“The bridegroom does take a long time to come, doesn’t he!” says Daniela (pictured above), one of my babies from the Missionaries of Charity said as we waited for Father Severino to arrive to the mountain for their first communion. The kids were definitely excited to receive their first communion… and so was I!
Here are some pictures from this beautiful blessed celebration.
Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:9
This Sunday, on the feast of Christ the King, the children from Sister Candelaria, MC and my Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 2 class will be receiving their first communion. Very, very, excited!
This last Tuesday was our last parents’ reflection day. It has been a long 5 weeks of Tuesday afternoon trips to the mountains to meet with them, but 5 weeks of amazing time to share faith and excitement for this great moment in their children’s faith journies.
For the last talk, sister asked me to talk about the verse “Dichosos los invitados a la cena del Cordero” or in English, “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” which comes from Revelation 19:9
I decided to focus on the following part, which talks of those who are in the Lambs presence.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches* in their hands.
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they stand before God’s throne
and worship him day and night in his temple.
The one who sits on the throne will shelter them.They will not hunger or thirst anymore,
nor will the sun or any heat strike them.For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”Revelation 7: 9, 13-17
This really struck a chord with me because part of the First Communion retreat is a celebration in which the children receive a white tunic. Similar to the white tunics they received at baptism, they represent purity and living life without stain.
The verse that struck me the most is “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”. Truly, as sinners we are unable to walk throughout our lives without sinning and staining our white tunic, or compromising our purity with our actions, thoughts, deeds, and omisions. BUT, praise God we are able to draw ourselves closer to the Lord and receive His everlasting mercy through the Sacrament of confession – to truly wash our robes and make them white through the blood of the Lamb who is Jesus, our Lord.
I mean, practically speaking, white is by nature not an easy color to keep clean! Last year on the first day of school we had to wear our white polos and I stained it and couldn’t wear it the rest of the year, lol. And that’s just a material piece of cloth!
I think its fitting that we constanly think about the state of our tunics that we received at baptism. How clean is my robe in this very moment? Have I gone to have my tunic washed and made white? Am I being CAREFUL and PRUDENT so as to not stain my tunic or am I careless in my actions? Does this tunic have value for me?
Let us continue to strive forward in our walks of holiness so as to be able to arrive at the banquest of the Lamb with our robes without stain! 
The past two weekends I have been working with a group of young adults from Holy Cross parish in San Pedro Sula that are working toward starting a music ministry. A few of the members of their group attended a Pan de Vida retreat, and invited me to help them with the retreat, particularly with the music ministry.
Last weekend, I went up to San Pedro Sula to give them a mini-talk on music ministry and worship leading, and also to rehearse with them for an upcoming retreat, that took place this past weekend in Siguatepeque.
The retreat weekend was beautiful – there were over 100 youth from the parish that came to participate! The theme of the retreat was “Planted and built up in Christ, firm in the faith” the same as this past World Youth Day 2011.
This opportunity came up on such a whim, and I have realized that over the past few months that other opportunities have come up on “whims” such as this one – all of them amazing opportunities to serve the Lord in the way that I feel called to!
Last weekend at rehearsal with their band in San Pedro, they requested that I sing at the mass for World Mission Sunday. As Fr. Egar preached on life as a mission, I had to take a moment to reflect on my own life in that very instant.
He preached of mission as I myself was on a mission, and one that I knew God had truly put into my path and asked of me. “Is this really my life right now?” I thought to myself. And not in a bad way at all, but an amazed way. Reflecting on these past 3 years of mission and life abroad in central america, there have been many moments where I step back and look at my life and wonder – what the heck am I still doing here? But at the same time, everything inside of me is convinced that this is where God wants me to be right now.
There have been so many moments in this time where I’ve been in the middle of an intense situation, and in the midst of it all, I step out of myself and think – This is exactly where God wants me to be. When I lead worship for different youth groups and at retreats, I think to myself – wow… This is what I was made for.
And here I am. Three years later….here I am. Marvelling at God’s love for us and how he truly grants the desires of our hearts when we submit ourselves to His will. To think so many years I rebelled against Him for the sake of my own “happiness” and all of a sudden I realize that my happiness is all God ever had in mind.
To think that this particularly journey began by a leap of faith and trusting in God’s faithfulness and has now become not just an experience but my identify is beyond my understanding. It all seems so crazy.
This weekend we sang a song that truly spoke to my heart – It is called “Hasta La Locura” (Even in the Madness)
Here are the lyrics with the translation:
me puede faltar todo en la vida , (I could be lacking everything in life)
me puede faltar hasta la vida, (I could even lack life itself)
pero nunca quiero que me falte (But I never want to lack)
el deseo de amarte hasta el final (the desire to love you until the end)
hasta la locura te amo señor (even in the madness, I love you, Lord)
ya no quedan dudas en mi corazón (there’s no room for doubts in my heart)
de que te amo , de que te amo señor . (that I love you, that I love you, Lord)
quiero amarte hasta el extremo (I want to love you to the extreme)
sin rebasarme por entero , (Without leaving all of myself behind)
como los que sean enamorado (Like those who have fallen in love)
yo te canto mi amado hasta el final (I sing to you, my love, until the end)
Lord, even in the madness, I love you.
May I never be lacking in my heart the desire to love you more deeply.
Bendiciones,
Cecilia
Hermana Candelaria, MC and I have a level 2 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium that we have been teaching since February. The children are now preparing their first communion. It has been a beautiful, exciting time, as we enter into this mystery of God’s great love for us.
When preparing for the sacraments, there are 5 special meditations that are given on a day other than their normal catechesis day. Their parents also come for the meditations. Sister Candelaria gives the meditation to the children, and I am with their parents.
This past week, and every week for the next month, we traveled up to the aldea where our kids are from – El Paraíso. It is about 30-45 minutes away from the city, depending on the road’s condition. When one arrives, it becomes obvious as to why this village is named “Paradise”.
This week’s meditation was the true vine, based on John 15:1-11.
The Vine and the Branches.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
This meditation, combined with missions up to remote mountain villages to share the Gospel truly bring to mind the unity of Christ through His Church. Having recently gone to World Youth Day, I have experienced it in that way, as well, but it is a distinct experience to travel out to these places and know that even there, where sometimes priests are unable to celebrate mass regularly, where there is limited access to the sacraments…the faith is still ALIVE.
As a vine extensively stretches its branches out throughout the fields, as does the Bride of Christ. And how beautiful it is to know that as far as one may feel from their community, or as separated one may feel from their home, that we are all connected together by the vine, that is Christ Himself.
An excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI’s message for World Mission Sunday 2011
This is “the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize” (Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 14). Consequently she can never be closed in on herself. She is rooted in specific places in order to go beyond them. Her action, in adherence to Christ’s word and under the influence of his grace and his charity, is fully and currently present to all people and all peoples, to lead them to faith in Christ, (cf.Ad Gentes, n. 5).
This task has lost none of its urgency. Indeed “The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion… an overall view of the human race shows that this mission is still only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service” (John Paul II,Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, n. 1). We cannot reconcile ourselves to the thought that after 2,000 years there are still people who do not know Christ and have never heard his Message of salvation.
For more info check out: http://www.catholicismseries.com/
“If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the thought of Christ’s love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude.”
- St. Angela of Foligno
Yet another blessed Pan de Vida retreat this past weekend! AMEN.
After more than 7 years since my first powerful encounter with Christ in the Eucharist, and almost 3 years in Honduras serving on the retreat’s music ministry, I have lost count of how many retreats I have attended and served. None of them, however, have been as powerful for me as this past one.
Before this particularly retreat, after we had all come back after WYD, a lot of us on the team were hit with some major roadblocks, obstacles, and some spiritual warfare.
I was hit particularly hard to the point where I told the friars I was possibly not going to be going at all. Retrospectively looking at the situation (and acutally in the heat of the emotion as well) I knew that as strong as I felt about what was happening, it was not a reason NOT to go to the retreat. It’s really interesting to see how much the devil use our own feelings to blow things out of proportion…
A number of friars had told me that they still really hoped I would be serving, and Brother Miguel, who leads music with me, really encouraged me to go on a personal retreat and spend some time in solitude before making a solid decision. I took a two day silent solitude at the Missionaries of Charity’s home, and it was beautiful, healing, and growing experience. Needless to say, I decided to serve the retreat.
In many times during the Pan de Vida, when our band had downtime to just sit and be with Jesus, I could not help but look at the Host and truly marvel at the wonders He has done in my life through this Sacrament. During the vigil, although leading music, I was still in a very meditative and contemplative mood. As I watched the youth around me, shaking, crying, and truly ENCOUNTERING our Lord, I could not help but think of my first encounter with Him as well, where I truly KNEW for the first time in my life that He was not only real, but that He was REALLY there with me in that moment and in the host at every mass I had ever attended, even when I did not recognize or acknowledge Him.
As I continued to witness the miracles happening in my midst, I thought of something interesting. Friends of mine would joke around with me before saying that I would always have some amazing experience – and it was true. Every Youth 2000 for a few years in a row, there was not a time where I was not overwhelmed with God’s presence and received a ton of consolation. None of them, of course, even close to the first experience, but all impressive nonetheless. Since I moved to Honduras, however, that has NEVER happened. In serving all of these Pan de Vidas, masses, and other events, I can honestly say that consolation is something that I haven’t received. But the best part of it all is – I have reached a point in my faith where that no longer matters to me.
I continue to reflect on how, 7 almost 8 years ago, I experienced His love and mercy in such a real and profound way that my life is now completely different. I reflect on how it has been SO long since I’ve FELT that same feeling, and since I’ve HAD that same experience… but how at the same time – the lack of that feeling, the lack of that experience is not on obstacle for me – because that initial experience was SO REAL and so TANGIBLE that even in the midst of my emotions, doubts, and trials, there is nothing in me that could ever make me doubt Him and His Real Presence.
I guess in the midst of all this, what I’m trying to say is… I BELIEVE in this retreat. I know, because I am a product of it, and I am privileged to know young saints of my generation who have had major conversions because of His Eucharistic presence as revealed to them through this retreat.
I have been to many retreats in my life, a few in my BC days and a lot in my AD life, and what I love most and why I LOVE and believe in this retreat so much is because the master of the retreat is JESUS Himself. It is not about the music, the people giving the talks, the retreat team, the experience or even the participants – this retreat is all about JESUS and His Eucharistic presence. It is about bringing youth to HIM.
In today’s society, our youth are suffering from serious overstimulation. If things are not sensory overloaded, it doesn’t capture their attention. If they are not entertained, they are not interested. Youth ministry, in many ways, has changed to cater to the youth of today, which in and of itself is not bad. But when you don’t bring youth to mass because it’s boring, or you don’t take them to Adoration because they won’t be entertained, there is something wrong with that. It’s almost as if we don’t believe in Him or in the fact that He has the power to change hearts, not us.
Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these. -Matthew 19:14
She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” Matthew 9:21-22
Reconciliation.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. John 6:51
For more information about Pan de Vida retreats in California, visit their website:
For other retreats in the US visit Youth 2000′s website:
What an awesome, spirit filled weekend! Check out the pictures
Expect an update soon!
The theme song for World Youth Day says:
“Firmes en la fe, firmes en la fe,
caminamos en Cristo nuestro amigo, nuestro Señor.
(Firm in the faith, firm in the faith, we walk with Christ our friend, our Lord)
¡Gloria siempre a Él!
¡Gloria siempre a Él!
Caminamos en Cristo, firmes en la fe.
(Glory always to Him! Glory always to Him! We walk with Christ, firm in the faith)
Tu sangre nos renueva y nos embriaga, (your blood renews and inebriates us)
Tus pies nos encaminan a la vida, (your feet guide us to life)
Tus penas son el precio de mi alma, (your shames are the price of my soul)
Bautismo de mi carne en ti salvada, (the baptism of my soul, saved in you)
Encima de tu piedra edificada, (build on top of your rock)
Bebiendo de tu savia ensangrentada,(drinking from your bleeding sap)
¡Oh! Cristo nuestro Amigo, nuestro Señor,
¡Haznos firmes en Ti!
(O Christ our friend, our Lord, make us firm in you!)
As much as I did not particularly enjoy the theme song of World Youth Day, the title has come to me many times as a point of reference during reflection and processing.
I can honestly say that for many reasons I did not think I would be able to go to World Youth Day, and relied completely upon God’s providence – and sure enough it was his will that I go, and so.. I went!
There are so many different things I could focus on, so many crazy stories, heartbreaking/frustrating stories, as well as beautiful ones – but instead, I want to share just some general thoughts I have had processing what this pilgrimage was for me and where the Lord spoke to me most.
First and foremost, I had NO IDEA how spiritually thirsty Europe was. Of course, I was raised in the US and I do think I have a good grip on what damage the culture of death, moral relativism, and secularism have done to our nation and generation. Perhaps it’s because I have lived almost 3 years abroad, but I found myself in culture shock at the things I saw around me.
I think one of the biggest thorns for me this WYD was the lack of modesty. The sight of so many young people at a Catholic event walking around with super short shorts and with their tshirts rolled up under their bras was definitely alarming. Seeing this even among the volunteers definitely called me to remove the plank in my eye and stop judging those around me – but really, come on, is there really a need for walking around half-naked? Especially with so many priests and religious walking around? And I’m not only talking about girls, there were a lot of shirtly guys walking around, too!
Also, secular and inappropriate music being played at the Pope’s Arrival, before the Way of the Cross, and at the closing vigil? I’m sorry, but there are SO MANY good Catholic and Christian artists out there, I can’t even begin to fathom WHY there would be a need to play Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music” or Don Omar’s “Danza Kuduro” on the loud speakers? Especially after hearing this awesome preaching by Bishop Sam Aquila from Fargo. Not to mention with half-naked people dancing around while being soaked down with fire hoses. There were many moments at the bigger events where I felt like I was in the middle of a big street parade or rave and not World Youth Day.
One moment that particularly comes to mind was while our group was leading Holy Hour at the Youth 2000 Adoration site, which was located at the Iglesia San Jose – a block away from Plaza Cibeles where all of the big activities were taking place. In a moment of silence while Father was incensing the Blessed Sacrament, you could hear Lady Gaga playing outside in the street.
Praying and meditating during the course of World Youth Day and asking the Lord what He was calling me to do with this whole experience, I continued to sense that I was being called to a greater understanding of the cross. That when our Lord walked the Via Dolorosa, there were masses of crowds that also failed to acknowledge who He was, and continued on with what they did.
I also got the sense that the Lord was showing me His body – the Church. THIS is the Church. This is His Body. And not only that, but that if I was so alarmed at what I was seeing, if I was hurting for what I was seeing… what was I going to do about it?
In seeing a lot of what I saw, I know that the body is hurting in many ways. There is so much need of revival – a new generation, a new bapstism of the Holy Spirit – THIS is what we need!!!!
Though I didn’t care much for the melody, the lyrics scream and beg our Lord to make us FIRM in the faith. It talks of being built on the rock, renewed by His blood, baptized by His spirit…
And how true it is – we need to be FIRM in our faith… in THE faith…the Catholic faith!
Let us pray for our own personal conversions – if God lives in our hearts, then let us meditate on where we have constructed his Home – on stable or rocky ground?
Just got a chance to post the pictures from World Youth Day
Check out the “PHOTOS” section of the blog.
PAX.
