₦airaland Forum

ebos:
It's being good today I'm with you guys.

Bros i salute and i believe you have rectified your internet problem.

JOURNEY WITH THE SAINTS
The heart of a Christain, who believes and feels, cannot pass by the hardships and deprivations of the poor without helping them. BLESSED LOUIS GUANELLA.

Brethrens i got this message in my dream and i felt i should share it with you, lets try and amend our life to be pleasing to God, so that his coming won't take us unaware.

"Why are people living their life carelessly
Do they think what is happening around them is ordinary?
Time is short"

This is how the message came and i believe is asking us to amend our ways.

Today's Saint
St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions (1600?-1637)


Lawrence (Lorenzo) was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, both Christians. Thus he learned Chinese and Tagalog from them and Spanish from the Dominicans whom he served as altar boy and sacristan. He became a professional calligrapher, transcribing documents in beautiful penmanship. He was a full member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary under Dominican auspices. He married and had two sons and a daughter.

His life took an abrupt turn when he was accused of murder. Nothing further is known except the statement of two Dominicans that "he was sought by the authorities on account of a homicide to which he was present or which was attributed to him."

At that time three Dominican priests, Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet and Miguel de Aozaraza, were about to sail to Japan in spite of a violent persecution there. With them was a Japanese priest, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and a layman named Lazaro, a leper. Lorenzo, having taken asylum with them, was allowed to accompany them. But only when they were at sea did he learn that they were going to Japan.

They landed at Okinawa. Lorenzo could have gone on to Formosa, but, he reported, "I decided to stay with the Fathers, because the Spaniards would hang me there." In Japan they were soon found out, arrested and taken to Nagasaki. The site of wholesale bloodshed when the atomic bomb was dropped had known tragedy before. The 50,000 Catholics who once lived there were dispersed or killed by persecution.

They were subjected to an unspeakable kind of torture: After huge quantities of water were forced down their throats, they were made to lie down. Long boards were placed on their stomachs and guards then stepped on the ends of the boards, forcing the water to spurt violently from mouth, nose and ears.

The superior, Antonio, died after some days. Both the Japanese priest and Lazaro broke under torture, which included the insertion of bamboo needles under their fingernails. But both were brought back to courage by their companions.

In Lorenzo's moment of crisis, he asked the interpreter, "I would like to know if, by apostatizing, they will spare my life." The interpreter was noncommittal, but Lorenzo, in the ensuing hours, felt his faith grow strong. He became bold, even audacious, with his interrogators.

The five were put to death by being hanged upside down in pits. Boards fitted with semicircular holes were fitted around their waists and stones put on top to increase the pressure. They were tightly bound, to slow circulation and prevent a speedy death. They were allowed to hang for three days. By that time Lorenzo and Lazaro were dead. The three Dominican priests, still alive, were beheaded.

Pope John Paul II canonized these six and 10 others, Asians and Europeans, men and women, who spread the faith in the Philippines, Formosa and Japan. Lorenzo Ruiz is the first canonized Filipino martyr.

Quote

The Governors: "If we grant you life, will you renounce your faith?"
Lorenzo: "That I will never do, because I am a Christian, and I shall die for God, and for him I will give many thousands of lives if I had them. And so, do with me as you please."

Carlosein:
ngwanu my sis, biko gba break hia small, i was only joking!

i know catch the joke When you mix igbo, yoruba, efik, hausa, ibibio and the rest, what a wonderful tongue it will form ^{more than latin}

nwakaibe:
Well, the rules made by the church are designed to teach us self control, to bring our bodies under the control of the spirit.But as time went on, some of us decided to move on. Actually, I joined one of the charismatic groups in the church and then . you understand . I had a swell time time with the charismatics. We were at St Patricks Awka i think in 1985 for eastern regional conference. However, persecution arose from here and there from people who want to subdue us. . So i moved on. But today they are my good friends . Hope i answered your question.

I think i understand you, but that is not the right thing to do.  Christain life is about persecution, if you can't stand in time of persecution, how do you think you can still stand, even where you are now, which means if another persecution comes, you can decide again to move on.  Remember our Lord Jesus Christ was persecuted, but he stood his ground.

Carlosein:
morning oby, good to know you had a swell weekend.

tell her for me o. but on a serious note did you see the no. of her posts: 666

A strange number indeed

Carlosein:
no we don't celebrate mass in latin in naija, we just pretend we speak latin while we all sing in our various languages:
hausa, igbo, yoruba, efik, ibibio etc. and trust it will all be converted to latin before God hears it
and you are welcome to join us in your languagetin

and you got that correctly too! ^{how u doing and texans too?}

Carlos i disagree with you, there is latin mass, only that i have not witness latin being used completely all through the mass.

Carlosein, lady how are you guys doing?

Lady did i hear you well, that if Mccain win, you will come back home.  Why?

Lindiwe:
hey obi!
love the sound of that your 'hello' . . . there's so much excitement in it! envidence of you having a swell weekend

wishing you all a restful weekend!

If you say swell weekend it is an understatement, it was great!!!
and i hope you all enjoyed yours.

May this new week, bring us blessings and favours in Jesus name.

sima:
i was gonnnna say sumthinb. . . but i double tonk

If you try and say sumthinb . . . i don't really think it will hurt you

If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves.

-Thomas Edison

Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Everyone!!! Wishing you all a very wonderful weekend

Today's Saint
Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions (1821-1846)


This first native Korean priest was the son of Korean converts. His father, Ignatius Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925. After Baptism at the age of 15, Andrew traveled 1,300 miles to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the capital.

Paul Chong Hasang was a seminarian, aged 45.

Christianity came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592 when some Koreans were baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers. Evangelization was difficult because Korea refused all contact with the outside world except for an annual journey to Peking to pay taxes. On one of these occasions, around 1777, Christian literature obtained from Jesuits in China led educated Korean Christians to study. A home Church began. When a Chinese priest managed to enter secretly a dozen years later, he found 4,000 Catholics, none of whom had ever seen a priest. Seven years later there were 10,000 Catholics. Religious freedom came in 1883.

When Pope John Paul II visited Korea in 1984 he canonized, besides Andrew and Paul, 98 Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867. Among them were bishops and priests, but for the most part they were lay persons: 47 women, 45 men.

Among the martyrs in 1839 was Columba Kim, an unmarried woman of 26. She was put in prison, pierced with hot tools and seared with burning coals. She and her sister Agnes were disrobed and kept for two days in a cell with condemned criminals, but were not molested. After Columba complained about the indignity, no more women were subjected to it. The two were beheaded. A boy of 13, Peter Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that he could pull off pieces and throw them at the judges. He was killed by strangulation. Protase Chong, a 41-year-old noble, apostatized under torture and was freed. Later he came back, confessed his faith and was tortured to death.

Quote
"The Korean Church is unique because it was founded entirely by lay people. This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution. Thus, in less than a century, it could boast of 10,000 martyrs. The death of these martyrs became the leaven of the Church and led to today's splendid flowering of the Church in Korea. Even today their undying spirit sustains the Christians in the Church of silence in the north of this tragically divided land" (Pope John Paul II, speaking at the canonization).

Today's Saint

St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)


Joseph is most famous for levitating at prayer.

Already as a child, Joseph showed a fondness for prayer. After a short career with the Capuchins, he joined the Conventuals. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph began his studies for the priesthood. Though studies were very difficult for him, Joseph gained a great deal of knowledge from prayer. He was ordained in 1628.

Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer was sometimes a cross; some people came to see this much as they might have gone to a circus sideshow. Joseph’s gift led him to be humble, patient and obedient, even though at times he was greatly tempted and felt forsaken by God. He fasted and wore iron chains for much of his life.

The friars transferred Joseph several times for his own good and for the good of the rest of the community. He was reported to and investigated by the Inquisition; the examiners exonerated him.

Joseph was canonized in 1767. In the investigation preceding the canonization, 70 incidents of levitation are recorded.

Quote

"Clearly, what God wants above all is our will which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own. When a man trains himself to acts of virtue, it is with the help of grace from God from whom all good things come that he does this. The will is what man has as his unique possession" (St. Joseph of Cupertino, from the reading for his feast in the Franciscan breviary).

Carlosein:
so put your mouth more in our tory _{until we pour you hot water}

abeg mine color do me as i dey so, i no wan turn to abino like Ebos

Carlosein:
true talk my sister, but how can you say you love us if you don't

Who talk am my love has no bound.

Carlosein:
Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
1 Cor 12:31-13:13

[b]Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.[/b]

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the tenstringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel
Lk 7:31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Division, incest, neglect of the poor, abuse of spiritual gifts, pride - How sad St. Paul must have been to hear such reports about the Corinthians church! He could tell that all these elements were the result of mixing worldly philophies with the purity of the gospel. The Corinthians thought they were spiritual and wise, but the true fruit in their behavior and in their relationships showed that they were still very immature. In essence, the Corinthians' problem was that they had lost sight of hte centrality of love - the love of Christ that had first touched them and led them to conversion. "Love" is such a commonly used word, yet it remains one of the most difficult to define. It seems everyone has their own understanding or expectation about what love looks like or feels like. What does scripture teach us? According to St. Paul, love is primarily a revelation from the Lord - a powerful unveiling of God's love for us and for the whole of creation. This revelation of love purifies our emotions and guides us to right decisions. It leads us to repentance and faith as it teaches us that, no matter how intelligent, gifted, or "spiritual" we may be, all our work can amount to nothing if it is not rooted in our loving Father. Paul sought to bring healing to the Corinthians by urging them to recall the love they had received in Christ. He knew that if they could just come in touch with this love once again, they would be able to make sense out of their situation and come together again in unity. Do you feel as if you have strayed from the centrality of God's love? Spend some time prayerfully re-reading this chapter, substituting the name of Jesus where Paul used the word "love."
Ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh outpouring of the love of Christ. Ask him for a greater revelation of our Savior. Fix the eyes of your heart on the one whose riches are inexhaustible and whose gifts never fail. He never tires of giving us more and more of his love! "Holy Spirit, open my eyes. Show me God's love and create in me a deeper love for him and for all my brothers and sisters."

Pamperme:
my battery is really low tonight but will try and send msg 2mrw. Carlov, na true say no ask of me?
or Oby is just being jealous as usual?, well done o

Glory to Jesus

Honour to Mary

that is why is not good involving yourself in matters that does not concern you, especially husband and wife issue. 

Today's Saint

St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)


When Robert Bellarmine was ordained in 1570, the study of Church history and the Fathers of the Church was in a sad state of neglect. A promising scholar from his youth in Tuscany, he devoted his energy to these two subjects, as well as to Scripture, in order to systematize Church doctrine against the attacks of the Protestant Reformers. He was the first Jesuit to become a professor at Louvain.

His most famous work is his three-volume Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian faith. Particularly noteworthy are the sections on the temporal power of the pope and the role of the laity. He incurred the anger of both England and France by showing the divine-right-of-kings theory untenable. He developed the theory of the indirect power of the pope in temporal affairs; although he was defending the pope against the Scottish philosopher Barclay, he also incurred the ire of Pope Sixtus V.

Bellarmine was made a cardinal by Pope Clement VIII on the grounds that "he had not his equal for learning." While he occupied apartments in the Vatican, Bellarmine relaxed none of his former austerities. He limited his household expenses to what was barely essential, eating only the food available to the poor. He was known to have ransomed a soldier who had deserted from the army and he used the hangings of his rooms to clothe poor people, remarking, "The walls won't catch cold."

Among many activities, he became theologian to Pope Clement VIII, preparing two catechisms which have had great influence in the Church.

The last major controversy of Bellarmine's life came in 1616 when he had to admonish his friend Galileo, whom he admired. Bellarmine delivered the admonition on behalf of the Holy Office, which had decided that the heliocentric theory of Copernicus was contrary to Scripture. The admonition amounted to a caution against putting forward—other than as a hypothesis—theories not yet fully proved. It was an example of the fact that saints are not infallible.

Bellarmine died on September 17, 1621. The process for his canonization was begun in 1627 but was delayed for political reasons, stemming from his writings, until 1930. In 1931 Pius XI declared him a Doctor of the Church.

Quote

"Sharing in solicitude for all the Churches, bishops exercise this episcopal office of theirs, received through episcopal consecration, in communion with and under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff. All are united in a college or body with respect to teaching the universal Church of God and governing her as shepherds" (Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office, 3).

Carlosein:
you no say anyting, u only talk.

Carlosein:

Did i say anything? ^{no mind me o}

Pamperme:
Hi everybody. Am so happy and proud to know that this thread is still alive not only alive on the first page. Kudos to you all.
am back a while from sabbatical but i will only be available in the evening, all night crawlers, take note. i miss you guys so much

Miss you all and Love you all,

Carlov, you don get another lover or

As we celebrate Our Lady of Sorrows, may she always be with us as she was with our Lord to the end.

Glory to Jesus

Honour to Mary

Hellooooooooooo,  ,  ,  pam is this really you?  Hope you enjoyed your sabbatical leave    we miss u too, especially carlos i'm sure, despite he never asked after you for once since you left

Today's Saint

St. Cornelius (d. 253)

There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of St. Fabian because of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. During the interval, the Church was governed by a college of priests. St. Cyprian, a friend of Cornelius, writes that Cornelius was elected pope "by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of most of the clergy, by the vote of the people, with the consent of aged priests and of good men."

The greatest problem of Cornelius's two-year term as pope had to do with the Sacrament of Penance and centered on the readmission of Christians who had apostatized during the time of persecution. Two extremes were finally both condemned. Cyprian, primate of Africa, appealed to the pope to confirm his stand that the relapsed could be reconciled only by the decision of the bishop (against the very indulgent practice of Novatus).

In Rome, however, Cornelius met with the opposite view. After his election, a priest named Novatian (one of those who had governed the Church) had himself consecrated a rival Bishop of Rome—the first antipope. He denied that the Church had any power to reconcile not only the apostates, but also those guilty of murder, adultery, fornication or second marriage! Cornelius had the support of most of the Church (especially of Cyprian of Africa) in condemning Novatianism, though the sect persisted for several centuries. Cornelius held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the "relapsed" to be restored to the Church with the usual "medicines of repentance."

The friendship of Cornelius and Cyprian was strained for a time when one of Cyprian's rivals made accusations about him. But the problem was cleared up.

A document from Cornelius shows the extent of organization in the Church of Rome in the mid-third century: 46 priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons. It is estimated that the number of Christians totaled about 50,000.

Cornelius died as a result of the hardships of his exile in what is now Civitavecchia (near Rome).

Quote

"There is one God and one Christ and but one episcopal chair, originally founded on Peter, by the Lord's authority. There cannot, therefore, be set up another altar or another priesthood. Whatever any man in his rage or rashness shall appoint, in defiance of the divine institution, must be a spurious, profane and sacrilegious ordinance" (St. Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).

ebos:
Oby and Carlosein, Shey una see how una thread win award?

So, Lawyer say make we clap for him. Oya, make una begin dey clap now.

i go clap, if only e do the investigaton well to prove sey na him we suppose clap for, shey e bi lawyer?

Carlosein:
soryy oby, i just remember that it was a mail i sent not a text message.

i didn't get the mail either, all the same thank God it has been restored.

Carlosein:
leave hia that things (speaking igbo ) lawyer case no be briefcase o, na real suit case!

U dey mind lawyer, anytime wen e like, e go throw one for here, waka like the lawyer wey e bi

Posted by: Carlosein

chai see typical nigerian lawyer. when we been dey suffer dey keep thread alive, u dey MIA.

now glory don come na you first come show face anyway since you say u don apologize i no go talk too much.

how far with omonile and fake documents now? if u need back up call me oh!

Make i just swallow the word wey i get for lawyer for naw

Posted by: Carlosein  

oby, how now did u get my reply?

congratulations o and all Glory to Jesus with due honour to Mary on this our "sticky" award

as usual, the Church of God works without making too much noise and remains steady as the bark of St. Peter/Joseph.

kedu?

I'm just cool, no didn't get your reply.
correct sticky award
God never lies, his word is Alive and Active.

Gospel
Jn 19:25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

or

Lk 2:33-35

Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

MEDITATION OF THE DAY
No suffering imaginable can compare to Mary's as she witnessed the dying last breath of her beloved son. His words from the cross are mysterious. A dying man, strung up, choking from asphyxiation and fighting for air, shows remarkable concern for Mary, his mother, and John his youngest disciple. He says to Mary, 'Woman behold your son', and to John, 'Behold, your mother,' John records, from that hour the disciple took her to his home.' These brief, but immensely rich and deep verses from John's Gospel have two levels of meaning. The first is literal and the second is allegorical, touching on a deeper mystery. The literal meaning is clear - Jesus loved his mother and wanted to provide for her.
First-century Israel had no benefit system other than the generosity of others - Mary could not work and would have no way of supporting herself. Jesus' love is always practical and real and even from the cross he is serving others. As regards the deeper spiritual and allegorical meaning, the prophet Simeon had foretold that a time would come when a sword would pierce Mary's soul (Luke 2:34-35). In one sense Mary's position at the foot of the cross could be understood as the precise prophetic fulfilment of the 'hour' or moment when, indeed, a sword pierced her soul - the sword of suffering, anguish and pain. Mary's motherhood of Jesus was transfered to a new motherhood, a new maternity: she was to be the mother of the Church. We honour Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, because her role in salvation history was to be, if you like, the first believer, the first disciple. She embraced God's plan for her life, and Jesus calls all believers to invite her into their homes. We are called to honour Mary, thank God for her and seek to penetrate the mystery revealed at the foot of the cross. "Indeed this is the hour Jesus spoke about when, on the point of changing water into wine, he had said to his mother: "What is there between you and me, women?" "My hour has not yet come." This hour which had nto yet come, and which he had announced, was the hour of his death when he would recognize (as mother) her from whom he was born as mortal." (ST. AUGUSTINE).

JOURNEY WITH THE SAINTS
The acceptable offering of spiritual purification is accomplished not in a man-made temple, but in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters. ST. LAWRENCE JUSTINIAN.

lawyer:
I hope say una never forget say na me invent the idea say make we for catholic thread ignore all those catholic haters and bashers and if they see no one to talk to, they will live us jejely and move to other threads.

As una see say we blank them 100%, e remain only catholics for here after more than one year. So abeg make una clap for me o jare!, lol

How una dey!

Oby, ebos and carlosein, before una yab me, i don apologize no vex, catholics for life!

Lawyer Is that really you?