Going with God

        If abandonment to God means no barriers whatsoever between you and God, then loving others must not make exceptions. Going with God is exciting because it's going all the way (bobsledding with God?). 

Sad State Observed

        The result of not abandoning ourselves to God is the constant battling among the over 7 billion souls on earth with each one wanting to be a little god ~ a sad state of affairs. 

Abandonment to God

        When we came into the world, we were totally in God's hands. When we die, we put ourselves in his hands again. In the meantime, why don't we put ourselves in God's hands too by abandoning ourselves to him? Total abandonment removes all barriers between God and us, setting our spirit free. This is liberation of the highest order!

Is Jesus Your Shepherd?

        Today's Gospel acclamation, John 10.27: My sheep hears my voice, says the Lord. I know them, and they follow me. Therefore, if you do not hear Jesus speaking to your heart, do not feel that he knows you, or do not follow him when you hear his voice, then you are not quite his sheep yet.

Don't Limit God

        Since God is infinite in every way, ask for big things from him. Offhand, I beg him to save every single living soul in the world and make the size of my faith much bigger than that of a mustard seed (see Matthew 17.20 or Luke 17.6). Nothing is impossible with the Lord, so be bold and ask big.

Know Jesus and...

you will be ready for anything.

A Quantum Leap!

        I heard verse 5a from Psalm 8 read at Mass this morning: What is man that you are mindful of him? I was alone in this vast universe, lost and helpless on this little planet Earth. Then Christ came to me and all things changed ~ now I coexist with God and will be one with him forever! What am I that he is mindful of me? It is love, of course. I can't call this my stroke of luck because God had wanted it and everyone else can have it too. But it is definitely the greatest cause for my rejoicing!

Decluttering the Mind

        You waste you mind when you fantasize, entertain impure thoughts, get nosy about others' affairs, worry about many things, harbor ill feelings toward others, or get interested in things nonessential for you to know. One gift you receive in union with God is the decluttering of the mind ~ now only uplifting and loving thoughts fill the mind, enabling you to enjoy God in peace. A beautiful gift! 

Is Life Fair?

        If this is the only life we live, life is definitely unfair. But our life does not end with this one ~ the soul lives on and will end up in either heaven or hell forever. In this case, "how fair or unfair our brief life on earth is" is no longer relevant.  

Taking Advantage of God's Proximity

        At the mini-treat last Saturday I mentioned earlier, Father M talked about the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We were made to see that if God were to live in our family, we would surely all be holy too. Then why not let the fact that God dwells within us after we receive Holy Communion at Mass make us holy as well?

Joy That Liberates Us

        All the pleasures of the world you can derive from sex, food, alcohol, bodily comfort, material possessions, fame . . . cannot liberate us. In fact, once we are addicted to any of them, we become burdened and enslaved. But the good news is that once you experience God's love and are overwhelmed by his holiness, all the worldly pleasures lose their appeal and your new joy sets you free. 

To Worship God Properly

        God is to be worshiped, I think we all know that. But do you also know that to worship God properly requires surrendering ourselves to God completely?

To Be Receptive to Christ

        I feel sorry for so many people who are so in this world as if they are going to be here forever. They create their own problems due to not knowing what life truly means. If you try to tell them about Christ, they just do not get it. This makes me realize that to be receptive to God, one must (1) realize that he is a sinner and (2) feel the need for God. If that time is not here yet, all you can do is sow a seed now and keep praying for the person.  

Life Needs God

        At church this morning, I learned that three youths of our community met their tragic deaths around 2 a.m. yesterday when a possibly drunk driver in a black vehicle with lights off going the wrong way hit their car on the freeway. This is as unexpected as being hit by a tsunami or a roadside bomb. Life can be here this moment and gone the next ~ all the more we need to place ourselves completely in God's hands. When you pray, I would appreciate very much that you remember them all, including the surviving hit driver who is now hospitalized.

Adoption Time

        It is through the Holy Spirit that we cry out, "Abba, Father!" as adopted children of God (Romans 8, Galatians 4). Anytime you feel compassion toward someone, that's the Father wanting to connect with you. If you don't know him yet, this would be a perfect time to ask him to adopt you.  

Honor Your Parents

        Jesus repeatedly denounced the scribes and Pharisees by saying "Woe to you, you hypocrites." If your parents are still living, honor and love them. for neglecting them now and showing up at their funeral to say something nice about them is being hypocritical. 

The Nearness of God

        I attended a mini-retreat this morning at a local seminary and we had Eucharistic adoration after Mass. Seeing the Eucharist displayed on the altar perhaps not more than 10 feet away, I was amazed that my God was so close to me that he even physically entered me earlier to become one with me!

What Would Jesus Have Done?

        With the Charlie Hebdo attack still fresh in my mind, I asked Jesus what he would have wanted me to do if he had been irreverently mocked by the magazine. I heard the Lord say, "Forgive and pray for them ~ they know not what they do," echoing the first words he spoke in his final hours on the cross. 

Only One Desire

        There is only one desire you need: Desire God only and give all your other desires to him.

Home with Jesus

       Communion experience. I am home because I already have Jesus ~ now I can let everything else go.

Trusting in God at Its Best

        In this chaotic, disordered world, we can feel helpless, wondering what we can do to make the world a better place. Don't get discouraged when sometimes all you can do is performing a little gesture such as a smile. Do your best to love and let God take care of the rest. This is trusting in God at its best.  

Proper Order of Concern

        We possess three conditions: the spiritual, the mental, and the physical. We tend to be concerned about our physical well-being the most and our spiritual well-being the least. It's proper to reverse this order, for it's only when we are spiritually fit are we fit to deal with mental and physical problems, not the other way around.

Choosing "a" God

        There is only one God, but there are numerous conceptions of him out there. Personally, I would choose the God who is love, teaching us to never judge, always forgive, and love even our enemies, and has demonstrated this love by coming down to us from heaven in person and dying on the cross for our salvation. Any other "versions" of God that fall short of this one, I can not and will not accept.

Wake Up to Death

        Another young man I used to know has died of cancer. People around the world are tragically getting killed everyday ~ look at the current Charlie Hebdo incident. We all know that we are going to die one day, yet so many of us still live as if they are going to live forever. Perhaps they are afraid to face death? Anyhow, to wake up to death is to face reality. Then know God through Jesus the Son and you'll live forever, making death a nonissue.  

God Indispensable

        When we find it difficult to love others, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love to be poured out on others. When we have sins to overcome, we go deep into God and he fills us with his pure love, banishing all evil desires. When we seek peace and freedom, we go deep into God and he fills us with his sweet love, dispelling all our anxieties and attachment to the world. When our hearts are troubled, we enter deep into God and he fills us with his love that heals the soul. The Lord fights all the battles for us! Absolutely, we cannot live (or survive) without him.   

How We Die Matters

       The current big news story is the mass killing of 12 people at Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine whose cartoons have mocked politicians, bankers, the police, and religion (both Jesus and Pope Benedict were targets). Apparently, the published mockery of the Prophet Muhammad has triggered this horrible attack by some extreme Islamists.  

        I am not judging anyone, but I'd like to point out that making fun of others may be fun, but as Christians, we must always respect others' feelings. We live in an evil, dangerous world ~ all the more we need to be holy. One day we'll face God and he's going to ask us not just how we have lived, but also how we died. Would you feel comfortable telling him that you got killed for making fun of others? Be holy so that you'll be blameless when he asks you that question.

Hidden Prejudice

        I have sensed in myself that there are certain things I see, or hear or read about I just don't much care for, for no apparent reasons. Since they are minor, I don't bother to analyze what the underlying reasons might be. But today I ask the Holy Spirit to wipe out all my hidden prejudices so that I may be more perfect in God's love and be completely fair in dealing with others in all things.

Jesus Not to Be missed!

        With a God who created the infinite universe and died for us out of love, who am I to question or reject him? Do you question him because you've been conditioned to never trust anyone? Do you question because you believe that science can explain everything? Perhaps you reject God because you've been seduced by the world? Do you reject him because you are looking for a god to your liking, if you are looking at all? Jesus is not to be missed ~ remain open and still to let him gather you in his arms. Life is short, and you'll never have another chance again for all eternity!

Believing in Infinity

        The Hubble Space Telescope has taken some amazing pictures in space. This link http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30699647 takes you to a report on BBC News today. The second picture is a shot of the Andromeda Galaxy, our own Milky Way's big neighbor, two million light-years away. Just how far away is two million light-years in miles? A little calculation gives the answer: 11,756,999,620,000,000,000, almost 12 billion billion miles! As far as today's astronomers know, there are billions of galaxies out there. I have no problem with a universe that is infinite, knowing that our God is infinite in every way. 

God Comes to Me!

        Today's Communion experience. God came to me. I was called to his supper and fed the living bread that came down from heaven; I didn't even have to be in heaven! 

Message of Love

        In today's 1st reading from 1 John 4, the Apostle made it clear that God is love. We all more or less know how to love, but God showed us what love should be like when he sent his only Son into the world to die for us. I can now say that God came to purify our love and show us that life should be all about learning how to love. This is the message for all, Christians or non-Christians.

Sin Disturbs Peace

        As long as we sin, we will not experience inner peace, for sin causes unrest and turmoil within us. This is how God has made us. That's why when we repent of our sins and become reconciled to God, we gain inner peace again.

How to Find God

        In case you are still searching for God, here is the best attitude to assume. It is the same as for those who seek union with God. The goal is to know God, so the keyword again is "passive." You will not find God if you actively search everywhere, reading all kinds of books, etc. Believe that he exists and tell him that you want to know him. Then remain humble, passive, and open, waiting for him to speak to your heart. 

Better than Winning the Lottery

      Perhaps everyone in his lifetime has dreamed of winning the lottery. In reality, the chance of winning any lottery for anyone is infinitesimal. And when someone wins, he is the sole winner. Does winning make the winner any happier in the end? Not according to one documentary I watched on past lottery winners. 

      Dreaming that you succeed in entering heaven is a much better choice. Chances are you'll surely succeed if you follow certain instructions. There is no limit to how many people can win. And winning guarantees everlasting happiness.  

We Must Decide

        Today is the Memorial of St. John Neumann. The Communion antiphon, Matthew 19.29, reads: Everyone who has given up home, brothers, or sisters, father or mother, wife or children or property for my sake will receive many times as much and inherit everlasting life. Suppose you do not know that Jesus had said it and hear someone else saying it now, you would definitely think that the speaker must be crazy to make such a promise unless, of course, the speaker happens to be God. This is just another saying of Jesus that compels us to decide whether he was a crazy man or is God.   

Anxiety-Free Living

        I talked about how we should live the present moment, not the past nor the future. This means that we focus upon doing God's will every moment. Living as such will inevitably lead us to our final destination of bliss in heaven. 

To See My Bad Side

        Communion experience. I wanted the Lord to reveal all my faults and shortcomings.

Close the Gap

        A gap usually exists between what one preaches and what one practices. Perhaps it's a the-heart-is-willing-but-the-flesh-is-weak case. Perhaps it's just easily said than done. One can talk about God all the time but fail to show love in one instance. This is the gap I want to bring attention to. Only with God's help can we live up to our own expectations.

Move On, Focus, and Forget

        Each of us has many experiences in life that seem hard to forget. Most recently, someone turned out to be not the person he had made others believe him to be ~ that was both a surprise and a disappointment. It made me think that one should never trust anyone fully. Then the right thought came to me: We should move on, focus upon God alone, and forget all else that disturbs our peace. 

Receiving the Triune God

        Communion experience. It's not just Jesus entering me; it's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ~ the glorious Holy Trinity ~ all entering me!

To Be in the Gospel

        Today's Gospel reading was John 1:29-34. To see all the amazing things, you must put yourself in the scene, in the story. Listening to the Gospel read as a bystander won't do you any good. In the reading, John the Baptist claimed that he did not know Jesus, yet when he saw Jesus coming toward him, he referred to him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world ~ God must have revealed this to John. John also proclaimed that Jesus existed before him. We know that John was born before Jesus, so he must be referring to Jesus' eternal existence. John also testified that he saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon Jesus. Last he said, "Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." ~ quite amazing that from the very beginning, John already knew and announced publicly who Jesus is. 

How to Sin No More

        Reading 1 at morning Mass came from 1 John. The last verse read from Chapter 3 stuck in my mind: No one who remains in him (Jesus Christ) sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Therefore, know Jesus and remain in him and we no longer sin.

Involving the Heart

       I've been photographing on and off my whole life. I learned photography by reading many books on the subject. At the beginning, not knowing what to look for, I just took a lot of pictures and tried to find any good ones I might have shot. Gradually, I began to let my heart tell me if what I see is worth being photographed or not. That is, I looked for images that connect with me visually, emotionally, or even at the spiritual level. The result was that no longer did I waste any shots and what I captured always revealed my personal vision, identifying me as the photographer. This has been a most satisfying experience.
        I bring this up because I see that seeking holiness is somewhat analogous to becoming an accomplished photographer. Reading spiritual books, joining prayer groups, and participating in other such activities can definitely inspire you to become holy; but if you want to reach sainthood, you must approach God with an open heart and make connection with him directly, as in seeking union with him.  

Heaven Is Ready

        Today being 1st Friday of the month, we had Eucharistic adoration after Mass. The "O saving Victim" was sung. It went like this:

   
         O saving Victim, op'ning wide

         The gate of heaven to all below,

         Our foes press on from ev'ry side;

         Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.

The first two lines got my attention ~ the gate of heaven is wide open! This means that God is ready for us to go back to him! What's holding us up?   

What Can We Give to God?

        At Mass again this morning, when the bread was being consecrated, the priest broke the host and said as Jesus did at the Last Supper, "Take this, all of you, and eat of it: for this is my body which will be given up for you." I heard Jesus giving up his own body! I started to think what I can give up for him ~ I came up with nothing because there is nothing I can consider to be mine. All I could do was abandoning myself to the Lord. 

       Next thought. If we truly have nothing that's ours, then why so many of us are keeping so many things in this world to themselves?      

Road to Holiness

        To want to be holy is laudable. Many books, videos, homilies, TV programs, workshops, etc., can be inspiring, but by what means can we make progress? The logical answer is to let God help us. How? Again, seeking union with God is the way ~ you receive immediate, direct help from the Lord along the way and you are holy when you reach union with him. 

Are You Honest with God?

        We all tend to protect ourselves and keep secrets to ourselves. Hence, opening ourselves up completely to God is not easy, something we normally don't think of doing. To be honest with God is to be willing to let God see everything in your heart and in your mind ~ if he reveals things that shouldn't be there, you must be willing to let God root them out even to the point swallowing your pride to make amends. If you are not ready for that, God is not yet an integral part of your life. 

We Belong in God's Family

        Today is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. In the 2nd reading from Galatians 4, Paul tells us that through the work of Christ we are now adopted sons and daughters, also heirs, of God. This makes me see that God has always considered us to be his own, never outside the family. He will never reject us, only us rejecting him. With this awareness, we can confidently follow Christ to our home ~ great news!  

False Living

      All hopes not placed in God are false hopes. Worshiping pop stars, name brands, glamour, wealth, economic power . . . and not the true God is false worship. It's sad that people have built their own little Berlin wall around them to keep God out and continue to live in false hopes, false dreams, and with false beliefs. Make us see the light, Lord!

Christ Is Hope!

        On this 1st day of 2015, I wish I can start posting on a happy note, but I was disturbed and saddened by the news yesterday that a 17-year-old transgender teenager in Ohio committed suicide after years of struggling with her Christian parents' refusal to acknowledge her true identity as a female. I know that there are lots of people out there who are depressed for different reasons, feeling that there is no hope for them anymore ~ how I wish, how I wish I can convey to and convince them that Christ is our hope, that he is the answer, that he is the help they need, and that he loves them and can turn everything around for them! Help us, Lord.