asymptotes

Christmas is commonly abbreviated as X-mas, X being a symbol of Christ. This X actually comes from the  Greek letter  chi , the first letter of  Χριστός   —    Christós  or “Christ”.  This abbreviation makes a lot of sense. Nowadays, however, I have a growing feeling that for many people, this representation has been somewhat lost. The symbol X  now means "to cross out" or "leave out" or, in recent jargon, "to cancel".    Amidst the whirlwind of Christmas activities  there is a tendency to leave out Christ in Christmas . Crazy as it may sound, it is even crazier that some people do not even know that it is actually happening.   We concern ourselves so much with Christmas preparations  —    decorations, reunions, gifts, and the  noche buena    —     that we forget about the real reasons why we are doing them.  Obviously, the solution is not to do away w...

Lent prepares the Christian faithful for the celebration of the great mysteries of our faith: the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. During this season, the Church invites its faithful to do practices of charity, almsgiving and penance.  Abstinence and fasting are among the penitential acts that the Church recommends. Below is a summary of penitential practices that the Catholic Church demands from its faithful during Lent. Practice of Abstinence and Fasting during Lent On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for 14 years old up : Abstinence from eating meat and its derivatives for 18-59 years old : Fasting (eating only 1 full meal during the day) * abstinence and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are not substitutable On Fridays (inlcuding Fridays of Lent) for 14 years old up : Abstinence from eating meat and its derivatives In the Philippines, abstinence is substitutable by any of the following : exercise of piety (e.g. reading the B...

We don't have to go through life without a map. Many people have already gone to where we ought to go; we just have to follow their lead. These people have left us maps for understanding the terrain, showing us where the true path lies and where to expect dangers. I am, of course, referring to books on how to live life to the full. In this article, I have provided a shortlist of books I recommend for understanding and living better life in general and the Christian Life in particular. Basic Catholic Doctrine Books for systematically studying the Catholic faith; good reference materials for consulting articles of faith The Faith Explained by Leo Trese Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church Living the Faith Books that give insights and suggestions on how to live the demands of the faith according to one's circumstance. Also useful for spiritual reading. Jesus as Friend  by Francisco Fernandez-Carvajal Friends of Go...

Download a PDF copy of this article   I.Introduction All men desire peace and happiness, but many do not realize that true peace and happiness could come in a box- in a confessional box that is. Many Catholics neglect, delay or fear going to confession for various reasons. In this article, I will try to answer common objections on why one needs to go to confession and why one needs to go soon. I neither presume that I have covered all possible questions and objections about going to confession, nor that I have answered completely the questions I have posed. I am convinced that, more than rational arguments, what are needed for conversion are the grace of God and the person’s humility, faith and trust. Nevertheless, I still dare to tackle these questions in the slightest hope that even just one reader decide to avail of this great sacrament and enjoy the presence of God at the center of his soul. II.Objections to Confession Going to confession for the first time, o...

In an age of proliferation of social networking sites, of accumulation of "friends", do you have The One Friend that matters? This short guide aims to help people develop friendship with God through prayer. God is online and is sending you a friend request. Accept, Deny, Ignore? [Download a PDF copy of A Beginner's Guide to Prayer] Man’s longing for fulfillment is a reflection of his thirst for God. In the depths of his heart, man seeks God. But even before man could seek God, God sought him first. God’s search for man meets man’s longing for God in prayer. Prayer is 'the raising of one’s mind and heart to God,' [1] 'being alone very often with someone whom we know loves us.' [2] Prayer, put simply, is talking with God, dealing with him in a manner similar to a child talking with his father. It is in prayer that we grow in love with God. Human relationships grow in proportion to the knowledge and dealings between two persons: the more one...

I attended the wedding of a cousin today. I was swept away by the ceremony and the liturgy. Not that I felt overly sentimental; I just appreciated more the beauty and the necessity of having signs and symbols to express meanings that otherwise would be impossible , difficult, or at least less effective to express. These signs and symbols are moreover matched by prayers that evoke their meaning. Then came to my mind this quotation from C.S. Lewis: "God never meant man to be a purely spiritual nature. That is why he uses, material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this is rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.’” -C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity Photo credit: 'Gold rings' by ollycb in www.sxc.hu