Blessed Pope John Paul II

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My blog passed the 50,000th view. Thanks be to God!

My humble blog has been viewed 50,000 times as of Thursday, 21 November 2013.

Thanks be to God who has granted me the strength daily to persevere in my faith and my dedication to Him, which I offer to Him and all my fellow men through the works of my hands.

Here is the current statistics of my blog :

Days since inception : 313

Total views : 50,244

Total visitors : 29,520

Total posts : 1,655

 

Statistics by countries (Data available total – 49,578) :

1. United States of America : 17,203

2. Singapore : 12,022

3. Philippines : 4,553

4. United Kingdom : 2,547

5. Canada : 1,966

6. Italy : 1,132

7. Australia : 964

8. Germany : 714

9. India : 620

10. France : 493

11. Ireland : 493

12. Poland : 470

13. Malaysia : 410

14. Indonesia : 355

15. Netherlands : 305

16. Belgium : 240

17. Brazil : 231

18. Spain : 190

19. Hungary : 182

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21. Hong Kong : 162

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25. South Africa : 153

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30. Nigeria : 114

31. Malta : 110

32. Thailand : 105

33. Japan : 104

34. Saudi Arabia : 100

35. Slovakia : 93

36. Finland : 92

37. Vietnam : 91

38. Greece : 84

39. Romania : 83

40. Czech Republic : 82

41. Russian Federation : 82

42. Norway : 78

43. Argentina : 78

44. Lithuania : 76

45. Taiwan : 75

46. Colombia : 66

47. Kenya : 59

48. Puerto Rico (USA) : 53

49. Ghana : 52

50. South Korea : 51

51. Sri Lanka : 50

52. Botswana : 44

53. Slovenia : 41

54. Trinidad and Tobago : 39

55. Panama : 36

56. Israel : 35

57. Lebanon : 34

58. Denmark : 33

59. Chile : 32

60. Uganda : 31

61. Pakistan : 31

62. Vatican City : 31

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64. Tanzania : 29

65. Bulgaria : 28

66. Cyprus : 27

67. Cameroon : 26

68. Mauritius : 24

69. Egypt : 24

70. Costa Rica : 22

71. Bosnia and Herzegovina : 21

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75. Turkey : 18

76. Dominican Republic : 18

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78. Latvia : 18

79. Jamaica : 18

80. Guatemala : 18

81. Barbados : 17

82. Bahamas : 16

83. Senegal : 14

84. Macau : 14

85. Venezuela : 14

86. Qatar : 13

87. Namibia : 13

88. Bangladesh : 12

89. Luxembourg : 12

90. Brunei Darussalam : 12

91. Ethiopia : 11

92. El Salvador : 11

93. Cambodia : 9

94. Peru : 9

95. Rwanda : 9

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109. Gibraltar (UK) : 6

110. Nicaragua : 5

111. Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) : 5

112. Honduras : 5

113. Dominica : 5

114. Mozambique : 4

115. Ecuador : 4

116. Papua New Guinea : 4

117. Uruguay : 4

118. Northern Mariana Islands (USA) : 4

119. Myanmar : 4

120. Bahrain : 4

121. Fiji : 4

122. Cayman Islands (UK) : 3

123. Swaziland : 3

124. Laos : 3

125. Iraq : 3

126. Lesotho : 3

127. Guyana : 3

128. Liechtenstein : 3

129. Bermuda (UK) : 3

130. Sierra Leone : 2

131. Solomon Islands : 2

132. Martinique : 2

133. Guernsey (UK) : 2

134. Oman : 2

135. Armenia : 2

136. Belize : 2

137. Monaco : 2

138. Marshall Islands : 2

139. Timor-Leste : 2

140. Malawi : 2

141. Haiti : 2

142. Madagascar : 2

143. Uzbekistan : 2

144. Iceland : 2

145. Togo : 1

146. Isle of Man (UK) : 1

147. St. Vincent and the Grenadines : 1

148. Maldives : 1

149. Greenland (Denmark) : 1

150. Federated States of Micronesia : 1

151. Paraguay : 1

152. Libya : 1

153. Palestinian Territories : 1

154. French Polynesia (France) : 1

155. Montenegro : 1

156. Equatorial Guinea : 1

157. Seychelles : 1

158. Macedonia : 1

159. American Samoa (USA) : 1

160. Iran : 1

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Friday, 1 November 2013 : Solemnity of All Saints (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Brothers and sisters, rejoice! Rejoice indeed, I say to you! That is because today is indeed a great feast for all creation. Today is the feast of All Saints and holy people of God, those who had been made holy in God and who have been made righteous and glorious, receiving the eternal rewards and glories of heaven.

Yet, we should not think that these saints are superhumans or truly people who we all cannot become. There is a danger in us seeing them as people with divine and miraculous powers. It is important for us not to get this misconception. That is why many people outside the Church of God and even inside the Church have this misconception that we worship and pray to the saints as if they are gods.

No, brethren, as we all should know, that this is not the case. These saints were once like us, and they were indeed mere humans like ourselves, with all of our strengths as well as our weaknesses and shortcomings. These saints were just like us once, and some of them were even at one point of time, great sinners, whose sins could indeed be considered very abominable and evil in the eyes of the Lord. Among them were murderers and liars alike. They were no different from us, when they still walked in their mortal bodies in this world.

Yet, what sets them apart, is their realisation and understanding of the reason for their lives, that they, particularly those who sinned greatly, discovered the ugly nature of their sinful acts and from there, resolved to change themselves for the better. They left behind their sinful selves and cast away that empty shell of sin, cutting away the veil of darkness that separate them from God and His love.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why we have our saints and blesseds, whom the Church and the entire Body of Christ had declared to be worthy of the glory of heaven. They have transformed themselves to become the vessels of the light and love of the Lord our God. They have used the gifts given to them, using them for the good of others, loving all mankind, just as the Lord had asked all of us to do. And finally, they loved God in their own ways, each no less great than the other.

Sainthood is not an easy matter to get, for being saints mean that those people have been found worthy of the glory of heaven. It is not easy for us to be worthy of the glory of heaven, as we have to be mindful of the sins and evils we have committed, be it in our words and our actions. And yet, remember again, brethren, that saints and all the holy people, were also once sinners like us, but they have been made worthy, because they realised their sinful nature and changed themselves from that point, for the better.

In this, then we have to take note of what our Lord Jesus Christ had said in the Gospel today. It is a very familiar passage for us all, as it is the Sermon at the mount, or the Beatitudes, where Jesus taught His disciples and all the people who were following Him, on the blessings that He gave and attributed to the people who had done what is good. Essentially these are the people who are truly blessed and found worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

So are these categories then a sign of greatness and glory? Of might and power? No! In fact, when you look at the Beatitudes, the characteristics of those who are blessed, are being merciful, peaceful, loving, and essentially, all that Jesus Himself had preached throughout His ministry. It is these people who love peace, who seek love with one another, and those who put the Lord and His precepts above everything else.

We too can become saints, brethren! Sainthood is truly not outside our reach. The late Blessed Pope John Paul II himself, soon to be raised to the glory of heaven as a saint, called all of us the faithful ones in God, to become more saintly and aspire to be them, through his universal call to holiness. All of us truly have within each one of us, the ability to become saints, and receive the rich and glorious rewards of heaven, only if we make a decisive choice.

Let us therefore, brothers and sisters, from now on, resolve to make ourselves into new persons in God, that all of our actions, our words, and our deeds will be truly a reflection of the Lord, that we will be righteous in all of our deeds, that we will be made worthy and holy, before the Lord our God, that one day, we will be able to join His choir of angels and saints, praising His Name forever and ever.

Remember brethren, the Beatitudes and the other teachings of our Lord. Be loving, be men of peace, be humble, be gentle, and be faithful to our Lord. Happy all Saints day to everyone, may they intercede for us sinners still in this world, and God be with us all. Amen!

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Tuesday, 22 October 2013 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pope (Scripture Reflection)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, be ready, be prepared, and be vigilant. Those are the key things that the Lord wants from us all to take heed of and to observe, as we live in this world, that we do not fall into the traps of the devil. That we also take heed of the loving works and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have been made worthy once again, of the Lord.

Having been taken from the dominion of the evil one, and no longer having to suffer eternal punishment with him is the reason, brethren, why the devil will constantly try to corrupt us back, so as to once again cast us away from the presence of God, as once happened to Adam and Eve, our ancestors, through their transgressions in disobedience.

We cannot be idle and let our guard be weakened, for the devil has his army of fallen angels, his subordinates, ready at all times to strike at us at our weakest points. That is why we must always be prepared for all circumstances. The Lord will come again as He had promised us through His disciples, and He will come again at a time we least expect of all.

Be prepared, brethren, for we have to always be awake at all times, that when the Lord comes again, at the time unexpected to all, we will be found ready and upright by He who comes, and therefore, be found worthy of His eternal kingdom, and worthy of the eternal glory and joy that He will bestow on all of us whom He will take as His own, and no one else will have any power over us.

And He who is to come has come down once as Jesus, the Son of Man, to be the new Adam. For just as once Adam the first man had sinned before the Lord and therefore, as the first reading today stated, that because of his single transgression, mankind had to suffer the consequences of Adam’s sin, by allowing evil and sin to enter into the hearts of men, therefore, by the singular act of Christ, the new Adam, the new Man, we are once again made whole and complete in salvation.

That singular act, is an act of perfect obedience to the will of God, and an act of perfect selflessness and love, just as the act of Adam, the first man, is an act of selfishness and disobedience. For Adam and Eve, tempted by Satan in the form of a snake, desired to have knowledge on things good and evil, and therefore to be like God, just as the snake had tempted them so. This brought mankind into sin and therefore bring them under the jurisdiction of death.

Yet, Christ’s act of selflessness, love, and perfect obedience, that is none other than His Passion and sacrifice on the hill of Calvary, when He laid down His life for our sake, for the love of us all, and in complete obedience to the will of God the Father. In this, He had become the new Man, the new Adam, through whom all mankind are once again made justified and worthy.

Today, we celebrate the feast of a great man, and yet a humble and loving servant of God. Yes, that is the feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II. This year will be the last time we celebrate his feast as a Blessed, as next year in April, Pope Francis, the current Pope will elevate this holy man into the glory of the sainthood. Blessed Pope John Paul II is well known for his love and devotion for the Lord, through His Blessed Mother Mary. This devotion extended not just to his devotions and prayers, but also to his life and actions.

Blessed Pope John Paul II showed the nature of Christ to the world, through his own life examples. He forgave the one who had tried to assassinate him, mirroring the example of Christ who forgave those who had pierced Him and condemned Him to die a humiliating death on the cross. Blessed Pope John Paul II also showed the nature of suffering and perseverance through his last years of life, lived in suffering from various debilitating conditions. He taught many of us the importance of faith and devotion to God, even amid suffering and times of difficulties.

And ultimately, Blessed Pope John Paul II was known for his approach to all mankind, especially those who had faltered in their way towards the Lord. He championed the call for everyone to reach out towards holiness, and a life filled with faith and love towards the Lord our God. He asked all to open wide the doors of their heart to the Lord. Yes, indeed, the doors of our heart must be opened to the light and love of God, that we do not reject His love and kindness, which He had offered freely for us, and too often that mankind decided to reject Him and turn Him away from our hearts.

May the Lord our God who laid down His life for us, continue to inspire in us, the love for Him and for our fellow men, that we can realise how much love that He has for us. And also, that we all can begin if we have not done so, to build up our heavenly ‘bank account’ through obeying the will of God, doing His commandments, that is again, to love one another and to love God. So that when the Lord comes again, at a time unknown to us, we will be found ready and worthy, that He will bless us and give us the place in the kingdom that He had prepared for us. May Blessed Pope John Paul II intercede for us in heaven, and may God bless us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 22 October 2013 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 12 : 35-38

Be ready, dressed for service, and keep your lamps lit, like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding. As soon as he comes and knocks, they will open the door to him.

Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes. Truly, I tell you, he will put on an apron, and have them sit at table, and he will wait on them.

Happy are those servants, if he finds them awake when he comes at midnight or daybreak!

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Tuesday, 22 October 2013 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 39 : 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”

As the scroll says of me, I come. To do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your law is within my heart.

In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.

But may all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and may all who love Your saving grace continually say, “The Lord is great.”

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Tuesday, 22 October 2013 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Blessed Pope John Paul II, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 5 : 12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21

Therefore, sin entered the world through one man, and through sin, death, and the later on death spread to all mankind, because all sinned.

All died because of the fault of one man, but how much more does the grace of God spread when the gift He granted reaches all.

If death reigned through the disobedience of one and only one person, how much more will there be a reign of life for those who receive the grace and the gift of true righteousness through the one person, Jesus Christ.

Just as one transgression brought sentence of death to all, so, too, one man’s good act has brought justification and light to all; and as the disobedience of only one made all sinners, so the obedience of one person allowed all to be made just and holy.

Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, and as sin caused death to reign, so grace will reign in its own time, and after making us just and friends of God, will bring us to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago (Chile), turns 80, ceases to be a Cardinal-elector

Francisco_Javier_Errázuriz_Ossa(3)

Today, Thursday, 5 September 2013, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Pace, and Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago, Chile, turns 80, and therefore, according to the rules written in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, he loses his right to vote in any future conclave.

Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa was made Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Pace by Blessed Pope John Paul II in the 2001 Consistory of Cardinals on 21 February 2001, the eighth of his pontificate. He was also the Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago in Chile from April 1998 to December 2010.

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http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-8.htm#49

May God bless His Eminence Cardinal Errazuriz Ossa, with a blessed old age and health. May he remain strong in the faith and hopefully can perhaps still carry out the mission God had given him.

The College of Cardinals now stands at 201 members in total, with 111 Cardinal-electors and 90 Cardinal non-electors. There are now vacancy of 9 Cardinal-electors as compared to the maximum number of electors allowed in the Conclave of 120, although Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI had sometimes surpassed this limit.

Next Cardinal-elector to age out (80) will be Cardinal Raffaele Farina, the former Archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives and the current President of the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Institute for Works of Religion,  on 24 September 2013.

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Website for World Youth Day 2016 Krakow has been launched

http://www.krakow2016.com/en/

The site above is the website for World Youth Day 2016, which has been launched today.

It may still be three years away, but let us prepare from now on, all the preparations to ensure that the World Youth Day at Krakow, the beloved city of Blessed Pope John Paul II will be as successful as the one held in Madrid (2011) and Rio de Janeiro (2013) and all the previous World Youth Day celebrations.

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Passing of Cardinal Ersilio Tonini of Italy, at the age of 99

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Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, Cardinal Priest of SS. Redentore a Valmelaina has passed away on Sunday, 28 July 2013 at the age of 99, just a few days after his birthday on 20 July. At 99, he was the oldest living Cardinal in the College of Cardinals.

http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-6.htm#175

Cardinal Tonini was created Cardinal in 1994 by the late Blessed Pope John Paul II and he was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia, Italy from 1975 to 1990. He was the last Cardinal to have been born in the Pontificate of Pope St. Pius X, the last Pope to be made a saint. Pope St. Pius X passed away exactly one month after Cardinal Tonini was born (20 August 1914). He was also the last Cardinal to have been born prior to World War I, which began just a week after his birth.

We pray for Cardinal Tonini, that he will rest in peace, and God will reward him for all his hard work as the shepherd of the people of God in Ravenna-Cervia and his numerous other contributions to the Church and for the Lord’s sake. May the Lord welcome him into His embrace in heaven and give him eternal rest and happiness that he deserved.

With the passing of Cardinal Tonini, the College of Cardinals now stands at 202 members, with 112 Cardinal-electors and 90 Cardinal non-electors.

There are now 8 Cardinal-elector vacancies in the College of Cardinals, 11 vacant Cardinal Titles (for Cardinal Priests) and 8 vacant Cardinal Deaconries (for Cardinal Deacons)

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World Youth Day 2016 will be in Krakow, Poland

We thank the Lord for His grace and kindness, in blessing the World Youth Day 2013 (28th World Youth Day) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that it was a huge success and indeed was a unique experience to the multitudes who attended the event directly and those who followed the events from home and through the social media.

As it had been announced by Pope Francis in the Closing Mass at Copacabana Beach, the next World Youth Day, due in 2016 will be held in Krakow, Poland, the birthplace of Blessed Pope John Paul II (soon to be Pope St. John Paul II) and the year 2016 also marked the 1050th anniversary since the conversion of Poland to Christianity. This will be the 29th World Youth Day since it’s beginning in 1980 by Blessed Pope John Paul II himself.

We pray that the Lord will bless the next World Youth Day in Krakow just as He had blessed the one which had just finished in Rio de Janeiro. We thank all those who had worked hard to make sure that the event is a great success. God bless all! God bless our Church!