Anticipating Advent

The word advent is defined as coming into a place, view or being; arrival. For Christians, Advent is the season before Christmas, about a month of preparation and waiting expectantly, not just to celebrate the birth of the Christ child in the world, but also to mark the return of Jesus in the Second Coming. 

The first exhortation is stay awake, for we do not know the hour the Son of Man is coming. We are close to the end of the calendar year, where spirits tend to flag, and we may have lost a little of our zeal to bring God glory, weighed down by our recent failures and our own self-indulgent ways, so the liturgical wisdom of Advent is timely. Wake up from our distractions, prepare our hearts to receive Jesus, allow Him to be born within us in new ways. 

Physical and mental exhaustion have left me in a rather blasé state of mind, so I welcomed Advent with hope; hope for my own renewal of spirit, hope to release my disordered attachments to the Lord, and hope to be restored to Righteous Peace and Godly Glory promised in Baruch chapter five, verses one to nine. 

The readings at mass have been rich, brimming with God’s true intention for humanity: the physical and spiritual healings, the miraculous feeding of the hungry thousands, the reminders of how much God loves us all and how He wants to shower us with blessings. We need only turn around and return into His loving arms to experience all His promises.

Certainly it can be a mite challenging to do just that, return to Him, stay awake and hope for a better day tomorrow when our hearts are aching with sorrow and loss, and we feel battered down by life and all the evil we seem to be surrounded by, and yet, this is the true beauty of being Christian, we have an ace in the hole in the Christ baby. 

He will be born to share in our humanity wholly, experiencing all we ourselves experience. He will take on all our failures and sins by the horns and fling them where they don’t matter one smidge, and we will be rewarded with a redemption that wraps us in loving arms and unifies us with our Maker. We will live forever in glory, beyond the limitations of our current existence.

Advent encourages me to think with that long term view of eternal bliss and to transform my heart and mind now such that I can experience a foretaste of future glory by living as closely as I can with Jesus in the here and now. This intimate relationship with the Lord is what will give me the ability to be alert and not falter presently, to be one with Him in heart, mind and soul. 

We will pass this way but once, YOLO as it is often tossed around, so make it a great life, a great day every day, live as Jesus did, in close communion with the Father, acting with righteousness and compassion to all He met, with no exception. There are great rewards for doing so, not just in the future, but even now.  

So heed the call and act on it. Shake off the tiredness of body and heaviness of heart and serve with enthusiasm and good cheer. He was, is, and always will be our Saviour King, God who is with us. Welcome Him come Christmas Day with grateful hands and a joyful heart.

Humble, awesome pastors

I attended Father Gerard Keane’s funeral mass last Friday afternoon and it hit me emotionally without me quite understanding why. I didn’t know Father Keane that well but he is the last of a group of Irish Jesuits who were the mainstay of the Church of Saint Ignatius during my formative years. I would say my faith and spirituality has been shaped a fair bit by the succinct and reflective sermons of this particular cohort of Jesuit priests that spoke of God’s mercy and forgiveness to me.

He was the last of this cohort of Irish men who gave their lives over to God in order to pastor sheep in a foreign land, making this land so unlike their native land a home. With Father K’s demise, I feel as if a precious piece of my childhood is gone forever and that saddens me. Those were days of innocence and a mundane, much simpler existence. And yet, the fruitfulness Father Christopher spoke of remains although the man has departed. He and his brethren have made many of us Singaporeans devout Catholics who understand the joy of being God’s children. They have given us a sense of belonging. We have experienced a gentle, loving Father’s guidance in our lives. We have sought Him in the silent landscapes of our hearts and met Him. We have found Him in all things, especially the humble, very human man Father K was, who had a heart set on His Father’s heart.

Just this morning I awoke to news that Father Ignatius Huan had lost his battle with cancer in the wee hours of the morning. Again I am saddened greatly. Having had to privilege over the years to attend retreats and seminars facilitated by Father Ignatius, I feel the loss of this humble, gentle, and wise priest. He was such a wonderful teacher and a great example of a man who walked to the beat of the Lord’s drum. He gave me heart to walk the narrow path and be a powerful witness, a sign of contradiction in today’s world: to love as Jesus loved without caring if everyone else thought I am foolish or overly rigid to follow the precepts of Mother Church so wholeheartedly.

In the climate of paedophile priests and priests who behave without integrity and Christian love, I salute priests like Father Keane and Father Ignatius, and I thank God for their lives which have been poured out as an offering to Him. These are men who put their talents to good use, never allowing pride to affect their judgement, and who remained level-headed and humble. They went boldly where few would have trodden. There were huge sacrifices and immense personal costs they undertook willingly. Lonely days and nights were a surety. They were His missionary disciples who have transformed the world and made it a better place. Good and faithful servants!

Thank you dear Father Keane and Father Ignatius. Rest in peace, in eternal rest and perpetual light. Till we meet again.

Honouring myself

You need to honour yourself, give yourself the time and space to be you, if not, you will get burnt out and lose yourself, she told me. Hmmmm, sage advice, and I have, most recently, been trying to do just that, that is, finding the right balance between honouring my spouse and my marriage, and myself. 

It has been my wont to go full speed ahead and throw myself into life wholeheartedly, often to the detriment of my own well-being. So why would I stop when I got married, especially since married life opened the door to a whole new world of complexities in a alien landscape?

Trying to acclimate to this new environment has been fraught with struggle, and I suspect I will never stop struggling just because that’s what participating in life, being fully engaged in relationships means. There’s always something new ahead, there’s always something that will pull the rug from under your feet just when you thought you have a handle on life. 

Determined to love in a vulnerable, open, giving, selfless manner as described by JP2 in Theology of the Body, I have subsumed my own needs greatly, which was the right thing to do in these first two years of marriage in order to bring unity and harmony, and to bond not just with P, but even Max, the family dog. I am grateful for all the blessings, all the joy, even all the frustrations that have come it of this period of my life. 

When I fall into the abyss of despair, I remind myself first of all, this is not where God wants me to be, living life to the full means much more than just honouring my gifts and talents as a disciple of God, it means a willingness to allow myself to be moulded and refined, which is often not an enjoyable or pain-free process. Mary was told explicitly her soul would be pierced with a sword for being the Mother of Christ and she experienced just that, all the way to Calvary. But just as loving involves pain, sorrow and loss, it also encompasses joy, laughter, fulfilment, a richness in living out the Kingdom of God actively, and finally, the deep satisfaction of self-actualization, of becoming who I am created to be.

Thus I need to keep on relying fully on God, and God alone, to lay my head on Jesus’ chest and wail out my sorrows, and to say to our Blessed Mother the words Saint Teresa of Calcutta highly recommended: Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me.

So to honour myself, I will take more QT (quiet time) breaks to water my soul and strengthen my spirit, and to do what gives me joy more frequently such as reading, baking, playing with baby J, and spending time with my Mother. I will honour myself by loving myself more for if I cannot love myself, then I will not have the wherewithal to love others as they deserve to be loved. 

Stop and smell

What are you doing Daughter asked puzzled

Two old ladies stopping stooping over the roses

Communing with the pretty velvety faces

Resplendent in ruby, buttercup and cotton candy

Why we are smelling the roses of course

Contemplating their delightful perfume

Drinking in their gone tomorrow beauty  

Life is good He made it very good

Shouldn’t we celebrate

He’s given us at least five senses

Using them makes perfect sense

How else can we thank Him

For His Floral Songs that enrich our lives

Pleasure is a damask rose in bloom

The scent of my mother’s gentle heart 

Remember to stop and smell

Horrible as life is all will be well

Making marriage holy

Sometimes I feel like how Saint Peter must have felt when he was older and experiencing what was prophesied about him, that he would be led to go where he did not want to go. Married life is a little like that. And sometimes, it is a lot like that. 

My time is no longer my own. I have to consider a whole lot more than just my individual wants and needs. I even have to do things I would normally avoid just because I really don’t like doing them, but now, it isn’t really a choice if my preeminent choice is marriage. It is definitely character building. More importantly, it is what it means to be a practising Christian which is what I have tried to be, especially in these last 15 years. NB: it doesn’t get easier with the years.

Following Christ means I don’t get to pick and choose what I like to do, I pick and choose what He wills in my life, and that often means I have to go out there and stretch myself. Get uncomfortable, even completely stressed out. At times, suffer consequences not of my own making. Sacrifice my personal preferences and tastes in order to build relationships. Deal with the inevitable tensions of living under one roof as a family.

There are days I get overwhelmed. And there are days when I am really not having much fun. This is when I have to remind myself to count my blessings, for the Lord has been gracious in His provender. I am dearly loved by the Father who has given me every good thing today. Never mind the occasional thunderstorm. It can bring relief of sorts and manifold blessings. The goodness is there even when I cannot see it or appreciate it as such in the present moment.

Having just celebrated the Feast of All Saints recently, I wonder how the saints did it? How does one live with constant physical pain or the emotional suffering that Saint Bernadette received at the hands of those who rejected and ridiculed her? How did Saint Monica withstand her violent husband and his pagan ways, and the apostasy of her brilliant son Augustine for long years without taking to her bed permanently? How did Saint Maximilian Kolbe make the decision to give his life up for another and live out those last excruciating 14 days of his existence in an underground bunker without food and water? How did Saint Maria Goretti forgive the man who almost raped her only to die from the 14 grievous stab wounds he later inflicted? How did Saint Teresa of Calcutta persist in her vocation so faithfully for years on end even when she no longer experienced the consolation of the Lord’s presence in her life? 

How does one cultivate the right disposition to always desire the better of the other, to subsume one’s own needs to the point where it may not be personally salubrious? It is clear that it has nothing to do with feelings but it is a daily decision, a willingness to act a certain way: to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy. This is our mandate as Christians, to aspire to holiness as a state of being that comes from loving God and others as much as God loves us. It calls, often, for death by crucifixion. It isn’t about putting on the benign and serene face we often find on a saint’s prayer card, but it means the willingness to choose a humiliating, ugly, painful and oftentimes inconvenient way of life.  Loving others requires purpose, courage and constancy to keep on doing what we are asked to do despite how we feel, especially when others are unappreciative and we are even vilified for doing what is right.

Yesterday’s first reading from Saint Paul’s letter to Titus (2:1-8,11-14) give us a good idea of what holiness entails:

But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine. Bid the older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise urge the younger men to control themselves. Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

And as Luke chapter 17 verse 10 reminds us when we think we have done enough already, or reached the heights of holiness: We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.

It is never enough. Our duty is never done. We can always do more. Lest you begin to believe that loving God is all work, and all about carrying out good works, or that to live sober, upright and godly lives translates into a life devoid of fun, joy and pleasure, think again.

Jesus is my delight. He is the one whom I love for having loved me first with such tenderness and generosity. Following Him brings me great satisfaction, deep joy and peace of mind. I am happy to bring Him delight, not just to repay Him for all He has given me, but also because I love Him dearly and I want to please Him. So doing His will gives me pleasure even when it is challenging. This truth of joyful love is the hook I need to hang my aspirations of sainthood on.

While I may be a little stressed out right now, I recognize that marriage has been enriching, fulfilling, and has filled me with unimaginable joy. I know that even as good as my marriage is, as many pleasures it affords me, there are areas which bear improving, plus rough times ahead (no good marriage comes without those), while weeping tears of frustration are to be expected at times. When it gets too much, I just redirect control to Jesus by laying everything at His feet; my desires, my jangled emotions, my tears and all, and say to Him, do with it what You will, Lord.

I also remember to thank God every day for everything good (and bad) that has happened in the day, for all the people in my life now, especially P, and to keep on climbing the mountain to holiness. If I stumble at times, so be it. As long as I get up and get going again even when I feel like giving up, for I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Come what may, I will stand my ground and stay the course. Accept my crosses with passion, asking humbly for wisdom and mercy to know how to carry them. To be holy is to be so in love with Jesus that I would die for Him gladly. Give me the grace to die again and again for you, Lord, like all the saints who have before me. 

It is well with my soul

During my cell group meeting some Mondays ago, S commented that she felt the love of the community during the covenant celebration for everyone was just pitching in and doing what needed to be done so that it was a beautiful and meaningful Eucharistic celebration and ceremony. She was greatly edified. Being a busy mum herself, she was touched that K and S who are busy working mothers had taken time off their busy schedules to paint and create personalised gifts for those who were taking their covenant or commitment. 

She contrasted it with past experience, where instead of cheerfully working together to get things done, people tended to avoid responsibility, especially for thankless jobs like putting out chairs and cleaning up after. 

I guess I am very blessed for I hit pay dirt the first time. I can still remember clearly when I arrived in Bangalore for the Pastoral Counselling School in 2003, how the smiling, friendly face of G greeted me at the retreat centre where we were staying and subsequently how everyone was so warm and hospitable. 

I felt accepted and loved for who I was, part of God’s family. I felt at home in the company of strangers which was a novel and wondrous experience for being highly introverted, I am never very comfortable with lots of people, especially strangers. E was the only person I knew there. It was the modelling of Christian love amongst the missionaries and attendees that showed me how the early Christian communities must have loved each other and those around them post-Pentecost. So this is how much God loves me, and this experience of the Father’s all-merciful love meant one thing only, I wished to dwell in the presence of the Lord, in His courts all the days of my life. 

So I found community and ministry, not just with the ICPE Mission, but within my parish as well. I was equally blessed to work alongside great people wherever I was involved. A and K showed me how mature Christian women bore witness to the world. Their deep love and passion for Jesus was infectious and inspiring. D and P revealed to me how good Christian men served the Lord with selfless integrity and gentleness, so unlike my experience of men who were selfish and harsh. No road is too rocky, no menial task so unpleasant, no hardship so insurmountable that it would be avoided or arrowed*. 

We go on mission, as Father Greg pointed out, with Jesus. Yoked with Him, things can be easy, our burden light. This does not exclude difficulties and suffering, far from it, for a follower of Christ has a cross, as Christ had one. But if we are willing to take up our cross and follow Him, we know, with surety, that the cross will always triumph and death will give way to resurrection. We know that eternal life will be rewarding because we ourselves have been privileged to have tasted the sweetness here. 

I first tasted God’s merciful, nurturing love in Bangalore and I was hooked. I finally realized my identity as a child of God and it was awesome. I discovered that Father God had always been looking out for me. Jesus had always been there, calling me by name, waiting for me to turn around and recognize Him. I was finally able to fully receive the gift of the Holy Spirit given to me at baptism and confirmation, and to allow Him to direct my days.

When one attempts to live in the Spirit, one is given insight to know what is the better option in any given situation, and to have the necessary strength of character to take it... eventually. Over the years, I have found myself able to make unselfish choices without resentment because my only desire is for the Lord’s goodness. It is still an uphill battle for knowing and doing are two separate things altogether.

Knowing what Jesus wants can be a burden at times; spirits do flag, dark nights do exist, and it can seem unfair and impossible to keep having to choose the better part. There are days I complain haven’t I done enough, why is it me who has to be the bigger person, who has to be magnanimous? Why? Must I keep giving my two mites, my livelihood, can’t I just reserve some for myself? 

I tend to forget that whenever I am generous with God, He outmatches me in generosity. His love is like the pouring rain last night, coming down in sheets of luscious raindrops, watering the arid soil of my soul such that it is well with my soul. Nothing can shake me. As D would say steady pom pi  pi. I am also reminded of the story of how Horatio Spafford who penned the classic hymn It is well with my soul wrote the beautiful lyrics after he himself suffered the death of his son, financial ruin, and, finally, the death of all his four daughters in an accident at sea.

Tragedy, loss and suffering cannot overcome us. Hardship and hard work are a given in this life, and yet, there are hidden joys and many benefits in overcoming hardship and doing a job well. So we stand and face our giants. We cast the puny stone with stout heart and the deadly accuracy given to us by the Holy Spirit when we reside within Him.

Cultivating a true missionary spirit such as Spafford had, and all the saints that have gone before us, requires only one thing: keeping our hearts, mind, soul and strength on Jesus; loving Him to the death of our selfish tendencies, our egos, so that we take on His demeanour when we love others. 

Through it all, whatever will come, we are saved by faith and trust in Jesus. When we internalize that faith and trust, we become great missionaries who are not afraid to humble ourselves and go the extra mile to the very end, wherever He leads us. This is how we can then love everyone in our families and our communities, armed with the supernatural grace of the Spirit. On our own, we are nothing, and we can accomplish nothing. With Him, all and everything is within our reach, very possible. 

* To wrangle out of and shoot across an undesirable task to someone else, making it their responsibility.

Bearing the cross fruitfully

I have been having a spate of bad nights, not enough sleep, leading to physical exhaustion, which makes me irritable and sensitive. It doesn’t take much to stress me out. Worse, my best efforts seem to fall short and I feel like I am drowning, failing at loving others. Now this really upsets me and makes me want to give up completely as waves of self-pity wash over me. 

So it was timely to hear Father Anthony’s homily last Saturday. He first mentioned why Saint John Paul II was a pope he admired so much. Not only did he accomplish much during his papacy, but the way he embraced the cross at the end of his life was something truly remarkable. His spirit was “undefeatable” as his body slowly gave in to the debilitating onslaught of Parkinson’s. 

Father Anthony reflected that as we age, we need to take a second look at the cross, to see how when we arrive at the age of physical decline, where we may be deemed useless by the world, we are still able to align this cross with the cross of Christ so that we can remain fruitful, like JP2 did. He carried the cross willingly and cheerfully despite suffering greatly, never losing hope, to death. 

JP2 showed the world how the intrinsic dignity of a human person remains untouched despite the humiliating effects of physical decay. I saw the same thing with my father when he was physically helpless due to lung cancer, and it was his faith during this terrible time that brought me back to Jesus not long after his death. So I couldn’t agree more when Father Anthony uttered this profound statement: the fruitfulness of life is really seen only after we die. 

I am not even close to the end of my life where I am physically reliant on others, but I am struggling with being  fruitful. How do I sustain such mental strength and force of character when I am worn down so easily? How do I keep running the good race when I am limping my way halfheartedly to the finish line? 

Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians, chapter four, we have each been given a measure of Christ’s gifts for the work of ministry for building up the Body of Christ, and when we work to attain the unity of faith, knowledge of the Son of God, we will be mature enough not to be so easily swayed, rather we will live the truth in love, joined together as one body with Christ, the head. 

This all makes perfect sense to me. But the execution of said plan is not so easy. And so, the trick is not to go it alone. Saint Paul further writes that if we are joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, we can bring about the Body’s growth and builds everything up in love. 

So not only do I weep and wail to Jesus, I also share with P and other loved ones my struggles so that I do not feel so isolated and alone. They don’t have to do much to commiserate with me, no solutions needed most times, all they need do is make to some comforting clucking noises. They may not understand why I am so upset but even just holding me in empathetic silence makes the difference. As others support us, we support others in turn. This is what Saint Paul means by each of us being held together.

What is fruitfulness in the quotidian? Fruitfulness is giving God the space to act through me. I don't have to anything. I merely need to be obedient and comply, even when I don’t much feel like it. And, I should never give in to despair for God will always find a way out when I seek His will. Having journeyed for a while now, I have a fair idea of what Jesus would do in most situations, so my daily focus should be on listening attentively, giving with humility and receiving love with a child-like trust. 

Fruitfulness simply requires me to say yes to Jesus living in me. And although I may not see all the fruits of my labour in my lifetime, it is enough that I experience His love every day, and I put my heart into reciprocating in small, simple ways. The fruit will be sufficiently good.

Death-defying thoughts

Just yesterday, two people I met separately shared with me about the recent deaths of people they knew. Over the weekend there were two wakes and one funeral to attend recounted J, while R, whom I have not seen in a year imparted the news of the death of her aunt in June.

Although I sometimes like to state this pithily: We are all dying - death, my death, is something I do think about occasionally and reflect on how I feel about it. Right now, I am very comfortable with death and ready to go any time for as the lyrics of Matt Redman’s Endless Hallelujah proclaims:

No more tears, no more shame

No more sin or sorrow ever known again

No more fears, no more pain

We will see You face to face

There is nothing more that I desire than to stand before Jesus and not just be able to see His face and hear His voice, but to finally sit at His feet, leaning adoringly against His knees. I would like to hear Him say to me good and faithful servant, my dearest daughter, my Beloved. So what gets me going every morning are the new opportunities to be His hands and feet to all I meet; to enjoy those I meet in the day, to be in the moment, and to, in turn, make their day better from having had an encounter with me. 

If I have used my gifts and talents meaningfully, then I would have glorified Him by making Him known to others. Of course, I need to stay grounded and humble, to remember any success of making His kingdom known is not by my effort or strength, but His. Like Saint Therese of Lisieux, I would like to spend my heaven doing good on earth in little, hidden ways, unnoticed, unremarked by all but Jesus. 

These are lofty aspirations* I know, and I also know that when I am truly faced with impending death, I may feel quite differently. As of now, I can deal with the prospect of death quite equably. It is the mortality of those I love that I find most difficult, where my greatest fears lay. My most “selfish” prayers concern my loved ones:

• Please let them be with me for a greater portion of my life, rather than less. 
• Let their deaths not be sudden, give us time to say our goodbyes well, and yet, do not let them suffer, Lord. 
• Let them die in a dignified and peaceful manner, no prolonged stays in hospital (no ICU) wasting away, hooked up to machines and unconscious. 
• Allow us quality time.

Certainly the last prayer rests entirely on me, my efforts to make time for those I love, and to ensure that when I am with them, I am truly present, and we are enriched by our time together. This is no easy thing when I am, most of the time, physically exhausted, my mind racing ahead to tackle future tasks, or when I get fixated on the doing well and forget the being well. As my SD likes to say, begin the day with a simple prayer that will carry you along: Show me how to love today. Sound advice I try to adhere to daily.

Some final thoughts on death: 

• We are all pilgrims on a journey to eternal life and happiness. 
• Some companions will be with us for practically our whole lives, while others for certain seasons. Allow God to dictate the seasons and dress accordingly, savouring each season with all our sensibilities. 
• Give Hm thanks for every good thing we experience in our relationships, acknowledging that even the bad things are good. Forgive quickly to avoid regrets, or becoming a bitter, brittle person. 
• Love Him fully by loving others wholeheartedly and vulnerably, without fear of being hurt.
• Grieving need not be tragic, for grief can give birth to wisdom, joy, and even new life.
• Death does not have the final word, Jesus promised that if we believe in Him, we will live, even though we die; and whoever lives by believing in Him will never die. 
• Last of all, hold everything, and everyone, lightly in your hands, the best is yet to be - something I tell myself every day. 

So death, be not proud, you are but one small step closer to Jesus. A very good thing. 

* Any aspiration worth having must needs be lofty by nature, if not, it should not be called an aspiration.

Heart of a mother

As I prepare to renew my commitment to my ICPE Companions community here in Singapore and worldwide, this Word from Isaiah 54:2 has been something I find most meaningful for this particular period in my life. Every day it speaks to me of new things, new promises from the Lord.

Do not be afraid to dream again

Your life will be good beyond your imagination

An emblem of God’s merciful, rich love

Apple of his eye, his beloved, His bride

Ride the bow in the sky walking the narrow path 

The dark, desolate days are gone

No longer desert deserted your valleys brim green

Bowers of fruitfulness buzzing with delightful fragrances

As you enlarge your heart, so, too, your tent 

How lovely a dwelling place, curtains stretched out wide

Welcoming and warm, a respite for all who enter, a home

Luxuriate in the chatter, the midnight sounds of family life

Do not hold back; go big, go bold, go strong

Lengthen your ropes, drive the stakes deeper 

It is your season for song: shout for joy

The Lord has spoken His covenant of peace

Enjoy your heritage, faithful servant

Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child

Sharing the communion of love

It is around that time again, time to formalize my commitment to be an Associate Member of the community of ICPE Mission Companions. What is exciting about this time is we welcome new members who will take their commitment or covenant for the first time. We have grown more than two-fold (especially when we count the children) and although there is greater diversity in terms of personalities and cultures, the one thing that unifies us is our individual great love for Jesus and how much we want to share this wonderfully healing and nurturing love with others. 

As if in preparation for the big day this coming Sunday, the topic of call and vocation has been very much discussed and reflected upon in my prayer time and my daily experience of listening to Scripture, plus conversations with people I have encountered lately. 

Likewise, at last Sunday’s Companions meeting, we looked at who is the missionary by studying church documents and ICPE Norms and Orientations. We were reminded that as baptized Catholics, we are, each one of us, also missionary disciples who need to constantly refine our charter; to evangelize more effectively by undertaking ongoing formation not just of Church teachings, but acquiring a sound general knowledge of the peoples, cultures and religions, their past and present time, wherever we are situated geographically (Ad Gentes, paragraph 26).

We need to be creative and adept at reaching out and communicating with others, to touch lives in a transformative manner such that we can “make men share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love.”(Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 850)

We ourselves, leading lives of prayer and service, must remain obedient to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, who “alone can raise up diversity, plurality and multiplicity while at the same time bringing unity.” (Evangelii Gaudium, paragraph 131) Thus, the universal aspect of our call (we are, indeed, all one in God’s Spirit, people who share a common bond of humanity) can be fulfilled fruitfully and joyfully. We cannot help, but infect all we meet, with the joy of the Gospel, by thought, word and action, and through exuberant witnessing.

It was enriching to hear the sharing of each person present which Scriptural verse and object they would be offering up during the upcoming Sunday Mass for we each come with our personal charisms and lived experiences. We each bring to the table our own personal commitment and particular skill set to fully live out Gospel values wherever we are vocationally, as well as within the community. 

What makes the covenant-taking especially beautiful is that it is not just a renewal of an individual baptismal vow taken freely and lovingly by each person, but it is a group of believers who come together, seeking a deeper expression of faith by loving and supporting each other in community, calling each other beloved brother or sister. And, having received from each other, we can then, in turn, bring that special unifying love to others outside the community in order to spread the truth, the way and the life of a Trinitarian love that goes beyond borders and differences. 

As the song goes, they will know we are Christians by our love, and maybe, just maybe, realize that they, too, are called to partake in this joyous celebration and promise of eternal life.

Joyful living

Let it be a joyful love, he advised

Not a painful or harsh love

Even in grief extremis

When loss seems imminent

And chaos has the upper hand

There is a way forward:

Allow the mystery of God to enter

He who laid the foundations of the earth*

He has a plan that holds hope and a future**

While understanding may not be within my grasp

(In fact I may never ever fully understand

Still weeping bitter tears as I ponder)

My spirit can exude the oil of gladness

I can give thanks for the littleness of today

Let His glory shine incandescently in my words

His love flow abundantly in my actions

What I do and how I do it can be my best 
Opportunity to conquer life’s limitations 

To let grace dance in the eternal moment

* Job 38:4

** Jeremiah 29:11