Today is 16th of December half of the month
It is that time of the year when the wind of Yuletide expressions could
blow in a manner that we forget to plan for the new year.
Perhaps you have planned for next year.
Perhaps you haven't.
I encourage you to create quality time today, to THINK, PRAY and then
STRATEGIZE for 2017... before you get distracted by the December thingy.
Plan for your GIFTS.
Plan your career expansion.
Plan for your passions.
Plan for your family.
Plan for your brand.
Plan for your finances.
Plan for your PSR - Your personal social responsibility.
Etc.....
Plan...plan...and get into action from today being 16th of December.
2017....we shall rock it already!
I love you and I believe you're a GENIUS! #Mayor d cares mayodeji91.blogspot.com mayodeji91blog.wordpress.com
The report said that "sustained and sufficient funding for malaria control is a serious challenge".
Global progress on controlling
malaria risks stalling due to an "urgent need" for more funding, the
World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its annual report on Tuesday.
Overall,
the number of new cases fell by 21 percent between 2010 and 2015, and
mortality rates fell by 29 percent -- 31 percent in the African region.
But globally there were still 212 million new cases and 429,000 deaths last year -- which could be prevented.
For example, 43 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa was not protected by treated nets or indoor spraying.
"The unprecedented progress in malaria is one of the biggest successes in healthcare history," Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, told reporters in London.
"But still, every two minutes a child dies of malaria.
"There's
no room for complacency -- a lot more needs to be done. We need to see
more domestic resources from the countries affected."
He added: "We need new drugs, drugs that allow us to do more than treatment" and actually prevent the disease.
The
report said that "sustained and sufficient funding for malaria control
is a serious challenge", noting that after a steep increase between 2000
and 2010, investment had "flat-lined".
"In
2015, malaria funding totalled $2.9 billion, representing only 45
percent of the funding milestone for 2020 ($6.4 billion)," it said.
The
United States provided about 35 percent of all malaria funding in 2015,
while governments of countries with malaria stumped up about 32
percent, and Britain 16 percent.
Resistance to anti-malarial drugs is also a challenge, as is growing mosquito resistance to insecticides, the report said.
However,
it highlighted improvements in sub-Saharan Africa over the past year in
providing help for pregnant women and children against malaria.
"Malaria-related
deaths among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa are at their
lowest point in history," said Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General's
special envoy for malaria.
"This
is largely attributable to the nearly 500 million insecticide-treated
bed nets delivered over the past three years, the highest ever, along
with significant expansion of diagnosis and treatment."
Deaths from malaria among the under fives globally have fallen by 69 percent since 2000 to 303,000 last year.
Sub-Saharan Africa was home to 90 percent of global malarial cases and 92 percent of deaths in 2015.
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant to the souls of Thy servants
departed the remission of their sins, that,
through pious supplications,
they may obtain the pardon
which they have always desired.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end.
Amen.
The first mention we have of these three
martyrs who died around 258 A.D. comes in the sixth century in the
writings of Saint Gregory of Tours.
Denis (or Dionysius as he
is also called) is the most famous of the three. Born and raised in
Italy, he was sent as a missionary to Gaul (now France) circa 250 A.D.
by Pope St. Clement along with five other bishops.
Denis made
his base of missionary activity an island in the Seine near the city of
Lutetia Parisorium -- what would become Paris. For this reason he is know as the first bishop of Paris and the Apostle
of France. There he was captured by the Parisians along with Rusticus
and Eleutherius. Later writers have referred to these as Denis' priest and deacon, or his deacon and subdeacon, but we have no further information on them.
After
a long imprisonment and several aborted executions, the three martyrs
were beheaded with a sword and their bodies were thrown into the river.
Denis' body was retrieved from the Seine by his converts and buried. The
chapel that was built over his tomb grew into the abbey of Saint-Denis.
In
the ninth century, Denis' story and identity became fused and confused
with Dionysius the Areopagite and Pseudo-Dionysius, but later
scholarship has re-established his identity as a separate saint.
Denis is pictured as he was martyred -- headless (with a vine growing over the neck) and carrying his own mitred head.
Recognized since the time of St. Gregory as a special saint of Paris, Denis is the patron saint of France.
2 How long, Yahweh, am I to cry for help while you will not listen; to cry, 'Violence!' in your ear while you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see wrong-doing, why do you countenance oppression? Plundering and violence confront me, contention and discord flourish. 2 Then Yahweh answered me and said, 'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read. 3 For the vision is for its appointed time, it hastens towards its end and it will not lie; although it may take some time, wait for it, for come it certainly will before too long. 4 'You see, anyone whose heart is not upright will succumb, but the upright will live through faithfulness.'
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
1 Come, let us cry out with joy to Yahweh, acclaim the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, acclaim him with music. 6 Come, let us bow low and do reverence; kneel before Yahweh who made us! 7 For he is our God, and we the people of his sheepfold, the flock of his hand. If only you would listen to him today! 8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as at the time of Massah in the desert, 9 when your ancestors challenged me, put me to the test, and saw what I could do!
Reading 2, Second Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
6 That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess through the laying on of my hands. 7 God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control. 8
So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to our Lord, or ashamed of
me for being his prisoner; but share in my hardships for the sake of
the gospel, relying on the power of God 13 Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, look after that precious thing given in trust.
Gospel, Luke 17:5-10
5 The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' 6 The Lord replied, 'If you had faith like a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea," and it would obey you. 7
'Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to
him when he returned from the fields, "Come and have your meal at once"? 8
Would he not be more likely to say, "Get my supper ready; fasten your
belt and wait on me while I eat and drink. You yourself can eat and
drink afterwards"? 9 Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? 10
So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, "We
are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty." '
Many of them are foreigners, including staff from embassies and domestic workers and some in the oil and gas industries
Pope Francis said a Mass on Sunday for the miniscule Catholic community in Shi'ite Muslim Azerbaijan, urging the "precious little flock" to keep the faith and paying tribute to those persecuted during the Soviet era.
The
oil and gas-rich nation of about 9 million people bordering on Russia,
Iran and Turkey, has only about 700 Catholics, according to Vatican
figures.
Many of them are foreigners, including staff from embassies and domestic workers and some in the oil and gas industries.
In
fact, Sunday's Mass, which was said mostly in English, had more of the
feeling of a worship service in a multi-ethnic, well-to-do American
suburb than a liturgy on the Caspian sea.
"You are
a little flock that is so precious in God's eyes," he told the
congregation in the homily of the Mass in the modern church, which
opened in 2007 and was built on the site of one demolished under Soviet
rule in 1931.
"Courage. Go ahead without fear", Francis said, praising them for being a close-knit and vibrant "community on the periphery".
Francis,
who arrived in Baku from neighbouring Georgia and returns to Rome on
Sunday night, also paid tribute to Christians who were persecuted by the
Communists.
"FAITH IN ADVERSITY"
"Here
the faith, after the years of persecution, has accomplished wonders. I
wish to recall the many courageous Christians who trusted in the Lord
and were faithful in the face of adversity," he said.
He
said he was sure "that when you look to the example of those who have
gone before you in faith, you will not let your hearts become lukewarm."
The
land for the modern church building was donated by the late president
Heydar Aliyev at the request of the late Pope John Paul after the
pontiff's visit to Baku in 2002.
Relations between the miniscule Catholic community and the Muslims in Azerbaijan are broadly smooth.
Before
returning to Rome, Francis was due to meet in the afternoon with Heydar
Aliyev son, Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled since his father's death in
2003, and visit a mosque.
Last week Azeris voted
in a referendum in favour of extending the presidential term from five
to seven years, a step that critics say will hand unprecedented powers
to Ilham Aliyev.
Aliyev, 54, can seek re-election
indefinitely after a maximum number of terms in office was scrapped via a
similar referendum seven years ago.
Rights
advocates accuse his government of muzzling and jailing opponents but
the government says citizens enjoy full freedom of speech and a lively
opposition press.
Cardinal Anthony Okogie is known for his frank opinions on pressing national issues.
The Emeritus Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, has called on President Buhari to act fast and save the lives of Nigerians, who he said are hungry.
Okogie also urged the President to fulfil the promises he made to Nigerians when he was campaigning.
“Nigerians
are waiting for you to fulfill the promises you made during the
campaign. They voted you into office because of those promises. The
introduction of town hall meetings is a commendable idea. But in
practice, you, not just your ministers, must converse with Nigerians.
You are the President. You must be accountable to them. The buck stops
on your desk. Even if your administration has no magic wand at least
give some words of encouragement.”
Okogie also asked the President to implement the change agenda in truth, because “change is not real when old things that we ought to discard refuse to pass away.”
The Priest, who said this in an open letter to Buhari, said “Today,
cries of “hunger” could be heard across the length and breadth of our
vast country. Nigerians hunger, not only for food, but also for good
leadership, for peace, security and justice.”
He also said
“This letter is to appeal to you to do something fast, and, if you are
already doing something, to redouble your effort. May it not be written
on the pages of history that Nigerians die of starvation under your
watch.
“As President, you are the chief
servant of the nation. I therefore urge you to live up to the huge
expectation of millions of Nigerians. A stitch in time saves nine.”
Cardinal Okogie had earlier called on Buhari to seek the help of experts in order to revive Nigeria’s economy.
18 I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They will come to witness my glory. 19
I shall give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the
nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant
coasts and islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations, 20 and from all the nations they will
bring all your brothers as an offering to Yahweh, on horses, in
chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to my holy mountain,
Jerusalem, Yahweh says, like Israelites bringing offerings in clean vessels to Yahweh's house. 21 And some of them I shall make into priests and Levites, Yahweh says.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 117:1, 2
1 Alleluia! Praise Yahweh, all nations, extol him, all peoples, 2 for his faithful love is strong and his constancy never-ending.
Gospel, Luke 13:22-30
22 Through towns and villages he went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to him, 'Sir, will there be only a few saved?' He said to them, 24 'Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. 25
'Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may
find yourself standing outside knocking on the door, saying, "Lord, open
to us," but he will answer, "I do not know where you come from." 26 Then you will start saying, "We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets," 27 but he will reply, "I do not know where you come from; away from me, all evil doers!" 28 'Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrown out. 29 And people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 'Look, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.'
Reading 2, Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
5 Have you forgotten that encouraging text in
which you are addressed as sons? My son, do not scorn correction from
the Lord, do not resent his training, 6 for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts. 7 Perseverance is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? 11 Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness. 12 So steady all weary hands and trembling knees 13 and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb will not be maimed, it will get better instead.
Mary said Yes to the invitation to participate in the communion
of God's love. She confronted her own fears and entered into a new way
of living; so must we
Mary's response reveals the meaning of life. We were made to give
ourselves away to the Lord who has given Himself to us - in a Holy
exchange. He comes and abides within us. Through Baptism we enter into a
new way of living in His Body, the Church. Living in that Church we are
called to continue His redemptive mission by giving ourselves in Him
for the sake of the world. An early father of the undivided Christian
Church, Gregory of Nyssa, once wrote - What came about in
bodily form in Mary, the fullness of the godhead shining through Christ
in the Blessed Virgin, takes place in a similar way in every soul that
has been made pure. The Lord does not come in bodily form, for 'we no
longer know Christ according to the flesh', but He dwells in us
spiritually and the father takes up His abode with Him, the Gospel tells
us. In this way the child Jesus is born in each of us.
The Assumption or Dormition of Mary. It is not just about
Mary. It is also about all of those who say Yes to Jesus Christ. We
will experience the fullness of redemption in the Resurrection of the
Body and life in the coming Kingdom.
CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - On August 15 in the Liturgical
Calendar of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church we celebrate the great
Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Orthodox
Christian brethren also acknowledge the same great Feast but refer to it
as the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Some join with us in the celebration on this calendar date. Others
follow the Julian calendar and commemorate it in a few days.
The
Feast is very ancient. It is also of profound importance - for reasons
which sometimes are not fully understood. This event is a part of the
naturally supernatural progression in the life of the Blessed Virgin of
Nazareth. Her Yes, her Fiat of surrendered love, brought heaven to
earth. She first responded to the invitation of God given through the
Angel. In our popular piety we refer to this event as the Annunciation,
the announcing of God's plan. (Luke 1:26-38)
That exercise of her
own human freedom forever changed all human history. She assented to be
the Mother of the Lord Jesus, the Savior of the whole world. It opened
her up to the glory of heaven. That glory not only came to dwell within
her, but she cooperated with grace throughout her whole life. That same
loving God who invited her response in the message of an Angel and
received her responses throughout her life, received her, body and soul,
into heaven.
Mary is thus meant to be the sign and promise of
the Church's future. She also provides the pattern of the Christian life
and vocation for all of us. All who will say yes to her beloved Son -
and live their lives in that kind of surrendered love - can bear Jesus
Christ for the world. They are joined with Mary now - and will join with
her in the fullness of that communion of love which she now enjoys in
eternity.
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
In those few words, all of human history was changed. As we make those
words our own, our own histories will begin to change as well. We are
invited to give our own assent of freedom to God's loving invitations of
grace.
The Angel proclaimed that Mary was full of grace,
filled with the very life and presence of God. She walked in a deep,
abiding and intimate relationship with God. He was with her before she
even responded to His invitation. God chose Mary, even before Mary chose
God. This order is vitally important.
Mary's Prayer, her Fiat (Latin, let it be done)
was a response to the visitation from the messenger of heaven, the
angel. It also provides a pattern of prayer for every Christian. It
unfolds into a life of praise, her 'Magnificat.' This canticle begins with the words in Latin 'Magnificat anima mea Dominum' ('My soul magnifies the Lord') and is the Gospel text for the Liturgy during the day on this Feast. (Luke 1:46-55).
The Fiat is more than a prayer and the Magnificat
more than a hymn of praise. Together they constitute a lesson book, a
guidebook, for how we can live our own lives. This lesson book is
desperately needed by contemporary Christians in an age characterized by
pride and arrogance, deluded by self-worship and imprisoned by the
idolatry it all produces.
The pattern of the life of Mary, the
first disciple of the Lord, reveals a trajectory of surrendered love. If
we embrace the mystery and meaning of Mary, we will find the meaning of
our own lives. We were created out of Love, in Love and for Love. As
the beloved disciple John, who stood with her at the Tree of the Cross,
reminds us in his first letter, "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." (1 Jn 4:16)
Mary said Yes
to the invitation to participate in the communion of God's love. She
confronted her own fears and entered into a new way of living; so must
we. Christians use the word mystery in a manner quite different than the contemporary west perceives the word. Christian 'mysteries' are not puzzles to be solved, but gifts to be received, in faith.
The Greek word mysterion (later translated sacramentum
in Latin) is still the preferred word used for the Sacraments in the
Eastern Church, Orthodox and Catholic. They are mysteries of our faith.
It is in that light that Mary is also viewed as a mystery; she reveals
the very heart of that faith and its inner dynamic. She also teaches us
the meaning of our own lives. Like her, we are invited into communion
with the Trinitarian God, in and through Jesus Christ.She shows us the
way.
Mary lived a life of receiving and giving and giving and receiving. She has been called from the early centuries the God-bearer or Mother of God (which in Greek is Theo-tokos). She brought forth the Word of God. Her Fiat, her humble surrender, led to her Magnificat. Thus she becomes a prototype, showing us the vocation of every human person who says Yes to God's loving invitations of grace.
Mary's
response reveals the meaning of life. We were made to give ourselves
away to the Lord who has given Himself to us - in a Holy exchange. He
comes and abides within us. Through Baptism we enter into a new way of
living in His Body, the Church. Living in that Church we are called to
continue His redemptive mission by giving ourselves in Him for the sake
of the world. An early father of the undivided Christian Church, Gregory
of Nyssa, once wrote:
"What came about in bodily form in
Mary, the fullness of the godhead shining through Christ in the Blessed
Virgin, takes place in a similar way in every soul that has been made
pure. The Lord does not come in bodily form, for 'we no longer know
Christ according to the flesh', but He dwells in us spiritually and the
father takes up His abode with Him, the Gospel tells us. In this way the
child Jesus is born in each of us."
When Mary visited her
cousin Elizabeth, she bore within her the Incarnate Word of God as a
living tabernacle of love. (Luke 1:38-45) Jesus, the Redeemer in the
womb, was already saving the world and Mary, his chosen mother, was
already His first disciple. This little Virgin from Nazareth not only
experienced the great miracle but became herself a vehicle of grace for
others.
Is it any wonder that the early Christians painted her
image in the catacombs during their moments of fear, persecution and
doubt? They found great inspiration from this little woman of great
faith. In her yes they came to understand that ordinary people can
change human history. They were inspired to add their own yes, their own
fiat to hers.
Justin Martyr and many other early Christian
apologists found in her fiat, her obedient Yes to the invitation angel,
the undoing of the no - I will not serve - given by the first woman Eve. In one of her very first titles, they called Mary The Second Eve, the mother of the new creation.
In
her womb she carried the One whom the biblical authors would call the
New Adam. He was born from her as the first born of a new race of men
and women who would find a new birth and a new of living and dying, and
living again, through His Incarnation, Conception, Nativity, Life, Death
and Resurrection.
That same Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the
Incarnate Word, now resides within - and lives His Risen Life through -
all those who respond to the invitation of Love, as Mary did. Mary's
choice, her response to the invitation of a God who always respects
human freedom, is a singularly extraordinary event in all of human
history because it changed history forever. However, it is much more.
It
is an invitation to each one of us to explore our own personal
histories and to write them anew in Jesus Christ. Mary is a mirror, a
reflection, of Some-One, Jesus Christ, her Beloved Son,the Eternal Word
sent from the Father who became the Incarnate Word within her. The
Savior whom she was privileged to bear for the sake of the world filled
her with His grace.
Each one of us, now baptized into Him, is
also called to become, in a real sense, full of grace. We are invited to
empty ourselves and be filled with the very life of God. The Lord
desires to come and take up residence within us and be borne into a
world that hungers for His love. Mary shows us the way. She heard the
promise, believed, was filled with grace, and conceived the Lord who is
Love incarnate.
We can do likewise if we learn to pray, to
listen, to hear, and to respond with our own Yes, living our lives in
surrendered love. Years ago, I wrote a book of reflections to help
Christians of other communities not in full communion with the Catholic
Church, to more fully discover this gift of Mary for us all. It is
entitled The Prayer of Mary, Living the Surrendered Life. The Assumption or Dormition of Mary is not just about Mary. It is also about all of those who say Yes
to Jesus Christ. We will experience the fullness of redemption in the
Resurrection of the Body and life in the coming Kingdom.
4 The chief men then said to the king, 'You must have this man
put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers
in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. This man is seeking not the welfare of the people but their ruin.' 5 King Zedekiah answered, 'He is in your hands as you know, for the king is powerless to oppose you.' 6 So they took Jeremiah
and put him into the storage-well of the king's son Malchiah in the
Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in
the storage-well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank. 8 Ebed-Melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king. 9 'My lord king,' he said, 'these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophetJeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the storage-well. He will starve to death there, since there is no more food in the city.' 10 At this the king gave Ebed-Melech the Cushite the following order: 'Take thirty men with you from here and pull the prophetJeremiah out of the storage-well before he dies.'
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 40:2, 3, 4, 18
2 He pulled me up from the seething chasm, from the mud of the mire. He set my feet on rock, and made my footsteps firm. 3 He put a fresh song in my mouth, praise of our God. Many will be awestruck at the sight, and will put their trust in Yahweh. 4
How blessed are those who put their trust in Yahweh, who have not sided
with rebels and those who have gone astray in falsehood.
Gospel, Luke 12:49-53
49 'I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! 50 There is a baptism I must still receive, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; 53
father opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to
mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to
mother-in-law.'
Reading 2, Hebrews 12:1-4
1 With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us. 2 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith
and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which lay ahead of
him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken
his seat at the right of God's throne. 3 Think of the way he persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not lose heart and come to grief. 4 In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed.
The answers to the problems facing our nation and world will not be
solved by any of our political parties or politicians. These issues are
spiritual in nature and beyond the ability of mere mortal men and women
to rectify.
CANASTOTA, NY - Unfortunately, far too many of our religious leaders have failed to properly guide us or defend God's Truth.
Unless
and until they do so and unless we surrender our wills to our Almighty
and loving Creator and Lord, evil will roam the face of this earth.
This
post is not a political attack, though some will treat it as such. It
is simply an attempt by a simple man to stand up and defend the Truth,
since too few of those charged with such obligation have been willing to
do so.
It pains me to write this piece, but far less than the
silence of so many of our Cardinals, Bishops and priests offends our
Loving Lord and jeopardizes the salvation of souls.
Do you notice their silence and/or inaction:
When
a Presidential candidate issued an ultimatum that our Churches and all
who profess to be Christian must abandon their deeply held religious
beliefs on such intrinsic evils as abortion, contraception and the
nature of marriage? We must, she commanded, reject God's law, acquiesce
to those promulgated by mere humans and thereby promote a culture of
death;
When she and her party insisted we must use taxpayer
dollars to provide abortions and to fund Planned Parenthood's insatiable
appetite to kill and sell aborted body parts?
When politicians
and government officials (of all political parties) claiming to be
Catholic obstinately persist in advocating and supporting public
policies contrary to God's law and Church teaching, even after being
advised by their Bishops of their error?
When so many of our
Bishops and priests refuse to withhold the Sacred Species from such
offending public figures and thereby become facilitators and accomplices
to such sacrilege and sin.
When an entire parish is reported
to have given a standing ovation to one of their Catholic
politician/parishioners professing to be personally opposed to intrinsic
evil, but who has consistently supported legislation and public
policies contrary to God's Law.
When the Vice-President of this
nation, another dissenting Catholic politician, advocates for
legalization of same sex marriage and then officiates one.
Let
there be no doubt: when these things occur, you know there has been a
failure of spiritual leadership and catechesis, as well as an absence of
zeal for the salvation of souls.
On the other hand, look how
quickly certain Cardinals, Bishops and priests publicly criticized the
suggestion of Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments - the man charged by
Pope Francis to fully implement the authentic reform of the Liturgy
intended by Vatican II - that as many parishes as possible return to the
long standing and never intended to be abandoned posture of celebrating
portions of the Mass facing the Lord and not the people?
Such contrasting responses speaks volumes.
When
you read the advice St. Catherine of Siena gave to the Cardinal of
Ostia more than 600 hundred years ago, you can imagine what she would
advise our Cardinals, Bishops and priests today.
'I wish you to
be occupied with nothing but loving God, saving souls, and serving the
sweet spouse of Christ...act manfully...If you have to lay down your
life do it!'
Oh, how we miss her fearless and courageous voice and witness!
Since she no longer walks this earth, other simple folk must step up to the plate.
Ask for the courage to defend Truth.
Let there be no mistake: THIS is spiritual combat! Arm yourself with prayer and fasting.
Imagine having someone standing in wait for you to hand over to them
all your fears, pain and anxieties. Someone who can and will pave the
way for you simply for the asking. Someone who will relieve you from
every burden, and accompany you through every trial you could possibly
face in this life. Imagine having someone to heal you and comfort you
and protect you and guide you 24/7. Without so much as a phone call or
an office visit, you are granted full access to Divine help at every
turn in the road, as Jesus Christ goes about his way serving you and
saving you each and every day, both in this life and in the after-life.
Imagine how different ones life could be beginning the very hour they
first believe in Jesus. Well, I am here to tell you that He is there
for you, if you but speak His blessed name in earnest prayer. Emmanuel,
He walks among us, waiting for us to reach out to Him. He is there to
help you in every imaginable way through each and every day and asks
nothing in return but that you follow Him. Follow him and try to stay
connected; follow Him and learn about Him from Holy Scripture,
especially from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Talk to
Him in prayer. Eloquent speech is not necessary, as he already knows
your heart and stands in wait for you to seek Him so He can open the
floodgates of help for you in your daily life.
Looking for light in the darkness?
His
love for you is like no other, for He is the Alpha, the Omega, the
beginning and the end. And in Him, there is no darkness at all as He IS
all that is good and right and true. He IS the Light. For Jesus only
seeks to bring you closer to Himself, something that happens profoundly
when we are open to His Holy Love. Omnipotent Lover of Souls, He is the
"Come as you are" Savior; one who does not expect you to be at your best
or to wear finery to be heard. Rather, Jesus walks closest with us and
embraces us when we are not at the top of our game. In times of
financial strain, poverty, homelessness, strained, difficult or
dissolved relationships, infirmity, disability, grief, addiction, and
aging, etc., He stands ready to intercede for the asking. Yes, indeed,
we serve a mighty God!
"You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon Him, for you are His personal concern." I Peter 5:7
Pray
and ask for whatever you need, and your prayers will be answered in
God's special time and way! Perhaps your prayer requests will not be
answered exactly as you expect, but in his own special time and way for
your greatest benefit. You can rest assured He hears your every plea for
help, So pray for holy boldness to ask for what you need. He is there
to comfort you when you weep. He is there. And when relief comes upon
you as your anxieties and burdens are swiftly lifted, it is always
important to offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving for blessings
received...Trust me, you'll be glad you did, as you place your hope in
Him, and are lifted up by Jesus Himself, the greatest hope the world has
ever known!!!
A 26-year-old man, Wilfred Inacho,
was sentenced to six strokes of the cane by a Gudu Upper Area Court
sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), after he was
dragged to the court for fondling a woman's buttocks in public without her consent.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that Inacho, a welder, who was charged on a one count-charge of mischief, had grabbed at the buttocks
of the woman without her consent, pleaded guilty to the charge, saying
it was not intentional as he only wanted the lady to like him.
The police prosecutor, Augustine Urom, had told the court that one Alice Adejo
reported the matter at Apo police station on August 10, 2016. Urom said
during investigation, it was realised that Inacho had formed a habit of
leaving his work to follow Adejo every time she passed by his workshop.
The presiding judge, Umar Kagarko,
while passing the sentence on the convict, admonishing him to desist
from such indecency, and advised him to look for a decent approach
towards women.
15-Year Old Girl Kimberly Anyadike – Became The Youngest Black Female Pilot To Fly Cross Country.
Many of us find ourselves pushed to have low standards for our
children. The saddest part of it all is that our kids have abilities
that we may never have even thought possible. This young lady shows us
what our kids can do when we set the bar high.
She departed with a dream and returned home a record-breaker.
Inspired by the Tuskeegee Airmen, 15-year-old Kimberly Anyadike flew a
single-engine Cessna cross-country from her hometown of Compton, Calif.,
to Newport News, Va.
Anyadike is thought to be the youngest African American female pilot to complete the journey, which took 13 days.
Kudos girl!
A 28-year-old rape suspect, Modiu Diallo, has been docked at a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Lagos State, for allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl inside the Iponri Central Mosque, Surulere.
It
was gathered that Diallo, a Senegalese labourer, who is facing a
three-count charge bordering on rape, had, on July 13, 2016, abducted
the girl and took her inside the Mosque where he forcefully had carnal knowledge of her in the early hours of the day.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Anthonia Osayande,
told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 6:00am
on the said date when most of the early morning worshippers had left the
Mosque after the morning prayers.
“It is a shameful act and that should not be condoled,” Osayande told the court, adding that the offence contravened Sections 135 (2) and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
When the charges were read to Diallo, he pleaded not guilty and the Magistrate, Mrs Ekpaye Nwachukwu,
granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000, with one surety in like sum,
while the case was adjourned the case till September 20, 2016, for
mention.
Three staff members of the Enugu State University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Gloria Onuoha, Roseline Onwuameze and Thomas Nwigwe, have been arrested by the State Police Command after it was discovered that they had forged their employment letters, purportedly written and signed by the state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Punch
reports that the trio had presented letters which bore the official
letterhead of the Office of the Governor and also had the governor’s
signature.
The three suspects were reportedly employed recently as accountant on Grade 11, Level 7, Higher Executive Officer Level 8 and chief typist on CONTISS 8, Step 13, respectively.
Confirming the arrest of the trio, the State Police spokesperson, DSP Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed that the facilitator of the forged letters, Chijioke Nzegwu, was on the run but that an intensive manhunt has been mounted with a view to bringing him to justice.
The
employment scam was uncovered after some employees of the hospital, who
were suspicious of irregularities in the appointment of the new
workers, raised the alarm and after an intensive internal
investigations, the suspects were arrested.
Trying your hand
at a Downward Dog or Warrior Two can be quite intimidating for the
everyday girl, thanks to some stereotypes it has picked up. “Yoga isn’t
for me, I’m not a vegan/ Hippy/ flexible enough/ the yoga type.” It’s
time to ditch the excuses, and roll out that mat because yoga comes to
you minus the expensive memberships, or models with the flexibility of a
pretzel eyeing you up. And you certainly don’t need to worry about not
being able to find a studio near you. In this day and age, everything is
available online, and yoga is no exception.
I’m a self-taught
yogi through YouTube videos, because I can’t afford the high price gym
memberships or classes. Enter Tara Stiles, CEO and founder of Strala
Yoga in New York City, who has been guiding me through Yoga for the last
3 years with her softly spoken American Accent via YouTube. Travelling
the world with her yoga programs as her popularity boomed, the model
turned yogi is even endorsed by Deepak Chopra himself.
YouTube allows you
to have a one on one class with your instructor on the go, at your own
pace, and even better for my bargain hunting soul sisters, it’s FREE!!
Tara and I are pretty much on a first name basis these days.
There are hundreds
of videos online of yoga tutorials for anything at anytime. Yoga for
tight hips, Yoga for flexibility, Yoga for Holiday meal digestion, Yoga
for when you shop up a storm on USAPRO Activewear and send yourself
broke so you need to eat eggs on toast for a week… Wait, what?
Just remember that
it isn’t about how beautiful the pose looks, or how far you can bend you
leg behind your head. It’s about making the poses accessible to your
level of fitness and progressing each time. Practice makes perfect
after all.
Yoga has not only
become my go to for stretching, but also calming my mind and helping me
to relax when anxiety and real world stresses get me down. That’s right,
I’m a real girl like you, who has real world problems, and sometimes
you just need to Savasana them out. Am I sounding hippy-ish now?
Less
than 13 days to the world’s foremost sports competition, the 2016 Olympics
Games holding in Rio, Brazil, Nigerian athletes have taken to the social media
platform to crowd-source funds for the competition. American-born Nigerian
sprinter, Regina George, who represented the country at the 2012 Summer
Olympics, has launched the campaign on the World’s number one personal
fundraising website, gofundme.com. George RegGoFundMe is a crowdfunding
platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events
such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like
accidents and illnesses. The company is based in San Diego, California It
allows users to create their own website to describe what they are raising
money for. During this process, members can describe their fundraising cause,
the amount they hope to raise, and upload photos or video. Once the website is
created, GoFundMe allows users to share their project with people through
integrated social network links (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and email. People can
then donate to a user’s cause through the website using only a debit card or
credit card and track the progress of their funding. Those who donate can also
leave comments on the website in support of the project. GoFundMe generates
revenue by automatically deducting a 5% fee from each donation users receive.
If the user receives no donations, then no charge is made. George, a silver
medalist at the African Championships in 2012, who is seeking to raise $4, 000
(four thousand dollar), described her cause which she titled ‘Help get me to
the Olympics’ thus: “To all my family friends and fans thanks for being here
for me through the good times and bad times. This year it’s been hard
financially for me but it wouldn’t have been possible without your support. I
just been told that we will have to pay our own way to the Olympics this year .
Sadly this is such short notice for me to come up with the money. They also
promised a refund but I’m still waiting for many refunds promised in the past.
I been through a lot of obstacles this year and through it all I made my SECOND
Olympic team. I don’t want to stop now after I earned a spot to represent my
country in the Olympics. Any donation will help my situation. This will not go
unnoticed and I’m truly grateful for my supporters. Help spread the word!”
George anchored the United States 4 × 400 m team to a gold medal ahead of the
Nigerian team which placed second at the 2010 World Junior Championships in
Athletics. At this championship meet, George expressed her desire to run for
Nigeria to Nigerian coach, Gabriel Okon. She began to compete for Nigeria in
2012, ahead of the African Championships and London Olympics. The 2012 Nigerian
champion will represent Nigeria in the 4x400m race at Rio Olympic Games which
starts on 5th August. Supporting her claim is Nigeria’s fastest man, Seye
Ogunlewe, who also took to micro-blogging site, Twitter, to urge corporate
organistations to rise to the needs of the country athletes. In a series of
tweets, using the hashtag, #helpnigerianathletes, the son of Lagos politician,
Seye Ogunlewe, lamented the sorry states the athletes are. “Just so everyone
knows we all got that message saying we should get our own tickets to Rio!
#helpnigerianathletes,” he posted. It will be recalled that there were reports
that there were no funds for Nigerian athletes for the 2016 Rio Olympics.,
which prompted federal lawmakers to call for immediate release of funds to the
Ministry of Sports to facilitate the country’s preparations at the 2016 Rio
Olympic Games earlier this month. NASSAU, BAHAMAS - MAY 02: Blessing Okagbare,
Regina George, Dominiue Duncan, and Christy Udoh of Nigeria celebrat on the podium
after winning the final of the women?s of the 4 x 200 metres on day one of the
IAAF World Relays at Thomas Robinson Stadium on May 2, 2015 in Nassau, Bahamas.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for IAAF/AFP FILE: NASSAU, BAHAMAS – MAY 02:
Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominiue Duncan, and Christy Udoh of Nigeria
celebrat on the podium after winning the final of the women?s of the 4 x 200
metres on day one of the IAAF World Relays at Thomas Robinson Stadium on May 2,
2015 in Nassau, Bahamas. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for IAAF/AFP On Tuesday
during the official handover of Team Nigeria to the Nigeria Olympic Committee
(NOC) and his investiture as the Grand Patron of the body, President Muhammadu
Buhari said budget for the 2016 Rio Olympics would be released on time.
TeamNigeria has 49 male and 29 female athletes who qualified to represent the
country in 10 sport disciplines at the event. The Olympic Games are held every
four years,with more than 200 nations participating. From 241 participants
representing 14 nations in 1896, the Games have grown to about 10,500
competitors from 204 nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Less than 13 days to
the world’s foremost sports competition, the 2016 Olympics Games holding
in Rio, Brazil, Nigerian athletes have taken to the social media
platform to crowd-source funds for the competition.
American-born Nigerian sprinter, Regina George, who represented the
country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, has launched the campaign on the
World’s number one personal fundraising website, gofundme.com.
George RegGoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform that allows people to
raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and
graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses.
The company is based in San Diego, California
It allows users to create their own website to describe what they are
raising money for. During this process, members can describe their
fundraising cause, the amount they hope to raise, and upload photos or
video. Once the website is created, GoFundMe allows users to share
their project with people through integrated social network links
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and email. People can then donate to a user’s
cause through the website using only a debit card or credit card and
track the progress of their funding. Those who donate can also leave
comments on the website in support of the project. GoFundMe generates
revenue by automatically deducting a 5% fee from each donation users
receive. If the user receives no donations, then no charge is made.
George, a silver medalist at the African Championships in 2012, who is
seeking to raise $4, 000 (four thousand dollar), described her cause
which she titled ‘Help get me to the Olympics’ thus:
“To all my family friends and fans thanks for being here for me through
the good times and bad times. This year it’s been hard financially for
me but it wouldn’t have been possible without your support. I just been
told that we will have to pay our own way to the Olympics this year .
Sadly this is such short notice for me to come up with the money. They
also promised a refund but I’m still waiting for many refunds promised
in the past. I been through a lot of obstacles this year and through it
all I made my SECOND Olympic team. I don’t want to stop now after I
earned a spot to represent my country in the Olympics. Any donation will
help my situation. This will not go unnoticed and I’m truly grateful
for my supporters.
Help spread the word!”
George anchored the United States 4 × 400 m team to a gold medal ahead
of the Nigerian team which placed second at the 2010 World Junior
Championships in Athletics. At this championship meet, George expressed
her desire to run for Nigeria to Nigerian coach, Gabriel Okon. She began
to compete for Nigeria in 2012, ahead of the African Championships and
London Olympics.
The 2012 Nigerian champion will represent Nigeria in the 4x400m race at
Rio Olympic Games which starts on 5th August.
Supporting her claim is Nigeria’s fastest man, Seye Ogunlewe, who also
took to micro-blogging site, Twitter, to urge corporate organistations
to rise to the needs of the country athletes. In a series of tweets,
using the hashtag, #helpnigerianathletes, the son of Lagos politician,
Seye Ogunlewe, lamented the sorry states the athletes are.
“Just so everyone knows we all got that message saying we should get our
own tickets to Rio! #helpnigerianathletes,” he posted.
It will be recalled that there were reports that there were no funds for
Nigerian athletes for the 2016 Rio Olympics., which prompted federal
lawmakers to call for immediate release of funds to the Ministry of
Sports to facilitate the country’s preparations at the 2016 Rio Olympic
Games earlier this month.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS - MAY 02: Blessing Okagbare, Regina George, Dominiue
Duncan, and Christy Udoh of Nigeria celebrat on the podium after winning
the final of the women?s of the 4 x 200 metres on day one of the IAAF
World Relays at Thomas Robinson Stadium on May 2, 2015 in Nassau,
Bahamas. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for IAAF/AFP
FILE: NASSAU, BAHAMAS – MAY 02: Blessing Okagbare, Regina George,
Dominiue Duncan, and Christy Udoh of Nigeria celebrat on the podium
after winning the final of the women?s of the 4 x 200 metres on day one
of the IAAF World Relays at Thomas Robinson Stadium on May 2, 2015 in
Nassau, Bahamas. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for IAAF/AFP
On Tuesday during the official handover of Team Nigeria to the Nigeria
Olympic Committee (NOC) and his investiture as the Grand Patron of the
body, President Muhammadu Buhari said budget for the 2016 Rio Olympics
would be released on time.
TeamNigeria has 49 male and 29 female athletes who qualified to
represent the country in 10 sport disciplines at the event.
The Olympic Games are held every four years,with more than 200 nations
participating.
From 241 participants representing 14 nations in 1896, the Games have
grown to about 10,500 competitors from 204 nations at the 2012 Summer
Olympics.
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/rio-2016-nigerian-athletes-beg-for-fund-on-social-media/
The Assumption or Dormition of Mary. It is not just about
Mary. It is also about all of those who say Yes to Jesus Christ. We
will experience the fullness of redemption in the Resurrection of the
Body and life in the coming Kingdom.
