True North Missionaries Journal

There’s this guy at work who is so arrogant and unprofessional, especially during meetings, who is really a test of patience and forbearance.

This morning as I was alone in the coffee room, I was thinking, I hope I don’t encounter this person as I don’t really want to greet him and talk to him.  But God really works in the funniest way, and as I turn around, there he was cleaning his coffee cup.  I tried ignoring him and thought of doing a quick escape without having to talk to him but suddenly I heard him say, “Hi George”.  Not wanting to be rude, I returned his greeting and escaped with an insincere “have a nice day”.

Back at my desk, I realize how unChrist-like I acted, Christ even called us not only to love our friends but radically love our enemies.

As we are called to see Jesus not only in the obvious, I pray that the Lord allow me to see Him not only through my eyes but also through my heart.

Lord, may I see you in every encounter I experience in each day you bless me with, allow me to love even the most difficult person in the world, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because I love you.

I really feel like I’ve been called by the Lord this year to suffer. I’ve probably mentioned it before, but yeah. This year has had no shortage of tugging at my heart spiritually, mentally and physically.

I can tell you right now though, that I do see the love that obviously comes from suffering. That all the hard work, the sacrifices, the endless amounts of prayers…the Lord really does work in everything.

I really love my household. We had a camp training yesterday and I can honestly say I’ve fallen in love with them, their yes, and everything about each individual person. Just reflecting on how the journey started with them which to be honest was pretty fast paced, I can really see how crucial it is that in every second, us as leaders and servants must only speak, act, live as Christ would.

I dunno…its a very simple reflection but the Lord still spoke to me this weekend in this way. Praise the Lord. Maybe its just exhaustion that I can’t put words together anymore for this specific reflection. I guess that’s my calling. To be tired. To be on my toes as much as I can. To be called to suffer for the sake of the people I love and grown to love.

Lord, thanks.

Deo Gloria

Often times, we live life, reminding ourselves to be patient, to be loving, to have trust and to carry faith that God will reveal the answers to our prayers. And then every moment and every day seems to be a waiting game, where we live in sensitivity (but hopefully not over-sensitivity) to how the Lord is beginning to unveil the answers before our eyes. But the more I live out each day here in Israel, the more I’m beginning to see that answered prayers go beyond that. In the past few weeks, we kept sharing about how simply being here is an answered prayer to the four of us… that since January, this is what we’ve been waiting for. But hearing about how it’s been different in the community here, and even seeing and hearing about the difficulties that envelop the lives of those who live here, I realized that…

ANSWERED PRAYERS and the “WAIT” that encompasses around it are one in the same.

There is always a prayer, waiting to be completely answered. And as God continues to reveal them to us, the typical thing to hear is “wait patiently,” “pray with patience,” but what I didn’t completely realize is that as we wait for our answered prayers, the reason why there may be a wait in the first place is not just because it’s not time for us, but because it MIGHT be time for someone else. In the time we “WAIT”, maybe – just maybe – we are being called to be someone else’s answered prayer. If we are one community and one family in the Spirit of Christ, then wouldn’t it make sense that our prayers and the timelines of our answers might also intertwine… in ONENESS and in UNITY?

I realize now, more than ever, that in the joy surrounding my life here,  in the wait, I must also be firm in my faith and steadfast in the selfless love of the Lord to be sensitive to the ways He might be calling to use me as an answered prayer to those around me…

…as a missionary,
…as a daughter,
…as a sister (also in Christ),
…as a friend,
…as a woman of God…

…to be a vessel in completing the Lord’s vision of ONENESS as ONE LIVING COMMUNITY in all the ways He has called me to be. And as each prayer is answered, I must never forget that when it comes to God, there is never a moment He is not using us. Whether it is for ourselves or for those around us, every moment is an opportunity to grow in our YES’s to the Lord. Every moment is answered prayer.

 

Lord God, I simply have one prayer tonight… may You always protect my YES to You in Everything and with Everything…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us,
Holy Family, pray for us.

AMEN.

Lately I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to attend daily mass. I’ve been longing for a more intimate prayer time, which is something that has been a bit of a struggle for me. These days I have a lot of free time because I’m finished my schooling, and currently looking for a job.

For the past few weeks, I would structure my day usually on how busy I am with meetings or events. Without school or work, my days have been pretty open, with plenty of free time to spend. The evenings are usually a bit busier with planning meetings, or CFC-Youth events.

If I had a meeting or event in the evening, I would go to daily mass during the day, here at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown Winnipeg. It’s approximately a 30 minute bus ride, and costs me $5.10 to go to mass, and back home. From time to time there are also some familiar faces from the community who attend mass, which is really great to see as well.

If there are no meetings, or events happening in the evening, I go to daily mass at my home parish St. Peter’s at 7pm. I usually have access to a vehicle or a ride in the evening, so I don’t need to pay for bus fare. Being my home parish, I really enjoy seeing the parishioners there because there are familiar faces that I see every Sunday.

I realize how much of a blessing it is to be able to have enough time to attend daily mass. Slowly my funds are being diminished by bus fare prices and the lack of any income at all, but Praise God, I’ve been able to keep up, and my parent’s continue to support me. I am so grateful for even getting some help with extra bus tickets, and free rides from my brothers in the community.

My parent’s started wondering why I was going to church so much. I didn’t have any specific intentions for attending daily mass, except for maybe just wanting to meet Christ, to be closer to Him, to pray more, and to grow in my spiritual journey. I simply wanted to be with Him more.

There was one time that really stuck out for me. It was the evening, and I had no plans, so I wanted to go to mass at St. Peters. I had asked my dad if he was planning on going anywhere that evening. He was planning on going to my sister’s house to help out with her deck, so I asked if he could just drop me off to mass. My dad’s plans weren’t completely set in stone, so he actually attended the mass with me!

I’m not sure what it was exactly, but just having the presence of my dad there with me at daily mass…. it was amazing. Truly a blessing from God. I just felt complete joy in spending time with my dad with the Lord. It was the first time we’ve attended mass together outside of the Sunday masses.

Families are such a beautiful thing, and it is so evident through our community of Couples for Christ and it’s family ministries. How amazing it is to see the vision of “Families in the Holy Spirit, Renewing the face of the Earth” unfold in our lives. I truly Praise God for my parents. Without their support, and most especially their guidance thoughout my life, I don’t know where I would be right now.

Things just feel so much better together!

Lord, Thank You for offering Yourself to us every single day. Let us truly see Your blessings in one another, and especially our families. We know that You have a great plan for our families, and that we are so blessed to have them in our lives. We pray that we can recognize these moments, and the blessings that You continue to give us, and to constantly show Your love each and everyday. Amen.

We had attended a Patriach Mass in the past weekend, and it was definitely an experience to remember. During the Mass, there were 3 choirs. One from Couples For Christ, and two African choirs! For specific parts of the Mass like the Lamb of God and the songs sung at Communion, the choirs took turns singing their songs in English or their own languages. And for the Offertory, the different cultures that had attended presented their gifts in cultural ways and in cultural dress. Filipinos wore barongs and kimonas, and Africans were almost dancing in a prance, bringing up baskets of fruits and other food! However, the most beautiful thing about this was that what I was seeing was a living testament to the UNION God brings. To understand this, one must understand where I currently live…

In Israel, I’ve heard so many brothers and sisters warn me about being careful because of the specific cultures around us. Some Catholics are treated with different levels of discrimination as we are a minority, and specific “types” of people should be avoided because they’re “dangerous”. And St. Anthony – the parish where we attended the Patriach Mass – is typically filled with Filipinos. So when I walked in to see the diversity of cultures and to hear the culture come to life even in the Mass, I could not help, but think, “Yes, Lord, this is my dream right before me… UNITY.”

I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the state of the Catholic culture here, but one thing is for sure, I am thankful for the hardships and oppressions I have witnessed to and experienced here because if not for them, I would not see this tear-jerking beauty in something as simple as seeing a diversity in the parishoners at Mass! I wouldn’t see such value in all this unity…

Despite the hardships, despite the oppressions, people sacrifice their time and energy right after a lifestyle of taking care of other families to bring their own family to Christ. And despite the stereotypes and labels, it is all put aside in one celebration and shared with one another with humililty, respect, and beauty. One thing is for sure, if one could not find this unity out in one’s every-day-life, we all found it in the Lord in His church. At the end of the day, even the secular understanding of “unity” affirms me of what lies in the faith of the people here…

UNION – a state of HARMONY or agreement.

It is only in the Lord that in any sort of hardship or dispute, one finds Peace and is brought to Perfect Harmony. In this sense, the Church became my example. In my own struggles, the Lord is my strength. And because of this, division cannot exist in my heart, my mind, and in all that I am. I must strive to always be ONE WITH THE LORD, ONE WITH THOSE AROUND ME, living out ONE FAMILY throughout the world. If there is something I could take out of this, it is that it isn’t easy to be “one”… What IS easy is to see The One, Who is continuously loving us in every moment. Therefore, in actuality, to be “TOGETHER AS ONE” is to be TOGETHER IN GOD, WHO IS LOVE.

“A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another;
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”

(JOHN 13: 34-35)

Thank you, Lord for these reminders.
Thank you, Lord for being Harmony in my life.

 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us…
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us…
Holy Spirit, fill us as You will…

Amen.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

For the past few weeks, the Lord’s messages to me have been about love. What is love? Why do we love? Who do we love?

Love is something that’s very hard to define yet everyone knows about it. Although everyone seems to know it, sometimes (or rather most of the time) people confuse love with infatuation, that “feeling” that we get when we “fall in love.”

According to the Bible, Love is God. Love originated from God. Love is one of the primary characteristics of God. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love is agape – non-partial, unconditional, gives, and sacrifices. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we too are capable of loving – loving unconditionally and selflessly.

God sent Jesus Christ to save us because He loves us. And…

We love because He loved us first. – 1 John 4:19

We don’t love because we have to. We don’t love because we have no choice to do so. We don’t love because it is the right thing to do. We love because we are loved and we are created to love. The Lord calls us to love and to be loved. That simple but most of the time we make it so complicated. Love can be as simple as opening a door for someone to dying for someone, like Jesus Christ. Every single day we are challenge by the Lord to love.

These past few weeks, little did I know that the Lord has been challenging me to love. There were so many times were I am put in a situation where I just need to love someone despite all the unreasonable arguments I’ve have with them. There were so many times when my patience was tested. I was put in various situations where I was challenge to help someone, where sometimes I did, but sometimes I did not.

Love does not just simply about “love” for another person. Love is doing everything that we do according to the will of God, for God is love and we are called to love. Love is to love more regardless of what happens.

So who do we love?

Every single person we encounter, everything we encounter, and everywhere we go – there should be love; for God is everywhere and with everyone, and as we are called to love for He loved us and we are created out of love.

^“Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’” – Matthew 22:37-39

I call to God. Please assist my efforts to find love. I open to love in all ways. Let love meet me around the next corner. I throw my arms open to love. Amen.

St. Valentine, Pray for us.

The Lord has truly been great. Last week, the chapter of Burnaby (Where I am serving) had its very first Leaders Enrichment Retreat.

Praise the Lord. Our theme for this retreat was “Responsum” or “to respond”. I thought over and over again, sitting in the back on a beautiful Sunday morning, waiting for my Kuya Miguel to queue me in for the Praisefest. The reflection song, “Oceans” played and upon reflecting on my vision for my beautiful chapter, I was overwhelmed. I really asked myself, how can my chapter respond to the call of the Lord. Tears poured down my face…I don’t know why…but I firmly believe I felt the Lord embracing me…talking to me very very personally…

then the bridge was sang, “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, where ever You may call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my will be made stronger, in the presence of my Saviour”…

I was at peace. I immediately began to visually see the “yes” of each member of my household. I visualized everything it took for them to think things through to take up the responsibility of a household head. I visualized the struggles, the sacrifices everything.

That was the response. The very yes that dwelled in our hearts in discernment for responsibility. Our response was our responsibilities. The love we continue to share as a HH. A rebuilding chapter.

I sat there as the reflection was ending. From the anxiousness to leading the future of our community into prayer, all the way into finally walking up there, I remember thinking in my head,

“Thank You Lord.”

At that moment, I knew we were in the midst of something greater. Someone greater. I’ve never felt so loved as we (Burnaby HH) finally broke that heart of stone shell when it came to worship. That was our response. To Love at that moment. To Love now.

Lord, allow me to push myself deeper into my faith. To respond with a greater love. A Love that can only been seen as a Love you have given to others through me, Your instrument. 

Deo Gloria