Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 96 §1-4.9

Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ

What the Lord has commanded us: «Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself» seems hard and difficult. Yet it isn't either hard or difficult because the one who commands it is the one who helps us to fulfill what he commands. For if that saying of the psalm is true, that: «according to the words of your lips I have pursued difficult paths» (Ps 17[16],4), so also is true the saying spoken by Jesus: «my yoke is easy and my burden light,» (Mt 11,30). For anything hard in the command, love turns to sweetness. We know well of what marvels love is capable. There are times when love is of doubtful worth and is depraved. Yet how many difficulties will not men endure, what humiliating and unendurable treatment will they not suffer if only they might attain to what they love!... Since life's great enterprise must be to choose well what one should love, is it surprising that anyone who loves Jesus Christ and desires to follow him denies himself in order to love him?...

What is the meaning of what follows: «Let him take up his cross»? Let him endure what is painful and so let him follow me. For when a man begins to follow me by acting according to my precepts, there will be plenty of people to disagree with him, oppose him, discourage him. And that on the part of people who claim to be Christ's friends. Those who stopped the blind men from crying out (Mt 20,31) were walking in Christ's company. So whether it is a matter of threats, flattery, prohibitions, if you want to follow Christ, turn it all into the cross; endure it, bear it, don't let yourself be overcome...

You love the world, but you should rather love him who made the world... We live in a world that is holy, that is good, reconciled, saved or, rather, that is to be saved but which is saved now in hope. «For in hope we were saved,» (Rom 8,24). In this world, therefore, that is to say in the Church, which wholly follows Christ, he said to all: «Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself.»

Alay Ni Ignacio 2009 | Soar with us.

Alay ni Ignacio (A.N.I.), a student-run organization under Pathways to Higher Education, is a summer instructional program for academically gifted but financially disadvantaged students from public high schools.

Through classes, programs (spiritual mentoring, career guidance), as well as extra-curricular activities (field trips and recollections) , ANI hopes to increase the students' chances of entering good colleges and form competent Filipino Christians who are aware of their potential to contribute to Philippine society.

Be a teacher!

ANI is in its ninth year of providing Math, English, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, Enrichment and CL classes; as well as non-academic instruction (drama club, ballroom club, writing club, frisbee, guitar lessons, etc.).

Manage. Raise Funds. Preserve ANI history.

Aside from the acads team, you can also join other departments: the administrative team, the marketing finance team, and the secretariat team.

Take part in running a school!

For questions and/or sign ups, visit us at the Kostka Extension (10:30am-2:30pm) or at Mateo 2^nd Floor (2:30-4:30pm; look for the ANI table—there's going to be a sign/tarp) from September 1 to 5, 2008.

Alay Ni Ignacio 2009 | Soar with us.

Lord, remove my heart of stone

Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot
Tractate 10 : PL 204, 515-516 (copyright Cistercian publications Inc.)

Lord, remove my heart of stone

It is for us to love Christ as he loved us. In this he left us an example so that we might follow in his steps (1Pt 2,21). This is why he says: «Set me as a seal upon your heart,» (Sg 8,6). It is as if he said: «Love me as I love you. Have me in your mind, your memory, your desire, your yearning, your sighing and your sobbing. Remember, mankind, how I made you, how I put you before all other creatures, how I ennobled you with such dignity, how I crowned you with glory and honor, how I made you only a little less than the angels, how I subjected all things under your feet (Ps 8, 6-7). Remember, too, not only the many things I made for you but what harsh and undeserved things I endured for you... If you love me, show that you love me! Love me in deed and truth, not with the word and tongue... Set me as a seal upon your heart that you may love me with all your strength»...

Take from me, O Lord, my heart of stone. Take away my hardened heart. Take away my uncircumcised heart. Give me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a pure heart! (Ez 36,26). You who purify the heart, you who love the pure heart, possess my heart and dwell within it.

Aloha Louisa! :)

Happy birthday sa favorite kong little girl sa DS :)

Ako at si Louisa

Mahal pa rin kita kahit na binubully mo ako, dinodrowingan mo ako sa mukha (hahaha, joke), at inuubos mo ang chocolates ko. Kailan tayo tatakbo? :P

Great grand apo

Cham just added me on her Multiply list, and she said "Hello (or was it 'Hi'? I forget) great grandmother"

Hahaha. Oh my gulay, may apo sa tuhod na ako. :)

Actually, I was all kilig when she presented her evaluation and plans for Christian Living this ANI term. There were still some traces of the things I started, but of course everything's really improved now. :) I'm so excited about how she approaches CL.


It'll be a great year for the formation departments of ANI. :)

Invisible

It's been a while since I last posted. What's keeping me busy?

- Ateneo and UA&P college applications
- Our two student groups -- ANI and PVolT
- Education Partners' Luncheon
- College GA and Leadership Training Seminar
- "Taming" Eliane :P and downloading all sorts of stuff for her
- Trying to set up my Ateneo email to Outlook (but still failing to do so)
- Still figuring out most of the college stuff
- NSTP processing sessions of our Pathways volunteers
- August 30 thing for the Singapore students
- September 5 thing for the Sta. Clara students

Well, I'm still busy. Happy QC day. :P

Tulong para kay Tara.

THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO FOR TARA SANTELICES. PLEASE FORWARD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Word spreads around fast and almost everyone has already heard about what happened to our dear friend, Tara Santelices (Assumption Antipolo’s Batch 2003 and Ateneo de Manila University’s Class of 2007, AB Political Science).

On the eve of her 23^rd birthday, Tara was shot in the head during a hold-up while riding a jeepney along Imelda Avenue, Cainta, Rizal. Joee Mejias, who was with her at that time, rushed her to Amang Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Marikina City. The parents of Tara and Joee arrived at the hospital shortly thereafter. When morning came, Tara’s parents finally decided to transfer her to the Medical City, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. Since 8:00am of August 6, Tara has been in the ICU fighting for her dear life. Her parents have decided not to push through with the operation.

Although it might seem that there is nothing else that we can do but wait for Tara to wake up from this horrific nightmare, we, the friends of Tara, have decided to raise funds for Tara’s hospital bills. This is the least we can do to ease the unbearable pain her family is going through. We have been given the go-signal from Tara’s dad, Tito Larry, and here are the details:

The temporary bank account is under Anne Marie F. Santelices, Banco de Oro, SA 2140-062201. For direct cash donations, please proceed to the ICU Waiting Room of the Medical City (Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City). Please look for Joee Mejias or Lila Santelices.

Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Anonymous donations are also welcome. Please spread the word. Forward this to your family, friends and even to everyone else you know. Please post this on Friendster, Multiply, Facebook and wherever else you can think of. Please send group messages on Yahoo Messenger. This will mean so much to us, her friends.

Please continue praying for Tara, for Joee and for both of their families. If you want to come see Tara, visiting hours at the ICU are at 9:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Thank you so much for your time and kind consideration.

For inquiries, please contact Joee Mejias (09228154987) for calls and Jac Ledonio (09167243071) or Myka Francisco (09163695148) for text messages.

Career Preference:

Development worker.

Course: Development Studies








Cholo, ito na ang isa sa mga pinakamasayang araw ko sa Pathways. :)

Bit

I guess the moment would never return. Not ever.







And it just passed me by.

say it...

Michael O'Neill: Kimmy says if you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...
Julianne Potter: Passes you by...
Michael O'Neill: Passes you by...



(scene from My Best Friend's Wedding)

"Purity of heart is to will one thing." - Kierkegaard

First Letter of John 4,7-16.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

Psalms 34(33),2-11.

I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them, delivers all who fear God.
Learn to savor how good the LORD is; happy are those who take refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you holy ones; nothing is lacking to those who fear him.
The powerful grow poor and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10,38-42.

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Beautiful Disaster

Kelly Clarkson

He drowns in his dreams
An exquisite extreme I know
He’s as damned as he seems
And more heaven than a heart could hold
And if I try to save him
My whole world could cave in
It just ain't right
It just ain't right

Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's magic and myth
As strong as what I believe
A tragedy with
More damage than a soul should see
And do I try to change him?
So hard not to blame him
Hold on tight
Hold on tight

Oh 'cause I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he’s so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

I'm longing for love and the logical
But he's only happy hysterical
I'm waiting for some kind of miracle
Waited so long
So long

He’s soft to the touch
But frayed at the end he breaks
He’s never enough
And still he's more than I can take

Oh 'cause I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

He’s beautiful
Such a beautiful disaster

[Fading]
Beautiful
(Beautiful disaster)
Beautiful disaster