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

Friday, November 27, 2015

Special Relationships

        I am saying a novena to God the Father. I am particularly moved when I read the following in saying the prayer. (1) "I love You in union with Jesus Christ, Your Son . . . ." ~ Loving God while in union with him is special. (2) ". . . Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother." ~ Special that God and we share the same Mother. (3) ". . . thank You for making me Your child in Baptism." ~ another special relationship. (4) "Give me your Holy Spirit to enlighten me and to guide me in the way of Your commandments and holiness . . . ." ~ The Holy Spirit is here to help us in all things! (5) ". . . to appease Your justice provoked to anger by so many sins, and to offer You worthy atonement for them . . . ." ~ We are in such a special position that we can do these things!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

God Calling

        During a quiet, dark night, it's easy to realize that you are all alone. During the busy day, learning about all the horrific things that happen around the world, you realize that the earth is not your home. God is calling.

Jesus Is Lord

        Communion thought. Loving Jesus is letting Jesus have his way.

True Concern

        If you truly love someone, you would want to do your utmost to help the person get to heaven.

Praying With Faith

        How to pray with great faith? Abandon yourself completely in God, not being concerned about how God is going to answer your prayer.

Wretchedness OK

        I don't mind my own wretchedness because it makes me realize how much I need God and to love him.

Sin and Mercy in Balance

        Christmas deepens my joy. We have such a loving Lord, the best mankind could ever have and precisely needs, yet so many people do not recognize his coming. I realize the truth that we are indeed born with original sin and that God is balancing it with his infinite mercy. This balance, we can easily tip by our free choice. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

No Other Way

        To see the truth, we must open our hearts to Jesus the Christ ~ there's no other way. The get our sins forgiven, we must repent to Jesus the Lord ~ there is no other way. To attain union with God, we must surrender to Christ our creator ~ there is no other way. To have eternal life, we must believe in Jesus the Redeemer ~ there is no other way.

How God Makes Us Strong

        Communion Experience. The Lord showed me that he does not make us strong by transforming us into some kind of a super human being; he does it by completely shielding us from all evil to keep our souls safe (drawing us into union with him).

Justified Boast

        Christians try not to get angry, have fear, be proud, or boast, but there is anger that's holy (Jesus cleansing the temple), fear that's healthy (reverential respect for God), and pride that's not self-centered (what parents feel when their children do well at school). Today's entrance antiphon, based upon Galatians 6.14 and 1 Corinthians 1.18: May we never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the word of the Cross is the power of God to us who have been saved. I agree that we must never boast about ourselves, but to boast in the Cross of Jesus is completely justified, for it is praising the saving power of God.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Making Peace

        Anytime any two people do not get along, you can be pretty sure that both are at fault, for no one is perfect yet. Even saints are imperfect; only God is. It takes two to tango. Following Jesus' advice "Do not judge" will go a long way toward creating peace. That family members do not get along with each other is common. Look for your own fault, admit it, and let go of the other person. For Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Measuring Faith

        Our faith in God is measured by how much we are willing to abandon ourselves in God.       

Quality, Not Quantity

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 21 at Mass, Jesus saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the temple treasury and noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said to his disciples, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood." It's quality, not quantity, that counts. St. Therese' Little Way shows the way to sainthood by doing every little thing with great love for God. Again, it's quality and not quantity. Performing one small act with love outperforms a million deeds done with little love.        

Incorporating God's Teaching

       Last night in bed I received a thought from the Holy Spirit which would be suitable for posting on this blog, but I was physically tired and fell asleep. This morning after I got up, I couldn't recall what that thought was all about. Anyway, these thoughts that visit me daily are like visiting friends now. In fact, they enter my heart and become virtually part of me. And I want to learn as much as possible from the Holy Spirit so that I may completely become part of him in spirit.   

Sunday, November 22, 2015

*God's Will

        The will of God is to be embraced, treasured, followed, lived and upheld by us. It is always beautiful, loving, gentle, graceful, uplifting, and protective, intended to lead us to spiritual freedom and eternal bliss. It's definitely something to die for. Life becomes an excitingly beautiful journey when you seek to do God's will.       

Sin and the Holy Spirit

        God the Holy Spirit sharpens and guides our conscience to keep us holy.

Beginning and End

        God is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1.8), the beginning and the end. This really means that there is neither beginning nor end for God, for He simply Is. For us, God is our first beginning and our last end, for we were created by him at some point and shall end our journey in him one day.

Beautiful Living

        If you truly love God, you would want to give him your heart. Then you can follow your heart and be with God always. I can't think of a more beautiful way to live.

Time for Weeping

        Communion experience. Here's Jesus, our God and Savior, who can take away our sins, make us holy, and take us back to him to enjoy heaven for all eternity, wanting nothing but to love us; yet most of the people of the world ignore, dismiss, or even attack him. I felt sorrow for the Lord and even greater pity for our generation. If we do not know what's good for us, we cannot be any more foolish.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

God's Calling

        Communion experience. God wants us to be be perfect!

Jesus Changes Things

        I feel sorry to say that ultimately, each of us exists alone in the universe. We may have friends and even others who truly care for us, but all this will be just for a short time. When we face God alone, he sees exactly what we are. But I am also glad to report that Jesus can completely reverse this bleak outlook. When you have him as your Lord or better yet, become one with him, you wouldn't even know what loneliness is. His love is more than sufficient; you even look forward to going to God, to face judgment or not. Jesus truly turns everything "downside up."

About Our Resurrection

        Today is Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel reading from Luke 20, some Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection. He said, "That the dead will rise even Moses made known, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." The Lord revealed that whether we are living or dead, God knows all about us. Even if we die, our past do not get buried. It shows again that the human soul lives on forever. The time to prepare for our resurrection is now when we are still living.

Making Things Happen

        Today's Gospel acclamation, 2 Timothy 1.10: Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. Of course, destroying death was not even a child's play to the Lord, for death had no power over him in the first place. With God, nothing is impossible ~ he only needs to will and it's done. Therefore, the key to making things happen is to seek his will. Find it, pray it, and great things will happen.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Euchristic Miracle

        On Feb. 8, 2011, I posted the video "The Holy Eucharist Is Our Lord!" Since the miracle took place in Buenos Aires, the language was in Spanish, albeit with English subtitles. Here is a more recent presentation in English as an alternative to the earlier one.

God's Beautiful Work

        It's only the bad news that gets all the attention, but let's not forget that God is doing wonderful work you don't hear much about through the multitude of his faithful servants (his children) all around the world. The most amazing and beautiful work has to be the transformation of the individual human heart performed quietly without any fanfare. 

Seeking Praise

        If you seek praise from other humans, it would only feed your ego, robbing you more of your freedom. If you serve the Lord humbly and faithfully, he praises your work without your asking and you remain free. Therefore, never live for praise; live only for God.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Suicidal Sin

        Normally, a person who sins against God can always repent, but the one who sins in the name of the Lord, believing that he is actually glorifying God, cuts off his own chance to ever repent.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

God's Justice

        In today's Gospel reading of the parable of the ten gold coins from Luke 19 at Mass, we again heard Jesus say, "To everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." It looks like it's either you are in or you are out, you end up with everything or you end up with nothing, you make heaven or you miss it altogether.

Key Realizations

        To be a strong Christian, (1) you must know that you are inherently finite and limited. Even if you intend to place all your trust in God, you still fall short. Therefore, you absolutely need God. (2) You need to go deep into God, for only in God can you find true beauty and perfection. Entering him is entering heaven. The Blessed Sacrament is the portal to union with the Lord. 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

God Always Just

        People who suffer misfortune often ask why bad things should happen to them or even question God's existence. This is understandable. Well, our world is an imperfect, sinful place; therefore, bad things must happen. It's what happens to you at the end that will justify everything. Putting it simply, a good person will enter heaven and a bad person won't. At that time you will see the overall picture and understand everything, for God is perfectly just. There is no other good explanation.

Zeal for the Lord

        In yesterday's Gospel reading from Luke 18, we have the blind beggar persistently calling out to Jesus, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Jesus heard him, stopped, received him and made him see. Today from Luke 19, we have the wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus who ran ahead of the crowd that's with Jesus, climbed a sycamore tree in order to see him, and eagerly waited for his passing. When Jesus reached the place, he looked up and asked Zacchaeus to come down, for he's going to stay at his house. We must also desire to see, to know, and to call out to the Lord, then we will be rewarded too. We can seek union with Jesus via receiving the Holy Eucharist to accomplish all these things.   

Soul Most Important

        The most important part of us is what we do not see, the soul. We see our physical body, important while we are alive, but perishable. If we lose our soul, we are lost forever. That's why Christ is critically important to us, and he knows it. Otherwise, why should he come into the world to die for us? The greatest tragedy today is that people do not look beyond this life ~ they live for the present life only. Equally tragic are those who live for the next life, but are misguided. Living for Christ is the only sure, straight way to eternal happiness.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Discerning Truth

       I've posted this before, but this is a good time to remind everyone again. Truth is truth only if it's 100% true. If something is only 99.99% true, it's still false. Using pure water as an example, we know that it's no longer pure, once you add some impurities to it no matter how small the amount might be. This applies to religions too. A religion can have many good things about it and is attractive, but if there is some teaching you find is wrong, you should beware.  

Know What's Necessary

        Most things we can live without. Some things are necessary only for the time being. But God is absolutely necessary to us for all eternity (who can take care of the eternal soul except the eternal Father?).

Hearing God's Voice

        Satan has deceived many into believing that they hear the voice of God. How do you discern what you hear? First of all, God speaks to you from within your heart, his voice always remaining gentle and loving. He will not rob you of your inner peace, so if you become obsessed with doing something, that cannot be from the Lord. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10.27). Therefore, be one of his sheep first and you'll know his voice. Remain in union with God and you are safe.

How to Pray?

         Today's Gospel reading from Luke 18 tells about the healing of a blind beggar. The blind man learned that Jesus was passing by and started shouting "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" People rebuked him, telling him to be quiet, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." 
       How should we pray? That has always been a question. After hearing today's Gospel, I believe that the form or format of our prayer does not matter as long as whatever we say is prompted and guided by our faith.

On Being Free

        The freest person is one who is most obedient to the will of God. God being the loving Father can never enslave us; it is we who enslave ourselves when we become self-centered ~ the ego again. Once God removes that, we are set free. Now love motivates all our thoughts, words, and actions. To love is to be free ~ we are back to God is love.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

*All About Ego

        There is no spiritual freedom where ego reigns. In fact, the ego is the greatest obstacle in seeking God, so it would make a great gift for God if we offer it up to him. Ego wants you to believe that you are god, exactly what the devil wants you to believe. A big ego is a big banner raised high to get Satan's attention. It makes you want to appear great and lovable to others, while in reality others get turned off as soon as they notice the presence of ego ~ so who's the fool? Nevertheless, when the ego, being puffed up like a hot air balloon, gets punctured, you still get a shock and are hurt. A runaway ego can blind you to the point you no longer notice its presence ~ you are now in Danger Zone. An ego can never be satisfied; it can only be destroyed ~ and the best way of demolishing it is to starve it. Therefore, never feed an ego. As I have said in the past, I want to say again: "The ego's gotta go."

Be Ready for Death

        We hear tragic news daily about people dying around the world due to ungodly attacks and violence in general ~ what has just happened in Paris is an example. Any such event is always shocking, but my deepest concern are the souls of the victims ~ this is what counts. Let God get you ready for death should it happen to you, to avoid facing another much worse shock.

Boring Christian

        Christians do not see or hear Jesus well because they do not know him well. Going to church once a week is easy, but to take the Lord, his presence, and his teaching seriously is another matter. How often do you think of him or pray to him? Do you lose interest when people start to praise or speak well of him? If there is no zeal or fire in you, you are just a boring Christian. The remedy is to know the Lord intimately to get enlightened.

Sin Can Help

       The only good thing about sin is that it can awaken us to God. All saints were sinners in their past. The Lord especially notices great sinners, for he greatly pities them. When they turn to him, the liberation can be most exhilarating. If it helps, know that there will be great celebration and rejoicing in heaven too. If you are a sinner, be the cause of joy for yourself and the whole heaven!

Second Coming Certain

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 13 at Mass, Jesus talks about end times and his Second Coming. He came to us 2,000 years ago. I intuitively know that he will come again to bring all things on earth to a close, for God's justice must reign. I cannot imagine that God will leave us hanging on our own forever. Besides, our planet earth is of limited size ~ are we to believe that it's meant to be our permanent home? Say we were placed upon a small planet only a mile in diameter, how long would we last with a growing population? The earth is a lot bigger, but it's still finite in size. So the question of Jesus' Second Coming is only a matter of when, not whether.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

God Our Only Refuge

        Communion experience. France just suffered a horrific attack by ISIS. This morning's breaking news: (1) A local high school football player got shot and died. (2) A tourist bus crashed in a nearby big city and injured 20. (3) Further south, a "destructive device" was found outside a store parking lot and detonated by the local sheriff's department. These were just a few things I saw reported on TV. I realized that there is only one true refuge for us, and that is God.

Praying Persistently

        In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18 at Mass, Jesus told his disciples about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. This to me "defines" our relationship with God. After all, God is our Father who knows only to love us. Therefore, we should feel free to tell him everything, ask for what we want from him, or even badger him. Great saints sometimes question, argue with, or complain to God. It all shows the great intimacy they have with the Father. As you know, to those closest to us we always feel free in expressing our honest feelings, but to strangers we usually hide them. And no one knows us better than God.

Out-of-the-World Living

        Every moment should be lived by us in prayer so as to remain in God at all times. Offer everything you do as a prayer to the Lord. Make him an integral part of your life and your existence. There is no life style more beautiful than being in union with God with the two becoming one. This is truly out-of-the-world, noble, exalted living.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Feeling Fortunate

        Communion experience. I felt that my love for Jesus is increasing and received great joy. I felt I was the most fortunate person in the whole universe. You can have the whole world, but I possess the creator of it! My existence is complete because I am back united with my creator, our loving Father. 

Happy Belonging

        Jesus belongs to me and also to all others who love him. We all don't seem to mind at all. I believe it's because we all belongs to him too.

Poignant Picture

        Today's Gospel reading at Mass continued from Luke 17. Jesus told his disciples that on the day the Son of Man is revealed, everyone will have to drop everything and leave everything behind. And I received the most poignant mental picture when the Lord said, "On that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left." I do not know whether being taken is good or bed; nevertheless, there will be permanent separation. If you want your loved ones to be with you for all eternity, do your utmost best to be a saint to them. This is showing that you truly love God and them. 

Our Perfect Path

        We may not actively commit sins, but not being holy is a sin of omission and we need to atone for that. The last several first readings at Mass all came from the book of Wisdom. They made me see that not seeking out God to know him is being unwise. Therefore, to get to know God and become holy is the perfect path for us.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Father Most Generous

        Communion experience. I'll always remember from the parable of the lost son what the father said to his older son, "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours." I thought of the inexhaustible riches of our Father in heaven and that they can be all ours if we are already with him. The joy of living in Christ is indeed equally inexhaustible.