Why? God works His miracles in answer to our faith. For example, in the gospel of Matthew is narrated the cure of the Roman centurion’s servant who was paralyzed. This was how the gospel put it. After Jesus observed the faith of the centurion, He told him: “Go back then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.” And the servant was cured at that moment. (cf. Mt. 8:13).
Even while still on earth, our faith can be a source of grace and change. Jesus refers to that when He commented after curing or forgiving a person – “Your faith has been your salvation” (cf. Mt. 9:22, Mk. 5:34, Lk. 7:50). This is one basic point in our religion that we realize its teachings and sacraments are a source of righteous deeds. St. Paul described it this way: “I am not ashamed of the Good News (Gospel): It is the power of God saving all who have faith…..as scripture says: “The upright man finds life through faith” ( Rom. 1:16). Many skeptics want to deny this astounding effect of God’s marvels and miracles that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. But much of this is verified and documented historically, especially in the lives of saints and the very historical evolution of the Catholic Church amid all the trials and persecutions in the past and present. That is what precisely Jesus refers to when He talks about the forgiveness of sins. It means a change in persons and personalities for a better life of love and faithfulness to God. “So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem . You are witnesses to this” (Lk. 24:46-48).
I have NOTHING AGAINST Bishop Ramon Villena, or the Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteBut when a church leader says an IRRESPONSIBLE STATEMENT to his followers, I have a God-given right to say something about it.
To Bishop Ramon Villena.
Please don't pretend that you know anything about Philippine history. Obviously, you don't because you are blinded by your friendship with the Arroyos, and you use your position in religion to legitimize your claim.
If I were to substantiate your statements with ABSENCE OF FACTS, they will show that YOU ARE IGNORANT ABOUT ECONOMICS, POLITICS, AND you just continue to make the Filipino villagers more ignorant by leading them in the wrong way.
As a historian, I have my facts. Can you refute them?
Top Ten Reasons Why Gloria Arroyo is the Dumbest President in the History of the Philippines:
1. She has a PhD in Economics but cannot eradicate poverty in the Philippines.
2. She received some doctorate education in the United States, at Georgetown University, as a classmate of Bill Clinton. She did not use this knowledge to help her country.
3. She is the daughter of Diosdado Macapagal, president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1969, which makes her a princess-turned-queen, and her two sons in Congress -- princes. If their dynasty cannot eradicate poverty now, during her prime, what makes us think she and her sons can eradicate poverty in the future?
4. She has been in power since 1987, when she was Undersecretary of Trade and Industry. What investments did she bring to the Philippines? Thirty-three years of power for nothing.
5. Economic growth coming from the government in the Philippines is a fallacy. The truth - remittances from more than 10 million Filipino overseas workers all over the world drive the economy of the nation.
6. Her inability to bring economic change to the Philippines over the past 33 years is one of the main reasons why Filipinos are working overseas away from their families and love ones.
7. All her infrastructure projects were envisioned and designed during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos. We did the research at the Department of Transportation and Communication, and the Department of Science and Technology in the Philippines.
8. Her close political ally, Andal Ampatuan, Sr., has a son who killed fifty-seven people, thirty-two of them journalists. This is the largest single massacre of press people in human history, in the absence of a war or insurgency (that's like President Obama's close friend killing Fox News analysts, CNN reporters, and MSNBC pundits).
9. She is now a Congresswoman in her province of Pampanga, thereby stopping other political aspirants to take part in political processes. She does not want Filipinos to mature and learn from democracy. This is an abuse of her power as former president.
10. Her administration is responsible for 100 deaths of journalists and activists since 2001. Compared to former President Marcos, there were 34 deaths over a period of 21 years. Marcos did not have a Ph.D. in Economics. Nor did he study in the US, or was the son of a former president.
The only reason why the Philippines is NOT a failed state?
American presence and intelligence in Manila and Mindanao.
In ending, even a Bishop has social responsibilities. Why don't you realize that, Bishop Villena?