"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Monday, March 13, 2017

*Beautiful Living*

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus said to his disciples, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." There is a principle here. Today if we show mercy to others, they may not reciprocate. Anyway, we are to be merciful for God's sake, then God will be merciful to us. This is beautiful living that can be summed up as "God and us doing everything for each other."

What to Do About Sins

        Granted, not all consciences are equally sharp with some muddier than others, but we all know that we have sinned when we have sinned. The next question is what we are to do about our sins. Putting off facing God is putting off our chance to repent and beg for forgiveness, while severe consequences still await us as sinners with unremoved sins. 

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Burning Love

        Communion experience. As I was consuming the Lord, his fire melted my heart. It is union taking place. The only way to be transformed by him is to submit ourselves to his burning love.

Same Old Game

        As I have said, the conflict between God and us stems from our desire to play God. Even when people look for God, they look for someone to their liking. It's like they are on the selection committee, playing the same old self-serving game. No wonder that they do not find God.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Greatest Relief of Life

        Communion experience. When I received the Lord, I realized that man rebelled against God, Jesus came and paid the price, and we who have become obedient are now back in grace before the Father. The circle is fully complete.

**How to Be Perfect

        Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5 is where Jesus asked his disciples to be perfect, just as their heavenly Father is perfect. We cannot accomplish this on our own, but with the help of God it becomes possible. Therefore, we must seek union with God in order that the Lord may have complete freedom in helping us. Yes, by giving our freedom to God, we actually become free – another one of those beautiful paradoxes. 

God's Wisdom

        The wisdom of God has nothing to do with IQ or street smarts. Those who have received this wisdom simply know how to live a life that's most beneficial to themselves and others and at the same time most pleasing to God.       

Most Extraordinary Man

        Unlike any of us, Jesus was a most extraordinary man. Like us he did experience sorrow, agony, and physical pains, but he was always fearless, never showed anxiety, and knew exactly what to do in each situation. Hence his advice to us was to trust in him and not be afraid of or to worry about anything.

God Made Us This Way

        You may not believe in God, but know that since you were made in his image, you have the ability to comprehend who he is.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Living a Joy-Filled Life

       Fill your heart with love for God before you do anything, and you'll live a joyful life.

Accepting God's Blesing

        Communion experience. Jesus entered me and I knew it was a tremendous blessing. Then, of course, I should embrace this blessing with all my mind, all my heart, and all my soul. 

*Effective Evangelization

        Effective evangelization is not telling others what they should do, but rather telling them how God can transform us through our own experience.

*Matching High Standards

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus set high standards in what we should or should not do. For example, he said, "Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment," "Whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna," and "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, go first and be reconciled with your brother, then come and offer your gift." Since the mercy of God is infinite (also set at the highest standard), he has the perfect right to ask us to be perfect to match his mercy.

Our Choice

        Today's Responsorial Psalm from Psalm 130: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand? If the Lord, who alone can take away our sins, proclaims that we are guilty, then we are guilty indeed. The Communion antiphon that came later from Ezekiel 33.11: As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live. We see that all we need to do is to turn back to the Lord and we shall live. We can choose to remain in our sinful state or have God take away our sins.

*God Most Lovable

        Today is Friday and I prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Realizing how much Jesus suffered for loving us made me love him even more. Once you realize that God is love, you won't be able to help but fall in love with him. There is nothing more lovable than love itself.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Only Perfect One

        Communion thoughts. On earth we look for a soulmate to marry and live with, and it rarely works out perfectly. To find someone to live with in harmony forever, there is only one candidate – Christ our Lord and God, who alone is perfect.

Act of Love and Humility

        At Mass, when the bread and wine changed into the flesh and blood of the Lord, he made me see that it was truly one greatest act of love and humility. 

Hint to Finding God

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." May I suggest that if you look for God, by assuming that he is real and exists, ask, seek, and knock will help you find him a lot quicker.