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Grace.
Discovery. Anticipation.
Those three words describe what remains in me from this past weekend.
Grace.
I received so much grace this weekend that I came home with
such a burst of energy and strength to go on with my everyday living
with a sense of Peace and Happiness in my work and at home. God
touched my heart countless times. He was present as I reunited with my
friends and family after being absent for so long. And of course, I
got to make new friends. I met a Chi Thao that weekend and knew it
must have been God’s work with her presence. She shared with us that
she was surfing the net and she came across our DH website. She saw
that there was going to be a Leadership/formation training that
weekend in NJ. With her being from NY, it was not long a trip, so she
signed up not knowing a thing about DH. In the end, she enjoyed it
very much and came home with new friends and new knowledge. I was
deeply touched by the dedication Co Chu Hoa Huy had in preparing and
cooking food for us ALL WEEKEND. They cooked a lot of good food for
us, different dishes for each meal. I know how much time and energy it
takes to cook a small meal, much less for 90 people. On the last day,
they packaged food for those going on the road with water included. I
saw Jesus as if it was He himself present through Co Chu and tears
came to my eyes as I silently thanked them for their love and care for
us. The adoration times, the workshop times, lunch/ dinner, and meet &
greet times were all full of God. =) I felt love in all those moments.
And that’s how I refueled on God and love before going home and
getting back to my daily life -very yeu doi.
Discovery.
I learned SO MUCH this past weekend. I learned how to
be a better person, especially that First Impressions are important. I
didn’t realize that we may have some bias when first meeting someone
just because of the way they look or dress or talk. We need to be
aware of that and offer it up to God to change our thoughts. The
workshop Cura Personalis really made an impact on me because I love
people. I love to meet new people, make people feel special and cared
for. I work with patients 40 hours a week. Cura Personalis taught me
that in order to care for others, I need to care for myself first. I
need to be more aware in balancing between work, rest, leisure and
prayer time; take better care of myself physically, eating healthy and
drinking enough water daily. When these needs are met, I will be able
to function more fully and energized to care for others better. We are
all guilty of working overload (whether it be studying late nights or
playing games all night, or anything else!) which can lead to
unhealthy eating and not enough sleep for our bodies. I also
discovered spiritual conversation. I learned that we need to
constantly listen to our feelings. What a wonderful way of listening
to how God works in us through others. Through my spiritual
conversation that weekend, I felt a confirmation of God’s love and
blessing for me. I learned the true meaning/definition of DH and it
has given me a clearer understanding as to why I am in DH and why I
love it so much. I learned the purpose of a DH group and the structure
of a group.
Anticipation.
I
learned that God is constantly calling us, calling us to respond to
HIS DREAM. So with that in mind, I am aware momently, especially when
something happens out of my control, not according to my plans, I stop
and ask God, "What are you calling me to do, Lord?" I am more open to
the unexpected and not to react with such negativity or frustration.
Coming home, I feel so excited and much anticipation for what is in
store for me by God. I know that He has a unique dream for each person
and I am ready to embark on this journey. He is constantly calling me
to him and is always here with me. He calls me to discover my personal
vocation, the one journey specifically for me. Be in constant
communion with God. At the airport that Sunday, our flight was delayed
a good 2.5 hours! I could have stayed to celebrate mass with everyone
before leaving! I felt a little disappointed and aggravated, but then
I stopped and asked God, "What are you trying to tell me or teach me
through this, Lord?" I listened. I felt a sudden peace. So, I took
that time to reflect on all my graces and gifts that I received from
the weekend, writing it down on my journal. Thank you Lord for that
time because now I have the chance to sit down and put those feelings
/ graces into a reflection to share with others.
Jesus, Pilgrim of Love.
Christmas this year
was a great one for me. The most wonderful time of the year just came
softly into my daily life, bringing the purest joy and the freshest
inspiration. My heart is wrapped warmly by all the wonders of this
season. One man is the reason for all this. A pilgrim that traveled
the longest journey. All the way from Above, from the highest sky to
the earth, into the womb of Mary. Divinity dwells in humanity. Without
yet seeing daylight, He had to leave Nazareth, traveled hundreds of
miles, across rivers and deserts, through valleys and mountains, to a
small village called
Bethlehem. Then, from
Bethlehem to Egypt,
He had to continue his journey. ..Why all these distances. Why all
these travels. Why all these sufferings. Why all these sacrifices.
Why. ..Because of Love. Because He loves us so much that nothing can
stop Him in finding our hearts; because that is where He wants to be.
This entire long journey just to dwell in our hearts. Forever.
I was so touched while contemplating baby Jesus, the youngest pilgrim
that traveled the longest journey. He had to go through so much when
He was still in the womb of Mother Mary and even in the earliest days
of his life on earth. All because of Love. All for mankind.
This image of Jesus-the first pilgrim-also brought back to me some
good memories of the Cura Personalis Leadership Training. I can still
hear some words of wisdom that Saint Ignatius tell us about
leadership: "We are all leaders. We are leading all the time. .."
"Becoming leader is an on-going process...Leadership is a never-ending
work..." "Leadership is not an act. It is my life, a way of living"
Yes. Jesus is the first and the perfect example of leadership for all
of us. A leader. A pilgrim. He is calling us to become like Him. He
had traveled all that distances to become one of us. To show how great
his Love is for us. Now He invites all of us to embark on the journey
of bringing Love to the world. Do you want to become like Jesus, a
pilgrim of Love? Come to Cura Personalis, that is where the journey
begins. See what graces are in store for you! What plans God has for
you. You will definitely not come home empty handed.
Much Love,
Tran Mai Hoang Dung & Thai Son
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