The Catholic religion is difficult. It draws prejudice and misguidance because people choose to interpret it in manner in which they deem is correct, or more so, in a way that benefits them or validates their actions.

The foundation of Catholism is faith, and is the source of our mediation methods. Whether Buddhist or Catholic - faith is a means to escape our current negative energy/karma, it is a means to an end. But what does that mean and what is faith?

To many, faith is interpreted as - if one believes in God, God will grant them beneficial gain in this life, such as wealth, health, and happiness. Then, there are many who interpret faith as - if one believes in God, God will deliver them from their hardships; he will be the one to pull them out of their current life troubles with certainty. This same interpretation can be said for all spectrums of religions - Catholism and Buddhism alike. But with this type of faith, once hardships arrive or current hardships do not resolve, one becomes angry and resentful, blaming God for their misfortunes and even abandoning their faith to seek out misguided and harmful entities that create negative karma.

What faith is, is neither of those. Faith does not make things easier, nor does it grant us any human-based gains. A woman who becomes a successful doctor or a man who becomes a poor beggar has nothing to do with God or Buddha but the already predetermined karma from past life positive/negative karma and/or perpetual good/bad habits that transcend through each life cycle. This is the true concept of predestination - we are already born with certain characteristi*** *** and the life that we are destined to have.

What faith truly gives us, is the ability to be free from or lessen our negative karma in this life and the next life, or it will allow us to be free from the worldly bounds completely. It gives us the tools and opportunities to make things possible through our own actions and thought process. Faith is not something that grants us relief just from our worship and belief in a religion of Truth - Jesus or Buddha does not grant us anything, but rather they are our teachers on how we can change our karma; how we transform our lives is up to us. Through our faith, we can overcome the layers of our subconscious so that we may accept our karma through practiced mediation, prayer, and positive actions to sustain a determination that we will find happiness in what we have or to create happiness in any negative circumstances.

Mother Mary, demonstrates this faith. Her agony was unbearable as she met her beloved son - brutally beaten and bloodied - upon the way to the site of his crucifixion, dragging for miles his own wooden cross in which he is to be put to death upon. The wooden cross pressing upon his swollen, dirty wounds, each step seemingly impossible. Mother Mary, raised and taught her son about enlightenment, deliverance, sacrifice, and unconditional love; she instilled all that she could upon him so that he may go forth to bring others to enlightenment as well. It was in this moment that she realized that her upbringing of Jesus is what ultimately lead to him to his death and suffering.  But in her faith, she also knew that this was the path in which both she and Jesus must walk together, she knew that their determination and faith would be the deliverance of not only them, but of many future generations to come. With this knowledge and faith that many will find enlightenment, she was able to withstand the ultimate sorrow of a woman - witnessing her child's death before her own. She did not place blame on God, nor did she regret her actions in which lead her to this moment. Her faith gave her strength and peace to continue on her path to enlightenment and in turn, impact the lives of many.

There is a bible verse in which states "in that day you will know that I am in my Father (Truth), and you in me, and I in you." This verse is telling us that faith is the combination of the truth, our teachers - Mother Mary, Jesus, Buddha - and ourselves; simply stated, the truth is within us and we are one in the same with our teachers, we have the potential to reach their level of enlightenment.  We must acknowledge that although we understand that we must seek the Truth and the right teacher, what we do with this knowledge and their teachings is ultimately up to us. We are the ones who control the outcome of our lives, both in terms of religion and humanity, to be able to reach true Enlightenment.

Therefore, in times of crisis or disappointment, in the moments one wants to give up, we must remember that faith does not make things easier, it makes things possible, it provides us the opportunity to attain Enlightenment - and that possibility lies within us.