Elena's Sharing

I attended the Novena at OLPS last evening (25 June 2007). There was this priest who was supposed to be our new youth priest but somehow God sent him somewhere to serve. He just came back from his studies from Rome. Somehow, his homily touched me. He mentioned about how we often and tend to judge people. He asked us to tell ourselves that before we ask God not to judge us, we should not judge others.

He also reminded us about the cross. The vertical bar is about the relationship between God and us. We must never forget about the horizontal bar which is our relationship with others. To me, I realize that the intersection which the bars meet is basically love. The cross will never be complete if we lose either of the bars as there won't be any meeting point. The opposite of meeting is separating. That explains why the cross is so significant. To me, it is not just about Jesus dying for us on the cross. It is also a reminder to me that we do not only meet God, we meet God together with our brothers and sisters. That explains why the two bars meet.

This also reminds me of our relationship with our loved ones. Often, we find it easier to reach out to others or do ministry work. Sometimes, we may be too task oriented that what we do is no longer from our heart. We tend to neglect those who are closer to us and even take it for granted that they are always there. However, one should remind himself that nothing is eternal in the world and life is fragile and unpredictable, including our lives. So, we have to take every opportunity to express our love to our loved ones instead of getting wound up in our mission.

Everyday is a gift from God. It is beautiful to wake up each morning to receive this gift of life as we have not done anything to deserve such gift. Each day of our life is God's gift for us to grab the opportunity to get closer to Him. Moreover, God pours his grace into us through the sacraments, His Word, people, etc....In Singapore, we are indeed blessed that the parishes are accessible. There are even morning and evening masses everyday, indicating God's grace and love for us through the Eucharistic celebrations which some countries are deprived of.

No matter how hard life may seem, never ever give up hope. Life , itself, is a gift from God. Moreover, we are chosen to be His children. We had come into this world naked without anything with us. However, it is up to us what kind of memories and feelings we want to bring with us when we leave. Hatred or love? How about legacy?? Do we keep the love of God to ourselves or to express God's love from our hearts through our words, actions, gifts, talents, etc. to others, leaving legacies behind for others?


Cheers,
Elena