Michael Voris and His Conversion Story

Michael Voris of Churchmilitant.TV is a staunch and vocal defender of the faith. We know him as a zealous and tireless son of the Church, but until yesterday, we didn’t know what his story was. We, along with the young audience of Don Bosco in Mandaluyong, were privileged to have heard from him his own story of conversion – from sin, to repentance, and finally preaching God’s word.

Michael during his younger days reminds
me a little bit of Brad Pitt and Robert Redford

 "I was working in media back then, and I was living in sin. My mother spent 15 years praying to God for me and my brother's souls, and I would later learn that it came to a point that she prayed: Lord, do whatever it takes for them to repent.

Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with cancer in the stomach. Every night, she would wake up in agonizing pain, which she describes as a thousand pieces of broken glass churning in her stomach. 

I asked my mother and father to move in with me from New York to Detroit so I can help take care of her. Later, my brother, who was in Texas, died of a heart attack. It was totally unexpected; he was very healthy, looked 20 years younger than his age, swam more than a mile everyday in the gulf. And yet he died. So when I got there, i was holding my brother Marshall's body, and I called my mom. I said, mom, I am here with Marshall, do you want me to say anything to him?

My mother told me: yes, please tell him I love him so much, and we will see each other very soon.

It was at that point that I realized how much of a mess I made with my life, and how I should be changing from now on. Holding my dead brother, talking to my dying mother- it all made sense to me now, that everything I was taught as a child was true, but I just didn't listen or pay any attention to the truth about our faith. 

Some months later, my mom died. As I was about to close the lid of the casket, I said my final goodbye; I put my hand on top of where my mother's womb was, and I promised her: This is it, mom. I will be a changed man, from now on. You gave your life for me, and your pain and suffering will NOT be in vain.

Some weeks later, I went to our parish, knelt before the statue of our lady, and said: My chastity is yours. I will live my life spreading the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith. And the rest is history.

There never was a day that went by that I didn't pray to my mom and thanked her for all her sacrifices."

New Year's Resolutions All Catholics Should Fulfill

It's a few days into the new year, and we're still getting used to writing 2014 instead of 2013. But let me suggest some new year's resolution for us Catholics, that we may grow 'in wisdom and stature' just like the child Jesus. May we light this new year with the light of Christ, to illumine the path in these days of darkness.  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven." (Mt. 5:16)

1.  I will go to the Holy Mass and participate more devoutly. This means I will ask everyone in my family to wear their Sunday Best for Sunday Mass. This means I will pay more attention to the homily, and let the priest know if his homily was good. This means I will discipline my younger children bear the rigors of silence, listening, and prayer - and not give them my iPad to play whenever they get bored. This means I will be more conscious of the real presence of the Lord in Holy Communion, and lining up for it in a prayer-like attitude.

Someone did not get the memo on proper attire for Mass. 

2.  I will go to confession more often. This means I take time out to reflect on the wrong I have done and the good I have failed to do more often. 

3. I will take time to nourish my soul with spiritual reading, like the Bible for starters. The Lives of the Saints, too. The Imitation of Christ. There are lots of spiritual books written by brilliant Catholic writers out there, and I will prefer them over wishy-washy self-help books from protestants and new agers. 

Rome Sweet Home, written by former protestants Scott and Kimberly Hahn,  is a must read for all Catholics,

4. I will use my common sense and not believe everything I see or hear on the internet, like that time when the Pope supposedly called for a Third Vatican Council, or that time when he allegedly abolished sin. It's one thing to have stupid articles in the internet, it's another to get swayed by them and believe in them. 

Yeah, right. 

5. I will expand my knowledge about the Catholic faith by attending seminars, fora, formation talks, retreats, and recollections that are being offered to us.

A seminar on the mass media and sex education offered by Pro-Life Philippines

6. I will sanctify my Facebook by posting articles, comments, statuses, videos, and pictures that lead my fellow Catholics closer to God, and bring them to a deeper understanding of our faith. 

7. I will defend sanctity of life in all its stages, marriage between one man and one woman, and the family as the foundation of our society. I will educate myself about the latest trends on the culture of death that threatens to destroy these three things we value, and will actively participate in their defense, whether through prayer, online posts and tweets, taking to the streets, or some other acceptable form of protest. 

8. I will take time to study at least basic apologetics and on how to answer Catholic FAQs, like "do Catholics worship images?' or "Do Catholics worship Mary?" and the like. 

9. I will do a better job teaching the faith to my children. They will learn the love of God from my own personal relationship with Jesus, and the love of neighbor through the love I have for my spouse. 

Don Bosco teaching young boys catechism, as well as their craft for their work. 

10. I will go against the grain and run counter to the TV and selfie culture that we have as a society, and will teach my children to enjoy their childhood the old-fashioned way - through play, interaction, and fun learning experiences. 

Uh-oh. 

Happy New Year! God bless us this 2014! 

The Greater Tragedy

(Reposting from the original post at Pro-Life Philippines - yes it's the same article because I wrote that too.)

Stories and rumors from the rubble and devastation in Bohol: