A prayer through Mama Mary...

This is a beautiful prayer. Please read it
SOmetimes this is sent as a chain Email.

It is miraculous, ask for something, anything just pray !!!
And remember her words: Am I not
here, and am I not your Mother?"
Beautiful Virgin of Guadalupe, I ask
you on behalf of all my brothers and sisters of the
world that you bless us and protect us. Give us
proof of your love and kindness. Oh pure Virgin of
Guadalupe, give me through your Son, forgiveness
for my sins, blessings for my job, cure for my
diseases and needs, and all that you deem necessary
I ask for my family. Oh Mother of God, do not disdain the
pleas we present to you in our needs. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want to impart to you
the presence of the Virgin of
Guadalupe... that she is miraculous and is always
with us wherever we go.
When this is sent as a E-letter it has the objective
of going around the world so recipients could receive
miracles within a beautiful chain of prayers.
Please If you believe cut and past and pass this forward to
as many people and share it during
in the following days. In return you will
receive proof from the Virgin no matter how
impossible it is.
a surprise and great joy and blessing awaits!
" GOD will never leave you
EMPTY, he will REPLACE everything you've LOST.
If he asks you to put something
DOWN, it's because HE wants YOU to PICK-UP it up
and make it something GREATER "

May God Bless US all... read and pass on this if you like.

Subject: Ben Stein (a newspaper columnist) Commentary

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, 12/18/05.

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:

I have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them

on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so

important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.

If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.

How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare(she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem

(Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talkin g about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill > strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

: I got a question for you

If you take the time to read it and maybe apply it to your own life...it makes you think. : )

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped clothe.

4. God won't ask what your highest salary was, He'll ask if you gave some to help others.

5. God won't ask what your job title was, He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6. God won't ask how many friends you had, He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation, He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10. God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He already knows whether or not you are ashamed to share this information to whom you love.

May God bless you.

Daily Christian Wisdom

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.


-Matthew 6:25

John 14:1-7

"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may follow..."

"Believers, you are required to pray together each Friday. When you hear the call to prayer, stop your worship, and hurry to the place of meeting. This will do you much good--if you only knew. When the prayers are finished, disperse, and seek God’s grace. Keep God always in your mind, so that you may enjoy success in your work. "
-Qur'an, Al-Jumu'ah, Surah 62:9-10

From "366 Readings From Islam," translated by Robert Van der Weyer. Copyright 2000.

Angels

"Angels carry the love of God where he wants it this day, this moment. And since the heavenly Father's love is limitless, another fact follows--angels may be found doing anything, any time, any place, any way to help God's people."
-Charlie W. Shedd,
"Brush of an Angel's Wing"

Day by Day

Day by day, dear Lord of you
Three things I pray:
To see you more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow you more nearly,
Day by day.

- St. Richard of Chichester

A monday prayer

Prayer: “Dear God, I give thanks today to remember that You have a plan for my life and it's a good one; and that you will give me everything I need to fulfill that plan. Gather me now to be with You as You are with me; soothe my mind and melt my stresses and quiet my fretfulness. Release me from any fears that grip tightly that I may be open to receive all that You so generously give.”

Affirmation: With God at my side, I take life in stride and my day is blessed with good.

Acts 6T

he Choosing of the Seven

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.Stephen Seized
8Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
9Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen,
10but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."
12So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."
15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

He is risen...

Almighty God,

who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Easter Prayer for Families
Dear God, we as a family praise you. This is the day that the Lord has made.
We rejoice on this Easter day. We rejoice singing praises to Jesus' name. Jesus is risen, and he brings new life to all.
Dear Jesus,
we thank you for giving your life for us on the cross. We thank you for forgiving our sins.
We thank you for loving all the people of the earth. We pray your blessings upon our family.
Unite us in your love. Make our home a safe place. Help us to reach out to the poor and the needy. Help us to speak for justice and against oppression.
We pray your blessings upon all nations.

Help us to repent of all violence and crime. Lead us to become a loving community.
We praise you, Jesus our savior. We thank you for this day.

Amen.

The Gsopel- St. John 20' vrs. 1-9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture... that he had to rise from the dead.

Gospel reading for Holy Saturday...

O God,

Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Matthew 27:57-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, `After three days I will rise again.' Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, `He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

John 19:38-42

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Feastday of Saints

I place here the "Saints of the Day" whose feastdays are on the date posted....

St. Ruadan

Feastday: April 15

584

One of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, an abbot founder. He was born in Leinster, Ireland, and was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard. Ruadan was the founder of the monastery of Lothra, in Tipperary, which had 150 monks.

St. Hunna

Feastday: April 15

679

Called “the Holy Washerwoman,” a noblewoman who devoted herself to the poor of Strasbourg, France. The daughter of a duke and wife of Huno of Hunnaweyer, she even washed the poor, hence her name. She was canonized in 1520 by Pope Leo X.

Bl. Damien de Veuster

Feastday: April 15

1889

The Leper Priest, the Hero of Molokai. Born in Tremelo, Belgium, on January 3, 1840, he joined the Sacred Hearts Fathers in 1860. He was bom Joseph and received the name Damien in religious life. In 1864, he was sent to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he Was ordained. For the next nine years he worked in missions on the big island, Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the leper colony on Molokai, after volunteering for the assignment. Damien cared for lepers of all ages, but was particularly concerned about the children segregated in the colony. He announced he was a leper in 1885 and continued to build hospitals, clinics, and churches, and some six hundred coffins. He died on April 15 , on Molokai. Slandered by a Protestant minister, Mr. Hyde, Damien was defended by Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote an impassioned defense of Damien in 1905. He was declared venerable in 1977. Pope John Paul II declared him beatified on June 4, 1995.

St. Maximus & Olympiades

Feastday: April 15

251

Martyrs of Persia. They were noblemen who were beaten to death with metal rods because of their loyalty to the faith

St. Maro

Feastday: April 15

Martyr with Eutyches and Victorinus. They were members of the group that followed St. Flavia into exile to the island of Ponza, Italy, and were reportedly martyred after returning to Rome.

St. Mundus

Feastday: April 15

Scottish abbot sometimes called Mund, Munde, or Mond. He founded abbeys in Argyle, Scotland.

St. Paternus

Feastday: April 15

St. Paternus.The first 5th century saint. He followed his father's path by becoming a hermit in Wales. He founded the monastery at the great church of Paternus, and became a bishop of that region. He was known for his preaching, charity and mortifications. Scholars believe his story is an amalgam. His feast day is April 15.

Ban the code?

A letter versus the book "The Da vinci code" has reportedly been circulating of late addressed to Bishops the letter reads as such ;

“Your Excellency,

“On behalf of The Philippine Crusade for the Defense of Christian Civilization, Inc., a civic and cultural organization of lay Catholics, I write this letter confident that you have heard or read about Dan Brown’s bestselling yet controversial book ‘The Da Vinci Code.’ A movie based on the purported historical fiction is now set for worldwide release sometime in May of this year.

“As faithful Catholics, we are concerned about the scandalous and sacrilegious manner in which Our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Mary Magdalene and the Catholic Church are portrayed in the book. We believe the movie wouldn’t be any different.

“While apologists for the book or movie pass it off as mere fiction, we cannot remain naïve and complacent about the possible harmful effects it would have on the average Catholic reader or moviegoer. False conclusions based on shoddy fictional premises can and often do deceive many of those of weak faith to accept and believe as true what they would normally take for as ridiculous or nonsense.

“To dispute those who claim protesting only generates publicity, we argue that the promoters of these productions fear the negative publicity generated by these protests since it translates to poor ticket sales at the box office.

“In face of this scurrilous attack on the sacred person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, it is our privilege to present Your Excellency a copy of Rejecting the Da Vinci Code: How a Blasphemous Novel Brutally Attacks Our Lord and the Catholic Church, published by The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP - www.tfp.org). The book aims to increase public awareness and refutes the malicious lies and distortions being perpetrated by Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.”

“I have also enclosed copies of articles assailing the literary and historical merit or lack thereof of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ which I hope would be of use to you. [These were copies of your article and an article on the statement of the US Catholic Bishops.]

“Knowing Your Excellency’s compelling duty to teach, govern and sanctify the faithful as a successor of the Apostles, we respectfully entreaty Your Excellency to voice out firm opposition and condemnation of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ movie. We count on you to support our initiative as well as encourage the movie’s boycott among the Catholic faithful.

“With this formidable task of going against worldwide public opinion, we hope to show the rest of the world that Filipino Catholics would stand up to defend the honor of the God-Man, that most singular Personage in all of history, the holy founder of Christianity, whom we call Our Lord Jesus Christ.

“In closing, we kneel and kiss Your Excellency’s pastoral ring as we ask for your prayers and blessing.

“Faithfully yours,

“Dr. Jose Maria P. Alcasid
“President
“The Philippine Crusade for the Defense of Christian Civilization, Inc.”

Good Friday...

The Holy Gospel in the 19th Chapter of St. John beginning at the 1st Verse.....

Glory be to thee O Lord.

PILATE therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. and the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head,
and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.

And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him,
they cried out, saying ... Crucify him,
crucify him.

Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him:
for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him,

We have a law, and by our law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying,
he was the more afraid; and went again into
the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus.

Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me?
knowest thou not .... I have power to crucify thee,
and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power
at all against me, except it were given thee from above:
therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him:
but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go,
thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king,
speaketh against Caesar.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth,
and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called pavement,
but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour:
and he saith unto the Jews,

Behold your King!

But they cried out, Away with him, away with him,
crucify him.

Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King?
The chief priests answered,
We have no king but Caesar.
Then they took Jesus,
and led him away.

Seven last Word of our Saviour :

The Bible quotes seven last sentences that Jesus spoke from the Cross

"Father , forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
(Luke 23:34)

"Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
(Luke 23 :43)

"Woman,here is your son….Here is your mother"
(John 19:26)

"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"
(My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?) (Mark 15:34)

"I am thirsty"
(John 19:28)

"It is finished"
(John 19:30)

"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"
(Luke 23:46)