To be in Community – Proof of Our Love to God

          We often tell God and other people that we love Him. Yet the Lord is very clear when He said that “Whoever confesses that he loves God yet hates his brother is a liar.” Hence, our love for God should overflow by loving our neighbors. This will be much easier to express when we are in community. He is calling us to prove our love for Him by loving those in the community in spite of many differences. In being a community, we are further called on to serve since this is a fruit of genuine love. Service means working out of perfect love without expecting any affirmation, consolation nor payment in return. It is voluntary and not an obligation. It is not considered a responsibility nor a burden but a blessing and an opportunity for grace to come in. Our community is suppose to increase our love for God even more as it is a special calling to be together in union with Christ. Hence, it is also important that we always come together and pray so that we can become light to those are still in the dark.  J

          Praise God for the gift of communities.  

The Spider and the Starfish

2 Kinds of an Organization

First one is the Spider. The spider has a head and builds a network. Everybody is connected to the head and listens to it. 

Second is the Starfish. This does not have a head yet the parts send signal to one another and each part cooperates. When an arm is lost, a new one soon grows in its place while the cut part will become a new starfish. Amazing isn’t it? 

The BREVS is both. We have a head for us to practice obedience and to make sure that our actions are discerned well according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We build a network so our evangelization will have a wider scope. Our community practices team leadership too. All of us are given special talents and intelligence. Hence, we contribute, cooperate and support each other as long as it is according to the will of God for our community. Everybody has its own role in the community. As much as we want to stick together, there will come a time that God will send somebody out for another mission and that Brev should multiply itself for His greater glory. As for the position he/she left, a promising Brev will take over to learn and grow until he/she is ready to be sent out as well. Thus will be our cycle. J 

The Golden Box and the Black Box

 A man was given two kinds of boxes – a golden box where he could put all his blessings in, and the black box where he could stock all the problems that he would encounter in life. All throughout his life, he diligently classified the blessings and the problems to their respective boxes. 

When he finally went “home” to our Creator he found his two boxes in heaven. He tried carrying the golden box but was almost impossible to do so as it was fully loaded. He was expecting the black box to be heavier but when he carried it, he was surprised to have lifted it up using a finger. He opened the box and saw that it was startlingly empty. He wondered why and started examining the black box. He discovered that it had a hole and a pipe connected to the golden box. All the problems had been actually drained from the black box to the golden box and eventually became blessings. J (story from the talk of Bo Sanchez during the Light of Jesus Community's anniversary celebrated here in Baguio)

Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace.
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep.
We pray for healing, for prosperity.
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering.

All the while, You hear each spoken need.
Your love is way too much to give us lesser things.

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life, are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear.
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near.
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love.
As if every promise from Your word is not enough.

All, the while, You hear each desperate plea.
And long that we'd have faith to believe.

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life, are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win;
We know that pain reminds this heart, that this is not, this is not our home.
It's not our home.

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments, or the aching of this life;
Is a revealing of greater thirst that a world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights;
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Calling Us to the Mountain

          Many people come up to Baguio for seminars, recollections, training, and retreats. Ever wondered why?    It is because transformation takes place in the mountains.  Remember where the 10 commandments were given?  Where the transfiguration happened?  Didn’t Jesus love to pray alone up on the mountains?  There are many significant events we find in the Bible about God manifesting His power and love through the mountains.  Even our saints had their mystical experiences with God up there.

Everyday we need to climb our own mountains no matter how hard it may be.  It is when we make a choice to meet God that we are able to gain wisdom on what to do.  The journey maybe tiring but once we are up there and acknowledge that the greatness of the mountain is nothing compared to the greatness of its Creator, we find ourselves at peace and full of realization from the experiences during the climb.  We go back down transformed – what a miracle!  J

Breviarian Big Tent Festival: brevcHacHi's letter - BBTF 9 Director's Notebook

Breviarian Big Tent Festival: brevcHacHi's letter - BBTF 9 Director's Notebook:

We have been given a special task that while we are growing in His grace, we have the responsibility of making others walk with us in this journey. This is not a burden we would have to carry; rather, a chance to express our love to Him by obeying and heeding His call of service. It is my hope that as we renew ourselves during this camp, others may join us. May all of us have the heart of worship and learn holy humility. Pray always.  more

B-U-S-Y

This is an email I received few years ago.  Worth sharing... ;-)

SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy)    

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
 In his opening address he said,
 "We can't keep Christians from going to church."
 "We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."
 "We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour."
 "Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."
 "This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
 "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
 "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
 "Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
 "Keep them from spending time with their children."
 "As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
 "Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."
 "This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
 "Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
 "Invade their driving moments with billboards."
 "Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives."
 "Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
 "Give them headaches too! "
 "If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
 "That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."
 "Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
 "Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
 "Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
 "Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."
 "Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"
 "It will work!"
 It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
 Having little time for their God or their families.
 Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Are you B-being U-under S-satan's Y-yoke (BUSY)?

Miracles...

HSI Library - 12 Myths Every Catholic Should Be Able To Answer

Are you ready to answer these questions?

HSI Library - 12 Myths Every Catholic Should Be Able To Answer

1. "There's no such thing as absolute truth. What's true for you may not be true for me."
2. "Christianity is no better than any other faith. All religions lead to God."
3. "The Old and New Testaments contradict one another in numerous places. If an omnipotent God inspired the Bible, He would never have allowed these errors."
4. "I don't need to go to Church. As long as I'm a good person, that's all that really matters."
5. "You don't need to confess your sins to a priest. You can go straight to God."
6. "If the Church truly followed Jesus, they'd sell their lavish art, property, and architecture, and give the money to the poor."
7. "Dissent is actually a positive thing, since we should all keep our minds open to new ideas."
8. "Properly interpreted, the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Rather, it weighs against promiscuity -- whether homosexual or heterosexual. Therefore, we have no reason to oppose loving homosexual relationships."
9. "Catholics should follow their conscience in all things...whether it's abortion, birth control, or women's ordination."
10. "Natural Family Planning is just the Catholic version of birth control."
11. "Someone can be pro-choice and Catholic at the same time."
12. "People's memories of their past lives prove that reincarnation is true...and that the Christian view of Heaven and Hell is not."

Author : 12 Claims Every Catholic Should Be Able to Answer." Crisis e-letter (June, 2003). Copyright © 2003-2004 Deal Hudson. All rights reserved.

Breviarians: PRAYER

Breviarians: PRAYER:                

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

- St. Therese of Lisieux

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought to “(Lk. 18:9-14) are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.  Read more...

Gara's Open Letter

30 – B Bengao Rd.

Baguio City

August 11, 2012

God Almighty

Chief Executive Officer

All Created Things Inc.

9 Clouds St., Heaven

Kingdom Of God

777

Dear God Almighty:

                You may have learned about the grave situation our world is facing right now. I am deeply ambiguous due to the fact that the Saints’ corporation, which is famous for its good stand against the company of Lucy, is really declining by number. The enigma of this problem is another predicament, because it will be a truthful statement that no one or no soul can be with you anymore when Saints’ Corporation will be permanently closed.

               

                Let me discuss one major problem that suffocates our very deep soul. Nowadays Sir, equity will be a foul dream for everyone. His share on anything that you have purely created is not reachable at all. To gnaw is all that can be done to survive. Many people have been preoccupied by ambition, fame and power. Forgetting the true desires of their hearts, to live in solitude, as you have directed. However, morality still survives.

                As your creation, I would like to appeal to your generous and kind heart. If you can donate more angels to blow our impurities away. And please sir, may I also request for some reservations in your vast land there in your kingdom for us to leave all our futile ways here. The president of the Lucy Company had already made his biggest offers but still I suggest that your divine providence is much better.

                I sincerely hope for your prompt answer regarding this matter. Thank you and we exalt you!

Respectfully yours’

Mary Grace Ann Soriano-Maigue

Member

(Breviarians-Saints’ Co.)

Outreach Experience - Raymond

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.


Here's a video of Raymond Manongdo speaking about his experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.

Outreach Experience - Christian Anne

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.


Here's a video of Christian speaking about her experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.

Outreach Experience - Kirby

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.


Here's a video of Kirby speaking about his experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.

Vespers Reflection on RH Bill

Here are some Vespers Reflection Videos that may help us reflect on our stand regarding RH Bill.

RH BILL IS ANTI-FAMILY

THE CULTURE OF DEATH

IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME

For more videos, visit Vespers Reflection

Aya on RH Bill

RH BILL: There will always be a difference in opinion on this because of the diversity of our human experiences. Perhaps, it wouldnt be fair, also, to villify the Catholic Church for standing up for its belief system, what would be more appalling is if they allowed the passing of this bill without a fight. That, to me, would raise more questions of whether or not Mother Church's core values are st

ill intact. I understand the frustration among my brethren, some of the recent ways of the church may not sit well with you, but thats probably the church taking aggressive moves to ask people for our support. Being Pro RH bill does not make you a bad Christian and the Catholic Church is not a bad faith, they are merely responding to the call of their vocation. PRO-CHOICE!

Outreach Experience - Dianne

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.

Brev Dianne got the opportunity to be the program coordinator of the said event.  She also had her first ever talk addressed to the children.

Here's a video of Dianne also speaking about her experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.

Outreach Experience - Angel

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.

Here's a video of Angel speaking about her experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.

Outreach Experience - Brev Aimee

Last June12, 2012, we went to an orphanage of abandoned children at Wangal, La Trinidad to celebrate the birthday of our beloved head, Alex Manongdo.

Here's a video of Aimee speaking about her experience and reflection during one of our Vespers.