Saturday, October 29, 2016

"the ONLY TRUE GOOD"

Re: "Zacchaeus discovers the ONLY TRUE GOOD"
Fr: Philoxenes of Mabbug (+c. 523, bishop in Syria). Homily 4, 78-80 (trans. SC 44, p. 97), dailygospel.org

"... When faith is concerned, all possessions are of little importance besides that one lasting good which is God. We have taken faith to ourselves so as to find God and possess nothing but Him so that we might see that anything besides of Him is of no value."

confirmation:
"... God, infinite goodness; we love you with all our hearts!" -- St. Arnold Janssen's Quarter-Hour Prayer

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

father god before father

20 oct 2016 mla 
fr: st. ambrose (+397, bishop of milan & doctor of the church), dailygospel.org

"... religion comes first and filial devotion second.... For if we have duties towards our parents, how much more to the Father of our parents to whom we owe thanksgiving for our parents?...

He doesn't say, then, that we must give up those we love BUT that we must PREFER God before all....

... our blood relations are among God's blessings and no one is to lose the good things they have received more than the GOD who (gave) the blessings...."

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

buddhism vs christianity

19 oct 2016 manila

> human experience

yesterday, i (prophetically) dialogued with an early adult (age 26) returnee student of ours who's good-looking, well-groomed, well-proportioned and exercised body who:
(a) openly admitted being gay -- having lived in with an older partner (age 39) for 8 years (5 years together, separate houses in the last 3 years but get together on weekends), and (b) is into yoga & eastern breath meditation and is slowly regarding buddhism as a religion as he frequents the fo-guang-shan temple at c. ocampo st. (former vito cruz).

re: (a), i just listened with stunned acceptance as he said it with confidence; ah, although, he said he started getting attracted again with women but felt he needs to be "faithful" to his long-time partner.

re: (b), i clarified between philosophy (buddhism) and religion (christianity) which has REVEALED truths which philosophy cannot reach on its own. 

> divine confirmation

this is confirmed by the first reading today!
-- ephesians 3
[4] "... my insight into the MYSTERY of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has been REVEALED to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit."


Sunday, October 9, 2016

naaman the leper

fr: readings for the 28th sunday in ordinary time (2016 oct 8)

2 kings 5
[v 15] naaman (an aramean general) "...'now i know that there is no god in all the earth, except in israel.... [17] ... your servant will no longer make burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD.' "

2 timothy 2
[v 12] "... but if we deny him he will deny us. [13] if we are unfaithful he remains FAITHFUL, for he cannot deny himself.' "