LIVING LIFE | KAIROS GLOBAL | DECEMBER 2019

How has music helped my spiritual growth.

Music, indeed is a wonderful gift, is it not? Little did I realize it until I met a priest, years ago at a Jesus Youth program, who saw me with a guitar and exclaimed, "Wow! Music ministry, Power ministry". These words kept ringing in my ears and when it eventually reached my heart, it completely changed the way I approached ministering. Music is a beautiful gift given to us from above, and this powerful tool has helped me immensely. Music has helped me in my personal prayer, to reflect on scriptures and to reach out to people in need. 

Music helps me to seek Christ daily, adding more meaning to my life. It lifts my spirit when I feel low and charges me up. Truly grateful for this beautiful gift of music. Let's keep making melody in our hearts. 

Rahul George, Chennai, India

For the best part of my life, music was not a part. It was only five years back when I attended a campus ministry retreat that I had an inspiration to learn Guitar. Once I learnt how to hold a few chords and sing along, I started playing guitar at the Jesus Youth prayer meeting I attended. I could see for myself how the flavour and quality of the time we spent together in prayer changed dramatically. Soon by becoming part of the music ministry, I learnt how to lead a P&W which in a big way has helped me in moulding my personal prayer. I also came to the realisation that I can sing considerably well. Later, I started playing guitar during the weekday Mass where there was no one to play instruments. This has made me enjoy the Mass more, to be fully part of it and the frequency of me attending Mass has also increased. I have realised that I have a charism of music. Music helped me get closer to God by enjoying the time of prayer and attending Holy Mass as often as possible. It is also heartening to see how God is using my charism in helping other people pray better.

Rony Collins, Delhi, India

Music is something that has always been a huge part of my life. But after my encounter, the way I looked at music changed; it went from simply being a source of pleasure to being a gift from God: a gift that draws us to Him and a gift that we can share with others. In moments where I struggle to truly pray, beautiful music has always led me back to the source of all this beauty – Christ himself. A lot of my spiritual growth also occurred in music ministry, where I learned from friends and elders to surrender my talents to the Lord and use them for His glory, something which I would later go on to try and apply in almost every area of my life (though there is still a lot to surrender!).

Jaclyn Joy, Ireland

Music has really helped me get closer to God and open my heart to his love. I have always loved singing but singing worship songs has massively changed my life – with God speaking to me through the lyrics of songs. The songs that I choose to sing or listen to during my personal prayer mostly answers my worries or prayers for that day. Music gives me the momentum to keep communicating with God, and allows me to feel His presence. 

Being part of the music ministry is really helping me in my journey as I am constantly being inspired by how others live their life by using their talents to glorify the Lord.

Jitsy JudaThadevus, Southampton, UK

Music has helped in bringing me closer to God, because I was properly introduced into the Jesus youth movement through my talent in music. Initially I felt like prayer was a chore but being part of the ministry has helped to make prayer a crucial part of my daily life. The time I have spent with each of my music ministry companions have helped develop my spirituality – hearing their testimonies and how they deal with certain things in their life has definitely had a positive impact on my spiritual growth. At the end of the day, realising that I am using my talent which was given to me by God, to bring people to Christ brings me so much joy.

Jofin Babu, Music Ministry, UK

For me, music has helped me tremendously because it has allowed me to open myself up towards God in a much more intimate way. I'm able to trust him a lot more, and that has given me confidence in many aspects of my life, which includes growth in my spiritual life. I can go and face my fears, knowing God my father is at the center of my life, and in that knowledge, I'm able to allow the Holy Spirit to work within me through music. Music has created a surreal connection with my Father in a way words can't express. It's like He unravels me, with melody and surrounds me with His love. A moment of complete peace appears, like all the problems in the world are gone, and I'm one with my Father.

Prince Tony, Music Ministry, Ireland.

Music was always something I was drawn to since childhood. I would hum a song or listen to music even as I did my daily chores. But as I drew closer to God, my taste in music changed from mainstream genres to Gospel. My time of prayer would often include my favorite Gospel songs, moving me to tears and helping me listen to God's voice as I reflected on the lyrics. When I joined Jesus Youth, and became a part of the music ministry as a vocalist, I realised that something that was a hobby to me was in fact a charism, and this soon blossomed into a passion to bring souls to Christ through music. I learnt and grew tremendously from the musically talented people on fire for God around me. A beautiful medium through which the Holy Spirit works, that's music for me!

Mercy Blake, Kuwait