Small Christian Community (SCC) in my neighbourhood

It's just like cell group meeting for the Christians. The Catholics have it too. In the church that I frequent, it's called Catholic Neighbourhood Group (CNG).

Since I am free this week, I could go attend SCC at my neighbour's home. I do not know this neighbour at all but the SCC meeting was announced in the church bulletin so I had to find my way there.

When I was there, I found out that the owners of the home were an old couple. It could easily be 70 years old. They were quite nice people. We had 8 of us in the meeting today.

We prayed the rosary first and then we had the 7-steps. Today's bible reading is based on the coming Sunday's gospel - Matt 18:15-20.

It says:

If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves. If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that "every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses" as the scriptures says. And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector. "And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." "And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them."

I was touched by the phrase, "do it privately, just between yourselves".

Many a time, we often share people's fault with other people and not confront the person directly. I am in fact guilty of that. Therefore over time, it could turn into gossip. I agreed with one of the members that we often lack the courage to have a heart-to-heart and face-to-face talk with someone who sinned against you. With this passage in the bible, I have to remind myself to talk it out with the person and settle it among ourselves, rather than tell a 3rd party that I was frustrated. Otherwise, I could lift it up to the Lord for Him to help me to be patient to solve the problem or let Him do the work.

Another member talked about how he came to know Christ and how he got converted. Praise God for his wonderful sharing.

We then had a good fellowship over wadeh, mini-mooncakes and donuts after the sharing session.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wondering sharing and having to meet the fellow Catholics from my neighbourhood. Thank you for the hospitable hosts who opened up their house for us to have SCC. May You bless them with good health and energy to serve You. As for those who had attended SCC, may You continue to bless them with love and joy in their hearts. For those who wanted to come for SCC but did not due to some reasons, may You speak to them in their hearts what You want them to do to serve You. Amen.