Have you ever wondered whether Christians were supposed to be powerless? Unlike other people, we were taught to forgive our enemies. Rather than fighting back, we should even turn the other cheek. We should hold no resentment against our neighbors. Everything about Christianity teaches us to love and be merciful. It invokes us to forget ourselves and not seek worldly riches or power. It’s no wonder that some of us may sometimes feel so powerless against the world. In recent... Read more
I can’t remember how many articles I have written so far about forgiveness. But I am certain that I have already written many. Much too many in fact! Perhaps it’s because this is one area where I struggle a lot and writing helps me process my thoughts about it more. Through writing a blog post or even a poem about forgiveness, I can see things from a better perspective. Why does it hurt so much? Why couldn’t I just let... Read more
There is one virtue that the world struggles so much with today. No, it is not the virtue of purity. It is not even the virtue of temperance that guards our souls from gluttony. As much as the world seems to idolize pleasure and comfort, it struggles more with this one virtue – the virtue of obedience. Why Is Obedience So Difficult? For many of us, it is far easier to say that we are kind or merciful or just.... Read more
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t always keep us from falling into sin? After our conversion, why is it that God doesn’t instantly take away our weaknesses? Why do still we have to strive so hard to overcome temptations? We do our best and yet we still seem to commit the same faults. We confess these sins over and over and we feel ashamed of it. Have we no faith? Have we worked in vain? Why Can’t We Be... Read more
Sometimes I feel as though loneliness is a kind of sickness that has spread in our modern world more than it did at other times. Our level of loneliness screams so loudly that it can’t be stifled by all the advancements we have achieved in science and technology. We may acquire many things at the mere touch of a button. We may have every comfort that our ancestors never had before. We may even eat far more delicious food than... Read more
Out of all the sins of humanity, the Catholic Church has listed what we now call the seven deadly sins. They are also known as the seven capital or cardinal sins. We say that they are deadly because from these sins come numerous other sins that inflict our souls. Sin does not stop. It grows and multiplies. Sin has the capacity to weaken our souls, lessening our ability to resist evil. “Vices can be classified according to the virtues they... Read more
The Eight Beatitudes preached by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount probably contain some of the most radical and the most inspiring teachings in the Bible. Countless books and articles have been written to reflect upon the wisdom and truth they contain. The Catechism of the Catholic Church itself states: “The Beatitudes… shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations…” (CCC 1717)... Read more
What better time to set a new goal or to form a new habit than the New Year? As Catholics, we may already be making our personal resolutions daily. We ask forgiveness for our sins, and we resolve to do better next time. We also pray that God may continue to help us grow spiritually. But there’s nothing wrong with making these resolutions just in time for the New Year. It would be great if we could finally turn our... Read more
I think it is safe to say that we can no longer go back to a world without artificial intelligence. This technology is everywhere. We use it at work. We engage with it as we unwind and play. It’s behind our social media interactions. The time may come when our children will be so reliant on AI that it would enjoy the status of being their teacher, counselor or friend. And people would believe whatever AI says. We may doubt... Read more
There are people who seem to walk with a dead conscience. They no longer seem to feel the burden of their sins. On the other hand, there are people who feel so ashamed of having sinned they deem themselves unworthy of God’s forgiveness. Have you ever felt so sinful you can no longer pray? Because of the weight of your sins, you feel ashamed. You know that when you pray, you draw close to God. But you can’t even imagine... Read more
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