My Priceless Point Of View

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you know An indulgence of 100 days is granted for making the sign of the cross and saying the words. An indulgence of 300 days for making the sign of the cross, with holy water ? If you don’t..NOW you do.

“Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus” .

Can this statement be applied in this Era’s Context? well. During the Pre-Vatican II, It maybe be totally agreeable. But, in my personal opinion, to a certain extent. What if some people are born in an environment which is clueless about the Catholic Church ; who is born in a totally in the environment of other religion. Will they be born, with a guarantee that they will have no salvation?…

Pope Pelagius II (A.D. 578 – 590): “Consider the fact that whoever has not been in the peace and unity of the Church cannot have the Lord. …Although given over to flames and fires, they burn, or, thrown to wild beasts, they lay down their lives, there will not be (for them) that crown of faith but the punishment of faithlessness. …Such a one can be slain, he cannot be crowned. …[If] slain outside the Church, he cannot attain the rewards of the Church.” (Denzinger 246-247)

Pope Saint Gregory the Great (A.D. 590 – 604): “Now the holy Church universal proclaims that God cannot be truly worshipped saving within herself, asserting that all they that are without her shall never be saved.” (Moralia)

Pope Innocent III (A.D. 1198 – 1216): “With our hearts we believe and with our lips we confess but one Church, not that of the heretics, but the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside which we believe that no one is saved.” (Denzinger 423)

Pope Leo XII (A.D. 1823 – 1829): “We profess that there is no salvation outside the Church. …For the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. With reference to those words Augustine says: `If any man be outside the Church he will be excluded from the number of sons, and will not have God for Father since he has not the Church for mother.'” (Encyclical, Ubi Primum)

Pope Gregory XVI (A.D. 1831 – 1846): “It is not possible to worship God truly except in Her; all who are outside Her will not be saved.” (Encyclical, Summo Jugiter)

Pope Pius IX (A.D. 1846 – 1878): “It must be held by faith that outside the Apostolic Roman Church, no one can be saved; that this is the only ark of salvation; that he who shall not have entered therein will perish in the flood.” (Denzinger 1647)

Pope Leo XIII (A.D. 1878 – 1903): “This is our last lesson to you; receive it, engrave it in your minds, all of you: by God’s commandment salvation is to be found nowhere but in the Church.” (Encyclical, Annum Ingressi Sumus)

“He scatters and gathers not who gathers not with the Church and with Jesus Christ, and all who fight not jointly with Him and with the Church are in very truth contending against God.” (Encyclical, Sapientiae Christianae)

Pope Saint Pius X (A.D. 1903 – 1914): “It is our duty to recall to everyone great and small, as the Holy Pontiff Gregory did in ages past, the absolute necessity which is ours, to have recourse to this Church to effect our eternal salvation.” (Encyclical, Jucunda Sane)

Pope Benedict XV (A.D. 1914 – 1922): “Such is the nature of the Catholic faith that it does not admit of more or less, but must be held as a whole, or as a whole rejected: This is the Catholic faith, which unless a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.” (Encyclical, Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum)

Pope Pius XI (A.D. 1922 – 1939): “The Catholic Church alone is keeping the true worship. This is the font of truth, this is the house of faith, this is the temple of God; if any man enter not here, or if any man go forth from it, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation….Furthermore, in this one Church of Christ, no man can be or remain who does not accept, recognize and obey the authority and supremacy of Peter and his legitimate successors.” (Encyclical, Mortalium Animos)

Pope Pius XII (A.D. 1939 – 1958): “By divine mandate the interpreter and guardian of the Scriptures, and the depository of Sacred Tradition living within her, the Church alone is the entrance to salvation: She alone, by herself, and under the protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit, is the source of truth.” (Allocution to the Gregorian, October 17, 1953)

Pope Innocent III and Lateran Council IV (A.D. 1215): “One indeed is the universal Church of the faithful outside which no one at all is saved…”

Pope Boniface VIII in his Papal Bull Unam Sanctam (A.D. 1302): “We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

Pope Eugene IV and the Council of Florence (A.D. 1438 – 1445): “[The most Holy Roman Church] firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart `into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels’ (Matt. 25:41), unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those remaining in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.”

It was not, until the vatican II , where they re-look, this Dogma…….

Should Charismatic Renewal exist in the catholic church.

Yes, But again, to a certain extent. Charismatic is a way of prayer ; a way of worship to God, thru the Holy Spirit. But i want to emphasize… … too much of it is definitely not safe for the Roman Church. In no time, the church will fall if this continues, and we will end up like charismatic christians.

Why shouldn’t we have the Tridentine Rite. ( Edited V. Due to mistakes of the silly me!)

Currently, It is allowed only by the permission of the Holy See or the Bishops if i am right. But heard that Pope Benedict is on the way to approve it? I PRAY FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE TRIDENTINE RITE. Sometimes i really see many still adores the Traditional Rite. But after all we, as catholics have to pledge obedience to the Pope. He is the Vicar of Christ. It is good to introduce dialogues, but not good to turn away from the Pope, who is the Supreme Head of the Catholic Church. The Priestly Society of St. Pius X have much been known to celebrate their masses in the Tridentine Rite. The society was founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. I read from somewhere that he did that to protect the Tradition of the church (correct me if i am wrong). Ha ha. I do not know much as i am not affiliated to the SSPX. The novena church have been in a week of prayer last week for Christian Unity. Hmmm. Let us pray that the Eastern Orthodox Church, the SSPX; which broke away from the Catholic Church, come back in unity. AHA! Then it would be truely one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

JESUS, MARY I LOVE YOU. SAVE SOULS.

KYRIE ELEISON
CHRISTE ELEISON
KYRIE ELEISON

DEO GRATIAS!

Hmmm…

Have you ever thought, “Is my Dad really my Dad?”, or,”Is my Mum really my Mum?”.

Have you ever thought on your birthday,” Are you sure today is my Birthday?”. Well, when we were born, we are TOLD by our Mum and Dad.

Nobody know if they are telling the truth. It was YOU who chose to believe your “parents”. Ha ha.

Well, if you say all these things are in the birth certificate… … the information may be wrong in the first place.

Research have shown 90% of us lie most of the time. So whoever say, ” I hate Liars”. Don’t believe them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Teacher – Mrs Ramos

Do you know Mrs Suzanna Jeyanthi Ramos ? Well, she might have taught you. But do you know how famous she is? Ha ha! Let me tell you some facts about her

– She holds a Master Degree in Creativity Studies and Change Leadership
– She recieves the President’s Medal for outstanding Graduate Student 2005
– She is also listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities 2005.
– Her master’s thesis on cross-cultural perspectives on creativity has been nominated for
Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award 2006.
– Trained in Genius Education Methodology (GEM), she became a leading GEM specialist in
Singapore. She is the co-founder of the Singapore International Affiliate, American Creativity
Association.
– She work as an educator for more than 20 years. (**i still don’t know how old is she)

… and the best thing is that she teaches me! Well, this makes me stand in awe of her. During her lessons, she always manages the class well. “Research have shown..” ..thats her catchphrase. Whenever she talks about herself, everyone will be wondering” will i be like her” ? Haha!

Why the Rosary

The Holy Rosary

The rosary probably began as a practice by the laity to imitate the monastic Divine Office (Breviary or Liturgy of the Hours), during the course of which the monks daily prayed the 150 Psalms. The laity, many of whom could not read, substituted 50, or even 150, Ave Marias (Hail Marys) for the Psalms. This prayer, at least the first half of it so directly biblically, seems to date from as early as the 2nd century, as ancient graffiti at Christian sites has suggested. Sometimes a cord with knots on it was used to keep an accurate count of the Aves.

The first clear historical reference to the rosary, however, is from the life of St. Dominic (died in 1221), the founder of the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. He preached a form of the rosary in France at the time that the Albigensian heresy was devastating the Faith there. Tradition has it that the Blessed Mother herself asked for the practice as an antidote for heresy and sin.

One of Dominic’s future disciples, Alain de Roche, began to establish Rosary Confraternities to promote the praying of the rosary. The form of the rosary we have today is believed to date from his time. Over the centuries the saints and popes have highly recommended the rosary, the greatest prayer in the Church after the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. Not surprisingly, it’s most active promoters have been Dominicans.

Rosary means a crown of roses, a spiritual bouquet given to the Blessed Mother. It is sometimes called the Dominican Rosary, to distinguish it from other rosary-like prayers (e.g. the Franciscan Rosary of the Seven Joys or Franciscan Crown, the Servite Rosary of the Seven Sorrows). It is also, in a general sense, a form of chaplet or corona (crown), of which there are many varieties in the Church. Finally, in English it has been called “Our Lady’s Psalter” or “the beads.” This last derives from an Old English word for prayers (bede) and to request (biddan or bid).

The rosary has been called the preparation for contemplation and the prayer of saints. While the hands and lips are occupied with the prayers (it can and should be prayed silently when necessary so as not to disturb others), the mind meditates on the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption represented by the decades. Meditation is the form of prayer by which the one who prays uses the mind and imagination to consider a truth and uses the will to love it and form resolutions to live it. In this way the heart, mind, and soul of the Christian is formed according to the Gospel examples of the Savior and His First Disciple, His Mother. In God’s own time, when this purification of the heart, mind, and soul has advanced sufficiently the Lord may give the grace of contemplative prayer, that special divine insight into the truth which human effort cannot achieve on its own.

Why pray the Rosary today? Certainly, to grow in holiness and in one’s prayer life. The following are a few others reasons why the rosary should be prayed often, even daily:

• “Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary” (Pope Pius IX).

• “Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world” (Our Lady of Fátima).

• “There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary” (Pope Pius XII).

• “We do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that we put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times” (Pope Pius XII).

• “No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” (Bishop Hugh Doyle).

• “The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world” (Pope John XXIII).

• “The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel” (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII).

• “Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof” (Pope Paul VI).

• “My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fátima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God” (Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fátima).

• “How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening” (Pope John Paul II).

• Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his “favorite prayer,” after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.

• St. Louis de Montfort warns us against both the ignorant and scholars who regard the Rosary as something of little importance…”the Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.”

**Totally adapted from http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/rosary/

Its a New Year

Turned 15 on the 29th Dec. It seems to be very late huh? Well, 2007, is the year which i will be taking the Cambridge ordinary level examinations. Its going to be early this year as there will be only a single intake for Junior College students. Sad. Being panicky is normal now. It is a good sign, ha ha. There is no room for slacking and sleeping in class anymore. Well, most teacher is my current class is the same except Mrs C. Quek and Mdm S. Saleha.. As for Mdm Saleha, her first lesson had already gain favor from us. Its an entertaining lesson. F said she is better that Mr. Jason Ong. But i guess different teachers have different ways of teaching us. So we should not judge who is better and who is not. Ms Neo had taken 1 year leave. Well its going to be a challenging year ahead.

Remember, most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that any one who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto you,
O Virgin of virgins my Mother;
to you I come,
before you I stand,
sinful and sorrowful;

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.