All Things New

"Behold, I make all things new." 

Revelation 21:5

Well, it's now the second day of the spring semester, meaning I've officially had all my "first" classes. Things on campus are starting to get back into the swing of things, and overall there's a sense of a fresh start.

That's a very attractive idea for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons - a fresh start. A chance for us to look back and realize that, contrary to popular opinion, we're not perfect. We make mistakes. We procrastinate (and I'm definitely not procrastinating right now by writing this). As we say in the Confeitor, "I have greatly sinned...through what I have done, and what I have failed to do." 

That's why so many people make New Years resolutions. As a side note, if you have made a resolution and are still keeping with it, good job! Statistically, over 25% of you will have already "given up" by now.

Either way, that's why we like the idea of "New Years" so much - it's a chance to step back and start fresh. Personally, this week is a great time of change for me. New classes, new schedules and new opportunities - change is on the mind. 

All for One

By show of hands, how many of us had a "Catholic" childhood? Chances are at some point we were told "Jesus died for you." For many of us, this was one of those cliche things that (for the most part) went in one ear and out the other, like "Peace be with you." But, when we start to think of it a bit closer, it can become quite unnerving.

It can be easy to "rationalize away" the implications of this by saying, "Well, Jesus died for all of us!" While this is true, it's not doing justice to a vital truth - Jesus died for you. You, specifically. Yes, you. This isn't "Catholic guilt" coming into play...it's one of the most beautiful truths of creation: God loves you.

Truth and Dare

What does it mean to be Christian? It is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions to come out of the last two millenia, and throughout those twenty centuries many have put forth their own answers. Is it enough to believe that Jesus was the Son of God? What if we believe all that Jesus taught? If we follow all the "rules" of Christianity without any sort of belief, is that good enough? 

I say that none of those are valid in their own right. Being a Christian is more than holding an abstract philosophy. A true follower of Christ is filled with faith, but living through works. 

The First Knot

I decided to title this post after the first "knot" of a religious vow - poverty. Will I eventually get to the others? Will there be a post in the future called "The Second Knot" or maybe even "Return of the Knot"? Maybe...maybe knot. See what I did there? Now stop asking questions and let me do my thing.

Anyway, today I came across a passage from Matthew 6 about depending on God. I think that passage can be a great "explanation" for poverty. We'll get to that, and a few other verses, in a second. But, in the meantime, a picture.