Farewell Sir Tarcs!

Farewell Sir Tarcs - Thank you for allowing me to be one of your FB friends and a follower of your blog. Thanks for the life's lessons I've learned from you. You're one of a kind boss & one of the pillars of GSC.

Thanks for the appreciation and for the books - I will forever treasure them.

Wherever you are, allow me to post some of your pics here...

You will be missed dearly by all of us.

May your soul rest in peace Sir! Von Voyage :(

2011 ASMSI Grand Alumni Homecoming

Once again, let's rekindle the spirit and visit our beloved Alma Mater. Come home on March 20, 2011 for a day of fun, meet and greet our batchmates, friends and beloved Sisters of Mary for the 20th year of ASMSI.

FACFI Website Paypal Recurring Donation

I've done coding the page for the Paypal Recurring Donation button for the Fr. Al's Children Foundation, Inc. (FACFI) website.

Currently on the testing stage before making the link available on the site. If you can help me with the testing of the functionality and if it is indeed working - will be very much appreciated. Please email me you comments and suggestions.

Click this link: FACFI Paypal/Credit Card Recurring Donations

Small donations if done regularly means a lot.

Thank you very much!

Updated: Brothers of Christ Website

Please visit the updated website of the Brothers of Christ - Philippines.

Sharing Christ Home is a charity institution that gives vocation welfare for the male out-of- school youth. The Brothers guide and teach them spiritual values to prepare and mold them to be the hope of the society. It is also the home where the Brothers share Christ's love for the mentally-challenged and elderly men by serving them and taking care of them unselfishly.

Thank you very much!

Jesse Robredo, Pride of Bicol!

Congratulations! Jesse Robredo, a multi-awarded (both local and international) former mayor of Naga City and Ramon Magsaysay awardee for Government Service, to our kababayan and the Pride of Nagueños, now a DILG Secretary and a nominee for the World Mayor - The 2010 Contest!

During the first round of World Mayor 2010, held in late 2009 and early 2010, more than 118,000 citizens from around the world nominated some 840 mayors for this year’s World Mayor title. Based on the number and quality of nominations, the editorial board of City Mayors, the organisers of the contest, selected 25 mayors from across the world to proceed to the final round. Luckily, Jesse Robredo is one of them.

To all, please vote for him thru this link: World Mayor 2010 Awards

More power and God bless you always in your new task as DILG Secretary!

ASMSI Congratulates Qatar Chapter on its 1st Year Anniversary!

On behalf of the Officers, BoT's and staff of the Alumni of the Sisters of Mary School, Inc. (ASMSI), CONGRATULATIONS! ASMSI Qatar Chapter! on your 1st Year Anniversary!

St. James the Greater: Our Patron Saint

SAINT JAMES the GREATER

Apostle

Patron of Spain

(†44)

Among the twelve Apostles, three were chosen to be the close companions of our Blessed Lord, and of these James was one. He, with Peter and John, was admitted to the house of Jairus when his dead child was raised to life (Luke 8:40 ff.); only these three were taken up to the high mountain of Thabor and beheld the face of Jesus shining as the sun, and His garments white as snow (Mark 9:2-7). These three alone witnessed the fearful agony in Gethsemane. (Luke 22:39-45)

What was it that won James a place among the favorite three? Faith, burning, impetuous and outspoken, the straightforwardness of the true Israelite, were visible in him; but these qualities needed purifying before the “Son of Thunder” could proclaim the Gospel of peace. It was James who suggested fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritans, and who sought a place of honor beside Christ in His kingdom. Yet Our Lord, in rebuking his presumption, prophesied his faithfulness unto death. (Mark 10:38-40) He went to Spain after the death of Our Lord, and remained there for nine years, according to tradition. The famous Basilica of Saint James of Compostello, one of the most frequented pilgrimage sites of Europe, the site also of countless miracles, commemorates the memory of the nation’s beloved Apostle.

In the year 44 Saint James, who was at that time in Jerusalem, was brought before King Herod Agrippa. The Apostle had been preaching fearlessly there, curing the sick and the blind, and delivering possessed persons. Two magicians were sent by the authorities to stop his doings by their charms, but both were converted. His enemies were not defeated by that, however, and paid two Roman captains to incite a sedition during the Apostle’s preaching, then seize him as its author. A certain Josias, a scribe among the Pharisees, put a cord around his neck and took him before the third Herod, grandson of the first, murderer of the Innocents, and nephew of the second, who had the Baptist decapitated. This new sycophant of the Roman Emperors, desiring to conciliate the Jews and make them forget his non-Jewish origins, decided to do so by persecuting the Christians. Without delay he condemned Saint James to die by the sword. The Apostle’s fearless confession of Jesus crucified so moved the scribe Josias, that he too confessed Christ and begged pardon of the Saint. He was taken with the Apostle to the place of execution, where Saint James and his convert died together.

The Apostle won the three crowns of heroism: he is a Doctor par excellence of the Faith, he was the first Apostle to be martyred, and according to Saint Epiphanus and other historians, he always conserved his virginity. He is the patron of Spain. A Spanish author by the name of Tamayo reports fifteen different apparitions of Saint James to the kings and princes of Spain, followed each time by some specific assistance for the benefit of the land.

Reflection: We must all desire a place in the kingdom of our Father; but can we drink the chalice which He holds out to each one of us? Possumus, we must say with Saint James — “We can!” — but only in the strength of Him who drank it first for us.

Source: http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/july.html