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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

What is Advent again?

Since October, stores have been showing the signs of a modern Christmas. "Sales of the Season" abound hoping to entice holiday shoppers into purchasing gifts and accumulating debt; Christmas music plays through the speaker system on constant repeat, effectively eliminating any Christmas cheer (and sanity) that shoppers might have had; Gift-Wrapping stations are scattered throughout shopping malls for those not skilled in the ancient art of origami.

The little period before Christmas though, Advent, is often overlooked and seen simply as the time to buy the gifts, prepare for Christmas parties, and find at least one radio station that does not have Christmas music 24/7. But Advent is far too important and valuable to be skipped over. As defined by the Google dictionary, an advent is "the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event." For Christian denominations celebrating Advent, this arrival of a "notable person" is the coming of Jesus Christ Himself!

The purpose of Advent is to prepare our hearts to receive Christ Incarnate (Latin for "be made flesh"). Christ, the Lord and God of the Universe, will walk among humans, talk with them, and be with them in actual human flesh. Imagine how incredible that would seem to the Jewish people awaiting the birth of the Messiah! Imagine how incredible, striking, and compelling it should be to us!

Is it possible to have family (and Christ) over for Christmas and only start preparing the night before? No. You buy the turkey at least a week early so it can sit in the fridge to thaw before you can even cook it. But of course, you cannot just have turkey. You make sure that there is enough pasta salad, fruit salad, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread, pie, cookies, treats, rice dressing, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, veggies, fruit, and cooked carrots for everyone. But of course, you cannot just have food. The construction company is called to build an addition onto your home to hold all the relatives from the woodwork. Then, your home is vigorously scrubbed and cleaned because you must not let anyone see what your house really looks like. But then, because it is Christmas, you cannot just let people visit and enjoy each other's company. You buy gifts and make sure that not one person, "not even a mouse" (to quote the story that you read to the little children to carry on tradition), is left out.

And yet, for the birth of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, Emmanuel, a Christmas Mass or Service the night before, or even the day of, is enough preparation. The above things are important and definitely contribute to the joys of the holiday season. However, it is absolutely essential for Christians to make proper use of the Advent season. Slow down, breathe, and pray (Click here to find out 50 Ways to Talk to God). Prepare for the coming of the King! Where will Christ dwell if He cannot fit inside your heart?

Watch this video by Fr. Robert Barron for more information on what Advent is all about!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Authentic Christian Movies? Really?

Earlier this month, Thor: The Dark World, Gravity, and Captain Phillips were released. Coming in December is the second installment in the Hobbit series titled The Desolation of Smaug. These movies are widely popular (assuming The Desolation of Smaug meets expectations) especially in the various genres they represent.

With great movies like these, it is difficult to venture much further out of the range of action-packed, fantasy-filled, sci-fi, drama genres. However, there is much more out there to see, especially, the newest Christian movies.

Honestly, Christian movies tend to get a bad rap. The lack of funds and professional actors contribute to this, but a larger concern is that once people see the word "Christian" associated with movies, it is usually automatically downgraded. The loss of traditional values in society has certainly contributed to this, but another reason, encountered in my own life, is the assumption that all Christian movies are going to be sappy, feel-good flicks.

But the latest Christian movies have embarked on a journey to change all that. Beginning with The Passion of the Christ in 2004, Hollywood and independent movie-makers have taken a sudden interest in the Christian genre, breaking onto the scene with dramatic, real, and powerful films.

Even movies that aren't classified as Christian, such as the exceedingly popular musical Les Miserables, have deep Christian undertones. This leads to speculation: why would a society that has tried to rid itself of traditional values even want such a thing?

Offering my personal opinion, I find it is because every human heart searches for the authentic and realness of life. These films don't just show the happiness of Christians. They show the struggles, sadness, anger, frustration, and joy and peace of Christians. Real people. And audiences are attracted to this, the solidness and truth displayed in the movies.

This is exactly what a morality-starved society needs (and desperately wants, even if it doesn't know it). We all need to see examples of people triumphing over their sins and struggles with the help of God's grace. Only then will we be able to see that it is possible to overcome our own as well.

Click here to see this week's post's inspiration!

Below are trailers for excellent and inspiring Christian movies. Please feel free to leave comments and reviews about the movies!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Why is Relativism Wrong?

Relativism is "the philosophical position that all points of view are equally valid, and that all truth is relative to the individual," according to CARM, the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry. Today, relativism has become a sort of Religion of Tolerance and is applauded as a pinnacle of kindness and justice. While Christianity is the main group that appears to be suffering from it, everyone is at risk from this infectious system.

There are three different types of relativism, according to CARM. Cognitive relativism is when no truth is more valid than another and there is no objective standard of truth. Moral/Ethical relativism is when any and all morals are relative to the group within which they are created. Situational relativism occurs when ethics, or notions of right and wrong, are dependent upon the situation.

The first proof of why relativism is not only wrong but completely illogical is that the statement, "there is no such thing as absolute truth," refutes itself. If that simple sentence were in fact true, it would have just proven itself wrong because that statement in itself would have to be a truth.

Another common declaration for advancing the Age of Tolerance is, "well, that's true for you, but not true for me." The statement is lacking in logic. In a very basic example, two plus two equals five. My mom told me this and I believe it with all my heart and so that makes it true. Would people say, "Yeah, that's cool, you can believe what you want"? I'm inclined to think that they would correct me. No one who has ever passed an elementary math course would let me go around saying that two plus two equals five. Because it doesn't.

The word "tolerance" has been twisted and contorted to the point where it simply means nothing's wrong and everything's right and if you disagree, you're intolerant. According to RealLifeCatholic.com, in a blog post by popular youth speaker Chris Stefanick, "a disagreement needs to occur for tolerance to even be possible. You don’t tolerate a beautiful sunny day. You tolerate a cold rainy day." Disagreement does not mean there is intolerance; it simply means that the person disagrees. I don't like cold, rainy days, but I deal with them. Acknowledging that there is a difference is the first step toward tolerance.

But what can be done if we stop saying that everyone is okay just believing what he or she wants to believe? The first thing to realize is that there has to be absolute truth. Logically, absolute truth cannot not exist. Then, one must work to find that truth, keeping in mind that, while truth exists, some will not come to accept it. Thus, the person seeking truth must always exercise patience.

Why is this important for people of all faiths? Every human heart, whether they know it or not, searches for truth. To not actively seek out complete truth and then give it to others is an injustice to all.

Go check out CARM.org for more arguments against relativism!

Sources: RealLifeCatholic.com

CARM.org

Please watch this video for more information about Relativism. It is a presentation by Chris Stefanick based on his book: Absolute Relativism.

What Does A Guardian Angel Do?

Angels appear everywhere in our world, from books to Victoria’s Secret advertisements, tattoos to movies. There are many believers in these mysterious, spiritual beings, but not everybody knows what an angel exactly is.

The Catholic Church defines angels as pure spiritual creatures of God who have no bodies, cannot die, and are usually not visible. They have understanding and can convey God’s will and protection to men. (Check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church for more info)

No matter how we imagine angels, from the smiling cherub with two wings and a shiny halo on a Precious Moments card to the scantily clad beauty with fluffy wings in a magazine ad, they are not human. Furthermore, humans cannot become angels when we die, but we can become saints! Whether you believe in them or not, angels are mentioned many times throughout the Bible. Psalm 91:11-12 says,

“For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Angels exist solely to praise God and carry out His will. God gives every person a guardian angel, a spiritual being that burns with love for Him and serves Him day and night. We can pray to our guardian angel for ourselves and for others, and with confidence we can know they will bring our love, messages and prayers to those of whom we are thinking. We must ask our angels, though, because they cannot read our minds.

A guardian angel is an amazing gift from God to you. They are always with you and yet still with God, and are sources of His power. Your guardian angel is waiting for an invitation to pray with you, help you to stay focused on God and to watch over you. Think of them as a heavenly police force, on duty to protect you and to serve God! (Read the article that inspired this post here)

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, my guardian dear,

To whom God’s love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side,

To light and guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Persecution in the Church

Here is our first podcast! Please listen to the Questions of Faith Blog talk about persecution, both past and present, in the Catholic and Christian Church.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Is the U.S. Military Targeting Christians?

In the wake of the recent government shutdown, many areas of civilian life have been affected. People are unable to visit national parks, receive survivor benefits for fallen military family members, and they also could have trouble getting their passports. Now, there are problems within the military as well.
The U.S. Military has furloughed as many as 50 Catholic chaplains due to the shutdown (Click here to read the full article on FoxNews.com). Currently, the government does not allow priests to perform Masses, even as volunteers, on base. "They risk being arrested if they attempt to do so," said John Schlageter, general counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services. Cybercast News Service (CNS) has confirmed this ban.

Questions abound as to why certain government services are considered necessary and others are not. The military's football teams played this weekend, but their church services were not performed. Bill Donohue of the Catholic League said, "It's a sad contrast when we can let a football game go on but we won't let a priest go on base and celebrate Mass."

The shutdown has delayed many of the regular services that the chaplains provide. "There is no doubt that furloughing of personnel hired or contracted to perform the duties of military chaplains is having an effect," Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said. "Just in this region, church services, baptisms, weddings have been curtailed."

Chaplains are part of the 800,000 federal employees staying home because of the shutdown. Under the law, federal employees cannot work while the government is not operational. This law is intended to protect employed persons from being forced to work for no pay.

Republicans offered a proposal on Thursday afternoon for raising the debt ceiling but President Obama "didn't say yes, didn't say no," said Representative Paul Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin and chairman of the House Budget Committee. "We agreed to continue talking and continue negotiating." Republicans are "back to the drawing board," but even if Congress does end up raising the debt ceiling, the 17 percent of government that is shut down will still not be open. There is no end in sight for the partial government shutdown which raises questions about what will be done to let the chaplains carry out their duties.

A glimmer of hope though, came on Saturday, October 5, with a House resolution (H.R.3223) which should allow chaplains to give prayer services on a volunteer basis.

Click here for Thursday's White House Press Briefing: