Love Letters to Lukewarm Souls

HISTORY We find it from the Fathers of the Church as early as the 2nd century (thousands of years before any other denominations were born). In the 4th century, St Basil said that the apostles 'taught us to mark with the sign of the cross those who put their hope in the Lord.' At first the cross was traced on the forehead and later evolved to include marking the breast and each shoulder as well. It was Pope Leo IX in the mid 9th century that gave instruction on making the practice what it still is today. WHY WE DO IT? It is far from just a gesture or worse, a superstition. Each time we sign ourselves with the Cross (the symbol of our salvation), we are asking for God's blessing and remembering our baptismal promises. (Matthew 28:19  Go, therefore...  baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the H oly Spirit.) CATHOLICS DID NOT INVENT SIGNS & SYMBOLS Outward signs are important to human beings. The use of symbols and signs is innatel...

Catholic Basics Series (Post #3) Why do Catholics emphasize Mary so much? Catholics believe that WORSHIP is due to God ALONE. Catholics do, however, VENERATE Mary. In other words, we HONOR our Blessed Mother with great reverence and devotion because she is the MOTHER OF GOD. Mary is the model of perfect love and obedience to Christ. God preserved Mary from sin, and she conceived our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing Christ into our world. Catholics can’t help but honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is full of grace, the Mother of God and our Mother, for her “yes” to God that made the Incarnation possible. And without the Incarnation, we would not have salvation. Mary is the most beautiful model of total submission to the will of God. Catholics do not view Mary as equal to Christ, but rather venerate Mary because of her relationship to Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “Mary’s role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Ch...

Catholic Basics Series (Post#2) Matthew 16:18 is key to understanding Christ’s intent to pass on the authority to lead the Church to Peter and the apostles. Christ tells Peter that he is the rock on which He will build His church. When Catholics use the term apostolic succession, they are referring to the line of bishops that stretches all the way back to the apostles—to Peter—the first Pope. Apostolic tradition (the authentic teaching of the apostles) was handed from Christ to the apostles, and from them to their successors. This unbroken line of popes (the bishops of Rome) and all other bishops have guided the Church for the past 2,000 years, just as Christ intended (Matthew 28:19-20).  Christ sent His apostles out into the world with authority to teach and heal (Luke 9:1-2) and to forgive sins (John 20:23). This God-given authority is exercised by the bishops within the Catholic Church to this day. Here's the historical list of Pope from Peter down to cur...

Catholic Basics Series (Post #1)   The Catholic Church is the only church today that can claim to be the one church founded by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Other denominations (collectively known as Protestants) can trace their origins back to various human founders at a later date in history (as early as 16th century with the exception of Eastern Orthodox in 1054) . Nice to know stuff: Catholicism is the largest faith community in the world (more than 1.2 billion) The Catholic church is the one that collected and compiled the Bible. For 2,000 years, the Catholic church has fed, clothed, and housed more people in need than any group or institution in history. The Catholic church founded the first school/education system. The Catholic church founded the first hospital/health care system. The church has been the largest benefactor of arts. The church remains the world's premier institutional defender of human rights. Peter is the very first Pope, appointed ...

I believe that Catholics should always go back to the basics if we haven't done so. To simply go back to the basics of our faith--why we practice what we practice, why we believe what we believe--and joyfully share the numerous treasures of our church to other nominal Catholic framily (friends and family) as well as non-Catholics brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe one of the major reasons why we Catholics are easily turned off or many turned away from the faith and are easily persuaded by others is because we don't know, perhaps don't even care about knowing and learning the faith we grew up with. Then when other religions question us, instead of going back to seek for answers, we ended up questioning the faith along with them. It is like criticizing and judging someone for his actions, without knowing the root cause, the history of it first. We Catholics are also seemingly not very good salesmen and women of faith, either. Plagued with non-Catholic stereotype and...

© 2003 Excerpt from "I Can Serve": A Community Journal written on 2003, 7th of June For us trying to lovingly draw our dear friends deeper to God, we may hear these responses: “I’d rather rest than spend time in church or join a Christian community.” “I know people from a Christian community who are not good examples. They don’t practice what they preach. They still live in sin. They get angry, they speak bad words, they hurt people. Why should I join?” “I’m also a member already of a sorority (or a fraternity or a club). They’re all the same as yours. We help the poor, we conduct self-development programs, etc. sometimes even more extensive and financially-organized than Christian communities.” “I’m ok and happy with my life. Why should I complicate it further by spending on spiritual affairs inconvenient and a waste of my time and schedules. I help out my friends in need better than they do.” Many of our friends and relatives right now, as I speak...

Last night, I was watching a movie called "Beautiful Creatures." Towards the end of the movie, there was this scene showing an actor playing a Reverend/Pastor preaching in the pulpit. He was talking about a message that somehow reminds me of the same that most of our friends hardly ever examine or reconsider before saying "No" and walk away to tend to something else whenever the invitation arise to spend and commit more quality time for God whether through Christian-related gatherings or furthering one's Christian faith. "I don't want to preach today. Instead I just wanna talk to you. About a word we don't hear much anymore: "Sacrifice." It's not what I would call a modern word. People hear the word "sacrifice," and they become afraid that something will be taken away from them or that they will have to give up something they couldn't live without. "Sacrifice," to them, means "Loss". In a ...

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching... Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded". (Hebrews 10:24-25; 32-35)

Sounds familiar? God wants to spend more time with you too. " And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. " (Hebrews 10:24-25)

...We like to stand as far back away from all the congregation, come in late, dressed up in plain shirt, sometimes in shorts and sandals; watch the time ticks and daydreams throughout.

Most common instances people only remember to use God in their life: 1. Attend Sunday Mass or service for 1 hour or less 2. For Baptism or Dedication ceremonial rites for their child 3. Prayer before any party meals 4. For their wedding ceremonial rites 5. For the success of their school exams or licensure 6. For the success of their job and/or immigration application 7. For material needs/wants 8. Of course, if they get sick, in any trouble, dying or any near death-related experiences “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. " (Mark 10: 20-22) Who needs God when everything's good?

Last year, just out of curiosity, I whimsically tallied the number of attendance I invited people to our birthday party, house warming, and other social gatherings, and also tallied the number of attendance I invited people to church-related activities such as prayer meetings, recollections/retreats, Christian concerts and the like. Well, to no surprise, the percentage results are... (are you ready?) About 99.7% = attendance to birthday party and other social get-together invitations. As to attendance to church-related activities invitation? A peewee 17% . Huge and far contrast. Not even close, wait... not even half-close. Especially when you are already here in America (where time with God seems to be hidden somewhere in their kitchen cupboards). I have been to these "invitating" circumstances long enough to know that excuses would be coming (valid or invalid it may be). So it's not surprising. All of a sudden, somebody got sick, or all of a sudden somebody thr...

For more than 2000 years, human personalities are still the same as today. Although Jesus came down on earth to heal the sick, gave sight to the blind, took the pharisees to school and redeemed the world by dying on the cross to save our sins, mankind never learned, never listened. We still continue to do the same things all over again, no matter how the Catholic church, or the saints or your priest/pastor or your parents and Christian friends would preach, no matter how they evangelize, give alms to the poor, help the needy, comfort the brokenhearted, inspire the unmotivated, educate the spiritually illiterate, invite the un-church. Men and women remain indifferent, ashamed, cynical, critical, skeptical. They still mock, disobey, question, cherry-picks or modify the teachings of the church to suit to their own comfort and lifestyles the same way Jesus' crowds did 2000 years ago. Worldly affairs and views in this world they live in are enough for them until they die. The question...

Haven't anyone notice that when you go to church (assuming you are), the predominant congregation are in the geriatric age group? You could hear walkers screeching on the aisle. Grey hairs surrounding the pews like pompoms. Stooping postures lining up for communion. It's a sad reality, but unfortunately, many of the young and able treat God only as a vending machine. He is only needed when one is hungry and thirsty physically or emotionally or financially. Don't wait until you are old or sick or disabled, dying or poor then that's the moment you spend more time with Him. You feel you are good for now--no need to complicate life, just don't come looking for Him nor blame Him when your circumstances turn sour (humanly speaking). “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)