Humbly Regard Others as More Important than Yourselves

One interesting passage of Scripture that has challenged me a lot through my last years has been the following " Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others" (Phil 2:3-4). Perhaps my difficulties stem from my own pride and my failure to observe and even understand fully what this passage is asking of me. I find the whole thing challenging, and the challenge grows as these verses are followed by the invitation to have the same mind and attitude of Christ. Wow, that is a real challenge. But the part that I have found a real difficulty even in understanding it is the one that says humbly regard others as more important than yourselves. Perhaps my difficulties came from the awareness that no two people have the same qualities and gifts, and one can truly say that this person possesses these qualities and this other person does not. So it is possible to compare at least demonstrable qualities. However, I am also aware that it is not possible to judge the interior life of a soul, and only God can do that. Only God can determine who will have the highest degree of glory in the life to come. As far as we are concerned, it seems to me, the first task is to avoid comparisons to begin with. In fact Jesus Christ gives us an apparent paradox for those who like to be first, when He says: "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 18:4). So you in order to go high you have to go low, or as Scripture says "whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Mat 23:12). So here I had to look at Christ and His humility, Christ certainly knew that He was superior to others ontologically, spiritually, morally, etc. yet, He came and humbly regarded every one of us as superior to Him, and for that reason He came to serve each of us and even gave His life for each one of us. That is humility. And I understood that it is not a matter of being higher and lower than other people, it is not a matter of comparisons, it is a matter of considering every single human being on the face of the earth as superior to me, so that I can indeed have the same attitude of Christ who came to serve ALL, without making distinctions at all. The words "consider others as more important" or superior, it is not a statement of fact, only God knows that, but it is a statement about an ATTITUDE. This means that I will freely choose to look at others as superior to me so that I can serve them with joy and readily, in fact, I consider each person as worthy of my service, so that I can live what Scripture says, "each looking out not for his own interests, but everyone for those of others" (Phil 2:4). Now the complete grace is not just to understand it, but also to live it out, day in and day out. Now pray for me :-)

Forty days for Life campaign

The next forty days for life will begin on February 25th and end on April 5th. It consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting with the idea of ending abortion. It is 40 days of constant and watchful prayer in front of specified abortion centers. In my area we will pray at Family Planning Associates: 2777 Long Beach Blvd. #200Long Beach, CA 90806.
If you want more information or want to check what is available in your own area please check the official website:
http://www.40daysforlife.com/

Living in the Present Moment

Perhaps one of the most helpful things in my spiritual life has been the idea of living always in the present moment. It is simple, and yet is a grace that is beyond simple understanding. In what does it consist? In my mind is the idea to live in reality, that is to live in the present moment, for only the present moment is real, the past is gone, the future is not yet here, only the now is what it is, only in the now is my opportunity to fulfill my desires and aspirations. It is very easy for many of us to live trapped in the past and its pitfalls, wishing in one way or another things had been different, and yet we are simply unable to change what the past is, and we waste the opportunity to live in the present moment at the fullest and with the opportunity it brings. At other times we may think about the future and how in the future I will do this or that, or when I get this or that I will be this way or that way, but the truth of the matter is that the present is all I have, and it is in the present that I can, and have the potential to direct my life towards the end for which I was created, that is union with God. It is in the present moment that I am being loved by God and it is only in the present that I can respond to that love also in an unconditional way by His grace. It is in the present that the indwelling of the Trinity takes place in my heart and my chance to live in union with God is being offered to me. It is now, that I have the opportunity to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and my whole strength, it is now that I have the chance to love my neighbor, it is now that God is dwells in my heart, it is now that I can choose to say YES to God like Mary did in all things in her life, it is now that I can choose to be a saint with the help of God, it is the now which is real. It is in the now that I can find peace and joy, even in the middle of difficulties for God is with me now, and I do not even have to fear about the future for as some saints have said God is already there, so He will meet me when I get there and no matter what the circumstances of that future are He will lead me, guide me and provide for me, so I have nothing to worry about it. It is the present moment the time to be grateful , and even in the now I can be grateful about future blessings that God will certainly provide out of His generous nature. It is in the present moment that I am being challenged to allow myself to be loved by God and to respond to that love with total trust, it is in the present moment that I am being given the opportunity to live in the presence of God and experience His mercy.

Most FAITHFUL Catholic Colleges

The most FAITHFUL Catholic Colleges in the US according to a study published by the Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education -- the research division of the Cardinal Newman Society -- in terms of fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and campus life are: Ave Maria University, Aquinas College (Tenn.), Belmont Abbey College, Benedictine College, The Catholic University of America, Christendom College, The College of Saint Thomas More (Texas), DeSales University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, John Paul the Great Catholic University, Magdalen College, Mount St. Mary's University, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, St. Gregory's University, Southern Catholic College, Thomas Aquinas College, The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (N.H.), University of Dallas, University of St. Thomas (Texas), and Wyoming Catholic College.
The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education's mission is to study Catholic colleges and universities in accordance with the guidelines of Ex corde Ecclesiae and in a manner faithful to the Holy Father and Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Keep in mind these colleges when applying for higher education.

Retreat- Saturday February 28th

There will be a retreat at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, CA, on Saturday February the 28th from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The theme is "St. Paul and the Mercy of God." To register please call the office at 562 924 7591 or register online at:
http://www.spcomv.com/
click in the right tab titled RETREATS

Retreat: God Alone Suffices

About two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to give a retreat to about 90 women at the Sacred Heart Retreat House at the Carmelite Convent in Alhambra. The theme of the retreat was:
GOD ALONE SUFFICES.
If anybody would like to get a hold of the CDs of these talks please contact the retreat House:
Retreat Master: Fr. Fernando Cuenca, OMV
Date of the Retreat: January 30th to February 1st.
Contact Us: Telephone (626) 289-1353
Email: info@shretreathouse.org
Address: 920 East Alhambra Road, Alhambra, CA 91801

Ash Wednesday and Lent

“Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God”. (Joel 2:13). The liturgical use of ashes originated in the Old Testament times. Ashes symbolized mourning, mortality and penance. In the Book of Esther, Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes when he heard of the decree of King Ahasuerus to kill all of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire (Esther 4:1). Job repented in sackcloth and ashes (Job 42:6). Prophesying the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem, Daniel wrote, "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (Daniel 9:3). Perhaps the best known example of repentance in the Old Testament involves the story of the prophet Jonah, who finally obeyed God's command and preached in the great city of Nineveh. His preaching was amazingly effective. Word of his message was carried to the king of Nineveh. "When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes" (Jon 3:6). In the New Testament Jesus also made reference to ashes, "If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have reformed in sackcloth and ashes long ago" (Matthew 11:21). The Church adapted the use of ashes to mark the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins. In our present liturgy for Ash Wednesday, we use ashes made from the burned palm branches distributed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. The priest blesses the ashes and imposes them on the foreheads of the faithful, making the sign of the cross and saying, "Remember, man you are dust and to dust you shall return," or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Ash Wednesday is also a day of both fasting and abstinence. As we begin this holy season of Lent in preparation for Easter, we must remember the significance of the ashes we have received: we mourn and do penance for our sins; we convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation, and we are reminded of this reality when the priest places the ashes on the form of a cross on our foreheads; we renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ; finally, mindful that the kingdom of this world passes away, we strive to live the kingdom of God now and look forward to its fulfillment in heaven.
Lent is the forty day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday up to the Mass of the Lord’s supper. The forty days remind us of the fasts by Moses on Mount Sinai, and by Christ in the desert before He began His public ministry. Lent is followed by the Sacred Triduum which begins with the Mass of the Lord's Supper, continues on Good Friday, and ends with the Easter Vigil.