Living Water - March 18, 2011

And last but not least to our YLSS # 12 graduates, may you continue to live a new life in the Spirit.

May you become God's faithful and fruitful servants.

Congratulations to the YLSS # 12 graduates:

Angelica Buenaventura, Frances Bulan, Aaron De la Cruz, Nigel Delgra, Bridine Dias,

Kylie Dias, Lorraine Evangelista, Veronica Garcia, Miles Gargaritano, Robert Gonzalvez,

Ara Negapatan, Christian Nino Guevarra, Daniella Halili-Sychangco, Josh Logan, Skeete Jn Louis,

Tarah Joaquin, Amanda Jose, Bianca Martin, Eve Mercado, Ara Negapatan,

Feliz Prollamante, JV Prollamante, Michael Tolentino, Claire Villalon

SOLO PARENTS ENCOUNTER #10

Date: May 21-22, 2011 Location: Consolata Missionary Centre, Islington Avenue, Toronto

Invitees: widows, widowers, divorced, separated, singles with children, married whose spouse is working abroad, married with a spouse who is incapacitated or bedridden

Application Forms are available at the OLA Basement Hall.

Please submit completed forms to any member of SPE #9 Sponsoring Class or Solo Parents Ministry

Toronto Teaching Schedule For a complete and up-to-date Teaching Schedule, visit: www.bldtoronto.com

Date Time Topic Venue Attendees

Mar 19 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Prayer Leadership/

Charismata OLA Hall

LSS 23 & 24

LSS 25 who are Service

Ministry Members

Mar 26 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Healing and Deliverance Chapel LSS 22 & Prior

Living Water - March 18, 2011

March 18, 2011

BUKÁS-LOÓB SA DIYÓS • OPEN IN SPIRIT TO GOD Toronto District

www.bldworld.org www.bldtoronto.com

THEME:

‚Those who obey the Word of God will grow

in holiness.‛

WORD:

Gn 12:1-4; Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; 2 Tim 1:8-10; Mt

17:1-19

ORDER:

“Listen to Him” (Mt 17:5)

‚Get up and do not be afraid” (Mt 17:7)

REFLECTION:

A glimpse of heaven, that is what Jesus is re-

vealing to us, as we reflect on the gospel of the

Transfiguration. But there is much more to the

event than meets the eye. As always the em-

pathic teacher who never forgets our human

limitations, our Lord Jesus Christ challenges us

to look beyond the physical, or what we can

perceive with our eyes. For there is so much

more He could offer us than our finite mind

can grasp. Thus, in the transfigured Jesus, we

catch a glimpse that is sufficient to entice us to

look past our earthly life to the hidden future

beyond. The Transfiguration should prod us to

examine Jesus more closely, know more about

Him, and follow in His footsteps. Simply put,

the Transfiguration of Jesus is a message of

hope.

Our Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent start

off with the call to Abraham to be the father of

many nations. How he was to be the father of

many nations when his wife was barren and

was well past childbearing age is a marvel of

Second Sunday of Lent

Living Water - March 18, 2011

God’s special favor. Mesopotamia at that time was a wealthy and developed nation. But invasion

by a foreign power brought political upheaval and confusion among the people. Many migrated to

other lands, Abraham’s family among them. But Abraham’s case was different. God issued His call

to Abraham to leave Mesopotamia to travel to some unknown destination at this time, but his deci-

sion to move was in response to God’s direct intervention, manifested through a visit to Abraham’s

home by an angel. With this direction came the promise, that he will be a father, not only of a son

born to Sarah in her old age, but also, of a people chosen by God.

Abraham and his wife Sarah were people of ample means. They owned vast tracks of land and livestock. Materially, they were comfortably well-off. It must have been difficult for him to uproot himself, leave his country and kinsfolk, to travel to an unknown, strange destination. But through subsequent unfolding events, he recognized the voice of God and accepted His will, putting his faith entirely on God and trusting that, wherever God may lead him, the Lord will be faithful to fulfill His promise.

Abraham’s call is akin to our own calling. We have the same choice to make. God proposes to us a life of peace, love and joy. A life of prosperity and blessings, and the ultimate promise of eternal life with Him in heaven where His kingdom reigns, despite the many challenges and problems we encounter in this world. Just as Abraham had to make the choice to leave the security of his home-land to travel to an unknown promised land, we too face the decision to move out of our comfort zones and redirect our footsteps to where the Lord wants to lead us. It is a call to faith, and the re-sponse required of us is to trust in God. It is faith in action, believing in the God we do not see, but knowing He is for real. Jesus was sent by God Himself. God is reaching out to us, through His Son Jesus, who came in human form - flesh and blood like us - to make God real and tangible for us. Like us, Jesus was called by the Father, to be our model and guide. And Jesus responded with a ‘Yes Father. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

In the 2nd Reading, St. Paul exhorts us ‚to bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to His own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus…‛ It is not because we merited it that Jesus died for us, but in obedience to the will of the Father. That is why St. Paul urges us to be thankful always, to be grateful that Christ loved us enough to lay down his life for us and to emulate – in our readiness to die to ourselves and our willfulness – His loving obedience to the Father’s will.

The life of Jesus on earth describes a process we all go through – Passion, Death and Resurrection, PDR for short. Like our life, that of Christ’s was not an easy ride. No one is exempt from PDR. It is our response to the call of faith that matters. Every moment of the day, we are called by God to look to Jesus and to respond as Jesus would have responded, for He is ‚The Way, the Truth and the Life‛ and no one goes to the Father except through Him. Jesus gave His life because of love. Love for us, and love for the Father who greatly loves us. It was God’s design that His only begot-ten Son should die on the cross to deliver us from the power of sin and death. Jesus stood in the gap for us, to avert God’s wrath, and, walking in His righteousness, we enter into that glorious Promised Land – eternal life in the kingdom of His Father. We claim His promise for the week: “<I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.‛ (Gen 12:2)

Living Water - March 18, 2011

For God Himself introduced Jesus to us, ‚This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him‛.(Mt 17:5) Jesus’ transfiguration gives us the hope that though the road may be long and nar-row, and the going is hard and tough, the ray of His light will never fail to shine forth for us to illu-mine our path and help raise us up when we stumble and fall, that we may walk again, and finish the race to receive the prize of eternal life with Him in heaven. -(WSC Reflection Guide, BLD ECSL Manila)

DIRECTION:

In everything, rely on the power of God.

Remain and live in His presence.

.GOD’S PROMISE:

“I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Gen 12:2)

2011 Youth Life in the Spirit Seminar #12 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Rev 3:20)

The BLD Toronto Youth Ministry YLSS # 12 has come and gone so quickly. We praise and thank

the Lord for the twenty-four young people who have opened the door of their hearts to Jesus dur-

ing the YLSS # 12. It was a very solemn and spirit filled weekend which started with the Invocation

Mass on that Friday presided by the awesome and dynamic Fr. Hansoo Park, Director of Vocation

of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Both the adult and youth members of the community just loved his

homily and various talks. As Anselle Calanog of St. Catharines said: "He is definitely one of the

best speakers. He knows how to talk to us, young adults." Another youth said, "He is funny. May

he live long." The weekend would not have been complete without the inspiring and touching life

experiences of Alyssa Andino and Kevin Jacinto of the Youth Ministry and Jeff Buado ex Youth

and now of the Singles Ministry.

We would like to thank all the shepherds and co-shepherds, sharers, praisers , auxies and the YLSS

# 12 coordinators, Kyle Fernandez and Nicole Tolentino, who had done a marvelous job. We also

like to thank the adult members of our Youth Ministry: Nick and Remy Tolentino, Rome and

Phoebe Ouano, Danny and Tess Sorromero, Henry and Lou Mariano and Rene and Imee Cabusas

for jobs well done. To the members of the different Ministries who helped us, thank you so much

for all the support and guidance you gave us. We greatly appreciate the people who generously

donated money, delicious food and volunteered their time to help out. Tito Ed and Tita Lu Dum-

lao, DCS - Pastoral, thank you for your continued guidance and support to the Youth Ministry. We

could just hear the Lord saying to all of you, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faith-

ful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's hapiness!'.(Mt

25:23) -continued on page 4