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My Prayer Box
the Newsletter of My Catholic Tradition
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Back from a visit and Thank You ...
After 19
years, my wife finally convinced me to go back
with my whole family for a visit to my old
country, the Philippines, specifically, to
Cebu City.
And sure
enough with all its traffic and burgeoning
population, I found that so much did change in the
City of Cebu. And yet so much did not.
Those whom I remembered as good people were still
good people. They were fun to be around.
There were
places the sight of which dug up some wonderful
memories of when I was growing up and busy getting
my education.
My alma
mater, University of San Carlos (Engineering Class
of 1975), Main Building is still great looking.
And still green, in most places anyway, since
commerce is creeping in. The Engineering
Campus in Talamban evoked memories of fright night
- when I finally became a member of the Chemical
Engineering Society. The saddest change I found
among my childhood places, however, turned out to
the Basilica del Santo Nino, which has literally
become a marketplace. We'll need Jesus to drive these
merchants out again.
All these
memories tied back to what Father Michael was
referring to, which I wrote about a few weeks
back, about living in the present. And boy, if I
judge that by the memories that flooded back I
LIVED in that moment.
And the
relationships!
My wife'
family is a very connected person in the City
(thankfully!) and that old network surfaced much
to my family's enjoyment of the visit.
First of
all Very
Special Thank You to my wife, Daisy, for
patience and perseverance for putting this trip
together and in dealing a spoiled brat, namely,
me!
A Very
Special Thank You to Jun C., without whom
and without his expert guidance we would have been
floundering around that seemingly map-less city.
He took time from his busy schedule assisting his
brother who is the mayor of a major City.
And also
Special Thank You to Mayor Jonas C., for
meeting with us with no appointment. Let's put it
this way, it is not very common for anyone to meet
a mayor of a major city at his home after office
hours! My kids found that "just awesome!" My wife
and I both agree. |
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Another
Special Thank You to Jimmy M.,
one of the Directors in
Plantation Bay who somehow managed to
get us into
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa while
being fully booked. And Maline C., who got us
a great room! And by the way, the
picture here is real! I have never seen a
resort as beautiful as this and for the |
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price the
rooms currently are. Believe me, if you have a
chance to visit that part of the world, take a
couple of days in Plantation Bay and you will not
want to leave.
A Special
Thank You to Eva and Kelly H., who,
with their daughter, Aimi took us to what my daughter
now refers to as the best Japanese restaurant ever,
Yumeya Kihei - Cebu. I
agree whole heartedly. And then they topped that
evening off with a moonless night visit to the
stunning Tops in Busay Hills, that can only be
referred to as having the the most amazing view of
the Cities of Cebu and Mandaue, all decked up with
lights!
A
Special Thank You to Auntie Charing M., Lita,
M., Bing Bing M., and Bebot M., who welcomed us to their homes,
and made my children and their guests most at
home. Auntie Charing (actually my wife's aunt) and
Lita both have separate ministries in the Catholic
Archdiocese of Cebu. But what stood out for me was
the great breakfast at their home in Lahug and the
great party in Bing Bing's home. Tip from Lita: Fresh
picked herbs from the garden make the best herbal
tea.
A
Special Thank You to Bede L., from my old
employer, San Miguel Corporation in Mandaue city,
who gave us a great tour of the Brewery, and Alex
B., also with San Miguel, who arranged it with very
short notice.
A
Special Thank You to Raffy T. and his wife, in
Danao city who were great lunch host, after an
aborted trip to Camotes Island for what was to be
a family visit and an experience at the Santiago
Bay Resort. The weather did not cooperate.
A
Special Thank You to the owner of Wonderland
Shooting Range in Mactan for staying open late
just to accommodate our busy schedule. And also a
Special Thank You to the two "armaments
experts" for giving us a quick lesson on handling
guns.
And of
course a Special Thank You to my family,
especially Agnes and Julius G, who did the
leg-work preparing our visit, and my mother Mrs.
G. It was great to see my mother and my brothers
and their families for the New Year.
And (I
hope I did not forget anyone else), a Special
Thank You to our driver, Carlito, who took us
around, patiently waited for my children at the clubs
until past midnight and brought us safely and with
great care to our
destinations.
All the
great experiences we had in this trip were because
sometime in the past some people knew that
respect, assistance and gratitude were not
investments for the future but were the right
thing to do then as they are the right thing to do
now.
Those who
treat goodness as an investment will find soon
enough that when the relationship fades the
investment goes with it.
The best part
of the whole trip, though, was our visit to
Orphanage run by Mother Teresa's Sisters of
Charity. I'm sure you'll hear about this in later
issues. So watch this page! |
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The archbishop’s column
was condensed and adapted from his Theology on Tap
remarks to young adults in Sydney, Australia, July
16. |
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No one can live a
“half-way” Christianity. It never works. Every
double life inevitably self-destructs. So the
question facing every Catholic young adult who
is serious about his or her faith is pretty
straightforward: How are we going to live in
this world? How can we lead a Christian life in
a secular age?
We can’t really answer that question until we
get a few things straight about what it means to
be a Christian. And that means first getting
some things straight about Jesus Christ. One of
the by-products of our age is that we don’t
really quite know what to think about Jesus
anymore.
A few years before he became Pope Benedict XVI,
then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote something
that is, unfortunately, very true. He wrote:
“Today in broad circles, even among believers,
an image has prevailed of a Jesus who demands
nothing, never scolds, who accepts everyone and
everything, who no longer does anything but
affirm us. . . . The figure is transformed from
the ‘Lord’ (a word that is avoided) into a man
who is nothing more than the advocate of all
men.”
We all know people—friends or family members or
both—who think about Jesus in these terms. It’s
hard to avoid. Our culture has given Jesus a
make-over. We’ve remade him in the image and
likeness of secular compassion. Today he’s not
the Lord, the Son of God, but more like an
enlightened humanist nice guy.
The problem is this: If Jesus isn’t Lord, if he
isn’t the Son of God, then he can’t do anything
for us. Then the Gospel is just one more or less
interesting philosophy of life. Therefore, if we
want to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ
in a secular age, we need to trust the Gospels,
and we need to trust the Church that gives us
the Gospels. We need to truly believe that Jesus
is the Son of God and the son of Mary. True God
and true man. The One who holds the words of
eternal life. If we aren’t committed to that
truth, then nothing else about the Catholic
faith can make any sense.
Jesus didn’t come down from heaven to tell us to
go to church on Sunday. He didn’t die on the
cross and rise from the dead so that we would
pray more at home and be a little nicer to our
next-door neighbors. The one thing even
non-believers can see is that the Gospels aren’t
compromise documents. Jesus wants all of us. And
not just on Sundays. He wants us to love God
with all our heart, all our soul, all our
strength, and all our mind. He wants us to love
our neighbor as ourselves. That is, with a love
that’s consuming and total.
We need to take Christ at his word. We need to
love him like our lives depend on it. Right now.
And without excuses. Remember that man in
Scripture who told Jesus: I’m ready to be your
disciple, but first I need to plan my father’s
funeral? The way Jesus responds is blunt and
disturbing: “Leave the dead to bury their own
dead. Follow me and proclaim the kingdom of
God.” Of course, Jesus is not commanding
disrespect for our parents. What he’s saying is
that there is no more urgent priority in our
lives than following him and proclaiming his
kingdom.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ can never be
just one more among many aspects of our daily
life. Being a Christian is who we are. Period.
Being a Christian means our life has a mission.
It means striving every day to be a better
follower, to become more like Jesus in our
thoughts and actions.
Blessed Charles de Foucauld once said that, “God
calls all the souls he has created to love him
with their whole being. … But he does not ask
all souls to show their love by the same works,
to climb to heaven by the same ladder, to
achieve goodness in the same way. What sort of
work, then must I do? Which is my road to
heaven?”
If we ask those questions with a determined and
prayerful heart, God will always listen, and
respond.
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The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 18,
2008
“Here
I am.” 1 Samuel 3:4 |
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First Reading From
the First Book of Samuel: |
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1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
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Samuel was
sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark
of God was.
The LORD
called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran
to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not
call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went
back to sleep.
Again the
LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I
am, “ he said. “You called me.”
But Eli
answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to
sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the
LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything
to him as yet.
The LORD
called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up
and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called
me.”
Then Eli
understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So
he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are
called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When
Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came
and revealed his presence, calling out as before,
“Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel
answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not
permitting any word of his to be without effect. |
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For
more of the story of Samuel and other Towering
Figures from the Old Testament,
please click here. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 |
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R. Here am
I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
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Second Reading from the Letter to the
Corinthians |
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1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20 |
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Brothers and sisters:
The body is not for immorality, but for the Lord,
and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord
and will also raise us by his power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of
Christ?
But whoever is joined to
the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.
Avoid immorality.
Every other sin a person
commits is outside the body, but the immoral
person sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your
body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God, and that you are not your
own?
For you have been
purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in
your body. |
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Reading From
the Gospel of John:
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Jn 1:35-42 |
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John was standing with two
of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by,
he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what
he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them
following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi”
— which translated means Teacher —,
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“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come,
and you will see.”
So they went and saw
where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him
that day.
It was about four in the
afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was
one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own
brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated
Christ —.
Then he brought him to
Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and
said,
“You are Simon the son of John; you will be called
Cephas” — which is translated Peter. |
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References |
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Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
by
Charles J. Chaput
(Author)
“At a time
when the ‘faith and values’ vote has never
been more important, Archbishop Charles Chaput
deftly explores the intersection of morality,
reason, and politics. |
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This isn’t
just a book for Catholics, but for anyone who
cares about the state of America’s soul —and
how that concern might shape the 2008
elections.”
—John
L. Allen Jr., NCR and CNN senior Vatican
correspondent,
Amazon |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher |
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"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire is already the
subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
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Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities - Year B - 2009
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response |
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to the many questions
concerning the Catholic Church. It spells out
profound truths in very simple language for all
who seek a better understanding of their Faith.
I highly recommend it for Catholics, both young
and old. |
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The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon: |
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After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as |
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it walks you through a
pivotal period in Israel’s history, and
illustrative maps will give you a better
picture of the physical geography of this
ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided |
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by the New English Bible
itself, but these are further subdivided for the
purposes of the commentary, which is printed in
short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley
(Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the |
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cultural world in which Jesus lived with a lot
of pertinent information that sheds light on a
lot of areas that have been "muddled" in the
past. Yes, I highly recommend this book. -
James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced
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harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and
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faithfully Catholic
commentaries. Like other volumes in the
world-renowned Navarre Bible series, these
commentaries draw on Church documents, the
exegesis of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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Copyright
© 2006. My Catholic Tradition. All rights reserved |
Dear Friends:
Please visit us by
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I hope you visit us often and tell your friends, too!
Thank you.
Rey
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