MikeLigalig.com

Open the Eyes of My Heart (worship video w/ lyrics)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

“Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”

Romans 12:12

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.

â€" Psalm 63:6-8

Accomplishing Your Goals

Now that you have a sense of how to identify life goals, use the following five steps to accomplish them:

   1. Make as specific a description of the goal as possible. If you were to see and hear yourself on video doing it, what would it look and sound like?
   2. Find any interior barriers (fears and negative beliefs) that stand in the way of your goals.
   3. Identify external barriers (in the outside world) that obstruct the path to your goal.
   4. Make a plan to overcome or reduce the barriers.
   5. Take action and adjust as needed.


http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/lifegoals/

6. Role Models

    * Whose work or life do you admire?
    * Who inspires or moves you

5. Recognizing "This" Is Your Place

    * What have you done that feels "just right"? Where did it take place?
    * What feels like you were born to do it?

4. Envy

    * What do other people have or do that you would like for yourself?

3. Righteous Indignation

    * What would you talk about if given an hour of prime time television to influence the nation or the world?
    * What makes you mad that you would like to correct in other people or the world?

2. Attention/Fascination

    * What captures your attention and holds you "spellbound"?
    * What do you continue to return to when you have some time?
    * What do you make time to do even when you are busy?
    * About what do you daydream?

1. Increased Energy

    * What gives you a sense of being alive, energetic, having possibilities?
    * At what activities do you feel energized, even though you had to work hard at them?

Finding your life goals can be daunting; however, if you examine the following six areas of investigation and answer the questions, you will be well on your way to recognizing those goals.

Three Main Components of Self Care

Here are some examples of self care in action:

Physical
Moving your body, whether in some structured sport or exercise, or just dancing around, stretching, or walking to the park to feed the ducks.

Give it something good to eat, that doesn't come in a bag or box from a drive through. Cook it yourself; take time for yourself, not just what ever is the fastest thing. Get a massage or something to wear that has great texture and color. Go to the doctor when you are sick.

Mental/Emotional
Be accepting, kind, easy to forgive yourself. How would you treat a good friend who needed some TLC? Take every 3rd "I should" out of your vocabulary and say "no" at least once a week! Reasonable expectations.

This doesn't mean the end of motivation or working hard. The point is to stretch yourself, not break yourself. Set limits if that is what you need; overindulgence is not nurturing either.

Get enough people in your life, that you can laugh with, share that pizza with, talk to seriously when an occasion comes up, who respect you and don't expect you to do all the work of keeping up the friendship or relationship.

Do a variety of things for fun and stimulation, some that you can do with others, and some to do alone. Having trouble coming up with an idea? Remember things you liked when you were a child, but have long ago given up. Get the creative juices flowing? Paint, draw, get out the hammer and nails and construct something.

Spiritual
Develop a practice that exercises your mind and soul. However you define that.

Whether it is a routine of prayer, meditation, attending services, that build up your spirit and faith with like minded others, exploration of yourself that helps you to identify your values and priorities, reading wisdom literature and discussions with others that deepen your knowledge of yourself and the universe, finding a way to contribute to the well being of others.


http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfcare/

Some people may think self care or nurturing is just for the fragile; the "weak willed" or "wimps". It certainly couldn't be for strong, ambitious college men and women.

Actually, it is a vital part of maintaining good health and a vibrant life. It's not just an occasional manicure or a 6-pack. Building up a repertoire of reliable self care habits now can affect your quality of life today, and in the future.

If it's not a manicure, what is it? Self care is a way of living that incorporates behaviors that help you to be refreshed, replenish your personal motivation, and grow as a person.

It is the equivalent of keeping your car filled with gas so that you are ready to "motor" when you want to go somewhere!

Long before Valencia became an independent political unit, it was once part of the local government of Dimiao, its now neighboring town. As one of the barrios, it was named “Panangatan” from the word “sang-at” which literally means “to put into an elevated place”.

Being coastal towns, Dimiao and Lila rely on fishing and its residents are mostly fishermen. During the southeast monsoon, the winds are very strong and the mouth of Panangatan River became shelter for wearied fishers. They would usually put their bancas (boats) on the riverbanks, locally termed as “Sang-at” where nipa palms grew in order to prevent from being washed away by the strong waves.

In year 1867, the place was separated from the mother town when a Spanish priest came. Conjoined with other barrios, it was established as a town on October 27, 1869. The First Capitan was Ignacio Daloperit and Fr. Francisco Cornago was the assigned priest.

Like in other towns, Valencia got its name when the Parish Priest, who was a Spanish, made some pastoral visits in the place. Amazed by the similarity of the topography and the panoramic view of the place to one of the cities of Spain, he proposed to rename the place into Valencia, after his native city in Spain.

Upon returning, he immediately called for a meeting of the then important personages and offered his proposal for renaming the town. It was readily accepted and since then, Valencia is the official name of the town.

The parish of Sto. Niño was established in 1871 and the construction of the church commenced during the term of Fr. Cornago. It was completed by Fr. Francisco Arraya in 1882. He laid the wooden floor which is the church’s real treasure.

In 1879 Valencia had a population of 7,009.


http://www.bohol-philippines.com/history-of-valencia.html

Invitation to Bid for the supply of materials for the concreting of Cutcutan Barangay Road with ABC of P58,033.00

Invitation to Bid for the supply of materials for the improvement of the water system of Genoveva with ABC of P69,840.00

Invitation to Bid for the supply of materials for the construction of slope protection of Canlusong Multi-Purpose Hall with ABC of P53,845.00


http://www.valencia-bohol.gov.ph/

Stunning worship song!

Seek Ye First

Jesus' Call to Mercy

"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first â€" by deed, the second â€" by word, the third â€" by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.

Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.

If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy" (1317).

Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful

We are not only to receive the mercy of God, but to use it by being merciful to others through our actions, our words, and our prayers; in other words, we are to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works (Acts) of Mercy.

The Lord wants us to do these works of mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no use without works.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Optional Opening Prayers

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
3. Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.
4. Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
5. The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
6. The Eternal Father

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8. Repeat for the remaining decades

Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.
9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
10. Optional Closing Prayer

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion â€" inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

Seventh Day

In spite of suffering  I believe in your love

This slight momentary affliction is preparing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. [2 Cor. 4:17]

Father, when it becomes gloomy in my soul,
don’t let me think that you are no longer with me.
If I am afflicted by sickness or harm,
don’t let me think that you want to punish me for something.
If I have fallen into sin and guilt,
don’t let me believe that you are angry with me
and that you won’t love me any longer.
If I feel useless and weak,
don’t let me think that I don’t count for you any more.
Aren’t you then especially near to me since you are love?
Can I do anything greater than to accept suffering and to say:
Father, I love you?
The greatest performance is suffering and the greatest action is love.
What could Jesus still do on the cross?
Nothing else than suffer and love.
It was not you who wanted his suffering, for you are love.
But you have turned all into the best:
into life and salvation for the whole world,
into victory over sin and death,
into glory without end for all those who have opened their hearts to love.
Father, I believe in your almighty power and infinite love.
You have done what is best for your children.
All is an occasion for love.
You are able to turn the greatest evil into greatest good.
Into your hands I put everything that I have and that I am.
Not my will shall be done but yours, always and everywhere.
Father, I love you!



Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

Quote from: hofelina on September 30, 2011, 05:02:51 AM
Traits of a Christian    Minute Meditations
Where there is Christ there can be no hatred or jealousy or anger or bitterness. Christians who desire to be part of the Christ mystery must cast wide the nets of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

Na'ay guwapong bersikolo in Matthew Chapter 11 verse 25:

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Quote from: hofelina on September 30, 2011, 05:02:51 AM
Traits of a Christian    Minute Meditations
Where there is Christ there can be no hatred or jealousy or anger or bitterness. Christians who desire to be part of the Christ mystery must cast wide the nets of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

This quote reminds me of the parable that my Parish Priest shared with us during dispensing of the Holy Gospel. The story of the merciful king who forgave the slave his debts. The slave who was forgiven of his debts did not forgive those whom owed him money, and decided to maltreat them. When the merciful king heard of this treachery, he punished the slave whom he had forgiven for not forgiving those who asked for his forgiveness.

God In His Glorious Mercies requires that we forgive those who trespass against us so that we too may be forgiven of our own trespasses.


To God Be Glory!

Quote from: hofelina on September 30, 2011, 05:02:51 AM
Traits of a Christian    Minute Meditations
Where there is Christ there can be no hatred or jealousy or anger or bitterness. Christians who desire to be part of the Christ mystery must cast wide the nets of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

-Matthew 6:14-16




It is in forgiving that we are truly forgiven by our Father In Heaven...Amen.

Quote from: hofelina on September 30, 2011, 05:04:38 AM
St. Jerome
(345-420)

Most of the saints are remembered for some outstanding virtue or devotion which they practiced, but Jerome is frequently remembered for his bad temper! It is true that he had a very bad temper and could use a vitriolic pen, but his love for God and his Son Jesus Christ was extraordinarily intense; anyone who taught error was an enemy of God and truth, and St. Jerome went after him or her with his mighty and sometimes sarcastic pen.

He was above all a Scripture scholar, translating most of the Old Testament from the Hebrew. He also wrote commentaries which are a great source of scriptural inspiration for us today. He was an avid student, a thorough scholar, a prodigious letter-writer and a consultant to monk, bishop and pope. St. Augustine said of him, "What Jerome is ignorant of, no mortal has ever known."

St. Jerome is particularly important for having made a translation of the Bible which came to be called the Vulgate. It is not the most critical edition of the Bible, but its acceptance by the Church was fortunate. As a modern scholar says, "No man before Jerome or among his contemporaries and very few men for many centuries afterwards were so well qualified to do the work." The Council of Trent called for a new and corrected edition of the Vulgate, and declared it the authentic text to be used in the Church.

In order to be able to do such work, Jerome prepared himself well. He was a master of Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Chaldaic. He began his studies at his birthplace, Stridon in Dalmatia (in the former Yugoslavia). After his preliminary education he went to Rome, the center of learning at that time, and thence to Trier, Germany, where the scholar was very much in evidence. He spent several years in each place, always trying to find the very best teachers.

After these preparatory studies he traveled extensively in Palestine, marking each spot of Christ's life with an outpouring of devotion. Mystic that he was, he spent five years in the desert of Chalcis so that he might give himself up to prayer, penance and study. Finally he settled in Bethlehem, where he lived in the cave believed to have been the birthplace of Christ. On September 30 in the year 420, Jerome died in Bethlehem. The remains of his body now lie buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.


Comment:

Jerome was a strong, outspoken man. He had the virtues and the unpleasant fruits of being a fearless critic and all the usual moral problems of a man. He was, as someone has said, no admirer of moderation whether in virtue or against evil. He was swift to anger, but also swift to feel remorse, even more severe on his own shortcomings than on those of others. A pope is said to have remarked, on seeing a picture of Jerome striking his breast with a stone, "You do well to carry that stone, for without it the Church would never have canonized you" (Butler's Lives of the Saints).

Quote:

"In the remotest part of a wild and stony desert, burnt up with the heat of the scorching sun so that it frightens even the monks that inhabit it, I seemed to myself to be in the midst of the delights and crowds of Rome. In this exile and prison to which for the fear of hell I had voluntarily condemned myself, I many times imagined myself witnessing the dancing of the Roman maidens as if I had been in the midst of them: In my cold body and in my parched-up flesh, which seemed dead before its death, passion was able to live. Alone with this enemy, I threw myself in spirit at the feet of Jesus, watering them with my tears, and I tamed my flesh by fasting whole weeks. I am not ashamed to disclose my temptations, but I grieve that I am not now what I then was" ("Letter to St. Eustochium").

Patron Saint of:

Librarians

St. Jerome, Pray for Us...

Quote from: hofelina on September 27, 2011, 12:53:32 PM
St. Vincent de Paul
(1580?-1660)

The deathbed confession of a dying servant opened Vincent's eyes to the crying spiritual needs of the peasantry of France. This seems to have been a crucial moment in the life of the man from a small farm in Gascony, France, who had become a priest with little more ambition than to have a comfortable life.

It was the Countess de Gondi (whose servant he had helped) who persuaded her husband to endow and support a group of able and zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers and country people in general. Vincent was too humble to accept leadership at first, but after working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley-slaves, he returned to be the leader of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the Vincentians. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages.

Later, Vincent established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick of each parish. From these, with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity, "whose convent is the sickroom, whose chapel is the parish church, whose cloister is the streets of the city." He organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. He was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries.

Most remarkably, Vincent was by temperament a very irascible personâ€"even his friends admitted it. He said that except for the grace of God he would have been "hard and repulsive, rough and cross." But he became a tender and affectionate man, very sensitive to the needs of others.

Pope Leo XIII made him the patron of all charitable societies. Outstanding among these, of course, is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by his admirer Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (September 7).


Comment:

The Church is for all God's children, rich and poor, peasants and scholars, the sophisticated and the simple. But obviously the greatest concern of the Church must be for those who need the most helpâ€"those made helpless by sickness, poverty, ignorance or cruelty. Vincent de Paul is a particularly appropriate patron for all Christians today, when hunger has become starvation, and the high living of the rich stands in more and more glaring contrast to the physical and moral degradation in which many of God's children are forced to live.

Quote:

"Strive to live content in the midst of those things that cause your discontent. Free your mind from all that troubles you, God will take care of things. You will be unable to make haste in this [choice] without, so to speak, grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have the fulfillment of what your heart desires" (St. Vincent de Paul, Letters).

Patron Saint of:

Charities

St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us.

Quote from: hofelina on September 29, 2011, 05:43:35 AM
Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael




Angelsâ€"messengers from Godâ€"appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named.

Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.

Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.

Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.

The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. The 1970 revision of the calendar joined their feasts to Michael's.


Comment:

Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly.

Quote:

"The question of how many angels could dance on the point of a pin no longer is absurd in molecular physics, with its discovery of how broad that point actually is, and what part invisible electronic 'messengers' play in the dance of life" (Lewis Mumford).

Patron Saint of:

Death
Germany
Grocers
Police officers
Radiologists

Saint Michael, Saint Raphael and Saint Gabriel, Pray for us...

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

-Romans 8:6-8

The Lord Jesus Christ said unto them: "Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

     -John 7:38

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

-Philippians 2:1-4

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
And to another he said, "Follow me."
But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."
But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."
And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home."
Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

-Luke9:57-62

Santos

by Brother André Marie 





At St. Benedict Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, our forefathers had a saying that epitomized their apostolate in the academic circles in which they moved: “We are against liberalism in religion, but we are for liberal education.” This was in the 1940’s. At the time, the Jesuits were parting drastically from the traditional ratio studiorum of their institutions of higher learning, modeling them instead after those universities they were sending their young scholastics to, like Harvard. The Jesuits’ educational system was evolving from a classical “liberal” one to its opposite, a “servile” education. The preservation of a Catholic Education worthy of the name was an important goal of the Center in Cambridge, so Father Feeney and his followers were anti-liberal in religion and authentically liberal in education. By contrast, the Jesuits â€" at least at the institutional level â€" became educationally illiberal and dogmatically ultra-liberal.

What does it mean to say that we are “against liberalism in religion” but “for liberal education”?

To answer that, I’ll begin with the con and move to the pro.

Most of us regard liberalism as an evil, and so it is as a philosophical and theological construction.“The basic concept of liberalism is liberty, taken as emancipation and independence of man, society, and State, from God and His Church.” Readers may consult Liberalism: An Evil Defined for a fuller explanation. Liberalism of this philosophical and religious nature is something we execrate as an error. In fact, Liberalism is a Sin.

I invite readers to study that above-cited definition carefully. Many of us garner our understanding of liberalism from the partisan politics of the day; therefore, we have a poor understanding of it. Much of what passes for “conservative” in our nation is really old-fashioned liberalism. And this is not a mere matter of preference; it concerns truth versus error.

What is this good kind of liberalism â€" this liberal education? We can summarize it in this wise: man educated as man; that is, man’s rational faculties brought to their perfection by acquiring the habits that lead him to contemplation, the summit of human happiness. This is contrasted with servile education, that schooling that makes man into a servant: a carpenter, a lawyer, a dentist, a bus driver. Note, I mixed up blue collar with white collar jobs. It matters not: both are servile; both are functionaries in society. By contrast, liberal education educates a free man. Brother Francis explained this kind of education in several places, two of them being his Plato and Liberal Education and this brief excerpt from the first volume of his Philosophia Perennis:

The seven Liberal Arts â€" divided into the three disciplines of Trivium and the four disciplines of Quadrivium â€" form part of the traditional wisdom which has been handed down from the ages of Faith. These arts work in harmony with scholastic philosophy (Philosophia Perennis) to give the man who would be wise his basic intellectual formation. Liberal education is contrasted with specialized or professional education, the latter being that which prepares a man for a craft or profession whereby he may render a service to society and thus earn a living. Without diminishing the nobility of service, from the Catholic point of view there is implied in the attribute “liberal” another great value: namely, the education of man as a free person; as a value in himself; and for his own perfection and happiness. A person being educated liberally is truly treated as a prince or princess.

In contrast to liberal education we may talk of servile education, which we may also call ministerial education. Both are necessary, noble and can make us virtuous. For this reason Christians do not despise service. Man is meant in this life to serve, and especially to serve his fellow men. This is why we call the Order of the priesthood ministerial. Our Lord taught us this value when he said to his disciples: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them, are called beneficent. But you not so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is the leader, as he that serveth.” (Lk. 22: 25,26)

When a man seeks training to be a dentist, he does so because he is going to take care of his fellow men’s teeth and somehow make his living doing it. This is training him for a service. When a man is trained to be a smith, this is also to do some service â€" some human need for which he is going to provide. It is technical knowledge, and it is acquiring skills that are useful to society. The kind of good that is aimed at in non-liberal education is the useful good, also called utililty. Utility is truly a good, but it is not the highest good. This last statement cannot be emphasized too much, because somehow one of the biggest fallacies that exists today is the fallacy of utilitarianism. This fallacy can be simply defined: It is the exaltation of utility over all else. This fallacy has reached such a critical state that utility is the only good about which most of those we call “thinkers” actually think.

One of the prophets against utilitarianism in America was Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau said that this country’s biggest problem is preoccupation with means; we never think of ends. People in America are so excited because they have connected Maine to Texas by wireless, but what if Maine and Texas have nothing to say to each other? We build roads and bridges. People are rushing to the right and to the left, rushing everywhere. And where are they going? They are not going to, they are going from. They just want to move. This is a country of means, one of utilities, and one of efficiency. The most pointed way to say it is this: Efficiency has taken the place of wisdom, and utility has come to be the highest good.

When a man is educated liberally, he is being prepared to be a value in himself. He is being prepared for the joys of knowing for the sake of knowledge, for contemplation, for being perfect. This perfection is not moral perfection but ontological perfection to be developed according to all the potentialities in him.

While they must reject the evil of religious liberalism, Catholics dedicated to tradition ought to encourage a liberal education for their children. Why? For one thing, it’s traditional! Read the lives of the saints. So many times, we come across lines like this: “after receiving his liberal education at [name of city], he went on to take degrees of doctor of philosophy and theology at [name of city/university].” Besides, in giving man critical thinking abilities, a liberal education also has the practical value of helping him to make proper distinctions, to appreciate current events in a broader setting, to navigate his way through the sound bites of the moment and be governed by higher principles. Too many of us lack critical thinking abilities and shoot from the hip. In religious matters this can be dangerous, subjecting us to all manner of error.


http://catholicism.org/ad-rem-no-137.html

A Libertarian Party, one that believes in the truths of the Constitution and would correct all of the political abuses of 'big government'.

Yes, I would.

I hope so.

awww rich in beta carotene ang carrots, anna. good for eye sight.

lucky kaayo ang iro kai naka halik halik ni inday kyut.

Congratulations Governor Chatto!

Welcome to Tubag Bohol, Taga Baclayon.

Good Post!

Rich in fiber..maka lower sa triglyceride level.

Good Post, Michael.

Quote from: bolanon kaaju on September 27, 2011, 05:01:41 PM
to the poster: you can contact Eng'r. Junel Torregosa maybe he can help you with this. he is currently assuming vacant lands to plant with palm oil trees...

bolanon kaaju,

asa man ni si Mr. Torregosa ?

Adorable lagi ang cheeks ni inday...kyut gayod! 

Quote from: mawjood on September 28, 2011, 12:35:03 PM
it follows in a way kay kung kuntento ka, malipayon ka unya feeling good and lookig good pod. siguro naay sustansya kay makabaskog gud, ikaw ang makasulti ani dok

na lingaw ko sa imong post mawjood kai gi portray nimo nga therapeutic ang effect sa 'sex'. tinuod gayod kai naa bitaw therapeutic effect sa sex.

korekt gayod ka sa deskripsyon sa "feeling good".

kining "feel good" effect after we eat a nice meal, after we receive a good grade in an exam/paper/presentation and even during and after sex (the orgasm) is because of the hormone called "Serotonin".

in moderation lang kai dali ra ta ma 'addicted' ani. ug di ta mo control ani ma 'MANYAKIS' ta simbako (aww, depende pod sa tawo, naa poy uban gusto ma manyakis, naa pod uban nga dili). ha ha!

by Rev. William G. Most

Death entered into this world by sin (Romans 5:12). So all will die, with the exception that those who are alive at the return of Christ at the end, will never die (First Thessalonians 4:13-17). In verse 17: "Then [at His return, and after the resurrection of the dead] we the living, will be taken together with them [the risen dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord" (Cf. 1 Cor 15:51).

There will be a resurrection of all, as St. Paul explains in First Corinthians chapter 15. Those who have been faithful to Christ will rise glorious, their bodies transformed on the model of the risen body of Christ, who could travel instantly at will, could ignore closed doors and come through anyway, but yet had real flesh. St. Paul says the risen body is "spiritual " (15:44). It is still flesh, but such that the flesh is completely dominated by the soul, so that it can no longer suffer or die.

St. Paul insists that because Christ our Head rose, those who are members of Him must also rise. So, to deny the general resurrection would imply a denial of Christ's resurrection (1 Cor 15:13).

After the resurrection, each of person will have the same body (except for imperfections) that he had in this life. If this involves having the same matter, this is surely within God's power. No matter what happens to the body after death, He can recall and rebuild the material of the body. In fact, we now know that because of metabolism--in which every cell is constantly being torn down and rebuilt--in a normal life span a person has the material for many bodies.

We will, of course be the same persons after the resurrection as we were before death.


http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/rboda1.htm

by Pope John Paul II

It is the same when we deal with death. It is often awaited even as a liberation from the suffering of this life. At the same time, it is not possible to ignore the fact that it constitutes as it were a definitive summing-up of the destructive work both in the bodily organism and in the psyche. But death primarily involves the dissolution of the entire psychophysical personality of man. The soul survives and subsists separated from the body, while the body is subjected to gradual decomposition according to the words of the Lord God, pronounced after the sin committed by man at the beginning of his earthly history: "You are dust and to dust you shall return." Therefore, even if death is not a form of suffering in the temporal sense of the word, even if in a certain way it is beyond all forms of suffering, at the same time the evil which the human being experiences in death has a definitive and total character. By His salvific work, the only-begotten Son liberates man from sin and death. First of all He blots out from human history the dominion of sin, which took root under the influence of the evil spirit beginning with original sin, and then He gives man the possibility of living in sanctifying grace. In the wake of His victory over sin, He also takes away the dominion of death, by His resurrection beginning the process of the future resurrection of the body. Both are essential conditions of "eternal life," that is, of man's definitive happiness in union with God; this means, for the saved, that in the eschatological perspective suffering is totally blotted out.



From section 15. of John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, 11 February 1984.

http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/deatha1.htm

Quote from: mawjood on September 28, 2011, 12:15:32 PM
bisan unsa siguro nga pagkaon basta paborito, kanang inig kahuman ba ug kaon mang lad-ok pa ka, kuntento ug magpasalamat. lami bitaw ng kalamay sa jagna dugay pod mapan-os

ma baskog diay ang lawas kai pariho man diay ni sa atong paboritong pagkaon. kuan diay ni...mo hatag og sustansya sa atong lawas.

beautiful lady..

Quote from: mawjood on September 28, 2011, 12:05:11 PM
it's like eating your favorite food, always looking forward for another treat and looking back with a smile.

so in other words, pariho diay ni sa kalamay sa bohol? kai lami man kono ning kalamay sa bohol especially didto kono sa jagna...

Quote4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth

Wow! What a beautiful and life-changing verse! 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  :


1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

On Eagle's Wings † Beautiful ORGAN SOLO

On Eagle's Wings (Lorie Line) piano JMAGP

Shepherd Me O God

Sixth Day

Forgive Me

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. [Lk. 23:34]

Father, I have failed against love.
I was self-righteous, lacking in generosity, and ungrateful.
For you, our offenses are not an affront to your honor.
What hurts you is, that by our sin, we act against our own well-being.
You are not concerned about your honor
which was violated but only about the happiness of your children.
Father, I am so sorry that I didn’t listen to the appeal of your love.
I am aware that I cannot claim your pardon if I myself do not pardon others.
But my negative feelings still remain.
However, you do not look on what we are feeling
but only on what we are willing to do.
Father, I am resolved to forgive everyone who trespassed against me,
and I will pray for them.
Pardon me too all my trespasses.
I regret them from the bottom of my heart.
I can be sure that you pardon me,
for seeing your child return to you is your greatest joy.
Father, preserve me from judging others,
being irreconcilable and resentful.
Let me always remember that Jesus pardoned even those who crucified him.
Father, I thank you for your love, and I praise your infinite mercy.



Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

ah, military sales na pod...

Aha, so in other words, unpredictable diay ang kalibotan.

Quote from: chicogon on September 28, 2011, 01:15:47 AM
All is fair in love and all in love is fair diay ni nga lambo... 

"When a man loves, he empties his entire heart. To love is in itself a self-realization that you will or will not be with this woman for the rest of your life. To love, despite what ever happens, is a gift worth experiencing."


My very good friend, Fr. Mark Hoffman, used to say to me, "Bear all your tribulations -- be it financial, marital, relationship, academic, personal-- with the confidence in knowing that in all things, The RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST is with you along the whole way."

bugnaw kaayo ...

Quote from: Bambi on September 28, 2011, 02:27:35 AM
Pare, naa ba diay free sa America? wa man lagi ko kamatikod sa diha mi! hehehehe basin sa wrong side mi!

ha, ha, ha! you have a point, mare bambina. dali ra ni si uncle sammy mo tax og charge nato noh? next time you come to USA, if you come to chicago, i'll personally give you and your husband a tour of the 'windy city'.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your
love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in
you.

Chorus:
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring
hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.

Chorus:

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal
life.

Her voice is very angelic, truly. How sweet , how wonderful ! Beautiful...

Way Sapayan! It was definitely a thrill to be there and watch the spectacle.

The best part: It was Free! Aww, maayo kai dili ma bu-ak atong pitaka.

The last break up I had was quite severe as it tore my heart in two. The emotional turmoil within me was quite significant, considering how much I had loved this particular woman. All in all, looking back at it, I cannot say that I hate her nor that I hold any semblance of negativity towards her. To be honest, I had loved this woman with every corner of my being-- I would have done anything for her -- and considering the time I was with her-- I did do everything within my mental and physical capacity to help her and to assist her. I can honestly say that I gave 115% of myself to this particular individual.

I loved her, and still do to this day. She still holds a special place in my heart to this day. In all honesty, I will say that she was a good-hearted woman, and that I wish her only the best in this life. I still pray for her, and for her family even to this day.

You might say, "How could you get over such break up and yet still hold love for this woman ?" It was not easy. It was very difficult, especially during the break-up phase. Quite painful. But as in all things, there is always a way out of the pain, anguish and turmoil. I found it through the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. By giving my pains and surrendering it to to Jesus Christ , the mitigation of pain was possible. Not only was I able to mitigate the pain, but was able to forgive this individual, forgive myself, and actively try to move on this situation by putting on the "Spirit of Love". The Sacrament of Reconciliation in conjunction with Observance of Holy Hours was very helpful in this.

Tinuod gayod ang saying, "Ug naa ang GINOO nimo, maka buhat ka unsay gusto nimo, i-hatag lang tanan imung plano sa GINOO...."


Thanks be to God...in all things...AMEN.

Why Community? Why Church? Why Catholic?

by: Jim and Susan Vogt



People have many reasons for belonging to the Catholic Church. Most are good, yet some seem weak:
*“Sunday morning without Mass would seem a little empty.”
*“I was raised Catholic. It’s all I know.”
*“I’m not sure there’s a God, but I’d rather err by believing than be surprised when I die.”

These aren’t bad reasons, but they may not stand up to the temptations of modern life. They’re like the house built on sand. When the storm came, “it fellâ€"and great was its fall!” (see Matthew 7:24-27).

The storms are many and may include disillusionment and anger about the clergy sex-abuse scandals; dissatisfaction with the limited role of women; judging the Church as too wishy-washy, politically involved, rich or concerned about rules; and hurt from negative personal experiences (e.g., “The Church wouldn’t bury my father”).

Just as there are mixed reasons for remaining Catholic, the reasons for leaving the Church range from serious decisions of conscience to apathy or busyness. For some, their faith hasn’t been rooted in the deep soil of a personal relationship with Christ and an understanding of the teachings of the Church as relevant to their daily lives.

The practice of the faith may be seen as only a cultural commitment with no roots once a young adult leaves home. Sometimes people aren’t welcomed when they approach the Church for marriage or other sacraments. Our Church must walk a delicate balance between staking out an identity that includes upholding unpopular values and welcoming all with unconditional love as Jesus did.

We’ve been thinking about these thorny conundrums lately as we’ve listened to folks who have left the Church and others who have remained or returned to the active practice of Catholicism. These are some of the more significant reasons we’ve heard about why people stay.

The communion of saints
Many in the Church have encountered holy people over the years, some deceased but others still alive, who’ve been powerful witnesses of lives lived for others?true followers of Jesus. Their integrity and sacrifices have been such strong influences that we’re drawn to the person, the spirituality and the community?the Church?that inspired them.

Crisis
Nobody looks for hardship, illness or a life crisis, but few escape adversity in life. As unwelcome as suffering is, sometimes it drives us to ask the ultimate questions about life’s meaning. God often touches us during difficult times, and we come to understand that life is about more than collecting stuff or even surrounding ourselves with loving people. God breaks in through prayer, circumstances and other people who carry a message of God’s redeeming love.

The sacraments
The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of combining the Word with actions and symbols in its seven sacraments. This reflects an understanding of human nature and how ordinary things?water, bread, oil, rings, words of forgiveness or commitment, and human touch?help us experience God’s love.

Many Christian churches offer their own forms of baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage and even confession/absolution. But few acknowledge the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist as Catholics do.

Universality
Many people have told us that they were attracted to the Catholic Church because its heritage goes back to Jesus and there’s a unity of belief around the world. Of course, unity doesn’t mean sameness. People from various cultural backgrounds pray in their own languages and use symbols that are relevant to them, yet the same faith is being expressed through a unity of beliefs and rites.

Service and social justice
No human institution perfectly cares for the poor, the disenfranchised, the marginalized. We still have far to go to become a truly inclusive and caring Church, one that fully embraces the demands of Catholic social teaching. Still, the Catholic Church has perhaps the most extensive social service network in the world?tending to and living among the poor, coordinating aid in times of crisis, and challenging all members to live more simply and help their neighbors because that is what Jesus taught.

Community
Faith is not just about feel-good friendships. In fact, tested faith often pushes us to stand apart from the crowd and take an unpopular stance for the gospel. Still, living a Christian life isn’t about being a “lone ranger.” Being in community with other believers, we can pool our resources and support each other. Sometimes the different personalities, political views and needs of community may feel like a curse. Working out these differences respectfully and lovingly is part of the work of salvation.

‘Lord, to whom can we go?’ (John 6:68)
This world holds good people from a variety of religious backgrounds. These include holy Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians of all denominations, and good and loving people who aren’t affiliated with any religion. Does God love them? Of course. Perhaps the reason that God didn’t claim a name beyond “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14) is that God didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a particular gender, denomination or race.

In the end, one of the reasons that we?Jim and Susan?are Catholic is that it’s where God has called us and spoken to us. There may be many routes to God, but the Catholic Church is where we have experienced God’s touch. There may be Church policies with which we disagree, but we’d find human foibles and failings no matter what religion we followed.

Some of the best and worst things in human history were done in the name of church, God and religion. We must align ourselves with the best and repudiate the worst. The challenge is to be humble enough to remember that we’re not in charge and that we’re all imperfect sinners, still loved by God. As a community inspired by the life of Jesus, faith calls us to devote ourselves to the good of others.

Bottom line? Love.




http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/EDC/preview.aspx?id=243

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 10:35-36

susan boyle - make me a channel of your peace

Fifth Day

You Take Care of Us

Your Father knows what you need  [Mt. 6:8]

Father, I don’t know what life will bring me yet.
The future is hidden to us. Will I always have a job? How will my health be?
What will the future of the Church be? Where is the world going?
You don’t want us to be troubled, for you take care of us.
You are our Father and we are your children.
A child cannot earn his living. It cannot maintain itself.
It depends on others.
Father, could I exist without you?
What is my own that I haven’t received from you?
Finally I owe all to you, my kindly Father.
Only you know the future. You know everything,
you have power over all and you love me.
That’s why with you I can feel myself totally safe.
Father, I abandon all to you.
As you ordain it, that is best for me.
I believe in your love.
I believe that you always assist your Church with your Spirit
and that you guide us by our shepherds in good pasture.
You love our earth.
That’s why I believe that you will also grant it a future.
Father, I trust you entirely.
I am still wanting only one thing:
to answer your love with gratitude
and to please you with my confidence and simplicity.
All for your greater joy!




Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

Ubi Caritas by the Cambridge Singers

CWU Chamber Choir: Ola Gjeilo, Ubi Caritas (unaccompanied))

Catholic Hymn, Behold The Wood Of The Cross, sung by Jesuits, Good Friday

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.


- Philippians 2: 1-11

I thirst not for water, I thirst for belief,
I thirst for Your gaze to wash over me.
I'm lonely and broken, I'm weary, forsaken,
Why have You abandoned me?

[Chorus:]
I thirst for Your hunger
I thirst for Your love
I thirst for Your body to drink of my blood
I thirst for repentance
I thirst for belief
I thirst for You
To come

Let me drink of Your tears
Tears of Your soul
Nothing else brings relief
And You know
I'm crying from the cross
I will not come down
I'd do it all over again so that You could be in me

[Chorus: x2]
I thirst for Your hunger
Courtesy of lyricshall.com
I thirst for Your love
I thirst for Your body to drink of my blood
I thirst for repentance
I thirst for belief
I thirst for You
To come

Come be my light to the poor
Come and carry me I cannot go alone
They don't know me, they don't want me
Will You come?
I'd want to enter and grant salvation to their souls

[Chorus: x2]
I thirst for Your hunger
I thirst for Your love
I thirst for Your body to drink of my blood
I thirst for repentance
I thirst for belief
I thirst for You
To come

All who labor and are burden come to me
Drink the living water flowing
Come to me come come come

Fourth Day

Only Love Matters

If I have not love, I am nothing. [Cor. 13:2]

Father, your will is love, for you are love,
unconditional, unlimited love â€" and only love.
Father, all love comes from you.
Fill my heart and hand with love, goodness and mercy,
and let these overflow upon everyone of my fellow-men.
You want that I love you in my fellow-creatures.
I am not closer to you than I am to my neighbor, even to my greatest enemy.
Let me be so cheerful and kind
that all I meet feel your presence and your love.
Help me to love everyone as I wish to be loved.
Give me the power to repay evil with good.
Allow me to love myself too, with all my deficiencies,
weakness and limits, as you love me.
Let me consider everything as an occasion
to love and answer everything with love:
what is obscure and incomprehensible, with faith and confidence;
sickness and need, with help and consolation;
hatred and spite, with goodness and forgiveness;
injustice and oppression, with courageous involvement for justice and freedom.
Only love matters.
I am born to love.
Love is my vocation.
So I ask you only for this: for love, for still more love. 



Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

    Lord you search me and you know me
    When I sit and when I stand
    You understand my thoughts from afar
    Behind me and before me Your hand is there to guide me
    Too wonderful for me this knowledge is beyond my reach
    Before a word is on my tongue
    You know it all before it has begun

    I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

    Where can I hide from your presence
    Where can I flee from your face
    If I fly to the heavens you are there
    If I lie in the grave you are there

    Courtesy of lyricshall.com
    If I take the wings of the dawn
    If I settle on the far side of the sea
    Even there your hand will guide me
    You right hand will hold me fast
    For you night is as the day
    For you light and darkness are the same

    I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

    In secret, as in the depths of the earth,
    You formed my inmost being
    My very self, my bones were not hidden from you
    You knit me in my mother’s womb

    I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

Psalm 139 (Wonderfully Made) by Danielle Rose

...beautiful, beautiful, Catholic Worship Song.


Danielle Rose I Thirst

breathtaking Hail Holy Queen by Danielle Rose

Third Day

Your Heart’s Desire

He destined us in Love to be his sons through Jesus Christ [Eph. 1:5]

Dear Father, from eternity you have thought of us.
Your loving heart concealed a wonderful plan:
You wanted to raise children, loving them in your Son and as your Son.
With a holy enthusiasm you have created the universe with this aim.
You will one great family in which all would be united
in the love of Christ as brothers and sisters.
This community of love is your Church.
All in it is founded on love.
That’s why all in it shall be accomplished by love, in love and for love.
What a dream! A community which knows only love and is open to all men.
Father, this dream shall become reality!
I will begin just where I am:
Let me consider my neighbor as this whom Jesus wants to love through me.
Make me patient, comprehensive, large-hearted,
considering others better than myself,
everywhere emphasizing what is good,
abstaining from loveless criticism of others.
May I keep only those thoughts in my mind which serve love and unity,
and endeavour to make peace.
Father, let the Church more and more resemble the Trinitarian Communion of Love!




Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

Yes. A true Libertarian. Tho I am also sympathetic to the Tea Party Movement.

Catholic Hymnal: Hail redeemer king divine - Traditional Roman Catholic Hymn

Come Back to Me (Hosea)

Hosea (Come Back to Me)

The Virgin Mary is the supreme model of grace in all of God’s creatures

The holy Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the epitome of Christian grace. Her willing participation in the birth of Jesus Christ, her life of Christian virtue and the sorrow endured by her in Christ’s Passion provides the ultimate example of faith, hope and charity for the Body of Christ. The angel Gabriel proclaims to the Virgin Mary, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women (Matthew 1:28). Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, is thus granted the fullness of grace from God and attains the highest perfection of any created creature. In her humble love for God, she willingly participates in the redemption of Christ (the second Adam) as the second Eve. Thus Catholics venerate Mary as the role model by which we give undying love to our Lord, Jesus Christ. We echo the words of Mary filled by the Holy Spirit," Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him (Matthew 1:48-50).


http://www.saintaquinas.com/Justification_by_Grace.html

Can we have a definitive assurance of our Salvation?

No, St. Paul and St. John’s epistles warn us that justification can be lost. Thus without an extraordinary revelation from God, we cannot be assured of our salvation or justification. The Council of Trent tells us, "If any one saith, that he will for certain, of an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance unto the end, -unless he have learned this by special revelation; let him be anathema (Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Cannon 16)". Assurance of salvation is a presumption upon God that we can infallibly judge the state of our souls. The Bible is very clear that only God and God alone can judge a person’s soul. Paul writes, "For we must all be manifested before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil (1 Corinthians 5:10)." Paul also emphasizes that salvation and justification are not a one-time event, but a lifetime process that we must work out with participation in grace. He tells us, "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation (Philippians 2:12)". Because justification can be lost and Christian truth demands that it is a process and not a one-time event, there can be no infallible assurance of salvation.

Instead, the Holy Spirit offers the theological virtue of hope that leads us to desire the kingdom of heaven, the love of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit. By hope a Christian can ask God for perseverance in his friendship and love. Even if a person mortally offends God and rejects his grace, Christ offers us the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sin and the recovery of sanctifying grace. God is always willing to embrace his prodigal sons and daughters provided they repent and ask of forgiveness in his holy Sacrament.

Can Justification be Lost?

St. Paul warns us that justification and sanctification are a life-long process, and we should be vigilant not to turn against God and lose our justification. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews is particularly powerful, "For if we sin willfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins, But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27)." Paul assures us that those who take justification of grace for granted and continue to rail against God and defy cooperation with grace can lose their justification. Paul also warns Christians to be vigilant, "But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway". Paul tells us that he himself must resist the temptations of the flesh lest he be cut away from the Body of Christ.

Like St. Paul, we must constantly guard against mortal sin, the sin of will against God. Mortal sin is that which cuts us off from Christ. Those who have been justified through the grace of baptism can still sin against the Lord. Grace does not take away the gift of free will and because of this a Christian can still choose to sin.

Sin takes two forms; that of mortal (deadly sin) and venial sin(sin that offends charity). The Catechism of the Church tells us "sins are rightly evaluated according to their gravity (CCC 1854)" and that there is a distinction between sins, that of mortal and venial sin. "Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him (CCC 1855)." Venial sin is a sin of less serious matter that weakens charity and impedes the exercise of virtue. The bible testifies to the differentiation between mortal and venial sin. St. John’s epistle tell us "there is such thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray (1 John 5:16)". The Tradition of the Church affirms that mortal sin destroys sanctifying grace of the soul and cuts the sinner off from the body of Christ. Scripture again affirms Tradition when Jesus compares the Body of Christ, the Church, to a vine. The members of the Church are warned by Christ, "Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned (John 15:6)." Indeed St. Paul writes, "Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Thus a mortal cuts us off from the Body of Christ until the sinner is moved to repentance in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Redemptive Role of Suffering

Christ desires for us to participate in his Passion, and thus suffering within the Body of Christ has a redemptive role. Because baptized Christians are part of the mystical Body of Christ, Jesus Christ the head of the body asks its members to participate not only in his resurrection and grace, but also in the suffering of his Passion. St. Paul firmly evinces this doctrine, "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church (Colossians 1:24)." He also says, "And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him (Romans 8:17)."

This does not mean that Christ’s redemption is lacking, or that his suffering was not enough for the redemption of the world. It only means that we are chosen to offer up our sufferings for the expiation of the temporal punishment deserved by our sin and the free participation in the life of Christ. Christ merits our redemption and forgives our sins but the punishment and penance for our selfish actions must still be. Paul’s letter to the Colossians notes that by offering our own sufferings for the body of Christ, we can make up for those members of the body of Christ whose sufferings are lacking. Thus the body of Christ, the Catholic Church, offers the collective suffering of its members for the expiation of temporal punishment and follows in the Passion and sufferings of the Head of the body of Christ, Jesus Christ.

This does not mean that Catholics go out of their way to look for suffering and hardship. Suffering, in itself, is a result of sin and evil manifested by the fall of mankind. Such acts as fasting, prayer and the offering of hardships to the Lord are beneficial. However, purposeful undue suffering and pain can in fact be a sin. In fact, the Church does attempt to correct and alleviate the temporal suffering of mankind (such as natural disaster victims, the hungry, the persecuted etc.) What Paul is really talking about is the unavoidable sufferaing that is a part of temporal life. A good Christian will accept the hardships of life that can not be alleviated. With good Christian humility and charity a suffering person will offer their suffering for the Body of Christ and its head, Jesus Christ.

Merit

Merit is defined by the Catechism as "recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment (CCC 2006)." In Catholic doctrine, merit is a result of God’s fatherly decision to associate man with the work of his gift of grace. It must be emphasized that the original work of justification and sanctification must be attributed to God himself. Man cannot merit the initial grace of the Holy Spirit. It is a free, undeserving gift of God. However, by the grace of Baptism, as adoptive sons and daughters of God, we can merit for ourselves additional graces of sanctification through Christian charity and good works. It is always the gift of God’s love that brings forth merit through charity. St. Augustine proclaims the Church’s position in his cry to God, "You are glorified in the assembly of your Holy Ones, for in crowning their merits you are crowning your own gifts." Prayer is a central part of Christian life, for it is through prayer that we can merit the increase of grace and theological charity for others in the Mystical Body of Christ as well as ourselves.

We must not believe that, "God owes us something." For the gift of grace is exactly that, a free and undeserved gift. It is only by our acceptance of grace through Baptism, that we can associate our works with that of grace from God. St. Paul tells us, "And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him (Romans 8:17)". St. Paul emphasizes that by the grace merited from Jesus Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection we can be co-heirs with Christ and participate in merit by grace. Thus good works done in faith, hope and love for God, after justification of Baptism, can merit further increases in grace, justification, and sanctification. We participate with God in good works because of our love for him as our heavenly Father.

Baptism of Infants and small children

The Catholic understanding of justification by grace calls all men, women and children to justification by the cleansing water of rebirth. Since Baptism is normatively necessary for justification by grace, baptism is not reserved exclusively for adults or children who have reached the age of reasoning. Christ said, "Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such (Matthew 19:13)." Although faith in Christ leads to Baptism in adults, infants cannot be expected to harbor intellectual faith in Christ. Instead, the faith of a child’s family is asked so that the child can grow in faith with the loving support of the family. Baptism is the sacrament of faith, and through supernatural grace leads a growing child (or adult) to deeper faith, hope and love for his Creator. It is a precious gift that should not be with held from any person, be they young or old. Indeed, it is a sad thing that some Protestant denominations such as Baptists and evangelical Protestants withhold Baptism from their infants. For those and other children, who are denied Baptism by no fault of their own, the Church offers its prayers and commends those infants who have died without Baptism to the mercy and love of God.

Faith, hope and charity prior to Baptism

One might ask that if faith, hope and charity are theological virtues imputed by grace, how could a person be moved to conversion to Christianity or experience faith, hope and charity prior to Baptism. It should be emphasized that the Holy Spirit leads a person to Christianity through an act of actual grace. In addition, faith, hope and charity can exist in the natural state of man prior to baptism. However, the motive for natural charity is often misplaced. Works of natural goodness found among the unbelieving person is often for love of mankind rather than God. Natural faith can aspire and lead one to God through the work of the Spirit, but baptism is needed to bring sanctifying grace to the soul to purify it and impute supernatural faith, hope and charity. The Catechism notes that "the faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop…For all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism. (CCC 1253)."

The Theological Virtues

Justification of the soul imputes the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. These virtues make Christians capable of acting as the children of God and meriting eternal life. The Catechism of the Church tell us that "faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself (CCC 1814)." Hope is a virtue "by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817). Finally, charity is the virtue "by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. (CCC 1822)." The virtues of faith, hope and charity allow us to aspire to the divine love of God. Rather than become a slave to God, the grace of God allows us to partake in the virtues of the Spirit to truly become adoptive sons and daughters of the Father.

Is obeying the commandments and precepts of God necessary for Justification?

In the Gospel of Matthew, a young rich man asks Christ, "Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting? [Jesus] said to him: Why asketh thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. [The young man] said to him: Which? And Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith to him: All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me? Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me (Matt 19:16-21)". Contrary to the doctrine of the Reformers, we must note that Christ never said that faith alone would supplant good works and obedience to God’s laws. Jesus message in the Gospels tells us that if we truly believe in Christ we will obey his commandments, be baptized into a life of grace and thus receive divine sonship in Christ. The gift of grace imputes forgiveness of sin, sanctification of the soul and the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. God’s grace works within us to move us to new, divine heights of faith, hope and charity. By cooperating with the grace of Baptism, we can do good works out of faith and love for Christ.

The Doctrine of Increasing Justification

The Ecumenical Council of Trent, definitively proclaimed that "Having, therefore, been thus justified, and made the friends and domestics of God, advancing from virtue to virtue, they are renewed, as the Apostle says, day by day; that is, by mortifying the members of their own flesh, and by presenting them as instruments of justice unto sanctification, they, through the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church, faith co-operating with good works, increase in that justice which they have received through the grace of Christ, and are still further justified (Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Chapter 10)". Thus the council the redemptive role of suffering in the Mystical Body of Christ, as well as the increase of grace through good works.

St. Paul explains to the Christians in Rome, "For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law (Romans 3:28)." In this epistle to the first Jewish Christians, Paul warns the people not to consider themselves justified by the Mosaic Law expounded in the book of Leviticus. Because Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, St. Paul tells us that Christ’s Passion has merited the gift of grace, "But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction: For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:21-24)." St. Paul explains that works of the law such as circumcision and ritual cleansing are not required for justification, because grace is the perfect gift of Christian justice and faith. St. Paul’s reference to "the Law" does not include the works of righteousness done through grace and the theological virtue of charity. St. James’ epistle attempts to clear up the difficulties of those we mistakenly feel that justification is imputed by faith alone without consideration of works of righteousness in grace. He tells us, "What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food: And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit? So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:14-17)."

Thus the holy Catholic Church proclaims that charity and good works enliven and work with faith and hope for the justification of man. Good works are not meant for the glorification and boasting of man, but for the glorification and love for God, the members of the Body of Christ, and indeed all men. We must take to heart Christ’s two commandments: "Jesus said to [the Pharisee]: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)."

The Sacraments

The Council further explains that the instrumental cause of grace is by the holy Sacraments of the Church. The Sacramental system, instituted by Christ, is one of the means by which grace is transmitted. Baptism, which we have already explained, is the necessary means by which a person receives sanctifying grace. Because grace can be lost by mortal sin, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the normative way by which a person can receive sanctifying grace after it has been destroyed through mortal sin. The sacraments also serve to increase justification of the soul, through the increase of grace. The holy Eucharist, especially, is the nourishing food of the soul. The doctrine of increasing grace means that the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity can be strengthened and increased. St. John notes that "…he that is just, let him be justified still: and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still (Rev 22:11)." Thus the Church rightly teaches through Scripture and Apostolic Tradition that supernatural faith, hope and charity are gifts of grace that can be increased through the Sacraments.