Calling and Mission

        Thoughts received during prayer before Mass this morning. 

        (1) Calling (for all followers of the Lord): To become light of the world.
        (2) Mission: To bring others to Christ, the Truth.

No Other God

        Today's first Mass reading from Isaiah 45 starts out: "I am the LORD, there is no other..."

        Recently, I recited the Apostles' Creed as if it was my very first time and I was amazed by the extraordinary things stated, especially those about Jesus Christ.  Reading about him in the Gospels, I see that he just came to us, meek and humble, loving others as himself to the very end of his earthly life.  It's as if he just followed a prescribed plan, not seeking for one moment his own glory.  Indeed, there is no other like him.

        Another thing I see.  In believing in him, we can become nothing and then be filled with all of God ~  a thorough spiritual transformation of the self.  I don't see this in any other faith in the world.

Our Only Role

        Another thought for today.  God is everything and we are nothing.  Therefore, our role, the only thing left for us to do, is to believe and obey.  Consequently, let's seize every opportunity to give God glory. 

Charity Starts at Home

        Often those who are closest to us we offend easily ~ that's because they are close to us and we take them for granted.  It's good to share our feelings and opinions openly with each other, but we can easily forget that the other person, most often the spouse, is a person with feelings too.  It's usually the way how things are said that's at fault.  We do much better with others not so close to us.  It's a big realization for me that I must let charity start at home before loving others outside of my home.   

Profit from Our Sins

        My first thought today is that once we realize that we have sinned, we should not feel depressed; instead we should turn immediately to God to repent and ask for forgiveness and healing.  See this as an opportunity to become holier and forge a closer relationship with God once more. 

Follow God's Timetable

        God has his timetable for us and for all things.  Of course, we mess it up by not paying attention and sinning against him.  For us followers, we must be patient and alert at the same time.  Patient so that we don't rush ahead of the Holy Spirit, and alert so that we are ready to move when the Holy Spirit so directs.  Follow God's timetable for us and we'll be in step with the him at all times.   

Change Yourself by Yourself?

        Try to change yourself with determination by yourself and you will always experience a struggle, with the ego involved right there in the midst of your battle.  The easy way is to humbly call upon the Lord to do the work for you and you'll succeed brilliantly in peace and freedom.  

Boast in God Only

        Today's Entrance antiphon, Galatians 6.14: "...I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."  To boast in God only is to never boast in ourselves.  The two are to be mutually exclusive if we love God.

Focus on God Alone

        Today is the Memorial of St. John of the Cross.  The Gospel reading from Matthew 21 shows that it's important to believe in the right person (John the Baptist in this case).  My own experiences have taught me to focus on Jesus alone and nothing else.  

        Once I saw a miracle, which made me believe that an event I witnessed earlier genuinely came from God.  With this belief, I was able to bring about a miraculous healing by using an object I obtained at the event.  Later, that event proved to be a hoax.  And I asked God what really happened ~ I was confused.  

        The lesson I've learned is that God wants us to put our faith in him alone and not in any seemingly miraculous events happening around us.  We must never let any miracles we witness draw our attention away from God.  As long as our faith is placed in God alone, miracles can happen with anything we use, whether genuine or false.  So I am now leaving all those happenings not yet approved officially by the Church alone for they can easily detract us from focusing on God.  I leave all miracles to God too ~ they are not for me to interpret or get curious about.  

      

Merry Christmas to All

        May Christ come and truly enter our hearts this Christmas.  

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The Perfection of the Lord

        Imagine that you are in full union with God, who is Love.  I have no question that you'll actually feel that besides him, there is truly nothing you will want.

        As I was in prayer after Mass, alone in the chapel, I acutely sensed the perfection of Jesus the Lord.  The more I sensed it, the more I was drawn into him, and the more I was overwhelmed.  I was moved to tears when I sensed the depth of this perfection.  I now understand why contemplation of the Lord can lead one into ecstasy.  

Pray for Clear Spiritual Vision

        Today is also the Memorial of St. Lucy, patron saint to cure blindness and all other eye problems.  It is my prayer today that spiritually we'll always have the clear vision to see the beauty and love of God, our proper place and role in this life, what's good and what's bad for us, and that God alone is our bright hope for eternal life.   

        Aim for full union with God through the Holy Eucharist in this life, then you may bypass purgatory altogether.  It's perfectly all right to wish to skip purgatory if it's for the glory of God.  (On the other hand, we must be willing to go to purgatory to remain as long as God wishes.)

Looking Good Naked

        Some more thoughts follow the last posting.  No one who ever questioned or tried to trick Jesus had ever succeeded.  Being omnipotent, he has the advantage of knowing our minds and hearts in advance better than we know ourselves.  Being aware of this fact can sharpen our conscience and help us become holy.  As I remember, I said once before: we are completely naked before God and have absolutely no way of hiding ourselves in any way.  So take full advantage of this by making ourselves look good before him.  

Jesus Has Full Authority

        In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, the chief priests and the elders of the people questioned Jesus' authority.  (They were always trying to test or trap him.)  Of course, the Lord knew exactly how to foil such attempts by turning the table on them. 

        Jesus, being Lord of all things, has full authority to do whatever he wishes.  If we accept this, then we must accept all the teachings of his church, our Catholic Faith.  If we do not accept certain teaching(s), then we basically pit our own "authority" against that of Jesus.  To want to stand on the same side as the Lord, we have no choice but to obey all his teachings as taught through his church.      

Christ the Light of the World

        Jesus is the light of the world.  And sin is darkness.  Where there is light, darkness vanishes.  A sinner who's willing to let Christ shine upon him will be brought out of darkness into light, while anyone who turns away from him will remain in darkness.  As Christmas approaches, my prayer is that the whole world will turn to Christ to bathe in his divine light for all sins to vanish forever. 

How Often Do You Think of the Lord?

        When I ask myself this question, I almost want to cry.  I used to not think of the Lord so much, even at Mass.  That was some time ago.  It's easy to spend time doing the many mundane, routine chores.  So many hours spent just to maintain the house, the yard, etc., and so much time wasted on watching meaningless TV shows.  Those were the hours squandered and lost forever.  God just wasn't that important.  On a 1-to-10 scale, where do you rate his importance to you?  Any number below 10 is doing him injustice.

        With his grace, God can draw us close to him and we gradually think of him more and more.  Then finally, we enjoy his presence so much that we cannot think of anything else but him.  This is fulfillment.                

Let God Lift Us Up

        People love to talk about something that happened and impressed them.  They often retell the story or experience over and over again to others.  The thing is that when we dwell on  one thing like that, our hearts get weighed down and become "leaden."  What we should do is to always lift our thoughts up to God ~ before, during, and after any event.  This is so to keep our hearts light and free.  Let the beauty of God's love replace all our heavy, non-beneficial thoughts.  This post echoes an earlier one titled "We Are What We Think."         

God Repays Us Justly

        Today's Communion antiphon reads: "I am coming quickly, says the Lord, and will repay each man according to his deeds."  It all seems clear and logical to me.  There are good and evil in this world.  And we have a just God who repays each person according to his deeds.  That is, we get exactly what we deserve ~ how can you object to that?  God's mercy rules.  This makes life meaningful.

A Form of Judging

        Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 11 shows that people at the time formed wrong opinions about both John the Baptist and Jesus.  John came neither eating nor drinking and they said that he's possessed by a demon.  Jesus came eating and drinking and they said that he's a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.  It shows how people had preconceived notions and formed subjective opinions without knowing all the facts.  This is still true and common today.  To me, it is a form of judging against which Jesus advised. 

Total Dependence upon God

        This was what I was made aware of as I drove to Mass this morning.  I saw that the road I was driving on, the car I am driving, the growing trees that line the road on both sides, the clouds above, etc. ~ everything around me and myself included ~ were all absolutely dependent upon God.  This awareness freed me, humbled me, and puts me in my right place before God.  As I drove to Mass, I knew that the Holy Eucharist I was to receive soon would again be what I was to depend upon spiritually for nourishment and support.  

           

Stopping Habitual Sinning

        One way to stop committing habitual venial sins is to picture that every time you commit such a sin, you prick the Lord with a sharp needle point.  It may not hurt too much, but it still hurts.  Imagine how much he suffers if you offend him this way day after day and year after year.  If you have any heart, you should avoid hurting him at all costs.  After all, he is your Savior!     

Live in God's Time

        Let's face it: we'll never be able to do all the things we'd like to do nor finish doing the many things we've started on in our lifetime.  Recognizing and accepting this fact will alleviate or eliminate our anxieties we normally feel.  We simply do our very best and leave the outcome to God ~ that's what he expects.  To go beyond that is being prideful.  Let all things be done in God's time.  Yes, patience is a sign of holiniss.    

Total Submission to God

        At Breaking of the Bread during Mass today, as usual all prayed "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us" twice, then "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace."  I just felt that that's the perfect moment to submit myself totally to God.  Without his mercy, I wouldn't be able to survive; and without God, I wouldn't be able to gain true peace. 

Our Living Faith

         Since Jesus actually came into this world ~ the Gospels clearly record his life and his teachings have been handed down from the Apostles through the centuries to us, unbroken ~ our faith in him is a concrete, living faith.  Life is the arena in which we practice this faith and also the crucible in which this faith gets tested and honed.  See every happening in our life as a chance to exercise and perfect this faith, a God-given gift more precious than any material thing we can own or even our own life, for life without faith is emptiness.     

Mary's Cooperation

        Another thought on this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

        Adam and Eve disobeyed God and went astray.  Through Mary, the new Eve, Christ came to us and we were brought back to God.  We who believe are no longer lost.  The circle is now complete.  How blessed we are!  Thanks be to God.  Thank you, Mother, for your cooperation. 

Our Special Role

        Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Our Holy Mother is obviously a specially-favored creature chosen by God to carry out his plan.  Let's not forget that each one of us is given a special role in God's plan too, not so prominent but just as important in God's eyes.  We must do our utmost to fulfill our assigned function or duty, which is revealed to us through God's love and our loving him back.       

Love Must Rule

        1 Corinthians 13, 13: So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  Indeed, it is because God is love and there's nothing greater than God.  Anything done without love is ultimately empty.  It struck me today that even being pure is still being neutral.  To get into positive territory, we must actively love.                 

Prepare the Way of the Lord

        Today is the Memorial of St. Ambrose.  In Reading 1 from Isaiah 40, we hear "A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!  Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!"  This was before Jesus came into the world.  This same verse is still relevant because now he comes to us each time we receive him in the Holy Eucharist.  The desert and the wasteland are now us and we must prepare ourselves properly so that the Lord may find us easy and comfortable to enter.

 

The Presence of the Lord

        The Lord is present everywhere in our universe.  Receiving the body and blood in the Holy Eucharist particularly makes me aware of his holy presence.  You'll have to have a heart made of stone not to be affected by it.  Once you experience his loving presence, you'll want to give your heart to him and you'll never be the same again.

God Always Helps

        Any time I have something troubling me, I go to the Lord ~ I know that he has a solution for me; in fact, for any problem you may have ~ no doubt about it!  But sometimes you do have to search your heart hard to get in touch with the Holy Spirit dwelling deep within you to find the solution.  This is "fun" because you know that you'll have peace when you receive the answer.  Often the situation doesn't change externally ~ the Holy Spirit simply helps you perceive the problem correctly and shows you how to deal with it.  God is always understanding and reasonable.  He loves to help us if only we'll trust him.  You can never lose with his help.    

Jesus Simplifies Life

        So many people live a complicated life, facing complicated problems and carrying on complicated relationships ~ that's why they feel unhappy or even downright miserable.  But Jesus has come, is here and ready to simplify our lives.  Read about him in the Gospels.  He never gets theoretical, is always practical and keeping things simple.  Put your faith in him and your burdens will be easy to carry or even vanish in time ~ this is how God blesses the faithful.    

Measuring True Success

        True Success is not measured by how things turn out for you from the world's point of view.  The relevant questions are: "Has God being glorified?" and "Have you grown spiritually closer to God?"  

About Receiving Holy Communion

        We must take receiving Holy Communion seriously.  I see the act as making a pact with the Lord.  You let the Lord enter to dwell within you to work on your transformation, so something should happen afterward.  Since God remains the same always, guess who's left to change.  To anyone who anticipates much, much will be given.  Don't miss the opportunity to ask the Lord to set your heart aflame for you to experience more peace, joy, and freedom.     

Praying Seriously

        I was just reading an article on the most celebrated French jazz pianist Martial Solal.  When he talks about one solo disc he made, he says, "I liked the atmosphere while I was recording.  It was a very dark room with an excellent piano, a small studio and I played non-stop.  It was a very concentrated effort, and this is very important when you play: to have total concentration and not be disturbed by anything.  Then you can really get inside the music and play without preconceptions, allowing your mind to travel far away."  

        Praying to God is like that too.  It's best that we find a quiet place with nothing to disturb us and pray "seriously."  We concentrate on the Lord and pour our heart out.  We laugh, cry, talk, question, petition, praise, or just contemplate in silence as the Spirit leads.  There is no holding back, only love and trust.  This is true heart-to-heart communication with God.              

The Fantastic Love of God

        I have been thinking how beautiful the love of God is.  The best of all is that this sweet, gentle, yet most powerful love is free, yours for the asking.  For this Christmas, ask the Lord to give you this love fully.  Let this love surround you, embrace you, soak and permeate you.  Let this love fill your heart and mind.  Let this love purify you, renew you both internally and externally, transforming you into a creature lovely for the Lord to look at.  Let this love take over your life, guiding you through life without fear and worry, but always with courage and hope.  Last, ask this love to give you humility and help you surrender to the Lord without reservation.

        This request has to be the best possible present you can ever give to both God and yourself.     

Give Without Cost

        I was especially impressed by what the Lord said in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9.  The last line is "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”  The Lord has freely given us everything (nothing is of ours) and we are to freely give others what we have received.  This is the way that leads to freedom of the heart and mind.  We are simply on our way, journeying toward our Father in heaven.  The lesser the baggage we carry with us, the more pleasant and carefree will our journey be.  Like the disciples Jesus sent out to proclaim the Gospel of his Kingdom, we are to travel light and give freely.  

A Special Privilege

        The reading from Isaiah 30 this morning made me see that we have a direct communication line to the heart of God.  As long as we speak from the bottom of our heart with total sincerity and honesty to God, he will instantly hear us.  There is no need to pick up a phone or turn on your computer to send an email ~ it just can't be any simpler.  This privilege provides the opportunity for us to develop a most intimate relationship with our loving Lord ~ a privilege to appreciate, treasure, and be thankful for.  

The Joy of Christ

        Unlike the pleasures of the world, the joy of Christ bypasses all the senses and goes directly to the heart.  While worldly pleasures enslaves the heart, the joy of Christ frees it instead.

We Are What We Think

        We are what we eat, and it's also true that we are what we think.  An unselfish, undefiled, and holy person is one who does not think selfish, impure, and evil thoughts. 

Purgatory Makes Sense

        On my recent trip away from home, I saw and met so many people who basically are good people, but they do not know the Lord and pretty much live for the material world.  If I were in their place, I probably wouldn't have fared better.  If they don't get to heaven, then probably most of the world's population won't get there either.  I do personally believe that God's mercy is so great that only those who deliberately reject him will not make it.  Hence, the existence of purgatory makes perfect sense.  

        Do understand that I am merely stating a personal belief, not seeking to argue with anyone who might hold a different view.

             

We Must Follow Jesus

        In today's world, the souls of so many are in jeopardy.  We have absolutely no power to save ourselves ~ we can't even grow one extra hair on our own.  To be saved, our sins need to be forgiven and only God has that power.  He has created us; surely he can save us.  Therefore, he alone is the one we're to hold onto.  We must let everything else that obstructs us go, no matter how much pain this may cause us.  Ultimately, it's what God wants that counts.  To go against his will would be sheer folly.  He is the gateway for the soul to freedom.           

Heart over Head over Mouth

        During the trial, one spokesman of the other side really knew how to talk ~ he was obviously a talented speaker.  What came to my mind was that the three things  we all possess, appearing in the order of decreasing importance, are the heart, the head (mind), and the mouth.  If the heart is not in the right place, no matter how eloquent you are, what comes out will be unclean.  If the head does not have discernment, what comes out may show you as nothing but a hot-air balloon.  Therefore, be pure and wise (humble) first before you speak.    

God Delivers Us from Evil

        Where I was these last three weeks, I did have access to the Internet, but I was unable to do any posting because such sites as GoogleBlogger, Facebook, and YouTube were all banned.  At any rate, let me first thank the Lord and all of you who remembered me in prayer from the bottom of my heart for the outcome of my trial.  This "trial" was in reality a trial in court, at which I faced a sizable number of "enemies" telling rampant lies, fabricating stories, and making false accusations against me ~ a perfect example of bearing false witness against your neighbor.  By the grace of God, I was able to remain calm and even felt sorry for them.  At the very end, the Lord sprang a big surprise that neither I nor any of my opponents could possibly have expected and I was totally vindicated!  In a way, I was not surprised at all because when you put all your trust in God, he will invariably deliver you from all evil.  May he be praised forever.  

Build Your House on Rock

        I just returned home from my three-week break.  Resuming daily Mass attendance this morning felt like going back to heaven.  Not that Christ was not with me when I was away; the fact is that he is always with (within) me ~ how can you keep him away when he loves you so much???  Receiving him again simply fulfills the longing.

        Today's Gospel reading was from Matthew 7, in which Christ describes the person who listens to his words and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.  Imagine your house set solidly on rock and virtually became part of it.  That's the wonderful, secure feeling you get when you obey the Lord and place your entire trust on him.  That's what believing in him is all about.  

        As I continue my posting, I shall post the thoughts that came to me during my break along with my current thoughts.        

An Announcement

        A situation has come up that requires my attention and attendance away from home.  Most likely, I won't be able to do any posting from now on until after December 1.  Where I'll be, I may not have access to the Internet, and I am going to miss daily Mass too.  This will be a big test of my faith in the Lord.  It is my prayer that by trusting in him, I shall remain calm and loving throughout this trial.  I'll be grateful if you'll remember me in your prayer.  May God continue to bless you all abundantly.  

God Is Reasonable

        In today's Gospel reading, Luke 17: 1-7, Jesus, to stress the importance, again uses strong words to command us to not sin, to forgive, to believe, etc.  My thoughts are that even though the demands sound severe, they can be met or he wouldn't have given them to us, for he is always reasonable.  With God's help, all should be possible.  Looking at it from another angle: if we simply go along with doing what he wants us to do, how can he change his mind to make it impossible for us?  God just does not contradict himself.   

Longing for God

        Today I felt a deep longing for the Lord.  Once you've tasted the sweetness of the Lord, everything else becomes tasteless.  The world is only enjoyable to those deeply immersed in it, but tiresome to those who live in the Lord.  This is only normal in one's growth process and is a good sign.  I still remember from way back that after I switched to color TV, I didn't want to go back to watching shows on black-&-white sets anymore.  Same way with food, music, or the size of the house we live in.  We just move on to "better" things.  Then, once you get to Jesus, there's just nothing better or more satisfying. 

        Today's Response to the reading from Psalm 24 echoes my feeling: "Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face."     

Live Outside Your Cocoon

        Looking at the world, I see that each person lives in a space of his own; and in most cases, that space is just a small cocoon.  A person is shaped by his own experiences, how he was brought up, the society he lives in, and every thing or person he comes in contact with.  He may continue to change; but basically, he shapes himself the way he likes ~ he is still himself inside his cocoon.

        Once the person encounters God, then he's no longer confined to his limited space ~ he now enters the unlimited space outside to live, letting God shape him into a new creature, free and beautiful.    

        A simplified description, but true.

Jesus the Only Sane One

        Watching one movie on TV triggered this thought.  Every thing is relative.  Compared to Christ, we are all "insane" in our own ways.  There must be millions of different personal beliefs, theories, habits, idiosyncrasies, and ways of life out there.  Practically speaking, no two persons think alike.  The fact is that so many people live wrongly.  I am so glad that we have the Lord as our standard and model.  To follow him is to be sane again in this world.  Jesus simplifies us by removing the complicated mess within us.  In other words, he sets us free as I have mentioned in the past.  Without him, we would be in total chaos.   

The Wealth of Christ

        I saw a TV program presenting the wealth in art.  Indeed, there are many beautiful things to see in the museums and elsewhere.  Then I remember Philippians 3:8.  Paul considered everything as a loss compared to the good of knowing Christ.  He had accepted the loss of all things and consider them all rubbish because Christ was now his wealth.

        Indeed, the wealth of the Lord is beyond the stratosphere compared to the wealth of this world.  If your heart has already been captured by Christ, you will feel exactly as Paul did and understand.