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St. Hilary of Arles
(400-449)


It’s been said that youth is wasted on the young. In some ways, that was true for today’s saint.

Born in France in the early fifth century, Hilary came from an aristocratic family. In the course of his education he encountered his relative, Honoratus, who encouraged the young man to join him in the monastic life. Hilary did so. He continued to follow in the footsteps of Honoratus as bishop. Hilary was only 29 when he was chosen bishop of Arles.

The new, youthful bishop undertook the role with confidence. He did manual labor to earn money for the poor. He sold sacred vessels to ransom captives. He became a magnificent orator. He traveled everywhere on foot, always wearing simple clothing.

That was the bright side. Hilary encountered difficulty in his relationships with other bishops over whom he had some jurisdiction. He unilaterally deposed one bishop. He selected another bishop to replace one who was very ill-but, to complicate matters, did not die! Pope St. Leo the Great kept Hilary a bishop but stripped him of some of his powers.

Hilary died at 49. He was a man of talent and piety who, in due time, had learned how to be a bishop.

The Living Sign    

The community of Jesusâ€"and all the small communities that make up his churchâ€"is the living sign in the world of God’s power, his forgiveness, and his action.

na-a sa Facebook

Blessed Michael Giedroyc
(d. 1485)




A life of physical pain and mental torment didn’t prevent Michael Giedroyc from achieving holiness.

Born near Vilnius, Lithuania, Michael suffered from physical and permanent handicaps from birth. He was a dwarf who had the use of only one foot. Because of his delicate physical condition, his formal education was frequently interrupted. But over time, Michael showed special skills at metalwork. Working with bronze and silver, he created sacred vessels, including chalices.

He traveled to Krakow, Poland, where he joined the Augustinians. He received permission to live the life of a hermit in a cell adjoining the monastery. There Michael spent his days in prayer, fasted and abstained from all meat and lived to an old age. Though he knew the meaning of suffering throughout his years, his rich spiritual life brought him consolation. Michael’s long life ended in 1485 in Cracow.

Five hundred years later, Pope John Paul II visited the city and spoke to the faculty of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. The 15th century in Krakow, the pope said, was “the century of saints.” Among those he cited was Blessed Michael Giedroyc.

Gifts For Us    

Blessed indeed is every soul who lived during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, for we received his love, wisdom and guidance, and now we reap the benefits of his intercession from Heaven.

Does he deserved to die? Shoot to kill ang oder, tingali kon gidakop nga buhi, samot ang samok.
Two days before, pwerteng dakop dinhe sa Duesseldorf and Bochum, kini mga Maroccans as naturalized German citizen. Kay adunay bombing plots.

Why Pakistan never "knew" of his existence, and got lots of money (taxpayers) from the US to improve its military.

it was documented in German TV WDR3, this could be done with the help of a doctor but you have to eat 1 kilo of this worm to be effective!

asa man kana mapalit?

more details from der spiegel.online





this mansion is not far from Pakistani military grounds, Islamabad was not informed about the operations, with the aftermath they clean the debris.

morag na nan-aw ug sine!

this confirms the belief that men are penis centered! Anyone here suffering of Koro?

here are some excerpts from der spiegel online;

The local residents are still struggling to believe what happened here in Bilal Town, in this highly militarized district of Abbottabad where the army runs a military academy, where barracks stand in green fields and which is constantly patrolled by Pakistan's military police.
The American attack came following extensive planning and months of intelligence work. A courier of bin Laden's had unwittingly led the security experts to his hideout -- a man who had been under surveillance for some time. Guantanamo prisoners had identified him as a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, and had said he was one of the few couriers whom bin Laden trusted. The prisoners also hinted that the man lived with bin Laden and may also serve as a bodyguard. They also provided his alias. (" whos said that Guantanamo prisoners are innocent? Now we know why the closure of this prison is not yet implemented")
It took agents four years to determine the courier's identity. Two years ago, they were able to identify regions in Pakistan in which the courier operated, together with his brother. But it remained unclear where the men lived -- thanks in part to the meticulous security precautions the two followed. Indeed, the great care they took, a senior White House official said in a briefing on Monday, was key in "reinforcing belief we were on the right track."Neighbors said the residence belongs to a "very well off businessman in the transportation sector," who lives outside of Abbottabad. "Everyone knows that this is the house of a rich man," the neighbor said.
"This is a high security area," a police captain yelled. "Photography is forbidden." He then pointed to a large red sign reading: "Restricted Area." Next to it was a green sign reading: "Proud of Pakistan."
"Actually, there is no better hiding place for bin Laden," a second soldier said, quietly. "Who would have suspected he was here, of all places?"CNN has reported that bin Laden was killed with a gunshot to the head. His body was buried at sea a short time later. Since 2007, the US has had a bounty of $25 million on bin Laden. (" KInsa ang nakadawat sa ransom?" basin si baki?)

unsa? Hasta ang Video gipatay? Palihog usaha na lang ang atong thread!

Quote from: statesville on May 03, 2011, 12:13:42 PM
kon  gusto ang kabit pilion, biyai ang pamilya ayaw lang patya..

Ang nakakuyaw kay ang maskara nga gi-presentar, behind his mind, evil thoughts are brewing. The preparations he undertook to execute the plan.

God's Representative    

Whoever has been given the privilege of standing before John Paul the Great knows that they were in the presence of a holy mystic, a beloved son of God who represented the Lord faithfully during his own early pilgrimage.

pila ka tuig ninglabay, nabanhaw siya nga usa ka baki!

victory for America, justice prevails!

der Spiegel;
The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also confirmed bin Laden's death to SPIEGEL ONLINE. An ISI source said the world's most sought-after terrorist had been located and killed in a "highly secret action coordinated between Pakistani and US forces."

According to information obtained by SPIEGEL ONLINE, the operation began at 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning when three US Apache helicopters attacked the complex. Bin Laden's people allegedly fought back to defend themselves and, according to eyewitnesses, one helicopter had to make an emergency landing. The ensuing firefight, according to the witnesses, lasted until 4 a.m. Several people, including women, were arrested, some of whom had been injured in the firefight and were then taken to the military hospital in Abbottabad.

A high-ranking Taliban commander indicated to SPIEGEL ONLINE one week ago there were indications that bin Laden was "in northern Pakistan, near the capital." On Monday morning, President Obama said that bin Laden had been staying in the city of Abbottabad, around 60 kilometers north of Islamabad. Until his death, the Pakistani government had officially denied that bin Laden and other high-ranking terrorists, including his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, or Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar had been residing on Pakistani soil.



Thanks God, best wishes to the special forces of the USA.

After almost ten years, justice is done. Joy in Washington!

Philip Rucker, Anne E. Kornblut and Ernesto Londono 6:27 AM ET

Osama bin Laden, the longtime al-Qaeda leader and chief architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, was killed Sunday by U.S. forces, President Obama announced. The U.S. is in possession of his body.

CNN

OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD
U.S. special forces kill bin Laden, Obama tells nation

The mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is dead, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced, almost 10 years after the attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.

St. Athanasius
(295?-373)

Athanasius led a tumultuous but dedicated life of service to the Church. He was the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church.

Born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, and given a classical education, Athanasius became secretary to Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, entered the priesthood and was eventually named bishop himself. His predecessor, Alexander, had been an outspoken critic of a new movement growing in the Eastâ€"Arianism.

When Athanasius assumed his role as bishop of Alexandria, he continued the fight against Arianism. At first it seemed that the battle would be easily won and that Arianism would be condemned. Such, however, did not prove to be the case. The Council of Tyre was called and for several reasons that are still unclear, the Emperor Constantine exiled Athanasius to northern Gaul. This was to be the first in a series of travels and exiles reminiscent of the life of St. Paul.

After Constantine died, his son restored Athanasius as bishop. This lasted only a year, however, for he was deposed once again by a coalition of Arian bishops. Athanasius took his case to Rome, and Pope Julius I called a synod to review the case and other related matters.

Five times Athanasius was exiled for his defense of the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. During one period of his life, he enjoyed 10 years of relative peaceâ€"reading, writing and promoting the Christian life along the lines of the monastic ideal to which he was greatly devoted. His dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism.

Among his ascetical writings, his Life of St. Anthony (January 17) achieved astonishing popularity and contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world.


Comment:

Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria. He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition. Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely. He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself. In today’s world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what.

Quote:

The hardships Athanasius suffered in exile, hiding, fleeing from place to place remind us of what Paul said of his own life: “

• n frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:26â€"28).
  

Priesthood Icon    

If someone were to ask me for an image of the priesthood, I would describe John Paul II as he sat that day with his suffering and crippled body underneath Christ crucified. He is the priest whom I want to emulate.

dahil sa isang bulaklak!

BBC

France gripped by 'perfect family' murder hunt France has been transfixed by an appalling human drama - the murder of a mother and four teenagers, shot dead in chillingly clinical fashion, seemingly by the children's father.Murders happen all the time, but now and then there are murders that, by their extraordinary circumstances, by the eccentric character of their perpetrator, or by the social context in which they are set, somehow command our attention in a different way. As his name suggests (the "de" is the clue) Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes comes from old French nobility. His ancestors lived in a southern province called the Rouergue and included a sister of the 19th Century poet Lamartine.He married a young woman whom he had met in Versailles called Agnes. They had four children - Arthur, who was 20 and a student; Thomas, 18, a gifted musician; Anne, 16, and Benoit, 13, who were both still at school. Photographs show an attractive, happy family. There is a particularly poignant one of Xavier holding his daughter Anne. They are looking at the camera and she is giggling. Last December, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes began attending a shooting club outside Nantes.
He told the club's owner that he had inherited a rifle from his father who had recently died and he wanted to learn how to use it. At the start of April, Xavier went to the club to practise four days in a row. He also bought a silencer.  With the .22 rifle and the silencer, the family were shot dead one by one, probably as they slept. The two family Labradors were also shot.

t appeared he had planned an abrupt departure - writing to the children's schools to say that the family was emigrating.

His financial situation was catastrophic. He had various internet-related businesses and they were failing.
He had spent his wife's inheritance and had borrowed money from a lover in Paris, who was now demanding it back.

It is the tale of an upper-middle-class French family caught at a juncture between a prosperous, reassuring past and an uncertain, unsettling future.

At the centre of the story is a man who fails to find his way in this changing world and apparently makes his own wife and children pay the price. Above all - where is he? He was seen in southern France in the days after the killings, but since then nothing.

St. Joseph the Worker


Apparently in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. But the relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers has a much longer history.

In a constantly necessary effort to keep Jesus from being removed from ordinary human life, the Church has from the beginning proudly emphasized that Jesus was a carpenter, obviously trained by Joseph in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of that vocation. Humanity is like God not only in thinking and loving, but also in creating. Whether we make a table or a cathedral, we are called to bear fruit with our hands and mind, ultimately for the building up of the Body of Christ.


Comment:

“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15). The Father created all and asked humanity to continue the work of creation. We find our dignity in our work, in raising a family, in participating in the life of the Father’s creation. Joseph the Worker was able to help participate in the deepest mystery of creation. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work. Thus, if you wish to be close to Christ, we again today repeat, ‘Go to Joseph’” (see Genesis 41:44).

Quote:

In Brothers of Men, René Voillaume of the Little Brothers of Jesus speaks about ordinary work and holiness: “Now this holiness (of Jesus) became a reality in the most ordinary circumstances of life, those of word, of the family and the social life of a village, and this is an emphatic affirmation of the fact that the most obscure and humdrum human activities are entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God...in relation to this mystery, involves the conviction that the evangelical holiness proper to a child of God is possible in the ordinary circumstances of someone who is poor and obliged to work for his living.”

Running the Race    

I could never go back to whom I had been in the past, so I stretched out my new legs and have been running the race ever since. I’ve fallen more times than I would like to admit, but the sacraments sustain me.

syempre mas hamis ang Bol-anon!

Christina Aguilera and Michelle Williams, 30

The pop star (left) parties like she's barely legal. Michelle (right) is much more mature and reserved. She stays out of the public eye and lives a quiet life in Brooklyn with her daughter Matilda, 5.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2011/04/20/theyre-age/#ixzz1KzG3OuJl

Demi Moore and Paula Abdul, 48

They've both aged really well. We're just surprised that they're almost 50!

Doctors really do work wonders.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2011/04/20/theyre-age/#ixzz1KzGCEmHv

Eva Longoria and Fergie, 36

The "Desperate Housewife" star (left) has aged superbly well compared to The Black Eyed Peas singer (right) who admittedly abused drugs in her teens.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2011/04/20/theyre-age/#ixzz1KzFthtvz

Fox news

Halle Berry and Helena Bonham Carter, 44

Helena Bonham Carter (right) has always seemed old beyond her years while Halle is quite the opposite - she never seems to age.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2011/04/20/theyre-age/#ixzz1KzFB1RUw



Christian Bale and Kevin Connolly, 37

Kevin's (left) adorable little boy face is hardly legal, let alone almost 40! Christian Bale (right) looks much older.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertainment/2011/04/20/theyre-age/#ixzz1KzFdMLmh

A cow herder in southern Sudan has painted his face with ash from burned cow dung. The manure is burned in the evenings to repel mosquitoes and cow keepers paint themselves every morning during the ritualistic cleaning of the cows. Southern Sudan remains a violent place and cows are a frequent target for theft. On April 22, this cow herder and his companions managed to prevent an attack on their herd.

St. Pius V
(1504-1572)


This is the pope whose job was to implement the historic Council of Trent. If we think popes had difficulties in implementing Vatican Council II, Pius V had even greater problems after that historic council more than four centuries ago.

During his papacy (1566-1572), Pius V was faced with the almost overwhelming responsibility of getting a shattered and scattered Church back on its feet. The family of God had been shaken by corruption, by the Reformation, by the constant threat of Turkish invasion and by the bloody bickering of the young nation-states. In 1545 a previous pope convened the Council of Trent in an attempt to deal with all these pressing problems. Off and on over 18 years, the Church Fathers discussed, condemned, affirmed and decided upon a course of action. The Council closed in 1563.

Pius V was elected in 1566 and was charged with the task of implementing the sweeping reforms called for by the Council. He ordered the founding of seminaries for the proper training of priests. He published a new missal, a new breviary, a new catechism and established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes for the young. Pius zealously enforced legislation against abuses in the Church. He patiently served the sick and the poor by building hospitals, providing food for the hungry and giving money customarily used for the papal banquets to poor Roman converts. His decision to keep wearing his Dominican habit led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock.

In striving to reform both Church and state, Pius encountered vehement opposition from England's Queen Elizabeth and the Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Problems in France and in the Netherlands also hindered Pius's hopes for a Europe united against the Turks. Only at the last minute was he able to organize a fleet which won a decisive victory in the Gulf of Lepanto, off Greece, on October 7, 1571.

Pius's ceaseless papal quest for a renewal of the Church was grounded in his personal life as a Dominican friar. He spent long hours with his God in prayer, fasted rigorously, deprived himself of many customary papal luxuries and faithfully observed the spirit of the Dominican Rule that he had professed.


Comment:

In their personal lives and in their actions as popes, Pius V and Paul VI (d. 1978) both led the family of God in the process of interiorizing and implementing the new birth called for by the Spirit in major Councils. With zeal and patience, Pius and Paul pursued the changes urged by the Council Fathers. Like Pius and Paul, we too are called to constant change of heart and life.

Quote:

"In this universal assembly, in this privileged point of time and space, there converge together the past, the present, and the future. The past: for here, gathered in this spot, we have the Church of Christ with her tradition, her history, her councils, her doctors, her saints; the present: we are taking leave of one another to go out toward the world of today with its miseries, its sufferings, its sins, but also with its prodigious accomplishments, values, and virtues; and the future is here in the urgent appeal of the peoples of the world for more justice, in their will for peace, in their conscious or unconscious thirst for a higher life, that life precisely which the Church of Christ can give and wishes to give to them" (from Pope Paul's closing message at Vatican II).

Clear the Clutter    

Our lives today can be incredibly confusing and chaotic. Our culture does not help us, but our faith does. God wants so much more for us.

St. Catherine of Siena
(1347-1380)


The value Catherine makes central in her short life and which sounds clearly and consistently through her experience is complete surrender to Christ. What is most impressive about her is that she learns to view her surrender to her Lord as a goal to be reached through time.

She was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and grew up as an intelligent, cheerful and intensely religious person. Catherine disappointed her mother by cutting off her hair as a protest against being overly encouraged to improve her appearance in order to attract a husband. Her father ordered her to be left in peace and she was given a room of her own for prayer and meditation.

She entered the Dominican Third Order at 18 and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer and austerity. Gradually a group of followers gathered around herâ€"men and women, priests and religious. An active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. Her letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of her followers, began to take more and more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world and speaking with the candor and authority of one completely committed to Christ. She was cleared of all charges at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374.

Her public influence reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the Dominican Third Order, and the deep impression she made on the pope. She worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope

In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes and putting even saints on opposing sides. Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Urban VI and the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. She died surrounded by her "children."

Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue.


Comment:

Though she lived her life in a faith experience and spirituality far different from that of our own time, Catherine of Siena stands as a companion with us on the Christian journey in her undivided effort to invite the Lord to take flesh in her own life. Events which might make us wince or chuckle or even yawn fill her biographies: a mystical experience at six, childhood betrothal to Christ, stories of harsh asceticism, her frequent ecstatic visions. Still, Catherine lived in an age which did not know the rapid change of twenty-first-century mobile America. The value of her life for us today lies in her recognition of holiness as a goal to be sought over the course of a lifetime.

Quote:

Catherine's book Dialogue contains four treatisesâ€"her testament of faith to the spiritual world. She wrote, "No one should judge that he has greater perfection because he performs great penances and gives himself in excess to the staying of the body than he who does less, inasmuch as neither virtue nor merit consists therein; for otherwise he would be an evil case, who for some legitimate reason was unable to do actual penance. Merit consists in the virtue of love alone, flavored with the light of true discretion without which the soul is worth nothing."

Patron Saint of:

Europe
Italy

New Way to Live    

It’s no fun to wander around in confusion, stumbling over piles of debris, working long hours and carrying heavy burdens of worry and non-forgiveness. It’s time we learned a new way to liveâ€"God’s way.

daghan ni sa Europe. I saw lots of this in Portugal.

Cycas rumphii, Palmfarn!

sakto kay Doy, RIP, thanks for reminding.

St. Peter Chanel
(1803-1841)

Anyone who has worked in loneliness, with great adaptation required and with little apparent success, will find a kindred spirit in Peter Chanel.

As a young priest he revived a parish in a "bad" district by the simple method of showing great devotion to the sick. Wanting to be a missionary, he joined the Society of Mary (Marists) at 28. Obediently, he taught in the seminary for five years. Then, as superior of seven Marists, he traveled to Western Oceania where he was entrusted with a vicariate. The bishop accompanying the missionaries left Peter and a brother on Futuna Island in the New Hebrides, promising to return in six months. He was gone five years.

Meanwhile, Pedro struggled with this new language and mastered it, making the difficult adjustment to life with whalers, traders and warring natives. Despite little apparent success and severe want, he maintained a serene and gentle spirit and endless patience and courage. A few natives had been baptized, a few more were being instructed. When the chieftain's son asked to be baptized, persecution by the chieftain reached a climax. Father Chanel was clubbed to death, his body cut to pieces.

Within two years after his death, the whole island became Catholic and has remained so. Peter Chanel is the first martyr of Oceania and its patron.


Comment:

Suffering for Christ means suffering because we are like Christ. Very often the opposition we meet is the result of our own selfishness or imprudence. We are not martyrs when we are "persecuted" by those who merely treat us as we treat them. A Christian martyr is one who, like Christ, is simply a witness to God's love, and brings out of human hearts the good or evil that is already there.

Quote:

"No one is a martyr for a conclusion, no one is a martyr for an opinion; it is faith that makes martyrs" (Cardinal Newman, Discourses to Mixed Congregations).

Patron Saint of:

Oceania

Free Your Mind    

What affects our minds affects our spirits. God wants us to be as free as possible to love one another and to be creative, to fulfill our destinies as God’s children.

Performers prepare backstage ahead of the opening show of the 2011 London Burlesque Week. The annual festival features performers from all over the world. The burlesque style involves a type of variety show format, often featuring bawdy comedy and female striptease, which experienced a revival starting in the early 1990s.

St. Louis Mary de Montfort
(1673-1716)


Louis's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the Church.Totus tuus(completely yours) was Louis's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto.

Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his Baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1700.

Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with Church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion (not the custom then!) and imitation of the Virgin Mary's ongoing acceptance of God's will for her life.

Louis founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (for priests and brothers) and the Daughters of Wisdom, who cared especially for the sick. His book, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, has become a classic explanation of Marian devotion.

Louis died in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, where a basilica has been erected in his honor. He was canonized in 1947.

Comment:

Like Mary, Louis experienced challenges in his efforts to follow Jesus. Opposed at times in his preaching and in his other ministries, Louis knew with St. Paul, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Any attempt to succeed by worldly standards runs the risk of betraying the Good News of Jesus. Mary is “the first and most perfect disciple,” as the late Raymond Brown, S.S., described her.

Quote:

“Mary is the fruitful Virgin, and in all the souls in which she comes to dwell she causes to flourish purity of heart and body, rightness of intention and abundance of good works. Do not imagine that Mary, the most fruitful of creatures who gave birth to a God, remains barren in a faithful soul. It will be she who makes the soul live incessantly for Jesus Christ, and will make Jesus live in the soul” (True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin).

Staying Focused    

Our belongings should not bog us down and make slaves of us. We should be surrounded with beauty, with things reminding us we are God’s children.

Dili jud ko motoo nga tihik ka Inday Ann, conscious lang ka mogastos sa kwarta kay hinagoan jamo , apil ang agwanta nga malayo sa pamilya.

maayo nga pangotana, there must be somebody up there who maintains everything as admin, janitor, electrician at marami pang iba.

Tourists on the Square of Miracles take pictures of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, which is free of scaffolding for the first time in 20 years after stabilization work. Construction of the tower began in 1173, but it had already started to lean five years later in 1178.

naanad nako sa kinabuhing pobre, dili nako malisang ni-ana. Para nako kon adunay anak nga pa-eskwelahon anha matagamtam ang kapait sa pagbayad sa tuition fee.

from Butuan Police Force;

Butuan police shares tips to avoid being a robbery, snatch-theft victim this summer

by Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Apr. 22 (PIA) -- “You cannot be a victim if you will not allow robbers and snatchers to victimize you.”


This is probably one of the popular reminders we always hear from police officers and local authorities, giving warning to be at all times watchful and not to give suspects the opportunity to victimize anyone.

The Butuan City Police Office recently shared tips for the public to observe and follow especially this summer season when people tend to spend their vacation in resorts, beaches, and other places in the provinces just to cool themselves and have relaxing experience.

Here are six tips identified by the police forces which may be of help for a safe and enjoyable vacation this summer:

Tip # 1: When dining at a hotel, restaurants or any eatery, do not leave your handbag or laptop on the table or hanging on the side of a chair. This gives the thief the opportunity to rob those valuable things.

Tip # 2: Do not attract attention by wearing expensive jewelry. You never know if there is a thief among your fellow travelers. Travel 'light' and preferably, leave jewelry in a safety deposit box in the bank or at home.

Tip # 3: Do not leave your prized possessions in the hotel room while you go out. Always bring with you your valuable things whenever you will go out in your room.

Tip # 4: Always carry your passport and identity card with you. Please be reminded that these are important documents that you must have in your possession every time you have to go to other place especially if it’s a distance away from the hotel you’re staying.

Tip # 5: Never go off the beaten track alone. If you are venturing out somewhere unknown, go in a group. There is safety in numbers, so don’t stay away from a group if you’re traveling alone and if you’re in a group, do the same.

Tip # 6: Never keep all your cash in one place. In that way, if you lose your wallet or handbag, you will still have money.

These are just some of the friendly reminders of BCPO. Remember, there is no such thing as to be alert and watchful at all times.

We all rely on God´s graces, remember Japan with all its riches is badly shaken from earthquake and tsunami.
Think about this;  we have a risk profile higher than Japan but it never happened. It is Divine providence.

Kining stress ug daghang kwarta, palihog iganid aron maangay.

Schoolchildren in Tokyo wear headgear on their way to school on Monday to help protect them from possible falling debris during earthquakes. Some schools in Tokyo have asked students to wear the headgear when walking to and from school since the deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

St. Pedro de San José Betancur
(1626-1667)

Central America can claim its first saint with the July 30 canonization of Pedro de Betancur by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City. Known as the "St. Francis of the Americas," Pedro de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala.

Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that St. Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for change.

“Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy.

Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Havana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived he was so destitute that he joined the bread line which the Franciscans had established.

Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655 he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent.

Other men came to share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his life of prayer and compassion.

He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries.

Pedro was beatified in 1980.


Comment:

As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But, as Pedro’s life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holyâ€"as fully human as any of us can ever be.

Quote:

Speaking of Pedro and the four others beatified with him, Pope John Paul II said: "God lavished his kindness and his mercy on them, enriching them with his grace; he loved them with a fatherly, but demanding, love, which promised only hardships and suffering. He invited and called them to heroic holiness; he tore them away from their countries of origin and sent them to other lands to proclaim the message of the gospel, in the midst of inexpressible toil and difficulties" (L'Osservatore Romano).

Finding God    

If Christianity is going to have any real influence on my life it must touch me in the ordinary and the routine. At Mass we use ordinary things: eating and drinking, standing and sitting, shaking hands and keeping quiet. In this ordinary stuff, I find God.

Hallo Hans,

I was in Utrecht yesterday near Juliana Park, I met my cousin in Klooster Cenakel. Where do you live in Holland?

Regards to the family and Doe voorzichtig!

Tessie

makoha nila ang kwarta ni Marcos nia sa Swiss Banks, makatabang sa infra-structures.

Sa mga angkan kapa-it jud labi na kun mangiskwela ang mga bata. Akong silingan sa Booy dihay insurance para sa mga bata 3 ka anak, wala makobra kay mini man diay nga kompanya.It was almost 100,000 pesos.

Visitors view an apple tree festooned with 9,800 Easter eggs in the city of Saalfeld, in the eastern German state of Thuringia on Friday. Retiree Volker Kraft, 75, has decorated the tree with homemade eggs every Easter since 1965. Last year, the tree attracted more than 13,000 visitors. Kraft hopes to add another 200 eggs to the tree next year, bringing the total number to 10,000.

This is the monetary value you need to maintain a decent cost of living.

I asked LGU friend in Monkayo , if 25,000 is enough to live in Pinas, his reply 10,000 is the poverty level, gamay ra nang imong kwarta. Porbida unsaon na lang ang wah jamo?

to hubag bohol, tua na watch ot list imong IP Doy!

St. Mark

Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. (When Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark's mother.)

Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. It is evident, from Paul's refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas's insistence, that Mark had displeased Paul. Later, Paul asks Mark to visit him in prison so we may assume the trouble did not last long.

The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus' rejection by humanity while being God's triumphant envoy. Probably written for Gentile converts in Romeâ€"after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70â€"Mark's Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a "scandal": a crucified Messiah.

Evidently a friend of Mark (Peter called him "my son"), Peter is only one of the Gospel sources, others being the Church in Jerusalem (Jewish roots) and the Church at Antioch (largely Gentile).

Like one other Gospel writer, Luke, Mark was not one of the 12 apostles. We cannot be certain whether he knew Jesus personally. Some scholars feel that the evangelist is speaking of himself when describing the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane: "Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked" (Mark 14:51-52).

Others hold Mark to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Venice, famous for the Piazza San Marco, claims Mark as its patron saint; the large basilica there is believed to contain his remains.

A winged lion is Mark's symbol. The lion derives from Mark's description of John the Baptist as a "voice of one crying out in the desert" (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel's vision of four winged creatures (Ezekiel, chapter one) to the evangelists.

Comment:

Mark fulfilled in his life what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation. In particular, Mark's way was by writing. Others may proclaim the Good News by music, drama, poetry or by teaching children around a family table.

Quote:

There is very little in Mark that is not in the other Gospelsâ€"only four passages. One is: “...This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29).

Patron Saint of:

Notaries

United in Christ    

As many grapes are brought together and crushed to make the wineâ€"as many grains of wheat are ground into flour to make the one breadâ€"so we, although many, become one Body when we eat the one Bread.

St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
(1577-1622)





If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint's life.

Born in 1577, Mark Rey (Fidelis was his religious name) became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed "the poor man's lawyer," Fidelis soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor.

As a follower of Francis, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. Once, during a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers.

He was appointed head of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the night than to his sermons and instructions.

He was accused of opposing the peasants' national aspirations for independence from Austria. While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed. A Protestant offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God's hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed.

He was canonizefd in 1746. Fifteen yers later, the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, which was established in 1622, recognized him as its first martyr.


Comment:

Fidelis's constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, "Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain." His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of "the poor man's lawyer" by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world.

Quote:

"Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation" ("Justice in the World," Synod of Bishops, 1971).

Always Room    

Whether your faith is newly minted, slightly out of practice, or decades old, your faithâ€"our faithâ€"is the only ticket you need to the family banquet. Join us for Mass: There’s always room at this table.

Dili laay oy, i wish to see lots of places, travel and travel samtang lig-on pa ang akong mga tuhod.

thanks to your crosses, better than the double-cross!

St. George



If Mary Magdalene was the victim of misunderstanding, George is the object of a vast amount of imagination. There is every reason to believe that he was a real martyr who suffered at Lydda in Palestine, probably before the time of Constantine. The Church adheres to his memory, but not to the legends surrounding his life.

That he was willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believes. And it is enough.

The story of George's slaying the dragon, rescuing the king's daughter and converting Libya is a twelfth-century Italian fable. George was a favorite patron saint of crusaders, as well as of Eastern soldiers in earlier times. He is a patron saint of England, Portugal, Germany, Aragon, Catalonia, Genoa and Venice.


Comment:

Human nature seems unable to be satisfied with mere cold historical data. Americans have Washington and Lincoln, but we somehow need Paul Bunyan, too. The life of St. Francis of Assisi is inspiring enough, but for centuries the Italians have found his spirit in the legends of the Fioretti, too. Santa Claus is the popular extension of the spirit of St. Nicholas. Both fact and legend are human ways of illumining the mysterious truth about the One who alone is holy.

Quote:

"When we look at the lives of those who have faithfully followed Christ, we are inspired with a new reason for seeking the city which is to come" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 50).

Patron Saint of:

Boy Scouts
England
Germany
Portugal
Soldiers

Staying Focused

We ask you, gracious God, to help us to become more aware of the gift of your presence. Keep us from getting so caught up in our activitiesâ€"or in our rush to accomplish thingsâ€"that we lose sight of the immensity of your love and care for us.

dili lalim ning Pre Menstrual Syndrom! Labay nako nia-na,

St. Adalbert of Prague
(956-97)

Opposition to the Good News of Jesus did not discourage Adalbert, who is now remembered with great honor in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Germany.

Born to a noble family in Bohemia, he received part of his education from St. Adalbert of Magdeburg. At the age of 27 he was chosen as bishop of Prague. Those who resisted his program of clerical reform forced him into exile eight years later.

In time, the people of Prague requested his return as their bishop. Within a short time, however, he was exiled again after excommunicating those who violated the right of sanctuary by dragging a woman accused of adultery from a church and murdering her.

After a short ministry in Hungary, he went to preach the Good News to people living near the Baltic Sea. He and two companions were martyred by pagan priests in that region. Adalbert's body was immediately ransomed and buried in Gniezno cathedral (Poland). In the mid-11th century his relics were moved to St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.


Comment:

Preaching the Good News can be dangerous work whether the audience is already baptized or not. Adalbert fearlessly preached Jesus' gospel and received a martyr's crown for his efforts. Similar zeal has created modern martyrs in many places, especially in Central and South America. Some of those martyrs grew up in areas once evangelized by Adalbert.

Quote:

“God our Father, you have honored the Church with the victorious witness of St. Adalbert, who died for his faith. As he imitated the suffering and death of the Lord, may we follow in his footsteps and come to eternal joy” (adapted from the Common of a Martyr in the Easter season).

Growing Stronger

Oh God, giver of life and healer of hearts, when we are faced with suffering or illness, help us to see such challenges, not as times of disgrace, but rather as times of grace and potential growth.

Fasting sa Internet!

CONCERNING LENTEN DISCIPLINE

Our patron St. Benedict has said that all of life should be a continuous Lent. This means that we should live in some form of regular self-discipline and self-denial, especially  if we expect to make any progress in the spiritual life. This makes Lent an icon, of sorts, of our entire spiritual lives, and what we accomplish during our Lenten discipline is probably reflective of the status of our spiritual lives; if we start and promptly fail in our Lenten discipline, this is probably the way things happen in our daily spiritual struggles, that is, we have good intentions with little success. If we begin our Lenten discipline, promptly fail and then cease trying, this too, is probably reflective of the way we approach spiritual discipline.

If Lent is, indeed, iconic of the spiritual life, then we definitely want our spiritual discipline to result in a successful Lent. This means that we must take Lent seriously, carefully plan our Lenten disciplines, and strive throughout Lent to fulfill them. It also becomes imperative that we not quit when we lapse or fail in our disciplines. This latter is the key to success, not just during Lent, but during the remainder of our lives as well. In that regard, the following statements constitute some key ways win which we can maintain a successful Lent, and be able to grow in spiritual discipline and knowledge and love of God because of it.

    EXPECT of oneself to make SOME sacrifice during Lent, be a favorite food or activity. The self-denial and the sacrifice learned is a good tool for combating our usual self-indulgence.

    DO some sort of spiritual reading or study during Lent. We should be doing this all year, but a least we should do it during Lent. This discipline trains us to think like Jesus, and this accumulated knowledge alters our attitudes toward being successful in the spiritual life.

    OBSERVE the Fasting and Abstinence rules during Lent. Abstain from meat and its by-products on Wednesdays and Fridays [Western Rite discipline] and reduce food intake on all other Lenten days except Sunday. This does not need to be a starvation diet; it only needs to be reasonable reduction to have its effect on us. Remember, the Fathers point out that controlling our eating is one of the key ingredients in being victorious in spiritual discipline. If we can control our eating, we begin to control our other passions and tendencies. Observing Lenten fasting and abstinence is necessary to all  Lenten success.

    PRAY for others during Lent. If this is already part of one’s spiritual discipline, then it should be increased it in some way, either by increasing the number of people for whom intercessions are offered or the number of times in which it is done. This action is critical, since it requires selflessness of us. Selflessness is a significant ingredient in successful spirituality, since selfishness is the usual culprit in our spiritual failures. 

    GO to confession. Pride is the root of all of our sins, and confession violates the root of pride. By confessing before God and His priest, we undermine the source of our spiritual failures.

    BE consistent in observing Lenten discipline. Failure at any moment is not permission to cease altogether, although this is often the posture which many of us take. Get up, keep moving, keep striving to succeed. Make THAT  practice a part of Lenten discipline as well; if we can be successful in that simple task, , that is continually striving, all else will begin to fall into place.   

Felix, you are very young at heart, cheers!

St. Anselm
(1033-1109)



Indifferent toward religion as a young man, Anselm became one of the Church's greatest theologians and leaders. He received the title "Father of Scholasticism" for his attempt to analyze and illumine the truths of faith through the aid of reason.

At 15, Anselm wanted to enter a monastery, but was refused acceptance because of his father's opposition. Twelve years later, after careless disinterest in religion and years of worldly living, he finally fulfilled his desire to be a monk. He entered the monastery of Bec in Normandy, three years later was elected prior and 15 years later was unanimously chosen abbot.

Considered an original and independent thinker, Anselm was admired for his patience, gentleness and teaching skill. Under his leadership, the abbey of Bec became a monastic school, influential in philosophical and theological studies.

During these years, at the community's request, Anselm began publishing his theological works, comparable to those of St. Augustine. His best-known work is the book Cur Deus Homo ("Why God Became Man").

At 60, against his will, Anselm was appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1093. His appointment was opposed at first by England's King William Rufus and later accepted. Rufus persistently refused to cooperate with efforts to reform the Church.

Anselm finally went into voluntary exile until Rufus died in 1100. He was then recalled to England by Rufus's brother and successor, Henry I. Disagreeing fearlessly with Henry over the king's insistence on investing England's bishops, Anselm spent another three years in exile in Rome.

His care and concern extended to the very poorest people; he opposed the slave trade. Anselm obtained from the national council at Westminster the passage of a resolution prohibiting the sale of human beings.


Comment:

Anselm, like every true follower of Christ, had to carry his cross, especially in the form of opposition and conflict with those in political control. Though personally a mild and gentle man and a lover of peace, he would not back off from conflict and persecution when principles were at stake.

Quote:

"No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will also be the desire of God" (St. Anselm, Letter 112).

The Ultimate Sacrifice    

At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross through the centuries until he should come again and in this way to entrust to his beloved Bride, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection.

Italians, it is well known, love their pasta. So too, apparently, do Vietnamese. This man in Huu Hoa village outside of Hanoi prepares to deliver a load of mien, otherwise known as vermicelli, for use in numerous tasty dishes containing pork, chicken, beef or seafood.

kining si Bugsay maoy King of Taiwan, pahilom hilom lang.

shalan man ni? Botta pa imong mata?

St. Conrad of Parzham
(1818-1894)


Conrad spent most of his life as porter in Altoetting, Bavaria, letting people into the friary and indirectly encouraging them to let God into their lives.

His parents, Bartholomew and Gertrude Birndorfer, lived near Parzham, Bavaria. In those days this region was recovering from the Napoleonic wars. A lover of solitary prayer and a peacemaker as a young man, Conrad joined the Capuchins as a brother. He made his profession in 1852 and was assigned to the friary in Altoetting. That city’s shrine to Mary was very popular; at the nearby Capuchin friary there was a lot of work for the porter, a job Conrad held for 41 years.

At first some of the other friars were jealous that such a young friar held this important job. Conrad’s patience and holy life overcame their doubts. As porter he dealt with many people, obtaining many of the friary supplies and generously providing for the poor who came to the door. He treated them all with the courtesy Francis expected of his followers.

Conrad’s helpfulness was sometimes unnerving. Once Father Vincent, seeking quiet to prepare a sermon, went up the belltower of the church. Conrad tracked him down when someone wanting to go to confession specifically requested Father Vincent.

Conrad also developed a special rapport with the children of the area. He enthusiastically promoted the Seraphic Work of Charity, which aided neglected children.

Conrad spent hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He regularly asked the Blessed Mother to intercede for him and for the many people he included in his prayers. The ever-patient Conrad was canonized in 1934.

Comment:

As we can see from his life as well as his words, Conrad of Parzham lived a life that attracted others because of a special quality, something Chesterton alluded to when he wrote, "The moment we have a fixed heart we have a free hand" (Orthodoxy, p. 71). If we want to understand Conrad, we have to know where he fixed his heart. Because he was united to God in prayer, everyone felt at ease in Conrad’s presence.

Quote:

"It was God’s will that I should leave everything that was near and dear to me. I thank him for having called me to religious life where I have found such peace and joy as I could never have found in the world. My plan of life is chiefly this: to love and suffer, always meditating upon, adoring and admiring God’s unspeakable love for his lowliest creatures" (Letter of Saint Conrad).

Open Our Hearts

Oh, Jesus Lord, risen from the dead and no longer under death’s power, we hear you knocking at the doors of our hearts. Help us open our hearts to your immense loveâ€"a powerful love which drives out all fear.

Sumo wrestlers eat at least 2 kilos steaks a day.

japanese women eat only 80% of the normal meal, usually lots tofu and vegetables.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on April 19, 2011, 03:17:25 PM
korek ka Manay Tess... i was able to meet also my friends naa na man diay sila abroad, my long distance relatives, i was able to reconnect our communication again after 5 years...and i was able to meet friends also foreign friends actually... Salute to Mr. Zuckerberg..

my former classmates in Davao are now mostly in the USA and Canada, last time namo nagkita 1978. Mga relatives more than 40 years, nangapoh na silang tanan.

through Facebook I was able to meet long lost relatives, friends and classmates. Thank you Zuckerberg.

It has to be seen, abangan..,

Blessed Luchesio and Buonadonna
(d.1260)


Luchesio and his wife Buonadonna wanted to follow St. Francis as a married couple. Thus they set in motion the Secular Franciscan Order.

Luchesio and Buonadonna lived in Poggibonzi where he was a greedy merchant. Meeting Francisâ€"probably in 1213â€"changed his life. He began to perform many works of charity.

At first Buonadonna was not as enthusiastic about giving so much away as Luchesio was. One day after complaining that he was giving everything to strangers, Buonadonna answered the door only to find someone else needing help. Luchesio asked her to give the poor man some bread. She frowned but went to the pantry anyway. There she discovered more bread than had been there the last time she looked. She soon became as zealous for a poor and simple life as Luchesio was. They sold the business, farmed enough land to provide for their needs and distributed the rest to the poor.

In the 13th century some couples, by mutual consent and with the Church’s permission, separated so that the husband could join a monastery (or a group such as Francis began) and his wife could go to a cloister. Conrad of Piacenza and his wife did just that. This choice existed for childless couples or for those whose children had already grown up. Luchesio and Buonadonna wanted another alternative, a way of sharing in religious life, but outside the cloister.

To meet this desire, Francis set up the Secular Franciscan Order. Francis wrote a simple Rule for the Third Order (Secular Franciscans) at first; Pope Honorius III approved a more formally worded Rule in 1221.

The charity of Luchesio drew the poor to him, and, like many other saints, he and Buonadonna seemed never to lack the resources to help these people.

One day Luchesio was carrying a crippled man he had found on the road. A frivolous young man came up and asked, "What poor devil is that you are carrying there on your back?" "I am carrying my Lord Jesus Christ," responded Luchesio. The young man immediately begged Luchesio’s pardon.

Luchesio and Buonadonna both died on April 28, 1260. He was beatified in 1273. Local tradition referred to Buonadonna as "blessed" though the title was not given officially.

Comment:

It is easy to mock the poor, to trample on their God-given dignity. Mother Teresa of Calcutta often referred to poverty as Christ’s "distressing disguise." Since it is so easy to make people feel unwantedâ€"the poor, the sick, the mentally or physically handicapped, the aged, the unemployedâ€" resisting that temptation indicates the level of generosity in our lives. If the followers of Francis see Christ in the poor as Luchesio and Buonadonna did, they enrich the Church and keep it faithful to its Lord.

Quote:

Francis used to say, "Whoever curses a poor man does an injury to Christ, whose noble image he wears, the image of him who made himself poor for us in this world" (1 Celano, #76).

True Reverence

The person who puts God before all else truly possesses a proper fear of God, that is, a true reverence and appreciation of the one who created all things.

we are supporting this;
http://www.asienhaus.de/public/archiv/PAHRA_petition.pdf

dili tanan batan-onkay adunay mga social volunteers, choir. Age is not of importance.

Vamos! This is the word the Germans are using to invite people to join WYD 2011 in Spain.

Blessed James Oldo
(1364-1404)


You’ve heard rags-to-riches stories. Today, we celebrate the reverse.

James of Oldo was born in 1364, into a well-to-do family near Milan. He married a woman who, like him, appreciated the comforts that came with wealth. But an outbreak of plague drove James, his wife and their three children out of their home and into the countryside. Despite those precautions, two of his daughters died from the plague, James determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and to build God’s realm on earth.

He and his wife became Secular Franciscans. James gave up his old lifestyle and did penance for his sins. He cared for a sick priest, who taught him Latin. Upon the death of his wife, James himself became a priest. His house was transformed into a chapel where small groups of people, many of them fellow Secular Franciscans, came for prayer and support. James focused on caring for the sick and for prisoners of war. He died in 1404 after contracting a disease from one of his patients.

James Oldo was beatified in 1933.

Comment:

The death of those we love brings a troubling awareness of our own mortality. James had that experience when he gazed into his friend’s grave, and it brought him to his senses. He determined to use whatever time he had left to build up treasures in heaven and to build God’s realm on earth. Our time is limited, too. We can use it well or foolishly: The choice is ours.

Overcoming Fear

Jesus, help us to overcome our fear and discover that you are our loving Redeemer, full of God’s power and love, the model for humanity and the key to our meaning as human beings.

mona monang paningkamot jud, bisan gamay nako ug kinan-an, sige pa ug baktas kada adlaw, it is  truly difficult to shed off the extra poundage at my age.

dili ko ka qualify kay 23 ko!

Wow!

St. Benedict Joseph Labre
(d. 1783)


Benedict Joseph Labre was truly eccentric, one of God's special little ones. Born in France and the eldest of 18 children, he studied under his uncle, a parish priest. Because of poor health and a lack of suitable academic preparation he was unsuccessful in his attempts to enter the religious life. Then, at 16 years of age, a profound change took place. Benedict lost his desire to study and gave up all thoughts of the priesthood, much to the consternation of his relatives.

He became a pilgrim, traveling from one great shrine to another, living off alms. He wore the rags of a beggar and shared his food with the poor. Filled with the love of God and neighbor, Benedict had special devotion to the Blessed Mother and to the Blessed Sacrament. In Rome, where he lived in the Colosseum for a time, he was called "the poor man of the Forty Hours Devotion" and "the beggar of Rome." The people accepted his ragged appearance better than he did. His excuse to himself was that "our comfort is not in this world."

On the last day of his life, April 16, 1783, Benedict Joseph dragged himself to a church in Rome and prayed there for two hours before he collapsed, dying peacefully in a nearby house. Immediately after his death the people proclaimed him a saint.

He was officially proclaimed a saint by Pope Leo XIII at canonization ceremonies in 1883.


Comment:

In a modern inner city, one local character kneels for hours on the sidewalk and prays. Swathed in his entire wardrobe winter and summer, he greets passersby with a blessing. Where he sleeps no one knows, but he is surely a direct spiritual descendant of Benedict, the ragged man who slept in the ruins of Rome’s Colosseum. These days we ascribe such behavior to mental illness; Benedict’s contemporaries called him holy. Holiness is always a bit mad by earthly standards.

Patron Saint of:

Homeless

Salt of the Earth

Look to Jesus, the living One, and repeat what the Apostles asked: “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Prayer will be the salt that gives flavor to your lives, and leads you to him, humanity’s true light.

Day, dinhe sa Germany ang himoo butang gamay ug mustard condiment to ease  the digestion of vegetables. Kining cabbage for example kosog maka borot ug tiyan apil lentils, gamay kutsarita nga mustard isagol. Mo ferment man gud siya sa tiyan (gulay) ang mustard mo facilitate for easy digestion. I love lentils but it is embarassing in the public, a good friend of mine gave me this tip.

mao kini ang akong ikasaway sa mga bag-ong tubo mahadlok mahugaw ang mga kamot sa backyard gardening.
I have heared from restaurants/hotel groups commented that the quality of our vegetables is inferior to imported ones, they are also cheaper at that.