Lemuel The Servant

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St.Augusitine writing Confessions

While remembering all his youthful follies, he remembers how God's unfarthomable grace has been a shield for him, how grace leads to discover his faith into Three in One God.

Divine Illumination

St: Augustine receive divine illumination from Jesus the Son of God and Mary, the mother of Jesus, enlightening him while he is writing his discourse.

St.MONICA and St.AUGUSTINE at Ecstacy at Ostia

Two saints, mother and son receive a vision of heaven at Ostia, near Rome. It was the last moment of the two being together, looking heaven ward, and later St.Monica died and was buried there.

Seminarians on the wall.

With co-seminarians, where trying to escape the scourging sunlight, sitting on the fence and keeping ourselves calm with jokes.

Rosary Garden at Tabor Hill, Talamban

A place of prayer and peace, a place of love and charity where being together with the mother of our Divine Lord, and recitation of Holy Rosary knocks the doors of Heaven.

07 May, 2014

think twice for democracy

               What's happening around us, in all the news paper there will be headlines of terrorism, injustice, murder, famine and human rights groups' loud voice and so on. How about the ruling systems in this world? The loop holes in democracy makes modern man more miserable. Yes, it does, its like two wolf voting against a lamb who will eat the lamb. How about dictatorship? more or less the same. The only difference between these two ruling systems is that democracy is a system composed with many people while dictatorship is only one. Both has difficulties, injustices, wickedness, long term plan to destroy one's enemy.
      Even so called just, the UN is bias, in my opinion. The UN will force the third world countries with its power. America will block all the trade, forces international banks to stop operating in a particular sanctioned country. They did, yes, to our country. Who suffer in reality? Not the Dictator or his family or a single person from his trusted circle. In reality the citizens of Burma are the ones suffering  immense troubles coming from different aspects of day to day struggle to live. Less education, less health care, less income, less ...less and everything is less.Then where is justice?
        The dictator government feels easy, nothing to worry, while the citizens are bearing the troubles. We have suffered heavy yokes of dictatorship. The world is suffering the pains of democracy. If we follow as UN and the west suggesting to transform like them to democracy, what will then we expect. More pains?
    They say, they want democracy in Burma? Well, would that be so easy? What do you expect when we have democracy? Peace? Economy? Justice? Human rights to its fullness? Nah, expect nothing. When there is democracy...the western companies will come inside freely and exploit, leave their uncultured customs and traditions. As we can hear now, people said, "there is no democracy in Burma in its fullness. Some people are still struggling for their rights." Yeah its true. Does that mean that "when there is democracy there is justice following its tail? Democracy would make the country more chaotic, I guess. I have completely lost my trust both democracy and dictatorship. Both have difficulties on attaining justice and peace. 
    In my understanding, practicing democracy in one's country is like cutting off all the fence of a household and saying we are open and we welcome everyone, we are free. But in reality, it becomes more chaotic by having accessed by all, known and unknown, good and bad. Nothing remain stable in such a house because of its structure. Everyone has full right to do what one wants. There is no more respect for anyone. Social norms became an extra thing. People discard the old traditions of the society and of course they loose them becoming more or less like the west where democracy originated. People became slave of absolute liberty where it doesn't exist in reality. People demanding a full freedom is not yet free, indeed.
      While practicing dictator ship is enclosing one's household with a wall higher than the house. Everything is closed. House members are not in peace, they are forced to keep their mouth shut in respect to democracy in which everyone has every right to raise voice whether sensible or not, reasonable or not, right or wrong.  With dictatorship people lose every dignity and right of theirs, so as does democracy. The world has journey through a lot of political struggle like Socialism, Nazism, Communism and finally democracy. What shall come next. Will the world be at an edge when all countries in the world become practicing democracy. Will peace be granted so as well justice? No, no one can grant such as peace and justice and well being of each individual? Then why should we pursue such idealism as democracy. Since before, Plato has warned the dangers of democracy. It will put the world into peace. A nation with greater power will annihilate a nation with lesser power. This is why B!@#€h America is trying its best to remain as the most powerful world in the world. Politically, ideologically, economically it tries its best to remain. Mostly thru political and entertainments. In entertainment it is trying its best to show itself as the savior of the world from wars, a nation which gives donations to disaster-hit nations. However, its nature can't be hidden, a wolf in under the skin of a sheep.
     As a person, I love freedom and discipline. Not democracy, because democracy can only give a superficial freedom, a bitter medicine covered with sugar coating. A true freedom present in the heart of each individual together with responsibility and most importantly LOVE, which does not see faults and forgiving. Since Love rule its citizens without a sword. I long for that day and wish you do the same. We need to teach ourselves to love infinitely and others as we ourselves.

01 May, 2014

a prayer of a heart seeking the Lord

           I did not know what place will be placed. As far as I can see, I am given a chance to learn and reflect from others, as guiding myself, i guide some persons. As i pray for others, i pray for myself. Seeing others I see my image in them.i am grateful for an invisible person who promised to be with us in every mili-second of our life here on this earth. I am firmly convinced that i am not alone struggling here but there is someone who understand me more than i understand myself. How can i be grateful to the person who is without any losing of patience to guide when we are wrong, understand when we are weak, console when we are hurt. HIS image of love is reflected in the love of parents.
        Each day, growing in spiritual life is really hard if there is no asking of help from divine. Our failures make us realize how we are weak and unstable in everything, from thinking to performing some little stuff. We might have offended someone without knowing, and we too can be offended by someone without intention. Our imperfect reasoning makes us to rely on the one who is mightier than us. We search always: for a place where we feel we are well protected, well guided and well preserved. There is only one secure place, where are satisfied from every desire. It is in the bosom of our Lord, whose heart is big enough to release us from every wrong we have done against him and against our neighbour. Lord, have Pity on us, Jesus.

30 April, 2014

Lord, Thank you.

O Dear Lord,
     Thank you for my birth!
         thank you for my coming death.
             As I am living give me conversion, being with you.
                  None else that I want. Amen.

22 April, 2014

Two points...

            It has been so long time I haven't write anything for this blog. By the reason of being transferred from one place to another, adjusting to fit oneself in new culture and custom is seemingly difficult one, taking time of unknown measure, one doesn't know when will be the end of these adjustments and familiarizing everything around. Though without divine assistance it could have been impossible to progress in faith and daily experience. People might ask, how could you feel any divine assistance. Yes, they are right to be curious that how one is sensitive to the grace of a God who can't be touched, smelled or there is nothing of tangibleness.
       In my opinion, it is plausible that there would be people who have difficulty to imagine the grace of God or whatsoever extraordinary experience. However, the grace of God is nothing extraordinary, nothing supernatural. Because God has promised that he will be with us, then it is very natural to experience God's grace. But how to experience, then? It is a difficult question to handle since it is always personal experience of a belief that divine assistance is encountered. Generally, these personal encounters with divine assistance can be unified in the basis facts they agree upon. The most important one is to reflect and realized events happening in our past expereinces. By scrutinizing them one eventually will come to see, 'Oh, it has been seemingly difficult to handle yet I don't how it was solved.' And so on, these surprises will gradually surface during the process of self-interrogation, serious reflections, and recognizing one's weakness in the course of time. Then, there comes, realization of the presence of divine assistance. This process really takes time and more of humility of the heart. A proud man's heart cannot be open to divine assistance because he will insist that all the success is achieved through his intelligence or capacity, and the failures were because of ill-fate.
      A humble person will attribute every success to divine assistance which he say, he is not worthy to have it yet, it was God's special favor for his children.This is not the only attribution and there are more of it, for example, simply praying...'O Lord, your ways are more perfect than the ways i chose for myself' and one would accept failures as God's intervention for a better purpose. It is very beautiful since it is always attributed to God and even in the time of big failure, it helps us to recover immediately after realizing it as God's plan for us. No bitter feelings remain in the heart accusing our neighbor as the cause of our failure and blaming ourselves for incapacity. Human beings are made as human beings with capacities of a human being. It would be hurtful for both parties forcing or expecting someone to be perfect in his/her behavior, attitude etc... Although, i think, no one knows what really is perfection in every aspect of day to day life. We simply guess and impose our thoughts on someone over whom we expect perfection. It was the Jews thought that Jesus lacks perfection to claim as the Son of God the most high. Then with their prejudices they had him killed so that there would be no one among them arises claiming to be the son of God.
        Finally, I summarize two points, first realizing God's assistance in our day to day life in which we experience ups and downs. The second is realizing our imperfection in very moment of our life. By these very two facts we will be able to go a little upward in spiritual life, balancing all our expectations, hopes and desires with failures, unwanted results and difficulties.
Wish you a blessings-filled day to you..
fra-gil
     

12 December, 2013

Catholic from Myanmar to be beatified

                A leading archbishop in Myanmar has hailed the upcoming beatification of the south-east Asian nation’s first native son as a sign of the Pope’ love for the Church in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
          "We are delighted to know that the first Burmese Blessed will be Isidore Ngei Ko Lat. The Holy Father is close to Myanmar and this first Blessed is the sign of Pope Francis and the Holy See's love and attention," said Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon.
          His remarks came soon after Pope Francis on Monday authorized a decree recognizing the martyrdom of Italian priest Fr. Mario Vergara of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME ) and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, a lay catechist, martyred in Shadaw (Myanmar) May 24, 1950.
The recognition of their martyrdom was among 12 decrees, including a miracle and 10 heroic virtues, that Pope Francis authorized. The other upcoming beatification is of 19th century Italian nun, Giovannina Franks, through whose intercession a miracle has been recognized.
           Speaking to AsiaNews, Archbishop Bo described the "great joy and happiness," of the Catholic community, caught by surprise by the long-awaited announcement. The journey began in May 2008, when the Catholic Bishops' Conference wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI to "humbly ask the Pope to authorize the study of the cause."
           The beatification of Fr. Vergara and his catechist, the bishops wrote, will be a source of " encouragement" for the whole community to live" a faith more in line " with the Gospel and to witness to it "in a brave and heroic" way, even at the cost of dying because of hatred for the faith and giving their lives "for the Gospel."
                  Archbishop Bo said the Church in Myanmar is preparing to celebrate 500 years of history and hopes for a visit by Pope Francis to the country. He said that the beatification is a first step on a long journey and “there are many others", because they have many martyrs in Myanmar, who deserve sainthood.
 
<p>Picture: Vatican Radio</p>

01 September, 2013

Sunday, 01 September 2013

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

St. Giles of Castaneda, Abbot (640-720)

Commentary of the day
Saint Bruno of Segni : « Behold, I have prepared my banquet…, everything is ready : come to the feast » (Mt 22,4)

Lk 14:1.7-14.
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."


Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB



Commentary of the day :

Saint Bruno of Segni (c.1045-1123), Bishop
Commentary on Saint Luke's Gospel, 2, 14 ; PL 165, 406 (trans. ©Friends of Henry Ashworth)

« Behold, I have prepared my banquet…, everything is ready : come to the feast » (Mt 22,4)

Invited to a wedding feast, the Lord looked round and noticed how all were choosing the first and most honorable places, each person wanting to take precedence of the others and to be raised above them. He then told them this parable (Lk 14,16f), which even taken literally is most useful and appropriate for all who like to be honored, and fear being put to shame...

However, since it is called a parable, it must have some other interpretation besides the literal one. Let us see then what this wedding feast is, and who are the people invited to it. This wedding feast takes place in the Church every day. Every day the Lord makes a wedding feast, for every day he unites faithful souls to himself. some coming to be baptized, others leaving this world for the kingdom of heaven. We are all invited to this wedding feast - all of us who have received faith in Christ and the seal of baptism This table set before us is that of which it is said: “You have prepared a table before me in the sight of those who trouble me” (Ps 23[22],5). Here is the showbread, here the fatted calf, here the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (Ex 25,30; Lk 15,23; Jn 1,29). Here is the living bread come down from heaven; here placed before us is the chalice of the New Covenant (Jn 6,51; 1Co 11,25); here are the gospels and the letters of the apostles, here the books of Moses and the prophets. It is as though a dish containing every delight was brought and set before us.

What more then can we desire? What reason is there for choosing the first seats? There is plenty for all no matter where we sit. There is nothing we shall lack.