Author: Anton Brosas

It is very easy to get caught up in the busyness of the community. In the difficulties of keeping up with the various responsibilities, I’ve asked myself these two questions:

“why do we need to have so many events?”

“if Mass is the highest form of worship, why not just replace every event with Mass and Eucharistic adoration?”

I am blessed to recognize the beauty of Mass and the Eucharist. I now have a personal longing and appreciation to participate in the Holy Sacrifice and to adore our Lord in the Eucharist. This was something that I know came over time and was a result of deepening my faith.

Then it hit me.

I realized that it was because of the community. A brother shared with me that when we talk about the door of faith (or porta fidei), we often focus on what is behind the door – an abundance of God’s goodness and love. However, it is the door that attracts us to the faith. The events that we have in our community simply invite us to dive deeper into our faith. The more attractive the door of faith is, the more people want to see what’s behind the door.

So if you’re ever like me, and you get tired, frustrated, or overwhelmed with serving the Lord, remember that each event we have in CFC-Youth is an opportunity to let someone experience the abundance of God’s goodness and love. Let’s strive for excellence in our service! Let’s make the faith as attractive as it deserves to be.

Sirach 2 (http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Sirach+2)

Read it. Internalize it. Digest it. Remember it.

Points of reflection:

• anyone who trusts the LORD will never be disappointed
• similarly, if I am ever disappointed, then I know I lack trust in the LORD
• ask the Holy Spirit for an increase in the gift – fear the Lord. It will lead to wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
• fall into the hands of the Lord. Surrender. Be humble. God is a winner. Surrendering to Him is surrendering to victory

In the words of my brother, Praise God for God!

“You will never regret doing the right thing” – Christina Potusek

7 Identities: A missionary, a model of excellence, champion of the poor, a patriot, 100% free, single-minded for God, source of unity in the family.

Core Values: Pro-God, Pro-Family, Pro-Life, Pro-Poor.

Can’t go wrong with that.

When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (Luke 8:4-8)

I am thankful that my parents raised me up in the Catholic faith. In particular, I am thankful that they enrolled me in the Catholic education system (elementary and high school). I didn’t know at the time, but my parents were just trying to help the seed of faith grow in good soil.

I was given the opportunity to serve as an alumni leader for my high school grad retreat. It was really tough to see how taboo our faith is in a Catholic high school, as difficult as that is to understand. But I could easily relate to them because I was once there too.

All throughout high school, I took the seed of faith and placed it among thorns where it was choked. I was choking myself from experiencing Jesus. Bad choices and decisions led to many hardships, broken relationships and emptiness. However, after experiencing what life was like without Jesus, I chose to experience life with Him. There was nothing to lose from choosing the Lord. It was difficult. Growing is difficult. It hurts. But as Fr. Dave says, “if it doesn’t hurt, maybe we’re not growing”.

The retreat was an opportunity to be an instrument of the Sower. And that opportunity is something given to me every day. I just need to choose it. I need to choose the Lord, His soil, every day. Every opportunity to love is an opportunity to sow seeds and for our seeds to be sown in good soil. Every opportunity to choose love is an opportunity to choose God.

Thank You, Lord, for the people in my life who have helped me grow in faith. Thank You for allowing me to experience Your love through their love for me. You have commissioned me to be an instrument of love to help sow seeds of faith in others. Grant me the grace to choose Love in every opportunity You give me.

As we enter Holy Week, we enter the most exciting time of the Church. I was challenged by Brother Nick, a local seminarian, to be a pilgrim and to fully experience Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil. A pilgrim journeys to a Holy place, draws closer to Christ, and ultimately comes back transformed where as a tourist passively observes their surroundings.

This entire lent has allowed me to experience ‘Holy Week’ over and over and over again.

1. Palm Sunday – Jesus shatters our expectations
2. Holy Thursday – Leadership is service; service is humbling
3. Good Friday – Suffering with Jesus
4. Holy Saturday – The Silence of God
5. Easter Vigil – The Joy of the Resurrection

God has really put me in my place this Lent. He has shown me so many things that I never thought I’d do, including opening up my heart to being a FTPW. My mind was so set on continuing my professional development as an engineer but the Lord has knocked on my heart. Every time I say, “come in”, He reveals to me something that is completely different than what I had ever imagined. And I find so much peace and joy in what He has revealed.

The CFC Global Vision reminds me that we are ‘blessed to witness to Christ’s love and service’. CFC-Youth continues to give me opportunities to be a witness of His love for me. I’ve realized that it is a blessing to be a blessing to others. This is what we do when we witness.

Suffering with Jesus allows us to appreciate the depth of His suffering and realize that He did all of it for you and for me. Good Friday reminds me that I am called to accept my sufferings and give them meaning, just as Christ accepted his sufferings and made our salvation its purpose.

Holy Saturday reminds me the many times where God is silent. All hope seems lost. Yet, Mary trusted that God was working and desolation would come to an end. God is always working so there is no reason to stop praying.

Finally, Easter Vigil reminds us that the Lord is victorious. Suffering will lead to a resurrection if united with the Lord. The Lord resurrected and no one recognized Him after. This is what happens to us after we suffer with Christ. We are a changed person when we suffer with Christ.

I am very excited that I’ve experienced all of these things already, because I know that the Lord is only preparing me for something greater. Easter Triduum? ILC? Career? Vocation? All of the above.

Lord, thank You for allowing me to experience Holy Week consistently throughout Lent. I am unworthy of your love yet you still clothe me and comfort me. Increase my faith so that You can shatter my expectations. Increase my faith so that I can add meaning to my suffering. Increase my faith so that I can wait in joyful hope.

Increase my suffering so that I can be transformed in and through You.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

“Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” – Psalm 139:7

It seems easier to find the Lord working in my life when blessings are coming from every direction. However, I’m thankfully seeing God more and more in my daily crosses. When He said, ‘whoever wishes to follow Me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me’, He really meant it! It is difficult to follow Christ, but not impossible.

The cross reminds me of Christ’s suffering and death. But also of His resurrection. There is nothing more comforting than suffering intimately with the Lord. I am at peace knowing that the Lord gives me a cross because He wants me to experience His deep, authentic and transforming love for me. He wants me to turn to Him. He wants me to rely on Him. He just wants me. I was made to love Him. He is what my heart wants and will always want.

Thank You, God for my crosses. Through them, I have the opportunity to experience death of myself and a renewed life in You. Give me the grace I need to carry my cross joyfully and to offer up myself to you entirely.