The Grand Finale

This is the end...................... Yes I know it is abrupt, but that is how life is. Everything is constantly changing. For the grand finale, we will address to question of all questions: What is Man Fully Alive? Now I know what you avid readers and fans are thinking....... Didn't they already do a Man Fully Alive blog post? The answer would be, Yes. Yes we did. However we want to bring the question into new light as we have grown in knowledge and understanding in Catholic theology and life in generally. (The other reason is that we were assigned to do this blog post topic again, but let's not dwell on that).

Man Fully Alive.

 

 

If someone asks you what man fully alive is, you might immediately think the answer is simple and objective. However once you start thinking about it, it really is a complex and intriguing question.

One might come up with different versions of what you think man fully alive means. This blog post is dedicated to what I think Man Fully Alive means, based on what I have learned from my theology class and theology teacher, the great C squared.

 

Man Fully Alive is quite simple, complete communion with God. It makes sense. God is the source of all things including life. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. He is the Big Man upstairs. Even though that the ultimate communion with God is the fulfillment  of Man Fully Alive, the destiny is not the full story. It is the journey that creates the fulfilment of the destination(deep huh? Came up with that myself). But what do I mean by the journey? What I mean is that in order to achieve full communion you must accept God and go toward him. Therefore one of the marks of a Man Fully Alive is the humility to accept God and acknowledge you imperfection. In that acceptance of God, one must  also take part in the redemptive action of Christ. Yes it is true that Christ died for each and every one of our sins, but cannot merely do nothing in our part and expect to be Men Fully Alive. We must participate in Christ's redemption through living a virtuous life, led by the guidance of the Church. In the Church we can receive Christ's great divine gifts, the Sacraments. Since the Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, then they are a means in which men can grow in relationship with God, and consequently grow closer to the ultimate goal of being a Man Fully Alive. 

 

Even though the Church is the best way to become a Man Fully Alive, there are simple, everyday things that you can do in order to grow closer to the ultimate goal. These things include prayer, prudence, self sacrifice and responsibility, charity and good works, patience, and finally love. If you treat yourself as a member of the Body of Christ and if you treat your neighbors as brothers and sisters in Christ, I guarantee you are well on your way to be  a Man Fully Alive.  

 

On behalf of my partner and myself, it has been a joy and a privilege writing this blog for you, the readers. I hope that you guys have learned some new things about theology, life, and the world. Hopefully you can take some of our advice and apply it to your life in a positive and meaningful way.

 

To leave this blog in a humorous mood, here are some of the funniest videos of all time.........

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publishing for the last time..................



-D and G

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. 

Mother's Day

So that day is coming up. The day where you are extra good, and extra nice to your mom. Mother's Day is a great time to show your appreciation for everything your mom has done for you, not to mention going through painful child labor. While it is great to have a special day like this, it is important to be constantly thankful to your mom for all that she does for you and for how much she loves you. Sometimes moms can get your nerves, but that is just part of life and it is inevitable. However, ultimately, your mom truly cares about you and your well-being. So my message for today is to say thanks to your mom once and a while and I'm sure she will appreciate it.

David vs. Goliath

5/11

The term "David vs. Goliath" is used so much in sports. It's a term used when one team seems clearly superior than  the other, and it would take quite a performance for the lesser team to beat them. To remind some readers the actually David vs. Goliath story:

The account of the battle between David and Goliath is told in 1 Samuel, chapter 17.^[3] Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines near the Valley of Elah. Twice a day for 40 days, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat, but Saul and all the Israelites are afraid. David, bringing food for his elder brothers, hears that Saul has promised to reward any man who defeats Goliath, and accepts the challenge. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines, taking only his sling and five stones from a brook.
David and Goliath confront each other, Goliath with his armor and shield, David with his staff and sling. "The Philistine cursed David by his gods." but David replies: "This day Jehovah will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that God saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is God’s, and he will give you into our hand."
David hurls a stone from his sling with all his might and hits Goliath in the center of his forehead, Goliath falls on his face to the ground, and David cuts off his head. The Philistines flee and are pursued by the Israelites "as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron". David puts the armor of Goliath in his own tent and takes the head to Jerusalem, and Saul sends Abner to bring the boy to him. The king asks whose son he is, and David answers, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

You may or may not be a soccer fan but today David once again beat Goliath. Wigan Athletic and Manchester City faced off in the FA Cup final. Manchester City are lasted year's premier league champions and this year's second place team, while Wigan Athletic are still fighting to stay in the premier league and not get relegated for next season. The game was deadlocked until the Ben Watson of Wigan scored off a header in the 91st minute of the game, catapulting Wigan to their first FA Cup title.

This game inspired me to list and remember a few of history's greatest "David" victories in sports.

10. NC State beat Hakeem Olajuwan, Clyde Drexler and the Houston Cougars in the 1983 NCAA Men's basketball Championship 54-52.

9. Number 8. seed Nuggets beat the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the 1994 playoffs after being down 2 games to none.

8. Number 8 seed Villanova number  beat number one seed Georgtown in the 1985 NCAA Men's Basketball championship 66-64.

7. Number six seed Juan Martin Del Potro beat world number one Roger Federer in the 2009 U.S. Open.

6. Upset beat lifetime undefeated Man 'o War in the Sanford Memorial Stakes in the 1900's. Upset was given 100-1 odds of victory.

5. Appalachian State beats number five nationally ranked Michigan in 2007 College Football regular season.

4. New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III.

3. Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson with one punch in 1990. He had a 42-1 odd of winning.

2. (As a Patriots fan, this one is painful) The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots 17-14 in the 2007 Super Bowl, denying the Patriots of a perfect 19-0 season.

And Now........... For the number one sports upset of all time...........................


Drum roll...........................................................................................................







1. The game forever known as the miracle on ice: U.S.A beats the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics. 'Murica!

Video Reflection

5/8/13

Video Reflection

My reflection of this video is a very humbling one. There is so many items in my life like, a house, meals, electricity, showers, and entertainment that I take for granted. Although I witness this a lot, I have never been able to hear the full story of the life of a homeless person from their perspective  And that's another factor, that just one of the many. When you realize how many people have the same exact story as him, its saddening. This kind of poverty is something in life that you know is impossible to stop all over the world, but you still want to. You feel for these people, people that you have never met. People that you probably wouldn't have the time to listen to their story.

Ronald Davis was just one random homeless person on the streets. Yet once you hear his story, he doesn't sound so random. You begin to feel sad for him, just as if he was somebody you knew. Pity is an odd, yet effective way to relate to somebody. Even though most people reading this will have a very tough time relating to his life (including me), you can relate to him as a human being. A human being who is in obvious pain. The pain of being regarded as less than a human being. There's this objective sense of emotion that everybody will get after hearing his story. The Ronald Davis story isn't supposed to just invoke a sense of admiration and pity at the same time. Its supposed to show how there's millions of people like Ronald Davis out there, fighting for something that should never be taken away from a human being: dignity.

The Homeless and Neglected

5/7

The following is a response to the video above

Unfortunately, living in a big city like Houston, I see many people like Ronald Davis. They are on the streets begging for money, food, clothes, anything that will not only get them back on their feet, but also to survive. Many times we forget about the struggles and the physical and emotion toll homeless people receive because of the fact that it is so customary to see a homeless person on the street. Sometimes we try to remove ourselves from confronting a homeless person because it is so sad, but in the process we lose the adequate amount of sympathy that we should have and also the amount of recognition we should give to these struggling humans.

Ronald shows that he, and other people like him, struggle through everyday life. He also shows that he has the same thoughts and feelings as any other human being. I think this is important because sometimes homeless people are demeaned and seen as worth less than those that are more privileged. I think we should raise more awareness for the homeless. Not only by giving them material things to keep them more comfortable , but also to comfort them and give them much needed emotional help. The soul needs to be nourished just as much as the body.

All Are Welcome! Reflection

5/6/13

Reflection: All Are Welcome!

Click here for the link to the article

After reading this article, I am reminded of the third mark of the Catholic Church: Catholic. Catholic means universal, meaning that all are welcome to Christ's Church. The definition of all is really defined here where the author goes on to list certain groups of people that society might question a bit. He then shows how all of them are welcome, but the entrance comes with rules.

For example, an alcoholic will be welcomed with open arms into the Church. Yet the Church will not condone his drinking habit. To fully become incorporated with the Mystical Body of Christ, or the Church, the alcoholic must seek help from either or within or outside the Church to help cure his problem. 

I believe the point of this article is to clear up how the Church is open to all people. It is open to all people, except it will not condone the actions of those who disobey the laws and commandments sent from God.

Jason Collins

5/5

Jason Collins on the cover of Sports Illustrated

Honestly, about a week ago I had no clue who Jason Collins was. By now, however, you have probably heard that he is the first athlete to come out as gay in a major sport. He has gotten a lot of media attention and a lot of support around the sports world and beyond. I am very happy that he has support and he is not being scrutinized or insulted. Everyone should be treated with a certain degree of respect. I know that we had a post a few weeks ago devoted to gay marriage but I wanted to revive the issue in light of this new story. What I see in society today is that people that come out are seen as heroes and are praised, and maybe their praise is due. Unfortunately gays have lived through tough times of hate and insults and it does take a tremendous amount of courage to come out. However when someone like myself voices their opinion against homosexuality itself(not necessarily the person) then people bash you and insult you, which I find extremely hypocritical. I recently read an article about one ESPN analyst who voiced his opinion against homosexuality, citing his christian faith as a reason, and many Christians share his view. However, the presumably yahoo sports writing turned the article into an opinion blog and he bashed the ESPN analyst. In the article he tried to channel his inner theologian and say that while in the Old Testament the bible says that men should not sleep with other men, that it also says that you shouldn't eat shellfish or where a certain type of fabric. He also says that in the New Testament it says to love thy neighbor. I don't know how many times I have heard this fundamentally flawed argument but it is really getting on my nerves. Taking it from a true theological view, there are very specific rules in the Old Testament because man and God still had a very young and short relationship. Its like a father implementing strict rules to his son to protect him and make him a better person, and when the son asks why, the father just says "because I said so" because the child cannot really comprehend the importance of the rules. In the New Testament, mankind has matured and Jesus comes to talk to us as grown children to explain the rules, maybe lessen restriction, and give us more responsibility to account for our own actions. The Mosaic law of the Old Testament was removed from Christianity because St. Peter, at the Council of Jerusalem, decided that Gentile converts do not need to convert to Judaism first and be circumcised and follow the dietary laws. Now, going back to Jesus. Just because Jesus told us to love everyone, does not mean that everyone can do what they want. In many ways Jesus even challenged us more. He said to not even think lustfully or else we have already committed adultery and also condemned divorce. It is true that Jesus did not explicitly mention homosexuality or gay marriage, but for Catholics, we believe that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit to be in unison with God and his Will. The Catholic Church has been ardently against gay marriage, most notably citing the inability to reproduce in a gay marriage. I am going to take the Church's word for it.


The Catechumenate

5/4

When I first came upon the term catechumenate, I thought that it was some fancy term for some specific and confusing teaching of the Church or position or something like that. Then I actually looked it up and it is not like that at all. The Catechumenate is simply another term for the process of an adult being initiated into the Catholic Church. Another term for this is RCIA, which means The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This process of initiation usually takes about a year. During that process each catechumen goes to special classes where they learn about the teachings and practices of the Church. They usually go to three hour classes one night of the week. During this time catechumens can decide to not undergo the classes and just leave and not be initiated in the Church. After all of this rigorous study and understanding of the Church, the catechumens are initiated in the Easter Vigil mass. For those who have never been baptised then they can get baptized, and also receive communion and do their confirmation. For those that have already been baptized in a Christian Church, then the Church acknowledges that baptism as valid and they no longer need another baptism, so they can go straight to communion and confirmation. When the catechumens are given the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are addressed by another name that they have chosen, usually one of a saint, that is most like them.

Personally, I really look forward to attending the Easter Vigil mass every year because not only is it really special and heartwarming to see the people being instituted into the Church, but also because my brother-in-law went through the RCIA process and converted to Catholicism.

Carpe Diem

5/2/13

Carpe Diem

For those of you who haven't heard of this phrase before, you're wrong. Because you have. If you have ever heard of "YOLO" or "#yolo2k13noregretzzzzz." then in a way you have heard of Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is Latin (with a big l) for "Seize the day." So you see, yolo is actually a pretty bad cliche. But I mean did you expect much from Drake (zing). So it's time to go into detail in the more original, and much more classy way to try to act like an idiot.

Point 1: Don't try to act like an idiot. It is true, there's some stuff you want to do before you die that are pretty idiotic, so CADI (Carpe Diem) right? No. It is true that you only live once, but you alone decide how long it is you live. I'm not saying go full out everything around me is going to kill me, no I want you to still have fun. But how fun are dumpster babies? I don't know how about you ask June Shannon (if you're counting that's zing #2). So the point is have fun, but don't do anything that will probably kill you in the moments after or anything that will land you a show on TLC.

Point 2: When deciding on whether to use CADI or YOLO, it shouldn't be that hard. First, the term yolo was created by a guy named AUBREY GRAHAM (Drake). CADI was first coined by a fella named Quintus Horatius Flaccus. Look me straight in the computer screen and tell me you would choose Aubrey over Quintus (My apologies to anybody named Aubrey reading this). Second, if you read both literary pieces where the terms came from, "The Motto" for yolo and "Odes 1.11" for cadi, it's pretty easy to pick a winner:

 "I mean maybe she won’t, Then again maybe she will,"or "I’m in the building and I’m feeling myself" are examples of why you shouldn't choose yolo. 

Now lets look at cadi:
"-be wise, be truthful, strain the wine, and scale back your long hopes to a short period," and "While we speak, envious time will have fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible." 

But I mean hey Drake got to rhyme "wrist blang" and "Biscayne" together...

Point 3: To be honest that's all I had to say, but it doesn't sound cool just have three points and three is a holy number in the bible so its a no-brainer.

In conclusion, the next time you're thinking about going to a party or just having fun, use cadi. You can still use yolo, just save it for the trashy things like MTV and TLC shows.

Since, it would be inappropriate to post the video to "The Motto," the best I can do is post the Lonely Island Parody to it:

S/O to Kendrick Lamar in this one.

Service Paper

4/28

Just like my blog partner, I too wrote a paper about my experience of service during this year:

My Sophomore Service

This year for my sophomore service hours I had the privilege of going to two great organizations working for great causes. The first organization that I went to was Open Door Mission. Open Door Mission is located in the second ward area and works to help alcoholics get rid of their problem and be normal citizens in society. They also have a school at their facilities to teach the children of these recovering alcoholics. At this mission I did not directly work with the patients, but I did work in the kitchen. The first time I went, I was assigned to make sandwiches for a group of patients going on a field trip. The second day everyone was on the field trip so I cleaned the kitchen and helped organize plates and other items. The second organization I went to was the Houston Food Bank. At the Food Bank I was able to work with a large group, including many of my classmates, to package boxes filled with food. These specific packages were to go out to pregnant women that need food.

I found the most fulfilling time during my service when I was making sandwiches, the conclave was going on and they had just chosen the pope. It was very special that they had chosen a Jesuit pope who took on the name of St. Francis, while I was serving others. This motivated me to work even harder while representing Jesuit, and continue being on my path toward becoming a Man For Others. Not only was the service fulfilling but I think that it truly brought me closer to God by thinking of Jesus, our God, and remembering that he himself was a servant to the people and we must follow his example. Even though the jobs that I was doing were not dealing with the recipients directly, I envisioned those benefiting from my service and got a real sense of satisfaction thinking about the joy that my work will give to them. The service then became something that I truly enjoyed and looked forward to rather than something that was required and had to be done. One of my other favorite moments from the service experience was working alongside my dad, an SJ alum, and my brother, doing the service as a family. Neither of them got any service credit or reward from doing this, but they showed me that we have to stick together and help others as a family. Ultimately working together to serve others helps build our relationships between each other and the family itself. My dad, by his eagerness to help, showed that the SJ motto and attitude of serving others truly sticks for your whole life, and it inspired me to do the same come time I have kids of my own.

At the end of the day, while I was doing service in order to help others, my family and I also got something invaluable form this experience which is the gift of unity, and the gift of gratitude.



Perseverance

4/28

Its the end of April, almost the beginning of May. Most of you know what that means. IT IS ALMOST SUMMER. For those of you in school, myself included, you know that summer is the most coveted and highly anticipated time of the year. 3 straight months of no worries, hanging out with friends, going on a vacation, being lazy, or maybe making some money with a summer job. We have been going through a long, grueling, and tiring school year and we cannot wait until it is over. We are on a marathon, and have reached the last mile. These last few weeks of school can sometimes seem longer than usually and we might get lazier than usually and just kind of give up since the school year is almost over. For many students, grades start to fall a little bit because of this laziness. This is where the importance of being perseverance comes in. Perseverance is key. The official definition of perseverance is a "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, as state, etc., especially in spite of of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement." The key to perseverance is the difficulties one faces. In this case it is the anticipation of summer. If we are perseverant during these last few weeks and sustain our grades or even bump our grades up, even though it might be painful, I guarantee that when the school year end you will be satisfied even more and grateful that you were perseverant, and the summer experience will be even better knowing that you truly did your best during the school year and now you have a much deserved break. Perseverance is not only important in school, but in jobs and in life in general. In terms of theolgy and everday life, perseverance is key in order to be focuse on being virtuous and not being led astray from the ultimate goal of being with God. In the way to this goal there are many temptations in life, like being lazy, and we must fight these temptations in order to succeed. By practicing perseverance now, it will be a habit later and will help you succeed in all facets of life.

Making Time For God

4/28

In this day and age, we live in a world where there is a lot going on. We have school, sports, homework, band, choir, and other activities throughout the week. At many times our schedules can be hectic, at least for me, and sometimes we find ourselves consumed with our daily lives that we do not stop and think about God. It is extremely important to sustain a consistent and meaningful relationship with God throughout our daily lives. Many times we are blessed with certain things in our lives and we do not give God thanks for these blessings. Many times we forgot about God in our thoughts and in our deeds during the week and only remember the give God thanks on Sundays. While going to Church is not only extremely fulfilling but the best way to grow in relationship with God, if do not sustain that growth throughout our ordinary daily lives, that growth decreases and is ultimately irrelevant. It is important to set a specific time of the day to reflect and communicate with God. Whether it be prayer, reading of scripture, or just calm silence and meditation, those exercises will bring you closer to God and closer to peace from the busy ambiance of life. This lesson ties perfectly with the title of this blog "A Teenager's Answer to the Call of Holiness". Our call is to be great people of God and to grow closer to Him as that is our ultimate goal in life. Therfore we must answer this call by thinking of God first and regard Him as our utmost importance in daily life.

Service Project Essay

4/27/13

The school I attend requires sophomores to complete at least 15 hours of community service and then write a reflection paper on it. The following is said paper:

Service Project Essay

For my sophomore service project, I had the great opportunity to complete most of my hours at the Houston Food Bank, an organization dedicated to feeding the homeless of Houston. I also completed a small part of my project with the SEARCH program, another homeless organization, by making daily hygiene kits.

I have to say, the work done my freshman year for the service project was a lot easier than this year. Instead of senior assisted living work, the Houston Food Bank operates under 4 hour shifts of food preparation. This could mean anything like; chopping onions, serving peas, opening boxes, or making ham and cheese sandwiches. The work was not exactly difficult, but the repetitive nature of it wore you out. It really helped me though to think of it as each individual item I prepared, would be a meal for somebody that probably hasn’t had one in a while. The SEARCH project on the other hand was much more free in the sense of the choice of work. Me and my dad went to target and bought several hygiene supplies we take for granted like toothbrushes, deodorant, nail clippers and other items. We then assembled them all in kits and visited the shelter to drop them off.

I do believe this service project brings me closer to God. One of Jesus’ main messages was to serve those below you. By working to feed and help the homeless this year, I do believe I was able to continue to fulfill His mission for us. To me, someone who is able to continually fulfill this mission is the definition of a man for others. I believe becoming a man for others should be a long term goal for most if not all people. Doing these service projects have just strengthened my view on the values of service. Something that I once viewed as troublesome or more work, I now view as my part in the Christian society. This service project I believe has made it clear that I will continue this Christian responsibility well into my year after Strake Jesuit.

I believe I can speak for my family (who also matched every single one of my hours) when I say that this a great family bonding experience. Helping as a family those who are less fortunate as us, is a great way to strengthen that family’s Christian morals.

Patience is a Virtue

4/27/13

Patience is a Virtue

For somebody who isn't very patient, this is probably the most annoying phrase you have ever heard. And yet you tend to be told it repeatedly until you wake up in the middle of the night shouting it. Here's a fact though that is going to blow the average impatient person's mind: patience is a virtue from God.

If you've had some beginner catholic classes, something you will also hear a lot is that God has a plan for everything. You hear it a lot because only few truer words have been spoken. When something bad happens to you, you tend to always look at the negative of the situation. You will sometimes fail to realize though that if it happened that way, God intended it to happen. The best example I can think about is a very sensitive one. Seth MacFarlane is most famous for his creation of the shows; Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and for directing the comedy, Ted. On September 11, 2001, Seth was on his way to California from Newark on flight 93. He missed the flight, it was pretty unfortunate at the time. The following events that transpired made him a very fortunate man. The point is that God has a plan for everybody. To ask why those innocent lives had to be sacrificed that terrible day, reference the article before this one.

The current event that reiterated in my mind this phrase is watching one Geno Smith during the first day of the 2013 NFL Draft. 

 It was pretty tough I think for everybody, including Geno to see somebody who was almost sure to be drafted in the top 20, fall to the second round. The broadcast also made it a point to notice his dismay. He eventually got drafted by the New York Jets, home of the most outspoken Christian Tim Tebow. The only thing I can really say to Geno is that God has a plan for everybody. What if you had got drafted by the Buffalo Bills and something bad happened? What if you were walking through the streets of Buffalo one day and you slipped on that Buffalo ice and broke your back?
These are all what ifs that can never be proven but I'm just saying, what if that could happen but God came in with some little divine intervention and saved. From his interviews, he seemed as a pretty religious guy so I wouldn't be surprised if that was God helping him. Yet there's a flip side to this too. What if Geno Smith is a faker? What if he is one of the people that falsely self-proclaims himself as a devout Christian? He might of had a hall of fame career at Buffalo, but in that case God made sure that he received justice for his wrongdoings.

At the end of the day though, you always have to stay patient, God has a plan for everybody.

Bombings in Boston: Why Does God Let Suffering Happen?

4/21
After such a horrific incident such as the Boston Marathon bombings one might ask themselves, why does God let this happen? Why would God let incident people suffer and even die at such a joyous event such as a marathon? Why would God let that little 8 year old boy die?

All of these questions are natural to ponder about. Many people, Christians alike, struggle with this question and how to address it. I believe that this question can this question through the theological understanding of free will.

First we need to understand that God gave humans, the first being Adam and Eve, free will. Free will is a gift that only humans have out of God's entire creation and it is given to us because of God's love for us in order to be the pinnacle of creation. In the beginning man lived in perfect harmony with God and there was no death, pain, or suffering. All of that changed when Adam and Eve ate of the apple of the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and sin against him. Therefore from the free will of man, suffering, pain, and death entered the world. Out of eternal love for man God must let that happen out of respect of free will. Therefore terrible acts such as the Boston bombings exist because of the actions of others that cannot be stopped because of free will, and the fact that death and suffering is a part of this world due to the sin of our first parents.