Homeless Video Reaction

This video was truly eye-opening for me, as I have always been against welfare. I realize that not all homeless people are the same, as he clearly shows they are individual persons. Therefore, we should not pigeon-hold them as a society. This man clearly showed his embarrassment, and his desire to work. It broke my heart to know that he honestly just had bad luck in his life, and that he was just given lots of hardship in his life. However, it gives me comfort in my faith when I know that he will be rewarded for his strength in Heaven. In addition, this video brought me to tears, because of it sincereness. Also, it hurts me to see a man robbed of his dignity in such demeaning ways. Consequently, I am happy that some people take the time out of their day and give him money. Therefore, this video has made me decide to give homeless people more than I normally do. Generally, homeless people just make me feel awkward, and bad for not giving them things. However, I have found a way to solve that problem, and I cannot wait to help in whatever way I possibly can.
-Timmy Mashinski

Human First and Foremost

For this blog, our teacher told us to watch a video about a man named Ronald Davis. Ronald is a man that has been recently been unlucky enough to become homeless. The video shows us the Mr. Davis telling us his everyday life and how people treat him. He is upset at how life treated him not letting him have a home or be able to have a job because of how he looks. That got me thinking of how unfair life can actually be and how harsh and heartless Man can be.
When we come into the world we don't get the chance to choose how we want our lives to be. We grow up in different environments and it is by luck that we get good homes and stable families. I was blessed enough to have been born and raised into a good environment and most of my peers at Strake Jesuit were equally blessed, but there are people out there that probably deserve to have nicer thing but they simply don't get them. People that could have achieved so much if only they had been given something when they were younger, and there's people that don't achieve anything even thought they have it all.
It is unfair for us to make fun of people that don't have as much as we do. Ronald Davis talks about how there are people that just judge him by how he looks and make fun of him in the streets. He talks about the humiliation of being seen begging for money, and how hurt he is that people forget that he is human. People like him have been stripped of everything that they once owned, whether it was a lot or a little, and they do not deserve to be the butt of other people jokes, especially if said people get to go home at night and sleep in a warm bed.
I was glad after I did some more research on Ronald Davis and found out that he has been helped by a number of people since the video came out almost a year ago. I saw a lot of comments on the internet of people realizing how lucky they actually are by watching this video and other videos like this and reaching out to people that do not have as much as they do.

Christianity With Open Doors

The conversation is very intriguing, and also very confusing. I am a fervent Catholic, but this dialogue does make me question some aspects of the teachings a little bit, because I do not feel that I fully understand them enough to get into an argument about them. Also, I believe that everyone truly is welcomed by God unto salvation, as we all have an inherent need to be with a higher being: God. However, we are not entitled to anything, and we still have to choose to accept God to be able to actually partake in the redemption of our sins. Therefore, this affects our ability to go to Heaven, and we cannot share in divine life without accepting the divine life present in Jesus Christ.

Also, I thought that this conversation poses the question, as to whether or not we should have certain rights as mankind was given the task to be stewards of all creation. Also, this begs the question: Should we be allowed to have certain freedoms pertaining to our religion? However, I agree with the Church’s teachings one hundred and fifty percent. The only way to achieve salvation is through the Church, so we can choose any religion we want. Although, the consequences will most likely result in the loss of heavenly life. However, there are some small cases in which the person that dies is not responsible for their family’s decision of faith.
-Timmy Mashinski

The Permanence in Marriage

Matrimony is a sacrament that was established by Christ. However, it had been a union of a male and a female for centuries before Christ too. The perfect symbol of marriage, as well as family can be seen in the Holy Family shown to the left. They had the fortitude and strength to stay with each other even with the questionable birth of Jesus. They probably faced much scorn for the manner in which they gave birth to a son. Also, the ideal marriage has become a subject of great debate in today's society, but the Catholic teaching will never change. Therefore, one of the biggest parts of the Sacrament of Marriage is its eternalness. Marriage is a gift from God, in which we can give all of us to someone that we truly love. Consequently, we should keep in mind that society has made divorce seem normal in many senses of the word, but according to the Church it is unlawful. Jesus even said, " Every one who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. Lastly, we should take the gift of children, and only allow it to be a part of our lives after marriage. This goes along with the chastity part of life, but many of us do not have the strength to resist the temptation of sex. However, we should not use this as an excuse, as the only reason that we should have sex is to bring another life into this world. He said, "In marriage, however, let the blessing or massage be loved: offspring. Offspring, not so much because it may be born, but because it can be reborn; for it is born to punishment unless it be record to life."
-Timmy Mashinski

The History and Sacrament of Anointing

The history of anointing can sound challenging, but it is not as difficult as you might think. Anointing has been used for centuries whenever a monarch or a person of royal line has assumed his duties. Therefore, anointing has always been a critical part of society in various civilizations. However, it is most prevalently seen throughout the histories of various religions, in particular Catholicism and Judaism. In the Old Testament the Israelites asked God to send them a king to rule over them. Consequently, God obliged by giving Samuel the authority to anoint the next king of Israel. Today, we can see this idea of anointing as an initiation within the Church. Whenever we were baptized, we had holy water poured on us, and oil to anoint us and signify the washing away of our sins. Also, there is an entire sacrament devoted to the anointing of people: the Anointing of the Sick. This is very interesting, because instead of marking the beginning of something, the Anointing of the Sick marks the end of someone’s life on earth. This sacrament is normally administered during a case of extreme danger, such as a serious surgery, or when there is a very high chance that someone may die, such as a cancer patient. Extreme Unction means the Anointing of the Sick, as this was the old term for the sacrament. In conclusion, anointing has been used for a variety of different reasons. The separation between state and religion has always been significant in the evolution of civilization. However, anointing is one of the few things that has managed to represent the mark of a beginning in both a religious perspective, as well in from a secular society.
-Timmy Mashinski

Baptist Church

Yesterday, I attended a Baptist service with my girlfriend and her family. It was the first time that I had ever been to a non-catholic service, but I found it very interesting. I realized that Catholics have a much different approach and attitude towards mass. When I went to Second Baptists I was surprised of the number of people that attended the service, not to mention it was only one of their many campuses. Also, I found it intriguing that they prayed a lot, but they do not make the sign of the cross as we do when we start and finish a prayer. Also, I was surprised with the lack of sacraments that they celebrated. I was shocked to find out that their service was really only composed of a homily, and singing. However, they managed to have a longer service then our masses last for. I also got to witness a Baptist Baptism, and they are significantly different. They do not have to attend any classes, they do not have anybody sponsoring them, they just show up and are baptized. Also, during a Baptist Baptism, water is not poured on the person, they are physically put into a pool and dipped completely under water.

I had heard of the pastor Ed Young before, and his questionable comments in his homilies. However, I did not know what they would actually be like in person. Honestly, I could tell that he truly loves God, and believes that he is doing the best thing he can to make others love God as much. Although, he does indeed make a lot of questionable statements, and many times goes against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Also, everything that he says in his speeches come directly from the Bible, so they have inspired backing. However, just as with any other book, everyone can have their own interpretation of the story. In addition, he presses his view points upon the rest of the congregation, and in my opinion, they are just plain wrong. Overall, it was an eye-opening experience, and I have no problem with the Baptist religion, as I thought their service was actually more fun, and as sacred. However, I really was not comfortable with the pastor, or the lack of the Eucharist. 

-Timmy Mashinski