Tickle tickle

Words are fickle.
The word of God is not.

When I hear or read any word, I have an immediate emotional reaction which is based on my own history with that specific word. As odd as it may seem, we all have a relationship, good or bad, with words. What’s troubling about this reality is that every individual will be drawn to their own subjective understanding of what they’re hearing or reading rather being able to fully appreciate the intended meaning of a speech or text. While this may seem distressing, especially for those of us who lead, this limitation with communication shouldn’t discourage us, but rather, it should challenge us to be even greater in the way we choose to present our faith.

The ability to influence through speech and written testimonials is both uplifting and terrifying. One of my personal struggles has been whether or not I am fair in how I choose to outwardly express my personal beliefs to those around me. I try, to the best of my abilities, to adjust my approach based on the perspective of those I am trying to evangelize, but very recently the Lord has revealed to me that for my words to bear any meaning, they must come from a deeply rooted belief in my anointing as a man called to lead.

Words are fickle.
The word of God is not.

What then is the word of God? Furthermore, how can we possibly invoke the word of God into our brothers and sisters when we’re asked to do so with such a limited capacity for understanding? I think the answer is simple, be good.

Words are fickle.
The word of God is good.

We say “God is good” everyday, but let’s take it farther. When we say “God is good”, let’s be aware that what God is calling us to know is that He IS goodness, and so, His word is good, His good news is good.

We are the word.
The word of God is good.

– Jesse R.

God is where? Everywhere.

“God is really among you.” — 1 Cor 14:25

First, praise God for blessing the community with such wonderful messages including: “GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD. GOD IS WHERE? EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE, GOD IS THERE.” This phrase has been such a fun, exciting and unique way to capture everyone’s attention but at the same time deliver a clear and true statement about the Lord.

During my provincial immersion here in the Philippines for training, I believe the Lord was telling me that not only we are called as young people to “Be and bring Christ wherever we are”, but to “Find Christ wherever we are.” Why? Because God is everywhere. Even in people or situations where we least expect it. Yes we are called to build relationships, strengthen and exercise our faith, build the church of the home, of the poor, etc. but the Lord was also telling me, “my child, I was here before you even knew it.”

I was so blessed and overwhelmed to experience God’s love in Oriental, Mindoro. The Lord truly took care of me and showed lots of love through the Couple Coordinators, Youth leaders, Full-time workers and even strangers who did not know me. Christ was present in each and everyone of them and I thank God because they have inspired me in one way or another.

Lord, Thank you for blessing and making me experience you, everywhere. Your love overflows that you want us to experience you in everything and in everyone. Lord, continue reminding us that you love us so much that you want us to notice you always, even during times where we least expect you.

God is Good, all the time. All the time, God is good. God is where? Everywhere. Everywhere, God is there.

 

Be Pilgrims not Tourists

As we enter Holy Week, we enter the most exciting time of the Church. I was challenged by Brother Nick, a local seminarian, to be a pilgrim and to fully experience Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil. A pilgrim journeys to a Holy place, draws closer to Christ, and ultimately comes back transformed where as a tourist passively observes their surroundings.

This entire lent has allowed me to experience ‘Holy Week’ over and over and over again.

  1. Palm Sunday – Jesus shatters our expectations
  2. Holy Thursday – Leadership is service; service is humbling
  3. Good Friday – Suffering with Jesus
  4. Holy Saturday – The Silence of God
  5. Easter Vigil – The Joy of the Resurrection

God has really put me in my place this Lent. He has shown me so many things that I never thought I’d do, including opening up my heart to being a FTPW. My mind was so set on continuing my professional development as an engineer but the Lord has knocked on my heart. Every time I say, “come in”, He reveals to me something that is completely different than what I had ever imagined. And I find so much peace and joy in what He has revealed.

The CFC Global Vision reminds me that we are ‘blessed to witness to Christ’s love and service’. CFC-Youth continues to give me opportunities to be a witness of His love for me. I’ve realized that it is a blessing to be a blessing to others. This is what we do when we witness.

Suffering with Jesus allows us to appreciate the depth of His suffering and realize that He did all of it for you and for me. Good Friday reminds me that I am called to accept my sufferings and give them meaning, just as Christ accepted his sufferings and made our salvation its purpose.

Holy Saturday reminds me the many times where God is silent. All hope seems lost. Yet, Mary trusted that God was working and desolation would come to an end. God is always working so there is no reason to stop praying.

Finally, Easter Vigil reminds us that the Lord is victorious. Suffering will lead to a resurrection if united with the Lord. The Lord resurrected and no one recognized Him after. This is what happens to us after we suffer with Christ. We are a changed person when we suffer with Christ.

I am very excited that I’ve experienced all of these things already, because I know that the Lord is only preparing me for something greater. Easter Triduum? ILC? Career? Vocation? All of the above.

 

Lord, thank You for allowing me to experience Holy Week consistently throughout Lent. I am unworthy of your love yet you still clothe me and comfort me. Increase my faith so that You can shatter my expectations. Increase my faith so that I can add meaning to my suffering. Increase my faith so that I can wait in joyful hope.

Increase my suffering so that I can be transformed in and through You.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

 

Hero’s Welcome

Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!

Yesterday, I had the great honour of reveling in one of the most significant moments in the history of salvation.  No, not the Passion of the Lord, but of course, Jesus’ triumphant entrance in to Jerusalem.  To me, this holds great significance because for the first time, he makes a very audacious public statement, to believers and non-believers alike, with a sense of great regalia but at the same time, humility.  He was, indeed, their king.  Though they failed to see what being King really meant,  this sense of overwhelming hope and devotion to Christ affirms me of the posture of hope we should maintain in our full awareness of his divine and royal sovereignty.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey”

Zechariah 9:9

Jesus, Prince of Peace

St. Ignatius always taught that to really contemplate on the scripture, we must picture ourselves present in that exact moment in time.  I could imagine myself being one of the Jews on the sideline thinking, “We’re waiting for a great military leader who will lead us to redemption and we get an average joe on a donkey?!”  That exact way of thinking is likely how must Jews would have felt at the time, however something that I recently learned was that Jesus’ triumphant return by way of donkey was no mere coincidence.  In fact, It was written.  Not only was in prophesied by Zachariah, but Jewish tradition tells us that all Jewish kings who have entered a city ride in one of two distinct animals:  a horse or a donkey.  A horse symbolizes readiness for battle.  It signals his troops to take heed and also sends a message to the men of the town that he’s ready for war.  However, a donkey, signifies just the opposite.  It signifies that he comes in peace.  The donkey, in it’s lack of size and “masculinity” is meant to show humility and in an altruistic sense, meekness.  When Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey, He sent a very clear message to the Romans and Jews that he and his apostles came in peace.

Our Personal Pilgrimmage

The great truth the Lord has been revealing to me this Holy week (thus far) is really to pilgrim through this faith journey by way of donkey – to make known of our peaceful intentions by maintaining a humble heart and a charitable Spirit.  Though no one will know what the Lord intends for us, not even us, we should always make it very clear that we, as Christians, should be vessels of virtue.  Christ already knew of the suffering that was to come, he entered willingly His passion.  Similarly, we, with the same God-given wisdom and discernment, must enter willingly our own personal passion not with a heart of conflict or waging war, but with a peace, joy, and charity.  When there is suffering, we must burst from the seams with overwhelming compassion and we must always call in to mind that though we remain pilgrims in this life, we are ultimately called to be eternal residences in the next.

Father, allow me to be a faithful pilgrim to you this Holy Week.  Allow me to immerse myself in deep conversation with you, as I strive to deepen my love for you.  Allow me to strength and grace to do what is needed to enter in to your kingdom in the same manner our Lord entered Jerusalum, in meekness, humility, and peacefulness.

Pater Noster.  Ave Maria.  Gloria Patri.
Amen

cpm

 

I will have nothing, except You

Sometimes I do good things so that the Lord will bless me. I get excited for the graces I will receive. I get excited for the souls in purgatory I could possibly save. And yes, more selfishly, I get excited that maybe God will grant me all my wishes if I make Him happy. 

But if I am constantly doing things for my own benefit, our faith becomes a job. My focus is on myself instead of where it should be: on our God. It is a constant work in process. A constant goal to be better.

And I pray that one day, if God comes to me and asks, “what reward would you have for your labor?” I can answer the same as St. Thomas Aquinas – “I will have nothing, except You”.

 

Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How?

Serving in the SFC CLP has truly revealed something to me. No matter where you came from (country or community) and when you got here, it DOES NOT MATTER.

The SFC group I have right now comes from diverse upbringings. Some have come from another youth group, another has become inactive from CFC Youth for more than 3+ years now from a past chapter, and for some reason, they all ended up here.

There are so many things I was taught to question in life. And as I grew up, I kept trying to find the logical reason to everything. It has even reached a point where every action I made, or every action I have seen others make must have a valid step-by-step process and reason as to why. It even led to trying to find reasons or details as to why someone might be happy, or why they were sad, and it would bother me day in and day out until I knew why. But trying to figure these things out all on my own, “independently” is what was leading me to my downfall. I had become easily upset, easily angered, easily frustrated, easily sad, and easily disappointed… in myself and in others.

This year, with the new adventures God had put in my way, and through the new relationships I had formed, those that I have lost and the ones that I have and have strengthened, I had learned the real reason to all these floating and lingering questions that kept me tossing and turning at night. I learned that the reason for all the why’s and the who’s and the where’s  and the when’s and the what’s and ALSO how’s is God. God is the reason why, His plan puts me where I am exactly where I am now, His presence lives in me, in everything and in everyone, but more importantly, GOD IS. Through Him, all things are possible. With my belief in Him, life becomes that much harder, but in an easier way. And more importantly, there is no longer any tossing and turning because whether the answer is revealed to me now or later, it doesn’t matter because I now understand that everything I want to know and everything I need to know will be revealed eventually. If I ask, I will receive (whether or not what I receive is what I want) but in His time. The PERFECT time.

If today you hear my voice, harden not your hearts.

Hebrews 3:15
15 while it is said,
“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS [a]WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”
Just recently, while we were in our parish office, our parish priest called me and my wife to his office. Apparently, some of our parishioners wrote to the Bishop directly complaining about the quality and content of his sermons. One of them touched about being on time for mass and dressing up appropriately.
While he was talking, I know in my heart those who complained were not from our community. A lot of our teachings are direct and tough, all of these in the spirit of molding us to have the heart of Jesus. Do we really just want to hear what we want to hear? Or do we really want to hear the voice of Jesus no matter how hard the message is? Does Jesus speak only through eloquent speakers or does He speak even through the most boring speaker?
In Talk 1 of CFC’s Christian Life Program, there’s a part in the end that goes like this:
“ When Jesus spoke to his disciples, some were turned off (Jn 6:60). They could not
accept the truths Jesus revealed to them and they left (Jn 6:66). Jesus turned to the other
disciples and asked if they were going to leave too. They stayed.”

I hope that just like Simon Peter you will say: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).

AMDG.

Tito Gee