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The Beautiful Hands of a Priest



We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek it while tasting life's woes.

When we come to this world we are sinful,
The greatest as well as the least.
And the hands that make us pure as angels
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness
Their dignity stands alone.

For there in the stillness of morning
Ere the sun has emerged from the east,
There God rests between the pure fingers
Of the beautiful hands of a priest.

When we are tempted and wander
To pathways of shame and sin
'Tis the hand of a priest that absolve us.
Not once but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner
Other hands may prepare us a feast
But the hands that will bless and unite us,
Are the beautiful hands of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress,
What can a poor sinner do better
Than to ask Him who chose them to bless

When the death dews on our lids are falling,
May our courage and strength be increased
By seeing raised o'er us in blessing
The beautiful hands of a priest.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on December 07, 2012, 09:29:26 AM
ka nindot sa flower horn... pero mas mainlab ko ani..

He he he! It looks like a Siamese fighting fish..

He he he he! This reminds me of one of my favorite Catholic Offertory Songs: THE CANTICLE OF THE SUN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGMIjwf0SVw#

 

by: St. Francis of Assissi



    Most high, all powerful, all good, Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor And all blessing. To You alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

    All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made And first my lord Brother Sun, Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

    All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars; In the heavens you have made them, bright And precious and fair.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods, By which you cherish all that You have made.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through Sister Water, So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brother Fire, Through whom you brighten up the night, How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother, Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through those who grant pardon, For love of you; through those who endure Sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in Peace, By you, Most High, they will be crowned.

    All praise be yours, My Lord, through Sister Death, From whose embrace no mortal can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those She finds doing your Will! The second death can do no harm to them, Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him Thanks, And serve Him with great humility.

    Amen.

Quote from: chicogon on December 07, 2012, 06:58:53 AM
Thank you, Bran. My blood pressure is regulated now, actually before I went home to the Philippines, thanks to my heart doctor. I lost 76 total but I lost the 30 when I was in Bohol, courtesy of ice chips and kinilaw hahaha...

By controlling your hypertension, Fr. Roel, you prevent any further cardiovascular disease because uncontrolled hypertension is linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as secondary renal failure.

Knowing that you are now off the insulin, your body is now able to produce the endogenous insulin. You know why? Because insulin production coincides with weight and body size. If you reduce body size (for pre-diabetics , diabetics and at-risk diabetics) , then the pancreatic beta cell will produce the insulin again.  Your weight loss not only protects your heart, but also your kidneys.
God is Great!

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus exercituum: Plena es terra gloria tua: Gloria Patri, Gloria Filio, Gloria Spiritui Sancto.

Quote from: chicogon on December 07, 2012, 06:04:25 AM
Attended a funeral of a brother priest at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans

Da, Domine, propitius pacem in diebus nostis, ut, ope misericordiae tuae adiuti, et a peccato simus semper liberi et ab omni perturbatione securi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Réquiem æternam dona ei,
Dómine.

Et lux perpétua lúceat ei.
Requiéscat in pace.
Amen.

Anima ejus, et ánimæ ómnium fidélium defunctórum, per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace.

Amen.

Quote from: chicogon on December 06, 2012, 03:37:38 PM
I lost 76 lbs since August 20, lupig paniwang sa Hollywood celebrities ani. I don't get hungry anymore and often I forget to eat... nadayonan. I've been diabetic since 1995 or 1998 and had been on insulin for almost 8 years. For some reason I'm off insulin na for almost 4 months. Kaon naman gani kog sneakers ug kitkat and still below 120 ang sugar. I know Bran can esplain it, I can't. Motoo na jud ko "we are what we eat." Now that I only eat ice chip, I guess you can describe me as cold and frigid, bwahahaha!

Fr. Roel,

It's the beauty of medical surgery. Your weight loss also encouraged me to do some more physical activities. Since October , I've lost 15 lbs. Nag jogging ko after work. But important gajod to weight loss is to controlling the eating; instead of eating large meals 2 times a day, its good to snack on healthy food (fruits, steamed veggies, and some lean protein) 5-6 times a day. My goal is to lose an additional 40 lbs by July.

Kummusta naman ka sa imong high blood pressure? Did your Primary M.D. change the dosages / get rid of it ? Loosing 76 lbs is a great accomplishment, Fr. Roel. Good Job! Keep up the good work on staying healthy. And remember...Health IS Wealth!   

In other words, don't ever judge a book by its cover...

Truly a beautiful excerpt.

Why so sad, Fishy     

Unsa man na? It looks like a tumor on its head.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on December 06, 2012, 06:33:49 PM
correction..my friend lives in New Bataan, ComVal... for the meanwhile, naa na sa Matanao, Davao Sur iyang mga kids.. pahirapan daw pag anhi niya kay grabe guba kaayo ang dalan tapos nanimaho na gyud ug patay.. good thing, naa pa siya nahabilin nga business sa Tagum so she could start again..We offer help to her pero she refused this time.. Happy na siya nga ni support ug nagpray mi niya.. and we will keep praying for her.. Be safe always, Flor..

Keeping your friend Flor in my thoughts and prayers. May the Good Lord continue to bless her, and strengthen her and all the loved ones that have been affected. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Quote from: jorgeanna on December 03, 2012, 07:38:44 AM

a way to a man's heart is through his stomch

How did you know?

Just came back from a conference meeting on non-profit grant writing, health care fundraising etc, which was held in Northbrook, Illinois. It was a good 30 minute drive. I attended it with the President of Northwestern.

I learned a lot. Nag network network pod gamay.

Quote from: islander on December 06, 2012, 10:38:42 AM
hehe, if non-stop talker me would get to be your patient, you will swear you won't talk with any patient anymore. 

He he he! I'm sure I would love to get to talk to you face to face, Isles.

Quote from: Votives on December 06, 2012, 11:08:01 AM
teacher ni cya sa military?

Perhaps she is. One thing I'm sure is that she's cute.

May God have mercy on his soul!!!

Amazing pictures, Isles.

How can the Philippines and China co-exist peacefully?

Do you approve of Cambodia's performance as ASEAN Chair?

What are your feelings about American military presence in the Philippines?

Grapefruit and clams.

Katawa ko ganina kai when i came inside my office, i overheard one of the instructors say, "Oh, did you see Dr. Lorenzo's cute ginger bread house on his desk?"

hahaha! Awwwwwww. Christmas theme man gud uy.

Sus na gutom man ko uy. Yataps.

US & Philippine Navy Personnel.

U.S. and Philippine officials recently confirmed that Subic Bay â€" a natural harbor 80 km north of Manila that was the US 7th Fleet’s home until 1992 â€" is going to be playing a much larger role in U.S. Pacific Fleet deployments from now on.

The former U.S. naval port and its air station, now known as Subic Bay Freeport Zone, is set to host U.S. ships, marines and aircraft on a semi-permanent basis. To compare it to a relationship: the U.S. isn’t moving back in, but it’s going to be leaving a few things at the apartment. And it’s a bit more than just a toothbrush.

"There are very few ports that can accommodate naval assets and naval carriers, and one of them is Subic,” said Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Visiting Forces Agreement Director Edilberto Adan, who was speaking to reporters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. Bonhomme Richard was just one U.S. ship that was at Subic Freeport in preparation for PHIBLEX 2013 â€" a 10-day annual amphibious exercise involving U.S. and Philippine Marines that began its 29th iteration earlier this month.

Adan explicitly linked Subic to the U.S. military’s much-heralded shift of emphasis to the Pacific theatre. "As the U.S. begins to implement [the rebalance], Subic will play an important role because it is one of the important facilities that can service its presence in the Pacific," he said.

In some ways, the increase in troop and platform rotations is similar to the deal that the U.S. and Australia unveiled in November 2011 that will eventually see 2,500 U.S. Marines train in Darwin. Unlike that arrangement, however, Subic will be hosting a lot of U.S. hardware and will also act as a support and servicing facility for the U.S. Navy. AMSEC, a subsidiary of U.S. shipbuilder Huntingdon Ingalls Industries announced in April that it would set up a maintenance, repair, and logistics hub at Subic using facilities owned by Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC).

At the time, AMSEC's Mark Balmert told IHS Jane's Defence Weekly that "Subic Bay was attractive to the navy in past years because of location and costs, and we are hopeful that it will be in the future as well."

This announcement, like any strategic change, prompts a number of questions on its true significance.

It’s possible to see the decision as a natural development of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that Manila signed with the United States in 1999. That agreement, which was not without its opponents in the Philippines and came only seven years after Subic had closed down as a U.S. base, was first invoked in 2002 when U.S. special forces arrived in support of Operation 'Enduring Freedom', working alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other Islamist groups in the south of the country.

http://thediplomat.com/2012/10/16/just-like-old-times-us-navy-returns-to-philippines/

An F/A-18C Hornet lands aboard USS George Washington

the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington

USS George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Strike Group formation

ha ha ha! Kuyawa si Mr. Ramon uy!

Engr. Rico Lucino and Mr. Ramon dancing during the Valencianhon Association of the East Coast USA Fiesta , 2012.

Quote from: Votives on December 05, 2012, 12:32:31 PM
yaw patya si ma'am oi kay sexy... ang prinsipal lang kay gurang na..

This is a beautiful teacher:

Approve si Ondoy ! Photo taken during a Valencianhon Association of the East Coast USA Party, 2012.

Si Ondoy Andre Posing Like General Legaspi.

Tulug Tulug Si Inday Pippa Anne.

A Vietnamese delicacy: Pho Tai Bin Gan Sach

Lami ni i-higophigopon.

Truly, a doctor's best friend.

My dog, Pippa Anne, pleading for me to play with her outside.

A beautiful view. 

he he he ! gi decorated ang room lagi oh...

Good Morning Brod Vhinz! Thanks for this wonderful verse ! God Bless !;D

Quote from: islander on December 05, 2012, 11:29:06 AM
just a friendly word of advice to young men like you, it's fine to be scared of three, but one is okay.  who's afraid of cyclops, anyway?

Tekret.

Quote from: islander on December 05, 2012, 11:26:37 AM
as for squid and octopus, don't bother...

It's agreeable that this lady loves to Suck for a living. ha, ha, ha, ha.

Quote from: hubag bohol on December 05, 2012, 11:24:46 AM




Agoroy tor! Danlak delight!

Lami na, pero delikado lang kai dako'g cholesterol. Preparar na lang sa imong Simvastatin og Cholestipol.

Quote from: islander on December 05, 2012, 11:10:20 AM
mao nay gitawag nga quid pro quo, kun pina-lorenz pa.  yin ang yang, kun pina-jorgeanna pa.  big and small, kun pina-pikoy pa.  soprano and alto, kun pina-chongki pa.  sunshine and storm, kun pina-tigbao pa.  kay bugsay man, ham ang egg.  sabe?  

Sakto si Madam Justice. Audi alteram partem, kun pina-Isles pa.

Quote from: Votives on December 05, 2012, 11:10:29 AM
mo undang na jud kog pang chicks if makakita ko babaye na 3 ang totoy....

Simbako, Bai Vots. Ayaw kay ma vonka ka day kon maohon.       

Quote from: maryhazel on December 04, 2012, 04:02:38 PM
Doc Lorenz tinoud jud nga powerful kaayo kun mag ampo ka pinaagi ni Mama Mary. Ang pag ampo mao nay amo backer sa tanang higayon kay wala kay mahimo kun wala Siya.

He he he, beautiful testament, Sister Maryhazel.

Thank You for sharing that with me.

Quote from: islander on December 04, 2012, 11:10:49 PM

Nice...

Quote from: islander on December 04, 2012, 11:44:04 PM

I like these ones , too! Pila ni sila, Isles? Palit ko beh!

Quote from: islander on December 04, 2012, 11:22:53 PM

Beautiful!

“[Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 8:12

May God have mercy....

Quote from: roots on December 04, 2012, 01:10:52 PM

tua na lagi, gi-hinayhinayan nag balhin sa ilang balay...

ha ha ha, kuyawa pod ang polis, bai roots. 

hehehe! hard work with a smile diay ...

Quote from: roots on December 04, 2012, 09:27:39 AM
makalingaw pud maski ako ra ug ang guard ug driver naa... atleast ako ang boss nila karon, hahahahaha

kuyawa lagi si Bossing Roots.  

Let's pray not !

Lest there should be any misconception about the place of devotion to Mary in Catholic piety, we honor in a special way the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of Jesus, i.e., the person of Mary in her eminent sanctity and glorification by God, because it is the wish of her Son - as Our Lady revealed in her second apparition at Fatima. Jesus knows well that true devotion to His Mother leads souls to Him. As Pope Paul VI wrote in his encyclical celebrating the centenary of the apparitions at Lourdes:

"Everything in Mary leads us toward her Son, our only Savior, by whose foreseen merits she was preserved immaculate and full of grace; everything in Mary lifts up our hearts to the praise of the Holy Trinity."


And as Our Lady assured Lucy, June 13, 1917:

"I will never abandon you, my child. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God."

The Church sees Mary, then, not as the goal, but as the guide, who always leads souls who honor her with true devotion - to her Son, especially to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When we pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for help in time of need, she in turn points to the Tabernacle, to Him who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," and has a way of conveying to us what she said to the steward at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you." (John.2:5)



Reference:
http://www.rosary-center.org/consecrt.htm#jesus

3. DEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY


In 1916, a year before the apparitions of Our Lady, the Angel of Peace appeared to the children to prepare them for things to come. "The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy for you," he said. "Offer unceasingly to the Most High prayer and sacrifices."

In the second apparition the following year (June 13) Our Lady let the children know that "Jesus wishes to establish throughout the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart." Several times in the June and July apparitions Our Lady spoke of this devotion, as we shall see; and soon there began to burn in their hearts (especially Jacinta's) a deep love for the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Shortly before Jacinta went to the hospital where she was to die, she said to Lucia: "In a short time now I am going to heaven. You are to stay here and say that God wishes to establish in the world the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. . . . Tell everybody that God grants graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and that they must ask them from her. Tell them that the Heart of Jesus wishes that by His side should be venerated the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask peace through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; God has placed it in her hands. Oh that I could put into the heart of everybody the flame that I feel burning within my breast and which makes me love so much the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary."

June 13, 1917

Lucia asked Our Lady if she would take them to heaven. Our Lady answered: "Yes, I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon. You, however, are to stay here a longer time. Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish the devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by me before His throne."

When Lucia asked if she were going to be left alone, Our Lady responded: "No, my daughter. Does this cause you to suffer a great deal? I will never leave you, my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God."

As the Blessed Mother uttered these words she extended her hands and in the rays of light that shone from them, the children saw themselves as if submerged in the Divine presence. Jacinta and Francisco were on the side of the light that was ascending to Heaven, while Lucia was in the light that seemed diffused over all the earth. In the palm of her right hand was a Heart pierced with thorns; and the children understood that it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so offended by the sins of mankind and pleading for reparation.

July 13, 1917

"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners; and say often when you make some sacrifice, 'My Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'"

After showing the children a vision of hell, Our Lady said to them: "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish throughout the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do as I shall ask many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.... But if people do not cease offending God... another and more terrible war will begin. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign that God gives that the chastisement of the world for its many transgressions is at hand through war, famine, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father."

"To prevent this, I shall come to ask the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and Communions of reparation on the first Saturdays. If my requests are heard, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, fomenting wars and persecution of the Church. The good will suffer martyrdom; the Holy Father will suffer much; different nations will be annihilated. But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, which will be converted, and some time of peace will be granted to humanity."

NOTE: From the above, we must not think of the Five First Saturdays merely in terms of personal salvation, of receiving "at the hour of death the graces necessary for salvation;" but also in terms of world peace, of avoiding the terrible social consequences mentioned above by Our Lady.
December 10, 1925

The visits of Our Lady to Lucia did not end with those in 1917. In fact it was only through later apparitions that Lucia received permission to make known some of the messages revealed in 1917.

While Lucia was in her room at the convent of the Sisters of St. Dorothy, Our Lady and the Child Jesus appeared to her. Resting her right hand on Lucia's shoulder, the Blessed Mother held in her other hand a Heart surrounded by sharp thorns. The Divine Child was the first to speak to Lucia: "Have pity on the Heart of your most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of reparation."

Then Our Lady made known her request for Communions of reparation: "My daughter, look at my Heart encircled with the thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Do you at least try to console me and announce in my name that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to Confession and receive Holy Communion, recite the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to me."




Reference:
http://www.rosary-center.org/fatimams.htm#prayer

2. PRAYER

Besides a call to penance Fatima is in a special way a call for the Rosary. So central is the Rosary to the Fatima message that Our Lady chose to identify herself as "The Lady of the Rosary." In each of the six apparitions she asked for the daily Rosary, and especially as an instrument of world peace. As she revealed in the third apparition: "You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war for only she can obtain this." In this Our Lady renewed her request for the prayer she gave to the Church centuries before, a prayer that has proven a powerful weapon against the enemies of Christianity as history testifies.

When asked about the importance of the Rosary, Sr. Lucia responded: "My impression is that the Rosary is of greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fatima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God."

The Rosary is basically a gospel prayer, and for those who pray it properly, it is, as Sr. Lucia said, "a simple method of getting closer to God." But to pray it properly requires that each decade be a reflection on some aspect of the joyful, sorrowful or glorious mysteries of our redemption. Without that meditation, the Rosary would become monotonous repetition. As Pope Paul VI wrote in MARIALIS CULTUS: "Without this (contemplation) the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation is in danger of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas." In praying the Rosary we can well take Our Lady as a model, for as the Scriptures tell us, "Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her Heart."

The Rosary is a simple form of prayer that can be prayed by the young or old, the learned or the uneducated, the saint or the sinner. Each can adapt it to his or her own capacity. It is so pleasing to Our Lady, because it brings us to review again and again the life of Christ, the mysteries of our redemption. As Pope Paul VI pointed out, it not only recalls to mind these mysteries, but stimulates the will to draw from them the norms of living. That is, it not only points out the way, but helps us to obtain the graces needed to follow in that way.

After repeatedly asking for the daily Rosary, and identifying herself as "The Lady of the Rosary," the Blessed Mother terminated the final apparition by showing the children three separate tableaux symbolizing the entire message of the Rosary. The first was a vision of the Holy family - representing the joyful mysteries; the second a vision of Our Lady of Sorrows - representing the sorrowful mysteries; and the third a vision of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - representing the glorious mysteries.

The Rosary may seem like an insignificant thing in the light of the magnitude of the evils of today's world, but it is the weapon given to us by Our Lady. She merely asks our cooperation, and she will do the rest. It is like the slingshot of David that killed the mighty enemy because the power of God was behind it. Thus, as the saying goes, he who prays the Rosary has the power of God in his hand.

The following is a brief consideration of Our Lady's three requests: penance, prayer and devotion to her Immaculate Heart:


1. PENANCE

In the Gospels the word penance means a conversion of one's life, a turning away from sin, and a turning back to God. As Our Lady insisted at Fatima: "Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. . . . They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended." The Fatima message is a call for men to give up sinful practices which grieve God and draw down His chastisements on the world, and to make reparation for them. Commenting on Our Lady's request for penance, Sr. Lucia wrote: "The part of the last apparition which has remained most deeply imprinted on my heart is the prayer of our heavenly Mother begging us not to offend any more Almighty God, Who is already so much offended."

Jacinta, too, shortly before her death remarked: "If men only knew what eternity is, how they would make all possible efforts to amend their lives . . . mortification and sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord."

In August of 1917 Our Lady told the children, "pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them." As to the kinds of sacrifices Our Lady was asking, she revealed to Sr. Lucia on one occasion: "The good Lord is allowing Himself to be appeased . . . but He Himself complains most bitterly and sorrowfully about the small number of souls in His grace who are willing to renounce whatever the observance of His laws requires of them."

"Many persons," Sr. Lucia explained, "feeling that the word penance implies great austerities, and not feeling that they have the strength for great sacrifices, become discouraged and continue a life of lukewarmness and sin." Then she said Our Lord explained to her: "The sacrifice required of every person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My law. This is the penance that I now seek and require."

In this materialistic culture in which we live, almost heroic virtue is required to be faithful to the duties of the Christian life. Yet, over and above those sacrifices "required of every person," the children of Fatima practiced many little acts of mortification and renunciation on their own initiative. It is hoped that many devotees of Our Lady will not be content with the minimum required and will not pass up opportunities of voluntary mortification, placing in the hands of Our Lady the fruits of the little trials, frustrations and irritations of each day accepted with patience and resignation.

It was in this same spirit that the Angel spoke to the children in 1916: "Offer up everything in your power as a sacrifice to the Lord in reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners . . . More than all else, accept and bear with resignation the sufferings that God may send you."

THE REQUESTS OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY OF FATIMA


2. DEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY:

"Jesus wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it." (June 13, 1917)
FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS, which include:
reception of Holy Communion, and Confession (within 8 days before or after)
pray five decades of the Rosary
spend 15 minutes in meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary.

(All the above to be offered up in reparation for sins and ingratitude against the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady.)
OFFERING IN REPARATION THE SACRIFICES, TRIALS AND CROSSES OF LIFE, especially those sacrifices involved in keeping God's Commandments, and in fulfilling the duties of one's state in life - offering them through the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparation to the Divine Majesty so offended by sin, and for the conversion of sinners.
"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say often whenever you make a sacrifice: 'O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.' " (Our Lady, July 13, 1917)
"Pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them." (Our Lady, August 19, 1917)
CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. Any formula may be used which expresses a sincere confiding of oneself without reserve.

THE REQUESTS OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY OF FATIMA



1. THE DAILY ROSARY FOR PEACE:

"Pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace in the world . . . for she alone can save it." (Our Lady, July 13, 1917)
"God has placed peace in her hands, and it is from the Immaculate Heart that men must ask it." (Jacinta, shortly before her death)
"When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: 'O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.' " (June 13, 1917)
(Every Rosary increases Mary's power to crush the head of the Serpent and to destroy his evil power in the world.)

Fatima is a call from the Mother of God for a renewed fidelity to penance and prayer, which basically is the message of the Gospel. Too, it brings out the desire of Our Lord that His Mother be better known, loved and venerated through devotion to her Immaculate Heart.

How To Pray The Rosary - The purpose of the Rosary is to help keep in memory certain principal events or mysteries in the history of our salvation, and to thank and praise God for them. There are twenty mysteries reflected upon in the Rosary, and these are divided into the five JOYFUL MYSTERIES, the five LUMINOUS MYSTERIES, the five SORROWFUL MYSTERIES, and the five GLORIOUS MYSTERIES.




1. Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed."
2. Say the "Our Father."
3. Say three "Hail Marys."
4. Say the "Glory be to the Father."
5. Announce the First Mystery; then say the "Our Father."
6. Say ten "Hail Marys," while meditating on the Mystery.
7. Say the "Glory be to the Father."
8. Announce the Second Mystery; then say the "Our Father." Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.

After the Rosary:

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!


V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. O GOD, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

After each decade say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy."

As suggested by the Pope John Paul II the Joyful mysteries are said on Monday and Saturday, the Luminous on Thursday, the Sorrowful on Tuesday and Friday, and the Glorious on Wednesday and Sunday (with this exception: Sundays of Christmas season - The Joyful; Sundays of Lent - Sorrowful)


Reference:
http://www.rosary-center.org/howto.htm

Quote from: chicogon on December 03, 2012, 11:47:45 AM
Thank you... I will as soon as dili nako katugon hahaha. It was a long day today, labi na wa kaayo makatulog last night. Too much energy lately, Bran hehehe

Thanks be to God, Fr. Roel!! I'm glad that you are feeling better na ha. Ampo ko sa Ginoo that he gives you more energy and continued Good Health. I'm always praying for you, Father.

Love,
Bran


PS.  Dr. Brydz is also an awesome guitar player & singer.

Passion of The Christ.

Quote from: Pikoy on December 03, 2012, 05:58:51 PM
atong binisay-on Brother para masabtan pag ayo sa mga bisdak nga mambabasa unya:


Adbiyento: pulong gikan sa latin adventus buot magpasabot "pag-abot", naglambigit og upat ka semana sa pangandam alang sa Pasko. Duna gyod kiniy upat ka Domingo nga nagsugod sa duol sa kataposang adlaw sa Nobiyembre hangtod sa Diciembre 24. Naglabot kini'g espiritu sa penitensiya sama sa panahon sa Kwaresma, tema sa Sunod ug Kataposang Pag_anhi sa Ginuo, ug sa malipayong tema sa pagpangandam alang sa Pasko sa Pagkatawo.

Salamat Kaayo, Igsoon!!

Quote from: jorgeanna on December 03, 2012, 06:51:32 PM
maka-remember man ko sa elementary pa mi nga excited mi basta advent season kay weekly mi maglight sa candle

He he he! There truly is something about the CHRISTMAS SEASON that awakens the soul. This is such an important day for all of us because this is the day when we commemorate the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word was made Incarnate , was born of the Virgin Mary and became Man. This day is the day that Eternal and Living God Came Down from Heaven and shared in our humanity. For the Salvation of our souls so that who ever would believe in Him would not die, but have everlasting life. That is how much God Loves us, that he would do such a thing.

This is why Holy Mother Church marks Christmas Day with the celebration of the 4 weeks of Advent before Christmas. We venerate the Advent Season in contemplation and reverence of God's Divine Plan.....

Quote from: vhinz08 on December 04, 2012, 02:08:29 AM
We call to be vigilant at all times, may this season of advent may we expect Christ instead of Santa Claus, may we longing for the Child Jesus to enter our hearts as a humble King of Kings who was born in the manger instead of gifts from our nenong/nenang or buy new stuffs. 
Sometimes we forget the true meaning of Christmas, we think all for convenient during this season by buying what is lacking for us even in the text when we greet somebody we make it "X Mas" for Christmas. 

Amen, Brod!


The core importance of this Season is that we are waiting for the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ; we celebrate His birth. This is why we call it Christmas Day. Because it is CHRIST'S MASS.

The word Advent derives from the Latin word meaning coming. The Lord is coming. We may reflect that every year at this time we celebrate his coming , so that in a sense we can lose the feeling of expectancy and joyful anticipation, because at the end of the season, everything seems to return to pretty much the same routine. If that is the case, then our preparation may have been lacking and we have therefore been robbed of much of the true meaning of this season.

During Advent we recall the history of God's people and reflect on how the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled. This gives us a background for the present. Today we can reflect on the past track record of God and so begin to understand what it means to us now for the sake of what is to come, in our own future and that of our world.

The candles are traditionally lit in the following order: purple, purple, pink, purple, white. The first is called the "Candle of Hope." It symbolizes faith in God keeping his promises to humanity. The second is called the "Candle of Preparation," reminding Christians to "get ready" to receive God. The third candle is the "Candle of Joy." It recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ. The fourth candle, the "Candle of Love," reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only Son to Earth. The "Christ Candle," the white candle in the center, stands for Jesus Christ himself.

http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/advent.php?id=4

The lighting of the advent candle.

Do you know what the advent candle represents?

Amen.

II.

Let us recognize, then, the value of this virtue, and the necessity of possessing it that we may be saved. Let us, at least, determine to pray to God for it every day, for without it we can not work out our salvation. We can say that when charity enters our heart it brings all the other virtues with it. Charity purifies and sanctifies all our actions. Charity perfects the soul. Charity renders all our actions worthy of heaven. St. Augustine tells us that charity contains all the other virtues, and that charity is found in all the other virtues. Charity, he tells us, leads. all our actions to their final aim, and gives them admission to God. St. Paul tells us it surpasses the gifts of heaven. In his Epistle to the Corinthians, he exclaims: " If I had the tongues of angels, but had not charity, I should resemble a cymbal which vibrates and only produces one sound. If I had the gift of prophecy, and such great faith that I could remove a mountain from one place to another, but had not charity, I should be nothing. If I gave all my fortune to the poor, and my body to be tortured, it would all avail me nothing if I had not charity in my heart, and did not love my neighbor as myself." You see here, dear brethren, the necessity for us of praying to God with our whole heart for this incomparable virtue, for without it all the other virtues are of no avail.

Let us take Jesus Christ as our model. Let us consider what He did for all men, even for His executioners. Behold how He prayed for mercy and forgiveness for them. He loves them. He offers up the merits and the sufferings of His death for them. He promises them pardon. If we have not this charity, then. we have nothing. We are only mock Christians. We must love everybody, even our greatest enemies, or we shall be lost. As this beautiful virtue, my dear friends, comes from heaven, we must, then, direct our prayers to heaven to obtain it, and we are certain of being heard. If we possess charity, then God will be pleased at everything that we do, and we shall thereby be sure of Paradise. This is the happiness which I wish you all. Amen.




Retrieved from:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1228298/posts

I.

If I should ask, what is Charity? the answer is, it is a virtue that comes to us from heaven, by which we love God with our whole heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, for the love of God. But now you will ask, what does it mean to love God above all things and more than ourselves. I tell you that it means to prefer Him to all created things. It means to rather lose fortune, good name, parents, friends, children, husband, or wife, and even our own life, than to lose God by committing a mortal sin. St. Augustine tells us, that to love God perfectly means to love Him without measure, even if there were no heaven to hope for, or hell to fear. It means to love Him with the whole capacity of our heart. If you ask for the reason, it is, because God is infinitely amiable, and worthy of being loved. When we really love him, then neither sufferings, nor persecutions, nor contempt, nor life, nor death are capable of taking this love away from us, which we owe to God.

We must feel ourselves, dear brethren, that if we do not love God we shall be unhappy, very unhappy. If man was created to love God, he can only find his happiness in God alone. If you wish to be firmly convinced of this, look at the people, and ask those who live without loving God. Observe those persons who neglect prayer and the Sacraments. See in what a state of trouble and loss they are. They curse themselves, sometimes kill themselves, or die of worry. An avaricious man is never satisfied, whether he have much or little. Is the drunkard happy? The proud man is never at rest; he is always afraid of losing his wealth or position. The revengeful man, thirsting for revenge, can not sleep by night or day. Look at the shameful unchaste man, who seeks his happiness in the sins of the flesh. He goes so far that he not only loses his good name, but his fortune, health, and soul, without finding anything to satisfy him. And why can not we be happy in these things which appear to satisfy us? It is because, as we were only created for God, He alone is capable of satisfying us, of making us truly happy. Blind as we are, we cling to life, to the world with its goods and pleasures. Yes, we may as well say that we cling to everything which is calculated to make us unhappy. The Saints were wiser than we are. They despised all things, to seek God only. How insignificant is everything upon this earth to those who really love God! How many great ones of the world, how many princes even, and kings and emperors were there not, who forsook all things that they might be more at liberty to serve God in the desert or in the cloister! How many others, to give proof of their love of God, have mounted the scaffold? O my dear friends, how happy are they who have the privilege of detaching themselves from the things of this world, that they may remain united to God alone ! Alas, how many are there not among you, who are twenty, thirty, or more years of age, and have not yet asked God for that Charity which the catechism tells us is a gift of heaven? We ought not, then, be astonished that we are so worldly, and so little spiritual. This way of conducting ourselves can only lead us to a miserable goal, to an eternal separation from God! Is it possible, my friends, that we are not striving for our real blessedness, which is God alone?

If I, then, were to ask, What is it to love our neighbor? the answer would be, The love of God causes us to love Him more than our wealth, our health, our good name, and even our life, and the love which we should have for our neighbor should enable us to love him as ourselves, so that all the good that we should wish for ourselves, we should wish for him. We must have this charity without which there is no heaven to hope for, and no friendship with God. Now, what do we understand by the word, our neighbor? Nothing is easier of comprehension. Every one of our brother men, even those who have wronged us, who have injured our good name, and calumniated us, or who have even sought to take our life. We ought to love them as we love ourselves, and wish them all the good that we wish ourselves. It is not only forbidden for us to wish them ill, but we must also render them service if they require it of us, and we are able to do so. We ought to rejoice when our enemies are successful in business, and we should feel sorry when they meet with reverses or losses, and we must take their part when others speak bad of them. We should tell others the good we know of them, and not avoid their society. Behold, my dear friends, this is how God wills that we should love our neighbor. If we do not believe this, then we must admit that we neither love our neighbor nor do we love God. We are bad Christians, and we shall be lost!

Now, you will ask me, how may we know whether we have this beautiful and precious virtue, without which our religion is only a pretension? A person, dear brethren, who has brotherly love, in the first place, is not proud; he does not care to rule others. You will never hear him censure other people's behavior, and he does not care to speak of what he does. A person who has brotherly love does not inquire into the motive of other persons' actions. He never thinks that he behaves better than they do. He does not exalt himself above his neighbor. On the contrary, he thinks that every one else is better than he. He is not cast down when people have a poor opinion of him. He is even contented, because he thinks that he deserves to be still more disesteemed.

A person who is charitable, avoids as much as possible hurting the feelings of others, because Charity is a mantle used to conceal our brother's faults. Those who have charity accept with patience and resignation to the will of God everything that happens to them, sickness and adversity, because they believe that all these things remind them that they are sinners, and that their life here below is not the eternal one.

Those, also, have charity who are not avaricious, and think not of accumulating the goods of this world. They work because it is the will of God, but they do not rely only upon their labor, and are without eagerness to accumulate treasures. They put their trust in Providence, which never abandons those who love it. As charity reigns in their heart, all the things of earth are as nothing to them. They observe that all those who run after this world's goods are the most unhappy. They employ their means, as far as they possibly can, in good works, to atone for their sins, and to gain heaven. They are kind toward everybody. All the good that they do is done in God's name. They assist the poor, whether they be friend or foe. The charitable man does as St. Francis de Sales did, who, when he gave an alms, rather bestowed it upon those who had in some way injured him, than upon those who had done him good. The reason why he did this was because such conduct is more agreeable to God. If you are charitable, you must never inquire whether those to whom you give have done wrong, or whether they have seriously offended any one, or whether they are good or not. They ask you in God's name, then give it to them thus. This is all you have to do that your alms may be deserving of reward.

It is unnecessary to point out to you that a person who has love for his neighbor is free from the shameful vice of impurity, because a person who is so fortunate as to have this precious virtue in the soul is so united to God, and performs all his actions according to the divine will, that the evil spirit of impurity can not find room in his heart. The fire of divine charity so inflames his heart, his soul, and all his senses that he is invulnerable against the assaults of the evil one. Yes, dear friends, we may say that Christian charity purifies our senses.

Charity is not envious. It is not sad when others have spiritual or temporal advantages. You will never see persons who have charity angry because another is more fortunate than they are, or because another is more praised, or more thought of. Far from this being the case, they thank God for it.

He who has charity is not subject to anger, for St. Paul tells us that charity is patient, blind, and meek toward every one. How often do we not get angry at trifles. We complain, we get excited, we speak haughtily, and for several days we remain in this condition. But you will say, I am accustomed to speak thus, and then my anger is soon over. You ought rather to say that you have not charity, which is patient and meek, and that you do not behave yourself as beseems a good Christian. Tell me, if you had charity, would you not bear patiently, and even cheerfully, a word that was said against you, an insult, or some trifling wrong? But he attacked my good name. Ah, my friend, what good opinion do you want people to have of you-you, who ought to know your faults better than they?

Charity is the noblest and most active of all the virtues. It moves men to disesteem everything which is base and contemptible, and of short duration, that they may be united to God and those goods which will never pass away. Charity may be compared to gold, the most precious of all metals, which adorns and beautifies everything that is richest upon earth. Charity is the ornament and adornment of all other virtues. The least little action accompanied with meekness and humility and charity of heart, is of more value and far surpasses anything that we can imagine.

Yes, dear friends, charity supports and animates faith. Without charity, faith is dead. Hope, the same as faith, can not exist without charity.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart." â€"Matt. xxii. 37.


by: St. Jean-Baptiste Marie Vianney

SYNOPSIS.â€"Charity a most necessary virtue. It is a virtue by reason of which we love God and our neighbor. The love of God necessary for our salvation; we must be ready to abandon everything for the love of God. Examples: the Saints, the Martyrs. The love of our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? All men, even our enemies. How do we know if we have true charity? The qualities of charity. When charity enters our hearts it brings all other virtues with it. St. Paul: the greatest virtues without charity are of no avail.

To serve God perfectly, it is not sufficient only to believe in Him. Of course, we must believe all the truths which the Church teaches us, and without faith all our works are without merit in the sight of God. Faith is absolutely necessary for us that we may be saved. At the same time this precious faith, which reveals to us beforehand the beauties of heaven, will one day leave us, and be transformed into knowledge, because in the next life there will be no more mysteries.

Hope, which is a gift of heaven, is necessary for us to have upright and pure motives, to please God in all our actions, to gain heaven and avoid hell. But Charity urges us on to love God because He is infinitely good, infinitely amiable, and deserves to be loved.

But, you will ask, how can we perceive whether we have this beautiful virtue so agreeable to God, which urges us to love God, not from fear of the punishments of hell, or the hope of heaven, but solely on account of His infinite perfections? It is Charity which will form our whole happiness, for the bliss of the blessed consists in love. Let us, therefore, see, my dear friends, whether we have this beautiful virtue, which is capable of rendering us so happy, and if we should be so unfortunate as not to possess it, let us seek to acquire it with all our strength.

Let us harken to the wisdom of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, who said:

“If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, `you shall receive a never fading crown of glory’ [1 Peter 5:4]. Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if â€" and mark well what I say â€" if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins.”

Quote from: Pikoy on December 03, 2012, 04:06:03 PM
aw sa mga tawong iyag iyag tinuhuan kung unsay ilang pagtuo aw respetuhan nalang nato kay iya2x man tag pagtuo kung unsay ila ilaha pud na..kung unsay imo aw imuha pod na kung unsay ato aw atua pod na..way ayo magdebati bahin sa tinuhuan kay sila puro sakto sa ilang pagtuo..kung unsay imong gituohan ipaglaban mo bisag sayop..  

Ampohan nalang nato, Brod. Pray because prayer is the strongest weapon. Pray also for the Grace of the Holy Spirit to pierce their hearts. That the Holy Spirit will guide them to Conversion into the Holy Mother Church.

Quote from: taga tigbao on December 03, 2012, 03:52:57 PM
So di ko motuo ani ug Biblia kay hinimo ra man nas tawo. Adto ra ko motuo sa Biblia nga ang Ginoo mismo nagsuwat ug nag-imprinta.

Brother Vince is correct. The Holy Bible is but one aspect of Revealed Truth. The other part is Sacred Tradition. It is also important to read the complete version of the Holy Bible, the Roman Catholic Holy Bible.

It is important to note that protestants read various forms of the Bible, most commonly used by neo-protestant denominations is the King James Version, which is devoid of 7 entire books.

Quote from: Pikoy on December 03, 2012, 03:38:41 PM
Dok,, naa koy kauban ngari nga di mutoo ug Rosaryuhan kay henimo ra kuno sa tawo.. saunzz..

Dear Brod,

Through Holy Mother Church, we are given Revealed Truth , which is manifested through:

1) Sacred Scripture
2) Sacred Tradition

The Holy Rosary and the Marian Adoration is an integral part of Sacred Tradition, which is the veneration of the Immaculate Mother Mary and her role as Co-Redemptrix, as the Mother of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.

I invite you, Brod to pray the Rosary. The effects bring about abundant Graces! Encourage also your friend.

The Rosary is a great weapon against evil â€" be it evil from without, or evil from within our own hearts. Bishop Hugh Boyle famously remarked, “No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary. Either he will give up the sin or he will give up the Rosary”.

In his book The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis De Montfort (1673-1716) reveals that those who commit to praying the Rosary every day gain extraordinary power from God to change their lives and perform mighty works of faith. Of this “secret”, De Montfort writes:

“When the Holy Spirit has revealed this secret to a priest and director of souls, how blessed is that priest! For the vast majority of people fail to know this secret or else only know it superficially. If such a priest really understands this secret he will say the Rosary every day and will encourage others to say it. God and His Blessed Mother will pour abundant grace into his soul, so that he may become God’s instrument for His glory; and his word, though simple, will do more good in one month than that of other preachers in several years.”

St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716)

The Rosary is the Prayer of the Gospels, a meditation on 20 primary events in the Life of Our Blessed Lord Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary.

If you have something against the Rosary, you have something against the Holy Bible! Like the Holy Scriptures, it is the Good News of Jesus! It's a Scriptural prayer.

We

a) pray as Our Lord Jesus tells us to in Matthew 6:9-13 and
b) meditate on God becoming truly man like us in all things except sin for our salvation in Luke 1:28, Luke 1:42!
  The Church formalizes this in the Hail Mary:

     -Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. [Luke 1:28]
     -Blessed are you among woman and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. [Luke 1:42]
     -Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. [The Church]

http://www.catholicplanet.com/poems/arndt22.htm

St. Francis Xavier, Pray for Us.