A Quick Reflection on 2012

2012 has just passed a few hours ago. A lot of what I see on Facebook are status on how 2012 has been to them and looking forward for a great 2013. Honestly, I am wishing the same because I had a rough 2012.

Stepping back for a moment and looking at the events that transpired in 2012:

CAREER - if you're having difficulty at work and everything feels like shit at the workplace always remember to thank God that you have work. If you're having difficulty with working with your boss/staff, always try to put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself-if i were a different person other than myself, would i like to work with someone like me? Sometimes it's YOU who have the problem. But if after all the introspection and self-scrutiny were performed and it's really your workmates, just pray for them. That is beyond your control, assuming you did your part.
Career is not always everything. I came to a point in my life that I have almost everything I wanted career-wise, but the responsibility and pressure is enormous that I could only handle so much to the point that I hated my job and the profession I'm in. I believe that God has taught me a lot this year in career. I almost gave up, but the thought that i had no choice but to continue brought me where i am now. I just hope that I can start anew in 2013.
HEALTH - always take care of your health. We are not getting any younger. Health is wealth. I know that very well since I've been a regular patron of the Emergency Room since 2009. I can just imagine how our finances would look like now if our medical stuff aren't being paid for by our company's health benefits. My health is still a work in progress. I have to be more consistent in exercise and proper diet. Everyday is a struggle. Time is always a scarce commodity, momentum is scarcer.
SPIRITUAL - this year has been lackluster compared to the previous year. Maybe because the search has long been over and I'm still trying to look for a place to fit in the Church. Definitely, apologetics is out for me. I wanted to focus more on being active in a parish/local community. I want to primarily live the Faith, defending it only comes when needed (not even secondary).
I have to give it to a few people who understood my journey like my sister, Pao. She's not Catholic yet, she was there on my confirmation (first as an Anglican then, finally as a Catholic). I know most of our friends, family friends and other people raised their eyebrows on my seemingly unexpected conversion. Honestly, I myself at times could not believe it too. I was a staunch Protestant and I just did the unthinkable. I received criticisms and comments as if I have turned into an idolatrous heathen boy of The Whore of Babylon. They said I left my first love - whatever that means.
The truth is - I left because of doctrinal reasons - i realized that most of the doctrines i was holding on to were untenable. I left because of the attitudes of Protestantism (in general) towards Catholics. I left because I saw God more clearly in the Catholic Church.
I believe that no matter what tradition you're into, as long as God works in you, it won't matter. The Catholic Church teaches that we, as people, are not in the position to declare the status of a person's salvation. God chooses who He wants to save. In the same way, I am not judging anyone's salvation because I am not God. Respect is the key word.
I need to continue to be consistent in my daily readings, pray more often and be more charitable.

2013 is a bit of a question mark for me unlike previous years where I have an idea where I wanted to be. Like the Catholic Church, this will be a year of faith for me. God, be gentler to me this year, please.

Liturgical Calendar/Lectionary

 Do you know that the Catholic Church reads to us the whole Bible in a span of three years?

Don't you find it comforting that the Church gave us something to follow in our readings everyday? And each reading has a significance to the event taking place in the Liturgical Calendar.

I find this amazing. Lectionary readings are well-thought, timely and organized. How can a monolith, ancient church be so well-organized? I can remember how we (as an evangelical) jump from one verse to the other and tried to sense where the Spirit wanted us to read.

I really don't get the Spirit-led reading of Scriptures before. Not because I'm less of a Christian, but as a person, I wanted a more structured Bible reading and prayer life. It's not everyday we hear God's voice telling us to read this and that. Most of the times, I just stare blankly at my Bible and mind telling "what now?? duhhh..." So I start treating it as a Lotto, which was taught to us before (you might just find your lucky verse). Whatever my fingers pick randomly. One time I even ended up reading about rape in the Old Testament.

So, to those converts who are still struggling to have their "daily devotions" setup. This liturgical calendar/lectionary is the answer to your needs. If you want to have a walk through the whole Bible, without so much pressure, you can do it in three years.

I bought a New American Bible - Revised Edition that has a Lectionary at the back. It's amazing! Just choose which cycle you're in (e.g. this 2012 it's Cycle B), choose the current week you're into (week 40 or so?), bam! there goes your weekly reading!

On a macro look on things, don't you find it neat that a Church has setup this kind of thing? Wherever you go, whatever time, which ever country you're in, the readings are still the same? The implications are just amazing - we are ONE, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Our readings synchronized to enhance our existing oneness and harmony as a church.

I know, it's cool to be a Catholic, right?

Honeymoon's Over

I knew from the very start when I converted to Roman Catholicism, there will be a time when the dust settles. A time when the euphoria ends. A time when my feet finally touches the earth again.

And now begins the dirty work. Now begins the mundane life a Roman Catholic. I have to freeze my apologetics blogs for the meantime, because as a new convert, I thought, I might come off too judgmental and self-righteous in my articles. I wanted my works to be seen as one full of charity and purely apologetic, not attacking any Christian sects.

So what has been new for me lately? The answer is - NONE.

But one thing's for sure - I never regretted my move, and I will live and die as a Catholic.

I created this blog to reveal a side of me that has never been shown to the public before.
I wanted to document the life an RC convert like me. The things that I deal with daily, the struggles I face, and most importantly, how being a Catholic helps me on my journey.