LISS Day 17

The enemy is overcome

Genesis 3:14-15 & Rev 12: 10-11

Who is the enemy? I used to think the enemy is Satan. The Satan outside of my body, soul and spirit. Satan was something completely external to me. To a certain extent, Satan still is the enemy. But after the past few days of discovering, sadly, how untrue to the Beatitudes I am, I have come to realise that the real enemy is within me. Sin. This is extremely dangerous because if I have no form of defense or attack against my internal sin, then how can I overcome this enemy that destroys and kills? For me, in recognising that my enemy is more internal than external (sin), I can begin to discern different ways to overcome my enemy... so I reflect on the following passage, which was given to me by the grace of God through my spiritual director:
Romans 7:14-25.
'Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!' [Romans 7: 24-25]

Oh Loving Lamb of God, who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defeat my (our) death and my (our) sin, I come before you with a heart full of desire for the gifts of Understanding and Fortitude by the power of the Holy Spirit. I humbly ask the intercession of all the Heavenly beings for guidance and escort as I discover more about how to overcome my internal enemy, so that I may be the most Christ-like that I can be.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in this day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and the snares of the devil. May God rebuke we humbly pray, and do thou O prince of the Heavenly Hosts. By the power of God, thrust down into hell satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the destruction of souls. Amen.

LISS Day 16

The Father's search

Genesis 3:7,9 & Romans 3:23-24

Knowing that I'm in such desperate need of Jesus right now, I spent much more time on scripture today because I find such comfort in its Truth and Wisdom. I earnestly search for God through my Bible. The activities of my day meant that I couldn't make an adoration, however much my heart yearned for it... so all my travel time between locations today has been spent on Holy words.
I came across a passage in St. Augustine's Confessions of a Sinner, "it seemed to me all the more right that the authority of Scripture should be respected and accepted with the purest faith, because while all can read it with ease, it also has a deeper meaning in which its great secrets are locked away". Before that, St. Augustine says, "I ought to pay no attention to people who asked me how I could be sure that the Scriptures were delivered to mankind by the Spirit of the one true God who can tell no lie". The 'great secrets' are locked away. I need a key to unlock the great secrets... and the key is none other than the key of David: Christ [Revelation 3:7-8]. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." [John 1:1]. Christ and Scripture are one. So what has this got to do with the Father searching for us?

Well... for me, at this present moment in time, and in what I'm experiencing at the moment, if the heart and/or mind (basically my soul, that also consists of my will and emotions) is not one with the Spirit, then my soul is disconnected from God. Say it is my heart that is disconnected, God searches for my lost heart (soul) - the heart that is not connected with him, because we are all made to be one with Him. The place God searches for us, is our heart - which is part and parcel of the soul (at least this is how I understand it to be... and anybody is welcome to teach/correct me more on this matter). This is very similar in analogy of the Holy Trinity being all 3 persons in One. "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." [1 Chron 28:9]. My heart must not become hardened, when I do not have Eucharistic Adoration, or the Sacrifice of the Mass at my fingertips, I must remain open to God through His Scripture and Prayer. I mustn't lock myself up and shut God out. How could I anyway, after the abundant mercy showered upon me over the summer?

Christ was the key that opened up our access to God. That is why "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father, except through me"[John 14:6 - my favourite Gospel passage because it was sent to me from above], and according to the Revelation passage mentioned above, nobody can ever shut out that access to the salvation who is our Christ, other than ourselves.

My Heavenly Father, ever faithful and ever Loving, never allow me to lock my heart away from Your Love. You sustain me, and breathe life into my poor wretched sinful soul. Cleanse me - body, soul and spirit, and heal me in Your own time. Make me love you through prayer and scripture more and more each day, until You are more than just satisfied.

LISS Day 15

Alive in Christ

Today's scripture passages: Genesis 2:15-17 & 1 Cor 15:22.

Once one has experienced the fulfillment of God's Love (for me, I was told I experienced a Baptism of the Holy Spirit), one realises how deaf, how blind, and how lifeless they were. There is truly such thing as B.C. and A.D. in our own personal lives I tell you - because life begins @ A.D 1! God observes how 'alive' we are, because He knows and Loves each and every one of us - our good points, our bad points, our intentions, our loves, our choices... all of which when analysed can signal to us how alive we are in Christ.

That's so much better than I can say for myself as a n00b Bonsai Tree owner ;) For Christmas, my brother bought my family Bonsai Trees for Christmas. They came to us very green, but a lot of leaves are turning yellow - which apparantly is natural for a Bonsai Tree when it moves to a new home and tries to acclimatise itself to its new surroundings. I am not so in tune with it at the moment, because sometimes there are much less yellow leaves that I have to flick off the branch than at other times, so I am constantly asking myself questions like 'Did I not leave it long enough in the water last time?' or 'Is it liking the sunlight?'. God doesn't need to ask those questions about my own spiritual health - He knows exactly what is suffering and what is not, so He knows how to heal it if it is not very well. All living things need to be kept alive, nourished often, sitting in the right environment, cared for. For me, being alive means that constant feeding of scripture, which I am only now beginning to develop some self-discipline on [Matthew 22:29], Holy Communion/Adoration [John 6:33] and daily prayer [John 4:24].

If you have been checking in on my blog every now and then, you'll probably have encountered my post where I say how much I love the Gospel of John - my favourite Gospel. If you check it out, you will see and absorb so many references to the word 'life' in it it. It is no coincidence for me that today, the scriptures centre around this theme of life, because I feel that my own human life has suffered a massive blow for which I feel that I've almost died inside. This afternoon I was exposed to a very big, very dramatic revelation, one which my human heart is very broken over... and I still feel sick to the stomach and shivery over it. "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive". Somehow, I know the comfort that Christ is alive in me, is so very real. It is giving me so much strength - it seems to be the warm blanket over my cold broken heart, and even though I'm struggling to even breathe properly, Christ's Love is like a fuzzy non-electrical lightbulb amid the darkness and death that my soul is suffering from right now - I am not alone, He is beside me. How I love my Lord Jesus Christ! I accept the suffering that God Wills for me, but at the moment, it is not easy - and it is likely to get worse. It is strange, how God gives His blessing on something and yet, in reality it's not how things work out. I feel the Holy Spirit holds me in His embrace, and my human heart is just an instrument of my humanity. I was not worthy of God's gift to me, and I accept that He gives it to someone else - someone more worthy; as is His Will.

My Lord Jesus Christ, in You I have life. In the Holy Spirit, I breathe life for your glory. In the Father, I am made in Your image, to bring others to live Your Life. Today, by Your Will I must seek a new human life, but I beg of you the grace never to allow my spirit to die - keep my soul & spirit strong and ever-faithful, because it is in times like this, that the spirit weakens and falls prey to the fallen one. I need You now more than ever, because this feeling of death inside me is struggling with the Truth I know and exalt spiritually - so take me, take my spirituality, and nourish it so that it may grow to bear fruit, rather than die with a misconception that You do not care. You gave me life on El Camino - I believe I will always have that life because I am Yours - but without You in my soul and spirit, my human life is not worth anything. Don't let me go.


I know my blog is pretty much my LISS diary at the moment, so everyday, I've been speaking of my spiritual journey. But after this, my blog will be much less about myself, and more about Heavenly things. Promise :)

LISS Day 14

God who can be trusted

Title 2: The story of my life at the moment!

'For I know the plan I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the LORD.' Jeremiah 29:11-14. 

This passage is no different from the passage given in Day 3, which is Jeremiah 29:12-14... the only addition is verse 11. But my word... WHAT a passage. It speaks so much, that it even burns. 
'For I know the plan I have for you' - God loves you and me so much he has every intricate detail of that plan already set out... but I was at a workshop not long ago, whereby the leader said that God's plans change. An example of this is in the story of Jonah, when God changed his mind about destroying the city of Nineveh after its people turned to good ways through Jonah's prophesy - which funnily enough angered Jonah! God is not a God of wickedness and hatred, He is compassionate and forgiving when we ENTRUST our LOVE and our LIVES to Him. How can we possibly argue, or even question God's plans? Is it our place to interfere with those plans? When do we know when to be passive or active about what our hearts desire? How can we know if what is in our hearts is in line with what God wants?


'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope' - I know where I want my future to be! I want it to be in the Heavens with all things good and feasting on an eternal banquet with the Holy Family! I want to be caring for people whilst Fr. Emmanuel leads worship with his amazing band. My hope is in the resurrection and ascension into Heaven. I may have deep burdens at the moment, but this is part of God's plan for a great future and hope.  He KNOWS what is best for me... and so I shouldn't attempt to twist that into something so completely selfish, even though I know I am tempted and capable to cause such sin. I am a terrible sinner... prideful, selfish, and that is why I can't help but think about God nearly 24/7 and communicate with Him as often as I can throughout my waking day. I need Him more than the air I breathe or the love I am capable of. I guess... I sometimes just find things difficult because I don't want to let the dearest things in my past go. For example, if God chooses for me to become a Sister, then I have to let go of my family and friends - and these are difficult concepts to accept in my heart.


Father, grant me the courage to consecrate my future to You - even without knowledge of what it is. I will always trust that everything will come out good in the way you intended, so I beg of you the grace to be able to let go of my past and forgive myself, and live faithfully as Your servant in the present so that I may knock at the gates of Heaven to join you in my future.

LISS Day 13

God of compassion and comfort

After the massive transformation in my faith whilst on El Camino, I was wracked with guilt about a relationship I was in. Eventually, I brought all my guilt and shame before the Lord, and Jesus filled me with His Love in the most merciful way - I cannot describe it. It inspired the song that the praise and worship band (called TW3) I sing in wrote. We wrote it especially for the reconciliation service at Youth 2000's Renewal@Balham - because it was at Youth 2000's Prayer Festival at Walsingham that I experienced God's great compassion and comfort through our Lord Jesus Christ. We wanted it to be used by Him as an instrument for the young people to seek forgiveness at Confession.
I hope you enjoy it.

LISS Day 12

God our Father

Everyone who was at the last LISS session, will remember Leona's beautiful talk, where she talked about her relationship with her human Father, as well as her Heavenly Father. Everyone who was in the group that I was in was very thankful for her talk. And it was by God's decree just before hitting LISS, I'd been to see my SD. And one of the things she had mentioned to me, is that when and before we are 7 years old, our human Fathers become the symbol of God's presence in our lives. In a way, I agree with this based on my own experience. My Father was (and still is!) a very loving man (I know this because he worked so hard just to feed the family and to give my brother and I a secure and comfortable upbringing) but because he always had 2-3 jobs, he was never physically around when my brother and I were awake. And although he was very loving, from since I can remember, I cannot recall him ever hugging me and kissing me, which I'm sure he did when I was still a baby. So... I knew Daddy was... there... but I didn't see or feel his presence very much. At Holy Communion, we were told we would receive Jesus; so Jesus was pretty much there in my conscience from 7 until about 14 years old... but the idea of God the Father was always missing - and my SD helped me to understand why I felt that way.

I pray that all those who are Fathers, are about to become Fathers, and who want to eventually BE Fathers, will know the value and significance of the role they play in their childrens' lives. I pray that God the Father will embrace them all so that they can pass that same love on when they embrace their own children. I pray they themselves as Fathers, also love their Brothers and Sisters in the family of Christ to become that fraternal witness alongside whose vocation is Priesthood. Lastly, I pray for all Priests - the Fathers of our congregations, who do so much to bring us closer to God, and help us to develop our faith journeys. May God grant all men great peace and strength to carry out their vocations in His almighty and life-giving Love.

LISS Day 11

God of Salvation

How strange, that today's scripture in the LISS prayer programme ask us to look at our God of Salvation. Today, I received a phonecall from someone who found our event 'Generation of Love' (details on the widgets to the right) on Premier Media, and she asked me to give her more information about it. She asked if it was some sort of dating event, and she asked what I do. After giving her as much information as I could about the event and also about me, I asked her about herself. She is Pentecostal/Evangelical, and she said that the event looked interesting but that 'it's Catholic'. She didn't know what chastity talk was, so I explained a little to her about the practical side of what chastity is. She is also has Nigerian roots, which was where I tried to engage, since I have many Nigerian friends, and so was genuinely interested to know where from. She said she was Yuroba, brought up Catholic but became Pentecostal. I told her we'd have a Youth Mass, but she might not be able to take Communion (this is where things get tricky for me, because I don't ever want to stop people from receiving Jesus, so I never know what the right thing to say in this instance would be!), and that we'd have Holy Hour - so we'd be adoring Jesus Christ in His real presence.
Anyway, before we put the phone down to each other, she asked if I believe in redemption. And I told her of course I do. Jesus Christ is our redeemer! If only I had read today's scripture in the morning… it would have been fresh in my mind to answer her question; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." [Isiah 43: 1] !!! Alas, I did not have the Bible in my mind to answer her question with it, but I wish I had. I told her that I believe our Salvation came with Jesus' Resurrection, and that's the skeleton of the Catholic faith (where the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the consecrated Eucharist is the heart of our the Catholic faith). I felt filled with the Holy Spirit as I was proclaiming to her what I believe! And it gave me such joy to do so.

I love Isiah 43:1-3 very much. There have been such beautiful songs written about it too. I love John 3:16 too, because it speaks volumes about God's Love for us. But Isiah passage gives us the strength and courage to accept and live the Truth… that our Saviour is the Lord, who is one in the Trinity!

O redeemer of my body, soul and spirit, grant me the grace to know Your Holy Word more intimately, so that I can bring others to know Your Truth through it. With the Holy Spirit, send me the courage I need to become the instrument of Your will here on earth, and bless me with a greater capacity to Love You through prayer, which is so lacking in my life. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, help us all, who seek to say 'Yes O Lord God almighty, in You I want to be saved'!

LISS Day 10

Made in His Image

Ever since my life-changing transformation in faith during El Camino, I have been easily offended by 'people of this world' where I wouldn't have been offended before. I don't know why that's true, but it really is. Like... just before Christmas, I was in a shop browsing for a long-ish skirt, when on the radio, the presenter of the programme (I don't know which radio channel this was) said 'Santa Clause doesn't care whether you're naughty or nice! So just have a good time!', and I was actually hurt by the statement! Can you believe... that statement actually hurt me! I guess I was upset on God's behalf right there! I was so surprised by the sensitivity of my emotions on this occasion. I realised then that feeling this way meant my whole life after pilgrimage had changed and that my perception of the world would be completely different moving onwards. For real! How can someone say Santa Clause doesn't care? Ok... Santa Clause does not exist (I hope only young adults upwards are reading this!). But God gifts us everyday - not just at Christmas with the birth of His Son, but in the little blessings that He graces us with daily. Is it then OK to simply have a good time without caring Who we hurt? What kind of message is this, that people in their hundreds would be hearing? Why is it people are being lead into the wrong directions? How sad that we are all made in His image, and we are all gifted with free will to choose what is good and what is not, and it's more often the lost who do all the leading.

Anyway, everyone who knows me would know that physically, I don't feel I'm the least bit attractive. But I accept this as the way God intended me to be! Whilst I might not see myself as beautiful, I definitely see a beauty in everyone else! Perhaps it's because I understand that God knew and Loved that person even before they were born. This is why I understand completely why abortion is more than just 'a big deal'.

I wish to thank Prags, very much, for bringing to light that we consist of body, soul and spirit. This has helped me to understand my humanity, and the difference between earthly things and true faith:

Thessalonians 5:23

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Dearest Designer of my being, I thank you for giving me this spirit, this soul, and this body. The spirit, soul and body that you destined especially to me. I pray for the conversion of many hearts to see and understand this too - and if they come to see and understand this even better than I, then praise and glory be to You!!!

LISS Day 9

God of Love

He certainly is. But rather than giving you an experience of my own, I would love for everyone in the world to read Part I of one Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical letters, and ask all young Catholic Londoners to come to an event that I'm running as part of the youth team at Hounslow Parish on 12th Feb.

You can find the encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est by clicking here!

You can then find the details of our LOVE themed event in February by clicking here!

If anything strikes you about the encyclical letter, let me know... I'm always interested to hear what others think! For me, Chapters 12 onwards sing volumes - and if you don't have time to read the whole encyclical, then at least read from Chapter 12 onwards of Part I !

Just for reasons of plugging a really good read, the encyclical references Eros and Agape - it is good for us to attempt to know and understand the differences, even if we might not consciously feel the differences to the depths of our being just yet! But if you are interested in reading more about these types of love put into context of application, then an interesting book to read is Paulo Coelho's 'The Pilgrimage'.

I'd also like to remind my friends of the word 'compassion', used in today's scripture programme. Compassion is something God has a lot of. He doesn't have sympathy. He has compassion. The difference between sympathy and compassion is that sympathy is understanding someone's need, whereas compassion is doing something about that need. In my silent living room, I hum the taize chant 'Bless the Lord my Soul'.

LISS Day 8

Creator God

Before studying Interactive Systems & Video Games Design  at Bradford University, I was pretty big on 3D animation, and went to study it at Harvard University for a month in the summer of 2004. I was introduced to a massive industry-used software called Maya. It enabled me to be a virtual creator... building 3D models, characters, environments, earth elements... and giving them life in the process of animation.

Every single living thing on earth is a creation of God. He designed it, He designed us - not just in the physical sense, but in the sense of our souls and spirits too. As much as it might seem weird to say it... He must have had soooooo much fun creating all those people throughout history! I know it sounds like I say that lightly, but I don't... because He also created with soooo much care, love and attention to every single detail in every human being. Anyways... whilst at Bradford, the below video by Bruce Branit was passed around amongst the people in our course. I can see a bit of God in the main character of this shortfilm. I especially love the attention to detail that this creator guy gives the beautiful yellow flower because he knows how much his lady would love it. God created us in such a nurturing way too... so that we can appreciate every single aspect of each other.

If any of you have ever messed around with 3D yourselves, this movie will strike something really big in you - especially if you haven't seen it yet. Everything about 3D modelling is featured in this short. Equally, I could see it touching anyone altogether creative and/or romantic.

God my Creator, You created us with such love, care and attention to detail. Help me to remember and appreciate that the creation we are aware of now, is just a bridging journey to the gates of Your greater creation: Heaven. Thank You for making me just the way I am, and for creating all things holy. Glory and Praise to my Creator God who gifts us with many beautiful flowers daily!

LISS Day 7

Chosen and loved

Ephesians 1:3-5. I love it. If you haven't read it... please read it! Before the creationg of the world, He chose us! He chose you... he chose me! How magnificent!

By His Will, we are chosen. But what of our will? Do we choose Him back? Do we say yes and allow Him free reign over our bodies, souls and spirits? Today, I was filled with the image of God's Holy Family in Heaven - all the saints and angels are there, my Grandaddy is there (because I'm sure that the plenary indulgence I seeked for him has been granted, as I'm sure are the prayers of everyone who pleaded to our Heavenly Father to grant him peace and a heavenly welcome), my favourite Godmother is there... they're probably all jamming to some amazing praise and worship music right now glorifying and adoring God's Son! I want to join the party! I want to be among them glorifying the God in the Trinity! I feel excited... I can't wait to be in heaven with all my family in God! Wow... how amazing would it be to taste the goodness of all holiness and truth and life in the heavens?! The peace, the happiness... the possibility of being one of God's great family in his Kingdom... but hey, not my will, but His Will be done!

And that's almost what it comes down to... God has chosen us to be a part of that Kingdom, that great joy and perfection that is heaven... but he also granted us free will. A will to choose to become part of his great family in heaven, to be stuck in purgatory, or to be damned to eternal hell. The free will to know and accept His Love is the path I'm sure we all would prefer; but more often than not, it is no easy path. "... he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him". To enter into His Kingdom, we willfully choose to become holy, not unholy. We choose the good life, and learn to understand what 'the good life' is, as opposed to choosing the wicked life. We choose the difficult paths, as it is the difficult paths that we find God's promises. We choose the true light and not the ball of 1000 eyes, because all the material glitz and glamour of this world, is nothing compared to the peace and magnificent beauty that heaven can sustain us eternally with.

Ever-giving and fairest Father, You have chosen and loved me since before I was even a concept in my parents' minds. Everyday, I know You grant me the free will to choose You above other things of insignificance in my life. Help me to acknowledge these choices more clearly, and walk with me through every decision I make, so that in Your loving embrace, I am never alone or tempted the other way.

LISS Day 6

The Lord directs

Anyone who has walked El Camino, the Way of St. James, knows this for sure :) I myself, found Him on it.

My Grandaddy was known as a shepherd, it will be 3 weeks to the first year anniversary of his death [God save his soul]. It reminds me that in the tomb at the cemetery he is buried, all of the tombs have either an image of a Crucifix or the Blessed Virgin Mary's face on it. Grandaddy's is the unique one there, as the image on his tomb is that of Jesus as 'the good shepherd'. It's strange, as that area of North-Western Spain consists primarily of farmers and countryside, so I would have assumed more farmers would have an image like this on their tombs. God Bless my cousin who chose that image - the perfect one for Grandaddy's tomb.

Grandaddy's tomb in Bean, Vilasuso, Galicia, España.

If I put the Lord always before me, then my paths shall have the best chance of being the right paths for me, as the Lord knows what is best for me.
Proverbs 16:9 'In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.'
Amen. Now that I have a Spiritual Director, I hope that this will be true in the Spiritual sense for me, if not in all the other areas of my being also.


Loving Lamb of God, You determined my steps for me before I was even formed in my mother's womb. I pray for the gift of right judgement, so that I may choose the right paths and courses for myself, by Your Holy Will.

LISS Day 5

Called to receive His Love

Wow... that's no small statement. That. Is. Serious.
This brings to my mind everything of my recent past, and everything in my near future.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

3 weeks ago,  I was an MC, whose calling it was to lead others in prayer, reflection and worship to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament for a spiritual renewal of our souls. In 3 weeks time, I will be attempting to lead other young Catholics to practice God's Love more intimately; once again in Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at our event Generation of Love. But Fr. Agustin who spoke at the first Frassati Society meeting on Sunday reminds us, the most important moment in time is not the past, or the future... it is the present - because God loves us RIGHT NOW.

However, right now is a little difficult for me. "... he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" screams out the word... forgiveness. Forgiveness is the shining beacon of this passage for me - and I believe this is the grace that is missing for me in one particular relationship right now. I'm going through a difficult time with someone in an emotional, spiritual and practical sense, because I feel that they can't forgive me. In feeling this, I can't seem to forgive myself completely, now matter how many different ways I've taken this to confession, and despite the fact that Jesus has already shown me His mercy for this burden! On a human level, it's confusing. It hurts. I feel abandoned, ignored, and so totally rejected by this person. Two days ago, I had a dream about it - and it shocked me that even in my dream, I wasn't worthy enough to be forgiven by this person.

The #1 love for me is God's love, and so at the present moment in Jesus' loving mercy and forgiveness, I place my hope and trust for this burden in God's Word, when it tells us;  "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:5). I have faith that this heavy burden I carry within my body, soul and spirit will eventually be transformed into a blessing of God's Will.

Merciful and Loving Lord Jesus, I offer you: all my burdens and disgraces, my sin and my pride, all the bad things about myself and my wrongdoings to come... because you have called me to be a witness to the Love you have poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and I wish to accept my calling to witness as close to You as I can be on earth. Grant me the grace to sacrifice more for the burdens of others, with the same love that Jacinta at Fatima, had for all the sinful souls of the world. Above all, most loving Jesus, help me to love everyone the way You love me, no matter what the other does or says to me... because through the Holy Spirit who dwells in me, your faithful servant, I desire so fervently to radiate Your goodness and Love for others to know and receive Your love.

Thanks to my friend, and an amazing woman named Victoria, these beautiful and inspiring words of Blessed Mother Theresa belong with today's reflection:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. 

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

LISS Day 4

One with the Spirit

Hmmm, today is tricky. Very tricky. John... help me out here!
How does one know when they have encountered the Truth? Well, all I can think to say to that is... THEY KNOW!!!! Their life is completely changed. The world is a whole new place, you observe it from a different viewpoint, with a different heart to the one you had before. With every ounce of my being, He exists! The LISS book doesn't actually finish the passage it asks us to reflect on, but the rest of the Gospel passage is here:
"The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:17.

I have at times felt a very strong and consuming presence of the Holy Spirit, as if I was one with the Holy Spirit, even to the point of feeling a touch of another spirit. It was kind of like... taking myself out of myself, then not being myself. It is an exhilirating feeling... yeah I know... someone reading this might be asking themselves 'has she really been one with the Spirit? How is she so sure she isn't imagining it?' I just know. I'm totally unworthy of God's great presents, but His Will be done. I believe with my heart, that I have come to know the Spirit, even just the tiniest bit. I also believe with all my heart, that I will never know the Spirit fully until I am resurrected to eternal life at the end of time... just like you. I did not come to know the Spirit without first dying. I was spiritually dead. For ages. There was a 5 year period of my life, when I was consumed with worldly things. I had no faith. God was not a living 'thing' to me. God simply existed for me in the innocence of my childhood, but upon turning a teenager, I was lost.

I guess the way I see today's reflection is this (picking up on the second passage that LISS asks us to focus on today): "we were all baptized into one body"... we all died in baptism to a new life in Christ. When we arise with new life, new spirit, new purpose, we truly understand that we "were made to drink of one Spirit".

Holy Spirit, You are Truth in the Paraclete. You were with me when I died and rose in Christ's name on the day of my Baptism, and on the day of my Confirmation. I am so very sorry of I never appreciated, praised or thanked You for leading me in the path You have Willed for me. Your presence in my life is no longer unnoticed, and I pray that You continue to bless me in the very special ways You do. I want to show the world Your great love... yet, not my will, but Your Will be done!

LISS Day 3

God wants my heart

HE doesn't just want MY heart, he wants ALL our hearts! Very much! In Life in the Spirit's 3rd day of reflection, I am struck by this particular passage:

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the LORD." Jeremiah 29:12-14

It's a little bit funny this, because on the way home in Las' car on Thursday night, I was saying that it might not be possible to find the Lord if you FORCE it, and that the Lord would instead find you if you open yourself to Him. In essence, what I was saying is that 'as long as we open ourselves to Him, God might show us his Light and Love'. But according to The Word, which IS Truth, and IS God ("In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." John 1:1-2.), He invites us to seek Him, to find Him. With all our hearts, we are invited to actively find Him, not just sit passively with an open heart. The passage just above has put me back in my place, and shown me how little wisdom I have. I can see that John the Apostle and I are going to have a fantastic relationship throughout my time with LISS. I always wondered whose Gospel (witness of Christ) would be the one to whom I would feel closest to in my journey of faith, and I now realise it is John's, because everything he proclaims, my heart absorbs and rejoices with such fervent fire! This is not to say that I don't love all the Gospels, but for sure, my favourite and dearest is John's.

St. John the Apostle, I beseech you to pray that I, and everyone taking part in the LISS programme,  search, seek and find God through His most divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with all our hearts. You were so loved by our Lord, that He entrusted His Father's most favoured Lady, our Blessed Mother Mary, to your care, upon His dying breath. We thank you for the gift of your Gospel, so that we may come to know Christ in this special way of Scripture. Help us to seek Christ even more, through Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We ask this in the name of our Lord, Amen.

LISS Day 2

Made to be fruitful

So today, LISS asks us to reflect on Genesis 1:27-28 and John 15:5.

'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.' 

Upon reflection, I remember a workshop that I attended at the vocations expo back in October at Hayes Parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary (where I was baptised... literally!) This is where I met my SD. How wonderful, that Brother Ben of the De La Salle Brothers would run a workshop, and from it bore very special fruit... for me, a great gift that God graced me with in my SD!

The workshop required us to draw a tree. Brother Ben first asked us to draw the ground. Then he asked us to draw the trunk, which represents our physical being. Then we were asked to draw roots, which would represent all the things and the people in our past that have shaped us into this trunk. Granted I was sitting in a workshop that was meant to be full of young people discerning their vocation, I was instead sitting in a workshop full of Sisters!!! I'm going to stop at the description of the tree exercise just there, because in order to accept today's theme of being fruitful, it is so important to me, to accept that without good roots, there will be no fruit!

Thank You heavenly Father, for blessing me abundantly with such a wonderful, loving and selfless family. Without the love of my family, friends, and such a nurturing environment (good soil!) throughout my childhood, I would not have such deep, strong roots to be able to bear good fruit with. What that fruit is, I have still yet to discover... but I trust in You, Lord to guide me in bearing the fruit You wish me to bear. Help me that I may be a good root for others to also bear good fruit.

Never underestimate the power of good soil in which those roots can become strong and steadfast!!!
Silly pun: There's no such thing as froot (fruit) without the root.

LISS Day 1

Invitation

Today, our first day of the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I somewhat felt called to blog about it. Partly because I haven't bought myself a diary yet, and partly because every fruit borne out of God's Truth is worth shouting out about.

So, I pray:
Heavenly Father, You have invited me by way of Zyg and through the prayer of Your faithful children at Soulfood, to experience something indescribable. Your encounters are indescribable, that even the Saints struggle to put to words what Your encounter is truly like. The written word can not animate or bring to life the power of Your Love - except through the Bible, and those before me who were blind, but came to see; and the deaf, who finally came hear. In You, the dead were raised to new life. I believe this with all my body, soul and spirit, because You gave me Life that I never could have imagined or prepared myself for.

You did not create me to be perfect, Lord, and neither will I ever be... and so I accept my weaknesses as a sign of my own humanity, with a great desire to know You and love You better despite those weaknesses; offering it all up to You freely. With my whole heart, I'm sorry if I have missed Your call to me... if I have missed a particular path that You have wanted me to tread, a way You have wanted me to live. And so, my dearest Lord Jesus Christ in the divinity of the Holy Trinity, I open my heart to you, so that You may fill and consume me with your light and love again, as You have before. My way is not my way, until it is Your way. My life is not my life, until it is Your life. My spirit is not my spirit until it is Your Spirit. In You alone do I want to dwell... and because of this my Lord, I invite You to bring Your Life to my Spirit, so that my Spirit may live always for Your Life.

Today, we pray to invite Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to deepen our relationship with God. Other than the two scripture passages that I have reflected on, by the grace of God, I encountered another scripture passage, that screamed such joy and excitement within me, that I simply can't keep it to myself!
Jn 6: 62-63 "[Jesus said] What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life".
Aye! (I'm not Scottish, but I like saying that word!) It is the spirit that gives life... AMEN! In one Being with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus are one God. I would not have come to know God's love without the Holy Spirit; of that I am sure! Someone once described to me that I experienced a Baptism in the Holy Spirit. How unworthy I am to even accept Jesus at the Sacrifice of the Mass... let alone be chosen to be Baptised in so glorious a way!

I guess that is why I was led by the almighty above to the blog image I have chosen to communicate any LISS related blogposts:
Jn 1: 32-33 And John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on him. I still did not know that he was the one, but God, who sent me to baptise with water, had said to me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit."
Mat 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.






I ask, anybody who picks up on this post, to pray for me, for all the other LISS attendees, and all the leaders and organisers, that the Holy Spirit will touch give us Life throughout this season of LISS.

Hounslow Youth Team's next event

Following a successful event we ran in November for the feast of Christ the King where 131 young Catholics from over 20 parishes joined us to adore our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the night, we are ready for our next event.

We've received all your feedback, and transformed it into a stunning event where the centre of our time together will focus on the theme of LOVE.

We are subjects of God's love, thus we are the living examples of the Gospel Truth, and we depend upon Jesus to help us to love one another. This means treating each other with respect, and loving God more than anything and everything else... for it is in our love for God that we intentionally seek righteousness and desire the Heavenly Kingdom for each other as well as ourselves.

Have you got what it takes to build that necessary relationship with God, to humbly 'Love thy neighbour as thyself?' Do you desire more than anything to be loved back? Are you ready to ask for God's blessing and grace to become the next...


GENERATION OF LOVE

14.00 Welcome & icebreaker

14.30 Emmet & Lucy's talk

15.30 Faith sharing (finishes by 15:55)                              

16.00 Holy Hour including…
          Praise & worship
        
          Examination of Conscience                           
          Intercessions
        
          Silent time of adoration
        
          Scripture reading/reflection
        
          Confession available throughout
17.00 Short Break / snack
17.20 Acting workshop (finishes by 18:00)
18.15 Youth mass

19.30 Game/ice breaker or Dinner Prep or Girlie glam-up time!

19.45 Dinner (Menu is a Meat or Vegetable Curry with rice) 

20.30 Blind Date

21.30 Street dance/Showcase & Party
01:00 Finish & clear up

REGISTRATION
A ticket is necessary to attend the event, please click here to register!

Upcoming events January - Mid February 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

1-4 January 2011: Passion 2011 Live
Tuesday 4 January 2011 - 03:30(am): Religion: necessary evil, unnecessary evil, or not evil at all?
Thursday 6th January 2011, 19:00: Soul Food's Epiphany Mass
Friday 7th January 2011, 19:00: First Friday all-night vigil
Saturday 8th January 2011, 12:00: CFR Open Day (Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal)
Saturday 8th January 2011, 19:00 – 01:00: New Year Alpha Party
Tuesday 11th January 2011, 18:30-20:30: Logos Formation Day - Personal spiritual journey
Wednesday 12th January 2011, 19:00: Youth 2000 Prayer Group @ Covent Garden
Starting 13th January 2011, 19:00: LISS (Soul Food)
Saturday 15th January 2011, 09:00: Training for counselling outside abortion clinics
Sunday 16th January 2011, 13:00: Culture of Life afternoon
Sunday 16th January 2011, 18:00: Frassati Society's first meal and talk
Saturday 22nd January 2011, 10.30am - 4.30pm: Sacred Song in a Secular World
Saturday 22 January 2011, 19:30: Catholic Underground London
Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th January 2011, during the day: Sacred Images Exhibition
Saturday 29 January 2011 from 10am-4.30pm: New Wine, New Wineskins
World Youth Day
Sunday 30th January 2011, 18:00: Psycho Spirituality - An Encounter with the Self: The Human Condition
Tuesday 1st February 2011, 19:00: Catholic Union "Do"
Tuesday 1st February 2011, 19:00: Theology of the Body on John Paul II
Tuesday 1st February 2011, 18:30-20:30: Logos Formation Day - Creation
Saturday 5th February 2011, 11:00-16:00: Catholic Roadshow Planning Conference
Sunday 6th February 2011: Come Away with Me 2011: BCYS Training Day for Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders
Saturday 12th February 2011, 14:00: Generation of Love



Passion 2011 Live1-4 January 2011
http://live.passion2011.com/
Live online streaming of a Christian conference for 18's-25's in Atlanta USA, called Passion 2011. Passion 2011 is more than simply another event. Rather, it is another step in a journey that is all about finding true meaning as we take our places in a story that is so much bigger than ourselves. It's about trading in small dreams for a role in a grand epic that is shaping history and has no end. And it's a rare chance for tens of thousands of university-aged young people to gather from across the US and around the world to celebrate their common faith and purpose. Anyone involved or interested in Youth Ministry are invited to check this out.


Religion: necessary evil, unnecessary evil, or not evil at all?
Tuesday 4 January 2011 - 03:30 (am)
BBC News Channel
Tony Blair and atheist Christopher Hitchens debate whether religion is a force for good in the world. Rudyard Griffiths chairs.
I'm aware this one isn't an event, but some of you on my mailing list might be interested in recording the debate/checking it out. It was something I picked up on Intelligence Squared debate site.


Soul Food's Epiphany Mass
Thursday 6th January 2011, 19:00
St Charles Borromeo Church, Ogle Street, London, W1W 6HS
Soul Food is a Catholic charismatic prayer group for young adults. We meet at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Central London every Thursday from 7 to 9pm for worship, teaching and faith sharing. Most people who come are in their 20s or 30s, but everyone is welcome.
A night at Soul Food starts with praise and worship, followed by a talk or Bible based teaching on a particular theme. This is usually followed up with a time of response such as prayer ministry, small group discussion or faith sharing, individual prayer and meditation or Eucharistic Adoration.
Please also see below for their LISS (Life in the Spirit Seminar) and visit their website: http://www.soulfoodgroup.org/


First Friday all-night vigil 
 Friday 7th January 2011, 19:00
@ Soho Square (St. Patrick's).
Every First Friday, SPES (St. Patrick's Evangelisation School) has an all-night vigil devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which corresponds with the First Friday Devotion that was promised to us via St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. For more information about First Friday Devotions, you can visit this page of my blog. The monthly event kicks off with Mass @ 7pm, then dinner is served after, and this takes us into Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for the whole night.


CFR Open Day (Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal)
Saturday 8th January 2011, 12:00
The Associates meet as a group the first Saturday of the month in Canning Town for a day of prayer, service and fellowship. A typical day begins at 12:30 pm with Holy Mass followed by lunch while the Associates exchange greetings with one another and with the Friars. After lunch, each member is assigned some type of work duty which assists the mission of the Friars. Work assignments include such chores as sorting donated clothing, preparing food, maintaining/cleaning the Kitchen and Shelter for the homeless, gardening, and other means of serving the poor. At the end of the work period there is a tea break followed by a talk given by a friar. Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction begins at 5 pm. Following the prayer time with our Eucharistic Lord, there is time for informal sharing over supper (each person brings a dish). The day comes to a close with Night Prayer. In addition to the first Saturdays in Canning Town, the Associates have an annual weekend retreat. Every two years the Associates plan a pilgrimage to a Holy Site.
If you are interested in learning more about the Associates of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal please contact: Fr. Emmanuel, C.F.R. at 0207 474 0766


New Year Alpha Party
Saturday 8th January, 7pm – 1am
The Mason's Arms pub (upper room), 665 Harrow Road, Kensal Green, NW10 5NU. (1 min walk from Kensal Green station, Bakerloo Line)
Chill out, music & dancing until 1am!
Spacious and cosy upper room of Victorian Pub all for us
Buffet food & drinks provided
Bar available
*** RSVP by Tue 4th Jan please ***
Suggested offer at the door of £7 (towards buffet food & drinks and room rental)
Dress code: Black-tie or Cocktail/Party dress


Logos Formation Day - Personal spiritual journey
Tuesday 11 January 2011, 18:30 - 20:30
St. Anselm and St. Cecilia’s Church, Kingsway, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn, London, WC2A 3JA
Where am I? Where to go?
Where am I going?
How do I become more self aware? What stops me from journeying...?


Youth 2000 Covent Garden Prayer Group
Wednesday evenings between 19:00-21:00 and then to the Coal Hole for socialising.
Corpus Christi Presbytery, Maiden Lane, WC2E 7NB.
Youth 2000 seeks to draw young people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, lived at the heart of the Catholic church. It does this primarily through weekend prayer festivals, where young people are introduced to the essentials of the catholic faith: Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, scripture, devotion to Our Lady. These big festivals happen at different locations around the UK around 5-6 times a year... but those who live and work in Central London can receive a regular weekly dose of these events at Covent Garden every Wednesday evening. It's a great opportunity for young Caths to top-up on the faith, hope and love of God in fellowship with each other.


LISS (Soul Food)
 LISS sessions as follows:
13th Jan: Session 1 - Welcome and Witness
20th Jan: Session 2 - God the Father
27th Jan: Session 3 – Search and Rescue
3rd Feb:  Session 4 - Salvation through Jesus
4th – 6th Feb: Weekend Retreat at All Saints Pastoral Centre (London Colney, Hertfordshire), which covers sessions 5 to 7.
Session 5: New Heart, New Spirit
Session 6: Come Holy Spirit
Session 7: Learn to walk, Learn to run
10th Feb: Session 8 - Life in the Spirit
The format for most of the sessions will be praise and worship, followed by teaching, personal testimonies and small group sharing.  You will be kept in the same small group for all of the sessions, with two group leaders to guide you. The Life in the Spirit Seminar is a journey of discovery undertaken together as a community; hence it is important to be able to attend every session if at all possible.
Information about Soul Food is above, but please register your attendance on their website http://soulfoodgroup.org/


Training for counselling outside abortion clinics
Saturday 15th January 2011, 09:00-16:00
St. Fidelis Friary, Killip Close, Canning Town, London, E16 1LX
Starts with Holy Mass at 9am. Training begins about 10-10.30 am. Please bring a packed lunch as there will be a shared lunch. It will be very informative, and good for those who want to participate by praying also. The training will be done by the Helpers of God's Precious Infants, and will include updated and new material from Monsignor Reilly.
Please RSVP to the Helpers.


Culture of Life afternoon
Sunday 16th January 2011, 13:00
St. Michael & St. Martin's RC Church, 94 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3EH.
All local (West London) pro-life advocates are invited to this special afternoon whereby we will be enjoying pro-life talks and networking.
Contact Sean McGee via seanpsalm139@hotmail.com for more info if you're in the area!


Frassati Society's first meal and talk
Sunday 16th January 2011, 18:00
Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 36 Nightingale Square, Balham, SW12 8QN.
The Frassati Society is a young adult apostolate which combines prayer, service of the poor, and community (specifically, hiking!) in the spirit of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. We are very excited to invite you to our first offical Frassati Society Sunday Meal & Talk which will be lead by Fr Agustin Conesa, who will speak to us on the theme, 'Our Vocation to Beatitude' - the heart of Jesus' teaching.
At his beatification in 1990, Pope John Paul II named Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati 'The Man of the Beatitudes' - a model for young Christian living.  Each month as we come together for Mass and prayer, fellowship, food and formation, we will explore the richness and beauty of Jesus's teaching as we look at a different Beatitude each month. As we are moved to live the Beatitudes more profoundlly in our life, the model of Pier Giorgio Frassati will be an example of how we can live out this call. The night kicks off with Mass @ 18:00.
For more information, please contact Laura Cuthbertson on laura@hgbalham.com.


Sacred Song in a Secular World
Saturday 22nd January 2011, 10.30am - 4.30pm
St Mark's Catholic School, 106 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EJ (nearest tube: Hounslow Central).
For all singers to enjoy music making with John L. Bell of the Iona Community.  Together we will review how to enable congregational song, honouring the Scriptures as a source of inspiration.  Please bring a packed lunch.  There will be a bookstall selling books, CDs and sheet music. £8 per person.  Reserve your places in advance and pay on the day.
Contact Jenny Kettleton, 020 8346 4033, kettleton.family@tesco.net


Catholic Underground London
Saturday 22 January 2011, 19:30
Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 36 Nightingale Square, Balham, SW12 8QN.
We dive into the New Year with 'Indecisive' - a Catholic band from North London. In 2010 (last summer) they made it to the final of the 'Live and Unsigned' competition in the O2! They are fantastic: http://www.myspace.com/indecisiveofficial or maybe try just one of their songs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMO8l6NRxKQ.
It looks like we're all set for another great night. As always we begin with the truly inspiring Holy Hour in the Church led by the Friars, with Adoration, Benediction, Confessions, worship music and Evening Prayer. Then we move over to the music venue next door where Indecisive will play their set. This is such a great chance to invite all of your friends whether they would normally step into a Church or not. We are expecting great things for Catholic Underground in 2011 - don't miss out!
Suggested donation for the night: £5. See you there... with your mates.


Sacred Images Exhibition
Tuesday 25th & Wednesday 26th January 2011, during the day
The Chapel Strand Campus, King's College London
Migration and Visual Culture: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Catholic Imagery and Popular Culture among Polish Young People


New Wine, New Wineskins
Saturday 29 January 2011 from 10am-4.30pm
St Agnes’ Catholic Church, 35 Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood, London NW2 1HR. Ample parking, close to train and bus services.
Do you want to reach out to your young adult community? Calling priests, catechists, catechetical coordinators, Parish Pastoral Council members, volunteers and young adults. Join us for two lectures and small group discussions, followed by liturgy. Being a Young Catholic Today by Nelle Carty M.Div. (USA), Making Sense: Reaching out to Young Adults by Paula Jordao (Verbum Dei Community).
Please bring your own packed lunch.
Suggested donation £5.00. Registration: ausrakaraliute@rcdow.org.uk or tel. 020 7931 6078 before 25 January. www.rcdow.org.uk/evangelisation


World Youth Day
There are many ways and options for getting to World Youth Day out there. But I thought I would let you know of this option in case you know anyone that is still stuck and contemplating on going, even as options are running out!
The Claretian missionaris of UK and Ireland are organising for anyone aged 16-30 to participate in World Youth Day at Madrid. Programme includes:
August 12-15: Inm Segovia, with all Claretian Youth Groups from all over the world.
August 15-21: In Madrid, with Pope Benedict XVI and more than 2 millions of young people.
August 22-23: In Madrid, evaluation with the Claretian Family and trip back to the UK.
The Claretian Family has several houses, parishes and schools in Madrid and Segovia where all young people can be accommodated.
Estimated cost per participant is £395 which includes accommodation, food and return ticket! That's an AMAZING price for the immense graces you will receive over that period of nearly two weeks!
Contact Fr. Angel of Immaculate Heart of Mary via 0208 573 2065 or angel.ochagavia@gmail.com


Psycho Spirituality - An Encounter with the Self: The Human Condition
Sunday 30th January 2011, 18:00
Newman House Catholic Chaplaincy, 111 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6AR, 020 7387 6370
Sr. Paloma Marchesi, a Carmelite Missionary Sister, and also a wonderful Spiritual Director to me, is leading four psycho-spirituality talks over the next two months at Newman House. These talks will truly help us in our personal and spiritual growth, addressing questions like 'how do I grow emotionally mature?' and 'how can I achieve interior peace?' Following talks include:
How to Handle Emotions: Sunday 6th February 2011, 6.00pm
Understanding difficult relationships and working through them: Sunday 20th February 2011, 6.00pm
The Way of Centering Prayer: Tuesday 22nd February 2011, 8.00pm
There is a poster attached, and I will also remind people of late February talks at my next mail-out in February.


Catholic Union "Do"
Tuesday 1st February 2011, 19:00
St Mary Moorfields Church in the City
There will be a sung Mass at 7.00pm (Eve of Candlemas). This will be followed by drinks and dinner down in the Hall. The event will be held in conjunction with the Young City Catholic so it will be an excellent opportunity for young Catholic professionals to get together.
A donation of £10 towards a sumptuous dinner and wine would be gratefully received and can be paid on the evening. However the caterers will need to know how many people to cater for! Please email Olivia of Catholic Union by 28 January!
Please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends and fill this event with an interesting variety of people!
For more info on the Catholic Union of Great Britain and its work do please visit http://www.catholicunion.org/


Theology of the Body on John Paul II (A series of talks)
Tuesday 1st February 2011, 19:00 - 21:00
SPES, St. Patrick’s Presbytery, St. Patrick's Church, 21a Soho Square, London, W1D 4NR
Theology of the Body of John Paul II. The evening will kick off with a light soup supper and time of social. The talk will last about an hour with an opportunity of Q&A at the end.
The remaining series of dates are scheduled:
8th February
15th February
22nd February
Contact: Deanna Joy at spes@stpatricksoho.org, www.sohope.blogspot.com and 0207 434 9965.


Logos Formation Day - Creation
Tuesday 01 February · 18:30 - 20:30
St. Anselm and St. Cecilia’s Church, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Kingsway, Holborn, London, WC2A 3JA
The Bible stories of Creation and the Church;
Praying into the creation of nature;
Praying into the creation of human life and soul;
We are co-creators with God...


Catholic Roadshow Planning Conference
Saturday 5th February 2011, 11:00-16:00
St George's Cathedral, Cathedral House, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HY.
All Catholics are warmly invited to a planning conference for a two week England and Wales wide Catholic Roadshow happening in May 2011.
Gerry Coates, founder of 'Heart Speaks Unto Heart' radio station for the Papal Visit, has been hard at work making the possibility of a Catholic Roadshow into a reality. It will hit universities, schools, Cathedrals, city centres, and other public venues located all over England and Wales which Gerry will be revealing more about at the planning conference. Fr Stan Fortuna is likely to come over for 18+ days to lead the roadshow, and Gerry is hoping to seriously promote Catholic Youth Ministry and engage Catholic Youths over England and Wales as part of this mission. This conference is a great opportunity to discover how your outreach teams could become part of this mission, and it would also help Gerry to gauge interest.
Attached are the details of the conference and the list of provisionally set dates and locations for the Roadshow. Please save the planning conference date and location in your diaries.
If you are interested, kindly RSVP either to Gerry directly (gerrycoates@blueyonder.co.uk), or myself (happy to pass on your details). It would be great if you could tell me which institution/organisation/group/company/parish/community you would be representing, if not yourself. If you wish to be removed from any further communications regarding this roadshow, let me know gently ;)
Please keep this excellent opportunity for Catholic Youth to share our beautiful faith with the masses as one community in your prayers, and please share this information to anyone and everyone you think might be able to contribute!
Please also note that this conference is also on the same date as the LISS weekend!


Come Away with Me 2011: BCYS Training Day for Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders
Sunday 6th February 2011
Don Bosco House, Coventry Road, Coleshill, B46 3EA
Workshops focus on the following:
Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith
Faith vs. Society
Praying with Young People
Managing Challenging Behaviour
Resources within our Reach
Facebooking for Youth Groups
Cost = £27
For more information: comeawaywithme2011@gmail.com


Generation of Love
Saturday 12th February 2011, 14:00
St. Michael & St. Martin's Catholic Church, 94 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3EH.
Didn't get enough of the all-night Catholic youth event that Hounslow Youth Team put on in celebration of Christ the King back in November? Don't despair! We're already bringing to reality our next event 'Generation of Love'. This day/evening event includes:
- A talk by Emmett & Lucy Dooley (formerly of Pure in Heart) who will be helping us to explore the theme of LOVE as young Catholic singles, couples and 'discerners' of religious life.
- Interactive games, workshops, faith sharing, and lots of God-loving during Adoration, Confession and Mass while TW3 lead live praise and worship!
- The evening turns hot after SIT DOWN DINNER with our very own rendition of 'Blind Date - RC stylee!', and then it's time to do your thang on a jam-packed dance floor where our DJ'll be playing the hottest freshest and cleanest club tunes til 1am.
Dress Code: Dress to impress... without showing flesh!!! No caps/hats are to be worn in the Church.
All under 18's must download a consent form from http://ssmm.org.uk/ (available from next week).
For more info, contact myself or Nicole Carver, or email hounslowyouthteam@gmail.com. We've got hundreds of flyers yet to send out to all Parishes in the West London area, so look out for them in the coming weeks!
Cost: Suggested donation of £5 - but if that is too much, then you're welcome to give whatever you can! It's gonna be a wicked night!
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS CATHOLIC YOUTH EVENT ENDING IN A PARTY, NOT A RAVE... No alcoholic beverages will be served on the night, and no provocative, violent or anti-Christian values will be tolerated whatsoever :)




Some other helpful and/or useful links:
http://encouragetrust.org.uk/ is a charity who provide friendly and informal support based on traditional Roman Catholic principles to people who struggle with homosexuality. Their purpose is to offer friendship and support.
http://marriagecare.org.uk/ provide marriage preparation, relationship counselling, relationship education, a telephone helpline. We also offer general support and advice to those who want to marry or enter long-term relationships.
http://compass-points.org.uk/ Aged 20-35, and wondering whether life in a religious order - as a nun, monk, sister, priest or brother - might just be the life for you? Compass will help you find your direction.


Have a great January and abundant blessings for 2011!