Faith Blog: My God and My All, Let Thy Name Be Glorified!

Peace in the family is the peace in the world There is joy in God's presence. There is peace in God's presence. There is unity in God's presence. There is love in God's presence. There are many natural sanctuaries of God in this world, which contain the resonance, radiance, and reflection of God's presence in this world. Among them, the supreme masterpiece of God's creation is family. The almighty God is the founder, creator, provider, and protector of the family. God created the first family and blessed them to live in the Garden Eden (Genesis chapter 1). The family is the first sacrament established by God, which is holy that which belongs to the pre-sinful status of man and woman. All other sacraments came in to service to save and redeem the family after the fall of the family. The whole creation finds its purpose in the family. The family was guided by the love and embrace of God. In addition, the Lord visited the family regularly to see to their well b...

Mother Church in America Pilgrim from all the earth Journey in freedom In the lands of freedom God bless America! The new land of milk and honey The mystical  Land of freedom The magical land of beauty! The majestic land of truth The promise land of the pilgrim God bless America! Mighty rivers changed their courses In thy chant of faith glory In God We Trust! Ave Maria!  The mystical Land of freedom The magical land of beauty! The majestic land of truth The promise land of the pilgrim God bless America! Deep mines spilled  its treasure of gold In thy hardy chant of faith glory In God We trust! Ave Maria! The mystical Land of freedom The magical land of beauty! The majestic land of truth The promise land of the pilgrim God bless America! Oceans opened their treasures Of oil and wealth In thy chant of faith In God We Trust! Ave Maria! The mystical Land of freedom The magical land of beauty! The majestic land of truth The pr...

Mother Church in America Thy glory is heaven Thy faith is the light Thy function is redemption Thy resource is in God Looking up to heaven Singing pilgrim song In God we trust! Glory Hallelujah! Mother Church in America Virgin mother on your side In thy witness on earth Shining victories of heaven Thy resource is in God Looking up to heaven Singing pilgrim song In God we trust! Glory Hallelujah! Mother Church in America! Angel of freedom Defender of faith In thy pilgrim defense Blessed virgin on your side Thy resource is in God Looking up to heaven Singing pilgrim song In God We trust! Glory Hallelujah! Mother Church in America! Prophet of faith Thy faith pilgrim journey Fragrance on earth, air, sea, statelite, and space All over the world Thy resource is in God Looking up to heaven Singing pilgrim song In God we trust! Glory Hallelujah! Mother Church in America! Suffering Christ in pilgrim journey Valiant faith you p...

As I have visualized the visitation as an interaction and collaboration between the Holy Church and the secular families, I reflect upon the gift of Mother of God carrying the word of God to the world. I visualize the Holy Catholic Church representing the role of Mother of God in salvation, redemption, and restoration, as she carried the good news in collaboration with Holy Spirit. Mother Church carries the word of God ( Good news) to the world through the collaboration with Holy Spirit and her children in this world. In visitation, I see two different gifts being shared with joy by two different families who share one call but in different perspectives. While Mother of God shared her gift as carrying the savior, Elizabeth shared her gift of joy and her gifts, which represented the gifts of the secular families' discipleship life. Secular families are endowed with abundant gifts, which include all that world can offer, all that the humanity can offer, all that the nature can off...

I have  found a spiritual teacher, who is very gentle and soft spoken, yet profound in her teaching. Her soft spoken words have strength to penetrate the hearts quickly and gently, which could result in quickening of searching hearts and thirsty souls. I met her for the first time two years ago, when I first enrolled myself to be a PRE teacher in Memphis. Ever since, I wanted to attend many sections of her classes in Memphis Dioceses, but I could not do so very often, last year. However, this year her class topics attracted my attention and I decided to attend as many as classes as possible.  I got hooked to the first class I attended this year, which was titled as, " 7 best habits of effective catechist".  I have studied and taught Covey's principles of management. In this class, the spiritual materials were presented based upon Covey's principles, a novel way of presentation. Ever since, I look forward for the Saturdays I could attend her classes. Are you wondering...

In my heart. I think, much has to be written about this topic, as we live in a peculiar world in a peculiar time. I say we live in a peculiar world, because we have altered the world and its atmosphere to the limits by human interventions and inventions, that it losses its originality of nature. We have done the similar alterations in family structure and life as well. Some parts of the world have moved away from the extended family system to the nuclear family. From there, it has adopted the idea of family planning extensively to control the population, which resulted in fewer children. Many families have only one child or two conforming to the social norms. There are many issues associated with this human invention such as moral issues, economical issues, social issues etc.... Above all, this change in the nature and structure of the family has affected the natural personality of children, where children grow up in a lonely environment with selfish motives with no coping or helpi...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6zCX1_d1U

Visitation: Mary visits Elizabeth. In this visitation, Elizabeth was filled with heavenly joy in seeing Mary. In addition, she identified Mary as the Mother of God. I think she was the first one to call Mary as Mother of God. Further, Elizabeth, exclaims stating that her womb leaped in joy in hearing the Mother of God's voice. Mary from her side finds the confirmation sign given by the Angel during annunciation. She gets affirmation of her call to be a parent of Messiah. Mary the mother of God was filled with heavenly joy and she sang the magnificat, which is a powerful praise. In visitation, family finds fellowship with Church and other families in the Church and world. By this fellowship family gets its affirmation and fellowship. I think, each family fulfill the role of visitation in fellowship with the Church and the neighbors. No family is an island but it lives in fellowship in the world. By this visitation role of each family, each family becomes the source of prayer...

O God, come to my assistance. Prayer: Heavenly Father, You know all things and nothing is hidden from You. In Your mercy and kindness, and through the intercession of Saint Francis, come to my aid in my present distress and grant my humble petition (mention your request). Amen. Your offering today: Show your humility by doing a good deed for someone today. peace prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of peace Where there is hatred,Let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master grant that I may Not so much seek to be consoled As to console; To be understood, As to understand; For it is in giving that we Receive, it is in pardoning that We are pardoned. And it is in Dying that we are Born to Eternal life. St Francis of Assisi Novena prayer of the Immaculate Conception. Hail, holy Lady, Most holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God,...

" "ANGELS WITH NAMES Pat Bartos Source:  http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/ANGNAME.htm Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are the only angels to have come down through the ages with names and strongly defined imagesInvisible beings of light, carrying out God's will among mankind, angels cries-cross through the stories in Scripture. The Bible is filled with these mysterious, anonymous presences. St. Gregory the Great said that "almost all the pages of the sacred books bear witness to the existence of angels and archangels." They are so numerous that God is known as "Lord of hosts." Yet just three have come down through the ages with names and with strongly defined images, assumed through their roles in carrying out God's mandates. Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael—all of their names ending in "el," a Semitic name of God—are accorded a special liturgical feast day, celebrated on Sept. 29 each year. Michael, the fearless warrior, G...