*Knowing Jesus

        We can believe that Jesus was historically a real person through reading about him. Applying logic and reasoning, we may even believe that he is truly divine. But we still don't bother to know him, and we won't know him until we ask God to make us see, hear, and understand. We can never completely know someone in the distant past, but let me witness to you that this is not the case with Jesus. If you sincerely seek him, he will reveal himself to you for you to know him more than anyone else on earth. The fact that time is no barrier to him further confirms that he is God. There is no relationship more perfect and satisfying than knowing the one who created you and knows you the best.

Defining Moment

        Communion experience. If the host I had received was just symbolically the body of Christ, then receiving it was nothing more than contemplating the Lord. Since the Holy Eucharist was truly the body and blood of Christ, receiving it became a defining moment, the moment at which God and I were united both physically and spiritually.

Perfect State of Existence

        Union with God is the perfect state of existence. In that state, you abandon yourself completely to God with the Holy Spirit filling you to the full. You are now carefree, joyfully communing with, serving, and loving the Lord. 

Free Will the Key

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus told his disciples that knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven had been granted to them, but not to the crowd, and that he spoke to them in parables because, quoting Isaiah the prophet, they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Is there a mystery here? Predestination? Can the Lord make us see, listen, and understand? I believe that our free will plays a big part. If we choose to be interested in the Kingdom of heaven, then God will reveal its mysteries to us. There is always hope for anyone who turns to God. 

Only Perfect Friend

        We are always interested in knowing more about well-known personalities. If it happens to be someone of the past, we make conjectures about him or her. I thought of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Here's someone who came 2,000 years ago. While I have not understood any other human being completely, I have come to know him intimately as my most trusted friend ~ no ambiguity here. Not only does he know all about me, he reveals himself to me constantly to bring me closer to him. God is absolutely personal, the only perfect friend you can have and need.

No Waiting

        Communion experience. About 4 dozens of parishioners were at morning Mass today, so the lines to receive Holy Communion were not so short. The thought came to me that when you enter heaven, there will be no lines to delay you, which suits me fine.  

The Little Way

        Be holy in every little way ~ this is the key to holiness. Don't miss a single opportunity to show the love you have for Christ. It's doing the thing, not how big or impressive that thing is, that counts. This is the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux. If you are not familiar with it, read her autobiography The Story of a Soul. All her writings had drawn me closer to Christ in the past. 

Beautiful Partnership

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus told the crowds around him the parable the sower. A sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and nothing grew nor lived. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. When we are receptive to what the Lord wants us to do, we are the rich soil, and great things can be accomplished through us for his glory.

*Heaven and Hell Are Real

        If reward and punishment for us are only temporary after death, there would be no reason for us to stop sinning or to be holy. Only if heaven and hell are real can justice be fully served in the end.

Indiscriminate Loving

        Since God loves all of us, his children, we must also love all others, our brothers and sisters, beyond our own immediate family.

Fantastic Promise

        Today's Gospel Acclamation, what Jesus said in John 14.23: Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. How loving and lovely that God should want to get us so intimately involved with the Father and the Son! It is truly a fantastic promise that we must not forget as long as we live.

The Thread Difference

        Our life hangs precariously by a thread, but faith in Jesus makes that thread unbreakable and we get pulled up to him in heaven when our time is up. Without Jesus, we could drop deep into the unfathomable darkness below when the thread snaps.

Up to the Unbeliever

        Matthew 10.34: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword." Jesus is the cause of division, as there is a chasm between those who follow him and those who do not. Only the unbeliever can eliminate that separation by turning himself to God.

       Speaking of changing oneself, fundamental change must come from within the heart. We have no power to change anyone fundamentally except through God. To initiate the change, the person involved must again turn to God to ask for it himself.

Losing Jealousy

        Do you know that once you possess Jesus, you are no longer jealous of anyone? 

Inexhaustible God

        Know that God is infinitely rich and deep that we can never possibly exhaust him in anyway. Therefore, confidently ask him for all that you need to be perfect, as he is perfect. Be ambitious and greedy!

Going to the Extreme

        Going to the extreme on your own is always ego-oriented and wrong. Only in loving God is going to the extreme completely justified.

Leaving No Legacy Happily

        We normally think about what legacy we are going to leave behind after we are gone. I thought of all the material things I possess, some of which important to me at one time or another. For example, I was interested in piano music and had acquired a sizable collection of CDs. I am still interested in taking photographs and have now accumulated many quite beautiful personal prints of my works. So what am I going to do with them? I quickly realized that I should not be concerned about what's going to happen to them at all. Knowing that I am returning to the Father who will make me happier than ever, there is no point in ever wanting to look back on anything that's not mine in the first place and will surely pass in time? You know well that eternal joy will easily make one forget all his past.

To Each His Own 😞

        I attended Vigil Mass at my church today. Communion experience. I knew that Jesus was going to take away my sins and be one with me, thus exalting me to the highest possible status as a human being. There's no more desire to be fulfilled. How I wish that everyone would experience peace this way. But whenever I tell others about it, they are happy for me and would congratulate me. It's thanks, but no thanks. They still go their own way, preferring to find peace their way.