Remember When?

Ave Maria:-)

Time flies ..but this is crazy..is it really Holy Week soon? 5 decades plus+plus on this jolly ole'planet and as a Catholic..let's see..born , raised.. dyed..immersed, ironed..hahaha .. if God had other plans..maybe allowed me to be born in Tibet and be a Buddhist or a communist that would have happened.but this is it for me, have fallen in love with the Catholic faith appreciating the spiritual wealth it yields -- this without losing respect for God's revelation to other denominations... how wise the Lord is to not allow one group to have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit You are mighty Lord.

 Where was I?   Have had countless opportunities to discern..weigh, re-think..should I remain Catholic ..or will I grow closer to the Lord ..love and serve Him more if I transfered..maybe be Baptist or be a committed member in some other denomination?

Indeed God works in mysterious ways.. His ways and thoughts above ours....

In the thick of the spiritual awakening ..the Lord helped me see..twasn't a question of whose church I belonged to .. but how  I have responded to God's invitation to grace. For even if from birth I be snatched away from my mother's bosum... placed in a convent , reared in the Lord's teachings by well-meaning monghas ... but if I resist... worst donot believe what is being preached..what good will it do to me..what changes if any will occur... It's the response that counts..and then the application in daily life till our last breath. 

And this is why we hear the age-old complaint.."Ano ba yan , lamang-loob ng simbahan , pero napaka-itim ng ugali..parang walang Diyos sa katawan? paraphrased ( " I just don't understand it.. this person practically lives inside the church, so active in service..yet it doesn't show in her character... what happened? "

All Christians ... and I'd like to venture hopefully ---> most Catholics give great importance to the celebration of Holy Week... in the liturgical calendar..it is one of the highlights if not the Highlight of All for it culminates in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

In yesteryrs.. no make it... as a young child.. was initiated in devout Catholic tradition, Holy Week was a holy week  -- you could say both Belgian sisters/teachers at St. Theresa's and my beloved mother Lydia  and grandmother Filomena helped us understand the very foundation of our salvation --- Jesus was Lord and Saviour , the Father's gift to mankind so alienated from God by sin--- back then people had a keen understanding of sin and its malice, its malevolent forms --- unlike in modern times where as Fr. Cantalamessa says (Vatican retreat master): " Man has  grown in arrogance..." where sin is no longer sin but interpreted as respecting human rights , etc... and what other lame excuses... 

Yes in earlier times the public had greater understanding and belief in Jesus life and ministry and how He suffered and offered His life for the forgiveness of our sins..how his resurrection assured those who believe in Him of new life, eternal life -- a life in intimate friendship with God. 

Thank God for those years when it was a quieter environment -- twas' easier for people to be disposed to prayer and reflection -- there were no malls on every corner beckoning you to enjoy shopping, watching the movies.... eating..naku..pigging out.. there were no jeepneys blaring the loudest music ... no celfons, ipads, laptops to seduce and get your full attention. ..not as many resorts to lure you to have aromatic massages on (yikes) Good Friday?? nakaka-iyak naman.

My goodness , there must have been only 3 channel networks..hehehe..and they would be off the air for sure on Holy Thursday ... or if they were on the air.. they would show religiousprograms to help set the mood.

How fortunate for those born in that era.. cgue matanda na kung matanda ..but those were the days  when the whole populace was prayerful..perhaps in those days..Muslims and those of other faiths would regard us with greater respect -- because they would see the people in one spirit... reflecting on the Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord. Some think Catholics are too transfixed on the Sufferings of Jesus -- that we should give greater focus on His Resurrection..  but it is not that we detract from the glory of Christ's Resurrection... it is instead following and imitating --gratefully understanding the Ways of Jesus --that without His suffering, his obedience, his humble submission to death--on a cross ... without that -- we don't have any GLORIOUS VICTORY to look forward to... It's either we accept All of Jesus , not just the parts of Him that we like. 

Why then act as tho' it never happened? For it did happen that Jesus suffered for us..and He did explain why it must be so ... how then can we play " Let's skip this part..and fast-forward it.... to redemption, resurrection and victory"  .Oh my..that 's what we get for enjoying too much You Tube or DVD movies....  we can skip parts /commercials we don't like... BUT NOT SO WHERE OUR FAITH IS CONCERNED.NOT SO. 

What shall we pass on to our children.. for sure our elders even if they were imperfect tried best to pass on the faith to us...so maybe our biological elders were not up to it... but as a people... we did help each other in the past to remain faithful to our calling in Christ.

And now it is our turn.. yours and mine.. and you  blessed reader.. could be the same age as me or one of the youth in our community..? it doesn't matter.. love for Christ knows no age. We simply serve Him. It is our turn to help others understand  our inheritance in the Lord.

All traditions, rituals..kneeling..praying till you nose-bleed amount to nothing..if it is not offered in love , and to understand the whys and wherefore's of it all.. if the expressions donot translate to greater love for God and neighbor - concrete...concrete.

  I mean... can you imagine Visita Iglesia on Holy Thrusday..making the rounds of churches (panata) praying with family and friends -- and yet getting caught in fisticuffs or yelling matches with drivers at the over-crowded parking lots? hahaha.... peace, man

In closing last night was the Kumpisalan ng Bayan at Mt. Carmel.. Parish Priests of a diocese help each other... priests from religious orders also come.. the whole church is prepared.. lights dimmed... soft meditative music playing... you get to choose the priest to whom you would want to confess to... just the sight and company of other souls who want to be reconciled to the Lord is healing in itself. Come, let us not delay our return to the Lord. As the Holy Spirit gently leads us..we will be led to understand the different ways we have hurt others, even our self.. we will understand how we have turned our backs on the Lord..and we will be so sorry we did it.It is grace..it is God's love working in our heart. May we all have an opportunity to be reconciled to God... to reconcile with enemies -- that is not impossible... and to be embraced by JESUS.................................Semana Santa... we welcome you..... te mye   

The Purpose of Confession:

That reconciling of man to God is the purpose of Confession. When we sin, we deprive ourselves of God’s grace. And by doing so, we make it even easier to sin some more. The only way out of this downward cycle is to acknowledge our sins, to repent of them, and to ask God’s forgiveness. Then, in the Sacrament of Confession, grace can be restored to our souls, and we can once again resist sin.

What Is Required?:

Three things are required of a penitent in order to receive the sacrament worthily:

1. He must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for his sins.
2. He must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. He must be willing to do penance and make amends for his sins.

Why Is Confession Necessary?:

Non-Catholics, and even many Catholics, often ask whether they can confess their sins directly to God, and whether God can forgive them without going through a priest. On the most basic level, of course, the answer is yes, and Catholics should make frequent acts of contrition, which are prayers in which we tell God that we are sorry for our sins and ask for His forgiveness.

But the question misses the point of the Sacrament of Confession. The sacrament, by its very nature, confers graces that help us to live a Christian life, which is why the Church requires us to receive it at least once per year. Moreover, it was instituted by Christ as the proper form for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, we should not only be willing to receive the sacrament, but we should embrace it as a gift from a loving God.

How Often Should You Go to Confession?:

While Catholics are only required to go to Confession when they are aware that they have committed a mortal sin, the Church urges the faithful to take advantage of the sacrament often. A good rule of thumb is to go once per month. (The Church strongly recommends that, in preparation for fulfilling our Easter Duty to receive communion, we go to Confession even if we are aware of venial sin only.)

The Church especially urges the faithful to receive the Sacrament of Confession frequently during Lent, to help them in their spiritual preparation for Easter.