ALIVE IN FAITH

To strengthen the faith is to study the faith a bit closer. I am a former member of Singles for Christ from U.P. Diliman Chapter. I and my GG (God's Gift) got married last year June 11, 2011.

Happiness and contentment is the sure feeling when someone or some group supports your growth. My spiritual journey jump start before I joined in. Before I met my wife, my purpose of joining is to know if, God is really calling me towards the Priesthood. I wish to be certain, I do not want to hurt Jesus and the Church.

Before I joined SFC, I am already reading Catholic Apologetic books, especially the book entitled "Rome sweet home" by Dr. Scott & Kimberly Hahn. I also developed the habit of reading the Bible, plus reading the Church Fathers. With these bit of exposure, Christian Life Program, is just a nut shell to break.

Though faced with a dilemma regarding Talk 4: Repentance & Faith; I believe the speaker did not know what the real deal with the Eucharist, the Church, and Salvation history., faced with these heart breaks I still sojourn my way up.

I also felt that my readings are bringing me in a more conservative tone. I love the SFC songs, though I prefer the Gregorian chants. Maybe due to my readings, I was well influenced by the Orthodoxy of the Faith rather than its other faces. With these in mind, I met my wife. Khae Sabado was a senior member, as far as I remember she was the assistant unit head of Claret Chapter, and I am just a newbie then. Some says we are not fit as partners; Khae is more lively, and I am more reserve. To cut the story short we got married, and still singing joyfully to the Lord.

A year later, I tried to connect with my friends in SFC- UP Diliman. I found out that there were new members who favored RH-Bill, in which the Church opposed due to its artificial contraception nature. I could not believe it so I tried putting a Anti-RH Bill quotes and some articles in the Facebook page. This is just to confirm my suspicions. I was shocked when SFC start arguing Pro-RH Bill. To come to think that those are new member, they should be fired up in their faith.

Though divided, I praise my friends who hold on. They kept the faith alive. They study the Bill and the Church's position very clearly, and produce an irrefutable argument against those SFC who supports it. I do understand that those who support are some in active members who wished to be heard, though their stand goes against the teachings of the Church.

I do hope that CFC-SFC should hold much more teachings on this topic. Although the root of division is not the RH Bill; it is the lack of Catholic teachings. It is true, some people joined in just to have GFs or BFs, but these certain reality should not stop us from spreading the Church's beauty.

I hope and pray that those young  single men and women, would end up like us. Happy, alive in the faith. Ready to answer the call of duty in defending the faith and morals.

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

I just like to share... this article from Dr. Scott Hahn. Enjoy reading....

June 26th, 2011 - Corpus Christi

Listen Here!

Word of the ‘Living Father’

Readings:
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58

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The Eucharist is given to us as a challenge and a promise. That’s how Jesus presents it in today’s Gospel.

He doesn’t make it easy for those who hear Him. They are repulsed and offended at His words. Even when they begin to quarrel, He insists on describing the eating and drinking of His flesh and blood in starkly literal terms.

Four times in today’s reading, Jesus uses a Greek word - trogein - that refers to a crude kind of eating, almost a gnawing or chewing (see John 6:54,56,57,58).

He is testing their faith in His Word, as today’s First Reading describes God testing Israelin the desert.

The heavenly manna was not given to satisfy the Israelites’ hunger, as Moses explains. It was given to show them that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

In today’s Psalm, too, we see a connection between God’s Word and the bread of life. We sing of God filling us with “finest wheat” and proclaiming his Word to the world.

In Jesus, “the living Father” has given us His Word come down from heaven, made flesh for the life of the world.

Yet as the Israelites grumbled in the desert, many in today’s Gospel cannot accept that Word. Even many of Jesus’ own followers abandon Him after this discourse (see John 6:66). But His words are Spirit and life, the words of eternal life (see John 6:63,67).

In the Eucharist we are made one flesh with Christ. We have His life in us and have our life because of Him. This is what Paul means in today’s Epistle when He calls the Eucharist a “participation” in Christ’s body and blood. We become in this sacrament partakers of the divine nature (see 1 Peter 2:4).

This is the mystery of the faith that Jesus asks us believe. And He gives us His promise: that sharing in His flesh and blood that was raised from the dead, we too will be raised up on the last day.

Yours in Christ,



Scott Hahn, Ph.D.