Are you alive?

Living out one's faith should not be isolated to just an aspect in one's life. Come to think of it, if it is isolated, it's not living out one's faith! (You can read more about a Christian living multiple lives in an essay on Filipinos and the seemingly split-level Christianity here. I'll probably tackle it in another post in the future.)

I'd like to make this point as I realize this applies to me very well. Many times before, I considered myself a Catholic, yet I did not attend mass - only when I needed to be saved from those F's on my Math and Operations Research exams. I professed I was a Christian, yet on some philosophical discussions with friends over a couple of beers, I would sometimes passingly conclude that in the end, as long as we do good, believing in the God or a god doesn't really matter. I would proudly declare that yes, I'm a Christian, yet I do not even participate in my parish or involve myself in communities that live and share my faith. The list can go on. Sometimes, even up to now I can still point out areas in my life which I see there might be some disconnect. The difference is that now I am more aware of what I should be doing and where I should be rooted. This awareness started when I committed myself to something greater than me. 

It is not what we say, what we proclaim, what we promise to do that matters in life.

It is what we value that dictates the decisions we make in life. 

- from a priest's homily in the Shrine of Mary Queen of Peace

This is probably one question every person has to answer before he can truly say that he is living out his life - What am I committed to do in my life here on earth? This may be similar to questions of finding out your purpose in life or finding out your core values. I suggest answering the question, however, as it answers not only the truths and values one holds, but also the work and actions living out those values entail. Most importantly, the question leads to an answer which highlights the engagement of the whole being to see that those values and actions are being fulfilled as declared. Without action, one is not alive. Without that radical decision to act, one becomes confused and is all over the place in "living" out one's life. 

Writing this post is a refreshing reminder of why I started this blog. This may not be my permanent medium, but for now, this will have to do in my commitment to encourage others to take up the act of love as how Christ took up His cross.