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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness,

godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Catechesis

Catechesis (pronounced "cat-uh-kee-sus") is a big word that means education, specifically education in the Christian Faith. 

To Catechize is to teach others about the Christian Faith. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church is so named because it is a summary of teachings of the faith. 

Here is what the Catechism has to say about Catechesis:
Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ. 
"Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life." 
While not being formally identified with them, catechesis is built on a certain number of elements of the Church's pastoral mission which have a catechetical aspect, that prepare for catechesis, or spring from it. They are: the initial proclamation of the Gospel or missionary preaching to arouse faith; examination of the reasons for belief; experience of Christian living; celebration of the sacraments; integration into the ecclesial community; and apostolic and missionary witness. 
"Catechesis is intimately bound up with the whole of the Church's life. Not only her geographical extension and numerical increase, but even more her inner growth and correspondence with God's plan depend essentially on catechesis." 
Periods of renewal in the Church are also intense moments of catechesis. In the great era of the Fathers of the Church, saintly bishops devoted an important part of their ministry to catechesis. St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, and many other Fathers wrote catechetical works that remain models for us. 
(CCC 4-8)

Keep Pursuing


What is the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is a compilation of all the teachings of the Christian Faith. It is an enormously helpful tool for self-education, faith formation, and catechesis. And it can be found online at the following link:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
This truly is amazing if you think about it. Two thousand years of history and teachings and you can get the official stance of the Catholic Church on any issue with the click of the button. 


Introduction to the Catechism

Here is what the Catechism itself has to say about its contents:
This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church's Magisterium. It is intended to serve "as a point of reference for the catechisms or compendia that are composed in the various countries". 
This work is intended primarily for those responsible for catechesis: first of all the bishops, as teachers of the faith and pastors of the Church. It is offered to them as an instrument in fulfilling their responsibility of teaching the People of God. Through the bishops, it is addressed to redactors of catechisms, to priests, and to catechists. It will also be useful reading for all other Christian faithful. 
(CCC 11-12)

Structure of the Catechism

The Catechism is broken up into four main sections.
Part One: the Profession of Faith - Those who belong to Christ through faith and Baptism must confess their baptismal faith before men. First therefore the Catechism expounds revelation, by which God addresses and gives himself to man, and the faith by which man responds to God (Section One). the profession of faith summarizes the gifts that God gives man: as the Author of all that is good; as Redeemer; and as Sanctifier. It develops these in the three chapters on our baptismal faith in the one God: the almighty Father, the Creator; his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, in the Holy Church (Section Two). - (CCC 14
Part Two: the Sacraments of Faith - The second part of the Catechism explains how God's salvation, accomplished once for all through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is made present in the sacred actions of the Church's liturgy (Section One), especially in the seven sacraments (Section Two). (CCC 15
Part Three: the Life of Faith - The third part of the Catechism deals with the final end of man created in the image of God: beatitude, and the ways of reaching it - through right conduct freely chosen, with the help of God's law and grace (Section One), and through conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of charity, specified in God's Ten Commandments (Section Two). (CCC 16
Part Four: Prayer in the Life of Faith - The last part of the Catechism deals with the meaning and importance of prayer in the life of believers (Section One). It concludes with a brief commentary on the seven petitions of the Lord's Prayer (Section Two), for indeed we find in these the sum of all the good things which we must hope for, and which our heavenly Father wants to grant us. (CCC 17)

Purpose of the Catechism

The purpose of the Catechism is to teach the Truth with Charity.
The Catechism emphasizes the exposition of doctrine. It seeks to help deepen understanding of faith. In this way it is oriented towards the maturing of that faith, its putting down roots in personal life, and its shining forth in personal conduct. (CCC 23
To conclude this Prologue, it is fitting to recall this pastoral principle stated by the Roman Catechism: The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. Whether something is proposed for belief, for hope or for action, the love of our Lord must always be made accessible, so that anyone can see that all the works of perfect Christian virtue spring from love and have no other objective than to arrive at love. (CCC 25)

Keep Pursuing,

Love is Not a Feeling

The Popular Understanding of Love is Incorrect

What if I told you that love is not a feeling?

Nor is it a fleeting joy you experience with someone you fancy.  That is the definition of infatuation.  You cannot "fall out of love".  What people mean to say is "I fell out of infatuation".  (No wonder people don't say that...it sounds terrible!)

It is a sad thing that so many people have confused "infatuation" and "love".  Because infatuation doesn't begin to capture a fraction of what true love is all about.  This post hopes to rectify this situation by teaching the true meaning of love.


Love as a Sacrifice

As discussed in the Biblical Definition of Love, the term "love" that we use in society today originated as the Greek word "agape". And in early Christianity, Love came to mean Sacrifice.

But if Love is Sacrifice, our understanding of the language is completely transformed. Love stops being about our feelings and starts being about our actions, our will, and our decisions.
  • "I love you" really means "I sacrifice for you"
  • "True love conquers all" really means "True sacrifice conquers all" 
  • "God is Love" really means "God is Sacrifice"

Sacrifice as a Decision

Everybody knows that making a sacrifice requires willpower. Sometimes even small sacrifices require a lot of willpower. Whether it is going on a diet, giving of your treasure like in the parable of the widow's mite, or laying down your life for another, sacrifices are hard.

So nobody enters into a sacrifice accidentally. In every sacrifice, a mental decision is made to alter behavior away from what you naturally want to do. The decision is key. Without it, no sacrifice would ever be made.


Love as a Decision

Well the same is true of real love, the kind of love Christ had for us on the cross. I guarantee you He wasn't having happy feelings, pleasant thoughts, or even doing what he wanted to do. Rather, He chose to sacrifice His life so that you and I might be made free.

His love is the model after which we base our own love for one another. And to make sure we didn't miss it, He even told us this explicitly:
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:12-13)
So, as Christians, when we say "I love you", we should mean "I love you as Christ loves me", or put another way:


Conclusion

Love is the most celebrated idea in the world. It has been championed time and again as the force that conquers all. Do we really think that "ephemeral happy feelings and nice thoughts" is the greatest thing in existence?

Or is it more likely that the love that has inspired the poets through the ages is the love that Christ showed for His Church, a decision to sacrifice all that you are for another because they are that invaluable and cherished?

I think it's time we started using the real definition of Love, both in what we say and in what we do.


Keep Pursuing




Additional Material

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(This post is part of a mini-series on love.)

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Other ramifications of this redefinition of love:
  • If love is an act of the will then you cannot "fall out of love". Love becomes a decision, every day, to choose the wellbeing of your loved one over yourself. This kind of love does not fail. 
  • People thinking love is about happy feelings leads so many to marry for the wrong reason. When the "honeymoon phase" ends, as it always does, what will get you through. Marriage is supposed to be for a lifetime, and that is only possible with the Love of Christ.
  • If love is about sacrifice and not about feeling good and Church is about the love of Christ, then we no longer go to Church for what we get, but because of what we give. It is our sacrifice at Mass that makes Church meaningful, not the songs, not the priest, and not the sermon.
  • A popular saying is "God is love". This is true, but only if you use the correct definition of marriage. God isn't "happy feelings", God is agape.
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Lastly...Let me just go ahead and get this out of the way now...
YouTube - Jim Carrey SNL Original - What is Love
There.  It's done.  No more temptation.


My Marriage Advice

Once, on a flight from Europe to Texas, I was blessed with a lovely neighbor from London.  She was fun, she was talkative, and she was cute. We had a great time talking about video games, work, flowers, and God.

At one point we began talking about her parents's pending divorce and the future of her relationship with her boyfriend.  At which point she asked me:
"You seem happily married.  How do you make a marriage successful?"
It wasn't a flippant question.  The foundation of her life had just been ripped from under her feet by divorce. She was worried about the future. And I was caught completely unprepared. How do you summarize a lifetime of past lessons and future dreams?

So...I failed.  I offered a few weak platitudes about being nice and the conversation drifted to other topics. When the flight ended we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, but her question stayed with me. It haunted me for months, begging for an answer.

Years passed and now my sister is getting married. She asked me the same question the other day. But this time I was ready! After years of searching for a simple, universal truth that summed up the countless bits of wisdom surrounding marriage, I found the answer in Christ. And I have lived it ever since.

So here it is my one piece of advice, for anybody, on how to make a marriage successful:
"Know that love is a decision, not a feeling."
That's it. Remember that and your marriage will never fail. And the reason it will never fail is because it takes your marriage out of the hands of chance and places it in your own capable hands. It makes "falling out of love" impossible. And it makes "til death do us part" a reality.

Love was never meant to be lowered to just some happy feeling or some fleeting attraction. That wasn't the passion we celebrate in Romeo and Juliet. That isn't the force that conquers all. And that is certainly not what Christ felt when he died on the cross for you.

Love is willing the well-being of your spouse above your own life. You have to choose, each day, to love your wife.  You have to decide, each morning, to love your husband.

Because the happy feelings come and go. They just do.
And the good times cycle with the bad times.  They just will.

It is your "yes" that has the power to outlast anything this life can throw at you.
  
That is the love that has been celebrated through the centuries.
That is the love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
That is the love God has for each one of us.
And that is the love that will make your marriage last.

I love you K.
May God bless your marriage.


Keep Pursuing

Biblical Definition of Love

Biblical Origins

I think it would be beneficial to explore the roots of the Christian use of "love" in order to re-center ourselves on the truth.

The The New Testament was originally written in Ancient Greek. There are four words for "love" in Ancient Greek.
  • Eros - A love that desires to possess the beloved. It is where we get the word "Erotic" from.
  • Philia - A mutual affection or friendship.  It is where we get "Philadelphia", the city of brotherly love.
  • Storge - A familial affection.  The duty-bound love you have for your family.
  • Agape - A love that is innocent or selfless.  An example would be the love you have for someone who is dependent on you, like an infant, for which you won't get anything in return. 
When the Hebrew scholars translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Ancient Greek, they did not use Eros or Philia once.  They only used Agape.  One of the reasons for this might be because the words "Eros" and "Philia" had been tainted by society and were also used to refer to sexual relationships.

It was still an interesting choice for the scholars because "agape" was used so rarely.  In fact, it was used so infrequently that, until recently, historians hadn't found an example of the noun form of agape outside of Biblical texts!

When the New Testament was written, the scholars used Storge, Philia, and Agape (never Eros).  However, they always used Agape to describe Christ's love.  (See a spectacular example of how this contrast was used in the appendix!)

So, while Agape meant an "innocent love" in pre-Christian Greek.  In the Christian vocabulary, Agape came to mean a sacrificial love.  It is a love that hopes for no return. It is a love modeled after Christ's love for us.

Love came to mean Sacrifice.


Ramifications

If Love is Sacrifice, our understanding of language is completely transformed...
  • "I love you" really means "I sacrifice for you"
  • "True love conquers all" really means "True sacrifice conquers all" 
  • "God is Love" really means "God is Sacrifice" (which fits Christ)
And in transforming our understanding, our actions should be transformed as well.  Love stops being about our feelings and starts being about our actions.

In this light, many of the things people claim to do "for love" are shown to be quite selfish or completely nonsensical.  And more importantly, the Greatest Commandments, issued by Christ, become much more concrete:
  • "Love God with all you are" becomes "Sacrifice all you are to God"
  • "Love one another as yourself" becomes "Sacrifice for each other as you would for yourself"
Those are much more actionable than the fluffy "have happy thoughts and good feelings for God" that we used to get with the modern definition of "love".


Conclusion

Love means so much more than we have been led to believe.  We've been shortchanged.

We need to recapture the true meaning of love by using this definition of love in conversation and by living this definition of love in our lives.

Yes, it will take a lot of work to retake the word, but...you know...to love something is to sacrifice for it.


Keep Pursuing




Additional Material

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(This post is part of a mini-series on Love.)

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The story of Jesus questioning Peter three times is famous.  But it takes on profound new meaning when read in the original language of Ancient Greek where distinctions between types of love can be shown.  Read below:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you AGAPE me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I PHILIA you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 
He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you AGAPE me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I PHILIA you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you PHILIA me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you PHILIA me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I PHILIA you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.
John 21:15-17
Tell me that doesn't make the story more valuable!  Here we see Jesus asking, "Do you love me enough to sacrifice for me?" and Peter answering, "Yeah, I love you like a brother".

That was not what Jesus asked.  Peter was dodging the question.  So finally, the third time, Jesus says, "So you love me like a brother huh?" to which Peter replies, "You already know that".  You can almost hear shame in his voice.  (Some scholars in the Church contend this was the first confession of the first pope.)

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Come Holy Spirit Prayer

This is how you pray the "Come Holy Spirit" prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. 
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth. 
Let us pray.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Personal Note:

I love praying this prayer before my morning Bible reading. It gets my head in the right spot and helps ensure I am getting the Holy Spirit's message, not making up my own.


Keep Pursuing






Friday, July 11, 2014

The Three Orders of Sacraments

The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church fall into Three Orders:

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(This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments.)

The Sacraments of Healing

The Sacraments of Healing are:
  • Anointing of the Sick
  • Penance

"Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, man receives the new life of Christ. Now we carry this life "in earthen vessels," and it remains "hidden with Christ in God." We are still in our "earthly tent," subject to suffering, illness, and death. This new life as a child of God can be weakened and even lost by sin. ~ CCC 1420

The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.  ~ CCC 1421

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(This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments.)

The Sacraments at the Service of Communion

The Sacraments at the Service of Communion are:
  • Holy Orders
  • Matrimony

"Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.

Through these sacraments those already consecrated by Baptism and Confirmation for the common priesthood of all the faithful can receive particular consecrations. Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are consecrated in Christ's name "to feed the Church by the word and grace of God." On their part, "Christian spouses are fortified and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special sacrament." ~ CCC 1534 - 1535

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(This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments.)

The Sacraments of Christian Initiation

The Sacraments of Christian Initiation are:
  • Baptism
  • Confirmation
  • Holy Eucharist

"The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. the faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."" ~ CCC 1212


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(This post is part of a mini-series on the Sacraments.)

The Sacraments

This page is a hub for all content pertaining to The Sacraments.

First off:

Other topics:

As always, I would love to hear your suggestions for future posts in the comments below.


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What Does Baptism Do?

(This post is part of a mini-series on Baptism.)

What does Baptism do?

Baptism accomplishes three things:
  1. It washes away Original Sin, freeing the person from slavery to sin
  2. It sends the Holy Spirit into the person, to dwell there the rest of the person's life
  3. We move from being one of God's creations to being one of God's adopted children, co-heirs to the Kingdom of God

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What is Baptism?

(This post is part of a mini-series on Baptism.)

What is Baptism?

Baptism is Sacrament of the Church. It is through Baptism that one officially becomes a member of the Church.
"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." ~ CCC 1213

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Baptism

This page serves as a hub for all posts concerning Baptism.

First off:

Other Posts about Baptism:
  • What Does Baptism Do?
  • Baptism in the Bible
  • The History of Baptism
  • Why Was Jesus Baptized?
  • The Role of God Parents
  • What is Required for a Valid Baptism?
  • Fun Facts About Baptism

Related Topics:
  • The Seven Sacraments
  • The Sacraments of Initiation

As always, I would love to hear any requests you have for posts concerning Baptism in the comments.


Keep Pursuing





Wednesday, June 25, 2014

How to Grow in Faith

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


You develop Faith just like you develop any character quality you wish to possess…commitment and practice.  You have to decide for yourself that you want to be a faithful person.  And once you decide, you need to pursue it, practice it, and live it. 

And in this pursuit, we are lucky because we already know the best way to practice and develop faith. It is prayer.  You need to talk to God on a daily basis. 

Start out talking about small, everyday things.  As you progress, you can speak about your blessings, everything going right in your life, and thank Him.  Then you can try speaking to Him about your problems and ask Him to help you.  Trust that He will take care of you.   At first it will be hard.  You might fail.  Don't worry.  Do not give up.  Redouble your efforts and it will become easier. 

Heck, you can even pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for the gift of faith!  You will be amazed at how much quicker your development will take place if you pray about it daily. 

And you should pray about it daily, because the world could use a little more faith.  Faith is a heroic quality that should be celebrated and pursued.  We should all be striving to become men and women of faith.


Keep Pursuing



This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Faith vs Works

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


A half-truth said too often today is the line that “by faith alone you are saved”.  These people are quick to use Romans 3:28: “For we consider that a person is justified apart from works of the law.” 

Of course, you need to immediately reply with James 2:14-26: "...for just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." 

And now the bickering starts.  Two sides staunchly opposed, absolutely refusing to see beyond this “either/or” argument. 

However, both sides are failing to see "the genius of the 'and'".  This is not an "either/or" argument, this is a "both/and" discussion.  The authors of these biblical letters did not mean to contradict each other, they meant to show two sides of the same coin...faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.  

It is through faith we are saved but, as I stated before, faith is transformative.  If you truly have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be changed.  Your faith will bear fruit in the form of works.  You will be performing works not for salvation, but because of salvation.


Keep Pursuing




This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Why is Faith Important?

This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.


Intro

Faith is a value not often sought after in today’s culture.  Intelligence has been put on a pedestal as the value to pursue in this modern age…and it is hurting our society.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in seeking knowledge and urge everyone to develop a critical mind (as mentioned in this post).  But intelligence is not so important that it should be pursued to the exclusion of all else.

There are other, equally important, values like courage, discipline, and faith.  These are invaluable for anyone to possess.  They should not be discarded.  Rather, these noble qualities should be praised and their pursuit celebrated.


Why is Faith important?

Faith in our fellow man is the foundation of society. Without trust, relationships with others would be impossible. It is faith, or trust, that enables teamwork, the coming together of humans to accomplish more than they could on their own. 

Similarly, it is Faith that allows man to have a relationship with God.  Faith is trust in God.  And it is in this capacity that the quality of faithfulness transforms our lives and leads us to explore the teachings of the Church.  Once you trust in God, you experience Him in a whole new way.

...You can already hear it, right?  The line you’ve heard every time you talk about faith.  “But why doesn’t God just come down and shake my hand?  If he does that, then I will believe!” 

But God did come down.  He did more than shake hands.  He performed countless miracles. And still people did not believe.

My favorite example comes from John 6, Jesus performed a miracle in front of thousands of people and the next day when that same crowd heard his teachings on salvation, they abandoned him.  Thousands of followers lost.  They had just seen a miracle!  And they spun on their heel upon hearing something controversial!

It is by faith that you come to know God.  Seeing Him won’t help you if you refuse to believe.  And conversely, when you start believing you will see God.  You cannot put the cart before the horse.  Faith is the crucial first step. 

It is through Faith that you recognize God in the movements of the universe, in the events of this world, and in the happenings of our lives.  Once you grasp the magnificence of God you can’t help but be inspired and transformed.  Because “whoever is in Christ is a new creation…” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17


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This post is part of a mini-series on Faith.

Faith

This landing page serves as a hub for all content pertaining to Faith.

Faith is not talked about nearly enough in today’s society.  And when it is discussed, it is often misrepresented.  I hope to set things straight with this mini-series.

First, and most importantly:

Other topics relating to Faith:

In the comments section below I would love to hear what other topics pertaining to faith you would like me to cover!


Keep Pursuing




Additional Materials

This post is the first in a series of posts dedicated to Truth, to re-capturing the real meaning of words.

This post is part of a mini-series dedicated to the three things that remain.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

How Porn Addiction Works

This post is part of a mini-series on porn.

Your Brain is Jacked

Your brain is incredible.  One of the many things it does is encourage your survival by rewarding you when you do things that are good for you.  Your brain will trigger the release of dopamine and oxytocin to make you feel good when you do things like eat, exercise, or have sex.

But this reward system can be hijacked.  You probably know that drugs, like cocaine and opioids, trigger the release of massive amounts of dopamine without the healthy activities that normally trigger the reward.  This breaking of the natural process leads to all sorts of adverse effects, including addiction.

However, what you may not know is that there are other activities, perceived as less dangerous by society, that hijack your brain in exactly the same way as cocaine.  Porn is one of these activities.


The Brain Chemistry of Addiction

When you view porn, your body releases a surge of dopamine that gives you a high.  Like all highs, this makes you feel great and gives you energy.  In addition, your brain builds a "pathway" using a protein called iFosB ("delta fos b") that will act like a bread crumb trail to lead you back to the same activity that triggered the release of dopamine.

The more you watch porn, the more iFosB pathways are laid in your brain, making it easier and easier to do.  Eventually the "pathways" can become a "highway" where your brain's traffic typically flows.  At this point, looking porn becomes a habit.

It is so natural that you may even do it involuntarily.

At the same time the iFosB "highway" is being built, your body has continued releasing surges of dopamine every time you watch porn.  Eventually, your body builds up a tolerance to these unnaturally high levels of dopamine.

The brain does this by reducing the number of chemical receptors for dopamine.  This means that the porn is still releasing the same levels of dopamine, but you can't feel it.  These leads to some terrible repercussions.


The Effects of Porn Addiction on Your Brain

First, to get the same high as before, you have to either view more porn, view porn more often, or view more hardcore porn. This is dangerous, as the brain tissue involved with sexual preferences (i.e., what “turns us on”) is especially malleable.

As noted by Norman Doidge, MD in his essay, "The Social Costs of Pornography", outside stimuli, like porn, that link previously unrelated things (e.g., physical torture and sexual arousal) can cause previously unrelated neurons within the brain to learn to “fire” in tandem so that the next time around, physical torture actually does trigger sexual arousal in the brain.

As a result numerous studies have shown that habitual porn viewing led the subjects to desire things like child pornography or violent pornography even if they never had an interest in it before!

Second, with a lower level of chemical receptors for dopamine, not only do you not feel the same high while watching porn, but you get less enjoyment out every activity in your life. You don't feel as "alive" as you used to, as if you are living under a shroud.

You now only feel happy when watching porn.

Third, with the addiction laying so many new iFosB pathways, other pathways begin to shrink and disappear as they stop being used.  Specifically, the frontal lobe starts to deteriorate.  This is the area of the brain responsible for problem solving and decision making.

All serious addictions cause this deterioration....and porn is no different.


There is Always Hope

There is good news.  That neuroplasticity of the brain, its ability to link previously unrelated things and lay new pathways, works both ways. Damage done to the brain can be reversed if you stop doing the unhealthy behavior.

However, it may be very difficult.  It can take time to develop new pathways and erase old ones.  And during that time, as with any addiction, you may go through the symptoms of withdrawals as your brain has gotten used to the high levels of dopamine.

ALso, their could be permanent consequences from your addiction that last rest of your life.  If enough iFosB pathways accumulate it can “flip a genetic switch” causing the brain to be more susceptible to any addiction in the future.

So the best option is to never get addicted in the first place.


A Final Comparison Between Porn and Drugs

Describing porn’s effect to a U.S. Senate committee, Dr. Jeffrey Satinover of Princeton University said, “It is as though we have devised a form of heroin 100 times more powerful than before, usable in the privacy of one’s own home and injected directly to the brain through the eyes.”

Stay safe.  Stay away from porn.


Keep pursuing (the wholesome)




Additional Materials

This post is part of a mini-series on porn, get educated on all its effects.

Porn

This is a summary page for a mini-series on pornography.  Here is what you need to know:

*I have not finished all the articles yet, but I am working on it.*

How it works:

Impacts on Society:
  • Porn promotes human trafficking
  • Porn fuels sex slavery
  • Porn endangers children
  • Porn increases violent crime
  • Porn objectifies women (and men)
  • Porn destroys marriage
  • Porn alters views of sex
  • Porn degrades the view of healthy relationships

My Personal Story
  • My Experience with Porn Addiction

Informational Resources:

Healing Resources:

How You Can Fight Back:

"For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root."
~ Henry David Thoreau


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

The Lamb of God

What do you think is meant when Jesus is called the "Lamb of God"?

Today most people think it means He was kind, gentle, and innocent.  That He was like a lamb in demeanor.

While that may have been true some of the time, Jesus also taught some hard lessons, rebuked heretics, and physically drove the money changers out of the temple in a fit of righteous fury.

1st Century Sacrifices

In truth, the real meaning of "Lamb of God" is "Sacrifice of God".  It means the sacrifice chosen specifically by God.  And this would have been obvious to 1st century Jews.  Everyone would have understood.

That's because sacrifices were a fact of life in the time of Jesus.  The people of Israel had been making offerings and sacrifices to the Lord ever since God established his covenant with Abraham.  For centuries, the sacrifices had been well regulated by Mosaic law as documented in the Torah (examples in ExodusLeviticus, and Numbers).  They were important and integral to the culture.  That's why we see Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to the temple when he was eight days old to offer a sacrifice. (Luke 2:22-24)

The Paschal Lamb

Further, there was the Passover sacrifice.  Passover was the most important celebration on the Jewish calendar.  For example, we know the Holy Family traveled to Jerusalem every year to celebrate Passover. (Luke 2:41-51)

During the feast of Passover, the Jews would slaughter a lamb and eat it all.  This sacrifice was called the paschal lamb.  They could not leave any to waste.  They would paint their door frames with the blood of the lamb and sprinkle each other with the blood of the lamb.

All this was done in remembrance of the first Passover during the time of Moses.  (Exodus 12)  The sacrifice signified the people of God and saved them from God's wrath as he went through Egypt killing the first born of each family.

The Lamb of God

These were cultural norms for 1st century Jews.  When people talked about "the lamb", it would have been understood that they were talking about the paschal lamb, the sacrificial lamb from Passover.

And when John the Baptist announced "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," (John 1:29) everyone would have known John was saying this was the sacrifice prepared by God.


Keep pursuing,





Additional Resources

The Need for Context:

As with so much that is written in the Bible, you cannot get the real message if you do not understand the cultural context within which the words were written.  Put another way, it is faulty to assume our cultural norms, saying, and definitions apply to works written 2000 years ago.

If you want to understand the Bible, you need to read foot notes, introductions, and supporting materials to get a feel for the intended audience, intent, and message.  And if you really want to be on your game, you can begin reading books about the life and times of Old Testament and New Testament Jews and Gentiles.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Now and at the Hour of Our Death Book Review

I just finished a book written by my friend JSB Morse called Now and at the Hour of Our Death.  The premise of the book is striking: How would the modern world react if the miracle of a virgin birth happened today?  


The Plot

The story is told through the eyes of Mary, a young woman in high school, a devout Catholic, and the recipient of a miracle.  Mary's father is running for the US Senate so news of his daughter's illegitimate pregnancy causes a scandal that impacts countless lives in unexpected ways.  

Time and again we get to see how various paradigms react when confronted with this surprising claim.  Tensions rise as opinions clash and, before long, many have staked their reputation on whether this girl is telling the truth.

All the while, Mary is dealing with a teen pregnancy and struggling to use this miracle for the conversion and hearts, minds and souls.  But how can she possibly do that if she can't even convince her own family?

As the book climaxes many lives are changed permanently because they stood up for their varied and conflicting beliefs and refused to back down.  When the book ends you are left breathless and wondering, how would I react to same thing?


The Good

There are a lot of good points about the book, but the most important is its incredible treatment of the characters.  JSB Morse did three amazing things:
  1. He created a large and diverse cast of characters, representing vastly different paradigms
  2. He made each of these personalities feel real, with touching stories and sound logic for their opinions
  3. He was fair in his treatment, revealing that all positions have good guys and bad guys
The result was very believable dialogues and highly entertaining interactions.  You feel what the characters feel and understand their anger, joy, and sadness.  


The Bad

Which leads me to my next point.  This book is visceral.  And it might be too much so for some readers.

The vivid descriptions of societal decay in the book left me wincing.  It was hard to finish some of his paragraphs that fully indulged the materialistic, misogynistic elements of our culture.  It was sickening to read the hate-filled thoughts of a bigot.  He did a brutally good job of making you feel your disgust for the parts of our lives we try to ignore.

Why You Should Read It

That being said, it was a page-turner.  I had a hard time putting it down...and once I did my wife couldn't put it down.  I highly recommend this book to everyone for two reasons.

First, this novel is written from a point of view that, I feel, has not been captured in fiction in the past decade.  How refreshing to read a book that is not written from the point of view of a disenchanted skeptic but, rather, a well-formed believer.  For anyone who champions the value of diversity, this books represents a voice that is rarely heard and a face that is rarely seen. 

Second, this book is provocative.  It forces you to feel.  It causes you to think.  And it makes you wonder.  It confronts you about your personal beliefs and the beliefs of others.  And it presents problems there may not be answers to.  

Long story short, I can’t give a better summary than this: 
This visceral story made me wince, made me laugh, made me cry, made me think, and made me pray. When was the last time you read a book that did that?
I would love to hear your thoughts on the book in the comments!


Keep pursuing,


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Bread of Life

As Catholics, we believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  Jesus himself made it plainly understood in John 6:26-66.  Please read His words below:
Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."  
So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." 
So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  
So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."  
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day."  
The Jews murmured about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven," and they said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  
Jesus answered and said to them, "Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."  
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" 
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.  
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.  
Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" 
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." 
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Analysis

I do not want to be contentious, but how can you argue that Jesus meant anything else than what He said?  He says He is "the bread of life" five separate times. He says we have to "feed on the bread" three times. He says "the bread is his flesh" twice.  He says we have to "eat his flesh" three separate time. And then to remove any ambiguity, He says "my flesh is true food and blood is true drink".

The Jews also offer some helpful insight.  Three separate times they raise objections to what Jesus is saying.  They believed He was speaking literally.  And Jesus had three separate chances to clarify and say he was speaking in parables, but instead each time he reiterates all the more plainly that He means what He says.

The followers abandon Jesus.  He had just performed a miracle and fed these 5000 men the day before!  And now they leave Him.  Do you really think they would have left if they thought He was speaking figuratively?  And wouldn't have Jesus have clarified Himself if He was about to lose thousands of disciples over a misunderstanding?

Lastly, on a fun gruesome note, in this chapter Jesus uses two different Greek words for "eat that have very different connotations.  He uses "phago" which means "to eat or devour" when talking about the manna from heaven.  But he uses "trogo" which means "to chew or gnaw" when talking about eating his flesh.  This visceral word choice was deliberate.  Jesus wanted the audience to really feel it when He said they had to "gnaw on His flesh."  This distinction is huge and further corroborates that Jesus meant what He said.


Keep pursuing,



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Game Changers for Your Faith Journey

A Resolution to Transform Your Life

Matthew Kelly, the leader of Dynamic Catholic, is offering "game changers" to transform your life.  He defines a game changer as something that is 1.) easy to accomplish and 2.) profound in impact.

Matthew offers three game changers.  He promises that if you pick one and do it for the next year, it will transform your life.  I agree with him, I believe these will change my life.  And I plan to do one.


1.) Read One Chapter of the Gospels Every Day for One Year
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John contain the words and deeds of the Son of God during His time on this planet.  And yet, many of us are only vaguely familiar with the messages in these four books.

Read one chapter of the Gospels every day.  When you finish all four, start over at the beginning.  Focusing on the direct words of Jesus Christ will transform your life.


2.) Go to Confession Every Month for One Year

The Sacrament of Penance is one of the greatest gifts Christ left His Church.  Through it we we receive complete forgiveness and freedom from sin.  And yet, most people are terrified of going to confession.

Go to confession once a month, every month, for the next twelve months. Focusing on your sins and God's unbelievable mercy will transform your life.


3.) Keep a Mass Journal for One Year 

If God, the Almighty Creator, was going to speak to you, wouldn't you write it down to make sure you never forgot?  And yet, this is exactly what we experience every Sunday when we go to church and attend Mass. 

Every Sunday for the next year, at the beginning of church ask God to speak to you and show you one way you can become a better version of yourself.  When you hear it, write it down in the journal.  A year of focusing on God speaking directly to you will transform you.


My Resolution for 2014

I love practicing what I preach.  So for 2014, I resolve to read one chapter of the Gospels every day for the next 365 days.  By my calculations, 89 chapters means I should get through all four Gospels four times with nine days to spare.  I'll let you know the results of my journey in one year's time!


My Results:

Coming in 2015...



Keep Pursuing



Friday, January 3, 2014

Funny Thing About The Truth

Funny thing about the Truth,
It remains the Truth whether you like it or not,
And it remains the Truth whether you accept it or not.

The Truth is the Truth whether it is taboo or not,
And the Truth is the Truth whether it is legal or not.

The Truth remains True,
Whether it is popular,
Whether it is believed,
Or even if it is known.

Because we don't own the truth, thank goodness!
God shared it with his beloved to end our blindness.

We can embrace it and see with eyes enlightened,
Or turn our backs and fool ourselves in darkness.

But the Truth will remain,
Because the Truth is eternal,
The Truth is universal,
and the Truth is good.

So rather than deny, ignore, and pretend,
Is it not better to seek, pursue, and treasure?

In truth, the Truth is what makes things funny,
And in truth, what's funny is that the Truth is taboo,
Because if the Truth is taboo, and what's taboo is Truth,
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Now that, is funny!



Keep Pursuing