Tag: Love

The Awesome Gift of Liveloud BC

Liveloud was truly an awe-inspiring event, and much of my awe had to do with how the Lord revealed His love to me through the family. Even though my own couldn’t be there, I still felt embraced with a fraternal love. I was affirmed evermore how we, the community, the church, and all of our own families, are one family in God and it was that truth that led to my joy overflowing at Liveloud.

It was incredible to see parents with their children, sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, brothers and sisters from the Archdiocese, Couples for Christ, Handmaids, Singles for Christ, CFC-Youth, and even Kids for Christ raising their hands and praising God, all 1,500 of them! I heard from a few individuals how they saw their parents raising their hands and singing. It was a bit weird for them but they were extremely happy seeing their parents praising God. How wonderful it is when families worship together. What a gift!

This event was truly a gift from God not just to our community, but to His entire church, and might I say, the entire world. This first Liveloud in BC, blessed by our shepherd, Archbishop Miller, was only the beginning and a taste of what the Lord has in store for all of us.

Now, for me, there were many highlights, but the greatest one was witnessing my fiancé honour our Blessed Mother by singing the Hail Mary prayer. My heart was utterly wrapped in the love of God in that moment and I couldn’t help but smile and feel affirmed of the Lord’s will in my life.

Here’s a clip of “Hail Mary” being sung by the whole band:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=425226064307736&pnref=story

I look forward to what the Lord has in store for me and my future family, and His entire family! God is good!

Thank You, Jesus and Mama Mary. I’m just so grateful.

May we always be attuned to His still small voice in the silence of our hearts, so that we may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to love loudly for love of Him.

Ave Maris Stella! God be praised!

Reign In My Heart

Today I attended Holy Mass at St. Monica’s Parish as I usually do every Sunday with Charlene’s family who sings for the choir. Through the readings and the homily, the Lord reminded me of the importance of living under His authority and how I must try my best to avoid anything that may distract me from focusing on Him.

I can imagine that the second reading must have been difficult to hear, especially for those who are married. I say this because St. Paul warns that it’s better to not be married because it may cause the man or woman to be “anxious of this world.” Well, marriage is obviously a very good thing instituted by God Himself. I think St. Paul put it this way to emphasize the absolute importance of being focused on Jesus. I think he’s emphasizing that we must be careful not to turn icons (which are meant to point to a greater reality) into idols, for marriage is not an end in itself. It is a Sacrament—a Sign and a great mystery—that points to the marriage of Christ and His Church, ultimate communion with God. The Lord doesn’t want our hearts to be divided. He wants it to be perfectly integrated in Him.

I shouldn’t be afraid to allow the Lord to reign in my heart. In allowing Him, He casts out what should not be there, the things causing a dichotomy of worship. I need to be more confident in His authority in my life, and not see it as tyrannically oppressive, but lovingly liberating. For He is a Father who loves me and who will never stop loving me until I am completely and eternally His.

Yours and Mine

Sometimes, Jesus gently raps on the door, begging to enter a heart, and sometimes, He simply knocks the door down, shows His wounds, points to the trembling inhabitant and says, “Mine.”" - fr. Emmanuel, O. Praem.
“Sometimes, Jesus gently raps on the door, begging to enter a heart, and sometimes, He simply knocks the door down, shows His wounds, points to the trembling inhabitant and says, “Mine.”” – fr. Emmanuel, O. Praem.

Mi Jesu.
His Holy presence – overwhelming and still.
Anything He says or do, I do and I say.
Unworthy as I am,
He need only one word, “come.”
I am but a mere sheep,
Pressed closely against the heart of One who Is
…Love.

In his arms,
I am home.

Yes, I am but a man
Ready and willing..
But still a man.
And I stand before the edge of the boat,
And I wait before the edge of the boat,
Yet, I hear nothing.
Is what I’m hearing,
What He is saying?

He turns to me
And with one slight glance, I hear his voice.
Before His gaze, all that I am, is stripped away.

I know His voice
His voice.. not from his mouth.
The voice that echoes heaven.

The voice that speaks without ever making a sound.
The voice of eternal bliss and ecstasy.
The voice of God the Father.

He says but three words…
And with three words, he allowed a poor soul like me
to experience divinity.

“I am Yours”

The Love Triangle

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The title is a bit misleading because what I’m really referring to is the Pyramid of Intimacy, but the shape of the diagram really is a triangle. I think the first time I came across this diagram was in the YouCat which I believe was illustrated by Bill Donaghy, an instructor at the Theology of the Body Institute. It’s a wonderful illustration that clearly defines the proper steps of a long lasting relationship between a man and a woman, with sexual intimacy being the pinnacle—the ultimate gift and expression of true love (free, total, faithful, and fruitful), in a language that is very easy to understand.

It’s very unfortunate how the society we live in today has this pyramid upside down, and it’s no wonder then, how easily marriages and relationships topple over and crumble to pieces. It’s impossible for an inverted pyramid to stay balanced on its tip. It will fall. Drawing on this illustration, if ‘love’ begins with sexual intimacy even before friendship, then we shouldn’t be surprised when everything falls apart. It’s because there was no foundation of friendship—knowing each other better, knowing each other’s families, and so on. As it shows on the diagram, love doesn’t begin at sexual intimacy, it begins at friendship, and if we can truly start from there, then we would see a lot more stable and fruitful marriages. Friend-zone is the place to be if you’re looking for a substantial relationship that would be able to weather the storms and lead to real love, which is true love rooted in Christ. This is achievable through the time, tested, and true way of courtship.

Courtship is basically steps two and three (knowing you better, and knowing your family better), with the blessing of the sister’s parent’s to pursue. Why ask the parents for their blessing? Because if you truly love her, you will honour the ones who love her the most, and you will lead her to fulfill the commandment:

“Honor your father and mother that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.” Ep. 6

If we honour each other’s parents we will live a long and prosperous life, and if we’re in it for the long run (which love should be!) then we need to strive to build a good relationship with each other’s families (most especially the parents) because they are the ones who will also love us for the rest of our lives.

By prayers and the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, a man and a woman are truly capable of authentic love. By His grace, we can reach the heights of that conjugal, life-giving act that expresses the love of the Trinity and renews the marriage vows between husband and wife, of being freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully each other’s.

The devil knows how great a gift sexual intimacy is. That’s why everything he does aims at distorting and tangling our understanding of our sexuality—as being made male and female, in the image and likeness of God.

We can prevent this from happening by allowing God to tell us who we are and not looking to the world to find our identity. How can we find our identity in a place we are not ultimately made for? It only makes sense to look to the Creator, the Designer, and the Author of our lives to discover our purpose and who we were created to be.

On the illustration above it is written,

“The task of every man is the dignity of every woman. The task of every woman is the dignity of every man.” –St. John Paul II

Let us first begin by discovering our worth and dignity on the Cross, then we will be able to truly see and love each other as we ought.

Amen.

Meant to Be

About two weeks ago my parents visited from Toronto to finally meet Char’s parents and to also have a mini vacation. I was so thankful that they had an instant connection and became BFFs just from the first encounter. It reminded me of when Char and I met and how we instantly connected and as our friendship grew, it felt like we’ve known each other for years. Our parents connected the same way and it was yet another affirmation that we are meant to be, and by ‘we’ I don’t mean just Charlene and I, but even our families.

I feel like our relationship has been so fruitful. I can’t even imagine the fruit it will bear when the Lord joins us in Holy Matrimony.

To God be the glory. Amen.

Much Given, Much Expected

Yesterday officially marked three years for me as a Full-time Pastoral Worker for Couples for Christ. I’m so glad that the Lord called me at the beginning of the blossoming of True North. Ever since day one, I’ve witnessed the growth of our community like never before and I just feel very privileged to have been part of the Wind of revival that is sweeping across Canada. It’s truly the Holy Spirit and because of Him, the community has been growing ever more fruitful.

I feel that it’s no coincidence that all of this fruitfulness, growth, and sanctity has been occurring in tandem with our Marian themes. Our Blessed Mother has been teaching us how to pray, to love, and has truly been bringing us closer to the heart of her Son.

Through the hands of Mother Mary, the Lord has been blessing us with much and it’s bearing fruit that will last. The past three years have been an affirmation that we are doing the work of the Lord because of the blessings coming from it and the amount of work the Lord has been entrusting to us.

At the same time, I have never felt so stretched. Every year the Lord has never ceased to remind me that “every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48).

The Lord has given much to us as a community because He’s finding us ever closer to Our Blessed Lady, to whom was filled with His grace. The Holy Spirit has been awakening and stirring the hearts of many because He’s finding more souls embedded in the soil of Mary’s heart. We are seeing more answering their vocation because our Holy Mother has been pointing hearts ever more to the gaze of Her Son, and helping us to hear Him say and answer to those two transformative words: “follow Me.”

Much has been given to us, and much is expected; but let us never forget what we can expect from our Heavenly Father,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Hang in there, brothers and sisters. When times get really tough and when we feel that He’s giving too much to carry and too many things to do, let’s cast our heavy hearts on Him and simply ask for more faith, more hope, and more love.

Amen.