"I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day... The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk... Now is the time to say to Jesus: 'Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace'... God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy."
Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium
Today, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, I am reminded that conversion is a daily affair, a personal decision while always, always, a grace from God who is infinite mercy.
2014-01-25
2014-01-16
Litany of gratitude for the Filipino laity
God our Father, we thank You for the gift of the Filipino laity for the Church.
After every invocation let us say: We praise You and we thank You!
For the motherhood of Mary, first among the disciples, Mother of the Philippines, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For crowning our countrymen Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod with the grace of holy martyrdom, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For calling us to be saints and sending us as heroes, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the zeal of the youth, the joy of our children and the innocence of our infants, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the tenderness and love that You bring to every Filipino family, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For our Filipino laity at work in distant foreign lands, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For civil servants, businessmen and professionals who work with honesty and integrity, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For labourers, farmers and fisher folks who bring dignity to human work as stewards of creation, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the sick and the elderly, our handicapped and troubled friends, for the hope and courage they teach us by their lives, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For all unknown Filipino saints and heroes, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
Father, we celebrate the dignity and mission of the Filipino Catholic laity. Help us to be faithful. Teach us to be brave. Increase our love through Christ our Lord. Amen.
From http://www.choosetobebrave.org/litanyofgratitude.html
For the motherhood of Mary, first among the disciples, Mother of the Philippines, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For crowning our countrymen Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod with the grace of holy martyrdom, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For calling us to be saints and sending us as heroes, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the zeal of the youth, the joy of our children and the innocence of our infants, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the tenderness and love that You bring to every Filipino family, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For our Filipino laity at work in distant foreign lands, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For civil servants, businessmen and professionals who work with honesty and integrity, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For labourers, farmers and fisher folks who bring dignity to human work as stewards of creation, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For the sick and the elderly, our handicapped and troubled friends, for the hope and courage they teach us by their lives, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
For all unknown Filipino saints and heroes, we glorify You.
We praise You and we thank You!
Father, we celebrate the dignity and mission of the Filipino Catholic laity. Help us to be faithful. Teach us to be brave. Increase our love through Christ our Lord. Amen.
From http://www.choosetobebrave.org/litanyofgratitude.html
*Originally posted on Facebook
2014-01-14
Hannah in my life
I remembered you today. Hannah, mother of Samuel the prophet, who I heard about in today's liturgy, reminded me of you.
I have listened to your pain, to your dashed hopes, to your sufferings and confusion. We have explored your doubt, we have traversed the seemingly rough landscape of your life, and have sometimes even cried in near despair. We faced these situations soberly at times, while at another in crazy abandon. Sometimes, I have been like Eli, only because I could not fully understand you. But I love you, and with you and for you I strive to bear hope, if only by my listening, by my heartfelt praying, by my remembering.
And like Eli too, let me bless you with his own words: Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.
I have been unhappy too. That I share with you. But aside that, let us share a life of hope together. Let us share a life of prayer together, sometimes relying on words older than us, but more often using raw emotions, laying our hearts bare, consoled and affirmed by the testimony of those who have gone ahead of us like Hannah, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, like Josephine and many others.
I think kindly of you always, and love you. A far greater Love enables me to, and who loves you too, far beyond ourselves. And who feeds the hope that I am able to bear, and share.
[My very first post this 2014: when you read this, may I kindly ask you to say, even a short heartfelt prayer, for this Hannah in my life. Thank you.]
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me..."
I have listened to your pain, to your dashed hopes, to your sufferings and confusion. We have explored your doubt, we have traversed the seemingly rough landscape of your life, and have sometimes even cried in near despair. We faced these situations soberly at times, while at another in crazy abandon. Sometimes, I have been like Eli, only because I could not fully understand you. But I love you, and with you and for you I strive to bear hope, if only by my listening, by my heartfelt praying, by my remembering.
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her, “How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” “It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD. Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downcast.
And like Eli too, let me bless you with his own words: Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.
I have been unhappy too. That I share with you. But aside that, let us share a life of hope together. Let us share a life of prayer together, sometimes relying on words older than us, but more often using raw emotions, laying our hearts bare, consoled and affirmed by the testimony of those who have gone ahead of us like Hannah, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, like Josephine and many others.
I think kindly of you always, and love you. A far greater Love enables me to, and who loves you too, far beyond ourselves. And who feeds the hope that I am able to bear, and share.
[My very first post this 2014: when you read this, may I kindly ask you to say, even a short heartfelt prayer, for this Hannah in my life. Thank you.]
2014-01-13
Ordinary Time
Today, we begin Ordinary Time in our liturgical calendar.
The term "ordinary" in "Ordinary Time" can lead us to think that this time in the church calendar is--uhm--ordinary: regular, uneventful, even unimportant. Why then is Ordinary Time called ordinary?
Mr. Scott Richert, in catholicism.about.com, tells us:
Thus for Catholics, Ordinary Time is the part of the year in which Christ, the Lamb of God, walks among us and transforms our lives.
Thus, there is nothing "ordinary" about Ordinary Time.
The term "ordinary" in "Ordinary Time" can lead us to think that this time in the church calendar is--uhm--ordinary: regular, uneventful, even unimportant. Why then is Ordinary Time called ordinary?
Mr. Scott Richert, in catholicism.about.com, tells us:
Ordinary Time is called "ordinary" simply because the weeks are numbered. The Latin word "ordinalis", which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word "ordo", from which we get the English word "order". Thus, Ordinary Time is in fact the ordered life of the Church. It is appropriate, therefore, that the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (which is actually the first Sunday celebrated in Ordinary Time) always features either John the Baptist's acknowledgment of Christ as the Lamb of God or Christ's first miracle—the transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
Thus, there is nothing "ordinary" about Ordinary Time.
*Originally posted on Facebook
Quote from http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/f/Why-Is-Ordinary-Time-Called-Ordinary.htm
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