Author: Ellish Maigue-Talacca

Psalm 73:26. Hello! :) My name is Ellish (not Ellen) and I'm a Full-Time Pastoral Worker for CFC Couples for Christ Youth, originally from Montreal and stationed here in GTA. Feel free to reach me at ellishmaigue@gmail.com

Dream Big

To have eyes of faith is to never lose the ability to imagine what God can do. No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human mind conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him– 1 Corinthians 2: 9

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On my way to the Romblon Province via ship, my service head and FTPW for Batangas province pointed to a series of small silos along the coastline. He said: “Those are where you can find the biggest anchovies.” I was puzzled, but I accepted the statement regardless. I only understood that he was joking around with me as he pointed to a another set of wider silos and said: “Those are big Spam containers.” He smiled, and shared the briefest but invaluable realization that stuck with me until this morning, at the beach before worship.

For the first time in a long time, standing and beholding the greatness of the sea in front of me, I allowed my imagination to roam free. I imagined what was over of the other side of the sea… Another Philippine Island I have never heard of. The final scene of LOTR. Heaven. In the end, I came to a peaceful resignation that much like the end of the sea, that I will not ever see the fullness of God’s greatness. But when I do get to see even a part it (e.g. In creation) boy… Was it ever a beautiful moment specially fashioned for me.

“The youth are slowly losing their ability to use their imaginations”, said CB. And consequently, the ability to dream big and become visionaries for their stake (be it a household, a chapter, sector, country) in the mission. In my own reflections, how often have I myself focused on the barriers that inhibit my mission (in service and in my life). I lose heart before I allow Him to reveal how He is already working to its completion, bit by bit.

The Lord reminds me that to remain in love with Him is to set my mind on what He is capable of doing… Which is everything, from the down right impossible. Being the Great God that He is, He could choose to trample the plans I have imagined. But because He loves me, He never denies me to freedom to dream big. In fact, He is with me in every day conversation when I am thinking of every crazy dream for my area, family, service and life. And when He laughs at them, I know without a doubt that it’s never out of absurdity but out of fatherly love.

Lord, thank you You for loving me as Your Beloved Child.

Father, in specific way, I pray for the youth of today. May they never lose their ability to imagine your greatness in all that they do. Send them Your Holy Spirit daily, to ignite their hearts with passion to live out the plans you have prepared for them.

(Today is the Feast Day of Saint Rita.) Saint Rita, Patron Saint of the Impossible, pray for us and our big dreams.

Built for Mission

Built for Mission- Being built from the inside to go out. Jesus answered and said to him: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make a dwelling with him.” – John 15:23 (NAB)

“… You were built for mission”, was one of the last affirmations I received through text before I left for the Philippines for training. On a superficial level… Not in any way high maintenance, so giving up the straightener wasn’t a going to be big deal. Physically, I’ve been built bigger and stronger (I owe it to working in inventory). I’m totally ready to “rough it out” on a mountain somewhere.  But all this self-talk didn’t mean I could withstand just the intense heat here in Manila. It knocks me out at night, my hair looks like an afro half the time, and my face is permanently sweating and red.

As a FTPW trainee, I’m being built up to take on the work of a Missionary for Couples for Christ. In my recent Metro Manila Immersion for the East A sector, I’ve initiated and conducted 1on1s, attended both YFC/SFC events, supported and given talks at Youth Camps. But close to two months into training, do I recognize that a great amount of experience in service in no way means that I can withstand whatever the demands of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) are. They, along with the pace to which they are to be fulfilled (serving in Metro Manila is like serving in Montreal x200), change all the time.

Christ wants to build me from the inside to be able to withstand going out to build His Kingdom and Church. The Gospel today (John 14:1-6) reminds me of how much Christ not only seeks to be with me, but completely in union with me. Do I give Him the time to build His dwelling place within me?  A dwelling place built with easy access… For in any given moment I am asked to proclaim the Good News, in this place I can easily sense the Holy Spirit moving, giving me confidence (I CAN give this talk even if I can’t speak Tagalog),  strengthening my trust in the Lord (Not me… It’s all you Lord), providing wisdom (Kinda messed up on point A, but let’s pad up point B up and we’ll be fine).

Lord, please forgive us for the times we fail to acknowledge your presence around us and within us while we are busy serving, working on building.  You are the way, the truth and the life. Wherever you call us to mission (Quezon, Laguna or Batangas), may we always find a dwelling place with You. Amen.

God in me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhPeaOGoubw
Prayer for the Indwelling of the Spirit: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=334

Accepting God’s Authority

I trust you.

“… The Lord remembered her. She conceived” – 1 Samuel: 1:20

The past two First Readings have been from the first Book of Samuel, and have made us journey with an extremely unhappy and scorned woman named Hannah. The deepest desire of her heart was to conceive a son. In fact, in few but bitterly (10) cried out words, she expresses this out to God. She is not alone in the temple. Although misunderstanding her (“drunk” is her appearance to him), Eli’s curt response in seeing her weeping can be read as a two-fold in meaning: “Sober up.” (14)

An evaluation of my trust. How confident am I in God’s unwavering willingness to hear and answer my prayers? Admittedly, I do start to doubt when I ask: Is He even moved by my misery? Or did He actually forget me me? (11) Even if the only person present in my midst every day is not God but Eli the priest sitting on a chair, do I still strive to live without appearing downtrodden or downcast? (18) I am reminded that my trust in Him is deepened through conscious building of my relationship with Him. For this Hannah teaches me, that for one, all my deepest desires are to be offered directly to Him (not the “Eli” in the room). Second, when I can’t see Him clearly (through my crying or anything that blinds me) that I must “vow” (11) to live faithfully what He is asking me to do now fully accepting His authority in this way:

Simply. I praise God because even if He doesn’t say it, He knows my heart (desires, sorrows, miseries). Simply. I give thanks because he does answer prayers: In His time, He did give Hannah and Elkanah a son (Samuel, was his name). Simply. I must confess my tendency to put Him second in turning to others first rather than Him directly. Simply. I ask for the grace to trust His strength rather than my own.

A most “Dangerous Prayer” passed down by Bishop Dowd: Holy Spirit, I give you permission to work in my life the way that you want.

Tears of Consolation

Engaging in Mission begins by seeing it from the foot of the Cross.

“The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14
“She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” – Luke 2:19
“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” – Psalm 126

Last weekend, CFC-Youth Montreal’s Area Core had their year planning. It was the first time ever that this was conducted over a weekend instead of just one day and this made a difference. With more time to not only plan but to properly recollect to in truly discerning the leading for the Area, small region big dreams were really sifted out in full detail into a very deliberate plan that left us – both incoming and outgoing leaders- not the “typical” empowered at the end of a praisefest, but in tears.

What kind of tears were these? Were they sad or happy tears? There was something about these tears that were different, so different that both Ellen and I had to process in private afterwards… They were neither. They were tears of resolve after contemplating the many difficulties (no CCs, no programs heads) up ahead. The same type I’m sure Mother Mary felt in her heart standing at the foot of the cross in seeing every detail of It (wood, size, colour) and of Jesus’ pain and suffering (crown of thorns, thirst-dried lips, wounds). There is no doubt that she felt the deepest anguish, pain, and helplessness. Yet, she never buckled down and stood by Him until the very end. 

For many different reasons, if we see service as a Cross,(e.g. lack of CCs, demotivated leaders, etc.) God never wants us to be standing in the crowd watching It. We will slowly become part of the jeerers, demanding that Jesus reveals Himself (“save yourself!”) to us in order to believe and move. He wants us standing so close to the Cross that we will immediately see and recognize that It is also ours. And with renewed resolve, we must pick it up, carry it through our personal road to cavalry to where we will be moved again in meeting Christ on His cross.

(prayer): Jesus, we are deeply moved by your loving sacrifice. Let the tears we shed in our Mission of spreading the Good News lead us to true resolve, a place where we acknowledge that laying down our lives out of love for you is our only consolation and way to everlasting joy.