What it means to be man fully alive... This question have gone beyond this past semester but even into first semester and I have spent a lot of time putting this together and cutting things out and this is what I believe man fully alive is..
Man fully alive is Christ, most people say that it is impossible to be Christ and they would be right but God doesn't want us to be Christ, he wants us to be like him. God wants us to get in the morning "God I love you and live to spread your name'' and after eating a healthy breakfast, he would want us to go out, wherever it may be, and spread the word of God. God doesn't expect us to all become Pope, he just wants us to love him the same way he loves us. I believe a great example of this is Mr. Cole.
Mr. Cole is and has been a married man for quite a while now and he recently just had a kid. Him being a father now has not affected his faith in any negative way in fact I believe that his faith has grown. Mr. Cole has always taught theology in a encouraging manner and what I mean By that is everyday we talk about theology, it is as if it is not even his job to do so, I can really tell that he loves teaching theology and teaches it as if Jesus was in the class with us. Although his voice can put a crying baby to sleep, he never falls short of enthusiasm. Ever since he found out he was going to have a child, he has been trying new things for us to learn about Catholicism. He takes us in the computer lab now for religious debates, we write blogs now, and we use a system now that gives us little in class award points when we do something good. This is why I see Mr. Cole as man fully alive, he goes beyond a teaches expectations and tries a variety of different ways on us so that we can learn about God.
In conclusion, I know that we would all mess around with this question but I would like to say that Mr. Cole is the best representation I can think of what man fully alive should be.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Great Question
What Does it mean to be Man Fully Alive?
I won't go to the internet for this one. Nor a book or any other person but myself. Because I don't believe that I will find my answer there. I think its already inside of me. Bear with me as I try to dig it out.
First, what does it mean to be alive. To be breathing? To have a heartbeat? I suppose. But wouldn't that make being fully alive just be fully breathing? that doesn't sound like much of a higher purpose. So no there has to be more to it than that. Something beyond the physical, something spiritual.
So what does it meant to be alive in a spiritual sense? I suppose that would mean that one's soul would have to be alive. But what makes a soul live? Can a soul even die? Even if a soul goes too hell, will it not still exist and therefore still be alive? By that definition, I suppose that a man in hell could technically be man fully alive. That can't be right.
There must be more to it for a soul to be "alive" than simply existing. It must be thriving. A man fully alive will have a thriving soul. So what makes a soul thrive? money? power? the highest things the material world has to offer? Plenty of horrible people have died with both of those things, but I would not consider their souls to be thriving. Many of them were not even happy. So I doubt that having a thriving soul has anything to do with material wealth.
So if not material wealth, what is it? I have to think back to people I consider to have been men fully alive. I think about the saints, the apostles, Mr. Cole, and I wonder what they all have in common. First of all they all loved God. They love God. I think there is more to it than that though, they all love God to the point where they want to do something about it. Some gave up their possessions, others their time, many gave up their old ways of life. I believe that these people are men fully alive. I believe that their soulds are thrivingg wiht joy. I believe that that joy comes from God, who is overjoyed by those who do his will.
So that's my answer. A man fully alive is someone who loves God, but also does everything in his power to prove it. He will not always be happy, but he will always be at peace knowing that one day he will enter into eternal satisfaction with God in heaven. That, is a man who is most fully alive.
Good stuff...
I won't go to the internet for this one. Nor a book or any other person but myself. Because I don't believe that I will find my answer there. I think its already inside of me. Bear with me as I try to dig it out.
First, what does it mean to be alive. To be breathing? To have a heartbeat? I suppose. But wouldn't that make being fully alive just be fully breathing? that doesn't sound like much of a higher purpose. So no there has to be more to it than that. Something beyond the physical, something spiritual.
So what does it meant to be alive in a spiritual sense? I suppose that would mean that one's soul would have to be alive. But what makes a soul live? Can a soul even die? Even if a soul goes too hell, will it not still exist and therefore still be alive? By that definition, I suppose that a man in hell could technically be man fully alive. That can't be right.
There must be more to it for a soul to be "alive" than simply existing. It must be thriving. A man fully alive will have a thriving soul. So what makes a soul thrive? money? power? the highest things the material world has to offer? Plenty of horrible people have died with both of those things, but I would not consider their souls to be thriving. Many of them were not even happy. So I doubt that having a thriving soul has anything to do with material wealth.
So if not material wealth, what is it? I have to think back to people I consider to have been men fully alive. I think about the saints, the apostles, Mr. Cole, and I wonder what they all have in common. First of all they all loved God. They love God. I think there is more to it than that though, they all love God to the point where they want to do something about it. Some gave up their possessions, others their time, many gave up their old ways of life. I believe that these people are men fully alive. I believe that their soulds are thrivingg wiht joy. I believe that that joy comes from God, who is overjoyed by those who do his will.
So that's my answer. A man fully alive is someone who loves God, but also does everything in his power to prove it. He will not always be happy, but he will always be at peace knowing that one day he will enter into eternal satisfaction with God in heaven. That, is a man who is most fully alive.
Good stuff...
My Mistake.
So... Why was I irresponsible in Theology Friday?
No excuses. Never before has such an abominable violation of the most sacred classroom rules ever been committed. I dared to joke around instead of appreciating and diligently recording the wonderful amounts of knowledge being presented to me. Furthermore, I disrespected Mr. Cole and wasted precious and irreplaceable class time. I nearly caused one of my dear classmates to fall into the temptation of distractingg by making him laugh in class, forcing him into disunion with Mr. Cole All because I felt the need to use the restroom. I will never know truly what I have lost both in the form of knowledge and time through the deed that I have so very much done.
I must never do it again. I shall stay very focused during class and avoid those things and persons which might lead me to do otherwise. I would like to offer the highest apologies to my teacher, who so generously allowed me to take the punishment, which I so truly deserved, away from my peer, who was an innocent bystander. I hope that, in time, I may be forgiven not only for my sin, but remission from the temporal punishment as well.
No excuses. Never before has such an abominable violation of the most sacred classroom rules ever been committed. I dared to joke around instead of appreciating and diligently recording the wonderful amounts of knowledge being presented to me. Furthermore, I disrespected Mr. Cole and wasted precious and irreplaceable class time. I nearly caused one of my dear classmates to fall into the temptation of distractingg by making him laugh in class, forcing him into disunion with Mr. Cole All because I felt the need to use the restroom. I will never know truly what I have lost both in the form of knowledge and time through the deed that I have so very much done.
I must never do it again. I shall stay very focused during class and avoid those things and persons which might lead me to do otherwise. I would like to offer the highest apologies to my teacher, who so generously allowed me to take the punishment, which I so truly deserved, away from my peer, who was an innocent bystander. I hope that, in time, I may be forgiven not only for my sin, but remission from the temporal punishment as well.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Penance
Penance is the
consequence to our sin that we must serve. Although Baptism washes away our
sins, it doesn’t make us perfect, only God can be perfect. We still and always
will commit sin even after Baptism because it is our human nature, which, due
to the efforts of Original Sins, still suffers from an inclination to sin, we
call this concupiscence. How we serve this penance is first by going to
confession. We receive confession through the sacrament of reconciliation. What
takes place here is that we would go to the Church during the designated time
for confession. We would then go the confession room and confession our sins to
the priest. All priest are different and I say that because lets say you ate being mean to a sibling, one priest may say '' okay
for these sins I want you to say the Lord's prayer for your penance." Another priest my say, " for these sins, I want you compliment your brother everyday for 6 years and pray 5 our fathers daily during this time period." This penance is a little harsh for something like this, you could then go to another priest for a reasonable penance.
The mass in the early Church
We have:
- The Gathering on Sunday
- On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place.
- Reading of the Scriptures
- Here, the memoirs of the Apostles and the writings of the prophets are read. Memoirs meaning the Gospels.
- The Homily
- When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonished and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things, normally the priest.
- Prayers of the Faithful
- Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves and for others, wherever they may be.
- An Offertory
- Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren.
- Eucharistic Prayer
- He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks, in Greek we would call this Eucharistian, that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.
- Reception of the Eucharist
- Last but not least, we have the Reception of the Eucharist. This is when he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give those present the 'eucharisted' bread and wine and water
The Catechumenate
This is a process
that a person must take part in if they wish to become a part of the Church.
They are instructed in the teachings of the Faith and prepared for the
Sacraments of Initiation. These new member would customary be initiated at the
Easter Vigil, the night before the commemoration of Christ's Resurrection. This
isn't a Sacrament but it is essential if one wishes to take part on the
Sacraments.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Sacraments
The sacraments were
given to us for 3 reasons:
- To sanctify man
- To build up the Body of Christ
- To worship God
Through these
Sacraments helps us to grow in our faith and to grow closer to God. Why
sacraments though? God instituted Sacraments because this is his way of
dispensing his Grace to us. I will be talking about one sacrament in particular which is the sacrament of Baptism.
I want to talk about Baptism because our teacher just had a baby and went or will be reviving this Sacrament. We see Jesus get baptized by St. John at the beginning of his public ministry, this wasn't an efficacious or a sacramental Baptism. This merely symbolized the recipient's desire to live more variously. Sacramental Baptism is a voluntary act of a person indicating his or her repentance from sin. Baptism normally takes place at birth. A priest will take holy water and pour it over the head of the baby. The water symbolizes the Holy water washing away our sins.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Wealth of the Church
Does the Church miss-use its money?
Its good question, and in many ways it can appear that the answer is yes. It is easy to find evidence to support the gluttony of the Church. Simply speak of its massive buildings and the "lavish' lifestyle of the pope and bishops. Simply speak of the Church's "refusal" to spend money on the poor but rather to build bigger cathedrals and renovate the current ones.
There are countless arguments for the Church's misuse of money, however, I only have time to counter the ones mentioned above.
To answer these questions I did some research on the argument.
First, lets talk about the "lavish" lifestyle of the pope. Lets make it clear, the pope himself does not live in a mansion, but in an apartment no larger than ten rooms. The rooms of this apartment are dedicated to the necessities of being a religious man. He has a bedroom, a library, bathrooms, a study, and living rooms. There are no media rooms or indoor pools in this building. The white house on the other hand has all sorts of unnecessary additives including a pool. So why doesn't the president ever come under the same accusations? It is because, just like the pope, the president is elected into office and is allowed to use the public property which comes along with the position, most of it being a necessity for performing the position itself (excluding the pool of course).
Second lets talk about the Church spending "too much money" on Cathedrals and too little on the poor. First of all, let it be said that a Cathedral is a statement of our love for God and a home for his real body and blood. It is really acceptable for a wealthy community to have a small shack of a church where they worship? Doesn't that say something about where they prioritize God in their lives if they go home to a wealthy lifestyle? It there therefore necessary to spend a reasonable amount of money on our churches. But there is more to it than that. Many of the Churches that come under fire are the ancient ones like St. Peter's and Notre Dame. However, the truth is, that when these churches where built, a Cathedral was one of the best investments a medieval town could make. Along with the spiritual aspects, the build site of a cathedral would provide much needed jobs for up to a century. In addition, they became beacons of learning and knowledge in the dark age and would attract pilgrims that would in turn need food and lodging, therefore sustaining the towns income.
Take the Vatican for instance, St. Peter's is nearly a thousand years old. The Church does not nearly have enough funds to build a new one, and even if it did It would not allow the funds. The Vatican merely maintains what it has, which it does on a budget less than that of Harvard University. Furthermore, those that claim the Church does not help the poor should know that the Catholic Church is, among many things, the largest charity organization in the world.
Its good question, and in many ways it can appear that the answer is yes. It is easy to find evidence to support the gluttony of the Church. Simply speak of its massive buildings and the "lavish' lifestyle of the pope and bishops. Simply speak of the Church's "refusal" to spend money on the poor but rather to build bigger cathedrals and renovate the current ones.
There are countless arguments for the Church's misuse of money, however, I only have time to counter the ones mentioned above.
To answer these questions I did some research on the argument.
First, lets talk about the "lavish" lifestyle of the pope. Lets make it clear, the pope himself does not live in a mansion, but in an apartment no larger than ten rooms. The rooms of this apartment are dedicated to the necessities of being a religious man. He has a bedroom, a library, bathrooms, a study, and living rooms. There are no media rooms or indoor pools in this building. The white house on the other hand has all sorts of unnecessary additives including a pool. So why doesn't the president ever come under the same accusations? It is because, just like the pope, the president is elected into office and is allowed to use the public property which comes along with the position, most of it being a necessity for performing the position itself (excluding the pool of course).
Second lets talk about the Church spending "too much money" on Cathedrals and too little on the poor. First of all, let it be said that a Cathedral is a statement of our love for God and a home for his real body and blood. It is really acceptable for a wealthy community to have a small shack of a church where they worship? Doesn't that say something about where they prioritize God in their lives if they go home to a wealthy lifestyle? It there therefore necessary to spend a reasonable amount of money on our churches. But there is more to it than that. Many of the Churches that come under fire are the ancient ones like St. Peter's and Notre Dame. However, the truth is, that when these churches where built, a Cathedral was one of the best investments a medieval town could make. Along with the spiritual aspects, the build site of a cathedral would provide much needed jobs for up to a century. In addition, they became beacons of learning and knowledge in the dark age and would attract pilgrims that would in turn need food and lodging, therefore sustaining the towns income.
Take the Vatican for instance, St. Peter's is nearly a thousand years old. The Church does not nearly have enough funds to build a new one, and even if it did It would not allow the funds. The Vatican merely maintains what it has, which it does on a budget less than that of Harvard University. Furthermore, those that claim the Church does not help the poor should know that the Catholic Church is, among many things, the largest charity organization in the world.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Homeless Man
What should we take out of this interview?
Mr. Cole had a us watch a video (http://youtu.be/AusCA28efa0) today that contained an interview of a homeless person. This man was obviously distraught, he had been searching for a very long time to find a job with little success. He could never leave any way for a company to contact him because he had no phone number. He was forced to rely solely on the generosity of others to survive. This man was humiliated by his way of life. He disliked the disrespect that comes with begging and the label of being called a bum. He began to tear up when he talked about his inability to escape his situation
We can interpret this any way we like, but the fact is that this man is misunderstood. So many people walk by him accusing him of being lazy when in reality he is desperately searching for a job. He even says that he would take any kind of work offered to him, the only problem is that he never gets a job offer. A common stereotype would have us believe that men like him take all the money that they are given and go out and waste it on alcohol and drugs. In this case, we would be very wrong because this man uses his money for food and shelter, not much else.
Furthermore, something that I have come to realize is that there is no excuse for not helping people like that. Even if we worry that our charity will be poorly spent, there are ways around that. Giving out fast food and hotel gift cards are a great way to ensure that the money goes to a productive cause. Donating to the local shelters achieves the same end. But our assumptions should never be an excuse to let someone starve.
Mr. Cole had a us watch a video (http://youtu.be/AusCA28efa0) today that contained an interview of a homeless person. This man was obviously distraught, he had been searching for a very long time to find a job with little success. He could never leave any way for a company to contact him because he had no phone number. He was forced to rely solely on the generosity of others to survive. This man was humiliated by his way of life. He disliked the disrespect that comes with begging and the label of being called a bum. He began to tear up when he talked about his inability to escape his situation
We can interpret this any way we like, but the fact is that this man is misunderstood. So many people walk by him accusing him of being lazy when in reality he is desperately searching for a job. He even says that he would take any kind of work offered to him, the only problem is that he never gets a job offer. A common stereotype would have us believe that men like him take all the money that they are given and go out and waste it on alcohol and drugs. In this case, we would be very wrong because this man uses his money for food and shelter, not much else.
Furthermore, something that I have come to realize is that there is no excuse for not helping people like that. Even if we worry that our charity will be poorly spent, there are ways around that. Giving out fast food and hotel gift cards are a great way to ensure that the money goes to a productive cause. Donating to the local shelters achieves the same end. But our assumptions should never be an excuse to let someone starve.
All Are Welcome
What did I get out of Cardinal Dolan's article
Well, a lot. It was very well written and offered a point of very that is very applicable to the modern world. who does the Church accept? If the answer is everyone, than doesn't that mean the church accepts sin?
What follows was this article's answer to the above questions.
The Church accepts everyone. It loves and respects every single human being. HOWEVER, that does not mean that the church will accept and approve of the actions of every one of its members. Its not much more complicated than that. The church will and is made to love every human being. But Christ's Church, the very church of God, cannot condone sin without losing its very identity. Cardinal Dolan compared story from his childhood with this concept. He spoke of one of his friends who was allowed to have dinner with his family under the condition that he wash his hands, Just as any person is a friend of the church who may be a true productive part of it only if they conform to certain expectations set by the church. This does not mean that sinners are kicked out of the Church. If that were true, we would have an empty church. Rather, it means that if one is to truly take part in the Church in a meaningful way, this person must do everything in his or her power to abide to its rules and expectations, which are in turn, ultimately set by God.
Well, a lot. It was very well written and offered a point of very that is very applicable to the modern world. who does the Church accept? If the answer is everyone, than doesn't that mean the church accepts sin?
What follows was this article's answer to the above questions.
The Church accepts everyone. It loves and respects every single human being. HOWEVER, that does not mean that the church will accept and approve of the actions of every one of its members. Its not much more complicated than that. The church will and is made to love every human being. But Christ's Church, the very church of God, cannot condone sin without losing its very identity. Cardinal Dolan compared story from his childhood with this concept. He spoke of one of his friends who was allowed to have dinner with his family under the condition that he wash his hands, Just as any person is a friend of the church who may be a true productive part of it only if they conform to certain expectations set by the church. This does not mean that sinners are kicked out of the Church. If that were true, we would have an empty church. Rather, it means that if one is to truly take part in the Church in a meaningful way, this person must do everything in his or her power to abide to its rules and expectations, which are in turn, ultimately set by God.
Hardship
Why do Catholics face hardship?
Why are bad things a part of a good Christian's life? First, lets make something absolutely clear: Jesus never promised us easy lives in return for following him. Original sin has corrupted our world. Pain and strife are a part of our everyday lives, no one is exempt from it. It is a common misconception for people to believe that, because they are good Catholics, they therefore should have easy life's. That is only fair after all, isn't it? Doesn't that make sense? Shouldn't the good people have good lives? Not really. Besides, how can someone truly be a good Catholic without hardship. Our faith must be tested if it is to be proven. We must face every challenge with confidence in the lord and the belief that he will see us through it. Hardship builds faith.
That explanation can also answer questions like; "If God loves us so much, why doesn't he just will away our problems when we ask him to?" The answer is confusing, but very true. Sometimes God helps us by not helping us. God sees our problems and are hardships and he pities us with all his heart, but he also sees a greater good. God, in many cases, will see that a problem that we face will only make us stronger, more faithful, and a better person in the long run.
So he allows us to suffer.
Out of his infinite love for us, he allows us to suffer. He allows us to suffer so that one day our suffering will pay off upon entrance into his Kingdom of Heaven.
But is that God is? A bystander who simply realizes that our pain is for the best and is content to let it continue until will die? in my experience, absolutely not. Life is wonderful, it is made more wonderful by the overcoming of challenges and the hard work of the soul. More often than not, God will reward us for our faith long before we enter heaven. I cannot think of a time where I asked God for help with something and one way or another, whether I expected the solution or not, or no matter how long it took, he came through. These are the times that I stuck it out. times I realized that I was being tested and kept on going. Times I did not give up. I also know that I am not the only one, people all over the world have experienced the answer to all our problems: God. These instances are solidifiers of the faith. Events and memories that remind us that God is real and present throughout or lives, and reminders of his infinite love for us.
Why are bad things a part of a good Christian's life? First, lets make something absolutely clear: Jesus never promised us easy lives in return for following him. Original sin has corrupted our world. Pain and strife are a part of our everyday lives, no one is exempt from it. It is a common misconception for people to believe that, because they are good Catholics, they therefore should have easy life's. That is only fair after all, isn't it? Doesn't that make sense? Shouldn't the good people have good lives? Not really. Besides, how can someone truly be a good Catholic without hardship. Our faith must be tested if it is to be proven. We must face every challenge with confidence in the lord and the belief that he will see us through it. Hardship builds faith.
That explanation can also answer questions like; "If God loves us so much, why doesn't he just will away our problems when we ask him to?" The answer is confusing, but very true. Sometimes God helps us by not helping us. God sees our problems and are hardships and he pities us with all his heart, but he also sees a greater good. God, in many cases, will see that a problem that we face will only make us stronger, more faithful, and a better person in the long run.
So he allows us to suffer.
Out of his infinite love for us, he allows us to suffer. He allows us to suffer so that one day our suffering will pay off upon entrance into his Kingdom of Heaven.
But is that God is? A bystander who simply realizes that our pain is for the best and is content to let it continue until will die? in my experience, absolutely not. Life is wonderful, it is made more wonderful by the overcoming of challenges and the hard work of the soul. More often than not, God will reward us for our faith long before we enter heaven. I cannot think of a time where I asked God for help with something and one way or another, whether I expected the solution or not, or no matter how long it took, he came through. These are the times that I stuck it out. times I realized that I was being tested and kept on going. Times I did not give up. I also know that I am not the only one, people all over the world have experienced the answer to all our problems: God. These instances are solidifiers of the faith. Events and memories that remind us that God is real and present throughout or lives, and reminders of his infinite love for us.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Blood Drive
Yesterday, I participated in a donation of blood which was quite a long process. There was a lot of questions and standard procedure. Only about 1/12 of our school donated this year. Last year about 1/5 or 1/4 donated. We don't know why there was a shortage but there was. I had many people ask me " Why are you donating blood?" And I would look up at them and tell them "Because there is someone out there that needs it more than I do." They would get silent after me telling them this either for feeling guilty for not doing the same or just simply not knowing how to respond to it. After saying this to about 10 different people and seeing the same reaction, I realized how this related to My Catholic faith.
At the Time of Jesus, Jesus was sent to earth to give us salvation because without it, we would all be bound for hell. God realized this and sacrificed his own son. God did this because he saw that we needed his love and grace more than he did, even if it meant sacrificing his own son. God is forever giving, He will do anything for us but it is up to us to recognize it.
At the Time of Jesus, Jesus was sent to earth to give us salvation because without it, we would all be bound for hell. God realized this and sacrificed his own son. God did this because he saw that we needed his love and grace more than he did, even if it meant sacrificing his own son. God is forever giving, He will do anything for us but it is up to us to recognize it.
Ex Opere Operato
Through this, we get a deeper understanding of The Sacraments.
- A Sacrament is a sign because it points to a deeper and invisible reality. In Baptism, for example, The Primary sign is the water being poured on the one being baptized. We use water because it's a sign of cleanliness and our sins being washed away.
- A Sacrament is a sign of grace because through divine life is dispensed to us. By participating in the sign of the Sacrament, the participant receives grace, a share in the life of God. To the extent that we are properly disposed to receive the Sacrament, this grace draws us closer to Christ, strengthens us to seek God's will in our lives, and helps us to live according to the example of Christ.
- A Sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace because it dispenses the grace it signifies. The truth of the sacrament does not rely on holiness of the minister nor on the holiness of the person receiving the sacrament.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
I Gave Blood Today
Why did I do that?
Well, first off all, it allowed me to get away with eating Ms. Riojas' class afterwards, which is a win, but mostly because I felt like I should. People need blood, that's why we have blood drives. For a blood drive to work, people need to sign up. The whole thing can exist because people are willing to give up their time and organic property for the good of another. How do we relate this to God in our everyday lives? Simple. God calls us to sacrifice ourselves for the good of each other. I wrote an entire post about the same concept a week ago, but here is an example of following through with it. Giving Blood. Its not hard, and I'm not exactly sacrificing my life, but I might be saving someone else's. I sacrificed a small part of me for the whole of another. I might be drifting away from modesty here a little bit but I don't mean to brag, I mean to make a point: Its not hard to make all the difference in the world for another person. And who knows, maybe you'll need a blood transfusion yourself one day.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Time Mangament
What does our religon tell us about how to spend our time?
Today has been a busy day for me. I got up at 7:00 and didnt get home until about an hour ago. I did all sorts of thing like taking a Chemistry test at University of Houston and building flowerbeds as part of a friend's Eagle Project. In reflection of all this I started to wonder. Does God approve? Does The Catholic Church approve of hard work? Does it cloud our priorities or speed us too them faster? This is what I have come to.
It depends on what you are working towards. hard work goes in one of two directions, for better or for worse. Mother Teresa spend her whole life working hard to help the poor. Hitler, on the other hand, worked tirelessly for the extermination of an entire people. Needless to say, hard work is not inherently and always good because it depends on what a person is working for. Granted that as long as ones goals are focused towards the greater glory of God in one way or another, any work done towards that goal should be good as well.
Today has been a busy day for me. I got up at 7:00 and didnt get home until about an hour ago. I did all sorts of thing like taking a Chemistry test at University of Houston and building flowerbeds as part of a friend's Eagle Project. In reflection of all this I started to wonder. Does God approve? Does The Catholic Church approve of hard work? Does it cloud our priorities or speed us too them faster? This is what I have come to.
It depends on what you are working towards. hard work goes in one of two directions, for better or for worse. Mother Teresa spend her whole life working hard to help the poor. Hitler, on the other hand, worked tirelessly for the extermination of an entire people. Needless to say, hard work is not inherently and always good because it depends on what a person is working for. Granted that as long as ones goals are focused towards the greater glory of God in one way or another, any work done towards that goal should be good as well.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Self-Sacrifice
Are we called to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others?
As a child, My mother taught me to love three things in order. First, to love God above all things, then to love yourself, then to love others. This was a great way for me to justify doing things for myself over doing things for others, but that is because I was misreading what I was being taught. While God does expect us to love ourselves, he also expects us to hold others above ourselves when it comes to giving. Jesus' greatest command was to "love others as I have loved you", so we are expected to give ourselves up for the good of others. Today in Theology I read about a women who who decided to face her own death rather than abort her own baby. She was willing to give up everything for someone she loved, which is exactly what Jesus did. Only Jesus did not die for one person, he died for all of us and he would do it again. Now remember what Jesus said, we have to love like he loved, and he loved enough to die for it. SO HOW SCARY IS THAT? Are we all expected to give our lives for each other? Well, sometimes I think the answer is yes, but I don't think we are all exactly called too it.
I am lying down here with my brother realizing all of this. realizing that I may be called to give my life for another person, but at the same time, I already am. Granted all I am doing right now is lying down next to him to scare the "monsters" away, I am sacrificing myself. I'm giving up my own interests for his, and its not so bad. I'm actually kinda happy here. This is what God is calling me to do right now. So no, we don't all have to go get ourselves killed for each other in order to love like Jesus did. Some of us might, but the reality is many of us will fulfill our sacrifices through the little things, through those little wonders we do every day if we just choose to do so.
Its not all that hard to love like Christ did.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Going to Chruch with a friend
Bringing a friend with you to Church, does it hurt you or help you?
I've often wondered about this and tonight I am going to come up with both sides of the arguement and let you decide for yourself.
Going to Church with friends is bad. It distracts a person from being able to truly focus on what is going on and it prevents the person from fully engaging in what is going on during the Mass. Although the intentionns are good, bringing a friend to Church distracts you from what is really important. This is because the act mixes two parts of your life that are, for a teenager, mostly incompatable; the social and the religious life. How can one truly focus on God when their good friend is sitting their next to them. How can you truly be alone with God in company? You can not. Go to Church alone or with your family.
Going to Church with friend is good. I mean, isn't that what basically what we are supposed to do anyway. The Church is, after all, the PEOPLE of God, not the person of God. We are supposed to consider every single person in the Church with you a friend anyway. That being said, what could be wrong with bringing a close friend along with you. Isn't this only better? Furthermore, how much easier is it to feel God's love when we are feeling it with a friend? When we connect with eachother we connect with God. Jesus' greatest command was to treat eachother as we wish to be treated. By doing this in Church, do we not become closer to Christ? Our friends support us in our faith, bringing us closer to God. This does come with certain conditions however. Make sure that all contact you have with your friend is directed towards the furtherment of eachothers faith: make certain that all other matters wait until after Mass. As long as you do this, you should be fine! So take a friend, an aquaintance, a girlfriend, whoever you want, as long as you feel that it will help.
Personally, I think going with friends to mass is definantly a positive.
I've often wondered about this and tonight I am going to come up with both sides of the arguement and let you decide for yourself.
Going to Church with friends is bad. It distracts a person from being able to truly focus on what is going on and it prevents the person from fully engaging in what is going on during the Mass. Although the intentionns are good, bringing a friend to Church distracts you from what is really important. This is because the act mixes two parts of your life that are, for a teenager, mostly incompatable; the social and the religious life. How can one truly focus on God when their good friend is sitting their next to them. How can you truly be alone with God in company? You can not. Go to Church alone or with your family.
Going to Church with friend is good. I mean, isn't that what basically what we are supposed to do anyway. The Church is, after all, the PEOPLE of God, not the person of God. We are supposed to consider every single person in the Church with you a friend anyway. That being said, what could be wrong with bringing a close friend along with you. Isn't this only better? Furthermore, how much easier is it to feel God's love when we are feeling it with a friend? When we connect with eachother we connect with God. Jesus' greatest command was to treat eachother as we wish to be treated. By doing this in Church, do we not become closer to Christ? Our friends support us in our faith, bringing us closer to God. This does come with certain conditions however. Make sure that all contact you have with your friend is directed towards the furtherment of eachothers faith: make certain that all other matters wait until after Mass. As long as you do this, you should be fine! So take a friend, an aquaintance, a girlfriend, whoever you want, as long as you feel that it will help.
Personally, I think going with friends to mass is definantly a positive.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Catholic Church
The church established by Christ on the foundation of the apostles, possessing the fullness of the meaning of salvation which he has willed; The pilgrim Church on earth ,in which the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church subsist. Literally, "Universal," in the sense of "according to the whole." The Church is Catholic in the dual since that it (1) possesses the fullness of the means of salvation and (2) has been sent by Christ to the whole human race.
Apostolic
The fourth mark of the Church, indicating that the Church was founded by Christ and given to the Apostles. The Church is Apostolic in three ways:
- Apostolic foundation- Have been built and remaining on the foundation of the Apostles.
- Apostolic Faith- this faith guards and transmits the teachings of the Apostles with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in her.
- Apostolic Succession- through this, the Church continues to be taught, sanctified, and directed by the Apostles in the persons of their successors in the pastoral ministry: the College of Bishops, presided over by St. Peter’s successor, the Pope.
The Church in Our daily lives
What can the Chruch do for us?
On a day to day basis, what does the church do for us? Well, for starters, it offers us salvations and a connection with God that would otherwise be unattainable. but lets look beyond the obvious, what can the Chruch, in all its vastness, do for us?
For starters the Church is more than just a certain kind of building. It is a living and breathing community that makes up the body of Christ. Each one of us is called to be a certain part of the Church and to work together to be one with the rest of its members. The Chruch works to fulfill the physical and material needs of many of its members as well. The Church is known for feeding and clothing its poor. Finding homes for the homeless, and support for the overwhelmed. The Church is a friend and a helper to all its members.
The Church can also offer moral support. Feeling lost? Go talk to a priest. Find out what God wants you to do with your life. Go to confession when you have done wrong. Take in the mercy that God offers to all of us and feel better about it. There are few problems that cannot be solved or made insignificant by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit througtddh the Church.
On a day to day basis, what does the church do for us? Well, for starters, it offers us salvations and a connection with God that would otherwise be unattainable. but lets look beyond the obvious, what can the Chruch, in all its vastness, do for us?
For starters the Church is more than just a certain kind of building. It is a living and breathing community that makes up the body of Christ. Each one of us is called to be a certain part of the Church and to work together to be one with the rest of its members. The Chruch works to fulfill the physical and material needs of many of its members as well. The Church is known for feeding and clothing its poor. Finding homes for the homeless, and support for the overwhelmed. The Church is a friend and a helper to all its members.
The Church can also offer moral support. Feeling lost? Go talk to a priest. Find out what God wants you to do with your life. Go to confession when you have done wrong. Take in the mercy that God offers to all of us and feel better about it. There are few problems that cannot be solved or made insignificant by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit througtddh the Church.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
A Service Reflection
What did I learn from serving others?
During my service experience this year I discovered a few things. Basically, My service was split up into two parts, the resale shop, and the Forum retirement community.
I worked with the CCSC (Christian Community Service Center) to help raise money at their resale shop. There, I reorganized picture frames. Lots and lots of picture frames. So many picture frames did I organize that I became an expert on a great variety of frames. Big frames, little frames, wide frames, tall frames, and all sorts of broken frames. Great heaps of frames! All piled up and organized by yours truly. But the real lesson I learned at the Sunshine Resale Center was not of frames. I learned about self sacrifice. The other workers at the shop were all volunteers. They were all elderly and retired: that had all the freedom in the world really, but they chose to spend it helping people. They were some of the most friendly and happy people I had ever met. They smiled with customers and laughed with each other in a sort of wise and worldly way. They were happy, And feel that it was because they new what they were doing was good. The resale center sells donations brought to it by generous people. The profits (usually from one to two thousand dollars daily as I saw on the records) are donated to the CCSC relief center which provides food, clothing, and support for families and persons in need. Knowing this, all the volunteers are more than happy to do their work because they are satisfied with the knowledge that they have done a very good thing. That is the kind of person I hope to be when I am that age, someone who can find joy in helping others.
At the Forum I learned about two things, the importance of tolerance and living your life in a way that you can be proud of. There were many different kinds of old folks at the retirement home. I was assigned to the section reserved for those in the most disabled condition. Those that couldn't remember anything, who couldn't speak, who couldn't eat normally. But they were very much still people. They all had personalities and traits that made them all unique. The activity director that I worked with was well suited for her job. She was very kind and understanding. She helped all these elderly men and women participate in games and activities. Things that keep them thinking and operating, she explained, they help them stay alive longer. Some of these people were very hard to work with however. But this lady never became frustrated. She understood the problems that age can bring, and all the frustration that comes with it. She put herself in their shoes and used that knowledge to cooperate with them. she was tolerant, and very well respected for it. I also learned something about the way that I would like to go through life. You see, many of these old folks were kind and friendly, they had obviously gone through their lives as happy people, content with many of the decisions they made. However some of these people were not that same way. Their was one lady who I particularly felt bad for. She was grumpy and negative, and from what I could tell, she had always been that way. I have no right to assume that really, but if I had to guess, I would say that she had gone through life the way she wanted and when she was done, she was unsatisfied by it. I do not want to be consumed with regret when I am old and tired. I want to be able to be happy and kind to the volunteers that come and help me when I am in a retirement home. That is why I want to make good decisions in my life that God would approve of. Because in the end, does anything else really matter?
During my service experience this year I discovered a few things. Basically, My service was split up into two parts, the resale shop, and the Forum retirement community.
I worked with the CCSC (Christian Community Service Center) to help raise money at their resale shop. There, I reorganized picture frames. Lots and lots of picture frames. So many picture frames did I organize that I became an expert on a great variety of frames. Big frames, little frames, wide frames, tall frames, and all sorts of broken frames. Great heaps of frames! All piled up and organized by yours truly. But the real lesson I learned at the Sunshine Resale Center was not of frames. I learned about self sacrifice. The other workers at the shop were all volunteers. They were all elderly and retired: that had all the freedom in the world really, but they chose to spend it helping people. They were some of the most friendly and happy people I had ever met. They smiled with customers and laughed with each other in a sort of wise and worldly way. They were happy, And feel that it was because they new what they were doing was good. The resale center sells donations brought to it by generous people. The profits (usually from one to two thousand dollars daily as I saw on the records) are donated to the CCSC relief center which provides food, clothing, and support for families and persons in need. Knowing this, all the volunteers are more than happy to do their work because they are satisfied with the knowledge that they have done a very good thing. That is the kind of person I hope to be when I am that age, someone who can find joy in helping others.
At the Forum I learned about two things, the importance of tolerance and living your life in a way that you can be proud of. There were many different kinds of old folks at the retirement home. I was assigned to the section reserved for those in the most disabled condition. Those that couldn't remember anything, who couldn't speak, who couldn't eat normally. But they were very much still people. They all had personalities and traits that made them all unique. The activity director that I worked with was well suited for her job. She was very kind and understanding. She helped all these elderly men and women participate in games and activities. Things that keep them thinking and operating, she explained, they help them stay alive longer. Some of these people were very hard to work with however. But this lady never became frustrated. She understood the problems that age can bring, and all the frustration that comes with it. She put herself in their shoes and used that knowledge to cooperate with them. she was tolerant, and very well respected for it. I also learned something about the way that I would like to go through life. You see, many of these old folks were kind and friendly, they had obviously gone through their lives as happy people, content with many of the decisions they made. However some of these people were not that same way. Their was one lady who I particularly felt bad for. She was grumpy and negative, and from what I could tell, she had always been that way. I have no right to assume that really, but if I had to guess, I would say that she had gone through life the way she wanted and when she was done, she was unsatisfied by it. I do not want to be consumed with regret when I am old and tired. I want to be able to be happy and kind to the volunteers that come and help me when I am in a retirement home. That is why I want to make good decisions in my life that God would approve of. Because in the end, does anything else really matter?
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Catholic and Protestant
The source of
Catholics knowledge of religion would have to start with sacred scripture and
tradition. At the time of Jesus, so much was happening and changing because of
Jesus, all of the information couldn't be retained. So what happen was that
Christ told the Apostles all that they needed to know and they wrote in down on
the new testament. We continue to learn about these teachings in Mass.
The protestant's
knowledge of religion comes from an interrelated series of schisms that took
place from 1517 - 1648. In 1517, Martin Luther began publishing criticism
against the sales of Indulgences, which are a means for the faithful to obtain
remission from the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been
forgiven. It is important to remember that even before the time of the
Reformation, there was a growing tension between these rising nation-states and
the Church as rulers wished to consolidates control of the local Churches under
their own power.
Apostolic Marks
The four
marks of the Church:
- One- is of foundational importance for understanding the other three. When we say that the Church is one, we are saying that we acknowledge the uniqueness and singularity of the Church. We recognize that we only have one God and that we believe Jesus has instituted One Church. One also represents unity and Church is all about that. The Church doesn't separate its people and put others before one another. The Church believes that we are on Body, like a unit.
- Holy- received from Christ her founder through the indwelling of the H.S. Christ sanctifies the Church and fills her with his grace so completely that she becomes sanctifying herself. It is the Church's goal to bring glory to God. The Church is also Holy in the means that she has been given to bring all men into communion with God.
- Catholic- the word, "Catholic" typically is used today as a denominational term, much like Baptist. This indicates that Catholic is referring to something in specific, such as a limited group of Catholics but this gives a false representation. Catholic comes from a Greek word katholikos, meaning "universal." The Church is said to be Catholic in a way to where she is whole and complete. The other way being that she receives universal authority from Christ to fulfil her universal mission.
- Apostolic- The fourth mark of the Church, indicating that the Church was founded by Christ and given to the Apostles. The Church is Apostolic in three ways; It has an Apostolic foundation, having been built and remaining on the foundation of the Apostles; it has Apostolic Faith, because she guards and transmits the teachings of the Apostles with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in her; and it has an Apostolic succession because she continues to be taught, sanctified, and directed by the Apostles in the persons of their successors in the pastoral ministry; the College of Bishops, presided over by St. Peter’s successor, the Pope.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
A Strange Unity
If the Catholic Church is supposed to be unified, than why does it need different rites?
First of all, what is a rite? A rite, in a catholic sense, is a mode of worship that a certain part of the Church uses in its liturgy. These rights can vary across the different diocese of the Catholic Church. They are morphed and developed by the impact of local culture, ethnicity and background. There are twenty-one different recognized rites in the Catholic Church. Their main difference is the language that they are spoken in; these languages vary from Arabic to Armanian.
So why does the Church allos such variation if it preaches "oneness" as one of its marks? Mostly because the core of what these liturgies are saying remain unchanged. If all the rites where communicating seperate truths about Christ there would be a serious problem, but this is not the case. These rites simply serve the universal quality of the Church. They makes sure that the Church can reach every language and preach in a way that the local population can understand and relate to. If every Chruch spoke in english and followed our customs, we would have a serious problem in the French Church, don't you think? That is why these rites are so important, they unite the Church by preaching the same message, but in a way that the local Catholics can understand
First of all, what is a rite? A rite, in a catholic sense, is a mode of worship that a certain part of the Church uses in its liturgy. These rights can vary across the different diocese of the Catholic Church. They are morphed and developed by the impact of local culture, ethnicity and background. There are twenty-one different recognized rites in the Catholic Church. Their main difference is the language that they are spoken in; these languages vary from Arabic to Armanian.
So why does the Church allos such variation if it preaches "oneness" as one of its marks? Mostly because the core of what these liturgies are saying remain unchanged. If all the rites where communicating seperate truths about Christ there would be a serious problem, but this is not the case. These rites simply serve the universal quality of the Church. They makes sure that the Church can reach every language and preach in a way that the local population can understand and relate to. If every Chruch spoke in english and followed our customs, we would have a serious problem in the French Church, don't you think? That is why these rites are so important, they unite the Church by preaching the same message, but in a way that the local Catholics can understand
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Remembering the Heresies
So why should we care about what we learned in theology this week?
Starting last monday, our theology class at Strake Jesuit studied the early heresies of the Catholic Church and up to reformation. The last sentence I typed might be enough to put someone asleep at first glance, but what we learned was important and I am going to tell you why.
A heresy is the denial of a declaired Christian truth by a baptized member of the Catholic Church. It can be anything from claiming Christ had a little sister to claiming that Jesus never died for us. Mistakes and miscomunnications made ridiculous ideas like this prevalent in the early Church and caused serious division within it. But why should we care about it now? Why should we care now that Arius denied Christ's divinity or that Nestorus decided Christ was two people? Personally, I think its so we can avoid repetition. You see, we need to remember these things because if we forget about them, whats to stop them from happening again? How easy is it for a Catholic to absent mindedly mix in a little of his or her own opinion with their understanding of the truth of God? After this is done, these ideas can spread quickley. These misteachings can cross continents and turn Catholics against eachother. They can and have split our Church apart, disrupting the Unity that Christ wants for his Church.
We can prevent heresy from spreading. By remembering that the authority to decide Catholic truth lies with the Catholic Magisterium and not with the individual, we can prevent their birth. By staying connected with and obeying the the Vatican, with the Pope and his bishops, we can prevent them from spreading. And by continued efforts in Ecuminism, efforts toward Christian Unity, we can erase the wounds that they have left on the Unity of Christs Church.
But as pointed out above, to do these things, we must remember. Remembering these events helps prevent them from happening again. Through study, we remember. Through prayer, we remember. Through paying attention in Mr. Cole's class, we remember. History repeats itself, but only if we are ignorant of our past.
A special thanks to Mr. Cole for preserving the unity of the Catholic Church.
Starting last monday, our theology class at Strake Jesuit studied the early heresies of the Catholic Church and up to reformation. The last sentence I typed might be enough to put someone asleep at first glance, but what we learned was important and I am going to tell you why.
A heresy is the denial of a declaired Christian truth by a baptized member of the Catholic Church. It can be anything from claiming Christ had a little sister to claiming that Jesus never died for us. Mistakes and miscomunnications made ridiculous ideas like this prevalent in the early Church and caused serious division within it. But why should we care about it now? Why should we care now that Arius denied Christ's divinity or that Nestorus decided Christ was two people? Personally, I think its so we can avoid repetition. You see, we need to remember these things because if we forget about them, whats to stop them from happening again? How easy is it for a Catholic to absent mindedly mix in a little of his or her own opinion with their understanding of the truth of God? After this is done, these ideas can spread quickley. These misteachings can cross continents and turn Catholics against eachother. They can and have split our Church apart, disrupting the Unity that Christ wants for his Church.
We can prevent heresy from spreading. By remembering that the authority to decide Catholic truth lies with the Catholic Magisterium and not with the individual, we can prevent their birth. By staying connected with and obeying the the Vatican, with the Pope and his bishops, we can prevent them from spreading. And by continued efforts in Ecuminism, efforts toward Christian Unity, we can erase the wounds that they have left on the Unity of Christs Church.
But as pointed out above, to do these things, we must remember. Remembering these events helps prevent them from happening again. Through study, we remember. Through prayer, we remember. Through paying attention in Mr. Cole's class, we remember. History repeats itself, but only if we are ignorant of our past.
A special thanks to Mr. Cole for preserving the unity of the Catholic Church.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Going out of Your Way
What does God expect us to do for others?
Well in short, anything and everything that we possibly can. How scary is that? Putting others above ourselves? It almost seems contradictory to human nature, but I believe that is part of the challenge. It is not easy, but God expects us to do what Jesus taught us: to "to treat others as you wish to be treated." Now this blog is about everyday Christian life, so lets apply it to the everyday scenario. What does God expect us to do on a daily basis? The answer remains the same: everything and anything. However if you think about it, it really isn't that hard. Giving someone a ride home for school, taking on some extra work for your buddy, these things do not need to be difficult, they just need to be sincere. If someone asks for help, give it and give it as fully as you possibly can. If someone appears to need help, do the same. If someone is doing perfectly fine, boost them up farther. Do these things without a thought about any inconvenience it might cause you. We must go out of our way. Giving compliments, gifts and friendly conversations; deeds like these will help us grow together as a community and in turn, as a community closer to God.
We cannot expect any personal benefit in return for our good deeds. The Jesuit "Prayer for Generosity" is something we students at strake pray together once a week. It illustrates the content of a true charitable heart. "To labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing I do your will." God calls us not to hold others indebt to our charity. It is charity after all, not some kind of loan of good will. That last part is important however: "Save that of knowing I do your will." There is something in every human heart that makes us happy when we help others. Something that makes us feel like maybe charity is not so far out of the realm of human nature after all. Something that makes us feel like maybe God is happy with us, and I feel like this is what our prayer is talking about: the joy of doing the work of the lord. It is more than enough to repay any good deed.
At some points in our lives God may call us to make great sacrifices for those around us. Relief workers who spend their lives in third world countries, non profit organizations that build homes for the poor, even our own mothers have all spent a considerable amount of time and effort to raise us. These kinds of people have answered Christ's commandment of love above all others. They have gone beyond to reaches of daily charity and instead dedicated their lives to such acts. And if you ask me, if they do it in the name of God, there will be no happier people to be found on the face of the earth.
-Austin
Well in short, anything and everything that we possibly can. How scary is that? Putting others above ourselves? It almost seems contradictory to human nature, but I believe that is part of the challenge. It is not easy, but God expects us to do what Jesus taught us: to "to treat others as you wish to be treated." Now this blog is about everyday Christian life, so lets apply it to the everyday scenario. What does God expect us to do on a daily basis? The answer remains the same: everything and anything. However if you think about it, it really isn't that hard. Giving someone a ride home for school, taking on some extra work for your buddy, these things do not need to be difficult, they just need to be sincere. If someone asks for help, give it and give it as fully as you possibly can. If someone appears to need help, do the same. If someone is doing perfectly fine, boost them up farther. Do these things without a thought about any inconvenience it might cause you. We must go out of our way. Giving compliments, gifts and friendly conversations; deeds like these will help us grow together as a community and in turn, as a community closer to God.
We cannot expect any personal benefit in return for our good deeds. The Jesuit "Prayer for Generosity" is something we students at strake pray together once a week. It illustrates the content of a true charitable heart. "To labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing I do your will." God calls us not to hold others indebt to our charity. It is charity after all, not some kind of loan of good will. That last part is important however: "Save that of knowing I do your will." There is something in every human heart that makes us happy when we help others. Something that makes us feel like maybe charity is not so far out of the realm of human nature after all. Something that makes us feel like maybe God is happy with us, and I feel like this is what our prayer is talking about: the joy of doing the work of the lord. It is more than enough to repay any good deed.
At some points in our lives God may call us to make great sacrifices for those around us. Relief workers who spend their lives in third world countries, non profit organizations that build homes for the poor, even our own mothers have all spent a considerable amount of time and effort to raise us. These kinds of people have answered Christ's commandment of love above all others. They have gone beyond to reaches of daily charity and instead dedicated their lives to such acts. And if you ask me, if they do it in the name of God, there will be no happier people to be found on the face of the earth.
-Austin
love is subjective
In our Culture of Catholicism, love is extremely important to have. Love is why God created us in the first place, so that he can love us and so we can love him. In the world, we have so many different types of love, there's is brother and sister love, romantic love, best friend love, and even love for maybe something we do. Why I think love is so important for life and my faith is because love is life giving. So if we choose to reject love, we are rejecting life and God.
God looking out for us
God always is looking after us even when we think he's not which is why there's a story I'm going to tell a story. There was a girl
named abbe and abbe has had a rough day. At the end of the day she turned to
God and told her about her day. She started from beginning by saying:
Abbe: God, where
were you today? I needed you today and you were nowhere to be found. When I
woke up this morning I couldn’t make breakfast because the power was out. Once
I got breakfast, traffic had already built up so I was 10 minutes late to work
so my boss made me stay 30 minutes extra later which would normally be ok but I
had to pick up the kids from school. Then when I picked up my kids, I found out
my oldest son had just gotten in trouble for fighting. Before we could get home
I had gotten a flat tire. Where were you God?
God: Oh Abbe, I look
after and love you more than you think. I cut the power off to your street this
morning because there was a gas leak which would have resulted in a hug fire
that would have taken down your house, and if you would have not been 10 minutes
late to work, your boss would have dumped a huge expense report on you that
would have resulted in you staying overtime for the rest of the week. Also, if
you wouldn’t have stayed after work for 30 minutes, you would have been
involved in a terrible car crash. The fight that your son got in was for
another girl that was being bullied by three guys that were calling her
terrible names and were trying to grab her but your son stepped in and stuck up
for someone that he didn’t even know and the three guys ran away as soon as the
teacher came. Your son gave that girl confidences that not all boys are bad
people and will become best friends with son. The reason I gave you a flat tire
was because since you were speeding home, you would have hit the person around
the corner that was walking.
Abbe: …I'm so sorry
God, I should have never doubted you. I love you
God: I forgive you
Abbe. Know that I am also looking after you and your family and don't think I
don’t answer your prayers or anyone else, it's just most of the time the answer
is no. I will always know what's best for you.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Messing up
What does God expect of us after we make a mistake?
I struggle with this one. Its a tough question to ask yourself; "what do I have to do to make up for what I have done?" I am going to share my experience with mistakes and how to fix them.
I believe that we are all responsible for our own sins. We are all created sinful and it is human nature to just plain screw up sometimes: no one is free from it. While we may not have the choice of being completely holy during our time on earth, we do have the choice be as close to that as possible. I believe that's what god calls us to do, and part of accomplishing that is making up for our sins. Jesus gave us something wonderful in anticipation of such a need, the sacrament of reconciliation. This cleans us of our sins and reminds us that God will give forgiveness to anyone as long as they seek it. There is no such thing s a sin too great to be forgiven. However, it is very difficult if not impossible to go to reconciliation for all our sins. I know if I did that I could rarely leave the church. So what does God call us to do outside of the sacrament in order to show we are truly sorry? I believe we have to look to ourselves in order to find that truth.
I will now speak directly from my opinion about sin. I think God gave us all a part of our mind dedicated specifically to knowing when we have messed up, and what we need to do in order to fix it. We call it the conscience. The conscience controls our guilt. It makes us feel bad about things that we feel are wrong. When I feel guilty, I believe that it is God telling me that I have done something wrong and I need to fix it. When I do, the guilt goes away. What a wonderful system. Its almost like good implanted a sin detector or something inside of our minds. I also believe that the more we listen to our conscience, the stronger it gets and the closer we become to God. I also don't believe that pleasing a guilty conscience is all that difficult, but it requires letting go of pride. In many cases a simple apology, a brief ignorance of self, to fix an offense to most people. Other times it is to God himself we must apologize, and that is even easier: God always forgives after all.
I struggle with this one. Its a tough question to ask yourself; "what do I have to do to make up for what I have done?" I am going to share my experience with mistakes and how to fix them.
I believe that we are all responsible for our own sins. We are all created sinful and it is human nature to just plain screw up sometimes: no one is free from it. While we may not have the choice of being completely holy during our time on earth, we do have the choice be as close to that as possible. I believe that's what god calls us to do, and part of accomplishing that is making up for our sins. Jesus gave us something wonderful in anticipation of such a need, the sacrament of reconciliation. This cleans us of our sins and reminds us that God will give forgiveness to anyone as long as they seek it. There is no such thing s a sin too great to be forgiven. However, it is very difficult if not impossible to go to reconciliation for all our sins. I know if I did that I could rarely leave the church. So what does God call us to do outside of the sacrament in order to show we are truly sorry? I believe we have to look to ourselves in order to find that truth.
I will now speak directly from my opinion about sin. I think God gave us all a part of our mind dedicated specifically to knowing when we have messed up, and what we need to do in order to fix it. We call it the conscience. The conscience controls our guilt. It makes us feel bad about things that we feel are wrong. When I feel guilty, I believe that it is God telling me that I have done something wrong and I need to fix it. When I do, the guilt goes away. What a wonderful system. Its almost like good implanted a sin detector or something inside of our minds. I also believe that the more we listen to our conscience, the stronger it gets and the closer we become to God. I also don't believe that pleasing a guilty conscience is all that difficult, but it requires letting go of pride. In many cases a simple apology, a brief ignorance of self, to fix an offense to most people. Other times it is to God himself we must apologize, and that is even easier: God always forgives after all.
Hard times for better
In our everyday lives, us as humans beings aren't perfect and all aren't the same. We have arguments and disputes over big and little things and it can sometimes make us feel lost or misunderstood but to every problem, there is a solution. Sometimes the solution isn't an answer but a lesson. I have always heard people say "learn from your mistakes," and I have taken that into consideration and have certainly applied it. I have never tired to apply it though to God. When we make mistakes in our faith, it is harder to learn from the mistake we have made because God is very forgiving because he loves us. So how we learn from our mistakes with God is to love him and want him the same way he loves us.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Prayers of Petition
Does God take requests?
Its been discussed a thousand times. We even studied it this year in Theology with the good Mr. Cole, and officially the answer is yes. But we are also taught that cannot allow for us to have everything we pray for because our desires are imperfect. But this can be frustrating. What is the use in praying if God is going to do whatever he wants with our lives anyway? I'm going to share my experience with prayer.
As a kid I heard something that stuck with me or awhile. It was something that my mother had heard in church and later passed to me. It was this: "God always gives you what you want, but in a different and unexpected way." And honestly, I can remember being thrilled by this news. Being lower school student at the time all I heard was "God always gives you what you want." But unfortunately for me I soon found out that I could not make new possessions materialize out of thin air or banish my enemies with a simple request to my God. It doesn't work like that. In fact, thank God it doesn't because I certainly requested things that I now regret ever requesting. And that is kind of the point I'm getting at. In a way, we are all still little kids. None of us truly understand exactly how this world works or what is right one hundred percent of the time. Knowing that, we then realize that having all of our requests granted would mean disaster. Once we realize this, we can change our attitudes toward God's decisions to a very positive one. We can realize that God is the ultimate truth, and we can appreciate the fact that he is the final authority on what does and does not come to pass.
Its been discussed a thousand times. We even studied it this year in Theology with the good Mr. Cole, and officially the answer is yes. But we are also taught that cannot allow for us to have everything we pray for because our desires are imperfect. But this can be frustrating. What is the use in praying if God is going to do whatever he wants with our lives anyway? I'm going to share my experience with prayer.
As a kid I heard something that stuck with me or awhile. It was something that my mother had heard in church and later passed to me. It was this: "God always gives you what you want, but in a different and unexpected way." And honestly, I can remember being thrilled by this news. Being lower school student at the time all I heard was "God always gives you what you want." But unfortunately for me I soon found out that I could not make new possessions materialize out of thin air or banish my enemies with a simple request to my God. It doesn't work like that. In fact, thank God it doesn't because I certainly requested things that I now regret ever requesting. And that is kind of the point I'm getting at. In a way, we are all still little kids. None of us truly understand exactly how this world works or what is right one hundred percent of the time. Knowing that, we then realize that having all of our requests granted would mean disaster. Once we realize this, we can change our attitudes toward God's decisions to a very positive one. We can realize that God is the ultimate truth, and we can appreciate the fact that he is the final authority on what does and does not come to pass.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Encountering Atheism
How do you Encounter Atheism?
Today, I started to wonder about atheism. I thought about the reasons for it
and why it is so easy to fall into. While I was thinking I came up with the question, "How does a good Christian respond to atheism?" I researched it, and I found some good advice. The most important thing to remember is that we are to love everyone, including atheists. This being said, the atheists are not to be insulted and rejected by us, but comforted by our faith. Never assume that an atheist doesn't believe in God because of personal trauma, but that they simply have not seen enough to proof to validate his existence in their eyes.This being said, politely remind them of why you believe in God. If you don't have any, find some. They are just as helpful to your own faith as they are to the faith of others. One of my favorites is to examine the soul. To realize that you must be more than a bundle of elements and chemical bonds. To realize that you are more than a body but a soul leads you to believe in the spiritual, and therefore believe in God. I'm Going to expand on this Idea in my next post
Today, I started to wonder about atheism. I thought about the reasons for it
and why it is so easy to fall into. While I was thinking I came up with the question, "How does a good Christian respond to atheism?" I researched it, and I found some good advice. The most important thing to remember is that we are to love everyone, including atheists. This being said, the atheists are not to be insulted and rejected by us, but comforted by our faith. Never assume that an atheist doesn't believe in God because of personal trauma, but that they simply have not seen enough to proof to validate his existence in their eyes.This being said, politely remind them of why you believe in God. If you don't have any, find some. They are just as helpful to your own faith as they are to the faith of others. One of my favorites is to examine the soul. To realize that you must be more than a bundle of elements and chemical bonds. To realize that you are more than a body but a soul leads you to believe in the spiritual, and therefore believe in God. I'm Going to expand on this Idea in my next post
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Finding Christ in little things
Us as people seek understanding for Christ in a natural way. We have to understand that Christ is visible to us in a supernatural way and in things visible to us, we just have to put forth the effort to look for them and try to understand. Lets use Original Sin as an Example. Most people try to find the reason why we have Sin and try to find out why we are affected by our very first generation. Original Sin is not God's way to punish us for our fore fathers mistakes. It is something that has been stained on us, my favorite example is the million $ example. In the million $ example, a man from 100 years ago one say comes to offer your great grandfather a million $$$ but your great grandfather turns the money and the man says okay and walks away. This decline of this offer will forever affect the following generations because they all could have been a million $$$ richer.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Where do we start?
Where do we start?
When do we decide that we want to live a life in the model of Christ? When did the pope first decide he wanted to be a holy man? When do any of us sit down and say "ya know what, today is the day I become a more holy person?" I don't think we ever do. I think that we're all called to it but only realize it long after we have already begun responding. I believe that the first step is the most subtle one. Helping someone pick up something they dropped, smiling, laughing with someone - these are things that come so naturally we often don't realize that by doing so we are starting on our journey towards God. It is wonderful to take enjoyment out of things like helping others and living truthfully. But once we realize that we are doing it for God, it becomes all the more powerful for us. We start to realize that there is goodness and purpose in everything we do. Knowing this, our journey has begun.
When do we decide that we want to live a life in the model of Christ? When did the pope first decide he wanted to be a holy man? When do any of us sit down and say "ya know what, today is the day I become a more holy person?" I don't think we ever do. I think that we're all called to it but only realize it long after we have already begun responding. I believe that the first step is the most subtle one. Helping someone pick up something they dropped, smiling, laughing with someone - these are things that come so naturally we often don't realize that by doing so we are starting on our journey towards God. It is wonderful to take enjoyment out of things like helping others and living truthfully. But once we realize that we are doing it for God, it becomes all the more powerful for us. We start to realize that there is goodness and purpose in everything we do. Knowing this, our journey has begun.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our blog. Everyday Faith is a rarely thought about but an important part of Christian life. Its about the little things. The way we act, how we think and interact with other people and how they relate to the most important thing of all, our religon. We don't often stop and think about how something like saying hello to someone or writing an english paper relates to our faith. But in this blog, we will try to look at the true meaning of everything we do as it applies to the Christian faith. Especially the little things. After all, if we want to become a more holy people, we have to start from the bottom.
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