I'm Catholic! Aren't You???

Sifting through the fluff

2012-09-11T22:07:00.001-07:00

Read the book or watch the movie? I'm sure whichever personality you are you would side very clearly one way or the other... As I googled the blogs out there, here are some of the responses I got...

"I much prefer to read, there is more detail and I use my imagination to "see". Reading is driving, watching movies is being a passenger."

"I watch the movies and read the books. If I read a book first, I try to keep an open mind about the movie because I realize that you cannot fit a 500 page book into 2 hours of film. Sometimes I am disappointed and then there are times when the movie is just as good as the book (I will never say better than the book).If I see a movie first and then I decide to read the book, it gives you so much more information and fills in the little cracks.BUT here is a question for you - Have you ever read a book that was based on a movie?"

"There are a number of reason why I find books superior in nearly every comparison.
1) A movie is based on its book and is often forced to leave a lot of the story and side plot out due to time constraints.
2) A movie forces the environment/characters... on you while the book allows you to create them in any way you see fit (assuming you have even the slightest capability to imagine)
3) Movies are generally dumbed down in order to appeal to the masses, while a book is written for a specific niche of readers. Very few authors will dumb down their books to make them more mainstream.
As a small note, I should say that watching a movie of a book I read actually feels fun if the movie is made well. I start anticipating the awesome events and feel great when they happen. I can't say the same the other way around.
I still really do love both. I prefer reading but I love watching movies too. Just do whichever you prefer."

So which is better? Is it based on the opinion of each person, or is there really a right and wrong answer? If you were to take the benefits of one and the benefits of the other, and cross compare them, would one be better than the other? For me personally, I've never been much of a reader. I made it through college thanks to "Cliff Notes". The "just enough to pass" version was acceptable to me at the time, but when I think about it, I sure spent a lot of money on classes just to get that degree. How much more would I have learned if I would have actually made the effort to do the reading? It takes more effort, and it's so much more to absorb but it probably would have been worth it. The basic concepts are great! The basic concepts are real and factual and inspiring but did they bring in the whole picture? How much did I miss by only sticking with the basic concepts?

Tonight in our Systematic Theology class, I heard the Greek term "Diakrisis" which means sifting or to separate out. It also means to discern or judge. When I was thinking about this word, these two images came into my head...

I am still always trying to understand the connectedness and differences between Catholics and our protestant brothers and sisters, especially in respect to our core values, historical and theological beliefs. When thinking about the idea of "Sifting" a clear distinction between the two came to mind...

If a Catholic were to write their CORE VALUES - the things that COULD NOT be compromised and sifted, we'd come up with a list taken from our Apostles creed

1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth,

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord

3. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, & born of the Virgin Mary,

4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
5. He descended into Hell; & on the third day He arose again from the dead;

6. He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,

7. He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. I believe in the Holy Catholic Church,

10. I believe in the Communion of Saints,

11. I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Some other key aspects that cannot really be compromised are:
12. Sacred scripture was given to us as text that was inspired by the Holy Spirit
13. Jesus fulfilled all revelation
14. Jesus died for our salvation
15. Salvation is through grace alone
16. We should live life according to the Gospel.
17. The "Church" is the bride of Christ and is given to us as a means to further understand his revelation.
18. We should love, others, forgive quickly, treat everyone with dignity and be a servant of all.
19. Peter the first Apostle chosen as Pope was given the gift of infability. We look to our leadership to determine what it believes to be the meaning behind sacred scripture.
20. Sacred tradition is human kinds expression of faith.
21. Grace flows from the experience of the Sacraments

Those I would say would sum up the majority of Catholic Core Values. I just wrote those out based on my own thoughts or thoughts influenced by others I have learned from, so you're not going to find those anywhere in a textbook or online. In a general statement, that's what I came up with.

Now - time for the "extras". I'll try to be brief here...
1. The Rosary, divine chaplet, and other devotional prayers
2. Liturgy of the hours, the angelus, vespers
3. Adoration
4. The Sacraments
5. Stations of the Cross
6. Eating meat on Fridays
7. Apparitions
8. Eucharistic Miracles
9. Rites of different kinds
10. Holy Water & incense
11. Religious Holidays
12. Liturgical services
13. Hymns, organs, bells
14. Wearing white for a baptism and first communion
15. Genuflecting, kneeling, bowing

And the list could go on and on and on.

NOW HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO THINK OF... for the prospective of someone who has left the church, what would be the essentials? I would guess the top 10 list would be somewhat identical to our top 10. In fact, many of the next 10 would be about the same. The interesting thing that happens is when you get down to the next 15, everything is basically tossed out. When it comes to tradition - throw it out. When it comes to saints - throw them out. When it comes to pretty much anything that isn't in scripture - throw it out. When it comes to something that makes logical sense but isn't proved by clearly stated by scripture - throw it out. If science explains it, but it's not written that way in scripture - throw it out. This is my general observation - specifically towards the non-denominational and fundamentalist churches is this: We both have the same key ingredients. We have the same "FUNDAMENTAL" core values. If we were to sift out everything we have, and everything they have, we'd come out with just about the same things on top. HOWEVER - instead of using all the "extra" stuff like the Catholics do, many of the other churches just throw it out.

St. Augustine - St Thomas Aquinas - Ignatius - St. Chrysostom - St. John of Damascus - Gregory the Great - to those of personal revelations like St. Faustina, Theresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux.

Deep down, these guys have greatly shaped all Christians... Their influence and the influence of the martyrs, and the first Christians that established Catholicism built a framework of understanding of what scripture actually means. As discussed in today's class, the apostles including Paul - ALL thought Jesus was coming incredibly soon. Everything was an immediate rush to tell everyone about what happened and get them ready for the second coming. If you thought Jesus was coming next week, FORGET THE DETAILS!!! Just preach the essentials! In doing so, they lost or did not further explore some of Jesus' teachings. The church fathers did not expand on what Jesus taught... They clarified. The Popes don't develop a new teaching - they clarify what they believe to have already been revealed. Saying the rosary isn't essential to our salvation but it's used to lead us closer to the Lord through reflecting on his birth, life, death, and Resurrection. The stained glass and incense isn't there because it's mandatory to lead us to heaven - but they engage our senses of sight and smell to set the mood as sacred. These things are different ways for the community to build their faith in unique and diverse ways. They add to our experience of faith - not detract.

I love the "extra". I think it's always easier to strip away the extra and get down to the bare basics - but when you do so, I think you lose out on so much. The details are what really makes being Catholic great! But going back to my first thought... If you're not willing to read the book, you're probably missing out. If all you're doing is reading the cliff notes to "meet the requirements" you're missing out and will never really know what it is like to take your faith to the next level. If you're just waiting for the movie to come out, and that's what works for you - awesome! Go by your ticket to be entertained. Enjoy the experience! Get to know your Lord through a perfectly acceptable way. I approve of your way to faith. The Church approves of your way to faith. The Lord approves of your way to faith. But know this - by excluding 2000 years of history - by excluding 2000 years of learning, developing and growing, and taking it to bible only is like going back to Henry Ford's Model T Car. It has the engine - it has the wheels - it has all the essential parts to make it a driving car... but there is a reason we have made adjustments. There is a reason for man made tradition. There is a reason for our structure, our sacraments, our diverse ways of prayer. There is a reason we've made developments in our theology and going "Bible Only" to avoid threats of possibly being wrong would be taking steps backwards.

Anyway - you do what's best for you... I'm going to live my Christian identity through the fullness of the Catholic Church. If you've been stuck reading the cliff notes, the only way to move out of "stagnant" is to make a little effort. There's an entire world of faith out there if you're willing to make an investment...

Mark Knox
www.catholicyouthguy.com

The Climb

2012-07-23T13:20:00.002-07:00

Every other year, I host "Adventure Trip". In 2010, we took 15 participants, and this year, I led a trip of 30. We doubled our numbers as teens are more and more hungry for a connection to their faith and church community. I do have to say, that the experience certainly lived up to its name. 6 days of intense hiking, climbing, rafting and sleeping in tents in the rugged rocky mountains makes for an incredible opportunity to spread the faith. We stayed in Groom Texas at the sations of the cross. If you're ever in the panhandle near Amarillo Tx, I CERTAINLY would say it's worth the stop. We celebrated mass under the stars, in a tomb, with some sisters, on top of a mountain and finally at the sataions of the cross overlooking the passion of Christ.

The highlight of the trip is climbing Mt. Elbert. From a distance, you look at the mountain with a base at 9,000 feet elevation as it rises to 14,433 making it the second highest in the continental USA just under Mt. Whitney which stands tall at 14,505.

When we first explained the mountain we'd be climbing, most people wouldn't really grasp the full challenge of the hike. They might reflect on some of the more physically challenging things such as a basketball or football game... maybe some other 6 mile hike they had done. They have a sense of confidence that puts the challenge of the mountain as challenging but do-able.

When driving to the mountain and looking at a distance, it seems much higher than you thought but really understanding the challenge is still a little distance. Others can talk about their experience and share how challenging it is going to be, but really understanding the challenge is still close to impossible.

After mile 1, breathing hard, feeling the pain through your entire body and realizing you haven't even reached tree line is a bit discouranging. Some are ready to quit, while others are up for the challenge ahead. One foot in front of the other - and with every foot of elevation gain the challenge is harder and harder. Mile 2 is even tougher after gaining 2000 feet elevation and above tree line with even less oxygen. The hardest part is realizing you're only half way there and so far, it's just been a beast! By mile 3, you're just about to hit what you think is the summit. It's extremely difficult to breathe. After about 4 steps, you want to stop and break but you tell yourself to just keep moving. You crest what you thought was the peak and realize you're not even close as you look another mile ahead to see what you think is finally the end. People are the size of tiny little ants and you realize you have much farther than you were aniticipated going. Despite this, you've come so far and can't turn back now even though everything in your body tells you that it was be so much easier if you did. Mile 4 - Every step feels like 1000 bricks on your entire lower half. The air is so thin and you feel like you are trying to breathe out of a coffee stir. It'd be so easy to quit, but as people are headed down, they're saying you're almost there. Just push on and you'll make it to the top.

After 4 hours and 5,000 feet elevation gain you finally are 100 yards away! Its right there! All you want to do is sprint up to the top, but you're so beat down and warn out that even a flat surface is too much to handle. Despite the desire to speed up your pace and summit quickly, you're not even physically able to do so. You press on - one step at a time at the pace of a snail and are ok with that. You reach the top and aren't sure if you want to laugh, celebrate or cry. You've finally made it! You've conquered the mountain while at the same time, it conquered you. It's like you've become one with it. You've never seen such a beautiful site while on top of the world, and yet getting there was so unbelievably difficult.

There are many mountains in our lifetime. A death of a close family member or friend - broken relationships - the challenges of an illness - turning away from addiction - saying no to peer pressure - and probably the most difficult of living a life of commitment to the Lord and our faith. Why is it so difficult to live our life for Christ?

The Saints were thrown into arenas with wild beasts to be thrashed around as a form of entertainment. They were nailed to crosses, stoned to death and beaten by mobs. Their mountain caused them to face ridiculous pressure and threat of a hurendous death and yet they stood firm while our threat is nothing more than an uncomfortable feeling of unacceptance and yet many fold to the pressure. Why are we so weak in today's age? Why do so many quit when the challenge of faith gets a little uncomfortable instead of pressing on with even more conviction? In the year 300, their fear was an excruciating death while today we fear being made fun of.

To my readers - I'd like to challenge you to press on! Seek the truth of our faith and live it boldy!
Don't accept watered down teachings. Don't accept knowing partial truths. Intead, seek to know the entire truth with every possible reasoning to be used. Use science, reason, experience and tradition to speak to your heart. Don't accept scriptural translations that are used to prove a point - rather seek the truth to what the scripture is actually saying with the context it is written. Most importantly, do your reasearch! Know your scripture. Read the writings of the first christians. Read the theological development of the church fathers. Understand Catholic teaching after Vatican II instead of relying on what your grandmother taught you about the Catholic faith from when she was a kid. When challenged, be equipped to answer the questions. Be drawn into a deeper relationship of the Lord through active participation in the tools of the Catholic Chuch. Receive the sacraments as often as possible. Connect with your community and allow them to be your support. Continue to learn and grow in your faith by attending ongoing formation. Reconnect with the power of the Holy spirit and attend a retreat.

Push yourself! It's hard - no question. It's not always fun to challenge yourself, but when you do, you eventually find yourself overlooking all of your accomplishments and you can be proud for the progess you have made.

Men Like Jesus

2012-07-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been seeing a trend to begin to "fight society". I'm not sure if it's because the students, family and friend's I'm surrounded by in social media, or if it's a society shift but either way, I get a little excited when I see it. For centuries society, culture, government and media has shaped what we believe is to be "the norm". TV only allows shows to be on that make the most money. If a show isn't getting viewers, then it removes that show and replaces it with something new. Over the last 10 years, all the shows my parents banned in our home from MTV is now the norm for every channel including ABC Family and other "family" stations. Just as an example - "Pretty little liars", "The Lying Game" and "That 70's show" can all be found on ABC Family. I would think a "family" show would be something I would allow my 5 year old to watch, and I'm pretty sure 4 guys/girls sitting in a circle around a table smoking pot isn't appropriate for that. Ok, I know you can't actually see them smoking it, but the dark basement, relaxed mood, and smoke drifting in the background pretty much gives that away.

Maybe I sound like my parents here at the age of 31, but it seems like society paints this picture...
1. Wear less clothing
2. Money is everything
3. Drama with friends is exciting
4. Sex is a sport
5. Marriage is temporary
6. Average is not good enough
7. Do whatever it takes to succeed
8. Morality died with color TV
9. Justice goes to whoever can win the battle
10. Religion is dead

I don't know about you, but this is not the society that I want my child to grow up in... Its not the society I want to grow up in! Who is going to change it? Will we change or just accept where we're headed?

This coming weekend, I'm giving a talk to a few hundred middle school boys about what it means to be a man. I'm starting with two images, and they'll have to decide which is "manly" and which is not. here are some examples...

Barbells ----- Swimming

Chalk ------ Knife

Jeep-------- Scooter

Angry ------ Joyful

Humility ------- Powerful

Doctor --------- Fireman

Looking at these two things, Society probably paints a very clear picture of which one is more manly than the others, but could we say that's accurate? I think most people would say that things of power are more manly. Things that create fear such as a knife verses chalk is more manly. Why would anger be more manly than someone that is joyful? Why isn't humility a manly trait? Why do things have to be dangerous to be manly?

Which is stronger? A man of society or a man of Christ? I think a man of society would be stronger in the eyes of society. I think a man of Christ would be stronger in the eyes of Christ. I guess now which is more important to you?

Man of Society	Man of Christ
Money	Peace
Serve me	Serve others
Lust	Purity
Never show emotion	express ourselves
Constant entertainment	Be still and quiet
Dive deeper into the world	Get away from the world
Fit in	Be ourselves
Our appearance	Our soul
Power	kindness
Being firm	Being compassionate
Being Right	Understanding others
Winning	Joyful sharing
Deserving respect	Respecting others

Keep in mind, I'm made these ideas up, so they might not be complete portrayal, but it's the idea that counts. How do we know what is good, just, holy, and what God really intended for a man of Christ? The only way to know is to read scripture, and focus on the person of Jesus Christ. He was bold yet compassionate. He was kind and gentle but angered many with his firm stance. He overturned the tables in the temple when the people made it into a market and he defended the woman who was adulterous. He healed the sick, and he chased away demons. He calmed the storms, and he walked on water. He called people to hope and he condemned the wicked. He exhibited all the traits at the right times, with the right emotion, the right words and the right purpose. He knew exactly what to say so he didn't offend either side and challenged his challengers to decide for themselves which was the correct action. People were afraid of Jesus and at the same time were drawn to him. He did was was right in the eyes of his father, not what was right in the eyes of the world. This is our model, this is who we should strive to be like. We should all try to be men like Jesus.

When we fall short, reflect on the lives of the saints who lived before us trying to imitate the life of Christ. They too fell short. They were sinful, they were angry, they suffered from depression, they fell short many times. They fought the sins of lust, greed and pride. They were just like us but walked our walk before us. They're great examples we can relate to while keeping our eyes on the life of Christ with the saints walking before us.

Strive to be men and women of Jesus. St. Theresa of Avila says it best with "Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which
Christ looks compassion into the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world."

You are "His Hands and Feet". Live like men - Men like Jesus!
Mark

You want me to be a priest? Yeah right!

2012-06-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

In every Catholic family, lies the desire for someone else's kid to become a priest. We pray for vocations, or at least we hear of the church praying for vocations, but many are really just not that excited to participate in the push or support.

Last week, I took 34 students and 6 adults into the heart of New York. We stayed in a convent with the Little Sisters of the Poor in Queens Village. We spent some time working with Catholic Charities, Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy, Queen of Peace residence home, and the Sisters of Life. I was blown away by the lifestyle of the general population of a New Yorker. We saw a few nice neighborhoods, but most areas we past through were pretty rough. On the bus, I visited with a guy that had been held at gunpoint over 7 times - twice with a gun in his mouth, and a few times slapped across the head with the butt of the gun. I couldn't imagine that being a regular threat in my life and it makes me feel extremely blessed to be in Texas.

While on this mission trip, we had the incredible opportunity to stay in the Convent with the Little Sisters of the Poor. They were so welcoming and allowed us to participate in their morning prayer, daily mass, and evening prayer. Their spirits were so beautiful and radiant. They had a true passion for life, and love. When you spoke with them, joy was emitted from their souls. It was such a beautiful thing. They love each other, they love their life and most of all, they're in such a close connection with our Lord Jesus Christ. It was such a beautiful site that I wish all young mom's and dad's would have the opportunity to see. The joy of being a sister, a brother, or a priest is such a powerful thing.

We also had the opportunity to meet the Sisters of Life who work with women who have been challenged to choose abortion rather than life. They help those who are in shame and guilt from their decision, as well as those considering their options. They also work with any cause that promotes inner dignity and purity. Let me tell you - these women were AWESOME! They would have been the popular girls in their schools who chose to be a sister. They were the athletes, and the well spoken women that could have gone in the business world and dominated! They are just incredible and yet chose the life of a sister instead of XYZ. The average age was around 35. Sister Bethany's words of our inner desire for the Lord were just incredibly moving. If you're considering the vocation of a sister, these women should certainly be visited!

One morning, a young man who had been ordained a priest for a week, came to say mass. After mass, he felt called to share a little of his call to the vocation of a priest. He expressed how there is no greater joy he would have in any other life, and only in serving the Lord would his heart be content. For all of us - the only way our heart will be content is when it is content in the Lord. This includes following his will and forgoing our own. This means living in a relationship with Him as our primary source of strength and support. If we go gallivanting around doing our own thing, and ignoring the path he calls us to, we'll be left feeling abandoned, alone and confused. In the end, we won't even know why. However, if we choose the path he wills for us we'll find true joy and happiness. For some, he calls to be mom's and dad's. For others, he calls to be sisters and brothers. If you're a parent, I'd suggest helping that option of the priesthood, or the life of a sister to be a great option. It's not an encouragement to go and be a priest - just the encouragement to be open to it. To be open to the vocational call of the religious life, just means that if called, the student would answer with a willingness to do the will of the Father. In my personal case, I was called to be a father. I considered the vocation of the priesthood. I went on vocation retreats, and was open to it, but being a dad, a husband and a youth minister is where the Lord wanted me.

What I like to think about for discerning priests is the difference they'd make if they chose that vocation. There are benefits and challenges to both lifestyles.

If you're married, the benefits are a loving caring spouse who is always there to support you and challenge you to be a better person. There is the potential for children and the experiences of being a mom/dad. On the down side, there are tons of difficulties sharing your life with another person. You have to clean up after yourself. You share different opinions, want to go on different vacations, want to eat different foods, want to see different movies, and the list continues. If you get in an argument, it doesn't just go away.... you have to work through it and move on.

If you're in the religious community, you have your own space. Life has very few things to worry about. You don't have to pick out your outfit for the day. You don't have to worry about the bills, or making enough money to support your family. You choose what to do with the majority of your time depending on what kind of religious institution you join. You are surrounded by a community of men and women. The whole world is drawn to you. If you're a cool priest as a pastor, you're like a celebrity! Everyone wants to have dinner with you, and invite you to all their gatherings. The negatives are you don't have a spouse or the relationship that a spouse provides. You will have tons of spiritual children, but none of your own flesh and blood that you know deeply and intimately.

I'd like to end on this... Be open to the will of God. In all things - do as he is calling you to do. Go to the inner place within your heart, that even your closest friend doesn't know. Go to the place your heart speaks to you and whispers great things - and there you will find the will of the Lord for you. Listen, and be open to what is being said. Ultimately, you have to trust. Trust that you're in the hands of an incredible God who wants great things from you, and only through his will will you be most happy.

I'm a Catholic and you're a Christian...

2012-06-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

If someone walks up and asks you - "Are you a Christian?" What is your response? For me, I always like to say "I'm Catholic - aren't you?" For most Catholics they'll say either "Yes, I am a Christian" but most will say "I'm a Catholic". Hopefully they never say - "No, I'm Catholic" - which basically deflates the idea that a Catholic IS a Christian. For a protestant, they really struggle with the identity of a Catholic. Here's why...

1. Most Catholics have a love for their "religion". They experience their Christian faith THROUGH the Catholic Church. Through the sacraments, through the mass, through the tradition, through sacred scripture. It's an identity! Being Catholic automatically means we are Christians, but we have more to our faith then just whats in our heart and how much we love Jesus.

2. Most protestants or at least many that I know, will almost think of religion as a bad thing. The stance is that religion has caused wars, and harm to people - so religion is bad. Most do not have any particular ties to a church of affiliation - they're just Christian. Most don't really get the tie to the "Religion" because Religion is not something they follow. It's hard to understand something you don't belong to...

3. The Catholic church has tradition... So when you're talking to someone of a faith who has none except for Jesus and the Bible - then the concept of tradition is not only foreign, but "wrong". As a Catholic, we have over 2000 years worth of tradition... We even use tradition from the Isrealites - the chosen people of God - and the Jewish culture. For XYZ church that started 2 years ago, there is no tradition except for the tradition of the Catholics and the Jews. Tradition is like being an Aggie - if you're in it, you love it! It's what defines you! It makes your experience so rich in value and purpose. Tradition does not take us away from the core values of a relationship with the Lord, but brings us to it.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 ¹⁵So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

4. The Catholic church has outlined many beliefs which are found in scripture, but are left unclear. It was the Church Fathers who continued to analyze scripture and make inferences as to salvation, the afterlife, the life of Mary, the meaning and value of the sacraments and so forth. This is where the trinity came from - the trinity was explained, but never named or the idea of the trinity was never developed until several years after scripture was written. This is where purgatory came from. This is where the immaculate conception came from. Even scripture tells us that Jesus did and said many things that are not in scripture. John 21:24-25²⁴This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.²⁵Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

5. To a protestant, why do we need to know all the peripheral information anyway? Why do we need to know about purgatory? Does it matter? To most protestants, all that matters is our relationship with Jesus. That's it - so all the "extra" stuff isn't important. The art isn't important. The liturgy isn't important. The order which we pray isn't important. The signs and symbols aren't important. Many of the things we hold as important to us as a Catholic, are left as unimportant to someone of another tradition.

6. Following rules/guidelines/the law - We get pinned as Catholics as having to "earn our way to heaven" which isn't accurately portrayed. The scriptures which are used are the scriptures where the Pharisees are condemned for following their rules but have no love for the Lord. Matthew 23 is a bash against those who follow the law but do not have love in their hearts - compared to many who Jesus felt compassion for as their hearts were focuses on him such as the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Yes, Jesus wants our hearts, but even his teachings are contradicting to St. Paul's outlined here:

JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW 19:16-21,¹⁶Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life ?”¹⁷“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸“Which ones?” he inquired.Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹honor your father and mother,’^[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”²⁰“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
²¹Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 5:17-18 says:¹⁷“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

I think the point of all this, is that as a Catholic, I see my faith, my tradition, the magisterium of the Catholic Church, religion, scripture, church doctrine, and most importantly - HOW I connect with Jesus Christ differently than someone who does not rely on "religion" to get them there.

I think what we have in common, is the heart. We all should have hearts yearning for the Lord. Our HEARTS have to be focused on Him. If we're just doing religious things, and we don't really know the Lord and aren't connecting with him, we are missing something and need to re-evaluate our relationship.

For a non-denominational, EVERYTHING focuses on the relationship with him - then you add in scripture, prayer, and places and ways to read scripture, and to pray. Intertwined with that, is that we should be living a life trying to know him and do his will.

For a Catholic - EVERYTHING focuses on the relationship with him - but to do that, we receive the Eucharist. What better way to be close to him? To do that, we receive any of the sacraments. To know the Lord, we participate in the Lords supper on Sundays. We have the opportunity to go to confession which heals our brokenness after we have greatly sinned and separated ourselves from our God. To know the Lord, we learn about other people who knew the Lord like the saints. To know the Lord, we rely on the Church, the Church fathers, the Pope, the Bishops and our pastors to help us outline what is good, just, holy, ethical, and moral. To know the Lord, we use artwork, the crucifix and beautiful churches.

We just have more stuff... more ways of connecting to the Lord, and are not limited to the bible only. Both of us are Christians, both of us rely on Christ as he is our only way to be saved. By his grace, love and mercy we have the possibility of making it to eternal happiness. What a great gift he gives us - both Christians, and Catholic Christians alike.

I always like to say - whatever you are - be the best that you can be. If you're baptist, be the best baptist you can be. If you're non-denominational, be the best non-denominational you can be, and if you're Catholic, be bold and know you're faith because everyone else will want you to be what they are... dig deep, and you'll find truth, depth, and fullness in the Catholic Church.

Whats this nonsence about Purgatory?

2012-06-07T07:55:00.002-07:00

Most non-Catholics really don't get the concept of purgatory... In fact, most Catholics don't either, so they take an idea that was given to them in CCD when they were a kid, and incorporated the confusion from non-Catholics, and put together is a lot of extra "religious" stuff that doesn't make sense - so today's blog will be a clarification and attempt to not only help you the reader understand, but more importantly, be able to teach others.

First, I'll provide the practical teaching, then I'll address the "fight" against this concept, then finally I'll add some scriptural references.

Practical teaching - As a human creation, we desire sinful things. Sinful things are outside of God - and yet we yearn for things outside of God. God's Ideal soul is one that desires nothing but him and a relationship with him. Even when we KNOW something is sinful, we still tend to be drawn to it. So the soul of a human has desires outside of God. Secondly - Everything in heaven is perfect. It's perfect worship, it's perfect peace. It's perfect love and joy. There is no desire for sinful things. So to bring these two things together....

Imperfect person on earth-------> Death-------> Perfectly clean souls desiring nothing but the Lord

Ok - so how do our souls transition from imperfect to perfect? How do those sinful desires be cleansed? We're on earth, and are shown great and holy things, but yet our souls still desire sinful things... So what changes our soul in heaven?

Purgatory is nothing more than this... It's a cleansing process that purges us of our sin so we no longer desire that, but only the Lord. That's it.

It's not a waiting room - we don't know if we're there for several years, or just a second or two. Heaven is not regulated by time or space. There will be no "fire" as fire is physical, and our souls are not physical. Eternity with the Lord is purely emotional which is the internal reaction of our souls. Could there be a sensation like fire? In the old days, the only thing they knew of that would bring something to it's original and pure state, was fire - so that's why they used fire to explain the sensations of purgatory.

Ok - so further explaining the concept of - "can someone go straight to heaven" - Yes... I believe it's possible but highly unlikely that their soul wouldn't need some kind of cleansing... I believe there are some people like St. Theresa of Avila - one of the great mystics of the church may have come very close to cleansing herself on earth of worldly sin. The concept of "offering it up" is purely about removing sinful desires and yearnings from within, and replacing it with a desire for the Lord. St. Francis would throw himself into rose bushes after a sinful act so he would hopefully remove those sinful desires. This is certainly not a recommendation for ANYONE, and I don't necessarily think that type of "purging" is even a moral or ethical act as our bodies are temples to be treated as sacred vessels of the Lord - but the concept has good intention. I think with time, the more we turn away from sinful things, and turn to God our Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit, we will slowly be perfecting our souls to want nothing but him. In the end, that is what it's all about! It's not about merit - it's not about "earning our way" which we're often challenged of - It's about perfecting our souls to want nothing but the Lord. Yes "we all fall short in the glory of God" Romans 3:23 - but that shouldn't be an excuse for stop trying...

So what is the fight against this? Well, one is that we're just Catholic, and others are not - so they argue with things they are not taught in their own churches. Secondly, you won't find the word purgatory in scripture - so for "bible only" churches, it doesn't, and couldn't exist. You also won't find the word "Trinity" in the bible... but taking the scriptures such as Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" we've formed the theology that there are 3 persons in 1 God, and then we named this concept the "Trinity". You will not find the word trinity, but the concept. Even then, you won't find the theology in scripture that says there is 1 God, and 3 persons within in God, and yet all Christians believe this. I am unsure why the concept of Purgatory is so challenged as a non-biblical stance when the Trinity could be portrayed in the same light. Purgatory may not be completely outlined in scripture, but because of what we have, we've simply put a name to it. Read the below scriptures and see how you can make the connections that theologians did hundreds of years. Many early writings of this idea were happening as early as the 100's Here's a great link with some ideas of early saints, Martyrs, and church fathers that express this idea: http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-roots-of-purgatory
Purgatory is a theological necessity to explain how we as humans with sinful desires, are cleansed of those sinful desires so we can participate as a part of perfect creations with desires completely focused on the Lord. It's about purification and a way we can be more perfectly connected with our Lord in eternity.

I found a great website with some scriptures that communicate a need for repentance, and change in order to be with Christ in the afterlife. http://www.scripturecatholic.com/purgatory.html

Matt. 5:26,18:34; Luke 12:58-59 – Jesus teaches us, “Come to terms with your opponent or you will be handed over to the judge and thrown into prison. You will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Pet. 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zech. 3.1; Rev. 12.10), and God is the judge. If we have not adequately dealt with satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.
Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, "be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory.
Matt. 12:32 – Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.” Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death. The phrase “in the next” (from the Greek “en to mellonti”) generally refers to the afterlife (see, for example, Mark 10.30; Luke 18.30; 20.34-35; Eph. 1.21 for similar language). Forgiveness is not necessary in heaven, and there is no forgiveness in hell. This proves that there is another state after death, and the Church for 2,000 years has called this state purgatory.
Luke 12:47-48 - when the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will no longer live with the Master.
Luke 16:19-31 - in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering. But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and those in hell are deprived from God's graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.
1 Cor. 15:29-30 - Paul mentions people being baptized on behalf of the dead, in the context of atoning for their sins (people are baptized on the dead’s behalf so the dead can be raised). These people cannot be in heaven because they are still with sin, but they also cannot be in hell because their sins can no longer be atoned for. They are in purgatory. These verses directly correspond to 2 Macc. 12:44-45 which also shows specific prayers for the dead, so that they may be forgiven of their sin.
Phil. 2:10 - every knee bends to Jesus, in heaven, on earth, and "under the earth" which is the realm of the righteous dead, or purgatory.
2 Tim. 1:16-18 - Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him “on that day.” Paul’s use of “that day” demonstrates its eschatological usage (see, for example, Rom. 2.5,16; 1 Cor. 1.8; 3.13; 5.5; 2 Cor. 1.14; Phil. 1.6,10; 2.16; 1 Thess. 5.2,4,5,8; 2 Thess. 2.2,3; 2 Tim. 4.8). Of course, there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.
Heb. 12:14 - without holiness no one will see the Lord. We need final sanctification to attain true holiness before God, and this process occurs during our lives and, if not completed during our lives, in the transitional state of purgatory.
Heb. 12:23 - the spirits of just men who died in godliness are "made" perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits are in purgatory.
1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 - Jesus preached to the spirits in the "prison." These are the righteous souls being purified for the beatific vision.
Rev. 21:4 - God shall wipe away their tears, and there will be no mourning or pain, but only after the coming of the new heaven and the passing away of the current heaven and earth. Note the elimination of tears and pain only occurs at the end of time. But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.
Rev. 21:27 - nothing unclean shall enter heaven. The word “unclean” comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. Even the propensity to sin is spiritually corrupt, or considered unclean, and must be purified before entering heaven. It is amazing how many Protestants do not want to believe in purgatory. Purgatory exists because of the mercy of God. If there were no purgatory, this would also likely mean no salvation for most people. God is merciful indeed.
Luke 23:43 – many Protestants argue that, because Jesus sent the good thief right to heaven, there can be no purgatory. There are several rebuttals. First, when Jesus uses the word "paradise,” He did not mean heaven. Paradise, from the Hebrew "sheol," meant the realm of the righteous dead. This was the place of the dead who were destined for heaven, but who were captive until the Lord's resurrection. Second, since there was no punctuation in the original manuscript, Jesus’ statement “I say to you today you will be with me in paradise” does not mean there was a comma after the first word “you.” This means Jesus could have said, “I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise” (meaning, Jesus could have emphasized with exclamation his statement was “today” or “now,” and that some time in the future the good thief would go to heaven). Third, even if the thief went straight to heaven, this does not prove there is no purgatory (those who are fully sanctified in this life – perhaps by a bloody and repentant death – could be ready for admission in to heaven).
Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 - here are some examples of ritual prayer and penitent mourning for the dead for specific periods of time. The Jewish understanding of these practices was that the prayers freed the souls from their painful state of purification, and expedited their journey to God.
Baruch 3:4 - Baruch asks the Lord to hear the prayers of the dead of Israel. Prayers for the dead are unnecessary in heaven and unnecessary in hell. These dead are in purgatory.
Zech. 9:11 - God, through the blood of His covenant, will set those free from the waterless pit, a spiritual abode of suffering which the Church calls purgatory.
2 Macc. 12:43-45 - the prayers for the dead help free them from sin and help them to the reward of heaven. Those in heaven have no sin, and those in hell can no longer be freed from sin. They are in purgatory. Luther was particularly troubled with these verses because he rejected the age-old teaching of purgatory. As a result, he removed Maccabees from the canon of the Bible.

Conversion

2012-06-05T09:06:00.002-07:00

I recently ran into a student of mine as he was hanging out with a group of friends. He of course really didn't know what to talk about except for something church related, so he pointed out a buddy of his who was a non-denominational looking into the seminary, and had recently thought about converting to Catholicism.... He got his buddy and introduced me, and I was asking him what made him want to convert and this is what he shared....

He was in class, and wanted to know more about the roots of his faith, and his professor told him to start reading the church fathers. So sure enough, he went and picked up writings from St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and several others. As he was reading their theological stance that had dated well before the protestant reformation, he began to connect with what they were saying. He put the dots together of how the church came to be. From the first Christians, their understanding of the Eucharist, their practices of the first "churches" and the theology that came both from Jesus, His teachings, and the interpretation of the first Christians as they began to put the teachings into a practice.

As he read further, he began to put it all together - first Christians to church fathers to Catholic Church then after several hundreds of years, a split where new ideas contrary to the beliefs of the Church fathers, and new beliefs that excluded the church fathers and the first Christians and went back to starting from scratch.After making these connections of the Eucharist, theology of salvation, liturgy and all the sacraments, he realized the Catholic Churches sense of seeking the truth and outlining it with everything they believe to be true.

It's not about the show, its not about getting more members, its not about making money, its not about being modern. The church is about the truth, providing the truth, and celebrating the faith of our ancestors in the way they practiced their faith.

This morning, I was outside working in my yard thinking of how much I enjoyed nature and just being outside. I was thinking about our Adventure trip to Colorado we have coming up, and how much I enjoy nature. I connect with the Lord best when I'm surrounded by his creation of trees, mountains, rivers, rocks, wind and sky. So I thought about this concept that might be relevant...

If someone wants to be a REAL naturalist - I mean someone who is striving to be in nature, with nature, and holistically living naturally - there has to be a connection made. I think within all of us, there is a calling to be surrounded by God's Creation. Its a way we connect with him. So - while making these connections, we may think we want to go live in the woods and just study nature and be immersed in it. I would absolutely love that!

The question is.... does that make us a complete naturalist? Does that make us REALLY understand nature? If we were to spend 3 months living in a tent, sleeping in the woods and learning everything there is to learn about the things around us... would that make us be all knowing, and all natural? I think it would in many senses! Absolutely without any question would that take us deeper into who God is,and how he reveals himself through the natural world. Even then, the question, is would we know everything there is to know about nature? I would say no. What makes the green plant green? Would we know that from watching the green plant grow? Where does the wind come from? Where does the rain come from? Would we learn that just by sitting out in the woods? For a few thousand years, people lived on the Earth and didn't realize it was round until the 1400's.... There is only so much we can actually know without the study of science, and without YEARS of study.

What if the most brilliant scientist wrong a novel explaining everything he could possibly know about science.... Would that give us everything? No! There are still things yet to be discovered, explored and most importantly - understood.

I think the Catholic Church and the protestant church could be compared in this way. I relate to the protestant church as the individuals who want to "get back to nature" - get to the heart of things and truly experience it in a way that is real, hands on, and develop that personal connection. Sometimes, just excluding the science of nature - the several thousands of years of study, discovery and understanding and just living in the glorious moment. It truly is a beautiful thing! I love those connections we make while on the "camping trip" but I also love knowing why there is sand amongst the rocks, and what is happening when lightning strikes. I prefer taking all I can possibly know through years of scientific discovery, and then my experience in the camping trip has much more depth.

Our Catholic faith spans over 2000 years. Jesus Christ first, then the first Christians who recorded their experience with Jesus, the first Christians who took Jesus' teachings and put them into practice, the Church fathers who developed a theology around those things which couldn't be explained yet were questions raised by the first Christians, and the Popes, Bishops, Priests and lay ministers who have continued to grow, teach and further the understanding of the Church in the modern world.

I love my faith as a Catholic, and I love that it isn't just based on one aspect but rather a few hundred of years of theological exploration.

Sports

2012-05-17T09:25:00.002-07:00

For the record, I do not hate sports. I do not think sports are evil. I do not think sports are immoral. In fact, I LOVE sports! I love volleyball both watching and playing. I love baseball! I am currently trying to join a league to play. I am sitting in front of the tv with my wife every ranger game. I have been in fantasy football leagues. I ran track and cross country in high school. I played basketball and golf for our school team while also in the band. On top of all that, I was on the photography staff of the yearbook, and had a lead part in one act play. I took private art lessons, and taught myself how to play the guitar. If someone was to look at my activity resume in high school, you better believe I had a list a mile long. The point I'm making, is that I support sports. Growing up, my parents supported sports. I was an athlete, I was an artist, a musician, and was extremely involved in these activities.

DESPITE MY ACTIVITIES - I was at mass every Sunday without fail. I didn't have "home church" on the weekends I was out of town. I went to mass all over the state, and even all over the country. My family prayed the rosary, went to daily mass and prayed at every meal. When I had a free weekend, I would attend a retreat somewhere within the diocese. During the summer, I went to the Pines Catholic Camp.

There was balance in my life. I had plenty of time with my friends, plenty of time at home with my family, I was always participating in some school or extracurricular activity, but God always came first. My priorities were in order - God first, family second, education third, fun/social stuff last.

I do not hate sports. I do not think sports are evil. I do not think sports are immoral. In fact, I LOVE sports. The problem is not _______ (you can fill in the blank with sports, plays, dance, band, whatever) but act of placing these activities before the Lord. When you make the choice to play a tournament on Easter Sunday, the most important day of the liturgical year - I'd be sad that you made that decision instead of telling your coach you're not willing to play a game on such an important day of your faith. Yes, I get mad that coaches will schedule sporting events Sunday morning. I get frustrated that kids pick to be in dance lessons on Wednesday Night when everyone knows that's "church night". Do I think dance is wrong? No, but I would rather see a student choose to have their Wednesday night free so they can come and pray, learn and grow in faith with their peers.

Faith has so much to offer. It shapes the whole person through and through. It shapes us through our entire lifetime, and when it's all said and done, your faith will lead you to be with Christ for eternity. I loved my sports. My participation in them have shaped my life and has molded me to be a strong and athletic individual. So has my family, so have my friends, so has the Pines, so has Texas A&M, and the Corps of Cadets. So has being a rafting guide and wildlife biologist... Despite all these incredible things I've been a part of, my faith has shaped me more. It's helped me to be MUCH stronger, than all the other experiences combined have.

Those who underestimate faith JUST DON'T GET IT!
Education will help you be a smart individual. It'll get you into a good college. It will probably help you make more money. It will probably even help you find a more beautiful/handsome spouse. It will put you at the top of your society.
Sports, will help you learn determination. It'll help you be physically fit. It will help you develop a balance of getting everything done, and also fit in your other activity. It'll give you friends, and teach you what it means to be on a team. It'll give you something to do so you're not bored. It will help you learn to compete so when challenged, you can learn to try and be on top.
Creative arts like band, art, and acting - will help you develop your creativity. It'll expand your comfort level of ability and allow you to freely create new and exciting ideas and way of experiencing life. It also helps you develop teamwork, and allows you to put all the pieces together in a way that is fitting and good.

All these things are GOOD THINGS!!! These are WONDERFUL THINGS! But without God, without faith, all these things are meaningless. We should use our education to serve the Lord - and to bring others to him through further theological understanding. We could not/would not be athletes without the gifts that God gave us to use them. Our creative arts are gifts given by God to make his world a little brighter and we are the instruments he uses to paint and color his world. Those things are good and wonderful, but only lead to worldly happiness rather than eternal happiness. Without the Lord working within these things, they are just another way of using up our time. Unless the Lord is 1st - those things will all die out and you'll be left empty and searching for meaning and purpose for your life. When you get to that point after years of ignoring your call to faith, turn to Christ and he will give meaning and joy to all your life's activities.

For the record, I do not hate sports. I do not think sports are evil. I do not think sports are immoral. In fact, I LOVE sports! The difference is I put the Lord first - and he works within them.

Living or existing

2012-05-15T09:01:00.002-07:00

As summer gears up, so many families and especially teens out there are looking for something to do. They're looking for camps to sign up for, vacations, day trips and other fun things with friends and family. It's so easy to find yourself not making any plans and just "hanging out" while trying to finish that list of things you have been trying to accomplish. There are always dishes and clothes to wash. There's always food to be bought and tv shows to watch. These things are absolutely necessary and need to be things we do in our every day life. Chores, tv, and every day tasks are a part of the realm I like to call existing. These things are a part of our existence - things we need to do as a part of a family, of society, and as a creation on the earth. Its almost like having a '63 Corvette in your garage, and at least twice a year, you have to change the oil whether you drive it every day, or once a year - you have to change the oil just to maintain it. In the same way, doing our every day tasks are part of maintaining and existing - but is it really living? Going back to the Corvette, you could take it to the grocery store or you could take it downtown for a night out, or even further, you could take it for a drag race. Lets take a deeper look at a few areas of our life where we could develop our LIFE skills rather than our EXISTING skills...

Our spiritual lives - It's so easy to go to mass every week, say your mealtime prayers, an occasional bedtime prayer, and an act of service and feel as if you're living your faith life. In one sense, you're absolutely living your faith life! In another sense, are you growing your faith life or are you maintaining it? This is where I find my faith life, and where I struggle the most with it. I pray frequently. I go to mass every week. I teach our students about Christ and his Church. I put on my scapular every day, and ask the Lord to walk with me... So why do I feel so spiritually dry? Am I growing my faith or am I just maintaining what I have? If you feel the same way, here's how I would like to challenge the both of us... Wherever you're at in your faith - whether you go to church weekly, or yearly, we're only shooting for growth in where we're currently at. Find 1 way to GROW your faith. Here are a few ideas...
1. Sign up for the next retreat at your church.
2. Make your own retreat - go get out of town and find a bible study to do while you're away.
3. Get 3 friends to commit to a weekly scripture study or faith discussion/prayer group over the summer.
4. Go to daily mass or commit to praying the rosary or divine chaplet every day.
5. Commit to morning prayer from liturgy of the hours
6. Journal about your faith walk

Find something extra to do for your spiritual life.

Our social lives - It's fairly easy to think of our friends, tougher to make a frequent phone call, and even more difficult to go visit a friend. Find ways to reconnect socially. Here are some examples...
1. Host a dinner party for 3 or 4 friends
2. Start a guys night or girls night
3. Take a day trip across town and see a friend you haven't seen in a while.
4. Send out some "thinking of you" cards
5. Bake someone a cake, brownies, or something that just says you are thinking of them
6. Send an old friend a care package. Everyone loves a care package - especially kids at camp, friends studying abroad, or people who are out of state and miss things from your state.

Find something extra to do for your social life.

Our physical lives - for some of us, we're already taking care of this...for many, (including me) this is the last thing I want to do in my day - EXERCISE! Its an odd correlation between knowing we always feel better when we work out regularly, and then making yourself actually work out. In looking at myself, I'm 5'10, and 160 lbs. I'm certainly not overweight, but I exercise just about 0% of my week. I know exercise would make me feel better but making myself actually do it is another thing. I tell ya what - If 10 of you post a comment that you'll make a commitment with me (in your own lives) then I'll commit too.

Not sure if you noticed what just happened, but I just practiced tip #1....
1. Find an accountability partner! If they're gunna work out, and they'll do their best to hold you accountable too, it's a lot easier to feel the need to exercise. Its even easier if you have them to join you in your work out...
2. Join a league! you can join a semester softball, flag football, frisbee, volleyball or any other league that will get you out of the house, and running around.
3. Take a daily walk. If you can't get yourself to run, and you're not willing to commit to a league, take a daily walk even if it's just around the block.

Lastly, I want to wrap up with a few tips to general life goals.
1. Calendar - Use your calendar! Before things book up with the every day tasks, set aside some time. Pick out some time where you will sit at home with your family and do nothing. Calendar some dates with your spouse or your best friends. Schedule what days you need to work out. Most importantly, pick at least 1 weekend a month to "get out of town".
2. Getting out of town - It's so important that we find ways to pull out of the every day rut and put ourselves into a new environment. Go rent a cabin on a ranch, or at the lake. Go camping, go fishing, go golfing, go visit a family member. Leave your home and find something new and exciting to go and do.
3. Take the sabbath! In the Jewish and Christian culture, we are called to rest on the sabbath. There is a reason for the 3000 year old tradition. We need to rest! We need to have some time when we do not work and we can allow life to slow down for a day. Take a break! There are other days you can work... Take time on the sabbath to rest your mind, body and soul.

Good luck! It's not easy pulling yourself out of our every day BLAHness... Hopefully with some help, you'll find some new inspiration to go out there and try some new and different things! Get out there and drive! Take her for a spin

Catholicism of the 2000's

2012-05-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

I was recently accused of making our Catholic youth activities "protestant". Apparently making things a little more fun, exciting, and even a little on the crazy and loud side is just "not Catholic"...

After 7 years of parish ministry, and after 3 years of working with a group of over 200 each week, I've come to grips with one thing - You can't please everyone with everything. I took an end of year survey where side by side were the kids that LOVED music and wanted more, while next to them was the stack of students that HATED the music, and wanted to completely eliminate it. There were kids that LOVED small groups and wanted more, and kids that hated them and wanted the large group setting. Every person is different. They all worship different, they pray differently, they participate differently, they're interested in different topics and they're all at different levels of their faith. Some come for the friendships, others come just to receive a sacrament, others because their parents make them, and others because they want to learn what the Catholic Church teaches. Some come for the food, others for the music, the games, others for the talks and the discussions. It's amazing the diversity of students we have, and the challenge of ministering to all of them throughout the span of 2 hours - and reaching every student.

First, I want to share that causing someone to "stretch" is a necessity in ministry. If we stayed within everyone's comfort zone, they'd never grow. We grow when we stretch and are challenged to do something we're unfamiliar with. I remember my first day at camp in 1993 and being thrown into a group of 50 high school teens I had never met before. They were all from Dallas and many of them knew each other - and here I was this little country guy from Coleman, Texas who didn't know a soul. I had never sang "camp songs" or played "camp games" so trying all these new things were a little uncomfortable. With time, I realized everyone else was doing it, and seemed to be having a good time, so I allowed myself to break some barriers and participate. Over the years, I've adopted the concept of challenging students to stretch and try new things. Once they're able to pray in front of a small group, they may be willing to pray in front of a larger group. Once they pray in a larger group, they may even be willing to randomly stop someone on the street to pray. We play games to break boundaries. We sing songs to glorify the Lord and the Goofy songs to break our barriers so when we get to the "praise songs", its way easier then singing a goofy song with hand motions, and it may allow us to actually pray the song rather than feel so uncomfortable. It's like a rubber band that stretches. At the peak of the stretch, the tension is at it's highest point. When the rubber band comes back to its original position, it's not as tight, and it's way more comfortable then being at the highest point of tension.

Secondly - Just because we try and make things "fun" doesn't mean we're trying to be like the protestant churches. I was a little unsure of what she wanted... Does she want her kid to come into a classroom with old school CCD lessons, untrained catechist and read out of books? Is that what is most effective to her child? For a very small minority, that's exactly what a student might want and need, but for the majority, something a little more upbeat is much more effective. The protestant churches have a lot of things right! They started hiring youth ministers over 40 years ago, where the Catholic Church didn't until the late 80's. The Protestant churches have invested a huge amount of their resources to build youth rooms, and gathering spaces where most Catholic churches give the extra building or room that is not being used. If something is effective and working, it should be duplicated. If kids LOVE going to their protestant "youth groups" then there is something that they're doing right that maybe we could learn from. Just because we're trying to make things fun doesn't mean we're becoming protestant.

The Church of the 2000's can and should be more updated. Liturgy should be more vibrant and get to the heart of signs and symbolism. I think churches can have screens that aid in our worship. Having screens in a church does not make it less Catholic - it makes it more engaging. We're going to be Catholic whether we have a screen in our church or not. The Eucharist is still the Eucharist, the source and summit. We still have our sacraments, our crucifix, our liturgy and our prayer. I think we should have relevant teaching that takes the Catholic teachings and brings it into a modern usefulness. We're not in the year 300 with shepherding and casting nets along the shore as our primary industries. We're in a different time, and a different age and must be relevant to this time and age. It doesn't mean we wash out our teachings and conform to the age, but we must be able to relate to the upcoming generations and meet their needs of engagement.

Change is never easy especially when it goes against something we once thought to be true. Our churches are sacred spaces - so does adding a screen and projector make it less sacred? I believe it might, but now we get into a moral issue - is it better to have the screens and be more engaging or to not have the screens and lose the attention of those we're trying to minister to?

The eventual result will be individuals connecting to the church, or feeling a disconnect with the church. Which is more likely to bring individuals closer to Christ? In 3000 individuals, you won't make everyone happy - but what will be the most effective balance? The teens of today are the NOW of the church and not just the future. If we lose them now, there will be no future. How can we make our churches more engaging without losing the sacred tradition, prayer and sacraments that we hold so dear?

The average church go'er

2012-04-19T08:43:00.003-07:00

In my job as a youth worker, I frequently run into students and parents completely disengaged from church. As a Catholic, we have the sacraments - God's gift to the Church as a way of dispensing grace. For some Catholics, it's almost like playing a video game and you jump up to the next level every time you receive a sacrament. The time in between doesn't seem to matter as much. They show up for Christmas, Easter and Ash Wednesday and are just fine with that. For this type of Catholic, its not about the daily search for Christ, its not about carrying your cross, it's not about faith being the driving force in your life - it's about doing the tasks required to fulfill the obligations so you can still call yourself a "church go'er". I find that many of these individuals have just lost touch with what's really important in life. Many of them find value in everything else out there, but in the end, they're searching so hard to find true joy. This kind of joy won't be found in fancy cars, big houses or more activities. I guess our value system has changed from a family focus to an entertainment focus.

Here's a list of my personal values in a general order from most important down, and the way I express these things in my life

My daily walk of faith - in the way I treat people, the way I communicate, prayer, the choices I make
Relationship with my wife - communication, time together, acts of kindness, words of affirmation
Relationship with my son - play time, caring for his needs, being patient, helping him grow
Providing for their needs - balancing my time, providing income, doing my share of work at home
Ministry - Planning and running events, personal visits, console, encourage, and be compassionate
Personal time - being well rested, relaxing on the back porch, trips out of town, prayer time
Immediate and extended family - phone and skype calls, attend activities with them
Friends - meet up for activities, phone calls
Vacation and hobbies - set up times family vacations, participate in league, or go to sporting events

I wonder how all that will change once our son and maybe other kids are all in high school and middle school. They're all going to want to participate in something. I guess for me, my first choice of activities would be church activities. Why? Because I find value in church. When I was in middle school, I started attending the Pines Catholic Camp. This was the first place I felt I could really be me and be liked for it. I met incredible people that had similar values of my family. They were rooted in faith and it would shine forth from them. It was such a beautiful and attractive thing, I couldn't help but want what they had and was drawn to their spirit in the Lord. When I was finally able to drive, my parents let me drive all the way to Dallas to visit with them. I'll never forget how great it was to be around other high school kids that hung out on a regular basis without drinking. Their friendships were deep, real and joy flowed forth from them. Those were the kind of relationships I was seeking and found them only in my church friends. As I minister to my teens at Good Shepherd, I see the same relationships forming within their groups. It's an honor to have been a part of helping them connect.

So maybe you're wondering where I'm going with all this... I guess the point is that I've found an unbelievable value in my faith. I Love being Catholic and how the sacraments bring me closer to Christ. I enjoy the community I belong to both parents, teens and my peers. I look to my faith to be the guiding light in my life and I find so much joy in it. I guess I struggle with the fact that I want everyone else to have this kind of relationship with their church, their faith, and their God. I want everyone to cling to Christ in the midst of their struggles. I meet so many people who's faith revolves around the obligation rather than the opportunity. I meet so many people that put everything else first. They are pushing themselves to the max in the world, and doing as little as they have to do for the church. Why? I guess because they never made that connection. They never had that "wow" moment, and if they did, it was so long ago they've forgotten what it's like. I see them drift further and further from something so awesome because the constant interactions with the "other life". We become the things we surround ourselves with.

I know kids in select sports that spend $2000 a semester, and 10-15 hours a week but when it comes to church, they complain if mass goes over an hour and their giving is less then $1000 a year... I struggle when I see these families because all I want to do is give them a glimpse of the greatness the Church can provide if they were just willing to give it a try. The problem is getting them to show up to something else. The problem is no one tithes their 10% so we don't have the money to provide more programs which require more staff.

In the end, I guess I too am trying to go bigger and better - but my bigger and better is for the Lord, balancing family and friends. As far as my Catholic faith is concerned - I want everyone I know to experience the joy in being part of the Church. Not just any church but the Catholic Church. I want all ministry in the church to explode! I want the Lord to reveal himself so much that the individuals that have been so distant will come back home and be reconnected and rekindled in their life of faith. I want the Church to be more welcoming, more inviting and more inspirational. Our church is NOT about the entertainment aspect - it is primarily based on Christ and his expression of Love through the last supper, his death and resurrection and providing us the sacraments to continue to build and supply us with the grace needed to be connected to him. A piece of me is saddened when I see someone leave the church because they never felt that connection - but at the same time, it pushes me even harder to work for Christ and the Church He established, with the sacraments He gave us. Until then, I'll be looking for the disengaged families who show up every 4-5 years to fulfill their obligations, and I'll be enjoying my time with the community of faith that are actively experiencing the love of Christ within the Church.

No - we're not canibals...

2012-04-05T08:58:00.001-07:00

John 6:55-59 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Luke 24:30-31 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.

It's very clear here that Jesus is saying that his flesh and blood provide spiritual nourishment. Not just as the flesh and blood itself, but in the action of feeding and drinking of his flesh and blood. In the book of Luke in the walk to Emmaus, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples in the breaking of the bread. They did not recognize Jesus until that very moment. In all scriptural studies, you have to look at the context and the theology and why the author chose to reveal certain aspects of Jesus' life within the text. This story clearly acknowledges that Jesus had resurrected, the disciples knew and felt his presence but it was not made known until he broke the bread.

Catholics continued this celebration from the time of the resurrection until today. We see even in the book of acts and in the letter from St. Paul to the Corinthians how the celebration of the Mass had already begun.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

This is significant for 2 reasons... 1. Paul never met Jesus. Shortly after Jesus resurrected, Paul persecuted the Christians. His persecution led to the first martyr St. Stephen. Acts7:58-60 then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep." - Paul didn't meet Jesus, but through his conversion, he began to study scripture, and experience the Catholic mass even in his day. In his studies, he even picked up the language which brings me to the second reason this is significant... The words he is using in the book of Corinthians are the same words we use today in our Catholic mass. By the time he writes the letter to the Corinthians, the mass had already begun and was being celebrated.

Here's another scripture

Acts 2:42-47"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

So for all Christians, this understanding of the celebration of the last supper should make sense right? We want to talk about "Being saved" - to me, this states that these actions lead us to salvation... The first scriptures I quoted in John are talking about eating the flesh of the son of man and drinking his blood, and how you should do it, or you are lifeless. How are we as Catholics so chastised for following through with what scripture tells us? Why is our tradition so "crazy" to others when it's very clear from the above scriptures we're doing as we are called. I would say because their theology is different from that of scripture. Their theology has the Eucharist being a symbolic act - much like how a statue symbolizes something else but has no actual value. As a Catholic, we believe the Eucharist truly becomes Jesus Christ incarnate.

So does that mean we're cannibals like some would like to claim in order to diminish and discriminate against our apostolic tradition? No - because they are misunderstanding the theology behind the Eucharist. Here are the key points...

1. Scripture clearly defends our position of receiving the Eucharist as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. He does not say "this is a symbol of my body" or "this is like my body"... He says "THIS IS MY BODY" THIS IS MY BLOOD".

2. The Eucharist was believed even by the early apostles and disciples to be more than just a symbol or an act to remember Jesus. They already believed that when you receive the Eucharist, it's equal to receiving Jesus Christ within you.
1 Corinthians 11:27-30Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

3. The Eucharist is not the Jesus that walked the earth before his resurrection. The Eucharist IS the RESURRECTED Lord. This is the Jesus that had risen from the dead. He was a different form from before. He is now able to change forms, change the way he looks. He's able to appear and disappear. Luke 24:31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! also see John 20:19 with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
This is the resurrected Lord we receive at the mass. This Jesus doesn't have to die again. This Jesus is now transformed. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive the risen Lord who is able to change forms.

4. Want some more recent proofs? Here is a website that explains several Eucharistic miracles. There have been times when the wine turned to real and physical blood, and before people's eyes, the Eucharist began to bleed. http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/a3.html

5. So why are we called to go to mass every week? We're in need of Christ's spiritual nourishment through the Eucharist. "Unless you eat and drink of the flesh of the son of man, you have no life within you". The longer you go without receiving the Eucharist, the more you are missing out on the incredible gift of his true presence.

You can connect to Jesus through Scripture and receive graces through other ways, but the primary way our Lord gives us grace is through the reception of the Eucharist, and the other sacraments. For a Catholic, the Eucharist is the SOURCE AND THE SUMMIT. Yes, the homily is nice, and leads our minds and hearts to the Lord, but even the greatest homily, talk, lecture, or preaching can't physically bring Jesus into our midst.

Here's the way I personally look at it...

Other churches focus on the pastor, and his ability to preach and inspire through his words and quotations of scripture. As a Catholic, we have the same scriptures. We have inspiring words and preaching of our pastor. The difference is our focus is not on the pastor and his reflection of Jesus - but on Jesus himself present among us in the Eucharist. In the Catholic liturgy - it's focal point is NOT on the "talk" but on the Liturgy of the word (Scripture) and the liturgy of the Eucharist (the consecration). Liturgy when done well will emphasize the things.

The mass is about community - receiving the Lord - and then most importantly, taking Jesus Christ within us to the world around us. As we approach Easter, we reflect on several things. We experience his call to be a servant of all in the washing of the feet. We are given the Eucharist in his last supper. In his sacrificial death and resurrection, we are given the incredible gift of Grace and the ability to saved and inter the gates of heaven. As the tomb is rolled away on Sunday morning, may you find Jesus Christ awaiting your arrival. As you receive the Eucharist on Sunday morning, may you find his presence irresistible.

Give me a break!

2012-03-30T07:12:00.002-07:00

Isaiah 42:1-25

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ..."

This week, I attended a staff retreat. We went out to Montserrat retreat center on lake Lewisville and listened to the insight of Clair Wing who designs liturgical art glass. If you're interested to see more about what she does, please see her website at http://www.clairewing.com/. She made an observation I never really thought about and it comes from the simple word - Restaurant.

Restaurant is a french word which means "food that restores". It comes from the noun restaurer which means to restore or refresh. Taking this a little deeper, we are hungry and so we go to a restaurant where we are nourished and refreshed. When we relate this to our spiritual lives, we can see a connection between the Catholic mass, receiving the sacraments and being restored. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is our spiritual food - our nourishment. The sacrament of reconciliation frees us of our bondage, guilt and shame of sin and restores us to a newness. The cleansing attributes of these sacraments are an incredible gift to us as Catholics. It is all perception of the beholder - either you can see these as "mandatory obligations or as opportunities to be restored.

To be restored to new faith is something we're all called to do. "Keep holy the sabbath" is not a commandment because God wanted to give us more rules to follow... It is God's way of saying "Take a break!" Our bodies and our souls need a break! At the retreat, Claire showed a 10 minute powerpoint with several images of the city, of a busy life, of people rushing around trying to go from point a to point b. With each picture, I could feel my anxiety rise. I could relate this to my every day life of going from task to task trying to complete the list. I sprint home and help clean and put our son to bed. After that, we unload our frustrations of the day and try to have at least an hour together in relaxation. As great as that hour is, it's at that break even point where we're more rested then we were that evening after work, but we're still not refreshed and ready to take on the world.

After all the pictures of city life cycled through, it began to show pictures of the outside, of nature where everything has a slow and methodical pace. I thought back to my days of being on the ranch and swinging on that porch swing. there was absolutely nothing else to worry about. There were no cares in the world. I didn't have to rush around 100mph just to catch up to where I needed to be. Life and everything in it was a little bit slower allowing me to clearly see the world around me. I realized exactly what I was missing from our life - the ability to slow things down to a reasonable pace.

I spent this entire week thinking of ways to do that. Maybe it's an hour of adoration in front of the blessed sacrament. Maybe it's a monthly retreat to a lake house, or a guest ranch. I'd love to have the means to purchase 20 acres and a 1 bedroom cabin somewhere, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Maybe someone will offer their lake house to us for a weekend - who knows.... But what I do know is that God is constantly working to restore us. Sometimes we listen and sometimes we just keep on going without taking a break. Our Lord is calling us to be restored - not in the world but in Him.

As we approach Holy week beginning with Palm Sunday, and moving into Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday - recognize Jesus Christ's merits on the cross and how they are bringing us to new life in the resurrection. In his own example, He was raised on the 3rd day and was restored. He appears to the disciples and fills them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost calling them to disperse amongst the nations and preach the good news. Here we see the full circle -
Anxiety - Last supper
Brokenness - Crucifixion
Restoration - Resurrection & Pentecost
Change - The disciples spreading the good word.

Walk through this process with Jesus on this Holiest week of the year. Be renewed and restored with him, and seek a life of change to the betterment of our lives and the lives around us. Come and be fed by the spirit and become the hands and feet of Christ in our midst. In the mean time, find a way to take a break - you probably need it!

Easter Egg Hunt

2012-03-19T08:18:00.003-07:00

I've always liked the coined phrase - "if you want to change your life, change your habits." It's true isn't it? The things we do day in and day out become the substance of who we are. We wake up, we go about our routines, we use our own chosen language, we eat certain foods, we drive a certain way, we dress ourselves with the clothes we chose, we listen to our personal music choices, and watch our tv shows. We choose how to react to opposition with either defensiveness or openness. We choose a life of service to others or service to ourselves. We decide a life of virtue or a life of vice. These choices are made on a moment to moment basis, and we make those choices over and over and over until they become habits. We are made up of the same traits done over and over and over. We are made up of our habits that have been practiced time and time again. You tell me you habits, and I'll know who you are.

How are your "church habits"? I know a ton of Catholics that are getting excited about their faith. Every day, they're looking for new ways to explore the Church teachings and are in discussion with others constantly challenging the theology in a search for the truth. I recently got to visit with a past student of mine who has been searching for the right church for the past two years. She has temporarily left Catholicism and despite the entertainment at the other churches, despite the fantastic programs, despite the depth of bible studies and being "saved by faith alone" - there are still questions and no resolutions outside the Catholic Church. She has such an incredible interest in Christ and wants to follow him so faithfully. In her searching, she's finding. Some would condemn for taking a "Catholic break" - but I applaud her.

As we approach Easter - I'd like to offer this piece of thought... Think of our faith like a never ending Easter egg hunt. When we're released out of the door to find those eggs (our baptism) we're so excited! We stop and pick up our first candy/egg which is like "WOW! AWESOME!" (first communion) and that inspires us to keep looking! As we continue our search - the longer we search, the more we find! We finally find the motherload egg! (Confirmation). Many get this egg, and look around and don't see anymore so their search ends. They go inside, they consume their candy, and they carry with them the memories of those great Easter egg hunts of their childhood. The hunt is over.

For many - this is the story of our faith. We search, we find, we stop searching and continue with only the memories. Eventually as an adult, its now our turn to put out the eggs, providing the memories (faith) to our own children. We strategically place each egg. We develop elaborate plans to help our kids really get into the search and we release them watching their excitement and joy as they find their eggs (Christ).

Where is the problem? We are now evangelizing to our kids right? We had the experience, then we pass it on... Isn't that supposed to be how it works? What is missing? What could we possibly be doing wrong?

My suggestion is this... Join in the Easter Egg hunt yourself. Too many of us sit back as if it's something for the kids to do. Going to "youth group" is for the kids. Going to "religious education" is for the kids. I've done my part. Some take their 12 years of Catholic education and use that as an excuse to stop their own search. My suggestion is this - KEEP SEARCHING! You're not going to keep finding if you stop searching. You won't keep growing if you quit participating. Just going to mass will not help you GROW. It will sustain you, and it will nourish you - but that's the bear minimum requirement. Find ways to pray as a family. Find ways to take a course in theology. Get involved in your churches. Frequently engage in discussions with your pastor, your Catholic friends and others in lay ministry, go on a retreat, help lead a retreat, get involved in a ministry at your churches. Oh you're busy? Go ahead and name off all the things you're doing that keeps you busy. How many of those things revolve around prayer? How many of those things revolve around Christ and his Church? How many of those things are family activities where you can grow and have opportunities to build community in your homes with the ones you love? If those things are centered around Christ and your family, then you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. BRAVO!!! If they're not, I'd like to propose you consider removing some of the obstacles to Christ, community and family. Look at your family habits... Make Christ a part of those habits. Make prayer a habit. Make searching for Christ a habit. Make your families a family. Eat together, play games together, and search for Christ together. Let this lenten season a true quest for a renewal of faith. Let this lent take not only the children, but the adults as well.

Remember - you are His hands and feet.

Fear to be faithful

2012-03-06T12:34:00.001-08:00

A priest once told me - "the root of anger is always fear". Anytime some is angry, it's always because somewhere inside, they're afraid - they're fearful. For most of us who are comfortable in our own shoes, the only time we're really angry is when we're pushed into a corner. When things around us begin to crash in and we have no other response but to either run away or fight back, and when there is no room to run, we have only one choice and that's to fight back. In that instant, look for the fear.

Fear is one of those weird responses which results in various uncontrollable actions. We see the extremes when fear enters our psychological comfort zone. We see erratic behavior, irrational thinking, physical aggression, emotional breakdowns and everything in between. Fear causes us to act in a way that is not in our natural comfortable state.

Our church teaches that one of the 7 gifts of the holy spirit is fortitude. One of the 4 christian virtues is fortitude. Strength is one of those things that can altar the human response to fear. Looking at the Saints, and the martyrs, their level of strength far surpassed the strength of many of us. St. Francis wanted to go and meet the sultan and prove his beliefs were wrong in hopes to be martyred. He challenged the priests of the sultan to walking across hot coals to prove that the Christian God was the one true God. Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were thrashed around in the amphitheatre by wild beasts after having several chances to deny Christ to save their life. St. Tarcisus was an alter server who took the Eucharist from the catacombs to the Christian prisoners, and was confronted one day. Childhood playmates of his tried to take the Eucharist from him and he held so tight they could not remove the consecrated host from his hands. They proceeded to beat him to the point of death in the streets of Rome. More recently, Immaculée Ilibagiza who was born in 1972 in Rwanda. In 2006 during the Rwanda genocide, a neighboring tribe was out to kill every member of her own Catholic tribe. She hid in a 3x4 feet bathroom with 7 other women for 91 days. To this day, she claims the reason for her strength was solely through her Catholic faith in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Psalm 119:23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Psalm 18:31-32 For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect?

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength

So many Christians don't believe in those things anymore. We don't have persecution and if we did, most Christians would probably fold because of their fear. Maybe we do face persecution every day and we don't realize it. As a Catholic, I know we get persecuted every day for our stances on contraception, abortion, the Eucharist, the sacraments, salvation, faith and works, the Saints and many other 2000 year old traditions. With these persecutions, most Catholics duck their heads in fear of getting into a debate and not know what to say when challenged. Most Catholics (including me) get overwhelmed when someone of another tradition starts throwing out random scriptures to defend their position even if there are twice as many to defend the Catholic position - the point is we don't know them.

So many would rather just blend in because their fear to stick out. They keep their faith private, they don't speak out against injustice. Many would rather turn their eyes away from the problem rather than dealing with it. I've seen so many parents that would rather be their kid's best friend then their parent... The good thing, is we're all growing! If you've made it this far, then you're probably one of those who are saying "YEAH! I know!!!" More importantly, you're one of the ones who's trying to change that! We all need to learn to be more confident in our faith. Know that our God walks with us in all times especially the more difficult times. If we trust in him, he will probably not make it easier, but he will certainly produce incredible fruits with our sacrifices. Speak loudly! Be convicted! If you're not ready yet, there is only one way to change that...

Shine bright!

2012-02-28T09:10:00.001-08:00

The Saints never fail to fascinate me. Their lives point to a life of selfless giving to others, an unfailing desire for Christ and a constant focus on living a virtuous life. At some point in their journey, they were mentored, encountered Christ and made a choice that day to be a better version of themselves. The life of a Saint is not a one and done story. They are not one hit wonders nor did they find any huge success in a short period of time. Becoming a Saint takes a daily devotion to say YES and to take each day with more forward steps than backwards. Becoming a Saint is about choosing a direction, and letting all your being work towards that direction. We've all heard the term practice makes perfect? Practicing a virtuous life helps us to perfect the powers within us which ultimately purifies our souls to desire and act out of the 3 theological virtues FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE.

Where do we get these virtues? Paul writes them in his letter to the Corinthians. It's the "typical" wedding readings of love is patient, kind, and so forth. In 1 Cor. 13:13, it says "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." I'd like to take a moment and point out how beautiful these are.

Faith - What does it mean to have faith? It takes a willingness to believe even when you're not quite sure. It's to be trusting and to know that there is something greater out there guiding your life besides your own mind. It's also to keep going knowing that God is present and within reach. When you are living a life of Faith, you peruse a life which is guided and purposeful and has been chosen for you from the beginning of your creation. You've been given gifts and qualities unique to you and you're to find the purpose of how and why you've been given them. The pursuit of faith allows you to let go of your own self serving desires and to add meaning and purpose to your life outside of what is best for "me".

Hope - Looking at hope from the other side helps stress the importance of this virtue. A person that lives in hopelessness - where everything is doubted, nothing is possible, and there is no point of even trying. Hope is the opposite of this - as light shines within the darkness - hope bring light to the world. Hope is the positive outlook that everything will be ok. Even in our darkest moments, we can recognize we will survive, we will overcome we will persevere and in the end we will eventually find joy again. There is immediate satisfaction in this virtue! There is triumph over darkness and success even within our failures. Hope is what drives us to fight until the end and overcome that which seems to be temporarily taking over. Matthew 10:22 says "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Love - Love is the source of all virtues. Without love, we cannot be a virtuous person. To love another means to will the good of them. Think of the people in your life that you can't stand. If you were to see them in trouble, would you rejoice for they got what was coming to them, or would you do what you could to rescue them from their troubles? If you saw something about to happen to them, would you warn them or rescue them before the tragedy strikes? When in an argument, are you actively seeking the good of all rather then winning the argument? To love someone is not necessarily the same as liking them. You can act in love while not liking someone - but to lover others is loving Christ. If we truly love Christ, we should love others.

These are our theological virtues, however there are also cardinal virtues. Prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

Prudence - Practical judgment, wisdom and knowing what is right and wrong. More importantly for the virtue to take place - can we act on it? There is a difference of knowing what is wrong and then actually not doing it. There is a difference of knowing Christ and then living how he asks. A prudent person knows the direction they're headed, and is able to consistently follow through and keep going in that direction even with a few bumps.

Justice - fairness, to give what is deserved, to give what is owed to another. I think of this in several instances. What do you owe your co-worker or your boss? How should they be treated and respected? How should a child respect their grandfather, and how should a father respect his son? How should the rich provide for the poor? How do we forgive others? Take prudence to the level of what would God want from us despite the actions of another? How can we be prudent even when we may seem biased one way or another? A person who strives to be just sees the world around them through the eyes of Christ and attempts to give each person what is owed to them.

Fortitude- strength, perseverance - overcoming the challenges ahead of us. Being bold and firm. Fortitude is the willingness to fight for what you believe in and not yield to the obstacles in your way.

Temperance is knowing when to back away and wait. It's patience and the ability to be soft spoken and gentle.

These last two fortitude and temperance go together - and the balance of the two is virtuous. Too much fortitude and you're reckless, and too much temperance and you're a "Pansy". Finding the balance between the two and knowing which one to be (with the help of prudence) will be most virtuous.

So those are the virtues. You only can grow to be a virtuous person by seeing these virtues put into action, and then practicing them. If a person is born in a home where the virtuous life is not modeled well, then there is no understanding of virtuous living. If you're brought in a home of anger, greed, resentment, hopelessness and poor judgment, there is no way possible for a person to be a virtuous person until they begin to see the life of a virtuous person. Our upbringing will certainly shape how we think act and feel towards others as well as God. The things which we surround ourselves with, shape our vision. It shapes our lifestyle. It shapes how we think and act. If we surround ourselves with virtuous things, we are encouraged to live a virtuous life. If we surround ourselves with immorality we are directed to immoral things.

So to tie all these together - why talk about the Saints, then explain all the virtues - because the Saints embodied these things. They knew where they wanted to be, and they worked to improve these virtues within them. They are Saints because they lived lives of sin, of controversy, of doubt, and fear, and CHRIST and the Holy Spirit filled their hearts and were overcome with a desire for the will of God. As they worked day in and day out perfecting their lives, they practiced and practiced and practiced living virtuous lives.

You and I both can be the hands and feet of Christ. You and I both can become saints and here's how.

1. Write down what the IDEAL you would look like. What qualities would stand out? How do you want others to see you? Kindness? Gentleness? Faithful? Self control? Being Bold?
2. Reflect on the lives of those who have accomplished being the best they could be. The lives of the Saints are PERFECT for this! Read about them, post pictures of them, go visit where they lived, if they're still alive spend time with them. The only way to know how to be virtuous is to surround your thoughts around those things that are good and holy. Imitate the lives of those who are developing virtuous traits.
3. Practice - each day living out a virtuous life. Discover the appetites and vices that lead you away from a virtuous life. Pinpoint your cravings for sin and avoid even slight exposure to things which cause your soul to desire those cravings. Each day, commit yourself to being a better person - the ideal you.
4. Your failures can be made into successes if you recognize the unwanted feelings of guilt and shame and decide not to be mastered by your sin and failings. When you fall, live in hope and start again with even more perseverance.
5. Focus on the goal NOT the obstacles. If your goal is Christ, focus on him not the things keeping you from him. Dwelling on the obstacles will reinforce even more the challenges you face when exposed to the distractions. It leads us into a deeper desire for those immoral acts that take us away from our goal and cloud our vision. Focus on Christ as your goal - focus on your relationship with him and the life you want to live in companionship with him.

Lastly, I leave you with 2 quotes.
St. Thomas Aquinas - "Sin is offending God only because it hurts us, God's precious creation"
St. Irenaeus - "The Glory of God is the human person fully alive."

Go and shine bright in the light of Christ!

Sacramentals, Saints & Devotions

2012-02-24T08:58:00.002-08:00

As a Catholic, I'll go ahead and admit that some of the saints and devotions are a little weird. We've got saints that bi-located (being two places at once) levitated, received stigmatas and ones that have never really decayed (incurruptibles). There have been miracles that the Eucharist has began to bleed during mass. Studies showed the Eucharist became heart muscle, and was AB which is the universal donor. There have been apparitions of Mary, and witnesses of spinning suns, and color changing rosaries from Medjugorje. There are some weird stuff right? Critics want to doubt and make fun of all the weird things when people come out claiming they saw Jesus in a tree, or toast... maybe they saw him in their marshmallow floating in their hot cocoa that morning and they raise a ruckus which really just washes out and almost pokes fun at everything else that may be real and good.

For an outsider of the church, they probably find it difficult to accept a tradition that is not their own. They've probably been taught that if it isn't directly about Jesus or the Bible, its out. This stance is something I like to call the "limiting factor reduction theory". My theory goes like this - If you reduce something to it's simplest form, it's very clear what the substance is - however you lose the greater value in that deduction process.

Lets look at Cool-aid - because who doesn't like cool-aid? What do we love most about it? It's refreshing! It's an ice cold sugary beverage great in the summertime right? Well, lets break it down... We boil out all the water, and we have red die, some flavorings, and a ton of sugar. Since sugar is the main ingredient, we've gotta break that down and get carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (carbohydrate). Now along the way, yes, you've broken it down and you get to the root of what cool-aid is made of, but it's not near as exciting as cool-aid itself as a whole! By breaking it down, and taking away some of the "fluff" you've actually made it lesser than what it was meant to be. In the same way, those Christian faiths which cut out the Catholic traditions, devotions, sacraments, saints, liturgy and everything else and simplify it to Bible and Jesus only - they're missing something. This is my Limiting factor reduction theory.

We see this with the first Christians. The Jews had a huge list of rules from the Torah. It was tough to follow as it required the eating of certain foods, circumcision, when and where they could worship and so much more. In fact, there are 613 laws outlined in the Torah. It was very strict and if you did not fit in the set of rules, you were an outcast. A Jew wasn't even allowed to sit at dinner with a non-Jew. When Jesus came along, he reduced the requirements for people to follow him. He replaced circumcision with baptism and emphasized the works of mercy rather than sacrificial offerings of animals. It was easier for the average person to follow and it did not outcast anyone, rather included everyone who was interested. It was relatively easy to accept and live the teachings of Jesus, therefore was very attractive if this would assure salvation. Again we see the split in the 1500's. (I'm not going to include the Schism because there was no separation in tradition, only leadership) In the split of the reformation, again we see a reduction in requirements and expectations as a Christian. Claim Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and you'll be assured salvation. Pretty easy right? Anyone can do that right? Absolutely! Along the way, anyone who wanted to start up a new church could, and would, and because they do not follow any particular lineage, they had no tradition. Result - exclusion of everything except for the bible and Jesus.

What happened to the Saints? I guess since the Saints were Catholic, they didn't want to include them in their tradition for it might lead them away from their church and back into Catholicism. What about the rosary that reflects on the life of Jesus? Where are the crazy miracles? Where is the Eucharist which Jesus gave us and specifically said in John 6:53 - "So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." I guess that's a Catholic thing too, so they can't do that. A new theology develops that teachings against Catholic tradition. The focus of the 10 commandments were changed pointing out idolatry of statues and artwork - and it was taught that Catholics are idolaters. The bible states in Exodus 20 - "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." - This is referring to OTHER GODS - as at the time this was written, it was accepted to believe in multiple Gods as long as your accepted Yahweh as the supreme God. The statues and artwork in our churches point to something else as a symbol and are not worshiped as a God themselves. I guess because this stance, some of the churches got rid of all christian artwork leaving nothing but an open auditorium full of tv screens, lights stage and seats.

What happened to Mary which the bible states as blessed in Luke 1:42 "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb". We honor her as the mother of Jesus. If Jesus is God, and the source of our existence, and Mary is his mother which God chose above all women to bear his child and raise him up - don't you think she's pretty special? We simply honor her as the mother of Jesus, and are called "Mary worshipers".

If we include all that is in the bible, we should include faith AND works as it's stated in James 2:17 "faith without works is dead". Instead, certain scriptures are the focus to produce a reduced version of religion. Yes, the bible and Jesus are the source and summit of our faith. Yes, every Christian church has those aspects, but many are leaving out some incredibly valuable tools of faith. After all - cool-aid wouldn't be cool-aid without Sugar - but Sugar alone doesn't make the cool-aid. ALL Christian faiths are beautiful! ALL Christian faiths have value, but many of them are missing some key ingredients that encompass the entire and complete message.

The Saints aren't Jesus and they don't replace Jesus - they point to Jesus. Mary simply points to her son ALL TIMES and never is asking for her own glory. The rosary doesn't replace the bible - but it takes the life of Jesus Christ, and helps us meditate with Mary on His life. Yes, some people have mistaken some of these traditions as superstitions and used them outside of their purpose. Some people have worshiped Mary rather than honoring her as the Mother of Jesus. Some people have only "heard" of these traditions and never really understood them, so they bash them because it is not their own.

As an Aggie, we have some ridiculously AWESOME traditions! We have a saying - "from the outside looking in, you don't understand it and from the inside looking out, you can't explain it". I've heard more trash talk about our Aggie traditions from Texas longhorns, and Red Raiders - why? Because they're not "in the club" therefore they bash it. If it isn't theirs - they make fun of it. As an Aggie, I couldn't be more proud and honored of the school I attended. For me, there was no better place!

As a Catholic, we have some ridiculously AWESOME traditions! I've heard trash talk about our traditions, and I just shake my head because being Catholic is the REAL DEAL! We don't exclude things just because we don't like them. We use the ENTIRE bible not just the verses that tell us what we like to hear. We use the Saints who lived for Jesus and who died for Jesus. We use them as an example to follow for they experienced much greater persecution than I ever will and they persevered through it. We include all possible ways of reaching a deeper faith rather than excluding certain parts because they are not our own. We value all Christians and what they bring - including baptisms and marriages - where some churches won't accept a baptism outside their own church.

The limiting factor reduction theory - reduce everything Jesus and the first Christians gave us to its most important aspect, and eliminate all the small pieces that brought us along the way. I'm an includer, and I'd rather have every possible mode of connection to Christ then the two best ways. I LOVE the value of confession. I love that we anoint the sick! I love the Saints and everything they teach us about Christ and faith as a struggling and sinful person. I relate to the Saints and strive to become one myself. Yes, some of the stuff is weird, but wasn't Jesus a little weird? I mean, you've got a guy who comes along and heals the sick with a touch. He heals the blind by spitting in mud and wiping it in his eyes. People are dropping their friends through roofs to get to him. He chased the demons out of people on the spot. He walked on water! He could command the winds and the storms and the fish in the sea. He tells his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood so they could have everlasting life. He appeared out of no where with wounds in his hands and side and asked Thomas to put his fingers in them. If you think Jesus wasn't the least bit strange, you've gotta be out of your mind.

The Church is seeking the FULLNESS of the truth! You're always welcome on board. Sacraments - Saints & Devotions - gotta love'em!

See more about me at www.catholicyouthguy.com

GET OUT OF MY WAY!

2012-02-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Whats your obstacle to growing deeper with Christ? Sometimes, I put so much on my plate I feel I'm drowning. Between creating new programs, preparing for retreats, and ministry to 200 teens every week, I'm a busy guy at work. Then I've gotta come home to my primary vocation as husband and father. We've gotta get a garden going, clean this and that, fix those things in that room, put away the toys, feed the baby, go hangout with friends and family and the list continues. How in the world are we supposed to even put a deeply spiritual relationship with God in there?

"Blessed are they who do not see and still believe" Jn. 20:29

We tend to focus on the things right in front of our faces. If it's homework, friends, sports, music - its probably just so visible you can't help but focus on it. There are some exceptions such as the clothes that pile up beside my bed that I just walk over every day as if they aren't really there... Sometimes that's what we do with God as well. We know he's there because at some point either in the past few months, the past few years, or maybe a long time ago, we had this incredible connection or moment when we said to ourselves "My Lord and my God" Jn. 20:28.

Lent is a time that Catholics recognize maybe our vision has been a blur and it's time to refocus on what's really important. People talk about what they're giving up only because they're Catholic and maybe not recognize what the season is all about.

The act of giving something up is like the glass that's half full and half empty at the same time. It's half empty because the act of sacrificial giving. We make sacrifices for those we love. We learn what it is like to be without, we learn what it means to yearn for something. We discover that feeling of hunger and can translate that for our hunger for Christ. We fast, we abstain from meats, we give up something so that every time we think about it, it reminds us of how we're trying to stay focused on one thing - Jesus Christ.

The glass is half full though, because when you make some space, our natural tendency is to fill it with something else. When we make space in our life, and give a little more time, energy and thought - we're able to make a little extra time for prayer, reflection, praise and worship. We "give things up" to make room for God. This is the whole reason we rest on the sabbath - to rest in the Lord and be spiritually, emotionally, and physically fed by Christ's presence in the Eucharist and in the world around us.

It's so easy to "keep on truckin" without making any time for self reflection - but this week, make some time. If you're trying to keep a holy lent, here's some steps you can follow that will make the next 40 days more powerful than you could ever have imagined. On top of that, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE CATHOLIC - although you will be following just another valuable Catholic tradition that started for a reason, and was eliminated by those who reject tradition because it's not their own... Oh well - I'm all about our Catholic Swag! There's a reason we've had the traditions for at least 1500 years...

Tips to a Holy Lent
1. Find an accountability partner - someone that will walk along side you in your journey. You can support and encourage one another as well as participate in your lenten challenges together.
2. Give each other a little spiritual direction - ask each other where you are in your journey of faith. Discuss your challenges in your life. Discuss the things which take up the most amount of mental and emotional space.
3. Sit down with that person with an outlined set of goals and expectations. Come up with your challenges, and figure out what you can do to support each other. For example, text reminders, prayer cards, mailed letters, a daily phone call, weekly visit at starbucks. If you decide to go to daily mass, or stations of the cross together - you can hold each other accountable.
4. Set up reminders - and do not allow yourself to slip - and if you do, your partner will be there to push you along the way.
5. Be realistic for what you'd like to accomplish during lent this year. Make it challenging enough to be a real sacrifice, but not too challenging that you won't be able to follow through with it. It may completely depend on your accountability partner to help you along the way and if they're not stable enough themselves, that is something to consider.
6. Don't make exceptions. Just because it's _____ that's going on, stick with it.

Last thought - if you want to change your life - change your habits. People invest in all kinds of self help books, tests, etc - but really what it comes down to, is the things you do day in and day out. If you can make prayer a part of your life and it's almost habitual, then it'll become infused in the person you are and the way you live out your spiritual life. If you want to change your life, change your habits. Whatever you decide to do over the next 40+ days, continue throughout the year and make your spiritual growth a habit.

Find those distractions and tell them to GET OUT OF YOUR WAY! Be bold! Be radical! Lay it all out on the table and give it all over to Christ during this time, so by the time Good Friday rolls around, you'll be able to unite all your suffering, all your gifts all your junk out on the table and truly unite yourself with his pain on the cross.

Remember - you are His Hands and Feet!

Trash talk tradition

2012-02-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard that term "Well, I don't believe in that tradition" or how about "Religion was started by mankind so I'm going to just stick with the bible? I have, and it almost makes me laugh every time because a warped view of reality...

Ya see, we all look through our own lenses at the world. I look through mine of being raised in a Catholic family by parents that were extremely faithful and giving to the church - so much that my dad became a deacon in 2001. My lens is also shaped by a family member whom I love dearly that is homosexual. It's shaped by years of the Pines Catholic Camp, and working in ministry. It's shaped by the people that have come along and challenged my viewpoint. It's shaped by the idiocies of my youthfulness. All along the way, my lens has been shaped by the things around me and each time I look at a particular stance, objection or opinion, I look through that lens to make my decisions and formulate my own prospective. Just as I look through mine, you look through yours. What has shaped your particular lens?

As I talked about a few weeks ago about "pop culture" - you're shaped by your surroundings. If you've been brought up, or even just recently been involved in a particular church with particular beliefs, you may be looking through the lens of their belief system, just as I look through my Catholic lens. A personal challenge of mine and even more so recently, is the battle of the world vs. the Catholics. Our faith is always under attack by the world around us. Other religions are constantly teaching contrary to Catholicism regardless of it's REAL teachings. If you're in a non-catholic church, then you've probably been taught concepts that are against Catholic teaching and tradition. Even more so - you may fail to recognize many of the things taught are not actually contrary... they're just made to appear that way.

The rest of this blog is devoted to the stance of "Solo Scriptura" or bible only - and do away with tradition...

So here's my own little take on tradition - for those of you that were taught to reject tradition, you should be rejecting the bible because the bible IS tradition! NEWS FLASH!! JESUS DIDN'T WRITE THE BIBLE! Jesus was crucified around 30ad. The Old Testament (OT) mostly covers Jewish Tradition and the experience of the God through the mind and culture of an old testament prophet. The New Testament (NT) Covers the life of Jesus and of the early Christians that knew Jesus, or were around in or shortly after the time of Jesus as they established the Church. The NT was composed mostly between 50-110 ad. The gospels were written throughout that time period dating at least 20 years after Jesus departed. By that time, they already had developed the Church. They were already having mass, celebrating the sacraments, and had already established a hierarchy. Tradition had already begun and had been established for 20 years! The bible is made up of tradition in and out! It's made up of the traditions, signs and symbols Jesus began and was being practiced by an entire generation of early Christians. Read the book of acts and you'll clearly find that the bible is a book of their traditions they had already begun. These traditions are still practiced in the Catholic Church today.

I also like the notion of "going back to our roots" and practicing our faith like they did back in biblical times. It's almost as if they think they had it perfect back then, so that's where they want their faith to rest so they're going back to "bible only" theology. NEWS FLASH - When the bible was written, Christianity was A MESS!! Look at the book of Acts, and all of Paul's writings. In most of his books, he starts with a greeting, then expresses where they NEED to be, and then he concludes. In most of his books, hes writing to get people on the right track, because they've been thrown off by false prophets. They're starting up their own traditions contrary to the gospel and he's correcting them. Each town had their own traditions, and therefore they had to start councils to bring everyone together to form one direction of one Christian faith which eventually becomes the Catholic church and it's teachings.

If this isn't clear to you - the early church really struggled to get on the same page. They struggled to have the same ideas and theology of who Jesus was. By the time most the books were written, the individuals who actually were alive in the time of Jesus were passing away, and the new generation was moving up trying to sort out the mess of the early Christian church.

You can't scrap tradition because the bible is built on the foundation of tradition.
If you go back to bible only, you're tapping into who Jesus was to the early Christians. You're tapping into how they experienced him and the way they felt about him. You're also tapping into the roots of Catholicism and where we came from.

You can trash talk tradition - but tradition is where we came from.

Speak now, your servant is listening

2012-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

I'll never forget the day my Grandaddy Eldon died when I was very young - maybe in kindergarten. I remember my dad taking the phone call, and my mom grabbing the kids and we went back to my sisters bedroom and all knelt down and prayed together as a family. It seems that connection to prayer and Christ existed throughout my lifetime. In elementary school, we had sisters from Channing, Texas come and stay with us. I kept a piece of art that I made with Sister Mary Thomas, and displayed it proudly for the longest time as a tribute to my faith that was nourished by her presence. When I was about 12, I got caught throwing rocks at cars and after my friends were sent home, my mom took me up to the church for a private confession with Fr. Cyr. when I was in middle school, we prayed the rosary every day, sometimes all 3 decades (yes there are 4, but at the time there were only 3). When I went off to college, I began to wear a cincture/cord under my clothes to help me fight the temptations of lust. These were all deeply Catholic traditions that led me to Christ and helped me stay strong in my faithfulness to him.

Over the past weekend, I helped lead a Confirmation retreat for over 175 students. I find it so interesting the differences from one kid to the next. Some have been given a very firm foundation of faith. They are firm, bold and willing to defend Christ and His Church. Others really just didn't get it. They don't get the point, and they find it hard to be motivated in something they have never really connected with.

By the end of the retreat, they were finally willing to go deeper, so we took them there. On a scale of 1-10, they were about a 7. They had a great time, met some friends, heard some great talks and enjoyed being a part of this. We weren't quite at a 10 yet until Christ came into the picture. We took them over to the church to experience adoration, confession and the mass. When they walked in the church, you could just feel the spirit moving. It was emotional, spiritual and yes even physical. We could physically feel the presence of Christ in our midst. Its like that feeling of the last day of school. The excitement for summer and the feeling of pure freedom! This wasn't just psychological, and it was absolutely nothing I could have created myself. It was truly the work of the spirit.

Students were moved to tears. They broke down for the first time in years and said it felt good. We walked around and prayed over students and time and time again, I could feel the spirit within as I laid my hands upon their shoulders. I could feel the spirit lifting the burdens from their hearts and filling them with peace and joy as a small glimpse of heaven.

Moments like these make me wonder how I could ever have doubted! There were so many cues from the spirit, guiding our work and our ministry. On Friday night, we were getting ready to spend the night in the church when the spirit spoke and wanted me to share a scripture. The spirit whispered to me "Speak now, your servant is listening". I immediately got up and found the scripture in the book of Samuel. I couldn't remember exactly what the scripture was about, so when I looked it up, I was in complete amazement. The spirit guided me to a scripture about Samuel and Eli sleeping in the temple. Here our students were, about to be sleeping in the church.

1 Samuel 3:7-11 ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

I guess the point of all this - is that so many people go day in, and day out just half way believing in their faith. They only half way turn to Christ, and they half way make time for their spiritual nourishment. So many people are too busy to go on a retreat or too busy to spend time in adoration. People are too busy to go to Daily Mass. More than likely, it hasn't been modeled well for them. They really just don't get it! They think they get it, but they've never had that eye opening life changing experience that takes them deeper into a personal and powerful glimpse of heaven! If you're over the age of 40 - go on a retreat! Maybe it's been a while and you've moved past the days when that was a priority - GET UP! Quit waiting for God to come into your mundane life to change it and go chase after Him! Sometimes we get so lazy in our spiritual life - me included! It's not going to change unless you take action yourself. The spirit is speaking to you! Are you listening?

Judging Pop Culture

2012-01-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a chameleon? Most people would just keep walking and not even notice one sitting right there in front of you. If you're not familiar with this guy - his appearance changes based on his surroundings. He's different than a walking stick who looks a certain way and hides in the areas he blends in best. Instead, he goes where he pleases and adapts to the environment.

Have you ever heard the term "that guy is swearing like a sailor?" Do you have to swear if you're a sailor? Is that part of the requirement? No! A sailor swears because they're surrounded by sailors that swear. This is almost equivalent to "you are what you eat" but instead you become what you are surrounded by.

My senior year of high school, I dated a young lady that was obsessed with NSYNC. I remember seeing her room and she had NSYNC posters that surrounded her ENTIRE room. Not only her walls, but her ceiling as well. When she woke up in the morning, she saw NSYNC. When she was studying, she saw NSYNC. When she went to bed, she saw NSYNC. Her obsession was fueled by constant reminders that surrounded her environment.

We too, are products of our experiences and shape our thoughts, feelings and attitudes based on our environment. You are subconsciously affected by the things you hear, see and experience throughout your day. This can be awesome if you surround yourself with virtuous things but can be very destructive if you surround yourself with ungodly things.

The #1 song for 2011 was Super Bass by Nicki Manaj. Let this represent our pop culture influence.

#1 TV show of 2011 was Breaking Bad which features a teacher that is diagnosed with cancer and takes to a life of crime and selling drugs to his students.

#1 Modern Warfair III grossed 24 million over the past year. If you're not familiar, it's a real life scenario of a combat infantry person. How many of our military men coming back from combat after the things they saw/experienced needed therapy? Is this something we really want to be exposed to? Even in the safety of our own homes - is it really a good and virtuous thing for us?

What parents and teens are failing to recognize is that their environment is slowly changing without them even realizing it, and they too are becoming numb to the lower standard of morality. Pop culture today is using more sexuality, worse language and extreme violence. Why? Because it sells - and who's buying it? To me, it says - if you want to make some money... Write a party song with a good beat, take off the majority of your clothes, and have "hot men and women" dance around.

Teens watch and listen to this music, tv shows and video games and as much as they want to say it doesn't influence their decisions... it does. Like the chameleon, we conform to our surroundings. We see sex everywhere and somehow it justifies it. We memorize the lyrics to our favorite songs, we record our favorite tv shows and in turn, they're slowly teaching us that the standard on tv is alright.

Where do we draw the line? What is too much? When I was a kid, Ren and Stimpy, Bart Simpson and Beavis and Butthead took the all time crude role. When we didn't think it'd get worse, we now have Southpark and family guy that disguise adult topics within childish cartoons. Entertaining? Yes! Is it really something we want to continue to support? Is it who we want to be as a nation?

In my theology class this week, we briefly discussed the virtuous person. To be a virtuous person, you have to do good - well and consistently. In order to have it modeled for you, study people that were virtuous. As a Catholic, we have the saints. Those individuals over the course of several years lived a virtuous life. They were after the heart of Christ - they worked at it. They fought for it. They gave up their own will for it. They made sacrifices for it. They lived it day in and day out. If you want to know what it means to be holy and virtuous, study those who succeeded in doing so.

I'm not saying you should be a radical and denounce every pop culture icon, stop listening to music and throw away your tv - but I am saying you should be aware of your surroundings and how it may be effecting you and your family. How is it affecting your relationships? Our world vision is changed by the lenses we look through. If we are looking at the world with a pop culture lens, I can promise you it's going to be different than someone who has excluded pop culture from their surroundings.

Find life within the virtuous lifestyle! You'll find it will be quite freeing!

The TRUTH will set you FREE!

2012-01-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

For centuries, we've been wondering, "what comes first, the chicken or the egg?" Children often like to ask "why is the sky blue?" Over a cold beverage, one might ask... "Is the glass half empty or full?" In the end, we are looking for the truth. We're looking for answers to the seemingly impossible questions. Some give up asking the questions and others fight for the answers.

I just left my first class of "Moral Theology" at the University of Dallas. I'm currently in my 4th semester working on my masters of theological studies. In class, we began to throw out terms of good/bad, right/wrong, vice/virtue. We talked about what was revealed and mediated through God and through all his creations. We discussed the many different lenses people inherently look through when approaching a moral or ethical dilemma. Most importantly we looked at the tools in which we use when making a moral/ethical decision.

As a Catholic, we learned how to define "Catholic" back in 1st grade CCD. It comes out to mean "Universal". Ok - everyone that is Catholic knows that's what that means but have we really sat down and looked deeply into it's meaning? Here are some major uses of the term universal when pertaining to Catholicism...
1. Catholicism spans across every race, every language, every culture and country. We have the same exact standard of belief throughout the entire world. We may not all live to that standard, but it is given as a challenge for all those who claim to be Catholic.
2. Catholics worship the same across every race, language, culture and country. We have the same prayers, the same readings, the same order, and the same theology. You can walk in any catholic church throughout the world, and find the same mass on any given day.
3. We use the entire bible rather than my 10 favorite verses.
4. We openly use historical, literary and other forms of criticism to break apart the real meaning of scripture as it is related to way of thought, culture, authorship and social and economic challenges.
5. We have had over 1800 years to debate the scripture and seek the truth in its accurate meaning and give a consistent message throughout the whole church. We can't just make up our own interpretation.
6. We use science, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, history, biology, psychology, and theology to break apart every theory the church has ever had.
7. We are COMMUNITY centered - not ME centered. It's not ONLY about my PERSONAL relationship with Jesus Christ, but how we are supporting our community and building up the kingdom of God. A baptism for a Catholic is not completely about the child - but about the community in which that child belongs to. In baptism it is the community that welcomes the child and accepts that child and the challenge to bring them into the faith. Its the community that supports the child when it's seeking answers and is struggling with the challenges of life. It's community that bounces ideas around and contemplates together the meaning of truth and debates on what's right and wrong. It's the community that builds you up when you fall. That community IS the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God and Heaven often seem interchangeable, but they're not. Heaven is our afterlife, and the place which our soul resides once we die. The Kingdom of Heaven is everywhere, and spans over all time from before humankind until it is wiped from existence. It encompasses every aspect of God and all His creation. It speaks to us through the world and all its inhabitants. It speaks to us in our own nature created by God, for God. It is revealed to us in our thoughts, our hopes, our joys, our relationships, and our inner compass and voice. It's only available once we tap into listening to that voice. We put on our own lenses and see the world from that particular prospective. I personally look through my Catholic Christian lens. I make my decisions based on what I believe to be true. Unfortunately, some people are misguided on what they believe true.

As a new dad, I was thinking how it would be both really cruel to teach my son that the color blue is really red. I'm sure in such a great time of growing and learning, it wouldn't take long before I had him completely tricked. Now - he'll go into the world thinking blue is red. With the lens he's been given, he is right. With the way he was taught, he thinks he's right and would probably argue with anyone that got in his way to tell him differently - but when it comes down to it, he was taught incorrectly. The knowledge he was given may have seemed right, but in the end, he was wrong, and what he thought was inherently one thing was incorrect. When you're seeking the truth of the world, I'd recommend using every possible source to discern what is truth, what is partial truths and what are lies.

I've recently been working on teaching a defending the faith series. In order to know how to defend your own faith, you should know the attack. One of the greatest attacks on Catholicism is the fundamentalist bible only approach to theology. First, I would like to outline the 4 categories in which a Catholic uses to define revelation.
1. Scripture
2. Tradition
3. Reason
4. Experience

Now, this is the quadrilateral theory developed by John Wesley who founded the Methodist church. He too believed in these 4 aspects and they all 4 were necessary for a BALANCED belief in search of truth. If you ONLY use Scripture and tradition, you are generalized as a fundamentalist. If you only use reason and experience, you're a philosopher. As a Catholic, we use all 4 ways to break apart scripture and to develop our theology.

Over the centuries, the truth has stayed the same, but we've broken apart our belief and changed our stance on what we believe to be true. Some of the darker moments of the church were finally broken apart by the help of Luther, and other theologians, philosophers, scientists, anthropologists, and anyone else willing to propose an argument. Over and over the Church continues to debate what is true and accurate. Its not about building bigger churches, making more money, having more people - it's about maintaining its stance on what is true even when unpopular. If the Pope was trying to win a popularity contest, he could petition to change several of the church teachings to make it all seem so easy... but that wouldn't be standing up to what is true.

This week, 1000's of people marched in Washington DC for the march for life... being pro-life isn't the most popular thing in the world - but we are not advocates on such a topic because it's popular, rather because it's the right thing to do. In the end, we're all searching for truth. We're all searching for the Kingdom of God right here in our presence. We're all searching to make ourselves better and to help others be better. When we support our community by helping them grow into stronger faith filled people striving for the truth, we build that kingdom we are so anxious for.

I love being Christian - for in Christianity there is freedom. Many look at the rules of Christianity and are turned off - but what we don't realize, is these rules lead us to freedom. In the moral person, we intrinsically understand and can psychologically and emotionally feel the wounds our mistakes make on our soul. We can sense the separation our sin causes as it leads us away from Christ and further into despair. Only in Christ when we turn to him and seek forgiveness are we set free. We have already been justified! There is nothing we can do to earn his love and compassion for he already loves us unconditionally. However - we must recognize and turn to him in acknowledgment each day that he is our Lord and Savoir. "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you under my roof, but only say the words and my soul shall be healed." In his suffering, there was such an abundance of Grace waiting to be given if only we ask for it.

I LOVE being Catholic. I love being Catholic even when it's not always super exciting, super fun, entertaining, or easy. I love being Catholic even when a homily is boring. I love being Catholic even when there are several mistakes my church has made in the last 2000 years. I love being Catholic because in being Catholic, I know it's an OPEN search for the truth. There are no hidden agendas. There is no selective use of tools. We use every possible mode of challenges to ensure the truth comes out. I love being Catholic because we are the faith the Apostles first developed and even today, our apostolic succession continues through the church. I know where my church started and the rock in which it was founded.

Called and Chosen

2012-01-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Many of us go throughout our whole life looking for the right fit. We’re trying to discover who we are, and what are gifts are. We spend money on self-help books, and tools of self-discovery. We take online tests, visit therapists, career consultants, counselors, and our parish priest to try and find the answers. Many of us turn to shopping, alcohol, deserts, tv, technology, facebook and other things to fill our lives. Americans always seem to be saving up for the bigger house, the new boat, the latest technology, the fancier car, or the better brand of clothing. We’re like the clown that pulls the scarf out of his sleeve and it keeps going and going and going and going and going.

Sometimes we get so involved in the here and now, we forget to see where we’re going. Where is your faith life going? Where is your child’s faith life going? If students spent as much time working on their faith as they did with their sport team, their band, or their play where would their faith be? I love the extracurricular – trust me, I was an extracurricular junkie in high school. Between golf, track, cross country, basketball, band, yearbook staff and church, I was a busy kid too growing up but in my family, church always came first. When there was a retreat, my parents signed me up. When there was a holy day, I was at mass. On days that I had no school, my dad would invite me to daily mass with him. When speakers came to a church, you bet we were there. I look at my life at 30, with a wife and kid, and I no longer play basketball. I don’t run anymore. I don’t take pictures like I did in high school. I don’t play the trombone anymore. Although those were great experiences and I learned a ton from them – Faith is the one thing I have carried on. Faith is what I cling to at the happiest and most difficult times of my life. Jesus Christ has been my companion through every journey I’ve ever had. The Church has been my support and my hope. I’m deeply passionate about my Church and defending her like I would defend my own mother.

So many people fill their lives with more and more meaningless “stuff”. They spend their money on things that will eventually become outdated and unwanted. They turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stresses of their life. They get caught up in other self-destructive activities and in the end, they’re left in bondage to them. They are so beat up, bruised, broken and beaten they have nothing left, and feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration.

To my parents and teens – when you’ve tried it all, and nothing else seems to work, turn to the one saving Jesus Christ which heals all wounds and repairs all brokenness. Jesus Christ our Savior and King will walk with us through our trials and tribulations. He understands our pain as he suffered such unfathomable pain so that our sins may be forgiven. He loves you unconditionally and is waiting to give you a contentment that nothing on this earth can give you.

You have been called from your birth. In the most inner place of your soul, he calls for you. It was woven in your creation as he formed your heart in your mother’s womb. God our father created you to fulfill a purpose. His plan is the greatest plan that would bring you the greatest joy if you only turn to him and ask for direction. Too many of us try our own path and find it empty and misleading. Only the plan of God will bring you fulfillment. Turn to him! Ask for him to walk with you for he says “my yolk is easy and my burden is light”. He has given you so many incredible gifts to use for his glory. Use them for him and he will make your work even greater!

We are providing more and more opportunities for you and your family. Your parish community is here to help you find our Lord within the depth of your heart – are you willing to turn to him? Are you willing to do what it takes to help your family grow in him?

Misleading the flock

2012-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Last week, I got all fired up about this pamphlet that came in the mail about how we get to heaven. I had so many great conversations and debates with friends and family, and even had several friends let me know it stirred up conversations in their own household. I guess in the grand scheme, that's EXACTLY my mission... having a personal enlightenment for a moment only goes so far, but when the message infiltrates into the homes of those we love - THAT creates a lasting impression, hopefully leading to change. These posts literally couldn't have come at a better time.

Last week, a video came out of how Jesus hates religion... I'm sure you saw it as it was all over you tube, and heavily discussed. If you didn't see it, here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY

I couldn't help but be angry at it's ridiculous unbiblical standpoint that Jesus hated religion. Jesus stated very clearly he didn't come to abolish the law but fulfill it. Jesus Called Peter the Rock and how he was to build the church. Jesus did NOT come to abolish religion but to establish a new one - CHRISTIANITY.

Muslems follow Muhammad
Budists use buddha as their guide
Jews use the old testament Yahweh God and the Torah
Hinduism follows several Gods
Christians follow Jesus Christ

If you follow Jesus Christ, you're a Christian, and you follow a religion namely Christianity. His attacks were not on religion but denominations that are not "Non-denominational". These are fundamental bible only beliefs and I truly struggled to grasp their message until today.

I called up the church that sent my ridiculous flyer to me and asked for 30 copies so I could use them in a "Defending the faith" series I've started us as a result of these discussions. They didn't answer, so I left a message and decided to scroll through their website. I found some GREAT STUFF!!! I found a book called "Done" published by strivingtogether.com and written by Cary Schmidt. I looked up his website and couldn't find any real credentials. He is an an associate pastor of a Baptist church, and basically has a blog and has written some inspiring books with a twist. As I read through his book, a light bulb went off, and I got it! I really understood the theology of a baptist or non-denominational church. Go back and read that sentence... I understand the theology of a Baptist or non-denominational church. Why is that so interesting? Well, in the book and I quote... "So how do you sift through all the religious "fluff" and cut to the heart of the matter? how can you know truth from error - fact from fiction? How can you discern between God's true design and man's cheap substitute?" He goes on "So how can we take so many complicated systems of belief and simplify them down to two basic belief systems? First, lets look at the DO religions. These religions are in truth, systems of religions. Their central message is "what you must DO to gain the approval of God and to earn entrance into Heaven. The general agreement among these religions is that man is somehow separated, and man must DO something to be restored to Him. In these systems God is like an upset substitute teacher and he's really angry that people are misbehaving. He's somewhere up in Heaven, upset with the whole human race for doing things that displease him, and he's expecting everyone to make up for their wrongs by DOING good things. He's sitting on His throne, arms folded, expecting humanity to compensate or atone for their failures by doing good deeds or religions things for him." Later he states "In this DO category, every religion has a different list of "do's and dont's." for some, the list is extremely long and tedious - confess your sins, get baptized, give money, get confirmed, shave your head, sell flowers at an airport, sell literature door to door. The list is as endless as the imaginations of men, and with every passing decade new religions are popping up with new lists." He concludes this section with "Either way, the basic intent and the central message is the same - you must work your way to God. you must perform God's list, DO God's demands, appease God's anger and earn God's forgiveness. These systems are the ultimate form of religious bondage for millions of people all over the planet. The saddest thing about these systems is that they offer only despair and bondage. They leave the human heart feeling ultimately rejected by God and forever wondering if "I've done enough." They characterize God as more of a slave driver than a heavenly Father and they leave your heart feeling anything but "close to God". These systems fill the heart with nagging doubts. What if I missed something? What if I haven't lived up to God's demands? What if I'm doing the wrong list? What if my list is missing some critical element? Have I been good enough? How good is good enough? what if I haven't been good enough? These systems are great for building wealthy powerful religions because they enslave people..."

And now my commentary - 1st - I'm assuming that by the way he talks about organized religion (which by the way Baptists are an organized religion) he is mostly referring to Catholicism... and other religions that are contrary to his own - but again like the "religion vs. Jesus" video, lumps religion to be anything except for his own.

I would like to state 1 - that being a non-denominational - you have a religion. You are in the religion of no religion which is still a religion. It's like those people that are always trying to be different, but then they hang out with the same people that all are different together by wearing the same things and listening to the same music... 2. You trying not to have a religion lumps you with every other start-up church that has the same belief system of bible only and follows the teachings of however the pastor wants to use his scriptural passages.

On behalf of all Catholics who love their faith - I'd like to tell all ex-Catholics - if this is how you feel about Catholicism, I'd like to apologize for whoever made you feel that way, and let you know that that description of Catholicism misguided. I just went through and underlined the wording that is very pointed and untrue. As a person who know's my faith, and LOVES my faith - this is NOT AT ALL my church. With wording like that though, who couldn't help but look for those things in your own church? If I was 13 again and someone came to me and told me that about my church and threw some scripture in there - man, I would believe it. What I'd respond with is how Satan has used Christian men to break down the beliefs of another Christian for their own churches gain. They're telling lies about the Catholic Church. They're using words that destructive and that paint my religion in an untrue light. THIS is why I fight for my church! THIS is why I live for Christ - to give the FULLNESS of his message and not partial truths.

Catholic teaching 101 - you cannot earn your way to heaven. Yes, this is what the church teaches. There is nothing we can "DO" to earn our way to heaven. We can't do so many good things and BAM we're in. We can't do so many good works and automatically get a pass into heaven. I'm not trying to earn favor with God. I do focus on my RELATIONSHIP with him. I do focus on being present with Christ through prayer. My to do list is out of love for Christ. My to do list, is because he specifically asked us to serve one another.

YOUR stance however is "DONE" - and you use scriptures like
Titus 3:5 - "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..."
Romans 3:20 - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight"
Romans 4:5 - "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the unodly his faith is counted for righteousness."

Galations 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law"
Ephesians 2:8-9 (my favorite) "Not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works..."

Why is that my favorite? because the next sentence that is always left off is "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Well here is to you "anti works" person - there are just as many scriptures if not 1000 times more that Jesus tells us to do good works... Most the time in this time period, "works of the law" is not referring to service to others in need - it's talking about the Jewish Law. Titus was a non Jewish convert of Paul that wanted to become a Christian without becoming a Jew first. The apostles wanted him to follow every Jewish law including getting circumsized in order to be a Christian, but since he already believed in Christ, felt as if it was unfair to become a Jew first... They were in the stages of figuring out the Church and what Jesus would have wanted. His arguements and many of Paul's were on this stance - so the use of "works" and "Law" aren't being used correctly in your translation.

Try this in terms of Service and "works" that non-Catholics are so passionately against

1 Peter 4:9-11 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 20:26-28 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

John 13:12-17 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ...

Isaiah 58:10If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Hebrews 6:10-12 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

So my blog is getting long and I don't want to discourage my new readers - so I'll wrap it up. My points are this...

1. Other Churches protray the Catholic church as a church of Merit. We have to "earn our way to heaven" - and my response is we can't earn our way to heaven. It's a gift from God as you say. However, part of living as Jesus asked us to live is by doing good works.

2. Other Churches like to simply their teaching to get to the heart of Jesus's message - and what I say is You're taking 1 teaching, and leaving off 50 others. They've created a religion that revolves around the most important aspect of Jesus's mission but devalue absolutely everything else he did and said. They are preaching only partial truths whereas my Catholic faith preaches the fullness of the truth. They select scriptures that preach that works are not important, and leave off the parts that say it is important for the sake of making your religious beliefs true.

3. They claim the sacraments lead us into bondage - the rituals, rules and regulations are just distractions. For me - they lead me to the heart of Christ! The rituals are prayers! They set the mood just as if you use a candle for your prayer. The candle isn't God - it's the symbol of the presence of God and therefore leads us into a spiritual moment with God. It sets the mood - just as our beautiful churches and rituals.

4. They claim we're constantly trying to atone for our sins and try and get God to forgive us from our sin - but in their religion their sin has already been wiped away by his death on the cross. I say that As a Catholic, sin DOES separate us from God! Sin is choosing the world instead of God. Sin is choosing evil instead of good. If we're talking about relationships - I'm pretty sure this would destroy a relationship - however God's mercy is overflowing and he will accept us if we come back to him asking for forgiveness. I KNOW God loves me - unconditionally! I KNOW that he is my Savior! I KNOW that I am already accepted by him! and guess what - I'M CATHOLIC!

Attack on the Catholics

2012-01-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

My wife and I just moved over the break to our new house. It’s been a pretty slow and challenging transition, but we’ve made it and the majority of our boxes are unpacked. This past week, I checked the mail and received a letter from a non-Catholic church down the street inviting me to their service. In this packet was a pamphlet about salvation. It had a picture of the world from outer space and printed on the front was “Are you going to heaven? Find out inside!”

As I opened the pamphlet, it asked me to check off which tools are necessary for heaven. It listed 5 of our 7 sacraments, good works, charity, prayer and many other things. After that, it began to quote scripture of how these things are only distractions and in order to get to heaven all you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and it’s a done deal.

After reading the scriptures they used to deny the value of the Sacraments, and other helpful tools, I really got a little fired up! I began to think of all the individuals who have left their faith simply because they did not know it, and then had someone of strong forceful and intimidating scripture usage put their own spin on scripture to make our teaching seem wrong. These kind of attacks could happen very visibly with someone directly telling you or your child the Catholic Church has it wrong, or it could be very subtle with choice wording, memorization of certain scriptures, or simply providing a different interoperation of scripture.

As a Catholic, our theology goes a little bit deeper than “Solo Fide” and “Solo Scriptura” meaning Faith and bible alone. As a Catholic, we have tons of tools that support us in our faith. We have the saints as examples, we have the teachings of thousands of theologians, we have the canon, and canon law, we have the catechism, the Bible, the sacraments, the 10 commandments, the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit, the example of Mary our Mother, we have our priests, deacons and bishops. We have the unified leadership of the Pope. We have so many tools to use to aid in our journey to faith. Our Catholic faith IS Apostolic – handed down directly from the eye-witnesses of Jesus. Many of our tradition spans over 2000 years. The church today is probably exactly what Martin Luther was seeking when he requested the church to change. Unfortunately, it took 400 years for the Church to release its documents at Vatican II and make many of it’s changes that we have today.

Our Church today is actually more open and accepting of other traditions than many of our Christian brothers and sisters. The church is very open and accepting with many stances and has become very strict when it comes to protecting life, and the moral person. MANY people still think of the church as having our Pre-Vatican II stances – and our church is attacked and taught by other traditions incorrect Catholic teaching. We’re attacked on our stance of Faith and works, we’re attacked on us valuing Jesus’s mother Mary, we’re attacked on our stance of Salvation most of all – that we actually have to work at it rather than it just being handed to us.

My greatest concern is for the future of the church and our students not knowing their faith and being led astray by other faith traditions. How much formation are you and your child receiving from other faith traditions? What are they being taught about the Catholic Church within the prospective of non-Catholics? This should be a concern of yours if you want to preserve the faith of your child within Catholicism.

What is my stance on this? It’s not wrong or immoral for your children to be learning other faith traditions. It will not send them to hell. It will not make them less likely to get to heaven. It will not make them bad people, and it doesn’t make you a bad parent. HOWEVER – it WILL change their prospective of the Catholic Church and it’s teachings. It WILL confuse them and have them ask the questions of which one is correct. We have many similarities with our protestant brothers and sisters, but depending on the church and their own developed theology will determine their mission to “save the Catholics so they can be born again”.

My mission, is to help the Catholic Church grow! It’s to help the Church be alive and strong! We are only as strong as our members are strong! I believe in the real presence of our Lord in all our sacraments. When challenged about our connectedness to Christ - HELLO! We receive the risen Lord Jesus each week at mass. When challenged about our use of the bible - HELLO! Our entire mass is rooted in scripture. When challenged about Works - the bible CLEARLY outlines faith and works - yes, both are vital in living out our christian walk with Christ. We ARE Christ centered! We ARE biblically founded. We WERE established by the Apostles and the first Christians. We ARE Catholic! I am Catholic and I love every aspect of our Catholic faith - it's tradition, it's moral standards, it's unity thoughout the world, and even it's challenges and mistakes along the way that have shaped us to be what we are today - more focused on our daily walk int he way of the Lord.