Letter from the Chair in Sydney

Below is an email from Sue in Sydney...

Sorry it's a little late, but have fun reading...

Hey everyone,

I've got a bit of free time so I thought i'd share with you some thoughts n reflections of WYD 2008.

The first thing I realized is that faith is a life-long learning experience. Well, so is everything else, but this aspect really struck me when I got here and was exposed to so many things. You learn a little more about faith each day. Not faith as faith only in the bible or what you learn from Catechism, but faith thru actions and real life. If I were to complain about a 13 hour journey to Australia, there were people who took 35 hours to get there. If one were to complain about the tremendous amount of walking around, you should have seen the people who came in wheelchairs and crutches. Faith is such an amazing thing to unite all together. I tell you, although there were about half a miliion people around, all with different languages and cultures, the one thing which united us all was Jesus, and this was indeed one of the experiences I treasure. And seeing all these people, the same age as us, who probablly face the same challenges as we do in our lifes, but living it all up for God - that makes me realize that we should never ever give up. The same thing with CSS. It's our mission to live out a Christian life, and to witness to others. Being a witness was one of the major aspects that Sydney ppl got to experience. They remarked that Catholics were so cheerful, smiley, happy - and never complained! Hmm, an example. While working as a volunteer, there were days when there were communication breakdowns within the gates (25 gates!) So it happened that people who had to go thru Gate 1 were told to go to Gate 3 and cut thru..but Gate 3 was closed and so these poor people had to walk all the way back to my gate (Gate 24 - right at the other end!) and go thru another way to get to their gate. We're talking about almost 1.5 times the length of the pasar malam in cheras - one way! :S I mean, i imagined these people were gonna be so pissed and annoyed, and my teammates and I at the gates kept on apologizing. But they just laughed and said its ok, and they grabbed their bags, started singing and continued walking on. Now in my opinion, thats the true Catholic spirit!!

So yeah, never give up. You know how I used to be really worried about our attendance at gatherings? Now I know that instead of mainly worrying and fretting, we should just be living witnesses. And that's whats gonna matter in the end. Not our numbers, (it does count a bit too la!) but lets all work together to bring the message of Christ to our campus.

Ive got tons more of stories but it's really freezing here! Will share some more once I get back. Take care :)

Sue
ps: the pope says to focus on inter-ecumenical discussions!

Parable of the Sower

First note : Take care Sue, have a great time in Sydney during the World Youth Day! If you're seeing this post from Sydney, remember the CSS members in UCSI...as well as tokens from WYD(for us)! Ha!

Second Note : The month of July is the birth of CSS in UCSI. Though we are not sure which date exactly is our birthday, we declare the WHOLE month of July as our birthday! How nice it is...if our birthday is one month right? So, we'll be having a BIRTHDAY PARTY for OURSELVES soon. Details are as follow :
a) Date : 24th July 2008
b) Day : Thursday
c) Time : 5.30pm
More details about the theme etc. will be announced in the week to come. So check out the blog regularly!

Third Note : This week's Gospel touches on the PARABLE OF THE SOWER. With initial steps to increase spread our faith, I will share a thing or two as spoken by Fr. Lawrence Andrew of the St. Anne's Church, Klang.

"On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” Matthew 13 : 1-23

This parable can be said to represent the whole world, as well as individually. Let us take a look at it from both perspectives.

World :
God is the sower in this case. And the Earth is the place where the seeds are sown. If you look around us, there're large pockets of where Christianity has flourished, then whithered. Turkey for example, the birthplace of St. Paul(Tarsus in Turkey is the exact birthplace), was once a Christian community, but now majority of the citizens are Muslims. It can be said that, God sowed the seeds to these places, but, to quote : "Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots."
Upon challenges and hardships, Christianity whither in places like Turkey. Yet in other, such as, Mexico, Brazil, and Italy, Christianity is flourishing. But does it mean, if we're on "rocky ground" or "among thorns", we are doomed to fail as Christians?

Individual :
The first question to ask is not as above, instead it is: "Are we seeds of God?" We, as Catholics(or Christians in general) have to ponder whether are we willing to "take up the cross and follow him". How have we developed by faith since the end of our Sunday school era(yay!)? Have our actions reflected God's words?
If indeed, we decide, that we are the seeds of God, the next question is: "What can we do to grow, even among thorn bushes and rocky ground?" As seeds need water to germinate, and plants need sunlight to grow, how are we going to grow by faith as Christians? Read the word of God, stick to the 10 Commandments are a few that I can think of.
"So, we will grow by doing these even if we're placed in places like Turkey?"
The answer, I think, is yes. There're Christian communities even in countries largely populated by other religion. And the simple reason that they exist, is faith to God.

(Third Note is an analysis of what Fr. Lawrence has said by the moderator. Additional information have been added to make it easier for college students to understand. If you disagree with his opinion(moderator, not Fr. Lawrence), do leave a comment in the cbox. No bantering, we're all adults...Thanks!)

Fourth note : cssucsi.blogspot.com will be rolling out the new information of the new committee soon. Do be patient with me. Thanks.

Fifth note : There will be a planning camp for CSS in the month of August. Exact date has yet to be confirmed, probably during the semster break after the 22nd of August. Do keep in mind these dates and join us for this two day planning camp in Genting Highlands! Check the blog for more details soon...


Woah. It's only the 5th note and I ran out of things to say. How am I going to break the record of the longest piece of musical note ever composed?

p.s. The longest musical piece ever composed is »Organ2/ASLSP« by American composer/artist John Cage (1912-1992). The piece ends after 639 years, on September 4, 2640. Now, that's something!

Old-New

Old Exco Committee:

Chairperson -Gregory Joseph Xavier

Vice Chairperson -Suenanica Anne de Rozario

Secretary - Ehoro Ayodele Chijiuke

Treasurer - Suenanica Anne de Rozario

Music - Brigitte Anna Januarius

Publisity -Sophia Mary

Students Affairs -Bryon

Web Master - Paul Yeoh

We bid bon voyage to this old exco commitee and will usher the new one in. Wonder who's in the new committee? Scroll down...

~ Oh yeah, but before that, we gotta address something important within CSS. ~

Recently, an ex-member of CSS gave a comment (not in exact words, but almost the same meaning):

"Catholics only know Christ as the beautiful statue in church. Christ is no longer in CSS and that is why we are unable to attract members to come for meetings. Prayer is not being taken seriously. And a large majority of catholics(in UCSI) have a wrong idea on what faith is."

Ok, please do not be angered by the above comment. Instead, take some time to ponder about it, and I will give my view and breakdown on this matter. However, my view does not reflect what the other CSS excos(or members) think of this situation. It's generally my opinion and I welcome POSITIVE feedbacks.(no lashing and bantering)

Is Christ no longer in CSS? Is that the reason why we are unable to attract members?

CSS has had a difficult time balancing what its members want. Fun, God, knowledge, Praise and worship and friends. Nonetheless, every activity we had, we've put God an element in the event. The talks we had to do with knowledge on the Bible and on our faith. Praise and worship always centred around God. Rosary is for the devotion to Mother Mary. Fun, well, maybe it doesn't have anything to do with God, but it bonds us closer.

Now, to examine whether is Christ no longer in CSS, we have to look back at our meetings. Yes, the meetings were mostly God-centred. How about the members? Most who came were definitely eager to find out about Christ. I mean, I was eager to find out about the book of Revelation, and Advent and everything. It is a way of strengthening my faith.

But if indeed, Christ is no longer in CSS, is that why we are unable to draw in members? This is a big problem, and my personal opinion lies in the fact that we are unable to set a good timing where everyone is free.(not only no class, but no other activities)

Now, if we ARE able to set a suitable timing, will people come? In my opinion, maybe, maybe not. Catholics have always been a little "reserved" whether in Church or outside. From my observation, we are not normally...1st to strike. We praise God, but we are sometimes ashamed to show it openly. We love to join an activity, only if we have friends following us to a new environment. (I remembered the first time walking into CSS, ALONE, woah, trembling...)

Prayer is not being taken seriously?

Prayer is a personal stuff. Again, Catholics are not as vocal as other Christians are. Our prayers are sometimes un-expressive. We stutter. So, whether or not we are serious in our prayer, it is entirely up to each individual and should not be judged. Some like prayer to be casual, some solemn, some loud, some do it alone in the room. Our face do not need to ash-strickened for a prayer to be serious. Afterall, we're communicating with God, and prayer should be something that makes us comfortable. (not really FORMAL, e.g. GOD, NUMBER 1...)

A large majority of catholics(in UCSI) have a wrong idea on what faith is?

Faith. How many of us have enough idea on faith? Jesus said if we had faith as big as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. So, how much faith do we actually have? And what is our idea of faith?

Interestingly, today's sermon by Fr. Joachim Tan of HRC, Klang, that God does not put intellectual knowledge first. We can read and quote the whole Bible, but if we don't understand the essence of it, what use is the knowledge? I believe that, with the faith we have, we should go about practising it. Keep to the 10 commandments. Respect fellow beings. I am not ashamed to say that my knowledge of the Bible is pretty, well, trivial. And also of the catholic faith. But at the age of 18,(yes, the moderator is THIS old) how much faith can we expect to have? Even people who have been catholics for 50 years don't have the faith of a mustard seed. Faith is an on-going process, we learn a little by little throughout life. Idea about faith? As long as it has to do with God, don't we call that faith?

In short, we can have many views of this matter. I agree with some, I disagree with some. I'm typing it out here so that we will not be ignorant, and maybe as a way for you readers to examine and grow in faith. Yes, when compared with other denominations, we might not be that hip, that vocal, that fun, but we are still praising one same God...

Alright, enough of the blabbering(as of now, I feel totally like a grandmother, or grandfather...)

Say hello to the new face of CSS :

Chairperson -Suenanica Anne de Rozario
Vice Chairperson -Patricia Lajumin
Secretary - Thomas Tomi Arifin
Treasurer - Joanne Lai
Music Coordinator- Byron
Activity Coordinator - Brigitte Januarius
Publicity/PR -Nicholas
Amanda Marie P. D
Web Master - Paul Yeoh

cssucsi.blogspot.com wishest a warm welcome to PATRICIA, TOMI, JOANNE, NICHOLAS and AMANDA!

Chitchat with Greg : Part 2

4. If you could turn back time, what would you have changed in CSS?
Nothing. I am thankful with my committee members and saw every challenge as God's will and we are to go through it together. No regrets in this point. If it is not due to the past you would not have a future.Wanting to change the past in this mater is like not acknowledging one's mistake and not wanting to learn from it but wanting an easy way out to clear things. Not good.

5. How have each and every CSS committee grown since one year ago?
I feel all of them has learnt something of which you will have to ask them yourselves haha. However I believe they have become more mature by acquiring or brushing up their leadership skills and faith, becoming better. Nevertheless I also feel there are some who have missed out a bit haha. For me I have gained more experience in organization, PR and of course more knowledge of our faith through our gatherings which many have missed haha for not coming.

6. What do you want CSS members to benefit from the CSS gatherings? Are there aims or objectives for each gathering?
ATOMIC has its aims and objectives but basically we want the members to learn more about our faith in a higher level more than what has already been thought in church and the same time to form a circle of friends which will be quality witnesses of Christ in the university. Also to grow in faith together while being students trying to lead a Cristian life hence.

7. What do you think CSS needs the most and why? (money, members etc.)
It needs some sort of dedication and love in doing God's work and wanting to learn to really follow His ways and thus serving the people around. Thats what makes us different from all other societies (non-religious). The people in CSS will have to learn how to sacrifice a little. Jesus sacrificed himself for us, did he not? So why not we make some sacrifice too for the benefit of others. There is nothing to loose but only gains.

8. How did you feel after being thrown into the Angkasa swimming pool after the Easter party? haha - I have been thrown into many pools, many times before so it is not something new. But i was happy and touched and grateful to know that I have good friends around me. It was unexpected because i thought you guys were not into doing these kind of stuff. hahaha

9. As the outgoing president, do you have anything else to say to the new president?
Persevere, don't give up, pray and know that God is always with you. Be sincere in your duty, respect others and listen to your members and accommodate them and be their friend and not their boss. Run CSS as a family not as a corporate body. There will be ups and downs and it is not going to be easy so be strong and value those around you. Be responsible and learn to sacrifice and prioritize. To add - for the members pula - support your president because nowadays organization is no more a one way thing meaning it does not all lies in the hands of the leader. So the ups and downs of CSS lies also in the hands of the members too. Remember that CSS is not a corporate body or not like other societies, it is a family and it belongs to all. The leader is to drive you people safely and correctly to where you want to go collectively. I also feel that though with a small group make it a strong group, in faith and knowledge and friendship. The bulk will later come slowly. Lastly dont panic and stay cool and enjoy what you do

10. It must have been hard typing everything using CORRECT english grammar and so forth. (Haha...payback for all the emails you sent.) Anything to comment or justify to this?
I have no problem in my English - grammar and spelling. I type fast and i have many things to do so i don't check. Pardon me for that haha. For the many mails is because I don't have a computer myself and i do not know when i will get one then, so the moment something pops up my head and i want all to know i send a mail if not i forget too. Also i send many, is to inform all EXCO what is happening so later there would not be any excuse of not knowing what is going on. (Although the result is not 100%) Again this is not one way leadership. Everyone will have to know what others are doing only then it is easier to coordinate certain things while organizing stuff.

Last few words...of the very long chat...

I have enjoyed myself being the president or some would call me the Chair @ Kerusi hahaha (chairman) for the past one year. I have learnt a lot and made many friends within the university and also in other universities and without CSS i would not be able to do so. Without CSS i would not have a soul but might become more of a robot being churned out from the university. The experience gained i am very grateful and happy for, and i know that these experiences will definitely help me in future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my EXCOs who are all good in their own ways and in their work. Sue, Bridgette, Byron, Ivan, Paul, Rebecca and the rest keep up the good work in the coming term and keep CSS alive.Lastly my sincere apologies if during my tenure as president i have hurt anyone through my actions or words.

Bon Voyage