On May 28, 2023, the FCC Gouda & Surroundings community came together to celebrate its remarkable 25-year journey. This significant milestone not only marked the passage of time but also highlighted the unwavering commitment, unity, and faith that have shaped this community into a thriving force. Attendees reflected on their experiences, expressing gratitude for the collective effort, the guidance of Father Marcel Uzoigwe, and the sense of belonging that has made FCC Gouda a second home.
Working Together Towards Success: Arnold Paco, a devoted member of FCC Gouda & Surroundings, recognized the harmonious collaboration within the community. He emphasized the dedication of every individual to their roles, resulting in a well-organized and efficient group. Arnold encouraged everyone to continue relying on the guiding star of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that with faith as their compass, nothing is impossible.
A Family That Provides Support: Lita Henke, reflecting on her cherished memories, expressed immense joy at being part of the FCC Gouda community. Over the past 25 years, she and her late husband found solace and comfort in attending the Filipino mass. Lita felt at home from the moment they were warmly welcomed by the group. Despite the challenges of going to Gouda alone after her husband’s passing, she found solace in the supportive nature of the community. Lita’s continued participation is a testament to the family-like atmosphere and the unwavering support offered by FCC Gouda.
Fine & Fun, that’s how it went: Fr. Cyril summed up his experience in a concise yet powerful statement: “It was fine and it was fun.” His words captured the positive energy and enjoyment felt throughout the celebration, both during the Mass and the subsequent festivities.
A Reverend’s Perspective: Fr. Mark Robin Hoogland acknowledged the exceptional atmosphere that permeated the Mass and continued long after. The sense of unity and joy was palpable, creating a sacred space for celebration and worship.
Succesvol, Sfeervol, en Gezellig: Marrietta Boswinkel eloquently summarized the event in Dutch, expressing that it was highly successful, filled with ambiance, and a joyous affair. Her words echoed the sentiments of many who attended the anniversary celebration.
Congratulations and Support from FCC Dordrecht: Representing FCC Dordrecht, Marissa van der Graaf extended heartfelt congratulations to FCC Gouda & Surroundings on their 25th anniversary. She commended the community’s collective efforts, acknowledging the board members and all community members for their dedication to the Catholic community. Marissa highlighted the unity displayed by the husbands, who selflessly worked in the kitchen during the event, showcasing their love and support. She expressed the desire for continued collaboration and eagerly anticipated participating in FCC Gouda’s 30th anniversary celebration.
The Importance of Leaders and Followers: Maria Lovell van der Weiden recognized the vital roles played by both leaders and followers within the FCC Gouda community. She emphasized the need for unity and appreciation of every individual’s contributions. Maria applauded the supporters who often work behind the scenes, as well as the leaders who guide and steer the community’s direction. Through this balanced collaboration, she was confident in the community’s ability to thrive in the years to come.
A Home Away from Home: Kristine Baul expressed her gratitude for FCCG, likening it to a home away from home. She praised the community for its warm and welcoming nature, emphasizing the joyful celebration of their 25th anniversary. Kristine highlighted the cultural significance of Filipino songs and dances, which evoked nostalgia and pride. She acknowledged the importance of belonging to FCCG in strengthening her faith and thanked her FCCG family for their support.
Embracing Challenges and Sharing Talents: Amor van Os, reflecting on the journey of FCC Gouda, emphasized the trials faced along the way. However, she emphasized the presence of God as a constant companion, guiding the community through obstacles. Amor recalled the leadership challenges in 2012 and recognized the courage of Jan Boon, who took charge during that critical time. She encouraged every member to recognize their unique gifts and talents, urging them to share them with the community for collective growth.
To sum up, the 25th anniversary celebration of FCC Gouda & Surroundings was a testament to the unwavering unity, support, and faith that have defined this community. Attendees reflected on their experiences, expressing gratitude for the collaborative efforts of all members, the guidance of Father Marcel Uzoigwe, and the sense of belonging that binds them together. As they looked forward to the future, the attendees were confident that FCC Gouda would continue to flourish, embracing challenges, and remaining a vibrant beacon of faith for many more years to come.
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, C.S.Sp. | Jer 20:10-13; Ps 69; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33
Dear Friends in Christ,
There is a story of a little boy who was sent by his mother to go to the storeroom and get the bucket for her. The boy complained that it was too dark in the storeroom and he was afraid. The mother insisted, saying to him, “Don’t be afraid, my son. You know Jesus is there.” That gave him a bit of encouragement. With great apprehension, the boy opened the door of the storehouse and called out with a trembling voice: “Jesus, can you hand me the bucket, please?”
In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid.” He had to say it three times. Perhaps the disciples were already showing signs of fear when Jesus was sending them to go preach the gospel. Though the words, “Fear not” appear 365 times in the Bible indicating that God wants us to live each day of the year without fear, fear remains a daily experience of the human race.
The first reading this Sunday gives us the same message. Jeremiah was constantly threatened by his enemies to who he was sent to proclaim the word of God. Not that he was a bad person. On the contrary, as prophet, he was God’s instrument in proclaiming the truth to the people. But for some people, the truth hurts. So they could not accept God’s message. And the most logical thing to do would be to silence the messenger to prevent the message from getting to the people. They made every effort to intimidate Jeremiah. At some point, even those Jeremiah considered to be his friends joined his enemies to seek his fall.
Jeremiah loved to live a peaceful and unperturbed life before God entrusted him with a difficult mission, which brought him into conflict with the authorities – the kings, priests and false prophets. He was given the task of challenging the people to keep the covenant they made with God or face the wrath of God. He emphasized the need for a deep personal relationship with God instead of the superficial religion, which the people practiced. His message was too hard for the people and they saw him as a prophet of doom. They shouted, “Let us denounce him” (Jeremiah 20:10). Proclaiming the truth can bring negative consequences to the one who proclaims it. This is the lot of most prophets. They were either killed or rejected by their own people. After the prophets, God spoke to His people through His Son, Jesus Christ. He, too, suffered the same fate. So, we can understand why Jesus had to speak the words three times: do not be afraid.
Jesus constantly used this exhortation to encourage his disciples not to be overwhelmed by the dangers they might encounter in the mission. Having told them all that would happen to them in the course of their life and ministry, how they would be put out of the Synagogue and at some point those who kill them would consider it as offering service to God, he concluded by saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When the mission brought them into confrontation with the authorities of the time, they already knew that they needed not be afraid. But that does not take away the fact that fear is a constant challenge which every believer must constantly pray and struggle to overcome. The reasons are obvious.
The first law of nature is self-preservation. Instinctively, we avoid pain and sufferings. That is natural. Looking at the lives of the apostles and what they went through can be terrifying to someone trying to live the truth of his faith in some circumstances that are hostile to the truth. Imagine the experience of Paul recounted in 2Cor 11:24-27. Five times he received thirty-nine lashes at the hands of the Jews. Beaten with rods three times, coupled with shipwrecks and all kinds of dangers on the journey, especially what he described as dangers among false brothers.
In the face of such a grave duty to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, however, we have to be courageous and move on despite all odds. Jesus did not mix words when he warned “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). That was not meant to be a threat but a reminder of the reciprocity that is involved in witnessing. We cannot get what we deny. If fear keeps us away from doing something, we cannot get the result doing it should bring.
Let’s face it. Most of the wrongs that we do come about as a result of fear. Why do people tell lies and even go ahead to defend it? Perhaps it is because the truth may not be to their own advantage and they are not willing to put up with the consequences. Why do people resort to dishonesty and all kinds of unjust practices to gain temporal economic advantage? Mostly like because they do not want to lose their wealth, and the prospect of undergoing economic difficulties scares them. Why are people hesitant to fully give themselves in love? Perhaps because they have been hurt before, and they cannot allow themselves to get hurt again. Why are we reluctant to speak about the Lord and the hard truths of his teachings? It could be that we are afraid to be ridiculed by society. The list can go on and on. In all these, one conclusion is clear: self-interest is the root cause of all our fears. Jesus was aware of this when he laid down the condition of discipleship: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt 16:24).
If that is the case, why then did Jesus ask his disciples not to be afraid? It is simple: because our security is to be found in Him, and not in the world. When we give ourselves over to Jesus, we develop a new way of perceiving the world and all its fears and troubles. We the realize that true peace can only be found in God and in his principles which his word gives us. That is the peace Jeremiah, Paul and all the apostles had when they put their fears and troubles in the hands of God. Then like the little boy we will realize that Jesus is with us always. We do not have to be afraid.
Today we celebrate Pentecost. On Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, which was promised by Jesus to his disciples. A lot of people can’t imagine much about this. Who or what is the Holy Spirit anyway? This is a good question because the Holy Spirit is the abiding presence of God among people. People throughout the ages have experienced that presence. It has helped them, comforted them, and prompted them to do great things. It was present at the beginning of creation, as the opening verses of the Book of Genesis tell us (Genesis 1:2). And he would be there at the end of time (Revelations 14:13). So, there is no fear of losing the presence of the Holy Spirit so long one is disposed to receive him.
We celebrate, therefore, the human consciousness of God’s engagement with the Universe and all in it: the creation of the universe when the Spirit of God hovered over the waters, the creation of humanity when God breathed his Spirit into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and the many instances of God’s Spirit’s involvement in human history. With Pentecost we celebrate the birth of the Church when the Spirit came upon the fearful apostles gathered in the Upper Room and commissioned them to go out and proclaim the Good News to all peoples. We read about that event in the First reading. But it is not just about beginnings, whether of creation or the Church, or even the beginning of this Filipino Catholic Community (FCC). It is the Holy Spirit that is the driving force without which neither creation nor the Church nor the FCC can move forward and fulfill its purpose.
When the Holy Spirit came, the apostles went out to preach to an audience that was so diverse. The reading noted that the people came from various parts of the world to celebrate Pentecost which was actually a Jewish harvest festival called Shavuot celebrated 50 days after the Passover. They were not expecting anything strange to happen until the apostles came forward saying things that not only made sense to them but were an extraordinary exposition of divine mysteries. More importantly, everyone present could understand them in their own native language without any interpreter. That was definitely not logical, that a person speaks in a language and everyone present understands what is said in his or her own native language, but a reality no one could deny, not even those who initially took them for drunken men. This reminds us of the Tower of Babel where the language of the people was confused and they could no longer understand each other (Genesis 11:1-9).
There is, of course, a clear difference between the goal of the Tower of Babel and that of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The goal of the people in building the Tower of Babel was to make a name for themselves. It was something about them, something natural. There is nothing wrong with seeking to make a name for oneself but when that is the sole purpose, the natural issues of tribalism, language, grouping, we against them, competition, etc. will arise and bring about divisions. Love will turn to jealousy, hatred, fighting, and backbiting. Nothing meaningful is achieved in such a situation. And that is what is described as the confusion of their language that brought an end to their project. Paul denounced these natural consequences which he referred to as the life of the natural man in his letter to Galatians. And he pleaded with them to live in the Spirit which brings love, peace, patience, collaboration, unity and all that is good, which all derive from the Pentecost celebration.
Today’s first reading describes the presence of the Holy Spirit with symbolic signs such as wind and fire. Wind and Fire are ancient Biblical symbols for the presence of God among men. And it is used here to describe the powerful new wind that blew over the old world to bring about a new creation. A creation where the walls that divide and separate humanity is abolished and a new form of brotherhood is introduced. A creation where people who ordinarily have nothing with each other would come together to form a new family of God’s people, living in love and respect for each other. A new creation that has made it possible for you and me, coming from different natural families, cultures and nations to be united in ‘one heart and one spirit’ in Christian fellowship. A new creation where the richness of diversity is harvested without destroying the uniqueness of the individual. The Holy Spirit does not mold people from different countries into sameness in the same manner a machine would mold materials to produce similar products. No. He preserves the uniqueness of everyone while urging everyone to work for the same purpose. We could see this in the case of Paul and Barnabas who disagreed about taking John Mark who left them halfway during their first mission. That disagreement did not stop them from preaching the same gospel along the different path that they took (Acts 15: 36-41).
Pentecost is a celebration of connectedness. Connectedness with each other and with God. And at the heart of this connectedness is love. Love that connects us to God. Jesus taught and lived with great love for people. Prior to His departure, He promised His disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead them into all truth and remind them of all He taught them. The Holy Spirit helps people who open themselves to God and Jesus to approach and see people and things from a different perspective. When the light of faith threatens to be blown out, the Spirit is needed again to bring fire to faith. One who gives the Spirit every opportunity in his or her life will not testify as a lukewarm believer. A Spirit-filled person will testify full of fire, like one in love who cannot remain silent.
The coming of the Holy Spirit makes us aware of God’s presence within us and enables us to love and live in peace with our fellow human beings. If there is anything our world so desperately needs today, it is love and peace. The heart of every man and woman longs for love, to love, and to be loved. When people feel loved and cherished, they bring out the best in themselves. The true nature and essence of God’s presence in them become clear, and those around them experience peace and joy. The absence of love brings hatred, violence, and all kinds of evil, both to individuals and to society. No one can give what he does not have. Only a heart full of love can radiate love, and only a peaceful heart can give peace to others.
Today a new fervor apparently flares up, enthusiasm and inspiration in our hearts. The Holy Spirit is fire and love. Comforter who absolves and forgives, who warms, who inspires, enthuses, and overcomes fear. The Holy Spirit makes each of us a proclaimer of the Good News of Jesus by using the gift we receive from Him. The Holy Spirit, dear people, is there, among other things, to inspire and strengthen us to bear true witness in our present secularized society. Those who funded this community (Filipino Catholic Community) had their own challenges in the beginning. But they did not stop. They trusted God and allowed the Holy Spirit to lead them. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this wonderful Catholic Christian community, we are invited to do the same today and move the community forward.
Let us pray, therefore, that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit, and put His gift that we then receive to work for the betterment of the world around us. Amen
Today’s readings offer a message of hope in the midst of our confused world and difficult circumstances. It is sometimes surprising how quickly we slip into despair when things go wrong and our expectations don’t come true. This is part of human nature, but it keeps us trapped in our own way of thinking, preventing us from seeing things in a new and more enlightening way. Such was the case with the two disciples of Jesus, about whom we read in today’s Gospel. They were totally distraught after Jesus’ crucifixion and could not make sense of the story being told among their peers that Jesus had risen from the dead. That inability led them to leave the city of Jerusalem and make their way to a village called Emmaus.
The disciples had pinned all their hopes on Jesus, whom, after all, they considered their Messiah. Given the concept of the Messiah in those days, he would deliver them (the Jews) from the oppressive Roman occupiers. No wonder they once asked Jesus when He would restore the Kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). For this project they risked everything. What would happen to this project now that their Messiah had been crucified as a common criminal? With its collapse, the disciples’ lives were in danger, as both the Jewish leaders and the Roman rulers would surely come after them. Gradually the reading leads us to the source of human grief, which we can identify in one way or another. When we lose someone who has occupied a central place in our lives, a wife, husband, son or daughter, beloved friend, brother or sister; when the business we have built up during our lifetime collapses and with it our career comes to an end; when the foundation of our hope, our confidence turns into disappointment, how do we feel and react? All this comes close to the experience of the two disciples. We can mentally put ourselves in their situation and try to understand how that feels.
Therefore, the disciples left Jerusalem where they were and headed for Emmaus. Jerusalem is often referred to as the city of God, representing all that is good and divine. It is the seat of civilization for the Jews and the center of their theocracy. The temple of their pride, a symbol of God’s presence among them, is in Jerusalem, while Emmaus is a small village of no significance. What sorrow would cause these disciples to retreat from Jerusalem to Emmaus? It was indeed hard for them, but Jesus did not abandon them. He went with them as an unknown stranger.
The reading gives us some qualities that enabled the disciples to make some progress in their situation. They are described as open and welcoming. Although they did not know the stranger, they allowed him in and were willing to share their frustrations with him. Being hospitable is a great virtue that opens doors. The world has become so bad that everyone is suspicious of strangers and strange ideas, but without opening up, a person cannot improve himself. It is in sharing that we get to know the stranger, gain access to his or her world, and stop being strangers to each other. Imagine the opportunity that simple events, like sharing coffee or meals, can provide to engage in conversation with a fellow human being. Imagine the depth to which such conversations can lead, and the friendship that can result. It is said that by being hospitable, some welcomed angels (Acts 13:2).
As Jesus set out with them and listened to their frustrations, he began to explain the scriptures to them. This allowed them to understand what was written about the Messiah. Without recognizing Him, they took Him home because it was already late and thus unsafe for the stranger. As they shared their meal with Him, Jesus broke the bread and revealed Himself to them. Now their eyes opened and they recognized Him, but He disappeared from their sight, and with that, their doubts also disappeared, and their frustrations turned into joy. The same disciples who took Jesus in, because it was already dark outside, got up and returned to Jerusalem that very night. Their fears disappeared and courage took over. This is what also happens to us when we recognize the presence of Jesus among us. Jesus who brings us together, breaks and shares bread, and gives us the cup to drink every time we celebrate the Eucharist.
When life hurts us and we tend to turn our backs on God’s plan or turn to our “Emmaus,” it is time to open ourselves to the risen Lord. He is not dead, but alive, and He accompanies us, even in difficulties. We will see Him at the breaking of bread and we will experience the power of His resurrection.
Peter took time in the first reading to explain to the people that Jesus would not be left to the power of death. He is life itself and therefore overcomes death. He rises from the dead. That act of his rising from the dead has become the basis of life for all who believe in him, all who entrust their lives to him. By his death on the cross, he paid the price for our debts, and by rising from the dead he has given us a new birth as children of God (see second reading). Therefore Jesus promised that whoever lives and believes in him will not die for eternity (John 11:26 ).
The resurrection of Jesus and his self-revelation, as described in these two readings (1st reading and the Gospel), are great sources of hope and inspiration. Resurrection is not just something that happens at the end of our human experience. We are children of resurrection every day. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we have been given the strength to overcome our grief and pain, sorrow, and disappointments. We are assured that Jesus is with us all the way on our life journey, even when we do not recognize him. He is the stranger who intervenes to support us, enlighten us, and show us the way. Let’s, therefore, entrust our life with all its ups and downs to him knowing that the power that raised him from the dead works in us.
Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the fifth Sunday of Lent.
The three readings today are centred on the life that God gives to all people. They reveal Jesus as the lord of life. The death of Lazarus, in the gospel of today, can be seen as a symbolic representation of the soul that has died from mortal sin. This is similar to the fact that leprosy, physical ailments and the like are also symbols of sin. For that reason, Jesus’ initial reactions reveal how we should respond to serious sin in our lives.
When Jesus faced the death of Lazarus, “he became perturbed and deeply troubled,”. He wept and cried out in a loud voice. Though Jesus was God, He freely chose to assume human nature. He chooses to experience human emotions and passion to teach us how we should react. Therefore, when we or our loved ones fall into grave sin, it must not be ignored.
Impenitence is a sin by which a person fails to have appropriate remorse for a sin and reacts to it in a dismissive and casual manner. This cannot be our reaction. Thus, let us begin by considering the great value of taking sin seriously, reacting to it with passion and emotion, and crying out to God for forgiveness.
When Jesus cried out, commanding Lazarus to come out of the tomb, Lazarus came forth but was still bound hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. This symbolizes the entire process of confession and the forgiveness of sins. First, no person is capable of confessing their sins by their own effort. It must be that they are moved by grace and the command of Jesus to come forth to show themselves in their bound state to God.
Hence, the obedience of Lazarus to Jesus’ command symbolizes the Christian’s response to God’s call to repentance. When Jesus said: “Untie him and let him go,” this symbolizes the unmerited effect of the Sacrament of Confession and the power it has to release a person not only from their sins but also from the ongoing effects of those sins.
Jesus is not just a human being, but the Son of God who came to the world to spread the Good News of love, mercy, peace and joy. But the question is: Do we have the same strong faith as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus do? Or is our faith filled with doubts?
Therefore, Jesus says to us today and always: “Take away the stone”. By that, He means the stone of sorrow and misery through the death of a loved one, through adversity and misfortune, through weakness and powerlessness, through pains and sickness, through corona virus pandemic and the misuse of power by the politician against the citizens, through the victimization of the less privilege, the orphans and poor ones in our society, through natural disasters and wars, for example in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Nigeria and Africa in general.
However, the stone of selfishness, of self-interest, of indifference, of jealousy, envy and hatred must also be taken away from our lives, and from our relationship with God and humanity. So many stones that with their gravity crush Jesus’ message of love, mercy, peace and joy in us and in the world must be taken away too.
Brothers and sisters, “Untie him and let him go,” says Jesus when He raised Lazarus from the dead. He also wants to release us from the death of our weak faith and commitment to live according to His words and deeds of love, mercy, peace and joy. Therefore, it should be our strength to go with Jesus in all situations of life, and in whatever happens to us.
So let us go with Jesus in all our actions and thoughts.
Let us go to Easter with Jesus, to the resurrection of love, mercy, peace and joy for ourselves and all our fellow human beings.
Let us reflect, today, upon the rich symbolism found in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Let us listen to the passionate voice of Jesus who calls us to “Come out”.
What sin is Jesus calling you to be free from? Identify that sin and repent of it with the same passion that Jesus exhibits.
Jesus desires that you be completely unbound and set free. Be open to that grace and do all you can to accept it.
Jesus, you command us, in love, to come forth from all sin. Free us from all that binds us so that we will be set firmly on the glorious road of virtue that leads to eternal joy, Amen.
