Author: Ellen Maigue-Talacca

 How to breathe in the right kind of air

It’s SHOUT Day 2 for the area core of the Greater Toronto.  We’ve just had a full day of chores and workshops, and now I find myself taking a metaphorical “breather” while doing the most calming chore in the world: shredding paper.  It’s a tedious, a one-dimensional task, but bringing some sort of peace, the focus of my mind on “automatic mode”,  moving on the simple act of “grabbing” and “feeding paper” into the paper monster.

This SHOUT is but another event surrounding the Summer Mission blitz, right smack in the middle of RYC from Canadien Region, and the next MV SHOUT. As the busyness continues, His message for me remains the same: “Fix my eyes on Jesus”. A challenge to take in the “right kind of air”, exhaling the stress and migraine, and calling on the Spirit. To be faithful to prayer, inspiring myself from the right source of energy.

Lord, allow me to be focused on you, to gaze upon your face despite the tasks that surround me.  Send forth your Spirit to revitalize my conviction to live the calling you lay out for me each and every day, amen. 

“Enjoy what God has in mind for you.”

As an avid planner/over-thinker, this line stood out to me a like sore thumb to me at Mass yesterday.  No wonder, that there always comes a point in my “questions of life”  that I hit the great wall of Unknown…the Answer is actually in God’s mind!

And whatever the Answer is, it’s quite beautiful.

Continue reading The most Beautiful of Minds

Have you ever been through a life experience that is so great, that it feels utterly impossible to translate this awesomeness into actual words?  Such was my month in the Philippines…where when looking back, all that’s left are Memories: memories of worshipping in a crowd of thousands of youth, being in awe of God’s creation in crystal blue waters, and uniting (in some way) with Christ’s suffering through physical exhaustion, hiking in bat caves of Sagada…plenty and plenty of Memories. Continue reading Memories, Jesus Experience(s) and Faith

“Long have I waited for your coming, home to me and living, deeply our new life”-Hosea

Continue reading How deep is His love?

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2-3

Listening to MVs share about their journey during interviews this week has re-affirmed to me that Mission begins with one thing…a Calling. What a blessing to witness, the uniqueness, and yet some form of unity throughout every testimony.  Indeed, listening to testimony upon testimony, it would seem that many Callings started being felt by few, or many of the following:

• Unease: a slight to increasing discomfort, with the question “is there more to this than my present life”?. A catalyst to look deeper.
• Curiosity: an opening to one, or many possibilities the Lord is setting for our lives.
• Desire: a longing to please the Lord through the right vocation.

(Stir my heart when I lose my purpose…but Lord, let me find it first.)

In taking the discernment deeper, and specifying it to Mission, how does one come to realize “Mission as a higher calling”. This statement has sometimes troubled me, in the sense that mission work is put on a pedestal and hegemonized over all other vocations.  Indeed, there is definitely “no lesser calling” in life, but then what makes the call to Mission work unique, not in worth, but in nature?

My reflection on this lately…Personally, the Call to Mission is unique in three ways:

1. It is Non-sensical…de-stablizing, contradicting every standard of success the world offers, but ultimately brings us to an encounter of obedience towards with Christ, the Lord of Lords.
2. One of Love…through His anointing. Out of the many who are listening, the Call to Mission came to us, specifically. “Many are called, but few are (have) chosen”.  He then offers us the chance to lovingly respond in return.
3. Heavenly…Because responding to the Call is placing our Hope not in things of this world (security, comfort, etc), but assures us a glimpse of eternity. This is the true Answer to the philosophical question contemporary souls ask: “what is really the purpose of life”? (ans: to live for heaven)

The call to Mission is a calling that is “out of this world”, and that opens us up to the immensity of His love that breaks through the senses. Our commissioning is personal, and given us by ultimate loving Father.

Lord, help us to recognize Your calling for us, and give us the courage to lovingly respond in return. 

Dug into the Glory Book archives today, and reviewed one of the old school songs that tugged (and continues to tug) at my heartstrings once upon a time.  The lyrics are powerful:

Whom have I in heaven but You
There is nothing on earth I desire beside You
My heart and my strength, many times they fail
But there is one truth that always will prevail. 

So many thoughts, desires and worries weigh down our hearts daily, and most especially in the area of our deep longings that are looking to be filled. Sometimes in considering the possibilities, our hearts end up buckling under a weight of felt unworthiness and pessimism.

Yet, a heart that is full of “weight” and one that is full of “strength” are truly two completely different things.

My reflection on this song was: “When Heaven is deeply desired, failure is prevailed.” Strength of the heart occurs when it loves with purpose and hope. Our calling is upwards, and full of promise.  As its flame rises upwards, it inevitably begins to illuminate every crevasse and corner  of the space. Every blessing poured out a chance to be turned into praise. Every seeming failure, an opportunity for growth for the soul  A “heart full of strength” is one filled with the right Light (Christ).

Listen to the cover of the song here:

God Is The Strength Of My Heart (Cover)- CFC-Youth Montreal Music Ministry

It goes by many names…The local brick building owned by CFC:  “CFC Office” in Canada, “CFC Centre” in the Philippines.  It may go unnoticed to the membership, but reporting to this CFC building…is a special reality of every Missionary.

I remember travelling, rain, shine, or ultimate shine, a 40min or so Jeepney/Tricycle ride daily during immersion in Isabela last year. There were days where we had actual work to do, other days where YFCs would randomly appear, and, pulling out the plastic chairs stashed in the corner, we’d “bum around” in the small, but homey space.

In Manila, the “Centre”, was the building where the Mission was buzzing.  Four floors of bustling employees, our very own Family Min floor (with a gazillion of FTPWs) and Ablaze store, co-op stores attached…”Centre” was really a good qualifier for it.  Worship and recitation of the CFC Mission and Vision every morning, Mass at noon, automated 3PM Divine Mercy that would blare through the speakers wherever you are.  It’s a different kinda of “Office”…one where you can really feed off and be reinvigorated by the Spirit in its workers, the work itself and the Mission.

The CFC Office in GTA is smaller, less “bustly” and more business.  On some days, it gets dreary…the same 6-7 people, your own, but lonely, desk, the monotonous sound of the copier and 2PM radio mix .   But I dream of day that this building is no longer seen as an “Office”, but a “Centre” where many workers will be reporting in and out as they work to-and-from the Mission; a hub where God’s glory proclaim in the great work done by workers ablaze.

Lord, increase our Work, our Workers, and our zeal to serve You!