Thursday, May 8, 2008

Peace

A call for sobriety...

My brethren, let us remember that history is made not by those who lived it, but by those who remember it.

The marks and tracks we leave online and elsewhere may echo our feelings at the present, but let not that pain overcome our love for our fellow man. I know the pain is all too real right now, but think of those who will look back on all of this, who will see how we conducted ourselves, and how we paved the way forward with the examples we set.

Let us make them proud.

I am guilty of letting my pain get the best of me as well. Please join me in counting backwards, slowly from 10, and breathing in the goodness of Christ and exhaling the devil's handiwork.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

RESTRAIN

CAUTION

PRAY

some words brothers... please do.
thanks.

See you Saturday!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

"cfc does not need a spiritual director. they don't follow if you do not like what they heard, so what is it for? a pet to agree with them?"

My comment:
"out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks"

it saddens me, to read such comments...
i breaks my heart to feel so much hatred...
i grieve over the deep hurts...
it pains me so to read such sarcasm...
there is much resentment all of 29 words...

My message to all bloggers:
this blog is available for us to air our views thanks to CD
however, we must be aware that this is a different kind of blog...

why?
because we are Couples for Christ! We should treat it like a household meeting where we share our bible reflections and talk about our life experiences

the rules and the dynamics should be likewise:
1)in this blog, we talk about our journey
2)this blog should be a place where we see how God works in our life
3) this blog is here for us to hear Gods message
4) this blog is here for us to learn from
5) this blog should propel us to do Gods work

bishop gabby has resigned and left cfc, just as frank has resigned and left cfc, but must we be sarcastic about it? in my heart i rejoice, but i do not gloat over what happened. it did not have to end this way.i can only pray for them, that God bless their hearts.

our tongue can uplift and destroy. sister mary niere, who taught me contemplation said realities are designs from God.

this is the reality today, frank resigned and left, now bishop gabby has resigned and left cfc. ALL BY GODS DESIGN.

now we have before us the freedom to choose, this is a gift from God.

to choose
A)whether to say words that will inspire others to do good or...
B) to say words that can hurt, destroy and lead others to sin.

let this be a lesson for all of us to heed. let us pray for this blogger and all of us in this battle, that God will give him/her and us the wisdom and the discernment to say THAT which is pleasing to God.

Our words should be like silver boxes with silver ribbons, that will make the recipient feel blessed. Words to build not to destroy. Words to inspire others to love, not to hate. Words to glorify GOD, not to glorify the evil one.

We have that freedom and we have that grace to influence others. let us use it well. Take heed, by our words we will be judged.

As I stand on Holy ground, I declare:
We are COUPLES FOR CHRIST
we are not Couples For Lucifer!

Anonymous said...

thank you cd for reminding everyone that indeed, what we say and do now reflects what kind of generation we had. we will be judged and judged according to God's laws.

some of the comments on the previous post(our separate ways)are un-Christian. from defending cfc, we are attacking a man of cloth. a clergyman whose human ways may or may not sit well with lay people like us. it's ok to be angry but to vent these frustrations and anger on a public fora, comments over there are uncalled for.

please my dear brothers and sisters, as cd's other posts said, let's practice what we preach. and from above comment from jiggs...RESTRAIN and then be at peace in that silence.

God bless po!

Anonymous said...

to Anonymous bloggers,

would also appreciate if you can put a handle/nickname when you post comments even if you dont want to put your real names.

thanks again.

just click on "name" button below and put your nickname in the box before pressing "publish your commen"

Anonymous said...

Kudos to all those who continue to correct and remind everyone in this blog in the most loving way!!

Hats off likewise to those that air their sentiments in this site for they open themselves up for correction and for the other bloggers to love them as well.

The CFC culture of fraternal correction and the "Love one another" theme for the year is really alive and thriving in all our hearts.

May God Bless us all!!

Anonymous said...

Join here as in a household meeting?

RIGHT, SIS.

We're blessed by your advise.

Praise God!

Athrun Atreides said...

I for one also ask for apologies for all that I've done in contributing to the conflict at hand.

Although I'm not washing hands, may I note that most of the time I have avoided writing harsh comments on this blog, and if I ever did, thank God CD didn't post them.

I have spent most of my online efforts in Wikipedia and CFCpedia, doing the best I can to ensure CFC's integrity in those areas.

CFCpedia is ours, that much is certain. (Thanks to Ryan Enage for starting that site.) Meanwhile, Wikipedia belongs to anyone with an Internet connection; it belongs to the whole world. Not all will be sympathetic to us.

Handling Wikipedia has taught me many lessons, some of which are:

1) It is an encyclopedia. I cannot expect it to be sympathetic to us, because it is supposed to be an impartial resource.

2) It is a work in progress. Although few in our community have joined in that site, I still pray that many more knowledgeable people would get involved. I cannot expect myself to write everything.

3) It is a place of a diversity of views. Someone will always find something to correct there. So, even if we as a community manage to bring the CFC article to "Featured Article" status there (i.e., it will appear for one day in the Wikipedia main page), some user from some country (or even in the Philippines) could still point out some fault.

4) As much as we want to, we cannot use the CFC article as a platform for evangelization, nor can we use the GK article to advocate it. Writing anything to that effect would violate Wikipedia's neutrality and objectivity standards; those articles would be labeled as biased. (Believe me, I do not understand why, but there it is.) Therefore, the only feasible approach is to write what we as a community do, and why.

Well, I just want to share those points. I guess I could say I learned them the hard way.

To my friends in the FFL: I mean no harm. I apologize for whatever hurt I have caused you, directly or indirectly. As a gesture, I have removed every comment in this blog that might have hurt people. (Better late than never, I guess.) I wish I could earn your forgiveness. Sis/Tita Marivie Dalman is right: we can make this blog a HH meeting of sorts.

Anonymous said...

thanks bro athrun atreides;
i have gone through quite a journey myself. the past year has brought me to a great spiritual experience. it is another story to write. i feel it is time for all bloggers to see that this is a journey to holiness, a communal dark night that the Lord has given us.

WE HAVE A CHOICE! We are all answerable to God when we die. CD will not be there to defend us, the IC will not be there, frank will not be there. We will stand before the judgment throne of God devoid of everything.

When the time comes, I will only have one thing to tell my God!

I AM A MEMBER OF COUPLES FOR CHRIST not couples for lucifer!

Athrun Atreides said...

Thanks Sis Marivie.

Unfortunately I can't remove my OpenID or Name/URL comments that have hurt people. But I hope my intent is clear. Again, I'm sorry for whatever hurt I've caused.

God bless CFC.
God bless FFL/RMFLM.
God bless all of us.

PS. Just in case you're interested, here is a breakdown of my user name:

Athrun - ...he is a good-natured and disciplined boy. He is one to always obey his parents and was taught to be respectful...He treats everyone equally....Athrun also grew to be a very nostalgic person. ...Athrun has a strong sense of responsibility and will go beyond the limits to protect his friends and loved ones. It kills him inside if he wasn't able to defend those he cares about. Even though it's not his fault and he is aware of that, he still feels the burden and guilt, when he was too late to protect someone. He also a very reflective person and wonders the "what could have been," if he was just there in time. Since Athrun does have that strong sense of justice, he can be very defensive of what he believes is right....
Atreides - ...employs...noble spirit, just ways and unfailing virtue....has perfected a form of government that results in a well-organized society and a spiritually satisfied people....

Anonymous said...

May the Lord's Peace be with us all, brothers and sisters.

I recently had been asked to give the talk "Taming the Tongue" and I am convicted. I want to share some passages -

Proverbs 12:18 - There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Matthew 15:18-20 - "Evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, ..., lying and slander. These are what defile you."

James 1:26 - If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.

Psalm 101:5 - "I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors, I will not endure conceit and pride."

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.

Hebrews 10-24-25 - ...Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet togeher, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Matthew 12:36-37 - I tell you, on the Day of Judgement YOU WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF EVERY CARELESS WORD YOU UTTER, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

God bless us in our personal journey to be holy.

C.D. said...

Athrun, hello to a fellow Dune fan!

Thank you for helping in this call for restraint. It is a difficult period and as Tita Marivie has said, we are all in a spiritual journey here; let us travel together with peace in our hearts and show the Clergy and FFL what we are truly made of.

Regards,

CD

Anonymous said...

Athrun,

thanks for the info on your name.
do you know what Violeta (marivie's name) means?

Its Violet! the invisible girl in the Increbiles. thats why sometimes you see here, sometimes you dont... hehehe...

just kidding po. just want to put on a light note here... whew!

Athrun Atreides said...

Haha jiggs :-)

Here's something for you :-) (Just my effort at a lighter note)

- Athrun Atreides

WillyJ said...

Sure, CD.
ok here goes...
huuhh...
...
10..9..A big fat hen (and a big hug for everyone)
...
8...7..Lay them straight (and lay up prayers for one other)
...
6...5..Pick up sticks (and pick up your bibles and 'In His Steps')
...
4...3..Shut the door (and shut out anger and grief)
...
2...1..Tie my shoe (and tie our hearts together)
...
Sorry brods and sisses if I offended anyone with my previous comments.
Maybe with this corny comment, I did it again :-)
...
Peace!

estelito.iii said...

dapat pala ang nick ko naging

kira harkonnen. Kidding! :D

hello fellow gundam seed and dune fan/s.

just keeping it light on a windy afternoon.

ako rin, di ko na matandaan kung may nasambit ako dati na masasama sa panlasa na comments, but in light of the recent events, i'd like to apologize if any of mine did offend anyone.


God bless all!

Anonymous said...

athrun,

great info. that means all the population of Jiggs, Nevada can well fit in the VW car.

anyway, thought of it from jiggsaw puzzle... i would want to puzzle people about who/what i am... hehehe

esti, good to see all of us back here.

Athrun Atreides said...

Haha, good one, estelito.iii :-) So, when would we meet Lacus Butler and Cagalli Yula Corrino? (Okay...now it's way too corny.)

Some tidbit: I've been doing origami cranes out of scratch paper since October. There is a Japanese legend that says anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. My own wish is that reconciliation would come between CFC and FFL, and hopefully unification. Of course I don't doubt God's grace, it's just that I find making origami cranes entertaining. Besides, it's environmentally sound; it keeps me from throwing away drafts of office paper. :-D

For clarity's sake, I've numbered the cranes in Roman numerals. Right now, I'm at number 400...or, by some stroke of God-incidence, "CD". (I'm serious; I don't count the cranes automatically, I just fold and fold and tally later. I didn't end at 400 on purpose, hehe.)

I hope that reconciliation would have come by the time I finish the thousand cranes. If nothing happens, I'll just keep on going. I still have my old college readings from the days of photocopying at the Shopping Center... X-D

Anonymous said...

it looks like everybody is in a good mood for a laugh so here’s a fact that is comical:

some people told biased words and others told similar ones and everybody felt they were telling the truth.

these people realized what they did and they apologized among themselves and again everybody feels better.

peace -:)

Dear Hiraya said...

tama, sana hindi madala ng emosyon ng lahat ang mga nangyayari.. let's continue praying..

http://hiraya.co.nr

Anonymous said...

Be Still.....

I think this is a time to continue to focus on our work. There has been much distraction provided by FFL, that we are forgetting that defending CFC really means continuing the work that God has called us to do. If FFL wants to continue to focus its attacks on CFC, then so be it. Maybe that is their calling. But enough is enough. Let's all move on. If FFL doesn't want to move on, that's their choice. Definitely, we answer any allegations they make against us but let us not be bogged down by this. Let us also refrain from disrespecting our clergy. Human as they are, they are God's representatives, and we should do our best to respect them if not defend them.

Anonymous said...

Thought to make Everyone smile/laugh

The Pope's Chauffeur


After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope still standing on the curb.



"Excuse me, Your Holiness," says the driver, "Would you please take your seat so we can leave?"



"Well, to tell you the truth," says the Pope, "they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and now that I'm Pope, I'd really like to drive today."



"I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! And what if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.



"Who's going to tell? Besides, there might be something extra in it for you," says the Pope with a smile.



Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 105 mph. (Remember, he's German, & he's used to drive at the autovahn freeway!)



"Please slow down, Your Holiness!" pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens. "Oh, Dear God, I'm gonna lose my license -- and my job!" moans the driver.



The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio. "I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.



The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going a hundred and five.



"So bust him," says the Chief.



"I don't think we want to do that, he's really big," said the cop.



The Chief exclaimed, "All the more reason!"



"No, I mean really important," said the cop with a bit of persistence.



The Chief then asked, "Who ya got there, the Mayor?"



Cop: "Bigger."



Chief: "The Governor?"



Cop: "Much Bigger."



Chief: "The President?"



Cop: "Much, much Bigger."



"Well," said the Chief, "Who is it?"



Cop: "I think it's God!"



The Chief is stumped, "You been drinking, John?"



Cop: "No Sir."



Chief: "Then what makes you think it's God?"



Cop: "You see, sir, he's got the Pope as a chauffeur."

Anonymous said...

Mga Kapatid,

Let's all move forward!!!
Let's all look forward to an exciting weekend!!! See you all at the Amoranto Stadium...

Don't forget:
1. Bring food and drinks (although food and drinks will be available at the site)
2. Bring candles (again, they will be available for sale at the site)
3. Wear your ID's.
4. If possible, wear Disciples Blue shirt. If not, wear any CFC shirt. If not, at least be decent :))
5. Prepare 30 bucks for stickets.
6. Be generous to the Security people (kasama kasi ako dun) :D

See you there!!!

Danny
West B

Anonymous said...

Peace! Peace! Peace! Brothers and Sisters. Allow me to share this article with you for our own collective reflection.

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
May 9, 2008
Today's Readings:
Acts 25:13b-21
Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab
John 21:15-19

Turning repentance into ministry.

In today's Gospel passage, three times Jesus asks Peter to confess his love; three times, Jesus commissions him to become a shepherd to continue the ministry of the Good Shepherd.

In scripture, anything spoken three times means "to the utmost" (like "good, better, best"). When Peter denied Jesus three times, he rejected Jesus to the utmost. Jesus knew this and, with utmost compassion, gave Peter a complete healing from that break in their relationship by offering him the opportunity to confess his love to the utmost.

Jesus does the same for you and me. Any time we deny, reject, or hurt anyone — anyone at all! — we are doing this to Jesus (see Matt. 25:31-46). But because of his great mercy and compassion for us, he always always always (to the utmost) gives us opportunities to heal the break in our relationship with him. And then, just like he did for Saint Peter, he gives us the mission of taking his love to others.

We must do everything reasonably possible to reconcile with others, and after we've made amends, or if we have no opportunity to heal a broken relationship, Jesus gives us a ministry of healing — on a wider scale, to other people — and this helps expiate our sins, purifies our growth, and heals many who are waiting for God's help.

In cases where priests (or anyone else) molested children or caused other scandals in the Church, the bigger scandal is when nothing good comes from it. Jesus is asking, "Do you love me? What are you going to do about it?" God can turn anything eventually into a ministry — and he wants to!

At the site on the Sea of Galilee where Peter received his vocation (at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter), a sign reads:

The deeds and miracles of Jesus
are not actions of the past.
Jesus is waiting for those who are
still prepared to take risks at his word
because they trust his power utterly.

What is Jesus commissioning you to do? In whatever ways you have sinned, if you have not yet turned them into a ministry, God is waiting to hear you say, "Yes, Jesus, you know I love you. I say yes to the ministry you give to me, no matter how risky or impossible it seems. I choose to trust in your guidance, your directions. Tell me what to do!"

To that prayer, Jesus gives a resounding AMEN!

May the Holy Spirit, whose descent into our world we celebrate this weekend, empower you to do awesome works for the kingdom of God. Amen!

© 2008 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Anonymous said...

Pahabol...

7. Kung meron pa kayong kaibigan sa FFL, imbitahin niyo na rin... :D


Danny, WB