Book Review: Sinner, The Catholic Guy's Funny, Feeble Attempts to Be a Faithful Catholic

Being a Catholic isn't easy. You have the devil, you have people and you have yourself getting in the way. Lino Rulli embodies the struggle of the guy next door living a Catholic life. This book makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you cringe as you read Lino stumbling and fumbling his way through life.

Lino has an uncanny way of making you think in between his one liners. On soul mates "I can't imagine a loving God who counts the hairs on my head, loves me, and then says: 'I’ve created a soul mate for you.. good luck finding her.'" We have to trust God in being our wingman, but we have to be willing to take chances. On failure, "lots of people put their failures in the not-God's-plan category instead of the I-suck-at-that-category." We have to take responsibility for ourselves and suck it up sometimes. On temptation, "I fought, I struggled, I won-and I didn't give into temptation. Not exactly on my way to canonization, but I'm always grateful to God when I don't fall." We should celebrate the minor victories in our lives with God. On confession, "don't imagine you will confess something original to the priest. That's the sin of pride." This one cracked me up. Yes, the priest has heard every possible sin under the sun and the stars (if you prefer sinning by night).

Lino is brutally honest with his failings at finding a mate, with his pride after winning the Emmy, with his youthful misadventures (hilarious) and with his big nose. The chapter on him meeting the Pope is absolutely hilarious. I really wish I was there through that awkward episode. Or I wish JP-II wrote a chapter about his meeting with Lino. But the chapter also made me really want to visit the Vatican someday. Not that praying at the Vatican is any better than praying at home. But maybe it is just the ambiance that makes you feel closer to God.

This book has confirmed that "In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone." (St John of the Cross). At the end of my life I want Jesus to say, as Lino writes, "Eternal life goes to Daniel. Well done my good and faith full servant." Lino makes Catholicism seem like a simple yet profound journey. I think I will see my faith in a more joyful way from here on.  

You can also check out his talk show at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-guy-shows-podcast/id364049421?mt=2

Rediscover Catholicism – Giving reasons to believe.

Matthew Kelly's book is about an ancient faith in the modern world. It is about something profound, something deep, laid out in simple terms. It is a handbook about finding and living the faith. It is about change, change for the better. It is about becoming the best version of yourself. I hope this blog post will inspire you to read the book.

The Catholic Church, despite our faults and failings, is an incredible institution. But we have forgotten our story. Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, clothes and houses more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners and educates more people than any other institution on earth. Almost the entire western world is educated because of the church's pioneering role in universal education. Our history is not without blemish and our future will not be without blemish. But there is a genius in Catholicism, if we just take the time and make the effort to humbly explore it. Kelly states that there is nothing wrong with Catholicism that can't be fixed with what is right with Catholicism; if you and I are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem; and if 67 million Catholics in the US stepped it up a notch, something incredible would happen. Granted that the faith is old, but does that make it irrelevant? If you had an ancient treasure map, would you throw it away just because it is old? No. The age of the map doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not it leads to treasure.

The basic tenet of Catholicism is that we were created to love and be loved. But the modern philosophies of individualism (what's in it for me), hedonism (pleasure is the ultimate goal of life) and minimalism (minimum effort, maximum reward) have taken over. We confuse pleasure with happiness. Our physical needs and desires dominate our existence. We have forgotten the other three aspects of the human person – emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Kelly calls for discipline in our lives and writes that freedom without discipline is impossible. Discipline is a faithful friend who will introduce you to your true self. Discipline is the worthy protector who will defend you from your lesser self. And discipline is the extraordinary mentor who will challenge you to become the best version of yourself and all God created you to be.

Faith in the teachings of Christ is fundamental. If you allow the values and principles of the gospel to guide you, it will turn out for the best. It will not always turn as you wish, but you will be a better person for having lived the gospel in that situation, and because of that, your future will be richer. Faith is about walking humbly with God, allowing Him to take your hand and lead you. But too often, we want to race off ahead of our loving father, running frantically in all directions. We don't want to miss anything. We want to experience everything that this life has to offer, so we run here and there in search of happiness - but we are always left yearning for more. Faith is about God's will. Stop trying to put together a master plan for your life and for your happiness. Instead seek out the Master's plan for your life and for your happiness. Faith in the teaching of the church is important. Those willing to learn from others mistakes can live with the wisdom of the old from the earliest ages. It is not necessary to make all the mistakes yourself to learn about life, yourself and others.

On sin and repentance

Repent means turn back to God. It's not about condemnation. It is about apologizing. If we never apologize in our relationship with God, that relationship will suffer the fate that so many modern human relationships are suffering. Self introspection will get you to know yourself. The gifts of self knowledge include freedom from the world's image of who you are and an unquenchable compassion for others. The more you get to know yourself and your sinfulness, the more you are able to understand others and be tolerant of their faults, failings, flaws, addictions and brokenness. Understanding leads to peace. Learn to prize the peace in your soul above all else.

On prayer

Kelly's prayers are very practical. First, he prays to make sense of things. He also prays because he wants to live life deeply and deliberately. Thirdly, he prays to build up the kind of inner density required to prevent the culture from swallowing him up. Our world has been filled with noise, and as a result, we can no longer hear the voice of God in our lives. We should make a daily commitment to enter into the classroom of silence and listen to God. And remember, prayer doesn't change God, prayer changes us.

The Mass is the highest form of prayer. The Mass is not about whom you sit next to. Its not about which priest says mass. Its not about what you wear or who is there. Mass is not about the music. Its not even about the preaching. It is about gathering as a community to give thanks to God for all the blessings he fills our lives with. It is about receiving the body and blood of Christ, not just physically, but spiritually. Perhaps you have been receiving the Eucharist physically every Sunday for your whole life. Next Sunday, prepare yourself, be conscious of the marvel, the wonder, the mystery, and receive spiritually. And the prayers of the Mass are profound and beautiful. Rediscover them.

The present and the future.

We have our problems. These problems can fill the heart with a great sadness, but they should not lead to despair. They should be seen as opportunities for us to change, grow, and become more effective at meeting people where they are and leading them to where God calls them to be. There are calls for change. The environment changes, the culture changes, people change, but the truth does not change; the supernatural realities of faith, hope and love do not change; and God does not change.

What do we need to do.

First and foremost, we need to inspire people. We have failed non believers. We have failed to communicate the value of living a life of virtue and faith. Remember, “Don't tell them, show them.” We have to communicate through the authenticity of our lives. Jesus didn't promise an easy way. He promised that we would be ridiculed, prosecuted and unappreciated as he himself was, but that we would nonetheless experience joy and fullness of life. We have to take the Church to the people. We have a duty to study and know the issues that turn Catholics away, so we can build the necessary bridges of truth and knowledge that will allow them to return to the fullness of our ancient and beautiful faith. If you want to grow in faith, identify the teachings of the Catholic church that you find most difficult to understand and accept, then read about it. Study that issue.

There will always be questions. Questions are an integral part of the spiritual journey. The temptation is to despise questions and the uncertainty they represent. But uncertainty is a spiritual gift designed to help us grow. From time to time, great questions arise in our hearts and our minds. When that happens to you, don't let your heart be troubled. Learn to enjoy uncertainty. Learn to love the questions. The questions are life.

The bottom line, the ultimate aim, the purpose of life is to love. What really counts is not money, or titles, or possessions, but the way we love others. Let us rediscover life through the Catholic Church.

Counting your countless blessings

My life is great. I am so thankful for everything in my life. I have listed some things that most of us can relate to. I think if we make our own full list, it will never end as God blesses us everyday!

I thank God for the gift of faith. Without faith, my life would be empty.

I thank God for the free and safe country I live and have lived in. There are so many people who wake up in the morning unsure if they will be killed or end up in jail by evening.

I thank God for grad life. I know it is tough, but I think about how many people would give everything to be in my place? Many people work much harder than me for much lesser rewards.

I thank God for good parents. They love me dearly and despite their humble backgrounds gave and continue to give me everything they can.

I thank God for my brothers. They were, are, and will always be there for me.

I thank God for my friends. There are so many people who are alone in this world.

I thank God for great health and an able body. Isn’t it awesome feeling to run like the wind or to soak in a sunset?

I thank God for giving me food, clothing, and shelter. Think about the time when you missed lunch for some reason, or forgot your coat on a cold windy day, or if you had to sleep at a railway station.

I thank God for keeping me safe from natural disasters. Picture the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Indonesia, the hurricane in New Orleans or the floods in Pakistan.

I thank God for the ample water around. Is there anything more necessary, fun and refreshing than water?

I am blessed and I thank God that I realize it.

In pursuit of The Way, The Truth and The Life.

It is a general perception among non-believers that religious people have 'loose screws' somewhere and are wasting their lives by leading boring lives. I beg to differ. The Catholic group at the University is an amazing fun filled group. I see the true joy in their lives. It is a joy which feeds on the eternal source, Jesus. I pursued material things to keep me happy. I went on trips, I hung out with friends, I wanted to be cool.[:D] But I knew something was missing. Not that these things are bad, but at the end of any event I would feel low and look forward to the next dose of entertainment to give me that high. I was restless. But now I am at peace. I am happy to have found true eternal happiness in God. I wanna learn more about God, how amazing He is, about the awesome things He has in store for those who love Him.

So what do I know about Him? God is love. Plain and simple. God loves us and we must love him. Through love we have a living relationship with God. Sadly, this relationship is broken by sin. But Jesus Christ has died for our sins and saved us. We have to believe in this, repent for our past sins and lead a new life with Christ at the center. All three are important. The first is about faith. We have to believe that Christ is our savior. He has bridged the chasm that separated God from humanity.

The second step is repentance. Repentance begins by acknowledgment of sins. We are human, we are weak, we are fallible. But we have to accept our mistakes and be sorry for our failures. We have to express our sincere regrets for our misdeeds and vow to do our best to lead better lives. We must ask God for forgiveness and he will definitely forgive us because we are his children. This sequence is beautifully pictured in the parable The Prodigal Son.

And the third part is leading the new life. We have to trust God with our lives and our future. God is our father. He loves us and wants us to live a full and happy life. He has good things in store for us. To quote from the scripture, Jesus says, (Matthew 7:11) "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" And when we believe in God, it’s not about us anymore. It’s about others. Greed for power and wealth, the root causes of the world’s miseries, will vanish.But leading a new life will be tough. We can’t fight temptations by ourselves. We need God’s grace and all we need to do to get it is to ask God. And we can be sure God will never test us beyond our limits. And when we are doing this because we love God, Christian life is no longer a set of rules and regulations. I am sure we are ready to do anything for the people we truly love. And that makes Christian life so easy!

I thank SPO, especially Jimmy for taking me to the Fan Into Flame retreat. The focus of the retreat was to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to fan into flame the embers of our faith. People think being religious is an inborn thing. It isn’t. We have to cultivate our relationship with God. He is knocking on the door and we need to open it. He extends his hand to us, we have to accept it.

I ask you then, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36) It is your life, what are you going to do it?


Ref: Fan into Flame Retreat booklet and the Bible!
Picture credits:
1)http://media.photobucket.com/image/god%20love/heavenboundiwillbe/GodIsLoveEverlasting.jpg
2)http://www.kaldu.org/MarBawaiWritings/The-Prodigal-Son-01.jpg
3)http://www.biblebigpicture.com/Image/Jesus%20Knock%20on%20Door.jpg

The wait for admits....

Now that the application process for MS is over, the anxious nail biting period of waiting for admits has begun. Even though most people scoff and say that someone with a profile like mine need not worry at all (thanks for the compliment btw), I still wait eagerly for that email confirming my admission to any one of the six universities that I have applied to. This wait was stressing me out because of many reasons. Firstly, this has got to be the biggest step of my life. Nothing else comes anywhere close, except ironically maybe the admission to BITS. Secondly, with all the talk about the recession affecting the admissions scenario in a negative way, I wondered if I had made a rather brash decision of applying only to the top universities. (The lowest ranked university in my list is University of Minnesota at 13) And finally, I had doubts about my application itself. Was my SOP good enough? Or have my profs given me good recommendations?

So with all these questions bothering me, I turned to God for help. I asked Him to give me the strength to overcome all these fears. I asked him to increase my faith in Him. Then I read these beautiful words.

"I thank God for the Mountains

And I thank God for the Valleys

I thank Him for the Storms

He has brought me through.

For if I never had a Problem

I'd never know there was a God

Who could solve them

I'd never know what Faith

In my God could do."

There is also this beautiful story about the footprints in the sand. This story is an epitome of God's infinite love for us. I have new found courage and belief. I feel that God will always do what is best for me. I may have big plans for myself. But God has bigger plans for me. If I get an admit, praise be to God. If I don’t, it may mean that I wasn't meant to have a career in research. Or maybe I was meant to remain in India, for a reason I do not know now. So I have decided that if I don’t get any admits, I will answer CAT and GATE for the following academic year.

This may result in me having wasted a year doing research in IISc. But what is one year compared to the long life I have ahead of me? Most people will think that I am losing valuable time in the ‘race of life’. But do these people know that you can never win a race, no matter how fast you run, if you are running in the wrong direction?

I have also learnt to rejoice in the success of others. Normally if someone had got or won something ahead of me, I would feel jealous and maybe a little angry with myself. But now it is different. I feel happy for others and see the positive side of everything. For e.g. when I learn that my friends have got some early admits from some universities, instead of feeling nervous, I see the positive side of things. Admits for my friends means the scenario is not as bad as people claim, which means that I, with a similar profile, will surely get an admit sooner or later

I may sound like a loser to the atheists, leaving my future in the hands of God. But until you experience God in your lives, you will never know the immense joy and comfort that only He can give you in this mad chaotic world.

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

This is my favourite hymn. The words are amazing!

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.

(For the tune, search you tube videos)

So the next time you are feeling down and depressed, sing this hymn!

Praise be to God..

This post was prompted by the severe pain I was suffering from at by knee joint for the last one week.. After the 10k run, my knees haven’t been in the best shape. I think I m growin old.. (:P) I couldn’t walk properly nor could I play TT.. N stairs were a big no!! It ws torture.. I then realized how lucky I ws.. how much God has blessed me by making me an able bodied person.. wen I saw other ppl limping like me I said a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for making me perfect.. My limp ws only temporary.. its almost fine now.. but our disabled friends have to bear the pain n discomfort throughout their lives.. Imagine how tuff dat must be.. So my dear friends praise God and use the gifts He has given you to the fullest and for the best.. And never ever look down upon ne1 who is not as fortunate as you..