The end of another year

At the end of each year I feel the need to write a message of reflection as there are many people who have crossed my path and been a part of ministry in St. Augustine’s Melbourne. It has been a while since my last post (I usually write a half year update and missed that) so there’s quite a few changes to share.

St. Augustine’s Young Adults (STAY)
As of half way through the year, I had transferred my leadership of STAY to Pat who had been an amazing leader of STAY cell group through the previous year. It was a move which was necessary more out of capacity rather desire/want to continue as leader. Aaron has continued to support Pat just as he has supported me in leading STAY so she won’t be alone in what is a daunting role/responsibility. I still feel like a leader in STAY despite not being in the position – I think it’s something that might be hard to move from as STAY is so much a part of me as I am a part of STAY.

In blunt honesty, the 2nd half of 2015 has been a struggle for STAY. The continuous level of growth and success of the ministry climaxing with “Redeemed” - a worship/dance/drama production of Stations of the Cross back in Easter left the group wanting and expecting more of God’s grace and power. Instead however, I felt participation slowly wane thereafter. STAY cell group did not grow in numbers as anticipated from the slow but steady flow of new people to the group. Consistency of attendance became more sporadic which made it difficult to build intimacy towards the STAY vision of creating a ‘Sanctuary’ for its members. I think the busyness of life for members and even leaders were taking a toll on STAY – this is also reflected in the numbers of recent posts on our blog...

Friends of Refugees (FORM)
I felt the fall in STAY participation most in the refugee outreach (FORM) which I have continued to lead. In the previous 2 years, STAY members were the backbone of volunteers in FORM visits to refugee families and more demandingly in Moving Days. STAY has however slowly become less of the backbone, with more than half the volunteers coming from outside STAY, from the parish, friends of friends and even Facebook. For such a large group of ~40 people in STAY, the small amount of support FORM received from them, made it feel like it wouldn’t be missed by STAY if it simply shut down and disappeared.

My words are however a discredit to the members from STAY who are actually regular volunteers and who I might have taken for granted at the start, expecting them to be there on a month by month basis or when it suited them. As much as I long for STAY members to be part of / help in outreach for refugees, God has amazingly provided us with sufficient volunteers to support the ministry even though at times it looked like we wouldn’t have enough.
We didn’t do anything new or vastly different, but this year we completed 8 sets of detention centre visits, home visits and Moving Days, the latter of which has grown bigger and better. We also ended the year with a Christmas hamper run to over 130 families, about double the number from the previous year.

This has encouraged a separate group of young Catholics to start a refugee outreach like FORM in the western suburbs. This group had helped with FORM visits/Moving Days prior and with delivering hampers. Another highlight was being able to gather past and present volunteers of FORM for a thank you lunch in August to celebrate 4 years of ministering to refugees.

Personally
I could not continue to lead both STAY and FORM, plus run my life as I had for the previous 3 years, with its larger size and complexities. It was a difficult choice on which one to let go. There are many key functions of FORM (mostly relationships with external stakeholders) that make it difficult to hand over responsibility/leadership to someone else and were probably the main drivers behind my decision to continue to lead FORM. There was also an ‘exodus’ of all the experienced FORM leaders due to their own personal commitments/circumstances which left me with the newer FORM leaders to run the outreach ministry.

It was a busy year and like the year before, I was feeling tired towards the end even though I just had FORM, and not STAY, to lead. Trying to support the other ministries in STAY when the need arose also simply added to the busyness. While it is a relief that the year is over, I was reminded by what I had heard a young priest say amidst the flurry of World Youth Day Sydney preparations several years ago: “that to build the Kindgom of God, we should be this busy outside WYD as well”.

Next year will be an even busier time for me as I plan my upcoming nuptials and as I transition to a new vocation of married life. It looks like my time as a Young Adults leader should change and I will be looking for a leader to take over FORM, preferably in the early part of the year. It makes me nervous to hand everything over as there appears to be intricate parts that are not so easily passed on. It is therefore likely that I will be there for support but with less leading.

Final Words
While I have not been so positive about STAY and its progress, on reflection it still continues to have an impact on all who attend. I can see it in how we pray over the people who have to leave Melbourne, in new members continuing to join the group and in the amount of new vocations taken up by its members such as in leadership, joining a ministry and in marriage. STAY is still like a big tree which has grown very big where the birds can come and rest in its branches and which continues to bear great fruit. Please pray with me that God will continue to bless STAY and all its ministries like FORM can help grow this tree so it can receive more new people (birds) and continue to succeed with love, peace and joy (bear fruit).

Wishing you a most blessed Christmas and a joyful new year.

In His love,

Jack

Reflection for last Sunday, 5 July 2015

by Shirley

 

 

As I was sitting at St Mary's listening to the readings, 2 things struck me.. The first is in the 2nd reading when Paul said that while he prayed and begged the Lord that the "thorn in his flesh" be removed from him but God replies, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul then says he will rather boast gladly of his weakness, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with him, "for when I am weak, then I am strong".

 

It made me think of how our world defines a strong person and a weak person. Very often the aggressor is seen as the strong person whereas the victim is weak. This made me think of what happened when we were watching Minions the other day, when this man who was seated with his wife and kids started turning on the flashlight on his mobile phone 2-3 times, and then this other man with his girlfriend shouted very angrily from across the cinema, "Hey you! Turn that off!" and his girlfriend piped up, "It's very distracting you know!". The Asian couple looked like civilised, working professionals. We were shocked because you could clearly hear the rage in their voices and it is a kids' movie, any normal person would expect distractions in the cinema. The couple probably thought that they are the strong ones, because they voiced out their opinion but my immediate thought when that happened was, my, how ugly they sound, what happened to make them react that way? As for the father who complied and turned off his flashlight, maybe he's the stronger one now for not choosing to pick a fight in front of his family. Aggressors often act that way because that is the only way they know of to solve their problem, or they need to do that in order to feel big about themselves. Having the grace to look like a coward and know when to walk away from a fight reveals more inner strength than choosing to stay and fight.

 

So the reading made me think of being strong in weakness. It doesn't mean that when a person is seen as weak, they do not have strength in them. Circumstances, maturity and time may reveal how much stronger the weak person is and in fact how weak a seemingly strong person actually is. 

 

The 2nd thing that spoke to me was in the gospel, about how when Jesus was in his native place, his own people doubted him and because of their lack of faith, he was not able to perform any mighty deed there. He was present there and yet he was not able to perform many miracles. God could be present in our lives but because we still lack faith, He will not be able to help us. It made me think of my own life, while I believe in God, I still lack faith that my prayers will be answered, and I think I'm unworthy to receive certain blessings. It made me realise that this lack of faith is stopping God from performing miracles in my life. I used to think that I'll just let God lead my life, whatever happens, happens. But that's not true, I need to lead my own life, I need to tell God in prayer, this are my needs, this is how I want my life to be, God by your grace, please answer my prayers, I have faith. I need to believe that I am His child, that I am worthy of His gifts, and that I need to have more faith in Him because He only wants the best for His children. Like the woman who had faith and believed that as long as she touched Jesus' garment, she will be healed, and that faith saved and healed her.

 

 

What I Learnt from the Refugees

by Budi S (Vincent)

 

 

I have put it off for so long to write my experience in visiting the refugees, but a nudge in my heart always encouraged me to do it. I know I owe it to Him who has been so good and faithful to me. I started refugee visits around 12 months ago infrequently and did not have any expectations that I would learn anything. To my surprise, I learnt a few interesting “life” lessons because I rarely reflect and I took life for granted. I never realised that my life was and has been so good to me. Most of the time, I only look up and compare my life to those on the top. I forget there are a lot of less fortunate people who envy me and are willing to do anything to swap their positions with mine.

 

I had some wonderful lessons from my experience. Firstly, I learnt how to be grateful and to be content with “whatever” my condition is at the moment. Most of the time when I visit the refugees, they are still able to smile and they don't consider themselves as in the worst case condition. They offer me a cup of tea and the little sweets they have. If they are able to do it, certainly we can do more than that. Even if you are considered as the poor in this developed country, we can lend our shoulder and ear to them. This is not going to cost us an arm and a leg.

 

Furthermore, have you realised how long they have to wait in the detention centres? Some have 3 or more years in waiting season without being able to work or study. I cannot imagine being in wait and not being able to do anything. For me, it feels like wasting time. Living in this instantaneous age skews our perception of what common life is. We forget there is a season for everything. It is a reminder for me every time I feel impatient, such as being stuck in the traffic or waiting for a job promotion.

 

Lastly, I learnt a valuable lesson of how to be persistent and determined in life. I learnt this down the road after meeting more refugees. Few of them are highly educated and from middle socio economic strata, yet they are willing to let go of everything they own and come to a new country for their sons'/daughters' better future. These are selfless parents and good role models. For them, their hardship is not the end of the world. Isn’t this spirit what we are striving for? What do you do at this stage of your life? Is it something worthwhile?

 

Well my friends, I hope these sharing is valuable to you and I do not mean to teach or criticise, but to encourage you in everything you do. Each of us has only one life and do not take your life for granted. I know the topic of refugees is hard to comprehend for everyone, but this is the bright side I learnt from. There is a silver lining in every cloud. God bless!

 

 

 

Receiving People of Other Faiths

by Elizabeth Etta

I have always had people knock on my door wanting to share their faith and beliefs about Christ. These people are mainly the Latter Day Saints people aka Mormons as well as Jehovah Witnesses. I have made it clear to them that I believe in Jesus, however they use that as a good starting point to begin a faith discussion. So there I am welcoming them into my home as they share their belief systems, in the hope that they can try to convert me. I would admit though that most times, it helps me find answers to questions that I had never really pondered on. 

I am always a firm believer in not being ignorant but knowing the practices of your faith, so in a way, having someone come to talk to me about the Jesus Christ they believe in forces me to engage and study scriptures more to ensure that I am not being misled.

For the past year, I have not had any experiences with people knocking on my door, until recently two young men dressed in white shirt and black, knocked on my door saying they are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and would like to share their faith about salvation, and about their book, which they called the book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ. We arranged for them to come over the following week to talk to us more. In the meantime, they said that God has a plan for our salvation, that they believe the book of Mormon is true, it complements the bible as they received a revelation from the holy spirit. They also said that if I pray and ask the holy spirit about the credibility of the book, and I truly want to know the truth then of course by all means I should pray about it.

Now, I didn't want to make judgements about a book I had not read and also if they clearly believed it to be true and saying it is another testament of Jesus Christ revealed by God and Jesus to a man named Joseph Smith. I couldn't doubt that knowing God reveals himself to whoever He chooses and gives His message to whomever. So I promised them, I was going to pray about it and read the book for myself. They seemed satisfied.

So that very evening, I decided to open the book and began to read. The spirit immediately prompted me to read Jeremiah 29.11 because they had talked about God's plan of salvation earlier in the day. Jeremiah 29.11 states, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

While reading this verse, the spirit automatically took me to Jeremiah 29: 8-9 which says:

"For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord".

 

Immediately, I prayed about this, and kept asking God, can this be real? I wanted truth and this is where God was leading me? What could this possibly mean?

 

My spirit again spoke within me saying do some research and I started doing some investigations. It made me realize many Christians today are being misled because they do not find the truth for themselves in God's word. We sometimes allow ourselves to be spoon fed, or taking someone else's word for truth instead of God's and I felt God was speaking to my heart that the answers are in His word. So this are some of the talks that I had with the Mormons and my beliefs in regards to that based on what scripture has to say. I wanted to share this with you so that if you ever find yourself in a debate or even generally question what it is you believe about your faith, look up the scriptures to help you out.

1. The Mormons believe that just as they had prophets in the ancient times such as Moses, Abraham, Jonah etc, God has called prophets to lead the church in today's times, they have a current prophet today. They quoted Amos 3:7

 

My response, we don't need prophets today. Jesus Christ is our living prophet. He is alive today and forever. John 6:14, Acts 3:22-23 and Hebrews 1:1-2.

Also God is calling people not just prophets from the LDS church. He is calling people from all over the world to be preachers, teachers, healers, all according to His divine purpose.

 

They also say their prophet will never teach anything contrary to the will of God, yet further research led me to find some things about their past prophets and prophecies.

 

Joseph Smith prophesized that the New Jerusalem will be built in Missouri within his generation(didn't happen)

Brigham Young prophesied that the civil war would fail to end black slavery (he was wrong)

They are many other prophesies.

 

They believe God's plan of salvation is becoming an eternal family and returning to God's presence: In fact this is sort of their enticement to join their faith, if you talk to any Mormon.

 

However God's plan of salvation in the bible states in John 3:16 is to deliver us from sin and death: John3:3, Hebrews 2:10, 1Th3:9 acts 4:12

 

They also quoted James 1:5 which reads: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." This was to persuade me to read the book of Mormon and ask God if it is true. Someone mentioned to me that wisdom, is the application of known facts while knowledge is the known facts. If we know that the book of Mormon contradicts the bible, we do not really need to pray about it's authenticity. The bible has never told us to pray about the truthfulness of  any book, so I even had to ask for forgiveness trying to pray to ask if the book of Mormon is true or not. Rather this is what the bible says about it. 1john 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Jeremiah 17:9 also says

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

So if the heart wants to believe that a book is a true word of God like the book of mormon, it can believe it and claim that the spirit revealed it to be true

 

Another question, I put to them is that the bible testifies about Jesus Christ. Why do I need the book of Mormon?

 

Their answer, the book of Mormon gives the complete testimony of Jesus Christ. You understand the bible better when you read the book of Mormon, it is complementary. "No sir, sorry I'm not buying what your selling"

 

Latter day saints believe that their founder Joseph Smith was confused about different denominations, so he prayed and asked God which church to join. God told him none of the churches, as they were all wrong. God the father and Jesus appeared to him. They claimed that the original church of Christ established after Christ death, resurrection and ascension went into apostasy. Apostasy is when individuals or groups of people turn away from the principles of the gospel, they are in a state of apostasy. One example is the Great Apostasy, which occurred after the Christ established His Church. After the deaths of Christ and His Apostles, men corrupted the principles of the gospel and made unauthorized changes in Church organization and priesthood ordinances. Because of this widespread apostasy, the Lord withdrew the authority of the priesthood from the earth. This apostasy lasted until  the Father and His Beloved Son appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and initiated the restoration of the fullness of the gospel.

 

Mormonism clearly contradicts the bible. There has never been recorded any complete apostasy. (I'll call it the non-existent great apostasy). This is what the bible has to say about apostasy.

 

Concerning the apostasy this is what the mormons quoted to me Amos 8: 11-14:

However to counteract that this, I would say that bible verse was referring to ancient Israel and not after the death of the last apostle as they believe apostasy is. Also the bible has always talked about they always being a remnant Amos 9 : 8-10

 

To further counteract the apostasy theory there are 3 main arguments.

 

1. How can God have allowed for 1800 years after Jesus death and resurrection for people to be misguided and many people belonging to error-filled churches with no apostolic authority?

2. Ephesians 3:20-21Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. This means that the church is here to stay for all generations forever eliminating apostasy

3. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. mt. 16:18

 

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mt 28:18-20.

 

To conclude, God promised to be with us till the end of the age and there will be no end to the kingdom of God here on earth.

 

In the end, I came to the conclusion that while there are differences within Christian denominations, the bible should be our main point of reference to be the guide for us here on earth. Our salvation is dependent on our acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as our lord saviour and understanding that we are saved by grace and not by our works, but still understanding that faith without works is pointless.

 

 

Redeemed

by Jack Chui

Last year in 2014, Father Victor approached me near the start of Lent to ask if STAY could host a Stations of the Cross evening for the parish. With so many other things I had to do at the time, I asked for volunteers during the next cell group meeting and hand-balled the responsibility over to one of them with an opened ended guideline - Stations of the Cross. What resulted was the combining of the Firebrandz Choir, Firebrandz Dance and every other STAY member not involved to produce an amazing and reflective interpretation of the traditional Stations of the Cross.

In 2015, STAY/Firebrandz aimed not to take Stations to the next level, but to an even higher level with a production quality event of dance, drama and music. They called it 'Redeemed' and it was produced to bring the passion of Christ in a way Melbourne had not seen before. A video will hopefully be posted to help describe the Redeemed event which words won't fully capture. Hosted on the Saturday before Good Friday, I would like to share my take outs.

Nothing happens without leaders

Redeemed started as an idea by Christabel - Firebrandz Dance ministry leader at the start of 2015 and from there had just under 3 months to put on a large scale event which we had never done before. I realise that without her initiative to put forward the idea, her gathering of people and resources and driving the whole project, nothing of such an event would be possible. It made me see as a leader myself with such perspective how important leaders are in getting things done. This doesn't just apply to those 'appointed' as leaders but those who consider themselves the lowest as well in taking the imitative to pray and act. 

Christabel said 'yes' to God and 'yes' to a production Stations of the Cross and with a great vision was able to share it, inspire and encourage others to say 'yes' and for the benefit of the church community and Melbourne, for one night we brought heaven to earth. The Church lacks good leaders especially for youth and Christabel has reminded me how amazing things can happen by just taking initiative. Please keep leaders in prayer as they are so important in bringing God's glory to earth.

Pushed for the best

Aside from the event night itself, the one thing I'll remember was our first full dress rehearsal just over a week before the event after which Christabel told everyone that their dance/drama/music was terrible. I thought it was good/ok with my untrained eye/listening as I was only in small parts and was able to watch most of it but I did not expect such disappointment from Christabel. Lacking life, lacking emotion, timing and synchronisation, remembering moves ... it scared her how bad we were with so little time left and with a lot at stake.

Her straightforwardness was refreshing and required though and it excelled me and the others to practice and go beyond what we thought ourselves was good enough. Too often, I don't think I need to try hard to improve or be better because I'll eventually get there and I'm not that bad at things. But with a week left, Christabel pushed everyone hard to go beyond what we thought was our potential because by doing so, we would give it all for God and His Kingdom such that nothing was held back and so that God was not held back. In doing so God helped us deliver a story that glorifies Him.

Pressure and excitement

Its not often I am challenged or operating well outside my comfort zone. I can barely remember my last acting or performance day back in high school?.. Drama was the first class I dropped for a reason. But I said yes to anything that was needed by Redeemed and so some 'relatively easy' dramas were my performance roles for the evening. Backstage in the sacristy before the event the pressure was like exam nervousness but with a church full of people making sure I wasn't cheating. I hadn't felt so much pressure for what was at stake for a while.

I don't mind pressure because I think I deal with it well, but it brought excitement in what I and the crew could do to bring His passion alive and allow God to speak and be felt to all that watched and performed. I had never done anything like this, maybe watched something similar but it was a delight to be part of something radically different, inspiring and greater than myself. I did what I could not do before and I was happy, not scared because I was doing it for God and His kingdom.

Look at what we've done

From the last words of the movie "The Theory of Everything" (Steven Hawkings autobiographical film which I watched recently). I was reflecting with others how a large scale production involving so many dancers, props, costumes, music, video, lighting, marketing, prayers, choreography, filming would have been possible years earlier when STAY was without Firebrandz. We had not even thought of such dreams or visions before and it had become a reality after a few short years.

While every moment in STAY/Firebrandz is a blessing because of the people that God has gathered in the weeks/days/months before it, the big moments like Redeemed that aren't possible without a lot of people's collaboration was such a clear reminder to me of how we came from very little to be able to do so much. Its another great blessing to be able to witness and be a part of God's work. Like in the movie, it wasn't so much the honour I've received in helping STAY/Firebrandz grow or in being part of a production but the fruit it has borne in others that have come in contact with STAY/Firebrandz.

I am in awe to look at what we've done because it had to have been God who did it through us.

In His Love,

Jack

Sanctuary - A New Vision for STAY

Sanctuary - refuge or safety from pursuit, persecution, or other danger. ~ Google search definition

Sanctuary ~ Dictionary.com

1. a sacred or holy place.
2. Judaism.
• the Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem.
• the holy of holies of these places of worship.
3. an especially holy place in a temple or church.
4. the part of a church around the altar; the chancel.
5. a church or other sacred place where fugitives were formerly entitled to immunity from arrest.
6. immunity afforded by refuge in such a place.
7. any place of refuge; asylum.

Early this year after returning from a busy finish of 2014 with the ministry activity around Christmas, I had an air of tiredness and worry about how STAY/Firebrandz would operate in 2015 in particular around the other leaders. Leaders were going through personal battles, competing commitments, changing lifestyles, lack of motivation, inactivity, overwork, interstate travel ... it seemed to me we did not have much fire anymore.

A year ago, STAY/Firebrandz was doing new and breakthrough activities, starting new ministries and growing to be able to see them bear fruit with the words 'STAY can do anything'... 

It was time for a new vision and a new direction for STAY/Firebrandz but what could it be?

I prayed and thought with the other leaders in STAY/Firebrandz over 2 months and at the last leader's meeting and to help form the vision, I asked each leader where they saw STAY was and should go. Most of the leaders had been in STAY/Firebrandz for at least a year and a half. The sharings that came out had a similar theme, mostly about what drew them to 'stay' at STAY. Similar words around safety, protected, trust and relationships were said often.

From listening to everyone, I was looking for a theme or word which bubbled up towards the end from which I shared at the end as my summary for the group and the word was 'Sanctuary'. It seemed to capture something of what everyone said and while I didn't know the full meaning of the word then, it was something that seemed to inspire thought and and excitement. This turned my tiredness into one of hope, that there was a new aim and direction for STAY/Firebrandz that would help transform the group in something we hope that is closer to what God wants us to be.

I had the fortunate of talking closely with a good friend from overseas while he was over from Singapore for work in Melbourne for 2 months and like me, he was a leader in a similar church young adults group. His group or community was around 15 years old and were undergoing a period of major transition to become more like a covenanted community such was the depth and growth of his group. On a retreat he hosted for myself and a few others, he shared one thing that stuck with me.

It was based on Henri Nouwen's idea of discipleship. Living as a disciple involves 3 disciplines:

1. Solitude
2. Community
3. Ministry

He quotes an example of this in In Luke 6:12-19 where Jesus spends the whole night in prayer, then calls the disciples, and then cures people of unclean spirits and disease. Community flows from Solitude and Ministry flows from Community. This other blog article (written by someone else) summarises the idea well:

http://thismortallife.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/nouwen-on-solitude-community-and.html

The idea struck me because I currently live the disciplines backwards and probably spend most of my time in Ministry. I have structured STAY around ministry and helped build STAY as a ministry. I hardly spend time with the community justifying it by my also busy out of ministry commitments and letting the other leaders with more time fulfill that task. Solitude time is also eaten away by ministry and the administration work which comes with leading STAY and also Friends of Refugees.

So for me, its time to refocus STAY/Firebrandz. Last year we spent our efforts building a ministry and now its time to build a community - to build a sanctuary.

Lenten Reflections - Week 2, Mar 4 Wed

by Kenny Soosai

Readings: Jer 18:18-20, Mt 20:17-2

Gospel: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”

He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Reflection: In the Gospel today, we see James and John jostle for a position of power with the ministry of Jesus. The actions of the 2 brothers causes unrest and dissention among the Apostles. Jesus had to hold a meeting to refocus their attention on serving the community. He had earlier predicted His own death and crucifixion but instead of supporting their leader, the brothers were too busy thinking of their own position.

We can see this sometimes in the workplace and even in our modern church communities. There are those who would readily serve themselves first and the team/community later. Some people ‘lord their power’ over people. But as Christians, our true purpose is to serve. The irony is, the true leaders are the ones who loved and were respected by their community. These are the one who lead like Jesus. They don’t ‘need’ a position to lead but when they speak, people will follow.

A Step to Consider: If you are a leader in your community or workplace today, ask yourself what value you are bringing to the lives of your community/team. If you are a follower, how can you help ease the load of your leader. Can you lead with love?

Lenten Reflections - Week 2, Mar 3 Tues

by Kenny Soosai

Readings: Jere 2:1-13, Rom 1:16-25, John 4:43-54

Gospel: After the two days, he left there for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live.

He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon." The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe. (Now) this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Reflection: As Jesus returns to Cana, he is pursued by an official who needs his help. This official travels about 25km on a dusty road to meet Jesus in a desperate attempt to save his dying son.

Jesus’ response seems harsh as he retorts by saying that the people around him will not believe unless they see a sign. Nonetheless, Jesus heals the official’s son and he does it by just speaking. This is unusual as the prophets were often required to lay their hands or to be at least within earshot of the people they were going to heal.

Here, Jesus heals from a distance and demonstrates that he is no ordinary prophet. The signs that he performs point to the legitimacy of his ministry and to the truth of his teachings.

A Step to Consider: If today you are desperate for help, you can find Jesus today still truly present in the Tabernacle in any Catholic church. The answer you get might be quite unexpected, but whoever believes may receive the same rewards as the official.

Lenten Reflections - Week 2, Mar 2 Mon

by Kenny Soosai

Readings: Jere 1:11-19, Rom 1:1-15, John 4:27-42

Gospel:  At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?" The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?"

They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.

Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving his payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work." Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done."

When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

Reflection: As Jesus’ disciple return, they are amazed to find their teacher talking with a woman. Yet they trusted Jesus and knew by now that he had his reasons for talking to the Samaritan woman, as unconventional as it may seem. The woman in turn leaves her jar behind and starts to evangelize to the rest of the town. Instead of being scorned, the people become curious and come to meet Jesus.

As they approach Jesus, he sees them as a great harvest that God has granted and rejoices. Jesus is no longer affected by hunger and is filled with joy knowing that his message will be accepted here. Age old conflicts are forgotten and old enemies are now friends.

A Step to Consider: Do we have any prejudices against anyone or a group of people? Do we judge others because of their different religious beliefs, a different Christian denomination, cultural background or sexual orientation?

Take time to examine the example that Jesus sets here.

Lenten Reflections - Week 1, Feb 28 Sat

by Kenny Soosai

Readings: Deut 11:18-28, Heb 5:1-10, John 4:1-26

Gospel: Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, just his disciples), he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

He had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (The woman) said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water?

Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back."

The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.

Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews.

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you."

Reflection: Jesus was travelling from the South of Israel to the North. He passed through Samaria, a shortcut. Jews will usually avoided Samaria and would go the long way along the river Jordan to get to Judea. The Jews despised the Samaritans even though the two are closely related. Once Israel was one kingdom but split into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms shortly after King Solomon’s death. The Northern Kingdom was called Israel and consisted of 10 tribes while the Southern Kingdom was called Judah (that is where we get the name Jews) and was made up of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin & Levi. The Northern Kingdom was eventually captured by the Assyrians and the 10 tribes of Israel were mostly exiled. In their place, the Assyrians brought in foreign people who intermarried with the locals, effectively wiping out the 10 tribes. So the Jews saw the Samaritans as half-breeds whose customs were mixed with foreign religion. As the Samaritans had their holy mountain on Mount Gerizim where they sacrificed on, the Jews also saw them as competitors to the Temple in Jerusalem.

For Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi to be asking for water from a Samaritan woman in the middle of the afternoon was breaking Jewish protocol on many levels. Women normally collected water in the cool of the morning or the evening and were usually never alone. This women, who came out alone in the afternoon suggests that she is shunned by her own community.

Jesus asks the woman for a drink, inviting her into a conversation. Along the conversation, the roles reverse and the woman asks Jesus for ‘living water’. Jesus then asks her to bring her husband to him and in the process, reveals her adultery.

The woman then recognizes that Jesus is a prophet. As Jesus reveals more spiritual truths to her, the Samaritan woman accepts that Jesus is the Messiah. With one conversation with Jesus in the afternoon and this Samaritan woman who is an adulteress has the spiritual insight to see that He is the Messiah.

Earlier in chapter 2, Jesus also has a conversation with Nicodemus who is a Pharisee and a religious scholar. Even as Jesus reveals spiritual truths to Nicodemus, this so called learned man cannot ‘see’ who is speaking to him and the Pharisees can’t even recognize Jesus as a prophet.

Here we see how the wisdom of God can sometimes escape the ‘learned’ and elevated but can be appreciated by the simple and those we deem unworthy.

A Step to Consider: Have you come to Jesus to listen to his voice this Lent? Or do you already know all there is to know about Lent? Sometimes even when we haven’t fulfilled our Lenten or even Christian obligations, Jesus is still willing and waiting to talk us. If we hear him, He is still willing to offer us ‘living water’ and perhaps even more.