The Gift of Wisdom

WISDOM: GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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Wisdom is considered the perfection of faith and the highest of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves.(1) Wisdom helps us focus on God and the things of God for by detaching us from the world, makes us relish and love only the things of heaven.(2) Through wisdom, we judge the things of the world in light of the highest end of man - the contemplation of God.(3) 

Wisdom, though it helps us focus on God and the things of God by detaching us from the world, does not take us out of the world. Even the Lord Jesus Christ did not ask the Father that we may be taken out of the world; rather, He prayed that we may get the necessary helps in order to transform the world [see John 17: 11, 15-19]. This transformation of the world can only be through the Holy Spirit and His gifts [see John 14:26; 16: 8-11; Acts 2]. With the gift of Wisdom, the Holy Spirit leads us to the proper ordering of the material and spiritual worlds so that we can more easily bear the burdens of this life and respond to our fellow man with charity and patience.(4) Therefore, even while still in the world, our minds and hearts are already joyfully set towards that hopeful expectation of that blissful union with the Father in heaven. 

Through wisdom, we see the world in a completely different light already and consider it as a mere instrument in attaining perfection in accordance with the will of the Father. Because of this, we can fully accept and live out the virtue of simplicity for we already know that our lives are not only meant to be lived here in the world but are destined to a better dwelling place, which is the Father's house [see John 14: 2-3]. A person who has wisdom lives in full simplicity because wisdom enlightens him or her that the things of the world are merely burdens that weigh heavily against the soul.

With the help of wisdom, we can also understand more the Lord's admonition to seek first the kingdom of God [see Matthew 6:33]. For wisdom will lead us to the realization that only by acknowledging God first in our lives and in everything we say, think or do, that we can successfully transform not only ourselves but the community that we belong to. When that transformation takes place, there would be a lot of changes within one's self in particular and in the society in general.

Let us then pray for openness that the Holy Spirit may infuse in us this gift of wisdom that we may live in simplicity some more and see that there are may things in this life that we allocate to ourselves unnecessarily to the detriment of others who need them more than we do. 

(1) Quoted from Fr John A Hardon, SJ. Modern Catholic Dictionary.

(2) Quoted from Catholic Encyclopedia.

(3) About Catholicism. Wisdom: A Gift of the Holy Spirit.

(4) About Catholicism. Wisdom: A Gift of the Holy Spirit.

ACTS: A for Adoration - Most Important Reason of Prayer

POPE FRANCIS I AND
POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI PRAYING.
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Adoration is [i]n the strict sense, an act of religion offered to God in acknowledgement of His supreme perfection and dominion, and of the creature's dependence upon Him; in a looser sense, the reverence shown to any person or object possessing, inherently or by association, a sacred character or a high degree of moral excellence.(1) It is therefore defined also as the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator.(2) It is also intended to exalt the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the "King of Glory."(3) It also blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications.(4)

The First Commandment states that there is but one God and only Him should we adore. This Commandment already sets the limits of true adoration: adoration is due only to God. That is why the prohibition against idolatry is already an integral part of this Commandment - it speaks already of exclusivity. And the prohibition against idolatry comprises every activity, ideology and even mere triviality which divert our full attention from true adoration to God.(5) 

We adore God alone by praying because of our humble acceptance of our being creatures and our sincere submission to His being the Creator. We show our adoration through prayers not merely by words by action and gestures also such as lifting up our hands, kneeling down, bowing down, etc. But we must remember that in order to adore God, we must intend to adore Him and when we use words, gestures and other elements to accompany such adoration, these must also be used with such intention. For God knows what is in the heart of every man and cannot be deceived by mere words and gestures.

Intention - willing - is truly important in adoration for even if one's body may be chained so that one may not offer gestures of worship to God, the mind can still praise God. On the other hand, even if the body is in the midst of worshipers and at the center of the temple, his or her  mind maybe somewhere else: thinking about that movie which he or she wishes to watch after the Church service, or about that sumptuous meal that awaits after the celebration of the Mass; etc.

Hence it is also true that actions and gestures which we usually use to accompany adoration doesn't actually translate to acts of worship especially when used outside of the formal act of adoration. Bowing for example is one of the actions which non-Catholics use to charge Catholics as a manner by which Catholics perform idolatrous acts such as bowing to images of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. But bowing in itself it generally an act of respect which many people use even in secular settings: the Japanese way of greeting, which is equivalent to handshakes, is by bowing to one another. When a Japanese bows to another, he doesn't mean adoring that person. Catholics too bow down to images not in order to worship them but to honor the Saints represented by the images and ultimately, to honor God who has given those Saints memorialized by the images, the graces and blessings which inspired them to live their lives according to His will.(6) 

Some might say also that Catholics pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints when prayer must only be directed to God. Of course all prayers are directed to God but Catholics believe and acknowledge God's great generosity of giving His faithful followers the opportunity to intercede for others.(7)

So when we pray to adore God, we must be totally focused. One doesn't even have to say so much. Holy silence is in fact more acceptable to God than the babble of words - and when we say babble of words it means speaking without putting our personal intentions on the words that we speak but merely speak them in some sort of compliance thinking that when we finish reciting them we have already done our obligation to God. 

Meditation and contemplation are actually wordless prayers of adoration, and one who attains this level of prayer actually attains union with God and experiences the joy of being in His presence. Many Saints have been given the grace of truly and fully enjoying God's presence and we call them mystics. 

To adore God by praying is the best manifestation of the virtue of religion. By adoring God we acknowledge His dominion over us and manifest our humble submission to His will. This also means that we recognize that He knows everything that we say, think or do and we therefore commit to never cause Him any dishonor so we perform our normal activities with more honesty and sincerity for we put them under God's hands.

(1) Catholic Encyclopedia

(2) Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2628

(3) CCC, 2628

(4) CCC2628

(5) On the First Commandment. You are My Friends. April 21, 2013.

(6) Catholic Encyclopedia. looser sense of adoration.

(7) Jesus is the Only 'Mediator" but God allows Intercessors. You are My Friends, April 26, 2013.

The Call to Mission: Initiating new Friends

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
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Part of the mission ad gentes, that is to all the nations of the world, is to baptize those who will come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [see Matthew 28: 19]. Surely, we won't be doing online baptism, but we can do online preparation for baptism for those who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through our online efforts and for those who have already believed and have been baptized already, to deepen their relationship, their Holy Friendship, with the Lord.

As we have stated earlier, we were only hoping to provide an avenue for the establishment of a deeper relationship with God through the Internet. However, it is also imperative that we share the Gospel of Holy Friendship within the immediate surrounding where we are and animate this environment with the Spirit of God and His love and Friendship. That is why it is encouraged that those who can should start reviewing our PSALMinary in order to be equipped about starting their own Cenacle wherever they may be.

Just to be sure, those who are interested are encouraged to start reflecting and meditating on the Gospel of Holy Friendship, John 13: 34-35; 15: 12-17, and ask for and welcome the Holy Spirit to inspire and move their hearts and minds in order to be led to the proper response to the call to Holy Friendship. Remember that we are not promoting just any type of friendship, we are promoting and proclaiming the Holy Friendship: a friendship which is based on God's love and holiness. Therefore, as Friends of God, one must, as in one's preparation for sacramental Baptism, be ready and truly committed to respond in the affirmative with regards to the questions about our Faith.

Furthermore, one has to commit to the fulfillment of the PSALM in his or her daily life:

[1] To pray personally, with a small community like one's family, and with the whole Church especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.

[2] To live in simplicity in accordance with Gospel values particularly of holiness, obedience to the will of the Father, and humility.

[3] To use available time for the deepening of Faith, the strengthening of Hope and the concrete application of Love.

[4] To live out a Sacramental life and be in love with Christian liturgy.

[5] To accept the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Holy Friendship to all and to make friends of all nations.

The cyberspace is a great medium for the proclamation of the Gospel. But we  must not be confined to the e-world. We must be able to concretely manifest what we do online in the particular realities of our actual life. For what profit can we gain if we inspire many through the Internet and yet be totally detached from the particular realities of our life?

The Lord is calling us to be His friends and He wants us to make friends of all nations. May we be inspired by His great manifestation of love and friendship by dying upon the cross that we may be redeemed from our bondage to sin and have the opportunity to be saved and gain eternal life. 

Let us truly love one another.

The Holy Mass: Liturgical Celebration of the Holy Eucharist

JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE.
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Having discussed the Seven Sacraments and how we can live them out in our daily lives as Christians, we shall focus now on the liturgical celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Source and Summit of Christian life [CCC 1324] so that we may be able to know and live out fully this celebration in the actual and daily lives that we live as Christians.

During the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus Christ told His Apostles, Do this in memory of me. Do what?

According to the Catechism on the Catholic Church,

The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words "until he comes" does not only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father [1341].

As to one of the earliest evidence of the celebration of the Holy Mass, the Catechism quotes St Justin Martyr's letter to the pagan Emperor Antoninus Pius [138-161] around the year 165, explaining what Christians did [1345],

On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things. Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves ... and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation. When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss. Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks [in Greek: eucharestein] that we have been judged worthy of these gifts. When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgiving, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: 'Amen'. When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent.

In the above quotation, we can see the presence of the two important parts of the Holy Mass, our Eucharistic celebration: the liturgy of the Word, the reading of the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets with homily, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, offering of the bread and wine and the Eucharistic prayer [1346]. Remember the road to Emmaus episode when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to two disciples and explained to them all that the Scriptures say about Him and then making himself known to the two by the breaking of bread? The same structure of the Eucharistic celebration is already present there [1347].

Since the beginning, Christians, particularly Catholics and many others, fulfill the command of the Lord to do what He did in His memory, not just to reminisce but to celebrate and live out the things that He did. Mere reminiscing would be a shallow reason to gather around His altar. It is specifically called celebration because it is a live memorial of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

In the next weeks we shall discuss the parts of the Holy Mass so that we could understand more deeply this celebration which remind us of the Lord's life, death and resurrection and so fulfill more meaningfully His command to do this in memory of me.

Jesus, Our Lord and Our God

THOMAS DOUBTED NO MORE.
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Thomas exclaimed, 

"My LORD and my GOD."

- John 20:28

In Psalm 110:1, King David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote,

The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right until I have made all your enemies your footstool.

The Lord Jesus Christ therefore asked this question: how can the Messiah be the son of David if David himself calls him Lord? [see Matthew 22: 42-46].

About the Lord being the Messiah, we have discussed here. About His being the Son of God we also treated here. As Messiah, He is identified by King David as his Lord. Being God, all the passages pointing to His being the Son of God also help us know and understand His being God for the Jewish themselves - who are supposed to be experts of the Law of Moses especially with regards to giving due respect to the name and being of God - reacted violently when He answered affirmatively when asked during His trial at the Sanhedrin whether He was the Son of God,

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus answered, "I AM" [Mark 14: 61-62].

The high priest didn't even mention the word God instead plainly referred to Him as the Blessed One because they so highly respected the word and mentioning it would be tantamount to disrespect and here someone fearlessly claims to be the Son of the Blessed One, of God. And so their reaction was to hand Him down the only punishment due to such blasphemy: death.

The high priest tore his robes and said, "What need of witnesses have we now? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your finding? Their verdict was unanimous: he deserved to die. [Mark 14: 63-64].

Earlier they also wanted to stone Him for making himself equal with God when He said that before Abraham was, I AM [see John 8: 56-59], and when He said that the He and the Father are One [see John 10: 30-33]. The Jews clearly understand and fully respect the words I AM for it is what the Lord our God introduced himself when asked by Moses and by which He was to be known by the Israelites [see Exodus 3:14] for they only know Him to be the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob-Israel [see Exodus 3: 6-16].

So for the Jewish leaders, many Jews, and the first Christian followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, it was clear to them that He is both Lord and God. There is no doubt in this for the Lord himself did not correct them if He wasn't really Lord and God indeed. If He was a mere Servant of God or Prophet, He would have made the proper corrections just like what the Old Testament messengers of God and the New Testament Apostles and disciples do when people acknowledge the wonderful deeds God does through them. Doubting Thomas was not merely carried away by his emotions when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" for it was a true expression of faith and acknowledgment of the true nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, and if He wasn't God, He would surely have corrected him at that very moment. But He did not. 

Remember also when Peter confessed Him to be the Christ-Messiah, Son of the Living God and the Lord even congratulated him for having received that revelation about Him from the Father himself [see Matthew 16: 16-18]. Jesus Christ our Lord himself said that the Father and He are one and that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father [see John 14: 9-13; 20-21; 17:21]. We say that God alone should be worshiped: see Revelation 5 and you'll read that the Lamb is also worshiped together with God and do we not know who is the Lamb?  

Hence the Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" [1 Corinthians 12:3]. [CCC 455].

Therefore with sincere hearts and true faith let us join St Thomas in acknowledging that Jesus Christ is indeed our Lord and our God.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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According to the online Catholic Encyclopedia, there are two kinds of Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 

[T]he first are specially intended for the sanctification of the person who receives them; the second properly called charismata, are extraordinary favors granted for the help of another, favors, too, which do not sanctify by themselves, and may even be separated from sanctifying grace.

For our discussions we shall focus on the first class, those that are identified with virtues though some believe they are perfections of a higher order than virtues. These Seven Gifts are traditionally taken from this passage of Isaiah 11: 2-3,

On him will rest the spirit of Yahweh, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh: his inspiration will lie in fearing Yahweh. His judgment will not be by appearances, his verdict not given on hearsay.

The Seven Gifts are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. They are fully present in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One whom Isaiah describes as the shoot that will spring from the stock of Jesse [Isaiah 11:1], but can be found in every Christian who is in the state of grace. That is why we can easily follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit because of the infusion of these gifts, the way Christ Himself would. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations [1831].

We shall discuss each one more deeply in the next seven weeks. However, as some form of introduction, we shall state a little about these Seven as follows:

[1] Wisdom. Called to be the perfection of faith. It is through wisdom that we properly value the things that we believe through faith.

[2] Understanding. Helps us penetrate to the very core of the revealed truths. It doesn't provide us the same clarity as understanding a mathematical equation but it leads us to be more certain about an article of faith, say the Holy Trinity, beyond what faith provides.

[3] Counsel. Called the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence can be practiced by anyone even those who are not in the state of grace but when one is in the state of grace, prudence can take on a supernatural dimension and its fruit is what we call counsel.

[4] Fortitude. Is also a cardinal virtue and very different from foolhardiness or rashness. It is even a curbing of recklessness, that is, putting ourselves in danger unnecessarily.

[5] Knowledge. It also perfects faith. But while wisdom helps us penetrate divine truths and prepares us to judge things in accordance with that truth, knowledge gives us that ability to judge.

[6] Piety. This gift perfects religion. It is the instinctive affection for God that makes us desire to render worship to Him.

[7] Fear of the Lord. This confirms the virtue of hope. It is the desire not to offend God and the certainty of Him giving us the necessary help to fulfill it.

The simpler we are, the more responsive we are to receiving these gifts. For the Spirit is simple and these gifts are best expressed in simplicity. 

Next Tuesday: THE GIFT OF WISDOM

ACTS: The Essential Components of Prayer

JESUS PRAYING.
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Prayer is our way of communicating with the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. When we pray, usually ask something but asking for blessings is just one of the essential elements or components of prayer - it is actually the last in the hierarchy of the elements of prayer. These elements or components of prayer have the acronym ACTS though the C and the T can be exchanged in the actual act of praying.

ACTS stand for Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We have introduced these when we discussed Prayer as the First Pillar of the Holy Friendship. In the next four weeks we shall discuss each one more deeply and somewhat more detailed manner.

Right now, let us review what we have stated about ACTS in our entry of Prayer as the First Pillar of the Holy friendship,

To easily remember these purposes of prayer, we can use the word ACTS to mean A = adoration or praise, C = contrition of being sorry for our sins, T = thanksgiving or gratitude, and S = supplication or asking for grace and blessings. When we pray we also usually do it in that sequence: we first offer our praises to God, then tell Him how sorry are we for the sins, mistakes and wrongdoings that we commit and the good deeds that have omitted, thank Him for the graces and blessings received, and ask for more blessings and graces not only for us but for others also. Contrition and Thanksgiving can be interchanged.

In an article at For Catholic Teens, Jerrome Placido wrote about ACTS in the following words,

That's why the common format for prayer is A.C.T.S. [Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication]. We first make and act of adoration, that is acknowledge that it is God who we speak to, who deserves reverence, awe and adoration. Then we make an act of contrition, understanding that no one can remain blameless in His sight and so we recognize before God that we have offended Him and express sorrow for doing so. Thanksgiving is then needed because He gives us so much already and before we can ask for more it is right and just that we thank Him for all He has already given us. Then we pray in supplication, that is, we ask God to supply for us all that we need materially and spiritually and have faith that we are heard and He will give us what is best for us.

So let us learn more about Prayer through the ACTS and while learning let us also actually pray. For it is true that practice makes perfect and the one sure way of learning how to pray is to pray. We may not be able to do it perfectly at once but we must never forget what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, that the Holy Spirit, being our Advocate, will help us express even just through groans what we cannot say in words [see Romans 8:26]. 

The Call to Mission: Making Disciples and Friends of all Nations through the Net

USING THE INTERNET TO FULFILL OUR MISSION.
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"Make disciples of all nations." 

- Matthew 28:19

According to the Holy Father, Mission is one calling of the Christian. We are all sent to go on mission by virtue of our Baptism. Being sent to go on mission, we are called to make disciples of all nations, and make them friends of the Lord Jesus Christ also.

As we mentioned a week ago, we have the power to do it through the Internet in this age of technological advancements - without sacrificing the reality that we ought to do actual, physical mission through our environs, beginning with our families, neighborhood, community, etc.

We can make disciples and friends of all nations through the Internet by being Christians in the way we present ourselves even when we are not physically seen or directly known by those we meet in the cyberspace. Many people think that because meetings in the Internet are not so personal because of the lack of real physical contact, because we can be anonymous, because we may not be ultimately identified, that we can hide our true selves, that is, we can be bad, at last, through the web. As Christians we must always use every opportunity to manifest our faith, hope and love. We cannot be Christians when seen and unChristian when hidden as we cannot serve both God and mammon.

To be a Christian is to be a Christian through and through, here and now, whether seen or hidden, whether with the congregation or alone, in thought, word and deed. We must therefore be Christians in the way we use the Internet and this way, the world will know that we are followers and friends of the Lord, and if they are disposed to His grace, they could be moved and inspired to belong to our community, but if not, they might persecute us. But the important thing is that we are able to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ even through this medium which others think is evil.

Let us use every opportunity to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never be overcome by evil but let us overcome evil even through the net. Many times we shall find ourselves alone and unwanted by netizens because they'd rather hear, watch and join in conversations, issues and posts that are trivial, mundane and intriguing. But we must never be discouraged for even in the early years of Christianity people tend to disregard the Gospel unless they witness miracles and signs.

As we use the Internet, let us be more concerned about posting, sharing and commenting on Christian messages and images. We must avoid messages and images that carry no Christian value. Through this we can proclaim our faith, hope and love and we can evangelize and Christianize the cyberspace and we will be able to make disciples and holy friends of all nations! 

Living the Sacramental Life - Holy Orders

PRIESTLY ORDINATION.
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church states about the Sacrament of Holy Orders,

"Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyerate, and diaconate." [CCC 1536].

It is the priesthood of the ordained ministers of the Church. Though this sacrament do properly belong to the ordained, by understanding their priesthood, we can love them more and show support in their ministry. We can also become more active in our common priesthood which we have acquired by Baptism.

In the Old Testament, God established Israel as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation and yet He also set apart of the twelve tribes, the Levites, to lead in liturgical services and to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins [1539]. But their priesthood was limited and a mere prefiguration of the one priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the priest in the order of Melchizedek, holy, blameless and unstained [1544]. As in the Old Testament and the former Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ has made in the New Testament His followers, members His Church, which is the New Israel, a kingdom of priests and holy people [1546], and ordained priests [1547] as sharers of His one and unique priesthood [1544-1545]. 

Ordination to the Holy Orders leave an indelible mark, an imprint, upon the person receiving the sacrament, which configures them to Christ. In the Catholic Church, those who respond to the call to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are required to be celibate. There are three degrees of the ordained priesthood in the Church. 

The Episcopate is the fullness of the priesthood for the Bishops are considered as successors of the Apostles themselves and includes the roles of sanctifying, teaching and ruling. The Bishop, as Christ's Vicar, the responsibility over a particular Church entrusted to his pastoral care but also by collegiality, that is, in brotherhood with other Bishops, shares the responsibility of caring for the whole Church. As Christ's representative, the Bishop's presiding in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist has a special character also [1555-1561].

Priests are co-workers of the Bishop. Although they do not have the fullness of the priesthood like the Bishops, priests are consecrated to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful. In the name of the Bishop and in dependence and communion with him they dispense the divine office among the faithful in their particular local assembly of the faithful. Priests also form an intimate sacramental brotherhood among themselves under their Bishop [1562-1568].

Deacons receive the imposition of the hands not unto the priesthood but unto the ministry. Only the Bishop imposes his hands upon the candidate to the diaconate to signify his special attachment to the Bishop in the task of diakonia or service. 

As we mentioned above, in the Catholic Church, those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are required to be celibate. Hence priests, including Bishops and deacons, need our constant prayer and support that they may sustain their sacramental lives and be protected from the temptations of the flesh which seek to mislead them from their faithful performance of their roles and to distract them from focusing on their sacred duties by enticing them to see the beauty in another vocation, such as marriage life. We can strengthen them in their ministry by being faithful also to our respective vocations such as marriage life for those who have spouses, and to the single blessed state for the single ones.

As for the Common Priesthood, which all of us baptized share through baptism, we can practice them by actively participating in liturgical activities and by living our lives in holiness. For our priesthood is about living our vocation as a holy people, a people set apart, consecrated by God to sing His praises [1 Peter 2: 5, 9]. From among many peoples, we have been chosen, we have been called, and by baptism we acknowledged that call, God's choice, and so become consecrated to be His people, His priests forever. Hence in everything we say, think and do, we must be holy as the Father is holy [Matthew 5:48].

As priests, we can offer gifts and sacrifices also, though not as special as the offering and sacrifice of the ordained priests. We can offer to God by sharing part of our resources to the various ministries of the Church. These resources may be in the form of financial support, or our time, skills and talents. We can offer sacrifices especially by following the occasions for fasting and abstinence not only during Lent and Advent but also during special occasions whereby the Church asks us for such offerings. 

We can also practice our common priesthood by our prayers. Ordained priests offer prayers and praises to God. We also are called to do that by participating in liturgical activities, devotional practices, and in our own special and personal ways. 

Priests may belong to a special class due to their special vocation. But they are still human beings like us who need prayers and support in their effort to remain faithful to their calling. Pope Francis I knew the importance of this so he asked the faithful to "pray for me" and to pray for all the ordained. For ordination does provide graces for them to dispense their role in accordance with its dignity but as they are also still living in the world, without belonging to it just like us, they can fail if we leave them vulnerable to attacks. For the enemies of the Church know that they cannot destroy the Church by snatching up on the members but in destroying the credibility of its leaders, as it is written, 

"Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, 

and I will turn my hand against the little ones." 

- Zechariah 13:7

The Lord has entrusted us to their care, but they have been given to us to support. For when He commanded Christians to love one another, He meant for each and every one to do it to each and every other.

Simplicity: The Way to Greatness

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH.
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Today, our Gospel reading talks about greatness.

What it is to be great in the Kingdom of God? Maybe this passage, called the Hymn of Christ, could give us an insight into true greatness,

Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself, and took the form of a slave, being born as a man and in every way like a human being, he humbled himself obediently accepting death, death on a cross. That's why God highly exalted him and gave him the name above every other name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend, in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

- Philippians 2: 6-11

According to the Evangelist John, Jesus our Lord who is the Word made flesh [John 1:14] was in the beginning with God and was God and through whom everything has been made [John 1: 1-3]. But He came to this world upon being sent by the Father for the purpose of saving us that we who will believe may not perish [John 3:16]. So God the Son left His divine status and became man and as one among us, He further humbled himself by accepting death upon the cross - declaring His full submission to the Father's will and rejecting His own [see Luke 22:42]. By His obedience, the Father exalted Him and made Him ruler of the universe putting everything under His feet [Hebrews 10: 12-14; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 15: 27-28]. 

So true greatness is in humbly and obediently accepting the Father's will for in this we cooperate in His eternal plan of glorifying His name and fully making us His children through the Lord Jesus Christ. For God, greatness is in having a share in His inheritance [Romans 8: 16-17], of having a room in His mansion [John 14: 2-3]. In order to be made worthy of being His children and heirs and partake of the Lord's glory, we also have to partake of His sufferings [Romans 8:17]. 

By being simple, we can easily walk upon the path of greatness for we will never have heavy burdens to bring along. Truly simple people do not carry heavy loads. They could even soar to the heights of contemplating the glory of God in prayer because they are so light. They could also face every trial and challenge on earth with ease because their faith, hope and love are the only load they bring. 

The Lord Jesus Christ also presents a little child as model of greatness. It is because the properly trained child doesn't have complex wants and desires yet unlike adults. Hence when we become like children, we become simple children of God whose only desire is to be with Him and to fulfill His will in everything we do.

So let us be truly simple so that we may attain true greatness. Let us leave behind the complexities of worldly living for they encumber us and make our journey toward the kingdom of God slower because of being filled with worries and anxieties about these things. 

Personal Prayer can Best Express the Circumstances for which It is Offered

PRAYING HANDS.
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This may be related to the last one, though the focus of it was more about communal gatherings and occasions. Here we can mention other circumstances which may be more personal. For example, someone who visits a sick friend or a offers a prayer for a loved one who is celebrating an important occasion like a birthday, anniversary, graduation, to which the one offering may not be capable of attending. 

As we have mentioned in that article, we could probably find a lot of ready-made prayers which we can use in order to offer personal prayers for these circumstances. But we also repeat, we have to make these prayers truly personal also, that is, as if it was us who made them and who are truly praying them for the first time. Using them just because we cannot think of anything to say, or just because they seem great prayers, etc would not be that good to hear for God. For as the Apostle Paul wrote, when we cannot say what we really need to say, the Spirit helps us pray with inexpressible groanings [Romans 8:26]. Of course there are prayers which the Vatican has designated as sources of grace by just praying them but still there must be the intention, the heart and sincerity, not merely uttering the words for the sake of uttering and complying.

So personal prayers truly and expresses best the circumstance for which we offer the prayer. What better prayer can substitute the joy that we feel in thanking God for passing a difficult entrance exam to a a very prestigious school, or for having been accepted to a high paying job out of hundreds of applicants, or for being grateful that our beloved grandparent has reached his or her hundredth birthday with the strength and skill of someone in his or her forties? There are surely a lot of things we can pray for personally to which we cannot find exact ready-made prayers for these circumstances are by themselves unique not only because of the occasion but also of the relationships and the feelings and emotions attached to the celebration or circumstance.

Even the Lord Jesus Christ did not exactly direct us to pray the Our Father verbatim or word for word but merely said, when you pray, pray LIKE THIS [see Matthew 6:9]. It is true we Catholics use the Our Father as a common prayer for various reasons and purposes but, once more we emphasize, we should recite the prayer in a personal way, not as an answering machine which repeats only what it has been programmed to recite.

Prayer as we said before is our way of communicating with the Father. The more personal our communication, the better, especially with God. And by the way, with God we need not say a lot of words when we pray to Him from our hearts and personally, we only have to be sincere and persistent.

More blessings through your prayers, dear friends.

Jesus, the Gate

JESUS IS THE GATE.
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"So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold."

- John  10:7

Being the Gate, it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can go to the Father [John 14:6] and it is through Him that all the children of God have access to the Father in the one Spirit [Ephesians 2:18] and so boast in the hope of the glory of God [Romans 5:2]. 

Those who enter the sheepfold in other ways are thieves [John 10:1] but the shepherd enters through the Gate [John 10:2]. Hence in a safe and sure manner enter and go out of the sheepfold in order to find pasture for the sheep [John 10:9].  

He is also the narrow gate that leads to life [Matthew 7:14]. While other gates are wide and spacious but they lead to destruction [Matthew 7:13].

Would you enter the narrow but true Gate? Or would you try finding the wide and spacious but destructive gates in order to gain access into the Fold?

The Call to Mission: Sent to the World, to the Ends of the Earth

THE ASCENSION OF JESUS TO HEAVEN.
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"And he said to them, 'Go out to the whole world; 

proclaim the gospel to all creation." 

- Mark 16:15

Our Mission is to go out into the world, to go to the ends of the earth in order to proclaim the Gospel of the Holy Friendship. But while many would do it physically, we, who use the Internet, are given the opportunity to do it through the web. Of course, if given the chance, we ought to do physical proclamation especially through our deeds, especially to those who does not have access to the Internet.

But as netizens, we have the wonderful opportunity to proclaim God and His love through the Internet. The ends of the earth, the world would include the cyberspace, but we also target the physical world of the people we meet and minister to in the worldwide web. Through this we can do much more especially with regards to areas where physical evangelization is difficult due to the fact that Christians are unwelcome there and Christian witnessing is prohibited.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, while still Pope, called users of the Internet - especially the young - to evangelize through the cyberspace. In his message for the World Day for Social Communications in 2009, which we quote from the Catholic News Agency, he said,

"I am inviting all those who make use of the new technologies of communication, especially the young, to utilize them in a positive way and to realize the great potential of these means to build up bonds of friendship and solidarity that can contribute to a better world. Young people in particular, I appeal to you: bear witness to your faith through the digital world! Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God's infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"

The Internet is truly a new and significant medium of evangelization. Instead of letting the Internet be filled with occasions of sin and become a world of sin, we who proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ ought to maximize its capability to connect to the ends of the earth instantaneously and simultaneously. We have a modern way to proclaim the Gospel and we must never let it be used to overshadow God's message of love and hope.  

So dear friends, let us start making use of our time spent online to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially His call to holy friendship and His challenge to love one another.