MikeLigalig.com

The Bol-anon love story is really touching because the lady cared for her husband who was in wheelchair for 17 years, and the other guy cared for his wife who was mentally sick. When both partners died, they saw each other again and the flame was really hot.
It was difficult for the lady because the old flame was being discriminated by the family as a loser. The guy worked hard and was able to manage a 50 hectare fishpond in Mindanao and sent 2 daughters in Silliman University....,

July 21, 2009

St. Lawrence of Brindisi

(1559-1619)

 

At first glance perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had complete reading and speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French.
He was born on July 22, 1559, and died exactly 60 years later on his birthday in 1619. His parents William and Elizabeth Russo gave him the name of Julius Caesar, Caesare in Italian. After the early death of his parents, he was educated by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice.

When he was just 16 he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice and received the name of Lawrence. He completed his studies of philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at 23.

With his facility for languages he was able to study the Bible in its original texts. At the request of Pope Clement VIII, he spent much time preaching to the Jews in Italy. So excellent was his knowledge of Hebrew, the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian.

In 1956 the Capuchins completed a 15-volume edition of his writings. Eleven of these 15 contain his sermons, each of which relies chiefly on scriptural quotations to illustrate his teaching.

Lawrence’s sensitivity to the needs of peopleâ€"a character trait perhaps unexpected in such a talented scholarâ€"began to surface. He was elected major superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31. He had the combination of brilliance, human compassion and administrative skill needed to carry out his duties. In rapid succession he was promoted by his fellow Capuchins and was elected minister general of the Capuchins in 1602. In this position he was responsible for great growth and geographical expansion of the Order.

Lawrence was appointed papal emissary and peacemaker, a job which took him to a number of foreign countries. An effort to achieve peace in his native kingdom of Naples took him on a journey to Lisbon to visit the king of Spain. Serious illness in Lisbon took his life in 1619.

Comment:

His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today. Lawrence had a balance in his life that blended self-discipline with a keen appreciation for the needs of those whom he was called to serve.

Contemplation
 
The pure of heart are those who never cease adoring and looking with pure heart and soul upon the Lord living and true.

This is a sweet romance which I read in internet so I shared it with you. Adunay anggid ni-ani, Bol-anon love story. The lady met her first love after one year death anniversary of her husband. The lover is also biyudo. They met a couple of times in Pinas and last May the rendezvous was like, the first cut is the deepest. Now she is inviting him to come over to Germany. She is 59 and he is 61.

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

Gener, I love this part! Mabuhay ang ingles!

Hallo Inday Liza,

This is real interesting to know that you are the  head of the Provincial Government Department of the Prov Agricultural Office; Provincial Manager Fits* Center, and that you have  to do with PCARRD , Phil Council for Agriculture, Forestry, National Resources & Developments ( thanks google).

What has your office done to alleviate the short food supply or improve the plight of the local farmers so far?

Manay Tess

this is a posting directed to Ms Liza Migrino, I wonder if she has time to answer this one, attention Maám Migrino!

A tale of true romance that skipped a decade after a love letter went astray has ended happily ever after with the couple getting married.

Steve Smith and Carmen Ruiz-Perez first met 17 years ago in Devon when they were both in their twenties and Ms Ruiz-Perez was a foreign student. They fell in love and became engaged but after a year-long relationship they drifted apart when she moved to Paris to run a shop.

A few years later Mr Smith tracked down her mother’s address in Spain and wrote her a letter in the hope of rekindling their romance. Ms Ruiz-Perez’s mother put the letter on the mantelpiece, from where it slipped down the back of the fireplace and remained unopened for the next ten years.

In literature, and in particular the novels of Thomas Hardy â€" also set in the West Country â€" such a mishap would have been the cause of years of unhappiness, the lovers marrying the wrong person and at least one of them suffering a tragic and untimely death.
Related Links


But for the real-life couple, fate took a more down-to-earth hand when the fireplace was removed for renovations. Ms Ruiz-Perez, who had remained single, was given the letter and rang the phone number that Mr Smith had written on the note. They met up in Paris a few days later, rediscovered their old love and married last week.

Mr Smith, 42, a factory supervisor from Paignton, said: “When we met again it was like a film. We ran across the airport into each other’s arms. We met up and fell in love all over again. Within 30 seconds of setting eyes on each other we were kissing. I’m just glad the letter did eventually end up where it was supposed to be.”

Ms Ruiz-Perez, 42, said: “I never got married and now I’m marrying the man I have always loved. When I got the letter I didn’t phone Steve right away because I was so nervous. I nearly didn’t phone him at all. I kept picking up the phone then putting it down again. But I knew I had to make the call.”  Times Online.

Amora sex academy originates from London, this is just newly opened in Berlin.

Love of money is the source of all evil!

Canada Permanent Residency in 6 to 12 months( an email from a friend which might be of interest to you)


In 2008, the Canadian government made sweeping changes in its immigration policy and introduced several legislations aimed at reducing the backlog and getting key immigrants in the country much faster.



·         The introduction of Canadian Experience Class as an immigration category for Canada's temporary foreign workers and international graduates who wish to become Permanent Residents.

·         Bill C-50 gives Minister of Immigration the power to set the number of new applications giving priority to qualified skilled professionals applying under the economic class categories.

·         The new Federal Skilled Worker Class applications should receive a selection decision within 6 to 12 months; a far-cry from the old system of 5 to 6 years.



The new economic class category rules will affect all new applications as well as all applications submitted on or after February 27, 2008.



To qualify for admission to Canada as a skilled worker, without an approved offer of employment, applicants must meet the following conditions:



·         Possess at least one year of applicable experience in one of 38 major high-demand occupations

·         The work experience must be classified within Skill Type 0 (Managerial Occupations), Skill Level A (Professional Occupations), or Skill Level B (Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades)

·         Score sufficient points under the skilled worker point grid comprising of six selection factors

·         Possess suitable settlement funding

·         Undergo a successful security background and medical examination.



Please note that the labor market continues to evolve and the Canadian government and its provincial ministers are periodically evaluating the chosen 38 occupations. With this mandate, occupation/s may be added or deleted depending on the labor market demand. Annual quota has also been imposed against this program. If your work is one of the qualifying occupations, it would be in your best interest to submit your application without delay to avoid new government policy.



To find out if you meet the requirements, kindly submit your comprehensive resume for evaluation. We will get back with you after our review.



Qualifying occupations may soon change. Submit your application NOW!





Manila:

Queven Consultancy

19 Buenconsejo St.

Plainview, Mandaluyong City

Office: 632.532.2202

eMail: canada@queven.net 

Website: www.queven.net

(Website under re-development)

July 20, 2009

St. Apollinaris

(1st century)

 

According to tradition, St. Peter sent Apollinaris to Ravenna, Italy, as its first bishop. His preaching of the Good News was so successful that the pagans there beat him and drove him from the city. He returned, however, and was exiled a second time. After preaching in the area surrounding Ravenna, he entered the city again. After being cruelly tortured, he was put on a ship heading to Greece. Pagans there caused him to be expelled to Italy, where he went to Ravenna for a fourth time. He died from wounds received during a savage beating at Classis, a suburb of Ravenna. A beautiful basilica honoring him was built there in the sixth century.

Comment:
Following Jesus involves risksâ€"sometimes the supreme risk of life itself. Martyrs are people who would rather accept the risk of death than deny the cornerstone of their whole life: faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone will die eventuallyâ€"the persecutors and those persecuted. The question is what kind of a conscience people will bring before the Lord for judgment. Remembering the witness of past and present martyrs can help us make the often-small sacrifices that following Jesus today may require.

Sacred Moment
 
We should be ready to encounter the sacred at every moment.

try quaker oats, 2 cups water, 2 tbs oats , sweeten with honey.

Don´t worry Bulak sr, she will regulate herself how much food her body needs. You need lots of patience .

Pressy, thanks for your info, I really don´t know where to put this issue.

July 19, 2009

Servant of God Francis Garces and Companions

(c. 1781)

 

Government interference in the missions and landgrabbing sparked the Indian uprising which cost these friars their lives.
A contemporary of the American Revolution and of Blessed Junipero Serra, Francisco Garcés was born in 1738 in Spain, where he joined the Franciscans. After ordination in 1763, he was sent to Mexico. Five years later he was assigned to San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, one of several missions the Jesuits had founded in Arizona and New Mexico before being expelled in 1767 from all territories controlled by the Catholic king of Spain. In Arizona, Francisco worked among the Papago, Yuma, Pima and Apache Native Americans. His missionary travels took him to the Grand Canyon and to California.

Friar Francisco Palou, a contemporary, writes that Father Garcés was greatly loved by the indigenous peoples, among whom he lived unharmed for a long time. They regularly gave him food and referred to him as "Viva Jesus," which was the greeting he taught them to use.

For the sake of their indigenous converts, the Spanish missionaries wanted to organize settlements away from the Spanish soldiers and colonists. But the commandant in Mexico insisted that two new missions on the Colorado River, Misión San Pedro y San Pablo and Misión La Purísima Concepción, be mixed settlements.

A revolt among the Yumas against the Spanish left Friars Juan Diaz and Matias Moreno dead at Misión San Pedro y San Pablo. Friars Francisco Garcés and Juan Barreneche were killed at Misión La Purísima Concepción (the site of Fort Yuma).

Comment:

In the 18th century the indigenous peoples of the American Southwest saw Catholicism and Spanish rule as a package deal. When they wanted to throw off the latter, the new religion had to go also. Do we appreciate sufficiently the acceptable adjustment our faith can make among various peoples? Are we offended by the customs of Catholics in other cultures? Do we see our good example as a contribution to missionary evangelization?

Knowing God
 
Mystical experience is knowing God experientially…because of what happened in your own mind, heart and soul

Tour de France spectator killed 

The accident happened on the sidelines of the Tour de France
A woman has been killed and two other people injured when they were hit by a police motorcycle while watching the Tour de France cycle race, police said.

The woman, who was in her 60s, was hit as she crossed the road along the route of the 14th stage of the race, near Colmar in north-eastern France.

Police said the driver fell off the bike, which ran into the crowd.

It was the first fatality since two children were killed in 2000 and 2002 hit by cars from the publicity caravan.

The biggest accident in the Tour's 106-year history took place in 1964, when a police supply van struck a bridge in the Dordogne region, killing 20 people.

Crash

Saturday's accident happened in the town of Wittelsheim, near the 38.5-km (24-mile) mark, on the route of the three-week cycle race that covers 199km (124 miles) from Colmar to Besancon.


 
"A woman crossed the road and was hit by a Republican Guardsman on a motorcycle," Alain Fontaine, a spokesman for the gendarmerie, told Reuters news agency.

"Then the motorcycle slid and hit one or two more people," he added.

The two injured spectators were a 37-year-old woman and a man in his 60s, AFP news agency reported.

Both are expected to survive, police said.

Riders from the guardsmen - the ceremonial unit of the French police - accompany the riders along the route of the race. BBC

For sharing your beautigul wedding pictures, salamat jamo.

Hapit na Balong, dool na jamo!

Mga higala, mao kini si Bulak jr, baby Isabella, recently sent to me by Bulak sr. She is unfolding to be a very cute girl! Salamat sa pictures.

Making a Difference
 
Sometimes in the dream of making a difference in the world, our number one enemy is ourselves

July 18, 2009

Blessed Angeline of Marsciano

(1374-1435)

 

Blessed Angeline founded the first community of Franciscan women other than Poor Clares to receive papal approval.
Angeline was born to the Duke of Marsciano (near Orvieto). She was 12 when her mother died. Three years later the young woman made a vow of perpetual chastity. That same year, however, she yielded to her father’s decision that she marry the Duke of Civitella. Her husband agreed to respect her previous vow.

When he died two years later, Angeline joined the Secular Franciscans and with several other women dedicated herself to caring for the sick, the poor, widows and orphans. When many other young women were attracted to Angeline’s community, some people accused her of condemning the married vocation. Legend has it that when she came before the King of Naples to answer these charges, she had burning coals hidden in the folds of her cloak. When she proclaimed her innocence and showed the king that these coals had not harmed her, he dropped the case.

Angeline and her companions later went to Foligno, where her community of Third Order sisters received papal approval in 1397. She soon established 15 similar communities of women in other Italian cities.

Angeline died on July 14, 1435, and was beatified in 1825.

Comment:

Priests, sisters and brothers cannot be signs of God’s love for the human family if they belittle the vocation of marriage. Angeline respected marriage but felt called to another way of living out the gospel. Her choice was life-giving in its own way.

Ondoy Lorenzo, you are blessed with the Holy spirit1 your postings really targets me spiritually.

Annunciation in Loss
 
A loss can be a form of annunciation with the possibilityâ€"no, probabilityâ€"of new life. That can happen in large and small ways.

kining mga eks eks ni balong nagpatima-an nga siya hyperactive, in all aspects of his personality1
balong tubaga ang akong posting, palihug.

Tubaga palihug ang pangutana ni Pressy!

Ondoy Balong, I wanted my uncensored story pls forward to my email, yehey! Ang biga-on nga sugilanon ni Balong.

Balong, porbida kining imong sugilanon kay sikat man, nganong imo pa mang dugay-dugayon, padogang ka ug pusta?

July 17, 2009

St. Francis Solano

(1549-1610)

 

Francis came from a leading family in Andalusia, Spain. Perhaps it was his popularity as a student that enabled Francis in his teens to stop two duelists. He entered the Friars Minor in 1570, and after ordination enthusiastically sacrificed himself for others. His care for the sick during an epidemic drew so much admiration that he became embarrassed and asked to be sent to the African missions. Instead he was sent to South America in 1589.
While working in what is now Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, Francis quickly learned the local languages and was well received by the indigenous peoples. His visits to the sick often included playing a song on his violin.

Around 1601 he was called to Lima, Peru, where he tried to recall the Spanish colonists to their baptismal integrity. Francis also worked to defend the indigenous peoples from oppression. He died in Lima and was canonized in 1726.

Comment:

Francis of Solano knew from experience that the lives of Christians sometimes greatly hinder the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Francis lived an exemplary life himself, and urged his fellow Spaniards to make their lives worthy of their Baptism.

Paths to Holiness
 
As much as we need to see everyday asceticism as part of our spirituality, so, too, pleasure and beauty are irreplaceable paths to holiness.

This is from an email, and I would like to inform alumni of Saint Mary Academy run by the Religious of Virgin Mary, this is still far but to have a great reunion the preparation is early enough;

First, --- open the attached file --- and then imagine......you could be dancing the romantic rumba???... the beautiful  argentine tango!!!!... how about the exotic mambooooo, Ah!_____Hip-hop or any dance, the smooth or the latin_____let's swing those hips get into the spirit of our high school years! What a fabulous time to come home to our sweet town of Guindulman, to celebrate its 80th anniversary of SMA!  There will be lots of amusements and entertainments and a wonderful time to embrace one another and share experiences that we all have had from all walks of life: our joy & sorrow, fun & laughter, agony & suffering, failure & success or what have you.  The grand celebration of our homecoming will be in Spring 2011.

It is my great pleasure to inform you that I will be hosting the Balikbayans and will coordinate with the A.R. sisters through Monding, the President, and her VP is Edgar Sarabosing.  PLEASE FORWARD this MESSAGE to any of SMA attendee including all your siblings, your parents, relatives & friends across the world.  The more the merrier and anyone likes to correspond me directly, I can keep you posted of the upcoming agendas. Your active participation for the homecoming is greatly appreciated. You find my contact info below.  All the best,  Luz Castrodes

May the Lord shines upon and the Holy Spirit guide us through Jesus Christ


ANITA LONG
47875 VIA ZURICH
LA QUINTA, CA 92253
Tel No. 1-760-564-1248
along33@verizon.net  ( your contact if you are living in the USA)

Day  Grace, si Juliet dili ang type nga makig sandorot. Medyo pino siya ug batasan, I did not feel at ease with her presence, she happened to be the first degree cousin of the birthday celebrant. Kon mo distansya siya, okay lang. Wala jud mi kaayo maghimamat kay morag dili na siya katima-an sa iyang mga relatives.

July 16, 2009

Our Lady of Mount Carmel


 

Hermits lived on Mount Carmel near the Fountain of Elijah (northern Israel) in the 12th century. They had a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. By the 13th century they became known as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” They soon celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary. In 1726 it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For centuries the Carmelites have seen themselves as specially related to Mary. Their great saints and theologians have promoted devotion to her and often championed the mystery of her Immaculate Conception.
St. Teresa of Avila (October 15) called Carmel “the Order of the Virgin.” St. John of the Cross (December 14)  credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion, she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life she frequently spoke of Mary.

There is a tradition (which may not be historical) that Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a leader of the Carmelites, and gave him a scapular, telling him to promote devotion to it. The scapular is a modified version of Mary’s own garment. It symbolizes her special protection and calls the wearers to consecrate themselves to her in a special way. The scapular reminds us of the gospel call to prayer and penanceâ€"a call that Mary models in a splendid way.

Speaking Volumes
 
The way we react to those who persecute and slander us says volumes about who we really are and what we say we believe. 

Ondoy Balong! Kamusta ang kinabuhing pogi?

Last July 10 I attended a birthday party of Amie Ranario Horitz from Garcia-Hernandez. Pinoy guests are mostly from the same town; L-r Juliet Ranario, Ana Ladra, Jo and Ana, Lorena (Car-car Cebu) and your humble Manay.

OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL   Tomorrow, 16th July,  is the Feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. This title seems to be one which is particularly important to Our Blessed Mother. At Lourdes, Fatima, Garabandal and at Betania also Our Blessed Mother came to the visionaries as Our Lady of Mt Carmel. It is through the scapular of Mt Carmel that the Blessed Virgin has promised us exemption from damnation and a speedy delivery from Purgatory into Heaven. If you do not wear a brown scapular then make it a resolution to obtain one tomorrow, on her Feast Day, and to be enrolled in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel (you can get one free at that site if you are in the USA). Any priest can enroll you.

BETANIA The Blessed Virgin appeared at Finca Betania in Venezuela to Maria Esperanza de Bianchini from 1976 and delivered over 250 messages to her for the world. The apparitions were formally approved by Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo in 1987. Now the present Bishop has by Episcopal Decree declared Betania to be an official ecclesiastically approved Marian Shrine.

MESSAGES OF OUR LADY AT BETANIA echo the messages of Fatima, Garabandal and Akita in predicting the coming chastisement and those dramatic events which would precede the chastisement, especially the Warning which will reveal to all men the state of their souls in the eyes of God. Maria said that we are living in a ‘special time” which she also calls the “hour of decision”. “Something is coming, the hour of terrible things during which confused humanity will not find refuge in the human earthly heart. The only refuge will be Mary” Maria referred to the Warning as the “illumination of conscience” and she said it is a day of Mercy in which many souls will be given the grace to repent. She said that Christ is going to make His presence felt in the world in a new way, before the end of the world: “He is comingâ€"not the end of the world, but the end of this century’s (20th) agony. This century is purifying, and after will come peace and love… The environment will be fresh and new, and we will be able to feel happy in our world and in the place where we live, without fights, without this feeling of tension in which all of us live…” It is plain we are on the edge of momentous events.

MARIA ESPERANZA  died in 2004. Her son-in-law, Carlos Borrn, says that his Maria long predicted a purification and rebirth of the world. He said she indicated that it would commence at the beginning of this century. Although Maria said we were in Apocalyptic times she was never anxious or worried but put all her trust in Our Divine Master: “We are going through glorious times. It will make everything better. Many signs are being disclosed. We should be only joyful. Everything is in God’s control,”

EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE AT BETANIA  On the 8th December 1998 a MIRACLE OF THE BLEEDING HOST occurred during Mass at Betania. The host started to bleed. When the priest transferred the host to a monstrance the container for the sacred species started to fill with blood. You can see a video of this Miraculous Host by clicking on the linked words abovel.
http://www.indefenseofthecross.com/Eucharistic_miracles.htm

Thanks Dong for this posting, it is really true!

July 15, 2009

St. Bonaventure

(1221-1274)

 

Bonaventure, Franciscan, theologian, doctor of the Church, was both learned and holy. Because of the spirit that filled him and his writings, he was at first called the Devout Doctor; but in more recent centuries he has been known as the Seraphic Doctor after the “Seraphic Father” Francis because of the truly Franciscan spirit he possessed.
Born in Bagnoregio, a town in central Italy, he was cured of a serious illness as a boy through the prayers of Francis of Assisi. Later, he studied the liberal arts in Paris. Inspired by Francis and the example of the friars, especially of his master in theology, Alexander of Hales, he entered the Franciscan Order, and became in turn a teacher of theology in the university. Chosen as minister general of the Order in 1257, he was God’s instrument in bringing it back to a deeper love of the way of St. Francis, both through the life of Francis which he wrote at the behest of the brothers and through other works which defended the Order or explained its ideals and way of life.

Comment:

Bonaventure so united holiness and theological knowledge that he rose to the heights of mysticism while yet remaining a very active preacher and teacher, one beloved by all who met him. To know him was to love him; to read him is still for us today to meet a true Franciscan and a gentleman.

July 14, 2009

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

(1656-1680)

 

The blood of martyrs is the seed of saints. Nine years after the Jesuits Isaac Jogues and John de Brébeuf were tomahawked by Iroquois warriors, a baby girl was born near the place of their martyrdom, Auriesville, New York.
Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, taken captive by the Iroquois and given as wife to the chief of the Mohawk clan, the boldest and fiercest of the Five Nations. When she was four, Kateri lost her parents and little brother in a smallpox epidemic that left her disfigured and half blind. She was adopted by an uncle, who succeeded her father as chief. He hated the coming of the Blackrobes (Jesuit missionaries), but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. She was moved by the words of three Blackrobes who lodged with her uncle, but fear of him kept her from seeking instruction. She refused to marry a Mohawk brave and at 19 finally got the courage to take the step of converting. She was baptized with the name Kateri (Catherine) on Easter Sunday.

Now she would be treated as a slave. Because she would not work on Sunday, she received no food that day. Her life in grace grew rapidly. She told a missionary that she often meditated on the great dignity of being baptized. She was powerfully moved by God’s love for human beings and saw the dignity of each of her people.

She was always in danger, for her conversion and holy life created great opposition. On the advice of a priest, she stole away one night and began a 200-mile walking journey to a Christian Indian village at Sault St. Louis, near Montreal.

For three years she grew in holiness under the direction of a priest and an older Iroquois woman, giving herself totally to God in long hours of prayer, in charity and in strenuous penance. At 23 she took a vow of virginity, an unprecedented act for an Indian woman, whose future depended on being married. She found a place in the woods where she could pray an hour a dayâ€"and was accused of meeting a man there!

Her dedication to virginity was instinctive: She did not know about religious life for women until she visited Montreal. Inspired by this, she and two friends wanted to start a community, but the local priest dissuaded her. She humbly accepted an “ordinary” life. She practiced extremely severe fasting as penance for the conversion of her nation. She died the afternoon before Holy Thursday. Witnesses said that her emaciated face changed color and became like that of a healthy child. The lines of suffering, even the pockmarks, disappeared and the touch of a smile came upon her lips. She was beatified in 1980.

No Appointment Necessary
 
Our spiritual encounters do not have to be appointments we make with God…. Our spirituality should saturate every task we do.

Inday nindot lagi ang imong hulagway, dili makatagbaw. Diri makit-an nga ikaw matinod-anon nga nilalang.

It´s my pleasure statesville! God bless.

July 13, 2009

St. Henry

(972-1024)

 

As German king and Holy Roman Emperor, Henry was a practical man of affairs. He was energetic in consolidating his rule. He crushed rebellions and feuds. On all sides he had to deal with drawn-out disputes so as to protect his frontiers. This involved him in a number of battles, especially in the south in Italy; he also helped Pope Benedict VIII quell disturbances in Rome. Always his ultimate purpose was to establish a stable peace in Europe.
According to eleventh-century custom, Henry took advantage of his position and appointed as bishops men loyal to him. In his case, however, he avoided the pitfalls of this practice and actually fostered the reform of ecclesiastical and monastic life.

Comment:

All in all, this saint was a man of his times. From our standpoint, he may have been too quick to do battle and too ready to use power to accomplish reforms. But, granted such limitations, he shows that holiness is possible in a busy secular life. It is in doing our job that we become saints.

Significance of Experience
 
A key component of spiritual awakening is paying attention to the significance, even the potential significance, of life experiences.

na bay scar kung tulion? i got none. just wondering...

Patan-awa ko, beh?

Jama-jama kini!

Serving God
 
When we wish to serve God, one sure way to do it is to love our neighbor.

July 12, 2009

Sts. John Jones and John Wall

(c. 1530-1598; 1620-1679)

 

These two friars were martyred in England in the 16th and 17th centuries for refusing to deny their faith.
John Jones was Welsh. He was ordained a diocesan priest and was twice imprisoned for administering the sacraments before leaving England in 1590. He joined the Franciscans at the age of 60 and returned to England three years later while Queen Elizabeth I was at the height of her power. John ministered to Catholics in the English countryside until his imprisonment in 1596. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered. John was executed on July 12, 1598.

John Wall was born in England but was educated at the English College of Douai, Belgium. Ordained in Rome in 1648, he entered the Franciscans in Douai several years later. In 1656 he returned to work secretly in England.

In 1678 Titus Oates worked many English people into a frenzy over an alleged papal plot to murder the king and restore Catholicism in that country. In that year Catholics were legally excluded from Parliament, a law which was not repealed until 1829. John Wall was arrested and imprisoned in 1678 and was executed the following year.

John Jones and John Wall were canonized in 1970.

Comment:

Every martyr knows how to save his/her life and yet refuses to do so. A public repudiation of the faith would save any of them. But some things are more precious than life itself. These martyrs prove that their 20th-century countryman, C. S. Lewis, was correct in saying that courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form (shape) of every virtue at the testing point, that is, at the point of highest reality.

Not Lost
 
Nothing of what is is lost. It is not lost to God, nor to us.

Uwanon!

from John Hopkins medical journal ( excerpts)

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins:

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not
show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few
billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer
cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are
unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the
detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be
destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental,
food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional efficiencies, changing diet and
including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and
also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone
marrow,gastro- intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like
liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages
healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce
tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not
result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and
radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence
the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and
become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer
cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by
not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one
important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like
NutraSweet,Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is
harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses
but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make
it white in colour.. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk&
substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is
acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef
or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and
parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds,
nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment.
About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable
juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to
cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of
healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try
and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)
and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea
is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.
Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins
and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive
enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied
and leads to more toxic build-up.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from
or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of
cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer
cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,
Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the
body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like
vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the
body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded
cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and
positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger,unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and
acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn
to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the
cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy
cancer cells.

July 10, 2009

St. Veronica Giuliani

(1660-1727)

 

Veronica’s desire to be like Christ crucified was answered with the stigmata.
Veronica was born in Mercatelli. It is said that when her mother Benedetta was dying she called her five daughters to her bedside and entrusted each of them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was entrusted to the wound below Christ’s heart.

At the age of 17, Veronica joined the Poor Clares directed by the Capuchins. Her father had wanted her to marry, but she convinced him to allow her to become a nun. In her first years in the monastery, she worked in the kitchen, infirmary, sacristy and served as portress. At the age of 34, she was made novice mistress, a position she held for 22 years. When she was 37, Veronica received the stigmata. Life was not the same after that.

Church authorities in Rome wanted to test Veronica’s authenticity and so conducted an investigation. She lost the office of novice mistress temporarily and was not allowed to attend Mass except on Sundays or holy days. Through all of this Veronica did not become bitter, and the investigation eventually restored her as novice mistress.

Though she protested against it, at the age of 56 she was elected abbess, an office she held for 11 years until her death. Veronica was very devoted to the Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart. She offered her sufferings for the missions. Veronica was canonized in 1839.

Comment:

Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis of Assisi and to Veronica? God alone knows the deepest reasons, but as Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of these saints’ commitment to the cross in their lives. The stigmata that appeared in Veronica’s flesh had taken root in her heart many years before. It was a fitting conclusion for her love of God and her charity toward her sisters.

Seeing as God Sees
 
True Christian humility does not involve denying our own dignity. Rather it is learning to see ourselves truly as God sees us.

Fantastic shot Belle!

July 9, 2009

St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

(17th-20th centuries)

 

Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China's relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly.
The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (87) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging from nine years of age to 72. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.

The 33 foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese solider who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815.

Beatified in groups at various times, these 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000.



Comment:
The People's Republic of China and the Roman Catholic Church each have well over a billion members, but there are over 12 million Catholics in China. The reasons for that are better explained by historical conflicts than by a wholesale rejection of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Chinese-born martyrs honored by today's feast were regarded by their persecutors as dangerous because they were considered allies of enemy, Catholics countries. The martyrs born outside China often tried to distance themselves from European political struggles relating to China, but their persecutors saw them as Westerners and therefore, by definition, anti-Chinese.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is intended to benefit all peoples; today's martyrs knew that. May 21st-century Christians live in such a way that Chinese women and men will be attracted to hear that Good News and embrace it.

Finding Our Heroism
 
It is much easier to read Bible stories or saints’ lives and admire the heroic lives there than to try to be heroic ourselves.

July 8, 2009

St. Gregory Grassi and Companions

(d. 1900)

 

Christian missionaries have often gotten caught in the crossfire of wars against their own countries. When the governments of Britain, Germany, Russia and France forced substantial territorial concessions from the Chinese in 1898, anti-foreign sentiment grew very strong among many Chinese people.
Gregory Grassi was born in Italy in 1833, ordained in 1856 and sent to China five years later. Gregory was later ordained Bishop of North Shanxi. With 14 other European missionaries and 14 Chinese religious, he was martyred during the short but bloody Boxer Uprising of 1900.

Twenty-six of these martyrs were arrested on the orders of Yu Hsien, the governor of Shanxi province. They were hacked to death on July 9, 1900. Five of them were Friars Minor; seven were Franciscan Missionaries of Mary â€" the first martyrs of their congregation. Seven were Chinese seminarians and Secular Franciscans; four martyrs were Chinese laymen and Secular Franciscans. The other three Chinese laymen killed in Shanxi simply worked for the Franciscans and were rounded up with all the others. Three Italian Franciscans were martyred that same week in the province of Hunan. All these martyrs were beatified in 1946.

Comment:

Martyrdom is the occupational hazard of missionaries. Throughout China during the Boxer Uprising, five bishops, 50 priests, two brothers, 15 sisters and 40,000 Chinese Christians were killed. The 146,575 Catholics served by the Franciscans in China in 1906 had grown to 303,760 by 1924 and were served by 282 Franciscans and 174 local priests. Great sacrifices often bring great results.

Saints Live
 
Mary and the saints are not dead…. They are alive in their relationships with their devotees

Inspite of our political imperfections, this is still a free and democratic country. No need to hide or the like whatsoever.

Walking a Spiritual Path
 
The call to prayer, the way of authentically walking a spiritual path, is to be open to real and allow that reality to lead us, perhaps not pain-free, to God.

July 7, 2009

Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions

(1804-1860)

 

Not much is known of the early life of Emmanuel Ruiz, but details of his heroic death in defense of the faith have come down to us.
Born of humble parents in Santander, Spain, he became a Franciscan priest and served as a missionary in Damascus. This was at a time when anti-Christian riots shook Syria and thousands lost their lives in just a short time.

Among these were Emmanuel, superior of the Franciscan convent, seven other friars and three laymen. When a menacing crowd came looking for the men, they refused to renounce their faith and become Muslims. The men were subjected to horrible tortures before their martyrdom.

Emmanuel, his brother Franciscans and the three Maronite laymen were beatified in 1926 by Pope Pius XI.

Oxygenized water can be used for energy
production and tissue oxygenation. In other
words ionized water contains hydroxyl ions
which are oxygen molecules  with an extra
electrons attached to them. Hydroxyl ions
scavenge for the free radicals, which are
unstable oxygen molecules that cause
cellular damage. Oxygenized water can also
serve as an antioxidant to fight off free radicals.
However,why buy those quite expensive
equipment if you can eat a well balanced diet
with moderate exercise- you can achieve the
same thing- to have a healthier body free from
sickness. Not unless you have your blood
tested, there's no way for you to know if
you are too acidic or not.
A very simple way to do self test for acid
and alkaline is buy litmus paper and test
yourself either before eating or at least
one hour after eating. Apply saliva or urine
to the litmus paper. The paper will change
color to indicate if your system is overly
acidic or alkaline. Red litmus paper turns
blue in alkaline medium and blue litmus
paper turns red in an acid medium. If your
tests indicate that your body is too acidic,
avoid animal proteins ( especially beef and
pork) as they lead to acidity. Avoid beans,
cereals, crackers, eggs, flour products,
grains, oily foods, macaroni, and sugar.
Plums, prunes, and cranberry donot oxidize
therefore remain acid to the body. Avoid
these until the situation improves. Since
excess vitamin C may lead to acidosis,
reduce your intake of vitamin C for a few
weeks.
Too much alkaline in the system can cause
alkalosis which can cause either of these
symptoms: sore muscles, cracking joints,
bursitis, drowsiness, protruding eyes, hyper-
tension, hypothermia, seizures, edema, aller-
gies, night cramps, asthma, chronic indi-
gestion, night coughs, vomiting, too rapid
blood clotting, and thick blood, menstrula
problems, hard dry stools, prostitis, and
thickening of the skin, with burning and
itching sensation.
Alkalosis may cause calcium to build up
in the body, as in bone or heel spurs.
Alkalosis is often the result of excessive
intake of alkaline drugs such as sodium
bicarbonate for the treatment of gastritis
or peptic ulcers.
It can also result from excessive vomiting,
high cholesterol, endocrine imbalance, poor
diet, diarrhea, and osteoarthritis.
Our modern lifestyles have gotten us off
the right tract, with fast foods, alcohol abuse,
drug dependencies (meds for high BP,
high cholesterol, diabetes etc.), a polluted
environment, and a high-tech stress.
Because most of us have a profound lack
of knowledge as to what our bodies need to
function properly, we find ourselves, out of
balance and susceptible to all sorts of illness.
The more we take it upon ourselves to learn
about nutrition, the better prepared we will be
to take that active role. Attitude is also an im-
portant factor in the process of health mainte-
nance and healing. We must have a positive
mind in order to bring harmony to the body.
The realization that the body ( lifestyle), spirit
( desire), and mind (belief) must come toge-
ther is the first step to better health.

Wisdom’s Gift
 
The gift of wisdom is the gift of falling in love with the Holy Spirit.

Pressy , if you  write something about the police force I would consider it biased since the case of Martin´s death is unsolved and you have lots of gripes over  the irregularities of the police force in handling the murder case.

Scars are an inevitable part of living. A scar results when the skim repairs itself after being injured from an accident, illness, or surgery. Scarring is just a natural part of your body's healing process. Depending on the severity of the wound, it usually takes a scar at least three months to dim. On the other hand, no scar fully disappears. Here are some of the ways that you can use to approach a scar.

Give it a good massage. After you have moisturized the scar, gently massage the tissue in circles, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, and then across. This will promote blood flow to the area and help to soften and break down the old scar tissue, promoting the growth of new and healthy tissue in its place.

Try not to move around. As much as possible, keep the injured skin mobilized because moving or rubbing increases the chances that the scar will become large and prominent. The same goes for any friction you expose the wound to. Try to protect the cut from any type of trauma that would re-injure the wound.

Keep your skin exposed to sunlight to a minimal. Scars do not change color as much as normal skin does when exposed to the sun. This, of course, makes them more visible every time you are exposed to the sun or sunburned. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 to block sun and reduce the differences in color between your normal skin and scar tissue. Clean the wound daily. You are more likely to form a scar if there is an infected wound. Clean the wound thoroughly daily with soap and water and then apply some form of antibiotic ointment.

Moisturize the scar. Depending on your condition, you can shrink the amount of scar tissue and its appearance by moisturizing the scar. There are over-the-counter dressings that contain silicon or a silicone derivative that can be applied directly over the scar. These dressings can be worn overnight and literally can shrink the scar tissue.

Keep the skin moist. If the skin is moist, you are in fact optimizing the environment for healing and for promoting healthy skin to grow over the wound. Therefore, a wound heals more effectively if it is kept moist, as opposed to keeping it exposed to the air and allowing it to dry. You may even apply some topical ointments and petroleum jelly and even cooking fat to the wound, which will keep the wound moist and expedite the healing process.

Try multivitamins, zinc, and beta-carotene. Use a multivitamin that contains about 500 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, between 200 to 400 international units (IU) for vitamin E, and up to 2,000 IU of beta-carotene. As for zinc, take about 15 milligrams. All these multi-vitamins, beta-carotene, and zinc boost the immune system and promote healing.

Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

ps

Some chinese uses sesam oil to help rejuvenate the skin scar. Manay Tess

July 6, 2009

St. Maria Goretti

(1890-1902)

 

One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonizationâ€"250,000â€"symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti.
She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When she made her First Communion not long before her death at age 12, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class.

On a hot afternoon in July, Maria was sitting at the top of the stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, Alessandro, 18 years old, ran up the stairs. He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She struggled and tried to call for help. “No, God does not wish it," she cried out. "It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at her blindly with a long dagger.

She was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the goodâ€"concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family) and her devout welcoming of Viaticum, her last Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours after the attack.

Her murderer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria, gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to go to beg the forgiveness of Maria’s mother.

Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her mother (then 82), two sisters and a brother appeared with Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter’s. Three years later, at her canonization, a 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and cried tears of joy.



Comment:
Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no trouble with faith. God's will was holiness, decency, respect for one's body, absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love himâ€"at any cost.

Communion of Saints
 
One can imagine all of us belonging to one another, as in the communion of saints, and all abiding in God.

Dustin Hoffman admitted the fact that regular masturbation keep him sexually active , he isover 70.

July 4, 2009

St. Elizabeth of Portugal

(1271-1336)

 

Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father, Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father, James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality. Thus fortunately prepared, she was able to meet the challenge when, at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal. She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God’s love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poorâ€"in a word, all those whose need came to her notice. At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom.
He too was the object of many of her peace endeavors. She long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin. She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son, Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king’s illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown. And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, she set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile.

Comment:

The work of promoting peace is anything but a calm and quiet endeavor. It takes a clear mind, a steady spirit and a brave soul to intervene between people whose emotions are so aroused that they are ready to destroy one another. This is all the more true of a woman in the early 14th century. But Elizabeth had a deep and sincere love and sympathy for humankind, almost a total lack of concern for herself and an abiding confidence in God. These were the tools of her success.

Betrothal to God
 
Those who overcome temptation are wed to God, and temptation overcome is the ring they wear to prove their betrothal.

July 3, 2009

St. Thomas the Apostle


 

Poor Thomas! He made one remark and has been branded as “Doubting Thomas” ever since. But if he doubted, he also believed. He made what is certainly the most explicit statement of faith in the New Testament: “My Lord and My God!” (see John 20:24-28) and, in so expressing his faith, gave Christians a prayer that will be said till the end of time. He also occasioned a compliment from Jesus to all later Christians: “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).
Thomas should be equally well known for his courage. Perhaps what he said was impetuousâ€"since he ran, like the rest, at the showdownâ€"but he can scarcely have been insincere when he expressed his willingness to die with Jesus. The occasion was when Jesus proposed to go to Bethany after Lazarus had died. Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, this meant walking into the very midst of his enemies and to almost certain death. Realizing this, Thomas said to the other apostles, “Let us also go to die with him” (John 11:16b).

Comment:

Thomas shares the lot of Peter the impetuous, James and John, the “sons of thunder,” Philip and his foolish request to see the Fatherâ€"indeed all the apostles in their weakness and lack of understanding. We must not exaggerate these facts, however, for Christ did not pick worthless men. But their human weakness again points up the fact that holiness is a gift of God, not a human creation; it is given to ordinary men and women with weaknesses; it is God who gradually transforms the weaknesses into the image of Christ, the courageous, trusting and loving one.

Fullness of God
 
No prayer, liturgy or ritual can embody God in God’s fullness. We are always, ultimately, at a loss for words to describe the height, depth, width and breadth of the sacred.

July 2, 2009

St. Oliver Plunkett

(1629-1681)

 

The name of today's saint is especially familiar to the Irish and the Englishâ€"and with good reason. The English martyred Oliver Plunkett for defending the faith in his native Ireland during a period of severe persecution.
Born in County Meath in 1629, he studied for the priesthood in Rome and was ordained there in 1654. After some years of teaching and service to the poor of Rome he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. Four years later, in 1673, a new wave of anti-Catholic persecution began, forcing Archbishop Plunkett to do his pastoral work in secrecy and disguise and to live in hiding. Meanwhile, many of his priests were sent into exile; schools were closed; Church services had to be held in secret and convents and seminaries were suppressed. As archbishop, he was viewed as ultimately responsible for any rebellion or political activity among his parishioners.

Archbishop Plunkett was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin Castle in 1679, but his trial was moved to London. After deliberating for 15 minutes, a jury found him guilty of fomenting revolt. He was hanged, drawn and quartered in July 1681.

Pope Paul VI canonized Oliver Plunkett in 1975.

Prayer’s Awakening
 
Awakening to prayer is noticing the intimacy between all aspects of your life and God.

Diba ang bakasyon buwan sa tingtuli? Mailhan sa una kinsa gituli kay mag T-shirt ug dako! Akoy tig-sunod sunod sa una aron bukasan kay ang pikoy morag kamatis!

This is really interesting, so a group of German students, tried to repeat this experiment. It is a hoax, everything was just a manipulation and a digital trick. No superior cellphone could not be a portable microwave to pop a corn! 

Hallo newbie, nganong yabag man kining imong posting?

July 1, 2009

Blessed Junipero Serra

(1713-1784)

 

In 1776, when the American Revolution was beginning in the east, another part of the future United States was being born in California. That year a gray-robed Franciscan founded Mission San Juan Capistrano, now famous for its annually returning swallows. San Juan was the seventh of nine missions established under the direction of this indomitable Spaniard.
Born in Spain’s island of Mallorca, Serra entered the Franciscan Order, taking the name of St. Francis’ childlike companion, Brother Juniper. Until he was 35, he spent most of his time in the classroomâ€"first as a student of theology and then as a professor. He also became famous for his preaching. Suddenly he gave it all up and followed the yearning that had begun years before when he heard about the missionary work of St. Francis Solanus in South America. Junipero’s desire was to convert native peoples in the New World.

Arriving by ship at Vera Cruz, Mexico, he and a companion walked the 250 miles to Mexico City. On the way Junipero’s left leg became infected by an insect bite and would remain a crossâ€"sometimes life-threateningâ€"for the rest of his life. For 18 years he worked in central Mexico and in the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.

Enter politics: the threat of a Russian invasion south from Alaska. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to the territory. So the last two conquistadorsâ€"one military, one spiritualâ€"began their quest. José de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out with him for present-day Monterey, California. The first mission founded after the 900-mile journey north was San Diego (1769). That year a shortage of food almost canceled the expedition. Vowing to stay with the local people, Junipero and another friar began a novena in preparation for St. Joseph’s day, March 19, the scheduled day of departure. On that day, the relief ship arrived.

Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771); San Luís Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve more were founded after Serra’s death.

Junipero made the long trip to Mexico City to settle great differences with the military commander. He arrived at the point of death. The outcome was substantially what Junipero sought: the famous “Regulation” protecting the Indians and the missions. It was the basis for the first significant legislation in California, a “Bill of Rights” for Native Americans.

Because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life from the Spanish point of view, the friars were made their legal guardians. The Native Americans were kept at the mission after Baptism lest they be corrupted in their former hauntsâ€"a move that has brought cries of “injustice” from some moderns.

Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief at his death. He is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo, Carmel, and was beatified in 1988.



Comment:
The word that best describes Junipero is zeal. It was a spirit that came from his deep prayer and dauntless will. “Always forward, never back” was his motto. His work bore fruit for 50 years after his death as the rest of the missions were founded in a kind of Christian communal living by the Indians. When both Mexican and American greed caused the secularization of the missions, the Chumash people went back to what they had beenâ€"God again writing straight with crooked lines.

Prayer’s Awakening
 
Awakening to prayer is noticing the intimacy between all aspects of your life and God.

Man uses nail clippers in DIY circumcision
A man who gave himself a DIY circumcision using nail clippers was taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

Published: 9:00AM BST 30 Jun 2009

Nail clippers: 'This is something we would advise men never to attempt,' a medic said .

The young man had to be rushed to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The wound was disinfected to cleanse it before he was given a bed in an observation ward.

"This is something we would advise men never to attempt," a medic said, "The results can be quite horrific and long-lasting and have quite an affect on a man's sexual performance.

Doctor inhaled gas on ward to 'feel floaty'"Using a pair of nail clippers must have caused excruciating pain, even if he had had a few drinks beforehand." Telegraph.UK

Most people have heard of hepatitis,
but few understand the harm posed
by this potentially deadly collection
of diseases. Here's what you should
know from Hepatitis A to Hepatitis. E.
Hepatitis means inflammation of the
liver, with hepatitis, the liver stops wor-
king well. Viruses cause most hepa-
titis. Viral hepatitis is the most common
causes of liver disease in the world.
At least there's five different viruses
cause hepatitis in people. Hepatitis A
and E are spread through contaminated
food, water, and human waste. Hepatitis
B, C, and D are spread through an in-
fected person's blood or body fluids.
Vaccines protect against Hepatis A and B.
No vaccines are available for hepatitis C,
D and E.
Hepatitis C, and D can cause long lasting
problems, including liver scarring ( cirrhosis)
and cancer.
I won't discuss anymore about the function
of the liver as I have a posting about that as
well as Hepatitis. A and Hepatitis B.
Liver disease afflict all kinds of people of all
ages and stages, but most frequently affected
are those in their productive "prime of life"
years, between the ages of 40 and 60 years.
Hepatitis C is the most critical area of all liver
disease research. Hepatitis C can strike anyone.
Among the super stars that has hepatitis C are
Harry Lagman- legendary TV star, Natalie Cole-
Grammy  winning singer, Naomi Judd-award
winning country music.
While death rates from some forms of liver
disease are decreasing, those for viral hepatitis
and liver cancer are on the rise, both in the U.S.
and worldwide. The hepatitis C virus was dis-
covered just 20 years ago. Today it is clear that
hepatitis C is the most common cause of chronic
liver disease in United States; the most common
of liver scarring (cirrhosis);the most common
reason for liver transplantation, and now, the
most common cause of liver cancer.
Hepatitis C is the most common form of viral he-
patitis. While it can be transmitted through conta-
minated blood transfusion and/or needles, for a
substantial number of patients, the cause is
unknown. It may scar the liver. Hepatitis C infec-
tion is common in about 25% of people who are
HIV-positive. Hepatitis C also infects up to 90%
of HIV-infected injection drug users. And it is
more severe in patients with HIV.
Acute hepatitis is the initial infection, which may
be mild or severe. If the infection lasts for 6 months
or longer, the condition is called chronic hepatitis.
Hepatitis A and E do not cause chronic hepatitis.
Hepatitis E is prevalent in countries with poor sa-
nitation . Hepatitis B, C, D can produce both acute
and chronic  episodes of the illness. Chronic he-
patitis B and C are especially serious.
A recent study concluded that about half of patients
with chronic Hepatitis C recovere after receiving ini-
tial treatments from two drugs: peginterferon and
ribavirin. Alternative way is to take milk thistle extract
supplements Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk
thistle, has been known to lower liver enzymes and
reverse the kind of liver damage common in people
with hepatitis C. Some studies have found that milk
thistle can cure liver cancer in rats.
Be sure to have yourself tested for hepatitis viruses
and get a vaccine for Hepatitis A and B. The vaccine
for Hep. A is thought to be effective for 15-20 years
or more. For Hepatitis B three injections of Hep B
vaccine over a 6 to 12 month period are required
to provide full protection.
Prevention in general: is to wash your hands after
going to the bathroom and before fixing food or
eating. Use latex condoms if you are having sex
other than your wife. Avoid tap water. Don't share
drug needles( like injecting glutathione);don't share
personal items such as toothbrushes, nail clippers,
razor- with an infected person

Diabetes and Lymphona - Researchers say
that people with diabetes have a 19 percent
greater risk of getting non-hodgkins lymphona
than those who don't have diabetes.The lym-
phoma occurs when circulating immune cells
proliferate. Researchers suggests the link
may have to do with how diabetes affects the
immune system Obesity may also be a factor.
Diabetes and Boils- Do recurrent boil have
anything to do with diabetes? Skin abscesses,
also known as boils, are more common in
people with uncontrolled diabetes. They are
usually caused by bacteria typically known as
staphylococcus aureus or streptococcus, but
the abscess can also be caused by other bacteria.
Bacteria flourish in moist, dark, warm areas of the
body. You  can get an abscess or boil in any lo-
cation. We know that high blood glucose levels,
even for short period of time, can delay healing
and increase risk of infection.
A vitamin that's kind to the kidneys-A small study
made by Pakistani that a hefty dose of thiamine
(vitamin B-1) may reduce the risk o kidney diseases
in people with diabetes.
Blood glucose levels that run higher than normal can
cause serious long-term complications and are the
reasons that people with poorly controlled diabetes
can go blind, lose their kidney function, or have foot
or leg amputations. Keeping glucose under control
help
s people with diabetes prevent these debilitating
and sometimes deadly complications.
Figuring out what makes your blood glucose move
up or down is key for figuring out how to get it under
control. In brief, eating, stress, and illness can make
glucose levels rise, while medication and exercise
tend to bring them back down. But there is a certain
amount of trial and error in learning how your body
reacts to every one of these factors- and that's where
proper glucose monitoring can make a huge difference.
Monitoring your blood glucose level can be a key part
of your plan for long-term health

Tuesday   June   30   2009
Quote of the Day


What is impossible for us is possible for Him; take Him at His word.

A Mothered World
 
A woman who mothers her world has an eye for beauty, cares for the poor and speaks values contrary to the status quo. 

Irena Sendler - who recently died at 98 years of age, was a 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

During WWII, Irena was given permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a plumbing/sewer specialist.  She had an ulterior motive.

Being German, Irena knew what the Nazi plan was for Jews. 

Irena smuggled out infants in the bottom of a tool box she carried in the back of her truck.  She used a burlap sack for bigger children.

She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto.  The soldiers wanted nothing to do with her dog.  The barking covered noises of the infants and children.

Irena managed to smuggle out and save 2500 infants and children, before she was caught!  The Nazi's broke both her legs and arms, and beat her severely. 

Irena kept a record in a jar buried under a tree in her back yard of all the children she smuggled out.

After the war, she tried to locate all parents that may have survived to reunite families, but most had been gassed. 

The children she could not reunite were placed with foster families or adopted.

Irena was nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.  She was not selected.  Al Gore won for a slide show on Global Warming.

Help send this email around the world so that this 'noble' lady is remembered for her bravery.

PLEASE VISUALIZE WORLD PEACE AT 5:00 PM EVERYDAY.

Recognizing Resurrection
 
The resurrected Jesus was recognized in the ordinary actions of life: preparing food on the beach, eating with friends, walking and conversing with friends.

Happy Birthday wishes to you Inday Gelyan from Manay Tess! God bless you always

I admire Raquel for remembering things which our folks uses as home rememdy like Guyabano , pang porga, aron mawala ang mga bitok labina sa gamay pa ko.

June 29, 2009

Sts. Peter and Paul

(d. 64 & 67)

 

Peter (d. 64?). St. Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: "You are the Messiah" (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter's life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.
The New Testament clearly shows Peter as the leader of the apostles, chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. With James and John he was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising of a dead child to life and the agony in Gethsemane. His mother-in-law was cured by Jesus. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus' death. His name is first on every list of apostles.

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

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

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

Peter is willing to accept Jesus' doctrine of forgiveness, but suggests a limit of seven times. He walks on the water in faith, but sinks in doubt. He refuses to let Jesus wash his feet, then wants his whole body cleansed. He swears at the Last Supper that he will never deny Jesus, and then swears to a servant maid that he has never known the man. He loyally resists the first attempt to arrest Jesus by cutting off Malchus's ear, but in the end he runs away with the others. In the depth of his sorrow, Jesus looks on him and forgives him, and he goes out and sheds bitter tears. The Risen Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs and his sheep (John 21:15-17).

Paul (d. 64?). If the most well-known preacher today suddenly began preaching that the United States should adopt Marxism and not rely on the Constitution, the angry reaction would help us understand Paul's life when he started preaching that Christ alone can save us. He had been the most Pharisaic of Pharisees, the most legalistic of Mosaic lawyers. Now he suddenly appears to other Jews as a heretical welcomer of Gentiles, a traitor and apostate.

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

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

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



Comment:
We would probably go to confession to Peter sooner than to any of the other apostles. He is perhaps a more striking example of the simple fact of holiness. Jesus says to us as he said, in effect, to Peter: "It is not you who have chosen me, but I who have chosen you. Peter, it is not human wisdom that makes it possible for you to believe, but my Father's revelation. I, not you, build my Church." Paul's experience of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus was the driving force that made him one of the most zealous, dynamic and courageous ambassadors of Christ the Church has ever had. But persecution, humiliation and weakness became his day-by-day carrying of the cross, material for further transformation. The dying Christ was in him; the living Christ was his life.

June 28, 2009

St. Irenaeus

(130?-220)

 

The Church is fortunate that Irenaeus was involved in many of its controversies in the second century. He was a student, well trained, no doubt, with great patience in investigating, tremendously protective of apostolic teaching, but prompted more by a desire to win over his opponents than to prove them in error.
As bishop of Lyons he was especially concerned with the Gnostics, who took their name from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Claiming access to secret knowledge imparted by Jesus to only a few disciples, their teaching was attracting and confusing many Christians. After thoroughly investigating the various Gnostic sects and their “secret,” Irenaeus showed to what logical conclusions their tenets led. These he contrasted with the teaching of the apostles and the text of Holy Scripture, giving us, in five books, a system of theology of great importance to subsequent times. Moreover, his work, widely used and translated into Latin and Armenian, gradually ended the influence of the Gnostics.

The circumstances and details about his death, like those of his birth and early life in Asia Minor, are not at all clear.

Holy Power, Holy Presence
 
The Spirit is the vehicle by which we leave off the old self bound by sin, slavery, fear and egoism, and embrace the new, open to grace and freedom and love. 

June 27, 2009

St. Cyril of Alexandria

(376?-444)

 

Saints are not born with halos around their heads. Cyril, recognized as a great teacher of the Church, began his career as archbishop of Alexandria, Egypt, with impulsive, often violent, actions. He pillaged and closed the churches of the Novatian heretics, participated in the deposing of St. John Chrysostom (September 13) and confiscated Jewish property, expelling the Jews from Alexandria in retaliation for their attacks on Christians.
Cyril’s importance for theology and Church history lies in his championing the cause of orthodoxy against the heresy of Nestorius.

The controversy centered around the two natures in Christ. Nestorius would not agree to the title “God-bearer” for Mary. He preferred “Christ-bearer,” saying there are two distinct persons in Christ (divine and human) joined only by a moral union. He said Mary was not the mother of God but only of the man Christ, whose humanity was only a temple of God. Nestorianism implied that the humanity of Christ was a mere disguise.

Presiding as the pope’s representative at the Council of Ephesus (431), Cyril condemned Nestorianism and proclaimed Mary truly the “God-bearer” (the mother of the one Person who is truly God and truly human). In the confusion that followed, Cyril was deposed and imprisoned for three months, after which he was welcomed back to Alexandria as a second Athanasius (the champion against Arianism).

Besides needing to soften some of his opposition to those who had sided with Nestorius, Cyril had difficulties with some of his own allies, who thought he had gone too far, sacrificing not only language but orthodoxy. Until his death, his policy of moderation kept his extreme partisans under control. On his deathbed, despite pressure, he refused to condemn the teacher of Nestorius.



Comment:
Lives of the saints are valuable not only for the virtue they reveal but also for the less admirable qualities that also appear. Holiness is a gift of God to us as human beings. Life is a process. We respond to God's gift, but sometimes with a lot of zigzagging. If Cyril had been more patient and diplomatic, the Nestorian Church might not have risen and maintained power so long. But even saints must grow out of immaturity, narrowness and selfishness. It is because theyâ€"and weâ€"do grow, that we are truly saints, persons who live the life of God.

Glory to God
 
This is what we should glory in: Rendering glory to God, serving God faithfully and acknowledging as God's whatever God gives us

Inday Raquel,  angin sa iyang daku nga kayogot sa iyang amahan, iyang gipaningkamotan nga malayo ang iyang dagway sa tawong nagpamatoto ug nagpadako kaniya, iyang amahan. Busa iyang gitoyo nga ang iyang panit maputi.

Sad to say that our beach resorts are now adjusted to the tune of hard currencies.  It is very pricy in Panglao. You can avail of a public beach not far from Dumaluan and bring your own provisions. Check some websites on Panglao beach resorts. God bless Adeng Luisa!

June 26, 2009

Blessed Raymond Lull

(1235-1315)

 

Raymond worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North Africa.
Raymond was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. He earned a position in the king’s court there. One day a sermon inspired him to dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where missionaries could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring to solitude, he spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on all branches of knowledge, a work which earned him the title "Enlightened Doctor."

Raymond then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings and princes in establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his goal in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca where he died. Raymond was beatified in 1514.

Comment:

Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal.

Three hundred years later Raymond’s work began to have an influence in the Americas. When the Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set up missionary colleges to aid the work. Blessed Junipero Serra belonged to such a college.

Turning, Returning
 
In reality, there is only one sin: turning away from God. And there is simply one conversion: returning to God’s love.

Michael Jackson is dead!