In approximately 4 hours I’ll be on a bus leaving Montréal heading to the GTA. Although this is not my first time leaving home for an extended period of time for a CFC-Youth event, this time it feels different.
For the first time in my life, I feel as though I’m leaving home as a missionary.
Praise God.
– Jesse R.
“I Am, and We are Missionaries”
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” —Bruce Lee
Our theme this year is to OBEY and WITNESS. To obey is to be water and to become whatever we are poured into. To witness, is to be the shape of what we have been poured into.
“Mary is the great mould of God … Everyone who casts himself into it and allows himself to be moulded will acquire every feature of Jesus Christ, true God, with little pain or effort, as befits his weak human condition. He will take on a faithful likeness to Jesus with no possibility of distortion…” — St. Louis de Montfort
Thus, “be water, my friend.” With the obedience of faith, let us allow ourselves to be poured into our Mother Mary so that by the grace of God we can truly be formed into Jesus Christ. When this happens, our nature is transformed, like water into wine.
Totus Tuus!
“Love is inconvenient.”
Today at Mass Fr. Martin recalled the story of the parish deacon giving the homily and starting it with those words much to his and the parishioners surprise.
It is a great inconvenience to love. But the truest love, often comes from the greatest inconvenience. It is never convenient to lay down your life for the other, but Jesus’ commands us to do just that ‘…Love one another as I have loved you’ (John 15:12). How did Jesus love us? By dying for us. By giving His life for us. By suffering the greatest inconvenience and showing us the authenticity and purity of His love.
I look back, and reflect on my week and realize the times God has been giving me opportunities to love out of inconvenience. These moments are truly humbling, to put others before you, no matter how inconvenient it is for yourself.
Putting others before yourself does not mean you are putting yourself second and the others first, rather, you are putting God first. You are acknowledging that the love Jesus has for us surpasses any need to be comfortable, and looks to help those in need of this love.
Remembering that
love is inconvenient,
this love is the Love that Christ Jesus has for us, and
these inconveniences can purify my love,
will help my growth as a mission volunteer, and as a daughter of Love.
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship thee
You alone are my strength, my shield
To you alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship thee
You’re my friend and you are my brother
Even though you are a king
I love you more than any other
So much more than anything
I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joygiver
and the apple of my eye.
I love you, Lord
We will always be a work in progress, always wanting to learn something new or in need of a change in order to make room for something better. A few months ago I began really asking our Lord for more faith and this last youth camp in Saskatoon (by the way which was such a blessing) He continued answering.
What I found was faith existed in such a way that I can become blinded both ways by its awesomeness! and by over thinking too much. I knew that our Lord was present in my one on ones because each and everyone of them gave me faith that I’ve been seeking. “Even though I have so many things to do or worry so much, I am still able to come to YFC and be with my brothers and sisters to worship him.” It just shows truly how much faith existed and how much greater it was than the things they faced. Busy schedules or even means of travel would not stop them from being able to worship our Lord because they contain the faith to fully rely on him.
I’m still a work in progress as for now I’ve been revealed that faith involves asking, obedience, trust, and action. What more will the Lord reveal? This just means I have to keep running this race.
@itsmetimmm
“…that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” -1 Corinthians 7:5 NASB
I’ve always been asked from others about the topic of self control. It’s funny, because it is definitely something I’ve been constantly working on whether it’s not eating that last piece of ice cream cake on a hot summer day, or being on my phone during conversation with friends or family, or even just being able to know what’s a good decision to a rushed decision.
Okay, you’re reading this like, so…you gonna help or what?
I guess even though I struggle with self-control at times, just really reflecting on this, here’s some things that have helped me:
1. PRAY
Conversation with the Lord always helps. Ask for the intercession of the Holy Family, or simply, ask God to help you with your situations.
2. STOP AND THINK
Yup, usually this doesn’t happen, BUT when you get a chance, ask your self, “Is this the right thing to do?” or “I already ate. This is just extra money I’m spending.” OR A VERY IMPORTANT ONE, “Should I go out? I haven’t chilled with my family for a while.”
ONE MORE…
3. SPONTANEOUS PRAISE/MANTRA
Especially in times where its all going wrong…OR you just can’t help it…I really feel this helps calm ANY situation, and can give you room to stop and think. FOR example, trying to have self control over anger…I simply repeat, “Jesus, I need You”. It really calms me down and lets me think for a bit about what I’m about to do or say.
SO yeah, a bit of a reflection this week on something I feel God is asking me to work on. Self-Control…or as the BC gambling association says, “Know your limit, play within it.”
Stay faithful, remain hopeful.
Desiderio Domini
Beneath Faithfulness
Is Goodness
Beneath the sun
Is the rain
In the midst of
The burning heat,
The salivating dryness, and
The overwhelming chaos
I am called to
Stand still
Be Silent and
Reflect
As I look up
I secretly beg the Heavens to rid me of the heat
All I see is
I look up once again
With my arms wide open
With my eyes closed
I felt God’s tear
It hit the tip of my nose
He was holding back
I opened my eyes
Looked to the sky
And whispered
” Oh Lord, you are Good!”
And the water flowed
And it flowed
It covered every inch of my body
He was preparing me for this
Preparing my body for change
5 more days until it will be revealed
Until it will be exposed
Little did I know
I have always been exposed to
Water
How good it is
Though we tend to forget
Just like how its presence
Seem so natural to me
I tend to disregard the value it brings
Life
Water
Is
Life
So I let the rain fall
I let the water flow
And I let myself get soaked
By the goodness of The Spirit
I am
Cleansed
Renewed
and
Exposed.
—
Lord God,
“Allow us to prepare our hearts to receive You despite the heated chaos, may the water cleanse us. Leaving us only exposed to You”