blessed – True North Missionaries Journal

Abundantly Blessed

Each and every single day the Lord blesses us from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. Reflecting on the Sunday Gospels these past couple of weeks there was a similar view in them — the Vineyard Parables. Where we see Jesus teaching about how what we give here on earth, we will be blessed in Heaven.

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven” — Matthew 5:12

Giving is not only a matter of donating money, clothes, food. It’s also a matter of giving of our time, talent and treasure. The Lord has blessed us with so much and is giving us so much more each and every single day! Only through the Lord’s grace are we able to give and share our blessings which are meant to be shared amongst others. So if I were to sum it all up in one sentence — each and every single one of us are abundantly blessed to abundantly give so that others can do the same.

Lord, we praise You and thank You for all the blessings you have given to us. Let us not take it for granted in any way, shape or form but instead, let us share our blessings to others so that they too, can feel your abundant Love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Christian Medeiros

Joyful Mystery

From the Annunciation to the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. There is a lot of uncertainties within this series of decades in the Holy Rosary. It makes you wonder, why is it called the Joyful Mystery? The title of each decade is very exciting and it holds a beautiful story, but when we look deeper into each story what does it really say.

I was very inspired to write this reflection based off of Fr. Mike Schmitz’s video on “Having Joy in the Uncertainties”, which made me then realize the joy in the midst of this life of suffering. Momma Mary, in the Annunciation was approached by the angel Gabriel and was told that she would bare the Son of God. In response she said “Let it be done unto me according to thy word”, I never realized this until I watch the video with Fr. Mike, was that the very next sentence was “then the angel departed from her”. Can you imagine being in that moment, being told that you are going to have within you the Son of God and that was literally it? No context or anything. Like where do you go from there? No one told Mary and Joseph that they would have to go to Bethlehem and give birth to Christ in a manger. No one mentioned that they would have to flee to Egypt to save their Son from being killed. No one told Mary that she would have to witness her Son be tortured, spat on and crucified. There was so much uncertainty that the only thing that was certain was and still is the past. Yet, Momma Mary was still joyful. The Apostles were still joyful, they spread the Good News throughout the world. Through their suffering came out a lot of joy.

It is very humbling to know that in this life of suffering, there is joy that will follow. Yet, we do not know when or where that will come but we remain hopeful. I know for myself in this pandemic, at the beginning of the year, everything was set in stone, I was ready… then the NBA got cancelled, that’s when I knew things were going to change. It was so humbling for me to realize that everything can just be taken away in the snap of a finger. There was so much that was unexpected at that point in time that I had no choice but to rely on God and entrust myself to His will. It was hard to remain hopeful but after households, after one to ones I felt the joy and the hope that the Lord was wanting me to feel. To understand that I was being called to love in the uncertainty, to be joyful in the midst of the suffering. There is so much that I do not know and I can only pray the Lord, for you and I both, gives us the heart to overcome the world. To love beyond our capacities. There is joy and hope because God is with us.

Lord God, help us to entrust our lives to You in the midst of these times. There is so much uncertainty but with You we find hope and joy. Give us the strength to carry on. This we ask through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Christian

An Invitation

The world is literally crumbling right now. It’s amazing how just one virus can bring the world to its knees. A lot of people are suffering and dying because of it. It brings us to the question, how could God allow something like this to happen? What is the good in all that is happening around the world right now? Where is God?

It’s funny because before everything happened I wasn’t really taking Lent seriously, it was more so as a routine for me. Actually I didn’t even realize it was Lent or take it in until I was at the Ash Wednesday mass. I went about this Lent just thinking that it is just another year where I have to get through these 40 days that nothing was going to come out of this. Man, was I ever wrong. Once COVID-19 started to get worse as the days went on, I began to realize what I was missing. It was hard not being able to go to mass, realizing that I was not able to be with Christ physically. With everything going on it is making me realize of how much I am missing and how much of my life is not centred around Christ. Here I am, at the beginning of Lent thinking it’ll be okay because I will continue to serve and that will be pleasing to the Lord. I’m not saying that serving Him is not pleasing, but when not putting Him at the centre of my life, I realized that my service becomes routine as well and just “another thing to do”. Now that I am not able to be with Him physically, I felt like it was all over. I realized that I relied so much on Christ being there physically present so much that I forgot that He is literally everywhere and in everyone we encounter.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal

With everything that is going on and with a lot of reflection, I am realizing the aspects of my life that Christ is asking me to put Him at the centre. That with all that this world throws at us, God gives us the opportunities to be closer with Him. Suffering is an invitation to be closer with God. We are given a sliver of Christ’s cross to carry. Nothing that we are feeling – the pain, anger, tiredness, sadness, it is nothing compared to what Christ went through, bearing the whole world’s sins on His cross that He carried. The mere fact that Christ walked this earth shows just how much God wants to be present with us and a part of our lives. So I pray, continue to let Him into your hearts. Pray for me as well that I do the same. Make Jesus the centre of your life – in all aspects.

Lord, thank You for blessing us with this life, with the opportunities to encounter You. Lord, protect us from all that is happening right now in this world. So many are suffering but in the same way we know that You are hurt as well seeing us in pain. Protect those on the frontlines Lord – the nurses, doctors, janitors and all those who are putting themselves at risk with everything. Through this suffering Lord, allow us to seize those opportunities where we are able to bring you to the centre of our lives, but to also be a beacon of hope for those around us that aren’t seeing or experiencing Your love.

Amen.

Christian Medeiros

Familiaris Consortio

One thing that I struggle with is actually finding a topic to reflect on, but it’s funny because I am just taking this in as I write this. It is not more so finding a topic but just listening to what God wants you to write.

I guess it all starts from Saturday, I was asked to give a talk called “In the Midst of the Storm” at a General Assembly in the Scarborough-Markham Chapter here in Toronto. Which is a talk about the family and through the hardships you go through, the family is always there with God protecting it. If we fast forward to today, I attended my SFC CLP and todays first session was one The Christian Family. I couldn’t help but wonder, in the midst of wondering what I was going to write about today, it was right in front of me. The family, and more to it, my family.

So I grew up in a Catholic Family of four- my dad, my mom and my sister (she is one year younger than me). Praise the Lord for blessing me with a loving family, but just like any other family, we are not perfect. I remember growing up, every Sunday we would go to church as a family and I would actually dread going to mass. I just wanted to sleep in. I never really knew why my parents, most especially my mother, would want us to go every week together. Yet I never questioned it. It wasn’t until I actually started serving the Brampton Chapter as Chapter Head that I never really took in the importance of us going as a family. It’s been a couple of years now since my sister has stopped going to church, for reasons I have yet to get an answer but it really showed me how important it really is to go as a family, not only for my mom, but for all four of us. To keep it simple, we’re a really busy family- my dad works Monday to Friday and goes wherever my mom does, my mom works part time but if not she is always at home and she is just recently very active with the Sisters For Life, my sister is in school and actually lives now in St. Catherines because of her school and co-op, as for me, I am working right now Monday to Friday and on top of all that I serve the youth. Being so busy, it really is hard for us to come together and spend some time with each other. It wasn’t until I realized this that I noticed the reason why my mom always wants us all to come together for mass on Sundays. It literally is the only time that we would have together.

It’s funny too because the question that was brought up, “Are we fulfilling God’s plan within our families?”

Simply put, my answer to that was I don’t know. God works in many ways and in His timing. So because I am just realizing this now, it is definitely going to be a primary focus for me. One thing is for sure though, I strive for my family to be just like the Holy Family. To be like them meaning to surrender ourselves to God and to continue to say yes to His plan. Whatever His plan is, is our plan as well. My current prayer for my family is for us to go to Sunday masses together again, so please pray for us!

– Christian Medeiros

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”– Joshua 24:15

Momma

Dear Momma Mary,

Since I was young I always knew you were just there. I’ve never really seen the importance of your presence in my life. So I want to take this time to say I’m sorry. Sorry for denying you, for pushing you to the side and for not acknowledging you and what you have done in my life. I can’t help but be hurt for the hurt that I’ve must have brought to you through my sins, my failures and just my stupid decisions. The amazing thing is, just as a mother always does, you still love me. Through thick and thin. So with that Momma, I would love to thank you, for never letting me go and for showing me the way to your Son, Jesus. In the times I struggle please continue to be there for me, with your most holy intercession. Draw me closer to your Son. I know that I still struggle to pray for your intercession and to acknowledge you in my life, but know that I am trying and will continue to.

So Momma, thank you and I love you.

Love,

Christian Medeiros

Blessed To Be Broken

Sometimes I wonder was it ever necessary for me to experience all my sins – and all the aches it has caused. Today was one of those days.

I look at my life, and I began to imagine – what if I made all the right decisions in life? Wouldn’t life be much better now? Without the all the pain, guilt, and scars?

I guess the biggest thing would be the pain I’ve caused other people, directly and indirectly. They would have been much better off sans the pain I’ve caused them.

Today was the same day God answered those questions. He put me to focus on these words at mass.

While they were at supper He took the bread, and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, take this all of you and eat it: this is my Body which will be given up for you.”

I’ve always wondered why there was a need for the priest to have a big host when he would just end up breaking it and just consume a small part of it. He could have used the normal host, the ones the congregation usually receives. It’s much more practical and efficient that way.

Now, it makes much more sense, a bread that is too big for one to consume that it must be broken, so that others may also be blessed to partake in it. This is how God intended the Eucharist. The breaking of Himself so that others may live. This is how God gave himself through the cross, so that we may have life everlasting.

But how about me, I am not God. Whenever I am broken, I am just divided into more insignificant pieces. Yet this is where God comes in. He uses our brokenness and fills it up with His wholeness. This is the economy of God. Where one’s insignificance brings about an infinite value to those who gets to know our witness.

Through God, our test becomes our testimony. Our mess, becomes a message. Our trials to triumph. And above all, victims of sin into victors over sin.

Want more proof? Look at today’s first reading, that is the same Saul who would later be named Paul. One of the greatest Apostles of Christ was once its greatest persecutor.

St. Paul, pray for us that we may accept the mercy of God that is unwavering, encompassing, and overflowing. Amen.

Crown of Creation

This past weekend I attended ‘Princess Diaries‘ that Toronto SFC hosted for all the sisters. I was excited to just be a participant and not have to worry about serving. But then a week before the event, Renee, the GTA West Head asked me if I could lead the Praisefest for Saturday night. And you know what happened that whole week before the event? PANIC.

I was so mentally drained from trying to figure out the dynamics of a worship, the order of the songs, the prayers that go before the songs, the appropriate songs, the transitions, and everything else in between. On Friday morning I reached some point of mental desperation and just exasperatedly told God that he really should have chosen someone else.

———————
To understand this more let’s look at the three desires planted in every woman’s heart:

a) the desire to be romanced
b) the desire to play an irreplaceable role in an adventure
c) the desire to unveil beauty

Those desires are often misunderstood which is why a lot of sisters end up broken. We turn to the wrong sources to fill the void. I myself sought those desires out in multiple people, ~~men~~ boys who had no other agenda other than to fulfill their own desires.

Fifteen minutes before the session ended (New Heartbeats) He granted me the grace and wisdom to finally see all the pieces come together. And when it finally sank in, I could not contain the peace, joy and love that was pouring out of my own heart!

He said,

“My dearest Therese. These desires are not something to be afraid of. Do not deny yourself these desires because each one will lead you closer to me. Do you not already know that every movement in your heart is known to me? I fashioned that very thing that beats inside of you. Unite it with my sacred heart and will understand better the plans I have for you, as woman.”

THE DESIRE TO BE ROMANCED, I placed in you so that you will come to me in Adoration. I will embrace every part of you in the silence. Come to me, and I will pour myself out to you. Do not be afraid to glance out at me for I long to look out at your face. Each time you come, the heavens rejoice. This is where you belong, this is where you are meant to be- here with me. My beloved I have waited for you and you are finally here! Have FAITH that I am here.

THE DESIRE TO PLAY AN IRREPLACEABLE ROLE, I placed in you so that you will come to the House of Worship and receive me in the Holy Eucharist. Come to me exactly as you are. You say to me, Lord but I am broken, battered, shattered. And His reply: “But I NEED YOU. YES, YOU.” From the moment you receive me on your tongue you become the ultimate living tabernacle and you are NO longer broken, battered, shattered. I pour out my Holy Spirit within you, and my love which is far more precious than gold will bind you back together. There will always be HOPE.

THE DESIRE TO UNVEIL BEAUTY, I placed in you so that you will come to me in Confession. No sin you’ve committed, no sin that you are committing, no sin that you will commit can ever be too much for my cross. Nothing is more beautiful than a woman who humbles herself and acknowledges her weaknesses and limitations. All those layers you choose to hide behind, the masks you choose to wear around you will all be washed away. In every single instance, you come out as clean and pure just as I intended for you to be. I meet you with nothing but LOVE.

Wow. Praise the Lord. I could not contain myself in that tiny little seat. The Lord fulfilled ALL THOSE DESIRES in me within the past 24hrs! He granted me my trinity run; Adoration at Our Lady of Lourdes the night before, Confession before the last session, and Eucharist shortly after. The Lord loved me so much that He made straight my paths right before I stood before my sisters with a heart that was now READY AND WILLING.

“You, eternal trinity, are a deep sea. The more I enter you, the more I discover, and the more I discover, the more I seek you.”- St. Catherine of Siena

Amen.