The Shepherds and their flock. 🙂
While most students their age spent their summers abroad or interning, a group of young people spent their first week of June in the Office of Young People (OYP) at Lorong Low Koon discovering what God was saying to them. Christina Chua, a full time staff in OYP who led the first session on “The Father’s Heart” framed this year’s School of Christian Leadership through the eyes of God. She told this year’s 38 participants, “God looks at you all, and says over and over again, ‘Oh, my goodness’”.
To start off the second run of SOCL, the Chaplain of OYP, Father Jude David issued a challenge to the leaders attending the School from the various universities in Singapore (SIM, SMU, JCU, NUS, SMU, NTU, Yale-NUS, SUTD, SIT). He urged them to enthrone God and His Chuch as the foremost authority in their lives. He questioned the prevailing KPI (Key Performance Indicator) in universities.“In University, your quest must be Wisdom, not starting salary”, he urged.
From resting in the security of the Father, the participants were facilitated into the acknowledgement of sin and reconciliation with the Father. OYP staff, Edwyn de Souza, told participants that going to Heaven was not a matter of “being a good guy” but rather the perpetual recognition that “Jesus died for me and rose for my justification”.
Amelia Sunyuto, 20, from Church of St Bernadette, shared “I have always thought that I am unworthy because of my sins. For me, Jesus was someone who sat on His throne up there. However, during a personal prayer after a session, when I tried to talk to Him, I felt my burdens being lifted up. At night, after adoration, the lyrics “…come home running. He welcomes you with an open arms..” struck me. I broke down and cried. A vision of the younger me running towards Him as He welcomed me, hugged me tight and stroked my hair came into my head.”
The participants also discovered more about the Holy Spirit’s role in their own lives. During his session, Father Jude David told the participants, “Many of us have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit that we instead use to glorify ourselves. We are thieves of the Glory of God.”
Participants were further catechised on the role of Holy Spirit in sanctifying the Church, mission, the Gospel, liturgy, and daily life. The 9-day camp then introduced the participants to topics such as Wholeness and Fullness of Life, Prayer and the Word of God, Community, Discernment, and Christian Leadership through Discipleship.
However, the longest road is indeed from the head to the heart. The participants not only received nourishment for their minds, but had many opportunities to align their hearts with Jesus. Each day, the school would celebrate mass together. Father Jovita Ho (Chaplain of NUS Catholic Student Society), Father Samuel Lim (Chaplain of SMU’s Fides), and Father Brian De Souza (Archdioscesan Youth Chaplain), came to celebrate mass for the School, along with Father Jude David. The participants were encouraged to spend time in adoration. They were reminded that “ad-oratio” (mouth to mouth), was where the Holy Spirit was breathed into them.
This journey from the head to heart was deeply felt by Leonard Yap, 24, from the Church of St Vincent de Paul. He shared “I entered the camp grappling with a problem, that is that I cannot seem to empathise with someone who is neither my friend nor the type of person that I usually spend time with. However, during one of the praying over sessions, out of desperation I prayed to the Holy Spirit to descend upon me so I could empathise with my friends with the totality of my self. I am in awe at what the Holy Spirit has worked through me, and I am really glad. Most importantly, it mended the connection between my heart and mind. I could feel what i willed. To experience Christianity in the context and the totality of the human condition is a true blessing that fills me with joy.”
Denise Ng, 22, from Church of the Nativity, sums up OYP’s main aim: To raise up generation – who have fallen deeply in love with Christ, and His Church. She said,“During this SOCL, I was hit with the revelation that I am worthy of love simply because the Christ in me is worthy of love.”
Amen. Indeed, amen!