Are you Kathlick?

This is pretty cute, no matter your religion

Three little boys were concerned because they couldn't get anyone to play with them. They decided it was because they had not been baptized and didn't go to Sunday School. So they went to the nearest church. Only the janitor was there. One little boy said, "We need to be baptized because no one will come out and play with us. Will you baptize us?"

"Sure," said the janitor. He took them into the bathroom and dunked their heads in the toilet bowl, one at a time. Then he said, "Now go out and play."

When they got outside, dripping wet, one of them asked, "What religion do you think we are?"

The oldest one said, "We're not Kathlick, because they pour the water on you."

"We're not Babtis, because they dunk all of you in the water."

"We're not Methdiss, because they just sprinkle you."

The littlest one said, "Didn't you smell that water!"

"Yeah! What do you think that means?"

"I think it means we're Pisscopalians.”


N.B. no offense meant to Kathlicks, Babtis, Methdiss and especially Pisscopalians.

Rabbi Elimelech's Prayer

Guard us from all deflections and from all haughtiness,
from anger and sudden rage, from dismalness of heart
and evil insinuations, and from all other ignoble things
and from aught that stains Thy holy and pure service,
which is precious to us. Pour out over us Thy holy spirit,
that we may cling to Thee and that our desire
may be fixed upon Thee…
Redeem us from envy of our comrades;
let no envy arise in our hearts…
Grant us so to act that all shall see
the merits of our comrades and not their lacks,
and that we, each one of us, speak with his comrades
in the way of veraciousness,
which is pleasing in Thy sight…Amen.
May this be Thy will.


From Martin Buber’s For the Sake of Heaven, p82.

Mars "Attack!" This August

The Red Planet (MARS) is about to be spectacular!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with
Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the
closest approach between the two planets in
recorded history.

The next time Mars may come this close is in year
2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on
Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be
certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth
in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as
60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when
Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth
and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object
in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9
and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. By
August 27, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the
naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot.

At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at
10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. by
the end of August when the two planets are
closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its
highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty
convenient to see something that no human being
has seen in recorded history. So, mark your
calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars
grow progressively brighter and brighter
throughout
the month.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS
PHENOMENA AGAIN.
So share this with your family, friends, children

Two Ways of Dying in Darfur

There are two ways to die in Darfur
The first is slow, meticulous and agonizing
It starts with a quiet gnawing at the stomach
And then an intermittent palpitation of
The wrist and the temple ensues, coupled with
Throbbing pain and dizziness and nausea
You’re marked for one when you begin to see
Your bones protrude from your flimsy skin
Or when your eyes seem like hollowed sockets
And flies and maggots fester at your gangrenous
Wounds that no longer bleed nor will ever heal
While vultures patiently wait for God to release
Your soul so they may feast on your liver and innards

The second death is sharp and painless
Or almost without pain because you are either
Too numb to feel it or you’ve quite forgotten
What pain is because all your life you’ve been
In one (like fish unmindful of the ocean)
This death is loud, violent and merciful
If by mercy you mean swift and certain
Like bullets through your brain or bombs that
Maim and instantly kill
You would prefer this for sure, rather than
The slow, meticulous and agonizing one
But even if you wished hard for this because
The first one is already in the process
Vultures still lay waiting to peck at what remains
Of your mangled and dishonored corpse

Shocking Picture

The following was from an e-mail sent to me by a friend. It really shocked me. I decided to feature it here so that more people will learn about the gravity of the problem people in Sudan , especially in Darfur region, have. And hopefully spur us into action. (Click picture to enlarge.)

Vulture on the Look Out

The Photographer Who Caught the World's Attention



A Letter to Addressed to God Before He Committed Suicide

Dear God,

I promise I will never waste my food no matter how bad it can taste and how full I may be. I pray that He will protect this little boy, guide and deliver him away from his misery. I pray that we will be more sensitive towards the world around us and not be blinded by our own selfish nature and interests.

I hope this picture will always serve as a reminder to us that how fortunate we are and that we must never ever take things for granted.

Please don't break.. keep on forwarding to our friends On this good day. Let's make a prayer for the suffering in anywhere anyplace around the globe and send this friendly reminder to others "Think & look at this... when you complain about your food and the food we wasted daily........

Kevin Carter

Info on Darfur: http://www.savedarfur.org/

List of Things that Worry Me These Days

1. The Philippines will be annihilated in a few days because of our selfish and greedy politicians.
2. The unabated rise of prices of basic commodities.
3. It's typhoon season, many thousands of families will be affected and rendered homeless this Christmas.
4. So many papers to write, books to read, and oh so little time.
5. Friends that I have not been seeing for years might get cold on me.
6. My family that I have not visited for months might disown me.
7. Assignments, apostolates, appointments missed, etc.

Oh my, I feel like Martha of today's Gospel. Jn 11:19-27 .

Lord, please reassure me that everything will turn out fine and that it is basically, still a beautiful world and a blessed Philippines.

God's Plans for Me and You

Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines

I like this poem a lot because of its poignant lyricism, sincerity and the truth it conveys. Pablo Neruda, for me, is one of the greatest poets that ever lived. I wish that someday I can create a masterpiece such as this.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example,'The night is shattered and the blue stars shiver in the distance.' The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in my arms I kissed her again and again under the endless sky. She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too. How could one not have loved her great still eyes. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her. To hear the immense night, still more immense without her. And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture. What does it matter that my love could not keep her. The night is shattered and she is not with me. This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance. My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her. My sight searches for her as though to go to her. My heart looks for her, and she is not with me. The same night whitening the same trees. We, of that time, are no longer the same. I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her. My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing. Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before. Her void. Her bright body. Her inifinite eyes. I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her. Love is so short, forgetting is so long. Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her. Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer and these the last verses that I write for her. Pablo Neruda

Zen Philosophy

I was surfing the net about the topic Zen Philosophy to help me understand Yukio Mishima's dense book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. I was led to this amazing site with great explanation about the philosophy of Zen Buddhism. I posted here some stories that I really like about Zen. Please visit also the main site where I got these stories. Zen Philosophy Page

WHAT IS ZEN?

"Lightning flashes,
Sparks shower,
In one blink of your eyes,
You have missed seeing."

A Hindu story tells of a fish who asked of another fish: "I have always heard about the sea, but what is it? Where is it?"

The other fish replied: "You live, move and have your being the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea, and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being."

So the only true answer to the question "What is Zen?" is the one that you find for yourself.

Empty Your Cup

A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring.

The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself.

"It's overfull! No more will go in!" the professor blurted.

"You are like this cup," the master replied, "How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup."

Holy Man

Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him.

When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeting him at the door.

"I would like to see the wise Holy Man," he said to the servant.

The servant smiled and led him inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man.

Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant,

"But I want to see the Holy Man!"

"You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved."

The Nature of Things

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung.

The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"

"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."

Save the Children

This morning we gave a recollection to grade 6 students of the Ateneo de Manila. The recollection was about how to express anger constructively. I was amazed by the sincerity and honesty of the students in telling how they really feel when they get angry.

One small and chubby kid said, "I feel like a murderer when I am angry because I want to hurt people who hurt me." Another one said, "I feel like a loudspeaker when I am angry because when nobody listens to me I want to shout out real loud." And another one admitted, "I feel like a volcano about to erupt anytime when I am angry."

In today's world where men and women are seldom heard speaking the truth it is truly refreshing to witness children say things they truly feel and mean. It gives me a sense of hope that after all, we still have the children to look up to. Cynicism, skepticism and indifference sometimes cloud my judgment on the way things are going. Yet when I see kids not yet tainted by malice or greed or any political motive I am encouraged to continue hoping, continue believing that in the end, everything will turn out fine.

Perhaps, the Chinese writer Lu Xun is right when he said, it is not too late: Save the Children!

"Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." (Luke 18:15-17)

On Clothes Worn by Dead Jesuits

There's a creepy feel to it
On wearing clothes that had been
Worn by the dead
A disquieting thought envelops you
That the owners are turning in their graves
Muttering about their favorite shirts
Or jeans or the shoes they only
Wore on Sunday afternoons

Sometimes - I sense a pair of eyes
Looking grudgingly at the shirt I'm wearing
Or have that eerie feel that ghosts still wear
The pants I love as they flap wildly
In the midday wind
Probably, the old are forgetful
or they simply never want to leave their old ways

Warm shirts, on warm nights
Coagulate with cold spirits
Pyjamas that still bear the faded
Initials of their former masters,
Or blankets that years of use have pecked
Holes on them,
Pillows that whisper
What they spied from a pious man's head,
Or handkerchiefs that wiped a thousand drop
Of tears
All bear witness to the silent tradition
That the Dead provides for the Living

But the most disturbing of all
Is the belief that the soutane I mindlessly wear
Was probably worn by at least half a dozen
Holy men

copyright © 2003
by noel yngente bava
no part of this work may be lifted or quoted without prior written permission from the author

Many Prophets Longed to See What You See

Mt 13:10-17

Considering that we have the New Testament that speaks of the words and deeds of Christ. That we have books of martyrs and saints that testify to the life-transforming grace brought about by faith in Christ. That we have men and women (and children) who openly speak about how they are changed by the love of Christ. We are blessed indeed that we are not like the prophets of old who merely proclaimed the coming of the Son of God.

We feel Jesus in our hearts. We see Him in the face of the poor and the oppressed and from a dear and loving friend. We hear Him in the sounds of nature and from the eloquence of a learned man or the cry of a newborn babe. We are one with the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in saying that:

THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

We are lucky that we never have to second-guess or wait in hopeful but agonizing anticipation of His coming. Christ' life is there for all of us to see and marvel. But not everyone of us will appreciate this truth. Some will continue to look for further signs. Some would see only contradictions among facts. And some would doubt even the proof of His life and redeeming love. Many will lead us astray.

In the confusion and chaos around us, it might be good to pause for awhile and speak to the Jesus in our hearts. In silence and solitude let us pour our hearts to Him and tell Him our concerns and worries for this day. Speak to Him of our loves and preoccupation. Speak too about our hurts and pains, trials and defeats. Converse with Him about what makes us laugh and cry.

And in the end, allow Him to speak to us. As a dear friend to another. As a father to a son. As a sister to a younger sibling. Because many prophets longed to see what we see but did not see it .

Prayer at the End of the Day

Father God,

As I lay myself to sleep I recall the events of the day:
the people I met
things I did, accomplished and left undone
places I've been
words I uttered
that cheered people up
or hurt them
thoughts I entertained
both the good and the bad
and what I did with them afterwards

I recall too my experiences of pain and joy
and where they came from and where they led me

I remember faces of people I've worked with
played with, fought with, argue with and made up with
and how I bring them closer or farther away from You

I thank you for the challenges You set before me
as well as the consolations I receive from the same
I ask for forgiveness for the many times I did not respond
to Your invitation
either because I was too busy to care
or am not paying attention
or I simply don't care

I ask You to watch over me and though I'm too big for angels
I ask You to send me one tonight
To give me pleasant dreams
and keep away the evil one

So that tomorrow
when I awake, I would recall Your goodness to me
and therefore begin, a new day filled with hope, gratitude and joy.

Your Son,

The Prodigal One

Prayer At The Beginning Of The Day

O God, I find myself at the beginning of another day,
I do not know what it will bring,
Please help me to be ready for whatever it may be.
If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely.
If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly.
If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently
If I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.
I pray just for today, for these twenty-four hours,
for the ability to cooperate with others
according to the way Jesus taught us to live.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
May these words that he taught us become more than words.
Please free my thinking and feelings
and the thinking and feelings of others,
from all forms of self-will,
--- self-centredness, dishonesty, and deception.

Along with my brothers and sisters, I need this freedom
to make my choices today according to your desires.

Send your Spirit to inspire us in time of doubt and indecision so that, together, we can walk along your path. ..... Amen.

-- adapted with thanks from an unknown source.

My Brothers and My Sisters

Mt 12:46-50

Who are Jesus' brothers and sisters and mother? Those who follow the will of the Father says He. Christ deems relation by common task and mission more worthy than relation by blood. He considers His own those who obey the commandments of His Father.

When have I become the brother or sister of Christ?
What will of the Father do I obey and fulfill?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the many times that I took the commandment of the Father for granted. Forgive me for being lax with my duties as a Christian. But I thank you for considering me your own brother whenever I fulfill the will of our Father. Make me more and more like You everyday and in every way. Amen.

prayer with instrumental music

Something Greater than Solomon

Mt 12:38-42

Some people have asked me about the political situation that has the whole nation in gripping suspense and anxiety, “Is there still hope for our country today? If there is, what are the signs that things will turn for the better?” These are honest questions from a citizen who sincerely desires to know the truth. With him are countless mothers, husbands, students and laborers asking the same questions.

It is not weakness to ask for signs when we continually see bleakness, contradiction and confusion around. A sign that points to which direction we should take when our leaders and shepherds have failed and misled us. True weakness is to lose hope amid the encircling gloom or to put our whole trust to mere human beings.

Today’s Gospel invites us to see beyond physical seeing. It invites us to see things with God’s own eyes. Nothing is permanent in this world. Not the war in Iraq, not the famine and diseases in most third world countries. Certainly not the chaos brought about by the Gloriagate issue. These things will pass.

No political pundit, economic expert, church leader nor activist will lead us to the whole truth. Christ alone has the truth because He is the Truth. In the turmoil that is happening within us and without, we are invited to seek His wisdom that advocates love rather than hatred, peacefulness rather than violence, forgiveness rather than bearing grudge, temperance rather than impetuousness. His wisdom unites, heals, makes brothers and sisters of us all. Christ is greater than Jonah or Solomon.

Prayer:

Loving Father, during these times of crises, when we feel discouraged and are losing hope make us realize that You are the God of the universe and that You won’t forsake us. Help us remember what You did to our nation in the past and with the help of Christ, may we see signs of Your continued love and guidance to all of us. Amen.

Gather the Wheat into My Barn

Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

Evil thrives where there are human beings. We look around us and see senseless killings, violence perpetrated against women and children, greed and corruption. Well meaning Christians ask: Why are these things happening to us? Why does God allow so much evil to thrive in the world?

We really don't know the answer. Maybe evil is part of God's salvific plan. But we know this much is true: God doesn't want evil. He does not cause it. He is appalled by it and would not tolerate it. He allows evil to co-exist with the good because the time is not yet right. Some people do evil things but they are not really evil. They are victims and pawns of evil schemes. God does not want to get rid of people who might turn good given the time and opportunity to do so.

God so loves us that even in our sinfulness, He is slow to anger and slow to condemn us. God gives not only second or third chances. He in fact delights in our returning to Him over and over again. In the same way that no wise farmer would uproot all the weeds in his garden for fear that he might be killing his own wheat, God patiently waits for the right time. And when that time comes, when it is easier to spot the wheat from the weeds, He will act accordingly. The weeds are effectively pulled out, gathered together and thrown into a furnace while the wheat are carefully harvested and brought into His barn.

So will He do when the time comes to judge evil persons from the good ones. God will pick out from the brambles His true wheat and separate them from the weeds that tried to choke them. God will then carry in His own arms the wheat that thrived amongst the weeds. And as a reward, the true wheat will be presented in the Heavenly Banquet.

Weeds thrive around us. People look down on us. People berate us, do malicious things behind our backs. Some people even deliberately cause us harm through unkind thoughts and words. In all of these, we are asked to be patient like the wheat. In due time, God Himself will carry us and bring us into his Barn.

A Nation In Peril

These are precarious times. People are confused. The leaders of the land are quarreling among themselves. The shepherds and teachers are divided while their students and children go out into the streets. What are we to do when we are beset by confusion and division left and right?

I'm afraid that there is no easy answer to this question. It is not easy to offer an advice when oneself is confused and is seeking answer that tarries long to come. Rather than ask what to do, perhaps it is more prudent to ask what not to do.

Let us not be rash in our actions. Let us consider the consequences of every decision. Let us not be buoyed by passion or idealism alone. Let us not be tempted to try quick-fixes to an obviously long-term problem. Let us not lose hope. Our God is not simply a God who is personally involved in our life. Our God is a God of nations, a God of kingdoms and principalities. He is a God of time and space and of history.

Like a child who knows not when the storm will end but deeply trusts that his Father will be there for him, let us trust our God that He too will deliver us from the perils confronting our nation today and for years to come.

Love, Asian Style

I've just finished reading two great Asian novels: The Dream of the Red Chamber and The Tale of Genji. The first one is from China and the second one from Japan. What is interesting in these two novels is their similar treatment on the theme of love.

Most people are familiar with the Western concept of love (like "Love conquers all; Love is all powerful; Love can move mountains, etc.) Now, The Dream of the Red Chamber and The Tale of Genji, posit the opposite of this. Love is destructive. Love is poisonous. Love brings ruin. Love leads to death.

Before we condemn these great classics to heresy, let us understand the particular context they were written, which is Buddhism. Buddhism maintains that to desire is to suffer. That to desire too much is to suffer much. When the object of our love becomes our obsession, we destroy not only the loved one but our very selves. So in the novels, the male protagonists suffered similar "deaths." They love in wild abandon and therefore caused their loved ones death and destroyed themselves.

But all is not lost in them. Both Pao-yu and Genji experienced re-birth when they learned to let go. When they've realized that there is no point in holding on, in possessing, in desiring. The Buddhists believe that everything that we see around us is unreal. And therefore to love something or someone unreal is to belong to an unreal world. This unreal world is a world of suffering. To free ourselves from suffering, we must free ourselves from the unreal.

The only true way to love is to love none, desire none. Because to love none and to desire none is to be in union with the One. And to be in union with the One is to be united to all.

If you come to think of it, this is not very far from what Christ is teaching us. If you love your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, anyone more than Him, we are bound to suffer. Only by loving the One, embracing Him, can we also love others. It is only by desiring none, save Christ, do we really find satisfaction, happiness and peace in life. As the Gospel once proclaimed:

"Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you..." Mt 6:33

Not Peace But Sword

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household."

Mt 10:34—11:1

Frightening indeed are these words especially because they
come from Jesus. What does He mean that he comes not to
bring peace but the sword? It is very difficult to think of Jesus
as someone bringing discord and dissention but the Gospel today says He said so, in no uncertain terms.

When Christ becomes our friend, we also imbibe His values, His
attitudes and His way of looking at things. And remember, Jesus'
way of doing things did not sit well with those in authority: priests, scribes,
some government officials, etc. Jesus was at odds with their worldly values
and vain justifications. He always caught them with their faulty logic and
pretensiousness and self-interests.

If Christ becomes our friend, we too run the risk of earning the ire of those
in "authority" or people whose values run contrary to the Gospels. We
would always be against those who oppress the poor and the innocent, those
who seek to remove people away from God, those who pretend to have the
truth with them and lead people astray. Jesus never ran out of enemies
because many people could not take His teachings. They were threatened
because He spoke the truth and the Truth was (and is) with Him.

If Christ becomes our best friend, we might even go against our own parents,
our friends, our neighbors, even our own children. But in all of these, Christ promises that He will always be with us.

Prayer In Times of National Crisis

Our country is again experiencing deep political and economic crises. The present situation seems that positive development will not come anytime soon. The president herself is beleaguered by scandals coming from all sectors of the society. The church seems to be in a very cautious mode in dealing with the problem and coming out with a united stand. People everywhere are asking for guidance and enlightenment.


It is at these times when we are encouraged to pray more deeply and as one country. Let us storm heaven with our collective petitions of peace, unity and sobriety. Let us call on God to once more grant our beloved Philippines a miracle of national healing and renewal. Let us together recite this prayer as one family, one community, one country.

NATIONAL LAUNCHING OF THE
EUCHARISTIC AND MARIAN YEAR

(At the discretion of the Local Ordinary , this PRAYER maybe recited in all churches and public oratories before the prayer after Communion at all Masses on August 15. It is recited kneeling).

Lord Jesus Christ,
we solemnly inaugurate today a year of grace,
a year we dedicate to the Holy Eucharist
nd to the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother.
We need to experience as a nation
the transforming power of the Eucharist
For we are wounded people,
wounded by political conflicts and tribal wars,
wounded by unjust socio-economic divisions,
wounded by corruption and moral degeneration.

Lord Jesus Christ,
as often as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist,
we remember how much you love us.
let the Eucharist help us to work together as a people
so that in every home, barangay, town and city
all may live in a culture of peace, unity and renewal.
May the prayer of Mary, our Mother, accompany us
as we journey together in this year of grace
toward national healing and reconciliation.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we believe in the transforming power of the Eucharist
and we trust in the loving care of Mary, our Mother.
grant them then in your tender mercy
what we ask for in faith, hope and love. Amen

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.
That in all things God may be glorified.

Amen.

prayer source

Words from Mother Teresa (On Forgiveness)

"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet especially your family. Be holy – let us pray."

"I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her only lament was: ‘My son did this to me.’ I begged her: You must forgive your son. In a moment of madness, when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him. It took me a long time to make her say: ‘I forgive my son.’ Just before she died in my arms, she was able to say that with a real forgiveness. She was not concerned that she was dying. The breaking of the heart was that her son did not want her. This is something you and I can understand."

"When once a chairman of a multinational company came to see me, to offer me a property in Bombay, he first asked: ‘Mother, how do you manage your budget?" I asked him who had sent him here. He replied: ‘I felt an urge inside me.’ I said: other people like you come to see me and say the same. It was clear God sent you, Mr. A, as He sends Mr. X, Mrs. Y, Miss Z, and they provide the material means we need for our work. The grace of God is what moved you. You are my budget. God sees to our needs, as Jesus promised. I accepted the property he gave and named it Asha Dan (Gift of Hope).

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

"Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength."

"There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic. We believe our work should be our example to people. We have among us 475 souls - 30 families are Catholics and the rest are all Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs—all different religions. But they all come to our prayers."

"There are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I follow Christ:
Jesus is my God,
Jesus is my Spouse,
Jesus is my Life,
Jesus is my only Love,
Jesus is my All in All;
Jesus is my Everything."

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and joy.
I heard the call to give up all and follow Christ into the slums to serve Him among the poorest of the poor. It was an order.
I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.

When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her.
It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.

You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.
Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.
Give a glass of water, you give it to me. Receive a little
child, you receive me.

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.

If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.

Words from Mother Teresa (part 2)

A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God’s attention. He showed his great love for the world by giving Jesus to her.

There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them. Love them.

Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart.

Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.

Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.

The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not mortification, a penance.
It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy.


I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery.

Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing.

A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, must empty ourselves. The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.

http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/words.htm

Prayer of One Suffering from Affliction

Loving Father,

You are the God of the Universe
You know the goings-on in the world
You see my every move and You hear
my thoughts from way up There

You know the things that are happening to me
You feel my pain and my sorrow
You know too the causes of these
Nothing is hidden from You

I pray now that You hear my pleas
I am most aggrieved and am suffering
I ask that You send Your Holy Spirit
to accompany me, to give me strength and hope

Father, I offer to You all my pains
All things that give me discomfort and dis-ease
Heal me from all my wounds
Smother me with Your warm embrace
Calm me, soothe me
Envelope me with Your love and grace

These I ask , through Your Son Jesus Christ
Our Lord and Saviour.


AMEN. +

Son of the Prodigal

Come to Me, All You Who Are Weary

In today's Gospel Jesus asks us to approach Him, esp. those of us who find life burdensome (Mt 11:25-30) . And in Him we shall find refuge and solace from what ails and afflicts us.

But have we ever asked ourselves why we are burdened with life? A priest who gave a brief homily on this passage said that we are burdened precisely because we try to own everything. We find life heavy because we carry it by ourselves. We have so identified with our works, our relationships, our human projects, so to speak, that we forget to put Christ into the picture.

And when everything gets so heavy, then we look for someone or something to lift it up for us. But most often than not, we fail and are frustrated. During these days, when we feel that the burden we are carrying is getting heavier, it might be prudent to ask: "Have I excluded Christ in my life?"

Christ Reaching Out to You