Christ calls us to be His disciples

This weekend we celebrate Christ's calling of the first apostles. Father reminded us that Christ also calls us to be His disciples. Do we avail ourselves to this call and do we respond to this call?

As I reflect on this question, I realised that it is possible I have shut myself from Jesus. It could be unintentionally and subconsciously. As much as I would like to avail myself to Jesus's call, I might have allowed the worries and troubles of this world to take priority in my life. I think I need to include Jesus more in my life and it might be best to start by offering up all my worries and troubles to Him at the start of every single day.

Lord Jesus, I want you to be more involved in my life. Help me to listen to your voice everyday and respond to your call to serve you where you have placed me.

Opportunities to grow

We were watching the movie "Evan Almighty" recently on TV and the one scene that was replayed in my head since, was that conversation God had with Joan.

This was what God said, "If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

This is another reminder for me that God is not our vending machine, where anything that we ask for in prayer pops out for us. We need to be observant and look out for the opportunities He presents to us when we pray for something. It is when we are discerning, can we grab these opportunities and allow ourselves to be transformed and to grow into the person God created us to be.

Dear Lord, may my prayers help me to be aware of these opportunities that you to create for me and grant me the grace to allow you to mould me into a better person.

We have much to learn

I just returned from mass, learnt something new today. Father told us that Catholic means Universal. We are a universal church. That is why we need to reach out to everyone, not only those within the church but those outside.

Father recalled the event of 1986 (I hope I remembered correctly), when our late pope John Paul II invited the heads of all the religious denominations to the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi to pray for peace. Many in the church were upset and felt that this was against the call to conversion. Blessed John Paul II replied that this was a gathering in friendship, and that we have much to learn from others.

As I pondered on those words,"We have much to learn from others" I am reminded that we have so much to learn from each other. Those we meet in our everyday activities and work, as well as those we meet along the street, can teach us a thing or two. Lord, help me to be aware and mindful of the people I see and meet everyday, to always be open to the lessons that they might impart to me.

Baptised into the life and death of Christ

Father shared with us Pope Francis' teaching at his first general audience of the year. Our baptism is not a rite of passage. We are baptised into the life and death of Christ. As such, we are incorporated into Christ.

We are called to be Christians and I believe that being incorporated into Christ bestows on us a great responsibility to live our lives as Christ lived, according to the Gospels. We represent Christ and we need to show the world the face of Christ through us.

I recall my baptism and wonder if I have lived that call. Daily living presents itself many trials and opportunities, and with it much pain as well as joy. It is difficult to gauge the responses of others but I know that I should always be Christ to others, though it may be tough at times.

I hope and pray that I may overcome my own insecurities and difficulties, and be strengthen by God to be His Son to all I meet. This is the responsibility I carry by virtue of my baptism, and one I am willing to undertake with His Grace.

With God there is no fear

I went for a recent novena service at the St Mary's Cathedral and Father shared this message with us. He said that we should do all things with love, for God is love and with God, there is no fear.

Many a time, I am crippled with fear in certain aspects of my life. I'm sure you would have those instances as well. The fear is very real and there are times when I feel so trapped and overcome by fear that my immediate reaction is to run away from the situation. It seems that whenever I encounter fear in my life, I fail to include love. I would need to make a conscious effort to do all things with love, and things just turn out well. Fear becomes a distant memory.

I know that God is at work and I pray that as I journey through life and all that it may throw at me, I will remember to have love always. Fear is such a powerful force that might enable us to get things done, but love is the powerful motivating force we need to get things done right.

May love be in our hearts always to lead and direct our lives.

Follow the Star

We just celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. The three wise men followed the star which led them to Jesus. The one thing that I gathered from Father's homily was that we are called individually to follow the star. Not any star but the one that God has allocated to us.

We were all born into this world with a unique purpose and this makes us special in God's eyes. He has a pre-destined plan for us when He brought us into this world. We need to find that star, and follow the star to where we will find Jesus, where we find our purpose and calling.

I am filled with much hope as I search to find my place in this world. Though things may not look rosy but deep down I know that God will led me to His great plan for me. I need to find that star and follow it. I pray that God will reveal the star and help me find my way towards it. I pray the same for you.

Honour Mary our Mother

We started the new year with mass in the morning. Today is the feast of the maternity of Mary our Mother. We were both enlightened by what Father mentioned in his sermon.

He said that we honour Jesus when we honour Mary our Mother. We take nothing away from Christ but instead add on to it. Indeed, Mary brings us closer to Jesus and we pray that as we begin this new year, we will be drawn closer to Christ through Mary our Mother, Mother of the Church.

May this new year bring about many Blessings from God and the warmth and prayers of Mary our Mother, who is constantly at our side.