Hello,
today I will be blogging for the last time. The topic of today is a quote from
St. Irenaeus. “The glory of God is man fully alive.” What can this mean? How is
this important? I will tell you what I think.
This year I
have learned a lot about my faith and myself. This quote from Irenaeus has
helped me strive to be closer with God. Being alive encompasses discovering
ours own identities in Jesus. My interpretation
of this quote is to truly be you in life. We need to step out of our comfort
zones and be an individual. We are
supposed to show God’s glory and communicate it. As children of God, we should
always want to show glory for our Father. We can do this by being ourselves and
not following the norm of modern day society. We don’t need to follow a set of
socially acceptable rules on how to act or express ourselves. We should act as
one with Christ, glorifying him in every moment possible.
This has been another great year. I
have learned a lot about what it means to be a Christian and how to act fully
live in Christ. We are all called to learn more about our religion and
ourselves. This will bring us closer to God and help us find TRUE happiness in
our lives.
This is my last blog of the school year and it will be about being "Man Fully Alive." This phrase was stressed greatly throughout the year in theology class. Everything we learned and the whole basis of our class was centered around being man fully alive. Now the full statement is "The glory of God is man fully alive." This was said by St. Irenaeus. Now my first interpretation of this statement is that if you wish to glorify God, which all Catholics should strive for, you must act yourself. You should live your life to its fullest and be nobody but you. In my opinion this is one of the best guidelines to live by. Your parents, teachers, and other adults always tell you to be yourself and sometimes you may not listen to them. But after this year of theology and fully understanding what this statement means I came to realize that these people are smart and you should listen to them.
God created humans different. Each one of us is our own special person. You will eventually learn this if you do not know. You were created in the image and likeness of God, so he likes how he created you. There is no need to act like someone else. Now, this does not mean you can't have role models and follow their examples, but just be yourself and don't idolize them. The interesting thing I learned about this statement is that you can look at it in two ways--frontwards or backwards. Not only is "The glory of God man fully alive," but "Man fully alive is man glorifying God." I find this extraordinary that there is two ways to look at this statement, although they mean the same thing.
St Irenaeus states: “the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of God. God created us so that we could be stewards of his Earth and receive his glory. God is not selfish at all, he created us out of the goodness of his heart and wants us very badly to be man fully alive by glorifying him. 1 Corinthians 15:28 sums this up pretty well: "The ultimate purpose of creation is that God who is the creator of all things may at last be all in all, thus simultaneously assuring His own glory and our beatitude.”(1 Cor.15: 28)
Throughout the year we have been establishing a foundation for glorifying God. For example, participatingpartially alive, but fully alive. We can do this by being holy which allows us to glorify God. This year was a very successful one and I feel like I now fully understand what it means to be "Man Fully Alive."
in the sacraments is an easy way to do such action. The sacraments are a direct line into the grace of God. We also learned this year that we all have a call to holiness (I blogged about this earlier in the week). This call to holiness reflects us being man fully alive. We should not be
The sacrament of Matrimony is a very powerful one in the Catholic Church. Though received by many, priests are not allowed to receive it because they devote their life to God. In the sacramental union of husband and wife we discover also the union of Christ and his Church as well as the union of the Father and the Son—each union sealed by the Holy Spirit. And since the union of husband and wife shares in the union of God, it is one and indissoluble. Jesus says: “What God has joined together let no man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Since this union is sacramental, grace is given. The married life, although at times very difficult, is not impossible. The Church cherishes a very high and precious view of marriage, but it is not a falsely idealistic or quixotic teaching. What we believe about marriage reflects what we believe about the power and presence of Christ in our life.
Divorce within the Catholic Church is very complicated. If you have not remarried and are properly disposed, you can receive the sacraments of Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Anointing of the Sick. A declaration of nullity, sometimes called an annulment, says that you are free to marry within the Church or that an existing marriage can be regularized. Declarations of nullity do not render children illegitimate because the Church presumes that the bride and groom married in good faith—even if that marriage is later declared null. All in all, obtaining a legal divorce in the Catholic Church can be proven to be very difficult.
Hello, today I will be blogging
about the increase in young men entering the priesthood. In a time where kids
are surrounded by temptations through social media and other places, more young
men are entering seminaries on the road to priesthood. Why is this happening?
I’ll tell you what I think.
Many young men feel like their lives are missing something. They eventually
find prayer and God and fill that hole start to fill up. Growing up, teenagers
are taught that fulfillment and happiness in life is found through material or
unimportant things such as money. After achieving these attribute there is
still a feeling that they are missing something. The culture kids are raised in
teaches kids all wrong, but eventually they find God and truly come to know
what true fulfillment and happiness is like. These men then spread the word and
help other young men find happiness in life.
We should know that God gives us
true happiness in life. Material things can make us happy for a while but then
we still need more. Material objects cannot satisfy our want for a relationship
with God. God makes us happy and adds fulfillment in our lives. God is the
reason why we live and should play a huge role in our everyday lives.
Today will be an informative blog on the call to holiness. As members of the Church we are all called to holiness. This universal call to holiness stretches out to any baptized member of the Church. According to John Paul II holiness isn't simply one option among many; it is the essence of being Catholic. To be Catholic is to be called to holiness. Holiness can be summed up in one word – love. Christ calls his disciples to authentic love – love of God and love of neighbor. Saying this is one thing. Living it is another. We might think that holiness is the stuff of priests and nuns. We might think of living a holier life as something we will do tomorrow or sometime in the future. This is wrong. Sacred Scripture tells us the time to be holy is now. There is no need to wait to be holy. Performing one small act of holiness right before you die will not ensure you a place in Heaven. This call to holiness is an ongoing thing. The spiritual journey is entirely dependent on God. It is a gift God gives us. It is a grace. Going to Mass doesn't make us holy. We must participate in Mass and accept God the father. Neither does saying a million rosaries. God sustains us in life – in everything we do. We are entirely dependent on his mercy. Our effort is necessary. What we can do to place ourselves in the presence of Christ we should do. Daily prayer is essential. Reading the scriptures is another key that unlocks the doors to eternity. God loves us abundantly. God knows us completely. Everything we say and do should be a response to that Love.
I recently went to the Houston Dynamo game. I am a big fan and go to all their home games. Since the construction of the new stadium back in 2012 we have not lost. The Dynamo have gone 39 games or so without losing a game. But like every team or individual, you must eventually lose. We lost this Sunday in a disappointing 0-1 game. I was devastated and frankly annoyed. Failing is a part of life. Losing in sports will happen, along with losing/failing at other things. A great common quote said by many: "Why do we fall, so that we can learn to pick ourselves back up" tells us that as humans we are not perfect, we are not God. We will fail again and again and again. But through these failures come learning opportunities. God created man so that he could fail. He gave us free will which lets us make decisions, and sometimes we will fail. God is not stupid, he is smart. He knew that by giving us free will and allowing us to fail would only make us stronger. Now this may not be the case for some people. Once you fail you cannot just give up. You must work even harder and learn from your past mistakes. An example from my life could be something simple like golf. I may make a terrible shot on one hole, but I will look over what I did wrong and try to fix that mistake. You may not always get it right on the second, even third try, but eventually you will. You should trust in God and believe that he will guide you closer to success. Their is a good bible verse that shows this: "Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me" (John 14:1)
What is stress? Why do we get stressed? Can we overcome our stress? Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Stress can be really hard on us, especially those in demanding and challenging high schools. I'm not sure why other people get stressed, but I can bet, like me, they get stressed over school work. Balancing sports, academics, and other extracurriculars. There are different ways to deal with stress. Some people choose to drop a course or maybe stop playing a sport. Some people, God forbid, choose self harm and other hurtful acts. But I choose to turn to God. Praying is a great way to release stress. You can put all your worries away and just focus on praying. God can help you deal with stress. There is a verse in the bible that Jesus says: "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) Maybe you, by yourself can not overcome with stress, but with the help of God you can. Here is a great link about dealing with stress through God: http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-answers/coping-with-stress.htm
Hello, today I will blog about a YouTube video I recently watched. This video was about a homeless man informing the public about his everyday. This video shows the struggles some of our brothers and sisters around the world face each day. Also this man shows his feelings about being called a bum. He feels he is treated as an object and not a human being.
This video made me think about the way I treat others around me. Sometimes we do not realize how harmful we can actually be. We need to be respectful to all members of humanity. Jesus never discriminated between groups of people. Jesus treated everyone equally. He helped the sick when no one would even come near them. He talked to women openly in a time where that was looked down upon.
Everyone was made as an image of God. We should treat strangers the same way we treat our family.We should treat others the way we want to be treated. If it was us out on that street corner asking for money would we want to be called a bum or spat upon? No, we would want to be treated normal. We should always look to treat everyone with the utmost respect. Jesus is a shining example of how to treat others. We should treat them the way we want to be treated.
I watched a video today about a homeless man telling his story. This man said he has been on the street for over a year. He has to beg everyday for just enough money to get a room. Some days he might not even get a room and is forced to sleep on the streets. The theme that I took from this video was 'respect.' This man said that most people don't respect him and may make an ugly comment. But the Lord's people will stop by and give this man the respect he deserves. Something he said really struck me-"I have people who walk past me and say 'Get a job, bum.' And I say, 'wait a minute, I'm not a bum, I'm a human being." This man is absolutely right. God made all of mankind equal and no successful business man or lawyer is better than anyone. This man deserves the respect that these rich people get. Jesus Christ taught us that humility is a good thing. It shows that we have respect for other people. There are many bible verses about humility, one being from Matthew 23:12-Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. This man should be exalted because he humbles himself in the name of God. And like Jesus' humility on the cross, this man's humility is recognized and revered by God. Towards the end of the video Ronald tells a story about a man who was talking bad about him. The man was walking by Ronald and he looked at Ronald and Ronald looked at him and said "God bless you sir." Ronald is right. God needs to bless these pathetic fools who do this. But just as Saul was converted to Paul this man came right back around the street corner and told Ronald that he was having a bad day, and that he was sorry and he knows Ronald is a human being. Ronald forgave him and the man gave Ronald 30 bucks. This act of generosity and kindness is truly Christ-like. Everyone should strive to be like this man. This man is the epitome of a Catholic human being, because, we will all make mistakes, but those who can accept their mistakes and ask for forgiveness are the true Catholics.
Hello, today I am going to talk about some comments made by James about the teachings of the Church. According to the Church, the Person of Jesus and the teachings of the Church are one and the same. God welcomes all of us into the faith. We should want to be with God. We should not want Him to conform to our ways but we should change to follow His.
In the example of a basketball owner trying to get players to conform, I think the owner is not at fault. The owner knows the way things should be played and tries to teach others the right way. He gives them the rules which they should follow. God gave us the ten commandments and we should follow them. We are all given rules to follow. God is not unwelcoming or a hater because he gave us rules and guidelines to follow. He knows the right way to live and wants us to do the same.
I do not think the owner/builder is at fault in the second example. The door was made and thats how you need to get through. Its a very easy concept. We are given the way to get into heaven and enjoy life with God. We can not complain that there should be more ways to get in according to our own wants. We should follow our plan to get closer to God and always try to stay along the path to holiness.
The Roman Church has a ban on women becoming priests. About 150 of these women went on their own to become priests. Rosemarie Smead is the newest women priest. These women do not fear excommunication. They believe the Church will eventually come to a conclusion and let women be priests. About 70 percent of Catholics believe that women should be allowed to join the priesthood. The Catholic Church teaches that only men should become priests because Jesus only chose men as the apostles. The Catholic Church is divided on this view but the Vatican teaches strictly that men can only join the priesthood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPr7a4bQpCo
Today I read an article in class. I decided to blog about it. This article, titled "Who Can Receive the Communion ," talks about how the Holy Eucharist is the most important of the seven sacraments because, in this and in no other sacrament, we receive the very body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. To receive Communion you must be in a state of grace, and of course, be Catholic. The Eucharist is an intimate encounter with Christ and you should have no mortal sin tainting your soul. As Catholics we believe that the Eucharist is truly Christ. Any non-Catholic cannot receive Communion. Personally I believe that this is fair. If you do not fully accept the Catholic faith, and are not in a state of grace, then you should not be able to receive Communion. The Catholic Church has rules that you must follow if you wish to receive Communion: you must be in a state of grace, have made a good confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical censure such as excommunication. Until I was about 12 I was unaware of the "don't eat before you receive Communion." I have committed this sin many times, and have continued to do so. But I do go to confession and receive my penance.
Today I am going to blog about the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. This miracle took place in the 8th century. There was a divine response to a Basilian monks doubt about the Eucharist. This man did not fully believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist. During a mass at the Church of St. Legontian, the host was transformed into live flesh and the wine was changed into true blood. The blood was made into five globules. Religious investigations over this miracle occurred in 1574 and in 1970-1981 scientific investigations took place. Professor Odoardo and Professor Ruggero carried out the scientific investigation.Their analysis of the Eucharist came out with the following conclusions.
1. The Flesh is real Flesh and the Blood is real Blood.
2. Both belong to a human species
3. The flesh is a “heart” complete in its structure.
4. The preservation of the Flesh and Blood are still an extraordinary phenomenon.
By these analysis’ we know that Christ is truly present in our Eucharist. Science helped explain this for us. We as Catholics do not fully throw out the things science can help us figure out. We should have this as a reminder to always know God is present among us.
What is the catechumenate? In the early Church, persons who wished to become members of the Church went through a process called the catechumenate in which they were instructed in the teachings of the Faith and prepared for the Sacraments of Initiation. All non-Catholics must go through this process and I, myself, know someone who went through this process. This process relates to the Easter Vigil because the Church initiates these new members during the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is the night before Jesus' Resurrection. The form of the catechumenate has been restored in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. I was researching articles on the catechumenate and I came across this http://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/what-happens-when-you-become-a-catholic/the-catechumenal-process
This articles is short but very informative and is from a very reliable source.
In the Eastern Rites, the three Sacraments of Initiation are given consecutively, even to infants. I brought up the catechumenate process to my uncle, because he went through it. He said that it is a long but rewarding process. I asked him how his Baptism was and he said it was a little strange being Baptized as an adult. I laughed.
How do the sacraments correspond to human nature? This may seem like quite a confusing question to some of you, and it even was for me too at first. In accord with human nature, the
Sacraments use physical, sensible signs to indicate spiritual, invisible
realities. As humans sometimes an invisible sign and a type of symbolism isn't enough for us to fully understand. That is why Christ instituted the sacraments so that they could correspond to human nature. All seven of the sacraments use these visible signs which helps us to understand the meaning behind the sacrament. I will list the visible symbols for all seven sacraments:
Baptism- water
Confirmation- candle, dove, crosier
Holy Orders- key, maniple
Eucharist- bread(body), wine(blood)
Anointing of the Sick- ampulla, crucifix, holy oil
Reconciliation- chalice, cross, stole, open book
Matrimony- ring(circle)
Some of these you may recognize and know what they symbolize, but some you may not. Most people may not know why a ring is the symbol for marriage, but they know that it is a symbol. The ring is a circle and the circle represents having no beginning or end (eternity). Also some of you may not know what a maniple is--it is the rope the priest wears around his garments. It represents the rope that Christ was bound to and how Christ still led his people. All these visible signs are important and help us see the true meaning of these sacraments. They not only represent something or an idea, they actually mean something as well.
Dreaming. What is dreaming? Why do we dream? Do our dreams mean something? Everyone dreams, its a fact. Whether you dream about winning the big game, or marrying the love of your life; it is all dreaming and as humans we all do it. I don't remember most of my dreams, but I woke up this morning and remembered one dream in particular. I dreamed about my baptism. Now, I have had a lot of dreams in my life, but only a few (and I mean a select few) have been religious. Clearly I do not remember anything about my baptism, but during this dream I felt like I was there. I was being held by my parents and they walked me up to the priest and handed me to him. I was crying, for some weird reason I was crying. I thought for a minute and decided that when I got dunked, or when any baby gets dunked, he/she is crying tears of joy. Even though I do not remember a thing about my baptism, it is probably one of the most important events in my life. As a Catholic we are obliged to get baptized. During my dream, asI got dunked under the water, I thought of exactly the opposite thing people think of when they get dunked under water--"I am going to die" or "I need air to breathe." I thought--"Man do I feel alive, its like I am being reborn and am breathing the best air ever." I found this kind of funny, but true. When we are getting baptized we are reborn into Christ and our original sin is taken away from us. This was one of the most relaxing dreams I have had in a while.
An efficacious sign of grace. That is the definition of a sacrament that every high school student taking theology knows. Well, this blog will go into depth a little bit more. If you want some really good information Pope John Paul 2 visited England and Wales and the overall theme for Pope John Paul II's pastoral visit was the seven Sacraments. Check out this link here: http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2seven.htm OK, back to the blog. The reason I decided to blog about sacraments is because they were mentioned in my textbook and it was something I haven't blogged about before. The Sacraments are a major part in the Church and participating in them benefits you greatly. Christ would not have just instituted them to be like "ya whatever, do them if you want." He wants us to participate in them. Some people may be called to different sacraments. But in the end they all do the same thing-fill us with grace. These sacraments, which have invisible meaning and signs such as grace, also have visible meanings such as water for Baptism and bread and wine for Eucharist. These visible symbols mean that the sacraments are real, tangible things. They do not just symbolize certain aspects, they are certain aspects. They all stand for something; for example, water in Baptism stands for sort of a new life. We are being reborn into Christ and accepting the Catholic faith. Water is a main aspect of Baptism and is necessary. I hope you guys learned a little bit about sacraments that you didn't know and thanks for reading.
Before you read this blog you must watch the video posted above. This video was sent to me by a friend. And before I was watching it I was studying for two tests, one quiz, and doing some written homework. This video, although probably controversial for school, was one of the most inspirational things I have ever watched. This video is titled "Why I Hate School But Love Education||Spoken Word." Now I am not saying I hate school or anything, but the things this guy (sulibreezy) said really got me thinking. How important is school?
This man points out a bible verse in the middle of his video: "It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense" Proverbs 17:16. I didn't think this was actually a proper Bible verse so I looked it up in my Bible I have at home, and it is. I sat and thought about this verse for a while. And while I was thinking about it something else also came to mind-God has a reason for everything he puts in the Bible. We know that God is the author of the Bible and the Bible is written truth. So what exactly did God mean by this verse? How did he want us to interpretate it? I read this verse and first think of what he meant by "spend money." Because I don't think he meant spending real hard cold cash. I think he meant time a well. God does not intend for us to sit in a classroom and learn these facts and equations. We were meant to be stewards of this world. So we must go out and explore the world, build up our common sense, because that is the most important sense.
Sulibrezzy mentions a few names: Mother Teresa, Jesus, Malcolm X, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and many more. All these people did not have a higher form of education. And as Catholics we look at Jesus and we look at Mother Teresa and we see how we should live our lives, how wee are called by God. Mother Teresa and Jesus were not unsuccessful and were definitely not uneducated. The ultimate source of knowledge is God. No high school, college, or job should ever convince you otherwise. As Catholics God is the ultimate source of life and through him we can receive the knowledge and grace to be successful. Mother Teresa was home schooled as a child, and besides going to learn English for a few years, she did not have any higher form of education. Yet, she was one of the most respected, successful and educated people of her century. Why? Because she uses the knowledge that God gives her. She put God above her grades, above her school work, and we all should too. Sulibreezy keeps mentioning one thing at the beginning of the video: "Education is the key." Notice why he doesn't say school is the key or college is the key; yet, people think that is the only place where we obtain knowledge.
I agree with this man on some stuff and I am sure you do as well. But I still think school is important. God wants us to succeed in life and has a vocation for us all. If it is to stay in school and earn a doctor's degree then that is what you should do. But you are not just confined to school. God wants us to think outside of that and to think, really think, why we were put on this earth.
He talks about how everyone's parents want their kids to "make them proud." And I'm not sure about other people but one of the main motives I go to school and study hard and do my work is so that I do good in school, and make my parents proud. But do you think that your parents would hate you or wouldn't be proud of you if you failed at something. No, absolutely not. They will be proud of you if you enjoy your life and live it to the fullest and do what you want to do.
I have shared my thoughts on this video, but that is not what I care about. I would like to hear what you think of this man's thoughts in the comment section below.
"I will not let an exam result decide my fate...
-Suli Breaks, Vanity Fair, 2009.
Hello, today i'm going to blog on the very serious topic of abortion. The Catholic Church has always condemned abortion. This is the taking of a life of a defenseless baby. We believe all human life is sacred from conception to natural death. No one has the right to take the life of another human being. We need to let others know about abortion, it is truly the taking of a life. Many people try and say that it is just a clump of skin and organs. Life starts at the moment of conception, and no other human should take away this life.
Hello, today I will blog on the subject of going to Church. Many people get bored at Church or feel like it is a hassle. We should want to go and praise our Lord. We need to understand the importance of mass and what it is exactly. We sing and pray to give thanks to God. We receive His body and blood. Not only should we get excited for mass, we should participate. “Singing is like praying twice.” We should sing the mass and rejoice to God. We should pray the whole mass not just during it. As Catholics we need to take part in mass and help other Catholics see the importance of it as well. I found this out when I went to mass this past Sunday. I was tired and I felt like I didn't participate as much as I should've, but I encourage you to, because it is a great experience.
What is a heresy? A heresy is the obstinate denial by a baptized person of some truth that must be believed with divine faith. Heresies were extremely popular in the early years of the Church. There are not as much heresies nowadays, but there are still some. The early heresies mainly focused on attacking the nature of Jesus. Some thought that he didn't have a human mind or will (Apollinarism), and some thought that he was two people each with a divine and human nature (Nestorianism). I wasn't planning on talking about early heresies because most high school theology classes teach those. I was going to focus on later heresies. One interesting one i found out was Reincarnationism. This is the Belief that certain people are or can be reincarnations of biblical figures, such as Jesus Christ. Another popular one is Americanism-A group of related heresies which were defined as the endorsement of freedom of the press, liberalism, individualism, and separation of church and state, as an insistence upon individual initiative, what could be incompatible with the principle of Catholicism of obedience to authority. This heresy was condemned by Pope Leo XIII in 1899. All these heresies are staring to die down, and some new ones are staring to spur up. But all in all, heresies have always been around and will always be around. But, the Church will keep fighting them, and winning too. Here is a great site where you can read more about heresies with some good answers from some educated Catholics: http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-great-heresies
Hello, today I will blog about God being all merciful. God is all merciful to those who want his mercy. We all have the option to choose God over evil. If we are truly sorry for what we have done then God will forgive us. God does not hold grudges or get mad at us. God always gives us the option to ask for forgiveness. God understands everything going on in our life. Being merciful is a great attribute many people strive for. To be merciful you must be truly kind and understanding. God is all good and all understanding of everything. Jesus showed us his mercy throughout the Bible. We should strive to be like Jesus and be merciful towards those who ask for it. We should forgive and help people out who have done wrong.
Hello, today I am going to speak about God being all powerful. Many people here this and think the wrong thing about God. God is free to do as He pleases. Many people question why bad things happen, and if God is all powerful then why did he not stop them from happening. God has the ability to perform any act. He is omnipotent and the greatest figure ever. God gave us free will and the ability to think and choose on our own. God does not perform bad things onto us. God does not do any wrong to us. He has the power to do anything good. He does not perform bad. God can do anything consistent with his holy character. One example of God showing His power is in the creation of the world.
Hello, today i will be blogging about Catholic Rites. First of all the Church is an assembly of all the faithful worshiping our Lord. We are all joined in one in the Mystical Body of Christ. The Church is universal and deals with people all around the world. Every member of the Catholic faith is one. Therefore we are all joined together in one way of worship. There are also rites. "Rite is the liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary heritage, distinguished according to peoples' culture and historical circumstances, that finds expression in each autonomous church's way of living the faith." A rite concerns with people theology, worship, and spirituality. All of these are connected with the Church. The Church gives these other members a rite to the heritage.
