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Sunday, January 31, 2010

My Daily Bread, Book 1 Chapter 11

Book One: The Way of Purification
CONVERSION
CHAPTER 11 An Honest Daily Effort

CHRIST: MY CHILD, so often your thoughts are on unimportant things. You do not center them enough on Me nor on your greatest need. After a few moments of recollection, your thoughts go right back to useless distractions. As a result you rarely get a good look at yourself and your actions. You hardly know your real worth because you take so little notice of your desires, motives, and intentions. You fail to be impressed by your many faults because you are blind to what is going on within your heart. Your interior motives are often selfish and corrupt. Consequently, your external actions are very imperfect and unsatisfactory. From a pure heart come the fruits of a good life, but from an imperfect heart there can only come an imperfect life.

2. External activity proceeds from internal vigor. If you serve Me only by external observances, you are no true follower of Mine. You must apply the ax to the root of your troubles. Learn to control this selfish nature of yours, and you will possess My peace. I daily offer you My grace for this divine purpose. Do not keep looking at your weakness. Do not be afraid to make the attempt. Nothing is impossible to Me. Fix your eyes on Me and make a sincere effort to follow My Will. Your difficulties will gradually vanish.

3. Try as you will, you will always make a number of unavoidable mistakes. Still, with a little violence to yourself, you will gradually be able to serve Me with more ease. If you rooted out of your life one single fault each year, you would soon become a perfect man. Nowadays, however, people seem to be at their best at the beginning of their conversion. They consider it a great accomplishment if they do not become worse with time.

THINK: Many admit that they have faults. When, however, any particular fault of theirs is pointed out to them, they will immediately justify themselves. They simply refuse to come face to face with any particular fault of theirs. As a result they live a lifetime with little progress in virtue. To better my life I must see and admit what is wrong. Then I can proceed to improve myself.

PRAY: My God, make me brave enough to face my faults, honest enough to acknowledge them, and strong enough to fight them. I think of many things each day, but so many of my interests are unimportant and useless. Give me the strength and the generosity to make definite resolutions against definite faults. May I never be so selfish as to stop trying to please You more each day. Though my faults seem to continue, still my efforts must remain firm and I must go on trying to become daily a better man. If I will go on trying, I cannot help becoming better each day. A continued effort will slowly destroy my selfishness, and my faults will gradually weaken and die. Lord, on You I depend for the light and strength for this daily battle. Amen.

Monday, January 18, 2010

My Daily Bread Book 1 Chapter 10


Book One: The Way of Purification
CONVERSION
CHAPTER 10: Daily Renewal of Intention

CHRIST: MY CHILD, progress in virtue depends on My grace and your own determination. My grace is always at your disposal. It is your determination that wavers and changes. Your intention would be more firm if you obtained more grace to help you. By prayer and sacrifice, and with an increased use of My sacraments, seek more grace. Then you would find your will stronger to follow your intention throughout the day.

2. It is not always enough to make good intentions in the morning. You must also recall and renew them during the day. Examine how faithfully you are following your intention, and seek to improve yourself in this effort. When you break your resolution, begin again. This is far better than abandoning your good intention altogether. Anyone can make good resolutions, but keeping them and renewing them is the work of a real man.

3. If you are afraid to start again or are discouraged by failure, it is because you do not understand what goes on in your daily life. Without Me you can do nothing. Put your trust in My help, Then confidently do your best to follow your resolutions. If you fail, renew your intention at once and begin again. I will judge you more by your efforts than by your failures. It is your natural pride that makes you afraid to begin, or discourages you when you fail. Pride wants immediate success.

4. Be honest, and you will be humble. Make a sincere effort, but do not be surprised at your weakness and unexpected failures. Beg for My grace, and go on trying. Leave all else in My hands. He who keeps trying to please Me will never be abandoned by Me.

THINK: Am I brave enough to renew my intentions and good resolutions each day, and to make an honest effort to follow them? God's help will not fail me. My old faults will slowly disappear as I advance in the practice of the opposite virtues. Thus, if I have a fault of laziness, I can best conquer it by seeking more opportunities to perform good deeds. And so will it be with my other faults.

PRAY: Lord, let me do whatever is necessary to fight my faults and to advance in the opposite virtues. If I need to avoid some person or place, if I have to take some particular step, let me do so without any foolish delay. It is for Your glory and for my own greater good. Lord, now I begin, and shall keep on beginning again and again because I desire to please You. Amen.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

THE SEARCH IS ON FOR YOUNG TALENTED PINOY IDOLS





THE SEARCH IS ON FOR YOUNG TALENTED PINOY IDOLS

Are you the talk of your hometown because of your exceptional flair for singing, dancing, painting, playing a musical instrument, whipping up stories or simply being creative in your craft? Would you like to hone your talent to perfection and share it with the rest of the world? If you are a graduating Grade VI or Grade VII pupil, and you believe that you've got the wits, the gift and the heart for ART, then you are the talented Pinoy that we are looking for.

This year, we invite you to show what you got in the Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars (ANSYAS). It is a yearly screening conducted by the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) to identify and develop artistically gifted children.


The PHSA is a government-run secondary school for artistically gifted and talented children and adolescents. It implements a special secondary education curriculum and support programs committed to the conservation and promotion of the Filipino artistic and cultural traditions. Located in idyllic Mt. Makiling , PHSA provides its students with opportunities to develop their social skills that will contribute to their development as socially responsible artists.

The successful applicant is awarded free tuition fee, board and lodging, classes with master teachers, a monthly stipend, plus the chance to represent the country and the school in international festivals, competitions and exchange programs.

PHSA students take Basic Education subjects prescribed by the Department of Education plus specialized studies for creative and artistic expressions in Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theater Arts and Visual Arts.

Aside from their day to day academic activities, the PHSA students regularly participate in extramural events such as outreach projects in other communities, recitals, educational and exposure trips, interactions and master classes with well-known artists and other co-curricular activities.

To ensure a more individualized and differentiated academic and arts training program, the PHSA accepts only a limited number of freshmen (from 40 to 50 students) every year.

If you want to be part of the next crop of world-class Pinoy artists and want to know more about the school and the scholarship, write or call ANSYAS at the following:

Philippine High School for the Arts,

National Arts Center,

Mt Makiling, Los BaƱos 4030, Laguna

Telefax: (049)-5365972

Email: phsa@laguna. net

You may also download the application form at the following websites: www.phsa.edu. ph; www.deped.gov. ph; and www.ncca.gov. ph


All applications, documents, and requirements must be received by the ANSYAS Committee on or before the following dates:


Luzon applicants - 08 February 2010

Visayas applicants - 22 February 2010

Mindanao applicants - 08 March 2010

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My Daily Bread Book 1 Chapter 9


Book One: The Way of Purification
CONVERSION
CHAPTER 9 Frailty of Human Nature

CHRIST: MY CHILD, all human beings are weak. Do not think that you are stronger than
others. Circumstances do not create the weakness of a man. They simply draw it out and show what he really is. You must be convinced of this fact. Your will is weak, and your blind human desires are strong.

2. It should not be too hard for you to admit your frailty. See how often you are troubled by
a small matter! At times you resolve to become a better man. Then along comes a small temptation, and away goes your resolution, just when you think you are safe, when you least expect it, you find yourself pushed over by a slight temptation. Even when you do not give full consent to it, your feelings and desires confuse you. Hateful imaginations rush in on you and refuse to leave.

3. Before you can become serious about self-perfection, you must be convinced of its necessity. See how weak you are! You often tend toward what is wrong. You confess your sins today, and tomorrow you commit the same faults again. You resolve to be on your guard, and an hour later you act as though you had never made the resolution. You are so weak and unsteady. It is only right, then, that you should humble yourself and refuse to think too highly of yourself.

4. You are more inclined to go backward than forward. You do not remain in the same state of mind for any length of time. Your moods and attitudes change with the changing hours of the day. If you would only turn to Me! I can help you rise above these changing moods. Let your heart turn to Me and find its rest in Me.

THINK: My human nature is like a spirited horse. It must be controlled at every step. It would like to run free and uncontrolled. Therefore, I need not be surprised at my changing feelings and moods. They are not the higher self within me. God will honor me only for what I am trying to be. I would improve much faster if I begged His help more frequently by prayer and the sacraments. Too often I fail to put up a fight against my unreasonable feelings and blind desires. At other times I try to fight them alone. Only with God's help can I make any permanent progress. With the knowledge He gives me through His holy Church, and with the strength He offers me in His sacraments, I can live a holy life in spite of the restless lower self within me.

PRAY: Dear Lord, my smallness and weakness are perfectly known to You. Have pity on me. Pull me out of the mud of self, so that I may not be stuck in it forever. Consider the labors and trials of my daily life. Please stand by me in my efforts. Strengthen me in my resolutions. I have often failed because I depended on myself alone. Now, however, I shall seek advice and direction as often as I need it. Only in this way can I hope to make progress in true and solid virtue. Make me wise and honest in my daily efforts, so that I may no longer waste valuable time. I hope to become at last the kind of person You want me to be. Without You I can do nothing. Lord, help met. Amen.