This week in LifeTeen we did a module on the challenges to Worship and the Sacraments. It was a night focused on Apologetics – defense against erroneous teachings/misunderstandings. At our Core planning session, we went around the table and asked questions we thought our teens would ask. In our discussion, our teen leaders brought up a lot of relevant questions. This particular Core meeting wasn’t a forum to answer, but rather, an opportunity to gather and collect these questions to help guide our discussion for Sunday night. In some instances however, we started talking about some answers because, truth is, the leaders around that table were confused themselves. I was reminded about how young our teen leaders are, not so much in maturity as they’ve all demonstrated great levels of such, but rather they showed their youth in terms of their faith. I found myself nodding my head when I heard question after question, as if acknowledging the question but more so the mystery and richness behind it. At some of the questions, I thought to myself, “oh, that pesky question again.” I was surprised that I wasn’t itching to answer because, well, it wasn’t the time to do so. But I came to the realization that perhaps I’ve come to a balance in my faith-life.

I used to be a hothead when it came to Apologetics, I loved a good debate, heck, I used to entertain Jehovah’s Witnesses at my doorstep. The balance that I believe I’ve struck is that I’m secure enough in my faith and in it’s study, to simply rest in the embrace of God’s love for me. For example, the question regarding priestly confessions came up, “Why must we confess to a priest when in his humanity, he’s as much a sinner as we are”. At one point in my life I perhaps would have asked that same question and at another point, I could have jumped all over it. But when I heard it, I did neither. I simply thought…”Gee, thank God for the Sacrament of Reconciliation!”

Apologetics, isn’t about being right. It’s not about the conversation or argument either. It’s about the charity, it’s about the love shared when offering to such discussion. The goal of the church, in it’s infinite wisdom, is to love. It’s the bride of Christ, ready to fulfill His mission.

There is nothing in our faith/church that is without great meaning and purpose. That rings true more than ever. It is our mission and duty to teach others the depth of our traditions, but evenmoreso the love behind it all. That’s where the balance is struck.

This is certainly a change in lifestyle for me. I’ve had a smartphone since my Blackberry, even before smartphones were the norm. I’ve grown accustomed to checking my email, updating my status and tweets, keeping up with other people’s statuses and tweets, checking the weather, checking the news, and checking sports scores. In the race to be on top of all that information, I‘ve become tired and a bit encumbered, to be honest. To quote one of my dear friends, it’s about  less words and more meaning. Having access at our fingertips has changed us in society, in the quest of being more communicative, we’ve essentially forgotten how to communicate. I once took a picture of 3 people in my office, all on their cell phones. While there were 4 of us there, there really were none. Sometimes we hide behind texts, instant messages, blogs even because it’s easier to speak to screen than it is to a living breathing human being.

Have we become slaves to the information? Information really is there for us to use and seek at our own discretion. But in the wake of the information boom, we’ve become enslaved to the ideal that we just NEED to know or that we need to be available to the opportunity. I’ll tell you what I NEED. I need to be there for my wife and daughters. I need to give them my one hundred percent. I NEED to be there for my family, friends, and people who rely on me. I NEED not be inundated with the feeling that I need to check my phone every couple minutes to check the latest and greatest.

So, to combat this, I bought a dumbphone, a phone that just receives and sends calls and texts. It’ll save me money, time, and energy and of course I hope it’ll add to the quality of life that I truly desire.

Less words, more meaning.

Unplug.

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Sofia Margeaux
In August of 2011, Izza and I catered a baby shower/birthday party for our good friend’s son. All of our friends were there in attendance. While sitting with them at a table, we learned that our friends Jane and Francis were going to be blessed with a baby. Our other friends Bernardo and Leslie were(are) expecting a baby as well. We learned too that another couple was expecting. Izza and I joked that if we sat at this table any longer we’d be pregnant too. That night Izza had a dream that she was expecting. She woke and took a test, lo and behold, Baby #2 made herself known. We learned that we are going to be blessed with daughter #2, Sofia Margeaux. Sofia will join us in April. An Easter baby! Please pray for us!

Confirmation 2011 Retreat
In February we had our 3rd Confirmation retreat in the Santa Cruz mountains. This time we had old friends serve as the retreat team. The whole thing went really well and we saw a different result than in years past. The team and the teens gelled, and I was personally pleased with the result. The teens went away with a better sense of who they were in the eyes of God. Our CORE, was also galvanized in the wake of the retreat. Leaders like Sissy, Ball, Affle, MDC, Joseph, Josh, Joelle, Christian and more really shined! We had new friends like Sally, Kat, Deryk, and Bernardo really make an impact by sharing of themselves: their gifts and love. We finished the year off strong! Some of the teen leaders mentioned that if the retreat is such a positive experience and the class bonds, why not have the retreat earlier in the Confirmation season. That led us to…

Confirmation 2012 Retreat
Those remarks lead us to having our retreat in November of 2011, one month into the class. Our teen leaders are close in age to the teens themselves, so of course this was a no-brainer in terms of listening to them. The retreat itself continues to grow and become a well-oiled machine. While the team changed, the content and it’s execution continued to be strong and positive. Our retreat this year was great and I believe it will yield a lot of new leaders for the future.

Jenika Soars
At that Confirmation retreat last November, I asked a young leader to share a testimony to add to the Lazarus experience, our Reconciliation prayer service. This testimony is an integral piece to the Examination of Conscience process. This year I asked Jenika, one of my long-time young adult leaders to share her story. Her testimony touched a lot of people and helped them in the need for self-analysis and thus reconciliation with God whom we continue to abandon in our weakness. In the process she honored me in being a force in her life, in helping her on her path…my leaders truly are the ones who continue to show ME, Christ. Jenika soared that day, and continues to.

Babies
2011 was the year of the Baby Announcement. Our dear friends Bernardo and Leslie, Jane and Francis, Brian and Carmen all announced the blessed conceptions of their kids. We too joined the pack with our announcement of Sophia Margeaux who is to come in April. 2012 is going to be a blessed year for all of our families.

Zara in Pre-School
This year Izza and I saw that Zara has been maturing fast. We also recognized her desire to learn and soak up all that she came across. She loves to sing, she loves to repeat, she loves to be funny and outgoing. When September came around we knew that she’d benefit from being with other kids and the socialization a setting like that offers. Zara is doing well, she continues to learn, and each day she comes back with new experiences. I especially like our mornings together, while Izza goes to work I get the opportunity to get Zara ready, make her lunch, and walk her to school. These are moments I’ll always remember.

Keynote and Worship Leader for DSJ Retreat for Youth and Young Adult Coordinators
My good friend Steve Do, one of the Associates for Youth and Young Ministry for the Diocese of San Jose, asked me to once again minister and lead the praise and worship for the Youth and Young Adult Coordinators for their diocese. This year was different in that he asked me to Keynote the retreat as well. This was a personal challenge for me, since i had to minister to my peers. I just kept thinking that even Jesus wasn’t welcomed in his own town. Nonetheless, I took the charge and led a retreat based on the Eucharist, something that is near and dear to my heart. I used Matthew Kelly’s “The One Thing” as a reference point. It was a wonderful experience, and I do believe I was received well.

Camping
In July, we had our first every family camping trip in Livermore. It has always been a goal of mine to go camping at Yosemite,since I have never been. Our little family along with our friends Bernardo and Leslie, went to Lake Del Valle and spent two nights. We were all camping novices and found out quick how to take care of our camping business. Our first night we were rained upon even the skies were clear. We parked our tents where sprinklers watered. It was quite an adventure and a whole lot of fun. Our meals were awesome, our quality time was great, and our overall first experience camping was fantastic! Zara loves her Uncle B and Auntie ‘Lie.

Graduations
2011, I got to see the first class I ever Confirmed graduate. I had known these teens for 3 years, and I had seen them grow, It was great to see them walk, achieve a milestone, and send them off to college. I was very proud of our Seniors: Joseph, Allison, Chrystalle, Alyssa, Christian, Jessica, Malanie and many more.

The Fam is Off and Running
This year we celebrated my Mother’s 60th birthday by having a surprise party for 235 of her closest friends. She had no idea that this party was for her as she thought it was for Zara. She walked into the hall, perplexed and confused. My mom deserved that party and celebration for all that she does for this family. In a way the celebration was for my Dad as well. He has been her support all these years, to celebrate her was to celebrate him. I’m glad we could do this for the both of them.

Beth got engaged this past Christmas season to her boyfriend of 5 years in Mr. Michael Gamble. He popped the question at Christmas in the Park. 2012 is going to be a big planning year and we hold in ourselves a great anticipation for a beautiful life for Beth and Mike together. I love my sister dearly, she deserves all of life’s blessings.

We are all excited for the path my older sister is taking in her career and life, she is furthering her career across the pond in London, England. She leaves next week, literally. It’ll be a fresh start for her, and an exciting one. She’ll show them bloody Brits a thing or two about good ol’ American hard work. I’m just kidding. The Brits are lucky to have her.

Izza
My wife will always be my gem. She will always be the person I love most even above my children, but ofcourse not before God himself. Izza this year started a position at St. Joseph School. She was the interim Coordinator in charge of Liturgies and Prayer services taking over for a friend. She dove headfirst into this arena without hesitation and she soared. She led retreats, she wrote scripts and prayers, and I was very proud! She returned to SJC for the new school year as the Coordinator in charge of a new things called Project center and as a teacher’s aid. Izza never ceases to amaze me, 2012 is going to be a big year for her in terms of her career, her family life with Zara, Sofia and myself. I love her so much!

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I pray that your lives are as blessed as mine, I know that they are. Sometimes we just need to recognize that the blessings and miracles of God are abundant and that they are more ordinary and in plain sight than we realize.

God bless you!!

Marlo was a special kid, especially in my journey as a Youth minister. He has always grown up in a strong and faithful family. I’m glad that is still the case. Although he moved away, he still stays true to his roots, his family, his faith and his character. He’s still the same kid who used to come to my office and chat. The 3 of us sat there in the empty church reminiscing of the past, thinking about past friends, and past experiences. I loved it! It was a reminder of how far we’ve come, and a glimpse into how far we still have to go. And we carry on.

Their visit that night brought tears to my eyes. I was honored that they hadn’t forgotten me. I was honored that they valued our time together, that they take with them all that we shared in that group so many years ago. The message, the love that I share, the love of God that is shared in this very personal ministry is a message that resonates beyond time and space. It warms my heart to know that that was and is a light in their lives, and for Marlo and Angelique, their relationship. They heard the message loud and clear, they synthesized it, they integrated it into their very being, and they tied their character to God’s. For teens who go through these programs, that’s all I’ve ever hoped for. They might not remember every lesson, or word, but they’ll remember the love poured out.

I often pray for the teens of the past, I wonder how they are, and what they’re up to. Each teen that I’ve come across has a figurative candle that burns in my heart. It’s my prayer, it’s a light that flickers with hope for their future, their character, their connection to God…It also means, I’ll leave the light on for them.

Thank you Marlo and Angelique, thank you Jenika, Deedee, Allie, Aaron, Nebs, Steven, Alexa…Joseph, Chrys, C2, A2, Josh, Ad-Rock, Danielle, Ash, Morgana, Affs, Ateh Jo, MDC, Kristin, Brando, Abigail..and the countless others who’ve shared their journey. Thank you!

BOOMSHAKALAKA!!

Most of these sessions are more about listening than it is about me talking. People nowadays want to be heard. Our voices, individual and collective, compete with so many things so much so, that we crave simply for an ear to listen. Most of the time, that’s subconscious. I love just sitting down and sharing life…that’s certainly what we do – we share of our lives. That’s my job, I share life. That’s what God calls of each of us: to be like Christ…to share our lives, the goodness that is life.

Share your blessed life with others, it will enrich your own. That’s the genius of God – when you give it all away, you gain so much in return. I believe that people, myself included, fail to synthesize this in daily life. And those failures add up, becoming the defeats we experience. We feel devoid of God, we feel devoid of love. Then we try to fill our lives with temporal things to replace that feeling: we shop, we eat, we jump around in empty relationships. It’s a vicious cycle.

It’s uncanny to think that the faithful who live in poverty are amongst the happiest people in the world. They don’t have the things that stop them from seeing the ever-living, life-giving, eternal love that is God. The simple answer is just surrender and give of yourself, not just to Christ but also to our friends, family and even to the least. It’s a simple yet difficult thing to do, but it’s the best thing we can do…so please share your life and give of yourself.

According to Matthew Kelly, the essential purpose of life is to be the best version of yourself, simply put, it’s to be who you are and be the best at it. Doing so, glorifies the very God that gave you blessed life in the first place. In the church it’s called the universal call to holiness: to know God, serve God, love God and be happy. It’s plain, it’s simple, it’s easy…not really. Think about it, if it were easy, then there would really be no point now, would there? Truly, steel forged in fire is a lot more sturdy and reliable, than that which is not. Character dear friends is the fruit of our labor. Those with character aligned with God’s promise are those whom we consider truly inspirational, no? We call them Saints.

I’ve found my purpose but make no mistake about it, purpose doesn’t mean job. It doesn’t mean career. It doesn’t mean activity or even hobby. Purpose means that you’ve found the answer to that burning question, what does life mean? and how can we make it better? My essential purpose is to build the kingdom. You might be thinking, “well it’s easy for you to build the kingdom, you work for the church, it’s in your contract”. But I believe “building the kingdom”, much like our purpose is more than what I do here at work or at the church. Building the kingdom means that I must glorify God in all that I do. That means in everything that I do and say. It’s in how I act while in the spotlight and out of it.

Allow me to go out on a limb here and say, “building the kingdom” is YOUR essential purpose as well. Your soul is the kingdom and everything is cultivated there. Everything that springs forth from the fertile ground that is your soul, is by and for God’s kingdom. Imagine how our world and church would be if we all understood that. One of my teen leaders shared this comment at one of our Core meetings, she said that she thinks the world, our society, our lives… would be better if we took some time to ask, “well, how would God want me to approach that? what does God want for me? What is His will? how can I please God and not necessarily myself?”. That is building the kingdom, that is OUR essential purpose.

Let’s get to work.

I like this statement: The shortest distance to God is about 12 inches, from your head to your heart. There’s truth in that statement, when you can make a connection between what you know and what you feel, there’s no telling what could be accomplished because that’s certainly a knowledge reinforced by love. That’s the Spirit.

It begins with The Decision. I came to that decision, and I still “come” to that decision. It’s an ongoing thing. I am blessed to be able to touch Salvation History every day, in my line of work. I see the light-bulb turn on in the eyes of those I work with, those I minister with, and those I minister to. It’s amazing. But not everyone is as blessed as me. On the other side of the coin, unfortunately, I also see the flame flicker and oftentimes extinguish. It’s in these times, where the flames flicker, that we have to fall back on what we’ve experienced, what we know, and in whom we know (Christ Himself). In the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), Jesus tells Peter, James and John, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead”. He wanted them to hold on to that experience so that when they did minister (on their own) they’d have that special memory to see them through. They saw Jesus transfigured so that they too would be transfigured, again and again and again. WE are called to that too.

I think it’s funny that I took a short hiatus from the 35-day challenge only to return with this topic…can anyone say God’s providence?!? Good one, God!!!

Go do the 35-day Challenge at http://bob-rice.com/

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35-Day Spiritual Workout Challenge

At the Oakland Diocese Youth Day, Bob Rice, international and dynamic Catholic evangelist and speaker, told us all about this challenge on his website. By going to his website, every day we will get 4 verses from Scripture, a quote from a Saint or the Catechism, and reflection to apply it to our lives. Kyle Quan, one of my teens in Confirmation wanted to do the challenge with me, we wanted to take it a bit further and write personal reflections each day on Tumblr or Facebook Notes (while tagging whomever is doing the challenge with us). So there will be an entry everyday in reflection of this challenge.

He posted this: Does Membership in a church Forgive Sin? Does Doing Good works forgive Sins? Does Being Baptize forgive Sins, without having a true Relationship, knowledge, and confession of Jesus Christ? Is it something you do that gets you into heaven? Or is It having a true Loving Faith Relationship in Jesus Christ? Do we add our works to Gods work?

This was my response:

I think it needs to be clarified that while having a personal and intimate relationship with Christ is paramount to salvation, what comes after that, is just as important. I believe the statement needs to be expounded to uncover just what OUR role in this relationship with Christ looks like.

By virtue of the salvation given at the cross we are saved. Bottom line, Christ’s act on the cross is THE single sanctifying act of salvation for all who believe. But from a human perspective, it’s in how we live out that faith, that we can and should define and confirm whom we place our trust in. Our deeds and actions are a reflection of what we believe.

Did the bad thief on the cross gain salvation with his deathbed conversion? yes. But that’s God’s love, mercy, peace, and compassion at play. We are fortunate as people who have come to know Christ, that we are given a chance to revel in the glory that is his gift of salvation.

Where the rubber meets the road in terms of what we believe is when we “act” upon our relationship with Christ by “doing” that which our personal relationship prompts us to: to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), live out the Gospel Truth, love God, love neighbor, feed the hungry, visit the sick, clothe the naked. This all sounds rather labor intensive, doesn’t it? But we manifest our love for God, in service to Him because service to God involves conformity to God’s will.

The key is having that intimate relationship with Christ. And that looks different to everybody. For some, it means membership to a church, or acts of tradition, ritual, and devotion. We each find meaning in different ways, as these are gifts from God that serve as a conduit to knowing and loving Him more. At the very root of it all, is the goal of coming closer to Christ and striving for that personal relationship.

Do people go through the “motions” of church, action, and tradition in a lackadaisical manner? Yes, I don’t think there is anybody NOT guilty of that. But we have so many opportunities daily to return to Him, to reconcile our relationship with Him.

It IS enough to know Christ and have a personal relationship with Him, but if we don’t live out that lifestyle of worship that reflects the Holy Spirit, what’s it all worth then?

Just my 2 cents. God bless.

Faith by itself, without action is dead. -James 2:17

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We have to let that which we believe, that which we’ve learned and live it out. You can’t be a believer and continue to act in ways contrary to what you preach. It doesn’t work like that. We need to be people who have let the Gospel penetrate our very beings, and BE the walking billboards of that truth.