"... when to stop."

"You must also have a sense when to stop." - Gary Kasparov, in the book "How Life Imitates Chess".


- In all things, know there are limits. A person who lives as if freedom is an absolute value is either hopelessly naive or an incorrigible fool. - Father Soc.

The world ...

"The world is so constructed that, if you wish to enjoy its pleasure, you must also endure its pains." - Anonymous.

- One comes with the other, sooner or later. - Father Soc.

Our Differences ...

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences." - Audre Lorde.

"When uniqueness is seen as a threat rather than as gift, you know there's a lot of growing up to do" - Father Soc.

“Depression”

- “Depression is nourished by a lifetime of ungrieved and unforgiven hurts. “ – Penelope Sweet.

“In life, getting hurt is a given. Therefore, learn how to grieve and to forgive: the earlier, the better for you and for others.” – Father Soc.

“Judging someone..”

“When you judge someone, you don’t define them, you define yourself.” – Wayne Dyer.

“One’s rash judgments often reveal the kinks in one’s armor.” – Father Soc.

“Seeing …”

“We don’t see things as they are: we see things as we are.” – Anais Nin.

- The traits we quickly criticize in people are often the very traits we have ourselves. – Father Soc.

“Not everything …”

“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”- Albert Einstein.

- “Don’t be deceived, not all that glitters is gold.”- Father Soc.

“To adore and obey”

“I was not born to be free. I was born to adore and obey.”- C.S. Lewis in ‘Breakfast Table and other Reminiscences.’

- “To adore and obey God – this is freedom! – Father Soc.

“Gratefulness”

“The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” – David Stendl-Rast.

- “The thankful are happy because gratitude is the mother of joy.”- Father Soc.

“… our own best friends …”

“We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our worst enemies.” – Roderick Thorp (September 1, 1936 – April 28, 1999)

- “Love yourself the way Jesus loves you …” – Father Soc.

“Change …”

“Things don’t change. You change your way of looking, that’s all.” – Carlos Castaneda (25 December 1925 – 27 April 1998).

- “Only a heart that ponders is afforded a change in perspective.” – Father Soc.

“Hell …”

“It’s not a question of God ‘sending’ us to Hell. In each of us there is something growing up which will of itself be Hell unless it is nipped in the bud.”- C. S. Lewis.

- In the Gospel, Jesus warns us about anger. When not properly acknowledged and handled, it can create a ‘hell’ of bitterness and violence. – Father Soc.

“Being powerful ...”

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are -- you aren’t.” – Margaret Thatcher.

- A guide: the more self-conscious of power, the more suspect! – Father Soc.

“The pursuit of happiness…”

- “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” – Guillaume Apollinaire, French poet.

- What you desire for is already within you.” – Father Soc.

“Die…”

- “Die before you die. There is no chance after.” C. S. Lewis in “Till We Have Faces.”

- Willingly welcome the daily chances to ‘die’ to ego. Herein lies wisdom.”- Father Soc.

“.. a matinee idol mayor”

- “If you elect a matinee idol mayor, you’re going to have a musical comedy administration.” – Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981)

- With our present crop of senators, expect a circus. – Father Soc.

“Nothing is lost.”

“Nothing is really lost. It’s just where it doesn’t belong.” – Suzanne Mueller.

- The mark of a healthy, honest to goodness spirituality is that it does not reject any part of our humanity. It simply allows Grace to put each and every part of who we are where it belongs. – Father Soc.

“… survive a defeat.”

“You’ve got to learn to survive a defeat. That’s when you develop character.” – Richard M. Nixon.

- Learn to handle pain. It brings depth and spiritual literacy. – Father Soc.

“.. rejoice.”

“We all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to rejoice.” – C. S. Lewis.

- Rejoicing amidst life’s realities is not a suggestion, it is a mandate.- Father Soc.

“A good traveler …”

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”- Lao Tzu

- As it is with traveling, so it is with life. A good traveler knows that while arrivals are indeed important, it is just as essential to enjoy the journey’s twists and turns. – Father Soc.

 

“Work…”

“The work will always be there but if we do not rest and pray, we will not have the presence to do our work.” – Teresa of Calcutta

- Work, yes; but with serenity. – Father Soc.

“A mother…”

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” – Tenneva Jordan.


How great our moms are! You are great because of her! – Father Soc.

“… the ideal of service.”

“It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service.” – Albert Einstein.

Authentic love serves. You are called to serve! – Father Soc.

“Not to oppose error …”

“Not to oppose error is to approve it, and not to defend the truth is to suppress it; and indeed to neglect to confound evil men – when we can do it – is as sinful as to encourage them.” – Pope St. Felix III.

To the candidates I say: You shall not steal. The only moral way to assume your power is through the vote that is cast wisely and freely and counted honestly and respectfully. It is not enough not to steal. It is imperative that we also prevent stealing victory in elections. – Father Soc.

(Father Soc’s Message on the 10 May 2010 Elections)

“The beginning of wisdom…”

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”- Chinese Proverb.

- We often get this one mixed up. The goal of the spiritual life is divine union not personal or private wholeness. John’s metaphor of the vine and the branches rightly defines perfection as union rather than achievement. – Father Soc.

“The right word and almost the right word…”

“The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug.” – Mark Twain.

- Endeavor to choose your words well! Love “demands” it. Say the truth but don’t be without love! – Father Soc.

“..dancing in the rain.”

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass… it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” – Anonymous.

- There are some realities that we have to accept. So dance! – Father Soc

 

"A good rule ..."

" A good rule for going through life is to keep the heart a little softer than the head." - Anonymous.

A hard head and a cold heart never accomplish much. - Father Soc

"The truly spiritual . . ."

"The truly spiritual are spontaneous lovers of life." - Fulton J. Sheen.

- "Don't put these off for tomorrow: live, laugh and love now. It's later than you think." - Father Soc

“…Can’t cross the sea…”

“You can’t cross the sea merely by staring at the water.” – Rabindranath Tagore

- “You’ll have to risk wind and storm. You can’t be playing safe all the time.” – Father Soc

“Laughter …”

“Laughter is an instant vacation.” – Milton Berle

“Take time to laugh and to handle things with lightness of heart. Life isn’t perfect but it still is wonderful!” – Father Soc

“ … wherever I find myself.”

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself”- Maya Angelou.

- First, find home within you so you will be at home wherever you go. – Father Soc.

“Forgiveness …”

“Forgiveness liberates the soul. That is why it is such a powerful weapon. “ – Nelson Mandela.


- “ When I forgive, I not only begin to free the other person from the role of villain; I begin to free myself from the role of victim. The process of liberation begins with a ‘change of eyes.’ – Father Soc

“Love lost …”

Love lost is still love. It takes a different form, that’s all. When senses weaken another heightens: memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it and hold it. You dance with it.” – Mitch Albom

- The memory of betrayal becomes the inspiration for love’s renewal. As it was for Peter, so it is for us. – Father Soc

“Men are failures …”

“Men are failures, not because they are stupid, but because they are not sufficiently impassioned.” – Struthers Burt

- Well, if you have to do something, then do it with ‘gusto’! Passion convinces … – Father Soc

"...God's Grace carries."

"They travel lightly whom God's Grace carries." - Thomas a Kempis


- "Let grace carry you, life's burdens weren't meant to be borne by frail human shoulders alone." - Father Soc

“… your focus…”

“Your focus determines your reality.” – Qui-Gon Jinn

- Avoid pettiness, focus on the fundamentals. Many things that upset us are best ignored. – Father Soc.

“… because I love.”

“Everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”- Leo Tolstoy.

- Without love, life would be totally incomprehensible and utterly ridiculous.” – Father Soc

“…God’s outburst!”

“Whatever God does, the first outburst is always compassion.” – Meister Ekhart

- Whether it is God hearing the cries of Hi oppressed people in Egypt or Jesus with the woman caught in adultery, we see God’s Mercy consistently affirmed throughout Scripture. Praise God for His Mercy! – Father Soc

“… God exists …”

“Of course, the Christian God exists. He is so absurd, no one could have invented Him!” – Russian Orthodox Archbishop Anthony Bloom.

-If you were to invent a God, you could do a lot better than the broken God on Calvary. But Jesus reveals a God who is at our mercy: a victim, vulnerable and weak.” – Father Soc

- for Mercy Sunday

“… fear of depth.”

“People today are in every way prevented from getting inside themselves. Our greatest problem is fear of depth.” – Thomas Merton

- “Cultivate depth.” – Father Soc

“.. the power of love …”

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, there will be true peace.” – Sufi

- Lord, spare our nation from those who want to gain power at any cost. – Father Soc

“.. to risk the unusual…”

“If you aren’t willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the usual.” – Jim Rohn

-Uniqueness may bring loneliness but mediocrity begets unhappiness. – Father Soc

“The great man …”

“The great man is he who has not lost the heart of a child.” – Mencius

-Three principles to live by: Simplify your life. Keep needs to the minimum. Be thankful. – Father Soc

“What is beautiful…”

“What is beautiful is good and what is good will soon also be beautiful.” – Sappho.

- Often what is good for us may not immediately seem beautiful. In time, it does. – Father Soc

“The Resurrection …”

“The Resurrection is God’s ‘Amen’ to Christ’s statement - ‘It is finished.’” – S. Lewis Johnson.

-Jesus is risen! Easter is a gift and a mission. We must live as a risen people! – Father Soc.

- sent on Easter Sunday.



Also: (Read “WE ARE AN EASTER PEOPLE”- Message of His Excellency Most Reverend Socrates B. Viilegas, Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan for the people of God). For the Pangasinan Free Translation, click HERE.

The priest …

“The priest will not understand the greatness of his office until he is in heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love” – St. John Mary Vianney.

Happy feast day!

- sent on Holy Thursday, in commemoration of the institution of the priesthood.