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How do you pray?
"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thes. 5:16-18


Situation Explained
How do you pray?


Solution Offered
There's so much to do when you get into your faith, isn't there?
Step one is to pray.
Step two is to pray more.
Step three involves taking a look at what we are praying for.and changing it, if necessary.

Let's say, for argument sake, that if you're reading this, that you pray every day (that's great if you do, and if you don't yet, keep workin' at it) - so here are is the question:

When you pray, for what do you pray?

For more money, less stress or a better life?
For healing in broken relationships or within families?
For the passing grade, or the cancellation of a test?
For freedom from an addiction?
For the forgiveness of your sins, especially recurring sins?
For protection from evil, good health or a new beginning in your life?
For a boyfriend or girlfriend, a husband or wife, for children or for an end to loneliness?
For God to make clear your vocation and to just "tell you what He wants"?
For God to explain to you why certain things have happened to you?

And when you do pray for yourself, it is to grow in human esteem or in holiness? Do your prayers center around "things" or around personal growth and change?

Ask yourself.

Do you pray for wisdom?
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him." - James 1:5


Do you pray for courage?
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!" - Ps. 27:14


Do you pray for humility?
".clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." - 1 Pet 5:5


Do you pray for faith?
"The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" - Luke 17:5


Do you pray for mercy?
".and lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." - Luke 17:13


Do you pray for hunger?
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matt. 5:6


Do you pray for clarity?
"Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." - Luke 10:23-24


Do you pray that you would feel, more powerfully, the Father's love?
"So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 Jn 4:16

For each of these prayers form us more into the image and likeness of God and each of these pleas to our Heavenly Father will help us approach those other daily, worldly prayers with greater trust and surrender.

As we enter into Lent, let's really take a look not only at praying "more" but also at praying more like Jesus teaches us to pray, following more closely the direction and advice that He gives us through His Word.


Salvation Given
"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thes. 5:16-18


Prayer is the greatest weapon we have and the greatest gift we receive.

~fonz-jm outta......

This week

ohhh... time really past very fast... Happy Lunar New Year to ALL!
it has been very busy days for me since lots of work both in office and church with the youths and their ministries... 'can kill me ahhh!' but i guess i have been chosen by them so i had to set a good way of living to them, that they live here is for God and to return the glory back to God the Almighty... let me share with you what i have wrote for Lent 2007...

In the season of Lent, the Mother Church gives us these 3 spiritual exercises: Fasting, Almsgiving & Prayer, to help us overcome the devil’s temptations.

Fast
Many of us think “fasting” means fasting from food or that we eat our food faster. Actually “fasting” does not mean totally not eating but reducing the amount of time we spend on food, and material or physical pleasures such as LAN gaming, going for parties. It means exercising self-control.

Almsgiving
“The Christian’s programme – the programme of the Good Samaritan, the programme of Jesus- is ‘a heart which sees’. This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly.”

Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est

Prayer
“Action is worth nothing without Prayer: Prayer grows in value with sacrifice.”

St Josemarìa Escrivá

Without prayer, it is difficult to exercise Fasting & Almsgiving.

i guess in this world now the youth are scared to answer to the people in the world of how they can love God, and to answer those questions that they dont understand for themselves, eg
- "Who is God?"
- "Who made God?"
- "Why am I here?"
- "Why did God sent his Son to come to save us by dying on the cross?"
- "Why go to church, where God is in your heart?"
these are the things that will may or will or even have an-counter through their everyday life in school, at outing with friends & etc... so after been question real HARD by people from the world, they themselves get confuse of their faith in the Living God and also doubt on the Love of God, and it is a Sin to doubt on the Love of God that shows that we are making ourselves far away from Him. these young people need to see a sign from their own groups of people, in their family and everywhere...

let me end off with a qoute from St Josemarìa Escrivá on "Love of God":

"Do not fear God's Justice. God's justice is no less admirable and no less lovable than his mercy: both are proofs of his Love."

~fonz-jm outta......

Feast of St Scholastica

Scholastica, the sister of Saint Benedict, had been consecrated to God from her earliest years. She was accustomed to visiting her brother once a year. He would come down to meet her at a place on the monastery property, not far outside the gate.

One day she came as usual and her saintly brother went with some of his disciples; they spent the whole day praising God and talking of sacred things. As night fell they had supper together.

Their spiritual conversation went on and the hour grew late. The holy nun said to her brother, "Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until morning talking about the delights of the spiritual life."

"Sister," he replied, "What are you saying? I simply cannot stay outside my cell."

When she heard her brother refuse her request, the holy woman joined her hands on the table, laid her head on them and began to pray. As she raised her head from the table, there were such brilliant flashes of lightning, such great peals of thunder and such a heavy downpour of rain that neither Benedict nor his brethren could stir across the threshold of the place where they had been seated. Sadly, he began to complain.

"May God forgive you, sister. What have you done?"

"Well, she answered, "I asked you and you would not listen; so I asked my God and he did listen. So now go off, if you can, leave me and return to your monastery."

So it came about that they stayed awake the whole night, engrossed in their conversation about the spiritual life.

Three days later, Benedict was in his cell. Looking up to the sky, he saw his sister's soul leave her body in the form of a dove, and fly up to the secret places of heaven. Rejoicing in her great glory, he thanked almighty God with hymns and words of praise. He then sent his brethren to bring her body to the monastery and lay it in the tomb he had prepared for himself.

from Dialogues by Pope Saint Gregory the Great

[Via from Catholic Church Conservation]

~fjm outta......

Dramatic Moment

last nite i fight with my elder brother and i feel so bad and keep on saying "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me a sinner" without stoping till i slept at 4am in the late morning. it started like this...

- my brother asked me to sleep at my dad's room cause of the gf was staying at our place. 'she stayed here like dam long lor' so i didnt bother but i wen to sleep
- after i sleep he kick me to wake me up and ask me to go to my dad's room but i shouted that i wanted to sleep
- he came towards me i could not take it so i push him without any force but he bang the eger of his table and the fan drop and is GONE den my dad woke up to stop us from fighting
- and for that moment i couldnt move and i dunno why i cant move and tears just rush out from my eyes and also i got problem my nose
- after my dad scolded my brother he came to help me and 1st time i see my dad cried in front of me -_-' and i was helped to his room to put to sleep but i cant sleep and i cant move also and in myt heart i was saying "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me a sinner" until 4am den i slept

today i was with my community for Word and the Word of God touch me and help me to realized that God was the one who make me not to move and to fight back cause i didnt have Faith in Him that he will take care of my being at anywhere. i felt so bad at myself and i know i dun have Faith and the Church has given me a Sign of what is faith. Faith is Abraham not because he is the Father of Faith but he Listened to Yahweh and follow his voice. thank God that my live was not taken away but i was given a chance to return to Him the God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob... Peace!

~fjm outta......

Youth Rally 2007 aka Shine Jesus Shine Rally 'SJS'

So... is your Hear on FIRE? if not come and experience till you Heart go on Fire!
10 Feb 07 @CJC Performing Arts Centre 6.15pm
with Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Fr Valerian Cheong & Fr. Simon Pereira, CSsR

~fjm outta......

Europe's Old Churches Turn Into Bars, Eateries

"Its transformation ... is shocking and completely unacceptable," says Jiri Pesek, head of the European Center for Old Sacral Art. But protests often come too late. "People are just not aware of what is happening—until it happens to their church," says Brussels-based Chris Gillibrand, who runs a web site called catchcon.blogspot.com that opposes the conversion of Catholic churches.

- 'Remodeling the Churches', Newsweek International, February 12, 2007 issue

[link via Catholic Church Conservation]

Shocking and completely unacceptable indeed.

While it is bad enough that disused churches be converted into mosques and temples, it is downright disrespectful and offensive that they be used for parties and clubs. You will never find the same being done to Moslem mosques or Buddhist temples, and this blogger wonders why.

There are not too many converted churches in this country, but whenever I pass the most well-known, the former Catholic Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), now CHIJMES (pronounced 'chimes') - dining, shopping and entertainment centre.

Its chapel, the finest example of Gothic style architecture in this country, is reduced to hosting dinner parties and fashion shows. It is truly unfortunate, but on hindsight, its sale to the Singapore government in 1983 saved it from the tasteless changes inflicted on Catholic churches following Vatican II. Such secularism is not universal.

[link via Memoirs of a Neophyte]

~fjm outta....

What about you?

You know the Bible 96%!

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You are a 96% traditional Catholic!

Congratulations! You are more knowlegeable than most modern theologians! You have achieved mastery over the most important doctrines of the Catholic Faith! You should share your incredible understanding with others!

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~fjm outta......

Word for Thoughts

Here is a recipe for your way as a Christian: pray, do penance, work without rest, fulfilling your duty lovingly.

From St Josemaría Escrivá


~fjm outta......

This week

this whole week i felt so sleepy in the office -_-' but i got a chance to celebrate with my friend whose last day was on last wed but we have a farwell dinner on tues @ New York New York Restaurant after our office hours... here are the fotos. . .

Xian Rui ---> "Hey dun disturb me eating la..."

Seafood patter! GONE!

when is my food coming?

Candice & adeline

What a picture
dun you think we can act?
Finally a picture with the girls
mmm cant think of the word
Group Photo

i enjoyed that day with them. we have fun talking, playing and etc hope they wont forget this event when they enter university

~fjm outta....