a colored spectrum

vocational callings

it simply amazes me to see how God's plans for us unfolds...
there is this cousin i have whom i never spoke much to, seen less than 10 times in this 21 yrs.
due to family conflicts and hurt between siblings of the previous generation,
my immediate family keeps a clear distance from Cherie's family.
whatever i heard about Cherie was through my great-grandma. jus part of family gossip.
she's recently left for Perth to study. i didn't know that.

it was only at CHOICE Weekend i met this other girl called Ada.
she is the typical convent girl, talkative and cheerful but really sweet.
little known was Cherie her best friend! i only found that out through the sharing sessions!
the world is so small... a cousin i don't bother talking to, a girl in my group,
and she excitedly sms my cousin that i was at the same camp!
my cousin was so surprised!
from there, my cousin added me on msn and now we're catching up on the lost years..

God has a plan for us, for the things that happen in our lives, for every person we meet.
God has planned a purpose for every encounter.
right now, my cousin is also comtemplating conversion to Catholicism.
we come from a Methodist family. conversions were few and objected.
i am the third converted Catholic in this huge family despite objections.
by re-encountering my cousin after so many years of lapsing,
i know that God would have planned for me to stand by my cousin too,
get to know her and love her, walk with her and pray for her.
may His will be done. Amen!

during this CHOICE Weekend,
we did a series of workshops, presentations, sharing sessions, group-discussions etc..
we even had a religious sister from the Canossian order
and a few married working couples to share their experiences with us.
topics discussed were: communication skills, marriage, fidelity, family building, children as a blessing, role of man and woman, parenting, hurt and reconciliation and our vocation.

i can't tell you much about the retreat, not coz i cannot but it's the experience that's difficult to put into words. however, i do strongly encourage everyone to attend the CHOICE Weekend.
it's designed for a secular audience, both non-Catholics and Catholics.
tt's why i felt that there wasn't sufficient time for personal devotion, prayers and worship.
ermm.. they have a very calm and peaceful prayer room though.

during this camp, i also met old friends, made new friends and reaffirmed my faith.
i felt welcomed and accepted in the small family of the Catholic Students Society,
but i also came to embrace the big faith family i share universally with other Catholics.
there're alwiz people out there praying for us. Alleluiah! let us pray for others too!

i did argued with one of the presentor with regards to role of modern women.
she said that girls do not need to study too much, for honours and masters etc..
coz ultimately we will be married and have kids.
by taking the matrimonial vow and marriage as a blessed sacrament,
our vocation would be to love and care for our family, raising a fruitful and healthy family.
thus high academic achievements would be less relevant.
it is good to have a normal degree to ease employment, but not a paper chase.

i on the other hand, argued that if men can engage in paper chase, why not women?
coz we are both equally endowed in our intellectual capacities.
since it is a God-given talent, we should be fruitful and glorify God through our work!
especially in Singapore's society, without a good honours or masters degree,
it is increasingly difficult to gain employment or climb the corporate ladder.
the demands of the society places such worldly emphasis on academic performance.

however, being a Catholic,
i have accept joyfully the role God has planned for me and adhere to the teachings of the Church.
from another perspective, it's fine to have engage in paper chase and achievements,
but not at the expense of the family. i can work,
but my main concern should be providing care, love and understanding towards my family.
instead of buying branded stuff, the money can be better used for charity works.
instead of lazing at home, time should be dedicated to doing voluntary work to serve the needy.
if we neglect our family, our loved ones, and the disadvantaged of the community,
then that is being irresponsible to our callings and not being a fruitful Christian.

posted by Veen @ 17:55