Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
"MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION"
The Lord calls us to both forgive and to lead others to forgive. We must be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). The following fourteen questions can be used as a tool by which we can call others to forgive everyone immediately for every sin committed against them.
1. What is forgiveness?
Forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to let go of resentments due to sins committed against us and to express this by acts of mercy and love toward the offender (see Lk 15:20-24).
2. How often must I forgive?
70 x 7, that is, indefinitely, always (see Mt 18:22).
3. Are there any sins which I don't have to forgive?
No, the Lord calls us to forgive all sins — even rape, murder, abuse, adultery, etc.
4. When I forgive, am I condoning sin?
No, the Lord forgives all our sins and condones none of them (see Jn 8:11).
5. Must I forgive if the person offending me isn't sorry?
Yes, for-giveness is before-giveness — to give pardon before you are asked forgiveness or even if never asked forgiveness.
6. Must I forgive if a person continues to hurt me?
Yes, while hanging on the cross Jesus forgave His enemies while they continued to spit at Him and blaspheme Him (see Lk 23:34-35).
7. If I forgive a person, do I stay in an abusive situation?
No, you free yourself to obey God and remove yourself from an abusive situation until it is changed.
8. How do I forgive?
None of us can forgive by our own power. "To err is human, to forgive divine," and we are not divine. However, the Lord promised us His divine power to forgive. Therefore, forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to forgive.
9. What if I don't want to forgive?
We should pray to realize how much the Lord has forgiven us. Then by God's grace we must decide to accept the grace to pass on to others the forgiveness given to us.
10. How fast must I forgive?
Immediately (Mt 5:25). We're in a self-made jail and at a stand-still in our relationship with God until we forgive.
11. What if I forgive and not forget?
Forgetting sins committed against us is not to have amnesia. Rather, to forget sins means that there is no special sting in us when we remember sins committed against us. If it hurts us to remember these sins, either we need healing or have not truly forgiven.
12. How do I forgive myself?
Not forgiving ourselves is a symptom which will take care of itself if we truly forgive others and receive prayers for healing.
13. What if I don't forgive?
a. We "give the devil a chance to work on" us (see Eph 4:27).
b. We are handed over to the torturers (Mt 18:34). These torturers are such things as fear, loneliness, depression, frustration, anxiety, and self-hatred.
c. We cut ourselves off from receiving forgiveness (Mt 6:12, 15), healing (Sir 28:3), prayer (Mk 11:25), and worship (Mt 5:23-24).
d. If we persist in unforgiveness, we cut ourselves off from God forever and thereby damn ourselves.
14. How do I know if I have forgiven?
Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision. Moreover, forgiveness is not only praying for those who have hurt us or treating them politely. We know that we have made the decision to forgive when we show it in acts of love and mercy to those who have sinned against us. For example, the father of the prodigal son threw his arms around his son, kissed him, gave him gifts, honored him, and celebrated his return (Lk 15:20-24). By God's grace, we must go and do likewise.
The Right Use of the Tongue
Word of God (#4)
The Right Use of the Tongue
Fr. Al Lauer
Tape SP4, Track 14 (4:00)
Try the WMP or QuickTime player if this one does not work. Download MP3 File (0.97 MB) |
Friday, December 11, 2009
LOVE AND TRUTH
Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth
Notable quotations from Pope Benedict XVI and official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
"PRINCIPAL DRIVING FORCE"
Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by His earthly life and especially by His death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. (1)
"TRUE LIFE"
The search for love and truth is purified and liberated by Jesus Christ from the impoverishment that our humanity brings to it, and He reveals to us in all its fullness the initiative of love and the plan for true life that God has prepared for us. (1)
JESUS IS THE TRUTH
In Christ, charity in truth becomes the Face of His Person, a vocation to love our brothers and sisters in the truth of His plan. Indeed, He Himself is the Truth... (1)
"AT THE HEART"
Charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine. Every responsibility and every commitment spelt out by that doctrine is derived from charity which, according to the teachings of Jesus, is the synthesis of the entire law. (cf. Mt 22:36-40) (2)
TRUTH AND CHARITY
Truth needs to be sought, found, and expressed within the "economy" of charity, but charity in its turn needs to be understood, confirmed and practiced in the light of truth In this way, ...we do service to charity, enlightened by truth, but we also help give credibility to truth, demonstrating its persuasive and authenticating power in the practical setting of social living. (2)
"MEANING AND VALUE"
Only in truth does charity shine forth, only in truth can charity be authentically lived. Truth is the light that gives meaning and value to charity. (3)
LIBERATION POWER
Truth preserves and expresses charity's power to liberate in the ever-changing events of history. (5)
"A GREAT CHALLENGE"
Love in truth ... is a great challenge for the Church in a world that is becoming progressively and pervasively globalized. The risk for our time is that the de facto interdependence of people and nations is not matched by ethical interaction of consciences and minds that would give rise to truly human development. Only in charity, illumined by the light of reason and faith, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess of more humane and humanizing value. (9)
(Source: Encyclical Caritas in veritate, dated June 29, 2009)
THE CHURCH AND MISSION
Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth
Notable quotations from Pope Benedict XVI and official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
"DEEPER AWARENESS"
I turn ... to you ... to encourage in each one of you a deeper awareness of Christ's missionary mandate to "make disciples of all peoples" (Mt 28:19) in the footsteps of St. Paul.
"THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL"
The goal of the Church's mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfillment.
"A PRIMARY AND UNAVOIDABLE DUTY"
Proclamation of the Gospel must be for all of us, as it was for the Apostle Paul, a primary and unavoidable duty.
"TRANSFORM THE WORLD"
The Church wishes to transform the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of love, "that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working ... and in this way .... cause the light of God to enter into the world" (Deus Caritas Est, 39)
RENEWED COMMITMENT
The mission of the Church ... is to call all peoples to the salvation accomplished by God through His incarnate Son. It is therefore necessary to renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, which is a leaven of freedom and progress, brotherhood, unity and peace.
"EVER MORE URGENT"
I would "confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14), a duty and a mission which the widespread and profound changes in present- day society render ever more urgent. At stake is the eternal salvation of persons, the goal and fulfillment of human history and the universe.
PRAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
I ... ask all Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in the Church's passion for her mission to spread the Kingdom of God and to support missionaries and Christian communities involved in mission, in the front line, often in situations of hostility and persecution.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
BE A WINNER, NOT A LOSER
By Rogie Lee
At work and even in life, we must be winners – winners in our own right. To know where we belong, let’s examine which of the following applies to our own perspective in life and what virtues we should develop to become effective persons.
Some differences between winners and losers:
1. A winner makes a mistake and says “I was wrong.” A loser says “it wasn’t my fault.” (Virtue to develop Admission of Guilt)
2. A winner works harder than a loser and has more time. A loser is always “too busy” – too busy staying a failure. (Virtue to develop: Being Industrious or Hardworking)
3. A winner goes through a problem and a loser goes around it. (Virtue to develop: Taking up a Challenge)
4. A winner shows he’s sorry by making up for it. A loser says he sorry but does the same thing next time.(Virtue to develop: Sincerity)
5. A winner knows what to fight for and what to compromise on. A loser compromises on what he should not and fight for what isn’t worth fighting for. (Virtue to develop: Proper beliefs and principles)
6. A winner says “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be.” A loser says “well, I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.” A winner looks up to where he is going. A loser looks down on those who have not yet reached his position.(Virtue to develop: Humility)
7. A winner respects his superiors and tries to learn from them. A loser resents them and tries to find fault.(Virtue to develop: Respect for Superiors)
8. A winner is responsible for more than his job. A loser says “I only work here.” (Virtue to develop: Commitment & Concern)
9. A winner says “There ought to be a better way of doing it.” A loser says “Why change it? That’s the way its always been done.”
If you have all these positive traits, Congratulations! If not, don’t lose hope. There is always time to change. A true winner is always ready to change for the better!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
TALK TO GOD!
PRAYER
Just let Jesus pray in you.
To be able to pray
we need silence -
because God speaks to us in the silence of the heart,
and we reply from the fullness of the heart.
God speaking in the silence of our heart,
we replying in the fullness of our heart--
these two together make prayer.
The fruit of prayer is always deepening of Faith,
and Faith cannot exist by itself
it has to transform itself into love.
Love completes Faith.
Faith completes love,
When we really love,
we naturally want to love others
and that loving others is our love for God in action.
That is why prayer is so important,
even for my own Sisters and our way of life.
To be able to live a life of complete belonging to Christ,
we need that continual oneness with Christ,
in order to go on putting our love for Christ into action
through the service of the poorest of the poor.
Everything begins with prayer
spending a little time on our knees...
If all the world's rulers and leaders
would spend a little time on their knees before God,
I believe we would have a better world.
If all the world's families would spend a little time together in prayer,
I believe we would have peace in the world.
Just as love begins at home,
so peace begins at home when a family is united through prayer.
So talk to God,
let Jesus pray in you...
and if you really belong totally to Him,
in whatever kind of life He has put you,
if you just let Him pray in you live
His life in you then that oneness with Christ is prayer.
Prayer means talking to God.
He is my Father.
Jesus is my all.
- Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
FAMILY CATECHISM
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
IHS - DECEMBER 2009
IN HIS STEPS
DECEMBER
FIND
“You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
Thus did the angel tell the shepherds of Bethlehem, on the first Christmas night. From there, they hurried and found Joseph and Mary and the child Jesus. So too, by a star, wise men from the East found Christ in a stable.
In this season of joy, celebrating God’s sending of His Son to save the world, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our prayer, thanking Him for a most wonderful gift in his only begotten Son, Who will redeem the world.
In this season of love, recalling initiative to show forgiveness for our sins and concern that we again walk in His grace, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our relationships, extending His forgiveness and compassion to all those He sends us to love and care for, unconditionally, not looking at repayment, the return of a favor, or a future investment, but simply to do God’s will joyfully.
In this season of giving, remembering God’s own selfless act in allowing His Son to be man in His Godship, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our merry-making, sharing His lively, joyful and fulfilling presence with all we encounter, in this holy time of Christmas.
We pray that like the poor shepherds and the wise men, we too find Jesus and behold His transforming power in our lives.
