N C Using Our Gifts

Volume 20 Issue 46
Bulletin Edition
NEWS
The Lord adds SE33
to the Singles Ministry
November 14, 2014
COUNSELS
Using Our Gifts
THEME:
We trust and believe in Jesus Christ when we
are good stewards of God’s gifts.
WORD:
Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 / Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
1 Thes 5:1-6 / Mt 25:14-30
ORDER:
“Come, share your master’s joy.” (Mt 25:23)
REFLECTION:
The
“It was not you who chose me, but I chose you.” (Jn
15:16) Praise the Lord! It was another Spirit-filled
encounter weekend for the Singles Ministry. This weekend
saw thirteen young adults become part of SE Class # 33. It
was beautiful to see our young adults - from the candidates,
to the sponsoring class, the facilitators, the praise ministry,
the auxies, and everyone else present at Graymoor Spiritual
Life Center, spending an entire weekend focused on God.
They could have been somewhere else, partying with their
friends or spending their time doing more “fun” stuff, but
they all chose “the better part.” The weekend served as a
powerful reminder that we truly have an awesome and
loving God!
Congratulations to the thirteen young adults of SE 33:
Cliff Bejin, John Cam, Julius Lizardo, Kyle Abinales,
Chris Morales, Glendyll Fabe, Jillian Bustos, Marielle
Go, Madona Kennedy, Nicole Tse, Jenn Faura, Alize
Rodriguez, and Danya Facura. Discerned as class
coordinators are Glendyll Fabe, Jillian Bustos, Marielle
Go and Chris Morales. They will be guided by the
incoming class shepherds, Danny and Cora Labung.
It was also great to see how much the members of SE32
had grown in their spiritual lives, having gone through the
same experience just six months ago. “Awesome job” best
describes their service as the sponsoring class for the
weekend. Special thanks to our spiritual director - Fr. Paul
Lehman; facilitators - Darlene Calotes, Samantha Olaso,
Seg Ogang, Jon Panlilio and Ron Bernal; as well as to
the Singles Ministry Core (Jutt, Lita & Walter) and
Singles Ministry Coordinators (Emil & Baby Canlas).
parable in the gospel for the
thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
relates how a man going on a journey
entrusted his possessions to his three
servants, each according to his ability. In
the same manner, we are all given
individual qualities, strengths, and material
resources that equip us in our walk through
life. We are all stewards of the gifts and
resources the Lord has so generously
entrusted to each of us for the greater
purpose of fulfilling God’s plan for our
lives, including providing for our personal
needs and for those who depend on us.
In our community, we have been made more aware of
the gifts and graces we receive from God. Through the
encounters, retreats, and seminars we have attended, and
through reading and reflecting on the Word of God daily,
we learned about the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit
gives us in accordance with His will. We were taught that
it is our responsibility to use whatever gifts we received
from the Lord offering them for the greater glory of God,
the Giver of all these blessings. Like the stewards who
presented their master upon his return with twice the
amount of the talents given them, let us do our best and
strive to use the gifts and resources …Continued, page 3
Promise of the Week
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, and who walk in his ways.
What your hands provide you will enjoy;
you will be blessed and prosper.” (Ps 128:1-2)
The
Productive
Spirit
Two interesting but contrasting figures appear in this
Sunday’s readings. The woman in Proverbs can be seen
as a very busy and accomplished wife and mother. She
applies herself, industriously utilizing her personal skills;
she is compassionate and generous to the poor and has
reverence for the Lord. Meanwhile, in the Gospel’s
parable of the talents, we see the rejected servant as
totally unproductive.
In community there are many who give of themselves
with real dedication, accepting assignments without
reservation; while there are some who pick and choose
depending on their comfort level because they may be
apprehensive about the work, or they may be
complacent, letting others do the job. The parable of the
talents makes it clear that the Lord wants us to be
productive, making full use of the gifts received in
Baptism. After being in community for many years, I
ask myself these questions: Have I grown in virtue and
zeal to live the way Christ wanted me to? Do I have a
fear of rejection or failure, a fear borne from previous
hurts that need more healing? Do I choose my
assignments or simply hold back until asked to work?
Am I the gifted servant who doubled his talents, or am I
the rejected servant who was not productive?
We should all be aware of the spiritual gifts we have
been given and develop them, just as the woman in
Proverbs, who had honed her skills. Some of us have
gone through darkness in one way or another; and there
may be aspects of our lives that need healing, so that we
can utilize our gifts to the fullest. Let us make full use
of the teachings and retreats the community offers,
specially the Prayer Healing Seminar, and avail
ourselves of the trained counselors in community to help
see ourselves the way God sees us.
The word of God reminds us that we are all called to
grow in the grace of God, and to use our talents for our
own good and that of others. God has equipped us to
grow in holiness and live a new life in Christ, so that we
can become credible witnesses and bring forth new
disciples in His name. Let us be the good and faithful
servant, and share in our Master’s joy. As we take pause,
let us ask ourselves: What prevents us from being true
Christian disciples? Are we scared of the challenges to
be more like Christ? Scared
of the responsibility?
Let us resolve then to be
more productive spirits.
Woman of
Substance
“… older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink, teaching what is
good, so that they may train younger women to love their
husbands and children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good
homemakers, under the control of their husbands, so that
the word of God may not be discredited.” (Ti 2:3-5)
Indeed witnessing is a powerful tool. The caring words
we speak, the careful steps we take, the just actions and wise
decisions we make can convince a negative and doubtful
person to believe God’s words instead. Alternatively, our
insensitive words and actions can lead hopeful Christians
astray and cause unfavorable long-term consequences.
Regrettably, my countless inconsiderate actions and
hurtful words had negatively influenced my children’s
behavior. They had seen the way I maltreated their father,
how I took advantage of his kindness, and the many times I
refused to submit to him, and instead made myself the head
of the family. It was my way or the highway. I persistently
belittled my husband in front of my children, which I think
made it easy for them to dishonor their father. I was critical
of how my family acted and responded to issues, easily
succumbing to anger and frustration instead of listening and
understanding their concerns. Further, I worked all the time,
which made it too obvious to them that they were not my
priority. Consequently, they emulated these wrong
examples. They turned out to be grouchy, uncaring, irritable,
distant, and impatient… like me.
However, our God is a merciful and loving God. He did
not only save my marriage when He called me and my
spouse to join the ME, He also healed me, my children and
our relationship. He brought to light all the negative feelings
that were lodged in my heart for so many years and all the
hurts I had inflicted on my family. God gave me the grace to
forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Through constant prayer,
confession, and daily mass, I came to realize that by putting
God first, I can let go of my past, overcome sin, and strive to
live a holy life. Through God’s grace, I aim to be a good role
model to my children and encourage them to live a godly,
spirit-filled life.
Lord, thank you for making me see my brokenness.
Thank you for Your mercy and love. Please forgive me for
the times I have led my children astray because of my
selfishness and mistrust. Give me the grace to constantly
show Your love to them in word and deed, so they may be
inspired to live the Gospel, serve You without grumbling,
love You and the people around them unconditionally,
discern Your will in everything they do, and desire to
become a loving spouse and parent someday. May I give
You praise and glory all the days of my life. AMEN.
True Servant
“When
you have done all you have been
commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we
have done what we were obliged to do.’” (Lk 17:10)
Servanthood is an attitude exemplified by Jesus
Christ. All believers are called to be servants for the
glory of God, following Jesus Christ’s example of
selfless service. When we give Jesus Christ His
rightful place as Lord of our lives, His Lordship will
be expressed in the way we serve. Genuine service
cannot be separated from love. In 1 Cor 13, St. Paul
makes it clear that, unless our service is rooted in
love, it is meaningless. Serving God, out of a sense of
obligation or duty, apart from love for God, is not
what He desires. Rather, serving God should be our
natural, love-filled response to Him Who loved us first.
As true servants of Christ, we serve Him in the first
place, through others; and when we have done all
that’s commanded of us, we should be greatly
thankful to God for the grace, for the assistance of the
Holy Spirit, and for all the blessings which He gives
us. We are not to entertain the thought that God is
obliged to reward us, nor, for that matter, to conclude,
that our service merits any favors or gains.
Likewise, as we serve in the BLD Community, we
must serve like Jesus Christ served - selflessly and
with all humility - remembering that all our gifts come
from God and that we are just using these gifts as
commanded, for God’s greater honor and glory, and
not our own. Selfless service is not always easy. We
become tired. We may feel as though we are
unprepared to perform the specific task that God
desires of us. We may be inclined to become agitated
at those who do not cooperate or oppose our
endeavors. We may find ourselves burdened, while
our neighbors seem oblivious to all that remains to be
accomplished.
When tempted, we must recall the Good
Shepherd’s loving and peaceful service that excluded
all brooding, self-pity, hopelessness and anger. He did
not allow unfair malicious gossip or any other
negativity to stop His generous service, thus achieving
what His Father wanted.
As true servants, we must dispense with the
attitude of “entitlement,” but instead, see ourselves as
“unworthy servants,” unworthy of any praise, and just
keep on serving even when it hurts.
C O U N S E L S (from page 1)
given to us so that we
may continue to grow in
our Catholic faith and get
to know the Father more
so we can love Him more.
We must allow this
greater love we have for
the Lord to transform us
so our thoughts, words,
and actions will truly
reflect the love that He
has for all.
The Lord understands our human imperfections;
and He does not expect anything beyond what we are
capable of, as we strive to up-build His kingdom here
on earth. Let us not allow fear or the feeling of
inadequacy to envelope us, like the servant who
buried his talent and failed to utilize it. Let us trust
that the Holy Spirit will provide us with grace and
wisdom to carry out tasks that are asked of us in our
family, in our workplace, in our own parishes, and in
community. As we are faced with challenges in life,
let us always be open to the Holy Spirit to lead us so
we may be inspired to use our resources wisely to
achieve our set goals. While we rely on the Spirit to
embolden us to accomplish the work, let us continue
to serve with utmost humility. Let us always
remember that all the gifts we have been given are to
enable us to complete the purpose He has for us.
Let us ask ourselves these questions: Have we
given of ourselves fully so we can honestly say we
have used our gifts to glorify the Lord? How many
times have we hesitated to take on new assignments
in community as we are so afraid to get out of our
comfort zones? Let us reflect upon our lives since we
were called to renewal. Let us resolve to be fruitful
disciples of the Lord so that one day, when we come
before our Father, we will hear Him say:
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give
you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.” (Mt 25:23)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Exercise your spiritual gifts so you can be the light
to those in need.
2. Attend the community teachings and retreats
regularly.
3. Seek Spiritual Direction or Prayer Counseling.
A RIGHT TO LIFE
REFLECTION
Earlier last week, even before BLD’s First Friday
Mass where Fr. Frank Pavone of the Priests for Life was
going to be the main celebrant (or maybe because I knew
that was upcoming), I found myself re-visiting a YouTube video featuring the song “Life is Beautiful” from
the movie “October Baby.”
The movie, that some in BLD may remember seeing,
was about a college coed, who found out she was
adopted and whose many health issues were then
thought to be related to her very premature birth. She
was alive because of a “failed abortion” eighteen years
earlier and the movie was about her poignant search for
her birth mother. One of her questions for that birth
mother was this: “Why did you not want me?”
As I was listening again to that song, I found myself
in her place, imagining – what if I asked Father God this
similar question: “Father God...me, knowing who I am...
Why would You want me?”
Tears then welled up and gushed from my eyes when
in my thoughts I heard His answer:
“But I do want you… I want all of you…
In fact, I love you.”
Now, a week later, I can still hear Him, addressing
not only me, but all of us - yes, including the unborn:
“I do want you… In fact…
I love each and every one of you.”
SMILE THERAPY
One night, Sarah asked her dad to tuck her into bed.
After a brief prayer, she decided to ask him this burning
question: “Dad, where do people come from?”
Being the modern scientific man that he was, Sarah's
dad gently explained that a long time ago, there were
apes, Neanderthals and cavemen, and that eventually
from those, evolved man as we know him.
The next night, it was Mom’s turn to tuck Sarah in.
After a brief prayer, she asked her mom the same
question: “Mom, where do people come from?”
Mom then told Sarah about how our awesome God
created everything in six days and that on the seventh
day, God rested. And within that week, He also created
our first parents, Adam & Eve… and from them, we now
have man.
Puzzled, Sarah then protested: “But last night, Dad
said we came from the apes!”
To which, Mom, without missing a beat explained: “I
know why he said that… It’s because that’s his side of
the family.”
L O R D ’S P R O V IS IO N
PREVIOUS WEEK ’S
Collections
Actual
YTD
Tithe/Love Offering
$2,896
$130,486
Mission Collections
$262
$7,929
Financial details are available to all members through
[email protected]
Thank you for your continued support!
Stewardship – It’s a way of life!
T EACH ING C ALEND AR
Nov 21 - Intercessory Immersion – ME 41, SPE 15
- Service Immersion – ME 42
Venue: Divine Mercy Parish School Classrooms, Rahway, NJ
Time: Friday after worship
C OMM UN ITY C ALEND AR
MEDICAL MISSION 2015
February 16-19, 2015,
Koronadal City, So. Cotabato, Philippines
Volunteers needed.
If interested, please sign-up on or before December 15th
For details contact: Mel/Remy Hernandez
[email protected]
SAVE THE DATE!
MARCH FOR LIFE 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Washington DC
SAVE THE DATE!
YOUTH LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR
March 6-8, 2015 ~ Divine Mercy Parish, Rahway NJ
Contacts: [email protected]/[email protected]
Every last Friday of the month
from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm
St. Mary’s Church (DMP).
Date
Nov 21
Nov 28
Dec 5
Dec 12
Apostolate
Pastoral
Evangelization
Formation
Management
“Invest time with God
because it’s an investment
that lasts throughout eternity.”
-Victoria Osteen
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