The September 26-27, 2009 tragedy of the storm in Manila and vicinity where more than 200 lives were lost is an awakening salvo for us. Time to have recourse to God and heed His laws. Money cannot pay for the value of a human life.
Also we have to do what we can on our part. After all we can learn from past mistakes. First of all, the infrastructure has to be investigated and evaluated. There's something wrong when flood waters reach the second floor of houses or the rooftop of cars and bungalows. Where has the drainage been blocked or clogged up? For the sake of the lives of our people, let's forget selfish interests and quarrels and concentrate on creating, not just a decorative infrastructure, but one that really protects the lives of our people in any possible eventualities of catastrophe, storm or floods. We must think two steps ahead for the good of man. And consider and evaluate too how environmental devastations (whether by mining or logging) may have had a part in this catastrophe.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
God is a God of Truth and Love
All the troubles and confusions of our day stem from man’s diverting from the ways of the Lord, which are the ways of truth and love. And that perennial problem is there when our first parents were deceived by the devil and were expelled from Paradise . The tactic of the devil, who is a liar and a murderer (Jn. 8:44) is always to present evil under the guise of good. In the first pages of the Bible, that is in chapter 3 of Genesis, is the narration of man’s fall. We have to watch out for those deceptive tactics, especially by aligning ourselves to the truth, that is by being true to God, to ourselves (don’t pretend to be what you are not) and to our neighbor. Even in language, be truthful. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Since a final arbiter is God’s truthful word, listen to the Almighty as He tells us to be sincere: “You will find me, yes, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
Do Not Vote For ....?
What's the sentiment of the people? Are we to vote for RH Bill supporters? No! Why? The position of the Church as outlined in Humanae Vitae Encyclical of Pope Paul VI (1968) expresses itself against abortion and contraceptives as being against life and promoting the Culture of Death. Just open your eyes and see the graying of many nations (more older people especially in the more materially advanced nations and less young people). That's the phenomenon. And there are more and more abortions and most contraceptives are abortifacients, that is, deleterious to the human fetus. Where they practice abortions, divorce statistics tend to rise. So don't be blind, check the facts sincerely, seek the truth.
It's not worth voting for such types of legislators (Senators or Congress people or leaders of our country) who only care for money, not the rights of the people, of which the first is: human life. Did not Jesus say: What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but destroys himself (life and soul) in the process? (Mt. 16:26). Willful murder (including abortion) is one of the four sins crying to heaven for vengeance ( the other three are sodomy or unnatural sex, oppression of the poor and defrauding laborers of their wages).
It's not worth voting for such types of legislators (Senators or Congress people or leaders of our country) who only care for money, not the rights of the people, of which the first is: human life. Did not Jesus say: What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but destroys himself (life and soul) in the process? (Mt. 16:26). Willful murder (including abortion) is one of the four sins crying to heaven for vengeance ( the other three are sodomy or unnatural sex, oppression of the poor and defrauding laborers of their wages).
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Priority to Divine Mercy
The popularity of the Divine Mercy devotion is due to the fact of man’s sinfulness and our urgent need of obtaining God’s merciful action. This devotion has so much been strengthened by the writings of St. Faustina as compiled in her book: The Diary of Divine Mercy in my Soul.
The fact, we have to admit, is that first of all we are all sinners in need of God’s Mercy. It’s only the proud who may dare to say “I have no sin.” Yet we know from looking all around our world the evidence of man’s weakness, sinfulness and corruption. It’s only a hypocrite who pretends to be without fault or weakness.
Thus in paragraph 1541 of St. Faustina’s book we read the words of Jesus to her: “My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: When a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy.
Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or put to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.”
The fact, we have to admit, is that first of all we are all sinners in need of God’s Mercy. It’s only the proud who may dare to say “I have no sin.” Yet we know from looking all around our world the evidence of man’s weakness, sinfulness and corruption. It’s only a hypocrite who pretends to be without fault or weakness.
Thus in paragraph 1541 of St. Faustina’s book we read the words of Jesus to her: “My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: When a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy.
Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or put to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.”
Monday, September 21, 2009
May They Be One Bible
Is this a different Bible from the rest? Certainly not. This has a foreword by Most Rev. Arturo M. Bastes, SVD, DD, presently Bishop of Sorsogon and also the Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA). Why then has it a message of unity to our world? It is because God's message or words are messages communicating love and peace. An ancient Latin dictum says this: Ideae regunt mundum (translated: it is ideas that rule the world).
The ideas of God in the Bible, especially of His beloved Son Jesus Christ are words of love, humility and goodness. In fact, in 1 Cor. 13:1-13, we cn find a summary of what defines love. Is there a stronger unifying factor than love? The Bible answers man's endless search for understanding, unity and peace. For this one needs to be a humble believer in love and in Him who is love in person, Jesus Christ.
"If I could speak all the tongues of men and of angels, but were given no love, I would only be sounding brass or clanging cymbals. If I had prophecy, knowing secret things with all kinds of knowledge, and faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor, and even gave up my own body, but only to receive praise and not through love, it would be of no value to me. Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest. Love withstands anger and forgets offenses. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices with the truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
"Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent and knowledge disappear. For knowledge grasps the truth imperfectly and prophecy as well. And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away. When I was a child I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways. LIkewise, at present, we see dimly as in a faulty mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now, we know in part, but then I will know Him as He knows me. Now we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:1-13).
The ideas of God in the Bible, especially of His beloved Son Jesus Christ are words of love, humility and goodness. In fact, in 1 Cor. 13:1-13, we cn find a summary of what defines love. Is there a stronger unifying factor than love? The Bible answers man's endless search for understanding, unity and peace. For this one needs to be a humble believer in love and in Him who is love in person, Jesus Christ.
"If I could speak all the tongues of men and of angels, but were given no love, I would only be sounding brass or clanging cymbals. If I had prophecy, knowing secret things with all kinds of knowledge, and faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor, and even gave up my own body, but only to receive praise and not through love, it would be of no value to me. Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest. Love withstands anger and forgets offenses. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices with the truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
"Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent and knowledge disappear. For knowledge grasps the truth imperfectly and prophecy as well. And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away. When I was a child I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways. LIkewise, at present, we see dimly as in a faulty mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now, we know in part, but then I will know Him as He knows me. Now we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:1-13).
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