Take C.A.R.E.

There are many things in life that I can be grateful for.  A beautiful wife, amazing family and friends, a great job and so much more.  But taking a step back I wouldn't be disposed to receive any of these gratefully if it wasn't for such a Good God who was gracious and merciful enough to constantly remind me to take C.A.R.E.

For those who don't know what that is, it may be because you haven't known me long enough or because I haven't been doing my duty.  C.A.R.E. is an acronym for Confession, Adoration, Rosary, Eucharist (Holy Mass).  Within the prayer community that my wife and I spent a better part of our lives in it was the very gauge in which we measured our spiritual lives.  We could consider ourselves spiritually nurtured if we remembered to Take CARE.  To be honest, I attribute this very lifestyle of taking care what lead my wife and I to our vocations and many will attest to same fruits.

Confession: Because none of us are perfect and all of us need grace.  Most importantly, all of us need Sanctifying Grace which is the very life of our soul.  St. John Bosco would warn the boys of his oratory that when they were in mortal sin that shouldn't simply just go to confession but that they should run to it.  

The question may come up how often should I really go?  Here's a good article that I think may help

http://rcspirituality.org/ask-priest-often-can-go-confession/

Why is it important?  Because Christ waits for us so that he may free us from the bondage of sin in the Sacrament of Confession.  Because we can and should approach the One whom we have offended by our sin like a child approaches his/her mother when they have done something wrong.  Humbly, lovingly and sorrowfully.

Eucharist & Adoration: In C.A.R.E. we speak of the reception of the Eucharist in Holy Mass.  St. Peter Julian Eymard, the great saint of the Blessed Eucharist said the following about it:

"WHY is Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? Many answers could be given to that question. The one that sums them all runs as follows: because He loves us and because He wants us to love Him. Love, that is the motive for the institution of the Eucharist. Without the Eucharist Christ's love would be nothing more for us than a lifeless love, a love of the past, which we would quickly forget and which it would be almost excusable for us to forget. Love has its laws, its requirements, which the Eucharist alone fully satisfies. On account of the Eucharist Jesus has every right to be loved because in it He gives us a proof of infinite love."

In our reception of the Eucharist through Holy Communion we live out the famous saying "You are what you eat."  In our receiving more frequently and more reverently our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament we receive the grace to be more and more like Him.  

 After receiving Jesus in Holy Communion let us spend time with Him.  He is after all a prisoner of Love in the Tabernacle.  He chooses to not press himself into our own space but waits for us to enter into His.  How often do things of great significance happen and we immediately feel the urge to share the news.  Our desire to communicate our emotions, thoughts, hardships, excitements and anxieties stem from God's desire to draw us to Him.  Adoration is where these both are quenched and our love is nurtured. 

Never heard of adoration before?  Don't worry I didn't hear about it until college!  Here's a resource you can learn a little bit more about it:

http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/a2.html

Rosary: 

The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." - Pope Leo XIII

It is through the Blessed Mother that we come to know our Lord more intimately.  He came to us through her and we find our way to our Lord through the same means, His Mother.  If you haven't already, pick up a book about the rosary and about the Blessed Mother.  One saint that changed my life and the role the Blessed Virgin Mary plays in it is St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort.  If you would allow me I recommend Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin

Taking CARE is also referred to as the Communion of Reparation Lifestyle.  Our faith is not simply for our own personal benefit so neither should our spiritual acts be for our own gain.  When we take C.A.R.E. we do so in order that we may love God well now for the times we have not before or even for those who fail to do so now.  In doing this we fulfill those two greatest commandments mentioned by Christ in the Gospel, To love God and to love neighbor.  May we do both in living a grace-filled life, one where there is only room for Christ where He is our Lord and no one or nothing else.

AMDG+

It's Summer and I'm Shutting Up.

Every once in a while I'll read something that strikes me profoundly.  This time it was not only the words which stroke me as inspirational but also the person whom the words came from.

First read this blog here.

If you took some time to scroll all the way down you'll notice a slew of comments that were encouraging to say the least.  I happen to know this young lady and would like to compliment her post with a post of my own for my fellow brothers in Christ.

Lets start with this one quote to build on:
"God has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity of every woman." - Blessed John Paul II

Give it a second... Let it simmer.

When I read that it led me to a serious examination of conscience.  How much of a man have I been in my life towards our sisters in Christ?

Now take a second and think back to the Garden of Eden a little while after Adam and Eve had disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the Tree.

In Genesis 3:11 God asked Adam a pretty straight forward question:

'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?'

What was Adam's response? The following verse in Genesis 3:12 tells us Adam's response:

'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'

Going back to the question God asked Adam.  Do you think God, All Powerful and All Knowing, needed Adam to admit his infidelity for Him to know that Adam had been disobedient?  No.  This wasn't an inquiry to his disobedience but an opportunity for repentance, humility and an amendment to do better.

Do you see what just happened?  God asked Adam if HE had been disobedient.  Adam's response?  He passes the buck and blames Eve.  This is what men, Christian and non-Christian, still do with regards to the question of purity and modesty.  We blame our lack of both sometimes on the fact that it's all around us and we are helpless victims to the onslaught of immodest fashions.  We point at the dress, or lack thereof, and ask for help from them yet fail to help ourselves.

Sure as gentlemen we can speak up and start shouting at the rooftops about modesty during these times.  But what do our actions preach?  Are we going to the beach where we know there will be a plethora of flesh?  Do we mortify our sight and even speech from impure things?  Yes, our female counterparts have the duty and power to assist us in our journey to chastity and purity but we are not simply at their disposal.  We too have our own will and have the power to exercise it as we please.

We must train and literally exercise our own will in small acts of mortification.  Prayer, Penance, Fasting and mortification of the senses.  When we see someone dressed immodestly, do we gaze intently, or do we look away and flee from such occasions.  Some of the great saints were so mortified in their sight they only looked up from the floor to gaze upon our Lord in the Eucharist.  Their mortification of the sense of sight was so great some saints could not even tell you what the walls of the very Church they adored looked like since they reserved their eyes only for our Lord.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2015 says:
The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes

In the Gospel of Matthew 5:29 we hear:

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”

Not to say that we should LITERALLY pluck out our eyes, but rather take upon ourselves a more forward approach to avoid that which leads us to hell.  Fasting and mortification of the other senses (sight, speech, etc.) allow us to practice our 'No' to ourselves.  We give up willingly good and legitimate things not because they are evil but because this practice of mortification strengthens our will against temptations further on which require our firm 'No' in a permanent and definite way.

Our duty is to guard the dignity of our sisters in Christ, but the easiest way to strip them of that dignity within ourselves is to look at them as just empty vessels of flesh.  As Christians it's more than having a sense of respect for our sisters.  It's having a deep charity for them who have immortal souls and bear the very Image and Likeness of God.

Where do we start?  By praying for them.  Let all our endeavors begin with our Lord in the Eucharist and let all our endeavors end with us practicing faithful what we believe and teach.  For as we know and as St. Francis of Assisi so beautifully put it, "Words tickle but Actions Thunder."

+AMDG

Since our engagement I've done a lot of thinking of what more we can do in our preparation for the sacrament of Marriage.  During all the thinking I came across the Marriage Vows used in the Liturgy for the Rite of Marriage.  During a daily mass which my fiancé and I attended the priest during the homily drew a beautiful parallel between the vows taken by a bride and groom and Sirach 6:5-17.

Rite of Marriage (#25)

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my husband/wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

Sir 6:5-17

A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies,

and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.

Let your acquaintances be many,

but one in a thousand your confidant.

When you gain a friend, first test him,

and be not too ready to trust him.

For one sort is a friend when it suits him,

but he will not be with you in time of distress.

Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,

and tells of the quarrel to your shame.

Another is a friend, a boon companion,

who will not be with you when sorrow comes.

When things go well, he is your other self,

and lords it over your servants;

But if you are brought low, he turns against you

and avoids meeting you.

Keep away from your enemies;

be on your guard with your friends.

A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;

he who finds one finds a treasure.

A faithful friend is beyond price,

no sum can balance his worth.

A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,

such as he who fears God finds;

For he who fears God behaves accordingly,

and his friend will be like himself.

In sickness and health, good times and bad we vow to stand beside our spouses (who should happen to also be our good friends).  Scripture tells us when we find someone who is capable of such we have found a treasure.  This wasn't my first time reading this particular passage but it was my first time reading it from the perspective of wedding vows which so beautifully compliment it.  I've met quite a number of people in the short time I've spent on this earth and yet there is only a small group of people that come to mind in reading this passage.  But I have to be honest; in hearing it this passage time around a smile worked its way to my face because I realized that I was indeed marrying a treasure, a faithful friend and sturdy shelter.  Since the beginning of our courtship I was convinced that the concept of a stable and long lasting friendship makes for a holy and well discerned courtship and hopefully later on a holy and fruitful marriage.

I know it sounds cliché to say I’m marrying my best-friend but in this case I can really say that I am.  More than that is at first I only had a Christ-Centered friendship in mind.  Why?  Because I didn't think I had a chance at anything more than that!  Also, because she helped me mature spiritually and when she needed the help I wanted to be there for her as well.  But this Christ-Centered friendship is the basis for a Christ-Centered Courtship and then Marriage.  Then it becomes our defense against the temptation of seeing each other as simply business partners in a marriage contract in order to provide for children or even for ourselves.  Rather we are given a foundation to seek deeper purpose and meaning in our marital covenant.

On another note, In Sirach we read: "When you gain a friend, first test him, and be not too ready to trust him."  Imagine the caution we are called to in our friendships; "...and be not too ready to trust him." says Holy Scripture.  How much more caution should be thrown into the wind when discerning our own vocations.  Dating should not be a game where we jump from one "prospect" to another.  But a steady and mortified process where we practice our will and prayerfully discern God's own will.  That isn't to say we should put a time limit on such things but rather, a call to serious reflection and discernment rather than rushed decisions based on our passions and emotions.  It helps me appreciate more and more the many blessings God has brought to us and how he truly is the greatest Author and Lover.

Last Weeks Events and My Boycott

So lately I've gotten a lot of heat and attention for some of the things that I've posted on my Facebook.

First:

and second my decision to boycott Starbucks because of recent comments the CEO of Starbucks made.

First, the Catholic stance on homosexuals:

They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. (CCC 2358)

So, for those who have a predisposition to think Catholics hate gays this is quite the contrary.  The Church does not reject individuals for their actions but will never waiver in proclaiming the truths presented to us in the Gospels.  There may be others out there who claim to be Christian yet spread messages of hate towards our brothers and sisters.  That simply is not acceptable and Fr. Pontifex speaks beautifully on this in one of his recent videos "Yes to You":

This blog however is not going to focus and defend the Church's stance on Homosexuals or even Homosexual unions.  We can save that for another blog.  However if you're really interested I will post links of some great resources to better understand the Conjugal and Relational arguments for Homosexual Union.

Second, my decision to boycott Starbucks.  My opposition to Starbucks received a reaction which I expected:

I have to admit that this stung quite a bit.  First, because I didn't expect quite a reaction from this particular person.  Second, because I knew these things and have been faced for some time with this thought of "what more can I do."  So I did some digging and found a list of companies that support gay marriage.  You can find that list here.  Taking a look at it, it seems to be quite a lot.  As a matter of fact I   started looking at caves to just move into.  But then came the real soul searching... Lots of time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

The first question that came to mind was "Are we as Catholics obliged to boycott these companies?"  The answer is "No."  If we were to try and avoid any cooperation with evil in this world we would be unable to act.  We have to make a distinction between formal and material cooperation with evil.  The first is ALWAYS wrong as the second sometimes is permissible.  Also proximity to the cooperation of evil is also a factor.

With my prayer I've expanded my list to quite a few of those companies listed.  But let's get my reasons for boycotting straight.  I understand that buying my Grade Soy Latte at Starbucks (around $4) will contribute a minuscule percentage if any at all to their support for Same-Sex unions.  But I'm not rallying people to bring a corporation to its knees financially.  Nor do I expect my withdrawal from their customer base to impact their bottom line.  However me contributing nothing to their agenda is a whole lot better than a little something.  Its not about making Starbucks more Catholic or Christian, but it's about standing up for the truths I hold as a Christian.  

Where we are given options in products and services, I will choose those which align with what I uphold morally.  I will not return my Macbook.  The money's gone... But I will allow it to be used as a tool for Evangelization and Truth.  Where sacrifices can be made reasonably I will try and make them but where it cannot be avoided I offer those moments up in prayer.  However I will continue to look for ways to truly live out the Gospel spirit.  At the very least I have been reminded that detachment of worldly things is needed, a general spring cleaning of conscience is long over due.

 "By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him "to do what is good and avoid what is evil." Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the dignity of the person."

(CCC 1706)

If you decide to do something similar remember what Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcuta once said:

"You are called to be faithful not successful."  Being in this Easter Season let us remain faithful and remember that we don't have to worry about being victorious, Christ has already ensured victory.  We only need to side with Him.

Deus Providebit.

Resources for Information on what Catholics teach about Homosexual Unions:

Document Explaining the Catholic Stance on Gay Marriage

Same-Sex Marriage: Our Agreements Solve Our Disagreement

The Infertility Objection

Relationships

During a catechism class that I taught this past month our topic was RELATIONSHIPS.  All caps and bold faced.  Exactly like that, except... not really.  You see they were under the assumption that we would talk about boyfriend and girlfriend relationships.  The girls in the class were hoping I would talk more about my fiance and I.  The guys in the class were hoping I would give them tips and pointers.  You see, we associate the word "relationship" with the following:

This is what I'm talking about:

re·la·tion·ship n.:  The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

Too often we worry ourselves with our romantic relationships we neglect others.  You see, relationships are the very connections between persons.  It isn't necessarily a romantic one.  Off the bat you have a relationship with your mother, father, brother or sister.  Granted those relationships may not be very good ones, but they are relationships none the less.  

I think most can agree that the basis for some of the most important relationships we will ever have is love.  Some of the most damaging relationships we will ever have will be due to a lack of love, or a misinterpretation of what love is.

So here is the point I drove home during our short discussion in catechism class:  Our first relationship that takes priority is that with God.  There plenty of reasons that our relationship with God should take precedence but the main one is this... He's God.  If we cannot love God who loved us first and loves us perfectly and if that relationship isn't solid.  How well will we do in those relationships where their love for us is far from perfect?

St. Augustine famously has been quoted:

"Love God first, then do what thou will."

Making this relationship our first priority gives us the basic building blocks for every other relationship we will have.  After all "Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).  So lets renew ourselves this coming Easter Season.  Observe reverently these next few days of the Holy Triduum (Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday).  Living out what each day means in Salvation History and to us personally so that come Easter Sunday we may put on our new selves and draw closer to Love Himself.

Deus Providebit

Write it down!

Most know the benefits to Holy Mass, Adoration, frequent Confession and recitation of the Rosary. (If not stay tuned because these will eventually be discussed)

But how many people know and practice the use of a spiritual journal? Today during my catechism class I mentioned that during adoration I wrote in my spiritual journal and many of the guys chuckled a little bit. Even my peers sometimes may forget it's significance and importance.

Why have one? What are it's advantages? And why is it not as comical as some would like to think?

Having a spiritual journal is a helpful way to keep up with our spiritual journey and to allow us time to focus our thoughts and meditations on things of God and our faith journey. I sometimes enjoy reading my past entries just to see and better appreciate the many different things God has done. This sometimes turns into it's own little reminders that God know's what He's doing even though at the time we don't.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph list a few other benefits to having a spiritual journal:

• Growing in self-understanding 
• Deepening awareness of God within 
• Making sense and order out of life 
• Expressing emotions and gaining perspective 
• Developing a greater awareness of daily life 
• Clarifying beliefs 
• Setting goals and managing time 
• Working through problems 
• Recording memories 

(source: http://www.goodgroundpress.com/part_1_beginning_your_spiritual_journal.aspx)

When I first started to pursue my fiance one of the first things I gave her was a spiritual journal. In it I wrote a note which said something to the effect of:

"In this journal we have the ability to escape from the world and be alone on an island with God. To simply BE with Him and communicate our deepest thoughts, desires and even fears. It allows us to contemplate His deepest mysteries but also to express our thoughts on the daily mundane things"

I like to look at it as me simply taking notes on the story which God has already begun writing in our lives. So during this Lenten Season, a season where we are more inclined to reflection and silence, it would be ideal and beneficial to start your very own spiritual journal if you don't have one already.

If you do and seem to have gotten a bit stuck on what to write here are some ideas:

Letters to God: Make a daily account to our Lord and speak to Him as you would a friend. Sometimes writing our thoughts and prayers down in this way can help us understand better the depth or lack of depth in our piety.

Reflections on Readings: Reflecting on the Mass Readings for the day not only allow you to meditate on the Word of God but also to better prepare yourself for Mass. If you do this after Mass you could use it to recap on the inspirations you picked up during Mass. Reflecting on Spiritual Readings are also helpful and inspiring. If you're like me we don't just pick up a good Catholic Book like "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese or "Confessions" by St. Augustine for simple recreation. But rather we are hunting for bits and pieces (or even mountains) of inspirations. To spend a little extra time to expand on those spurts of inspiration not only are beneficial to remember them but help us to meditate on how we can echo God's inspirations in our own lives.

Writing during the homily: This is where I get a page or two done. So often we have homilies that are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and what a shame to meditate on these further. If we take notes during our lectures because we feel that information is important enough for us to remember. Why not the lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching us from the pulpit? Even if you don't go back and read over the homily, simply writing it down helps you pay attention and remember what's being said.

Letters from God: Some may think it silly but I know plenty of people who seek small bits of inspiration from our Lord himself. I'm not claiming that I or any of those I know are locutionist

(A locutionist is one who hears inwardly revelations which purport to be from some heavenly source)

But I do believe that God can send us inspirations if we are open to receiving them. That being said  normally say a prayer and ask for the aid of the Holy Spirit. I personally say the Come Holy Spirit prayer:

"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen."

Afterwards, simply let the Spirit guide the words you write. If you have questions or concerns about those things you write this is where a good and holy Spiritual Director would be helpful.

Now then... get out there and start journaling! or not... But remember St Therese of Lisieux , St Faustina, St. Gemma Galgani all wrote down in one form or another about their spiritual journeys just to name a few.

God Bless and remember....
Deus Providebit. 

Just to start things off

JMJ

What drives the youth of today? I myself at 25 years of age have reached the point where considering myself part of that sector of society becomes daring if not wishful. But nonetheless there has been in the past generations of the young of the world an increasing trend away from God and a move towards things more sensual or sensible. It’s not a fact that is widely disputed yet unfortunately there is little concern for the morale of the youth.

The young have found themselves in the midst of humanities greatest and most important battle. As cliché as it all may sound, it is neither the war on terror nor on those parties who wish to topple or overtake our governments. Yes such struggles are important and weigh heavily on what will happen within our lifetimes, this battle weighs what will happen to us for the rest of eternity. It is a “do or die” battle, literally, and if we do not take arms we will be swept away with the deceits of the enemy who “prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

One word to describe their situation:

TRAPPED

But why do I describe the youth as trapped? How and by who? Unlike previous times vices have never been so widely promoted and accepted by society. Even in the Philippines, where I currently reside, whose majority of the population, over 80%, are Catholic, the Culture of Death slowly wraps its claws around the very thicket of its Catholic roots. But regardless of where you go in the world, there is a similar story, a tragedy to be shared. The music videos, TV shows, fashion, dancing, advertising and everything that builds this present culture gives a false image of happiness, and we have sunk our teeth so deep into the bait that we can’t, or don’t want to, let go. It’s all too attractive and enticing to renounce for most people and so we are led to justify ourselves and defend our “stance” on why these things are ok. All around us we have examples of people trapped by their own desires, passions, and wants. Not allowing themselves to be guided by the Spirit of God, but instead by the flesh and the spirit of the world. But what we have in this world is only temporary; our very lives are transitory, meaning we are pilgrims moving toward eternity. God desires that we rise above the sensual and hold firmly on him through the spiritual.

Trapped by whom? Of course we know who, it is he who we as children of God and of the Blessed Mother have been placed “in enmity,” or at odds, with. Lucifer, satan, the devil, say it how you want it, he leads the rebellion against God and His people. But he does not act alone; he has with him the other third of the angels who fell with him after their rebellion against God. Who else? There are also those, men and women like you and me, who have knowingly, or even unknowingly, allied themselves with these powers of darkness. Who promote and themselves flirt with the dangers of the Culture of Death.

Yes now we know, if we didn’t already, that we have an enemy. It is the devil, who is more real than most people would like to believe, and his cohorts. On the hierarchy of creation the devil and those other fallen angels are preternatural beings, and we are merely natural beings. How do we fair against such odds?

Actually our odds are pretty good, in fact there overwhelmingly great. We may lose on the hierarchy of creation, but we have God who is SUPERnatural. “What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) If we are trapped then let us have recourse to God to set us free. For he is the same God who showed his might, power and glory in Egypt to free them from their bondage, how much more can he do for us if we only allow Him to work those miracles through us and in us. He has given us all the means to overcome ourselves and all that could stand in the way with our journey to holiness. Holy Mass, Holy Hours of Adoration, the Holy Rosary, 2000 years worth of saints whose examples we can follow, legions of heavenly hosts and much more. We have no excuses and need only the DESIRE for holiness, the DESIRE to love God.