Catholic BIGMAG Issue 2 by Ayan Abela

S 2

Editor’s MESSAGE

our purpose - Ayan Abela

Living the word

First Steps in Prayer - Fr Frank Bird, SM

A Priest’s Sermon

ON PURPOSE

- Rev Fr Norbert Alvin Ma Cañada, MMHC

Theology CORNER

Genesis: The Purpose of Creation - Brendan Roberts

Transformers: Movie Fiction or Reality? - Brendan Roberts

LIVING OUR VOCATION IN CHRIST

- Sr Margaret Kerry, FSP

Saint Life

St Philomena, powerful with god - Anita Juan

Start >

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

MINISTER of the word through Music

16 34 A Simple Song Makes Healing & Faith

a Difference - Ayan Abela

GOD FEATURES

WIth All I Am

Life is like a box of

- Jen Lino

chocolates

Give up the driver’s seat

A suprise gift from my heavenly Dad

- Hansel Baptista

- Mairis Forteo

God’s Masterpiece: An Invitation

Hysteria

- Catherine Ombao

- Elcel Christine Nerida

Finding Life’s Purpose

The one

- Apple Lopez

- Marlyn Mercado

“BEN”

- Mariel Baja

Do you know your purpose on earth? - Isaac Nyamekye JNR

FOOD FOR THOUGht

A Little Patience, A touch of Greatness - Ayan Abela

The FERN & THE Bamboo - Chassy Tesero

Dear Mr BIG

A Mother’s Sweet Embrace

Lord hear our prayer

A Reader’s Reflection

The best way to get in shape - Elcel Christine Nerida

Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Fr Wilmer Joseph Tria

FUN PAGE

The Crazy FisherMen Our Heavenly Mother’s Loving Protection

Showcase of talents

- Mairis Forteo

Editor’s MESSAGE

our purpose by Ayan Abela

“Everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” Romans 11:36

ver the years that I’ve experienced talking and walking with God, He made me realize that our supreme purpose in life is to bring glory to Him.

So now, knowing your life’s purpose as a starting point, you might want to start planning a new more fitting and rewarding life.

But knowing your purpose is meaningless unless you do something about it. Let me ask you, how are you fulfilling your life purpose today? This question is intensely personal that no one else can answer for you. I’ll be honest, I try to avoid asking this question to myself because I’m scared – scared that I might disappoint myself and scared of what I might uncover.

Begin by impressing these words on your hearts, “Fear God and obey his command, for this is the duty of every person.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

I’ve spoken, observed and gotten insights from people who live their lives in complete dedication to God. These are the people who hear and follow God’s voice in their everyday lives like the priests and nuns, missionaries, and laypeople serving in their own little way. The one question I would always ask them is how they practice living in God’s presence with their minds and hearts. It is true that life is full of so many things that it’s easy to get swallowed by the world and all its vexations. Our minds can get so busy thinking that it all depends on us that we forget who really is in charge. Because there is so much going on, we become overwhelmed by all options available to us. We become confused by all possibilities and we have no idea how to choose. We lose touch with what’s essential. More so, we have this tendency of wanting to do things on our own as if all powers lie within us. We choose our own course to self-contentment and we accept what the world offers instead of choosing the path where God wants us to learn. Furthermore, we don’t use wisdom to figure out which is best for us.

These words will be our guide. If we are to live our life on the true purpose, learn what God wants us to do and obey it. True meaning in life comes from following God’s directions, finding out our responsibilities to Him and fulfilling those. But God already knew us in advance – that our own wisdom and understanding are not great enough to know His specific plan, to understand His passion for us, His great love and kindness for us. We must seek His wisdom and understanding, which are gifts of the Holy Spirit. He also knew that because of our free will. It makes things difficult for us and makes it possible or even likely for us to make mistakes and to refuse accepting God’s authority. So He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, because He wants us to live a holy life. He has sent His Son to save us from our sins and to mold us into the person He wants us to be. He did this not because we deserve to be saved, but because that was His plan long before the world began – to show His love and kindness mercy to us through His Son. But merely to agree that Jesus Christ died for our sins is not enough. To accept and receive Him and to become like His Son, Jesus Christ, in preparation for eternal glory – this has always been God’s purpose for us.

Life is not an easy task; it must be nourished and lived well. However, without God in it, life itself becomes meaningless. It’s important that God is at the center of our life. We should be constantly working to do God’s will and constantly working out God’s plan. It’s important that we get rid of our own will, put our own agendas aside, and look for and discern what God’s will for our life is. In all things that befall us, moments of joy and sorrow, trials and struggles, unexpected occurrences, unbelievable stuff, wonderful ideas; do not forget God can turn any situation to good for those who love him. If God’s will isn’t the front and center of our lives, it’s really just about us. No matter how much compassion we have for other people, it’s still only about us. We’ll just be hanging on in quiet desperation, confused for most of our life, empty inside, no defined purpose and not knowing where we’re going to.

to share to other people what I have learned from You. On behalf of all the contributors, we hope you will enjoy reading the magazine and be guided in finding your life purpose. We hope you will be challenged to learn more about your faith as we walk your spiritual journey along with you. It is never too late to fulfill your mission. In the moment you let your faith in God prevail, a moment in which you allow God’s purpose in your life to direct your ways – your journey may begin here, and for this choice you are truly blessed. Always think BIG. Together we will make a big positive difference in this world! May God bless you. n

“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. “ (Romans 12:2) Now I’m asking myself again, am I living my purpose? Does the work I do glorify God? If giving my very best efforts and giving time to reach out to others by sharing testimonies of my life and faith here in BIGMAG is a way of giving glory and praise to God, I personally think that yes, I am doing a pretty good job of changing for my life purpose. Lord, you know my mind has limited capacity to know You more, to understand Your ways, Your wisdom and Your goodness. I think one lifetime is not enough for me to know all of You; but this does not stop me from diligently seeking You. I will not stand still in my learning about You. As I open my heart to You, elevate my understanding, oh Lord, so that I may comprehend Your teachings and put them into practice. No matter how hard life gets for me, I will seize all opportunities

Ayan Abela

A multimedia artist by profession, Ayan started BIG magazine in his desire to find expression of his love for God and share it with the world. An extension of his ingenuity, he looks the overall content and contributes a column here in BIG. Additionally, Ayan is active in CFCSingles for Christ community as well as works in different parishes as choir member. A photo enthusiast and a true blogger for God.

LIVING THE WORLD

FIRST STEPS IN PRAYER

by Fr Frank Bird, SM | web: www.livingtheword.org.nz | e-mail: contact@livingtheword.org.nz

I’M NOT SURE HOW TO It’s helpful to be aware of a few basics and then just ‘start praying’...

I’m not sure how to pray? A number of years ago, a reporter asked Cardinal Basil Hume why it is that the modern person today has difficulty in finding God. The response was immediate: “people today have trouble sitting still and listening, God is found in the quiet.” Admittedly, we can pray and find God in many ways, inside, outside, experience God in our family and friends, in our Christian family. For the person serious about prayer it will mean establishing a pattern of stillness and quietness. And from listening to God in prayer you will be challenged to act upon what you hear in prayer. Prayer will lead you into the world. You will become a follower of Christ both in name and action.

An attitude to have in prayer—listening Anthony De Mello invites us to think about our attitude as we approach prayer. Imagine the world is on fire and many people are in danger. Are you going to try and run around shouting instructions, or are you going to report to Jesus for duty? That is a helpful question to think of as we enter into a time of prayer: am I going to report for duty? Am I going to listen? Consider this little story: Once upon a time, at a military base, a job opening was posted on the bulletin board. It was for a telegraph specialist—someone specialized in Morse Code. Those interested in applying for the job were to report to the Captain’s office the next morning at 0900. At 9 the next day, soldiers had already filled the Captain’s waiting room. They were male and female. Fat and thin. Short and tall. High school graduates and college graduates. Black, white, brown. Rich

and poor. They filled the room and spilled out into the hall. This job they were seeking was a very desirable one. THEY ALL WANTED IT! So, there they sat. Some of them read magazines. Some of them listened to music in their own little-headset world. Some carried on conversations among themselves. There was a cough here, a laugh there, the turning of pages, the deep sighs of boredom, a chomp into an apple, the low steady hum of voices. Just the quiet buzzzz of cooped-up humanity -----EXCEPT for the sound of dots and dashes coming from a telegraph machine somewhere. Suddenly a soldier stood up – walked quickly across the room—opened the door to the Captain’s office, and disappeared behind the door as it closed. Inside – the Captain had been STARTING expecting him. He stood, saluted the soldier, shook his hand and without an interview or even a question asked, the Captain said – “Sit down, soldier, I want to talk with you. What made you come in here?” The soldier replied, “Sir, I heard a Morse Coded message that said ‘This is your Captain. If you’re reading this message, come into my office immediately.’”“That’s exactly right,” said the Captain.

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You were listening, you heard, you knew the message was for you and you responded. Very good, soldier. The job is yours.”

STARTING STUFF

As Christians, if we aren’t careful, we can get caught up in the surface. Caught up in the surface noise of daily life and also the surface noise of our own lives while we are in prayer! If we had 100 Christians, even 100 Christians who pray daily, how many would make it into the Captains office?

Know what time you have set aside for prayer, pick a scripture passage beforehand and reflect briefly.

The invitation is to an attentive listening. We may have a real desire to do this, but it is helpful to have some tried and true thoughts and methods, some simple ideas and ways to begin prayer.

Be alone, in a place where you will be uninterrupted and be able to respond to God’s presence

Meditation and Contemplation

Posture

If someone was to ask you whether you “meditate” what would your answer be? Some may think, no that is only what seriously religious people do. What if I told you the origin of the word “meditate” simply means to repeat a text over and over—to think over, to “chew” on something in particular—in an attempt to gain its meaning. Now you might say, “Yes, I do that daily! I chew over things often with God!” Another term for meditation is “mind prayer”. If someone was to ask you whether you were “contemplative” what would your answer be? The origin of the word “contemplation” simply means to be in the presence of, or in the observation of. Templum is the Latin for ”place for observation.” Contemplation then is when we find ourselves resting quietly in God’s presence. We might be able to respond now with confidence, yes, I am contemplative, a number of times and in different ways I find myself resting in awe of God, feeling close to God’s presence. Another term for contemplation is “soul praying”. n

Preparation

Place

Our bodies connect with our spirit, find a way of relaxing and becoming peaceful. If we lie down or pray in bed – its quite possible that we will just fall asleep!

Presence of God

Be consciously aware of God, intentionally invite God into your life and prayer time and acknowledge His presence.

Passage of Scripture

Read slowly and thoughtfully (possibly twice). Notice any words or ideas or feelings stir up in you… begin your conversation with God. You might like to note down places and times that you find really work for your prayer time.

Fr Frank Bird SM Fr Frank is a Marist priest working in a rural parish area in the Far North of New Zealand. He has a joy in sharing the scriptures with young adults. His Living the Word website seeks to help people hear and live the Sunday readings.

A priest’s sermon

on purpose

by Rev Fr Norbert Alvin Ma Cañada, MMHC

Each time I would be given the opportunity to celebrate mass (whether a regular daily mass or a Sunday mass), I always look forward to it. It is because I look at every celebration of the Eucharist unique and distinct from the others. Sometimes, it is a chance for me to return to God, as an act of thanksgiving, the blessings He had bestowed on me and on everyone. In the three years that I had been in the ministry, I had already encountered a lot of instances wherein my vocation to the priesthood had been tested. Allow me to cite some of those instances. Celebrating mass for someone who passed away is something that I really did not like. It is not because I am afraid of the dead but I cannot withstand seeing the bereaving family crying and tears rolling down from their eyes. But I was reminded that I have to celebrate mass, first for the one who passed away and second to the family left behind. At the end of each mass, I would ask myself, “Did I serve my purpose here?” There was a time when an emergency call came to my attention coming from a certain hospital near the place of my assignment. For the first time in my life, I really drove the vehicle as fast as I could to reach the hospital, only to find out that I was a bit late to catch the person alive. All I did was to bless the person’s remains for the sacrament is to be administered only to the living. On my way home I was bit sad for it was the first time in my life as a priest that I wasn’t able to administer the sacrament of anointing of the sick and last rites. At the end of that day, I still continued to ask myself, “Did I serve my purpose this day?” Each one of us does have specific purposes to fulfill and realize each day. Whether we are clerics, religious or the lay faithful, we all have a purpose. In the creation, God did not create the heavens and the earth just to be a design or to pass time. He did it for a purpose, there’s a reason behind it. When He started putting all the other stuff in this world, it was with purpose. God will not waste time for something that

is not worthwhile. And He found that all He created were good. Even man that He had created is good for it was taken out of the very image of God. Even the events that are happening in our daily lives do have a purpose. Just recently, a hostage-taking incident took place in Manila, which instantly became an international issue. In the ensuing effort to free the hostages, drastic measures were taken. This resulted to the loss of eight hostages and the lone hostage taker. Prior to the occurrence of violence, negotiations went smoothly, not until a commotion started to boil at the other side of the park. It thus made the hostage taker disgruntled that led to a shooting spree, hit a civilian somewhere in the lower limb. Most of the people I encountered looked at the said incident as a very sad experience. On the other hand, I looked at it as an opportunity to re-assess everything: the way we handle things, the approaches that we use in dealing with other people and most of all, how we should value life. That hostage-taking incident served a very special purpose – to wake us up from our slumber and selfishness. Each of us does have a purpose in this world – the very essence of our existence. In the book of Rick

BIGMAG2 Warren entitled “The Purpose Driven Life”, the question that really caught my attention was, “What on earth am I here for?” We don’t just simply live and follow a routine – we are all expected to rise in any given occasion. This is our way of giving back to God what is due to Him – our life by giving it a reason to be lived. While saying mass in the provincial jail here in Negros Occidental, my parting words to them before I gave the final blessing were these: Don’t think that God despises you. Don’t. If God despised you, you should not be standing where you are standing right now. Each event that takes place in your life has a purpose, has a reason. Maybe because of your current situation as inmates, you can’t seem to see the reason, but in due time you will. Your being committed to this correctional facility is God’s way to secure you, to save you from the further damage that might be inflicted to you by others. Be happy for you’re taken apart from them to correct whatever needs to be

corrected, so that when you return in the society after some time, you could see clearly your purpose in life. God loves you, remember that. He has something for each one of you; you only have to open your eyes, your minds and your hearts.

My being as a priest is just a small speck in the sands of a shoreline. I might be a tiny speck, but the shoreline would not be a shoreline with one speck less if I don’t give my part, my share. No matter how great or small anything that we do, if we do it with our whole heart, we give meaning to it. And in doing it, we are serving the very purpose why we are here in this world. n

Rev Fr Norbert Alvin Ma Cañada, MMHC A Filipino Priest assigned as Prefect of Students and School Administrator in Mater Dei College (the seminary college), Silay City Chaplain, Diocesan Prison Ministry, Diocese of Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines.

ABOUT the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross: The Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross (MMHC) is a religious congregation of priests and brothers founded in the Philippines by Leticia Tordesillas Albert and with Bishop Camilo D Gregorio of the Diocese of Bacolod as Bishop-Protector.

for Religious and Secular Institutes in the Vatican under the Eminent Prefect, Eduardo Cardinal Martinez Somalo, established the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross as a Filipino Religious Congregation of Diocesan Right for priests.

It started in 1976 as a Catholic youth group in the public high schools of Metropolitan Manila known as the Youth Marian Crusade (YMC). It was from the core group of the YMC that the first brothers of the congregation emerged. This core group evolved into what is now known as the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross. The group is composed of priests and brothers who pursue priestly studies while engaged in the apostolate to the youth in the public high schools, spread of authentic Marian devotion and ministry to the prisoners in National, Regional and Local Penitentiaries where there is an MMHC community.

The MMHC is animated by a life of prayer and penance in the spirit of love and joy in close imitation of the lifestyle of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our mission is to reawaken the consciences of men and to bring the youth closer to the foot of the Cross. n

The Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross was recognized in 1990 as a Pious Association by the Most Rev. Camilo D Gregorio of the Diocese of Bacolod in Negros Occidental. On 27 October 1997, the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross was established as a Religious Institute of Consecrated Life of Diocesan Right. This canonical erection, presided by Bishop Gregorio upon approval of the Sacred Congregation

Theology Corner

Genesis: The Purpose of Creation by Brendan Roberts

new buzz word is gripping the Catholic community worldwide, the Theology of the Body. This teaching expounded by Pope John Paul II is a wonderful exploration of human sexuality and the dignity of each person. The human person is explored relating to personhood, marriage and celibacy as featured by the Pope from 1979 to 1984 in a weekly catechesis. But only now is the teaching really gathering momentum in the Church. The Pope begins his enthralling and inspiring catechesis in the beginning with the first book of Sacred Scripture, Genesis. One can thus read a story capturing the scintillating creation of our universe. The first words reveal that in the beginning God created our spectacular universe. God is there in the beginning because time is applicable to our universe. The Big Bang Theory reveals the origin of space, time, matter and energy. Thus science has revealed powerfully that God could exist forever, because He is not bound by our time, He is outside our time. In the Priestly Account (Genesis 1:1-13) God creates merely by willing and speaking creation into being. Words are power. He says, “Let there be light!” and so light is created. One can see God’s awesome power and love through each act of creation. Firstly we see that God has the power to do what he intends. And because He brings it to fruition then He desires to create. God doesn’t have to paint the magnificent universe. His power is manifested through willing creation into being and speaking it into existence.

Secondly, we see the love of God manifested when instead of saying, “it is good” as previous days, on the 6th day after creating humanity God saw that it was “very good”. (Genesis 1:31) Moreover His love is manifested when He gives humanity a supreme status, commanding them to rule creation, that is, to share in His kingship. Other kingly language God expresses regarding humanity is His command to subdue the earth and to be masters of all other living creatures. We are also of royal stock because we are created uniquely in the image and likeness of God.

But what does being the image of God mean? It means God loves us so much that He calls us to reflect His nature. Thus we are called to become more and more like God. In the Yahwhist account (Genesis 1:14-19) man can’t identify with any of the other creatures intimately. He has been created to give himself to another person in love. There is no one that he can truly love; no one that he can give himself totally and selflessly to. God fashions Eve from Adam’s rib. The Pope says that the rib seems to indicate the heart. Thus man and woman share the same humanity and dignity. When God presents Eve to him, Adam is ecstatic. What a climatic anticipation in the creation drama. One can imagine the angels in heaven anxiously posing the question: “What will be man’s reaction to this magnificent gift from God?” It is as if a song wells up from Adam’s heart and explodes from his soul. Upon seeing the woman’s body he proclaims with joy, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” (Genesis 3:24) Adam’s soul was burning with joy! As Eve stood naked before him he was attracted to her beauty and purity. Eve awakened in Adam the powers by which he resembled God as she would do likewise. Thus both Adam and Eve recognized in each other characteristics of God. Humanity was created to be a communion of persons. The unity of man and woman is illustrated: it is the woman that man can truly know in the sense of giving himself body and soul to her: the two will become one flesh. Man was not to merely exist with someone but more importantly for someone. He thus had someone with whom he could have a personal relationship with – talk to, listen to, laugh with, provide for and give himself body and soul in love.

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We also image God through being a communion of persons; it reflects the Holy Trinity which is a community of persons, God the Father, the Son and the love between the two, the Holy Spirit. But Satan enters the picture to divide the two or destroy the communion between man and His divine Creator and between man and his spouse. The snake tells Adam and eve, speaking through its twisted tongue, that God has lied to them and that if they take the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil they will be like gods. God warns his children not to take from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But they believe the lie of the serpent. They think they can become Gods and not be answerable to anyone else. Their lust for power resulted in wanting to kick God off His throne. The Pope says they cease to see themselves as a gift from God and thus cast the love of God from their hearts.

All other creation was created for mankind to rule as God wishes us to rule with His authority. In other words we are the caretakers of creation. We must care and love our environment while we can subdue animals for food, clothing and even for recreation and companionship. In Christ we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). As Christians we image Christ. We thus must seek to be more and more like Him. Being Christ-like is holiness, for Christ was the perfect example. Holiness is our universal vocation and our primary vocation embracing all other vocations. n

The effect of Adam and Eve’s rebellion has cosmic repercussions: the ground is cursed, men will have to work harder in producing food, women will suffer pain giving birth and the two will be banished from paradise so they will not pick from the tree of life too (Genesis 3:16-23). As a result they lose their fullness of grace. They lose part of their identity for their spiritual relationship with God is shattered. Even their love for each other is decimated as they become ashamed of their nakedness, hiding their bodies from God and each other. As a result the other is not seen as gift but as an object. But not all is lost. The union of Adam and Eve and the generation of life is like a seal impressed on the body from the beginning. The seal ensures that original sin and thus humanity’s tendency to sin does not overcome God’s original plan of life-giving communion. And so God’s all creation, and especially out of love. He wills creation into being, and has the desire and intention of creating. Vatican I I says that mankind was the only creature on earth created for its own sake. This is clear in scripture because only we are created in the image and likeness of God.

Brendan Roberts Brendan is a writer, author and podcaster. To see these, video clips and more articles go to www.godfact.com. Check also catholic podcasts - www.catholic. net under Catholicism 101.

Theology Corner

Transformers: Movie Fiction or Reality? by Brendan Roberts

“Transformers: More than Meets the Eye” chimes through movie theatres and TV’s. These robotic heroes transform into magnificent fighting machines in the fight of good vs evil. We too are called to transformation. But we do not change from one state to another, from a greater degree at times to a lesser degree. No, we are called to transformation to a greater degree. While it might hint of natural selection where only the better is selected, it is not a law that we follow.

There is another vital method for transformation: frequent reception of the Sacraments. You could say that Christ offers us an antidote to the evil in the world. But this antidote is more powerful than what we can get through medicine because it affects the spiritual realm.

Transformation is a grace of Christ. It is also a choice which precedes the grace. Being people of free-will we must want to become transformed to be more like Christ. But how are we transformed?

Through the sacraments we receive grace which elevates and heals. These sacraments are life-giving because they mediate the presence and action of God in a unique way.

Sacred Scripture reveals the answer is that we must put on the mind of Christ. To do this we must use a variety of tools. This includes knowing more and more what Christ was like by reading the Scriptures.

Grace is also the communication of God’s Self which desires our response; we are called to open our hearts to God’s will. Therefore we are called to make our own fiat, our own total giving to Christ. We should have the intention that whatever we own is not ours but God’s.

We can also get to know Christ more through prayer and studying the Catholic faith regarding why the Church teaches certain things. The Church is united to Christ and so the Church knows Christ intimately as a spouse knows her husband. The Church was also founded by Christ. Who else would know Christ in-depth? Christ’s own mother who raised Him as baby and gave her all to Christ. Our Lady even embracied Him with a mother’s tender heart at the foot of the Cross while her own heart was shattered as if struck by the lance that sliced into her Son. We must not forget St. Joseph who would have taught Jesus many of the principles and laws of the Jewish faith. We know it was at least up to when Jesus was lost in the temple.

So we can be transformed through Scripture, prayer, and studying our Faith. We can also be transformed through putting our faith into action. For example, instead of just talking about helping others, we reach out to those in need. Instead of being like the Jewish priest and walking on the other side of the road when we see someone begging, we can offer to buy the beggar some food. Instead of moaning when we do not get our own way, we can take the time to see where the other person is coming from. Instead of hating our enemies we can do what Christ called us to do, love our enemies. Instead of harboring resentment, we can forgive as Christ showed us.

Scripture tells us that our own body does not belong to ourselves, but it has been brought for a price and should be used for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So why do we abuse our bodies through taking things that are harmful to it whether it be excessively or for a prolonged period of time? Our response to God’s self-communication can be through forgiving others and at times just as important forgiving ourselves. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to forgive oneself. Our response is also to seek to live the virtues such as the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance (restraint) and courage (fortitude) and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love (charity).

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When we become more like Christ we are actually becoming more fully human because we are becoming the person that God calls us to be. Thus we are called to reach beyond the present to reach our fullest potential. It is a task the God calls us to be persistent at, to continue to work at achieving. This process of transformation is also known as conversion, a life-long process to conversion to become more and more like Christ. Holiness is our number one vocation; the vocation which embraces all other vocations. It is not so scary when we think of holiness as becoming more like Christ rather than maybe falsely seeing it as giving up fun for an unobtainable goal. Christ said that we are called to live life to the fullest in Him (John 10:10). The goal is indeed obtainable as many of us have been witnessed to by people who lived their faith and so practiced what they preached. We will only achieve the fullness of being when we totally share in the divine nature of Christ (1 Peter 1:4). This process of divinization is happening through prayer, and especially through receiving the sacraments worthily whereby we receive the grace of Christ with open and grateful hearts and whereby we bear fruits of love and service to others as a result. We share in Christ’s divine nature, especially through receiving Holy Communion as we receive his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. We do not become less human, but we become more fully human; we become who we were made to be. They will know we are Christians by our love. We are called to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We receive Christ’s love through the Sacraments, especially through the Sacrament of Baptism and Holy Eucharist. When we bear the fruit of the Sacraments, we are loving others and so “God remains in us and his love comes to perfection in us” (1 John 4:13).

St. Paul tells us that we are in a spiritual battle. Therefore in order to become more like Christ, as we hear during the distribution of the ashes during Ash Wednesday, we must turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. We must also resist the Devil and he will flee. We have been given a very powerful prayer by Pope Leo XIII to resist Satan and his demons, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel (Just Google it). He composed the prayer after being given a vision of the Church in the 20th century which made him collapse. St. Louis de Montfort believes that praying the Holy Rosary is also an effective weapon against Satan. St. Alphonsus of Liguori relates the walls of Jericho collapsing to that of the false teachings disappearing after fervent prayer of the Holy Rosary. He says, “The swimming pool of Jerusalem was not as healing for the bodily sick as the rosary is as remedy for the spiritually diseased.” But don’t forget receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a month, as Mother Teresa encourages, is also very effective as we are healed, strengthened and raised up through grace. Like the movie Transformers we are in a battle of good versus evil and good always triumphs. Let us seek to be transformed, to put on the mind of Christ, and to become more fully human through our own conversion. Then as we begin to shine with the light of Christ, becoming more like Him we will attract people to see the fullness of life that is offered through our awesome God. In being the image of Christ it is our responsibility to be the witness of the love and mercy of God and the joy of living a life which is the fullness of life in Christ. n Brendan Roberts Brendan is a writer, author, poet, podcaster and theologian from New Zealand. He has written three books concerning his experience of Being In God and teaching on natural and divine revelation (science and religion). Catholic podcasts - www. catholic.net under Catholicism 101.

Theology Corner

Living our Vocation in Christ by Sr Margaret Kerry, FSP

cartoon was recently posted on Facebook with an illustration of Jesus standing near St Peter. Peter was looking up from his nets. He had just pulled his boat ashore Jesus was speaking, “No, Peter, I mean ‘follow me’ in real life.” Today the word “follow” has new meanings. Following someone on Facebook or Twitter is as simple as the click of a mouse. Our Christian response to Jesus’ call “follow me,” is not just a check mark on our list of things to do. Our friendship with Jesus is not a virtual request to “friend” him. There is so much more to living our vocation in Christ. The word “vocation” comes from the Latin vocare, the verb to call. I have heard people say it would be a lot easier to follow the call of Jesus if they could have a clear idea of what they were being called to. Guess what, we do! At the moment of creation the Word of God brought us to life: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him...” (John 1:1-3). The Word is Jesus, the Word became flesh and dwelt with us (John 1:14). St Irenaeus (185 AD) said, “The Glory of God is a human fully alive.” Our first vocation is to be fully alive, to live each day rejoicing in our God-given gift of life: The glory of God gives life; those who see God receive life. For this reason God, who cannot be grasped, comprehended or seen, allows himself to be seen, comprehended and grasped by men and women, that he may give life to those who see and receive him. It is impossible to live without life, and the actualization of life comes from participation in God, while participation in God is to see God and enjoy his goodness. (St Irenaeus)

All other vocations come from this, our first vocation – to live in God, to participate in God’s creation, to follow Jesus who showed us what

“to live in God” means. Our vocation is to hear Jesus’ invitation, “come, follow me,” and respond as Mary responded: Fiat, “Yes.” Our vocation is to “glorify the Lord and rejoice in our Savior” (Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:38). Then, like Mary, we will bring the Gospel to others just as she carried Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth, presented him to the shepherds and the magi, gave him to Joseph to hold, and told the waiters at the wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” Just as at Cana Jesus turned the water into wine, so he turns the water of our life into the wine of vocation. Our immersion into the waters of baptism, our recreation in Christ, gifts us with the clarity of our calling. Our vocation is to live in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or as St Paul expressed it, until it is no longer we who live, it is Christ who lives in us (cf. Gal. 2:20). Jesus brings us to life in the Holy Trinity. The life of Christ we are called to live is found in the gospels, in the Liturgy and in the people of God. When we meditate on the Word of God, meet Jesus in the Liturgy and sacraments, and love our neighbor as ourselves, we are following our vocation. Some people will find that a particular spirituality, such as Franciscan, Jesuit, Benedictine, Pauline, Dominican or Missionary of Charity strengthens them in following their original vocation. Within our baptismal call is the flowering of our living out of the vocation to follow Jesus in a multitude of expressions: in marriage, in the single life, in the consecrated life, as a priest, a missionary and a person dedicated to prayer. All of us live some aspect of each of these vocations but each person will uniquely express his or her response to God, as a member of the body of Christ. Our particular vocations are “like so many rays

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of the one light of Christ, whose radiance ‘brightens the countenance of the church’” (Vita Consecrata, 16). What is your vocation? You are living it now in your desire to follow Christ more closely. As you “do whatever He tells you,” the water of your life is turned into the wine of vocation. n Sr Margaret Kerry, FSP

Called to live faith, hope and love in a world of communication, Sr Margaret is presently the Director of the Association of Pauline Cooperators in the United States and English Speaking Canada. The Association of Pauline Cooperators was founded in 1917 by Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family.

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Saint’s Life 14 St. Philomena, Saint Philomena, Powerful withPowerful God with God By Anita Juan

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Annie Juan Philomena commences when he realBy: history of Saint her blessed remains were found after having rested in the St Priscilla for fifteen he obscurity real historyofofthe Stwcatacombs were foundofafter having rested hundredinyears. the obscurity of the catacombs of St.Priscilla for fifteen hundred years.

On 24 May, 1802, excavations in the ancient catacombs of On May 24, 1802, excavations in the ancient catacombs St Priscilla in Rome came upon a well-preserved shelf-tomb of St. Priscilla in Rome came upon a well-preserved shelf-tomb sealed with terra-cotta slabs. The tomb was marked with sealed with terra-cotta slabs. The tomb was marked with three three tiles, inscribed with the following confusing words: tiles, inscribed with the following confusingifwords: LUMINA/ LUMINA/ PAXTE/CUMFI. However, one places the first PAXTE/CUMFI. However, if one places the first and tile last and separates the words properly, the tile verylast intelligible separates the words properly, the very intelligible sentence sentence emerges: PAX TECUM, FILOMENA which is emerges:be PAX TECUM, FILOMENAAlso whichinscribed is “Peaceon be with “Peace with you Philomena.” the tiles you Philomena.” Also inscribed on the tiles were symbols: lily, were symbols: a lily, an arrow, an anchor and a lance,awhich an arrow, an anchor and a lance, would indicate would indicate virginity and which martyrdom. Inside virginthe coffin, ity andthe martyrdom. Inside the or remains of ayears girl of were remains of a girltheofcoffin, aboutwere twelve thirteen age, along withora thirteen vial or ampulla of her dried of about twelve years of age, along withblood. a vial or ampulla of her dried blood.

Transferred to the to treasury of Rare Collection Transferred the treasury of Rare CollectionofofChristian ChrisAntiquity in the Vatican, wereforgotten. forgotten. tian Antiquity in the Vatican,the theremains remains were ButBut in in 1805, a Neapolitan priest, Don Francesco di-Lucia, travelling 1805, a Neapolitan priest, Don Francesco di-Lucia, travelling to withhis hisnewly newlyappointed appointed bishops, requested to Rome Rome with bishops, requested andand afterafter aa brief delay, received the relics of the martyr “Philomena” to brief delay, received the relics of the martyr “Philomena” to enshrine in his village church at Mugnano near Naples.

enshrine in his village church at Mugnano near Naples. Immediately upon the official donation of St. Immediately upon the official donation of Saint Philomena’s Philomena’s remains, signal favors began to be granted through remains, signal favors began to be granted through her help for the sick, the missions, real estate, money problems, food Among her most devoted clients were St John Vianney, St her intercession.The Thefavors, favors, graces, graces, and miracles started intercession. andeven even miracles started for the poor, and mental illness. Peter Julian Eymard, Peter Chanel, Saint Mary to increase, before the enshrinement at Mugnano, they Among her mostStdevoted clients were St.Anthony John Vianney, to increase,even even before the enshrinement at and Mugnano, Claret, St Magdaleine Sophie Barat, St Euphraisia Pelletier, steadily in number suchthereafterthat this virgin and theygrew steadily grewthereafterin number suchmarthat this St. Peter Julian Eymard, St. Peter Chanel, St. Anthony Mary St Francis Xavier Cabrini, JohnSt. Nepomuceno Neumann, tyr soon earned the title, “Philomena, Powerful with God.” In Claret, St. Magdaleine SophieSt Barat, Euphraisia Pelletier, St. virgin martyr soon earned the title, “Philomena, Powerful Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and Ven. Pauline Jaricot. 1837, God.” only 35 after the exhumation, Popethe Gregory XVI Francis Xavier Cabrini, St. John Nepomuceno Neumann, Blessed with In years 1837, only 35 years after exhumation, elevated this “WonderWorker ofthis the Nineteenth Pope Gregory XVI elevated “Wonder- Century” Worker toof the Anna Maria Taigi and Ven. Pauline Jaricot. A number of popes have also shown remarkable devotion Nineteenth to sainthood. In an act unprecedented sainthood. InCentury” an act unprecedented in the history of Catholicism, in A number of popes also shown remarkable devotion to St Philomena: Pope Leo XII (1823-1829), gave his the of person Catholicism, she isbythe person she history is the only recognized theonly church as arecognized saint to St. Philomena as well: Pope Leo XII (1823-1829), gave his permission for the erection of altars and churches in her by the on church as a of saint on the basis of her powerful permission for the erection of altars and churches in her honor; solely the basis her solely powerful intercession, since honor; Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846), authorized her intercession, since was nothing historical known of herand except Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846), authorized her public veneration nothing historical known of her was except her name public veneration and gave her the title of “Patroness of her andof themartyrdom. evidence of martyrdom. the name evidence and her the title of Pope “Patroness of the Living Rosary”; Pope thegave Living Rosary”; Pius IX (1846-1878) proclaimed St. Philomena has been successfully invoked by her sup- Pius IX (1846-1878) proclaimed her “Patroness of the Children her “Patroness of the Children of Mary”; Pope Leo XIII Saint Philomena has been successfully invoked by her of Mary”; Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) approved the Confraternity plicants- in every sort of need, such that she has became another (1878-1903) approved the Confraternity of St Philomena supplicants – in every sort of need, such that she has became patron of “hopeless” and “impossible” cases like St. Jude or St. of(still St. Philomena (still headquartered herMugnano, shrine at Mugnano, headquartered at her shrineatat italy); and another patron of “hopeless” and “impossible” cases like Rita, but she is known to be especially powerful in cases involvitaly); Pope St. X Pius X (1903-1914). Popeand Saint Pius (1903-1914). St Jude or St Rita, but she is known to be especially powerful ing conversion of sinners, return to the sacraments, expectant in cases involving conversion of sinners, return to the Her principal feast day in August 11. Her principal feast day in August mothers, destitute mothers, problemsdestitute with children, unhappiness St. Philomena, Powerful with 11. God, Pray for us! sacraments, expectant mothers, mothers, problems in the home, sterility, priests and their work, with children, unhappiness in the home, sterility, priests and

their work, help for the sick, the missions, real estate, money problems, food for the poor, and mental illness.

St Philomena, Powerful with God, Pray for us!

Story of Saint Philomena

Story of St. Philomena (as revealed to Mother Luisa di Gesu, a Dominican Nun) (as revealed to Mother Luisa di Gesu, a Dominican Nun)

On August 1883, while Mother Luisa was praying before On August 1883, whileshe Mother wassaid.“My praying dear the statue of St Philomena, heardLuisa a voice before theitstatue of St. she heard said “fearing My sister, was on thePhilomena, tenth of August thata voice I died…” dear sister, it was on the tenth of August thatLuisa I died…” fearing her she might be under illusion, Mother intensified life. Again, one day while praying beforeher theprayer image sheprayer might be under illusion, Mother Luisa intensified of St Philomena, she heard the same voice and relayed life. Again, one day while praying before the image of St. Philoher she lifeheard story.theShe said, sheand was the daughter of a She prince mena, same voice relayed her life story. who governed a small state in Greece and her mother was said, she was the daughter of a prince who governed a small state also of royal blood. Her parents have no children and both in Greece and her mother was also of royal blood. Her parents were idolators. doctor from Rome, converted have no children andPublius, both werea idolators. Publius, a doctor from her parents to Christianity. Through their ardent prayers, Rome, converted her parents to Christianity. Through their ardent GOD granted their desired happiness, to have a child. prayers, GOD granted their desired happiness, to have a child. At birth, her parents named her Lumena which means At birth, her parents named her Lumena which means light and on the day of baptism, they called her FIlomena or light and on the day of baptism; they called her Filomena daughter of light. of Shelight.” was thirteen yearsthirteen old when theirold family or “daughter She was years when went to Rome. Her father was obliged to see the emperor on the their family went to Rome. Her father was obliged occasion of an unjust war which was threatened by Diocletian. to see the emperor on the occasion of an unjust war When Diocletian saw Philomena, he wanted her to be his wife. which was threatened by Diocletian. When Diocletian Hesaw told Philomena’s father that in exchange of peace, he wanted Philomena, he wanted her to be his wife. He told their daughter’s hand. parents did all they convince Philomena’s fatherHer that in exchange of could peace,tohe wanted hertheir to yield to Diocletian’s “Doto daughter’s hand.wish. Her Philomena’s parents did response all theywas could convince her to yield to Diocletian’s wish. Philomena’s you wish that for the love of a man I should break the promise I response youMy wish that for the love of aI can mannoI have made towas, Jesus“Do Christ? virginity belongs to Him. should break the promise I have made to Jesus Christ? My longer dispose of it…”

virginity belongs to Him. I can no longer dispose of it…”

Her parents brought her back to the emperor who did all his Hertoparents back todid thenot emperor did all power win herbrought heart buther Philomena change who her mind. his power to win her heart, but Philomena did not change The emperor had tortured her, with the thought she would marry her mind. The emperor had tortured her with the thought him but Philomena did not surrender. These were the torments she would marry him, but Philomena did not surrender. Philomena suffered: stripped and scourged in public until she was These were the torments Philomena suffered: stripped and bathed in blood; chained an anchor round her neck and bury her scourged in public until she was bathed in blood; chained deep watersround of Tiber; through andof aninanchor herdragged neck and burythe herstreet deepofinRome waters shot with a shower of arrows; and pierced her neck with a lance Tiber; dragged through the street of Rome and shot with to hasten her death. a shower of arrows; and pierced her neck with a lance to Philomena hasten her death.died on a Friday, the third hour after the midday, the same hour Jesus Christ died on the cross.

Philomena died on a Friday, the third hour after the midday, same hour Christ on theofcross. Note: These the revelations haveJesus received the died Imprimatur the Holy Office in so far as they are free from any contrary to faith.

Note: These revelations have received the Imprimatur of theAnita HolyP.Office soactive far asLay theyleader, are free fromLady anyofcontrary Mrs. Juan isinan of Our Grace n to faith. Parish in Caloocan City, Philippines. At present she is the Chairperson of the Ministry on Education-Formation. She is also a member of the Apostleship of Prayer and Ministry on the Anita P Juan Promotion Vocations Religious life. At Anita is an of active lay leader ofto Ourthe LadyPriesthood of Grace Parishand in Caloocan City, Philippines. present, she is the Chairperson of the Ministry on Education-Formation. She is also a member of the Apostleship of Prayer and Ministry on the Promotion of Vocation to the Priesthood and Religious Life.

Ask Saint Philomena Ask St. Philomena

I have been a devotee of St Philomena for many years now, attest I haveforbeen receiving little I haveand been Ia can devotee of St.that Philomena many years now, favors andattest miracles saint. mornings and I can that from I havemy beenfavorite receiving littleMy favors and miracles from my favourite saint. My mornings will notcan be will not be complete without saying a novena. You compelte without saying a novena. You can ask anything ask anything from her, there is no big or small favor from her, there is no big or small favor to ask. And you’ll toknow ask.that Andyour you’ll know that your prayer was granted prayer was granted if you’ll hear a loud if“knock” you’ll hear loudI have “knock” the door. I have on theadoor. been aonwitness to this knockbeen on a witness to thistimes knockas on theI guess door the many well, I the door many well, littletimes saint as is always playing game Saint on me.isI also have playing a novenaaprayer guess thea little always gameattached on me. I in the front shield of my car and I can’t recall how many also have a novena prayer attached in the front shield of times that I have evaded car accidents. Indeed, my little saint my car and I can’t recall how many times that I have is keeping me safe all the time. evaded car accidents. Indeed, myChristina little Saint is keeping C. Fernandez me safe all the time. Christina Fernandez

References • Saint Philomena, Powerful With God by sister Marie Helene Mahr, S.C. References St. Philomena, Patroness of the Saint LivingPhilomena, Rosary • Sister• Marie Helene Mohr, S.C. (1988), Fromwith the Nat’l Center, the(Illinois): Living Rosary Q.C, Phils. Powerful God, Rockford TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. • www.stphilomena.org • St Philomena, Patroness of the Living Rosary, National Center, The Living Rosary, Quezon City: Philippines. • www.stphilomena.org retrieved on 1 August 2010.

PAUL GIbbes Minister of the Word Through Music UP-Close & Personal with

One Saturday afternoon, BIG had the pleasure to observe St Mary’s Papakura Music Ministry Head, Paul Gibbes, a humble worship leader who gave prayerful attention to the texts we were singing. He is enthusiastic about congregational psalm singing and is all revved up to set the trend in his church. He regards singing by the whole congregation as the best form of praise. Paul is not just a musician, he is a worship leader who knows Christ as his Lord and Savior, has a daily walk with the Lord, and has a passion to minister to the Body of Christ in worship leadership. BIG had the opportunity to discover more about the man who has been devoting lots of his time, discovering and encouraging new talents, sharing his experience with them, and helping them in any way he can to grow in their faith in the worship service.

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your church, your ministry?

I am 67 years old and have travelled extensively around the world. Having worked for an airline, I was able to obtain discounts, which enabled cheap and easily affordable travel. I have three places I love: the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Fiji. Born in Fiji, I came to New Zealand when I was 13 and went to school at St Paul’s College. Five years after I joined a religious order, I studied psychology and became a teacher. As teaching was poorly paid, I joined the airlines, which offered far more. I returned to teaching many years later. My church here is now St Mary’s, Papakura and it is a vibrant community. I have been here for nine years. During this time, I have seen many priests come and go; and I have seen a change in people’s participation in singing of parts of the Mass and hymns. My ministry in the last 30 years has changed from time to time. First, I worked with street kids for 20 years and then retired as I could no longer give; I was starting to burn out. This gave me a greater understanding of human beings. All I thought I knew about psychology had to be revised as the kids brought me down very quickly from my pompous cloud. I am a minister to the sick, minister of the Word and Holy Communion, and one of the organists at St Mary’s.

When and how did you become a music minister?

I started to learn piano when I was seven and went all the way through to a degree. I had a sister who thought I was lazy and used to give it to me. She thought she was doing me good and I thought she was a bully. Let’s face it, if she had not bullied me, I would never have learned anything. I liked to bend the rules and she didn’t. She won. When I was a religious brother I began my music ministryr; and I had to play the organ for the Office, during services, then in parish churches. In 1971 (last century), I returned to New Zealand from Australia and was in Massey Parish where we organized a choir. From there, I shifted to Pt Chevalier and met Sister Savio. Together we formed a choir. I had the great fortune to meet Father David Jillett who became my very close friend till his end. We worked together on a lot of the music, which he wrote for New Zealand and Australia. He was a wonderful man, my inspiration

Did you always feel you had a gift for music?

I have studied music for many years and I love all sorts of music. Music is a gift and I am grateful for having been given it.

What sort of jobs do you do as a music minister?

My main aim has been to take young people and try to inspire them to play the pipe organ. This has taken many good hours and I am pleased that now St Mary’s has two young Samoan girls who play at the Mass and has one young man as my new project. My new theme is to establish a choir and to have them lead people in hymns, and also to teach the congregation in singing psalms at the Mass. I was in contact with the Benedictines of Ampleforth Abbey in England and Father Alexander OSB sent me several tones that can be used. They are simple but very effective. For our parish’s Feast of the Assumption, we will be singing the psalm for the first time. I mentioned choirs to some Parish priests and they have a haemorrhage as they feel that we are returning to the choirs of old singing Beethovens Requiem or something. To me, the choir has a lot to offer; however, the choir is basically there to assist in singing as well as to teach and lead new hymns to the congregation.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a music minister?

The greatest challenge for me, until I came to St Mary’s, is to get people to sing. Most Westerners have a reluctance to sing in public in case they make a mistake and are embarrassed by this. Some are very self-conscious of their singing ability and sell themselves short. In Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Islands, singing is part of their culture and I had no trouble getting them to sing beautifully. It just happened. I didn’t have to teach them to sing in three-part harmony, they just did it automatically.

Finding the fine line between treating a choir like professionals and inexperienced volunteers is difficult. What direction do you feel a music minister should approach his people? I feel that for a parish work, we need to realize that they are not paid singers and that they are freely giving their time. They are doing it for the love of singing and for the Church (even if I have cajoled or coerced a few into joining). I sing a lot with them and I laugh at mistakes. I laugh at the mistakes we make together and try to make them feel it is okay; we can do it again. I try not to go over the same material for too long at practice but to break it up into segments and return to each from time to time. On the day if we make a mistake, we just carry on as though nothing happened and the congregation aren’t any the wiser.

What has been the most rewarding?

We are blessed at St Mary’s because we have Samoans and Filipinos who lead the way and bring us along. They sing naturally and they love singing. Have you seen a Filipino home without a videoke machine? Listening to the Filipinos singing a new psalm the other day at practice, they sounded just like you hear monks singing. Great.

If there is a particular vision you have for your church, what would it be? I do not try to make our church fanciful. My vision is for the younger ones to step forward and take over the reins. I am getting old and the youth of today are our tomorrows. I am working on making our church vibrant in its singing as part of the liturgy.

As a music minister, when you face adversity, temptation, hardship where do you turn to?

I have a direct line to God. I take everything to Him and dump it on His lap. I am sometimes a petulant son; and like all kids, I let my frustrations out on Him. I learned a long time ago from reading psalms that the psalmist used to berate God for what He had not done. But do you ever notice that the psalmist always bows down at the end? I have one very good friend who listens to what I am saying and never makes a comment. At first it frustrates me because this person never says a thing but just smiles and then says at the end–“Have you finished?” “Yep.” “Well, you have answered it all.”

Finally, what is it that you hope to impart in the lives of people, in order that their lives take on greater purpose and impact?

Be real. Do not try to be something you are not and realize that not everyone feels and sees things the way you do. I found a saying the other day which I love: Be the best you can be for God, for yourself and for others. That is all God asks. Only then, can you be any good for others. n

GOD FeatureS

With All I am by Jen Lino

never imagined that a single word can turn one’s life around. It all started when I gave my sweet “yes” after a long period of courtship. A new chapter of my life begins – a spiritual journey…a life with Him and for Him. It was a whirlwind courtship. The wounds that pierced my heart several times have left a big question in my mind: Will I ever find true love? I was so scared to give it another try. But He was very persistent. I drowned in the ocean of His compassionate love. In Him I found true joy. In Him I found true love. In Him I found real meaning of my life. I am now music with perfect lyrics. He has made my every word and my every tune into exactly what a lovely song should be. Every single part of my body was crafted for a beautiful purpose: My brain to store knowledge and wisdom that give discernment to do what is right;  my ears to listen to His message of love, mercy, and grace; my lips to speak of sweet words of Jesus to my brothers and sisters; my hands to reach out to them and to touch their lives; my heart to receive and to share His never ending love; and, my feet to continue walking in faith into His path; Yes, I am a lovely song. I am a symphony of music. “Do not hold back from those who ask for your help, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27) God whispered me to serve others so I can share His love and let them feel His presence. I joined the CFC - Singles for Christ community last year and I said YES to serve Him. It was the onset of the fulfillment of my purpose. I came to understand what true love really means. He made it happen. True love embraces service not only for our loved ones but also for people whom we do not know. For the past 13 weeks I shared my time and passion for cooking with no but’s and no if’s. He made it happen. I was assigned to the food committee; and every week I was looking forward for Saturdays to prepare food for the Christian Life Program (CLP) participants and for the service team. I told myself that I would make

the most out of this opportunity and I would give it my best shot because this could be the last year of my service. We came up with different menus from noodles to baked goodies, pasta, etc. And before I started with the preparation, I would say a little prayer and whisper to Him, “Lord, please provide. Please fill this table with your love.” Week after week, I have realized I was indeed enjoying what I was doing. Never did I worry what would be on the table or whether the food would not be enough for everyone. Seeing everyone share what we prepared was the most rewarding part. I could see the smiles on their faces; some brothers and sisters approached me to say thank you. I couldn’t explain the joy and happiness that filled my heart. I could see Lord God smiling at me in each of them. We were nearing the end of the CLP; it was Thursday when my household leader pulled me aside for a private conversation. She looked me in the eye and said, “Can you be a sharer for Saturday’s Dedication Day?” I recognised Him speaking through my leader. Without hesitation I replied, “sure”. Once again, He made it happen. It never crossed my mind that I would ever speak in front of a big crowd. I was given five minutes to share my experiences as a new member of the community. To be honest, I didn’t have a chance to prepare for my sharing because of a very hectic week at work and because of my commitment in the food committee to prepare for the big feast. It was Saturday morning; I woke up with so much peace and joy in my heart. I talked to God and said, “Lord God, please speak through my mouth. Please use me.” The talk started. Four sharers had taken their turns. Then it was my time to step forward. I initially bowed my head and when I looked up, all I could see in every person inside the room was the face of God! I couldn’t remember what I said and how my sharing went. I felt so light after my five-minute sharing and I couldn’t explain the joy in my heart. I received the greatest gift this year – the opportunity to share His perfect love. “Lord, You have blessed me so much. Let me be a blessing to others for the rest of my life. Amen.” n Jen Lino

She is very and sweet supportive person who loves cooking. A servant with a big heart for the Lord, Jen is an active member of CFC-Singles for Christ community in Auckland, New Zealand.

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Give Up the Driver’s Seat by Hansel Baptista

hy am I here? Why was I born? What am I called to do? What I really need to be asking is what my purpose is, in God’s plan. God created man to love Him and for us to love Him back. Not the love a slave would have for his master or the love people have for their king, but the love of a son towards his father because he loves us as a father loves his son. He loves us so much that He gave us free will––free will to love Him or not, and free will to obey Him or turn away from Him. He loves us so much that every time we sin and move away from His love, He always reaches out to help us come back to Him. That is His purpose for our life, to love us and get us to love Him back. So what purpose do I have in His big plan? I have finally come to an understanding that He has planned my life since before I was born. He knew what I would be before I was conceived in my mother’s womb. He knew every experience I would go through; and He knew when I could come back into His love. In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” This is rather surprising. God knew Jeremiah before he was born. It shows us that God knows all of us even before we were born. So my road has already been plotted; all I need to do now is to follow it. It reminds me of a video I watched. A baby is placed on a road and at the end of the road is a cross. The father tells the baby that she needs to follow the road and reach the cross at the end of it for below the cross is a special gift left there for her. The baby starts to crawl along the road. At the first turn, there’s a pretty doll a small distance away from the road. The baby leaves the road and moves towards the doll. The father seeing the baby moving away from the safeness of the road comes to her, lifts her up and puts her back on the road, and asks her to move on further along the road. As she moves on, she sees a pretty pony playing on the lawn on the side of the road. She falls in love with the pretty white pony and walks towards it. Her father seeing her move away from the road comes lifts her up and puts her back on the road. As she walks on, she sees a store with beautiful clothes and pretty shoes so she walks towards the store and goes around to look at everything in. The father seeing her moving away from the road comes holds her hand and leads her back to the road. Each time she moves away he keeps holding her hand and bringing her back. The road is life planned by the Father before we were conceived. He allows us to use our free will and to move away from His path, but he loves us so much that He always comes to bring us back. He always allows us to use our free will. My life’s been a lot like that; each time I move away from the path I can feel a hand leading me to the right path. He walks along with me. He has a purpose for me being me. He knows what I need, what will make me happy. Yet each time I don’t get what I want or what I ask for, I always ask why not. Does He not love me enough? Jesus says ask and you shall receive, yet I don’t get what I want. Each time this happens I doubt

my faith in Him; but as life moves on, I look back on that particular situation and understand the bigger picture and thank Him. He also said, “Which father among you would give your child a snake when he asks for a fish?” Maybe we don’t ask for the right thing or maybe what we ask for is not good for us. How often do we thank Jesus for all our unanswered prayers? Garth Brooks, a famous country singer, sings a song named, Unanswered Prayers. He talks about how he and his wife ran into an old high school flame. He recalled how he used to pray to the Lord to make her his and that would be the only prayer he would make, the only thing he would ask the Lord for. He then looks at the way his life has turned out and thanks the Lord for not answering his prayer. There were so many times I wanted to go the other way. Even after I lost my dad, all I did was play up: I got into bad company, wasted a lot of time and acquired a lot of bad habits. I guess it was due to the fact the task master was no more around. My mom was strict but just not around to see most of the nonsense I got into. She had to work and I knew that; and I used it to do what I wanted to. Jesus always knows what’s best. He made sure I got into the best boarding school that would shape me into being what society and He wanted me to be; I got out of a lot of the bad habits; and finally I got an all-round development. He moved me from the wrong path and placed me back on the road. I have always noticed He strategically places people and things around me to get me back on the track. I need to reach a stage that makes me feel bad each time I sin and know that I’m moving away from Him. We always want to be in control. We need to be in the driving seat. At each time I tried to drive my life, I fall. It’s only when I let the Lord lead me that I find what I need, not what I want. What I want makes sense only to me but it doesn’t fit into the Lord’s plan. He has planned something for me. He has paved the road and all I need to do is walk along it. He knows what is good for me and will give it to me in due time. He loves me and will never forsake me. I have to surrender my life to Him. Let Him be the potter and me the clay. He has to mold me. I don’t want to interfere with His plan. His plans always make better sense when I look back at how my life has turned out. He has turned all my adversities into triumphs. After fighting with Him all these years, I have resigned. He knows what is best. He created me; let Him use me as He pleases. n

Hansel Baptista

He is a very down to earth and amazing chef from Bombay, India. A generous brother to his friends and a badminton enthusiast, Hansel is an active member of CFC-Singles for Christ community in Auckland, New Zealand.

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FiNDING Life’s Purpose in Being with Children by Apple Lopez

(Guest Writer from Victory Christian Fellowship)

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

rowing up, I’m always sure of what I want in life, what my dreams are. For example, I simply want to pursue my passion in writing. There is part of me that delights writing a book, because I want to leave an immortal legacy to this world via that masterpiece. I want to help change people’s lives, to inspire them. Another part of me loves seeing my name on the byline of a magazine or a newspaper. It is from this that I get a magical feeling inside; a deep sense of satisfaction that most writers experience. I am so drawn with the passion for writing and moving people with inspirational themes that I could not even imagine myself having other job aside from writing. But God has a different plan for me. Sure He still wants me to go on pursuing my passion for writing, but perhaps, He also wants me for His other purpose. I’ve always liked kids. I find them adorably funny and sweet. They may be annoying at times, but at the end of the day, I still find them cute and lovely. I always want to be surrounded with kids that is why when I decided to volunteer for a ministry in our church, I didn’t think of any department but the Kids’ Ministry. Volunteering in the Kids’ Ministry didn’t only provide me with a sense of joy everytime I’m on duty, it also made me realize the purpose that God called me to do. To be a teacher. Being a teacher was never really a dream vocation for me. In fact, I never really imagined myself standing in front of the class, teaching knowledge-hungry students and providing them some information they might need in their life’s journey. I might be a loud and extroverted type of person but I am not comfortable talking in front of a large number of people, with their attention all on me. I feel so shy doing that. That is why even if I’ve been

hearing about teachers having the most rewarding job, I didn’t acknowledge the thought of me entering and embracing the teaching the profession. But that was prior to the desire and the vision that God put in my heart and my mind. I don’t exactly know when the desire for teaching knocked on my heart. One thing I’m sure of though, God changed my heart that moment so I could warmly welcome that desire inside. Next thing I know, I am already drawn to the teaching profession that I have mapped out a plan on how I am going to pursue that passion. When God placed that purpose in my heart, I was working in a prestigious company as a Public Relations Supervisor and earning more than the usual income of people my age. A lot of my friends were envious because of my job and not to mention the fact that it’s not easy to get hired in that company. I was enjoying my job and the accompanied perks. The usual office hullabaloos and the after-office party out which I used to just see on television and the big screens were all part of my life’s actual scenes then. As for my writing stints, I was still writing for some publications so it was really a win-win situation for me that time. I was really having the time of my life. Or so I thought. And then God gave me a change of heart. Suddenly, I found myself unhappy about my job, the routines, some people and other stuff concerning my work. Then the thought of little kids surrounding me in school, the playtimes and their funny antics unanticipatedly and oftentimes entered my mind. I realized I wanted to be a preschool teacher. I wanted to be there when the little kids started to learn their alphabets and arithmatic. I just want to be part of their development stage. I didn’t want to instantly jump into that field because I was afraid that people around me would find me

impulsive and undecisive of my future. So I seriously contemplated on my decision. I earnestly sought God’s leading for me during that time when i just felt so lost in translation. I felt like I was in a limbo that time. I wanted something so bad but I was afraid that I might fail in the end if I went after it. God answered me through a verse in the Bible: Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)” After reading that, I felt relief and joy flowing through my heart. I knew right there and then that God was really talking to me. He lifted a burden in my heart through that verse. Immediately, I submitted my resignation letter to my boss. Leaving my former company, I don’t really have a clue when or how to start with the new journey I was about to take. I just put my faith in God and believed that this was what He wanted me to do. I submitted applications to some preschools in Manila without actually expecting that they would consider me since I don’t have any teaching background except that I was a volunteer teacher in our church. Surprisingly one day, I received an email from one of the preschools I applied to, inviting me for an interview. I was just in so much awe at that time. I went to the school and met the owner. After a few not-so-critical, but mostly personal questions she told me I could start joining the class mid-February. No long examinations, abstract reasonings, psychological tests and background checkings. The owner just hired me simply as that. And the added bonus was that the working time was only until 12pm so I could still do my writing jobs in the afternoon. Imagine how great God is? He really made everything as smooth as possible for me. My heart was pounding with great joy and gratitude. Now, I am already on my 5th month of teaching in that preschool and never a day goes by that I don’t enjoy teaching the little kids in school. They never fail to put a smile on my face and amaze me with their funny words and innocent thoughts. It’s the first time in my life that I enjoy my job so much that I even miss it on

weekends. I am just so grateful to God that He placed that desire in my heart to teach and blessed me with this job. Now I know why they say that teachers have the most rewarding job. Nothing beats the joy of teaching children and seeing how they progress. It feels so good when you teach them good values and those retain in their minds and hearts. The smiles on their faces and the delight in their eyes that you can see everytime they enter the classroom. In their eyes you are priceless. I am so loving my new-found profession. But I love it most of all because I know I am exactly where God wants me to be. He chose me to be part of this mission to mold kids and help them develop into the kinds of children that He wants them to be. God in his love uses me as an instrument for them to know Him and develop a personal relationship with Him no matter how young they are. I realized what God has called me to do: To touch people’s lives through the string of thoughts in my mind and to share my knowledge to the little angels who are starting to discover the meaning of life. All these for the glory of one God! n

Apple Lopez

I am a daughter of God. I was once a lost soul but God found me and led me back to His loving arms. I have long accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior and I want the people around me to experience the same gladness and unfathomable happiness i’m feeling putting Jesus Christ in the center of my life. I have a very soft spot for Mother Earth that’s why I make it a point that I share this love and affection for the environment to the people around me, especially the kids. I love the Philippines and I am proud to be a Filipino. I strongly believe that despite the adversities, our nation will still rise above it all and be victorious in the end. I am a writer. dreamer. believer.

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DO YOU KNOW YOUR PURPOSE ON EARTH by Isaac Nyamekye JNR

PERCEPTION: This is very important in one’s life. We all live with an idea of what life

demands from us. Have you ever sat down to write down your perception about life? Do it now and let’s follow the steps ahead. There is no one without a perception in life; and the perception one holds in high esteem is what makes up one’s life.

UNDERSTANDING: Understanding who you are and why you were brought on

earth is already a step in knowing your purpose. The best way for an executor to do a task diligently is to ask the sender what he wants him to do. So as we know that God is our creator, we will do our best in life by going to Him in prayers to ask Him what He wants us to do. We already have the Bible that teaches us everything and all that is not clear to us needs to be forwarded for understanding through prayers.

REALISATION: Do you realize that you live with a perception in life and with a

capability to understand? Do you really understand who you are, where you are from, and what you are to do? Realization is an eye opener to your purpose. Till you realize that you have these things, you will be just following the crowd. If you live without these, you just cling to whatever comes your way and that can lead you to the wrong direction.

PROCESSING: After realizing that you live with a purpose and with a kind of

understanding, you then tend to process yourself by inviting your creator through prayers to help you understand and live without just a perception but with an incursion through the facts He will reveal to you. We are easily moved to say, “I will read the Bible,” after a convincing time with people; but we end up not reading. In processing, you will be lifted high and will be equipped with the heart to do so.

OBSTACLE: God never promised us that we will never face an onus in life; but He promised us that He will never leave us whenever we call on Him. Many are the challenges we do face as we live our purpose; but if you know your creator through prayers backed by faith, you are already a winner.

SUBMISSIVE: There is no way a servant can be more than the master; therefore, one

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must always be submissive to His creator. Failure to be submissive is an indirect way of failing to live according to one’s purpose.

EXECUTIONIST: We are all having a purpose in life to execute. Let’s all rally round the royal banner of Christ as we execute our task so that we, together with Him, will not suffer loss. From one victory by conquering death, we are moving on to another victory by building His Kingdom on earth. You are a contibutor, I am a performer, and we are the executionists! n

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THE POWER OF THE CROSS: In Mathematical Symbols

by Isaac Nyamekye JNR

Its importance to us, Christians, is: we are an addition to the world by God and we are to add up to the current number of people in His Kingdom on earth.

By twisting our life styles to suit God’s teachings, we cannot only add up but also multiply on earth, not just in number but in character too.

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Without our stand in Jesus Christ (which is the vertical line), we will be living a life full of negativities.

By cutting off our stand in Christ (which is the vertical line) a little above and below our bar of humanity (the horizontal line), we only end up creating division in ourselves as Christians which affects the whole kingdom of God. By this, we throw away some uniting values, we divide our faith into many.

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If we open up or allow ourselves for Christ to orientate our bar of humanity (the horizontal line) and our stand in Christ (the vertical line), He will infill our souls and truly make us more like Him as He stays within our hearts as well. Isaac Nyamekye JNR

As in the axis, He will always stand by His people for them to lean on in times of need. Horizontally, Christ humbled Himself. He stayed so low irrespective of His being; and we, as His people, are to portray His humble lifestyle. n

A sweet loving servant of God from Ghana, Africa. A mathematician in heart, he uses arithmetic symbols to give his religious interpretation belief. A hardworking student and a dedicated leader of CFC-Singles for Christ community in Ghana. Additionally, he dedicates both articles to his group ST MICHEAL SFC, 37 MIL HOSP. ACCRAGHANA and to her beloved Sheila Marie Bermas, for her immense contribution to their SFC Ghana group.

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“BEN”

“Why are you late?” the teacher asked Ben calmly as he sat on his chair. It was summer of 2008…the time when children were supposed to be enjoying their vacation while waiting for the forthcoming school year. But for Ben, he opted to attend the yearly summer catechesis at their church. However, before coming to class, he first had an obligation to accomplish. 24

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t was 9:00 AM; one hour had already lapsed for the 8:00 AM class. Ben just stared at his teacher blankly, looking pale. “Ben, why are you late?” the teacher asked again. As he managed to put on a smile, slowly, he replied, “ Mam, I’m sorry. I gathered scraps and bottles. I was awake since 5.” At the time of writing two years has passed since I last taught catechesis to some underprivileged children in Tandang Sora (Quezon City, Philippines). I can still hear their marches to class, their old clothes and rugged slippers. They brought along with them used notebooks and pencils. Some could afford to bring snacks, while others couldn’t. However, the moment we shared our candies, chocolates, finger foods, sandwiches and juices, the cries of the starving children suddenly turned into a grand feast. While they may not own the material possessions of a wealthy child, they were, nevertheless, armed with an overwhelming enthusiasm to learn about God. Once I hear them chorus, “HELLO” after I greet them with a lovely, “HI” I realize that they were no different from a well-schooled student, who likewise hungers to know more about God’s love. But somewhere in their gleeful faces, whenever they play …beneath their sweet smiles, every time they pray…is a heavy burden. A load that they had to carry once they departed from the comforts of the church. As they return to their homes, some had to take care of their younger brothers and sisters. One had to rush to the drugstore to buy medicines for her ailing mother, while the other had to buy brandy for his alcoholic father. While some may still be asleep in the early morning (for they stayed up late witnessing their parents’ quarrel), some had to attend to their day-time jobs. Then I remember Ben…I wonder if he’s still in the streets collecting junks. I wonder if he could still recall the hurt in my eyes every time he uttered, “Mam, I’m sorry….” I figure if he knew how a street child would leave a supposed-to-be-strongwoman like me dumbfounded…how he made a significant impact into my life. I missed praying with him as I see so much hope in his eyes. I longed to see him mingling with his classmates as if nothing was troubling him.

I missed playing with him as I carry his burdens just like a parent, while I let him a happy child he ought to be. Most of all, I missed listening to his stories as he related them to bible passages I read during class. Whenever he explained his struggles in life, somehow I understood what poverty is all about… an issue, which most of us superficially perceive as the fault of the poor, as if they do nothing except to depend on other’s aid. But I still hear Ben’s words echoing to my ears, realizing that all of us speak the same language… all of us are in dire need…all of us have one common destiny…all of us are Co-Equals. It is from this child that I learned that the increasing space between the rich and the poor is brought about by human inequities and greed…that gifts from God, which are supposed to be enjoyed and shared by everyone, are being consumed by the powerful. And that only the elite benefit from the opportunities derived from God’s blessings. At one point of our lives, we have met someone like Ben. Some may have ignored him…some may have neglected him. The feebleness in his face would make us believe that there’s nothing in store for him in the future. His powerlessness at the outside seems to hinder his dreams from manifesting. But by turning the page, one can clearly see in him the face of God. Truly, there is Hope. The next time Ben knocks at our doors, share time with him to bridge the gap that keeps on distancing him from society. By communicating with him, one gets to recognize that there’s more to learn from him, than from the shallow teachings of the hypocrites. By sharing our wealth with him, one will get to know that in giving, there is nothing to lose. By carrying his burdens, you will eventually realize…he is carrying your burdens, too.

by Mariel Baja She’s a choir member of the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul Chorale in Tandang Sora, Philippines since 1990. Presently, she is a public attorney at the Public Attorney’s Office.

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God’s Masterpiece: An Invitation by Catherine Ombao

ne of the most inspiring quotes I’ve ever encountered is, “Life is like writing with a pen. You can cross out your past but you can’t erase it.” To deal with your past and to see it as one, which is scribbled by a pen can be truly challenging. But what if the challenge you’re facing is about writing, literally? My dilemma on writing is how to put into words the message that I want to impart to readers. It becomes more difficult when I have to deal with exceptional topics such as about God. This is further triggered by the thought that having English as my second language, my vocabulary is very limited. I fear that my work may not be considered a good enough piece of writing, and that holds me back. When inspiration comes into mind and if I want to accomplish something, I have to face it one time or another and overcome the thoughts that can confuse me. A friend once suggested that I should just continue without worrying what lies ahead because if we let our fears or worries pull us back, we won’t be able to step forward to share God’s stories. I guess I have to step up now. Whatever it takes, I’ll hold on to the thought that this is something that God wants me to do, so I’m happy to share with you what I’ve learned from journeying with God. Over the years, I learned that it’s not the lack of rich vocabulary that hinders me but the thought of my work being criticized by random people. The proud part of me feels that when I work on something, I want to do it in the best way I can – so I’m not one who easily accepts negative criticisms most especially when I have placed my whole effort in doing it. Perhaps some people can relate to this, the thought of being scrutinized must be scary for some or discouraging for others, yet most of us have different ways of handling displeasing comments. An important lesson I’ve learned is that God makes me feel this way so I can better appreciate how His plan works to me. Sometimes our own feelings can be as hard as a rock that no one can crack or break it. This is me being stubborn about expressing myself, but GOD can make it as soft as a pillow. And when such a time comes, I do not have the power to resist it but to follow what my heart leads me. I’ve learned that perfection is God’s realm. Admittedly, being only human, I accept that I am not perfect, but I love to perfect the things that I want to do whenever I can help it. The aim is to offer to God everything that I do, like what St Therese said, “You ask me a method of attaining perfection. I know of love - and only love. Love can do all things.” It’s a good enough reason for me why being in love with God, I try to do whatever it takes, and writing my story is one way of showing and spreading God’s word.

Being an active member of the CFC Singles for Christ or SFC community “again” is a tough decision to make. I mentioned “again” because I tend to come and go as a member whenever it’s convenient. It’s like going through an essay writing contest all over again, yet this time it’s not in amateur category but under the professional writing level. I remember a time when it was not so difficult to be “on fire” right after I graduated from the Christian Life Program four years ago. The hard part is to maintain active participation as a member of SFC. I have to put my heart into it for me to be effective and to be able to live the life of an SFC by words and by deeds. In simple words, it’s really hard to practice what we preach. One can only be too careful on one’s actions for there remains a reality, inside and outside of the community, that people around may comment on the kind of life I live. It’s even made harder now that I have practically announced to the whole world that I am part of this God-loving and God-fearing group of single individuals. It’s not a good feeling when the responsibility of the path I chose makes me feel like seeking some sort of escape. So to avoid peoples’ criticism, it came to the point where I no longer want to be active in this group. There was a great desire to have some “freedom” in my way of life and to be just the single young professional that I am, who should be enjoying at the prime of my life. Well, my dear friend, what a lame excuse that is. Don’t you agree? Whatever the reasons are, may it be personal, career, financial, the lack of time, or even love life (or lack of it) are never good enough reasons to abandon the call for service. I beg pardon from those who may disagree with this kind of comment. I confess that I’m guilty of it. I believe that the Lord didn’t give up on us, even to the last breath of His human life when He died on the Cross. What then gave us the right to be selfish with our priorities? This community has helped me through its teachings to acknowledge that our time and resources should be spent wisely in the call for God’s work. I humbly urge you to reflect on these thoughts. Service in the community may mean you participate as a lector, reader in the mass, collector, catechist, server, choir member, sacristan or even as simple as being a friend who is always there ready to listen and to encourage someone to get closer to God. These are but a few of the many ways to serve God. We just need to open our door in our hearts, so we can understand the things that He wants us to do. We are born in this earth with a God-driven purpose and we have the free will to perform our tasks to the best of our

The Fern & the Bamboo by Chassy Tesoro

ne day I decided to quit.I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.I wanted to quit my life.I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

“God”, I said.”Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me.”Look around,” He said.”Do you see the fern and the bamboo?” “Yes,” I replied. “When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.I gave them light.I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth.Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo.” He said, “In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.I would not quit.” He said, “Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant, but just six months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots.Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.”

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abilities with enthusiasm and grace. When we do this, we should offer our work to the Lord Almighty. Our life is God’s gift. It is precious. It is only fitting that we cherish this life. Start sharing this gift to others so they will see the fullness of God’s love. Simple things when touched with craftsmanship can result to extraordinary beauty. Wouldn’t it be nice to be part of that masterpiece? For me I said “yes” – yes to service and yes to God. It’s really a blessing to be a part of one’s success in finding God in their lives. Be one of the instruments of God, be the bearer of God’s love for us. I hope that a day would come when you’ll find yourself as a piece of the puzzle that is essential for God’s masterpiece. n

Catherine Ombao

A very soft spoken person who loves to sing, read and eat. Spending time with her family is an integral part of her existence. She is an active member of CFC-Singles for Christ community based on Auckland, New Zealand.

He said to me, “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots ? I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you.Don`t compare yourself to others.” He said, “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.Your time will come.” God said to me, “You will rise high.” “How high should I rise?” I asked. “How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return. “As high as it can?” I questioned. “Yes.” He said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can.” I left the forest and brought back this story.I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life. n

Chassy Tesoro

Recently married to his God’s Gift, a soul writer and a sharer in heart. She is serving as a cluster head of CFC-Singles for Christ community in Davao, Philippines. Likes to involve more on youth mission.

28 Dear God… Days have

Dear Almighty Father… you are supremely

good, beauty of all things beautiful. You are my lover and love itself. I was contemplating while travelling in a long journey to find my love for I was desperate to find my soul’s desire. Though I was in darkness, my soul thirsts for the light for with love I was conceived and into the light was I born. I did not yet love, but I loved to love. It is my soul’s desire. My flesh desires all the beauties and pleasures for satisfaction, yet the love derived from material satisfaction is meaningless, vanity, limited and not perfected. I persuaded my soul to abide and find love in pleasure; but lo and behold, it was not my soul’s desire. Oh true love! Let the sun keep shining; let this day last forever for love is perfection. To love and be loved was sweet to me. I seek to know whether to find true love and true happiness in power, pleasure and possession. Yet they are like food in our dreams that look very much like our real food; but the sleepers are not nourished by it because they are asleep so was the material things that I possessed. In the beginning I was empty. I was living like I never existed. But with love I derived my form and in light I was born. Thank you, my love for possessing me. I HAVE YOU IN MY HEART – YOU ARE MY SOUL DESIRE. I LOVE YOU, MY CREATOR AND MY GOD. -

Emezie

gone by, fear of the future continues to haunt me. The pain is excruciating. It pricks through many layers under my skin. As I strive to pull out all the strength inside me, I continue to paint a smile on my face and handle pressure with grace. Yet at the end of the day when clouds would embrace the sky in darkness, I would show my weakness in tears. I’m tired and exhausted of living beyond my capabilities. Time and again I ask you, “Why am I always placed in situations filled with struggles and extreme difficulties?” I cannot do this alone. I’m afraid. I need you. Please embrace me. In sweet words, you have comforted me: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In a prayer, you have taught me: “Give us today your daily bread.” Do you have reasons why bread for a week, a month or a year? You want me to depend on you, oh Lord, each passing day. You want me to surrender all of my doubts and fears. You want me to put all my trust in you no matter how bleak odds could be. You want me to see you everywhere I go, in everything I do. For in your arms, I am most secure. In your presence, I am at peace. In your power, I can do anything. You love me and you will take care of me. From this day onwards I will stop worrying. Because when I open my eyes in the morning… I know you will be there.

Elcel

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Dear God

Dear Lord… It’s been a long time

…It’s been a long tough journey for me. I’ve been through a lot of things in quest for answers to my deepest inquiries about life. As the answers gently unfolded before my eyes, you let me see your goodness everyday and you let me feel your love through the people I have. I don’t know why it took a couple of years for me to understand that you only wanted me to learn how to live life following your path and to appreciate the things that you’re blessing me with.

now and years have past… I still lack knowledge about your ways, about your wisdom, about your goodness. I think my whole life is not enough to know you more, but I will never stop even if I am going through some rough times at the moment. I got this feeling that the more I gain knowledge from you, the more I feel different and strange. Someone told me that when I talk, I hurt people. Some find me a nuisance; some are confused on what I am talking about. But what shall I do? I just want to share what I know about life...a life towards you.

Like any other sheep I’ve been lost, but still you looked for me. I’ve almost forgotten about you, but still you let me come back and seek you. I’ve been so thirsty for love, and yet you showed me how much you care for me and how much you love me.

I don’t even need to utter a word. You know the desires of my heart, what I have been through, my flaws and my low moments. I know you’ll help me get through this and you’re on my side to guide me, to take me to the right path.

Lord… I pray that you’ll always stay by my side; guide me with your power and protect me with your love. I shall surrender my soul and myself only to you; help me to be an obedient follower of your will with complete trust and without any hesitation. Please let me rest in your loving arms; take away all the fear and hatred I’ve kept for a very long time.

But don’t worry; I guess soon I’ll be okay. I just want to share my thoughts today. I will continue with what we’ve started long long time ago. You know me since I was in my mother’s womb. You gave me loving parents, awesome brothers, loving relatives and great friends. I never forget that you helped me improve my stuttering. It’s really funny because some people don’t believe it. I’m really happy for my blessings, for the things that you’ve given me, the things that you’ve shown me.

Lastly Almighty God… Please help me fix the family you gifted me. Please use me to let them know the true meaning of love, honesty, and trust in one another. May we know how to act as one team with great fear and faith in you. This is the only fear I have right now oh God…the fear that I may be about to die without seeing them together growing as a happy family.

I will not stop following your ways even if it’s hard to follow you sometimes. I will be your student – learning new things, doing my homework, sharing thoughts to your other students. And just like what a real student does, I will aim to finish the course and to graduate with flying colors to make my parents proud. I will make you proud Dear Lord! Thank you very much for your never ending LOVE.

I trust you our God... I know that with you, nothing is impossible. I shall rest upon your love and I shall always keep in mind that everything’s going to be alright when I keep following your footsteps. I love you and I shall adore you always. Thank you so much for all the blessings that you shower upon me each day. And most of all, thank you for letting me love you and know you everyday.

It’s Me! -

Ayan

Jem

iah

33 29

“Mother behold your son, son behold thy mother.” These were the words of Jesus Christ during which He took His last breath. BIGMAG wishes to bring readers a whole new segment in honor of our Blessed Mother. Without Mary’s YES to the Father, the plan of salvation will not be realized. May this page inspire everyone to know her more, to make her known and to be moved into a devotion to the Mother of our Savior. Let us continue to praise and thank the Lord through the intercession of Our Lady, the sweetest mother of all.

A Mother’s Sweet Embrace

Our Lady of Mount Carmel A Priest’s Challenge to His Parishioners by Fr Wilmer Joseph Tria

Dear devotees of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel

e are now on the seventh day of our novena. Since July 7, the first day of the novena, you have been coming with the desire to be in union with God through Our Lady of Mt Carmel. I would like you to recall your experience during the past days. And may I invite you to answer the following questions: Did you appreciate the peace of mind you experience while you walked to Carmel, while you attended the services, and while you went home? Did you appreciate how beautiful it was to worship God, to sing hymns to Our Lady, and to exchange pleasantries with friends without being disturbed by street parties, military parade, beauty pageants, or street vendors? Did we ever think that the novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel is essentially the same as the novena to Our Lady of Penafrancia? I want to challenge and engage anyone in this congregation or anyone in politics or in the media, if these two novenas are different in substance, in essence, and in nature. Are we not talking about the same Lady? The same Woman? The same Mother? Why do the media accuse the Church of being “kill joy?”

What’s wrong if we have a prayerful, peaceful, solemn, Holy Week experience when we hold our novena to Our Lady? Didn’t St Paul tell us that there are two basic contradictory orientations in life? The orientation of the flesh and the orientation of the spirit? According to him, the orientation of the flesh enslaves. It is manipulative and exploitative. On the other hand, the orientation of the spirit is liberating and sanctifying. Unfortunately, fiestas (religious festivals) through the years have been oriented towards the flesh. The culture has become like this: He who has eaten the most has participated the best in the fiestas. He who has gone to more gimmicks has the most successful fiestas. This is the fiestas of stuffing our bellies with kilos of lechon (roast pork) and of soaking our veins in gallons of alcoholic drinks. This is the fiestas where we satisfy our eyes and ears with glaring colors and deafening rock music. Such is the fiestas that is oriented towards the flesh. This is the fiestas that teaches us that salvation is in

BIGMAG2 the food, in the drinks, in the banderitas and tarpaulins of politicians, as well as in different entertainments – manipulative and exploitative, indeed. No wonder, corporate sponsors flood the city with money in order to manipulate the people and take advantage of their vulnerability. The streets, the activities, any available venue are now up for grabs to the highest bidder. This is a conspiracy among merchants, luring the faithful to the seductions of material wealth, drowning us in the belief that the fiestas is a festival of sights and sounds to be pursued in the name of pleasure and material satisfaction. However, the fiestas taught to us by God and the Gospel is the fiestas oriented towards the spirit. The responsorial psalm today reminds us of this: “In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.” Peace is in the simplicity of the celebration. Peace is the fasting from worldly goods and feasting on the nourishment of the spirit. In the first reading, we heard that God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out: “Abba, Father.” The novena to Our Lady should bring us closer to God, so that we can address Him as our Abba, as our Father, as our Papa.

Will the entertainment, the messages from politicians, and the pageantry make us better people? Will they move us to imitate Our Lady so we can find God in our daily lives? When you came every day for the past few days, you knew that there will be no entertainment, no parades, no pageants. But you came just the same. And it is easy to be in God’s presence because we are united in the desire to be in union with God. It is easy because we all came to praise God, to find God and to celebrate with Our Lady, our Blessed Mother. The gospel reading today brings us to the good memories of Nazareth. In that peaceful and humble town, Jesus grew up in age, wisdom and grace. May we, as devotees of Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Penafrancia, the one and the same mother of us all, muster all the courage to bring back Our Lord and Master, here in this humble and quite place called Naga, shun all forms of secularization and commercialization of our feast, and give more room for the spirit, so that Jesus may grow in our hearts, in age, in wisdom and in grace. n

Where are the devotees of Ina (Mother)? Where are the sons and daughters of God? Why can’t we bring God to the City Hall? Why can’t we bring God to the media? Why can’t we bring God to streets and to marketplace? Where are our politicians who received their baptism and confirmation? Where are our media practitioners who claim they have devotion to the Blessed Mother? Devotees bear the responsibility of taking care of the devotion – of nourishing, preserving and sharing the devotion. And yet, if we who claim devotion are the ones who disrespect the fiesta, who cause the confusion and the chaos during this solemn celebration, who exploit and commodify this profound relationship with the Blessed Mother, shame on us, for we are not worthy to be called devotees. Sadly though, for many of us, the fiestas is a religious celebration in essence, but a tourism event and marketing strategy in practice. How can we call ourselves devotees when we have made our Blessed Mother an icon to raise revenue and promote tourism? And under the banner Viva Naga, Viva Bicolandia, merchants will once again exploit our triumphant cry of “Viva la Virgen!” We have heard justifications that this does not diminish devotion to Our Lady. But let me ask you, does it deepen and strengthen your devotion? Do you grow as a devotee in the midst of the chaotic celebration?

Fr Wilmer Joseph Tria

Ordained on 9 November 1991, he is currently the Chair Chair of Philosophy Department of Ateneo de Naga University in the Philippines. Fr Wilmer is also the CEO of Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal Foundation – Bikol and Founding Chair of Ina Nin Bikol Foundation. He published books in philosophy; Ako Asin An Kapwa Ko; on Bikol language, An Satuyang Tataramon; and story book, The First Penafrancia Fiesta.

Welcome to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are reading this article. Please note that as Catholics we do not worship Mary but we seek to love her as Christ indeed loved her. We honour her for her fiat, for her example of a total YES to God and his plan of salvation for humanity

…are real life stories of a modern day saint – a missionary. They were like Simon and his brother

Andrew, who once was asked to leave their families and friends, give up their careers, sacrifice their comfort

zones and even their lovelife and everything they could

ever imagine. We are all called to become missionaries in all aspect of our life, as we are all destined to become

soldiers of our faith to rock the world! This is the call when Jesus passed by their modern lives. They left their nets and followed Christ.

THE Crazy FISHErMEN

Our Heavenly Mother’s Loving Protection by Mairis Forteo

“Oh mother you’re my confidence... that DIALOGUE OF LIFE, crossing the angry sea and facing some rebel troops. Our Heavenly Mother’s Loving Protection in you Oh Mother I place my trust…”

Before we go to mission areas, series of planning you’reconducted my confidence…in you Oh Mother I placeto in“Oh the mother far- were and formations were given my trust…”the missionaries to prepare them for the work of evangelization. Mission teams are usually composed Vincentian Popular Missions is held every This summer of six to tenone members includinginpriests, seminarians, happened during of our missions the far-flung areas by Vincentian Family (Congregation of the ofMission sisters and lay. Bicol Region, Philipines. priests, Daughters of Charity sisters, lay volunteers from Popular Missions-is conducted every summer Vincentian Vincentian organizations such as Society of St Vincent Our team then is composed of six people: three by Vincentian Family (Congregation of the Mission priests, de Paul and Vincentian Marian Youth and other lay seminarians and three ladies from the Society of St Daughters of Charity sisters, lay volunteers from Vincentian partners) following the example of St Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul and the Association of Children of Mary such asme Society of St. Vincent de Paul and in preaching the gospel of Christ to the least,organizations the lost including as their team leader. Vincentian and the last. Vincentian Popular missions often were Marian Youth and other lay partners) following the example St. Vincent detime Paulthat in preaching thea team gospelleader of Christ conducted to far-flung areas of provinces one of which ofThis is the first I have been of a to the least,mission the lostteam, and the last. Vincentian Popular missions is in Bicol Region. so I was then very much challenged for often were every conducted to far-flung areasbe ofapproved provincesbyone ofteam decision we make must their One of the mission areas that we have in Bicolwhich is in the we go to mission places such as these, we is in head. BicolBefore Region. province of Catanduanes. This place is the poorest already have activities. Some circumstances Onefrom of the mission areas planned that we have in Bicol is in the province amongst other provinces of Bicol Region for itofis Catanduanes. often are unavoidable are infrom the area and some This place when is the you poorest amongst other of visited by typhoons for it is facing the Pacific Ocean. With those are the most fearful and faith moving events. provinces of Bicol Region for it is often visited by typhoons for the unfailing guidance and support of the Archbishop it is facing the Pacific Ocean. With the unfailing guidance and of Catanduanes Bishop Manolo delos Santos,OP,DD. Though the usual mission team, always have a priest of support of the Archbishop of Catanduanes Bishop Manolo delos VPM (Vincentian Popular Mission) has been very active their own, our team share the same priest with some Santos,OP,DD. VPM (Vincentian Popular Mission) has been for almost 12 years now. other mission teams on other barangays which are two very active hours there away for almost 12and years by foot 20 now. minutes away by sea; for in havethe gonethose to some other areas but the experiences I have gone to some other mission areas Ibut times we mission run short of available priests that that are I havethe in this islandthe is mission. somewhat mostleader unforgettable all,to experiences that I had in this island is somewhat joining As the a team I have theof task most unforgettable of all, especially becauseespecially of the because the enormous challenges we leader have toforface arrange of schedules with the other team the enormous challenges we had to face such assuch walking priests’ scheduled masses other home Sacraments. as walking miles and miles for and the daily visitation or miles and miles for the daily home visitation orwe wecall callthat DIALOGUE OF LIFE, crossing the angry sea and facing some rebel troops. This happened during one of our missions flung areas of Bicol Region, Philipines.

BIGMAG2 We had to fetch Rev Fr Thursisius Gonesto, CM from the other barangay and conduct him if he has other appointments with the other barrio. Sometimes he slept in our place if the schedule permits him. I admire the CM priest’s dedication for surely his task is not easy in going to and fro our place. Most of the time, other missionaries will accompany him to our place. So we are exempted from fetching him. The mission went smooth and successful though there was one incident that I can never forget. On one occasion where we have to conduct father to the other barangay using the boat so that he would reach the other mission area on time for he had a scheduled mass. It was the time then where LPA is active (low pressure area) a sign of upcoming typhoon. The barangay that we stayed was facing the Pacific Ocean. I had a second thought then to conduct father by the small boat for I knew that there was an LPA. But Father said that we didn’t have to worry that much for the sea was still calm and that it was only an LPA not yet a typhoon. I trusted Father then for I also didn’t want to sacrifice the other mission area to miss the mass of Father that day. The small boat which was only for six people were composed of almost 12 persons, for some of the members of the youth choir that we were teaching insisted to come with us in conducting Father. I prayed before I jumped on the boat. I told myself this ride would only last for only twenty minutes so I didn’t need to worry. The boat started to leave the shore and lo and behold when we were around five minutes away from the shore. Huge waves started to confront us. “Oh My lord and my God…”that was the only thing that I’ve uttered. I held on tight to the pole connected to the katigs of the banca. I then started singing the song “Stella Maris”. One of the missionaries, Jennifer Jimenez, who is a CoMer started also to hum the song with me. We sang it aloud. Until everybody heard what we were singing and soon everybody on the boat were singing the same song. The 20-minute boat ride lasted for 30 minutes, for the angry waves were enormous and have destructed our direction towards the shore of the other barangay. I sang like wild to Mama Mary. I have never been afraid that much. Moreover, I was afraid for the whole team,

for I was their team leader; and as a team leader, I would be most accountable if something bad happened with a member of the team. Added to this there were youth people who came along with us. My worst fear was that I didn’t even know how to swim and so my other two team mates. I continued singing though wild thoughts came in my mind like what if the waves would toss and turn our small boat. I prayed then that God forbid this thing to happen for surely one of us would die or worst, all of us on the boat. We were around ten minutes away from the other shore and still the boat was not moving. Jhen on my side changed her song to “HE” and then she started singing…”He can turn the tide and calm the angry sea…” while I was still singing Stella Maris. We held on tight to our Miraculous Medals hanging on our necks and sang those two songs like crazy. Jhen and I, after singing, repeated the short prayer. ”Oh, Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” After thirty minutes of agony, we had reached the other shore safe and sound. The only worst thing that happened to all of us is, we were all drenched by the salt water. I even drank the salt water when it splashed on my face while I was singing. Jhen has just commented, “It will make your voice even more beautiful sister mai…” We giggled and we stood in awe with that sweet miracle from Mama Mary. I was so thankful that no one of us has been hurt. I decided then to take the long walk going back to our place. It was alright to be drenched with perspiration rather than be drenched and get drowned by the roaring waves of the angry sea. Indeed Mama Mary protected the missionaries for surely she is the Queen of Missions. Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Missions…Pray for us! n

Mairis Forteo

Mairis is a catechist, a teacher, and a community facilitator and organizer in a relocation site at Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines. She serves in Sto Cristo, Parish in San Juan city as member of the choir of Spirit of Love Catholic Community. She is also a member of CFC-Singles for Christ community in San Juan City Chapter, Philippines.

Healing & Faith

A Simple Song Makes a Difference by Ayan Abela

remember when I was a child I didn’t talk too much because of many reasons like my shyness, my dorky complexion, my relative’s playing favoritism, my lack of confidence…but most of all I had speech problems. I stuttered a lot and most of the time I couldn’t get my words to come out right (utalutal sa pananalita o kaya bulol). Do you believe me? Yes, it’s true. It’s not hereditary or hormonal defect. My mom said I’ve had it since the time I’ve fallen out of bed real bad when I was a baby. Or maybe there are other reasons. At the age of five, I started to feel self-pity. I was always afraid that people will laugh at me when I say something or start a conversation with them. I remember instances when my cousins or friends made fun of me repeating my words and mimic how I say it: “ku..ku..ku..kuya.. a..a..a.ate.” I felt that I had a defect, that I wasn’t normal and that I was so weak. I’ve sort of lost hope that there would be a cure to my disorder. It was really hard for me to express myself and my thoughts during those years. I felt that the real me hides beneath someone else, someone who‘s afraid to communicate, who’s always shy, worries a lot, no self-confidence and jealous of others. I got used to being in this quiet world and was contented for a while. Until one day I woke up and found the strength to break free from this grim front I have masked myself with all these years. Suddenly I knew what I wanted. What I wanted was… to be able to express myself openly and freely...to just say what I feel without hesitation and without thinking about how others would think... to laugh loud… to say more... and just let it all out! I wanted to share my thoughts to say something nice that would encourage someone who is in hardship or pain. I believe in the power of words to affect people – kind words that give them hope, openness, strength and love.

This is the one true self I want to be… and I just can’t wait to be my real self. I remember praying so hard and asking for God to someday take away this problem I’ve been battling with since childhood. I did my best too and tried all means to improve my speech. Now at my age, chances are a good no one would have thought I had a speech problem during childhood. God gave me the encouragement that, with maturity and time, I will be able to overcome my stutter. Every occasion in my life that I experience a similar situation, I cherish it. I don’t care how long I suffer for as long as I know God will help me and guide me to overcome all these. Through all these years, He has also shown me that my family is my greatest shield and my most powerful strength. I remember fondly, it was my mom who was my most devoted teacher and it was my dad who taught me not to fight back at anyone who lashes at me. In all these experiences that God has given me, I no longer feel pity for myself like I had felt since childhood. I no longer stutter. I’m still in the process of becoming my “real self” but I know I’ve found my “new self”. For the moment, let’s just have a simple song within ourselves, a song that only you can hear, a song that you sing over and over, a song that you carry in your heart always, a song that gives you hope, gives you peace, nourishes you….and helps you find your “real self”. The song of change and improvement is what’s playing softly in my heart right now…and it is what’s making the difference in my life. n

“...your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Luke 8:24-34

LIFE is like a box of

chocolates.

inspiring stories & little miracles that will touch your heart

A Surprise Gift from My Heavenly Dad

e who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. – Proverbs 19:17

I always trust God and His loving generosity. Recently I attended a mass at San Sebastian Recoletos in honor of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. Following the mass I joined the procession. In front of me was a grandmother with her apo (grandson), a young boy probably around six or seven years old. I had followed them until we finally reached the church. When the priest was about to give his final blessing, the little boy said to me in a soft voice: “Ate pahingi naman ng pamyesta…pambili lang ng pagkain...” The boy was requesting for a penny to be spent for the feast. Hesitant as I always was in giving dole-outs, I asked my Mama Mary. “Shall I give something to the child Mama?” This church has a statue of Mama Mary with her outstretched arms always as a loving answer. I felt Mama whisper softly in my ears, “Go ahead do whatever your heart tells you to do…” Ah right, out of compassion I pulled out my 100 peso bill and gave it to the lola (grandma) for their pampyesta (celebration of feast). The lola sheepishly and happily thanked me. God knows how I wished I could have given more. But at least they would have a decent supper for the feast of Mama Mary. To my surprise I found out that I didn’t have enough money left in my wallet. But I looked again at the two beloved creations of God in front of me and realized how blessed I was for at least having a decent work to earn a living. And I knew I could just survive until the next pay day with my remaining 100 peso bill. “God please provide for those who have nothing, they got nothing but YOU.” I continued to mumble my concluding prayer, “Please provide me with enough money to survive until the next pay day, Lord.”

Then I went off to go home though I couldn’t help thinking about the little boy and his grandmother. I wondered where they sleep and eat. And in the silence of my heart, I whispered a prayer for them a second time that God may grant them perpetual grace they would need to face poverty. I know God is with them. The following day I received a short notice about a simple recognition ceremony for employees who acquired an “outstanding mark” during the evaluation period. I thanked God my name was in the list and that I would have something to eat for my tea break. LOL! Here come the welcome remarks. “Make it fast please”, I was whispering impatiently to myself. What followed next was a short explanation about the ceremony: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We’re pleased to announce that those who obtained outstanding marks will receive a cash gift of 3,500 pesos!” Uproar from the surprised and excited employees ensued. I tried to maintain my composure though I really wanted to jump from where I was seated. Instead, I whispered a silent prayer. “Thank you, Father God; I cannot out-give You in Your loving generosity.” Indeed, God is always true to His promises. Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Luke 6:38 I love you Father God! Mwuah! :)

- Mairis Forteo

Mairis Forteo

Hysteria

have always believed that anything becomes something in the eyes of a person with a cheerful heart. Ordinary moments become special when a person feels joyful and contented inside. And these special moments become extraordinary when shared with someone – be it a loved one, a family member or a friend. I stayed at home all day long and I ironed clothes while watching a movie I’ve already seen more than a dozen times; yet today is both special and extraordinary. I was on my last pieces of jeans and tops. In three hours my extraordinary Tuesday would end not knowing that a “super extraordinary” moment was just about to arrive. My mom and my brother had rushed into the living room and summoned me to ring 111 to call an ambulance. Dad’s sugar level went down to 1.4, barely 1.3 away from brain malfunction and death. My hands were trembling as I dialed the number. Despite being hysterical, I managed to maintain a composed demeanor: “Hi, good evening. We need an ambulance please.” I got agitated when the phone operator started asking series of questions. Heaps of them! I knew that every tick of the clock was very crucial because one query after another means a significant loss of dad’s chance of survival. I lost control and exclaimed, “My dad is dying! Just send the freakin’ ambulance!” I have never shouted nor raised my voice to any stranger before. But I also knew the ambulance wouldn’t arrive if I continued freaking out, so I pulled myself back together and quickly answered his questions: “Is he breathing?” ... “No, no he’s not bleeding!”

“Is he breathing?” ... “He’s nearly unconscious! He’s not bleeding!” “Madam, please listen, is he breathing?” Due to extreme panic attacks, I lost my sense of hearing. I was staring at my dad lying helpless in my mother’s arms. No matter how much I tried to hold back my emotions, my eyes had flooded with tears. I whispered over and over again, “Lord, please... not yet... not yet… Please don’t let me lose my dad…” I have never been so scared and horrified all my life. “For with God, nothing is impossible.” (Luke 1:37) The Lord has shown me that miracles are real. He saved my dad’s life. God loves me and my family so much; He has taken care of us over the years. Today I had a more intimate understanding of the cliché, “Life is short.” We only have one take; there is no dress rehearsal. When I saw my dad fading like a dying candle in my mother’s arms, I was reminded that we do not own our lives. It’s not in our hands. It can be taken back any moment in time. If we have this kind of outlook in life, we will realize that the future may never exist. The past is completely gone. And the only thing that we have is now. This is the only day that we have. I started to look at things differently. I’ve seen my dad in a new light. Whenever I see him, I see a chance to spend beautiful moments with the person I love. I’ve seen the smallest of his efforts and gestures in slow motion, which I tend to overlook when I used to be a captive of a busy life. I have felt more loved and cared for by my dad – sweet tickles of joy in my heart. Ordinary moments became extraordinarily special. I have the best dad and I wanted to give back all his love. I promised myself that I will seize each day as if it’s the last…as long as I’m alive.

- Elcel Christine Nerida

Elcel Christine Nerida

Elcel is a literature major and registered professional teacher who is actively involved in serving the church through Couples for Christ Choir, Auckland Central and CFC-Singles for Christ. Being a passionate Christian advocate for justice, she is currently pursuing her law degree in the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

BIGMAG2

The One

o you believe in miracles and signs? Every girl has a fantasy of finding the one God had ultimately prepared for her – her one true love. I admit I used to be one of them. I fell in love for the first time… to a man my family was not in favor of. And I remember I was very inspired to write an article in my blog: Following my heart has certainly changed my life in so many different ways. Since making this decision, I’ve no longer seen things the same way (actually it was not a decision, but a sudden irresistible feeling that had grown inside my heart). Never in my life have I felt so loved, so totally accepted, so happy, so content, so confident, so much like a fulfilled individual. Here I was in this mess, and I made my decision to follow my heart to a place of uncertainty; while at the same time, I have grown so much as a person. I know others may not understand, but it is not necessary. My heart has never been more secure, more contented, more at peace. I still struggle with what difficulties or trials we may face, but those things seem so insignificant as long as we’re together. I thought I knew what it was like to be in love, but it was nothing like this. You’ll never understand something unless you’re in the same situation. Some may feel what it’s like to be in love, but only a few will understand. Amidst all of these, I am only so thankful and blessed for having this feeling I never felt before, and I believe it’s worth fighting for.

However, a sweet dream turned into a nightmare. I woke up one day with a broken heart. Time has passed by, another relationship has begun. I fell in love and was hurt for the second time. I was deceived by love. I often hear people say, God won’t give us things we can’t handle; but there have been times in my life when I thought God grossly over estimated my ability to cope. I guess God always knew more about what I could or couldn’t handle than I did. I do believe, however, that when God sees you need a little help, He goes one step further to let you know that everything will be alright. My heart and mind were enlightened by my best friend. Her heartfelt words helped me to stand up and to fight with all the heartaches I’ve felt. I had thought that my past relationships were all failures. But my best friend made me realize these were not failures, but a success. The experience of getting into an unpleasant relationship is a blessing in disguise. One of the purposes of a relationship is to test if a man is worth the pure and

endless love a woman or the other way around; a test if the two of them are meant to spend the rest of their lives with each other’s arms. The purpose was fulfilled. I have realized I haven’t met my future husband yet. I’ve learned to trust in God’s special ways and special time. I’ve learned to open my heart for His greatest gift. I praise God for His great love. I never thought that He had already planned a very special way of meeting my one true love. I prayed for it. I asked for signs. I was afraid of falling in love with the wrong man again. I prayed that whoever will fulfill the three signs would be the one God has prepared for me. These three signs were an angel, rain with that guy and a pink rose. It really amazed me that these three signs were indeed fulfilled. I was so surprised because I never expected that my one true love is actually one of my friends. I am now married to my one true love and the Lord has blessed us with a beautiful angel. As the saying goes, life is like a box of chocolates.. It’s uncertainty is a mystery.. But one thing is sure, you’ll never hesitate enjoying the chocolates if you always believe in Him.. and you’ll see that every bite is so sweet. Ephesians 3:17-19 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. - Marlyn Mercado

Marlyn Cayetano Mercado

A mother of a beautiful baby girl and wife of a loving man, Marlyn is a Certified Public Accountant who is currently working at the Development Bank of the Philippines as an Account Officer. Previously a SFC member, she has a dream of serving the Lord together with her husband, and raising her daughter to be a good child of God.

Food For Thought

A Little Patience, A touch of Greatness by Ayan Abela

y boss told me to repeat a design that I had made for a client, so I made another design. He wanted me to change the colour, so I did; and he asked me to change it again. Then he wanted me to change the text style and then change it back. Next, he wanted the logo changed. Changes upon changes.. again and again.. This is the life of a graphics designer––always open to changes. We are supposed to hear all criticisms, comments, and corrections with an open mind. And even more importantly, no matter how hard we’ve worked on it, we should always be willing to change our design based on the opinions of our team members and wants of our clients. There were definitely a lot of situations where I didn’t know how I managed to survive. There were times when I didn’t feel good with my professional ability. I felt lost and despite my best efforts I couldn’t seem to get things to work. But maybe it’s not me but the people around me who don’t know exactly what they really want, always in a hurry, and want to see an output immediately. I remember as a young boy seeing my mom getting up very early in the morning to prepare our breakfast, lunch, and all stuff for our school. It’s amazing how she balanced life between us, her family, and her very demanding work as a teacher. She had to prepare lesson plans every day and check exam papers. Her teaching load consisted of four to five different classes with more than 60 students in each class from Monday to Friday! In my eyes how she handles everything from laundry, to cooking meals, to algebra is a daily miracle. My dad, on the other hand, not only was our main provider but was our most encouraging counsel and supporter who was always there for us, his four sons, while we were growing up. At one point, I discovered he was only getting ten percent of his salary because of many deductions from his bank loan repayments. There were months when we didn’t have enough money to run our household, but my father somehow would always find a way for us. I’ve always wondered how our dad handled our finances; if he was ever worried about money at all he was pretty good at hiding it.

I will never stop remembering a person like my sweet Auntie Rosy, my mom’s elder sister. She lived with us and served as our nanny and did most of the household chores while my parents were away at work. For her love of our family, she sacrificed a lot of her dreams and ambitions. Auntie Rosy was in charge of us naughty children including caring for my lola (grandmother). Only a special person like her can manage almost anything with such courage and grace. I really want to return all the good things that my auntie has given to me someday. They are three inspirational figures in my life. Of all the people I have encountered and who have influenced various aspects of my life, these are the three people I admire the most. There is something about how they respond to the world and its trials and challenges. Their actions, feelings, and attitudes have taught me important things about life. They’re probably not aware that they have taught me many wonderful virtues, but they stressed one important thing: “patience”. It’s admirable how it comes naturally to them while it was a struggle for me to learn. I guess it is because of this trait within me that I’ve managed to always beat and surpass my limits and expectations at work. It gets me through tough experiences day after day. When the pressure is on, this is what pushes me harder and do whatever it takes to get my job done. With patience and a positive attitude, I look ahead, setting goals for myself and striving to achieve them. It is better to be patient than to be proud. Don’t become angry quickly, because getting angry is foolish. – Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 A good teacher must posses this trait and should know how to become motivated without being stressed out. I admire my mom for being as patient as a saint. With all her responsibilities, sometimes she has to combine work and family life. At the end of the day often frequently physically and emotionally exhausted from all her efforts and problems, she still maintains her sense of well-being and control. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is

Touch Points • Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don’t be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans. set before us. – Hebrews 12:1 My dad is one man that is hard to knock down. During tough times when money is not enough, he was aggressively looking for ways to get extra income like selling fish and vegetables in streets to ensure we had everything we needed. In life we run different races, but the same attribute is required for getting ourselves to the finish line. My dad has taught me to always push myself, to keep going despite the obstacles. If we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. – Romans 8:25 I have been trying to figure out where my auntie got her strength and will, how she accepted everything, and made the very sacrifice of her life for love and service of our family. One thing I know, she’s the most caring auntie, full of warmth and love. For me, she’s a great role model of unconditional love. I hope she knows she has our unconditional love and support as well. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. – Galatians 5:22 So I thank my parents and my auntie; they are my treasured teachers who taught me lovingly the things that I should do: I should be kind, honest, tolerant, and understanding. But the one that will always stick with me is to be patient in everything I do. Their experiences in life have made me become aware of how I should live my life daily, to try hard to reach my goal, to never nag nor complain but to learn to be content in any circumstances. Throughout my growing years I have developed this trait, though it wasn’t easy. It takes time and you’ve got to be motivated. You can do it, however, if you are willing to work at it, and if you have faith and belief in achieving your goals. Knowing yourself is knowing your purpose in life; and knowing your purpose is recognising your true potential, your innate and developed strengths, and embracing all you are capable of becoming. What good is a life purpose if you don’t have the guts to pursue it and you don’t believe you are good enough to deliver it? You will just wander down the road. You will never get to the end of your journey.

Psalm 37:7

• A man’s wisdom gives him patience Proverbs 19:11

As the farmer waits for the rain with patience, trust God and be patient as you go through tough times. Have patience with everything you ever wanted to know and toward all your heart’s longing. Despite daily struggles, be at peace in the knowledge that you are right where you are supposed to be, and enjoy your life to the fullest as Christ says in John 10:10. Gradually, without you noticing it, the answers to your heart’s questions will make themselves known.

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. – Lamentations 3:25

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A Reader’s Reflection

The Best Way to Get In Shape by Elcel Christine Nerida

“What would you like to change about yourself? Where would you get the power to do so? The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2,000 years ago is available to you right now to transform your life.” Those are the words that come from the man who authored the all-time best selling hardcover book in US history, The Purpose Driven Life (PDL) that sold over 30 million copies across the globe. The book exploded like dynamite that it has been translated in 50 languages and has been a subject of an incredible amount of reviews by critiques of different faiths. For this issue, BIGMAG has chosen to feature a reader’s reflection on Rick Warren’s masterpiece, which he wrote prior to PDL – The Power to Change Your Life. The book kicked off with a strongly compelling proposition: “The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2,000 years ago is available to you right now to transform your life.” Let that thought sink in. This incredibly great power can be ours! The way the resurrection power was described engaged me as a reader on a more personal level: the power to cancel our past, the power to conquer our problems, and the power to change our personality. I was reminded that dwelling into our heavy load of guilt, old hurts and mistakes will only limit present opportunities available to us. We must let go of every failure, bad decision and regret because God has already cancelled our past. He has canceled every record of the debt we had to pay when Christ was nailed to the cross. The dangers of dealing problems on our own were also examined. It was suggested that there is only one thing that God wants us to do, and it starts with the letter “t”. It is trusting Him with everything. In the powerful words of the author, “If we put our lives in God’s hands…nothing can devastate us. Nothing can swallow us up or destroy us.” God’s power to change our personality is the highlight of Rick Warren’s write-up. I have realized that the importance of possessing the following characteristics cannot be underestimated: patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, self-control, love, joy and peace. They are fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23). These are what blossoms in us

when God permeates our lives. What I find interesting about this book is it does not only provide readers with the foundations for change. It gives a step-by-step guidance, which we can adopt to improve specific areas of our personality. The book has indeed been a blessing. God perfectly knows our needs. And sometimes, He responds to these needs in interesting ways. For the past few years, I’ve been devoting my prayer time asking the Lord to shape my character. I’ve been praying fervently that God would help me develop and strengthen a number of qualities. My friend had no single idea whatsoever about this journey when he lent me this book. Amazing. Every evening, I enjoy a quiet time to read a chapter or two of Christian literature. It’s my favorite form of relaxation from a stressful day and an opportunity as well to meditate on God’s message. But I was so drawn into this book that I finished it within three sleepless nights. I have ticked the lines that struck me most and later amused myself to see that I almost highlighted the entire book! I was amazed at how a huge chunk of it seems to apply to many aspects of my life. Often times I imagine myself as one of the disciples who were in a boat with Christ one stormy night (Mark 4 35-41). I want to be like Jesus quietly sleeping on a cushion amidst breaking waves and strong winds. I wish to have the deepest peace that nobody and nothing can take away from me. Rick suggests that a way to have peace is to focus on God’s presence and purpose. I pray that the Lord will help me focus on Him and away from myself and my problems. I pray that the Lord will teach me to trust His purpose especially when things in my life are not making sense. I pray that the Lord will develop in me a strong faith

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knowing that everything in my life, good and bad, perfectly fits into His plan and purpose. I pray that the Lord will allow be to experience peace because in spite of whatever I am going through right now, the safest, most peaceful place is to be at the center of God’s will. I’ve learned a lot of things about the fruits of the Holy Spirit and about ways to develop each. It is a great privilege to be given a chance to share with BIGMAG readers a small piece of the cake: Love: Most people think love is a feeling. True, love does produce feelings, but it is more than a feeling. It is a commitment to act unconditionally. We also assume that love can’t be controlled: “I can’t help it if I’m in love.” But the Bible says love is a choice. It is controllable. And do you know that it’s possible to love someone you don’t even like? Jesus never demanded that we have a warm affection for everyone. He didn’t have warm emotions for the Pharisees. We are called to love everyone, including our enemies, including loving till it hurts. Joy: Joy is learning to enjoy life in spite of problems. Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God. Paul says, “We rejoice in our suffering” (Romans 5:3). We rejoice because we know the suffering has a purpose behind it. We can be positive in every negative situation because we know God has a purpose for allowing that situation. We can rejoice in tough times because we have hope and because we know that God is working in our lives.

Goodness: Genesis I records the creation of the universe, and reminds us that when God saw everything He created, He said it was good. Why? Because it fulfilled the purpose for which it was created. “Goodness” means fulfilling a purpose. It’s being what God meant you to be. God made you for a purpose. When you live the way God intended you to live, you will feel good. Your life will become meaningful. The Power to Change Your Life is for people who are tired of trying to change on their own strength with no results. This book is about using God’s power to turn our lives around and to make the most of our existence. It’s full of scriptures and heartwarming anecdotes that will assist us in becoming better persons. Indeed, no matter how much money we spend on counselling sessions and no matter how many self-help books we read, without asking for God’s power, it’s all useless. The book was a good push to move me towards my goals. It’s a good warm up to develop and tone up my spiritual muscles. I’m all set for my journey of taking small steps each day and on offering big prayers towards becoming a woman of character – a woman of Christ’s character. I hope it touches your heart, soul and mind the way it touched mine. n

Elcel Christine Nerida

The author of the article does not endorse every perspective presented in Rick Warren’s work. Although the book may contain subtle deviations from the teachings of the Catholic Church, the majority of its substance is found insightful and is supported by our faith. It is a healthy illustration that Christians of different orientations can have a common ground that unites them in Christ. Reader discernment is advised.

Seconds...

By Christina Fernandez It’s unending The paroxysm in my heart The tears that kept flowing My heart is swiftly beating I’m rushing out of air I feel exhausted Unconscious I can’t move I’m slowly falling I can see the light from heaven I’m reaching out my hand As I step into another domain The door is locked There was a gush A soft whisper on my ear But I can’t discern I was awaken As I opened my eyes I just realized It was seconds with God

NEVER THE SAME AGAIN By Elcel Christine Nerida

You’ve heard me say, “I love you,” But why do I keep hurting You? I broke Your heart when I had left You Still You have been faithful and true. When all that glittered went gray Sunk in the ocean of woe and shame Joy to sorrow, dream to despair You gave me light to show the way. Lord, You’re all that I want Oh, You’re all that I need Cover me with Your sweet embrace Shower me with Your loving grace. You taught me how to dance in the rain You showed me how to surf the big waves You held my hand all through the day And whispered me, “Do not be afraid.” Lord, You’re all that I want Oh, You’re all that I need You filled my heart with Your love My life will never be the same.

SURRENDER By Ogonna Kanu

I have run against the winds. Under scorching sun, drenched myself in heavy downpour whilst searching for an answer. My answer! I have done it all by myself. Forgetting, refusing to live like Your daughter. Now I flee to thee. who has always been my one recourse. Exhausted, I lie at Your feet and leave My hopes My fears My plans My anxieties. I shut my eyes and rest!

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF By Brendan Roberts

You were created in the image of greatness You are unique Gifted Talented If you set your mind and heart to it You will achieve There is no such thing As “I can’t” Reflect Nike, “Just do it” and turn it to I can! God created you in His image He doesn’t creature failures He believes in you Believe in yourself!

BIGMAG2 I Ask God For Rainbows By Mairis Forteo

Now I don’t look up in search of rainbows For God has sent them down, The only wish I have now Be a rainbow to my own rainbows’ eyes.

In one moment of my life When my spirit felt so low I asked God for rainbows For me not to lose hope.

Next time we ask God for rainbows Don’t ever look up For your rainbows may just be Sitting by our very sides.

In those most trying times When rainbows were nowhere in sight He sent me the loveliest rainbows With your sweet name tags on.

I ask God for my rainbows Not to lose their brightness and sparkle And that the treasures they hold Will always and truly show.

Your presence lightens up my day Like no other rainbow can do. Your colors are the brightest My eyes can ever behold. Your friendships are real treasures Pot of gold at the rainbow’s end God sent down my rainbows I know for sure they will remain Please stay my brightest rainbows In sunshine and in rain The storms of life I may weather I hope our friendship never falters.

Wings of an Angel By Ayan Abela

GOD’S INFINITE LOVE By Trevor O’famo’oni

God’s Infinite Love: Raise us to,God’s Infinite Love: His love is here God’s Infinite Love: Is His to give God’s Infinite Love: He makes us to live By His cross and Resurrection He saved us from all vice He descended to the dead To bring us to life His promise is His body and blood To prove to us his infinite love To raise us from the dead like wine like bread Into his house of many mansions He died to pay for us the ransom So as we do not stray Until he comes on Judgement Day.

“God, can I borrow one of your angel wing’s for a day, coz I’d like to surprise someone.” I wish I could fly like an Angel so I could fly and be there whenever you call me. Be a guardian like them so no one will hurt you and I’ll protect you Be a God servant so I can walk with you towards the right path And most important to be at your side always like the Angel does.

Please Email us if you have any poetry you would like to be considered for upcoming issues of Catholic BIGMAG.

To All Single Men & Women

Inviting you to come and join with us... Share your faith with other like-minded young men and women, use your gifts to help others, and grow as a disciple of God. Our vibrant community is one of the largest International Catholic & Christian fellowship groups. If you’re between 21 to 40 years old, we’d love for you to come! For more information, just visit us @ www.sfcglobal.org and look for CFC-Singles For Christ Community.

If you’d like to share your stories, experiences and article about God, here is your chance. Give us your comments on the articles in this issue and send us your stories. We’d love to hear from you. Please help us by sending any ideas for the improvement of this magazine to beingingod@gmail.com.

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Acknowledgements BIGMAG wishes to thank the following wonderful people and organization who have given their invaluable support in making the second issue of this magazine. Our deep gratitude to our beloved priests: Fr Frank Bird, Rev Fr Norbert Alvin Ma Cañada and Fr Wilmer Joseph Tria and to Sr Margaret Kerry, FSP from the Pauline community. Thanks Paul Gibbes for sharing yourself with us. To our Christian sister, Apple Lopez, we are so blessed to have you in this issue. Thanks to our fellow servants of God from Africa who have contributed their time and talent – to Isaac Nyamekye JNR for his mathematical ingenuity, to Emizie Uchenna for his lovely prayer and to our friend from Contemporary Catholic, Ogonna Kanu for her awesome poem. To our deary friend Atty Mariel Baja for her continued support, to Jemmabel Zapata for her heartwarming prayer, and to Marlyn Cayetano Mercado for sharing her little miracle. To our choco miracle sister Mairis Forteo, we are blessed to have you in our team, to Anita Juan for her devotion to our lovely saint, and to Trevor O’famo’oni for his poem. Thank you very much to the CFC-Singles for Christ community for helping and supporting us in this mission. Thank you Hansel Baptista, Chassy Tesoro and Catherine Ombao for sharing your gifts and experiences. To our friends and officemates who have signed on our cover page, thank you for sharing with us your purpose in life. Thank you to Lerie Oblego for your generosity in supporting our website and to Glenda Etquibal for helping us to get the missing piece for this issue. To the BIGMAG editorial TEAM – to Jen Lino for sharing her God experience, to Chris Fernandez for inspiring us with your ideas and creativity, to our missionary friend Sheila Marie Bermas for your passionate and heartfelt commitment. A huge thank you to Brendan Roberts and Elcel Christine Nerida, who painstakingly and carefully edited the stories so the words leaped directly off the page and come to life! Thank you Brendan for guiding us towards a better understanding of the Catholic teachings. Thank you both for your beautiful talent and for sharing it with us. Not to mention the 30 other names hidden behind the pages in on this issue! Thank you Dear God for this humble mission. We pray for Your guiding hand to lead us to Your way. The truth is we all shared something pretty special within these glorious pages of BIGMAG . Remember, we are all meant to shine and we are here to manifest the glory of God that is within us. With all of your support, we can make BIGMAG the greatest display of God’s glory!

Being In God