Written by an OCCM Alum
28 October, 2022
“Behold! What is so good, or what so pleasant, as for brothers dwelling together? It is as
ointment upon the head…for there the Lord commanded the blessing and the life forever.”
Psalm 132 (1)
How beautiful and how powerful are the words of the Psalmist! In awe he writes, “Behold!”
David the prophet tells us eagerly, look at this unbelievable gift, look at this grace bestowed on us. For in fellowship Christ has a special grace. “It is as ointment upon the head,” proclaims David. It is a remedy that establishes peace of mind, a blessing, and a life forever. I find myself exclaiming with King David, “What is so good, or what so pleasant,” as this wonderful gift of fellowship and relationship!
We, in the similitude of our God, are created as relational beings. The Father says of the Son,
“This is my beloved Son,” and the Son says of the Father, “Abba, Father,” and the Holy Spirit
seals this awesome relationship! (2) We see that our God is relational. We who are created in His image and after His likeness are also relational. We are intended to grow in fellowship, first and foremost with our God, and then with our fellow man. The beauty of this is that in His perfect wisdom and goodness He has established it to where they help lead to each other! This awesome gift is evident in Scripture.
Let us look in the gospels to our brother the paralyzed man. He had no one and was incapable of helping himself – afflicted by physical illness and, worse yet, spiritual illness. Here in this beautiful story come the four loyal and loving friends. They come and they bring him to the Master. They bring him to the Savior, to Life! Reading this story hastily, we may only take notice of the physical healing that the paralyzed man received. However, we miss the most important part of this wonderful interaction! It is through these friends that this man was once again restored, not physically, but spiritually! True friendship – true fellowship – brings about healing, and this is the ointment that King David spoke of!
This is the fellowship of OCCM!
My experiences in OCCM are evidence of this. As many youth do, I was beginning my
collegiate journey in a city far from home. I felt as though I was coming in alone (at least that’s what I thought) and in all honesty – I was terrified.
However, things quickly started to change and began to slowly transform my fear into something else. The summer preceding my first fall semester I found myself being added to all of these random groups filled with youth I had never met. I had not reached out to anyone, I had not yet had the opportunity to meet anyone, I had not yet stepped foot on campus. Nonetheless, their service and love could not and did not wait for me to get to campus. They welcomed me, constantly answered my plethora of questions, and never hesitated to help in any way. It was my first experience with the amazing group of people I was going to have the honor of meeting.
Finally came my first day on campus. I was introduced to the youth and heard about all of the wonderful events awaiting me that OCCM had planned to kick off the year. I cannot explain the joy I felt to know there were things to keep me involved and to finally get to know the youth.
Every event they strived to ensure every member had a smile on their face and was having a
great time. Every week they were a beacon of light during the meetings and prayers. Yet, it never stopped there. Throughout the year as I struggled with getting to classes or doing homework there was always someone lending a helping hand. For this group of youth, OCCM did not only consist of meetings or events; it was all the time. They embodied the true definition of fellowship.
OCCM started off as these people who were incredibly kind and helpful, and this fellowship
increased as it kept me involved spiritually and accompanied by friends. Still, it did not stop
there. OCCM became the people I studied with; the people I hung out with after class; the people I eventually lived with! I was absolutely engulfed in their love for each other and for the service all the time. Slowly, I found myself no longer part of a club or an organization; rather, I was part of a family. The OCCM youth, knowingly or unknowingly, found me, healed me of that fear, and established an incredible relationship.
I have learned so much, and I continue to learn and to grow from my brothers and sisters. I have learned what true love of prayer and praise is from those who include prayer in all moments of their life. I have learned what it means to be a faithful servant from their persistence, patience, and love. I have learned what it means to love reading and learning about our God from their conversations and their eagerness to learn. Words cannot do justice what they have shown me, whether by word or by example. Although OCCM brought me comfort, eradicated my fears, and provided me with a family, nothing compares to the fact that this fellowship brought me to see and to meet Christ!
This is the fellowship of OCCM! I was the paralyzed man and the love of our OCCM family
brought about an unbelievable gift. I pray that God may bless all of our OCCM chapters and all of our individual experiences. I pray that we find healing. I pray that we find Christ in our
fellowship.
(1) Agpeya. Translated from the Septuagint Text
(2) God and You: Person to Person by Anthony M. Coniaris
