Red and Shiny "Apple" of the Garden

What are temptations? Is it a moment in time when God plays game with us; toying with us, while we suffer in sanity, trying to achieve in holiness which we could not have. Or is it a two answer question, where yes to temptations leads to sin, and no to temptation leads us to sainthood. However, after falling into a sin on numerous occasion; across in which I am struggling to carry, I have come to comprehend the nature temptations. Instead a moment of toying by God, I think it is a moment of chance, by God for us to shine and prove our worth. To make us the salt of the earth. We should not be down trodden, when we fail and give into temptation, but instead try and strive harder. I believe that everybody including the greatest saints have failed. Even Peter failed and deny our Lord Jesus, 3 times before he reconcile and realize his mistake. He even knew about the divine nature of the Lord during the transfiguration.

We are the children of God, he beloved. He loved us so greatly that He gave His only son to us. Hence I don't think, when He tempt us, he is toying with us. Instead like a perfect father, He wants to build us up. He wants to make us strong. Strong enough to strike back at sin. Strong enough to proclaim the truth of the gospel in this dark and death orientated world. He want to train us. Like how a teacher give test to her students, so how God gave such "TEST" to us so that we may learn and realize out mistake. I think I have found out what are my mistakes. I guess firstly, I lack prayer and putting God first.  

First and foremost we must be God orientated in our lives. I have it put Him first. To echo the prayer before the great amen during mass, it is through Him, with Him and in Him that we are truly saved from our sins. It is from God and the works of the Holy Spirit that we would find the grace to build up our strength and beat back at sins. If I do not put my focus in God, but instead rely on the strength  of myself, my struggle would only be a vain attempt at false holiness. It is like we have become so vain and proud, that we do not need God or His saving graces.I think this is what truly Satan wants and how he was transformed into an fallen angel. We are trying to be better for the sake of our own mortal human glory. 

However, if we put God first in our lives; especially our struggle, we will see that our struggle has a higher purpose.  If I unite my suffering with Christ's own suffering in Calvary, I would belief that our own suffering is not in vain. We are acknowledging that something is greater than us, and that we need His help. Hence we are transformed into something better and be humble enough to accept Gods graces. Those temptations that we once fail to overcome, will be just like a walk in the park.  In conclusion if we out God first, all things will go well, as mentioned in Jeremiah.

Prayer is also what I acknowledge that I need improvement in. It is a weapon that God gave us. So sharp a blade that it can cut through the strongest sin. St. Josemaria Escriva once said that the Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon.  Use it with confidence and we will be amazed at the results. Prayer is more then a form of communication with me and God. In the sense that it help me to acknowledge my own weakness and fault and to seek help from Christ.

In prayer, we are open to the intercessory of the saints; especially our Blessed Mother. Someone once said that our life is like a race in a  humongous stadium.  A single event from start to finish. All those who have completed the race; are now the spectators. They are cheering us on. Shouting words of encouragement and cheers so that we can complete the race. Those spectators are our saints. They have continuously pray for us and intercede for all the million participants that are trying to ran the race of their life. If we continuously pray, in Gods time and will, we will sure triumph over our temptations. Prayer help to build up our spiritual muscle so that we will have strength during the "race". 

To bring it all to a close, I would want to bring up the passage in the Bible about where Jesus was fasting in the desert for 40 days and He was tempted by the devil (Matthew  4:1-11). His answers sums up how we can fight against temptations. 

• SPIRITUAL END. When the devil tempts Him by telling Him to change the stones into bread so that Jesus can relieve His huger. Jesus replied "People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." He was quoting Deut 4:4. Jesus's reply reminds me that we have more than physical needs and as spiritual beings we need spiritual needs. Fulfilling one without satisfying the other would not make us complete. Satan is tempting us in every way, for us to disregard our spiritual side. If we have no spiritual side, we would be only mere humans, and hence no sin. However, being a creature created by God, we have a spiritual side. Our ends are not just natural ends; to die, but we have a greater end, to be with God in all eternity in heaven.

• FAITH IN GOD. Ultimately, we must have the faith in the divine providence of the Father. We have to trust in His divine plan that He has for us. Maybe it could be that through temptations we will be open to His mercy and grace. It could be that the strength of our faith will increase. Ultimately, God write straight with crooked lines.

• GOD CENTERED LIFE. Last but not least we must have Christ focused life. It is God who we want to ultimately orient to. "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him" - Deuteronomy 6:13. It is through such lifestyle that the grace of God can ultimately shines through our sin. We are exposed more towards hims mercy. We will put on a "mind" of Christ and thus strengthen our fortitude to keep temptations at bay.

To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one's heart, with all one's soul and with all one's efforts; from this it comes about that love is kept whole and uncorrupted (through temperance). No misfortune can disturb it (and this is fortitude). It obeys only [God] (and this is justice), and is careful in discerning things, so as not to be surprised by deceit or trickery (and this is prudence). - St Augustine

Why am I Catholic?

"I will go peacefully and firmly to the Catholic Church; for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first begin, seek it among those who received it from God Himself" - St. Elizabeth Anne Seton

St.Peter's Square - Vatican City

Why am I proud to be a Catholic? Well for starters it is the faith that my parents has brought me up in. It is the core of my values and makes me who I am. It helps me to discern from right and wrong. Take it away and you won't get me. You will get someone who is so remote from me. 

Here are some reason why I am proud to be called a Catholic?

• ONE HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC church. It is amazing to be in a church that has a sense of unity. The sense of community. The sense of more that two thousand years of history and faith is just too hard to ignore. Every time I walk into a church, I get a sense of "This is the faith of the Apostle", the faith that is still the same. There is also a sense of the presence of God in the church. It also bring me as a humble sinner, to my Father.

•  EUCHARIST. This should technically be no 1. This is like the main reason, I try to attend mass everyday or at least once every week. It is like meeting the Lord face to face and in the flesh (literary). This wonderful sacrament is the crown of the faith. When we receive the Eucharist, we are being one with the Lord, being with Him. We a drawn to the glory and majesty of Jesus. He is not only present but substantially present in the form of His body and blood. Who else can say "Hey I met the Lord in church today and I am in communion with Him!"..

• The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. She is our Mother, the Queen of Heaven, help of Christians, but most of all the Mother of Jesus. She always has a special place in my heart. The way she demonstrate her faith in times of uncertainty and the courage she had. What makes her special is the total trust she had for God (she said yes to Gabriel at an age where most of us are still immature) and the way she always lead people to her son. She is the great intercessory of Christian. She is the model of what a perfect disciple should be. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

• The COMMUNION OF SAINTS. When people ask, how many people are in your church? 50? 1,000? Or 10,000? I can say that my church consists of those who are not only on Earth, but in purgatory and also those in heaven as well. They are our ardent supporter, constantly cheering us on from heaven with prayers and intercessions. I am always amaze at their zeal. Their life is a testament of their faith and their love for Jesus. Reading their stories, I am constantly amaze and it encourages me to stand strong and trust Jesus more. To me, they are our role model, what I should strive for on Earth. From St. Peter, St. Ignatius of Loyola to St Paul Miki. 

• A strong and coherent TRUTH. It is truly wonderful that we have one interpretation of the Bible. The original truth taught by Jesus Christ and handed down by the Apostle. It help me to know that what I am being taught in the church is the same as being taught in other Catholic churches. The coherent of the truth ensures that the truth taught by Jesus Christ is not tainted by individual perception of the truth and the trends of the time.

 Hence, that is the few of the reason why I can say I am proud to be a Catholic. However, it is a long journey ahead for me, I will not stop till I rest in seeing my Lord Jesus Christ. God bless.

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.