...a Gift, Not a Reward.

Just about everyone who ends up listening to the Mass celebrant's homily today has almost certainly been baptized in spirit and made some kind of commitment to walking in the Lord's footsteps from now on.

Ideally speaking, that would mean to say that all the parts of our lives should be well integrated and in full alignment with one another.

For example, our conduct in the parish parking lot after Mass should match the way of living we prayed about just minutes earlier.

Furthermore, the conduct in our household, the business practices, and the private lives that we have for the day should be well aligned and matched with our faith commitment and the example of Jesus.

To make it short, our deeds and actions for the day should match the words of faith that we have kept to ourselves.

But the way i look at it, that's not the way it works with us in reality.

Because whether we admit it to ourselves and to others, there are locked rooms in everyone of us; sometimes they are full of secrets; sometimes their contents maybe even well known to all, but still locked in any case, and cut off from the rest of the "house"- that is our very own life.

Our goal therefore, as we strive and struggle to grow more holy and more whole is to open those rooms, face what's inside, and re-align what's in there to match what's best in us.

It may even take a lifelong process, one that in fact will not be finished even the day when we face our death.

Thus, as we face the Lord after we've taken our last breath after a lifetime of labor, we should not to say, "Lord, I've come to claim my reward." Rather, we must say, "Lord, I've come to receive your gift."

We should know better now that more than anything else in Heaven's sake, the eternal life we have always hoped for, remains a gift that our Father wants to give us, not because we've earned it but because He gives it to us as His gift but not His reward.


Happy Friday to all .....

super hero

Today is the feast day of St Luke and as the day's event went on, it came to pass that i will be the one to cook for the day's festivity.

The whole morning was spent at the kitchen preparing for the 1:20Pm Main meal. I have been used to the routine in the kitchen as i have been doing it for almost seven years now. work in the kitchen is physically demanding as the one assigned to cook and prepare for the main meal must prepare six kinds of foods to be served at table. Newcomers find the work taxing, burdensome and problematic, but for Seniors like me, working as cook entails no big deal...

The main meal went on as scheduled. After the main meal, monks assigned to do other kitchen works like dishwashing, stove cleaning, and refectory clean-ups did their job. During this time, monks are allowed to talk and make conversations while the work is being performed. It lasts until 2:10Pm, then afterwards, silence is imposed and everybody should stop from whatever interesting topics or stories they may have engaged into, in order to resume the silent mode of the community.

After the main meal and during their washing-of-dishes and refectory-works, I received comments of approval and commendations from the monks about the foods served at table. The monks, especially the Whites and Mexicans, are usually vocal in what they feel about the food they eat at table.

And from the words and phrases I received from them, one struck me. And in some point, it moved me and gave an emotional impact upon me.

He said: "brother Lawrence, the chicken was very delicious. You are my super hero who saved me from my hungry palate and my aching-starving stomach"...

The phrase was said in a jolly mood as the monk showed a striking smile in his face as he went away and went back to his work at the dishwashing area.

The incident made me think that in a community like mine, every one is a gift to every one...to be used for the good of the community and mankind!

And I think that to function well and answer to the expectations of the community , one has to be patient. One has to be forbearing.

Cooking for a big number of persons per se is not an easy job, and one must give himself to be able to do what is right and pleasing to everybody.

to end up my reflections for today, let me quote what someone has said: "Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them,cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours---just to get a glimpse of the one...who taught them to hold on a second longer."

I believe there's a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble and finally allows us to give ourselves selflessly for the welfare of others.

The Beloved Physician

St. Luke (Evangelist) lived in the first century, and is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was a Gentile, making him the only non-Jewish author in the entire New Testament.

Luke had a Greek background and education, and was likely born in Antioch. He is often identified as a doctor, for St. Paul referred to him as "our beloved physician" (Col 4:14).

The latter part of the Acts of the Apostles (beginning with 16:10) is written in the first person, suggesting that Luke accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys, writing of firsthand experience. Paul himself referred to Luke on several occasions, stating in one of his letters to Timothy that Luke was at that time his only companion (2 Tm 4:11).

Scholars are uncertain as to when Luke wrote his Gospel. It is commonly dated between A.D. 75-85, though some experts are convinced of an even earlier date of composition. Luke's Gospel is a gospel of mercy; it emphasizes Jesus' identification with the poor and the lowly, and His willingness to forgive sinners. Yet it is also a demanding gospel, for it shows that being a follower of Christ requires sacrifice and commitment.

It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke that we have a full account of the Annunciation of the mystery of the Incarnation to the Blessed Virgin, of her visit to St. Elizabeth, and of the journeys to Jerusalem (9:51; 19:28).

He relates six miracles and eighteen parables not mentioned in the other Gospels. He wrote the book called the Acts of the Apostles as an appendix to his Gospel, to prevent false relations by leaving an authentic account of the wonderful works of God in planting His Church and of some of the miracles by which He confirmed it.

As well as of physicians and surgeons, St. Luke is the patron Saint of painters of pictures. A writer of the earlier sixth century states that the Empress Eudokia had a century before sent to St. Pulcheria from Jerusalem an icon of our Lady painted by St. Luke.

Other pictures were afterwards attributed to him; but St. Augustine states clearly that nothing was known about the bodily appearance of the Virgin Mary. On the other hand there can be no question of the many subjects suggested to so many artists by St. Luke's descriptions of events in his writings. In accommodating the four symbolical representations mentioned in Ezekiel to the four evangelists, the ox or calf was assigned to Luke; St. Irenaeus explains this by reference to the sacrificial element in the beginning of his Gospel.

Reading Luke's gospel gives a good idea of his character as one who loved the poor, who wanted the door to God's kingdom opened to all, who respected women, and who saw hope in God's mercy for everyone.

The reports of Luke's life after Paul's death are conflicting. Some early writers claim he was martyred, others say he lived a long life. Some say he preached in Greece, others in Gaul. The earliest tradition we have says that he died at 84 Boeotia after settling in Greece to write his Gospel.

A tradition that Luke was a painter seems to have no basis in fact. Several images of Mary appeared in later centuries claiming him as a painter but these claims were proved false. Because of this tradition, however, he is considered a patron of painters of pictures and is often portrayed as painting pictures of Mary.

He is often shown with an ox or a calf because these are the symbols of sacrifice -- the sacrifice Jesus made for all the world.

Luke is the patron of physicians and surgeons.

Happy feast day to all parishes that carry St Luke as their patron saint.

Do you wish to be thrown to the lions, too?...

Today, we remember one of the truly important leaders of the early Christian Churches and one of the closest links to the time of Christ: St. Ignatius, who was born in about the same year Jesus was crucified, and who served for 38 years as the bishop of Antioch, the second largest city in the Roman Empire.

Like Christ, and for confessing Christ, he was executed under Roman imperial rule in the year 107. He wrote wonderful letters to various Christian communities about the meaning and glory of their discipleship, about the Eucharist as "the medicine of immortality, the antidote against death, and ever-lasting life in Jesus Christ."

Above all, he urged unity among Christians and encouraged their perseverance in faith during times of persecution. When it was his turn to suffer and die for Christ, he was ready --longing, as he said, "to be an imitator of my suffering God."

He even wrote words urging his people to pray for him, and not to try to plead for his release, that he might not be deprived of the supreme grace of dying with and for Jesus Christ.

These words have now become famous in the annals of Christianity: "...I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness. Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread. Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim for God."

This wish and prayer were fulfilled; Ignatius was cast to wild lions in the Roman Amphitheater and died a martyr's death in 107 A.D.


reflecting on the life and death of St Ignatius, I invite you to meditate on this wonderful example of witnessing to Christ and on the above words of Ignatius' longing.

We can also reflect on and pray over the words of Paul and of Jesus in today's first reading and the Gospel. Paul's exhortation is an extended reflection on Jesus' warning against judging others.

Basically, Paul is saying, Do not ever, ever, ever condemn or judge anyone! If you do, you are only condemning yourself, and that is totally contrary to God's way of being.
For God treats us all, whatever our sinfulness and wickedness, with "priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience."

"There is no partiality with God." Let us all give this a careful examination!

Finally, as a Church, especially those of us who have been given some authority, we need to pay close attention to the severity of Jesus' words to the scribes, Pharisees, and scholars of His day.

Don't we all, at times at least, do what Jesus abhors and severely rebukes in the religious leaders of His own time: imposing on others burdens (obligations) that are too hard to carry without ourselves lifting a finger to touch them?


We have lots of repentance to undergo! That could be as discouraging for us as it is for the victims of our mis-use of authority.

But we, too, if we are willing to repent, have nothing to fear. For God is always our refuge, our rest, our rock, our hope, our salvation, as we are reminded again in today's Psalm. We need never be disturbed, as long as we trust in God alone!

Peace to you all and happy Wednesday!!!!!

Gregorian chant...monks in concert

To view more pictures of our concert, click here: 1, 2, 3, 4



The high desert country of Nothern New Mexico is rich in natural diversity although the human population is modest. In the exquisite Rio Chama Canyon far from the nearest town of Abiquiu lies the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. Here, a community of monks follows the Benedictine way of life by engaging in prayer, study and manual labor in a quiet atmosphere of brotherly love.



Each day, the wilderness wind carries the sound of tolling bells and the singing of Gregorian and Byzantine chants which hearken the medieval antiquity and reflect the heart of contemporary Christian Monasticicm and brotherhood.



Gregorian chant or plainsongs consists of about 3,000 melodies and comprises the very heart of the musical repertoire of the Roman Catholic Church. It is performed in any of 8 basic modes , 7 of which were given names identical to those used in ancient Grecian musical theory. Some chants belong to specific periods in the Liturgical Calendar which include Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, while others are ever appropriate in Ordinary time.



In 1996, the monks compiled their monastic chants representing all the seasons of the Liturgical Calendar in a CD.



In August 13, 2005 they were invited to participate in the Sta Fe Chamber Music Festival showcasing a variety of performances in the different areas of Music. Their chant onstage was recorded live by Matthew Snyder Recording Service of Burbank, California, USA and by permission, the CD has been produced and released.



Chants in this playlist are representatives of the Cycles in the Liturgical calendar observed by the monks in the Monastery of Christ in the Desert.

shifting gears....

today is somewhat a different day for me as i had it spent with the gifsthop manager of my community... A benedictine nun Sister Kateri, OSB of the sisters of Our Lady of the Desert: our neighboring Benedictine community for women.



Yesterday, I was taken aback and was actually tongue tied (i said to myself, it's better not to say anything, affirmation nor negation) when my superior told me in our Sunday afternoon recreation with the monks, that i will be taking over the work of our giftshop manager the soonest time possible.



In my mind, i was asking him, "Why me? Why not assign other monks who have backgrounds in Business, Accounting, or Marketing? I was a classroom teacher! and I had nothing to do with sales and market. Why scrape kateri out from the giftshop when she has been performing her work well and and functioning as the manager superbly?" But I remained very quiet and had to accept the challenge of shifting gears with the current head of our giftshop out of obedience.



So, today, my baptism of fire started: I, and Sr Kateri, went to Sta Fe specifically to run errands for numerous apppointments that had something to do with the giftshop's sales, website, supplies, office supplies....



So that would mean several stops to business shops; talk to store owner-managers; familiarize myself with the store locations; get myself acquainted with routine that goes with purchases and sales and be introduced to our suppliers whom to contact with in ordering these and those stuffs.....etc. All of these errands needed to be done and be accomplished before sunset...



And so, with a bright hope in my mind, I asked myself and posed a big challenging question in my head while we were heading to Sta Fe: "Will I survive?...The answer to that question should and must be: "I will survive, so help me God!"



our first stop: at Rapid refill Ink Store



our second stop was at Wal-Mart



our third stop was at Buena Mano



our next stop was at jackalope.

















The next shop we visited was at Joann's.









next was at Michaels.









Last stop was at World Market.









when I arrived at the monastery, I drove the nun to her monastery, went back to my monastery, got my superior's blessing, then ran to my room and dropped down my bed and slept (plakda!)....



When I woke up- I had to blog these images, but found out that Blogger.com's ADD IMAGE option in create post box was disabled so, i had to resort to my photobucket account and had these images posted in their original sizes. Please bear with them.

Teresa of Avila...nun receiving a message from a dove!

Since Monday is my town-trip day i urged myself to post this for you.....


She is Also known as
Teresa de Avila; Teresa of Jesus; Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada; The Roving Nun; Theresa of Avila

Memorial
15 October; 27 August (Transverberation of her Heart)

Profile
Spanish noble, the daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Doña Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints, and playing at "hermit" in the garden. Crippled by disease in her youth, which led to her being well educated at home, she was cured after prayer to Saint Joseph. Her mother died when Teresa was 12, and she prayed to Our Lady to be her replacement. Her father opposed her entry to religious life, so she left home without telling anyone, and entered a Carmelite house at 17. Seeing her conviction to her call, her father and family consented.

Soon after taking her vows, Teresa became gravely ill, and her condition was aggravated by the inadquate medical help she received; she never fully recovered her health. She began receiving visions, and was examined by Dominicans and Jesuits, including Saint Francis Borgia, who pronounced the visions to be holy and true.

She considered her original house too lax in its rule, so she founded a reformed convent of Saint John of Avila. Founded several houses, often against fierce opposition from local authorities. Mystical writer. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 27 September 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

Born
28 March 1515 as Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada at Avila, Castile, Spain

Died
4 October 1582 at Alba de Tormes in the arms of her secretary and close friend Blessed Anne of Saint Bartholomew; body incorrupt; relics preserved at Alba; her heart shows signs of Transverberation (piercing of the heart), and is displayed,too.

Beatified
24 April 1614 by Pope Paul V

Canonized
12 March 1622 by Pope Gregory XV

sign of progress?

Let me just show you what they did to the wilderness that i used to visit and spend my spare time during my monastic walks on free days and on holidays at the monastery!!!!!!....a sign of progress? maybe!

I was tagged...bout my workplace

Quoting Vera she says:“Workplace”-> ito daw yung lugar kung saan nakapwesto ang pc, either office or bahay, at kung saan ka nag-uubos ng oras paggawa ng kung anu-ano...



I've been tagged by my sweet sister Vera so let me show you where I do my work for the community and for my personal concerns.



My workplace is inside my monastic cell. It is situated adjacent to the door and is facing my bathroom wall. Since our cells are stereotyped kind of rooms, I find my workplace so convenient and comfortable. If i need to take a break, I don't need to go the kitchen anymore as i have my sink to give me rescue from my thirst for a drink. If i need to stretch my back for a second, i dont need to go out of my cell as my bed is just four steps away from my work table.

So there you go my friends. presenting to you my workplace...

this is where my laptop is situated. This is where I do my work for the community, that is, validating Visa and Mastercard credit slips. Quite tupsy-turvy, unkempt and really cluttered with papers, pens, and whatnot.



on the left of my laptop is where I pile lots of important things: headset in case i need to listen to music when my mind is saturated with digits and digits ; bunch of keys in case i need to leave my room for an urgent meeting with my superior while at work ; books , Bible, Thesaurus and other references in case i need to look into a documentation of matters concerning credit card hosts and companies , and my blog entries.



on the left of those piles i mentioned, is table calendar for my quick and easy reference of the present date. I always see to it that i don't get confused of what date is stamped on every credit card slip I processed. Another thing: When I get engrossed with my computer works, I tend to forget the date of the day.



three steps away from my laptop is my shelf of many things. Well, I always see to it that i have ready materials for every need that I ought to get in relation to my paper works and my blogworks.



and lastly, a meter away from my back where I am seated, is my lighting fixture! I always see to it that i can easily reach where its switch is in times when there is a need for me to get rid of the dimness and darkness in my workplace. I never fail to put on my sink light as it helps me get myself composed and focused amidst a bulk of works in my workplace.



Now, I won't specifically tag any particular blogger for this matter but the invitation is open to anyone who is willing to do it.

have a blessed weekend to you all!!!!!

Salve Mater..A special devotion to Mother Mary

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

Some thoughts to ponder about our Blessed Mother....

Mary is the Mother of God and our Mother. This is the foundation of our firm confidence in her. Our Blessed Mother always listens to us.

Full of love for her children, our Blessed Mother watches over us and listens to us. Is there any better way to go to Jesus?

Mary was conceived without stain of sin. She remained most pure throughout her life. Now that her feast is approaching, we speak to her about holy purity. This is a virtue we should constantly learn to live, and teach others to live, following the example of Jesus and Mary.

The Virgin Mary attracts the hearts of Christians and keeps them close to Christ. As we try to draw others close to God, let us place this concern in the hands of our Blessed Mother. She will help us to turn our desires into apostolic deeds.

We do apostolate in and through our ordinary life. Our Lord gives us the necessary grace to show others the great value of our daily tasks. God waits for us in our ordinary work. He uses our ordinary life so that we may love Him more and so that we may bring others to love Him, too. In this we imitate Mary, our Mother.

Let us value the deep human dimension of apostolate. In our dealings with others, let us spread cheerfulness and human affection. This is especially important for those who have never heard a kind word nor received sincere Christian help.

Our miseries are great but the protection of our beloved Blessed Mother is even greater. God’s grace shines forth and triumphs in Mary. On our part, we use all the means so that divine grace enters our soul without any resistance or obstacle.

Ikaw lang ang mamahalin

sa bawat pag ikot ng ating buhay,
may oras kailangan na mag hiwalay, puso'y lumaban man walang magagawa.
saan ka, kailan ka muling mahahagkan.... nagkulang man sa atin itong sandali , alam ko na tayo'y magkikitang muli, hanggang may umaga pa na haharapin,
ikaw lang ang mamahalin....

Forever more

There are times when I just want to look at your face
With the stars in the night
There are times when I just want to feel your embrace
In the cold night
I just can’t believe that you are mine now
You are just a dream…

weekend snapshot #6

Weekend Snapshots #6: as what the author says, ....Everybody loves weekend, it is the time for leisure, recreation and other religious activities. And when everyone is having a grand time, you want to capture it and share it with others.
That’s why Weekend Snapshot is here for you.

For a contemplative monk like me, going out of the monastery happens once in a blue moon only and when it does, routine of works and life inside the monastery changes too.
Ordination and Professions of Vows are big proceedings in a monastery. More or less the images that you will see below will give you some ideas on how a religious community of monks conduct a ceremony in a diaconate ordination.

So folks, here they are, my weekend snapshot #6!...
-------------------->>the monk who's ordained a Deacon

-------------------->>the monks' choir in their recitation of Psalms before the start of the Eucharistic Celebration.



-------------------->>Schola led the congregation in their chant.

-------------------->>monks, young and old alike, sang together at the choir

-------------------->>an elderly monk struggling his way back to their cloister building adjacent to their Abbey church after the celebration.




Happy weekend to everyone...

View other participants here

Hey! friends, brothers and sisters, you might want to join Weekend Snapshots. This is a meme open for everyone. For more information, go to this site.

the monastery, recalling the struggles of 40 days and 40 nights

Lk 11:5-13: ...Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.

-------------------->>photo owned by katsushiro of Flickr

...Jesus said to his disciples, "Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived and I have nothing to offer him’. Maybe your friend will answer from inside: ‘Don't bother me now; the door is locked and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything’. But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need. "

"And so I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. If your child asks for a fish, will you give a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give a scorpion? Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those who ask him!"...


Pondering on the Gospel, i shall strongly say, that it is a catechesis on prayer Jesus is giving us. He solemnly asserts that the Father always listens to him as He listens to us.

But at times, we seem to see that reality indicates that it is not always like this, that it does not actually “works” in such this way.

Life is fleeting, and as we watch the years pass by ever faster and faster, we can grow impatient and can even fall victim to despair.

Most of us may think and ask ourselves, "Why is life so hard? I try to pray so hard, do good and do the right things, but why is it that my prayers are still unanswered?" "What kind of friend is God? After all this time, what reason do I have for believing such phrase: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you"?....

And sometimes in great despair, we blurt out in our minds:"It is vain to serve God; and what do we profit by keeping his command?"

Surely these statements may be very disturbing. They may even shake the faith of the Brethren who have been faithful to God and to His Precepts and Commands.

But if we analyze things deeply, we may say that this is because we must pray with an attitude adequate to an effective prayer! The first premise is dedication and perseverance. We must pray never ever feeling disheartened, even if we think our prayer is being ignored, or is not given heed to, right away.

This is the attitude of that inappropriate man calling on his friend's home, in the middle of the night, to request a favor. With his doggedness he will get the loaves he needs.

God is the friend who listens from within to whom is persistent enough. We must believe that He will end up by giving us what we are asking, because in addition to being a friend, He is also our Father. In our own vernacular language: 'Ang magulang ay hindi nakakatiis para sa anak! Ang magulang ay hindi pwedeng matiis na nakikita nyang ang anak nya ay naghihirap.' So, we never should give up on our father. We never should give up praying to God! We should never give up on God!

The second concept Jesus teaches us is confidence and filial love. God's paternity goes far beyond man's paternity, which is limited and imperfect: "Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in Heaven?"…

The third one Jesus is trying to tell us in today's Gospel is that: more than anything else in this world, we have to call for the Holy Spirit and not only for material things. Jesus encourages us to invoke the Holy Spirit, assuring us we shall receive It: ..."much more then will Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Lk 11:13). This petition is always listened to. It is very much like asking the grace of the prayer, as the Holy Spirit is its source and its origin.

Lastly, let me summarize the essence of today's Gospel , that we must pray faithfully and devotedly, because one grace God has not granted us once, He may grant to us some other time. And on our hands, we must humbly place our whole mind in God, and God will place his grace upon us, as He pleases......In His time. In God's time!

Happy Thursday to you all....

Lk 11:1-4: "Lord, teach us to pray..".

--------------->>photo owned by House of Hope of Flickr

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when He had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples". And Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say this: Father, hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also for-give all who do us wrong, and do not bring us to the test".

...meditating on today's Gospel, I can summarize it in a single phrase: ....the best concept and attitude for Christian prayer is that of a child in front of his father.

It is very striking that we can see that the prayer, according to Jesus, is something like a “father-son” relationship. That is, a family matter based on a relation of closeness and love. The image of God as a father speaks to us of a relationship based on affection and intimacy, not on power and authority.

To pray as Christians means to position ourselves in a situation whereby we see God as our father and we speak to Him as his sons. To pray is to talk with God.

But about what?.

About Him. About ourselves and Our Joys, love and reparation, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, and our weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions as well...

When sons speak with their parents they try to transmit, through their words and body language, what they feel in their heart.

We become better praying men and women when our relation with God is more intimate, as that of a father with his son.
Jesus himself left with us his own example.

The way we were: “Is living in a monastery a real struggle?”...

In the morning I went to the tailor shop. Brother Xavier, the tailor, was sitting on the table he uses to cut material for habits. Black garment was draped across his knee. He was mending it. “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “What are you repairing?” I asked. “This is called a cuculla.” I said, brother, you guys use a lot of foreign words.” He smiled.

“Cuculla is another word for on Mother Church ancient tongue.” He held it up so I could have a good look at it. The cuculla is a large robe with huge long sleeves.



“Will I get one of those?” “No, only the solemnly professed monks wear it, however, a black cape is worn by the simply professed monks, the novices and the postulants like you at the 4:00Am Vigils , 5:50Pm Vespers, to Mass and on major feast days and solemnities in cold winter.



"Do you make all the habits and cucullas?" "Yes. Would you like to be assigned in the tailor shop?" "Maybe. I don't know". I said. "Come here, I'll take your body measurements. You'll be getting an old tunic for the time being. When you enter the novitiate, God willing, you'll have a brand new habit".

Then he started getting my measurements with a tape measure: neck, ankles,chest etc etc. "Now, turn around and hold out your arms." Finally he measured the spread of my arms. "Now your neck. There you go, it's all over."



It really was over. Everything that was me was no longer supposed to matter. The old self that I used to be back home would have been killing time at Robinson's galleria in the nights waiting to clear traffic at EDSA. If I were to continue with my work as school teacher, I would still be Albert P. , but now I am supposed to become someone else.



The tailor had just taken my measurements so I could be fitted with a tunic-- enough of it to make me realize that I could no longer behave or think like the old albert. Before the year ended, I would have the scapular and hood. And i would be given a new name. That would be the end of albert P. for sure.



"I've got your measurements," Brother Xavier said. " Oh, yeah, Thank you" I started to leave. "What's wrong Albert?" I wondered if I could tell Brother Xavier. "I feel odd. It just occured to me that I can't be Albert P. anymore" "Why not?" I was Albert P. when i came here last week. But, if i want to become a monk, I'll have to become a whole new person."



Brother Xavier sat on the table and motioned for me to sit beside him. "Child of God," he said, "when we come to the monastery, we're to put off the old man and to clothe ourselves with the new man. You'll learn soon enough that the habit doesn't make the monk. I'm convinced of that after having made habits for monks these past twelve years."



"But how do you become the new man?" I asked.

"By persevering in the monastery until death. That's how long it takes to bump off the old man in a monk. A lot of people think and expect that you have to be exceptionally holy to enter a monastery. But, really, Albert, we're just ordinary guys. Stick around and you'll discover how ordinary we are."



"Is living in a monastery a real struggle?" I asked.

"What isn't? Brother Xavier shrugged. "We have our own peculiar kind of struggle and other people have theirs."



Brother Xavier didn't look that old. I asked him, "When did you come to the monastery?" "Right out of high school." He answered with a smile.



I left the tailor shop feeling confident about my chances for survival at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert.

...in year 2002, two weeks after Valentines day.

Meme Fever part 2: my cat for all seasons!

Fulfilling Becca's tag, I decided to post a separate one of the second part which tells something about your pet cat...



Well, in the monastery, we only have one official and duly recognized cat to roam around any section of the monastery freely, at any time of the day and at any occasion of the community.



Hence, this cat I shall call cat for all seasons, as he is always present wherever and whenever there is trivial or significant event in the lives of the monks of my community...



So, this cat whose name is Cirilo, is not only our one-day cat, but he is our cat in all the days of the week, weeks of the month, months of the year and years of a decade.













There you go my friends, my cat for all seasons…



Instruction:

Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog. Well, just like Becca, I decided not to tag specific bloggers and just make this an open invitation for anyone who would like and can participate.

Lk 10:38-42:...Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed...

...As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord's feet to listen to his words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, «Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?». But the Lord answered, «Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her»...


Meditating on the Gospel, I must say:
Today, as every day, we can learn very much from the Gospel. Jesus, invited to Martha's home in Bethany, gives us a lesson of humanity: ...
He, who loved people, lets people love HIM, for both things are equally important. It would be a serious mistake, with harmful consequences for sanctity, to refuse God's and others' affection , and on another hand, it is dreadful to be anxious or be uncomfortable and much worse, to be jealous of, with someone's affection to God and to His creatures.

Martha or Mary? But..., why opposing those who loved each other so much and loved God too? Jesus loved Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus, and He loves each one of us, too.

On the path of sainthood not any two souls are exactly alike. We all try to love God, but within our own style and personality, without imitating anyone. Our models are Christ and the Mother of God. Do you resent how others treat God? Do you also resent how others treat and show their love to others? Try to learn from this personal piety.

Jesus had observed Martha for quite awhile and had looked into her soul. What HE saw was a woman who was not at peace. She was a good soul who had fallen into the trap of letting the ordinary tasks of daily life overwhelm and rule her days, instead of just the opposite.

That very thing can happen to any one of us, if we forget that we're not walking through our days alone, if we forget that the Lord walks with us.

If we attend to the Lord's presence and trust HIM, He'll give us the courage and strength we need; and He'll help us to keep our vision clear and to know what really matters and what does not. He'll help us to be unmindful, and not to be anxious and uncomfortable of how others love God and His Brethren.

Walking consciously and faithfully with the Lord is the "one thing that is required." Everything else will follow, most especially a calm and a peaceful heart.

Happy Tuesday to us all!....

(Lk 10:25-37): living on the surface?

-------------------------->>image owned by Simon_K of Flickr...

...A teacher of the Law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, "Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?". Jesus replied, "What is written in the Scripture? How do you understand it?". The man answered, "It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus replied, "What a good answer! Do this and you shall live".

The man wanted to keep up appearances, so he replied, "Who is my neighbor?". Jesus then said, "There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrapped them with bandages. Then he put him on his own mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him: "Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back". Jesus then asked, "Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?". The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who had mercy on him". And Jesus said, "Go then and do the same"...

Pondering on today's Gospel....
Today, a Teacher of the Law asks Jesus the kind of question we may have asked ourselves more than once, in our life: "Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?" (Lk 10:25). He wanted to put Jesus to the test. The Master, though, wisely answers what is written in the Scriptures, that is, to love the Lord your God and your neighbour as yourself (Lk 10:27). The key is to love. If we seek the eternal life, we know that "faith and hope will go away, but love will remain forever" (1Cor 13:13).
Any life project, any spirituality, which has no love in its center furthers us away from the actual meaning of our existence.

Most Catholic adults and, indeed, most of their children know the story of the Good Samaritan, which is today's gospel. And most of us would have a ready answer to the question, "According to Jesus, who is my neighbor?" Our answer would be simple and clear: "Everybody," and our answer would be right. But that doesn't close the matter. There's a further question: Is our right answer surface knowledge or dynamic knowledge? Is it strictly correct information, or does it actually affect and determine the way we live?

Jesus' proposal is clear: "Go then and do the same". It is not a theoretical conclusion of the debate but an invitation to live the reality of love, which is not only a vaporous feeling but a behaviour that defeats social denominations and stems from a person's heart. St. John of the Cross reminds us "at the twilight of your life you will only be examined of love".

That's the crucial question for us all, and it can be phrased in another way: How Christian are we, in fact? Does Jesus' teaching determine our priorities, our lifestyle, the way we do business, the way we treat one another, our willingness to forgive, our readiness to help?

So how Christian are you really?

Meme fever: 6 weird things about me!

I got tagged by Becca to write 6 weird things about myself...

but let me just remind you,well, things that are weird in me might not be that weird to you or others and the other way around, so just play along with me and here we go:



I am afraid of the dark and I cannot survive staying in a place that is pitch black. If you want me to freak out and run berserk and go crazy, then try closing the lights in a dining hall or in any enclosed place where light cannot penetrate. Much worse when you do that in the night!....



I cannot sleep when the lights are out...any time of the day! It gives me that creepy feeling..





For me to be able to sleep, whether at daytime or nightime, I must get sufficient and bright, glaring light that must illuminate around me, especially my face, so i could finally go to sleep.



I love eating bread (pandesal) when it's dipped in my hot coffee. I feel a great satisfaction eating it when it's wet with the flavorful taste and aroma of my coffee. I still do it here even without my pandesal. ( I use wheat bread instead).



I am scared of dolls. I cannot stand the presence of them with their small bright eyes staring at me...I hyperventilate and get suffocated.



I cannot ride in an elevator alone. I freak out and get suffocated when I do. There must be other people inside it so i can survive the heigtened feeling of being inside it.



There you go my friends, the six things that are considered weird in me.



Instruction: Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about themselves. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog. Well, just like Becca, I decided not to tag specific bloggers and just make this an open invitation for anyone who would like and can participate.



Happy weekend to you and may the Good Lord keep you and bless you throughout the day and the coming week....

weekend snapshot #5

Weekend Snapshot #5: as what the author says, ....Everybody loves weekend, it is the time for leisure, recreation and other religious activities. And when everyone is having a grand time, you want to capture it and share it with others. That’s why Weekend Snapshot is here for you.



The truth is, I can now feel the slowly going down of the earh's temperature....and for sure, Winter season is just around the corner waiting for Fall to kick itself away....and eventually, tons and tons of snow is slowly and gradually filling up the sky, getting ready to fall any time from now,... but waitttt!!!.... don't let it fall now. Not yet, because i've got to take with me a pack of traces from the Summer that went away ....so without no hesitation, let me show you what i got as my show for my weekend snapshot #5...



i miss this sight...the sight of the last days of summer..the traces of summer...



Happy weekend to everyone...



View other participants here



Hey friends, brothers and sisters, you might want to join Weekend Snapshots. This is a meme open for everyone. For more information, go to this site.

15 hours away from the monastery: a breather!

Monastic life is not at all that boring afterall for yesterday was a day to reckon with, because it was the day when i had to go to town to attend to lots of things.... attend to my dental appointment with Dr Roxanne Collins at El Rito Medical Dental Clinic; do errands for the community brothers,shopping for my medical and dental supplies good for three months, and leisure time with two of my monk-brothers: Dom Anton and Dom Marcus.



Our first station was at El Rito district and we arrived at 9:30Am. So, my itinerary began with my very charming dentist Dr Roxxi, an American Irish dentist ( she wants me to call her by that nickname - and she is still single) who does dental prophylaxis and dental check-up every three months.



the next station we went to was our community's Monk's Corner gifshoppe in Sta Fe. It is an-hour drive from El Rito. We got in the store exactly 12:20Pm from El Rito. Dom Anton had to pick up his incense materials and i had to do errands for our giftshop at the monastery.



Since it was lunchtime already, we decided to take our lunch in Panty Restaurant located at Cerillos Road just nearby the Monk's Corner giftshoppe. We enjoyed our beef steak (nyahahahahahahaahahah-- i get to eat red meat once in every three months- that is, once I go to town for my next regular dental check-up, LOL).



After that sumptuos dinner at Pantry's, we dropped by Whole Foods Market for some personal stuffs we had to pick up. I got my Natural-based Vitamins and organic medicines for my slight pains brought about by tendenitis, (but i am not worried about it since it's just so mild i can still move my elbows comfortably). Anton and Marcus got their vitamins, too.



At this particular time, i really and practically lost track of my timepiece for i became so engrossed with my favorite next stop: Best Buy -where i got my new toy: a brand-new Sony Cybershot DSC W-55!



After Best Buy, we headed back to Espanyola City, a forty-five minute drive from Sta Fe and we went to Wal-Mart for the community brother's errands.Dom Marcus and me while doin our back-to-back shopping for the community brothers.



Dom Anton was telling Carlo to make a good one shot; oh by the way, Carlo is Bro Thomas Aquinas, ObSB (Oblate of St Benedict) our very own Filipino oblate who lives nearby Wal-Mart. When he learned that we were in town, ( Marcus called him while we were heading back to Espanyola) he immediately headed to Wal-Mart to meet and join us in our shopping.



the two monks took charge of the goods we bought at the payment counter, while Carlo intently observed them.



The time was 7:00Pm when we finally finished with our Wal-mart thing and loaded the stuff we bought in the car. Since our arrival to the monastery would be around 8:00PM, and by then, there would be no more food left for us, we agreed to take our supper at Carlo's place since it's just a few meters away from Wal-mart. Me and Marcus had to go back to Wal-mart to buy chicken and sodas for our supper. WE proceeded afterwards to carlo's house.



Shortly after supper, the three decided to make a last hurrah before going back to the monastery, and that is: a sing-along at carlo's videoke set! I did not sing! I went to the CR instead, while the three did their best performance of the night nyahahahaha!





The day ended when we left Carlo's place at 8:20Pm, headed to the canyons and arrived back to the Monastery at 9:30Pm. It was such a very short day! ...and it was indeed the best one for me because the best thing that happened to me on this day was my:

Brother Sun Sister Moon....Happy Feast day to all Franciscans and Capuchins

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), one of the best-known and most loved saints of history, was the son of a wealthy merchant in the Italian town of Assisi. He was a carefree youth who enjoyed parties and extravagance. He was repulsed by lepers and didn't want to help them as some of his wealthy friends, such as Clare of Assisi, would.

After he returned from a war, Francis became convinced of the need to find a deeper meaning in life. He gave away his and his father's riches, much to the anger of his father, and rejected wealth, trying to live out the Gospel completely in a joyful and humble manner.

He heard Christ speak to him from the crucifix of San Damiano, telling Francis to rebuild His Church, which was falling apart. Francis sold some goods from his father's warehouse and used the proceeds to reconstruct the dilapidated church of San Damiano. His angry father disowned and disinherited him, and Francis embraced his new life of poverty.

His simple and sincere faith attracted many followers, and in 1210 Pope Innocent III authorized Francis and his companions to travel about Italy, preaching the Gospel. The pope's favorable decision is said to have been influenced by a dream in which he saw Francis supporting a crumbling church. Francis went about rebuilding church structures, but his mission also included rebuilding the Church, the people of God, through preaching and ministry to the poor of body, mind, and spirit.

Francis and his followers — the Friars Minor (later called the Franciscans) — devoted themselves to poverty, chastity and obedience, living a life of penance and preaching. Their efforts contributed to a major spiritual renewal in thirteenth-century Italy. In 1212 Francis aided his friend St. Clare of Assisi in establishing an order for women based on the same vows of the Franciscan order. Several orders of St. Francis of Assisi now exist, including an order for lay people, the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO).

Francis is especially known today for his gentleness and his great love for all God's creation, especially animals and nature. It is Francis who originated the practice of commemorating the Birth of Christ with the nativity scene.

Though never ordained a priest, Francis was blessed with many spiritual gifts, particularly the stigmata — the wounds in the hands, feet, and side suffered by Christ on the Cross. During his last two years of life, when he was half-blind and seriously ill, Francis remained joyful and humble; he died at the age of forty-four, surrounded by his beloved friars in the little church of the Portiuncula He was canonized only two years later.

Source: article taken from Catholic Exchange

Contemplating on Lk 6 35-42 ...Know yourself:

photo above is owned by katenottle of Flickr...

The theme of the gospel Lk 6: 35-42 is, very clear: hypocrisy, sincerity and truthfulness.
The Greek philosopher, Socrates, said that to be able to discover happiness in life you must know yourself.

We will try to know ourselves deeply, and in knowing ourselves deeply, hopefully rise up from the hypocrisies we harbor in our hearts.
How do we know ourselves? There are some of us who say that we can know ourselves by what we do. in fact, some people may be correct in saying that. You know yourself in terms of what you do. We are identified by our work.

Unfortunately, that is not always a good way to know ourselves. When we do nothing, does it mean that we are nothing already?

Sick people who are bedridden cannot do anything. Are they nothing? They are certainly still somebody. So, we do not judge ourselves simply by what we do.

Some say that you can be known by what you say. That is not always the case. There are times that we are careful with our words because we don’t like to hurt or make enemies. We are very careful with our words because we don’t want to lose our friends.

We do not judge ourselves in terms of what we do, neither in terms of what we say, but in terms of what we think because no one censors the way we think. We think according to our pleasure.
We do things according to what we think is right. We do not always do what we think of.
We always think, and that is the way to judge ourselves so we can really know who we are. Knowing your thoughts, knowing your mind, knowing what you think could be seen as the ways by which we react to situations.

It is very easy to be tolerant. It is very easy to be good. It is very easy to be good and behave inside the church. It is very easy to smile inside the church because everybody seems to be good here.

I will cite to you examples to prove what kind of person you are even though you are inside the church.
When a person goes to communion, he quietly falls in line because he is prepared and very much disposed for it. When he see someone who does not fall in line, an urge to hit this undisciplined person can overcome him. This thought can cross our minds.

We cannot judge a person in an ideal situation but rather in terms of his reaction during times of crisis. Only at the point of crisis, at the point where the situation is not so ideal, will we know our true selves, by the manner we react.

It is very easy to know ourselves if only we will have time to look at our reactions to crisis. We will perhaps fail if we will judge ourselves better by what we think.

Today, I tell you to check your thoughts. If you will check your thoughts, you will be able to know yourself more deeply. If you know yourself more deeply, God will be able to enter into your heart.

But, I am warning you, this examination of thought might be a painful process. This checking of thought might cause trouble and make you afraid.

It can make you realize that you are not the perfect person that you project to be. That you are not the holy person, the good person that you want to be, that people think about you. It might be painful, but I assure you, it is worth it because this kind of pain is the pain that leads to growth.

Child bearing is painful. A mother bears a child although she knows the pain that accompanies childbirth. She endures the pain and discomfort of childbearing because it brings about new life and self fulfillment. This is the kind of pain that I am inviting you to face and carry. The pain of realizing ourselves, the pain of realizing that we are hypocrites in varying degrees.

Let us ask God to make us sincere, to make us honest, to make us truthful.

Pope Paul VI once said, “what the world needs now are not teachers, what the world needs now are not speakers, what the world needs now are witnesses who speak and act the way they think. If speakers and teachers are credible, are important, its is first of all because they have become witnesses.

Let us ask the Lord to make is truthful, honest and sincere

********************

monks' Sunday recreation, ...then and now.

Last night was our last-Sunday-of-the-month recreation for the month of September but since we were very few, we got contented of ourselves making petty conversations while some took time in playing with cards....as usual, they asked me to join them but my usual answer was still the same since the time i arrived in 2002: "I don't know anything about playing with cards"....



those we missed were:

Abbot Philip who is still in Europe right now attending to the Congregation's Provincial Conferences together with the Prior of our community



Dom Christian ,



Dom Hugowho is in Mount Angel College and Seminary taking his second year in Philosophy ,



Dom Paco who's in Rome taking his Masteral studies in The Holy Rule of St Benedict ,



Dom Luis who is in La Soledad Monastery, in Mexico , taking the job of the community's Novice Master ,



Dom Caedmon and



Dom Paul Lavanng who are in St Benedict's Monastery in Polokwane, South Africa helping the community in their monastic observance and all that ,



Dom Dominic who is also in Rome helping the Curia in the office of the Abbot President of our very own Subiaco Congregation and



dom Gerard who is in Concepcion Seminary, Missouri taking his first year in Philosophy.



With them in the house, life is easier and recreations during Sundays will be happier, funnier and crazier...



some images i took last night during the one-hour recreation...

Sunday monastic walk...

it's been awhile since i last took my monastic walk, because of time constraints and emotional burdens which once invaded my whole system these past weeks...



but after getting permission to be relieved from my job in the kitchen as the community's manager, and after days of soul searchings and locking-in-myself inside my cell= i finally found myself feeling an urge to go out in the woods and once again spend the Sunday's blesssings of a freetime of peace and silence...



while taking one round at the cloister corridors, i noticed and thought of taking a snapshot of this centuries-old church bell with me at the background.



when i was about to go down the trail to the wilderness, i heard a sound coming from the Church, so i decided to get in and look who i found inside playing the organ? it's Dom Anton, the organist practicing some pieces for this afternoon's Vespers.



look what i saw! up on the tree is one lonesome raven enjoying the windbreeze and shielding itself from the sun's rays.



the long and winding narrow trail will lead you to the bosom of the wilderness.. in here, i can find satisfaction just by looking around, filling my thoughts with new hopes , with new aspirations, with an inspiration.



the wilderness...the 'mall' of the world where i live... the dwelling place of God's creatures and other wildlife.









a wider and paved trail links the monastery to the guesthouse... Guests wonder in awe as they pass this way from their rooms to the Church at an early 3:50Am for our first prayers of the day: Vigils!



a wandering monk...looking around...gazing at the bluest of a blue sky... enjoying the wonders of God's creations.









there is no mystery, but beauty and grandeur in a monk doing a monastic walk...communing with God through the wonders of His nature!





rushing my way back to the monastery while there is still enough sunlight and heat, and before the cold freezing wind starts to overthrow the sun's heat and warmth...

Today's Gospel (Lk 16:19-31): "Now he is in comfort and you are in agony"...

Jesus said to the Pharisees, Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.

It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham.

The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out: ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire’. Abraham replied: ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us’.

The rich man implored once more: ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment’. Abraham replied: ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them’. But the rich man said: ‘No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent’. Abraham said: ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave'.

Meditating on today's Gospel it says...
Today, Jesus confronts us with the social iniquity direct consequence of the growing inequality between rich and poor. As if belonging to one of these awful scenes we are used to watch on TV, the Lazarus' yarn hits us, and achieves the sensationalist effect to prompt our emotions: «Even dogs used to come and lick his sores» (Lk 16:21). The difference is obvious: the rich man was dressing in purple and fine linen clothes, while the sores covering him were the poor man's only dress.

But the situation is balanced when both die. And, it is now when the difference is reversed: one takes his place with Abraham; while the other, is simple inhumed. If we had never heard this story before and we would like to apply the values of our present society, we might reason out that who reached into Heaven was the rich man and the poor one, logically, buried in the sepulchre.

Abraham, the Father of the Faith, pronounces the sentence spelling the final outcome: «My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony» (Lk 16:25). God's justice changes the situation altogether. God does not allow the poor man to remain forever in anguish, hunger and misery.

This message has moved millions of rich men's hearts and have converted large crowds through history; but, what kind of message will be needed in our over-developed, hyper-communicated, globalized world to make us realize all the social injustices which we are directly responsible of, or, if nothing else, which we tolerate as accomplices?
Whoever heard Jesus' message desired to rest by Abraham's side, but how many, amongst us here, will have enough by being buried when dead, without wanting to receive the consolation of our Father in Heaven? The true wealth is getting to see God, and what we need, as St. Augustine asserted, is: 'Walk with the man and you will reach God". That the Lazarus of everyday help us find God.

John 1:47-51..."You will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man"

Today, in the feast of the Saints Archangels, Jesus manifests to His Apostles and to everybody else, the presence of His angels and their relation with Him. They are in the Lord's celestial glory, where they perennially exalt the Son of man, who is the Son of God. They surround Him and are at His service.


Angels deliver messages. Those who deliver messages of supreme importance are called archangels.... Some angels are given proper names to denote the service they are empowered to perform.... Thus, Michael means 'Who is like God?,' Gabriel is 'The Strength of God,' and Raphael is 'God's Remedy.'"

Michael has been widely venerated by Jews and Christians alike, and because of a passage from the Book of Revelation describing him as leading the angels in the war against Satan and his followers (12:7-9), Michael is considered the patron saint of soldiers. Michael fights against the rebel angels who are cast out from Heaven (cf. Rev 12). He announces, thus, the mystery of his divine justice, which is also exerted against those rebelling angels, while assuring us of his victory —and ours too— over the Evil.

Gabriel is the archangel who appeared first to Zechariah and announced the conception of John the Baptist (Lk 1:10-20), then He is sent to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary the virginal conception of the Son of God... God's plan to make her the mother of the Savior (Lk 1:26-38).

Raphael is the angel who cured the Old Testament hero Tobit of his blindness (Tb 11:7-15). He accompanies the young Tobias, protects and advises him, and, finally, heals his father Tobit.

Michael, Gabriel and Raphael appear, thus, in the Bible witnessing men's earthly circumstances and/or fortunes and bringing them with their presence and their own deeds, those communications that can definitely change our lives. They are precisely named “archangels”, that is, princes of the angels, because they are sent to the greatest missions.

Let us learn from this celebration of the archangels “ascending and descending” upon the Son of man, that they serve God, but they serve Him for our sake. They glorify the Holy Trinity, and they do it while serving us. And, consequently, we realize how much devotion we owe them and how grateful we should also be to the Father who sends them for our own welfre and well being.

weekend snapshots # 4

as what the author says, ....Everybody loves weekend, it is the time for leisure, recreation and other religious activities. And when everyone is having a grand time, you want to capture it and share it with others. That’s why Weekend Snapshot is here for you.

and so, without so much ado, I present to you these images as my weekend snapshot #4…my world is just as vast, huge and as silent as the world of man...

at the end of the day, all retire in their own. all go to their bed of rest , their home for refuge...

after the main meal , around 1:55Pm, i was so delighted upon seeing this post on our white announcement board! it means that we will be sleeping tonight until 5:35Am of tomorrow morning- i am glad because that would mean a longer time for my rest and sleep...

and i am glad that i am back and that i can again show you my smile...


and because of that gladness, i could see and get to appreciate these little creatures around me as silent witnesses of my life's struggles and triumphs over the uncertainties of life (inside and outside)...

and so, i find relief from seeing my name still on my door, that means i am still the tenant of my room and no signs of eviction is taking place now or in the near future until after i have left for my seminary life in August of 2008.

i'm glad i can find pleasure from watching the clouds up the sky...because it means, snow is soon to come...and so, it means more moisture and humidity for us Asian monks who have not gotten used to dryness in where we live.

and i am glad that i can still see myself enjoying the bliss of a weekend even in its most trivial thing: a walk amidst an overcast of clouds up the sky.

Happy weekend to everyone...

View other participants here

Hey friends, brothers and sisters, you might want to join Weekend Snapshots. This is a meme open for everyone. For more information, go to this site.

The way it used to be..."do you know how to play lucky nine?"

I walked with Father Bernard to a room at the end of the corridor. "Now, you'll have to go to the recreation room". I didn't know where it was, so Fr Bernard gave me directions to the middle of the corridor where we just passed. It's where the recreation room was.



My fellow postulants were already in the monks' recreation room, conversing with some of the young Brothers. Most of the middle-aged Brothers were playing cards or reading. I tried joining my batchmates but an oldtimer, who was browsing at the magazine rack, stopped me. "Say, young man, do you know how to play lucky nine?" "What's that?" I asked. "A card game. They're playing it now." "No, Brother. I don't know how." "Don't learn. Card playing is a waste of time." He chosed a magazine called 'Inside The Vatican' and handed it to me, but when i was just about to pick it, he threw it back on the magazine rack. " Who are you?" he asked me. "I'm Alberto Pilarca. I mean Brother Postulant Alberto". "Number seventeen", he said. "That's who you are. That's your laundry number. You're the new seventeen. The old seventeen has gone to Rome for his Theological studies. I'm Brother Xavier, the laundryman. Number seventeen, you come to see me tomorrow and I'll give you a marking pen so you can put your numberon all your clothes. Make sure you do it."

Brother Xavier turned his attention to the magazines again. For pity's sake, he muttered, who swiped 'Lifestyle Magazine'?"

The monks' recreation room was half the size of the refectory. I asked Richard and Eric, "how come there isn't a pool table in this recreation room?" "Where would we put it?" Brother Jude said.I admitted to myself that there was indeed no space for a pool table. "But what do you do for recreation?" I asked. What if you don't play lucky nine and what if you have to wait in line for Lifestyle mag?" "Welcome to the club," Brother Jude said. "That's the way it is here in the recreation room."



The tower bell began ringing and the Brothers clammed up. The Lucky Nine players put down their cards. It was time for Compline. Brother Jude nudged me in the arm and whispered, "Come over to the magazine rack." Lifestyle had been returned and he handed it to me. "Here's what you get after you've waited in line for Lifestyle magazine." I saw that some pages were missing. "What's this all about?" I asked. "We mustn't look at female flesh," he said. "Lingerie ads, the latest swimsuit fashions, the movie stars clad in low cut gown-- anything sexy gets removed." "Who does that?" I asked. "your guess may be as good as mine!", he chuckled as we went out the room for Compline.

at the first week of March, Circa 2002

remembering the martyrdom of St.Lorenzo Ruiz- First Filipino Saint

Lorenzo Ruiz was Filipino, Although his father was Chinese and his mother, Filipina. He was born in Binondo, Manila between 1600 and 1610.

According to the documents cited to proclaim him "Blessed", his parents were devout Catholics. He was christened "Lorenzo" after a martyr during the 3rd century persecution of Christians. his surname "Ruiz" was taken from the last name of his godfather.

In his younger years, Lorenzo served at the convent of Binondo Church, Manila Philippines, as Sacristan.

After several years, Lorenzo Ruiz earned the title of "escribano" or notary. He became an active member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary, an organization devoted to the Blessed Virgin. This group was organized in the Philippines in 1587.

Lorenzo got married but the name of his wife was not mentioned in the documents. He confessed before he was convicted that he was a family man - having a wife with three kids, two boys and a girl.

In 1636, a grave crime was committed in Manila. Authorities conducted a manhunt for Lorenzo because they believed he knew something about it or was himself involved in it. When Lorenzo learned of some missionary priests leaving for Japan, he asked if he could be allowed to join them. And he was allowed aboard the ship bound for Japan, along with the Dominicans, safe from fear of being implicated in a crime.

At that time, there was a wide scale persecution of Christians in Japan. All those who professed faith in God and served as missionaries were jailed and even up to death. Their lives were to be spared if they would renounce their Christian faith. But thousands of Christians chose death rather than renounce their belief in God. And Lorenzo Ruiz was among those who underwent such excruciating forms of persecution.

One of the forms of punishments imposed on Christians was "hanging in the pit" on the hills of Nagasaki. The victims' feet were tied to a beam, the body hanged upside down and the head occupied the amount of the pit. Lorenzo Ruiz went through this agonizing punishment when he refused to renounce his faith.

During the investigation, he answered: "I'm a Christian and I will remain a Christian even to the point of death. Only to God will I offer my life. Even if I had a thousand lives, I would still offer them to him. This is the reason why I came here in Japan, to leave my native land as a Christian, offering my life to God alone."

He was told that he would be put to death if he did not renounce his faith. He said he will never disown his identity as a Christian. It was on September 23, 1637 that he begun to undergo "hanging in the pit".

Lorenzo Ruiz was proclaimed " Blessed" in February 1981 at Luneta, together with 16 other companions, in connection with Pope John Paul II's Papal visit to the Philippines. Thus, of the 17 beatified, 10 were Japanese, 2 Spaniards, 1 Italian, 1 Frenchman. Ten were Dominican Priests, two Dominican brothers, two Dominican nuns, and four lay persons. Only Lorenzo Ruiz was married and head of a family.

He was canonized and declared a "Saint' on October 18, 1987 in Rome. As such, he is now worthy of being venerated and honoured in the Church Altar. His feast day falls on September 28.

The Way it Used to Be..."you mean, we gotta go through this everytime we want to eat?"

The monks were standing at their places on one side of the three long rows of tables. At the front of the refectory (monastic term for dining hall) there was a long table with three place settings. I surmised that the three big shots of the monastery sat there. The table was set in such a way that they face the rest of the monks in the rows. The major superiors, no doubt, keep an eye on the monks while at table.

Brother Andre, the kitchen manager, stationed me and my other two batch-mate postulants Eric May and Richard Scott, at the last table on the row next to the windows (three more postulants came over after three months, which made us six newbies in all). Most of the monks had their hands under their scapulars, and I could hear them rattling rosary beads. I didn't know if they were praying or if they were impatient for the meal to begin.

The Abbot, wearing a very fancy Cross, entered with two other monks following. Abbot Philip is a handsome man. He's well groomed. His habit always has the appearance of having just come back from the laundry. Sometimes when I am near him, which is ain't often, I get a whiff of Old Spice. This is notable because on the list of articles required on a candidate or postulant, a postcript is added: After-shave lotion and perfume is absolutely forbidden in the monastery.

From somewhere in the refectory, one of the monks chanted something in latin. The monks made the sign of the Cross, turned to the large Crucifix and huge icon painting of St Benedict on the wall behind the head table and bowed. Richard wispered to me, "You mean we gotta go through this everytime we want to eat?"

The monks made a lot of noise pulling their chairs away from the tables, but there was not a single voice coming from the rows. When the community was seated, two carts were pushed into the refectory from the kitchen. Six monks wearing white aprons over their habits, distributed the food. No one in the refectory spoke as the waiters slammed the serving dishes on the wood tables. We were the last to be served.

A monk at a lectern announced the title of a book, its author, and began reading it. Some of the monks listened attentively to the reading. The rest were more absorbed in eating, motioning for the waiters to refill the water pitchers, to bring more bread and second helpings of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

The monks at our table who were finished eating began passing their plates and silverware to the end of the row. it seemed like the refectory was the length of a football field and we were seating on the end zone. The traffic ended but we were still eating. The fiery eyes of the monks waiting for the three of us to finish our food were all glued on us.

When we finished with our meals and added our plates to the stack, the Abbot rang a small handbell on his side. The reader stopped in the middle of a sentence and a monk started chanting another latin song.
in the month of May, Circa 2002

The way it used to be..."Am I to be called Brother or Brother Postulant?"

I remember what Fr Anthony ( the principal of the school where I was teaching since 1985) told my mother the last day i reported in school to work on my resignation documents and my separation pay: "you are losing a son but the monastery is gaining a brother." I thought, that was a clever remark but my mother didn’t. Tears came to her eyes again. I couldn’t understand why she was taking it so hard. I thought that by then, she would be relieved to have me going into the monastery. At least my entanglements and so many an insignificant relationships were being terminated….
The date was: February 11, 2002



Prior Christian is the Postulant and Novice Master of the monastery i joined in. He is the Prior of the monastery, too. He explained that as Postulant I will have classes and study periods in the mornings and afterwards will have a three hour and a half work period.

In the afternoons, I will be taking part in the prayers until the rest of the day. On the eve of Thursdays and Sundays, I will be allowed to recreate with the Professed brothers. The rest of the week I had to recreate with myself. I asked the Prior, “if I can work with them, why can’t I be allowed to recreate with them”? Fr Christian answered my question: "You will after you have made profession a year and six months from now."

"When will I get the monastic habit?" I asked. "You will be given your habit tomorrow, the blue tunic and belt, that is". "The long black tunic will be given to you on the day you take your novitiate and its scapular with hood sewn to it will be given to you at novitiate investiture". "Tomorrow morning, you will go to the tailor shop so Brother Xavier can take your body measurements". "The habit must be worn at all times. You may remove it when you go to sleep at night.” the Prior added with a stern look but a grin on his face.

Then he proceeded to tell me about proper titles. I was expected to sign my name always with Brother- before it. "Titles are very important in the monastery", he said.

"You will receive a religious name when you become novice but you don’t have to go into that now. Also when you are already a novice, you may begin to use the intials O. S. B. -Order of Saint Benedict- after your name". "And you will write Brother Novice before your name". "This is all very confusing", I said.

He ignored me and went on at great length about the importance of using proper titles. "Father Abbot, Father Prior, and Father Superior , the three top officials of the monastery must always be addressed by their proper titles".

"And never use nicknames", he said. "If that happens, it should be confessed at culpa, the private and public acknowledgment of faults". he exclaimed with another grin on his face.(More about culpa at another post).
"Am I to be called Brother Alberto or Brother Postulant Alberto?" "Either will do". He replied. The date was: February 16, 2002

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

coping up with the longest journey...

In my community, monks are allowed to go on a home visit under ordinary circumstances once a year for only twenty five days inclusive of a round trip travel time.



In circumstances that don't fall under the ordinary like death of a sibling, or a serious illness of parents, a monk is allowed to go home for a maximum of three weeks inclusive of a round trip travel time. such is stipulated in our Customary Practice.



whenever a monk is sent home for these reasons other than the ordinary, travelling by land or by air seems like a lifetime... Heightened emotions like restlessness, uneasiness, nostalgic moments, and boredom usually take over and capture him all throughout his trip or flight. It seems like getting back home entails eternity.





Now, my reflections to tell: These Ten Realities at random are what a monk (or even an ordinary one like you) thinks, feels believes in and experiences whenever circumstances beyond the ordinary occurs in his life.



1. Losing a loved one is like having the rug swept from under him.



2. The tragedy never goes away. He just learn how to cope with it and keep moving on.



3. He really never gets over the loss of a loved one. He just tries very hard to get on with his life.



4. when he is grieving, pity is one of the emotions that surfaces and the shock will create irrational thoughts especially when he has gone through so much.



5. It appears unbelievable and he really would not have imagined that he would still be sane today, but he is.



6. Time is a good healer, but family is the greatest support that he can ever have.



7. He realizes that his experience would allow him to reach out to others and make a difference in the life of others who may still be grieving or have just lost a loved one. He Doesn't give up hope ever.



8.There is no way he could have done all he did without being in the denial stage of grief. He goes through the motions, but does not believe any of it. He kept his feelings in check because he doesn't want to upset his mother any longer. He also goes through the guilt state of wishing that he were the one who died instead of his sister.



9. He Keeps on living and he will be healed of his grief one day, but he must remember to stay close to his family in the process.



10. He also goes through the guilt state of wishing that he was the one who died instead of his sibling. He feels guilty for being the one who is still alive. He wasn’t able to deal with his feelings right away because he was thinking more about how to comfort his mother.

Need i say more?







this one was an image taken by Rebecca , a very dear one, who took her precious time just be able to meet me for an eyeball (for the first time) at Tom Bradley Int'l Airport terminal Los Angeles, while waiting for my 11:45Pm flight to Hongkong.





some random images i took minutes before my plane took off.









while in the Philippines, some blog friends took their time despite their busy and hectic schedules to meet me for an eyeball (first time , too) that turned out to be very fulfilling and remarkably memorable one.



There are, indeed, a million things that friends can do, like drying one's teardrops in his eyes and lending a shoulder to lean on in times of great anxiety and distress.



jeprocks and iRonnie at Saisaki restaurant Ayala Center with me.





Sasha with me in a restaurant at SM North EDSA, in which it's name slipped my memory.





BrVince with me in his receiving room.





Wendy and Karen with me at Shakey's QC.



To you, my dear friends, i thank you so sincerely.

Luke 16: 1 - 13...You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money

photo owned by storm crypt of Flickr

Text
1 Jesus told his disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
2 And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
3 And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.'
5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?'
6 He said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
7 Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?' He said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
10 "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches?
12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself both to God and to 'mammon' (personification of wealth and avarice as an evil spirit)".

my reflections:
Today's Gospel gives us an astounding impact on how we should conduct ourselves in dealing with God and to one another in the pursuit of wealth and money.

We are reminded once again that material goods and wealth are necessary and good, because they come from God's hands. Consequently, we have to prize them.

But we cannot “worship” them as if they were God and the ultimate meaning or purpose to our existence.

Let us give ourselves a clear understanding that riches are meant for us only to better serve God and men, our brothers; but not to expel God from our heart and our deeds: as what in (Lk 16:13) says, "You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money".

Do not let greed drag us along; we have to practice liberality, which is a virtue we should all have, whether rich or poor, each one depending upon his circumstances.

We have to give others; share them what we have!... What if I have enough for my own expenses? Yes, but you must also try to increase your wealth to be able to give more (parish, diocese, Caritas, apostolate, monasteries).

Remember St. Ambrose's words: "It is not part of your worldly goods what you give to the poor; what you are giving them is already theirs. Because you have appropriated what has been given for the fulfillment of all. Land belongs to all, not only to the rich".

Luke 8: 4 - 15... Seeds not fruits

text:
4 And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:
5 "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
8 And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." As he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant,
10 he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.
13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
15 And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.

my reflections:
One time, i went to 'Whole Foods' in Sta Fe to buy fruits for my community's week-long consumption.

Monks love to eat varieties of fruits so i made it right to drop by the grocery store to pick some for them as i would not want them to get disheartened and disappointed in case they find nothing in the pantry the next day.

To my great surprise, i saw nothing in the fruit stand and so i asked for assistance from one of the guys connected with the grocecy store and said to him: "hey, i did not know you don't sell fruits anymore!." i exclaimed. The guy replied: "i'm sorry brother, but we don't sell fruits anymore", he apologized. "why is that so? hhhmmm, it's a bit strange that you don't carry fruits anymore huh?," i quickly told the man with a bit of sarcasm. "But wait a minute brother, we sell seeds, you may want to buy a few of them", the man explained in a little bit of excitement. I was taken aback. I thought to myself, what can seeds do to the monk's appetite and enthusiasm for fruits?...

Well, just like in today's Gospel, Jesus Christ sells seeds. he sells seeds of peace, joy, and unity to us.

The seed for joy is called forgiveness. If we learn to forgive, to love our enemies, to forget our grudges, then the seeds of peace and joy will grow and we will reap the fruits we are asking from the Lord.

Let us look therefore, into our hearts and see if we are ready to sow those seeds.

Sometimes we are just too preoccupied, too excited with such compulsive concern on harvesting and enjoying the fruits, that we are not ready to work and labor.

We can ask the Lord for peace, joy and unity, but first let us be ready to take from Him the seeds that grow in order to enjoy the fruits we aim and long for.

God bless us all....

What do we as Catholics believe about the afterlife and judgment?

Catholics believe that each person possesses an eternal soul, which is separated from the body at death and goes on to eternal existence.

We believe in a judgment after death, where each person’s eternal destiny is determined by an examination of his or her life and whether the person has truly repented and followed Jesus as Lord of his or her life and Savior, by God’s grace.

The end of the age will occur when Jesus returns in power and glory, to judge the world, in His Second Coming. The righteous will receive a glorified, resurrected body.

Catholics believe that one should be prepared for the hour of death at all times.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that: …When He comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.
…after death the righteous will live for ever with the Risen Christ and He will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like His own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity (Triune God).

Prolouge:

quoting iRonnie , he says:

... "Most people spend a considerable amount of time in customizing or in finding a desktop wallpaper that suits their taste. Sadly, our computers often remains… personal. Why don’t we brag to the world our good-find wallpapers and let them have a peek to our personality via our desktops?

On the other hand, aren’t you curious on how does your favorite bloggers’ desktop look like? Don’t you want to find out how organized, or disorganized :D, they are?

With that, I am inviting you to participate in this tag and give the cyber world a Free View of your desktop."...unquote.



So, with his intro, i present to you my desktop. You have to bear with the image as it's captured by a digicam and not thru a screen capture.



-silhouette that is…. most of the icons in my desktop. Why? Hhhmmmm, its hard to explain but I prefer them to be in their silhouettes…LOL. (No further explanations).



About the icons, there are a lot of them, lots yeah. You know, my laptop is my best buddy in the monastery…. Hhhmmm, in the vernacular language, I should say, gusto kong lahat sila na kinakailangan ko na nagbibigay ng ibat’t ibang impormasyon sa akin ay dapat nasa desktop ko para anytime na gusto kong mag refer sa kahit na anong impormasyon from the internet ay madali ko nang mahahanap at matatagpuan agad ang mga ito…they’re just a click away , ika nga. i don't own my time in the monastery. i don't have the luxury of time to find sites and programs in my kept files.



First and foremost, you will find in my desktop the icons of Gospel Readings for the day, Meditations and reflections of Bible readings, and Homilies of Cardinals and Bishops. They help me a lot in my daily ‘Lectio Divina’ ( Sacred Scripture Readings inside our cells from 4pm to 5pm everyday- Perpetually Professed monks conduct their Lectio in their private cells while the Temporarily Professed monks (Juniors), the Novices and Postulants conduct their Lectio in common, that is, inside the Reading Room of the monastery)



The icons of sites that bring me to a variety of dictionaries and thesaurus help me greatly in writing my own reflections of the day's Readings. With them on my desktop, I won’t need any printed dictionary anymore for me to be able to get to a word that will answer my inquiries.



Another icon that gives me so much help is the site of our ‘internet cash register’ for Visa and Mastercard credit card validations. With it in my desktop, I don’t need to encode its URL over and over again to be able to enter the amounts paid in credit by the customers of the monastery’s gifsthoppe.



I also have an icon of language translations from english to Korean, Latin, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Bombay, and Filipino. This helps me get to understand the languages spoken by my monk brothers in the monastery. Without this icon, communications with the brothers in the monastery who speak different languages will be a sure terrifying experience for me.



I have icons of video players in my desktop that help me a lot in playing videos of different regions. I am sure that even if one dvd is formatted in Region I, Region II or even in Region III, still with the use of my GOM player, DivX player, Magix media player, Nero media player, InterVideo WIN video player or VLC player or even my Cyberlink Power Dvd player, I will be able to play all of these dvds formatted in these three regions. With them all in my desktop, I can easily click and or exit them as I try to view one particular video file.



Cd and Dvd burners are also of utmost importance for me in burning video clips and files of related shows and movies as well. So I needed to have their icons ready at hand in my desktop.



Communications play a very important role in making our lives at the monastery stable, settled and sane. Icons of my Yahoo Messanger with Voice and Chikka Text Messenger are of equal value to me as they help the community save its dollars for overseas calls to my family and friends here and abroad. Hence, their icons are a must in my desktop.



I have icons of folders of History, Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, My recent Documents, Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup. With these icons in my desktop, I don’t have to spend time finding them in the midst of my laptop's files. They help unnecessary files and garbage files get cleaned up so easily, and with them ready at hand, I easily could perform the cleanup and thus helps my laptop speed up the browsing or uploading and downloading of internet sites that I am opening up in everyday of my life in the monastery.



Lastly , I have an icon of HJ-split program in my desktop.. With this icon, I am able to avail of its service in joining and splitting large video files that I upload in my YouTube site….

So, these are what you can find and view in my desktop.



The persons I want to have a Free View of their desktops are the following:

Vera , Sasha , brVince , bluepanjeet , chuva



[TAG STARTS HERE]

My Desktop Free View Instruction:

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.

You can do a screen capture by: [1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key). [2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V). [3] If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.



List of those who participated in the tag:

iRonnie

skippyheart

thesserie

domlawrenceosb

your link post here



[TAG ENDS HERE]