WYDLC2019Nabaccayan

Please read and share the message of the Archbishop to the people of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

As commemorate the feast day of St. Rose of Lima, may we reflect on her words "Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven. When we serve the poor and the sick we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus. Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of Grace".

Finally, we have reached the final 24 hours of our countdown before the most awaited WYDLC2019. Let us continue to pray for the success of the activity. We also pray that God may give us (pilgrims, volunteers, facilitators and the host parish) strength to fulfill all our missionary tasks and courage to face all the challenges that may come along the way.

PS: We pray for a good weather for the entire duration of the said WYDLC2019 and safety of all Cagayanos.

"There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot. Honesty and loyalty are key. If two people can be honest with each other about everything, that's probably the biggest key to success. A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason."

The Three Theological Virtues:
Faith, Hope, and Charity

The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being. They dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity.

Faith

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith." Living faith "work[s] through charity."

The gift of faith remains in one who has not sinned against it. But "faith apart from works is dead": when it is deprived of hope and love, faith does not fully unite the believer to Christ and does not make him a living member of his Body.

Hope

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men's activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.

Charity

Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.

Jesus makes charity the new commandment. Whence Jesus says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love." And again: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: "So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity."

The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which "binds everything together in perfect harmony. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love.

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Vexillum

Taking a look specifically at Mary's reaction to the news that she was chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah, here's what we can learn from her.

4 lessons we can learn from Mary, the Mother of Jesus

1. It's ok to be afraid, at first

When Mary was greeted by the angel Gabriel she was struck with fear, "Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God,' (Luke 1:29-30). Many of us will be able to relate to being overcome with fear when we feel God asking us to do something or feel him at work in our lives. We can feel this way whether he calls us to travel to war torn countries to support and show solidarity with his people or share our testimony with a close friend. Mary teaches us that we shouldn't let fear paralyze us from accepting our calling.

2. No matter who you are the Lord can use you

Mary was an unmarried teenager from humble beginnings and God chose her to carry out one of the most significant tasks in the entire Bible. During the time that Mary was alive, women were not afforded equal status to men and there were severe consequences for a woman falling pregnant outside of marriage. Despite knowing this, Mary says yes to what God has called her to do. This not only gives us an insight into Mary's character but it also reveals to us God's character. Mary was aware of her status but this didn't cause her to reject the Lord's calling. We shouldn't worry about our social status because God calls all types of people to do his work.

3. Be available

Mary's response, "I am the Lord's servant...May your word to me be fulfilled," is fuelled by the third lesson that we can learn from her, her understanding that it is not your ability that matters to God, it is your availability. Sometimes when opportunities present themselves to us we can feel inadequate and question our suitability for the task but Mary's example teaches us that if we make ourselves available to God he will use us regardless of how equipped we feel ourselves to be.

4. Have faith

Faith is central to Mary's story. It is her faith that empowers her to accept her calling against the backdrop of the possible ramifications of doing so. Speaking about what we can learn from Mary, in 2015 the Pope said: "The Gospel also shows us the truest reason for Mary's greatness and her blessedness: it is faith". This is one of the most inspiring aspects of Mary's character. If we truly trust and believe in God's power to deliver on his promises no matter how impossible they may seem, we too can be used by Him.

As we journey towards the WYDLC2019, let us reflect on the 5 Joyful Mysteries with Mary - our Mother. Let us lift all our intentions as we also include in our prayer the success of this youth gathering.

1) The Annunciation
2) The Visitation
3) The Birth of Our Lord
4) The Presentation in the Temple
5) The finding of Jesus in the temple

6 Issues Young People Face Today
Anne Lawson

Although young people are often castigated as lazy, indifferent, materialistic, or irresponsible by an older generation, this is a description of the effects, not an enumeration of the causes.

Many of the issues late teens and early 20-somethings face are a mystery to the older generation. These issues cause serious concern for society as a whole. The generation gap is becoming a chasm.

Some issues affecting youth are old, others new, but with the faster pace of life, there may be a time when society as we know it breaks down because there are few people committed to building a better world.

Let’s take a look at six major issues affecting youth today:

1. Drug and alcohol abuse
Perception is very important to young people. During the prohibition, consuming illicit alcohol was considered a symbol of defiance and rugged individualism.

Now drugs and alcohol display social status, insouciance, and coolness.

The pervasive abuse of drugs and alcohol results in an amplification of negative behaviors-low grades in school, poor job performance, and anti-social behavior that culminates in sexual abuse and violence. Successful drug recovery requires young people to be willing to change for the better.

2. Decline in Education
While part of the education challenges young people face before going to college is underfunded schools, it’s not all about economics.

However, this is not the only factor at play. The decline in education can’t be fully attributed to a lack of books, good teachers, and education facilities.

Another factor is a general disdain for learning. Smart kids are often socially ostracized and called nerds or geeks. In many schools, they are bullied. Academic achievement is not respected for its own sake or for the promise it provides of creating a better future for individuals and society.

4. Sociological issues
Sociological issues include the breakdown of the traditional family structure with the prevalence of more single parenting.

Children who are raised by single parents rarely get the attention or learn the value they need to do well in life when they grow up. In addition, the household has a lower income. These problems arise because the single parent is often struggling with both raising a child and holding down a job.

4. Economic Downturn
It is difficult for young people to get jobs, and even those with Ph.Ds are returning home to live with their parents.

5. Technological Challenges
Since there is more information than ever before, cognitive processing has shifted away from reflection and analysis to scanning and surfing. There is also more interest in entertainment over education.

6. Social Isolation
The idea of spending quality time with other people has been replaced by social media surfing and texting. While friendships still exist, they are based more on sharing information, then on spending time together, and the idea of building friendships that last for a lifetime is becoming less of a social norm.

The world has changed in an unprecedented way for young people, resulting in more isolation and existential anxiety, and, as a result, it has been harder for them to mature and achieve social equilibrium and economic success.

7 Bible Verses About How to Pray to God

Matthew 6:9-13

After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Matthew 6:5

And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:6

But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.

Matthew 6:7

But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Matthew 18:19

Again I say to you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?ei=jNVWXeXuKJKg-QbG45PwBA&q=7+days+bible+passage+prayer&oq=7+days+bible+passgar&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-serp.1.1.33i160l2.1335.11637..13514...10.0..8.501.5054.2j25j3j5-1......0....1.......8..0i71j35i39j0j46j0i131i67j0i324j46i67j0i67j0i3j0i13i30j0i22i30j46i67i275j33i22i29i30.LAKievWKPIY