Author: Arnel Vicente

3/5

I just finished my third exam and have two more left for this semester. I only have one or two more courses left to do. This means I have one semester left after this one. I am almost done school and not only do I want to finish, but I want to finish strong. A lot of people want me to finish and graduate soon lol. The people that are motivating me to finish are my family, my household and God. I wouldn’t know where I would be without them, specially in terms of my education.

My family supports me in my education by paying my tuition and nagging me about my studies lol.

My household supports me in my education by praying for me and putting me on lock down during exam season lol.

My God supports me in my education by blessing me with the communion of saints, Mary and Jesus to pray and intercede for me.

These three groups of people know that I have a willing and passionate heart to serve the Lord, specially when it comes to CFC-Youth. It is exactly through that knowledge that they remind me that serving God is not limited to serving at events or conferences, but serving God in my current vocation. My education. I am grateful for the opportunity to be in school. I am so so blessed to have them in my life to guide me and support me in my education.

 

SHOUT OUT TO MY HOMIE ST. JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO. Home bro has that clutch factor from and with the Holy Spirit.

First Prayer
O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favour in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked.
Through Christ our Lord.
St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us.
Amen.

Second Prayer
O St. Joseph of Cupertino who by your prayer obtained from God to be asked at your examination, the only preposition you knew. Grant that I may like you succeed in the (here mention the name of Examination eg. History paper I ) examination. In return I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked.
O St. Joseph of Cupertino pray for me
O Holy Ghost enlighten me
Our Lady of Good Studies pray for me
Sacred Head of Jesus, Seat of divine wisdom, enlighten me.

I Want You to Know

When people meet me for the first time, they sometimes say that I’m generally a very outgoing, self-confident, and joyful person. However, I wasn’t always like this. Specially when I was in high school. I was very insecure and was very dependent on the opinions of others. I was very focused on myself. Maybe it’s because i’m a middle child and had middle child syndrome or the fact that I was a brat and only felt loved when I got what I wanted. LOL it’s probably a combination of both of those and others. Whatever the case may be, I am grateful to say that i’ve gone a long way since then. I am still a middle child maybe without the syndrome. I’m not as bratty as I used to be (hopefully lol). I still do have insecurities, but the biggest change is that I am now very dependent on God’s opinion over everything else.

My relationship with the Lord has become my most important relationship in my life. As long as I continue to allow the Lord to pursue and love me, I will continue to learn more about myself. It is through that I can be more of the person He has created me to be. The closer I get to God, the closer I can be my true and real self and the closer I will be to becoming a saint.

Lord I pray that I may grow more and more dependent on You.

 

 

Answered Prayers

I’m coming from an amazing weekend (RYC “Believe” & Assembly at St. Wilfred’s). I was in charge of Liturgy with the Rodriguez’s & Elizabeth Adeseha. I was blessed to serve with my whole campus based core in Liturgy. We were in charge of Mass & Confessions. I would say it is the the best RYC I have ever served and participated in. The reason why is because the Lord answered my prayers directly and indirectly.  Directly in the sense that I was able to serve with my whole core in one committee. I was able to see the growth of my old household and see how the Lord was blessing me and my current household. Indirectly in the sense that He conquered the doubts that I have been holding unto and healed the wounds that I’ve tried to hide from Him in the past year or so. He did two things for me at RYC. He met me where I was, in my struggles and in my weakness. He showed me that He was greater and that I was loved abundantly. He then called me to share that feeling through my service in liturgy.  Praise God for God!

Through some weird chain of events I know that the prayers of those around me where also answered directly. Directly in the sense that one of our mission parishes St. Wilfred’s needed assistance for their assembly. Prior to the day off, we couldn’t provide assistance for them because of prior commitment and exhaustion from RYC the previous day. On the day off I went to work with Martin Angeles who is currently heading up the parish mission with Tasha Fernandez. He was initially unable to go because of work, but during work an unfortunate incident happened with his face and a door. LOL his glasses broke which allowed him to get off work early. His prayers were answered, maybe not the way he expected but answered nonetheless haha. I also initially had prior commitments but it didn’t end up going through which gave me an opportunity to give the session for the assembly. Which Godincidently was about confession(ReCoFoPeCo). Praise God for God!

All I can really say is that God always answers prayers. Directly or indirectly. The way we expect or completely the opposite. He answers them in the right time, His timing is perfect.  God loves us, we only need to let Him.

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will.”

Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

John 14:13 “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Lord I believe, help my unbelief. Lord I have faith, increase my faith. Lord I love, purify my love.

Lifted

When the Lord calls me to serve Him and His people. I have learned that the greatest thing that can ever happen, is when I just let Him use me the way He wants to. I see the most joy in others when I allow myself to be loved by Him. When I allow Him to show me who He created and calls me to be. When I let God who created the universe not just be God, but Father. When I let Jesus the one who died for me not only be Saviour, but Friend. When I let the Holy Spirit not just be this Giver of gifts, but let Him live in me.

It has only been 3 months since the year started and I feel overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by all the things that I am called to do, however beyond that I realized over this weekend that I am more overwhelmed by His love. I have been reminded that I can only continue to serve because of the One who has served me first. I can only love because of the One who has loved me first. With that being said I just want to say praise God for God! I should not be surprised that He continues to out do me in love. When I think i’ve given enough, He gives me more, just so I can give more back. LOL

I am grateful for this realization. I owe it to those individuals who were at Camp Lifted this weekend. Thank you so much for being God’s blessings in my life.

Campus Fam

Camp Verse Isaiah 40:31 “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (NRSVCE)

Lord I know you will call me. I pray I may answer. 

Boots of readiness

The first time I ever lead a worship was at a SHOUT back in 2010. It was around the third day and I was deciding whether to stay or go to my friends birthday. I remember it very vividly haha. I was torn from either going to spend time with my friends or spending time getting to know the Lord. I was washing the dishes after we had lunch and a brother came to help out. I had already decided to leave and notified the team lead that I would be leaving because I made prior commitments. As the dishes were about done, the brother helping me out asked me how I was enjoying the event/retreat/training so far. I replied that I was enjoying it so far. What he asked next is probably one of the funniest and most randomest things I have ever been asked before. He asked me if I had my boots of readiness on. I replied jokingly “I always have them on.” He then said “good, can you lead afternoon worships?” I was so caught off guard but at the same time it was as if the Lord knew the real desire of my heart. I believe that the real reason I wanted to go to my friend’s birthday was to experience intimacy with others. When I was asked to lead worship, I believe God was answering that desire. I answered the Lord’s call to leading that worship and not only did I experience intimacy with others but with God in a very special way.

The reason why I bring this story up is because amidst the busyness of life, I sometimes forget that the Lord knows the desires of my heart and knows exactly how to fulfill them. The year of 2015 has a lot of possibilities for me. I already know that I have preconceptions to what the Lord may have for me, but I must be ready for anything. I believe the Lord has been preparing good things for me. I must continually have my boots of readiness on, because I am still on this journey back to Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

Ephesians 6:15 “As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.”

Lord may I continually put my trust in your plans and not upon my own.