True North Missionaries Journal

 

I am on my last stretch of mission here in Fort McMurray. It’s my first time to come here and see the beauty of the place. I thought the way to Fort McMurray was a winding narrow steep and by the cliff road.  I also thought that Fort Mc was like one of those small town where after a 500meters there’s no more establishment. I thought this place was small and somewhere you just want to be for a weekend. However, I stand corrected. When I thought it was a small insignificant city, I was wrong. There are giants here, like those photos above. (That was taken near the camp where all those mining companies are). I learned that Fort Mc is the one getting the oil from below but it is Edmonton that does the distribution. No wonder Edmonton has cheaper gas then Fort Mc – an average of $10 difference.

I guess that’s how it is. Like Fort Mc, we don’t have to wait and take the credit if we do something good or worthwhile. When we give, we give without telling the whole world but we make sure that it will reach many people. This city is actually a sleeping giant, not because it has those big machines but because of the richness within it.

“Lord Thank You for the simple reminder that we are not called to be noticed and appreciated, we are called to share.”

 

 Candy

Philippians 1:29  

One of the aspects I find most beautiful about community life is the idea of journeying together. We are pilgrim people. Our journeys are not to be made alone.

The people I have journeyed with and continue to journey with have had an enormous effect on my life. I have encountered Christ in each one of them. I’ve witnessed the miracles of Christ through these people. Among these people, I have seen a glimpse of Heaven.

We encounter Christ in others. From witnessing to their personal conversions; from their triumphs and joys to their struggles. Christ is made real through our relationships, through the love and the bond we share. It’s difficult to be a Catholic without community life. To be Catholic we are always called to go beyond ourselves. Our faith life is centred on communion. Communion with others, communion of the saints and angels, … with our Beloved Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. The love of the Father, Son and Spirit is a communion of love. This relationship, this communion of Three Persons in One God, is the kind of relationship that Christ taught us to have as brothers and sisters.

So, my brother, my sister,… let us continue this journey together! You are not alone!

We are one in You, Lord.

***

See, I leave the past behind;
a new land calls to me.
Here among you now I find
a glimpse of what might be.

I have fixed my eyes on your hills,
Jerusalem, my Destiny!
Though I cannot see the end for me,
I cannot turn away.
We have set our hearts for the way;
this journey is our destiny.
Let no one walk alone.
The journey makes us one.

—“Jerusalem, My Destiny”

 

Three realizations I’ve had during the week, you can ask me why if you want.

1. In order to be closer to the Lord, there requires a lot of self denial so much that it will hurt.  A self denial that is willing  to say to the Lord “Lord share to me your sufferings so that I can be closer to you”
2. Our life & part of the mission should include the conversion of souls as well as praying for the faithful departed.  Lastly,
3. We should exhibit fear of the Lord in piety… well because He is worthy to be praised.

@itsmetimmm

One my my very first classes in post-secondary education was an english literature class at Dawson College-it was a class focused on Dante’s Inferno. My professor was a dramatic guy, so usually after each paragraph or so he would stop the class completely and yell, “What a scene!” He did this to help us appreciate the drama of what we just read together, and because of him I’ve learned to slow down, stop, and appreciate what I’m blessed enough to witness.

Sometimes it’s so easy to let moments slip by. Routine and repetition makes the novelty of what we do day by day wear off quickly. Something that once amazed us can now pass us by without phasing us in the slightest.

—

These are some of today’s events.

My girlfriend went out of her way to buy me a delicious chicken sandwich because she knew I had a terrible lunch and was craving something to satisfy my hunger. She handed it to me as if it was no big deal.
What a scene.

My fellow MV Apple Lacbay stopped to speak to a homeless man who actually remembered her name even though the last time they spoke was weeks ago. This happened on Concordia University’s campus, which is where this man had graduated years ago.
What a scene.

Today, babies were born.
What a scene that must’ve been.

Today, people died.
What a sad scene.

Somewhere out there, a father was teaching his son how to ride a bike.
What a heartfelt scene.

Somewhere out there, a husband was abusing his wife.
What an unfortunate scene, but a scene nonetheless.

Dante went through in hell in a very literal sense. Some of us are meant to grow by witnessing acts of extreme compassion and beauty. Others are still yet blessed even through witnessing tragedies and heartbreak. In this community, I feel as if we’re called to create moments that fall in the latter.

The next time I witness a brother lead worship I will stop and say, “What a scene!”
The next time I see a member donate to ANCOP I will stop and say, “What a scene!”
The next time I see a couple coordinator walk into the room with their children I will stop and say, “What a scene!”
The next time I see a sister on her knees deep in prayer I will stop and say, “What a scene!”
The next time I see a full-time pastoral worker see their family after months of being separated I will stop and say, “What a scene!”

The next time the Lord calls me to leave behind what I’m doing for something greater I will stop and say, “Thank you Lord, for this scene.”

Jesse R.
“I Am, and We are Missionaries”

The Lord is good at giving us opportunities and empowering us to be effective with His Spirit. But, sometimes we got up in our human dispositions that we expect things or someone to turn out a certain way. Thus, leaving us in disappointment. We ask, “Why Lord did it turn out that way? Why couldn’t it have gone this way or that way?” With expectations, we question the Lord’s will, doubt, and miss the whole message the Lord is trying to tell us.

Let us have no expectations from the Lord, but expect Him to expect us to have faith. Let us trust and be joyful in whatever outcome revealed to us.

In His Name, we Trust.