PARADOXICAL

God's love does not increase or decrease with our mistakes. He loves you right where you are. (via Malou)

Nothing is difficult for those who love. -St. Ignatius

Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundations. - St. Augustine

The Christian way of life does not take away our loneliness; it protects and cherishes it as a precious gift. -HJMN in wounded healer. (Malou's annotation: We have the tendency to avoid loneliness at all circumstances and we create flase expectations like a perfect partner, perfect job, etc. But our loneliness shows our inner emptiness, which only God can fill.)

Faith allows the impossible things to happen. It comes from a fearless heart. And when a fearless heart believes, miracles do happen. (via Waldy)

Whoever knows how to die in all things will have life in all things. -St. John of the Cross (via Jup)

I wish God would say this to me: If I could give you a gift, I would like to give you my eyes. For you to see yourself the way I see you. (via Waldy)

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:18 PM 0 Comments

(Forwarded email)

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS

At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixtion Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breath.

Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breath. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding.

He was simply pouring water from his wounds.

From common images we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side. But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds.

The human adult body contains about 3.5 litres (just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 litres of his blood; He had three nails hammered into his members; a crown of thorns on his head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into his chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying his own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where his hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:23 PM 0 Comments

I may have resented God and doubted His love when I came into this world as a premature baby, shocked as I was in my strange surroundings. I may have thought, if God loved me, then did I have to go through such fear of danger? This made me grow up into a fearful person, and ultimately angering me so. My spirited defense of God might really be a projection of my fear of Him and doubt towards Him.


Answer from someone I consulted:

It's okay to be angry with God as long as you don't turn your back on Him. This is part of being intimate with Him. You have to trust Him that He would understand and accept even your anger. Just don't turn yourself away.

posted by Resty Odon  # 12:03 AM 0 Comments

I realize we can't afford to say hurtful words against the gay community because they are one of the most deeply wounded people there is.

posted by Resty Odon  # 11:56 PM 0 Comments

"It is better to believe God love you no matter what, because God loves unconditionally." - Fr. Gerry Orbos

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:06 PM 0 Comments

Lord, may I never seek or choose to be other than You intend or wish.

Before you say I can't, make sure you've tried. Before you let doubts stop you, confront them with facts. Before fear holds you back, go forward with faith. Before you believe others are better, show them what a winner you are. Before you dismiss your dreams, wait until they've come true. Before you go looking for happiness, make your own wherever you are.

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:42 PM 0 Comments

“I love you for not being bent on building treasures on earth but instead on treasures in heaven.”

posted by Resty Odon  # 7:40 PM 0 Comments

Quote:

Growing Oneself

It is always easier to accept the weakness of people with a handicap - we are there precisely because we accept it - than our own weakness, which often takes us by surprise! We want to see only good qualities in ourselves. Growth begins when we start to accept our own weakness.

- Jean Vanier, Community and Growth, p.131


Comments:

I remember someone (Ms Lita Salinas) saying, "If you have the slightest suspicion that you are holy, you are most likely not." Denials and delusions are first cousins, I've learned from my own denials and self-deluded thoughts.

**

Paradoxically, the first step to holiness, I believe, is to accept one's own shadow. This way, one will know how to deal with his dark side. If not, it will take control of the person.

posted by Resty Odon  # 11:59 PM 0 Comments

The Lord is a gentleman? Not if you're in the service of the enemy! - John Eldredge, Wild at Heart

In your journey with me, travel light my children. (via Mel)

Do whatever the Risen Lord commands you to do. Build my house. (via Mel)

A church becomes truly a church because of the presence of God and his people coming together in the Eucharist. (via Mel)

Jesus is a bright darkness. Fr. G Maloney (via Malou)

A blessed life is not being famous nor wealthy, but one that faces trials and troubles yet never loses sight of God's loving presence.

Jeremiah 33:3: Call unto me and I will answer you.

One loving soul sets another on fire. St Augustine

For you love all things that exist and detest none of the things that you made, for you would not have made anything if you had hated it. How would anything have endured if you had not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by you have been preserved? Wisdom 11:24-25

God's timing is always the perfect time. We have to accept our own limitations and our dependence on God. (via Malou)


St Therese novena

From Sept 22 to the end of the month, pray 24 Glory Be's followed by this prayerMost Belssed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy SPirit, I thank you for all the favors and all graces betowed on your servant Therese of the Child Jesus during the 24 years of her life and through the merits of my dear St Therese grant me the grace I so ardently ask from you if its according to your most holy will and for the benefit of my soul. Amen. St Therese of the Child Jesus, patroness of missions, pray for me.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:02 PM 0 Comments

First I was dying to finish high school and stop college
And then I was dying to finish college and stop working
Then I was dying to marry and have children
And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could go back to work
But then I was dying to retire
And now I am dying
And suddenly I realized I forgot to live.

Friend, appreciate your current situation and enjoy each day.

To make money we lose our health.
and then to restore our health, we lose our money
We live as if we are never going to die,
and we die as if we never lived.

Life is very short, so break your silly ego, forgive quickly, believe slowly,
love truly, laugh loudly, and never avoid anything that makes you smile.

When I woke up this morning lying in bed, I was asking myself;
What are some of the secrets of success in life?
I found the answer right there, in my very room.

The fan said, be cool.
The roof said, aim high
The window said, see the world
The clock said, every minute is precious
The mirror said, reflect before you act
The calendar said, be up to date
The door said, push hard for your goals


Carry a Heart that Never Hates.
Carry a Smile that Never Fades.
Carry a Touch that Never Hurts.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:22 PM 0 Comments

"Throughout Scripture and church history, fasting and intercession have been intimately linked to each other. Over and over again people fasted when they wanted God's help.

- Moses fasted for forty days before he received the Law (Exodus 34:28).

- Hannah fasted as she begged God to give her a child (1 Samuel 1:7-8).

- Nehemiah fasted for the restoration of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1.4).

- The entire city of Nineveh fasted in response to Jonah's call to repent (Jonah 3:5).

- Daniel fasted as he prayed for insight from the Lord (Daniel 9:3).

- Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast prior to a battle (2 Chronicles 20:3).

- Jesus himself fasted before beginning his public ministry (Matthew 4:1-2).

- St. Paul fasted after his conversion (Acts 9:8-9).

- The elders of the church at Antioch were fasting and praying when the Holy Spirit told them to set aside Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary trip (Acts 13:1-2).

- Once when the apostles were unable to deliver a demon Jesus said, "this kind" came out only by fasting and prayer (Mark 9:29)."

From Word Among Us, October 2009

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:05 AM 0 Comments

"...God gave us gifts of intelligence and intuitionso that we could grow and learn how to hep ourselves and make this world a better place. He wants us to work hard to try to resolve the challenges we fac ein life. But at the same time, our heavenly Father wants us to bring thse same issues ot him so that he can offer us his help and guidance. Sometimes he will make everything right again. At other times he will let us work through the problem so that we can grow and mature.

"Most of the time, however, the solution is a mixture of both our human work and God's divine help. For instance, if we need a new job, we should ask God for help. But we still have to do the work of filling out job applications, putting together our resumes, and going on job interviews. The notion that I have to do it all and God can't or won't help me is wrong. But so is the notion that all we have to do is pray and then see what God gives us."

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:44 PM 0 Comments

"...John told her that a confessor who is truly holy -- which he insisted he was not -- never frightens, because he has a deep knowledge of human weakness. "The holier the confessor the gentler he is, and the less he is scandalized at other people's faults."

- Word Among Us, Sept. 2009

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:42 PM 0 Comments