Note from the Editor

Dear Reader,

Our last two issues focused on Faith and Hope. This month, we turn to what St Paul calls, the “greatest” of God’s gifts — Love. 

In Scripture, there are different terms for Love, including agape, eros and philia. Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” explains how Love does not only constitute agape, the selfless love. Rather, he explains how eros, an ascending and possessive force, together with agape, a descending and self-giving love, can come together to create a transformative force. This integrated love is not just personal but has the power to impact our relationships and the life of the Church. For a summary of this encyclical, check out https://youtu.be/XL4P0JNR72M?si=oaSQn49ZNAM0AlJW

We hope these reflections inspire you to embody a fuller, more holistic love in your own life, one that reflects the divine unity Pope Benedict describes.

In His Great Love,

Esther Tan
Editor, United Nations Catholic Magazine

Interview with A Catholic: Ma. Theresa Sagcal

Each month, we have an intimate chat with a practicing Catholic. We discuss why they believe what they believe, the difference Christ has made in their lives, and any lessons learned from their faith journey. For this month, we feature MA. THERESA SAGCAL, who works at the Executive Office of the United Nations Environment Programme, New York Office as a Staff Member since 2012.

Can you share a bit about your upbringing and how your Catholic faith has played a role in your life? I am born and raised in the Philippines. I was brought up in a Catholic home and as a child, I can remember every Sundays, we dress up, hear mass and we go out to a restaurant and bond as a family. Though my father (+may God rest his soul+) was a catholic, he was not actively raised as a catholic. My mother is a devout catholic, she knows all the feast days of saints, goes to daily mass and is a member of a lay group who meets weekly. At home, we have an altar and a catholic bible which is readily available for each one of us, but to tell you honestly, I didn’t know how to read the bible until I joined a youth group in our village. Jesus Christ was introduced to me in my teenage years. This youth group I joined was a parish-based renewal and I enjoyed the friendship I have developed among the other youth. Up until I became a young professional, I was able to serve and bring this youth group to different places in the Philippines.

What are some significant moments or experiences that have deepened your faith journey? My faith journey is still evolving at this stage. Although I was introduced to Jesus at an early age, my faith was eventually tested by my everyday life. My first experience of pain was the separation of my parents in 1989. This caused me a lot of pain and so many questions. I have asked God questions e.g. why did my parents have to separate? Was it my fault? Who is this “other” woman? And so on and so forth. During these times, I was already a young professional. I joined a Catholic-based community focused on the single’s ministry (Singles for Christ-SFC). My relationship with God at that time was still shaky and I was still sorting out my pain with my parents’ separation. Up until I migrated to Geneva, Switzerland in 1998, the gift of FORGIVENESS was given to me by God. My life in Europe has given me the chance to sort things out through the help of the SFC family (Switzerland chapter). I was given the chance to continue serving in the single’s ministry as a Unit Head servant. I spiritually pastored about 15-20 single women and this experience taught me how to journey the daily grind of life that is very much guided by God. He equipped me with a lot of teachings, daily readings and He allowed me to experience the life that is happening in the real world.

In what ways do you participate in the Catholic community outside of work, such as through church activities or volunteer work? At present, I’m married, and my husband and I are active members of a Catholic Community called Catholics for Family & Life (CFL). By the way, I met my husband in the same youth group that I joined when I was young. Currently, we are the Faith Formation Officers in CFL. We keep records of each member’s track formation making sure that they receive the right teachings upon joining the community. We are assigned to a small cell group and we meet bi-weekly for prayer meetings. CFL is a community of Catholic lay faithful empowered by the Holy spirit to fulfill God’s plan for preserving the sanctity of marriage and family, and of sharing the fullness of life in Christ.

Can you share a memorable moment where you felt God’s presence or guidance in your life? The very first memorable moment that I truly felt God’s presence in my life was when I received the gift of FORGIVENESS. With my father’s infidelity, I became an angry person filled with pain. After I have totally forgiven my dad in 1997, I then realized that although I have totally forgiven him, every time I learned of new things about his infidelity to my mom, a new pain in my heart springs & develops. Only then I understood the verse, “forgive seventy times seven times seven…..” and so on and so forth. And I every time this happens, I know that Jesus is always guiding and teaching me especially how He lived the life the His Father have laid out for him. Whenever I am on a crossroad, I would always ask myself, “What would Jesus Do?”

Another memorable moment was when God gave me the gift of matrimony. I am just in awe of this gift because being single for quite awhile, I had a hard time meeting guys and going out on dates. I have been in several relationships and heartaches until God revealed to me that I will be married to a person I met a long time ago.

What advice would you give to fellow Catholics striving to integrate their faith into their professional lives? Being a catholic at the workplace is challenging journey. Bringing God to the workplace is a process. In my work table, I have built a small altar. I have my crucifix, the image of the Divine Mercy, a small statue of Mama Mary, a battery-operated candle together with a Pope Francis blessed candle. A work day starts with a bus ride and by reciting the holy rosary enroute to New York. Upon entering the office doors of the workplace, I envoke the Holy Spirit to cover the four corners of the office so that all the work that transpires in the office will be guided by God. At some point when I was all alone at the office, I got my holy water and blessed the whole floor. As for my colleagues, I don’t want to sound too preachy to them but as our conversation would go deeper into talking about our own personal problems, I would always share with them how God has guided me with all the obstacles that I have gone through or currently going through. I always leave them with the inspiring words e.g. “God will not give you something that He doesn’t think you can handle.” More often than not, I give them my word that I will pray for them. This somehow gives them the hope and assurance that God has their back.

I am just so thankful that the United Nations Catholic Club was established in 2019. The UNCC have bridged this gap of the workplace and the Catholic faith.

As a Catholic, what does "love" mean to you, and how do you keep love alive in your daily life? 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

LOVE for me is GOD. I keep LOVE alive in me by loving the unlovable, the poor, the marginalized, the misunderstood. I always bring & share love with others. Both to the workplace and at home. 

It’s a bit challenging especially in the current situation of the world. But at the end of the day, the call to share God’s love is much more needed. That’s why having the UNCC present at the workplace makes a whole lot of difference. Knowing that there are others who is also sharing the same faith.

Surrendering to Love

Each month, we invite an original article or feature an existing article by a respected Catholic author.

by Fr. Ron Rolheiser

Perhaps all of Jesus’ invitations to us can be summarized in one word, surrender. We need to surrender to love.

But why is that difficult? Shouldn’t it be the most natural thing in the world? Isn’t our deepest desire a longing to find love and surrender to it?

True, our deepest longing is to surrender to love, but we have some deep innate resistances to give ourselves over in surrender. Here are a couple of examples:

At the Last Supper in John’s Gospel when Jesus tries to wash Peter’s feet, he meets a stiff resistance from Peter – Never! I will never let you wash my feet! What’s ironic here is that, perhaps more than anything else, Peter yearned precisely for that kind of intimacy with Jesus. Yet, when it’s offered, he resists.

Another example might be seen in the struggles of Henri Nouwen. Nouwen, one of the most gifted spiritual writers of our generation, enjoyed immense popularity. He published more than 50 books, was a much sought-after professor (tenured at both Harvard and Yale), received invitations daily to give talks and lectures around the world, and had many close friends.

And yet, inside all that popularity and adulation, surrounded by many friends who loved him, he was unable to let that love give him any real sense of being loved or of being lovable. Instead, through most of his life he labored inside a deep anxiety which had him believe that he wasn’t lovable. On occasion this even landed him in clinical depression. And so, through most of his adult life, surrounded by so much love, he was haunted by a sense that he wasn’t loved, nor worthy of being loved. Moreover, he was a deeply sensitive person who more than anything else wanted to surrender to love. What held him back?

In his own words, he was crippled by a deep wound he couldn’t quite name and whose grip he couldn’t shake. This was true for most of his adult life. Eventually, he was able to free himself from his deep wound and surrender to love. However, it took a traumatic death experience for that to happen. Standing too close to the highway at a bus-stop one morning, he was struck by the mirror of a passing van which sent him flying. Rushed to a hospital, for some hours he hovered between life and death. While in that state, he had a very deep experience of God’s love for him. He returned to full consciousness and normal life as a profoundly changed man. Now, after experiencing God’s love for him, he could finally also surrender to human love in a way he had been incapable of previous to his “death” experience. All his subsequent books are marked by this conversion in love.

Why do we fight love? Why don’t we surrender more easily? The reasons are unique to each of us. Sometimes we are dealing with a deep wound that leaves us feeling unlovable. But sometimes our resistance has less to do with any wound than it has to do with how we are unconsciously fighting the very love we so painfully seek. Sometimes, like Jacob in the Bible, we are unconsciously wrestling with God (who is Love) and consequently unconsciously fighting love. 

In the Bible story where Jacob wrestles all night with a man, we see that in this struggle he has no idea that he is wrestling with God and with love. In his mind, he is wrestling with a foe he needs to conquer. Eventually, when the darkness of the night gives way to more light, he sees what he is wrestling with – and it is a surprise and shock to him. He realizes he is fighting love itself. With that realization, he gives up struggling and instead clings to the very force he had been previously fighting, with the plea: “I will not let you go, until you bless me!”

This is the final lesson we need to learn in love: We wrestle for love with every talent, cunning, and strength inside us. Eventually, if we are fortunate, we have an awakening. Some light, often a crippling defeat, shows us the true face of what we have been wrestling with and we realize that it’s not something to be conquered, but it’s the very love to which we have been longing to surrender.

For many of us, this will be the great awakening in our lives, a waking up to the fact that in all our ambitions and schemes to show the world how worthwhile and lovable we are, we are in unconscious ways fighting the very love to which we ultimately want to surrender. And, usually, as with Jacob in the biblical story, it will take the defeat of our own strength and a permanent limp before we realize what we are fighting against is really that to which we most want to surrender.

And this is surrender, not resignation, something we give ourselves over to rather than something that defeats us.

Original article accessible at: Surrendering to Love

Speaker Notes: The Importance of Affirmation & the Emotional Life As a Catholic: A Talk by Dr. Sue Baars

Each month, we summarize a talk previously presented to our members.

Dr. Baars, a distinguished counselor since 1986, has dedicated her career to integrating Christian anthropology with modern psychology. Practicing in Irving, Texas, she offers individual, marriage, and family therapy, drawing from the teachings of Saint Thomas Aquinas and her late father, Conrad Baars, a pioneer in Catholic psychology. Her expertise has led her to speak at Catholic conferences worldwide and appear on EWTN's "Women of Grace." 

In her 31 August 2021 talk to UN Catholic Club members, Dr. Baars emphasized the profound importance of affirmation from a Catholic Christian perspective and its impact on emotional well-being. Her central message was the transformative power of living from the fullness of one’s heart—a concept deeply rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus teaches, “Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Dr. Baars encourages us to let our hearts guide our interactions, fostering authentic affirmation and love for others.

Dr. Baars drew on Christian psychiatrists Dr. Conrad W. Baars (her father) and Dr. Anna A. Terruwe's pioneering work in Catholic psychiatry, which is grounded in the anthropology of Saint Thomas Aquinas. This approach explores what it means to be human by examining the interplay between intellect, will, and emotions. Aquinas emphasized that emotions should enrich and direct our choices made out of love, a principle central to Dr. Baars’ understanding of affirmation.

Affirmation, as Dr. Baars describes it, extends beyond mere praise or encouragement. It involves an “affirming presence” in our interactions, revealing and reinforcing a person’s inherent worth. This deep engagement helps individuals feel valued, secure, and confident, thereby enabling them to extend affirmation to others. This process mirrors the way the Gospel was shared—person to person—demonstrating the personal, relational aspect of affirmation.

Dr. Baars clarified that while emotional affirmation is the focus of her talk, other forms include intellectual, moral, and spiritual affirmation. Intellectual affirmation involves sharing truths, moral affirmation addresses ethical considerations, and spiritual affirmation concerns one’s relationship with God. Emotional affirmation, however, is about the personal and affective dimension of our interactions, reflecting the genuine feelings we convey to others.

1 Corinthians 13 highlights the necessity of love in Christian life: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” This underscores that our fundamental calling is to love God and our neighbors. Experiencing and sharing God’s love enhances our ability to love others deeply, tying genuine happiness and emotional well-being to the practice of affirmation.

Dr. Baars illustrated affirmation with a poignant story from her father’s book, Born Only Once: The Miracle of Affirmation. A childhood memory shared by a friend highlighted how being affirmed by his mother and a visiting pastor significantly impacted his self-confidence and emotional development. This story emphasized that affirmation is not about changing people but about valuing them as they are.

True affirmation requires openness and presence, being attentive to others and reflecting their worth back to them through our demeanor, tone, and words. It is different from motivational phrases or superficial encouragement. Instead, it genuinely respects and acknowledges a person’s dignity, helping them feel loved and valued.  Dr. Baars shared a personal anecdote about a young woman who realized that being loved is more important than being helped, illustrating that affirmation is about allowing others to feel valued and supported. Affirmation respects inherent dignity rather than trying to fix or improve others.

Drawing on the teachings of John Paul II, Dr. Baars referenced the “personalistic norm,” which asserts that the only proper response to a person is love. This affirmation can be assertive or tender, depending on the context. Contrasts include giving advice before listening, dismissing feelings, or offering superficial responses. A touching example involved a woman who cried when asked how she felt, revealing how simple acts of affirmation can show profound value.

Jesus models perfect affirmation through his compassionate responses. He refrained from condemning the woman caught in adultery, affirmed her worth, and addressed her actions with love. Similarly, his interaction with the woman who washed his feet with tears and his empathy at Lazarus’s tomb demonstrate deep affirmation.

To practice affirmation, Dr. Baars suggested reflecting on personal experiences of affirmation, being fully present in interactions, and performing small acts of love. These practices build our capacity to affirm others, helping them heal and live more happily by reinforcing their identity as beloved children of God. As Mother Teresa said, “The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes, touch, what we write, say, walk, and receive.” It is about continuous heart development and openness to love.

For more insights, visit Dr. Baars’ website at https://www.baarsinstitute.com/.  The full talk is available here.

Spiritual Life Tips: How to Forgive Those Who Hurt Us?

Each month, we offer practical advice and tips related to our Catholic faith and spirituality.

by Guenther Gross

Forgiveness is a thread that runs throughout the story of our faith – from the garden of Eden where we see the frailty of human relationships, both with God and among one another; to Jesus Christ’s teaching where he ate with people known to be sinners and forgave the woman accused of adultery and saving her from being stoned to death.

Forgiving those who hurt us can be a process that takes time, patience and practice. We all make mistakes as human beings and often fall short. Our wrong choices have consequences, not only for ourselves, but also for others. Unfortunately, our human failings often hurt the ones we love the most – our spouses, children, parents and best friends. This can often cause lasting pain for those involved.

The following are some basic steps for reconciliation for those who have been hurt including those experiencing the pain and loss of a strained relationship because they have been hurtful:

Acknowledge and express the hurt: We need to talk about our hurt in order to heal. Some infractions may be small that we can brush them aside, but anything that is important enough to remember is important enough to talk about. You may reach out to a priest, mentor, close relative or friend. They may provide advice but more importantly be here for you and listen to you.

Practice empathy: We should try to imagine ourselves in the other person’s shoes and determine why he or she have acted in a hurtful way. What made this person feel like it was okay to say or do this? If we don’t know, we may need to ask the person sometimes with the help of a trusted third party.

Pray: You can pray for the person who hurt you and for yourself, for example during mass or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Read the Bible: Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another…Forgive as the Lord forgave us”. There are many other bible passages about forgiveness including Luke 6:37, Luke 17:3-4 and Matthew 6:14.

Decide to work towards reconciliation: You need to decide to repair the relationship if possible, and don’t wish to remain in this hurtful stage and “cut off” from the other person. You may also decide to let go your anger and be willing to work towards trust and reconciliation. You may take a first step in reaching out to the other person either directly or through a trusted third party. Depending on the gravity it may take some time but each little step towards reconcilation is a step in the right direction.

"Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon."
- Nelson Mandela

For inquiries, or potential contributions to the magazine, please contact unitednationscatholicclub@outlook.com