Archdiocese of Davao

As time races towards the end of the year and while our memories are still fresh when Christmas clogged the network making it almost impossible to send messages, today many sent advanced New Year greetings. Those messages somehow bring forth our common unconscious effort to evaluate and to thank God and the people close to us for what had happened in 2009.
A Salesian brother sent me a message on how to achieve happiness from the wisdom of our experiences, entitled Five Positive Thoughts:
1. Enjoy being alive. There is plenty of time to be dead.

Our Vicar General was called “Monsignor” and was recently made a Papal Chaplain with a title “Monsignor”. Many are asking whether there is a difference between the two. – A school based Nun.

What are the laws on perpetual adoration of the Eucharist in the parish? What are the liturgical abuses that we should avoid in relation to this? - Parochial Vicar

Jesus said to His disciples, Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown His great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eight day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Stop judging, that you may not be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye, while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Jesus said to His disciples, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think they can be heard because of their man words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows you need before you ask Him.

‘This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors;
And do not subject us to the final test,
But deliver us from the evil one.’

Jesus said to His disciples, “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”