#vivonnet2015

Hebrews 12:1-2 ↘

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are on the home stretch, friends!

I have been sooo slack with this whole blog thing!

What a crazy 10 months it has been. Jesus has really been working in and opening my heart, especially as I continue to discern wherever next year will take me. And has Jesus been opening some doors over the last week! 

All the credit to Him though, because I am continually reminded that everything happens for a reason; that everything I have gone through, everything I have learnt over the years has helped me in my everyday life or in my ministry in one way or another. 

Our Thanksgiving Mass is on this Saturday; as of 3.30pm November 21, I am officially finished with my year of mission with NET. Approximately 13 days, 22 hours, 55 minutes away (not that anyone is counting). That is 13 days, 22 hours, 55 minutes left of running the race; of being with my wonderful team, of my sisterhood, of investing in this ministry I have been called to - a race that I have found exhilarating, a race I’ve fallen from a number of times, a race I have found difficult, grueling, painful, yet many times also full of joy, love and growth.

Please continue to pray for me, for my team, for the other NETters, for the staff; and for all people who will be serving in some way with NET. 

“The Christian life consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love.” – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

So it's one of those days that I really miss home. Tomorrow is the long-awaited fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. If I were at home and PacMan was fighting.... I would be getting real pumped to gatecrash a family friend's house to watch the match and eat food all arvo. All the Titas and my mama would be screaming at the TV and all the Titos would be coaching Manny from the couch. It's the little things that are really making me miss home.. But I know I am called to something great this year. (and also comforted at the fact that there is just over a month left until our mid-year break!!!!) My sisters and I started our day off at a Women's brunch hosted by the Emmanuel Community this morning and the lovely, amazing and beautiful Renee Doyle spoke on 'Women in Mission' (the UQtie ladies got a little shoutout, hehe) and she inspired me - and the rest of the room too I'm sure - to really look at the ordinariness of life with eyes of mission.

"Women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling." -- JPII, Mulieris Dignitatem (The Dignity and Vocation of Women) 1988

I have been encouraged by our dear pastoral care coordinator to take some time out for/by myself. So here I am trying to have a proper day off - complete with a cuppa, laptop, journal, bible and a special appearance by our sisterhood’s nail polish stash. It has been a while since I posted anything! We have been at the University of Queensland for six weeks now and have officially kicked off our ministry at UQ - faith studies, discipling, accompanying students, trying to increase the Catholic identity on campus.  Over the last 3 months I have become more self-aware of myself - my habits, strengths, weaknesses. I have also found that I am also more attune to Jesus speaking to my life. Our supervisor visit a couple of weeks ago was so much fun, but was also very confronting - one of the roughest things as a sanguine-phlegmatic (in my case anyway) is external parties pointing out areas of improvement - hearing that you could improve, that you could do better & be better as a team leader, sister, campus minister.  In my personal attempts to take on this challenge to be better, more, great - the clogs in my head have perhaps been working a little too hard. Headaches, nausea, tense shoulders, jaw clenching, bizarre dreams.. which then culminated into a casual panic attack last week (which was a fairly terrifying experience in itself.) And so, over the last couple of weeks I have found myself on this major spiritual journey - painful and uncomfortable - but a time of real refinement. I have been getting a real sense of being pushed outside of my comfort zone by Jesus; of being challenged to go beyond myself and what I have come to believe are my limits. This has put a bit of a weight on my heart, but as a good friend of mine often reminds me, “when you do something outside of your comfort zone, your comfort zone gets bigger.”  Through this, I’ve felt the importance in asking the big guy upstairs for the grace to find joy in the suffering, especially as I read St Therese of Lisieux’s autobiography:

One cannot attain the end without adopting the means, and as Our Lord made me understand that it was by the Cross He would give me souls, the more crosses I met with, the stronger grew my attraction to suffering.

The lives and intercession of the Church’s saints has also been an inspiration lately. Just the concept that the Catholic Church is beyond that on earth.. that we have a whole army praying with us and for us in Heaven - is that not such a comforting thought!? One big thing I have found helpful (and am working on being better at) is being still and allowing myself time alone to reflect and process the kazillion things running through my mind. I ask whoever might be reading this to please pray for me and my team as we continue our mission to sow seeds all over campus!

Today has been a great day off. Praise Jesus for rest!

Just a little something I found in my journal from a year ago which I thought was fitting with today’s Gospel of the Prodigal Son:

You are forever calling your flock to come to you Those who are lost, hurt, broken. Though we wander Lord, you call us back to you. We tread on paths leading us away from you; dark roads, poor situations. You give us the freedom to roam; We are not bound with leashes or obligations. You know our limits. You know when to challenge us, yet you know when to provide relief. You wait for us to come back to you. Your arms are wide open. We come home to you - you are home.