God is Love

Hi all, I've been meaning to share this since the Working Retreat, but somehow never got down to doing it til now. but well anyway, just wanna share some simple thots.

Just wanna say that the Working Retreat's Praise & Worship session we had was soo beautiful... you could say that it was during that session that the Lord opened my eyes (yes, depite all the tears) & allowed me to see something so special that I couldn't really see before -- that was, how there was so much LOVE flowing among those of us present there, & that in the midst of everything, it was His love that was the one thing binding us all together. That night, I truly truly felt that God was really walking among us, and it was the first time that I could really actually feel & know that God was with Fides (I mean, I always believed that He has been with us, but this time it was like a longed-for affirmation come true), & that He would continue to guide Fides and bless all our plans as long as we continued to stay close to Him. His presence was undeniably assuring & comforting... It was a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

That, and so many other things that happened that night (which I may decide to share some other time)... Goodnesss, I really felt damn blessed that night. And I hope the rest of you will also come to realise how blessed each of you are too as we continue to seek & serve Him.

You know, just after spending an evening with us today at Julia's send-off at the airport, Wilfred was telling me how (& I quote him) "fides is a beautiful community of the Lord... there is so much warmth evident in your interaction, nice and easy... and it is obvious you are all comfortable with each other."

Dear exco, I think we shld all still be able to recall each other's thoughts about the "bonding" aspect of the retreat... of cos there's still a long way to go but let us also take joy in what we already have & what we hope to have :) & to remember to extend this to the others in Fides too.

Luv, Van

Walk, don't ride! A Holy Week Reflection

Hi friends... wanted to share this with you all as Holy Week reflection... have a peaceful weekend (and all the best for exams!) - love, k.a.r.e.n



Walk, don't ride! - By Fr. Jerry Orbos

It is Holy Week. This week is the most important week for us Christians. In fact, it is more important than Christmas because if Christ did not suffer, die and rise again (Paschal Mystery) there would have been no salvation. The events of this week, starting with Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion and Death, the Easter Vigil, and Easter itself have only one clear message:
You and I are so much loved personally by God that He gave His only Son to die on the Cross.
Think about it: Is there anyone, anyone at all in your life, who is willing to die for you? (Maybe your husband or wife is with you right now. Ask him or her , if he or she is willing to die for you!)
As the events of the Holy Week unfold, let us not just be bystanders or onlookers. Let us be a part of it all. Walk, don't ride. How high you fly at Easter depends on how you walked the Holy Week.
Sorry, there are no short cuts, no free rides in the business of saving one's soul. Here are some suggestions to make Holy Week holy. They are all doable, all valuable.

RELAX: Many of us are overworked and overstressed. We need to rest our bodies and our minds so that we can "fine tune" with ourselves, with other people and with God. Take a break. Take a walk. Commune with nature. See the sunset. Enjoy the moon. Close your cellular phone and your beeper and just allow yourself to be open to the divine. Let go. Let things be. God is in charge. Experience the restoring power of sleep and rest. Smile at the sky. Walk the earth.
Whistle a happy tune, or hum a favorite melody. Just thank God you are still alive.

REFLECT:Find time to relax so you can reflect. Don't end up just relaxing. Don't end up tired and empty because you were too busy to relax and thus found no time to slow down and reflect. How long has it been now since you have been in this world? What have you done? You have work, but do you have a life? What is really important for you? What do you still want to do or accomplish? How is your family and your relationships? And how are you relating with your God? Is there an area in your life that needs to be healed? Is there excess luggage in your heart? How would you like to be remembered after you are gone? Questions. Allow yourself to be questioned by life itself.

REPENT: We all fall. We all have mistakes and weaknesses. Accept your limitations. Welcome to humanity! Be humble. Visit the "red light" district in the church and make a good confession. It's the Jubilee Year. Make that general confession. Find time to say sorry to people you may have hurt or just taken for granted. Make time to visit, to write, to call, to text anyone you need to say sorry to. Is there one bad habit you need to give up? Is there one good habit you need to take up? This is the time for soul-searching. Promise yourself not to go back to the pit of selfishness and sin. If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

RENEW: Take time to recharge and just be filled up. Renew your contact with God. Don't just sit in the comforts of your home and watch the services of the Holy Week. Make the sacrifice of participating in church. Show your gratitude to the Lord. Make that Bisita Iglesia (church visit), that Via Crucis, that Easter Vigil and do it all with gratitude and love. Renew ties with your immediate family. Make yourself available and vulnerable to them. Tell them in so many ways that you really care. The world is not just you and your family. Reach out. Give and share. The time to give is always now and it is never too late, never too much. Make a generous donation. Go and visit a hospital, an orphanage, an old folks' home or a sick person. It would be more wonderful if you can do all these with your family. Renew your contact with yourself. Go over old pictures, old letters and files and remember who you were and what you wanted to be. Clean your room and clean your heart of all the could-have-beens and should-have-beens and accept yourself. Embrace yourself for what you are and what you still can be.

RESIGN: That's right, resign. Resign from places and people who do not bring the best in you. Resign from vices and sins that are slowly but surely eating you up. Resign from falsehood and pretences. Be true. Have substance. No more japorms (pretentions). No more papogi (vanity). Just give your very best and God will take care of the rest. Resign to God's will and God's plan for you and you will have peace-that peace of Easter, that peace, which the world cannot give or take away. Good luck, and all the best as you walk the Holy Week.

The road that leads to true life is never easy, but the assurance is there: It is a road that leads to life, and He himself is on the road with you, every step along the way.

A Moment with the Lord
Lord, help me walk another mile, and help me smile another smile. Just one smile as I walk the Holy Week with You. Amen.

Proud to be catholic

http://www.catholicexchange.com/bday/index.html

This was sent to me by one of my sponsors.
I thought the graphics and words were simple but beautiful.

Julia :)

Strength of God

Hi my dear brothers and sisters!

You guys must be mugging really hard for your 'A's now, feeling lonely and weary and constricted within the four walls of your room or GSR(for those who work better alone) and most of all, wondering when all the nonsense would end. My heart went out to our sister Van when she went up to 4.6 on friday night of week 13 to complete a report ( I was out with a friend after watching starry starry night 3 with Van because I thought I deserved a break hehe).

Not too long ago I was feeling the same way, having two presentations every week, ltb and Comms being the major ones. Moreover, the LKC scholar raised the standard so there was a lot of pressure on my groups to outperform them (or kenna pushed towards the bottom of the bell curve). Hence, harassed and stoned I was as I attended Fides meetings, as Sabby noticed.

But now with 3 exams and 1 finance report to go, I really want to thank God for giving me the strength and perseverence to accomplish whatever I have gone through so far. It was through all these 'hardship' that reminded me the significance of my confirmation name.

Gabrielle-- Strength of God.

With God's strength, what more do I need? Or what more do anyone of us need? If Jesus could walk through the 14 stations of the cross, do you think we can conquer our little assignments and exams?

Yes, of course.

Don't give up hope people. God knows our strengths and limitations and He will not give us trials that we cannot handle.

I do want to encourage all of you to find a way to remember God amidst your studies. Do not think you are walking alone, because the Lord is always with you in this arduous journey. At this point of time, it is in my name that I remember that my strength comes from God and with that, I can accomplish anything.

All the best for your exams!

Your loving sister,
Julia :)