Not So Secular

#21 – Do You Know How To Say No?

Virtue is just as much about saying No as it is about saying Yes. If you want to fully give your Yes to the right thing, then you have to learn how (and when) to give your No to the wrong things. Join Mon as he shares a brief reflection about this often unrecognized truth.
 
 
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Music by Kayel Marcelo
 
 
PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Tobit 10:7-9
Matthew 5:37

#20 – Reading From My Old New Bible: Acts Chapter 2

Acts 2 tells the story of the Holy Spirit's descent during Pentecost. The apostles were waiting in expectation after Jesus had just resurrected from the tomb and ascended to heaven. They had been told by him that when the Holy Spirit comes, they will become witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
During the celebration, when crowds of Jews were present in Jerusalem, the Spirit came upon the apostles as tongues of fire, and they started proclaiming! Peter takes the lead and preaches the good news to the people present who were listening. He tells them about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. That very day, 3000 of them received this word in their hearts and were baptized. And from there we get a glimpse of the early church helping one another in unity under the Name of Jesus.
This episode is a reading and reflection of that chapter in scripture.
 
 
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PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Acts 2
Exodus

#19 – Misunderstanding Jesus, And The Messianic Secret

One of the things you might observe in the Gospels is that in early parts of Jesus' ministry, he would admonish the people he healed and those who followed him to not tell others about who he is. This seems counterintuitive for someone who's starting a movement, right? But all this is intentional. It was a strategic move to both get the foreign Roman rulers off his scent (who could have meddled in their affairs in fear of a perceived insurrection), and to lead the people of Israel, the Jews, to reexamine their expectations for what the coming Messiah should be and do.
They were expecting a political militaristic ruler who would lead the revolution to fight off their enemies and to restore their nation. They expected someone like Moses, or Joshua, or David, or Judas Maccabeus (also known as Judah the Maccabee). Little did they know that Jesus wanted to do more than just save the Jews from the Romans; he wanted to save the world from sin.
In the same way, our society today has some false perceptions and expectations of who Jesus is and what he ought to do. Influenced by worldly culture and bad teaching, we can be led to a view of Jesus that no longer aligns with who he reveals himself to be. If we want to follow him and share his gospel to the people around us, then we need to reevaluate and reflect whether we are following the real Jesus or a lesser imitation of him.
 
 
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PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Mark 1:44, Mark 7:36, Mark 8:30, Mark 9:9
Deuteronomy 18:15
Exodus 5:2
Counterfeit Christs - Finding The Real Jesus Among The Impostors (book), by Trent Horn
Matthew 7:1-5
Psalm 23:4
Mark 8:27-30

#18 – What Forgiveness Is And What It Isn‘t

Mon picks up from last week and continues the conversation on forgiveness. He reads the passage of the parable of the unforgiving servant told by Jesus to Peter when he asked him a question about how many times he should forgive.
One of the reasons why forgiveness can be difficult to either extend or ask for is because we tend to have a false understanding of what it is. There is a difference between experiencing anger and holding grudges. Here, Mon shares three (3) points of reflection to help define what forgiveness is and what it is not:
It's not a feeling; it's a decision.
It's not a license; it's a step toward freedom.
It's not reconciliation (although it can lead to that); it is an act of faith.
 
 
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Music by Kayel Marcelo
 
 
PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Matthew 18:21-35
Matthew 6:11-12
Matthew 18:15
Proverbs 28:13
James 5:16
1 John 1:9
Ephesians 4:32
Psalm 103:10-13

#17 – What Changes People | a talk on forgiveness and accountability

On this episode, Mon shares a recent talk he gave at Youth Home Taft. He takes on certain themes such as forgiveness and accountability, God's justice and mercy, and how he calls us back to transform us along the way.
These are helpful things to reflect on here in our culture where we choose to cancel people in public more than we correct or counsel them in private. We set such high standards for others but such low ones for ourselves. We notice the splinter in our brother's eye, yet do not perceive the wooden beam in our own.
Here Mon reads and reflects on the story of the adulterous woman brought to Jesus by the Jewish crowds. We'll look at his words and his actions in response to this—how he addresses the woman's sin for what it is while simultaneously calls out the ulterior motives and hypocrisy of the crowds who brought her to him. This then paves the way for her to receive the genuine love and mercy that he offers.
 
 
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Music by Kayel Marcelo
 
 
PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
John 8:2-11
Matthew 18:15-17
Matthew 7:3-5
Ezekiel 18:21-23
Luke 23:34
 
Youth Home Taft is the weekly gathering of the Feast for high school and college students in the Taft area.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthhometaft/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youthhometaft/ 

#16 – The Body Is Not Bad

On this episode Mon shares his reflections on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He takes this time to discuss what it is and why it's important, as well as to branch into other related teachings of the Catholic Church such as the Immaculate Conception (not to be confused with the Virgin Birth), the Resurrection of the Body, Heaven and Earth, and the Incarnation. He points out the cohesiveness of Catholic teaching, even referencing the Theology of the Body. We are body and soul—not just body and not just soul. These teachings may seem too lofty and academic, but these have real consequences in our lives because it shapes how we view the world and live in it.
 
 
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Music by Kayel Marcelo
 
 
PASSAGES / REFERENCES / RESOURCES
CCC 362-365
Munificentissimus Deus: https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xii_apc_19501101_munificentissimus-deus.html
BibleProject video on soul: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/nephesh-soul/ 
Nicene Creed
1 Corinthians 15
BibleProject video on Day of the Lord: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/day-of-the-lord/ 
NT Wright's book: Surprised By Hope
John 11:1-44
Romans 8:18-23
Theology of the Body by John Paul II
Pillar Catholic's explainer on the Assumption: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/thats-a-pretty-big-assumption 

#15 – Mission Partnership, And Perspectives On Church And Money | ft. Aikel Fortaleza

How does the Christian worldview shape our relationship with money? Church and money tends to be a touchy subject but on this episode, Mon and Aikel talks about their experiences and insights on finances, giving, and generosity as Catholic youth missionaries.
 
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GUEST INFO
Aikel Fortaleza is the Asst. Director for Partnerships at Feast Youth Mega Manila.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiks.likes/ 
Email: akl3.fortaleza@gmail.com
 
 
PASSAGES / REFERENCES
1 Timothy 6:10
Proverbs 3:9
Matthew 6:21
The God Ask, by Steve Shadrach
BibleProject's episode on Generosity: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/generosity/ 
Books from Feast Books: https://feastbooks.ph/product-category/business-and-finance/ 
 
 
To support Feast Youth Mega Manila: https://www.feast.ph/give/ 
Please send the screenshot / proof of transaction to Aikel's email.
 
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#14 – The Story Of Onesimus, The Slave Turned Brother

Today we'll tackle a small story from the New Testament within the bigger story of the Bible. This is Paul's letter to a guy named Philemon about his servant who ran away. Here, Mon talks about the slave-turned-brother Onesimus (yes, like the clothing brand), and about how social change begins with the transformation of the individual.
 
 
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PASSAGES / REFERENCES
Philemon
Colossians 3:11
Not a reference but a good resource on a Catholic perspective of slavery in the Bible: https://youtu.be/UsIaSL1ChI8

#13 – Well, What Do You Have?

This is a question worth pondering on for all those who are worried about not having enough before getting started. This week's episode is shorter than usual but it is just as packed.
 
 
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PASSAGES / REFERENCES
Matthew 15:32-39

#12 – The Freedom Of Limits And The Limits Of Freedom

Limits and freedom. Are these two really at odds? Mon explores this here on this episode. He also talks about the role discipline and responsibility play amidst the two.
 
 
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PASSAGES / REFERENCES
CCC 1740
CCC 1733
Ben Sira / Sirach 15:11-17
Galatians 5:1
Ezekiel 36:24-28