Favorite Verses: Day 4

I sometimes pray in front of abortion clinics, typically with a group of people from my parish.  We used to go to a clinic that was also frequented by some particular evangelical Christian groups. I loved that they were there with the intent of witnessing to the Gospel of Life.

But this is where I totally disagree with their methods of being in front of abortion clinics.

Their leaders would pick up the Bible, get as close as they can on the public easement, typically near windows or doors of the clinic, and yell out Scripture.  And they would read (ie. yell) the verses that really highlighted God's wrath (ie. justice) because of sin, which abortion is a very grave sin. Or sometimes they would yell out some of the more hopeful verses of God's love and mercy, but still yelling with a vibe of malice.

I'm not a fan of this type of pro-life witnessing because it causes potential clients to put up walls and be closed off to our sidewalk counselors who are genuinely trying to reach out to the women needing help (without yelling at them). That whole idea of honey is sweeter than vinegar.

I mention this because it leads me to my next favorite verse, from 1 Peter 3:

15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 

Full passage here.

Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

I wish those pastors would share God's word with those women with gentleness and reverence.

I like these verses because it reminds me that I should always be prepared to defend my faith (ie. the hope that is in me) but in a charitable way.  I've had my debates, mostly on social media, about aspects of my Catholic faith, and my pursuit of apologetics in knowledge and skill has taught me to be better about gentleness with reverence for seeing Christ in others that I'm debating with. I haven't arrived, but I'm constantly striving to be better!

Too easy it is to let emotions run high and let misguided words turn sour quickly.

I just have to know and remember that I can respond to my riled up emotions in a gentle, peaceful way when defending my faith. If the other party decides to get angry...well...at the very least I've done my part.

Because of my own pursuit of Catholic apologetics and my involvement in ministries, I also try to remind my fellow Catholics of these verses.

Come, Holy Spirit. Strengthen the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord within me. Perfect in me the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. With You, I pray that I'm always prepared to spread and defend my faith in word and deed with gentleness and reverence.

Amen.
- JD

Ask A Catholic A Question member with visitor // St. Mary's AggieCAT

Conception Misconception

Ahhh, Christmas is approaching!  I guess with Christmas coming up, engaging in Christian conversations is not all out of the ordinary considering that ultimately...Christmas is about Christ, right?  Particularly, His birth!

"Adoration of the Shepherds" by Bartolomé Murillo, Fine Art America

I think it's fairly common to hear that Jesus was "immaculately conceived," and we all nod our heads in agreement.  I hear it every now and then through second-hand conversations, the radio, and wherever.  But what does this even mean?  Yet, the terms get thrown around as if asserting something that is commonly understood.  Can I even explain what it is?

You see, if you were to ask me what Jesus being immaculately conceived is...I'd probably say that it would refer to Jesus being born without a biological father.  And I'd leave it at that.  And oh yeah, I can throw in that Jesus is sinless so there's something truly exceptional and ...immaculate about that.

And how wrong I would be... x_x   Truly, I totes used to think that the Immaculate Conception referred to Jesus' conception without a bio dad.

The cool thing about diving deeper into my Catholic faith is learning vocab, doctrines, dogmas, and sometimes finding out that my initial notion of something the Catholic Church teaches is way off the mark.

You see...the Immaculate Conception doesn't refer to Jesus--it actually refers to Mary, His Mom.

I had one of those "whoa, mind blown" moments when I learned what the Immaculate Conception really is...

So, what is the Immaculate Conception?

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary's conception brought about through the normal marital union between her parents, Anne and Joachim.  What makes Mary's conception immaculate is that she was conceived without the stain of original sin, which is something that all of us humans are born into thanks to the Fall of our First Parents, Adam and Eve.  The word "immaculate" means free from stain or flaw.  So why is original sin an important consideration?  Because, as we know, original sin deprives us from God's sanctifying grace leaving us with a corrupt nature, and hence our need to wash that away through Baptism so we can remove the stain of original sin.

But Mary was preserved from that stain.  We see an indication of that with the angel Gabriel in Luke 1: 28 (RSV), "And he came to her and said, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!' "  Different English translations will render "full of grace" to "highly favoured" or similar wording.  But to really get to what St. Luke is talking about, you must consider his original writing in Greek.  He uses kecharitomene which "is a perfect passive participle of charitoo, meaning 'to fill or endow with grace.' "  This suggests that Mary was filled with grace in the past but her being filled with grace continues in the present.  Pretty cool.  How often do I consider Greek tenses when reading Scripture? #ItsAllGreekToMe

If you're filled with God's grace, there's no room for sin!

But wait! Mary Needs A Savior!
Now that's all fine and dandy about what exactly the Immaculate Conception is, but how does that reconcile with what Mary said during her song of praise when she was visiting her cousin Elizabeth after she found out she would bear God's Son?  She says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior" (Luke 1:46-47 RSV, emphasis mine), thus indicating that she needed to be saved.

Now, only sinners need saviors, right?

And you know what?  Mary was, indeed, saved!  She was saved from the effects of original sin preventatively, whereas us normal people have to be saved curatively.  In other words, it's like God grabbed Mary before she fell into a deep pit, whereas someone else does fall into the pit and God has to lend a helping hand (ie. the rest of us).  And the nice thing for Mary is that she didn't get her garments dirty from the mud!

If you think about it...and consider Sacred Scripture...we see confession of sins and repentance and having faith.  These are ways to get clean and receive God's grace for salvation.  And God do what He do!  As powerful as we assert that He is and as powerful as He has revealed Himself to be...it's not surprising that He would preventatively save the one who would bear His only begotten Son, who also saves her.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

492 The "splendor of an entirely unique holiness" by which Mary is "enriched fromt he first instant of her conception" comes wholly from Christ: she is "redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son" (Lumen Gentium 53, 56).  The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" and chose her "in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love" (cf Eph 1:3-4).

Hey, but "all have sinned" so Mary can't be immaculate (Romans 3:23)
So, according to St. Paul and considering the rest of the passage (Romans 3:21-31), all have sinned and their righteousness can only be justified through Jesus Christ with faith.  Putting this against what we know from Luke 1, it would seem contradictory that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" yet here Mary is without sin.

Is it possible that all have sinned?  What about kids below the age of reason, say, a 1-year old?  Have they sinned?  Sinning requires the ability to reason and intent to sin, which the 1-year old would have neither.  How about a little later in Romans when St. Paul talked about Jacob and Esau, "...though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad..." (Romans 9:6-13 RSV).  Does "all have sinned" fit with them, when they're babies?  It's not til they grow up when Jacob cunningly convinces Esau to sell his inheritance to him (Genesis 25:19-34).

So what about Jesus?  Did He sin?  Gosh, I hope not because that would complicate things as a Christian.  x_x  Anyway, so we know that there can be exceptions to "all have sinned."

Perhaps St. Paul was exaggerating because his life is Hebrew and exaggeration is a literary form of emphasis for them.  He likes using "all" when in reality, whatever he's talking about isn't really applicable to "all" (see Romans 11:26, Romans 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15:22 for a few examples).

Is it reasonable to think that Mary was immaculately conceived?
Yes, yes it is.  Think about it.  God becomes the Word made flesh by sending his only begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary!  Kind of a big deal.  Consider the Ark of the Covenant back in Exodus 25.  It contained the Ten Commandments, or the Law (Deuteronomy 10:2).  We know that Jesus is fulfillment of that law (Matthew 5:17).  So in a way, Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant because she had within her womb the Law.  In fact, that's one of her titles! :-)

My family lacks one of these, but I know people who keep their nice dinnerware in a china cabinet.  You keep your precious dinnerware in a china cabinet so that they are kept safe and clean.  But you wouldn't want to place your dinnerware in a dilapidated or dirty cabinet because that would mess up the dinnerware.  Yeah, at my house we use a simple, stock kitchen cabinet but dust collects in there a little bit.  In a way, Mary is like a china cabinet for Jesus.  She's pristine so that Jesus is "without stain or blemish" Himself while chillin' in Mary's womb, and He would have to be squeaky clean because He's God (again, it would be problematic if Jesus was sinful).

The other day I read an interesting blog post regarding an article that reports how scientific research has shown how fetal cells can be restorative for the mother during pregnancy.  Regardless of the scientific validity of the information, it did made me think about how mother and child are mutually connected.  Through the umbilical cord, the exchange of blood occurs.  How cool is that to think (a little more reflectively) how Mary had to share her human blood, her body with the God of the Universe within her womb!  She needs to be immaculate because otherwise she would have transferred her tainted self to Jesus, and again, that would be problematic.

From WebMD

Lastly, another Catechism of the Catholic Church reference:

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception.  That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. (Pope Pius IX Ineffabillis Deus)

This understanding has been with the Church through her history and her understanding grows clearer.  My understanding of the Church's understanding of the Immaculate Conception has been with me for just over a year now.  And writing this blog post allowed me to look at it more closely and hopefully clear up the misconception (even my own) that the Immaculate Conception isn't about Jesus' lack of a bio father.

So there you have it--Mary is the Immaculate Conception.  Not Jesus (we call His conception the Incarnation).  But!!!! Don't get me wrong, she was immaculately conceived not for her sake, but for her Son.  And that's the cool thing about Mary--everything about her ultimately points towards Jesus.  

The Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

Ave Maria, gratia plena
- JD

"We must except the holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom I wish to raise no question when it touches the subject of sins, out of honor to the Lord; for from Him we know that abundance of grace for overcoming sin in every particular was conferred upon her who had the merit to conceive and bear Him who undoubtedly had no sin." - St. Augustine

Rape, Incest, and Abortion

Praise God for women who choose life!  Some people out there like to make a case that abortion is justifiable in the case of rape or incest.  And while you can come up with a bunch of statistics and make a seemingly reasonable case for the woman in her defense, have we stopped to consider that hey, maybe there are people out there who did grow up to find out they are the result of rape, yet their mother's chose life?

Some voices on that matter:

How can anyone say, "You deserve to be aborted because you were conceived out of rape/incest."

And for some education on Catholic teaching regarding that matter, go here:

Aggie Catholics: Why Rape and Incest Are NOT Good Reasons to Abort

Tomorrow kicks off 40 Days for Life.  Time to concentrate my efforts on thinking about the dignity and sanctity of human life.

Faith. Hope. Charity. Life.

- JD

Roots

Today, I decided to be adventurous because I, in fact, sometimes do have a sense of adventure.  Or perhaps what sparked my sense of adventure was something that I received in the mail (but I think that deserves a separate blog post regarding such things) and it piqued my interest.  Had to go investigate.

Without getting into details...I experienced something today that made me appreciate what I do have.

But ultimately, it made think about what my Christian faith is rooted in.  The cool thing about trees is that their roots really take hold of the ground where they stand.  The place where we can really learn more about Scripture and let our faith take hold is in church.  I like to think that my Christian faith is rooted like a tree, for was it not a tree that Jesus was crucified on?  With that said, like a tree, my Christian faith should be rooted in Christ.

I mean, that's fair to say.  I can't rightly call myself Christian unless my life and faith are rooted in Christ, right?  And perhaps out of the hardness of my heart and mind, I can't learn how to root myself in Christ...alone.  I need a place to learn more about Christ in community with others and where else would you  do that besides church?

So, a Christian church should ultimately lead the congregation to Christ.  Logically, every thing that happens at church on Sunday should lead towards Christ.  And that's fine.  But I begin to wonder and reflect on if such things that happen in church on Sunday is what I'm focused on rather than being focused solely on Christ.   In other words, does every action within the context of church on Sunday help me focus on Christ so that my faith may take root in Him?

After experiencing today and reflecting on my entire faith journey in general, I've come up with a few things that I know that my Christian faith ought not to be rooted in.

Sheep are cool animals but they're not exactly convicted enough to lead themselves to where they need to go.  They need a leader.  A shepherd, if you will.  A shepherd herds the sheep and leads them where they need to go.  Likewise, you can't have a church of "lost sheep" unless you have someone visible leading the way.  Hence, the need for a pastor.  Cool. Obviously, the pastor's job is to shepherd his flock to Christ.  But imagine if I let my Christian faith be rooted in the pastor?  Like, what if he has freakin' amazing sermons that make me think, make he laugh, make me cry, make me want to go out and do something?  Like, I love what he has to say!  And maybe perhaps though ministry, I've developed a pastoral relationship with the pastor because he's helped me through the worst of times and best of times?  Or perhaps my pastor has done great things for my church community and I'm grateful for him and I keep coming back to support him?  Okay, that's all fine.  But, what if he passes away?  What if, because he's human, falls away from his Christian faith?  Is my faith dependent on the pastor?  Do I remember Who he's supposed to lead me to?  Hmm.

I love music.  I'm a band nerd at heart.  People often ask me "Hey JD, what's your favorite music?" and to that I say to them, "...anything that sounds good to my ear!"  You know, I even played my clarinet at church! Not gonna lie, I do have my favorite songs and hymns.  And there have been times where I've gone to church and the choir sang quite phenomenally!  To the point where I feel like applauding them!  I like it a lot at church when the music is great, because it's disappointing when the music isn't that great.  >_>  And praise and worship songs are awesome.  So are normal hymns.   St. Augustine once said, "When you sing, you pray twice." and I love it when the music in church on Sunday is done so well, I feel like I'm praying seven times seventy-seven times.  All this is fine and well.  But ... what if some of the members of the band or choir is sick that day?  What if instruments break?  What if the sound system is screwing up?  Is my faith dependent on the music played in church on Sunday?  Do I remember to Who we are singing to whenever there is music at church?  Hmm.

Lastly, if I am to go to the house of the Lord, I wouldn't want there to be any doubt that this is, in fact, a house of worship for the greater glory of Christ.  I think back to the time period of Exodus whenever the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to go through an elaborate set up just so the Ark of the Covenant has somewhere holy to reside.  Every tribe in Israel knew because it was obvious to them that this place is a holy place.  Not only that, but the entire Israelite encampment focused on the place where the Ark of the Covenant for it was the center of their camp.  I think it's fair to say that our Christian churches should reflect that focus as well.  A Christian church is a house of worship!  But not just that--it is a house of the Lord!  Is Jesus present at my church on Sunday, and if so...what is my response?  Perhaps I'll donate some money to the church so that the pastor can make improvements to make worship easier.  How so?  Let's make the seats comfortable.  Let's employ modern technologies regarding sound and light to make it easier.  Slideshows to show hymn/song lyrics? Yes!  Perhaps let's just make everything about the Sunday experience as comfortable as possible or make it look cool!  But does my faith depend on how comfortable I am at church on Sunday?  Is my faith dependent on how nice the church looks?  Do I remember Who resides in this house? Hmm.

Shortly touching on this...what if the pastor is terrible?  What if the music was absolutely abhorrent or maybe no music at all?  What if the church was a shack or horribly dilapidated with nothing?  Do I remember Who all this is for? Hmm.

So, the pastor, the music, and the church...no matter how awesome (or not awesome) those are...are they what brings me to church on Sunday?  Have I let my faith take root in the pastor, in the music, in the church (building)?

I should take a hard look at why I go to church on Sunday.  Who do I worship?  Who is the pastor talking about?  Who am I singing to?  Who does the church point towards?  Obviously, it should be Jesus Christ.  He doesn't fade away.   He's always awesome.  He should be the reason why I'm at church on Sunday--not because I'm obligated to, but because I have a genuine desire to deepen my relationship with Him.  He alone should be the reason why I'm at church on Sunday--not because church makes me feel good in any fashion.  Jesus, who was crucified on the tree, is what my Christian faith should be rooted in, for from it springs forth the fruits of eternal life.  Every time I go to church, I should always reflect on why I'm there.  I shouldn't forget Who my focus should be on.  I should take into consideration everything about my experience at church on Sunday and if that experience is focused on Jesus.

And maybe that's why I'm Catholic.  Because as the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6 describes, we know that Jesus is being literal when He says  He is the Bread of Life and whoever eats of this Bread will have eternal life.  And only in a Catholic Mass (or other non-Latin Catholic churches in union with Rome) will you find the Eucharist, which is Jesus truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity.  So if a Catholic church truly houses Jesus, you would expect the decor and architecture to give you a sense of "this is, in fact, a holy place."  In a Catholic church, since Jesus is truly present, we know that He didn't magically appear in a tabernacle.  No, it's because the priest, serving in the person of Christ and given the authority to do so by Jesus Himself through the apostles and laying of hands, who gives us the Eucharist--Jesus, literally.  In a Catholic Mass, the music, when done right, doesn't draw attention to the choir, but rather, draws your attention to Jesus.  Sometimes the music is done in Latin! Or chanted! Or perhaps there's not even any music at all!

I love going to Daily Mass and Adoration when I'm able to.  See, I get the vibe that the people that show up to Sunday Mass are there because they're obligated to go.  At Daily Mass, no one is there because they're obligated to go--they are there because they want to be there.  I think having the desire to go to Daily Mass affirms what my Catholic faith is rooted in--Jesus.  In the Eucharist.  Priests don't typically have elaborate homilies for Daily Mass.  The choir may or may not be in full force, if at all, for a Daily Mass.  But, Jesus is there.  And for Adoration?  That's where I can just take the time to adore Jesus in the Eucharist.  More often than not, Adoration is spent in silence.  Just me and Him.  Here is the source and summit of my Christian faith--the Eucharist.

Essentially...it doesn't matter how I feel...how comfortable I am...my faith is rooted in Jesus in the Eucharist because He's truly present.  And so, flowing from that, my experience at church on Sunday and every day should lead my faith to take root in Jesus Himself.

Deep stuff, if you think about it.

I'm going to go to Daily Mass at least twice this week and hopefully Adoration after work on Thursday.  Challenge accepted.

Roots.
- JD

Obsession

No, I'm not talking about a line of cologne for men.

But rather...I was just thinking back to a comment on one of my Facebook posts.  Perhaps I like posting Catholic things regarding sexuality and things of that nature on Facebook/Twitter.  But I haven't in a long while... And people like confronting me about those posts.  Which is great!  I like a challenge.  But long story short...this one time, a friend of mine brought up that the Catholic Church's obsession with sexuality is unhealthy.  I didn't take offense to this.  And I don't think I ever responded to that.  But I've given it some thought since then.

Honestly, I think the Catholic Church's obsession with sexuality isn't unhealthy...rather, it's the general lack of obsession of sexuality in society that is unhealthy.  In the sexually-saturated world that we live in, you're probably thinking, "wait, aren't we pretty obsessed with sex?" ...and to that, I would agree!  But, not fully.  Because the general obsession with sexuality that I see out there in the world lacks the fullness of authentic sexuality.  In other words, the world is obsessed with sex! Yes! But only some reduced or twisted form of it.  And that's not Catholic.

You see, the Catholic Church is obsessed with the beauty and truth of sexuality as God intended.  And we can reason what the purpose of sexuality is based on natural law, which examines the human body and we can use reason and logic to conclude why male and female and sexual union.  Ultimately, because we, human beings, are God's creation...our very being, our bodies...point towards God and His Love.   The one flesh union between man and woman in the marital embrace speaks the language of God's love.  That's Catholic.

Sex is a beautiful thing.  And anything that takes away from its beauty is most likely not in line with what the Catholic Church teaches on sex.

So yeah, obsession.  The Catholic Church is obsessed with sex because the current worldview isn't obsessed with it enough.

All of this deserves more reflection and explanation, but...not in this blog post.  I'm just thinking about obsession.  But thankfully, much of that reflection and explanation has already been done.

In the unending search for truth in sexual obsession, Catholic-style, here are some topics/people worth Googling for more info:
Theology of the Body and Blessed Pope John Paul II
Christopher West
Chastity.com
Jason & Crystalina Evert
Humanae Vitae by Pope Pius VI

Faith. Hope. Charity. Obsession.
- JD

Seeking Truth

The other morning, I was walking through the parking lot from my car to the

entrance of my work. I noticed that the birds were out and about, probably
because of worms and it being early in the morning...Just a guess.

While walking, I heard one bird singing and chirping in particular. I
often play "Guess the Type of Bird That's Singing" whenever I hear birds,
and I couldn't quite locate or identify the bird singing loudly. I ran
through my mind a list of local Texas birds that I've seen but wasn't
sure. I thought it was some bird like those brown and sleek ones that tend
to get bullied by the black ones that like to puff up and chase other birds
(...maybe I don't know all my bird species by name...), but then I finally
saw the bird making all the noise.

A mockingbird. Whose dominion was an electric pole at the time.

Then I verified that it really was a mockingbird because the mockingbird
proceeded to go through its repertoire of bird songs and rhythms. Only
mockingbirds can do so. The bird also flew up for a bit then landed back
down, but I clearly saw the distinctive white markings on its wings.
Mockingbirds are cool birds,and I like mockingbirds, because they are the
mix stations of the birdsong world, especially here in Texas.

But my life is Catholic, and what the heaven does an observance of a bird
singing have anything to do with "seeking truth," as this blog post is so
named. Well, let me tell you! ;-)

Lately, I've been reflecting on finding truth in the world. I think what
sparked my thoughts on seeking truth was my Facebook News Feed. Perhaps
I'm Facebook friends with impassioned individuals who are quick to post
things regarding various hot and viral topics in the political, social, and
moral spheres. And that's fine. Freedom of speech, right? Cool. Ease of
sharing through social media? Sure.

The News Feed is a great way to find out what's going on in the world or to
know what people care about enough to share with others. And that's pretty
cool. Mark Zuckerberg might be on to something. And you know, the same
goes for me too. I also post things about what's going on and post stuff
that I care about, as well. Inevitably, not everyone is of the same
opinion on certain things. And with our nation approaching an election and
the American Catholic Church at the forefront for several issues, things
are becoming more and more polarized and heated, especially online.

With that said, there are so many voices online.  It's hard to discern who speaks truth regarding touchy issues.  And there's always that personal bias of "I'll only post things that are in line with my opinion of something."  Since it's so easy to share and comment on things online, the Internets is a very noisy place.  Kind of like the parking lot of my work early in the morning with all the birds singing.

With all the "he said/she said"s floating around online, I have to cautiously be wary of what I read online and realize that it may not not necessarily be representative of the fullness of truth.  There's a lot of bias out there.  And the Catholic Church has many enemies and dissenters online.  Not only that, I shouldn't be quick on my trigger finger and share something without being prepared for the repercussions or consequences that may arise from posting something on a touchy subject.  I know that all too well (but that's another blog post...).

So, praise God I'm human.  As a human, there's the innate desire to know and to seek Truth because ultimately Truth leads us to God or, at the very least, to have greater understanding of the world around us.  But the world can be a twisted place and the beauty of Truth is often obscured or diminished.

With all the half-truths, partial-truths, and non-truths out there...it becomes almost refreshing to finally get the full story or full truth on something.

I'm beginning to be a little more critical of mainstream media as well...Did you know that this past January's March for Life in Washington DC was barely covered, if at all, by any major news outlet?  Did you know that no major media outlet is covering how a growing number of United States Catholic Church institutions are suing the United States government because of the HHS Mandate and the infringement of religious liberty?...but yet the media jumps all over such stories as the Pope's butler leaking documents, the ongoing sex abuse cover up trial in Philadelphia, and other stories from a perspective that paints the Church in a bad light...when really, there's more to it all than how the media explains it.

Praise God I'm Catholic.  Because as a Catholic...I know that the fullness of truth exists out there.  Not just theological truths, but worldly truths as well.  Truth cannot contradict truth. And as a Catholic...actually, not just as a Catholic...but as a human being...there's the desire to seek the truth.

And you know...sometimes to know what it is I'm looking for requires just a closer look.  And I have to be willing to seek it.

...yes...it is, in fact, a mockingbird.
-JD

Your Mom

Just a little tidbit about myself.  I often think that I don't truly know someone unless I've met their parents.  Interacting with the parents of my close friends provides another level of understanding of my close friends that I wouldn't have gained by knowing them alone.  And for some reason, it works out to where I gain a lot more appreciation of my bros by getting to know their moms, and my sisters by getting to know their fathers.  Strange...

Hold that thought.

As a sort of continuation from a prior post, May Feelings...


...what's the big deal with crowning Mary and devoting a whole month to her?  While that's a loaded question... why would I want to get to know Mary?
She's ONLY the Mother of God.

Legit

As Christians, we make it a point to be followers of Jesus Christ.  We strive to have that intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, because it is only through Him that we can be with God, the Father, in Heaven!

I'm not gonna lie.  I, too, strive to have that intimate relationship with Jesus.  And I'm of the type who does better imitating others or being around those who inspire me to grow in that relationship.  I'm blessed to currently be surrounded by those who genuinely seek that close relationship, but the reality is...no one is perfect.  
Let's think for a moment.  Who has walked on this earth that has the most intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?  Who knows Him at a level so much deeper than our own faith and understanding?  
The answer is ... Mary.
I mean, she only gave birth the Jesus.  Fed Him. Changed His clothes.  Taught Him socially acceptable manners for that time period.  Made Him work.  She witnessed His growth from little boy to adult.  And she was there with Him til the bittersweet end.  All that and more.
And she is the perfect, human example of what it means to be Christian having that intimate relationship with Christ.  No, I'm not saying we have to change Jesus' diapers in order that we know Him better.  I'm saying that she has that deeply intimate understanding of her Son that any loving and caring mother would have for her child.  Undoubtedly she accepts Jesus Christ into her heart by simply being His mother.  And fulfilling her role as His mother as well.  
There isn't a lot of verses about her in the Gospels, but with what little we do know about her from Sacred Scripture is that her life was very much oriented towards her Son, which ultimately orients her towards God. Even today and in recent history (through the various times she has appeared to people across the world), she points back towards her son.
Truly, she deserves attention.  As Christians, we know that by getting closer to Jesus, we can get closer to God.  But I think by getting closer to Mary, we get closer to Jesus.  Her life points to Jesus.  A good example is the Wedding of Cana in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2.  "Do whatever he tells you.", she said to the servers when they were freaking out because there wasn't any more wine to be merry.  And Jesus told them to fill jars up with water that later became wine.  And they listened.  And the party went on.
What I love about Mary is that even though the details of her life with Jesus aren't explicitly detailed in the Gospels...we can still reflect on her life and imagine what it must be like being with Jesus every step of His life.  
It's like what I said earlier.  Once I get to know my friends' moms, I feel like I know my friends better.  And Jesus is my friend too.
O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary. - JD

All Natural!

I'm a big fan of a Catholic radio show called Catholic Answers Live which airs in the evenings during the week.  The host of the show is Patrick Coffin and every hour the show he usually brings in a guest where they focus on a particular topic. Listeners are allowed to call in and ask questions regarding the Catholic teaching of the topic of that hour.  Pretty cool stuff!  I've learned a lot.  And it gives me something to listen to on my commute home from work. Patrick Coffin, in addition to being a radio show host, is also a book and blog writer (and he wears a few other hats not worth mentioning here).  If not evident from the picture above, he wrote Sex Au Naturel where he presents factual and scriptural points on the Catholic Church's teaching regarding sex and contraception/sterilization/abortion.   I just finished the book today after reading it here and there for a few weeks.  My motivation for reading it stemmed from him shamelessly plugging his book whenever callers pose a question regarding contraception.  In light of what's going on in the United States right now with the HHS mandate that demands all insurance companies to cover contraception and abortifacient drugs, I felt it necessary to arm myself with whatever resources I can muster to defend the Church's teaching. What I liked about the book was how readable it is.  Patrick presents the information clearly and concisely with a ton of references.  The book is meant for Catholics to read, and he even says that at the beginning.  He covers the history of Christian teaching on contraception, the implications of Humanae Vitae, makes the case for Catholic authority on teaching this matter, birth control, the overpopulation myth, and sterilization...and things in-between.  You can find more info about the book and its Amazon link here on his website at patrickcoffin.net. It's short, but I don't know how many pages there are because I have the Kindle edition...haha. But anyway, while this blog post isn't a critical review of the book...I know that I'll probably be referencing this book or referencing his references for future blog posts. I definitely recommend this book for those Catholics and Christians who aren't too clear on Church teaching regarding contraception.  He isn't preachy or judgmental--he just echoes facts and verses.  It's also going to be a good resource for an aspiring Catholic apologist, especially now that the issue of contraception has been elevated to national attention.  NOW is the time to let the American society know why the Catholic Church teaches what she teaches regarding sex and contraception. On to the next book about sex and Catholic teaching... Faith. Hope. Charity. Going green. - JD