The Philippines was viciously hit by typhoon Frank/Fengshen, please offer your Prayers for the casualties, survivors and their relatives.

A few hours ago the Philippines was hit by a very vicious typhoon named Frank/Fengshen it left two hundred twenty nine (229) deaths, it submerge entire communities and caused landslides. But the casualty count may dramatically increase because a passenger ship (MV Princess of the Stars by Sulpicio Lines) with almost eight hundred (800) passengers had capsized.

Please say your Prayers for the casualties, survivors and their relatives.

The talk of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân's sister at 49th Eucharistic Congress Quebec Canada, 2008

QUEBEC CITY, JUNE 19, 2008 - Here is the address Elizabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, the youngest sister of the late Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân, gave today at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress, which is being held through Sunday in Quebec.

Please click on the link:

http://www.zenit.org/article-22959?l=english

Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

Please click on the link:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10198d.htm

Norm in bringing the Holy Eucharist to the sick.

Instruction: Redemptionis Sacramentum

On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided

regarding the Most Holy Eucharist

Chapter VI

The Reservation of the Most Holy Eucharist and Eucharistic Worship Outside Mass 

132. No one may carry the Most Holy Eucharist to his or her home, or to any other place contrary to the norm of law. It should also be borne in mind that removing or retaining the consecrated species for a sacrilegious purpose or casting them away are graviora delicta, the absolution of which is reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.225

133. A Priest or Deacon, or an extraordinary minister who takes the Most Holy Eucharist when an ordained minister is absent or impeded in order to administer it as Communion for a sick person, should go insofar as possible directly from the place where the Sacrament is reserved to the sick person’s home, leaving aside any profane business so that any danger of profanation may be avoided and the greatest reverence for the Body of Christ may be ensured. Furthermore the Rite for the administration of Communion to the sick, as prescribed in the Roman Ritual, is always to be used. 226

http://old.usccb.org/liturgy/documents/instructioneng.shtml

Location of the Tabernacle.

“According to the structure of each church building, the Holy Sacrament is to be kept in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is dignified, prominent, readily noticeable, and adorned in a noble manner” and also “appropriate for prayer” by reason of the quietness of the location, the space available in front of the tabernacle, and also the supply of benches or seats and kneelers. In addition, diligent attention should be paid to all the prescriptions of the liturgical books and to the norm of law, especially as regards the avoidance of the danger of profanation (130; cf. GIRM 314).

Norm in giving Holy Communion.

In giving Holy Communion Sacred Ministers may not deny the sacraments to those who want to receive it in a tranquil manner, are appropriately ready, and are not forbidden by law from receiving them.” therefore any baptized Catholic who is not prevented by law must be admitted to Holy Communion. Thus, it is not allowed to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful as long as he/she is ready and not prohibited by church law. (91; cf. CIC 843 §1).

The Three Virtues with Bible references.

Humility
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
- Proverbs 11:2

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
- Philippians 2:3

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- James 3:13

Obedience
He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.
- Proverbs 19:16

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
- John 14:21

For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
- Romans 2:13

Charity (Love)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The Seven Deadly Sins with Bible references.

Pride
The Devil, the proud spirit, cannot endure to be mocked."
- St. Thomas More, 16th Century

"God is stern in dealing with the arrogant, but to the humble He shows kindness."
- Proverbs 3:34
"Hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to the love of God ..."
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2094

Greed
"He who loves money never has money enough"
- cf. Sirach 5:8
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
- Exodus 20:17

"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.'"
- Psalm 31:14

EnvyA heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
- Proverbs 14:30

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
- James 3:16

Anger
"Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment"
- Matthew 5:22
"Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."
- Galatians 5:19-21
"A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
- Proverbs 15:1
Lust"...every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
- Jesus Christ (Mt 5:28)

"Can a man take fire to his bosom and his garments not be burned?"
- Proverbs 6:27

"Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure."
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2351

Gluttony"Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. "
- Proverbs 23:2

"Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. "
- 1 Corinthians 7:5
Sloth"His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?"
- Matthew 25:26

"If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks."
- Ecclesiastes 10:18

Structured and Repetitive prayers in the Roman Catholic Church are these based in the Bible?

We Catholics are sometimes criticized for our structured and repetitive prayers because according to some Christian denominations this is not based on the bible. The main objective of these criticisms is to sway those Catholics who are not deep in their faith away from the Catholic Church and recruit them to join their Christian church instead.

These Catholic prayers are based on the bible.

On Matthew 26:44 it says: “Jesus left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again.”

On Luke 18:1-7 Jesus told a parable to pray in repetition: “Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?”

On Revelations 4:8 it says: “The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."

The prayer that Jesus taught us to pray: "This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.” ( Matthew 6:9-13) we say this prayer everyday. Nothing’s wrong with it because Jesus himself taught us this prayer.

The bible itself contains repetitive prayers, for example on Psalm 136 the phrase, “For his steadfast love endures forever” was repeatedly written twenty six (26) times.

Jesus too repeated prayers: He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again. (Matthew 26:44)

There’s nothing wrong with structured and repetitive prayers same as that there’s also nothing wrong with our spontaneous prayer for God. What is important is, we are sincere and we feel God’s presence in our prayers. Let us always remember that God always looks at our hearts when we pray. Regardless if it’s repetitive/structured or spontaneous prayer.