I
keep expecting that in some point of my life that I will reach THE point where
I just want a peaceful, comfortable life – no surprises, no big risks but
stability and security…just living within a comfort zone with relative
happiness. I remember when I was in my 'twenties’, my older colleagues at work would tell me, I would lose all my “idealistic
fervour”, as they termed it, about how I
lived my life and forgetting about big personal
dreams to achieve within the next twenty years. J I was often told – “The realities of life
will drain you, Susan – you will just become like the rest of us.”
Well,
I did think my life was moving along a trajectory where at my present age, I
would be set for a reasonably comfortable life upon retirement. Obviously I did
not take into account God’s Plan! First I made a decision 9 years ago that I
never thought I would ever make in my lifetime – to quit my career and choose
to serve fulltime in a ministry AND more so in India! I was never known as a
devout Catholic (though my parents certainly were!) and I rarely served in any Church ministries except for 3 years
in Singapore. Looking back, I cannot believe I actually made the decision – a monumental
one that it literally seems like I have led 2 “different“ lives in this
lifetime. I would never have had the courage without the Power of God's Spirit guiding me.
All
of us struggle to discern correctly what is God’s Plan for our life – "Can we
live it? Is it possible?" All I know is
in these 9 years, I have always had doubts – not in serving fulltime – but in whether
I was the “right person” and if God would choose someone like me to be in this mission.
I seem more suited for the corporate world and I often felt like a “square peg in a round hole" here. The question I asked God in prayer many times was - “God, why
me? Did You make a right choice?” I can
only imagine God is used to hearing this question from millions of us – His children
here on earth! A priest once told me having
doubts was a good sign because it meant I was truly searching and seeking to serve
in a deep, committed way – what was important was my faithfulness to serve with
full commitment and that in itself would be very pleasing to God. God will then
use me according to His Will.
This
Easter and my vacation has been a blessed time of personal revelation for me. I
realize that for God there is NO CUT-OFF point when I will no longer be of “effective
use” to do His work. For Jesus, all He asks for is my choice - made in my own
free will - to live for Him. There is no retirement date in serving God. It is
a life-long mission! That is ALL that
Jesus wants from each of us – the willingness to answer His Call to our hearts.
We do not need to rationalize or try to find a logical way of how we can fulfill
a mission God has chosen us for. It is often said, “God does not call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.” We can certainly see that so vividly in the lives of
the Apostles and early Christians! I am often strengthened by Our Lord’s
Promise – “Do not be afraid – I am with
you.” (Isaiah 43:5)
As
I look back to my past and even to the future of what I feel called in my heart
to do, God’s Plan seems quite impossible. Yet, I have never failed in fulfilling
the mission work that I had felt personally called to do – despite the lack of practically
every resource needed at the start! All I would do is pray and believe in the “YES”
I gave to Jesus’ Call. Once I said “YES”, I never ever doubted or even thought
of failure in the mission project. The rest is for God to do through me and all
the other hearts He would have to touch and inspire so that together we lived
and answered His Call. “This is impossible
for man but not for God; everything is possible for God.” (Mark 10:27) – I
truly have experienced EVERY single time the fulfillment of this Promise of God
when I said YES!
A
Psalm I love and often pray is Psalm 121 which starts with “I look to the mountains; where does my help come from? My help will
come from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.“ (Psalm 121:1-2) I know that what God wants of each of us is to
answer willingly and courageously the Call He places in our hearts – to dare to
say YES! Then we have to believe and trust in His Power in us – “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
I
have been inspired by Pope Francis’ homilies – and His Call for New
Evangelization is very compelling. Our
Holy Father Is definitely challenging all Catholics – yes that is you and me - to
stop being part of a “sleeping giant” Catholic Church but to live with
evangelistic fervor! I would like to share excerpts of two recent Homilies of
our Holy Father on 20 May 2013 and 23 May 2013 respectively.
Homily Excerpt of 20 May 2013
The Bishop of Rome underscored
the need for letting one’s self be guided by God. He reflected on St. Peter's
vision of “the sheet with all the animals,” when Christ told him to eat non-kosher
foods, Christ having made them clean.
Though St. Peter was at first
reluctant and did not understand, “some non-Jews came to call him to go into a
house, and he saw how the Holy Spirit was there.”
“Peter was guided by Jesus to
reach that first evangelization to the Gentiles,” Pope Francis said. “Be guided
by Jesus' own leadership,” he urged.
“We cannot become starched
Christians, too polite, who speak of theology calmly over tea, we have to
become courageous Christians,” he said.
Click on link below for full
article:
Homily Excerpt of 23 May 2013
Pope Francis reflected May 23 on
Jesus Christ's exhortation to be “salt of the earth,” warning that Christians
who do not live their faith become “flavorless salt” and are fit to be museum
pieces.
“We can show the salt: this is my
salt – and how lovely it is! This is the salt that I received in Baptism, this
is what I received in Confirmation, this is what I received in catechesis,” he
said. “But look: museum-piece Christians! A salt without flavor, a salt that
does nothing.”
The Pope’s comments came in his
homily during morning Mass at the chapel of St. Martha's residence in the
Vatican, Vatican Radio reports. The day’s gospel reading, from the Gospel of
Mark’s ninth chapter, contains Jesus’ question to his disciples: “if salt
becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?”
Click on link below for full article:
CNA: Pope Francis Urges Christians Not To Be Museum Pieces
I was very inspired by a parish mission mass and Eucharistic
Adoration for Youths by the Emmanuel Community Fathers and lay members in
Germany recently. It was a beautiful, soul-touching night in God's
Presence with a big turnout of Youths! I did not understand German but my soul
experienced the tangible Presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament and true joy and peace in the
beautiful, melodious hymns by the German Youth choir. In my heart on that night (04 May 2013), I was being personally affirmed that NEW EVANGELIZATION initiatives
are crucial - it will produce a harvest for God but some of us must be
willing to help sow the seeds!
Well, do we want to be known as “Starched Catholics” and “Museum Pieces”? We need
to be an integral part of the New Evangelization of our Catholic Church.
I found the YouTube video below, Motivational Quotes – Reach Your Goal, inspiring and along with our prayers and guidance of the Holy
Spirit, we can achieve the goals Christ places in our hearts and have joyous
lives!
