Is God's Love Truly Unconditional?

Christianity is founded on the love of God for His fallen creation. The Catholic Church teaches its followers that God's love is unconditional - there is nothing that we could do to stop God from loving us! But is it all true? And if it is, then why do catholics, and Christians in General, have to obey so many Commandments, and observe Penance and other obligatory devotions? Don't we do all those things to get God to love us?

Redemption, Salvation and the Pope

Recently Pope Francis made headlines all across the media when many reported that the Pope has preached Salvation by works. Here is what the Pope said:

“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there."

Catholic Church has long been teaching that we are saved by the grace of God and not by our works. Many of the secular media has used the Pope's speech to imply that the new Pope has a very liberal attitude when it comes to faith. In other words, it seems that the Pope is contradicting the teachings of his predecessors and is more in line with the modern day thought that being good is all that's required of human beings. Did Pope Francis err in his speech or has the Church changed its teaching?

The Spy Amongst Us

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Judas went to the chief priests and agreed to hand over Jesus to them for thirty pieces of silver (cf. Matthew 26). In the Church, the Wednesday before the Passover goes by the name Spy Wednesday. Jesus now has a spy in his camp, somebody who is seeking an opportunity to betray his Master when the time is right. 

When I heard this during the homily this morning, I thought what a horrible thing - it is really hard to fathom how an all-knowing Jesus felt knowing fully well that Judas is a spy. Then I read the following commentary by Origen (185-254 AD), a Bible scholar and early Church father:

You will not be overcome

What do you do when nothing make sense; when plans fall apart and all seems to be ruined? The temptation to despair is ever present in our lives. And most of the time, it is the easiest path to take. But for an outsider looking in, it is hard to figure out why those in despair could not just find happiness in things that they have, rather than worrying about things they want, until it hit home, when they themselves become desperate. Sinking fast into an abyss of negative thoughts, they too will soon realize that when expectations fall apart, senselessness becomes the only behavior that make sense. So is hope a bad thing? Is it better not to hope at all? But is it even possible to not to have hope?

Who is Jane Roe?

Over the last few weeks, I had an opportunity to read a lot (but probably not enough) about the U.S. Supreme court's landmark decision regarding the issue of abortion. By voting in favor of Jane Roe versus the defendant Henry Wade, the Court extended the due process clause of the 14th amendment to give women right to have privacy while considering abortion. The defendant Henry Wade was the Dallas county district attorney at the time. Jane Roe was the pseudonym used to protect the identity of the plaintiff in this case. While writing my last post, Heal me Lord with your Word, I got curious about the identity of Jane Roe, and did some digging since. I must admit that the description of Jane Roe leading up to the Supreme Court's decision might seem harsh, even judgmental. But her story in its entirety must be told in order for us to understand  the God of Joseph, a God who could take any evil and turn it into good for the salvation of many. 

Heal me Lord with your Word

If you were to ask me a year and a half ago, while having a good time with my buddies on a weekend, about my opinion on Catholicism, this is what my response would have been:

What's wrong with these catholics? Not all of them, I mean. Most of the catholics are good people - they come to church once a week on Sundays and leave their faith at the door as they exit the church. They, then, go on with their normal life. Such catholics are easy to be around - at times they might even share a joke about the priest or about confession. They don't mind bending the rules from time to time; they lie and gossip; they drink to get drunk; they have no problem with other peoples' sexual orientation; they could care less about abortion and contraception. Unless you see them on any given Sunday at the church, you could never even tell that they are catholics. They are the good catholics.

Is there a God?

"How do you know God exists?" It is a simple question with both a simple and complicated answer. It is simple for a faithful believer because faith is believing in something or someone you cannot see, or accepting something that cannot be proven as true. Faith doesn't require proof, or you don't need faith to believe in something already proven. Majority of the religious believers regardless of whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu accept the existence of God not due to revelations, but because of their faith. 

My problem with "My Jesus"

Jesus is a lot more than the God-made-man and the Redeemer for most of His followers. By taking a human form, Jesus encourages us to have a personal relationship with Him - something we don't quite able to do with God the Father or the Holy Spirit. "My Jesus" is a term we are very much comfortable with especially in times of sorrows and troubles. Having an understanding that Jesus is with us in our sufferings and sorrows help us to cope with it better. 

The Fear of Losing

King Herod could be a perfect icon for fear. It would be an understatement to say that he ruled Israel and Judea with an iron fist - an iron heart would be more appropriate. If you look for the cause for him to spread fear among everybody associated, the reasoning will bring you back to where you started - fear. In fear Herod kept everybody under fear to maintain his power and possessions, and to achieve more. This fear compelled him to murder one of his wives, one brother, several brother-in-laws, and three of his sons. This fear also enabled him to command his soldiers to slaughter all kids two years and younger in and around Bethlehem. The Church today remembers those innocent lives lost as the Feast of the Holy Innocents - the first martyrs in the name of Christ. 

Pope's homily: Find time for God in our daily hustle

Last week I was in a state of despair when I wrote Rejecting Jesus. And I knew right away that it was the Holy Spirit showing me the cause of my sorrow - I put too much emphasis on the creation, but not enough on the Creator. The Pope during his homily on Christmas Eve emphasized the same thing, but in a much eloquent way than I did or I ever could. Here  is the homily of Pope Benedict XVI:

Christmas without Christ

I stayed away from blogging for a couple of days to prepare a talk for the Faith Forum discussion at our Church. I must say that I worked really hard for it, picked apart the hard language of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and came up with a talk about the mystery behind the simple and inglorious birth of Jesus. Then came the disappointing part - I had three people in attendance to listen to the talk! It turned out people were too busy to come to church an hour early because all of them were busy getting ready for Christmas. Some even suggested that it was really not a good idea to schedule a talk a day before Christmas - even though the talk was about Jesus' birth. I am sorry if I sound bitter, but am I the only fool to see the irony here? We are too busy preparing for the birth of our Savior, but what about the Savior who is already here?

There will be blood

A school, especially an elementary school, would easily be considered as a safe haven for kids. It is an essential place in the development of any kid - a place where we learn to adapt to our life, with the help of grown ups. A classroom is also a place where kids naturally feel  safe. A nation is in pain and the world shocked upon hearing about a coldblooded killer who trespassed into the safety zone of kids only to shoot them point blank one after the other. We are outraged about the senselessness and insanity associated with the incident. We can feel our stomach churn while looking at the pictures of the innocent lives that were taken away for no apparent reasons. Without taking anything away from the pain and sufferings of that community, I must ask, "Are we truly upset and outraged about the murder of the most defenseless of our citizens in a place where they should be most protected?"

I failed to see the "Light" in Lucy

On Wednesday of this week I tried to write a new article only to realize that I am running on empty - I had nothing to write about. That never happened before since I started blogging. So I decided to wait it out and did my usual readings hoping to get a spark. But nothing. Could it be that I have done or wrote something horrible that God deemed me not worthy to write anymore, the doubter in me began to poke its ugly head by the evening. I usually resort to praying when the doubter shows up since I don't know how else to combat him. Then I had an inspiration to write about "light". And it made sense because we are in the Advent season, the Season of light. So I did that last article "Let there be light". But I felt something missing from that article, as if that's not what I was suppose to write. But I didn't know what else to write about light, so I left it alone.

Let There be Light

Book of Genesis says that in the beginning, when God created the universe, it was darkness everywhere and there was no form or shape to be found anywhere. "Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light" (1:3). Thus the story of creation. There are too many arguments for and against the Biblical narration of creation. But that's not what I want to talk about today - I just want to talk about light.

Wait Santa, I am Not Ready

The Jesse Tree (Jesse is the father of King David)
A depiction of genealogy of Christ

December is here and it is Christmas time! For most of us December is a month of festivities and happiness. I can't think about any other celebration that has a universal appeal like Christmas does. People regardless of their faith, in some form, celebrate Christmas. It could be a couple of lights outside their house; it could be taking advantage of the promotions of the season and buying something new; it could be making a charitable donation by tossing couple of dollars into a Salvation Army bucket. Knowingly or unknowingly, we all participate in the spirit of Christmas, it is hard not to. And we should, all of us should regardless of our beliefs and religion. But is that enough for those who call themselves Christians? Should Christians be satisfied with Christmas trees, lights and decorations along with Santa Claus and Christmas carols, just like our Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist neighbors? Do we need to do anything different during Christmas season to distinguish ourselves as Christians, followers of Christ?

The Catholic church celebrate the season of Advent which extends four Sundays before Christmas. It is a time of preparation . Advent means "to come to", and it refers to the coming of Christ.

False Advertisement

I can't remember the last time somebody criticized me for something I did! Growing up, people considered me as the creme of the crop. Mothers of rogue little ones used me as a measuring stick to spank the bottoms of little rascals they were bringing up. Though I never asked to be the poster boy for Goody two-shoes, I never objected it either. And to my credit, I have always tried my best to keep up with my image. I must say that I almost succeeded in convincing everybody that I am not too far off from being immaculate. The problem was that I was anything but the perception of what I was. I too did everything just like everybody else of my age - watched movies inappropriate for a kid, tried smoking as a teenager, tasted Johnny Walker as a young adult, all the while staring at girls. Unlike many of my poor friends who got branded with bad reputation, I did it when no one was looking. You see, I had a reputation to keep up with, the other guys didn't. I did it smartly, the others were careless. 

One of the problems with 'trying to be somebody you are not' or 'trying to appear to be somebody better than you actually are' is the enormous pressure it comes with. It is like walking around with a blinking light on the top of your head, you are constantly being reminded that you are the object of attention. Everybody from the barber who cuts your hair to your kindergarten teacher takes pride in knowing you, for having an acquaintance with you. On one hand you are being elevated by the cause of joy for many, but on the other hand you are being stampeded by the guilt of deception and fear of getting caught. 

To hide is human. The problem is humans also like to put on a show. From a seventy year old retiree who dyes his hair to hide gray to a twenty something executive who chews on mint to cover up alcoholic breath, we all like to put on a show of our good side. We chase perfection not because we love it, but because we are playing 'keeping up with Joneses'. We want to fit into the utopian society, knowing fully well that the society is made up of individuals just like us - dirty on the inside, clean outside. We are husbands and wives who constantly fight behind closed doors, but participates in and wins Best Couples competition. We are parents who spend entire day lecturing kids about putting on good behavior at the dinner table just for one night only because we have guests. We are good citizens who watch porn at the privacy of our homes and speaks passionately against abuse of women and children on open stage. We nod our head in agreement when we hear Jesus sharply criticizing the Pharisees without ever realizing that He called us "white washed graves" - dirty inside, clean outside. 

So what am I supposed to do, live like an open notebook and let everybody make fun of me? That takes a lot of guts, but I am not that courageous. I believe the the best solution is Confession - that's right, tell the priest. Here's why: In the Book of Genesis, it clearly says that man and woman were naked after creation (Genesis 2:25). On the top of the surface, this is unwanted information unless you are planning to make a NC-17 rated bible movie. But for our purpose here, this information is a useful tool to compare the immediate action of Adam and Eve upon committing the original sin: "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves" (Genesis 3:7). Adam and Eve committed a sin and their eyes were opened, the immediate reaction was to cover up. The nakedness wasn't just physical, it was also spiritual. This is what happens to us also - the Holy Spirit that dwells in us opens our eyes every time we do something against the will of God. This is not supposed to be a negative thing, it is our Creator's way of telling us to turn away from those actions. What we do is that every time God opens our eyes to see our transgressions, we put a cover over it. The old saying goes, "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig". We can cover up our sins to preserve the image of the poster child, but that doesn't get us anywhere with God, "For the Lord explore the mind and test the heart, Giving to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their deeds" (Jeremiah 17:10). 

The beauty about Catholic confession to a priest is that we are confessing our transgressions to two people at the same time - the priest is the representative of God on earth, and he is also our neighbor. Through confession, even if it is confessing the same sin over and over again, we are exposing ourselves to God in the heavens and also to our neighbor here on earth. In doing so, we are allowing God's grace to work with in us. It strengthens us to withstand temptations, and to recover from addictions. Soon there will be nothing to hide, and we will be able to open our lives to others and let them see hearts filled with saving grace of Lord our God. 

                 "For thus says the high and lofty One,

                       the One who dwells forever, whose name is holy:

                  I dwell in a high and holy place,

                       but also with the contrite and lowly of the spirit,

                  To revive the spirit of the lowly,

                       to revive the heart of the crushed.

                  For I will not accuse forever,

                       nor always be angry;

                  For without me their spirit fails,

                       the life breath that I have given." (Isaiah 57:15,16)

Catholics are smart

Catholics are smart, we have found an easy way into heaven - through purgatory. What I mean is that we no longer try to get directly to heaven - it is hard, and there is no certainty that anything that you do will take you straight to heaven. We understood what Jesus meant when He said, "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I will tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough" (Luke 13:24). We understand perfectly that it is easier to go to hell than to get to heaven. And we know this because we have been told so by our parents, catechism teachers, and every other grown up that we ever met who had the good fortune of getting a healthy dose of baptismal water on their forehead. Catholicism we know is a religion of do's and don'ts, a lot more don'ts than do's. 

Looking back at my religious education in a town where 90% of the population was Catholic, I don't remember anybody ever talking about what one should do in order to enter heaven. We were all taught about ways to avoid hell. Churches were overflowing on Sundays and nearly empty on other days - to avoid hell you need to attend Sunday mass. Sacraments were of utmost importance - neither the parents nor the nuns at the local convent want to go to hell for not enrolling or preparing the kids for Holy Communion or Confirmation. As Catholics, we believe that observing sacraments, along with avoiding cardinal sins, will keep hell away. We also have learned from our experience that lying, gossiping, cheating, tax evasion are all part of being a decent Catholic. We know that there are consequences for those things, but they don't land you in hell. Hell is for serial killers and rapists, my little transgressions will guarantee me a place in purgatory, and purgatory is not bad, it is only a temporary place of stay before entering heaven. We have accepted it as a reality that the teachings of Jesus Christ are a bit too much for an ordinary human being to follow; life according the Word of God is no fun. It is impossible to follow Christ in His path, so I will just be a Catholic and go through with the actions - keeping the rules and regulations of the Church. 

Evangelization is somewhat of an unfamiliar word for Catholics. When we hear evangelization, we think of missionary priests or the obnoxious Pentecostal preacher who keeps knocking on your door. But what really is this evangelization? "Evangel" is nothing but another word for the Good News, and what is the Good News? Again the answer is simple, Jesus Christ is the Good News. Evangelization is hearing Jesus Christ, and knowing Him in a personal way. Now that's not Catholic way dealing with Jesus, one might argue. But what is it that Pope Benedict XVI talks about when he say things like, "new evangelization for the transmission of Christian faith ... to help these people encounter the Lord, who alone fills our existence with deep meaning and peace; and to favor the rediscovery of the faith, that source of grace which brings joy and hope to personal, family and social life” (Homily for the Eucharistic celebration for the solemn inauguration of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Rome, 7 October 2012). Could it be that the Pope is trying to remind us that Catholic faith is not about rules, regulations and set devotions, it is about the encounter with Christ - in this life, not just after life? 

Salvation begins when we welcome Jesus into our lives as our Savior. It begins on earth when we are alive. The good news of salvation as narrated in the gospels are about encounters of people with Jesus, and how their lives were changed after the encounter. When you meet Jesus with an open heart, the change is profound - it is meeting God at wherever you are, and Him guiding you to wherever you should be. And Jesus envision all of us to be in the Kingdom of God, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace and joy in holy spirit" (Romans 14:17). God didn't send His only begotten Son to us as a sacrificial lamb so that we all could gather around the bonfire at the purgatory, He wants us to enjoy the freedom that His Son bought us with His own blood, in this life and in the afterlife, into eternity. We are called to be saints, to live the gospel in our everyday life. We are to lead others to Christ by transforming our lives in a radical way, and compelling others to seek righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy spirit by leading the way. Purgatory is not our hope, and we don't put our trust in the prayers of our family members to get us out of purgatory; instead we "strive to enter through the narrow door". We put our hope in our encounter with Jesus Christ himself, for "I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved" (John 10:9). 

"By your stubbornness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will repay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness." (Romans 2:5-8)

"Master, I Want to See"

While listening to Mark's gospel about how Jesus gave Bartimaeus his sight back, I was a little surprised by the question that Jesus posed to the poor blind man, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51). Though I have heard and read this passage many times in the past, never before it struck me as an odd question. As a blind man begging for alms, his disability and his need couldn't be anymore obvious - the man wants his sight back. He has already shown enough humility and trust in Jesus by his persistence, even when the crowd was annoyed at him for disturbing Jesus. Why would Jesus want to hear from the man the obvious?

Faith and Works

Ever did any good deeds hoping to erase the effects of sin, like donating money or time to the Church or a charity as a self-prescribed penance? I know I have - one of the reasons I started this blog was to bring people back to faith, in return for the many I have taken away from faith. For me, it was a reasonable thought process - I have done something bad, now I want to correct it and hope that God would forgive me for what I have done. But now that I said it like that I sense something wrong with it, I feel something divine in that statement, as if I am doing God's job. St. Paul said it the best: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9), and I just did the opposite. I picked out some of the horrendous things I have done and tried to make up for it with time and money. But now I am confused - if I am to quit doing everything I have been doing since my "conversion" because none of that is required of me to earn good credits with God, then what is the difference between me of the old and me of the new. If I get up in the morning everyday, kneel down in front of the Crucifix and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, then go on with my life as I have in the past, that would make me a good Christian, really?

I know that I am a sinner, and I am glad

Are you one of those people who give great emphasis to living a perfect life? Are you obsessed with your image - wanting people to admire your morality and values in life? Do you observe your religious duties meticulously - giving great emphasis to saying the right prayers, hoping that God would be pleased? How about charity - do you feel necessary to be recognized by others for your generosity, want to be counted as a righteous and upright one?  Then Jesus got news for you: "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are  entering the kingdom of God before you" (Matthew 21:31)!