WWJD

    What would Jesus do? Jesus is perfect. He never sinned and always made the right choice.We should all live by WWJD. To live life as Jesus would is to strive to perfection. Unfortunately we are not perfect so we cannot be perfect. This however does not mean we cannot strive to perfection. If all of man was to strive for perfection the world would be a much better place. There would be no wars and everyone would be happy and live in  peace. We would all probably go to heaven too. To sum it up we should ask WWJD before each and every decision in order to make sure we are acting our lives out in the most holy way possible. 

I'm not a bum!

This video shows the flaws in Human Nature. Specifically, one of our greatest flaws is our brains instinctively analyzing a person so we can determine if they are a threat to us. In the process, we also draw conclusions about them and their personality, as it could be helpful if they are a hostile threat. The problem stems from the fact that we now live in a structured global society, and people aren't as much of a threat as they used to be. In response, this instinct puts all its focus on the personality aspect to make up for it.

The actual problem, though, is we tend to base how to treat a person off of this initial glance, and it can seriously harm our perception of life. Everyone has grown up and seen homeless people on the streets, and I doubt that your parents gave you a clear explanation as to how they got there. To make up for the lack of knowledge, people tend to assume that they are too lazy or to unskilled to have a job, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. If we ignore our instincts and take the time to talk to these people, we can learn the true reasons they got to where they are now, and about 99% of the time its not because they're too lazy or unskilled. The man who returned, apologized, and gave money to Ronald realized the flaw in assuming he was lazy or a bum. However, when Ronald said "God bless you.", perhaps it was a reminder to him that he too is one of God's children. He is a contemporary human being. And this is when he began to open his eyes and actually ask: 'How did he get to where he is today?' After realizing he couldn't know the full story, he accepted the wrong of his assumptions and reconciled for them. All it took to do this was the referencing of God, because it is through God that we gain our understanding of Oneness, and how we are all God's children.

Confirmation

     Recently, I was confirmed. I got confirmed at my local parish (St. Cecilia).  I went through two whole years of recuperation for my confirmation. After five o'clock mass we would all meet in a auditorium and talk about Jesus. Then we would break out in separate groups and reflect. The meets however, were generally boring because I had already learned all the stuff the were talking about in middle school theology. I used my knowledge granted to me by high school theology class to inspire and put others in awe of my great catholic knowledge. I was confirmed by the cardinal so it was kind of a big deal. An hour before confirmation we all met in the auditorium and were given a speech from the cardinal. He was trying to convince at least four of us to become priests. The chrism smelled like flowers and spaghetti, so now my pillow smells like that too.

All are welcome!

    The article speaks to all of us regarding the responsibilities of a Catholic, and how we must live our lives well to truly achieve salvation. Regarding Freddie in the story, the parents of the narrator welcome him to dinner with open arms. However, this doesn't mean that Freddie had the freedom to do whatever he wanted to now that he was in the parent's house. He still had to observe the practices and mandates of the parents, or else he might have to not stay for dinner.
     In a similar manner, God calls all of us to be Holy and welcomes us to the Church with open arms. At the same time, though, we cannot truly achieve salvation unless we observe, understand, and APPRECIATE the traditions of the Church. If we didn't, sure we could call ourselves Catholic, but would we be in actuality? In the end, we would not achieve Salvation, and the claims we had made in life would be empty and unfounded without observing tradition.


So go wash your hands before dinner. After all, you wouldn't want to eat the Eucharist with dirt and sin caked under your fingernails!