*Settling Eternal Destiny First

        Right now, a friend of my son is in danger of losing his life at a medical center. One of my church friends just underwent surgery on his leg. I called a cousin of mine in New York and no one answered the phone. The last time it happened not long ago was when she was taken into a hospital for an emergency operation, so I hope that it's not the same thing again this time. Obviously, I am already an old person, but that's not the point. The point I want to make is "Believe in God now!" Put aside planning your dream vacation, buying a new house for your family, finding ways of investing your money to make more money, etc., and settle your eternal destiny first! Don't wait until the last moments of your life – do it when you are still young and healthy! Make the most important decision first before considering any other decisions. Closing pointer: Put God ahead of you to know the way; put yourself ahead of God to be lost.

*Creator Power

        Communion thoughts. Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist stands as a landmark in my daily journey. It was of great consolation to realize that since the Lord God created me, he surely can correct, reshape, and transform me into a new creature that's pleasing to him. It's the power of the creator at the disposal of his creature!

When Do We Sin?

        We sin only when we lose sight of the Lord. (Seek union with God to be in his sight always.)        

*Playing God

      In this country, we have the left (liberals) and the right (conservatives) going against each other on so many issues. Both sides are guilty of distorting the truth and creating fake news. If the left plays God without believing in him much, the right plays God while claiming that they believe in him.

        Recently, Pope Francis had an interview with a Spanish newspaper on the day of Trump's inauguration and was asked what he thought about Trump. He said that he wanted to wait to see how he acts, what he does, before forming an opinion. Toward the end of the interview, the Holy Father added that the rise of any populist figure could be a cause for concern, citing Hitler as an example. He is making a point, but the moment I read that, I was quite certain that the right would seize upon this "undiplomatic slip" and accuse him of comparing Trump with Hitler. Sure enough, one popular Christian (non-Catholic) network on the right in a YouTube video called for all Catholics to leave their church and find Christianity elsewhere. This saddened me and almost made me laugh at the same time, for so many Protestants are ignorant of the fact that Catholics do not leave the Church just because the Pope or a bishop or their pastor is someone they don't like or is a sinner – the faithful remain with the Church because it was established and given to them by Christ to be guardian of the whole truth. Unlike Protestants, Catholics do not shop around for a church or denomination until they find one that appeals to them. Also, Protestants in general are not required to belong to any church and can even start a church of their own. By the way, I read one page of the comments on that video – the vile words and foulmouthed expressions used by the commentators were shocking in condemning the Holy Father and the Catholic Church. I just hope that they are not representative of the majority of the people of this country. What that presenter of the video did and caused was exactly what the Pope was concerned about. 

       For all Christians who wish to spread any kind of message in public, remember these two sayings. (1) When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus and were ready to stone her, Jesus said, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." (2) I say, "If you cause anyone to hate more and love less, that could not have been prompted by the Holy Spirit."

Going Beyond Minimalism

      Two guys, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known as "The Minimalists" are becoming increasingly popular. There is a documentary made about their Minimalism, which you can watch on YouTube. In it, they point out that the problem with society is compulsory consumption, which is acquiring things because that's what we are supposed to do. In their own words, they explain that Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life's excess in favor of focusing on what's important, so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.  

          This message is catching on with the public. I am posting it because I want to share a superior way that cures the problem at the fundamental level. Naturally, God is involved. Submit yourself to God completely and become detached to all things except the Lord himself. Then even if you are surrounded by material things, you enjoy your freedom. Besides, doing it for God's sake and not your own adds purpose and joy to your existence.

Communion Effect

        Communion experience. The Lord made me aware that after receiving him, he had made me a better person. All the Communion experiences can certainly create a cumulative effect. Praise be to God!

Eternity Is Timeless

        Time is not something you can see passing, not a clock ticking away . . . it is an abstract concept not easy to grasp. All I can say is that things happen in a certain order in time. Anyway, here is an awareness that makes me forget all about time for the time being: it is the knowledge that I'll be with God in heaven for all eternity. It must be that in eternity, time becomes obsolete.

Sign of Spiritual Progress

        We all have things we'd like very much to get done. But if you are OK with it in case you can't accomplish any or all of them in time or at all, then congratulations, for you are no longer being enslaved by them! 

*The Ideal God

        Wouldn't it be nice to have a God who is omnipotent so that nothing is impossible with him and also omniscient so that he personally knows about you and fully understands you? Wouldn't it be nice if he also loves you to death and wants to lead you to paradise to enjoy eternal life with him? To make that possible, with your consent he can and would even take away your sins. Such an extraordinary God turns out to be none other than the God of Christ, for he alone fits the bill. Now the good news – he is wide open to accepting new candidates to be heirs in his kingdom.

*Are You Bearing Fruit?

        Today's Communion antiphon based upon what Jesus said in John 15.16: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. You bear fruit only when you do God's will. Know that the fruit you bear becomes the treasure you store up in heaven. Alas, most inhabitants of the world are fully occupied with doing only what they will to do. [I admit there are those who are intent on doing God's will, but are unfortunately misguided, for their work miss the true marks of doing his will, which are love and humility.] To not bear fruit is to waste your lifetime. If it dawns on you to repent in the last minutes of your life, you might still squeeze through the narrow gate to heaven, but taking such a chance is being foolish to the extreme. Of course, should you deliberately plan it that way, you'd be shut out for sure, for trying to fool God makes you the biggest fool of all time.

*Doing God's Will Smartly

        Think of God's will as a flowing river. Doing God's will is get in that water and float along smoothly and effortlessly with it. If you do not resist or panic, it will be easy and a joy. Again, God can make all you think is impossible possible. The secret is trust. Letting God do all the hard work for you is being truly smart (or wise if you prefer). 

Key Relationship

        Today is the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, the mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they asked for him through the crowd gathered around him. He said to them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Looking around at those seated in the circle he said,  "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus made a big point as God speaking. All of us are equal before God as his children – and it's not how we relate to each other but how we relate to God that matters.  

**We Need God!

        Communion experience. The Most Holy Lord entered me, but I was relative to him a filthy sinner. How was union with him possible? The Lord showed me that I only needed to be open and submit myself to him, and he would take care of the rest. Again, it is our intention that counts, since we can never be perfect as he is. It is always the Lord that makes the impossible possible!

Prayer for Ending Abortion

        On the 44th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, today is Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Here is the call by Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life (www.priestsforlife.org) to pray for an end to abortion:

      Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself Never to be silent, Never to be passive, Never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ our Lord. Amen!

**How We Are Judged

        We are not judged by how good a person we think we are, but by how much we please or offend Christ. 

*Enviable Position

        If you have Christ, you would never feel that you are at a disadvantage or less fortunate or inferior to anyone anymore. This is because the possession of such a treasure as the Lord God himself is the ultimate fulfillment of life, putting you beyond the influence of the world.

*God Filling Us

        Communion experience. Once you have Jesus, your deepest desire is fulfilled and life is greatly simplified. Now desires for all other things lose their hold on you. In Buddhism, you learn to lose your greed to achieve peace. With Christ, not only you become detached to all things of the world, the void in your heart is entirely filled by the Lord God himself. It is this filling (union) that makes your life whole, enabling you to experience peace plus joy.

*Never Mind Being Out of Mind

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus attracted the crowd around him, making it impossible for him and his disciples even to eat. His relatives heard of this and thought that he was out of his mind. Once some unbeliever saw that I truly believed in Jesus and thought that I must have lost my mind (gone overboard). In fact, when I first read about Mother Teresa going to Calcutta to live a life of serving the poor and the dying, I thought she must be somewhat out of her mind. Today, if you are extra devout, you may be regarded as being too serious, over-religious, or one who lives in his own world. Of course, we must never set any limit to how much we devote our lives to Christ nor care about what others think of us. Let's live exactly accordingly to how the Lord draws us so that we may remain in his freedom.  

*Levels of Learning

        I watched the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 46th president of the United States on TV today. Many speeches were given by various politicians. Stories about historical figures were told to inspire the audience. My personal feeling and experience is that while learning from other human beings can be beneficial, it can never fundamentally transform us with power, for we need someone greater than us above the human level to effect the change. And that someone is our God! Once he starts teaching you directly, you'll feel your heart burning and find that even the teachings of saints pale in comparison.

*Securing Our Life for Eternity

        My thoughts turn to the human life today. As I see so many of my friends fall ill or pass away unexpectedly, I become acutely aware of how fragile our life is. Physically, we are only made of soft flesh and brittle bones. As regards our health, catching a few germs can send us straight to the emergency room. By comparison, life forms such as trees and wild animals are much tougher. Then there are accidents that can take our life by surprise. So the brief human life is both precarious and vulnerable. Under the circumstances, I see that the best we could do, which is also the least we should do, is to secure our eternal life. This is accomplished by letting Christ into our lives to be our anchor. Once we have settled our eternal destination, the fragility of our life on earth will no longer be an issue.

To Great Height

        Communion experience. Every reception of the Lord in Holy Communion is a milestone in one's spiritual journey. I much prefer remaining lowly and letting the Lord uplift me to his level than climbing to the peak of Mt. Everest and feeling good about myself. 

*Humble Formula

        To remain humble, never compare yourself with your brothers, sisters, or neighbors, but see yourself in the presence of the Lord God always.

Opportunity for Perfection

        Communion experience. It was an opportunity to taste the perfect Lord for me to become a little bit more perfect.

Benefit of Union

        Being acutely aware that a sin is a sin.

*Sin and Inner Peace

        God does not worry, get anxious, fuss . . . he may rightly be displeased or get angry with us for offending him, but he still loves us and would suffer any pain we cause him patiently. Nevertheless, deep in his heart, he has perfect peace. Therefore, if we lose our inner peace, we should realize that it's because we are not perfect and have sinned – this would be the perfect time to turn to the Lord to repent and ask for his forgiveness to restore our peace.

God's Powerful Love

        The love of God is real. God has shown his greatest love for us by giving us his own Son so that we might have eternal life. Without God, we may still feel love for others, but it'll never be compelling and selfless. It's only by knowing Christ that we can love others as he loved us. And this love of ours is completely motivated by his love working through us who have been transformed by his love. Furthermore, the love of God binds him and us together as one, with the soul experiencing the sweetest intoxicating joy.

Puzzling Fact

        We all know 100% that we are going to die one day and no one can be sure that the soul does not exist, yet so many people don't think much about life after death. Are they all burying their head in the sand?

*What Life Is All About

        If we are totally obedient to God, the will of God flows through us unhindered and we will have peace in both our hearts and the world. Because so many of us rebel against God, blocking the flow of his will through us, we have created disorder and chaos in both our hearts and the world. In this universe, we are the only creature capable of disrupting the will of God. Simply put, our life is all about choosing to be with God or not. [Note: I am speaking about the God as revealed through Jesus Christ, who is love.]

*Difficulty in Changing Oneself

        Only God can fundamentally change a person, but there is a catch – you must give him the go-ahead first. Since you are still the boss, the transfer of power must be initiated by you to take effect. While God can do his part effortlessly, relinquishing your power is not always easy. This is the sticky part of the process. 

Most Private Moment

        Communion experience. I had my most private moment: I was one with God; I completely belonged to Christ; I settled in him; I existed in him alone!

*Long Range Planning

        Give your heart to God and let him completely take care of your soul and you are all set for eternity.

How Are You Spiritually?

        If you believe in God, do you live as if he is real and relevant? Can people tell? If you believe that nothing is impossible with God, does your faith make that clear to others? If you address God as Lord, how often do you obey him? If we are to love God with all our heart, how often do you think of him or talk to him? Last, how seriously do you follow Jesus' specific counsels and commandments and take his promises? These are some of the questions that can help you assess your spiritual condition.

**Making God Your Confidant

        Here's a way to get to know the Lord God intimately fast. Pour out everything in your heart before him. Share your deepest secrets and concerns, those you wouldn't even share with any other human or look into yourself, with him. Do not hold back your emotions either. Weep or laugh if you feel like it. Showing this kind of trust greatly pleases the Father, for it shows that you know that he knows everything about you. This will bring you great freedom and consolation, now that you have become one of his favored children.

*On Opening Up to God

        It is often not easy to start doing something for the first time, even though you know that you should. One good example is Christians having difficulty in opening themselves up to God. I believe that is because they still do not want to relinquish themselves yet. It comes down to the ego and lack of humility. All I can say is once you have opened up and tasted the new freedom, you will not ever want to go back to your old imprisonment again.

On Loss of Inner Peace

        Loss of inner peace is caused by others or yourself. If you are the cause, it indicates that you have sinned, unless you are so far from God that your conscience is already muddy. The closer you are to God, the sharper your conscience is and the more your heart experiences pain or even torture, alerting you to reconcile with God, which is a blessing. Those who already have a muddy conscience risk straying away from God even more. 

The Same God!

        God the Father brought the Israelites out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, delivering them from their bondage. God the Son came into the world 2,000 years ago to suffer and die to redeem sinners so that they might have eternal life, revealing God's greatest love for his children. And God the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles on Pentecost 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus, sanctifying, enlightening, and strengthening the new Church. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, this is the God we have inherited!   

Unknown Thrill

        People seek to experience thrills in this life, not knowing that one single moment of intimacy with God is quietly more satisfying than a thousand thrills of the world put together.

Ultimate Living

        Communion experience. It feels good to be in complete harmony with God. I picture myself sitting next to the Lord in a green meadow, relaxing together and enjoy each other's company. By submitting yourself to him, your hear his voice intimately, for he dwells within your heart. Jesus fulfills our life to overflowing. It is ultimate living!  

Joy to the Soul

        Reading 1 at Mass from Hebrews 4: The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. Paul uttered these words in union with God. For it is in union with the Lord that you gladly let his word (and his love) penetrate your heart to help you discern your inner thoughts and learn his ways. Such intimacy brings great joy to the soul.

God Is Hope

        At this morning's Mass, I read all these sayings from the missal that gave me so much hope in the Lord. From the Entrance: Upon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: Behind him, the name of whose empire is eternal. The Responsory from John 6.63: Your words, Lord, are spirit and life. The Communion antiphon, Psalm 36.10: With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light. An alternate, John 10.10: I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. The God of Christ is our shining hope, our joy, and the cause of our optimism. Trust in him with all your heart to be uplifted by him.

Prepare Now for Eternity

        If you believe in the Second Coming of Christ upon which he will judge all the living and the dead, the time of preparation is now when you are still alive. Whether the Coming happens in your lifetime or later, know that your preparation time expires at the same time you do. 

Jesus Indispensable

        Jesus is most valuable, most desirable, in fact, indispensable to us, for only he can forgive our sins as he is God. He is the way and the truth and the life. To be more specific, only he can save us from eternal damnation and lead us to heaven. He is the one we need to go after, embrace, and follow with all our heart and our might. If you reject him, I will only respect you if you can solidly prove to me that he is false in some way, that you actually know more than he, or that your are a better person than he. My belief is that those who reject him are in reality running away from him, afraid of confronting God. How foolish it is to try to avoid something that is imminent!

Putting House in Order

        Yesterday in a post I mentioned that anyone in an emotional state may lose self-control. For example, an angry person may do harm to others or a person under stress may no longer consider the consequences of his action. We all make wrong decisions when we lose inner peace and clear thinking. Similarly, when we lose God's peace in our heart, we no longer hear him speak to us and start sinning. Union with God prevents all this. It is putting your house in order, a state for the soul to cherish and enjoy.  

Freedom That's Free

        "Freedom is not free" is a popular American idiom. We owe gratitude to our military for its sacrifices in defending our personal freedoms. By contrast, I think of the freedom God is ready to bestow upon each of us. It won't cost you anything and you won't have to fight for it either. All you need to do is to submit to God and humbly ask him to set you free.

On Practicing What You Preach

        To practice what you preach is usually harder than just preaching, for it is in practice that your theory is being tested. It is also a fact that anyone in an emotional state may lose his self-control. Therefore, if you are a spiritual person, it is all the more important not to lose your inner peace in order to practice what you preach as successfully as possible.

On Fearing God

        We should fear God so that we may not sin. After we sin, we should not fear turning to God immediately to ask for his forgiveness to remove any fear of being judged by him. 

On Not Judging Others

        Reasons for not judging others: (1) We are sinners ourselves. (2) Judging is not being kind. (3) To judge is to play God. (4) Last but not least, Jesus commanded us not to judge others. 

*On Following God's Will

        Jesus came into the world to spread the good news of God's love and our salvation, knowing well that not all would welcome or believe him. Nevertheless, he went ahead with God's plan. Similarly, we strive to be holy, knowing that we would never be perfect. Nevertheless, we should not give up and must continue on, following God's will. What we can actually achieve is up to the Lord.

In the Name Of Jesus

        We pray to God in the name of his Son Jesus. We can do everything, big or little, in the name of Jesus too. It's especially helpful when we find it hard to forgive someone who has wronged us; we can simply forgive him in the name of Jesus. In this way, we let the Lord handle the case and we are off the hook. In the name of Jesus, we can be detached to all things and become holy. For his sake, we should be willing to do anything. This is letting God be God with us out of his way.

Our God

        My God is my God, but he is our God. I treasure and cherish him as if he is mine alone, yet I gladly wish all to possess him. This is the Lord who can transform us into selfless, generous beings. This is our magnanimous, all-embracing Lord, capable of uniting all of his children as one in him. This is the exact Lord we need to complete our existence. Submit to him with all your heart and soul.