Is Christianity Boring?

Happy New Year!

Enjoy this New Year reflection by Dr. Charles Ofori one of our guest writers.

Angela

There is this usual conversation among so called believers: that it would pain to go to hell after you have missed out on all the things you forfeited because of your faith in Christ. To these people, life as an unbeliever is fun. There are no rules, no one to say this or that.  They don’t steal or kill. But the freedom of enjoying the pleasures of life would be a thrill.  A life amassed with untold access to fulfill one’s fleshy desires. Talk of partying till one drops. Talk of the access to women and men to fulfill one’s sexual tendencies and the drinks they can take without being “judged” by any standard of righteousness. 

But here they are, stuck in an old bunch of rules and regulations that regulate each aspect of their lives. Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t say that. How they wished it wasn’t like that. How they wished there was some sort of freedom. But they have to comply, because yes, hell is real. And one way to avoid it is being in God’s good books. So they have been told.

Recently, there was a funny picture which was shared several times on social media. It was a simple question: 10 minutes with Jesus or a million dollars? It was sad to see believers jokingly choose the latter. It was sad, because so called believers could put a price tag on a time with Jesus. It was sad because these believers could place a value on the sacrifice Jesus did for us on Calvary’s tree and even dared to compare it with a load of cash. 

So I ask again. Is Christianity boring? Is being a child of God only about missing hell? In your hearts of hearts, do you have fond memories of the pleasures of the world? Do you wish to enjoy the pleasures of life and the enjoyment the world brings? Do you really, really, _really_ want to leave this seemingly boring situation, where perhaps all we do is to sing and pray and go to church?

This is a sad reality among many of us. Christianity will be boring if we do not understand who we are in Christ. It would be boring if we think that being a Christian is a following a bunch of rules and regulations. It would be boring if we see God to be one giant circus master with a large whip and strikes when we are not going the right direction. It would be boring when we just come to church, sing, pray, and make our contributions but without any relationship with God. It would be boring if we endure just because we want to miss hell. 

But it is not boring for those who see Christianity as it should be, a relationship with God the father, and an authority to be known as a child of God. Because they experience the joy of a blessed relationship with God. They experience assurance that God is with them through all the changing scenes of their lives. They experience the fact that the Christian life is the life of an overcomer. They understand their identity in Christ Jesus and are partakers of the spiritual blessings  as a result of their adoption into God’s family. They realize that they are better off being slaves to righteousness than slaves to sin. So yes, they have a life of eternity awaiting, but they also have a better life out of their faith and trust in God while on Earth. 

Maybe as you ponder over the past years, you have lived in fear of hell as a Christian. Maybe your reason for coming to church is not to really have a relationship with God but a way to avoid punishment. Maybe you have not really understood what it means to be a child of God. Maybe you are not even sure of who you are. Maybe you aren’t sure whether you really understand the faith you’ve been called into, although you might have been in the church since infancy.

Today can be a new day for us. Look beyond your fears and live to have a joyous relationship with God. Live to desire to commune with God as friend with friend. Live to desire to see God, not just as one hardcore boss but one who desires to be your father. When we get to this point, we will see life beyond what the heathens do. Because we have something that is more precious than silver and gold.

It takes a simple effort. A prayer from a heart that seeks to know and understand his/her identity in Christ. A prayer that desires you to draw nearer and closer to God.  

So from today, let go of your fears and have a renewed faith. A renewed heart to strengthen your walk with God. A renewed mind that does not consider the worldly pleasures as christians missing something great. Rather, one that is transformed by God which makes us conscious of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. May we walk in this newness of life, this New Year and beyond. In Jesus’ name.

Afehyia pa and have a blessed 2024!

Featured image from:https://pastorrick.com/is-christianity-worth-it/

Enjoy some of his other posts here: https://angelaaalu.wordpress.com/2019/11/11/review-of-lion-king-2019/

What no one tells you about WYD-Part 1

World Youth Day is a Catholic Youth Festival first instituted by the St. Pope John Paul II in 1985/6 thereabouts. It happens at parish, deanery, diocesan, national and international levels. Read more about WYD here

The international version happens every three or four years. The last one just ended on the 6th of August 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s an amazing youth festival that I personally wish all catholic youth can experience.

I’ve been sharing quite a bit about WYD on my blog. Check out some other posts about being travel worthy and financing your WYD journey here.

Today’s post focuses on some of the inconveniences of WYD and I have titled it “What no one tells you about WYD”.

So here goes.

The series will do a before, during and after WYD. This post focuses on before WYD.

The first thing I’d like to talk about before WYD is how expensive it can be especially for those from African countries.

Travelling for WYD can cost between USD 3,000 or more depending on where it is being held. And this is minus spending money. This is a lot of money that not many youth can afford. Some parishes sponsor youth but how many parishes can afford to do so especially when there seems to be no direct benefit to the parish and it has been sometimes considered a sort of reward for active youth. Some youth also raise funds to attend the WYD but in hard economic times, this can be difficult. Some families also sponsor youth. But anyways, it’s not impossible.

Another important detail to consider is the time commitment in preparing for WYD. There are meetings especially related to the travel documentation, interviews to attend, sometimes other meetings and possibly a retreat all before WYD. In addition, the WYD itself lasts for about one, two or three weeks depending on if you are participating only in the main events (one week), mission days and main events (two weeks) or mission days, main events and sometimes a tour (3 weeks). Depending on your life situation, you may not be able to participate or you may have to do a lot of planning to be able to do so. But it’s not impossible, families are able to travel to WYD.

A third thing to consider is the laborious travel process. Africans seeking visas to travel usually need to provide a lot of documentation to prove their social and economic ties to their country. From salary slips, to your appointment letter, bank statements, an introductory letter from your organisation to copies of business registration documents for entrepreneurs, invitation letters, bookings for accommodation, travel insurance and a flight booking, the list is seemingly endless. Then comes the appointment process, submitting the documents, the endless wait for your passport and the decision and sometimes the heartbreaking news that you have been denied a visa, sometimes for reasons that only the consular knows. It can be a very expensive and time consuming process.

The final thing I will share in the before travel inconveniences is the travel itself. Airports are a world of their own and travelling can come with a lot of inconveniences from trying to remember to pack everything you will need for the time you will be away, to making sure you have not exceeded the baggage limits to not having any “exempt” items in your carry on luggage and risk having them thrown away.

These are a few thoughts that come to mind about things that can affect your WYD before you participate in it. Are there others you know of? Kindly share in the comments section.

Angela Azumah Alu

On the Sacrament of Confession (Practical Tips for a Parish Setting)

For Catholics, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the Seven Sacraments of the church and an opportunity to repair our broken relationship with God and receive healing. However, in recent years attendance at confession has declined. My very good catholic friend Osei Kwame Junior shares some practical tips for parishes to turn this around.

Enjoy!

In this post, I will like to propose some suggestions on how to bring the Sacrament of Confession closer to Catholics in our parish community. One huge obstacle with regards to this Sacrament is the feeling of shame and even terror on the prospect of another person having knowledge of my secret sins.

Now this post will not be about the biblical reasons as to why we should go to Confession as hinted earlier. What I would like to do is offer some practical means (I presume) to make Confession as something desirable and profitable to the soul.

1. Homilies and Sermons:

Our daily Christian life requires a constant call to repentance, to turn away from sin and return to the Lord. The call to repentance was the first message Our Lord gave when He began his earthly ministry. Thus, it is essential that our priests and speakers include the value of sacramental Confession and direct souls to the confessional during homilies and sermons often and where applicable.

2. Apologetics and Teaching:

We can have 5 to 10 minutes after Holy Communion during Mass to be catechized on the necessity and value of sacramental Confession. This may well encompass all other tenets of the Faith as well. It is not enough to arbitrarily emphasize the need to make a sacramental Confession if we have less knowledge on the graces and spiritual fruits to be derived from it. It will be essential to equip the lay faithful intellectually to have a justified belief and thus a motive to make confession part of their spiritual growth.

3. Penitential Services:

Usually, in the period of Lent, the church has a penitential service for all Catholics to fulfil their Easter duties and thus make a Confession at least once a year. But then, we cannot settle for the bare minimum if we desire to be saints. Charity demands that we do the maximum we can since the love of God is lavished on us without measure. It would be ideal to have avenues such as retreats, spiritual conferences and formation programmes besides the Lenten season for mass confessions to be made. This will foster the habit of regular confession and help to form Catholic consciences. 

4. Catholic souvenirs:

It is important to approach the sacrament with true contrition and a desire to be reuinted with God and not out of mere routine and in a rehearsed fashion. However, it is equally important to have some general outlines for preparation. It will be useful to have souvenirs such as prayer cards, steps to confession, a guide to examination of conscience to distribute for Catholics to enable them make a good confession whenever they can.

5. Confession times:

This seemingly insignificant tip may actually prove extremely useful in helping Catholics appreciate the value of sacramental confession. We can utilize announcement times after Mass, notice boards, signposts to create awareness and sensitise Catholics on confession periods in the parish. It would also be desirable that there exists a confessional which will be a constant wakeup call and stir the desire to make confession a regular spiritual practice.

In conclusion, the salvation of souls is the supreme law of the Church, as the Code of Canon Law #1752 states. Thus, as a church or parish community we need to marshall all the necessary resources and strategies we need to ensure that we grow in the Faith and desire to become saints. These suggestions are definitely not exhaustive and more can be done. Of course, they are without challenges either. But if we are guided by the spirit of charity which desires that all souls be saved, then all our labour will be one of love.

Osei Kwame Junior

Featured image from:

https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/catechesis/confession/

Check out his other post here:

A Review of My Best 10 Channels on YouTube as a Catholic

The Paradox of Grief: Unraveling the Emotional Complexity of the Afterlife-Believing Christian

Grief is a very complex emotion that affects all of us. Enjoy this reflective guest post by Kwame Asamoah Kwarteng.

Angela

Introduction:

In the realm of faith, believers find solace and reassurance in the concept of an afterlife—a place of eternal bliss and reunion with loved ones. However, when faced with the loss of a fellow Christian, a paradox emerges. How can one simultaneously hold the belief in an eternal paradise and yet be consumed by grief? This essay delves into the intricate tapestry of emotions that intertwine faith, loss, and the paradox of mourning within the Christian context.

I. The Promise of Eternal Life: Embracing Hope Amidst Loss

In the Christian faith, the promise of eternal life forms a cornerstone of belief. It provides comfort and reassurance in the face of mortality. Christians anticipate a future of eternal bliss and reunification with their departed loved ones, where the pain of separation is finally replaced with everlasting joy.

II. The Paradox of Grief: Navigating the Depths of Sorrow

While Christian believers hold steadfast to their faith, they are not immune to the profound impact of loss. Grief, in all its complexity, engulfs them, leading to a flood of emotions that may seem contradictory. The paradox lies in mourning the physical absence of a fellow believer while simultaneously believing in their eternal presence in the afterlife.

III. The Complexity of Human Emotions: Torn Between Hope and Sorrow

Human emotions are inherently complex, often defying categorization. In the context of grief, Christians experience a range of emotions—sorrow, longing, and even anger. They grapple with the paradox of holding onto hope for eternal life while grieving the temporary separation from their loved ones. This intricate interplay of emotions underscores the depth of human experience.

IV. Grief as a Reflection of Love: Celebrating the Bond Even in Loss

Grief, paradoxically, is a testament to the depth of love and attachment. Christians mourn the loss of their fellow believers because of the profound connections forged in faith. The pain they feel reflects the intensity of the love shared, emphasizing the significance of the departed individual in their lives.

V. The Role of Community and Support: United in Mourning

Christian communities offer solace and support in times of grief. Shared mourning rituals, support networks, and the power of collective grieving play a crucial role in navigating the paradox. The understanding and empathy within the Christian community create a safe space for believers to express their grief while upholding their faith.

VI. Reconciling the Paradox: Finding Meaning and Hope

Reconciling the paradox of grief requires embracing the complexity of human emotions within the context of faith. It involves recognizing that mourning does not undermine the belief in the afterlife but rather exemplifies the depths of human experience. Through grief, Christians may find spiritual growth, reflection, and a renewed appreciation for the preciousness of life and the promise of eternal salvation.

Conclusion: Navigating the Paradox with Compassion and Faith

The paradox between the afterlife-believing Christian and their experience of grief reveals the intricate tapestry of human emotions. While faith provides hope and reassurance, it does not shield believers from the profound impact of loss. The simultaneous experience of grief and belief in the eternal realm showcases the capacity to hold seemingly contradictory feelings. In recognizing and embracing this paradox, Christians can navigate grief with compassion, empathy, and a renewed appreciation for the preciousness of life and the promise of eternal salvation.

Kwame Asamoah Kwarteng

Check out his other post here:

Why is being single so discriminated against?-A COVID-19 rant

Dora’s Silence

It’s been said silence is golden. Check out this blogpost by Kwame Amoako on silence and listening.

Enjoy!

Angela

I’ve talked when I needed to listen.

If you’ve had the painful experience of missing out on something important, because you simply couldn’t spare a minute to listen, then you probably smiled at the first line of this conversation.

I was 12, and my cousin Dennis, 11. We were your typical pre-teens; significantly growing socially and emotionally, with an ever-increasing sense of independence. We wanted to be like the hero in every action movie we’ve just seen, and we were unstoppable at reenacting the fight scenes. No space was off limit, and if you get the picture, you definitely know the first thing we destroyed in the living room of Grandma’s house. I have a strong feeling you’re thinking her CRT television. You’re close. It was her center table; an all-glass center table accompanied by a glass vase, with a Nemesia flower that’s replaced every two days from a garden near her car park. If you’re still asking what a CRT television is and you were told it’s the same as a Tube, and still don’t get it, then you do not know who Captain Planet is or the movie titled, “The Journey to the West”.

Grandma’s center table was the ‘victim’ of the expressed imagination of pre-teen boys. From then, she devised a way to address these hyperactive moments. She’d say, “Kwame, you sit here, Dennis, go sit over there, and just be quiet. Wait to hear the voice of God”. I am not sure how this got two pre-teens to sit quietly, but there was something about wanting to hear the voice of God that captured our attention. This moment started me on the journey of listening. And growing up with Grandma, silence was one of her unique means of communicating. Trust me, it’s not the silence with the stern look you’re familiar with. It’s simply… silence.

I could not make what I’m about to share with you up. Wonder why? Because there are still bits of it, I’m trying to understand, even now. I remember telling her what she’s saying doesn’t work in today’s context – “…you simply can’t choose to be quiet – you must say something”. Those were my exact words. Guess her response, she went quiet. I knew that response too well, and I know when that’s her answer.

7 years ago, I read that, on average, most people speak about sixteen thousand words a day. If you transcribed those words, they’d fill a three-hundred-page book every week. In a year, you would have an entire bookcase full of words. In a lifetime, you’d fill University of Ghana’s Balme Library. I guess, Grandma intrinsically considered this truth and wondered, if not all those words would matter, why don’t you let what you say count? Talk is easy. Everybody does it. Question is, how can you make your words count? You see, I know this, and so do you. But there’s always the temptation to, “say something”. If feels good to say something. It can even make you feel powerful, in charge even. But you’d be surprised by what silence can do.

Here’s Grandma’s rule:

If saying something does no good to the situation, say nothing.

If you simply must ‘say something’, wonder if your words would count.

If it must be a ‘say something now’ situation, choose to wait.

There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I have nothing to say now”.

You see why I debated her then? I am sure you feel how ridiculous it sounds to be guided by these simple points – I tried summarizing them, but it pretty much captures what she shared with me. Do these apply in all situations, I’m not sure. News flash, she is sure! Guess who shared this thinking? The late Queen Elizabeth II. Though the phrase, “never complain, never explain” is thought to come from Benjamin Disraeli, a British prime minister who served in Victorian times, it was the late Queen Elizabeth II who demonstrated the ability to put it to use. Just like Grandma’s second rule, it didn’t necessarily mean not responding to critics, but rather, limiting your response to a sharp rejoinder – let it count; “If you must ‘say something’, wonder if your words would count”. It has been a journey living by these words or knowing and not living by them. I have had situations where silence would have truly been golden, but I missed the timing. Those are the times I tend to believe how true the words of this octogenarian are, and yet those are also the times I am proud to know her rule.

In a world where people lose their jobs or have their entire world crushing down simply by tweeting, then you know how true a solution silence is. In a world where the fingers tend to be faster weirdly than the brain, then you know how uncontrollably addicted we have become, to our mobile devices, even when our mouth has spoken no word. If you could hear the sound of voices in people’s heads, fingered on their mobile devices from every tweet, you’d appreciate a second of silence to, as Grandma would put it, “wait to hear the voice of God”.

Today, the 88-year-old Dora, does very little activity, and her silent moments are filled with Presbyterian hymns hummed through every exhale of air. She chose to replace words with hymns, if saying something wouldn’t count.

Silence is truly golden.

Kwame Amoako

If you enjoyed this, you may want to check out his other posts:

The Child in Me

Memories are all we have

Being Papa: Diary of a New Dad

Hope: The Oldest Plan in the History of Time

Thoughts on the Ascension

Enjoy this post I wrote on the Ascension!

Stubbornly Catholic

Ascension is a feast celebrated 40 days after Easter. It marks the end of Jesus’s ministry on earth. It usually falls on a Thursday but sometimes it is celebrated on a Sunday. It’s a Solemnity (which means it’s basically like a Sunday mass.) It’s a holiday in Catholic Schools and some Catholic countries.

The first and second readings for Ascension are always the same; the gospel changes depending on the cycle (there are three cycles for Sunday readings; in cycle A, the gospel is from Matthew, in cycle B, the gospel is from Mark and in cycle C, the gospel is from Luke).

We’re in cycle C so the gospel is from Luke.

(Acts 1: 1-11, Ps 47, Ephesians 1: 17-23, Luke 24: 44-53)

There are alternative second readings for cycle B (Ephesians 4:1-13) and C(Hebrews 9:24-28.10:19-23); the gospels for cycle A (Matthew 28:16-20) and B(Mark 16:15-20).

The message for…

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A Review of My Best 10 Channels on YouTube as a Catholic

Hi everyone, trust November is treating you well? My awesome Catholic friend Osei Kwame Junior presents a review of his 10 best YouTube channels! Enjoy! Do share and comment. Angela

Here, I present the channels which have impacted my life over the past few years since I made YouTube a part of my social media and Internet experience. These are personal reviews which I hope would serve as a guide for anyone looking forward to building a robust Christian life. I may have left some important highlights but that is exactly why I am recommending them as a great means of growing in the Catholic faith and in deep appreciation of Christian doctrine overall.

Each channel is unique and excellent in their own right. The order presented here corresponds to how frequent I consume their content and the influence exerted in my life. It does not imply that some are better than others. They all have unique goals, even most likely specific audiences but all with the same mission; to nourish and save souls through the Christian Faith.

It is also a challenge to us that we can use the Internet for great good if we utilize it well. It all depends on how we use it. The Internet and social media is a two-edged sword, but if we use it for spreading the truth and beauty of Catholicism, it will become a tool for great good. This is also a call for all Catholics to get actively involved in using these Internet tools for the mission of evangelizing ourselves and the secular society which is a wasteland today. Now my list beginning with number 10 to 1.

10. Catholic Productions presents biblical exegesis on scriptural texts for Sunday Mass Reading by Dr Brant Pitre. A renowned brilliant lay theologian and Bible scholar who always provides fresh and profound perspectives on bible passages for Mass. He seems to be seriously underrated. It will be good to check out some of his books which are excellent. The content on this channel increases in me a love for Scripture and just affirms the truth of the quote by St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” It also reaffirms the truth that the Bible is a Catholic book and it is the Church that has the authority to rightly interpret the Scriptures in a holistic manner.

https://youtube.com/c/CatholicProductions

9. Bishop Robert Barron knows how to bring the Gospel to the contemporary world. An excellent communicator and highly reputed for using social media for Catholic evangelization. His influence on the Catholic media landscape just cannot be ignored. He has many excellent productions, documentaries on the saints, my favourite being on St. Thérèse. His Word on Fire shows discuss contemporary issues displaying brilliant logic, analogies and generally good arguments for the Catholic Faith which is remarkable. There is another channel as well in the Channels section dubbed Word on Fire Institute featuring talks by various priests, religious and lay on contemporary issues and how the Catholic Faith addresses these challenges.

https://youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo

8. Divine Mercy is a channel by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception (MIC). It has a great number of talks and presentations on Catholic teaching (even the seemingly difficult ones) mostly presented by Fr Chris Alar, MIC. The information in these talks on the channel is an excellent source of great catechesis. This showcases Catholic doctrine explained with great clarity as well as a thorough presentation on the lives of some outstanding Saints like St. Pio, St. Thérèse, St. Faustina and St. John Paul II. If you do not know where to start, check out the videos in ‘Popular’ order. It is a go to channel if you need materials for researching on Catholic teaching and making presentations. The slideshows are neatly done.

https://youtube.com/c/DivineMercy_Official

7. The Thomistic Institute brings practical reasoning to the Catholic Faith. The Dominican friars present topics on the attributes of God, religious concepts such as angels and demons, the properties or powers of the soul, the Sacraments and many more in the light and thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas. Their Aquinas 101 video series are excellent in making sense of the Catholic Faith in a way which speaks to the atheistic and skeptical tendencies towards religion and the Catholic Faith and ‘saves’ it from being purely sentimental or superstitious. The animations are breathtaking and fantastic. They also have excellent lectures by lay professors, philosophers and theologians. They bring out the genius of Catholicism and thus makes it a force to contend with in this postmodern world which has woefully abandoned right reasoning.

https://youtube.com/c/TheThomisticInstitute

6. Fr Mark Goring is a priest on fire with the love of God and for souls. In fact, his brief daily videos always ends with ‘Become Fire, Ignite Lives’. He covers topics on Catholic culture, trending issues as well as the Faith. He always ends his usual 2 to 4 mins videos with a relevant Scripture verse which I totally love. They are like little roses he leaves which the viewer can keep to smell its fragrance every now and then. He inspires me to read the Bible and he has edifying and straightforward messages and homilies as well. A priest of the Companions of the Cross (CC), and confessed to be a former atheist on another excellent channel which is in my top list yet to be discussed. I enjoy his content because they are easily digestible, filled with compassion yet boldness, zeal and the heart of a true father who loves souls entrusted to his care.

https://youtube.com/c/FrMarkGoring

5. 99 Catholics is a channel which I like to say teaches you how to mature in the Christian life by moving from babies feeding on milk to chewing bones. They have a lot of hard-core Catholic content on how to be holy and live a robust spiritual life. By hard-core, I mean that they do not water down the truths of Catholic teaching. They simply proclaim what the Church by her tradition instructs all her faithful on growing in knowledge and love of the Faith. They have videos that discuss relevant topics such as UFOs, new age practices for instance. A channel which brings out practical wisdom from the Saints and Mystics of the Church. I love also their messages of exhortation which they post to the Community section with a relevant video link attached. They offer excellent spiritual counsel for living well and becoming a saint. The voice behind the commentary in the videos is also just soothing as well as the Catholic architectural aesthetics displayed while the video plays. It will train you to advance and grow in the interior life. They share wholesome messages we need to hear in a time where we have given free reign to our disordered passions and appetites.

https://youtube.com/c/99Catholics

4. Sensus Fidelium is a channel that posts talks, homilies, sermons and conferences on all sorts of Catholic topics. It is a goldmine of catechesis, apologetics, and Christian doctrine. This channel makes me appreciate the wisdom and the inexhaustible treasure of Catholic tradition through the teaching of the Church’s magisterium, saints and doctors of the Church. On this channel, you can find topics on almost every aspect of Christian living, talks on the present times in the lens of the Catholic tradition, Marian prophecies, Thomistic theology and a whole lot more. Fr Chad Ripperger, a stalwart defender of Catholic tradition and priest exorcist, has a lot of his talks on the channel. He is a good place to start from if you need a guide. There is a playlist which you can add to your library which is updated every time a new talk of his is posted. You can find it in the playlists section. This channel has impacted my knowledge of the Catholic Faith profoundly as well as giving me a lot of spiritual classics and church documents to collect and read on. I strongly recommend it for every Christian seeking to grow in the spiritual life and to become a well grounded Catholic.

https://youtube.com/c/SensusFidelium

3. Pints With Aquinas is a podcast channel run by Matt Fradd. He does long form content where he chats with Catholic figures from all backgrounds and profiles. These extended conversations have been a balm to my soul and spiritual upliftment since I do enjoy long meaningful conversations. He always has the best guests who provide profound insights and beautiful perspectives into the Faith and how they incorporate it into their own lives. He has interviewed guests like Fr Mike Schmitz, Sr Miriam Heidland, Christopher West, Dr Peter Kreeft, Dr Scott Hahn, Trent Horn, Jackie Francois Angel, Fr Mark Mary, Fr Gregory Pine, Fr Mark Goring (whom I mentioned earlier) and many more. He recently started a series with Fr Gregory Pine, OP, who makes short presentations on important topics which instructs the faithful and provides great clarity on living the Faith. His dry humour and idiosyncrasies makes the short presentations on these relevant topics fun and educating to watch at the same time. Just go to the playlists and you will be sorted. Matt Fradd also has debate videos on the channel which brings to me a deeper appreciation of the importance of having a good arguments for one’s faith. He runs a Catholic lo-fi channel which is awesome and creative. I enjoy listening to them a lot often and they are great to read, meditate, relax and sleep with.

https://youtube.com/c/PintsWithAquinas

2. Ascension Presents might just be the Catholic YouTube channel which is almost nearing a million subs and deservingly so. Described as an evangelistic platform which often features videos by Fr Mike Schmitz, here you will find short-form videos often 10 mins on living the Catholic Faith in the contemporary world. The channel has a wide range of playlists with their respective guests who are mostly lay faithful, sharing the Catholic Faith through their own experiences. Some of the guests are Jackie and Bobby Angel, a couple, Jason Evert, Matt Fradd, Fr Mark Mary, Fr Chris Alar who has some videos there on Divine Mercy and even recently Fr Gregory Pine who has been given a segment discussing Catholic classics with another Dominican priest, presenting wisdom from St Francis de Sales and many more to come. They have series of well produced documentaries. Check their playlist. The channel has excellent thumbnails and great graphics which makes watching their videos pleasing and edifying. Fr Mike Schmitz also offers beautiful perspectives on various topics about life through the popular Father Mike Schmitz videos. He has excellent homilies and also has the popular Bible in a Year podcast on the channel which rose to number one in 2021 of the podcasts in the US in the Religious category at least. Plans to read start the Catechism in a Year is underway soon for 2023. This channel was the first I watched a video from and it has been a great source of encouragement, enlightenment, hope, peace and comfort in very difficult times.

https://youtube.com/c/AscensionPresents

1. GabiAfterHours comes as my best channel on YouTube. He recently got to a 100K subs. His channel does not have a lot of subs in comparison to many in this list but his videos are very popular and have blessed many lives including mine. His video on Praying the Entire Rosary made me resolve in praying more Rosaries every day when I first watched it in 2018. Gabriel Castillo is a layman who is into youth ministry, a family man and has consecrated his entire apostolate to the Blessed Virgin. His videos have top-notch production as he often remarks that the Blessed Virgin deserves the best and Catholics need to give off the best and not be surpassed by the secular media. His love of the Faith and the promotion of authentic devotion to Mary is eminent in his profound talks and presentations. He has excellent catechesis on the channel which are great for making presentations and giving talks (he has a video on how to give a talk too on True Faith Talks. More on that soon!).

He has two other channels which are True Faith TV https://youtube.com/user/kolbe1019 (where he has hosted a podcast series called the Children of Mary podcast which contains classic spiritual wisdom from the Saints and doctors of the Church). It has great video production showcasing Catholic beauty and devotion. The other is True Faith Talks (which has reflections on the Scripture readings for Mass and other great presentations on various Catholic devotions) https://youtube.com/user/TheChurchMilitant . Gabi has impacted the lives of those who assist him in his lay ministry. He is a living testimony of the love of Christ and the intercession of the Virgin Mary. A man who consistently promotes devotion to Mary as an easy and efficient means of becoming Saints. A staunch advocate of sacred art, the holy Rosary and Catholic tradition, piety and devotion. His videos are so moving and so beautifully done that I can tell that he puts in a lot of prayer and care so that it is able to reach and transform the lives of many people.

On his channel, you will find as already indicated, high quality productions on Catholic devotions and spiritual practices such as the Holy Eucharist, making a Holy Hour, Confession, the messages of the Blessed Virgin in Marian apparitions approved by the church such as Our Lady of Lourdes, Fatima and more recently Our Lady of Guadalupe which is incredibly well done. There are topics on combating impurity, how to become a Saint, how to save souls, general tips to grow in the love of the Holy Eucharist and to become an authentic Catholic without being unashamed to spread devotion to Mary. There are brief documentaries, Rosary testimonies, and vocation stories from persons he has influenced by his witness. He has inspired me profoundly and in my opinion is a living Saint.

https://youtube.com/c/gabiafterhours

Featured image url: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/36591/why-youtube-needs-catholics

Book Review of “Making Futures: Young Entrepreneurs in a Dynamic Africa”

Author: Sangu Delle

Publisher: Cassava Republic, Year: 2019

African entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs owe a great debt to Sangu Delle for this book. As a pan African, entrepreneur and a venture capitalist, he is uniquely positioned to tell their stories.

Sangu takes readers on a journey through Africa profiling young various entrepreneurs who are making a unique contribution in Africa. Each entrepreneur is more impressive than the next and you almost wonder if you live on the same continent as they do.

He puts the entrepreneurs into four groups: aspiring moguls, socio-preneurs, creatives and techies.

For the aspiring moguls, he profiles four inspiring young people building world class businesses, namely, Eric Muthomi from Kenya, Patricia Nzdantima (DR Congo), Yusuf Randera-Rees (South Africa), and Chinny Ogunro (Nigeria).

Then he focuses on social entrepreneurs who are solving problems from providing water to helping people get jobs and reducing dependence on plastics focusing on David Sengeh (Sierra Leone), Andrew Mupuya (Uganda), Saran Kaban Jones (Liberia) and M’hamed Kouidmi (Algeria).

The third focus area is the creatives who are providing solutions from telling African stories to promoting African fashion. These entrepreneurs are Abail Schulze (Ethiopia), Dana Khater (Egypt), Marcus Gora (Zimbabwe) and Dorothy Ghettuba (Kenya).

Finally, he focuses on the technology entrepreneurs: Siya Xuza (South Africa), Denyse Uwineza (Rwanda), Farida Bedwei (Ghana), Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (Nigeria) and Gregory Rockson (Ghana).

I love the gender balance and the brief backgrounds of each country he provides. It was almost like taking a tour of Africa. I also love the background stories he shares about the entrepreneurs profiled. I also loved the personal interactions he inserted. It adds some spice to the book and makes it quite personal.

It would have been nice to read about entrepeneurs from all parts of Africa and I look forward to reading a second or third edition of this book.

I recommend this book for all parents, all tertiary students, all youth and everyone in Africa. It is an amazing read. It gives me a lot of hope for the African continent! I would rate it 5 out of 5.

Angela Azumah Alu, 18/10/2022

Featured image from: http://www.sdelle.com/#about

The Child in Me

Hello everyone, it’s been a while. Enjoy this blogpost by Kwame Amoako, one of our guest writers!

Angela

Just one moment in time, can I just step into the rain, look up and allow the drops to hit every part of my face, stretch out my arms as though I’m expecting a hug from the thunders? Or, can I fold a cloth around my waist, hold the tips and run through the wind to create my own parachute, with my eyes closed, down a road with no cars, just like the road in front of my grandmother’s house? 

In there somewhere in all of us is a child who wants the freedom to be. It almost feels like an incomplete statement huh? Well, but that’s all that child really wants – to be! That child wants to be able to speak and not have the world wonder if he meant something else, or act and it’s just what it is, like you say as an adult, ‘it is what it is’, and to be honest, I’m not sure what that means today. We all yearn for that child back, and sometimes she actually surfaces… in moments we don’t realize because in that moment, we stopped being adults – we stopped thinking.

She surfaces in that moment when you watched a funny video on Tiktok and couldn’t help but fall on the floor and laugh out liters of air out of your lungs. Just that second, you have become her all over again and the world is just a small circle around you, nothing more to it but you simply laughing. Reality huh? That moment is priceless and indescribable. You are just in it, present and alive – no pain from the loss of a loved one, no stress of keeping a business running or leading a team, no keeping up appearance to maintain a relationship (no matter how it is defined), no lie to maintain, no text to respond to and no smile to stage – it’s just you in that moment. Unfortunately, that child vanishes in an instant and is vaped out as quickly as she was inhaled. 

June 6 is my birthday and this year, as the day approached, I thought about that child. I can’t bring that child back because ‘adult’ happens, but can I re-live bits of that child, and be fully aware that’s happening? I recorded a few thoughts as they struggled to float in my ‘adult-rated’ mind (I’m sure you figured out what I did there without the ‘e’). Here you go:

1. Tell the people you love that you do, not because you want them to know, but because you’re telling them how you feel, just like a child would
2. Be honest about how you feel, in words and in deeds, it helps you move on – just like a child, you have another fun to move on to, you can’t keep baggage dragging you
3. Laugh out loud because it’s funny and cry out loud because it hurts
4. Allow the childhood motor mimicry to play out, it’s fine. (I first got introduced to the concept of motor mimicry from Daniel Goleman’s book on emotional intelligence. It’s the concept of a child crying because another child is crying in pain)
5. Hold the hand of the one you trust if you feel insecure – it establishes a bond
6. Look people in the eye and ask for help – it is okay to hear ‘no’
7. Have your favorite place – just like a child would call it, ‘it’s mine’… it could be while watching a movie, listening to music, being in the company of your friends, being alone in your room and reenacting your favorite concert or playing dress up
8. Wish for things and don’t limit your imagination
9. Make it a big deal, because for you, it is. Just like a child, no matter the task, they bring their ‘A’ game
10. If you don’t feel right about it, show it, say it and walk away – or run to ‘mama’ like a child would, you could be right or wrong, either way, you’d need to be convinced

The list goes on and on, and I’m sure you have your own ‘child bits’ you can re-live. Here’s Kwame simply sharing his, and it’s a process, like everything else. There are people in my life I love so much it’s almost unthinkable to live without them, there are relationships I have lost through my action or theirs but time made it irreversible as they went unspoken. There are relationships I couldn’t build because I found no means or reason and there are ones I was deliberate about building.

There are words I regret never sharing, and these regrets give me the strength to do it right by the passing year. And this year, I invite you to re-live the child in you, bring your own light and let it reign supreme. You deserve that moment in time.

Kwame Amoako

Check out his other posts:

Memories are all we have

Being Papa: Diary of a New Dad

Hope: The Oldest Plan in the History of Time

Memories are all we have

Enjoy this post by Kwame Amoako as we end one year and enter another.

Angela

[Scene 1: Aunt Elaine’s bedroom]

Aunt Adel: “I know a doctor who can do this job for us and everything will be fine”

Aunt Elaine: “Alright then, let’s go there first thing tomorrow and get this out of the way…to avoid any disgrace”

[Scene 2: Doctor’s consulting room]

Doctor: “Madam, I have assessed your daughter’s situation. For a sixteen year-old, and at 4 months, any attempt to abort the fetus will kill her. My advice, let her keep the pregnancy”

Aunt Elaine: “Oh God, we are finished! This disgrace is unbearable!” [Picture your typical African woman wailing with these words]

I wasn’t sure what to feel when I first heard this story from my mom. I had options – I’d like to remind you of that. Feeling of luck? Yes, that came but was short-lived. Anger? You bet! But towards whom, Aunt Adel or Aunt Elaine? Logic got me landing on, “well, these were women saving the education of their little girl” (in 1987). This feeling didn’t last either. Relax, I’ll get to it in a minute.

If you’re still trying to figure out the earlier scenes, don’t worry, it happens to me sometimes when I watch movies, so I get you. The 16-year-old girl was my mom, and the fetus the doctor advised to be kept…that was me. And don’t worry, this story isn’t going to be about how great the fetus turned out to be when it wasn’t aborted, so be kind to indulge me just for 3 minutes.

It scares me every time! Every time I think of that moment in the consulting room, I pause to wonder how many big decisions, similar to this, have been made in a space of time. Today, that decision is over 30 years old and that conversation in the consulting room was its moment of birth. The doctor could have taken a stab at it out of ego because, hey, this was a referral and he wouldn’t want to lose his reputation (this is all me thinking) but he didn’t! He simply used the facts and said, “I couldn’t!”, not out of compassion for the fetus – out of medical facts! And all I have of that moment, is the memory of my mother’s experience. But that memory is what nudges me when I get so angry; so sad; so frightened, at a temporary situation and tempted to make permanent decisions about them. Now, this is what the story is about.

It is the last day of the year 2021 and resolutions are being made – it is a good thing! Do it! Here’s what I am campaigning for you to add – learn to let it go. If you’re finding it difficult, pick out the memory of the amazing moments you shared and let them be the tiny spark left to light up the friendship again. You’re probably choosing a permanent end of friendship based on a temporary bump in the relationship – don’t. Ever wonder what you have to prove for your greatest friendships, it’s the memories and that’s all you have. Could you use same for the dying ones; the ones relying on you to decide on forgiving them? Each passing month, your decision is growing and every reminder is an opportunity to let it grow right or wrong. Benjamin Franklin stated it accurately when he said, “Knowing is better than wondering, waking is better than sleeping, even the worst, most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of not trying”, and I urge you to give letting go a try for the coming year and beyond. 

I’ll lend you my hope; to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy and to be able to celebrate with them in triumph, and for all the times in between, I just hope to be able to look them in the eye with total honesty.

Remember, memories are all we have, make them and use them to keep the light of friendship shinning.

Happy New Year!

By Kwame Amoako

Featured image from: https://www.sampleposts.com/happy-new-year-wishes-messages/

You can check out some of his other posts here:

Being Papa: Diary of a New Dad

Hope: The Oldest Plan in the History of Time