I CAN GO THE DISTANCE

 

FATHER RICHARD FAREWELL VIDEO - This video made for Father Richard summarizes his three year stint in the Sto. Nino Parish Shrine in the Bago Bantay that made him very popular to the parishioners. Being young and a dynamic priest,   he'd  given the Sto. Nino Parich shrine church a whole new way of celebrating masses through utilizing the media and the technology available.  It is not only that that made him loved by the people of the Bago Bantay  but through his friendly and dynamic friendship with them.

The great thing about Father Richard is he was able to establish Breaking the Bread as a pilot program for the street children of the Bago Bantay. Through BTB we had recoursed the path of our unloved little ones to get near to God in the best way possible. We had made changes in the children, and because of them, their parents too are coming to BTB, a chance to form and catechize adult parents. What we can see now is we are entering the roots of the poverty and illiteracy of this portion of our community, and by this events we are breaking grounds in our apostolate!

The intensity and the gravity of our work now is getting stronger, and the spirit poured on us is driving our hearts and bodies to work more given by these blessings. Father Richard is going just afar from us, but spiritually we are united with him and with God.

 

FATHER RICHARD FAREWELL PROGRAM

Fr. Richard with the BTB kids

January 27, 2012   @ 7:00pm at the Sto. Nino Parochial School - Was held the farewell program of Father Richard Monteiro which was attended by some of the Sto. Nino Parish Shrine's  Ministry members and friends, well wishers, Priest friends, members of the BTB, the BTB Kids  and all the people who are supportive of Father Richard's  service and stay as guest priest for the SNPS. 

Bro. Melvin, Catechist of the BTB

 The evening program was primarily for the street children of the Bago Bantay, with whom Fr. Richard started because of his love and affection  for them being of his neighborhood in the parish -and their state and condition in the community pushed him to the birth of the Breaking the Bread that came now into an established Program,  The children portion of the program came very alive  for the children and the guests.

The cheerful ladies of the BTB

Games for the BTB kids

The sponsoring guest for the food of the Breaking the Bread children, and the magic show given for the children was a great fun for all that was there. They commended father Richard fo the great work he had done to the commnity and such is an example that priesthood and the church look into this ministry and the apostolate started. This is regarded as a pioneering work of a priest in our community and just few of the exellent deed of an ordained man.

Father Richard will be going home to India, his native land to continue his mission as a priest but that will not mean the end and death of our BTB here, but rather, he had founded a work in the country that with  the guidance of the Holy Spirit, BTB will go the to depth depth of a catechized  "lesser" portion of our society.
Seeing BTB as becoming the "tower"  of love of one another in Christiandom.

BREAKING THE BREAD - FOOTPRINT OF FATHER RICHARD

JANUARY 27, 2012  BREAKING THE BREAD DAY -FATHER RICHARD FAREWELL PROGRAM

Yes, this coming Januaray 27, 2012, once more Breaking the Bread will be showcasing the Street Children as being part of our community and the Church. The subject of the poor and the marginalized specially in the object of street children is the most difficult reality of our Christian life. Jesus emphasized  "love your neighbor as yourself", but to love your own peers and coleagues that you "like"only does not give weight to these words of Christ. Unless we learn to love our lost and the least of our brethren  we cannot be an authentic followers of Christ. Breaking the Bread is the foot print of Father Richard in the Bago Bantay, and he's going and leaving us with this print engraved in our hearrts. Such will grow and flourish under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, because Father Richard is given to us to bore deeper the "Love" of God n us.   The program is under preparation and the people of the Breaking the Bread thus prepare for the event.

Further announcement of the program's schedule will be posted later. What we can ask for  the moment are prayers that the program may turn out smoothly as expected. For sure  some surprises are expected in the program. See you later.

The Birth of Jesus, revealed to St. Bridget

THE BIRTH OF JESUS IN THE VISION OF ST. BRIDGET.

God sends mystics and saints to be witnesses of the gospel, and by this means the faithful is given the confirmed teachings of the church and its magisterial authority that the church is the truth and interpreting the word of god, the bible,  compared through the  revelations of its saints. One is St. Brigitte of Sweden whom had mystical experience of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can read the full text of the blog [Here].

What is amazing is the mysticism of the god revealed natividty scene to st. Bridgite as to how should we know the way Jesus was born in an account and detail not found in the bible. If you read the blog in the link , you will be able to have a vivid  revelation on the sacredness of Jesus birth and how Mary did not suffer any pain for delivering birth as normal to a human person. Such an account describes the wonders of Mary as chosen to be the mother of god Jesus and her virginity intact and preserved. These revelations really gives confirmation on the church doctrines declared and proves that the church is taught and guided by God in its  magisterial authority all throughout.

The following is taken from the revelations given to St. Bridget regarding the Nativity of our Lord – for a biblical proof that Christ really was born in late December, please look to the excellent article by Dr. Taylor Marshall [here].

“When I was present by the manger of the Lord in Bethlehem I beheld a Virgin of extreme beauty wrapped in a white mantle and a delicate tunic through which I perceived her virginal body. With her was an old man of great honesty and they had with them an ox and ass. These entered the cave and the man having tied them to the manger went out and brought in to the Virgin a lighted candle which having done he again went outside so as not to be present at the birth. Then the Virgin pulled off the shoes from her feet, drew off the white mantle that enveloped her, removed the veil from her head laying it beside her, thus remaining only in her tunic with her beautiful golden hair falling loosely over her shoulders. Then she produced two small linen cloths, and two woollen ones of exquisite purity and fineness which she had brought to wrap round the Child to be born, and two other small cloths to cover His head, and these too she put beside her. When all was thus prepared the Virgin knelt with great veneration in an attitude of prayer; her back was to the manger, her face uplifted to heaven and turned toward the East.

“Then, her hands extended and her eyes fixed on the sky she stood as in an ecstasy, lost in contemplation, in a rapture of divine sweetness. And while she stood thus in prayer I saw the Child in her womb move; suddenly in a moment she gave birth to her own Son from whom radiated such ineffable light and splendour that the sun was not comparable to it while the divine light totally annihilated the material light of St. Joseph's candle. So sudden and instantaneous was this birth that I could neither discover nor discern by what means it had occurred. All of a sudden I saw the glorious Infant lying on the ground naked and shining, His body pure from any soil or impurity. Then I heard the singing of the angels of miraculous sweetness and beauty. When the Virgin felt she had borne her Child immediately she worshipped Him, her hands clasped in honour and reverence saying: ‘Be welcome my God, my Lord, my Son.’

“Then, as the Child was whining and trembling from the cold and hardness of the floor where He was lying, He stretched out His arms imploring her to raise Him to the warmth of her maternal love. So His Mother took Him in her arms, pressed Him to her breast and cheek, and warmed Him with great joy and tender compassion. She then sat down on the ground laying the Child on her lap and at once began to bestow on Him much care tying up His small body, His legs and arms in long cloths, and enveloped His head in the linen garments, and when this was done the old man entered, and prostrating himself on the floor he wept for joy. And in no way was the Virgin changed by giving birth, the color of her face remained the same nor did her strength decline. She and Joseph put the Child in the manger, and worshipped Him on their knees with immense joy until the arrival of the Kings who recognized the Son from the likeness to His Mother.”

Why is it god needs to reveal these to st. Bridget? Why is it needed for us to know more of these things? It must be really important I should suffice. There are only these things to say, it is because god wants to let it known that the Church is Him,  and that the church is not in error about its doctrines and dogma. Most importantly, it showed here that Mary must be  given reverence and respect  by every one of us just as god gave Mary the place and favor above us all.

ARTABAN THE FOURTH MAGI

ARTABAN the fourth Magi.

The story of the fourth magi about Artaban is neither true or fact is not necessary here, but the beautiful story is most appreciated when it comes to reflect on the story of a man perceived to be the fourth king or magi in the nativity of our Lord or in the solemnity of the Epiphany. If your have read about the story of artabn, I recommend for you to click here.

The fascinating story of Artaban can be called true or fiction but I have not researched of it , but as I say this story is truly inspiring and fully of spiritual gain if you really reflect on it.  It is spiritually inspiring for throughout their journey, because he was a man socially oriented missed the caravan to embark on a journey to seek Jesus and his story and his story of searching Jesus for about 33 years end up climaxing in the crucifixion.  The tirelessly searching for Jesus is the focus here, even though the man lost in the caravan, he went not to postpone his trip and the truly inspiring moment is that without delay he went to pursue the journey against all odds. Along the path of the journey for 33 years he encountered so many experiences the made him truly the quality of a follower of Christ. Let us receive the story of Artaban as a model in our own journey with Jesus, maybe we are at loss of the Lord right now, but the reality is we should never stop searching for Jesus in our lives for in everyday occurrences we are like Artaban and we should be like artaban.

May the Lord give us wisdom like Artaban, the perseverance and the faith to seek the Lord in the midst of hopelessness and failures may we learn to stand and persevere to seek  Christ. may our lives  be filled with gladness and joy when we find Christ in our neighbors, that we may be filled pity and compassion for others just like he did in his journey. We may not find Christ face to face but find we encounter Him in the image of oppressed and the neglected. Amen

THE EUCHARIST

 

THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST  

In this episode of the Catholicism, Father Barron explains the event where Jesus went to the Capernaum in a synagogue and spoke about the Eucharist. Fr. Barron's explanation is awsome, and to that respect, I gained the dicernment that there is something else beyond that spoken words of Jesus that pertains to the eucharist today. Not only that, it's about the church, it's his body being the source of life for all believers. We take communion with Jesus through taking the host in the mass, but by making this passage of the bible being given by Fr. Barron, I can see the greater meaning about the eucharist and the church today. If the church is the body of Christ, the church is the Eucharist itself, . The wholeness of the the body of Christ is the church, and those that belong to it and is in communion with his body. as we are in the church, and we partake in his body, not only that, we are in his body, not his body in us. Our spirit in his spirit, not his spirit in our spirit. We are in his living body and not him living in our body. We are a spirit experiencing a body not a body experiencing the spirit.

The intensification mentioned by Fr. Barron about eating or gnawing his flesh is the intensification we should have in desiring him. Meaning, being a christian or having our faith or part of his body in the church we should unceasingly desire him of his word, of his commandments and teachings for these things will give us eternal life. For being in part of him, we will experience glory in Jesus if the level of our worship and prayer, and doing his words will bring us for his eternal kingdom.

MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE BIBLE?

When someone wrote on the misconceptions of the bible that tends to sway faiths of others and discredit religion or Christianity as a whole and discrediting the word of god, well these are the signs of the times. The advent of so called intellectuals and agnostics and atheists to these days is a sign of the end coming. There are several misconceptions raised by some, who authors them or are prolific thinkers of our generation. I can say that their opinions are dangerously designed to eliminate god and religion today and mankind can go with his own knowledge by exploring his own science. If you want to read these misconceptions, please click here for their opinions put in question the word of god. If ever, the bible were written in Greek where the Lord or the apostles are not able to speak or write is something of deeper thought, by not just looking at it in that way, there must be something else. It was made written that way in another form of dialect or language to let Christianity or the gospel flourish and spread for the gentiles and god has plan for that. Or was the gospels written more than 70 to 100 years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ could not be attributed to make the written words of the gospel imperfect or make unreliable because it was not written by the apostles themselves. This is another misconception of the misconceptions of the intellectuals today. There you can ask for ourselves what are the plan of god, if we are to base our arguments on the factual evidences of who were the original authors of the book of gospels, then we are truly of human intellectuals alone. In order to understand all these requires intellectuals with the breath of the spirit of god, we cannot understand directly both bible and history and facts together, we should be guided by the spirit of god to understand all your intended analysis and understandings. Well, there remains the misconceptions limited in the eyes and mind of man without guidance of the spirit.

The misconception alone that Moses died 300 years before the old testament was written is cannot be disputed as the written word of god became imperfect,  or Abraham died 900 years before the first content of the bible was written is not a big deal at all, but the reality of god is that any word and revelation transmitted orally through the guidance of the spirit of god cannot falter, and that's where intellectuals today cannot comprehend about the spirit and power of god. The rising of atheists and agnotics abound because their knowledge and learnings are truly of human concept because they don't seek god and put intense prayer before they start analyzing the cosmos.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY THE MOTHER OF GOD

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD.

The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God last January 1, 2012 marks the beginning of our year in the calendar but the meaning of this dogma being in January 1, is more than to understand its theological meaning as given. Though in the history of the church the date of this solemnity was originally different, in the west and eastern chruches, the day it is celebrated today confirmed deeper meaning and revelation of God to his church through the years. My simple opinion is that the precise date of this solemnity goes to the notion that in the beginning of  the year marks also the beginning of the church in its work for the evangelization of the gospel, the good news. Being Mary the theotokos, "god bearer" serves as a guide and helper to  take us  to his son Jesus Christ, and  Mary as the role model for all christians will lead us in the first step of our journey towards Christ in the beginning of a  year,

The good news starts with the proclamation of Angel Gabriel to Mary about her giving birth to Jesus and by her acceptance, she carried from her womb our god Jesus and rear the child unto 
fullness that Mary had accomplished all in her life, this implies the validity of Mary being able to carry and help us the "church" to guide it until the comig back of Jesus in the last days and this, the day of the solemnity takes the foundational ground for the church.

If Mary is the mother of God, she is also the mother of the church and this dogma will give us the understanding of the significance of the solemnity on Jauary 1.Read more on the homily of Pope Benedict

THE MYRRH FOR BABYJESUS?

Why Myrrh for the Baby Jesus?

In the Feast of the Lord's Epiphany,  the troubling question is why should one wise man got the idea that he will give gift of myrrh to the baby Jesus?  Myrrh is used for the preservation of dead bodies, and it's use as a gift contradicts birth to death. Something that difficult to comprehend about this gift but has got deep theological meaning, and this means that the three wise men's actions today just within the 2,000 years history of the Church has so much significant role for our christian theology and faith today.

The mystery is, maybe god has revealed to the magi the divinity and mission of Jesus for salvation of mankind? These magi's are Persians as always perceived, but to them made a great mystery that the baby they seek had been is known to them before their embarking to journey?

Or was it that the value of myrrh is so expensive and rare that this gift is a wealth for the family? We do not know, but the reality is that their presence before the baby Jesus is something also that what they spend for effort and time to do such is extra-ordinary. The symbolism of their journey and their worshiping before the baby Jesus is a manifestation of the revelation of the divinity of Jesus as having their foreknowledge.

  “The Magi’s fidelity to the inspiration of grace is wonderful. Doubt takes no hold upon their minds; without staying to reason, they immediately begin to carry out t heir design…They obey the divine call without delay or hesitation.” (Bl. C. Marmion, “Christ in His Mysteries,” 142)

Did they also received messages  from the angels in a dream like St. Joseph? possibly. Their exhausting journey reveals and compels us to think and consider that such a thing could have happened to them in the beginning, and only not written in the scriptures.

The Epiphany of the Lord has so much gifts for us than to the gifts they bring in their journey. Their trip to Bethlehem is a make or break journey, their very lives hang to it that these mysteries we think god may had revealed to them even in a dream is something near and posible to grasp. Read more about this.

SEEKER OF CHRIST

The Magi.

The three kings are the symbol of perseverance to seek Christ. Their story impose emulation to christians today, for the meaning of their narrative journey as hopefull beings seeking Christ the baby born is something else to shake our mind. First of all they're not Jews, and never knew about Judaism or for that matter, but their story in the gospel reveals that God has something for us to impart everytime we commemorate the Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany. There is something deeper there that we should know about our journey like the Magi to seek Christ in our lives as individual persons. For what will they profit for takng such a long journey? Investing in all on what they have just to set  a trip like that? And what a fullfilment had they got when they found and saw the baby Jesus and offered their gifts? What a great beings were they.

Thre Epiphany of the Lord is really a way of God to tell us that Here I am with you to love and suffer for you.   

Breaking the Bread image as button for the internet browsing. This will be an icon for all those that seek to find Breaking the Bread.

THE PATH TO JESUS

In the difficult path to Jesus.

Staying in the path to Jesus is difficult for the way to him is  through by his commandments, and the difficulty is confounded by the hard way we take to be with him, we are in the Breaking the Bread. As such, Breaking the Bread is one of the many branches of the teachings and commandments of God, it is the production house of good works. The difficulty is visible around you, you can feel and can sense it courtesy by your neighbors.

Breaking the bread serves as a litmus test for people or for anyone who comes accross to it. The apostolate for the street children is a taboo for many and an unacceptable social reality in our community today and the difficult part in what you do is they wait for the littlest black spots in your work and then they'll scramble to criticize you and your program discrediting the street children. That's how people are today, hating the poor, hating the work of Christ, proving that nothing is changed after 2,000 years.

This is the difficult path to Jesus but it is sweet, for the more you are criticized in helping the needy, the poor, the helpless, God is pleased and elevate you more closer to his heart.

It is really a difficult path to Jesus because of our human nature, for we also  have our own sorrows and sacrifices, and are depressed by our failures, but yet we  struggle to stay and cling to the path to Jesus for we know that trampling along the way is part of it.

I pray Lord that you may continue to give me strength always for the work you've given me is not easy. I know I should rejoice in the Breaking the Bread for this work you've given us is according  to your divine will, and that I take it as a gift. May the people around me will see the goodness of this apostolate and see your light and shine forth in their hearts, and let them have their eyes open to see you in the state of the street children. May Father Richard whom you've assigned to form Breaking the Bread in our community be guided by your spirit and endow him with the strength he needed in his vocation. Lord, forgive us for we complain sometimes in the pain and sorrows we feel due to the criticisms and persectuion of your little ones, and we shed tears  everytime we are troubled by it. Lord, we need to be with you, live in your spirit,  in the Breaking the Bread for there we've found you. Amen.

WE NEED THE LEAST TO BE THE GREATEST

It depends on how you understand it.

Each one has his own eyes, physically we use our eyes to view things around us. But our eyes is useless in the absence of light, for you cannot see anything when you're in darkness. For this, I will base my understanding and judgement on people or some of my friends who fail to see the goodness and the fruits gained by the children.

We are not dealing with normal children for they came from broken families of impoverished conditions whose basic needs are deprived in their lives.Their characters are molded by the rascal environments that they dwell in and they are at loss of natural and common behaviour of a child due for proper growth and development.

The children's behaviour is not their fault, or either that they  wanted to be like that, the real blame is poverty and the parents inadequate education, unready or untrained to become proper individuals to rear their children to become good citizens of our society is the bottomline of all the problem.

The situation is made by God purposely, to let the poor be present in our community not for them to stay in their suffering conditions but for them to make you turn to act on his commandments of "Love one another". Without poverty, there could be no God's commandment. For the commandment of God to love and care for those who suffer will be meaningless if no one is poor and in distress.  If Jesus is  in the least of our brothers and no one is least, where is He?.

The point is the least of our brothers are meant to change us. The poor is used as reasons to make his commandments alive, and because of them only we are being purified to enter his kingdom.

How can a rich man enter heaven if not to love the poor? His sin of ommission will condemn him to death and hell.

Don't say the children have'nt changed, it is you that have not changed till today. You do not see yourself.

To say that they do not improve, it is you that needs improvement
If your say your neighbor is hopless, it is you that has lost hope
If you judge them, it is yourself that you judge.
To disregard them, you disregard CHRIST.

FIRST PROGRAM FOR 2012

THE JANUARY 6, 2012 BREAKING THE BREAD PROGRAM

The january 6, 2012 BTB program is special. It is because this is the very first program of BTB for the year of 2012. This day is the beginning of a new Breaking the Bread, a more active and dynamic programs are lined in order to make the spiritual nourishment for the children become even more higher as we feel the power of the spirit in us through the BTB in its apostolate of the poor.

As scheduled, every friday will be our regular programs, and at about 6pm the program will start on a regular basis, nothing is changed. As we let the light of Jesus shine in us, the neighborhood is lit by the word. Our surprise is newcomers from around the place  is pouring in who would like to join our BTB program.

May  the Lord bless us more in the conduct of our work and give us strength to carry this noble work in your name. Prepare us spiritually and give us rightly what we need in everything we are to do for your Breaking of the Bread, for we know you are there in our midst among the children. Your image in the least and the suffering littles ones is our joy for you have created us to to be part of your light. Amen

CHANGE ME LORD

The wonders of Breaking the Bread.

There is a question of whether we have made accomplishments or not in the children of the BTB, and this is a question we oftenly heard and expect. By quick or easy observation one may say there is none, physically  or visually. But pausing for awhile, a real sense easily gives you  an idea and impression on the children, and if you are really spiritual enough to look at the merits and wonders of Breaking the Bread you will find it not worthy to give an opinion rashly because you've seen the children. Some say that three years is long enough to expect change, and change they wanted to see, but there are  answers to the question that will make you fully understand the changes transforming  the BTB children. The following may shed light on the changes.
1.  PRAYER  -  the children is now able to pray. The rosary particularly they know how to say. The mysteries, the decades, the glory be, the apostles creed, the our father, the  holy Mary, the Hail Mary, and to exactly pray it. They know how to bless the food,  and despite of their innocence, their lack of parental support to be religious in their tender age, they began a step to prayer through our efforts made in the Breaking the Bread.
2. SONGS OF PRAISE- They know how to sing praising songs. Today by their own, they are able to lead themsleves to sing the songs we've teached them.
3. RESPECT - They know how to seek blessing from the elders, respect for us and magnified this respectful habits to those around them, in their families and the Blcok 5 itself.
4. ATTITUDE & RESPONSIBILITY- Gained for themselves attitudes to tend them  to inculcate leadership among their groups and set a standard to eliminate habitual attitudes which are against the teaching Christ, like badmouthing.
5. WILLINGNESS to learn- willingness is one of the best developed character in them by showing perseverance to continue in the BTB not just by feeding programs we do, but of the company we give them, they feel love and affection in us. Learning about God is there, when they ask to let them lead prayers in our programs.

There are many other things I would like to enumerate more in these good changes we've done to the  children of the BTB and these are only partial of good changes to answer mis-observations of our dear friends. We are not magicians or can turn overnight success in our programs for the street children. changing them is not to shock them outright or electricute them to change, but a gradual process is required. You cannot evangelize the word of god directly to the unbelievers, it is you who are to show what is like to be Christ before you turn them to be  Christ like. To change the children is to change yourself. Show respect and you shall be respected, say kind and holy things to them and they will follow you. That simple.

Our work is a hope to change them, but one thing is sure that because of the presence of BTB in their lives we give them a chance and hope to be good citizen of this country and to God. 

The formula program for the street children is about you. Just show kindess to them and kindness they will copy from you. Actually I tend not to summarize the children's improving behaviour but it is in my dear friends that my eyes turn to observe them. Are we teachers of Christ? if we are, are we Christ llike? Frankly, I observe that we have not changed, we are still worse. To demand children's change for good is for you to change yourself first, and sadly, we need change and improvement.

Lord, may we be able to open our eyes that we are actually to change our lives and not the street children. May we learn to accept our faults that we are not a shining light to the children but instead still them in darkness and deprive them of your light. We are blinded by our own standards and forgotten that these children needs special and fragile spiritual guidance which we fail to possess, due to we are not humble enough to look before our own faults but the faults of the children. Lord forgive us, and change us, for we aspire to be your instruments of  light to them, and for that we pray to convert our hearts today. Amen.

Note: this is a narrow and short display of the topic, I will follow up more posts, watch for  it. thanks

THE THIRD YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

 THE THIRD YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
The Breaking the Bread 3rd year anniversary was held actually January 2, 2012. It was filled with spirit of love and care for the street children, as so many of them came to  attend the occasion and experience God's love and give thanksgiving for all the blessing bestowed on BTB.


Present were all the children of the Breaking the Bread and their parents, the members and Father

Richard with his Friend Priests to further the Blessing for the occasion and being the founder of the BTB gives spirit strentgh for all of us.