Wednesday 14 May 2014
Building Youth Communities - Jeff's Sharing
Many
of us understand what community is, but what does it really mean to be in a
community? I recently went for a retreat conducted by the youth groups in SFX,
Building Youth Communities retreat, and it was there I learnt how to build a
community and also how to BE in one.
Growing up in
church, I always longed to belong somewhere. That was my motivation to join
the various ministries in Holy Family. I was an Altar servers and a Youth
Facilitators for a time, but they were more like a ministry and did not provide
me with a community that I longed for. We only met up because we had a certain
purpose, a 'function'. If there was no work to be done, there was no reason for
us to meet up or interact. If it was not for the friends that were there with
me, I would have left those ministries much earlier, I may have even stopped
coming to church. I think that is the reason why most members of our church
leave, teens after confirmation find no meaning to come every week for mass, of
course they would rather spend time with their friends. Even adults that don't
have a family to accompany them will soon disappear from our pews. How then do
we keep them from leaving?
I am now part of the
YOUhf Community, a group of us youths that meet every Friday for praise and
worship, fellowship and to share with each other our faith journey. Of course
like any young community, we are far from perfect; this was what led me to
search for a deeper understanding of community living.
I went to this
retreat about building communities alone, ironically, as most of my friends
from YOUhf were busy. I only knew a couple of faces there so I was pretty
insecure at first. That feeling of being alone, not knowing who to sit with, or
who to talk to, I am sure everyone can relate. Surprisingly, that feeling went
away pretty quickly because the community there was so welcoming. We
experienced a little bit of what that community would on a typical weekend. We
had bible sharing and fellowship together. We were also invited to one their
houses for a session, we even watched a movie and ate KFC together. It was
surprising how much fun I had, and how much I learnt from others like me who were
struggling in their own parishes to build a community.
Through
experiencing that retreat alone I realised, how important community is to a
person. It brings life to a person. No man is an island, the reality is we are
all human, and we desire to form connections, bonds and relationships with
other people. That is when I realised that our church, our faith is not about
teachings, doctrine or liturgy, they are important yes, but the core of our
faith is its people and God right at its centre.
How many times have
we drifted apart from groups of friends, ones we thought we would stick with
for the rest of our lives. When these relationships are only held together by
temporary circumstance, like school or work, time is all it takes for that
friendship to fade from memory. However, when a friendship is built on a
foundation so firm, like God, it can last for a lifetime. Our search for God is
an eternal quest, and thus it only makes sense to hold on to companions that
are on the same journey as well. No matter the distance, or whatever path life
leads you, you will always go back to them. This was exactly what I observed
these communities had that made them so bonded.
Community is about
being there for each other, in good times and in bad. To be there to comfort
someone who grieves the death of a loved one and witness the birth of a child. The
same way the disciples were there to console Mother Mary during the death of
Jesus, and were there to witness the rebirth, the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ. In that way community is like a family, that last for a lifetime,
and maybe even long after. It is a safe place where we all can be ourselves. It
is quite unlike a club where your membership, your worth, is justified by your
contributions to the group. It keeps us coming back to church, not out of
obligation to do God's will, but out of obligation to be God's people.
Of course being in a community would not be easy.
Although we do not need to contribute anything, the only requirement is to
bring all of yourself, even your insecurities and emotional baggage. We usually
try our best to hide these feelings of insecurities when going into a new
relationship only for them to inconveniently resurface, but a Christian
community flips that idea on its head. It is a place where we can be honest
with ourselves, and everyone else, where we can be comfortable in our own skin.
Jesus and his disciples are the best example of a Christian community, the very
first. Jesus himself called people who were far from perfect to be in his
‘community’, in the same way our church should be follow in his example.
I truly believe this is what our parish needs, and
should strive for, not just for the youths but for everyone who belongs to this
parish. Only then can we experience fully the Holy Eucharist together, in
communion with God, and with each other.
Monday 10 February 2014
Press Pause
Well, I don't exactly have a full page essay of any sort to back up this quote, but it got me thinking & Reflecting.
In this terribly fast paced world, it's always all about being the best in everything & getting all great stuff.
But I guess once in awhile we just need to pause for a moment, and give thanks to all the little microscopic details & minute things we have in life.
I came home to a bed covered in a set of new Pink bed sheets & Pink Pillow cases, that was neatly arranged by my mommy to welcome me home after a long day's work.
They were scented with Mother's Love.
Thank you mommy.
x
Friday 10 January 2014
Baptism of Our Lord
As
we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord this Sunday, we remember the 'initiation
rite' that Jesus started his public ministry. We too, have experienced this
same Baptism: our first Sacrament of Initiation immersed us into the life of
Christ. At our Baptism, God the Father says to each of us, "This
is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Ever since my initiation, I have been given the eyes of faith
which has reminded me constantly that there is more than meet the eye, more
than the physical realm.
The Bible is more than just a book. It is the Word of God
which inspires me to live my life meaningfully and purposefully. Every time I
read it, God speaks through the words to me in the present moment of my life.
Our God is the God of the present.
The crucifix is more than Jesus hung on the cross. It a
reminder of the power of sacrifice. The sacrifice that God has done for me and
the sacrifice that I can give. A great reminder for me to always learn to
surrender and let go of my problems and trust that the Lord knows what is best
for me. By listening to him, I learn to be the best I can be.
The candle is more than a mere light
but a light of hope. A flame that burns despite the winds and difficult times.
It is a reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit. When I have the power of the
Holy Spirit, I am burning with the love of Christ in my heart to help and
empower others. As others have been a light to me, I too can be a light to
others.
There are so many other signs and symbols of our faith that point to something greater than the physical world. What are they? This video reminds us of our lives as being something greater.
How can I learn to live and
extraordinary life?
How can I remember my identity as a beloved son/daughter of God more and more?
Monday 7 October 2013
Grace
"Grace gives us the strength to stand up again for Him"
Last Friday, I was really struck by His Grace.
Fridays are the time people can usually see me really excited and although everyone can clearly see the dark circles underneath my eyes, at that time of the night, before session starts, those are usually the heaviest of my day. I think last friday, my dark circles were the lightest of my day (haha).
Recently, I've felt my faith has been tested and the feelings that usually follow once I fail are the feelings that I can't be forgiven because not only have I let down God but myself as well. So how could God forgive me when I can't forgive myself? I think what I really needed was God's grace here. Simple things like how I used to go regularly for daily mass (bgi: I live five minutes away from church so it's no biggie for me to go) and now every time I reach home and I can make it, I decide not to. Why? Even when I want to go and I feel like going, I somehow manage to find some excuse not to. Like I've too much work, I really need some rest or I need to spend some time with my family instead. Ironically, I don't usually follow through with getting rest or doing work and I could have spent it more productively by going to mass instead of wasting my time away.
Even in school, I can't bring myself to be disciplined and I curse and swear and complain about the workload that keeps piling up and I couldn't understand why I was undermining my many months of trying to trust fully in God and having faith that everything will be okay. I simply refused to turn to God in my moment of need.
So, coming to this Friday's session and being well a part of it, I could feel my faith being tested once again. I was feeling rather impatient and annoyed with people and myself included. However, listening to the word and watching the skit.. seeing Peter deny Jesus three times when he was so sure of his faith, so ready to love Him and go to death for him. I was reminded once again of how Jesus forgave him. How Jesus still loved him through it all and had faith in him. Thinking about it, even if I'm not sure why Jesus gives us His grace, one thing I can know for sure is that He knows me better than I know myself.
I think these recent events, although small but still troubling are part and parcel of my Catholic life. My faith will be tested and yes, sometimes although I deny Jesus in the littlest things, in allowing Him to enter my life and take the wheel, He forgives me and gives me His grace to acknowledge Him. I know that I need to go to Him in my times of trials. Lately, I've been asking God for lesser burdens but I think instead of asking for a lesser burden, I need to pray for broader shoulders -i'm going to be a great swimmer at this rate hehe :-)
Also, sharing a really great song I've been listening to that helped me get through my week:
Left my fear by the side of the road
Hear You speak, won't let go
Fall to my knees as I lift my hands to pray
All I need is You
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Feast of Holy Guardian Angels
Today us the feast day of our Holy Guardian Angels. Was reading the article in Laudate and found this an interesting read. Something we don't hear often. Let us thank God for caring for each of us, individually and uniquely.
The doctrine that every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church and so is not an article of faith, but it is present in both the Old and New Testaments. As Jesus says, See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always gaze on the face of my Father in heaven. Thus even little children have guardian angels, and these angels remain in the presence of God even as they fulfil their mission on earth.
Anciently, all angels were celebrated together on the feast of St Michael. A separate feast of the Guardian Angels began in Valencia in 1411. At the reform of the Breviary in the 16th century it was included among the local feasts, and it was raised to the status of a feast in the General Calendar in 1608, placed on the first free day after the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
One of the benefits of this feast is that it reminds us that God cares for us each, individually. We all know this in theory, but it is easy – in times of depression or temptation – to convince ourselves that we are too small to matter, for good or ill. Let us use this feast to remind ourselves that each of us has an angel of our very own looking after us; and also to pray to God for our own Guardian Angel. What a bore and a burden to them some of us are. May we one day be a cause of rejoicing for them also.
Saturday 28 September 2013
We can never fall down when God lifts us up
On Friday, we watched a contemporary dance video.
Initially I thought is was a really nice dance video, that's all. It wasn't the first time I saw it during session. However, it was only during our time of prayer that I realised that the dance video taught me things about God.
In the video, there was a couple dancing. The guy lifted up the girl so effortlessly above his head and threw her in the air and caught her. He must've been so strong! And maybe we did not notice it, but it also required a lot of strength from the girl in order to dance. (the core strength!!!)
That really reminded me -- When we trust in God for something, it's not as if we go completely unprepared for an exam and expect to get an A. But rather, it is when we put in our best (our core strength!) and surrender to God and let him do the rest!
Initially I thought is was a really nice dance video, that's all. It wasn't the first time I saw it during session. However, it was only during our time of prayer that I realised that the dance video taught me things about God.
In the video, there was a couple dancing. The guy lifted up the girl so effortlessly above his head and threw her in the air and caught her. He must've been so strong! And maybe we did not notice it, but it also required a lot of strength from the girl in order to dance. (the core strength!!!)
That really reminded me -- When we trust in God for something, it's not as if we go completely unprepared for an exam and expect to get an A. But rather, it is when we put in our best (our core strength!) and surrender to God and let him do the rest!
We can never fall down when God lifts us up.
Thursday 26 September 2013
A forgiving God and that's the role model
Today I had an unfortunate event with a bus driver. It happened just opposite Church. 2 buses came to the bus stop one is bus 10 and the other 12 (my bus). Bus 10 was in front of bus 12. It was red light and both buses just remained that's cause it's the red light. I was opposite the road and gave a sprint. Just before reaching the bus, the bus driver of bus 12 decided to be impatient and made a turn to the next Lane trying to overtake bus 10. But he was stuck because it was the red light.
At this point 2 things have happened. 1) bus 12, which was not fully in the bus stop have decided to turn out without looking if there are more passengers in the bus stop.
2) he was blocking the road as bus 10 is still stationary and thus not allowing bus 12 to move.
At this point I decided to ask the uncle to let me into the bus since it was his fault for being impatient. But to my surprise, he just went and shoo me away! Like literally using his body language. And I was extremely infuriated! So many terrible things came to my head. But thank God for being there and gave me a clear mind in that short time to prevent me from doing something stupid. So thank God.
However the real message came after much reflection upon the incident.
I think God gave me an opportunity to be a Christian and an opportunity to understand the pain of being rejected.
I felt really angry because i was innocent (in the right) yet i was rejected. And that reminded me of Jesus. Being innocent and yet he too was rejected. And in his suffering he forgives and blesses us.
This incident reminded me about my relationship with Jesus. There are times when I have rejected him for my own selfishness. But he always forgives me and blesses me. And that called me to do what our Lord has done for us. To forgive those who have sinned me as God has forgiven mine. And give them your blessings.
I guess this is one of my crosses as a disciple of Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Follow me on 
