I am a Catholic by choice. I made my choice at an early age after I attended Mass for the first time with my mother. We lived in a small tight-knit colonial community on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. My mother was the only Catholic in her social circle. We attended a non-denominational...
Category: Catholic
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I Cried Yesterday
I cried yesterday. At church. Totally unexpected. Totally spontaneous. This is what happened. My church is large. It seats 1500 in the pews with room in the back for rows of folding chairs. There is a center aisle that leads toward the altar. At the Offertory, the time during Mass, when lay persons carry up...
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An Overview of Christology: The Study of Christ
Christology, as the word implies, is the study of Christ. Christology explores the questions: “Who was or is Jesus?” and, “What did or does Jesus do?” Unlike the other monotheistic religions, Christianity believes in a Trinitarian God composed of the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. Most Christians are radically Christo-centric or Christ centered. The...
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Good Friday Liturgy
Today is Good Friday. Catholics do not celebrate a complete Mass on Good Friday. There is no Mass at all on Holy Saturday. There is a hiatus between Holy Thursday which commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist and Easter Sunday which commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. In the Church calendar,...
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Using Imagination in Prayer
Many of us, when we think about praying or prayer, generally mean “talking to God.” Whether the prayer is a memorized prayer such as the Our Father, a spontaneous “Thank you God” whisper, reading prayers out of a prayer book, or asking for something, prayer is frequently vocal. We are talking to God. We either...
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A Catholic Christian View of Abortion
The Catholic Christian definition of abortion is the deliberate killing of a Child of God. The secular definition is the removal of an unwanted pregnancy. Both definitions agree that the fetus in a woman’s womb is a human fetus and not that of a cat or dog. Both definitions agree that removal of human fetus before...
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An Invitation to Attend a Roman Catholic Mass this Christmas
Many people are curious about what goes on at a Catholic Mass. Some think they know what goes on but have never been to a Mass. Some are hesitant to see for themselves for fear of being evangelized or of standing out from the Catholics present because they do not kneel or stand at the...
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Reflections on the Christmas Story in the Bible
Most Christians are familiar with the Christmas story. Every year on December 25th, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, and listen to the tale of how Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, how they could find no lodging for the night so had to make do with the stable; how the baby Jesus...