Why is Missing Sunday Mass Considered a Sin?

I’ve been asked this question many times before. To answer it, one has to understand the mass. It is a reliving of the sacrifice of Jesus in Calvary. In doing so, we also commemorate the sacrifice he made to “save” us. Let’s draw an analogy. Suppose your father fought during WWII and died in the war. It’s only proper to honor the sacrifice he made to “save” you from fascism. If you refuse to go to his memorial service, then this would be a grave insult. Refusal to commemorate the sacrifice he made would send the message that you don’t care that he died for you. It further implies that what he did was not important to you. How do you think his dad, your grandfather, would feel about that? I think he would be deeply hurt and offended by it. So ask yourself, how do you think God the Father would feel, if you refuse to commemorate the fact that His Son Jesus gave His life to “save” you from eternal damnation? Do you now see why it’s considered a serious offense to deliberately miss Sunday mass without any legitimate reason?

Can Fame or Fortune Bring Happiness?

I was watching the biography of Errol Flynn last weekend. This famous actor had everything: looks, fame, fortune, & women. Unfortunately, he discovered the hard way that these don’t make him immune from other problems, such as frivolous lawsuits & dishonest accountants. He became despondent, and abused alcohol and drugs. He developed liver problems and, in his 50’s, died of a heart attack. He’s not alone. Other celebrities had it all, such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, etc. But they all died due to substance abuse. So everyone is asking, “Why could people, who have it all, be so unhappy?” That’s because everybody assumed that fame or fortune can bring happiness. That’s what the media wants you and I to believe. Apparently this isn’t true. So what is the true source of happiness? I won’t attempt to answer that for you. Each of you will need to seek & discover that answer for yourselves.

Should We Stand By Our Principles?

I was discussing politics with a co-worker during an election year. She told me, “You can’t eat your principles. So think about your stomach first!” Do you believe she’s right? Think about this for a moment. What if Martin Luther King, Jr. followed her advice? Would racial segregation have been eliminated? What if Mohandas Gandhi followed her advice? Would India have gained its independence? So do you still believe that we should think about our stomachs first before standing up for our principles? Then what kind of a world do you think we’d live in if people did that?

Why Would God Create Hell?

Someone asked me this question a few years ago. Here's one way of looking at this. Imagine someone you dislike. Now imagine what it would be like to live with that person your entire life. You wouldn't like it would you? So if someone dislikes God, God won't force that person to live with Him forever in Heaven. Otherwise, that person wouldn't like it. But there's a problem. God is everywhere. So God had to create a place where He is absent for those who don't want to be in His presence. We call that place Hell. Now the question for the rest of us is, "Where do we want to be?"

Why Visit the Blessed Sacrament?

As I mentioned before, Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. So why aren't there more people visiting Him? If you think about it, our ultimate end is to be with God forever in Heaven. So we need to spend more time with Him here on earth. Let's look at an analogy. If you were planning to marry someone (i.e. spend the rest of your life with that person), wouldn't you want to get to know him/her first? And how do you get to know someone? You do it by spending time with that person. So if you plan on spending the rest of eternity with God in Heaven, wouldn't it make sense to get to know Him better? Then you should also spend time with Him here on earth by visiting the Tabernacle of your church, where Jesus is really, physically present in the Eucharist. And like people in love, spend that time conversing with each other. That's what prayer is - conversing with God about anything and everything. So next time you pass by a Catholic church, drop in to say, “Hi.” Or better yet, schedule time to visit Our Lord regularly, maybe once a week. You won't regret it.

Are Pro-Lifers Really Right-Wing Extremists?

I'm sure you've heard this accusation before from pro-aborts. But is it really true? I read about a conversation that Mother Teresa had with a Catholic priest years ago, when he visited her in India. She found out that President Clinton had signed a bill into law, making it illegal in the U.S. to peacefully obstruct access to an abortion mill. Mother Teresa replied, "Father, if we had laws like that here in India, I would have been thrown in jail many times! Here I go to the places where abortions are done and I take the women by the arm and say, 'Come with me; we will help you and your child!'" Now ask yourselves, "Does Mother Teresa look like a right-wing extremist to you?"

Will the World Really Be Better Without God?

I saw a TV show called “Masters of Science Fiction.” In it, the President said nuclear weapons & God were invented due to fear. This represents Hollywood’s belief that God is just an invention. But there’s more. John Lennon’s song, “Imagine”, expresses his belief that the world will be perfect if there’s “no heaven” & “no religion too.” The music industry shares this belief. So is it true? Will the world be better if people didn’t believe in God? Examine the evidence. Stalin, Mao, & Pol Pot are examples of atheists who tried to create a utopia on earth. These despots are responsible for murdering millions of people. What they created instead is hell on earth. Just ask any survivor of their regimes. Now look at those who genuinely believed in God, & actually practiced their belief, such as St. Francis of Assisi & Mother Teresa. They were motivated by faith in making the world a better place. Ask anyone who benefited from the works of the Franciscans or the Missionaries of Charity. So do you still believe the Entertainment Industry’s notion that eliminating God will make the world a better pace? Judge for yourself.

Being a Christian Means More Than Just Going to Church

A retired nurse, who went to church last Sunday, told us this story. A man sitting nearby started to go into shock. She recognized the symptoms and immediately helped him. She also called 911. What upset her was the fact that there were other nurses there who did nothing but watch them. Is your notion of Christian behavior similar to these people? Is Christianity limited to just going to church on Sundays? Or does Christian behavior actually require that you practice what you believe, such as emulating the “Good Samaritan”, or “doing unto others what you want them to do unto you?” Will God say to you “Well done,” when it’s your turn to face judgment before Him?”

Why Go to Confession?

I've heard this question before. Here's how I look at this issue. You love your spouse. So, you have a personal relationship with each other. You love God and He loves you. Then, there should be a personal relationship between you and God. Because your are not perfect, you will sometimes "offend" your spouse, either deliberately (e.g. making fun of him/her) or inadvertently (yelling in anger). Sometimes, the offense can be more "serious", such as going to the baseball game with your buddies on your anniversary. What do marriage counselors advise in these situations? Ask your spouse for forgiveness to restore your relationship with your spouse. Likewise, you will occasionally offend God too. It happens. It can be a minor sin, such as fibbing at a job interview. Or, it can be more serious, such as fornication or adultery, or having sexual fantasies about someone other than your spouse. So how do you restore your relationship with God? For Catholics, it's called Confession. This is how you formally apologize to God for any offenses committed against Him. This includes failure to do the right thing. So don't be afraid of confession. It's the way to restore your relationship with God.

Do Pro-Choice People Really Want You to Have a Choice?

I tried to enter the URL of a pro-life site today. It brought me to a different website instead. Someone hacked into the pro-life site & redirected all traffic to another site. The culprit was very smart. This reminded me of an incident last year. The Catholic Diocese of Oakland, CA placed pro-life ads inside trains. These ads were not offensive. Yet within a few days, hundreds of ads were destroyed. These were not random incidents. These acts of vandalism were systematic, deliberate, well-planned, & organized. To destroy hundreds of ads, hundreds of people would have been involved. I don't know any pro-life person who vandalized pro-abortion ads. So why would pro-aborts vandalize pro-life ads? I also don't know any pro-life person who hacked into Planned Parenthood's site. So why would pro-aborts hack pro-life sites? I concluded that pro-abortion people don't believe in free speech. They also believe the end justifies the means, including committing crimes. What are they afraid of? Are they worried people might change their minds about the abortion issue? If so, then how can they claim to be pro-choice when they don't want people to have an alternative choice in the first place?

How I Came to Believe in the Real Presence

I said I believed the Eucharist is Jesus. I didn't believe it at first. One day, my mom was taken to the hospital. She was seriously ill & her condition was worsening. At a retreat, I asked a priest why God allowed it. He said, "Ask our Lord in the Tabernacle." So I did & I asked for her cure. I got a Bible & chanced upon John 4:47-54, about the cure of an official's son. This occurred on Saturday. When I came home, I called the hospital & found out that mom was better. I asked her when her condition turned around. She said, "On Saturday." Coincidence? On Monday, a Protestant asked me why I visited the church on weekdays. I told her what the priest told me, "to visit our Lord in the Tabernacle." So I invited her to church. Later, she told me, "I found what I'm looking for." So she became a Catholic. I asked myself, "Can bread bring about conversion?" Another person told me he had a problem & had been praying for weeks for a solution. When he asked me what to do, I said, "Pray to our Lord in the Tabernacle." So I invited him to church on Friday. On Monday morning, he told me his problem was solved. These could not be just coincidences. So from that day onward, I was convinced that the Eucharist was truly our Lord Jesus, and not just a piece of bread.

Going to Communion at Mass: What Does It Mean?

Like many Catholics, I've received communion almost as a matter of routine, without thinking much about it. One day, while falling in line to receive communion at mass, a Eucharistic Minister asked me, "Do you believe this is Jesus, your God, that you're about to eat?" I was taken aback for a moment. I was expecting her to say the usual phrase "Body of Christ." I had to think for a moment what to say. Then I realized that this is precisely what we believe as Catholics, that the bread, after being consecrated by the priest, actually becomes Jesus. So it is God that we Catholics eat during communion. Since I do believe this, I said the usual response, "Amen", which means "truly" or "I agree." I'm not sure if what she said was proper, but it did bring to mind this important Catholic belief, which I and many other Catholics, had taken for granted. I guess it's a good thing to be reminded of this key doctrine of our Faith once in a while.

Why Talk About Political Issues?

Others have asked me why I include political issues in this blog. What's the connection between politics and living a meaningful life? In order to live a more meaningful life, one would need the freedom to pursue a meaningful life. So if this freedom is denied to a person, then an injustice is being committed against that person. Such a person would not be happy. For example, when African-Americans were sold as slaves, their freedom to live genuinely human lives were denied to them. When a child is aborted, the child's right & freedom to live a meaningful life is denied to that child. When a disabled person's life is terminated, such as Terri Schiavo's life, then her freedom to live a meaningful life is also being denied. There are several cases of people, in similar or worse condition than her, who were able to recover with rehabilitation. Terri was denied rehabilitation. In conclusion, freedom and justice are required in order for people to pursue a more meaningful life. These issues happen to be considered "political" issues also. Therefore, it becomes necessary to address these "political" issues if they interfere with a person's legitimate pursuit of a meaningful and purposeful life.

Do Reasonable People Believe in God?

I read an email from someone who said only unintelligent people believe in God, & rational people don't. A critical thinker would ask, "Is this true, or is this merely an assumption?" The truth can always be proven. So let's look at the evidence. Two of the greatest scientists that the world has ever known are Newton & Einstein. Both believed in God. Some of the greatest composers in history are Mozart, Beethoven, & Vivaldi. They believed in God. Some of the great literary figures of England are G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, & J.R.R Tolkien. They believed in God. One of the most famous atheists of our time, Malcolm Muggeridge, ended up believing in God. Are these people irrational or unintelligent? So do you still think that people who believe in God are stupid or unreasonable? I think the facts speak for themselves. Don't you think so?

Will Islam Dominate?

I remember watching an internet news video of a rally held in New York by Muslim extremists. One person carried a sign stating "Islam Will Dominate." I thought at first that this was just an idle boast. But is it? If we look at the world birth rates, we see that the birth rate of Western nations, such as Germany, is much lower than those of Muslim countries, such as Niger. In fact, the death rate exceeds the birth rate. The people of the West cannot replenish themselves. What's the cause of this? What's the difference between Western nations and Muslim countries? It's simple. Western nations practice contraception and abortion while Muslim countries don't. Based on Darwin's view of "survival of the fittest", the people of the West will become extinct, while the people of Muslim nations will survive. Therefore, the notion that Islam will dominate is no idle boast. Extremists don't even need to wage Jihad against the West. All they have to do is sit back and wait for the West to drive itself to extinction. Maybe it's time for the countries of Europe and North America to wake up and realize that. And you thought that Global Warming was a threat to your survival? Guess again.

On Vacation From 7/16/07-7/20/07

I'll resume my postings when I return on 7/23/07.

What Would You Do?

Suppose you know a girl under 18 years of age, who was impregnated by an adult. This is called statutory rape. What would you do? Would you report it to the police, or would you simply ignore it & allow the sexual abuse to continue? What if it was your own daughter who was victimized? Would you do something about it? Most people with a conscience would report it. But Planned Parenthood doesn't do that. As a matter of practice, they do NOT report such cases, even if the girl was raped. They simply perform the abortion, then send the girl back to be abused again by the predator. This way, the girl would have to come back to them for abortions repeatedly. Now why would an organization that alleges to "care" about women show complete disregard for the safety of adolescent girls? The cost of each abortion is about $10,000. Could it be that Planned Parenthood, and all other abortion providers, are more concerned about making a profit instead of being concerned about the well-being of others? Would you trust or have anything to do with such an organization? What would you do?

Passing the Torch

I was watching a program on "Animal Planet" & during the commercial break, Bindi Irwin appeared. She's the daughter of the late Australian naturalist, Steve Irwin (aka The Crocodile Hunter). Like her parents, Bindi is now a wildlife conservationist and spokesperson, & she's only 8 years old. Steve mentioned a long time ago that he wanted to pass on his passion for wildlife to his daughter. I thought, "How wonderful it is for parents, who share the same passion, to pass on their ideals to their children." Now they can continue the parents' mission. Just imagine, “What if Christian parents did the same, & passed on their zeal for the Faith to their children?” Then like little Bindi, these children will continue the work of passing the Faith, not only to others, but to their own children someday. So pass on the torch of the Faith, & leave a legacy for future generations. They will not only remember you for it, but they'll be thankful that you did.

The True Worth of a Human Being

Most people today measure their worth as human beings by the amount of money they make, their social status, or their possessions. But is this really the true measure of our worth? A visiting pastor gave the answer in his sermon last Sunday at our church. Our true worth as human beings is dependent on our relationship with God. Think about this for a moment. Parents value their children simply because the kids are their children. It doesn't matter if the kids are smart, talented, athletic, or not. Parents love their children for the way they are. God, as a loving Father, also does the same. He loves us the way we are and He values us simply because we're His children. Since we should be imitators of God, we should value one another simply because we're all children of God, equally loved by God. So if we value each other for what we are, instead of what we have or what we can do, what would the world be like? Would we still suffer from worries and anxieties? Would our relationship with each other be better? What do you think?

Robin Williams' Bigotry

I read over the Internet that Robin Williams made anti-Catholic diatribes on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on 6/18/07. He was mocking priests as pedophiles. If he did his homework, he'd discover that only a small percentage of priests are guilty of this crime. Furthermore, majority of the offenders are not true pederasts but were actively practicing homosexuals instead. But Robin didn't have the guts to point this out. Was he afraid of the homosexual backlash if he did point this out? Isaiah Washington gets into trouble for lashing out at one gay person in private, but Robin suffers no consequence for lashing out against all priests in public. Furthermore, Robin insinuated that the problem lies with celibacy. If he did some research, he'll discover that Protestants and Jews, who have a married clergy, have the same problems with child molestation committed by their ministers also. Finally, Robin stated that "you can't poke fun at certain religions," but he can make fun of Catholics because at least they "don't blow you up." So is he suggesting that it's OK to denigrate Catholics because they won't resort to violence? I used to like Robin Williams and watch some of his movies. Not anymore. I've lost my respect for him, not as an actor, but as a human being.