my Articulate Heart

In our modern world, perceptions of the Catholic Church are often shaped by media portrayals that emphasize controversies or highlight its visible, external contributions like charity and education. But these images, while partially true, miss the heart of what the Church really is. Far beyond an institution, the Catholic Church exists to offer every person an encounter with God and a pathway to live a life of deep, spiritual transformation. For those who may be skeptical or have been affected by incomplete portrayals in the media, it’s worth taking a closer look. The Church’s True Purpose: An Encounter with God The Catholic Church is not simply a social organization with charitable work, schools, and hospitals. While these are important, they are expressions of a deeper mission: to connect humanity with God. The Church’s true purpose is to provide every person a path to fulfill their ultimate purpose — to know, love, and encounter God in a transformative way. In a world where people o

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

Guilt is a destructive emotion. It is the vicious weapon of the adversary. Guilt builds up in response to the devil's accusation. The devil points fingers at us and accuses us of our wrongdoing. He does this in order to make us feel unworthy and obscure our identity as children of God. The deceiver does so after luring us into sin. and, more often than not, getting us hooked on and addicted to the wrong. Guilt plunges us deep into sin and shame. It is the devil's tool to keep us bound in darkness. The opposite emotion is repentance. Repentance is the desire to return to one's inherent goodness. While guilt is the response to the devil's accusation, repentance is the response to God's merciful love. Repentance draws us closer to God. The question is, "Who do we choose to listen to when you trip and fall?" Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 When faced with guilt, co

Vulgar jokes are a fad among the young. The adolescent years are crucial years of formation. Most youngsetrs give into the temptation to convene around smutty jokes as a way to "fit in" with the majority. Often, the jokes that garner the most attention are the ones in which men and women are referred to as mere sex objects to be used. At the end, the sacred gift of human sexuality is treated with humour and a lack of due respect. The word of God  says "Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving". Ephesians 5:4 It is good to ask why a sacred subject like human sexuality becomes a public joke. The sensual and the sexual have traditionally been private matters. The privacy attached to these topics is not unintentional. What is holy needs to be veiled and protected because it is so priceless and sacred. We cannot afford to violate its sacredness or desecrate its holiness. But when a culture loses

Next time when you have strong sexual drive, know that there is something in it to praise God. The desire is a God-given gift. It is absolutely good and acceptable to God. It is meant to give glory to the creator. It is meant for the loving union between husband and wife. It is meant to point us to our eternal union with God.  Then where is the problem?  The problem is:   The world has deceived us into thinking that when we have a sexual drive it has to be gratified somehow. Unlike hunger, unattended sexual desire does not have any dire consequence. World has manipulated our minds to associate sexual drives with the vices of pornography, masturbation, casual hookups, prostitution and other dangerous and soul crushing evils. It has gotten us to associate our sexual desires with specific body types, acts and fantasies.  World has fooled us into thinking that these vices are a neccessity to meet the natural needs of the human body and it is absolutely OK to indulge in them. They have bapt

Faith is not the human act of merely consenting to theological knowldge but it is the divine act of submitting both our Intellect and Will to God's revelation. If the Intellect alone is employed, knowledge remains simply as true and good life-giving information. It does not transform our life nor does it give life. Faith without action is dead. Jam 2:26 Will is the faculty of the soul which seeks to love that which is known. And 'loving' is not simply liking the information but the act of becoming what we have come to know. In other words loving is to freely act upon the information in such a way that knowledge becomes a living experience. If I come to know that in order to sustain my life I must drink water and if I do not act on this information and drink water, this knowledge does not do me any good.  In order for my faith to be active and alive, my Will has to be in harmony with the Intellect. It also means both my Intellect and Will should be surrendered to God. The di