Sex education in grade school? Children in grade school have enough worries about their academic subjects to add sex education to their heavy load. Besides by teaching the kids at a very young age of six to twelve years, is tantamount to an early exposure to sex. Others say that they get exposed to mass media anyway. This is where the parents should do their utmost to control what should be made available to the child. In this way, children become curious, which most often, they want to experience sex when they are not ready emotionally and economically to the consequence.
Why not let children enjoy this period of their life with less worries, let them enjoy their innocent childhood. You can never turn back the clock.
Grade school should be the easiest stage in their learning in preparation to a heavier one, that is, high school where sex education should be taught in their late teens.
Parents are supposed to be the first teacher when it comes to sex. They are equipped to do this because of their wisdom and experience, and not a single teacher. The parents will never mislead their children about sex education (of course, there are exceptions), but parents are more reliable teachers as far as sex education is concerned.
What is the motivation in introducing sex education in an early age, commercial reason.? Your answer may be as good as mine!
Below is a story of a teacher who succumbed to the temptation of sex with a high school student. This could have happened to a young and innocent child. Will they not be taken advantaged of?
Teacher “Taught” Student Oral Sex at School
Posted by paulabernstein
I’m all for sex education at school, but high school teacher Marla Gurecki-Haskins reportedly took sex ed too far. The 37-year-old teacher is accused of performing oral sex on a male student in a classroom during school hours and propositioning two other students, according to CBS News.
Gurecki-Haskins also sent sexually explicit text messages and e-mails to two 16-year-old male students, according to court papers.
“She put every child in that school in danger,” said Rosaline Kline, a former substitute aide at Canandaigua Academy. “Maybe they should leave all the doors open so teachers can’t be alone with children.”
Last month, the school placed Gurecki-Haskins on administrative leave after they were notified of a potential sexual relationship between the teacher and a male student. The school also notified police of the allegations.
Gurecki-Haskins, who has taught special education at Canandaigua Academy, a small school in Western New York since 1995, turned herself in on Monday.
The teacher pleaded not guilty to a felony count of disseminating indecent material to a minor and three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child. But officials say more charges could be filed.
This is far from the first time that a teacher has been accused of sexual misconduct with a student. Does the name Mary Kay Letourneau ring a bell?
An AP study in 2007 found that sexual misconduct runs rampant at schools around the country. Between 2001 and 2005, 2,570 educators had their teaching credentials revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned following allegations of sexual misconduct.
A 2004 Congress-mandated report estimated that as many as 4.5 million students, out of roughly 50 million in American schools, are subject to sexual misconduct by a school employee.
How should schools prevent this sort of thing from happening?
Message from Our Lord Jesus
No Sex Education In Schools
Jesus - "My child, I know much of this discourse distresses your heart, but you can imagine well - and I know you do, My child Veronica - the sorrow My Mother feels now that sex education has entered upon the school system. We say unto you, and I say to you, as your God, My children: Mothers and fathers of the world, you will not give over your children to be taught by demons! Satan has many loosed upon earth now. They enter into the bodies of any man, woman or child who has fallen out of grace; and they enter into the bodies of those who teach your children error.
tldm
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite and the Most Holy Trinity
Though I have to go to mass in our parish at 6:45 p.m. every Sunday. I don’t want to miss Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite’s homily at SMA Megamall through channel 23. It is being telecast at 9:00 a.m. (Catholics are required to attend the physical service to celebrate with the community and be able to receive Holy Communion. One is excused from attending the service if he is sick. Listening to mass on TV would suffice)
In today’s (Sunday, May 30, 2010) homily, the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Fr. Mar related the story during his visit to the USA in 1997. Whenever he visited a parish, he volunteered as a co con celebrating priest.
In one occasion, when he visited a village in the USA, the parish priest said that he was not feeling well so he asked Fr. Mar to be the celebrator of the mass. Fr. Mar tried to beg off, saying that he was not prepared. In the end he did it, despite the long gown of the parish he had to wear, (intended for six footers) after his prayer to the Most Holy Trinity. He felt the love and the warm reception of the congregation of the place.
One time he celebrated mass at Broadway, San Juan. He ended up at 6:30 p.m. He realized that he would be late for his next mass in Rockwell, Mandaluyong because of the worse traffic getting to Rockwell, and the difficult search for a parking lot considering that the chapel is in a mall.
While driving he prayed intensely to the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to get him on time and provide a parking slot near the door of the chapel. His prayers were answered; he arrived at 7:03 p.m., one slot available, out of six parking slots, near the door of the chapel!
Ask, ask, ask! Don’t simply depend on your own resources and strength. Nothing is impossible with God, but you have to ask Him.
In today’s (Sunday, May 30, 2010) homily, the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Fr. Mar related the story during his visit to the USA in 1997. Whenever he visited a parish, he volunteered as a co con celebrating priest.
In one occasion, when he visited a village in the USA, the parish priest said that he was not feeling well so he asked Fr. Mar to be the celebrator of the mass. Fr. Mar tried to beg off, saying that he was not prepared. In the end he did it, despite the long gown of the parish he had to wear, (intended for six footers) after his prayer to the Most Holy Trinity. He felt the love and the warm reception of the congregation of the place.
One time he celebrated mass at Broadway, San Juan. He ended up at 6:30 p.m. He realized that he would be late for his next mass in Rockwell, Mandaluyong because of the worse traffic getting to Rockwell, and the difficult search for a parking lot considering that the chapel is in a mall.
While driving he prayed intensely to the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to get him on time and provide a parking slot near the door of the chapel. His prayers were answered; he arrived at 7:03 p.m., one slot available, out of six parking slots, near the door of the chapel!
Ask, ask, ask! Don’t simply depend on your own resources and strength. Nothing is impossible with God, but you have to ask Him.
Ask, ask, ask..
We have a generous God, but we have to ask. If we do, it means that we have faith in Him.
Jesus said in Mat 7:7-8
Below is a reflection of Alvin Barcelona of the Kerygma Family
on:
ASK!
“… Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” – John 16:24
“Lord, you know what I need. I will receive anything you have for me. Amen.” Sounds like a humble, good prayer, right?
But notice that Jesus repeats this tip — this secret — to us many times.
Ask. Ask. Ask.
He even assures us that we will receive.
“Ask… so that your happiness may be complete.”
“Ask in my name… and it shall be done.”
Notice, too, that Jesus would even specifically ask those whom He would heal, “What do you want me to do for you? Do you want to get healed?”
And what would you answer if Jesus asks you these questions? “No, thank you. Thanks for your offer but I’m OK.” Wow! You must be a candidate for the mental institution if you answer this way.
I have a son and I regularly ask him what he wants. If it is good for him, I give it. I love him. I want his happiness to be complete. Now what are you waiting for?
Ask! Alvin Barcelona (alvinbarcelona@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
Do you tell Jesus specifically what you want Him to do for you? Tell Him now. He is waiting.
Lord Jesus, I ask (say your specific need). Thank You for making my happiness complete. In Your name. Amen.
Jesus said in Mat 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Below is a reflection of Alvin Barcelona of the Kerygma Family
on:
ASK!
“… Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” – John 16:24
“Lord, you know what I need. I will receive anything you have for me. Amen.” Sounds like a humble, good prayer, right?
But notice that Jesus repeats this tip — this secret — to us many times.
Ask. Ask. Ask.
He even assures us that we will receive.
“Ask… so that your happiness may be complete.”
“Ask in my name… and it shall be done.”
Notice, too, that Jesus would even specifically ask those whom He would heal, “What do you want me to do for you? Do you want to get healed?”
And what would you answer if Jesus asks you these questions? “No, thank you. Thanks for your offer but I’m OK.” Wow! You must be a candidate for the mental institution if you answer this way.
I have a son and I regularly ask him what he wants. If it is good for him, I give it. I love him. I want his happiness to be complete. Now what are you waiting for?
Ask! Alvin Barcelona (alvinbarcelona@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
Do you tell Jesus specifically what you want Him to do for you? Tell Him now. He is waiting.
Lord Jesus, I ask (say your specific need). Thank You for making my happiness complete. In Your name. Amen.
Friday, May 28, 2010
For a more beautiful and pleasant earth to live in
Our world would be a more beautiful and more pleasant place to live in if we abide by "God's rules for 2010"
This is a beautiful message forwarded by friend Josie:
Rules from God for 2010
1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7
3 . Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!!..... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as w e have opportunity, let us do good..."Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!.. To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !!.. Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6
Send this to the people you care about.
I thought this was mighty special, just like you.
Pass this on and brighten someone ' s day, and remember:
God answers prayer.
VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY
May the Lord open up
The windows of heaven
And pour you a blessing
That you will not have room
Enough to receive it all.
May the Lord bless
You exceedingly and abundantly,
Above all you could ever hope for.
May the Lord bless you
That you may walk in a
Financial overflow.
May you fall in love with Him
For the rest of your days
In the Name of Jesus .
Amen!
Let ' s just see Satan stop this one.
All you do is.. Send this on !
This is a beautiful message forwarded by friend Josie:
Rules from God for 2010
1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7
3 . Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!!..... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as w e have opportunity, let us do good..."Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!.. To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !!.. Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything;
Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6
Send this to the people you care about.
I thought this was mighty special, just like you.
Pass this on and brighten someone ' s day, and remember:
God answers prayer.
VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY
May the Lord open up
The windows of heaven
And pour you a blessing
That you will not have room
Enough to receive it all.
May the Lord bless
You exceedingly and abundantly,
Above all you could ever hope for.
May the Lord bless you
That you may walk in a
Financial overflow.
May you fall in love with Him
For the rest of your days
In the Name of Jesus .
Amen!
Let ' s just see Satan stop this one.
All you do is.. Send this on !
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Ted Turner on Gulf Oil Spill
Watch the video on Ted Turner on the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill and other disasters and the prophecy "the sea will turn black".
The signs of the times are out there. God is waiting for our call for mercy, but we have to repent.
When we wrong someone, we have to make restitution:
For the Catholics, you cannot do your confession to the priest(representing Jesus) unless you do the restitution beforehand.
The signs of the times are out there. God is waiting for our call for mercy, but we have to repent.
Matthew 4:17 "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near."repents."
Luke 15:10 "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one
sinner who
When we wrong someone, we have to make restitution:
Leviticus 6;5 If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if finds lost property and lies about it, or if he sears falsely, or if he commits any of such sin that people may do--when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely abou. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it all to the owner on the day he gives his guilt offering.
For the Catholics, you cannot do your confession to the priest(representing Jesus) unless you do the restitution beforehand.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Is marriage becoming taboo?
Is marriage something to be avoided? To some, it is more convenient living in, to avoid the expenses and the processes you have to go through before getting married, at least in the Philippines. You have to secure a marriage license from the local government, if your are a Catholic, present the license to the local parish of the future bride and groom supported by birth and baptismal certificates . A marriage bann has to be posted at the parish of the groom and the bride, to let the public know of the forthcoming marriage and to give an aggrieved party, if any, the opportunity to contest the marriage.
At times, the problems ensue like the required papers are not available.
Confronted by the problem of the papers, or the necessary expenses for the processing, and most often a desire for a reception, the couple opt to simply live in.
The Catholic Church is sensitive to the to financial capacity of the marriage applicants. If you want the wedding lavish, you can have it at P3,000 (USD65.00) and up, with mass. If you want it simple, with no mass, the charge is only for P500 (USD11.00).
The Catholic Church offers a no-expense marriage by setting a particular date for a mass wedding, once a year.
Some people regard marriage as something you cannot back out once tied down, or either of the couple does not want a life-long commitment.
It is so sad, if right from the beginning, if we perceive marriage as an expense, or either of the partners does not have that that "till death do us part" commitment. At times, we say "if the marriage is not successful, we can get out of it" The words that we utter is powerful, it happened to me.
Marriage has to be be worked on to be successful. No two persons are alike, the couple has to compliment each other in their weaknesses and strengths. And faith in God is number one requirement to make the marriage flourish.
Living in is being frowned upon in the Philippines, but most parents can't do anything to stop it, especially if they are dependent for financial support from their children in their senior years. (Parents are selfless, their concern is to have their children to go through college education to the point of depriving themselves of a financially secured future.
The Philippines is a prayerful nation, we still have hopes, our dreams, and the unconditional love for our children.
Below is a news item on marriage:
Marriage becoming middle class institution, Tories warn
Marriage is in danger of becoming an exclusively middle class institution, the Conservatives have warned.
Tory frontbencher David Willetts said government policy should aim to tackle social breakdown by restoring marriage as a "more widespread institution".
The Tories are to publish their ideas on the family in a green paper.
Labour says child welfare is best promoted through stable and lasting relationships between parents whether they are married or not.
Schools secretary Ed Balls has accused the Tories - who say they would aim to recognise marriage through the tax system - of judging relationships other than marriages as second class, which was not in the interest of children.
'Disaster'
But Mr Willetts argued that marriage helped couples stay together, for the benefit of the children.
The shadow universities and skills secretary, whose responsibilities include family issues, told The Guardian: "I think there are things that have gone deeply wrong with our country.
"The rate of family break-up is a disaster for children."
The aspiration of marriage is becoming harder to achieve
David Willetts, shadow universities secretary
Read your comments
But he also admitted that because of financial constraints Tory plans to recognise marriage in the tax system would not be in the party's first budget if they win power next year.
Among the measures in the Conservatives' green paper, are proposed legal changes making it easier for fathers and grandparents to stay in touch when marriages break up.
The Conservatives also claim the state and voluntary sector can do more to help fathers - especially at the crucial point where the first child is born.
The green paper proposes home nurse visits for new families with more emphasis on help for the father.
Other ideas include the offering of relationship advice at civil ceremonies.
Marriage rates
In his Guardian interview, Mr Willetts warned changes in attitudes to marriage were "extremely dangerous".
"The aspiration of marriage is becoming harder to achieve," he said.
"Instead of it becoming just what you do in your 20s, it has become like scaling Mount Everest, a sort of great moral endeavour - and something that requires a lot of time and money. We think we need to ease some of the pressures.
"There is quite a lot of evidence coming from America about how we are in danger of heading towards a society where middle-class people get married and people on low and erratic incomes don't get married, and that in turn leads to a divergence of a whole host of other outcomes.
"In my view it would be extremely dangerous if marriage became something only for the affluent elite and that is what will happen, unless we try to get some kind of policy that restores it as a more widespread institution as we had in the past."
Marriage rates are at a historic low in the UK, with only 270,000 people married in 2009, compared with 480,000 at its peak in 1972.
At times, the problems ensue like the required papers are not available.
Confronted by the problem of the papers, or the necessary expenses for the processing, and most often a desire for a reception, the couple opt to simply live in.
The Catholic Church is sensitive to the to financial capacity of the marriage applicants. If you want the wedding lavish, you can have it at P3,000 (USD65.00) and up, with mass. If you want it simple, with no mass, the charge is only for P500 (USD11.00).
The Catholic Church offers a no-expense marriage by setting a particular date for a mass wedding, once a year.
Some people regard marriage as something you cannot back out once tied down, or either of the couple does not want a life-long commitment.
It is so sad, if right from the beginning, if we perceive marriage as an expense, or either of the partners does not have that that "till death do us part" commitment. At times, we say "if the marriage is not successful, we can get out of it" The words that we utter is powerful, it happened to me.
Marriage has to be be worked on to be successful. No two persons are alike, the couple has to compliment each other in their weaknesses and strengths. And faith in God is number one requirement to make the marriage flourish.
Living in is being frowned upon in the Philippines, but most parents can't do anything to stop it, especially if they are dependent for financial support from their children in their senior years. (Parents are selfless, their concern is to have their children to go through college education to the point of depriving themselves of a financially secured future.
The Philippines is a prayerful nation, we still have hopes, our dreams, and the unconditional love for our children.
Below is a news item on marriage:
Marriage becoming middle class institution, Tories warn
Marriage is in danger of becoming an exclusively middle class institution, the Conservatives have warned.
Tory frontbencher David Willetts said government policy should aim to tackle social breakdown by restoring marriage as a "more widespread institution".
The Tories are to publish their ideas on the family in a green paper.
Labour says child welfare is best promoted through stable and lasting relationships between parents whether they are married or not.
Schools secretary Ed Balls has accused the Tories - who say they would aim to recognise marriage through the tax system - of judging relationships other than marriages as second class, which was not in the interest of children.
'Disaster'
But Mr Willetts argued that marriage helped couples stay together, for the benefit of the children.
The shadow universities and skills secretary, whose responsibilities include family issues, told The Guardian: "I think there are things that have gone deeply wrong with our country.
"The rate of family break-up is a disaster for children."
The aspiration of marriage is becoming harder to achieve
David Willetts, shadow universities secretary
Read your comments
But he also admitted that because of financial constraints Tory plans to recognise marriage in the tax system would not be in the party's first budget if they win power next year.
Among the measures in the Conservatives' green paper, are proposed legal changes making it easier for fathers and grandparents to stay in touch when marriages break up.
The Conservatives also claim the state and voluntary sector can do more to help fathers - especially at the crucial point where the first child is born.
The green paper proposes home nurse visits for new families with more emphasis on help for the father.
Other ideas include the offering of relationship advice at civil ceremonies.
Marriage rates
In his Guardian interview, Mr Willetts warned changes in attitudes to marriage were "extremely dangerous".
"The aspiration of marriage is becoming harder to achieve," he said.
"Instead of it becoming just what you do in your 20s, it has become like scaling Mount Everest, a sort of great moral endeavour - and something that requires a lot of time and money. We think we need to ease some of the pressures.
"There is quite a lot of evidence coming from America about how we are in danger of heading towards a society where middle-class people get married and people on low and erratic incomes don't get married, and that in turn leads to a divergence of a whole host of other outcomes.
"In my view it would be extremely dangerous if marriage became something only for the affluent elite and that is what will happen, unless we try to get some kind of policy that restores it as a more widespread institution as we had in the past."
Marriage rates are at a historic low in the UK, with only 270,000 people married in 2009, compared with 480,000 at its peak in 1972.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Cross without Christ
During one of the sessions in the Catholic Life in the Spirit seminar, Fr. Ric Torrefiel, of the Caloocan Diocese, said that wearing the cross without the image of the Christ Jesus is meaningless. The cross is the symbol of the suffering of our Lord Jesus and His saving grace to humanity.
For some people, it is simply an ornament, but with us Catholics, we glorify our Lord by wearing the cross with His image.
(Fr. Ric Torrefiel was a civil engineer and a protestant who converted into Catholism)
Below is a reflection by Fr. Bobby Titco published through the Kerygma Family.
CRUX CUM CORPUS, CRUX CUM CHRISTUS
There is a devotion of some well-meaning Catholics that disturb me. It is the devotion to the holy cross without a corpus (body). The body is, of course, the body of Christ.
When I was assigned pastor of the Holy Cross Parish in Makati, I had to endure persecution when I started implementing a directive I received from the Archdiocese of Manila concerning the community’s center of devotion. The cross enshrined at the altar of the parish church was a Christ-less cross! I was instructed to correct that. I needed so much patience, courage and determination to accomplish the task. It was sad because many of those who objected
to correcting the Christ-less cross were the so-called lay church leaders. By the grace of God, the Holy Cross Parish now has a life-size image of the Crucified Christ. Their devotion to the Holy Cross remains, but no longer to a Christ-less cross.
I am assigned now to a chapel named after the holy cross, too. And I am happy to note upon my arrival that theirs is a cross with the Crucified Christ.
Why do some people focus more on the cross at the expense of Christ? Why do they devote themselves to the cross but not to the Crucified instead?
Why is there so much fanaticism surrounding the cross? Yet, when we talk about the cross in the form of problems, sickness, persecutions and the like, people run away at first sight.
Who wants such a cross anyway? We do not want a cross without Jesus. We want the cross of Jesus instead. And certainly, that means more than just affixing a body on the cross. It means carrying our cross the way Jesus carried His and, if needed, being crucified on our cross for the same reasons Jesus was crucified on His. Uniting our sufferings with that of Christ’s is one way of accomplishing this. Enduring persecutions on account of the Gospel of Jesus with great love and sincere humility fulfills this at its best.
The One who was crucified on the cross at Calvary always tells the truth: persecution knocking on the door of His followers is not only a normal thing, but must likewise be expected. When they knock, may we be found faithful to the One Crucified. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
A Christ-less cross is incorrect but a cross-less Christ is a lie.
Lord Jesus, the glorious Crucified One, I adore You, for by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.
For some people, it is simply an ornament, but with us Catholics, we glorify our Lord by wearing the cross with His image.
(Fr. Ric Torrefiel was a civil engineer and a protestant who converted into Catholism)
Below is a reflection by Fr. Bobby Titco published through the Kerygma Family.
CRUX CUM CORPUS, CRUX CUM CHRISTUS
There is a devotion of some well-meaning Catholics that disturb me. It is the devotion to the holy cross without a corpus (body). The body is, of course, the body of Christ.
When I was assigned pastor of the Holy Cross Parish in Makati, I had to endure persecution when I started implementing a directive I received from the Archdiocese of Manila concerning the community’s center of devotion. The cross enshrined at the altar of the parish church was a Christ-less cross! I was instructed to correct that. I needed so much patience, courage and determination to accomplish the task. It was sad because many of those who objected
to correcting the Christ-less cross were the so-called lay church leaders. By the grace of God, the Holy Cross Parish now has a life-size image of the Crucified Christ. Their devotion to the Holy Cross remains, but no longer to a Christ-less cross.
I am assigned now to a chapel named after the holy cross, too. And I am happy to note upon my arrival that theirs is a cross with the Crucified Christ.
Why do some people focus more on the cross at the expense of Christ? Why do they devote themselves to the cross but not to the Crucified instead?
Why is there so much fanaticism surrounding the cross? Yet, when we talk about the cross in the form of problems, sickness, persecutions and the like, people run away at first sight.
Who wants such a cross anyway? We do not want a cross without Jesus. We want the cross of Jesus instead. And certainly, that means more than just affixing a body on the cross. It means carrying our cross the way Jesus carried His and, if needed, being crucified on our cross for the same reasons Jesus was crucified on His. Uniting our sufferings with that of Christ’s is one way of accomplishing this. Enduring persecutions on account of the Gospel of Jesus with great love and sincere humility fulfills this at its best.
The One who was crucified on the cross at Calvary always tells the truth: persecution knocking on the door of His followers is not only a normal thing, but must likewise be expected. When they knock, may we be found faithful to the One Crucified. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
A Christ-less cross is incorrect but a cross-less Christ is a lie.
Lord Jesus, the glorious Crucified One, I adore You, for by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Philippines' post election
The Philippine election is over. There are winners and losers, the people have chosen. Whether you belong to the opposition or the other side of the fence, let's work together for the good of the country.
The key for a better Philippines is forgiveness and the gratitude to the Almighty
I'd like to feature the beautiful story below I picked up from the Kerygma Family:
AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP
“I no longer call you servants…. Instead, I have called you friends.” – John 15:15
In 1971 at Durham, North Carolina, racial tensions were running high. Afraid at how the situation was affecting the youth, Bill Riddick organized a 10-day community meeting to find a solution. Among the leaders were Ann Atwater, a black activist, and C.P. Ellis, then president of the local Ku Klux Klan (KKK), known to harass blacks in order to establish “white supremacy.”
Ellis was transformed when he realized that his and Ann’s children face the same issues in the public school. At the end of the meetings, he tore up his KKK membership card and that decision started a close friendship between him and Ann. Together, they devoted their lives to establishing fair and equitable education for all students in Durham’s schools.
What an unlikely friendship! It started with the reformation of one and the forgiveness of the other. It reminds me of what we must do to become Jesus’ friend. He already showed us His forgiveness and love by dying on the cross. We need to love Him back and allow Him to transform our lives.
Like Ann and Ellis, the resulting bond will last our whole lifetime… and beyond. Cecilia Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
Come and be a friend of Jesus by doing His commands.
You’re my friend and my brother even though You’re a King! I love You more than any other!
The key for a better Philippines is forgiveness and the gratitude to the Almighty
I'd like to feature the beautiful story below I picked up from the Kerygma Family:
AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP
“I no longer call you servants…. Instead, I have called you friends.” – John 15:15
In 1971 at Durham, North Carolina, racial tensions were running high. Afraid at how the situation was affecting the youth, Bill Riddick organized a 10-day community meeting to find a solution. Among the leaders were Ann Atwater, a black activist, and C.P. Ellis, then president of the local Ku Klux Klan (KKK), known to harass blacks in order to establish “white supremacy.”
Ellis was transformed when he realized that his and Ann’s children face the same issues in the public school. At the end of the meetings, he tore up his KKK membership card and that decision started a close friendship between him and Ann. Together, they devoted their lives to establishing fair and equitable education for all students in Durham’s schools.
What an unlikely friendship! It started with the reformation of one and the forgiveness of the other. It reminds me of what we must do to become Jesus’ friend. He already showed us His forgiveness and love by dying on the cross. We need to love Him back and allow Him to transform our lives.
Like Ann and Ellis, the resulting bond will last our whole lifetime… and beyond. Cecilia Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
Come and be a friend of Jesus by doing His commands.
You’re my friend and my brother even though You’re a King! I love You more than any other!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Philippine election: God answers prayers
The Philippine election: God answers prayers!
2Chronicles 14 :
For more of the story on the Philippine election, read below:
Aquino holds lead in Philippine vote
From Arwa Damon and Kathy Quiano, CNN
May 11, 2010 -- Updated 1334 GMT (2134 HKT)
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- Sen. Benigno Aquino III, the son of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, led contenders for the Philippines presidency Tuesday, as authorities tabulated returns from the country's national elections.
With nearly 79 percent of the votes counted, Aquino surpassed his nearest challenger, former president Joseph Estrada, by more than 4.5 million votes out of the 30 million counted, according to figures from the national Commission on Elections. Two other candidates -- Sen. Manny Villar Jr. and Gilberto Teodoro -- ran far behind.
Aquino told CNN Tuesday that politicians must be responsible to those who elected them.
"We are public servants," he said. "You're the public, you're the masters, you're the one with wants and needs that should be wanted and delivered. And we'll bring it back to that point."
That meant making it possible for people to improve their lives, he said.
"You want to level the playing field, giving everyone the chance to advance their status in life, the opportunities to improve their lot," he said.
Because the country's president can serve only a single term, he can put the country's interests first, the front-runner said.
"I have the freedom to be able to decide what is best and good for our country rather to embark in political considerations," he said.
On Tuesday Villar conceded to Aquino in a live press conference aired on local TV. In all, nine candidates were running for the presidency.
Aquino, nicknamed "Noynoy," is the son of the former president and Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983 as he returned from exile to lead opposition to Cold War-era Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
Corazon Aquino, who died in August, took over the leadership of her husband's movement and became the country's first female president in 1986.
The Philippines appeared to pull off a successful inaugural election using automated electronic voting machines with some glitches involving a malfunctioning machine here and there and long queues. Voting was extended by one hour to ensure that people could vote.
iReports from Manila
Election Day on Monday began with an air of apprehension because of a faulty test run of voting machines last week, which raised questions as late as Wednesday of whether the elections would even happen.
Still, many people at polling stations expressed excitement at the idea that automated machines would protect the integrity of their votes, given the widespread allegations of fraud and cheating in elections past.
At one polling station in Manila, one of the machines had malfunctioned, and a man had insisted on waiting until he could feed the ballot into the machine himself. "I want to make sure my ballot was tabulated properly," he said.
In Manila, Election Day brought an almost festive atmosphere. At one spot, a church watchdog group set up an altar to hold a day-long vigil praying for a peaceful and successful election.
That was not the case in southern Mindanao, where four municipalities declared election failure after poll workers reported harassment and death threats.
The election commission accepted the declarations and said it would re-schedule a special election in Mindanao, an island where a political massacre left 57 people dead in November.
In 2007, 13 municipalities in the same area declared election failure and re-held the elections after a year.
Also on Mindanao in Zamboanga del Sur province before polls opened on Monday, a gunman killed three people and wounded at least five at the house of a mayoral candidate, a military spokeswoman said.
Election monitor Leila De Lima, chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, emphasized the importance of the vote.
"It's a very crucial litmus test to our democracy, our fragile democracy," said De Lima.
"The administration has been hounded by issues of corruption, human rights violations. People are looking forward to a new administration that will hopefully usher in meaningful changes. So, it's very, very important."
2Chronicles 14 :
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land".Welcome to the new Philippines! Let's depend on our God to help Noynoy and his cabinet in rebuilding our nation!
For more of the story on the Philippine election, read below:
Aquino holds lead in Philippine vote
From Arwa Damon and Kathy Quiano, CNN
May 11, 2010 -- Updated 1334 GMT (2134 HKT)
Manila, Philippines (CNN) -- Sen. Benigno Aquino III, the son of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, led contenders for the Philippines presidency Tuesday, as authorities tabulated returns from the country's national elections.
With nearly 79 percent of the votes counted, Aquino surpassed his nearest challenger, former president Joseph Estrada, by more than 4.5 million votes out of the 30 million counted, according to figures from the national Commission on Elections. Two other candidates -- Sen. Manny Villar Jr. and Gilberto Teodoro -- ran far behind.
Aquino told CNN Tuesday that politicians must be responsible to those who elected them.
"We are public servants," he said. "You're the public, you're the masters, you're the one with wants and needs that should be wanted and delivered. And we'll bring it back to that point."
That meant making it possible for people to improve their lives, he said.
"You want to level the playing field, giving everyone the chance to advance their status in life, the opportunities to improve their lot," he said.
Because the country's president can serve only a single term, he can put the country's interests first, the front-runner said.
"I have the freedom to be able to decide what is best and good for our country rather to embark in political considerations," he said.
On Tuesday Villar conceded to Aquino in a live press conference aired on local TV. In all, nine candidates were running for the presidency.
Aquino, nicknamed "Noynoy," is the son of the former president and Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983 as he returned from exile to lead opposition to Cold War-era Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
Corazon Aquino, who died in August, took over the leadership of her husband's movement and became the country's first female president in 1986.
The Philippines appeared to pull off a successful inaugural election using automated electronic voting machines with some glitches involving a malfunctioning machine here and there and long queues. Voting was extended by one hour to ensure that people could vote.
iReports from Manila
Election Day on Monday began with an air of apprehension because of a faulty test run of voting machines last week, which raised questions as late as Wednesday of whether the elections would even happen.
Still, many people at polling stations expressed excitement at the idea that automated machines would protect the integrity of their votes, given the widespread allegations of fraud and cheating in elections past.
At one polling station in Manila, one of the machines had malfunctioned, and a man had insisted on waiting until he could feed the ballot into the machine himself. "I want to make sure my ballot was tabulated properly," he said.
In Manila, Election Day brought an almost festive atmosphere. At one spot, a church watchdog group set up an altar to hold a day-long vigil praying for a peaceful and successful election.
That was not the case in southern Mindanao, where four municipalities declared election failure after poll workers reported harassment and death threats.
The election commission accepted the declarations and said it would re-schedule a special election in Mindanao, an island where a political massacre left 57 people dead in November.
In 2007, 13 municipalities in the same area declared election failure and re-held the elections after a year.
Also on Mindanao in Zamboanga del Sur province before polls opened on Monday, a gunman killed three people and wounded at least five at the house of a mayoral candidate, a military spokeswoman said.
Election monitor Leila De Lima, chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, emphasized the importance of the vote.
"It's a very crucial litmus test to our democracy, our fragile democracy," said De Lima.
"The administration has been hounded by issues of corruption, human rights violations. People are looking forward to a new administration that will hopefully usher in meaningful changes. So, it's very, very important."
Monday, May 10, 2010
Philippine Election: we are waiting for the rightful "king"
Let's not drop our guard. Keep on praying intensely. The conclusion is almost there.
Be ready for the rightful "king".
Everybody is hopeful of a new Philippines, one that will be led by a God-fearing and God-loving person.
Be ready for the rightful "king".
Everybody is hopeful of a new Philippines, one that will be led by a God-fearing and God-loving person.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Philippine election: Let the rightful "king" be installed!
The Philippines election is in three days. Let’s hope that the rightful “king” is installed. An intense prayer by the righteous is needed.
I would like to revive this call of Fr. James Reuter, SJ, for prayer.
THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE PHILIPPINES
by Father James Reuter, S.J.
Our republic has become one of the weakest nations, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors. Forty years ago, we were only second to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore , Hong Kong , Malaysia , and Thailand . Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is.
Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled).
We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam , but against Bangladesh.
We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia , if not in the world (we're already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International) ...
The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We've seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups & people's organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds. Not even people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward.
We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm... It's time to gather GOD's people to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation.
Is prayer really the answer?
Before you dismiss this as just another rambling, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history.
England 's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers.
The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today --- a strong faith in GOD and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land.
In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering.
Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here, there is genuine humbling & seeking of GOD through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES, we believe prayer can make a difference. It's our only hope.
Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask of you to fwd this email to your close friends and relatives.
This is the kind of resolve and unity which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting a prayer group or prayer center.
We have tried people power twice before; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. GOD never fails. Is there hope? YES! We can rely on God's promise, but we have to do our part. If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, GOD will hear and heal our land. By GOD's grace, we may still see a chance of a better future for our country.
'If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land...
(2 Chronicles 7:14).
If you care for your children and grandchildren, let's not abandon the Philippines.
PLEASE, pass this on.
I would like to revive this call of Fr. James Reuter, SJ, for prayer.
THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE PHILIPPINES
by Father James Reuter, S.J.
Our republic has become one of the weakest nations, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors. Forty years ago, we were only second to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore , Hong Kong , Malaysia , and Thailand . Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is.
Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled).
We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam , but against Bangladesh.
We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia , if not in the world (we're already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International) ...
The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We've seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups & people's organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds. Not even people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward.
We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm... It's time to gather GOD's people to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation.
Is prayer really the answer?
Before you dismiss this as just another rambling, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history.
England 's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers.
The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today --- a strong faith in GOD and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land.
In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering.
Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here, there is genuine humbling & seeking of GOD through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES, we believe prayer can make a difference. It's our only hope.
Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask of you to fwd this email to your close friends and relatives.
This is the kind of resolve and unity which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting a prayer group or prayer center.
We have tried people power twice before; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. GOD never fails. Is there hope? YES! We can rely on God's promise, but we have to do our part. If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, GOD will hear and heal our land. By GOD's grace, we may still see a chance of a better future for our country.
'If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land...
(2 Chronicles 7:14).
If you care for your children and grandchildren, let's not abandon the Philippines.
PLEASE, pass this on.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"A Return is Requested....You'll see why."
This story is a tearjerker. Read it to the end.
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that
I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile..'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway.
So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then
even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance..
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend.
I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation..
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted..
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the
restaurant were set on me,
judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot.
I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.
God is here working through me to give you hope.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son... When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope...'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers..
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -
NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
There is an Angel sent to watch over you..
In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over.
An Angel wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
To handle yourself, use your head..
To handle others, use your heart.
Send it back, you'll see why !
A box of gold
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With a secret inside that has never been told
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This box is priceless but as I see
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The treasure inside is precious to me
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Today I share this treasure with thee
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It's the treasure of friendship you've given me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If this comes back to you
then you'll have a friend
for life but, if this
becomes deleted, you are
not a friend..
Send this to everyone you consider a friend!
It will grant you one wish and only one wish,
that is, if you decide to send this to others.
You can wish for anything.
Repeat your wish until you have stopped scrolling. Make it count!
FOR YOUR WISH TO COME TRUE YOU HAVE TO SEND IT TO:
3 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE EVENTUALLY
5 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 3 MONTHS
10 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 5 WEEKS
15 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 1 WEEK
CAN'T WAIT A WEEK???
22 People-Your Wish Will
Come True In 1 Day!
****************REMEMBER**************
THIS MUST BE SENT OUT THE
DAY YOU READ IT FOR
YOU TO GET YOUR WISH
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that
I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile..'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway.
So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then
even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance..
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend.
I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation..
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted..
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the
restaurant were set on me,
judging my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot.
I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.
God is here working through me to give you hope.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son... When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope...'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers..
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to
LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -
NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.
There is an Angel sent to watch over you..
In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over.
An Angel wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
To handle yourself, use your head..
To handle others, use your heart.
Send it back, you'll see why !
A box of gold
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With a secret inside that has never been told
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This box is priceless but as I see
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The treasure inside is precious to me
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Today I share this treasure with thee
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It's the treasure of friendship you've given me.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If this comes back to you
then you'll have a friend
for life but, if this
becomes deleted, you are
not a friend..
Send this to everyone you consider a friend!
It will grant you one wish and only one wish,
that is, if you decide to send this to others.
You can wish for anything.
Repeat your wish until you have stopped scrolling. Make it count!
FOR YOUR WISH TO COME TRUE YOU HAVE TO SEND IT TO:
3 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE EVENTUALLY
5 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 3 MONTHS
10 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 5 WEEKS
15 PEOPLE - YOUR WISH WILL COME TRUE IN 1 WEEK
CAN'T WAIT A WEEK???
22 People-Your Wish Will
Come True In 1 Day!
****************REMEMBER**************
THIS MUST BE SENT OUT THE
DAY YOU READ IT FOR
YOU TO GET YOUR WISH
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Should wives dump their husbands or vice-versa?
Should wives dump their husbands or vice-versa?
Marriage is a sacred institution. Before contemplating marriage, ask the Lord for a God-fearing, loving person; and you would not be wrong as to the choice of a lifelong partner, to see you through joys, triumphs, failures, miseries, in richer and for poorer.
Tbe marriage has to worked out by both partners, not single-handedly by either of the spouse. Separation or divorce should be allowed if a spouse is unfaithful, and they cannot remarry. (Mat 5:31)
More Wives Should Dump Their Husbands
Delia Lloyd
Contributor, Politics Daily
I've been thinking a lot about marriage lately. Or, more precisely: unhappy marriages. And I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't time for more women to -- as we say in politics -- "throw the bums out."
I got to thinking about this after my colleague, Melinda Henneberger, wrote a post last weekend about one of those marriages about which we know just a bit too much: Silda and Elliot Spitzer's. You may recall Spitzer as the former governor of New York who stepped down when it was revealed that he'd been patronizing a prostitution service. And you will certainly recall his wife, Silda, who stood next to him as he resigned in what has to go down in history as one of the most painful "stand by your man" performances of all time.
!
What Melinda zeroes in on is a quote attributed to Silda Spitzer in Peter Elkind's new book, "Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer." Referring to her husband's penchant for hookers, Mrs. Spitzer says: "The wife is supposed to take care of the sex. This is my failing. I wasn't adequate."
Take a moment to cringe. Please.
And when you're done, do some reflection. Because we all know plenty of Sildas, don't we, ladies? Strong, confident, loving female friends who dissolve into a pool of self-doubt and self-loathing when their husbands stray or simply fail to live up to their expectations.
There's my friend Sally, who kept wondering over and over whether -- if she'd just done one or two things differently -- her own errant husband might still be with her. Or my friend Jane, who acknowledged -- after her husband's affair -- that even though he'd wounded her deeply with his betrayal, "It's the best I'll ever do. I mean, look at me. I'm a middle-aged woman with four kids. Who's going to want me now?" Or my friend Sarah, whose marriage -- even without infidelity -- had gotten to the point where she couldn't stand for her husband to even touch her. But, as she confided to me once over a couple of drinks, "I just don't want to be that woman," by which she meant a divorced female. ("Just hold your nose and have sex with him," one friend advised.)
I'm not saying that all infidelities should end in divorce. Sh$! happens. People make mistakes. Monogamy is unnatural.
Nor am I saying, pace Sandra Tsing Loh, that marriage is just too hard. Or not worth the effort. I've been married for nearly 12 years and my husband and I work incredibly hard to keep it not just going, but happy.
I'm just saying that in my (sadly) quite extensive experience with all of these issues among my family and close friends, I find that many women, like Silda, take too much responsibility both for their failed marriages/infidelities etc. as well as for putting their marriages back together.
I think many of us look at the Silda Spitzers of the world and wish that they were more confident in their identities as women. Then they might measure their self-worth with something other than the staying power of their marriage. Or at least not take the blame for their husbands' shenanigans -- as Melinda said in her piece, when she suggested only half jokingly that she'd love to set Mrs. Spitzer up with someone else to give her a much needed boost of self-esteem.
Recovering her self-hood wouldn't hinge solely on finding someone else, of course. It would have to do with constructing a new narrative about herself that wasn't tied to this (failed) marriage. And that's really hard to do, especially when we all invest so much culturally in the institution of marriage.
Which is why I was so delighted to happen upon this essay in the New York Times' Modern Love column this past weekend by Katie Brandi. It's written by a woman who went into marriage thinking it could complete her. After a few years, she discovered that it didn't and that her best possibility for personal growth would actually come from divorce (even though she came to that conclusion when she was eight months pregnant.)
Hers is -- on the one hand -- a profoundly sad story, because it captures quite accurately how many women look to marriage as the final frontier (and then, once they realize that it isn't, stick with it anyway, even when it's far from adequate). But Brandi's essay is also a hopeful tale in that it reminds us that there are women who manage to rise out of that failure and reconstruct an identity for themselves. And then they move on, whether to someone else or to a new formulation of marriage that isn't about just muddling through and thinking "OK, this is far from great, but it's the best I'll ever do."
So I guess at the end of the day I really must disagree with Lori Gottlieb, who's recently made a name for herself with her new book, "Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough." Women shouldn't settle for mediocrity in their mates to avoid the perils of online dating in their 40s. Or cling to their husbands and/or blame themselves (affairs or not) when things go wrong. They need to assume some agency, even if that may sometimes end in divorce.
Which is why I'm so grateful to Ms. Brandi, although I don't know her. She reminds us that feminism really is about choice. And above all, about happiness.
Follow Delia on Twitter.
Marriage is a sacred institution. Before contemplating marriage, ask the Lord for a God-fearing, loving person; and you would not be wrong as to the choice of a lifelong partner, to see you through joys, triumphs, failures, miseries, in richer and for poorer.
Tbe marriage has to worked out by both partners, not single-handedly by either of the spouse. Separation or divorce should be allowed if a spouse is unfaithful, and they cannot remarry. (Mat 5:31)
More Wives Should Dump Their Husbands
Delia Lloyd
Contributor, Politics Daily
I've been thinking a lot about marriage lately. Or, more precisely: unhappy marriages. And I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't time for more women to -- as we say in politics -- "throw the bums out."
I got to thinking about this after my colleague, Melinda Henneberger, wrote a post last weekend about one of those marriages about which we know just a bit too much: Silda and Elliot Spitzer's. You may recall Spitzer as the former governor of New York who stepped down when it was revealed that he'd been patronizing a prostitution service. And you will certainly recall his wife, Silda, who stood next to him as he resigned in what has to go down in history as one of the most painful "stand by your man" performances of all time.
!
What Melinda zeroes in on is a quote attributed to Silda Spitzer in Peter Elkind's new book, "Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer." Referring to her husband's penchant for hookers, Mrs. Spitzer says: "The wife is supposed to take care of the sex. This is my failing. I wasn't adequate."
Take a moment to cringe. Please.
And when you're done, do some reflection. Because we all know plenty of Sildas, don't we, ladies? Strong, confident, loving female friends who dissolve into a pool of self-doubt and self-loathing when their husbands stray or simply fail to live up to their expectations.
There's my friend Sally, who kept wondering over and over whether -- if she'd just done one or two things differently -- her own errant husband might still be with her. Or my friend Jane, who acknowledged -- after her husband's affair -- that even though he'd wounded her deeply with his betrayal, "It's the best I'll ever do. I mean, look at me. I'm a middle-aged woman with four kids. Who's going to want me now?" Or my friend Sarah, whose marriage -- even without infidelity -- had gotten to the point where she couldn't stand for her husband to even touch her. But, as she confided to me once over a couple of drinks, "I just don't want to be that woman," by which she meant a divorced female. ("Just hold your nose and have sex with him," one friend advised.)
I'm not saying that all infidelities should end in divorce. Sh$! happens. People make mistakes. Monogamy is unnatural.
Nor am I saying, pace Sandra Tsing Loh, that marriage is just too hard. Or not worth the effort. I've been married for nearly 12 years and my husband and I work incredibly hard to keep it not just going, but happy.
I'm just saying that in my (sadly) quite extensive experience with all of these issues among my family and close friends, I find that many women, like Silda, take too much responsibility both for their failed marriages/infidelities etc. as well as for putting their marriages back together.
I think many of us look at the Silda Spitzers of the world and wish that they were more confident in their identities as women. Then they might measure their self-worth with something other than the staying power of their marriage. Or at least not take the blame for their husbands' shenanigans -- as Melinda said in her piece, when she suggested only half jokingly that she'd love to set Mrs. Spitzer up with someone else to give her a much needed boost of self-esteem.
Recovering her self-hood wouldn't hinge solely on finding someone else, of course. It would have to do with constructing a new narrative about herself that wasn't tied to this (failed) marriage. And that's really hard to do, especially when we all invest so much culturally in the institution of marriage.
Which is why I was so delighted to happen upon this essay in the New York Times' Modern Love column this past weekend by Katie Brandi. It's written by a woman who went into marriage thinking it could complete her. After a few years, she discovered that it didn't and that her best possibility for personal growth would actually come from divorce (even though she came to that conclusion when she was eight months pregnant.)
Hers is -- on the one hand -- a profoundly sad story, because it captures quite accurately how many women look to marriage as the final frontier (and then, once they realize that it isn't, stick with it anyway, even when it's far from adequate). But Brandi's essay is also a hopeful tale in that it reminds us that there are women who manage to rise out of that failure and reconstruct an identity for themselves. And then they move on, whether to someone else or to a new formulation of marriage that isn't about just muddling through and thinking "OK, this is far from great, but it's the best I'll ever do."
So I guess at the end of the day I really must disagree with Lori Gottlieb, who's recently made a name for herself with her new book, "Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough." Women shouldn't settle for mediocrity in their mates to avoid the perils of online dating in their 40s. Or cling to their husbands and/or blame themselves (affairs or not) when things go wrong. They need to assume some agency, even if that may sometimes end in divorce.
Which is why I'm so grateful to Ms. Brandi, although I don't know her. She reminds us that feminism really is about choice. And above all, about happiness.
Follow Delia on Twitter.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Shroud of Turin
I haven’t been out of the country, but by next year, God willing, I’ll be on a pilgrimage to Turin, Italy to visit the Cathedral where the Shroud of Turin is. My next destination would be Lourdes, France; Fatima, Portugal; Medugorje, within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
My interest to go Turin was revived by the news of the Pope praying before the Shroud of Turin.
See story below:
Pope prays before Shroud of Turin
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI visited the iconic Shroud of Turin on Sunday, kneeling and praying before Christianity's most famous relic, which went on display last month for the first time in 10 years.
Before visiting the shroud -- believed by some Christians to be Jesus Christ's burial cloth -- the Pope conducted an open-air mass before thousands who gathered in Turin's St. Charles Square.
In his homily, Benedict told congregants never to lose the hope that comes "from the Risen Christ, from the victory of God over sin and death," the Catholic News Agency quoted him as saying.
He said that keeping up that hope is the message of the Shroud of Turin, in which disciples see their sufferings "mirrored" in the suffering of Christ, CNA reported.
The shroud, a centuries-old linen cloth, went on public display at the Turin Cathedral on April 10 for the first time since undergoing a major restoration in 2002. It was last on display in 2000.
The shroud was restored to remove a patchwork repair done by 16th-century nuns after the cloth was damaged in a fire.
In addition to the Pope, 2 million people are expected to visit the shroud while on its current six-week display.
Many scholars contest the shroud's authenticity, saying it dates to the Middle Ages, when purported biblical relics -- like splinters from Jesus' cross -- surfaced across Europe.
"The shroud owner said it in 1355 ... the local bishop said it was a forgery and even the pope of that time said it was a fake," said Antonio Lombatti, a church historian.
The Catholic Church's official position regarding the shroud is that it's an important tool for faith regardless of its authenticity.
My interest to go Turin was revived by the news of the Pope praying before the Shroud of Turin.
See story below:
Pope prays before Shroud of Turin
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI visited the iconic Shroud of Turin on Sunday, kneeling and praying before Christianity's most famous relic, which went on display last month for the first time in 10 years.
Before visiting the shroud -- believed by some Christians to be Jesus Christ's burial cloth -- the Pope conducted an open-air mass before thousands who gathered in Turin's St. Charles Square.
In his homily, Benedict told congregants never to lose the hope that comes "from the Risen Christ, from the victory of God over sin and death," the Catholic News Agency quoted him as saying.
He said that keeping up that hope is the message of the Shroud of Turin, in which disciples see their sufferings "mirrored" in the suffering of Christ, CNA reported.
The shroud, a centuries-old linen cloth, went on public display at the Turin Cathedral on April 10 for the first time since undergoing a major restoration in 2002. It was last on display in 2000.
The shroud was restored to remove a patchwork repair done by 16th-century nuns after the cloth was damaged in a fire.
In addition to the Pope, 2 million people are expected to visit the shroud while on its current six-week display.
Many scholars contest the shroud's authenticity, saying it dates to the Middle Ages, when purported biblical relics -- like splinters from Jesus' cross -- surfaced across Europe.
"The shroud owner said it in 1355 ... the local bishop said it was a forgery and even the pope of that time said it was a fake," said Antonio Lombatti, a church historian.
The Catholic Church's official position regarding the shroud is that it's an important tool for faith regardless of its authenticity.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Baby's Name
I was christened Zenaida by my parents. My sisters were named Elvira, Flaviana, Ma. Estrella, all names of saints.
During those days parents named their children after the saints posted in calendars. Supposedly, the children would take their characters after the saints they were named.
In recent years, especially in the advent of television, parents tend to name their children after their favorite celebrities, like Susan (from Susan Roces), Tita (from Tita Duran), Lucinda (from a character in a telenovel).
My own children were named Michael(from a baby book of names with meaning of illustrious), Russel (from a favorite superior) and Harold Irwin (named after book authors).
What about you, how do you name your children?
Below is a reflection from the Kerygma Family by Fr. Bobby Titco.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
What is your name? What is your shape? These days, most of our names do not say anything anymore about who we are and what we are like. The ancient Romans would rise in protest against the way we choose names for our children. They believed that “nomen est omen,” i. e., “the name is the destiny” or better yet “the destiny is in the name.”
There was a young Jew from the island of Cyprus who belonged to the first Christian community. His name was Joseph but the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” St. Luke describes Barnabas as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” He encouraged many believers to persevere in their faith. He did this by living according to the teachings of the Lord in word and in deed.
When Saul was converted and became Paul, he presented himself to the apostles and received a rather cold reception, if not suspicion, because he had been the unrivaled persecutor of Christians. To avoid any harm coming to Paul, the leaders made sure that Paul was soon deported to Tarsus.
But Barnabas believed in Paul and encouraged him in his new life. And when he was commissioned by the apostles to oversee the Church in Antioch, he sought out Paul and requested him to be his “auxiliary bishop.” For one full year, Barnabas and Paul ministered there. The fraternal bond between Barnabas and Paul, however, did not end in Antioch. They also went together in various missionary journeys, encouraging others to persevere in the faith. When Paul pursued other missionary frontiers alone, he extended to others the encouragement he himself received from Barnabas.
Encouragement gives shape to anyone’s life. It promotes the best in the other. It sees beyond faces into the other’s heart. Encouragement is investing time, talent and treasure in the person of the other. In this way, encouragement’s other name is love — and we are called to mirror this to others to help them into the shape of their names, to become who they are meant to be. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Is there a person around you who needs encouragement? Be a “Barnabas” to him.
Lord, heal my brokenness and put me together again each time I fall so that, with You, I may help others into the shape of their human dignity. Amen.
St. Zoe, pray for us.
During those days parents named their children after the saints posted in calendars. Supposedly, the children would take their characters after the saints they were named.
In recent years, especially in the advent of television, parents tend to name their children after their favorite celebrities, like Susan (from Susan Roces), Tita (from Tita Duran), Lucinda (from a character in a telenovel).
My own children were named Michael(from a baby book of names with meaning of illustrious), Russel (from a favorite superior) and Harold Irwin (named after book authors).
What about you, how do you name your children?
Below is a reflection from the Kerygma Family by Fr. Bobby Titco.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
What is your name? What is your shape? These days, most of our names do not say anything anymore about who we are and what we are like. The ancient Romans would rise in protest against the way we choose names for our children. They believed that “nomen est omen,” i. e., “the name is the destiny” or better yet “the destiny is in the name.”
There was a young Jew from the island of Cyprus who belonged to the first Christian community. His name was Joseph but the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” St. Luke describes Barnabas as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” He encouraged many believers to persevere in their faith. He did this by living according to the teachings of the Lord in word and in deed.
When Saul was converted and became Paul, he presented himself to the apostles and received a rather cold reception, if not suspicion, because he had been the unrivaled persecutor of Christians. To avoid any harm coming to Paul, the leaders made sure that Paul was soon deported to Tarsus.
But Barnabas believed in Paul and encouraged him in his new life. And when he was commissioned by the apostles to oversee the Church in Antioch, he sought out Paul and requested him to be his “auxiliary bishop.” For one full year, Barnabas and Paul ministered there. The fraternal bond between Barnabas and Paul, however, did not end in Antioch. They also went together in various missionary journeys, encouraging others to persevere in the faith. When Paul pursued other missionary frontiers alone, he extended to others the encouragement he himself received from Barnabas.
Encouragement gives shape to anyone’s life. It promotes the best in the other. It sees beyond faces into the other’s heart. Encouragement is investing time, talent and treasure in the person of the other. In this way, encouragement’s other name is love — and we are called to mirror this to others to help them into the shape of their names, to become who they are meant to be. Fr. Bobby Titco
Reflection Question:
Is there a person around you who needs encouragement? Be a “Barnabas” to him.
Lord, heal my brokenness and put me together again each time I fall so that, with You, I may help others into the shape of their human dignity. Amen.
St. Zoe, pray for us.
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