Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

Hey!

As promised, here are the slides from the wonderful presentation by Fr Thinh.

Though we may never fully understand the afterlife until all is revealed when we reach that afterlife, I do believe that from what we do know and understand, we get a representation of what it could be. For some, knowing is equally good as not knowing; for others, even the slightest glimpse strengthens our faith.

There's this scene in the film Meet Joe Black where a character asks Death : Should I be afraid? And Death replies "Not a man like you." I encourage you to lead a moral and honorable life such that the same can be said.

Discussion of questions that people had...
Please feel free to reply and add other questions that you may have.

1. How do we know whether we have done good or bad in our lives?

2. What is our purpose after reaching heaven?

3. What of spirits roaming the earth? Are they in heaven, hell or purgatory or something totally separate?

4. Are our feelings of unworthiness for receiving God's for forgiveness a "willing refusal of God's mercy"?

5. Is it possible to go from hell to heaven and vice versa?

Examination Mass!

Join us for a time of prayer before the start of your exams!

Heaven, hell and purgatory

So. Heaven, hell and purgatory. PJs and GJs and the lot.

Whew. There was a lot of deep discussion about that topic on Friday, and some very thought provoking lessons presented then... some of which I am still struggling to understand, but learning to accept. Slides of the presentation are going to be up so no... I will not be re-lecturing people on the Catholic teachings about the afterlife. I will however, procrastinate shamelessly and share with you what I've learnt.

It's a bit of a shocker really, to find out that South Park's portrayal of heaven is totally wrong- no clouds, pearly gates, angels playing golden PSP's or Kenny. Heaven is not a place, but a state of being, where one is not limited by time and space and is eternally happy because he or she is in eternal communion with God. The way I see it, it's sort of like a Zen meditation feeling of calm and peace... like all your worries have been sapped away and instead of thinking about the prospect of Torrres leaving Liverpool and joining Chelsea... you are totally in the zone... and totally content. I'm guessing this contentment is because you can hear what God is saying when He's talking to you. Unlike your time on earth when you often don't know what God is saying to you (if He is saying something to you)... in heaven, communication is pretty sweet both ways.

Hell on the other hand, is the eternal absence of God, or as Sara says, discommunion with God. Hell, to be honest, sounds like a time when you don’t have internet connection, credit on your phone, and you’re completely isolated and alone- and aware of the fact that it will be an eternity before you can go on Facebook and make a status update about how terrible you feel about the whole thing. And perhaps, multiply that feeling by 1000000000000000000000000000 to the power of infinity. Then square it, and take the natural log of it.

I have a mathematical representation of purgatory, but that… is probably best edited out for the interest of all non-engineering students.

So… methinks a shout out to Donna is in order… thanks for the awesome session!!

As for now… May the force be with you. Good luck with assignments, studying, work, life, coin laundry and the works guys.

Congratulations to the new Cosdu Committee!

Here is your new 2010/2011 committee!

President: Jonathan Au
Vice President: Renee Siu
Secretary: Kershia Kathleen
Treasurer: Kudokun Wuisan (Theo)
Social Justice Coordinator: Jessica Tan
Sessions Coordinator: Kim Ngu
Liturgy Coordinator: Anastasia Agusto
Music Coordinator: Alphonsus Tan
Publicity Coordinator: Florence Santana
Social Activities Coordinator: Felicia Tang


Congratulations to them and may the Lord give them the courage, strength and guidance they need to serve Him through their work in Cosdu!

AGM

Details:

Date:	Friday, May 14 2010
Time:	6:00pm Mass begins, 6:30pm AGM begins
Location:	Executive Lounge (upstairs), Alan Gilbert Building on Grattan Street.

**Important!**

As a general consideration towards others, please try to be early so we can all start on time.

**Very Important**

We need at least 20 non-committee members to attend this event. Please try to make some time out of your busy schedule to support us at this AGM. The committee deeply appreciates this! :) Click for Facebook Event!

Dinner and drinks will be catered and provided after the AGM, light refreshments will be provided throughout the AGM process.

All Positions will be open for nomination in the following order:

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Social Justice Coordinator

Sessions Coordinator

Liturgy Coordinator

Music Coordinator

Publicity Coordinator

Social Activities Coordinator

AGM Agenda:

Item 1 - Attendance

Mass starts at 6pm! (Celebrant: Fr. Thinh)

1.1 Opening:

Meeting chaired by Jessica Tan

Opening Prayer by Jessica Tan

Meeting opened at 6.30 pm

Minutes taken by Sara Kang

1.2 Attendance

1.3 Apologies

Item 2 - Adoption of Agenda

(Motion required)

Item 3 – Chair Person’s Welcome

Item 4 - Constitution

4.1 Distribution of the club constitution

4.2 Discussion and ratification of club constitution (motion required)

Item 5 - Reports

5.1 President’s Report

5.2 Treasurer’s Report

5.3 Spiritual Directors’ Speeches

Item 6 - Elections

6.1 Appointment of Returning Officer (Motion required)

6.2 Appointment of Ballot Officers

6.3 Outline of election procedure

6.4 Call for Nominations

6.5 Voting and Declaration of Results

Item 7 - Presentation of Tokens of Appreciation

Items 8 – Any Other Business

8.1 Mention of Thanks

8.2 Speech of thanks by the new President

Item 9 – Annual General Meeting closed

9.1 Final tribute to COSDU Committee 2009-2010

9.2 Closing prayer by new President

9.3 Meeting closed at 10.30 pm (or earlier)

Good luck to everyone who is considering running for a position! :)

President: Jessica Tan

Come to think of it, ever since I came to Melbourne, COSDU has become my Melbourne, I have been in the committee for the past 2 years and i’m honoured to have the opportunity to be President.

To be able to serve God and his people.


What is important to know is that, COSDU is not just another university club. It’s not just about social activities, although we certainly enjoy these together. It’s not just about writing facebook comments on millions of photos. It is a catholic youth group - THE ONLY ONE ON CAMPUS. The most important thing is that our group is based in faith.
And we need to remember, as pope Benedict says, we do not impose our faith but we propose our faith through our actions and through who we are.

Being president has certainly thought be a lot of things, it hasn’t just thought me how to lead, but is has thought me how to serve God’s people.


There are many things to be planned such as monthly meetings, ensuring everything is running smoothly, updating our spiritual directors, but most importantly, being president is about helping the committee grow in faith with one another, getting to know their strengths, bringing them close together, ( which is very important is you will be working together for the next year), ensuring the members feel that COSDU is inclusive, welcoming, personally fulfilling, faith enhancing, safe and supportive for all.

We had our ups and downs, it certainly gets quite stressful but what isn’t?

Because we base our faith around prayer and our faith, everything turns out great in the end. As people always say God will not give us something that we cannot handle.


And remember this, as Mother Teresa said: we cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.

So if you feel the calling to run, go for it, god doesn’t require us to succeed: he only requires that we try and we do our best.

And if you every feel stressed or down, keep in mind that true holiness consists in doing god’s will with a smile.

The committee is like the story of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is the one who really knows the sheep and their needs, and is ready to serve them-even to lay down his life for them. Being in a committee is like the Good Shepherd – not just doing a job, not just keeping COSDU going, but really caring for COSDU, knowing every person in COSDU and their needs, and wanting to serve them, like Jesus who didn’t come to BE SERVED, but to SERVE.


All the best to all of you who are thinking of running, this is a great opportunity, so as Father Binh said last night, this might be your vocation, you never never know, if you never
never go. =)

Good luck
Jess..

Vice President: Gracie Ng

My publicity Coordinator has requested that I send in my VP Profile. So while sitting here and typing away, I can hardly think of what to say to the people that will be reading this. So I have to mentally take myself back to May 2009 and think of how I have improved myself to become what I am now at this moment in time.

I must say though, that it has been such a bumpy road, along this road there are thorny bushes, and beautiful trees and flowers, but the greatest companion the most handsome and lovely sight was Jesus, my Lord. HIS mercy and grace is just overwhelming.

The experience of being a VP for COSDU has given me the opportunity to learn from my fellow committee members. They have humbled my ego and taught me gentleness and humility. They have taught me to love and care for others. Being a self centred person that I am, I have witnessed such sincerity and kindness from my team, that by offering others my help and time can bring such joy. For the 1^st term of my VP-ship, I did not really do much for my team, however, by 2^nd term; I knew I had to start treating them like real people and FRIENDS; Friends that will be part of my great experience. THIS, my dear friends is what I want to share with you.

You see, being a VP is not being the 2^nd boss, being a VP is SUPPORTING EACH AND EVERYONE IN YOUR GROUP NO MATTER WHAT, WHERE OR WHEN! And I only came to understand this later in my term. I prayed for Divine guidance and sensitivity so that I may come to BE together with my committee and learn from them, to LOVE them. You want to know why, because like I have talked about in my testimonial on the 23^rd of April, there are people out there that are brutal in the way the treat other human beings, the loneliness that I felt in this highly demanding university committee has made me realized what a lovely bunch of COSDUans I am involved with. I am not going to get too detailed into this. The lesson that I learned is that no matter where I am at, God will always guide me, and give me strength and comfort. And I know he will do exactly the same for you. *whispering very softly” That is the truth!

There isn’t a FIX role for being a VP in COSDU; however, from my point of view, a VP MUST be one that is Proactive and Responsible. Simple! There are defined “jobs” for this role, but it was pretty boring for me and I had to do something greater than that. So, I took on the responsibility of Organizing COSDU’s Greatest Annual Event - Eater Camp 2010. And it was FANTASTIC!! Don’t believe me, take up the challenge and be in the organizing committee and experience it for yourself, it will be your heart’s fondness memory!! Still not convince, then just pay-up and go to the camp! For 2011 that is.

Alright, so here are a few main Responsibilities:

1. Logistics- Basically keeping track of the music equipments and Items bought for COSDU. Updating the inventory list every semester, or whenever COSDU buys anything.
2. Supporting the session coordinator in making sure there are enough materials for each session.
3. Helping out with the planning of sports day and scavenger hunt.
4. Getting Sponsorships.

Coming to the end of my long winded profile, I would like to thank Jess, Sara, Yanuar, Jian Sheng, Donna, John, Matt, Audrey and Giovanni for making my experience such a lovely one. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with you guys, all your support and humour has made it rich and pleasant. I wish it wasn’t going to end so soon.

Lastly, to my future successor, or just anyone who is thinking of giving COSDU-VP a chance. GO FOR IT MY DEAR! You’ll gain a valuable experience from it. As for me, it helped shaped my character and made me into a better and stronger person. It shot me with a big wakeup call and taught me sincerity and kindness. And I know it will give you so much more than I have mentioned. Who knows it will bring you closer “home”, home where your heart knows Peace, Love and Joy. Go and TAKE UP this call to serve your fellow friends and laugh together.

Gracie is encouraging anyone to take on this Fabulous Role as VP. It’s Fun and Wonderful. Do pray and pray and pray and pray until you get the strong sense of “YES, this is what I want to do - to SERVE & BE”. This is what I felt when I decided to join COSDU’s committee. It was a definitely YES. Pray for his grace and guidance and YOU WILL feel it deep within you. Oh yes you will. Or you can just take on as a challenge to yourself, now this is what I call adventurous-soul.

Should you have any questions to ask me regarding COSDU's VP role or anything at all that you would like to share and talk about.
I'm always at sessions. Do come and I'll help you with all I can.

Till then my lovely people, toodlesss!!

With Warmest Love on this Autumn Night,

Gracie Valentina

Secretary: Sara Kang

Hey you!

Yes, you who are reading this. If you have managed to get this far, there has to be a reason for it for all of this was pre-written in God’s plan for your life. Now, to the real substantial part J

So, people often ask, WHY be the secretary? In all honesty, I had my doubts if I was good enough in the beginning. And I won’t lie and say that taking up this position has been the easiest part in my life here in Melbourne. But as you all know, for all the stress that comes with the position, a million other good, fond memories come with it. And then, you realize it was worth every one of those stressful moments.

I came to Melbourne in 2009, fresh, eager for the new challenges God so lovingly planned for me in this foreign land. I knew I would want to make my time here in Melbourne worth it. So, being the eager person that I am, I joined a million and one clubs in uni (Yes, I exaggerate). Dance, social work, music groups, volunteering, you name it, I’ve probably put my name on their mailing list at least. Being an international student away from home, you truly need to fill your time so as to not miss the things back home. Hence, I decided to join a youth group. In all honesty, I was never the social butterfly in youth groups back in Malaysia. But somehow or rather, God showed me the way to COSDU. I still remember that warm greeting I received from the people at the Orientation booth. At that moment, I knew this club was different. Which shows why this is the only club I am currently involved in till this day.

You see, COSDU has given me so much. The things I have learned from the people in COSDU are really inexhaustible. I never knew there was so much to learn and I have tried my best to learn everything. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and I cannot count my blessings enough that God brought me to this wonderful club.

It was that day in May 2009 that I felt this strong urge to run for the secretary post. And amidst all the doubts, I knew I made the right choice. And I never looked back. Because of what COSDU has given me, I knew, with whatever little I could offer, I would try to make a contribution. If this is the only way I can show my thanks to our awesome God, so be it. And here I am one year later. Never been more contented with how my life has turned out and I shall be forever grateful.

Being a secretary has not always been easy. But I believe that no matter how tough life gets, you toughen your faith. It was always my personal goal to stand by my committee. To be the supporting shoulder for anyone in need. There’s so much more I can offer than my pen and paper. Being a secretary is not all about paper work. It is not all about filling in forms. Trust me. You have to attend meetings too! J But yes, one of the main things in the secretary’s job is to liaise with the student body and other affiliated groups. Keeping track of membership lists, applying for grants, making announcements during sessions, these things come naturally after the 1^st time. So seriously, it’s not as daunting as you may think it is. I’ve learned what goes on behind the scenes when I need to liaise with UMSU or MUOSS. Who knows, the knowledge you gain will come in handy. And we all know knowledge is the key. So aside from the weekly announcements, the only main things I need to do is make sure the membership lists are updated, write the minutes for the monthly committee meetings, attend UMSU or MUOSS meetings if needed and that’s about it. I’ll tell you a little secret. Secretaries secretly rule the world J

Being in this committee has made my time in Melbourne all the more special. COSDU has given me something to look forward to after the long week of stressful assignments and lectures. The friendships I have made with the committee and the members are something to cherish for a lifetime. God works in such wonderful ways. I have grown so much in the past year. Making new friends is just one of those wonderful moments in life. Making a difference in someone’s life is another.

So, if you are thinking of running for this position, do not worry about all those nagging thoughts on the extra paper work and what not. You’ll learn that there really is not much to it. The only advice I can give you is to give your whole heart to the position and to God. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and not just to gain those extra credits. God deserves so much more than that. I was determined to prove that being a secretary is not all about paper work. And I believe I have proven my point. So, just trust in the Lord. And believe in yourself. After all, the will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.

See you guys at AGM 2010!

With love,

Sara

Treasurer: Yanuar Kurniawan

I knew about COSDU one and a half years ago when I started my study in the University of Melbourne. I was the President in a Catholic Student Organisation in Indonesia. As a result, I look for a Catholic group since I know that it is a good community to develop both friendship and my spiritual life. I attended a few first sessions of COSDU and I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, for a first few months, I was not able to attend COSDU sessions regularly since I had another obligation on weekends. However, I tried to join whenever COSDU has any special events such as Night Market, Scavenger Hunt, going to Little Sisters of the Poor, and volunteering in Home of Mercy. Thanks to COSDU, I was able to experience volunteering for homeless people and chatting with people in nursing homes where I can find God in their presence.

Last year, when COSDU had its Annual General Meeting, I kept thinking if I should join the COSDU committee or not. I prayed to God that He might give me the best way whatever the decision was. I kept my thoughts without telling everyone that I would run in AGM. God showed me what to choose in AGM, he gave me the strength to accept the nomination and I got the position as COSDU's Treasurer. I believed becoming COSDU's Treasurer was not only for my personal development but also for serving God by serving other people in COSDU.

For one year in the COSDU committee, I experienced lots of wonderful things and I could feel God's presence everytime we have sessions and events. I learn a lot of new things about organisation in University of Melbourne, how we should satisfy certain regulations, meet some requirements, come to committee meeting, etc. I am really thankful to God because of the happiness that I can have in the committee retreat that I can know each other better. I am very glad that God gives me the chance to work together with amazing people in the committee. Of course, not everything goes smoothly. There are problems in the road of life and there is no exception in the committee that problem sometimes is present. However, God is always there to share our burden and help us to overcome the problems. Finally, this is my final semester and I am planning to go back to Indonesia to finish my thesis there. If everything goes as planned, hopefully I can come back here in Melbourne next year and see new members of the COSDU committee. =)

Social Justice Coordinator: Ooi Jian Sheng

Social justice is a concept that a lot of Christians around the world hold dearly to their hearts. It is what drives the many philanthropic works globally such as soup kitchens, free medical services, care for orphaned children and abandoned elderly, just to name a few. Some people get involved into social justice work because they feel it is personally rewarding, others because of a sense of duty, and for some, because it simply has to be done to ease the suffering of the unfortunate.

Being a Social Justice (SJ) Coordinator would require that person to not only challenge his/her personal view on their intentions to help others, it would also question the person’s definition on what social justice means. I would like to share what I have learnt for the past one year as SJ coordinator.

While acting as SJ coordinator, I always questioned myself on whether my desire to help others was because I truly cared for these people, or whether it was for the sole purpose to feel what many others has told me, “personally rewarding”. It was only after awhile that I decided that if there was something I would like to do, I will always question myself on my motives to perform social work. For me, bringing justice to those being stepped on are of more importance than self-satisfaction. In fact, this said feeling should be a “side effect” of helping others.

Why you ask? From what I have witnessed, it is the intention of the person that separates the boys from the men and the girls from the women (political correctness is tiring sometimes, don’t you think?). What would you think a person would do once he/she does not feel rewarded anymore while helping others? Would that person continue sacrificing their time and money for the cause? Now, replace this person with another which has the intention of helping, regardless of what he/she feels. Whom would you think would remain when the going gets tough? I leave that for you to decide.

In essence, being a SJ coordinator would require someone to be passionate about bringing justice to the people and not solely just for self-satisfaction. You would be responsible in shaping how people view critical issues such as abortion and assisted suicide. In addition, you would be introducing a different perspective on different issues. When I become SJ coordinator, I wanted to show COSDU’s community that their daily actions and decisions can negatively affect people on the other side of the world, indirectly or otherwise. And thus explains why I talked on topics such as energy, water and food during my SJ sessions.

Becoming an SJ coordinator will also help you grow and mature as a person in terms of one’s self-awareness as well as being enlightened by the diverse social issues that plague current societies. You will help foster a new generation of socially aware and responsible people. I feel this is important because in today’s society where individualism is highly valued, we tend to forget that our behaviour will affect others in ways we can’t even imagine. And so, it’s high time that we bring back this “awareness” and realise that sometimes, the world does not revolve around us.

In conclusion, I want to encourage those who are sincere in helping others to run for this position. I challenge them to view the world through the lens of those suffering from indignity. There is no right or wrong in how to be a SJ coordinator. As long as the person is willing, that is all that matters. So step right up and make a difference in the world. See you in AGM!!!

Sessions Coordinator: Donna Yeo

The basic premise of being Sessions Coordinator is to organize and execute sessions. Beyond that, it's all up to you. You can choose to have a talk or an activity, you can choose to invite a guest speaker (whether it be a priest, lay person or even your fellow cosduan) or lead the session yourself, you can choose a fundamental catholic topic or a current media one. Sometimes the abundance of options can seem overwhelming but our spiritual guides, Fr Thinh & Sr Delma, as well as your committee are there to help.

I ran for sessions coordinator because I wanted to help my fellow cosduans grow in their faith. I wrote/said "The thing is, I'm not trying to tell you one fact or another and at the end of the it, I cant promise you that my sessions will give you an epiphany or cause you to be full of passion and fire. I cant even promise you that I or the speaker will have an answer for all the questions, some of which, like the philosophical ones, may not even have concrete answers. What I do hope and pray for is that from what I offer, you will be able to live as St Paul encouraged Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."


Some of the topics I managed, with much help, to organize, which I, and hopefully some other people, learnt from:
Who is God? by Fr Robin Koning SJ
The Human Person and Morality by Fr Norman Ford sdb
The Environment & Us by Jian Sheng Ooi
Prayer By Fr Thinh Nguyen
Discernment by Br Plinio Martins SJ
Faith & Reason. By Fr John Joel Vergara
Christian Friendship by Fr Thinh
Taize meditation session
Trivia Night

My regret is that I was unable to organize the one session I set myself out to do which was a debate.

One year later or somewhere in-between, I made that realization that no two persons will have the same faith journey. But I believe that everything happens for a reason and exactly the way it was meant to be (no, I am not talking about predestination) and so my term as sessions coordinator is whatever it is. It is now up to YOU!

[Thank You, commies =p.]

Being in the comm in general has been a great experience.
When I was in high school, my band instructor gave us three rules:
1. Do all things for the glory of God.
2. Character before trophies.
3. Have FUN!
And I found that being in the committee has given me the opportunity for all three. Being in the cosdu committee is about helping your other committee members, not just completing your task as sessions coordinator. It is about serving the cosdu community and the greater catholic population. Use the this time to learn new skills and build character but most of all, have fun because having been chosen by God and having chose God in return means being truly and wholly joyful.

You don’t have to know exactly why you want to do this. Be in the committee because you want to serve, because you are called to serve. If you do feel that inkling in your heart, don’t be afraid or worried. God chose you and called you, exactly as you are. God is not calling the you of yesterday or tomorrow. He is calling you here and now, the very person you are today with all your strengths, and not-so-strong traits. You are a testament to the beauty of God's Grace and majestic power. Henri Nouwen said, "I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self."

Pray to the Lord for the wisdom to recognize the signs that He puts before you, the courage to follow through with whatever it shall be, the heart to accept it and continue to seek to love and please Him.

I look forward to the what the next committee puts together. =)

cheers,
Donna

(just had to put this photo in cos we were the winners of Easter camp 2010!!!! =p)

Liturgy Coordinator: Matthew Kwok

Roles of the Liturgy Coordinator:

1) Prepare for any COSDU Mass;
2) Assist in the committee in providing a family away from home for all COSDUans.

That is all. So if you want an easy role, this has to be the one!


Being a Catholic all my life, you would think that it wouldn’t be too hard to prepare for something which is an integral part of our faith, and in reality, it isn’t hard, as long as you plan for it. Invite the priests before the semester begins, then all you’ll have to do is plan the readings and prayers for the Mass, send these off to the priest and Music Coordinator early so they can prepare for the Mass, as well as finding readers, servers, Eucharistic ministers and people to help with the collection and offertory. And after all that, put together a powerpoint or Mass booklet. Doesn’t sound too hard does it? Unexpected things do happen, but as long as you plan for it early, everything will be fine!


As for being part of a committee? It’s definitely an incredibly worthwhile experience, especially being part of a committee where everyone does their job, and everyone offers to help if any is needed. Perhaps the most important skill of being in the committee is your ability to promptly reply to emails. :) And don’t worry about not having enough time, because if you’ve planned for the semester during the holidays, time is not a problem.


Most importantly, don’t hesitate in this opportunity to serve God, and if you think you’re not good enough for the position, don’t worry, because at the end of the day, no matter how experienced you are, there will still be new things to learn!


All the best for the new Liturgy Coordinator and committee!!!


Matthew Kwok

Music Coordinator: Jonathan Au

To me, music is an integral part of COSDU. It is a form of worship which some choose to express themselves, and discover the messages of God anew within the lyrics. Music also unites the people in prayer, and helps them to focus their minds – to tune out the hectic lifestyle that dominates so many of us university students. Music is also extremely fun, and anyone who went to Easter Camp (or saw the videos later) can probably attest to that! It is a strange thing, music. It can be delicate yet imposing, soothing yet soul-shaking, your friend and your teacher at the same time, but never insignificant. And as the music coordinator, you are given the task to unleash this wild and wonderful gift of God into the midst of the COSDUans.

If you’re here reading the testimonials, you’re probably interested in the position of music coordinator, so I’ll get straight to the point. Generally, your duties as music minister, as written in the constitution are:

1. To arrange music for the sessions and the masses.

2. To coordinate the music practices for the said sessions and masses

3. To oversee the storage and upkeep of all musical instruments.

Now, this position can be as challenging as you want it to be. My predecessor was largely responsible for the regular praise and worship sessions that you see every week, and I have carried on that tradition – it is something that I like very much and I hope to see perpetuated in COSDU. If you decide to have praise and worship every week, you will have to arrange music practices every week, and of course there is the session on Friday. You may also be called to arrange music for the various activities that occur outside COSDU, examples of which would include Ecumenical Week, Little Sisters of the Poor visits, retreats and so forth.

Knowledge of Christian music would be helpful. Indeed I found it indispensable. However, if you aren’t familiar with much Christian music and are interested in the job, I have one piece of advice for you – go and find out as many titles as you can and go and Youtube the whole lot. That way you will be more prepared and you will be able to choose a good song for any occasion. And it isn’t just about Hillsongs or the modern contemporary music – as Catholics, we are blessed with the amalgamation of both the hymns of old and the guitar-rocking lyrics of today, and I really would recommend that you get a feel of both. But if you’re not, don’t worry. When I took the job, I was not very well-versed in traditional music and such, but I have grown since then (or so I would like to think. Choosing the music for a particular occasion is also a challenge. You have to find music that suits the mood, the topic, the music team and most importantly, the people, and again, this is a gift that will grow with time and experience.

One thing I must say, which most of you know, but must be said nevertheless: You are not, and never will be the focus of attention. This is not a post where you become some kind of rock star and everyone is screaming, crying and clapping for you. The music team are not the only performers – the people are too, and together, we’re all putting on a performance that will delight the heart of God. I struggle sometimes with remembering that God gave me and all the music team members the gift of music, and that without Him, I would be nothing. This is a challenge you must face daily as music coordinator – to know that as a musician and performer, the glory is not yours, but the Father’s.

My biggest trials as a music coordinator? I think it would be the times when I got very jaded with all the music. After week after week of looking at lyrics about how much we love Jesus, you tend to take it all for granted, and those words lose their meaning. And being able to juggle studying, practices and sessions takes a bit of time management.

But having said that, the satisfaction you get from the job is enormous. The feeling you get when you deliver a great session is unbelievable. And to have people come up to you and say that God spoke through them to the music you and the music team made is truly a humbling experience.

Music is awesome. Being music coordinator is awesome. I will pray for you, dear reader, that God will inspire you the way he has inspired me and everyone who has taken up this position before me, to take up this unique position. God bless.

Publicity Coordinator: Audrey Teh

I’ve been Cosdu’s Publicity Coordinator for 2 years now and I can gladly say that it has been a wonderful experience. This committee especially, has been a rather surprising one, in a good way.


Being the publicity coordinator isn’t difficult, but it definitely requires a fair bit of your time each week. As you might already know, this role requires compiling related information about cosdu each week and sending out weekly emails. There is also the cosdu blog to update and if you are someone who enjoys writing, although not necessarily so, then this position would definitely suit you. Aside from that, I also try my best to liase with other Universities and ensure that Catholic Students there are more than welcome to join us as well and with the AOY for any youth activities that might spark an interest in anyone to attend.


There are two orientation events to be organised each year. That is probably the hardest part of this role, so it isn’t that bad because Orientation is actually kind of fun. It’s entirely up to you what you would like to do to attract new members and promote cosdu. A piece of advice that I can give would most probably be to prepare weeks in advance because there’s heaps to do when the day arrives. Prior to that, I usually get help from members of cosdu or from the committee to organise a chalk-run to promote our booth for O’Week, and legal vandalism of the uni compounds couldn’t be any more fun.


As the exam period looms closer, I also try to get everyone’s exam dates and compile it into a calendar so that it can be updated onto the blog and we can all pray for each other, or wish each other on our exams days..whatever you like. It is also a great way to start conversations or mini chats with everyone and especially anyone in cosdu that you might not have otherwise had the chance to speak with.


Other than that, I really enjoyed being in the committee this year. There’s this sense of comfort knowing that I am working closely with 9 other people here and they’ve all become really good friends to me. So all I can say is, if you want to do more for this society and to be more active in serving God, here’s your chance to do so. Hesitations and doubts are normal but the most important thing you need to know is to trust in yourself that you can do it. Good Luck!


Lots of love,
Audrey

Social Activities Coordinator : Giovanni Rinaldi

It had never crossed my mind that I would run as a SOCIAL ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR for COSDU, especially after a hard year of being a social secretary (which is the same) in another uni club. Being a social activity coordinator is not an easy job but, well I can say, not that hard. The metaphor that well describes this job is ‘Chinese culinary’ - it requires a long good time of preparation/planning, but the cooking/execution time is so little (or sometimes NONE!). As the name suggested, you need to plan as many social activities as you could, such as karaoke, clubbing, footy session, movie night, sporting, social gathering, games night, drinking night, and many other fun social activities that you can think of. Do not forget that the idea of social is really ambiguous. Organising blood donation, charity gigs, and busking for fundraising are another aspect of social activities that [regrettably] I failed to accomplish during my term.

Being a SOC-AC-TOR (Indonesian like to shorten words) is the best way to get new skills and FRIENDS!!! I was a little bit worried about balancing my other activities and ‘working’ in COSDU committee. However, I am able to manage my time very well and I am happily doing my other stuffs. Undoubtedly TIME MANAGEMENT is the most useful skill in the world that you may get from this position as it requires dedication and commitment! Another skill that you might gains from being a SOC-AC-TOR is COMMUNICATION skill. As you need to organise ‘fellowship’ dinner every week, liaising skill become essential. Make a reservation for 30+ people on Friday night is always so bloody hard – literally until I shed tears of blood (joking! J). A few things that you should consider in choosing a restaurant: location (the hard one as you do not want it to be too far from the mass or session place), price (as COSDU people super stingy!), vegetarian option or most likely beef-free option. Personally, I think this ‘fellowship’ dinner is very important as it is the only media for members to talk to each other in a relax atmosphere as well as savouring on yummy food. But, you really need to be bold as many restaurants may turn you down.

Many things happened during my term in committee. Sometimes you already plan everything to run smoothly, but well, still a lot of speed bumps on the road. Therefore, PROFESIONALISM is also required – friendship and work need to be separated. Do not let your personal feeling affect your job, particularly when you are doing a youth ministry type of job! This has throughout the year and has certainly made my term in COSDU memorable.

COSDU also has certainly enriched my life in many ways, from the spiritual to the social aspects, which was the main reason why I joined the society in the first place. Talking about social, two big events, SPORTS DAY and SCAVENGER HUNT that you need to plan as well. You would have to think about the logistics and location and to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day. There will also be administrative protocols that have to the complied by liaising with the student union (UMSU), which will be helped by the awesome COSDU secretary. Other than that, you would have to decide on the team distributions, games to be played, health and safety measures, and last but not least, food! Despite all of these, it has certainly been very satisfying seeing the members enjoying themselves during these events and knowing that these events went well. And to make things easier, the rest of the committee were always there to help in any way they could!

In conclusion, for those of you who are interested in running for the Social Activities Coordinator position, I would just like to reassure you that taking this position can be extremely rewarding in both the social and religious aspects to it. Sure, you might be faced with challenges along the way, but life without challenges is like a tasteless food. It will only make you stronger and more matured in that sense. But remember, do it for the wellbeing of COSDU and GOD. Just do your best and God will do the rest! J

Answering Scandal with Personal Holiness (by Fr. Roger J. Landry)

The headlines were captured recently by the news that perhaps up to seventy priests in the Archdiocese of Boston have abused young people whom they were consecrated to serve. Today, I'd like to tackle the issue head-on. You have a right to it. We cannot pretend as if it didn't exist. I'd like to discuss what our response should be as faithful Catholics to this terrible scandal.

A homily delivered at Espirito Santo parish in Fall River, MA on the Fourth Sunday of OT, Year A Zeph 2:3, 3:12-13; 1Cor1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12

The headlines this past week did not focus on the Patriots' march to the Super Bowl, or on who would QB, Drew or Tom, or even on the President's state of the union address and his comment that there are many Al-Qaeda operatives in the US like "ticking time-bombs." None of these was the top story.

The headlines were captured by the very sad news that perhaps up to seventy priests in the Archdiocese of Boston have abused young people whom they were consecrated to serve. It's a huge scandal, one that many people who have long disliked the Church because of one of her moral or doctrinal teachings are using as an issue to attack the Church as a whole, trying to imply that they were right all along.

Many people have come up to me to talk about it. Many others have wanted to, but I think out of respect and of not wanting to bring up what they thought might be bad news, have refrained, but it was obvious to me that it was on their mind. And so, today, I'd like to tackle the issue head-on. You have a right to it. We cannot pretend as if it didn't exist. And I'd like to discuss what our response should be as faithful Catholics to this terrible scandal.

The first thing we need to do is to understand it from the point of view of our faith in the Lord. Before he chose his first disciples, Jesus went up the mountain all night to pray. He had at the time many followers. He talked to his Father in prayer about whom he would choose to be his twelve apostles, the twelve he would himself form intimately, the twelve whom he would send out to preach the Good News in His name. He gave them power to cast out demons. He gave them power to cure the sick. They watched him work countless miracles. They themselves in His name worked countless others.

Yet, despite all of that, one of them was a traitor. One, who had followed the Lord, who had had his feet washed by the Lord, who had seen him walk on water, raise people from the dead, and forgive sinners, betrayed the Lord. The Gospel tells us that he allowed Satan to enter into him and then sold the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, handing him over by faking a gesture of love. "Judas," Jesus said to him in the garden of Gethsemane, "Would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Jesus didn't choose Judas to betray him. He chose him to be like all the others. But Judas was always free, and he used his freedom to allow Satan to enter into him, and by his betrayal, ended up getting Jesus crucified and executed.

So right from the first twelve that Jesus himself chose, one was a terrible traitor. SOMETIMES GOD'S CHOSEN ONES BETRAY HIM. That's a fact that we have to confront. It's a fact that the early Church confronted. If the scandal caused by Judas was all the members of the early Church focused on, the Church would have been finished before it even started to grow. Instead, the Church recognized that you don't judge something by those who don't live it, but by those who do.

Instead of focusing on the one who betrayed, they focused on the other eleven, on account of whose work, preaching, miracles, and love for Christ, we are here today. It's on account of the other eleven — all of whom except St. John were martyred for Christ and for the Gospel they were willing to give their lives to proclaim to us — that we ever heard the saving word of God, that we ever received the Sacraments of eternal life.

We're confronted by the same reality today. We can focus on those who betrayed the Lord, those who abused rather than loved those whom they were called to serve, or we can focus, like the early Church did, on the others, on those who have remained faithful, those priests who are still offering their lives to serve Christ and to serve you out of love. The media almost never focuses on the good "eleven," the ones whom Jesus has chosen who remain faithful, who live lives of quiet holiness. But we, the Church, must keep the terrible scandal that we've witnessed in its true and full perspective.

Scandal is unfortunately nothing new for the Church. There have been many times in the history of the Church when the Church was much worse off than it is now. The history of the Church is like a cosine curve, with ups and downs throughout the centuries. At each of the times when the Church hit its low point, God raised up tremendous saints to bring the Church back to its real mission. It's almost as if in those times of darkness, the Light of Christ shone ever more brightly. I'd like to focus a little on a couple of saints whom God raised up in those most difficult times, because their wisdom can really guide us during this difficult time.

St. Francis de Sales was one saint God raised up after the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was not principally about theology, about the faith — although theological differences came later — but about morals. There was an Augustinian priest, Martin Luther, who went down to Rome just after the papacy of the most notorious pope in history, Pope Alexander VI.

This pope never taught anything against the faith — the Holy Spirit prevented that — but he was simply a wicked man. He had nine children from six different concubines. He put out contracts against those he considered his enemies. Martin Luther visited Rome just after Alexander VI's papacy and wondered how God could allow such a wicked man to be the visible head of his Church. He went back to Germany and saw all types of moral problems. Priests were living in open relationships with women. Some were trying to profit from selling spiritual goods. There was a terrible immorality among lay Catholics. He was scandalized, as anyone who loved God might have been, by such rampant abuse. So he founded his own church.

Eventually God raised up many saints to combat this wrong solution and to bring people back to the Church Christ founded. St. Francis de Sales was one of them. At the risk of his life, he went through parts of what is now Switzerland, where the Calvinists were popular, preaching the Gospel with truth and love. Oftentimes he was beaten up on his way and left for dead. Once he was asked to address the situation of the scandal caused by so many of his brother priests. What he said is as important for us today as it was for his listeners then. He didn't pull any punches.

He said, "Those who commit these types of scandals are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder," destroying other people's faith in God by their terrible examples. But then he warned his listeners, "But I'm here among you to prevent something far worse for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal — who allow scandals to destroy their faith — are guilty of spiritual suicide." They're guilty, he said, of cutting off their life with Christ, abandoning the source of life in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He went among the people in what is now Switzerland trying to prevent their committing spiritual suicide on account of the scandals. I'm here to preach the same thing to you.

What should our reaction be then? Another great saint who lived in a tremendously difficult time can help us further. The great St. Francis of Assisi lived in the 1200s, which was a time of terrible immorality in central Italy. Priests were setting horrible examples. Lay immorality was even worse. St. Francis himself while a young man even gave some scandal to others by his carefree ways. But eventually he was converted back to the Lord, founded the Franciscans, helped God rebuild his Church and became one of the great saints of all time.

Once, one of the brothers in the Order of Friars Minor asked him a question. The brother was very sensitive to scandals. "Br. Francis," he said, "What would you do if you knew that the priest celebrating Mass had three concubines on the side?" Francis, without missing a beat, said slowly, "When it came time for Holy Communion, I would go to receive the Sacred Body of my Lord from the priest's anointed hands."

What was Francis getting at? He was getting at a tremendous truth of the faith and a tremendous gift of the Lord. No matter how sinful a priest is, provided that he has the intention to do what the Church does — at Mass, for example, to change bread and wine into Christ's body and blood, or in confession, no matter how sinful he is personally, to forgive the penitent's sins — Christ himself acts through that minister in the Sacraments.

Whether Pope John Paul II celebrates the Mass or whether a priest on death row for a felony celebrates Mass, it is Christ who himself acts and gives us His own body and blood. So what Francis was saying in response to the question of his religious brother that he would receive the Sacred Body of His Lord from the priest's anointed hands, is that he was not going to let the wickedness or immorality of the priest lead him to commit spiritual suicide. Christ can still work and does still work even through the most sinful priest. Thank God!

If we were always dependent on the priest's personal holiness, we'd be in trouble. Priests are chosen by God from among men, and they're tempted just like any human being and fall through sin just like any human being. But God knew that from the beginning. Eleven of the first twelve apostles scattered when Christ was arrested, but they came back; one of the twelve sinned in betraying the Lord and sadly never came back. God has essentially made the Sacraments "priest-proof," in terms of their personal holiness. No matter how holy they are, or how wicked, provided they have the intention to do what the Church does, then Christ himself acts, just as he acted through Judas when Judas expelled demons and cured the sick.

And so, again, I ask, "What should the response of the Church be to these deeds?" There has been a lot of talk about that in the media. Does the Church have to do a better job in making sure no one with any predisposition toward pedophilia gets ordained? Absolutely! But that would not be enough. Does the Church have to do a better job in handling cases when they are reported? The Church has changed its way of handling these cases, and today they're much better than they were in the 1980s, but they can always be perfected. But even that is not enough. Do we have to do more to support the victims of such abuse? Yes we do, both out of justice and out of love! But not even that is adequate. Cardinal Law has gotten most of the deans of the medical schools in Boston to work on establishing a center for the prevention of child abuse, which is something that we should all support. But not even that is a sufficient response.

The only adequate response to this terrible scandal, the only fully Catholic response to this scandal — as St. Francis of Assisi recognized in the 1200s, as St. Francis de Sales recognized in the 1600s, and as countless other saints have recognized in every century — is HOLINESS! Every crisis that the Church faces, every crisis that the world faces, is a crisis of saints. Holiness is crucial, because it is the real face of the Church.

There are always people — a priest meets them regularly, you probably know several of them — who use excuses for why they don't practice the faith, why they slowly commit spiritual suicide. It can be because a nun was mean to them when they were nine. Or, because they don't understand the teaching of the Church on a particular issue. There will doubtless be many people these days — and you will probably meet them — who will say, "Why should I practice the faith, why should I go to Church, since the Church can't be true if God's so-called chosen ones can do the types of things we've been reading about?" This scandal is a huge hanger on which some will try to hang their justification for not practicing the faith. That's why holiness is so important.

They need to find in all of us a reason for faith, a reason for hope, a reason for responding with love to the love of the Lord. The beatitudes which we have in today's Gospel are a recipe for holiness. We all need to live them more. Do priests have to become holier? They sure do. Do religious brothers and sisters have to become holier and give ever greater witness of God and heaven? Absolutely! But all people in the Church do, including lay people! We all have the vocation to be holy and this crisis is a wake-up call.

It's a tough time to be a priest today. It's a tough time to be a Catholic today. But it's also a great time to be a priest and a great time to be a Catholic. Jesus says in the beatitudes we heard today, "Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you falsely because of me. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward in heaven is great." I've been experiencing that beatitude first hand, as some priests I know have as well. Earlier this week, when I finished up my exercise at a local gym, I was coming out of the locker room dressed in my black clerical garb. A mother, upon seeing me, immediately and hurriedly moved her children out of the way and shielded them from me as I was passing. She looked at me as I passed and when I had gone far enough along finally relaxed and let her children go — as if I would have attacked her children in the middle of the afternoon at a health club!

But while we all might have to suffer such insults and slander falsely on account of Christ, we should indeed rejoice. It's a great time to be a Christian, because this is a time in which God really needs us to show off his true face. In bygone days in America, the Church was respected. Priests were respected. The Church had a reputation for holiness and goodness. It's not so any more.

One of the greatest Catholic preachers in American history, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, used to say, that he preferred to live in times when the Church has suffered rather than thrived, when the Church had to struggle, when the Church had to go against the culture. It was a time for real men and real women to stand up and be counted. "Even dead bodies can float downstream," he used to say, pointing that many people can coast when the Church is respected, "but it takes a real man, a real woman, to swim against the current."

How true that is! It takes a real man and a real woman to stand up now and swim against the current that is flowing against the Church. It takes a real man and a real woman to recognize that when swimming against the flood of criticism, you're safest when you stay attached to the Rock on whom Christ built his Church. This is one of those times. It's a great time to be a Christian.

Some people are predicting that the Church in this area is in for a rough time, and maybe she is, but the Church will survive, because the Lord will make sure it survives. One of the greatest comeback lines in history happened just about 200 years ago. The French emperor Napoleon was swallowing up countries in Europe with his armies bent on total world domination. He then said to Cardinal Consalvi, "I will destroy your Church." "Je detruirai votre eglise!" The Cardinal said, "No you won't." Napoleon, all 5'2" of him said, "Je detruirai votre eglise!" The Cardinal said with confidence, "No you won't. Not even we have succeeded in doing that!"

If bad popes, immoral priests and thousands of sinners in the Church haven't succeeded in doing so from the inside — he was saying implicitly to the general — how do you think you're going to do it? The Cardinal was pointing to a crucial truth. Christ will never allow his Church to fail. He promised that the gates of hell wouldn't prevail against his Church, that the barque of Peter, the Church sailing through time to its eternal port in heaven, will never capsize, not because those in the boat won't do everything sinfully possible to turn it over, but because Christ, who is in the boat, will never allow it to happen. Christ is still in the boat and he'll never leave it.

The magnitude of this scandal might be such that you may find it difficult to trust priests in the same way you have in the past. That may be so, and that might not be completely a bad thing. But never lose trust in Him! It's His Church. Even if some of those he chose have betrayed him, he will call others who will be faithful, who will serve you with the love with which you deserve to be served, just like after Judas' death, the eleven apostles convened and allowed the Lord to choose someone to take Judas' place, and they chose the man who ended up becoming St. Matthias, who proclaimed the Gospel faithfully until he was martyred for it.

This is a time in which all of us need to focus ever more on holiness. We're called to be saints and how much our society here needs to see this beautiful, radiant face of the Church. You're part of the solution, a crucial part of the solution. And as you come forward today to receive from this priest's anointed hands the sacred Body of your Lord, ask Him to fill you with a real desire for sanctity, a real desire to show off His true face.

One of the reasons why I'm here in front of you as a priest today is because while I younger, I was under-impressed with some of the priests I knew. I would watch them celebrate Mass and almost without any reverence whatsoever, drop the Body of the Lord onto the paten as if they were handling something with little value rather than the Creator and Savior of all, rather than MY Creator and Savior. I remember saying to the Lord, reiterating my desire to be a priest, "Lord, please let me become a priest, so I can treat you like you deserve!" It gave me a great fire to serve the Lord.

Maybe this scandal can allow you to do the same thing. This scandal can be something that can lead you down to the path of spiritual suicide, or it can be something that can inspire you to say, finally, "I want to become a saint, so that I and the Church can give your name the glory it deserves, so that others might find in you the love and the salvation that I have found." Jesus is with us, as he promised, until the end of time. He's still in the boat.

Just as out of Judas' betrayal, he achieved the greatest victory in world history, our salvation through his passion, death and resurrection, so out of this he may bring, and wants to bring, a new rebirth of holiness, a new Acts of the Apostles for the 21st century, with each of us — and that includes YOU — playing a starring role. Now is the time for real men and women of the Church to stand up. Now is the time for saints. How do you respond?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Fr. Roger J. Landry. "Answering Scandal with Personal Holiness." Unpublished homily.
Reprinted with permission of Fr. Roger J. Landry.
THE AUTHOR
Father Roger J. Landry was ordained a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts by Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap. in 1999. After receiving a biology degree from Harvard College , Fr. Landry studied for the priesthood in Maryland , Toronto , and for several years in Rome . After his priestly ordination, Father returned to Rome to complete graduate work in Moral Theology and Bioethics at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family. Father Landry is parochial administrator of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford , MA , and executive editor of The Anchor, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River.