Easter in Romania

Although Romania does not have a national religion, Greek-Orthodoxism is widespread (87%), making Orthodox Easter one of the most important holidays.

Easter is considered an extremely important holiday in Romania, celebrating Jesus Christ's Resurrection three days after his crucifixion. It is a celebration of tradition and church going, preceded by the Holy Week (The Passion of the Christ).

Orthodox Holy Week Rituals

Great Thursday is also named Black Thursday and it marks the beginning of the Passion of Christ.

Tradition says that on this particular day the doors of heaven and hell open and that the loved ones who passed away come back to celebrate Easter with their families. This is also the time when the Easter eggs are being painted in different colors. Housework is absolutely forbidden on Black Thursday.

Great Friday is a day of fasting and remembering the terrible sufferings of Jesus Christ (Passion Friday). Most people go to church to confess their sins to the priest.

Tradition says that bread should not be baked and trees should not be planted on this day. The house should be very clean and all the food ready for Easter day.


Easter Food and Traditions

Easter eggs are usually painted on Great Thursday.

Initially, the only color was red, to symbolize the blood of Jesus, but now all colors are used, with different meanings.

In rural areas, people paint different images of Christ, angels or a cross on their Easter eggs or use plant imprints; Easter egg painting is an art that is widely recognized in Romania.

Easter cake (Pasca) is thetraditional cake that is usually baked on Saturday, Easter Eve. It is round, with a cross-shaped middle braid that represents the crucifixion of Christ. It is made made of cheese, egg yolk and raisins. Some people place coins inside the cake for good luck.

The Easter lamb, steaks and meat pies are traditional dishes. Together with the Easter eggs and the cake, the meat is placed on the dinner table on Saturday evening, before midnight.

At midnight, everybody goes to church to attend the Ressurection service (Invierea Domnului).

The priest lights his candle first, after which all the people light their own candles from the first one with the "light of Jesus's life". They take these candles at home and give the "light" to the members of the family that did not attend the service.

Everybody has dinner after the midnight service, with the lit candles on the table. The candles are kept for the entire year, as they are supposed to protect the house and people's health. The tradition of knocking the eggs must be respected: two people hold eggs in their hands and they break the other person's egg saying "Jesus is Alive" (Hristos a Inviat). The person that has their egg broken is considered weaker and must give their egg to the "winner."

On Monday and Tuesday people visit their relatives and bring lamb, Easter cake and painted eggs for lunch or dinner to celebrate the Resurrection. For the next 40 days, people greet each other with "Christ is Alive" instead of the common greetings.

Easter is a celebration for the soul, it is a period of spiritual insight and improving oneself. It teaches us to be good, kind and to respect everyone and everything that surrounds us. The sacrifice of Jesus Christs is the symbol of pure love and hope.

Philippine Easter Rituals of Crucifixion

 Bloody Filipino Observances for the Atonement of Sins

 Each Easter in the Philippines, Christians make a grueling march on Good Friday to atone for their sins through self-flagellation and crucifixion.

In the Philippines at the Easter season, Roman Catholics practice the extreme ascetic rituals of flagellation, cutting,wearing crowns of thorns, bearing crosses, and crucifixion, emulating the passion of Christ. These Christian Filipinos are Roman Catholic, although the Church does not officially approve of these observances.
Purpose Behind the Ascetic Rituals

The purpose of performing these rituals is to ask forgiveness for the sins committed over the year for oneself and one’s family -- a type of penitence. In following the last painful events in the life of Christ, these people feel a closer connection with their religion and their God, and a feeling of ease or forgiveness for their sins.

Ascetic practices, or what might be called “mortification of the flesh” can be seen in some religious sects. This was shown in the Opus Dei (a controversial Roman Catholic organization) character in the fictional work The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Doubleday, 2003). This Opus Dei assassin practiced mortification of the flesh in order to bring his body under subjugation of his spirit.

Some Christian ascetics believe that the apostle Paul taught asceticism in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:13 "If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if through the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live." The Catholics believe that this means that mortification or self-inflicted acts of pain will end the disease of the soul.

While Christ’s atonement was to pay for all men’s sins, the Catholic belief is that men should also do something in the expiations of their own sins, which sacrificing acts are pleasing to God. Protestants do not practice such extreme asceticism, but do practice fasting for somewhat similar reasons.


Easter Rituals in the Philippines

Each year in the Philippines, particularly in Pampanga Province, men and women take part in the passion plays of torture and crucifixion as symbolic of the suffering of Jesus Christ. At the end of the march on Good Friday, with self-flagellation, whipping and cutting of the flesh by officials, and carrying heavy crosses. Each year, over a dozen people are actually hung on crosses.

Crucifixion is an extremely painful form of torture and death. The Filipino crucifixion followers are either tied to the crosses or actually nailed there. They are not left on the crosses to die, as was the practice during ancient times by the Romans and other civilizations worldwide generally from the 6th century B.C.E. to the 4th century C.E.. In actual crucifixions, people usually died from asphyxiation or heart failure.

Most Filipinos attest to the feeling of worship, forgiveness and cleanliness that occurs through the process of their painful Easter rituals. They generally practice self-flagellation and crucifixion to atone for their sins.

Others Who Self-Flagellate

The Filipinos are not the only modern group to practice self-flagellate in the name of religion. It is also seen by the Shi’ite Muslims as they commemorate the passion of Imam Husayn and other martyrs at the Battle of Karbala in the 7th century C.E. Catholic monks and nuns practiced self-flagellation since medieval times as a reminder of the suffering of Christ. In modern days Los Hermanos Penitente of Colorado and New Mexico practice self-flagellation, the bearing of crosses, and actual crucifixion like the Filipinos.

It was reported by a nun who looked after Pope John Paul II , that he practiced self-flagellation, and the sounds of the whip on his flesh could often be heard from his living quarters.

Sources:
New World Encyclopedia

The Fifteen Secret Tortures And Sufferings Of Our Lord Jesus Christ

(Revealed to the pious, God-loving Sister Mary Magdalen of the Santa Clara Order, Franciscan, who lived, died and was beatified in Rome.)

Jesus filled the wish of this Sister who desired ardently to know something about the secret sufferings which He endured the night before His death. (This devotion is approved and recommended by His Holiness Clement II, 1730-1740.)



"The Jews considered Me as the most wretched man living on earth so that is why:

 

 

 

(1) They fastened My feet with a rope and dragged Me over the stepping stones of the staircase, down into a filthy, nauseating cellar.

(2) They took off My clothing and stung My body with iron joints.

(3) They attached a rope around My body and pulled Me along on the ground, from end to end.

(4) They hanged Me on a wooden piece with a slipknot until I slipped out and fell down. Overwhelmed by this torture, I wept bloody tears.

(5) They tied Me to a post and pierced My body with various arms.

(6) They struck Me with stones and burnt Me with blazing embers and torches.

(7) They pierced Me with awls: sharp spears tore My skin, flesh and arteries out of My body.

(8) They tied me to a post and made Me stand, barefoot, on an incandescent metal-sheet.

(9) They crowned Me with an Iron crown and wrapped My eyes with the dirtiest possible rags.

(10) They made Me sit on a chair covered with sharp pointed nails, causing deep wounds in My body.

(11) They poured on My wounds liquid lead and resin and, after this torture, they pressed Me on the nailed chair, so that the nails went deeper and deeper into My flesh.

(12) For shame and affliction, they drove needles into the holes of My uprooted beard. Then they tied My hands behind My back and led Me walking out of prison with strikes and blows.

(13) They threw Me upon a cross and attached me so tightly that I could hardly breathe anymore.

(14) They threw at My head as I lay on the earth, and they stepped on Me, hurting My breast. Then taking a thorn from My crown they drove it into My tongue.

(15) They poured into my mouth the most immodest excretions, as they uttered the most infamous expressions about Me.



    Then Jesus added:

    "My daughter, I desire that you let everyone know these FIFTEEN SECRET TORTURES, in order that everyone of them be honored."

    "Anyone who daily offers Me, with love, one of these sufferings and says with fervor the following prayer, will be rewarded with eternal glory on the day of judgement."

    

PRAYER

    "My Lord and My God, it is my unchangeable will to honor You in these FIFTEEN SECRET TORMENTS whn you shed Your Precious Blood: As many times as there are grains of sand around the seas, as grains of wheat in the fields, as blades of grass in the meadows, as fruit in the orchards, as leaves on the trees, as flowers in the garden, as stars in the sky, as angels in Heaven, as creatures on earth. So many thousands of times may You be glorified, praised and honored, O most love-worthy Lord Jesus Christ - You Holiest Heart, Your Precious Blood, Your Divine Sacrifice for mankind, the Holiest Sacrament of the Altar, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the nine glorious choirs of Angels and the Blessed Phalanx of the Saints, from myself and everyone, now and forever, and in the eternal ages.

    In like manner, I desire, My dear Jesus, to give You thanksgiving, to serve You, to repair and atone for all ignominies, and to offer You my soul and body as Your Possessions forever. Likewise, I regret all my sins and beg Your pardon, O my Lord and my God. And I offer You all the merits of Jesus Christ to repair everything, to obtain a happy dying-hour and the deliverance of the souls from Purgatory. This prayer I desire to renew at each hour until my death O lovable Jesus. Sweet Savior, fortify my resolution and permit not that neither wretched men nor Satan destroy it. Amen."

Following My Father's Directions (Story)

By Karen Ehman

The car was packed; the gas tank full; a cooler stood chock-full of sandwiches for the long ride. This was it! My three kids and I were excitedly off on a summertime adventure. In the midst of a stressful and busy move, and while waiting for the kids' bedrooms in the basement to be finished, we threw caution to the wind and took my friend Marybeth up on an invitation to join her at an ocean beachfront home she was being allowed to use for free.

Now this was no small undertaking. It was going to be a 17-hour trip with three kids in the car. Besides the necessities we needed to pack, most of all we needed directions. We had to see on paper just how to get from our little home in the middle of Michigan to sunny Ocean Isle, North Carolina, without getting lost!

Should be a piece of cake in this era of online sites that spit out detailed directions, right? Of course! So I printed them off, tucked them in a folder and revved up the car's engine. Before I left, my father called me. He winters near Ocean Isle, and he wanted to give me verbal directions. He has traveled that course twice a year for the past 18 years and is very familiar with how to get there.

I reluctantly wrote down his instructions, complete with highways to avoid and exit names, etc. Then, I tossed the directions into the glove compartment. I thanked him for the gesture but assured him I probably wouldn't need it since I had the newest, slick Internet directions already. But "Father knows best!' he assured me. I smiled and headed off.

About half-way to our destination, I noticed that the exit number and name on the Internet's directions didn't match up. I began to panic. Should I take the exit number it gave or the exit name it listed? I chose the exit number. Soon after that, we became completely lost. None of the directions made sense any more. We got off the exit, headed back to where we'd made the turn and tried again.

But this way didn't work either! We were soon heading north instead of south, and there wasn't an exit in sight for miles! When we finally got off, I popped into a gas station and asked for help. The attendant smiled and handed me a piece of paper with corrected directions already written on it. It seems that the Internet site does not completely have the directions. In fact, the station gets dozens of lost souls wandering into their establishment every day, longing just to get back on the right track. They were ready with printed directions to give out to such weary travelers.

Worried that the rest of my Internet directions might be wrong as well, I quickly fumbled through the glove compartment to find my father's handwritten instructions. I ran them by the gas station attendant. "Perfect!" he commented. My father knew the way without any wrong turns.

"Just stick to your father's instructions, and you won't be lost" I was told. Like so much of life, we hear of new-fangled shortcuts, ways to find happiness or even new paths for getting to heaven.

Celebrities say they have found new spiritual dimensions or perfect peace in a New Age practice. We must resist the desire to trust these so called 'new ways' completely and instead follow our Father's original instructions: the Holy Bible. His ancient words ring true. He is the way, the ONLY way, and following His instructions will never result in our souls being lost.

Perhaps it is time we did away with the new and went back to the old. God's instructions are never wrong. They lead to peace and contentment and a home with Him in heaven forever. Why, that is even better than a week at the beach!

"The Lord said, 'It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.'" Jeremiah 9:13 (NIV)

--© 2009 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Most of us have heard the famous Christmas carol on the twelve days of Christmas. You may read its lyrics in our 'Christmas Carols' section. Though, the social significance of this tradition is now lost, it has been celebrated since the medieval times. Originally, it started on the Christmas Eve and continued till the eve of Epiphany on 5th of January. The Yule log was kept alight for these 12 days and if it went out before time, it was considered an ill omen. Perhaps its origin lie in the 18th century tradition of the Twelfth Night, which was celebrated as a festive occasion with revelry and people used to disguise themselves with masks and costumes. Another interesting tradition related to this Twelfth Night celebration was that of 'role reversal' in which men dressed as women and women as men.

Then they would eat a Twelfth Night cake and the person who found a bean or pea in their portion was chosen as the King and Queen for the day. The lucky person would then have the pleasure of being waited on by his/her master. Later, this evolved as the game known as 'charades', where the people would chose cards and would act as the characters noted on their cards for the whole of Twelfth Night. Today, the tradition of the Twelfth Night has slowly faded into history and it only the day to remove all Christmas decorations and the Christmas Tree from home. The religious significance of the twelve days of Christmas lies in the story of the Three Wise Men who arrived from the East with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to attend the infant Jesus. It is said that it took them twelve days to reach Him.

In the carol, two turtledoves represent the new and old testaments of the Holy Bible while three French hens represent the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. Four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Five golden rings represent the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the old testament of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Six geese-a-laying represent the Biblical story of the six days of creation. Seven swans-a-swimming symbolize the seven sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Eight maids-a-milking represent the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit while the Ten Lords-a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. Eleven pipers are the eleven faithful apostles of Jesus Christ and finally, the Twelve drummers are the twelve points of principle of the Apostle's Creed.

Ada Tulisan Di Kain Kafan Yesus

ROMA, KOMPAS.com – Peneliti dari Vatikan kembali menghidupkan debat berkepanjangan tentang kain kafan dari Turin (Shroud of Turin). Mereka mengatakan bahwa ada berkas tulisan samar pada permukaan linen kafan itu yang membuktikan bahwa kain itulah yang dipakai membungkus jenasah Yesus. Namun peneliti lain meragukannya. Mereka menganggap para sejarawan terlalu membesar-besarkan berkas tulisan itu, dan mereka kukuh pada pembuktian penanggalan-karbon yang mengindikasikan bahwa kafan itu hanyalah pemalsuan dari abad pertengahan.


Barbara Frale, peneliti dari Penyimpanan Arsip Vatikan, mengatakan dalam buku barunya bahwa ia menggunakan perjelasan-citra-komputer dari kafan itu untuk membaca tulisan samar berbahasa Yunani, Latin, dan Aram yang tersebar di permukaannya.

Ia memastikan bahwa diantara berkas itu ada tulisan "(J)esu(s) Nazarene" - atau Yesus dari Nazaret - dalam bahasa Yunani. Menurutnya tulisan itu tak mungkin berasal dari abad pertengahan, karena tak ada umat Nasrani di jaman itu yang berani menyebutkan Yesus tanpa mengacu pada keilahian-Nya karena ia bisa dicap bidat.

"Bahkan seorang pemalsu relikui pun akan menuliskan gelar keilahian pada kafan itu," kata Frale, Jumat (20/11). "Namun kalau yang ditemukan kata 'Kristus' atau 'Anak Allah" maka kami justru bisa beranggapan itu adalah palsu, atau tulisan itu adalah tambahan sebagai tanda penghormatan."

Kafan Turin tersohor karena memampang citra dari pria yang telah tersalib, lengkap dengan resapan darah dari tangan dan kaki. Mereka yang percaya, meyakini bahwa itu citra dari Kristus yang terabadikan pada serat-serat linen saat ia bangkit dari mati.

Artefak rapuh milik Vatikan ini disimpan dalam ruang berpelindung di Katedral Turin dan jarang dipertunjukkan. Kain sepanjang 4 meter dan lebar 1 meter ini telah menderita kerusakan berat dari abad ke abad, bahkan pernah tersulut api.

Gereja Katolik sendiri tidak pernah mengklaim keaslian dari kafan tersebut, meski menyatakan bahwa itu merupakan lambang yang kuat akan penderitaan Kristus.
Perdebatan

Terlepas dari percaya atau tidak, kafan ini menjadi perdebatan sengit dalam komunitas ilmuwan. Kelompok skeptis mengatakan bahwa penanggalan radiokarbon yang dilakukan pada kafan itu tahun 1988 menyatakan bahwa kain itu dibuat pada abad ke-13 atau ke-14.

Tapi Raymond Rogers dari Laboratorium Nasional Los Alamos, 2005, mengatakan bahwa serat yang dulu diuji diambil dari tambalan yang digunakan untuk memperbaiki kafan itu setelah terbakar. Rogers, yang meninggal tak lama setelah mempublikasikan temuannya, memperhitungkan bahwa usia kafan itu 1.300 hingga 3.000 tahun, dan sangat mungkin berasal dari jaman Yesus.

Suatu penelitian lain, dari Universitas Ibrani (Hebrew University), menyimpulkan bahwa pola sebuk sari dan tumbuhan pada kafan itu berasal dari daerah sekitar Yerusalem dari suatu masa sebelum abad kedelapan.

Sementara berkas huruf-huruf yang tersebar pada permukaan kafan itu telah ditemukan sejak puluhan tahun lalu, tapi para peneliti mengesampingkan hal ini karena adanya hasil tes penanggalan radiokarbon itu, jelas Frale.

Meski begitu, ketika Frale mengambil potongan kata-kata dari foto kafan yang telah diperjelas dan menunjukkannya pada para ahli, mereka setuju bahwa gaya penulisannya cocok dengan yang lazim dipakai di Timur Tengah pada abad pertama - yaitu jaman Yesus.
Frale juga percaya bahwa juru tulis jaman dulu menuliskan kalimat yang ditempel pada kafan di atas daerah wajah sehingga jenazah bisa dikenali oleh keluarga dan kemudian dimakamkan dengan layak. Kandungan logam pada tinta yang digunakan jaman itu memungkinkan tulisan itu meresap pada kain linen, kata Frale.

Ia mengatakan bahwa setidaknya ada 11 kata yang ia temukan dari citra-citra yang diproduksi oleh para ilmuwan Perancis pada penelitian tahun 1994. Kata-kata itu terputus-putus dan tersebar di sekitar daerah kepala dari citra itu, simpang-siur pada kain secara vertikal dan horizontal.

Suatu deretan pendek dari huruf-huruf Aram belum diterjemahkan sepenuhnya. Namun bagian lain tertulis dalam Bahasa Yunani - "iber" - kemungkinan merujuk pada Kaisar Tiberius, yang berkuasa pada waktu Yesus disalibkan, kata Frale. Ia mengatakan bahwa tulisan itu sebagian mengkonfirmasi kisah Injil tentang saat-saat terakhir Yesus.

Potongan lain dalam bahasa Yunani bisa diartikan "diturunkan (dari salib) pada jam kesembilan." Ini bisa saja merujuk pada waktu kematian Yesus yang dilaporkan juga dalam teks suci keagamaan, katanya.

Dalam bukunya "The Shroud of Jesus Nazarene" ('Kafan Yesus dari Nazaret'), yang diterbitkan berbahasa Itali, Frale merekonstruksi penghurufan pada kafan yang ia percayai sebagai isi dari sertifikat kematian Yesus, yaitu: "Yesus dari Nazaret. Terbukti (bersalah memicu pemberontakan rakyat). Dihukum mati pada tahun ke-16 dari masa Tiberius. Diturunkan pada jam kesembilan."

Ia berkata bahwa tulisan itu mengatakan bahwa jenazah akan dikembalikan pada keluarga setelah setahun.

Frale juga mengaku bahwa risetnya dilakukan tanpa dukungan Vatikan. "Saya berusaha objektif dan mengesampingkan isu-isu keagamaan," katanya. "Apa yang saya pelajari merupakan dokumen kuno yang memastikan hukuman mati seorang pria, pada suatu waktu dan tempat tertentu."

Penelitian Frale biasanya berfokus pada dokumen abad pertengahan. Ia dikenal sebagai peneliti dari ordo Ksatria Templar, dan penemuannya dari dokumen yang tak diterbitkan mengenai kelompok tersebut kini ada di Penyimpanan Arsip Vatikan.

Sebelumnya di tahun ini, ia menerbitkan penelitian yang menyatakan bahwa para Ksatria Templar dahulu sempat memiliki kafan tersebut. Hal ini sempat dianggap aneh karena ordo itu dibubarkan di awal abad ke-14 dan keberadaan kafan itu pertama kali dicatat dalam sejarah sekitar tahun 1360 dalam kepemilikan seorang ksatria Perancis.

Buku terbarunya mengenai kafan Yesus bahkan menimbulkan lebih banyak keraguan di kalangan ahli.

Di satu sisi, memang benar bahwa pemalsu dari abad pertengahan akan melabel hasil buatannya dengan nama Kristus, seperti juga semua relikui yang dibuat di jaman itu, kata Antonio Lombatti, seorang sejarahwan gereja yang juga telah menulis tentang kafan itu. Tapi masalahnya dari awal memang tak ada tulisan.

"Orang yang bekerja mengamati foto berbercak-bercak bisa saja mengira mereka melihat suatu bentuk," kata Lombatti, "Ini akibat dari imajinasi bercampur dengan hasil software komputer. Bila foto kafan itu dicermati, ada banyak kontras gelap dan terang, tapi tak ada huruf."

Tetap mengkritik penemuan Frale, Lombatti mengatakan bahwa artefak yang mengandung huruf Yunani dan Aram memang pernah ditemukan pada pemakaman Yahudi di abad pertama, tapi penggunaan bahasa Latin justru tak lazim.

Ia juga menolak teori bahwa pihak yang berwewenang akan mengembalikan jenazah orang yang disalib secara resmi setelah mengisi berkas administrasi. Korban dari hukuman penyaliban yang diterapkan orang Romawi biasanya dibiarkan tergantung di salib atau disingkirkan ke pembuangan sampah agar lebih menakutkan.

Lombatti berkata, "pesan dari tindakan itu adalah bahwa seorang yang disalib (pemberontak/kriminal besar) takkan punya makam untuk ditangisi."

Seorang ahli kafan Turin lainnya, Gianmarco Rinaldi, mengatakan bahwa para ilmuwan yang percaya pada keaslian kafan itu pun telah mengabaikan citra-citra yang tak bisa diandalkan, yang menjadi dasar dari penelitian Frale.

"Perjelasan komputer ini meningkatkan kontras secara berlebihan sehingga muncullah berkas-berkas ini," katanya, "kalau begitu maka berkas-berkas bisa ditemukan di seluruh kafan, bukan cuma di daerah yang membungkus kepala. Dengan sedikit imajinasi maka orang akan (mengaku) melihat huruf-huruf."

Penglihatan-penglihatan aneh seputar kafan Turin sudah lazim dan biasanya terbukti salah, kata Luigi Garlaschelli, seorang profesor kimia dari Universitas Pavia. Belum lama ini ia memimpin tim ahli yang meniru pembuatan kafan Turin dengan memakai bahan dan metode yang ada di abad ke-14. Hasilnya, mereka membuktikan bahwa kafan itu bisa saja dibuat orang pada abad pertengahan.

Puluhan tahun yang lalu, banyak penelitian diterbitkan mengenai tanda koin-koin yang katanya terlihat pada kedua mata Yesus yang tertutup, tapi ketika gambaran berdefinisi-tajam dihasilkan pada restorasi di tahun 2002, tanda dari koin-koin itu tak terlihat dan teori itu diabaikan, kata Garlaschelli.

Ia berkata bahwa teori apa pun yang berkenaan dengan tinta dan logam harus diuji dahulu dengan menganalisa kafan itu sendiri.

Kafan Turin terakhir dipertunjukkan tahun 2000, ketika lebih dari satu juta orang datang untuk melihatnya. Pertunjukkan selanjutnya dijadwalkan tahun 2010, dan Paus Benediktus XVI telah diminta kehadirannya.

sumber:kompas.com

Flame Of Love (Story)

--Author Unkown

 "I can master it," said the Ax. His blows fell heavy on the hard, strong steel. But each blow only made his edge more blunt until he ceased to strike.

"Leave it to me," said the Saw. With his relentless teeth, he worked back and forth. But to his dismay, all of his teeth were worn out or broken off.

"Ha!" said the Hammer. "I knew you could not do this. Let me show you how." But with the very first blow, his head flew off, and the steel was unchanged.

"Shall I try?" asked the Flame. And it curled itself gently around the strong, hard steel, embraced it, and would not let it go. And the tough steel melted.

There are hearts that are hard enough to resist the forces of wrath and the fury of pride. But hard is the heart that can resist the warm flame of Love.

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
--Matthew 13:15-17 (NIV)

--as seen in Food For Thought

Saint Theresa's Prayer

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within....
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
Dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us

God's Always Ready To Answer your CaLL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever your cross,

Whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine
After the rain ....

Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall,
But God's always ready
To answer your call ...

He knows every heartache
Sees every tear
A word from His lips
Can calm every fear ...

Your sorrows may linger
Throughout the night
But suddenly vanish
Dawn's' early light ...

The Savior is waiting
Somewhere above
To give you His grace
And send you His love ..

Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
God always sends rainbows ....
After the rain ...

Berbahagialah Kamu Jika Karena Anak Manusia Orang Membenci Kamu

“Berbahagialah kamu jika karena Anak Manusia orang membenci kamu,”

(Kol 3:1-11; Luk 6:20-26)

“Lalu Yesus memandang murid-murid-Nya dan berkata: "Berbahagialah, hai kamu yang miskin, karena kamulah yang empunya Kerajaan Allah. Berbahagialah, hai kamu yang sekarang ini lapar, karena kamu akan dipuaskan. Berbahagialah, hai kamu yang sekarang ini menangis, karena kamu akan tertawa. Berbahagialah kamu, jika karena Anak Manusia orang membenci kamu, dan jika mereka mengucilkan kamu, dan mencela kamu serta menolak namamu sebagai sesuatu yang jahat. Bersukacitalah pada waktu itu dan bergembiralah, sebab sesungguhnya, upahmu besar di sorga; karena secara demikian juga nenek moyang mereka telah memperlakukan para nabi. Tetapi celakalah kamu, hai kamu yang kaya, karena dalam kekayaanmu kamu telah memperoleh penghiburanmu. Celakalah kamu, yang sekarang ini kenyang, karena kamu akan lapar. Celakalah kamu, yang sekarang ini tertawa, karena kamu akan berdukacita dan menangis. Celakalah kamu, jika semua orang memuji kamu; karena secara demikian juga nenek moyang mereka telah memperlakukan nabi-nabi palsu."(Luk 6:20-26), demikian kutipan Warta Gembira hari ini

Berrefleksi atas bacaan-bacaan serta mengenangkan pesta St.Petrus Claver, imam Yesuit, hari ini saya sampaikan catatan-catatan sederhana sebagai berikut:

Dalam melaksanakan tugas pengutusanNya Yesus harus menderita sengsara, dilecehkan oleh musuh-musuhNya dan akhirnya disalibkan sampai wafat. Sebagai orang-orang yang percaya kepada Yesus alias menjadi sahabat-sahabat Yesus kita dipanggil untuk meneladanNya, antara lain “hidup miskin” dan berpihak pada dan bersama dengan mereka yang miskin. Yang saya maksudkan dengan ‘hidup miskin’ tidak berarti kita tidak punya apa-apa alias menjadi gelandangan, melainkan menghayati segala sesuatu sebagai anugerah Tuhan dan kemudian memfungsikannya sesuai dengan kehendak Tuhan. Karena semuanya adalah anugerah Tuhan maka cara hidup dan cara bertindak kita senantiasa dalam syukur dan terima kasih; syukur dan terima kasih ini kita wujudkan secara nyata antara lain dengan memperhatikan mereka yang miskin dan berkekurangan atau berpihak pada dan bersama dengan mereka yang miskin. Selama masih ada orang miskin dan berkekurangan kiranya juga berarti masih ada yang serakah, gila akan harta benda/uang, jabatan/kedudukan dan kehormatan duniawi. Dalam hidup bersama yang masih lebih banyak dipengaruhi oleh orang-orang serakah dan gila akan harta benda/uang , berpihak pada dan bersama dengan mereka yang miskin dan berkekurangan pasti akan menghadapi aneka tantangan, hambatan dan masalah. Pejuang demi mereka yang miskin dan berkekurangan ada kemungkinan dibenci dan dikucilkan. “Hidup miskin” juga berarti hidup dengan rendah hati serta mentaati sepenuhnya aneka aturan dan tatanan hidup yang terkait dengan panggilan dan tugas pengutusannya; orang siap sedia dan rela berkorban untuk diperintah, diutus, dilecehkan, kurang dihargai atau dihormati dst.., namun tetap berbahagia dan ceria.

“Karena itu matikanlah dalam dirimu segala sesuatu yang duniawi, yaitu percabulan, kenajisan, hawa nafsu, nafsu jahat dan juga keserakahan, yang sama dengan penyembahan berhala, semuanya itu mendatangkan murka Allah” (Kol 3:5-6) Salah satu bentuk ‘berhala modern’ masa kini adalah ‘hand phone’(HP), dimana orang sungguh lekat tak teratur pada HP yang dimilikinya. Sebagai contoh selama beribadat HP tidak dimatikan dan ketika ada nada panggilan keluar dari tempat ibadat untuk tilpon tsb, hal yang sama juga terjadi dalam rapat, dst.. HP juga mengerosi atau menggerogoti iman kepercayaan kepada Tuhan. Percaya kepada Tuhan harus menjadi nyata dalam percaya kepada sesama dan saudara-saudari kita. Jika memperhatikan cara orang memfungsikan HP masa kini, kebanyakan menunjukkan bahwa yang bersangkutan kurang percaya kepada sesamanya atau saudaranya, misalnya mengontrol pasangan hidupnya yang bepergian, anaknya, dst.. . Ada semacam kekhawatiran jangan-jangan pasangan hidupnya atau anaknya melakukan perbuatan yang tidak baik seperti percabulan, kenajisan, hawa nafsu (seks, makanan dan minuman), dst.. . Jangan-jangan yang khawatir itu sendiri yang melakukannya, maka ketika mencoba tilpon ke pasangan atau anaknya dengan HP sebenarnya hanya untuk melindunsi atau mengamankan diri sendiri yang sedang menyeleweng. Cukup banyak ‘berhala-berhala modern’ yang sungguh mempengaruhi cara hidup dan cara bertindak orang masa kini, yang mendorong orang untuk berbuat cabul, najis, jahat dan serakah. Maka marilah kita renungkan, resapkan dan hayati kutipan pesan Paulus kepada umat Kolose di atas: “Matikanlah segala sesuatu yang duniawi” dan “Pikirkanlah perkara yang di atas, bukan yang di bumi” (Kol 3:2).

“Segala yang Kaujadikan itu akan bersyukur kepada-Mu, ya TUHAN, dan orang-orang yang Kaukasihi akan memuji Engkau. Mereka akan mengumumkan kemuliaan kerajaan-Mu, dan akan membicarakan keperkasaan-Mu, untuk memberitahukan keperkasaan-Mu kepada anak-anak manusia, dan kemuliaan semarak kerajaan-Mu. Kerajaan-Mu ialah kerajaan segala abad, dan pemerintahan-Mu tetap melalui segala keturunan”

(Mzm 145:10-13b).

I AM WHAT I AM

--Author Unknown

"By the grace of God I am what I am, and (God's) grace to me was not without effect." (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Early in my ministry career, I was a college chaplain and often spoke at youth retreats. On one such occasion, I was traveling from Chicago to Seattle with two college students, who were to provide music. We were on United Airlines, which at that time, scheduled flight attendants to work together for an entire month.




Somewhere over South Dakota, the crew announced that, because this was the last day of their working together, they were going to celebrate by holding a talent contest for passengers. The winner would receive a bottle of champagne.

Bob, one of my musician companions, immediately pulled his guitar down from the overhead luggage bin and went to the front of the plane with a handful of other hopefuls. I knew the others had no chance — none — against this extraordinarily talented young man with a flair for performance.

The passengers on our DC-10 were treated to a series of lame jokes and old songs crooned badly. Then came Bob. He sang a peppy song he had written using invented words that was a hit at every youth retreat. He engaged his audience at 35,000 feet and soon had them singing his nonsense syllables with gusto. Returning to his seat at the rear of the plane to loud applause, grinning from east to west, Bob proudly displayed his bottle of champagne. "What else could I do?" he said. "I am what I am — an entertainer!
"

It's a great mercy to be able to accept the circumstances, opportunities and limitations, which make up my life in this moment. To receive and work within them, not lamenting that they are not stronger…or other…than they are right now — this is the meaning of living by grace.

I am what I am. Greater still is the mercy of hope, the ability to embrace my sample of life while looking forward to what's next. It's not enough to say, "I'm stuck here; I can do no other."

Grace is dynamic. Full of hope, I accept with gratitude the circumstances of today, but I live with the promise of tomorrow. I'm becoming what I ought to be.

A young man, whose body and speech were severely affected by cerebral palsy, spoke at a meeting I attended. "What you see is a handicapped person," he said. "I am what I am. But in here," he continued, pointing to his head, "I'm an All-Star second baseman, turning double plays and headed to the Hall of Fame."

I was moved. Grace is not without effect.