ab epistvlis

from Wikimedia Commons Today, February 11, is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. The first apparition witnessed by the visionary Saint Bernadette Soubirous took place in Lourdes, France on February 11, 1858. The Prayer O Holy Virgin, in the midst of your days of glory Do not forget the sorrows of this earth. Cast a merciful glance upon those who are suffering, struggling against difficulties, with their lips constantly pressed against life's bitter cup. Have pity on those who love each other and are separated. Have pity on our rebellious hearts. Have pity on our weak faith. Have pity on those we love. Have pity on those who weep, on those who pray, on those who fear. Grant hope and peace to all. Amen.

O Saint John Bosco , Father and teacher of youth, who, docile to the fits of the Spirit, passed on to the Salesian Family the wealth of your predilection for the humble and the poor. Teach us to become each day for them signs and bearers of the love of God , cultivating in our soul the same sentiments of Christ the Good Shepherd. Ask for the all the members of your Family, a good heart, tenacity of work, wisdom in discernment , courage to witness, a sense of Church, and missionary generosity. Obtain for us the grace of fidelity to the special covenant which the Lord has established with us. And grant that, guided by Mary, we may joyfully journey with young along the way that leads to love. Amen.

Hail Blessed Virgin Mary , our Mother and Queen of mercy;  we recognize that you are the great daughter of our Father wonderfully rich in love and compassion. Through you, He sent His only Son, Who in His Paschal mystery most completely revealed His mercy – love more powerful than death, evil and sin. As our life and our world face so many evils that threaten to mar God's design of love, we come with confidence to you, our Blessed Mother. Remind us of our Father, who has His mercy to all who call on Him in every generation. Bring us closer to your Son , Who preached and manifested to us this divine love. Make us aware of the Holy Spirit, Who inspires and empowers us to practice mercy to one another. Intercede always for us so that we may ever experience and express the divine mercy as we go through this valley of tears towards the mountain of the fullness of life. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

MTV, Song dedicated to the life of St Pedro Calungsod featuring Harry Santos (finalist, Pinoy Pop Superstar, GMA Network) The story of St Pedro Calungsod by the Jesuit Communications The relatives of St Pedro Calungsod.

From Wikipedia Commons O marvelous Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, who, in thy brief mortal career, didst become a mirror of angelic purity, of daring love and of whole-hearted surrender to Almighty God, now that thou art enjoying the recompense of the virtues, turn thine eyes of mercy upon us who trust in thee. Obtain for us the grace to keep our hearts and minds pure and clean like unto thine, and to abhor in all sincerity whatever might tarnish ever so slightly the luster of a virtue so sublime, a virtue that endears us to thy heavenly Bridegroom. Ah, dear Saint, grant us to feel in every need the power of thy intercession; give us comfort in all the bitterness of this life and specially at its latter end, that we may be worthy to share eternal happiness with thee in paradise. Amen. Today, October 1, is the Feast of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus. This prayer is good for young girls who entered a relationship so early in life without the sanctity of marriage; young gir...

Dear Father in Heaven Like the manna from Heaven Shower upon me your abundance that fulfills dreams and wishes. Send me your graces That I may meet my daily needs and settle my obligations Including those of my family's. Find me the opportunities To earn for a living that benefits me and my loved ones. Inspire me to work hard That I may earn what I deserve. Teach me to save my resources, be wise and prudent; And most of all, Teach me to be generous and thankful at all times; As I receive all your blessings, With the Blessed Mother, the angels, and the saints, I thank you, my Father in Heaven, In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, My Lord and My God. Amen. Photo c/o Fotografik Mind

When one practices contemplation , the human nature needs to experience "interiority"; however, the ego craves to have something, aspires to know something, longs to acquire something. Until these triple "desire for something" dissipates, it will be very hard for the person to reach interior freedom. This can not be done in a day, nor in just a short practice for some time. This path of contemplation is entered into with intense effort, and arrive at with discipline until it reaches a stage where it becomes a habit, a part of our daily life. We need great dedication to reach this stage. Have constancy so that the day will come when it will be easy and delightful. — (John Tauler, 14th c. Dominican Mystic) From Regina Rosarii, Center for Contemplative Prayer, #55 Scout Santiago Street, Timog, Quezon City.   Photo c/o Fotografik Mind

O God , show me Your mercy According to the compassion of the Heart of Jesus. Hear my sighs and entreaties, And the tears of a contrite heart. O Omnipotent, ever-merciful God. Your compassion is never exhausted. Although my misery is as vast as the sea, I have complete trust in Your mercy, O Lord, O eternal Trinity, yet ever-gracious God, Your compassion is without measure, and so I trust in the sea of Your mercy, and feel Your presence, Lord, though a veil separates me from You. May the omnipotence of Your mercy, O Lord, Be glorified all over the world. May veneration of it never cease. Proclaim, my soul, God's mercy with zeal! (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina, 1298) Photo c/o Fotografik Mind

Lord Jesus Christ , our Redeemer, who for the salvation of souls hast given Thy life, graciously accept our prayers for the unhappy infidels; deliver them from idolatry, and unite them with Holy Mother Church, for the glory of Thy Holy Name. Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary , under whose invocation our brethren work among the infidels, bless their labors, and obtain for our prayers, that the heathen peoples may open their hearts to the true faith, and may acknowledge and adore Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and love and bless Him through all eternity. Amen . Beloved be Jesus Christ in all eternity. Amen. Source: Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scheut, Belgium, 1909; Paco, Manila, 1955.

Lord Jesus, We honor your divine heart Broken by man's cruelty Yet symbol of love's triumph, Pledge of all that we are called to be. Teach us to see you in the lives we touch, To offer you living worship By love-filled service to our brothers and sisters. Amen . Today is the Feast of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

St. Anthony, Through your teaching and preaching, You bore witness To the loving presence of God In all of Creation. Now that you have come Into the fullness of the kingdom, Pray for us That our lives might also proclaim The good news of Jesus Christ to all humanity. Pray for us, St. Anthony. Help us become worthy of the promises of Christ. Almighty, Eternal God, You have given your people St. Anthony As an outstanding preacher and intercessor in times of need. Grant that with his help We may follow in the example of Christian living And experience your support in all adversaries. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen. Today is the Feast Day of St Anthony.

Lord God , I thank you for giving me a keen eye for beauty and a special sensitivity to the human heart. Show me how even the most ordinary and everyday realities are filled with the wonder of your presence. Help me to live in the present moment and to appreciate that my tears and laughter, joy and pain are part of your loving plan for the world. Amen. Being an Artist, Your — Identity: I'm unique and intuitive Center: Heart Compulsion: Authenticity Passion: Envy Outlet: Melancholy Fear: Ordinary Rejection: Mundane Defense: Introjection Focus: Intense and unavailable Stance: Smaller, withdrawing Need: Sense of present reality Healing: Union with God Virtue: Equanimity

Lord , look upon me with eyes of mercy. May Your healing Spirit rest upon me. It is through Your power that I was created. Since You created me from nothing, You can certainly recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of Your spirit. May Your life-giving powers flow into every cell of my body  and into the depths of my soul. Mend what is broken. Cast out anything that should not be within me. Rebuild my brokenness. Restore my strength for service in Your Kingdom. Touch my soul with Your compassion for others. Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all. Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise. Teach me to reach out to You in my need; and help me to lead others to You by my example. Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength. Amen . from Mary Mother of the Poor, MonteMaria, Alfonso, Cavite

Yuppeace commemorates the feast of Mary Help of Christians every 24th of May. For the year 2008, a planned tree planting did not push through as it was postponed for some other reasons. As announced to us on May 21, I was saddened that there would be no celebration to be held on Saturday May 24th. Some of  us fellows who frequent the MCS McDo  (the PRC group - those who go home taking the jeepney ride from DB to Philippine Racing Club), thought of planning to hear Mass in any Don Bosco church and have agape after. Came Thursday morning – after trying to look for the Saturday mass we were able to ask Fr Armand if he could say mass for the community on the feast of Mary Help. His reply was YES and had it before 4:00 PM. We agreed on 11:00 AM.  Mobilizing the people to look for venue and for text brigade, Mama Mary wanted us to have a feast on the 24th at the Our Lady’s Chapel Don Bosco School Makati at 11:00 AM. Everyone made their way to come as early as 10:00 AM. All...

In our preparation for our commitment last Wednesday, we asked, do we want intimacy with God? Do you see that such intimacy can be achieved through Yuppeace? Like the stories of my love life and that of my friend, it started with knowing what we want. Actually, the first one is not even a want, it should be a need for each of us. A natural longing to connect with the hand that created us. The second one, that is getting such intimacy through Yuppeace, is an avenue  towards the first.  It is true that intimacy with God can be achieved through a lot of other means. You can go to caves if you want, as St. Benedict did, and still be intimate with God. Since the first  one is a natural longing, then we need a categorical answer on the second. The first one binds us naturally, the second answer binds us out of a choice. When choices set in, our alarm system goes berserk because that means sticking to such choice - COMMITTING. I think it is not the first two quest...

The Vatican declared 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009 the Pauline Year to celebrate 2000 years of St. Paul. In line with this celebration, the Vatican chose Jubilee churches in the world where pilgrims can acquire plenary indulgence.  In the Philippines, two churches were chosen as Jubilee churches for Christian pilgrims:  Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church and St. Paul, the Apostle Church at the St. Paul Seminary. Both are located in Makati. To gain plenary indulgence, there are sacrifices that you have to do. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation this year. Celebrate the Holy Eucharist at any Pauline Jubilee Church and receive the Holy Communion. Pray for the intentions of Pope Benedict. Do acts of charity or works of mercy. If you wish to visit Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the schedule of masses are: Mondays to Saturdays, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, and 6:30 PM Sundays, 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 8:00 PM Sts. Peter ...

My father Benjamin Pavon Azanza, Jr. passed away on the 26th of February. He lies peacefully in Rizal Memorial in Pasay City. I'm arranging my trip home to be with him on his last days in this world. He was a very good, gentle, and warm person. He's a husband w/o comparison and father like no other. But like all of us, he's not perfect. I humbly ask for your prayers most especially for God to forgive his sins and bless his soul with everlasting happiness and peace with God in heaven. That's all I ask. Thank you in advance. Michael Azanza

A s defined, it meant the state or fact of being present; current existence or occurrence. B ack when Yuppeace had more than a hundred members, you wouldn’t notice if someone was not around. Now with a few Yuppeace who makes themselves visible, it is easy to notice if someone is not around; and so, missed him or her. W e meet every Wednesday. The togetherness that each one brings to the community gives a feeling of warmth and belonging. At times, when there are just but a handful members attending, somehow you feel alone. As soon as members start to arrive, that sad feeling is replaced with joy. P resence preludes bonding. A community gather together not just to meet and greet but to identify oneself with the group and be one with them. Presence is important so that the group continues to be one in spirit and mission. T housands people had attended the Wednesday nights since Yuppeace started in 1995. The community was open for everyone. People come and go but it didn...

My Priesthood Journey I COME FROM A POOR FAMILY. Papa worked as a kargador. I remember Mama preparing to two to three shirts for him, but he would still come home grubby. During paydays, the cinematic arguments at home were about how the few hundred pesos couldn't cover the long list of payables. Papa would desperately propose to rob a ban. During penniless days. I would be asked to go to the nearest suking tindahan, not to drop any raffle entry, but to by a can of sardines on credit. One time I was turned down. I was told they ran out of stock, but I could hear the Ligo and 555 sardines screaming from the shelves. I was a consistent honor student, but was removed from the roster in fifth grade simply because Mama could not pay the Php40 PTA contribution for eclectic fans. I wanted to electrocute them all! My parents never gave up on their desire to give us the best. They enrolled us in a private school for our secondary education. Our payments scheme improved from the pede...

By Liza Tanopo A Child's Journey I’ve always believed what Father Armand said during his homily in one of those Eucharistic celebrations he presided, that “ Prayer in silence is always answered ….” For indeed, it was last Wednesday, March 26, when Irene texted me and informed me about YUPPEACE Easter celebration with sexually abused young girls at Laura Vicuña Center (LVC) that weekend. More than seeing old friends, spending a while with the girls would be an extra-ordinary experience, if I may say, and that’s exactly what I prayed for – to spend quality time with the last, the least, and the lost, as Fr. Anton Pascual, formerly of Sto. Niño de Paz Chapel at Greenbelt, puts it. Little did I know that somehow there would be twist, what you may call a nudge from Christ. Saturday came and I was supposed to meet Ging at the MRT Station – Araneta, Cubao but just in the nick of time, I decided to call up Avic who lives nearby and told her that I’d be joining the activity. When...