What does it mean to call God

When we call God "Father" we indicate that God is the origin of all that exists and that God loves us as a Father loves his children. There is also part of the metaphor we do not use. By calling God Father we do not imply that God is masculine. Nor do we attribute to God cultural stereotypes: authoritarian, dominant, possessive, macho. Nor do we mean that God is "father" as opposed to being "mother": "God's parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood....The language of faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God" (CCC, #239).

A metaphor is only effective if we have some knowledge and experience of the things compared. For example, if a person has never seen a rose, "My love is like a rose" wouldn't communicate the same thing that it does to someone who loves roses.

Similarly, when we call God "Father," the metaphor communicates in relation to our personal experience of fatherhood—and, sadly, that experience is not always positive. Friends who have had a very negative experience of human fatherhood have told me how difficult it is for them to call God Father. "But this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood.

We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: He is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard: No one is father as God is Father" (CCC, #239).

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

Although reason needs the Divine assistance, faith is just as much inneed of reason; faith may deceive us unless reason guides it. He who relies on faith alone is like a blind man who, relying on the sense of touch, can sometimes find what he wants but often misses it; to be certain of finding his object he needs sight as well as touch. Therefore in order to find out the truth about God, a man must bring reason to the task as well as faith.

- Bl. Raymond Lully (1232-1315)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Open to You:

God, I am a pilgrim,
A pilgrim whose life does not depend
On reaching certain goals, but on being
Open to you, open to surprise, for you know
My way far betterThan I do.
Amen.

Whereas the Way:

Christ's will was, and is, to unite. Think how he wept over Jerusalem! Think of his prayer, “That they all might be one.” But people did not and do not want this. Christ said. “I am the Way,” and that is what matters.

Not what denomination or church group one belongs to, not social work, not reform, etc.—but the Way. Modern life is so complicated and torn, so distracting and disintegrating. Whereas the Way is simple, light and straight, and unifies the whole of life.

What Grace Cannot Prevent

The spirit of the Gospels has not been handed down in a pure state from one Christian generation to the next. To undergo suffering and death joyfully was from the very beginning considered a sign of grace in the Christian martyrs—but grace cannot do more for a human being than it could for Christ.

Those who believe that God himself, once he became a man, could not face the harshness of destiny without a long tremor of anguish, should understand that those who give the impression of having risen to a higher plane, who seem superior to ordinary human misery, are those who resort to the aids of illusion, exaltation, and fanaticism to conceal the harshness of destiny from their own eyes.

The person who does not wear the armor of the lie cannot experience force without being touched by it to the very soul. Grace can prevent this touch from corrupting him, but it cannot spare him the wound. Having forgotten this all too well, Christian tradition only rarely recovers that simplicity that renders so poignant every sentence in the story of the Passion.

Sts. Peter and Paul

Peter:

St. Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.

The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles.

And to Peter only did Jesus say, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:17b-19).

But the Gospels prove their own veracity by the unflattering details they include about Peter. He clearly had no public relations person. It is a great comfort for ordinary mortals to know that Peter also has his human weakness, even in the presence of Jesus.

He generously gave up all things, yet he can ask in childish self-regard, "What are we going to get for all this?" (see Matthew 19:27). He receives the full force of Christ's anger when he objects to the idea of a suffering Messiah: "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do" (Matthew 16:23b).

Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus's ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears.

Paul:

If Billy Graham suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most Pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.

Paul's central conviction was simple and absolute: Only God can save humanity. No human effort—even the most scrupulous observance of law—can create a human good which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, from sin, from the devil and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Jesus.

Paul never lost his love for his Jewish family, though he carried on a lifelong debate with them about the uselessness of the Law without Christ. He reminded the Gentiles that they were grafted on the parent stock of the Jews, who were still God's chosen people, the children of the promise.

In light of his preaching and teaching skills, Paul's name has surfaced (among others) as a possible patron of the Internet.

Comment:

We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: "It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church."

Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.

What does being a pilgrim mean?

Chapter VII of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church is entitled "The Pilgrim Church." It reminds us that the Church is like a person on a journey who has not yet arrived at the journey's destination but is continually drawn to move ahead by the desire to reach the goal of the pilgrimage. The image of the Church as a pilgrim, as on a journey, has caused me to rethink many things about the Church.

Balancing this image of the pilgrim Church with the more traditional image of the institutional Church is not always easy; but seeing the Church as a pilgrim is basic to Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter, The Coming Third Millennium (CTM). In this plan, the Holy Father's theme for 1999 is our journey to the Father. "The whole of the Christian life is like a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father" (CTM #49).

When we are on a long journey we need to stop now and then to see how far we have come. We check to see if we are still on the right road and heading in the right direction. It is always possible to make a wrong turn. Imagine for a moment that you are driving somewhere and lose your way. You stop to ask someone for directions and the person tells you "Turn around! You are going the wrong way!" Now if the person giving you this advice spoke to you in New Testament Greek (which I know would be highly unlikely), you would have heard "metanoeite," meaning "turn around."

I find it helpful to know the root meaning of this Greek word because it plays an important role in the New Testament. Jesus' invitation in the Gospels, "metanoeite" (turn around) is translated into English by the words "convert," "repent" or "do penance." The gospel call to conversion, repentance and penance are essential components of our pilgrimage.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

He who desires anything but God deceives himself, and he who loves anything but God errs miserably.

- St. Philip Neri (1515-1595)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blessed Is His Name:

My soul proclaims the greatness of my God,And my spirit can rejoice in God my Savior.For he has looked upon his lowly one with favor,And blessed is his name. Amen.

Faith:

Jesus appointed St Peter to be the head of the Apostles because of his deep, sincere and big hearted faith. Such qualities are more important than imperfections and weaknesses. Have we sacrificed much, let alone shed blood for our faith? Is Jesus pleased with the way we are living our faith?

The Holy Alphabet

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

Shine With Your Light:

O, Lord, you search me and you know me.
You are wondrous, Lord,
And all your works are wondrous.
They are numerous and beautiful as the stars
.And I am a star in your heaven.
I shine with your light.
Amen

To Absorb Is Better:

The rare moment is not the moment when there is something worth looking at, but the moment when we are capable of seeing.

- Joseph Wood Krutch

============================================

By nature, each one of us is enclosed in his own personality, but supernaturally, we are all one. We are made one body in Christ, because we are nourished by one flesh. As Christ is indivisible, we are all one in him. Therefore, He asked His Father "that they may all be One as We also are one."

- St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

The Fullness of our Heart

The fruit of Silence is Prayer.
The fruit of Prayer is Faith.
The fruit of Faith is Love.
The fruit of Love is Service.
The fruit of Service is Peace.

The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes,
in our touch, in what we write,
in what we say, in the way we walk,
the way we receive, the way we need.
That is the fullness of our heart
expressing itself in many different ways.

Mother Teresa

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,'
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must-but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow-
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late,
when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt-
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Prayers for Healing

Q: I have been to seven healing Masses in the past few years and have shown no improvement. Where did these Masses begin and is there solid evidence that they can cure?

A: Certainly the tradition or practice of prayer for healing is rooted in the gospel and is as old as the Church.

The Gospels contain numerous stories of Jesus responding to the prayers of the sick or petitions offered on their behalf. And Mark tells us how the disciples “drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” (6:13).

Further, the Letter of James bids us, “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (5:14-15).

Through all these centuries Christians have prayed for the sick. Ministers of the Church have visited and prayed for and with the sick.

Does God answer prayers for healing? You can tour the shrines of the world like Lourdes and Padua and find testimonials of healing in answer to prayers.

In the renewal of Vatican II emphasis was again placed on the healing aspects of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Instead of calling the sacrament Extreme Unction, viewing it as a prayer for those on the verge of death, the ritual speaks of the anointing of the sick and the pastoral care of the sick.

But let us note that even those who receive or received miraculous healings eventually succumb to sickness and death—even those who were healed by Jesus. There is a provisional aspect to every cure.

The charismatic movement in these later years has also emphasized prayers for healing and healing services among many Christians, among them many Catholics. It is in that context we can understand healing Masses—Masses dedicated to prayers and petitions for the sick. In some cases the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is conferred during these Masses.

As you note from your own experience, not all those who attend such Masses or pray for healing are physically cured or made whole. But then, not everyone who goes on pilgrimage to Lourdes is miraculously cured. Miracle cures are by their nature exceptional. But note that those who fail to obtain physical cures at Lourdes often speak of a kind of spiritual healing, a new peace and acceptance. Surely there is a grace in the prayers and support of those who gather to pray with and for the sick.

The 17th Volume (Supplement) of the New Catholic Encyclopedia, in speaking of Christian healing, comments, “Ministers and theologians of Christian healing continue to debate the reasons some persons are healed, some are only improved and some do not respond at all to prayers for healing” (McNutt, 1974, ch. 18).

We do know that in the Gospels Christ responded to, and often demanded, the faith of people asking for healing.

We also know that we cannot view prayer as granting us an entitlement of some kind. Any properly ordered prayer contains, at least implicitly, the petition of the Lord’s Prayer—“thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Prayers aren’t magical formulas, as if you could say the right words often enough and get what you want.

Perhaps a person’s eternal welfare is better being served by enduring sickness. Sickness has its own graces, after all. It teaches us to become truly dependent on God. It helps detach us from material things, prepares us to find our hope in God. It is in sickness that we learn humility and in the goodness of those who serve us begin to appreciate the love and compassion of Christ.

Sickness also can make us stop and rethink our goals. It is in the experience of sickness that many have found God and set their feet on the way to holiness.

By nature, each one of us is enclosed in his own personality, but supernaturally, we are all one. We are made one body in Christ, because we are nourished by one flesh. As Christ is indivisible, we are all one in him. Therefore, He asked His Father "that they may all be One as We also are one."

- St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Learning to Love :

Lord, you guide me to what is necessary, I don’t need to push,In my work, my home, my life.I need only open myself to the call, to love as you love,Without condition, without fear.Let things come in their season. Let my heart be filled with readiness.

Where is the Holy Spirit in my daily life?

The Spirit's gifts, presence and transforming work are always for the sake of all. So must our Christian spirituality be for the benefit of all.

By trying habitually to open ourselves to the Spirit alive in our world, we put our faith at the center of our lives, we make it a life-style. Over time, we begin to take on God's likeness in as much as we are able. We grow in holiness.

The fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, trustworthiness, tenderness and self-control—are a good standard against which to measure oneself.

We should ask ourselves: Am I improving in any of these qualities? Where do I seem least to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit? Reflect on your behavior at work and at home. Reflect on your various roles—citizen, neighbor, spouse, parent, parishioner, alumnus/a, team/club member and so on. Ask: How am I open to the Spirit in each of these roles? Do I bring my experience of the Spirit to all areas of my life?

When you are finished, thank the Spirit for your strengths and fruits; ask for help in your weaknesses. Above all, keep opening yourself to the Spirit who works within you.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a
Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Rm 6:3-4, 8-11
Mt 10:37-42

Hello, I'm Franciscan Father Greg Friedman with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today's reading from the Second Book of Kings may be unfamiliar to you. The prophet Elisha receives the hospitality of a wealthy couple. They provide him with a room in their home; the text even describes how it's to be furnished!

Oddly enough, this story was a childhood favorite of mine, read from a children's Bible I had back then. I remember being particularly impressed with that guest room. Since then, I've been a guest many times, and I'm still impressed—when people go out of their way to be hospitable.

Today's Gospel stresses Christian hospitality, especially to the poor. But before encouraging that value, Jesus sets the bar really high: Our following of him must take priority over everything else in our lives. The context of Christian hospitality is self-sacrificing love, the love that leads to accepting one's cross. In the second reading, Paul tells the Romans point-blank: We were baptized into Christ's death.

A tough standard? And you thought simply making up the guest room was work! Being a Christian in Gospel terms is serious business indeed. Alone, we'd fail utterly in that task. But united around the Eucharistic table, we see that we're not alone. Our faith tells us the sacred meal we share gives us the power to live our Baptism—even in the simple, yet impressive task of Christian hospitality.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Scripture:

•Elisha promised, ֻThis time next year you will be fondling a baby son.” (2 Kings 4:16a)

•If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. (Romans 6:8)

•Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)

•Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. (Matthew 10:40)

Reflection:

•Why does Elisha work a miracle for the women of Shunem? (Hint: She was kind.)

•How do you find your life? (Hint: Lose it.)

•How have you died with Christ? How do you live in Christ?

•Prayfully consider, “Whoever receives you receives me.” Is this true?

The continuing story of salvation in Christ involves each of us one by one as well as society itself. How else could it be? Conversion speaks of the change of heart that, as a member of the Church, each one must undergo.

The Gospel speaks across time and space to each human being, each mind, each heart. It asks us what we think about our lives, how we hope, whom we love, and what we live for.

If faith is not transforming each heart and life, it is dead.…we must let our faith shine on the world around us, radiating the love for Jesus by the everyday way we speak, think, and act.

Darkness and Life:

I wonder if what seems to be all darkness, God,Hides a wondrous life,The way dark stormy clouds bring rain,Watering the parched landscape and filling the reservoirs of the earth. Amen.

Communion Twice on the Same Day

Q: Can you tell me how often I may receive holy Communion on the same day?

A: The new Code of Canon Law, published in 1983, states in Canon 917, "One who has received the blessed Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only within a eucharistic celebration in which that person participates, without prejudice to the provision of Canon 921, #2."

That means, whenever, wherever, however a person has received holy Communion, he or she may receive a second time on the same day if the person is participating in the celebration of Mass.

So, if the person has already received Communion in or outside of Mass, he or she may receive a second time if it is during a Mass in which he or she is participating. A person may not just walk in at Communion time and receive a second time. Canon 921, #2, however, allows anyone in danger of death, from any cause (a heart attack, missile attack, natural disaster, etc.) to receive Communion as viaticum a second time during the same day whether in or outside of Mass. In fact, the Code strongly suggests that the person receive again in such circumstances.

Cases where these canons might most frequently apply are those in which a person has attended Mass on Saturday morning and then attends a Mass on Saturday evening to satisfy the Sunday obligation. The person may receive at both Masses.

The same applies for someone who attends a daily Mass in the parish and then attends a wedding or funeral Mass in the evening. Again, the person may receive in both instances.

Eyes of Faith:

The road to sainthood is indeed a way that can be viewed only for a short distance and cannot be seen with the eyes of the body, that is, be understood from experience or by reason. The journey is spiritual, whose hills and valleys, turns and forks, are seen only through the eyes of faith.

Bible Prescriptions

The most desirable time to read the Bible is as often as possible.

Bible verses will save you from spiritual reverses.

Study the Bible to be wise; believe it to be safe;
Practice it to be holy.

Don't critize the Bible;
Let the Bible critize you.

Read the Bible,
a chapter a day keeps Satan away.

Other books have been given to us for information,
But the Bible was given to use for transformation.

The Bible finds us where we are,
And if permitted,
Takes us where we ought to go.

May you life be so enriched by the BASIC INFORMATION BEFORE LEAVING EARTH!

Is sin mostly a matter of breaking laws?

Sin is basic in our Christian vocabulary today, just as always has been. Its root sense means to be disconnected from God through the failure to love.

In sin, we simply don't bother about anyone outside ourselves. Sin is first a matter of a selfish heart—a refusal to care—before it shows itself in actions. Because loving God and loving our neighbor are all tied together, sin will always be expressed in and through our relationships.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

Peace:

To spread peace, we must first possess it within ourselves. Nothing will disturb us if we possess the virtue of true charity by which we act with the forbearance of God. He does what is best for each one of his children.

Life explaination

When God created the dog, he said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark. I will give you a lifespan of 20 years"

The dog said:"That's too long to be barking. I'll give you back 10 years."

When God created the monkey, he said: "Entertain people, make them laugh. I'll give you 20 year lifespan."

The monkey said:"How boring, monkey tricks for 20 years. I'll give you back 10 years too."

When God created the cow, he said: "You work the field with the farmer, have calves and give milk, I will give you a lifespan of 60 years"

The cow said:"That's a tough life. Let me have 20 and I'll give you back the other 40."

When God created the man, he said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy life and I will give you a 20 years"

The man said:"What ? Only 20 years! I'll take my 20 and the 40 the cow gave plus the 10 the monkey and the dog give. That makes 80"

That is why the first 20 years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next 40 years, we slave in the sun to support our family; the next 10 years we do monkey trick to entertain the grandchildren, and for the last 10 year we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone

What is the best English translation of the Bible?

When you select a modern English translation of the Bible, keep a couple of questions in mind. Do you want a translation that generally translates the text word-for-word or one that renders it meaning-for-meaning? What kind of English style do you read comfortably? Try reading sample passages in two or three different translations to get a feel for their use of English. This can be done by a trip to the library or bookstore.

The sheer number of translations available today doesn't have to be confusing. Choosing a Bible depends on the likes and interests of the reader. There is no one best version.

Click here to read a full article on this topic.

What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by faith, but also know by reason: What does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?

- St. Thomas More (1478-1535)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Suffering and Salvation:

Life is not fair. Jesus said as much, and we have his crucifixion as the prime example. Our Christian faith teaches that through injustice, salvation was made possible. The Savior’s death on the cross teaches us that only through personal indignities suffered patiently do we grow into the image of Jesus and merit the eternal kingdom of justice.

Faith:

Our faith in God must be more than just calling Him, “Lord, Lord.” Our life confirms or gives evidence concretely of the depth of our faith in God or our lack of it. If we habitually feel satisfied to fulfil only the “minimum” practice of our faith e.g. attending Sunday Masses, then our faith is not deep.

Who Was First?

Q: How is it that after so many years of traditional teaching, some people are acknowledging Mark the Evangelist as author of the first Gospel instead of Matthew?

I read something about “internal evidence.” Is there such doubt about authorship, or is “internal evidence” more convincing than early Church history?

A: This problem may arise from what people mean by “the first Gospel.” The attribution of the four Gospels to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John was reported by Papias, a bishop who died as a martyr around 125 A.D.

Most modern biblical scholars think that the Gospel of Mark was the first of the four Gospels to be completed (about 70 A.D.) and that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke borrow a good deal of material from Mark. The Gospel of John is usually considered the last of the four Gospels, having been completed around the year 95 A.D.

The Gospel of Matthew is the first Gospel in the sense that it has long been copied or printed first in collections of the four Gospels. That does not mean, however, that it was completed first.
Although the Book of Genesis is printed first in the Old Testament and without doubt describes its oldest events, the Book of Amos was probably completed 200 years earlier, in the eighth century before Christ’s birth.

If the Gospel of Matthew was not written first, then why is it printed first? The Gospel of Matthew is in some ways a more “churchy” Gospel than the other three—indeed, the only one to use the Greek word ekklesia (“Church”). The liturgy has used this Gospel more than those of Mark, Luke or John. Why? Jesus is most clearly a teacher in Matthew.

Trust:

Jesus warns us that false prophets are sheep disguised as ravenous wolves. They do not live the Gospel values of Christ. They are likely to gossip, be unforgiving, materialistic, petty and proud. These signs show that they are not genuine followers of Christ. Have you met any of them?

Called to be Martyrs:

We are called to be martyrs in our daily lives. We are called to be one with Jesus, which demands that we stand tall alongside him, undisturbed and unafraid in the cause of truth and justice.

KEY 'PEOPLE POWER' LEADER DIES

MANILA, Philippines -- Catholic Cardinal Jaime Sin, who played a leading role in the 1986 "People Power" uprising that forced longtime President Ferdinand Marcos from power, died Tuesday at age 76, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Manila said.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace......

Links of information:

Details (here)

(A prince of church and state)

(Photos)

Who Was Blessed Imelda?

Q: My Confirmation name is Imelda. Can you tell me anything about her?

A: Born in 1322, Blessed Imelda Lambertini was the daughter of the Count and Countess Lambertini of Bologna, now in Italy. She appears to have been a very pious child, making and decorating altars in the home. In the days of less frequent Communion when first Communion was at a late age, she longed to receive the Lord. She is quoted as saying, "How can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?"

It is said that when she was 11 the eucharistic host flew from the tabernacle and hovered over her while she prayed. The priest then took the host and gave her Communion. She then died in ecstasy.

She is a patron of first communicants. Her feast is May 13.

Information (here)

Loving God:

Loving God and loving others must go together because the source of all love is God. Do we “love” with many conditions e.g. “I will love him/her only if or when he/she does things my way? etc.” Conditional love is not the love that Jesus taught us. His love is totally selfless and unconditional.

Grow to Love Jesus:

We grow to love Jesus the more we serve those who share with us the life and work of the church. Our strength will come from a close association with him through the sacrifice of the Mass, the time we spend before the Blessed Sacrament and wherever we are conscious of the presence of God.

Is Hell Real?

Q: A friend of mine, who was quite upset this morning, told me that a newscaster had reported that Pope John Paul II said that heaven and hell were a “state of mind.” Is this truly what he said?

A: During his weekly general audience last July 28, the pope said that hell “is not a punishment imposed externally by God but a development of premises already set by people in this life....It is the ultimate consequence of sin itself, which turns against the person who committed it. It is the state of those who definitely reject the Father’s mercy, even at the last moment of their life....

“The images of hell that Sacred Scripture presents to us must be correctly interpreted. They show the complete frustration and emptiness of life without God.

“Rather than a place, hell indicates the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy....The thought of hell—and even less the improper use of biblical images—must not create anxiety or despair, but is a necessary and healthy reminder of freedom within the proclamation that the risen Jesus has conquered Satan, giving us the Spirit of God who makes us cry ‘Abba, Father!’ (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).”

Sometimes what the pope says (hell is real but more than the biblical images used to describe it) can become so drastically compressed in a news report (hell is a state of mind) that the summary distorts or even reverses the original message.

The text of the pope’s weekly audience can be found at: www.vatican.va, searching for the word hell.

Walk Along With Jesus:

Saints are not content to follow Jesus…but they do the very best to “catch up” and walk along with him as companions. Their concern is to focus on Jesus himself and not on any benefit to themselves. They are not distracted by any reputation they might leave behind in death.

Judgments:

Jesus says that if we judge others, we too will be judged by God. Do we get angry with others for their faults and sins, but forget that our sins may be “bigger and more serious?” Ponder on the truth of these challenges of Jesus today and ask yourself, “Am I judgmental towards others?”

Reflection:

If your mind wanders as you read [the Psalms], do not give up, but hurry back and try again. Above all, realize that you are in God's presence;hold your heart there in wonder as if before your sovereign. Sit waiting, content with God's gift, like a little chick tasting and eating nothing but what its mother brings.

- St. Romuald (951-1027)

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Jer 20:10-13
Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35
Rm 5:12-15
Mt 10:26-33

Hello, I'm Franciscan Father Greg Friedman with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Just after the Holy Father died in April, I spoke with a group of college students about their difficulties in witnessing to faith on campus. They told me both their Catholic and non-Catholic friends challenge them daily. They're bombarded with questions—about Mary, confession, the priesthood, for example. In labs and classrooms and internships, they're confronted on abortion, stem cell research and end-of-life issues.

In many ways, these young Catholics face more challenges than I do behind the safety of a Roman collar or habit. I couldn't give them all the answers I'd have liked, as we ended our discussion. But I did assure them that as part of the Church, they have the gift of the Holy Spirit and the support of their brothers and sisters as they try to live their faith.

Those college students might identify with the prophet Jeremiah in today's first reading. He hears the whisperings of his enemies around him; people waiting to trap him—and some of them were friends of the prophet! But Jeremiah is confident that God is with him.

In the Gospel, Jesus encourages us to be bold in the task of witnessing to him. And as for the opposition? "Fear no one," the Lord declares. Despite physical harm and even bodily death, our witness will result in the only approval that really counts, Jesus and the Father.

-------------------------------------------------------

Scripture:
•“Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” (Jeemiah 20:13)

•For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not. (Psal 69:34)

•…how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. (Romans 5:15)

•Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:32)

Reflection:
•Who are the poor?

•How do you acknowledge God?

•What gift of Jesus overflows to you?

•What is your gift that overflows to others?

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, turk or jew;
Where Mercy, Love and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.

The cistern contains; the fountain overflows.

Ordinary Holiness:

On whatever specific path we tread to the ideal of a holy life, living the gospel counsels as a reilgious, priest, married couples or single laity, we do not expect a simple stroll. Even to attain ordinary holiness, that is, be someone who remains loyal to Jesus and does not go over to “the other side,” calls for spiritual toughness.

Why We Call God 'Father'

HAPPY FATHER' S DAY!!

All similes limp, and those we use for God limp the most. God as "Father" is one of them.

The idea of fatherhood is a good one, but the reality we see on earth is sometimes quite different. Some fathers abandon their children, beat them, ridicule or ignore them, damage them psychologically for life. Even good fathers have their limits. They get tired, they must often go away, sometimes they are helpless and, finally, they die.

To some people, then, the idea of God as "Father" is barren. So, for that matter, may be the notion of "Mother." But Jesus chose Father as the best way he could describe God. What we have to do, obviously, is to keep in mind only the positive qualities of fatherhood and motherhood (God is not male, of course) and forget all human limitation.

God is a father/mother who wants children more eagerly than any earthly parents ever yearned to see their love made visible in a new person. All that we associate with parenthood is infinite in God: begetting, pouring out, sustaining and protecting, guiding, encouraging. God is gentleness and strength, patience and justice. He gives birth, nurses and carries, waits and explains, lets go and welcomes back, forgives and heals.

God is creator and redeemer, to use the heavy words of theology. But the best word is still Jesus' word: Abba, which seems to form naturally on the lips of babies.

Someone once said that if she could remember only one verse of the Bible on that mystical island of shipwreck, it should be this

"God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him."(1 John 4:16b)

The prophets often had to warn people of God's absolute incompatibility with evil: that the consequences of their sin would overtake them and, thus, God would "punish" them. But the last word always echoed a parent's forgiveness and endless welcome. Hosea says it well:

"When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them,
the farther they went from me….
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know I was their healer."(Hosea 11:1-2a, 3-4)

Brendan's Song:A Father's Day Story

Is She Still Saved?

Q: If a Catholic is baptized, then renounces her religion, is she still saved?

A: Renouncing one’s religion is serious business, but only God knows for certain the various factors involved and whether a person acted with full knowledge and full consent.

If you know someone in this situation, pray for her but not with the fear that she will surely go to hell if she dies without returning to the Catholic Church.

Only God can sort all this out. The Church puts up warning signs for us, but it also asks God to remember: “...all the dead whose faith is known to you alone” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).

Christian Families:

By becoming the first catechists of their own children, parents can more easily instill in them a unique love for God’s word. By conforming their lives to the gospel each day, parents encourage children in the consistent and generous choices that belong to every true disciple of the Lord.

Reality:

Material things can rot and be broken and relationships can turn sour and be miserable. But, God’s love for us is the most secure, stable and lasting. Value all that we have as God’s gifts, but never forget that our greatest gift in life is to have a loving God in our lives.

Those Who Suffer:

Jesus did not hesitate to proclaim the blessedness of those who suffer.…This blessedness can only be understood if one admits that human life is not limited to the time spent on earth, but is wholly directed to perfect joy and fullness of joy in the hereafter.

Humility in Relationships

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
~ 1 Peter 5:5b

I'll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It was in my early forties. Surely not! .you may be thinking. Yes, it is true.Since then, I have discovered many men still live in this condition. It took an older mentor to help me understand the difference between information and a feeling. Wives are frustrated because their husbands share information, but not their feelings. They want to know what is going on inside their man. The fact is, most men have not been taught to identify feelings, much less how to share them. It is something that men must learn to do because it is not a natural trait. If they do share their feelings, society often portrays them as weak. No man willingly wants to be portrayed as weak.

In order to become an effective friend and leader, one must learn to be vulnerable with others and develop an ability to share feelings. It is a vital step to becoming a real person with whom others can connect emotionally. This is not easy to do if your parents did not teach you to share your emotional life with others. Emotional vulnerability is especially hard for men. Author Dr. Larry Crabb states,

Men who as boys felt neglected by their dads often remain distant from their own children. The sins of fathers are passed on to children, often through the dynamic of self-protection. It hurts to be neglected, and it creates questions about our value to others. So to avoid feeling the sting of further rejection, we refuse to give that part of ourselves we fear might once again be received with indifference. When our approach to life revolves around discipline, commitment, and knowledge [which the Greek influence teaches us] but runs from feeling the hurt of unmet longings that come from a lack of deeper relationships, then our efforts to love will be marked more by required action than by liberating passion.

We will be known as reliable, but not involved. Honest friendswill report that they enjoy being with us, but have trouble feeling close. Even our best friends (including spouses) will feel guarded around us, a little tense and vaguely distant. It's not uncommon for Christian leaders to have no real friends. [Larry Crabb, Inside Out(Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, n.d.), 98-99.]

If this describes you, why not begin on a new journey of opening up your life to others in a way that others can see who you really are? It might be scary at first, but as you grow in this area, you will find new freedom in your life. Then, others will more readily connect with you.

Is Mary Divine?

Q: As a 65-year-old, lifelong Catholic, I have always been puzzled by the title “Mother of God” as applied to the Virgin Mary.

If God always was, always will be and always remains the same, how can God have a mother?

A: God as Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) cannot have a mother. Catholics have never understood the title “Mother of God” in that sense.

If you deny this title to Mary, however, are you also denying that Jesus Christ was divine? You may not make that link, but many people in the fifth century did. This title became official then as a way of settling that issue.

“Mother of God” is the popular translation of the title Theotokos (literally, God-bearer). A Concise Dictionary of Theology, by Gerald O’Collins, S.J., and Edward Farrugia, S.J., says that this title was used as early as the third century. The authors add, “When Nestorius of Constantinople called into question this popular title, the Council of Ephesus (431) condemned him and, in upholding the unity of Christ’s person, proclaimed the legitimacy of the title Theotokos.”

What is at stake here is not so much honoring Mary as acknowledging the uniqueness of Jesus—one person, who is fully God and fully human. Nestorius denied that Jesus was, in fact, one person and said that Mary should be called the Christotokos (Christ-bearer) but not Theotokos.
The Council of Ephesus disagreed because they felt that the title which Nestorius favored cast doubt on Christ’s divinity.

The feast of Mary, Mother of God, is now celebrated on January 1.

God’s Eternal Plan:

Only in the unfolding of our lives in the events of history is the eternal plan of God revealed to each of us. It is a gradual process; in a certain sense, one that happens day by day. The fundamental and continuous attitude of the disciple should be one of vigilance and a conscious attentiveness to the voice of God.

Children of One God:

“If you want peace, reach out to the poor!” May rich and poor recognize that they are brothers and sisters. May they share what they have with one another as children of the one God who loves everyone, who wills the good of everyone and who offers to everyone the gift of peace.

When God Seems Far Away

"Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times oftrouble?"
~ Psalm 10:1

One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet whenI hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job 30:26).

When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our abilityto see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding;wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.

After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact,with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that Heis there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb.5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience?Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.

War and ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’

Q:Talking with someone about Catholicism, I came upon a question I couldn’t answer. I’ve been curious to know how the Church allows or justifies killing during times of war when one of the Ten Commandments states, “Thou shalt not kill.”

A: A treatment of war really deserves more than a few lines. I would encourage you to read what the new Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about war or what is written in the Dutch A New Catechism. Either one should be available from any Catholic bookstore.

If you look at the Book of Exodus, however, you will find the command is given this way: “Do not slay the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked” (23:7). That is the translation in the Revised Standard Version. The New American Bible translates the verse, “The innocent and the just you shall not put to death, nor shall you acquit the guilty.”

The Good News Bible has it, “Do not put an innocent person to death for I will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing.” In their translations of Jeremiah 7:6, the thought is the same. Note the prohibition is about killing the innocent and just.

The Church and those theologians who are not pacifists do not see the commandment as forbidding self-defense. Both the individual and society have the right to self-defense. And they see a just war as self-defense.

So says the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The prohibition of murder does not abrogate the right to render an unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. Legitimate defense is a grave duty for whoever is responsible for the lives of others or the common good” (#2321).

Peace Is Our Duty:

Peace must become the goal of all men and women of good will. Peace is not a utopia, nor an inaccessible ideal, nor an unrealizable dream. War is not an inevitable calamity. Peace is possible. And because it is possible, peace is our duty: our grace duty, our supreme responsibility.

John the Baptist and Original Sin

Q: I heard a priest say John the Baptist was born free of original sin. Is that so?

In his account of the Visitation, St. Luke says, "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant [John] leaped in her womb" (Luke 1:41).

Luke earlier states that when the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah--while he was offering incense--and announced the coming birth of John, Zechariah proclaimed, "He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb" (Luke 1:15).

Some infer from these texts that John was cleansed from original sin in his mother's (Elizabeth's) womb and thus born without original sin.

One is free to believe this, but it is not a necessary conclusion or a matter of faith, something that must be held.

While some believe John was freed from original sin while still in his mother's womb, the Church proclaims as a matter of faith that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin, that she was never from the first instant touched by original sin.

God’s Truth in Us:

Faith cannot be cold, hard facts calculated and weighed by our intellect. No, faith must be quickened by love. It must come alive through the good works which reveal God’s truth in us. Being a Christian must mean being a witness for Christ

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Ex 19:2-6a
Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5
Rm 5:6-11
Mt 9:36--10:8

Today's Scripture readings make today a kind of "vocation Sunday." The Gospel certainly fits such a theme. There, Jesus calls his 12 disciples, after he has witnessed the crowds, people who are troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He gives the Twelve a call to proclaim the Kingdom.

What did these 12 men hear or see in Jesus that made them follow him? If we knew the answer, we'd have a better clue to our own response, perhaps—and be better able to respond to Christ today.

We see clues for motivation in today's first reading. Like other recent selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, it comes from the story of Israel in the desert. Moses has gathered the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God wants to offer them a covenant. God is looking for their response. The motivation God offers is: See how I freed you from the Egyptians? Remember what I did at the Red Sea, and how I got you this far, sustaining you on this desert journey?

In other words, take a good look at what God has done. Can we do the same as we're invited to a "vocational response" in today's liturgy? What has God done for you lately? As you attend Mass this weekend, take time to ponder that question—and then make your response to God's call.

----------------------------------------------------------

Scripture:
•You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. (Exodus 19:4)

•The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)

•Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)

•At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

•“Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” (Matthew 10:7,8)

Reflection:
•As Jesus instructs the disciples to be evangelizers in Matthew, are we to take the same message to heart?

•Are the unchurched the “troubled and abandoned” of the 21st century? How can this group be reached? Is the soul reached through the body or the body reached through the soul?

•How can anyone claim to spread the work of God without helping the poor in material and the poor in spirit?

•“Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.” In this instance, may Jesus’ command to be taken both literally and figuratively? Explain this command to evangelization?

This is crucial: we must be converted—and we must continue to be converted! We must let the Holy Spirit change our lives! We must respond to Jesus Christ. And we must be open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit who will continue to convert us as we follow Christ. If our faith is alive, it will be aroused again and again as we mature as disciples.

The fruits of evangelization are changed lives and a changed world—holiness and justice, spirituality and peace. The validity of our having accepted the Gospel does not only come from what we feel or what we know; it comes also from the way we serve others, especially the poorest, the most marginal, the most hurting, the most defenseless, and the least loved.

An evangelization that stays inside ourselves is not an evangelization into the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Geography Is Only One Factor

Q: What criteria are used for naming cardinals? Geographic, demographic, population numbers? Does one area always have a cardinal serving it?

Does the United States have a specified number of cardinals at all times, which are replenished
when attrition occurs?

A: Since cardinals are the electors of the pope, geography is certainly a factor in their appointment. For example, every archbishop of New York since 1902 eventually became a cardinal. It is unlikely, therefore, that the pope will appoint as archbishop there someone whom he does not intend to make a cardinal.

Geography, however, is not the only consideration. Cardinals are supposed to head the Holy See’s Secretariat of State and the Vatican’s nine congregations. Anyone appointed to those offices will probably be made a cardinal.

No country is entitled to a specific number of cardinals. In the last 40 years, in fact, many cardinals were the first ones ever named in their country.

In 1971, Pope Paul VI set 120 as the maximum number of cardinals below the age of 80; only they may vote for a new pope. As that number declines, a pope is more likely to appoint new cardinals.

Pope John Paul II has retained the rule specifying a maximum of 120 members under age 80. He has also named as cardinals several men over that age. He did so to show his appreciation for their lifetime service to the Church.

There are now 11 U.S. cardinals under the age of 80, eight serving in this country and three in Rome. As of October 15, 1999, the Church’s 154 cardinals were born in Europe (81), Latin America (24), North America (16), Asia (15), Africa (14) and Oceania (4).

Charmed by Christ:

Let yourselves be charmed by Christ, the Infinite who appeared among you in visible and imitable form. Let yourselves be attracted by his example, which has changed the history of the world and directed it toward an exhilarating goal.

Birthday Entry - A Reminiscence

Day: Saturday, 11th June 2005
Time: 1557hrs
Location: Home alone

Listening: Safe in a Crazy World Album by Corrinne May
Feeling: Neutral

Hello everyone......well....today's my bdae......have received wishes from people around me....thanks alot of the wishes and blessings....appreciate it....it goes to show that one is not forgotten... =)

Looking back.....21years of my life has passed.....time reali flies......it can be said that now..i'm offically an adult....can kinda "do whatever" I like.....hehez......but then....i guess..the real journey in life has offically started.....as now...u are so called given the keys to your life....the coming years to come will see me building my future......no one can foresee what is gona happen.....but let's hope for the best..and trust in God's guidance.....for now....let's just finish my debt to the country...haha =)

Let's take a short peep into the past 21 years....

0-10years:

As much as I can remember....my childhood is a satisfied one.....not to say its bad or whateva....its normal with most people i guess.....but i feel blessed personally in a special way.....my parents and brother and extended dote on me alot...(maybe becos i'm the youngest in the whole family..hehez... =p).....receiving lotsa love and guidance.....this period of time is where i started schooling and making friends.....some of which until today...are still in contact with me...and can be called my brothers.....(right Mike??) =D

1993 marks an important event in my life......i was able to receive Jesus finally....after spending my younger days wondering what and why do people put "something" into their mouth and being a child......also wanting to do the same.....hahah......other than that...i also joined the altar servers in my parish...which until today...i'm a member of it.....there are many memories in it.....many of joys and sorrows...the happi moments...and the heart breaking moments.....i dare proudly say that...i'm proud to be in it...and also.....have it journey with me......

10-20 years:

Moving on......one does grow up.......and my life gradually shifted from the little things to greater things.......you become more mature...think more deeply...and start to reason......I'm very thankful that my teenage years are fruitful, healthy and safe......my parents have been understanding and supportive through the years.....as one can see..nowadays...there are many issues and problems with teenagers.....drugs.....sex... and etc....by God's grace....i didnt turn out bad or anything.....or give grave problems to my family.....in turn.....they have given me the trust and freedom....as long as the line is kept.....

so to say......my teenage years was one of freedom....to express myself...to pursue my wants and dreamz...of cos with the guidance of parents and God.....

Went to Pioneer secondary school......honestly to say...spend a wonderful 4 years there......i left many memories there......and meet someone there as well......till today.....that someone is still dear and special to me... =) Was involved in AV club and IT stuff in school......helping around in the midst of my studies.....

felt reali lucky that I didnt really have to be stressed out over my studies.......my parents kinda let me do it on my own pace and not force......like my dad used to say "its your life that you are going to live....how you wana live it in future...is how you are gona study now..."

a little advice to all students out there.....i konw that competition is stiff in singapore....but then...let's not forget....there are many other beautiful things in life..waiting for us to go and explore them......studies is not everything.....do your best....give it yr best shot....but then...remember...make time for other things also.......we only live this life once......one shot is all we have.....make the best of it.. =)

Upgraded a level to polytechnic....studied IT(networking) in Singapore Polytechnic.....the 3 years there was ok.....had fun..learnt many things with regards to studies and life......made some good friends there as well......buddies that went thru hell and heaven during the 3 years ......

I also started working part time.......firstly..in my ala mater....secondary school......as an IT assisitant.....and then with Starbucks Coffee.......become a coffee master there.....its a place which i treasure alot also......great working environment....nice people....though the pay is kinda low....u feel happy working there.....i guess...that's more impt.....being happy with your work.....

then.......the call came......time to donate your time.....hahah......national service......

21 years:

Went in national service......did my part and learnt how to protect and survive....am still doing so today.....will not talk so much about it.....not to say its bad or anything..just that..i shall wait until i ORD(finish my service)....before i sit down and write a reflection about it...so all readers...if you really wana know...u goto wait....haha...cos i ORD on 17 OCT 2006......sad rite...hahaha......

how i spend my bdae today? oh well....went to tango's pub last nite with dineth and jeremy....have a nice time there...other than that...i guess i'm stoning for the rest of my bdae...sounds sad rite..haha..but then.....juz be thankful that i lived to celebrate this day..... =)

oh yah...no forgettting to go church later....and get God's blessings.......something which i do every year.......getting God's blessing to start another year of journey....its free aniwae....hahah... =p .......

the only thorn in my heart now perhaps is that..i have not heard from someone yet....i wonder whether that someone remembered my bdae or not...oh well... =/

Looking back......I am satisfied and happy with my life......i thank everyone who came into my life....great people..or even mere strangers.......it is a blessing that we could have brushed sides.....

I thank everyone for the love...guidance....generouisty given......my sincerest apologies...for any hurts shot out by me........

Most importantly...thank you my family members.....and God...who have so many times..faithfully stood by me...even when it feels that I was alone out in the cold......

Signing off....i leave with some words of wisdom.......Happy Birthday to everyone who shares the same day as me.....tata! =D

"Birth is not one act; it is a process. The aim of life is to be fully born, though its tragedy is that most of us die before we are thus born. To live is to born every minute. Death occurs when birth stops"

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."

"Count your joys instead of your woes/Count your friends instead of your foes."

-----------------------------------------------------

"Each day is a gift...
A glimmering miracle to turn dreams into reality.

Our acts are immortal.
Each day harvests a chance to Love...
Daydream... Dance! Sing! Laugh! Create!
Breathe! Live Deeply!Come...

Open your heart...

Learn from the past,
celebrate the moment,
and look to the future.
Relax...
Celebrate each day with me!"

How Should I React?

Q: My grandson and his wife are expecting a baby conceived through in vitro fertilization. I have a few questions.

May I give the baby a gift, with a nice card, wishing the child well? May I send a congratulatory card to the parents when the baby is born? How should this matter be handled if it is ever brought up after the child is born?

A: By all means, congratulate the parents and give this baby a card and a gift. The child should not be penalized for the circumstances of its conception but should be welcomed and celebrated as you would do for any other great-grandchild.

Perhaps Pope John Paul I provides a model in this situation. Shortly before being elected pope in 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani said that the in vitro fertilization process poses “grave risks” for the human family. Yet he also expressed good wishes to Louise Brown, the first person that we know of born through in vitro fertilization.

Once a child is born, he or she should be welcomed as we welcome any other baby, a gift of life from God.

If you are ever drawn by family members into a discussion of in vitro fertilization, you can say nothing or give your opinion.

You might simply state that, in seeking to achieve a good purpose, some unfortunate things have happened and could happen again. For example, fertilized eggs are routinely destroyed when they are considered no longer necessary. There can be mix-ups in matching sperm and egg from the same couple. Someone else’s sperm or egg could be fraudulently substituted; some years ago one clinic director used his own sperm without a couple’s knowledge.

Technically speaking, the term in vitro fertilization means any fertilization which occurs outside a woman’s body, usually in a petri dish. By this term many people often include the use of someone else’s egg and/or sperm for the conception. The potential complications about the identity of a child conceived in this manner are enormous.

Meeting With Our Neighbor:

Prayer not only opens us up to a meeting with the Most High but also disposes us to a meeting with our neighbor, helping us to establish with everyone, without discrimination, relationships of respect, understanding, esteem and love.

Happy 21st Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to me!!
Happy Birthday to me!!
Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
Happy Birthday to me!!

oh well......an existance of 21 years on earth........watch out for a birthday special entry...coming soon to a blog near you.... =D

Organ Donations Approved?

Q: What is the Church’s view on organ donation? My father passed away 10 days ago and we donated his corneas.

I know my father is at peace, but this question nags at me. For some reason, somewhere along the way I got the impression that the Church disapproved. This, however, is a means of giving life to others who are in need of such help, which leaves me confused.

A: “This is a means of giving life to others who are in need of such help...,” you wrote. I couldn’t agree more.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Organ transplants are not morally acceptable if donors or those who legitimately speak for them have not given their informed consent.
“Organ transplants conform with the moral law and can be meritorious if the physical and psychological dangers and risks incurred by the donor are proportionate to the good sought for the recipient.

“It is morally inadmissible directly to bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons” (#2296).

A couple years ago an American couple donated the organs of their son murdered in a drive-by shooting in Italy. The Church publicly applauded their generous decision which helped seven people.

To avoid a potential conflict of interest, the medical team treating the dying patient should be separate from the team for any potential recipient.

The donation of your father’s corneas was made with your consent and perhaps his before he died. There was no risk to the donor, who had already died. You have given the gift of sight to someone. The Church blesses your action. Please be at peace with your generous, pro-life decision.

Love and Save :

There are always souls to enlighten, sinners to pardon, tears to dry, disappointments to console, sick to encourage, children and youngsters to guide. There is, there ever shall be, man to love and save, in Christ’s name!

Is Drinking Alcohol ok?

Q: I would like to know what the Church thinks about drinking alcohol. I am not an alcoholic. I like to have a few drinks on the weekend at home. I am very confused and wonder if God looks down on this or not. I have searched and searched the Bible for some answers, but there just don’t seem to be any.

A: Since alcohol is part of God’s creation, it should be used responsibly and in moderation. The Scriptures have many positive references to wine, such as Isaiah 25:6, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.”

The Scriptures also give warnings about the misuse of alcohol. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise.”

The key issue here is honesty. Is alcohol the center of your life, something around which you frequently make decisions to ensure its availability? Or is it incidental, something that you can take or leave?

If you can honestly say that it is incidental and those closest to you would agree, then I do not think you need to worry. If you cannot honestly say that, then you need to deal with this realization, using the help of a professional or a group.

Some medical conditions require people to refrain from drinking alcohol. Alcoholism is a disease for which there is no cure but which can be managed.

Hope of Renewal:

In the cross lies hope of Christian renewal…but only if Christians themselves take the message of the cross seriously.

Fatima Message

Q: I would like to know what the secret was that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave to Lucy at Fatima. It was supposed to be revealed to the world in 1960.

I feel if the Blessed Virgin didn’t want us to know she would not have told Lucy in the first place. No matter what the secret is, it won’t have any effect on my life, but I’m sure it would help a lot of unbelievers.

A: Sister Lucy, a cloistered Carmelite nun, wrote the third part of her apparitions in 1944 and gave them in a sealed envelope to the bishop of Leira, the Portuguese diocese where Fatima is located. The message was to be opened in 1960 or after her death—whichever came first.

Before the bishop died in 1957, the envelope was given to the Sacred Congregation for the Holy Office (since 1965 known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith). Pope John XXIII opened it in 1960 and showed it to one person, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, head of that congregation.

The letter was resealed and, to the best of my knowledge, has not been read again. Cardinal Ottaviani later said that all the stories circulating about the contents of the letter were fantasies.
Whatever the contents are, they cannot be central to our faith because they are a private revelation, no matter how widely they are publicized.

I very much doubt that publishing that letter would cause many nonbelievers to become believers. It is surely better to use the Scriptures, the tradition and teachings of the Church, the sacraments and the good example offered by the saints over the centuries as guides to our decisions.

Unfortunately, Christians can become so interested in something like the Fatima secret that they neglect God’s public revelation given through the Scriptures. If you keep close to the Scriptures and the sacraments, you will not go wrong.