On the off-chance, here is some good advice ...

The Good Samaritan’s care for the sinner is manifested by a kind of mercy that does not compromise with his sin, just as the physician who wants to help a sick person recover his health effectively does not compromise with his sickness but helps him to get rid of it.

Warning...graphic scenes ahead:

Sometimes we are guilty of this without even realizing it ... we need pray for fore-bearance and understanding, to avoid being overly judgmental and harsh ...

very funny. I just talk to tina about that in my thread lol

Oh, ok ... As I said, this happens to all of us ... just goes to prove that we are only human and always in need of God's graces.

You are referring to the execution scenes?

What's this story I heard about Virgin Mary statues crying and all?

tina, where you heard ?

http://www.christianpost.com/news/vatican-...alaysia-147766/

I'm a sceptic.

Yes

sceptic that vatican will validate as genuine miracles ? or sceptic something else ?

Me too, I wouldn't hold my breath on a quick pronouncement. After all, Rome took about 300+ years to validate Our Lady of Guadalupe. Which is good, because the Church is under no obligation to rush things.

Yes, I did not finish the video.

Been thinking of making a pilgrimage to Fatima though, but have budgetary constraints ... praying for a suitable solution. In God's own time, I suppose.

As the month of November is fast approaching, it is good for us to remember the generosity of the Church at this time - indeed the great mercy that is shown to our departed brothers and sisters. There are two plenary indulgences [applicable only to the poor souls] that we should all try to gain:

1. A plenary indulgence may be obtained under the usual conditions on the commemoration of All Souls by visiting a Church and saying the Our Father and the Creed.

2. A plenary indulgence may be obtained under the usual conditions by those who visit a cemetery from 1-8 November and pray for the faithful departed.

We rightly pray for our departed relatives, friends and benefactors, and have Masses said for them, but during November we should remember the forgotten souls in purgatory as an act of charity, as a practical act of mercy. So many funerals today omit entirely to pray for the deceased person - even in Catholic Churches, this aspect of the funeral is often played down in favour of fond reminiscences which would be better left to the reception afterwards.

There are many poor souls in purgatory who will be eternally grateful (eternally, remember) for the prayers that you offer for the Holy Souls during November. They will thank God that someone at least has realised what their greatest need is, and helped them when they cannot help themselves.

Those among you who have all the virtues in a heroic degree will also have the virtue of humility and hope, and will not presume on final perseverance, of course. After your canonisation, the Lord in His infinite mercy will apply the suffrages offered for you to some poor bloke in purgatory whose funeral was a "Celebration of the life of..." in which people learnt that he liked a drink and a bet on the horses.

For the rest of us, November is a good time for us to remember that we will one day be most grateful for prayers offered for the Holy Souls. In the meantime, being aware of our mortality, and the eternity that we will face, helps us to set our lives in order and lessen the time that we will have to spend being purified of our sins.

--Fr. T. Finnigan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him, and saying, Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? 26But he said to him: What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27He answering, said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said to him: Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour?

30And Jesus answering, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. 31And it chanced, that a certain priest went down the same way: and seeing him, passed by. 32In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. 33But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with compassion. 34And going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Take care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee. 36Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers? 37But he said: He that shewed mercy to him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner.

Mark 10: 2-16

"Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' Jesus answered them, 'What did Moses command you?' They said, 'Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.'

But Jesus said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.'

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. Jesus said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.'

People were bringing little children to him in order that Jesus might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them: for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.'

And Jesus took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.