Fr. Stephen Cuyos, MSC

10 Gorgeous Photos of Heart-Shaped Stones

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:52:56 +0000

A few weeks ago we brought you amazing photos of heart-shaped leaves. This time we offer you a collection of gorgeous photos of heart-shaped stones.

The photos remind us that we need to stay focused on our hearts. The quality of a person depends on the quality of his/her heart. Our actions spring from who and what we are. And the heart is the source of our being. That is why it is so important that our heart be set on authentic values.

Stoneheart by thetamar

Well, some hearts are made of stone, after all by Felix Francis

„heart of stone“ by ????? ?????

Heart Stamped in Stone by go ask alice . . .

Heart of Stone by Chris Kempson

Heart of Stone by Rex Pe

Heart Made of Stone by enyacologne

Heart Shaped Rock by Lewisisms

Emily’s Heart by Sea of Legs

Heart of Stone by easyrab

Christian Music Tuesday: “Free To Be Me” by Francesca Battistelli

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:03:53 +0000

According to Wikipedia, Francesca Battistelli wrote “Free To Be Me” in order “to cheer herself up after backing into a lawyer’s car in her driveway”. The song is about having the courage to face one’s highs and lows in life.

Francesca Battistelli is a north American Christian musician. The song “Free to be Me” is from her debut album “My Paper Heart”.

Free To Be Me

by Francesca Battistelli

At twenty years of age I’m still looking for a dream
A war’s already waged for my destiny
But You’ve already won the battle
And You’ve got great plans for me
Though I can’t always see

‘Cause I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
On my own I’m so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I’m free to be me

When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out
My life would turn out right, and I’d make it here somehow
But things don’t always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt

And you’re free to be you

Sometimes I believe that I can do anything
Yet other times I think I’ve got nothing good to bring
But You look at my heart and You tell me
That I’ve got all You seek
And it’s easy to believe
Even though

At twenty years of age I’m still looking for a dream
A war’s already waged for my destiny
But You’ve already won the battle
And You’ve got great plans for me
Though I can’t always see

When I was just a girl I thought I had it figured out
My life would turn out right, and I’d make it here somehow
But things don’t always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt

And you’re free to be you

10 Quotes on Patience

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 01:33:28 +0000

In the Christian world, patience is considered as one of the most valuable virtues of life. In 1 Timothy 1:16 (NRSV), we read “But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.” Patience is mentioned in other parts of the Bible, both in the new and old testaments.

Here’s ten quotes to help you develop the virtue of patience.

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” — Paulo Coelho
“Without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.” — Mother Teresa
“Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His.” — Neal A. Maxwell
“Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.” — Elisabeth Elliott
“Other people can’t cause us to be impatient unless we let them do so. In other words, others don’t make us impatient. We make ourselves impatient, through our expectations and demands, fixated attachments and stuckness.” —Lama Surya Das
“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.” — Leonardo da Vinci
“Only bad things happen quickly, . . . Virtually all the happiness-producing processes in our lives take time, usually a long time: learning new things, changing old behaviors, building satisfying relationships, raising children. This is why patience and determination are among life’s primary virtues.” — Gordon Livingston
“There are those who discover they can leave behind destructive reactions and become patient as the earth, unmoved by fires of anger or fear, unshaken as a pillar, unperturbed as a clear and quiet pool.”— The Dhammapada
“God’s chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we possess.” — Howard W. Hunter
“Deep down within the heart there is a stillness which is healing, a trust in the universal laws which is unwavering, and a strength which is rock-like. But because it is so deep we need both patience and perseverance when digging for it.” — Paul Brunton
“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves… live everything. Live the question now. Perhaps then, some day far in the future, you will gradually without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
“Patience gives your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time that they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability to hold on during the rough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.” — Stephen Kendrick

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/2615553712/

Featured Website and Short Film

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:56:10 +0000

This week’s featured website is catholicmissionarygirl.com. The girl is a Couples for Christ (CFC) lay missionary whose passion to serve God brought her to Indonesia and East Timor. She confesses that she has put up her blog “as a channel to share about the crazily unbelievable things God has put me through as a missionary just to love me perfectly”.

Featured Website: Catholic Missionary Girl

URL: http://catholicmissionarygirl.com/

Featured Short Film: Bruce

Source: http://vimeo.com/5395365

This week’s featured short film is “Bruce”. It is a 2009 graduation film from the Royal College of Art. Bruce is an award winning animation that explores how advances in open-source synthetic biology allow a young man to grow his very own action hero.

10 Exciting Photos of People Jumping

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:50:46 +0000

It was Jodi Picoult who wrote that “Love meant jumping off a cliff and trusting that a certain person would be there to catch you at the bottom.” This is the quote that inspired me to collect the following photos of people jumping.

Everyone in the photo seems to be jumping with joy. Just in case you’ll wonder, the first and sixth photos are a result of photo manipulation not due to some superpowers on the part of the jumper.

water runner by R’eyes

Oh! He can fly..! by Redbulbul

leap! by joshDubya

go with the flow by notsogoodphotography

Jump for Joy by bingbing

Bring me to life by R’eyes

Le jump des People of Marseille / Gens du Sud! by Elvire.R.

if it makes you fly… by notsogoodphotography

leaping over the sun by aramolara

Tyler F by danikapierce

Everybody likes kung fu fighting by Marvin Kuo

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Videos, Homilies, Images and Multimedia Slides

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:14:45 +0000

The following are homilies, images, clipart, videos, and multimedia slides you might find useful for your celebration of the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C).

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd that they should “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

READINGS

FIRST READING: Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23
PSALM: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
SECOND READING: Col 3:1-5, 9-11
GOSPEL: Lk 12:13-21

LITURGIES

VIDEOS

Free Responsorial Psalm • 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Source: http://vimeo.com/13491949

HOMILIES

One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions [Daily Scripture Readings & Meditations]
In this little parable Jesus probes our heart – where is your treasure? Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. What do you treasure above all else? Read more…
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time [Catholic Doors]
Now, since life does not consist in the abundance of possessions, how do we accumulate spiritual treasures in Heaven? We accumulate spiritual treasures in Heaven by our acts of love towards others, by our acts of charity, through the goodness that we manifest towards our neighbours in the love of Jesus. What we do to others, we do to Christ. Read more…

SLIDE PRESENTATION

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/happyfaith/year-c-18th-sunday-ordinary-time

Year C – 18th Sunday Ordinary Time

View more presentations from Stephen Cuyos.

IMAGES

To view and download their full size versions, please click on the images or the names of the artists/sources.

Guard Against All Greed by Fr. Stephen, MSC

CLIPART

by Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón (Perú)

by Maximino Cerezo

Christian Music Tuesday: “Savior, Please” by Josh Wilson

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:46:58 +0000

The song “Savior, Please” by Josh Wilson is a prayer. At its core, the song centers on the idea that we cannot be without God. Some of us might think that we are strong enough but in the end we will come to realize that we cannot do anything without God’s grace. We are indeed nothing without God’s love.

Josh Wilson is a north American contemporary Christian singer. The song “Savior, Please” is from his 2008 album “Trying to Fit the Ocean In a Cup.”

Savior, Please

by Josh Wilson

Savior, please take my hand
I work so hard, I live so fast
This life begins, and then it ends
And I do the best that I can, but I don’t know how long I’ll last

I try to be so tough
But I’m just not strong enough
I can’t do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I’m nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

Savior, please help me stand
I fall so hard, I fade so fast
Will You begin right where I end
And be the God of all I am because You’re all I have

Hallelujah
Everything You are to me
Is everything I’ll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don’t have to prove a thing
‘Cause You’re the one who’s saving me

10 Quotes from Eat, Pray, Love

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:57:19 +0000

As is my wont when I find a good book, I took notes while I was reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. I’ve bookmarked and jotted down many of the anecdotes, facts, and words of wisdom I found in the book because I might be able to use them in my homilies and talks. Eat, Pray, Love is such a fascinating read, one that I recommend to any person trying to rediscover him/herself.

I hope the following quotes will encourage you to eat well, pray regularly and love passionately.

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. “
“Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.”
“In desperate love, we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we created in the first place.”
“We’re miserable because we think that we are mere individuals, alone with our fears and flaws and resentment and mortality.”
“Your treasure – your perfection – is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.”
“You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.”
“In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. The appreciation of pleasure can be an anchor to one’s humanity.”
“God is an experience of supreme love.”
“Learning how to discipline your speech is a way of preventing your energies from spilling out of you through the rupture of your mouth, exhausting you and filling the world with words, words, words instead of serenity, peace and bliss.”
“There is a reason they call God a presence – because God is right here, right now. In the present is the only place to find Him, and now is the only time.”

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincealongi/377951065/

Featured Website and Short Film

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:53:25 +0000

This week’s featured website is mercygrass.com, the blog of April Frances “Sky” Asuncion Ortigas. This 28-year-old Couples for Christ (CFC) lay missionary is not only a prolific writer but also a web designer and a photographer. Aside from writing about her thoughts, experiences and reflections she also posts well-crafted photos. Definitely worth checking out are the coffeedevos and folio sections of her site.

Featured Website: Mercy Grass

URL: http://mercygrass.com

Featured Short Film: Dragonboy

Source: http://vimeo.com/13273095

This week’s featured short film is “Dragonboy”. A knight. A princess. A dragon. Three little kids. One school play. An epic battle for love and honor. Dragonboy is a collaborative thesis done by Lisa Allen, Bernie Warman and Shaofu Zhang at the Academy of Art University.

10 Delightful Photos of Raindrops

Fr. Stephen, MSC — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:54:05 +0000

It was raining when I began collecting these photos. The rain started as a calm shower and slowly ascended into a heavy downpour. I heard some distant thunder and the sound of people hurrying up. I know it’s kind of poetic, considering that here I was collecting photos of rain drops.

I love the sound of rain hitting the ground and rooftops. I love it so much that I downloaded ambient rain sound so I could listen to rain regardless of the weather. My mother used to tell me that when it rains it is God distributing his blessings to his beloved children. I grew up believing that the rain, like other beautiful things in the world, is God’s transparent transmitter of his abundant love.

I hope you will enjoy these 10 delightful photos of raindrops. By the way, if you want to listen to the sound of rain while viewing the photos you should open this site (http://www.rainymood.com/) in a new tab.

Pink Drops by aussiegall

Crispy Rain by .faramarz

Raindrops by Mary Trebilco

Margarita violeta by alfaneque

Raindrop In The Garden by audreyjm529

Oak Leaf Raindrops by peasap

Coneflower Raindrop by audreyjm529

Calendula And Raindrops by audreyjm529

Morning Glory in a Raindrop by tanakawho

Raindrops on a Leaf by Danielle Boyle Photography