Summer

Vocation

I was in Mass today, and I felt the urgency to tell people our need to
pray for vocation. Priests are the disciples of Jesus today. Vocation
to priesthood is not for everyone, but we need much more priests out.
I read something strike me this week, it was: "it is not the Church
purpose to solves human problem". I wish you would spend few minutes
to answer this question your own.

What is the purpose of Church? What Jesus asked us to do? Live in a
holy life. No, that is the consequence of Christianity. What started
Christianity? The Church, the 12 Disciples. No. it was Jesus. What was
the purpose of Jesus? Did God's work. What were those works purpose?
To Create baptism and unit people with God. What is the purpose of
Church? Spread the Gospel, unit people with the Lord. The Church was
started with 12 Disciples, 12 holy priests. Priest and Church are
coexistent. Without priest, we would have no Church. There would have
no Mass, no bible study, no charity work, no communion, etc.

My school has near 2000 students, 70% of them are religious. This
year, we had one student decided to become a priest. We are luck had
one student this year. Last year, there was no student decided to join
the Church. Where do they join the community is another question.
Nowadays, family size are becoming smaller and smaller, it will only
get harder and harder for our generation or next generation to make a
commitment.

Pray!

Spiritual Growth

I was walking with Laura one day and we have a talk about how we are
different from the pass. It is my third year being Catholic, and I
look back I know I am different. I remember the first two years is not
that fun being Catholic. I would only go Church once a week on Sunday;
I might even skip Sunday Mass too. I don't know what change, but now I
go Church at least two three time a week. I also do morning and
evening prayer daily. It is so weird to see the changes. In Church
teaching, it said you are the new you after baptism, because the Holy
Spirit will dwell in you and will guide you to the Truth.

I sad very often, because being a Catholic is difficult. I don't grow
up in a family with Catholic teaching. A lot of time I will still do
thing which I know it is not right. I am kind of a secularism, and
secularism never work well with Catholic teaching. Then, I will hate
to go to confession. In the Scripture it said: do not surprise that
the world against you, because the world do not recognize Christ.

That is frustrating. The circumstance always appear to you that you
don't really have much opinions and there is a choice is easier and
there is one a harder one, by choosing the easier one which you might
commit small sins, and that always make you think that isn't a big
matter. I don't enjoy doing bad thing, but I always fall to that, or
I don't really want to face the difficult one. It make the uneasy
feeling every time. St. Paul said: You no longer live as you, but
Christ live in you. But, a lot of time we choose to turn our face away
from God. One priest said: We don't need knowing, but believing. I
don't really know what to do beside pray for myself and go confession.

Track Mills

I was in a gym room one day and was running on a Track Mills, where I
run most of the time. Then, my friend said that running on a track
mill is more difficult than running on the road, solid surface.

Here, I listed some pros that running on a track mill can provide to
you:

1. Clearer air
2. Constant environment ( no rain, no snow, not too hot, no sunburn)
3. Allow you to place water by your side, which help decrease fatigue
because of dehydration.
4. Softer surface (which is good for your knee absorbing impact)
5. Safer (No car and animal chasing)
6. Provide constant speed pace, which help keep your performance on
top in later run.
7. Provide simulation of different terrains or marathon courses.
8. Place to meet new people

Me, Myself and I

I wrote something about myself. If you are interested you can find the new page on the right column.

What is Christianity?

The movement (Communion and Liberation) and Christianity is connected, and Christianity and humanity is connected. Because we want to enrich our life, we join the movement. The movement is the educational function which regarding to Christian fact. The movement is what prepare us to become Christianity. But, what is Christianity? Christianity is a fact that God become man, and this man said "I am God." God become man is an historical event. An event that " I am God and I will go on in history in the visible reality of the people who will adhere to me and be united among themselves" What made the Church? Is the encounter of 12 Apostles with Christ, the fact, the event. Christians faith is built upon this fact, whether you believe or not. Christianity is the answer to life, your destiny. Since your destiny and my destiny is the same, then we are in the same communion, unity among men, which is the movement. The movement is the tool of transfiguration for us. Our life is to build up the witness to Christ in the world, unity and communion among human.

Note From Fr. Giussani

Working Class Runner

Being a runner, I feel the urge to make people understand that running is not youngsters privilege. Why I am saying that? Because people are giving me an impression that it is great that I have just did the half marathon and enjoy my youth and freedom when I am still in college not in work, but what is the truth is that it is about passion and personality. There is million of working MUMs are constant active runners.

How these woman find time to run?

How they get out of family pressure to run?

How they justify their excuse to leave their child at home and go for run?

What is the emotion pressure when kids ask their Mum why you have to run?

Sometime I would think women are living miracle. Is it because they are woman? Tips I often heard is to run creatively and efficiently, and to change your living habit for running. I particular remember one is to sign up for mobile internet, so when you are traveling you can check news online; another is to bring your next day cloth to work, so the next day you can run to work and have clean cloth to change. I remember one day I was so busy and my day are full of schedules and I couldn't even squeeze time to run. I end up went to run in late evening at 11. I didn't really finish until mid-night. If you don't try to and begin to change your preceptive, you will never find time to run. You find excuses liked:

it is too late;

it is raining day;

it is snowing day;

I had a shitty day;

I am tired;

my kids need attention

These are preceptive in your mind, and you can change how you think. Also, it is why a household need and should have both husband and wife, so they can share burden together.

Will you take these study aid pills?

I read an article on Discover and it uncovers that 7 percent of
students in United States has been using drugs to boost study. The
drug called Ritalin, which normally is used for children who have
attention deficit hyperactive disorder. People who take Ritalin their
brain dopamine receptor activities will be boost, which increasing
learning efficiency and focusing. Lab test shows that rats had taken
Ritalin learn faster than those had not given the drug. I think it is
outrageous. It is a bio-ethic problem. If students can take pills to
boost learning, what happen to those students who don't or who cannot
afford the pills. And, I am sure about that some companies will rase
advertisement campaign to market themselves as "study aid" for
students. Then our future generation will fall into these pills or
companies. In the articles, it also points out that students could
also easily feel the pressure to take those pill by the the influence
of their peers directly and indirectly. I personally will not take
those pill to aid study. I won't agree this unnatural way to change
your brain chemical for study. It could become another future social
inequality question. In the last, I will never want or my future
generations every time go for public exam will be request for blood
sample.

Eucharist

I went to Mass today, and was thinking about the Eucharist, how
Catholics and Protestants think differently. I went to a Protestant
Church for two years before I converted to Catholicism. I remember my
church only celebrated the Eucharist once a month. It is because the
Bible wrote "Do this in memory of me". So the word "memory" is the
belief of the Eucharist in the Protestant church. I can't deny that
even when I was baptized, it took me a long time to understand the
awesomeness of the Eucharist. The awesomeness is that we believe the
Eucharist is the body of Christ not just a memory of Christ. The part
of the Protestant belief that was right was that we celebrate the
Eucharist in memory of Christ coming down from Heaven and dying for
us. He is the Lamb of the Passover. Remember that in the Old Testament
after God tested Abraham in the scripture God said he would provide.
God provided Jesus as the Lamb of Passover, so when Jesus blesses the
Eucharist in the Last Supper and says: This is my body, this is my
blood, he actually means what he says. But what the Protestants miss
is that they don't understand that Christ is alive now, just as in the
past and will be in the future. God's Salvation or Jesus' Salvation
was not in the past, it is right now, it is now and in this moment.
Celebrating the Eucharist occurs after Jesus' time, because it is
necessary that Christ died for us so we have the Eucharist to
celebrate. What was before then? Before that, the Jews celebrated
Passover by slautering a lamb. The lamb is the unblemished sacrifice,
the lamb's blood was spread on the doorpost of each home and the
firstborn son was saved from death. In the New Testament, Jesus
replaced the tradition by replacing the lamb with Himself. So, why is
the Eucharist is the body of Christ today? Because Jesus said if you
do not receive me you have no part of me and whoever eats My flesh and
drinks My Blood has eternal life. That host, that tiny circle thing,
is the body of Christ, which was given to the Apostle and is also
given to us today. The trick is that salvation is done once and for
all, but salvation is also happening now, in this moment; it is
happening. It is very important to remember that we are saved not just
because we choose to believe, but because God provides, provides
everyday, every minute. What God provides for our salvation every
minute is Himself, which is in the Eucharist. So, whether the
Eucharist is just a bread or is the Body of Christ you can decide.

2010 Miscellaneous

Many mini postes

There is nothings big or important things happen lately. I thinks this
will sum up my recently life. One day I was looking for some religious
articles, it made me have a desire to start a bible study group. It
has been a debat in my mine lately. I want to do it is because whether
there is a bible study group or not I will study it; then why not try
to start a bible study group for students who staying campus this
summer. I think it is a good idea and like an adventure to start
something you never had before. For no things is: I am kind of
freaking out or nervous, like what happen if people don't come, if I
am a very boring bible study leader, what should I do if there is dead
silence in the meeting. But I thing there is the purpose of life, that
to experiecne. experience is to do something you never have. I feel
ten thousand of my questions in my life.

My sister is having a baby. It is an excited, especially to my family.
My Mum came from Singapore, her family side most live far away from
us. And my Dad's dad were from China; we had never really have any
good relative in Hong Kong. Additionally, both my parents were bad
keep in touch with people. So when each Chinese New Year come, it
become a not very exciting celebration. Normally, people gather
together in the elder house and meet each people. All our school
friends had relative 30-50 people at least, but our family only had
the most around 15 people plus we don't necessary meet all of them. It
was kind of desperate. I like children. Especially since when in
America, in Kansas, each time I go to Church I see a whole family with
7 kids go church together. It really made me feel family. Although
some time baby crying can be little bit annoying, but it bring
additional joy in the Church. I am excited about my sister, brother
and me starting a kingdom in Hong Kong. Hahaha

Last Saturday, I invited my spiritual director, Fr. Denis, had lunch
out with me. So, I went to internet an hour and search restaurant down
Kansas City. On the actual day when I picked up Fr., he suggested us
go to a Italian restaurant. It was fun and we went down to Olive
Garden in St. Joseph. I was so grad having my additional friend come,
because I hate driving and it gave the nerves all the time even I
almost having 2 years driving experience. So, when I drive I cannot
talk. I thing it is a good idea, but not that nervous. My friend,
Clare, who work for the school as dorm director and came from Florida,
said to me that this traffic is nothing. Of course not for her. Then I
said, this is why I need a girlfriend, so I don't have to drive. Then
Clare said that Vincent had million of reasons that he need a
girlfriend but nothing have to do with loving her. Of course looking
for a girlfriend is not looking for a driver, but it definitely it is
one of the the wish list that she like driving.