Are You Harvesting?

        Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Today, the laborers are still few, so where are you?

Should You Be a Saint?

        Look at St. Peter and St. Francis ~ they both gave up everything to follow Jesus. Can we do it too? 

1. Did God make them humanly superior to us?
2. Is God limited in his power to transform us into saints?
3. Should we love God less than Peter and Francis?   

        If your answer to each of the above questions is no, then aim to become a saint.
         

Jesus Is My...

Lord, my God, my most beloved, and my life and my soul a well.

God Is Personal

        In today's Gospel read from Mark 8, Jesus multiplied seven loaves of bread and a few fish to feed a hungry crowd of about 4,000 because his heart was moved with great pity for them. This was a great miracle, but his mercy was even greater. I love Jesus because he became one of us and identified himself with us! He is not untouchable or high and mighty. On the contrary, he is both personal and humble, ready to become one with us! Through Jesus, we're able to see clearly what God is truly like. For this, I am eternally grateful. 

From Submission to Peace

        Total submission to God leads to perfect harmony with God's will which leads to complete peace of the heart. Pure, simple logic.

The Apostle Advantage

        When you feel the Lord's presence at all times, you feel as if you are one of the Apostles, seeing and following Jesus at all times.

All About Love

        At morning Mass today, I realized that I was back again. Why did I want to receive the Lord again in the Holy Eucharist? I've received him countless times already and he has poured grace upon grace on me, and I am now completely open to him. The answer that came up in my heart was that I wished to receive him simply because he is love and it's this love that has made me love him.

To Experience the Greatest Freedom

        I've been weeding outdoors for a few hours. The weather is perfect, and even if spring is not here yet, new weeds have come up. Rather than bending down each time to pull the weeds, I like to sit on the ground and move sideways. I enjoy the solitude alone with God.

        Today he made me see that if we make him number one in our lives, that is, if we are willing to give up everything for his sake, then we shall experience the greatest freedom. Now, this could strike fear in us. I must hasten to add that it does not follow that once we have expressed our willingness, God is actually going to take everything away from us. No, not at all! The Lord only likes to test us, for he loves us so much that he wants us to be his completely. If we pass the test, for sure more blessings will come our way and great freedom is just that first blessing.                   

        [Recall the story in Genesis 22 about Abraham following God's order to offer his son Isaac up as a burnt offering? When Abraham was ready to slaughter his son, an angel appeared and stopped him. Because Abraham passed the test, God promised to bless him and his descendants.] 

Transfiguration & the Eucharist

        As I was meditating on the Transfiguration of Jesus, the fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary, I thought of the changing of the elements of the bread and wine, when they are consecrated in the Eucharist, into the body and blood of Christ. Looking at the consecrated bread and wine is much like looking at the untransfigured Jesus ~ you see an ordinary human being, yet he is divine.

Let's Do Great Works

        Jesus promised us that whoever believes in him will do great works (John 14:12). How good it is to let God accomplish great things through us! And this includes the transformation of us.  

Do All with Your Heart

        This morning I got up before six and it's still quite dark outside. Figuratively speaking, I could say that this is what God sees when he looks down upon the earth and sees the hearts of the billions of sinners. Then I saw the bright beacon of light that is Christ, shining among us; but the people who see it do not understand because they do not see it with their heart. To see the truth, we must involve the heart. When we believe, we must believe with our heart. When we love, we must love with our heart. In sum, do all with our heart for God, then we shall shine in the darkness too.

Life of Wonderment

        As I said in my last post, I felt very content in Christ. But at night when I am supposed to fall asleep, I often stay awake, still amazed and overwhelmed by the love of Christ ~ who am I that he should care for so much? The Christian life is a life filled with great wonderment.

Being Content with God

        My only feeling this morning at Mass was contentment. The first part of Psalm 23, a psalm of David, describes it well ~ "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. He guides me along the right paths for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are will me; your rod and your staff comfort me." 

        Now I know exactly how David felt. He has the same God!

Happiness in Christ

        Left on our own to pursue my own happiness, we'll never be happy ~ you can count on that! That's why Jesus came along to show us the way, which is to seek his will and not our own. Believe me, he knows what he's talking about. Following him leads to freedom, fulfillment, and interior peace. Some may have found peace in this life by some other way, but it cannot be at such an exalted level because happiness in Christ is never ending, becoming even more intensified after this life!

Hypocrisy for Fools Only

        Today's Gospel reading from Mark 7 reveals the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the scribes. Today's government officials, politicians, businessmen, commercials... do no better. There is not much trust among our own people and among the nations anymore. But for Christians, hypocrisy has no place ~ a Christian must be 100% genuine, for God sees right through the heart. To be hypocritical is to try fooling God.  

We Are the Chosen!

        After hearing the reading from 1 Kings 8 and the Resporsorial Psalm at Mass today, I was amazed that the Israelites had believed in one God from the very beginning ~ they had to be the chosen people by God. Then I saw that we Christians were a chosen people by God too. I felt this especially after receiving Holy Communion, for I became a chosen one among the chosen.  

Why Love Jesus

        Last night on PBS radio, someone whose upper body got completely burned in an accident was being interviewed. He said that when it happened, he knew that there's nothing he could do about it and that later no medication could stop the pain he suffered. Now he's finally recovering. Right away, I thought of hellfire which you can do nothing about and causes pains that cannot be eased. What's worse ~ you will never recover from it! Even though you don't hear too many fire-and-brimstone sermons preached nowadays, it doesn't mean that there's no punishment after death anymore. What I want to tell all is that never, never end up in that place of inferno! If you are not a believer in Jesus yet, believe now and you won't have to worry about those fires anymore. Better yet, believe out of love for him, for he loves you! 

What Life Is Like

        You may know the saying "Life is just a bowl of cherries," which really doesn't mean too much. To me, it all depends upon if you know Jesus or not. If you don't know him, I'd say that life is more like a bad dream or movie with an unknown ending. Once you know Jesus, life becomes absolutely real and you know exactly how it's going to play out. I know because I have lived both.

God Grants Peace

        I caught a little bit of an EWTN program Living the Discerning Life, based upon the teaching of St. Ignatius of Loyola and presented by a Father Gallagher. The topic was Spiritual Consolation and Desolation. A line caught my attention ~ Fr. Gallagher said that when you are under tension, rest in God and it will go away. I totally concur here. For without God, the tension will go away only after the cause of your tension is removed. With God, you turn to and rest in him and he will give you peace, for he is greater than us.

God Dwelling in Us

        Today's first reading at Mass from 1 Kings 8 talked about the Lord dwelling in the cloud that filled King Solomon's temple after the ark of the covenant of the Lord had been brought into its sanctuary. This really made me think of us as temples of the Holy Spirit that the Lord dwells in us as well ~ something I knew but perhaps never quite fully realized. Every time I look up into the universe, I feel humbled. Now the creator of this universe actually dwells within me ~ I must take my time to digest this! The more I think about this, the more overwhelmed I am, and the more amazed and appreciative I become. Yes, the cup overflows! 

Why I Like My God

        There is only one God and I like him as revealed to us by Jesus, that he is all love as demonstrated by Jesus, God Incarnate, himself. Some other religions also believe in God, but he is not so personal nor conceived as Love. Still other religions teach you to be kind and loving, but they do not have any clear conception of God. That's why I choose the God of Christ, most incredible, yet most approachable. 

No Point of No Return for Us

        Look at what's happening in Syria. During this so-called Arab Spring, some leaders are wise enough to initiate reforms or step down early enough to prevent worse unrest. In Syria, it seems that President al-Assad has already gone beyond the point of no return in dealing with his own people rebelling against him.   

        Then I thought of our loving Lord. With him, as long as we are still alive, there is no point of no return for us. It's never too late to return to him. Anytime we are ready, he is ready ~ this is the beauty of his great mercy, guaranteed by his love for us. How blessed we are!       

God Our Only Hope

        There is just so much bad news you hear from all over the globe. Again, I want to remind all that God is our only bright hope. Focus on the fact that God has turned many human beings into saints. So if we all let God transform us, then we'll have a peaceful world ~ it's as simple as that. In reality, of course, not everyone will listen to this truth, but this does not invalidate the truth that God, the God of Christ, is our only hope.          

The Christian Life

        The Christian life can be said to consist of two parts. You find Christ, believe in him and ask him to come into your life ~ this is the first part. You want him to transform you until you become like him ~ this is the second part. It's in this second part that you become holy, experience freedom, and know that you are now a new creature. Without this part, you are only a Christian in name only. 

Best Discovery of My Life

        I watched a documentary on a legendary photographer who photographed what people wore (clothes) in New York City. He's good and loved what he did. I totally understand it because I used to photograph a lot myself. And it's through this medium that I discovered myself. I reached a point that I felt exactly what emotionally moved me and knew how to capture that image, and that anyone who saw my work would recognize that it's mine. In other words, the images became me. This gave me great satisfaction because those serene, calm, and somewhat enigmatic images showed clearly what kind of person I was.

        The discovery of Jesus changed everything. I see now that the discovery of myself still kept me self-centered. The light of Christ has totally revealed him to me and me to him. It's this mutual understanding that matters. Essentially, knowing that I am loved by him has freed me, making my old discovery totally forgettable.

How Important Is Jesus to You?

        Today is Super Bowl Sunday, a big special day for football fans. It's a fact that many Catholics do not attend Mass on Sunday except when it happens to be Easter or Christmas, just to ease their conscience. Now, for many football fans who normally do attend Mass, skipping it on Super Bowl Sunday for their convenience does not seem to bother them either. The question basically boils down to whether you love yourself or God more. 

        The following comes to my mind. (1) Is Jesus truly your shepherd? As you know, his sheep hear his voice and follow. (2) The first disciples dropped everything instantly to follow the Lord when he called them. Hesitation or looking back shows unfitness. (3) Matthew10.32-33: "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." Obviously, if Jesus is not number one in your life, you won't be treated as number one by him in your next life. 

Taking Advantage of the Holy Eucharist

        As I received the Lord in Holy Communion this morning, I realized that I had done it innumerable times already. I started attending daily Mass in November, 2007; so counting just these last 4+ years alone, I have done it over 1,500 times! So, if I have not been a better Christian by now, I really should be ashamed of myself and might as well turn into a log. Fortunately, I am most grateful that Jesus has blessed me more than I deserve. If we will just become a tiny bit holier each day, we can go a long way after a thousand days! [This reminds me of a story about Irena Orlov, the pianist I mentioned in a post late last December. A student told her that a piece was too hard for him to learn. She asked him to count the number of measures in the piece and it turned out to be 54. Then she asked him if he could learn to play just one measure a day, and obviously, the answer was yes.]

Joy and Sorrow

        I was praying the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary today. The Sorrowful Mysteries, culminating in Crucifixion of the Lord, will follow later. Then the Glorious Mysteries come at the end. In our own life, joy and sorrow take their respective turns. It's easy for one to be in one state and not think about the other. But for us who believe in Jesus, no matter how much sorrow we experience, let's always remember that our final state will be everlasting joy!   

Dark Days Are Here!

        Just read on BBC News that a Christian group in Bath has been banned from claiming that God can heal illnesses on its website and in leaflets. The Advertising Standard Authority there said that such advertisements could encourage false hope and were irresponsible. The dark days are indeed here. Christians are now being squeezed on all sides. The happy news is that this will only hasten the Lord's return. The sad news is what he will find when he comes.  

God Is Humble

        Again, after seeing some stunning pictures of galaxies on a TV program, I was in a way "stunned" by the humbleness of God, the creator of our universe. With such great power, God has never tried to show off in any way ~ that's saying that he never looked down on us. Jesus came into our world ~ he healed the sick and raised the dead, multiplied fish and bread and calm the wind and sea; but he did all out of love, never for a moment intending to show that he was superior to us. Of course, since the Lord is already the greatest, what's the point of letting others know that he is great? More basically, I believe that God is humble because that's his nature, for without humility you cannot genuinely love others. As for us who are definitely not the greatest, all the more we should remain humble. We should never show off before others to make others feel inferior.

Loving All Equally

        We naturally feel that our family members among all the people in the world are the closest to us. What does Jesus see? He said that whoever does the will of God is his brother and sister and mother (Mark 3.35). And he wanted to love our neighbor as ourselves. And Jesus identified himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, and one in prison (Matthew 25). It's clear that to the Lord, every single soul is equally dear to him. To follow his example, we must see all as loved ones of God and love them with no differentiation. 

Do All for Love

        Once you have been compelled to love Jesus, let this love, which really came from him, propel you in all that you do.

Love Compelling

        When you read the Gospels and finally realize how amazing God's love for us truly is, you will be compelled to love Jesus ~ only an irrational person will not so choose.

Battling Satan

        In fighting a battle, every little effort matters and every single moment counts. Remember that Jesus wants us to be perfect and this is how we should deal with Satan. In other words, we must be fully vigilant and do whatever we can to help without hesitation.

Time to Consecrate Ourselves

        Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a good day to consecrate or reconsecrate ourselves to God. I feel great sorrow that the Church is being persecuted by the current administration at the top and "under attack" by other non-Christian organizations. Religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution is losing its protection. When Satan seems to prevail, we need to seek refuge in the Lord more than ever. 

Vision Affects Living

        A vision of a child is different from that of an adult who has many more life experiences. A farmer's vision is again different from what a high government official sees and understands. What we see affects how we live our lives. If we have the vision of truth, we will live right too. So, get to know Christ and ask him to let you have his vision of the world. 

Power over Sin

        This morning at Mass, the Lord made me see the power we can have to overcome sin. Of course, only he has the power to take away our sins, but he has given us the choice to repent, get our sins forgiven, and reconcile with him again. I thought about it and saw that it was a tremendous power we can channel from God for our benefit. This is a unique power that comes only from God. Whatever God does, he accomplishes. Prepare yourself and give the Lord the go-ahead and it will be instantly done. 

Sad State of the World

        I am greatly saddened by the fact that so many Catholics do not take they faith seriously. Attending Mass on Sunday is not on their priority list and the reception of the Holy Eucharist becomes perfunctory and produces no change in them. Being lukewarm is worse than being cold (Revelation 3:16). 

        Today I heard the absurd news that in France, quite a number of once baptized but now atheists want the Church to de-baptized them. One has begun a lawsuit already. Of course, this is something that cannot be undone. It's rather like deciding you don't want to live in this world anymore and asking your mother to put you back in her womb.  

        More saddening news ~ those candidates who are involved in fighting to become front runners in our political party primaries are spending vast amounts of money in media attacking each other, and these false accusations actually influence many ill-informed voters. Money definitely works here. With enough money, you can pretty much "buy" the office you want. By the way, the candidates are all known to be Christians!  

        I know, we all fall short or way short. Jesus came in the first century and was rejected by many and put to death. In this 21st century, we are acting no better. The next time he comes, he will be doing the judging and we shall not have the chance to say anything. My advice is: Wake up and reform before it's too late ~ that same age-old warning.

Listen, Obey, and Act

        From today's Gospel reading taken from Mark 1 at Mass, we hear that Jesus entered the synagogue to teach and the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Now that we know Jesus is God, this is no longer surprising in the least. Therefore, we should not only pay attention to his teaching, but also do what he tells us to do. Listening alone is not enough ~ to obey and act becomes mandatory if one truly believes in him. Again, this is the logical conclusion. 

God Forever Cares

        Today is the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Gospel from Mark 4 is about how the disciples got scared when a violent squall came up and their boat was filling up with water. And they thought that they're going to perish. So they woke up Jesus asleep in the stern, and he calmed the wind and stilled the sea for them. Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" 

        It's true for all of us that when things don't go our way, we think that God has abandoned us and we start to worry. It just shows our weak faith and lack of trust. Let us remember that God is always with us, in everything, large or small, that happens to us. He is present right now as I am peacefully typing and will not stay away when things go bad for me. Lack of trust is caused by forgetting that God is ever present and that he cares for us. 

Preparation for Loving God

        After my last post, I see this logical sequence. First, get your heart cleaned up by the Lord, and then you'll feel so good that you can't help but fall in love with God.

Being Clean Before God

        During prayer before Mass began this morning, I felt so good to feel "clean" before the Lord. When your have repented, have gotten all your sins forgiven by God, and have had the Holy Eucharist cleanse and purify your heart, you are set free by God ~ this is absolutely the best feeling you can possibly have in this life! I felt so elated that I wanted to proclaim aloud my love for God. Later, I was further gratified to hear during the recitation of the psalm that the response was: "Create a clean heart in me, O God." How good it is to go before the Lord and hear him say, "My child, you are clean"!

Power of the Holy Eucharist

        God's word is like a mustard seed, once it's planted in us, takes root and starts to grow, we bear much fruit. This morning during Mass, I saw that once the Holy Eucharist, which is the body of our Lord, enters us, it has the power to transform us until we become perfect. That's why the Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift God has left with us. It is through this Bread of Life that we are able to attain union with God. 

Jesus Is the One

        This morning before Mass began, I just knew that Jesus was the One, the only one, who could make me permanently happy. It's as if he's the perfect missing piece for the incomplete jigsaw puzzle that was my life. I also know that he is the One for everyone who will let him into their lives. The truth remains true forever, unaffected by anyone's rejection of it. 

Christian Love

        I attended a memorial Mass this morning. One of the readings was taken from 1 Corinthians 13 on love. The familiar part as St. Paul describes it: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." The Christian love is beautiful! Obviously, anyone who has this love will also have peace and joy in his or her heart.

Unanswerable Question

        In the last post, Jesus asked Paul, "Why are you persecuting me?" Know that every time we sin, the Lord asks us that same question if we could only hear it. For Christians, this is a question to which a good answer does not exist.    

The Conversion Experience

        In the last post, the conversion of Paul was mentioned. Paul had been persecuting and punishing the Christians. Jesus came to him in a great light from the sky and Paul was blinded and fell to the ground. Jesus asked Paul, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Paul replied, "Who are you, sir?" And Jesus said, "I am the Nazorean whom you are persecuting." (How I wish that every one of us sinners will hear the Lord say this!) Paul then asked, "What shall I do, sir?" The conversion had already started.

        This was a powerful, life-changing experience for Paul. God touched him. It's important that we experience a conversion in our lives. You may be a cradle Catholic, but when you were born you really didn't know what's it's all about yet and you should have some kind of awakening experience later to make your belief more meaningful. I know that everybody's spiritual journey is different, but to not have experienced the power or fire of the Holy Spirit at some point in the spiritual life is not leading a satisfying one, to me anyway. 

To Be Chosen by God

        Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. In Reading 1 from Acts 22, we learn how Paul was chosen by the Lord to be his instrument and went through a complete conversion. To be chosen is usually good news, such as being chosen to fill a position, to attend a university, to receive an honor, etc.; but to be chosen by the Lord to belong to his fold is the best of all things! It means that we belong to him, we've been adopted by the Father, we are to bear lasting fruit in this life, we are heaven bound... To be chosen by God is something to be thankful for and rejoice about every day.    

Doing Away with the Free Will

        Our free will is a gift from God. Use this gift to choose to do his will always and then give it back to God. We are not free as long as we need to choose between good and evil. Once we have decided to follow the Lord, we are liberated and free and the free will is no longer needed.  

Taking God's Point of View

        Taking the other person's point of view often helps us understand a particular situation we're in. Putting yourself in the shoes of someone who offends you can make you less judgmental. When you find it difficult to believe in the good news of Christ, try to see it from God's point of view. Imagine that you are in his place. You love mankind, your own creation, and want to save it. So you send you own son down to earth to spread the good news, even allowing him to die in order to complete the necessary work. I think you would see that it is truly amazing, but also logical, that a God of love would do this. Now I hope that you would come to appreciate the good news to the point that you will want to accept Christ as the true Savior of all.