“O Lord our God,
grant us to trust in your overshadowing wings:
protect us beneath them and bear us up.
You will carry us as little children,
and even to our grey-headed age you will carry us still.
When you are our strong security, that is strength indeed,
but when our security is in ourselves, that is but weakness.
Our good abides ever in your keeping,
but in diverting our steps from you we have grown perverse.
Let us turn back to you at last, Lord, that we be not overturned.
Unspoilt, our good abides with you,
for you are yourself our good.
We need not fear to find no home again
because we have fallen away from it;
while we are absent our home falls not to ruins,
for our home is your eternity.”
-St. Augustine of Hippo
(The Confessions, 112)
Lent-look
It’s not yet even two weeks since the holy week passed. It went by so fast that right now you cannot feel that we just celebrated the greatest victory in the world – the victory over sin so we can be reconciled with the Lord.
The holy week is the peak of all Catholic Celebration. Everything we celebrated before that is geared towards Holy Week. Christmas is also for the fulfillment of the Holy Week.
However, since Ash Wednesday, the start of lent there was not much symbols or decorations that will remind us of the Season of Lent.
Why is it on Christmas, everyone puts up Christmas decorations and radio stations even play Christmas songs all throughout the day? Why is it during Christmas, everyone seems very happy and excited? Why do people give gifts to each other? Why is everyone just extra nice to everyone else? Why is there an “obligatory” Christmas dinner? We give so much importance to Advent Season (which is also good). These things are there as a reminder of the reason of the season.
On the contrary, the Season of Lent has only a few if not none at all. We do not put on nor even have a specific – decoration for Lent; radio stations don’t play Lent songs or even; no one except the Christians are excited to celebrate lent; we do not give gifts to each other; Everyone treats lent as just one of those regular weeks; and there is no such thing as Lent Dinner.
Yet the bigger question (aside from all the tangible material things) is that the Season of Lent should start within us – our heart, mind, and soul should be transformed so that we will be the living reminder of Lent.
“Oh Dear God the Father, thank you for showing your unfathomable love to us. Thank you for sending your only Son. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate the greatest victory won by Jesus Christ. We pray that we will have a conscious effort to always bring your Son where the people are. May we never get tired of living out a truly-like life. May we always reflect you to other people.”
“Love one another”
Last Sunday I was able to attend the Family Ministries General Assembly.
It is always refreshing to see all the ministries together and hear the beautiful sharings from each ministry. As usual, the GA started with an opening worship. It was about the third song (if I am not mistaken), when we started singing “Love One Another” and for some reason I started feeling emotional. I became teary-eyed. At one point during the song, the worship leader, Tito Charlie (CFC Montreal Head) said to everyone, “Brothers and sisters, let us love one another. We are one community.” Our Area CC, Tita Eileen, held my hand, then I also held the hand of the sister next to me, Shenna 🙂 As hard as I tried to hold my tears, they just started flowing. I couldn’t understand what I was feeling and why I was crying. I’m sure it wasn’t of sadness but I was uncertain where this gush of emotions was coming from. Then we sang the chorus once again.
I give you a new commandment:
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
you must also love one another.
This is how they will know
that you are my disciples.
If you love one another.
I started tearing even more. I felt repentant of how I have been towards my brothers and sisters and asked myself, “Have I truly loved each and every one of my brothers and sisters?”. “Have I shown love to the person next to me in the bus? How about the other student next to me in class? My coworkers? My family? My friends? Everyone? Do they know that I am His disciple?“ This whole world is our community and we are one.
Then I realized, how much love I truly and undeniably have around me, how much love I have received in my everyday life, how much love I receive everyday and how my much love I know I will continue to receive. I started to feel unworthy but the Lord, at once not even a second, reassured me of my worth of His love. He gave me hope that I am capable of loving with all my heart and that I will be able to do so with great sincerity. After the GA, I heard mass at my parish, St. Kevin’s, it was the Divine Mercy Sunday. During the homily, Fr. Muthu shared to us that in the day’s Gospel, the Lord greeted peace to his disciples three times.
Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus brings us peace, His Divine Peace, each and everyday. He unceasingly brings peace in our hearts only if we are sensitive enough to receive this gift; only if we allow ourselves to receive this peace each and every moment of our lives.
“Love one another as I have loved you” – A truly beautiful commandment that our Lord God has given us. A commandment asking us to be good, to be beautiful, to be loving, simply to be GOOD. But why is it hard? We make it hard. Instead of just letting our hearts be free and do what it is naturally capable of, we take control of it. We are created in the likeness of God, and that includes our hearts, then how can we question its goodness and its ability to truly love.
This week, I have been truly reminded about this commandment. I am not perfect and I know that I might fall but I know that our Lord God will continue to remind me that I am loved and that I will continue to be able to love as long as my heart beats…as long as my heart beats for Him 🙂
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
– Mother Teresa
Mother Mary,
please obtain for me from the heart of Jesus,
the source of every good,
a heart that is able to truly love.
My brothers and sisters, I pray for peace in your hearts as well and that you may continue to experience and feel God’s love in your lives and also to those who are dear to you.
…let us LOVE anyway.
God bless us always.
Peace and Love,
Apple
🙂
Be Romantic
Some might say that to be derivative is a great sin.
So.
A few weeks ago Pope Francis washed the feet of a woman.
That’s romance baby.
—
Recently I’ve become obsessed with the romantic period of european history where some artists insisted that art should be accessible to all people. Rather than sticking to classic forms of literature, a lot of writers decided to use simple language in order to reach out to regular individuals. What compels me is that through this perspective, art is no longer reserved solely for elitist and purists, but is open to people from all walks of life.
After examining the different forms of service in this community over the years I’ve come to a great realization, that God is calling all of us to be artists. We’ve become practitioners of rhetoric, masters in musical theory, amazing creative directors and so much more, but through it all I feel as though God is asking us be be humble in our service by being simple and accessible. God is not reserved for elitists.
Furthermore, in our artistic expressions, I believe that God is calling us to honest in what we do. There’s no need to imitate the FTPW’s or the MV’s, no matter how much we might look up to them, for some might say that to be derivative is a great sin. To become complaisant in our expression of faith is to deny to ourselves that we’re constantly rediscovering who we are.
So.
Be romantic.
– Jesse R.
Let It Be Done
During adoration today at St. Bonaventure Church, I was meditating on the gospel for today and the Lord revealed to me, through the example of Mother Mary, a lesson on discernment and service.
Mary did not ask to be the Mother of God, God chose her. Same goes for service, we do not choose our anointing, God is the one who chooses and anoints us. The message came from the Angel Gabriel, and for us, the message comes from the Holy Spirit working through our leaders. Like Mary in the Gospel, we too are usually initially troubled with the annunciation of what the Lord has told us. However, the Lord always seeks to console us with His words “do not be afraid”, just as He consoled Mary. He knows how weak we are, that is why He is always quick to minister to our frailty, especially when our hearts our troubled. The Angel then explained to Mary what the Lord has planned for her. In our case in the community, we are asked to serve in one way or another.
Like Mother Mary, our humanity asks the question “how can this be?” Naturally, we think the task the Lord is giving is impossible. Of course it’s impossible if we only rely on human strength and understanding. However, with God, nothing is impossible if we rely and lean on Him. Leaning means to not stand on our own but to be held up and rely on the strength and power of God. The Holy Spirit truly comes upon us just as He did Mother Mary, and makes all things possible. When we allow the Holy Spirit to come upon and overshadow us, Jesus Christ truly dwells within, and the fruit of whatever we do in the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ.
When we say “yes” to God, we are formed and become a little bit more like Jesus. When we say “yes”, we allow the power of the Holy Spirit take over our weaknesses. When we say “yes,” God’s will, will be done.
The experience of saying yes to God might be a very dramatic one and we might feel the presence of God very profoundly in that moment. That is a grace from God to strengthen our faith and resolve to do His will. However, do not forget that “the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38) after all was said and done. After saying yes to the Lord, those sentimental feelings and emotions, that feeling of God speaking to us might depart as well. It is important to not rely on feelings and emotions when following through with God’s calling, but solely on Truth and Love. When it comes to Charity and Truth, it does not rely on feelings and emotions but on our commitment and our act of will.
Imagine, we discern whether to be a Program, Cluster, or Advocacy Head. Also, we discern things like whether to do a sharing or a talk, and we are given many days to do this. Mary had to discern whether or not she would be the Mother of God and she was given but a few moments to discern and ask questions. Mary was full of faith, her heart was in the right place, she asked the right questions and was obedient to the message of the Lord. In the end, she said “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:31) No more questions. Just yes. She did not question if she was capable but simply found assurance in that God is able.
My brothers and sisters, when we discern let us ask the right questions—questions that will point us to God and not to ourselves. Let us listen with an open mind and heart to what God is trying to tell us. As much as discernment has to do with our lives, it has everything to do with God. We are not building our kingdom but His, so let’s always make it all about Him and His kingdom. We are merely instruments, handmaids, of His glorious plan.
We don’t only discern for big things but even the smaller things. Thus, whatever we are asked to do no matter how small or menial the task, let us always praise our God and do it with joy because we do it for love of Him. That is serving with a servant’s heart.
Heavenly Father, we praise You. Please help us in our constant discernment to do Your Will. Purify our hearts so that we may see You, and help us not to linger on a decision you might have already affirmed us of. Help us to courageously answer Your call, no matter the call. May You be glorified and loved always. Amen.
Unmistakable
I’ve always wondered what’s the best way to describe to others how I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Last weekend, Calgary held a youth camp in the beautiful town of Canmore. I was listening to the speaker and the sharer for Talk 4. The sharer described his encounter with the Holy Spirit as an unmistakable sense. The dictionary describes this word as “impossible to mistake or misinterpret”.
Last weekend just affirmed this:
1. Being led into deep and prayerful worship by a young CFC-Youth leader who was one of the kids I handled as a KFC Couple Coordinator, that’s unmistakably the Holy Spirit.
2. Seeing my eldest son, who was only 3 years old when we joined the community in 1999, lead more young people to Christ as one of the team leaders for the camp, that’s unmistakably the Holy Spirit. Being led by your child into worship is an amazing experience that each parent should experience.
The presence of the Holy Spirit? It’s unmistakable.
“Breathe into me Holy Spirit, That all my thoughts may be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.”
Called to Love
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:11-13
I used to believe that love was always being on a person’s side. To stand by them and support them in all that they did. I thought you were supposed to protect that person from getting hurt, from any pain or sorrow.
But the more I grow in my faith the more I realize that my previous definition of love wasn’t love. I was babying the people I was called to love. I was treating them like infants. When you raise a child you can’t constantly treat them as if they can’t take care of themselves. You have to teach them. You have to guide them in the right direction. You have to lovingly correct their wrongdoings. You have to make known their faults so that they can become better. Love is more than protection. Love is wanting the betterment of others. And in our faith, love is doing whatever you can to get that person into heaven.
And in my quest and calling to love, I’ve come to realize that it is not easy. People fight back. People get angry and upset. People make you feel like you’re wrong, like you’re stupid. But I’ve come to know that I must suffer if I am to do the Lord’s work. To build up the fire inside someone, I’ll have to get burned. But it hurts. And it is discouraging. But it strengthens my faith. And when it gets tough, when my heart is failing, I can hear my God speaking to me:
“If the world hates you, realize it hated me first.” – John 15:18