About Humility

I have been reading Pope Francis' book entitled The Way of Humility and so far I have learned a lot from this very wise man. 

Let me share some of his quotes as I also narrate personal struggles in my life.

"Negative criticism leads us to focus on the faults and failings of other people; as a result, we can feel superior."

Lately, I experienced a huge setback in my life. Someone stole a huge amount from my bank savings. I confided it to my closest friends and family. Sadly, some of my family members I sought refuge from and look up to were the first ones to criticize me and what happened to me. 

After I read the book, I realized that it is easy for people to criticize than to really listen and to empathize. It is easier to hurt others than to comfort. All my ailing heart needed was comfort.

I realized that maybe my condition was not really the issue at hand when they decided to criticize me. Maybe they also had an ailing heart or were going through some tough times of their own. I can only try my best to understand them. But I thank God for all my friends who supported me through it all. Even if they weren't blood relatives, they proved to me how they are true sisters and brothers in Christ.

"Those who have fallen into the habit of being suspicious about everything little by little lose the peace of mind that comes from trusting confidence in God."

After I have learned of this huge setback, I also fell into anxiety even to the point of not being able to sleep. After months of agony, I realized that worrying is causing me to become faithless and prideful because I am not able to surrender these feelings to God. Thankfully, God touched my heart and now I'm back to doing my regular prayer time, Gospel reading, and have grown to constantly rely on praying the rosary to help me. It is true that in the worst case scenarios of life, when I have no one to turn to, it is God who is left available to turn to. It is saddening to realize that I sometimes tend to try to resolve things on my own before considering the power of Christ to save me. But today I am humbled. I need and accept His saving grace and I surrender.

"But if we carefully seek out the root cause of our disquiet, we always find the same: the fact that we do not practice self-accusation. This is why we feel crushed and never at peace. It is not surprising that all the saints say there is no other road than this."

I was very disquieted. Inside I had bombs exploding in my chest asking the Lord, "why me?!" But then Pope Francis reminded me, "why not you?" As Christ, my Lord, died on the cross, so too must I carry my cross. And this is the cross He allowed me to carry. And by His grace I can carry it. As the Lord is crushing my prideful heart, He is replacing it with a more humble one. A new heart that is stronger than the one I once had. A heart capable of truly sharing in His pain now and later on, His glory. 

"Look at a beast of burden. If it is sturdy, it cheerfully carries the heavy burden that is loaded onto it; if it loses its balance it gets up straightaway and suffers no harm. If it is weak, however, any load is too much for it; and if it falls, it needs a lot of help to get back on its feet. The same is true with the soul."

"Christ knows better than I whether I should obtain satisfaction, and he himself will take care of this thing or this food." 

On the day I learned I lost most of my life savings, I realized that maybe God is telling me I really do not need those things. I do not need to be secure in myself. I only needed to be secure in Him and to trust Him that He will take care of me. I should have 100% faith.

"But in his wisdom the prophet knew well that nothing attracts God's mercy upon the soul as much as trials, especially those that come in the time of misfortune and persecution."

And I trust in these words. I put them in my heart. I feel God telling me to relax. He will take care of me no matter how hard and no matter how impossible circumstances seem to be. 

And as I end this entry, I would like to leave you with a final quote I love:

"Everything happens by God's providence, according to what is best for each person."

God bless you! 

 

 

 

Love at 30,000 Feet by Madonna Escolano

This article was created by my dear friend and sister, Madonna Escolano. I came across this while reading the CBCP monitor Vol. 18 No. 19, September 15-28, 2014 edition and thought of posting it on my blog to remind me of the presence of God in chance encounters. Happy reading!

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LOVE AT 30,000 FEET 

“Dreaming of love while cruising at high altitude… Closer to heaven we’re thirty thousand feet up in the sky…” 

So goes some lines from the song composed by Mr. Jose Mari Chan, which has been close to my heart being an early-retired airline employee and previous choral member of the Philippine flag-carrier’s company. 

On a recent 18-hour flight, I found myself answering to the call to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1Peter 3:15) It was also an opportunity to share God’s love. 

An Englishman, who said he’s an atheist, was seated next to me. Like most Caucasian men I’ve met, he was quite good in the art of small talk. It was a long-haul flight, and sleep wasn’t being good to me. What started as a polite conversation about trivial, uncontroversial matters turned into a profound discussion about travel, life and faith. He told me that his work as an engineer for a submarine communications cable company allows him to travel and marvel at the world. He was proud to tell me that being part of a team that makes it possible for fiber optic technology solutions to carry digital data across oceans gives him satisfaction. It’s indeed a blessing to be doing what you’re passionate about and being paid for it! 

He said he served the army during World War II and was totally changed by it. No more nightmares, fortunately for him. The war, he narrated, taught him many things and made him thankful and appreciative of his very existence and of everyone around him. 

He talked about Faith; about how he was brought up as a Catholic, went to Catholic schools, served as an altar boy, and used to attend Sunday Mass religiously. He said he lost his faith not because of anger towards God, nor disagreeing about dogma he could not totally comprehend, but because he simply did not have time for it. He explained that being a Christian involves hard work: It is not enough to accept Jesus as one’s personal savior. He added that everyone around him should see through his actions that he is a follower of Christ and worthy of the name Christian. 

And then came the all-too-familiar questions: Why does God allow pain and evil in the world? Why do evil men prosper, while the just suffer and remain poor? What do Christians do about this? 

I am not an expert in Sacred Theology, so I shared with him a little bit of my Faith journey, and how God has been faithful to His promises to me in spite of my own wretchedness and sinfulness. (Unbeknownst to him, I whispered a prayer to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance!) I wanted to reassure him that God loves him dearly, that there is always a reason to hold on to hope, and that faith makes wonders. 

I retold the Creation story; that man was created in God’s image and likeness, and was given the gifts of knowledge, integrity and free will. We were created in Love, and God saw it fit to allow us to love freely as He does. But then came the fall of Adam and Eve; God allowed them to be tempted, trusting that they knew what to do. That was the essence of our free will after all: to choose what is good. We know how that story ended, and how evil and death came into the world. “God did not make death. God takes no delight in the ruin of anything that lives. God created humans to live forever. Death entered the universe only through the devil’s envy.” (Wisdom 1:13; 2:23-24) Pain then is a consequence of our sins. We suffer when we choose evil over good. And every little sin we make not only hurts us, but also everyone around us. 

I told him about those unsung heroes who have chosen to live lives serving the least, the last and the lost. I shared with him how blessed I am to know people who have gone through what seemed insurmountable trials, yet courageously overcame and are the same ones who help alleviate the affliction of others and remain selfless in making the world a better place to live. I briefly shared with him the lives of missionaries I am honored to call my friends who have left their comfort zones and have answered the call to share the joy of the Gospel and be fishers of men. I told him of the faith of saints whose sufferings sanctified them. And I reminded him that God loves him and all of us so much that He had to send Jesus Christ to die on the cross that we may all live. 

At that point in our conversation, he told me that his Filipina wife was diagnosed with stage four cancer several years ago. He said that the faith of his wife and the prayers of her family and friends helped her go through pain and treatment. Ten years after, her wife is still very much alive and full of life. He said her wife attributes the miracle of her healing to the power of God. 

Before our final descent towards Manila, he said he would love for his wife to meet me one day, and looks forward to inviting me to their house warming and “blessing” once the renovation of their home is completed. The best part about our entire conversation was when he expressed his interest in revisiting his faith, and hopes one day to join her wife to attend Mass again. 

I was thankful, certain that it was the Living Flame of Love~ the Holy Spirit, at work. I told him that God shall patiently wait for his return; and the angels and saints will celebrate in heaven when that day comes. He smiled and, to my surprise, said Amen! 

Pope Francis said that “Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.” 

I said goodbye to him, assured that God’s infinite and unfathomable love rekindled in his heart will bring him back into the Lord’s merciful arms, all in His perfect time.

Reading Thomas A Kempis

Earlier, I blogged about how Brandon Vogt inspired me to create a Catholic classics reading list. I have now started reading books from that list and I must say, this experience is starting to become a fascinating journey for me.

I have been reading the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis and it is by far one of the most authoritative Catholic books I've read since the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It contains a lot of wisdom and his words have inspired and sustained me to remain steadfast despite the many turmoils in my life.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants straight answers about the faith and how to live it. Thomas A Kempis does not exactly mince words so prepare your heart for a challenging yet fulfilling reading experience.  

Get a free e-book of this from iBooks or check out your local book stores for hardbound copies!

Journeying with you,

The Catholic Chic 

5 Must-read Classic Catholic books

When I read about saints, I sometimes see them as superheroes or fictional characters... sometimes I ask myself, did they really exist and walk here on earth? Sometimes they seem so unreachable for me.

I learned about The Saints' Favorite Books by Brandon Vogt on Twitter. This is a free Catholic e-book so I definitely grabbed the opportunity to download it.

This book somehow got my head on straight. Saints are real. They are human just like you and me. They walked this earth. They read books and they even have personal faves!

It is a 46-page e-book and discussed the lives of a number of saints and their favorite books. He also included quotes from the favorite books.

The saints and popes he featured are as follows:

1. St. Augustine of Hippo

2. St. Benedict of Nursia

3. St. Bernard of Clairvaux

4. St. Thomas Aquinas

5. St. Ignatius of Loyola

6. St. Teresa of Avila

7. St. John of the Cross

8. St. Francis de Sales

9. St. John Eudes

10. St. Therese of Lisieux

11. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

12. St. Teresa Benedicta

13. Servant of God Dorothy Day

14. Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

15. Pope Leo XIII

16. Pope St. Pius X

17. Pope Pius XI

18. Pope St. John Paul II

19. Pope Benedict XVI

20. Pope Francis

I absolutely recommend this book because it gave me a newfound interest to read more about literary pieces that inspired the saints to become who they are. 

If you want to be a saint, why not feed your mind with the thoughts that the saints have fed theirs! Awesome right?!

After reading through the whole book, I picked out 5 pieces which interest me most. Some of which I have purchased already while others, I still have to secure. (If you happen to have any, we can trade copies. That would be fun!)

Here is my classics reading list:

1. Confessions

Favorited by: Pope Benedict the XVI.

"Late have I loved thee, O beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved thee." 

- St. Augustine of Hippo

2. The Life of St. Anthony

Favorited by: St. Augustine of Hippo.

"Where were you God?" Antony asked, "Why did you not ease my temptations and pains?" And a voice came to him: "Antony, I was here, but I wanted to see you fight." 

- St. Athanasius

3. The Imitation of Christ

Favorited by: St. Therese of Lisieux.

"Jesus has now many lovers of His kingdom but few bearers of His cross." 

- Thomas Kempis

4. The Story of A Soul

Favorited by: Servant of God Dorothy Day.

"My God, I choose all! I do not want to be a saint by halves." - St. Therese of Lisieux

5. The Spiritual Combat 

Favorited by: St. Francis de Sales.

"God never ceases to help His soldiers, Although He sometimes suffers them to be wounded. Only fight, for all depends on this." 

-  Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

What I loved about this book is that it also showed how we are interconnected in inspiring other Catholics in their journey with the faith. For example, St. Augustine was inspired by St. Athanasius, while Pope Benedict XVI was a inspired by St. Augustine! 

It affirms us that at this very moment, we could also inspire other Christians in their journey by what we do, how we live our lives, and even simply by what we write (or even post on social media). 

I hope you get a copy of this book and be inspired to create your own classics reading list. Do you have favorite Catholic classic books to recommend? If you have any, please message me in the comments section. Also, If you're having a hard time getting a copy of the book, leave your e-mail and I'll help you out.

Follow Brandon Vogt on twitter at @BrandonVogt today to know more about the books he has written.

Let's continue helping each other live out the faith as best as we could! God bless you!

Love,

The Catholic Chic

My Thoughts on "The Hardcore Truth"

In my college days, I joined a Catholic youth group, CFC-Youth for Christ, which advocates the 100% pure lifestyle. Among the many advocacies we lived by was No to Pornography, shortly coined "porNO".

From yfc.tumblr.com

To my young mind, the phrase sounded catchy but I did not fully understand it as of late. In those days, I wasn't really aware of the inner workings of the world of pornography. I thought it was an issue which affects only the males.

Recently, I came across an e-book suggested to me by my husband. It is entitled The Hardcore Truth and was written by Matt Fradd and Donny Pauling. 

Once again, I thought the porn issue only concerned men. However, I realized after reading this that the issue concerns females as well, as I learned women suffer from this addiction and/or the ill effects of porn.

The book answered the many questions I had about pornography and discussed the latest issues surrounding this topic. It debunked the many myths about porn that was fed to me by the media. 

It is a 30-page e-book which can be finished in a few hours. I suggest you get a copy if you are looking for a quick read. 

But first, who are Matt and Donny?

Matt Fradd works for Covenant Eyes, and is the author of the new book Delivered: True Stories of Men and Women who Turned from Porn to Purity. He is also the founder of The Porn Effect (www.theporneffect.com), a site dedicated to exposing the reality behind the fantasy of porn and offering help to those seeking freedom from it. Matt lives with his wife and children in Georgia. 

Donny Pauling was a porn producer for 9 years, working with Playboy and other top companies. But after meeting a Christian ministry and having a God-encounter of his own, Donny walked away from porn for good. Now a Christian speaker, Donny shares his story and the truth about the dangers of porn to churches and universities around the country. Donny was confirmed into the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil, 2014. 

Matt Fradd and Donny Pauling

These 2 guys teamed up to create this interesting e-book and here are some of the Myths about pornography they debunked:

Myth 1: Porn is Morally Neutral

Myth 2: Porn is Glamorous

Myth 3: Porn Liberates Women

Myth 4: Porn Stars Love the Sex

Myth 5: Watching Porn is Healthy, Adult Entertainment

Myth 6: Porn Enhances Sexual Intimacy

Myth 7: Porn Stars are Well-rounded women

Myth 8: Porn is Safe for the Actors to Make 

Myth 9: Looking at Free Porn doesn't support the Industry

Myth 10: Porn is just Fantasy

The book was truly an eye-opener as it immersed me to the real world of pornography. It contained a lot of personal stories of men and women who once actively participated in the industry, as well as biblical and Christian insights to thoroughly discuss and debunk the myths enumerated above. 

While reading, my heart ached for all women who were victimized by this industry. At the same time, I was encouraged to read more about their plight and pray for them as well as the million others who have been deceived by porn.

Here are a few excerpts which struck me (emphasis mine):

"Real sex cannot be packaged and sold through pixels on a screen. Porn turns sex into a commodity. Porn reduces the mystery and beauty of a man or a woman to a collection of body parts to be used rather than recognizing them as persons to be loved. It reduces the great mystery and sanctity of human sexuality to a trivial activity."

"Pornography sells lies—cleverly scripted and cunningly edited lies. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, porn “immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world.”

"I would say the foundational reason pornography is wrong is that it removes the sexuality from its natural context. It removes sexuality from outside of the intimacy of the partners and turns it into a commodity, something to be bought and sold."

"I like to say that pornography doesn’t complement sexual intimacy; it competes with it. I found out at the 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, they revealed that 58% of their divorces were in some way influenced by a spouse looking at excessive amounts of pornography online. So pornography certainly doesn’t enhance intimacy in marriage. It’s its enemy. It’s a counterfeit. It offers a warped sense of intimacy."

I hope you would download this e-book as it is a great resource in understanding pornography. If you have any peers, friends, family members who would like to detox from porn, this e-book will also be of great help. 

This e-book is actually FREE and you can download it from the Covenant Eyes website. 

Other FREE e-books you can find at Covenant Eyes include the following:

For Parents:

1. Protecting Your Family Online, A How-To Guide for Parents

2. A Parent's Guide to Cyberbullying

3. Parenting the Internet Generation, 7 Potential Threats and 7 Habits for Internet Safety 

Recovery from Porn:

4. Your Brain on Porn, 5 Proven Ways Porn Warps Your Mind and 3 Biblical Ways to Renew it

5. The Porn Circuit, Understand Your Brain and Break Porn Habits in 90 Days

6. Pornography Statistics (2014 edition)

7. Coming Clean, Overcoming Lust Through Biblical Accountability

8. Stop the Demand, The Role of Porn in Sex Trafficking

Support for Couples:

9. Porn and Your Husband, A Recovery Guide for Wives

10. Hope After Porn, 4 Women Share their stories of heartbreak and how their Marriages were Saved

Church support:

11. Porn-free church, Raising Up Gospel Communities to Destroy Secret Sins

12. Internet Pornography, A Ministry Leader's Handbook

Visit Covenant Eyes today and read up on these valuable resources. May God bless you!

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