Sharper Contrast

        As the world gets uglier and uglier, Jesus appears more and more beautiful. 

(Un)reality

        Here is a typical ad you see on billboards or a magazine page ~ a man dressed in a classy suit, looking handsome, standing in front of a luxurious car, showing an expansive name watch on his wrist ~ as if this is what life is all about.

Limiting Suffering

        Whenever I am sick and not feeling well, I think of the suffering of the souls in hell. When I am alive in the world, suffering is only temporary and I can always offer it up to God. In hell, not only is it everlasting, but also you can no longer offer it up. Therefore, make absolutely sure that you suffer in this life only and then rejoice. 

Wonder of Light

        It strikes me that the fact light travels at a never-changing speed of 186,000 miles a second and nothing can go faster than light is a wonder, pointing to me that God exists and saying "God is light" makes perfect sense.

Wild-Goose Chase

        The people of the world accumulate material things, eat at restaurants, take vacations trips . . . their seek happiness, but they find that nothing is completely satisfying and any enjoyment only temporary. For if you have truly found happiness, you would cease pursuing anything. Therefore, finding happiness in things of the world is limited and essentially a wild-goose chase.

Missing Piece

        Think about this. You run into Jesus, find out that God loves you to death, and he changes you to love him and all your brothers and sisters ~ this is an earthshaking breakthrough! Life has found its missing piece ~ you are now linked to God! It's a complete turning around, a shake-up, an epiphany . . . whatever you want to call it. Rejoice!

Forever Belonging

        Communion experience. Once I belong to Christ, I am his forever, and I'll be safe forever.

        

        Note. For the next 3+ weeks, I may not be able to blog regularly, but I'll jot down whatever good thoughts the good Lord places in my heart and resume blogging likely from Easter Sunday, March 27, on. I pray that all of you will have a most joyful Easter celebration. God be with you.

Astounding Sayings

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place." We are used to hear the sayings of Jesus and not think much about them, especially if we've heard them many times before. But if you pause and "look closer," you can realize that they are truly astounding, coming from a man. Such is the case here. While human law is subject to change, Jesus knew that God's law stands forever.

God Our Fixer

        Communion experience. We are created by God, so only he can save us, free us, and make us holy to be like him.

Going All the Way

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus taught Peter to keep forgiving a brother who sinned against him. According to Jesus, we are either forgiving or not forgiving. Forgiving means forgiving always, and if we can only forgive a fixed number of times, then we are basically not forgiving. The same goes with obeying God, loving others, being holy, etc.  Obeying God means obeying him in all things; loving others, loving all the way; being holy, doing it the best you can. See how God tried to save us by dying for us ~ that's going all the way!

An Obligation

        If you believe that God is your Father and you are his child, then you have the obligation to honor, obey, serve, and love him, especially because he loves you so much.

Joy-Giving Conscience

        It's a joy to know that when you are on the verge of sinning, you are able to stop or turn away quickly. This is like you recognize quicksand in front of you and you immediately walk away from it. If you stick out your foot to test the sand, you've started sinning. A clear conscience assures inner peace ~ this is how God has made us.

Thirst Quenched

        Today's entrance verse from Psalm 84: My soul is longing and yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. The Communion response from Psalm 42: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God! It amazes me that the Psalmists before the time of Christ were already in such a state of great intimacy with God. 

       Communion experience today. The thirst of my soul for the Lord was there, but I was assured that it would be completely quenched one day.

A Christian's Focus

        Liberal and conservative politicians are making strong statements about what they are in this year of election. A Christian need not bother with being a liberal or a conservative, for he simply follows Christ. That is, a Christian focuses upon solely being Christlike and is not concerned about what anyone, himself included, thinks of him. 

Let God Exalt You

        God is infinite. His love is infinite. Therefore, ask him to give you all the grace you need to become holy and one with him. Aim high and he'll lift you high. 

How to Be Perfect

        Communion experience. God is perfect and we can be too if we obey him perfectly.

Source of Inner Peace

        Obedience to God, as unrest results from rebellion against God. 

We Are Loved!

        At Mass we again heard the Parable of the Lost Son from Luke 15. The father was so happy to see his repentant, lost younger son coming home that he prepared a big celebration to welcome him back. But the older son got angry because he thought the father was being unfair, since he had been with the father all along and never been treated like this. What we need to know is that God loves us all and we must never question what he does, for knowing that he loves us no less is more than sufficient for us. In fact, we must rejoice for this very reason.