rewarding privilege of my life on earth.

Matching God's Mercy

        We plead God to have mercy on us a lot, but we also need to do our part as recipients of his mercy. To expect 100% of his mercy, give 100% of yourself to him, and this means complete submission of ourselves to him. You reap what you sow.  

**Taking Advantage of God

        God is infinite and powerful, and he loves us. We were made in his image and can call him Father. His ardent wish is not to control us, not to force us to be holy, but for us to trust in him so that we may get to heaven to live in everlasting joy with him! Please do understand him correctly! Therefore, we should take maximum advantage of our most privileged and favorable position and ask for and get all the help we need from him – there is no better way to show our trust. This is truly a no-brainer unless your brain is disordered. First thing we need do is to settle our eternal destiny with God. Then we can relax and enjoy serving him the rest of our lives.     

Reacting to a Speedster

        On my way home after Mass, I was driving at a decent speed and a speeding car behind me all of a sudden illegally crossed the double solid lines to pass me when we were already nearing a stop sign ahead. Here are some of my reactions: (1) It is alarming that someone would drive in such an unsafe way. (2) He got in front of me and I don't like it (it's the bad pride surfacing). (3) He might get into an accident – should I care? (4) Perhaps he has a good reason for speeding. (5) I hope he realizes that everything we do will have consequences. (6) He cannot be my enemy, for he doesn't even know me. I feel sorry for him and pray that God will illuminate and bless him (as I come to my senses).

**Preparing for Jesus' Coming

       In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus told his disciples to be vigilant at all times and pray that they have the strength to stand before the Son of Man when he comes, for that day would catch everyone who lives on the face of the earth by surprise like a trap. I belief that before he comes to judge us, to separate the sheep from the goats, he already knew everything about us. And the moment you realize that he is here, your time for reconciliation with him also expires. After not listening to him and not paying attention to his warning your whole lifetime, do you think he still should hear your last confession? God's mercy is ever present and his love, ever wanting to unite us with him. Seek and attain union with him now and you don't ever need to be concerned about his coming anymore.

**Evil of Abortion

        Jesus said in John 15.13: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." He lived up to what he had preached and demonstrated it by going on the cross himself. (We certainly can at the least demonstrate our love for the Lord by living, if not dying, for him.) The diametrical opposite would be to take other human lives for our own benefit or convenience. Then it can be said that there is no greater evil than terminating the lives of innocent, defenseless babies for selfish reasons. I do understand that choosing to abort an unborn child is not easy and can be most agonizing to the mother, so the large blame must be placed upon those who are pro-abortion and have contributed to making the mother choose abortion. If such holocaust does not horrify us, then we have indeed become an ally of the devil. 

God Determines Eternity

        Only God, being eternal, knows eternity and has the power to determine all things that have to do with eternity. Since our soul lives on forever, we'll have to deal with eternity. In this way, God becomes our agent. Therefore, we must take God seriously, as he'll be determining our eternity. 

To be Like Jesus Is . . .

to remain humble, pure, and holy, and be filled with great love for all our brothers and sisters without exception. (I underlined "and" because the part that followed is specifically most difficult for us to put into practice.)    

*Imitating Christ, Our Aim

        God has created us in his own image. The difference is that we were created at various times, while God has existed forever. We are the only creatures on earth who can understand good and evil, virtue and sin, and our creator. Thus Jesus asks only us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is (Matthew 5.48). Therefore, we should aim to imitate Jesus to become perfect. First, let him purify us and fill us with his love. Then yield to him with an open heart so that he may teach us his thoughts and his ways for us to follow the Father's will perfectly as he did. 

**Truth About Being Free*

        We easily build walls around us, shutting God out, thinking that we are now secure and free to do whatever we feel like doing. The truth is we have only succeeded in enclosing ourselves in a private prison. True freedom is found by breaking down all barriers between God and us and connect ourselves to him by sharing the same space with him. Then we'll have security as well. In essence, we can never be free until we let God be our God – a truth we must realize.

*Coming to Senses

        If you are running away from God but not truly happy, then God is calling you! It's impossible to escape or hide from him, something you should know. And there will be a price to pay in the end for evading him, which basically amounts to rejecting his love for you. There is really no alternative out there, for there is only one creator, one Lord, and one Savior. Stop running away from him, face reality, turn to your Father as the prodigal son, and you'll find hope, joy, and experience the greatest homecoming welcome of your life to boot!

**Sad Reality*

        Today is the feast of St. Andrew, Apostle. In the first reading from Romans 10, Paul wrote: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So God has truly made it simple for mankind to be saved, but we simply do not wish to yield to him for selfish reasons. This is the plain sad fact! There is nothing more I can say, only plenty to pray about.

*Worthy commitment

        Members of many religious orders take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. A more general basic commitment we the laity can make is to reserve ourselves for use by God alone. This should bring great joy to both the Lord and ourselves.

Make-Believe Living

        As I drove to church this morning, I saw that one neighbor had already displayed various, colorful things (I had no chance to see exactly what they were) in their side yard in preparation for the coming holidays. Christmas decorative lights have started showing up on various houses too. I wonder if all these things really cheer people up. Perhaps they do, but the true joy has to be experienced deep within the heart. The world is good at showing faux joys, especially in advertising and show business. All the fun things people do to entertain themselves without involving God are rather empty and it seems that people are just killing time, to be blunt about it. This couldn't be farther from being vigilant and preparing for the Lord's coming at the unexpected time. 

Responding to Persecution

        In this morning's Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus talked to the crowd about the coming persecution because of his name and how they should deal with it. I see that for his followers, every hardship they face is a form of persecution because of his name. The Devil would tell you to hit back, to retaliate, while the Holy Spirit wants you to rejoice in it for the sake of Christ. And you make the choice as to whom you should listen to.  

Only One, Trustworthy

        The only one you can and should trust completely is the one who can save your soul.

Jesus Speaking as God

        One of the Communion antiphons was Matthew 28.20. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord. We must take this saying seriously. For if he did speak the truth, then obviously he knows where we are and what we are doing at all times and is present with us. He has to be God.

**Love Your Enemies

        Often people judge you harshly, are not grateful for what you've done for them, don't want to listen to you, ignore you, misunderstand you, or even look down on you. That's OK if your conscience is clear, knowing that you have always acted out of love. God understands everything and that's good enough for you, for you aim to serve and please him alone. And always pray for your enemies in all forms.

Be Transformed by God at Mass

        If you go to Mass as a blank canvass for God to paint whatever he wishes on it. You can be sure that he'll end up with a masterpiece at the end of Mass.

*Entering the Lord

        Before a large ship arrives at a port, the captain must carefully negotiate all the obstacles to steer the ship slowly all the way through docking. By contrast, we can enter God instantly by casting aside all our cares and head straight for his heart. The only question is whether we would do it.

***Talking to God

        We ought to be in awe of and worship our God, but since he is love, we can also talk to him about anything from our heart freely to develop the most intimate friendship with him. You see, love simply removes all barriers between God and us. This is our extraordinary, wondrous God, our Father, brother, and counselor. So even if you don't know him, start talking to him can lead you to living the most wonderful life on earth. 

Communion Joys

        Communion experience. Letting the Lord into my heart is a great joy, so is the chance to prostrate myself before him, completely submitting myself to him.

God for Sinners Only

        We receive the Lord into our heart, not because we are holy enough; we receive him precisely because we are sinners and need him to take away our sins. 

*Jesus Irreplaceable

        If you quit your job, you still have a chance to find another one. But if you quit Jesus, there'll be absolutely nothing left for you to hold onto for eternal security.

**God's Selfless Love

        Today is Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel reading from Matthew 25 was on the judgement of the nations. Jesus identified the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the ill, and those in prison as the least of his brothers. And he made it clear that whatever we did for one of his least brothers, we did for him, and whatever we did not do for one of his least bothers, we did not do for him. Any of us could very well be one of his least brothers. It follows that  any one of us is as important to him as himself. Jesus truly loves us as himself!

One Shepherd, Many Foes

        Psalm 23 was today's responsorial psalm at Mass. Its first verse is well-known: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. We have only one shepherd, our God. And we surely need him, for we have innumerable foes.

Another Good Chance

        Every time you ask God for something, it is a chance to offer him your heart once more.

**Telling Sign

        The more you turn away from Jesus Christ, the more you need him! If he makes you feel uncomfortable, then he matters to you. That's because he is God and has created you.

Our Most Important Mission

       It glorifies God to harvest souls for him, for he loves all of them to death! To perform our mission well behooves us to be holy ourselves. Therefore, seek union with God foremost so that we may become effective channels through which the Lord can draw all to himself. There is nothing more satisfying or fulfilling than serving him faithfully.

**Life Seen As a Test*

        We came into the world, not knowing how we got here – it is clear to me that God must have created us. How else would that have been possible? He also gave each of us a free will, a conscience, and a heart, and we were ready to be tested throughout our life. How we make choices ultimately determines our eternal destiny. Fair enough.

*Sharing the Joy of Christ

        If you experience the joy of Christ, let it be seen by all. Sharing it with others can potentially save souls. I am thinking about some of the friends and others I knew who had shockingly committed suicide. If I had shared my joy with them, I possibly could have made a difference. It's a balancing act because we can't always pop up and tell them about Christ if the timing is not right. Still, it's better to err on the bold side than being too cautious. You should not worry about offending your subject if the Lord does provide an opening. And always follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, never your own inclination.

**Worthy to Be Loved by God!

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. I am quoting one verse from his answer to them, for it struck me. He said, "God is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." So we are all alive to him – meaning that he notices and knows each one of us. We are not just nobody; in fact, we are at the apex of his creation, worth sacrificing himself to save us. How can we possibly reject ourselves or reject him? Indeed, we should thank him and love him with all our heart by seeking union with him so that we may experience the only perfect out-of-the-world relationship of our existence on earth!

In a Sorry Spiritual State

        This is a materialistic world. Children born into it learn to be materialistic fast. On this Black Friday after Thanksgiving, people got up early and headed excitedly for shopping malls to hunt for bargains. God is at a disadvantage. It can be considered a miracle that one would think of God before him- or herself. I watched a short BBC video titled "What do people say before they die?" Interestingly, most of the interviewed did not talk about death, not knowing what would happen afterwards. Instead they looked back and wished they had done certain things or asked for some little thing to be done to fulfill their last wish. Again, God was hardly mentioned. Even though God had come into the world and proclaimed loud and clear the good news of salvation, and we should be full of hope and look forward to returning to him with joy, he has rarely been placed in the forefront of our mind. What we can count on is that the Lord knows that we are weak and that he is infinitely merciful.

Genuine Thanksgiving

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 17 on this Thanksgiving Day, ten lepers met Jesus. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" Jesus saw them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned to Jesus, fell at his feet and thanked him. What a beautiful gesture! Jesus then said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you." That was his reward for thanking God in humility! In Luke 18, we find the Pharisee in the parable speaking to God, "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes ...." Jesus made it clear that this Pharisees went home unjustified, for he had exalted himself. Again, humility makes you genuine and win the heart of God.

One Great Feeling

        After taking a shower, you feel good because your whole body is clean. After you repent and have God take away all your sins, you feel great because now your whole soul is clean. This has to be one of the best feelings you can possibly have, since it comes from the Lord, removing all barriers between you and him.

What We Must Mind

        We must mind our business by not judging others, comparing ourselves with others, mentally censoring their behavior, or gossiping about them. The thing we must mind is their salvation.

Critical to Defend

        In our violence-prone society, many people take self-defense lessons to protect themselves. This is all good. But my thoughts are that in our sin-ridden societies, learning how to defend our souls is even more urgent, as our body will perish one day, but the soul lives on forever.

**Faith at Work

        The tactics for fighting temptation I just posted is consistent with how we should approach God. It goes back to always placing our trust in him to let him shield us and do the work on the front line for us. If faith can save our soul, surely it can get us out of any jam. The Lord loves to help the weak. Acknowledge truly that you are helpless without him and he will help you with all his might. It's plain faith-at-work. 

Fighting Temptation

        Know that the evil one wants you to believe that you are strong enough to fight temptation head-on so that he may lure you even deeper into it. Your soul is at stake! So the smart winning tactics is to run away from temptation straight into your Father's arms without delay, the moment you sense it. We ask the Lord not to lead us into temptation in the prayer he taught us. Now we can switch to asking him to protect us from temptation.  

*Zeroing in on Christ

        The title points to the way to eternal happiness. Since Christ is our God and Savior, it is logical and evident that he is whom we need to focus upon the most and love the most. If we obey and live for him alone, we shall experience freedom and peace now and everlasting joy later. This is my testimony to you. Of course, this presents a test to see if we would choose ourselves over him or not. Face it, we cannot escape the Lord in any way and whatever happens to us hinges entirely upon his mercy! Seek union with him now to smooth your way to eternity.

*Silly of Us

        We tightly hold onto things that pass or pass away, yet we forget that we ourselves also last only a brief time on this earth. Putting it mildly, how silly can we be?

At the Soul Level

        Communion thought. Jesus our Lord is not just to be consumed physically by us; he is to be absorbed by us into our very soul! 

God More Than Enough

        Never mind that people ignore you, hurt you, sin against you. Feel good that God always watches over you, cares for you, and seeks union with you. (No way you should reject such a friend.)

Behaving Before God

        If every move and word of yours are being videotaped, you probably want to make sure that you look good and do everything right. Now, if you realize that God sees better than any of the recorders, for he also perceives what's in your heart and mind, shouldn't you at least try to be holy at all times for him? 

If You Feel Depressed ...

        To those who are suffering depression, know that there is always hope in the God of Christ. You see, God has made us so that nothing can make us truly happy until we find and possess him! He wants to and can be all yours if you desire him. Then you'll know him by his love as he wipes away all your fears and tears. To despair when Christ the way and the truth and the life is present and had specifically come into the world to give you joy is both tragic and making you look foolish. When you get depressed, the Lord your Father, gets depressed even more, for his love for you is great beyond our comprehension. Why not cheer up to put a smile on his face, eh? 

**Small Step, Giant Celebration**

        If you wish to worship the Lord, praise him, enjoy him, rest in him, be in union with him . . . you can make all these happen by surrendering yourself to him, for he already knows all your wishes and only needs you to open the door to let him into your heart. This one simple step taken by you will have the whole heaven rejoicing for you and praising God! (You are never alone.)

Beyond Enjoying the Lord

        Communion experience. Before I go to him in person, the Lord and I are already in each other. Another wow!

**Sure Way to Heaven

        We always follow our hearts. So while you are still here on earth, start giving your heart to Christ and your'll end up one day in heaven.

*One Will Better Than Two

        It's so easy to do what we feel like doing, but there is no merit in that. The wise seek union with God first so that God's will and theirs may become one. Then in union, doing what God wants them to do becomes just as easy.