At last, here she is…
Meleana Grace Soratorio Dyogi, weighing in at 6lbs. 3 oz. Born on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 5:12pm by the grace of God.
Thank you again for your prayers. It was an amazing experience to finally see the little one who had been growing inside of me for nine months! I couldn’t hold back the tears when she was born because we had gone through so much together to get to this point. Life is so precious, and we are very blessed to have the opportunity to participate in God’s marvelous gift of creation.
Hi, boys and girls -
I just wanted to let you know that I’m still pregnant…
We thought the baby would be coming soon, but it turns out that the little kiddo changed his/her mind. I will be at home until it’s time to go back to the hospital, so I might have some time to answer some of your questions. Please be patient with me, as there are quite a few students to respond to, but rest assured that you’ll get a response as soon as I can put it up.
I also want to thank you for your prayers. They are helping; I can feel it. I’ve been given much peace during this time of waiting, especially while we were at the hospital, expecting the baby to arrive.
If you have any concerns regarding assignments we were working on before I left, please direct them to Mrs. Fitzpatrick and she will relay them to me. We’ll try to make the transition for you all as smooth as possible.
In the meantime, keep working hard and doing your best at school. We’ll be keeping Mr. B updated, so he’ll let you know once Baby Dyogi arrives (a.k.a., “Denise Jr.”, “Justin”/”Justina”, “Vernon”/”Vernina”, “Kimberly” and other names some of you have given him/her!).
Miss you all…
love and prayers,
Mrs. Dyogi
Jacob M asks: “Why can’t you see angels, demons, and many other spirits?”
Answer: Spirits do not have permanent bodies like we do, so therefore there is nothing material to “see”. However, they can materialize if God allows them to and sometimes appear to people here on earth for various reasons.
The spiritual world is as real as the physical world – it exists and has its own happenings that we are usually unaware of. Spirits move about even more freely than we can and are very busy with their own assignments…good or bad.
I’ve spoken with you about angels and demons appearing (who are not able to keep these “bodies”), but what about the “other spirits” you’re asking about?
These would include the Souls in Purgatory who need our prayers. Often times, “hauntings” are reported but these “ghosts” are not trying to harm you. They are simply stuck in this state of purification and are, in a sense, trying to reach out for help.
Will you, Jacob, be able to see a spirit someday? Maybe. Many people don’t, but then again many people do. To answer your question, we usually can’t see them because we have our own affairs to attend to and we are supposed to be primarily concerned with loving God in complete faith (without being able to see Him either) and loving our neighbor (the people who live and work beside you every day).
Should God give you the grace to see into the spiritual world for a moment – or for a lifetime – He will also give you the direction you need to handle such a great gift.
Dear Parents,
As progress reports come upon us, I would like to offer you a resource from Focus on the Family that you may find helpful when working with your children at home in support of their academics.
Focus on Your Child is a membership program that is designed to help parents bond together, share practical advice, and encourage one another to make the most of the parenting years. If you choose to simply use their website for the articles that pertain to you and your child/ren, then you can always visit http://www.focusonyourchild.com/
Here you can access tips and information from a family-oriented, Christian perspective that guides you as your child’s primary educators. One article in particular that I just sent to a parent is The Secret to Your Child’s Academic Success.
You will notice this menu where you can get more detailed descriptions and read up on some strategies that would benefit you and your child’s academic progress, not only in junior high but into high school as well. It’s worth checking out!
Chiweta asks: “Why did Mary tell Lucia (one of the children from Fatima) to keep what she said secret?”
Answer: The each of the secrets of Fatima were given to the children for a specific time and a specific purpose. If shared at the wrong time to the wrong people, the purpose of the messages may not come to pass as God willed them to be. Mary gave them direction as to when and how to share the secrets, and the visionaries were obedient to her instructions.
These secrets are not meant to determine a set future that cannot be changed, but to warn the world of what may happen if people do not convert and change their ways. In other words, they clue us in to “worst case scenarios” that should prompt us to pray for all sinners, including ourselves.
Those of us who can pray and know what it takes to faithfully follow Christ need to remember that we must fight for souls who do not know God and live their lives offending Him. We were all made to be with the Father in Heaven, not to suffer eternity in hell. Satan works very hard to hurt God by taking His children away from Him, and our Blessed Mother Mary works even harder to keep us on the right path as any good mother would.
Fatima and other apparitions, like Guadalupe and Lourdes, are given to us to remind us of this mission, and it is up to us to answer the call to step up and battle through our prayers…particularly with the Rosary.
Some sites with more information:
Lindsey asks: “Why can’t your guardian angel protect you after you commit a mortal sin if you are hurting your relationship with God, not the angels?”
Answer: “The first and most basic step is to be in the state of grace. For if we are living in the state of mortal sin, we are, in effect, an agent of the devil, as Fr. Hardon puts it. For mortal sin ruptures our relationship with the good angels and puts us in league with the bad angels.”
- excerpt from The Angels and Growth in the Spiritual Life
Your guardian angel is a servant of God. If you make the conscious choice to disobey and offend God in a very serious way, you are rejecting the grace and the protection God offers to you both directly or through your angel.
Our guardian angels never leave us, even if we are in the state of mortal sin. They are always praying for us; even so much more when we separate ourselves from God. While we temporarily lose the privileges we would otherwise have if we were in the state of grace, we can always restore the relationship with God and “free up” our guardian angels when we repent and confess our mortal sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation.
There, of course, are special instances when God’s mercy and providence overcome this broken relationship, and He intervenes despite our sin…particularly when God wants to bring about a major conversion in a person and He knows he/she will have a change of heart when he/she experiences some sort of miracle of protection.
This will remain one of His great mysteries…
ENGLISH UNIT 8 TEST on WEDNESDAY 10/10!
Please study this list!
Your SPELLING/VOCAB TEST will be this FRIDAY 10/12
Since 1972 St. Francis Center has served homeless and near homeless adults and children in the South Park and Garment District neighborhoods of downtown Los Angeles.
The area is a magnent for immigrants lured by employment and affordable rent. Jobs rarely require an education but do not offer minimum wage, benefits, job security, or safe and sanitary conditions.
Before our arrival, this area was a long time haven for homeless men and now women and children, who make up 1/3 to 1/2 of Los Angeles’ homeless population. The homeless residing on Hope Street are fearful of the vice and danger of Skid Row and give up shelter and three square meals a day for the relative safety of our neighborhood and kindness of St. Francis Center.
Opportunities are available in the following areas:
Some of these opportunities occur during the school day, but information is available when families might be free during off-days/vacation times to volunteer together. As students get older, they may feel called to visit St. Francis Center and other sites like it to give of their time in positions that have a minimum age requirement. Parents are definitely encouraged to set an example of service to their children and get involved in the community as often as they can.
Please visit the St. Francis Center website http://www.stfranciscenterla.org/index.htm
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