Happy Easter, Sisters and brothers :) We are still in the Easter season, are we not :) How did you celebrate Easter? We did urban mission during Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, knocking on doors of houses, entering shops, talking to street vendors and taxi-drivers, to talk to them about Holy Week and the Easter celebrations, including giving them hope and talking about faith in God. Some turned us away, others started off stony-faced but relaxed and smiled when they learned that we were working in coordination with the local parish, others started ranting about the Catholic Church, others were impassive, etc. It was hard work facing our own shyness and going against it to bridge the abyss between ourselves and strangers, but we did it and it was good. More people accepted us than turned us away or slammed their doors in our faces :) We were 20, in small groups of 2 or 3. Initially, we stuck together, but from the 2nd day, the others became more confident and began to go individually to the people. One woman said, "I've been selling here for the last 25 years and this is the first time that Catholics have come to talk to me about the faith. Thank you, please continue doing this." The parish priest was happy and also concurs with us about continuing to do the mission in his territory. Our youth are also happy and want to continue as well. So let's see how to organize it all :) Then from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday, we did the Easter Encounter. We were 30. It was nice and meaningful. After Easter, the people are on fire to do more mission, so let's see what we can do to be faithful to what the Lord is saying to us through His people :) But before we started, I went with others to the markets to ask for donations, as university students can't pay much. Again, we faced all sorts of reactions at the markets, similar to what we got on the streets, in shops and at the doors of houses. We then bought what was lacking, which was much less than if we had to buy it all. So let's see how things work out. It seems timely that Pope Francis is saying that we need to go our more. Maybe he read our prayer books :) So much for now, sisters :) Noel Fr. Noel Campos, a Verbum Dei missionary priest, is Singaporean by birth. He was assigned for a few years in the Philippines and is currently doing the mission in Colombia.
You can email him at [email protected].
VINCENT OWYONG
11/8/2015 09:43:37 pm
Hi Noel Campos, 11/9/2015 10:37:18 am
Hi Vincent,
Noel Campos
11/11/2015 03:07:55 am
Hi Vincent, thank-you for your email. I replied to you there :) Noel Comments are closed.
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