Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

--- This prayer was composed by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)

The Church is mourning

I though I was going to post something about Chiarra Lubich last time, but I was not able to. Here it is posted on the schoenstatt official website.
Now, you may have heard that today was her funearal. EWTN was supposed to brodcast her funeral Mass. I don't know if I missed it, or if it is yet to come. But you can still watch it here.

I knew the focolared movement when I was in Africa at about the same time I joined schoenstatt. I didn't join it but it was great to be with focolare people.

My condoleances to all focolare and focolarini. She was a great Mother to all of us.

The Church is also mourning the archibishop of Irac who was kidnaped and was found recently dead.

May eternal light shine upon them.

Schoenstatt Vancouver is mourning!

Schoenstatt Vancouver is mourning!

Few weeks ago, I asked for prayers for a Srilankan lady who is a member of Schoenstatt. Her son is the coordinator of Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign here in Vancouver. She had been hospitalized for about two months and passed away yesterday. We believe it to be a particular blessing since yesterday is Friday and a special day for the Church and all souls. I was at the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament yesterday and we had a Mass afterwards. The priest made a special prayer in a way that I thought he was particularly praying for her. All these are signs from our MTA to console us and tell us that she was with her. It is a great consolation since both the children (my friend here in Vancouver and his sister in Wisconsin are new immigrants) of the diseased are abroad and could not make it to Srilanka because of Green Card and Visa problems.

So thanks to all who prayed. We know that God always answers our prayers. He just doesn't always give us the expected answer. But He give the best for us. And we are thankful for the consolations received.

Happy Covenant Day to Schoenstatters

Today Schoenstatt celebrates Covenant Day. Many schoenstatters remembers their covenant of love in a special way. I have been reading the CCC recently and meditating on some readings: I/we believe, the ten commandments, and others. I was a little troubled to found out how little I knew about the commandments and the Profession of Faith. But when I am reading it I have at the same time a happy feeling of doing something great for my soul/spiritual life. I had neglected it for a long time simply because I thought it was for converts, you know people who never read it (thought is was not much different form the kids one) before.

I remember how I hated to have low marks in my quiz and exams at school. When I was studying I used to tremble at the idea of not having studied enough. I think our Mother used to give me some hint about spiritual readings as well. This is what the fear of the Lord is also about. Fear of failing the quiz of daily life and the great exam of our lives. I used to console myself by the fact that I was occasionally listening to EWTN, reading some spiritual writings. But reading the Catechism is really instructing to oneself. If feels like studying for ones life.

The CCC is the basic, in fact I think before reading the Bible one should read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This would really avoid so many mistakes people makes in interpreting the Bible. The CCC is so well and simply organized that we see the entire Christian Faith as simple as the Creed and the two great commandments. Everything to me now seem to be in there well explained in great details and at everyone satisfaction.

Well, I am sure from today the new 'schoenstatt year' will be different. My contribution to the capital of grace will have a new perfume thanks to our MTA. Here in Vancouver our work schedules are creating conflict at the point of almost preventing us to celebrate this precious day for us. So all schoenstatters united in the covenant pray for us. And to all my schoenstatt brothers and sisters. Happy Covenant Day!

Thanks for those who prayed for the last intentions I posted. Half the people we prayed for are doing fine. The schoenstatter grandma's conditions remain unchanged, and I haven't had about the little boy yet.

In all cases. Blessed be the Lord! We know he has everything under his loving care; not a hair of our head falls down without his permission. And he would never allow any bad thing to happen unless he can get a greater good out of it.


Under and with our Mother Thrice Admirable in the covenant of love let BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

I have been very busy lately...I looks like I will be posting less for a while...

Edited Oct 21 2007-

Prayer requests

Please pray for :

1. A parent (mom) of a Vancouver shoenstatter from Srilanka. She is very ill and may very possibly pass on to the Father.
2. A family, friends of mine, fasting and praying for a parent to come back home and for family to be reconciled.
3. A boy Kushagr, very ill in ICU. Diagnozed with pneumonia
4. An old lady dying of cancer in England. She is a mom of a pagan friend. They seem to believe in 'positive energy, etc...' but they need prayers. May be God can show himself to them in this hard times of theirs. They are nice people.
5. An other mom of a friend. "Her brain is having a strange problem. Hallucinations and confusion. "

Thanks for the prayers.

PRAYER-MOUNTAIN

I never thought that the destruction of Sodom and G0morrah could have been avoided if only...
If only Abraham had dared to 'reduce' the number a little more!!! If he had climbed the mountain of humility a little more...

This is an interesting reflexion on today's readings from mycatholic.com:

One Bread, One Body - Reflection for July 29, 2007
PRAYER-MOUNTAIN

"Lord, teach us to pray." –Luke 11:1

When the Lord visited Abraham, He stayed behind to give Abraham an opportunity to intercede for Sodom and Gomorrah (Gn 18:22). Abraham quit just before His prayers would have saved the cities from destruction. Like Abraham, we have not persevered in prayer for cities, world leaders (1 Tm 2:1-2), and international affairs. God has looked in vain for someone to stand in the breach (Ez 22:30). Consequently, many cities and countries have been destroyed, not by God but from within.
Have we lost our faith in praying for world events? We need to pray in the power of the Spirit, not in our own limited strength. Jesus told us prayer moves mountains (Mt 17:20) and expels demons (Mt 17:21, NAB), but how many Christians really believe this and make intercession for world events a priority? We have lost confidence in prayer.
In the past century, Satan had gotten away with world wars, massive deaths through bombings, and two holocausts (the Third Reich and abortion). However, we have hope. Mary tried to rally the intercessors at Fatima. She prophesied that we would see the conversion of Russia, if we would intercede in faith. Also, we saw a tremendous prayer-victory in the nonviolent revolution in the Philippines. This is just the beginning if we can climb again, by faith, prayer-mountain.
PRAYER:
Father, teach me to pray like Your child should.
PROMISE:
"He canceled the bond that stood against us with all its claims, snatching it up and nailing it to the cross." –Col 2:14
PRAISE:
Praise You, risen Jesus! You prayed for peace and for Your cowering disciples, and they went forth and changed the world. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Prayer

Every once in a while we discover the power of prayer. Sometimes we see it in people who pray. It is recommended to us to 'pray unceasingly'. I was reading a text in french, and the reality of prayer was illustrated with these facts.

Once Jesus said that he saw satan fall like a lighning from the sky. And St. Paul said that God put us on heavenly places. St. John 15:7: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will: and it shall be done unto you. It is by prayer that we get to abide in the Lord and stay above, far from the fallen angels and their influences and harrassement. When we pray constantly we are lifted hight above sin.

But when we don't pray the reverse happens.

This is what St. Francis de Sales says of prayer:

Prayer opens the understanding to the brightness of Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love--nothing can so effectually purify the mind from its many ignorances, or the will from its perverse affections. It is as a healing water which causes the roots of our good desires to send forth fresh shoots, which washes away the soul's imperfections, and allays the thirst of passion.

Read the rest here.

Some people may argue with me, but... have you noticed how many changes occured in the World with the coming of Jesus? Civilization had come and fallen for thousands and thousands of years. But after Jesus sent his desciples to fish people and teach the whole world that there is one God, the constant of history changed. A new constant of unity emerged. The Church teaching and calling all people into herself introduced an new spirit of universal brotherhood. I am not putting other churches down, but when I read Roman Catholic Church in Wikipedia (particularly point 6), the role of monks point to the role of prayer in the course of history.

Sometimes I see great saints as generals of God. The more vigorous orders or movements in the world are also the most prayful. One example is the franciscan of St. Francis of Assisi.

Today the world is running away from prayer, but it is also falling apart. There is not doubt that it will soon or later come back to the Church. This time not trough conquests, but through a spiritual renewal of the world.

Fill the Jars

From an article from Schoenstatt International.






The vital process of the jar

Much can be said – theologically, psychologically, from the aspect of Schoenstatt theory – to explain the phenomenon of the jar, the Biblical reference, the Treasury of Grace. Or, it can be made simple, counting on the power of the vital process. Professor Hubertus Brantzen opted for the latter. He invited those present to come up, one by one, to fill the jar…..he invited them to take a small piece of notepaper (there was one in the program booklet), the pen and to think, and then to write down what is difficult, what is really troublesome, what weighs one down, what makes one happy, a decision or task which is underway, what is fearful, what is paralyzing. Mother, I give you what makes me happy, I give you a painful experience.

I ask you for the persons who are important to me, for what moves me, for my special intentions. I bring you my life…..

He invited them to deposit the notepaper into the jar which the children had been passing around among the people since the musical presentation. And now, here, Mary can be heard: Lord, they have no more wine. To live Biblically means to do what is in the Bible. It means to fill the jar with water because the Lord wants this, exactly this and nothing else. When the wine runs out – in marriage, in the profession, in the parish, in the Church, in the hot topics of society – the Lord does not want us to make wine appear through some sort of magic. He wants our water in order to transform it into wine.

The jars are taken to the altar at the offertory of the closing Eucharist. After Holy Mass, the notes will be burned. "What is written on them is only read by the good God," said Professor Brantzen. Surely, He reads it…..


Read the full article here.

What True Devotion Is

The following meditation is inspired by the document ' What True Devotion Is'.

There was a time when I used to fly in my dreams. Seriously :). I had just joined Schoenstatt, it was around 1999. I was on fire for Christ, our Blessed Mother, and our Church. I had read several schoenstatt books, I was praying the rosary very regularly, fasting every tuesday and friday. All that just by God's grace and thanksgiving. I was not praying for anything in particular. The Blessed Mother had captured me in her mantle and installed me from around 1997. At that time I was in Congo, former Zaire, and it was terrror every where. The rosary was my weopon. In the midst of all the troubles that followed, I was unconsciously working trought it with such a peace that when I look back I just can't believe my memory.

But when I got here in Canada. I continued my devotions for a while, until one day that I though that I was getting too used to doing things mechanically. So I thought I should do things 'because I love God'. I made a terrible decision of voluntarily breaking my regural habit of rosaries. I didn't completely stop. But I became less strict on my self. It felt terrible on my heart. I don't know what I was thinking. Frankly I could feel our Mother's desapointment. Unconsciously I thought I would 'study' God from outside and come back to him with increased love. Now, I realise how stupid the decision was.

I have seen people who look very devoted, but who aren't really as loving as they 'claim'. I was very afraid of being like one of them. So even though I could fell my heart breaking up, I could convince myself that I was doing the right thing. But it was terrible, never do it. Today, I realise that I could have continued with no interruption, but this time, start asking seriously about true devotion. I don't know how this thought didn't come to my mind. I wish it had come, and it was strong.

As I said, I didn't quit praying, but I became sporadic. And my good habits which had became so easy, I was taking effort to keep up. Recently, I realised that now I am almost only praying to ask for something. Or when, I am in contact with a strong event, like watching WYDs, Papal visits, some Church events, etc. I have lost my wonderful dream. I feel like it was a metre to remind me later that I had fallen some how.

Now, I am re-climbling the 'mountain' of faith. It takes effort, but it is always beautiful to see how Realiy is revealed more and more as I climb. I am rediscovering the rosary as a 'climbing' prayer. The differance with last time is that I was doing it unconsciously, now, it is consciously. Every 'Hail Mary' is like a step.

With the Rosary, our Mother really takes our hands and lift us up to great heights where we can see Reality with our own eyes. We don't believe things because we read or were told about them and can make sens of them, but because we can actually see them. It is amazing how after a certain amount of rosaries, we can see a particular fact of reality more fully. Of course Reality is Jesus himself, and Mary has the mission to give Him to us.

May be I had 'descended slowly' because I had lost touch with Schoenstatt. Ever since I have rediscovered it, I feel like I am re-installing my self in our Mother's arms. This time is a little difficult because I am not just doing it for thanksgiving (for saving/protecting me) as it was the case before. There is also many things to pray for. Getting used to saying the 'yes' until it become almost unconscious. It is at this point that we can say that we are in the 'garden of the Immaculate Heart of Mary' as Father Corapi would put it. At that point we can fly like the eagle around the surface of the Earth all day long without feeling tired. I want to have my dream back.

All my friends pray for me!

But, in fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of
God;--and indeed it is neither more nor less than a very real love of God,
though not always of the same kind; for that Love one while shining on the soul
we call grace, which makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty;--when it
strengthens us to do well, it is called Charity;--but when it attains its
fullest perfection, in which it not only leads us to do well, but to act
carefully, diligently, and promptly, then it is called Devotion. The ostrich
never flies,--the hen rises with difficulty, and achieves but a brief and rare
flight, but the eagle, the dove, and the swallow, are continually on the wing,
and soar high;--even so sinners do not rise towards God, for all their movements
are earthly and earthbound. Well-meaning people, who have not as yet attained a
true devotion, attempt a manner of flight by means of their good actions, but
rarely, slowly and heavily; while really devout men rise up to God frequently,
and with a swift and soaring wing. - What True Devotion Is -

HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE THY NAME

I just feel like sharing the beautiful song of the Divine Praises.


HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE THY NAME

Holy God, we praise Thy Name!
Lord of all, we bow before Thee!
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heaven above adore Thee:
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark! the loud celestial hymn,
Angel choirs above are raising!
Cherubim and Seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising:
Fill the heavens with sweet accord,
Holy! Holy! Holy Lord!
Fill the heavens with sweet accord,
Holy! Holy! Holy Lord!


The following short video provide the melodie together with comments about the Eucharistic Adoration and the Holy Hour.

We will console Thee, O Lord.

Few hours ago, I came from the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. A tradition I decided to practice more regularly for the past few months. Today I think I was blessed with more clarity about how we christians are supposed to be co-redemptors (completing with our suffering what is lacking in Christ's affliction for the sake of others -Colossians 1:24). As we started to say the "promises of consolation to Christ" during the Holy Hour, I decided to use a different reply because - at this particular time for me - It sounded prideful of me to say that I can consol God. Instead I used the reply of the Jesus prayer: "Have mercy on us poor sinners". However, as others keept repeating "we will console you O Lord!", It occured to me how elevated in dignity we humans are considering that God count on us to consol him!

I felt a little sadned that instead of listening to my prayer God is actually expecting me to consol him. But I lost the battle over the honor I am being given in love to be active and to transmit love instead of just receiving. It requires exercises of opening our hearts so we can receive all the love that we can if we are to give it to others, to Christ. After all, this prayer also seem to remind the words of judgement. But it is good to do the will of God out of love instead of out of fear of judgement. Here are the Promises of Consolation to Christ said during the Holy Hour.

As mother Teresa said, we can find Jesus in two places: In our neighbours and in the consecrated bread and wine. So we can console him by trying to be more loving to those around us, even when we may need consolation ourselves. On the judgment day he will remind us that everytime we negleted anyone, we were doing it to him.

For anyone who may have doubt like this priest about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist click this link:

Lanciano, Italy -- 8th century A.D. A priest has doubts about the Real Presence; however, when he consecrates the Host it transforms into flesh and blood. This miracle has undergone extensive scientific examination and can only be explained as a miracle. The flesh is actually cardiac tissue which contains arterioles, veins, and nerve fibers. The blood type as in all other approved Eucharistic miracles is type AB! Histological micrographs are shown.

Or Here is a youtube video. The Lord try to confirm his people in Faith. In this tabernacle, just like it is shown on the Sacred Heart picture, the Sacred Heart is in flame and it is bleeding.