We can learn from the Saints!

[yiennahs]

thanks wen

i like it kay it brings up the memories of how my faith was molded
i remember how i first wanted to sing just for the sake of Him
and when sadness comes and problems try to break every little hope you have,
i always remember this prayer

I admired Francis' deed of not judging people with Hansen's disease.
Who would even dare to deal with them?
Indeed, we should not judge others
we might end up realizing that their life is nothing compared to ours.

[wenlove24]

I just hope one doesn't refer to prayers as a fancy composition of words
or sort of poetry which is nice to hear when expressed vocally and romantic in thought when read
..or simply a literary masterpiece.

I hope every word uttered or mentioned is something to be practiced not just to swoon at
Be guided by it and not merely romanticize and emotionally moved on how it was written or expressed
and not reduce it as a mere sonnet

me too 'coz after all it would not be for another person's sake but for the one who utters it. Personally, it can be difficult sometimes so it's always a struggle. But what can be a more worthwhile battle than the good fight for eternal life right? So as long as there's life and time, one shouldn't give up hope that he can one day achieve perfection.

[wenlove24]

Today the Church recalls:
St. Zoe of Rome

Saint Zoe of Rome (d. ca. 286) was a noblewoman, married to Nicostratus, a high Roman court official. She lived during Emperor Diocletian's early persecution of the Christian Church. She was greatly devoted to St Peter and was praying by his tomb when she was arrested for her faith and was martyred by hanging from a tree by her ankles while being burnt to death by a fire. Her feast day is July 5.

[koralstratz]

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta




Her Early Vocation

When she was 18, an already inspired Gonxha joined the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 1928. The order was of the Sisters of Loreto, in Ireland. She received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

In 1929, Sister Teresa arrived in Calcutta. She made her First Profession of Vows in May 1931, and was assigned to the Loreto Entally community in Calcutta to teach girls.

From the time that the devout woman made her Final Profession of Vows, 24 May 1937, she was called Mother Teresa. In 1944, she became the school’s principal. She was profoundly happy, accepted and well loved in this role.



Inspired Intuition

On 10 September 1946, and thereafter, Mother Teresa found herself experiencing a profound dialogue with Jesus Christ. This divine intuition and experience of enlightened knowledge about God's will for her was subjected to nearly two years of testing and discernment. After this she was given permission to form the Missionaries of Charity. It was to be dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor. On August 17, 1948, dressed in a white, blue-bordered sari, she left her beloved Loreto Convent to enter their world. From then on, she ministered to the disenfranchised and the sick. She would start each day in communion with Jesus in the Eucharist. With her Rosary in her hand, she would go out each day to find and serve Jesus, as evidenced in “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” One by one, her former students decided to join her.


Growing Recognition

As time went on, Mother Teresa gained world recognition. She won awards such as the Indian Padmashri Award in 1962, and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

As a role model Mother Teresa exemplified the joy of loving, and a respect for the greatness and dignity of every human being, the value of faithfulness and ability to commune with and to listen to God's will for her. She has been chosen as one of the 10 Patrons of World Youth Day 2008.
Profoundly Human

After her death (and against her wishes) it was revealed that she experienced times of what she called “the darkness.” Her experiences and struggles as she worked with the poor continued to the end of her life. By working through these difficult interior times she grew towards an ever more profound union with God. "through the darkness she mystically participated in the thirst of Jesus, in His painful and burning longing for love, and she shared in the interior desolation of the poor." Vatican.va
Canonization

By 1997, the year Mother Teresa died, her Sisters numbered nearly 4,000 members, in 610 foundations, in 123 countries. In 1999, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of Canonization. On 20 December 2002, he approved the decrees of her heroic virtues and miracles.

[mokiloo]

^^^^
Yah and her too
para nako the REAL living saint during her time
she CHOSE to live amongst those she chose to help and adore...in the slums and gutters..thus earning her the veeery humble title The Saints of the Gutters.

She doesn't even have the privileges like those people with pointy hats in that big palace in the Vatican
and riches accumulated from contributions of people baited by the idea of "faith".

Her genuine & sincere dedication didn't even bother her thirst for recognition & publicity.

One time I read an article about her the cited during that day of the live televised launching of Appolo 11 putting the first man on the moon. she was ask if shes interested going to the moon..."if their are poor people there needing my help, why not?" was her reply.

[wenlove24]

She doesn't even have the privileges like those people with pointy hats in that big palace in the Vatican
and riches accumulated from contributions of people baited by the idea of "faith".

I understand your plight on this note. I'm disappointed too at some of the abuses inside the Church but everytime I hear about these "attacks" I remember this phrase, "Destroy the shepherd, scatter the sheep."
This is what the Evil One is trying to do. Attack the head so the rest of the body will fall apart easily. The downside of this though is that it tends to discourage the faithful and undermine those whose beliefs are somewhat on shaky ground.
As for me eventhough there are corrupt officials inside the Church, I still pray and retain in my mind and heart that these depravities do not change the nature (the Church) for which she stands, the truth on Christ's love for us His creatures.
In laymen's terms, even if a man loses all his limbs or even his sanity, it does not change the fact that he is still a human being, capable of love and being loved. I hope I shed some light on this.

[wenlove24]

And only God knows if they are already with Him or Still waiting for the Judgment day

In light of this subject it is essential that we recognize the Church's power in beatifying and canonizing these saints whom after such an arduous and tremendously intricate examination of their lives have proven to have lived a life of sanctity and holiness.
There's more about this topic here>>>>http://www.fatheralsainthood.org/id11.html

[yanzkii]

Pick one saint and read about him/her and then tell me if their life is any different than how the Man-God preached and lived His life.

The kind of prayer that we offer to God is called praise or worship and the one for the saints is called veneration.


*1090 "In the earthly liturgy we share in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle. With all the warriors of the heavenly army we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory."

*excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

i only pray for god alone, not for the saints

[koralstratz]

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"
(Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

[mokiloo]

I understand your plight on this note. I'm disappointed too at some of the abuses inside the Church but everytime I hear about these "attacks" I remember this phrase, "Destroy the shepherd, scatter the sheep."
This is what the Evil One is trying to do. Attack the head so the rest of the body will fall apart easily. The downside of this though is that it tends to discourage the faithful and undermine those whose beliefs are somewhat on shaky ground.
As for me eventhough there are corrupt officials inside the Church, I still pray and retain in my mind and heart that these depravities do not change the nature (the Church) for which she stands, the truth on Christ's love for us His creatures.
In laymen's terms, even if a man loses all his limbs or even his sanity, it does not change the fact that he is still a human being, capable of love and being loved. I hope I shed some light on this.

and please do note its a matter of whom you refer to as the shepherd because its sooo damn easy to dress as a shepherd as it is being a sheep