BE PROACTIVE - 12

We can choose to positively influence others through our actions and example.

BE PROACTIVE - 11

We can choose to replace negative behaviors with positive ones instead of transmitting the negative behaviors to others.

BE PROACTIVE - 10

Relationships are built by action (love, the verb) before emotion (love, the feeling).

BE PROACTIVE - 9

By working reactively regarding our problems, our power and influence diminish.

BE PROACTIVE - 8

By working productively within our Circle of Influence, it widens to take in more of our Circle of Concern.

BE PROACTIVE - 7

Reactive language gives more power to the problem and enlarges it.  

Proactive language gives more power to us to change the situation and master it, with God's help.

BE PROACTIVE - 6

The unique human endowments allow us to determine our own lives.

- self-awareness

- imagination

- conscience

- independent will

BE PROACTIVE - 5

The elements of determinism influence us, but do not determine us.

TERENCE TAO: AMAZING TALENT IN MATH!!!

MATHEMATICIAN, AUSTRALIAN TERENCE TAO

 WITH BROTHERS, MATH GENIUSES LIKE HIMSELF

 NORMAL HUSBAND AND DAD TO 2 KIDS

CELEBRATING THE VIRGIN MARY'S BIRTHDAY

Here are 5 unique suggestions to celebrate Mary’s birthday

• Do an act of reparation

With so many of her birthdays neglected and so many of her children neglecting it, it should be obvious that we need to first apologize to her in a form of reparation. Imagine if we didn’t celebrate our own mother’s birthday, we would never hear the end of it.

• Celebrate with Feasting and Libations

Why not? Some Catholics have the false idea that if it’s religious then it can only be celebrated with prayer, fasting and penances. We are not ruling these out. Consider this, in the old testament, feasting and libations are mandated by God. (Lev 23:37)
Feasting means nothing more than having a special meal, ideally full of symbolisms, like having lamb or cooking with Rosemary or marjoram, spices names after Our lady.
Libations is the religious drinking of wine as an offering. Just as we celebrate important events, like a wedding, a graduation, or an important business transaction with a champagne bottle or wine; why shouldn’t we celebrate Our Lady’s birthday with libation? Obviously, everything must be done in virtue of moderation.
After all, Jesus became the patron saint of winemakers making really good wine at the wedding of Cana at the very request of Mary.

• Tell Marvelous Stories about Our Lady

Just like in most good birthday celebrations, stories and anecdotes about the person are recounted. Why not do the same for Our Lady’s celebration? Each family has anecdotes of miracles and favors granted them. Then, there are the other stories passed down by Catholic Tradition. If you need a primer, read The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Ligouri. This book contains a treasury of marvelous miracles performed by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

• Light a candle as a family

Making the celebration public by lighting a candle as a family is a good way. It’s one thing to praise our own mothers in the privacy of our home but doing it in public is even more special. Why not for Our Lady? Getting together as many of your family to light a votive candle is a public act of devotion to Her.

• Do a pilgrimage to a local shrine

Finally, visit her statue in a local shrine. Many travel to celebrate our own mother’s birthday. Why not for Our Lady? Official shrines have special blessings attached to them. The prayers of so many pilgrims attract the attention of Our Lady, the angels and the saints in a special way.
These suggestions are not the only ideas you can do to celebrate Mary’s birthday. There are the common ones that are also good: rosary, novenas, fasting, almsgiving, etc. But, why not celebrate Our Lady’s birthday in style once in a while, especially, when so many have neglected it for so long?


Thanks to:

 
 http://www.catholic365.com/article/2298/why-catholics-dont-celebrate-marys-birthday-5-unique-ways-you-can.html

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA MARY!

BE PROACTIVE - 4

REACTIVE PEOPLE ALWAYS BLAME!

THEY ATTRIBUTE THEIR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR ON 

THINGS THEY CANNOT CONTROL - LIKE GENETIC, PSYCHIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS.

BE PROACTIVE! 

BE PROACTIVE - 3

REACTIVE PEOPLE DO NOT SEE THE SPACE BETWEEN STIMULUS AND RESPONSE. THEY JUST RESPOND BASED ON THEIR MOODS, FEELING AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE MOMENT.

BE PROACTIVE, INSTEAD OF REACTIVE!

BE PROACTIVE - 2

DESPITE PAST CHOICES AND THE IMPACT OF OTHERS' CHOICES AND NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS, YOU ARE FREE TO CONTINUE MAKING CHOICES BASED ON YOUR VALUES.

YOU ARE PROACTIVE!

BE PROACTIVE! - 1

EACH PERSON HAS THE POWER TO MAKE HIS OR HER OWN DECISIONS. WHEN YOU USE THIS POWER TO CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSES ACCORDING TO YOUR SELF-DETERMINED VALUES, YOU BECOME A PROACTIVE PERSON. PROACTIVE PEOPLE USE THEIR FREEDOM TO MAKE CHOICES THAT REFLECT THEIR VALUES!

St. Teresa’s Devotion to St. Joseph

Devotion to St. Joseph was a hallmark of St. Teresa of Avila.  Teresa attributed her miraculous cure to Saint Joseph.  When she was living in the Incarnation Convent in Avila, she was struck with an ailment that left her half-dead.  She was paralyzed and was presumed dead at one point.  She prayed and prayed to Joseph and her prayers were answered.  Her paralysis was cured and she was able to walk again even though her health had always been fragile after that.

Saint Joseph is an example of a life so hidden and yet so pleasing to God.  Scriptures did not record for us a word he uttered.  But what the Gospels show is that Joseph was a doer of God’s Will.  He was always on the go, always on the move to do God’s bidding- waking up from the dream to journey to Bethlehem for the census, fleeing to Egypt with Mary and the Infant Jesus to escape Herod and his murderous band, journeying back to Nazareth at God’s command after Herod had died.  These were important events but nothing was recorded of Joseph’s account or words.  Even in the life of the Holy Family, the Gospel writers did not deem it necessary to give an account of the life in Nazareth.  The only indication we have that Joseph was respected and known in the local community is the passage in the Gospel where the townspeople were figuring out the source of Jesus’ power,  “How did this man come by this wisdom and the miracles? Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:54-55).

Saint Teresa has this to say about St. Joseph: “

 “I took for my advocate and lord the glorious Saint Joseph and commended myself earnestly to him; and I found that this my father and lord delivered me both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant. I am astonished at the great favors which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succor us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succors us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks. This has also been the experience of other persons whom I have advised to commend themselves to him; and even to-day there are many who have great devotion to him through having newly experienced this truth.” “I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone to be truly devoted to him and render him particular services who did not notably advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him. For some years now, I think, I have made some request of him every year on his festival and I have always had it granted. If my petition is in any way ill directed, he directs it aright for my greater good.”

“I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion to him. Those who practice prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Child Jesus, without giving thanks to Saint Joseph for the way he helped them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master and he will not go astray.” (Autobiography Chapter 6).

thanks to:  https://carmelourladysdovecote.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/st-teresas-devotion-to-st-joseph/

DEVOTION TO SAINT JOSEPH FROM THE SAINTS

 

10 Saints Explain Why We Need a Devotion to St Joseph

 thanks to:   http://www.lauramcalister.com/2016/03/19/10-saints-devotion-saint-joseph/

 

 

1. He is a Saint

“The Lord has arrayed Joseph, like with a sun, in all which the saints possess together in regard to light and splendor.”

— St Gregory Nazianzen

2. He is in deep with God’s Plans

“St. Joseph was chosen among all men, to be the protector and guardian of the Virgin Mother of God; the defender and foster-father of the Infant-God, and the only co-operator upon earth, the one confidant of the secret of God in the work of the redemption of mankind.”

— St Bernard of Clairvaux

3. He can help us with everything

“Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.”

— St Thomas Aquinas

4. We owe him a special debt of gratitude

“If the whole Church is in the debt of the Virgin, since, through her, it was able to receive the Christ, surely after her, it also owed to Joseph special thanks and veneration… It is beyond doubt that Christ did not deny to Joseph in heaven that intimacy, respect, and high honour which He showed to him as to a father during His own human life, but rather completed and perfected it.”

— St Bernardine of Siena

5. He especially helps us in virtue

“Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint [St. Joseph], for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honored him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him.”

— St Teresa of Jesus

6. We’re all going to die anyway…

“Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death. All Christians regard him as the advocate of the dying who had honored him during their life, and they do so for three reasons: First, because Jesus Christ loved him not only as a friend, but as a father, and on this account his mediation is far more efficacious than that of any other Saint. Second, because St. Joseph has obtained special power against the evil spirits, who tempt us with redoubled vigor at the hour of death. Third, the assistance given St. Joseph at his death by Jesus and Mary obtained for him the right to secure a holy and peaceful death for his servants. Hence, if they invoke him at the hour of death he will not only help them, but he will also obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and Mary.”

— St Alphonsus Liguori

7. He protects the pure and vulnerable

“Every day I said the prayer beginning: “St. Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins” . . . so I felt I was well protected and quite safe from danger.”

— St Thérèse of the Child Jesus

8. He deserves a place in our hearts with Jesus and Mary

“All the saints in glory assuredly merit honor and particular respect, but it is evident that Saint Joseph possesses a just title to a more sweet, more intimate and penetrating place in our hearts, belonging to him alone… Here we are able to estimate completely all the greatness of Saint Joseph, not only by reason of the fact that he was close to Jesus and Mary, but also by the shining example he has given of all virtues.”

— St John XXIII

9. He teaches us to work as Christians

“With St Joseph, the Christian learns what it means to belong to God and fully to assume one’s place among men, sanctifying the world. Get to know Joseph and you will find Jesus. Talk to Joseph and you will find Mary, who always sheds peace about her in that attractive workshop in Nazareth.”

— St Josemaría Escrivá

10. He is the Guardian of the Church

“St Joseph persevered in [his] mission with fidelity and love. The Church, therefore, offers him to us as an exceptional model of service to Christ and to his mysterious plan of salvation. And she calls upon him as the special patron and protector of the whole family of believers. In a special way, Joseph is presented to us on his feast day as the saint under whose powerful protection divine Providence has wished to place the persons and ministry of all who are called to be “fathers”and “guardians” among the Christian people.”

— St John Paul II

St Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us!

St Joseph, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us!

St Joseph, head of the Holy Family, pray for us!

15 Quick Replies to Common Allegations and Claims of Iglesia ni Cristo

thanks to:  

http://catholicvibe.blogspot.com/2016/05/15-quick-replies-to-common-allegations.html?spref=fb 

Some unfortunate non-members of Igleisa ni Cristo especially Catholics has no words to respond on some of the claims of INC regarding the Bible and and allegations against the Catholic faith. As a result, they end up believing wrong things about the Catholic Faith as well as the history. Here are some 15 quick reply on their common claims.

1. INC ministers use not their own words but the words of the Bible?

 This is also a common claim for those who become a member of INC. But the truth is, it is only for the sake of attraction. INC ministers are only preaching the interpretation of Felix Manalo of the Bible because they believe that only Manalo can interpret the Bible. And do not be deceived, INC teachingssuch as “Last Messenger of God in these Last Days” is not found in the Bible. The reason why an INC member says that the INC teachings are written in the Bible is because INC ministers are carrying a Bible all the time. No one can really preach the Bible using “Bible Alone”, every preacher must have always an interpretation whether it’s from him or from the others.

2. INC is the most disciplined church? 

The discipline inside INC which is the separation of male and female during worship services is only a form of attraction. This attraction is known in the Bible as “Sheep’s Clothing” and Jesus warned about it (Matt 7:15).Discipline is one of the qualities of the true members of the Church and no wonder why INC is boasting the standards of discipline \

3. Images were prohibited in the Bible? 

It may look like that God prohibited the making of images in Exo. 25:3-4 but no. Even INC made a statue of Manalo without any command from God or from the Bible. With that alone, INC minister are contradicting themselves. The truth is, God allowed the making of images for religious purposes (Ex. 25:18;Ex 37:7-9; 2 Chr 10:13; 1 Kings 7:29; Kings 6:23; Ezek 4:17-18). That is why; Catholics have images inside the church.

 4. Kneeling means worshiping?

 Two things are needed to know here:

a. Religious images of the Catholic Church are not idols. Idols means false gods and the INC ministers are aware that Catholic Church teaches only one God, the Holy Trinity and calling the images of the Catholic Church as idols is already an intellectual dishonesty, which means INC ministers are aware that they are lying.

b. Kneeling does not always mean worshiping; kneeling is also a sign to show honor, respect and sincerity. In fact, during ordination, ministers are kneeling in front of Manalo yet they deny they are not worshipping Manalo. With that, we can conclude that INC ministers are contradicting themselves from what they say with what they do.

 5. Catholics worship Mary and the saints?

 This is a lie from the INC ministers. Catholics worship God alone, saints and Mary are only venerated. Veneration means honor and respect. INC is trying to insist that Catholics worship saints and Mary to make it look like Catholics are going against the Bible and to discourage Catholic members who are not so familiar with the teachings of the Catholic Church about Mary and saints.

 6. Father alone is the true God and the Trinity is against the Bible? 

The doctrine of the Holy Trinity states that there are three persons in one God. Each person is God, but there is only one God not three Gods. This doctrine is found in the Bible. In John 14:26, Jesus is referring to the entire Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the distinction he makes between them is quite definite. The Father sends. The Son comes to Earth. The Spirit teaches and inspire. The entire theology of the Trinity is present in this single verse.

 7. Jesus is a man and not God? 

The Catholic Church believes also that Jesus is a man. However, INC teaching Jesus is not God is a heresy back in the early church called “Arianism”. In the Bible we can see a lot of verses telling that Jesus is also God.Acts 20:28- Jesus is the one whose blood was shed.Phil. 2:6-7 – He was in the form of God.Jn 1:1-3- Jesus is the Word, who was God.And many other verses: Rev 3:14; Jn 8:58; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor 1:23; 2 Pet 1:1; Jn 10:30-33; Jn 5:18; Lk 10:18; Mt. 11:27; Jn 14:6-10; Jn 17:3; Rev 22:13; Dt. 10:17

8. In the Catholic Church, saints and Mary are also mediator and not Jesus alone?

 In 1 Tim 2:5, states that there is only one mediator Jesus Christ. Catholic Church believes that the saints and Mary and even us can be also mediators that is because we are the members of the body of Christ. And if we are the members of the body of Christ which is his church, then we can share the sole mediatorship of Christ. Mediator means “to go between”, when a friend ask you to pray for him, you become a mediator between God and your friend. Anyone who says that that Mary and the saints cannot be mediator and he accept prayer request, he is contradicting himself.

9. The church was apostatized after the last Apostle died?

 The truth is, there was already an Apostasy during the time of Christ (see Jn 6:66). The teaching of Apostasy in INC is not originally from INC but from Mormonism. And it is also a contrary to the promise of Christ to his church for he promised that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. So believing that Apostasy really happened is an unfaithfulness of Christ for not believing his promises.

10. Christ’s image is also the image of Judas? 

Da Vinci’s version of Christ was created on the 16th century, and no body really cares who is the model of his painting. But what Inc ministers did not tell is, there were already pictures of Christ before Da Vinci painted the Last Supper. The earliest painting of Christ was painted on 6th century and Da Vinci was not yet born to use the same model for Christ and for Judas.

The oldest surviving panel icon ofChrist Pantocrator, encaustic on panel, c. 6th century, showing the appearance of Jesus that is still immediately recognised today.

 11. “Christ is God” Doctrine was only invented in the Council of Nicea? 

When controversy arises in the church, it should be settled in a council just like what the Apostles did in the whole chapter of Acts 15. What the bishops in the Catholic Church did was only following what the Apostles did when there are controversies. The controversy during the Council of Jerusalem in 70 A.D was about circumcision and the issue was settled. The controversy during 325 A.D in the council of Nicea was about the divinity of Christ, and the issue was settled. INC do not have a council, INC only follow the interpretation of Manalo.

12. The Catholic Church has the two doctrines of the demon (forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meat)?

 a. The Catholic Church does not forbid marriage because it is a sacrament of Matrimony. Celibacy for the priest is not a doctrine but a discipline for the priest who follows Latin-Rite. Celibacy is a teaching of Christ, Matt. 19:12, “renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven”

 b. Abstaining meat during lent is a form of fasting. It is only a small part of following Jesus when he fasted for forty days and forty nights. Do INC fast like what Jesus did? No? They won’t even at least ignore their appetites.

13. Call no man Father?

 If simply using the word “Father” to human being were wrong, we would not find the word used that way throughout the scriptures. But of course we do again and again.1 Cor 4:14-15 “I became your Father” Paul himself refers to himself with this word. An inspire author of the scriptures could not have done so if the word were to offense God.

 14. Catholic Church was founded by St. Ignatius?

 St. Ignatius was a disciple of John the Apostle. He is the Bishop of Antioch the place where the term “Christian” was first used. He was the one who first mentioned the term “Catholic Church” but he is not the founder. INC ministers did not tell INC members about this.

15. Catholics pray in repetition (Rosary)?

 Rosary is a Scripture- based, and in praying it, we are not emulating pagan but the heavenly host:Rev. 4:8- “Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was and who is and who is to come”” St. John’s vision of heaven revealed that the angels and saints pray in repetitively. So obviously Jesus was objecting not to repetition but to the insincerity and emptiness of pagan words. These are only few things to learn for those who left the Catholic Church and joined the INC. A lot of them did not know so much about the Catholic Church and the Bible and because of that, INC successfully inserted some wrong information about the Catholic Church in the minds of the INC members. As a result, INC members today hate what they wrongly believe what the Catholic Teaches.

BLESSED MIGUEL PRO, DEATH OF A MARTYR IN PHOTOS

SIMPLEST ST. JOSEPH ICON

JESUS KISSING ST. JOSEPH AT DEATHBED

SMILING SAINT JOSEPH

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who before ascending into heaven, promised to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Your grace and Your love.

Grant me:
· the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world, and aspire only after the things that are eternal;
· the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth;
· the Spirit of Counsel, that I may ever choose the surest ways of pleasing God and gaining heaven;
· the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with You, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation;
· the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints;
· the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; and
· the Spirit of Fear, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your spirit. Amen.

---

An Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion, to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant heareth." Amen.

100 YEARS OF FATIMA DEVOTIONS

SA KRUS MO AT PAGKABUHAY... INILIGTAS MO KAMING TUNAY

ST. JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US

ICON OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER

Most icons to date which bear the name of St. Joseph the Worker are traditional portrayals of St. Joseph with the Christ Child, wearing the himation (outer garment) and usually holding the flowering staff or holding a set square (as a representation of his carpentry).

St. Joseph is portrayed in his middle years, in this new icon, wearing a pale blue tunic with rolled up sleeves and a leather earth-toned shop apron, which is buttoned at the shoulder. He is presented in 'working' cloths and not wearing the traditional himation, which wouldn't be worn while working. The tradition of use of blue (or purple) for the inner garment represents the spiritual, and the outer s garment is in warm brown colours for the earth. The blue in the detailing on his waist sash is representational that St. Joseph was from the lineage of the House of David. His left hand is resting on a wood-chipping tool and reaches out with his right, inviting people to himself. Referenced to the Byzantine Tradition, the design is such for a stronger focus on St. Joseph’s title.

The icon IS a reminder to us to be open to the working of God in our lives, and an invitation to us to trust in what God is doing as Joseph was. “It also would be consonant with the traditional admonition of the Church "Ite ad Joseph" (Go to Joseph) to seek the intercession of the patron saint of the universal Church.”

An icon is referred to as having being written and not painted because it is not associated to the fine arts. It isn’t about artistic creation but about tradition, unchanging guidelines and the iconographic theology that sees an icon as sacramental and in the same light as the written Word. An icon is not just an image to be looked upon but connects with the viewer and draws he/she into itself and directly to its prototype (in this case, St. Joseph) and through it, God’s saving grace.

The process for each icon is a journey for the iconographer; certainly one of patience as an icon will take the time that it requires. Every step is deeply set within tradition and rich in symbolism, guiding the spiritual journey. It begins with the wood panel, the symbol of the Tree of Knowledge (Garden of Eden) and the Tree of Life (the Cross). This icon is constructed in solid poplar and has two parts: the outer part ‘container’ (the raised frame area) and the inner part ‘the contained’ (the inset area); also symbolizing the two natures of the human being – the body and the soul. (You will note that it also has extra braces along the back of the icon to help prevent the natural warping of wood over time.)

The board is covered with linen cloth, which symbolizes the ‘Shroud’, dying to ourselves to enter the Kingdom. Aside from the practical preparation of the panel to receive paint, the white gesso symbolizes light creating a new room for beauty.

After the image is transferred on the panel, the Bole (a red clay base) is then applied to the sides and also to the front surfaces where the gold leafing will be adhered to - representing our nature in God’s Creation. It symbolizes the ‘old humanity’; the clay in the inner surface (under the gilding) symbolizes the ‘new humanity’.

The 24K gold background is the prime symbol. Gold symbolizes Heaven. Gold applied on clay (bole) symbolizes Heaven’s plans for Humanity, representing the union of Heaven and Earth. I only use an archival quality acrylic paint which is higher in pigment content, does not fade over time, and for its longevity. The key is that it is water based. Oil paint cannot be used for icons as water symbolizes the rituals of purification, the waters of Baptism. Colours are a gift of God, such as when God presented Noah with the colours of the rainbow. As we add more and more colours and highlights, paint moves us from original chaos to shape and order. That is why I never use black paint in an icon. It may appear as though black is used for details, but it is fact dark greens, dark red purple, and a dark blue (Anthraquinone Blue). The colour black is the absence of God’s light.

When an icon reaches completion, the white circle is often drawn around the original red halo as a sign, not that perfection has been achieved, but that this particular transfiguration has been completed; it also symbolizes the iconographer’s return to the white panel; the determination to start all over again with a new board (a new white gessoed panel).

The oil varnish at the end symbolizes anointing, the consecration of a chosen one. An iconographer learns quickly that if any step is rushed or simplified, it inevitably results in failure in later stages. With every icon, the icon guides the journey. The iconographer becomes a participant.

Andre J. Prevost

http://www.caedm.ca/icon.aspx

GO TO CONFESSION!

LENT IS A TIME TO SHARE WITH THE POOR

PRAY THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

GOING TO CONFESSION: A GUIDE

thanks to busted halo!

TIRED OF RELIGION? THINK AGAIN!

Spiritual but not religious — Not so fast!

Making the case for moving beyond your own personal God

by James Martin, SJ

(thanks to:  http://bustedhalo.com/features/spiritual-but-not-religious-not-so-fast)

Everybody seems to be spiritual these days — from your college roommate, to the person in the office cubicle next to yours, to every other celebrity interviewed. But if “spiritual” is fashionable, “religious” is unfashionable. This is usually expressed as follow: “I’m spiritual but just not religious.” It’s even referred to by the acronym SBNR.

The thinking goes like this: being “religious” means abiding by arcane rules and hidebound dogmas, and being the tool of an oppressive institution that doesn’t allow you to think for yourself. (Which would have surprised many thinking believers, like St. Thomas Aquinas, Moses Maimonides, Dorothy Day and Reinhold Niebuhr.) Religion is narrow-minded and prejudicial — so goes the thinking — stifling the growth of the human spirit. (Which would have surprised St. Francis of Assisi, Abraham Joshua Heschel, St. Teresa of Ávila, Rumi and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Or worse, as several contemporary authors contend, religion is the most despicable of social evils, responsible for all the wars and conflicts around the world.

Sadly, religion is in fact responsible for many ills in the modern world and evils throughout history: among them the persecution of Jews, endless wars of religion, the Inquisition, not to mention the religious intolerance and zealotry that leads to terrorism.

You can add to this list smaller things: your judgmental neighbor who loudly tells you how often he helps out at church, your holier-than-thou relative who trumpets how often she reads the Bible, or that annoying guy at work who keeps telling you that belief in Jesus is sure to bring you amazing financial success.

There is a human and sinful side to religion since religions are human organizations, and therefore prone to sin. And frankly, people within religious organizations know this better than those outside of them.

Some positive aspects

Some say that on balance religion is found wanting. Still, I would stack up against the negatives some positive aspects: traditions of love, forgiveness and charity as well as the more tangible outgrowths of thousands of faith-based organizations that care for the poor, like Catholic Charities or the vast network of Catholic hospitals and schools that care for poor and immigrant populations. Think too of generous men and women like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Ávila, St. Catherine of Siena, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King again. Speaking of Dr. King, you might add the abolition, women’s suffrage and civil rights movements, all of which were founded on explicitly religious principles. Add to that list the billions of believers who have found in their own religious traditions not only comfort but also a moral voice urging them to live selfless lives and to challenge the status quo.

And Jesus of Nazareth. Remember him? Though he often challenged the religious conventions of his day, he was a deeply religious man. (This is something of an understatement).

By the way, atheism doesn’t have a perfect record either. In his book No One Sees God: The Dark Night of Atheists and Believers, Michael Novak points out that while many atheist thinkers urge us to question everything, especially the record of organized religion, atheists often fail to question their own record. Think of the cruelty and bloodshed perpetrated, just in the 20th century, by totalitarian regimes that have professed “scientific atheism.” Stalinist Russia comes to mind.

On balance, religion comes out on top. And when I think about the examples of the maleficent effects of religion, I remember the English novelist Evelyn Waugh, a dazzling writer who was by many accounts a nasty person. One of Waugh’s friends once expressed astonishment that he could be so mean-spirited and a Christian. Think, said Waugh, how much worse I would be if I were not Christian.

“But I’m my own person”

Still, it’s not surprising that, given all the problems with organized religion, many people would say, “I’m not religious.” They say: “I’m serious about living a moral life, maybe even one that centers on God, but I’m my own person.”

“Spiritual” on the other hand, implies that, freed from unnecessary dogma, you can be yourself before God. The term may also imply that you have sampled a variety of religious beliefs that you have integrated into your life. You meditate at a Buddhist temple, participate in Seders with Jewish friends at Passover, sing in a gospel choir at a local Baptist church (great again), and go to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at a Catholic church (also great).

You find what works for you, but don’t subscribe to any one church: that would be too confining. Besides, there’s no one creed that represents exactly what you believe.

But there’s a problem. While “spiritual” is obviously healthy, “not religious” may be another way of saying that faith is something between you and God. And while faith is a question of you and God, it’s not just a question of you and God.

Because this would mean that you’re relating to God alone. And that means that there’s no one to suggest when you might be off track.

We all tend to think that we’re correct about most things, and spirituality is no exception. And not belonging to a religious community means less of a chance of being challenged by a tradition of belief and experience, less chance to recognize when you are misguided, seeing only part of the picture, or even wrong.

Consider a person who wants to follow Jesus Christ on her own. Perhaps she has heard that if she follows Christ she will enjoy financial success — a popular idea today. Were she part of a mainstream Christian community, though, she would be reminded that suffering is part of the life of even the most devout Christian. Without the wisdom of a community, she may gravitate towards a skewed view of Christianity. Once she falls on hard times financially, she may drop God, who has ceased to meet her personal needs. Despite our best efforts to be spiritual we make mistakes. And when we do, it’s helpful to have the wisdom of a religious tradition.

This reminds me of a passage from a book called Habits of the Heart, written by Robert Bellah, sociologist of religion, and other colleagues, in which they interviewed a woman named Sheila, about her religious beliefs. “I believe in God,” she said. “I’m not a religious fanatic. I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice.”

No place for humility

More problematic than Sheilaism are spiritualities entirely focused on the self, with no place for humility, self-critique or any sense of responsibility for the community. Certain “New Age” movements find their goal not in God, or even the greater good, but in self-improvement — a valuable goal — but one that can degenerate into selfishness.

Religion can provide a check against my tendency to think that I am the center of the universe, that I have all the answers, that I know better than anyone about God, and that God speaks most clearly through me.

By the same token, religious institutions need themselves to be called to account. And here the prophets among us, who are able to see the failures, weaknesses and plain old sinfulness of institutional religion, play a critical role. Like individuals who are never challenged, religious communities can often get things tragically wrong, convinced that they are doing “God’s will.” (Think of the Salem witch trials, among other examples.) They might even encourage us to become complacent in our judgments. Unreflective religion can sometimes incite people to make even worse mistakes than they would on their own. Thus, those prophetic voices calling their communities to continual self-critique are always difficult for the institution to hear, but nonetheless necessary.

It’s a healthy tension: the wisdom of our religious traditions provides us with a corrective for our propensity to think that we have all the answers; and prophetic individuals can moderate the natural propensity of institutions to resist change and growth. As with many aspects of the spiritual life, you need to find balance in the tension.

Religion provides us with something else we need: stories of other believers, who help us understand God better than we could on our own.

To connect and correct

Isaac Hecker was a 19th-century convert to Catholicism who became a priest and founded the American religious order known as the Paulists. [FYI, the Paulists created and continue to sponsor Busted Halo. –ed] He summed it up best. Religion, said Hecker, helps you to “connect and correct.” You are invited into a community to connect with one another and with a tradition. At the same time, you are corrected when you need to be. And you may be called to correct your own community — though a special kind of discernment and humility is required in those cases.

Religion can lead people to do terrible things. At its best, though, religion modifies our natural tendency to believe that we have all the answers. So despite what many detractors say, and despite the arrogance that sometimes infects religious groups, religion at its best introduces humility into your life.

Religion also reflects the social dimension of human nature. Human beings naturally desire to be with one another, and that desire extends to worship. It’s natural to want to worship together, to gather with other people who share your desire for God, and to work with others to fulfill the dreams of your community.

Experiencing God also comes through personal interactions within the community. Sure, God communicates through private, intimate moments — as in prayer or reading of sacred texts — but sometimes God enters into relationships with us through others in a faith community. Finding God often happens in the midst of a community — with a “we” as often as an “I.” For many people this is a church, a synagogue or a mosque. Or more broadly, religion.

Transcending your individual understanding of God

Finally, religion means that your understanding of God and the spiritual life can more easily transcend your individual understanding and imagination. Do you imagine God as a stern judge? That’s fine — if it helps you draw closer to God or to become a more moral person. But a religious tradition can enrich your spiritual life in ways that you might not be able to discover by yourself.

Here’s an example: One of my favorite images of God is the “God of Surprises,” which I first encountered in the novitiate. My own idea of God at the time was limited to God the Far Away, so it was liberating to hear about a God who surprises, who waits for us with wonderful things. It’s a playful, even fun, image of God. But I would have never come up with it on my own.

It came to me from my spiritual director in the Jesuit novitiate, who had read it in a book of that same title by an English Jesuit named Gerard W. Hughes, who borrowed it from an essay by the German Jesuit Karl Rahner.

That image was amplified when I read the conclusion of one of the great modern spiritual novels, Mariette in Ecstasy. Ron Hansen, an award-winning writer who is also an ordained Catholic deacon, penned the story of the religious experiences of a young nun in the early 1900s, loosely based on the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the French Carmelite. At the end of the story, Mariette, who has left the monastery many years before, writes to her former novice mistress, and assures her that God still communicates with her.

We try to be formed and held and kept by him, but instead he offers us freedom. And now when I try to know his will, his kindness floods me, his great love overwhelms me, and I hear him whisper, Surprise me.

My image of the God who surprises and the God who waits for surprises came from three Jesuit priests and the religious imagination of a Catholic writer and deacon. In other words, that idea was given to me by religion.

Overall, being spiritual and being religious are both part of being in relationship with God. Neither can be fully realized without the other. Religion without spirituality becomes a dry list of dogmatic statements divorced from the life of the spirit. This is what Jesus warned against. Spirituality without religion can become a self-centered complacency divorced from the wisdom of a community.

That’s what I’m warning against.

The Rev. James Martin SJ, a Catholic priest, is culture editor of America magazine the national Catholic Weekly published by the Jesuits. This essay is excerpted from his book “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.”