Dear Bro. Ale,
I greet you with the blessings from the Lord Almighty.
I am Nuc Marcelo. I was the one taking pictures from yesterday's CLSS. And I would just like to personally thank you for being God's instrument in starting my renewed relationship with God. And I praise and thank God for bringing you into our lives. It may have only been a day that we spent with you, but you have made such an impact in my life. And for that, I will forever be thankful to you and to our Lord God.
Also, I would just like to share with you the pictures that we have for yesterday's CLSS. Please follow this link:
http://budoy24.multiply.com/photos/album/94/LGCCs_First_CLSS_with_Bro._Ale_Aguspina_Jr.
Should you want any photos of you that you'd like to have. Please do not hesitate in emailing me back, and I will send you the file.
May God continue to shower you with his blessings and grace. And may he keep you safe and healthy all through your life so that you may continue serving him by tending his flock and saving those who have gone astray for the greater glory of God. Take care and God bless you always.
In Christ,
Nuc Marcelo
Friday, March 6, 2009
From the Press...
Discover the promptings of Holy Spirit, says Charismatic head
DAVAO City, May 11, 2008– As the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday, a charismatic leader here urged the faithful to “discover the daily promptings of the Holy Spirit” in their lives.
Archdiocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (ACCRMD) Coordinator Vicky Perez said, “The Holy Spirit works mysteriously daily and it is up for the people to discover His inexplicable workings.”
Perez added that the “Holy Spirit, Father and Son all comprise a unified Godhead known as the Trinity.”
She also pointed out that it is a common misconception to say that Christians believe in three different gods.
“This is not correct,” said Perez adding that while each persona is distinct in function, each shares together in the same deity and each reflects the divine attributes of the one living God.
“That is why, the Holy Spirit should never be taken for granted,” she stressed.
She said that one way of knowing the Holy Spirit is to devote time to pray and listen to His promptings in everyone’s heart.
The charismatic head also suggested that one effective prayer is the daily recitation of the little chaplet of the Holy Spirit.
ACCMRD will hold an open gathering today at Christ, the King Center in Bago Aplaya, this city to understand fully the role of the Holy Spirit.
Bro. Ale Aguspina, a preacher and healer from Cebu City will talk on this year’s theme, “The Holy Spirit…a guide to Christian maturity.”
Aguspina said without direction from the Holy Spirit a Christian life is useless and cannot relate effectively with others. (Mark S. Ventura)
back from talavera .
December 10, 2005
it was a great treat for my soul . let me tell you , the first thing i reminded myself ,was never to cry . people tend to cry so much in during these retreats. and so i challenged myself not to . i was laughing all the time on the way , we realized later , most of the participants were common friends of members of the community , some were invited and were paid for . most of the participants knows somebody from the community who conducted the said retreat , and we felt like strangers. it was totally fine with me though , the better it was for me not to know anybody , so i can be myself . cheryl’s a very close friend , so i’m fine with her . i felt mean as i comforted myself that i wasn’t there to make friends but to renew my relationship with my God , and that was all that matters.
the place : Talavera House of Prayers . beautiful and fitting for the activity , was built in 1998 for Recollect Fathers , but has been a place of many spritiual activities not just for the religious , but for lay people wanting to be where God seems to live.
the speakers : Father Vallez - a franciscan priest who just arrived from Brazil , has been assigned and been living in Brazil for along time now , occasionally visits the Philippines , and it was an honor to attend all the activities and talks he has conducted during the three day seminar .
Bro. Chito Jongco - a modern day Paul . excellent, effective, truly gifted. he was a military official during Marcos’ time , had 13 criminal cases and to make a long story short , he was given a chance to live and now his life is truly devoted to being a witness of God’s goodness .
Bro . Alejandro Aguspina - makes me say that God has a huge sense of humor . this speaker is a native from Leyte. he is like a stand up comedian . a total performer and at the same time a great defender of faith . when the participants roar with laughter and in between becomes silent and reflective , then you’d know he’s the one in the front talking .
these three great men have shared their experiences, their journey with the faith towards God . it was an excellent and a deep experience for me .
I will apply all the things that i have learned and live up to my faith . i know it’s not going to be easy . it’s never easy to follow Jesus’ path , it’s never easy to follow him according to what he has really commanded and revealed through the true church. I know there will be a lot of challenges along the way , but i will keep in mind my ultimate goal of going to heaven so i’ll fret at the thought of sin.
and i have to admit that in one of the many activities i broke down and cried. cried like a baby, shouted and begged for something i can’t even seem to mouth.
it was a cleansing, refreshing and reviving experience. not to mention the fun. one thing i’d like to remember is what Bro. Chito told us - to become mature christians , we should not cease to study the word of God , the church history and become witnesses of the faith.
KAIROS. God’s owntime. Things happen according to His will. . . in due time.
Thus, it was Sis Sally de las Peñas who generously accepted several invitations to various charismatic seminars which led her attendance to subsequent prayer meetings. Impressed by the experience and the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she wanted to share the richness of a happy prayerful life with her employees in the De los Reyes (DLR) Group of Companies.
On the weekend of August 7 & 8, 1992, all DLR outlets were closed, but one. The Young & Healthy clinic at Basak, Mambaling, opened its doors not for the usual daily business, but it welcomed participants to a two-day live out Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS). Believing that loyalty to the company springs from a sound prayer life, attendance to the seminar was compulsory, with the employees still being paid their regular daily salary. The result, which was tremendously great, then ushered in a series of LSS. Instrumentals to these seminars were Sis Fe Doldolea, Bro, Chito & Sis Grace Galang, & Fr. Tito Geron. Follow-up meetings were organized by Bro. Ale Aguspina, where once weekly, he elucidated charismatic principles to the employees gathered at the DLR Main clinic in Colon St. The Bible sharing on the fundamentals of the Catholic faith which was started by our Brother-Mayor Soc Fernandez in 1992, got incorporated in the company’s spiritual development.
God’s love for His people was felt and Magnified so quickly that attendance grew in number and the need for a larger place became eminent. The kindhearted de las Peñas family opened its doors in their residence at Banilad where the almost 300 employees flocked every Friday, 7:00-8:30 a.m. for the weekly prayer meeting. Moved by the love of God, each outlet volunteered to lead out in the worship service making it more fulfilling and varied in style. Bro. Ale and Bro. Soc continued to be the regular speakers. Out of this group sprung AMOR DEI—LOVE OF GOD. Our thanks and gratitude to Bro. Sot-Fernandez for assisting us in giving the group its apt name.
Other significant religious practices diligently done for spiritual enhancement were the daily 6:00 P.M. Angelus, the 3:00 o’clock Divine Mercy prayer and the prayer for the souls in purgatory at 8:00 P.M, simultaneously said in all outlets. Retreats and recollections on Holy Weeks, masses every 1st Saturday of the month and the Healing of the Family Tree and its bondage every 3rd Wednesday highlight these prayer activities. The company was . blessed to have Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Valles and Fr. John Roña who celebrated these masses, respectively.
We can not quantify the blessings brought about by these seminars in terms of spiritual renewal but the clamor of relatives of the members to open the community to the public could very well speak of the results. Broken homes were mended, estranged relationships reunited, misunderstandings patched up, vices reduced; not forgetting to mention that there are many who have just known that there is a Savior who forgives the sinner.
The demand was a public request Amor Dei can not deny for the love of God. By November of 1997, in preparation for the fulfillment of this request where increase in population was expected, a bigger place was a necessity. At this point, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Ezer Binghay, J.D. C, then parish priest of Sto. Rosario Parish wholeheartedly accepted & welcomed Amor Dei. To date, the community convenes at Sto. Rosario Parish church every Monday, 7:30-9:30 P.M., with Bro. Ale as the regular speaker, including a novena mass in honor of God the Father and a Eucharistic Healing every 4th Monday of the month presided by Msgr. Fred Kriekenbeek. The head servant is Bro. Tony L. De Las Peñas, who exemplifies grace, patience and humility in his leadership.
The first public live in LSSeminar was on December 20, 1997. It was held at the USC Retreat house in Talamban, Cebu. It yielded a good number of participants, which has been upheld in subsequent seminars held every other month. Six LSSeminars were sponsored this first year, with each batch identified by the coinage Love 001, 002, 003, . . . etc. The Amor Dei is a member of the Archdiocesan Covenanted Communities of Cebu.
There is tremendous growth within Amor Dei. It has spawned a new ministry to answer the need of evangelism these days. God’s Extension Ministry (GEM) as the name implies is the outreach arm of Amor Dei in fulfilling its mission. The jail ministry is the ongoing program being given to our less fortunate brothers & sisters at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilation Center (BBRC), in cooperation with Fr. Lucas Inoc of the St. Jerome Bible Apostolate and Bro. Ale who conducts the LSSeminars. Aside from the BBRC ministry, there are also five GEM-sponsored evangelists who give daily Bible studies to the inmates in other prisons in Metro Cebu. Bro. Soc facilitates this program. GEM has more to accomplish in God’s vineyard. It intends to bring more precious souls in God’s coming kingdom.
Very cooperative & supportive friends who are truly God-ordained messengers & who dedication to the Lord’s work do not falter even in difficult and treacherous times, have continually inspired us to shine on till the Lord’s second coming. They deserve to be mentioned in this anniversary celebration. To you who have recorded Amor Dei in the Bookds of Heaven, our gratitude and appreciation: His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, Msgr. fred Kriekenbeek, Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Valles, Msgr. Ezer Binghay, Bro. Edward Uytengsu, Bro. Soc Fernandez, Bro. Ale Aguspina, Sis Bella Dimayuga, Bro. Chi to Tabotabo, Bro. Dodong & Sis Diane Limchua, & countless others. May God bless your ministry.
No tongue or pen can ever tell the vastness of God’s love for all of us. Amor Dei shall endlessly spread His love to everyone, rich or poor, anywhere, anytime.
DAVAO City, May 11, 2008– As the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday, a charismatic leader here urged the faithful to “discover the daily promptings of the Holy Spirit” in their lives.
Archdiocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (ACCRMD) Coordinator Vicky Perez said, “The Holy Spirit works mysteriously daily and it is up for the people to discover His inexplicable workings.”
Perez added that the “Holy Spirit, Father and Son all comprise a unified Godhead known as the Trinity.”
She also pointed out that it is a common misconception to say that Christians believe in three different gods.
“This is not correct,” said Perez adding that while each persona is distinct in function, each shares together in the same deity and each reflects the divine attributes of the one living God.
“That is why, the Holy Spirit should never be taken for granted,” she stressed.
She said that one way of knowing the Holy Spirit is to devote time to pray and listen to His promptings in everyone’s heart.
The charismatic head also suggested that one effective prayer is the daily recitation of the little chaplet of the Holy Spirit.
ACCMRD will hold an open gathering today at Christ, the King Center in Bago Aplaya, this city to understand fully the role of the Holy Spirit.
Bro. Ale Aguspina, a preacher and healer from Cebu City will talk on this year’s theme, “The Holy Spirit…a guide to Christian maturity.”
Aguspina said without direction from the Holy Spirit a Christian life is useless and cannot relate effectively with others. (Mark S. Ventura)
back from talavera .
December 10, 2005
it was a great treat for my soul . let me tell you , the first thing i reminded myself ,was never to cry . people tend to cry so much in during these retreats. and so i challenged myself not to . i was laughing all the time on the way , we realized later , most of the participants were common friends of members of the community , some were invited and were paid for . most of the participants knows somebody from the community who conducted the said retreat , and we felt like strangers. it was totally fine with me though , the better it was for me not to know anybody , so i can be myself . cheryl’s a very close friend , so i’m fine with her . i felt mean as i comforted myself that i wasn’t there to make friends but to renew my relationship with my God , and that was all that matters.
the place : Talavera House of Prayers . beautiful and fitting for the activity , was built in 1998 for Recollect Fathers , but has been a place of many spritiual activities not just for the religious , but for lay people wanting to be where God seems to live.
the speakers : Father Vallez - a franciscan priest who just arrived from Brazil , has been assigned and been living in Brazil for along time now , occasionally visits the Philippines , and it was an honor to attend all the activities and talks he has conducted during the three day seminar .
Bro. Chito Jongco - a modern day Paul . excellent, effective, truly gifted. he was a military official during Marcos’ time , had 13 criminal cases and to make a long story short , he was given a chance to live and now his life is truly devoted to being a witness of God’s goodness .
Bro . Alejandro Aguspina - makes me say that God has a huge sense of humor . this speaker is a native from Leyte. he is like a stand up comedian . a total performer and at the same time a great defender of faith . when the participants roar with laughter and in between becomes silent and reflective , then you’d know he’s the one in the front talking .
these three great men have shared their experiences, their journey with the faith towards God . it was an excellent and a deep experience for me .
I will apply all the things that i have learned and live up to my faith . i know it’s not going to be easy . it’s never easy to follow Jesus’ path , it’s never easy to follow him according to what he has really commanded and revealed through the true church. I know there will be a lot of challenges along the way , but i will keep in mind my ultimate goal of going to heaven so i’ll fret at the thought of sin.
and i have to admit that in one of the many activities i broke down and cried. cried like a baby, shouted and begged for something i can’t even seem to mouth.
it was a cleansing, refreshing and reviving experience. not to mention the fun. one thing i’d like to remember is what Bro. Chito told us - to become mature christians , we should not cease to study the word of God , the church history and become witnesses of the faith.
KAIROS. God’s owntime. Things happen according to His will. . . in due time.
Thus, it was Sis Sally de las Peñas who generously accepted several invitations to various charismatic seminars which led her attendance to subsequent prayer meetings. Impressed by the experience and the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, she wanted to share the richness of a happy prayerful life with her employees in the De los Reyes (DLR) Group of Companies.
On the weekend of August 7 & 8, 1992, all DLR outlets were closed, but one. The Young & Healthy clinic at Basak, Mambaling, opened its doors not for the usual daily business, but it welcomed participants to a two-day live out Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS). Believing that loyalty to the company springs from a sound prayer life, attendance to the seminar was compulsory, with the employees still being paid their regular daily salary. The result, which was tremendously great, then ushered in a series of LSS. Instrumentals to these seminars were Sis Fe Doldolea, Bro, Chito & Sis Grace Galang, & Fr. Tito Geron. Follow-up meetings were organized by Bro. Ale Aguspina, where once weekly, he elucidated charismatic principles to the employees gathered at the DLR Main clinic in Colon St. The Bible sharing on the fundamentals of the Catholic faith which was started by our Brother-Mayor Soc Fernandez in 1992, got incorporated in the company’s spiritual development.
God’s love for His people was felt and Magnified so quickly that attendance grew in number and the need for a larger place became eminent. The kindhearted de las Peñas family opened its doors in their residence at Banilad where the almost 300 employees flocked every Friday, 7:00-8:30 a.m. for the weekly prayer meeting. Moved by the love of God, each outlet volunteered to lead out in the worship service making it more fulfilling and varied in style. Bro. Ale and Bro. Soc continued to be the regular speakers. Out of this group sprung AMOR DEI—LOVE OF GOD. Our thanks and gratitude to Bro. Sot-Fernandez for assisting us in giving the group its apt name.
Other significant religious practices diligently done for spiritual enhancement were the daily 6:00 P.M. Angelus, the 3:00 o’clock Divine Mercy prayer and the prayer for the souls in purgatory at 8:00 P.M, simultaneously said in all outlets. Retreats and recollections on Holy Weeks, masses every 1st Saturday of the month and the Healing of the Family Tree and its bondage every 3rd Wednesday highlight these prayer activities. The company was . blessed to have Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Valles and Fr. John Roña who celebrated these masses, respectively.
We can not quantify the blessings brought about by these seminars in terms of spiritual renewal but the clamor of relatives of the members to open the community to the public could very well speak of the results. Broken homes were mended, estranged relationships reunited, misunderstandings patched up, vices reduced; not forgetting to mention that there are many who have just known that there is a Savior who forgives the sinner.
The demand was a public request Amor Dei can not deny for the love of God. By November of 1997, in preparation for the fulfillment of this request where increase in population was expected, a bigger place was a necessity. At this point, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Ezer Binghay, J.D. C, then parish priest of Sto. Rosario Parish wholeheartedly accepted & welcomed Amor Dei. To date, the community convenes at Sto. Rosario Parish church every Monday, 7:30-9:30 P.M., with Bro. Ale as the regular speaker, including a novena mass in honor of God the Father and a Eucharistic Healing every 4th Monday of the month presided by Msgr. Fred Kriekenbeek. The head servant is Bro. Tony L. De Las Peñas, who exemplifies grace, patience and humility in his leadership.
The first public live in LSSeminar was on December 20, 1997. It was held at the USC Retreat house in Talamban, Cebu. It yielded a good number of participants, which has been upheld in subsequent seminars held every other month. Six LSSeminars were sponsored this first year, with each batch identified by the coinage Love 001, 002, 003, . . . etc. The Amor Dei is a member of the Archdiocesan Covenanted Communities of Cebu.
There is tremendous growth within Amor Dei. It has spawned a new ministry to answer the need of evangelism these days. God’s Extension Ministry (GEM) as the name implies is the outreach arm of Amor Dei in fulfilling its mission. The jail ministry is the ongoing program being given to our less fortunate brothers & sisters at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilation Center (BBRC), in cooperation with Fr. Lucas Inoc of the St. Jerome Bible Apostolate and Bro. Ale who conducts the LSSeminars. Aside from the BBRC ministry, there are also five GEM-sponsored evangelists who give daily Bible studies to the inmates in other prisons in Metro Cebu. Bro. Soc facilitates this program. GEM has more to accomplish in God’s vineyard. It intends to bring more precious souls in God’s coming kingdom.
Very cooperative & supportive friends who are truly God-ordained messengers & who dedication to the Lord’s work do not falter even in difficult and treacherous times, have continually inspired us to shine on till the Lord’s second coming. They deserve to be mentioned in this anniversary celebration. To you who have recorded Amor Dei in the Bookds of Heaven, our gratitude and appreciation: His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal, Msgr. fred Kriekenbeek, Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Valles, Msgr. Ezer Binghay, Bro. Edward Uytengsu, Bro. Soc Fernandez, Bro. Ale Aguspina, Sis Bella Dimayuga, Bro. Chi to Tabotabo, Bro. Dodong & Sis Diane Limchua, & countless others. May God bless your ministry.
No tongue or pen can ever tell the vastness of God’s love for all of us. Amor Dei shall endlessly spread His love to everyone, rich or poor, anywhere, anytime.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Catholic Apologetics: On Bible Reading
DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROHIBIT BIBLE READING?
A sampling of what the Catholic Church has taught about reading the Bible from the fourth century when it was put into one collected work until the present century.
St. John Chrysostom(344/354 -407 AD) Doctor of the Church."To become adult.Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures"...quote taken from...On the Letter to the Ephesians-Education of Children."But what is the answer to these charges?‘I am not,’you will say,‘one of the monks,but I have both a wife and children,and the care of a household.’This is what has ruined everything,your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only,when you need it more than they do.Those who are placed in the world,and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine.So,far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous.Such things were invented by the devil." …….quote taken from St. John’s Second Homily on Matthew section 10(which is sometimes labeled as section 5).Pope St. Gregory I(died 604 AD),"The Emperor of heaven,the Lord of men and of angels,has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly.Study them,I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator.Learn the heart of God in the words of God,that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal,that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys."Letters,5,46(EnchBibl 31).St. Isidore (560-636 AD)Bishop and Doctor of the Church,"Prayer purifies us,reading instructs us...If a man wants to be always in God's company,he must pray regularly and read regularly.When we pray,we talk to God;when we read,God talks to us.All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection.By reading we learn what we did not know;by reflection we retain what we have learned.Reading the holy Scriptures(the Bible) confers two benefits.It trains the mind to understand them;it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.Two kinds of study are called for here.We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood,and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them.A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned.The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it...Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears;it never reaches the heart.It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose.But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding,his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart."....quote found in Office of Readings,April 4...(Lib.3,8-10:PL 83,679-682).St. Venerable Bede(died 735 AD).He is the first person known to translate the Gospel into Old English(Anglo-Saxon).St.Bernard of Clairvaux(1090-1153 AD).Doctor and Father of the Church.
"The person who thirsts for God eagerly studies and meditates on the inspired Word, knowing that there, he is certain to find the One for whom he thirsts."...quote taken from his Commentary on the Song of Songs,Sermon 23:3.St.Bonaventure(1221-1274 AD).In his day,there where no public schools and only the wealthy could afford private tutors.Therefore,most people could not read or write.St. Bonaventure had composed a copy of "Biblia Pauperum" which means the "Bible of the poor."It contained a collection of pictures illustrating the important events of the Old Testament.It also contained parallel scenes in the New Testament and it showed how the Old Testament prefigured and was fulfilled in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.This helped the people to learn God's Word by showing them the important stories of both the Old and New Testament.He was canonized a Saint by Pope Sixtus IV in1482 AD.He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 AD.Decree of the Council of Trent.Session 4,April 8,1546.
"[The holy synod] following the examples of the orthodox fathers,receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament-seeing that one God is the Author of both..."Saint Teresa of Avila(1515 -1582 AD).The Catholic Church strongly recommends the reading of the writings of those who are canonized as Saints.Saint Teresa was canonized in 1622 AD by Pope Gregory XV.She was also declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.In her autobiography,The Book of Her Life (La Vida),she writes: "Within this majesty I was given knowledge of a truth that is the fulfillment of all truths.I don't know how to explain this because I didn't see anything.I was told without seeing anyone,but I clearly understood that it was Truth telling me:‘This is no small thing I do for you,because it is one of the things for which you owe Me a great deal,for all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth;not one iota of Scripture will fall short.’To me it seemed I had always believed this,and that all the faithful believed it.He told me:‘Alas,daughter,how few there are who truthfully love me!For if they loved me,I would reveal to them my secrets.Do you know what it is to love Me truthfully?It is to understand that everything that is displeasing to me is a lie.By the beneficial effects this understanding will cause in your soul you shall see
clearly what you now do not understand.’"La Vida,ch.40,#1.Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD)"The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation(the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ"."...For sacred Scripture is not like other books.Dictated by the Holy Ghost,it contains things of the deepest importance,which in many instances are most difficult and obscure.To understand and explain such things there is always required the 'coming' of the same Holy Ghost;that is to say,His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred...and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration,that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error,but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself,the supreme Truth,can utter that which is not true."Providentissimus Deus( Nov. 18, 1893)He also encouraged the reading of Holy Scripture by granting an indulgence to those who read it for at least 25 minutes. Pope St.Pius X (1903-1914 AD),"Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels-not merely from time to time,but every day."Pope Benedict XV(1914-1922 AD).He repeated St.Jerome's statement: Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."He expressed his desire that,"... all the children of the Church,especially clerics,to reverence the Holy Scriptures, to read it piously and meditate on it constantly."He reminded them that,"...in these pages is to be sought that food, by which the spiritual life is nourished unto perfection...".Pope Pius XII.In 1943 he wrote,"Divino Afflante Spiritu" in which we read:"Our predecessors,when the opportunity occurred,recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures.This author of salvation,Christ,will men more fully know,more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament..."He also granted indulgences(a blessing of God's grace) to those who read Scripture.(1 Cor. 4:1)
A sampling of what the Catholic Church has taught about reading the Bible from the fourth century when it was put into one collected work until the present century.
St. John Chrysostom(344/354 -407 AD) Doctor of the Church."To become adult.Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures"...quote taken from...On the Letter to the Ephesians-Education of Children."But what is the answer to these charges?‘I am not,’you will say,‘one of the monks,but I have both a wife and children,and the care of a household.’This is what has ruined everything,your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only,when you need it more than they do.Those who are placed in the world,and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine.So,far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous.Such things were invented by the devil." …….quote taken from St. John’s Second Homily on Matthew section 10(which is sometimes labeled as section 5).Pope St. Gregory I(died 604 AD),"The Emperor of heaven,the Lord of men and of angels,has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly.Study them,I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator.Learn the heart of God in the words of God,that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal,that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys."Letters,5,46(EnchBibl 31).St. Isidore (560-636 AD)Bishop and Doctor of the Church,"Prayer purifies us,reading instructs us...If a man wants to be always in God's company,he must pray regularly and read regularly.When we pray,we talk to God;when we read,God talks to us.All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection.By reading we learn what we did not know;by reflection we retain what we have learned.Reading the holy Scriptures(the Bible) confers two benefits.It trains the mind to understand them;it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.Two kinds of study are called for here.We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood,and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them.A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned.The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it...Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears;it never reaches the heart.It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose.But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding,his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart."....quote found in Office of Readings,April 4...(Lib.3,8-10:PL 83,679-682).St. Venerable Bede(died 735 AD).He is the first person known to translate the Gospel into Old English(Anglo-Saxon).St.Bernard of Clairvaux(1090-1153 AD).Doctor and Father of the Church.
"The person who thirsts for God eagerly studies and meditates on the inspired Word, knowing that there, he is certain to find the One for whom he thirsts."...quote taken from his Commentary on the Song of Songs,Sermon 23:3.St.Bonaventure(1221-1274 AD).In his day,there where no public schools and only the wealthy could afford private tutors.Therefore,most people could not read or write.St. Bonaventure had composed a copy of "Biblia Pauperum" which means the "Bible of the poor."It contained a collection of pictures illustrating the important events of the Old Testament.It also contained parallel scenes in the New Testament and it showed how the Old Testament prefigured and was fulfilled in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.This helped the people to learn God's Word by showing them the important stories of both the Old and New Testament.He was canonized a Saint by Pope Sixtus IV in1482 AD.He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 AD.Decree of the Council of Trent.Session 4,April 8,1546.
"[The holy synod] following the examples of the orthodox fathers,receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament-seeing that one God is the Author of both..."Saint Teresa of Avila(1515 -1582 AD).The Catholic Church strongly recommends the reading of the writings of those who are canonized as Saints.Saint Teresa was canonized in 1622 AD by Pope Gregory XV.She was also declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.In her autobiography,The Book of Her Life (La Vida),she writes: "Within this majesty I was given knowledge of a truth that is the fulfillment of all truths.I don't know how to explain this because I didn't see anything.I was told without seeing anyone,but I clearly understood that it was Truth telling me:‘This is no small thing I do for you,because it is one of the things for which you owe Me a great deal,for all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth;not one iota of Scripture will fall short.’To me it seemed I had always believed this,and that all the faithful believed it.He told me:‘Alas,daughter,how few there are who truthfully love me!For if they loved me,I would reveal to them my secrets.Do you know what it is to love Me truthfully?It is to understand that everything that is displeasing to me is a lie.By the beneficial effects this understanding will cause in your soul you shall see
clearly what you now do not understand.’"La Vida,ch.40,#1.Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD)"The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation(the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ"."...For sacred Scripture is not like other books.Dictated by the Holy Ghost,it contains things of the deepest importance,which in many instances are most difficult and obscure.To understand and explain such things there is always required the 'coming' of the same Holy Ghost;that is to say,His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred...and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration,that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error,but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself,the supreme Truth,can utter that which is not true."Providentissimus Deus( Nov. 18, 1893)He also encouraged the reading of Holy Scripture by granting an indulgence to those who read it for at least 25 minutes. Pope St.Pius X (1903-1914 AD),"Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels-not merely from time to time,but every day."Pope Benedict XV(1914-1922 AD).He repeated St.Jerome's statement: Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."He expressed his desire that,"... all the children of the Church,especially clerics,to reverence the Holy Scriptures, to read it piously and meditate on it constantly."He reminded them that,"...in these pages is to be sought that food, by which the spiritual life is nourished unto perfection...".Pope Pius XII.In 1943 he wrote,"Divino Afflante Spiritu" in which we read:"Our predecessors,when the opportunity occurred,recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures.This author of salvation,Christ,will men more fully know,more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament..."He also granted indulgences(a blessing of God's grace) to those who read Scripture.(1 Cor. 4:1)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Contact me...
...this is the place where you can write me anything from questions about our faith and/or the bible or seminar requests and other information related to ministry.Just click on the word "comments" at the bottom of this section.If you want your letter or question to be discreet,email it to me at alejandroaguspina@yahoo.com.I'm still exploring on how to manage my site,pardon me for the slow progress.So,what are you waiting for,sulat na!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
"Consumer's Prayer"
Armani which art in Hermis
Hallowed be thy Gucci
Thy Cartier watch,thy Prada bag
On Rodeo as it is in Tiffany's
Give us this day our Gold MasterCard
And forgive us our Overdraft
As we forgive those who decline our VISA
Lead us into JC Penny
But deliver us from Sears,Amen.
Hallowed be thy Gucci
Thy Cartier watch,thy Prada bag
On Rodeo as it is in Tiffany's
Give us this day our Gold MasterCard
And forgive us our Overdraft
As we forgive those who decline our VISA
Lead us into JC Penny
But deliver us from Sears,Amen.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Psalm 23 or Channel 23?
In these times of technological advancement,it's always good to be reminded of God's words in scriptures.One of my favorite Psalms is the 23rd chapter.But the world has its own version,its Channel 23:
The TV is my shepherd,I shall not want
It made me lie down in the sofa
It leads me away from my faith
It destroys my soul
It guides me in path of sex and violence for the sponsors' sake
Yeah,even though I walk through the valley of christian responsibilities
There will be no interruptions
For the TV is with me
Its cable and remote control,they comfort me
It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my worldliness
It anoints my head with consumerism and materialism
My coveting runneth over
Surely ignorance and laziness will follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.
It made me lie down in the sofa
It leads me away from my faith
It destroys my soul
It guides me in path of sex and violence for the sponsors' sake
Yeah,even though I walk through the valley of christian responsibilities
There will be no interruptions
For the TV is with me
Its cable and remote control,they comfort me
It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my worldliness
It anoints my head with consumerism and materialism
My coveting runneth over
Surely ignorance and laziness will follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.
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