Sunday, October 27, 2013

COSDU Prayer Competition 2013

Dear Cosduans,

As announced in the Exam Mass last Friday, COSDU is proud to announce it's first ever COSDU Student Prayer Competition 2013.

The University of Melbourne Catholics of One Spirit Down Under (COSDU) Catholic Society is searching for an official prayer. 
This prayer should encapsulate COSDU's mission of Growing Together in Christ and its essence of 'prayer', 'love', 'fellowship' and 'discovery'.


All members of COSDU are welcomed to submit an unlimited amount of entries to the competition. Entries may be submitted individually or by a team of up to 2 members. What better way than this great opportunity to utilize your God given talents!

Only one prayer will be selected as COSDU's official prayer. The Winning Prayer will be announced during 'Welcome Food & Games' of Semester 1, 2014. The creator(s) of the Winning Prayer will receive a Special Edition COSDU T-Shirt(s)!

Click on this LINK to download the full Competition Brief.

Entries may be submitted via email to cosdu.melbuni@gmail.com or the Google Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15KQ-FEFTJW_1HX_5xfV7blledxKtfurPY5ItO8l3694/viewform

Further queries can be made via email to cosdu.melbuni@gmail.com.

So what are you waiting for,  get your thinking cap on for this very special opportunity and be part of COSDU History!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

SMAN 2013 by The All Saints Youth Choir

Hi guys & gals,

The photos of the recent Sacred Music Appreciation Night 2013 by the All Saints Youth Choir in Fitzroy are up! In case you missed it, this years Sacred Music Appreciation Night was themed "Rise Up" and was lead by our very own cosduan - Ben Wong. The concert also featured the St Francis Youth choir from Melbourne and the children from the Secret Heart School in Carlton featuring Harmony in the Strings Program.

In light of the Year of Faith and World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, 'Rise Up' embraces the theme of Mission. Encouraged and empowered by Jesus to be His disciples in our world today. As said by Pope Francis: “Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.” Embraced by faith, "Rise Up" calls to be disciples and our call to mission! ‘Rise Up’ is the way to answer this call, through singing songs of prayer and praise as one body in Christ.


The All Saints Youth Choir are primarily made up of Cosdu members and hold choir practices every Saturday in All Saints Parish Hall and sings regularly for the 2nd Sunday of each month from march to October. All Saints Youth Choir welcomes anyone who has the passion to sing to join the choral family. Practices are usually held on Saturdays, 5-7pm at All Saints Parish Hall. Please contact allsaintsyouthchoir@gmail.com for any further enquiries or email cosdu.melbuni@gmail.com and you will be directed to the right person :)

View the entire photo album of the evening on Flickr at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/graduations/sets/72157636618303326/

To hear them, visit our youtube page at
http://www.youtube.com/user/allsaintsyouthchoir

or visit them on their Facebook Page at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/allsaintsyouthchoir


Monday, October 07, 2013

Cosduans Speak on Faith Formation & Experiences

Dear Cosduans,

This coming Friday, COSDU will be hosting a social justice session that focuses on our very own COSDU members sharing their faith formation experiences though charity.

The speakers for the session are or have all been involved in not only experiences of charity but have demonstrated significant input to COSDU in both the past & present. The speakers of the night consist of Ramesh Richards SJ, Janan LeeChristopher Ngu and Michael Chae.


The session will touch on the influences of prayer in our daily lives and how the speakers perceive their acts of charity are essentially the fruits of prayer. Though the reflection of our relationship what God that the desire to do works of charity itself may manifest. It is a reflection of our desire for what is good and ultimately only good can come from God. 

As part of a new initiative by COSDU,  parts of the session will be recorded which will be webcasted here on the COSDU Blog. Do stay tuned and be part of this new development! 

God Bless & See you this Friday!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Monday, September 02, 2013

NEW Layout Coming Soon!


COSDU Blog will undergo a revamp very soon! Stay tuned! 


Friday, April 26, 2013

Social Activities Coordinator - Stevie!

Being the Social Activities Coordinator has been a precious chance and experience for part of my life. The reason why I decide to be in the committee is because COSDU has been playing a BIG part in my path of faith.  I really want to express my thankfulness to COSDU in anyway that I can give to show my appreciation and love, and share it with the people in COSDU.

Few weeks before the AGM last year, I was thinking to take the Social-Activity Coordinator position but was still unsure because my time was packed and still considering if giving a commitment to COSDU can still be fitted inside my bag. But, I always believe in to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding and worries, He sure will make a way for me J

The role of a Social Activities Coordinator is neither than adding the FUN in COSDU! Organising activities that will tighten the relation among us, making everyone relax and enjoy the moment that we are sharing together.

So, my responsibilities as a Social-Activity Coordinator are as below:

            ·         Welcome Food and Games for each beginning of the semester
            ·         Weekly Friday dinner after sessions
            ·         Annual Sports Day
            ·         Annual Scavenger Hunt
           
See, It’s as easy as an ABC! But still there are some parts that you have to take precautions on.           
           
            Ã¼ During the weekly dinner, it is preferably that the place to eat is near to where your
                session is located, and remember to book it 2 or 3 days in advanced, because our
                session is on Friday night, put in mind that restaurants and other food places will be
                packed too. 

         You have the privileged to choose the place that you and the members may like,
         make sure the size of the place that can fit everyone and reasonable price. Always
         check the prediction amount of people coming, normally 25-30 pax is safe.
           
            Ã¼ Two annual events that is given for you to organise are the Scavenger Hunt
                (Semester 1) and Sports Day (Semester 2). For these, you need to organise and
                plan it in advanced. 
                Sports Day will require you to plan some sports & games to play, prepare the
                equipment, and choose your preferred location. Usually this includes arranging lunch
                as the activity will take around more than half day. 

                Scavenger Hunt will need you to research places around the city or places around 
                Melbourne, it is a good way to let people explore the wonderful or hidden places in
                Melbourne. 


                These two events will need you to work together and helps from your committees,
                such as applying for grants, food and permission form to be submitted.

Outside from the listed activities, you may do any extra ideas and plan for everyone. Movie nights, ice skating, arrange a go together for some annual events happening in Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Shows, Mt Dandenong Tulip Festival, Moomba Festival etc.

This wonderful experience of mine shows me that God is and will always be with us, with the given 9 wonderful other committees that will always be a supporter and helping hand for you. I love to see people smiles, so go and do something that makes everyone happy and see them smiles!

If you like having FUN and believe that you will enjoy it, go for this Social Activity Role!


Keep smile and have faith!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Vice President - Reina!


Hello there :)

I think I'm supposed to write about COSDU Vice President role here so here I go..

The title of 'vice president' might makes you feel that it is one of the big role in the committee and have many  responsibilities (as the proverb said, with great power comes
great responsibility), but to tell you the truth, it is not the case in COSDU committee because COSDU is special!

As a COSDU VP, you only have two main jobs; One and foremost is to assist the president and supporting the other committee members. Second is to keep track of COSDU assets list (it basically just keeping a record of the assets that cosdu already have and the assets that COSDU buy/sell throughout the year). As you might already have notice, VP job is more vague, which is different from the other committee position role that have a very clear description of their role. You can decide for yourself how much you want to support/help
the other committee members or how much you want to get involve. It is very simple that
all you need is just the willingness to take up the first step to run as a VP (you really don't
need to have prior experience of being in a committee to take that first step).

On agm last year, I wasn't sure whether I should run for position in the committee. I had
a few things going on and I didn’t know whether I can still fit COSDU in. It was very last
minute, but eventually I decided to give it a go. One year later, here I am writing this page
up for you as the current COSDU VP. There's not even a single second to which I regret my
decision to run for committee position. In fact, there are many times that I feel grateful
for being involve in COSDU committee. Serving as COSDU VP has been incredible! It has
deepened my faith in God and helps me improve myself in many ways. And as if it’s still not
enough, I've also been given a bonus to know 9 awesome people closely!

I hope this page gives you a bit of picture on COSDU vice president role. Feel free to have a
chat with me, if there is anything else that you want to know about vice president position.
I believe that as long you put your heart in doing it (and of course) have faith in God that He
will help you along the way, you'll be fine with whichever committee position you will be
taking (always remember that if God put you to it, He will get you through it!) :)

Thank you for reading this and all the best! :)

♥ Reina W

Music Coordinator - Jeanne!

Music has always touched me. It has always been my favorite form of prayer. “When words aren’t
enough, music comes into play”, indeed, music adds a whole new dimension to just saying the exact same words. It unites people and guides us into praise and worship to give glory to God.

If you’re reading this, I’m pretty sure God is nudging you in this direction ;) and I pray that you will have the courage and passion to take up this role. Anyway, let’s keep this short.

According to COSDU constitution, your role includes:

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.

A music coordinator requires quite some time commitment, mostly due to practices in addition to COSDU sessions as well as other events if any (upon request by different groups of people such as Ecumenical Services, Special Masses etc). Furthermore, the bulk of what you do (organise practices, prepare power point slides, preparing/printing music sheets/chords, train/recruit musicians and worship leaders, and handling music equipment) is routine. It may get monotonous and tiring at times, but remember that God is the centre of all these and you are not on your own. Ask for God’s grace and seek help from others.

Developing your prayer life is essential. As leaders in the faith, in general, we must build up our own spirituality in order to bring others closer to God. Build up your relationship and love for God, then you can spread it to the rest of the community. Have a fierce passion for both God and music. That is key.

Now, Christian (especially Catholic) music knowledge is preferable – but of course it is a gift that can be learned. There are resources you can use and preceding Music Coordinators are ready to help. With a willing heart, it’s not difficult. I would also want to emphasize that a music coordinator should be well-versed with liturgy and try to understand it because mass is also an integral part of COSDU.

Of course, there are many things you can also do as a Music Coordinator such as working with
the Sessions Coordinator to arrange Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Taize Night or the likes.
Anything to do with music lies in your hands :)

Finally, always, ALWAYS remember to focus on God and let Him use you as His instruments to bring His children back to Him. I hope that if you feel called to this role, you will say YES to God and help enrich COSDU with more music to come. If you have more questions, feel free to approach me.

Publicity Coordinator - Calista!

Hey everybody!

I know it’s often intimidating to see a chunk of text head on, so let me give you an overview. I’ve
two main things to talk about in this post: what you will do as a publicity coordinator and what
happens if you take up this role.

Being a publicity coordinator is about spreading the word about COSDU and about its events.
The following checklist is a guideline and insight into the work involved.

This consists of

à spearheading the orientation booth at university of Melbourne, welcoming new members and inviting them to join us at the sessions

à Updating the blog, in the way you think is best

à Creating emails about an upcoming event, checking the cosdu email

à Making an exam calendar

à Promoting cosdu in any other way


Indeed, a list like that could be daunting to many. Some of you may (or may not) think you
can’t do these things or won’t get chosen; but I would just like to urge you to go for the Annual
General Meeting (AGM) with an open mind – a mind open to God and His Will, for He will not
choose people who are ready, but make His people ready. (:


On this note, I would like to tell you about what could happen if you take up this role.

When I first took up this role, I was honestly at a loss. To me, this role I had was unlike any other
role you could find in any other society in University of Melbourne – COSDU is what my life
should be about, honouring God. I felt unworthy; I am clueless when it comes to technology, and
I am not good at sharings and writing up blog posts.

Furthermore, I had felt like I was really busy after taking up this role and had worried a little
about how little time I had to breathe as I started various routines last semester, one of which
included my responsibilities as a publicity coordinator.


However, I soon realised that these challenges I face are the learning points, the interesting
lessons God planned for me to learn: to not rely on myself but on God and focus on Him in what
I do.

If you are worried as to how you will cope with everything and whether you will be too busy for
any of these roles in general, here’s a titbit for you:

Busyness becomes dangerous only if your activities replace real accomplishment or if you are neglecting God or the people in your care. The key to overcoming empty busyness is… by understanding His call and purpose for your life and prioritising your activities around them.


Upon reading this, I reflected on what doing God’s work meant. I am embarrassed to say, I had
not been aware there was a right or better way to be busy. It’s really a shift in perspective that
changes it all – I then recalled the ‘Yes’ I said at the AGM, the ‘Yes’ I said to what God had in
mind for me. I want to do this; I want to be what God wills me to be. It brought my desire to do
God’s work to my attention, after it (that desire) had been buried under worldly pressures that
had me so convinced I had to do this. In realising this, I learnt to revel in what being a publicity
coordinator entailed, and bask in this ‘busyness’ that brought joy to my heart.


And so, I’d like to leave you with one last question: will you be brave enough to listen to God’s
soft prompting?

<3 
Calista A.

Liturgy Coordinator - Kimberley!

To be honest, I didn't think of running for any part in the committee. As usual, whatever we plan to do, God plans otherwise. He's cheeky that way, and He's given me graces I couldn't expect anywhere else through my experience in the COSDU committee this year. So stay open to that gentle nudge God might give you, because it may only come on the day of the AGM itself!

Anyway, the role of the liturgy coordinator is quite straight forward. You coordinate the liturgy. It includes (but is not limited to)
- Booking a venue for Mass
- Inviting different priests to say Mass
- Preparing powerpoint slides
- Appointing people to do the readings and prayers of the faithful
- Liaising with the music coordinator

Aside from that, being part of the committee means that you have a vital part in supporting the rest of the committee members and helping them where help is needed. COSDU has a few major events a year and it's essential that you give as much support (physical, emotional, spiritual etc) as you can!

Ultimately, the title 'liturgy coordinator' is merely a name that specifies your main role. Your true role is so much more than that - you are an active and essential part of the mixed bag that we call the COSDU committee and it is through the love and dedication you give in this endeavour that makes COSDU as awesome as it can be. 

I always say that a willing heart is enough for anything. If you are willing, you should go for it - because I know for a fact that God will make up for whatever is short. Well, that's His job, right? ;)

Come talk to me about it if you have any concerns or questions! :)


Kim

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Secretary - Rachel!

Being part of the COSDU committee was my way of building a closer relationship with God and the catholic community. I had wanted something that would make me stay committed to attending the weekly Friday sessions at the very least as I live outside the city and often find myself get too “lazy” to drive down to the city after a long week. I thought that if I held a position of responsibility, it would be my obligation to become more involved in COSDU. What started off as a duty became something much more, I feel now that not only has my faith deepened, but also that I have formed ties of friendship which I believe will last a lifetime.

I was familiar with the duties of a secretary, yet still felt unprepared when I first took up the position. But like everything, we learn as we go along and I was lucky enough to receive some guidance from my predecessor. As a secretary, you would be expected to take down minutes during committee meetings, complete event application forms, attend training sessions with the other executive committee members as well as prepare and make announcements during Friday sessions. All those OCD needs can be satisfied by constantly checking the COSDU email to ensure that the club is well informed and always kept in the loop. You will often be working closely with the treasurer, so pray hard that he/she is tolerable! (I am only joking) You will also find yourself having to liaise with UMSU and MUOSS on certain matters of the club, more so prior to an upcoming event. The busiest times would usually be at the start (orientation and recruitment of new members) and at the end of the semester when there is an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held.

The willingness to learn and improve I believe is most important. Being organised and meticulous in one’s work are no doubt qualities that would help you become a great secretary. The beauty of being in this committee is that you will always have your fellow comrades (ie. other committee members) to turn to when you are at a crossroads or when you need a shoulder to cry on.  So if you are interested in running for this position and would like to know about it, please do not hesitate to come have a chat to me after one of the Friday sessions! Till then, have a good week!

Treasurer - Laura!

Whenever people hear ‘treasurer’ as a role, they will usually prefer not to go for it as it involves money + accounting. But being treasurer is actually simple job. However, it does carry some responsibilities but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Treasurer for COSDU doesn’t involve giving complex in depth financial summaries every week or month to the committee.
Here’s a ‘brief’ summary of the treasurer’s role:
1)    Familiarise yourself with the UMSU paperwork. There aren’t many and they virtually apply for all types of events the club is organising and includes assets as well.

There are 2 forms that need to be filled prior to an event or function usually one week and be submitted to the Clubs & Societies (C&S) office located on the first floor of the Union House. (It’s the office on your right from the stairs – you can’t miss that!)

During the function you need to mark the attendance of the people there including yourself on a C&S attendance sheet

After the event fill another form for application of payment accompanied by any receipts as a proof of purchase. You should make a copy of these receipts by scanning for your own record because the C&S will keep them when you submit the receipts.

You will be then notified by email whether the payment has been approved or not, usually it is and they will bank transfer the money directly into the bank’s club account so no need to collect any cheque.

2)    The treasurer gets also the task of collecting the mail at the Union house – same level as the C&S office but further along the corridor. It’s usually bank statement + receipts of payment.
3)    You also work closely with the secretary especially during at the beginning of the semester where you keep track of the membership fee while the secretary collects the members’ personal information.
4)    Attend the training for treasurer hold by C&S. (they will let you know)
5)    Keep track of the money in the bank and petty cash which by the way should not be a huge amount and record everything in excel sheet.
6)    And at last (or I think so) but not least, you need to do a financial report to be submitted to UMSU.
Although it looks like you have found a part-time job rather than volunteering for a catholic club,  there’s more to gain than it looks like, in many aspects whether on a personal level or in a more generalise way. You will get to interact with lots of peeps and form bonding/friendships especially with your committee & members that can last a lifetime. To be part of something that can change people’s lives here in Melbourne away from their families; even a small difference is what is very rewarding to me.
I must say that COSDU has taken an important place in my life in Melbourne and I will always cherish these moments spent at the club onwards. I have also deepened my faith in God and practice my faith even more. I have learned a lot about Him and many other values along the road that He wanted me to know. J I think to follow God’s will and be able to serve Him is what is the biggest happiness that you can experience.
So if you feel this role suits you then take the initiative and stand up to be part of the next committee! I assure you that you’ll gain a lot and will also give likewise J 
God Bless! 

Sessions Coordinator - Melita Agnes Gumulia!


When you first heard of the role sessions coordinator, it may sound a bit intimidating. But don’t be discouraged right-away; it’s not as bad as you think it is. The role of sessions coordinator is sure very important. It is the role that ensures COSDU has something happening every Friday. If you are looking for a way to have a direct contribution to COSDU, sessions coordinator is the answer for you.


To be honest, sessions coordinator is quite a challenging role. When I was nominated for the role, I was shocked and nervous because I wasn’t sure I was ready for such significant responsibility. However, a little part of me said that I had to do this and this might be the chance to be closer to God by doing this role with Him; and let me tell you, it was worth it. If you say you have nothing to offer, maybe it is the time to let go and let God be in the driver seat. All you have to do is to believe that He will lead your way. In order to be the sessions coordinator, you don’t have to be the most religious person. What it takes is the courage to get out of your comfort zone and a willing heart to serve.

The role of sessions coordinator is quite simple and straightforward. All you have to do is to plan and organise COSDU weekly sessions for the year. Don’t be afraid, you won’t be doing this by yourself. Our awesome chaplains, Fr Thinh Nguyen and Sr Delma Lamb, will constantly support and help you with the decision making on the sessions you organise. Most of all, I’m sure God will not leave you alone. Remember what He said, “Ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7)”.

When it comes to the sessions, BE CREATIVE!! Think of what you and this community would like to gain from your session. For example, if you want to deepen your relationship with God, a talk or prayer night would be preferable; if you want to have a bonding opportunity with the COSDUans, a game or movie night would be good. So, think of what you would like to gain at the end of the session, and you can start your planning from that. See!! This role is not that bad after all.

Apart from the self-satisfaction you obtained from the community’s reaction towards your sessions, being in a committee is the experience you won’t regret. Apart from getting to know more people, e.g. new members & speakers you invited for the sessions, you can actually have 9 new best friends as you and the rest of the committees will be serving COSDU for the entire year. In a way, you are serving God in a very pleasant environment.

So, if you get a call from God, don’t run away. Step-up and let GOD lead your way. It’s normal to be afraid, but let your FAITH be greater than your fear!! Like I said before, you won’t be alone in this because you will have lots of support from your committee, your chaplains and most of all, from GOD. Trust me, it’s worth it!! All you need is a heart to serve and you are ready to go!! =)

President - Abigail!

The prospect of being President may seem overwhelming and downright scary. It embodies a certain sense of accountability – one that I wasn’t sure I was ready for, or even wanted to take up a year ago. Yet, God being God, was strangely persistent in His calling and through this amazing journey, I have gained so much more than I could ever give.

In formal constitutional terms, your role as the President is as follows:
   -          Take care of each ministry in COSDU
   -          Oversee and ensure the overall smooth running of COSDU
   -          Keep the Spiritual Directors informed of COSDU’s wellbeing
   -          Supervise and delegate tasks to committee members
   -          Chair and prepare AGM
   -          Call and chair committee meetings
   -          Liaise with the Archdiocese
   -          Attend AGM and other necessary training conducted by UMSU

In point form, things look much more straightforward, don’t they? I think the implication behind these points is that the role is not necessarily always tangible and you get to decide how much time and effort you want to invest into each aspect. It is a delicate balance. Allow the various ministries to overwork and there will be a burnout very soon; neglect deadlines and nothing gets accomplished. Undoubtedly, I have made mistakes along the way. Thankfully, I have had a great line of pillars supporting me – my fellow committee mates, Fr Thinh, Sr Delma, and most importantly, God.

Over the past year, I have truly learnt a great number of humbling lessons. Even though COSDU is a Catholic society, we sometimes can get so caught up in the things we are doing that we fail to reflect on God’s presence in our midst. I am certainly guilty of that. Being a perfectionist, it undeniably irks me when lines are crooked, circles are not perfect or plans simply collapse. But through God, I have learnt the value of serenity to accept God’s plans. For God is the real strength behind everything, not man!

Admittedly, you don’t have to take on a role in the committee to direct change for the better. Everyone can do it; we see this every day in the people around us. Nonetheless, leadership is, in its own right, a powerful concept. As the COSDU president, I have realised that you have to think before acting, simply because others DO look at you differently and judge you for being the leader of a Catholic group in a secular university. Yet at the same time, this role also carries with it the capacity to translate vision into reality. As Kim once remarked, the president of COSDU influences the vision of the committee, which in turn impacts on the direction that COSDU takes.

As such, I was initially very worried because I knew I had enormous shoes to fill. It troubled me that I didn’t have that ‘X-factor’ required of the president – I wasn’t holy enough, charismatic, or courageous… and I didn’t even have any vision for COSDU! But you see, I think we can all concede that Jesus was arguably the most effective leader of all times – so let HIM be the shepherd of this flock! Consequently, I now strongly believe that anyone who loves God, loves COSDU and is ready to dedicate a bit of time and heart to both is indeed prepared to be a leader in this unique family away from home.

Thus, I urge you to pray and discern if you are called to serve COSDU, this great ministry, as President. I am always happy to lend my support and encouragement.
God Bless,
Abigail 

Social Justice Coordinator - Christabelle!


Ever since I was a young child, I loved going to help others whether or not it took place locally or internationally. The feeling of being able to bring a smile to others in turn brought a warm sensation into my heart. One year after a trip to Cambodia and Laos, I decided that I wanted to do justice for the world.

Some may wonder, what is justice? Or how do you stand up for something? Does it entail you to going far away places, investing in lots of money and doing extremely great things? No.  Being a social justice coordinator doesn’t require you to be all that. It just requires a burning desire to want to serve and more importantly, to serve for God.

God made us to be little light bearers of Him, to spread His light and message around the world. However, this job never comes easy. Each day in living as a disciple of Christ, we get questioned on many things that we don’t have real answers to. Someone once asked me, “Why try when the government decides everything? God isn’t going to come down and literally fill the world with his presence. So belle, why bother? Really? Why bother?” That question caught me tongue-tied. I had no answer for her, I had no real evidence to show why I wanted to make this world a better place. All I knew was that I had a burning desire in me to make a difference. To make a difference for God’s glory.

My point being, social justice isn’t always going to be easy, social justice is going to be hard because people will doubt you, people will mock you, and you will be criticized for doing what you do. But never forget, Jesus went through all that, just 100x worse, and He made it through. He made it through and proclaimed the word of God.

Being a Social Justice coordinator would entail you to plan several social justice sessions/activites for COSDU, coordinating trips down to places like Little Sisters of The Poor to give COSDU an opportunity to give back to the community, probably take part in several volunteering stints outside such as tutoring the disadvantaged, raising funds for project compassion or even finding means and ways to help the homeless and starving. Through doing all these, it’s helped me to realize that I am just one very fortunate person amidst all the many others who are more disadvantaged than I am. Going to Cambodia and Laos truly opened my eyes to the things unseen and to the things left unspoken. It helped me to see God amidst the most fragile of mankind and the most broken.

Social justice may seem like something challenging or out of your comfort zone. But trust me, if you have the passion and the courage to do something for God and for the world, God will always be waiting for you with open arms to help serve Him. Who knows? Social Justice may just be for you, and you’ll only realize it if you give it a shot!

Therefore, I am urging all of you here to not let the face of unfamiliarity or difference scare you away. Instead, be courageous and not give up on a world that may sometimes seem unjust and broken because God will always be worth fighting for, and He will be there with you every step of the way. (:


Friday, April 12, 2013

Mass!

The highlight of my school week during school hours, the highlight of going for classes on any one day, is often mass.

This may sound a little cheesy, but it's true.


Just yesterday, I thought about going to mass on campus. I thought 'ah well, I should cook lunch, and it's pretty far from home, and I probably can't make it in time...'

But here and now, I'd just like to share a little part of my yesterday with everyone...


I was thinking about going to mass all day.
I felt like I was being prompted to go, and although I had those excuses well prepared and they were convincing enough to me, God didn't really give up.

A friend I had lunch with asked me if I wanted to go for mass at St Francis in the evening,
so imagine my reaction to that ("... Yeahh, that sounds about right.") :P
Resolving to go for mass with her, I went about the rest of the day doing my own thing, and soon became busy with everything else in life but God (something I considered to be a great paradox).

For the lack of better words, I chickened out a little and told myself it was okay not to go, but the most surprising thing happened next. Just as I was ready to message my friend and tell her that I probably wasn't going, another friend who was outside my apartment at that exact moment called me up and said she was going for mass! Doubtless, she asked me to join her. Surely you know how I reacted next : "... Yeahh, that sounds about right." :P

Even as I said it to myself though, it was not without a smile. And not without awe and amazement at how God tirelessly drew me to the church.

"Something always brings me back to you, It never takes too long; 
No matter what I say or do, I'll still feel you here, till the moment I'm gone."



In what seems like too long-winded a story, I meant to say...

I feel I have so much more to learn about the mass and the fruits as well as the beauty of it, as God calls me to.
What's so great about this mass on campus, is that it's really personal.

Kudos to Fr Thinh, we get a chance to find God even on campus, to enjoy a day of seeing our
brothers and sisters in Christ at mass, catching up over lunch afterwards if we are free...
Sometimes the place is packed, and sometimes there may only be a handful, but one thing's always constant and that one thing is the most important : God is always there.

It's a blessing to have mass there for us to go to, whenever we are free, and it's something I've really appreciated, so I thought I'd take a little time to talk about it.

If you weren't already aware of these masses, or haven't been able to go before this, now's the time to start. I assure you, it grows on you. ;)


Sunday, March 17, 2013

Comm Retreat 2013! (:

Sorry for the late posts! Here’s a few coming your way guys, brace yourselves! (:


On the first day of this month, we began yet another journey down the road, not too far away from Melbourne city, to spend time together and reflect.


It was a beautiful 3-day, 2-night trip down to an amazing place off St Leonard’s Beach and we had a lot of fun. 

Some of us even made a trip down to the beach for the sunrise on Saturday morning. It was freezing and the wind was blowing really hard at us but the scenery was hauntingly beautiful; it was another moment in time where I was awed by the beauty in God’s creation. 

We also took turns cooking… Here are some pictures! :P

Fr Thinh joining us today.. Yummy chicken! :P'

The food and drink hoarders Kim and Reina ;P

So they weren't cooking. . . 

A beautiful sunrise Laura took while we stayed warm in the car~

So much Oil! >:O

Our Mighty President swinging by xD

Comm pic :DD


At other times in the trip, we also put our heads together for the upcoming events in the semester! I think we have a pretty exciting semester ahead guys. Are you as excited as we are? (x

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Come And See~


It has not been long since I joined COSDU, and for that fact, since I came to Melbourne.

I do, however, recall the day I first came to COSDU. Being greeted by Father Thinh and Sister Delma, as well as the members warmly, I had wondered what took me so long to come and see.


A year ago, I arrived in Melbourne for the first time as a university student, wondering what the year ahead held for me. I checked out clubs, wondering whether I should join any, and I found a neat page of COSDU on the Melbourne university website :P

I had been uncertain, unsure. I had craved for a catholic community of friends, which had been pretty hard to find before this. Leaving Singapore and family, I had often found going to church alone hard. I prayed about it, and for a while wondered if my prayer would be answered.


I was initially apprehensive about joining this club, because I was not sure what we did in this club. I can still remember feeling hesitant and asking God, “Is this it?” Looking back I could not have imagined life turning out any other way. In the past, I had always gone to church with my family, and suddenly there was a slight emptiness in going to church by myself in Melbourne.

When I Did join COSDU however, it just felt right. Cheesy as it sounds, I couldn’t say it better : it felt like home, like family. The family and community I have, my brothers and sisters in Christ, my dear friends… Now whenever I go to church, I cannot help but thank God for bringing me to COSDU and for friends to go to church with each week.


COSDU has brought together God-loving people of different nationalities who could relate to each other and help each other along the way to stay on the path He designated for each and every one of us.

And as orientation approaches, when I think about the catholic students who will be walking around the campus, possibly as hesitant as I had been… I can’t help but hope that they can find the community that welcomes them with open arms – COSDU. 

Popular Posts

Contact Us

Name

Email *

Message *