Many of us are familiar with thermostats, especially during the winter. Its function is to control room temperature throughout the house. When the inside temperature is too cold, the thermostat knobs change to the heating so the room will warm up. When the temperature reaches the set level, its switch will turn the heating off. Without using the thermostat, the interior room temperature will be uninhibited, and lack of air circulation for the inhabitants.
When people fall in love with each other, they emulate the other’s character. Alternatively, we would do the same when we admire someone. We might emulate their boldness, cleverness, frankness, truthfulness, or other attributes. Somehow our mind attracts the person’s traits, manifested in ourselves, inwardly and outwardly. Those characteristics gradually become part of who we are without realizing it!
Last week, a slow-moving winter storm poured down rain and snow in some areas in Southern California. Most of us experienced the rain and cold for days. Since we cannot control nature, we equip ourselves with warm clothes, umbrellas, and a heating system when we need to step outside the house or in cold areas. Spiritually, we need to guard against daily realities' subtleties and various adversaries.
Nowadays, traveling by land, sea, and air benefits us all remarkably. Today, we have the advantage of satellites using a Global Positioning System (GPS), which is widely used worldwide by everyone: travelers, sailors, and sportspeople for navigation. Just typing an address can direct travelers to anywhere in the world. However, people who lived two thousand years ago did not have such technological advantages. Nonetheless, they were not discouraged.
In the life of any family, we’ve all experienced losing things either on small or larger scales. Some losses can be immediately replaced by substitution. However, some losses cannot be replaced by any means, such as losing health or life. We cannot trade our health for better health or buy a new human body. Even losing a car or house can be challenging to replace, particularly in a short time when we might need to go to work or have a place to live.
Last weekend, many areas in Kentucky, Tennessee, and four other states in the Midwest were struck by thirty tornadoes. There was the loss of lives, houses, and possessions. Let us remember to pray for eternal peace for the dead and those who mourn for their loved ones. For those individuals and families impacted by the tornadoes, may God's love and protection sustain their lives, families, and communities as they rebuild their homes.
We might think, “I can only be content when I can control my schedule and things around me,” or “everyone in our family can only be at peace when they are willing to compromise with each other.” While happiness depends upon external factors, true joy depends on our internal qualities. Happenings around us might be pleasurable experiences that we should not take for granted, yet they are not core to our experiencing joyfulness.
There is a story of a man carrying a wooden beam. Initially, he was fervently taking it and walked assertively. After a while, however, he felt tired, and his determination began to dwindle. He thought of a way to lighten the load on his body by cutting the log a bit shorter, so he did. Indeed, he felt a bit comfortable after that. However, traveling for a while, he got tired again and decided to reduce the log’s weight by cutting it again. He did it, and it worked out well. Then the path led him to a river where he had to stop.
There are still some photos remaining from November's Month of Remembrance. If you brought a picture and haven't picked it up yet, you can find it in the church's "crying room."
In every house, some structures join and hold things together. For example, columns are vertical structures that transmit the compressive load of the building to the foundational ground below. The primary function of columns is to support part of the weight of the house itself. The solid integrity of the house depends upon those loadbearing features. What about our spiritual features? What can steadfastly hold us together without weary?
Today the Church concludes the Liturgical Calendar with the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. The gospel tells us that Jesus brought before the powerful man, Pontius Pilate, who questions Jesus' authority. In His answers, Jesus reveals His true identity; God sent him to proclaim the message to the world. Pilate could get the message; however, he could not manage the political pressure and feared losing his position. Hence, he failed to acknowledge the Truth. Today's celebration invites us to discern what it means to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ regarding the authority of Jesus as the true King?
The most mysterious day in our lives we call “tomorrow.” We recall Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in Houston more than a week ago when thousands of young people gathered to enjoy music. According to the news, when the crowd started to move – people struggled to breathe, while some collapsed. This unexpected movement left eight people dead and hundreds injured. Did the music-goers anticipate this outcome? Tragedy forces us to realize how fragile life is. Anything can happen to anyone at any moment. (If the link doesn't work, please visit the Bulletins page)
Last year, many soccer stadiums across Europe closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Afterward, the games were resumed, but only the soccer players were allowed on the field. The absence of fans and spectators in the stadium could be very challenging for the players of both teams. However, once the players were on the field, they played their best against their opponents. Can you imagine if the players said, “Sorry, we lost the game because I could not gain the momentum without external encouragement from our fans?” The players played hard to win games – not because of an audience cheering, but their dedicated discipline to the sport.
Occasionally I hear some people say, “I do not need God or the Bible to tell me what love is and how to love.” In the secular perception, it is an understandable statement. How can we love ourselves, God, our neighbors, materials, and events at once without any sensation of conflict or rivalry? To answer this question, we need to turn to Biblical wisdom, where we see the perfect love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the standard of measurement of sacrificial love.
Our brains are influenced and pressured by people and events in everyday life, which changes how we think. As a result, we become more sensitive toward new information, such as from the news, we may not have even bothered to think about twenty months ago. Our external perceptions can cause us anxiety and discouragement, which are our natural reactions.
In many countries, public transportation systems have signs showing “priority seats,” reserving places for disabled passengers, pregnant women, and women with infants. These people receive that privilege to ensure their safety and sit down while others must stand. Such benefits are acceptable.