True North Missionaries Journal

So I was able to fly out to my mission area up north in beautiful British Columbia for the Prince George Diocesan Youth Conference with my mission partners. Allow me to share with you some revelations/sensitive moments during the time there.

Being a Catholic has allowed me not only to be alive, but to also experience what it means to be fully human.

Revealing ones child like sense of joy, reveals a genuine foundation of being able to accept and give love.

You trust in me, so it is through your prayer and our conversation that I too, trust in you.

This what it must be like to really live. I was pretty much to myself this mission trip, but it really was because I think seeing the fullness of mission in a way where it was completely foreign to me, but yet there was a certain peacefulness in serving in the unknown with everyone in the same mission to output love.

I love what we missionaries of our community are called to do. I am affirmed even more so that this community has so much to offer to our church and even to the world.

Deo Gloria

Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us.

Our community is a gift from God. We must be thankful that we are blest with the people we serve with. They are given to us by God to accompany us in our journey with Him. In them we find strength. Together we stand stronger so that we might not face this battle alone. Let us take care of one another and always remember that these brothers and sisters we serve with are our family. A very wonderful gift from God.

Thank you Lord for the gift of community

May 3,2015

 

Today is just another normal day. Off to mass and then to CLP. Listening to yet another talk. Everything is as it should.

Talk 6: Loving your neighbor. The talk that I have heard many times does not seem to resonate much anymore. Why should it. I don’t know of anybody that I have offended or are in bad terms with. I don’t have perfect relationships but I have made amends. So this should be easy.  Right?

As I was sitting there not really hearing what the speaker is saying, I was distracted by my many thoughts. Everybody around seemed to be doing the same. The speaker was clearly distracted as well. He kept pausing in between his thoughts and there was a lot of silence. And in what feels like  forever, it was finally done.

We immediately got out of our seats and went to our discussion groups when suddenly, a participant, his first time attending spoke up and asked, “Who among you here likes public speaking? ” Puzzled, people said nothing. He then repeated his question. And there was no one who said yes. He then proceeded saying “Nobody raised their hands. We should then give the speaker a big hand for his courage to speak in front”. Everybody clapped. I suddenly felt embarrassed and ashamed which I’m pretty sure every one else felt. Humbled by his words I realized, loving does not always have to be grand and bold all the time. Sometimes, the simplest things like respect and appreciation is a sure sign of love.

-Lord, teach us how to love others not only in the big things but even in the simple ways.-

April 26, 2015

“Love is not merely a sentiment. Sentiments come and go. A sentiment can be a marvelous first spark, but it is not the fullness of love. It is charcteristic of mature love that it calls into play all man’s potentialities; it engages the whole man. But this process is always open-ended; love is never finished and complete; throughout life, it changes and matures, and thus remains faithful to itself”

-Pope Benedict XVI-

Loving God is a decision. It is a commitment. It demands our whole being. Jesus asks us “Do you love me?”

April 19, 2015

“Trust”

Know that God is in control. Trust. Despite the doubts and fears. Trust. His love can conquer any darkness. Trust. His mercy never fails.

We need not pray for clarity, we only need to trust.

April 12, 2015

This song sums up my journey of getting here and what is to come. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq2Tp3asLU8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

DAY ONE
By: Matthew West

Well, I wish I had a short term memory
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can’t stop looking back

Yeah, I wish I was a perfect picture of
Somebody who’s never not good enough
I try to measure up but I mess it up
And I wish I wasn’t like that

I wish I wasn’t wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody’s keeping score
I’m tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin’

It’s day one of the rest of my life
It’s day one of the best of my life
I’m marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one

Well, every single day Your grace reminds me
That my best days are not behind me
Wherever my yesterday may find me
Well, I don’t have to stay there, no

See my hourglass is upside down
My someday soon is here and now
The clock is tickin’
And I’m so sick and tired of missing out

I wish I wasn’t wishing anymore
Wish I could remember that nobody’s keeping score
I’m tired of throwing pennies in a well
I gotta do something
Here goes nothin’

It’s day one of the rest of my life
It’s day one of the best of my life
I’m marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day one

It’s day one
And here comes the sun, yeah

Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy’s new
Every morning, every morning
I will fix my eyes on You
Every morning, every morning
Every morning, mercy’s new
Every morning, every morning
Sun’s coming up, the beginning has begun, yeah

Man, truly praise God only for parents!!!! There are really no other people who can understand, accept and AFFIRM of what you’re going through other than them. Yesterday, I received a challenge (I mentioned in my previous post). I was really really scared of how I am going to say this challenge to them. On the way home from work earlier, I was telling myself that if only I don’t have to tell them so that they wouldn’t feel bad about themselves, so that they won’t blame themselves, so that they don’t have to go through the heartaches. My parents already have so much in their hands so I was really really scared of telling them. But you know that brothers and sisters, ahhhhh parents are truly God’s blessings like no matter what we have done they are always there willing to accept you and remind you that you are their son/daughter and therefore they will always love you. I think that this setback is a blessing in disguise because this is the first time I have opened up to my parents in such a long time. Yeah, I told them about applying to MV but I haven’t really told them my future goals and such. I’m hoping that this situation will be the beginning. It’s very hard for me, even to my parents, to share because I am very reserved, secretive person in that even my friends don’t know what’s going in my life (the deeeeeeep stuff). Even though I didn’t want to tell my parents, I felt like I had to as an obligation to them as their son.

This situation brought me think back to our MV meeting last Monday where the topic was on family led by Kuya Gelo. He asked us how is your family, what are some victories/struggles and then he asked us what are your plans for your family and how does this translate into your passion for service. I said that there are times especially during vacations that I wish I wasn’t with my parents because of differences in what I want to do and where I want to go versus theirs. But I also mentioned that I hope in the future that I’ll always have respect and love for them no matter what. I’m not a perfect son, there are hurtful words/phrases said, hurtful actions done and hurtful thoughts but with this setback I was truly reminded of the importance of family, of my parents. They say that who you are outside home reflects to who you are inside the home. To my friends, I am not that open. A brother/friend had to repeatedly tell me that “how I am supposed to be your friend if you’re not telling me your problems.” Through this experience, I just hope that I can start to truly embrace the role that God has given me in my family. My family’s not perfect and for most times I blamed them for how I act in our family but I know that they are/will always be my no.1 supporters, fans of my life, that they will always be there for me. As I shared to my parents this setback, both of them really affirmed me. My dad kept saying “you are good boy, you’re doing good. The best is yet to come, son…” My mom said that “don’t worry about us, you’re my child. I’m here, just always be open to us.” That’s what I really needed to hear to be at least relieved from the pain, heartache. I am truly sorry for all I’ve done against my parents, for neglecting them. I hope that this situation will truly transform, strengthen my relationship with them. I know with them by my side, I will be stronger.

Ahhhhhhhhh, truly PRAISE GOD for parents!!!!!!!! <3