Come, follow me. (Mk 10:21b)

Transcription

1 St. Francis Xavier O P E N I N SPI R I T T O G O D (BU K Á S - L O Ó B S A D I Y Ó S ) C o v e n a n t C o m m u n i t y S t. F r a n c i s X a v ie r Mississa u g a D istrict (F F D ) Those who are poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God. Come, follow me. (Mk 10:21b)

2 Vol. 5 No.10 Oct 2018 COMMUNITY WORD FOR OCTOBER 2018 (WORD, THEMES AND PROMISES) Reflection: For the month of October, our community word states: Those who are poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God. We are exhorted to continually ask the Holy Spirit to lead us and help us do the things that God wants us to do and to allow the Holy Spirit to take control over more areas of our lives. What is important is our response and cooperation with God s grace to do our part, especially in consistently reading the bible and reflection on God s word, in fervently praying and asking the Holy Spirit to show us the Truth and teach us how to live and inherit the Kingdom of God. God s Kingdom is within every man s heart, within us, to make the right choices. It is in the midst of every true believer, in the presence of Jesus, following His command (our Order for the month): come, follow me, (Mk 10:21b). For the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is We inherit the Kingdom of God when we possess childlike obedience and humility. Jesus tells us to be like children who are innocent and dependent, and to come to Him full of faith and trust. The attitude and characteristic of children who are humble and obedience are what Jesus is referring to when He opens Himself to them:...let the children come to me for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these, (Mk 10:14). We are likewise encouraged to be strong in our humility and obedience to the Lord s will to claim our rightful place as God s children, to walk more closely with Christ in our relationship and exciting journey with Him. Let us be stirred by His words and be lead to travel the path of spiritual growth as His empowered disciples, with this inspiring promise: Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways! (Ps 128:1). We inherit the Kingdom of God when we share our blessings with those in need, is our theme for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. God s kingdom cannot be received or felt by people who are engrossed with their own self, their self-sufficiency, their attachment to self-serving comfort, pleasure, power and wealth. The message of the readings is the need for detachment by way of sharing our time, talent and treasure for the good of others. The way towards God is following the example of Jesus in serving others His care, empathy, compassion and sacrifice, not only by words but through actual action and service. Let us not wait for tomorrow to discover the joy of being free from the vanity of material things and to share the wonders of God s boundless blessings. Indeed the promise give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, (Mk 10:21b) encourages us to imitate our ever generous and loving God. The theme for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time is We inherit the Kingdom of God when we become servant of all. Our mission will only have meaning if we keep the spirit of service alive. In God s Kingdom, there is no position of power but the power of perfect love of God. Though Son of God, Jesus taught us how to empty ourselves of self-preoccupation Whoever wishes to become great among you must be the servant of all, (Mk 10:43). A man who develops his full potentials and uses God-given gifts is the one who glorifies God the most. If we want to be great in God s presence, we must learn to be the servant of all. The crosses in our life, accepted in Cont. to pg. 7 2

3 Cont. from pg. 2 faith and humility, become the antidotes to our pride and self-centeredness. Let us pray to be instilled by the Lord with a passion for service and not a desire for power and self-glorification, for great is the person who willingly accepts the role of a servant to others. In all we do for others, Christ gives us this assurance: If he gives his life as an offering the will of Lord shall be accomplished through him, (Is 52:10b). Finally, for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is We inherit the Kingdom of God when we witness to our faith. Like Bartimaeus in the gospel, Jesus is asking each of us, What do you want me to do for you? He longs to see us cast aside anything that limits our vision and expectations. He wants to heal our hearts and fill it with the fire of His love. But like Bartimaeus, we too can be blind. Our blindness may be compared to those of the crowd who rebuked Bartimaeus to stay silent. Sometimes we, too, keep quiet and are indifferent when we ought to speak out against what is morally wrong in defense of our faith. Let us be like Bartemaeus who cried out, Master, I want to see, (Mk 10:51b); to be open, honest, courageous, calling out in faith to plead for our conversion and to bear witness to Jesus as our Savior and Lord and for all that He has done in our life. For the Lord reaches out to us and gives us His word of life: I will console and guide them, I will lead them to brooks of water on a level road, so that none shall stumble, (Jer 31:9b). Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the courage to follow you faithfully on the road of life. Give us the strength to live for you day by day in the loving service of our brothers and sisters. As we travel on the road to holiness, be our peace and our joy. Amen. A MESSAGE TO SPE CLASS NO. 1 An excerpt from Rey Perlas acknowledgement address. As I close my remarks, may I address our graduates with 1 Thessalonians Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. And as an anonymous writer once said The best kind of people are the ones that come into your life and make you see the sun where you once saw only dark clouds. The people that believe in you so much, you start to believe in yourself too. The people that love you, simply for being you. These once in a lifetime kind of people I believe in my heart that you will find them in our community. So, in those who have not been to our Thursday P & W. teachings and other activities, Come and See. 3

4 Vol. 5 No.10 Oct 2018 OSG (BLD) SFX Community -1 st SOLO PERSONS ENCOUNTER (SPE #1) The SFX OSG ( BLD ) Community held its 1st Solo Persons Encounter Weekend September 22 & 23, a Live Out Encounter at the St. Martin Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga. With the 2 BLD Districts (Toronto & SFX Mississauga) working hand in hand joyously combining the gifts and talents of 2 finely tuned gears working seamlessly it was a smooth and almost stress free 2 days Encounter Weekend. The Spirit of the Lord moved and easily took over. The Toronto SPE Group headed by Pastoral DCS Eric & Pat Lazaro, Solo Parent DLC Rudy & Ching DeVera, SP Tricords Linda Canaria, Cora Montilla and Nilda Villa supported the SPE Sharers Willie Hernandes, Belen Ruelles, Josie Pabalinas and Linda Canaria. Auxilliaries Theo Ly and Brennie Galace completed the team. SFX District is thankful for the support of SPE Group in Toronto as they helped deliver the "full package" of the SPE program. We are also thankful for the support of other BLD Toronto members belonging to other Ministries especially in managing the Vigil Room. We knew that there is an immense need for this Weekend Encounter not only within our membership but to the SFX Parish Community. We were hesitant and unsure at first, but when Fr. Armand confirmed his availability and support and a gentle nudge by the Holy Spirit, we went full gear. The 8 SFX members who previously attended the SPE Program in Toronto led the way and were unwavering in their service. True to their calling, the ever faithful and supportive members of the Open in Spirit to God (BLD) SFX Community, rose to the occasion in helping deliver the Solo Persons Encounter weekend. A total of 40 Auxiliaries headed by the 10 SFX Stewards and with the wise guidance of Fr. Armand Galay, the weekend was truly an unmistakable blessing from the Lord. Respectful of the unique program of the SPE, the SFX Team managed the Intercessory Vigils, Service, Food, Liturgy & Marshalling and over all support. The Spirit of the Lord was with all of us that weekend, peacefully guiding us. 4

5 The following 24 Solo Persons attended the SPE weekend, with a last minute walk-in Registrant - a Nun: Marilou Alinea, Precy Andrade, Jenny Aramata, Marietta Bautista, Mary Anne Butler, Tessie Daguio, Dina De Guzman, Eulogio Estacio, Alzira Fernandes, Norlyn Godinez, Phyola James, Erminda Javier, Sister Gertrude Marindoque, Nym Meneses, Hilda Namu, Virgie Ong, Lomas Ramdass, Maria Victoria Rayos, Cora Saavedra, Dylin Santiago, Anacorita Sayani, Marilyn Valencia, Thelma Varquez & Helen Xavier. As always, when we make ourselves available to serve Him, the Lord allows us to see a glimpse of His glory through the miracles and healing we have seen and heard over the weekend. It was a remarkable response from all the participants, a mix of multicultural diversity who heard the Lord s call. Some of the graduates will stay - join our community, some might not for some reason or another, but the important thing is we brought them closer to the Lord, as peace and healing took place in their hearts. All in all it was a remarkable experience for all as we placed our trust in the Lord and His plans for our humble community. We thank the Lord for inviting us to His ministry of loving and serving His people. To God be the Glory! Ed & Lu Dumlao for Open in Spirit to God (BLD) SFX District 5

6 Vol. 5 No.10 Oct 2018 SOLO PERSONS ENCOUNTER NO. 1 SEPTEMBER 22 & OSG/BLD SFX DISTRICT - SPE CLASS St. Martin Catholic School, Mississauga With Fr. Armand Galay, M.Afr., the Pastoral Team (from BLD Toronto District) and the SFX working team. 6

7 SFX PARISH EVENT Installation of our New Pastor, Fr. James Cherickal on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at the 5:00 pm Mass, celebrated by Bishop John Boissonneau, Auxiliary Bishop - Western Region. Reception in the Main Hall after the Mass. St. Francis Xavier Loving Hands Ministry will be holding a Craft and Bake Sale in St. Francis Xavier Church, Main Hall, on Sunday, October 28th, before and after the 9am, 10:30am, 12 noon, and 1:30 pm Masses. The Knights of Columbus are hosting their 21st Anniversary Dinner & Dance. Open to Knights of Columbus members, parishioners and guests. Venue: Preet Palace Banquet Hall 5835 Kennedy Road Mississauga When : Saturday Oct 13th, 2018 Doors 6:30 pm Buffet Dinner & Live Band - Big Foot Cost : $35 per person OSG/BLD SFX PRAYER COMMUNITY CALENDAR September 2018 DATE TIME ACTIVITY VENUE EDITORIAL BOARD: Oct pm Mass / SPE #1 Reunion Church Oct pm Praise & Worship/LWG SFX Hall Oct pm Praise & Worship/Teaching SFX Hall Oct pm Disciples Meeting Upper Hall Oct pm Praise & Worship/Recollection SFX Hall EDITOR: REY PERLAS OSG/BLD SFX DCS ED/LU DUMLAO LARRY/MYRNA NIEVA REY/ALMA PATRICIO REY/MABEL PERLAS TONY/MENCHIE VILLANUEVA 7