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IN
THIS ISSUE:
Cover
Page
From
the Head Servant
by Bro.
Pete Lapid
The
Father Speaks
By Fr.
Binzler, SJ
Our
Faith
By Fr.
KJ Veeger, MSC
Place
of Refuge
By
Philip Yuson
Surabaya
Corner
By
Ramon Martillano
Sharing
By Rita
Gomez
Here's
the Latest
By
Pinky Torres
Sharing
By Bro.
Alvin Barcelona
Sharing
By Joji ESCUBAN
By
Armand Sol
Saint
for the Month
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 - PROFILE
OF THE
- GENESIS
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
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- SHARING
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-
 My
daughter, Louise, recently joined her schoolmates for a hiking trip at
the Botanical Garden, Bogor. Prior
to the trip, she had been so excited and had been counting the days
and seconds until the most awaited day arrived.
As a parent, I was just as excited to know what transpired
during the trip and immediately called her up at home when she arrived
to ask how her day went. There was one particular incident during her trip she
narrated that inspired me to write this article.
As
Louise recounted the exciting activities she had during the whole
trip, she also mentioned about a classmate who had not been feeling
well and soiled his pants during the trip.
I asked her what was her classmate’s reaction to the incident
and she told me that he just laughed it off.
I told her that her classmate must be a good sport and asked
her gamely how she would have reacted if it had happened to her.
Would she be feeling very embarrassed, or even mad at herself
or her classmates who might be laughing at her?
My daughter answered me that such an incident will simply not
happen to her because she prays to Papa Jesus every night and asks Him
to bless her and protect her from any harm all the time.
Two
things struck me when I heard her response.
 First,
our (Larry and I) prayers that we may be able to raise a God loving
child, and Genesis’ commitment and efforts to minister to its young
members, have indeed not gone in vain.
As
an only child, Larry and I have been overly protective in raising her
up. While we realize that
we would have to allow her a certain degree of ‘space’ as she
grows up, we cannot help but feel anxious every time she is out of our
sight. At night, when I
kiss her to sleep and see how she has grown into a beautiful child, my
constant prayer is that we will continue to receive divine guidance in
raising her up. Acknowledging
that Larry and I cannot be with her all the time, I also pray that the
Lord who gave her to us will always embrace her with His protective
hands. The innocent and
spontaneous faith that my daughter manifested during our conversation
confirmed that the Lord is indeed working in her and molding her even
at such a young age.
The
Children's Ministry of the Community during Fridays is one of the
most-awaited weekly event not only by my daughter but also by most
children in our community. Again, as an only child, Louise cherished all the times she
could be with her friends, and her best friends happen to be also
young members of our community. Unknowingly
to my daughter (and I would say for most of the children), while what
she thought she enjoyed the most during the Friday Ministry was the
company of her friends, I could see that the Lord is actually working
in them and slowly molding them to be good Christians.
From her words and actions, I can see how her faith and trust
in the Lord has continually grown.
I salute the volunteer teachers/parents who share their time,
talents and ‘creativeness’ to make this Ministry an enjoyable time
for the children to know about the Lord.
Second,
my daughter’s so innocent and trusting faith in the Lord made me
realized in contrast the little faith I have.
If I could have even just half of her faith, I would not have
been so worried or anxious each time I am faced with a problem.
How I wish I could trust the Lord wholly and without doubt.
My life would have been much simpler and happier.
Our
children are a special gift from God.
There are so many reasons and incidents in our lives that make
them special, I cannot count them all. Raising our only daughter has
not been an easy task, but I guess that is what makes parenting more
special. At the end of
the day, when I watch her sleep contently, and sometimes with a smile
on her face, I could not ask for anything more.
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