I have had the great blessing to be a part of the beautiful celebration of Holy Week in Divine for at least 6 years now- I have only been away home in Malaysia twice in the years I have served here. The Holy Week this year has had a profound effect on my heart. I feel a great change has begun within me since late December last year - in understanding and embracing the crosses in my life instead of trying to push them away. Somehow the whole Catholic teaching of learning to love the Cross and to share in the suffering of Christ for the salvation of my loved ones and the world was not too easy to accept with an open heart. I now realize it is because I was still focussed on myself - a case of "ME! ME! ME!" instead being able to really love God more than myself.
Living in Divine is by itself an 'EASTER EXPERIENCE' - I have no regrets choosing to give up my career to serve here fulltime. When I look back, I know that there are many areas in my life that I have been pruned and moulded for the better. That did not come the easy way - there was pain but many, many more moments of pure, inner joy of tangibly feeling God's Love. I am learning to carry the crosses that come my way and not to struggle and try to throw these crosses away for hopefully smaller ones! Rather, it is to trust that "with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
All I have to do is to learn to live joyfully each day and to leave everything in God's Hands. I am finally learning to embrace the Cross. My faith and my Joy comes from the Wonderful, Victorious Cross of Christ! The song above - "The Wonderful Cross" by Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin is perfect for Easter!
May God bless all of us with the grace to love generously and to live humbly...Below are some 2011 pictorial memories of the Holy Season of Lent & Easter in Divine. Wishing all of you a Glorious & Blessed Easter!
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