The Apostle’s Creed

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.”

That’s the summary of the Catholic Faith. So, if you’re a Catholic and you’re told by others that you’re guilty of idolatry because you worship Mary and the Saints, you know they’re not telling the truth. Pray for them.

Vandalism vs. Art

The latest controversy involving the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) have got me so mad and really offended. To those who ask, or will ask, why I am offended, well duh. If you don’t have good breeding, etiquette, or good manners, you would never know why. Freedom of expression is always the excuse of people that are hateful. Is inciting to violence freedom of expression? Is provoking others to anger freedom of expression? Sure, but is freedom unrestricted? If it must be, then inciting to violence shouldn’t be a crime, right? What I’m saying is, freedom doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you feel like it no matter what the consequences are. Some people just talk above their head. Anyway, I’ve already written about it, so I won’t repeat myself (http://canvas-art-philippines.blogspot.com/2011/08/vandalism-vs-art.html). There’s a lesson in what had happened. It’s a call to Christians to defend their faith by actually living it.

“Of Gods and Men”

If you haven’t heard of the movie, “Of Gods and Men”, it’s because it’s not really that internationally released. I don’t know if it was released in your country but in mine it wasn’t. Anyway, it’s been a long time since I posted here. I know I said so many times that I will update this blog but I always get so engrossed with other stuff, like, portfolio-building and work. Anyway, I just want to share the movie “Of Gods and Men” to whoever is interested.

By the way, here’s the post I have published regarding the movie and my reflections of it:http://canvasartworks.blogspot.com/2011/08/of-gods-and-men-and-some-reflections.html

In case you want to share your own reflections regarding the movie, I would love to read it. :)

Catholicism IS Christianity

I really want to correct the misconception that Catholicism is just a branch of Christianity and at the same time correct the lie that Catholicism is not Christian. Catholicism is NOT just a branch of Christianity. Catholicism IS Christianity. Other Christian sects are just poor imitations of Catholicism. They separated from Catholicism and invented their own teachings to suit their own personal agenda. Others have strayed so far that calling them Christians is not only inaccurate but absolutely false (E.g., religions that claim to be Christians but reject the Trinity, like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, which, ridiculously enough, claim they restored Christianity). Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the Trinity but the basic tenet of Christianity is the Trinity, so how can one be a Christian if he, or she, rejects the Trinity? To say that a Christian is someone who follows Jesus’ teachings is being vague since Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own version of Jesus. Their Jesus is not the Jesus that Christians know. Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Jesus is just an angel. But when Jehovah’s Witnesses are deliberately trying to mislead Christians away from Christianity, they claim that Jesus is also a god (implying that Jesus is merely a creation among many). In the US Christianity is too watered-down that only a very few have an idea of what Christianity really is. The problem is the watered-down Christianity is spreading like wild fire across the globe so ignorance of Christianity is spreading (Ignorance of Catholicism is ignorance of Christianity). I blame it on the bible fundamentalists who know nothing about the history of Christianity because they’re well-versed in their revisionist history. Bible fundamentalists, who prefer to be called as just “Christians” (to own that word), or “born again”, are continuously lying about the teachings of Catholicism. They also chime in with anti-Catholic “atheists”, or any anti-Catholics, in highlighting the individual Catholic’s flaw in an attempt to say that Catholicism is evil. They would do anything, no matter what it takes, to destroy Catholicism. They mean us harm. No, I’m not being paranoid. In bible fundamentalists’ (and anti-Catholics in general) attempt to destroy Catholicism, they’re attempting to destroy our way to know God. But I’m not only blaming the bible fundamentalists. I know that a lot of cradle Catholics (like myself) are guilty of being indifferent for so long that we failed to defend Catholicism from the lies and venom that those bible fundamentalists are spewing against Catholicism. On top of that, Catholicism is also being attacked from within by some Catholics with the same venom and lies that bible fundamentalists spew, not to mention the Catholic priests that gave Catholicism shame (they opened a door for enemies to attack Catholicism by committing crimes against children). Now, many people see that as an opportunity to shame Catholicism into silence in an attempt to destroy Catholicism. So, as devout Catholics, we must make our true doctrines known. Like Fr. Barron said, “Catholic stories are being told by the wrong people in the wrong way. We need to tell our own story. We need to get the message out so as to draw people in”. It is our duty as Catholics to spread the fullness of truth, which is God, and which only Catholicism can provide because Catholicism is The Church that Jesus built. We, Catholics must be steadfast in our devotion to God by defending our faith.

Death Masks

I watched a documentary about death masks because I heard that Marie Antoinette has one. I was hoping I would see her death mask because I’m really curious about how she really looked like. Unfortunately the documentary I watched didn’t feature Marie Antoinette’s death mask. They only have men’s death mask, such as Lincoln’s, Washington’s, Julius Caesar, etc. Graphic artists worked on the death masks; scanning it in 3D into a computer and reconstructing the face using special software. They animated the faces to make them look real. They looked very much alive! It really amazed me. But, as much as it’s fascinating to see the face of men that lived in the past, knowing that the masks were actually molded from their corpses makes my skin crawl. They’re really eerie. One of the death masks even has an eyelash attached to it, just imagine! Eeek! Nevertheless, the documentary was a good watch and I still want to see Marie Antoinette’s death mask, if indeed it’s true that she has one.

Striving to be a good Catholic is striving to be a good Christian

As a Catholic, I’ve been told a million times that I’m going to hell by evangelicals that call themselves “The real Christians”. You know the type that will send you to hell faster than you can utter the word “brimstone”, that is if they can. But whenever I encounter them I try my very best to be nice since I am a very civilized person but most of them are really rude and in-your-face. They even prefer to be called just “Christians” and not by the denomination they go to in an attempt to own that word. They seem to be succeeding in that because a lot of people seem to be thinking that Catholics and Christians are not the same. Even some Catholics call those evangelicals “Christians” like Catholics aren’t. It’s appalling. Anyway, these evangelicals insist that others should believe their every word; their every lie and share their prejudice against others or else. They also seem to be trying people’s patience so that when people get fed up with them and they get shouted at, or even get their beliefs questioned, they can cry persecution. They seem to think that being emotional about their blind faith is an effective defense for their beliefs. I know that there are lots of anti-Catholics from other groups everywhere (even some Catholics are staunchly anti-Catholic) but nothing beats the anti-Catholicism of these so-called evangelicals that are trying to own the word “Christian”. These evangelicals spread their venom in the guise that they do it out of concern for the souls of us, poor Catholics, and these same evangelicals think that being rude to Catholics is okay because Catholics are hell-bound anyway. It’s sad that these evangelicals actually succeeded in fooling so many Catholics away from Catholicism, the only Church that Christ Himself established. Anyway, I don’t want to sound sanctimonious, even though I think I am beginning to. Truth of the matter is I never gave these evangelicals any thought until recently when an evangelical, who finally revealed what denomination he belongs to, which is Baptist, insisted that I declare to people that my religion, Catholicism, is not Christian. Like hell, I would! He can wish to whatever devil is behind him that I declare such falsehood about my religion but that ain’t gonna happen. Nevah! I may not be a perfect example of what a Catholic should be but I will never turn my back away from the very thing that molds my very character; my very being. My faith is not a result of unquestioned beliefs nor fear of hell. It’s a result of years of doubting, questioning and seeking answers. I looked for God and I found Him in Catholicism, where the fullness of God’s Truth is revealed and continuously being revealed. Being a Catholic is being a Christian because Catholicism IS Christianity. I trust in Jesus’ promise, “The gates of hell will not prevail against His Church”, so no matter how much effort anti-Catholics exert on destroying Catholicism they will not succeed because there’s no power on this earth is greater than God’s. Amen and amen.

French Movies

I wish I can understand the French language! I have been watching movies and documentaries about Marie Antoinette that are spoken in French and I don’t even understand a word they’re saying. I also tried watching the movie “Charlotte Corday” but I couldn’t understand what’s going on so I stopped. It’s very frustrating. I think I need to enroll myself in French language class instead of Spanish. Supposedly my friend and I will be enrolling for Spanish language class on this month of May but I’m having second thoughts about it because I really want to understand all the French movies I want to watch. Subtitles are not always available in the French movies I prefer watching.

Hmmm… I really must make a decision as soon as possible.

Stuntmen/Women Are Not “Shadows”

After reading the article on the internet about the complaint of Natalie Portman’s double, ballerina Sarah Lane, in the movie “Black Swan” and read the negative comments about her, I couldn’t help but sympathize with Sarah Lane. How would you feel if you’re not given credit for all the hard works you’ve done just so the other person, in this case Natalie Portman, could take credit for your hard work and all the expertise you had shown in the project that you mastered for years? And how would you feel if you’re told to shut up about your contribution to the project just so the other person could pretend that it only takes a short time to master your craft? It’s adding salt to injury for an honest and hard working artist! I’m not saying that Natalie Portman is not an honest and hard working artist, but since she actually tried to take credit for Sarah Lane’s hard work by not mentioning Sarah Lane’s name when she accepted the award, well, it’s up to you, reader, to decide if you could call what Natalie Portman did “honest”. I think the ones who made negative comments about Sarah Lane, just because Sarah Lane voiced out how she felt that her part in the movie was never mentioned, don’t value other people’s hard work and obviously have no respect for other people. Just because doubles don’t get mentioned doesn’t mean that it should be that way! I think it’s time for doubles to get mentioned and the hard works they had contributed. They may have accepted the part to be “someone else’s shadow” like one of the commenter’s put it, but that doesn’t mean that doubles are shadows! Stuntmen/women are people and they should be recognized for their talents. They’re professionals and should be treated as such. They shouldn’t be exploited like they don’t know their rights. It’s unfair of Natalie Portman to not mention her double’s name and the efforts her double made to make the movie more interesting. I mean, come on, give credit where credit is due. Personally, I don’t find “Black Swan” interesting. I don’t even think it deserves an award and I know for certain that I’m not the only one who thinks that way. One of the people who worked behind the movie, “Lord of the Rings”, said that if it was up to him the movie, “Black Swan”, wouldn’t even be made.

To those who haven’t yet read the article, here’s the link:
http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1000-natalie-portman-slammed-by-her-black-swan-dance-double

“What’s your fondest memory of your dad?”

To my surprise, a very dear friend suddenly asked me that question. I was caught off-guard. But it’s really a good question. Strangely enough, I have never given it much thought until I heard that question. It took me a moment of pause before I could answer. I was thinking of good memories with my dad. I was surprised to realize that, somehow, I have enough good memories about him. It’s been years already since my dad passed away and whenever I think about him, I always wish he’s still alive. My dad, when he was alive, is always busy. He leaves home early and comes home late. We don’t get to see him that much until he got sick and was forced to stay home. That’s when I got enough time to talk to my dad. I saw him crying once. He told me that my mom was mad at him. He upset my mom and it upset him that my mom was mad at him.  He didn’t like arguments. I remember one time when my youngest sister and I had a quarrel; our dad called us both and tried to remind us of the line in The Lord’s Prayer: “And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us…” My dad never wanted to see us quarreling with each other. My dad, in his own way, was very kind – a good person, I must say. I had a dog that I raised when I was eight-years-old. I personally looked after my dog since he’s a puppy and I spoiled him. One day, on my way home from school, I received the news from a kid who’s playing in the streets that my dog is dead. I was in disbelief. At first, I thought the kid was joking, but I saw in his face that he isn’t (‘and where would that joke come from if it’s really a joke?’ I thought at the back of my head as I ran home). I didn’t want to believe it because I had just seen my dog earlier that morning before I left for school. I hurried home, with a growing fear and anxiety building inside me, to confirm it. I remember being scared to know the real answer, but I put on a brave act and tried to smile as I asked my mom, looking her straight in the eye: “Is my dog really dead?” Then, to my horror, she said “Yes”. My dad was there, but I didn’t look at him. After hearing my mom’s reply, I could no longer keep the brave act so I ran to our room that I shared with my mom and dad. I was so upset. I was crying my heart out when I noticed my mom followed me, then my dad. I learned later on that it was my dad who asked my mom to follow me to see if I’m alright. (If in case people are wondering why my dad needed to ask my mom to follow and comfort me, I must explain that we are not emotionally showy people, so we might seem cold to other people that are observing from a distance, but we care about each other just like normal family do.) As to the whereabouts of my dog’s body when he died, my mom told me she gave it to the drunkards who asked for it. The drunkards ate my dog. My mom explained to me later on that she gave my dog’s body to the drunkards because she’s afraid that other animals would dig my dog’s grave if I request to have my dog be buried in our backyard. Yes, my mom is practical that way. I didn’t see my dog’s body. Maybe it’s for the best. My dad tried to comfort me by lending to me his Walkman. The Walkman was my dad’s favorite gadget, so I really appreciated his gesture. Those are some of my fondest memories of my dad. It’s my regret that I didn’t even tell my dad how much I appreciate him. Well, I really wished I realized how much I appreciate him long before he passed away. I hope now he knows. I miss my dad; I really miss him a lot.

Updating Blog

I know I haven’t updated my blog for so long even though lots of things had happened in my life.  And even though I promised myself that I will begin updating my blog months ago, I didn’t.  I have so many things going on in my head that I don’t know how to put them into words, actually. But now I think I should. Thanks to the people who subscribed to my blog, by the way. I didn’t expect it. But it’s a pleasant surprise. Again, thank you very much. I hope I won’t bore you.

Until my next post.

Yours truly,

Me