So, tomorrow (October 31st) is Reformation Day for our Protestant brothers and sisters. To get into the spirit of the day, I had considered writing up a blog post with 95 defenses of the Catholic faith, but decided not to for a couple of reasons.
Tomorrow is Halloween, and I'll be too busy gorging myself with candy to write up 95 rebuttals to Martin Luther
You'll probably be too busy gorging yourselves with candy to read 95 rebuttals anyway
So, with that in mind, let's keep this short and sweet with this little meme I found online a few months back.
"Happy" Reformation Day, everyone. And in case I don't get on here tomorrow, Happy Halloween, as well!
So, I've been working out this post in my head for the past several days now. And I thought that since I had a quiet night, it might finally be time to sit down and write it out. Back when this video first came out (2012--whaa??) a liberal Catholic friend of mine started sharing this online. I'll admit I've listened to it quite a bit...not because I like the message, but I like the music. After all, who didn't like "Call Me Maybe" (at least, when it first came out)?
If you haven't seen the video yet, I encourage you to take a look at it. I promise it's short, and while the message is heresy, at least you'll enjoy the music while I get to my point.
Did you watch it? Okay, so now, let's address a few of the more interesting points here. Within the first 30 seconds, we see two big problems. First, our singer tells us not to listen to St. Paul (who was a very influential voice in the early Church and onward), and that she was excommunicated. Then, around the one-minute mark, the song says that other churches are trying to get her to join, but that she's Catholic and wants to be ordained.
If you didn't catch that, let me break it down. First of all, despite what she's saying, she is not Catholic. After all, Catholics listen to the teaching of the Church, and she just told us about 30 seconds before to not listen to St. Paul and that she is excommunicated. These two things show that there is a huge disconnect. Excommunication is meant as a mercy, to call your attention in a very direct way to the fact that you are living in sin. So, if you are excommunicated, for example, for trying to be a female priest, then it looks like the Church is trying to tell you something. Hmm...I wonder what it is?
Also, the line about how the Pope...the leader of the Catholic Church, apostolic successor to Peter, etc...is in her way. So, you consider yourself a Catholic and want to be a part of this Church...but you don't recognize the authority of the Pope?? Um, that's like saying I want to become a citizen of another country, but I do not accept the authority of their president/monarch/prime minister, etc. It doesn't make sense, and honestly, it won't fly. So, here's what I'm getting at, brothers and sisters. This is heresy presented in a fun way. The song, as I mentioned, is catchy, the women all seem really nice, and despite some of their comments, make it seem like they really just want what is best for everyone. Pure intentions and all that. But, that's not really what's going on here. See, the devil employs tricks like this to keep us fooled. He's not going to pop up and say, "Here's a great idea! Support something morally wrong and lose your soul!" No one would fall for that. Instead, he candy-coats it. Makes it look fun. It's like the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She doesn't come in her true form, hiding nothing. She doesn't try to kill Snow outright without resorting to tricks. "Here, eat this handful of fertilizer" or "Here's a little bottle with a skull and crossbones on it--drink up!" Instead, she presents Snow with a delicious apple that looks tempting but is meant to kill her. So, the devil uses flashy ways to make something seem innocent or fun and then uses it to trap us. This song is just another example of that. It's a shiny red apple that suggests that nothing could possibly go wrong. Don't fall for it. Heresy is never as delicious as it looks.
I love houseplants. In fact, I currently have five, mostly succulents. I can spend hours just taking care of these little babies, whether I'm performing basic maintenance, or shopping for new pots or plants to add to my cramped windowsill.
Why am I talking about this? Well, because every day, I am amazed by the wonders that God has created for us in the form of plants. There are so many ways these beautiful creations benefit us, from food and medicine to air purification and beauty. My plants do not provide me with any food or medicine, but just seeing them makes me feel so happy, and I swear the air in my office space is fresher every day. Supposedly, working with plants helps you to reduce stress levels, too, and I certainly have been calmer ever since setting up my tiny menagerie. When things are getting stressful, I just take a 15 minute break to water my plants, pick off any dead leaves, and make sure everything is good.
Our Father created all these things for us to enjoy. What a blessing to have so much opportunity for beauty in our lives. Here's the thing: the devil likes to keep us busy so that we don't have time to enjoy these gifts. If we're always running around like crazy, stressing out over little things, causing a ruckus, we don't have time to appreciate the gifts God has given us. Spending fifteen minutes a day with my plants is a small way of taking that time back for myself and for God.
My challenge for you is to take the time to find a plant to love. You don't have to buy one if you don't think you can take care of it (although, it is easy to find a plant for almost every living situation). If you're not interested in a plant of your own, take the time to admire the beauty outdoors, whether it's a tree or a bush or a patch of flowers. Don't let the devil keep you distracted. Find the beauty in God's creation. He made it with you in mind.
First, I'd like to say sorry for my long hiatus. I was blocked out of my account, because Google thought someone had tried to hack me--with my own password. That someone was me. Trying to access my account from a different computer than normal. *Groan*
Anyways, after months of trying to get back into the account, struggling with requests that I give up my phone number (which eliminates my anonymous nature on this blog, etc.), I finally managed to get back in. So, thank you for your patience.
Second, I would like to wish a Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there, from my own earthly father, my godfather, grandfathers, and uncles, as well as my adopted spiritual father, St. Joseph, and of course, our Father in Heaven. I would also like to extend these well-wishes to all fathers outside of my family, and especially to those who are struggling in Purgatory.
A lot has happened since we last were in contact. I have gotten my dream job, revisited an old passion for plants (I hope to write about this at a later date), and today, while in line to receive Holy Eucharist, discovered that our parish's new seminarian is incredibly cute, which of course could be a whole issue in and of itself.
I recently finished reading an amazing book. For those of you who missed this post's title, this book was called Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence. It's a powerful and moving biography of an amazing woman. Mother Angelica has been one of the most outspoken and influential women in the Church in the last century, and while I'm not a part of the committee that may one day determine her sainthood, I can say without fear of contradiction that this is one individual who certainly lived a saintly life. I believe one day, we will see a Saint Angelica. One day, all of her sacrificing, prayers, and suffering will culminate with one more saint in our midst.
The book covers most of the end of Mother's life. Author Raymond Arroyo actually wrote another biography of Mother, which details the earlier portion of her life. I have not had the chance to read it, but it will be on my to-read list for sure. However, while all of Mother's life was a beautiful tribute to the God she discovered as a teen, for me, it was the end of her life which touched such a chord.
I have been trying to write about this for a while, but I just can't get the words to come out. My grandmother has been sick for a long time, and is slowly passing away. There have been times when I honestly believed that she was going to die, but each time, God brings her back to us. I've been struggling with things, because I watch her suffering, and while I know there is a divine plan, I find it difficult to understand why a woman who is so sweet and loving, and so faithful to God would be made to suffer like this. This book made me understand.
I understand now that pain and suffering is meant as a means of cleansing. Suffering allows us to have a deeper relationship with God. It forces us to be humble, it crushes our pride, and it makes us rely more deeply on Him. It also acts as a spiritual cleansing for others. Suffering allows us to sacrifice for the good of the souls of others. When we are made to suffer, it is God reaching out to us and showing us His mercy.
I recommend all of you read this book, no matter your creed, situation, or current thoughts on religion. Just read it and allow Mother to reach out to you as she has reached out to so many people, and how she has reached out to your little sister here; as she has reached out to me.
I'll leave you with this video. This is from World Youth Day 1993, where the Stations of the Cross featured a pantomime with a female actor playing the role of Jesus. Why am I sharing this? Because this is the first time I had really seen Mother Angelica get angry; a righteous anger. And every time I watch this video, I feel a fire stirred up inside of me, and I want to be just like her. I hope that you feel the same.
I read this article on UCatholic, and have not been able to stop thinking about this man. I've kept the tab open, and I keep coming back to his face, the look in his eyes. And I feel this strong connection to him. I'm not sure if I'm developing a crush on a martyred priest, or if it's the strength of his faith that's so fascinating, but I've decided I'm going to start learning a bit more about him, and pray for his intersession in my life. After all, he's currently beatified, so he's on the road to sainthood. And as a Catholic, I believe that those who have gone before us will continue to pray for us here on earth. So, why not? Perhaps God is trying to reach out to me though this man. Perhaps there is something special that I need to learn from him.
Just as a fair warning, this post is going to contain some spoilers about the Dragon Ball Z film Battle of Gods (2013) and the Dragon Ball Z anime. If you haven't seen the film and plan on it, I suggest watching it first and coming back to read this post later. If you don't care about spoilers, please read on ahead. I'll try to give a bit of background for non-DBZ fans so you can also follow along.
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So, to summarize, this film was considered something a reboot of the Dragon Ballfranchise. It takes place sometime after the events of "Z," but before GT. A bit of background on the series: Goku is a Saiyan, a member of a destructive race of aliens who travel from planet to planet wiping out the native inhabitants. However, he crash-landed on earth as a child, hitting his head and losing his memory, so instead, he grows up to become a hero for justice and a protector against the many threats to the earth. By the time "Z" has ended, Goku has defeated some of the most powerful beings in the universe, including Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.
Final-Form Frieza, Super Buu, and Perfect Cell
The movie starts in a time of peace, where there are no threats left to fight, and Goku's friend Bulma is celebrating her birthday. Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, Beerus, the god of destruction has awakened from his long slumber to fulfill a prophecy and find the fabled "Super Saiyan God". When he does not find what he is looking for on Earth, he decides to destroy it if Goku can't stop him.
So, here is the spoiler time...
Beerus vs "Super Saiyan God" Goku
Goku can't stop Beerus. He's just not strong enough. But, there is a prophesy that if five Saiyans with pure hearts join hands and channel their power into another, he or she can become a Super Saiyan God. So, Goku gathers together his other Saiyan family and friends (Vegeta, Trunks, Gohan, and Goten), but the ritual doesn't work. They misunderstood: there has to be five Saiyans to power up a sixth one, as opposed to a total of five. But, here's the thing...Gohan's human wife Videl is pregnant with his Saiyan baby, so she joins the circle as well, and the power of the child's pure heart is enough to complete the ritual and give Goku the power he needs to transform.
Pregnant Videl and unborn Pan give their power to help Goku
So, what does that mean? Well, the only way that Goku could have reached the level of godhood was to have the power of five pure-hearted Saiyans to help him. And if Videl's unborn child (soon to be known as Pan) was able to complete the ring as the sixth Saiyan then that means a few very important things. One, baby Pan has a pure heart, and two, she is a person. A clump of cells could not have had the power or the purity of heart to assist as she does. And look closely at the picture of Videl featured here. That's a pretty flat stomach. In fact, her husband doesn't even know that she's pregnant yet! She surprises everyone by announcing her pregnancy at the moment when Pan's pure heart is needed to complete the circle. My point? According to science, that baby is nothing more than a tiny cluster of cells...and yet, it is enough of aperson to make a big impact.
Too many people tell us today that motherhood is a form of bondage, and that the unborn children in our wombs are not people yet (so as to justify ripping them from the womb in pieces or burning them to death with a saline solution). How far from the truth this is! Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. As I talked about in my last post, I am considering veiling at mass and adoration. In some of the links provided there, people talk about how you veil something that is sacred. And a woman veils herself because her body is sacred. God touches women in a way he does not touch men--he gives us the ability to produce life and carry it until it is ready to be born. What a beautiful gift!
Tarble
The thing is, this was not just a convenient point that was needed in the film. For example, the prophecy could have required a total of five pure-hearted Saiyans, since there would be more than enough of them at the party. They could have even used other Saiyan characters from the series, such as Vegeta's brother Tarble, even though he wasn't there at the time. Beerus made it abundantly clear that he's going to wait. This is not a matter of "We have sixty seconds and need a fast solution!" Sure, there was a time limit, but it was not an instantaneous death sentence. So, why not get him? Or the ritual could even have required six pure hearts, regardless of race. But, that's not how it happened. Instead, the message here is that it had to be six Saiyans, and Videl and Gohan's daughter Pan was the necessary extra piece to complete the circle. And this means that this was a conscious choice on the part of the writers. They wanted to show Pan's personhood. Say what you would like, but this is pretty clear to me. Just as God has decreed that each and every one of us is a person with our own soul and will and purpose, so too is it shown in this anime. Goku is a protector. Life in all of its forms is important to him. That's why he needs the assistance of all lives to power up some of his most powerful attacks such as the spirit bomb or his Super Saiyan God form. Many movies and shows attempt to tear apart the humanity of the unborn just as abortionists try to tear the babies from the womb. But, at least one can count on the Dragon Ball franchise to get the message right. I'll leave you with this closing thought:
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