A North American Example of Losing Religious Freedom

No. This isn't about the HHS Mandate. Actually, this isn't directly even about any of the religious liberty issues we face here in our nation today.

Ah, al contrario. This is about México.

Whenever the movie, For Greater Glory, came out a year ago, I found out about the Cristero War. Up until the movie was about to be released, I had never ever heard about it.  Thanks to all the talk on Catholic radio, I was able to learn more about the War.

Basically, in the early 1920's, the Mexican government made it illegal to be Catholic and to do anything Catholic. It got to the point where the Mexican government and army hunted and killed Catholics. This sparked a rebellion known as the Cristero War.

Sure, that was nearly 100 years ago in a country that isn't the United States, and times are different. But the question is...what kind of parallels can we draw from the Cristero War with some of the things that are happening in our world today? ...in our nation, today?

Patrick Madrid, prominent Catholic speaker/writer/radio host, gives a 45 minute talk on the topic, entitled "Attack on Religious Liberty."  He had family members who were killed during the Cristero War.  In his talk, he provides the historical context which led to the Cristero War.  He also details a lot of examples of how the Mexican government took away religious liberty (besides dealing death).

Here's the link to a message Patrick Madrid sent out if you'd like to download it yourself:

http://www.flocknote.com/note/76696

Or you can watch a longer version of his talk here:


Why do I even care about this?  
I think it's important to learn history, even as difficult as it is sometimes, so that the same mistakes aren't made.  People will always cite the Inquisition, the Crusades, and other examples to paint the Catholic Church as a violent force in history, but it works the other way around too where other entities violently oppose Catholics and the Church.  From what I've been hearing and reading about in recent news, it is a great challenge to live a peaceful Catholic life in the Middle East because some of those in power have a great love for persecuting Christians to the point of killing them. And not just in the Middle East, but other governments and entities have made it super hard to do anything Catholic.

But what about here in the United States?  While I don't expect us to get to the level of killing people of Catholic faith like in Mexico (at least, not in my lifetime...I hope...)... are we getting comfortable with allowing our liberties to be limited or taken away? Are we getting comfortable with being forced to do un-Christian things because the government said so? Are we getting used to the idea that our  faith is being forced to stay within the confines of our church walls and the Sabbath? Hmm.

Well, I will not make this a full commentary on everything regarding the attacks on religious liberty here in the United States.  But I'll just say that it is important to know about the Cristero War so that we can take action (hopefully peacefully) in the defense of religious liberty if necessary.  After all, it is a First Amendment right that we're able to enjoy here in the United States. As long as the U.S. doesn't begin impinge on our other First Amendment rights, we'll be able to publicly and peaceably address issues of religious liberty.

And then! To be Catholic means that our faith goes beyond the doors of our churches ("Mass" in Latin is "missa" which means "dismissal" or understood to be "mission"....or simply put, we "are sent out").   We are Catholic in everything that we do, 7 days a week, no matter where we are.  And there are those who have issues with this idea that Catholics are to be Catholics outside of Catholic churches.  Awkwardly, we do have hospitals, universities, humanitarian efforts, religious communities, businesses, etc. that identify as Catholic and they are fully expected to be in line with Church teaching because if they aren't...then they cease acting in an authentically Catholic way.  Or more gravely, they cease being Catholic. And there are those who want this!  President Calles of Mexico wanted to erase Catholicism out of his country so that his grand ol' scheme wouldn't have the Catholic Church standing in his way. So he took away Mass. He destroyed churches. He killed priests. He killed anyone associated with the Catholic faith.

It seems to me that anytime that the Church finds herself being persecuted heavily, she all the more grows and grows in a profound way.  And saints arise.  In fact, here's a Wikipedia list of saints (some waiting canonization) from the Cristero War. What saints will arise out of today's forms of Christian persecution? Who will make a stand by the life they live and the actions they take? Who will be martyred?

But anyway...

...because it's a good movie to get a feel for what happened during the Cristero War! :-D

...oh and yes, preparation for the greater glory of rising above persecution in all of its subtle and blatant forms. We must prepare for that too.

So let us all learn about the Cristero War and hope/pray/fast that this country never reaches that point.  Besides, I selfishly think it would be a shame if things started going downhill for the American Catholic Church when my knowledge and appreciation for it is steadily growing.  But, what can I do to help? That's what I should reflect and take action on. :-)

Blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

- JD

Fr. Francisco at the moment of being shot / TouchStone's Jests

In the Market For A Statue

There comes a time in a Catholic's life where suddenly there is an urge to want to get a statue. Sure, statues can be found in our churches, parishes, chapels, convents, monasteries, etc... But what about at home?  Looking around my room at home, I realized it lacks a visible representation of my Catholic identity apart from the crucifix affixed above my door and an overflowing Catholic bookshelf.

My solution is to get a statue.  But, I face a very serious and genuine Catholic problem on deciding what statue to get--there are so many options! Jesus, Mary, and the rest of the saints!

And then I thought... I cannot rightfully claim St. Juan Diego as my Confirmation saint unless I'm reminded of his devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Then it hit me.  Eureka! I should get a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Even our statues want to be around statues!

And so... I'm in the market for an Our Lady of Guadalupe statue--not to worship or find myself in a form of idolatry (because that's heresy!!!... here's an explanation) but to serve as a visual reminder of St. Juan Diego's obedience and humility to our Blessed Mother so that I may further embrace him as my patron and through Mary, get closer to Jesus.  Why even bother being obedient to Mary? Well, I cannot think of any other human being in all of human history who shared an intimate relationship with Christ other than her.  Besides, Jesus had to be obedient to her as well ;-).  This will be important as I'll be upping my spiritual game, which I'll blog about soon.

Thankfully, I recently visited a fellow parishioner's Catholic store.  I was rather impressed at their collection of Our Lady of Guadalupe images and statues.  It'll just be a matter of choosing one, though not necessarily from there.  I don't want one that is too small or too cheesy looking.  It needs to communicate, at least, a faint glimmer of beauty that is fitting for Our Lady.  I'll share which one I get once I have it.

¡Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros!
- JD

I guess I care enough...

...to be rather upset and shocked when praying in Jesus' very proximate presence.

How can this be?

I had just finished going to Confession when I decided to spend some time before Jesus to do my penance.  I was not at my own parish. And this particular parish I was at, like some others, has their tabernacle containing the Eucharist in its own chapel separate from the main sanctuary. 

I entered the chapel, and no one else was inside.  Not gonna lie, after praying silently for a bit, I was actually having a genuine moment (ie. nearly weeping (but that's okay since Jesus wept ... John 11:35)).

Looks more like a facepalm...

Then I heard voices outside. I knew that the start of Mass was approaching so it wasn't surprising to me to hear people in the main sanctuary.  But then...

...the voices came into the chapel.  It was a group of about 5 or 6 people. They walked in and didn't really acknowledge me kneeling there and praying.  No one in the group genuflected (or maybe they did when they entered the chapel and I didn't see them) or gave a solemn bow before the tabernacle containing Jesus. The head of the group, who appeared to be teaching the others about logistical Mass preparation things, nonchalantly walked up to the tabernacle and unlocked it.  Then she removed the ciborium containing the Eucharist (ie Jesus) and kind of let it bounce in her hands to let the others see how heavy it is.  Then she passed it around to the others to let them feel how heavy it is.

Someone had asked how many hosts could it hold, and the leader said that it can hold up to 600ish.  That's a lot of Jesus.  She also stated that the inside of the ciborium has numbered markers that help estimate how many consecrated hosts are within it.  And oh my gosh! She started spinning the ciborium around in her hands just to be able to show those markers to everyone.

Throughout all this I was just...shocked! Not that it necessarily weirded me out that they're having a teaching moment ...but...just the lack of reverence for Jesus truly present in the Eucharist.  I could just tell from their body language and actions that this was just no big deal.  They didn't act as if the God of Creation was in their midst and acted accordingly with reverence owed to Him.

Now, I was a little frustrated that my quiet prayer time was unintentionally, rudely interrupted. But again, I was more in shock about their lack of reverence in the presence of Jesus.

But I'm not judging them because I'm not sure how they have been formed in their Catholic faith.  Not every Catholic fully appreciates the Eucharist.  So as a practicing Catholic who cares and has a humble understanding of the Eucharist, I cannot affirm that the Eucharist is truly Jesus present body, blood, soul, and divinity unless I truly believe it and act accordingly.  That's where I'm at in my faith, and I simply seek to go deeper in that regard.

Equally as shocking is how God, who humbled Himself to be in the appearance of bread, puts up with us whenever we act irreverent, sinful, stupid, foolish, etc.  How great is our God, indeed.  I was recounting this experience in the chapel with a friend, and we both agree that it is doubly shocking how Catholics can be so ho-hum with the Eucharist and how shocking it is that God in His infinite mercy deals with us.

Lastly, I begin to wonder what the rubrics are on who exactly is allowed to access the tabernacle containing the Eucharist.  Honestly, not just anyone can walk up to the tabernacle unless they've been properly formed and educated to properly handle the Eucharist.  This requires further seeking of truth, on my part.

How can I inspire my fellow Catholics to better understand, know, and appreciate the Eucharist?  

- JD

"Jesus wept" / Flickr - Terry Alexander
Ciborium / MatthewSheehan.net

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 4)

--- 1 ---

Annnd...looks like my grandmother is first to completely move out of the house.  Well, my grandfather did last year, and now my grandmother will follow suit.  They moved in with my parents and me back at the beginning of the 1990's and have lived with us since recently.  They immigrated from the Philippines!  In recent years, my grandfather desired to move back to his home in Manila, and so my mom and her siblings have been working at getting the old house renovated.  My grandfather moved back last year to oversee the completion and now that it is done, my grandmother moved out today to go be with him.

It's hard to tell, but we are, in fact, in Canada. 2010.

But! She has a pit stop in Canada for like...a month.  My aunt and her youngest daughter is finally getting married up in Canada so she'll be there for that before moving to the Philippines.  Yes, I have Canada-pino family members.  Nearly all of my mom's siblings live up there. Cool, eh?

I don't know that it's hit me yet that it'll be really difficult having both my grandparents on the other side of the world and not being able to see them on a near-daily basis...but...at the very least...I'm truly grateful for having grown up with them so close to home (so close, hey were actually in my home).  Time for me to figure out how to cook Filipino dishes...

--- 2 ---

One of my Catholic friends invited me to this monthly "night of recollection for men" in the neighboring diocese.  It's hosted by Opus Dei (the real one...not the one where you have to crack Da Vinci codes) at a Syro-Malabar Catholic parish.  The zhwaa?  The parish intrigued me because it looked like a normal, typical Catholic parish but the hymns/books in the pews were totally a different language and some of the words seen throughout the sanctuary weren't even English.  I just looked it up and The Order of Syro-Malabar Qurbana is an Eastern Catholic rite that originated in India and is in full communion with Rome.  Intriguing, indeed.  I also noticed how there were absolutely no kneelers in the pews.  Just knees to carpet.  Good thing I've been practicing for moments like this.

This "night of recollection" involved a meditation led by the priest, who also heard confessions at points throughout the night.  There was an examination of conscience and classroom time to learn more about a topic, which in this case was the virtue of temperance.  It ended with exposition, adoration, and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  Apart from microphone issues at the beginning which made it awkward...it was a good night to reflect and pray even though my schedule is busy enough as it is.  This experience reminded me a lot of that silent retreat I went on a while back...but...in the space of a few hours.  Since it's monthly event, I look forward to going next month.

--- 3 ---

I've mentioned before that we Catholics are spoiled.  We're able to go to other Catholic parishes to partake in the sacraments if necessary.  Yes, I'm known to go to other parishes for confession because sometimes my own parish's times for confession don't work out with my schedule.  I'm beginning to consider to just sticking with my parish or spiritual director for confession because there's a particular parish in my circuit of backup-parishes-for-sacraments that something weird always happens every time I go.

Last weekend I went to this other parish for Confession.  And I was utterly shocked. And disappointed. But...I have a blog post waiting to be posted regarding that.

--- 4 ---

I think a good indicator of answering God's call and will for one's life is this certain, profound joy expressed that is noticeable and unique.  In a previous Quick Takes...I mentioned that my friend was acknowledged at an event of her answering the call to the religious life.  Well, yesterday my friend shared her story and journey on how she arrived to saying "yes!" to the call to serve as a religious sister with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, a cloistered community of intense prayer yet with missionary outreach.  What really stood out to me was seeing her joy in finally arriving at this decision to enter into the religious life...not that it was easy to make this decision...but...experiencing the peace and joy in knowing this is what God wants her to do.

Smiling is a good habit. Not to be confused with habits.

Yes, so as long as this blog is entitled, "En Fuego"...and so as long as St. Catherine of Siena said "If you are who God calls you to be, you will set the world ablaze"...then yes, I'm interested in just trying to be who God wants me to be.  How do I figure that out? How do I know? ...stuff like that.  Some words of encouragement from a friend.

--- 5 ---

My Aggie Network seems to be increasing as of late.  No, I don't mean that I'm getting more sports coverage because the Aggie Network is not the same as the Longhorn Network (#joke...but it would be more like Texas Exes).  It seems as though my company likes to hire Aggies...and I'm okay with that because it makes it easier to talk to coworkers, haha.  I officially met three Aggies in the past few weeks...and two of them were in the aerospace engineering program as well!

WHOOP!

--- 6 ---

Pope Francis canonized 800+ saints this past Sunday.  I mean...in addition to the individuals canonized, there was a collective group canonized as a whole!  Italian martyrs, because the Ottoman Empire apparently beheaded people who weren't willing to convert to their religion.

I bring this up because there's a lot of Christian persecution in that part of the world still...and subtlety here in the United States.  Is my Catholic faith worth dying for? Yes.  Is the world going to gun for me because I'm Catholic? Absolutely.  Am I ready to die for my faith? Not sure...will I ever be ready? 800+ Italians in the 15th century apparently were ready.  What a witness to their faith!  #inspiration

--- 7 ---
I was somehow invited to like...4 weddings this year and 3 of them are Catholic weddings.  I'm legitimately excited! The first of these weddings is next weekend and I think it'll be the most Catholic wedding I would have ever gone to.  Tune in later for more details!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- JD

Voter's Guides

I've been silent on this blog about this election. Not because I don't want to talk about it, but because the issues and importance of this year's presidential election are too great for me to spend time blogging about it at length, and I never seem to have a lot of free time as of late.  But...that needs to change.  Soon.

But that's okay since I've been putting real effort into talking about the major issues surrounding this election in real life, away from keyboard, to younger generations with the hope of empowering them to maintain their Catholic identity by the life they live and in their right to vote whenever they are old enough.  And praise God that resources are available online!  For free!

I voted on the Monday before the election (yay early voting!) and while I am motivated to vote the way I did for more than simply Catholic reasons, I did focus on learning what it means to vote like a Catholic, especially lately. And it's nice to know that my Catholic and non-Catholic motivations on who to vote for resulted in the same candidate.

I want to offer this blog post as a sort of summary of resources. Therefore, let's begin:

What does the Catholic Church teach on involvement in political matters?
Catechism of the Catholic Church #2234-#2246

CCC 2246...hmm...considering the status of our country right now...it is clear that something must be done.  We cannot idly stand by and let things happen.

We are Catholic first before we are Republican, Democrat, or (insert your non-mainstream political party here). In communion with the Church, our consciences must be formed and carried out genuinely with the mind of the Church, regardless of which political party we associate ourselves with.

Another resource on Catholic voting from the Aggie Catholics blog:
How to Vote As a Catholic

Speaking of forming consciences, there are some hot topic issues to consider when voting for candidates. These issues are abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and so-called same sex "marriage." Collectively, these are non-negotiable issues that are intrinsically evil--they are not morally justifiable in any case. Here's a video summarizing the issues and see the following links for further reading:

Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics (PDF version)
...and what I like about this is...it outlines principles as opposed to aligning with a particular political party based on their platform.  Because platforms can change, but Catholic teaching and Catholic morality do not.

Certainly, the heart of the five non-negotiables mentioned in that Voter's Guide have to do with attacks on human life and dignity.

If we can't get the right to life right, the other rights we hold dear mean nothing.

However, for those of us who enjoy our right to life, some other important rights guaranteed by our government are being infringed upon. This year marks a historic time for the United States. No other time in US history has the government walked all over our religious freedom, especially for us Catholics. To read more about it, read this:
Why Should I Care: The HHS Mandate and Religious Freedom
and
a list of entities suing the Department of Health and Human Services (growing list) through The Becket Fund.

You should also watch For Greater Glory, because it tells the story of what Catholics in Mexico had to deal with during the 1920's when the Mexican government persecuted and killed Catholics.  Or Google the Cristiada or Cristero War.  While I don't think the US government will resort to direct killing of individuals outside of the womb, at the very least...we should reflect on the possibility of martyrdom which I think is awesomely portrayed by certain saints in this movie.

And then, on top of all this ... I've been listening to a lot of Catholic radio, particularly Catholic Answers which finds its home at catholic.com.  Thanks to them, I've been informed and educated about the issues.

And even if you didn't vote in this presidential election, there are local and state elections in the near future that require the same responsibility and informed conscience from us.

I challenge you, dear Catholic brothers and sisters--get informed. Take ownership of your faith, live it out, and vote accordingly in future elections at all levels.

And oh...don't be fooled by such things as this kind of voter's guide:
Planned Parenthood Action Fund's Voter's Guide
...because simple check marks that highlight people who are in agreement with Planned Parenthood's ideals isn't enough.  Seriously!  You won't find in-depth information about the issues that Planned Parenthood cares about in their voter's guide.  But I suppose it's harder to talk about justifying intrinsic evils than it is to speak the truth.  And hey, at the very least...this voter's guide helps us know names of individuals who are for Planned Parenthood in our government.  It's up to us to dig deeper and find out why it is they support Planned Parenthood.

Bottom line...there will always be those entities that try to sway your mind away from Catholic truth.  Stand firm.  And know where you stand. Matthew 7:15-29 (NAB).

I hope this all helps!

#CatholicVoting,
- JD

I Got Served

So last Sunday, I was all suited up for varying purposes for the day, but the cool thing about being suited up is that it is the best I can wear to Mass.  I might not suit up all the time for Mass, but when I do...I try to serve in some way.

I signed up to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for the 11AM Mass I was attending.  Mass was normal.  The usual.

When it came to ministering the Body of Christ to the faithful...one of the greatest fears for any Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion occurred.  To me.  First time. Ever.

Jesus fell on the floor! :-(   :"-(    T_T

As an EMHC, you usually try to be adaptive to the various postures and gestures people have in orienting their hands/mouth to receive the Eucharist.  But, bless her heart, this little girl came up to receive the Body.  And I tried placing Him in her hand, but she, instead, tried to grab the Body from my fingers before I placed Him in her hands.  And that's when Jesus fell on the floor...

So, our protocol is to pick Jesus up and place the Eucharist under the ciborium and to make note of the place where He fell and to guard it to prevent people from stepping on Jesus.  No sooner had I picked up Jesus from the ground when an altar server immediately appeared behind me with a purificator and water for cleanup in front of Pew #1.  It's like...he was watching and waiting for something like that to happen.  Then boom.  Like a Catholic ninja, he was there.

Shout out to the altar server!  Definitely eased my mind knowing that the situation was rectified and taken care of in less than a minute.  My freaking out only lasted a few seconds, haha.  I know this probably occurs every so often to many an EMHC...but...the first time it happens to you has more of that shock value...But, thankfully, other servers have got my back!

Faith. Hope. Charity. And quick responses.
- JD