tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63658534141894958992011-04-21T20:40:54.244-07:00Scripture and theology meet here, where a young man explores his faith and seeks God's will for his life.FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-43584569469346466922009-02-06T11:30:00.000-08:002009-02-07T16:07:58.110-08:00

Yes, it has been a long recess, an extended absence, a prolonged vacation... but the prodigal son has returned. I am back after approximately five months of "neglecting" my blog and its viewers. I feel that an apology is in order, because I seem to have abandoned you; however, I have returned, and I will try to prevent my incredible amounts of work from keeping me away from this blog.I suppose

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-27008361149704711652008-09-17T18:13:00.000-07:002008-09-20T23:39:24.769-07:00

During a Theology class last quarter, we were reading from the book of Ezekiel, and I noticed something quite interesting and profound. Due to the great number of assignments that I had to complete, however, I forgot to write a commentary on it and it slipped into the recesses of my mind.Now, I have remembered and, on this, my last day of school for this quarter and the first day of my 2 week

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-11165439521971976952008-08-18T18:51:00.000-07:002009-02-06T11:30:47.617-08:00

Let all of my thoughts, O Lord, fly unto Thee, who are the Lover of my soul and the source of my life. Bless me, a wretched sinner, that I may realize my sinfulness and turn away from it. As did Mary Magdalene, may I despise and abhor my past iniquity, and never return to it. Tear from me all affection for sin; may my heart be torn in two at the thought of offending Thee, sweet Savior.I cannot

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-69551814586368163682008-07-11T11:03:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:18:24.322-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-22645641542631728902008-06-22T13:50:00.000-07:002008-06-22T13:57:14.781-07:00

I would like to extend a quick thank you to Professor Michael Barber of John Paul the Great Catholic University, from who I have received much instruction and so many great resources. Anyone who would like to read his (and Brant Pitre's) blog can find it at http://www.singinginthereign.blogspot.com/-----------------------------------------------------------I would like to point out some of the

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-44012254432050157232008-06-12T13:52:00.000-07:002008-10-29T09:00:05.504-07:00

I would like to address a question that I have seen in several places, from many people. This question is basically, "Why did the God of the Old Testament order the slaughter of many nations? Isn't He a loving, compassionate God?" Here's why He did these things:Even from the beginning, contact with the evil people of the world caused the downfall of the righteous. After killing Abel in

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-900804987708521272008-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:002008-05-07T19:17:29.588-07:00

Life in general has, to me, become quite hectic and nerve-wracking, peaceful and happy, all at the same time. Is it not strange, one could say, that this sort of happening occur, not only to myself but really to anyone?I do not comprehend how life can be so versatile, so eclectic in its aspects and dimensions, nor do I pretend now to understand the mysterious movements of God throughout the

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-77998102307725584732007-12-09T19:47:00.001-08:002008-10-29T08:48:54.785-07:00

Just as in Scripture, where the people blindly followed the many laws handed down to them, we, too, seem to have forgotten why we do what we do. Most Christians maintain that it is beneficial to attend some sort of ceremony each weekend on Sunday. However, how many of us really appreciate why we get up on Sunday morning? How many of us, especially Catholics (who have the Eucharist, the Real

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-11021211534212840562007-12-09T18:33:00.001-08:002008-10-29T08:48:34.896-07:00

Elijah was a man that truly listened to God and tried to do His will, no matter what the odds and regardless of the situation. When he was up against a "multitude" of Baal's prophets, he alone stood up for the Lord, God of Israel. Then, when Jezebel threatened his life, he walked for forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, where he waited for God to reveal Himself to him. There was a

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-58153041645868995262007-11-28T20:13:00.001-08:002008-10-29T08:48:06.498-07:00

There have been many times in my life, just as in the lives of many others, that I was challenged to live up to my religious beliefs. People have asked me questions, often difficult to answer, and watched me to see whether or not I "mess up" in my daily actions. Each day is a test, a new chance to impact those around me (hopefully in a positive way).All of this puts a great deal of pressure on

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-29688797674701335432007-11-07T23:36:00.001-08:002007-11-08T01:15:10.006-08:00

Just as God's presence in the Ark of the Covenant commanded great respect and reverence, so too does the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our dearly beloved Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, present in the tabernacles of Roman Catholic churches all over the world.The Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, was the new Ark of the Covenant, charged with holding the true and real presence of God inside

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-15675790751718314172007-10-31T18:58:00.001-07:002007-11-07T23:30:16.066-08:00

Throughout the Old Testament, God showed the nation of Israel that they were nothing without His divine help. When the Israelites showed stubbornness and unfaithfulness, they failed in their endeavors. It was only when they obeyed the precepts of the Lord that they conquered the other nations occupying the land. A great example of this is the overthrow of Jericho, driven by the exact following

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-31524826083933153182007-10-24T23:54:00.002-07:002007-10-25T02:20:20.532-07:00

The priesthood is so much more profound in the New Covenant than in the Old because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant required continuous sacrifice and prayer, of which neither did any true, lasting salvific good. The new priesthood involves, in it's most central role, the remembrance of Christ's total gift of himself in the Eucharist, which all of the previous sacrifices

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-13160637875178751602007-10-17T22:15:00.000-07:002008-11-22T15:54:05.698-08:00

The disordered tendencies of homosexuality date back to the early times of the Bible, and this issue is addressed much more than many people realize. Oftentimes, during conversations, I have found that people do not know about the Bible's condemnations of homosexuality and are quite surprised to hear of and read them. These people need look no further than Gn 19: 1-29, Rom 1: 24-27, 1 Cor 6:10

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-30710365597170875502007-10-10T21:53:00.001-07:002007-10-11T00:04:35.344-07:00

The Lord has intended mankind to respect and revere human life as sacred since the beginning of Creation. God made man, "in [His] image, after [His] likeness" and, as such, all humans are so immeasurably valuable in God's eyes, as we are supposed to be in each others' eyes. This has been the stance of the Roman Catholic Church throughout time, and indeed of the Lord's people before Christ.

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365853414189495899.post-72612982503855326652007-10-03T21:57:00.000-07:002007-10-04T00:58:24.984-07:00

Prayer is essentially a conversation between us as humans and the Divine, involving a conscious effort on our part to turn totally towards the Lord. Of course, God is constantly speaking to us, through the people we know, Sacred Scripture, and all of the events that we experience throughout the day. It is our choice both to speak and listen to God, because we must cooperate and use our free

FdeS2http://www.blogger.com/profile/03794116722954243265noreply@blogger.com1