A much more, better place.

They didn’t know that they were poor,

A sister and two brothers,

They had a place that they called home,

A loving father, and a loving mother.

And every day, they played away,

Spent hours in the sun,

And every night, they said their prayers,

When the day was finally done.

Their lives weren’t filled with toys and such,

They knew not, what they were,

The house, the barn, the yard, the creek,

Was all that they’d prefer.

Raised on love and kindness too,

Forgiveness from within,

The joys of being family,

They did not know of sin,

A world more perfect than most know,

For it’s not what you own,

It’s living life in peace and love,

And not feeling alone.

If all the world could know this joy,

Contentment with their space,

That love and peace would make this world,

A much more, better place.

~ Author Unknown

Zeal for Souls

July 11, 2023 Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Benedict, Abbot—Memorial

Video Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35–36 Jesus was quite zealous for souls. Zeal is an energy, a passion and a drive to accomplish some task. The task that Jesus was zealous for was the conversion of every heart that He encountered. As He walked from town to town, encountering person after person, Jesus could see into their hearts. He saw that so many people were “troubled and abandoned.” He could see they were like “sheep without a shepherd.” And this moved Him to compassion with a zeal to become their Shepherd, to remove the trouble from their hearts and to let them know they were invited to belong to His new Kingdom. The image of Jesus encountering numerous people who were troubled and abandoned is a good image to ponder. The reason is that this is us. Each one of us has our own interior troubles. We can feel alone, confused, uncertain and lost at times. The person who doesn’t feel this way is either a perfect saint or is not being honest. Deep holiness and union with God does, of course, cure this interior struggle that many have. In that case, the person clearly knows they belong to the family of God, understands himself or herself as a son or daughter of God, and finds deep peace in this truth. But for those who struggle, this Scripture passage is especially for you. First of all, to be “troubled” could be caused by many things. For some, they struggle with memories of the past, broken relationships, a lack of direction, serious sin, anger and the like. So the first question to honestly ponder is whether or not you have a troubled heart. Even the greatest of saints will find some areas they struggle with. So what is that for you? Secondly, feeling “abandoned” is a heavy cross. The reason Jesus came was to enable us to belong to His family. That is accomplished by the gift of eternal salvation which must begin now. By receiving the forgiveness of sins and growing in a life of prayer, we come to know God in a very intimate and personal way. Yes, He is the Almighty God and Creator of all. But He is also deeply personal and intimate, and He wants to form a real relationship of love with you. If you struggle with either of these, being troubled and/or abandoned, then consider the zeal that Jesus has for you. His tireless and extensive travels, by foot, while He was engaging in His public ministry, should be seen as a sign to you of His zeal to come to you, personally, to become your Shepherd. He wants to lift every burden and clear the way for you to discover your place in His family. The “Gospel of the Kingdom” that Jesus preached was one that invited everyone to become a member of that Kingdom. As He comes to you, know that His heart is filled with compassion for you, just as it was when He traveled the countryside so long ago. He sees you, gazes at your heart with love, and never takes His eyes off of you in your need, weakness and sin. Reflect, today, upon the zeal that Jesus has for your own eternal salvation and holiness of life. You cannot make it through this world without Him. Let Jesus seek you out, come to you, speak to you and invite you to allow Him to shepherd you. He wants to do so with every fiber of His being; let Jesus fulfill His mission in you. My divine Shepherd, You seek out all people with the greatest of zeal and compassion. You see every hurting and broken heart, and You desire to heal each one. Thank You for coming to me, dear Lord, for being my Shepherd and Guide. Help me to see You as You gaze at me in my weakness and pain. And help me to open my heart to You now and throughout my life. I love You, my Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.

What are some ways to prepare for old age psychologically?

Diva

Well, I am 75 years old now and I can tell you what I think helped me prepare for old age psychologically:

1. My grandmother came to live with my family when I was 12 years old. She was in her early sixties and had suffered a nervous breakdown. She was my mother’s mother. She was a really talented woman. I watched her cut out a pattern for a blouse and sew it together by hand. Every stitch was perfect. She was also an excellent cook. However, growing up in a rural community was hard. She and I became very close. From her I learned the importance of having a good support group, especially as you get older. Coming to live with my family provided the emotional support that she had been lacking. 
2. Observe and talk to old people. I was fortunate enough to be around old people as I was growing up so I saw first hand the challenges they faced on a day to day basis. Dementia runs in my family so I was always interested in what steps I needed to take to keep my mental faculties healthy. Playing scrabble, doing crossword puzzles, engaging in activities that require you to identify a problem and come up with a solution helps stimulate the brain. I have a relative who is 82 years old. He retired years ago but he has a parttime job which he says gives him the person to person contact he needs since he lives alone. He still drives and has a group of older friends who he periodically meets for breakfast or lunch. His daughter and grandchildren keep tabs on him.He has been blessed healthwise. He has no major health issues.

3. Be proactive. If you take care of your health now it will be a key factor in how you approach old age. Eating properly and getting in some form of physical activity will be a huge benefit in the long run. I have never smoked and I dont drink alcohol. I do know people in their eighties and nineties who will have a glass of wine for dinner or maybe a cocktail now and then. They seem to be enjoying their old age despite the physical challenges of growing old.

4. Assess your financial situation and try to develop a plan which will allow you to maintain a decent quality of life. I assure you if you dont have to worry about meeting your monthly monetary obligations this will help you psychologically. 

5. Be positive. Look on the bright side of things. What is the alternative to not getting old. I have a number of friends and relatives who didnt get to old age. Some left this earth before they hit forty. So I try to approach old age with positivity. Yes, I need a wheelchair now when I go to the airport. But I get taken through security quicker and I get to board the plane first. My eyesight is not as good as it was so I dont drive at night. If I have an affair in the evening I ask someone to drive me or I take an Uber. A group of elderly ladies i met recently told me about a new game they have started playing. It is similar to tennis but it does not involve as much running. They love it. Other seniors I know take line dance lessons. I think if you start looking at what you can still do as opposed to what you can no longer do it will give you the psychological boost that you need. I am determined to enjoy my old age. My daughter pointed out just today how I have gotten completely adjusted to living my life on my own time clock. i get up when I want and my day is not driven by having to follow someone else’s schedule. As I approached retirement I remember thinking what a good feeling that would be. I was right.

Will child-free people get lonely in old age without kids?

Bradley Todd 

Let me tell you a story. I have two sons. I love my boys more than anything. I have spent the last 20 or so years living my life around theirs— trying to support their interests, guide without controlling, accepting their challenges while celebrating their amazing individuality.

On his 18th birthday, my older son talked to me on my way to bed. We laughed about some videos he’d been watching. Very normal chat. When my other son woke me a couple of hours later, my older son was gone, and I have not spoken to him since. It’s been six months. He’s alive and well and living in another state with some strangers.

You probably think I’m leaving out the abuse or something. Nope. He just left. We got along great. No explanation, other than a short note that he wanted more independence— though, I never told him what to do, other than to go to school.

By now, I’ve packed up his things. He’s gone. I don’t expect he’ll come back. That period of my life is over.

Another story, just a month or so before my son left, my mother died. I spent her last months with her— changing her diaper, feeding her. She’d had a stroke the day after I’d brought my sons to see her after learning she was ill. I spent the next three months or so alternating with my brother, caring for her.

One of our brothers, who lived nearby, did nothing for her. One managed her financial affairs. We traveled there from different states and lived with her.

My point is that, maybe, if you’re reallllly lucky, your kids will be there for you at the end. Be nice to them. It’s the luck of the draw. Had my one brother been in charge, she’d have lived out her final days in a hospice, surrounded by strangers. Instead, I cooked her her favorite meals and watched Rocketman over and over with her for the first time.

If you’re having kids for any reason other than the experience of raising children, you’re fooling yourself. They’re not an investment. They’re an experience. You should count yourself lucky if they call you now and then when they’re adults.

It’s a crap shoot. I’d say focus on building friendships with people who will stick with you. Build a social life. Get involved in your community. If you want kids because they’ll “have to take care of you when you’re old” save yourself a LOT of expense and hassle and make some good friends instead. It’s a better bet.

Responding to the Voice of God

July 10, 2023 Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. Matthew 9:20–21 What a tremendous amount of faith this woman had! She had suffered for many years and continued to suffer with her hemorrhages. How did she know that touching Jesus’ cloak would cure her? The only answer to that is faith. Faith is not just wishful thinking or hoping. Faith is a certain knowledge, given by a special grace and revelation from God, by which a person freely assents to belief. God spoke to her heart, she listened, she responded, and she was cured. One thing that is very inspiring in this Gospel story is the humility with which this woman approached Jesus. She didn’t feel as though she needed to bother Jesus, to speak to Him, or to trouble Him with her problem. Instead, in her humility, she presented her need to Jesus through her gift of faith, interiorly and silently, and the grace of God was given her because God sees the heart and responds to such humble and sincere faith. Imagine if everyone had this depth of faith in our Lord. Imagine if all of us knew, with the deepest conviction of certitude, that God would take care of every need we have. And imagine if we turned to our Lord with this deep conviction of certitude every day with every need. If we could do that, then our Lord would be able to continually care for us in every way. One key component to this woman’s healing is that it was God the Father who spoke to her and invited her to touch the cloak of His Son Jesus. And it was Jesus who sensed the healing she received, since He was in perfect union with the will of His Father. Therefore, touching Jesus’ cloak was not simply a magical act by which whatever this woman wanted would be granted to her. Instead, it was a response to the interior invitation she was given by the Father. In our lives, we must work to do the same. Too often we present our preferences to God and tell Him what we want Him to do. God does not respond to such requests. Instead, we must seek His will...and His will alone. This woman knew she would be healed, because God the Father spoke to her in her mind and heart and inspired her to touch the cloak of Jesus His Son, and she responded, and the healing took place. God must speak first, we must hear and respond, and then His will is accomplished. Reflect, today, upon the gentle Voice of God as He speaks to you in the depths of your heart. Do you hear Him? What is He inviting you to do? What healing does He want to bestow? As you ponder God’s Voice, try to respond only to Him. Set aside all of your own preferences and ideas of what God should do and seek only what He is speaking to you. Say “Yes” to Him, do so with certitude and conviction, and trust that whatever He speaks to you, if you have faith in what He says, He will do it. My gentle Lord, You speak to me day and night, calling me to the healing I need. Help me to hear Your Voice and to respond to You in faith. May my faith and confidence in You grow strong and become the source of Your glorious action in my life. Jesus, I do trust in You.

What medical peculiarity is unique in the history of medicine?

Malcolm MacDonald lived with a penis on his arm for 6 years.

He lost his real penis due to blood poisoning. His fingers and toes turned black and one day his penis fell off in front of his eyes and landed banally and definitively at his feet. The doctors had prepared Malcolm for this, so he was not surprised.

He disposed of his former penis in the garbage and had the stump treated in the hospital. His testicles were intact, which didn't do him much good. The father of two felt emasculated and subsequently took refuge in alcohol.

Then Professor David Ralph, an expert in urology, entered the scene and gave Malcolm new hope. He proposed a transplant to the penisless man. For this, he wanted to breed Malcolm with a new penis.

This is where the story finally becomes absurd.

For the penis implantation, the doctors take a vein from Malcolm's body, shape a penis with skin grafts and attach it to the forearm. Malcolm, by the way, demanded a penis of about 15 centimetres in length, two centimetres more than originally.

Normally, the penis is now separated from the forearm and placed in the place intended by nature. In Malcolm's case, various circumstances caused him to walk the world with the best piece in his arm for six years.

He told stories of how he burned his penis while cooking on the gas stove, how his penis slipped out of his sleeve at the supermarket, and how he accidentally slapped his penis in his grandmother's face when he hugged her in greeting.

The operation was a success.

After the outbreak of the corona pandemic, the operation was postponed even more often, it has now been successfully carried out. The penis is separated from the forearm and connected to a urethra on the body, allowing Malcolm to urinate.

In addition, his new penis is filled with a tube that can be controlled by means of a hand pump for erection. The penile implant consists of a saline reservoir that can be pumped in and out via a pump in the scrotum to make it erect and flabby.

The Light Burden of Grace

July 9, 2023 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Readings for Today

Video “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:28–30 Around the year 167 BC, two new groups of religious leaders emerged within Judaism: the scribes and Pharisees. By the time that Jesus walked the earth, these religious leaders had developed many customs, false doctrines and religious practices that they claimed were derived from the Law of Moses. However, Jesus condemned their teachings as scrupulous, self-centered, and hypocritical. What they taught was often a distortion of the Law. Recall, for example, that the Pharisees condemned the disciples for picking heads of wheat and eating them on the Sabbath, claiming that this violated the Third Commandment. Clearly, Jesus taught that it didn’t. In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to those “who labor and are burdened” and invites them to carry the light and easy yoke that He will give them. In other words, Jesus is identifying the fact that the scribes and Pharisees had so distorted the Law of Moses that the practice of the Jewish faith had become a burden that was too difficult to carry. In contrast, Jesus’ New Law of grace was freeing, light, and easy. When you consider Jesus’ many teachings, do you see them as easy to follow? Or do they seem to be too much at times? For example, Jesus said to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). This was not only an invitation, it was also a command and a requirement. So are Jesus’ teachings easy? Or are they overwhelming? Of course, since Jesus Himself says that “my yoke is easy, and my burden light,” then we can be certain that they are. Jesus not only calls us to moral perfection, He also gives us the means by which we can obtain it. By analogy, say someone told you to move a boulder that weighed 2,000 pounds. Could you do that? You could if the person also gave you a large tractor to use for the task. In that case, it would be as easy as using the machine correctly. So it is with all that our Lord asks of us. When we find some moral obligation to be difficult or even overwhelming, then we are not relying upon the grace that God has given us to fulfill His command. Reflect, today, upon Jesus’ gentle invitation to you to embrace the “yoke” of perfection. Do not see it as too much. Rather, see it as a joyous invitation from our Lord. Ponder the fact that God not only calls you to the heights of holiness, He also provides you with the means to obtain it. Have faith in His almighty power and open yourself to it more fully so that You will be able to do anything and everything our Lord asks of you with ease and joy. My gentle Lord, You place upon my shoulders Your own yoke to carry. I say “Yes” to all that You ask of me, and I thank You for bestowing Your mercy upon me. Please remove every yoke from me that is not from You, so that I can follow You with the joy of the light burden of Your grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Why do Filipinos work overseas on a much larger scale compared to Indonesians?

Andrianto Hadi

Most Indonesians only think to work overseas as the last option when they don’t have any other option. Unlike Filipinos, Indonesians since kids are told by their parents and teachers that the best for them is to live in their home country and be with their families and it has become deep rooted culture here so any Indonesian who works or studies overseas will likely to return home one day. Changing nationality and living permanently in foreign country is not going to enter their minds except for some conditions.

Language barrier can be also the reasons why there are few Indonesians in foreign countries since. Its not because they can’t learn foreign language, many of them still think it is unnecessary. Many younger Indonesians are now familiar with foreign languages but they learn foreign languages in order to compete in local job market and not for working abroad.

You ask 10 Indonesians about working in foreign countries and living in foreign countries, this is the result :

1. 6 people say they don’t want to work in foreign countries.
2. 3 people say they might be interested in working in foreign countries but one day they will return back home.
3. 1 person will say he wants to work and live permanently in foreign country.

What would be the best itinerary for your first two-week trip to Europe?

Jan-Erik Bulkema

The best trip of, say, 15 days? I would visit a mixture of countries, with the largest share located in Southern Europe.

A varied itinerary would include the two powerhouses London and Paris, a beautiful medieval town (Avignon), both an organised and a disorganised Mediterranean city (Barcelona and Naples), a Roman archaeology site (Pompei) and a laid-back coastal stay (Amalfi) to end your trip.

You'd tick off 4 European countries and 8 places, not bad:

• 3 days in London (UK)
• 3 days in Paris (France)
• 1 day in Avignon (France)
• 3 days in Barcelona (Spain)
• 2 days in Naples (Italy)
• 1 day in Pompei; and continuing to Sorrento (Italy)
• 2 days on Amalfi Coast (Italy)

Maybe it's a bit packed, but I think it's quite workable, because all the sites very accesible.

You'd do all the travelling neatly by train except from Barcelona to Naples (by air). The last two days you would move around by a pleasant ferry along the Amalfi Coast, hopping to villages like Amalfi and Positano, with Sorrento as central point. The return to Naples Airport would be done again by train.

If needed to limit the itinerary, I would miss out Barcelona. From Avignon (South of France), it's easy to enter Italy by train, so you wouldn't have to do any internal flying.

If you want to reduce the number of hotels, you could skip Naples, and take a hotel directly in Sorrento. Both Naples and Pompei can be visited from there by train (and Naples is even incuded in the beforementioned ferry-line).

The Newness of Grace

July 8, 2023 Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16–17 The parable above teaches us that even if someone were to faithfully understand and live the authentic Law that was given through Moses and the prophets, Jesus’ new teaching of grace, the New Law, was so different that it was not simply an improvement of the old, it completely replaced it. Furthermore, many of the customs taught by the Pharisees were unfaithful representations of the Law of Moses. They had deviated from the Law’s meaning and replaced it with their own scrupulous and erroneous multiplication of external practices. Thus, Jesus’ New Law needed to break away from these deviations completely. To use a modern example, if you were to have an old phone that had become obsolete or stopped working, you wouldn’t buy a new phone so as to remove various parts from it to try to add those parts to the old phone to fix it. Instead, you use the new phone as a complete replacement for the old one. A central quality of the New Law of grace is that it is entirely new and transforming. Therefore, by embracing this New Law, we become entirely new creations in Christ. Grace doesn’t simply patch that which is weak and sinful in us. It transforms us, elevating our human nature to an entirely new existence. This teaching is not only directed at the misguided teachings that the Pharisees had developed over the years, it was directed at human life itself. Not only were the Jewish customs to go through a transformation, humanity itself was to go through a transformation. Everything is made new in Christ. This teaching applies just as much to us today as it did to the Jewish people of old. Today, we not only receive the new life of grace in Baptism, but we also receive it anew and share in this ongoing transforming renewal every time we allow grace to touch us more deeply and transform us more fully into the people God wants us to be. The “new patch” and the “new wine” are always transforming, and we must look forward to this newness throughout our lives. Reflect, today, upon the joyful discovery that awaits you every day. Discovering the New Law of grace, accepting it into your life, and allowing it to transform you will set you on a path of discovery that will never get old. It is an ongoing discovery that is far greater than anything this world has to offer. Nothing can ever compare to the gift of God alive in our lives. It will never get old. It will always be transforming. And it will always be new. Ponder this gift God offers you today and say “Yes” to it with all your heart. My transforming Lord, You continuously offer to renew me, transform me and elevate me to the life of grace. I thank You for this Gift and desire to accept it with all my heart. May I always be ready and willing to say “Yes” to You and the transformation that awaits me as I discover this ever new treasure of Your Grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Dining with Sinners

July 7, 2023 Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.  Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”  Matthew 9:12–13 Would you describe yourself as one who is “well” or one who is “sick?” Are you among the “righteous” or the “sinners?” Be careful how you answer this question. Of course, the pride that comes with our fallen human nature often tempts us to claim that we are “well” and “righteous.” But humility will reveal the truth that we are among the “sick” and “sinners.” This statement of Jesus is a response to the Pharisees who noticed that Jesus was dining at the house of Matthew, the tax collector, whom He had just called to follow Him. Matthew did indeed leave everything behind and followed Jesus, and then he hosted dinner for Jesus at his house. At that dinner, there were “many tax collectors and sinners” who came and sat with Jesus and His disciples, which led the Pharisees to ridicule them all. Jesus’ response is very important for us to hear. By stating that He came not for those who were well and righteous but for those who were sick and sinners, it tells us two important things. First, it tells us that we are all spiritually sick and sinful. Second, it tells us that if we cannot humbly admit to that, and in our pride claim that we are well and are righteous, then we essentially reject Jesus, the Divine Physician, from our lives. We essentially say, “Lord, I do not need You.” It’s also helpful to notice that Jesus was not embarrassed to be seen with sinners. He did not hesitate at all and, in fact, clearly stated that they were those whom He came for. For that reason, we should not be afraid or embarrassed to admit we are sinners who are spiritually ill and in need of our Lord. To deny that fact is to deny reality and to deny the very source of the ongoing healing we most certainly need in life. It’s a denial of our need for Christ Jesus Himself. Do you need our Lord? Do you need interior cleansing, healing, and forgiveness every day? If it’s difficult for you to wholeheartedly say “Yes” to that question, then perhaps you struggle with the pride of the Pharisees more than you know. No matter how holy you become, no matter how deeply you pray and no matter how charitable you are, you will always need the healing and forgiveness of the Divine Physician each and every day.  Reflect, today, upon the need you have in your life today for forgiveness. What sin do you struggle with the most? Interestingly, the holier one becomes, the more clearly they see their daily sins and their need for forgiveness and healing. If you struggle with this at all, spend time examining your conscience. Look for ways to do it more thoroughly and honestly. If you do, you can be certain that our Lord, the Divine Physician, will deeply desire to dine with you today and always. My forgiving Lord, You are the Divine Physician Who has come to forgive and heal all of our ills. Remove my pride and self-righteousness so that I can be filled with humility and see clearly the sin in my life. As I see my sin, help me to turn to You and to trust in Your abundant mercy. You came for sinners, dear Lord, and I am one of those sinners in need. Jesus, I trust in You.