*Serious Transgression

        If you truly believe that Jesus is God, you would want to believe in him. Therefore, if you do not believe in him, you are saying that he is not God. This has to be a most serious transgression affecting your eternal existence, if it turns out that you were wrong. 

Be Free to Meet God

        I look around and see the many things I have in my house. There are my piano, CD collection, various objects on shelves picked up over the years, my books, family memorabilia, car, all the tools stored in the garage, my computer, smartphone, the many personal photographs enlarged and hung on the various walls, etc. They have been useful or given me pleasure over the past. Then I see one day, I'll be gone. All these things will be taken by others, sold, given away, or thrown away. So it's clear that all things on earth do not belong to us at all – they are on loan from God for a brief time, you could say. It would be extremely foolish to hold onto all these things and care about how they should be taken care or disposed of after you leave. Again, get attached to God to get detached from everything else. Let God free you before meeting him. 

**Wise Choice*

        Since I have a finite mind and am not able to comprehend Almighty God completely ever, I choose to believe in him without question like a child.

***Smart Approach to God

        Struggling on your own to love God is always hard and ineffective, for it's like trying to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Surrendering to God is the smart way to go, for it unlocks the power of God to make everything easy. Think outside the box to be successful.  

Holy Desire

        It is true that God gives us living water so that whoever drinks it will never thirst again (John 4.14), for when you have the Lord, your life is fulfilled. Then this creates a new longing as you discover that the Lord is so lovely and beautiful that you long to be with him in heaven. Unlike the first thirst, this is a happy, holy desire letting you know that God is in union with you.

*Beautiful to God

        We stop sinning and become beautiful to God. And loving God is the most beautiful act we can perform.

*Jesus' Special Love

         When you let Jesus love you, he makes you selfless to want to love all others for his sake. Here is love that melts hearts and transforms lives.

*Before Changing Other

        To those who love to judge others: Do you ever see yourself the way you see others? As a matter of fact, the only way to find and connect with God is to look deep within yourself first, for connecting with God involves the heart. Look inward to ask God to change you first before expecting others to change.

The Lost Attracting the Lost

        This is a generation of lost souls. I see films, literature, fine arts, song writers, etc., often produce works that are ambiguous, aimless, without a clear message. They can be intriguing and fascinating, but never satisfying. They resonate with a large audience precisely because the audience is largely lost too. To me, all these souls are unknowingly looking for God, only in the wrong places. All they need to do first is to open up to Christ to let themselves be found.

Time to Appreciate Mary More

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

        A timely message from Fr. Mark Goring.

Be True to God and Yourself

        Always be true to Christ and yourself. Let love, never ego, motivate all your thoughts, words, and actions. How others will receive you is not of your concern. You'll know you are being true if your heart remains at peace, as the Lord grants peace always to those who obey him.

**Self-Preservation First

        The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris caught fire a few day ago. The fire damaged the church so badly the spire collapsed. Various treasures within the church were damaged or destroyed too. The news shocked people worldwide. – it was sad news for all. Then I realize that any church is basically a building that can never last forever. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the first century. Most people who visit Notre Dame are tourists, not pilgrims. Do people feel sad about the dwindling church attendance in France? Of course, I'd like to see all great cathedrals and basilicas preserved. But I also see that God would much prefer that we keep our souls safe and unblemished. Therefore, be concerned about your spiritual condition first before all other concerns about things material.

*Making the Wise Choice

        Happy Easter to all! The church was packed at the first morning Mass I attended; the number of attendees just about doubled its normal size. Is this a good or sad thing? If we are confronted by Christ, we face the choice of living for him or for ourselves – there is not a 3rd choice! Don't count upon turning to God in the last moments of your life, for you may die in your sleep, die unexpectedly in an accident, die suddenly due to poor health, or loose your mind before you die. Since we can not escape from God, we should choose to follow and live for Christ now.

**Root Cause of Division

        Seeing how this country is so divided on so many issues, resulting in extremists accusing, slandering, and even physically assaulting those they could not tolerate, I can pinpoint the root cause of all this – people have cast God aside to play God themselves so that they now judge others as if they themselves are perfect. Pity those who are not aware that anytime you think you know more than God, you are in big trouble for sure.

***Know God 1st, Then Enjoy the World

        This world we live in is like a big amusement park. It is filled with attractions to get your attention, to appeal to your senses. Some people can't even live without listening to loud music at all times. Materialism, consumerism, commercialism dominate our lives. We learn to get ahead of others, so I doubt many people would understand what humility is. We have a world of "egomaniacs" looking for amusement for themselves. I am not even mentioning the seedy side of life. Anyway, the world is full of shallow people who do not even know themselves. To acquire depth, we need to take time out to look into ourselves to learn what we are first. This is getting in touch with our own soul so that we can get to know God, who can only be known at this level. Immersing in this world cuts us off from ever knowing God and that makes a great tragedy! So here's another of my wakeup calls: Know God first, then enjoy the world in freedom.

**Ultimate Challenge

        We are all more of less adventurous in different ways. We want to challenge ourselves physically and mentally. Traveling to explore new places and studying for a higher degree are common choices, but some would want to scale Mt. Everest, sail solo across an ocean, or even perform daredevil feats at the risk of losing their lives. May I challenge each of you to place your trust in God entirely? Nor only you won't put your life at extra risk, the unique excitement you receive on this adventure will be long-lasting and spiritually refreshing, remembered by God forever.

Feeling Good in Freedom

        When we do something well, we feel good. Watch a musician who has performed well, a student who has successfully passed an exam, a scientist who has made a great discovery, or an athlete who has broken a record. I myself had always felt good after finishing building a piece of furniture in my younger days and am still happy today whenever I am able to capture a nice image with my smartphone. Then there is the happiness and satisfaction you experience after God has entered your life and succeeded in transforming you in many ways. So how does this "feeling good" differ from all the others? Well, when you are on your own, feeling good is short-lived and feeds your ego each time, while the good feeling given to you by God is long-lasting and actually frees you from your ego. Therefore, know God first and you'll enjoy all good feelings in freedom.