(Originally published on The Trenchcoat Introspective)

One of the things that frustrates me the most about being Catholic is that there are a great many things the general populace– and even fellow Christians — do not understand about my religion. Tuesdays (with the exception of this late blog) will from this moment be dedicated to addressing these questions.

Growing up Lutheran, I was taught a lot of myths about Catholicism, but perhaps the most glaring is that “Catholics worship Mary and the saints.” I understand where this notion comes from. I mean, we do pray to the Blessed Mother. We do pray to the saints. Heck, some of us pray to angels too.

But we do not worship any of the above. We pray for their intercession.

What does this mean, exactly? As we’ve discussed previously, prayer is the most effective weapon in a Spiritual Warrior’s arsenal. But what’s more effective than a single prayer?

I like to think of this in terms of guns, because I like guns. A lot.

Imagine your prayer is a single-shot pistol. Yes, it is generally enough for going up against a single enemy. But what if what you are dealing with is more than you can handle with your one bullet? What’s more effective than a single shot? Well, multiple bullets. Or even better, way, way more guns. Full of bullets. Or shotgun shells. Oh yes…

Prayer works the same way. Sure, your prayer is powerful, if you have Faith. But why just have one prayer when you can have a whole host of them? That is why we ask each other to pray for our intentions. And that is exactly why we Catholics do the same thing with our angels and saints.

When we ask for the intercession of those who are in Heaven, it is not an act of worship. It is a request for aid in the strengthening of our Faith and our Prayers to God. We worship God only, but we worship Him united with the Hosts of Heaven, Human and Angelic.

“But what about Mary?” Oh. You’re still on that? Well, she’s pretty special. God chose her from all of Humanity to serve Him in a special way (We’ll discuss her in more specifics next week), and that makes her the ultimate role model for those on the Destined Path. She has been given high honor in heaven, and is even called Queen of the Angels. We Catholics have such a devotion to her because, well, if you’re going after more guns, why not go with the biggest and best?

It’s really that simple. I hope I’ve helped clear some things up.

(Originally published on The Trenchcoat Introspective)

Forms of meditation are present in almost every major religion, and there is a very important reason for that. Silence, and particularly the sort of silence in which you bare your soul to the Creator, is necessary for the development of the Ideal Self. This is for several reasons, but probably the most important is a sense of calm and nourishment that one receives in the act of meditation. It is a state of healing and introspection for the soul, as important a spiritual exercise as core training is a physical exercise.

I use this example deliberately. Since becoming an athlete, I have met a great number of people who put a huge emphasis on their physical health and development. This is a wonderful thing. We should all strive to be as strong and fit as we can be, for our bodies are the vessels through which we reflect the glory of our Creator, the temples within which we worship Him.

It does not, therefore, make sense to neglect the same sort of care and dedication towards the development of the soul, which is the Spark of the Divine within all of us, the Flame in the Temple which sets the altar of our hearts aglow. After all, we are not merely Soul and Mind (as are the Angels), or merely Body and Heart (as are the animals), but all these together. Therefore, we must stretch and strengthen all these parts to better follow the Destined Path.

We strengthen the Body through physical fitness and nourishing foods. We strengthen the Heart by reflection on  our Beloved and performing acts of heroism and kindness. We strengthen the Mind by reading and writing and performing great feats of mathematics. And thus, we must strengthen the Soul by reflecting on the metaphysical and nourishing ourselves with spiritual food.

To neglect any part of this discipline is like building a table with one leg shorter than the others. It may stand relatively well on its own, but the slightest pressure at the wrong angle causes the whole thing to tip.

The Ideal Self has no such weaknesses. The only way to truly become this version of the self is to work hard and develop all areas equally.

And this is why meditation is crucial, even if you aren’t very good at it. The effort is what matters, and you will improve. Just be patient and work hard.

I’ll see you at the gym.

But seriously, how many members of Catholic Tumblr are INFJs? I’m astonished and delighted and a little scared for the future of the Church if we’re the ones getting all excited on the interwebs… Is there something in that personality type that craves Catholicism?

(Originally published on The Trenchcoat Introspective)

There’s a sign I want to post outside my church. A simple message:

“This is the House of the Lord of all Creation. Leave the outside world at the door.”

It may strike some of you as odd that I feel the need to say this. Everyone knows that church is the house of God. We are all taught that at an early age.

And yet, how many of us actually take the time to think about what that means? How many of us walk into those doors and still carry with us the latest bit of gossip, a funny joke, a recipe for magnificent blackberry pie that we simply HAVE to share with Betty Ann from down the block? I know I have my moments when I chat in church. It can be irresistible.

It is a bad habit, and one we need to knock off.

Keep reading

(Originally published on The Martial Theologian)

Ever since my black belt test last week, I have been reflecting on the 6th Taegeuk Form, which is commonly called The Forgotten Form. This is because, for some reason, it is the hardest of all the forms we do in my style of Taekwondo to remember. Maybe it’s the fact that it borrows moves from the other seven color belt forms. Maybe it’s because it is the last form students in my style learn before they begin preparing for black belt, and is thus overlooked. (There is a second Forgotten Form in the other major style of Taekwondo which was legitimately “forgotten” or not practiced for centuries, but that is not what I am discussing today.)

In any case, I definitely completely blanked on it on my test, and it got me thinking about other forms we tend to forget in our lives.

If there is a Forgotten Form of Prayer, I would argue that it is the Prayer of Thanksgiving. We get so caught up in our petitions and our penances that a lot of times we forget to just take a moment and thank God for everything He has done for us and for all the terrible things which could have happened to us that he has spared us from. I am as guilty of this as the next person. Possibly more so. (I tend to be extremely snarky when I pray, which is why I usually talk to my guardian angel more than I talk to God… love you, buddy.)

Keep reading

(Originally published on The Trenchcoat Introspective)

Charity is one of those Virtues that makes people groan, because usually when people remind you that Charity is something to strive for they are trying to get you to donate to their cause du joir. Even though it makes us feel super-guilty, there’s a certain point when we get sick of hearing about starving children and abused animals, and we just want to be left alone for a couple weeks. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Well, no, it really isn’t. See, grudging Charity (that is, giving out of a sense of obligation) is not really Charity at all. And there is no virtue in helping your neighbor contract a bad case of the Misanthropic Grumblies. To think that Charity means extracting money from people shows a real lack of Imagination, and frankly, if you take the time to look at what Charity really means, money’s pretty much the least part of it.

Charity is from the Latin caritas, which means Love. Specifically, it means the kind of Love we ascribe to God, which is a no-holds-barred, universal Love for all Created Persons. In the Christian tradition, we hold Charity to be the highest of all Virtues, for it is in pursuing this Virtue that we align our way of thinking the most with God’s own. To be Charitable is to truly be of a Will with Heaven.

This means that, yes, taking care of the needs of less-fortunate Human Persons is an act of Charity. But this means more than just feeding them or giving them money. It means looking after their Souls, Minds, and Hearts as well. It means protecting them from those who would strip them of their lives or possessions. And it means, sometimes, not giving them what they want because it is not what they need.

Furthermore, Charity applies to other Persons as well, not merely Humans. There is a form of Charity we call Fealty… and that means Fealty to the One who created us. Obedience to God is actually an act of Charity. Respecting those Persons who work to bring about His Will is also an act of Charity (that means treating His messengers with respect and hospitality, among other things).

Living a Charitable life opens you up to all manner of joy and peace. What I’ve found is that the more I truly, gratefully give of myself, the easier the other Virtues are to master. A word of warning, however: there is a point where you can deplete too much of yourself to help others. Remember, that Charity means love of all Created Persons, and that includes yourself. The needs of the Self do sometimes outweigh the needs of the many, and it is wise to remember that.