I pray believing, receiving and accepting God's miracles in my life this day and every day

Dear Almighty Lord God Jesus Christ,

I thank you for this day, 
for this is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it.
I thank you for being able to see, and to hear,

and to speak, and to feel, and to taste

of Your good creation this day and every day.
I'm blessed because you are such a loving

and such a forgiving God, 
and such an understanding and caring God. 

You have done so much for me 
and yet you keep on blessing me.
Forgive me this day for everything I have ever done,

or ever said or ever thought, 
that was not pleasing to you.

I say I am so sorry, 
and I now repent and ask for your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe O God 
from all danger, hurt, and harm.
Help me to start this day 
and every day with a new attitude

and plenty of gratitude.
Let me make the best of each and every day,

to clear my mind so that I can hear from you.
Please broaden my mind so that I can accept all things

according to God's Will.

Let me not whine and whimper
over things I have no control over,

for all things are working together 
for my good and God's Glory.
And when I'm pushed beyond my limits,

give me the best response, 
a response to says Alleluia, and
Praise the Lord, and Thanks be unto the Most High God Almighty, I know that when I can't pray,

You listen to the prayer of my heart.
Continue to use me to do your will.
Continue to bless me 
so that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong so that I may help the weak.
Keep me uplifted so that I may have words

of encouragement for the discouraged.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way,

that they come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour,

even through this Prayer I am now praying.

I pray for those that are misjudged
Misguided, misused, and misunderstood.
I pray for those who don't know you intimately.
I pray for those who will ignore this prayer
without sharing the Love of God with others.
I pray for those that don't believe,
but I thank You, that I do believe
that God changes people and God changes things.
I pray for all my sisters and brothers,
for each and every one of the family members 
in their households.

I pray for peace, love, and joy in their homes.

I pray that they are out of debt
and that all their financial needs are met,

and they have more than enough 
to be a blessing to others.
I pray for every eye that reads and says this Prayer
that they come to know that there is no problem, no circumstance, no situation that is greater than God,

for God is greater than all,

God is greater in all,

God is greater through all,

and God is greater upon all.
For God, the Most High God Almighty of all the Universes

is truly the Greatest of All.

I pray for all my enemies, and those who have used me

and abused me, and have lifted up their hands

and their tongue against me.

I now forgive them for all they have done.

In Jesus Name, all my enemies are now forgiven,

and I pray for God's forgiveness upon all my enemies,

for they do know what they are doing, 
as I am a Child of God.
So every battle that I have ever encountered in my life

is now in God's Loving hands,

for You, O God fights all my battles for me.
I pray that these words 
be believed, received and accepted
into the hearts of every eye that sees them

and every tongue that confesses them
in name of Jesus Christ.

I pray believing, receiving and accepting God's miracles

in my life this day and every day,

for God's Divine favor is now my heritage,

in Jesus Name. Amen and Amen!

It is done!

O' Praise The Lord! Alleluia!

Etiquette in Church at Holy Mass

Please remember the two fundamental principles upon which our behavior and attitudes in church rest:

1) The church is a sacred space! It is the “Lord’s house” where we come to worship God together.

2) Mass is a holy and sacred act! It is during the Mass when all the graces and merits of our Lord’s sacrifice are applied to our souls in a sacramental fashion.

If you keep these two principles in mind, all the following points of Mass etiquette will make perfect sense.

1. Please dress appropriately. We should dress for Mass as if a King had invited us to a wedding feast, for that is what Mass truly is. Jesus, our King, is the groom and we are his bride. Who would show up to a wedding improperly dressed? Therefore, we should wear our best for the Lord. 

2. Please arrive to Mass punctually. It is a good idea to arrive at Mass on time in order to participate in the entire liturgy. After finding your seat, take the opportunity to review the Bible readings, prepare yourself in prayer, or reflect on what you wish to bring to Jesus during the Mass. Arriving on time is also respectful to other parishioners because it prevents distractions once Mass has begun.

3. Please turn off your devices. This includes cell-phones, pagers, or anything else that rings, beeps, or buzzes.

4. Please do not bring any food, drink, or gum into the church. 

5. Please reverently genuflect towards the tabernacle before sitting down. We do this to show respect to Jesus, our crucified King, who is present body, blood, soul and divinity in the hosts that are preserved in the tabernacle.

6. Please stay until the end of Mass. Mass ends when Father gives the final blessing then says, “The Mass is ended, go in peace” and we say: “Thanks be to God.” The final blessing is very powerful and will aid and protect you throughout the week. You are encouraged to stay and sing the final recessional hymn as well. Attending Mass in its entirety from beginning to end will give you a fuller, richer experience than leaving right away.

7. Please exit the church reverently and respectfully. Again, this is to show respect to other parishioners and our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. There is a custom where some people stay several minutes after Mass in thanksgiving for the Eucharist they have just received. You are encouraged to do the same.

Source: Penang Diocesan Pastoral Institute - PDPI Facebook

Show our LOVE, prove it is God's Love

If we cannot prove our LOVE for what we can really see with our eye, then how can we say Lord, I LOVE You, who we cannot see with our eye.

Reflect and think about how we can help the poor, the homeless, the unfortunate and the needy this season of Lent. By doing good in sacrifice our times and resources for those in need we can demonstrate God's love in us by our sharing and giving spirit. Lent is not a time we fast for our stomach, but we need to have a clean heart and a heart of doing good, sharing and showing love in all our action which is God's love in us.

Pray without Ceasing ~ Talk by Rev.Fr.David Townsend, SJ

Source : Penang Diocesan Pastoral Institute - PDPI facebook

Tips for Mass for parents of children with disabilities

Happy 1st Anniversary Pope Francis! ~ 12 months have past

We love you and are praying for you!

A year ago, on 13 March 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, became the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic church, taking the his papacy name Francis after Francis Assisi. His first public gesture as Pope was not to bless the vast crowd in St. Peter's Square but to request the crowd's blessing, such great humility. Humility of course is a Christian virtue, but it is also something that St. Ignatius Loyola, the 16th-century founder of the Jesuits, specifically asked Jesuit priests and brothers to embrace. There are three kinds of humility, St. Ignatius said. The first is exemplified by the person who does nothing immoral. The second is the one who, when faced with honor or dishonor, is "indifferent." The third is the person who chooses the humbler path, to be more like Jesus. Pope Francis exemplifies this "Third Degree of Humility." In homilies, reflections and speeches, Francis most often does not tell his listeners what to think, he invites them to imagine and think for themselves. It is not the Pope's Jesus whom you are invited to meet, but your own.

Pope Francis Lenten Message 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As Lent draws near, I would like to offer some helpful thoughts on our path of conversion as individuals and as a community. These insights are inspired by the words of Saint Paul: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). The Apostle was writing to the Christians of Corinth to encourage them to be generous in helping the faithful in Jerusalem who were in need. What do these words of Saint Paul mean for us Christians today? What does this invitation to poverty, a life of evangelical poverty, mean to us today?

Christ’s grace 

First of all, it shows us how God works. He does not reveal himself cloaked in worldly power and wealth but rather in weakness and poverty: “though He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor …”. Christ, the eternal Son of God, one with the Father in power and glory, chose to be poor; he came amongst us and drew near to each of us; he set aside his glory and emptied himself so that he could be like us in all things (cf. Phil 2:7; Heb 4:15). God’s becoming man is a great mystery! But the reason for all this is his love, a love which is grace, generosity, a desire to draw near, a love which does not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the beloved. Charity, love, is sharing with the one we love in all things. Love makes us similar, it creates equality, it breaks down walls and eliminates distances. God did this with us. Indeed, Jesus “worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, he truly became one of us, like us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). 

By making himself poor, Jesus did not seek poverty for its own sake but, as Saint Paul says “that by his poverty you might become rich”. This is no mere play on words or a catch phrase. Rather, it sums up God’s logic, the logic of love, the logic of the incarnation and the cross. God did not let our salvation drop down from heaven, like someone who gives alms from their abundance out of a sense of altruism and piety. Christ’s love is different! When Jesus stepped into the waters of the Jordan and was baptized by John the Baptist, he did so not because he was in need of repentance, or conversion; he did it to be among people who need forgiveness, among us sinners, and to take upon himself the burden of our sins. In this way he chose to comfort us, to save us, to free us from our misery. It is striking that the Apostle states that we were set free, not by Christ’s riches but by his poverty. Yet Saint Paul is well aware of the “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8), that he is “heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). 

So what is this poverty by which Christ frees us and enriches us? It is his way of loving us, his way of being our neighbour, just as the Good Samaritan was neighbour to the man left half dead by the side of the road (cf. Lk 10:25ff). What gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness is the compassion, tenderness and solidarity of his love. Christ’s poverty which enriches us is his taking flesh and bearing our weaknesses and sins as an expression of God’s infinite mercy to us. Christ’s poverty is the greatest treasure of all: Jesus wealth is that of his boundless confidence in God the Father, his constant trust, his desire always and only to do the Father’s will and give glory to him. Jesus is rich in the same way as a child who feels loved and who loves its parents, without doubting their love and tenderness for an instant. Jesus’ wealth lies in his being the Son; his unique relationship with the Father is the sovereign prerogative of this Messiah who is poor. When Jesus asks us to take up his “yoke which is easy”, he asks us to be enriched by his “poverty which is rich” and his “richness which is poor”, to share his filial and fraternal Spirit, to become sons and daughters in the Son, brothers and sisters in the firstborn brother (cf. Rom 8:29). 

It has been said that the only real regret lies in not being a saint (L. Bloy); we could also say that there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ. 

Our witness 

We might think that this “way” of poverty was Jesus’ way, whereas we who come after him can save the world with the right kind of human resources. This is not the case. In every time and place God continues to save mankind and the world through the poverty of Christ, who makes himself poor in the sacraments, in his word and in his Church, which is a people of the poor. God’s wealth passes not through our wealth, but invariably and exclusively through our personal and communal poverty, enlivened by the Spirit of Christ. 

In imitation of our Master, we Christians are called to confront the poverty of our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it. Destitution is not the same as poverty: destitution is poverty without faith, without support, without hope. There are three types of destitution: material, moral and spiritual. Material destitution is what is normally called poverty, and affects those living in conditions opposed to human dignity: those who lack basic rights and needs such as food, water, hygiene, work and the opportunity to develop and grow culturally. In response to this destitution, the Church offers her help, her diakonia, in meeting these needs and binding these wounds which disfigure the face of humanity. In the poor and outcast we see Christ’s face; by loving and helping the poor, we love and serve Christ. Our efforts are also directed to ending violations of human dignity, discrimination and abuse in the world, for these are so often the cause of destitution. When power, luxury and money become idols, they take priority over the need for a fair distribution of wealth. Our consciences thus need to be converted to justice, equality, simplicity and sharing. 

No less a concern is moral destitution, which consists in slavery to vice and sin. How much pain is caused in families because one of their members – often a young person - is in thrall to alcohol, drugs, gambling or pornography! How many people no longer see meaning in life or prospects for the future, how many have lost hope! And how many are plunged into this destitution by unjust social conditions, by unemployment, which takes away their dignity as breadwinners, and by lack of equal access to education and health care. In such cases, moral destitution can be considered impending suicide. This type of destitution, which also causes financial ruin, is invariably linked to the spiritual destitution which we experience when we turn away from God and reject his love. If we think we don’t need God who reaches out to us though Christ, because we believe we can make do on our own, we are headed for a fall. God alone can truly save and free us. 

The Gospel is the real antidote to spiritual destitution: wherever we go, we are called as Christians to proclaim the liberating news that forgiveness for sins committed is possible, that God is greater than our sinfulness, that he freely loves us at all times and that we were made for communion and eternal life. The Lord asks us to be joyous heralds of this message of mercy and hope! It is thrilling to experience the joy of spreading this good news, sharing the treasure entrusted to us, consoling broken hearts and offering hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing darkness. It means following and imitating Jesus, who sought out the poor and sinners as a shepherd lovingly seeks his lost sheep. In union with Jesus, we can courageously open up new paths of evangelization and human promotion. 

Dear brothers and sisters, may this Lenten season find the whole Church ready to bear witness to all those who live in material, moral and spiritual destitution the Gospel message of the merciful love of God our Father, who is ready to embrace everyone in Christ. We can so this to the extent that we imitate Christ who became poor and enriched us by his poverty. Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt. 

May the Holy Spirit, through whom we are “as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10), sustain us in our resolutions and increase our concern and responsibility for human destitution, so that we can become merciful and act with mercy. In expressing this hope, I likewise pray that each individual member of the faithful and every Church community will undertake a fruitful Lenten journey. I ask all of you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you safe.

source: news.va

40 days of Lent / Holy Week / Feast of Divine Mercy 2014 ~ CDM, Penang

Church of Divine Mercy

Sg. Ara, 

Penang, 

Malaysia

"He became poor, so that by his poverty 

you might become rich"

~ * ~ 2 Corinthians 8:9 ~ * ~

The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful ~ Psalm 138

I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your loving-kindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.
Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth

Psalm 86:1-6
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

God's Words will not return void to the Lord

God's Words is from His mouth, is the living word which strengthens our faith, effective in our life and works the wonders in our daily life. We must always remember that God is He alone who has the ultimate control of everything and everyone. God's word does not return void to Him but instead it forgives, redeems, heals, provides, rescues, frees, protects, strengthens, and guide us in our everyday lives. The word of God is powerful that it is able to convert people to faith (Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God), and creates faith in the hearts of men, women, and children. Let us have confidence that God is behind all and will use it according to his will. We should trust in God's Words, the power of God and continue to proclaim it to all as for those who hear it to come to faith and be saved. Therefore It is not a waste of time to declare the mercy and grace of God in Christ through His own words which produces fruits of faith in the lives of believers and promises eternal life. The God's Word is like energy which cannot be destroyed but only changes form, it produces it's fruits and achieves it purpose for it was sent, just like the rain falling down to the earth. God's word is not merely promise but it gives and delivers exactly what it says. All His words are the true, and was became the truth when the Word became flesh, Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Do not ever doubt, rebel or reject the word of God by closing our ears, shutting our minds and turn our backs on Him, and by this actions and choice of rejection we have condemned ourselves. Thus, we should expose ourselves to God's Word, as it will soak in us, create faith and allow the growth of our faith. When you speak the Word of God, you are tapping into limitless power! God's Word has no boundaries.

The Word will not fail, for God never fails!

Whether we see it or not, 

God promises us that His powerful Word never fails! 

It works in our lives 

and will work in other lives as well. 

It is God's Word that gives new life 

to those dead in their sin.

Blessed are You Lord my God, 

since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written 

for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, 

read, mark, learn, and take them to heart.

Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Job 23:10-11

But He knows the way that I take;

When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot has held fast to His steps;

I have kept His way and not turned aside.

Prayer to St.Anthony for Financial Security and Help

St. Anthony arranged for collections of money so that he might rescue these people from their plight. He paid their debts so that they might be set free. He shared what little food the friars had when they begged at his door. He saw the face of God in the poor.

Prayer for oneself:

Please, St. Anthony, I need your help.

I am worried about my finances.

I don't ask to be rich. 

I just want to be able to take care of myself and my loved ones.

Help me (insert your personal need here, e.g. find a job, pay off ones debts, etc.).

As you helped those in need in your own days, 

so now I ask to you help me now.

Amen.

Prayer for others:

Please, St. Anthony, I ask you to help _______.

He/she is in financial need.

Help him/her (insert the person's need here, e.g. find a job, pay of ones debts, etc.).

As you helped those in need in your own days, 

so now help _______________ today.

Amen.

Source: www.companionsofstanthony.org/financialsecurity.htm

Christians can live Lent through the help of smartphone application

Xt3 Lent Calendar 2014, a smartphone application launched by the archdiocese of Sydney in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame in Australia. The application is free and available for iPhone, iPad and Android supported smartphones. Also can be view in computers through the link XT3 LENT CALENDAR 2014 site. It provides daily meditations and texts which will help Christians prepare through Lent for the coming of the Holy Week and the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

YouTube - RomeReports.com

Never listen or be tempted by the serpent, be obedient to God's law, only trust God

Our obedience to God and His laws is the question. The serpent symbolizes the fallen angel whom has rebel against God, and now known and called the devil or Satan, and is seeking the ruin of souls in this world. Therefore, we we should abide and be obedient to God and His Son our Saviour, JESUS CHRIST (Jesus has said in John 14:6, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me). Jesus Christ to was tempted, suffered, died, conquered Satan vicariously for our salvation. Jesus trusted and believe in His Father words in His Father, that is why he said in Matthew 4:7, "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." God is found by those who do not tempt him, and he manifests himself to those who trust him. It would have been arrogance and insolence, and not trust, if Jesus had thrown Himself down from the parapet of the temple in acceptance of Satan's challenge. Therefore, we too should not listen nor accept the temptation by Satan in our daily lives and we should turn to God in prayer. Apply the sign of the Cross, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen and tell Satan to go away taking with him his evil intentions. To be tempted is not sinful but in accepting or giving in, then we have committed sin. Jesus Christ is our Light of Faith, and by the Word of God (the will of God is in his Words) we will be able to resist all the temptations and works of the dark side (finding shelter under the wings of God), and by this we will be able to avoid being sinful. Often, it is only after going through sore temptations and trials, by the faith. believe and trust in Him at those times, we will experience the sweet communion with God, experiencing the fullness of His great and unending love for us.

Ephesians 5:10-17
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Glory to Christ! 

Glory be to the Father, 

and to the Son, 

and Holy Spirit, 

now and ever. Amen.

Know God's WORD

Trust God's WORD

Obey God's WORD

The WORD of God alone causes and sustains life,

is not absolutely dependent on ordinary food.

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.

Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Matthew 4:1-11
At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights,
and afterwards he was hungry.
The tempter approached and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones become loaves of bread.”
He said in reply,
“It is written:
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city,
and made him stand on the parapet of the temple,
and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.
For it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus answered him,
“Again it is written,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain,
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence,
and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you,
if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”
At this, Jesus said to him,
“Get away, Satan!
It is written:
The Lord, your God, shall you worship
and him alone shall you serve.”

Then the devil left him and, behold,
angels came and ministered to him.

I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee

My GOD, 

I believe, I adore, I trust, 

and I love Thee! 

I ask pardon for those 

who do not believe, 

do not adore, 

do not trust 

and do not love Thee.

AMEN.

Penang Diocesan Lenten Campaign (PDLC) ~ 2014

Charity: The Light of Faith

Whatever you did for the least of my brethren, 

you did it for me.

~ * ~ Matthew  25:40 ~ * ~

The theme is inline with Pope Francis first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei,” or “The Light of Faith,”.

Open Our Hearts, and let us share our light of faith to the poor, the sick, the hungry and the needy. God made a sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus for our salvation (John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.), and now during Lent we must willingly and lovingly sacrifice some comforts and pleasures and focus on Him and the infinite sacrifice He made on our behalf. Giving up something for Lent is a wonderful and meaningful exercise that brings us closer to God. God is Love, the more love we give to those in need, is like we love God more, and our relationship and bondage with God will be stronger and more intimate.

I was a slave to sin and by Your grace You have forgiven me and set me free!

Dear Divine Infant Jesus, hear my cry, I have made so many big mistakes concerning money, I am in debts that are beyond my control. I am indebted through my own fault. I am so sorry for all that I have done and for not listening to You. You have forgiven me of a great debt of sin that I could not pay. I was a slave to sin and by Your grace You have forgiven me and set me free! Now, Infant Jesus, please help me out in making possible for me to attain the amount I so desperately need urgently to settle my finance problems. I need Your divine intervention and miracle to free me from this situation. All I do is with the intention to settle my financial predicament. I want to change myself to be a better person and lead a moderate life with You in my heart always. I need Your wisdom, strength and courage, Jesus You ave said, if anyone asks for wisdom, you will freely give it. I truly believe and trust that You are not willing to see me suffer and You will come to rescue and save in my time of distress. I thank you now JESUS for all the blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come, because I know you are not done with me yet. In Your most Holy Name Infant JESUS, I make and claim all said in this prayer. Amen. Infant JESUS, I TRUST in THEE.

JESUS, have mercy on a sinner like me and intercede for me to our Father in heaven

Lord JESUS, I come to you with an open heart, to confess to you all my past mistakes. All that I am going through in these rough times are the results of my own actions. I have accumulated quite a sum of debts which is beyond my control at current, but I truly believe, hope and trust that you will help me, heal me and provide the financial means in overcoming it. JESUS, it is impossible for me to overcome this situation by myself, but there is nothing impossible for You. All I am asking is to be able to attained the amount sufficient to settle my debts, to change myself to a better person and to lead a moderate debt free life. JESUS, have mercy on a sinner like me and intercede for me to our Father in heaven that by the Father's will, he will grant me the finance to settle all my debt burdens and be able to breathe freely again. Come Lord JESUS, help in the predicament, and after this guide me to make the right decisions throughout my life. Lord JESUS, I trust in you and I claim all said in this prayer request in Your most Holy Name. AMEN.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity) ~ 2014

We celebrate the patronage of St. Joseph and the Church asks for his intercession and protection. St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. In God's plan and will, he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. Joseph faithfully accepted the will God obediently and he fulfilled the trust God in him by caring, protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary. In the gospel, St. Joseph was called to be the husband of Mary and in accepting to do so he was also taking the responsibility to take charge and to protect Jesus as his son. Joseph was not wealthy but he was a silent man, a prudent man, a listener, a compassionate man (Matthew 1:19, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly), a strong man, a courageous man (Matthew 2:13-14, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, .... Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt ....) and he loved Mary and Jesus. The bible does not mentioned about Joseph death, but tradition says that he died some time before the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. St. Joseph has been called the Protector of the Redeemer by Pope John Paul ll.

Liturgical veneration of St. Joseph, started somewhere in 15th century and was fostered by St. Brigid of Sweden and St. Bernadine of Siena. At current time there are two feast day dedicated to St. Joseph, 19 March is to venerate and honour him personally in the role as husband of Mary, the Mother of God and head of the Holy Family, and on 1 May we honour him as St. Joseph the worker (Joseph was a carpenter by trade), the patron of workmen (workers) throughout the world. St. Joseph is also known as the Protector of Virginity, for respecting Mary’s divine motherhood all his life. He was proclaimed the patron of Universal Church by Pope Pius IX on 8 December, 1870.

St. Joseph, the shadow of the Eternal Father upon earth, the protector of Jesus in His home at Nazareth, and a lover of all children for the sake of the Holy Child, should be the chosen guardian and pattern of every true Christian family.

“Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, 

not because he speaks his own words, 

but above all because he listens 

to the words of the Living God. 

He listens in silence. 

And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness 

to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God,” 

~ * ~ Pope John Paul II ~ * ~

"Let us allow ourselves to be infected 

by the silence of St. Joseph,

We need it very much, in a world that is often too noisy."

~ * ~ Pope Benedict XVI ~ * ~

Angelus Message on the Feast of St. Joseph, 2006

We ask St. Joseph,

the earthly Guardian of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

and the foster father of Jesus,

to show and teach us to love unconditionally 

and to be good and faithful servants of the Lord.

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by Saint Joseph's intercession your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Wednesday, 19 March, 2014
St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)

Reading 1

2 Samuel 7: 4 - 5, 12 - 14, 16
4	But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
5	"Go and tell my servant David, `Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
12	When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13	He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14	I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men;
16	And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"

Psalm

Psalms 89: 2 - 5, 27, 29
2	For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is firm as the heavens.
3	Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant:
4	`I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.'" [Selah]
5	Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
27	And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.
29	I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens.

Reading 2

Romans 4: 13, 16 - 18, 22
13	The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
16	That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants -- not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,
17	as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" -- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18	In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be."
22	That is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness."

Gospel

Matthew 1: 16, 18 - 21, 24
16	and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
18	Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit;
19	and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
20	But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit;
21	she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
24	When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife,

or

Luke 2: 41 - 51
41	Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
42	And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;
43	and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44	but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;
45	and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46	After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;
47	and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48	And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."
49	And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
50	And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.
51	And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Prayer

God of Love, 

Joseph was the husband of Mary, 

and you entrusted Jesus to his care. 

I am inspired by his fidelity and integrity 

as your self-sacrificing servant. 

Allow Joseph to offer strength, courage, 

fidelity and tender self-less love 

to all husbands. 

Let this holy family renew in me 

the desire to be your servant, 

faithful in the vocation you have given me.

Amen.