A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2023

We finally crossed the year 2023 over to 2024. Last year was an intense year for me on many fronts and I am glad to have survived it. As I have done each year, I have continued my regular weekly Bible studies with the Living Word Association (LWA) which is an inter-denominational association which strive at understanding the Bible and practice its precepts. This year marked an important shift in our bible study protocol. A new study method was introduced that has enriched everybody's learning curve. The method is coined, C.O.C.A. This acronym stands for Context, Observation, Comprehension, Application. Yes, it is easy to remember and even easier to apply. This method was introduced into our local scenery by Father Raphael Manikiza, the Dominican Vicar Provincial of the Provincial Vicariate of Rwanda and Burundi. 

This method, COCA, was initially introduced in our monthly Bible Study at the Dominican Chapel where I have been honoured to work alongside with Father Raphael and the lay theologian Tigana Birasa as we offered our reflection on the Gospel of Matthew for the Liturgical Year-A to the Community. For 2024, we will continue our study and focus on the Gospel of Mark.

Half a dozen year ago, I went into a quest to better understand my Christian faith as a Catholic and I have come enriched and better for it. After completing the reading of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I turned to the official teaching documents of Vatican II. I have made a slow inroad this last year, after reading the 4 Dogmatic constitutions (Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, Sacrosanctum Concilium and Gaudium et Spes) and read the 3 Declarations of the council Vatican II:

1. Gravissimum Educationis, it is the Declaration on Christian Education
2. Dignitatis Humanae, it is the Declaration on Religious Freedom
3. Nostra Aetate*, it is the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (this one was read the year prior*).

I also started reading the list of Vatican II Decrees. So far, I have read two of them and I am slowly going through the rest:

1. Apostolicam Actuositatem, it is a Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity
2. Ad Gentes, it is a Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church

As I said in my last review, "reading what the Church says in its own words is so refreshing and so encouraging and it sounds at time quite different from what people out there says about the Church teaching", I would now add, it is also so different from what some Catholic clergies have said about the Church teaching, 100% different. I remember in the year 2000 and 2001 when I had first read my whole bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation, I was in shock. The initial shock was not what I found but what I didn't found in it. Things I have heard so many times in popular platform, TVs, Radio, Conferences, etc., about what "the bible say's" but were nowhere to be found in the Bible. Neither did I find them in my second reading, nor the third time I read it. It became clear there are many things' people passes for biblical teaching which can't be found in the Bible itself. It is the same with the official Church teachings. I will dare, even challenge, anyone who has an issue with the Catholic Church teachings to first stop and ask themselves, where did I get these views about the Catholic Church teachings? And then after such honest introspection, I invite you to read the Church OFFICIAL teachings for yourself, either doctrinal or moral or social and find out the truth for yourself. You ought it to yourself!

For example, in Gaudium et Spes, I was gladly surprised, two years ago, to see that the Church takes her evangelistic mission seriously to the point of including it into one of its 4 Constitutions. And this aren't a unique occurrence, similar texts can be read in its Declarations and Decrees:

"It is necessary never to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Church is to evangelize, not to civilize. If it civilizes, it is for the sake of evangelization." - Footnote Part II, Chapter II, No.7. 

In the same effort to strengthen my understanding of Christianity, I completed a Certification course with Harvard Divinity School on "Christianity through Its Scriptures". There are many reasons I pursued such endeavour, and one of them was to get a neutral view about my faith and to be challenged, and it was challenging to say the least. In our introduction, the professor clearly let us know that we would be studying the Christian sacred scriptures from a standpoint of Academia and not from a Devotional starting point. The message was clear, and we found out soon enough that not only we studied the Canonical texts found in our Bibles, but the Academic view of the Christian scriptures included also other early writings not found in the Bible such as the Gnostic writings of the earlier Centuries. We read them and made dissertations about them. Overall, it was a stimulating intellectual experience, and inadvertently despite the exposure to other competing writings presented to us as Scriptures, I came out of it more convinced of the Christian faith as it is articulated in its orthodoxy.

There is one important item that I should add to my list of memorable activities, namely 'The Strength of Witnesses' conference. It was a 3-day Charismatic Conference organized and hosted at the St. Dominique Parish ahead of the Feast of Pentecost and it was animated by our guests, Dr. Thierry Luhandjula, Sister Olivia Jani and Brother Nesbert Muzamba. This was followed by The Philip Course, a 3-day retreat in October 2023 at the Convent of the Dominican Sister, this retreat delved deeper into the meaning of the Christian Life. It was animated by Brother Nesbert Muzamba and Brother Giovanni Valerio Svegliati. These two events have left participants with no voice and deeply moved both emotionally, spiritually and in some cases bodily. We have come out of these events, better Christians, and more committed as Christians. It is hard to properly describe what transpired without causing misunderstanding so I would simply recommend for a better understanding of what was experienced by participants, both Catholic and non-Catholic Christians, please do refer to Encounter Ministries which is the Catholic apostolate which was our inspiration in the design of this charismatic event.

I will end with my yearly tradition which consist in sharing the list of books I read during the previous year. Each book comes with a scoring metric. This scoring doesn't necessarily mean that the book was either perfect or poor. It simply reflects my enthusiasm at the moment of reading it based on the book content and the appeal of the writing style. These are the books that I read in 2023: 

Religious Books

Catholic Authors

1. "Hostile Witnesses: How the Historic Enemies of the Church Prove Christianity" by Gary Michuta (5/5)
2. "Introduction to Spiritual Life: Walking the Path of Prayer with Jesus" by Brant Pitre (4/5)
3. "Supernal Saints: A School of Ministry from the Saints" by Patrick Reis (4.5/5)

Protestant Authors

1. "Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God: How God Speaks Today through Prophecies, Dreams, and Visions" by Jack Deere (4/5)
2. "Why I Am Still Surprised by the Power of the Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks and Heal Today" by Jack Deere (4/5)
3. "Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? - Four Views" - Edited by Stanley N. Gundry and Wayne A. Grudem (4/5)
4. "The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural" by Lee Strobel (5/5)
5. "Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach" by Andrew Loke (4.5/5)

Non-Religious Books

1. "Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing" by Candy Gunther (Oxford University Press) (5/5)
2. "Reconciliation Is My Lifestyle: A Life's Lesson on Forgiving and Loving Those Who Have Hated You" by Antoine Rutayisire (5/5)
3. "Even in Our Darkness: A Story of Beauty in a Broken Life" by Jack Deere (5/5)

Note: These last 3 books can hardly be labelled as religious books even though their authors may be known for their religious convictions.

...

The year 2023 was an intense year both in my workplace and in my family with its share of challenges. My family has known series of illnesses with different degrees of intensity, from major surgery for my boy earlier in the year to a medical trip at the end of the year. Sickness and Illness became a permanent feature of our household from the beginning of the year to the end. So much so that my wife once told me with an aggravated tone that pharmacists in our neighbourhood now know who we are. It is a miracle that with all these health constraints and intense workload in my job, I was able to read this much and done so much in my community. I guess it comes with the territory, I aggressively attacked the kingdom of darkness, and it expectedly struck back. 

Nevertheless, in all these, I praise the Lord that my wife and I never went through this fire alone. The Lord was always there comforting my family during those long sleepless night with kids fighting with uncontrollable fevers, bizarre diseases and those long hours at the hospitals' queues. 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." - 1 Corinthians15:58

A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2022

The year 2022 is behind us. A new year has now dawned on us. The year 2022 has been filled with joy and pain, but in all these we express our gratitude to God for having been right there with us. Last year also marked a distinctive rite of passage for me to adulthood as I turned 40. I suppose in some way, I still looked at myself as a Young-Adult but I guess there is now no more reason to add any prefix to the word adult.

I have had the continuous opportunity to have my regular weekly Bible studies with the Living Word Association (LWA) which is an inter-denominational association which strive at understanding the Bible and practice its precepts. Since the advent of COVID, we have never been able to transit back to an in-persons gathering, we are still meeting virtually. This format has its share of challenges. But on the up side, we e-meet with people joining us from different regions including someone from a different continent. 

In my quest to better understand my faith, after completing the reading of the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I turned to the official teaching documents of Vatican II. This came at the right time as the Church was celebrating in 2022 the 60th anniversary of the council Vatican II. One milestone I was able to achieve was the reading of the Four Constitutions of Vatican II, namely:

1. Lumen Gentium which means 'Light of Nations'. It is the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. 
2. Dei Verbum which means 'The Word of God'. It is the Dogmatic Constitution of Divine Revelation.
3. Sacrosanctum Concilium which means 'The Sacred Council'. It is the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.
4. Gaudium et Spes which means 'Joy and Hope'. It is the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

Now that I completed the reading of the constitution, I have the foundational understanding by which I will be reading the remaining Vatican II documents for this year which include: 3 Decrees and 9 Declarations. I have already read one declaration, Nostra Aetate, and I will be bulldozing through the remaining ones in due time, God willing. Reading what the Church says in its own words is so refreshing and so encouraging and it sounds at time quite different from what people out there says about the Church teaching. For example in Gaudium et Spes, I was gladly surprise to see the focus that the Church has of its own mission on earth while waiting for the return of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ:

"It is necessary never to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Church is to evangelize, not to civilize. If it civilizes, it is for the sake of evangelization." - Footnote Part II, Chapter II, No.7. 

Now, back to the purpose of this post. As I do each year, I will be sharing the list of books I read in the year 2022. I have unfortunately been a bit undisciplined in my reading hence I read less book than in previous years, but there is also a human reason to it, I have been quite busy, in-ordinarily busy this year and It took me a bit by surprise. I will do better this year in organizing myself with the help of the Lord and be better focus this time in my priorities. Each book comes with a scoring metric. This scoring doesn't necessarily mean that the book was either perfect or poor. It simply reflects my enthusiasm at the moment of reading it based on the book content and the appeal of the writing style. These are the books that I read in 2022: 

Religious Books

Catholic Authors

1. "The Early Church Was the Catholic Church: The Catholic Witness of the Fathers in Christianity's First Two Centuries" by Joe Heschmeyer - (5/5)

2. "A Mighty Current of Grace: The Story of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal" by Alan Schrek - (5/5)

3. "Overcome By The Spirit: The Extraordinary Phenomenon That Is Happening To Ordinary People" by Francis MacNutt - (5/5)

4. "Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual" by Francis MacNutt - (5/5)

5. "The Healing Reawakening: Reclaiming Our Lost Inheritance" by Francis MacNutt - (4.5/5)

6. "The Practice of Healing Prayer: A How-To Guide For Catholics" by Francis MacNutt - (4/5)

7. "Pope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis" by Joe Heschmeyer - (4/5)

8. "Four More Witnesses In The Early Church: Further Testimony from Christians before Constantine" by Rod Bennet - (3.5/5)

Protestant Authors

9. "Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History" by Rodney Stark - (5/5)

10. "Preparing for the Glory: Getting Ready for the Next Wave of the Holy Spirit Outpouring" by John & Carol Arnott - (4.5/5)

11. "A Study of Effects of Christian Prayer on Pain or Mobility Restrictions from Surgeries involving Implanted Materials" by Randy Clark - (4/5)

12. "Strangers to Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scriptures" by Robert W. Graves - (3.5/5)

13. "Two Paradigms for Divine Healing: Fred F. Bosworth, Kenneth E. Hagin, Agnes Sanford and Francis MacNutt in Dialogue" by Pavel Hejzlar - (3/5)

Non-Religious Book

14. "Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing" by Ryan T. Anderson & Alexandra DeSanctis - (5/5)

....

Overall, the year 2022 was a good year, though not without its share of challenges. See you for the next list in one year time, God willing.

A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2021

 

Another year is gone and there is much to be grateful to the Lord despite the many hardship and uncertainties from our world (post?) COVID. On a personal note though, I have been growing both professionally and spiritually. I also discovered a new hobby - the game of Chess thanks to the TV Series 'Queen's Gambit'. 

I have had the continuous pleasure last year to still be part of a Bible study group from the Living Word Association (LWA) which gathers weekly to reflect and share the word of God from the Holy Scripture. One major milestone achievement for the year 2021 was the completion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). With a group of friends, we set our mind to read the Catechism through and through in a year and I am glad that I was able to finally read it through and learn much about the official Church teaching. The reading led to some surprising discoveries about what the Catholic Church really believes and teach in her own words. It reminded me of the first time I read the Bible through and through, at the end of it as I was closing the book of Revelation I wondered where did some people (or even some preachers) get some of their teachings they attribute to the Bible? I had the same feeling reading the Catechism. I highly recommend people to read for themselves what the Catholic Church says about itself from the source. You might just be gladly surprised as I was.

Following the yearly tradition, I will put below the list of books I read during the year 2021. Among the books, I will omit the Catechism since I have already mentioned it above. Each book come with a scoring. This scoring doesn't necessarily mean that the content was perfect or poor. It reflects simply my enthusiasm at the moment I was reading it based on information content and writing style that I found appealing. These are the books that I read and which have contributed to shape my thoughts in 2021:

I. Religious Books

A) Catholic Authors:

1. "Demonic Foes: My 25 years As A Psychiatrist Investigating Possessions, Diabolic Attacks, and the Paranormal" by Richard Gallager -- (5/5)

2. "Jesus, the Tribulation and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement" by Brant Pitre (PhD Thesis) -- (5/5)

3. "Renouvelle Tes Merveilles: Des dons spirituels pour aujourdhui" par Damian Stayne -- (5/5)

4. "Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines" by Tim Staples -- (4.5/5)

5. "Be Healed: A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life" by Bob Schuchts -- (4/5)

6. "The Case for Catholicism: Answers to Classic and Contemporary Protestant Objections" by Trent Horn -- (4/5)

7. "Reclaiming Vatican II: What it (Really) Said, What it Means, and How It calls Us to Renew the Church" by Father Blake Britton -- (4/5)

8. "Daughter Zion: Medictations on the Church's Marian Belief" by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) -- (3.5/5)

9. "Personal Prayer: A Guide for Receiving the Father's love" by Father Thomas Acklin and Father Boniface Hocks -- (3.5/5)

B) Protestant Authors:

10. "The Potter's Promise: A Biblical Defense of Traditional Soteriology" by Leighton Flowers -- (4.5/5)

11. "Atonement and the Death of Christ: An Exegetical, Historical, and Philosophical Exploration" by William Lane Craig -- (4.5/5)

12. "Do What Jesus Did: A real-life field guide to healing the sick, routing demons and changing lives forever" by Robby Dawkins -- (4.5/5)

13. "There is More: The Secret to Experiencing God's Power to Change Your Life" by Randy Clark -- (4.5/5)

14. "Marchons par l'Esprit" by Elie et Denis Yapoundjian -- (4/5)

II. NON-Religious Books

15. "The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid isn't Working" by Robert Calderisi -- (5/5)

16. "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" by Bobby Fischer, Dr. Stuart Margulies and Donn Mosenfelder -- (5/5)

17. "CHESS 101: Everything a new chess player needs to know" by Dave Schloss -- (4/5)

18. "One Bright Star to Guide Them" by John C. Wright -- (4.5/5)

19. "Business Strategy" by Brian Tracy -- (4/5) 

....

Overall, the year 2021 was filled with surprises both pleasant and unpleasant but we continue pressing forward with God's grace with hope that the year 2022 will be better than its predecessor and filled with favourable divine appointments for all of us.

A Year In Review: Book Reading List 2020

The year 2020 was quite an unusual year for many. The great unforeseen event was the apparition of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disturbed nations and adversely affected individuals around the world. During this difficult period for many, I managed to focus my reading on some literature of interest that I had always wanted to read. As I have started to do each year, I will be posting below the books that I read and their ranking. One special mention though, with a team of friends from the Living Word Association (LWA), we were able to finally complete our reading of the Bible.

I. Religious Books

A) Catholic Authors:

1. "Scripture Wars: Justin Martyr's Battle to Save the Old Testament for Christians" by Rod BENNETT -- (5/5)

2. "PAUL, A New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology" by Brant PITRE, Michael P. BARBER and John A. KINCAID -- (5/5)

3. "Rapture: The End-Time Error that Leaves the Bible Behind" by David B. CURRIE -- (5/5)

4. "Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on 'Romanism' by Bible Christian" by Karl KEATING -- (5/5)

5. "The Rite: The Making of A Modern Exorcist" by Matt BAGLIO -- (4.5/5)

6. "The Catholic Case for Trump" by Austin Ruse -- (4.5/5)

7. "Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God" by Scott HAHN -- (4/5)

8. "Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying its Lessons Today" by Michael BARBER -- (4/5)

9. "Healing: Bringing the Gift of God's Mercy to the World" by Mary HEALY -- (4/5)

10. "The Catholic Church Saved My Marriage: Discovering Hidden Grace in the Sacrament of Matrimony" by David ANDERS -- (3.5/5)

11. "The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Feminity" by Carrie GRESS -- (3.5/5)

B) OEUCUMINACAL (Catholic and Protestant Authors):

12. "The Spiritual Gifts Handbook: Using Your Gifts to Build the Kingdom" by Randy CLARK and Mary HEALEY -- 4/5

C) Protestant Authors:

13. "Authentic FIRE: A Response to John MacArthur's Strange Fire" by Michael BROWN -- (5/5)

14. "The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus" by Sean MCDOWELL -- (5/5)

15. "John Wimber: His Life and Ministry" by Connie DAWSON -- (5/5)

16. "Translating God: Hearing God's Voice for Yourself and the World Around You" by Shawn BOLZ -- (4/5)

17. "Tactics: A Game Plan to Discuss your Christian Convictions" by Gregory KOUKL -- (3.5/5)

18. "Growing in the Prophetic: A practical, biblical guide to dreams, visions, and spiritual gifts" by Mike BICKLE -- (3/5)

19. "The Essential Guide to Healing" by Bill JOHNSON and Randy CLARK -- (3/5)

II. NON-Religious Books

20. "God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science" by James HANNAM -- (5/5)

21. "Case Interview Secrets: A Former McKinsey Interviewer Reveals How to Get Multiple Job Offers in Consulting" by Victor CHENG -- (4.5/5)

Overall, the year 2020 was a time for greater clarity for me, in terms of spirituality, family, socio-political issues, and professionally. The only unfortunate aspect of this clarity is that it came with some economical hardship for many people. May the Lord grants us peace and true freedom!

Endurance: A Year In Review (2019)

The year 2019 was an unexpectedly difficult year for me and my loved ones (family and friends). My family went through a heart-wrenching experience with the quasi-sudden death of my beloved Mother. How sudden you may wonder? Well, in the month of March 2019 we were discussing an important document to present to an interested third party investor who had confirmed to meet with us during the month of July 2019. The very first week of July, she had passed away from this life into the Eternal City, and we never had that planned meeting. Her sickness was a traumatic short-lived illness to all who were close to her. The wound left behind by her sudden departure hasn't been healed. It is too soon. And yet, the faith I have learned from her has carried me through this difficult past year, and I still cling to it to carry me throughout the year 2020. My Mother's death has put many of my personal projects on a halt and slowed down others. Despite the deep sadness experienced when She passed away to eternity, my family was comforted by the birth of two awesome and cute little Boys (Noah B. and Josh G.). The timing couldn't be more awkward but we received them as divine signs, as a rumor from another World which reached out to our hearts to appease our sorrows and anoint our hurting wounds!

Much more had happened in 2019 but this is no place nor the right time to speak about them. Nevertheless, I'd like to make an exception by pointing out one particular thing though. Something that I have learned from my parents, especially from my late Mother - the habit to learn through reading. She loved reading, especially Her Bible. Her favorite book of the Bible was the book of Psalm. I have developed a similar reading habit from my beloved Mother and I read the Bible and study it on a weekly basis with a group of dear friends from the Living Word Association (LWA).

To my regular bible reading, I also do some additional readings. Last year, I gave my 2018 reading list of books that shaped my mind and invigorated my spiritual commitment to the Lord. I want to follow on that new tradition and list the 2019 list of books that have reinforced my understanding of Christianity. The year 2019 also introduced me to a series of online debates with atheists and agnostic(s)? on different aspects of science, ethics, spirituality, politics, and other themes that intersected with religion. The debates have been spirited and at time pleasant, saved for some unavoidable toxic exchanges which are expected from the most virulent and militant atheists. These unexpected encounters led me to diversify some of the reading materials I was exposing my mind to. Below is the list of books I read and which I would also recommend with different degrees of enthusiasm. The rating simply reflects the way the book contents moved me at the time I read them. It is not an indictment of the quality of its content, but simply a reflection of my emotional response to the way it intrigued me.

Catholic authors:
1. "Evangelical Exodus: Evangelical Seminarians and Their Paths to Rome" by Douglas M. Beaumont (5/5)
2. "Diabolical" by Milo Yiannopolous (3.5/5)
3. "Christian Initiation & Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Evidence from the First Eight Centuries" by Kilian McDonnell & George T. Montague (4/5)
4. "Bad Shepherds: The Dark Years in which the Faithful thrived while Bishops did the Devil's work" by Rod Bennett (4/5)
5. "Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" by Brant Pitre (4/5)
6. "Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic" by David B. Currie (5/5)
7. "Teaching with Authority: How to Cut through Doctrinal Confusion and Understand what the Church really says" by Jimmy Akin (3.5/5)
8. "Making Sense of Mary" by Gary G. Michuta (4/5)
9. "Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know" by Michael Patrick Barber (4.5/5)
10. "The Salvation Controversy" by Jimmy Akin (3/5)
11. "Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity" by Trent Horn (3.5/5)
12. "The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflicts" by William T. Cavanaugh (4/5)

Protestant authors:
13. "Against Calvinism: Rescuing God's Reputation from Radical Reformed Theology" by Roger E. Olson (5/5)
14. "Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case" by Frank Turek (4/5)

Non-Christian author:
15. "Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth" by Bart D. Ehrman (4/5)

As I look back to the year 2019, I am full of gratitude to all who have contacted me (international calls), wrote to me and visited me during my beloved Mother's funeral. God has shown His goodness toward me through family and friends. God had given me a fantastic support system that I didn't even know existed until tragedy struck home!

Thank you to all from the bottom of my heart for your love, friendship, words of affirmation and comforts, spiritual counsel and heartfelt prayers during those terrible moments. When my heart will be a little bit lighter and the wounds a little bit painless, I will write some more about my Mother and give Her a fuller tribute! Until then, God Speed!

My Mother was a Heroine of faith, and now She surrounds us with all the other Heros of faith. Though She is gone to Her Lord, I know by God's grace She is also still with us, surrounding us and witnessing my race and the good fight I continue to fight in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ whether in favorable or unfavorable time (Jeremiah 42.6)!

Hebrews 12:1-3;

"1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

The Challenge: A Year In Review (2018)

Thanks to my parent, I have always believed in God and that Christianity was the way to correctly understand true spirituality and proper theology. When I entered University in South Africa learning Science and encountering a variety of perspectives and series of worldviews collusion with mine, that is when I felt the need to know and to understand better the evidences for Christianity. The result was quite unexpected and gratifying. That is when I fell in love with Apologetic, this is how I became interested in Christian apologetic and various theological themes.

In the same vein, I have always been a Catholic Christian for as long as I can remember and I have always lived in relative peace with my protestant brothers in the Lord save for some turbulent episodes throughout the past 3 decades where I have been placed in uncomfortable position to explain and defend some aspects of the Catholic faith here and there. But usually these 'hot seat' encounters were sporadic but never as gruesome as it could have been if my inquisitors would have wanted to make it unbearable. I need to point out though that the recurrence and onslaught against some aspects of my Catholic faith  had been growing in intensity and frequency since I returned from my studies to Rwanda. Despite the recurrent intellectual confrontation, which I always welcomed with cheerfulness over the years, I have always operated with the motto, 'Live and Let live' until December 2017.

As is the custom, during major feasts of the Church someone will come up with a good humor and provocative questions or statements against the Catholic Church. I would then go into defense mode trying to explain the ins and outs of it and my interlocutors would then hit back with counter-arguments which will elicit a response from me and then back to them and so on. I was already used to this comical ritual always done out of fraternal concern from their part. December 2017 was shaping up to be the usual re-enactment for the pros and cons about Catholicism with the usual indictment: 'December 25 is a pagan feast' or 'The Christmas Tree is pure idolatry', etc. As expected the usual suspect showed up and led to a series of dialogue with arguments and counter arguments from each sides. But what was not expected though was The Challenge.

I was not expected to be challenged to a formal debate about these issues surrounding the Christmas themes. Since I do not shy away from some good Socratic dialogue about my faith, I gave my consent. Unfortunately the debate never occurred. But inadvertently something else, something good, came out of it. From the moment I was challenged for that formal debate, I took every single free time I could find to educate myself about the subject that would have been part of the debate. I watched videos, I read articles and one thing led to another and by the time it became clear that the debate would never occur I was already 'hooked' by my research. I found myself sinking deep and deep in my research and drifting from the precise aspect of the Christmas related topic to a broaden world of Catholic history first and then Catholic apologetic. I found myself falling deeply in love with my Christian Catholic faith.

I think I owed this short explanation to my family and friends who have been wondering what happened to me last year (2018) as most of my social media posts, messaging and debates were structured around Catholicism. It is not that I became Catholic in 2018 nor that I started believing deeply about the Christian Catholic faith on that year, rather as my earlier encounter with Christian apologetic, it is the year that I wanted to understand best about the evidences under-girding my Catholic faith due to the incessant and increased frequency on the attacks to which I had been subjected to for the past recent years.

The research into the primitive Christian Church beliefs and practices was gratifying and I feel that many people would certainly enjoy any of the literature that I have been exposed to throughout the year. Allow me to share some selection of books that I have read and found eye-opening about the Christian Catholic faith during the year 2018. I can't list all that the documentation that I came across throughout the year but this list is pretty much a good representation of what was covered in one way or another in other documentations that I had access to. I am only listing those books that I found outstanding:

1. 'Four Witness: The Early Church in Her Own Words' by Rod Bennet

2. 'The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church' by Rod Bennet

3. 'Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church' by Steve Ray

4. 'Upon this Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church' by Steve Ray

5. 'The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism' by Devin Rose 

6. 'The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ' by Brant Pitre 

7. 'Jesus and the Jewish Root of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper' by Brant Pitre 

8. 'Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah' by Brant Pitre

9. 'Jesus and the Last Supper' by Brant Pitre 

10. 'Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger: The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible' by Gary G. Michuta

Special mention to an non-Catholic book that I read but which inadvertently also bolstered some fascinating historical aspects about the Catholic tradition:

'The Son Rises: Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus' by William Lane Craig

As I reflect about the year 2018, I can't help but be grateful for all those who have helped me think critically about my Christian faith once more and who by their incessant intellectual engagement pushed me to embark in this beautiful exploration of the origin of Christianity. It has made my faith even more alive than before and has even heighten my spiritual sensibilities on a day to day basis.

The Holy Catholic Church mandate seems to operate as the oracle given to the Jewish Prophet Jeremiah:

"Behold! I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." - Jeremiah 1:10 MKJV  

Some evidences uncovered have re-affirmed my faith and why I should still be a Catholic Christians (and hopefully everybody else too) and some other evidences have brought to the fore-front the reality that it is not always easy to learn something new regardless of the amount of evidences unless one is also open to unlearn some other prior views and relinquish some tightly held commitments. This later part was rather easy for me since I was already Catholic but I found it taking its toll on non-catholic who started considering the evidences and arguments being advanced for the Catholic christian faith. This reminds me of an excellent remarks by the beloved Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, which I paraphrase as, "An opinion is what you can change without changing who you are, but a conviction is that which if you change, you will have to change who you are." This brilliant distinction between an opinion and a conviction might explain what happens when a protestant Christian changes a denomination within Protestantism (change of opinion) with them moving from Protestantism to enter into full communion with the Church that the Lord Jesus Christ caused into existence, the Catholic Church (change of conviction).

For good or bad, this is the current state of affair with many considering Catholicism around the world. I can only wish them well and I will join the Church in praying for all separated brethren to one day find enough courage, good reason and good sense to come back Rome Home.

Happy New Year 2019 and my best wishes to all as we continue to serve the Lord Jesus with an unalterable love and with full commitment to the growth of His Kingdom here on earth.