Missioning for and with Christ

“Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our confidence firm until the very end. ” (Hebrews 3: 7-14)

What is unique about the People of God? (Question 125 in YouCat)

This week, my Mission brings me to another long stay in the west side of Toronto; I’ve packed a duffel for 4 days, and will be waking up in at least two different homes.  It always astounds me how the Lord allows me, through the hospitality of many, to share the mission with many individuals.  We share in/about each others common prayer times, speak with/about Christ through a meal, and at times even, I find refuge of Self that I didn’t know I needed.

“Being blessed by, and being a blessing to the God in others”.  This has always been the essence of Mission to me.  In giving and serving others, I receive and encounter the Lord in a deeper way.  I am commissioned, equipped and empowered constantly. My Sender (Founder) is the Father, my Model (Leader) is Christ, and my pool of Inspiration (Source) the Holy Spirit.  Im caught in this in this circulation of constant and unending divine love.  Mission is not a sacrifice: it is a series of beautiful exchanges between Child and Father.

 Thank you Lord for the gift of my many partners in the Mission, and for the opportunities to sharpen each other in faith. Thank you for the experience of love You allow me experience in them.  Amen.

 

He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Long before I got involved in CFC, I have always wondered what drives people in community to sacrifice their time, talent and treasure without seeking recognition or compensation. The long hours, travelling distances and the difficult work doesn’t make sense in the secular world especially when no reward is received.

Expecting non-professionals to run conferences of 500-1000 people over 3 days can be viewed as a recipe for failure.  The phrase “as the Spirit leads” is not a concrete assurance of success to one who does not walk in the steps of Christ.

In the end, we who serve do all these things so that the name of One who gave Himself for us can be exalted.  The sleepness nights, long hours, the physical toll on our bodies, the self-sacrifice all becomes worth it so that He can increase by our decreasing.

At the end of the day, the physical tiredness is overcome by the spark of energy from the spiritual high that we experience from the events that allow us to experience Christ Himself.

Tito Gee

 

The Vine

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
—John 15:5

The community is not the one true source of the grace of God. The only one true source is Jesus through Mary, and we receive that grace in abundance through the Church and her Sacraments that Jesus instituted Himself. The common misconception for the youth in our community is that they might think that Jesus is only found in the community and once one leaves the community, he/she leaves Jesus. We definitely experience the presence of Jesus in each other in a community in our brothers and sisters, but one cannot bank one’s entire faith in the community alone. We must be rooted in the Church first and foremost.

Community life is an extension of the life in the Church. It is an extension of the life and love in our families. A community can only truly thrive if its members are thriving in the Eucharist. A community will only truly grow if its members are growing in their interior life with God.

As a community, let us pray that we always encourage one another to thrive in the Sacraments, especially in the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. Let us inspire one another to abide in Him so that we can all truly bear fruit—fruit that will last.

Truly we can do nothing apart from Him, so let’s remain and abide in Him, The Vine, always.

May God grant us the grace to make a daily resolve to abide in Him. Amen.

Beyond Infinity In Us

I watched a documentary about the Universe with my mom when I was in Toronto and it was very interesting. It was very fascinating because the Universe to me can’t be anything short of awe and wonder.

God created everything with a purpose, even the mysteries of the Universe. I believe He made it and allowed us to see what we can with our telescopes simply for us to get a taste of how great He is. Also, the veil of the Universe speaks of the veil we have with God, a mystery we will never fully uncover. The Universe is a tangible sign for us of His greatness. Nothing else can give us the idea of it more than the limitlessness of time and space.

Then I started to meditate on the Maker of the Universe. God Himself. Today’s readings reminded me that God is Love, and since God created time and space, it was out of sheer Love. Hate, selfishness, vanity, greed, nothing else created all created things but Love. Since Love created all things, truly nothing is more powerful than the force of Love, and truly “what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”

Thus it is mind-boggling and amazing to know that “if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” (1 John 4). As limitless we think the Universe is, truly even more vast and limitless is the love of God. Truly we should never underestimate the creative power that is in us, and the consequences of that Truth in our lives!

His Love is truly beyond infinity and that Love is in us!

God, thank You for loving me first. You’re Love is beyond all thought and comprehension but You have revealed it to us through Your Son. Thank you for showing us how to Love. May we love like You. Amen.

No Longer in Darkness

“the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light”

 

I have always wondered my life would have been, if the Lord gave up on me and never called me to the community of CFC.  I wonder if my marriage would be as strong as it is today, would I have given in to temptations, would I have fallen in love with my wife everyday as I do now.  Would I have been the father I am, although imperfect as I still am?  Would I be going to church and serving Him in all areas of my life.

Before I found the Lord, I was always afraid of death, it was a scary vision of imagining nothingness for eternity.  But now I can truly say that even though I fear death, I know that the Lord has a better life for me, in His time.

Tito Gee January 7, 2013

A Message of Hope from packs of Beef Ribs

Last Friday, my wife and I went to Superstore to buy some groceries for a dinner we had planned for some guests. I bought five packs of beef grilling ribs, the price of one which I noted was an exact $8.00. Each pack was priced differently since they were based on weight.

We loaded all the groceries on our van and I didn`t think about the rib until the next day. As I tried to prepare the beef for marinating, I couldn`t find them. I asked my wife to look for them as well, I checked our van, nothing.

So I went back to Superstore to buy some more ribs as we may have left the original ones in the shopping cart. At Superstore, I decided to ask Customer Service, just in case somebody found them and returned them. The Customer Service Clerk gave me a sarcastic look and asked me, “do you think somebody would return the beef ribs if they found them“. I told her, “you never know“, still believing that there are still decent people out there who would actually return things to lost and found.

I was still a bit annoyed on how people can be so cynical and not hope in the good but I still had the mission of buying beef ribs. I was lucky to have found exactly 5 packs of beef grilling ribs left and picked them quickly. I noted that one pack was priced exactly at $8.00.

At home just for curiosity, I looked at the receipt from the previous day. I noted that the prices of the 5 packs were $6.18, $5.58, $6.70, $5.62 and $8.00. I then looked at the receipt from my recent purchase and the prices were $6.18, $5.58, $6.70, $5.62 and $8.00, an exact match, just like lottery tickets. I then thought of the probability of having 5 packs of grilling ribs that had different weight and price, match the same pack of ribs the next day having the same weight and price.

As much as Superstore refused to give me a refund, what was more satisfying is that knowing that someone must have found those ribs and returned them. That in these ribs, there was hope in humanity and that the work we do in the community will prosper, because there is good in people. Just as God brought out the best in people through these ribs, He will bring out the best in people in the work that we do as long as we continue to hope, believe, and persevere.

The ribs tasted better than any ribs I`ve cooked or bought, much more than the spices I added, what made them tastier was the dash of hope and goodness.

God is awesome!

Tito Gee Dec. 31, 2012