Catholicism – Page 127 – Restless Pilgrim

Sunday School: The Meaningful Life

February 21, 2016 pilgrim Leave a comment

What path will you choose? How will you live out a meaningful life? Who wants to be a failure?

Aren’t the accomplishments that are most satisfying those requiring sacrifice and effort, the meeting of a challenge and overcoming it? Isn’t this the theme of inspiring movies we love and just about every sports movie ever made? Rarely do we tire of moving stories where the little guy conquers against all odds or where truth and justice persevere. How interesting would movies be if the main characters regularly failed to succeed in their quest to overcome and succeed?

Flip it around now; how inspiring would a movie be if the supposed “hero” had everything handed to them without effort and gained everything they desired. Would you take them seriously? Would you respect a person that achieved much from nothing? Wouldn’t you come to dislike this person if they insisted they deserved it?

Christ is our role model and He calls us to practice His witness of self-sacrificial love in both small and large ways. Denying ourselves what we desire at times to sacrifice for the other helps us to grow stronger in faith and as a human person… really they are inseparable, just as we are body and soul, a mystery of unity.

There is something deeply interwoven into each of us that understands to truly value something, whether it be an accomplishment, honor, title or even physical item, it must have come at some cost or with some struggle. One of the great lies straight from the pit of hell is happiness is a state derived from pleasure and leisure. The really profound moments of life only occur after sacrifice, this is why we fast before great feasts. In fasting we prepare ourselves for the great feast we are to participate in. We struggle to empty ourselves from all of the “junk” we hang onto that is of the world in order to have the space be filled with the life and gifts of God. Recall also when celebrating a great feast, or struggling to fast before one, you are doing so in communion with those who came before you and even those who have yet to come. Truth be told, we are only capable of small glimpses of true sheer joy. These fleeting moments can have life altering consequence urging you forward to become closer to God the source of all life. Were it not this way, we would develop a spiritual sweet tooth or that of an entitled child expecting a treat at every turn and focus on the gift and forget the Giver. It’s normal to feel periods of spiritual dryness and distance. The voice of the saints and mystics is to just keep going. Struggle and sacrifice always wins out in the end and you can write a new story of valor in your own family and community.

Catholicism

Isn’t all religion anti-intellectual?

February 20, 2016 pilgrim One comment

Quite some time ago, a NY Times columnist, Ross Douthat wrote a book called “Bad Religion”. He went on the show of militant atheist Bill Maher and I found their conversation really enlightening.

In particular, at one point Maher asks “Isn’t all religion anti-intellectual?” and Douthat gave what I thought was a really great answer.

My favourite part though was when Douthat talks a little bit about how our understanding of the human person radically alters our perception of abuses of religion.

I’d invite you to check out the video and see how Douthat calmly responds to Mayers questions with clear, logical responses.

Catholicism

Listening ear and running mouth

February 18, 2016 pilgrim Leave a comment

Today someone posted this picture on Facebook:

Vent

It’s quite a nice graphic and it reminds me of what I recently read in Proverbs:

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9

Catholicism

Arrogance of Theists

February 16, 2016 pilgrim 9 comments

Another day, another meme… I recently saw this one featuring my fellow countryman, Ricky Gervais:

Catholicism

Sunday School: Good, Evil and God

February 14, 2016 pilgrim Leave a comment

Have you accepted the modern two story world narrative as your own? What story are you living in?

Our Faith is the greatest love story ever and it’s being written as we speak. It is a story about God and his people, us. We are immersed in it and we have a chance to shape it. It’s a life that leads to union with the creator God and deep, profound happiness. It isn’t a life of hopelessness awaiting a miraculous transformation at the end of time. The immense gift of our Byzantine Faith is lived experience of God here and now transforming, sanctifying, healing the sickness of our fallen humanity. We must tell ourselves, our friends and even someday, perhaps, our children this story.

The video for this week starts by posing the question; can we be good, without God? More importantly though, can we know what good is without God?

As the video demonstrates, without God, there is no objective reference point for determining what is moral or immoral. Just as our senses convince us of the reality of the physical world, so our moral sense convinces us that moral values are objectively real. It’s not a matter of preference or opinion.

Some ask; is something good because God wills it, or because God wills it therefore it is good. The reality is good, or moral acts, are characteristics of Gods nature. The more our actions align with them, the more we are becoming like God. As Byzantine Catholics we believe this is much more than an intellectual exercise. We believe that when we “do good” we are actually being transformed toward Christ-like holiness. We can and are participating with God in the act of our own and humanity’s redemption.