MikeLigalig.com

profi jud sa marketing disguise!

Emptiness    

Emptiness given to Christ becomes life-giving; emptiness without Christ leads to despair and hopelessness. Emptiness given to Christ allows us to finally be filled!

Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
(d. 203?)


“When my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vesselâ€"waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it be called by any other name than what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘So also I cannot call myself by any other name than what I amâ€"a Christian.’”

So writes Perpetua, young, beautiful, well-educated, a noblewoman of Carthage, mother of an infant son and chronicler of the persecution of the Christians by Emperor Septimius Severus.

Despite threats of persecution and death, Perpetua, Felicity (a slavewoman and expectant mother) and three companions, Revocatus, Secundulus and Saturninus, refused to renounce their Christian faith. For their unwillingness, all were sent to the public games in the amphitheater. There, Perpetua and Felicity were beheaded, and the others killed by beasts.

Perpetua’s mother was a Christian and her father a pagan. He continually pleaded with her to deny her faith. She refused and was imprisoned at 22.

In her diary, Perpetua describes her period of captivity: “What a day of horror! Terrible heat, owing to the crowds! Rough treatment by the soldiers! To crown all, I was tormented with anxiety for my baby.... Such anxieties I suffered for many days, but I obtained leave for my baby to remain in the prison with me, and being relieved of my trouble and anxiety for him, I at once recovered my health, and my prison became a palace to me and I would rather have been there than anywhere else.”

Felicity gave birth to a girl a few days before the games commenced.

Perpetua’s record of her trial and imprisonment ends the day before the games. “Of what was done in the games themselves, let him write who will.” The diary was finished by an eyewitness.


Comment:

Persecution for religious beliefs is not confined to Christians in ancient times. Consider Anne Frank, the Jewish girl who, with her family, was forced into hiding and later died in Bergen-Belsen, one of Hitler’s death camps during World War II. Anne, like Perpetua and Felicity, endured hardship and suffering and finally death because she committed herself to God. In her diary Anne writes, “It’s twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst side, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God."

Quote:

Perpetua, unwilling to renounce Christianity, comforted her father in his grief over her decision, “It shall happen as God shall choose, for assuredly we depend not on our own power but on the power of God.“

Straight & Narrow Path    

Only the Lord can enable us to do battle successfully; only he can bind up our wounds and heal our battle scars. True joy and peace are on the straight and narrow path that Jesus shows us.

War and peace of Leo Tolstoy needs a lot of time and patience, taas jamo.

This simply the blitzkrieg of your fantasy!

maka wala ug depression inyong mga tubag, butangi!

a piece of news to refresh you;

Vizconde murder case exemplifies state of justice system
Filed on December 26, 1999
By Raissa Robles

The life conviction yesterday of an ex-lawmaker’s son and five others from prominent families reflects the true state of the justice system.

It grinds exceedingly long when the accused are rich and powerful, but quite fast when they are poor.

Some 955 Filipinos have been convicted to death for crimes they have committed starting 1994 when capital punishment was restored. The bulk of them are poor, anti-death penalty advocates said.

In contrast, suspects in the massacre of the Vizconde family took three presidential administrations to convict and even now, their powerful families are talking of hammering the Supreme Court for a new trial.

In the seven recent executions by lethal injection, three of those put to death for the crime of rape did not kill their victims.

In contrast, ex-Senator Freddie Webb’s son, Hubert, and his friends not only murdered Estrellita Vizconde, 47, her daughters Carmela, 18 and Jennifer, 7, by stabbing them repeatedly, they also took turns raping Carmela, Paranaque Regional Trial Court Judge Amelita Tolentino said in her verdict yesterday which took four and a half hours to read out.

The crime took place in the early morning hours of June 30, 1991 but the convicts were arrested only in 1995 because Hubert Webb, “besides being rich and influential, had a father who was a congressman and later a senator of the Republic,” Judge Tolentino said.

I´m for death penalty. The horrors of the Ampatuan and Vizconde massacre is still on my mind.

This is a stuffed cat!

pastilan Inday Raqs, lupig pa diay ang labatiba bag-o manganak! Baleh kining usyosera! Mosulay pod ko .

wah ko kakita ug kamachile sa Bohol. Prutas man tingali ni sa Luzon.

Servant of God Sylvester of Assisi
(d. 1240)


Sylvester was one of the first 12 followers of St. Francis of Assisi and was the first priest in the Franciscan Order. A descendant of a noble family, Sylvester once sold Francis stones which were to be used to rebuild a church. When, a short while later, he saw Francis and Bernard of Quintavalle distributing Bernard's wealth to the poor, Sylvester complained that he had been poorly paid for the stones and asked for more money.

Though Francis obliged, the handful of money he gave Sylvester soon filled him with guilt. He sold all of his goods, began a life of penance and joined Francis and the others. Sylvester became a holy and prayerful man, and a favorite of Francisâ€"a companion on his journeys, the one Francis went to for advice. It was Sylvester and Clare who answered Francis' query with the response that he should serve God by going out to preach rather than by devoting himself to prayer.

Once in a city where civil war was raging, Sylvester was commanded by Francis to drive the devils out. At the city gate Sylvester cried out: "In the name of almighty God and by virtue of the command of his servant Francis, depart from here, all you evil spirits." The devils departed and peace returned to the city.

Sylvester lived 14 more years after the death of Francis and is buried near him in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.


Comment:

Sylvester probably would have asked a higher price for his stones if he had thought Francis had the money. In today’s world he might have written the difference off on his taxes as a charitable contribution, but that wasn’t an option in his day. Quite understandably, he asked for payment from the money Francis was handing out so freely. So why did he later feel guilty? Perhaps he realized that, like many of us, he placed a higher value on lesser things.

Humility    

Brokenness enables us to truly be humble, which in turn enables us to look for help. Christ said that the meek shall inherit the earth and that he came to call sinners, not the righteous.

hubs, mao jud pirmi ang papel sa baje martir!

There are European marine fleets at bay ( German and Dutch) trying to evacuate and rescue European nationals. At this time of writing a report from Der Spiegel english version says;

A Dutch attempt to evacuate workers from Libya has failed, and three members of a helicopter crew are being held by forces loyal to Gadhafi. Meanwhile, warships from around the world are gathering in the Mediterranean. The International Criminal Court says it will investigate Gadhafi for crimes against humanity, but US defense officials have criticized calls for military intervention.

It could be an excuse to install a Sharia government like in Iran.

polong ra man dinhe, walay barang. Okay Ondoy Petersen, start the ball rolling and tell us what you want to hear and when are you coming?

Barato pa gihapon, dinhe kay mahal jamo ug tax plus insurance.
I walk and ride the bus, I sold my VW Golf.

There are lots of camachile trees along Sun Valley Area before (1961-62). Akong kuhiton ug dayon ibaligya sa Tambo Elementary school, ang halin akong ipalit ug papel. Ang sobra nga kwarta akong gitigom, pohonan ipalit ug usa ka sopot white rabbit ug chewing gum. Akong ibaligya during recess. This was I how earned my pocket money . Hubs, you brought back my wonderful days through this thread, thank you!

One liter diesel Euro 1.33 in Holland.

a great camera is used here.

metal cilice strapped on thigh.

hunger is a form of corporal mortification itself.

I have read that reaching the age of 30, we have stopped growing so we should eat less. The japanese showed that eating only 80% of a normal meal is healthful and promotes longevity.
We are overeating, no wonder our illness is mostly hypertension and diabetes.

Quote from: hubag bohol on March 05, 2011, 11:34:43 AM
Klaro kaayo nga trained ni. Tarong gud kaayong standing upright ra sa daplin, hinipos pa ang front paws... 

Ajo ug siya ang isonod!

Zero Calorie?

another year is gone, happy birthday!

I think there is a lawyer association who offer their services free for marginalized workers, you must have one in Cebu. Mike palihog mas nasayod ka sa inani nga grupo, right?

St. John Joseph of the Cross
(1654-1734)


Self-denial is never an end in itself but is only a help toward greater charityâ€"as the life of Saint John Joseph shows.

John Joseph was very ascetic even as a young man. At 16 he joined the Franciscans in Naples; he was the first Italian to follow the reform movement of Saint Peter Alcantara. John’s reputation for holiness prompted his superiors to put him in charge of establishing a new friary even before he was ordained.

Obedience moved John to accept appointments as novice master, guardian and, finally, provincial. His years of mortification enabled him to offer these services to the friars with great charity. As guardian he was not above working in the kitchen or carrying the wood and water needed by the friars.

When his term as provincial expired, John Joseph dedicated himself to hearing confessions and practicing mortification, two concerns contrary to the spirit of the dawning Age of Enlightenment. John Joseph was canonized in 1839.


Comment:

John Joseph’s mortification allowed him to be the kind of forgiving superior intended by St. Francis. Self-denial should lead us to charityâ€"not to bitterness; it should help us clarify our priorities and make us more loving. John Joseph is living proof of Chesterton’s observation: "It is always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to keep one’s own" (G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, page 101).

Quote:

"And by this I wish to know if you love the Lord God and me, his servant and yoursâ€"if you have acted in this manner: that is, there should not be any brother in the world who has sinned, however much he may have possibly sinned, who, after he has looked into your eyes, would go away without having received your mercy, if he is looking for mercy. And if he were not to seek mercy, you should ask him if he wants mercy. And if he should sin thereafter a thousand times before your very eyes, love him more than me so that you may draw him back to the Lord. Always be merciful to [brothers] such as these" (St. Francis, Letter to a Minister).

Christ In Us    

Christ in us does not negate our unique personality, nor does he eliminate our singular contribution to the human experience. The opposite is true: Christ in us enables us to be the fullest and most authentic versions of ourselves.

The group was once unpopular for supporting Pinochet to  get rid of Allende, the rest is history.

Koh Sing gaw loh!

Ang galing, salamat  kaayo Day! 

Hubs, kujawan ta !

hubs, i tried checking the documentary film about a group of students from Uni Freiburg, who imitated the life of the early gladiators. It was amazing to learn that ate only simple foods like oats everyday, no meat. After 4 weeks they underwent  some medicla check-ups and they were fit and in good health.

rehistrado ba kini nga kompanya, aduna kay kopya sa labor contract?

klasse, vielen dank ondoy Hubs.

grabeh bitaw nag baha ang mga gays sa Guindulman, anha mag istambay tapad sa Munisipyo, lisang akong anak nga si Chris!

Quote from: islander on January 22, 2011, 11:03:52 PM
ikaw nang naa sa tambutso sa pedicab.

Day  Isles, pareho jud ta ug huna-huna ha ha ha! Nganong pa-thrilling pa man?

Opus Dei is a Catholic institution founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Its mission is to help people turn their work and daily activities into occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society.
Opus Dei complements the work of local churches by offering classes, talks, retreats and pastoral care that help people develop their personal spiritual life and apostolate.
There are some who are very critical of this organization.

porbida oy, molabad kaong ulo makakita ug tambok!

St. Casimir
(1458-1483)

Casimir, born of kings and in line (third among 13 children) to be a king himself, was filled with exceptional values and learning by a great teacher, John Dlugosz. Even his critics could not say that his conscientious objection indicated softness. Even as a teenager, Casimir lived a highly disciplined, even severe life, sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer and dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy.

When nobles in Hungary became dissatisfied with their king, they prevailed upon Casimir’s father, the king of Poland, to send his son to take over the country. Casimir obeyed his father, as many young men over the centuries have obeyed their government. The army he was supposed to lead was clearly outnumbered by the “enemy”; some of his troops were deserting because they were not paid. At the advice of his officers, Casimir decided to return home. His father was irked at the failure of his plans, and confined his 15-year-old son for three months. The lad made up his mind never again to become involved in the wars of his day, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind. He returned to prayer and study, maintaining his decision to remain celibate even under pressure to marry the emperor’s daughter. He reigned briefly as king of Poland during his father’s absence. He died of lung trouble at 23 while visiting Lithuania, of which he was also Grand Duke. He was buried in Vilnius, Lithuania.


Comment:

For many years Poland and Lithuania faded into the gray prison on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Despite repression, the Poles and Lithuanians remained firm in the faith which has become synonymous with their name. Their youthful patron reminds us: Peace is not won by war; sometimes a comfortable peace is not even won by virtue, but Christ’s peace can penetrate every government repression of religion.

Patron Saint of:

Lithuania
Poland
Russia

You Complete Me    

Jesus shows us how to be fully human. All deity and all human, he shows us that a truly complete person is one who is in a life-giving relationship with God and others.

O yes, niay daghan dinhe. I know a leather with less brutal than your keyboard wound on their leg.

he he he I always admire the pictures you are posting!

How about sitting like this?

di-a ra diay;

www.ehow.com/videos-on_3338_swing-dance.html

I found a wonderful website folks;

SALVE REGINA

Dool na ang among reunion, gusto ko makakat-on ug swing, asa man ta mangita ug dance instructor sa Tagbi, please help?

Padre, ni-a pa gani ka sa gawas daghan ang plano, apan kon tua kana sa Bohol, morag nag gokod ang oras. Lumine texted me that Lorenzo is in Tagbi. Lorenzo texted me how to locate him while I was on my way to Calape, you know this Birhen sa Kasilag, kanang na-a sa shell? Dalikyat ra ang among pag-kita apan nag tabo mi sa Airport. My son was so amazed how friendship blooms in TB.

St. Katharine Drexel
(1858-1955)


If your father is an international banker and you ride in a private railroad car, you are not likely to be drawn into a life of voluntary poverty. But if your mother opens your home to the poor three days each week and your father spends half an hour each evening in prayer, it is not impossible that you will devote your life to the poor and give away millions of dollars. Katharine Drexel did that.

She was born in Philadelphia in 1858. She had an excellent education and traveled widely. As a rich girl, she had a grand debut into society. But when she nursed her stepmother through a three-year terminal illness, she saw that all the Drexel money could not buy safety from pain or death, and her life took a profound turn.

She had always been interested in the plight of the Indians, having been appalled by reading Helen Hunt Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor. While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James O’Connor. The pope replied, “Why don’t you become a missionary?” His answer shocked her into considering new possibilities.

Back home, she visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader Red Cloud and began her systematic aid to Indian missions.

She could easily have married. But after much discussion with Bishop O’Connor, she wrote in 1889, “The feast of St. Joseph brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the Indians and the Colored.” Newspaper headlines screamed “Gives Up Seven Million!”

After three and a half years of training, she and her first band of nuns (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored) opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. A string of foundations followed. By 1942 she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states, plus 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established 50 missions for Indians in 16 states.

Two saints met when she was advised by Mother Cabrini about the “politics” of getting her Order’s Rule approved in Rome. Her crowning achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic university in the United States for African Americans.

At 77, she suffered a heart attack and was forced to retire. Apparently her life was over. But now came almost 20 years of quiet, intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary. Small notebooks and slips of paper record her various prayers, ceaseless aspirations and meditation. She died at 96 and was canonized in 2000


Comment:

Saints have always said the same thing: Pray, be humble, accept the cross, love and forgive. But it is good to hear these things in the American idiom from one who, for instance, had her ears pierced as a teenager, who resolved to have “no cake, no preserves,” who wore a watch, was interviewed by the press, traveled by train and could concern herself with the proper size of pipe for a new mission. These are obvious reminders that holiness can be lived in today’s culture as well as in that of Jerusalem or Rome.

Quote:

“The patient and humble endurance of the crossâ€"whatever nature it may beâ€"is the highest work we have to do.” “Oh, how far I am at 84 years of age from being an image of Jesus in his sacred life on earth!” (Saint Katharine Drexel)

Give Yourself to God    

If we’re still breathing, God is giving us the time we need to truly be given over to him.

I eat less meat, I try 150 grams for my daily consumption. This could be a slice salami, or some chunks of bacon in my lentils. Gisado gulay may gamay nga smoked meat. sometimes to satiate my hunger, I could eat a small portion of rice with ripe banana.
If I want  a good portion of meat, most likely 200 gram spare ribs, grilled, which is once in a blue-moon.
I maintain my weight 53-54 kilos.
I hope my infos did helped you Doy.

Fr Chicogon is right, the whole process will take almost a year and some amount. Please ask some advice from your local registrar´s office.

As anti-government protests in Yemen continue, one demonstrator in the capital Sana'a baked up a unique way to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Wednesday.

I belong to this generation and still on high!  Manay karon, young at heart lang gihapon.

I´m looking for my best listed high-IQ bakih!Asa iyang ranking?

Ondoy Lorz,
Kon madoktor kana anha nami nimo mag pakonsulta, pohon!

St. Agnes of Bohemia
(1205-1282)


Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her.

Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. At the age of three, she was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life.

After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him.

After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess.

Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess; nevertheless, the title she preferred was "senior sister." Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother’s offer to set up an endowment for the monastery.

Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. She was canonized in 1989.


Comment:

Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn’t vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns "have it made" regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards (inclination to selfishness) for God’s standard of generosity.

Quote:

"Have nothing to do with anyone who would stand in your way and would seek to turn you aside from fulfilling the vows which you have made to the Most High (Psalm 49:14) and from living in that perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you" (Clare to Agnes, Letter II in Murray Bodo, O.F.M., Clare: A Light in the Garden, p. 118).

Authentic Christianity    

The human person is both spirit and body, and while certain spiritualities have emphasized one over the other, authentic Christianity sees the body as a needed expression of the spirit, and the spirit as a life-giving reality in relation to the body.

We have good doctors in Tagbilaran for sure.

this is very serious, especially to our friends who wants to grab such opportunity of going abroad.

Hay nadugangan ang akong infos, salamat Ondoy Lorenzo.
Consing is very special to me. During my struggling years in Germany (alcoholic husband and bank indebtedness), money was so tight. When my parents got sick, she took care  both of them without pay, kapin sab sa tuig. Manglaba, mangluto etc. Karon siya ug iyang bana ang nagbantay sa balay binulan ang sweldo , mao lagi nga kon masakit akong ipatambal kay ang kwartang amot sa Phil Medical care dili man ibayad kay usik kono sa kwarta, problema ning layo kay taman raman sa email.
Kon moabot ko pohon, kahibalo nako, menos ang usik sa oras, kay 3 weeks lang ang akong bakasyon.

Fr Jun de Ocampo, SVD, sold us a book  written by Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism.
an exerpt about God and happiness;

the modern search for happiness is governed by individualism, hedonism, minimalism and their fruits; greed, lust, laziness,gluttony, selfishness, exploitation and deception.  and yet, as these philosophies become more and more the focus of modern lifestyles, people seemed to be filled with a greater discontent and unhappiness with every passing day.

I believe God wants us to be happy. It has placed this yearning within each human heart as a spiritual navigational instruments designed to lead us to our destiny.
The philosophy of Christ is the ultimate philosophy of human happiness. It isn´t just a way of life ; it is the way of life. ( page 42).

Lee and Father Lungay, I´m so happy for your prompt reply. Lee you know her, she was with me when we met. I brought her to Dr Malalis for a new pair of eye glasses. The oculist told me that an eye is not okay because of cataract. I could have brought her to some doctor, giabot siya ug kaikog kay dako na kono ko ug gasto, kon mabota ang usa ka mata ang pikas makakita pa. I was so short of time trying to convince her. Karon kay mo-uli naman pod ko, bentaha na nga aduna nay infos.
She is more than a sister to me.
God bless you.

Manay

My housekeeper is suffering from eye cataract, I would like to have her cured. The situation is like this; I´m here in Europe and she is in Booy, talawan jad mag pangutana. Mahadlok ko basin mabuta ang iyang pikas nga mata. Palihog taga-i ko ug infos like names and possible cost for the eye operation. Salamat daan ninyo.

Manay Tess

a colleague greeted  me with such a salute, he was kicked out from the job.

St. David of Wales
(d. 589?)




David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him.

It is known that he became a priest, engaged in missionary work and founded many monasteries, including his principal abbey in southwestern Wales. Many stories and legends sprang up about David and his Welsh monks. Their austerity was extreme. They worked in silence without the help of animals to till the soil. Their food was limited to bread, vegetables and water.

In about the year 550, David attended a synod where his eloquence impressed his fellow monks to such a degree that he was elected primate of the region. The episcopal see was moved to Mynyw, where he had his monastery (now called St. David's). He ruled his diocese until he had reached a very old age. His last words to his monks and subjects were: "Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith, and do the little things that you have seen and heard with me."

St. David is pictured standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. The legend is that once while he was preaching a dove descended to his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him high above the people so that he could be heard. Over 50 churches in South Wales were dedicated to him in pre-Reformation days.


Comment:

Were we restricted to hard manual labor and a diet of bread, vegetables and water, most of us would find little reason to rejoice. Yet joy is what David urged on his brothers as he lay dying. Perhaps he could say that to themâ€"and to usâ€"because he lived in and nurtured a constant awareness of God’s nearness. For, as someone once said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence.” May his intercession bless us with the same awareness!

Patron Saint of:

Poets
Wales

Thriving Spirituality    

The key to unfolding a deeper way of living is a thriving spirituality. This is the path that gives us some answers and brings us to fulfillment.

St Hilary the Pope
February 28
368

Pope from 461-468 and guardian of Church unity. He was born in Sardinia, Italy, and was a papal legate to the Robber Council of Ephesus in 449, barely escaping with his life from this affair. Hilary was used by Pope St. Leo I the Great on many assignments. When Leo died, Hilary was elected pope and consecrated on November 19,461. He worked diligently to strengthen the Church in France and Spain, calling councils in 462 and 465. Hilary also rebuilt many Roman churches and erected the chapel of St. John Lateran. He also publicly rebuked Emperor Anthemius in St. Peter’s for supporting the Macedonian heresy and sent a decree to the Eastern bishops validating the decisions of the General Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. Hilary consolidated the Church in Sandi, Africa, and Gaul. He died in Rome on February 28.

   Saint of the Day   

Keep Me Humble

God of all Light and Truth, just make sure that I am not a blind man or woman. Keep me humble and honest, and that will be more than enough work for you.

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
(1838-1862 )


Born in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, he lost his mother when he was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down, probably because of his age, not yet 17. Following the death of a sister to cholera, his resolve to enter religious life became even stronger and he was accepted by the Passionists. Upon entering the novitiate he was given the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Ever popular and cheerful, Gabriel quickly was successful in his effort to be faithful in little things. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor, consideration of the feelings of others, exact observance of the Passionist Rule as well as his bodily penancesâ€"always subject to the will of his wise superiorsâ€" made a deep impression on everyone.

His superiors had great expectations of Gabriel as he prepared for the priesthood, but after only four years of religious life symptoms of tuberculosis appeared. Ever obedient, he patiently bore the painful effects of the disease and the restrictions it required, seeking no special notice. He died peacefully on February 27, 1862, at age 24, having been an example to both young and old.

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was canonized in 1920.


Comment:

When we think of achieving great holiness by doing little things with love and grace, Therese of Lisieux comes first to mind. Like her, Gabriel died painfully from tuberculosis. Together they urge us to tend to the small details of daily life, to be considerate of others’ feelings every day. Our path to sanctity, like theirs, probably lies not in heroic doings but in performing small acts of kindness every day.

Patron Saint of:

Clergy

Overcoming Evil    

Warrior God, Crucified Christ, teach me how evil is really overcome. Do not let me be part of the problem, but the beginning myself of the answer.

and hopefully they live happily ever after.

St. Porphyry of Gaza
(353-421)


We go far back in history today to learn a bit about a saint whose name is not familiar to most of us in the West but who is celebrated by the Greek and other Eastern churches.

Born near Greece in the mid-fourth century, Porphry is most known for his generosity to the poor and for his ascetic lifestyle. Deserts and caves were his home for a time. At age 40, living in Jerusalem, Porphyry was ordained a priest.

If the accounts we have are correct, he was elected bishop of Gazaâ€"without his knowledge and against his will. He was, in effect, kidnapped (with the help of a neighboring bishop, by the way) and forcibly consecrated bishop by the members of the small Christian community there. No sooner had Porphyry been consecrated bishop then he was accused by the local pagans of causing a drought. When rains came shortly afterward, the pagans gave credit to Porphyry and the Christian population and tensions subsided for a time.

For the next 13 years, Porphyry worked tirelessly for his people, instructed them and made many converts, though pagan opposition continued throughout his life. He died in the year 421.

Imitating God    

God of all names and all love, give us hearts to include all that you are willing to include, to forgive all that you so easily forgive, and to join you in doing something truly "new" on this earth.

Emilio Strapasson of Brazil competes in the FIBT Skeleton World Championship on Thursday in Königssee in the German state of Bavaria. Skeleton is similar to luge, but rather than travelling feet first, the person lies on their stomach and goes down the track head first. The Königssee bobsleigh and luge track was the first permanent, artificial-ice track in the world when it was built in 1968. It was renovated for the 2011 FIBT world championships and is now one of the most modern in the world.

Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

"I always go home," writes Foley, "because I belong there. I go to Mass because I belong there. I am a member of the Body of Christ. Even if I'm only a finger, or an eye, the Body needs what I can contributeâ€"presence, prayer, loyalty, perseverance, humor, encouragement, kindnessâ€"myself." The Mass brings together not perfectly formed saints but rather sinners struggling to open up a larger space in their lives for God's light, love and transforming grace.

How about you?

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 25, 2011, 01:00:02 PM
Hi Raqz, wishing you many happy returns on your birthday!

Doy Hubs, abi ko loyal ka sa baki! pwede pod iring! Have a nice weekend!

Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio
(1502-1600)


Size: A A

Listen to Audio
Sebastian’s roads and bridges connected many distant places. His final bridge-building was to help men and women recognize their God-given dignity and destiny.

Sebastian’s parents were Spanish peasants. At the age of 31 he sailed to Mexico, where he began working in the fields. Eventually he built roads to facilitate agricultural trading and other commerce. His 466-mile road from Mexico City to Zacatecas took 10 years to build and required careful negotiations with the indigenous peoples along the way.

In time Sebastian was a wealthy farmer and rancher. At the age of 60 he entered a virginal marriage. His wife’s motivation may have been a large inheritance; his was to provide a respectable life for a girl without even a modest marriage dowry. When his first wife died, he entered another virginal marriage for the same reason; his second wife also died young.

At the age of 72 Sebastian distributed his goods among the poor and entered the Franciscans as a brother. Assigned to the large (100-member) friary at Puebla de los Angeles south of Mexico City, Sebastian went out collecting alms for the friars for the next 25 years. His charity to all earned him the nickname "Angel of Mexico."

Sebastian was beatified in 1787 and is known as a patron of travelers.


Comment:

According to the Rule of St. Francis, the friars were to work for their daily bread. Sometimes, however, their work would not provide for their needs; for example, working with people suffering from leprosy brought little or no pay. In cases such as these, the friars were allowed to beg, always keeping in mind the admonition of Francis to let their good example commend them to the people. The life of the prayerful Sebastian, still hard at work in his 90's, certainly drew many closer to God.

Quote:

St. Francis once told his followers: "There is a contract between the world and the friars. The friars must give the world a good example; the world must provide for their needs. When they break faith and withdraw their good example, the world will withdraw its hand in a just censure" (2 Celano, #70).

God's Great Mercy

God of Compassion, Mother and Father of all Mercies, do not let us shame ourselvesâ€"or the wonder of your nameâ€"by living outside of the wondrous loop of your forgiveness and mercy.

Hinaut pa nga ikaw taga-an sa Kahitas-an ug maayong panglawas ug kayano, God bless!

green, green mentality?

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 24, 2011, 02:52:41 PM

Way bakih nagtago?

Blessed Luke Belludi
(1200-c. 1285)


In 1220, St. Anthony was preaching conversion to the inhabitants of Padua when a young nobleman, Luke Belludi, came up to him and humbly asked to receive the habit of the followers of St. Francis. Anthony liked the talented, well-educated Luke and personally recommended him to St. Francis, who then received him into the Franciscan Order.

Luke, then only 20, was to be Anthony's companion in his travels and in his preaching, tending to him in his last days and taking Anthony's place upon his death. He was appointed guardian of the Friars Minor in the city of Padua. In 1239 the city fell into the hands of its enemies. Nobles were put to death, the mayor and council were banished, the great university of Padua gradually closed and the church dedicated to St. Anthony was left unfinished. Luke himself was expelled from the city but secretly returned. At night he and the new guardian would visit the tomb of St. Anthony in the unfinished shrine to pray for his help. One night a voice came from the tomb assuring them that the city would soon be delivered from its evil tyrant.

After the fulfillment of the prophetic message, Luke was elected provincial minister and furthered the completion of the great basilica in honor of Anthony, his teacher. He founded many convents of the order and had, as Anthony, the gift of miracles. Upon his death he was laid to rest in the basilica that he had helped finish and has had a continual veneration up to the present time.


Comment:

The epistles refer several times to a man named Luke as Paul’s trusted companion on his missionary journeys. Perhaps every great preacher needs a Luke; Anthony surely did. Luke Belludi not only accompanied Anthony on his travels, he also cared for the great saint in his final illness and carried on Anthony’s mission after the saint’s death. Yes, every preacher needs a Luke, someone to offer support and reassuranceâ€"including those who minister to us. We don’t even have to change our names!

February 24
1129

Benedictine monk, called Theristus or “Harvester.” He was of Calabrian lineage, born in Sicily. His mother was a slave of the Saracens. John escaped at a young age and became a monk.

Bask in God's Graces    

Good God, the creator of light and darkness, You who move the sun and the stars, move us into the place of light, a light so large that it will absorb all the darkness.

It's par for the course when golfing in the desert -- a golf ball embedded in a cactus on the second hole during a practice round of the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona on Feb. 21.

St. Polycarp
(d. 156)




Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), disciple of St. John the Apostle and friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch was a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century.

St. Ignatius, on his way to Rome to be martyred, visited Polycarp at Smyrna, and later at Troas wrote him a personal letter. The Asia Minor Churches recognized Polycarp’s leadership by choosing him as a representative to discuss with Pope Anicetus the date of the Easter celebration in Romeâ€"a major controversy in the early Church.

Only one of the many letters written by Polycarp has been preserved, the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi in Macedonia.

At 86, Polycarp was led into the crowded Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The centurion ordered the saint’s body burned. The “Acts” of Polycarp’s martyrdom are the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of a Christian martyr’s death. He died in 156.


Comment:

Polycarp was recognized as a Christian leader by all Asia Minor Christiansâ€"a strong fortress of faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ. His own strength emerged from his trust in God, even when events contradicted this trust. Living among pagans and under a government opposed to the new religion, he led and fed his flock. Like the Good Shepherd, he laid down his life for his sheep and kept them from more persecution in Smyrna. He summarized his trust in God just before he died: “Father... I bless Thee, for having made me worthy of the day and the hour... .” (Martyrdom, Chapter 14).

Quote:

“Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,’ helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man” (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians).

Patron Saint of:

Earaches

Patience    

Humble God, make us like you. You do not lord it over us, but wait patiently for us to change. May we do the same with our brothers and sisters on the journey.

you own this establishment Ondoy Hubs?

Out of goodwill Noynoy agreed to make Manila as host city about the coming ILPS conference in July.

http://www.ilps-web.com/

he he he, Virgilio pamotos na kay mo-uli na rabaka pohon Pinas Doy!

Rest in peace Cathy! A question is ringing in my mind, what has the Phil Embassy done so far? This is not an isolated case.

Chair of Peter


This feast commemorates Christ’s choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church (see June 29).

After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt and self-torment, Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “..[T]hey did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced.

The Pentecost event completed Peter’s experience of the risen Christ. “...[T]hey were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.

Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “...

• nce you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the Holy Spiritâ€"before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching, before the council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them.
  
  Even a saint experiences difficulty in Christian living. When Peter stopped eating with Gentile converts because he did not want to wound the sensibilities of Jewish Christians, Paul says, “...I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.... [T]hey were not on the right road in line with the truth of the gospel...” (Galatians 2:11b, 14a).
  
  At the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did glorify his Lord with a martyr’s death, probably in the company of many Christians.
  
  Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica, which was replaced in the 16th century.
  
  
  Comment:
  
  Like the committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to welcome gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. As individuals, we may sometimes think a particular pope has let us down. Still, the office endures as a sign of the long tradition we cherish and as a focus for the universal Church.
  
  Quote:
  
  Peter described our Christian calling in the opening of his First Letter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...” (1 Peter 1:3a).
  

Mirror God's Blessings    

Receive God’s compassion and you will be able to be compassionate. Do not receive negative judgment from God, and you will not be judgmental yourself. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Give and it shall be given to you

This is alarming!

St Severian

Bishop and martyr. The bishop of Scythopolis in Galilee. He attended the Council of Chalcedon (451) and took part in the complete triumph of the orthodox Christian cause against the heretics of the era. On his return home he was assassinated by a group of heretics at the command of Emperor Theodosius II.

Unconditional Love    

You are to love with the same kind of love that God loves you, which is total unconditional love. This is the summit and goal of all Jesus’ moral teaching, and we cannot possibly follow it apart from divine union. The egocentric or separate self is incapable of this kind of love.