[JOYnet] Chastity is demanded from Priests US
Dear Friends, We know that by grace we are adopted children of God members of Christ and temples of Holy Spirit. By virtue of our Christian vocation, chastity is demanded of us. It is called the index virtue because it was one of the most distinctive virtues, which followed the establishment of the religion of Christ. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). He founded a new family, each member bearing within himself, by Baptism, the seed of eternal life and destined to be nourished by the heavenly food of the Eucharist. As a result of this mystery of grace and divine love, we are, in a mysterious way, one with Jesus. You are the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). Therefore, our new birth to life in Christ gives us new obligation to be worthy of Him who is the Head of that Body. Elsewhere, St. Paul tells that we must glorify God in our body. This can be done only when, in our body, we show forth spiritual beauty and glory of a true Christian. It is easy to understand why St. Paul emphasized the malice of impurity by instilling in early converts the dignity of the body of the Christian. Every other sin a man commit is outside his body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. You must know that your body is the temple of Holy Spirit(1 Cor. 1: 18-19). Thus it is clear that Chastity should be practiced by all including those in the married state because only in chastity can true love exist. Take away chastity and there will be no real charity or true love. Family members who want to cultivate real love and affection ought to value chastity.All good things come from chastity, St. Don Bosco used to say and conversely proportional, all bad things result where there is not chastity. Couples should observe conjugal chastity. The marriage bed must be honored because sex is holy and should be used for the twofold purpose of union and procreation. A good family helps build a good and morally upright nation. If the youth are the future of the world, then they must be taught the right things in life. They must be prepared to become good and chaste citizens if we want our world to be better place to live in. Soon, they to will become parents. They should then be prepared for a good marriage, which can only be attained if they lived chaste and holy, lives while still young. Needless to say, priests and bishops ought to preserve their chastity or celibacy. If they become lax and let the urge of the flesh have its way, their credibility is lost. As teachers and evangelizers of the faith, they are to be exemplify the virtue of chastity. They can only become real guide to families if they are chaste. Otherwise they cannot advise erring families. They must treasure chastity or celibacy as their most precious gift because it is a sign of the totality of their love for God. If we are single or unmarried, we remain chaste by NOT engaging in any sexual activity that violates the Sixth and Ninth Commandments of God. However, stricter observance of the virtue of chastity is expected of all those in the religious life, the priesthood and consecrated life. Married couples must be faithful to their licit and valid spouse. Observing conjugal chastity also means, of course, the avoidance of extramarital relationships. Through movements like Jesus Youth, many of the teenagers, all over the world discover, that God can be understood by simple ordinary youth, and after experiencing God, they will not settle for anything less. They value their purity and chastity as much as they value their prayer life. Virginity prepares them for the real vocation in life. Thousands of teenagers around the world have now joined the cause for virginity, to save the family. Indeed, there is much to hope for! Chastity is the guarantee of genuine charity. It prevents the lover from possessing his beloved because he loves God above all creatures. The reason is most compelling when we consider Christian life and teaching (Fr. Edgardo Arellano) Bensilal Chacko, DE, USA. _ Catch the Oscar fever. See winners losers. http://server1.msn.co.in/MSNSpecials/oscar2003/index.asp Right here === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] Priests Chastity
Dear Friends, Since 1965, more than 80,000 priests have been laicized according to Fr. Florencio Testera, former dean of cannon law. In the USA, more than 2500 priests since 1982 have sexually molested children. Many bishops were forced to resign from their offices after newspapers had exposed their sexual scandals. After having found several orphanages worldwide a certain priest, devoted all his time to his apostolate, which soon turned into a purely humanitarian activity. Because he was too busy, he found less time for prayer. Though he continued to celebrate mass, he neglected his meditation, Rosary, Confession and Holy Hours. Soon, he began to drink. When wine no longer satisfied him, he was driven to sexual fantacies. But he was well known as a priest, so he could not be in sexual relationship with a women. He thought he should release his sexual urges either alone or with the children in the orphanage. One victim followed another. It all become so obvious that the New York Times exposed his sexual abuses and accused him of pedophilia. His donors were shocked, the staff was appalled forcing the hierarchy to remove him from the orphanage he had supported for forty years. Truly, without Chastity, all good works come to an end. Yet the opposite is also true. St. John Bosco established many orphanages- more than this priest in New York ever did. The big difference is Don Bosco remained chaste and holy. His life was a life of intense prayer. He would meditate from 1:00 am to 5:00 am daily; heard confession ten hours a day; celebrated Mass with great reverence as if each Mass was his last; and he would pray at least three Rosaries everyday and the Stations of the Cross. His chastity and sanctity brought many orphans to love God and the Virgin Mary. It was no surprise then that saints were nurtured in his orphanages. Even Virgin Mary would physically visit some of them. Don Boscos work has brought the Church many young saints such as St. Dominic Savio, Blessed Laura Vicuna, and hundreds of others. True imitation of Jesus Christ is to remain chaste, poor and obedient. Moreover the problem of unchastity among clerics cannot be solved by simply allowing priests to marry. St. Paul tells us in Corinthians 7:14, that there are those who are called to be virgins. Let them who can remain virgins remain as such, for it is written (Rev 14:4): The virgins follow the Lamp wherever He goes (Fr. Bing Arellano) Bensilal Chacko,DE,USA. _ High ISD bills? Get a phone card. http://www.msn.co.in/webtelephony Call US for just Rs. 5 === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] Poverty = love of God above all things
Dear Friends, Poverty is the love of God above all things. It is a disposition of the will that inclines us to detach our hearts from all affections to the temporal goods. Poverty requires perfect detachment. This means being satisfied with what is necessary, removing all superfluous and inordinate attachment to things. Poverty also means choosing what is least attractive and valuable while foregoing what is luxurious and extravagant. It means rejoicing even when in need because when in want, dependence on grace and goodness of God is strengthened. To destroy our spirit of poverty, the devil goads us to be attached to earthly things; to be anxious over the deprivation of material goods and to be obsessed with wanting to have them at all cost. Satan incites feelings of discontentment when we are deprived of certain wants and necessities. Using hedonism and materialism, satan succeeds in causing the spiritual death of countless souls. The whole of Matthew 6:25-34 invites us to abandon ourselves to Divine Providence that we may be free from the anxieties of tomorrow. In many homes, anxiety over lack of material things has replaced the more important consideration of parents: the moral and spiritual values of their children. Materialism is a major reason for the compromise of family values. The time we spend with our loved ones is the first to be compromised in the home. The second is security, trust and happiness. Unfortunately these are the more important things essential in maintaining a home, which no material comfort can ever replace. Nowadays many young people are work for living. They are employed in offices, banks, malls, entertainment centers, schools, and factories, almost everywhere. Many of them work to be financially independent from their parents or guardians. The result is self-centeredness materialism and individualism because money gives them the license to do whatever they please. It is sad to think that many youth do not realize the shortness of time and that everything in this world passes. Trapped within themselves, many young people are oblivious of what spiritual life is. They are trapped in pursuit of what is momentary and fleeting. Today our television sets, radio, and newspapers openly promote glorification of wealth, power, fame, beauty and fashion. Film actors and actresses are the best examples. They are being idolized and imitated as pseudo gods and goddesses by many. Their fans follow everything they do even the illicit and immoral. Abortion, premarital and extramarital relationships, contraception, drugs, violence are endorsed with such glamour that media has turned sin into an exciting spice of life. If world conversion is to be hoped for, the media must be renewed and converted. If the media is used in conformity with the providential design of God and with proper respect for the dignity of man, it can contribute to the development of true culture, also to a more widespread knowledge of the Gospel (Fr. Edgardo) Bensilal Chacko , DE, USA _ Catch the Oscar fever. See winners losers. http://server1.msn.co.in/MSNSpecials/oscar2003/index.asp Right here === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] How Deep is Your Love?
Dear Friends, We all want to love and to be loved. The problem is, hardly anyone seems to understand love, and so many people who want love dont seem to have it. Harold Birke-Sivers explains that we can understand love better if we recognize the depth of love to which we are called as an imaging of Gods love for us. We can then see why love cant be just physical, or just emotional. True love, the love that everyone wants to experience, is about truly and deeply wanting what is best for the other person. The fundamental significance of love for the human person is perhaps best summarized by the evangelist: God is love and he who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. We are to love, then, because He loved us first (1 John 4:16,19). Therefore, love is significant to the human person because man, through love, is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists, it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his Creator (CCC, n. 27). God's sustaining and life-giving love affects man at every level of his being, that is, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. On the physical level, Pope John Paul II sees sexuality as a fundamental component of our personality, that is, as one of the means in which human beings express and live out God's life within us. As the image of God, we are created for love and this love should be made manifest in sexual intimacy. This physical expression of human love includes right from the beginning the nuptial attribute, that is, the capacity of expressing love ... in which a person becomes a gift andby means of this giftfulfills the meaning of his being and existence (Theology of the Body, p. 63). Human sexuality, through which we participate in the mystery of loving communion with God, can never find its full expression apart from the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator in marriage. Through this sacramental bond of unity and love the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of true mutual love (Theology of the Body, p. 432), which is an expression of God's divine love within us. Insofar as it entails sincere self-giving, growth in love is helped by the discipline of the feelings, passions, and emotions. Thomas Aquinas tells us that love is the root of all other passions because there is no passion in the soul of man that is not founded on love of some kind. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reiterates both Aquinas and Augustine when it states that to love is to will the good of another. All other affections have their source in this first movement of the human heart toward the good. Only the good can be loved (CCC, n. 1766). On this point, Joseph Pieper notes that loving someone or something means finding him or it good (Joseph Pieper, About Love, p. 19). True love, which perfects man in his totality as a human person, becomes realized in him when he seeks and loves what is intrinsically true and ultimately good. Love is perfected in man in as much as it leads to his ultimate end: union with God The gift of love is transformed through the power of Christ's redeeming grace. Through His death and resurrection, we become partakers in God's divine nature. Pope John Paul II puts it this way: as an incarnate spirit, that is, a soul which expresses itself in a body and a body informed by an immortal spirit, man is called to love in his unified totality (Familiaris Consortio, n. 11). Love entails a total self-giving, an act of selflessness that unites us to Christ crucified and opens our hearts to accept God's divine and loving will. Without love, man remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself; his life is senseless (Redemptor Hominis, n. 25). The fundamental nature of love itself, inherent within that symbiotic relationship of man and God, is spiritual communion. The spiritual dimension of love must be understood in light of Christ's redemption of the world, which calls us to God's grace and love in relationship, for to be truly human means to be related in love (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Co-Workers of the Truth, p. 235). Human love should be a response to God's call to love one another as He first loved us. However, due to our sinfulness, love's true meaning is often distorted and reduced to silly platitudes and clichis which permeate much of modern society (love means never having to say you're sorry, for example). God is often removed from society's understanding and perception of love. Many purport that contraception, homosexuality, and pornography are loving acts, but in reality this is not love at all. They undermine the intimacy of a truly loving relationship with God by rejecting the inherent openness to life-giving love through faithful, permanent, and exclusive
[JOYnet] Re: [JYA] Which is the greatest miracle do you think that Jesus ever performed?
Dear Friends, Please find the answer from Dr. Sindu ( Sindu Chechi). Thanks Sindu for the wonderful sharing In JMJ, Bensilal Chacko, DE, US From: sindhu To: Bensi Chacko Subject: Re: [JYA] Which is the greatest miracle do you think that Jesus ever performed? Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 11:17:01 -0600 Dear Bensi, Of course the Catholic Church is a mystery and is seldom called as the sleeping Giant; but I think the gretest miracle Jesus ever performed is establishment of Eucharist..turning mere bread and vine to His body and blood itself..like wise fulfilling His promise to be with us till the ends of the time.and this mystery gets fulfilled only through His Church. But i got your point.And i'm so proud ,and considers it to be the greatest previlege I ever got is, to be a Catholic.Praise the Lord. Thanks,In joyful communion, Sindhu. Help STOP SPAM: Try the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] Recipe for a Happy New Year
Dear Friends, Here is the Recipe for a Happy New Year. Take 12 fine, full-grown months. See that these are thoroughly cleansed from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate, and jealousy. Cut these months into 30 or 31 equal parts. (This batch will keep for one year. Do not attempt to make more than one batch at a time many people spoil the entire lot in this way). Prepare one day at a time as follows: Into each day, put 12 parts of faith, 11 of patience, 10 of courage, nine of work, eight of hope, seven of prayer, six of meditation, five of kindness, four of rest, three of fidelity, two of open-mindedness, and one of well-selected resolution. Pour love liberally into the whole, and mix well. Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat. Garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness. A Happy New Year is a certainty! With Regards, Bensilal Chacko DE, USA. _ The new MSN 8 is here: Try it free* for 2 months http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] Prayer for a Blessing on the New Year
Dear Friends, Please find the prayer for a Blessing on the New Year (From the Catholic Pocket Prayer Book) O sacred and adorable Trinity, hear our prayers on behalf of our Holy Father the Pope, our bishops, our clergy, and for all that are in authority over us. Bless, we beseech thee, during the coming year, the whole Catholic Church; convert heretics and unbelievers; soften the hearts of sinners to that they may return to Thy friendship; give prosperity to our country and peace among the nations of the world; pour down Thy blessings upon our friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and upon our enemies, if we have any; assist the poor and the sick; have pity on the souls of those whom this past year has taken from us; and do Thou be merciful to those who during the coming year will be summoned before Thy judgment seat. May all our actions be preceded by Thy inspirations and carried on by Thy assistance, so that all our prayers and works, having been begun in Thee, may likewise be ended through Thee. Amen. Copyright © 2002 Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. All rights reserved. Bensilal Chacko DE, USA. _ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail === This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===
[JOYnet] The gospel strongly teaches us to give
Dear Friends, When Jesus came here on earth, he imparted to us so many valuable things. But there is one value that is of great importance and that is giving. An open hand signifies an open heart. The gospel strongly teaches us to give and it will be given unto yougood measure, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing, will be poured into your lap (Luke 6:38) God gives. He gives us everything we have. He gives us the worldthe sun, rain, sea, wind, trees, food, drink, clothing, sheltereverything. Sacrifice is the universal proof of real love. Our Lord sacrificed Himself, giving up everythingHis Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity just to win back our eternal life. Contrary to the values of the world that takes, possesses, hoards, the Lord teaches us a counter-valueto deny ones self and to take up ones cross. It is customary to say that the real value of the gospel is love. That is true, but the guarantee that the person is truly in love is when the person gives, not only his things but also his very self. St. Ignatius Loyola confirms this when he said that authentic love is shown in deeds, not in words. When we give, we suffer. We experience pain. But pain has a special place in the plans of God. A mother gives lifein pain. But after the birth of the child, her painful ordeal is forgotten; there is only exquisite joy. All Gods gift comes wrapped in pain. His best gifts are usually the one, which we receive in tears in our eyes. When we try to live the values of Lord, it initially accompanies the cross, but soon it turns into the joy of resurrection. Our Lord said, I have come that you have life and have it more abundantly. I have come that my joy might be in you, and that your joy might be complete. (John 15:11) On the other hand if we embrace the values of the world, then we will experience unparallel sadness that will ultimately lead to despair. God is besides you. He is present in the heart of every individual. We are the temple of Holy Spirit. Therefore we are exhorted by our Lord to love our neighbor, even those we consider our enemies. But if you are unable and still you say you love, then that is a lie. Because you cannot love God, whom you do not see, if you cannot love your neighbor, whom you do see (Fr. Ramon Villena). Bensilal Chacko _ Get faster connections -- switch to MSN Internet Access! http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/default.asp This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join To get a standard help message on the list services send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Nobody can Change us.
Dear Friends, Nobody can change us, unless there occurs a change in our attitude. If our attitude change our entire life will be changed. What should be our attitude towards worldly pleasures, which will be perishing? 2000 years back Jesus beautifully told us Lay your treasures in heaven where no one can steel it. We need to try to make our attitude towards world similar to the attitude of Jesus. What we need at this hour is a pair of faith glass. We need to trust God fully and need to live according to His will. While living on earth Jesus never seek his own will, but always searched and obeyed His Fathers will and he taught us to pray for it Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We are called to live as aliens in this world. We should live in the world in such a manner that we does not belong to this world. Our true home is in heaven and we are citizens of Heavenly Jerusalem, where there is no more tears or weeping. Our primary aim in this life should be search and obey His will. We have His promise as I will never leave you or forsake you. He has only better plans for us. For the worlds standard the most important thing in life is to become a successful professional or businessman. But for a Christian the most important thing should be attain the eternal crown. Now let me ask you a question. Whom should you call first if you happen to see some of your family member is dying? Most of us will call the doctor first. In America we will dial 9-1-1 and the ambulance will come at once. But as Christians we are not supposed to forget the importance of calling our local priest. The doctor can only save us from physical death. But the priest can save us from eternal death too. Our Lord saved the good thief on the cross because of His Mercy and He has given the same authority to our priests as Whatsoever you forgiven on earth will be forgiven in heaven too. We need to send our children to Catechism Classes and take interest in teach them and show them as models of those who value the importance of sacraments and the teachings of the Church. But the sad fact is that now a days parents value pleasures and academic success more and they give less importance for their Childs soul nourishments. Let us not forget that our life mission is to see all of our family members in Heaven. All other things are of secondary importance. Have a Nice Weekend. With Regards, Bensilal. Bensilal Chacko _ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Who Runs the finest beauty parlor
Dear Friends, How much time usually we spend for make-ups. Some of us may be visiting the beautician frequently for the make-ups. Some times I happened to see some faces with their eyebrow above in the middle of their eyes. It appears that they are plucking their eyebrows so hardly and reached the point that there is nothing more to pluck. Im not against the normal make-ups, which we all do for going somewhere. But the sad fact is that we often forget to do the make ups for our souls. How much time we spend in meditation or prayer compared to the time we spend for our external appearance make-ups? Most of the time we forget the inner beauty that our heart should have. According to some theologians God runs worlds finest beauty parlor. When we visit Gods beauty parlor through genuine confession, we not only get inner beauty but also get the external beauty as a by product of our inner peace and happiness. We will become real beautiful when our hearts gets filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The external appearance will no longer matter to us. Mother Theresa is the best example for such beauty. Her Godly love and compassion make her so beautiful that thousands around the world longed to see her while she was living on Calcutta. Now what happened to our body, which we are so caring with make-ups? St. Allophones Ligori beautifully said that if our body were buried under 6 feet down the soil, on the 13th hour the worms would start eating us. They will eat our nose, lips, face, fingers etc one by one and finally they will reach the point where there is nothing more to eat. The worms then start eat each other and will die to become soil. If this is our end why should we spend so much time for external beauty, which will be perishing? . We need to think over it and use our time wisely. As our dear Mother remembers us, please dont forget to visit Gods beauty parlor through frequent confessions, Holy hours and Rosaries. Have a beautiful weekend. With Regards, Bensilal. _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] What should be the real issue if India and Pakistan strike each other?
Dear friends, What should be the real issue if India and Pakistan strike each other? If nuclear war broke between India and Pakistan, what should be the real issue for us as a Christian? As a Christian the real issue is not how many million will die or how big will be the $ damage. The real issue should be how many will be saved and how many will be damned. As we know, a Christian should live to die. So we should always be ready to die. Let me ask you a question 'Will you die for India?' (I dont know your answer, but for me it is very hard to die even for my own family members or friends.) There is a joke with a husband and wife. The wife asked 'Honey how much you love me?' and the husband said 'very much'. Then the wife again asked 'Will you die for me' and the husband said 'No'. The poor wife start crying and our husband start consoling her by saying 'Honey, I told I won't die for you because my love for you, is an undying love.' Now let me ask you another question 'Will you die for Pakistan?' I can imagine your feeling while you read this question. Some of you may be asking 'Why should I die for Pakistan who is continuously making problems and irritating us?' But that is what exactly Jesus did. While we were still enemies, still rebellious to God, on the appointed time, Jesus came down from heaven to save us and died for us. Think about that great love and sacrifice and let us thank God from the bottom of our heart. When we praise and thank God from our heart then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). The peace of God does not depend on external circumstances. It comes directly from the Lord and it is placed in our hearts. Do you need the peace of God? Let us look to the Lord in prayer and sing a song of praise from our heart. Know that Christ will guard our heart and our mind in Him. A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done.God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it. D.L. Moody Have a peace filled weekend. With Regards, Bensilal. _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Little Jacinta told us why our Mother only can save or protect
Dear Friends, Our Lady revealed at Fatima that She came because: God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. The leprous Syrian nobleman refused to bathe in the Jordan, at the command of the prophet Eliseus, because he could not understand. Where there not better rivers in his own country? And are there not greater things we might do in this computer age than take refuge in the immaculate heart of Mary? But look at our leprosy. It is far more terrible than leprosy of the body. It is leprosy of turning away from God. And as we fail to cry out for His Mercy, we ourselves call down His Justice. But our Lord revealed to Blessed Faustina, this is a time of exceptional Mercy. Little Jacinta, youngest of the Fatima children expressed He has entrusted the peace of the world to Holy Mother, He had sent our Redeemer through Her. Now He wills that we bathe in the river of Her love and be delivered from our leprosy. Our Lady said that the reason our Heavenly Mother and Queen was sent to mankind at Fatima is because Only she can save them. Most writers substitute: Only She can help, because in an absolute sense only GOD can save. But the Portuguese words Our Lady spoke, exactly as Lucia recorded them are: Porque so Ela lhes podera valer. This means only She can save or protect. (Documentos de Fatima, by Fr. Antonio Martins, S.J., pg. 339). Why did Our Lady use words, which might cause us to hesitate to quote them for fear they might be considered untheological, or be misunderstood? Little Jacinta told us why. She said, as a matter of fact: God has entrusted the peace of the world to Her. Again, we may ask why. The answer is BECAUSE THIS IS GODS PLAN. We deserve annihilation. He has given us THE MOTHER the Mother of the Savior, whom the Savior Himself gave us from the Cross to save us from annihilation. She can ask little things, which She can offer up with the Passion of Her son, from Her Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, and thereby blind Satan, and turn aside the just wrath of God. She told the children over and over to say Rosary. She even used the words: You must say the Rosary. Why? Because it is the little thing possible to children and adults, to young and old. Yet it touches upon the mysteries of God and causes Him to see us not in the black of our evil but in the light of Her love, in the blinding purity of Her Immaculate Heart. And that is why She held the Scapular out of the sky at the climax of the miracle performed, so that all may believe. She wants all to wear it, said Lucia, it is the sign of consecration to Her Immaculate Heart. It is a cloak not only to protect us but also to show us before God as Her children, for whom she suffered with Jesus on Calvary. How could His Justice annihilate these children under Her mantle of love? Oh, blessed words: ONLY SHE CAN SAVE YOU! Oh , words of Gods Mercy!- the Marcy Which cried out from the Cross: BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER! let us never hesitate to use them and to shout them to the world: Only SHE can save you! Listen to Her! She can save you with little, easy things. Gods Merciful plan has made this possible (John M. Haffert). _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] ABCD....
A lthough things are not perfect B ecause of trial or pain C ontinue in thanksgiving D o not begin to blame E ven when the times are hard F ierce winds are bound to blow G od is forever able H old on to what you know I magine life without His love J oy would cease to be K eep thanking Him for all the things L ove imparts to thee M ove out of Camp Complaining N o weapon that is known O n earth can yield the power P raise can do alone Q uit looking at the future R edeem the time at hand S tart every day with worship T o thank is a command U ntil we see Him coming V ictorious in the sky W e'll run the race with gratitude X alting God most high Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but... Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad! Bensilal Chacko _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Jesus is both strict and loving in His dealings with us
Dear Friends, The chosen race was punished by God when they disobeyed His will. He punished them at Meribah and Massah in the desert. He punished Moses Himself when the latter disobeyed the Will of God, desecrating as such His holiness. God punished David when he stole the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba. He again punished David when he wanted a census of the people for his own caprice. God punished more than eighty percent of the kings of Israel for disobeying Him and worshipping Baal. God punished Judas for betraying the Son of God. He threatened the Pharisees and scribes for being so self-righteous. He cursed them eight times by calling them names: brood of vipers, white washed sepulchers, hypocrites, sounding cymbals, etc. At first sight there seemed to be no sign of Gods love. He seemed to appear more like a police or a criminal lawyer rather than a benevolent father. Only our enlightened theologians and scriptures presented God as pure love; That He is light (1Jn 1:5) and there is no darkness in Him. If it were so, then there is no place in Gods character wherein He will threaten and punish people, damn the Pharisees to hell, and curse them even by calling them fools. Yet these people forgot that Jesus has two natures: one divine, the other human. To better relate with Him is to treat Him like a loving Father. Now we can understand why Jesus is both strict and loving in His dealings with us. It is part of the fathers love to discipline so that the child learns better and grows more in virtue. This fatherly love includes punishment, which is neither motivated by hatred or malice. It is only for good of the child that the Father punishes. St. Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews 12:5-10 explains it well. In every suffering there is death and how we resurrent in each death depends on how we died in each suffering. Love is the ultimate factor. (Fr. Edgardo). Bensilal Chacko. DE, USA. _ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Why many illnesses are left unhealed?
Dear Friends, In a world created and provided for an all powerful, all knowing, and loving God, suffering should have no place in this world, only blessedness. But God tolerates the workings of suffering in the very same world He created because man needs it. Love may cause pain to its object but only if the object needs a change to be fully lovable. We need suffering to purify our pride of life. Proud people sing the same tune: I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul! For both Jews and Greeks, pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18). If there is a road to disaster (pride), and a road away from disaster (repentance), then God and goodness will triumph. In the history of Israel, which is the chosen race, suffering indeed has a reason. It was Gods way of showing that suffering is a way out of sin, a road to repentance, so that all could reach the gate of holiness. For some people suffering is considered unthinkable, almost a scandal. It is a scandal to get sick, to have a headache, a sunburn, bruised hands, and to be fatigued in searching for the lost sheep. It is totally unheard of, even scandalous others might say, to fast on bread and water, to attend reparation vigils and spend sleepless night praying and making sacrifices for the sins of the world. For others, it is scandal to sleep on the floor with the poor, to walk barefooted, to eat with bare hands, to wear old and worn clothes. The Gospel is Good News for it brings healing to those who realize that they are mortally ill. Unfortunately, this view has drastically changed in many Catholic circles because of the wrong kind of psychology. For instance, Freud and Deweys method of psychology has warped some peoples notion of sin that it does not exist. They declare that it is unfair for man to be implicated in the sin of Adam and Eve. They infer that man was basically born good. The most that man can do when he errs is to experience guilty feelings. Psychotherapists process this guilt feeling by increasing the patients self-image and self-confidence. But never really hitting the core of the problem, which is sin because they do not believe in sin. This is precisely why many illnesses are left unhealed because sin is not rooted out. Spiritual and interior healing does not take place. Many out to frustration, even after seeing several psychologists or psychiatrists, still commit suicide because it is the only way for them to be alleviated form their suffering. Psychologist Dale Carnegie, famous for human development and communications techniques using pure methods of psychotherapy, committed suicide after years of trying to teach people how to stop worrying and start living. Experimental psychology has ruined many congregations of priests and sisters because of this kind of orientation. With human therapy alone and without the administration of the Sacraments, who can be cured? (Fr. Bing Arellano). Bensilal Chacko. DE, USA. _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Why good things happen to bad people?
Dear Friends, We have discussed why good people also suffer. More puzzling is the fact that good things happen to bad people. The truth, however, is that being good is relative. We are only good in relation to the standard of what is bad, for the sight of God we are all sinners. If we say, We have never sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word has no place in us (1 Jh 1:10). In Jer 6:13, the prophet Jeremiah said: For, from the least to the greatest, they are all greedy for gain; prophet no less than priest, all of them practice fraud. Isaiah adds in Is 64:15, We have all been like unclean things and our upright deeds like filthy rags. We wither, all of us, like leaves, and all our misdeeds carry us off like the wind. Not our worst but our best is a filthy rag, infested with impurities. Our generosity is mixed with self-interest, our passion for justice with our lust for vengeance, our love for God mixed with fear of God. In chapter four of his book Problem of pain, C.S. Lewis listed a few reasons why good people suffer. He explained that man is good ontologically (by existence). God did not create defective images for Him, however defaced they may be. This is the reason why man is worth more than any gold or treasure in the world. But although man is ontologically good morally he is not. We are all sinners. The world is a battlefield strewn with broken treaties, families, promises, marriages, vows, lives, and hearts. We are good stuff gone bad, a deformed masterpiece and a rebellious child of God. We are not only imperfect creatures who need to grow; we need to lay down our weapons. Suffering reminds us of the most obvious and evident truth which we oftentimes forget- that we are not gods. If we are truly good by existence, it should not be difficult to recognize our moral weakness. This is humility: truth and justice. The truth is WE ARE NOTHING, GOOD FOR NOTHING, WORTH NOTHING AND ALL THE GOOD IN US COMES FROM GOD. Justice tells us that we deserve nothing else but humiliation, persecution, contempt, capital punishment etc. because we are NOTHING. Moreover the good things God has lent to us were mainly used for our own selfish interests and not for His glory, for the honor of the Blessed Mother, and for the salvation of souls. This was the case of Adam and Eve, who committed the original sin and handed it down to us, their offspring. Justice tells us too that since all good thing come from God, it is but fitting that all glory, honor , praise, and thanksgiving be given to Him forever and always. The love of Christ, therefore, is only possible for the humble: It is not the healthy who needs the doctor, but the sick . I came to call not the upright but the sinners(Mt 9:12). Jesus, the physician, gives us the effective medicine the Good News. But He tells us first the bad news, that we are sick. Unfortunately many of us refuse to believe that we are sick or forget that we are sick. In the same vein, pharisseeism is evident among those who rejoice and say: I am better than others because I pray, I give alms, I receive communion regularly. I am no thief, gambler, or murder. But the minute they are asked to leave their comfort zone for a life of sacrifice to atone for sins, they refuse, because they have become attached to materialism, secularism, and hedonism. This is the reason why some authentic messages of God as revealed by Our Blessed Mother (e.g. Fatima) are rejected even now by some bishops, priests, and lay people. Mother Mary tells us all to make sacrifice, to turn our backs from a too comfortable lifestyle and to be in solidarity with the poor. She tells us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Jesus Christ, if He were to live with us now as He did in Jerusalem, would blush at the extravagant way we live. As God He owns the whole world but He opted to live in poverty while on earth ( Fr. Edgardo). Bensilal Chacko. DE, USA. _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Samuels view about suffering.
Dear Friends, Samuel was the prophet who anointed Saul and later his successor David as king of Israel. Samuel gives us the meaning of suffering in his first and second book of Kings, in Samuel and in the Book of Judges. In the Old Testament people lived through a six period cycle. They went from a period of 1. Suffering 2. to a period of repentance 3. through a period of blessedness 4. in to a life of luxury. 5. to a life of pride 6. and finally into a life of disaster. But only after the life of suffering does Israel as a nation turn back to God. Suffering brings repentance and repentance leads to holiness for God is the source of all life, joy and goodness. This principle is not arbitrary and unchangeable. God has fashioned in this way since repentance is the prerequisite to holiness of life. Two essential point of Christian doctrine are sin and salvation, disease and the cure. Suffering is needed as a cure for our sins. As such the only way to find out why we suffer is to discover where the disease lies, where the sin comes from. Our heart may be filled with full of hatred, greed, lust, ambition, and power. We cant love our neighbor as ourselves. We hunger so much for money. Sometimes our hearts longs for everything and everyone but not God. We do judge others by human standards and not by Gods. Unless we cleanse our heart and turn back to Him and repent, we will forever languish in our miserable state. Suffering is the road that leads to ultimate freedom. It is a road of repentance that brings us to a life of blessedness. Not all sufferings, however, are punishment for sins. Not all sufferings are deserved. Good people suffer too- people who do not need hell, fire, and brimstone to repent. So why does God allow even good people to suffer? Samuel offers two answers to this. First: Even good people need repentance and the better they are, the more they see the need for it. A good example is the saints. Every saint considers himself or herself a great sinner who needs Gods conversion. Second: The good suffer not only for themselves but for others as well. Spouses who have only ease and pleasure in life lack depth in their love. True love needs to suffer. And the path of true love is never smooth; rather it is full of winding, uphill roads with sharp turns and bends. Only true love endures all these challenges. Mere kindness cannot tolerate suffering, but love can tolerate anything. Love then even though it hurts (Fr. Bing Arellano) Bensilal Chacko. DE, USA. _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Abraham and Suffering
Dear Friends, Not a few Christians today would leave their life of comfort and security for a life of poverty and instability. Only those who have infinite trust in Divine Province could ever undertake such a bold move; for faith in God provides us with the hope and courage to dare to risk everything that is good and worthwhile in this world. Abraham trusted beyond doubt and was given entire lands and properties far beyond his imagining. God told Abraham, the rich man, to leave one day the comfort and security of his life in Ur in Chaldea, the cultured and civilized city of his home, to travel to a land in the wilderness, which God will show him. It would be a land of scarcity where amenities will be lacking and comfort and security unknown. He was to turn his back on everything and embrace suffering, insecurity, and darkness with blind faith. Who could obey such a stern command unless there is valid reason to do so? Unlike other souls who would just turn and walk away, Abraham followed and did what God commanded. Several times in his journey in the desert, Abraham fell and committed a number of blunders. This did not discourage him in the lease but rather made him rely more on Gods word. God promised in return to reward Abraham for his fidelity. He will be the father of nations. He will be a father of the womb that will heal the suffering and death of the people of God. It shall be a salvation from suffering and death through the suffering and death of the offspring of the Woman.(Gen. 3:15). But the suffering is for a reason, a purpose. It was not mainly to be a physical death, but above all a spiritual one. It was the suffering and death of the ego, the self will and the human reason; the suffering of the good, strong minded and strong willed man who had the wisdom to trust the Lords Will with all his heart, and lean not on his own understanding (Prov: 3:5). Abraham was to suffer even the most painful ordeal when the very reason for enduring all his suffering was tested. Isaac, his only beloved son who was to be the key to the realization of Gods promise to make him the father of nations, was to be killed and scarified to the Father in heaven. What a painful blow to a father who longed so much to have a son! It seemed unreasonable to be finally given a child and then to be asked to have him sacrificed! What sheer madness! But Abraham went even against this very human reaction. Yes, he loved Isaac enough to suffer anything for him, but his love for God went far beyond his own son. And God saw all this. In Abrahams heart nothing ever mattered except the will of God, and he follow with joy and willingness to gave him the greatest pleasure. With such generosity, God was pleased with Abraham and blessed him even more. No wonder Abraham is called the Father of faith. To talk about accepting suffering in theory is easy, but to actually practice in reality is difficult (Fr. Edgardo). Bensilal Chacko, DE, USA. _ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] What is the Cause of Suffering? according to Buddha
Dear Friends, Based on the teachings of Gautama Siddharta Buddha, the awakened one, Buddhism is one of the largest religions of Eastern and Central Asia. Tracing its roots form four painful realities which Buddha saw as a young prince, Buddhism also believes that suffering is an integral part of life. But this suffering can only be alleviated through mental and moral self-purification. As a young prince, Buddha was kept for years within his fathers palace in a vain attempt to convince him to become king. One day, after bribing his charioteer to drive him outside the palace grounds, Buddha witnessed four painful events, which led to the great change in his life. First. The sight of a SICK man. His father never allowed sick man in the palace. Why do people get sick and suffer so? That night Gautama spent his night in meditation but was unable to resolve the riddle of suffering. Second. The sight of an OLD man. His father never allowed an old man in the palace. Why do people get old? Once again Gautama spent his second night in deep meditation but could not resolve the riddle of old age. Third. The sight of a DEAD man. First time in his life he was seeing a man with no motion, no breath and no life in him. Why does one suffer and die? Gautama was confused. Fourth. The sight of a Sannyasin, who left the world to purify his soul and find wisdom. What is a Sannyasin? Gautama wondered and his charioteer explained that a Sannyasin is one who has renounced all worldly pleasures and possessions to become wise to understand the great mysteries like why we suffer, get old, and die. Then I want to be Sannyasin!. Gautama told himself. Gautama then left his palace in spite of his fathers objection and became a Sannyasin. At first he found it hard to fast and renounce his worldly attachments. Taking the middle ground, Gautama took enough food and did enough fasting. He then sat in a lotus position meditating under a Bo Tree and neither stirred nor changed position until he find the answers of the four riddles, he saw. When he finally did he rose up and called himself Buddha, the awakened one. He then revealed what he called his Four Noble Truths: (1)That life is a Suffering. We are born, we live, and we die in suffering. To have what you do not like and to be deprived of what you want to have is suffering. (2)The cause of suffering is desire. Desire creates a gap between itself and satisfaction; that gap is suffering. (3)The way to end suffering is to end desire (Nirvana is extinction of desire). The world tries to close in the gap between desire and satisfaction by increasing the satisfaction. But it never succeeds. Buddha, however, took the opposite direction: he bought desire to nothing, to zero level. (4)The way to end desire is to go through the noble eight-fold path of ego reduction. Life is made up of eight aspects and in each aspect the disciple practices a gradual release, simplification, and purification of self. Everything is brought to the service of desire- reduction for the sake of Nirvana, the sate where suffering no longer exists. Buddha believed the curing egotism, selfishness, by renouncing the self, the I. Buddhism eliminates the I who hates, but inadvertently also destroys the I who loves. Compassion (Karuna) is one of the great important Buddhist virtues. But Buddha does not know unselfish love, unselfish will, unselfish passion, the unselfish self. Founded on natural law, Buddhism cannot explain at length what suffering is all about, for suffering transcends natural law. Buddhism does not comprehend why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had to suffer the worst kind of torture and die for our sins. The notion of suffering based on the teachings of Buddhism has gained so much popularity among Christians that even a few priests and religious recommend the exercise of some of its concepts and practices. From the lotus position of meditation in prayer to a whole new approach and techniques in health care, these priests and nuns have changed their outlook towards Christianity. But many of these Eastern practices do not apply the Christian concept of love and sacrifice. (Fr. Bing Arellano). Bensilal Chacko, DE, USA. _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp; This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Suffering makes us ask WHY?
Dear Friends, Suffering is for every one, whether strong or week, rich or poor, good or bad. In suffering we are all equal- our human weakness come out when we suffer in pain. Suffering makes us ask WHY! When we are young and healthy, surrounded by loving family, and with wonderful plans for the future, we never given it much thought that we can be suddenly struck down by a terrible illness, have an accident, or lose someone dear to us. This is what it means when we begin to follow the straight and narrow path to Heaven. Misfortune strikes us without warning regardless of how well or bad we have lived. Every day we see it in newspaper or TV or in our own neighborhood happy, peaceful lives shattered in an instant by sickness or trail. With the collapse of world trade center we see innocent lives ruined and their relatives affected by painful memories, and we ask WHY? Many have fallen into depression and worse still, despair, because of their poor understanding of suffering. True suffering can make us bitter or better. To avoid falling into despair, or having to suffer miserably, we should instead bless life in spite of all its trials and difficulties and give thanks to God. When accepted suffering and converted into sacrifice for the atonement of sins then suffering will purify us and heal us of all bitterness and pain. It makes us sweet to talk, kind but firm in instilling discipline and most of all it improves our prayer life. On the other hand, failure to accept suffering, makes us very bitter, highly critical and sarcastic towards life in general. The crucial point in a Christian life is how to deal with Suffering. When it is united with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary to atone for sins, sacrifice can save countless number of souls. There is so much joy in pain which makes our hearts sing with the Blessed Mother: My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior . (Fr. Bing Arellano. Bensilal Chacko, DE, USA. _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] TRUE COLOR OF A CHRISTIAN
Dear Friends, Wait until they get hurt and their true color will come out. For example fasting which is an effective means of sacrifice is done more out of conceit to gain the praise of others and not to actually repair for ones sins. Once the person gets week, hungry, and sick he stops fasting altogether. This is also true for almsgiving. Unfortunately not all fasting and almsgiving are done with real generosity. Only when giving becomes painful, when the self begins to hurt, does almsgiving become authentic. In the case of obeying Gods will it should not only be done for as long as it is honorable and convenient. When misfortune hits us and we are left homeless, hungry, without money, and abandoned by our very own kin then also we should obey Gods will. (See the example of Job) Lastly, the true color of a Christian is tested when perfection of ones duty is demanded. A married woman continues to be a loving mother and a dutiful wife 24 Hours a day because she has said in sickness or in health, in good times and in bad. . The same applies to the religious who must remain faithful to his vows regardless of whether life inside the congregation is hell or not. No ifs or buts. It is to God that he has committed himself and not man. (Fr. Binge Arellano) Bensilal Chacko DE, USA _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Subject: [JOYnet] Doubt : Mark 6:3
Jannet, St. Mark mentions by name a number of brothers of Jesus, and refers in general to His sisters. But the word brother does not necessarily mean son of the same parents. It can also indicate other degrees of relationship--cousins, nephews, etc. Thus in Genesis 13:8 and 14:14 and 16 Lot is called the brother of Abraham (translated as kinsman in RSV), whereas we know that he was Abraham's nephew, the son of Abraham's brother Haran. The same is true of Laban, who is called the brother of Jacob (Genesis 29:15) although he was his mother's brother (Genesis 29:15); there are other instances: cf. 1 Chronicles 23:21-22, etc. This confusion is due to the poverty of Hebrew and Aramaic language: in the absence of distinct terms, the same word, brother, is used to designate different degrees of relationship. From other Gospel passages we know that James and Joses, who are mentioned here, were sons of Mary of Clophas (John 19:25). We know less about Judas and Simon: it seems that they are the Apostles Simon the Cananaean (Matthew 10:4) and Judas the son of James (Luke 6:16), the author of the Catholic Epistle, in which he describes himself as brother of James. In any event, although James, Simon and Judas are referred to as brothers of Jesus, it is nowhere said they were sons of Mary--which would have been the natural thing if they had been our Lord's brothers in the strict sense. Jesus always appears as an only son: to the people of Nazareth, He is the son of Mary (Matthew 13:55). When He was dying Jesus entrusted His mother to St. John (cf. John 19:26-27), which shows that Mary had no other children. To this is added the constant belief of the Church, which regards Mary as the ever-virgin: a perfect virgin before, while, and forever after she gave birth (Paul IV, Cum Quorumdam). Bensilal Chacko DE, USA. Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 08:39:46 + (GMT) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?jannet=20fernandez?= [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [JOYnet] Doubt : Mark 6:3 Hi All, Now I have another doubt. Could somebody throw light in this view. In Mark 6:3 we read Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us? Regards Jannet _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Unless you repent you will all perish (Luke 13.3).
Dear Friends, The sign of Cross on the forehead is the seal of the true Christian. It sets him apart from beast that has the sign, 666 (Rev. 20.4). On judgement day the seal will be laid bare and each one will be asked, Where is your Sign? Everyone found with the sign of Cross will be saved and those with the mark of the beast will be damned. The ordinary Cross of a Christian is integrated with Penance. Unless you repent you will all perish(Luke 13.3). There exist 5 common means of penance. They are. 1. Fasting 2. Abstinence 3. Almsgiving 4. Joyful obedience to the Will of God 5. Perfection of duties attached to ones state of life FASTING -- In the Fatima message, we are asked to fast every Friday in reparation for the sins committed against God. The devil is powerless against fasting. ABSTINENCE It refers to the non-eating of meat on certain days like Wednesday and Friday and other days prescribed by the Church. The physical weakness we experience during abstinence is the sacrifice we make to repair for the sins committed against God. For it is when I am weak that I am strong (2 Cor 12.10). ALMSGIVING Almsgiving is giving up to the poor or the needy an essential portion of what we have and not of what is in excess or surplus in our budget. In spite of their poverty, the Holy Family of Nazareth gave 30% of everything they had. It must have hurt their budget considerably, knowing that it was only St. Joseph, through his humble work as a carpenter, who provide for the family needs. If even in our want we continue to share with those who are in greater need, and if it leaves us hurting, then we experience the true meaning of the Cross of almsgiving. JOYFUL OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD It is our resignation to accept with joy and openness the crosses God deems to send us. Jesus told us No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple (Luke 14.:27) PERFECTION OF THE DUTY OF ONE S STATE OF LIFE --- It consisting of performing according to what our roles in life dictate. If we are married, then we should be a good mother or father to our children and a devoted spouse to our wife or husband. If we are in the religious life, whether priest or sister, then we must faithful to our vows or promises. Lastly if we are single then we must live in purity and work with diligence in our profession. According to Father Tanquerey to fulfill ones duty as perfectly as one can is to offer God the most perfect sacrifice within our giving, a perpetual holocaust, since this duty rests upon us from morning until night. Bensilal Chacko DE, USA _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Who posses two checkbooks in joy net?
Dear Friends, Who posses two checkbooks in joy net? No doubt the mother of Joy net our Sweet mother posses two checkbooks. Mother Mary has the checkbook of Jesus and she has her own checkbook. She earned her own checkbook through Her sufferings. The seven agonies that our Mother went through and which enables Her to gain Her own check book was 1. The Flee to Egypt with Child Jesus. 2. The Prophesy of Simon. 3. The loss of Jesus at the temple. 4. Meeting with Jesus on the way to Calvary. 5. The Crucifixion. 6. Lying at the lap. 7. The burial. So whenever we feel short of Grace please remember to ask to our Mother and She will wrote check of graces freely to us. She is the Queen of all saints. Many Martyrs and Saints were happened to die with out receiving the Communion due to the political situations in their time. But they clung to their Rosary and all they said was Mother Mary help us. No doubt when Jesus was given His Mother to His beloved disciple John, at the foot of the cross, He was giving His mother to the entire mankind. But our Mother is very gentle. She will not intrude in our lives since She is gentle. So we need to ask her help and She will intercede for us. She will crush the serpent's head in our life. The rosary which was given by our Mother and which was centered on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, was a powerful tool to crush the serpents head in our life, when we pray it slowly and meaningfully. So let us pray the Rosary every day and receive graces from our Mother to get courage in our sufferings and afflictions. Holy Mary Mother of God Pray for us sinners NOW and AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. Amen. Bensilal Chacko DE, USA. _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] installing an eternal value system
Dear Friends, The Word of God richly resident in the believer, coupled with the filling and controlling of the Holy Spirit, produces an eternal value system of his life. This means, by faith, we begin to look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Corinthians 4:18). We begin to walk by faith, and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7), and set our minds on things above where Christ is seated in His Finished Work glory at the right hand of the Father. Jesus expanded His eternal value system by saying, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21). In the first part of Matthew 6, Jesus is installing an eternal value system into His disciples. In the second part, He is showing them the importance of having kingdom priorities. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Once we develop eternal values, kingdom priorities will govern our life and fill our souls. Eternal blessings will be the result of this type of life. - (1) Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (2) Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (3) Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (4) Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (5) Matthew 6:25-34 : (25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? (28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Bensilal Chacko/DE/USA _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] counseling:- key to divine creativity
Dear Friends, Isaiah 50:4 imparts God's viewpoint on counseling. It is better not to use constructive criticism whenever it may hinder the individual's spiritual growth. In all cases it is best to apply wisdom from the Word of God as well as impart the unconditional love of God; both of these principles work beautifully together to accomplish a unique work in the soul. The individual needs to be built up within the assembly of believers; he needs to understand the great privilege God has given him to function within his calling as a member in particular. Counsel must always be limited to eternal viewpoint from the Word of God; it must never involve subjective evaluation on either side. As the counselor inclines his ear toward heaven, just as Jesus Christ listened intently to His Father, he may confidently advise a believer (while creatively applying grace and love) according to specific definition from the Word of God. This is the key to divine creativity: draw Christ's life from the individual, build up his soul with the Word of God specifically in the place of need, and edify him in areas of strength, so that he will be motivated to serve God with all of his heart. Remember this principle: never counsel or constructively criticize from your own human resources - instead apply the Word of God as your only frame of reference in problem solving. (1) Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. (2) John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Bensilal/DE/USA _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] How we can fight against the Contraceptive mentality
Dear Friends, The devil is a smooth operator. His favorite devices are sex education, contraception and mass media. Sex education is not dangerous provided it follows the guidelines set by the Church on modesty and purity. Oftentimes the sex education is used by Satan to excite a youth to lust. Most of the schools in the United States and Europe now have incorporated sex education in their curriculum. Schools teach artificial birth control methods as prevention against contracting HIV- related diseases. In a community college in California, this was even made a requirement for admittance. All freshmen students were treated to a live demonstration to how HIV is transmitted to both the opposite and the same sexes. We are only interested in your own health, the teacher said. We promote safe sex here in this college What the youth do not realize is that to play with sex for experimentation before marriage is fornication; with other partners during marriage is adultery. Fornication and adultery are both mortal sins, which will bring us to hell. Sex education encourages masturbation as a healthy practice, which any normal individual, whether male or female, should engage in as a form of release from pressure or tension. However Pope Paul VI decried this act in his Sexual Ethics as a grave sin, being intrinsically evil. And this is where a lot of people are misled because of wrong information given by psychologists and sex education teachers. A person who has engaged in habitual masturbation will not hesitate later on to urge another willing victim to indulge in other promiscuous sexual acts. With the availability of artificial birth controls, the evil of seduction gains more adherents. The devil succeeds in making impurity, adultery, fornication, and sexual orgy accepted norms of society, which ordinary individuals must regard as natural. This is the great deception! Remember the scripture is clear: NO ADULTERR, FORNICATOR, DRUNKARD AND GAMBLER WILL EVER ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. It is erroneous and unsound to put all the blame on Satan and his legions for all the evil in the world without also considering human responsibility. Temptation, it must be remembered, no matter how grave in its nature or duration, remains only a temptation. No guilt or sin is committed as long as we do not give consent to evil. We must be bear in mind that though we may, most of the time, find ourselves sinning and conniving with the devil, we can still take this occasion to repent, and redouble our confidence in Gods mercy. The sin, as Leon Christiani aptly says in his book Evidence of Satan in the Modern World, which is regretted as soon as it is committed, because one knows that it involvement of Satan, is a accident, a false step, a lapse. It does not prevent spiritual progress By virtue of Our Lords passion and death and His triumphant resurrection, He has gained for us the victory over sin. Our duty is to bring about in our lives that victory. Jesus has conquered the evil one. Christ tells us: Let not your hearts be troubled for Im with you until the consummation of the world St. Paul tells us: Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, Our Lord. Let us then fight the good fight. The battle, St. Prosper tells us, shall cease when life shall have ended, and the conquest of the eternal Kingdom shall attained. Bensilal Chacko _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] family planning is a threat to the Church
Dear Friends, The family planning is a threat to the Church. Some countries already have a restriction on couples for the number of children. If there is only one child in a family it might be unusual to send him to the seminary. If there is less number of priests then there will be less number of celebrations of the Holy Mass, conducting of confessions and other blessed sacraments. The contraceptive mentality of the modern world is not from God but from the prince of this world. We should be aware of his tricks to fight against him. There is a spiritual warfare going on in our minds. Satan wants all of us with him in hell. But Jesus with His Mother, His angles and Saints, will not stand back and let him win. Everyone is called to be a warrior in this spiritual battle What we can do against this threat. Nothing happens without the knowledge of our God. In Jobs book we see Satan asking permission to God before attacking Job. There is a formula that we can practice against this contraceptive mentality of the world. The formula consists of Rosary, frequent Confession, Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, and the Holy Mass. This is the formula our Mother has revealed in Fathima to fight against the evil concepts of this world. We should respect life and should trust in God and his Divine Providence. We have His promise as I will never fail you nor forsake you. Only a fool will ever doubt the promise of God. Bensilal Chacko. _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] What's that in your hand?
Dear Friends, What's that in your hand? When Moses had fears for the journey, God asked him, What's that in your hand? It's only a rod, said Moses; but God had a miracle planned, And marvelous things were accomplished with that plain and simple rod. It became an awesome weapon when fully surrendered to God. When David faced mighty Goliath, God asked, What's that in your hand? It's only a sling, said David; but God showed him how he could stand and face unafraid on the hillside that Philistine nine feet tall. And soon the giant Goliath lay dead from a pebble so small. To Bunyan in Bedford Prison. God asked, What's that in your hand? It's only a pen, John answered. But led by the Spirit's command He penned the book Pilgrim's Progress; a blessing surviving the years. So a pen to the Lord consecrated has helped conquer doubtings and fears. And still God is asking the question of us, What's that in your hand? It might be a small gift He's given; it doesn't have to be grand, But if it is used for His glory, His multiple blessings we'll know. And as we surrender to Jesus, His love and His peace He'll bestow. By Betty Jo Mings ) 2000 Submitted by Bensilal/DE/USA ** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] To know more about Jesus Youth, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org **
