[JOYnet] I WILL ARISE AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER.
I WILL ARISE AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER AND SAY,FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST YOU.Luke 15:18 Friends since the begining of this week i have been so happy and eager to see next wednesday 5th of March which is Ash wednesday the beginig of another season of Grace and so am calling on all lovers of Jesus to meditate on the words of the prodigal son (above)and let us begin to prepare ourselves for the Lenten season which i personally call the season of Grace. Dear friend i dont know if theres anything in your life now that will make you not partake in the blessings and Graces of this season? but one thing i do know is that God is a loving father and the story of the prodigal son is a clear picture of what God is willing to do for you and i this season and so like the prodigal son lets all arise and go back to God through penance,confessions and the sacrament of reconciliation before the season begins and i know that we all will testify to Gods goodness and grace. How wonderful will it be if all of us in Joynet will enter the season of Lent in a state of Grace and as we fast with the universal church on march 5th praying for peace i have no doubt in my mind that God will answer our prayers. LOVE AND PRAYERS JOHN BALA NIGERIA __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ === 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] good story
DO YOU SMELL THE RAIN...PAMMIEROSE This is a wonderful story I found on the web. I hope you like it as much as I did. Tina I didn't write this story, but it touched me so, I had to share it. It's long, but well worth the time to read. Have your kleenex ready. A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the Doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. Still groggy from surgery, her husband David held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10,1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Danae Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound and nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. 'I don't think she's going to make it', he said, as kindly as he could There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one. Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Danae would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on No! No! was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away. Through the dark hours of morning as Danae held onto life by the thinnest thread, Diana slipped in and out of sleep, growing more and more determined that their tiny daughter would live-and live to be a healthy, happy young girl. But David, fully awake and listening to additional dire details of their daughter's chances of ever leaving the hospital alive, much less healthy, knew he must confront his wife with the inevitable David walked in and said that we needed to talk about making funeral arrangements. Diana remembers 'I felt so bad for him because he was doing everything, trying to include me in what was going on but just wouldn't listen, I couldn't listen. I said, No, that is not going to happen no way! I don't care what the doctors say; Danae is not going to die! One day she will be just fine, and she will be coming home with us! As if willed to live by Diana's determination, Danae clung to life hour after hour, with the help of every medical machine and marvel her miniature body could endure. But as those first days passed, anew agony set in for David and Diana. Because Danae's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw,' the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strhe strength of their love All they could do, as Danae struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Danae suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Danae turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later-though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero. Danae went home from the hospital just as her mother had predicted. Today, five years later, Danae is a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She shows no signs, what so ever, of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she is everything a little girl can be andmore-but that happy ending is far from the end of her story. One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in IrvingTexas, Danae was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Danae was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, Danae asked, Do you smell that? Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, Yes, it smells like rain Danae closed her eyes and again asked, Do you smell that? Once again, her mother replied, Yes, I think we're about to get wet, it smells like rain. Still caught in the moment, Danae shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced No, it smells like him. It smells like God when you lay your head on his chest. Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Danae then happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains
[JOYnet] TODAY`S SAINT........ST. HILARIUS
28TH FEBRUARY 2003 ST. HILARIUS POPE CONFESSOR(---468) LIFE: He was born in Sardinia, Italy, and was a papal legate to the Robber Council of Ephesus in 449,reporting on the Monophysitism heresies of Eutyches, which denied the humanity of Christ and claimed he had only a divine nature, and teaching condemned in 451 by the Council of Chalcedon. And he insisted upon the rights of the Holy see. Hilary was used by Pope St. Leo I the Great on many assignments. When Leo died, Hilary was elected pope and consecrated on November 19,461. He worked diligently to strengthen the Church in France and Spain, calling councils in 462 and 465. Hilary also rebuilt many Roman churches and erected the chapel of St. John Lateran. He also publicly rebuked Emperor Anthemius in St. Peters for supporting the Macedonian heresy and sent a decree to the Eastern bishops validating the decisions of the General Councils of Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. Hilary consolidated the Church in Sandi, Africa, and Gaul. Renowned for defending the rights of his bishops while exhorting them to curb their excesses and devote themselves more completely to God. Helped define the Church's role in the empire, and affirmed the position of the pope, and not the emperor, as leader in spiritual matters. He died in Rome on February 28. REFLECTION: I command you to preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it, whether the time is right or not; to convince, reproach, and encourage, as you teach with all patience* ( 2 Tim.4:2) comment: ***In Apostolic work , there can be no forgiveness for disobedience, nor for insincerity .Remember, simplicity is not imprudencs, nor indiscretion.***( ST.JOSEMARIA) Oh! sweet Eucharist !beloved Mother keep me as thy own. S.THOMAS NOTTINGHAM ENGLAND - With Yahoo! Mail you can get a bigger mailbox -- choose a size that fits your needs === 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] Songs for the Week
Dear JYs Check out these 10 songs this week especially preferably if they are avaiable at your Local Christian Music Store. My Favourite is Song No. 3 5 :) 1. Billy Maxwell - Light the Fire in my Heart Again. 2. Big Tent Revival - Choose Life 3. Paul Baloche - Above All (Silent Worship) 4. Vineyards - As the Deer Pants (Famous among all Christian Music Lovers) 5. Micheal John - You are my All in All (Voices) 6. Micheal W. Smith - Let it Rain (Praise Worship) 7. Maranatha Singers - He has made me glad. 8. Matt Redman - Heart of Worship (Techno version) 9. Hillsongs - Jesus Generation 10. Delerious - God you are my God (Rock) urs in faith Jason Mumbai, India Each of us can change the world ONE person at a time === 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] My final comments on Love
hi joynetters, Shalom, A Big thanks to Binu, Josun, Jose, Jennifer and Mathew Joseph for the points they have made on this topic.. Especially to Josun who dug out really golden nuggets from the cathechism of the catholic church. A few points which we can gather from the teachings of the church are as follows 1) emotions are natural and human . The church uses a more stronger word passion than the the milder emotion that i used. 2) Love is a basic emotion and it is voluntary in nature and by itself it is not good or evil.. What we do in the name of love can be classified as good or evil.. 3) Love itself is shown in a combination of various types as we know brotherly/friendly, maternal, physical(eros), unconditional (agape) love. 4) As Human beings we are capable of all types of love.. Yes man is capable of showing the (unconditional)agape Love which has divine characteristics.. Jesus himself was 100% god and 100% man and has shown an example of Agape love. Same with all the saints and holy men and women the shining example of which is Mother Mary herself, and the more modern example is Mother Theresa. This is possible because we all have the holy spirit of god in us.. The church teaches that sexual love is best suited in married life and should be used as an expression of love only in that scenario. In any other situation the consequences will be dangerous.. 5) The church has never officially written or pronounced any teaching on 'falling in love. It only suggests that emotions are voluntary, either because they are commanded by the will or because the will does not place obstacles in their way. It teaches that all such passions(emotions) must be properly governed by use of reason and conscience. This is what we can expect of mature individuals. 6) Nor has the church ever defined falling in love as falling in erotic or physical love. So we cannot narrow down the definition of love to the physical level and negate the other three forms of it no matter how good our reason is for doing so . Yes I agree that there are people who overstep the limits in a love relationship and go to extremes and are therefore a cause of worry today. but this is not restricted to falling in love kind of relationship alone.. We see people taking advantage of others even in the name of brotherly or family love. The only love that never takes advantage of the beloved is the agape love which is a gift from god and is praised so wonderfully by paul in the first letter to the corinthians ch 13. Our constant striving is to have a combination of both human and agape love in our daily dealings with people whether we are falling in love with people or not. like jose mentioned If Christ is our central person and we are ready to accept His will. That is the important factor. Again the call for maturity in understanding the position of god as the driver and sustainer of the relationship. If people quote the relationships, they have seen where people have overstepped the limits as defence of their theory that falling in love is wrong. Then i can only say that they are being narrow-minded and seeing only one side of the coin. I am witness personally to many healthy christian love relationships between men and women where both have kept to their limits, yet have a very vibrant relationship.. which is a source of joy to them as well as to us who interact with them and they have stood the test of time.. I agree totally with jose when he says that marriage as a sacrament requires prior preparation and understanding, his example of priesthood also makes perfect sense.. where they take around 10 years of study and discernment to understand, prepare and refine their commitment to this sacrament. Similiarly we cannot just jump into a marriage( arranged or loved) and then expect god to work out things for both of us. that will be too naive and childish. We have to know the person and the family we are planning to get married to. Most importantly the person getting married to us should know us and our family. He/she should be made fully aware what trouble he/she is getting into by getting married to us.;-) I agree with Jennifer and like her i am not saying that everyone has to fall in love before marriage neither am I against arranged marriage, I only want to say that let us not close our minds. God has His own way of working. His plans for different people will be different and we have no right to question it. wrong choices are made by us whether in arranged or love marriage but God who Loves us too much can change every bad thing to good. The jews themselves have this concept of bethrothal where for a whole year after bethrothal the man and the woman were given time to interact and decide on their future course of married life.. Mind you they were still living as seperate individuals with their own parents.. This was the state in which the angel
[JOYnet] Love before marriage
Hello friends, It was very much interesting to read all those mails on the topic Love before marriage. Congratulations to all of you for your contributions in this discussion. We had some really inspiring personal experience sharings.. Also, we had different opinions and different perspectives on this subject. People from different countries and different cultures shared their views. People from different age groups and different family back grounds came up with sharings. I am sure that this discussion was a very good learning experience to all the JOYnetters. Now, I think we can close the discussion on this topic. thanks and regards, Mathew Joseph India. === 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] ===
Re: [JOYnet] Fasting Prayer for the month of March-03
Sindhu, Since the Syro Malabar Rite has Ash Monday instead of Ash Wednesday let us make both days as prayer days for peace. I think a large number of people on this list belong to the Syro Malabar Rite. The more prayers the better! With Prayers, Lovely Thomas/Chicago/USA In a message dated 2/27/03 11:58:59 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Since our dear Pope has asked us to observe Ash wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer for peace why don't we observe one more day of prayer for peace on Ash wednesday ? === 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] Simplicity of God
Dear brothers and sisters, Simplicity is topic of meditation for JY across the globe, for the second part of Feb. Let me share a few of the thoughts crossed my mind. Our God is very simple and straight forward. Easy to understand, even a child can understand him. Easy to get along with, even a sinner can approach him. Someone tried to explain the Simplicity of God by telling this We miss him by the way that He reveals Himself, for He is so great, yet hides Himself in simplicity to make Himself known to the least. See? Don't try to get the great, because he goes over the top of it; but listen to the simplicity of God, and then you find God right here in the simple way. That is exactly what David, whom God testified as the one after His own heart, is also saying in Psalm 119: 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple It is very important for us to be simple and humble to understand the ways of Our Lord. Why dont we examine ourselves to find out whether we are simple? Let us look at one aspect of simplicity. When we say something is simple, it means, that which we talk about must be easy to understand. It is about straight forwardness of being what we are always and everywhere. If have different face at different places, for example with friends we show one face, with parents we show different one and with the prayer groups fellows we have yet another. And we ask God to understand us while we tore our life apart trying to be smart according to the ways of this world. Be courageous to be Simple and straight forward. Remember what Jesus told us if you want to know me (be my disciple) deny yourself carry your cross and follow me. This means shed away all the complexities and compositeness and be simple and be ready to pay a small price on a daily basis. When Jesus is asking us to pay, our part, remember He made the down payment with his own life. Honor Him by obeying. Dont try to conform ourselves to the world that may make ourselves composite and complex. That would make so complex that we ourselves may not recognize us. If we practice to be simple in front of God and our fellow human beings, the Lord shall lift us up to a point where we would never reach by our own abilities. Out of simplicity he became man. Out of Simplicity he became bread. Out of Simplicity he made himself available in written form (the Bible) Out of Simplicity he made his aboard in human beings (Human beings are the Temples of God) To make it easy for us to understand his ways he left his foot prints on all his creation. Be simple and search for God where we can find him. We have clouds of witnesses around us all those Simple people who searched for God, He filled them with great knowledge and Holiness and Power. With lots of love and prayer Saji -- For more theological stuff visit http://www.newadvent.org/summa/100300.htm __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ === 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] an experience of ur own
Dear Friends, we have discussed in great lengths on the topic of marriage and love before and after it. I would like to share what I have learnt in life. God has loved each and every one of us, and He made us unique, and therefore His plans for us all are different.. it is also unique... we cannot compare it and judge it. I had read the story of a man in reader's digest. He was a humble person and prayed to God to help him find his life partner, that night the man saw a dream in which he saw a lady dressed in green. In the next week, his friend introduced him to a lady and she was dressed in green dress, green cap and green shoes.. and after a week he proposed to her and she accepted it. now they are happily married with kids. We all meet our partners in different ways, in different situations, sometimes we may know and like the person before marraige and sometimes, it may be after marriage that we may love him/her. But in all conditions we must be close to God and ask for His direction and the grace for discerning His will . God Knows the way we are brought up, He understands our cultures and our way of thinking, and therefore He brings each of us a partner in a way that is known and acceptable to us...but provided we don't stray away from him. Jesus Loves You. The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 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] LENT COMES]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
Dear Friends, Hope everybody is fine. Here in America we had been experiencing some very severe days with heavy snow and storms. So we are looking forward to just get out of this sticky and stuffy weather. I know that in some other parts of the world like India it is hot summer now. See how the Lord has arranged things Any how, in the liturgical cycle we are approaching the beautiful and holy season of Lent. To prepare ourselves to enter into it worthily and bring the most out of it, I thought it would be good to share some thoughts. LENT AND DISCIPLESHIP -- : We are all disciples of Christ. Lent is a time to remind us about the call to discipleship. So a few thoughts on discipleship. 'Disciple' is a word closely related to the verb 'discipline'. Both of those words come from the same Latin root verb discere, meaning to learn. So a disciple is one who 'learns to discipline' his/her life. But how does one do it. Lent is a time to refresh our discipleship, our life long process of learning the way of the Lord. Disciples are not mere students; they do not learn from a textbook, or in a classroom. They learn from a person, the person of their teacher; in our case we learn from our teacher and master Jesus Christ. The fullness of this learning is when the disciple is transformed into the image of the master and is able to translate Christ's wisdom into the flesh and blood of our daily life. So let us begin an examination of our lives in preparation for the coming Lent, as to how much we radiate Christ in our daily life: thoughts, words, actions, reactions, relationships etc, etc. To be contd... Fr.Thomas Tharayil USA Warning: The information contained in this message is privileged and CONFIDENTIAL and is intended only for the use of the addressee above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or taking of any action in reliance on the content of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message, and then delete it from your system. === 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] Birthday Notification !!!
Hi Friends These are the birthday babies of the day (February 29). Fatima Sharmila [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wishing you a very happy birthday God Bless With Love The JOYnet Family === 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] ===
