Huwag mong takbuhan ang tukso, bagkos ay tumakbo ka pabalik sa Diyos na Siyang magbibigay proteksyon sa iyo.

Hindi kasalanan ang matukso. Ang kasalanan ay yung bumigay ka sa tukso. Hindi kasalanan na ika’y makaranas na akitin ng diyablo sa masama. Ang kasalanan ay ang sundin mo ang diyablo sa kanyang pang-aakit. Sa mga pagkakataon na ikaw ay dumaranas ng matinding tukso, bumaling ka sa Diyos na Siyang makapangyarihan sa lahat. Huwag mong takbuhan ang tukso, bagkos ay tumakbo ka pabalik sa Diyos na Siyang magbibigay proteksyon sa iyo. 

Hindi mo kailangan makisalo sa asawa ng iba. May inilaan ang Diyos para sa’yo.

Ikaw ay espesyal sa mata ng Diyos. Hindi mo kailangan makisalo sa asawa ng iba upang maramdaman mo na ikaw ay kumpleto. May inilaan sa’yo ang Diyos na higit pa sa inaakala at inaasahan mo. Hintay lang, kapatid. Manalangin ng taimtim at manahimik sumandali upang lubusan mong marinig ang ibinubulong sa’yo ng Diyos. 

Muli, hindi mo kailangan ibaba ang iyong sarili at manira ng pamilya para lang sa tinatawag mong “kaligayahan.” Ang tunay na kaligayahan ay masusumpungan lamang sa pagsunod sa Diyos at sa Kanyang mga aral. 

Ang “tsismis” ay hindi kalugod-lugod sa Diyos. Ito ay gawa ng diyablo.

Ang tsismis ay pumapatay. Ito ay pumapatay sa ating relasyon sa Diyos, sa ating kapwa at sa ating sarili. Ang pagkakalat ng balitang hindi totoo ay malaking pagkakasala na dapat nating tigilan at iwasan. Ang tsismis ay hindi kalugod-lugod sa ating Diyos na Siyang katotohanan. Ang tsismis ay gawa ng diyablo na ang layunin ay italikod ang tao sa Diyos. 

Sa mga pagkakataon tayo ay natutukso na mag-tsismis at maki-tsismis, isipin natin si HESUS na nakapako sa krus. Hilingin natin sa Kanya ang grasya na mapagtagumpayan ang kasalanang ito. 

Walang pwedeng magmalinis. Lahat tayo ay may sala.

Walang sinuman ang maaaring magmalinis sa harap ng Diyos, sapagkat tayong lahat ay may kasalanang taglay. 

Kasalanan ang paggawa ng masama, ngunit kasalanan din ang hindi paggawa ng kabutihan. Tayong lahat ay tinatawag ng Diyos upang umiwas sa masama at gumawa ng mabuti. Tinatawag din Niya tayo upang magbalik-loob sa Kanya. Ito ang nais ng puso ng Diyos para sa tao. Tao na lubusan Niyang minamahal. 

Ang isagawa ang mga naisin ng Diyos ang siyang magdadala sa atin sa tunay na kapayapaan ng buhay at sa buhay na walang hanggan sa langit. 

Wala tayong pwedeng ipagmalaki sa Diyos. Tayo ay alabok at sa alabok din tayo magbabalik.

Wala tayong pwedeng ipagmalaki sa Diyos. Tayong lahat ay nagmula sa alabok at sa alabok din tayo magbabalik. Tayo ay mga likha lamang ng Panginoon at nabubuhay tayo dahil sa Kanyang awa at grasya. Nangangahulugan ito na ang lahat ng mayroon tayo ay nagmula sa Kanyang kabutihan, kabilang na dito ang ating mga ari-arian, pera, atbp. 

Ang lahat, samakatuwid, ay galing sa Diyos na dapat nating tanawin na malaking utang na loob. Siya at Siya lamang ang pinagmumulan ng lahat. Kung kaya nga, wala tayong karapatan na magkait ng tulong sa mga kapatid nating lubos na nangangailangan. 

Kinalulugdan ng Diyos ang mga taong nagbibigay ng masaya. 

Biblical Reasons Why Lent is 40 Long Days.

Have you ever wondered why the Holy Season of Lent consists of 40 long days of prayer and fasting? 

Here are some of the Biblical significance of 40 days: 

IT IS A PERIOD OF SPIRITUAL CLEANSING. 

“Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." -Genesis 7:4 

IT IS A PERIOD OF SPIRITUAL TESTING.

“Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” -Exodus 24:18

IT IS A PERIOD OF SPIRITUAL CHASTISEMENT.

“Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.” -Numbers 14:33 

IT IS A PERIOD FOR SPIRITUAL PREPARATION.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. -Matthew 4:1-11 

Receiving Holy Communion, while in a state of mortal sin, is a sin against the Lord

In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is giving Himself to us in the form of bread and wine. The Lord is truly present in that tiny white host - Body, Blood and Divinity. Hence, it is important that when we receive Him in Holy Communion, we are under the state of grace. In other words, we are not in the state of mortal sin, or, if we currently are, we must confess our sins first and receive absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

The Holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church preaches that whoever receives the Lord unworthily is guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord.

1. The Apostle Paul warns us “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.” (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:27) 
2. The Catechism also warns us “Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.”  -Catechism of the Catholic Church 1457 

The God-given Authority of Priests to Forgive Sins

JESUS gave His disciples the AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE SINS, and this authority still stands today through the successors of the early disciples:

JOHN 20:22-23: "As the Father has sent ME, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." 

 

To say that this given authority lasted only until the death of the early disciples is also to say that JESUS' great commission of preaching the gospel to all nations is only good until the early disciples are alive. Friends, apostolic succession never ceases, the church will also never cease because JESUS promised that "not even the gates of hades shall prevail against her (Mt. 16:18)."

You might assert, "GOD ALONE CAN FORGIVE." But, isn't the same assertion made by the Pharisees questioning the authority of JESUS to forgive sins (Mk.2:7)? True, GOD alone can forgive, JESUS alone can forgive, BUT we should also not discount the fact that, in many occasions, GOD has delegated His authority to His appointed people. Take for example the authority He gave the disciples to cast out demons, the "binding-losing" authority given to Peter (Mt. 18:18), and, of course, the authority to forgive sins (Jn. 20:23), among others.

JESUS, before ascending to heaven, has appointed to us church authorities and the LORD wants us to listen to them and to their successors (Lk. 10:16-17), because through them, the LORD SPEAKS and through them, THE LORD FORGIVES.

MGA DAPAT ISAALANG-ALANG NGAYONG KUWARESMA

Sa Miyerkules ng Abo ay sisimulan natin ang panahon ng kuwaresma. Narito ang mga mahahalagang bagay na dapat nating isaalang-alang:

1. Mangumpisal. Ang paghingi ng tawad sa Diyos ang siyang pangunahing mensahe ng kuwaresma. Inaanyayahan tayo ng Santa Iglesia na ituwid ang ating buhay at makipagkasundo sa Diyos. 
2. Mag-ayuno. Ang pag-aayuno ay isang pamamaraan ng disiplina at pamamaraan upang tayo ay “mamatay sa sarili” at mas lalong mapalapit sa Diyos. Ang pag-aayuno ay dapat gawin ng may tapat na intensyon na mapalapit sa Diyos at hindi upang “mag-diet” lamang. 
3. Tumulong sa mga nangangailangan. Sinasabi sa atin ng Banal na Kasulatan na ang “pananampalatayang walang gawa ay patay.” Sa panahon ng kuwaresma ay hinihimok tayo ng Santa Iglesia na magbahagi. Ito ay upang ipaalala sa atin na ang lahat ng bagay ay mula sa Diyos at wala tayong karapatan na maging maramot at sakim. 
4. Magpatawad. Sa panahon ng kuwaresma at mga mahal na araw, binibigayang diin ng Santa Iglesia ang paghahandog ng buhay ng Panginoon na nagdulot ng kapatawaran sa ating mga kasalanan. Kung ang Diyos ay nagpapatawad, sino tayo upang hindi  ito ibigay sa mga humihingi nito? Ang pagpapatawad ay utos ng Panginoon. 

Saint Jude Thaddeus, faithful follower of our LORD JESUS, please pray for us!

Saint Jude Thaddeus, you have been faithful in fulfilling your mission entrusted to by our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Now that you are enjoying the presence of God in heaven, we come to you for help.   Please whisper our petitions to GOD and lead us closer to JESUS, our Savior. 

O glorious Apostle of the LORD, may we imitate your humbleness and Christlikeness that we may also enjoy the everlasting Joy of heaven. 

Saint Jude, pray for us! 

Ash Wednesday is more than the ashes. It's all about JESUS and His saving work!

The Ash Wednesday practice of the Catholic Church is ancient, yet beautiful and divine. It has scriptural basis and is anchored in the sacred traditions of the Church. It is important that we assist in the Holy Mass on that day because it is the beginning of the season of lent - a season of fasting, prayer, alms-giving and penance. 

The custom of putting ashes in our forehead is a great reminder of our own human frailty. Hence, the need to rely on GOD alone and return back. But, Ash Wednesday is more than the ashes in our forehead. Ash Wednesday is all about JESUS and His saving work. It is an invitation for all of us to die to self and be Christ-like. It will be a useless exercise if the ashes in our forehead will not translate into forgiveness, repentance and charity.  Speaking of repentance, the faithful are also encouraged to go to the sacrament of confession. 

May you all have a holy observance of the Lenten Season. 

Si HESUS ang dapat na Sentro ng mga Mag-asawa. Binyayaan nawa ng Panginoon ang mga Mag-asawa.

Panginoong HESUS, tagapagtaguyod ng mga mag-asawa, punuin Mo po sana ng lahat ng mga biyaya at pagmamahalan ang bawat mag-asawa. Turuan Mo po ang bawat isa na magpatawad. Gabayan po Ninyo at ilayo sa lahat ng tukso ang mga mag-asawa. Amen.

The Name of the Lord is HOLY. Be true to your promises made in His Name.

The Name of the Lord is Holy. It is a grave sin if we blaspheme the Holy Name of God. It is blasphemy if we broke our promises made in His Name. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2147 and 2148) teaches us:

“Promises made to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in justice. To be unfaithful to them is to misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to be a liar.

Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; in misusing God's name. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called."  The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. the misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion. Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself a grave sin.”

God wants us to keep the sabbath holy. Skipping Sunday Mass, with no serious reason, is a sin.

God wants us to keep the sabbath holy. Skipping Sunday Mass, with no valid reason, is a sin. 

THE SUNDAY EUCHARIST ACCORDING TO THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (2177 and 2181)

"The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life. "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church."

"The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin."

Since Sunday is a holy day of obligation, failure to attend and participate is a sin. However, there are circumstances where attendance to Holy Mass is not possible. Here, the catechism (2183) provides us a remedy: 

"If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families."

A HUSBAND’S PRAYER

Father in heaven, I praise you for giving me a wife as wonderful and Godly as she.

Give me a patient heart to faithfully love her; the way Your Son patiently and faithfully loved the church.

Give me a humble spirit to be of tireless service to her; the way Your Son humbly and tirelessly served the church.  

Give me the strength to be always ready to die for her; the way Your Son willingly accepted death for the sake of the church.

Give me the courage and might to protect her against all dangers; the way Your Son courageously and mightily protected the church against the malice and deception of the evil one.

And Finally, Father, please grant me the grace to be a Holy Husband. Remind me always that my fidelity to her is my fidelity to You. Keep me in Your sight and teach me to be a better husband in each passing day. May Your Spirit be upon me always so that I may lead her, and our (future) children, to be in Your loving and grace-filled presence.

This I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.