You just giving me a headache..

stop.
being.
so.
dazzlingly.
amazing.

When God Calls. Do we actually leave our families?

When God Calls. Do we actually leave our families?
Fr. Jboy Gonzales SJ
1 October 2008 St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Job 9, 1-16; Psalm 88; Luke 9, 57-62

I learned the art of letting go when I was a Jesuit novice. Every semester we would transfer from one room to the other, leaving the furniture of the room there. All we have to carry are our basic things. Every time we transfer to a new room, we would decorate and re-arrange the room the way we want it. Sometimes, we get attached to the room perhaps because the location was better --- a good view of the greenery or it was near the common restroom (you don’t have to travel a long way at night)--- or we have decorated it so beautifully. The exercise was called, mutationes. It was supposed to help us get used to being transfered from one mission area, and increase our sense of mobility and availability.

I didn’t know that the Gospel today will have a concrete impact on my life. Letting go was not a matter of rooms, but a matter of ties. Jesus said that if anyone wanted to follow him, he should leave everything behind --- even the burial of one’s kin. My father died when I was a novice, a few months before the Jesuits asked me whether I would like to take my perpetual vows. I was in our remote mission area then, a good five-hour trek to inland Bukidnon, and I heard the news from the radio. But the Jesuits did not take to heart the Gospel’s leaving the family. They bought the tickets for my journey home to Bicol.

Does the Gospel really mean forgetting one’s kin and completely having no care at all to one’s loved one? Job in the first reading lost all of his property and his family despite his being a good and godly man?

My experience tells me to completely forget one’s family is brutal and cruel --- even to missionaries. We have many foreign Jesuits who died here in the Philippines, but have kept in touch with their families abroad. Our families are our lifeline and they are our support system. Jesus’ family and friends where with Him all through His mission. Many missionaries suffer great emotional upheavals when they learn about the misfortunes their families suffered --- a terminal illness, a financial trouble, death and in many cases, natural disasters. If there is one thing that shakes missionaries, whether religious or lay, it is the family. In my case, a large part of the suffering we encounter comes from not being able to support them except perhaps spiritually through prayers and masses. My consolation is in believing that spiritual gifts greatly helps. St. Therese of the Child Jesus is the patron of the missions, but she never left the convent. St. Francis Xavier SJ, is also a patron of the missions, but while he was out into the world, he kept the letters of St. Ignatius and his friends deep in his heart. They never “left” the people they loved.

With these two saints, the Gospel to me becomes clearer and so is the reason why the Jesuits arranged my journey home on that fateful March day in 1990. Discipleship is a matter of the heart: whether one leaves or one stays, a disciple’s heart is open to the future. A heart that welcomes new experiences and trusting they would also encounter God whether they are in the quiet of their room or overseas. It could also mean whether God would like us to try out a new way of evangelization and leave behind an outdated and ineffective way. It is a heart that is ready to go if God wills so, or stay if God wanted us to remain put. We are ready to just bring what we need, and leave anytime, anywhere. This is to me, great availability and mobility. We do have different loves, but the key is whom we love the most.

We now discover a fact. Those who have stable support systems are those who are ready to go wherever they are sent. They felt so much loved by their friends and families that they are so happy to share it to others. When we talk of availability and mobility in mission, we presume that that person experienced God’s love first. His availability and mobility is a response to that overflowing love.

Metro Manila Conference Production Team

ATTENTION!!

five... six..

5..6..7..8!

Calling all YFC dancer's!
Are you interested in joining the metrocon dance production team? Get up!
Pack your dancing shoes and Stuffs coz training starts on this coming OCTOBER 5, 2008 - SUNDAY!

txt EM at 09057414798
for more details!

we'll see you!
God bless!

YFC LIVE LOUD Praise Concert

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ,

We all know that singing is twice praying. And we YFC's never back down in giving our praises for the Lord. The YFC LiveLoud Concert 2008 is in its preparation stages, and we guarantee you that this concert will be one big shout out to our Savior.

We would like to inform you that we now have our official multiply site, yfcliveloud.multiply.com, up and running. Moments towards the newest event of YFC history can now be viewed with just one click!

We have been receiving alot of questions regarding the songs that you guys have made. We are truly honored to hear such enthusiast from everyone. In order to make things easier for everyone, we are giving you a NEW PROCESS for submitting your spirit-filled songs. FAST and STRESS FREE. Instead of uploading songs on the multiply site, for easier gathering of songs and security purposes, you can now send your songs to this email address yfcliveloud@yahoo.com.

As soon as we receive your song, we will send you a confirmation email to notify you that we have received your entry. Please make sure that your submitted entry is in mp3 format, together with chords, lyrics, short write-up or explanation of your song, your name, and area.

We can't wait to hear all your praises to our God! Let us all pray together for the success of the first ever YFC LiveLoud Concert!

LIVE in praise to God, LOUD enough for the ends of the world to hear.

Living Loud in Christ,

Goi Villegas

CFCYFC Missionary

+63920-919-2330

+63923-488-1915

Racing furiously..

Nung thursday night ko pa sna 'to ibblog eh, kaso tinamad ako..

Anyway, ayun,

1st time ko umuwi ng maaga from a ycom meeting.. Usually, I go out with (not actually out kc nsa mall pa dn nman kmi) to eat or play at timezone.

so umuwi kmi ni diane, pagpunta nmin sa pila ng jeep, sobrang haba, baka mauna pa umuwi yung mga ksma namin..

so we preferred to ride a bus coz we're itching to go home..

1st attempt: Nakakita kmi ng free running jeepney papunta sa rosario na hnd dumiretso sa pilahan, so hinabol namin.. We failed, dahil malalaking babae kmi ni diane, hnd kmi kasya (that sucks!)

2nd attempt and a success!

May dumaan ulit, hinabol namin ulit, success, nakasakay kmi.

Sa jeep, may kung anong hangin ang nagbuyo smin pra i-nosebleed ang ibang mga pasahero.. Prang kmi lng yung tao..:))

Then i felt it, yung right thing.. Eto tama 'to, nararamdaman ko na yung ako, kasi nawala. Namiss ko dn siguro si diane, pati yung pagiging mayabang at maging maarte, not mentioning SUPER arte..

3rd attempt: Dpat maghihiwaly na kmi ng jeep, eh prang ayoko pa, so may dumaan na2man, papuntang pasig palengke, hinabol na2man namin, at success.. At ang mga tao, nosebleed ulit..

Namiss ko si Diane, namiss ko maging mayabang, at maarte, SUPEr arte.. Namiss ko din si miko..:))

LAGABLAB Sectorcon!!

******************************************************************************
The BIGGEST and most awaited event ng taon ng mga YFC-CBians ay nandito na!!!
Ang PINAKAMALUPIT na event ng taon sa balwarte ng PASIG, PATEROS at TAGUIG is just around the corner!!!

***********************************************************************

YFC Central B

presents its

4th SectorConference

entitled

'Lagablab SectorCon'

"We love because God first loved us"
1 John 4:19

September 14 & 21, 2008

Be There!!!

*****************************************************************

Sept 14 - Eusebio HS - where it all began!!!
Sept 21- Pasig Catholic College - Aula Minor - where it will begin again!!!

registration is only P60.00 until September 14 and is P90.00 onwards..
experience the excitement first at hand!!!
See you there!!!
***********************************************************************************
BRING EVERYONE : )
YFC man o HINDI...
this Invitation is for everyone!!! (",)

Isang Maintrigang Buhay- from Nadine Estrella

Can you answer 50 questions about the
1st person that comes into your mind
right now?

Don’t change the person.

Does he or she have a
boyfriend/girlfriend??
-- meron.:(

How old is the person?
-- turning 20.

Has he/she ever cooked for you?
-- why would he do that?

Is this person older than you?
-- months.

Have you ever kissed this person?
-- wla akong balak.

Are you really close to him/her?'
-- oo ata. dati.

How many times do you talk to this person in a week?
-- everyday and everynight ata. dati.

Do you think he/she will repost this?
-- hnd. busy yun.

Could you live with this person?
-- oo siguro.

Why did you choose this person?
-- pra intriguing.:))

How long have you known this person??
-- a while.

Have you ever been to the mall with this person?
-- oo nman. madalas ata yun, until lately may nangyari.

Have you ever had a sleepover with this person?
-- counted ba ang training?

If you ever moved away would you miss this person?
-- we dont live in the same neighborhood, so well, i dunno.

Have you ever done something really stupid or illegal with this person?
-- i dunno. everything's been crazy when i'm with him.

Do you know everything about this person?
-- not evrything. i think not a bit. he's unpredictable.

Would you date this person’s siblings?
-- only child eh.

Have you ever made something for this person
-- stuff. service eh.

Have you ever worn this person’s clothes?
-- though tingin ko kasya, i would never do that.

Have you and your person made up a hand shake?
-- yep.

If it was “freaky friday” would you switch bodies with this person?
-- ay ayoko ata.

Have you ever heard this person sing?
-- hmm. most of the times.

Do you and this person have a saying?
-- eh yung kay doraemon. naaalala ko sya dun eh.

Do you know this person's multiply password?
-- hnd. youtube lng.

Have you and this person ever gotten into a fight or argument?
-- ngaun nga lng eh. indifferent na.

Have you and this person gone clubbing?
-- i don't think we would ever have a chance.

Do you know how to make this person feel happy?
-- hnd. he's unpredictable. pero masayahing bata.

Do you and this person talk a lot?
-- dati.

Do you like this person?
-- a bit.

Have you and this person got into a fight?
-- we are currently indifferent towards each other.

Do you want to go out with this person??
-- given the chances, i would. pero like we used to do with friends.

Do you want to be friends with him/her forever?
-- oo nman. but everything's been crazy lately.

Mag-comment nman please..