Pentecost

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Since today is the Feast of Pentecost, I felt I should talk about this day. Some history and other general stuff should suffice I think.

There are some important events that happened on Pentecost. For one, Pentecost is the official start of the Church in 33 AD. It was the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (and Mary) as tongues of fire which gave them the strength to begin spreading Christianity. It is pretty important feast.

During this day, the Apostles were still stuck in the Upper Room waiting for the Holy Spirit to come. It was a very nerve wracking time as the Apostles were worried that they would die just like their Lord. When the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles, they were filled with the strength to preach to the crowds that were coming into the city due to the Jewish feast. In fact, it was because of this festival that so many Christians were baptized on that very day. Due to the gift of tongues given by the Holy Spirit, they were able to communicate to all peoples from varying lands. It was a really great day for the Church.

Now in the modern era, the Church calendar still celebrates this feast on fifty days after Easter (well roughly since it will be on the closest Sunday). Since the day commemorates the Holy Spirit's descent, the liturgical color for this day is red instead of white. Also this feast is one of the most well-known examples of Confirmation as the gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to those in the Upper Room; one of the most famous gifts, the gift of tongues, displayed before the crowds leading the conversion of many. The Descent of the Holy Spirit is also the 3rd Glorious Mystery as well for the Rosary. 

God's Glory

"Gloria Dei est vivens homo." This is latin for "the Glory of God is the living man" a quote originally stated by Saint Irenaeus.  This is a statement which most people interoperate as "The Glory of God is man FULLY alive" This is because God wanted for us to live the best that we can and that is our true goal to please our Father.

But what does "The Glory of God is man fully alive" really mean? Well this means that each of us have calling, something which God calls us to do. Have you ever had that feeling that whatever you do not satisfy you enough as you would like? Well this is because you are not really being fulfilled. The only thing which can fulfill us is God, and if we don't move toward God calls us to do we are not living as fully alive. Because of Original Sin no man can be fully alive. Original Sin gave us the consequences of clouding our judgment and limiting will; therefore, no man can truly achieve call calls him to do.

Not being able to and not trying are two different things. Just because we fail at something doesn't mean we can't get close to achieving it. We must always strive to do what God calls us to do and eventually we might get very very very close, enough to be called that we are "fully alive". This is not mean that everyone should go become a priest. But we should all do what God calls us to do. Like if you are called to be a priest and become a priest. But if you're being called to be a surgeon or a accountant or lawyer then you should be what God calls you to do. 

We must always strive to do what we can please God. We must please Him and love Him. Simply the glory of God is man doing what God called for us to do and therefore live full lives in God.

Saint Ignatius Of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a local Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation. Loyola's devotion to the Catholic Church was characterized by absolute obedience to the Pope.

After being seriously wounded in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony inspired Loyola to abandon his previous military life and devote himself to labour for God, following the example of spiritual leaders such as Francis of Assisi. In September 1523, Loyola reached the Holy Land to settle there, but was sent back to Europe by the Franciscans.

Ignatius and a few followers bound themselves by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In 1539, they formed the Society of Jesus, approved in 1540 by Pope Paul III, as well as his Spiritual Exercises approved in 1548. Loyola also composed the Constitutions of the Society. He died in July 1556, was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1609, canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, and declared patron of all spiritual retreats by Pope Pius XI in 1922. Ignatius' feast day is celebrated on July 31. Ignatius is a foremost patron saint of soldiers, the Society of Jesus, the Basque Country, and the provinces of Guipúzcoa and Biscay.

St. Ignatius lived a very amazing life, from his career as a soldier and as a priest through his conversion and life as a priest. Ignatius never truly stopped being a soldier. He just instead of fighting for the kingdom of the Spanish king he fought for the kingdom of God. He swears allegiance to the King's representatives in the world, the pope. The Jesuits are the only religious group in the world who swore allegiance to the pope. He is an incredible role model for Jesuits and non-Jesuits alike.

Man Fully Alive

Today we'll examine the quote: "The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive" originally stated by St. Irenaeus.

Well certain things come to mind when the question is asked. What is 'Man Fully Alive'? Well it seems redundant and circular reasoning to say that it is the glory of God. That would lead us nowhere. So let's break it down bit by bit.

Man fully alive seems to suggest man being in the absolute state of doing what it was created for. The words 'fully alive' give the feeling of some sort of pinnacle, the highest order, a sort of utopia if you will. Well I would say then that to achieve this would be do fulfill what man was created for. That would certainly bring about a fullness withing one's self since man would be achieving its purpose. Now what exactly is that purpose?

Our very purpose is deeply written within our hearts. Due to natural law, we were born to be united back with God in Heaven. So to achieve being fully alive we would have to get to Heaven, but how exactly? Well, it would be doing what God wants us to do. Everybody is called to follow God's will; it is the universal call to holiness. Anyone can follow this in his/her own daily life. Whatever the vocation may be, all men are to serve one another to aid each other to get to Heaven.

Now let's look at the first part of the quote, "The Glory of God." Obviously this does not state that God is anything less than perfect. By the very definition, God is omnipotent, omniscient, etc. God is perfection itself. However, the glory of God is something that must be seen. Some people may never come to know God. The Glory of God is revealing Him to the world. This "glory" is the outward showing of God's existence upon the world.

Now to combine the two. "The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive." These two things together make a deep, profound statement. When man follows the will of God through his/her own universal call to holiness, the glory of God continues to spread. Also, man fulfilling his role in life manifests this glory upon the world linking people even closer to God.

The Glory of God is the visible manifestation of achieving the pinnacle point of what man was intended.

St. Isidore the Farmer

St. Isidore the Farmer

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer.

He was born in Madrid, Spain during the 2nd half of the 12th century. When he was young, he was hired by John de Vergas, a rather wealthy man, to work on his estate outside of the city. While there he married his wife, St. Marie de la Cabeza, and also had a child whom died still a child.

St. Isidore was an extremely devout religious man. He would get up in the mornings to go to church and even used his holidays from working to go to famous churches across Madrid. Even during his task of working as a farmer, he always prayed to God. His dedication towards God was so great that he often showed up late because of lingering at church for a long time. It is also said that he received many visions and that angels would help him during his work in the fields. He was also known to be a miracle worker in that he gave a miraculous amount of food to the poor. He also good with animals due to his time on the farm.

He died on May 15, 1130 which is why his feast day is today. Something interesting too is that he was canonized in the year of 1622 along with St. Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Due to his work he is the patron saint of farmers, Madrid, and even the United States National Rural Life Conference.

St. Ignatius of Laconi

St. Ignatius of Laconi

St. Ignatius of Laconi was born to a family of poor farmers in Laconi, Italy on December 17, 1701. Around the age of seventeen, he grew very ill to the point where he promised he would become a Franciscan if he became healed. After his malady disappeared, his father convinced him to wait. A few years after that, he almost died when he lost control of his horse until strangely it stopped and trotted on peacefully. This was a sign to Ignatius that this was divine intervention from God that saved him. Immediately following he fulfilled his promise of joining the Franciscans.

As a Franciscan brother, he did not stand out. Fifteen years of life went past while he worked in the weaving shed. After that, for forty years he became part of the order that was responsible for asking the people for donations for upkeep of the friars. It was during this time that people started growing attached to him. Ignatius comforted the sick and gave happiness towards the lonely. He was able to convert many men and offered terrific advice to those in sin. The people were so attached that they would wait for his visits.

This did not mean that there were always good days. Some people would reject him by slamming the door on him. Sometimes the weather was bad. There were miles of road to walk through everyday too. Through all this turmoil he persevered. However, there was one house that he would always skip. It was the house of a rich moneylender who made the poor return more money than they had. When this man told Ignatius's superior about this, the superior tasked him to go to the moneylender's house. He did not speak but followed. When he returned with a bag of food, God performed a miracle. The bag, when it was emptied, let loose blood dripping out. "This is the blood of the poor," Ignatius said. This led to all the friars to pray for the conversion of this moneylender's soul.

Ignatius died on the on May 11, 1781 at the age of 80. Pope Pius XII  canonized him as a saint in the year 1951.

Saint Juan Diego

Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin or Juan Diego (July 12, 1474–May 30, 1548) was a 16th century indigenous Native American from Mexico who said he saw a Marian apparition in 1531 now known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as Virgen de Guadalupe. The apparition has had a significant impact on the spread of the Catholic faith within Mexico. The Catholic Church canonized him in 2002 as its first indigenous American saint.

Altar Basilica of Lady Guadalupe

News of the apparition on Tepayac Hill spread quickly through Mexico; and in the seven years that followed, 1532 through 1538, the Indian people accepted the Spaniards and 8 million people were converted to the Catholic faith. According to Daniel Lynch, director of the Apostolate of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, "An amazing thing happened. Indians became reconciled to Spaniards. And we had a new race of people. Mixed blood. We called them "Mestizos". Our Lady of Guadalupe had appeared as a Mestiza. They call her the dark virgin, the little brown one.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, as the Virgin Mary came to be known in this context, still underpins the faith of many Catholics in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and she is recognized as patron saint of all the Americas. Interestingly, the years 1532 to 1538, which saw a large number of people join the Catholic Church in Mexico based on Juan Diego's vision, were right in the midst of the period of Protestant Reformation in Europe. Hence, as a large number of people left the Catholic Church in Europe, a large number of new Catholics appeared in Mexico, maintaining the overall strength of the Catholic Church. To this day, Latin America remains a major pillar of the Catholic Church.

Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II on July 31, 2002. Pope John Paul II praised Juan Diego for his simple faith nourished by catechesis and pictured him (who said to the Blessed Virgin Mary: "I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf") as a model of humility.

"I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf" -Juan Diego

Thought On the Homeless

A moving video posted on YouTube nearly a year ago is starting to get viral play now as the social news site Reddit is seeking out the homeless man it features, giving an honest account of what it feels like to be on the streets, looking for a job and to be called a bum. Ronald Davis of Chicago says in the video that he has been homeless for about a year and a half. The video was posted in July, so he has been homeless for at least two years now. He doesn't say why. He has slept under bridges, in cardboard boxes and on benches when he doesn't have enough money for the flophouse, a place where it costs $16 for 24 hours.

"I go fill out applications for a job and stuff. They look at me, you know, I'm not looking presentable and they 'well, we'll call you. Leave a number.' But how can I leave a number when I don't have a phone?" Davis says. It is interesting to me how this is a cycle in which it's very hard to leave. Davis lost his job and he did not have enough money to buy a suit in which he will eventually get a job. It is sad how most people take these people for granted, including myself. We must learn that behind every "bum" there is a depressing story in which we must learn to give. I'm not saying to give these people money every time you see them but maybe give them an opportunity give them hope maybe a job that you know of or a suit that you no longer wear. It makes a very big difference to them!

Next time you see a homeless man remember about Ronald Davis and treat him or her as if is he or she was a friend of yours. At the end he is your brother or sister. We are all children must God and we must treat each other as brothers. It is hard but we must. For it is God's will for us.

For the Homeless

This topic is a very important to the everyday Christian. Christians always talk about doing the charitable things, yet there are always things that get in the way of helping a fellow brother/sister in Christ.


To get an idea what I'm about
to talk about please look at this
 video on the right.

Now in today's society, most people tend to ignore the man on the street. Sure there are Good Samaritans everywhere, but the vast majority tend to just ignore them and go along with their everyday lives. Now I doubt people would just completely ignore someone who needs help, but there are always factors which separate them from ever lending an aid. For some people, whenever they donate money to the guy on the street, they find out the guy just ends up buying something like beer which kind of defeats the whole purpose of helping them. Then there are parents who tell their children to stay away due to concern over safety, staying clean, etc. Then there is also the stigma against these people as well. They are the 'unclean' of society; they are mostly made up of bums. However, stereotypes are stereotypes. Not all of these people are bums. There are good people with different stories to tell, so what is it our right to judge them? If we are Christians, we should always strive to help out the person on the street and be a support. That is something any ordinary person can achieve.

Even if we get past the whole boundary of helping these people, is it really a never ending cycle? People complain about these poor people being bums who do not want to get a job. That right there might be the misunderstanding. Sure there might be people who actually are bums, but would it not be hard for someone on the street to actually find a job. In this economy/society especially, it is hard to find jobs even if you look presentable and have a good resume. How hard do you think then would it be for the homeless person? It is because of this that leads into the cycle of giving aid to these homeless people without end. If we could give some sort of training or job then most of the good homeless people would be able to start supporting themselves. Then they would also be able to help contribute to society like they would wish to do.

It is one thing to say that we are Christians, and it is another to actually live as Christians. Even as simple as aiding the people under highways or on street corners is one way everyone can help spread the message of God. Do not let some sort of stigma from society affect how you can help out? Who knows, maybe that person who you just helped might help you back in the future? Either way, everyone is human and we each have a human dignity. To accept that means to do your part in helping things get better.

All are Welcome?

Okay so this post relates to my last post on the Woman Ordained as Priests
(see here: Woman Ordained as Priest?)
This time the question is "Is everyone truly welcomed into the Church?" (see this post here: All are Welcome?)

Now we should all know by now that the Catholic Church invites everyone to join them. Since Christ instituted the Church, any person is invited to join regardless of race, gender, etc. There is no discrimination between members since it is universal. This also leads into some major confusion however. Some people think it is unfair/incorrect for a group of people to say that all are welcome, but there are a bunch of rules to be followed.

Let me explain. First to get an idea, you could look at some of the comments to the article above. Some people hate the fact that all are welcome, but there are rules/regulations that the Church states. The Church does accept people that are homosexual, woman that are struggling with rape and leaning towards abortion among many of the more influential topics of today's society. This however does not change the fact that the Church will just accept the sin. The Church prays for the person with this condition, however the act in itself is only for a male and female. Even though the woman who was raped now has a child, all life is precious. Aborting the baby is killing. Even though there might be extenuating circumstances, this does not change some fundamental beliefs.

Here's what the real problem is in society. There are too many people who want to be a 'god.' Instead of conforming to God, they take the sin of pride and say that God should conform to them. In the case of the female ministers, they blame the Church because they look at the role of priesthood as an occupation rather than a vocation. Even though they might seem similar in terminology, they are different. An occupation is a job, but a vocation is a role that God calls you too. These people who do not accept this fact basically state, "I choose to ignore God and will do what I want." Sure these people may have the right heart, but it does not change the fact that they are slapping God in the face by choosing to go against him. Instead of looking at this objectively, they take everything personally and go with the flow of society. Instead of conforming to God, they choose to turn away from him by being better than him. This same fault can be seen all across the ages including the beginning with Adam and Eve. They wanted to be 'gods' so that they could be better than God. They freely chose to eat from the tree. Even though the times have changed, this same sin continues to burden society.

The Church does in fact accept anyone. Just don't go making the Church follow your own beliefs. If you want to point out flaws, go talk to the Church officials instead of just raging and abandoning your faith. If you so easily abandon it, either you lacked faith or you just did not care. There is always a reason, so be patient. Follow the will of God and you will find the truth.

In the end I veered off topic, but I do hope whomever reads this takes this to heart.

Women as Priests

This topic has been gaining ground across America and across the world. Should women be priests?

First, this article might help give some insight into the debate. Woman ordained as a priest

Okay I hope you read the article, because now it's time to get some thoughts out. Obviously the main debate is that Catholics feel there is an injustice in that the Church will not allow women priests. Now discrimination of gender is obviously bad, but this is not what God wanted.

Now how do we know this? Well, Christ himself chose twelve men who became known as the Apostles. Jesus created this hierarchy for the means of salvation to the world. The Church, which was instituted by Christ, cannot willfully disobey God's command.

The debate on this topic now comes largely in part due to Christ having female disciples that acted out higher roles. They delude themselves into thinking these famous Christian females were priests or deacons. This, they feel, gives further credibility for women priests. Also, these people feel that the Church should allow it to keep up with the modern era (this topic also leads into debates on abortion, birth control, and same-sex marriage). They say that Christ held no qualms against women, and they were even some of his closest disciples. They say Christ obviously only followed the customs of old (as in the time) which is why he only chose males.

Now for the Catholic's side. First off, most of this debate I personally find funny since these same people keep giving a double standard. They want the Church to modernize by changing some of its infallible decrees, yet they also critic on the Church on supposedly continuously adding new teachings that never should exist. The Church, because Christ chose twelve men and no women, only allows the sacrament of Holy Orders to be given out to men because that is how Christ instituted it.

It is also true Christ had close disciples in women, but stating that women were not chosen because of society is entirely untrue. Since when did Christ conform to society? Christ only obeyed the will of the Father and thus obeyed some Jewish customs too. However, when did Jesus allow himself to be stopped by society? He frequently stayed with the sinners, which is not at all conforming to society. He had some of the more unintelligent lot become Apostles. He even had a tax collector be one of his closest members whom everyone hated. If he wanted to, he would have chosen females to enter as Apostles. Since he did not, there must be some reason for it.

For those Catholics who still think that women should be ordained as priests, well you are entitled to your own opinion, but I would then say you are deluded in your beliefs. It may sound chauvinistic since a male is writing this, but it is either accepting this and staying with the Church Christ instituted or schisming from the Church. I for one will stay with the Church Christ instituted. None of us can declare what is right in the Church without the will of God, and I for will stay on that side.

Eucharistic Miracle: Lanciano, Italy 8th Century A.D.

One day in the eighth century, in the church dedicated to Saints Legontian and Domitian in Lanciano, a Basilian monk was celebrating Holy Mass in the Latin rite, with a host of unleavened bread. The monk started doubting the real and substantial presence of the Flesh and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the consecrated Holy Species. After having pronounced the words of Consecration (“This is My Body... This is My Blood”), as Jesus had taught it to His Apostles, the monk saw the host change into a living piece of Flesh, and the wine change into real blood, which thereupon coagulated and split into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size.

The Host-Flesh, as can be very distinctly observed today, has the same dimensions as the large host used today in the Latin church; it is light brown and appears rose-colored when lighted from the back. The Blood is coagulated and has an earthy color resembling the yellow of ochre.

During Sunday mass, the same thing takes place. The Church teaches that although the accidents(the visual aspects)  remain the same the core of the substance changes in a process called transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the process in which the bread and wine changes to flesh and blood. This process is usually internal, yet in this case the process was visual for the doubting monk to see.

It is impressive to me how God gives us answers to everything. If one doubts the real presence, he proves it.  God loves all of us and wants us to prosper! We should not take for granted the miracles that take place in our everyday lives: a bird singing; the sun rising; etc.... God gives us what we need when we need it, let us ask for nothing more!

The Seven Sacraments with Human Nature

The Seven Sacraments are a way of receiving Sanctifying Grace,grace has been defined as "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it the condescension or benevolence shown by God toward the human race It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved - that takes the form of divine favor, love and clemency.  Christ wishes for us to be saints and live for eternity with him. This is why he created the sacraments, so we can attain the grace necessary for salvation.  Christ make salvation available to us through the sacraments.

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do you just don't fell fulfilled? That is you body's longing for Christ. It is in our nature to seek for God. The sacraments are necessary tools for our salvation. They grant us the grace necessary for our nature to be fulfilled. So next time you have a longing for something, go to mass!

Catechumenate

The Catechumenate is the process for all those who wish to become members of the Church. Likewise, the person who is called a Catechumen while the community of such people and the actual time period until Baptism is called the Catechumenate. It originates from a Greek word which means 'learner.' This process is an undergoing of instruction and teachings of the Faith and preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation.

The original purpose of the process was to give a sort of first step in order to convert into Christianity. There has to be a time period in which people who willfully enter the Church must undergo instruction to properly know about the Faith. The Catechumen must understand what it is that entering the Church entails. Normally this process happened by initiating members at Easter Vigil, the night before Christ rose from the dead. This process then became restored by Vatican II in the process of RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).

Baptism by immersion

To understand this, we need to understand the Rite of Baptism. The entire Rite contains the actual pouring of water, a re-commitment of baptismal promises, a white candle, and white garments. The water not only symbolizes cleansing but taking part in the Paschal Mystery. This can be seen by Baptism through immersion since the person immerses himself/herself under the Holy Water and "rises again" to new life.

While the Eastern Rite gives out all three Sacraments of Initiation in a row, the Latin rite is somewhat different. Normally, a child of the Latin rite would be baptized as a baby. Once that child reaches the age of reason (meaning seven years old), they typically receive Eucharist. When they become older (middle school through high school [leaning towards high school]), the person finalizes his/her initiation by receiving Confirmation.

What about those who become baptized later?

This is where RCIA comes in. Since the Baptism is necessary for salvation, people must enter this process. RCIA is for all older minors and adults who have not received their initiation Sacraments. However, unlike those going through the standard route, anybody who takes RCIA follows the same school of thought by receiving all three Sacraments consecutively. The Catechumen will go through the process, listening to the Word of God, forms of prayer, etc. When they are ready to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, they will be baptized on the Easter Vigil Mass through a special ceremony on that day.

So it is never too late to be saved be saved. Anyone who wants to enter the Church under the right attitude can join the Church.

Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew was one of the 12 apostles. He is patron saint of fishermen, for he was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.

After the death of Christ, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed and it is believed that it was in the shape of an X for he believe to be unfit to die the same way Christ died. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.

Saint Andrew is without a doubt my favorite Saint. Most apostles lived non religious live previous to meeting Christ, but Saint Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist. He lived an inspiring life! Who is willing to suffer for 2 days straight for the faith of a dead person.


From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. -Luke 12:48

St. Lorenzo Ruiz

St. Lorenzo Ruiz- 1st Filipino Saint

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is one of the most widely regarded saints in the Philippines. He is the first Filipino saint and the first one to be martyred for his faith as a Catholic. 

He grew up in Manila around the 1600s and was taught under a Dominican schooling. He was very active in his faith during Masses as he grew up as an altar server and then moved up into a clerk-sacristan. He also joined the Confraternity of the Rosary. He earned his keep as a calligrapher meaning he was highly educated since during this time period, many were not even close to achieving greatness in this art. 

Some time later, he was accused of being involved in a criminal case (whether this was true or not was unclear). Due to this, he fled to Japan which was currently persecuting Christians. He was incarcerated along with his comrades. He was violently persecuted, but St. Lorenzo stayed steadfast in his faith and persevered and even told them that he was ready to die for the faith. He was hung by the gallows from his feet on September 27,1637. His body fell into a pit from this fall. He died of suffocation and bleeding after managing to hold on for two more days. 

Pope John Paul II beautified him along with his companions on February 18, 1981. They were all canonized on October 18 of that very same year. They all share the same feast day of September 28.

Mother Night: St. George and the Dragon

During an assignment I have to do for English, I read Kurt Vonnegut's novel Mother Night. During it I came across a chapter called called "St. George and the Dragon." I was immediately struck by curiosity for I did not know what this novel was referring to, so I decided to investigate.


The episode Saint George and the Dragon appended to the hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin, brought back with the Crusaders and retold with the courtly appurtenances belonging to the genre of Romance. The earliest known depictions of the motif are from tenth- or eleventh-century Cappadocia and eleventh-century Georgia; previously, in the iconography of Eastern Orthodoxy, George had been depicted as a soldier since at least the seventh century. The earliest known surviving narrative of the dragon episode is an eleventh-century Georgian text.
The dragon motif was first combined with the already standardised Passio Georgii in Vincent of Beauvais' encyclopedic Speculum Historiale, and then Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend (ca 1260) guaranteed its popularity in the later Middle Ages as a literary and pictorial subject. The legend gradually became part of the Christian traditions relating to Saint George and was used in many festivals thereafter.

St. George story is incredibly interesting and I hope you enjoyed it as much as me. My theology teacher became of that last week. I ask that we pray for him.

Thoughts on: 'The Church in the Life of the Faithful'

This will not be an ordinary post about saints or specific aspects of the Church in full detail. This will be a post explaining my thoughts on  'The Church in the Life of the Faithful' and all that I believe it entails.

The first few things to come to mind are the following: how does the Church affect the life of the faithful, how do the people respond the Church, how can Christians grow closer to being faithful, etc. Another thing would to actually define the word 'Church' in this case. Does it mean the body of members or does it mean the teaching authority given by Christ.

First off, I would say that this title probably refers to how Christians are called to serve. It is one thing to go to Mass, but it is another to spread the Word of God and follow the words "Ite, missa est" (literally:"Go, it is sent" or commonly known as "Go, the Mass has ended"). Just as the Church has the important role of being the instrument of salvation, it is just as important that the members of the faith grow in holiness and actually spread the faith instead of just going through the motions.

This is not to say that everyone has the same vocation. Even though we are called to holiness, each person also has a specific vocation whether they be a teacher, missionary, brother, sister, etc. Even though we all have a universal call, each person is different.

The title also implies something to do with how the Church celebrates the Mass. I would probably take that to mean the different Scriptures stated every three years through the liturgical years of A, B, and C. It would also imply how the Church celebrates specific Church holidays. Easter and Christmas automatically come to the forefront of my mind.

The last thing I would think would be about the Sacraments. The whole point of going to Church is to grow closer to God by receiving the graces necessary to be saved. I would say that would be an important part of how the Church affects the lives of the people.

Well, these are just my thoughts on the subject matter.

St. Irenaeus

St. Irenaeus of Lyons

St. Irenaeus was one of the most important people in the early Church to the point he was called one of the fathers of the Church.

He was born circa A.D.125 in a province in Asia Minor. There he   was influenced by another saint, Saint Polycarp. Sometime later he along with many priests and missionaries went to Gaul and formed a local church which would be the foundation of the church of Lyon. He served as a priest there under the bishop St. Pothinus. He was then sent in 177 to Rome. It is because of this that he avoided the persecutions in Lyons. When he got back, the persecution ended and he was sent to be the temporary bishopric.

During this time, Gnostic teachings had spread very far in Gaul. This prompted him to reveal the errors in these heresies. In five books he contrasted these heretical teachings vs. the true message passed on to the Apostles. Originally in Greek, once the writings spread, it was converted into Latin; this ultimately created the finishing blow to the teachings of Gnostics in that Gnosticism never again would be a serious threat to the Church.

It was assumed that his death year is 202 although it is not certain. The tomb/shrine that contained his bodily relics were destroyed by the Calvinists in 1562 making the relics seem to have perished. Although not considered a Doctor of the Church, he was still a pivotal saint that was the major contributor to defeating one of the great heresies of the time making him one of the most important saints in early Church history.

St. Cecilia

Well today I'm performing for a band concert at my school, and so I got the idea to write about the Patron Saint of music.

St. Cecilia-Patroness of Music

St. Cecilia lived between the 2nd and 3rd centuries in Rome. She was a very holy woman, who prayed to saints and angels alike to preserve her virginity. She was to be married by a young man named Valerian. She told her husband a secret which stated that there was an angel who kept her from harm. When asked if he could see it, she replied to become baptized.

After he was baptized by Pope S. Urban, he found his wife praying in a chamber guarded by an angel with flaming wings holding two crowns of roses and lilies.The angel placed the two crowns upon them and then vanished. Tibertius, Valerian's brother, saw these flowers during that season of the year, he too became baptized.

During this time Cecilia began converting 400 people whom Pope S. Urban baptized. Later, she was arrested and sent to be suffocated in a burning bath. Even though the fires burned their hottest, she would not perspire. After that a man was tasked with beheading her. After the man failed thrice, he left her to bleed to death. While she was bleeding, she converted many people whom also soaked up the blood with sponges or cloths. After that she died and was buried by Pope Urban.

Her feast day is November 22. The reason she is the patroness of music is that when she was compelled to marry her at the time pagan spouse Valerian, she heard heavenly music within her heart. This later grew and much music, art, and several festivals were made in honor of St. Cecilia.

The Church is Apostolic

As you probably know by now, there are four marks of the church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. I am going to talk about the church as Apostolic.

Pope Francis I riding bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The church is Apostolic in that it was founded by the apostles, led by the apostles, and taught by the apostles. Some might say that the apostles are not present today and therefore it is no longer apostolic, yet this is false. There's something called the apostolic succession. Every apostle before they died selected a successor. The apostle might have selected more than one successor. The pope is the successor of Peter the apostle. The Pope has the keys the kingdom and his infallible just asked St. Peter.  Today the successors of every apostle called bishops. Every bishop can follow his linage to one of the apostles.

There can only be a certain number of bishops under the age of 80 at any given time. Therefore they might be over 100 million bishops but there are only 200 under the age of eighty although that is highly unlikely. Bishops currently have the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles which is to teach, baptize, sanctify, and make disciples of all nations. If a bishop is good with his duties, he might be selected to be a cardinal. A cardinal is a specific type of bishop that is in charge of selecting a new pope. In these reasons, the Church is apostolic.

The Third Mark: Catholic

There are many things that come to mind when you hear the word Catholic. Automatically the Christian denomination appears as the forefront of people's minds, but Catholic doesn't just mean a religion. It comes from the Greek katholikos which means "universal." This perfectly describes the Church (and not just because it is called the Catholic Church).

There are two different reasons the Church is called Catholic. The first is that the Church is whole and complete, because Christ's unity with the Church has given it complete holiness. The second is because the Church has the universal authority to lead the universal mission by Christ for he said to his disciples to make disciples of all nations. Throughout the world, the same doctrine and teachings are all shared.

When the Apostles first began to separate into different corners of the world, they each began local churches which would be known today as dioceses. This does not mean that the universal Church is just a collection of all these different dioceses. Christ is present fully in each Church meaning that he transcends being international and fills time and space together. The universality of the Church extends to all which includes the  members united on earth, going through Purgatory, and in Heaven; all are joined together in Christ.

Even though the Church is universal, there are slight differences in the expressions of faith. This is not to say that the doctrines are different, but that some communities put certain emphasis on different aspects of the mass and prayers based on culture. These differences in celebration are known as the Catholic rites. Each rite has specific languages used for that region. These different rites can be traced as far back as the Apostles who originally built up these communities. Each Apostle has a different way of explaining Christ's message by just looking at the differences in Matthew's and John's Gospels. In total there are twenty-one rites including the most common in the West known as the Roman rite. The official language of the Roman rite is Latin which is why until Vatican II, the Mass was celebrated in Latin. The other rites already used different languages for example the Armenian rite uses classical Armenian which was used during the days of the early Church Fathers. Although there are differences in cultural forms, the Church is unified by this diversity.

Example of the church building for the Chaldean rite

The Catholic Church  is "Catholic" because Christ unites all her members with himself and that the mission granted by Christ is universal. There is no segregation or any distinction between all members of the faithful. It is universal in that all the members (including those in Purgatory or Heaven) are all united together in the Mystical Body of Christ. The Catholic faith has different rites expressing the diversity between all members of the faith, but all profess one universal mission. Thus the Catholic Church can state with confidence that it is indeed Catholic and list it as one of her marks.

The right destination, the wrong road

The attack on the twin towers in 2001 has been the greatest attack on US soil in the history of the US. The attack was directed by a group of "terrorists," yet the reason they make these attacks is because of religious extremist.

The other day and night theology class, we were talking about this very thing. Is doing good through evil actions and essentially good? Well if a person has the right intention and yet he does it in the wrong way it is wrong. For example: if a person wants money, there's nothing wrong with money. There are two roads you can take: rob a bank or work for it. There is nothing wrong with wanting money but there is if you rob a bank for it.

These terrorists are similar, they believe that what they're doing right. Like before they can meet these acts of terror, they are promised that by doing this they will please Allah and they will go to heaven. This is only a select group of people, religious extremists. Not all Muslims are terrorists, in fact most of them are good. Islam was founded on the teachings of the profet Mohammed.

The KKK (Ku Klux Klan), are a similar group. They are religious extremist who believe that what they're doing is correct. They want to achieve ethnic cleansing. They believe that specific religions or groups of people are unhuman and must be extinct. Today there was a terrorism attack in Boston, two dead dozens wounded. You might say who would do such a thing yet if you are up for the option of going to Heaven for a small price like the life of others, would you do it? I'm not supporting terrorist attack I am just simply asking that you do not judge them, for they believe that what they're doing is correct. Essentially is not your job to judge them God's.

View of the Saints and Angels: Catholic vs. Protestant

*This is a joint post by both the writers of this blog.

In Christian circles, the term 'saint' may refer to one of two different things. The first meaning of saint is a person who is born again as a Christian. The second, the one associated to Catholics, are the canonized saints, which the Catholic Church states these as people who are in heaven. Each denomination take different stances on the saints.

Before we talk about the different stances, we need to talk about mediators. A mediator is an intermediary between two parties. In this case, the subject is about if saints are mediators before God. For example: the Virgin Mary; she was the connection between divine and human that conceived Jesus.

One of the prominent thoughts from Protestant thoughts is that there is only one mediator which is Jesus.
"For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human who gave himself as ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:5-6). It is because of this line they feel that saints cannot be the mediators that carry intercessory prayers to God, since from this quote, only Jesus can.

In the Catholic faith though, we understand that Jesus is a unique mediator; he is the mediator of the New Covenant. Saints that offer intercessory aid for us does in no matter infringe on Christ's unique role. We can be assured by this because of the greatest saint: the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the feast of Cana, even though Jesus states that the hour has not arrived for him, Mary tells the servers to listen to Jesus. When Jesus obeys his mother's words, it is assured that intercessory prayers are acceptable before God.

On the topic of Mary, the views between Catholics and Protestants vary depending on the denomination. There are many denominations of Protestants who believe in the same truth about Mary in that she is the Mother of God or theotokos. However, there are some Protestants who do not accept this fact like the early religon/heresy Nestorianism. Most if not all denominations believe that she is a holy woman who is truly special, but the title given to Mary varies between denominations.

The last intercessory source going to be talked about are the angels. Surprisingly, there is actually very little differences between Catholic and Protestant views on angels. It is just that Catholics put more emphasis on the topic. For example, Catholics believe in the role of "Guardian Angels" and that they are assigned at conception to guide us. Protestants believe in the "Guardian Angels" but they usually do not care when they were assigned. Unlike Catholics who recognize the role of angels, Protestants know about it, yet seem to just  take them for granted.

Since angels are accepted by both, we can now talk about their role as mediators. Angels are not the traditional mediators that saints are; they have a different roles including being mediators. For example, the Archangel Gabriel was a messenger to Mary during the Annunciation. The "Guardian Angels" that are assigned to us have to role to lead and protect us, yet they also pray to God personally for us. This can be seen by the intercessory prayer, "All holy angels...Pray for us." That and since the three Archangels are saints, we can ask them to intercede directly like other saints by saying, "St. Michael...Pray for us."

As can be seen, Protestants and Catholics have some differing and also quite similar views on these subject matters. We hope that these facts inform you on the various thoughts related to these religious matters.

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales was one of the saints who preached during the times of the Protestant Reformation. He was French born in the year 1567. For thirteen years he knew he wanted to be a priest, yet when his father wished for him to be a soldier, he kept his lips closed on the subject. While doing his studies of law in Padua, he continued to keep silent about his wished while practicing mental prayer constantly. Even while his bishop stated that there would be a place for him, Francis continued to wait. He was patient and wanted to fully discern God's path for him.

God's long awaited call did happen during a journey on horseback. He fell three times; each time his sword and scabbard fell into the sign of the cross. He joined the priesthood and was elevated to provost of his diocese which was second in rank to the bishop.

Then St. Francis got the idea to convert 6,000 men who were Calvinists in Switzerland. His father refused to aid him, so the only people on his expedition were himself and his cousin. For three years, they faced cold winters and hardships from the people, yet not gaining one convert. After these three bitter years, even his cousin left him.

His virtue of patience rewarded him though. As he would be rejected at the doors of people, he put to use his great talents as a writer and slid his sermons underneath the doors of those who rejected him. (First recorded use of religious tracts used as communication.)

Parents still were wary of him, so he spread his message to the children. When he showed his care with the children, they began to warm to St. Francis.

He went on and began to convert many of these Calvinists along with many others. He is also quite known for his writing which was used in his mission of converting the masses. It is due to this he is known as a Doctor of the Church. St. Francis de Sales became an important saint through his talent for writing, but also for his silent patience and perseverance even during the bitterest of trials.

He is the patron saint of writers and his feast is January 24.

Guide to Saint Hood

While investigating about martyrs, I came across the guide to sainthood. I found them quite simple, yet they are the most complex events that one must participate that one will ever come across.

Blessed Pope John Paul II

 The Catholic Church teaches that there are 4 steps the becoming a Saint. One: after death, the college of bishops considers if this person should be considered a "Servant of God" usually on how holly their life (or death) was. When the subject arises that a person should be considered for Sainthood, a Bishop is placed in charge of the initial investigation of the person's life. If it is determined that the candidate is deemed worthy of further consideration, the Vatican grants a "Nihil Obstat." This is a Latin phrase that means "nothing hinders." Henceforth, the candidate is called a "Servant of God." This and all steps are omitted of he or she died in the name of God and he or she are immediately canonizes.

Two: The Church Official, a Postulator, who coordinates the process and serves as an advocate, must prove that the candidate lived heroic virtues. This is achieved through the collection of documents and testimonies that are collected and presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. When a candidate is approved, he or she earns the title of "Venerable, " meaning that he or she lived a life of sanctity but not enough to be considered a saint.  Three: The pearson is beatified and recognized as a "Blessed." This means that one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession has been recorded in addition to recognition of heroic virtue (or martyrdom in the case of a martyr).

Finally: Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification, though a Pope may waive these requirements. (A miracle is not required prior to a martyr’s beatification, but one is required before his or her canonization.) Once this second miracle has been received through the candidate's intercession, the Pope declares the person a "Saint."

“You can’t be a saint unless you live among the lepers.” -Ned Flanders

Angels as Saints

So since this blog is also to help people consider their Confirmation saints, I want to say something. Whenever I go up and ask if angels count as saints I get varied answers. Some implicitly state 'No' while others would say 'It depends.' It got me confused as to which saint I should pick as the one I was thinking was the Archangel Gabriel, the angel who revealed the Annunciation's message unto Mary. I personally have always been inspired by Gabriel, yet I wasn't even sure if I could choose Gabriel as my saint name.

I did some research and from what I can gather angels can be saints. The biggest example is St. Michael. He's known as the head of the angels, and is mostly called upon by the name St. Michael. The other two named Archangels, Gabriel and Raphael, are also considered saints. So the correct answer to my question was 'It depends' or anything that states some, etc. I was relieved so I chose St. Gabriel as my Confirmation saint.

Anyway, from what I can gather the main confusion stems from the fact that saints are considered humans. Even though the definition of a saint means an exceptionally holy person; this gives the thought that saints are humans (which is mostly true). Since angels have no physical body, it misconstrues the conception people have about saints. Most people tend to classify them as higher beings than humans. Most people feel more empathy with something like them (in this case humans). Though most Christians will agree that St. Michael is a saint and one of the most famous ones at that, the general thought is no. It also doesn't help that angels have their own hierarchy.

Usually people will take a little thought or reason to conclude their answer, because they have to weigh between St. Michael and all the other saints. Even Gabriel is mostly known as the Archangel and not the saint. I guess it's reasonable, but it is a conception which should be changed among Catholics.

So to all you in the process of picking a saint, don't be afraid to choose the three Archangels as saints; angels can be saints too.

Source:
http://www.myartprints.co.uk/kunst/anonym_venezianisch_oder_berg/1016233-1.jpg

St. Joan of Arc

Almost everyone knows St. Joan of Arc. But almost no one knows why she's a saint. Well St. Joan of Arc was born in France in January 6, 1412. She is the patroness of soldiers and of France. What is very rare about St. Joan of Arc is that at a very early age, she heard voices: those of St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret. At first the messages were personal and general. Then at last came the crowning order. In May, 1428, her voices told Joan to go to the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. For at that time the English king was after the throne of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, the chief rival of the French king, was siding with him and gobbling up evermore French territory. Seventeen year old Joan of Arc was given a small army with which she raised the seige of Orleans on May 8, 1429.

In May 1430, as she was attempting to relieve Compiegne, she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English when Charles and the French did nothing to save her. After months of imprisonment, she was tried at Rouen by a tribunal presided over by the infamous Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who hoped that the English would help him to become archbishop. When she refused to retract the assertion that it was the saints of God who had commanded her to do what she had done, she was condemned to death as a heretic, sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. Some thirty years later, she was exonerated of all guilt and she was ultimately canonized in 1920, making official what the people had known for centuries. 

Her feast day is May 30.

St. Joan of Arc is without a doubt one of my favorite Saints. She lived a truly inspirational, although short,  life.

"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying." -Joan of Arc 

All Saints Day

My friend brings up a very important point about saints. Why are they so anonymous? Sure there are some very famous saints like the Apostles, Joan of Arc, Thomas More and Aquinas, and St. Patrick, but what about all the other names on the wall so to speak. Since martyrs are sped through the process of canonization, do we know anything else about them besides this. Are they all just going to be forgotten compared to all the other names? Well the answer is no. Even those forgotten saints who may share feast days with other renown  saints are remembered on the Feast of All Saints.

The Feast of All Saints takes place on November 1 and is also a Holy Day of Obligation meaning you should attend Mass on that day even during the weekday. This day celebrates all the holy men and women who have dedicated their very lives to God. Even those that are unknown to us, but are known to God, are celebrated on this day. All the saints in the Church's about 2000 year history are all together honored on this day.

What I found interesting about All Saints Day was that the liturgical color is not red for the blood of all the martyrs. In fact, it's white.

This is due to a passage in Revelation: "I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;* they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). All saints have cleansed themselves to be with God. Even though plenty of saints have been martyred, the color white is celebrated on this day.

Martyrs

While trying to find states that are undermined, I am shocked of all the little information they have on most saints. I mean are they just trying to make fillers in the sense? Well researching I found out that most saints are martyrs and according to Christian tradition all martyrs are immediately canonized.  The first 10 Popes or so were saints because of this very reason. During the early years of the church records were not of most people. Still whenever a martyr is recognize it he or she is canonized. St. Florentius, feast day of April 6, what's a martyr in the fourth century. He was martyred with Geminianus and Saturus. They suffered at Sirmium. I find it curious that no matter how these people live their life and they died for Christ they are immediately canonized. I'm not saying that you should dying the name of Christ and you will be a saint. But I think how a person dies says a lot of of their state of mind. I mean if a person commits suicide he or she obviously has a troubled mind; if a person dies for Christ here she is obviously full of faith. I personally believe that if a person dies for his faith, he or she is obviously going to heaven, which essentially that's what a saint is: a person who the church is recognized is in the presence of God in heaven. So remember to always live your life to the holiest and try to keep God in your heart.

St. Vincent Ferrer

Today's feast we celebrate St. Vincent Ferrer. He was born in Valencia, Spain in the year 1350. When he became eighteen, he joined the Dominican Order. After much studying, he became a master of sacred theology. He spent reading Scripture for three years to the point of memorizing the Bible by heart. He was responsible for converting several Jews in Valencia. He grieved over the early schisms in the Church to the peak of death, but the Lord commanded him to convert sinners which he did for 21 years. He traveled across many countries in Europe in the process converting Jews, sinners, and heretics. It is said that even the most stubborn of sinners that came to him became future Saints as well. He is also been stated to have the gift of tongues due to the crowds understanding him when he only spoke in Spanish which is his native tongue. He died on April 5, 1419 at the age of sixty-nine. Pope Calixtus III canonized him as a saint on June 3, 1455.

The Three States

Everyone knows Christ defeated death on Easter. This is why Easter is the most significant season in the Church calendar. By doing this though, all the souls who have died before Him were divided into three states of being: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. With Christ's Resurrection, all the righteous people immediately went up with Him (e.g. St. Dismas the Good Thief who was crucified alongside Christ). Those who were good people, but still needing to repay their trespasses, are in the state of Purgatory, while those who denied the existence of God are in the state of Hell.

Now not to be confused, but these three states of being for the soul are considered places, but they are considered a condition (hence a state of being). It can be considered either.

Now before there were these three states, all the souls were in the 'location' of Sheol or Hades. All souls were put here when the physical body died (with one or two exceptions including Elijah). In this place, souls could be divided into two separate 'realms' so to speak. They were the 'Bosom of Abraham' (also called 'Paradise') and Gehenna. The 'Bosom of Abraham' was a reward to all the just and could be likened to the to an imperfect happiness since there was the absence of God yet people treat it as a synonym for Heaven. While on the other hand, all the evil souls were in Gehenna which could be considered the precedent to Hell. This concept is illustrated in Luke 16: 22-23 with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

Once Christ Resurrected though, all the holy people in the 'Bosom of Abraham' were brought into Heaven where an eternal state of happiness was met since they were in communion with God. Those in Gehenna are in Hell or in the state of eternal punishment. Hell is the state of being for the soul with eternal suffering because all souls seek to be in communion with God, and since they rejected God, they are forever suffering.  The last state is Purgatory where all the souls who have not freed themselves from their venial sins. They can however achieve the state of Heaven when their debt has been paid.

Now, all souls instead of being confined to the 'Bosom of Abraham' or Gehenna have a particular judgment which decrees where the soul in question will now go to whether it be Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.



Sources:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01055a.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm
http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/The-parable-of-Lazarus.jpg

April Fools

April first, also known as April fools, is a time of laughter and pranks. This day comes originally from a typo in a book published in 1325. It's called Canterbury Tales. The book originally serve the purpose of spreading the feast day of the Annunciation, March 25. But the author instead accidentally wrote March 32 or April. The author was mocked for his error and therefore we tease an prank each other on this date.

Today however is aslo the feast day of St. Cellach. Last hereditary archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, who named St. Malachy as his successor when he died on April 1 at Ardpatrick, in Munster. He was called Cellach Mc Aedh, a native of Ireland, possibly a Benedictine of Glastonbury, also called Celsus. Cellach taught at Oxford, England, until 1106, when he became the archbishop of Armagh at the age of twenty-six, serving there with distinction. In 1129 on a visitation of Munster he died and was buried in Lismore at his own request.

Holy Thursday

Catholics remember Holy Thursday as the day the Mass began. It's the first ever institution of the Eucharist, which means the first day in which Christians could celebrate and take part of eating the Body and Blood of Christ. It's a special day for the Church and also the first day of the Paschal Triduum. It has pretty interesting history itself and also helps with the lead up to Easter.

Two things immediately stick to the forefront for this day: first obviously the institution of the Eucharist, but the second is known to those who actually go the Holy Thursday vigils.

Before the Eucharist was shared, he was a servant to those around him. He started the feast by first taking on the role as servant. Jesus got down on his knees and washed the feet of the disciples with him. This is a profound sign of humility and one of the greatest examples of Christ's mission.

"You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13: 13-15)

"What would Jesus do?" In this moment we find the truth in Christ's mission was to serve. He was a respected teacher, master, Christ is the Lord, yet he humbled himself down to serve. As Christians we are called to follow in this manner. The mission began with Christ serving the Apostles, and this act of service is still passed on through the acts of many others who took up their cross and followed him.

Holy Thursday is also the feast in which Christ instituted the Eucharist in the Upper Room. The actual day for Jesus and his disciples was the celebration of the Jewish feast Passover. It was on this day that some of the most profound words were quoted by Jesus and said in Mass all over the world. 

“This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)

These words have shook the world ever since this day. Holy Thursday is the day that the Mass began. Church's everywhere proclaim these words during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So to cap it all off, Holy Thursday has two major things going. First the Washing of the Feet symbolizing Christ's message of serving others being put into action. Second, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is first celebrated so that all sins may be forgiven. These two acts are ways in which Christ himself has been able to show the depth of his love for all of us. So if Christ has done so much for us, should we not follow in his footsteps and serve others and/or bring the message of salvation to all?  

Sources:
http://www.edupics.com/maundy-thursday-last-supper-t21735.jpg
http://jaminism.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/lord-supper.jpg

St. Alexander of Bergamo

Today is the feast day of St. Alexander of Bergamo. He was either a Roman soldier or simply a Roman citizen around the year 300. He was killed from not renouncing his faith. It is surprising to me how something that important and that meaningful in this person's life can go overlooked for thousands of years. He's still a saint but I have a doubt that more than a few people know who he was. Everyone knows St. Peter and all the apostles.  Those are the "main saints", still how can we declare which saint is more important than the other. We as followers of Christ must know that all Saints are important therefore must be given credit for their sacrifice.  I'm not asking that you know what a day is everyday I'm just asking that you get informed every once in a while. You might be surprised some of their lives are very interesting like St. Ignatius of Antioch who was fed to the lions! Just remember that there are millions of Saints patrons of thousands of things.

Welcome!

Welcome! This blog will be about every day teachings of Christianity and how to Saints play a role in that part. It will also try to teach you about heaven and hell and what the church teaches about them. We will be posting five times a week for 8 weeks. We will also teach what one regular high school student in a Catholic high school learns in his second year of the theology. This blog is composed of two authors; we will also try to educate young teenagers getting ready for confirmation on what names they could choose and why. Thanks for following us and we will see you tomorrow.