My Response to Amendment 6 and Abortion in General

This statement is in response to Amendment 6 and the issues surrounding abortion. The contents of this statement are brought upon by the basis of John Locke’s “state of nature” and Abraham Lincoln’s argument for slavery.  For those reading, I am strongly opposed to abortion and despite my journalistic integrity, I cannot remain unbiased in the matter.

            In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government he states, “ TO understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man…But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of licence: though man in that state have an uncontroulable liberty to dispose of his person or possessions, yet he has not liberty to destroy himself, or so much as any creature in his possession, but where some nobler use than its bare preservation calls for it.” 

            One might argue the latter that by being in a state of perfect freedom, women have a right to their body, and can also choose when to conceive.  To argue being in a state of liberty, as Locke puts it, would suggest that while they have not the liberty to dispose of any creature in their possession, a nobler cause can justify it. I tend to disagree.  If one such noble cause is the quality of life for that woman, it would ignore the very state of nature for which it argues.  To suggest the issue on abortion is solely based on privacy rights and not under the premise of sexual irresponsibility and the state of life would be to ignore the basis of our Constitution. Below is Abraham Lincoln’s argument against slavery.

            “If A. can prove, however conclusively, that he may, of right, enslave B. -- why may not B. snatch the same argument, and prove equally, that he may enslave A?—

You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.

You do not mean color exactly?--You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.

But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest, you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you.”

If I were to change the issue to abortion it would sound like this:

If A. can prove, however conclusively, that she may, of right, end the life of B. – why may not B. snatch the same argument, and prove equally, that he may end the life of A?

You Say A. is alive, and B. is not, it is the state of life, then; the one who is alive, has the right to terminate someone not considered living? Take care, by this rule, you are to kill the first man you meet, who seems to be in a lesser state of life than your own.

You do not mean the state of life exactly?—You mean that one has a right to life but not to be saved, and, therefore one has the right to not save a life?  Take care again. By this rule, you have the right to kill the first man you meet, whom cannot live without help.

But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest, you have the right to decide when someone is alive.  Very well. And if he had the capacity, and can make it his interest, he has the right to determine whether you are living.

Matthew 7:16

I recently got a job at Subway.  Around my third day working, I overheard my manager talking about the bible to another employee. I jumped in and told them I was Catholic. The other employee stared and said "Catholic is Christian?" The manager  replied "haha...no..Catholic isn't Christian.".

Don't get me wrong, he is a really great guy and a darn good Christian (he is an Adventist), but the mere thought of such a misconception about Catholicism really got to me. I prayed about it and this is my response to that argument.

"You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather  grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" -Matthew 7:16

I like to believe you will know a Christian when you see one. If a self-proclaimed Christian goes around spreading a message of hate then how can he be talking about a God of love?

Virtues

The Catholic Church teaches us about the 7 Cardinal sins: Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Envy and Pride.  However, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the capability to counter these desires.

"I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." -Galatians 5:21-23

Humility- This is the most important virtue because it counters pride. It is also important because without humility, we can't receive any other virtues. Just as pride was the downfall of Satan,  pride was also the downfall of man. To be humble before God is to recognize his power and love.

Generosity- The counter for greed. This is to give up desire for worldly things and to freely give without expecting something in return.

Chastity- The opposite of lust. This is the desire to remain unblemished, until marriage, and treat sex with holiness and respect.

Patience- This is the opposite to wrath, or unjust anger. To be patient is to be kind and to be gentle.

Temperance- This is the opposite of gluttony. Gluttony is the opposite of self-control. It is the over-indulgence of something. For example, alcohol or food.

Kindness- The counter for envy. Envy is jealousy for another's well-being. Envy is the opposite of love because it is self-serving. To be kind is to be selfless.

Diligence- The virtue that counters gluttony, or laziness in matters of faith. It is important to remain zealous in faith in order to live it out.


On a side note, here is some practical dating advice for men:

 The next time you see a girl you are interested in at Church, just casually sit next to her in the pew and whisper in her ear, "I like the fruit you're bearing." You might as well stop at a men's apparel store after church because you're getting married.

Parable of the Vineyard-owner's Son

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

If you didn't understand that parable, the Vineyards son is Jesus, the tenants are the Pharisees and the grapes in the vineyard are us (the good fruit and the bad fruit).

"I am the true vine, my Father is the vine-dresser Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear fruit...I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from him you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the blades are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." -John 15:1-6

Now the reason that Christ is the Vineyards son in one parable, but the vine in another was to prove the point that no one can bear good fruit but through Him.

That being said, I don't believe all other Christian religions can't bear good fruit, for all who believe in Christ are part of the true vine. I do, however, believe that Catholicism makes us more fruitful.

If Christ is the vineyard-owner's son, then the Pope and all the clergymen are like the newly hired tenants of the vineyard. Catholic doctrine and scripture are like the fertilizer because they are useless without their application through the tenants and under the breath of the Vineyard-owner and His son.

Other forms of Christianity are then like different types of fertilizer; they can also bear good fruit. I just think that Catholicism, under the proper care, is the fertilizer that makes the harvest most fruitful.

So the next time I am faced with the never-ending question "Is Catholic Christian?" I will respond in my best sassy black girl voice: "Look at my fruit!"

Faith vs The Faith

What does it mean to have faith?  I'd always assumed to have faith was to seek.  To seek answers; to seek truths; to seek a personal relationship with Christ.  Others say having faith is to believe.  Believing something to be true without any evidence.  I always hear from some of my friends and even from myself, "I wish I had more faith."  During my RCIA class, a priest was talking about this very subject.  He said that whenever a student goes up to him and says "I wish I had more faith" he just scoffs and says "as if it belonged to you in the first place!"

Hold up, what?!  He just flipped the whole concept of faith right back into my face!  Faith isn't mine. Faith is given to me.

Donum Dei

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" -Ephesians 2:8

"Donum Dei" means "a gift of God" in Latin.  It is better described as God's Grace. They are a given to us, despite having not deserved them.  They are also permanent.  Other graces described in the New Testament are Christ of course, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal life, the gift of love and the gift of personal talent.   These were given to us through no effort of our own, but because "God so loved the world".

We are also given the gift of faith.  The biggest problem is people need to learn to put a little more trust in God.  They always think "me,me, me, me, me" like its all on them.  This is more of my own opinion, but I think that is why people confuse faith vs the faith.

The Faith

The faith, to put it more bluntly, is religion.  For example, the purpose of apologetics is to learn about the Catholic faith.  Why we do the things we do.

One of the things I like about Catholicism (and Christianity in general) is that it is a religion based on faith and not of itself.  Any other religion you see is the opposite; that by doing certain acts more faith is obtained. Sadly, many Christians who do not understand this think that by following what their religion tells them, they will somehow gain more faith.  I think this is also why Protestants believe in their "faith alone" doctrine.

Getting More Faith

The priest that spoke to my class explained how faith works in an easy to understand manner.  He said that it is much like a bank.  When we run out of cash we go to the bank and get more right?  Well, if we are running low on faith we just need to ask for more.  

This didn't make much sense to me at first.  The reason it didn't make sense was because of our free will to accept this gift. If that were the case, someone who doesn't believe in God could say "give me faith" and most likely nothing would happen.  In that light, faith really is about believing.  That in some sort of way, faith really is on us. To say "I wish I had more faith" would then mean "I wish I believed a bit more."  How can you measure belief?  Is there some sort of empirical value that can add or subtract our belief?  That would be like trying to measure happiness; it just doesn't work.  I couldn't wrap my head around it until I deconstructed what the word "belief" means.

What we need to do is stop looking at God in a completely objective manner.  If I say "I believe in something" it would mean I have confidence it is true.  However, if I said "I believe in you" it would actually mean "I trust you."  Belief in God is trusting in Him.  Trust is to rely on someone.  To get more faith all that is needed is putting more trust in God.  Learn to stop thinking in "me's" and learn to start thinking in "Him's".

Why I Am

When I was younger I was so put off by Christianity I made my highly religious neighbor cry because I told her I was an Atheist.   I remember we were walking home from where our school bus dropped us off and while we were talking, I nonchalantly proclaimed to her that I didn't believe in God.  And she just started crying.

I was so put off by it.  I immediately felt guilty when I realized she cried because of the statement.  So I did what probably any other 11-year-old kid would do in that situation. I made a fool of myself to try and make her laugh (I ended up running though the sprinklers).  Her tears confused me because I knew that Christianity was important to her, but she was crying for me.  When I look back on how I viewed Christianity and how I view it now I always think how?  How did I end up totally opposite to where I thought I would end up?

I recently read a small book called "Made For More" by Curtis Martin and in the introduction, Curtis was talking to students about why they go to school. One person said to get an education.  Then Curtis asked them "why do you want an education?"  And another answered so that they could get a job.  And he asked them "why do you need a job?" And that person replied, "to get money."  And finally, Curtis asked them "why do you need money?"  And another student said "in order to be happy."

Happiness.  Everyone likes to be happy and no one likes to be unhappy.  It is the driving factor for why we choose to do anything.  I didn't just wake up one day and think "man, I could really praise some God today".

When I was 11-years-old I didn't know what the concoction to happiness was.  The only thing that made me happy was not doing my homework. But as I got older, I started to realize that life was stressful.  I would wake up days and just feel tired of it all.  

My interest in the Catholic faith stemmed from the fact that my best friend grew up Catholic.  My final push was the fact that the girl I was into in high school was Catholic as well.  I thought to myself "man this girl is the real deal.  Let me look into this Catholic thing.  I wanna know more of what she knows".

I honestly didn't know what I was getting into.  The first few times I attended church I would dress-up in full business attire (which isn't a bad thing) and I would sit in church and not understand a thing.  The only thing I new about Christianity was it made people happy.  In all honesty, I didn't go to church to worship I went with the hope that it would make me happy.

I know I sound selfish, but if you think about it isn't that why anyone chooses follows Christ?  The promise for something more; a place of refuge were we can rest our tired hearts.  Despite the initial discomfort, I decided to keep going.  I started to realize that these people didn't seem very brainwashed. In fact, they seemed pretty loving.  I saw firsthand how God was changing lives.  And I wanted that lovingness, that generosity, that happiness for myself. So I learned, I'm still learning, how to develop a relationship with Christ.  I learned and my knowledge of His plan became more complete. And I appreciated His promises and his power more deeply.

My brother never liked the idea of me being a Christian.  His policy in life is do what makes you happy.  Which is understandable, but if I did what made me happy I would probably be doing drugs and having sex or binge drinking every night.  They would satisfy me for the moment, but then I wouldn't be happy again and I would want more.  Happiness would then just be an imitation; something incomplete.  What he doesn't understand is I am seeking something more long-term.  I am seeking comfort and finding it.  I am holding on to the hope that my prayers will be answered.  

Proving God

How can we prove God exists? Despite the years of controversy that has faced this question, I have taken it upon myself to try and logically prove God. I've tortured my brain all week and the only conclusion I can come up with is, God exists because we can perceive beauty.

Our ability to know what is beautiful is a mystery.  How can we look at a vast, foreboding dark sky and tremble as it canvas's the Earth?  How do we take a bunch of different sounds and put them in such a way that it creates harmonies?  Even self-proclaimed Atheists cannot help but wonder about the ambiguity of the universe.

What is Beauty?

Ancient Greeks recognized that beauty didn't just exist.  They understood that beauty resulted from order.  Much of Roman architecture came about from Greek concepts of shapes to achieve sound structures.  They took simple shapes such as circles and rectangles and created magnificent structures.  The early Greeks knew that beauty resulted not just from a simple shape; but,by the way they were organized and how they complemented each other.  In that light, beauty doesn't just "exist" per se; it is created.  It is order to a seemingly random array of mediums.

If looked at from that point of view, it is no wonder people relate the universe to God.  That somehow, the stars and galaxies worked together in a way so that a planet was created that could sustain life.  A place where cellular life could work in such a way to sustain itself and biological organisms could live off of each other.

Try and look at it in a different way.  If a ship was out at sea, but it had no Captain to steer it, what do you think would happen to that ship?  It would probably hit rocks and sink.  So doesn't it makes sense that the universe has a Captain?  Someone steering it in the right direction and giving it order?

An Atheist's Arguement

A common rebuttal to the theory of God and beauty is that God and beauty are subjective.   That beauty can exist without God.  We simply live in a universe in which beauty can be perceived.  Let's imagine for a second that we lived in a universe in which we couldn't recognize it. Does that make things any less beautiful than they were before?  The mountain scenery didn't change nor did the way the sun reflects off the water.  Our ability to perceive beauty is not relative to beauty in itself.   God can exist with or without our knowledge.

 Despite that, we are given knowledge of beauty.  Recognizing beauty is a direct reflection of God.  We are granted the ability to recognize beauty so we have the ability to recognize God.

"The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas"

Imagine a perfect place.  This place has no crimes, no slanted government officials, no one walking the streets.  A town were everyone is happy and no one ever has a need to complain.  However, "'In a basement under one of the beautiful public buildings of Omelas, or perhaps in the cellar of one of it s spacious private homes, there is a room.  It has one locked door, and no window.'  And in this room sits a child.  The child is feeble-minded, malnourished, and neglected.  It lives out its days in wretched misery."  The residents of Omelas know that the boy is there.  They also know that the minute this boy is saved, the very moment his body touches the sunlight, all of their happiness will be taken away.  Everything they ever owned and anything that ever brought them pleasure will be taken, so they pretend the boy doesn't exist.

What do you think is the right thing to do?  Would you leave the boy for the sake of everyone else?  Or would you save this boy and as a consequence have everyone else suffer? 

This scenario is from a short story called "The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin.  It is basically about the people in town who suddenly become aware of this boy's existence. These people are tortured with the guilt of not saving the child, but they are fearful of the consequences.  Rather than living with the guilt, they leave town.

The story is basically a clash between ethics.  If looked upon from a utilitarian point of view (the greatest happiness for the most) then leaving the boy there is the right decision.  If looked upon from Aristotle's virtue ethic (doing the right thing will give the greatest happiness) then helping the child is the right thing to do.

If you apply a Christian world view into this equation is is fairly obvious which ethic we would most agree with.  It is simple to conclude "well, I didn't directly cause their unhappiness so no sweat off my brow."  But, if thought about more closely you are essentially stealing their happiness away.  You wouldn't want someone else to make you unhappy would you?

Now, lets take these principles and add human lives into the equation.

Lets say there is a suspected terrorist in our custody.  It is fairly certain he has bombs located in populated areas, but he won't disclose their locations.  Is it right to torture this man to save thousands of lives?

Imagine if the Pope was the interrogator.  I can't imagine he practices his back-hand or has much experience in water-torture, but if he were the person to make this decision do you think he would be able to?  Or would he be like the few from Omelas and walk away from the situation altogether?

Should the Pope have a moral obligation not to harm the terrorist despite the consequences?  Or is his moral obligation to save those people despite the cost?

In those types of situations the difference between right and wrong is in a grey area.  Believe it or not, this issue is involved in more issues than you might think, including abortion in America.

Catholics take the position of the virtue ethic: it is never right to have an abortion. They believe they are morally just. While everyone else generally agrees that it is right to have an abortion because the mother's quality of life would be damaged, the baby isn't really alive, or because it is a woman's right to have control over her body.  They too, believe they are morally just.

Think back to the short story about the boy for a minute.  Imagine that the boy is the decision to make abortion illegal.  The people in town are enjoying the freedom that comes with allowing abortion.  Figuratively speaking, lets say you make the decision to bring this boy into the sunlight.  No longer can the people of Omelas enjoy the benefits.  They've been cheated. 

If you asked a pro-choice man why he is that way he will most likely say "because it is a woman's right".  We can conclude he is pro-choice because it benefits other people.  If you asked a pro-choice woman why she is that way she will probably say "because I want the freedom to choose when I have a baby."  She is pro-choice because it benefits her and other women.  They chose the utilitarian ethic on abortion.  "Allowing abortion makes me and others happy and it is what society agrees with, so I will be pro-choice too."

If you asked a pro-life man or women why they are that way they both will say "because it is never right to kill a baby in the womb."  They choose a virtue ethic.

The issue has never been about right and wrong.  People from both views think they are morally just.  The question I want to ask is, can a Christian worldview ever dominate a society bent on utilitarianism?  Is what Christians believe to be right the decision best for everyone else?

Confessions of An Addict

I have an addiction.

You may have noticed my lack of activity with my blog this summer. This is do largely because of one thing; video games.

I have come to a point where it has strained my relationships and affected my well-being.  When they say porn and games is a Christian man's worst nightmare believe me, its true.

I moved southward around the end of April. Shortly after, I went to visit my parents up through June. It has been a month since I came back to my new place and I still haven't found a job. I haven't even been to church since I got back nor have I contacted a new church about RCIA.

How lame.

It's funny because I went through the same cycle in my first semester of college. Twelve hours a day is nothing for me. I conquer  bad guys, slay dragons, the works.  While at the same time nothing gets done that I need to do.

It seems every time I hit a low-point in my life I always look for something.  Something more than mediocrity.  Something special.

 A life of "not big enough", "I don't feel that way about you" and "you need better grades" can really take a toll. Haters.

One good thing about me though is I love to love. I always look for the good in the bad and I always drink the half glass cheerfully.

I think that is part of the reason I got so drawn to Christ.  With Jesus it isn't about standards. "You're enough." I smile whenever I think about that in my head.

Why do I get addicted to video games? I thought about it. Is it a self-fulfilling desire to be good at something for once? who knows and frankly I don't care.

I have dwindled my gaming hours down to about 3 hours a day now. I have applied places and even had two interviews. Now, I think it is time for a relationship change.  With my parents and more importantly with Jesus.

"I pray for the strength to change the things I can change, the endurance for things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Mass Symbolism

I've been reading up a bit about how the mass parallels the book of Revelation and how mass is heaven brought to earth. There are so many references to the Old and New Testament that I could spend forever trying to find them. What I think some people often miss is that the book of Revelation is not just God's will fulfilled. It is our grace renewed. Did you know the place John describes as heaven is just like the garden of Eden? And this "garden" is now opened to us? Did you know that every time you attend mass you are getting married?

Garden of Eden




"The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil." - Genesis 2:9

"So he drove out the man: and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." - Genesis 3:24

I think what is often missed is that the tree of knowledge was not the only tree in the garden. There was also the tree of life. The tree of life was, for Adam and Eve, their source of everlasting life. God only prevented them from eating from the tree of knowledge. The tree of life is actually symbolized in the book of Revelation. It does not go out and say "this is the tree of life". I will explain more later, but the description is parallel to the tree.

I also noted the cherubim that were placed to guard the entrance to the garden and the flaming sword guarding the tree of life. These are also referenced in the book of Revelation.

A Garden Before the Throne


"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Revelation 2:7


"Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front in back." -Revelation 4:6

"And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals." -Revelation 5:1

The first quote makes a direct reference to the tree of life. The Spirit is telling the early churches that those who overcome the earthly trials have the right to eat from the tree, which is with God.

Okay here is where the symbolism gets tricky. Imagine God on the throne as a tree. His right arm is a branch. And in his right hand is the fruit of life. Look at the third quote. The scroll with the seven seals is the fruit of life. The scroll is the word of God, the new source for life. The only person deemed worthy to unseal God's word was Jesus. Jesus was given responsibility over our source of life by His father.

The four living creatures with a bunch of eyes on them are cherubim. They are seen dwelling "among the throne, and around the throne". If you look back to the quotes about the garden you will notice that God placed cherubim at the entrance to the garden as guards.

Four Cherubim

The flaming sword is a little more tricky. In Hebrew it can mean a supernatural weapon that brings forth destruction. It is seen guarding every way of the tree of life.  There is no mention of a "flaming sword" in the book of Revelation, however there are many references to god sending forth fire (see Lev 10:1, Num 11:1, Num 16:35).

So here we have Cherubim and the throne of God and between them is a garden described as a sea of glass.

"And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing on the glass sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name. They held harps given to them by God." -Revelation 15:2

So here it is; victors of God standing in the garden before God's throne, the same place Jesus stood as a slain lamb.

God Got Divorced


Let me make that more clear. When Adam betrayed Him, God essentially divorced with man. He cut man off from His grace.

This is what Jesus did; He got married to us again.  Let me begin explaining this with a video:

By accepting the cup of his new covenant we are saying "I do!" Mass is then like a vow renewal.
We are drinking from the cup of his blood and partaking in his body. We are saying "I do" while uniting with him physically and emotionally. Sound a lot like a relationship between husband and wife? It is. Marriage between a man and woman is symbolic of this relationship. That is, Christ's marriage to the church.

That is why in marriage, a man's role is like God's while a woman's role is like the church. One willingly submits out of love while the other leads out of love.

So the mass is like the doorway opened up to heaven. We are renewing our vows as we prepare for the marriage ceremony. Our marriage altar is in the garden. We will stand before God's throne, be united with Christ and eat from the tree of life (excluding the harps hopefully).

Four Things I wish I Could Tell My Younger Self

Four Things I Wish I Knew

1. You are not alone. In fact, there is a man who died for you.

He took your sins to the grave and even now shoulders the weight of your burdens. All you have to do is let him. Your body was made for more than just you. It is a tent for two and it houses your spirit and also His. Face it; there are things you just can't do. But, He can. Invite him into your tent. Give him control. He is your general who draws up the battle plans for your life. You only have to humble yourself. This man is God. You can't be God. But, He can. He lives through you, but only if you're willing.

2. No one on Earth will ever fill that space in your heart

That space is reserved for God. A girl is not that big and she probably won't fill the seat. God will. It seems weird right? You can't fall in love with an asexual being. That is where you are mistaken. Love is not an outcome of sex. Don't fret though. God leaves room for another person in your heart.  Even though he is enough.

3. Don't let other people shape your reality


What I mean is, don't give in to peer pressure. I found the best you is the one modeled in Christ and not by everyone else. You may think religion is full of it and you could be right. Remember that religion is an outcome from man. Men are not perfect. Christ is perfect. Don't judge anything until you try it. And things like sex, smoking and partying don't make you cool. They don't liberate you or make you a man. If anything, not needing that stuff is even more liberating.


4. Don't let your lack of love today keep you from loving tomorrow

Life can be hard. Believe me, I know. You try to keep up with school and friends, try to live up to the expectations of your parents and try to live up to your own expectations. Still, you will find that you always come up short. And that life becomes more about "me" and less about everyone else. None of the yesterdays matter. Take your daily bread as it is. Life is too short to worry about what couldn't be done or just how obsolete you think you are. Christ thinks you're perfect. There will be people you love who reject you. Don't let that dictate your life. Instead of thinking about how alone you are today, think about how much more you can love tomorrow.

Fishers of Men

"'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men." -Matthew 4:19

I often wonder what I would say if a stranger said something like that to me. If I was like anyone else in their right mind, I would turn him down then call the police. Yet, Peter, Andrew, James and John did the opposite.


They chose to drop everything and follow Him.  James and John even turned from their father to follow Jesus! That is some serious faith right there. Faith that I think is often misinterpreted by the world today.

After Jesus died and was risen and the Holy Spirit descended upon the people of earth something happened. Something so influential it changed the lives of millions of people today. It was the early Church preaching the gospel.

In America, I have noticed apprehension and even hatred towards the Catholic Church. Priests are somehow involved in a sex scandal and suddenly the Church is just a hypocrite like the rest of us. All I have to say is I agree. Let me make it more clear. Religion is not God. The Church that makes the religion is not God.  The men that make up the Church are not God.

Peter and his disciples didn't say "follow the Catholic Church. We are the way." No, they cast a very different net; the word of Jesus. It was very simple what they had to say. "Christ has died for you and is risen! Repent and follow the Lord!" It was more believable for Jews, but just imagine how confused the Romans felt.

The people in America are very much like the Romans. They are ignorant of Jesus and protect their identity under the guise that the Church is what makes God, when in reality,God is what that makes the Church!

 I blame it mostly on our own failure to preach the gospel properly. Who is more responsible, the person receiving the message or the person who gives it?  Our way of thinking is very Church centered. "Protestants are wrong." "The Catholic Church is the true religion."

We need to go back to the apostolic days and preach the word of Christ how it was meant to be preached. That it is Christ and not the Church we need to follow.

I am not saying the Catholic Church is the wrong way, I think it is the true church that is recognized by Jesus. I like to think of it as more of a guide. They lead me to Christ, but they are not Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived at a similar conclusion as me. In his message for World Mission Day 2012, he urged every Catholic to become a missionary. Meaning we should dedicate ourselves to preaching the good news. Similar to early Church history.

He wants Christ to be known. He wants us to become fishers of men.

Community in Christ

This post came to me in light of recent events with the Treyvon Martin case.

What's with the hostility? How did this become a case involving the race of a person? I understand there has been bad blood between the white and black community. America is a nation based on different cultures. I just don't understand how that justifies hatred towards a group of people. What does "racist" even mean anymore?

How can we expect to become a nation that defines people "not by the color of their skin, but by the quality and content of their character" if we are so apprehensive to each other. This is a problem not only with race, but with religion as well.

A Catholic priest is caught with child porn so suddenly the Catholic Church is bad?  Let me take you back to the life of Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who committed adultery. She had broken the law that Moses commanded to them and they were to stone her. Jesus knelt down in front of her and began writing in the dirt. They continued to pester Him so he stood up and said this: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Yes, we are a nation of different cultures. But more importantly, we are a community of sinners. Everyone is a hypocrite. Our truths mean nothing.

"When Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.'"-John 8:10

No one can judge unless they judge themselves. Don't tell a person to remove a splinter in their eye unless you first remove the plank in yours.

We need to look at ourselves not from a cultural or religious background. We need to realize that no man is beneath another in the eyes of Christ. We need to develop a community in Christ.

Speaking from a secular standpoint, we need to recognize we are different and love one another despite so.

Abortion

I have to admit, before I wanted to become Catholic, I was stuck between individual rights and the right to life. Everyone should have the right to be alive right? And everyone should have rights over their own bodies right? But I realized something new.

Rethink Immoral 


It pains me to see women saying it is "immoral" not to give them rights.  I just can't figure out what is a right and what is a law anymore.  Everyone has the right not to be killed, but they don't have the right to be saved?  Isn't the very act of not saving someone doing NOTHING for fear of your own life?  So as long as a baby is dependent on the mother the mother can choose to ACT.  They aren't doing NOTHING by going to a clinic.  They are in fact, going to ACT on ending a "potential" life. Explain that logic.

And women say it is immoral? If anything the very concept of abortion is demoralizing towards women.

Imagine this scenario. A woman decides to have sex. She gets pregnant by accident. "What about my career? What about the father? It's okay, this is fixable."

A world in which a woman can just "fix" being pregnant. The pressure on sex is no longer a problem. In fact, it is your right to have sex. Don't you see what is happening? Men are losing the pleasure of pursuit. They don't enjoy the modesty of a woman any longer. And women are losing what makes them so unique; that they have power over men and power to give birth. Being a girl or a man is no longer important because men don't see you; they see sex.

And just think of the mother who aborted. Will she even feel guilty? It seemed to make sense then. But if she could take it all back what would her life be like?


I see it as a hand I can never hold,a little less "I love you's" I will get to hear, a smile I can never see, baby food I will never get the chance to try and pride I will never feel when I see my son or daughter become someone great.



Women, I urge you to rethink your concept of "immoral."  I am not a man trying to take your rights away. I just want to see you; not your boobs nor your butt. I want you to see how beautiful and empowering you can be over me.  I want you to be blessed with a beautiful child that will show you the love you have been missing your entire life.

Dealing with Life

There a parts in our lives that seem too hard to bare. Tired physically and emotionally, what should we turn to but spirituality?

This post is a special request from a friend dealing with stress in her life. Don't worry friend. I'm a super hero. I'm trained in saving the day. The first thing I have to tell you is for you to realize that you are not the cog-master to the clock of life.

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised." -Job 1:21

The book of Job is a prime example. In it, we see God allowing Satan to test a faithful man of his love for the Lord. Job is a wealthy man. His children are crushed. His servants murdered. And his livestock die too. He also becomes afflicted with boils. He ends up shaving his head and tearing off his clothes and praying in deep sorrow to God.

In the end, God gives him everything back and more! Friend you need to accept it is not your will but His. He is the true cog-master! Everything in your life is not a result of what you have done; it is what God has done through you. Hmm...through you...sound familiar?

Holy Spirit


I was never able to conceptualize what the Holy Spirit was until recently. I thought it was God saying things in my head! The problem was, I was in my head too!

Once I got a grasp of the will of God, I understood it much better. Your body is a temple. That temple is a house for the Holy Spirit. God dwells in you!

Okay, God is in you, now what? What does that mean for me?

"And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth" -Revelation 5:8



This is an image of what went down when Jesus was brought up to heaven. The Lamb is Jesus. He has seven horns, which is a symbol of the seven churches on earth. He also had seven eyes, which is a symbol of wisdom and are also the seven spirits. Those seven spirits are: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. They are the Holy Spirit!

Christ is given control of the Church and of the Holy Spirit through his Father. Through  Him you find salvation. In His words, you find comfort.

With accepting just how little in control you actually are you are welcoming the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. By allowing Him to dwell in you, you are receiving the strength you are looking for. (Keep in mind how sin hinders us from these).

My Very Mean Sponsor

With a very good message. If I was a journalist, she would be like my editor. She bullies me in the right direction and makes me feel guilty. As you can tell I have mixed emotions.

Lately, I have been enjoying the attention from the blog posts. I now realize that I am moving in the wrong direction. In an attempt to humble myself and remember the true intentions of this blog, I am eliminating my existence!

What I mean is, my real-life existence with the blog. I developed my super hero persona so I wouldn't be identified and could give proper glory to God. I have found myself down playing that persona a lot lately.

So this blog is a reminder to all of us of whom true success comes from; the will of God! And bullies that tell you so.



Catechu-Man awayyy!!! (Yes I can fly)

Lent

I know I am pretty late on this one, but I figured it could still do some good.

Lent

Why do we have lent? Here is a question that I think we should ask ourselves every year. I can't really judge, being this is the first time I have honored it, but I feel like the deeper meaning is so often missed.

"I do it because it is honorable to God." I think our viewing scale needs to be adjusted if that is all there was to it. I like to see it as a wonderful opportunity to see Jesus in a new light. It is one of the few times we have the opportunity to see Jesus not as the son of God, but see him as Jesus the man.


Jesus is Two-Faced?

No, I am not saying Jesus is an evil-doer that likes to fight Batman. Nor am I comparing him to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Batman version of Jesus

 I am just saying Jesus is very much God. However, he is also very much a man. During lent, we are called to remember the sacrifice he made for us upon the cross.

 I can tell you right now, Lent doesn't work unless you feel tempted. And isn't the temptation to cling onto life what Jesus had to go through?

The night Judas betrayed Him with a kiss we see a different kind of Jesus. Not a righteous man that could walk on water and heal the lame; but a weak and broken man.

"And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, Saying 'Father, if it is Your will take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." -Luke 22:41

Despite agony, despite temptation, despite Satan's whisper, he still chose us. He chose us over his life.

 Jesus is More Like Us Than We Thought


Lent is very much a recollection of or our sins. It is also very much the opportunity to relate to Jesus at a time he was at his most human. This is the point where we can say "hey, I've done that." Jesus didn't just die as God. He died as a man. He overcame temptation as a man.

And just as Jesus chose us over his life, lent gives us the opportunity to choose Him over temptation. We don't just honor Him, we get to live Him and understand Him! Lent is more than just honoring God. Lent is a relationship grower between you and Christ!

Premarital Sex

Don't do it.

I wish that was all I had to say. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Especially living in America. Isn't it ironic that freedom of religion comes at the price of being exposed to everything else?

Abortion, contraceptives, sex, separation of church and state and the list goes on and on.  It's like we are so caught up in what everyone else is doing we fail to see the plan set out before us.

Peer Pressure


Peer pressure is a scary thing. Human beings are naturally social people. We want to fit in and adjust according to others. Have you ever stood up at the wrong time in Mass and tried to pretend that you didn't?  The same thing happens with the idea of sex before marriage.

"Sex sells" "it feels good" "well I love him" "my friends don't judge me for it"

For guys you got your "bros" and girls you got your "girlfriends". Then there is the media and advertisements posted across billboards and on TV screens.

 Think back to the parable of the mustard seed. A seed grown on good ground bears good fruit. A seed grown among thorns is strangled. Do you not understand? They are the waves all around you, beating you down. You are struggling to stand up but you are sinking deeper. Then you look up; and there is Jesus holding out His hand.  "Is your faith so little?" And here he is holding out his hand for you. It doesn't matter what your friends say. Take his hand. We are the crown of thorns upon His head.  We are the cross he bore upon his back to the very end. Yet he is still helping us stand up.

Remember, the wisdom of the wisest men is nothing compared to God's foolishness. Why are you so inclined to please your friends but fail to answer God?

Marriage


"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11

God has a plan for everyone. And just as He created Eve from the same flesh as Adam, He also has created a person for you to share one flesh with.

Marriage is one of my favorite things to talk about because it is the closest we will get to heaven in this life.

 I am not talking about the business contract "marriage" the United States recognizes; I am talking about the holy matrimony of two people recognized by the church. Marriage is more than just a contract. It is more than the love between two people; it is the love Jesus had for His church. It is His love made tangible.

This love is so valued it is a sacrament! It goes way beyond sex. It is more than two bodies rubbing against each other to make a baby. When I say two people becoming one flesh I am not talking in a literal sense. In essence, it is two spirits joining together! It is like the union we will have with God in heaven. An unbreakable union that God had created with not only His intentions, but yours too.


Temptation


No one is perfect. For guys, there is the issue of pornography. With girls well, I have no idea what you think about. What I am trying to say here is that there will be times where you think about sex or even have sex.

It is also tricky because normally when you commit a sin it is an act. But Jesus says if we think about having sex with someone it is like committing adultery in the heart.

He doesn't expect us to never ever think about sex until marriage. It is not like a Catholic man doesn't want to be sexually pure. I think what he wants us to do is learn to stray away from it. I have had instances of leering at a girl in really tight jeans or watching a Victoria's Secret commercial. If you think of it as something to be avoided you will find your eyes moving away from it. Now, every time I see an attractive girl I attempt not to stare and ultimately, end up looking away.

If you find yourself thinking about sex than okay. Sex is not a bad thing. God created sex to be enjoyed, but enjoyed with a lifelong partner. Just try to realize His intentions with sex, not everyone else's. Know the difference between lust and love. One is longing for the body, and  the other for the spirit. Take His hand and let not your will be done, but His.

Virtues

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." -I Corinthians 13:2

I have found that following Jesus is tricky. If I remember to do one thing, I forget to do another. Lately, I have been trying to find the "essence" of Catholicism. The answer I can have with me at all times when I forget what I am doing or where I am going with my faith.

What am I missing? I had it before I knew anything about being Catholic, but somehow I lost it again. The idea really hit me when a friend of mine gave me an idea for a blog post on what has affected him in his faith. He brought me the quote you see above (and now below).

"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away." I Corinthians 13:8

Love. It has been a topic I have touched on recently in older posts. Before I had  the knowledge, all I had to go by with faith was love. I have been so caught up and catching up with everyone else in their wisdom  that I forgot the very thing that drove me to becoming Catholic.


Defining love is very hard. It could be called self-sacrifice. It could also be called a feeling of closeness to another person. I think it is so hard to define because love is very much God.  There is no way I can define that. Rather, I find it much easier to figure out what love is not. What is the opposite of love? Hate. What then, spouts hatred?

Seven Cardinal Sins
I don't really want to call them sins because they are not sins. They are faults in the human conscious that inclines us to sin. The worst of these faults is pride. Pride is taking pleasure in one's own glory. Pride is the (supposed) reason that Lucifer was cast out from heaven. Pride is the reason many people stray away from God.

Luckily, there are virtues to counter-act such faults.

Pride-Humility
Humility is the opposite of pride because it is a lack of one's own importance. It is considered the most important virtue out of them all. With this virtue, all the others will follow. Being humble is the form of self-sacrifice that is love. For me, it is realizing just how helpless I am without the glory of God shined down upon me. I have also found that when I do acts out of this virtue, I feel most at peace. However, there have been times where I did the exact same thing without love and I gained nothing from it.

Envy-Love
Envy is hating people for having something we don't such as wealth or good looks. It is an emotion for the insecure. The focus of someone in envy is about themselves. That is why love, which is an act of humility, is it's counter.

Sloth-Zeal
Sloth is becoming lazy. Mainly becoming lazy in what God commands us to do. I think this isn't too much of an issue for myself, but it is definitely a big part in the role of "pseudo-Catholics". Zeal is the emotional response we get for God. It is passion. Jesus shows zeal when he kicks everyone out of the temple because they used it as a place of social gathering instead of for God.

Gluttony-Temperance
Taking more than you need. Over-eating/drinking or taking glory that someone else deserves. It is a "me-first" then you kind of feeling. Temperance is agreeing with yourself that you don't need more than what you have already.

Lust-Self Control
This is an area that I am lacking in. This reminds just how incredibly weak I am.That is why self-control is the virtue I pray for most. Lust of course is a desire for the opposite sex based on physical attraction.

Wrath-Kindness
Wrath is very simply anger. It shows no patience for others and is different from zeal. Zeal is passion with love. Wrath is like a passion without love. The opposite of anger is kindness. Kindness is patient. It is humbling yourself to the needs of others.

Greed-Generosity
This deals more with wealth so it is different from gluttony. Jesus says it is much easier for a camel to go through the head of a needle than it is for a rich man to get to heaven. I secretly believe Jesus was a comedian part time. Anyhow, this one is pretty straight forward. In order to reach heaven we will have to leave our earthly possessions behind. That is why Jesus tells the child to give away all his things if he wants to live a life of grace.

Applying Virtues

Like sinning, having virtues is not something you get just be saying "I am going to love from now on". How then, will I be able to live a life the way Christ intended? How can I have faith with love? Where is it in my life where I need to practice humility?

Realizing that virtue is a practice, Christianity is more than churches and bibles; I need to learn how to love people the way Christ loves people. I need to love Christ the way he loves me.

Love is a Story

Love is a story.

There are the people of course. Then there is love. Then both of them happen to meet and a plot is formed. The beginning is nice, but a conflict soon arises. And for most, it is over. The story is no longer good.

The critics convinced you. This story isn't that great. Love is hard. Love doesn't last. Love is only in the beginning. Oh, if only you would finish it.

Fall in love with the plot. Enjoy the sacrifice. Look forward to the troubles. Read passed the supposed bad ending. Read the story how it was meant to be read; from beginning to end.

Critics will be critics, but it is all up to you. If that isn't convincing then just look at the cover. In the end, it all comes down to its author.

 "Love" by Jesus.

The Eucharist (Updated)

The Eucharist to me is like the bike in the window I can only view from the outside. When I look at what the church teaches, I can't help but be frustrated when I can't receive it.

As Catholics, the Eucharist is the true body and true blood of Christ. It is not only a receiving of Jesus; it is a sacrifice and tribute to Him. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb. He died on the cross at 3:00. The same time the priests were offering sacrifices in the temple. When we view his body and blood upon the altar it is only natural to recall what he did for us.

As a Protestant, the Eucharist is bread and wine with Christ present. To them there is no such thing as transubstantiation. The ritual is no longer about receiving Jesus physically. Faith alone is the purpose. I say to you, to what then will be your source of manna?

Jesus is the Manna


"Then said the Lord unto Moses, 'Behold I will vain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate everyday, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no.'" -Exodus 16:4

"And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat." -Exodus 16:14


This manna of the old covenant was both a gift and a test of faith from God. The people of Israel were claiming complete dependence on Him by choosing to eat only the bread they were presented each morning. The bread was described as small, white and tasting like honey.

Then God presented us with an even greater gift. That gift is Jesus the true bread from heaven.

"I am the bread of life, Your forefathers ate the manna, in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread I shall give is My flesh which I shall give for the life of the world. -John 6:48

"The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?' Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.'" -John 6:52

I don't understand how Jesus wasn't clear.  He presents himself as the true bread. He then tells them that his flesh and blood needs to be consumed if they want life in them. First off, if you read some of the writings of Paul and John, the word "sarx" is seen being used for two reasons: To explain physical flesh or to describe the sinful nature of man. If you put it in this context Jesus is either literally telling them to eat his flesh or he is telling them to eat his sinful nature. That doesn't make sense. Keep in mind that Jesus did not actually speak Greek, but this was written within the lifetime of the apostles.

The argument could then be made that Jesus just chooses not to correct their mistake and he didn't mean his actual flesh. Just like how he didn't correct the ones that mistook his body for the actual temple.  Actually he does correct them; corrects them in that it was what he actually meant. "Most assuredly, I say to you". He is basically saying I didn't stutter.

Also, men naturally didn't understand the wisdom He had. His disciples questioned why he presented everyone with parables. Jesus explains to them the reason. He does not say things that are meant to confuse people.

Jesus Goes to Heaven. Now what?

"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me' Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant which is shed for you.'" -Luke 22:19

During the last supper, Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Jewish feast of Passover. The meal consists of blessing the bread. Jesus says "This is my body". He blesses the bread as his body. "Do this in remembrance of me." He is telling them to bless the bread as his body in memory of him.

Combine what he says at the last supper with what he says about him being the bread of life. Jesus just established the source of spiritual life after he goes up to heaven. He just established transubstantiation. He just established communion.

Miracle in Naju, Korea 2005

"It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." -John 6:63

In this context, Jesus is not talking about his own flesh. He is talking about the things of this world. If you look at the last part you can see that it can be argued both ways. Is he talking about our faith in Him as the true source to salvation? Or is He explaining the words he presented us in reference to eating his flesh and blood?

Try to look at Jesus as a short-lived gift of grace.  He had the power to forgive sins while on Earth.


"Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.'" -Mark 2:3

Here we see that Jesus forgives the sins of the paralytic because of their faith. But, you have to realize the intent of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is not a tool that forgives sins; God forgives sins. That is why there is confession. The body and blood of Christ is more like spiritual food. It is the source of sanctifying grace that He so graciously rewarded us with. In fact, Catholics aren't even supposed to receive it if they have not confessed their sins.

"The son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the son of Man is betrayed! It would of been good for that man if he had not been born." -Matthew 26: 24

If believing in Jesus was all that was needed to achieve salvation then what would be the point of the commandments? What would be the point of His words? I would be a hypocrite if I believed forgiveness was given the moment I said "I believe in you Jesus".  Jesus not only saved us from original sin. He gave us the ability for all our sins to be forgiven. Going to The Eucharist is like how my friend Josh points out. It is just like how we would want to meet Jesus in heaven.

I am not bashing faith. Faith is the key part to our relationship with God. I just think this needs to be revisited by Protestant leaders.  Our relationship with God consists of three key things: the sanctifying grace we gained from Jesus through baptism, our love for the Lord, and our hope for life in heaven.  Sanctifying grace is not something we have gained naturally or even deserved. Adam lost it the moment he betrayed God. The source of our spiritual connection to God needs to be constantly revisited. It is a spiritual food different from faith and hope because we don't feel its affects. Like when we eat food for our physical body, we don't see what it does within our body, but our hunger is satisfied if only a moment.

Epiphany

I know I told you guys I would only be making weekly posts, but I felt inclined to present to you a sudden realization.

 Since I first decided to become Catholic, I have had a longing to understand just what that would mean.  Everyone desires to find God.  My way was through understanding; understand the parables and teachings of Jesus and the doctrines the Church presented.  Today I was doing research for my next blog post about the Eucharist. I kept finding sites on why I shouldn't believe in transubstantiation.  The further I dug the more I became convinced in what the arguments were against it.

My sponsor is really passionate about the Eucharist and I talked with her about the doubts I am having.  She bullied me into submission with just how overwhelming God actually is. Who am I to try to understand the infinite wisdom of God? I wanted to build a foundation of faith based on my knowledge. What good is faith without knowledge? I now say this to you; what good is knowledge without faith?

Are not all Catholic doctrines based on faith in Jesus? Did Jesus not say that our faith will save us?  I do not want to approach the people of the Catholic community as a doubter. Complete and utter adoration for God is what I should be striving for.  It would be wrong for me to say that I should blindly follow without understanding. I hear but I do not see and I see but I do not understand.

It is important to gain knowledge in the Lord.  Leo Trese, author of The Faith Explained, explains it like this. A normal person and an art expert both go to the Sistine Chapel.  Both are completely entranced with this consuming painting.  But, doesn't the art expert have a deeper appreciation for it because he understands it?

Knowledge is key to faith; but gaining knowledge without faith as its judge serves no purpose.

Note to My Readers

I have felt lately that many of my posts are not up to superhero standards. I really do enjoy writing them, but I write them so quick.  I don't like to give incomplete answers nor do you guys enjoy bad writing.  To stop myself from becoming counter-productive, I have decided to make a post weekly, rather than every few days.  Only when I feel I have thought on the subject and researched it thoroughly will I even dare to give it to you guys. These first few blogs were experimental at best partly due to my inexperience as a blogger. Now that I feel I have gained enough of the know-how, I will work diligently to provide you with the best of my ability.

Catechu -Man away...!!!! (this is where I fly away)

Is Satan Real?

You better believe it. I really didn't want to write about this topic. I have a deep fear for the paranormal and occult. I had that "hair standing up on the back of my neck" feeling the entire time I researched this. It is scary to think about anything above ourselves that can invade us without our consent. I am writing to you because I want you to be mindful of the origin of sin. Sometimes the best defense is knowing what you are up against. To help you better understand the focus will be the origin of Satan in relation to angels.

What are Angels?
Angels are the spiritual beings God created before the universe; God's first creations. According to Catholic doctrine, they were given free will just like us.

It is not clear what happened, but many theologists believe that when the angels were presented with Christ as a man, some refused to bow to a lesser being. Under the command of Lucifer, they were cast out from heaven.

Unlike us, their rejection is permanent because they are an entity closer to God. When Adam sinned he too became absent of God. God was sorry he created man because he recognized that his every intention was wicked (hence the flood), but also recognized our weakness so he sent his son. It is a different story for the angels. They are a higher being that understand God's will with clarity. Therefore, their sin was more malicious. We do not know the will of God so we always live in a state between sin and salvation.

Angels on Earth
The influence of angels on Earth is evident in the scriptures. For example, Abraham walking among the angels, Micheal appearing before Mary and the two angels that appear in the tomb of Jesus. How literal is it supposed to be taken? Do angels have a physical body? The popularized angel with wings and white robes came about from early paintings but the St. Thomas's Summa Theologica paints a different picture.

David Wrestling with the Angel

"His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow." -Matthew 28:3

According to the Theologica, angels don't exist in a physical sense. They do exist, as it says in Psalm 148:2 "'Praise ye' the Lord, 'all his angels'...for he spoke, and they were made; he commanded and they were created." They are an "intellectual substance." No physical limitations are placed upon them like humans. A being like God, but not God.

If angels are without bodies then how are they seen in the gospel? The Theologica also explains that angels are not in a place because that is defined as quantity having position. Angels do not have a physical body so they aren't a quantity. Essentially, they can be everywhere and no where all at once. Therefore, they are in a place only by application of angelic power.

Satan on Earth
Now take that context and apply it to Satan. Satan is everywhere, but no where too. Time and space does not exist for either. What is Satan? Most believe Satan to be Lucifer. Satan is  Lucifer, but is also much more. Think about the concept of "the devil". The devil is a symbol for the embodiment of all evil; a symbol for the absence of God.

Just as heaven is a perfect unity with God, hell is a perfect unity with Satan.

How does Satan affect us? The influence of angels and demons today is not seen as clearly as in the scriptures. This could be due to Jesus saving us from original sin. He "Stomped on the head of the snake" and Satan's influence was lessened.  There have been many cases of possession in the gospel and Jesus significantly lessened the power Satan had on us.

Satan Taking Physical Form
"And it came to pass, when man began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with men, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be numbered one-hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, man of renown." -Genesis 6:1-4
Note: this passage is subject to interpretation. the son of God may not be referring to angels at all. However,  references to the "sons of God" clearly depicted them as Angels in two other passages in the bible.

Then in the days of Noah, God destroyed the Earth and man with a great flood. The fallen angels that committed these sins on earth where doomed to hell-fire.

"God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement." -II Peter 2:4
Thus, no longer being able to carry out a physical form on the earth. However, there are still fallen angels that were not chained and still try to bring influence to us.

Types of Influences

Obsession

1. A direct attack to our minds and the most common

2. Gives feelings of hopelessness and despair; isolation from others

3. Satan is sly and makes us believe it is our own thoughts
4. When you sin, it is not Satan that commits the sin; it is you. All Satan can do is tempt you.

Infestation

1. Invading a place, object or person
2.  Paranormal Activity scenerio
3. Objects go missing, change places, etc.
4. Strange banging noises or electrical appliances being turned on and off

Possession

1. Extremely rare case
2. The Church is very strict in handling cases of possession because it is similar to some physiological issues people may have.
3. Changes in physical appearance, speaking in strange languages, unnatural strength, etc.
4. Here is a link to signs of being possessed.

That image is really freaking me out. I think it is just as important to understand the absence of God if we ever want to understand Him. Remember, Satan is always fearful of the Lord. Did Jesus not cast out Legion into the swine that then drowned in the sea?

Jesus Always Answers

What is the reason you pray? Not so much your adoration for God, but for yourself. As a superhero, I pray for the super things in life: I pray for my Louis Lane, that my secret identity never be revealed, and that my faith can make a difference in others' lives. How horrible would it be if Jesus decided not to give me any of them!
Money Grows on Trees!
I've read up on theories about God and why he gives us a "not yet" or a "something else." The answers where all along the lines of us not knowing what God has planned. Despite that, we find ourselves a little more frustrated and a little less faithful. Here is the thing though. God is not Santa Clause. If praying was "ask and you shall receive" then I'd be the richest man on Earth (assuming no one else asks to be rich).

However, no matter how much an amputee may pray, he will never get his leg back. A loved one will not come back to life. Nor will money fall from trees.

Why is that? Jesus certainly wants good things for us. What isn't realized is prayer isn't meant to change everything around you; it is meant to change YOU.

John 4:13-14
Jesus answered "Every person that drinks this water will be thirsty again. But the person that drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. That water I give will become like a spring of water flowing inside that person. That water will bring that person to life forever."

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus has already provided the most important part to praying; the holy spirit dwelling within us. When praying, we are inviting the holy spirit to be the guide, our "daily bread."

I think that this gift is really under appreciated. Our perception of God is boxed in to fit only our needs and the whole purpose of prayer becomes defeated. The box of his infinite power is covered by our hearts and he fades into our minds as a tool, only to be called upon when needed.

Would You Like Fries With That?
I see the same thing during Mass. Some people are so caught up in receiving the Eucharist that they forget to appreciate it. Church then becomes a place for take-out- soul food for those on the go- and they never sit down to enjoy the meal.

In that sense, prayer is very much like a meal for our souls. Open your mind and heart to Christ and uncover the box. The holy spirit isn't to be taken to-go.  It is a full-course meal with appetizers and dessert!

Don't expect prayers to be answered without first realizing how much has already been given to you. God leads you to water, but in the end you have to decide to drink it.

Social Media and Truth

I have failed you all.  I realized that while I was out fighting evil, I failed to properly equip you for your own battles. More specifically, understanding social media and how it allows us to gain knowledge in faith. I call this weapon of battling the Social Media Sword of Truth!!! Be very careful with how it is used, for it is a double-edged sword.  If it is not used correctly it can have the opposite affect. All you need to do is keep reading if you want to learn how to use this super-hero weapon and cut straight to the truth.

Social Media Sword of Truth Power-ups!

1. Identify fact vs. opinion
2. Learn the difference between a journalist and a ranter
3. Use social media for faith not fiction

When I am not out fighting crime, I study journalism in college. The first thing I learned is that everyone is a journalist. However, There is a difference between a good one and a bad one.

Journalism 101

To better understand lets look back to the 20th century when journalism was still known as the fourth estate of government. Journalists used to by the catalyst between the government and the people. Most notably, they reported on the Vietnam War scandal that got Nixon impeached. What ever a journalist said was the truth and the truth had power.

Then the internet came along and information became more available. In 2004, boom! Facebook crawled out of the dark depths of Zuckerburg's mind.  Twitter followed two years later. Suddenly, the internet suffered from information overload.

 Facebook and Twitter did more than connect people; it connected websites and ideas into one network. People post thoughts and videos and others can comment and blog freely about them. Do you have any idea what this means for Catholicism? Everyone is free to attack and make bold claims against it while we sit and take it. Even when we try to make a statement, they follow up with the "quit shoving religion down my throat" line. This literally makes me laugh because of how often I see it. The only thing I will be shoving down your throat is a roundhouse kick to the face!

Approved by Chuck Norris

Blast to the Past

I don't think you realize just how big of a deal wide distribution of information is. To help you, here is a look into history when information got the better of the Catholic Church. We are now in the 1500s, around the time when Martin Luther put his 95 theses on the church doors. 

Martin Luther

The printing press was also invented by Gutenberg around this time. The printing press allowed for hundreds of thousands of book to be copied, mainly the bible. Martin Luther emphasized that the bible was the only source of faith. Now, everyone can read the bible and interpret it how they wanted. What widespread information does it put religion in the hands of uneducated men.

Ranters Are a Journalists Worst Enemy

Here is an example of a rant:

"This whole KONY thing is a great cause & all, but maybe America should deal with some of the hate crimes taking place on it's own land before we try to save the day elsewhere."

For educational purposes I am going to change it into a factual claim:

"The Obama Administration has made plenty of efforts to stop hate crimes here in America. For example, the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" law that was passed in September. Or, the Respect for Marriage Act that Obama  supported. All this effort by the government and I still haven't seen much effort on our part. Maybe American citizens should focus on what effects them instead of what effects those in Africa."

See the difference? A rant is scary. It is an opinion in the disguise of useful information. Factual claims have an opinion and facts to support those claims. Anyone who says "not allowing abortion is immoral towards women" immediately loses the right to say it if they fail to provide evidence.

Truth VS. Rant

Truth vs. rant is like a battle between God and the Devil; Truth always wins. Steve Colbert dubbed it as "truthiness"- a quality characterizing a "truth" that a person claims to know intuitively "from the gut." 

There isn't anything wrong with having an opinion. It is impossible for a journalist to be unbiased. However, it is just as important to report both sides as it is to support what you say. I love to give people a good smack down by proving them wrong as well as proving I am right.

The use of social media can totally be used to your advantage. The next time you see a post about how wrong it is to not provide contraceptive services or how many boys a priest may have molested, unsheathe your sword. Learn what is true and what is not, report the facts, and destroy all fiction!