Why is Mary Important?

Mary's part in the Incarnation

With the whole Church I acknowledge that Mary, being a mere creature fashioned by the hands of God is, compared to his infinite majesty, less than an atom, or rather is simply nothing, since he alone can say, "I am he who is". Consequently, this great Lord, who is ever independent and self-sufficient, never had and does not now have any absolute need of the Blessed Virgin for the accomplishment of his will and the manifestation of his glory. To do all things he has only to will them.

However, I declare that, considering things as they are, because God has decided to begin and accomplish his greatest works through the Blessed Virgin ever since he created her, we can safely believe that he will not change his plan in the time to come, for he is God and therefore does not change in his thoughts or his way of acting.

God the Father gave his only Son to the world only through Mary. Whatever desires the patriarchs may have cherished, whatever entreaties the prophets and saints of the Old Law may have had for 4,000 years to obtain that treasure, it was Mary alone who merited it and found grace before God by the power of her prayers and the perfection of her virtues. "The world being unworthy," said Saint Augustine, "to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, he gave his Son to Mary for the world to receive him from her."

The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.

by St. Louis de Montfort

Would You be the Frog Princess?

What if the story of the Frog Prince was reversed? Instead of the Frog Prince becoming human, the kiss would make the princess turn into a frog. If you were the princess, would you be a frog for the love of the Frog Prince?

Would you leave the glory of your humanity and become a slimy frog?

Would you give up everything for the sake of Love?

Christmas is all about Love. It is the greatest love story ever told. It is a story far stranger than fiction, because it is REAL.

If you becoming a frog for the sake of love is just too much sacrifice, then God becoming man is far more unimaginable. If the distance between man and frog is so far, the distance between God and man is infinite! Yet the unimaginable became reality. The Unreachable stooped down so we can touch Him.

For the love of us, the Almighty God wrapped himself in swaddling clothes, signifying our weak humanity. The infinite became temporal. The untouchable was made flesh. He did it all for the sake of love.

God so loved us He became one of us. We never really think about how uncomfortable it was for God to be limited in our frail humanity. God the creator of everything became hungry, got tired, and wept, suffered and eventually murdered. God lived every human experience, though He DID NOT NEED TO for He is above all of his creation.

Christmas has been so commercialized and domesticated that the Christmas story has become bland and boring. We have failed to see the craziness of the story.

Yes, God is madly in love with you and me that he did the unthinkable. He became one of us.

Can One Starfish Make a Difference?

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

A Dose of Vit B16: Parties Can Be Organized, But Joy Is a Gift

Says It Has Been Given in Abundance

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that joy is a gift, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and that in this gift, all others are summed up.

This was one of the Pope's reflections Monday when he met with the Roman Curia and other officials for the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings.

"A party is an integral part of joy," the Holy Father acknowledged. "And a party can be organized, but joy cannot.

"It can only be offered as a gift; and, in fact, it has been given us in abundance. That's why we feel grateful."

The Pontiff recalled how St. Paul lists joy among the fruits of the Holy Spirit and in the same way, St. John unites the Spirit and joy.

"Joy is the gift in which all other gifts are summed up," the Bishop of Rome affirmed, just a few days before Christmas. "It is the expression of happiness, of being in harmony with oneself, something that can only be derived from being in harmony with God and his creation."

And, he continued, "part of the nature of joy is spreading itself, having to be communicated."

The mission of the Church, the Pope explained, "is nothing more than the impulse to communicate the joy that has been given us. May it always be alive in us, and then, may it irradiate to the world in its tribulations: This is my wish for the end of this year."

Angels and Scums of the Earth

Another of the Advent figure are the shepherds. Now we look at the shepherds with certain "cuteness". Most of the images and statues of them are sentimentalized. But shepherds at the time of Jesus were the "low lives". They were the ones who cannot keep a regular job.

I like how one priest said that they were considered the "scum of the earth" during Jesus' time. Yet, they were the first to hear the GOSPEL, the Good News. The scum of the earth were the first choice of the Father to be blessed by the announcement of the birth of the King of Kings!

What an upside down and odd God we have!

Here we see that God operates differently from us. Most of us when having a birthday party for our children, we try to invite the most famous, influential or powerful people we know.

I remember attending my godsons' baptism, one of the high ranking government officials was there. I even think that the people there got more excited with him than my godson.

The proclamation of the angels to the shepherds shows us that God's way is so far above our ways! Thank God that it is. The shepherds should give us hope! Even if we are considered by the world as misfits, outcast and scums of the earth, we are God's chosen ones. No matter how much we debase and down cast ourselves, God still want to proclaim the Good News to us.

He still continues to send his angels to us and proclaiming that no matter what we have done that Jesus is here to save us!

Listen to that still small voice in your heart. It might be the angels inviting you to open your heart to the coming of our Savior, Jesus.

- daxx

Charlie Brown and Christmas Time

Charlie Brown and Christmas Time

By Maria Johnson • Dec 8th, 2008 • Category: Monday Musings

I know we’re all trying to make a concerted effort to stay on task and celebrate Advent before Christmas, instead of what the retail industry would have us do, which is to embrace Christmas before Halloween so the Valentine’s Day hearts can go on sale on December 26. Well, who said we had to listen?

I admire the folks who can really pull it off. I think I get about halfway there but I admit to getting sucked into celebrating Christmas a couple of weeks into Advent. The Advent wreath and hymns at Mass are a reminder that it isn’t Christmas just yet, but then I succumb to my favorite holiday shows and … well … I’m weak. I admit it.

It starts with one of my favorite cartoons, A Charlie Brown Christmas. I so loved it as a child although probably for very diffierent reasons than I love it now. When Linus reads from the Gospel of Luke and tells the nativity story I am overwhelmed. So beautiful!

The cartoon is usually aired right in the middle of the self-induced hysteria that generally substitutes for Advent. To my amazement, the show sends a powerful and timely message about the misplaced values and commercialization of what mainstream society calls the Christmas Season. As Catholics, though, we celebrate the Christmas season starting with Christmas and ending eight days later. Unfortunately, it seems like everybody else moves on to New Year’s when we start to celebrate the real Christmas season.

Still, I can reconcile the mixed messages. A Charlie Brown Christmas rejects commercialization and focuses on the real meaning of Christmas. Before the T-shirt kiosks at the malls were making money on their “Put Christ back in Christmas” shirts, the Peanuts Gang sang it loud and clear. I don’t mind the reminder, even if it comes a little early. In fact, I need to hear the message early to prioritize and remember that I am not preparing for Christmas turkey and gift exchanges and too much eggnog.

Advent is instead a time to prepare our hearts to “receive” Jesus, the Light of the world, the Word made Flesh. We can enjoy the anticipation without giving ourselves over to the hysteria. Instead of dreading that there are only 17 shopping days til x-mas, we should be be rejoicing that Christ-mas is only 17 days away!

Merry Chri — um, have a great Advent and don’t forget that it’s a good time to seek the healing power of the sacrament of reconciliation. We need to prepare our hearts as well as our homes. Excuse me now while I get back to the TV and cue The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

My Grateful Thanks to the Generous Benefactors!

I would like to thank these people for making our gift giving, Proj St. Nicholas, to the poor people of Binayuyo in the mountains of Antipolo successful!

Ate Nilda and family
Kan Kan
Melch
Tita Leng and Emma
Candy
Joel
Paula
Abby
Ygs
Des
Carmela
Mon
James
Anne
Gina
and Fr. Domingo

Vit B16: Christmas Isn't Too Good to Be True

Affirms That Feast Reveals Life's Meaning

Though the Christmas mystery might seem "too beautiful to be true," Christ's birth shows that there is meaning in life, and that this meaning is God, says Benedict XVI.

"The entire Church, in effect, turns its gaze of faith toward this approaching feast, readying itself, like each year, to unite to the joyful song of the angels, who in the heart of the night will announce to the shepherds the extraordinary event of the birth of the Redeemer, inviting them to draw close to the cave of Bethlehem," the Holy Father said. "There lies Emanuel, the Creator made creature, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a poor manger."

The Pontiff noted that Christmas -- as the "encounter with a newborn who cries in a miserable cave" -- can lead us to think of so many children who live in poverty, of infants who are rejected, and of families "who desire the joy of a child and do not see this hope fulfilled."

And Christmas, he said, "runs the risk of losing its spiritual significance to be reduced to a mere commercial occasion to buy and exchange gifts."

"To many people, and in some way to all of us, this seems too beautiful to be true. In effect, here it is reaffirmed for us: Yes, there is meaning, and this meaning is not an impotent protest against the absurd. The Meaning is powerful: It is God. A good God, who is not to be confused with some lofty and distant power, to which it is impossible to ever arrive, but rather a God who has made himself close to us and to our neighbor, who has time for each one of us and who has come to stay with us."

Being freed

To open one's heart to this mystery, the Pontiff acknowledged, requires yielding the mind and admitting the limits of our intelligence.

"Perhaps we would have submitted more easily before power, before pride," the Pope suggested. "But [Christ] does not want our submission. He appeals, rather, to our heart and to our free decision to accept his love. He has made himself little to free us from this human pretension of greatness that arises from pride; he has incarnated himself freely to make us truly free, free to love him."

Thus, the Holy Father encouraged preparing for Christmas with humility and simplicity, "readying ourselves to receive the gift of light, joy and peace that irradiates from this mystery."

"Let us," he concluded, "ask most holy Mary, the tabernacle of the incarnate Word, and St. Joseph, silent witness of the events of salvation, to communicate to us the sentiments they had while they awaited the birth of Jesus, so that we can prepare ourselves to celebrate in a holy way the coming Christmas, in the joy of faith and enlivened by the determination of a sincere conversion."

Who Is "The Universe" And Why Does It Care What I Think?

"The Secret" is about a lot more than just positive thinking.

By Mary Beth Bonacci

So Oprah knows “The Secret.”

Of course, nothing remains a secret for long once it’s been discussed on Oprah, what with her 80 jillion daily viewers and all. And so it is with The Secret, a million-selling movie and book about The Universe and its “law of attraction” that will grant us whatever our hearts desire, provided we think positive thoughts and believe that they will come to pass. The Universe hears our thoughts and delivers. According to the movie, “It works every time, with every person.”

The Secret is very, very popular. Oprah helped make it so, having devoted several shows to discussing its various manifestations. I saw one of those shows recently. The discussion was about relationships and The Secret. Apparently The Universe is a matchmaker. If we just imagine the perfect mate and focus our thoughts on him or her, we’ll soon be planning a wedding. It works every time, for every person.

Except when it doesn’t.

It was obviously impossible for Oprah and friends to ignore the 1000 lb. elephant on the set – the fact that despite all of that imagining and positive thinking, plenty of single people in the world spend their date nights with Ben and Jerry.

So why isn’t it working every time? Oprah and her friends were struggling mightily to explain the seemingly inexplicable. The discussion ran along the lines of “Maybe they don’t believe strongly enough. You have to really believe it.” Or “You have to write it down, put it away and forget about it.” Or maybe it’s something about clicking your heels together three times while throwing salt over your right shoulder.

Why are so many positively-thinking people partner-less? Hmmm. Maybe in addition to all of that positive thinking, they need to put on some mascara and show up at a party every once in a while. Maybe they have personal issues they need to work on. Maybe God has a different plan for them that all of their positive thinking shouldn’t override.

I doubt that any book or movie could become this popular unless is contained some truth that resonates with people. In this case, the valid element has to do with positive thinking. Personally, I’m a big fan of positive thinking. It’s important. It’s helpful. It makes a difference. If I think positively and optimistically about something I’m about to undertake, I believe that increases the odds that I will be successful. But that doesn’t happen because some sentient “Universe” heard my thoughts and processed my order for success. My thoughts don’t change The Universe, they change me. They change my attitude. They change the energy that I bring to the task. They may even change others, to the extent that they come in contact with me and are impacted by my ideas and my enthusiasm.

There are, however, limits to positive thinking. I believe my positive thoughts and attitudes can make a difference (notice I said “can”, not “automatically will”) in situations where I have some direct control over the outcome. If I’m playing a game, my optimism and enthusiasm can give me an added advantage. They might combine with my skills and abilities powerfully enough to help me to win. But if I’m watching a game on television, all of my most positive thoughts aren’t going to move Jay Cutler’s passes even an inch closer to his intended receiver. Jay’s attitude might help. Mine, not so much.

I also draw the line when “positive” thinking becomes “dishonest” thinking. God created the mind to grasp and comprehend truth. Positive thinking with no basis in reality is just lying to ourselves. A five-foot-two grandmother is never going to be a six-foot-eight NBA player, no matter how fervently she believes it may be so. End stage cancer patients who gasp “I’m going to beat this” through their ventilator tubes are thinking delusionally, not positively.

I think part of the attraction of The Secret is that it seems to give us unlimited control. Control is nice. Lack of control can be very, very scary. And when it comes right down to it, we have a very limited amount of control over the world around us. We can’t ultimately control other people. We can influence them to a certain extend by our example and our attitude. Legitimate legal, corporate or parental authority gives certain people limited control over the actions of others. We can try, through manipulation or intimidation, to exercise further control over those around us. Those efforts usually meet with limited “success”, because they are inherently disrespectful of human free will.

We can, to a significant extent, control ourselves. We can control our actions, our attitudes and our beliefs. We have some control over our immediate environment. We can control our health, to a certain extent, by eating well and exercising.

But no matter how scrupulously we attempt to control our lives and our health, we’re all gonna die some day. And that’s the ultimate loss of control.

Who holds all of the control? Whose thoughts control the universe? God. His thoughts control the universe. Not my thoughts. Not your thoughts. God's thoughts.

We are not God. God is God. But our primary temptation in this life is to try to de-throne Him – to somehow usurp the power and the control that is His, and assign it to ourselves. What did the Serpent say when tempting Adam and Eve in the Garden? “Ye shall be like gods.” (Gen 3:5)

That is the heresy of The Secret. It’s the oldest lie in the world, the very first lie ever told in human history. We shall be God. Our thoughts – not His -- shall control the Universe.

The Serenity Prayer says “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

That’s the real Secret.

Is success everything?

There are a lot of books and materials about how to be successful these days. Most of these books are oriented on how to accumulate wealth. Becoming rich has become synonymous to being successful in our time. It was not then. Money has somehow become the measure of one’s success.
I believe that success is more than stuffing yourself with a lot of stuff!
The accumulation of wealth cannot be the standard of success. Life is far deeper than amassing of material things. Success cannot also be just about power and prestige, for that too fades away and does not necessarily add anything to a person’s being.
So what does being successful means?
The ultimate success is to be a successful human being. A successful person is someone who is fully alive. Someone who uses all that is good in him and all his talents to make this world a better place. He is a person who finds joy and meaning in life. In the same time he is also a source of joy, light and hope to others. Money, power and fame are only a means he uses to make this world a better place.
External successes will always fade away, as time fades away. But success that happens from within us, in our souls, will stay with us. Whatever success we have accomplished in our souls, we will take it to eternity.
“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” - William James

Q. How do you know the difference between loving a girl and being infatuated with her?

A. My definition of love used to be this overwhelming warm, fuzzy feeling. When you see her, the world seems beautiful, the birds are singing, and everything reminds you of her. Your heart races whenever she walks into the room.

That is "being in love." This emotional reaction is a lot of fun but we shouldn't confuse these feelings with love itself. Some people think that they can tell how long a relationship will last based upon how powerful the feelings of attraction are. They spend massive amounts of time trying to decide whether or not they're "in love."

What they're overlooking is that love is a decision to do what is best for another person, even if the warm fuzzies are long gone. But it's not enough to want to do what is good for the other. We must form our minds according to the truth that God has revealed so that we know what is good for the other, and we are not just doing whatever feels good. Once we know what is good for the other, all that remains is to follow through and live out that love in our actions.

I think the biggest difference between love and infatuation is that love does not "happen" to couples--it is something they do. It is a task. If the initial excitement of a relationship tapers off and we conclude from this that love is gone, we can be sure that love was never there to begin with. After all, if love is simply about having romantic feelings, how could a bride and groom promise each other that their marriage will last "until death do us part"? More likely, it would last until boredom do us part. Therefore, you can not determine the worth of a relationship by measuring the intensity of emotions.

Suppose you're married and your pregnant wife has food cravings. It is four in the morning, and she wants you to go to the grocery store to get her fudge-brownie ice cream, pickle juice, and beef jerky. You roll over and look at your bride and she does not seem to be glowing like she did on your wedding day. At four in the morning, your world is not looking beautiful and the singing birds have gone mute. But after kissing her fevered forehead, you walk out the door and drive to the store. Has love gone away? Actually, it's more real than ever.

So, how do you know if you love a woman? Pope John Paul II has answered this question perfectly by saying that "the greater the feeling of responsibility for the [beloved] the more true love there is."(1) The greatest example of this love is Christ. He alone perfectly reveals how to love a woman. If we ever need to know how to properly love a woman, all we need to do is look at a crucifix.
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1. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II), Love and Responsibility (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993), 131.

from http://www.chastity.com/chastity/index.php?id=7&entryid=131

Q. What’s the big deal just making out with a girl?

A. My theory on why so many people enjoy the Jerry Springer-type talk shows is because when you see how messed up the guests on the show are, it make you feel like you’ve really got your life together.

Unfortunately, the same distortion of reality happens when it comes to our relationships. Because we’re exposed to constant sexual references on TV, video games, magazines, music, and hallway conversations at school, we begin to think that our relationships must be pretty wholesome. But if we step back from all the lies and distortions that we see every day, and look into our own hearts, we’ll begin to see a very different view of our sexuality.

So, when it comes to making out with a girl, ask yourself one question: Isn’t there something in you that wants it to be a big deal?

Beneath all the locker room bragging about sexual conquests on prom night, I know that in every guy there is a deeper longing to want to cherish a girl. When a guy thinks about his bride, he doesn’t think of “getting some” from her. He thinks about giving his life for her. Why, then, as we wait for the big day, do we devalue the girls (and ourselves)?

I remember making out with girls in high school, and convincing myself that it wasn’t a big deal. But now I wish more than anything that I reserved such kisses for my bride, instead of dispensing them to girls who I never saw again after graduation. But at the time you don’t think about the future. You just look at the classmates around you, and you figure that this is just the way life is supposed to be.

What happens to the unsuspecting teen is that the initial intimacy and excitement of a kiss is worn thin when he or she begins to give it away like it’s a handshake. The profound meaning and depth of simple acts of affection are lost when we settle for hook-ups. The world would like to tell us that we’re acquiring better dating skills, but we’re really just we numbing ourselves.

So, before you go there again, ask yourself: How many memories of passionate kisses do I want my future bride to have with other guys? So, why not save your memory for her, too? Not only is your purity a gift for her, it will make her affection seem more unique to you as well. In the long run, this will bond the two of you much closer than all the “experience” the world recommends you have before marriage

from http://www.chastity.com/chastity/index.php?id=7&entryid=300

Troubled American teen girls mar women's progre

By Colleen Carroll Campbell

The historic promotion this week of Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody to the rank of
four-star general marked the latest in a series of feel-good firsts for
American women in the past two years. In the same race that culminated in the
election of our first African-American president, America witnessed a historic
presidential bid by Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and the nomination of
Republican Gov. Sarah Palin as her party's first woman vice-presidential
candidate. Although neither woman won, America's women and girls came to see a
female president as a plausible possibility.

Yet even as headlines about shattered ceilings have become ubiquitous, so have
reports about the dangerous and self-destructive tendencies of the next
generation of women. It seems that while American women are making great
strides in public life, our daughters are enduring agonizing struggles in
private.

Those struggles center mainly on sex and self-image. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention announced last spring that one in four American girls
aged 14 to 19 has a sexually transmitted disease. That estimate arrived on the
heels of a groundbreaking American Psychological Association report that
chronicled in devastating detail how our porn-saturated, hyper-sexualized
society pressures girls to market themselves as sexual objects and engage in
behavior that leaves them feeling ugly, worthless and depressed.

The despair of many girls today exceeds the bounds of the typical teenage
blues. A 2007 CDC report found that the suicide rate among pre-teen and teenage
girls has risen to its highest level in 15 years, with a 76 percent jump in the
suicide rate for girls ages 10 to 14. Although the vast majority of teenage
girls do not attempt suicide, many struggle with eating disorders,
self-mutilation, substance abuse, anxiety and depression.

In its report, the APA blamed these problems largely on a media culture that
assaults girls with sexually explicit TV shows, movies, music videos, ads and
magazines. That diagnosis drew fire from defenders of our oversexed
entertainment industry who reject causal links between teen entertainment and
teen behavior.

But a new study published this month in the journal of the American Academy of
Pediatrics reports more evidence of connections between the two. Researchers
from the RAND Corporation studied some 2,000 teenagers over three years and
found that teens who watched the most sexual content on TV — defined as
flirting, kissing, sexual innuendo and sex scenes — were twice as likely to
become pregnant or cause a pregnancy as those who watched the least
sexual-themed TV, even after accounting for other factors that influence teen
behavior.

As even the most casual channel surfer knows, sexual content — particularly
depictions of fetishistic, violent and extra-marital sex — is plentiful in
prime time. A recent Parents Television Council report found that during what
used to be considered TV's family hour (the first hour of prime time each
night) references on the five major broadcast networks to extra-marital sex
outnumbered references to marital sex by a ratio of nearly four to one. Not
surprisingly, many shows that teenage girls watch faithfully depict women as
little more than sexual playthings who neither demand nor deserve respect
beyond the bedroom.

A bizarre disconnect exists today between the smart, ambitious women who
dominate our public life and the sex-kitten know-nothings who dominate our TV
screens. It's true that Hollywood is not the only culprit in teen girls'
troubles. But an entertainment industry that constantly churns out Lolita-like
tween idols and celebrates sex appeal as the ultimate measure of a woman's
worth surely does little to prepare today's struggling girls to become
tomorrow's leading women.

Q. Where can I find a good guy? All the boys at school are interested in only one thing.

A. All women deserve a man who has one thing on his mind--doing God's will. Wait for a guy whose intention is to love you purely and lead you to God. Do not settle for less. You may be thinking, "Yeah, right. Where am I going to find a guy like that? I'll be in a nursing home by the time he shows up."

Put the matter in God's hands. Take this time to give yourself unreservedly to the Lord to build up his kingdom. Let him worry about building up yours. Too often people are so concerned with finding Mr. or Miss Right that they miss the opportunity to serve God in their singleness. Your job is to give your singleness to Christ. Keep your eyes on him instead of on potential future spouses.

I firmly believe that the strongest marriages are those in which both the man and the woman, prior to marriage, embraced the gift of singleness. Often, we never accept this gift because we are waiting for the gift of marriage, or exhausting ourselves maintaining passing relationships. Paul said, "I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content" (Phil. 4:11). If a person does not learn to be content now, then when she is married, she may wish she were still single. After all, marriage does not change you internally; you are still the same person.

Besides, if a woman is happy and content in her present situation, she is more attractive. In fact, the ideal wife spoken of in the Bible "laughs at the time to come" (Prov. 31:25). She anticipates the future with joy, trusting in the goodness of God. Before we can be happily married, we need to learn the art of being happily single. That way, our happiness is not dependent upon outside events, but upon an inner joy. In the words of Thérèse of Lisieux, "The happier they are to be as he wills, the more perfect they are."(1) I once asked a Missionary of Charity if she was happy in the city where she had been assigned, thousands of miles from home. She replied, "Anywhere. Wherever Jesus wants me to be, that is where I'm happy." In the same way, learn to find your joy by trusting in God. After marriage, you might never again have the time to serve God without restrictions.

The best husband and father will be a guy who is single-hearted for God. So be two of a kind. If you want a man of God, become a godly woman. After all, men of virtue look for women of virtue. Imagine all of the characteristics that you look for in a spouse--that he be faithful, holy, respectful, loving, innocent, and so on--and ask yourself, "Judging by the way I live, do I deserve a guy like this?" Everyone makes mistakes but everyone is capable of choosing to live a virtuous life.

As you grow in virtue, this will have a tremendous impact on men. Many women become discouraged because of the kind of guys they meet at school. But the character of the men that a woman attracts largely rests in her hands. One woman said, "He will be as much of a gentleman as she requires,"(2) The fact is that the male desire to please females is a basic one, and a woman who sets high standards will attract young men willing to meet them. If a young man wishes to enjoy a girl's presence, he will not be afraid to be a gentleman. If a woman says that this is unrealistic, she will continue to be frustrated and settle for less. If only young women realized their power to help boys become men!

Set the standard high. Look for a guy who takes the initiative to set wholesome guidelines for the relationship. Imagine if all the young women in a high school or college decided to do this. Sure, many of them might not have dates the next weekend, but it would send a clear message to the boys that girls are serious about being loved. Guys would soon be inspired to become worthy of a woman.

In the meantime, pray for your future spouse and for discernment in your vocation. I once read about a fifteen-year-old girl who felt she should pray for her future husband one random December night. When she met him some time later, she found out that he was in a battle as she prayed, and nearly all of his fellow soldiers were killed, while his life was spared.(3) God hears our prayers.

So be at peace, and know that your heart's desires are God's concern. The God who shaped the universe is infinitely concerned with the small things. One day in Calcutta, a man who had a sick daughter came to Mother Teresa. She did not have the specific medicine that the child needed, since it had to be brought in from outside India. As they were speaking, a man came with a basket of medicine and right on top was the exact one the child needed. Mother said, "If it had been inside, I would not have seen it. If he had come before, I would not have seen it. But just at that time, out of the millions and millions of children in the world, God in his tenderness was concerned with this little child of the slums of Calcutta enough to send, just at that time, that amount of medicine to save that child."(4) So, know that your future is in good hands.

To check out the advice I give the guys to find a good girl, click here.
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1. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul (Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1997), 2.
2. Elliot, Passion and Purity, 145.
3. Dannah Gresh, And the Bride Wore White (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 70.
4. Anthony Stern, M.D., ed., Everything Starts from Prayer (Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press, 1998), 130.


from http://www.chastity.com/chastity/index.php?id=7&entryid=102

What can you learn from a pregnant teenager?

What will you do if suddenly your teenage fiancé says she is pregnant and you know you are not the father? And what will you do if she says that she got pregnant all by herself?

Would you get angry? Or would you get scared because she gone koo koo?

They said when angel Gabriel visited Mary she was only about 14 or 15 years old. We have heard the story so many times that it has became boring. But it is not, especially not for Mary.

During that time punishment for adultery was to be stoned to death. When the angel asked Mary to bear the Son of God, she knew the danger. She knew that she can be accused of adultery and be killed. She also knew that Joseph would leave her. With all these danger in mind she said yes, “Fiat.”

Mary trusted God amidst the danger. Even though she did not understood everything God was asking her, she had faith in God.

John Paul II had always believed in potential of the young. The World Youth Days are the testimony of it. He believed that the youth can do great things for God.

Mary is the best model of faith for the youth. She was young teenager given the great responsibility of being the Mother of God. Mary trusted God. And God trusted Mary. Together they did great things.

We too are called to have a deep faith in God, even if we are young. Like with Mary, God wants to do great things through us. God wants to bring Jesus to the world, like Mary did. But we need faith. We need to trust God amidst trials. We need to learn to take risk for God.

A young 14-15 year old girl was ready to risk everything to do God’s will, even her very life. Would you take the same risk for God?

Our Gift Bag for the Poor - Project St. Nicholas

A sample bag of what we are going to give to the poor. We are going to give 125 of these.

Project Saint Nicholas

This Christmas season Lay Your Life Ministry together with friends will be having gift distribution for the poor called Project St. Nicholas. With the help of my generous friends we will be giving 100 grocery bags to 100 families. The bags will be containing canned goods, noodles, soaps, tooth paste, rice, sugar, coffee, fruits, lunch pack and a blanket. We will also be having games from the poor children in the village.

The location of the village we picked for the distribution is called Binayuyo in the mountains of Antipolo. It is an hour away from the city of Antipolo. The village has still no electricity. The only place that has electricity is the barangay center due to a generator.

The distribution will be done on Dec. 20 in the morning at their chapel.

Hopefully we will not only bring food and goods to them, but most of all the love of Jesus for each and one of them.

For those who still wants to help us so we can give more to the poor just PM me.

Abortion Picture

Why women have abortions
1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

WORLDWIDE

Number of abortions per year: Approximately 42 Million
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 115,000

Do we have a "right to die?"

Fr. Frank Pavone

When people ask me about the "right to die," I respond, "Don't worry -- you won't miss out on it!"

A right is a moral claim. We do not have a claim on death; rather, death has a claim on us! Some see the "right to die" as parallel to the "right to life." In fact, however, they are opposite. The "right to life" is based on the fact that life is a gift that we do not possess as a piece of property (which we can purchase or sell or give away or destroy at will), but rather is an inviolable right. It cannot be taken away by another or by the person him/herself. The "right to die" is based, rather, on the idea of life as a "thing we possess" and may discard when it no longer meets our satisfaction. The "Right to die" philosophy says there is such a thing as a "life not worth living." For a Christian, however, life is worthy in and of itself, and not because it meets certain criteria that others or we might set.

What is "euthanasia?"

"Euthanasia," from the Greek words meaning "good death," is something we do or fail to do which causes, or is intended to cause, death, in order to remove a person from suffering. This is sometimes called "mercy killing."

What is "assisted suicide?"

This refers to an act by which one assists another in taking his or her own life. A physician, for example, who engages in "assisted suicide" would, upon the patient's request, provide the deadly drugs for the person to use.

What is the difference between "active" and "passive" euthanasia?

"Active" euthanasia refers to an action one takes to end a life, for example, a lethal injection. "Passive" euthanasia refers to an omission -- such as failing to intervene at a life-threatening crisis, or failing to provide nourishment.

It is important not to confuse "passive euthanasia" with the morally legitimate decision to withhold medical treatment that is not morally necessary. (The question of what is or is not morally necessary is handled below.) When we forego a treatment that we are not required to use, then even if death comes faster as a result, that withholding is not euthanasia in any form and should not be called by the name.

If You Love Her Enough

My friend John always has something to tell me. He knows so much that young men have to have older and more worldly wise men to tell them. For instance who to trust, how to care for others, and how to live life to the fullest.

Recently, John lost his wife Janet. For eight years she fought against cancer, but in the end her sickness had the last word.

One day John took out a folded piece of paper from his wallet. He had found it, so he told me, when he tidied up some drawers at home. It was a small love letter Janet had written. The note could look like a school girl's scrawls about her dream guy. All that was missing was a drawing of a heart with the names John and Janet written in it. But the small letter was written by a woman who had had seven children; a woman who fought for her life and who probably only had a few months left to live.

It was also a beautiful recipe for how to keep a marriage together.

Janet's description of her husband begins thus: "Loved me. Took care of me. Worried about me."

Even though John always had a ready answer, he never joked about cancer apparently. Sometimes he came home in the evening to find Janet in the middle of one of those depressions cancer patients so often get. In no time he got her into the car and drove her to her favorite restaurant.

He showed consideration for her, and she knew it. You cannot hide something for someone who knows better.

"Helped me when I was ill," the next line reads. Perhaps Janet wrote this while the cancer was in one of the horrible and wonderful lulls. Where everything is -- almost -- as it used to be, before the sickness broke out, and where it doesn't hurt to hope that everything is over, maybe forever.

"Forgave me a lot."

"Stood by my side."

And a piece of good advice for everyone who looks on giving constructive criticism as a kind of sacred duty: "Always praising."

"Made sure I had everything I needed," she goes on to write.

After that she has turned over the paper and added: "Warmth. Humor. Kindness. Thoughtfulness." And then she writes about the husband she has lived with and loved the most of her life: "Always there for me when I needed you."

The last words she wrote sum up all the others. I can see her for me when she adds thoughtfully: "Good friend."

I stand beside John now, and cannot even pretend to know how it feels to lose someone who is as close to me as Janet was to him. I need to hear what he has to say much more than he needs to talk.

"John," I ask. "How do you stick together with someone through 38 years -- not to mention the sickness? How do I know if I can bear to stand by my wife's side if she becomes sick one day?"

"You can," he says quietly. "If you love her enough, you can."

- Written by Bill Walls

- Contributed by CJ

Disturbed?

A lot of us are disturbed in one way or the other. And we will do everything to prevent it. We really hate feeling bad!

But being disturbed can also be a good thing, because it can lead us to action. There are a lot of people who became great men and women because they got disturbed.

Bob Pierce the founder of World Vision (http://worldvision.org) started his foundation because he got disturbed on what happened to a little Chinese girl named White Jade in China. Her father had beaten her and kicked her out of the house because she had visited the local mission school Bob gave. The school could not afford to take her in. Dr. Pierce gave the school principal his last five dollars, and promised to send more each month to help support the young girl. And now after 60 years they are sponsoring millions of kids around the world.

I think we modern people are disturbed for the wrong reasons. We are disturbed because we are dateless on a Friday night and not disturbed because there are people dying of hunger all over the world.

In our selfish culture now, I think being disturbed can do us some good. We are like a sleepy driver heading for a cliff and we don’t know it. We need someone to blow the horn and wake us up. A life of selfishness is a life heading for the cliff. A selfish life is life doomed for misery.

We are created for self-giving love and not self-absorption.

So being disturbed is not such a bad thing after all.

A Dose of Vitamin B16

modern man often seems to be disoriented and worried about his future, seeking certainties and sure points of reference. As in all ages, man of the third millennium needs God and seeks him perhaps without realizing it. The duty of Christians is to respond to this profound yearning of the human heart and to offer all, with the means and ways that best respond to the demands of the times, the immutable and always living Word of eternal life that is Christ, hope of the world.

What do Edward Cullen and a Chaste Person have in common?

Self-control.

In Twilight the vampire family “Cullens” survives by eating blood of animals instead of humans. Even though their hunger is not fully satisfied with animal blood, they chose to do so. “It is like a person survives only on tofu” as Edward puts it. Through the years the members of the Cullens have learned to control their lust for blood. Why the choice? Because the value human life.

I like the scene of Edward and Bella in Bella’s room. Edward tried kissing Bella but realized that he could not handle his thirst for blood with such physical contact. Edwards suddenly backs off for Bella’s sake. There is a great lesson and principle in this scene. Know your weakness and do not go beyond it. In the Catholic world we call it “Avoiding the near occasion of sin.” And that is what a chaste person has in common with Edward Cullen.

The Cullens chose not to kill humans for their own sake. They chose a harder road of survival, drinking the blood of animals. The chaste person also chooses not to use people to satisfy their lust for the flesh. It is also a hard road.

In the heart of the Cullen’s choice to drink animal blood was there respect and value of human life. It is the same value for a person that drives a chaste person to live a life of self-control.

For the love of Bella, Edward finds different ways to express his affection to her. There is always a sense of cautiousness in his actions, lest Bella’s life might be put in danger. The single chaste person does the same. He finds ways to expression his affection in creative ways other than sex or foreplay.

Why the hard-work on self-control? Because Edward and the chaste person know what true love means. They are willing to make sacrifices for the good of their beloved.