We can learn from the Saints!

[koralstratz]

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@koralstratz
@irishe: thank you both for sharing
Yes murag familiar bitaw ni si St. Isidore noh? di ba naay place sa talisay called San Isidro? and St. Bartholomew really died a horrible death. Nakaremember lang ko sa atong 1st Pope, si St. Peter. Wa pud sya magpa crucify nga parehas ni Jesus. Pinabali to iyahang cross kay until the last moments of his death he still claimed he didn't deserve the Lord.

On another note, I just thought of something, 'that there are no accidental saints.' These people didn't become a Saint if they didn't live their lives for love of Jesus. Personally, that's what I pray for everyday, 'that I learn to love Him bec. He loved me first'. That would be the ultimate heaven for me bec. I wouldn't have to be scared no more of what happens to my body. I would like to think that once I'm on a lifeboat and looking back at all the pains and sufferings that life may bring I would say, "Even if I went through it all a hundred times and back, it would all be worth it. A lifetime of sorrow would be nothing compared to eternal joy and peace. I recalled passing an important exam several years ago and it was one of those moments that I felt really 'happy', like time stood still only for me. Imagine multiplying that by forever. In my own human capacity, that'd be what it would be like to be in heaven. Have a great day everyone.

Good day TS.

Nice point in all things mentioned above but I highlighted a phrase in your previous post that somewhat caught my attention.....Actually in my own humble opinion there was an instance wherein "an accidental saint "was/is specifically mentioned in the Bible and this is about the Penitent Thief, personified by St. Dimas as what the Holy Tradition popularly accepted.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia regarding this:

The Thief on the Cross, also known as the Good Thief or the Penitent Thief, is an unnamed character mentioned in the Gospel of Luke who was crucified alongside Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.
In different Christian traditions different names have been given to the thief:
and Catholic tradition the name Dismas is given to the thief. He was never canonized by the Catholic Church but is venerated as a saint by local traditions as Saint Dismas..

Most Catholics are familiar of that particular bible story coz it is continually retold every Holy Week (during the passion of Christ) Quite touching isn't it? Specially when he (the penitent thief) was one of the first persons if not the only person that Christ Himself guaranteed a place in Heaven even when he was still alive (though dying) on the cross......This I believe, indicates and emphasizes the importance of real and absolute repentance of sins and trust in the saving grace of Christ, just like what the Penitent Thief did.....

But still I think it is still safer to live a life for love of Jesus continuously as much as possible from the beginning until the end, rather than merely risking a "final saving grace" at the last moments of our lives. ........Now this, I'm really having a very hard time and oftentimes frustrating..May God have mercy on me.

[wenlove24]

Good day TS.

Nice point in all things mentioned above but I highlighted a phrase in your previous post that somewhat caught my attention.....Actually in my own humble opinion there was an instance wherein "an accidental saint "was/is specifically mentioned in the Bible and this is about the Penitent Thief, personified by St. Dimas as what the Holy Tradition popularly accepted.

Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia regarding this:

The Thief on the Cross, also known as the Good Thief or the Penitent Thief, is an unnamed character mentioned in the Gospel of Luke who was crucified alongside Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.
In different Christian traditions different names have been given to the thief:
and Catholic tradition the name Dismas is given to the thief. He was never canonized by the Catholic Church but is venerated as a saint by local traditions as Saint Dismas..

Most Catholics are familiar of that particular bible story coz it is continually retold every Holy Week (during the passion of Christ) Quite touching isn't it? Specially when he (the penitent thief) was one of the first persons if not the only person that Christ Himself guaranteed a place in Heaven even when he was still alive (though dying) on the cross......This I believe, indicates and emphasizes the importance of real and absolute repentance of sins and trust in the saving grace of Christ, just like what the Penitent Thief did.....

But still I think it is still safer to live a life for love of Jesus continuously as much as possible from the beginning until the end, rather than merely risking a "final saving grace" at the last moments of our lives. ........Now this, I'm really having a very hard time and oftentimes frustrating..May God have mercy on me.

Hi! Yes I was actually talking about him (the penitent thief) to my colleague yesterday when she asked about God's mercy and how the devil and hell came about. Thanks for the heads up on his name, St. Dismas. I have to explain myself further about the word "accidental" though hehe...I heard this phrase a while back and what I really meant to say was that God can see right through our hearts right? So he knows the disposition of our souls. So since He is infinite mercy, He must've seen how remorseful the thief was and after all he got the same sentence as Jesus which was death. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to take up the strength and say "Remember me when you enter your glory." How tremendously humble! He couldn't have gotten humble in a day right? I mean that's what most of us need sometimes, humility. If his heart wasn't in the right place (as there was the other man on the third cross that didn't ask for His mercy), he could've died in vain too. I hope I made it clearer. Hehe...
Yes me too I find it hard sometimes, to live according to His commands but I'm refreshed everytime I encounter His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession. He knows what the heart needs so He sends much help. I'm truly amazed sometimes how day by day I get to see a lending hand even in the most unassuming situations. Then I slowly inch along, even though there are much obstacles. Thanks again .


"It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you don't stop." - Confucius

[wenlove24]

@Leelee: thanks for sharing! I learn more each day. Hehe...
I've read about St. Apollonia a couple of weeks back.

[nealotol]

we learn from them the good deeds, and being good samaritants

[wenlove24]

As a kid I used to play the role of this saint during fiestas but I never really read about her life until I saw it on TV a few years back. Here's the story of a person whose remains are still "incorrupt' - preserved from decomposition.

St. Bernadette Soubirous


I found this link to her life story. Please watch this.

YouTube - ‪The life of Saint Bernadette‬‏

Exhumations

Relic of St. Bernadette and stone from the Grotto of Lourdes

Bishop Gauthey of Nevers and the Church exhumed the body of Bernadette Soubirous on 22 September 1909, in the presence of representatives appointed by the postulators of the cause, two doctors, and a sister of the community. They claimed that although the crucifix in her hand and therosary had both oxidized, her body appeared "incorrupt" — preserved from decomposition. This was cited as one of the miracles to support her canonization. They washed and reclothed her body before burial in a new double casket. The Church exhumed the corpse a second time on 3 April 1919. A doctor who examined the body noted, "The body is practically mummified, covered with patches of mildew and quite a notable layer of salts, which appear to be calcium salts. ... The skin has disappeared in some places, but it is still present on most parts of the body."
In 1925, the church exhumed the body for a third time. They took relics, which were sent to Rome. A precise imprint of the face was molded so that the firm of Pierre Imans in Paris could make a wax mask based on the imprints and on some genuine photos. This was common practice for relics in France, as it was feared that the blackish tinge to the face and the sunken eyes and nose would make an unpleasant impression on the public. Imprints of the hands were also taken for the presentation of the body and the making of wax casts. The remains were then placed in agold and crystal reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the mother house in Nevers. The site is visited by many pilgrims and the body of Saint Bernadette is still shown despite being nearly 130 years old.

Wax coverings on the body of Sainte Bernadette represent how her hands and face looked at the time of her death.

Three years later in 1928, Doctor Comte published a report on the exhumation of the Blessed Bernadette in the second issue of the Bulletin de I'Association medicale de Notre-Dame de Lourdes.
"I would have liked to open the left side of the thorax to take the ribs as relics and then remove the heart which I am certain must have survived. However, as the trunk was slightly supported on the left arm, it would have been rather difficult to try and get at the heart without doing too much noticeable damage. As the Mother Superior had expressed a desire for the Saint's heart to be kept together with the whole body, and as Monsignor the Bishop did not insist, I gave up the idea of opening the left-hand side of the thorax and contented myself with removing the two right ribs which were more accessible." "What struck me during this examination, of course, was the state of perfect preservation of the skeleton, the fibrous tissues of the muscles (still supple and firm), of the ligaments, and of the skin, and above all the totally unexpected state of the liver after 46 years. One would have thought that this organ, which is basically soft and inclined to crumble, would have decomposed very rapidly or would have hardened to a chalky consistency. Yet, when it was cut it was soft and almost normal in consistency. I pointed this out to those present, remarking that this did not seem to be a natural phenomenon."

[wenlove24]

Something painful happened to me today and I feel like I should share it with you guys....

I'm the kind of person who's always vigilant about a lot of things esp. with today's times and crimes. I'm sure you're acquainted with the words "if only" or "I never knew it could happen to me" so here it is.

Someone stole my wallet, which contained my cellphone, IDs, and some cash while on board a PUJ towards Ayala from my place of work. I never thought I'd become a victim bec. I've always been so vigilant about my belongings. It was only this time that I had to hold the wet umbrella with one hand (since I caught the heavy rain this afternoon) while the other was groping for fare. Maybe the guy seated on my right took it bec. his big bag was slightly obscuring his left side, where part of my bag was. The most painful part was when I found out about it. I didn't even have a clue until I reached the PUJ terminal (since I had to take another ride towards home). I couldn't explain how I felt. I didn't have any money left on me! My stomach felt funny, my eyes were close to tears. I just wished I had someone to hold on to. After that I had no choice but to board the next available PUJ and held on to the only thing I could find in my pocket, my rosary. I prayed so hard and was close to tears. I prayed to be calm 'coz deep inside I was close to hysterical! This could not happen to me. If only I had been more vigilant. These thoughts occupied my mind as I prayed. But I never stopped praying. I prayed to forgive the criminal. I hoped he needed it more than I do. I prayed to forgive my complacency. I prayed to not blame anyone. I prayed and I just prayed for comfort and serenity. Despite of all this, I still felt the pain. The loss. Suddenly, a soft, gentle voice resonated in my brain and said: "Store up treasures in heaven." At that moment I felt a sense of calm. Eventhough the pain was still there, my mind was filled with hope. Hope that I'll get over it somehow. Accept it. When I reached home, I cried like a baby while telling the whole thing to my family. AFter that we heard mass and I offered the entire experience to Jesus.
I learned something since I started this thread and I applied it. I would be a hypocrite if I say it doesn't hurt anymore but surprisingly, I don't feel a bit of anger towards the offender. I prayed for him too. Before my mobile line went out of coverage, I got to text him and pleaded that he return my ID and licenses. I hope he does but even if he doesn't, I hope he finds it in his heart to feel sorry for what he did and change for the better.
God bless everyone...

[wenlove24]

A Filipino priest who was talking in an animated fashion to an audience of young kids about the story of this saint caught my attention a couple of afternoons ago. So I googled up this patron saint of musicians. It so happens she has the same name with my dad's youngest sister.


St. Cecilia

Saint Cecilia (Latin: Sancta Caecilia) is the patron saint of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches on November 22. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. It was long supposed that she was a noble lady ofRome who, with her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and a Roman soldier Maximus, suffered martyrdom, c. 230, under the Emperor Alexander Severus.
The martyrdom of Cecilia is said to have followed that of her husband and his brother by the prefect Turcius Almachius. The officers of the prefect then sought to have Cecilia killed as well. She arranged to have her home preserved as a church before she was arrested. At that time, the officials attempted to kill her by smothering her by steam. However, the attempt failed, and she was to have her head chopped off. But they were unsuccessful three times, and she would not die until she received the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Cecilia survived another three days before succumbing. In the last three days of her life, she opened her eyes, gazed at her family and friends who crowded around her cell, closed them, and never opened them again. The people by her cell knew immediately that she was to become a saint in heaven. When her incorruptible body was found long after her death, it was found that on one hand she had three fingers outstretched and on the other hand just one finger, denoting her belief in the trinity.
The Sisters of Saint Cecilia are a group of women consecrated religious sisters. They are the ones who shear the lambs' wool used to make the palliums of new metropolitan archbishops. The lambs are raised by the Cistercian Trappist Fathers of the Tre Fontane (Three Fountains) Abbey in Rome. The lambs are blessed by the Pope every January 21, the Feast of the martyr Saint Agnes. The pallia are given by the Pope to the new metropolitan archbishops on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, usually in June.

Statue of St. Cecilia's incorruptible body

[wenlove24]

Just had one strange dream last night wherein I suddenly had the strongest urge to grab a dictionary and search for the meaning of the word "morphology" and what I found was this definition, "Blessed Sacrament." I don't know why I had that dream but as soon as I woke up I actually did snatch my dictio (which was beside my pillow, hehe) and read, 'study of the structure of organisms and also study of word formation. So here I am trying to find a saint with the closest reference to the Blessed Sacrament.

He's actually attributed to the Celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar. One of the things that I learned after watching a few episodes about this saint is that everyone can achieve a life of holiness and sanctity even by mere activities of daily life.

He's proof that there can be a healthy dialogue between believers and non-believers.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá

founder of Opus Dei

Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain on January 9, 1902. He was ordained on March 28, 1925. He studied civil law along with his ecclesiastical studies, and in 1927, he moved to Madrid to obtain a doctorate in law. While there, he worked hard with the poor and sick, and also with students, workers, and professionals.

On October 2, 1928, he saw by divine inspiration, as the Pope's Apostolic Constitution Ut Sit affirmed, that God was asking him to spread the universal call to holiness, and that a new path would be opened up within the Church – Opus Dei – to spread this call throughout the world. History has borne out this vision: there are now around 85,000 people in Opus Dei and his spiritual message has reached millions.

His apostolic work was not limited to Opus Dei, however. He helped numerous people discern vocations to the priesthood and religious life, both active and contemplative. In 1943, he founded the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, an association inseparably united to Opus Dei, to which belong thousands of diocesan priests around the world. And his Christian teachings on marriage have been especially influential, with countless people putting them into practice in their lives.

Escrivá was always a proponent of understanding and dialogue, and in 1950 he won the Holy See's approval to allow Opus Dei to appoint Cooperators, who could be Catholics, non-Catholic Christians or even non-believers.

Inspired by Escrivá's teaching and his promotion of the apostolic and social responsibility of Christians, the members and Cooperators of Opus Dei have started hundreds of evangelical works and social initiatives all over the world, especially among the poor and disadvantaged.

Willing to innovate, but always faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, Escrivá was described by Pope John Paul II as a precursor of the Second Vatican Council. He anticipated by thirty years many of the teachings that, after the great ecclesial assembly, became the patrimony of the whole People of God.

He is the author of books of spirituality which are read around the world. His best-known book is The Way, which has sold nearly four million copies in 43 languages.

Escrivá died in Rome on June 26, 1975. He was beatified on May 17, 1992, in St. Peter's Square. He was canonized by John Paul II in the same place on October 6, 2002, before a crowd of 350,000.

[Saint_hard]

walay Saint Hard diri....hehehe..btw very touching keu ilang story, im just wondering y one has to suffer to be called saint.....

[noy]

This is a very nice thread...