Rosary Musings

So, today I was praying the rosary via a facebook application, which is awesome. With this particular app you read from scripture throughout the rosary that is about the mystery you are reflecting on. Since today is Friday I was praying the sorrowful mysteries. For the fourth mystery, the carrying of the cross, the reading from Luke was provided:
"A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.'" Luke 23: 27-29.

This reading really struck me, because these days are now. Jesus tells the women to weep for themselves and their children, and specifically because people will saying that the barren women is blessed. Our society today not only says this, but has created pills and devices that make a woman barren. Jesus tells the women to weep because this is a sad truth that is coming upon humanity. For Jesus to see this attitude of seeing a barren woman and blessed as something to weep for, then he definitely believes that a woman who is barren is not blessed but rather should be grieved for. In those days it was unattractive for a woman to be barren, it was sad. Jesus in these words tells us that being barren is not a blessing, but the true blessing is being fruitful.

So, let us take this a step further. As I said earlier, not only is our society fulfilling that prophecy of Jesus, but we have created things to make women barren, not just claim that a barren was is blessed, but we change her so that she will be barren. If Jesus finds it so sad that he tells these women to weep because of this attitude, do you think he would agree with the act of making someone barren? I think the answer is no. For Jesus to tell us to weep for "days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.'" then I think he too would weep for the act of making someone barren. One objection to this would be that things such as the pill are only temporary and the woman is permanently barren, and these women will bare children not "never" as it says in the prophecy. This is a valid objection, it makes sense, but I would like to reply.

If you look at the sentence he is weeping "for they will say" these women are blessed. So, it is an attitude towards children and procreation that he is weeping for, not necessarily for a particular act, but for an attitude, weeping for where their hearts are. So, my question is if it is clear that in these words Jesus desires for our hearts be for viewing children as a blessing not the barren womb as a blessing, then what is the attitude associated with artificial contraception, something that outright rejects the fecundity of a woman. If Jesus wants our attitude to be "Blessed is the woman who is fertile and bears much fruit" (which I think is true because this is the opposite of the attitude he tells the women to weep for), then how is artificial contraception embracing this attitude. By using artificial contraception, we are saying that this woman is better barren for tonight, for the week, the month or the year, and that attitude cannot be consistent with the one that Jesus desires are hearts to embrace - "Blessed is the woman who is fertile and bears much fruit". This attitude of the heart cannot be a conditional one, but one that is unconditional, a woman's fecundity is either a blessing all the time or not a blessing, and since God made women to be fertile I would say that is is always unconditionally a blessing.


I could say a lot more on this topic, but I think I am going to stop there. If anyone is actually reading this, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

God Bless you all! and may the Grace and Peace of our Lord be with you always!

Musings Part I - the sequel

Hello again!

For those of you who read my first post I want to expand a little bit on that. I think my tone in that one may have been a little mis interpreted, and for that I apologize, I think I just got heated and wanted to fire people up about this, not "Call people out" or condemn. So I will summarize that point of that post and then expand a little on that idea.
   All I was trying to do was show that porn in the common idea of it is really no different then when a movie as nudity and graphic sex scenes in it. So, I mean let us just think about this for a bit. I know I have seen many movies with that stuff in it, and just because the whole movie is not devoted to the sex and nudity, is that one scene therefore okay and permitted? I answer no. I honestly think it is ridiculous that we can condemn the porn industry and the evils of porn, and yet find it okay to watch a movie that has scenes, no matter how small or short the scene is with that in it. Recently I have really been thinking about this and it seems that they are one and the same thing. Again, I am not trying to come down on anyone, I am merely trying to get  people to just think about this a little more. For those of you who have read my first blog, I am sorry if this seems redundant. I just want people to think about a bad scene in a movie that we have scene and compare that to a possible inappropriate thing that we searched for on the internet and really ask themselves if it is different. And if you are someone who does not look stuff up on the internet then lets ask ourselves if it is better to watch a movie with that in it than to look something up online. I would venture to guess if you really think about it you will see that it really is no different. If you see the truth in this and want to possibly cut some of these kinds of movies out of your life then I want to encourage you to find a movie rating site that rates on a morality scale or scale of appropriateness  . I like to go www.usccb.org/movies to check out whats in the movie before going to see it.

   Now, I have another question I want to muse about.  I have wondered if one were to just fast forward through a scene or close there eyes or look away for that one or two scenes if that would be okay. At first glance I would say yes, because many of the movies I would refer to have just a couple of scenes and the rest of the movie really isn't that bad. However, I was thinking about this and I think an argument could be made that one should not watch this movie either way. I believe that a big part of it is the support we give a movie by renting or buying it. By doing this we are supporting what the movie stands for. For example, a movie that I have seen like 3 time, Wedding Crashers, highly regarded as one of the funniest movies in the past 10 years, and yes it is very funny. Now, everyone who has seen this movie knows about that one scene. A strong man could watch this and turn away during that one seen and then innocently enjoy the rest of the movie. I think, however, that every time I watched that movie whether I turned away or didn't during that scene I supported that scene with my time and money, but not just that scene, but I supported what that movie stood for. The premise of the whole movie is "wedding crashing", or going to weddings you were not invited to, in order to use girls, so you can sleep with them and then leave them the next morning. I mean really the premise is pretty sick, and every time I watched that movie I supported it. Again, the movie is very funny and most of the funny parts are not directly related to the manipulation of women for sex. However, that is still the whole plot, and I do not want to support a movie like that anymore. I mean if the plot of movie was glorifying genocide as a good thing, or killing innocent children as a good thing, would we want to see that? I know people will object to that analogy, saying that those two things are way different. I would understand that objection, but argue that men who do what the two main characters in wedding crashers do are killing those women, not in a physical way, but emotionally and spiritually. Women know when they are used and manipulated and that can really hurt them bad.
    Anyway I didn't want this to be about that one movie, it just provided a good example, and I am very guilty of that particular movie. I just want to encourage myself and anyone actually reading this to really deeply think about the next movie we decide to go to, to rent or buy. I want us to think, would watching this movie glorify God, or cause me to sin against him, or would not have an effect on my relationship with him at all? And, men and women, if we can honestly say that a movie would harm our relationship with God then I would strongly encourage you to refrain from watching that movie, to refrain from supporting what these movies of our generation stand for. I think this is a serious battle, because movies have really become infinitely more crude and risque over the past 10 years or so, and it is easy to say oh its just that one scene or it isn't that big of a deal. It is easy to make an excuse in order to watch a movie, I know I have done it. I really want all of us to be BOLD as I said in my previous post, to be BOLD in the face of this and stand up for what we believe to be right. Again, no one is being condemned here, I just want people to think about this and possibly share in this conviction of mine and change the types of movies we watch.

"Don't say that you have a chaste mind if you have unchaste eyes, because an unchaste eye is the messenger of an unchaste heart" - Augustine


"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
-Paul 

Whats in a blog?

What is a blog? A blog typically is a persons personal journal, that they may invite others to read. A blog rarely is written for any specific person or group of people other than for the person doing the writing. It is someones private thoughts that other people can access via the internet. Therefore, if you are reading this, know that it is a personal journal that I have allowed people to read, it is not directed at one specific group of people, it is just a way for me to get my thoughts out. I may write about controversial topics and if people other than me read this, it may ruffle feathers. What is going to be written here are opinions of mine, and anyone is welcome to read them, and welcome to state their own opinions in the comment option. I have no intention of offending anyone, if you don't like what I write then by all means do not read it anymore. Well, with that being said I hope anyone who does read this, will find either encouragement, or truth, or conviction, or maybe just deeper reflection. God Bless you.

Acts

Today at mass the first reading was from Acts. Just thought I would share it with whoever reads this.

Acts 14:19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium

arrived and won over the crowds.

They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,

supposing that he was dead.

But when the disciples gathered around him,

he got up and entered the city.

On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city

and made a considerable number of disciples,

they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.

They strengthened the spirits of the disciples

and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,

“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships

to enter the Kingdom of God.”

They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,

with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord

in whom they had put their faith.

Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.

After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.

From there they sailed to Antioch,

where they had been commended to the grace of God

for the work they had now accomplished.

And when they arrived, they called the Church together

and reported what God had done with them

and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

I think it is amazing that Paul was stoned to the point that those who stoned him just thought he was dead, but he just got up and went right back to evangelizing people. It is such an encouragement to see this courage and perseverance in the face of adversity and persecution. We all may face times in our lives when we are "stoned" or just discouraged in life. This reading has provided for me and I hope for others encouragement to keep fighting the good fight even when things seem to not be going well. Paul knew what he had to do and what God had called him to and he wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in his way of speaking the truth. I love readings Acts of the Apostles, because I always find such encouragement from how these early christians lived their lives.

To any one who is reading this, God Bless you and may his grace and peace be with you!

Lay It Down - Matt Maher

Musings Part I

PORN V. NUDITY IN MOVIES

Okay, so in christian communities you often hear people talk about the evils of pornography. Yes, pornography is evil! It is a terrible temptation facing men and women today, it is easily accessible and privatized in our technologically advanced society. I don't even want to bother with statistics and figures of the prevalence of pornography and the financial successes of the industry. All of that is so depressing. For now, I want to focus on the issue of pornography in movies. Generally speaking we Christians talk about struggling with watching porn, and how they want it out of their life but it is a struggle. You hear people preach about its evilness and encourage all to get it out of our lives. All good and noble things. However, the same people that speak of this struggle and commit to holding each other accountable in riding ourselves of this, the people who preach of its evil and exhort all to remove it completely from our lives, these people knowingly and completely willingly sit in front of a television in their homes, or in a theatre in front of a GIANT screen watch a movie they KNOW, that the KNOW has nudity in it! I mean these people preach about porn being bad, and then watch a movie with their friends they all know is going to show nudity, or a graphic sex scene. And these people also admit of a struggle. How ridiculous!

I mean seriously lets go through this logically.

Person A hates X
Movie K has X
Person A knows Movie K has X
Person A watched Movie K
Conclusion:Person A knowingly watched what he hates! Where is the logic?

I will put it in a more accurate way here:

Person A is tempted by X
Person A asks person B to help him avoid X, and person B asks A the same
X is in Movie K
Person A and person B know that X is in Movie K
Person A and B watch Movie K together and laugh and have a good ol time
A and B watch X together and laugh and have a good ol time.

Oh X = PORN, NUDITY, Etc.

This is completely Illogical


This doesn't make sense.
Nudity in Movies is PORN!!! Just because it is in the context of a movie doesn't make it okay! It is time for us to be BOLD and courageous in the face of this and say no to the popular movie the media tells us to like! To say NO!! to the Hangovers, and the Old-Schools, the Wedding Crashers, the Hot Tub Time Machine's, The "She's out of my League's", The Super Troopers, The Movies with constant cursing and crude sex jokes. It is time for us to take back our courage and integrity and look this is the face and say "This is not of God, and therefore I will not be of it!" Scripture tells us to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect, and yes we will fall short, but that does not mean concede defeat. In Ephesians Paul tells us. "Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving." So, therefore we should not indulge knowingly in movies that will encourage this suggestive talk, and will promote obscenity and impurity. When we go to these movies we are saying publicly "That as a christian I endorse the film, and I promote it." We are funding this porn in the movies and this trash, we are funding it and promoting it and encouraging it as well as encouraging our brothers to do that same. Watching these movies is truly detrimental. In Philippians Paul tells us, "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." These movies are none of those things!! And they make us think about the opposite of these things!

I can't believe that our society has gotten to the point where devout christians see it to be okay to watch a movie they know has this impure content. The early church leaders stood up boldly to the point of being filleted alive, and being stoned, but we don't have the boldness to leave a room, or not buy a ticket to a movie or tell our brothers that this should not be watched! We are filling our minds with impure dishonorable, false, filth. I say that it is time for Men of God to RISE UP and say NO!

I am going reiterate my main point: Nudity in Movies is Porn, and these movies should be viewed the same as sites that we ask our brothers to block for us. Just because it is in the context of a movie and you are watching with friends does mean it isn't porn, and does not mean its okay. It is the same thing as someone searching for porn on the internet, it has the same consequences in our lives, it sparks the same thoughts and future temptations we want to fight against. If you are someone who struggles with pornography and you truly want it out of your life, then first look at the movies you let yourself watch. Are you watching movies that will spark lustful thoughts, and encourage lustful searches online later that night in the privacy of your own room?
I think it takes either a hard heart or extreme naivety to think that nudity in a movie won't have an effect on the purity of thoughts and actions. It would seem to me that someone who struggles with pornography would be more likely to look it up on his computer after seeing it in a movie with his buddies earlier that night or the night before in a movie.

I know I probably sound redundant and you may just hope I stop talking, but I think this is a very important issue and I need to be clear that watching a movie with porn is just as bad as looking stuff up on the internet. I pray that all christian men and women recognize this truth and stop supporting these movies.

The worst part of this is that the children of this age are being inundated with these movies and this crap, their minds are filled with it. I think this is a very scary reality, the number of junior highers and high schoolers who have been introduced to the filth in movies like that hang-over, and kick-ass, and all those other morally offensive movies in our theaters.


Disclaimer: Now, I am not saying that you have to watch only movies like Fireproof, and Facing the Giants, or Finding Nemo and Alvin and the Chipmunks. That is not what I am saying. However, there is a fine line between a movie being morally offensive and complete filth, and a movie that has some content suitable for adults only. USCCB.org has a section that rates movies on a scale of moral acceptability. Ranging from
A-I -- general patronage;
A-II -- adults and adolescents;
A-III -- adults;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.

I want encourage anyone reading this to avoid watching movies with the Morally Offensive rating. Please guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Do not subject yourself to this, and rise above it VICTORIOUS!!! Take back the boldness that we as christians are called to possess!!! reclaim your courage and dignity!!!! BE men and women of CONVICTION!! Men and Women of Action!!!!

I will end with a quote from Pope John Paul II - "The problem with pornography is not that it shows to much, but that is shows too little."

We are more than flesh and bone, and we need to recognize that.

disclaimer 2: This is in no way intended to offend or call anyone out, it is merely something that has been a conviction in me and I wanted to bring it to attention because I think it is easy for people (me included) to take these things lightly. It is meant for encouragement (for me and anyone who wants to read it).

God Bless.