Easter – True North Missionaries Journal

A People Of Joy

So this last Easter Vigil, was my first. Ever. Now before you start judging me on my Catholicity and how the heck did I become a Full Time Pastoral Worker – let me answer your judgement call that I have no idea. Praise God, that God calls those who needs His love the most.

Now for those who do not know what happens during an Easter Vigil, it is the greatest and noblest of all solemnities (EV, No.2*) Basically it is your mass on steroids. It literally takes you down Salvation History from the beginning to now. And it’s a bunch of sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist) happening in one fantastic liturgy. But that is for another reflection, maybe next year.

There was one part of the liturgy that became really personal to me and the image still sticks to me now. During the sacrament of baptism, there was a good number of people to be baptized ranging from young babies to kids, teens, young adults and to elderly people. They were all of different races. But there was this one girl who I think was in her late teens or early twenties that really amazed me.

As she was called up to be baptized, she was so excited that she was about to be a part of the family of God. Now at her age, she already knows what it means to be Catholic. She understands that the teachings of the Church go against the ways of the world. Yet for her, the fullness of life can only come through a faith that is lived. You can see it in her eyes as she was waiting for her turn to be baptized.

Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. – Exodus 34:29

After her baptism, as she was walking back to her spot in the line, there was this profound and distinct joy that emanated from her. Something like what happened to Moses when he was talking with God. Not even my words can ever describe the joy I saw beaming out of her. If there could be a person that could be joy personified that was her. She was literally lighting up the Church.

There I was witnessing a person who had just met Christ, who could no longer contain it that her life becomes a visible and tangible sign that God indeed loves us. Her visible sign of Christ’s love should be also be visible in us. For though her baptism was just last week, we were also baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is the same God who loves us unconditionally and extends his covenant to us – making us His children.

To me, her witness, was a slap in my face. For I’m quite known to always look serious and to always be deep in my thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, I am joyful as well – but I guess I need to make a better effort in making that joy known through my face and more importantly my actions.

Christ is indeed Risen. That is the cause of our joy. We are an Easter people. We should then be a people of joy.

Saint Philip Neri, we take ourselves far too seriously most of the time. Help us to add humour to our perspective — remembering always that humour is a gift from God. Help us to live out this profound joy, from the Risen Christ, in our lives. Amen.

*Missale Romanum, “Rubrics for the Easter Vigil” (EV)

Life After Dying in the Desert

When I think of a desert, I think of a barren place full of sand with extremely hot temperatures. It’s a dry place that is almost humanely inhabitable because of the lack of basic necessities like water and food. I think of hunger and thirst, and I see dry bones of animal carcasses. How fitting is it that Jesus and many other missionaries had to experience 40 days in a desert before commencing with their ministry. Dying in the desert is necessary so that we can quite profoundly and literally die to ourselves so that we can truly focus on the Lord and others. This is what ministry is about.

However, Jesus was perfect so He had no imperfections to die to. Just like Baptism, He had to do it for the sake of our sanctification. Now we can rest assured that when we go through our desert, it has been sanctified by Christ and there is redeeming value in it for us. Because of Jesus, the suffering we experience in the desert is now redemptive.

The beauty of lent that we just experienced was truly in our prayer, fasting, and alms-giving because each required us to sacrifice something in our lives. Prayer is a sacrifice of time, fasting, a sacrifice of carnal pleasure, and alms-giving, a sacrifice of our treasure. We truly experienced a desert during lent because we were called to sacrifice everything and be left in a barren place lacking many things we thought we needed. Praise God for this because it led us to realize that God is all we need, that He is the only one that can quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger.

Easter is experiencing resurrection with Jesus after dying. Have you ever been so famished and then finally ate or drank? When it comes to Easter, we are not happy because we no longer have to sacrifice like we did during lent, but because we now appreciate our relationship with God more, having died to ourselves in one way or another. We now appreciate even more how the Lord gives us food to eat and water to drink. We are able to see with more clarity, the lush oasis of God’s love in our lives. The Lord used the sacrifices of lent as an opportunity to mold our hearts from stone to flesh. A heart of flesh is a living heart, one that is truly alive and life-giving, like a fountain of water springing forth from dry lands. Dying to ourselves has increased our capacity to love and has helped us to be more sensitive to the everlasting life of Jesus within us.

Now that Lent is over and as we enter Eastertide, let not our prayers, fasting, and alms-giving stop because the Lord is not done with us yet. He continues to mold us to be more like Him but we must allow Him. We allow Him by continually giving ourselves to Him in the morning and the night, in the garden and in the desert. Let us continue on this journey together, denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Him every day. As we journey, we can rest assured that He is with us.

After resurrecting and when Jesus first appeared to the apostles He said to them “peace be with you.” Amen and amen, Peace is with us when Jesus is with us. The apostles lived with this faith, knowing that Jesus was always with them in their ministry. They lived this faith even unto death, knowing that death would only bring them closer to Him. We may not be called to physically die for our faith, but we are called to die to ourselves. Let’s not be afraid to do this because even in the face of death, Jesus is with us and that’s where we can find rest in the peace that only He can give.

Christ has resurrected and promised that He’ll always be with us.

So peace be with you! Even in the desert, peace be with you.

The Game Changer

If Jesus lived and died – only. Then he would just have been a man whose teachings were profound and worth emulating. He would have been like Nelson Mandela, MLK Jr, Jose Rizal and the like.

Yet if Jesus lived, died and resurrected; then the game is forever changed. His teachings are not only profound but transcendent. His teachings are not just theoretical with practical implications, but His teachings becomes the law with practical and eternal effects.

What is this law if not love? For He is love. (1Jn4:8) He shows us that love isn’t just something to die for, but from it – springs eternal life.

Today, we celebrate a love that sin could not keep down, a love that darkness cannot overcome, and a love that death cannot contain. Today, we celebrate that God-Man that is risen.

He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

O certe necessárium Adæ peccátum, quod Christi morte delétum est!
O felix culpa, quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem!

O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phLBkIKBGwI&feature=kp

Lent-look

It’s not yet even two weeks since the holy week passed. It went by so fast that right now you cannot feel that we just celebrated the greatest victory in the world – the victory over sin so we can be reconciled with the Lord.

The holy week is the peak of all Catholic Celebration. Everything we celebrated before that is geared towards Holy Week. Christmas is also for the fulfillment of the Holy Week.

However, since Ash Wednesday, the start of lent there was not much symbols or decorations that will remind us of the Season of Lent.

Why is it on Christmas, everyone puts up Christmas decorations and radio stations even play Christmas songs all throughout the day? Why is it during Christmas, everyone seems very happy and excited? Why do people give gifts to each other? Why is everyone just extra nice to everyone else? Why is there an “obligatory” Christmas dinner? We give so much importance to Advent Season (which is also good). These things are there as a reminder of the reason of the season.

On the contrary, the Season of Lent has only a few if not none at all. We do not put on nor even have a specific – decoration for Lent; radio stations don’t play Lent songs or even; no one except the Christians are excited to celebrate lent; we do not give gifts to each other; Everyone treats lent as just one of those regular weeks; and there is no such thing as Lent Dinner.

Yet the bigger question (aside from all the tangible material things) is that the Season of Lent should start within us – our heart, mind, and soul should be transformed so that we will be the living reminder of Lent.

“Oh Dear God the Father, thank you for showing your unfathomable love to us. Thank you for sending your only Son. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate the greatest victory won by Jesus Christ. We pray that we will have a conscious effort to always bring your Son where the people are. May we never get tired of living out a truly-like life. May we always reflect you to other people.”

In Her Heart

This Lent was the best so far. Well, I don’t mean that other Lents were any less in quality (that would be silly to think), I mean, it was the best for me personally because I have never opened my heart so much before. However, yes, it was my most fruitful experience so far, but I did still fall. I did still break my fast from time to time and of course, I did allow my fallen nature to get the best of me and sinned, more than I hoped not to.

Overall, my lenten journey was a lot more personal. I didn’t really discuss it with others because I tried keeping it intimate with my Lord. I experienced many beautiful things, grown in many ways, and saw God clearer (especially in my struggles). Like Mary, I really made a conscious effort to treasure all these things in my heart.

During Easter Sunday Mass, I was filled with so much joy, so much that I almost came to tears during the readings and especially when we sang “Alleluia!”. It was such a beautiful and intimate experience with my Jesus. I probably would’ve lept all over the place if God did not give me the grace to keep my composure. I expressed my joy by simply saying to others “happy Easter” with a genuine smile.

How beautiful and wonderful it is to treasure joy and every experience with God in our hearts. It is like a wellspring of life overflowing, flourishing with the endless living waters of His graces. His Holy Spirit so alive in us, purifying from the inside out, revitalizing the mind, body, and soul. His treasure in us is His real presence, making our hearts a garden, deepening our roots in Him.

Thank You Lord for all that You are. I praise and magnify You oh God. I pray that all the treasure in my heart may remain, grow, and be added unto, so much that it continues to expand my heart. I cannot truly describe the abundance, but Lord I find comfort in giving You my heart always, for that is where my treasure is also. You are my treasure. Amen.

Alleluia!

Christ has risen! The Lord has blessed us all today. His resurrection restores us in ways our minds cannot even begin to fathom. The outpouring of God’s love on Good Friday was so extreme, it overcame death and we all know the endlessness of His love. Today, I witnessed the overflowing fount of His love as it flowed through my family.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like if my whole family served the Lord.

While journeying in this community, it is inevitable to grow in the desire for the whole family to serve God, especially as a young devoted Catholic. In the past I have been envious of other families where all members served, regardless if it was related to the CFC ministries or not. I’ve experienced the greatness of God in my life and I wanted my family to experience Him more than I was. The Lord softened my heart by revealing to me His faithfulness.

It’s becoming more rare, especially now that we’re growing older, that my immediate family is complete, even for a meal. Usually we’re separated by our different schedules and finding time to all be together is difficult, but our God is generous. My older brother was able to make it home for the long weekend, my parents were off from work, my sister was free for the most part (one work shift), and my schedule was empty. We spent the entire Saturday watching movies and enjoying each other’s company, not too often do we have time to do that. On Easter morning, we all had breakfast together. I may be wrong, but I don’t think we had breakfast altogether, at the house, in years! Praise God. We then headed to mass together, something that we haven’t done together in a while. God is so great! The Lord then brought forth a surprise that brought the warmest joy to my heart. An usher asked my family to serve as part of the offertory procession. Our God is so awesome! My family agreed and this was our first experience serving the Lord together, as one family.

The Lord definitely grants us the deepest desires of our hearts. Jesus is the source of love and unity. He showed me today that He has plans for my family and that we’ll journey together in His time. Christ did not only die for my sins and conquer the grave, which is more than I could ever ask for, but He continues to bless my family in overwhelming abundance.

Thank You Lord. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for His passion and resurrection. Thank You for my family. May You always be the center of our lives. Help us to love one another as You have loved us and aid us in sharing the blessings that You shower us with every single day. All praise and glory to You Almighty! Amen.