First Friday Reflection

Here at St. Anne in Seal Beach, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed after the 9 a.m. Mass and ends at 5 p.m. with Benediction.  This "Day of Adoration" occurs every first Friday.

I look forward to this day of adoration because that's my personal retreat day.  I spend my day in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Granted, I am still working (telecommuting), but I'm blessed that my main office is closed on Fridays (but as anyone in IT will tell you, when the main office is closed, that's when IT people go to work).  In fact, I am writing this blog entry in front of the Blessed Sacrament now.

In between checking on the computers and meditating on the Sacrament of Baptism (that's chapter 6 of Doors to the Sacred, for those of you in R220), I am challenged by the concept of infant baptism.  Before I go any further, disclaimer:  this is my musings only, not what the Catholic Church teaches, and as such I am totally open for discussions for or against.  Also, I haven't read the whole chapter, yet (it's so looong!), and so what I present here may be moot.

I was taught the concept of original sin, as I'm sure all of you also were taught.  I didn't really think much about it at the time.  I was maybe 7 or 8 and the thinking was:  Sister said it, it must be true.  That's basically the reason I was offered when I asked about infant baptism a few years later.  Since I've never challenged the concept of original sin, I haven't questioned why we baptize babies, either.  Until now.

As I understand it now, the only real reason why we want to baptize babies is to clean their soul of original sin.  So, if I accept the concept of original sin, then I shouldn't have any problem with infant baptism.  This is where it gets muddy.  Jesus died for our sins.  All of our sins.  That's all sins in the past, present, and future.  Where does it say that original sin is not part of that deal?

Bishop Kevin Vann's Blog

Our future Bishop is techno-savvy!  He got his own blog!

http://fwbishop.blogspot.com/

Do you think he'll change the blog's name to OCBishop after December 10?

Happy St. Francis feast day!
(yes, I'm looking your way Ciraulos)

Countdown to WHAT??!

In just over a year from now, God willing, us Joyful Servants will be ordained as the newest permanent deacons for the Diocese of Orange.  It's a scary thought, considering all that we have seen and been through. It's a "transcendental" experience!

I want for us to begin exchanging our thoughts, opinions, and any matter of interests using this blog so that we either can bond closer to each other or at least know whom to avoid!  Currently, this is an open blog and as such, any one can view the materials that is presented here.  If we'd rather keep this blog private, that could be done as well.  Just give a shout out of how you feel.  I for one feel that I need more critical examinations of my thoughts and opinions, and so I welcome inputs from anyone, Joyful Servants or not.

I am here but have no idea what I am doing.  Thanks for the reading assignment, Peter.  Hopefully I can make some sens out of it in time to submit my homeowrk by Mionday... Have a good weekend everyone!

Life Goes On

I can't remember the last time I wrote in this space.

Well, technically I could look at my last post but I decided to jump straight in and start writing.

Today is the memorial of St. Justin Martyr.  I know very little about him, so I'm not going to meditate on his life but rather on him being a devout convert.

Being a born into a Catholic family, I don't think I treasured my faith like St. Justin.  When I was maybe 7 or 8, I was given an illustrated bible and honestly, most of my Old Testament knowledge was based on fond memories of those action-drawn stories.  My faith was ignited by the heroic deeds of characters like David and Samson.  Sadly though, that's where my faith stay for most of my adult life.  I have very little memory of learning about Jesus outside Sunday's Gospel reading.  Paul was just a guy who got knocked off his horse (which I later found out that there was no mention of a horse!).  Yeah, sure, Jesus is in the wafer.  Jesus hears my confession through father who absolves me of my sins.  Jesus sees everything...  That's the basic catechetical knowledge I carried with me from childhood.  It's not much, but it was enough for me to believe in a demanding God-who-watches-and-records-everything-I-do-and-replay-them-as-evidence-when-I-stand-trial on judgement day.

So in my previous life, when I heard of people converting to the Christian faith, or worse (please don't quote me here), the Catholic faith, my first reaction is usually of shock:  "what? are you in your right mind? do you know what you're getting into?..."  Not very supportive.  Of course, outwardly I'm happily congratulating them on making a great decision, but inside I was thinking "Oh, you poor man/woman..."

Strange as it may, I started to admire the new converts.  They knew their faith and wear their belief on their sleeves.  I on the other hand, was embarrassed even to make the sign of the cross in public.  So I wondered (after many years of denying Christ in public) what is it that the convert got that I didn't get?  I mean, I believe in God, the Trinity, communion of Saints, etc., the whole profession of faith thing.  So, why is it that I don't profess or live my faith like what I "thought" I believed?

I got a hint of the answer when an non-Catholic evangelical asked me if I was saved.  "Of course I'm saved," I replied, "I believed in Jesus and the whole salvation thing!"  "You sure don't act like it," was his reply.  And so my long and windy road of conversion begins.

Agnostics more Christian than Catholics?

The Openers column for the November 13, 2011 issue of Our Sunday Visitor prompted me to look up this homily from Pope Benedict XVI delivered on September 25, 2011 (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20110925_freiburg_en.html):

 "...it is not words that matter, but deeds, deeds of conversion and faith....  agnostics, who are constantly exercised by the question of God, those who long for a pure heart but suffer on account of their sin, are closer to the Kingdom of God than believers whose life of faith is “routine” and who regard the Church merely as an institution, without letting it touch their hearts, or letting the faith touch their hearts."

I've recently encountered a few agnostics that lived up to the Pope's perspective.  These agnostics live their life in such an altruistic way that I'm almost shamed by my own lack of will to live out the Gospel message.  I said "almost" because I know of a few Christians that are truly living saints, and those are my model and hope for me and our Church at large.
So, in recognizing my own weak willed desire to truly follow the example of Jesus, I pray that Christ will give me the strength and courage to embrace the cross of humility, letting go of my attachments to entertainment, instant gratification, self-absorbed pride, digital idols, laziness, and a bunch of other worldly devices that constantly drag me away from my walk with Christ.

Adoring Friday

Is this the good life?  I really can't complain since I'm writing this in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  This week have been a whirlwind of activities, and I'm glad to be winding down in adoration.  I really wanted to lay all my concerns down at the feet of Jesus, but somehow I always seems to re-focus on what I need to do to resolve the situations that have been on my mind.  Here are some random thoughts floating around my head (I guess if I write them down, they'll be grounded and I'll be less distracted):  the catechist presentation, the Costa Mesa lot, praying for Rose, Rosalie, John; cohousing ideas, community expansion, groupwise user moves, backup vm, creating new vm, storage, ...

All this and the sniffle, too.  I don't know the reason why but every time the weather changes, I get the runny nose.  Am I allergic to the weather?

Thank you, Jesus.  I am glad you are here with me now.  I hear the rain outside and I am reminded how blessed I am to be here.  Help me to walk humbly and with a contrite heart.  I want to be your instrument of peace.  Quiet my heart and mind so that you can show me your way.