What would you say?

I was listening to a band called Flyleaf on the way home from work today. They are one of those "Christian Hard Rock" bands. They're actually really good. At any rate, they have a song on their first album called "Cassie". This song is about a girl who was a student at Columbine High School during the shootings. As the story goes, and it is debated for some reason or another, she was hiding under a table while the gunmen went around shooting people and the school. When one of the shooters found her, he recognized her and new that she was outwardly Christian. He pointed the gun at her face and asked her if she wanted to die. She of course replied that she didn't. He then provoked her and asked her if she believed in God. If she replied yes, he would kill her. Knowing what he would do, she still confessed she did. He murdered her on the spot.

If you were faced with the same choice, would you deny God and answer to God for that later? Or would oh have the true faith to be martyred for what you believe? Ask yourself that question and you will know how real your faith is.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

It's fine, He'll fogive us anyway.....

Is faith serious? I think it should be. I think of it this way; if you believe in God, or better yet, if you believe that there is something after this life at all, shouldn't you treat it as serious as possible? If you believe that there is a heaven, then there by default is hell or whatever you term is outside heaven. If you believe it, then you should do everything you can to ensure that you get there. If you don't, then what's the point. People who half attempt their faith, whatever it may be, I just don't understand. Why go to Mass and leave right after receiving the Eucharist? Why only go to church every once in a while? Why listen to some of the commandments but not others? I know we all fail constantly and are flawed, but some things are blatant and show no effort at all. We should strive to show that the change that took place at our Baptism was real. It was not a one time event that needs no constant maintenance. Jesus forgives us, but that doesn't mean we can count on this forgiveness and do whatever we feel like. A relationship is all about effort. It can not be one sided. If you want to believe, then believe. Do it all, not a half hearted effort. Otherwise, stop. Openly say you don't really care and stop pretending. God can see what's real and what's not.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Have you found jesus? I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him. is he lost?

It's funny. I was reading my school work today about catechism. One of the main complaint about the catholic church is that most people don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. People say that we're good at rituals but not at our relationship with Him. In explaining how the Catholic Church feels about this they used the analogy of a marriage. The relationship is extremely important. You have to know about the other person as well as knowing them personally. However if you can't do the first without the second. You can't have a marriage where you only met once and then live separate and only know and learn about each other without the other person. But when the person is supernatural and not physical you have to figure out ways to get to know them. That is what the sacraments are all about. In participating in the sacraments studying theology and learning as much as we can through prayer and books we get to know the intangible. The personal relationship will grow from there. Is a personal relationship with Jesus important? Of course it is! But you can't have a close relationship with someone if you don't have the desire to learn about them. If your significant other wrote a book or gave a lesson or talked about something important do you think he or she would want you to read it listen to it or know about it? Of course they would. However could you get to know somebody just by being with them and just talking to them in a normal fashion? Sure. But if you want a deeper relationship with them you should desire and make an effort to get to know them in every way possible. So the next time somebody asked me if I have found Jesus I can honestly say sure; I have found him talked with him read what he had said and done what he asked me to do. He told me to do those things because he loves me. I listen and do them because I love him back.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

A Quick Rant About the Goverment

I just wanted to let the world know that our government is completely incompetent. I have student loans. I intend to pay them back. I am still in school so that I can get a job to pay said loans back. Supposedly, if you are in school, you can defer your loans until you are no longer in school. Unless of course you go to a school that doesn't give our government money. So for the year of additional study that I am doing at the Maryvale Institute in England before my phd work at Liverpool, I can not defer my loans, only get forebarence. I still wont be paying, but the govt likes to stick it to you any way possible. Since the institute doesn't " participate " in the gov't program, they don't qualify. No loans, no deferment, no help. What a bunch of crap. We'll help you as long as you go to a school that helps us. Lame.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

General Misunderstandings

On my drive home, I was thinking about some of the misunderstandings in the world in regards to the Church. I listen to Catholic radio alot and when I drive home, a show called "Catholic Answers Live" is always on. It is an appologetics show and that means that it is a show about answering questions and defending the faith ( not an apology for anything). I really love this show in the most dorky way. But what I was noticing is that people have some of the same questions way too frequently. The same misconceptions and misunderstandings are EVERYWHERE. I think that is where I get my desire for what I want to continue to study and do my phd on. When I finnaly get set to teach at a university, I can teach about it and some of the other things I love to study.

There are so many misunderstandings about the Catholic Church. I see the same things all the time; where is this or that in the Bible? What's with purgatory? Why do you worship Mary? What's with confession? This or that about the priesthood. Blah blah blah. The funny thing is that all these ( and so many more ) questions can be so easily answered. I got good at that at Vanderbilt. Going to such an eccumenically diverse school, I was constantly explaining my faith. Plus, I was one of, oh say, 5 Catholics at that Divinity School. Others only wanted to tear down my faith. Perhaps they have an agenda or they don't know how to express themselves, but they always try to pull their " Trump card ". They bust out any scandal or scar on the Church and try to use it to tear it down. Ready for the keywords? Crusades. Pedophelia. Corrupt Popes. Blah blah blah..... the funnier ones say things about the " whore of Babylon" or 666 this or that. It makes me giggle with how ridiculous it is. Most of these fun comments are very not " love your neighbor " type.

I guess what got me thinking was that what I am studying, Mary Magdalene, is one if those topics. She is SO highly misunderstood. She has been marked as the wife of Jesus, a repentant whore, the real leader of the apostles, holder of some dramatic secret or the Holy Trail itself. There are answers to all these things as well, they need a little bit more to explain, but there is such a rich history to her that explains why there was such a large devotion to her. She is wonderful. She is the greatest example for someone to turn their life around. I will spend a lot of time in the future writting about this. ( so I wont do it here )

I guess I'll stop, otherwise I'll start writting my dissertation proposal right here. Bleh.... more later.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5