MikeLigalig.com

islander's miraculous medal


the banana republic's miraculous medal (placed in his wallet; it's beyond him to have a necklace)

happy to have them!

She was also told about the new Association to be founded, the Children of Mary, of the way May would become a special Marian month, and of how devotion to the Sacred Heart would greatly increase.

"The ball which you see represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.  These rays symbolise the graces I shed upon those who ask for them.  The gems from which rays do not fall are the graces for which souls forget to ask."

"Have a Medal struck after this model.  All who wear it will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck.  Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence."

Sources: Laurentin, The Life of Catherine Labouré; Dirvin, Saint Catherine Labouré.
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/

Mary then returned to the theme of the sorrows coming to France and the whole world, but told her not to be afraid, since she would always be protected and granted many graces.  A moment would come when everything would seem lost, but she should continue to have confidence since God was with her.  Other communities and individuals though would have to suffer.

Mary continued with tears in her eyes: "There will be victims [...] There will be victims among the clergy of Paris; Monsignor the Archbishop will die [...]  My child, the cross will be held in contempt.  It will be thrown to the ground.  Blood will flow.  Our Saviour's side will be opened anew.  The streets will run with blood. Monsignor the Archbishop will be stripped of his vestments ...My child, the whole world will be plunged into gloom."

Words spoken by Mary at Rue du Bac

Despite the importance of these apparitions in propagating the Miraculous Medal, it is surprising how little was said that was meant to be publicly revealed.

Mary told Catherine that God wished to charge her with a mission, that she would have trials to bear and many difficulties to overcome, but that she would always have an inner certainty as to what she should do.  She was told to tell everything she saw and heard to her confessor.

Mary then continued: "There will be bad times to come.  Misfortunes will come crashing down on France.  The throne will be toppled.  The whole world will be turned upside-down by misfortunes of all kinds [...] But come to the foot of this altar.  There, graces will be poured out on all those, small, or great, who ask for them with confidence and fervour.  Graces will be poured out especially [on those] who ask for them."

When her body was exhumed in 1933, it was found as fresh as it was on the day it was buried. Although she had been in the grave for fifty-seven years, her eyes remained very blue and beautiful; and in death her arms and legs were as supple as if she were asleep. Her incorrupt body is encased in glass beneath the side altar at the chapel of the Daughters of Charity at 140 Rue du Bac in Paris, France, beneath one of the sites where our Lady appeared to her. (http://www.pilgrimcenterofhope.org/)

It was an important element in reviving catholic belief in France, as well as in preparing the way for the proclamation of the dogma of Mary's Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX in 1854.  As foretold the Paris revolution of 1871 had very anti-religious elements, but fortunately the power of the Commune was defeated.

Catherine worked in a hostel for old men for forty years and was eventually canonised as St. Catherine Labouré, in 1947.

-http://www.theotokos.org.uk/

Then she was shown the reverse of the medal, consisting of a large "M" surmounted by a bar and cross, with two hearts, representing the hearts of Jesus and Mary, all encircled by twelve stars.  Again Fr Aladel was reluctant to act, but once the medal was struck and distributed, it rapidly earned the title of the "Miraculous" medal.



A canonical inquiry was initiated by Archbishop de Quelen and this concluded that Catherine was of good character, that the apparitions she had reported were to be accepted, and that the Miraculous Medal was supernaturally inspired and responsible for genuine miracles.

Later in the same year, on 27 November, Catherine again saw Mary in the chapel, during community meditation.  She was dressed in white, standing on a globe and holding a golden ball, with rings on her fingers flashing with light.  An inner voice told her that the ball represented the whole world and that the rays coming from Mary's fingers represented graces for individuals.

The golden ball then vanished as this apparition changed to represent Mary with her arms outstretched, inside an oval frame with golden lettering: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.  Again, an interior voice spoke, telling her to have a medal struck on this model.  It would be a source of great graces and should be worn around the neck.


photo credit: J. Dumas
Entrance to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a shrine in Paris at 140 Rue de Bac, 7th Arrondisement revered by Catholics as the site of three apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1830.  It is also the House of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.

She told Catherine that she had a mission for her and of the bad times which were to come, but promised help and grace for those who prayed.  In particular she spoke of the religious persecution which would break out in Paris later in the century, while also foretelling the coming events in the capital.  Catherine repeated all this to her spiritual director, Fr Aladel, who was sceptical, but this scepticism disappeared when the revolution in Paris began just over a week later on 27 July 1830.


Battle outside the Hôtel de Ville, by Jean Victor Schnetz
As foretold by the Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Catherine, the French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, Second French Revolution or Trois Glorieuses in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown.

The Story

Catherine Labouré was a twenty-four year old novice sister when she was privileged to see Mary, late at night, on 18 July 1830, in the chapel at the convent at Rue du Bac in Paris.  She was escorted by a figure she later took to be her guardian angel and saw Mary descend the altar steps and sit in the spiritual director's chair.


Rue du Bac, Paris

The Miraculous Medal (French: Médaille miraculeuse), also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is a medal originated by Saint Catherine Labouré following her reported vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Roman Catholic Church holds that wearing the medal with faith and devotion can bring special graces through the intercession of Mary at the hour of death.  However, such items of devotion are not charms and should not be construed as being either "magical" or superstitious but serve as constant physical reminders of devotion and Mary's promise. (wikipedia)

i don't know why i'm smiling...

i was hoping archbishop jose palma of cebu will be included.  well, maybe he's next.

looking back:


1991: Filipino Maureen Hultman, 16 years old, Roland Chapman, 21, son of an American Embassy employee, were fatally shot, together with Jussi Leino, 24, a Finnish holder of an ADB passport, who survived the shooting.


The gunman, Claudio Tehankee Jr., son of a Supreme Court chief justice under President Corazon Aquino and Philippine Ambassador to the US and brother of Justice Undersecretary Manuel Tehankee


During the hearing, the Hultmans and Claudio Tehankee Jr.

Typical criminal acts include pick pocketing, confidence schemes, acquaintance scams, and, in some cases, credit card fraud.

It also says that carjacking, kidnappings, robberies, and violent assaults sporadically occur throughout metro Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines.

In June, The Manila Times reported that Metro Manila remains the country’s crime capital with nearly 13,000 criminal incidents recorded during the first four months of the year.

Police figures reveal that from January to end of April, the index crime volume recorded by the police throughout the country reached 45,028. Of this number, 12,952 cases occurred in Metro Manila.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/

a corollary news feature:

CRIME IN MANILA IS 'SIGNIFICANT CONCERN' FOR U.S. NATIONALS

The killing is the first of a foreign diplomat's family member in the Philippines since the famous Hultman-Chapman case.

Claudio Teehankee Jr, son of the late chief justice Claudio Teehankee, was convicted of murdering two people, one of them the son of a U.S. Embassy employee, inside Dasmariñas subdivision also in Makati.

Teehankee Jr served 17 years in jail and was granted a presidential pardon in 2008.

The latest Crime and Security Report issued by the Regional Security Office of the U.S. Embassy says that crime is a significant concern in urban areas of the Philippines.

Public records indicate that the embassy had solicited a quotation for a service apartment - believed to refer to temporary accommodation -  for Mrs Anikow and her family.

The request included her spouse and their three children aged 12, 10 and six, and a 50lb Labrador, for 40 nights ending on September 24.

It is believed the family then moved to the Bel-Air apartment.

In Afghanistan, Mr Anikow was a Civil Affairs detachment executive officer deployed with Regimental Combat Team 3.

He was pictured in 2009 joking with local children during a patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. His mission was to interact with the local population in order to understand their concerns and identify possible reconstruction and development projects.

-excerpt from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/

Following news of his death, friends of Mr Anikow have begun posting messages of condolence on the Facebook page for the 4th Civil Affairs Group, the Marine corps he served in.

As part of this group, Mr Anikow was trained in 'Tactical Conflict Assessment Planning and Framework,' a technique that was designed to assist Marines foster relationships with local populations.

Mr Anikow is believed to have been a first tour officer on a consular assignment to the embassy in Manila.

-excerpt from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/

Stabbed: U.S. Marine Major George Anikow (left) served as a civil officer in Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2009 before moving to the Philippines, where he was killed at the weekend

kun mag-maskara tingali ug monkey mask.

hinaot di makahunahuna si fr chic ani.  pleeease...

haraw apil hibus simbako.

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 27, 2012, 09:48:58 AM
Di to maglaway kay grabe pa ang hangover...

aw, kuntento ra diay siya sa iyang duay.

soon.

my cats are well-trained.  they have spared nothing from these rules.  karon, arang gubaa sa akong mouse.  bag-o pa nilang gikumbabitan.  dugay na ko makasulod sa tb.  hurray for intelligent cats!

beer lang para ninyong duha, hubs ug chongks.  palawayon nato si bugsay.

aguy, luoya sa mama kun mobalik siyag tangtang-taod ug diapers aning duha.  by gulay!

kining mga boksidor andam gyod tingali na sila mamatay anytime kay nganong ni-enter man sila aning duwaa in the first place. 

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 26, 2012, 07:00:34 PM
sad kaayo nga news oi way good news dha

sorry gyod, ann.  ang ato na lang nga maghinulsol ang mga dagkog ulo nga perpetrators.  bisag awahi na ang tanan.  imagine their future that they have squandered because of misplaced pride.  di ni lun-an sa american embassy kasoha.  gawas nga naay diplomatic immunity ang ilang gibiktima, marine pa gyod, ug so far wa may huhungihong nga they did it in self-defense.

anyway, diay gamay nga good news.  nakadaog kog lotto, 3 numbers.  40 pesos.  maayo na lang.

3 kids, puro pa gagmay.  morag 6 years old pa ang eldest.  ang iyang misis tawon adto rang august niabot to serve her posting here in our country.  this is very sad.

di gyod ta makakitag pictures aning mga suspects.  maayong pagka-file dayon sa lawyer aning mga pakno against the release of such.  mauwaw ra man diay... lisod na sila.  murder charge man god kay ila pa mang gigukod ang victim.

i heard nga si anhing anikow morag pinoy, and he looks the part.


Major George Anikow (right), an inactive Marine, was stabbed to death in Manila at the weekend. Here he is pictured earlier this month in uniform at a ball with his wife Laura, a U.S. diplomat, and Jacob one of his three children (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/)

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:20:25 AM
Ten.

Write without pay until somebody offers pay.  If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for.

http://grammar.about.com/od/advicefromthepros/

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:17:51 AM
Nine.

The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction.  By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:15:09 AM
Eight.

Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English--it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in.

verbose: I explain myself from multiple perspectives, adding shades/layers of meaning to hone my point for accuracy and precision.

edited: I explain myself from multiple perspectives, adding layers of meaning for precision.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:12:38 AM
Seven.

Damnation (if you will allow the expression), get up and take a turn around the block and let the sentiment blow off you.  Sentiment is for girls... There is one thing I can't stand and won't stand, from many people.  That is, sham sentimentality.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on November 26, 2012, 11:22:54 AM
Ulan na bitaw sa Davao this morning, sa amo dire, dag-um na so anytime pwede na ni mobundak... nangandam na gani ko payong.. ang akong kahadlokan kaning kilat.. natagam na mi dire sa office sa una kay naigo bitaw ni ug kilat ang office.. agoy, mura'g nanglupad among ispiritu atong panahona... 20 ka computer permanent damage gyud..

aguy.  hinaot wa mo manimahong sulfur.

thanks, bai tigs.  waiting...

this is scary.  interesting, though.

why?  can i expect a backshovel?

mas bilib kog ang moabot sa yuta cheese na sagol yoghurt.

hahaha!  that is my spaceship, man.

kun dinung-ag pa unta.

nagbuwag na si justin ug charice?

wa ko kahibawog mag-unsa ko aning estoryaha tagaloging pa gyod... mohilak, mokatawa, magbagutbot?  mokaon na lang ko uy.

Redemptorist Church, Iloilo City

Redemptorist Church, Lipa City

Redemptorist Church, Dumaguete City

aherm.  mas maayo tingalig himoon na lang nako ni siyang driver sa akong spaceship for my intergalactic trips.

Quote from: llradzll on November 26, 2012, 03:06:27 PM

pwede pod open legs? hehehe

si pikoy atong huwaton nga motubag ana ha?  siya may maalamon anang mga butanga.  hehe, ang legs sa uban namo, morag kugita.  thank you nang imong liog.    

meantime, maghuwat sa ta sa estorya ni pikoy ani.  frame by frame, for a total of six chapters.

hahay.  hasta refrigerator, anginon.  naay tawo wa lang makit-i sa hulagway nitago sa ubos sa refrigerator kay siya ang paris sa unfaithful wife... ang bana kalit nga niabot. 

ang sumpay ani ang refrigerator iitsa sa bana sa gawas, dayon naay maigo sa yuta... magkita na silang tanan sa langit ug mag-estoryahay nganong nahilangit sila.  (gi-post ning estoryaha somewhere dinhi sa tb; wa lang ko katuod ug asa na to.)  kining mga prutas inside the ref diversionary tactic lang ni.

Quote from: Chongki on November 26, 2012, 02:50:53 PM
uhmmm ....  sorry ... but who's justin b?

hahaha!  tua na lagi... si bugsay ang maka-describe well ani niya kay no. 1 fan man siya.  so far, kahibawo lang ko nga di ni siya anak ni neil diamond.

unsa kahay sol-ubon niya kun si pnoy nato ang iyang ikakita?  that is, when he gets the award of winning over scarborough shoal...

compare and contrast edition
(http://www.google.com/)

look at that kid...

Justin Bieber Gets Medal From Canada’s Prime Minister While Wearing Overalls


Justin Bieber and Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper

November 24th, 2012

Justin Bieber, proud son of Canada, received a special honor from his native country on Friday.

The pop star met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and was presented with a Diamond Jubilee Medal, marking the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and recognizing “significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.”

But Bieber’s choice of outfit is raising some eyebrows.

Many online commenters are criticizing the singer’s decision to greet the leader of Canada while wearing overalls (partly undone), a t-shirt and backwards baseball cap.

Harper himself simply tweeted the photo and wrote, ”Was happy to present @justinbieber with a Diamond Jubilee Medal today. #beliebers.”

Bieber’s thoughts on the event were even more succinct.

“Overauhls, lol,” tweeted The Biebs. (http://www.gossipcop.com/)

maayo ra.  i really don't like this justin.  maybe i'm just too old for his kind.  but when i told my 11-year-old daughter that justin and what's-her-name girlfriend had broken up, she merely answered without looking up: i'm not interested.  uh-huh.  holy momma, i expected her to emote at least.

hi, radz.  you from saturn?  i'm from pluto.  joke only.  opkors naman.  enjoy lang ko sa akong humanoid miga nga si lolla kay i visited her last night via a u.f.o. taxi.

nice of you to drop by.  best if you stay.  we're such a mixed crowd of inter-species and interplanetary connections and we always welcome the likes of you with open doors.  the open arms will come later.  

Redemptorist Church, Bacolod City

Redemptorist Church, Tacloban City

Redemptorist Church, Davao City

Redemptorist Church, Cebu City


The altar of the Redemptorist Church in Cebu City

Our Mother of Perpetual Help veneration in the Philippines


Our Mother of Perpetual Help National Shrine
Baclaran Church, Parañaque City


Inside the Baclaran Church

aruy.  unsa na kaha diay intawon ug wa pa mamahimong buotan si botoy.

In January 1855, the Redemptorist priests purchased Villa Caserta in Rome along the Via Merulana and converted it into their headquarters.  Without realizing it, the land they had purchased was actually the church and monastery of Saint Matthew, the site which was the alleged choice of the Virgin to enshrine the icon.

Decades later, Pope Pius IX invited the Redemptorist Fathers to set up a Marian house of veneration in Rome, in response to which the Redemptorists built the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori at that location.  The Redemptorists were thus established on the Via Merulana, not knowing that it had once been the site of the Church of San Matteo and shrine of the once-famous icon. (wikipedia)


St. Alphonsus Liguori, Rome


Sign outside the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori

Transfer

In 1798, French troops under Louis-Alexandre Berthier occupied Rome as part of the French Revolutionary Wars, establishing the short-lived Roman Republic and taking Pope Pius VI prisoner.  Among the several churches demolished during the French occupation was San Matteo in Via Merulana, which housed the icon.

The Augustinian friars who rescued the icon first took it to the nearby Church of St. Eusebius, then later set it up on a side altar in the Church of Santa Maria in Posterula. (wikipedia)

wow.  maayo diay kaayo nga copy tong inyo.

Origin and discovery

The earliest written account of the image comes from a Latin and Italian plaque placed in the church of San Matteo in Via Merulana where it was first venerated by the public in 1499.

The writer of the icon is unknown, but according to a parchment attached to the painting that accompanied the icon, it was stolen by a merchant from Crete who was sailing to Rome.  The merchant sailed and hid the icon while traveling at sea, until a storm hit hard and the sailors prayed with the icon for help.  When the merchant arrived in Rome he fell ill, and as he was dying wish he asked a second merchant to place the icon in a church where it could serve for veneration.

Initially, the merchant was reluctant in giving away the icon and took four instances until the second merchant confided to his wife about the icon.  Upon seeing the beautiful icon, the woman refused to give it to the church but instead hung it in their home. 

Later on, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to the merchant's daughter, grandmother and neighbor, who implored that the icon be turned over to a parish.  The Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to the little girl that the icon ought to be placed between the basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.  The wife gave the icon to the Augustinian Friars.  On March 27, 1499, the icon was transferred to the church of San Matteo where it remained for 300 years. (wikipedia)

Some Roman Catholics believe the icon to be a true copy of the painting that according to legend was painted from the life by Saint Luke using the meal table of the Holy Family in Nazareth, and in Eastern Orthodox tradition was often identified with the Hodegetria icon, and consider it to be a miraculous imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary both in the Latin and Orthodox communities.  The icon is unique and renowned due to Mary looking towards the faithful, while pointing at her son, Jesus Christ who is frightened by the instruments of crucifixion and is depicted with a fallen sandal. (wikipedia)

The Greek inscriptions read 'MP-ΘΥ (ΜήÏ,,ηρ Θεού, Mother of God); OAM (Archangel Michael); OAÎ" (Archangel Gabriel); and IÏ,-XÏ, ( ἸησοῦÏ, ΧρισÏ,,ÏŒÏ,, Jesus Christ ), respectively. 

The icon is painted with a gold background on a walnut panel which was probably painted in the islands of Crete, which at the time was then ruled by the Republic of Venice.

The Cretan School was the source of the many icons imported into Europe from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. 

The icon was cleaned and restored once in 1866 and again in the year 1940. (wikipedia)

The image depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a dress of dark red, representing the Passion of Jesus, with a blue mantle, representing her perpetual virginity, and cloaked veil, which represents her pure modesty. 

On the left side is the Saint Archangel Michael, carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus. 

On the right is the Saint Archangel Gabriel carrying a 3-bar cross used by Popes at the time and nails. 

The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead, signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as to the school which has produced this icon.

The Byzantine depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art has three stars, one star each on the shoulder and one on the forehead.

This type of icon is called Hodegetria composition, where Saint Mary is also pointing to her Son, known as a Theotokos of the Passion. (wikipedia)

Description

The original wooden icon suspended in the altar measures 17" × 21" inches and is painted on hard nut wood with a gold leaf background. (wikipedia)

according to dictionary.reference.com, an icon is:

1.  a picture, image, or other representation
2.  (to the Eastern Church), a representation of some sacred personage, as Christ or a saint or angel, painted usually on a wood surface and venerated itself as sacred.

this is one icon venerated by the Roman Catholic Church:


Our Mother of Perpetual Help

tb assholes, who else.  (wanna volunteer as one?)

paita ning estoryang hanging uy.  unsa may nahitabo human ana?  was the monkey punished?  was the boy hurt?  ang bata ba ang gikasab-an nganong iyang gitagaan ug expired nga sandwich ang monkey?  naa bay map to a hidden treasure nga gilup-it sa sandwich mao nga nasuko si monkey nganong siyay tagaan nga di man siya kabasa?  nagbayloanan ba ug mga nawong ang bata ug monkey? 

asows, ikaw bay maunggoy, lalim ba.

Eternal rest grant unto Robert Matson, O Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.  Amen.

salamat at hindi kayo naniniwala, chongks.  bakit kasi itong si flying segs, type niya yata ang bawang ng adobo...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VOTIVES!

here's a virtual birthday cake:



may you have a real time appetite!  guten appetit!


from the tb choir:

Going back to Psalm 119, we find purpose statements connected with the illumination verses. “I will meditate on your wonders” (v. 27), “I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart” (v. 34), “that I may understand your statutes” (v. 125), “that I may live” (v. 144).  The illumination always points to action.  Why does God help us understand His Word? So we are able to live in its light.  First John 1:6 challenges us, “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”  We could paraphrase it to say, “If we say we've been enlightened, but still walk in the dark, we lie about understanding God's Word.”  The Spirit of God, who enlightens us to hear and understand God's Word, then takes that knowledge and guides us in living it. Romans 8:14 says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”  The illuminating and leading work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a confirmation that we are indeed children of God.

http://www.gotquestions.org/

One thing that is sometimes overlooked in the discussion of illumination is the purpose of it.  To hear some arguments, it would seem that the whole purpose of illumination is an accurate and academic understanding of God's Word.  There is no question that God desires us to accurately understand what He has given us.  Words have meaning, and we must pay attention to the details in those words.  If, however, we stop there, we simply have an academic understanding of facts or philosophies, which do no one any good.

What is the Holy Spirit's illuminating work in believers?  Ephesians 1:17-18 tells us that the Spirit gives wisdom and revelation concerning Jesus Christ, and opens the eyes of understanding so we can know God's purposes in our lives.  In 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, God has revealed His plans for us by His Spirit, who teaches us spiritual things.  The context here points to the Word of God as that which has been revealed.  The Spirit of God will always point us to the Word of God for our instruction.  As Jesus told His disciples in John 16:12-15, the Spirit simply repeats what the Father and the Son have already said.  This repetition helps us remember and fully hear what God has already told us.  Sometimes we have to hear things several times before we actually hear them.  That's where the Spirit comes in.

One passage that sometimes stirs controversy regarding illumination is John 14:26, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  Jesus was speaking to His disciples in the upper room, giving them last instructions before His death.  This special group of men was to be responsible for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole world.  They had spent three and a half years with Him, watching His miracles and hearing His teachings.  They would relay those things to the rest of the world, and would need God's special help remembering those things accurately.  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach them and remind them of what had been said, so they could give it to others (including the writing of the Gospels).  This verse does not teach that the Spirit will do so with all believers (though there are other verses that speak of the Spirit's illuminating work).

Regular study of the Word of God will give direction and understanding in the issues of life.  This is the first method of God's illumination and the starting point for us all.  In Psalm 119 we also find another type of God's illumination.  Verse 18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” These are not new revelations, but things which have been written and revealed long before, and just now understood by the reader (one of those “aha!” moments).  Similarly, verse 73 says, “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.”  The plea is for personal understanding and application of God's laws as they are studied by the individual.  Fifteen times in this psalm, God is asked to teach or give understanding regarding His laws.

The most basic level of enlightenment is the knowledge of sin, and without that knowledge, everything else is pointless. Psalm 18:28 says, “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”  Psalm 119, which is the longest chapter in the Bible, is a song about God's Word.  In verse 130, it says “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”  This verse establishes the basic method of God's illumination.  When God's Word enters the heart of a person, it gives light and understanding to them. For this reason, we are repeatedly told to study the Word of God.  Psalm 119:11 says “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Verses 98 and 99 say “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”

from gotquestions?org

Question: "What is the biblical doctrine of illumination?"

Answer: Simply put, illumination in the spiritual sense is “turning on the light” of understanding in some area.  Throughout the ages, people in every culture and religion have claimed some kind of revelation or enlightenment from God (whether true or not).  When that enlightenment deals with new knowledge or future things, we call it prophecy.  When that enlightenment deals with understanding and applying knowledge already given, we call it illumination.  Regarding illumination of the latter type, the question arises, “How does God do it?”

sige gyod.  make yourself useful.  election is nigh.  synergy sa imong kigow.  how about explaining why you had the biggest expense as senator-in-incarceration?

accepting not that which is contrary to your opinions, eh?

walang toyo ang crispy pata.  bakit mas masarap ito kay sa adobo?

Nobody can add to the absurdity of this book, nobody can imitate it successfully, nobody can hope to produce its fellow; it is perfect.
                 
         -Mark Twain, on English as She Is Spoke

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:09:17 AM
Six.

Use good grammar.

English As She Is Spoke
by Pedro Carolino

from the book's introduction:

We expect then who the little book (for the care what we wrote him, and for her typographical correction) that may be worth the acceptation of the studious persons, and especially of the Youth, at which we dedicate him particularly.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:06:01 AM
Five. 

Substitute damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

She was very beautiful, very unique, very dead.
She was damn beautiful, damn unique, damn dead.
She was beautiful, unique, dead.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:04:28 AM
Four.

You need not expect to get your book right the first time.  Go to work and revamp or rewrite it.  God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention.  These are God's adjectives.  You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.

because you're not god, you need time to perfect your work.  any work for that matter.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:02:28 AM
Three.

As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.

I really enjoy this particular group of mothers.

Quote from: islander on November 26, 2012, 12:00:49 AM
Two.

Use the right word, not its second cousin.

why use sinister and dexter when left and right will do?

Quote from: islander on November 25, 2012, 11:59:25 PM
One.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.

William Shakespeare's historical plays, for example, are gross distortions of historical fact but are nevertheless lauded as outstanding literary works. (wikipedia)

in the case of non-literary writing, like media reports, it's another matter.

According to De Sales' Selected Letters, the "torment of despair came to a sudden end" as he knelt in prayer before the statue of Our Lady of Good Deliverance (the Black Madonna) at the church of Saint-Étienne-des-Grès, Paris, saying the Memorare.  Francis credited the Blessed Virgin with "saving him from falling into despair or heresy"; he "recited the Memorare day after day", and she "did not leave him unaided".

/wikipedia

For one whole month he suffered this mental torture, this agony of soul.  He had lost all the sweetness of divine love, but not, happily, his fidelity to it.  He looked back with happy tears to the happy time when he was, as it were, inebriated with that sweetness, nor did any ray of hope illumine the darkness of that night of despair.  In late December, at last, led by a divine inspiration, he entered a church to pray that this agony might pass.

On his knees before a statue of the Blessed Virgin he implored the assistance of the Mother of Mercy with tears and sighs, and the most fervent devotion.

/wikipedia

At the age of 18, while studying at the Jesuit run Collège de Clermont at the University of Paris, according to the book The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales, by Jean-Pierre Camus:

    The evil spirit was permitted by God to insinuate into his mind the terrible idea that he was one of the number of the damned.  This delusion took such possession of his soul that he lost his appetite, was unable to sleep, and day by day grew more wasted and languid.  His tutor and director noticing how his health was affected, and how pale, listless, and joyless he had become often questioned him as to the cause of his dejection and evident suffering, but his tormentor who had filled his mind with this delusion, being what is called a dumb devil, the poor youth could give no explanation.

/wikipedia

The de Sales family were members of the minor nobility and staunch Catholics, but St. Francis de Sales fell victim to the religious turmoil of his age.  The question of predestination, the hottest point of contention between Catholic and Calvinist theologians, tormented him while he was a student in Paris.  In his distress over the uncertain fate of his soul he cried out to God, “Whatever happens, Lord, may I at least love you in this life if I cannot love you in eternity.”

/wikipedia

Part of the reason Fr. Claude Bernard held the prayer in such high regard was because he himself felt that he had been miraculously cured by its use. 

In a letter to Queen Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII, he wrote that he was deathly ill once.  In fear of his life he recited the Memorare and immediately began to get well again.  Feeling unworthy of such a miracle, he attributed the cure to some unknown natural cause. 

Sometime later, Brother Fiacre, a discalced Augustinian, came to call upon Fr. Bernard.  The good brother begged Fr. Bernard's pardon for disturbing him, but he desired to know how Fr. Bernard was getting along.  Brother Fiacre then went on to say that the Virgin Mary had appeared to him in a vision, told him of Fr. Bernard's illness, told him how she had cured Fr. Bernard of it, and that he was to assure Fr. Bernard of this fact.  Fr. Bernard then goes on to write in his letter that he was ashamed of his ingratitude in attributing the cure to natural causes, and asked for God's forgiveness in the matter.

/wikipedia

History of the prayer

This prayer is originally from a longer prayer of the 15th century and was popularized in the 17th century by Fr. Claude Bernard, who learned it from his father.

According to the book Familiar Prayers: Their Origin and History written by Fr. Herbert Thurston S.J. in 1953:

    Fr. Claude Bernard, known as the "Poor Priest", zealously dedicated himself to the preaching and aiding of prisoners and criminals condemned to death.  Trusting his charges to the care and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fr. Bernard employed the Memorare extensively in his work of evangelization to great effect.  Many a criminal was reconciled to God through his efforts.  At one time he had more than 200,000 leaflets printed with the Memorare in various languages so he could distribute the leaflets wherever he felt they would do some good.

/wikipedia