living.”1 In the postmodern era of the church we’re experiencing an increasing casualty rate in…
This however, may seem a daunting task. However, when placed in context it should be seen that this task, although daunting, could be accomplished. One term seems to predominantly describe those that remain outside the church. The term of post-modern has taken on a prolific hatred in the contemporary American church. Yet, the hope remains that through engaging this culture there can be Gospel work…
In the story “Eleven” the narrator Rachel acts more like a child. In the ninth paragraph, the author states, “That’s not, I don’t, you’re not…Not mine.” When Rachel speaks like this she is not forming her words properly like a tween would. She is talking like a two-year old that is whining. Additionally, the character Rachel stated “Not mine, not mine, not mine.” When Rachel says this, she is not stating what she wants to say, making herself sound childish. Rachel needs to speak her mind to the teacher, instead of saying “not mine” in her head. Finally, according to the text Rachel stated, “That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber than Sylvia Saldivar.” Again, when Rachel calls people stupid and dumb since someone made a mistake she is…
Although I am a devoted and faithful Catholic as of now, I think that there is always room for improvement. I now know better than to ever put mine or someone else’s thoughts and opinions over the my decision to follow the path that God has set out for me in life. Also, through these words that Mark wrote, I am once again assured that I should never be ashamed or embarrassed of anything that my faith entails, or anything that my faith may influence me to do or say. As long as I have complete faith and trust in God and all that he is capable of, I know that I will live a happy…
The Roman Catholic Church loses young believers every year. Students receive support from their families to practice their faith by attending mass every Sunday. This support is removed once students move out to go to college and it is a contribution to their loss in faith. Despite this religious conflict, Texas A&M University- Commerce freshman, Nayeli Fuentes still finds the time and support to keep her faith running. She was raised Catholic her entire life and now takes part in the Catholic Student Organization on campus.…
For this sociology project I decided to reach out to the community & neighbors. I remembered how some churches would often have prayer hours for anyone who desired it at that moment, mostly on corners in the Roseland area. I thought choosing this particular thing to do would be out of the norm & would show me how many people actually cared what was going on in there area, or that it would possibly show that William was truly loved & would make someone speak up so that justice could be served to his family. Saturday October 19th I made a poster that read “A thousand times we needed you, A thousand times we tried if Love alone could have saved you, you never would have died” and at the end it read I just need a hug. I went to the corner of 107th Wentworth Ave to see what my reactions would be. At the same time I was holding this poster I was trying to focus on this assignment and hold back my tears but that was impossible. I imagined…
In contemporary society loyalty to a particular community has to be earned. With the contemporary ethos of individualism people focus on their personal needs rather than the needs of their traditional communities. People are looking around for the 'right' congregation in which to get involved - one that meets their needs, expresses their faith in culturally appropriate ways and addresses their concerns in meaningful…
If there is such a person as a “typical Catholic priest,” it is not Father H Setter. From his struggle of finding his call, to taking on a parent role, and being one of the most renowned names in the cigar world, his life reveals that he is more than just a casual priest. A stocky, six foot five man dressed in black with a Roman collar definitely stands out in a crowd, but what truly sets him apart is his journey to priesthood and his charismatic personality. He truly is an interesting person, which led him to be my subject for this interview.…
On Sunday morning at 9:30am in the town of North Branch Michigan at the St. Peter and Paul Catholic church, I was observing with a notebook and pen, in the back of the church sitting in a pew for an hour when the church service finished. I was observed that all ages and genders attended, kids to the elderly dressed tenderly, and everybody is very kind spoken inside and outside of the church.…
Often many times within a church family such as Grace with over thirty five hundred partners there are bound to be conflict. Any environment whether large or small we are all people, with personalities that some time come together in a manner that does not always show the church family in the best of light. I find people look at believers as we are designed to be different and we are in a way. We as believers are called to be different, yet we are people. This transformation comes not from our doing but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. This paper will outline a situation at which such an instance was brought to light. The manner in which the situation was handled by the pastoral staff, and finally, the outcome from the situation as well as the change that took place due to the situation.…
On the Easter vigil of this year I was baptized into the Catholic religion. When I was growing up, my family was not religious at all and I never went to church. I believed in God, but never had a religion to say I was apart of and I didn’t know much about the Bible or even God himself. While dating my boyfriend I went to church with him for over a year and I finally decided that this is something that I want to be apart of. So we started RCIA classes around August of last year. During the classes I learned so much about the religion and about myself. Through all the lessons and stories that I heard during my journey, I really contemplated how I would treat others and how I was portraying myself. I truly believed that those seven months of classes had given me a better sense of humility and taught me how to be more…
Several people experience life experiences, some of those that make one question faith in general and/or change the way they view life as a whole. I lost my son when he was five and a half months old. The discussions about life and how to deal with the pain of losing someone so close to me changed the way I viewed life and the way I lived my life from those days forward. The legacy was left to me by my mother and father, who were there for me every step of the way. Another pillar was the strength my wife showed to my other two children, explaining that Matteo would be ok, and in a better place. The memorable discussions about life with family members and loved ones I had in the months following Matteo’s death will forever live in me and overall changing the way I thought of the purpose of life, as well as how precious it is to cherish the times one has with those who mean the most to…
My father was a very religious person. He participated and helped out in all of the church activities. He was a well-known and respected person in my church. He had always put God first in his life. My family is always the first one at church and the last one to leave. Even when he got sick, my father would not miss going to church for anything. But when he couldn't walk anymore, he had asked to have a Saturday service at my house every other week. He had never blame God for any of the unfortunate things that had happened in his life; but instead his faith for God gets stronger. He had…
My higher education and pursuit of my vocation have sometimes made it difficult for me to accept and conform to some simple dogmas of the church. I hold many strong personal views on many issues and have had considerable challenges applying the dogma to my personal life. I have always believed that God has a purpose for us all; my purpose was rather hazy until about seven or eight years ago. The illness and death of my mother at age 56, was a tremendous catalyst in my faith journey. I realized that in my vocational quest, I was not following Christ’s plan, moreover, I was trying to fit Christ into my plans. Consequently, my fervent observation of the Holy Days, abstinence form meat of Fridays in the early days, and unending serviced to my parish in the form of Eucharistic minister, Sacristan, and Catechist, were spiritually void. Once I truly succumbed to Christ and sought His path, my commitment to discipleship was fortified.…
The short story ‘One Thousand Dollars’ by O. Henry sound to be interesting when the writer narrate on how a young man named Robert Gillian spend the money worth a thousand dollars inherited from his late uncle, Septimus Gillian.…