Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Religion Related Science News for January 2015

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Folks, I have decided to make this a regular post in the blog. Every month I will present a digest of news which show harmony between science and religion as well as news in which religion and science intersect. If you go to this page on the blog  you will see a list of all the news reported so far. I invite you to link at this page and use its information to dispel the erroneous notion that science and religion are somehow at odds with each other. Enjoy.

More evidence for the Anthropic Nature of creation.
The Anthropic Principle is an idea belonging to Astrophysics and Cosmology. Simply stated, it makes the claim that because some physical properties and constants which make intelligent life possible seem to be "fine tuned", it appears that the physical universe is "compatible" with the necessary constants to accommodate conscious life. The article reports a new study from the University of Bonn which provides new evidence in favor of this principle of Nature. Can someone say "Designer's Universe"?

New study Shows strong correlation exists between religiosity and personal happiness.
New study from Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture has shown that higher levels of church attendance “predict higher life satisfaction,” even after accounting for how important religious faith is in people’s lives. There is one more reason to attend Mass every Sunday!

Scientists Seek Religious Experience -- in the Brain.
Neuroscientists at the University of Utah are seeking to examine how the human brain behaves during a religious experience. Personally I feel this sort of research is well overdue. I would love to see in an MRI which parts in the cerebral cortex light up when some one is experiencing a vision of the St. Bernadette at Lourdes type.

Papal astronomers promote harmony of science, faith. 
To commemorate this year's International Year of Light, which celebrates the importance of light and its role in new technologies, Jesuit astronomers at the Vatican Observatory have launched a number of new initiatives aimed at increasing dialogue with Muslims, nonbelievers and Catholics, who may not know that their faith and science are not at odds. In Jan 13-15 the Holy See  sponsored a workshop studying "The Role of Astronomy in Christianity and Islam." The workshop, which brought Muslim, Catholic and other scholars together, looked at some of the ways Christianity and Islam studied the heavens in the fields of science and faith.

Earliest copy of Gospel of Mark found in a first century Egyptian mask. 
One of the main arguments deniers of the Historical Jesus love to throw around is that the gospels were written "hundreds of years after the fact". This argument will no longer be valid as scientists have announced the finding of a papyrus containing a fragment of the Gospel of Mark from the the first century. We are talking a mere 60 years after the fact! A time period in which some of the eyewitnesses to the events recorded in the gospel were still alive!!. Here is a video with some more information.

To be fair this is not exactly what I would call a  "science news". However since it touches on a topic which I suspect will be used to underline the "animosity  between science and religion", I decided to include it in this month's digest. Read the article and tell me what you think. (COMING SOON  more extensive blog-analysis)

Using stem cells to grow new hair.
Last year scientists in the University of Pennsylvania reported the making of hair follicles from Adult Stem Cells, a very promising therapy for those experiencing hair loss. This year, sadly, this technology has taken a more sinister turn as scientists are reporting in PLOS ONE their morally objectionable use of embryonic stem cell for their own version of this research. This is one more example of scientists ignoring the humanity of embryos for the sake of their research. In this case the use of human embryos is more troubling as they are been used to research non-life-saving technologies.

Scientific method: Defend the integrity of physics
One of the favorite arguments secularists and atheists use when underlining the animosity between science and religion is the fact that in religion one can never appeal to empirical evidence, unlike science which is not based solely on faith. Apparently some scientists are starting to realize that some of their theories although capable of explaining the way the universe came to be theoretically, can not be tested experimentally, so they are advocating for taking these theories on faith only, without any empirical data to prove them. This is a big argument currently among physicists which is threatening the old canard that lack of evidence is a defect belonging exclusively to religion.

Does time pass? New book says it does—but not in the way you may think. 
We finish this month with a recently published book presenting a new way to consider the passage of time. I have not read the book (and at $47.00 on the Kindle store I might wait for the movie) however this article gives enough information to tempt me into investing this kind of money. The book presents what philosophers call the "block universe" theory of time. I don't want to go into details here (after all this just a digest) but after reading the article and doing some research on this theory, it sounds very similar to what believers think off when they explain that God lives in the eternal present. Quite and intriguing proposition.
 

See you all next month!

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"
 
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Sunday, January 25, 2015

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle B)

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  Today’s two first readings  communicate a feeling of urgency, of transition, of terrible things to come. The Gospel however gives a more hopeful outlook, it resonates with a feeling of  ending of one thing and the beginning of something completely new.    First we have the prophet Jonah walking across Nineveh announcing that in forty days this great city would be destroyed if they did not mend their ways; then we hear Paul telling the Corinthians not to get too comfortable in their lives because the Lord’s return was at hand.  In the gospel however, although we see Jesus, like Jonah proclaiming the message of God and calling the ancient world to repentance there is a bit more to the story. Here we also see how the Lord calls his first apostles and how these men abandon everything they had not because Jesus performed some great miracle, or because they had a tremendous spiritual experience. These men... these hard working men accustomed to back breaking work abandoned everything they have known in their lives to respond to Jesus’ simple promise “If you follow me I will make you fishers of men”.
     All the anticipation, all the fears in the two previous readings are dissipated by this simple statement from Jesus. Here Jesus is revealed  as something completely new in the history of the Jewish people, and we see the transformation of Jesus from just another prophet, into something the people of Israel have never seen, into something completely different.
       Up until this moment prophets communicated the directives they received from God, and nothing else. They were the voice of God in a sinful and broken world, and were condemned to witness its corruption and slow death; but in today’s Gospel Jesus changes this, not only he preaches about the Kingdom of God, but unlike the prophets of old.  He takes what he finds in this kingdom and transforms it into something new, something the whole world has never seen before, something life giving.
   “ I will make you fishers of men”...Think about it for a second, when  we go fishing we take fish out of their natural environment, but when we fish a man from the water we are rescuing them, we are taking them from a potentially deadly environment into the safety of our boats.  Jesus did not, take something from the kingdom of God and destroy it to form something new, Jesus took what the apostles had in over abundance, the work they knew so well and offered to show them how to use this in a completely new way. To rescue men from their sinful environment and bring them life for Glory to God.
   There is a part in the mass, which always reminds us of this moment in the history of salvation, of how God can take anything we humans have to offer and transforms it into something that is life giving. Right after the offertory, when the priests lifts the chalice and says: “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received this bread and wine we offer you: fruit of the earth and the work of human hands”  This wine and the bread which was produced by the work and the suet of humans becomes the body and blood of Christ, something divine, which gives life to the world.  In this moment of the mass we connect with that crucial moment in the history of salvation, and at every mass Jesus once again tells us “If you follow me, I will make you dot.dot.dot”.
   The challenge for us today and at every mass is to ask ourselves how are we going to respond to that invitation from the Lord, how are we going to fill that “ dot,dot,dot”. How are we going to allow him to use the work of our hands, to rescue the world from its sinful and corrupted state.
   2000 years ago Jesus took on changing the world with just a few fisherman. Now imagine what he can do with the work of our hands here in Saint Michael. If I were to do an employment survey here today I bet that I would get a fair number of retired people, a lot of students, and a great diversity of professions.  Again Imagine what can the Lord do with all the work our human hands. All we have to do is answer to His call and allow ourselves to be challenged like the apostles, following him and letting him bless and consecrate the world by the work of our own hands.
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Friday, January 16, 2015

More Religion Related Science News

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   WOW... A few days back I did a Top 5 post for (What I thought were) the most significant religious related Science news of the Year 2014. Who would have known that it would increase the traffic in my blog by 10 fold! It was even selected by BigPulpit.com one of the top Catholic news aggregators on line right now. The fact is, this sort of news happens all the time but the Main Stream Media just ignores them. So I decided to continue posting these as I encounter them.


Here are the ones which have been reported since the beginning of the year:

More evidence for the Anthropic Nature of creation. The Anthropic Principle is an idea belonging to Astrophysics and Cosmology. Simply stated, it makes the claim that because some physical properties and constants which make intelligent life possible seem to be "fine tuned", it appears that the physical universe is "compatible" with the necessary constants to accommodate conscious life. The article reports a new study from the University of Bonn which provides new evidence in favor of this principle of Nature. Can someone say "Designer's Universe"?

New study Shows strong correlation exists between religiosity and personal happiness. New study from Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture has shown that higher levels of church attendance “predict higher life satisfaction,” even after accounting for how important religious faith is in people’s lives. There is one more reason to attend Mass every Sunday!

Scientists Seek Religious Experience -- in the Brain.
Neuroscientists at the University of Utah are seeking to examine how the human brain behaves during a religious experience. Personally I feel this sort of research is well overdue. I would love to see in an MRI which parts in the cerebral cortex light up when some one is experiencing a vision of the St. Bernadette at Lourdes type.

Well folks there you have it more news from the intersection of science and religion. Hopefully the new year will bring more of this.

NOTE: Following the suggestion from one of my commenters I decided to add a page to the web site in which I will continue reporting these sort of news throughout the year. You can link to it here. 

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"
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Friday, January 9, 2015

A Conversation between Francis and a Hufftington Post Blogger

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   I came across a post this morning which got my attention. I usually get all sorts of articles about religion in my news feed. Some are pro and some are against, every-once in a while I get one which makes me think, and every-once in a blue moon I get one which makes me sit and write a blog post. Today is that blue moon I guess.

   The article in question was published (of all places) in the religion feed of the Huffington Post.(If you do not know about the Huff-post I should tell you that it is one of the major hubs of all things Liberal in cyber-world, they usually give what I would call a less than balanced view of religion, and specifically the Catholic Church). The article, by Kerry Huston Reightley.  a mother from Washington state,  has a very catchy title for someone like me, involved in ministering to people interested in the Catholic Church; "Are You Catholic Curious? If so, What One Question Would You Ask the Pope?".

So with much curiosity I clicked in the link to see what was it all about. I have to admit, the first paragraph didn't look too promising:

I confess: I'm Catholic curious. Sort of. I've always been fascinated--and, admittedly, frightened--by this notion that Catholics can slip behind a closet door, confess any kind of sin, from the monumental to the mundane; and, theoretically, emerge with a clean slate. A true tabula rasa. Where do I sign up? Simply admit my sins, and I'm back to zero? Is there a credit card with these kinds of benefits?

  ...but, like I said, since this is the sort of statement I'm used to hearing from non-Catholics (And some Catholics too!) I kept reading. Following this "first salvo", Kerry tells the story of her husband, a pilot, meeting a group of ladies which while meeting Pope Francis were speechless until Francis broke the ice with some good old "papal humor" (Based on the effect this event had on Kerry it seems that she doesn't  realize that some recent popes have been quite hilarious). This encounter inspired her to ask random friends simply: "What would you ask the Pope?", an action which generated quite a list of questions:

Since like I said, I'm in the business of answering questions about the Church, and since these questions are answered with just a few words. I decided to compose this post with what I think Francis would say. (I do not know of any Canon Law which specifically prohibits clergy from speaking for the Pope without his permission so I figure I'm in the clear (and I can always follow Kerry's advice and go to confession... right ???))

Here we go, Francis musings will be in "quotes".

  • If God sends people to Heaven, and the Devil punishes bad people by sending them to Hell, then isn't the Devil good?
"Actually God doesn't send anyone to Heaven, and the Devil has no power to send anyone to Hell. We send ourselves by our actions. God just provides the standard by which we are judged and the Devil derives pleasure by punishing those who decide to "do their own thing" instead of listening to God. So no, the Devil is not good."
  • Why is the Christian faith more real to him than any other faith?
"Because the founder of the Christian Church is the only one who said: "I will be killed and in three days I will return from the death" and actually did it." 
  • I don't know who he is, but I would rather ask questions to my parents than ask someone who is Catholic.
"This is a strange statement (I suspect it comes from a child). I guess the only thing I could say is if you are buying a car and want to buy a Corvette would you ask questions about the Corvette to the Honda sales person? I'm reminded of what Bishop Sheen once said "In the US there are less than 100 who hate the Church, the rest just hate their own idea of what they think the Church is."
  • How do you hope to address the issue of poverty?
"By telling the rich nations they have to do something about poverty, and by encouraging the many Catholic Charities in the world to continue serving the poor. There is a reason we are the largest charitable organization in the world, but we can always do more (Not just the Church but all of us)"
  • I'd applaud him for truly embracing what a Man of God should be in today's society. And I'm not Catholic.
"Thanks! please pray for me as I will pray for you. "
  • What are your thoughts on the afterlife?
"There is an after life, Jesus proved this fact. To quote St. Paul, "Human eyes have not seen nor human mind conceived what awaits for us in the after life."
  • Do you believe that our loved ones come to us in our dreams, and give us messages?
"Yes, God can use anything to reveal himself to us."
  • Will we see our loved ones in heaven?
"Yes, without a doubt."
  • Do we stay the same age in heaven, as we did when we died?
"St. Thomas Aquinas (A doctor of the Church) believed that heaven will bring the best of each one of us. He mused that 18-24 years are the years in which we are "at the top of our game" so this will be the age our "heavenly bodies" will show. Now imagine a whole heaven filled with people 18 to 24 year old...quite a picture if you ask me!"
  • How will he utilize the digital-age computer to teach the younger members about the Catholic Church?
"Here the Church is making strides but it still has a long way to go. We could learn much about how our Protestant brothers are using "new media". I would be remiss if I do not mention that I know of this deacon in Maryland who has a great blog, I'll tweet you the link later."
  • "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent? Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent? Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - Epicurus
"I think God would like us to prevent evil first, before we sit down and wait for him to "take care of business", this is why he gave us Free Will so that we make use of it for good. Evil "cometh" from our violations of this free will, specially when we do not use it to love others.  About omnipotence I would say that many people have an erroneous idea of this concept. Just because God is omnipotent doesn't mean he can act in any way he wants.There are things God can not do, for example he can not act illogically and he can not contradict himself, but most importantly He will not violate our free will. This freedom, which is a gift from God is too precious for Him to break and for us to squander away."
  • What's his favorite work of fiction?
"I'm partial to South American authors, Gabriel Garcia Marques is always a good bet. "
  • How can anyone--from any religion--think they're the only ones who will be saved?
"The desire for salvation is universal although different traditions do not express this desire in the Christian way. There are longings in the human heart which transcend time and nationality. We all want to be loved, and we all want to love. We all gravitate towards what is safe and beautiful. Because of our human frailties we tend to become insular and think that "only my group" is worthy of this love and beauty. The reality is God is the only one who will allow us entrance into His kingdom. I suspect that many of us will be very surprised when we meet some of the people who made it through."
  • What is your vision of God?
"Loving father. "
  • I'd have him pray for "Unc."
"I will pray for him...her...it??? "
  • How can Christians, or any faith, justify killing in the name of religion?
"I suspect that there is not much difference between people regardless of what religion they are. People kill because they have closed themselves to God's love, to a point that they have stopped using their God given capacity to reason, and allow others to use them for their own selfish interests. I think we should not hate these people, we should pity them and pray for the light of God to illumine their hearts so that they realize the evil they are causing.  "
  • Who would he like to go to lunch with?
 "St Ignatius of Loyola."

So there you have it; solid Catholic teaching in just a few lines. There is one more question Kerry would like to ask Pope Francis, here it is with what I think Francis would answer:

  • Why does the church continue to shield criminals, who have [sexually] abused generations of devoted, innocent followers?
"I believe that every time this question is asked the first words coming out of any minister of the Church should be "On behalf of every, bishop, priest, deacon, nun, and religious brother who have ever even thought about hurting anyone, I ask for your forgiveness". The next words should be "if you think you have credible information to arrest and throw these criminals and the people who are shielding them in jail, I implore you, drop what you are doing and contact the pertinent civil authorities",  The last thing we should say is "If you do not have any information about these people, and this statement is just based on your opinion, let me ask you two questions 1) Do you think it is fair to throw a shadow over the work of hundreds of thousands of good and holy people based on just "your perceptions"? 2) What would it take for you to change your opinion of 'The Church" in this regard, since the only thing you have is your perceptions and nothing else?"

And I think Francis would  end with

"Please pray for me, as I assure you of my prayers for you."


"Viva Cristo Rey!!" (Ok that was not Francis but me :-) )
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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Epiphany of the Lord

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   If we were to list all the characters in the Christmas story, I think the list would go something like this: First You got Baby Jesus at the center, then Mary and Joseph, then the angles, then the shepherds, then King Herod, then The Magi and lastly the Star of Bethlehem. However there is one character which is hardly ever noticed, although it is a fundamental part of the action in this story. And not I’m not talking about sheep or the cow or the donkey. The character I think I have in mind was there when Jesus was born, stood next to the Magi while they tried to figure the meaning of the strange signs they were witnessing in the heavens. This character stood with the shepherds as they tended their flocks at night and accompanied them to visit the new born King. It stood next to the choirs of angels as they praised God while wishing peace to all people of good will and was responsible for the brightness of the guiding star. We can even see the influence it had in King Herod’s heart as he plotted the murder of innocent children; And. If by now you have not guessed whom this crucial member of the cast is let me tell you it’s name… Its name is Darkness.
   If we were to re-read all the stories which compose the story of Christmas, from the annunciation to the visit of the Magi, you will notice that the closer we get to the point in which we are today the more darkness plays an ever increasing role in the plot. From the night dreams St Joseph had as he struggled to decide if he should expose the pregnancy of Mary, to the Holy couple seeking for a place to spend the night and deliver their baby, to the dark corners of a cold a dirty stable, to the shepherds herding their sheep in the night, to the choirs of angels singing in the night, to the magi following a star; without the shadows of the night, the Christmas story would be incomplete.
    I do not think this happened by accident, in fact this is one of the main points of the incarnation, God in the flesh illuminating a world in darkness with his divine presence.
    The interesting thing is that although human beings and animals have a natural fear of darkness, in this story darkness although a constant companion in itself it is not scary. It is only when we are confronted with the darkness residing in the heart of King Herod that we are repulsed by it. What can be in the heart of a human being who chooses to murder innocent children than the plain unadulterated darkness of evil? It would be nice if we could say “thanks be to God we do not live in a world with that kind of darkness in the hearts of men!” But sadly we do, we see examples of this every day! From the children murdered in Sandy Hook just a few days before Christmas, last year. To the stories of the Islamist terrorists in, butchering children just because they would not deny their faith in Christ, to the sad reality that since abortion has been legal in our country 52 million babies, have been aborted by an industry which exploits the fears and confusion of poor women. The darkness of evil is a clear presence in the hearts of many men today.
   This is why we needed a savior, someone like us but not one of us. Someone who can show us the way in the same way the start guided the Magi, not destroying the darkness but illuminating it with its brightness, and marking a path for us to follow; because darkness cannot be destroyed or eradicated but it could be made disappear by the light of something as simple as a baby wrapped on swaddling clothes resting peacefully in a manger.
   The three wise men visited the baby Jesus because he was light in the darkness; they followed a star because it guided them to the source of all light. They set an example for us, who exist in the darkness of our modern world.
   The other day Nancy and I were walking from the parking lot and met a gentleman, one of our parishioners. We started talking and in his words we could hear how much he had been affected by the things that are currently happening on the world. He asked me “Why are all these horrible things happening?” I gave him The best answer I could, I said “Evil exists because of sin, as long as we live in this side of heaven we will have evil. But we will also have the light of the spirit which guides us, protects us and consoles us”.
    This is the light which today shines from the manger, the light the magi followed and the Shepherds marveled about in wonder. The light which shines into the darkness of world, Jesus Christ the Son of God, who became flesh dwell among us and is still gently guiding us into heaven.  
    In this Epiphany Sunday, as we finish the Christmas season, my prayer is for the light which guided the Magi, to brings you peace and joy today. Amen
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Friday, January 2, 2015

Top Religion Related Science News for 2014

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        One of the major arguments secularists and atheists love to throw around is the perceived mutual exclusiveness between science and religion.  This canard is constantly exploited by the mainstream media as a way of pushing their anti religious agenda. The fact is religion and science mutually contribute to, and coexist with each other quite nicely. So in the spirit of this mutually beneficial  relationship between these two human endeavors here are my 5 Top Religion Related Science News for 2014.

No 5:Scientist honored by the Vatican on verge of stem-cell breakthrough

In August the Vatican honored professor Silviu Itescu for pioneering a therapy for congestive heart failure based on Adult Stem Cells. Prof Itescu, who is NOT Catholic, is the chief executive of Mesoblast, an Australia-based regenerative medicine company.  Mesoblast is pioneering a therapy that requires a single injection of 150 million adult stem cells into the heart – and no conventional surgery.

No 4: New Study Examines the Effects of Prayer on Mental Health

In September, researchers from Baylor university published the study "Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults." Their research found that people who pray to a loving and protective God are less likely to experience anxiety-related disorders — worry, fear, self-consciousness, social anxiety and obsessive compulsive behavior — compared to people who pray but don’t really expect to receive any comfort or protection from God. Apparently, the study seems to point to the fact that the more faith you have, the better mental health you experience.
Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults - See more at: http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/traci-pedersen/praying-loving-god-guards-against-anxiety#sthash.upiqvXse.dpuf
Prayer, Attachment to God, and Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Disorders among U.S. Adults - See more at: http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/traci-pedersen/praying-loving-god-guards-against-anxiety#sthash.upiqvXse.dpuf

No 3: Prayer Can Aid Organizational Bonding

In June, the American Sociological Review Journal published a paper stating that "The prayer practices observed appear to play a crucial role in binding participants together across significant racial and socioeconomic differences" when people from different backgrounds attend prayer services together.


In March, the University of Arizona and the Vatican Observatory co-hosted a gathering of about 200 scientists interested in planetary biology. The topic of this conference was:"The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System: Exoplanets, Biosignature and Instruments"

No 1: Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., wins the American Astronomical Society's Carl Sagan Medal. 

The Carl Sagan medal is awarded  for outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public. In the announcement, the AAS states: "As a Jesuit Brother, Guy has become the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief, a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers."

As you can see it was a good year for the intersession between religion and science, hopefully 2015 will bring more of this and less of the nonsense we constantly get feed by the enemies of religion.

NOTE: Following the suggestion from one of my commenters I decided to add a page to the web site in which I will continue reporting these sort of news throughout the year. You can link to it here. 

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"
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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Closing the 2014 Year!

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Well, another year is in the books! I have to say that this has been quite a year for me. Among the highlights of the year I embarked in a new form of ministry with my podcast (The Hidden Bible). I began a new ministry helping Spanish speaking  divorced Catholics seeking a Marriage annulment. I spend a fantastic vacation time with the family back in the "mother ship" (AKA the beaches of Puerto Rico). I met some fantastic friends, (I'm talking about you Rose Sweet!). I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams by honoring the Camino the Santiago and earning the Compostela (A certificate which declares I was a real "peregrino" in the Camino). And I dropped 20 pounds! Quite a year!

Now last Year I posted my resolutions for everyone to see, as a way of holding myself accountable. I think it is only fair to see how I did... so here they are with an honest assessment for each one.

  • Eat better - I have to say that (with the help of my bride) I was able to cut on my caloric intake, although I still have a weakness for sweets.
  • Walk more - Boy did I met this one! I trained heavenly for my trip to northern Spain, and there I walked 200 miles in 2 weeks, and after this I continued taking regular walks.
  • Spend more time reading -My goal was 24 books, and I have to say I fell short. I only ended reading 18. But I read quite a bit of articles and technical papers so those should count for something right?
  • Spend less time on line - This one failed miserably mostly because I do heavy use of Google productivity tools such as gmail, drive and calender. However I also did a fair amount of wilffing.
  • Increase my guitar repertoire - Here I have to say that I was doing quite well until I got a nasty bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which forced me to stop my guitar playing for a couple of months. I did however come up with a pretty good guitar practice program, which I will pick in the new year and see how my wrists hold.
  • Record more of my music - Big goose egg  here, mostly because of time and the bout of CTS.

All and all a pretty good year!


Ok, with that out of the way, here are my resolutions for next year!
  • Continue eating healthy AND control my sweet tooth.
  • Continue exercising (Walking)  and do a multiday hike either in the AT or the C&O Canal.
  • Read at least 2 books a month.
  • Write at least one blog article a moths (In addition to my homilies).
  • Produce at least 10 episodes of my podcast.
  • Increase my Guitar repertoire (And record at least some!)
So there you have it, the year in review and a plan for the next year.
May the new year be filled with many blessings and see you next December to see how I did!

"Viva Cristo Rey!!"
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