What sacrificing is.

Sacrifice came from two Latin words "sacra" "facere".  To make holy.

The aim of fasting and abstinence, especially in the period of Lent, is to make us holy.

John the Baptist fasted.

Christ fasted.

Because they know that there is something more important than what the body wants, craves and seeks for.

It is s a hunger and thirst that only God can quench and satisfy.

When we give up something of value to us, like food or that favorite "sin", we tell God that we give that up, we sacrifice, because we want to be holy.

Isn't it the best sacrifice?  Don't we see it every Mass?

What are you giving up?

Is it something easy to give up?

That aint sacrificing.  That is giving up loose change.

For this Lent, always remember this parable.

It's all about the money, money, money...

We have heard it talked about many times... but what baffles me is that even those in the vineyard of the Lord are most of the times guilty of that same crime the Church is calling out as evil.

How many priests and bishops have we witnessed living a life of financial impropriety, living out of the Sunday collection as if it were their own personal piggy banks?

It has to start from us!

And this is where Liberation Theology fails.  We don't have to be in solidarity with the poor by selling all of the patrimony of the Church and reducing our liturgy to simplistic expressions of Marxists plays!  No.  The churches, shrines, and basilicas and cathedrals, with all its treasures and beautiful vestments and vessels in its sacristy stays! But let us change how we live our lives.

St. Pius X wore his papal tiara and did not do away with the beautiful vestments of his pontifical office.  But he lived simply and stated in his last will " I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor."

The Cure of Ars also lived the same way as the saintly pope.  Here is my post about it.

So to prove that money is not the root of all evil..

For the clergy...live simply!  Remember that God is everywhere.  You cannot hide your secret bank accounts.

For the laity...live simply!  Give to the needy and hungry.  The world has enough Kardashians and Hiltons.

Remember this parable?

Luke 16:19-34

PS:  The world is such in a bind because it mostly run by lawyers and economists.,

Still true.

Reflections on the last General Audience of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!


Distinguished Authorities!

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.

A heartfelt thanks! I am truly moved! And I see the Church alive! And I think we should also thank the Creator for the beautiful weather that He is giving us today while we’re still in winter.

As the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I too feel in my heart that I must above all thank God, who guides and builds up the Church, who sows his Word and thus nourishes the faith in his People. At this moment my heart expands to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the "news" that in these years in the Petrine ministry I have been able to receive about the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that circulates in the Body of the Church and makes it live in love, and about the hope that opens us and directs us towards the fullness of life, towards the heavenly homeland.  [That is how it should be for all of us.  The end in mind!]

I feel that I carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every trip, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone in prayer to entrust them to the Lord, so that we may have full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and so that we may comport ourselves in a manner worthy of Him, of His love, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).  [All good things are rewarded.  All bad things are punished.]

At this time, I feel great trust, because I know, all of us know, that the Word of the truth of the Gospel is the strength of the Church, it is its life. The Gospel purifies and renews, it bears fruit, wherever the community of believers listens and receives the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my trust, this is my joy.

When, on April 19 almost eight years ago, I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I felt this certainty firmly, and it has always accompanied me. At that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: Lord, why are you asking this of me and what are you asking of me? It is a great weight you are placing on my shoulders, but if this is what You ask, at your word I will let down the nets, confident that You will guide me, [Duc in altum] even with my weaknesses. And eight years later I can say that the Lord has truly guided me, He has been close to me, I could feel His presence every day. It has been a stretch of the Church's journey, which has had moments of joy and light, but also difficult moments; I felt like St. Peter and the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of ​​Galilee: [I really love the imagery of the Lord in the back of the boat of Peter...sleeping.] the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days when the fishing has been plentiful, and there were also times when the water was rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church, and the Lord seemed to sleep. But I always knew that the Lord is in the boat, and I always knew that the boat of the Church is not mine, not ours, but it is His. And He will not let her sink, it is He who leads it, certainly also through the men he has chosen, because so He has willed it. [BELLISIMA!!!] This was and is a certainty, that nothing can obscure. And that is why today my heart is filled with gratitude to God because He has never left me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.

We are in the Year of Faith, which I wanted to strengthen our faith in God in a context that seems to put it more and more into the background. I would like to invite everyone to renew their firm trust in the Lord, to trust like children in the arms of God, certain that those arms support us always and are what allow us to walk every day, even when fatigued. I would like everyone to feel loved by that God who gave his Son for us and has shown us his boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. A beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says: "I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for having created me, for having made me Christian..." [The full text of this traditional prayer is below.] Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith; it is the most precious thing, that no one can take from us! We thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but expects that we too love Him!  [The greatest vocation is to love, be loved and know that you are loved!]

But it is not only God that I want to thank at this time. A Pope is not alone in guiding the barque of Peter, even if the primary responsibility is his; and I have never felt alone in carrying the joy and weight of the Petrine ministry; the Lord has put next to me many people, with generosity and love for God and the Church, they have helped me and have been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your advice, your friendship has been precious to me; my collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State who has accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretary of State and the whole of the Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various fields, give their service to the Holy See: there are many faces who do not appear, they remain in the shadow, but precisely in this silence, in their daily work, in a spirit of faith and humility, they have been a solid and reliable support for me. A special thought to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I cannot forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in the pastoral visits, in encounters, in the auidences, in my travels, I have always perceived great care and deep affection, but I also have loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every pastor, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I have remembered each of you in my prayers, with a father's heart.  [teary eyed...*sniff*]

I would like my greetings and my thanks, then, to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope extends to the whole world. And I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps at the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for a good communication and I thank them for their important service.

At this point I would like to thank from my heart all the many people around the world who in recent weeks have sent me touching tokens of attention, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone, now I experience this again in so great a way that it touches my heart. The Pope belongs to everyone and many people feel very close to him. It is true that I receive letters from the great ones of the world - from Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. But I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and make me feel their affection, born from being together with Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write to me the way one writes, for instance, to a prince or a to great person that one does not know. They write to me as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of a very affectionate family tie. Here one can touch firsthand what the Church is - not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and to be able almost to touch with your hands the power of its truth and its love, is a source of joy, in a time when many speak of its decline. But we see how the Church is alive today!  [The liberals who do not agree with the theological and liturgical reforms of Pope Benedict are the ones who say the Church is in decline....Hello pro-RH politicians, media and groups in the Philippines!!!]

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God earnestly in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its seriousness and also its novelty, but with profound peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make tough choices, difficult ones, having always before oneself the good of the Church and not oneself.

Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The seriousness of the decision also lay precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was busy always and forever with the Lord. Always - whoever assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of its private dimension. I experienced, and I am experiencing it now, that one receives life when one gives it. [The parable of the seed...] I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope truly has brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion; because he no longer belongs to himself, he belongs to all and all belong to him.

The "always" is also a "forever" - there is no return to the private sphere. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I will not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. [BOOM!!!  Hope it hits that cardinal who has more time with conferences than actually running the archdiocese!!!  Oh wait....his staff from Ateneo is running it....is Fr. Reggie involved?]  I am not abandoning the cross, but remain in a new way with the Crucified Lord. [An obvious response to Cardinal Dziwisz who made that infamous comment after the resignation.  He mentioned that when John Paul II was sick, the Blessed Pope did not think of going down the cross and continuing the fight.  As I see it, Benedict is saying "I am not Christ.  Why would I be going down from the cross when I am not crucified?"]  I no longer carry the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter's bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, will be for me a great example in this. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.  [Peter he will be no more, he will be Benedict the monk.]

I thank each and everyone for the respect and understanding with which you have accepted this important decision. I will continue to accompany the journey of the Church through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Spouse, with which I have tried to live every day until now and with which I want to live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter: may the Lord accompany him with the light and the power of his Spirit.

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community; we entrust ourselves to Her, with deep confidence.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, he sustains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, may there always be the joyous certainty that the Lord is near us, he does not abandon us, he is near us and surrounds us with his love. Thank you!

[Translation by Peter Waymel/ZENIT News Agency]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I offer a warm and affectionate greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who have joined me for this, my last General Audience. Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy and gratitude.

During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter. I am also deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, but also throughout the world.

The decision I have made, after much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope. In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history.

I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you!

[Original text: English]

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

***

Hope that the example of Pope Benedict will also set a precedent to bishops and cardinals who cling on to their positions as if it were their birthright...

We will surely miss this great pope.  He is really a teacher and pastor, like St. Paul writing to us his letter to the Corinthians about Love.  So simple yet so deep in meaning.

Benedict XVI's pontificate will be remembered as a very eventful pontificate.  In the eyes of the secular media they will look at it through the PR gaffes, the Regensburg address, the Vatileaks scandal, which in my opinion happens to anyone.  He is Pope, infallible but not impeccable.

Google the difference of those two words.

His teachings about rediscovering the Faith in praying what we believe in, brought many back to rediscover the sacred in our Liturgy when most of those who proclaim themselves EXPERTS in Liturgy...those who had been educated by the framers of the Vatican II Constitution on the Liturgy (may God rest his soul) are running wild destroying the sanctity of our Holy Mass turning it into their OWN show, their OWN stage, their OWN time.\

Narcissistic priests have been exposed for who they are and those who prey on the young, the helpless and who roam with the sheep of Christ, wolves dressed as sheep ready to strike down Christ's own...Yet this gentle shepherd defended us with his gentle voice, profound teachings and decisive demeanor.

He is truly the Ecumenical Pope.  He practiced what true ecumenism is...bringing the lost into the One Fold...that all may be one!  He reached out more vigorously to the Orthodox and the ultra-traditionalist group SSPX.  A move that is probably so lukewarm during the time of Blessed John Paul.

He gave us our legitimate right back to worship like how our ancestors, teachers of the Faith, heroes and saints worshiped by giving Summorum Pontificum, clearing all speculations about this rite being abrogated by Vatican II, a charge brought about the hatred of professional liturgists who insist on worshiping according to the Order of the Mass they wrote either on their office desks or a Roman tavern...all because of a common hatred for the past.

He began cleaning the ranks of erring priests and bishops a task that should have been done during the time of his predecessor who in fact was responsible for either appointing these erring bishops or of not disciplining dissenting theologians firmly.  In fairness to John Paul, he did disciplined Liberation Theology and Hans Kung...but those in America and in Asia still cry their hearts out for MODERNISM.

His pontificate IS a pontificate.

In him we saw Peter.

In him we saw that he indeed IS the Vicar of Christ on Earth!

Thank you very much Holy Father!

Thank you!

***

As promised here is the prayer...

O My God, I adore You and I love You with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian and for having watched over me this day. Pardon me for the evil I have done this day; and if I have done any good, deign to accept it. Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger. May Your grace be always with me. Amen. 

Reflections on the Papal Resignation

Yes, I am still in shock but what else is there to do?  Canon Law itself has laid down the rules on papal resignations.  Pope Benedict XVI himself showed that he is bound by the law, as we all are.

He came to a point that he must come forward to his entire flock, entrusted to him with the command "feed my sheep, feed my lambs" that he cannot bear the responsibility anymore.  He needed to do that while he presents himself to the whole world that he is physically and mentally stable and capable to make such an unprecedented decision.

It was a decision that he must make for "in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me."

He knew when to give up, and knew when to think of the good of the Church instead of what people might think of him.

He has alluded to this countless of times in the past and most notably in his 2010 book "light of the World where he wrote:

"If a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign."

Others surely were against the decision, like long-time personal secretary of Bl. John Paul II, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz who said in reaction to the resignation:

Pope Wojtyla decided not to step down from the Throne of Peter even as he neared the end of his life because “he was convinced that one doesn’t come down from the cross.”

But Joseph Ratzinger was there during the final months of the life of John Paul II.  Just by looking at John Paul, it was extremely impossible for him physically to continue with his task of steering the Bark of Peter.  He was physically incapacitated and I am pretty sure Joseph Ratzinger, who was a very close collaborator of John Paul ever since they knew each other first during the Second Vatican Council, Wojtyla as a Council Father and Ratzinger as a periti, and during the 2 Conclaves of 1978.

If Cardinal Dziwisz knew what John Paul went through, certainly Ratzinger knew it too especially how the Curia was running during the final days of John Paul II.  This might have left an impression on Cardinal Ratzinger who in an interview revealed that as his name was being read during the Conclave of 2005, and knowing his impending election to the Chair of Peter was imminent, prayed silently, that he be allowed to retire quietly and be spared of the ministry.

The Holy Father assured us that his decision was made out of a "repeated examination of conscience", and that we must trust him on this decision just as we trusted all him in all his decisions in the past.

Perhaps, all of us Catholics, will take this opportunity to stop and pray for our Holy Father, the Cardinal electors and for the whole Church that we may be guided, just as the Holy Spirit has done since Christ told Peter "...upon this Rock..." in the continuing journey of the Bark of St. Peter.

And from all the things I have read this past hours, none became so poignant and encapsulates the deep impression and legacy Benedict leaves to the world as pope, than this tribute from a Baptist:

Since assuming the papacy, Benedict has called for a counter-witness to the bloody persecution of Christians by Islamic authoritarian regimes in Africa and the Middle East, to the church-outlawing police states of China and North Korea, and to the soul-decaying secularism of Western Europe and, increasingly, the United States of America.

Benedict has countered the sexual revolution with an Augustinian view of the meaning of human personhood. A human person, he has reminded the world, is not a machine. We are not merely collections of nerve endings that spark with sensation when rubbed together. Instead a human person is directed toward a one-flesh union, which is personal and spiritual. Destroying the ecology of marriage and family isn’t simply about tearing down old “moralities,” he has reminded us, but about a revolt against the web of nature in which human beings thrive.

And Benedict has stood against the nihilism that defines human worth in terms of power and usefulness. He has constantly spoken for those whose lives are seen as a burden to society: the baby with Down syndrome, the woman with advanced Alzheimer’s, the child starving in the desert, the prisoner being tortured. These lives aren’t things, he has said, but images of God, and for them we will give an account. When society wants to dehumanize with language: “embryo,” “fetus,” “anchor baby,” “illegal alien,” “collateral damage,” and so on, Benedict has stood firmly to point to the human faces the world is seeking to wipe away.

As Protestant Christians, we will disagree with this pope, and with the next one, on all sorts of things. Here we stand, we can do no other; God help us. But let’s pray the next pope, like this one, will remember what it means to be human, and will remind the rest of us when we forget. 

He showed us what true ecumenism and Christian unity it is.

His beautiful encyclicals on the theological virtues is really worth reading over and over again.  my personal favorite is Deus caritas est.

He showed us how to pray, and how to discover the sacred in the Liturgy!  And that my dear TPC followers is the greatest impression he will leave on me as the Holy Father.

Let us learn from this historical moment...

Let us thank him, Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, for the years of his faithful stewardship of the Church, his example and most especially his writings may one day bring him to the penultimate honor of Catholic sainthood and "doctorhood", God willing.

And just as we continue to speculate and spread nasty rumors about a fake prophecy about who the next Pope will be, and online STUPIDITY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS about petitioning a certain cardinal to become the next pope, as if the papacy is a Reality Show Online Voting type, let us remember and be consoled by the following memes:

And take my advice...

Offer up your prayers and sacrifices for Pope Benedict XVI who will give up the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven due to health reasons, and that the Cardinal Electors heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

We should be praying than speculating!

God bless His Holy Church!

Well done, Holy Father!

Thank you for all you have done!

I will always affectionately call you "my Holy Father"

450 years ago, the Carmelites were reformed!

Vatican City, (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a message to Bishop Jesus Garcia Burillo of Avila, Spain, to mark the 450th anniversary of the foundation of the Monastery of St. Joseph and the beginning of the Carmelite reform by St. Teresa of Avila. The message, ample extracts of which are given below, is dated 16 July.

"The reform of the Carmelite Order, the anniversary of which fills us with inner joy, arose from prayer and tends towards prayer. In promoting a radical return to the original Rule and abandoning the mitigated Rule, St. Teresa of Jesus sought to create a form of life which favoured a personal encounter with the Lord, finding 'a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present within us. Nor need we feel strange in the presence of so kind a Guest'".  [The Pope emphasized the need of the Carmelites to go back to the original Rule, which led St. Teresa of Avila to found the Discalced Order.]

"St. Teresa presented a new way of being Carmelite in a world which was also new. Those were 'difficult times' in which, according to that Mistress of the spirit, ... 'the world is on fire. Men try to condemn Christ once again. They would raze His Church to the ground. No, my sisters, this is no time to treat with God for things of little importance'. Does this luminous and engaging call, written more than four centuries ago by the mystic saint, not sound familiar in our own times?"  [Really familiar isn't it?]

"The ultimate goal of Teresa's reform and the creation of new monasteries in a world lacking spiritual values was to protect apostolic work with prayer, proposing a form of evangelical life that would act as a model for people seeking the path of perfection, on the basis of the conviction that all authentic personal and ecclesial reform involves an ever more faithful reproduction of the 'form' of Christ in our own selves. ... Today too, as in the sixteenth century, in the midst of rapid transformation, it is important that trusting prayer be the heart of the apostolate, so that the the redeeming message of Jesus Christ may sound our clearly and dynamically. It is urgently important for the Word of life to resound harmoniously in peoples souls, with sonorous and attractive notes".  [That is why I love the Carmelite spirituality!  Discalced actually, ha!]

"The example of St. Teresa of Avila is of great help to us in this exhilarating task. In her time the saint evangelised unhesitatingly, showing tireless ardour, employing methods free from inertia and using expressions bathed in light. This remains important in the current time, when there is a pressing need for the baptised to renew their hearts through individual prayer in which, following the guidance of St. Teresa, they also focus on contemplation of Christ's blessed humanity as the only way to reach the glory of God".

"The power of Christ will lead to a redoubling of efforts to ensure that the people of God recover their vigour in the only way possible: by finding space within ourselves for the feelings of the Lord Jesus, and in all circumstances seeking to live His Gospel to the full. This means, above all, allowing the Holy Spirit to make us friends of the Master and to mould us to Him. It also means accepting all His mandates and adopting in ourselves criteria such as humility of conduct, renunciation of the superfluous, not harming others and acting with simplicity and humbleness of heart. Thus those around us will perceive the joy that arises from our adherence to the Lord; they will see that we put nothing before His love, and that we are always ready to give reasons for our hope".

***

The Discalced Carmelites are the reality that Orders can too lose sight of their original charism, members try to water down the Rule as set forth by their Founder.

It happened with the Franciscans when St Francis was still alive the Franciscans wanted to relax their rule on extreme poverty.  Now look at the Franciscans.  Look at this shameless guy here!

You think St. Francis would even be proud of him wearing that flashy coat?

This was what St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross did to their Orders.

Now....

WHEN are the Jesuits gonna be reformed?

Ha!

St. Joseph in the eyes of Pope Joseph Ratzinger

Pope Benedict XVI's Lent 2012 Message

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS

BENEDICT XVI

FOR LENT 2012

“Let us be concerned for each other,

to stir a response in love and good works” (Heb 10:24)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.

1. “Let us be concerned for each other”: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

This first aspect is an invitation to be “concerned”: the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to “think of” the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to “observe” the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to “turn your minds to Jesus” (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for “privacy”. Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be “guardians” of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: “Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations” (Populorum Progressio, 66).

Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is “generous and acts generously” (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of “spiritual anesthesia” which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite “pass by”, indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf. Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of “being concerned”, of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of “showing mercy” towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. “The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it” (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of “those who mourn” (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

“Being concerned for each other” also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: “Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more” (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: “If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way” (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even “the upright falls seven times” (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.

2. “Being concerned for each other”: the gift of reciprocity.

This “custody” of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek “the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another” (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour’s good, “so that we support one another” (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather “the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community.

The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: “Each part should be equally concerned for all the others” (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).

3. “To stir a response in love and good works”: walking together in holiness.

These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, “like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day” (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.

Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God’s plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the “high standard of ordinary Christian living” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to “anticipate one another in showing honour” (Rom 12:10).

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 3 November 2011

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Reflection: The Temptation of Christ

The Temptation of Christ, a mural in the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice

The Gospel yesterday for both the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, or in common tongue Novus Ordo Missae and the Usus Antiquor or Traditional Latin Mass, was about the devil's temptation of Christ.

We all know the story:  after fasting for 40 days and nights, Lucifer tempted Him 3 times:  to turn stones into bread, to prove that He is the Son of God by calling His angels to catch Him, and to receive all the wealth and power of the world if Christ falls down and worships him (Lucifer).

I guess you have heard it preached many a times:  Lucifer tempted Christ who did not have food or water for 40 days with the first temptation:  FOOD, that which satisfies the cravings of the stomach (GLUTTONY).  Satan then proceeds to challenge Christ and prove Himself to be God (PRIDE).  Finally, Lucifer showed Christ what he can give Him for as long as He would just bow down and worship Him (GREED).

Lucifer tempted Christ to commit the 3 out of the 7 Deadly Sins taught to us by the Church throughout the ages to avoid (as they kill the life of grace in us)  These 3 were the same sins our parent Adam and Eve committed.

Now, I am giving you my reflection on this as many Church Fathers and theologians have taught that it was pride that brought the downfall of man.  But as I reflected upon this passage, I noticed a parallelism in how our first parents fallen, and how Christ began to redeem us by saying NO to whatever Satan presented to Him.

He refused food (Gluttony is defeated by Temperance).  He refused to give in to the temptation of proving yourself, a dare by Satan (Pride defeated by Humility) by acknowledging that one can never ever tempt the Lord, one acknowledges who he really is in the eyes of God.  And finally Christ expels Satan by the   (Greed for power and wealth is defeated by Charity), the worship of the True God is an expression of one's love for the Lord.

At the end of it all, what Satan offers are things that would sustain us and feed our egos temporarily, momentarily.  They do not last eternally nor are they rooted in God.

Christ's every response to his temptation is all about being rooted in God:

"Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

"Thou shall not tempt the Lord your God."

"Worship God and Him alone."

Christ invites us, through this Lenten season, to firmly root ourselves in God.  What sustains us?  What feeds our ego?  WHAT IS THE REASON FOR OUR BEING?

Christ Himself would prove what He will teach later:

"...If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? (Mt. 16 24 -26)

This is the grace of Lent my friends.  We experience the desert, like Christ:

...through the liturgy (no Gloria and Alleluia, NO CLAPPING AND DANCING!!!, simpler vestments, no flower, eventual veiling of the images until the total stripping of the altar and the emptying of the tabernacle on Good Friday..) and the practice of fasting and abstinence, the praying of the Via Crucis, pilgrimages, more frequent Confession, retreats and recollections.

Christ went into the desert to fast and be tempted so that we can find God and be totally rooted in Him.

As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  (Col. 2: 6- 7)

May God be the center of your observance this Lenten season my dear friends.

***


And quit planning for that out of town trip!

It's not for God!

Sorry. I JUST had to type that in. :)

Reflections and musings: The Black Nazarene

I was at the Basilica of the Black Nazarene yesterday and I came as a pilgrim, acknowledging that I am a sinner seeking the Doctor of Life who Himself is wounded.

I am surprised to see more people this year than in the previous years that I came to the Quiapo for the Señor's feast.

Yes, my friends, the Black Nazarene has a special place in my heart.  Whenever my schedule permits it, I make it a point to go to the Basilica to pay Him a visit.  Even if I am on an errand to go to either Sta. Cruz or Binondo or Divisoria or Carriedo, I will make a quick turn to Quiapo, pay Him a visit, both by kissing the feet of His revered image and at the Adoration Chapel, before I go about my business in the area.  So in turn, I effectively made all my trips to downtown Manila start with a pilgrimage to the Basilica.  Parking is hellish, though.

I went to Quiapo yesterday to fulfill a yearly vow.  I made a list of petitions I will bring to my pilgrimage.  There were a couple of requests sent to me.  And yes I included you dear TPC readers.

This year's Feast is much different in my view as there are way more people in the Basilica and in the surroundings of the Quiapo community.  I was literally pushed into the Basilica because of the sea of humanity who wanted to go into the church.

While Mass was going on, medical volunteers hurriedly bring pilgrims who fainted.  They were escorted out of the Basilica in wheel chairs.  I prayed for them as well.

There were so many people who heard Mass that even a whole battalion (no literally) of EMHCs were on hand to help distribute Holy Communion.  In spite of that, the EMHCs were unable to go around the church to distribute Holy Communion.  I wasn't able to receive Holy Communion even if I was already inside the Basilica.

As the Mass ended, we all sang with raised hands the official song for the Nuestro Padre.  After which a thunderous applause and shouts of "Viva!" rang in and out of the Basilica.  I continued praying even if the people around me jostled to get out as fast as they can after the Mass.  I prayed for those who asked me to pray for them and fixed my gaze on His revered image.  I know I had to get out too since the next Mass was about to start.  The time between Masses was less than 5 minutes.  The Basilica was still full even after the last Mass had ended.  Just as I was pushed into the Basilica, I had to rely on the wave of humanity to push me out as well.

Seeing the devotees put their all just to touch the cross or the robes of the Lord, brings me back to the Gospel story of the woman who was suffering from a hemorrhage.  Christ asked who touched Him, but Peter told him that large crowds were around Him so almost everyone touched Him.  But Christ knew that there was this one person who touched Him because as the Gospel said "power came out of Him."

And when Christ and the woman were able to talk, Christ said ""Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:48)

That was what the devotees to the Black Nazarene were doing.  They are not touching just the wood.  They are touching Christ.  The sacrifice that men and women go through just to accompany Him who carried the very instrument that would put Him to His own horrific death, walking barefoot like Him, shows you the faith these men and women have and their resolve to fulfill a VOW they made to the Lord.

A prayer for healing, for financial prosperity a special favor for someone...Christ must be very busy hearing all of these prayers.  Remember that scene from Bruce Almighty, when the character of Jim Carrey heard all the prayers of the people all around the world at the same time?

I prayed, as hard as I can.  I know He hears all of us and He knows what is in our hearts, but I still prayed, because He is just waiting for us to tell Him what we want.  I cried while I prayed, knowing that my petitions and requests are petty considering the gravity of the things He did for us.   But I told Him " Bihira lang po ako manghingi sa inyo kahit halos buong buhay ko ibinigay ko para pagsilibihan kayo at ang kapwa ko.  Pasensya na po.  Maingay ngayon at marami kayong dinidinig na panalangin.  Pagbigyan niyo naman po ako, at pakinggan ang aking mga hiling.  Pasensya na po at pabigat ako sa inyo."  (Rarely would I ask anything from You even if I gave everything for You to serve you and my brothers and sisters.  I beg your indulgence.  The place is noisy and you are listening to a lot of prayers right now.  But please, just this once, give me what I beg of you.  I am sorry I am such a burden to you.)

I am crying now, just recalling these words which I uttered while I gaze upon the Nuestro Padre enthroned in the High Altar of the Basilica.  I gazed upon Him and then turned my attention to Him in the tabernacle.

As I left the Basilica, and passed by and kissed and wiped with my purple hanky three life-sized replicas of the Señor for veneration (or in Tagalog pahalik), I was left with a sense of awe for the festival: How the Lord called all Filipinos from all walks of life to the Church.  Believe it or not even Muslims were around the church selling CDs of the songs of the Quiapo Church.  The Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno song was blaring all around Carriedo and Raon.  Thankfully, it was the voices of pilgrims praying and singing, not of the souvenir hawkers, and police and military personnel's voices that I could remember hearing around the Basilica.

Some may call it fanaticism, or even idolatry.  But I leave it to the Lord, because as a fellow devotee myself, I see and hear it from my fellow pilgrims.  They are not after the wooden image.  If it were the case, then there would be no queues to venerate the replicas.  We would all be ganging up on the original image securely enthroned in the High Altar.  No, we, devotees, do not see it that way.  We kiss and touch every single image of the Nazareno we could find on that day, even the smaller ones that our fellow pilgrims are carrying.  Because it is not about the wood.  It is about what the wood represents.  It is He whom we want to touch and kiss and worship!

This morning while having breakfast, I turned on the TV to see what happened in Quiapo last night.  To my surprise, the procession has not finished yet.  The andas was still in Plaza Miranda.  At 6:15 of the following morning, the andas bearing the Señor was finally pulled into the Basilica while you can hear his faithful sons and daughters shout "Viva!  Viva!  Viva!".

Goosebumps suddenly turned to tears.  My eyes welled up and I started crying.  Luckily I was alone in the table and my family did not see me looking that way or I have to answer their questions why my face suddenly made an ugly contortion.  I cried when I saw the devotees and Hijos in the andas who stayed for 22 hours to finish the procession.  THEY FOLLOWED HIM WHO CARRIED HIS CROSS.  I suddenly felt asking myself:

"Can I too take up my cross daily and follow Him?"

My Christian life is all about that, I believe.  Our life is about that.  Just carry that cross until the end of the journey.  One step at a time.  And the Señor, showed me how to do it.  Even if I have to trip and stumble along the way to Calvary and finally the Empty Tomb.

The lesson is:  JUST KEEP GOING ON.

Til next year's Translacion, dear TPC readers.

PS:  I will be in Quiapo again this weekend.  And yes, I will bring you with me.

Faith

"Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:8)

If I only touch his garment...(Matthew 9:21)


***


If the Roman centurion and the woman suffering from a hemorrhage are too fanatic to say those words, then call these people fanatics of the Lord.


It's the faith that spells the difference.

The Three Magi was searching for GOD!

If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently they would have neither adored nor offered gifts. But since they sought a heavenly King, though they found in Him no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of the star alone, they adored: for they saw a man, and they acknowledged a God.

- Saint John Chrysostom (347-407) 

Feast of the Epiphany, January 6

Thank you very much!

To our fellow countrymen and brothers and sisters from Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City...

You who have been painfully struck with tragedy by Typhoon Sendong...

I just saw interviews of you over the national news just a few minutes ago.

And I must say, you have humbled me and my family for smiling in the face of extreme pain.

You kept an indomitable spirit and faith in the Lord believing that there will always be something to hope for in the days ahead.

Thank you for showing us what living is all about, what it means TO HOPE IN THE LORD, and that what matters the most is not the lost property or the lost opportunity, but that we have the precious gift of life that we have most of the time taken for granted.

We, most of the time, gripe over simple things like unsent and unanswered text messages and emails, clothes, technology and food.

But you have showed us that all of these do not matter when everything you hold precious is lost except your own life...

Thank you for your courage and resilience!

God bless you!

The priesthood and my take on the John Corapi scandal.

I have read the sad news about famous televangelist Fr. John Corapi in the past weeks.  And even got emails about my take on his leaving.

Now here is the shocking news about the real reason why this all happened.

***

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Father John A. Corapi was involved in "years of cohabitation" with a former prostitute, repeated abuse of alcohol and drugs and "serious violation" of his promise of poverty, according to a fact-finding team appointed by his religious order.  [And you think Marcial Maciel is not enough.]

Father Corapi, who recently announced he would leave the priesthood because he could not get a "fair hearing" on misconduct allegations against him, has been ordered by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity to return to live at the order's regional headquarters in Robstown, Texas, and to dismiss a lawsuit against the woman whose accusations prompted the investigation.  [The conditions are pretty simple right, but made me wonder the first time I read this why he find it so hard to comply.  That sounded off alarm bells for me.]

"Catholics should understand that (the order) does not consider Father John Corapi as fit for ministry," said a July 5 news release from Father Gerard Sheehan, regional priest servant for the order, commonly known as SOLT.

Although Father Corapi's ministry "has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics," the news release said, he is "now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations."

"It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight," it added.

There was no immediate response to the announcement from Father Corapi.

The order said its three-member fact-finding team had gathered information "from Father Corapi's emails, various witnesses and public sources" and had concluded that the priest:  [the emails, in my point of view, are hard evidence.]

-- "Did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute."

-- "Repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs."

-- "Has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana."

-- "Holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of this society."  [Oh good Lord.]

Although he did not name them, Father Sheehan said the fact-finding team was made up of a priest specializing in canon law, a psychiatrist and a lawyer, each of whom has a national reputation and "substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues."

Two of the three were members of religious orders, and the third was a layperson. Two were men and one was a woman, he said.

As the team was carrying out its work, Father Corapi filed a civil suit against his principal accuser and then offered $100,000 for her silence, [hmmm...seems like a pattern in handling sex abuse allegations, right Cardinal Roger?]  the news release said. Other key witnesses who "may have negotiated contracts ... that precluded them from speaking" with the team declined to answer its questions or provide documents, it said.

When the fact-finding team asked Father Corapi to dismiss the lawsuit and release individuals from their contractual obligations to remain silent, "he refused to do so and, through his canonical advocate, stated, 'It is not possible for Father Corapi to answer the commission's questions at this time,'" the news release added.

Father Corapi, 64, announced June 17 -- two days before the 20th anniversary of his priestly ordination -- in a YouTube video and blog posting that he would leave the priesthood.

"For 20 years I did my best to guard and feed the sheep," [now we wonder what sheep he is talking about here.] he said in the blog posting. "Now, based on a totally unsubstantiated, undocumented allegation from a demonstrably troubled person I was thrown out like yesterday's garbage. I accept that. Perhaps I deserve that."  [now there is substance and evidence.]

Father Corapi had been highly visible for several years as a speaker and preacher, including a program on the Eternal Word Television Network. EWTN took his show off its schedule shortly after his suspension, saying it would not knowingly put on the air a priest whose faculties had been suspended.

The SOLT news release said Father Sheehan would not be available for further comment because of the order's general chapter July 5-23.

***

Fr. Dwight Longenecker of Standing on my Head gave a very nice analysis of this sham.

I have long told my friends in the Order [of the Knights of Columbus] to always pray for priests, old or young, they need our prayers.  I KNOW FIRST HAND what goes on in the life of a priest and the struggles he had to go through.

And I remind them that it is only Grace that makes a man a priest.  Human politics and psychology may play a part in a man getting the nod of his superiors for him to receive Holy Orders but it does not diminish the fact that a man gets the indelible mark of the Sacrament of Holy Orders once he gets it, whether he leaves graciously or not, or stays until his dying breath, the mark on his soul as a priest remains forever.  So our Faith teaches us.

But we have to remember that they are much vulnerable to the attacks of the devil, masked as carnal desires, money, fame.  Because the devil knows that he cannot stand a simple man becoming alter Christus at the altar, offering the same sacrifice that Christ offered on Calvary.  By his hands, he forgives sins, by his words the hopeless are comforted.  In all, through the priest, men are led back to God.

And that is something the devil does not want.

The scandal that Fr. John Corapi made as confirmed by his own religious order is truly regrettable.  But don't fret.  The Church is made up of sinners and saints, men and women who are still living, and men and women who are now in Heaven and in Purgatory.  The Church has been here for thousands of years and She has encountered all kinds of scandals you can ever imagine seeing on Carlos Celdran's Book of Religious Scandals.  [Can't help it.  I just had to put that in. :)  I think he'll make a killing out of this just like his worthless walking tour, full of lies and anti-Catholic bigotry]

The Church is founded by God Himself, Jesus Christ who is also fully and truly human.  And He certainly knows what he is doing.  He knows that the enemies would use the scandals against His Church to undermine the Church's moral ascendancy.

What could be more scandalous than one of the first apostles was the one who betrayed Him and sent Him to His horrible and humiliating death of a criminal?

And his first Vicar ran like a dog with its tail between its hind legs in fear, denying that he did not even know Him, even after that guy boldly declared in front of all the other apostles that he will die rather than deny Him!

The Church is a Holy Institution where both sinners and saints are found.  And its primary mission is to save the likes of Fr. John  Corapi.

Pray for our priests!

Meet the world's oldest cloistered nun...and her secret.

Here is the transcription:

July 2, 2011. (Romereports.com) This nun holds the world record for the longest time living in cloistered life. Her name is Sister Teresita, she's 103 years old and has lived 84 of them in the convent of Buenafuente de Sistal, in Guadalajara, Spain. At 19 she entered the convent of the Cistercian order in 1927, the same day that Benedict XVI was born.


Sister Teresita
“I arrived a bit ignorant because I didn't know much about nuns. I was a normal village girl, I use to go to Mass each week, and pray the rosary in May, but I knew nothing about nuns. I came because the Lord called me. I heard His call and I came to respond to His calling, coming here without knowing where it came from or where it was taking me.”

For this time period in Spain, she was a little late into entering the monastery because she says she didn’t like the nuns. As the eldest of seven siblings, it was her father that one day suggested she go to the convent.

Sister Teresita
“My father said 'The nuns are very good'. I didn't know what this had in store for me. I was thinking that the nuns didn't do any work. And one day my mother scolded me and my father said, 'why don't you stop being a nuisance and join the nuns'? And I said with all my heart: 'Lord, help me to please my father, give me a religious vocation.'”

Sister Teresita was named Valeria. She dedicates her life to prayer for others and her work within the convent. She leads a life without envy and she says that this way of life has made her very happy, calling her work a gift from God.

Sister Teresita
“Happy? How could I not be happy? If I were not happy, I wouldn't be here. Could someone be here for 84 years without being happy? It's not possible! It never occurred to me to come here without a calling.”

This contemplative veteran of the monastery says her most important treasure of over 100 years of life is prayer, which she says brings strength to everyone.

Sister Teresita
“Prayer is the most important thing because without prayer you can't go on. The first thing I say is 'I want to see with your eyes, speak with your mouth, hear with your ears, to love with your heart. It's not me who lives but it's you who lives in me. Despite this prayer, I would get distracted and I would go back to it again'. I always have to say: 'Lord thank you, forgive me, thank you and forgive me'. That's my prayer.”  [And that my folks is why they are religious, set apart to pray for us.]

She has become an expert in cooking Spanish omelets, making them every day while reading the newspaper. She says she still has many things left to do. One of which is a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI during the meeting of young nuns [ :) ] in El Escorial during the World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.

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The religious, especially those who work in the missions MUST HAVE a very deep prayer life because the fruit of their prayer life is shown in their missionary work.

We must draw strength from SOMEONE.  That PERSON must be the source and inspiration for our works.

And that person is JESUS CHRIST.

Now, that's how you'll see priests, nuns, brothers and even the laity who work tirelessly to spread the PREACH THE GOSPEL AND SAVE SOULS IN UNITY WITH PETER.

If any of those things are missing, if you do not have a deep prayer life, IT WILL SHOW.

RADICAL FEMINISM, NATURE SPIRITUALITY, DISSIDENT FAD THEOLOGY...  all draw inspiration and strength from crooked ideologies, hatred of the past, abusive parents, etc.

Prayerful people show and emanate the fruit of their prayers, and it is TRUE, oh yeah, it is TRUE.

As Blessed Teresa of Kalkutta said:

"The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace."

God bless all the faithful witnesses and especially Sister Teresita!

One for the books!

In the good sense that is.

Traditional Latin Mass promoter and Cubao Diocese exorcist Fr. Jojo Zerrudo of the Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy, posted one of the most beautiful Pentecost reflections I have heard in a long while.

While it may be a few Sundays back, it is still a good meditation material.

Head on over to Fr. Jojo's blog to read more about it.

What really happens

From an old Catechism comics for kids.

They don't make them like they used to.

Now I know why!

Christ does not want to entertain.  He wants to SAVE!

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Does your priest make you look and see Christ in Him?

Or he just want you to, you know, just LOOK at him?

A Lenten Reflection

 
"Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" (Gen 3:19) [Remember O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you will return]. May the season of Lent help us to recall the original dignity and yet also of the humble state of our human condition as we prepare to celebrate the great mysteries of the Christian faith.

Just got in.

Our office was in a terrible internet "disconnection" problem since yesterday.  No emails... and of course no blogs.

Imagine how solitary we felt for not being able to communicate via email or surf the Web.

Ahhh... How the concept of communication changed so quickly over the past years.

Reflections from a vehicular accident

I just came of an accident.  Not too serious but scared the wits out of me.  We were hit from behind by a huge 6 wheeler truck that has tons of steel beams!

Come to think of it...

It WAS serious!

We were not hurt, my assistant and I, but I pity the truck driver.

Judging from how he and his assistants looked like and were dressed, I can feel how hard life must be with those guys.  Even though the insurance company will take care of the damages, I have this nasty feeling that his company will charge him with the repairs.

I am a manager but I don't earn that much.  It's just enough to pay for our needs.  Not even enough to have some savings to buy things that we want but do not necessarily need.

Even though the guy is at fault for hitting me and for damaging the company vehicle I brought with me, but still the money that will be paid to repair the damages, I know, is something these men, especially the truck driver, desperately needs.

I wish I was a filthy rich as those in the entertainment industry who flaunt their riches as if they harvest them from their backyard tree.  I could have let it go for the truck driver.  But I do not have the money to pay for the damages.

How ironic.  All I can do is to pray for the guy.  I assured him that I do not blame him and even told him that the insurance company of his company and my company will take care of things.  I even told him not to blame himself.  It's an accident.  Nobody wants it to happen, of course.

I sure pray that his boss will be easy on him.  I sure hope that.

If you were in a similar situation, what would you have done?

Who is your saint?

This post is awfully late, no thanks to my service that keeps me "in touch with the globe".

But this is a nice article from Zenit and better late than never.


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Benedict XVI Encourages Choosing a Special Saint

Recommends Namesake as a Model [I don't have a namesake but I look up to a few saints for their courage and holiness. namely St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Thomas More for being a true Catholics at the time when it is needed the most.  And for St. Benedict, St. John Marie Vianney and St. Therese of the Child Jesus for keeping me on the ground, rooted in the Christ and the Faith amid the hustle and bustle of this mad capitalist society.]

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 25, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is recommending that everyone have devotion to a particular saint -- he suggested, for example, a namesake -- so that the saint can offer closeness through intercession but also be a model to imitate. [You'll be surprised here in the Philippines to find parents naming their kids after famous Hollywood or local entertainment industry celebrities.  I do know this for a fact since I am part of the weekly baptisms at our Church.]

The Pope said this today when he reflected during the general audience on the saints. He gave the audience address from Castel Gandolfo, where he is staying at the papal summer residence through next month.

The Holy Father said that it is important "to have 'travel companions' on the journey of our Christian life: I am thinking of a spiritual director, a confessor, persons with whom we can share the experience of faith, but I am also thinking of the Virgin Mary and of the saints." [The world has become so fast paced and so into the "modern", we always look for alternatives and anything new and unconventional.  So I am wondering why some, this I know some priests and nuns, who delve into the Occult and Paganism, for "meditation" and "discovering the self".

"Each one," he said, "should have a saint that is familiar to him, to whom he feels close with prayer and intercession, but also to imitate him or her. Hence, I would like to invite you to know the saints better, beginning with the one whose name you bear, by reading his life, his writings. You can be certain that they will become good guides to love the Lord ever more and valid aids for your human and Christian growth."

The Pontiff noted his own closeness to St. Joseph and St. Benedict, as his namesakes, but also reflected on a saint who has "become a good 'travel companion' in my life and my ministry": St. Augustine.

Benedict XVI said that St. Augustine's teaching is particularly relevant today, since "relativism is, paradoxically, the 'truth' that must guide thought, decisions and behavior."

Augustine was a great seeker of truth, the Pope noted -- not '"pseudo-truths' incapable of giving lasting peace of heart, but that Truth that gives meaning to existence and that is the 'dwelling' in which the heart finds serenity and joy."

"St. Augustine understood that it was not he who had found Truth, but that Truth itself, which is God, pursued and found him," the Pontiff reflected.

Referring to a passage from Augustine's "Confessions," in which the saint is with his mother and both "for a moment touch the heart of God in the silence of creatures," the Holy Father said: "[C]reatures must be silent so that there will be a silence in which God can speak. This is also true in our time: Sometimes there is a sort of fear of silence, of recollection, of reflecting on one's acts, on the profound meaning of one's life. [...] [T]here is fear of seeking the Truth, or perhaps there is fear that the Truth will find us, will grip us and change our life, as happened to St. Augustine." [Like what I mentioned above.  It is indeed true.]

"Dear brothers and sisters," the Pope concluded, "I would like to say to all, also to those in a difficult moment in their faith journey, those who do not participate much in the life of the Church, or those who live 'as if God did not exist' that they not be afraid of the Truth, that they never interrupt their journey toward it, that they never cease to seek the profound truth about themselves and about things with the internal eyes of the heart."

"God will not fail to give Light so that one can see," he said, "and Warmth to feel the heart that loves us and that wants to be loved."

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Benedict the Teacher!  Great!

Ad multos annos!!!