MikeLigalig.com

Awesome answer !

Answer:



While there are priests who are also medical doctors -- I have heard of a Dominican priest who is also a psychiatrist -- those generally are rare exceptions. Ordinarily, the Church prefers that a man who is to be given holy orders devote his whole life to the priesthood because the priesthood is not a career but a calling to configure one's life entirely to Christ and his sacrificial priesthood.

If your son is interested in being a priest, he should investigate the priesthood. If he is interested in being a doctor, he should go to medical school. It should also be said that the job of a doctor is so demanding that a person called to be a doctor may also have a vocation to the single life or to life as a consecrated religious (for a man, a lay brother). The Order of St. Camillus (the Servants of the Sick) is a religious order for men dedicated to the care of the ill. The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's order) also has affiliated lay brothers.



Retrieved from:
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=287786

Can my son be both a priest and a medical doctor?

It is not difficult to look for the address of James McTavish in the quiet, middle class Varsity Hills subdivision in Quezon City (Metro Manila). When asked for directions, bystanders will immediately point to a gated compound where the kano lives. But that is not entirely accurate.

McTavish is a 42-year-old Scot with the laid back demeanor of a bachelor in his 20s. The Cambridge-educated doctor greets his visitors in carefully woven Filipino before shifting to genteel-sounding English articulated with a distinct rhotic accent.

McTavish, however, did not originally plan to become a priest.

“I studied in Cambridge in England and became a surgeon. That was the only thing in life that I wanted to be. That was my vocation. That was my calling. And even when I was younger, the only thing I wanted to be was a surgeon,” he said.

“After I qualified, I wanted to do surgery . . . And as part of my training I did six months of plastic surgery,” McTavish added.

Things took a different turn, however, when he was invited to work in Sydney, Australia in 1998. He explained that working in Sydney gave him time for some quiet reflection.

“I had the chance to have some time outâ€"I was far away from my family, I was far away from my friends. And in that moment, I did something which I haven’t done in a few yearsâ€"I went back to church.”

McTavish said the experience of regaining the habit to listen to mass gave him peace “in the middle of some uncertainties about the future.” During this period, he was invited to a prayer meeting by some sisters of the Fraternidad Misionera Verbum Dei, a religious order under the ambit of the Roman Catholic Church.

“What the sisters started to teach me was how to pray with the Word of God. And then I started to find out that the church teaches that, when we pray, we speak to god. But when we read the Word of God, God is speaking to us,” he said.

He then started to feel that there were certain changes in his disposition as a doctor.

“I became more patient with my patients,” he quipped.

“I noticed that I became more sensitive . . . to the Word of God in my life. And in the middle of these changes, I was enjoying more and more. I started to go running, I had so much energy, and I wasn’t wasting it in crazy nights out with my friends. And I found myself more focused with more energy for doing the right things and avoiding the things I should,” he added.

At 29, he experienced his first retreat. It was during this retreat that he decided to become a missionary for Verbum Dei.

Leap of faith
Being called to priestly life is all about trust in God, according to McTavish.

“When you say ‘yes’ to the lord. . . to enter religious life, you’re taking a little bit of a leap in the dark. And I didn’t know that I’d come to beautiful Philippines. I didn’t know I’ll be in Quezon City. I didn’t know I’d become a priest. I didn’t know I’d be teaching moral theology in [Ateneo de Manila University] or UST [University of Santo Tomas],” the priest said.

He spent about two years for his formation course with Verbum Dei in Cebu and spent some years studying in Cagayan de Oro. Subsequently, he studied in Rome for four years leading to his ordination as a priest.

McTavish said that spending his time with the Verbum Dei community helped fortify his resolve to become a priest.

“I found that the Lord gathered people from different walks of life and, of course, it gave me more peace when I met others who have been called also. That’s the beauty of community,” he said.

Spreading the word
Verbum Dei (Latin for Word of God) is a religious order founded by Spanish priest Fr. Jaime Bonet in Majorca, Spain in 1963. The community was granted Pontifical approval by Pope John Paul II as an Institution of Consecrated Life in 2000. Currently, Verbum Dei is present in about 33 countries spread throughout the five continents.

According to McTavish, “The mission [of Verbum Dei] is, first, to form apostles. This word really means people who are mature in their faith. The second mission is spreading the word of god.”

“Our advocacy is to make Jesus more known through prayer with the Word of God,” he added.

Currently, McTavish teaches moral theology and bioethics at the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila University and UST.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/top-stories/10333-fr-james-mctavish-the-doctor-who-became-a-priest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GJTcQ3MfLA#

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 06:59:41 AM
We have a lifetime ahead of us to learn more about the faith...

Amen!

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 07:06:17 AM
Nanukos ra ko sa usa ka parishioner, Pinay, kay lami ilang selection sa pagkaon hahaha. In the evening I prepared kinilaw and sashimi

Really? I'm glad that you had a good time at their place, then, Fr. Roel. I had a small gathering of my friends here in Chicago. In the picture that I posted are two Pinay nurses at work whom I am good friends with, as well as my room mates and another M.D. at work. We started cooking in the morning. From 9 am till 5 pm. It was a good time, warm ang atmosphere, he he.

I hope you're doing well, Fr. Roel.

Showered with love and affection

But while the breed has proven its prowess on patrol and in combat, Chester needed to be sure Juno would be a suitable service dog for his little boy. “I put her on a loose leash and she walked with me and never pulled,” Chester says. “Next came the Lucas test. They took to each other immediately, like kindred spirits.”

“I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to adjust to the family before I started the formal training,” Chester says. Yet, from the beginning there seemed to be something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. “She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low.” After giving him oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him with licks and affection.

“That’s when I knew she had the ability to pick up on his neurological changes,” Chester says. “Now she alerts us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or if his oxygen levels drop really low. She has saved him several times.

Juno has become a literal shoulder for Lucas to lean on when walking, and a calming influence when he’s agitated. And while Chester makes sure that Juno gets time off, he says that it’s hard to get Juno to leave Lucas’ side. “You don’t see one without the other close by,” he says. “It really feels like it was meant to be.”         

http://www.globalanimal.org/2012/01/31/dying-boy-and-rescued-dog-save-each-other/64644/

Prayer and persistence



So when the disease started to take a toll on Lucas’ joints, Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked. “I was told that a service dog would cost at least $15,000, and that Lucas wasn’t a good candidate because of his deteriorating abilities and his behavior,” Chester says. “I refused to accept this answer.”

A combination of prayer and persistence led Chester to Juno. “I came across a posting about her on a rescue group’s website,” he says. “I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog.”

The whole family made the two-hour trip to meet Juno, who was being held at an east Tennessee shelter. “She was emaciated, and was days away from being euthanized,” Chester says. “She had been surrendered to the shelter because her previous owners didn’t understand the Belgian Malinois.”

Fortunately, Chester did. He’d gotten to know and love the breed while working as a law enforcement officer years earlier. “I used to help with the training of police K-9s, and our dogs were Belgian Malinoises,” he says. “I loved their desire to work and their ‘never quit’ attitude.”  In addition to being a popular choice for police dogs, the breed is often used in combat. In fact, it’s believed that the dog that helped Navy SEALs take down Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois.

As nearly anyone who has adopted a dog or cat from a shelter can attest, there’s something special about a rescued pet; it’s as if the animal senses he’s been given a second chance at life. That’s certainly the case with Juno, a Belgian Malinois who was rescued from a shelter just days before she was to be euthanized. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., Juno has taken on the role of rescuer to four-year-old Lucas Hembree.

Lucas suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited, metabolic disease caused by the absence or malfunctioning of an enzyme needed to break down long sugar molecules. As the disease progresses, children lose the ability to speak, walk and eat. The disease also causes severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and seizures.

“The most catastrophic thing parents hear when they learn their child has this disease is that there’s no cure or treatment available,” says Lucas’ father, Chester.

Unless that changes, Lucas isn’t expected to live past the age of 15 and may be in a vegetative state by the time he is eight. Realizing that every moment is extra precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, want their son to experience as much as he can while he still has the capacity to enjoy it.

(TOUCHING TALE) TENNESSEE â€" When 4 year-old Lucus Hembree was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, an incurable disease that causes severe neurological damage, his family searched long and hard to find him a service dog. When they were told one of the dogs would cost as much as 15,000 dollars and Lucas wasn’t a good match, they refused to give up. This is when they came across Juno, an abandoned Belgian Malinois who was only days away from being euthanized at a shelter in East Tennessee. Read more to see how rescuing Juno has literally saved Lucas’s life.  â€" Global Animal

Amsterdam, Holland -- 1345

In 1345, a man who was a devout Catholic became very ill. He told his family he would like to receive Holy Viaticum. The family notified the pastor of the then known Old Church. The priest, after administering the sacrament, advised the family, if the ill man threw up (which he was known to do after taking nourishment) they were to empty the contents in the fire. The man threw up and the family did what they were advised to do by the priest, they threw the contents in the fire in the sick room. This incident occurred on March 12th.

Early the next morning, one of the women went to rake the fire and she noticed in the middle of the grate, the Blessed Sacrament in the form of host. A light surrounded it. The woman became upset and immediately put her hand in the fire to rescue the host. This she did without any ill effects to herself. She did not burn her hand. The woman was surprised to find the host was cold! She immediately called in a neighbor and asked her to take the Sacred Host to her home. The neighbor took a clean cloth, placed the host on it and locked it in a box. She then took it home. When the husband of the woman who found the host heard what had taken place, he requested to see it. He tried to lift it off the white cloth it rested on but the Sacred Particle resisted as if to say it did not want to be touched by this man's hands.

A priest was then summoned who took the host and placed it in a pyx. When he went to wash the cloth which held the Blessed Sacrament and return it to the original box, he noticed the pyx was upset and the host was gone!

The next morning the neighbor returned for her original box and cloth. When she opened the locked box she once again found the Sacred Host in it! There was then no doubt that Our Lord wanted this miracle to made known! The priest notified the clergy of Amsterdam and a procession was held to carry the host to the church.

The home of the sick man soon became a chapel and as early as 1360 public processions and pilgrims traveled to the site of the miracle.

On May 25, 1452, a large conflagration broke out which left three fourths of the city in ruins. It was during this time, the chapel known as the Holy Room became subject to the flames. Strangely, the monstrance containing the Miraculous Host, (which had been brought over to the chapel from the old church) was spared. In 1456, a new Holy Room was built surrounded by a beautiful church.

Many pilgrims went to visit the shrine seeking cures and spiritual help. One pilgrim, archduke Maximilian, later a Roman Emperor, came seeking a cure in 1480. God heard his prayer and he was cured. In thanksgiving, the archduke dedicated a beautiful window to the Holy Room.

By the second half of the sixteenth century, Catholics in Amsterdam fell under persecution of the Protestants. The Holy Room fell under Protestant rule. In 1910, rather than sell the property to the Catholics, the chapel was torn down. However, devotion to this Eucharistic Miracle still takes place on March 12th at the church nearest the site.

Sienna, Italy -- 1730





The second Eucharistic miracle of Sienna has roots in the 13th century when special services and festivities were introduced in honor of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These observances became traditional and were still conducted at the time of the miracle. So it was that on August 14, 1730, during devotions for the vigil of the feast, while most of the Sienese population and the clergy of the city were attending these services, thieves entered the deserted Church of St. Francis. Taking advantage of the friars' absence, they made for the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was kept, picked the lock to the tabernacle and carried away the golden ciborium containing consecrated Hosts.

The theft went undiscovered until the next morning, when the priest opened the tabernacle at the Communion of the Mass. Then later, when a parishioner found the lid of the ciborium lying in the street, the suspicion of sacrilege was confirmed. The anguish of the parishioners forced the cancellation of the traditional festivities for the feast of Our Lady's Assumption. The Archbishop ordered public prayers of reparation, while the civil authorities began a search for the consecrated Hosts and for the scoundrel who had taken them.

Two days later, on August 17, while praying in the Church of St. Mary of Provenzano, a priest's attention was directed to something white protruding from the offering box attached to his prie dieu. Realizing that it was a Host, he informed the other priests of the church, who in turn notified the Archbishop and the friars of the Church of St. Francis.

When the offering box was opened, in the presence of local priests and the representative of the Archbishop, a large number of Hosts were found, some of them suspended by cobwebs. The Hosts were compared with some unconsecrated ones used in the Church of St. Francis, and proved to be exactly the same size and to have the same mark of the irons upon which they were baked. The number of Hosts corresponded exactly to the number the Franciscan friars had estimated were in the ciborium -- 348 whole Hosts and six halves.

Since the offering box was opened but once a year, the Hosts were covered with the dust and debris that had collected there. After being carefully cleaned by the priests, they were enclosed in a ciborium and placed inside the tabernacle of the main altar of the Church of St. Mary. The following day, in the company of a great gathering of townspeople, Archbishop Alessandro Zondadari carried the Sacred Hosts in solemn procession back to the Church of St. Francis.

During the two centuries that followed it has sometimes been wondered why the Hosts were not consumed by a priest during Mass, which would have been the ordinary procedure in such a case. While there is no definite answer, there are two theories. One explanation is that crowds of people from both Sienna and neighboring cities gathered in the church to offer prayers of reparation before the sacred particles, forcing the priests to conserve them for a time. The other reason the priests did not consume them might well have been because of their soiled condition. While the Hosts were superficially cleaned after their discovery, they still retained a great deal of dirt. In such cases it is not necessary to consume consecrated Hosts, but it is permitted to allow them to deteriorate naturally, at which time Christ would no longer be present.

To the amazement of the clergy, the Hosts did not deteriorate, but remained fresh and even retained a pleasant scent. With the passage of time the Conventual Franciscans became convinced that they were witnessing a continuing miracle of preservation.

Fifty years after the recovery of the stolen Hosts, an official investigation was conducted into the authenticity of the miracle. The Minister General of the Franciscan Order, Father Carlo Vipera, examined the Hosts on April 14, 1780, and upon tasting one of them he found it fresh and incorrupt. Since a number of the Hosts had been distributed during the preceding years, the Minister General ordered that the remaining 230 particles be placed in a new ciborium and forbade further distribution.

A more detailed investigation took place in 1789 by Archbishop Tiberio Borghese of Sienna with a number of theologians and other dignitaries. After examining the Hosts under a microscope, the commission declared that they were perfectly intact and showed no sign of deterioration. The three Franciscans who had been present at the previous investigation, that of 1780, were questioned under oath by the Archbishop. It was then reaffirmed that the Hosts under examination were the same ones stolen in 1730.

As a test to further confirm the authenticity of the miracle, the Archbishop, during this 1789 examination, ordered several unconsecrated hosts to be placed in a sealed box and kept under lock in the chancery office. Ten years later these were examined and found to be not only disfigured, but also withered. In 1850, 61 years after they were placed in a sealed box, these unconsecrated hosts were found reduced to particles of a dark yellow color, while the consecrated Hosts retained their original freshness.

Other examinations were made at intervals over the years, the most significant being that of 1914, undertaken on the authority of Pope St. Pius X. For this inquiry the Archbishop selected a distinguished panel of investigators, which included scientists and professors from Sienna and Pisa, as well as theologians and Church officials.

Acid and starch tests performed on one of the fragments indicated a normal starch content. The conclusions reached from microscopic tests indicated that the Hosts had been made of roughly sifted wheat flour, which was found to be well preserved.

The commission agreed that unleavened bread, if prepared under sterile conditions and kept in an airtight, antiseptically cleaned container, could be kept for an extremely long time. Unleavened bread prepared in a normal fashion and exposed to air and the activity of micro-organisms would remain intact for no more than a few years. It was concluded that the stolen Hosts had been both prepared without scientific precautions and kept under ordinary conditions which should have caused their decay more than a century before. The commission concluded that the preservation was extraordinary, ". . . e la scienza stessa che proclama qui lo straordinario."

Professor Siro Grimaldi, professor of chemistry at the University of Sienna and director of the Municipal Chemical Laboratory, as well as the holder of several other distinguished positions in the field of chemistry, was the chief chemical examiner of the holy particles in 1914. Afterward, he gave elaborate statements concerning the miraculous nature of the Hosts, and wrote a book about the miracle entitled Uno Scienziato Adora (A Scientific Adorer). In 1914 he declared:

    The holy Particles of unleavened bread represent an example of perfect preservation ... a singular phenomenon that inverts the natural law of the conservation of organic material. It is a fact unique in the annals of science.

In 1922 another investigation was conducted -- this one in the presence of Cardinal Giovanni Tacci, who was accompanied by the Archbishop of Sienna and the Bishops of Montepulciano, Foligno and Grosseto. Again the results were the same: the Hosts tasted like unleavened bread, were starchy in composition and were completely preserved.

In 1950 the miraculous Hosts were taken from the old ciborium and placed in a more elaborate and costly one, which caught the eye of another thief. Thus, despite the precautions of the clergy, another sacrilegious theft occurred on the night of August 5, 1951. This time the thief was considerate enough to take only the container and left the Hosts in a corner of the tabernacle. After counting 133 Hosts, the Archbishop himself sealed them in a silver ciborium. Later, after being photographed, they were placed in an elaborate container which replaced the one that had been stolen.

The miraculously preserved Hosts are displayed publicly on various occasions, but especially on the 17th of each month, which commemorates the day they were found after the first theft in 1730. On the feast of Corpus Christi the Sacred Hosts are placed in their processional monstrance and triumphantly carried in procession from the church through the streets of the town, an observance in which the whole populace participates.

Among many distinguished visitors who have adored the Hosts was St. John Bosco. They were likewise venerated by Pope John XXIII, who signed the album of visitors on May 29, 1954, when he was still the Patriarch of Venice. And although unable to visit the miraculous Hosts, Popes Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius Xl and Pius Xll issued statements of profound interest and admiration.

With a unanimous voice, the faithful, priests, bishops, cardinals and popes have marveled at and worshiped the holy Hosts, recognizing in them a permanent miracle, both complete and perfect, that has endured for over 250 years.

By this miracle the Hosts have remained whole and shiny, and have maintained the characteristic scent of unleavened bread. Since they are in such a perfect state of conservation, maintaining the appearances of bread, the Catholic Church assures us that although they were consecrated in the year 1730, these Eucharistic Hosts are still really and truly the Body of Christ. The miraculous Hosts have been cherished and venerated in the Basilica of St. Francis in Sienna for over 250 years.

Throughout Christian history, our Lord has shown us that he is really present as the Blessed Sacrament. Interestingly, many Eucharistic miracles have occurred during times of weakened Faith. For instance, many Eucharist miracles have taken place as a result of someone doubting the Real Presence. Included on this page are descriptions of just a few of these miracles. All of them have received full approval by the Church.

Most Eucharistic miracles involve incidences in which the Host has "turned into human flesh and blood". Of course we as Catholics believe that the consecrated Host is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord, under the appearances of bread and wine. Therefore, Jesus, through these miracles, merely manifests His Presence in a more tangible way.

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.'" (John 20:27-29)


http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/a3.html

Quote from: islander on November 24, 2012, 03:27:34 AM
i know of two-- a banker and an engineer, who both became priests in cebu city.

I know of a priest who was a very successful banker / accountant in Italy prior to being overcome by the Holy Spirit. He left his life as a financial analyst and became a priest.

Amazing gayod ang Holy Spirit...because He always manages for things to happen in its own time. According to His purpose.

The Rev. Don Forsythe retired as chief of anesthesiology at Holy Spirit Hospital in 1999. After his wife died, he decided to become a priest.


The Rev. Don Forsythe has been many things: the father of nine, a doctor, head of a medical department and, for the last six years, a priest.

The constant in his life has been an unwavering dedication to every cause he’s taken on.

Now, at 77, Forsythe faces the new obstacle of learning to walk again. After falling ill due to diabetic complications on a trip overseas this fall, one of his feet was partially amputated. He has since been fitted with a prosthetic.

He’s been receiving treatment and staying with his daughter in Lower Allen Twp., but is determined to return to his parishioners in Tuscumbia, Ala.

Since his high school days in Northern Ireland, Forsythe has demonstrated a determination to overcome obstacles. A principal told him he could never become a doctor because Forsythe’s family couldn’t afford the tuition. He attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin before immigrating to the U.S.

Forsythe worked at Holy Spirit Hospital in East Pennsboro Twp., retiring as chief of anesthesiology in 1999.

“He was a wonderful physician, and later, a wonderful priest,” said Sister Romaine Niemeyer, president and CEO of the Holy Spirit Health System, who worked with him for many years.

Forsythe raised nine children in Camp Hill. They all attended Good Shepherd School and Trinity High School.

But he found himself at another crossroads after his wife of 38 years died and he suffered a stroke.

“After three months, I thought, oh, my God, if I don’t do anything, I’ll be gone in another three months,” he said.

It was then that a long-forgotten desire resurfaced and he heard the call to become a Roman Catholic priest.

Forsythe audited a computer course at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., where he learned how to use a laptop. The experience helped him commit to his decision.

After several rejections due to his age â€" he was 67 at the time â€" Forsythe was accepted at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass. In June 2004, he was ordained in Birmingham, Ala.

Becoming a priest has come with a wealth of personal rewards. Forsythe had the opportunity to baptize three of his 13 grandchildren.

Today, he’s eager to return to Tuscumbia and Our Lady of the Shoals Catholic Church.

Luisa Oswalt, director of Hispanic Ministry for the church, has known Forsythe since he was in seminary. She said it says a lot about him that he chose the path of priesthood when he could be retired and playing golf.

“He is a very strong-willed person,” she said.

One of Forsythe’s daughters, Shirley Frisch, is one of only two of his children to stay in the area. One of his sons lives in Lewisberry. The rest are scattered around the country â€" from Philadelphia to Miami.

Frisch said she wasn’t surprised when her dad became a priest.

“He was just always very religious,” she said. “I was just grateful that he had something else to do.”

Jim Grandon sold Forsythe his house in 1964 and has remained close to the family. He admires Forsythe’s commitment to his spiritual quest.

“I think he’s a gentleman that has found peace within himself,” Grandon said.

While Frisch said she has some concerns about how her father will fare back in Alabama, Forsythe thinks he’ll do just fine. He plans to have his minivan outfitted so he can control the gas pedal without using his foot.

“The worst thing you can do is take away independence,” he said.

Forsythe looked back and marked the three periods of greatest happiness in his life: studying in medical school, his marriage and raising his family, and now, his days as a priest.

Truly amazing....

Fr. Bradley, S.J, M.D.

Edward C. Bradley, physician and priest

The Rev. Edward C. Bradley, 82, a Philadelphia physician who became a Jesuit priest when he was 50, died of kidney failure Wednesday, June 8, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

His life changed when he took leave from the faculty of the School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Mary Tilghman, a spokeswoman for the Jesuit province that covers Philadelphia, wrote in an e-mail that the change began "when Dr. Bradley learned of a Jesuit priest in Vietnam in dire need of medical supplies and assistance."

He took equipment to two Vietnamese villages and "opened clinics there, focusing on tuberculosis and polio cases.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-14/news/29656771_1_jesuit-priest-associate-professor-faculty

And to offer Extreme Unction for those in need of strength in their final moments of life...

Imagine, Isles, each one of those priests will serve and offer the Eucharistic Lord to thousands upon thousands of souls in his life time. Just 1 priest , through the Grace of the Lord, will help in the salvific mission of the Church.

Beautiful...

Beautiful, truly, beautiful song!

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzcWdPDSq64#

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 12:20:50 AM
I hope this will help. Here in the U.S. we have a program called R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) wherein a person of adult age interested in becoming a Catholic or even a non-Catholic wishing to join into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church... Or even a former Catholic who left the faith now wanting to resume being Catholic... usa ni ka tuig nga klase getting familiar with the Catholic faith. Then kung tan-aw sa director or pari nga ready na sila bunyagan, they will be initiated into the faith... going through diffrent steps of course.

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 12:24:51 AM
During the course of the program, the candidates for baptism or full communion will be initiated into the CATECHUMENATE where they become CATECHUMENS or official candidate for baptism or full communion. At this stage, lain napong evangelization classes. Medyo advance stage na ni.

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 12:34:18 AM
Then at around LENT dunay gitawag nga INQUIRY stages nga for 3 Sundays, during Mass, mo inquire ang pari sa Director sa RCIA and the godparents as to the readiness of the candidates. Then the priest with the whole parish will pray over the candidates. Then after homily, before the Profession of Faith, they are being sent off to further reflect the Word of God. Di pa sila pwede mo join sa Profession of Faith kay di paman sila Catholics and they are not yet ready for baptism or full communion. Sa Easter Vigil pa na sila mahimong full-fledged Catholics... as in full-fledged jud with baptism, confession, first communion and confirmation, all at the same night during the Easter Vigil.

Quote from: chicogon on November 24, 2012, 12:39:04 AM
I hope it shed light to all your queries... sorry putol2 ako reply kay I'm using my smart phone, one hand ra tawon ko ga dokdok hehehe. Sorry for wrong spellings or grammatical errors. Muna2 na jud ning dokdoka hahaha

Father Roel,

Thank You so much for answering the questions in this board.

Quote from: islander on November 24, 2012, 12:54:52 AM
just fine after two weeks of bad colds and shingles and trying hard to "fight" certain bureaucratic red tapes with well-entrenched heartless corruption, in the process feeling like samson with a newly shaven head.

thanks.  hope all's okay with you, hospital rounds, weather, petraeus and all.

I'm sorry that you had endured so much stress as of late, Isles, know that I will pray for your recovery. Isles, do you take enough multivitamins? There is a multivitamin brand here called 'CENTRUM', they also have some for women, which includes extra ascrobic acid (vitamin c) and also ample amounts of estrogen. Try those if you don't already have it or are not taking enough multi-vitamins.

Shingles is the reactivation of a virus called Herpes Zoster, which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. It is stress induced, my dear Isles. Rest pod ha, Isles. You need to limit the stressors in your life.

Okay lang pod ko diri, Isles. Thanks to God, buhi pa ta lagi. Every day is a blessing.


Love,
Bran.


PS. I'm getting ready na for Christmas, Isles. I'm planning to go home on December 20, pohon Maluuy ang Ginoo.

Quote from: bisdakangdako on November 24, 2012, 12:43:18 AM
With all due respect sir, i can see how well versed you are with regards to Mary, Mother of Jesus our saviour. I for one don't go against for most of what has been said about mary which is justifiable in every sense of the word. What preoccupies my thought with great interest is the fact that Mother Mary was first and foremost a human being,and because she came from this world and not from heaven. I don't take issue in the fact that she deserves special mention and favor from God because she was chosen to bore the child Jesus. but we cant take away the fact that she has still that human element in her in bearing the child Jesus. Granting that she has the blessing from God, she still can't escape the fact that she undergoes what other human beings undergo when it involves the child bearing process.

My friend,

Trust me, I myself had come to an impasse many times in my own faith life. Speaking as a medical doctor and one who deals with diseases of the body, and performing surgeries on patients. As a physician, I cannot help but always ask, "How? Why does this happen? How can it happen?"

But you see, when one examines the Holy Scriptures , one must realize that it is through the Power of God that even nature and science will kneel before The Will of God. When we read Mark Chapter 4, we are reminded that while Jesus slept in the boat, a great storm rose up and alarmed the apostles. Jesus Christ woke up and by the power of His word, calmed the seas. In order for a storm to form several different factors must come together. The water must be over 28C (80F) and deep enough to provide the energy needed to power the storm. The depth required is unknown but the warmer the water the less the depth that is required as more energy is held in the water: the minimum depth required appears to be fifty metres. Once a storm forms, it will continue on its path until the energy within the storm has been used up.

The laws of physics that are necessary to explain a storm's formation cannot explain how Christ calms the storm by merely commanding it to cease. This shows to us, my friend, that Christ is above the law of nature, the laws of science. By merely commanding it to stop, he negated all the energies that was within that storm.

If God, who can calm the storms by his mere breath, can he not maintain the virginity of Mary? We are reminded by Archangel Gabriel who said to Mary regarding Elizabeth's pregnancy despite her hold age:

For nothing is impossible with God.
-Luke 1:37


Sincerely,
Lorenzo

Quote from: islander on November 21, 2012, 04:28:34 PM
dear amosnony,

nawagtang ug ahat akong katulgon sa pakabasa nako aning imong kabuing.

hoy, mata pod ug imo diha.  kun ulitawo man galing ka nga layo pa sa senior citizenship, gamita ang imong utok kun naa pa may nabilin ani.  minyo ang babaye?  tulo ang anak?  morag way problema sa iyang bana kay mag-loving-loving pa sila sa imong atubangan?  diin man tawon ka sa gisabwag gikan sa kalangitan ang mga utok? 

ayaw pailad sa matam-is nga mga pulong ug babayeng minyong dako.  gapasabot na nga wa siyay hinungdan nga pagkababaye.

buwagi tawon samtang wa pa magduda ang bana.  likay sa posibilidad nga matepok ka lang ug motorcycle-riding tandem.  think of your brighter future with a girl you can respect.  ayaw padala sa fleeting and ephemeral biga of the moment.  most of all, ayaw paghikog tungod lang ani.  apan kun desidedo gyod ka, puwes, pm lang nako.  pangitaon ta ka kay akoy mounay ug hukot anang imong liog.  ajo ra ka...

tita islander is angry     

Right On, Isles!!

I can't help but feel a sense of disgust after reading this. Ay, sakit ang ulo.

Welcome back home, Father Roel.

I forgot to upload the pictures last night diay. Sorry for my forgetfulness!




Matthew, Zachary, Bran, ug si Lee




Ethyl, Matthew, Zachary, Mary, ug si Lee


Ah, American-style Thanksgiving. Turkey pod oh..

Speaking of THANKSGIVING DINNER, what did you do for Thanksgiving diay, Father Roel?

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 23, 2012, 09:50:12 PM
nalooy ko sa akong batchmate and classmate since elementary kay na-admit ang duha ka anak niya tungod kay gi-dengue and unfortunely, namatay ang youngest niya gahapon, who was 4 years old... dli nako ma-imagine ang gibati nilang mag-tiayon

Please send our condolences to your friend during this time. I will pray for your friend and for the soul of the child that was called back to God. May God Bless your friend's family and give them strength during this time.

Quote from: BolBuhol on November 23, 2012, 11:37:34 PM
BOMBAY gosto nako ihawon labi na kag daghan 5-6.

ayaw pod, bard bols, kai luoy pod ang bombay. hapit na raba ang pasko, bards.

Quote from: islander on November 23, 2012, 11:50:35 PM
hi, lorenz.  is fr chic still in tagbilaran?

Naa na siya sa Louisiana, Isles. Busy pa to siya kai he has masses to serve pa man.

How are you, Isles? I have missed you.

Quote from: bisdakangdako on November 23, 2012, 11:16:26 PM
Sometimes we are fed with the wrong analysis the church had imposed upon us that we are inclined to believe that everything is true to their liking. Mother Mary like all of us, first and foremost is a human being. conceiving our Lord jesus christ, she undergoes the same process that a woman is about to give birth, technically speaking she bore out Jesus from her womb, so she must go the process of labor to bring out the child jesus from her womb. On this case she is no longer a virgin.

The church only depicts the "Virgin" on mother mary to indicate that she was chosen to bore our Lord Jesus Christ which is a great distinction. But nevertheless the virgin in her as a human being that undergoes the child bearing process doesn't apply to her anymore. So in this case the church, disregards the human frailty that Mary has as a human being, and put her on a pedestal to proclaim her as a "Virgin pure in chaste" in conformity of which the grounds dictate in everything which is holy.

My friend, but she is different from all of us. Do you know how Mary was different? She was conceived without sin. From her womb, she would give birth to The Divine Word, The Creator of the Universe and from All Things Come From. From her womb, came forth Jesus Christ, The Only Begotten Son of God the Father.

Mary Is Holy because no where in biblical history where you will have an Angel kneel or prostrate themselves to give such salutatory remarks to a human. In fact, all throughout Old Testament, whenever humans come in contact with an Angel of the Lord, it is the human who will prostrate themselves in fear. An example was when it was revealed to Tobit and Raquel that it was the Archangel Raphael who was in their midst, they prostrated themselves. In the case of Mother Mary, God sent forth the Archangel Gabriel, not a mere angel, but an Archangel, one who stands before the Throne of God.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. â€"Luke 1:26-27

Mary’s world radically changes when the angel Gabriel appears to her saying, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” Understandably, Mary “was greatly troubled.” Imagine being home alone, walking into a room and finding an angel suddenly standing before you! However, Luke’s Gospel tells us that Mary is not startled simply by the angel itself but by the angel’s greeting: “She was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.”

Why might Mary be so anxious about the angel’s words? First the angel says, “Hail, full of grace.” No one else in the Bible has ever been honored by an angel with such an exalted title. The Greek word kecharitomene, which here is translated “full of grace,” indicates that Mary already possesses God’s saving grace. The Lord has prepared her as a pure and holy temple in which the divine Christ child will dwell for nine months. Now the Son of God will reside in the womb of a woman who is full of grace.

The Catholic Church has often turned to this passage when commenting on Mary’s Immaculate Conceptionâ€"the belief that Mary was conceived full of grace as God prepared her to be the mother of the Messiah.

Second, the angel says, “The Lord is with you!” Although many Catholics today are accustomed to hearing “The Lord be with you” repeated throughout the Mass, we might not be as familiar with the powerful significance these words originally had in ancient Judaism.

Many times in the Old Testament the words “the Lord is with you” signaled that someone was being called to a daunting task. In fact, these words often accompanied an invitation from God to play a crucial role in his plan of salvation. Such a divine calling generally entailed great sacrifices and challenged people to step out of their comfort zones and put their trust in God like never before.

At the same time, these words offered assurance that they would not face these challenges alone. They would not have to rely solely on their own abilities and talents because God’s presence and protection would be with them throughout their mission. Some of Israel’s greatest leadersâ€"men like Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon and Davidâ€"were told that God would be with them when they were commissioned to serve his people.

One of the most famous stories that illustrates the meaning of “the Lord is with you” can be found in Exodus, when God called Moses at the burning bush to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Feeling fearfully inadequate for the job, Moses responded the same way many people respond when they feel they are in over their heads: with a “Why me?”â€"and a disbelief that God would call him to this important task.

The Lord’s response to Moses’ fears is striking. God did not say to Moses, “I will send you to a Toastmasters’ workshop on public speaking,” or, “I’ll fly you out to a Franklin Covey seminar on effective leadership.” Rather, God told Moses the one thing he needed to hear most: “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12).

Similarly, when Mary hears the angel say to her, “The Lord is with you,” she is not simply receiving a formal, pious salutation. With these words Mary probably realizes that a lot is being asked of her. Yet she will not have to face these difficulties alone. God will give her the one thing she needs most: the assurance that he will be with her.

Third, we learn more of Mary’s mission in Luke 1:30, as the angel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Like the phrase “The Lord is with you,” the notion of finding “favor with God” also would bring to mind Old Testament covenant mediators in God’s salvation plan.

Noah was the first person in the Bible described as finding favor with God (see Genesis 6:8 ). God saved him and his family from the flood and gave him a covenant to be the head of a renewed human family. The next person to find favor with God was Abraham (see Genesis 18:2-3). God made a covenant with him, calling on his family to be the instrument through which he would bring blessing to all the nations of the world. Similarly, Moses, the covenant mediator who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, found favor with God (see Exodus 33:12-17), as did David, for whom God established a kingdom (see 2 Samuel 15:25).

Like these great covenant mediators of the Old Testament, Mary has found favor with God. Walking in the footsteps of Noah, Abraham, Moses and David, Mary now is called to serve as an important cooperator in the divine plan to bring salvation to all the nations.




Reference:
http://www.americancatholic.org/newsletters/cu/ac1205.asp

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 23, 2012, 11:03:32 PM
Bran, nagminyo mi og catholic 10 years ago without a Catholic baptism again sa part sa akong bana. with me, na-una man ang Islam baptism nako before ang catholic baptism but for my hubby, catholic first before Islam...

I am not in the position to answer that question, Anna. Kindly contact your local parish priest and tell him of your family's predicament and they shall have the answer to this. Please, do not be scared okay? Know that I am praying for you and your husband.

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 23, 2012, 10:56:48 PM
kutob ra ko sa 2nd year kay if its not your calling, its not meant to be napugos lang ko og nursing pero i realized nga dli nako kaya ang hospital work

Don't be sad, Anna. You are now in a noble profession as well. Being a teacher is a noble pursuit ! In fact, Anna, the Early Church Fathers were all teachers of the faith. Many of the great saints in the One, Holy, Catholic Church were teachers. One example was Blessed Rabanus Maurus, who was the head master of an abbey in Germany in the 8th century AD. The Holy Spirit was strong in him, that not only did he educate monks, but also even the common folk, his saving works and acts of holiness led him to feed 300 poor in the abbey every single day of his life till he was called home.

Teachers are noble ! Theirs is a noble profession. Many of the saints were honored and learned scholars like you....! 

Quote from: fdaray on November 23, 2012, 02:05:30 PM
Yes, directly to God.1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Mr. Daray, the question was if whether a brother christian can receive Communion in the One, Holy Roman Catholic Church. The question was not about forgiveness.

The Catholic Priest, in the sacrament of Penance, does not redeem us; he is but an agent of the one Mediator, assigned andempowered by the one Mediator.
Confession is but one way of applying the mediation of Christ to men - Baptism is another. A prominent protestant televangelist, arguing against the sacrament of Penance, used Acts 10 and Acts 16 as proof text, pointing out that Peter did not give absolution to Cornelius and Paul did not give absolution to the Philippian jailer. This is true; however, not for the reasoning implied. Both Cornelius and the jailer were being baptized, and confession is not necessary for Baptism since Baptism in itself forgives sin (original sin and any other sin personally committed before the Baptism).

Why not confess your sins directly to God in prayer?

By sin, it was God that was offended; and God set down the conditions for
forgiveness. You cannot insist of God that He forgive your sins on your own
conditions. And Jesus Christ did not bestow the power and responsibility to forgive
sins to the Apostles and their successors knowing that all one needed to do was to
seek forgiveness through prayer. The Church does not deny that sins will be
forgiven via prayer directly to God, given of course that there's true repentance
coupled with firm resolution to avoid this sin in the future; however, the only way
we can be sure of proper disposition of the forgiveness of sin with absolute certainty
is via the means established by Christ - the sacrament of Penance.



Retrieved from:
http://www.scborromeo.org/papers/confess.pdf

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 23, 2012, 08:57:09 PM
pero ang pangutana nako, kung nabunyagan ka og catholic unya nabunyagan ka og laing religion after that, kung ganahan ka mubalik og pagka-catholic, pabunyag ba ka og balik og catolico?

This is a very important situation , Anna. I will recommend that you contact your local parish priest for an answer to your query. I have also contacted Fr. Roel to answer your question. I will pray for you and your husband.

Quote from: jorgeanna on November 23, 2012, 04:34:26 PM
mas mupili ko og bisayang manok.. i remembered that day after sa capping and badging ceremony sa nursing student days nako kay turkey man gyud pud ang gi-prepare sa daddy nako ...

he he he, nurse diay ka, Anna?

The Protoevangelium of James

"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by [St. Anne], saying, ‘Anne! Anne! The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.’ And Anne said, ‘As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall minister to him in the holy things all the days of its life.’ . . . And [from the time she was three] Mary was in the temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there" (Protoevangelium of James 4, 7 [A.D. 120]).

"And when she was twelve years old there was held a council of priests, saying, ‘Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord?’ And they said to the high priest, ‘You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in and pray concerning her, and whatever the Lord shall manifest to you, that also will we do.’ . . . [A]nd he prayed concerning her, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him saying, ‘Zechariah! Zechariah! Go out and assemble the widowers of the people and let them bring each his rod, and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be. . . . And Joseph [was chosen]. . . . And the priest said to Joseph, ‘You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the Virgin of the Lord.’ But Joseph refused, saying, ‘I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl’" (ibid., 8â€"9).

"And Annas the scribe came to him [Joseph] . . . and saw that Mary was with child. And he ran away to the priest and said to him, ‘Joseph, whom you did vouch for, has committed a grievous crime.’ And the priest said, ‘How so?’ And he said, ‘He has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the temple of the Lord and has married her by stealth’" (ibid., 15).

"And the priest said, ‘Mary, why have you done this? And why have you brought your soul low and forgotten the Lord your God?’ . . . And she wept bitterly saying, ‘As the Lord my God lives, I am pure before him, and know not man’" (ibid.).



Retrieved from:
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/mary-ever-virgin

Quote from: fdaray on November 23, 2012, 02:24:22 PM
Mary was only virgin before the birth of Jesus.

Matthew 12:46-50

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Most Protestants claim that Mary bore children other than Jesus. To support their claim, these Protestants refer to the biblical passages which mention the "brethren of the Lord." As explained in the Catholic Answers tract Brethren of the Lord, neither the Gospel accounts nor the early Christians attest to the notion that Mary bore other children besides Jesus. The faithful knew, through the witness of Scripture and Tradition, that Jesus was Mary’s only child and that she remained a lifelong virgin.

An important historical document which supports the teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity is the Protoevangelium of James, which was written probably less than sixty years after the conclusion of Mary’s earthly life (around A.D. 120), when memories of her life were still vivid in the minds of many.

According to the world-renowned patristics scholar, Johannes Quasten: "The principal aim of the whole writing [Protoevangelium of James] is to prove the perpetual and inviolate virginity of Mary before, in, and after the birth of Christ" (Patrology, 1:120â€"1).

To begin with, the Protoevangelium records that when Mary’s birth was prophesied, her mother, St. Anne, vowed that she would devote the child to the service of the Lord, as Samuel had been by his mother (1 Sam. 1:11). Mary would thus serve the Lord at the Temple, as women had for centuries (1 Sam. 2:22), and as Anna the prophetess did at the time of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:36â€"37). A life of continual, devoted service to the Lord at the Temple meant that Mary would not be able to live the ordinary life of a child-rearing mother. Rather, she was vowed to a life of perpetual virginity.

However, due to considerations of ceremonial cleanliness, it was eventually necessary for Mary, a consecrated "virgin of the Lord," to have a guardian or protector who would respect her vow of virginity. Thus, according to the Protoevangelium, Joseph, an elderly widower who already had children, was chosen to be her spouse. (This would also explain why Joseph was apparently dead by the time of Jesus’ adult ministry, since he does not appear during it in the gospels, and since Mary is entrusted to John, rather than to her husband Joseph, at the crucifixion).

According to the Protoevangelium, Joseph was required to regard Mary’s vow of virginity with the utmost respect. The gravity of his responsibility as the guardian of a virgin was indicated by the fact that, when she was discovered to be with child, he had to answer to the Temple authorities, who thought him guilty of defiling a virgin of the Lord. Mary was also accused of having forsaken the Lord by breaking her vow. Keeping this in mind, it is an incredible insult to the Blessed Virgin to say that she broke her vow by bearing children other than her Lord and God, who was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The perpetual virginity of Mary has always been reconciled with the biblical references to Christ’s brethren through a proper understanding of the meaning of the term "brethren." The understanding that the brethren of the Lord were Jesus’ stepbrothers (children of Joseph) rather than half-brothers (children of Mary) was the most common one until the time of Jerome (fourth century). It was Jerome who introduced the possibility that Christ’s brethren were actually his cousins, since in Jewish idiom cousins were also referred to as "brethren." The Catholic Church allows the faithful to hold either view, since both are compatible with the reality of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

Today most Protestants are unaware of these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of "the brethren of the Lord." And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselvesâ€"Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingliâ€"honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.

Quote from: islander on November 23, 2012, 09:45:33 PM
i cannot believe that only catholics can receive grace.  non-catholics may not have the grace of the sacraments as we know them, but by being good and true and virtuous they stand to deserve graces from a creator in whatever form of worship they take him to be.

Hi Isles,

Non-Catholics can receive graces prior to receiving the sacraments. These graces are called PREVENIENT GRACE.

Prevenient Grace is actually a form of Actual Grace, which manifests as either : 1) Prevenient Grace and 2) Subsequent Grace

Actual grace is the grace to do good. Persons who are in a state of grace, and persons who are not in a state of grace, even persons who are in a state of unrepentant actual mortal sin, are all recipients of actual graces.

To reiterate again,

There are two types of actual grace:

1. prevenient grace, also called operating grace - this is the grace given by God to enlighten our intellect and to enable our will so that we are able to freely choose to cooperate with subsequent grace, or to freely refuse to cooperate with subsequent grace.

There is no cooperation of the free will with prevenient grace; God is operating (acting alone) on the will, prior to any possibility of cooperation. All persons receive prevenient actual graces innumerable times in their lives, such that no one can say about any sin that he lacked the grace to freely choose not to sin, or not to repent from past sin.

2. subsequent grace, also called cooperating grace - this is the grace given by God to work with our free will to do good. God's grace is infallible and all-powerful, so how can his grace seem to fail in some persons, such that they do not choose to do good? It is because our all-powerful God humbly submits himself to our free will, so that our good acts will be truly free. Every good act in cooperation with grace is in essence an act of love of God and neighbor. But love is not truly love unless it is truly free. So God does not work His grace in such a manner that no one is permitted to sin in this life. Rather, he allows us the free choice



http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm

QuoteNganong moingon man ka nga pareha ang verse sa Koran with that in the Bible? Even if there are some underlying verses in the koran that were derived in the bible, that doesn't make any sense to surmise that they are one in the same. These two faiths alone are two opposite sides of the coin.

A very good point ! And I agree.

Islam and Christianity are totally two different religious faiths. Christianity proclaims that Christ Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, an integral part of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. Three aspects, but One God. The fundamental core tenet of Catholic (Christian) Faith is this: That it is through Christ's death in the crucifixion that all have a chance towards salvation, if but he believes in Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior and manifests that love and acceptance through a living faith.

The Catechism of the One, Holy, Roman Catholic Church declares:
454 The title "Son of God" signifies the unique and eternal relationship of Jesus Christ to God his Father: he is the only Son of the Father (cf. Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); he is God himself (cf. Jn 1:1). To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (cf. Acts 8:37; 1 Jn 2:23).

Islam does not recognize Jesus Christ as Divine, but rather, emphasizes that Jesus Christ , or as what Muhammad refers to him as 'ISSA', was a mere prophet. The Quran forbids praying to Jesus, rather, emphasizes that prayer should be directed to Islam's version of God, Allah.

That is the difference between these two religious faiths.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

Miracle of Lanciano



Ancient Anxanum, the city of the Frentanese, has contained for over twelve centuries the first and greatest Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church. This wondrous Event took place in the 8th century A.D. in the little Church of St. Legontian, as a divine response to a Basilian monk's doubt about Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist.

During Holy Mass, after the two-fold consecration, the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine was changed into live Blood, which coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size.

The Host-Flesh, as can be very distinctly observed today, has the same dimensions as the large host used today in the Latin church; it is light brown and appears rose-colored when lighted from the back.

The Blood is coagulated and has an earthy color resembling the yellow of ochre.

Various ecclesiastical investigation ("Recognitions") were conducted since 1574.

In 1970-'71 and taken up again partly in 1981 there took place a scientific investigation by the most illustrious scientist Prof. Odoardo Linoli, eminent Professor in Anatomy and Pathological Histology and in Chemistry and Clinical Microscopy. He was assisted by Prof. Ruggero Bertelli of the University of Siena.

The analyses were conducted with absolute and unquestionable scientific precision and they were documented with a series of microscopic photographs.
These analyses sustained the following conclusions:

The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is real Blood.

The Flesh and the Blood belong to the human species.

The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart.

In the Flesh we see present in section: the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve and also the left ventricle of the heart for the large thickness of the myocardium.

The Flesh is a "HEART" complete in its essential structure.

The Flesh and the Blood have the same blood-type: AB (Blood-type identical to that which Prof. Baima Bollone uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin).

In the Blood there were found proteins in the same normal proportions (percentage-wise) as are found in the sero-proteic make-up of the fresh normal blood.

In the Blood there were also found these minerals: chlorides, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.

The preservation of the Flesh and of the Blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains an extraordinary phenomenon.



Retrieved from:
http://therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/lanciano.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWy3lUX6azU#ws

How did the Church Fathers explain the perpetual virginity of Mary?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETlNKLBe9to#ws

Which Church Father's brother was forcibly ordained to the priesthood?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgr_aMO-AhE#ws

Which Church Father was elected bishop before he was even baptized?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pQIYpYEsCc#ws

Can non-Catholic Christians receive communion in the Catholic Church?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ave2dmAWEF8#ws

Can You Kneel for Communion?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JKVPzRG8cE#ws

What is the "Extraordinary Form" of the Mass?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZijul5Dr2s#ws

Who Has the Authority to Change the Liturgy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNjqQF5_UgI#ws

Is there an afterlife for animals?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHQBgA7ClXc#ws

How To Find Your Soulmate (Without Losing Your Soul) ?

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

What is Transubstantiation ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI8ZFDY0YLw#ws

How can we know Jesus is really present in the Eucharist?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCKs6on7hxw#ws

Is purgatory a physical place?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MYzb72v0U#ws

Are all religions equal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URtUu8Y-QIM#ws

Can non-Catholics receive grace without the sacraments?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Woe5IkNg4#

Speaking of which, I marinated our turkey for an entire day in apple cider, diced apples, garlic, celery, onions, red wine (shiraz). O man, when we served that birdie today during dinner...boy was it yummy! Gi hurut!

For Thanksgiving Dinner, I'll choose the Turkey kai its part of the American experience.

Thanksgiving Dinner is over. Today was spent with beautiful and wonderful friends. This entire day was spent prepping for Thanksgiving Dinner , which started when I woke up at 9am in the morning. I had a good time with my good friends and some colleagues at work.

Going to bed na. Tomorrow I have an interview. Afterwards, I want to spend the whole day on reviewing na pod.

The ordination of a priest.

Beautiful

The beauty of the one who responds to His call....

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 21, 2012, 07:47:12 PM

Hunter girl, hunter dog.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on November 21, 2012, 04:31:30 PM
korek.. sa akong experience, daghan ko ug makahimamat sa dalan, naa'y mga bata nga mokalit lang ug amen sa imo, naa'y mga tambay, naa'y magtsismax nga shokla.. mao ng sa may kwarta o wala, magbaklay gyud ko ^_^

Relaxing bitaw kaayo og maka lakawlakaw ta after sa trabaho. mo gawas atong stress ug anxiety.

Quote from: islander on November 21, 2012, 04:43:04 PM
would that i be given the chance to walk on a peaceful country road, there where the weather's balmy and i can hear the soughing of the wind and see the lilt of the leaves of the trees.  no dust, no dramatic beggars, no honking cars.

yet nowadays i can only feel safe going up and down six flights of stairs with concrete all around me.  i even imagine that at times there's an earthquake and i'll end up under a thick concrete slab.  as it turns out, it's only my vertigo, huhuhu.

Simbako, Isles! Ginoo ko, don't think like that, uy!

he he he! ayaw'g kalimot sa imong bisphophates ug calcium, nang!

Quote from: Pikoy on November 21, 2012, 10:26:20 PM
mga tawong iresponsable ang tawag ani nila..

pero naay daghang rason ug nganu??

unsa man bi?

1.

Multifactorial man segoro ni , Bai Piks.

Perhaps there is a dissatisfaction with their sex life, the loss of sexual & physical attraction, the temptation of a third party member, perhaps a form of immature projection , or receiving attention that the spouse was not providing etc etc.