3 Wishes!

There is a rumor that when you visit a new Catholic Church you can make three "wishes" or requests and they come true. I have done that a couple of times in my lifetime and they actually came true. I told that to my theology teacher and he simply said God isn't a Genie. Well, they DID come true so I believe in it. Pretty awesome.

Cagsawa Ruins Legaspi, Phillippines

Last Summer I went to the Cagsawa Ruins in the Phillippines. It's amazing how they made it into a sort of business  Of course there is no admission fee of any kind but there are many little shops where you can buy souvenirs and many other things. Right next to this place is the Mayon Volcano. Supposedly it is the most "perfectly shaped" cone for a volcano in the world. Pretty neat stuff.

Which of the Four Marks of the Church is the greatest in my opinion?

Well they are all very important however if I had to choose one, I think that Holy mark is the most important mark of the Church because there is a lot of speculation on whether the Church is good or not. That mark really tells the world that just because they have met Judas, doesn't mean they have met the others. The ideal of a perfect Catholic or Christian is impossible because we all are sinners. That’s what people don’t realize sometimes. God is the cause of Holy, not us.

Apostolic Mark of the Church

What do they mean by apostolic? Well the Church was founded by Christ using the 12 Apostles. They founded it in a "threefold" sense. These included apostolic Foundation, Faith, and Succession.

Different Rites

First off, what is a "rite" of the Church. Well it is one of the ways people go about worshiping God. Since the Catholic Church is Universal - hence Catholic - there are many rites. These may include the Alexandrian, Antiochene, Armenian, Byzantine, and Chaldean(East Syrian).

Christian Music

On my previous post I spoke about how I was a little dissapointed that it was my last time performing with one of the choirs that I was in. But when I got in the car Christian music truly helped remind me about how blessed I am that I had the oppurtunity. Thank God for Christian music and the wonders that it can do for people. God Bless!

Bladomeister

Choir

I have been fortunate enough to have partaken in many different choirs and today I sang for the last time in one of those choirs. It was a somewhat heartbreaking experience but I learned that God gives us these opportunities to grow not just in our faith but in relationship guided by God with other people.
Enjoy your day everyone.

Peace,
Bladomeister

Holy Communion

I have nearly forgotten the importance of Holy Communion and the Eucharist(Not factually but spiritually speaking). The other day during mass I was witness to Catholics during their first communion. It was amazing how happy and well dressed they were for the occasion and it made me realize, me in shorts and a really nice polo, that I disrespect the Eucharist with my appearance and take for granted the gift God has given us. Remember brothers and sisters that God IS With Us!
                                       

Service

            During my service experience one of the most significant things that I learned is patience. I did a lot of work for nursing homes and food ministries. Dealing with other people, especially older people, requires an immense amount of patience. In addition I also heard many stories about other people’s experiences as in their every day life from which a variety of life lessons came from.

            I think that the lessons, such as patience and enthusiasm, are the key ways to look at our faith. This is the way I “tackled” the tasks that they had given me. In terms of growth in the motto “Man for Others”, it is simply doing and living in the time when I performed tasks for the people who need it the most. These lessons that I have learned through my experiences with service may be easily applied to my work and long term goals as a businessman. I hope to grow more throughout my service hours for Strake Jesuit.

            The impact that the service had on my values and morals could be described as a small but significant change. It helped me realize how blessed I am to truly have a healthy body and a loving family with countless opportunities in life. Of course the service alone did not bring this revelation to me, but I have additionally acknowledged that giving back to the community or to the people who are less blessed is very important. Knowing this, I am sure that God will bless me and is aware that I have fulfilled my duties as a Christian.

            In the matter of understanding and building a stronger connection with my faith, all I really learned was patience. Perhaps I was not fully open spiritually during my active service but the way that I approach tasks and people alike has changed. I have discovered a little more about my family during this experience and vice versa. However overall, we are generally very close so it wasn’t anything significant in my eyes. I hope to grow more in my faith and experiences throughout my Jesuit journey of service.

Ecumenism: Catholic Pope and Protestant Pastors

The Protestants, the catholic church has many leaders instead of just one supreme pontiff(the pope). Their roles may be different but they all try to do the same and teach the word of God to their church goers. Of course the Pope has a much bigger job but at least they all try to help spread the news of God.