Real Love Revolution Schedule

Check out this schedule of activities for Real Love Revolution 2012:

Speakers

Leah Darrow - A former contestant on America's Next Top Model, now a full-time speaker, sharing her story of conversion and fortitude.

Chris Stefanick - A songwriter and guitarist inspiring thousands of youth with a deeper understanding of love and sexuality.

August 29, 2012 (Wednesday)

Western Visayas State University, Iloilo City

8:30 A.M. University Students

1 P.M. High School Students

5 P.M. Parents and Educators

August 30, 2012 (Thursday)

Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City

8 A.M. High School Students

1 P.M. University Students

6 P.M. Educators

August 31, 2012 (Friday)

UP Theater, Quezon City

1 P.M. High School Students


PAREF Southridge School, Muntinlupa

6 P.M. Parents and Educators

September 1, 2012 (Saturday)

1 P.M. World Trade Center, Pasay City

-oOo-

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/realloverevolution2012

Contact: Lora Garcia 0917-5270691

Real Love Revolution 2012

Forwarded invitation.

Catalyst of UA&P

University of Asia and the Pacific

Pearl Drive cor St. Josemaria Escriva Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605

Commitment. Leadership. Service. Excellence

A Youth Conference with an Urgent Message

Real Love Revolution 2012

Last year, CATALYST of UA&P gathered around 8,000 students at the SMX Convention Center for an afternoon with renowned PRO-LIFE and CHASTITY speaker, Jason Evert. The participants who came from all over Luzon were greatly moved by the encounter. This year, we are bringing to Manila two powerful speakers from the same team of Jason Evert for another extraordinary event that promises to be a memorable experience.

A Finalist of America’s Next Top Model and a Dynamic Youth Speaker

The first speaker is Leah Darrow, one of the finalists in the 3rd season of the popular reality show, “America’s Next Top Model”. In her powerful presentation, Leah focuses on forgiveness, true love and the ability to change one’s life. For Leah, the slow fade from her Catholic faith didn’t happen overnight; it developed with bad choices, denial of truth and choosing a comfortable life versus an extraordinary life. All this changed during one special photo shoot in which God allowed her to see her soul in its current state. This extraordinary and supernatural grace gave her the courage to change every aspect of her life. Leah’s story is one of true conversion, courage and fortitude.

The second speaker is Chris Stefanick, currently the Director of Youth and Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver. A graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville and an accomplished guitarist and songwriter, Christopher combines his musical talent with drama, humor and gripping stories to effectively deliver the truth of the Gospel. His dynamic presentations and retreats have inspired thousands of teens all over the world to a deeper love for Jesus Christ and his Church.

15,000 Teens at the World Trade Center

On September 1, 2012 (Saturday), Leah Darrow and Chris Stefanick will see probably the biggest crowd they would have ever addressed since they started their crusade. More than 15,000 young people are expected to attend the “Real Love Revolution 2012” at the World Trade Center (Pasay City) from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon, representing students from various schools and colleges from all over the Philippines.

In this connection, we would like to invite your students to join us in this most worthwhile activity.

For more information, please visit our website at http://positiveagent.org.

Tickets are at P50, P100 and P200 only. You may pay on-line through our website positiveagent.org, or you may call or text us to reserve your tickets. You may also deposit your payment to the account of EMR CATALYST for Professional Development Services in any BPI branch (Account Number 3990-0104-11), or any BDO branch (Savings Account Number 707-001-7747). We will send your tickets by courier as soon as payment is confirmed.

We hope to get in touch with you personally to discuss other details of the matter. You may contact us at tel. no. 637-09-12 local 277 or cellphone 0908-864-84-91. You can also e-mail us at realloverevolution2012@gmail.com

Thank you very much!

Truly yours,

EMMANUEL M. RENTOY
Coordinator

Weekly News (Third Week of August 2012)

1. Devotion to Mary Profoundly Biblical, Argentinean Bishop Says

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 15, 2012 / 04:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Argentina said devotion to the Virgin Mary has solid biblical and ecclesial roots that culminate in an encounter with Christ. [Read More]

2. Church Boosts NFP Campaign Amid Battle Over RH Bill

MANILA, August 16, 2012— Amid a battle with President Benigno Aquino III over a proposed contraception measure, the Catholic Church is promoting natural family planning. [Read More]

3. “Blogger” Who Launched Smear Attack vs. Sotto Is on Abortion Campaigner’s Payroll

Alfredo R. Melgar, the “blogger” credited for exposing Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s supposed plagiarism1 on the smear website of the neo-atheist Filipino Freethinkers, is no ordinary blogger after all. [Read More]

4. Moscow City Court Upholds Ban on Gay Pride Parades In Moscow For The Next 100 Years

Moscow, August 17, Interfax - The Moscow City Court has again upheld a ban on gay pride parades in Moscow for the next 100 years. Gay pride parade organizers intend to contest the decision. [Read More]

5. Abortion - the Center of Planned Parenthood’s Business Model

It is impossible to ensure that taxpayer dollars directed to Planned Parenthood for so-called family-planning services don’t also pay for abortions, and it is for that reason alone that it was appropriate for the New Hampshire Executive Council to reject the abortion business’s state contract for family-planning services last year. [Read More]

6. Birth Control and Disinformation: The Risks of Philanthropy

In a CNN interview, Melinda Gates has stated that for her, a Catholic, giving to women improved access to contraception is a full-time job. And, to the Guardian, she has confided her anguish as a believer, conscious that the 450 million Euros represent a challenge to the Church hierarchy. [Read More]

7. Choose Face Time Over Screen Time

In a restaurant recently, my wife and I couldn’t help but notice a family with four young children at the table across from us. As soon as everyone settled into their chairs, each child, including the youngest, who stayed in his stroller, quickly pulled out a technological device. [Read More]

8. The Moral Downside of Climate Change

Now that parishes and Catholic schools are being urged to show a documentary on climate change, perhaps it is time to comment on the wisdom of attempting to turn climate change into a moral issue. [Read More]

9. Fast and Furious

Growing up in a Media Saturated World

ROME, AUG. 17, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Violence, video games, and sex: what effect does it have on children and adolescents? The latest contribution to this debate comes in a book recently published in Australia. [Read More]

10. Sotto Bares Foreign Agenda Behind RH Bill

MANILA, Aug. 15, 2012–Foreign organizations are out to circumvent the country’s strict abortion laws and control the population by way of the “reproductive health” (RH) bill, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III bared Wednesday. [Read More]

Our Lady of Glory

The preceding article is taken from an informal lecture on the Assumption that Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on August 13, 1965. It has been translated and adapted for publication without his revision.


In ancient times, people referred to the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady as the feast of Our Lady of Glory. They understood that the Assumption of Our Lady was not merely the physical event of her leaving this earth after resurrecting by virtue of her Divine Son and being taken to Heaven: it was also her glorification.

After her humble and unknown life on this earth, Our Lady had a greater role after the death of Our Lord as Queen and Mother of the Catholic Church. Our Lady went through all kinds of suffering, anguish and humiliations on earth. It is fitting that Our Lord glorified her in the eyes of men through her assumption.

She was glorified with this unique privilege whereby a merely human creature is taken to material heaven by the angels. From there, she certainly was taken in a mysterious way to the physical and immaterial heights of the heavenly Paradise, where she finds herself at this moment enjoying the beatific vision of God, Our Lord in an ineffable way.

Many traditions and revelations about the assumption naturally affirm that this glorification by the angels was accompanied by indescribable manifestations of glory. Our Lady was a mere human creature with a nature far inferior to that of the angels. To show the great difference between natures, we need only recall how one saint saw her own guardian angel and was so dazzled by what she saw that she thought that she was seeing God. And yet guardian angels are among the lowest ranks of angels in heaven.

We can only imagine the glory of Our Lady who was taken to heaven by the highest Cherubim and Seraphim. She was served by God’s highest creatures with such a high respect and veneration that it was as if they considered themselves unworthy of presenting to her their prayers and veneration.

Thus, after bidding farewell to those on earth, Our Lady started rising off the ground in a most hallowed ecstasy; and at a certain point the manifestations of the angels began. If it is true that on Easter day all nature rejoiced, and that on Ascension day all nature was jubilant, then, of course, we can imagine the great and splendid joy of all nature on the Assumption of Our Lady.

We can imagine the splendid colors of the sky. How the stars of that night must have shone! If the sun danced and changed colors at Fatima, we can imagine the wonderful way it must have appeared on that day! The angels must have sung in magnificent harmony and all must have felt great and ineffable interior consolations!

The concrete and positive fact is that Our Lady allowed her inner glory to be manifested to all during the Assumption. We can imagine how she, who possessed a most holy soul and an inexpressible dignity and majesty, at that moment allowed her grandeur to be manifested in an extraordinary way. As Our Lord’s grandeur shone in His glorified body on Mount Tabor, so also her sanctity naturally and entirely shined forth in her eyes, countenance and body.

We can imagine this manifestation like a great flash of light that completely blotted out the sky. At that moment of this grandeur, she probably manifested a great maternal tenderness since she was a mother bidding farewell to her children. She also must have shown a great outpouring of mercy and supreme goodness as she made it clear to everyone that she would no longer be present on earth and that, at the moment she was leaving mankind, her great mission in the pinnacle of heaven was beginning.

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus said she wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth. If this is true of the Little Flower, how much more we can say this of the glory of Our Lady! From the time of the Assumption onward, Our Lady’s glory has been increasingly manifested. We see this in the construction of a huge number of churches dedicated to her. As Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort aptly observes, no church on earth–except perhaps churches that are almost no longer churches–does not have at least one altar dedicated to Our Lady. Not one soul has been saved without having been one of her devotees. Men have received no grace except through the intercession of Our Lady.

In other words, her glory will increasingly grow until the end of the ages when the moment of the Last Judgment comes. On that day, everyone, including her, will be judged. However, since she is faultless and without guilt, Judgment Day will be the day of her supreme glorification. If all virtues and defects of all creatures will become known at the Judgment, what canticles of praise will Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost and the Eternal Father sing of her on that day? It is beyond words. The joy of the Last Judgment will be this glorification of Our Lady at the end of history. When history is no more; when the life of humanity has come to an end and the final historic event is over, then she will receive a truly unfathomable glorification.

On Sexual Thoughts

A question was posted on the Catholic Spiritual Direction website on how should we understand/deal with sexual thoughts in the light of our Christian faith - which is a fairly common problem for most people and even those who do not have intense struggle with sexual addiction in all its forms. Check this out.


Q: I am struggling with sexual thoughts and am wondering about the teachings of the Church. Are all sexual sins mortal and does thinking of sex without arousal a mortal sin? When does the thought become mortal; is it when we don’t control it or is it always mortal? What exactly is lust and what are the church’s teaching on it? Is it always mortal as well?

A: A: Dear Friend, your questions are very direct, which is good, but I am lacking a bit of context. This leaves me with the task of guessing a bit. To try to cover the spectrum of situations, I will first assume the worst, and then in the second post I will answer your questions from a more positive perspective. Also, because these discussions can easily get a bit murky, the need for clarity will override my instinct toward being sensitive to the reader.


Are All Sexual Sins Mortal?

This question is not problematic in and of itself, but it is commonly prompted by a problematic state of heart. When people ask this kind of question they are often asking it in order to determine how to approach a sin they desire to participate in while at the same time attempting to avoid the penalties associated with that sin. Here’s how this question might be restated in this light:

Dear Dan, I want to do XYZ with my girlfriend, however, I don’t want to go to hell. How far can I go before I am in mortal sin?

As you can see, this reveals a person who is clearly aware that the situation they are imagining is in the territory of sin, and that there are grades of sin associated with this activity. This approach falls into the category of grave sin because of the willful nature of the situation, the gravity of the sin, and the fact that it is also a sin that often involves the soul of another. Let me say that again to be sure it sinks in. Taking this approach to this question is inherently grave.

Even if we set aside the grave nature of the sin itself, in this scenario we are not falling accidentally into sin here, but we are entertaining it, judging it, weighing how much we might damage our relationship with God and how we might achieve what we desire with all the perceived benefits but with minimized consequences. This approach is akin to asking “How much arsenic can I add to this soft drink before I am likely to die if I drink it?”

As a setup for the next post, here are a few excerpts from the Catechism on mortal sin:

1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.”

1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: “Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.” The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

Are All Sexual Sins Mortal? Are There Grades Of Sexual Sin?

The bottom line answer is no, all sexual sins are not mortal. There are grades of sexual sin. To help illustrate how this might work, we have provided four scenarios that reflect various grades of sexual sin with an emphasis on how they might play out in our minds. In all these cases, we will assume full knowledge of the gravity of the sinful thought:

Scenario 1: The thought crosses my mind. I reject it and direct my attention elsewhere. This is not sin.

Scenario 2: The thought crosses my mind. I entertain it or dwell on it for a moment, and then reject it. Now I have embraced a sinful thought and engaged it with my will. This embrace, even if only slight, can place us within venial sin territory.

Scenario 3: The thought crosses my mind. I entertain or dwell on it and continue to do so deliberately. I relish and enjoy the thought and embrace it whenever it pops up. Now we are in mortal sin territory.

Scenario 4: The thought crosses my mind. I entertain and dwell on it. I then act or attempt to act on it. Now we are unquestionably in the realm of mortal sin.

Of course, no hypothetical scenario perfectly reflects a specific experience and more importantly, the state of the soul. Even so, this should be more than adequate as a guide to dealing with the most common circumstances related to sexual thoughts.


What is Lust?

Our last stop on the sexual thought train is at the station of lust. I believe that by now we have probably already your questions but just in case…

Lust is known as a capital sin. In the Summa Theologica (II-II:153:4), St. Thomas notes that “a capital vice is that which has an exceedingly desirable end so that in his desire for it a man goes on to the commission of many sins all of which are said to originate in that vice as their chief source”. So, a capital sin is one that commonly and forcefully leads to other sins. To gain an accurate understanding of lust, it might be helpful to briefly contrast lust and desire.

Lust is a disordered craving of another for the purpose of self-satisfaction without regard for or love of another within the bonds of marriage. Lust is a distortion of man’s natural procreative drive and desire for love and companionship. This procreative drive and desire seeks to bring about union of man and woman to cooperate with God in self-giving to one another for the purpose of union and procreation. Lust seeks merely to satisfy the distorted desires of the individual without concern for the other, or with little concern for the other; without a true concern for unitive love, or procreative cooperation. So, lust is sin if and when it is embraced at first impulse and beyond as illustrated in the four scenarios regarding grades of sexual sin.

I hope this covers the bases you were looking to cover. Please keep all the bases within the sacred bonds of marriage.

Weekly News (Second Week of August 2012)

1. Pope Benedict Challenges Believers to Put God Before Worldly Cares

(CNA/EWTN News).- God’s promise of a new and eternal life deserves priority over earthly desires for things that can never satisfy the heart, Pope Benedict XVI taught in his Aug. 5 Sunday Angelus address at Castel Gandolfo. [Read More]

2. ‘Youth, Most Threatened By Rise in HIV-AIDS Cases’

MANILA, August 9, 2012―With 27% of HIV-AIDS cases involving young people, alarm bells are sounding off that young Filipinos are the most-at-risk segment of the population at present. [Read More]

3. Church Leader Urges Congress: Prioritize Flood Victims’ Needs Over RH Bill Discussions

MANILA, August 8, 2012—After Congress “prematurely” terminated the debates over the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill, both pro- and anti-RH bill legislators are being called to give their full attention to the needs of their displaced constituents rather than prioritize the amendment of the bill. [Read More]

4. Homosexual Lobby Group Human Rights Campaign Strongly Opposes Rep. Paul Ryan

The nation’s most powerful “gay” lobby group, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), put out the graphic below about Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), after he was picked Sunday as VP running mate by Mitt Romney. [Read More]

5. Polling Data: Young Adults More Pro-Life Than Other Age Groups [Read More]

6. Lee Kuan Yew: “Enormous” Problems if Singaporeans Don’t Procreate

Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has expressed concerns over Singapore’s low fertility rate. He was speaking at the Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru National Day celebration dinner on Saturday. [Read More]

7. Priest Says iPads, Tablets No Substitute For Missalettes

Rome, Italy, Aug 10, 2012 / 04:05 pm (CNA).- In a recent blog post, Father Antonio Spadaro, known as the Vatican’s “cyber theologian,” said that devices such as iPads, smart phones and tablets should not be used instead of missalettes at Mass. [Read More]

8. Oxford Study: Loving Fathers’ Involvement Vital to Good Behavioral Development of Infant

A study carried from Oxford University has found that fathers who have a close, loving relationship with their infant children have a profound impact on the behavioral development of their kids as they grow older. [Read More]

9. Cure for Culture Shock

The deadly shooting rampage during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises that left 12 dead and dozens wounded revived our fitful national debate about the impact films that feature human brutality have on the consciences of their audiences. [Read More]

10. Marketing Natural Family Planning

WASHINGTON, D.C., AUG. 8, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the last full week of July as national Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, with a focus on introducing people to the concept of NFP in general, debunking the common misconceptions that have been attached to it, and attempting to convince couples to use NFP in place of artificial means of contraception. [Read More]

Weekly News (First Week of August 2012)

1. Pope Urges Trust-filled Prayer

Notes St. Alphonsus' Teaching That Prayer Is Necessary for Salvation

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 1, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is encouraging the faithful to turn to God in prayer with trust, seeing God as a Father who takes care of us. [Read More]

2. Church Brings Anti-RH Campaign to The Streets

MANILA, August 4, 2012—Thousands of Catholic faithful from across the Philippines will troop to various public places, cathedrals and streets to manifest their strong opposition to the controversial Reproductive Health bill now pending at both houses of Congress. [Read More]

3. Spanish Olympic Athlete to Enter Seminary After London Games

Madrid, Spain, Aug 3, 2012 / 04:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Carlos Ballve – known as “Litus” to his friends – plays defense on the Spanish field hockey team that is competing in the London 2012 Olympic Games. But as soon as the competition ends, he will head to a Belgium seminary to begin the process of becoming priest. [Read More]

4. Poll: Churchgoers Still Oppose Same-Sex 'Marriage'

According to the research, churchgoing America is still against homosexual "marriage," while non-churchgoers are more in favor of it. White evangelicals and black Christians are the strongest opponents. [Read More]

5. How to Contact Chick-fil-A to Support their Defense of Traditional Marriage and Biblical Values [Read More]

6. Do Pro-Lifers Make Faulty Arguments? How to Recognize and Avoid Them

Trent Horn is back in studio for one more episode, to discuss logical fallacies that both pro-life and pro-choice advocates make. [Read More]

7. ‘Campaign for Humanae Vitae’ Seeks One Million Signatures

August 1, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York made the stunning admission in March that he believes America’s bishops had failed in their duty to teach the faithful the prophetic message of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical that reiterated the Church’s condemnation of contraception. [Read More]

8. ‘Same-Sex Behavior Is Hazardous, Is Harmful, and Is Dangerous’: Scottish Catholic Media Director

GLASGOW, Scotland, August 2, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office has defended statements made by Archbishop-elect of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia. In which he argued that society has been silent when it comes to the health risks and dangers of the homosexual lifestyle. [Read More]

9. In the Absence of Fathers: A Story of Elephants and Men

Wade Horn, Ph.D., President of the National Fatherhood Initiative, had an intriguing article entitled “Of Elephants and Men” in a recent issue of Fatherhood Today magazine. I found Dr. Horn’s story about young elephants to be simply fascinating, and you will too. [Read More]

10. Sexual Content in the Movies

Risky Behavior, Pregnancy and Diseases

ROME, AUG. 2, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The media really does influence adolescents' behavior and early exposure to sexual content in the movies leads them to commence sexual activity at an earlier age and to take more risks. [Read More]