Back to the Beginning

        At the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and a perfect relationship existed between them and God. Then they sinned and were exiled from paradise. Now, Jesus has come and redeemed us. This is the perfect time to restore that perfect relationship with God (unless you prefer to remain banished forever).

God the Amazing Creator

        I received these thoughts early during morning Mass. I was amazed that God has made us so that we can come up with the desire to look for him and that we can actually find him and even fall in love with him.  It's like playing hide-and-seek and God is the loser.  The Lord impressed me as a most amazing creator.

Be Ready for God Before...

(1) Jesus' second coming, (2) your life ends, (3) you lose your mind while still living.  Only God knows when these things will or might happen. If you are wise, you'll want to be ready for him at any moment for the unexpected in order not to be shocked later.

Appearance That Matters

        After Mass this morning, I looked at the decorated altar in darker colors, the flowers (artificial) in rather drab vases, etc., I felt that personally, I definitely would like to see fresh flowers and more cheerful colors all around to brighten up the interior. Then others may disagree. At  any rate, the Lord made me see that making the church look good is good, but what matters most is how we look on the inside to him.  I got the message. 

We Are Special!

        We are not just anything. On the contrary, we are special to God. First, we were created in the image of God. Then Jesus let it be known that anyone who keeps the word of God is his brother or sister.  Last, Jesus died for our sins so that we might become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Low self-esteem has absolutely no place in us. Rather, we should rejoice daily for such favors!

God Is Infinite

        I realize that faith in God can range from very faint to strong and firm with total conviction. Between the two extremes, there must be infinite degrees of faith. If God's mercy were limited, probably not many will get into heaven.  The fact is that I can't think of any way in which God is limited.  For me, the definition of God might as well be infinity.  

Loving the Least Ones

        Today is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King.  In the Gospel from Matthew 25, we read what the Lord said to his disciples, "Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.  What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me."  Jesus identified himself with those in need, the poor, the weak, the oppressed, the disadvantaged.  We must care for all those who have less.  How can we not love them who are loved by our King? 

Jesus Can Calm Us

        On the way home from morning Mass, I experienced a great calm in my heart.  I recalled how Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves and a great calm followed (Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8).  If he could do that, then surely he can calm the winds and waves in our hearts.  

Sin and Peace

        The world has no peace because it is in a sinful state. The same holds true for an individual. For someone in the Lord, the conscience could be sharpened to the point that any sin committed against God becomes so distasteful as to be unbearable. The great saints would rather die than sin against God.  This loss of internal peace is proof that sin and peace cannot coexist. Then, at the opposite end, there are those whose conscience has been dulled to the point that they can easily sweep their sins under the carpet. Even though they look away from their sins, the lack of peace remains in their heart. 

Safe in Christ

        Living our life is like climbing a cliff ~ we are always hanging on precariously because one slip and we can be lost forever.  For the faithful Christian, Jesus has already tethered a cord around him. A slip may slow down the ascent, but he is ultimately safe.

God Is Accessible

        During contemplation after morning Mass, I looked ahead and saw the lit sanctuary lamp signifying the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle behind it. This was the Blessed Sacrament I received just a short while ago. I then realized that our God is totally accessible and personal, not at all distant or aloof.  How can a God who is love be otherwise? Certainly something to rejoice about! 

Nothing Is Free?

        People who work hard to get where they want to be lament the fact that nothing is free.  I do know that the beautiful love of God is absolutely free, unless you consider opening your heart to this love is work.  When you receive this love, you get all the other good things you need to help you live a life full of joy and freedom as well. 

Jesus Is Ours

        Jesus is the way, the truth and the life ~ he is our way, our truth, and our life.  Jesus is the light of the world ~ he is our light in this world.

Our Real Enemies

        In today's Gospel from Luke 19, Jesus mentioned the enemies of Jerusalem that would destroy the city in the coming days.  I started thinking about enemies. There are people who  don't like us because we hold different political views. There are others who still owe us money they borrowed from us.  Some say nasty things about us.  Are they and similar other examples our enemies? I don't think so. In a way, they are blessings from God to test us to see how Christian we are. Of course, we must still love them.

        The real enemies are those who cause us to sin or lure us away from God, thus endangering our souls.  We should love them too, but must fight them at the same time.    

Keeping the Heart Pure

        When God looks at us, he sees the heart first. To delight the Lord, you must have a pure heart. The "secret" to keeping the heart pure is to have the Lord dwell in it.  Where God is, impurities cannot exist. 

Getting Back into Grace

        Adam and Eve fell from grace through pride and disobedience to God. Jesus the Savior had already come to invite us back. Let's seize this opportunity to get back into grace through humility and obedience to God.  

Another Union Advantage

        In union with God, you are totally in the Lord.  Since you are with him, you no longer need to ask him to lead you anymore.  Where he is, you are.  When he wants you go in a certain direction, he will let you know.

An Honest Question

        Can you really manage on your own without God in your life?