GOD BLESS! ! !


FROM JULIE YAP DAZA

 I just want to share that two years ago, I went to see St. Therese's remains when it was put on display in the Carmelite Church . I went there because I was curious what was this euphoria about the world's youngest saint whose job is to grant people's wishes?
 So I went with friend Lyn and I must admit the life of the little child, Therese, intrigued me. It turned out she was a child who wanted to serve her God more than anything else in the world. Thus, in every chore that she did: even watering the plants, she performed it like it was for her master.  

 Since all her siblings were Carmelite nuns, she became a nun herself, the youngest (12?) to be allowed inside the convent. So we're talking of a pure 'uncorrupted soul'. And then she died.
 But she left a journal (suggested reading!) which contained all her thoughts about God, love and life. Since then she became the saint who grants all wishes..

 Believe it or not, my wish was granted! Not because I said a novena but knowing about her life and reading her works inspired me and made me more patient and persevering. According to religious beliefs, St.   Therese was known as: 'The Little Flower'... Whenever you ask for intercession to her for a miracle, she will send you a rose in one form or another when the miracle has been granted. You may smell roses, receive a rose by visual means, etc. REMEMBER to make a wish before you read the poem. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. This is a powerful novena. Do not break this, please.. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of reward.. Let's continue praying for one another. Make a wish before you read this  poem.... Did you make a wish? If you don't make a wish, it won't come true.  
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May today there be peace within. May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite  posibilities that are born of faith May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and to bask in the sun. It is there for each and every one of you. 

Send this, as many People within the next 5 min.

The Bible - Lesson 7: The Bible and Tradition

Lesson 7:
The Bible And Tradition

1. Do we not have in the Bible books written by authors, other than the Apostles?

We have, but these authors lived in apostolic times and merely recorded the words and deeds of the Apostles themselves.

2. Why does the Church not admit any books except those of Apostolic origin?

The Church does not accept any book not of Apostolic origin because the Deposit of Faith was completed with the death of the last Apostle (St. John).

3. Why does the Church require that a book should be in harmony with Tradition?

She requires that a book be in harmony with Tradition because the Gospel had already been preached before a word of the New Testament was ever written.

4. Are there in the Bible any books whose inspiration was doubted by some for a time?

Yes, the Second Epistle of St Peter, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Apocalypse.

5. Are there any books not found in the Bible today which for a time were thought by some to be inspired?

Yes, namely the "Gospel of St. James," the "Gospel of St. Thomas," the "Acts of St. Paul," amongst many others.

6. What happened to these books once thought to be inspired?

They were rejected as spurious. It does not mean necessarily that these books are bad; it simply means that they are not part of the Bible because they were not inspired by the Holy Ghost; they are what we Catholics call "Apocrypha" or "Apocryphal books." The Protestants erroneously give the name "Apocrypha" to the Deutero-Canonical books.

7. What does this attitude of the Church prove?

This attitude proves, amongst other things, that the Church sifts everything carefully before approving or rejecting.

8. What do we mean by Tradition?

By Tradition we mean that body of doctrine which has been handed down to us, alongside the doctrine clearly taught in the Bible.

9. Who has handed down Tradition?

The Church, through her teaching office (Also called "Magisterium"), has handed down Tradition.

10. What guarantee have we that Tradition is not false?

We have the guarantee of Christ in His statement that the Church would not err in teaching.

11. Does the Bible then, not contain all Christian revelation?

No, and it was never intended that it should.

12. What proof do we have that the Bible does not contain the complete Deposit of Faith?

There is the fact that Christ commissioned His Apostles to "Preach and teach" (Mt. 28, 19), whereas no mention of "Writing" is found; furthermore, the Gospel was widely spread before a single word of the New Testament was ever written.

13. What further Scriptural proof have we that the Bible does not contain the complete Deposit of Faith?

The words of St. John that conclude his Gospel, "But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written" (Jn. 21, 25).

14. What view do Protestants hold about the Deposit of Faith?

Protestants hold that all things necessary for salvation are found in the Bible. To quote Luther: "The Bible and the Bible only."

15. Do Protestants ignore Tradition?

Totally, and in this they are illogical, for it is by Tradition that we know what the Bible contains.

16. What is the Catholic view of the Bible and Tradition?

That, while the Bible is the chief source, it is neither the only nor the original source of our knowledge of Revelation.

17. To what may we compare the relation between the Bible and Tradition?

We may compare it to a professor's textbooks and his lectures; as a professor's lectures in the classroom, and his textbooks clarify each other, so does the Bible clarify Tradition and is clarified by it in turn.

18. Has Tradition aided the Bible in other ways?

Yes, it has preserved the Bible and has helped the Church to sift the true from the false, and has kept us from false interpretation.  

The Bible - Lesson 6: Canon of Sacred Scripture

Lesson 6:
Canon Of Sacred Scripture

1. How many books does the entire Bible contain?

Seventy-two or seventy-four, depending on the way they are calculated

2. How do we know with certainty that the Bible contains only these books?

We know with certainty that the Bible contains only these books because the number is fixed by the "Canon of the Scriptures."

3. What is meant by the word "Canon"?

"Canon" is a Greek word that means a standard or rule.

4. What is meant by the "Canon of Scriptures"?

Originally, the Canon of Scriptures meant the qualifications required of a book before admittance into the number of recognized inspired writings; now it means the very collection of these books recognized as inspired.

5. Who decides which books belong to the Bible and which do not?

The Catholic Church decides.

6. By what authority does the Catholic Church make this decision?

By that of Christ, Who has made her the infallible teacher of faith and morals by both the oral and the written word.

7. What special mark was required of a book before its admittance into the collection known as the Bible?

The special mark required was clear proof of its inspiration.

8. By whom was the first list of the books of the Bible drawn up?

Pope Damasus, at the Roman Council of 382 A.D.

9. By what name are those books, whose authenticity was never questioned, known?

They are known as the Proto-Canonical Books.

10. Why are they so called?

They are so called because from the beginning they were recognized as Scriptural; the Greek prefix "proto" has the signification "from the first" or "originally," hence the use of the term "proto-canonical" to describe those books.

11. By what name are the disputed books known?

They are known as the Deutero-Canonical Books.

12. Why are they so called?

They are so called because their recognition as Scriptural came "afterwards"; the Greek word "Deutero" used as a prefix has the signification of "second" or "later."

13. Name the Deutero-Canonical Books.

Tobias, Wisdom, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees (I & II), Judith, Esther (Ch X. v. 4 to end), Daniel (Ch. III, vs. 52-93). The Protestants call them "Apocryphal" Books.

14. Why did the Hebrews not admit these books as part of the Bible?

As a whole, the Hebrews stopped admitting these books after the second Century A.D., because they were written in languages other than Hebrew, or were of uncertain authorship.

15. Did the Hebrews ever formally rejected these books?

On the contrary, even if they did not accept these books as part of the Bible, they were always held in the greatest reverence by the Hebrews.

16. Under what guidance does the Church declare which books are canonical and which are not?

Under the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

17. How do we know that she has this guidance?

We know that she has this guidance because Christ promised assistance to His Church until the end of times [Matthew 28:20].

18. Has the Church made use of human means in drawing up the Canon of Scriptures?

Yes; she investigated carefully whether the doctrine taught in the book was in harmony with Tradition and whether the book was of apostolic origin.  

The Bible - Lesson 5: The New Testament

Lesson 5:
The New Testament

1. How many books are there in the New Testament?

There are twenty-seven books in the New Testament.

2. When were these books written?

These books were written during a period extending from 35 A.D. to 93 A.D.

3. By whom were they written?

They were written mainly by the Apostles.

4. Why do we say "mainly"?

We say "mainly" because some books of the New Testament were written by men who were not the Apostles, i.e., St. Mark and St. Luke.

5. How may the books of the New Testament be classified?

Like those of the Old Testament, the books of the New may be grouped into three classes.

6. Name these three classes.

They are the same classes as with the Old Testament: Historical, Didactic, and Prophetical.

7. Name the Historical Books.

The Historical Books are the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles.

8. Name the Didactic Books.

The Didactic Books are all the Epistles.

9. Name the Prophetical Books.

There is only one Prophetical Book in the New Testament, namely, the Apocalypse of St. John.

10. What do we learn from the New Testament?

From the New Testament we learn the principal events in the Life of Christ, many Christian beliefs and practices, as well as much history of the early Catholic Church.

11. Was the New Testament written primarily to convert people?

No, conversion was done by preaching. The New Testament was written to strengthen the Faith of the people already converted.

12. Can we prove it?

Yes: "It seems good to me also, ... to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed" (Lc. I, 3-4).  

The Bible - Lesson 4: The Old Testament

Lesson 4:
The Old Testament

1. How many books does the Old Testament contain?

It contains from forty-five to forty-seven books, depending on how the books are divided.

2. Into how many classes may these books be divided?

Three.

3. Name these classes.

Didactic or Doctrinal, Historical, and Prophetic books.

4. Is there any reason for this classification?

Yes, the very matter contained in them suggests this classification.

5. What are the Didactic or Doctrinal books?

There are the books that contain the teachings of God to man.

6. How many Didactic books are there in the Old Testament?

Seven: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus.

7. Why are others called "Prophetical Books"?

Because they treat of the Messiah and His life, passion, and death in a prophetical manner.

8. Are all the Prophetical books of equal importance?

No; four of these books are called the Greater Prophets because they are greater in length and deal with more important matters, generally, than the other twelve which are called the Lesser Prophets.

9. Why are the remaining books classified as "Historical books"?

The remaining books are so classified because they narrate the history of the People of God and the history of our salvation.  

Wash Day

Now, this is really a cute one. . .and I've not seen it before, either!! That is getting to be a rarity!!!

Monday
Wash Day

Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday
Ironing Day

Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday
Mending Day

O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.    
 
Thursday
Cleaning Day

Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday
Shopping Day

O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal
happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Saturday
Cooking Day

Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it
with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday
The Lord's Day

O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.       


If this message has inspired you in anyway or you feel that it can brighten someone else's day, please share it. 
 

The Bible - Lesson 3: Dates and Division of The Bible

Lesson 3:
Dates And Division Of The Bible

1. When was the Bible written?

The Bible was written during a period covering more than 1500 years.

2. When was the first book written?

The exact date is not known, but it must have been some fifteen hundred years before Christ, since its author was Moses.

3. When was the last book written?

The last book was written about the year 93 A.D.

4. What period of time does the Bible, as a book of history, cover?

As a history, the Bible covers a period of many thousands of years.

5. Name the event with which the Bible, as a book of history, begins.

The creation of the universe.

6. What events bring the Bible, as a book of history, to a close?

The life of Christ and early spread of Christianity.

7. How is the Bible divided?

The Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments.

8. Is the division into Old and New Testaments suitable?

It is, since the Old Testament deals with the span of time before Christ's first coming with the expectation for the future Savior, while the New Testament treats of His life and work in this world, or the realization of that hope.  

The Bible - Lesson 2: Inspiration of The Bible

Lesson 2:
Inspiration Of The Bible

1. Must we believe in the inspiration of the Bible?

Yes, the inspiration of the Bible is an article of Faith which cannot be denied without sin.

2. What is meant by inspiration of the Bible?

Inspiration of the Bible means, in the first place, that those who wrote the Bible were impelled to do so by God.

3. What else is meant by inspiration of the Bible?

Principally that those who wrote the Bible were protected from error while writing what God impelled them to write.

4. Is there a special name for that protection of the writer from error?

Yes, it is called "biblical inerrancy." It means that there are no errors in the Bible.

5. What proof have we that the Bible is inspired?

The Catholic Church, which is infallible, teaches us so.

6. Does not the Church itself rely on the Bible for proofs of its infallibility?

Besides those found in the Bible, the Church has many other proofs for its infallibility.

7. What general proof have we for the inspiration of the Bible?

Besides many others, we have Our Lord's constant references to the Old Testament as the word of God, while the early Christian Church testifies to the inspiration of the New Testament.

8. Are all the parts of the Bible inspired?

"For all the books which the Church receives as sacred and canonical are written wholly and entirely, with all their parts, at the dictation of the Holy Ghost ..." (Leo the XIII in Providentissimus Deus, E.B. 124, 127)

9. Does the inspiration apply to the originals only, or to the translations also?

Both: It applies absolutely to the originals, and to the translations insofar as they are faithful to the originals.  

The Bible - Lesson 1: Bible Definitions

To give us proper perspective on the Holy Writings, following the teachings of the Catholic Church, and observing what Peter the apostle call, the "Obedience of Faith", I would like to share with you a Bible Catechism which is consistent with the teachings of my Holy Mother Church:

 

Lesson 1:
Bible Definitions

1. What does the word "Bible" mean?

The word "Bible" means "book."

2. From what language is the word derived?
(Etymological definition)

From the Latin "Biblia," which in turn comes from the Greek.

3. Is the Greek word for what we call the "Bible" in the singular or in the plural?

In the plural, which means that it should be translated "the books".

4. Why did the Greeks use the plural form?

They used the plural form because the Bible is not one book but a collection of books.

5. Is the Latin word for what we call the Bible in the singular or in the plural?

It is in the singular and, therefore, should be translated "the book".

6. Why does the Latin use the singular form?

Because the Bible is the most important book there is, since it is the Word of God.

7. What does the Bible contain?

The Bible contains chiefly a history of God's Revelation to mankind.

8. What does the Bible give us in addition to the history of God's dealings with mankind?

In addition, the Bible gives us instructions in faith and morals.

9. Does the Bible give other instructions?

Certain books give detailed instructions for the carrying out of religious worship in the Old Law.

10. Did the Bible, as some seem to think, fall from heaven?

No; the Bible was written by man.

11. If the Bible was written by man, why do we say it is the written word of God?

Though written by man, we can truly say it is the written word of God, because it was written under the inspiration of God.  

Boy memorizes all 265 popes! His Catholic memory secrets will help your memory, too.

Recently a wise midwestern priest wowed his parishioners by pausing in his sermon to recite from memory --- and in order --- the names of all 44 United States presidents!

* "But wait," he said, holding up a hand to stifle applause. "Greater things are yet to come." "However, before I show you," he continued, "note this: although we've had lots of presidents, the Catholic Church already had 220 popes before the first American president was ever inaugurated. That's how old our Church is, and how ancient the origins of our beloved Eucharist!" * "But I told you that greater things are yet to come." "John Paul," he motioned to an eleven-year-old in the pews. "Come up here." John Paul walked nervously to the front of the Church, faced the tabernacle, and prayed silently. Behind him, Father and an associate held up a large poster with the names and images on it of every single pope --- from Peter to Benedict XVI.

Young John Paul then proceeded to name all 265 popes, in order and from memory!

John Paul with all 265 popes.

But there's something here
that's even greater than that!

You see, John Paul is clever, but he's no prodigy. He memorized all 265 popes by using a simple memory system created over 700 years ago by St. Thomas Aquinas, and recently revived by Dr. Kevin Vost . . . a system so simple it also helped a 5-year-old learn her numbers, letters, shapes, and colors:

As they taught young John Paul and Sonya's little daughter, Thomas Aquinas and Kevin Vost can teach you and your kids to remember virtually anything: . . . names, dates, phone numbers, passwords, the first 12 digits of pi (3.141592653589, if you really want to know!), and even whether, on the way home, you're supposed to buy ice cream and toffee (or was ittruffles and coffee?)

---

The Nine Beatitudes The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy The Seven Virtues The Ten Holy Days of Obligation The Fourteen Stations of the Cross The Seven Capital Sins The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy The Ten Commandments The Twenty-Seven Books of the New Testament The Forty-Six Books of the Old Testament The Four Marks of the Church The Six Sins Against the Holy Spirit	St. Thomas created this remarkable system to help him remember the teachings of our Faith. You can use it for that, too. It's easy. And it's fun!	The Twelve Apostles The Twenty Mysteries of the Rosary The Seven Sacraments The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit The Five Proofs for the existence of God The Five Precepts of the Church The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit The Four Last Things Plus: the ten items on your grocery list and the birthdays of your seven nephews and nieces!
In fact, by the time you finishMemorize the Faith!, you will have memorized dozens of key teachings of the Church (including all those listed left and right, above). You and your children will know by heart countless other precepts, traditions, Scripture verses, and other elements of the Faith that every good Catholic needs to remember and to live by. You already know your letters, shapes, and colors, and likely you don't need to know all 265 popes, but I'll bet that a good memory would make your life better all the way around, and would help your kids, too. Order it today: Save 25%* At checkout, enter code: HLVOST25 (*shipping not included) Memorize the Faith! by Kevin Vost, Psy.D. 272 pgs pbk $17.95 Save 25%* At checkout, enter code: HLVOST25 (*shipping not included) Other books by Dr. Vost that might interest you: Save 25%* At checkout, enter code: HLVOST25 (*shipping not included) 1-800-888-9344www.SophiaInstitute.com Sophia Institute Press Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108 USA

Of Weeping And Rejoicing

 by Bill Crowder

Read: Romans 12:9-16

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. —Romans 12:15

Golda Meir knew both struggle and success during her life. As prime minister of Israel, she experienced many episodes of conflict and loss, as well as the periodic joy of successes and victory in the life of the fledgling State of Israel. She said of joy and sorrow, “Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart, don’t know how to laugh either.”

The apostle Paul called us to a life of both weeping and rejoicing—but with a twist. In Romans 12:15, the apostle challenged us to look outside our own experiences to the needs of others. He said, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

If we rejoice only in our own victories, we miss the wonder of celebrating the power of the Lord, who desires to accomplish His purposes in and through others as well. If we mourn only our own losses, we lose the opportunity to “be there” for those who are hurting by showing them compassion.

Life is filled with the extremes of joy and sorrow, victory and defeat. But we have been given the privilege of entering into those moments in people’s lives to see the grace of God at work. Don’t miss it!

Lord, give me sensitivity

To people in their grief and pain,

To weep with them and show Your love

In ways mere words cannot attain. —Sper

Looking to the needs of others honors Christ.