Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
Athough, I have not posted anything lately, I have not been idle. I have been tied up with out youth group and its website t which I am the moderator. Though the site is site in it infanty, I am adding the direct below.
http://home.catholicweb.com/BTYouth/index.cfm?reinit=y
I have enjoyed modifying the site and of those who have been following this blog, they will recognize my handy and graphics art. I am happy with the results to date.
In closing I am also posting a testimony that I never got to do the ways in which I wanted to for a youth group proclaim. I think it expresses my feelings on the issue of God, brotherhood/sisterhood, and where I am in Christ today.
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I. Read Matthew 25: 31-46 - Sheep and The Goats. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The Testimony (Proclaim)
Are we faithful like the sheep or ornery like the goats in our relationship with Christ? This week, we were asked to feed Jesus in different ways. Although I did not feed Him with money or actually food, I fed his by opening a door for the reconciliation in a possible explosive relationship with “a person” who saw me as the “enemy” because of my sense of “what is right and just”.
I said something kind and from the heart to her. I felt that I was not met with resistance from this person. I felt thankfully, and thought that was ended it. However, as we were leaving work the next evening this person stopped long enough to wish me a good evening. It was a returned kindness. How beautiful after a couple of months of both baiting and back biting on her part or silence on my part. I was surprised and overwhelmed with the feeling of Jesus presence and love for what had transpired from those two brief encounters.
So did I feed Jesus this week? Yes, it was an unintentional act, and I did it by being honest and letting humility replace my fears. In short, I symbolically kneaded before my sister in Christ and in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ took the first step – a self sacrifice- that unlocked our chains of fear and pain.
II. Roman 8: 14-17
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children
of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall
back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.
When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing
witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with Him so that we may also
be glorified with Him.”
As we, you and I, are part of the family of God so is the person to whom I opened up too. She, like me, failed in the sight of Jesus, but she, like me, being of His family reached out to the other and climbed back up again. We are all children of God, and as part of His adopted family we do the will of our Father by setting side for all times the anger and petty jealousies that separate us from Him.
How do we do this? The answer is in the Beatitudes. Love vs. Fear
I recognized that it was my failings of pride and anger and just being poor in spirit was blocking me from seeing her as one of God chosen. My fear was blocking any show of forgiveness and mercy, which is the love from Our Father. In order to breach my angst and stubbornness- self-sacrifice- was the only way. No other person could make us mend our differences and any outside attempt to force us to by another would have only created more resentment. We have to do it – ourselves - and as a child of Christ, who accepted Him ways, I took the first step towards peace and found her open for it.
Reverence
I had the see her as I saw myself from the perspective of one who knows first hand what it is to be treated with disrespect, lacking intelligence, and to suffer and survive the anguish from being the victim of abuse. Having been treated as a person of little or no value, I was unwilling to treat other as lesser than myself. My personal experiences in irreverence opened my eyes to the valve of this woman – this sister in Christ. In those moments, I loved her as I love myself and as God loves us both. I understood her struggle as one of Christ chosen was just as great if not greater than mine. Was I motivation selfish? A little, but it was not completely self serving. It is clear to me now that neither of us wanted the situation to continue. I mean, who really wants the stress of fighting day after day.
Verses 10-11 in First John make this all to clear.
I John 4:10-11:
“In this is love, not that we loved
God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God
loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.”
Conclude by reading the story of Heaven and Hell’s Banquet.
When I reviewed this, proclaim yesterday, I was totally surprise when I saw Saint Joan de Arc name listed in today’s program. I thought to myself “I was meant to do this proclaim”, and I believe this because Joan is my confirmation name. I have always felt a great adoration for this saint because she gave of herself fearlessly in the name God and for the love of God. Therefore, I would like us to read this prayer to her.
Prayer to St. Joan of Arc
For Faith
In the face of your enemies, in the face of harassment, ridicule, and doubt, you held firm in your faith. Even in your abandonment, alone and withoutfriends, you held firm in your faith. Even as you faced your own mortality, you held firm in your faith. I pray that I may be as bold in my beliefs as you, St. Joan. I ask that you ride alongside me in my own battles. Help me be mindful that what is worthwhile can be won when I persist. Help me hold firm in my faith. Help me believe in my ability to act well and wisely. Amen.
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Unfortunately I am also in that discovery phase where I recognize those who are struggling with their owe notion of brotherhood/sisterhood in Christ. When I am close that such a person it hurt to see their struggle ad know that sometimes the do not even know that they are struggling, especially when they hurt another.
Evelyn Out!
