Articles For Heart Mind Soul

1) View difficult people as God’s gift to keep us humble and human. 2) God honors the humble , and humbles the haughty. 3) Have a humble acceptance of self and others. 4) Be humble or we will stumble all over our pride. 5) The only requirement from God is our very human and our very humble submission. 6) Our mistakes make us more humble in our humanity and more empathetic with everyone else’s humanity. 7) The greatest weapon is humility because no one can fight it and no one can defeat it. Humility wins all wars waged against humanity. 8) Pray for God to enlarge our love - expand our perspective - enhance our humility - enliven our life. 9) Our humility , meekness and surrender brings us more of God’s Faith to boost our faith, more of God’s Hope to boost our hope and more of God’s Love to boost our love.

Jesus calls us to be blessed, to be holy. Father Moreno told us about his grand niece who is in the 2nd grade. He saw her just hammering away and he was just waiting for her to let out a loud scream and for her thumb to swell up, but it never happened. She was building a birdhouse with boards and nails. She told him that the birds were coming and she was going to take care of the birds of the air. He said it didn’t look much like a birdhouse, with nails and boards all over the place.  We likewise all keep nailing boards to try to make something in our life. We are attached to our addictions; we are nailed to our addictions. Jesus calls us to be detached, not nailed to our addictions, not nailed to the destruction of our addictions. The twelve (12) step program is for drug addiction, alcoholic addiction, sex addiction, and all addictions. In order to break our addictions we need to have a deep relationship with the Father, only He can restore us, only He can heal us. B

Father James Farfaglia, the Happy Priest, is the pastor of Saint Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. You can visit him on the web at Do not be discouraged There you can find his books, homilies, articles and blog posts. His email address is fjficthus@gmail.com You can visit Father's Electronic Parish at http://www.fjicthus.com/

'Lost Valentine' TV movie promotes Catholic values, says priest By Marianne Medlin Los Angeles, Calif., Jan 29, 2011 ( CNA/EWTN News ) Father Eric Andrews and Betty White A new made-for-TV movie by Hallmark and a faith-based film company in time for Valentine's Day promotes “tremendous” Catholic values, a priest involved with the production said. The president of Paulist Productions , Fr. Eric Andrews, praised the film to Catholic News Agency (CNA) for having what he called “poignant moments” where “faith and trust in God's promises are put to the test and not found wanting.” “The Lost Valentine,” airing on CBS this Sunday, Jan. 30 at 8 Central time, features actress Jennifer Love Hewitt of Ghost Whisperer fame, as well as veteran performer and recent pop culture phenomenon Betty White. He praised the upcoming movie as “a great story of a Catholic family whose faith and trust in God's love triumphs over loss and adversity. It's a story that can con

Jeremy Stanbary of Epiphany Studio Productions presents a powerful and inspiring Catholic  pro-life play.  This drama shines the spot-light on the consequences of abortion in the lives of multiple characters.  Access website: Epiphany Studio

1) All fences are penetrable no matter how costly, high-tech or strong. 2) A fence will never deter a desperate and determined people from finding a way through; either over the fence, under the fence or through the fence. 3) With God there are no boundaries or borders, only boundless bridges of beauty and benevolence. 4) Our brokenness builds barriers when what we need for our brokenness to do is to build bridges. 5) One person’s barrier is another person’s bridge. Both can be crossed over just in different ways.

(Received as email) Access website: Divine Office

Archdiocesan Statistics 2010 Parishes 139 Missions 34 Pastoral Centers 2 Priests Active Diocesan Priests in Diocese 102 Religious Priests in Diocese 205 Permanent Deacons in Diocese 352 Brothers in Diocese 86 Sisters in Diocese 726 Seminaries, Diocesan 1 Students from Diocese 24 Students from other Diocese 58 Seminaries, Religious 1 Students Religious 25 Colleges & Universities 5 Total Students 13,994 High Schools Diocesan and Parish 5 Total Students 1,127 Private 6 Total Students 2,584 Elementary Schools Diocesan and Parish 31 Total Students 8,026 Private 6 Total Students 1,230 Catachesis, Religious Education High School Students 11,361 Elementary School Students 32,315 Vital Statistics Baptisms Infant Baptism Totals 9,980 Minor Baptism Totals 801 Adult Baptism Totals 426 Received into Full Communion 701 First Communions 9,162 Confirmations 5,846 Marriages Catholic 1,643 Interfaith 321 Total Catholic Population 702,547 Total Population 2,315,938

Connecting from one World Youth Day to the next, Xt3 is the fastest growing Catholic social network. Access website: XT3 "Christ in the Third Millennium"

1) Laughter and tears are both healing in different ways. 2) Lord God we pray for healing of our hurts, happiness for our heartbreaks and hope for our hopelessness. 3) Love heals both us and the person we love. 4) We must decide if we are going to hear the voices of disease, death and defeat; or if we are going to hear the sounds of health , life and victory. 5) Far more important than money or material possessions we are investing in memories that we will treasure all of our life, or memories that will torture or torment us all of our life. God heal all our memories; those we treasure and those that torture or torment us. 6) It is not that the Truth hurts; it is that the hurts can only be healed with the Truth. 7) We hurt ourselves with every lie we tell and we heal ourselves with every truth we tell. 8) If Jesus was thanked by only one of the ten lepers he healed , what can we expect? 9) Do we need this or do we want this? Is this a need or a want? Is this a nec

Austin, Texas, Jan 26, 2011 ( CNA ) The pro-life group Heroic Media launched a massive texting poll to hundreds of thousands of participants at the West Coast Walk for Life and the D.C. March for Life this past weekend, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of media influence on the debate over abortion. At the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Monday, mobile billboards and crowd volunteers encouraged participants to text their opinions about abortion as part of a new nationwide poll. Heroic Media – headquartered in Austin with offices nationwide – launched the national campaign this weekend at the Walk For Life West Coast in San Francisco, which was held on Jan. 22, and at the Jan. 24 March for Life 2011 in Washington D.C. The group regularly uses television, radio, billboards, bus shelter ads and Internet messaging to spread its message.

February 18, 2011 (7:00 pm – 9:30 pm) February 19, 2011 (9:00 am – 4:00 pm) Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Hall 600 Oblate Drive San Antonio, Texas TOPICS • Answers to Lies Society Tells You • The Godless Delusion: How to Respond to Atheist’s Claims • The Bible and the Catholic Church: A Marriage Made in Heaven • The Case for Christ • How to Explain the Sacraments to Someone Who Doesn’t Believe in Them • Stump the Apologist: An Open-Forum Q&A Workshop

(Received as voice message) Father Antonio Moreno’s brother Juan Moreno has passed away. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Juan Moreno and pray for the consolation of the family during their time of grief. Obituary from West Funeral Home – Carlsbad, New Mexico Juan O Moreno (January 30, 1953 - January 24, 2011) Juan Ortiz "Johnny" Moreno, 57, of West Ortega St., passed away on Monday, January 24, 2011 at Carlsbad Medical Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Fri. (Jan. 28) at San Jose Catholic Church. Father Valentine Jankowski OFM Conv. will be the celebrant. Vigil will be at 7 p.m. on Thurs. (Jan. 27) also at San Jose Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Carlsbad Cemetery (new section). Visitation will be Wed. (Jan. 26) from 1-5 p.m. and Thurs. (Jan. 27) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at West Funeral Home. Services are entrusted to West Funeral Home.

Lord our God, Father of all let our celebration today of the conversion of Saint Paul become for us too, a deep experience of conversion and encounter with you. Let this feast make us more aware that whatever evil we do to others, we do to you and the good we do, the love we show, we give also to you. Like St. Paul, make us love everyone. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

If life gives us potholes then let us plant gardens. We will never be the person we can be if pressures, problems, and potholes are not part of our life. Pray for the patience and power to: - Placate the pressures - Persevere with the problems - Pave the potholes Pray for the pressures to be placated, the problems to be persevered, and the potholes to be paved.

January 23, 2011 ( CNA/EWTN News ) On January 24, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that runs from January18 - 25, Catholics will celebrate the life of St. Francis de Sales. A bishop and Doctor of the Church, his preaching brought thousands of Protestants back to the Catholic fold, and his writings on the spiritual life have proved highly influential. In many ways, Francis' greatest achievements – such as the “Introduction to the Devout Life,” an innovative spiritual guidebook for laypersons, or his strong emphasis on the role of human love in Christian devotion – represent successful attempts to re-integrate seemingly disparate “worldly” and “spiritual” realities into one coherent vision of life. He fell ill in 1622 and died three days after Christmas that year. St. Francis de Sales was canonized in 1665, and honored as a Doctor of the Church in 1877. Because of the crucial role of writing in his apostolate, St. Francis de Sales is the patron of writers and jo

On this day let us celebrate life, the gift of life. While surfing the television channels watching the sports channels, viewing football, basketball and soccer games and skipping the commercials, Father Moreno came upon this commercial that caught his attention and left a lasting impression. There was a little fish swimming in a puddle in a busy highway with heavy traffic all around. The little fish jumped from the puddle into a passing truck carrying large water containers and the little fish was swimming in the large water container. The driver of the truck took the large water container with the little fish and threw what was inside the large container into the ocean and the little fish was swimming in the ocean when a big fish came by and the little fish followed the big fish. Here is this little fish from Wal-Mart, now in the great, big ocean. The little fish is no longer in a cozy fish tank being fed three (3) times a day. After Father Moreno saw the little fish followi

The sun suddenly breaks through the clouds and the sky instantly becomes bright. It is a new day. Pray that we become vessels of hope to all around us. Cover every detail in prayer; inspire others to join the cause; organize others to help do the work; confront opposition directly, turn to God when discouraged; celebrate what is accomplished and give God all the glory! Pray for strength, refute slander, and do not be diverted from doing God’s work. Stand firm and seek God's help to persevere until the task is done Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in God’s work, knowing that our labor will not be in vain. It is the future that shapes the present; it is victory that informs the battle; it is the destination that determines the journey. Surround people and places with prayer. We are confident that our prayers change lives even when we do not know the outcome. We begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heave

Catholic PRWire Donnellson, IA (January 13, 2011) - After a meeting with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller MSpS ( Archdiocese of San Antonio ), and a visit to Our Lady of the Lake University , it was announced by Susan M. Stein, President of The United Catholic Music & Video Association (UCMVA) , that the UCMVA was pleased to accept the invitation for the 2011 UNITY AWARDS to be held this year on Saturday, October 15, at the beautiful lakeside campus of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX. “The Unity Awards has always celebrated cultural diversity in Catholic music and media. We are so blessed to share this event with this faith filled community, rooted in history and supported by a strong Hispanic culture.” says Susan Stein. The Unity Awards annual event which started in the year 2000 is a celebration that recognizes excellence in evangelization, through music and media, by Catholic musicians, film makers and others in the creative arts. Projects released in

1) Life : The only choice 2) Pro-life affirms all life . Pro-choice alienates life and advocates death. 3) This thing we call life is much more than just a thing. 4) Live a Happy – Healthy – Holy Life ! 5) Into everyone’s life , moments of decision must come. Live in God’s Victory over every situation faced in life . 6) Commit to do life together with Christ. 7) There are blessings hidden in the seemingly curses of life . 8) Don’t ever lose sight of the most important thing – LIFE ! 9) Jesus: Our Lord of Life and Mary: Our Lady of Life 10) In each season of life may we respect the dignity of life. 11) Don’t be robbed of God’s riches for life . 12) We must live to learn love. We must learn to love life .

A Rosary for Life: The Joyful Mysteries A Rosary for Life: The Luminous Mysteries  Rosary for Life: The Sorrowful Mysteries A Rosary for Life: The Glorious Mysteries

  In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life.

Find diamonds in the midst of difficulties Find pearls in the midst of problems Find gold in the midst of grief Find silver in the midst of sorrow Find treasures in the midst of troubles

(Received as email) Knights of Columbus Bible Study – Council 2687  Lenten Journey Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. 1 February, 2011 – 19 April, 2011 Knights of Columbus Hall – Hwy 90, Del Rio, Texas  Father Antonio O. Moreno - Presenter 1 February - Biblical Figure of Lent: Jeremiah - Prophet in time of crisis and conversion 8 February - Way of Exodus 15 February - Light and Darkness on the Easter Road 22 February - Today if you hear his voice 1 March - God’s Mercy and Hope 8 March -  Fat Tuesday Celebration * 15 March - With Jesus in the Desert * 22 March - The Son of God: the Glory of His Father * 29 March - Living Water, Gift of God * 5 April - To Believe in Jesus the one who is sent * 12 April - “Seeing” Jesus * 19 April - Holy Week – Seder Meal *The Fellowship meals after each class will only be soup and bread to keep the Lenten spirit No Bible study during the month of May because of Graduations, Weddings, 1st Communions, Confirmations

  Access Website: Americans United for Life AUL’s State Rankings 2011 1.Oklahoma 2.Louisiana 3.Pennsylvania 4.Arkansas 5.Texas 6.Nebraska 7.Missouri 8.North Dakota 9.South Dakota 10.Georgia 11.Indiana 12.Mississippi 13.Kentucky 14.Virginia 15.Kansas 16.Ohio 17.Michigan 18.Arizona 19.South Carolina 20.Minnesota 21.Alabama 22.Wisconsin 23.Idaho 24.Colorado 25.Utah 26.Florida 27.Rhode Island 28.Tennessee 29.North Carolina 30.Delaware 31.Maine 32.Wyoming 33.West Virginia 34.Iowa 35.Illinois 36.New Hampshire 37.Alaska 38.New Mexico 39.Massachusetts 40.Maryland 41.New York 42.Oregon 43.Nevada 44.Connecticut 45.Montana 46.New Jersey 47.Vermont 48.Hawaii 49.California 50.Washington

Hello Media Missionaries, I hope your New Year is filed with God’s blessings and off to a wonderful start. I want to mention some great news that we received last week from our regional EWTN representative along with some other reminders that may be of interest to you. · EWTN 2011 Family Celebration will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, on July 23 – 24. If you have not attended one of their celebrations, it is a wonderful spiritual boost for the soul and brings forth such encouragement and enthusiasm to spread the good news of building the Catholic faith for your community with the resources provided from EWTN. So mark you calendars! · Pro-Life Walk for Life West Coast : Live coverage from San Francisco on January 22, this Saturday, beginning at 12 noon. Be sure to pass this information along to your parish pro life representatives. · Pro-Life March for Life : Live coverage from Washington, D.C. on January 24 beginning at 10 am. These two walks are so informative on the figh

 (Received in email) By Josefina Garza Father Larry spoke about seeing Jesus with our hearts. He said many in the time of Jesus saw Him with their eyes, yet did not recognize Him as the Son of God. It would not matter if he walked physically in front of us; we may not SEE Him. We have to see Him with our hearts. If our hearts are not open, we will not see Him. We must ask God to open our hearts so that we can truly SEE Jesus. When we live in this way, with our hearts open, we are living as God wants. It is a difficult way to live because society dictates that we live the opposite of this. Father Larry proceeded to say that he would talk about 4 topics: Humility, obedience, purity, and holiness, one topic per day. I remember thinking, "These are all words that apply to the Virgin Mary." He began with a story about a young adult who was going off into the world, to college, I think, and went to see his grandfather for advice. The grandfather said to live by 4 words: calm, pa

Beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II By Deacon Keith Fournier 1/18/2011 Catholic Online ( http://www.catholic.org/ ) CHESAPEAKE, Va. ( Catholic Online ) - On April 2, 2005 at 9:37 p.m. the Venerable Pope John Paul II died. In April of 2009 his beloved successor, Pope Benedict XVI, told Pilgrims gathered in Rome "With you, I pray for the gift of beatification". That prayer has been answered. Friday, January 14, 2011 the Holy See released the "Decree for the Beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II." The choice of the Feast of Divine Mercy, May 1, 2011 is not accidental. He had a deep devotion to his fellow Pole Sr. Faustina Kowalska and to the Divine Mercy devotion identified with her. In August 2002, in Lagiewniki, Poland where Sr. Faustina lived and died, John Paul II entrusted the entire world "to Divine Mercy, to the unlimited trust in God the Merciful." He will be raised to the Altar on the Feast of Divine Mercy and the

VATICAN CITY, 18 JAN 2011 ( VIS ) - The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally celebrated every year from 18 to 25 January. The theme chosen for 2011 is: "One in the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer" (cf. Acts 2:42). Each day of the Week will have a different theme: 18 January: The Church in Jerusalem. 19 January: Many Members in One Body. 20 January: Devotion to the Apostles' Teaching Unites Us. 21 January: Sharing, an Expression of Our Unity. 22 January: Breaking the Bread in Hope. 23 January: Empowered to Action in Prayer. 24 January: Living in Resurrection Faith. 25 January: Called for the Service of Reconciliation. In the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls on Tuesday 25 January, Feast of the Conversion of the Apostle Paul, Benedict XVI will preside at the celebration of Vespers to mark the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.