Reflections: The Summons

Well, it's nearly the end of my planned time blogging on The Summons. The original purpose of this blog was for a Theology project, and although I did not always keep up with post updates, I did enjoy writing posts as I gradually caught up to my quota. The Summons has given me an opportunity to reflect what I have learned in class and apply it toward the theme of holiness. This will be my last post on here, but I plan to keep this blog open for any potential readers, that they may find my work useful and apply it to their journey toward holiness, and most especially, toward becoming a man fully alive. 

However, before I close, I would like to answer why I titled my blog "The Summons." In the Holy Liturgy, The Summons is the title to one of my favorite liturgical songs, and it fits perfectly with the theme of this blog: to reflect and inspire all of us who are on the pilgrimage to holiness. I listen to it, and I instantaneously feel enlightened and empowered to follow Christ. I listen, and I know what it takes to follow Him. I listen, and I know that I truly love Christ. 

Thank you all for reading; it has been a good run. I have truly enjoyed writing for all of you, and hope that maybe one day, I will revive The Summons, and continue reflecting and inspiring you all on your path to holiness. Thank you and God bless. 

Holiness: Man Fully Alive

"The glory of God is man fully alive" - St. Iranaeus

What on earth does this quote mean? What is man fully alive? How is it the glory of God?

From the very beginning of creation, God intended for us to be in communion, communion with the birds, the fish, the animals, with each other, and especially with Himself. God created the world free of sin. All existed in perfect harmony in the garden of Eden. However, Adam and Eve, the first humans, ruptured this state of perfection, by taking fruit from the Tree of Life and consuming it, despite explicit instructions in refraining from doing so. On top of that, Adam and Eve lied to God when He questioned them, and put the blame for the deed on each other and ultimately the serpent.

From then on, all descendants of Adam and Eve would be plagued by Original Sin. Concupiscence, which is the tendency to sin, will govern us for generations. From Noah, to Abraham, to David, God works with us. After the flood and events with Noah, God sees the potential for good in us, and begins guiding us. For no other reason than love, God raises us out of the deep, endless pit of sin that we have fallen into; He raises us up higher than we were before Original Sin. Through the savior Jesus Christ, we were freed from sin, and are able to know and love God not as a transcendent being, but as our King, our savior, our friend, and especially our Father and brother.

God sending His son, Christ, to die for our sake, and rising and freeing us from our greatest enemy: sin, could not have been anything but a gesture out of love. God stuck by us, despite all the damage we have caused, and has raised us up higher than we have ever been. Yet after all this, God continues to give us free choice. God loves us so much that after all this work He has put in, He respects us and loves us so much that He is once again giving us the choice to grab hold of His hand, and climb out of the pit of sin and death, or fall back into pitch black emptiness.

"The glory of God" refers to the love that God has for us, and His desire for us to be with Him. "Man fully alive" is us, all of us, from Adam and Eve until the end of time, accepting His love, accepting His grace, dwelling with Him in heaven.

Reflections: The Priesthood

More people are joining the priesthood. Isn't that contrary to today's society? According to this article, it's not.

One would typically that the Catholic Church is rapidly shrinking, especially in the United States. America's "free society" would typically be thought of as a breeding ground for atheism, selfishness, greed. However, contrary to this, America has become a birthplace for many young priests who wish to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Ironic isn't it?

As stated by Brett Meltzer in the article, "I think that's why so many people come into the seminary and so many of the youth is starting to go to church now. Because they're realizing that fulfillment and happiness isn't found in what the culture is telling them it's found in." The "culture" Brett is referring to is the widespread American belief that salvation is found from within, that self-improvement comes from ourselves. Obviously this is an extremely errant view. Salvation, from our part, requires faith. It requires giving ourselves to God, as Brett has done, and letting Him take over. Ultimately, God himself is the only one who can bride the gap created by sin.

Giving oneself to God is a wondrous experience, and is rewarding in more ways than one could imagine. God is calling several of us to join His mission, and help combat the atheism, selfishness, and greed that plaques America today. Brett, among one of them, has answered this call, and serves as an example that all of us are called into a life holiness.

Reflections: Fishers of Men

What makes a hero? Does it have to be a man in a cape? Do they have to have superpowers?

Heroes exist. They can be as obvious as a soldier fighting for freedom, or a parent raising their child the right way. However, would you ever think of a priest as a hero? Personally, the thought never came to mind. But after watching Fishers of Men, I have a new perspective on the priesthood.

The priesthood is not glorious, nor is it rewarding in the sense that you are frequently praised for your efforts. The priesthood is a special calling. Priests are unique. Living a life of Christ is not easy, and these select few men are called by God to give their own lives in example to others, and do so every second of every day. Priests are called to be in service to others. They are able to intimately bond with their communities, and be there for them, be part of the special moments of their life. Priests are there when you are born, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Priests are there to confirm them, they're there when they get married, they're there when they fall ill, they're there when they have greatly sinned and need reconciliation. Every step of the way priests are with us, teaching us and guiding us.

A hero is not defined by the amount of glamour he or she receives, nor the bad guys they defeat, but rather, they are defined by the deeds they do in service of others. Priests are heroes. They don't need a fancy cape, just Christ. They don't need superpowers; they have Christ. Priests live their entire life to be in service for us, to be there in our moments of need, and to bring us closer to God every Sunday. They are an example of what good we can accomplish in service of others; they are teachers.

Holiness: Confession

Sin is an infinite offense against God. We all sin, and as a result, there is an infinite gap between us and God that only continues to grow bigger and wider with every sin we commit. How are we to bridge this gap? We humans are finite; God is infinite. Therefore, only God himself is able to bridge this infinite gap. 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession, offers us an opportunity to receive God's grace. To take part first requires an "I'm sorry." A perfect contrition, or sorrowfulness, is feeling truly sorry for your sins and taking responsibility for it. Imperfect contrition is technically being sorry, however, one does not yet fully grasp the severity of the offense. Whether imperfect or perfect, confession requires at least one. 

Confession is an intimate experience. You feel sorry, and you share your sins with a priest. The priest is acting in persona Christi, or "in the person of Christ." So essentially, you are talking directly to God himself. This allows for a special intimacy to occur, and further builds our relationship with God, hence the term "reconciliation." 

Holiness: Responsibility

What is so difficult about taking responsibility for our own actions? Why are we afraid to admit that we made an honest mistake?

Mistakes, failures, all a part of life. With every up must come a down. Like with the Great Depression. The US economy steadily grew and grew, but with all that upward growth must come a downward spiral.

Everyone makes mistakes, so what makes us so afraid of the responsibility? The shame, the feeling of failure, perhaps. But, the experience allows for growth. I mean, what if we had not learned not to put our hands on hot objects? Who knows? Maybe eventually we would have stuck our whole arm on the stove and set ourselves on fire. Mistakes are a part of life and growth. Part of making a mistake is the responsibility that goes along with it. Accepting responsibility shows maturity, that we are able to say "yes I accept the consequences, and I have learned from this experience." Through this, we are able to learn and grow into better men and women, and eventually bring upon our children, and even grandchildren, the lessons we have learned from our past mistakes.

Holiness: Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship. An aspect that is all too often forgotten in modern-day sports. I recall a lecture that my coach gave us earlier this year, the day after one of our first Water Polo games of the season. The day before, our varsity had beaten a team 18-0. But was this really a win? No. The game was not a win. Our team may have won on paper, but our opponent left feeling like they just played against "a group of spoiled rich kids."

Part of playing a sport is the opportunity to represent your school. It is an opportunity to show the very best player inside of you, and play against another team doing the exact same. Being a good player comprises your skill at the sport, but it also comprises your character. How are you going to act on and off the field? How are you going to act if you win or lose? Winning or losing is merely a state of mind. If you really did play your best and gave it your all, maintained sportsmanship, and accepted that you lost on paper, then you did win.

We need to be respectful when we compete, not only to our opponent but ourselves. A game is just that, a game. It is not the end of the world if you lose. Winning does not make you all powerful. Not all schools may have a sports program as established as others. We should be respectful and fortunate that we have the opportunity to compete against them in the first place. In time, their program will grow, and one day they could be a formidable opponent to truly give a challenge to all who face them.

Sports may allow us to stay fit and compete. But what else? They are an opportunity to compete. They are an opportunity to be the very best of who we are. But not only that, but sports opens the doors to friendships, lessons in life. Playing is only half the game. It is how the players carry themselves on and off the field that truly defines how a game is played.