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Find a Christmas gift inside!
AXIMILIAN DECEMBER 2015
“Having a pure heart demands
a commitment of prayer...” Why Wait? The Call to Authentic Love see page 29
WHAT’S INSIDE this month!
methods of hearing God’s voice
S
plus+
t Augustine’s Restless Heart - the Beauty of Fasting - a Conversion Story - Bringing the Family Closer Together and more!
welcome welcome WELCOME letter from the editor
Dear readers, he team t in Happy Holidays! h it w s e l o r changing perience as a reader g in o g r e d n u e r a This monthhowpee will help to make yoduitrorexwill be announced this which we future! Our new Chief E better in ! February t to be r n a w u o y s g in h t about the gazine from your parish o r a e h o t e v o l d l We wou hen you take home a ma reading w up. youth gro own today!s d r e p m a C s ’ h p e s om St Jo ers during this Christma r f y p o c d r a h a p Pick u st assured of our pray Please re Season. BLESS GOD
Meet the
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Editors BRIAN WRIGHT ROB SEBASTIAN SARAH MARIE
CEO & Graphic Design CHRISTIANNE MARIE
Inspiration THE IMMACULATA SISTERS
“To know God, to love God and to make God known.”
Writers NAOMI SPINKS PAUL ELARDE PETA READ TERESA CAXALA ANGELINE KURMANN ANTONIO MOURA CHRIS DA SILVA DANIEL SALIBA KAREN HO
Graphic Design MICHAEL DARMADI SARAH MARIE Photography ELA GLOGOWSKA GIOVANNI PORTELLI LEN LARA
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AXIMILIAN
“Let us not esteem worldly prosperity... but let us live elsewhere, and raise all our attention to heaven... esteeming virtue, which unites us to God.” - ST GREGORY NAZIANIEN -
welcome welcome INSIDE WELCOME WHAT’S THIS MONTH!
LIVE Laugh LOVE SYDNEY EVENTS PAGE 5
hearing
from buddhist to
catholic
miracles
PAGE 21
of the eucharist PAGE 13
god’s voice PAGE 7
parousia media
presents ‘Where God guides, He gives peace.’ Some proven methods to help you hear the voice of God.
PAGE 15
fasting PAGE 9
celebrities
Read Part One of how Fatima became a Catholic - a story of conversion, self discovery and a few miraculous occurrences along the way.
bringing the family
TOGETHER PAGE 17
letter to
5
FIVE TIPS
the beauty of
“We will have no Christian in our family.”
‘Be willing to share the highs and lows of life.’ Read advice from other young people about how to bring the family closer together
the girls PAGE 25
the heart of
st augustine PAGE 28
why wait? karen ho
who live the faith PAGE 11
PAGE 29
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Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. BLESSED MOTHER TERESA
LIVE
WHAT’S GOING ON IN SUNDAY
SYDNEY MONDAY
28
month of
TUESDAY
the holy name of jesus
Holy Innocents Feast and Memorial
3 Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
29 St Thomas Becket
4 St Elizabeth Ann Seton
5 St John Neumann
St Genevieve (Patron saint of Paris)
l a t a 10
m i s s i 11
Commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus
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City Silence St Mary’s Cathedral 6.30pm
d i s c i p l e s 17 St Antony the Abbot
18 Feast of the Chair of St Peter at Rome
o 19
City Silence St Mary’s Cathedral 6.30pm
s c h o o l 24 Our Lady Queen of Peace
25 Conversion of St Paul
26 St Timothy and Titus City Silence St Mary’s Cathedral 6.30pm
St Francis de Sales (Patron saint of writers and the Catholic Press) 5
CALENDAR OF EVENTS & FEAST DAYS WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
30
New Years eve
JANUARY 2016
FRIDAY
31
SATURDAY
1
New Years Day!
2 St Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen
The solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
6
i m m a c u
7
8
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St Apollinaris the Apologist
Epiphany of the Lord (Solemnity)
Feast of the Holy Family
o n
s c h o o l
13
14
2 0 1 6
15
16
Reachout 8pm (St Joseph’s Camperdown) Our Lady of Refuge
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j e s u s 20
St Sebastian (Patron saint of soldiers, archers and athletes)
27 St Angela Merici St John Chrysostom
s u m m e r
21
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St Agnes (Patron saint of the Children of Mary)
28 St Thomas Acquinas (Patron saint of Catholic schools, scholars, theologians and booksellers) St Agnes (again!) 6
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soulshepherding
methods for hearing God’s voice METHOD ONE: THE PEACE PLAN You can hear God’s voice as part of a growing conversational relationship with him. Here are some proven methods to help you listen to God. As a boy when I asked my mother for help discerning God’s guidance she always asked me, “In which scenario are you at peace? Where God guides He gives peace.”
But probably you’ve noticed that when you’re seeking God’s guidance or needing a word of encouragement from him often you’re not at peace! In fact, we may find ourselves so torn and distressed about a difficult situation or decision that we’re quite anxious. Anxiety is a sign that you have conflicting emotions and probably some repressed emotions too, like fear, anger, sadness, or shame. It’s not likely that you’ll hear God’s voice when you’re emotional pipes are backed up with negative feelings! So the first need is to address your anxiety and emotions. Then you may be able to hear God’s voice. A case in point is grief. When you lose a loved one you go through a lot of emotions, like shock, sadness, anger, fear, confusion, and loneliness. You wonder who you are and if you’ll be okay. It’s similar with other losses like divorce, losing a job, or a health crises. It takes a lot of energy and time to work through the emotions of grief, to get the help you need from people who support you, and to re-stablize your identity and life. In time God’s peace will settle back into your soul, but in the early stages of recovery from a loss waves of grief will overwhelm you.
“Where God guides He gives peace.” It’s difficult to endure grief so many people find that they want to make a big change in their life with the hope that things will get better for them. I’ve seen this many times in counseling. Someone is depressed about a loss and so they get married, move to a new house, change jobs, or make a major purchase. If we ask God to provide for us in this way he may do it because he is so generous, but it’s usually not the best thing. Changing your circumstances might change how you feel temporarily but it won’t change you; it’ll distract you from your grief, but it won’t bring true comfort or healing. Even if you pray and seek God about the decision it’s difficult to hear his voice in a season of unrest. So the “Peace Plan” for hearing God’s voice is to talk with a friend you trust or journal some prayers to process your emotions. The Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest psychologist of all time besides Jesus himself counseled us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). If we’re full of inner turmoil how can we expect to hear God’s voice? If we don’t even know how we feel about something what makes us think we could begin to know how God feels about it? Taking time to talk and pray through your emotions with someone who serves as “Christ’s ambassador” (2 Corinthians 5:20), for you will help you to settle down and get into a position where you can better discern God’s guidance. In the case of grief or another major life disruption you probably need at least a year to get support and to re-stablize. Then beside the “still waters” you’ll be better able to discern Good Shepherd’s “path of righteousness” (Psalm 23:2-3).
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For more methods on hearing God’s voice, see our next edition or go to SoulShepherding online!
LIVING WORD
LIVE
Jeremiah 33, John 1 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard: Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it - the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defence against the siege-ramps and before the sword: The Chaldeans are coming in to fight and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness. I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
“
Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever!
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to Him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
- John 14 8
LIVE
The Beauty of
FASTING
L
ent is designated by The Church as a time for fasting for obvious reasons, but it is certainly not the only time for it. If we thought it were, we would be depriving ourselves of an unfathomable depth of spiritual growth.
Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29). Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit
Fasting is in many ways the most challenging and counter-cultural spiritual practice today, especially outside of lent. If we want to discover in a new way the part fasting plays in drawing us closer to the Heart of Jesus, and especially how He wants us to give Him our time, we need to at least give fasting a try. Hopefully I can spend the rest of this article convincing you that fasting is something you should take up. Let me start by first sharing what our late, great Pope had to say about fasting:
~ St John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 100
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I’ve been repeatedly inspired by these words, as well as those of renowned apologist and speaker, Matt Fradd, who says that prayer without fasting is “like boxing with one hand tied behind your back…while fasting without praying is simply dieting.”
LIVE initiative and ownership of the gift of faith that God had given me by reflecting on what I was holding back from Him each day – that’s how I found out how to fast. Doing things like limiting Facebook time, sleeping on the floor, actively trying to do acts of charity for others, and going to Adoration at an hour at which I would much rather be sleeping are some things I’ve tried in the past, albeit with mixed success.
If we want to be equipped to fight in the spiritual battle, we need to fast; but I acknowledge that putting this into practice is a whole different kettle of fish to simply believing in its efficacy. A couple years ago, I was pumped to try and legitimately fast from food for the first time. I drank water, and ate a minimal amount of fruit and a piece of rye bread with nothing on it (yuck).
We fast because God is calling us to give Him our time and our comfort in a world that is all too busy, and all too comfortable.
For the next couple of days, I was dizzy and had a headache – this was NOT the reward I expected for my valiant efforts!! I found that this was because of my low blood-sugar levels and was pretty disappointed that I couldn’t be ‘legit’ in my attempts to fast. I now had two formidable temptations to keep me from fasting: my health, and the fact that we live in a world surrounded by greed and gluttony – where people want to eat whatever tastes good and do whatever feels good whenever they like. This was tough stuff to compete with! But as St John Paul II said, fasting takes humility and courage. I soon realised that I couldn’t play the victim and make excuses if I truly wanted to grow closer to Jesus. I had to take
Where is the place for God when there’s no time to pray and contemplate, and so much time to indulge in whatever is most pleasurable to us? So, it’s time to exercise the gift of self-control given to us by the Holy Spirit at Confirmation, and practise fasting that will inevitably be uncomfortable and sometimes painful. I pray that God will inspire our decisions as to what to fast from. And that He will use these things to purify our hearts, make us more like Him, and fight the forces of evil with two hands. Image Source: www.integratedcatholiclife.org
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2 0 1 4
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CELEBRITIES YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE CAT HOLIC living the faith
leah remini
Another beautiful and famous Leah has found her home again in Catholicism; the King of Queens star Leah Remini. According to People Magazine, (hereonafter referred to as PM) she was baptized Catholic and learned about Catholicism from her Sicilian grandmother. She spoke of her experiences: “Sometimes I don’t do anything...to me it’s what religion is supposed to be: a beautiful thing.” she told PM. “Nobody is asking me for money. Nobody is demanding that I come,” “I light a candle. I sit and I listen.” They say she is finding peace as she visits a Catholic church remini “by myself, sitting and praying and doing my rosary.” In September her daughter Sofia, 11, was also baptized Catholic. Hollywood star Katie Holmes is also known for having reverted to Catholicism.
to me it’s what religion is supposed to be:
a beautiful thing.
Brought up in poverty, but not without affection, the world’s loved soccer star believes it was God who gave him his talent. “My family comes first – my son is the most important thing in my life...I want to keep him from being spoilt with luxuries. He will be taught values and religious values,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Mirror Football UK. “I collect crucifix necklaces – it’s because of my relationship with God,” he continued. “I always had a gift. I was shown ronaldo the skills and I am a fantastic footballer but I do believe God gave me the gift.”
I do believe God gave me the gift.
cristiano ronaldo
see him also o n prolife websit e: lifesite news
Enjoy yourselves as much as you like, if only you keep away from sin... Have fun, but do not neglect study and prayer. ST JOHN BOSCO
Laugh
99
From Robert Haddad’s 1001 Reasons Why it’s Great to be Catholic!
“together, all these miracles form an impressive testimony
that God still works among us and does so through the Catholic Church. This is modern ‘good news’ that should be known by all Catholics and people of good will. Let us proclaim this good news to all...” - Robert Haddad
27 28 29 30
in 1430 a lady purchased a monstrance that contained a stolen host inside. she removed it with a knife and blood flowed from it, leaving on the host an imprint of christ enthroned with instruments of the passion at his side. in 1597 24 consecrated hosts were stolen from a church in spain. the thief returned them a few days later with remorse. he returned the hosts which were stored in the church pantry. after eleven years they were still perfectly intact and after medical and theological investigation were declared having had miraculous preservation. in 1608 the monks of the benedictine abbey of faverney left the blessed sacrament exposed after vespers. the morning after, the altar was found to be burnt to ashes. The monstrance was suspended in the air and the hosts unharmed. it descended when a new altar was prepared. this miracle rekindled the faith of many. in 1730 in siena, during the assumption festivities thieves broke into st francis church and stole 348 consecrated hosts and 6 halves. the festivities were cancelled. two days later the hosts were found in the offering box in the church of st mary of rovenzano. as time passed they did not decay. numerous detailed scientific tests were conducted in 1780, 1789, 1914 and 1922. They were always found intact and free of deterioration. professor grimaldi said it was ‘a singular phenomenon that inverts the natural law of the conversation of organic material.’
31 32 33 34 13
in 1772 thieves stole consecrated hosts from the church of st peter at paterno. a month later, mysterious rays of light and a dove appeared over the place where they were buried. they were found to be entirely intact. after investigation, the event was deemed miraculous. in 1822 at st eulalia church, bordeaux, france, christ appeared in the host immediately after benediction. for more than twenty minutes, many present saw an apparition of christ blessing the congregation. he said, ‘i am he who is.’ monsignor d’aviau personally interviewed each witness and approved the miracle. in 1970 in germany, during mass the priest noticed a red spot appear on the corporal where the chalice had been resting. he found no source for it and so it was investigated. it was sent to the clinical institute for radial therapy and nuclear medicine and the polyclinical institute of the university of Zürich for chemical analysis. the stain was found to be human blood that contained biochemical markers of a man in agony. in july the phenomena repeated itself with four stains appearing after consecration. the largest had a cross appear on it. it was analysed and results indicated the stains were human blood. in 1991 on the feast of the immaculate conception, during midnight mass, after breaking the host, a red substance oozed from the broken pieces on the plate. the priest put the bleeding host in a chalice in the tabernacle. the next morning it was still bleeding. it was put in the monstrance to show those attending mass. the blood accumulated at the bottom of the monstrance. it was tested in carcas and found to be human blood, type ab. it is housed today in los teques, adored by pilgrims.
and a miracle that was sent for analysis by pope francis himself:
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in 1996 in buenos aires, a priest was given a host that had been abandoned in the church. it was put in a bowl of water to rinse off the dirt that had collected on it and stored in a tabernacle. eight days later, when taken out of the tabernacle, it was found that the host had turned red and was oozing blood. the bishop at the time (now pope francis) had an atheist professor, dr castanon, investigate. dr castanon sent it for forensic analysis. a heart specialist and forensic pathologist, dr zugibe, who knew nothing of the origin of the sample, declared it to be human heart tissue of a male, type ab blood, from the left ventricle. it was inflamed as if it had been recently injured. even more remarkable was the presence of white blood cells, which could only exist if it had been taken from a living person. “how or why a communion host could change its character and become living flesh and blood is outside the ability of science to answer.” said dr zugibe.
Tune in to the next edition of Maximilian for part five of ‘99 miracles of the Eucharist!’
p r e s e n t s CD
LOVE OR LUST
Jason and Crystalina Evert
Scare tactics, guilt trips, and the climbing teen pregnancy rates don’t really inspire anyone to love. In this presentation from Jason and Crystalina Evert, you’ll discover the difference between love and lust while getting straight answers about dating, relationships, and sexual purity.
DVD
THE PURE LIFE
Jason and Crystalina Evert
Jason and Crystalina Evert bring you life as it is meant to be lived: in the glorious freedom of purity. These dynamic chastity speakers know how difficult it is for today’s teens to live virtuous and pure lives in a culture that lurks around every corner with counterfeit versions of love. So in cooperation with EWTN studios, they have developed this new 12-part EWTN Home Video series: The Pure Life - a vitalizing exposition of the virtues and tools your teens need to live a pure life in the midst of the moral cloudiness of contemporary society. 4 DVD set. Each episode approx 30 mins. Produced by EWTN Home Video
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BOOK IF YOU REALLY LOVED ME Jason and Crystalina Evert Teens and young adults need straight answers to tough questions about dating, relationships, and sexual purity. With more than 300 pages of answers that include well over 1,000 references and studies, If You Really Loved Me offers a wealth of information in a language that resonates with today’s teens. This book is a collection of Jason’s replies to the top 100 questions he receives from teens around the world. Questions Include: • How far is too far? • How do I tell a guy “no” without hurting his feelings? • How do you know when it’s love? • What’s wrong with pornography? • How do I forgive myself? • ... And 95 others. If you’re looking for a straightforward and convincing explanation of the difference between love and lust, this book is for you. This new edition is revised and expanded with more than 80 pages of new material.
NEW PARTNER! THE CHASTITY PROJECT Jason and Crystalina Evert Jason and Crystalina Evert have spoken to more than one million people on six continents about the virtue of chastity. They speak to 100,000 students per year and their aim is to make chastity resources available to as many souls around the world as possible. Leaders from more than fifty countries have contacted Jason and his wife Crystalina, asking for chastity resources to be donated to their communities. The two have authored dozens of chastity books, CDs, and DVDs. Through low-cost resource distribution, media appearances, seminars, and social media, Chastity Project exists to promote the virtue of chastity so that individuals can see God, and be free to love (Matt. 5:8).
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together
bringing the family
PA RT ON E
FROM OUR READERS: SUPPORT EACHOTHER
“Be willing to share the highs and lows of life together and help each other out. Build a support network and safe space for people to be comfortable with their emotions and daily struggles.” (Female, 21, AU)
UNDERSTAND OTHERS’ NEEDS
“Understand each other’s emotional needs e.g. talking things through, needing space to think; sensory needs e.g. noise, mess in the house. Take the time to understand each other and take an interest in eachothers’ lives.” (Female, 21, AU)
ASK FOR ADVICE
“You can try asking advice from friends who have close families, and who truly value family life. They might have gone through a similar situation you’re going through in your own family life, and letting you know their experiences might help. Sometimes we might remember a hurt from a family member. We can always bring it up with God and talk to Him about it.” (Male, 24, AU)
5
FIVE TIPS
FORGIVE ASAP
“We can decide to forgive. And (if that’s difficult) then ask for the grace to forgive..Also genuinely feel the hurt. Be brutally honest with Him, but always Trust Him. And have faith.. Always trust Him, that’s important... and just love” (Male, 24, AU)
PRAY FOR EACHOTHER
“Perhaps have a book where you can write your intentions and pray for eachother. Have a box blessed, in which you can each place your intentions. According to Blessed Mother Teresa, Love is the fruit of prayer and service is the fruit of that love.”
THESE TIPS have been brought to you by Maximil-
ian’s readers and team of contributors. If you have any of your own, please feel free to email them across. See our next edition where we will have tips from our readers, contributors and more!
PURITY IS ABOUT WANTING HEAVEN FOR THE PERSON YOU LOVE.
AS YOU SEEK A VIRTUOUS SPOUSE, IT IS FITTING THAT YOU SHOULD BE THE SAME.
Don’t worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Phil 4:6
It is possible to remain little even in the most responsible position. St Therese of Lisieux
Jason Evert
St Benardino
No man discovers anything big unless he makes himself small. Fulton J Sheen
“Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, but not into the hands of men; for as his majesty is, so also is his mercy.” Sir 2:18
If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.
DON’T ALLOW SADNESS TO DWELL IN YOUR SOUL, FOR SADNESS PREVENTS THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM ACTING FREELY.
Blessed Mother Teresa
A humble man who lives a spiritual life, when he reads the Holy Scriptures, will relate all things to himself and not to others. St Mark the Ascetic JUDGE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH NOT BY THOSE WHO BARELY LIVE BY ITS SPIRIT, BUT BY THE EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO LIVE CLOSEST TO IT fulton j sheen
- ST PADRE PIO
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Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. ST GREGORY THE GREAT
LOVE
FROM
BUDDHIST CA HOLIC to
I grew up in a Buddhist family and had been practising Buddhism since I was a child. Under God’s mercy and guidance, I was preached to about Christianity when I was working for Ernst & Young. There were monthly Christian gatherings and I was invited to attend. When I searched, I found! I was baptized at St John’s Cathedral in 2010. Nonetheless, I never stopped searching because every religion, e.g. Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Muslims, claimed that the God that they believed was real. So, I questioned and prayed for God’s guidance continuously. With His guidance, I was confirmed as a Catholic in 2012. In the same year, I entered a Franciscan order and became a postulant. Following God’s will, I left the order and am continuing my study in pharmacy with the aspiration of providing medical aid to third world countries. Life is a mystical journey with God. My journey began when I started to believe.
I told her that my mom did not want any one of us to follow Jesus. “What could I do?” I asked as I was thinking of becoming a Christian. She answered, “Just follow Jesus and He will take care of everything.” But I doubted and asked, “Wouldn’t it be in conflict with the Bible’s teaching of honoring/obeying your parents?” Her response was, “We must put God first and have Him at the center of our lives, even when it upsets those who are close to us”. This was not a convincing answer to me at the time. I could not understand the mentality of following Christ, especially when it puts you at odds with the world. Eventually, I did. I became a Catholic and joined a religious order. When God called, I answered and let Him work in a miraculous way.
An Invitation from God
After I finished my Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a double major in Economics and Organizational Studies, I applied for jobs in Hong Kong. When I was working for Ernst & Young, a senior manager invited me to their
Early Ages
I grew up in a Buddhist family, but I attended a Catholic primary school. At the school, I learned some basic prayers and why Jesus died on the Cross. However, I did not gain a deep understanding of the Catholic faith. At this school, there was a huge statue of Our Lady but I never asked her to intercede for me. From time to time, there were strangers who knocked on our door and preached to us. My mom was annoyed and said, “We will have no Christian in our family!” I was lucky that I got into the Bishop Hall Jubilee Secondary School. I met a Prostestant friend who always preached to me. 21
Christian fellowship. Every month, they invited a prominent entrepreneur to share their faith story. The first one I attended was given by the chairman of the largest real estate developer in Hong Kong, while the second sharing was given by the founders of Oasis Airline. After the talk, our department head, Melody Lam, came to me and asked if I had any question about Christianity. I asked, “If the founders of Oasis Airline believed in God, why did their business go bankrupt? Didn’t God bless them?” I thought if Jesus was God, then whoever followed him would receive many blessings and good things. Melody confidently replied, “We may not understand because we are limited, but God had His plan.”
to withdraw myself from going to any Buddhist temples and remained neutral in my religious beliefs. But one day, I had a deep desire to know more about Christianity and an urge to go to Church. I started to do some research and visited many different denominations. During this period, I was exposed to many different interpretations of the Gospel. At the same time, I got an email from Melody, who relocated to the Beijing office. We had lost contact for half a year. In the email, she asked how I was doing. So I told her that I was actively searching to know more about Christianity and looking for a religious home. She then replied, “May I give you a Bible next time when I am in Hong Kong?” When I received the Bible from her, I was filled with the Holy Spirit. I wondered how it could be possible. I was mumbling every night by the bedside and He heard me. That was why people said prayers were communication with God. I started to believe in Him and went to other Christian gatherings with Melody. One day when we sang hymns, I felt indescribable peace. I had never experienced that peaceful feeling before. God is peace. And I believed that He is real!
After this, I did not want to go to the fellowship anymore. If I was invited by the senior manager again, I would just ignore her. But God sent the department head to invite me to the next fellowship. Since I was in her team, I worried that refusing her invitation would affect my performance review. So I attended the third sharing unwillingly. At this session, I learned how to pray. Since then, I have prayed every night. I said to the Lord, “Every religion is claiming that their god is the true god. God, if you are true and if you can hear my Filled With the Holy Spirit prayers, give me a Bible so that I can learn more about you.” After visiting many denominations, I opened to His guidance to where He wanted my faith to be nourished. The Protestants God Answered Prayers believed that having statues, confession and Pope were wrong During that period, I was studying for my Master degree in and suggested me not to explore Catholic churches. Every Operations Management. One day when I was walking to the night, I prayed, “Lord, I want to love you and know more university, I decided to take a different route. In doing so, I about you. I only want to worship you in the way that will put came across a stack of blue covered books on campus with a smile on your face. Show me the church that you want me to a sign that read “For free. Please take.” I was amazed! It was go to. Show me the right way to worship you.” When I visited St John’s Anglican Cathedral, I felt at peace, especially at the St. Michael’s chapel. Thus, I knew this was the right church.
When God
called, I answered and let Him work in a miraculous way. a stack of Bibles. But I did not take any home because they had blue covers. In the back of my mind, I thought, “Bibles are black. These must be a blasphemous version.” But I did not stop praying. Before going to bed that evening, I prayed as usual, “Lord, I saw a stack of Bibles today but I am not sure if they are from you. If you can hear my prayers, please give one to me through my friend, so I know that it is the true version.” I waited for my prayers to come true, so that I could know if He was the true God. From the fellowship, they said God would not like us to worship any idol. So I started 22
faith because classes had kept me busy. I did not know which church to attend after I came to Sydney. One day, I visited St Joseph’s Camperdown. The choir conductor invited me to join them because they needed more choir members. So I kept
On a Sunday, when others were queuing to receive communion, I did not go for the blessing but remained at my seat. I “saw” Heaven. The parishioners queuing to receive the body and blood of Jesus were like waiting at the gate of Heaven. I then had a strong desire to be baptized, so that I could receive Jesus as well. I was baptized on 21 November 2010. It was the feast of “Christ the King”, which was an important feast day to remember “Christ’s authority and power were given to Him in Heaven and on earth”. That day was also “The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary” which we commemorated Mother Mary’s dedication to God from childhood. I believed it did not happen by chance. Though my mom and sister were not Christians, I was glad that they attended my baptism.
Mission To Fulfil
Melody told me, “God created everyone for a purpose on Earth. If you find that mission, you will be filled with passion and never feel tired.” Therefore, I prayed for my mission because He knew what would be the best for me. During my Masters program, God gave me a very good academic supervisor, Professor Edwin Cheng. Under his supervision, my research was published on some academic journals. Glory be to God! I had prayed for the success of it and He answered. I was also chosen to be the valedictorian at our graduation ceremony and offered to study PhD. My heart was full of joy and thanks! One day, I had a dinner with my high school friend, Gilbert Lo. He asked me what I wanted to do now. I said, “I have no idea.” He then asked, “What would make you happy?” And I replied, “Helping others always make me happy! Doing volunteer work makes me happy.” This conversation I pondered in my heart. It seemed like God had spoken to me. That evening, I browsed the Red Cross’ website and saw they were recruiting people to provide medical aid in Cambodia. I was thrilled with the mission. But I was not sure if this was something that God wanted me to do. So I prayed. In order to join the medical field mission, I would have to become a healthcare professional. God was merciful. He answered me and granted me the opportunity to study Pharmacy.
God Had Perfect Timing
coming back to St Joseph’s for Mass. This was the place where my faith was nourished. I became friends with many parishioners. For example, Grace was like my mother, who was always caring and supportive. I also shared my joy and frustration with Timoaa. We walked our journey together and felt the presence of God between us. I felt this was my spiritual home. During the summer holidays, the parish priest, Fr Anthony Bernard, invited me to a “Discernment Retreat for Women Called to Spiritual Motherhood”. I did not understand what “spiritual motherhood” meant and I signed up for the retreat. When I was there, I was shock. The vocation director mentioned, “You were chosen to be here. Discern His will and do not be afraid.” I knew there must be a purpose for me to be here. Was He calling? I was in deep fear and discarded the thought. A month later, I attended at a faith formation retreat, Immaculata Mission School. On the first day after I arrived the retreat house, we gathered together and prayed. As soon as I closed my eyes, He confirmed the calling. Thus, I prayed about it throughout the entire retreat. At first, I was reluctant but my heart was not at peace. The feeling was like a rubber band being pulled on both sides. I did not share the vocation calling with anyone because I did not want anyone’s idea to interfere with the decision. In the meantime, I continued to pray and let God lead. The first Order that I visited was the Little Sister of the Poor. During a vocation retreat there, I had so much fun with the residents praying with them and serving them. I also spent some time discerning God’s will. An evening before I went to bed, I visited the little chapel near my room. I prayed and asked God if this was the right order for me and why He wanted me to consecrate my life. While I was “knocking hard on His door”, suddenly I heard a voice, “This is my womb.” The whole world seemed to pause for a moment. My heart was at peace. Quietness filled the atmosphere. After a moment, I started to wonder what it was like being in the mother’s womb – a place where I was protected, nurtured, and fed with knowledge. I thought if God was calling me to consecrated life, there must be a purpose. A month later, I visited the Sisters of Nazareth and had a pleasant time with their residents too. Unfortunately, I was still a Protestant at that stage. In order to join a religious order, I had to become a Catholic. But I was unsure, so I called one of my Anglican sponsors in Hong Kong. He was Bishop Andrew Chan. With his support, I became who I am today. I did not inform him about the Calling, but he comforted me and said, “Do not be afraid. If God is calling you to be a Catholic, He has a plan for you.” In 2012, I was confirmed at St Joseph’s Camperdown. Fr Anthony chose a confirmation name for me, “Our Lady of Fatima”....
God’s timing was always perfect. I received my baptism before I moved to Australia. Otherwise, I would have lost my
To be continued in Maximilian Magazine’s February Edition 23
letter to the girls by Angeline Kurmann My dear l ittle sister I always tr s, y my best
to be as h onest as I what the can with most impo you, becau rtant and se I want y valuable th right to th ou to know e point: ch ings in th oose Jesus is life are . So today, Christ. I will get These day s, there are so many th Jesus. We ings that w have to be ant to sna aware of th tch our he influences is arts away , a n d safeguard that try to from our hearts pull us aw a struggle an gainst the a y fr o m Jesus and d into the different His love fo arms of Ch r us. S tep rist. out of the Imagine so meone wh o loves an d cares for for you, to you so mu save your li ch that he fe . J e sus died fo ishment a would suff r us, for e nd paying er and die a c h the price fo o n e of u s, us? He kn ta r a k ll in our sins. H g on the p ows us, all unow can we our faults, think tha knowing th weaknesse t He doesn is. He died s, failings ’t love and sinfu for us beca - His own lness. He d use of this inheritan ie : because H d for us ce as the S e wanted from Him, on of God to give us . Jesus lov don’t hide the best es you so m your face price for th uch . Don’t from Him. em. Turn ru H e knows a n away to Him, an ll your sin inable . He d open yo s, and He ur heart to loves you paid the so much , Him, to th would nev and if you e greatest lo er feel lon o n ve imagly knew h ely, or hop ow much how much eless, or u He loved y nloved , or Jesus love ou, you d you, you empty aga His love . in . If you would ligh only knew t up the w orld with that assura nce in Imagine so meone wh o loves you abandon y so much th ou and wh at He wou o ld never le c a n’t wait to before it le ave you alo h e a r every wo aves your ne or rd that yo lips. Jesus u say, kno is always w there for u ing it even Literally. s. Waiting fo r us in ev ery Catholi tabernacle c church , all day, ev in the tab e ry day, m be alone a ernacle . J a k in g Himself av esus is in nd we wou ailable to the ld a lw a y u s have our s, that we and cry ou would not best friend t to, spend our time w to turn to How often and talk to ith and w do we com h , lean on o is always plain of b w a it in for us in th eing bored g for a vis it from us. or lonely, e tabernac when Jesu le . Spend to feel a b ti s m is e p in a tiently wa Jesus’ hou eautiful p iting se . When y eace in yo ur soul . J ou do, you special pla esus’ home ce in His h w il l begin is your ho ouse . me too an d y o u have a You are alw ays welcom e there , n o matter w hat. Imagine so meone wh o loves you to be in th so much th e form of a at He mak ti es Himself n y w afer of bre most intim so vulnera ad , so tha ate way po ble , even t H e can draw ssible , com muning w close to yo ith you in u in the the Eucha rist, unitin g His very 25
letter to the girls
Laugh
by Angeline Kurmann e can d so that w n a s, u to draw near ught of ith no tho so much to W e s. n u o s d e s v a lo . Jesus h eautin anyone self to you humble , b s more tha st u o s e m v e lo th e to Him. H es to us in such a draw near ity, He com e Him in il is b gn ra o e c re ln u ot v e might n d His own our life , ing that w sus saved Himself an e sk J ri t a n e th v e g ays, thing e are livin timate of w oing every ve story w d lo is l ful and in d fu n ti a u s gu a bea , He does bandonin rm. What s so much u aving or a s e le humble fo v r e lo v s e n su r us, Because Je ill . That ill wait fo can to us. our free w e n H o that He w s p a u se ss re as clo never imp enter into n to draw ut He will ow Him to b ll a that He ca s, u d n to a r e nea choose Him st friend e can to b e is the be onsciously H c t d all that H a n th a r e ly v e co tiv u will dis have to ac you do, yo n is why you e h w d An u down . nd heart… ever let yo a r, fe e v li e r n u l o y your wil st time , not ve and He e a b h r r u e o v y e s you could . Give Jesu time with imaginable e v lo st d all your te n a e e p S gr . e n th a re self ou c hearts to re His enti ry day if y a e v sh e to Open your im g n H ti visit He is wan ake time to His voice . of d n leftovers. M u so ow the Him. . Get to kn earts up to h r u o Him. Pray n e p are about nly o r doesn’t c e would o o w t, n if ta s, is u d with is dead or e truth . e that God er from th v h e rt li e fu b e s b u ve e can’t hing could would ha moment. H r time . Not u The world ry o e v d n is e th sp e ost intering for you o or how w acle , wait He is the m . what we d rn u e o b y ta r e fo th e ful ways nd His lov ght there in and beauti Himself, a Jesus is ri w of e n re o r fo m g e nd in heart in th eal more a lways look se to your t and is a wait to rev e lo e c m so r e w v e l dra se it hurts anting to on you wil sin , becau e . He is w esting pers il in p sm u s t u e gh k u u to be ca s down on us and ma ’t want yo se it weigh to surprise sn u e a o c d e b e , H d . , ass be healed in the worl , in the M tisfied , to caught up Eucharist sa e e b b to to u , o y y to be happ at beautiesn’t want be loved , to have th you; He do to d , n a fe e sa e e fr b fulfilled , God for all ants you to be totally g loved by to you; He w in , e e b n d lo n a a g be God , lovin ted , to not ughters of to be wan a d d n a s n r heart. l life , as so esire of ou d d n a g n ful eterna ngi ts up n . He ligh e deepest lo w th o d is e s m a t , y le eternit has never now and Him right nd and He h ie it fr w st e e b m ti is my end some im. Jesus Go and sp . y a Trust in H d ry e v ee l see!! :) ith His lov you!! You’l s w e v d rl lo o e w H my how much w you just o sh im H let
God bless, Angeline
Angeline is youth co-ordinator at St Joseph’s Camperdown. She loves songwriting, adoration, St Therese of Lisieux, fastfood and all things chocolate! Ask her a question and she will answer it in one of her letters - ccu.media2014@gmail.com 26
LOVE
Prayer of
St Charles
de Foucauld Father, I abandon myself
into Your hands; do with me what You will. Whatever You may do, I thank You: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me, and in all Your creatures I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into Your hands I commend my soul: I offer it to You with all the love of my heart, for I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence,
for You are my Father.
“We must not be behind time in doing good; for death will not be behind his time. “ - St Phillip Neri
‘Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul, except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.’
St Francis de Sales
The Parable of the Tenants brought to you by
Cardinal George Pell We call the Jewish scriptures the Old Testament and regard them as an essential expression of God’s revelation, although they contain some fierce teachings. The Old Testament is the essential prelude to the New Testament, but we are Christians and interpret the earlier sacred writings in the light of Christ’s teaching... The landowner in Jesus’ parable shows remarkable tolerance even before he makes the extraordinary gesture of sending his son. Landowners then were often absentee landlords, living at some distance from their tenants, while the lawless tenants might have been credible examples to Jesus’ listeners because of propaganda coming from the violent party of Zealots, who advocated armed revolt and the seizure of property. There was also a Jewish ruling which allowed occupants of land for three consecutive years to claim title to that land. Jesus told this parable in response to hostile questioning from the chief priests and elders as the final confrontation of his arrest and punishment loomed closer. Believers would have understood his self reference to the son of the landowner and the landowner’s poignant and mistaken claim, “they will respect my son”. Some commentators believe this phrase is insufficient in its English translation. Apparently most Arabic translations express something deeper and more profound than respect. “Perhaps they will feel shame in his presence” is closer to the mark, capturing something of the owner’s forlorn hope that his son’s visit will awaken a long forgotten sense of honour in those violent men. There was no such response. In Jesus’ parable the owner does not take vengeance after his son’s death, although Jesus’ listeners predicted a wretched end for the evil doers and that the vineyard would be leased to other better tenants. In his brief explanation Jesus spoke of the stone rejected by the builders becoming the keystone of the building. Then more directly, he tells his hostile interrogators that the Kingdom of God will be taken from them and given to a people who will produce its fruit. And so it was.
Printed with permission from Cardinal George Pell For the full transcript go to www.sydneycatholic.org
LIVES OF THE SAINTS
st
augustine
and his restless heart
by antonio moura
“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”
E
veryone knows that we have a heart. Not many people though, realize that we live with a heart that is restless. It might take a lifetime for some to figure it out. St Augustine was one of them. Very often we think of the saints as if they were from a different planet, or someone born with a special and rare gift. Today I want to remind you that the saints had a life similar to ours. St Augustine may have been born in 354 in North Africa, but he is still easy for a typical 21st Century man to relate to. He had a brilliant mind, he was well-educated, he was a very successful man, he had a life of immorality, arrogance and pride; and most importantly, he lived most of his life with a restless heart. As a teenager, Augustine walked away from God, and soon he found pleasure in anything that was prohibited or wrong, as he describes in his confessions, ‘It was foul, and I loved it. I loved my own error—not that for which I erred, but the error itself.” Augustine had a restless heart, and this led him to search for the truth in all sort of places: women, power, success, and different religions. He became a master of public-speaking, and knowing his potential, he decided to try a bigger life in the wealthy Rome. Around the age of 30, he became one of the most powerful and influential people in the Roman Empire: the official spokesman of the Roman Emperor. Despite all his achievements, his heart was still restless. He moved to Milan, where he heard about a man who was also a master of public-speaking, but one who was older and more experienced. This man was Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan. In his confessions, Augustine writes, “That man of God received me as a father would, and welcomed my coming as a good bishop should.” As well as him having a welcoming heart, Ambrose also impacted on Augustine through his sermons, and his exemplary life. But Augustine was not yet a Catholic. One day Augustine was introduced to the life of St Anthony, the father of monasticism. Some time after that, he heard a child’s sing-song voice: “pick up and read, pick up and read”. Remembering St Anthony’s life, he was led to Romans 13:13, where St Paul exhorts to abandon the works of the flesh and to be clothed with Christ. He had a conversion experience. In the following year, Augustine was baptized by Ambrose, and he returned to his hometown to live a quiet monastic life. But his reputation spread, and while visiting Hippo, he gradually accepted the call to become a priest. A few years later, he became a priest, and later, the bishop of Hippo. In this life, we can do many things, achieve all sort of goals, but our heart may continue to be restless. Is your heart restless? Perhaps you haven’t even stopped to think about it yet. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”; in Luke 14: 26: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” No, of course Jesus is not asking us to hate anyone! Why would Jesus ask to hate even one’s own life? Reading closely, we see that Jesus is actually saying that we need to put Him first. If we love Him, then He will teach us how to love others! If we love others first, our love may even be harmful sometimes. Augustine discovered that God has made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. So, don’t wait until you are 30, 50 or 100 years old! Augustine lamented, “Late have I loved you Lord!”
If he knew earlier, he would not have lived so long with a restless heart! Seek the Lord first, and everything will fall into place. Love Him first! And you will learn how to love others! Allow your heart to find rest in Him, because it will find rest nowhere else.
St Augustine and St Monica, pray for us!
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PearlOfScotland.wordpress.com Karen Ho
When I was 13, I ruined one of my bestfriend’s
anew due to God’s never ending mercy, grace and love (this conversion story will take a whole other blog to explain). I still believe that the greatest gift you can give to your future husband/wife is your WHOLE self.
birthday sleepover party. All my friends were gossiping and exchanging stories about their boyfriends, and how far they’ve gone with their boyfriends. We were all going around in a circle one-by-one sharing our intimate experiences. Finally, it was my turn to share and I began crying. Everyone was so confused as to why I was crying because it was so random! When they asked why I was so upset, I replied embarrassingly, ‘because I’ve never had a boyfriend and I’ve never even had my first kiss yet!’ My ‘friends’ were politely trying to comfort me, but at the same time were obviously annoyed because they have to put up with a weeping girl for the rest of the party. After that night I was no longer accepted into the ‘cool’ group of girls at school because I was ‘inexperienced’. And I remember feeling at that time that I simply wasn’t good enough, and that all the boys would find out and think that I’m a prude. In the mind of the 13-year-old me, it was the end of my social life for the rest of my highschool years.
Many people are turned off by the Catholic Church because they see it as being too strict, ‘you can’t do this and you can’t do that’, ‘no eating before mass’, ‘sex before marriage is a sin’ etc. Many people have the wrong perspective that if you want to be a Catholic you have to abide by all these rules. But what they don’t know is that saying ‘no’ to certain things and living our lives by a set of guidelines makes us free to say ‘yes’ to true love. St John Paul the Great says ‘Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.’ Today lust disguises itself as love, but a way for you to distinguish what the difference is that feeling free is a necessity for authentic love. If you think the love you feel with your partner when you perform sexual acts is true and real, try to stop and see how free you really feel. Today sex seems beautiful between a boyfriend/ girlfriend because it’s where they can show their ‘love’ to one another. Who am I to say that that isn’t love? Society will tell you that love is relative, but Christ showed you on the cross how love, true love will set you free. It may be easy to grasp and understand how much God loved us, but the challenge is how do we give this love to others ourselves?
I’m now 20 years-old, and whenever I think back to that story I just wish I could slap my 13-year-old self hard in the face. Never would I have known from that night onwards, how much I would take advantage of my innocence and purity. Unfortunately, I lived out my teenage years always in a rush, a rush to always have a boyfriend, always to look my best for my boyfriend and to make him as happy as I could. And because of all these expectations I tried to fulfil in order to be a ‘normal’ girl in school, I gave away parts of myself that I can never get back. Although I have grown into a woman made
Strive for a chaste life, whether you’ve been together with your boyfriend for 1 month, 1 year, 5 years, you’re engaged, even when you’re married or have been married for 20 years. Chastity is a call for everyone. In regards to before being married, being patient opens up the gate for authentic love to enter. This is because you’ve sacrificed your inner desires as hard we know they all are to turn away from as a gift for your future spouse. In doing this you’re loving your future spouse before meeting them. Why wait? Even if you’ve been together for years and you just ‘know’ you’re going to marry them anyways, truth is you won’t know until you say ‘I do’ at the wedding. As Jason Evert says, ‘Chastity is a virtue that defends love from selfishness and frees us from using others as objects. It makes us capable of authentic love.’
Being patient opens up the gate for authentic love to enter. 29
When exchanging experiences, you often hear people sharing along the lines of ‘I lost my virginity when I was…’. Your virginity isn’t something that’s meant to be lost, it’s something that’s meant to be given freely. I feel like that is so beautiful! St John Paul the Great challenges you, ‘Do not be afraid, then, when love makes demands. Do not be afraid when loves requires sacrifice.’ And if you’re a young adult thinking…’where am I going to find someone my age who thinks this way about sex or intimacy?’ Do not fear, as you are well worth the wait and the more time you spend in prayer for your future spouse the more likely God will grant them to you in His perfect timing. The world needs more people, especially young people who are not afraid or ashamed to be chaste. Everyone wants a loving and lasting marriage, if you want a successful marriage why not start now preparing for it now? A marriage will crumble without a strong foundation, like the house that crumbled because it was built on sand and not rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Learning to love each other chastely is what will provide this strong foundation for your future marriage.
Having a pure heart demands a commitment of prayer. Church is that we have a whole army in Heaven willing to pray for us. Ask for the intercessions of the saints! I highly recommend asking for the intercessions from St. Mary Magdalene, St John Paul the Great, St Michael, St Agnes, and especially our Blessed Mother and St Joseph her most chaste spouse. The Rosary especially, does miracles. Pray as boyfriend and girlfriend for one another out loud, so that you can be accountable for each other’s holiness.
Depend on the Sacraments
The two sacraments that are going to fast-track you into living a pure and chaste life are Holy Communion and Confession. Try your best to attend daily mass and the Eucharist will give you the strength you need to carry out God’s plan. As I said, the challenge of living a chaste life is a difficult one and if you do fall, God is waiting with open arms through the sacrament of Confession. Never be afraid of asking God for forgiveness, because there is nothing you ever did to make Him start loving you so there is definitely nothing you can ever do to make Him stop loving you – ‘The Repentant prostitute is purer than the lustful virgin’ Jason Evert. Lift up a mass for the purity of yourself and your partner
This fight for purity and chastity is a call for all of us, and here are a few steps in helping you achieve this authentic love:
Commit yourselves to Prayer
Having a pure heart demands a commitment of prayer. As mentioned before, in today’s society lust is easily disguised as love. The devil isn’t dressed in red with horns holding a pitchfork, he is dressed in whatever you think you want from this world. Arm yourself with prayer and the power of the rosary so that you have the strength to say no to such temptations. If you ever feel tempted to act lustfully pray a simple Hail Mary in your head. The beauty of the Catholic
Be Self-Aware
photography by CapturedFrames (Cyron Sobrevinas)
Be prudent, know what triggers you to fall into lustful
30
sin, or any sin, and stay away from those situations. If there’s a certain TV show, movie or music CD that triggers these thoughts, then it’s best to keep away from them too. As Catholics we’re always encouraged to learn more about our faith whether it be through scripture reading, bible studies, through apologetic books, retreats etc. Another way we’re encouraged to study as God’s faithful students is to learn more about
The greatest gift you can ever give to your future spouse is the gift of your WHOLE self. ourselves. Learn what your strengths and weaknesses are and adjust your lifestyle to it. Again, be accountable with your partner. If you see them doing something that will make them tempted, help them get out of that situation. And ask them to do the same for you.
Set Boundaries Through Discipline
Between your partner, set limits on when and what time you see each other. If you often find yourselves being tempted when you’re both home alone on a weekend, it’s best to avoid those times. This can be very hard as your intentions as a boyfriend/girlfriend is just to spend time and have fun with each other. But something small can potentially lead to something massive. Think of it this way: committing the sin is falling down the slide, if you don’t want to fall down the slide, then don’t climb the stairs. Whenever I am tempted with my boyfriend now, I often think to myself ‘would my future husband be okay with me being in this situation?’ If you really love your partner, you would also love and respect their future spouse. In doing this you must know that the possibility of their future spouse not being you is real. If you truly love your boyfriend/girlfriend, you would love their future spouse too. Know that every action you commit affects your future spouse and their future marriage. Set goals between the both of you and reward each other when they’re achieved e.g. there’s a story of a guy that gave his girlfriend a bunch of white roses after every month they were pure.
This is all coming from a young woman who in the past, did not wait but who now fights every day for a pure heart. One of my favourite quotes that keeps me fighting is ‘I have been through all things unholy, If God can work through me He can work through anyone’ – St Francis of Assisi. All this waiting, sacrificing and saying no because you actually want to say yes etc. it all sounds and looks so tiring. But anyone who has chosen to wait has shared how they had no regrets. The fight for a pure life is an extremely challenging one, but God only asks you of this much because He knows you can give much. Always keep this in mind: the greatest gift you can ever give to your future spouse is the gift of your WHOLE self. Know that I am praying for you, and praying that you are able to experience the totality of authentic love in your life and the freedom in which is brings. “When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph” – St Josemaria Escriva
Notes:
Abstinence = not sexually active Chastity = having the strength to use your sexuality according to God’s plan, whether you are single or married. It is a virtue that defends love from selfishness and frees us from using others as objects. It makes us capable of authentic love. (If You Really Loved Me – Jason Evert)
Written by
Karen Ho Parousia Media Would you like your blog featured in the Maximilian? Contact us to see how!
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