The Road to Emmaus

St. Brigid's Hope for the World, or: A Massive Lake of Beer

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 02:34:00 +0000

I just came back from chaperoning an Archdiocesan-run camp for Grade 7s who had just been confirmed: Searching in the Spirit. The yearly camp is always a great time, with the activities, prayers, workshops, and testimonies of each of the five days dedicated to a specific theme: We are Sacred, We Are Witnesses, We Are Forgiven, We Are Servants, and We Are One Body. But I noticed that a bigger theme that tied all five themes together was the theme of Christian Hope, a hope that is not just some kind of wishful thinking with no basis in reality, but a hope that reaches to the innermost depths of who we are as human beings. Some will say that human persons, being creatures with intellect and will, are truth-seekers. Others will say that we are only truth-seekers because we are more fundamentally lovers. I think a part of these truths is the fact that human persons are also Hopers.
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Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 22:10:00 +0000

Michael Bay needs to take a page out of Matt Reeves' movie-making playbook. Reeves' new movie, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is laden with special effects and CGI...and yet instead of ruining the story, it actually enhances it. That might also have to do with the fact that Dawn's story is well-paced and logical, with dialogue and character development that (for the most part) feels organic and cohesive. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not just an action-packed summer blockbuster - it is smart, tense, subtle, and emotional. Definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year (it's up there with X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and How to Train your Dragon 2).

The movie takes place ten years after the first film in this series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The laboratory-made-cure-for-Alzheimer's-gone-wrong Simian Flu, which fast-tracks the apes' evolution, giving them human-like intellect and speech, has all but wiped out the human race. The apes, led by Caesar (motion-capture portrayed by Andy Serkis) have flourished deep in the woods outside San Francisco, and assume all the humans have died out. But when a group of humans led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) who are immune to the Simian Flu stumble upon the apes while looking for an old dam for power, the tension immediately jumps to an eleven. The humans need Caesar's permission to fix the dam and reroute the power...and the tension jumps to a twelve.
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Re-Highlights of Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 04:57:00 +0000

My gosh. The last time I posted anything was in January; it's like I was too exhausted to blog about anything. Trying to get a Masters in Theology will do that to you, I guess. Consider this a gearing-up to the usual theological and philosophical musings (and hopefully a redesign of this site).

The degree is all done and done, and so I have bittersweetly relocated back to Vancouver after spending two years in Washington DC at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. First, a Vancouver promo about the downtown core:

Yep, I'm pretty bummed about having to leave DC (let's not get into that), but of course there are more than a few things to which I can look forward. Not including the general (and obvious) "friends and family," which I could go on about for much longer than I'm sure anyone would care for, here is a short, semi-cathartic, off-the-cuff list - in no particular order - of the things that I'm happy to experience again here in good ol' Vancouver, British Columbia:
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Boxing Day (a Relient K cover)

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 01:38:00 +0000

'Boxing Day' is a bank holiday, observed by the Commonwealth Nations on Dec. 26th - the day "after" Christmas. According to Wikipedia, this is the day when bosses and employers would give gifts, or "Christmas boxes" to their servants or to tradesmen. In Canada at least, the only thing I can notice about Boxing Day is that it is the day when the world at large thinks Christmas has passed us by, and the day where we have all our crazy shopping sales (it's like the USA's Black Friday, except that no one gets trampled over for a TV).
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Take Time to Realize (a cover song)

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 01:22:00 +0000

In his encyclical Lumen Fidei, our Holy Father Pope Francis writes that "faith by its very nature demands renouncing the immediate possession which sight would appear to offer; it is an invitation to turn to the source of the light, while respecting the mystery of a countenance which will unveil itself personally in its own good time" (13). In other words, when God gives us the gift of faith, he gives it to us in its entirety, and yet He does not want to simply flood us with it against our will. He wants us to engage in a dialogue, in an ever-continuing expansion and contraction through which we realize that faith, while totally given to us, needs to be nurtured, cultivated, and cared for. Faith will coax out of us all of our strengths and help them to grow; we need to be drawn out of ourselves in order to realize what was already in us, simultaneously giving our consent to be transformed. Grace builds on nature.

It's easy to apply a lot of that to the realm of human love. Sometimes, a great romantic relationship can be there in a nutshell, but it just takes the two people to draw it out of the other person; to help them "realize." It's the age-old drama: guy/girl likes girl/guy, and girl/guy doesn't notice guy/girl.

Anyways. Back in April, my friend Cristina and I wanted to sing a duet at a coffeehouse event, but in the end we couldn't make the event. So we decided to record the song instead. Tis a barebones cover of Colbie Caillat's "Realize." Originally, I wanted to add some piano and strings, but just couldn't figure out exactly how to blend it all together and make it work. Perhaps I'll record a second version later if I feel inspired, or maybe this vocals and guitar rendition is good enough. You can listen to it below, and download it as well if you so desire (and if for some reason the download button doesn't work, you can click "share" and copy and paste the link into your browser).

And to everyone out there praying that the special relationship with that special someone will "unveil itself personally," remember to have faith in God - because he has a great plan for our Vocation, plans for welfare, and not for woe.

Enjoy!

Men of Steel

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:43:00 +0000

I recently saw the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. First of all, let me (regrettably) say that the movie was just...not that good. I read one review that said that "Man of Steel represents everything that a great Catholic film ought to accomplish," my response to which was something like this:

Mama Mary

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:23:00 +0000

A friend of mine, Eunice Hii, co-runs a blog called Faith and Peanut Butter. In honour of Mary, Eunice asked me to be one of the guest writers for a series of entries entitled "Brosary Boys," the purpose of which was to show guys who had a "die-hard love for Mary," since "there's nothing more attractive than a man who loves his mum" (although I promise you, none of the guys who guest-blogged did it in order to pick up a date).

So take a read through mine, and check out the other entries in the blog series!

Mary's Fiat and Our Great Gift

A Mother's Work is Never Done

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:05:00 +0000

My school, the JP II Institute, runs the Center for Cultural & Pastoral Research. One thing that the Center does is publish a quarterly online book review journal titled Humanum, and as the name suggests, it is about "'the human': what makes us human, what keeps us human, and how to rescue our humanity when this is endangered. [The aim of the journal] is to pick [its] way with discernment through the flood of publications...that claim to tell us about ourselves, about family, marriage, love, children, health, and human life."

In honour of the Month of Mary, the journal's latest quarterly review is about the meaning, challenges, and joys of motherhood, and includes an article by one of my professors, Dr. Margaret McCarthy. The article is a bit lengthy, but it's packed full of stuff about the "work-home balance" and the "un-domestication of the home," and is definitely worth the time. Check it out (and actually, the entire issue is fantastic).

A Mother's Work is Never Done

Asking And Seeing (A Testimony)

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 30 May 2013 20:49:00 +0000

*phew* Okay, let's keep 'em coming. I was asked to give a short testimony/talk at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, my alma mater. The Gospel reading for today was from Mark 10:46-52, which depicts Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. And here we go:

There’s the old saying that goes, “Love is blind.” Ah. But here’s the truth about that saying: it’s a bunch of garbage. I know that because I know God.

The Trinity and the Family (A Testimony)

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sun, 26 May 2013 22:34:00 +0000

I'm baaaaack. It's been a while since I've blogged about anything - studying at the JP II Institute has filled up a lot of my time. And there's something about reading a bazillion pages of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and John Paul II that makes you not want to read or write anything else once you're done. I've been le tired. I blame the Fall.

But I've finished the semester and I'm back in Vancouver, resting up until August. Hopefully the blogging will pick up. As part of the Year of Faith, my pastor (of Christ the Redeemer parish in West Vancouver) has asked people to share short testimonies during Mass every so often. I lucked out and got Trinity Sunday. Here goes:
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Pope Benedict XVI: We'll Miss You

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:53:00 +0000

He's announced that he's going to abdicate on Feb. 28th, at 8pm Rome time. Well, won't that be a birthday to remember (I'll try not to take it personally, Holy Father). I woke up today, my alarm ringing, and I was tempted to hit snooze. But the text from my friend saying that Pope Benedict XVI had decided to abdicate woke me up. Questions flooded my mind. When was the last time a pope abdicated? Was there any lead up to this announcement? How bizarre is it going to be for Conclave to be held while the previous pope is still alive? How bad is his health - what's going to happen to him once he ceases to be Pope Benedict XVI? Who could possibly succeed him? Initially, I was just stunned. Then, actually a bit upset. Then came a bit of a "well, it happened" attitude. And then sadness.

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Baby Don't Hurt Me

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:09:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, in the midst of a little chit-chat with a friend, self-deprecating humour (I'm pretty sure this is one of the reasons we're friends, for I do the same) reared its head.

Friend: "It's a good thing nobody ends up liking me - except for my boyfriend!"
Me: "You've never been in a situation where a guy liked you but you didn't like him back?"
Friend: "Well, no, I have. But I've just been too mean to lead them on."
Me: "Wait...what? Not leading them on?...that's not being mean. That's being loving."
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An Unexpected Kindness (Minor Spoilers)

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 04:48:00 +0000

Two weekends ago, I watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for a second time. After my second go-round, I give it *drumroll*...3.75 out of 5. I had a lot of fun, at times it was epic, but tone and pacing were just shy of greatness. Also, try as I might, that rock 'em sock 'em rock giant scene still just seems completely superfluous, redundant, and adds nothing to the characters or the story of The Hobbit qua film. It was just big and bombastic for no reason.

But that rock giant scene proceeds a scene with some of my favourite lines in the movie: Gandalf telling Galadriel why he chose Bilbo Baggins to round out Thorin's Company:

"Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is in the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."
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A Free Christmas Album For You!

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:21:00 +0000

Happy Advent!

A few years ago, a couple of friends and I recorded a Christmas album. Diet Tonix released their first album full of Christmas joy, entitled Figgy Pudding. We've uploaded the album to bandcamp and I've embedded it below, available for free download. There's another track that isn't included in the fancy album download immediately below, because it's a cover of a newer song that can't be uploaded to that site. So I've embedded the cover at the bottom, and you can download it separately :)

(UPDATE: The additional, embedded track below can't be downloaded anymore unless you sign up for the website. It's free, but if you don't feel like signing up and would still like the track, let me know and I'll email it your way).

Diet Tonix are:
Byron Cline: Vocals
Dylan Drego: Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, piano
Jeremy Keong (me): Vocals and piano

<a href="http://diettonix.bandcamp.com/album/figgy-pudding">Figgy Pudding by Diet Tonix</a>

The Best Gift You Can Give

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:54:00 +0000

The other day, I found this beautiful drawing on the Twittersphere, titled "The Pyramid of Intimacy." Behold, in all of its beauty:

Follow @jackiefrancois on Twitter (she's a great Catholic musician)

There's lots to love about it, from JP II looking awesome in the bottom right speaking truth (I love how the drawing captures his humility), to the scripture references in the top left. But what caught my eye was the phrase "love begins here" scribbled in red, with an arrow pointing to the bottom of the pyramid - to Friendship. Love between two people shouldn't begin when they get engaged, or when they start dating. It should begin in friendship - in their initial relationality with each other. This pyramid should exist only as something that two married people can look back on and say "hey, that's neat," and never as something looked at merely from the outset of meeting someone. As Cartoon Pope says, "let every man look first upon woman as "sister" then as possible bride." But why?

Woke Up in America: A Mini Exegesis

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 03:20:00 +0000

It's a little known fact (ie. a hugely known fact) that I am a big fan of Matt Maher. I love what the guy does - his Catholicity really shines through a lot of his music; it's beautiful. But it's also a little known fact (ie. a hugely known fact) that there's actually one Matt Maher song I don't like: Woke Up in America. I even tweeted about it as part of my friends' posting lyrics for a "Matt-Maher-is-performing-in-Vancouver" countdown.

Why I Cry

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 23:24:00 +0000

***I recently realized that comments have been disabled in this blog since I started it. I've enabled them now.***

As I've grown in my Catholic faith over the years, I've discovered that I cry more. One of the youth leaders at my parish pokes fun at me for it, especially when I tear up while listening to "In Christ Alone," and I always have to frantically explain the whole thing. So first of all, let's be clear: I'm not saying that crying is one of those prerequisite results of growing in faith, and no, I'm definitely not saying that being a Catholic makes you a pansy (on the contrary, being a Catholic makes you a badass).

Case in point.

What I am trying to say is that as I've grown as a Catholic, I've learned more about what I truly yearn for, and what I am ultimately made for.

Why do we cry, emotionally? I find it to be a peculiar reaction to certain situations. When most people think of crying, they think of it as the response to something sad - the death of a loved one, a missed opportunity, the break-up of a long-term relationship. But what's interesting is that we not only cry when we are extremely sad, but also when we are extremely happy. Yes, on one level, we say that we cry because we are overtaken by our emotions and we just have to "let it out." But to what are these emotions pointing us? I think it is in those extremely sad and happy times that we realize and remember that we were made for Something More. We were made for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. We were made for God.

Some Darn Good Love Poetry

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:12:00 +0000

The latin word "Fiat" translates to "let it be done," and it is most commonly referred to (in Catholic circles) Mother Mary's whole-hearted acceptance when the angel Gabriel told her she was going to give birth to Christ. Mary gave her whole life to God. She knew that something so momentous - being the first tabernacle - was going to require her to completely submit to the Will of God. Do we do the same?

Most people want to find "the one" and get married. Most people go through ups and downs in the dating process until they find their beloved. But when things don't go right, I wonder how many of us tell God that whatever He wants is what we want. I wonder how often we tell God that even though unrequited love is breaking our heart, He can - in a sense - break our heart too. That if heartache is His will, then we want it as well.

My friend Joseph, who also blogs, wrote this amazing poem about how essential God is in our romantic relationships. Here's an excerpt:

"To Him, and you, I earnestly pray
'I want what He wants, for your joy complete,
With His plan for you, I will not compete.

He has spoken to my heart in His Holy Word,
He is first, you are second, and I am third."

Seriously, it's beautiful stuff (as is all of Joseph's poetry). It speaks Truth. Go read - nay, go pray - the rest of the poem, and follow his blog.

http://diligere.tumblr.com/post/29113189879/fiat

My Thoughts On 'The New Normal'

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 02:50:00 +0000

Have you seen the trailer for one of NBC's upcoming shows? Voila (and take care not to facepalm too much. You have a nice face):

Obviously, I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I'm assuming that most of the readers of this blog are also practicing their faith and don't mind reading my thoughts on the faith. As a Catholic (and I'm hoping I speak for all practicing Catholics), I believe that there are sacrifices we make for our love for God, and that we need to live a Christ-like life above and beyond what society thinks is "good" or "cool", or - my personal favourite - "tolerant." Let me tell you, one of those tiny sacrifices should be to not watch this show.
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Too Much Batman

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:26:00 +0000

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 7 years, you undoubtedly know that Christopher Nolan has been busy making one of the great trilogies of this generation, the last film of which was released last week. Together, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and now The Dark Knight Rises tells the amazing story of Bruce Wayne. And while the latest flick definitely doesn't live up to its predecessor in terms of story and character, it still delivers a really entertaining three hours (I refer to it as 'The Return of the Jedi' of the Dark Knight Trilogy).
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Searching in the Spirit 2012: Pentecost Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 18:36:00 +0000

From July 3rd to 7th, I was one of the chaperones at an archdiocesan camp called Searching in the Spirit. Created for Gr. 7 students who had just been confirmed, the five day camp looked at the themes of Sacredness, Witness, Forgiveness, Servitude, and One Body in order that the 65 Gr. 7s could more

readily invite the Holy Spirit into their lives. For the past five years that I have been involved in the program, it has been - without a doubt - the best week of my summer. It is a perfect example of how vibrant and alive the Church is. From the Gr. 7 students, to the 14 person youth/young adult leadership team (who organizes and runs the entire program!), to adult chaperones, and to priests, Searching in the Spirit demonstrates that the Church truly is one Body in Christ. Prayer, fellowship, laughs, meals, mass, confession, adoration...all mixed in with the typical summer camp activities like archery and kayaking.
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Stuff Catholics Say

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:48:00 +0000

Yeah yeah, I know. This whole fad rolled over and died months ago. In all fairness, my friends and I got together while the fad was still alive and filmed this video, but it took a long time to get put together. So here it is!

Filming and Editing credit: Patrick Guevara (who should have it up on his own channel soon, at which point I'll link to his instead of mine).

Who Cares?

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 04:08:00 +0000

People these days need to stop equating the Church to merely a physical building, and instead see it as the unblemished, indefectible Mystical Body of Christ. Some of these people include those who identify as Catholics - they profess to be Catholic but openly reject a Church teaching. You know the teachings I'm talking about: Same-Sex "Marriage," Contraception, Abortion. But in declaring that they are Catholic, and yet refusing to learn about an infallible dogma of the Church, these people show that they hugely misunderstand who and what the Church is. They'll say that they believe in Christ. Well, what did Christ say? "The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything" (John 14:26). What else did Christ say? To his apostles, "whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and rejects the one who sent me" (Luke 10:16). And then just to Peter, "On this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). And again to His apostles, just for kicks: "When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will lead you into all the Truth" (John 16:13).
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It's Not Easy, But It Is Simple

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Mon, 28 May 2012 22:35:00 +0000

As someone who is involved in a lot of youth ministry, it often falls on me to lead group prayer at the beginning or the end of a meeting. A lot of the time, another leader will take on the responsibility of leading prayer as well. Yes yes, for events, we always strive to have planned prayer services, but at meetings sometimes there isn't time. And so it falls on someone to just go for it and pray 'on the cuff.' And here's the thing about prayer - especially public prayer - we so badly want it to sound good or pretty. We desperately don't want it to be repetitive, but grandiose and intricate. We want it to somehow be worthy of elevation as a part of the mystical body of Christ, joining the swirling clouds of incense as it makes its way up from the altar to the ears of God. We're more worried about what other people are thinking when they hear our words, than the actual words we say, and whether we mean them. But it isn't necessary for prayer to be poetry. Let's check in with my good friend The Little Flower, and see what she has to say:

"Prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look towards heaven. It is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." -St. Therese of Lisieux
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The Indelibility of the Indwelling

noreply@blogger.com (J) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Happy Easter everybody! Since the season began, I've been able to witness a lot of sacraments - something like 10 people who received all three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, as well as about 40 Gr. 7 students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation about a week ago.

The beautiful thing about the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in particular, is that by them, we are forever changed. An indelible spiritual mark is placed by God on our soul, a mark that is the sign that "Jesus Christ has marked [us] with the seal of his Spirit by clothing [us] with power from on high so that [we] may be His [witnesses]" (CCC 1121). We are marked, sealed, and chosen for Christ from the moment the water is poured. And we are perfectly bound to the Church and are given increases of the Holy Spirit's gifts the moment that we are anointed with chrism by the laying on of the bishop's hand. What's more, it is impossible for sin to erase these spiritual marks, even if we choose to let sin prevent those sacraments "from bearing the fruits of salvation" (CCC 1272).

The Road to Emmaus

St. Brigid's Hope for the World, or: A Massive Lake of Beer

Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Re-Highlights of Vancouver

Boxing Day (a Relient K cover)

Take Time to Realize (a cover song)

Men of Steel

Mama Mary

A Mother's Work is Never Done

Asking And Seeing (A Testimony)

The Trinity and the Family (A Testimony)

Pope Benedict XVI: We'll Miss You

Baby Don't Hurt Me

An Unexpected Kindness (*Minor Spoilers*)

A Free Christmas Album For You!

The Best Gift You Can Give

Woke Up in America: A Mini Exegesis

Why I Cry

Some Darn Good Love Poetry

My Thoughts On 'The New Normal'

Too Much Batman

Searching in the Spirit 2012: Pentecost Revisited

Stuff Catholics Say

Who Cares?

It's Not Easy, But It Is Simple

The Indelibility of the Indwelling

An Unexpected Kindness (Minor Spoilers)