Jos Because

No time for GOD

2012-01-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

...here we are again playing the same old song. New year is here, resolutions made that will only hold for about a month (if even that long) and then back to the same old habits. Change. Everyone wants it. No one wants to work for it. If someone else could do our sit ups for us and we could reap the benefits, that would be great! If someone else could study and we retain the information that would be even better. But we know that, that someone else has to be me and you. We have to make the effort. But in reality that effort is effortless because by our own strengths, will power, intellect..well, we can't do it alone. Look around. There's a reason why you're not the only person on this planet. There are over 7 billion people on the earth. And why so many people? ...besides the obvious pro-creation response.

NO ONE, wants to be alone. Everyone wants and needs someone else. Realistically we need other people; we need one another. If we go to the supermarket we need someone to have opened up. When we go to the aisles we need someone to have placed the items we are purchasing in their corresponding places. When we go to check out we need a cashier to ring up our items. and I can go on and on and on. You get the point. When we imagine that we have accomplished anything and everything 100% by our own accord we are living a lie. The reason we reason is by God's grace of giving us intelligence. Teamwork. God and you, you and God.

We are spiritual beings living in physical bodies but we live as if we're physical beings heading toward nothingness. We invest in stocks and 401K's but never in our eternity. No matter your religion, people don't take time out...not even for an hour, to pray, go to mass, adoration, go to service, stop by your place of worship or just stop and be thankful to God.

But we have time to plan a vacation, go see a game, watch endless hours of tv, work endless hours, hang out at clubs 'til 5AM but no time for the person we are to spend the real rest of our life with.

Why are we disconnected? Should we care? Does it matter? It's important to take time off and relax. But how we choose to do that is also important. I always say you can't complain if you don't vote. If you don't give to God then don't complain to him. Every relationship requires commitment, time, effort and love to be invested in it. If not, it's just not going to work. And this relationship is a no brainer. A win-win.

Ask anyone who's seen someone on their deathbed or near it. Look it up on YouTube. There are millions of testimonies that if they could go back and change one thing it would be dedicating more time to God. Through prayer, through loving the family more, in a nutshell; an everyday awareness of the presence of God. God never forgets about us but he does give us free will to live with him or without him. Really simple. Very basic. Heaven or Hell. It's that basic. We won't discuss purgatory. That's a whole other article.

We live in a country founded, by our Christian forefathers, on the faith of God and now we're trying to erase our Creator. Politically correct they call it. Ba humbug. When you die God is not going to care whether you were politically correct or not, he will ask you if you loved him above all and loved those around you.

We are lacking courageous individuals. We have taken a 'go with the flow' type of attitude. And when we settle for second best we are playing ourselves short of the glorious things God has in store for us. Everyone is walking around in emptiness. No purpose. Everything is a repetitive behavior and we expect new results. We must change to get new results. We must make an effort. And this New Year I challenge all to make time for God in whatever way you feel most comfortable at first. I promise that you won't regret it. And it will change your life for the better forever. Guaranteed. No warranty required.

Happy New Year and God Bless us all.

Peace.

Accion De Gracias

2011-11-14T18:02:00.000-05:00

Dar gracias a Dios por todo. Pedid y el te lo dara. Si no te lo da, es porque se va glorificar en ti de otra manera. Es dificil aceptar. Dificil entender. Si rezas el te lo demostrara.

Thanksgiving....

PURITY - not for the weak at heart...

2011-09-10T22:31:00.000-04:00

No, my dear brethren, this gracious virtue of purity is not known to those young men whose eyes and hands are defiled by glances and...Oh God, how many souls does this sin drag down to Hell...This beautiful virtue is not known to those worldly and corrupt girls who make so many preparations and take so many cares to draw the eyes of the world towards themselves, who by their affected and indecent dress announce publicly that they are evil instruments which hell makes use of to ruin souls--those souls which cost so much in labors and tears and torments to Jesus Christ.

Look at them, these misfortunates, and you will see that a thousand devils surround their heads and their breasts. An even more astounding thing to understand is how their mothers endure them in a state unworthy of a Christian.

I would tell these mothers they are worth no more than their daughters.

-- St. John Vianney

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.htm#11#ixzz1XbcnF5F2

Seek and you shall find the truth which your soul yearns to find and fill your heart with heaven's eternal treasures. -Jos

St. Benedict - FOUNDER OF WESTERN MONASTICISM

2011-07-11T20:19:00.004-04:00

Feast Day:	July 11
Born:	480, Norcia (Umbria, Italy)
Died:	21 March 547 at Monte Cassino, Italy
Canonized:	1220
Major Shrine:	Monte Cassino Abbey, with his burial Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, near Orléans, France Sacro Speco, at Subiaco, Italy
Patron of:	Against poison, Against witchcraft, Cavers, Civil engineers, Coppersmiths, Dying people, Erysipelas, Europe, Farmers, Fever, Gall stones, Inflammatory diseases, Italian architects, Kidney disease, Monks, Nettle rash, Schoolchildren, Servants who have broken their master's belongings, Speliologists, Spelunkers, Temptations

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

2011-06-17T00:14:00.001-04:00

Just when you think you know a little something, Jesus steps in and reminds you that what you know is a speck of dust in comparison to all that heaven contains. The Lord is infinite while we are finite. It is our souls that are infinite if we remain under the grace of God. Follow the yellow brick road... don't follow Toto.

The body dies when the soul departs; but the soul dies when God departs.
-- St. Augustine

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.htm#ixzz1PVECyf8S

Divine Mercy Sunday

2011-04-26T18:44:00.000-04:00

So it's about that time again when the great almighty GOD grants us yet ANOTHER opportunity to wash our souls of things we don't even have a clue about. Oh if we could catch a glimpse of our true selves, trust, it's not a pretty picture ( myself included ). But how awesome is our GOD that he provides infinite ways in which we can be saved.

Saved??? Some of you might be asking, saved from what? I'm good. Well as it stands now if Jesus were to come down on that cloud today...oh...most of us would be heading straight to hell if it weren't for the small devout faithful (and it's a very small number) who pray for the world incessantly. Thank GOD and Amen to them. So take a moment this week, go to confession ( and really ask for a soulful conversion ), attend mass this Sunday and take in that precious gift of the eucharist (body and blood of our Lord for those that have been M.I.A.).

And instead of taking an extra shot at da club/bar this weekend and waking up feeling the same or worse, try something different. Try something that'll last an eternity. It'll do your soul plenty of good. You can thank Jesus later :-)

Click here for more info DIVINE MERCY NOVENA ...

Free the Suffering Souls

2011-03-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

...continuing this theme of the Souls in Purgatory I came across this following prayer which was revealed to St. Gertrude the Great by our Lord. Everytime that this prayer is recited 1000 SOULS will be RELEASED from PURGATORY!

Please Pray. I thank you, God will eternally bless you and the souls will pray for you and your loved ones forever. I posted in English and Spanish.

"Eternal Father,

I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,

in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,

for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

for sinners everywhere,

for sinners in the Catholic Church,

those in my own home and within my family.

Amen."

" Padre Eterno,

te ofrezco la preciosisima sangre de tu

Divino Hijo Jesus,

en union con las misas celebradas hoy dia

a traves del mundo por todas las benditas almas del purgatorio, por todos los pecadores del mundo, por los pecadores en la Iglesia Catolica,

por aquellos en mi propia casa y

dentro de mi familia.

Amen."

For more info click on the following link > www.sufferingsouls.com

Real Women for Real Times

2011-03-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

There's the truth and then there's the lie. During these 'modern' times as women we are lead to believe (dare I say it, brainwashed!) so many different things. The world tells you what to do, how to be, what to wear, how to be happy...well, try this on for size; why not research and discover the truth for yourself. instead of having someone else tell you. Don't be fooled by the world, don't get lost in it like I was... Jesus is the truth, what what!!!!! If you want self respect, dignity, true love, a fulfilling life and ultimately the salvation of your soul follow that truth that speaks from deep within. That 'gut' feeling we all get is really called the Holy Spirit (wink) guiding you in the right direction. Don't take my word for it. Trust, your life will begin to have true meaning and you and your loved ones will be all the better for it.

Matthew 7:7

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

May the Lord bless all of you.

The Catholic View for Women will air its first full episode Friday, March 11th on EWTN (check your local cable listings). Below is a interview clip from EWTN with the amazingly witty, intelligent and faith filled women who will be hosting this show. They are on point!

For more info visit the website by clicking on either title above.

Everlasting Life or Condemnation?

2011-02-21T18:48:00.000-05:00

HEAVEN AND PURGATORY

...and when we each the end, will we be certain that we have done all in our will to have completed what was required in order to gain access to eternal heaven...

...I rather be certain that I tried all I could instead of getting there and realizing it's too late to make up for loss time...

...hell is a reality.

for more info...
http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2heavn.htm

TRUTH

2011-01-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

God grants us so many opportunities to take the blindfolds off our eyes. How many times will he have to call us until we respond? We are nothing but a speck of dust without the mercy of God in our souls.

Would you rather die hoping you won't go to hell or die knowing, without a doubt, that you're going to heaven...

Receive the blessings of the United Hearts.

The Angelus

2010-12-20T21:31:00.001-05:00

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Annunciation & Advent

2010-12-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

Annunciation

Advent

: the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by Christians as a season of prayer and fasting

a : the coming of Christ at the Incarnation

Keep Christ in Christmas!

Love

2010-11-30T01:25:00.002-05:00

"Don't let anyone tell you you're not important or that you have no influence"

- Mother Angelica, EWTN Network

One of the best ways to preach is by not preaching at all. Our actions, how we live our lives, should be clear examples of God in our lives, Jesus in our hearts and the Holy Spirit in our walk.

Jesus says... “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18).

Love is the key word in both commandments. When we truly love, as God loves us, we then love through a spiritual grace and not by our own human definition of love. "The kind of wholehearted love Jesus is talking about is charity (agape), which means loving God for his own sake and all others for his sake, and doing so not by human strength, but with the divine love that is poured into our heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). When we love others with charity, we love God through them. Our every loving act towards them becomes an expression of our love for God."
-Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, www.crossroadsinitiative.com

If you're unclear, repeat this phrase (or one that comes from your heart) asking for understanding of what this means for you.

"Come Holy Spirit, show me the love that God has for me"

John 3:16 ""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

God Bless and Receive the Blessing of the United Hearts.

...josbecause

Dios

2010-10-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

The Lord has entered my life in a very special way...I am changed forever...

DOMINICANA AMERICANA

2010-08-15T19:00:00.004-04:00

Growing up my memories of Dominican Republic are warm, strong and vivid. My New York memories are hard like the brick and concrete of our Brooklyn brownstone. My heart throughout the years turned cold and frigid like the winter snow storms in Upper Manhattan aka Wash Heights. But one trip to Dominican Republic and all that coldness, harshness was quickly washed over with the warmth of the sun and the love of my people.

I've always felt equally American and Dominican but every time that plane landed in Dominican Republic (and we had to walk from the runway to the airport back then) my family and friends never hesitated to remind me that I was the "Americanita". My cousins wanted to hang out with us because we spoke English. They wanted to go to the dance club, AMBIS, because we could show off all the new dances we knew and they loved the attention. And of course, we had the good old American dollar, "Dolares" which in the 80s was a pretty big deal.

Waking up to the sounds of roosters, pigs and goats is something you just have to experience. I'm not even going to try to describe it. My grandfather use to get up before the sun. He'd feed the chickens and milk the cows with his cousin Paulino. He use to bring in the milk in those clear light blue bottles like the ones the milkmen use to leave out front in the houses on the Saturday morning cartoons. Since he had just milked it, it was still warm and it had that thick creamy layer on top. My grandmother would boil it for us and grate that dark chocolate bar in it because they didn't have chocolate powder. I miss those mornings. No worries in the world. We learned how to pick coffee, lemon, peanuts, avocados and of course, platanos. I remember being harshly reminded that I wasn't purely Dominican by my grandmother.

One summer afternoon as she cooked, she realized she needed cilantro. She told me to go to the conuco and get her some. I did. When I got to the far end of the 'conuco' (family farm) I realized that I had no clue what I was looking for. Fearing the worst I grabbed the first green leaves I saw growing out of the soil and took them back to my grandmother. Well, I'll never forget the look on her face. She laughed at first and then seemed upset. Told me, "E'to' muchacho de Nueva York no saben na'" translated loosely - We New York kids had no clue about nothing. That summed it up pretty much. She then proceeded to walk me back to the 'conuco' and show me what cilantro looked like. Needless to say that I can pretty much close my eyes and pick cilantro out from the supermarket just by smelling it these days. I will never forget cilantro. But the memory stays. I was still American in my parents country trying to learn to be Dominican and when I returned to New York I was Dominican trying to be American. It was a lose - lose situation.

The country is different now. More city like but still carrying the essence of what was. Tourism has become a major source of income. Especially catering to singles looking for a good time. Prostitution is at an all time high; drugs and violence are more prevalent than before. There are still those who visit and learn about the culture, history and the struggle of the people. A struggle that was non existent before Columbus decided to run rampant on foreign soil. But thus is history; invade, divide and conquer. That's another story.

It is still a part of me. A piece of my heart remains permanently in, what I consider, my homeland; Dominican Republic. When I am there, no matter how many times they call me ' Americanita' my soul still feels complete there. When I close my eyes I breathe and it breathes with me. Many of my transitional stages happened there. My first kiss, my first drink, my first many things. If you know me, if you really know me, you know that having concentrated on Dominican studies in College was very personal to me. I concentrated on literature, poetry, history and culture. I realized how rich we were as a culture and how much of that information is not dispersed to the masses. And that goes for all 'third world' countries which were not third world until foreigners stole everything and raped the people of its resources.

But I am equally American. A New Yorker at heart.

America is young. Still learning from its mistakes. Still growing. Yet I remain hopeful because I've seen the coldness turned into warmth from the people in it. A new generation that refuses to remain ignorant. That sees past color and sees character because trust, times have not changed and we are still living in a very cruel and prejudice world. This is what I hope I've offered this country being first generation American. This is what I know I've given to New York. The warmth from my parents homeland, my homeland at heart. So whenever I'm in New York, it gets the warmth of Dominican Republic from my heart and when I'm in Dominican Republic I remind it that I love and respect it. And although I am just revisiting, I will always honor its history and will not run rampant on its soil.

Because at the end of the day I am both; American and Dominican, a human being at heart.

Things Always Get Worse Before They.....

2010-06-20T23:32:00.000-04:00

...get better. Fact. Just hang in there...it's worth the wait.

Thoughts...

2010-05-23T11:03:00.002-04:00

Don't ever kick somebody if they're already on the floor.

It's inhumane.

love
josbecause.

NYC, Washington Heights

2010-02-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

The sounds of the trains...

Dominoes being played on street corners...

and the beautiful sight of the George Washington Bridge ,which I use to see from where I lived.

Saint VALENTINES Day

2010-02-14T16:40:00.002-05:00

Saint Valentine, click for wikipedia definition

Valentines Day has different meanings for all of us but one fact remains true. Love is the glue of our lives.

We do things we love, we love to love and without it there would be no existence.

We must love to exist.

Without it we would live in constant war and eventually eliminate our existence on this earth.

Mark my words.

Yeah, I gets spiritual.

Happy VDAY yall!

HELP HAITI HEAL

2010-01-19T21:22:00.002-05:00

If you're not sure where to go to donate or if you'd like to volunteer here is a website that will point you in the right direction
www.networkforgood.org

Don't miss your calling...God is watching our hearts.

I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

2009-10-13T23:54:00.002-04:00

CHANGE

2009-09-16T18:48:00.005-04:00

It's hard at first. You can't hesitate. Can't contemplate on it too much.

You gotta just go. Just go. Don't look back. Trust that God has your back.

It's hard at first. But get ready, set and jump with your heart open.