Recently nearly 90 people gathered for a Mass of transformation and celebration concluding Week 7 of our first Life in the Spirit Seminar since 2017. We came from many parishes looking for a closer relationship with our God and Creator. Our Pastor Father Tien Tran gave an inspiring testimony encouraging us to look for transformation in our lives and to hopefully become Christ bearers to all.
During Mass there was an aura of celebration as 56 souls began their journey into the fire of God’s Love. As we distributed gifts, prayer teams blessed those who asked for prayer. Then all gathered at the altar, St. Matthew’s Prayer Group and those newly Baptized in the Spirit. What a joyful gathering it was, hopeful and anxious to live a new life led by God’s Spirit.
My thoughts traveled back in time. In 1998 after I had completed my first Life in the Spirit Seminar. In one moment, my life changed from going to Mass if required to really loving Mass and asking “what would you like to accomplish with my help?” and finding out quickly that without God I could do nothing.
The love of God and his Holy Spirit had flowed into my soul quietly as I realized in my broken and sinful state he loved me just as I was. Once you have felt the love of God there is no turning back.
In that moment, May 11, 1998, I finally looked up at the crucifix and cried out, “Help me Lord, I am lost and have struggled in my ways. I quit. If you have something more for me, please show me.”
The fire began and I joined St. Matthew’s Prayer Group. I read the Bible, spiritual books, and every issue of The B.C. Catholic.
Soon I found myself researching, leading praise and worship meetings, shopping for our Religious Articles Room, and spreading devotion to Divine Mercy.
The Spirit of the Lord was upon me, for the Lord had appointed me to preach the Good News (Lk 4:17-18).
In Matthew 25:15-18, the Parable of the Talents tells us how wrong it was for the servant to hide his one talent and bury it. It is important for us to use our talents.
Our God is a giver of gifts. A God of Power who anoints all. As with Mother Mary we sing “My Soul magnifies the Lord. He has done great things through me.”
Now individually we can evangelize, lead worship, teach, sing praise music, serve others. Each using his gifts with God. For the Lord has appointed us. The Spirit of God is being poured out on his people. With God all becomes possible.
Diane Case
Surrey
Regarding your Dec. 1 story about the doctor who followed his conscience and left Crossroads Hospice, reading this article highlighted the culture of death that is now the new norm in our society.
About 25 years ago my mother was terminally ill with bone cancer. It was a painful death but she accepted it with dignity and strength of spirit. She chose to die at home and we had nursing aides come in to help with her personal care.
She was always happy to see my one-year-old daughter and her face lit up with a smile when we came, which was often.
To say that my mother’s journey was “joyful” would be accurate as she lived with a joyful spirit that never left her until her physical body gave out.
It was this observation of my mother’s journey that has reinforced my resolve to want this same dignified death given that was offered to my mother.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is not a natural end to life and is the beginning of genocide, a genocide of the sick, old, and sad.
Every person matters.
Nancy Palecek
Coquitlam
At the risk of offering puffed-up knowledge, it seems worthwhile to point out that the translation offered for Bishop Gary Franken’s lovely motto, caritas vero aedificat, “love truly edifies,” might have been better. The motto stems from 1 Cor. 8.1 scientia inflat caritas vero aedificat, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” So the vero should be translated not as “truly” but as “but,” as any English translation of 1 Corinthians confirms, as does the original Greek, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οἰκοδομεῖ.
David Mirhady
Burnaby
Thank you for the Dec. 19 article by Nicholas Elbers about the Gold Mass for scientists. There was a typo in my last name, which should be spelled Woollard.
Please let your readers know that the Society of Catholic Scientists in Vancouver is part of a 2000+ person global organization, including more than 100 in Canada. I’m only the president of the local chapter for Metro Vancouver, not only for UBC. The global president is Dr. Stephen Barr.
Please visit catholicscientists.org/leadership for more information.
Geoff Woollard
Vancouver
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