Friends, Mass, and Prayer...

Today I had dinner with Vanessa. We were scheduled to play tennis. But it seems all my efforts at exercise this week includin last have been thwarted by the rain.

Anyway, it was really fun to chit chat and catch up. We talked about work, good things, bad things, ministry, people, life, habits, personality, etc etc. One night is really wonderful to catch up.

So anyway, the whole point of this post is that I wanted to say - God gives us friends. We treasure our friends by being a friend to them. We don't need anything in return. We are simply, a listening ear (to all their troubles)... a helping hand (to their needs).... a lovely friend (who loves them).

In addition, a friend desires for your good, your growth, your development. True friends will help each other to grow, find the right path, and godly friends will help you to find God.

I thank God for all the friends I have in YAM. They helped me last Sunday a lot! They persuaded me with ALL THEIR MIGHT... even whipping out the Catechism of the Catholic Church to find me the passage about how missing Mass on Sunday is a sin.

Well, don't see that I am already in ministry for long. That doesn't count for even one bit. We can serve but we need to grow personally in our spiritual maturity and understanding between us and God, and between God and the traditions of the Catholic Church. For me, it is no different. It takes time.

And so my issue now is about going for Mass. I have never been brought up to feel that missing Mass is a sin. Even deliberate missing of Mass (e.g. to attend a wedding, a gathering, some hobby). Moreover, my parents do miss Mass too. So I have a very rebellious thought towards God, saying, If they can do it, I can do it too! (of course this is in the negative sense!)

But a sin is a sin. And sometimes, God has to bring us to realise and accept it. So... 2 things happened this week.

Sunday, I was supposed to go blading in the evening (thus miss mass, since I didn't make it for morning Mass). BUT --- it rained! So blading was cancelled. In the end, after persuasion from Marlene, Gav, Sury, Eugene, and Jane..... I went for Mass, and got my mum to go along too! (She was originally going to miss coz Dad was out at golf and I had other plans).

Today, I was feeling a bit desperate this morning because I was worried about what a colleague thought of me. So I prayed. Sometimes you don't pray consciously at the workplace.... or we just tend to pray anyway out of habit. But today, I prayed, intentionally, and asked God,.. oh God, make this a good day and bless my workplace. I then said the simple "Our Father". And today, though long (worked till 7pm) was a good day. Amen!

So I was convicted - to go for Mass, and to Pray.

And friends, godly friends, have played a key role in these realisations.

I thank God for everyone around me.

God Bless,
Sam