Tag: Love

Reminded.

Today ends my 5 day trip to New York City. Time well spent with family. It’s been years, eight to be exact, since I last saw my aunt’s family who lives in New York City. This was planned way before I actually went for Full TIme Pastoral Work, that my family already booked their work off since last year.

Right before the trip, I already had doubts concerning its timing considering its right in the middle of the True North Conference season preparation. But now as I travel back to GTA and catch up with all the things that have been happening since I left, I am reminded of that this trip was the reason why I am in the mission in the first place.

I am called to be a missionary – a family evangelizer – through the community of Couples for a serving in its youth ministry, CFC-Youth. God called me to answering the call of the vision of CFC of families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth and take a very active part in it. While my calling takes me far away from my own family who lives in Calgary, and I am based in the Greater Toronto Area. I must never lose sight that the mission of building the Church of the home always starts and ends in my own home. It is through them that God called me to mission work, it is through them that I draw strength in mission, it is through them that my own intentions are purified, it is through them that my inspiration is placed upon. It is through them that my missionary zeal and passion is tested. It is through them that my faith, hope, and joy is tested; and more importantly affirmed.

As I go back to Canada, which is a few hours away, I take away with me a renewed conviction and affirmation that I am in the right path. When I said YES to the Lord, I did not only say yes to the renewal of families I will be serving – but more importantly, I also said to the renewal of my own family.

Come Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth. Come Holy Spirit.

Happy 32nd Anniversary Couples For Christ!

A Happy Household Head

Every time I go to a household I am reminded of its importance. Yes I’ve learned a lot about my faith and have been nourished, but what I value most is the presence of my brothers and sisters. We don’t need a household to learn the faith. If I want to learn, I can go on the internet, read a book, watch a documentary, etc. However, the blessing of having a household is the nourishment and building of relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. I look forward to hearing my brothers share their experiences after the talk. I have learned a lot from them and in sharing our joys and struggles, I believe that the Lord has brought us closer to His heart and each other’s hearts.

I am not currently a household head but I have learned by recent observations what it means to be a household head. A household head is a friend, someone who is not looking to be one step ahead of his brothers but taking one step at a time alongside his brothers. He doesn’t seek his own interests but the interests of those the Lord has given to him. He builds relationships and is overjoyed when his members succeed, distraught when they suffer, and is inspired when he sees God in his members. And if the members do not show the respect he deserves, it doesn’t matter to him, because he is glad to lay down his life and his pride for them.

Praise God for household heads, and if we are one, may the Lord humble us always, that we may always seek the good of our members before our own. Let’s pray that we may always seek to lay down our lives for them and bring them closer to the Lord by leading a good example, and living a life of integrity. If we do this, I believe we will be a truly happy household head.

The Three Apostles

Yesterday I found myself in the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montreal. A year after I said yes to becoming a Mission Volunteer, a month after I became a Full Time Pastoral Worker  – finally ticking off all the major areas where CFC-Youth is present in Canada. And while the whole basilica is beautiful inside and out with amazing architecture, art, and history on it’s side plus the Holy Eucharist being inside it; you can never really go wrong. And while the hundreds of pilgrims were doing there thing, I found myself glued to three fixtures that were grouped together. It was the three statues of Saints Jude Thaddeus, Mathias, and Peter.

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For the longest time, I’ve had an affinity to these three apostles. In fact, it’s safe to say that they have been my friends since day one.

Saint Jude

Saint Jude Thaddeus, the forgotten apostle, because his name was close to that of the traitor is in fact the patron of hopeless causes. Out of the three he was the latest I befriended, but had an immediate click with. He found me at the time when I was preparing for my licensure examination for Chemical Engineering in Manila. I had to cram 5 years worth of knowledge, formulas, concepts in Math, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering in 6 months for a three day exam – I deemed it impossible. Doubt, laziness and a host of other things crept up that led me to breaking down quite a few times before and during the exam. But praise God, Saint Jude prayed for me and I passed. In the bigger picture, I do consider myself a hopeless and lost cause. Yet here I am, a missionary for one of the biggest lay organizations of the Catholic Church.

Saint Mathias

Saint Mathias was the outsider who found himself cast into the inner group. When Judas was gone, they needed somebody to fill in his place – and in a stroke of luck (literally, his name was casted from a lot of a hundred or so), he became part of the twelve. Being the non-canadian for the first batch of Mission Volunteers in Canada, and the only non-canadian trainee for full time pastoral work from Canada – one can say that I am in fact an outsider. Me being a Mission Volunteer was not in my plans when I moved here, but through God’s grace and calling – I’ve taken a step further in Full Time Pastoral Work.

Saint Peter

Saint Peter, the rock, was not whom Jesus loved the most. In fact the gospels say that it was St. John whom Jesus loved the most. Saint Peter was the one who loved Jesus the most. He was the first one who would always jump out into the water to meet the Lord even if it meant walking on water and almost drowning. He was the one who wanted to serve the Lord first in all things, but he was also the first one to deny him – he did so three times in one instance. But the Lord did not give up on him, he in fact was called to something greater – to be the rock of the Church – our first pope. More often than not, I have denied the One whom I love the most – yet still He calls me. He still loves me and gives me more chances than I deserve. 

The Three Apostles

I could go on and on about how I can relate to these apostles, but the amazing thing is that they were grouped together somewhere in a church thousands of miles from where I was born. And to see them together, praying for me all this time brings me to tears and above all – amazed that God loves me so much to take three of His best to pray for me and lead me to where I am.

They all went to the ends of the world to proclaim the Risen King, and here I am in Montreal – the last of the big mission areas of Canada that I haven’t been to an affirmation of the mission in the Three Apostles.

Saints Jude Thaddeus, Mathias, and Peter, Pray for us. Amen.

 

Define Me

One of the messages I got from my prayer time this week is the Lord telling me to define my relationships. Immediately, I thought of my family, the fulltime workers, my mission partner, and the people I am serving with in YFC and SFC. I realized that all my encounter with them are developing experiences. I miss them they miss, we disappoint each other, and we help each other and more. I have great and challenging memories with them.

I asked the Lord what was the purpose of that defining activity.. He did not answer right away but in mynext prayer time He told me, that when I define my relationship I should not define it by the way I see and experience them. Defining my relationships is defining myself first – Who I am?

I am His.  He initiated my existence. My life is His. He doesn’t define me on my past or future. His definition of me is not based on my actions, words, thoughts. His definition is constant and unchanging. He defines me – Love defines me, God defines me.

 

“Lord you are King of kings and Lord of Lords. You reign in our hearts and our minds. You are love, You are source of life. Teach me Lord to not seek my own definition of myself and other people. Remind me always that when Your love defines us, that is the best definition of ourselves and other people. Lord may your loving refine us everyday. Amen”

 

Candy (Philippians 1:29)

Presence

There is something very mysterious and powerful about presence. Just knowing the person you want to be there is there, is enough. No words even need to be said. Assurance and comfort come from the person’s presence.

Jesus, in a very real, mysterious, powerful way, is always present with us through the Holy Spirit. He will never leave us and will be with us until the end of time (mt 28). We can rest assured that He is always present with us. He is Emmanuel—”God with us” (mt 1:23).

The essence of prayer is God’s presence in us. Prayer allows us to be present with Him in the very moment of our existence. Truly we are with the Lord when we make ourselves simply present to Him in the moment because as C.S Lewis said, “the present is the point at which time touches eternity.” God is eternal, the Alpha and Omega, beyond time and space. When it comes to God, there is only present. God simply is.

Let us be present with each other and give one another undivided attention. More importantly, let’s be present with God.

Jesus is truly with us through the Holy Spirit. Let us always find peace and consolation in His presence. When we recognize His presence in us, we will truly have His peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” —John 14:27

Speak, Lord, your servants are listening. Amen.