Our New Prayer Book Journal Available Now on Amazon!

"My Nightly Examination of Conscience: A Prayer, Meditation, Examen & Gratitude Journal in One to Intentionally Cultivate Saintly Virtue, Grow in Holiness & Transform your Life Before Bedtime" is now available at Amazon.

The only companion you'll need for your evening prayer, meditation, examen and gratitude journaling, all in one notebook!

 

Get a copy by clicking this link: https://amzn.to/3go5ti4

or click the image above.

 

This multi-purpose journal book is created with the following objectives in mind:  

• Contains only the necessary, useful, self-explanatory, and straightforward guided prayer prompts to get you started right off the bat and help you cultivate a more productive and efficacious prayer time and reflection to grow in your faith and holiness. 

• The format is inspired by the spiritual exercises and principles of St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and Catholic contemporary Matthew Kelly. The Opening and Closing Prayers were also by St. Josemaria Escriva. 

• The layout approach is simple and minimalistic. No frills. This avoids procrastination or being too overwhelmed and intimidated because of too many unnecessary, even confusing boxes and sections that may slow your prayer and meditation time down, especially for starters.  

• Keeps you from having too many separate journal notebooks similar and redundant in purpose. Thus saves you money.  

• The journal was also conceptualized with both busy people and beginners in mind.

• Useful gift for your family, relatives, friends, in your small group, bible study group, intercessory group, and your community in general, especially during Christmas and Lent.

• Contains 104 pages in cream-colored, conveniently handy 6 x 9 paper size.

  Get your copy 👇
  

 

 

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My Top Free Catholic Apps You Might Like or Even Love

This lenten season, it's a perfect time to try using Catholic apps to help organize and strengthen our interior need and Catholic faith. We are living in the modern era of digital tech, after all. Here's my top Catholic apps I am using that I hope you might like, or even love. In no particular order...

ESCRIVA LITE

If you are a St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei fan like I am, this free app is for you. The app contains daily mass readings in a clean, bold, super organized, minimalist interface, with St. Escriva related excerpts according to the readings of that day, taken from his various books and homilies, which are a gem of St. Escriva freebies of wisdom. Get yours here on Apple or Google Play app links provided below.

 DOWNLOAD Escriva Lite HERE: https://apple.co/3ssgId1

DOWNLOAD Escriva Lite Here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appleia.com.escrivalite

 

GREAT CATHOLIC MUSIC

Looking for all Catholic Songs, Hymns or Music? This non-stop, livestream 24 hours Catholic app is for you. I find Catholic music non-boisterous; relaxing, edifying and sanctifying, not to mention sacred. As St. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 14:40 on worship: "All things should be done decently and in order." Powered by the Living Bread Radio Network based in Canton, Ohio.

 DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3bEGXGv

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greatcatholicmusic.app

 

FORMED

I got this for free thanks to my parish for gifting its subscription few years ago to all its parishioners. Last year, this app was also made open free to the public for a month or so due to the pandemic. This is one of my favorite Catholic apps, dubbed as the "Catholic Netflix". It contains videos, audios, books, talks, shows for all ages. A tremendous Catholic resource for Catholic nerds.

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3bCCFzq

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ai.formed.formed

 

EWTN

My favorite Catholic apologist and probably my most listen-to Catholic radio show is Dr. David Anders' Called to Communion. A Q&A show primarily catered for non-Catholics who have questions about the Catholic faith. This and a lot of other great EWTN shows are all tucked in this one app, such as Open Line Mondays thru Fridays with different Catholic clergies and theologians as hosts, Dr. Ray's the Doctor is in, Fr. Spitzer's Universe, Kresta in the afternoon, Catholic Connection by Teresa Tameo, EWTN news, even Children Catholic shows. Listen on demand at your own time and pace or live stream either on both video or audio. It also has a RSV-CE Bible (Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition) included free in this app, the version which according to Dr. Anders, one of the closer translations to the original texts.

 

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3ssN1bJ

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ewtn.truthandlife

 

LAUDATE

Probably a more popular app to my close circle of friends in the community, as far as I know. It contains a wide array of menu in sort of a bullet-list format from daily mass readings, saints of the day, even EWTN programs in the above-mentioned app tuck in it.

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3dODCXN

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aycka.apps.MassReadings

 

HALLOW

A newer Catholic app that has a more contemporary look, clean and easy to use interface. It has all sort of prayers broken into simplistic morning and night routines, minute prayers, Bible stories, and catholic songs in cool thumbnails. The guided meditation audios are what my 8 year old daughter happened to love and had fun doing. However most of the menu need subscription. I used this app to listen to Fr. Mike Schmitz's Bible-In-A-Year podcast which included free in this app that I personally prefer a lot easier to navigate than listening the said podcast via Amazon, ITunes or Google play music.

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/37PQ0mD

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.hallow.android

 

AWAKEN CATHOLIC

If the Formed app is the "Netflix" for Catholics, the Awaken Catholic for me is somewhat the "Youtube" for Catholics. It has videos and audios of different Catholic Talk shows of different genre, from men and women, to teens and pop culture (finding spiritual meanings and theology lessons off of Star Wars, Frozen and other cult classic movies in the entertainment world). How cool is that?

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3qSfibk

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.disciplemedia.awakencatholic

 

DAILY READINGS FOR CATHOLICS

But if you are that type of person who just want to get down to the basics of reading the daily Mass readings, this is the app for you. Simple, straightforward: Daily Bible reading, some commentary from key religious personalities and Saint of the day bio. That's it! The company that made this app is by Catholicapp.org.

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://apple.co/3pVWd6L

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.catolicapp.missalww

  

2022 ADDITIONS/UPDATES including other favorite Catholic websites:

HEROIC MEN

This is similar to FORMED.org app but geared towards men (as the title obviously implies) and it's a free app unlike the former.

To download Heroic Men, click here: https://heroicmen.com/

ICATHOLIC MUSIC 

Similar to Great Catholic Music radio station but with a more contemporary sound and song choices like those of our Non-Catholic brethrens' contemporary Christian music selection.

Here is the direct online link: http://player.streamguys.com/hfc/sgplayer3/player.php?s=6

 

REVIVE PARISHES

This is a gem of online platform training video courses designed to help parish leaders and volunteers learn, grow, and renew their parishes and grow as a disciple. Best of all, It's free (yes free).

Check out their site at https://reviveparishes.com/

 

So there you have it! If you have tried one or all of these apps, let me know what you think. I love to hear your feedbacks by posting a comment below. And if you found some more cool Catholic apps you would like to share, feel free, I look forward to know about it as well! Don't forget to share this site with your friends! Share the blessings! Enjoy and be blessed!

 

 

***

 

 AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON

"My Nightly Examination of Conscience: A Prayer, Meditation, Examen & Gratitude Journal in One to Intentionally Cultivate Saintly Virtue, Grow in Holiness & Transform your Life Before Bedtime" The only companion you'll need for your evening prayer, meditation, examen and gratitude journaling, all in one notebook!

Get a copy by clicking this link: https://amzn.to/3Gn781O

***

"Lectio Divina for Starters: Divine Reading Journal Made Simple for All Ages" A spiritual reading and prayer Journal that will help you kick-start your Divine Reading habit no matter how young or how old you are. With just simple instruction and easy-to-remember guided prompts, this journal is a helpful spiritual tool to walk you through to start this ancient practice of Bible reading and praying right away, without breaking a sweat.

 Get a copy by clicking this link: https://amzn.to/346Rj23

 ***

For more Catholic books from the author, 

visit Amazon.com/author/domchu

 

 

***

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Purgatory is not an essential doctrine, but an optional one, just like limbo?

In the following posts, I will be attempting to share some sort of a Q & A series taken from Karl Keating's book "What Catholics Really Believe" which I thought was pretty appropriate for this blog's originally intended purpose, and that is to educate and inform Lukewarm Christians, in particular Catholics, about common misconceptions of our Catholic faith and teachings and thereby find ourselves living the faith merely in mediocrity or none at all. Sometimes I may add or edit a few to make some more points or extra emphasis.

#31 Purgatory is not an essential doctrine, but an optional one, just like limbo?

Double mistake: 1. Putting purgatory and limbo at the same doctrinal level. 2. Saying purgatory is an optional doctrine.

Pope Gregory the Great Saving the Souls of Purgatory by Sebastiano Ricci oil painting

Purgatory is a defined dogma of the Catholic faith. Meaning, as a Catholic you MUST believe in it.

Limbo has a different status. It arises from theological speculation, not revelation. If you find the speculation convincing, you may believe in limbo but if you find it unconvincing, that's fine too, you have the option not to believe in it. Probably it is fair to say, today, fewer theologians writing in favor of limbo than there were 50 years ago. When they refer to limbo, they mean the limbo of infants, where unbaptized infants are said to go, as distinguished from the limbo of the Fathers, where good people who died before Jesus' resurrection were waiting for heaven to be opened to them. Since the limbo of the Fathers is specifically mentioned in 1st Peter 3:19, Catholics must believe it.

Look for more of these series. To get updates of new posts and blogs

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Thank you.

To get the full scope of the explanation, find Karl Keating's book at Amazon below

Holy Moments (An Exhortation)

This was an exhortation I gave last March 1st, 2020 in a Christian community where I led a prayer meeting session, some portion were edited and revised for the purpose of this blog. 

The very 1st Christian community I had been with was back in High school. It was in a group called Opus Dei (perhaps some of you might have heard of it or familiar with it. It was even mocked and fictionalized in the popular book and movie by Dan Brown years ago called the DaVinci Code).

Photo courtesy of Juniverse © 2020

Opus Dei was founded by St. Josemaria Escriva and it is a Latin phrase which means "Work of God". The basic precept of Opus Dei is for laypeople like you & me to foster and aspire for holiness in our everyday ordinary circumstances and profession. Wherever you are or whatever you do, whether you are in school, at work, at home, washing dishes, doing the laundry, even doing number 2 (jokingly speaking, but you get the point: Everything you do), all of our activities are opportunities for sanctification or holiness in drawing close to and imitating Jesus.

Opus Dei's vision really resonated with me and for the 1st time, it was in that community that I began to make proper sense of what it means to be a Christian and live out the faith in a more practical way. Because prior to that, I thought at that time, holiness was only for priests and nuns. Never occur that holiness is for everybody. That idea of sanctifying your ordinary day-to-day was indeed a fresh look and a dynamic take of practicing the faith especially me growing up only as a cultural, nominal Christian.

Fast forward to the present day, I recently read a book that reminded me of that Opus Dei flair. The author termed it a bit differently but the idea or aim is similar, he coined it "Holy Moments." A Holy Moment, he said, is a moment when you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to him. You set aside what you feel like doing or would rather be doing at that moment, and you set aside self-interest, personal desire, and for one moment you simply do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do at that moment. That is a Holy Moment.

Damien's Learning Path Adventure (Kindle Edition)

Available now at Amazon

Holy moments don't have to be huge and heroic, he said. The great majority of them are small and anonymous. Like...
- Doing someone else's chores. That's a holy moment.
- Making a healthy eating choice. That's a holy moment.
- Being patient with a person who drives you crazy. That's a holy moment.
- Giving someone in front of you your full attention. That's a holy moment.
- Giving someone a life-changing book. That's a holy moment.
- Teaching someone how to pray. That's a holy moment.
- Recycling. That's a holy moment.
- Giving up your favorite whatever this Lent. That's a holy moment.
- Reading the scriptures. That's a holy moment.
- Jesus coming out in the desert victorious is indeed a holy moment.

My connecting point in sharing this to you is in the hope of exhorting you and encouraging you that you coming here on Sundays (to spend your time worshiping and praising the Lord as a community) is never in vain, it is never wasted in the sight of our Lord when it is done for the Lord. In other words, by coming here tonight, you have just made a "Holy Moment." Perhaps we feel we rather stay at home and binge watch Netflix or you would rather do some gardening or fix something around the house, or we rather go shopping or take a nap after a long week at work, but instead, you chose to spend your time to glorify God. Now that's a Holy Moment.

So as we offer our praise to the Lord, this holy moment is another gift to thank God for; to thank Him for the grace of a holy moment of being here for Him instead of doing something else. Because Holy Moments develop Holiness. And Holiness means to be set apart. To be set apart for something sacred. As Robin Williams' character in Dead Poet Society would say "Carpe diem". Seize the day! So let us seize this moment for God.

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Q&A to a Troll in a Catholic website (Part 2): What was the means did Jesus make for the transmission of our Christian faith?

PART II 

*Months ago, I was visiting a favorite Catholic website of mine on Facebook and was reading a newly released article about our Blessed Virgin Mary. As I was reading various comments of Catholics regarding the article, I noticed one particular person who appears to be trolling under the comment box, unsolicitedly "refuting" different Catholic teachings to any one who would dare to read his comments and take the bait. As I skimmed through other articles of the site, I was baffled to see that same person trolling the comment boxes again under those respective articles, taking on anybody that challenges his varied assertions and accusations, one Catholic at a time that comes his way like in a one-man-versus-an-army martial arts fighting scene. I started to see his trend.

If I recall correctly, he said he used to be Catholic and now belong to some strain of Protestantism (among the roughly 33,000 in existence today) and the Bible alone (Sola Scriptura) is his sole authority. I told him that swapping Bible verses won't get us anywhere (to argue about Mary, Purgatory, Saints and all other Catholic beliefs that Protestants think are a bunch of hooey). Instead I politely ask him if he is willing to answer 3 fundamental questions about our Christian faith. He obliged although seemingly a bit reluctant at first, but answered it nevertheless. Here's one of the questions I raised, his reply and my response back on his reply:

Me: What was the means or provision did Jesus make for the authoritative transmission of the Christian faith?

His Reply:

Jesus gave men to teach the gospel, first apostles to write and conclude scripture (remember, the canon of scripture was closed at AD 94 with the conclusion of the book of Revelation). While those who followed the apostles did not write scripture (it was already concluded) the Holy Spirit gifts men to be table to pass on the gospel though not perfectly.

My Response:

Jesus never direct His apostles to write or read the Bible as the means to transmit the faith. The Bible did not even exist yet during the ministry of Christ. We don’t find that teaching of Jesus in any of the writings of the apostles. Even the apostles themselves never expected they are going to be writing books when they signed up to follow Christ. Moreover, only 3 out of the 12 apostles wrote scriptures, where were the paperwork of the remaining 9 if writing was such a priority? We don’t find in scriptures that says: "We only need the Bible as our sufficient rule of faith and here are its table of contents (and make sure it's 66 books only! No more nor less, OK?)" Also it is good to keep in mind that the letters Paul wrote where occasional documents meant to address problems within a specific community of believers (e.g. I, Paul am writing to you, Corinths because of this issue, Galatians here is my letter to your issue, etc.)

Instead, Jesus said in Matthew 28 to the apostles "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all the Commands (ie., orally) I gave you. And I am with you always to the end of time." Everything He commanded was Oral. Jesus did not write everything down. Some of it were rituals: "Do this in memory of me" (ie., Eucharist)... or "Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit"... or "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (ie., Confession), etc. etc... So he commanded all these to the apostles, to be passed down (ie., tradition) to their successors and in perpetuity guaranteed by his divine authority “I will be with you until the end of age,” and “the gates of hell will never prevail.” Jesus gave us a Church, to be the pillar and foundation of our faith (1 Tim. 3:15). St Paul even affirms this Oral tradition (1 Cor. 11:23, 1 Cor. 11:2, 2 Thes. 2:15, 2 Tim. 2:2, Rom. 10:17).

So then we ask, where is this church in the 1^st century, or 2^nd, or 3^rd down to the present 21^st century that the gates of hell will never prevail as Jesus promised us? There’s only one in direct continuity tracing back to Jesus and the apostles for 2,000 yrs: The Catholic Church. (The so-called protestant “reformers”, they were 1,500 years too late). And we all know what happens when we leave it to ourselves to interpret the Bible (Sola Scriptura, a man-made doctrine by Martin Luther): 33,000 denominations and counting, all claiming the Holy Spirit is in their side of the argument and their biblical interpretation, and everyone else's got it wrong. St Paul clearly says in 1 Cor. 11:16 -- “If anyone wants to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.” Also, 1 Cor. 1:10 -- “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.”

"Denominationalism" isn’t found in the bible. The whole protestant tradition exists in all its multiplicity because of this incoherence. Every protestant theologian or pastor that pops up is going to give you his authoritative take on what is dogma and what’s opinion and the next guy gives you something different.

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