Panalangin ng Isang Nangungulila ngayong Pasko

Panginoon, sa Iyong unang pagparito sa mundo, winakasan Mo ang matagal  na pangungulila at paghihintay ng Bayan Mong Israel. Binigyang daan Mo ang pagkakasundo ng Ama at Kanyang bayan na sabik na sabik sa kalinga ng bawat isa. Ako po, Panginoon, ay kasalukuyang nangungulila sa mga mahal ko sa buhay, lalo't higit sasapit na naman ang Araw ng Kapaskuhan. My current situation, Lord, is preventing me to share the Joy of Christmas with them. Nalulungkot po ako, Panginoon, at napapabuntong-hininga sa tuwing iisipin ko na hindi ko sila makakasama ngayong Pasko.  Lord, palakasin mo po ako at bigyang kaaliwan sa aking sitwasyon. Ikintal mo po sa puso ko na IKAW lamang ay sapat na. Patuloy mo rin pong pagningasin sa puso ko ang pag-asa na, sa darating na panahon, makakasama kong muli ang aking mga mahal sa buhay sa dakilang Araw ng Pagsilang Mo.   Amen. 

Tayo naman ang taya! - Isang Pagninilay para sa Kapistahan ng Immaculate Conception

 

Nagsimula na ang mga posts sa social media patungkol sa Immaculate Conception ni Mama Mary, at karamihan sa mga ito ay mga mensahe ng pasasalamat, pagmamahal at pagsusumamo. Ramdam-ramdam sa mga mensahe ang matinding pagmamahal ng mga Katoliko sa Ina ng ating Panginoon. Hindi naman kataka-taka yan sapagkat matindi rin naman ang pagmamahal sa atin ng Mahal na Ina. Kaya nga, maraming milagro at "answered prayers" ang patuloy nating nasasaksihan sa kanyang walang sawang pamamagitan. 

NO ONE IS POOR TO GIVE: Five Ways to be Charitable without spending a single centavo.

 

From my childhood until now, I am a firm believer that doing charitable works are not only for the rich and wealthy who can give large sums of money to the needy. Being charitable is a universal calling, whether you are poor or rich.  I take inspiration to the poor widow in the gospels which pleases the Lord by giving out ALL of what she have. We must understand, my dear brethren, that our LORD does not look at the quantity of the gifts, but the sincere hearts of the giver.

 

Here are few ways which we can do to exercise charity without spending a single centavo:

Prayer of Healing for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS #WorldAidsDay

Father of Infinite Mercies, we come to You today to pray for our brothers and sisters who afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Please allow them to experience Your miracle and heal them, both body and soul. Give them courage and strength that they may perservere in the midst of sickness. Increase their faith in You, so that they may give You honor and praise, even in painful situations. Purify them, O Heavenly Father. Forgive them their sins, and embrace them back to the fold.

 

This we pray, in the Name of Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.  

 

 

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." -James 5:16

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY CHAPEL, FEU Campus, Manila, Philippines

The Chapel is located inside the FEU Campus. It has long been the source of spiritual strength of the Academic Community for so many decades. It is under the titular patronage of Our Lady of Fatima. The Chapel houses priceless religious work of art beautifully crafted by some of the country's National Artists. To name a few,  we have the Mosaic of Our Lady of Fatima by National Artist Vicente Manansala;  the painting of the crucifix located at the main altar and the stations of the cross by National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco; and we also have the sculpture of THE PIETA by National Artist Napoleon Abueva.

Panalangin sa Panginoong Hesus, Hari ng Sansinukob

Panginoong Hesus, Ikaw po ang Simula at ang Wakas. Ikaw po ang Hari ng Sansinukob. Kami po ay nagpupuri at nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng Iyong mga biyaya para sa aming lahat. Turuan Mo po kaming maging bukas-palad, lalo't higit sa mga mahihina at mas higit na nangangailangan. Ito ay sapagkat ang kaharian Mo ay malalasap sa aming pagmamahal sa kanila. Iniaalay din po namin sa Iyo ang aming mga puso, buhay at kaluluwa. Pagharian Mo po kami at iligtas sa aming mga kasalanan. Huwag Mo po sanang hayaan na kami at mahulog sa patibong ng kaaway. 

Maghari Ka po sa amin, Panginoong HESUS, ang aming Banal na Diyos at Tagapagligtas. Amen. 

Nuestra Señora de Salvacion Chapel, Manila North Cemetery, Manila, Philippines

The Chapel is located right in the entrance of Manila North Cemetery's main gate. The statue of the Risen Christ atop the chapel is a great way to remind people that we, too, have a share in Christ's glorious resurrection.

SAN PASCUAL DE BAYLON PARISH CHURCH, Obando, Bulacan, Philippines

The Parish Church is popularly known as Obando Church. It is a pilgrimage site for all couples who are seeking GOD for the gift of parenthood.  Every 17th to 19th of May of each year, devotees from all over the Philippines are flocking here to ask GOD, through the intercessions of San Pascual, Santa Clara and Our Lady of Salambao, for the gift of life and prosperity. The fertility dance of Obando, through the years, has become part of the Filipino Cultural Heritage.

Prayer for the Persecuted Christians

LORD JESUS CHRIST, we humbly come to You today to pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted because of their faith in You. We ask for Your Divine intervention, O Lord, and grant our persecuted brethren the strength to bear all the pains and sufferings faithfully for the sake of Your Gospel and for the advancement of Your Kingdom here on Earth.  We pray that by their sacrifices many souls will obtain Your promise of salvation.  Lord, we also lift up to You the hearts and souls of the persecutors. May they find You in their and hearts and, just like Saint Paul, be converted to the faith.  In Your Holy Name, Amen. 

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be...

The veneration of sacred relics is not wrong. Here's a short reason why...

It may be disturbing, at least for some, the practice of Catholic-Christians to venerate the relics of the Saints. However, it is interesting to note that as early as the time of the Apostles, and even during the time of the early church fathers, the practice of relic veneration is widely accepted by the christian faithful. Is this wrong? Definitely not. Take, for example, the cases of healing and deliverance brought by the handkerchiefs or aprons taken from the Apostle Paul (Acts 19:11-12). Another example is the case of a man who was brought back to life when touched with the bones of the Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). Does the miracle took place because the bones, handkerchiefs and aprons, per se, have the power to do it? The answer in NO. It only means that GOD, at His own disposal, can use anything, even lifeless bodies and inanimate objects, to draw His wayward people back to Him; and, to manifest throughout the earth that He is the GOD who can make all things possible.

ADORATION CONVENT OF DIVINE MERCY, Tagaytay City, Philippines

The Adoration Convent of the Divine Mercy, popularly known as the Pink Sisters' Convent in Tagaytay City, is one of the famous pilgrimage site in the Philippines. Many people, with different petitions, are trooping the site because of testimonies of miracles after miracles attributed to the effective intercession of the cloistered nuns.  These nuns, by the way, are members of a religious congregation known as the Sister-Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration. The convent  is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Imus.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHAPEL, Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Makati City, Philippines

This chapel is close to my heart. It has provided me spiritual nourishment for the past years I've been working in the graveyard shift of one of the offices located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). The chapel has a yearly schedule of Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses) every December which is heavily attended by nearby employees working in the graveyard shift. It is located along Kalayaan Ave, and is very near BGC.  The chapel is closely associated to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also in Makati.

Maikling panalangin para sa bawat pamilya

Panginoon, ikaw po ang Prinsipe ng Kapayapaan. Maghari ka po sa bawat tahanan at pagkalooban mo po ng kapayapaan at pag-ibig ang puso ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya. Maisulong nawa ng bawat isa ang pagmamahalang lubos, sapagkat, higit sa lahat, pagmamahal ang siyang dapat mangibabaw sa amin. Hilumin Mo po, Panginoon, at pag-isahing muli ang mga pamilyang pinaglayo ng galit, poot at 'di pagkakasundo. Ipaalala Mo po sa aming lahat na ang buhay dito sa mundo ay saglit lamang. Matuto po sana kami na pahalagahan ang bawat isa, magpatawad at humingi ng tawad. Gabayan Mo po kami upang kami pong lahat ay humantong sa piling Mo at makamit ang buhay na walang wakas.  Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE A CRUCIFIX

LORD JESUS CHRIST, thank you for dying on the cross to free us from the bondage of death. We humbly pray, O Lord, that You grant us the necessary grace to avoid everything that will lead us to sin against You. May we always please You in all our ways. We love you, Lord, and, from this moment on, we surrender our lives to You and You alone. Amen.

JESUS THE DIVINE TEACHER CHAPEL (PNU Worship Center), Philippine Normal University, Manila, Philippines

The PNU Worship Center is located inside the Philippine Normal University Campus, a higher learning institution known for producing world-class Filipino teachers. Hence, the Worship Center is also known as Jesus the Divine Teacher Chapel.  The establishment of this religious facility inside the campus was spearheaded by the late Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Sin, some private individuals and the previous administration of the school.  

A short prayer for those who will take a licensure examination

Father in heaven, You are the source of all-wisdom and knowledge.  I pray to You today, as I take the licensure examination for ______________ profession, to guide me and send Your Holy Spirit to me so I can answer correctly the questions in the examination. Allow me to pass this, Father, so I can wholeheartedly practice the profession I choose, for Your glory and in the service of my fellow men. I also pray, Father, that you grant me an open and receptive heart so I can accept everything that you will for my life. I trust in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory be...

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: Wounded Healers

 

Never be afraid to get dirty and be wounded in the process of healing and evangelizing people. We are, after all, "wounded" healers just as Jesus Christ is.  

Mingle with people and try to understand where the wounds are coming from. Never mind being wounded as they are, because the most important thing is we will return to the Father not by ourselves alone, but with our fellow wounded souls. For this, heaven will greatly rejoice! 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of our baptism, we are called to share in Your mission to evangelize and bring our wayward brothers and sisters back to the fold.  I pray, O Lord, that you will guide my work in the mission field you assigned me to be. May it be fruitful and always pleasing to You. Amen.

Slaved by unforgiveness? Here's a short prayer to make you free.

Lord Jesus Christ, I come to you today because my heart is burdened with the heavy load of unforgiveness. I know in my mind that it is your will that I forgive others the way You have forgiven me, but my heart is prompting me otherwise. I am weak and vulnerable, my Lord. I humbly implore Your help to remove the anger in my heart, as well as my desire to get even with people who have caused me so much pain.  Teach me to trust in Your justice. Teach me to love my enemies and to pray for them the way You did while You were on the cross. Free me, O Lord, from being enslaved by my unforgiving heart.  I lift up everything to You, O Lord.  Please set me free. Amen.

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: We are fisher's of men!

Since the beginning of our salvation history, God has been using ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary works of redemption. In today's gospel narrative (Luke 5:1-11), we can see how Jesus called the ordinary fisher folks of Galilee to be part of His public ministry of proclaiming the kingdom making them, in the words of our Lord, "Fisher's of Men."

Our share in the common priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtained through our baptism, makes us "fisher's of men," too. And our first fishing ground should be our own families with our initial fishing tool, PRAYER. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, You commissioned all your baptized children to go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel. Allow our hearts to burn with missionary zeal and courage, so we can bring Your message of salvation even to the coldest of hearts. Guide us with Your Holy Spirit that we may always witness to the truth. Amen. 

A Beautiful Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. you became not only the Mother of the Redeemer, but Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and God's mercy is from age to age on those who love God. Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: Exorcism is never about the devil. It's all about GOD'S LOVE!

 

The central focus of every exorcism is not the devil, but the LOVE AND POWER of Jesus Christ over the person who is demon-possessed. Stories of exorcism should not lead us to fear the power of darkness, but rather, to strengthen our faith in JESUS, who has power and authority over the "visible and the invisible."   True! The devil really exist. But, we also have a powerful GOD  who can vanish away all evil. 

PRAYER:  Lord Jesus Christ, You are ever-living and ever-powerful God. I come before You with all humility to keep me away from all the influences and harassment of the evil one. Protect me, and all who are dear to me, against all sickness, accidents and sinfulness. Rule over us, O Lord Jesus Christ, and cast away the power of darkness hovering our lives. Amen.

 

 

Betrayed by friends? This short prayer can help you find the real ones.

Dearest Lord, please keep us safe from false friends and their secret schemes to pin us down.  We ask You, LORD, to send us true friends who will be honest enough to correct our mistakes right in our very faces; who will be prudent enough not to say bad things behind our back which can damage our reputations; and, most importantly, send us friends who will help us to be closer enough to JESUS CHRIST, Your Son. Amen.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH CHURCH, Colo, Dinalupihan, Bataan, Philippines

The Parish Church is located in Barangay Colo, Dinalupihan, Bataan. It is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga.

Our Christian Journey

Believing and Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior is no good unless we do the works He did and follow the examples He gave. Faith and Good works should go hand-in-hand together. As it is written: "For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:26)."

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: Life is short

There is no argument that life on earth is, indeed, very short.  The only question, I guess, is how we spend this short life that our Creator gave us. We can either live in peace or wallow in bitterness. We can either love or hate. We can either hope or despair. We can either obey or neglect.  The choice is ours to make.  

And when we make our decisions make sure that we always take in consideration the fact that life is short, and don't try to even make it shorter by choosing ungodly choices. Let us live our lives according to the purpose God has called us to do, because that way, our short lives will becoming meaningful for we have pleased God. 

PRAYER: Lord JESUS CHRIST, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Instill in our hearts the fact that anytime, our lives on earth could end sooner than we least expected it.  Guide us in our daily choices, so we can always choose what pleases You.  At the end our lives, may we all find ourselves resting in Your loving arms. Amen. 

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: God looks at the heart.

Most of the time, we, Christians, are living a double life.  We appear very good on the outside, especially in front of many people, yet our hearts are full of hatred, malice and bad intentions.  Jesus, in today's gospel, chastised the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees for not doing what they preach.  It is their hearts' content which Jesus abhor.  On the contrary, God is well pleased with the humble of heart.  When a woman in Bethany anointed Jesus' feet with a fragrant oil, the Lord did not care about the cost of the oil, neither He cared about the scandalous act of the woman. What Jesus saw and care about was the HUMILITY of her heart. 

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." --1 Samuel 16:7

PRAYER: Lord JESUS CHRIST, you are ever powerful, yet you find pleasure in humbleness. Grant us the grace to be always humble. Cleanse our hearts from all ungodly emotions, and allow us to live a holy life. Amen. 

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: The Power of Words

Words from our mouth are very powerful. It can either build up, transform or destroy.  In the words of the Apostle James (3:9-10), "with it (mouth) we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing."

In today's gospel, John the Baptist used his mouth to proclaim the kingdom and correct public sinners.  The latter caused him his very life.  Brothers and Sisters, let us imitate Saint John the Baptist's courageous act of using words appropriately.  If a brethren sinned, let us use proper words to correct him/her; because it is christian charity to bring back to the right path our wayward brethren.  If a brethren is depressed, let us use encouraging words to uplift his/her spirit because doing so pleases the heart of GOD.  On the other hand, let us not use our mouth to bring words of destruction.  If we are angry, let it pass before we speak, because we can no longer bring back harmful statements.

PRAYER: Lord JESUS CHRIST, teach us to be like You in all things. May we learn to use our mouth in giving You honor, praise and glory which You so much deserve. Allow us to use it, as well, to lead people closer to You. Amen. 

SAN LORENZO RUIZ PARISH CHURCH, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Philippines

The Parish Church is located at Barangay Dau in Mabalacat, Pampanga. It is under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Pampanga.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH CHURCH, Manggahan, Pasig City, Philippines

The Parish Church is located inside Karangalan Village along Kaginhawaan Road in Pasig City. It is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig.

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: Jesus is our true and lasting security!

Placing our security on money or material wealth is a sure way to disappointment and insecurity.  Material wealth does not define a GOOD LIFE. A good life is when we learn to surrender our lives to the MASTER OF ALL, Jesus Christ. Remember, all the earthly goods will soon lose its value; and only He, JESUS CHRIST, will forever remain. Cling to Him; because in Him, there is true and lasting security.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the source of all-good!  We thank you for all the blessings we received. Allow us not to be blinded by these overwhelming blessings, instead, may we focus on YOU more, and YOU alone! Impressed upon our hearts a clear understanding that we are just Your stewards, so we cannot boast of anything, but Your goodness and generosity. Amen.

SHORT DEVOTIONAL: Singles, pray for your God's best!

 

Your heart will end up broken if you kept on LOOKING for the "right" one; and using your own human efforts in doing so. PRAY, instead, for your GOD'S BEST and let God do the matching. In the meantime, be intimate with the Lord and experience authentic joy with Him and in Him alone.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you have impressed upon my heart that my vocation is the married life.  I sincerely pray that you lead me towards the person whom I will share my best and my worse; my sickness and my health;  that person who will lead me closer to You and will inspire me to strive for holiness.   Amen.