Picture of Our World

        The moment we are born into this world, we enter amidst a spiritual warfare. God has given each of us a conscience and free will, and we are faced with choosing good or evil. The fact that we understand good and evil shows that there must be God and an evil one as well as heaven and hell, and that life can be made meaningful. Those who know Christ know that they have found the truth, so they know exactly what they should or should not do and where they are heading. But those who do not have Christ have only themselves to follow, resulting in moral decay and social chaos ~ this is the shape of the world we are in today. 

Beware of Selfcenteredness

        You may live your own life, do your own things, and not particularly do anything evil. But beware, if you live solely for yourself, minding your own business, you are being self-centered. And heaven is inhabited by God-centered souls.

Eliminating Shocks

        Recently, in walking I got a shock when I stepped off a descending step I didn't see. We encounter shocks when we do not see what's ahead. Therefore, prepare well so that you may not encounter the biggest shock of all when Jesus comes or when you depart from this world. 

Continuous Loving

        I used to wonder about the souls who lived before Jesus came into the world. How were they saved? The Old Testament and, especially helpful to me, the Psalms, made me see that God had always loved his people from the beginning and many of them were intimate with the Lord, yearning for him. I see that Jesus came into the world to further assure us that God is love and revealed to us that it is through him, the Son of God, that all are saved.   

Ingredient of Holiness

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed and to yeast. When a mustard seed is planted and fully grown, it becomes a large bush and the birds of the sky dwell in its branches. When yeast is mixed in wheat flour, the whole batch of dough is leavened. I realized then that when we have Jesus as our center, we grow into holy saints.

Perfect Obedience

        Jesus underwent the Passion, suffering so much, yet he remained meek and humble, not protesting that he was innocent in the slightest, and even prayed for those who put him to death. Did he demonstrate turning the other cheek, remaining meek and humble, and loving his enemies? All that, yes; but most inspiringly above all, he demonstrated his perfect obedience to doing the will of the Father. (This should be our #1 duty too.) 

How God Feels

        We care about how we look, how to impress others . . . but hardly about how our clean and pure our hearts and thoughts are. Shouldn't we care about how God feels in the first place? 

Most Important Sorrow

        Today, Tuesday, is the day to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Naturally, we are aware of the sorrows Jesus underwent. And there's the sorrow we feel when we see others suffering or in distress. But there is one sorrow we tend to forget, that we have sinned against God. If we do not repent, we cut ourselves off from God. Hence, this make it the most important sorrow of all sorrows. 

Most Special Grace

        Communion thoughts. Jesus is God ~ you probably have heard this said many times already. But if you truly believe that he is, then he has called you, for no one can make you believe this except the Lord himself.     

Union With God Necessary

        In today's first reading from Ephesians 4, Paul advises us to live as children of light. The response that followed to Psalm 1 reads: Behave like God as his very dear children. What a high calling for us ~ to be obedient to God as his beloved children solely to please him! We are to heed his advice to be perfect as he is by imitating him. This behooves us to seek union with God, for it is through union that he can make all happen to fulfill his desire. The Lord has called, and the Lord can and will surely make it happen.

My Only Consolation and Joy

        This morning, I felt that turning and praying to the Lord God is now my only consolation in this dark world. The Lord God is the only true joy we have. The entrance antiphon at Mass came from Psalm 105: Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. This two verses echoed my feeling and what I was trying to do.

Tapping God's Riches

        Attended Vigil Mass at church. I realized that Jesus has riches inexhaustible that we can turn to him to seek and ask for them to our heart's content. God will give us whatever we need to magnify his glory. Let's take advantage of that with maximum trust. 

Power of the Eucharist

        Communion thought. If you have been attending Mass faithfully, believing that the Holy Eucharist is truly the body and blood of the Lord, and receiving this Blessed Sacrament for years, you should already be a saint by now. 

No Better Feeling

        We obey our parents at home, our teachers at school, or our boss at work; and feel good after we carry out what we're told to do, as if a burden has been lifted from our shoulders. Obedience to God is different because it involves the heart as well as the soul. Obeying God is obeying the one who can remove our sins, make us whole, and lead us to eternal bliss. That is why I can say that there is no better feeling than knowing that you and God are on good terms.      

Sins Over Suffering

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus made it clear that there is no direct relationship between suffering or mishaps and sinfulness. That is, one who suffers much is no indication that he is more guilty (or holier for that matter). The important thing, he said, is that we repent in order not to perish. Which is saying that the soul is so much more important than the body and that taking care of sins should come before taking care of physical suffering.

Using Free Will Wisely

        Satan is far and hidden, yet it's so easy for us to fall into his traps and be enslaved by him. God is immediate and ready, yet it's hard for us to submit to him to be delivered into total freedom. Realizing our sinful state and need for salvation can go a long way in heading ourselves in the right direction. Remember that God has given us the free will; use it to make wise choices only.

A Metaphor

        Communion experience. I saw Jesus as a mighty current and we are all in it. If you are obedient to him, he keeps you afloat and you flow downstream securely and effortlessly to where he is heading. To rebel against him is to swim upstream against the mighty current on your own, resulting ultimately in fatigue and death.

Beware!

        To allow abortion is to play God, the creator of all human life, thus placing your will over his.