The Indelibility of the Indwelling

Happy Easter everybody! Since the season began, I've been able to witness a lot of sacraments - something like 10 people who received all three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, as well as about 40 Gr. 7 students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation about a week ago.

The beautiful thing about the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation in particular, is that by them, we are forever changed. An indelible spiritual mark is placed by God on our soul, a mark that is the sign that "Jesus Christ has marked [us] with the seal of his Spirit by clothing [us] with power from on high so that [we] may be His [witnesses]" (CCC 1121). We are marked, sealed, and chosen for Christ from the moment the water is poured. And we are perfectly bound to the Church and are given increases of the Holy Spirit's gifts the moment that we are anointed with chrism by the laying on of the bishop's hand. What's more, it is impossible for sin to erase these spiritual marks, even if we choose to let sin prevent those sacraments "from bearing the fruits of salvation" (CCC 1272).

Why I Want to Study At The John Paul II Institute

I just found out that I've been accepted to the (*takes big breath*) Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., for a 2 year program to obtain a Masters in Theological Studies (M.T.S.). Last night, I told my friends that I was darn sure I would receive mail from the institute today, since Mar. 26th is the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Mary got an announcement, and so would I. I didn't take myself too seriously when I said that to my friends - but I prayed a rosary for it anyways. And ka-ching! Thanks Mama Mary.

One of the things I had to do as part of the painstaking application process was an essay, describing why I want to study at the institute. It actually covers a lot of ground, and delves a bit into what I think is missing from today's culture. Here it is:

Fear Is Better Than Nothing

The sad truth is that lots of people stop practicing their faith. Fervor, gusto, and warm emotions indicating God’s presence disappear, and so people call it quits (ironically, these are the same people who keep saying that they desperately want to find the perfect person to marry, forgetting that at some point in the marriage, they will inevitably wake up one morning and instead of feeling butterflies in their stomach, will feel a tinge of weariness because their spouse has been being annoying – do they call it quits then? But I digress). When these sentimental feelings disappear, the worst thing that a person could do would be to do away with religious feelings and actions altogether, and become apathetic. This is the real danger zone. Christ said that if we are “…lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, [He will] spit [us] out of [his] mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The “who cares?” attitude does absolutely nothing to help us in our lives here on earth. It is better to have a strong opinion about the faith, either way – it shows passion and a hunger for truth. People who lack a conviction show that they aren’t applying themselves. So don’t think that I rejoice when I find out that someone has left the Church because of anger, or confusion, or resentment. It is truly sad. But I do thank God that this person is still trying to interact with the world. And one of the ways I’ve seen people interact with the world after turning their back on Christ is through fear.

To Be Or Not To Be

You know what's amazing? The fact that so much of what we seem to know of God can look like blatant contradiction, only because we are so limited as human beings. Take, for instance, the very nature of God - Who and What He Is. Jesus tells us that "whoever has seen [Him] has seen the Father" (John 14:9). And so through Christ, we have seen the love, the peace, the justice, the mercy, and all good things that flow from the heart of the Father. Christ is the visible manifestation of an invisible God. But at the same time, God is so entirely unknowable, so utterly inconceivable to the human mind, that it's a wonder in and of itself that Jesus was able to get the message through our thick skulls.

Asking For It

Ah, the first Sunday of Lent. Like every Sunday, it is a “Mini-Easter,” a small glimpse into the most important feast of the Christian life, and an even smaller glimpse into our eternal homeland and final destination. Here’s hoping that for the last four days, you’ve stuck to your guns and have kept turned away from Facebook, have kept your hands on those Rosary beads, and have kept your mouth off of that can of pop. Here’s hoping that it’s hurt a little. Because if these sacrifices haven’t made you at least a bit uncomfortable, well then, they aren’t really sacrifices. If, in the middle of your trial, you have cried out to God saying that you can’t do it on your own, then you’re walking in the right direction. Get rid of something in your life so that God can take hold of your heart. You need to first conform before you can be transformed.

Raising the Roof

Over this past Christmas break, I attended CCO's annual Conference entitled Rise Up, which took place this year in Vancouver, BC. From Dec. 28th to Jan. 1st, almost 600 young adults from across Canada listened to inspirational talks, took part in powerful prayer, and learned how to be better witnesses to the world. All this was done with the intercession of Blessed Pope John Paul II, whose legacy gave the theme for this year's conference.

How fitting though, that the conference was themed after the writings and pontificate of Blessed JP II. Because one of the late pope's most influential pieces of writing for young adults today is his Theology of the Body, and it seems like I have been constantly reminded of the truths that Blessed JP II reminds us of in that work (especially in the last few months). One of those basic truths - one that the Church has defended since her conception - is that only by the union of soul and body are we given the single nature of human being. And so it pains me when Catholics think otherwise. It pains me when they throw truth, faith, and common sense to the wind, and instead irrationally use their emotions to justify a position. Because at Rise Up this year, there was one thing I heard about from many people that just did not sit right with them: people raising their hands during praise & worship.

A Brief Hiatus

Hello!
Just a quick shout-out to the few of you who do read my blog (which apparently includes a group of Dominican nuns out in Squamish, BC - hi sisters!). The last time I published a post was back in mid November...but rest assured, I haven't given up on writing here. For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to articulate on "paper" all the thoughts that are constantly going through my head. It's been getting me rather frustrated lately, as I think writing is a talent of mine.

A quick insight into my writing process - I don't have one. I will be on the bus, or playing video games, or someone somewhere will make one comment, and my brain will just start buzzing with a single thought, or image, or idea. At first chance, I will sit down at my laptop and type out the whole blog post in one 1.5-hour session. I don't think of an introduction or a flow to the topic; it just pours out. Then, with barely any editing, I click "publish" and then go fry myself some rice (or something like that).

My point: it is definitely not me who writes. Every once in a while, I will go back and read some of the things I've posted, and cannot for the life of me figure out how I managed to articulate something like that.   Well, I don't. Ever. I've come to fully attribute the words that fly from my brain to the internet to the Holy Spirit. And if it is the Holy Spirit who is directing me in my writing, and if I have not been able to produce anything...then for whatever reason, He doesn't want me to write right now. I told my friend of my frustrations just the other day, and he humbly replied, "well, maybe it's not time for you to say anything. Maybe you're supposed to listen."

Ah. There it is. So don't worry - this blog will stay up and running. But the Holy Spirit in all His wisdom is allowing me a little breather, perhaps to gain some perspective, take some rest, spend more time praying, and then go full speed ahead into the bloggersphere once more.



Wait...does this count as a blog post? He did it again!