I leap for joy

St. John the Baptist is one of my favorite saints. I even gave our eldest son the name John for his second name. And I chose St. John the Baptist as his patron saint.

I consider St. John the Baptist as the First Evangelizer who proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. He directed everyone to Jesus. In one painting he is seen looking at others while pointing his finger to Jesus. What an apt depiction of this great saint!

I dreamt that one day I can be like John the Baptist who would point others to Jesus. And lo, and behold, that time came in 2020 when after a week of training in the Philippines I returned to Calgary to take on my service role as Live Christ, Share Christ Mission Coordinator.

The Live Christ, Share Christ (LCSC) Mission provides opportunities for the Catholic lay faithful to MEET Christ, LIVE Christ, SHARE Christ. Through their formation programs, LCSC makes the Gospel narration of the visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth come to life: When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Lk 1:41)  

Just as God had been faithful and kept His promises to Mary, Elizabeth, and John, we are reminded that God likewise reveals His wondrous works to each of us as well.

Even in the midst of  lockdown and quarantine, hand washing and masking, self-isolation and social distancing during this pandemic, God constantly draws us to Himself and shows us that He is, indeed, our Father.

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​MEET Christ through the Word of God
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I leap for joy because despite the pandemic through God’s grace we launched the Liturgical Bible Study (LBS) in the Calgary Catholic School District using virtual technology. Through zoom meetings, we guided high school students in finding the connections between the Sunday liturgical readings. They discovered that the first, the second, and the Gospel readings are interrelated and have a common message that gives it unity.

Through LBS the students realized that the Bible is not a mere historical document. They soon realized that the stories of our faith ancestors in the Bible shed light to present life situations.  From the insights they gathered throughout the session, the students were able to understand the pandemic in the context of the scripture readings.

LIVE Christ through the Life in Christ Seminar

I leap for joy because despite the pandemic through God’s grace we completed the Life in Christ Seminar (LCS): A Virtual Experience.
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In 5 weekend sessions via zoom, the participants learned that we have all been unfaithful to God, creating our own religion that is not Christ-centered but self-centered.  As such, we have become cradle Catholics, lapsed Catholics, and cafeteria Catholics. 

The LCS participants realized that we have all been pursuing false gods:  personal ambitions, wealth and possessions, comfort and pleasure. We always seek the non-essential things instead of pursuing the essential thing that matters most, that is, contentment. And contentment can only be received by those who believe that they are beloved children of the one true God.

Life in Christ Seminar participants

LCS Core Team

SHARE Christ to The Ends of the Earth

I leap for joy because despite the pandemic through God’s grace us we will be fully engaged in the new evangelization,  beyond borders and across boundaries. In our first LCS alone we had participants from New Zealand, USA, Canada and the Philippines. Life in Christ means we should let Jesus continue His work of salvation through us, with us, and in us. The Catholic lay faithful are called to be missionaries through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are all called to be workers in God’s vineyard. Through virtual technology the opportunities to share Christ are boundless. 

​Together, let us leap for joy as we MEET Christ, LIVE Christ, and SHARE Christ.

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Written by Bro. Jojo Juego. With the LCSC Mission Team, the writer, Bro Jojo offers formation programs to schools, parishes, companies, hospitals, and the general public. Bro Jojo and his wife, Mabel, are also members of the Missionary Families of Christ (MFC). The couple and their 5 children are parishioners of St. Patrick’s Parish in Calgary since 2008.

​Photos: Bro Jojo Juego.

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A message from MFC: Join us in this New Evangelization by participating in our Life in Christ Seminar this August.  Invite your family, relatives and friends in any part of the world to join you in this seminar. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see them and to make new friends from other places in a virtual setting. For more information, email [email protected]