Clearly Catholic

Bringing Clarity to Uncertainty in Our Church

Month: December 2022

My Response to Polly Toynbee, Vice-President of UK Humanists, on The tragedy of religious baggage that comes with Christmas

December 24, 2022 /

Today’s post is my response to Polly Toynbee’s article in the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Christmas comes with good cheer. The tragedy is the religious baggage.

By the time I reached my early twenties I had rejected Christianity and identified as an atheist for many of the reasons Ms. Toynbee mentions in this article along with my study of Marxism. However, after a series of unexpected events I decided to embrace Catholicism.

Why would I become Catholic? Was I unaware of the hypocritical Catholic politicians, priests, bishops, and popes? Never mind the abuses that some men and women committed on behalf of the church. Did I willfully ignore all this? Of course not.

Photo by Kenny Eliason from Unsplash.com

I also did not ignore the role that Catholics played in the advancement of Western Civilization. The role of Benedictine monks in the modernization of agriculture across Europe. The role of copyist monks who preserved the ancient works of Greek, Roman, and Arabic philosophers (even ones that were contrary to Christian doctrine). The founding of modern universities. Contributions to the advancement of science, particularly in physics, astronomy, and biology. One notable example is physicist and Catholic priest, Georges Lemaitre, the formulator the Big Bang Theory.

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Are You A Source of Darkness Or Light In The World?

December 21, 2022 /

On Christmas Eve of 1914 Belgian, French, and German soldiers hesitantly climbed out of their blood and mud filled trenches and navigated barbed wire to meet in “no man’s land”. They shared tobacco, drank wine, exchanged pleasantries and even played friendly games of soccer. This historical Christmas day has come to be known as “The Christmas Truce.” Soldiers who were trying to kill each other on the French battlefields of WWI a couple of hours earlier, were now enjoying each other’s company and celebrating Christmas. There wasn’t an atom of hate, as one biographer described it. 

How is it possible that groups of people who seemingly hated each other all of a sudden became close friends? 

Such acts of humility, kindness, and joy are signs of Christ’s Spirit alive in people’s hearts. This historical event shows us that God’s spirit is inside everyone. However, we have the choice to ignore or embrace that voice. On Christmas of 1914 these men embraced God’s Spirit. As a result they became liberated from hate, anger, and fear and became Jesus’s light in the most unlikely of places – a bloody, muddy, disease infected, desolate battlefield. Men who were once sources of darkness to the world became sources of light.

There’s a lot of unavoidable darkness in the world. The question we need to ask ourselves this Christmas and beyond is this: Am I going to be a source of darkness or light to the people around me? This is a decision you and I need to make every day we wake up. 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

God, my light and salvation, enable me to find joy and hope even in my darkest days. Ignite my heart so that I may be a source of joy and hope to those surrounded by darkness and doubt. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Carrying Our Burdens Alone Is A Sign Of Pride

December 18, 2022 /

A reading from the Gospel according to St. Matthew:

“My yoke is easy, and my burden light.” – Matthew 11:30

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I don’t want to be a burden to others.” This is a common thought that crosses our minds when we are wrestling with pain (mental or physical). We know that sharing our burdens can alleviate our pain, yet we convince ourselves that our peers and loved ones would rather not hear about it. Sometimes we can even convince ourselves that suffering alone in silence is somehow a sign of humility. 

Image by Marcin Simonides from Unsplash.com

In reality, trying to carry the burden of pain alone, can be a sign of pride. Remember, even Jesus allowed Simon to help with carrying His cross.  

The “yoke” Jesus is referring to is a wooden bar that sits on top of the backs of two or more cattle. It binds the cattle together and allows them to collectively pull a plow that on their own they could never do. Just as importantly the yoke ensures that the cattle don’t wander. 

Similarly, if we share our own burdens with people we trust they become much lighter. Who are the people in your life with whom you can share your burdens with? A close friend? A family member? A teacher? On the other hand, who needs you to assist with their burdens? 

Finally, Jesus invites us to share our burdens with him. Through faith, with Jesus, our burdens that were once perceived as too heavy will become significantly easier to overcome. 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Lord, Jesus I thank you for loving me. I thank you for your endless patience with my constant impatience. Give me the strength as I continue to work in the different areas of my life. I pray for the humility to share my burdens with others and increase in love towards those who need someone to share their own burdens with. I pray this in Your Holy Name. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

God’s Light Never Fades (Even You Ignore It)

December 17, 2022 /

On December 11, 2021, NASA’s Parker Solar Space probe became the first spacecraft to touch the surface of the sun – specifically, the corona, while moving at 364 639 miles per hour (fast enough to fly from New York to Tokyo in under 1 minute. The spacecraft came just over 5 million miles from the surface of the sun. The corona of the sun is more than 1 million degrees, while its surface is much cooler at just over 5000 degrees.

Image by Jongsun Lee from Unsplash.com

The sun releases 3.8 x 10^26 watts of power every second, which is the equivalent of 1,820,000,000 Tsar Bombs – the most powerful nuclear bomb ever tested, exploding every second. The sun is extremely powerful, and potentially even destructive, yet it is also life giving. 

Similarly, despite God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and power, He sustains our very being and offers us grace (which mean, undeserved and unmerited gifts). Just as the sun is always present, even when we can’t see it, God’s presence and sustaining grace is also constant even when we don’t feel Him in our lives or don’t acknowledge Him. Yet, he is there, constantly working to form us in His image; His love never fading. 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us. Thank you for sustaining us and all of creation. Look upon us with mercy for the times we have turned away from you. We pray that the light of Your Son, Jesus, grants us peace, comfort and strength in our lives, especially in the parts where there is a lot of darkness. We make this prayer in Your Mighty Name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Persecution No One Talks About

December 17, 2022 /

Yesterday marked the beginning of the third week of Advent. This Sunday has traditionally been called by the Latin name Guadate, which translates to “joyful” and is marked by lighting the pink candle on the Advent wreath. The reason this Sunday depicts joy is because it marks the second last Sunday of Advent before the birth of Jesus.

For many Christians around the world Advent is a time of fear. While it is rarely spoken about in our media, in the last 20 years Christians have been the most persecuted and displaced religious group around the world, particularly in the Middle East, and parts of northern, Sub-Saharan and Western Africa. For example, Syria contains the only majority Christian town that has Aramaic as its official language – the language that Jesus spoke. Between 2011 and 2013, Churches have been bombed, Christian icons (some well over 1000 years old) have been destroyed, and priests publicly executed. In Syria in 2011, there were 1.7 million Christians, today there are less than 450 000. In Iraq, the Christian population shrunk from 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 120 000 today. Even in Biblical areas such as Gaza and the West Bank the Christian population plummeted from 11 percent to less than 1 percent in the last 100 years. 

Many Christians in the Middle East are ethnically Assyrians, Suryani, or Coptic. These ethnic groups are indigenous to the lands and are even mentioned in the Old Testament. 

A couple years ago I met a Coptic Christian Egyptian man, who was staying at a monastery outside Cairo, Egypt. The monastery attacked and his life was spared because the attackers saw his peaceful faith in God even in the face of death. Another gentleman, I met 12 years ago, who today runs an NGO smuggling persecuted religious minorities out of the Middle East, shared with me that when he was a young man the Cairo police arrested and tortured him because he was found with a Bible. Even in our school, there are Middle Easter Christians who have escaped with their lives. I am grateful for their stories. 

On a hopeful note many of these Christian have chosen to immigrate to Canada where they can live out their faith in peace, not only among their own communities, but among other religious communities as well. Today, let us pray for the families of Middle Eastern Christians who have started a new life in Canada and for those who continue to live in their homeland. 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Lord Jesus, we thank you for loving us. We thank you for the gift of your Middle Eastern followers., especially those who are part of our school community. We pray that those who are experiencing persecution for their faith be comforted by Your loving presence. We pray especially for those who had to flee for their lives and have become separated from their families. Invite into your loving presence those who have unjustly lost their lives because of their Christian faith. We pray this in Your name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

 

Witnessing Your Own Funeral

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from Psalm 1: 

“Happy are those whose delight is in the law of the Lord… In all that they do, they prosper.”

In your opinion, what does it mean to live a rich life? Upon hearing the word, “rich” your mind may have immediately jumped to images of luxury cars, seaside mansions, or expensive clothing. However, while this is nothing inherently wrong with luxury, it is a narrow understanding of what it means to be rich or prosperous. 

To be prosperous is to be rich in gratitude and generosity. While luxuries and money can certainly make life easier and, perhaps more enjoyable, they don’t guarantee a life of fulfillment and impact. 

All the things we acquire in this world we will leave behind after our earthly life and will eventually fade away. But what can remain for a long time is the memories people have of you. 

Think about it this way. Imagine you had the opportunity to witness your own funeral. What do you want your loved ones to say about you as they gather to remember your life. How much wealth have you’ve accumulated? The cars you owned throughout your life? The size of your house? The amount of money in your bank account? Or perhaps, how infectious your gratitude was and how insanely generous you were with your time and wealth? Which message do you think would have a lasting impact on the world? 

I think it’s safe to say that how people remember us will have a greater impact than how much we accumulated? We want to be remembered not by what we took from the world, but how much we gave to it. 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, thank you for overseeing my life. Help me to keep track of all my blessings. Inspire me with the wisdom to prioritize my desires in my life. If I am blessed with wealth in my future, remind me to bless others with generosity. I know that everything that I acquire in this world is not mine. It is a borrowed gift that one day I will leave behind and will eventually pass away. I pray this in Your name. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

A Life Without Sin

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from the gospel according to St. Luke:

“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” – Luke 1:28

For many Christians around the world, today is called the “Feast of the Immaculate Conception” On this day our attention is directed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her sinless nature. 

Like Mary, and billions of humans before us we all came into this world as innocent babies. Yet, due to the many complications that surround us we often make decisions that fracture our relationship with God, other people, and creation. Our tendency to fracture these relationships is referred to as original sin. Sometimes Christians refer to original sin as human brokenness. Our brokenness twists our will into denying our sin, but being quick to point out the sin of others very quickly. 

Image by Mateus Campus Felipe from Unsplash.com

I often fall into this trap of pointing out the faults of others, but slow to recognize my own. Recently, I was talking with a close friend of mine, who is very good at holding me accountable. I was upset and complaining. He patiently listened to me vent and instead of affirming me, he told me the following words, “The only reason I have any good in me is because of God.”

His words stung almost immediately as thoughts of my own brokenness rushed into my mind. Imagine that on your desk in front of you, you were to lay out all the things that you are ashamed of from your life for everyone to see. Thinking about this makes me take my own brokenness more seriously. 

The good news is that we are not destined to remain broken forever. We are God’s “work in progress.” We can start this process of restoration by saying “yes” to God, just as Mary did on the evening when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. Saying “yes” to God takes courage, because it’s a realization that we can’t control everything, it’s trusting in our Heavenly Father, that His plans for us are greater than we can conceive of on our own. 

Let us pray,

Busyness Is Not A Virtue

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.” 

Yesterday marked the start of the second week of Advent. Advent means waiting. Waiting can be boring, waiting can make us impatient, or waiting can be the cause of great anticipation. Either way, waiting requires stillness. 

By Robert Bye from Unsplash.com

Yet, when you look around you, do you see stillness, or do people seem busier than normal? Do you feel busier than normal? Sometimes, excessive busyness can result in not thinking about others. And yet, during Advent and the Christmas season following, more people experience hurt and loneliness than anytime of the year. For some, the Christmas season can be a reminder of losing loved ones. For example, tomorrow we will remember the women who lost their lives in a targeted shooting at the Polytechnique Montreal on December 6, 1989. For the families of these women, Christmas may not necessarily be a celebratory season. For others, Christmas can be a time of loneliness and isolation, especially those who are in need, in addition to carrying the burden of mental illness. 

This Advent, whether you consider yourself Christian or not, we can all place greater effort on slowing down and noticing people around us and asking ourselves, how we can respond to them? How can we live just a little more for others during this time of the year? 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, I long to do your will. Give me the grace to see and respond to the needs around me and be with me always as I pray for the needs of all who suffer. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

How Spiritual Blindness Keeps Us In Darkness

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from Psalm 27: 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and felt creeped out? When we moved into our new home a couple of years ago, I would wake up to random sounds that I didn’t notice in our previous home. On occasion, I would hear creaking floorboards, ruffling paper, and even the occasional item falling over. Waking up in the darkness of night and hearing these noises got my mind racing. However, I soon discovered that our cat Emma was the culprit. She was busy exploring our new home. 

Image by Oscar Keys from Unsplash.com

Darkness in the middle of the night keeps us from seeing things as they really are. Especially, if we allow the darkness to play with our imagination. Similarly, the spiritual darkness in our world can also keep us from seeing things as they really are. More importantly, spiritual darkness can keep us from seeing goodness in others and in the greater world. 

We all experienced spiritual darkness to some extent. Five years ago, I noticed I was facing a lot of anxiety and fear when I was glued to my Facebook and Instagram feeds. I was consumed by the never ending debates in comment sections and political click bates. One time I was having a debate with an old classmate of mine for two days straight on Facebook. I remember being on a date with my wife and all I could think about was what he would say next and how I would respond. I was blinded from seeing the goodness that was in front of my very eyes. That night I made the decision to delete all my social media accounts. The days following were like a breath of fresh air. More importantly, God’s goodness in my life became a lot clearer. 

So I ask you, what are the things in your life that are keeping you in darkness. Is any of it in your control? 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Father God, thank You for loving me. Thank you for being patient with me for the times I willfully blind myself from seeing Your goodness. Holy Spirit, bring healing into my life and open my eyes to seeing Christ. Inspire me with the discipline and fortitude to take control of the things in my life that are keeping me in darkness. I pray this in Your name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

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