Something straight from the Book.

Just last week I attended a camp organised by the Penang Diocesan Campus Ministry, after the closing Mass which was also the Sunday Mass on Saturday evening, a group of us went out to a local 'coffee shop' and hung out. Not long after spending some time togther, Father David Reegan a Capuchin Priest joined us. It was rather interesting and very insightful to have a Capuchin Priest who's "specialty" is the Sacred Scriptures.

My gosh! 

He has the Bible at the tip of his fingers!

Not only he can quote it rather well, but he can explain it thoroughly and the meaning behind it.

For example during his sermon Fr. Reegan explained briefly the Gospel on that Sunday, it was the Gospel of John chapter 21. Jesus asked Peter three times "Do you love me?", to that Peter answered "You know that I love you" three times too; well Fr. Reegan taught us a whole new thing: that when Peter said love it was actually "like". The "like" meaning that Peter cannot love as how Jesus did and that was the love of "agape" a Greek word meaning unconditional love. So, Peter who was the man who Jesus asked to look after his sheep, himself couldn't love Jesus full-heartedly because he was afraid and also a man.

Well, during the "makan" session with him, a friend of mine from another university asked Father, how can we make our Catholic gatherings sustainable and another also asked how do we make our Catholic societies a little more stronger.

To that Fr. DR said this verse from the Bible:

Acts 2:42

It was a simple as that he said. The one thing that all Catholic societies or bodies need to do in order to last and to be established is:

1. Follow the teachings of the Apostles (and also the Church. Learning and sharing together about stuff like faith-knowledge, social issues and perhaps also Catholic living)
2. Fellowship (as in "makan-makan" together, hanging out)
3. Breaking of Bread (attending Mass)
4. Prayer (speaking to God)

He continued, just do this four things and the result is, well, look at the Church now; lasting over hundreds of centuries.

A simple advice and a deep and well needed one.

Thanks Father DR, it gave me some time to think about my own Catholic Society.

Check out:

the paragraph of the Bible verse here and also check out Lumen Gentium (a Vatican II document) paragraph 13.