Happy birthday !

Ave Maria:-)

Grant us a New Pentecost oh Lord

Rejoice beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

It's the spiritual Birthday of the Catholic church  and this story of the Coming of the Holy Spirit is sure to drive all gloom away. 

Imagine what the apostles, disciples...followers of Jesus went thru... imagine the heart of Mama Mary... without having fully recovered from witnessing the Passion and Death of Jesus... the divine drama was not yet over. Jesus rose from the dead!.. He made several appearances to them after his Resurrection... no doubt to make them believe He was the Risen Lord , that He had overcome death and all evil... He spent time with them  no doubt to strengthen their hearts... as He would have to leave them... He did ascend to heaven but not without leaving them a Major Things -To-Do List....  which in a nutshell is :"You must carry on my work .... move it.... spread the Good News... try to reach as many as possible - teach and share in exactly the same way I did."  ( sooooooooooooo paraphrased, pls bear with me)

Now how in the whole wide world do you do that ? --- how would they obey the Lord and successfully carry out their mission.

 I'd rather go back fishing was their knee-jerk reaction.

 JESUS would send the Holy Spirit . He even went as far as warning them to NOT ATTEMPT ANYTHING ...NOT UNTIL THEY RECIEVED THE HOLY SPIRIT.  That warning should come in handy for us ... hehe, as we have this uncanny ability to proceed in life, make serious decisions, think, speak and act without consulting the Spirit of God ...Quite naturally a lot of painful consequences occur, because we didn't bother  to seek the guidance or blessing of God. No wonder we get black and blue all over  how yabang ba can we get? talaga naman.

Christ had promised His Apostles that He would sent His Holy Spirit, and, on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there spoke, and about 3,000 people were converted and baptized that day.

That is why Pentecost is often called "the birthday of the Church." On this day, with the descent of the Holy Spirit, Christ's mission is completed, and the New Covenant is inaugurated. It's interesting to note that St. Peter, the first pope, was already the leader and spokesman for the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday (see Acts 2:14ff).  

The very same Peter who was frightened out of his wits and had denied knowing Jesus thrice ... gave his first homily that blessed day

The Apostle Peter stood and addressed them, saying they were not drunk. It was only nine o'clock in the morning. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Peter preached boldly to them, explaining about Jesus Christ and God's plan of salvation.

The crowd was so moved when Peter told them of their part in Jesus' crucifixion that they asked the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37, NIV).

The right response, Peter told them, was to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the

 forgiveness of their sins. He promised that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Bravo, St. Peter good for you and blessed were those listened to you and were converted to Christ. 

It's 2013 and we wonder if Pentecost still has any value or importance for us?

Are you kidding???? the more we need the gift of the Holy Spirit in these times.

Never mind the razzmatazz of all the technology , advances made in science -- they cannot save our soul, they cannot reconcile us to God... they cannot grant us the complete healing and deliverance we need: mind, body, heart and soul. Only Jesus can do this for us.

This Pentecost let us befriend  the Holy Spirit, He has been given to us at our sacramental  baptism ... because God wants to be not just with us... but "in" us. Pretty awesome.

About time we stopped paying attention to the lies of satan... mostly focusing on the thematic that we are weak, evil, prone to evil... the very Spirit uniting the Father and Jesus is in us... inhabiting us..we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  That simply means all the goodness holiness righteousness, love and might of GOD is stored in our puny bodies.... how could God love us this much?

And just as the Holy Spirit transformed the apostles from weaklings to powerful witnesses for Christ... we too can have this marvelous experience... this transformation caused by God's love.

Happy birthday then to you and me and to the whole universal church , the joys of Pentecost be with you all!

God bless you................................................................................................... te mye

A Ladder to Heaven

Ave Maria:-)

One word we might want stricken out of man's language, man's journey..man's dictionaries could be SUFFERING.

Yet as each second ticks by... suffering in all its various forms and hues happens, accummulates... multiplies even as we have not yet recovered from one trial...another wave comes and threatens to drown us into oblivion.

Why oh why must we all undergo pains and heartaches.?

As tho' it were not enough that our heart must endure the ravages of time and old  age and physical affliction -- how is it -- it must endure too the greater pains : emotional and spiritual ...?Yes these are far more terrible pains, the wounds suffered run deeper, the defeats costlier.

 One's heart broken again and again, you'd think there was none left , and then surprisingly , even if the parts are scattered, tattered beyond recognition... there is still a heartbeat...there is still life... and how impossible but there is still faith, hope and love...Joyous palpable mighty love and the heart wills itself to gather all broken pieces and be whole again -- yes , perhaps agonizing but whole and ready to face life.And whilst experiencing all of these, we realize there is indeed a divine Hand helping us.  

Did I wake up from the wrong side of the bed this morning?

No... in fact , I rose from the very correct side of the bed -- to be fully aware and in touch with one's personal pains... and to allow it to make us one and in touch with the suffering world , brothers and sisters in the deepest sense -- it is what can make us  either compassionate human beings or monsters.. a most grave choice.

The right attitude towards suffering makes us invincible - it is what sets us apart from machines and stone and man-made creations.

turning to God's word ... more light is shed:

1. Rom. 5:2-3 - Paul says that more than rejoicing in our hope, we rejoice in our sufferings which produces endurance, character and hope. Through faith, suffering brings about hope in God and, through endurance, salvation.

Did I read, hear, understand that correctly? To rejoice more in our sufferings ? but then for a worthy purpose : because it will yield the child of God in us, the Christ  in us? To develop endurance not for masochistic reasons but to prove to the world that our God is victorious and will see us thru... to be shaped with godly character and have that eternal fire of hope in our bellies...how powerful is this gift given to us.

2.

1 Cor. 1:23- Paul preaches a Christ crucified, not just risen.

 Catholic spirituality focuses on the sacrifice of Christ which is the only means to the resurrection. This is why Catholic churches have crucifixes with the corpus of Jesus affixed to them. Many Protestant churches no longer display the corpus of Jesus (only an empty cross). Thus, they only preach a Christ risen, not crucified.

With all due respect to our  separated brethren ... yet this is what Catholics  hold true .... we glory in the cross of Jesus for it was the sure means to our salvation and new life... It is not as tho' we live in the past... or that we have a dejected, defeated attitude -- it is rather in fact a healthier attitude and more profound understanding of the value of suffering...By itself, it leads to damnation... or death... but when united to Christ, when offered for the love of Him, when we endure it so as to obtain graces for the conversion of souls ... then the cross, our sufferings no longer defeat us...

Instead they become a Ladder to Heaven.

some of us must care for loved ones with physical disability or intellectual impairment - we are only able to do this wonderfully when we recieve God's love in our hearts ... but sometimes there will be tormentors who on the surface seem normal, no diagnosed impairment  -- but can crucify us on a daily basis with their lack of love, lack of respect , even abuse ---  we may consider these poor souls as those with Real, deep-seated disability...They are disabled for they are disconnected from God.Steeped in  their sins and arrogance , clothed in the lies of satan...reeking with vile and contempt for the world and even for themselves ...they cannot love for they have not recieved as yet God's healing love.

What can we do?

Only Jesus can help us  reach out to these people. The gut reaction is to take flight and to be at the farthest part of the world so that they cannot harm us.

We cannot face them alone. We'd die both literally and figuratively.

But we can marvel and immerse ourselves in the love of the Father  shown  thru His Son hanging on the cross.Enduring the cross for the love of men.

This is the age where it is an absolute No-No to sacrifice for others ---

But if this sacrifice is done with the same purpose Jesus had....then it is worth it.

There would be no enduring marriages, no strong family ties - bound not by whimsical, fleshy , selfish love.. but a committed love one that stems from   faith and love for Christ ... there'd be no good children growing into responsible, kind adults -- if no mothers and fathers nurtured them with love and sacrifice.  

this next one nails it.

3.1 Cor. 2:2 - Paul preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 While the cross was the scandal of scandals, and is viewed by the non-Christian eye as defeat, Catholic spirituality has always exalted the paradox of the cross as the true tree of life and our means to salvation.

4. 2 Cor. 1:5-7- if we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort as well.

If we unite our sufferings with His, we will be comforted by Him. Amen, amen.

finally..let us not be confused by this verse:Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His Body, that is, the Church (Col 1:24).

what was Paul saying... Is he actually stating that Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was somehow incomplete?

Here is the explanation 

The Catholic Church teaches that the suffering of Christ has infinite value and was fully sufficient to cover all of our sins.  In other words, He did His job completely.  By dying on the Cross in atonement for our sins, Jesus made it possible for us to go to heaven – period! 

 However, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, Christ allows all those incorporated into His Mystical Body (the Church) to suffer with Him and assist in the process of redemption.  Fortunately for us, this very simplified explanation of redemptive suffering is all we need to know in order to take advantage of it!

that's a lot to ponder on huh ? but let's be thankful that even gory sufferings can yield something good and of infinite value. with the help of our Jesus, nothing goes to waste..definitely not all those tears we have shed, cries we have made to heaven.

God hears us...Jesus is near us... the Holy Spirit comforts us...always. God bless you... let us pray for one another to endureand grow in wisdom and love..... te mye

Oh Mama Mia

Ave Maria:-)

Happy Mother's Day to all Blessed be all women who experience both the joys and anguish of being a mother...and you don't even need to give birth physically..there are countless mothers today and from ages past who have taken on the role of being true good mothers to children -- whether they be  orphaned or simply suffer from lack of a mother's love.

The women that we are-- of course we delight in whatever pampering or affirmation loved ones or the world gives us -- yet in truth when one is a good mother in the truest sense of the word... we donot even need nor wait for affirmation - for the joy of loving and sacrifice for the beloved is the reward in itself. To behold your child growing into a person with knowledge and love for His Creator - obeying God's command and calling... with Christian values firmly planted in his heart 

( oh what a long , lifelong process this is, entailing a wrestling of the spirit, even rebellion..until finally one finds peace obeying the Lord's commandments )  - these solid teachings something to draw on...to base whatever grave decisions he makes in life ... to breathe with relief that your child is prepared to take on life -- to survive it, even conquer it graciously, ever gracefully and always with love for God and man... this is not forgetting that the child must also be trained to address temporal needs --- so that is the ideal picture we present as parents...as a mother.... there are both spiritual and temporal needs in life.  To simply focus on one aspect limits our capabilities as human beings .

Mother's Day. Praise God for greetings... praise God for celebrations... but the day also is perfect for reflecting on a mother who chose to be quiet, to nurture her Son and prepare Him for what He was called to do.

Mary Mother of Jesus you are the most blessed mother of all.

In these times when women have forgotten what it takes to be a good mother....  how important it is to rear our children in the knowledge, love and obedience to God --we turn to her for guidance and inspiration.

What was she 12, 13 yrs old? --- how very young women were allowed to marry in her time.

How could one be  possibly be prepared to be a mother at such a tender age ..and who would dare to be mother of the world's Saviour?

In Tagalog , the word for dare is so picturesque " mangahas" . But for Mary the more apt word, rather than dare -- is how she chose to trust  God and His Plan of Salvation.

Makes us smile.....

Women will not trust that easily these days :

1)Show me your bank account and I'll marry you.

2)I'd rather abort the baby rather than raise a child with disability.

3)Woman:"Marriage? Are you kidding? I don't even know the man --- we'll give it a try for two years and see how it works out..     You now ..whether we're compatible in bed... in way of thinking.... we will see "

   Friend: "I thought you loved him?"

   Woman: "What has that got to do with it...?. it's best to be safe and sure...hard to get out once you're hitched."

4) Woman : we'd rather not have children... it cramps our lifestyle... we couldn't possibly cope.

Trust is a big word.

It's a painful question to ask of ourselves whether we still stand by our man.. our children.. our family through thick and thin.... whether we choose to impart good values even if they seem so out of synch with what the world preaches.... whether we will support our children in their advocacies ( let it be good ones please)... whether we will choose to stay and not abandon ship when the family passes stormy seas.... we must turn to Mary.

At a simple dinner date with a close friend  we talked about the community, the ministry... our life... our careers.. our family members, how to achieve weight loss haha..make-up...girl-talk...... love life..... It's amazing how the Blessed Mother can help us in each area.

What are her traits that we can learn from , even borrow for our own life experiences?

1) an absolute faith and trust in God  - NO MATTER WHAT. For Mama Mary, if God the Father or Jesus says He will do it...it's a Done Deal as far as she is concerned. 

2) simplicity - we suffer so much and our sufferings multiply by the minutebecause we have mastered the art of complicating life.  Mary was content to be mother of Jesus, to  live a hidden life with Joseph the carpenter...  why couldn't she be Cleopatra with all the pageantry and power -after all, she'd play a key role in the redemption of the world - but No .... Mary knew what were the things that truly mattered.

3) unwavering, constant, persevering spirit --- this is the age of delete files in the blink of an eye.... of 8 -in-one coffee.... where the word suffering and sacrifice is obsolete in one's mental file ....  where mothers might weigh 10 times whether they should forgive or help out an errant child .... where some will put one's own happiness before the children or the family's ( of mothers abandoning home because she has found a new love.)

I love to meditate on how our Blessed Mother's love for God ... her commitment to help Jesus fulfill His mission was unwavering.... constant till heaven.

Picture our holy mother Standing at the foot of the cross...we can borrow from her strength and faith : 

And then we can tell our loved ones: "We will see this thru together anak... malalampasan natin ito...malalampasan mo ito...and you will be a victor"  -- how wonderful to be able to urge our children on this way... to not tempt them to take the easier path..but to help them fulfill God's purposes in their life.

As the Feast of Pentecost nears... let us not forget how Jesus in all wisdom and love gave Mary to be mother of John.. mother of mankind.... again the Lord would lend his own  mother to his apostles ...she prayed with them, interceded for them, gathered them... urged them on... told them the Promise of the Holy Spirit would be fulfilled.

As I might easily desert my post... wave the white flag up..surrender  to the enemies... or even enlist myself in the enemies army when the trials of life get TOO DIFFICULT..... I turn to you dear Mama Mary, Mother of God , my Mama Mia.

Perfect our feeble prayers.

Strengthen our mother's heart.

Make us ever faithful to Jesus, and with your help know Him fully, that we might love , obey and serve Him more.

Mama Mia... pray for us.

Let us offer a holy rosary for all mothers this day.........................God bless you.... ta mye