Tuesday, July 31, 2007

SAINT IGNATIUS
St. Ignatius was born in 1491. He was born in the Castle of Loyola. He died at Rome in 1556. Perhaps ironically, he died so suddenly he did not receive the last Sacraments which means you can become a saint even though you happen to die without the last Sacraments. He was canonized in 1622 and 300 years later was declared, by Pope Pius XI, the heavenly Patron of all retreats and spiritual exercises.
In the deepest sense of the word, Ignatius was a convert. He lived a life that was very worldly. We have official records of at least one illegitimate child. In other words, he was another Augustine a century later. He was a soldier by profession and, as later on he would at such length explain to his followers, God will do the most unexpected and unpleasant things in order to bring a soul to Himself. In Ignatius' case, he was fighting a war against the French. During a battle at Pamplona he was badly wounded; one of his legs was quite shattered. Incidentally the Spaniards, once Ignatius was wounded, fled. (He was their leader) Then months of convalescence; his convalescence converted him. You might say the Society of Jesus was born on a sick bed. He was a great reader of those days.The "Life of Christ" changed Ignatius' life After our Lady's first appearance to Ignatius he got surprisingly healed, which confirmed him in his mission. He always carried a limp to the day of his death, but he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Monserrat, where he made his peace with God. Some distance away from Monserrat, in order to pull himself away from all worldly things to go into meditation, silence, he went to a cave called Manresa and, ever since for the last four hundred years, many retreat houses conducted by the Society of Jesus are called "Manresa."
Let me just say few features of great St. Ignatius' spirituality. There are many to mention but we will just think of three.
I. The first feature: is that the Person of Christ, the human being, the Son of Mary, Jesus of Nazareth, because He is God Himself in human form, that Man's virtues are God's attributes. Everything that Jesus did, from His crying as a Babe in the cradle to His getting tired and falling asleep, to His agony in the Garden, all of that is a pattern for us to imitate. Among the three titles that Christ gave Himself: "I am the Way the Truth and the Life," Ignatius concentrated on Christ the Way, the Model, the Pattern, the Example, the One Whom, if we follow we will become like Him and that means we will become holy.
II. Second Feature: Ignatius was a contemporary of all the major Protestant rebels: Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Cranmer, all of them. And he saw that at rock bottom Protestantism was a rebellion against the Papacy. And as a consequence, the second notable feature of his spirituality is his own personal, great personal devotion to the person of the Holy Father and his teaching and preaching and insisting that you are only as good a Christian – and you dare not call yourself a catholic, unless you are loyal (that means obedient) to the Vicar of Christ.
III. Third feature: The cardinal heresy of the Western world is the denial of human freedom. Ignatius then, you would expect to stress man's free will. Of course we need divine help. We need divine light and strength, who doubts it? But we must want to cooperate and we are not coerced to do so. In Ignatius' vocabulary a saint is a person who wants to be a saint. It is both that simple and that awful. Hell is very real and it is no injustice, though it's a great mystery. Why not? Because God gave us a free will to either serve Him or reject Him. And if we want to, as every page of the Exercises brings out, we can be either just sufficiently cooperative with God's grace to keep out of hell – a big risk needless to say; you're taking a chance. That's why there could be only one motto for St. Ignatius which he bequeathed to his sons: "for the greater glory of God." That comparative degree is at the heart of Ignatius' spirit. Not just for the glory of God or the great glory of God, but the greater. "My friend," he would tell us, "exert yourself; push a little harder; do more."
"More than what?"
"More than you're doing."
"But I'm doing all that I can."
"Try harder!"
That's Ignatius. Because we have that all but almighty power called freedom. It is the power that can say "no" to the Almighty, or can say a weak, whimpering "yes" or can shout from the mountain tops, "YES."

Friday, July 27, 2007

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

St John the Martyr


Happy Feast of St James

St James
I was studying we were three people who were called Sunny. When some one comes to see me they had to ask” We have three sunny here. Which one do you want to see?" In the first Christian community there were five or six disciples with the same name: James, the son of Zebedee, (Mt. 10:2); James, the son of Alphaeus, (Mt. 10:3); James, who was a cousin of Jesus, (Mt. 27:56); James, whose brother, Jude, wrote the shortest letter in the New Testament; James, who was father of the apostle Thaddeus, (Lk 6:16); and James, the disciple who wrote one of the Epistles. The first two were apostles: one whom St. Mark calls "the younger," (Mk. 15:40), the son of Alphaeus; and the older apostle, whom we honor in today's feast as James the Greater, son of Zebedee.
St James was a very privileged apostle like St Peter. He was one of the special apostle That Jesus picked up to be with Him all the time . St James was one of three witnesses of the Transfiguration of Christ in Mt. Tabor, also a witness to Jesus' agony in the garden. He witnessed to all the major miracles of Jesus. But we are not happy with the blessings we get every day. When we get one thing then we thrust for the other. We all need the material things and we forget the graces we receive every day in our life. He got all the privilege to be with Jesus but then they want to get the left and right position of the kingdom of Jesus. We all love to have the power and position and Money and we forget the fact what our St Paul says in Timothy “we cannot take anything with us when we leave, but if we have food and covering we may rest content. Those who want to be rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and perdition. The love of money is the root of all evil." (I Timothy 6: 5-10)
But after the resurrection of Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit St James realized what he said to Jesus that he is ready to drink the Chalice. May be that' s why he was the first to give his life for the Christian faith when Herod Agripa sent for him to be decapitated around the year 42.
James's symbol, the scallop shell, became the badge of those who went on pilgrimage, and still serves so: . Sir Walter Raleigh wrote the pilgrim's prayer, which he "supposed to be written by one at the point of death, the pilgrimage we all have tickets for, to the land from which no traveller returns. "Give me my scallop shell of quiet, My staff of faith to walk upon, my scrip of joy, immortal diet, my bottle of salvation; my gown of glory, hope's true gage, and thus I'll take my pilgrimage."
James was greater not only in age and size, but also by being the first apostle to shed his blood for Christ.
A great commentator on the New Testament, William Barclay, writes that one Roman coin had a picture of an ox facing both an altar and a plough. The inscription said, "Ready for either." The ox was ready to be slain on the altar of sacrifice or to labor for many years on the farm. So it happened that James was quickly martyred, while his brother, John, labored for Christ until he was nearly a hundred years old, dying of old age. As Christians we may be called to follow Jesus by an early, premature death, suffering violence without striking back, or by the labor of a long life, struggling to be faithful without growing cold in our love. May we be ready for either.
Happy Feast Day.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Elmer Mission

for more photos :http://picasaweb.google.com/vincentocarm/ElmerMission

prophet Elijah

Prophet Elijah

Today the Carmelites celebrate their solemn feast of Prophet Elijah, the spiritual source of the Order of Carmelites.
Each of us experience trials and difficulties in our lives. Maybe we are having problems at work, or turmoil in our families, or challenges with our health. In struggling with these trials and difficulties we often can feel lost and confused, not knowing where to turn.
The Prophet Elijah, who we hear about in today’s first reading, knew exactly how we felt. The story occurs in the 19th chapter of First Kings, Elijah's showdown with the prophets of Baal, and his victory over them, results in their deaths, and Elijah flees Israel when the Jezebel promises to have him killed. At one point he is so miserable that he prays for death, but an angel gives him food and drink, and leads him to a cave on Mt. Horeb for refuge. God finds him inside the cave, and begins to talk with him.
1 Kings 19:11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, and after the wind an earthquake, then a fire, but the LORD was not in the wind, not in earthquake, not in fire; and after the fire a still, small voice. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said [again], "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He answered [again], "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 15 Then the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
Often we all forget this second part of the story. We remember that Elijah heard the still, small voice after the wind, the earthquake, and the fire passed, but we forget what it said. And basically it said, "I know they've threatened to kill you, and you're afraid for your life, but I want you to go back." We hear God say that to Elijah, and we remember why we might not want to hear what God is saying to us. It can be threatening to know what God is asking us. God so rarely asks us to do what's easy. The irony is, having heard it from God; it no longer seems to matter as much whether it's easy or hard.
The wind and the earthquake and the fire, they might be Elijah's fear, his despair, and his anger. But he kept listening on down to the deeper level where discernment happens, and he heard the most frightening thing of all: that God was asking him to go back. That God was asking him to go back to Israel, to face Ahab and Jezebel who had sworn to take his life, that God was asking him to up the ante by leading a rebellion and installing a new king there.
The underneath level, the level of discernment, held a more frightening message than the wind, the earthquake, and the fire.
When we pay attention to God, no matter what rages at the surface, I can find the underneath level where God tells me, "I know this is hard, but sit here a while longer, and be surprised at what happens. And I'll be keeping you company right here." At the same time, we understand that like Elijah we did not come here only to bring something. We have come to find something, to find someone. True, Elijah came into the desert as a prophet, as one who speaks for God and who represents God. But above all, he came to find God, to have a new experience of God’s love for him.
John Cardinal Newman discovered this real dependence on God after a serious illness, and penned these beautiful words:Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,Lead thou me on; The night is dark, and I am far from home,Lead thou me on.Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to seeThe distant scene; one step enough for me….I loved to choose and see my path; but nowLead thou me on.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

July 16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our lady Of Mount Carmel: Star of The Sea
In the words of St. Louis Grignion de Montfort in True Devotion: "Mary is the sanctuary and repose of the Holy Trinity, where God dwells more magnificently and more divinely than any other place in the universe, not excepting his dwelling between the Cherubim and Seraphim."
Mount Carmel is about 20 miles from Nazareth and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It was considered a symbol of blessing and beauty for its rich vegetation (Isaiah 35.2), and a place of sacred memory to remember the second covenant between God and Israel.
The prophet Elijah prayed at Mount Carmel for rain, which was announced by a little cloud rising from the sea (1 Kings 18,41-46). The little cloud was subsequently identified as a symbol for Mary and eventually developed into the title Star of the Sea.
The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite priest, in Cambridge, England, on July 16, 1251who had begged her to provide protection for the Carmelites, who were suffering persecution at the time and gave him the scapular with the following words, which are preserved in a fourteenth century narrative: "This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire."
Wearing the Brown Scapular is not an automatic guarantee of salvation. It is not a magical charm, nor is it an excuse to live in a way contrary to the teachings of the Church. It is a sacramental, which has been approved by the Church for over seven centuries and is a sign of one's decision to follow Jesus as did Mary, the perfect model of all the Disciples of Christ. In addition to being an introduction into the Family of Carmel, the Brown Scapular is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life, aided by the intercession and prayer of Mary.
On July 16, 2003, at the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Pope John Paul II, speaking at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, said:
“I hope the scapular will be for everyone, especially the faithful who wear it, a help and a defense in times of danger, a seal of peace and a sign of Mary’s care.”
The twin goals of the Carmelite order, according to medieval authors, were to offer to God a heart free from all stain of actual sin, and to experience, even in this world, the supernal joys of union with God. These goals, of course, are beyond human strength, and completely impossible to obtain on our own. God, therefore, has given us His Mother to be our guide up the mountain of perfection. While all are not called to the contemplative life, all the baptized are called to pray and strive for holiness.
This ancient title, Star of the Sea, of Our Lady goes back to St. Jerome, in reference to the passage from 1Kings 18: 41-45, when atop Mt. Carmel, Elijah beheld a “little cloud rising from the sea” which presaged the rains that would end the drought in Israel. (Jerome originally referred to Our Lady as “Stella Maris” or “drop of the sea” - which some theorize may have been lost in transcribing the texts over the years.) The Fathers interpreted this cloud as prefiguring the Virgin prophesied by Isaiah who would bring forth the Messiah. Carmelite hermits agreed and built a chapel atop Mt. Carmel naming it “Stella Maris”. Hence, the title “Stella Maris” and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel may be considered synonymous.
St. Bernard on Our Lady, Star of the Sea. “If the winds of temptation arise;If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation - look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary.”
All the Carmelites pray every day the Prayer of St. Simon Stock on Mary called Flos Carmeli :-
O Beautiful flower of Carmel,
Fruitful vine,
Splendor of heaven,
Star of the Sea,
Holy and singular,
Who brought forth the Son of God,
Still a Virgin remaining,
Assist us in our necessities.
Help and protect us.
Show thyself our Mother.
I wish you all the happy Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and end with one of the most ancient prayers to Our Lady, found scribbled in the catacombs during some lost moment of terror:
We fly to thy protection. O Holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers. O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
Queen, Beauty of Carmel!
Give us a sign of thy protection!

Trust in Jesus

Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion, speed bumps called Friends, red lights called Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will have flats called Jobs. But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to a place called Success.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

231st Independence day in America

In God we trust
The Commander in Chief in the American Revolution and the Signer of the Constitution and the First President of the United States George Washington said “ It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”
Today, our nation celebrates its 231st birthday, the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. The "stars and stripes" was adopted as our national flag the following year, June 14, 1777. The United States' Constitution was ratified in 1788, 219 years ago. In 1954, both Houses of Congress adopted the resolution to add the words "under God"" to the pledge, which President Eisenhower signed into law on Flag Day of that year.
In a subsequent message to the Knights of Columbus, President Eisenhower put a very different emphasis on the phrase "under God": "These words will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded."
I think now, fifty three years later, it is appropriate to do a "reality check": do these words succeed in keeping us humble. Do they effectively focus our minds and hearts on the spiritual and moral principles of human dignity?
Even more problematic than the word "God" is the word "under." "Under" means submission. Do we really live as a nation "under" God? Is the humility that President Eisenhower spoke of in any way valued among our national virtues? Do we, even the Christians of our nation, truly seek to discover and follow God's will in relation to affairs of national interest?
Are we under God trusting in Him helping each other as one Family and we say together we stand. When we stand together we need to know the pain of others. How many are deeply wounded and in need of healing? How many are living their lives without hope, without faith and without love? Every day is a harvest day.
Mother Teresa has this to say about this matter. "Many today are starving for ordinary bread, but that is not the only hunger there is. There is another hunger - hunger to be wanted, to be loved, to be recognized. Nakedness too is not just the want of clothes. It is also the loss of dignity, loss of purity, loss of respect. And there is homelessness which is not just want for a house made of bricks, but the homelessness of being rejected, of being unwanted, of being unloved in a throwaway society".

When we celebrate the Freedom are we really free? Freedom is not an American idea. Freedom is God's idea and God's plan for our lives! Let's read together what Saint Paul tells us today in our second reading, in his letter to the Galatians: Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. (Galatians 5:1)
There are two kinds of freedom, and God is concerned about both. First, there is outer freedom. In the Old Testament of the Bible, the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt, and in the book of Exodus, God says: "I am the Lord, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt." (Exodus 6:6, NLT) God was concerned that his people were slaves, that they were being oppressed and that they were not free. Today, God is still concerned about outer freedom – that many people live enslaved to poverty, to injustice, to oppression.
God also is concerned about inner freedom. God does not want us to be enslaved to our sin. Maybe this is the greatest slavery and the greatest threat to our freedom in this country – not so much material slavery (though there is still great poverty in our country), but spiritual poverty and spiritual slavery. Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free… I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin…So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free." (John 8:31-32, 34. 36)
Trust in God and united we will pray for the Nations. America is young and there are young leaders of our nations live among us. When President Thomas Jefferson died, Abe Lincoln was a teenager, 17 years old; when Lincoln was assassinated, Woodrow Wilson was a boy of 8 years old; and when Woodrow Wilson died, Ronald Reagan was 12 years old. America is very, very young. And yet, we have been very blessed.

Let us stand as we celebrate the 231st Birthday of the Nations lets make the pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." --official version since 1954
In God we trust