Called to be peacemakers

This was the message I received at mass this weekend. We are called to be peacemakers at home.

It is true, as Father mentioned, that we all have arguements between family members. The Holy Family was definitely not spared. Although it was not mentioned, it would be interesting to know what Mary's thoughts were when Joseph told her that they had to travel out of Egypt.

I know that I have on many occasions been short fused n irritable. It is indeed very difficult to maintain a cool head and remember to be a peacemaker in those moments . But with God's grace, I know I will get better at it. I'm sure you would too.

Let us be mindful of our purpose here on earth and bring the peace of Christ to others, especially our family members.

Light in the darkness

I received a very comforting message this Christmas season. I was at mass on Christmas eve and Father spoke about the troubled times in the Middle East centuries ago when Christ was born into the world. In our time as we celebrate the birth of Christ, we are still experiencing trouble in the Middle East.

Indeed, Christ comes to bring us hope in our troubles, He has conquered death and will deliver us from our pain. Our papal Pope Francis puts it very appropriately at the Christmas mass at St Peter's Basilica, that Christ is the Light in the darkness. Jesus comes to us to light up our darkness, and gives us renewed hope that our darkness is temporary.

As I reflect on the birth of Christ, particularly in relation to my situation, I am hopeful that my darkest hour will pass for Christ has come to shine His Light into my life. I wait in hope and pray that His grace will be revealed in my life. I pray the same for you.

There can be miracles when you believe

We recently went to a Nativity event in the city, and it was super packed with loads of people. This was an eye opener for us and we were pretty excited and looking forward to the experience.

It took us a long time, with some debating, before we found seats within the crowd. Carols were being sung to entertain the crowd before the main event began. The Nativity was presented with real camels, which the three wise men rode on, and a donkey, which carried Mary as Joseph accompanied her on their journey towards Bethlehem. It was a beautifully depicted play and both Angie and myself were both impressed.

One of the songs that was sung was the theme song from one of the Disney movies, "There can be miracles". We were both touched by the lyrics of this song, which reminded us that God is working miracles very single day and moment of our lives. We have to believe to be able to see these mini miracles.

As we continue our journey in life, we pray that God will continue to bless us with miracles and increase the tiny faith in us that we expand our believe in His almighty power and blessings He wants so much to pour into our lives.

Merry and Blessed Christmas to you all and may you experience the many miracles happening in your life.

Happy are those who keep faith in me

"Happy are those who keep faith in me." Father shared these words of Jesus at Mass last weekend. He also shared about St John the Baptist, hypothesizing what he might be thinking as he was placed behind bars. Did he see the mud or the stars as he glanced out from those bars...

I find myself in this position of St John the Baptist many a time and I try to see the stars instead of the mud. I'm sure you would know how difficult it is to be optimistic when all around you seems so gloomy. We all have those days. Christ is calling us to keep faith in Him. Try as we may, we will never be able to see beyond the present. Our God is our Father and He only wants the best for us. He sees beyond the present and asks us to be faithful in Him and we will reap the rewards in due time, when we are ready.

Everyday, I try to be faithful, with the sure knowledge that God has great things in store for me, though I see nothing today. Help me dear Lord to be faithful to you always.

Joy amidst your pain and suffering

"Share Christian joy amidst your pain and suffering." These were the words Father shared recently.

I think I have heard these words before but I am able to relate to it more this time round. This period of time has been very dark for me and I might have avoided whatever joy that I may have encountered. Christ is the source of joy and He gives willingly to us. We on our part are required to share this joy with others, even when we do not feel like it.

I can't imagine how it is possible to share joy when we ourselves are going through pain and suffering. However, this is our calling as Christians and I know with the grace of God, we will be able to. As long as we fix our eyes on Christ, we can do all things.

Lord, grant me the grace to look beyond my pain and share your joy to those I meet.

Peace I give to you, Peace the world cannot give

Preparations for advert has begun in the church calendar. The topic for the weekend's session was on Peace. Father shared the story of St Augustine.

St Augustine led a promiscuous life but repented, became a priest and finally a bishop. His words,"The heart is restless until it rests in the Lord." describes our search for the peace of Christ. The Peace of Christ cannot be found in the things of this world. Jesus has given us His Peace but we need to look within our hearts to truly experience it.

There were many words of wisdom from Father but the excerpt above remained etched in my mind. Everyday I try to find peace through visible and tangible things of this world, especially this particularly trying time in my life. I pray that I can experience the Peace that Christ gives, Peace that this world cannot give.

At mass the next day, I felt a sense of consolation when Father prayed for the unemployed. He urged us to place our hope and trust in God. Thank you Lord for your presence and comfort.

Today you will be with me in Paradise

I was enlightened by Father at Mass last weekend, celebrating the feast of Christ the King. He re-countered the scene at Calgary where Jesus was crucified on the cross, with two others to his left and right.

The repentant sinner said to Jesus,"Remember me when you come into your Kingdom." To that Jesus replied with the words,"Today you will be with me in Paradise." Father reminded us that we need Jesus to enter into His Kingdom, to enter into Paradise. Without Jesus, we will not be able to step into Heaven.

These were very simple words but it has such deep meaning. I always knew that we needed Jesus but today it was no longer head knowledge but a great yearning to know Jesus even more, to recognise a King who showed us the way by dying on the cross to save us.

Help me know you more and more each day Lord Jesus and I look forward to being in Paradise with you.

Be generous

I have always struggled with generosity, money in particular. All our financial commitments seem to creep up on us ever so often, and with increasing amounts every time. Inflation would appropriately describe this phenomenon.

Just last Sunday at Mass, the Archbishop appealed through the parish for the annual Christmas donations for charities that are supported by the archdiocese. I found myself wringing to God about my current situation and telling him that I should be at the receiving end of the donations myself... But then it dawned on me that there are many many people much worse off than me. At least I still have a roof above my head, and food on the table.

I wondered to myself what would I resort to if I were in their situation? I could not begin to comprehend... I started to sympathise with them and try to look beyond my situation to find within myself to give generously to this appeal. I hope that my small contribution would go a long way for those that need it most.

Dear Lord, help me give what I can and play my part in bringing Jesus to those who cannot look beyond their situation to see Him.

I have a plan for you

Have you ever looked at your friends around you and feel happy that they are doing well? Then look at yourself and wonder if you will get there? It is certainly not a very good place to be.

Every so often I find myself directionless and seeking for the path that God has prepared for me, not knowing what that path might be... I can really identify with the song "Help me find it" by Sidewalk Prophets. Not knowing is a very painful experience but the total surrender to God's revelation in His time takes such great faith and trust that right now I'm not sure I have a fraction of.

Today at mass, we were approached to bring up the bread and wine for the offertory. I was pleasantly surprised, that we of all the people in church were chosen. I have always felt that it is a great honour to offer up the bread and wine during mass. Today, as we held the offertory in our hands, walking down the church aisle, I felt that I was offering up myself as well to the Lord. I sense God telling me that He has a plan for me, that I should not worry but believe.

Thank you Lord for the beautiful encounter at Mass. May I be surprised by you everyday.

Be compassionate

Recently, I followed-up on an application I submitted some time ago with expectant faith that my skills set and experience would at least secure me an interview. Imagine the spectrum of emotions when I received a negative reply. I was downcast and asked myself why this was happening.

I was upset with myself that I could not do anything to improve the situation. I decided to request for feedback on my unsuccessful result without expecting anything positive. Once again, God has other intentions. I was surprised to receive a prompt reply with a promise to give me feedback the coming week. It was a genuine typed written message without a hint of those response template you usually receive. This person, whom I have never met, has shown me compassion through his very simple gesture.

He has shown me the face of Jesus, compassionate to all, even to tax collectors who were labelled sinners. The question I ask myself is, "Am I able to be compassionate to myself?". I have been very hard on myself lately and this is a timely reminder to be compassionate, especially to me.

Thank you for showing me the way Lord, and please continue to strengthen me in my trials and allow me to be compassionate.

God has a better plan for you

I was at mass yesterday, with many distractions on my mind. Sitting there among the parishioners, I was in my own world. I must admit that I was just following the motions of mass, standing, sitting and kneeling where required.

As Father was delivering the homily, his words were whizzing past me, travelling in and out of my ears, without finding a resting place in my mind. It was not until he mentioned a phrase that found residence in my overcrowded brain. He said that If God did not answer your prayers, He has a better plan in store for you.

I have definitely heard these words before but have struggled to live by them. Deep down within my heart, I believe that this is true, but in the recesses of my brain, the electrical pulses that create my thoughts tell me differently. It is really by faith that I hold firm to that belief. I know that God has great plans for us, plans that we cannot comprehend at the present moment but with eyes of faith, will be slowly revealed to us.

It is with this anticipation and what remains from my exhausted brain, that I left church with a lighter heart and a silent prayer to be patient and faithful. I pray the same for you who may be in a similar situation. God has a better plan for you.

Being missionary

It was Mission Sunday last weekend and the Catholic Mission Office was asking for donations to help the Catholic Church in Mongolia. I found out then that Mongolia is the youngest church, a mere 20 years old.

A video clip was shown and it highlighted the situation in Mongolia and more strikingly, the story of a middle-aged man and his family who were left homeless after a natural disaster. He and his family were taken in by the Church. He shared a phrase that is still echoing in my heart and mind, that he is at peace with God in his life.

I could not help but find myself humbled by his attitude, as I am struggling to find peace in the midst of my current situation. I seem to search for things that will grant me this peace but God is the only person that can provide the peace that will satisfy.

As I part with a small donation that day, I am thankful that this person from Mongolia has reached out to me through that video. I continue to seek God in all things and hopefully learn to appreciate the peace that only He can give.

Choose Love

It has been quite tough going for me. Not sure where God is leading me. Some days I wake feeling disorientated and other days I feel confident that God has many wonderful things in store for me.

One thing I did not count on were the constant opportunities to choose love over indifference. People are constantly in and out of our lives and it is very seldom that they stay with us for an extended period of time. It is precisely those that stay longer that we have some expectation of them. Though we do not consciously want to, but it creeps up unawares.

I find myself easily disturbed and irritable on the days when I wake feeling not so good about myself. The smallest and insignificant issue can cloud my brain and obscure the simplest and most loving approach to resolve the issue. It is times like these that really test my resolve to choose love. I know that relying on my own strength will get me nowhere near that, so I pray to God that He will grant me the daily grace to live in His Light and choose love every time.

Gratitude

Time flies and it is fast approaching the end of the year. Things have been alittle quiet for me recently. I have now completed my training and am officially a qualified tutor. The other opportunity did not materialise for me. The one I assumed was God's assurance for my current situation. Deep down I know that He has something better for me, though I felt really disappointed when I received the news. I was questioning God, which I felt was me not being faithful in Him.

The first reading on sunday from the prophet Habakkuk gave me some sense of "It's ok to question sometimes...". Habakkuk was lamenting to God for the situation He was in. When the passage was read, it seemed that I was lamenting. It certainly gave me a sense of comfort. I was always going to write about being grateful and thankful to God once I secured that opportunity but now that it is not in my hands, am I to delay gratitude to the Almighty? I still thank you Lord for all that you have done for me, for all that you have blessed me with. I know that you have great and better plans for me and that I should continue to have faith and trust in you.

Thank you Lord for everything, what you have given me, what you are now giving me and what you have in store for me.

I will give you what you need

It has been a long and trying time for me this past few months as I struggle to find life's path for me. I know deep within my heart that God has an awesome plan for me which I have yet to realise.

Recently, things have been kinda falling into place slowly for me. I was offered a tutoring position of which I will embark on my journey beginning with some training courses. Though this is a casual position but I know that it would be rewarding and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those who need it the most. I had my apprehensions mainly regarding the financial side of things, but somehow God presents another opportunity which if I am successful, would allay my fears and at the same time allow me to pursue my vocation of educating.

I was further affirmed when I read this phrase from this particular lady who was successful in building her business,"He gives me what I need". How very true indeed. Though I do not know the outcome of that particular opportunity, I am certain that God will give me what I need.

Lord I believe that you will provide for our needs. May I be your instrument in this world and may I allow myself to be led by you. Thank you Lord for meeting my needs.

My Plan for you

I was sitting in church over the weekend and noticed a young boy dressed in a suit. He was to receive his first holy communion during mass that day.

I recall when I had my first holy communion. Back then it was like the next step in my catholic upbringing, and it did not mean much to me. I was not able to identify with receiving Christ in person through the little wafer given by the priest.
It was not until in my early twenties did I begin to relate with this truth. I believe that God was slowly forming me through the years before allowing me to experience that truth within my heart and being.

Today, as I go through a very difficult and trying time in my life, I try desperately to cling on to this believe that God is slowing forming me before revealing His plan for me, each day at a time.

If you are in a similar situation, don't give up. I pray with you that we will find out His plan for us in His time.

God's Fidelity

I was reading one of the reflections on Living Faith a while back and I was struck by the sharing on God's fidelity. The author highlighted God's faithfulness to us everyday, through our darkest moments to our joyous moments. He is with us through every waking moment and never gives up on us.

I have been thinking alot about this sharing and how my life has shaped to become how it is today. I realised that God has been the only constant through all the changes that has been happening in my life. I feel really blessed and thankful for His faithfulness and have always made it a point to thank Him for that no matter how my day went.

As I embark on another new day, I thank the Lord for His faithfulness and pray that He will lead me to where He wants me to go. May I be patient with Him as He is with me. I pray the same for all of you.

May we always be mindful of God's fidelity and reciprocate it every other day.

Place your hope in me

It really is hard to get over difficult times. You do not act normal and everyone seems distant, especially God.

You question your purpose, His plan for you. Nothing seems to be turning out right, at least in your limited vision of reality. You have to tell yourself that God has a plan for you and that everything is going to be alright. Somehow it seems easier to believe when you are telling someone else, someone other than yourself.

Hope is something that I try to cling on to, especially in those difficult times. On hindsight, I can see God's workings in my life, sustaining me with His Grace and Hope. One very visual sign was this very beautiful rainbow, streching across the sky forming a semi-circle that was just incredible. It is so difficult not to be amazed by the sheer beauty and splendor. I could not take my eyes off it. This indeed was a wonderful sign of hope from God.

He is telling us to place our hope in Him for He knows what is best for us. Continue to hope in God although your situation may seem hopeless to you, for God is planning a huge blessing for you.

Know my voice

"My sheep know my voice" - Theses were the words of Christ. This is an analogy to sheeps recognising the voice of the shephard.

Father recently mentioned in his sermon last weekend that in reality, it is important that sheeps recognise their shephard because shephards tend to bring their sheep out for grazing together with those that belong to other shephards.

It is when it's time to return home, the sheep needs to recognise their shephard's voice to follow the correct person.

It is this amazing ability of sheeps that I strive towards. I find it hard to distinguish the voice of God in the stirrings of my heart. Many a time, I listen to the other voice and stray from the perfect plan that God has for me. I am thankful that He has not given up on me.

One thing I know is that if I follow the voice of love, I am on the right path. This has been the most difficult thing to do. It always requires sacrifice and getting out of my comfort zone to do the loving thing, especially to those that do not deserve it. It is in these difficult moments that I really need to draw on His strength.

Dear Lord, may I recognise your voice and heed your call daily, as difficult as it may be.

Letting go

Recently, we were out in the hills with our friends and their kids. I happen to see one of the kids going around picking rocks from the ground. So I went up to him and asked him what he was doing. He showed me both his hands full of rocks. He gestured that he wanted to pick more rocks to bring home.

I looked at him and naturally replied that he would need to let go of some of the rocks he was holding on to before he can pick more. Without hesitating, he let go of a few rocks after examining them. It was as if he wanted to keep the better looking ones.

I was amazed how quickly he did this. He had after all spent so much time amassing those rocks in his hands, carefully picking only those which he liked. Then I remembered the words of a preacher which I greatly admired,"Let go of what your hands are holding onto so God can give you more blessings in your life."

Indeed, if I can let go of the things I hold on to so dearly, be it burdens or past joy, I will not be able to receive more of God's blessing. What a beautiful lesson I learned from a young child. May you also have free hands to receive God's blessing in your life.

Being fully human

Jesus shared in our humanity, suffered and died for our sins. Are we called to share in His suffering?
All of us are suffering some kind of pain and to be able to share in Christ's suffering is to be fully human.

Oh Lord, we can never comprehend the suffering you went through; the agony in the Garden of Gethsamane, the sourging, the carrying of the cross, falling under the weight of the cross, being nailed to the cross, and finally dying on the cross. Our own suffering is but a tiny fraction of yours. We however, make a big deal out of it.

Help us to find the courage to say those words of yours,"Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me, but not mine will but yours be done."

Thank you for your great act of salvation, and may we rise with you on Easter Sunday.

Light of this world

Last weekend, we went for Palm Sunday mass at the Church of St Cecilia with our Godchildren and their parents. It is a really beautiful church with magnificent stained glass frescos of Jesus and other biblical characters.

I was in conversation with God as usual, just staring at the image of Jesus above the altar. Then it dawned upon me how this stained glass was created. It's not that I was not aware of it before but it drew a very powerful revelation for me.

The stained glass is made up of many broken pieces of glass, each with their own unique characteristic. When they come together, they form a beautiful masterpiece. It is even more magnificent when the evening sunlight filters through. All of us are like the different broken pieces of glass. In some way, we are broken but when we come together, we bring out the best in each other. The light of Christ shining through us creates that indescribable beauty.

We are all called by Christ to shine His light in this darken world and it is only through us coming together as one family can we bring out the magnificent glory of God. It is very much like the stained glass displaying that beautiful sight when the light shines through it.

May we be your light in this world Oh Lord.

Call to forgive

Recently, an incident occurred that got the both of us really upset and fuming.

We were promised something by a salesperson but were given something different. It irked us further when this salesperson skirts around the issue and insists that he has given us what he promised. He even had the cheek to tell us that according to the law, what he has given us fulfills that which is stated in the contract.

We are currently in the midst of finding a resolution for this but the very thought of this salesperson having the decency to deny any wrongdoing in this matter makes our blood boil. We are so angry with this person, his accomplice and his company. I find it very hard to even consider forgiving this person.

I took my first baby step to forgiving this person today when I was reading a book that a friend of ours gave us. It relates the encounter of a person with God, after the abduction and murder of his young daughter. The book revealed words of wisdom that I would like to share with you. “To forgive someone does not mean that you will be in relationship with that person. It means that you are removing your hands from the throat of that person, so that God can redeem that person when allowed to.” These are not the exact words but it brought new meaning to the word forgiveness to me. We do not need to have any further relations with that person but our act of forgiveness allows the possibility of God's redemptive power in that person's life.

I cannot imagine myself in the shoes of that character in the book, being able to forgive the murderer of his daughter but I know that we are all called to forgive no matter how grave the sin of the other party. It may sound illogical but Jesus showed the way by dying on the cross for our sins.

I pray for the grace of God to forgive this person and continue to strive for holiness in my short stay here on earth.

Metanoia

I was at Sunday evening mass and Father mentioned "Metanoia", a greek word meaning to turn around. It suddenly dawned upon me that we are well into the season of Lent. I was aware that this is the season of Lent but somehow I find that I am not preparing myself for Metanoia.

Life is hard enough that we should have to deal with difficult people and situations. It seems that kind and wonderful people, joyful and blessed situations seem to be the odd occurrence instead of the norm. I have found myself in many situations that have triggered a response that on hindsight is ugly and unkind. As I dwell and reflect on Father's message of metanioa, I pray that God will strengthen me in my daily living, to have the awareness and ability identify unkind situations and respond in a Christ-light manner. It is Lent and we are called to turn from our old ways and embrace God's
ways.

I was drawn to a story that Father shared in his homily. He shared about a young lady who was going for a simple operation and requested for Father to listen to her confession. When Father arrived at the hospital, she was on her way to the operating table. Although Father wanted to have the confession prior to her operation, she waved Father away and said that it can wait till after the operation. Unforunately, she never made it out of the operation. Opportunities are there for us to return to God, to turn from our evil ways. We have to grab them and not wait till another day, because that day might not come.

God is always waiting for us to return to Him. He never gives up on us. It is time for us to turn back to Him. I pray for the strength to do that, strength for metanoia. I pray the same for you.

You are not alone

Have you ever felt alone and abandoned by God in your life? It is never a good feeling. I suddenly felt this way yesterday. It just came like a bolt of lightning, and caught me by surprise. I can't say that I was prepared for it. I'm not sure if it's the worries that are weighing on my mind or the uncertainties in my life, not knowing what is ahead of  me, but that feeling was overwhemling. For a very long time now, I felt empty, very empty. I felt like I'm in a vacuum of  darkness and all I can see is nothingness. I'm not sure if I can describe that feeling but it is very dark and black.

I can't remember exactly how I got out of it but I manage to take small baby steps towards recovery, or should I say healing. I realised that too often I have relied on my own strength, such that when I am unable to handle life's difficulties, I crumple... I think my healing process started when I surrendered to God and allowed Him to strengthen me. Truely, I can only rely on God's strength to handle what life throws at me. That process started at mass and every waking moment now, I constantly pray for God's strength to sustain me. Knowing that He is with me, helps me deal with the
challenges of life. There are still moments when I fall back on being reliant on own strength but I keep reminding myself that God is with me. I find that I have to surrender daily to His power to help me in life. This is not easy and I am still in my infancy, trying to find my way. I am confident though, that I will get there with God.

Life may be difficult but God never gives up on us. We need not feel alone because He is right there with us. I can't imagine the pain you are going through but I know that God knows. I do believe that He is healing you right this very moment.

I pray that you will always remember that you are never alone and that God is with you in your pain and emptiness.

Emmanuel - God is with us

I am sure we have heard this phrase many times. Emmanuel (God is with us). It seems such simple logic, that God is with us all the time, before we existed till the present moment, and beyond our earthly existence. Yet at times, it is impossible to comprehend that He is indeed with us.

We all go through the valley of darkness, periods of hurts, pain and sufferings, unanswered prayers. I find it very difficult to acknowledge that God is with me during these dark times. I realised that I have focused all my thoughts on the fact that I am in the pits, such that I have left nothing within my being to faith, to hope. On hindsight, I am certain that God is there with me during those times, embracing me and getting me through. I still find it hard to believe that God is with me in my moments of suffering but faith is a gift that is incomprehendable. I know that I would never have gotten through on my own strength.

Today, I hear the story about a young boy suffering from cancer. He has been told that he has only months to live. Although fully aware of this, he is still perserving and living life to the full, an advocate for cancer research for children. His bravery inspires me, but I know that the strength that is carrying him comes from God the Almighty. The human spirit overcoming all adversity really is God's presence empowering us. We draw strength from Him and only through Him are we able to rise from our sufferings.

It is with renewed faith and hope that I step into this new year, firmly believing in the change that will come in my life. Having said that, I pray that in those dark moments that life throws my way, I may draw on His strength to rise and be renewed in His love. I pray the same for you.