True North Missionaries Journal

This past weekend was Pacific Region’s MCG Retreat where all the new members that just stepped up into the Mission Core Group would attend.
Although the weekend was supposed to teach them the anointing they received was given by God, it wasn’t what stood out to me the most. My single greatest and most joyous highlight was during our informal fellowship when we were playing ‘Minute To Win It’ and the game we were playing required you to move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth. Sounds kind of silly at first…… and it totally is. You can imagine the kinds of faces people were making in order to move the cookie accordingly! “Eye Of The Tiger” played in the background and EVERYONE was participating. It was a beautiful moment of joy, humility, fellowship, and most importantly being a fool. Everyone’s walls were torn down and it didn’t matter whether you really knew the other person or not, we were all in this crazy zone of craziness happening and we could honestly care less. The Lord’s joy was so evident in that room, and from where I was standing the Spirit was very present within each and every person.  In all this silliness, the Lord wanted to remind us that sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. That sometimes, we need a break and have that ability to become like a child all over again, cause after all…

 ^“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15 (RSV)

 

Let’s be honest. Forgiving somebody who has hurt us may be the hardest thing we ever do. We may have suffered a serious offence, but often it is the daily grievances or misplaced words that are the sticking point in our hearts and minds. We can struggle for days, even years, with anger, confusion, sorrow and bitterness after someone has wounded us, offended us, or betrayed our trust.

What a beautiful reminder it is for me whenever I receive a publication magazine from the Sisters of Life in New York. Each article and each story in the magazine is always something that I have pondered on before and something I need to read. I would like to share with you this reflection on the 5 things we need to know about forgiveness:

1. Jesus knows and understands. Jesus knows our struggle, so much that He entered into the pain of our wounds as He hung crucified on the Cross. Yet, He doesn’t want us to remain there in the darkness – He desires us to experience the glory of His Resurrection, where His wounds are transformed into marks of victory and our sins are redeemed into channels of grace. Jesus taught us to pray to the Father: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

2. Forgiveness doesn’t mean being a doormat. It doesn’t mean justifying or ignoring an offence, excusing the offender of responsibility, or taking the blame upon ourselves. We need to acknowledge the wrongdoing and live in accordance with our dignity in order to truly forgive the other.

3. Forgiveness is letting go. Forgiveness is choosing not to hold the offence against the one who has hurt us. It means letting go of resentment and revenge – not lowering ourselves to the level of retaliation, but rising to the level of merciful love, in imitation of the God who forgives us “seventy-times-seven times.”

4. Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a decision. It is intentional and voluntary. Of course, “it is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offence, [but if we give our hearts to the Holy Spirit], He can turn injury into compassion and purify the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession.” (CCC, 2803). Forgiveness may not take away the pain, but it will transform it. Every time the memory of the offence comes to our minds, and every time we choose to forgive, we become freer, more whole, and more like our Heavenly Father.

THE GOAL: The goal of forgiveness is that of restoring, or reconciling, man to God and God to Himself. The scar might still be there, but forgiveness gives freedom. To forgive another is a mercy to that person, but also to ourselves.

As we enter into this Holy Week, let us be reminded of the Lord’s mercy in our lives and let us reflect on, “where and what is the state of my heart, in growing in deeper relationship with Him?”

Jesus, Fountain of Mercy, we trust in You.

One day an Arabian prince, Abd-ed-Kader, while passing through a street of Marseille with a French official, saw a priest who was carrying Holy Viaticum to a dying man. The French official stopped, uncovered his head, and knelt. His friend asked him the reason for this gesture.

“I adore my God, whom the priest is carrying to a sick person,” replied the good official.

“How is it possible,” the prince said, “for you to believe that God who is so great, makes Himself so little and lets Himself go even to the homes of the poor? We Mohammedans have a much higher idea of God.”

The official answered, “It is because you have only an idea of the greatness of God; but you do not know His love.”

That is the answer. In confirmation of this, St. Peter Eymard declares: “The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus. After this there is nothing more but Heaven itself.”

Open my eyes and soften my heart to feel Your love and to love You in return, my humble and sweet, Jesus. St. Peter Julian Eymard, pray for us. 

“Ask and you shall receive.” —  The Lord really showed me the true meaning of this last Friday.

It’s Friday morning. I remember the night before, I asked the Lord to please grant me patience in everything that I need to do…. and praise God He did…of course..in HIS OWN WAY. It was a very typical Friday morning — I woke up, got ready for work and left the house for work. Literally, as soon as I got on the train to head to work, (fyi, the train was supposed to be an express train), the ambassador announced that the train that I am on is not gonna be an express one but an all-stop one. So instead of being able to get to work in 30 mins, it’s take me about 45 mins to an hour. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little upset already cause I feel like I was gonna be late for work.. but at that point, there’s really nothing that I can do. And then, I thought, that’s it..but no… the train took longer that expected, people got too impatient, the train became so packed, people started complaining, etc… and of course, I was one of them… scared of getting late for work…I became really upset.. although I kept telling myself it’s okay…I can’t help but to become more upset…. And then finally, we reached Union Station.. It takes me about 15-20 mins to walk from Union station to my work place. Literally, I was rushing out of the station, then for some good reason, every single person in front of me was just walking so slow… I was about to complain again, but then I remembered what I prayed for the night before… PATIENCE… and literally right when I remembered this, I just laughed at myself and told myself “It’s okay… I think I failed the test.” I’m pretty sure, the Lord was just laughing at me for there I was asking for patience, but not being ready to be really patient. Ask and you shall receive….quite literally.

So many times have I lacked patience. So many times have I prayed that the Lord would just give it to me now..not later..but now. Countless times have I complained…not being able to wait for the Lord’s time. A very simple morning for me, but the Lord truly gave a powerful message. As St. Teresa of Avila said, “Patience achieves everything.”

The Lord calls us to be patient — Patience with Him, that everything we prayed for and all of His plan will happen in His time. Patience with ourselves as Lord is patient with us, to realise that His grace is more powerful than our weakness, and to admit that most of our life is patiently stumbling along with His help. And finally, patience with others that we may be more understanding and would have that childlike trust in the Lord and all His plans.

I was reading a book and came across this beautiful prayer. I know most of us know the first few parts of this prayer..

God, give me grace to accept with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

Praise God!

I am extremely fond of movies, and I’m willing to bet that quite a lot of you are as well. The thing is, when I’m asked what my favorite movie is, I found myself rattling my brain for an answer. I think to myself “oooh, Avengers was the best action movie of all time! but I really liked Finding Nemo.” As it turns out, I have a favorite movie for pretty much every genre.

I pondered on my love of movies a bit more and asked myself as to why I like them so much. It comes down to one thing. I love good story telling. I wanted my imagination entertained. I wanted to experience what it’s like to be a super hero, or a fish father finding his son. I realized that watching, listening, experiencing stories is attached to my fundamental need to how to relate to life better.

Story telling is an amazing tool that Jesus used to help us relate to life better too! Jesus told parables, also known as basic story telling. Each and every single one of those stories helped me relate to every aspect of my life. An example is the Prodigal Son. Every time I hear that story, I play a little movie in my head where I’m the son that left the father. I feel the shame of returning empty handed, and I feel the love that my father has when I return.

Every story that I get to experience has a personal effect on me. Every story Jesus told, and even His life story, helped me personalize God’s love a bit more, and I hope it does for you guys too! I implore you guys to find your favorite parable Jesus told, and put yourself as the main character. More importantly, what is God trying to tell you through that story.

May God be Praised!
Alejandro Beltran
CFC-Youth Mission Volunteer

Last March 14-15 was my first service assignment since officially serving again with the CFC Youth community as an MV. Together with the mission heads and a co-MV (Lara), we conducted General Assembly, Household Leader’s Training and Youth Camp Training at Red Deer/Ponoka Mission Area. I was nervous but very excited to embark on this assignment. It was definitely a jam-packed weekend. But I was really amazed at the dedication of the youth because those serving for their upcoming camp were there since the general assembly on Saturday up to the youth camp training on Sunday (none of them missed any sessions/talks).

Before the weekend, Lara and I knew that would be leading their upcoming camp. There was fear but there was no hesitation in my part because I knew that I wanted to serve again (that’s why I applied to be an MV). We got to know the Red Deer service team through fellowship (especially playing the Human Knot Game) and through sharings especially after the “State of our Hearts” talk. Lara and I also led the discussion of camp name, verse, communal prayer time and fasting. I was in awe of the verses they mentioned. Eventually, we decided to name the camp “Camp Rise” from Micah 7:8 (“when I fall, I shall rise”, NRSV).

That weekend, we were also able to visit St. Mary’s Parish. I noticed that it looks the same as the Precious Blood Parish in Winnipeg (NLS, 2010). The parish is really beautiful, gave me much joy. Visiting that parish is definitely God’s gift.

Overall, the weekend was the first of many more service opportunities and I can’t wait to see what more the Lord has in store. With Red Deer, I know that the Lord will truly bless this mission area (especially their upcoming camp) because of the hearts that are willing to serve Him.

Lord,

You truly are something. You knew that coming to work yesterday am(03/26) I was praying to not have a student to precept. As a nurse, I need to be on top of my clients’ health concerns and care, and I like to be in control of my assignment. Though the inevitable still happens, having a student can sometimes add into the craziness of my day, which doesn’t help. I can be proud and independent this way. Got to work and voila! I have a student. It made me anticipate a chaotic day and chaotic day I had. However, you knew better Lord. You knew better!

My patient Mr. R was in a respiratory distress and his heart was compromised. He was my focus most of my shift and if he wasn’t tended to, together with my colleagues we could have lost him. At the same time, I kept thinking of my other patients who are less tended to. I started to feel stressed. Pero Lord, you provided.

I just kept hearing you say, “Anak, I know what you need. You need a student right now. You need one.” And you were right Lord. If it weren’t for my student, I could have neglected two of my other patients and I would have been so swamped and psychologically compromised as well. Not being able to save Mr. R’s life.

I am too proud often to ask for help Lord, you know that. Sometimes, I also doubt your presence. But because of my pride, it separates me from you. Fortunately, you love me and with your divine power, you were able to break that wall that separates us: Helping my colleagues and I save a life and through my student, 2 of your people are cared for. Thank you Lord, for you provide and continue to save lives.

Me again,

LULI JKM