Insights & highlights during the Christ the King Rally - 2010
Christ the King Rally 2010
St. Michael College, Toronto
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace that we have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
This year's Christ the King Rally was held at St. Michael College located at Bathurst Street corner St. Clair. The theme of the Rally for this year is "It is by God's grace that you have been saved."
The first speaker was Fr. Shane Varghese, a Redemptorist Priest presently serving at St. Patrick's Church in Toronto.
He started off with a prayer emphasizing that through Divine Mercy, God called each one of us by name, quoting Jer. 29:11 - I have plans for you, for your well being and not for your destruction, that I have come that you may have life, life with abundance, even when you walk through fire they will not consume you, when you walk through raging waters they shall not overcome you, for I am with you even through the ends of the earth and I have formed you in the palms of my hand.
Fr. Varghese recounted the last and final moments of Sis Faustina while she was sick and in extreme pain and physically hurting that she wrote in her diary. He said that St Faustina, out of her tremendous and extremely passionate love for our Lord Jesus Christ, offered her life for the salvation of the human race, and would soon become the messenger of His mercy and love. This was revealed to her by God during the last and final moments of her life, when she was suffering from a sickness, in agony and extreme pain. While praying the Divine Mercy chaplet, the voice of the Lord came to her, to the very core of her heart saying, "offer your pain and suffering for your own salvation and for the salvation of the human race, and you will be my messenger of mercy and grace". The Lord told her to offer her pains for the conversion of His people. From then on, with the constant intercession of St. Faustina, a lot of people were converted and the prayers of suffering people were heard by our Lord Jesus.
Why do bad things happen to good people, why do people who believe in God go through a lot of suffering? He said that this question keeps nagging us every moment of our lives. The answer to this question is found in the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. He quoted Romans 8:35, 37-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, anguish persecution or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers or sword? No, in all of this, we are more than conquerors, thanks to him who has loved us. I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers, were they from heaven or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever will separate us from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord."
With this verse, we can say that there is hope; there is meaning in our suffering and trials. We may be encountering financial difficulties, family problems, health problems, fears, and anxieties, but the Lord is inviting us to believe and trust in Him. We have a God who strengthens us, redeem us from our sins, and defeated death by dying on the cross. The cross is the sign of our victory over sin and death.
He told a story about a young girl in India who was sick with blood cancer. He was called to anoint the girl. When he saw the girl, he can tell by the looks of her that the is in so much pain and suffering, skin was so dry maybe because of the medicines she's taking or by the treatment given to her for her sickness. He cannot offer anything for the child but his tears and his prayers. The parents of the girl were blaming God for what happened to their only child. But what is amazing was that you cannot see any bitterness or grief on the child. The girl told him not to cry. She just smiled and reached for my hand and asked that they pray together for she's going to be with her Jesus.
The girl was preaching the love of Jesus, the good news of hope, the good news of salvation. Like St. Faustina, the girl did not think about her sickness, about her suffering, but she was so hopeful to see Jesus, the God of mercy and love.
He reflected on Romans 8 he read earlier "Not even death can separate us, not the suffering, not the pains, not the problems. Do not be discouraged for I am with you". Jesus the Divine Mercy, our healer, the one who sets us free, has filled us with true joy. God loves us so dearly like the father in the parable of the prodigal son who was so happy to see his long lost son, or the good shepherd in the parable of the lost sheep that will leave the 99 and look for the one who has gone astray, until he finds it.
That is the divine mercy of God. He loves each one of us and He will offer His life repeatedly just to save us. The blood and water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus when He died on cross, serve as a fountain of His mercy and love for us. This is the healing love of Christ. And finally, he said that God is inviting us to experience new life, healing and love, and that the only way to do it is to go back to Jesus and to witness to his everlasting love, mercy and grace.
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The second speaker was Deacon Carlos Nogueira. He was ordained a permanent deacon in 1996. He is the Archbishop's Liaison to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Toronto since 2001. He has a tremendous love for young people and works extensively with youth, marriage preparation, and the Christian Family Movement. He has been blessed with the gifts of preaching and discernment.
Deacon Noguiera emphasized the following:
- He said that the Holy Spirit is manifesting to us in so many ways.
Even in simple ways, like holding hands lovingly with others is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Many times in our lives, we got lost, problems, persecutions, tribulations, and oppressions come. When tribulations come, we have to thank God because we never know his plans; it may be for our own good. Nobody can fathom the mind of God. God always make a sign through the Holy Spirit.
- God's grace is abounding.
We don't even deserve His grace. Because we are sinners and we sin repeatedly, again and again. But God loves us even if we are sinning. His grace is freely available and God has it for us in abundance. He said that without God's grace, we will perish, we will not survive. He quoted John 10:10-11. have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
- Jesus wants to be reconciled to us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- During the Mass. Jesus is giving himself repeatedly in the Holy Eucharist. We eat the body and blood of Jesus so that we become what we eat. He wants us to become like Him.
- He gives Himself in fellowship. In prayer meetings or in fellowships, He wants us to pray for one another. Jesus wants us to minister to one another. He uses everybody to deliver His love and grace.
- In healing services. Jesus also grants His healing grace when we pray for our brothers and sisters who are sick.
- While praying the Rosary. Some people say that praying the Rosary is not in the Bible. But he said it is. The Virgin Mary intercedes for us to her Son Jesus Christ. We have to be happy that we found Jesus through our Blessed Virgin Mary.
- In Praise and Worship. We see the real beauty of God, and we enter into the heart of God during our praise and worship services, in our singing and dancing. Some people say we look crazy when we sing and dance during our praise and worship, but we want to be crazy for Jesus.
- Jesus is offering us His unlimited grace.
Jesus wants us to give our burden to Him, and He will give the fullness of life. We can call Him Abba Father, Daddy. A father knows what is best for us, what we need. A lot of sinners and non-believers were renewed by God's grace. God makes everything new in them and people will no longer recognize them because they are now brand new people. Jesus is asking us to give our problems and cares to Him so that our yoke would be light. In the Bible, Jesus said, "I will give you rest". We have to trust Him. He jokingly said, if we sit with Jesus, He will give us a massage.
- God empowers us.
Jesus has provided ways to empower His people. We can do a lot of things to contribute to an answered prayer. The Charismatics, with their God-given gifts are doing it today. They minister to their brothers and sisters by praying for the healing of their sickness, for a peaceful life, or by simply talking about how good our God is. He wants us to introduce Him to those who don't believe on Him. Jesus is expecting us to do a lot of things for Him. We can do it because He will empower us and thanks to our King Jesus who empowers us. Amen.
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A skit about God's love followed presented by the Youth Ministry.
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The third speaker is our Most Reverend William McGrattan. He is the Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto - Central Pastoral Region and Lay Movements.
He started by thanking all the organizers of the Rally for making the event a success and the congregation for coming, for responding to the call of our Lord to honor and glorify Him through the Rally.
He discussed the significance of our faith in seeking God's Kingdom. He said that as we look at the Cross, we can see a certain glory- a certain kingship. It is a sign of victory over a battle. Our Lord Jesus is challenging us to deepen our faith and love to Him. Those who are killed because of their faith receive the title of martyr. We can show our love to God by helping those who are oppressed. There are ways to help the oppressed:
- Prayer - extend our love by praying for them
- Welcome them - one way is to open our country to the oppressed, open our home and our church.
- Reawaken ourselves, deepen our faith and show solidarity, renew each other in the power of the spirit.
He encouraged everybody to change their attitudes and to live more in integrity and not to be superficial. Let change begin with our faith, by striving to follow Christ and fulfill His commands every moment of our lives. All of us should live in Christ, his passion, and allow the kingdom of God to be more present in our lives.
He continued to say that God revealed His Kingdom twice. First, in the garden of Gethsemane, while Jesus was praying, He said "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it." Then, a little while later, He said, "If this cup cannot pass by, but I must drink it, your will be done!" Matthew 26:42 The perfection of Christ came to life in Jesus Christ to save the world. Second, when Jesus Christ was dying on the Cross, He said "it is finished, it is done". And so the completion of God's Kingdom is seen and the struggle is over. Victory is now ours.
Bishop Mcgrattan said that for us to experience the exactness of God, we have to:
- Open our hearts to receive His grace, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. We need to repent, seek healing and forgiveness because when we are weak, He is strong. Let us experience that wonderful feeling when we forgive others. Receive the gift of healing in the sacrament of reconciliation.
- Trust that he desires to work and accomplish in us His kingdom. Trust in the Lord and not your own understanding. Having been healed and reconciled make us trust God in the exactness of God.
He shared a story about a fund-raising that he attended. It was a fund-raising campaign for the deaf. They cannot hear anything from the outside world, but you can see their joy in communicating their love for each other. Their suffering brought them closer. They did not let their physical disabilities get in the way to expressing their love to others. They have their own language and signs on how to praise God. He stressed that we should not allow our suffering separates us but it has to bring us closer to each other and to God. And we Christians can alleviate the suffering of others by showing that we care, by showing our love to them.
He went on to say that the Saints are the visible and tangible evidence of the goodness of God. They are the living reminder that Christ is alive. Just like St. Faustina whose faith did not falter despite her physical pain and suffering. The lives of these Saints inspire us to deepen our faith and trust to our Lord.
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Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet followed after a short break. The culmination of the Rally was a solemn celebration of the Eucharist officiated by the Most Reverend William McGrattan.
Overall, the Rally has been a great success. Deacon Noguiera presented the people behind the success of the gathering and invited everyone to applaud them for a job well done!!!!
Evelyn Abutan
Living For Christ Prayer Community
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