Giving Up Something For Lent

I switched to decaf drinks last year. Once a week, I need caffeine in my system to keep me going. Knowing this need, I decided to give up Starbucks coffee for Lent. Well, that went well for a week or two. I'd say I did miserably this year. I hope you did better than me.

In the age of technology, there could be more than food to give up:

(CNN) -- For some, it's chocolate. For others, it's coffee or cigarettes. But as this Easter approaches, some young and devout Christians are anxious to return to what they gave up for Lent: Internet sites Facebook and MySpace.
[...]
"It's been hard, especially in the beginning," said Kerry Graham, who says she gave up Facebook for Lent. Her boyfriend challenged her to do so, describing her as a "Facebook fiend."

During the first days of Lent, the 23-year-old graduate student admits she had to stop herself from typing the site's Web address nearly every time she checked her e-mail.

Read more...

As a blogger, I understand how hard that could be. I won't try it because I'll definitely fail. Not that I did better with coffee.

Prayer For New Growth

Holy and loving God,

Just as the gardener cares for what he has planted, so we nourish our growth with your tender care.

When our sins and offenses keep us from flourishing and bearing good fruit, you offer us your gift of forgiveness and the chance to begin again.

May our Lenten fast prune us of those habits of word and deed that prevent your grace from flowing in our lives.

May our Lenten prayer fertilize the roots of new growth in holiness.

May our Lenten almsgiving bring forth blossoms of generosity and good will toward all your creation.

Amen.

Source: My church's bulletin.

Taxing The Iraqi Christians

I have heard from different media sources that some Iraqi Christians have started paying protection tax (jizya) to Muslim groups in Iraq. Australian CathNews reports:

As the number of Christians in Iraq continues to dwindle, reports are emerging that those who remain are being forced to pay Ottoman Empire-style poll taxes in order to be guaranteed protection and religious freedom.

AsiaNews reports that Islamic militias in Baghdad and Mosul are now ordering Christians to pay the jizya, a poll tax which dates back to the period of the Ottoman Empire, with money collected being given in alms to mosques.

Read more...

If the news are true, then there won't be many Iraqi Christians left in Iraq very soon.

UPDATE 03/22/2007
I e-mailed Queen Amidala in Basra for more details regarding this rumor. She sent me back this e-mail:

The Christians aren't the only people who are paying jizya to militias or gangs. The rich people and others who hold high positions in government offices pay it too.

I know a person who holds a very high and delicate position in a government office. He was threatened few times by the militias. So, he had to pay jizya to a tribe for his own protection. Otherwise, he or his family members would be either kidnapped or killed. Now, most of his security guards are from the tribe he pays the jizya for.

The rich people are doing the same for their own safety.

Devil In The Church

One Sunday morning, everyone in one bright, beautiful, tiny town got up early and went to the local church.

Before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking about their lives, their families, etc. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.

Soon everyone was evacuated from the church, except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving... seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence. Now this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, "Don't you know who I am?"

The man replied, "Yep, sure do."

Satan asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Nope, sure ain't," said the man.

Satan was a little perturbed at this and queried, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for over 48 years."

Source: Comedy Central

Honoring Al-Fikr Al-Masihi Magazine

With delight, I received the following happy news from Fr. Yousif Thomas:

The Iraqi monthly Al-Fikr Al-Masihi was awarded the 2007 gold medal by the International Catholic Union of the Press.

"Al-Fikr Al-Masihi, published in Arabic, survived the worst of crises in the history of Iraq and it did so by becoming a reference point for all peoples: Muslims, Christians and other religions; and all types of ethnic and language groups," explained the press union.

The title of the monthly translates as Christian Thought.

Read more...

This is a well-deserved honor for a dedicated team of writers and editors who have produced the magazine over the years. I was very young when I started reading the magazine, and I still subscribe to it.

Thank you to the magazine's team in Iraq. God bless you all.

The George Washington Dollar Coin

Last week, I received a chain e-mail claiming the skies are falling and so and so conspiracy theories just because....:

PHILADELPHIA - An unknown number of new George Washington dollar coins were mistakenly struck without their edge inscriptions, including “In God We Trust,” and are fetching around $50 apiece online.

The properly struck dollar coins, bearing the likeness of the nation’s first president, are inscribed along the edge with “In God We Trust,” “E Pluribus Unum” and the year and mint mark. The flawed coins made it past inspectors and went into circulation Feb. 15.
[...]
Bailey said it was unknown how many coins lacked the inscriptions. Ron Guth, president of Professional Coin Grading Service, one of the world’s largest coin authentication companies, said he believes that at least 50,000 error coins were put in circulation.

Read more...



Source: Urban Legends

As with most conspiracy theorists, the original e-mail writer didn't wait for a logical explanation before (s)he wrote the letter, then sent it to everyone on his/her address book, who sent it everyone on their address book -- I simply deleted the letter.

In my opinion, God doesn't need his name printed on any money unless I understood Jesus' words incorrectly. Case closed.

The Repentant Thieves

Here's a story that may become an urban myth:

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. --Burglars have struck twice at the Guyandotte United Methodist Church but the second time they may have remembered that commandment, the one that goes, "Thou shalt not steal."

Thieves first jimmied the church's door locks Monday night and stole about $5,000 worth of sound and office equipment, church treasurer Rocky Frazier said. Then, they broke back the next night and returned everything. "They taketh and the Lord giveth back," Frazier said Friday. "It's like there's a higher power at work."

Whatever the reason, they had a change of heart, said the Rev. Julia Bolling.

"It was either that, or our prayer for grace for them," she said.

Read more...

I have a feeling the thieves were young. They probably returned the stolen items after their parents found out about the church's burglary.