CHASING HAPPINESS

             Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, and the whole end of human existence.  It comes from things inside our hearts and from things that we cannot always see or measure.  It is only with the heart that we can see rightly, for the true important things in life are invisible to the eye.  We must return from material things to the things of the spirit.

“It is easier to catch a butterfly without a net,

Than it is to get hold of that elusive state

Of mind and heart called Happiness.”

             Talk teaches talk encourages and consoles.  Talk leads, talk heals, talk shows respect for others.  Talk relieves tension.  Talk is one of the best ways to show love.  And is one of the best ways to say “THANK YOU.”   It says; “We grow too soon old, and too late smart.”  Then he would have found real happiness inside him and wouldn’t have to go on chasing his tail.

“Darkness had ended and the night is over when you

Look at the face of every person you meet and

 Know that he or she is your brother or your sister.”

            The Catholic Church recognizes only 266 popes from St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI.  Those who are considered doubtful, pretenders, wicked and antipopes (marked “*” & in italics) were never recognized as “Pope” of the Catholic Church.  Yet, it is one solid proof that the gates of hell didn’t prevail against the Church!   We can see that there are 3 popes who ruled at the same time but one of them is considered the true pope.  If the people were confused and choose to follow those wicked popes, then they have been snatched away from Christ’s hands.  They didn’t listen to His voice.

TO PERMIT OR TO PROHIBIT?

Are the Saints biblical or not?

They are the ones described in Revelation; “They will see Him face to face, and His name will be written on their foreheads.”

            Saint, name applied in the New Testament (Col. 1:2) to the members of the Christian community generally, but restricted in ecclesiastical usage from very early times to those who have been virtuous to a heroic degree.  Saints are traditionally distributed into several classes: apostles and evangelist; martyrs; confessors, originally, those who had undergone imprisonment or pains without final crown of martyrdom and, later, male saints in general who were eminent for sanctity; doctors, saints eminent for sacred learning; virgins; and matrons and widows. 

            Canonization, in the Roman Catholic Church, an act by which the pope publicly proclaims the sanctity of a deceased person, whom he thereupon proposes for the veneration of the Universal Church.  Canonization is usually the final act of a lengthy process that begins with beatification.  The decree of beatification is an official declaration that a person lived a holy life and can be venerated as one of the “blessed”; canonization awards the full title of “saint.”  The modern custom of canonization originated in the early Christian practice of paying public honor to the martyrs.  For many centuries thereafter the title of saint was bestowed by popular acclamation.  Not until a comparatively late period was a procedure equivalent to canonization adopted.

            The earliest acknowledgement instance of a solemn decree of canonization is that of Udalric or Ulric, bishop of Augsburg declared saint by Pope John XV in 993.  Pope Alexander III in 1171 reserved the right of canonizing exclusively for the papacy.  Pope Urban VIII, in two constitution promulgated in 1625 and 1634, made more stringent regulations and laid down the canonization procedure that, with slight modification, is still followed.

            Canonization, without a special dispensation, cannot be decreed until 50 years have elapsed since the claimant’s death.  The process that precedes the decree of canonization seeks to establish two characteristics of the claimant according to the testimony of competent witnesses: eminent virtues, technically referred to as virtues in a “heroic decree,” and the performance of at least two authentic miracles.  If the initial investigation is satisfactory, the pope takes the cause into his own hands and issues letters assigning the cause to a committee of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, which then examines the virtues and miracles specifically.  The claimants cause is now said to be introduced.  The introduction of the cause, that is, of the pontifical process, entitles the beatificandus, of candidate for beatification, to be called “venerable.”  Many candidates have reached this point in the proceedings and have failed to go beyond it.  If the candidate passes successfully through the proceedings, a decree of beatification is pronounced.  Before the further process of canonization can be instituted, witnesses must testify that the candidate has worked a certain number of miracles since beatification.  The case then once more passes through the hands of several congregations, the last of which is held in the presence of the pope, when the final decree is agreed upon.  The ceremony of canonization occurs in Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and is one of the most solemn and imposing of all papal functions. 

Is the Holy Trinity biblical?

            In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God; that is God the Father.  And the Word was with God and He was the same as God.  And the word became a human being; that is Jesus, God the Son.  And the Word, which is God and is with God, dwelt among us; that is God the Holy Spirit.  And because God is without beginning or end, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are without beginning or end.  One God in three divine persons, the Holy Trinity.  Who says it is not biblical? And because Mary is the Mother of Jesus who is God, Mary is the Mother of God the Son.  And when we say the Mother of God, we are not saying the Mother of God the Father but God the Son. 

In the book of revelation, we read; “I am the first and the last,” says the Lord God Almighty, who is, who was, and who is to come. (Revelation 1:8)”  If Jesus is coming back, why did the Lord God says that He is coming if God and Jesus are not the same?  Actually, the Lord God in the verse is God the Son.  He (God the Father) is telling us that the Lord God Almighty (God the Son) is the first and the last and who is to come.  God the Father is the God of all creation, God the Son is the Savior and God the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us guidance and strength.  There are three divine persons but only one God.  The Catholic Church worships only One God although we consider Jesus as God but not as God the Father but as God the Son.  And yes, Jesus is a human being but by the power of the Holy Spirit (God the Holy Spirit), He (God the Son) was born.  For the benefit of those who insists that Jesus is not God, I will explain it to you one by one.

            “Before the world was created, the Word already existed (God the Father); he was with God (God the Son), and he was the same as God (God the Father was the same as God the Son). From the very beginning the Word was with God (God the Son was with God the Father).  Through him (God the Son) God (God the Father) made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him (God the Son).  The word was the source of life, and this life brought light to mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.(God the Son). The Word was in the World (God the Son) and through God (God the Father) made the world through him (God the Son), yet the world did not recognize him (God the Son).  He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him and believe in him (God the Son); so he gave them the right to become God’s children by natural means, that is, by being born as children (we) of a human father, God (God the Father) himself was their Father.  The Word became a human being (God the Son) and, full of grace and truth, lived or dwelt  among us (God the Holy Spirit).  We saw his glory (God the Son), the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.  John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’” No one has ever seen God.  The only Son, who is the same as God (in aim and purpose) and is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:1-15;18)” 

        And because no one has ever seen God, the Word became flesh, so that we can see God through Jesus and it would be easier for us to love God because we have seen His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Son of God became the Son of Man so that we, sons of men are worthy to be called Sons of God.

Is Purgatory biblical?

             First of all, Purgatory is not a place.  Unlike heaven and hell, purgatory is a state of condition.  The anti-Catholics say that purgatory is non-biblical.  Catholics says it is biblical.  We can find such place in the Bible although we cannot see the word “Purgatory” in the Bible.  In Christian theology, Purgatory is the state of purgation (cleansing and purification) in which, according to the Roman Catholic and eastern churches, souls after death either are purified from venial or justifiable sins or undergo the temporal punishment that, after the guilt of mortal sin has been remitted, still remains to be endured by the sinners.  The ultimate happiness of their soul is supposed to be thus secured.  On the existence of Purgatory in Greek and Latin churches are agreed; they also agreed that it is a state of sufferings.  Although the Latins hold that this is by fire, the Greeks do not determine the manner of the suffering, but regard it as being caused by tribulation.  The Council of Florence (1439) left this free for discussion.

            The medieval doctrine and practice regarding purgatory were among the grounds for the protest of the Waldenes and were rejected by the Reformers.  Protestants held that salvation had been achieved for humankind by Christ and was obtained by faith in Christ alone.  A belief in an intermediate state and a period of education and probation on the other side of the grave has been held and taught in the Angelican church.  The British religious leader John Henry Newman drew on the theology of purgatory for his poem “Dream of Gerontius,” which the English composer Sir Edward Elgar set to music as an oratorio under the same title.

            Purgatory is biblical and again, the word itself cannot be found in the Bible.  Let us find out in Matthew 5:25-26; “If someone brings a lawsuit against you and takes you to court, settle the dispute with him while there is time, before you get to court.  Once you are there, he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, and you will be put to jail.  There you will stay, I tell you, until you pay the last penny of your fine.”  The court is God’s Kingdom.  To settle the dispute with Him while there is time is to ask for forgiveness to God while there is time.  To be put to jail and will stay there until we pay the last penny is to purify ourselves from our sins in jail, which is purgatory, until we pay the last penny.  We cannot enter God’s Kingdom if our souls are still stained even with small sins.  No soul can enter heaven with venial sins.  All souls in heaven are pure and clean and so if we have sins, we cannot enter heaven.  If there were no Purgatory, there would be very few souls that will be save.  Let us find out if there is really a place called Purgatory.

In the first book of 1 Peter 3:18-20, there it says; “For Christ died (many manuscripts have suffered) for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead to God.  He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits (souls in purgatory). These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat.”   Are there a place called Purgatory?  Yes, indeed!  Jesus would never preach in hell because hell is eternal.  There is no salvation there.  Imagine, if there is no such place as Purgatory, what will happen to those people who died before Christ died?  Will they all go to hell?  How can they go to heaven if they died with sins?  If Christ died in order for us to be save, how about those people who died before Him?

Also in the second book of Maccabees it says; “In his firm and devout conviction that all of God’s faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas Maccabees made a provision for a sin offering to set free from their sin those who had died. (2 Maccabees 12:46)”  

Now, who says it is not biblical?  There is a place where God’s faithful people who died with venial sins is to be purified and that place we call Purgatory.   Every November 2, we commemorate the souls in purgatory.  That is the place or state in which the souls who died in venial sin, or have not fully atoned for their past transgressions, are purified before entering into paradise.  The suffering of purgatory consists of intense pain of longing for God, whose beatific vision is delayed.  Paradise and hell are eternal, while purgatory will end at the judgement day.  We can help the souls in Purgatory expiate their sins by offering alms, prayers, and Masses.  The souls in Purgatory could not go to paradise, because they died in sin; neither they could go to hell, because there were fighting a holy war of Yahweh.  Therefore, they went into a place of purification, which we call purgatory.  And if people do not believe in purgatory, maybe just maybe, when they die with sins, they will go straight to hell.  It makes sense now when Jesus told His sheeps that they will had eternal life and will never perish.  However, if you don’t belong to His flock, you can never be saved. 

Not all Catholics will go to heaven because only those who died with venial, forgivable, justifiable, allowable sins will be purified in Purgatory before going to heaven.  No one can enter heaven until we pay our last penny. I wonder where are the other false prophets now.  If he doesn’t belong to Christ’s flock and doesn’t believe in Purgatory, where are they now?

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

            The Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, venerated by Christians since apostolic times.  The Gospels gives a brief account of Mary mentioning her in connection with the annunciation, and the beginning and the end of Jesus’ life.  As early as the 2^nd century Christians venerated Mary by calling her Mother of God, a title that primarily stresses the divinity of Jesus.  During the 4^th century controversies concerning the divine and human natures of Jesus, the Greek title theotokos (“Mother of God”) came to be used for Mary in devotional and theological writing.  The Syrian monk Nestorius (about 451) contested the usage, insisting that Mary was mother of Christ, not of God.  The Council of Ephesus condemned Nestorius’ teaching and solemnly affirmed that Mary is to be called Theotokos, a title that has been used since that time in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

Closely allied with the title Mother of God is the title Virgin Mary, affirming the virginal conception of Jesus (Luke 1:35).  Initially, this title stressed the belief that God, not Joseph, was the true Father of Jesus.  In the Marian devotion that developed in the East in the 4^th century Mary was venerated not only in the conception, but also in the birth of Jesus.  This conviction was expressed clearly in the 4^th century baptismal creeds of Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, and Armenia (373-74).  The title used was Aieiparthenos (“ever-virgin”), and by the middle of the 7^th century the understanding of the title came to include that conviction that Mary remained a virgin for the whole of her life.  The passages in the New Testament referring to the brothers of Jesus (for instance, Mark 6:3, which also mentions sisters; see 1 Corinthians. 9:5; Gal. 1:19) have been accordingly explained as references to relatives of Jesus or to Children of Joseph be a previous marriage, although no textual evidence supports these interpretations.     

            Beginning in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries Mary was called Holy or Blessed to express the belief that, because of her intimate union with God through the Holy Spirit in the conception of Jesus (Luke 1:35), Mary was completely free from any taint of sin.  A Roman Council in 680 spoke of her as the “Blessed, immaculate ever virgin.)  In both the Eastern and Western churches, feast days in honor of the events of Mary’s life came into existence between the 4^th and 7^th centuries.  They are celebrate the miraculous conception and her birth, narrated in the apocryphal protogospel of James (September 8), the annunciation (March 25), her purification in the Temple (February 2), and her death (called the Dormition in the Eastern church) and bodily assumption into heaven (August 15). 

            Doctrine of Immaculate Conception: The principal theological development concerning Mary in the Middle Ages was the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.  This doctrine, defended and preached by the Franciscan friars under the inspiration of the 13^th century Scottish theologian John Scotus, maintains that Mary was conceived without original sin.  Dominican teachers and preachers vigorously opposed that doctrine, maintaining that it detracted from Christ’s role as universal savior.  Pope Sixtus IV, however, defended it, establishing (1477) a feast of the Immaculate Conception with a proper mass and office to be celebrated on December 8.   Pope Clement XI extended this feast to the whole Western church in 1708.  In 1854 Pope Pius IX issued a solemn decree defining the Immaculate Conception for all Roman Catholics, but the doctrine has not been accepted by Protestants or by the Orthodox churches.  In 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined as an article of faith for all Roman Catholics the doctrine of the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven.  When Jesus said that whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, these things about Mary was then bound in heaven.  We trust Jesus in saying these words and so we don’t have to doubt about it! 

At the very beginning Jesus was already present.  Let us read the Gospel according to John 1:1-18 where the anti-Catholics explained in a different way without the authority or by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  They explained it in their own words and outside the authority of Peter’s successors.  (See the Holy Trinity to understand why Mary is called the Mother of God.)

When did the Rosary started?

            As the fear of death and the Last Judgement intensified following the Black Plaque in the 4^th century, Mary was increasingly venerated in popular piety as mediator of the mercy of Christ.  Her prayers and pleas were seen as the agency that tempered the stern justice of Christ.  Among the popular devotions that came into being at this time were the rosary (a chaplet originally consisting of 150 Hail Mary in imitation of the 150 Psalms in the psalter, later augmented by 15 interspersed Our Fathers as penance of daily sins).  St. Dominic introduced the Rosary in honor of the Virgin Mary a couple of years before he died.  It was used as a weapon to fight Satan.  It is also said that if we pray the rosary, we are not actually praying to Mary but we are praying with Mary to God.  Also when praying and or holding the Rosary, we are actually holding the hands of our Mother.  Jesus said to Mary in the book of John 19:25-27, “He is your son.”  And then said to His beloved apostle John, “She is your mother.”  From that time the apostle John took her to live in his home.  And so whoever accepts Mary as our mother and took her in our homes is the beloved disciples of Jesus.  Because Jesus loves us like John, He is also telling us that she is our mother.  And if we accept Mary as who she is, then we are the beloved disciples of Jesus.

Who are the real False Prophets?

Jesus warns his disciples about these false prophets.  Who are these false prophets?  Let us read what the Bible says about these people.

            “Be on guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheeps outside but on the inside they are really like wild wolves.  You will know them by what they do.” (Matthew 7:15-16)

            “Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people.  Such will be the spread of the evil that many people’s love will grow cold.  But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.  And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all mankind; and then the end will come.”  (Matthew 24:11-14)

            “Then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ – do not believe him.  For false Messiah and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God’s chosen people, if possible.  Listen, I have told you this ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:23-25)

            “Jesus said to them, ’Watch out and don’t let anyone fool you.  Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people.  And don’t be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away.  Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come.   Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.  There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines.  These things are like the first pains of childbirth.”  (Mark 13:5-8)

            “False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you.  They will bring destruction, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction.  In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories.  For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake.”  (2 Peter 2:1,3)

            “My children, the end is near!  You were told that the Enemy of Christ would come; and now many enemies of Christ have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near.  These people really did not belong to our fellowship, and that is why they left us.  But they left so that it might be clear that none of them really belonged to us.”  (1 John 2:18-19)

            “Who, then is a liar?  It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah.  Such people are the Enemy of Christ – they reject both the Father and the Son.  For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23)

            “My friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the Spirit they have is from God.    For many false prophets have gone out everywhere.  This is how you will be able to know whether it is God’s Spirit: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came as a human being has the Spirit of God.  But anyone who denied this about Jesus does not have the Spirit from God.” (1 John 4:1-3)

If you don’t listen to Christ’s voice, you will all perish.   Who are these people?  They are the ones who were deceived by the teachings of the false prophets.  Who are the false prophets?  They are the ones who introduced false doctrines different from the doctrines of the Apostolic Church and from the Bible.  They are the ones who claimed to be God’s prophets.   They are the ones who established other churches aside from the church of the first century.  They are the ones who privately interpreted the Bible. 

From Peter down to Felix Manalo, who are the people whom Jesus gave the authority to lead His flocks?  There is no connection between Jesus and Felix Y. Manalo.  I don’t believe that Mr. Manalo is a messenger of God from the east.  Take note of this verse; “Soon afterwards, some men who studied the stars came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, “where is the baby born to be the King of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2).”   That must be one long journey from the Philippines to Jerusalem.  It says here that the wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, not the star.  Notice the word “who”’?  According to Mr. F. Fuentes who wrote “the angel from the east and his message”, Mr. Manalo is the fulfillment of the many biblical prophecies concerning the sons and daughters of God whom He call through the instrumentality of His messenger.  One of these biblical prophecies is this; “I am calling a man to come from the east… Isaiah 46:11)”  Is that man Jesus or Felix Manalo? If he is truly a messenger of God from the east, does he have to build a church?  If yes, why does he claim that Jesus is the founder?

As they claim that the church of Christ is the continuation of the church that Christ established in the 1st century.  What doctrines and teachings do they have if they only emerge in the 20^th century?  What kind of religion is that? And another biblical prophecy is this; “There are other sheep, which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen.  I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd. (John 10:16)” 

 Jesus is telling us that there are people who belong to Him that are not in His sheep pen.  Who are they?  They are those who listens to Him and become one with Him in His flock.

            If Mr. F. Manalo is the one who belongs to Christ and the messenger of God that doesn’t belong to the sheep pen, it’s true that he doesn’t belong to the true church that Christ established.  Jesus will bring them too in His sheep pen.  But Jesus said that they will listen to His voice and they will become one flock with one shepherd. But what happened?  Why does the church of Christ claims that it is the real church that Christ founded?  If that is the case, Mr. Manalo is not the messenger of God because there are other sheeps aside from him.  But things get more complicated, if then that the church of Christ is the true church that Jesus established, who are those people who belong to the flock between Peter and Mr. Manalo?  Try to read Mark 13:22; “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear.  They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God’s chosen people, if possible.”  Yes, you and your members follow Christ, you do His will, you pray and all but remember; “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do what my Father in heaven wants you to do. (Matthew 7:21)” 

I heard one pastor of the church of Christ said that those who will be save are those who belong to the church that Jesus founded.   If you are trying to ask me, are all Catholics will be saved?  Not all, but I believe they will still be saved because we Catholics have a place called Purgatory.  Is it biblical?  Yes!  The proof of the existence of purgatory is in the 2^nd book of Maccabeus.  It says that he offered prayers at the Temple of Jerusalem for those who had died while wearing the amulets of the idols.  They could not go to paradise, because they died in sin; neither they could go to hell, because they were fighting a holy war for Yahweh.  Therefore, they went into a place of purification, which we call purgatory.  In Maccabeus 12:45; it says there that “In his firm and devout conviction that all of God’s faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas Maccabeus made provision for a sin offering to set free from their sins those who had died.”   But take note that Paradise and Hell are eternal, while Purgatory will end at the judgement day.  The sufferings in purgatory consist of intense pain of longing for God, whose beatific vision is delayed.  That is the reason why we commemorated all the souls in purgatory every 2^nd day on November. 

Think about this:

Did God told Manalo that he is a messenger or is it Manalo himself discover that he is an angel from the east?  You know what, I just can’t imagine the three kings went to Jerusalem from the Philippines. “…some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem…(Matthew 2:1),” “We saw his star when it came up in the east…(Matthew 2:2)” “So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting…(Matthew 2:7)”  “…and on their way, they saw the same star they had seen in the East. (Matthew 2:10)”  “And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God.  He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea. (Revelation 7:2)”   If the Philippines is located in the east, Jesus must have been born here and the three kings came from the Philippines and not in Jerusalem.  Manalo would be our savior and not Jesus.  Why? In Revelation, it is the angel from the east (Manalo) who called out to the four angels not to harm the people.  I guess those people is in great danger claiming that the angel from the east is Manalo and not Jesus.   Manalo doesn’t have the seal of the Living God.  Without any doubt, Jesus had th

The Bible

The Bible is a revelation of God to man consists of 78 books bound together and forming one book.  Even though written by at least different authors who were kings, farmers, lawyers, generals, fisherman, ministers and priest, a tax collector, a doctor, some are rich and some are poor, stretching over a period of 1,600 years, yet the Bible is one book because God was its real author.  But if we depend in the Bible alone, we might miss some other things that Jesus did here on earth because not all that Christ did is in the Bible.  And maybe, just maybe that there are a lot of things that the Apostles and the members of His church did that have not been written down by the writers. The last words of the Evangelist John said; “Now, there are many other things that Jesus did.  If they are written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written (John 21:25).”    The Bible is made so that we may be guided to what we are doing.  The church is build so that it will lead us to Christ.  So if other people depend everything in the Bible alone, then maybe they are doing or even interpreting the Scriptures in a wrong way.  The Church comes first, then the Bible because without the Catholic Church, there will be no Bible.  So we need the church that Christ established in the 1^st century.

How were the New Testament books finally selected? 

There were various factors to be considered: Apostolic origin, the importance of the community addressed, the centrality of the doctrine contained.  In the final analysis however, it was the Church’s awareness, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that certain books were an authentic and necessary reflection of her own life of faith.  The community of believers saw their own faith in these books as in a mirror.  They have been the primary standard Christian faith ever since.”

New Testament Canon:

”Compared to the long process of canonization of the Old Testament books, acceptance of the writings of the apostles and gospel writers as inspired Scriptures came rather quickly.  Reference to New Testament books as the standard for faith and practice are found in writings as early as those by St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch at the beginning of the second century.  Tertullian, about A.D. 200, is the first to use the title “New Testament.”  The Christian heretic, Marcion, about A.D. 150, hastened the canonization process as a result of the rejection of the Old Testament and most of the New Testament.  Disputes about whether certain books should be in the New Testament continued for a while, especially Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, and Revelations.  On the other hand, some books no longer in the canon were considered inspired at different times by some: 1 and 2 Clement, the Didache, and the Shepherd of Hermas.  It was not until the fourth century that a New Testament canon was finally fixed.”

CONCLUSION

If the Holy Spirit is not present in the church, then there is a great possibility that the church that Jesus founded will suffer from any forces of evil.  Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, do you think that these 12 insignificant men could spread the Good News?  And because of the continual presence of the Holy Spirit in the church for over 2,000 years, nothing can stop these people from doing what Jesus wants them to do even the gates of hell came before their very eyes.  Is there any possibility that the Catholic Church would be apostatize and suffer greatly because of the false teachings of the false prophets of today?  If the church would be apostatize because of it, what would Jesus do?  Do you think Christ will allow His church to be apostatize by those false prophets and disappear from the face of the earth?  When Saul is persecuting the first Christians, did Jesus leave His church and His people alone? Jesus would never do that, never in His mind.  That is one solid and concrete proof that the Catholic, Universal and Apostolic Church is the real church of Christ.  There are no other churches that were built by Christ in the first century.  If there are other churches who present Christ as their founder, then who are those church leaders from Peter to the head of their church in this generation?   If there are none, then it is without any doubt founded by false prophets.

            The church that Jesus founded would never disappear and so there’s no reason to reestablish it by anyone because His church will prevail against anything!

PAIN AND RISK : ALL PART OF LOVE

          In thinking of your past love, you may think it’s a failure.  But when you find a new one, you suddenly see this failure as a teacher.  In the love game, it doesn’t matter who won or lost.  What is important is you know when to stand up, hold on and when to let go.  You know you really love someone when you want him or her to be happy, even if his or her happiness means that you are not part of his or her heart. 

          Everything happens for the best.  If the person you love doesn’t love you back, don’t be afraid to love someone else again although I know it’s hard to forget.  But you’ll never know if it will be returned unless you give it a try.  You never really loved unless you risk for it.  Love strives and grows in hurting.  If you don’t get hurt, you don’t learn how to love.  Love doesn’t hurt all the time.  The hurting is there to test you and help you grow.  You cannot finish the book without closing its chapter.  To move on, you have to leave the past in the same way you turn the pages.

          Love is not destroyed by a single failure or won by a single caress.  It is a lifetime venture wherein we are always learning, discovering and growing.  Love’s greatest irony is letting go when you need to hold on and/or holding on when you need to let go.  Loving people means giving them the freedom to choose whom and where they want to be, regardless whether those choice lead toward or away from you.  It is agape…God’s kind of love.

          We lose someone we love only when we are destined to find someone else who can love us even more that we can love ourselves.  Don’t find love, let love find you.  You don’t choose love, love chooses you.  That’s why it’s called “falling in love” because you don’t force yourself to fall.  You just fall.  Falling in love is easy but to love is not!  In falling out of love, take some time to heal the wounds and then get back on the horse.  But don’t make the same mistakes of riding the same horse that first threw you.

          Reaching for another risk is good but be careful.  To expose your feelings is to expose your true self.  Loving again risk rejections, in the same way that life risks death and hope risks failure.  But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is risking – and reaching for – nothing!  

          How to define love?  It means falling but not stumbling, being constant but not too persistent, sharing and never be unfair, understanding and try not to demand, and hurting without keeping the pain!  Love isn’t love at all unless there is commitment and responsibility!  Love is like a knife, it can stab the heart or carve into the souls wonderful images that last for a lifetime.  It can hurt your heart, fill you with desire and tear you apart.  In grabbing it, it will wound your hand.  Just hold on but not too tight. 

          Love should inspire you and give you joy and strength.  Though the very things that do so can also hurt you in the end.  For all the heartaches and tears, the gloomy days and fruitless years – give thanks for it, for these were the things that helped you grow.  Love requires that certain risks be taken, no matter how scary or painful.  Only then will you experience the fullness of your humanity.  If you’re not ready to cry, t take the risk, to feel the pain – then you’re not ready to fall in love.  When you decide to love, allow it to grow and refuse to let it die!

 You’re The Reasons Why

“Ground Zer0”

You have always wondered why I want to see you today.

Why I persist, why I still fight even until my last days.

I have also asked myself why I let myself be hurt?

Then the answer came plainly, and these are the reasons I heard.

I want to see you today, for tomorrow I may go blind.

For I know not what tomorrow may bring, if I didn’t see you until tonight!

Just assuring myself that your beauty is the last thing I see,

Before I lose my sense of sight!

I want to hear your voice today, for tomorrow I may go deaf.

I may never hear your voice again, or maybe until death.

At least in deafness your voice would echo in my ears,

And deep in my heart, I’ll be hearing it again and again!

I want to smell your sweet scent today, for tomorrow I may lose this sense.

I may not smell your sweet skin or never in my life again!

Hoping that your fragrance would join me through eternity,

Or maybe tomorrow that never ends!

I want to get hold of you today, for tomorrow I may go numb.

I might lose my sense of touch and never feel it in my heart.

To never again know the touch that I can bear,

Or to never again I feel, I cannot!

I want to tell you these words today, for tomorrow I may go mute.

And you’ll never know how much I feel for you, you might then get confused.

I want to tell you I love you so before my tongue is tied.

The painful reality it may bring if I never told you what’s inside!

And if you would try to sum all of these reasons up, and think of what I am…

Trying to say I can afford to lose everything, whatever I become!

I don’t care what other people say although it will hurt me a lot,

As long as I have you here beside me or even a little of you,

then let it be done!

-1997-

I Love You

I love you more than words can say.
And the feeling gets stronger every minute of every day.
I prayed I'd always be able to see you,
but now I know that my prayer didn't come true.

I love you more than anyone I've ever known!
Without you I feel so alone.
When you left, you took a part of my heart.
Now my whole world is falling apart.

Words can't express how much I miss you.
I think about you during everything I do.
I can't wait till you come back to stay,
but until then I'll just think of you every day.

I know I will get sadder,
before I can get gladder.
Just remember I love you,
and I hope that you love me too.

How I wish I could hold your hand!

Walking in the isle beside this bright moonlight.

Cakes and chocolates and all those sweet wine.

Staring at you when you wish on the star.

You’re there and I’m here.

I just pretend that I don’t care!

But deep inside me I still do,

Loving you isn’t easy but still I Love You!

Love, Just a Start

Dreams have their boundaries,

 You can only go so far.

You may go the distance,

But you'll never reach the stars.

But love is something different,

 It's never known a wall.
It can climb every mountain,

Survive every fall!

But take it for granted,

And it crumbles like the sand.
It's gone before you know it,

And you'll never understand.

Dreams can keep you happy,

But only for awhile,
Soon you'll long for more,

Than just a pretty smile.

Love is something wondrous,

It completes your soul.
It fills up your world,

And makes your life whole!

But try to deceive it,

And it dies like the day.
With nothing but darkness,

To take you away.

Dreams give you freedom,

Love frees your heart.
Dreams have an ending,

Love, just a start!

Best Friends Find the Deepest Love...

The road least traveled is the love unfound.

When the friendship they find seems the only thing sound.
Best buds through the years, great times they have shared.
Until one day it's seen, both souls are then scared.

Fighting the thought of the love they can see.
But why in the world should they not let that be?
"Friends we'll remain," is in both of their heads,
But their hearts still win over, their thoughts will be said.

"I love you, my friend!" is screamed from inside!
But still it is hidden, feeling desires should hide.
Finally one breaks, and he holds her heart.
"Oh when will he see, that our love should start?"

But still she holds on, because a friend is a friend.
"Why screw this up? What shall come in the end?"
Then finally he sees what it is he might have?
Is this the girl of his dreams? His heart feels a stab.

As he looses control, he falls deeply in love.
As if he's empowered from someone above.
It's then that they think back, at the times they have had.
And finally they realize and it makes them feel sad.

"Why did we not see what was possible for us,
And finally find what we're doing's a must?"
"The two of us together are too good to be true,
But being given this chance only comes to a few."

They know it by then, they've been given a gift.
The love that they share will never fall stiff.
But be cherished forever in these lover's hearts,
And with a confession of love, Their New World starts.

Always take the risk, or else you can see.
They never would have found how much love there could be.

Indigo Twilight

We lay in trusting silence and this room

Swims around us in its peaceful repose.
I wander into you with sweet breath and memory!
Whispering, faintly ivory dust and pale blue sweetness.

I dance my fingers around your throat.
Along your arm...while you hold my heart in your hands!
I whisper, gently; "I'll love you for a million years..."
My love, my friend, my teacher!

How could I survive without your hands?
My lips would be lost without yours!
Whose eyes could I stare into until sleep pulled me away?
Whose arms would I lose myself in...?

Take my heart, keep it...

I give it freely as night runs past.
Rain, now falling hard like bullets against the panes of glass.
Inside, this room, between us, is the soul of silence hours!

I am calmed by the steadiness of your gentle breathing.

Soft virgin touch is what I miss when I touch you.
My mind whirls around in its constant thought...
Transfixed and disarmed, I lay down beside you!

We make the stars jealous.
Lying as we are, jammed, motionless, seduced!

Isolated in the cold dark night...
Beneath this indigo twilight...

Mother's Valentines

Two precious little children

 A dollar each to spare.
They’re searching for a special gift

To show their Mom they care.

She does the daily routine

That every mother does,
She's the best Mom to these

Children that there ever was.

Every gift they look at their 

Money's not enough.
So with long, sad faces they turn away

From all the fancy stuff.

When they walked through their doorway,

Their mother met them there.
She wrapped her arms around them

And gently stroked each one's hair.

"I see you found the special gift

To give me on this day",
She quietly whispered in their ear

In her own special way.

Both children looked in wonder and said

"Mommy, what do you mean?
We shopped all day for you but could not

Afford any gift we'd seen."

Their mother smiled a pretty smile

And with a happy sigh,
She told the children all she wanted

Was her two Valentines.

Valentines Day at Young's Lake

A frayed piece of memory solidifies slowly as I look back;

A warm summer wind without sense or direction tickles my eyes.
The page is pressed on ripples of lifeless wood out here on the dock as I write,
The words seem to breathe without sound.

I bought a cheap bottle of champagne
and you sit sipping beside me with the moon wearing a halo of stars.
Words carve into the page by candlelight,

Your silence is a comfort, it wasn't always that way.

It's cooler by the water and there is nothing else but now,

Right here and now is already gone!
It's slipped through our fingers like the gentle breeze crossing the lake.
Before my sad old eyes the page becomes the wood

And the words become the world...
from nowhere to somewhere.
Our eyes meet and we laugh and laugh because that is what love does
and for no reason at all we cried!

We've made a thousand wishes here over the years to falling stars.
And the deep blue darkness, our bottle is almost empty
I think it's such a light feeling,
I used to be afraid of empty bottles!

They're like dead flowers and frozen steaks.
But my sweet Valentine, through all the years

We've made our peace forever.
Your smile will never fade, you're even more precious!

Now that our grandchildren's hearts beat in tune with the world!

My Cold Wintered Heart

On this snowy winter evening,
On this beautifully pristine night,
Wrapped in the memories of your embrace,
I feel a part of everything around me.

And a longing to be held by you,
To see snowflakes drift into your hair.
The winter moon's glow caress your cheek,
And find myself dreaming of seasons to come.

A winter heart filling with such great hope.
For the newness of love amid spring's bright flowers.
The flow of the warm summer sun on our skin,
Long walks & laughter in the crisp autumn air.

On this snowy winter evening,
I know you won't be with me.
And find myself wanting to know you are safe,
Comforted & secure, if not in my arms!

And happy & warm in your memories of me.
We touched & my heart isn't empty or sad!
And somewhere deep inside I know,
My heart has never been so full!

So warmed by memories of fiery desire,
And thoughts of all we've yet to explore.
On this snowy winter evening,
I feel my heart racing to yours.

Across the space & distance between us,
To join our souls, which have always known.
But just recently, formally, met each other.
And as I return to the warmth of my home.

I feel blessed by memories--crystal-clear!
Of lingering kisses, long embraces.
And the warmth of the fire we come to share.
I am filled with a wonder that I've never known.

That causes my spirit to soar & dance
And brings hope once more to this winter heart.

The Color Of The Rose

The unique single rose

A deep purplish red!

The cooling sun slowly dipping

Beneath the distant horizon.

An exotic, magnificent fish

Swimming below clear.

Salted waters, a daiquiri made from

Fresh strawberries and blueberries.

The virgin span of a butterfly's wings

As it breaks from the chrysalis!

The matador's taunting mulatto

Bravely slung to his side.

A freshly sliced, vine-ripened Cherry Tomato,

 An uncorked vintage Merlot

Poured into a crystal goblet,

A roaring bonfire fronting the blackened ocean.

A taut sail full of wind

Leaning the mast,

A crisp, perfect, unplucked apple

Dangling from a shaded tree,

The flaring pleated skirt of an

Impassioned Tango dancer.

 A silken clothes strewn over a table-for-two

Inside a quaint Italian café.

A Valentines Story

Valentine’s week had started off bad,

My honey was sick and all my co-workers were mad.

The flowers were expensive, the candy was too sweet...

And between school and my job...

Well I was just beat. I was getting

Upset and I started to cry,

Then came a knock at my door,

And good old Cupid stopped by.

He smiled at me and said;

"Don't get too stressed,

My arrows and me know

You are trying your best.“

“Your love will get better,

Your co-workers will smile...

And as for cheap flowers,

Here is the number to dial."

And with that he turned

And winked a cute wink!

And before I knew it...

He was gone in a blink.

Well, Valentines came and Valentines went,

And it was definitely worth all those cards that I sent.

My sweetie gave me roses, and my co-workers candy,

And so my day was really quite dandy.

As for the Cupid who made my day,

Where he is now I really can't say.

I'll never forget his face all aglow as

He gave me advice to go with the flow.

Valentines Day will never be the same...

But I really do wish I had gotten that cute Cupid's name!

Answer To My Prayers

I approach your door,
My palms sweat and I tense up!

I’m standing here eagerly,
I wait for you outside here.

When I see your smiling face,
Your entire shadow glowing with light.

I was amazed with your beautiful eyes,

Stared at me when you smile!

I worry that the rose I have brought,
As beautiful as it may be tonight!

Will see your sheer magnificence

And wilt with jealousy.

I stand in awe of all that you are,
More than I ever imagined.
I ask God why he has offered you to my eyes,
Such a feast of beauty!

Not understanding the reason,

For my good fortune.
I realize that you are the product,

Of prayer and patience.

Like any night,

I knew it would have to end,
So I savor each moment to its fullest.

Keeping each morsel safely stored, a part of me for all time.

Set Me Free

Your Prisoner I know, that I have told you,
Just how much you mean to me.
You put a lock upon my heart,
and threw away the key.

My heart is now your prisoner,
That is what it's all about.
Keep my lovin' all locked up,
Don't ever let it out.

You'll always mean so much to me,
More than you will ever know,
I just want to tell you darling,
That I love you so.

Let me put my arms around you,
and squeeze your body tight.
Let me take, whatever's wrong,
And make it, feel so right.

To have someone, who cares this much,
Is more than I could ask.
And loving me, the way you do,
Is not a simple task.

I'm really just your prisoner,
But that's quite alright with me.
Keep me wrapped up in your lovin' arms,
And never set me free.

We Were Meant To Be

Why can't I tell you all the things I want to say?
And tell you what I've never known until today?
Have patience with me, I'm giving it my best try,
This is what I'm thinking when I give that big, bad sigh.

Things were so different only a few weeks ago,
When my hopes were really running low.
To have you would have been a dream,
But that was the last thing you desired or so it did seem.

I am terrified to tell you, I am falling for you!
Because it is the last thing I ever expected to do.
I miss you so much when you're not here.
My feelings for you are becoming crystal clear.

Everything you've done for me means so much.
Nothing makes me feel safer than your gentle touch.
When I look into your eyes I know you care.
I trust you when you say you'll always be there.

You know this isn't easy for me to say,
but my feelings for you ar