Lesson From Children!

Hello, every one!! How are you? Hope that everything is fine with you all. Would like to share soemthing with you. During this period of time, somehow, I am put among the children. Frankly speaking, I don't like children and they drive me crazy, especially when they start crying. (HELP!!) The worst matter is I have never carried any children even till now and I don't even know how to communicate with them.

Recently, it seems that I have more opportunities to work with and for them. There is something valuable I learnt from them. This is known as 'childlike quality'. Though simple on a superficial level, I realize that it is difficult to be as childlike as them. I even envy this precious quality in them. In this parish I am settling down for the time being, the children were asked to sing for the children's day mass. I can tell you something. The atmosphere created by these children was beyond description with words. They really sing from the bottom of their hearts. I tried closing my eyes listening to them. They were just like little angels singing in heaven. Absolutely no pretense nor emphasis on skills. I was very impressed by their performance for the Lord. I could see that they really put their heart and souls into it.

Then, I opened my eyes and looked at them. They were wearing white dresses or clothes with the innocent expression on their faces. That was how these children brought heaven to the earth. I learnt alot from them. When they were rehearsing for this event, I was there with them too. In fact, their angelic voices lifted me up when I was really down and lost at that time. I sat in the church hall and asked God what He wanted me to learn from these children. The word 'simplicity' came to my mind. I find it difficult to be childlike because I have difficulty to be simple. With all the dreams, values with my upbringing, desires, etc., I don't think I can ever be simple, not to mention to be childlike.

I begin to appreciate children though I still have got no idea how to communicate with them. With these children aorund, I am constantly reminded to be simple. Though difiicult, I guess this is what I have to work on. If not, no matter how much I serve or how sincere I am in serving people and God at the beginning, my focus may be off tangent along the way as I may be lost in the complexity of my desires, dreams, gratification, self esteem and ego inflation, etc. So, this simplicity is essential in order to stay singleminded on God's love in the midst of the many voices in the world.

I learn that anyone or anything that God has put in our life is never coincidental. We are never put in any situation for no reason. All we have to ask from God is to enlighten us and grant us wisdom to learn from even the simplest thing from our everyday life.

That's all for the blog. Thank you.
Cheers,
Elena

The charismatic movement

"The charismatic movement is obviously God's answer to Pope John XXIII's prayer for a new Pentecost. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II both blessed it but said that it will fulfill its purpose only when, like the early liturgical movement, it ceases to have a separate identity of its own and is absorbed into the whole Church. In other words, every Catholic should be a charismatic, baptized in the Spirit, empowered like the apostles."

-- Catholic apologist and philosopher Peter Kreeft (1988)

Do we walk by faith or by feelings?

When we walk by feelings, we are tempted to look inward and pity ourselves. We will want human affection. We will need many more things in life. We need people to boost us up, we will need to be consoled and our mood depends on what we feel for that day.

Yes, no man is an Island. We can't live without those things.

But we can also live by the Prayer of St. Francis, in a true spirit of Giving.

How? That means, rather than to seek to be loved, we will love. Rather than seeking to be encouraged, we will encourage others...

It means to stop thinking of the "lack", and stop wanting things for ourselves, or longing for the things we don't have. But to begin thinking of those less fortunate. To give to them.

It means... "Jesus is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want."

To have faith then, means to believe that for all we do, we will receive our reward finally, at the end. And not to seek it NOW. The prize. The Goal. The crown of eternal life with Jesus.

With this mindset, and through faith, we can then say, that we can live out our calling to be a true witness for Christ.

Therefore, Faith is a breastplate that helps us win our spiritual battles!

We need Faith indeed!