Musical Retreat with John Michael Talbot

Please join this retreat by listening to this playlist by this amazing Fransiscan monk.

This playlist (40 songs) from John Michael Talbot is provided by youtube's user ChristMyLight. God bless him.

TO get started, grab yourself a comfortable chair ans start watching the convert.

Read this quote from a book by Dan O'Neil: "Signatures: The Story of John Michael Talbot"

As the house lights gradually faded to a dim glow, silence cloaked the hall. The melodious notes of the skilfully played instrument suddenly filled the air and a long, narrow shaft of light pierced the darkness, falling on the robed figure that leaned into the microphone with closed eyes and uplifted face.

"Sing alleluia to the Wonderful Counselor..." the voice drifted through the place like sweet incense. More than eighteen hundred listeners hung on everyword, every note, until the song concluded, then roared in unrestrained approval. Flash bulbs and strobes poped by the score.

"I hope you didn't come here this evening to be entertained. I left that business about ten years ago." Smiling, he paused a moment and urged, "Let us enter into the presence of God in the song. Saint Augustine said, 'He who sings well, prays twice.'"

Ephesians 5

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25






Happy Anniversary, my love.

What is that in your hand?

Rick Warren, a pastor and an author of best-selling book, reflects on his own crisis of purpose in the wake of his book's wild success. He explains his belief that God's intention is for each of us to use our talents and influence to do good. His talk at TED is very inspiring.

I know he has been attacked by both Catholics (by having Protestant values) dan Protestants (by 'getting too close' to Catholicism). However, watch the video clip below, and tell me if his message doesn't struck a cord in your heart.



God bless him.

Advent 2009 - Exmas and Crissmas

It is the time of the year again. Silly season, as some people might say. Christmas mostly means shopping, vacation, presents and parties. I like to quote from C.S. Lewis on his writing “Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus.”. Note that Niatirbians = Britainians = us.

“In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound, (the Niatirbians) have a great festival called Exmas, and for 50 days they prepare for it (in the manner which is called,) in their barbarian speech, the Exmas Rush.

“When the day of the festival comes, most of the citizens, being exhausted from the (frenzies of the) Rush, lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much as on other days, and crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas, they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and the reckoning of how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine.

“(Now a) few among the Niatirbians have also a festival, separate and to themselves, called Crissmas, which is on the same day as Exmas. And those who keep Crissmas, doing the opposite to the majority of Niatirbians, rise early on that day with shining faces and go before sunrise to certain temples where they partake of a sacred feast.”

I like to be able to be prepared for Crissmas, not Exmas. Advent means coming or arrival. What is coming? The invasion of grace, the arrival of the Redeemer, the Great Mystery where The Big Boss humbling Himself, becomes like one of His creation in order to save them.

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

I just watched a video clip of Benjamin Zander, a musical conductor, on possibilities. It is very inspiring, full of meaningful quotes and beautiful music.

Watch it here.




Benjamin mentioned that Bach at the end of his music pieces, always noted "AMDG", For The Greater Glory Of God. Benjamin called it : possibilities. He said that we have to see ourselves as a big marble stone, which has to be carved to create a masterpiece sculpture. Every one has the possibilities ( "No one is tone deaf"). Well said! We are created in God's image and by His breath. God's plan for us is HUGE (i.e. big stone, possibilities). Then it is up to us to realize the potentials. Always strive for the GREATER glory of God.


Of course this reminds me on the Ignatian's First Principle and Foundation:


Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord and by this means to save his soul.

Other things are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created.

Thus one must use other created things in so far as they help towards one’s end, and free oneself from them in so far as they are obstacles to one’s end.

To do this we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no prohibition.

Thus as far as we are concerned, we should not want
health more than illness,
wealth more than poverty,
fame more than disgrace,
a long life more than a short one,
and similarly for all the rest,
but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created.


Modern interpretation (as paraphrased by David L. Fleming S.J.):

The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God insofar as they help us develop as loving persons. But if any of these gifts becomes the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in a balance before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice and are not bound by some obligation. We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening his life in me.

Carpe diem!

On Eagle's Wings

In his excellent meditation on the Psalms, Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis says, "What must be said, however, is that the Psalms are poems, and poems are intended to be sung: not doctrinal treatises, nor even sermons. . . . Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licences and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood...."

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Ave Maria

This is May, the month of St Mary. The Priests just performed in Sydney a couple days ago. I can't go and have to satisfy myself with the YouTube video below:

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tuae, Jesus.
Ave Maria

Ave Maria
Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Ora, ora pro nobis
Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis
In hora mortis nostrae
In hora mortis nostrae
In hora mortis nostrae
Ave Maria

It's been a while

Yeah, it's been a while since my last post.

I read few books on happiness, and will share some of the learned wisdoms on my future posts. Meanwhile I have been busy with my work and my family. I found that in times of sorrow, I can always be cheerful again by drawing the happiness energy from my family and from my Faith. It is like no-limit saving account. Now I sound like a very religious person which I am not. However by submitting myself to Him, I know I never walk alone.

This song moved me when I attended the Ash Wednesday mass few weeks ago.


We rise again from ashes,
From the good we've failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
To let you make us new.
If all our world is ashes,
Then must our lives be true,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You.
We offer you our failures,
We offer you attempts,
The gifts not fully given,
The dreams not fully dreamt,
Give our stumblings direction,
Give our visions wider view,
An offering of ashes,
An offering to You.
Then rise again from ashes,
Let healing come to pain,
Though spring has turned to winter,
And sunshine turned to rain,
The rain we'll use for growing,
And create the world anew,
From an offering of ashes,
An offering to You.

Text and music Tom Conry, ©1978 New Dawn Music;
OCP Publications, 1997


Veni Creator Spiritus