Let us never forget them in death

All Souls Day

When discussing the greater conception of the Church under the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, has been traditionally described in a threefold manner as the Church Militant, the Church Suffering and the Church Triumphant. 

The saints and angels in heaven compose the Church triumphant, because they have gained the crown of victory. The souls in purgatory compose the Church suffering, because they still have to expiate for their sins before they can enter heaven. The faithful on earth compose the Church militant, because they have to struggle ceaselessly against the enemies of their souls, the world, the flesh and the devil. But there is only one Church, one Mystical Body of Christ, because its members are united by supernatural bonds, incapable of being severed even in death, with one another and with Christ, their Head, thus resembling the members and head of the living human body. 

Today, on All Souls Day, the Church reminds us of our duty to pray for the dead. St. Augustine says: "Prayer is the key by which we open the gates of heaven to the suffering souls." The Church teaches us that just as we love and respect our living brethren, so do we love and respect those of them who have departed this life. We express our love for our departed friends and relatives through prayer. Death and burial cannot sever the Christian love which united the living with those once living and now deceased. We pray for the faithful dead not because we believe that God's mercy can only be triggered by our intercession, but because it is our life task to hold in our mind and heart those who are given to us through kindred and affinity, and as friends, colleagues and neighbours.  This task transcends the boundaries of life and death. 

Today’s feast teaches us an important truth about the Church - there is interdependence among the members of the Church – no one lives for himself alone, but for the entire body. Every good a member does perfects the whole Body, of which he is a part. We need to be always in the sync with the rest of the Body, especially with its Head, and not constantly plot to overthrow it with our own plans of Church-domination. This supernatural fellowship where all three Churches commune together, praying for one another is known as the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. The Church Triumphant prays for the Church Militant, who in turn prays for the Church Suffering.  We, the faithful who comprise the Church Militant, pray to the Church Triumphant, for their intercession and they, in turn, plead with the Lord on our behalf.  The Church Suffering cannot pray for themselves; therefore they cannot hope for the intercession of the Saints in Heaven without the Church Militant, praying in their behalf. This interplay has been described by some authors as a great philharmonic orchestra with God as its supreme maestro. It is really awesome when you think of the integral part each of us play in God’s Symphony for Salvation. Thus the doctrine of the communion of saints, though one of the least understood or known, is one of the most consoling dogmas of the Church. 

Let each of us, then, raise our prayers and offer our sufferings to the Father for the Souls in Purgatory. We know that our prayers on their behalf are beneficial to them because, no one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. We are all one in the Body of Christ. Therefore, let us keep ever in mind the words of St. Ambrose: “We have loved them in life; let us not forget them in death.”

In celebrating both the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls we are reminded that sanctity is the universal vocation of all men. We are destined for heaven. Even for those who are suffering in purgatory, our faith fills us with hope, because we are assured that their salvation is guaranteed. Purgatory is never a final state. The souls in Purgatory have died in a state of sanctifying grace. They will enter Heaven!

Patience and perseverance in Prayer

Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Sunday- Year C

Have you noticed how the existence of God either becomes apparent or is questioned during time of crises? Some people, who are practically atheists for most part of their lives, begin to mutter invocations and offer prayers that they would otherwise not do on an average day. Desperation can drive you to faith, albeit shallow. On the other hand, many good persons of faith may begin questioning the existence of God when bad things happened. “Where is God when bad things or injustice happen to innocent God-fearing people?” The question actually betrays their anger and frustration – they blame God either for being the author of suffering and injustices or failing to take corrective action. The vast majority of prayers, by believers and unbelievers alike, are often requests that injustice would be replaced by justice - that God would make wrong things right. What happens to my faith when the thing I prayed to be made right remains wrong? The so-called good God that we believe in cannot exist and allow such terrible things to happen, unless he wasn’t all that good to start with!

All of these may be boiled down to a single question: Is God just? Why does God, if he is a God of justice and a God who hate sins permit injustice in the world?  Many Christians wind up with these standard pat answers: God is disciplining us, or God is punishing us, or God is teaching us a lesson, or God’s ways are mysterious. Usually, the atheist remains unconvinced. The upshot to simplistic theology, however, is that while we expect to be punished for our misdeeds, we also expect to be rewarded for our good works. Consequently, our expectation can quickly become inflated. When we aren’t immediately showered with blessings we are often quick to complain. When believers face hard times, when their prayers go unanswered, the logic fails. Those who remain fixated on the privilege of being faithful may grow resentful, even accusatory towards their Maker. And so when bad things happen to good people many sometimes shake our fists at God and ask, “Is this how you treat your servants?”

But the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge in today’s gospel turns this whole issue on its head. Rather than becoming fixated on why bad things happen to good people and why good things happen to bad people, perhaps we should refocus our thoughts on something far more important. When we are constantly dwelling on how God doesn’t seem to meet up to our expectations, we often fail to pay attention to what is expected of us. God is not the one who is on trial. It is ‘we’ who are being called to account for our response, our attitude and our actions. The million dollar question isn’t ‘Why does God permit bad things to happen to us?’ but, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”

The point made by the parable in today’s gospel is that the persistent prayer for justice is chosen by Jesus as the evidence of faith that he will look for when he returns. This seems a far cry from the kinds of things we usually assume Jesus looks for; things like a set of rules, activism, piety or a decision we once made to follow Jesus long ago. In this case, if Jesus wants evidence of faith, the question he will ask is 'did you consistently bring your requests to God in the face of the injustices of this world?'

Jesus has told a parable of persistence, of a widow -- weak in the world's estimation -- who has won a victory because she didn't give up hope, she doesn't give up her plea, and finally wins the day. But what about you and me? We sometimes become so worn down and discouraged by our lives that we stop praying, stop hoping, stop expecting God to intervene. Will we be religious, church-going unbelievers who have given up expecting an answer, whose prayers are just going through the motions? Jesus wonders. "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

One of the hardest things we face as human beings is ongoing injustice. This is especially true when that injustice is directed toward us. Why do you think justice or injustice have such a great impact on us? Why do we get incensed when we see injustice being committed? It’s in our DNA. We are made in the image and likeness of a God of justice. Yet tens of thousands face injustice, hardship, brutality, and persecution each year. When believers face these hard times, it is hard to believe that God is indeed just. It is especially disturbing when wicked people are not brought to justice. However, Jesus reminds us that the issue isn't injustice but faithfulness. God will settle accounts and bring justice. Don’t cry foul or protest God’s seeming inaction as the ‘jury is still out’ and the trial isn’t over. The real question is whether or not we'll stick in there and not give up under fire. Hang in! Pray for the Father to hear you! Don't give up, for God will not only bring justice, but he will also bring salvation and victory. The real issue is when He comes, will he find any faith on earth? Will he find any remaining faithful to their vocation to wait in trust and persevere in prayer?

We are provided profound guidance in today’s gospel as we are invited to ponder the mystery of unanswered prayer. We see in the words and action of Jesus an acknowledgement of injustice - the problems of this world are not a surprise to God. God sees our suffering, he hears our cries and he understands our pain. God is not blind to the troubles of this earth. He has not abandoned us. I see a firm promise from a faithful God in response to that injustice. And I see a call to faith expressed through prayer in response to that promise.

Patience and perseverance is necessary for our prayer life. They are the handmaidens of faith. We must continue praying even when we have become tired of waiting for an answer from God. The reason for this is simple: without prayer, giving up will be easiest option. Prayer sustains our faith and faith brings hope. I guess many of us are often tempted and feel like giving up. Like Moses in the first reading, some of you may be experiencing heaviness and weariness holding your hands up in prayer – persevering in prayer – and you feel that you have no strength to continue. Some of you may be experiencing a string of tribulations for so long that you feel that praying is useless and does not make any difference in your life. But the message of the gospel for you today is: Be patient! Wait for the Lord, for the Lord will come indeed! The battle isn’t over until you’ve exhausted the highest court in the universe (and mind you it isn’t the Federal Court of this land!). You may not be able to see or predict what’s going to happen in the future. Tomorrow may appear to be the same as today. But your patience and perseverance will be rewarded. God will surely answer us, but in his own time and in his own way. Remember, however, the real question before is this: “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”

Prayer, the Heart of the Church

Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Often, many in the Church are tempted to abandon prayer in favour of activism, measuring success by what they do and can accomplish. It’s almost as if we are saying, “Jesus is gone, now it’s all up to us to save the world.” In the context of a world that is so obsessed with efficiency and productivity, one is quickly conquered by this dangerous temptation of activism, as though salvation depended upon us. The world of today is even more fascinated with activism that it has lost the sense of contemplation. Prayer is seen as a waste of time, a sign of escapism.

But prayer is the motor of mission. In fact, mission and evangelisation depends first of all upon prayer and the primary initiative of God who precedes our initiatives. All activities are empty without the necessary foundation of prayer. Without prayer, which is the soul of all apostolate, evangelisation becomes proselytism, propaganda, or a publicity campaign. The peaceful image of the Mother God, prayerfully and peacefully entreating God, therefore invites us to do the same, and to abandon our desire to right every wrong, but rather to unite ourselves with Christ, who is the world’s true Saviour.

Venerating the Mother of Jesus in the Church, then, means to learn from her to be a community that prays. As we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Mary invites us to turn to God not only in need but in a persevering and faithful way. Mary teaches us the necessity of prayer, the need to be centred in prayer, and shows us that only with a constant, intimate bond, full of love with her Son can we emerge from ourselves, with courage, to reach the ends of the world and proclaim everywhere the Lord Jesus, Saviour of the world.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pray for us!

Our Lady of Holy Rosary, Pray for us!

Tip for exam success - Pray the Holy Rosary

The Month of May

May is the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What better occasion to start praying the Rosary, than the month of May! Today, you might be in the midst of preparing for your final exams, let us not forget to invoke the prayer of Our Lady, the Holy Theotokos , Our Lady of the Holy Rosary to help you succeed! To Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary. All of the attributes of mercy and love attributed to Mary find their ultimate source in the Lord. The unity between the Mother and her divine Son is very intimate and unbreakable.

Today, through the intercession of Our Lady, we pray that the Lord will give you the peace of mind as you prepare for this time of study. We pray that the Lord will keep you focus  and keep you from all distractions. We pray that the Lord will give you insights that you might understand what you are studying and help you to remember it when the time comes. Above all, let us also thank the Lord for the ability to study, and for the many gifts and talents that the Lord has bestowed on us. 

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Pray for us!

Pray for the dead

The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed

Yesterday (1st November 2014), we celebrated the Solemnity of all Saints. It is very significant and appropriate that after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Liturgy has us celebrate the Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed. The "communion of saints", which we profess in the Creed, is a reality that is constructed here below, but is fully made manifest when we will see God "as he is" (I Jn 3:2).

Today the Church calls us to pray for the dead, since we believe death does not necessarily mean immediate entry into heaven or hell. However, Protestant theology typically rejects the idea of Purgatory entirely. Protestants would consistently reject certain things connected to the doctrine of Purgatory. Numerous justification given by the Protestant are by faith alone, the fate of the dead should not be affected by their suffering nor by the prayers and other works of the living. They also rejected the role for church here- in granting indulgences and so forth. All of this comes from the "usual" Biblical basis for those Protestant doctrines, without specifically addressing Purgatory. 

Purgatory is, according to the Catholic Church teaching, the state or place of purification or temporary punishment by which those who die in a state of grace are believed to be made ready for the Beatific Vision in Heaven. 

There are few biblical reference in regards to this. The Bible indicates this when Paul mentions the Corinthian practice of baptizing the dead by proxy (1 Cor 15:29). Also, Judas' providing sacrifices for the dead is considered "excellent and noble" (2 Mc 12:43). In addition to these Scriptural references, the Holy Spirit has taught believers over the centuries to pray for the dead and has confirmed this practice by repeated prophecies. 

It is the reality of a family bound together by deep bonds of spiritual solidarity that unites the faithful departed to those who are pilgrims in the world. It is a mysterious but real bond, nourished by prayer and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Mystical Body of Christ, the souls of the faithful meet, overcoming the obstacle of death; they pray for one another, carrying out in charity an intimate exchange of gifts. In this dimension of faith one understands the practice of offering prayers of suffrage for the dead, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, memorial of Christ's Pasch which opened to believers the passage to eternal life. 

In today's commemoration of the Faithful Departed, it is a great time for us to ponder and reflect on this: Is your hope in this present life only? What about the life to come after our physical death? God puts in the heart of every living person the desire for unending life and happiness. While physical death claims each of us at the appointed time, God gives us something which death cannot touch - his own divine life and sustaining power. 

Jesus made an incredible promise to his disciples and a claim which only God can make and deliver: Whoever sees and believes in Jesus, the Son of God, shall have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day (John 6:40)! The Lord makes his presence known to us in the reading of his word, in the breaking of the bread, and in his church, the body of Christ. 

Jesus also reveals himself in many countless ways to those who seek him with eyes of faith. When we read the word of God in the Bible Jesus speaks to us and he reveals to us the mind and heart of our heavenly Father. When we approach the table of the Lord, Jesus offers himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us (I am the bread of life, John 6:35). He promises unbroken fellowship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from everlasting life with God. And he offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection - abundant life without end. So now, do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life and do you long for the day when you will see him face to face? 

Distracted During Prayer?

During the season Lent, we are called to prayer, fasting and good works (alms giving). Lent is a season of repentance and conversion during which we become aware of the richness of God's mercy, love and forgiveness. It is a time of enlightenment and purification. I guess many of us would have missed the whole idea of lent when we are too engrossed with our earthly affairs. Simple act such as prayer might not seem to be an important task to start off a day. We will find a whole long list of excuses to justify our action of not praying enough. Some even said I will get distracted easily when I pray!

Prayer is Man’s natural reaction to the yearning for God that is implanted deep within him.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us “In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father,…with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 2565).  Jesus encourages us to pray when he says, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Lk 11:9)  He goes on to show that this is true by performing various miracles for people who ask him to do so, curing a leper and a blind beggar who come before Him in good faith, and promising the Kingdom of Heaven to the good thief who repents at Calvary.

In addition to hearing the prayers of the people, Jesus Himself is found praying numerous times throughout the Gospels, both alone and in the company of his disciples and crowds of followers.  He prays before the most important times in His life, including His Baptism, Transfiguration, and many of the miracles He performs.  During His Passion, the most trying and difficult hours of His life, prayer flows once again from Jesus' mouth.  He prays for strength in the Garden of Gethsemane and continues praying up until His very last words on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk 23:46). If Jesus, the perfect, divine God-Man prayed so frequently and fervently during His life on earth, how much more do we, as sinners, have a need for prayer as a part of our daily lives? Yes, one might say I pray! But whenever I pray, most of the time I will get distracted.

Article from Fr. Joseph Esper- (Catholic Exchange) precisely addressed some of the issues face by most of us while we pray by giving some example of the saints in heaven. St. Francis of Assisi, whenever he was about to enter church for Mass or to pray, would say, “Worldly and frivolous thoughts, stay here at the door until I return.” Then he would go inside and pray with complete devotion.

St. Bernard was traveling with a poor, uneducated farmer, who boasted, “I’m never distracted when I pray.” Bernard objected, “I don’t believe it. Now let me make a bargain with you. If you can say the Our Father without one distraction, I’ll give you this mule I’m riding. But if you don’t succeed, you must come with me and be a monk.” The farmer agreed and began praying aloud confidently, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name . . .” Then, after pausing for a moment, he asked St. Bernard, “Does that include the saddle and the bridle, too?”

Sometimes distractions are caused by an insufficient dedication to prayer. Bl. Clare of Rimini was leading a carefree life in which religion wasn’t something to take too seriously. At age thirty four, she entered church one day, only to hear a rather blunt message from Heaven: “Clare, try to say one Our Father and one Hail Mary to the glory of God, without thinking of other things.” Chastened by this rebuke, she took her religious duties more seriously.

Jesus taught His disciples the importance of praying sincerely; indeed, He offered the Our Father as a model of such prayer (Matt. 6:9-13). When someone asked Bl. Jordan of Saxony the best form of prayer, he said, “The way in which you can pray most fervently.”

St. Edmund tells us, “It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.” In fact, St. Thomas Aquinas warns us, “Purposely to allow one’s mind to wander in prayer is sinful and hinders the prayer from having fruit.” If instead we try our best to remain focused on our prayer, we will not only please God, but also make great spiritual progress. According to St. Louis de Montfort, “He who fights even the smallest distractions faithfully when he says even the very smallest prayer, will also be faithful in great things.” To achieve this, we should begin by following the simple advice of St. Teresa of Avila: “Never address your words to God while you are thinking of something else.” God is worthy of our full attention. It’s admirable to pray as we work or while we drive or do other things — as long as we make the Lord’s presence central.

Something you might try today: St. Teresa of Avila suggests that, at the beginning of prayer, we close our eyes “in order to open wider the eyes of the soul,” thereby lessening the chance of distractions. Some valuable advice on praying comes from St. Paul of the Cross: “When you want to pray, it doesn’t matter if you can’t meditate. Make little acts of love to God, but gently, without forcing yourself.” St. Paul also says, “Concerning distractions and temptations that occur during holy prayer, you don’t need to be the least bit disturbed. Withdraw completely into the upper part of your spirit to relate to God in spirit and truth...”

Relent, Return and Repent

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. This is the time to take those three penitential acts, praying, fasting and giving alms. Why did Jesus single out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving for his disciples? The Jews considered these three as the cardinal works of the religious life. These were seen as the key signs of a pious person, the three great pillars on which the good life was based. Jesus pointed to the heart of the matter. Why do you pray, fast, and give alms? To draw attention to yourself so that others may notice and think highly of you? Or to give glory to God? The Lord warns his disciples of self-seeking glory the preoccupation with looking good and seeking praise from others. True piety is something more than feeling good or looking holy. True piety is loving devotion to God. It is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and obedience. It is a gift and working of the Holy Spirit that enables us to devote our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isaiah 11:1-2).

Let us take one step back to examine the meaning of Lent. Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday. We follow Jesus into the desert, that harsh arid environ, that barren landscape both fascinating and terrifying, and for many of us, the last place on earth we would want to end up in. It lacks the necessary vegetation and foliage that would provide shade from the accursed sun. It lacks water necessary for life. The desert is literally deserted, a place not meant for the living, just for the dead. It is there that the power of death holds sway. And yet, the desert is the perfect place to spend Lent. In the Gospels, Jesus is tempted in the wilderness to be a different kind of Messiah; to take the path of spectacle and power rather than that of humble service. Each year, in imitation of our Lord, we retreat into the desert for the forty days – the liturgical season consecrated for personal conversion and preparation to celebrate the great mysteries of our redemption.

The forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness. Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land.  Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. We are called to journey with the Lord in a special season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penitence as we prepare to celebrate the feast of Easter, the Christian Passover. The Lord gives us spiritual food and supernatural strength to seek his face and to prepare ourselves for spiritual combat and testing. We, too, must follow in the way of the cross in order to share in the victory of Christ's death and resurrection. What is the sure reward which Jesus points out to his disciples? It is communion with God our Father. In him alone we find the fullness of life, happiness, and truth.

Today, as the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday, the blessed ashes are "imposed" on the faithful as a sign of conversion, penance, fasting and human mortality. The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent. St. Augustine of Hippo tells us that there are two kinds of people and two kinds of love: One is holy, the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. We are what we love. God wants to free our hearts from all that would keep us captive to selfishness and sin. Rend your hearts and not your garments says the prophet Joel (Joel 2:12). The Holy Spirit is ever ready to transform our hearts and to lead us further in Gods way of truth and holiness.

As we begin this holy season of testing and preparation, let's ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will more fully in our lives. May the prayer of Augustine of Hippo, recorded in his Confessions, be our prayer this Lent: When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete. The Lord wants to renew us each day and give us new hearts of love and compassion. God also implores us to "re-lent," that is, to enter year after year into the spirit of Lent with our whole heart. He tells us through the prophet Joel to "re-turn" to Him and "quit" the ways of the world, even those which might be good (Jl 2:16), for His sake. Through the Church, He calls us to "turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel." We don't just turn away from worldly things; we turn to the Lord God.

Re-Lenting and re-turning must lead to repenting. During Lent, focus on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. With true sorrow, repent of your sins, confess them to the Lord, and let Him take away the guilt of your sin (see Ps 32:5). Repent of turning to the lifestyle of the world and the preoccupations of the flesh. Return to Him (Jl 2:13). Abandon yourself completely into this season of returning, repenting, and relenting. The Lord says: "Return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God" (Jl 2:12-13). This year, don't simply go through the exercises and motions of Lent. Re-lent, repent, and re-turn to the Lord.

Terms of Repayment (Prayer meeting 4/11/2013)

There were once a priest said this "not many people can see the kingdom of God." It makes me ponder a while and reflect on this statement. Finally, I realized that is true. Not many people able to see and realized that God's kingdom is at hand. We tend to focus more on our earthy matters, because we think that the rewards is much more worthy for our priority in life. We tend to skip Sunday mass because we think job is much more important because the reward of it is money. I guess this is the matters that blured our vision to God. 

Most of you who knows me, know that working in the city of KL is no longer easy. I have to wake up early in the morning in order to beat the traffic. It will be quite tiring for me to travel up and down, yet I'm here to share with you my piece of reflection, my thoughts. Importantly, the good news of our lord Jesus Christ. I'm here to share with you not because I want God to reward me in certain things that I'm longing for, not because I want a great repayment from God, not because to show that I'm holy. In fact, I'm a poor sinner. I'm here today because of God's grace has given to me, it gives me strength to share my joy with you, my brothers and sisters who are presence here today.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is not against our being repaid for the good we do. His concern is when we will be repaid and by whom. Visiting "bomoh" or fortune teller, one may argue that the things that these fortune teller, whom they claim themselves as gods, speculate thing accurately. However, because of our human weaknesses and the greed that we have, we might not able to recognize whether that is god or devil. 

God the Father plans to personally repay us at our resurrection (Lk 14:14). Upon reading this, we might feel like God has paid for our service by using a layaway plan! Will our payment ever come? In His love, God does repay us to a certain extent during our time on earth. He begins His eternal repayment plan a bit early by "depositing the First Payment, the [Holy] Spirit, in our hearts" (2 Cor 1:22).

Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we serve Him with such devotion and power that the world opposes us. Next comes our second payment on earth. St. Teresa of Avila once remarked to God: "How true it is that whoever works for You is paid in troubles! And what a precious price to those who love You if we understand its value." (To read the fine print on the terms of this second payment, read Sirach 2:1, 2 Timothy 3:12, and James 1:2-4)

As always, the Lord wants to purify our motives for serving Him. If we serve Him to be repaid in the currency of this world, we should "expect no recompense from" the Father (Mt 6:1).

"Who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?" (Rm 11:35, RSV-CE) God does not owe us anything. Yet no one can outgive God. True, He might repay us with a lifetime of troubles. "Do not, then, surrender your confidence [in God]; it will have great reward" (Heb 10:35). "Look out that you yourselves do not lose what you have worked for; you must receive your reward in full" (2 Jn 8).

Pray for peace

Pope Francis has called for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, the Middle East , and the world to be held on September 7, 2013, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace.

Lord, teach us how to pray?

I was once the president of the catholic society (now consider myself as the advisor to the society) in my campus. All of us (the members and I) will meet up every week to have prayers & devotion( eg: rosary, novena to the mother of perpetual help). Before we start our meeting on a particular day, usually, we will start it with an opening prayer. I think most of the students don't really like to lead in prayer, regardless of whether that is an opening prayer or closing prayer. The reason being is that most of us do not know what to pray or what to say in front of the crowd. Same like me, as a facilitator, when I first stand in front of the crowd to lead in prayer. I think most of us are facing the same problem together with the disciples in those day. we have the same commonality that "WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY". Precisely, I guess most of us do not know what is the correct word that we should utter or using in our prayer. We want to pray, but how can we pray?

In today's gospel," Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”  He said to them, “When you pray, say:Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.” (LK11:1-4)

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the disciple's prayer, what we call the Our Father or Lord's Prayer. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only begotten Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). In the Lord Jesus Christ we are spiritually reborn and made new, and we become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).

Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same. We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father loves us and treats us as his children. He delights to give us what is good. His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself. Through his grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught with grace, mercy, and loving-kindness. 

Now, do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord would with grace and mercy? Jesus' prayer includes an injunction that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have wronged us. Are you ready to forgive as Jesus forgives?

If a neighbor can be imposed upon and coerced into giving bread in the middle of the night, will not God, our heavenly Father and provider, also treat us with kind  and generous care no matter how troubling or inconvenient the circumstances might appear? Jesus states emphatically, How much more will the heavenly Father give! St. Augustine of Hippo (340-425 AD) reminds us that "God, who does not sleep and who awakens us from sleep that we may ask, gives much more graciously." The Lord Jesus assures us that we can bring our needs to our heavenly Father who is always ready to give not only what we need, but more than we can ask. God gives the best he has. He freely pours out the blessing of his Holy Spirit upon us so that we may be filled with the abundance of his provision. Do you approach your heavenly Father with confidence in his mercy and kindness towards you?

Pope John Paul II, at the end of his first encyclical letter, The Redeemer of Man, maintained that our prayer must be "great, intense, and growing." He also emphasized that the Lord wants our prayer to be combined with fasting, for the Lord has decided at this time to make prayer and fasting the first and most effective weapons against our culture of death (The Gospel of Life, 100). According to these criteria, is your prayer life satisfactory to the Lord?

To pray as the Lord wants us to pray, we must see God as our loving Father. That is the first thing Jesus taught us about prayer (see Lk 11:2). We must be aware that our Father sees our prayer and fasting (Mt 6:6, 18). Abraham stopped short in his prayer for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to be spared destruction. His prayer was limited because he:

• wasn't sure whether God was just (see Gn 18:25),
• was even less sure of God's mercy, and
• projected his own interior conflicts onto God and thereby accused God of being impatient (Gn 18:30) and angry (Gn 18:32).

Abraham had little concept of God being a loving Father, and he prayed and did not pray accordingly.

We who are in Christ can and must pray always with loving, tender confidence in our Father. In that way, we will pray as we ought (Rm 8:26).

Most beautiful communication in the world

In this 21st century, we are busy chasing after wealth, career, different material things in our life. No doubt, we are material being. Material might be the greatest satisfaction for us, as a human being. But, do we ever consider our spiritual needs? You might look as big as a giant, but deep in your soul might be staving, which you can't see. Now, I wonder how many of you leave some space per day for prayer? Even a minute will do! To be frank, sometimes I fail to do that as well. Nevertheless, prayer is still important as part of my daily routine. Just like food, we need food to provide us energy to carry out our daily routine. Prayer and meditation to God, our creator is also our spiritual needs, which most of us might be longing to seek and find him. A beautiful statement mentioned by St. Augustine : ' You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.'' We call this longing for God--Religion. We can understand religion generally to mean a relationship to what is divine. A religious person acknowledges something divine as the power that created him and the world, on which he is dependent and to which he is ordered. He wants to please and honor the Divinity by his way of life. It is natural for man to seek God. All of our striving for truth and happiness is ultimately a search for the one who supports us absolutely, satisfies us absolutely, and employs us absolutely in his service. A person is not completely himself until he has found God. They [men] should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have our being." (Acts17: 27-28a)

So, what is the most important things that we one can satisfied our spiritual needs? The answer is just simple: Prayer! The church teach us that prayer is turning the heart toward God. When a person prays, he enters into a living relationship with God. Well, sometimes we have to acknowledge our human weaknesses. When we pray, we might feel that we are talking to ourselves. The reason behind it is simple : because we do not acknowledge God is there with us. Often, we think that we are speaking in the air, because we cannot see God. We do not know who are we talking to! Often, we prefer two ways communication instead of one way communication. We want immediate answer, we prefer immediate respond. I guess, this might be the reason of our human weaknesses that cause us not to pray, and find that prayer is bored! Consider this statement by Soren Kierkegaard saying " Praying does not mean listening to yourself speak; praying means calming down and being still and waiting until you hear God." What a beautiful statement, right? any clue or hints that you get from this statement?

Prayer is the great gate leading into faith. Someone who prays no longer lives on his own, for himself, and by his own strength. He knows there is a God to whom he can talk. People who pray entrust themselves more and more to God. Even now they seek union with the one whom they will encounter one day face to face. Therefore, the effort to pray daily is part of Christian life and prayer is a gift one obtains through prayer.

In this busy world, we tend to forget about God, we run away from him and hide. Whether or not we avoid thinking about God or sometimes we might deny him, he is always there for us. He seeks us before we seek him; he yearns for us, he calls us. You speak with your conscience and suddenly notice that you are speaking with God. You feel lonely, have no one to talk with, and then sense that God is always available to talk. You are in danger and experience that a cry for help is answered by God. Praying is as human breathing, eating and loving. Praying purifies. Praying makes it possible to resist temptations. Praying strengthen us in our weakness. Praying remove fear, increase energy, and gives a second wind. Praying makes one happy. 

At this point of time, you might be asking when should a person pray? From the earliest times, Christians have prayed at least in the morning, at meals, and in the evening. Someone who does not pray regularly will soon not pray at all.  Anyone who loves another person and all day long never gives that person a sign of his love does not really love him. So it is with God, too. Anyone who truly seeks him will keep sending him signals of his longing for his company and friendship. Now, we should get up in the morning and give the day to God, asking for his blessing and to be there in all your meetings and needs. Thank him, especially at mealtimes. At the end of the day, place everything into his hands, ask him for forgiveness, and pray for peace for yourself and others. A great day full of signs of life that reach God. 

To learn from Mary how to pray means to join her in prayer : Let it be done unto me according to your word". (LK 1:38).

Prayer is ultimately self-giving in response to God's love. If we say YES as Mary did, God has the opportunity to lead His life in our life. 

So, start your day with prayer today. Let God lead us in our life because prayer is the most beautiful communication with God. 

Process of Life--- Study

Three years ago, before I started entering into the new phase of my life -university life, I started to wonder what will actually a university life for a teenagers who was just 19 years old going to face! Seniors from my school usually will tell you that year 1 is a honey moon in varsity. You might need to suffer a bit when we enter into year 2 or year 3 semester. For me, that is not really true! As a freshmen in university, of course some of us who come from form six, you might find it a bit easy to deal with subjects that have learn during your pre-university. What about those subjects that you never learn or never expose before? So I would say no matter you are in year 1, year 2 or year 3, the thing that you need to do is work hard and pray hard. Interestingly, nowadays I don't really call people to pray hard, but, with faith. Prayer without faith, some how it doesn't work. 

Now, as a student soon be graduate. Entering into another phase of life! Now is working life. Totally opposite of Study life. I'm sure that you hear people saying that study life is much more better than working life because of few reasons. First, you do not need to worry about things happen around you, just enjoy life. Second, you do not have much responsibility. your responsibility is to study. Third, you got your freedom. We do not have to force yourself to bed, just because you have to wake up early the next day to rush for work. Mainly these few reasons, people think that it would be good if they were still a student! Well, I guess this a life are all about. We need to go through different stages in life. Each stages in life, we experience and we learn different things. If you really think about it, life is full of mystery. We do not know each stages what hurdle are awaiting for us. However, this is all experience that we can gain in life. Not really a bad thing right?

Study is part of the process in life. We need to study, gain our knowledge, then only we expose to the world. As a student who are graduating soon, I guess I'm going to miss my study life. The thing I'm going to miss is my friends, whom we often hang out together. I'm going to miss all my lecturer who taught us before. Definitely, student will not miss is the exam that we seat for every semester throughout our university days. Is a kind of suffering when we need to prepare for our papers each time. Well, I guess this is what students will always complaint. My advice still the same, work hard and pray with faith! Nothing will goes wrong. Talk about prayer, it will be good that if you start off your study with prayer. What I meant here is have a short prayer before your begin your study. It definitely help in your study. Of course, with FAITH!

All of us will be entering into the new phase of our life after graduation. Hope that we will still have time to meet in the future no matter how busy we are in life. Great wishes :)

Global Economics Batch 4.

 

Prayer is the only way

Have you come across a difficult moment in your life? Have you ever feel hopeless? Feel sick with everything in your life? Perhaps, you might find that you are in a situation that no one in this world can truly understand your feeling and you feel yourself is abandon by the society. In this modern era, we are facing many different types of challenges,in term of economic and society challenges. The rewards of these challenges might lead the person to the dead end of the road in life. Undeniable, in every aspect of job that we enroll our-self in, we cannot escape from the word ''Pressure'. Pressure is a negative emotion to human beings, it harms a human emotion and bring them to the stage of depression. I'm pretty sure that none of us can escape from this experience in life. However, it is normal for human to have this experience in this modern era where everything require us to be fast.

Due to the high statistic shows that many people in this modern era are experiencing this types of pressure in life, we can see that in the market, there is a lot of psychology trying to making profit out of it by writing some books to teach people how to reduce and handle their stress when they are facing some difficulties in life. of course, I'm not a psychology writer who can produce psychology advice for those who are facing challenges in their life. But, as a lay person like me, the only way out of it is prayer. Prayer is the communication with God. We can lift up our problems to Him, who created us and know each of our strong points and weaknesses.

When I was a kid, I always find that by praying, it does not help me much. When the verb 'praying' appears in my mind, what comes after next is bored. However, I start to embrace this wonderful gift that God has given it to me after my baptism. I start to feel the power in it! I start to enjoy talking with my creator! I start to lift up my problems to Him (partially, at this point of them. Hope I can improve further on it.)

As a Catholic, I can pray at anytime and anywhere that I want because God is everywhere. We can talk to Him anytime when we feel like like doing so. They should seek God in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:27)

Often, people always thinking that praying in a one way communication with God. Actually that is not true! God often speaks to us. The problem is whether we can identify it or not. If you do not know how to pray, ask him to teach you, and ask your heavenly Mother to pray with you and for you (POPE BENEDICT XVI,  to the young people of Netherlands, November 21, 2005)

If you are seeking God but do not know how you should begin, learn to pray and make the effort to pray everyday (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta).

Besides praying alone, sometimes we might need someone to intercede for us. This is because we find that is better to call some other friends to pray for our own special intention or petitions that you need for that particular moment. Besides calling some of my friend to pray for me on certain occasion, I specially like to call the Blessed Mother (Blessed Virgin Mary) to intercede for me. This is what most of the Catholic like the most by calling the Blessed Mother to pray fro us in heaven. Mainly because she is the mother of the universe and she is the closest to Christ. Always, we find that her intercession is the most powerful in heaven.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)

So, have you pray today?