Conservativism Under Attack

Many of you might have heard about the IRS scandal where conservative groups were unlawfully targeted and discriminated against. Now I have tried to stay away from politics in this blog, but I do believe that this ties into the issue of our secular society in this day. It is evident that traditional, Conservative values and ideals are under attack in America and across the globe. This also ties into a more secular way of thinking in our world which has been a major cause of the rise of atheism. I saw an eye-opening figure on the Internet today that said that 2/3 of teenagers in the U.K. are atheists. Now sure many teenagers tend to be more liberal when it comes to religion, and tend to grow closer to God. However, 2/3 is still a very significant number. I think with the advancement of technology and science in the modern day, many people think that there is no God. People think that humans can play the role of God n the role through their pride. However this is the exact same mistake that Adam and Eve made in the beginning. They chose to deny God, and be God by choosing to eat of the apple. The outcome that wasn't so great huh? An atheistic world will have bad repercussions too just like original sin is a repercussion of the sin of Adam and Eve. But we must remember that God is all powerful, and no situation is too dire to be reperated. Jesus did beat all the odds and died for all of our sins. So too will Christ come again in all of his glory. When that time will be? No one knows but the Father.

Fishers of Men in Our Culture

Priests have served as spiritual leaders to the faithful for millenia. They have served as role models of complete and unconditional service to the Church. They live lives completely focused on God, and also focused on leading the people toward him. Unfortunately in our current times, due to some horrible actions that some priests have committed, Catholic priests are not seen in such positive light as before. This view is truly saddening. Even though the scrutiny toward the priests who molested children is more than deserved, these priests are only an extremely small number compared to the rest of the priests who are completely selfless and dedicate their lives for others. I go to a Jesuit school where we have priests that live on campus and teach and serve us in many different ways. They are true men who live their lives for others. Society must also look at all the other priests who serve their parishes and communities and also those priests risking their lives as missionaries in foreign countries. In our modern society, it seems like there is a shortage of young men who want to become priests. At least that is what the video is saying. However, the article sheds completely different light on the status of seminarians. This article says that there is actually an increase in seminarians. The two therefore seem to contradict each other. The article sights that because of the busy, technologically-driven, secular world we live in, many young men fail to find a sense in fulfillment and join the seminary to become priests. Although this notion makes sense, I think that this rise in seminarians is only specific to the city. I think that overall, there is a shortage of priests. I think that in order for there to be an increase in priests, society must see the priesthood as something positive and fulfilling.



The following is a reflection on this video: http://vimeo.com/9916486 and this article: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/05/12/number-of-young-men-choosing-priesthood-on-the-rise/

Flashback Friday

5/17/13

Flashback Friday

As many of you who posses some form of social media, every day there is some sort of trend. For example one of the most famous is #tbt or #throwbackthursday. There's also the usual #mcm #wcw for #mancrushmonday and #womancrushwednesday. So today, towards the end of our school year and this blog assignment., I'm going to introduce our first trend-day blog post: #flashbackfriday.

To commemorate this great moment, I chose to use this video:

Pretty sweet huh? I wish there was better quality but hey it was the 80's. Just goes to show that even the leader of the Catholic religion on earth can still have some fun. I think this video also shows that the religious figures of the Catholic Faith are not this high and mighty figures that don't meddle with the small people. This also connects with my previous article talking about how priests are normal people like you and me. Even the Pope can have some fun sometimes.

Also as an Astros fan, I'm kinda wishing he was still around because we need all the help we can get.

Reflection of priesthood

5/16/13

Reflection on Priesthood in today's culture

The priesthood and its image has greatly changed since its beginning in the early Church. Even the image of a priest has changed deeply since I was a kid. I used to imagine priests as completely holy people that are born and raised completely different then we were. I always viewed priests were born with that calling and had to go to priest school when they were young. I've only learned through time that my perception of priests was completely wrong.

A priest in training can be anybody. Literally anybody. Now to become an actual priest, it takes a lot of resolve and dedication. But just like this article I read reiterated, the men they get to become priest in training come from all over. They can be college students or 40 year old men who have finally heard their calling. Chances are you know a couple people that will one day hear their calling and take down the path of priesthood even if they show no sign at all right now. The point is that you should not be surprised if one of your friends or somebody you never viewed as much becomes a priest, the call to priesthood has no preferences.

Here's the article: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/05/12/number-of-young-men-choosing-priesthood-on-the-rise/

Ahead of our Times

5/12/13

Ahead of our Times

As time has progressed, so has society. As society has progressed, so has its standards. As society's standards has progressed, the Church's standards and morals haven't. From the Church's standpoint, that is a problem. The morals that the Church had tried to keep tight for centuries and centuries, started to become looser. Bit by bit to a point where if you make a comparison between society a 1000 years ago and now, they are near polar opposites. The effect of this consistent change on society is starting to become noticeable. As teenagers we used to look up to society with admiration. Now, we look up at it with envy. We look at all the fun society is having and say "Hey, why can't we do that?" Even though this question has been asked many times before, by people long gone, now the answer is leaning more towards "I don't see any reason why you can't."

We live in a society ahead of our times. As teenagers and young adults,we are constantly trying to speed up the process. We try to live life a few steps too far ahead of this, we are going too fast. The impatience of this generation grows bigger and bigger every time around.

We live in a society where pre-marital sex has become a fantasy only held by the devout. The almost certain agreement made silently by gentleman once upon a time is now an openly mocked social status. The notion of being a virgin till marriage is one that frightens most. Even the idea of being a virgin before college is something that scares some. The Church preaches to us that sex was something God created for man and woman, after marriage, to reproduce and fill the earth. It can only watch on in horror at what as become of this once "holy" act.

We live in a society where teenagers embrace college life in high school. Drinking, drugs, sex, and wild parties can no longer wait. Our generation had continually complained about it being our turn, there was only so much whining society could take. But even the modern day conception of college life at one point took the same step that high schoolers are taken now. The visible sign of this restlessness to reach the spot in the social pyramid above us is the desire from high school students to look "frat." There is nothing wrong with this particular act, but its the visual indication to the rest of the world that we can no longer wait.

We live in a society where we have to ask "Where does it end?" We already have shows like "16 and Pregnant," and "Teen Mom," because of this acceleration into the life that is ahead of us. If we keep moving this fast, what's to say the drinking, drugs, sex, and wild parties become a norm for middle schoolers? This might be crazy and a bit disturbing to think of but if it got this far, what's going to stop it? That is the sobering question that demands an answer we might be afraid to hear.

We live in a society that is ahead of our times. The saying is: "You can't stand in the way of progress." The Church is losing this game of tug of war with Society, but it will never accept this saying. It never has and never will. Ever since it was established, the Church has expected the same from the People of God. Some people call it stubbornness, others, dedication. As a Catholic you finally ask yourself, "which side should I choose?" That is question that I'm afraid I can't answer, it is ahead of my time.