Are We There Yet?

The Preacher Said..

2009-06-24T11:49:00.003+08:00

"If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take
it and throw it into the river."

The congregation cried, "Amen!"

"And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take
it and throw it in the river."

And the congregation cried, "Amen!"

"And if I had all the whiskey and rum in the world,
I'd take it all and throw it in the river."

Again the congregation cried, "Amen!"

The Preacher sat down.

The deacon then stood up & said: 'For our closing
hymn, let's turn to page 126 of our hymn books and
sing:

'We shall drink from that River'

The congregation screamed "HALLELUYAAAAAA!!!"

HAPPY FEAST DAY SAINT ANTHONY!!!!

2009-06-14T21:38:00.001+08:00

from all earth-people X3

Religious Husband

2009-04-29T14:45:00.000+08:00

A husband comes home from church;
He greets his wife and lifts her up.
He then carried her around the house.

The wife was so surprised and she asked 'did the bishop preach about being
romantic'?

The husband said, 'no,
He said we must carry our burdens and sorrows'.

Testing Children

2009-04-03T11:36:00.001+08:00

never put kids to the test too! XD
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I was testing the children in my Sunday school class
to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.

I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale
and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?"

"NO!" the children answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard,
and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?"

Again, the answer was, "NO!"

By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun!

"Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy
to all the children, and loved my husband,
would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again.

Again, they all answered, "NO!"

I was just bursting with pride for them.

Well, I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"

A five-year-old boy shouted out,

"YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."

Legislators Compared to Dogs!

2009-03-20T18:56:00.005+08:00

Here's a side of Arnie you never saw or knew existed!...

He is saying nothing unfamiliar to what Singaporeans already know or are experiencing now, concerning 'rainy-day funds'. Only this time he is saying it minus his Terminator alter-ego, which would have endorsed the idea with a double-barrelled shotgun and a Hasta la vista!

not quite there yet..

2009-02-10T08:50:00.001+08:00

An old man and woman were married for many years, even though they hated each other. When they had a confrontation, screaming and yelling could be heard deep into the night.

The old man would shout, 'When I die, I will dig my way up and out of the grave and come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!' Neighbors feared him. They believed he practiced black magic, because of the many strange occurrences that took place in their neighborhood. The old man liked the fact that he was feared. To everyone's relief, he died of a heart attack when he was 98.

His wife had a closed casket at the wake. After the burial, she went straight to the local bar and began to party, as if there was no tomorrow..

Her neighbors, concerned for her safety, asked, 'Aren't you afraid that he may indeed be able to dig his way up and out of the grave and come back to haunt you for the rest of your life?'

The wife put down her drink and said,
'Let him dig. I had him buried upside down......'

The Law of the Garbage Truck

2008-09-15T14:34:00.001+08:00

I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

Give All...

2008-08-18T00:02:00.005+08:00

Give Them All To Jesus - Evie

The song and music above has been playing a lot on my mind lately.

I first heard this from my room mate when I was staying in a university hostel during my tertiary study days way, waay, back in the mid 1980s. We shared a double room separated only by a wall that protruded a quarter of the way from between our windows that overlooked the quadrangle (it was Eusoff College, by the way). He was playing this song, one quiet afternoon, on his guitar and I was captivated by the song that I asked him to teach me the chords and how to sing it. He said that he caught that music from listening to the recording done by Evie from one of her albums. Taught me on the guitar he did and I never lost flavour with it since then.

Times changed, people and places come and go. But that music always remained with me and when not attended to, stuck at the back of my mind. When times get a little rough or occasions occur that open up an opportunity to touch base with my faith, or when just feeling simply nostalgic, I would just pick up a guitar lying around and would gradually come to playing Give Them All.

For all those in the Charismatic, praise & worship, Christian faith gatherings or has come to know Jesus, this music would not be too unfamiliar. For some, it may even bring back memories of their 'heady' days in the 80s, where among other things, musical lyrics still make sense and one need not wonder about what they really meant.

That's why they are sometimes called all-time-favourites....

(the song's words and music were by Phil Johnson and Bob Benson, 1975)

08/08/08

2008-08-11T00:57:00.005+08:00

Here's one enterprising and very young chap who did something awfully 'profound' for his day of 08/08/08 besides waiting for the start of the Beijing Olympics!...

I believe he also has 8 teeth all growing and nicely shown in his grin too! Way to go! :-D

(photo courtesy of friend's cute 2-year old growing baby boy)

good one..XD

2008-08-08T22:57:00.001+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

something that hits me

2008-07-16T23:25:00.001+08:00

there's a huge difference between doing what you want to do and what you MUST do

reflection

2008-07-10T22:13:00.002+08:00

i just started a new job about a week ago

but there are so many nonsense that i haven't been sleeping well, also not concentrating during work bcos i've been wondering if i should quit. Problem: i must pay 50% of my salary if i quit before my signed 2-month contract.

but suddenly something came to my mind: if you don't know what to do, don't do it. When the bridge comes then cross it = to me it means, borther about it when it really happens. Since i'm already in the job, then figure out how to keep it to have good relations with colleagues n customers - which again the bridge thingy = when in office. Out of office = DUN BORTHER

then what seemed to be like the longest time..i enjoy my anime songs like i used to = FUN

Saint Anthony's Feast Day 13 June

2008-06-16T12:12:00.003+08:00

it was awesome this year..my friends n i sat with the whole group of Franciscan Friars!!! i think some parishoners were wondering if i was one of them coz i was was wearing a reddish-brown shirt with jeans! It was great attending the "vows" of the Brothers whom i've known and met almost every Sunday

After the event i Signed to Brother Rowland that i was nervous standing in front of them - he Signed back, something like, i'm giving Deaf Awareness to them, the Minister General of the Friars didn't know there were Deaf members (and a Friar, haha!) until he saw my interpreter-friend and i interpreting in Sign

and not to mention i got to hang around with the Friars from the Australia Province and i got their affirmation as an interpreter in the Deaf Community :) and one SPOKE HOKKIEN!!! WOOOOW!!!

and not to mention i got free 'gifts' for the night..YEEEAH!!! THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU SAINT ANTHONY!!!

i never had a Patron Saint. Although i read of Saints who were born of the same birthdate as i am, i can't relate to them. I'm insecure: i'd like to relate to someone i know very dearly. Since my prayers have been answered through my prayers to Saint Anthony, Brother Rowland's cheerful advice, i'm born of the same month and i find myself BEING MYSELF in the Church where i'm inspired by the Friars - why not - Saint Anthony then!

but guilty as charged, i'm quite the opposite of him..there's always the reminder of trying though..

PAPS SHOOK HANDS WITH THE POPE!!!!!!

2008-06-16T11:58:00.003+08:00

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CLICK HERE

Kung Fu

2008-06-15T17:56:00.003+08:00

I like this hilarious piece of cartoon from Dreamworks not only because of its humour and, I suspect, a spoof-ful (is there such a word??) nod towards the perception of the Chinese martial arts, but more its usage and peppering of so-called Chinese wisdom sayings that may or may not be original...

there are no accidents

Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but Today is a gift. That is why it is called the Present

there is just news, there is no good or bad .... (that is bad news, if you do not believe the Dragon Warrior can't stop him)

but my favourite is

let go of the illusion of control

the Calling

2008-05-15T19:34:00.002+08:00

i learnt that God's Calling is an invitation from Him, He Doesn't force us like "You MUST answer this Call!"..isn't He nice? :)

Ouch! Eeek! Aarrgh!...

2008-05-12T03:43:00.003+08:00

Ever wondered, how in your moments on the road of life, that sometimes nothing seems to be going right?... And you actually started off quite well!

Greenz!

2008-03-25T05:11:00.004+08:00

Hello! I am Greenz! I am the same colour, well almost, as this blog flavour. :-)

If you want to see how I came to being, you can check me out here. Maybe you can help in the work of colonizing the world in green by starting at your place! ;-)

Joke that can be told in a Church

2008-03-24T13:11:00.001+08:00

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"

"Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life."

The child thought about this for a moment then said, "So why is the groom wearing black?"

:)

2007-10-03T23:42:00.000+08:00

i have been trying to slim down (for health reasons, please!) trying various ('justified') ways n i keep asking God, "i've been doing the same thing everyday to slim down..have i slimmed down?! i dun see any results!"

it wasn't until i saw my full-length reflection (undistorted, mind u ;p) at the bus-door tonight that i began to LOOK at myself..

..i HAVE SLIMMED..not obvious to any1..but to me - i saw..and..it was more than i had ever imagined..i admired at myself in the reflection..it looked like it wasn't me..

i had so many to thank..first God, then my 'patron' Saint and St Francis of Assisi..since it is the Transitus celebration night tonight..and thanking the other Saints who i duno but care for me whom i suddenly remember Saint Teresa..n well..every1 who keeps me in prayers..

for slimming?!

<D

YES!

2007-08-10T10:26:00.001+08:00

FINALLY AFTER 12 QUESTIONS I GOT 13th RIGHT!

13 unlucky?

THANK GOD..there's no such thing as that

am i there yet? nono..still struggling..

Dear Da..

2007-08-07T17:52:00.000+08:00

thank You for the 'fruits' of group study: most importantly, having good-thinking classmates for group study. All along i've been wondering : will we EVER BALANCE our daily homework on our own?!

thank You for allowing us to finish! don't know why after today's accomplishment i have this feeling that we CAN PASS our Accounts exam

:)

HAPPY FEAST DAY ST ANTHONY!!!

2007-06-13T23:31:00.000+08:00

To be Blessed by your relic...beyond euphoria!!!!!! :D Mucho Gracias!!!!!

seen in an assignment paper

2007-05-20T20:01:00.000+08:00

EXODUS CITY CLEARANCE SALE

now wouldn't that make any Israelite's day then..

something-like-that-quotes (in Singaporean Roman Catholics' context)

2007-05-19T10:06:00.000+08:00

"..the corpse in the coffin wears a suit, i tell you that fella wears so much better than what he wore for Mass every Sunday!"

"You can tell whether he's/she's a prayerful person..by looking at the Rosary in the hand - see whether if it's old or new."

"Add his/her Bible in the coffin."

"Go home and open your Bible..do you know where your Bibles are? Ah, find the Bible, take out, dust off the cover.."

Urbi Et Orbi Easter 2006

2006-04-30T13:22:00.000+08:00

URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
EASTER 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Christus resurrexit!- Christ is risen!

During last night’s great Vigil we relived the decisive and ever-present event of the Resurrection, the central mystery of the Christian faith. Innumerable Paschal candles were lit in churches, to symbolize the light of Christ which has enlightened and continues to enlighten humanity, conquering the darkness of sin and death for ever. And today there re-echo powerfully the words which dumbfounded the women on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, when they came to the tomb where Christ’s body, taken down in haste from the Cross, had been laid. Sad and disconsolate over the loss of their Master, they found the great stone rolled away, and when they entered they saw that his body was no longer there. As they stood there, uncertain and bewildered, two men in dazzling apparel surprised them, saying: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen” (Lk 24:5-6). “Non est hic, sed resurrexit” (Lk 24:6). Ever since that morning, these words have not ceased to resound throughout the universe as a proclamation of joy which spans the centuries unchanged and, at the same time, charged with infinite and ever new resonances.

“He is not here . . . he is risen.” The heavenly messengers announce first and foremost that Jesus “is not here”: the Son of God did not remain in the tomb,because it was not possible for him to be held prisoner by death (cf. Acts 2:24) and the tomb could not hold on to “the living one” (Rev 1:18) who is the very source of life. Like Jonah in the belly of the whale, so too Christ crucified was swallowed up into the heart of the earth (cf. Mt 12:40) for the length of a Sabbath. Truly, “that Sabbath was a high day”, as Saint John tells us (Jn 19:31): the highest in history, because it was then that the “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt 12:8) brought to fulfilment the work of creation (cf. Gen 2:1-4a), raising man and the entire cosmos to the glorious liberty of the children of God (cf. Rom 8:21). When this extraordinary work had been accomplished, the lifeless body was suffused with the living breath of God and, as the walls of the tomb were shattered, he rose in glory. That is why the angels proclaim “he is not here”, he can no longer be found in the tomb. He made his pilgrim way on earth among us, he completed his journey in the tomb as all men do, but he conquered death and, in an absolutely new way, by an act of pure love, he opened the earth, threw it open towards Heaven.

His resurrection becomes our resurrection, through Baptism which “incorporates” us into him. The prophet Ezekiel had foretold this: “Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel” (Ez 37:12). These prophetic words take on a singular value on Easter Day, because today the Creator’s promise is fulfilled; today, even in this modern age marked by anxiety and uncertainty, we relive the event of the Resurrection, which changed the face of our life and changed the history of humanity. From the risen Christ, all those who are still oppressed by chains of suffering and death look for hope, sometimes even without knowing it.

May the Spirit of the Risen one, in particular, bring relief and security in Africa to the peoples of Darfur, who are living in a dramatic humanitarian situation that is no longer sustainable; to those of the Great Lakes region, where many wounds have yet to be healed; to the peoples of the Horn of Africa, of the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other nations which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress. In Iraq, may peace finally prevail over the tragic violence that continues mercilessly to claim victims. I also pray sincerely that those caught up in the conflict in the Holy Land may find peace, and I invite all to patient and persevering dialogue, so as to remove both ancient and new obstacles. May the international community, which re-affirms Israel’s just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving towards the constitution of a state that is truly their own. May the Spirit of the Risen one enkindle a renewed enthusiastic commitment of the Countries of Latin America, so that the living conditions of millions of citizens may be improved, the deplorable scourge of kidnapping may be eradicated and democratic institutions may be consolidated in a spirit of harmony and effective solidarity. Concerning the international crises linked to nuclear power, may an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and of International Organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism.

May the Risen Lord grant that the strength of his life, peace and freedom be experienced everywhere. Today the words with which the Angel reassured the frightened hearts of the women on Easter morning are addressed to all: “Do not be afraid! ... He is not here; he is risen (Mt 28:5-6)”. Jesus is risen, and he gives us peace; he himself is peace. For this reason the Church repeats insistently: “Christ is risen - Christós anésti.” Let the people of the third millennium not be afraid to open their hearts to him. His Gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart. Christ is now alive and he walks with us. What an immense mystery of love!

Christus resurrexit, quia Deus caritas est! Alleluia!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus Christ Is Risen Today A-a-a-a-a-alleluia!

2006-04-16T02:10:00.000+08:00

Hope springs from the tomb. And hope is not just an optimism, which sees the more pleasing side of a reality ignoring the other side. The hope brought by Jesus' resurrecion transforms everything. Mary goes to the tomb perhaps to see Jesus once more, even just his dead body. Instead, she will be led to see Jesus who is alive. The two disciples who return to Emmaus have seen their hope of arrival of Israel's glory dashed into pieces by Jesus' death. Instead, Jesus rekindles a flame in their hearts and reveals to them the far greater glory of the Messiah who has to suffer.

The believers instead look at the empty tomb and see in it Jesus' victory over death and their own destiny, too. Man has been rescued from the claws of death. Where, O death is your sting? Jesus has conquered death. This is not just an assurance that despite everything, things will turn in the right direction. This is an assurance that everything has turned out marvelously (for Him and for us). For His life and destiny are also ours.
excerpts, 365 Days with the Lord, Easter Sunday

God Loves You

2006-04-14T12:26:00.000+08:00

Gospel : John 19:25-34 ( Jn 19:25-34 )

The Word
"They did not break his legs" --- The Johannine Passion of Jesus enables us to reflect better why we call this day "Good Friday" :
The Passion of Jesus is theophany. Jesus is not a helpless, pitiful victim. He reminds Pilate that he is King. He breathes the Spirit even as he Breathes his last. He establishes a community represented by his mother and the beloved disciple.
The Passion of Jesus is victory. Earlier in the Gospel, in his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus alluded to his crucifixion: "Just as Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life. ( Jn 3:14 ). At Calvary, Jesus may be dangling on the cross as a condemned criminal, but in the eyes of the evangelist, he reigns as king. His death sentence, written in three languages, is a universal proclamation of this kingship: "Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews".
The Passion of Jesus is saving. John brings in the image of the lamb of the Israelite Passover. Hyssop was used to paint the doorposts of the Israelites with the blood of the lamb. The bones of the Passover lamb were not broken when eaten. Now, a sprig of hyssop is used to make Jesus drink wine. And not one of his bones is broken. Clearly Jesus is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ( Jn 1:29 )"
365 Days with the Lord, Good Friday (Fast & Abstinence) RED

26-27 : When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom Jesus loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother" And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Mary is given a role as mother of Christians (personifed by the beloved disciple [John] ); or, as a representative of those seeking salvation, she is supported by the disciple [John] who interprets Jesus' revelation; or Jewish and Gentile Christianity (or Israel and the Christian community) are reconciled.

29 : There was a vessel filled with common wine..
John does not mention the drugged wine, a narcotic that Jesus refused as the crucifixion began [Mark 15:23, but only this final gesture of kindness at the end [Mark 15:36]

30 : Handed over the spirit: there is a double nuance of dying (giving up last breath or spirit) andthat of passing on the Holy Spirit [John 7:39] which connects the giving of the Spirit with Jesus' glorious return to the Father, and [John] 20, 22, where the author protrays the conferral of the Spirit

34 : ..and immediately blood and water flowed out
In the blood and water there may be also a symbolic reference to the Eucharist and baptism
The New American Bible

Why?

2006-04-14T01:58:00.000+08:00

We rode into town the other day,

Just me and my daddy.

He said I’d finally reached that age,

And I could ride next to him on a horse

That of course, was not quite as wide.

We heard a crowd of people shouting,

And so we stopped to find out why.

There was that man that my dad said he loved,

But today there was fear in his eyes.

So I said, “Daddy, why are they screaming?

Why are the faces of some of them beaming?

Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe?

I bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows.

Daddy please, can’t you do something?

He looks as though He’s gonna cry.

You said He was stronger than all of those guys;

Daddy, please tell me why.

Why does everyone want Him to die?”

Later that day, the sky grew cloudy,

And Daddy said I should go inside.

Somehow he knew things would get stormy.

Boy was he right, but I could not keep from wondering

If there was something he had to hide.

So after he left, I had to find out.

I was not afraid of getting lost.

So I followed the crowds to a hill

Where I knew men had been killed,

And I heard a voice come from the cross.

And it said, “Father, why are they screaming?

Why are the faces of some of them beaming?

Why are they casting their lots for my robe?

This crown of thorns hurts me more than it shows.

Father please, can’t you do something?

I know that You must hear my cry.

I thought I could handle a cross of this size.

Father, remind me why.

Why does everyone want me to die?

Oh, when will I understand why?”

"My precious son, I hear them screaming.

I’m watching the face of the enemy beaming.

But soon I will clothe you in robes of my own.

Jesus, this hurts me much more than you know,

But this dark hour, I must do nothing,

Though I’ve heard your unbearable cry.

The power in your blood destroys all of the lies;

Soon you’ll see past their unmerciful eyes.

Look there below, see the child

Trembling by her father’s side.

Now I can tell you why...”

“She - is why you must die...”

15 to be knighted as Princes of the Church

2006-03-24T02:05:00.000+08:00

Today, Friday the 24th of March 2006 @ 10:30am (5:30pm Singapore time) - our Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will preside over his first Ordinary Public Consistory in the Paul VI Audience Hall. He will elevate 13 Archbishops, 1 Bishop & 1 Priest, to the dignity of Cardinal - a grand total of 15 Cardinals!

The last consistory was held on 21st October 2003, presided by Pope John Paul II.

Out of the 15 Cardinals-to-be, 12 will join the other 108 as Member-Electors of the College of Cardinals, bringing the tally to 120 (as decreed by Pope Paul VI in 1973 - cf. AAS 65, p. 163).

The 12 to be appointed Member-Electors of the College of Cardinals are:

1. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Archbishop William Joseph Levada
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
President of International Theological Commission
President of Pontifical Biblical Commission

2. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Archbishop Franc Rodé, C.M.
Prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

3. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Archbishop Agostino Vallini
Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

4. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino
Archbishop of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela

5. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Gaudencio Borbon Rosales
Archbishop of Manila, the Philippines

6. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Jean-Pierre Bernard Ricard
Archbishop of Bordeaux, France

7. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Archbishop of Toledo, Spain

8. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Nicholas Cheong Jin-Suk
Archbishop of Seoul, Korea, Apostolic Administrator of P'yong-yang

9. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Boston, U.S.A.

10. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Stanis³aw Dziwisz
Archbishop of Krakow, Poland

11. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Carlo Caffarra
Archbishop of Bologna, Italy

12. His Grace, The Most Reverend Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, S.D.B.
Bishop of Hong Kong, China

The other 3 - who are older than the age of 80 - will be appointed Cardinal "out of esteem for the services they have rendered to the Church with exemplary faithfulness and admirable dedication."

1. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo
Titular See: Archpriest of the Basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls
Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus to Italy
Titular Archbishop of Tuscania

2. His Excellency, The Most Reverend Peter Proeku Dery
Archbishop Emeritus of Tamale, Ghana

3. The Reverend Albert Vanhoye, S.J.
Secretary Emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical Commission
Former Rector of the Pontifical Institute the Biblicum
Priest of Society of Jesus

We pray for them, and we praise & thank God!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow, Saturday the 25th of March
@ 10:30am (5:30pm Singapore Time) - on
the Solemnity of the Annunciation - all the
Members of the College of Cardinals will
partake in a Solemn Concelebration Mass
with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican Basilica.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to tune in to the Vatican Television Center later to witness the ceremony - live!

Coffee Please

2006-03-21T16:59:00.000+08:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want
only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.

Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Some times, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to
enjoy the coffee in it."

So, don't let the cups drive you... enjoy the coffee instead.

- Author unknown

The Gospel According To Jon of John Paul II

2006-02-18T08:01:00.000+08:00

gos·pel
n.

4. A teaching or doctrine of a religious teacher.

I'll kickstart the first entry of 2006 with a noteworthy mention/announcement.

The weekend TODAY's sub-headlines struck me just a couple of minutes ago - I frantically flipped to TODAY EXCLUSIVE, and I (thought I) saw ~~Angelina Jolie's father~~ Pope John Paul II - covering almost the entire page. You'd think for a moment that he is really back. Amen to that! =)

So anyway, back to page 31 - With his hands clasped in deep prayer, eyes gently shut and with the papal zucchetto or pileolus on his head, it's no wonder that many who encountered Jon Voight donning the papal attire would think John Paul II has been resurrected and was standing right in front of them. But we know that the director, cameramen, film crew, etc present drew a thin line between the real and the reel. Also, the exclusive actually focuses on Jon Voight as an actor, a father; not on John Paul II - but who cares about Jon Voight anyway. =p

Back to JPII -

Nonetheless, in the eyes of the hundreds of people in Krakow, Poland & Rome who mobbed the filming sites just to catch a glimpse of the actor decked out in the papal finery - and for the billion others in the world too - dear John Paul II is very much alive.

Indeed, such is the impact of our dear Holy Father, that warrants such a deep emotional response from those who were witnessing the filming on site. And I'm sure it will draw the same emotions from those who'd catch the movie - which brings me to the highlight of the post:

It's out on DVD in Singapore. =)

Though for reasons unbeknown, it's not released in cinemas. I really wonder why.

Nevertheless, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Get your DVD copy now.

For The Markeeters Among Us..

2005-12-13T09:44:00.000+08:00

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote Australian pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW 535i advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in an Armani suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure, why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Telstra mobile phone. He surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to
another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.

He then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored.

He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas. He uploads all of this data via an email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-colour150-page report on his hi-tech miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1586 sheep."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep," says the shepherd.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as he stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then he says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give back my animal?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're a consultant." says the shepherd.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required," answered the shepherd. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew; to a question I never asked; and you don't know crap about my business.

Now give me back my DOG!!"

a humble sharing..

2005-11-27T22:42:00.000+08:00

Celebrate! St Francis of Assisi 2005

Visions And Dreams..almost 10 years later..

2005-09-20T11:21:00.000+08:00

Please click here for this nostalgic moment..brings back so many memories..

then click here for my entry in my own blog

Kids' Views of the Old and New Testaments

2005-09-16T16:14:00.000+08:00

It (supposedly) comes from a Catholic Elementary school test. Kids were asked questions about the Old and New Testaments. The following statements were written by these children. They have not been retouched nor corrected eg incorrect spelling has been left in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. In the first book of the bible, Guinessis. God got tired of creating the world so he took the sabbath off.

2. Adam and Eve were created from an Apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark and the animals came for the pears.

3. Lots wife was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball of fire during the night.

4. The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with unsympathetic Genitals.

5. Sampson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

6. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.

7. Moses led the Jews to the Red sea where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

8. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert, Afterwards, Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the ten ammendments.

9. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

10. The seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

11. Moses died before he ever reached Canada . Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

12. The greates miricle in the bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

13. David was a Hebrew king who was skilled at playing the liar. He fought the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in bibical times.

14. Solomon, one of Davids sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

15. When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.

16. When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager's chair.

17. Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

18. St. John the blacksmith dumped water on his head.

19. Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do unto others before they do one to you. He also explained, a man doth not live by sweat alone.

20. It was a miricle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

21. The people who followed the lord were called the 12 decibels.

22. The epistels were the wives of the apostals.

23. One of the oppossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

24. St. Paul cavorted to Christianity, he preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marraige.

25.Christians have only one spouse. This is called monotony.

Thoughts From The Bed Bunk...

2005-09-08T22:54:00.000+08:00

The parish has now slowly acquainting itself with the presence of 4 priests. I am a little relieved that I could pass another portfolio over to the newly ordained priest, Fr Christopher Lee. One set of responsibility less to worry about.

Still, the challenge continues. After the Youth Mass this weekend, there is one other sacramental celebration to experience - the Pri. 3 First Communion. After that it would be the Catechists' retreat. But not before the Confirmation One's Rite of Enrolment. All these catechetical activities and their sacramental life issues flow in and out of the parish give some meaning to what the faith is all about and where all its movement is pointing towards - God.

But, in the practical aspect of each of the catechists, child, youth, parents, godparents, parishioners mind, do all this make any sense at all? We all say that (in all of these) "This is our fsith, this is the faith of the Church and we are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus Our Lord!." How much of this really gets into our own lives that we lead?

I'm reminded of this song and it may just be the answer, at least one that seems plausible for now:

If only prayers were answered
Then we would hear God say
No matter what they tell you
No matter what they do
No matter what they teach you
What you believe is true
(No Matter What, Boyzone, 1999)

Perhaps, that is all I have to work on and humbly follow through for now...

romans 8:38-39

2005-08-12T17:25:00.000+08:00

Pulled this pic off the blog of St Anne's Life Teens.

Am reminded of the Easter concert at HFC, Alive! which I attended some months ago, and the tune they sang this to. Now it's kinda stuck in my head... :P

So are you convinced too?

A Big Ad

2005-08-09T14:39:00.000+08:00

All you beer drinkers try out this 'big ad'! A word of warning: you may die of laughter!

Happy National Day!

(ad courtesy of noel...)

When the Spirits Roam

2005-08-06T12:06:00.000+08:00

It has begun!

The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts started with much paper burning and candle burning yesterday. While walking through the HDB blocks around Marine Parade yesterday, could see places such as this being set up for prayers and appeasement. It is also the month, the only month of this year, where I don't gave to worry about ANY weddings! *whew*

Which means I get to breathe properly on Saturdays. Apart from that, it's still business as usual and a roaring business for those who go around to do the auctioning and entertaining for the 'spirits'.

Would you buy a lump of coal for hundreds of dollars? You only get it here during this season...

Endor

2005-06-30T18:52:00.000+08:00

Especially for someone who is searching for the meaning and place of Endor. Don't say I didn't warned you... ;)

I'm 2!

2005-06-29T17:34:00.000+08:00

Two years in the ministry of the priesthood! Praise be to God!

I am just glad that I can come this far after much trials and constant challenges that made life rather difficult many a times. Such a gift and mystery I hold!

Schizophrenic!

2005-06-25T00:13:00.000+08:00

A wedding mass to celebrate, a communion preparation for Pri 3 children and an adult Rite of Acceptance... all in the weekend that also demands my attention to the goings-on of the community and their needs. If I don't get schizophrenic by week's end, I shall be ever grateful!

Jedi vs Reality

2005-06-24T13:09:00.000+08:00

Now that Star Wars Episode 3 is on its way out, it is also laughing its forceful way to the bank with the tons of money it has already made from people like myself and other Force fanatics: watched it 3 times and bought a few more of its movie merchandises (lightsabres, figurines, etc).

But I am not complaining. The ride was good and fun while the Force was there. ;)

Now I wonder if we are ready to get back to some semblance of normalcy or do we still want to be Jedis saving the world/galaxy/universe that people of our own world don't seem interested in saving as we spiral down the abyss of relativism, domination and war-mongering.

There is always a secret wish and dream of everyone to be like the Jedis. It's cool, hip and you get to slash limbs off with the lightsabre, besides tossing a few heavy metallic objects around at people you don't like. But reality gives a more truer and bitter picture. Limb still get torn out and people die - but from war, insurgencies, strife, disasters. You name it...

Better Late Than Never

2005-06-24T10:46:00.000+08:00

Aaargh!

That's how I am feeling currently.

Many thing to do, very little time to spare. Even this blog, I have let it fall silent much. Not that there wasn't much in life to talk about. There are many and much even all sundry and anything under the sun! Just that when I do ever find the time to pen something, the activities of the day tire me out and find myself speechless and seized by writer's block that I eventually give up altogether. :P

It a few moments I shall have to go to the columbarium for a niche installation. The first official activity to start the day with. Facing the dead. Eventually I shall head there too... It's a good reminder to start off. I am not immortal. And all good things must come to an end - SWIII furore is dying down and Batman Begins.

Then in the midst of this, I just realised that I prayed the wrong Morning Prayer. It's supposed to be for John the Baptist. :P

Keep the flag flying! All may not be that well but we shall never be overcome. :)

In memory of Dr Koh Mei Ling

2005-06-09T10:36:00.000+08:00

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister, bodily Death from whom no living man can escape
St Francis of Assisi
Canticle of Brother Sun

"Our friend and staunch supporter..(Uncle Jonathan)"

i duno u well, but i will never forget u telling me with ur nice smile that u love my singing n when i never come u said u miss my singing. i felt ur honesty and exuberance when u said to me, i still feel it til now. my heart broke when i see u, ur face of tired frustration as u battle it. Ur plastic chair that u brought that night, u made just 10 paces u needed to sit, my heart ached in silent pain. though u r alone, u have friends around u--me too, to pray for. all those times i prayed for Strength n Peace for u.

oh lonely pain, thou didst hurt my sister so
seven years God said it's time to let her go
no more sorrow she will know
The Highest, from where all Love doth flow

seriously...

2005-06-08T12:46:00.000+08:00

no one's updating this blog?!!!!!

2005-03-16T21:52:00.000+08:00

all my exs have their own n have gone their own ways, some got married, some left without saying anyting, some have found their own

they r all moving on..

"it's good if u have some1 by your side to share n confide with"..well said. my colleagues go home have husbands to confide in, i'm the only one left. nah, not SDU, not Catholic singles, i'm not proud, i just..know myself.

guess my brother knows too.

"..and in the darkness.."

2005-03-16T13:34:00.000+08:00

i am getting tired, each day even more. Even i told my supervisor of my bold plans. Somehow the waiting kills me. Will my prayers be answered the way i hoped to be? Must my hut burn like the story of the island-stranded man to be rescued from a ship which thought the burning hut was a smoke signal? i cannot stand anymore "burnings"! it feels..sorry..must say..worse than Purgatory, totally limbo while i push on in the darkness. No, God Doesn't Abandon me but..wat, dare i ask, is He Doing? i'm His Kid! Can He Bear to see me like this? i am Carrying the Cross of burden in the darkness, it's killing me.

No, i'm Not There Yet. i'm still dragging on. please don't give me the "Lean on Me.." really, sounds cliche.

Know what the problem is? the reason y i'm not going for penitential services is bcos i am still waiting for the Grace to go for a contrite Confession! i'm waiting for the right Confessor..but Paps is busy, *sigh* Spiritual Directors r also busy during Lenten season. i don't want "swap fly", blare out in full speed, Act of Contrition (also full speed), done, i'm cleansed! crap actually. i want to take my time. i will wait.

my Confession may not b with Paps but still i prefer Confessing to SD, it's also a follow-up counselling too :)

i'm beginning to like Frodo : his innocent, his tiredness, trudging on..as if i'm almost him..one diff, no Sam

Already In Line - 22 Weeks Early!

2005-02-22T00:46:00.000+08:00

I may be a Star Wars fan but this take the prize for the most rabid and committed fan!

"Jeff Twieden doesn't care that it's freezing outside. He's camping out in front of the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle, waiting for Episode Three to open. It's only 22 weeks away. "I've got another sleeping bag coming, so that's sleeping bag number three," he says. "It's better to be too hot than too cold."

reflections

2005-02-17T18:22:00.000+08:00

i have to rip myself off the parents' perspective of "you're still a child". i'm almost 2 years to 30, so that makes me a young adult.

Being a young adult, although living with parents, is STILL mentally independant.
Even though i am unattached, that doesn't mean i am immature n be tied to parents' strings = "you're still a child".

Society, by majority, repels me bcos i'm naturally more of a non-conformist, not that i want or choose to be, it's that i'm born to be.

Thus the realisation of the phrase i vaguely remember n adapt "in the world but belong not to the world (for exact reference : Jesus' Prayer to Abba Father in the Gospel according to St.John)"

i feel torn : Heaven awaits but God still Wants me to accomplish my journey on earth.

seriously i dunno what i should do beyond, but concentrating on wat's under my nose, to me, it's better than worrying of not being able to see wat's in front of me

and to see a bigger picture, that i'm not alone, my problems are similar n wat i do in my Ministries are similar to the people in this world, especially in Ministries, we'r all different parts but belonging to one Body (exact reference fr. one of St.Paul's) of Christ. In this i find comfort.

But now, i must concentrate on wat must be done in my life n opening up to Listening to God. Until the paths are straightened n narrowed, i cannot be what i never thought i can never be.

Ash Friday : Woes of a Merry Minstrel

2005-02-11T12:18:00.000+08:00

I'M HUNGRY..shouldn't have stumbled upon the Church's website.."no solid food in between"

BAK GUA I MISS YOU!!!

TimeOut!

2005-01-29T01:15:00.000+08:00

Here's the movie of the same name as this blog.

Here's some promising items to look out for in the cinemas:
a. The Fantastic Four (yes! finally someone did something for this Marvel quartet)
b. Constantine (Keanu Reeves as the lead character? hmmm...)
c. Sin City (Bruce Willis getting back into the acting business)
d. Batman Begins (will this redeem the cape crusader in the movies genre after the disastrous one with Batman Forever?...)
d. Kingdom of Heaven (Orlando Bloom in the lead as another hero and gets to wield another super-duper sword and in the Crusades!)

The first four are characters straight of from the comics world while the last one introduces us to the history of the knights and politics of the Crusades. Movie watching can't get any better than this! I know someone who will definitely go ga-ga! with Bloom at Kingdom of Heaven...

And, of course, let us not forget the venerable force of all movies, one which all are anticipating come 19 May - Star Wars Ep 3: The Revenge of the Sith!

2005-01-17T23:56:00.000+08:00

i never knew my cry of not moving in one of the Ministries i'm in is answered in the biggest movement which all of us were taken aback. as for me i know i cannot commit myself too greatly bcos i have another Ministry to serve. Better than just having one but two is more than enough for me.

Sister Hazel said it doesn't matter if (in a Ministry) you're moving chairs but others r Praise & Worship leaders, it's being Faithful that's more important.

ONE MORE TIME!!!!

2005-01-11T11:12:00.000+08:00

Music is my love medicine
That medicine is what i need
Woahohoh crank it up
It's my love medicine
There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease!

(redo of chorus of Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi)

Let's just say that God was conducting a mass mobilisation exercise

2004-12-29T01:45:00.000+08:00

"71,000 and still rising steadily...number may climb to & exceed 100,000"

Shocking statistics. Numbers that seemed to double daily.

The catastrophe came as a great shock to me amidst the joyous celebrations of Christmas and our Church's very own Feast Day celebrations - as such, I was cooped up in church the whole weekend. It wasn't until the feast day dinner was over did I realise that such a calamity had happened.

Grim pictures of dead bodies being picked up by bulldozers and cruelly dumped into a plot of land that is to be a mass grave for these hundreds or even thousands, piling up of hundreds more at open-air make-shift mortuaries, heart-wrenching scenes of helpless family members still refusing to give up resuscitating their loved ones - knowing it's already too late; bereaved families who grieve in despair as they gradually lose hope each day and try to come to terms with the possible reality that their missing loved ones are probably gone already - These are scenes that made millions of hearts cry out in grief, in sympathy, in pity...

But my friend says it best with this consolation - "Well, they finally get to see God..."
Indeed, it seems positive from a different perspective - "Perhaps God's plan was to call some of His people back. And now many more thousands would be able to see Him & dwell in His Kingdom for eternity."

That brought me to enlightenment once again - all these happened for a reason, for His purpose which we cannot decipher completely - Still I wonder, why is it that these people had to be the ones who experience the wrath of Nature, why not the 'more deserving ones' - like me for example =p And many more "Whys" continue to dwell in my mind, waiting to be answered & solved - because they defy logic & reason.

The only reason I can think of is - God is probably putting those who are spared from the disaster i.e us, to the test - it is heartening to note that countries around the world are all helping out, in the aftermath of the disaster - with outpouring of donations from many well-wishers, pledges of millions of dollars from governments, and the list goes on. This shows that if the world is capable of being united in tiding over this global humanitarian crisis, the world is also capable of attaining and maintaining what is thought to be impossible by many - world peace.

Well, from the way it looks - we still have a bit more to go in order to pass the test, deservingly.

So do pick up your phone & make a donation through the many hotlines available, if you haven't. Or make a donation in any way.

Or pray.

It's the least we could do to help.

For us who are spared, the lesson being - we should keep vigilant & be prepared to face God, should Death come a-knocking. This incident has emphasized the harsh reality that we could be dead - the next instant, the next second. Nobody knows & decides except Him.

And remember and be appreciative & thankful that our land is spared from this catastrophe. If tsunamis were to make impact at our shores, or worse still - at East Coast Park, I would probably be amongst the first to perish =S

Thank God for showing mercy.

P.S: Pls pray especially for our deceased, injured & missing Singaporeans in the affected area; also, my best friend & classmate who went holidaying in Sri Lanka - he was supposed to arrive back in Singapore today, but there's still no news of him yet.

2004-12-25T14:41:00.000+08:00

For God so LoveS us that He Sent His Only Son that we who believe in Him will not Die but Have Eternal Joy!!!! Mary CHRISTmas!!!!

the force is strong in this one...

2004-11-09T21:04:00.000+08:00

the episode III teaser trailer is out! yes!!!

www.starwars.com

and the trailer will be out during thetrailer screening of The Incredibles.

the FORCE ROCKS!!!

Be a Saint, anyone?!

2004-11-01T17:11:00.000+08:00

Today we commemorate the Solemnity of All Saints.

A short recap of Fr AJ's homily:

Saints exist not just to interceed for us in prayer, they also pose various & common challenges to us through their exemplary lifestyles - They are extraordinary people who have stayed faithful to the Gospel.

Most importantly, they are our role models in living out our Christian life.

Fr AJ also told us to 'take note' of the 'Asian' Saints instead of just remembering the - well, 'western' ones... These 'Asian' Saints are supposed to be easier to relate to, in terms of common cultures & lifestyles...

And he was not very confident about a Singaporean Saint - at least not in the near future.

And he challenges us to prove him wrong.

Anyone? =p

2004-10-18T18:29:00.000+08:00

Confession was very reflective, i found answers that i so need, not immedate answers but they are huge stepping RockS / platforms..watever..before i can get to the other side. God gives me the answers i SO need now i am so glad my heart is somewat at rest.

Dinner was more. A Spiritual Director is not just by name and initiative also is important, both the Director and the Walker (pun on Luke, haha). It's amazing how everything that i thought of Paps spoke to me, i know it's not him it's God, thru Paps, affirms all my thoughts.

Paps is one of the coolest Priests i've ever known...i'm thinking of a white-cassock man on rollerblades to rush for an urgent request for (final) Anointing of the Sick...LOL!!!! One of his motto : intergrate in life..or sth like dat lah.

Back to me, the blog title slams me hard , to answer, no, i'm not there yet. Sitting on the fence waiting for an answer pokes my bum so i move. But i wish i'm not easily influenced / swayed, i wish i could make up my mind for once, wat i want. it's not that i've been bumming around, i've been experimenting with wat i can do, whether it's God's Will or not. Yet waiting really kills.

So i rush, too fast, as always..faster than Singapore (now i know my brain develops faster :D) i guess it's not to join in the rat race but, to run alongside of it? i'm 27 with limited learning capabilities. things i learn i add but covered up in dust because in the end, it only half-matters, these things only fill up at-the-moment. But i never stop searching, trying.

But now i come to a standstill, frowning. Where do i go? Is my High Priority Task really my goal? Paps said if i find it too difficult before even learning might as well dun learn! True really. But there's a way to find out without gathering dust on a book--BORROW from library. Which i would. My curiousity for A+ Certification is making me more restless. i wish there's nothing to stop me from borrowing it.

But there is a debt to clear first which i really hope my "creditor" can get it soon. Two ends of the earth in a similar tight financial position, my worry is more on the other side.

On Tuesday night is Prayer Meet...still pray that God help me find myself there.

And anywhere i go..in the country that i'm born in.

Saint Francis of Assisi

2004-10-04T23:45:00.000+08:00

"We adore you and we bless you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the churches which are in the whole world, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world" - Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226)

Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.

Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: "Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy."

From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.

He must have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my house." But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor "nothing" man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say, "Our Father in heaven." He was, for a time, considered to be a religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.

But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff" - Luke 9:1-3.

Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity.

He was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.

During the last years of his relatively short life (44 years) he was partially blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.

On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord...

In this secular world, we inevitably face many temptations in life - The strive for materialism - And St. Francis has conquered them all, though he could have had the comfort of living an extravagant life - being born to a wealthy family. He lived a life of poverty by choice, by God's calling.

Thus, by the example of St. Francis, we are once again reminded of the challenge posed to us by God. And I'll have to admit though - To me, this is one of the greatest challenge, if not the greatest - for it requires the strictest of discipline & self-control to prevent one from succumbing to Temptation. We may not reach our goal eventually, but at least we can strive towards it. And that's what matters.

"Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God, And All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You." Matthew 6:33

God Bless & Take Care~!

Peace Be With You.

~"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"~

hello out there!

2004-10-03T13:45:00.000+08:00

Well, high time for my first post. I had an outing with my chaplain a couple of days ago and she told me this joke about the phrase 'Are we there yet?':

A mother was about to take a road trip with her four kids, and of course, she was weary of hearing her kids incessantly asking the question: "Are we there yet?" So just before they embarked on the trip, the mother sat the four kids down and told them that they were going to be in the car for a few hours, and that they will probably get to ther destination after dark, and most importantly she did not want to hear anybody ask the question, "Are we there yet?". Ever.

So after having given her kids the stern warning, they all marched out of the living room and into the garage, where one of the kids asked, "Is it dark yet?"

God's Punchline

2004-09-24T09:59:00.000+08:00

For those who find raindrops a work of art from nature and that flowers should be relegated to the realm of sexual gymnastics, I believe this picture speaks many a thousand words. Yes, life is full of surprises! When you least expect it the circumstances of the day whip up a punchline that blows you away and you wonder if God is pulling a fast one on you: you sure? sure or not?!...

Morning Edition

2004-09-11T23:51:00.000+08:00

The morning scene just outside the church at the coffee shop when the sun was just peeking over the rooftops and the day was about to begin. The calm before the storm, the quiet before the rush. A luxury to be in and only for those who takes the trouble to get up early for a morning cuppa at this shop.

Makes you ponder if we can actually appreciate the serenity that is present during the various pockets of time of the day as we allow ourselves to stop and smell the roses now and then. Life here is too rush! Being too preoccupied and distracted with too many other things and you may just miss God passing by...

3 years ago...

2004-09-11T00:01:00.000+08:00

The world looked on in terror, appalled at what they are witnessing on their TV screens, newspaper headlines:

From 8.00am (EDT), on that fateful Tuesday morning, a chain of events that were to follow would change the world.

8.46am - WTC North Tower hit first.

9.03am - WTC South Tower hit.

9.45am - Pentagon hit.

10.05am - WTC South Tower collapses.

10.28am - WTC North Tower collapses.

The world came to a momentary halt. Everybody (except the terrorists) were in great disbelief, still struggling to recover from shock.

Manhatten became a symbol of a fallen & defeated country, with its trails of destruction.

Access to NYC was denied. Air traffic in America was 0 for the first time in history.

America changed. The world changed.

Thereafter, terrorism became the main topic/agenda of the world.

Osama bin Laden - still at large - was a household name by then, and it still is.

A war erupted 2 years later, in the name of eradicating this threat. Saddam Hussein is now one step close to being brought to justice.

The Bali Bombings...the Marriott Hotel blasts in Jakarta -

And just yesterday, the Australian Embassy in Jakarta was not spared either.

Notwithstanding these condemnable events, the bottomline is that more innocent lives have been unnecessarily lost, destroyed, scarred for life and other substantial damages incurred. Be it directly due to terrorism, or the fight against it.

I'm sure we still vividly recall these historic moments of disaster. 3 years have passed, and the fight against terrorism has embarked on a global scale. And it ain't stopping in the near future.

More lives would be lost.

And so we continue to offer our prayers and condolences to those who were and are hurt by these acts of terror, and by any other acts of violence that have erupted in the course of September 11th 2001.

For those enjoying peace & stability, like us Singaporeans and those in the region - let's be thankful to Him and we also continue to sustain and maintain peacekeeping efforts at the international, national, societal, communal & individual levels.

Peace to all mankind.

God Bless & Take Care~!

Peace Be With You.

"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"

Faces

2004-09-04T13:35:00.000+08:00

An interesting picture taken by a photographer friend. They all look rather peaceful and happy. They are currently found at Borobudur, Indonesia. If you are in the neighbourhood, do drop them a visit...

St. Gregory the Great

2004-09-03T23:48:00.000+08:00

We both bear the name Gregory.

We're both Roman Catholics.

We're both His servants in our different vocatio(s).

But that's where all similarities end ~

He was elected Bishop of Rome at the age of 50. I was "dragged" into the Altar Servers at the age of 8.

He's a Saint. I'm not - yet? =p

It was thanks to those who wished me a "Happy Feast Day", (only to be reciprocated with looks of confusion & simply "huh(s)?") did I then realize it was the feast of my 'other' patron saint.

After some brief study & researh, I stumbled upon a quote from St. Gregory. And I guess that quote poses a challenge to us. I suppose St. Francis of Assisi (my 'other' patron saint) lived up to that challenge:

"Perhaps it is not after all so difficult for a man to part with his possessions, but it is certainly most difficult for him to part with himself. To renounce what one has is a minor thing; but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot"

This day is dedicated to all who bears the name 'Gregory' =p

Cheeros!

God Bless & Take Care~!

Peace Be With You.

"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"

2004-09-01T18:32:00.000+08:00

Good Stuff :)

having one of our music directors to lead..i found out that there's always something new added everytime he leads. This time he got everyone invovled, very cool. Hope that night stays in everyone's memories :)

and it's cool for us because he knows us (same Ministry mah ;p) and i get jump up and down happily..raise my hand in the air...totally in Tune :) it was great , again God Affirmed my Tuesday nights..not just to sing, but more than that.

having to learn so much about my Faith, i'm glad i can be for my loved ones, my great friends :) and, most importantly the silence ones whom almost no one knows about them.

Reach out a prayer

What a pain parents must be ...

2004-08-30T22:25:00.000+08:00

Received a frantic phone call from a father of a teenage son. He thinks the son’s girlfriend has a bad influence on him. And so which father doesn’t think his teenage son’s girlfriend has a bad influence on him? The difference is that the son sneaked into his former junior college to meet up with the girl, only to be discovered afterwards, making out in the toilet. I think the Police has since got wind of it.

A friend asked, and so might you, “In the boys’ room or the girls’?” I didn’t ask. My suspicion is that it would’ve been the girls’. Most boys would simply relish in the sleaze and the knowing smiles. Girls are more inclined to be prudish. No?

Father claims I have a good influence over the son. I can’t see how. His greatest fascination for me is my fondness for coffee with more teaspoons of sugar in it than anybody would care to count.

As for the son, all the old aunts think of him a fine young man, I’m sure. And indeed he is. One who listens to his parents. But till now. The father has gone so far as to have told the girl to leave his son alone. Yes, stuff of Taiwanese drama.

I’ve met the girl. Resolutely refuses to see the need for the boy to obey his father. The boy remains dishonest to his parents.

Hmmm …

Awww! A modern day Romeo and Juliet, you might think. I think otherwise.

A father and mother are heartbroken. What is teenage passion but a drop in the ocean of parental love? No, I have no children of my own but I have a mother and that mother has a child whose behaviour is eminently suited for expletives. I have seen pain in a mother’s eyes.

what?

2004-08-28T14:52:00.000+08:00

i had a lot of things in my mind, still preoccupied with these thoughts i stepped into the hall and suddenly the one of the 'maestros' looked at me and said "you need to do something!"

intrusion, i glared in irritation and anger at him but softened after seeing his smiling face and his tone of conviction that something is going to happen to me or he has something for me..wearily i managed a smile "what?"

i told myself no use praying with everyone and smile as if nothing as happened. Everyone got ready with their instruments, the singers excitedly took and tested their mics, talking to one another...i knew what i must do..i'm serious in what i do and..there was a prompting..i need to spend some quiet time in personal prayer before doing God's Work. i knew i've always been restless and not being in Tune in Prayer Meets nowadays.

Like what Daniel did, i tried to hide from the congregation, behind the singers, sat down and spent my quiet time. And when i took the mic i KNEW what i was there for!!!

After the Prayer Meet there was more....we had to learn new songs....only God can Help, i cannot read notes..so while the singers were resting, alone again i followed the 'music director' and listened to him while he talked to his bandmates how the song's played (and praying very hard too! we had to sing the new song next week and i didn't want to disappoint the 'leader'!)

Well done! We learnt the songs!

i'd realised that i'm alone when i do God's Work when i take a step further in what i love. sometimes i dare to push beyond my own fears to move on my own, sometimes my fear overwhelms me. Most of the times i cannot let fear overwhlem me and it's a hard struggle battling my fears while singing in Prayer Meet. Thoughts come into me and i'm always tempted to stop singing and entertain those thoughts for a while (thoughts of enjoying myself in the beautiful blues and greens of the places i've been, not forgetting tasting the strong beer i've ever tasted..MMMM!) , or despressively sink into thoughts ("you are not worthy to sing", "don't sing that way, later they say you're too loud, too sharp"..."man, these people know nothing"), unfocused. No one said doing God's Work is easy.

i guess spending my own personal time in Prayer works, i'll try again next week, have to..i've got a solo part..*gulp* stress ah..

"Konichiwa, anata no namae wa nan desu ka?"

2004-08-19T16:33:00.000+08:00

That was what I expected my 'O' Level English Oral Examiner would ask. And I would probably reply : "Konichiwa, Watashi... Drummer-san - Ogenki desu ka?" Nah, that's too informal =p

He's Japanese.

"No?! Far from that as a matter of fact"

"He probably speaks better English than Japanese."

"You mean, HE holds a Ph.D in English Language?!"

"And he teaches the gifted class in Dunman High School."

What would he be doing in Singapore then? And even so, it would probably be more lucrative if he taught Japanese.

My very first vivid impressions of his physical features - He's really short...no, really - perhaps that's what makes him so popular amongst my female classmates in such a short span of time - "He's so cute!" He came with a slingbag, you would probably think he's a door-to-door salesman selling...

RAMEN.

That's right! He had a bowl of Japanese Instant Ramen in his hands the first day he came, for his lunch (We students agree unanimously that apparently instant noodles is even better than our canteen food) . Of course I din get a chance to hear him speak a word. Not until the time where he had to hear ME speak.

Fortunately/Unfortunately, he was to be my main examiner - ie. the one popping the questions & scrutinizing my pronunciation, the size of my vocabulary bank, articulation, fluency, etc...; and of course, the one who will decide which lucky number I'd get ( upon 40).

As my turn approached, I was preparing to greet him as politely as a Japanese would; bowing slowly & saying "Konichiwa" before I began , then bowing profusely after I'm done to thank (or probably apologise) repeatedly - like a Japanese would. =p

Far Cry.

Before I could say "Konichiwa", he greeted me first - in English of course; in the most prominent American slang I've ever heard from a non-American. "Ah...that explains his Ph. D, so he was educated in America..." Before I could recover from my shock, he promptly asked me for my Identification Card. (Mind you, he din go "I/C pls?!" Like how most cinema ushers would impolitely demand for ...)

He gave the instruction to begin. And it was at that instant where I thought my inspiration came by. Having a Japanese; a foreigner where English is not a first language in his country, speak flawlessly with such professionalism - that kinda woke me up.. I mean - Moreover, as a Singaporean whose first language is English..Frankly speaking, I felt a lil' ashamed. And it was at that instant where I felt determined to speak as...well, flawlessly as he could - at least for that moment alone =p

Rather challenging, intriguing questions for the conversation topics. If you're fortunate, you can speak a whole essay out. If you're not, you can only simply answer the questions & give no comments about it. It happens maybe because you probably did not give a thought, or come across that kinda scenerio(s) before.

Through this interesting but short encounter I've had with this esteemed educator, I gain inspiration from his life story. He was able to break his barrier of being stereotyped as a foreigner who is not able to muster & manipulate other languauges as well as those who already have ; of living with a stigma cast from the rest of the world..
Alas, he has come thus far in his passion of imparting to others, the most important skill & tool of basic communication - Language.

Passion & Interest:

With that added driving force as an equal complement to your sweat & blood; your humble efforts, we can also strive to be transcendent; to overcome all the barriers we may face in our daily lifes - be it personal, communal; as an individual, a community or society, & as one people.

FYI - The first question was: "Describe a time when you experienced loneliness"

The last question is a rather taboo subject in Singapore - yet it is happening in reality.If the examiner was a politician or govt officer, and if the personal, but honest opinions & views proves to be disturbing to the patriotic them...

Anybody wants a shot at guessing the last question?

Arigato Gozaimasu! Konya to raishu tanoshinde kudasai. =p

God Bless & Take Care~!

Peace Be With You.

"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"

Seeing the wood for the trees

2004-08-14T15:26:00.000+08:00

I have just returned from our YC retreat. I've written many things, yet it feels like it isn't enough to capture the whole experience.

In any case, some random thoughts:
1) This retreat was like a turning point in YC history
2) This retreat was a turning point in MY history
3) It is good to let go and let God
4) What saying Yes really means - cause and effect
5) Empathy.
6) Pain and enlightenment

Nope, definitely not enough to capture it all, but that'll do. For now.

In any case, foremost in my mind now is my meeting with Fr Aloy this morning, then a short conversation with Fr Pat after. The question "Where are we headed?" seems paramount. Fr Aloy seems to have a certain direction he wants us to head in, i.e. more alignment with the archdiocese, and RCIY as a focus for youths of all ages. Fr Pat doesn't seem to see that we're heading in any particular direction.

The truth is, neither do I really. If anyone asks me specifically where the youth are heading right now, I'd probably say I don't really know yet. I'd like to say that maybe it doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that each and every one of us is fired enough to want to do something. I guess that's why this retreat was such a turning point for us - at least for now. The individuals in the community have never been as opened with each other as they were in this retreat. It's as if trust prevailed - and if we realize from this that if we trust another enough to carry us, there is no mountain we cannot scale. It is a recognition that we are each of us a part, and we're willing to let each other play our parts.

Where we go from here, is left to be seen.Yet the greatest problem I now foresee would be seeing the wood for the trees. So much can yet be done - so much that all the possibilities seem endless. Yet it is not yet possible to do it all. What then would be best? One person's sense of "right" direction may not be another's. What direction would be best to go down? Is there ever a "best direction" that would please everybody?

Does that even really matter if we have discerned that what we are doing is what we can do best for God, given our gifts, and charisms, given that we try to perform our "parts" to the best of our ability?

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe

2004-08-14T12:54:00.000+08:00

Commemoration of the Feast of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941)

“I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same.

Kolbe entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív (then Poland, now Ukraine). He achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.

Having ordained at a tender age of 24, he founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering.

He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata, a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations. For the work of publication he established a “City of the Immaculata”—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.

Kolbe is probably more 'recognisable' through his heroic act of sacrifice -

In 1939, the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested. But on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 3 months later, they were released.

But in 1941, he was arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, in a certain concentration camp in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations...

Thanks to one prisoner who escaped, the commandant ordered 10 men be executed, among them a certain Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek, who has a wife and children. Maximilian Kolbe asked to take his place in the starvation chambers.

So they were led to the bunker(s). They stood in complete darkness (in all sense), naked (literally) & they became a bunch of men waiting to die of starvation. By the eve of the Feast of the Assumption - only 4 were still hanging on. Kolbe was then executed while praying in a corner. His fleshless arm received the fatal bite of the hypodermic needle - filled with carbolic acid. He was cremated indignantly - to put it bluntly, his body was piled up with the rest, and burnt.

Pope John Paul II, a fellow countryman, was filled with pride as he beatified then-Father Maximilian Kolbe in 1971 to become Blessed Maximilian Kolbe.

After 11 years, that same Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek whom Kolbe saved and sacrificed for, stood amongst many on that fateful day, filled with gratitude - as then-Blessed Maximilian Kolbe was finally canonized by the Holy Father.

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe is honoured on 14th August, Eve of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - on the day of his death.

His martyrdom was inspired by a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God.

His inspiration - the Immaculata.

~
Today, perhaps not many of us have the courage to be like St. Maximilian; sacrificing his life & loving to the point of death - moreover for a total stranger. Simple as the impact of that incident may sound, but St. Maximilian reminded us once again of what Jesus Christ did 2000 years ago. At least Sergeant Francis definitely appreciated Kolbe's sacrifice, whereas Jesus was on the brink of death, but nobody appreciated his sacrifice then; He was cursed & condemned - by us.

All these in the name of Love.

So perhaps we can draw strength & inspiration from our Lord, and from St. Maximilian Kolbe, to have that wee bit of sacrificial love. Carry out your simple act of sacrifice today, however meagre or small the impact of your sacrifice may seem to be; for a stranger if you can. If not, prayer is a good alternative too for the rather 'lazybones' (I'm referring to yours truly =p)

At least, that would serve as a good start to the path of martyrdom & sainthood ya "Fral"? =D

“Courage, my sons. Don’t you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes” - Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe.

God Bless & Peace be with you.

"Omnia Vincit Amour - Love Conquers All"

I Can't Resist This!

2004-08-12T01:31:00.000+08:00

Photo courtesy of Michael Rice

Hope they have a guard on duty...

Cool Pharmacy

2004-08-12T01:06:00.000+08:00

In view of the recent case of Grace Polyclinic's misappropriation of sleeping pills, etc. I guess this takes the cake of being the best pharmacy in town!

Photo courtesy of Chip Wood

Hoist with his own petard!

2004-08-11T00:23:00.000+08:00

Swept up by the season, I was quite prepared to hoist the flag, post the pennant.

Today, I’m less enthusiastic.

Hmph!

‘Minister Mentor’. What's that? Seems to me someone's trying a tad too hard, don't you think? Surely Messrs Lee and Goh may both share the same 'portfolio' or honorific? No? No doubt, a pecking order will be needed. In that, the precedent has already been set in the two Deputy Prime Ministers. I’m tempted to think the new designation will only serve to titilate taunts of tautology. It taints the reputation of one I admire.

But what do I know of politics?

A certain maudlin maiden once mused:
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet …

Notions of Nationhood

2004-08-09T23:35:00.000+08:00

Nationhood, we're often reminded, is an abstract noun. What, then, maketh the Singaporean besides his local address and the privilege of an exclusive immigration queue at Changi?

What does one bring out of Singapore? (No, not durians. They’re mostly brought in, in any case!) It’s been said that a man can be taken out of the village but not the village out of the man.

What of a Singaporean's identity that is most readily given up? Someone once joked that there are those who return to Singapore with a posh accent after being on transit in Heathrow!

On a separate note, how often is the nation prayed for? Prayers were not offered for the nation when parts of Nicoll Highway collapsed. Prayers were offered for those who suffered personal tragedies. Rightly so. But there was also a national tragedy. A national project, the extension of the MRT system, had met with a setback. Many years ago, the press reported how, at St Andrew's Cathedral, prayers were offered when work on the City Hall Station began under their grounds. Do we not pray (enough) because we don't believe in praying for our nation or do we not pray because we don't believe in our prayers?

Hoist dem Flags!

2004-08-09T23:34:00.000+08:00

Before the day ends for good, Happy National Day!

Happy holiday!

2004-08-09T00:05:00.000+08:00

起来！　不原做奴隶的人们！
把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！
中华民族到了最危险的时候，
没个人被迫着发出最后的吼声，
起来！　起来！　起来！　我们万众一心，
冒着敌人的炮火前进，
冒着敌人的炮火前进！
前进！　前进！　进！

Bad Day...

2004-08-06T00:07:00.000+08:00

When was the last time you checked yours?...

Thank You

2004-08-04T18:38:00.000+08:00

Thank You.

That was the design printed on the card sent to me thanking me for the funeral conducted for the deceased whom I had tried to visit in the hospital last month. The same deceased family whom I was wondering if they were concern for the priest visit at the hospital when the deceased was in ICU then.

Anyway, it was thoughtful of them to sent a thank-you card as this is the first one I received since I started doing funeral services in this parish. They said "We will always remember the beautiful ceremony you conducted in the church ". I was, initially, rather reluctant to celebrate the funeral for them but I thought it was the only Christian and compassionate thing to do and the deceased deserved a decent farewell. So, my entire focus for that celebration was for the deceased and I was having mixed feelings about how the rest of the family were taking to the funeral mass as half of them were non-Catholic.

Now I know.

Are you Jesus?

2004-08-03T10:40:00.000+08:00

His Grace came down on Sunday evening to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation to 105 then-confirmants. After using his previous story* at a couple of Confirmation Masses, he gave a new one today:

There were 3 men who were vying to catch their last train home. So they ran & ran, and they knocked into a small stall where a small lil' boy was selling apples for a living. 2 of the 3 men continued running; the 3rd ran for a while - then he stopped. He went back, and picked up the spoilt/damaged apples. Giving some money back to the boy as compensation, he noticed that the boy was blind. Taking the money, the boy anxiously asked:

"Are You Jesus?"

*The previous story:

There were a few parishoners attending Mass in a village church, when suddenly a few guerillas stormed in, armed. They surrounded the parishoners, struck with much fear. And then, they asked this question - "Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, pls stand."

The priest stood up first (=D) . One, two, then three...Only a few stood up - the rest remained for fear that they'll be executed. Indeed, they thought their worst fear was becoming a reality, when the guerillas led the ones who stood up, out of the church & closed the doors behind them. Those in the church was waiting for the worst to happen... BANG! - BANG-BANG! A few gunshots were fired... And cries erupted from the church.

The guerillas opened the doors, and to the surprise of those inside - The priest & the few others with him were safe & sound. The guerillas brought them back inside the church & then they said: "Those who were inside the church just now, you don't deserve to be in here." They apologised to the priest & asked them to continue with Mass...

What His Grace was trying to convey in all of his homilies for Confirmation Masses, is that we must be witnesses of Christ. In his current story, he highlighted the importance of kindness & compassion to others - A simple act like that can mean so much to others...Through simple actions, we can bring Christ to others. In his previous one, he touched on faith & courage that is imparative for us to be witnesses of Christ in all kinds of situations.

We should reflect periodically, if not always - our actions, and ask ourselves if our actions are testimony to Christ's Presence in us. And if they are not, what should we be doing to rectify them?

That's the challenge.

Playing Hero...

2004-07-30T21:55:00.000+08:00

Aragorn. Clark Kent. Neo. Reluctant heroes that only want to live out normal lives. But history and destiny prevent them from living out their usual day-to-day activities. Many want desperately to be someone they are not. But THEY want desperately not be someone they are suppose to be. In the end their real persons came to the forefront and they fulfilled their dreams of bringing about the truth that evil will be eventually overcome in spite of the tremendous odds. THEY can do it because they belong to their universe that allows them the possibilities to fulfil those destinies.

Ours, in the real world has an altogether a different setting. We 'fulfil' ours in the realm of fantasy, sci-fi and movie magic, where the will of man to be masters of their lives and when possible, even of the universe, has always been food for imagination. There will always be this secret wish of wanting to be someone to change the world in a spectacular fashion and get to play hero along the way. Who would you like to be?...

Oh well..

2004-07-29T21:12:00.000+08:00

so much for two Tuesdays of amateur drumming, this Tuesday night back to singing, somehow i miss drumming, even thought i'm not Phil Collins or Jens Johansson's brother (fogot his name). dunno why i couldn't bring myself to singing, something's wrong i tried probing for days yet..

..i guess i'm getting dry

well at least Revenge of the Sith is something i can look forward to...

Finally...

2004-07-29T15:09:00.000+08:00

After much attempts & patience...

Thanketh "Fral" for thy honourable invitation(s) (I had to highlight your efforts =p).

For my maiden post, it'd be a really unfortunate one :

I dealt an (unintentional) big blow to the local percussion scene in the name of publicity, thanks to the negligent me - & the blow backfired. Now both parties are hurt, thanks to the negligent me. I seem to have landed myself in big trouble with many of my mentors & forefathers in the local percussion scene just because of one message.

I'll never be an advertiser in my life - Never.

Trust me, you won't wanna offend anybody - I definitely won't want to. Especially so, if the offended is THE intended audience themselves.

Now I'm beginning to see where my insensitivity leads to.

Well done.

B.I.B.L.E.

2004-07-27T00:51:00.000+08:00

Today in class, the priest-lecturer expounded the meaning of the BIBLE...

B-asic
I-nformation
B-efore
L-eaving
E-arth

Be awed! :D

Huh? (2)

2004-07-26T22:24:00.000+08:00

A friend swears that this was heard of a priest during the eucharistic prayer:

"Let-us-pro-claim-the-mi-se-ry-of-faith!"

Sigh! I know the feeling.

Break The Cycle, Stupid!

2004-07-26T22:05:00.000+08:00

Some of what transpired today have given me much food for thought. We all have the capacity to do good but there are times where we go after a certain line of action and convincingly assure ourselves that it is harmless when we know deep down in our hearts it is most certainly WRONG.

We then become a paradox to ourselves. A situation that becomes a vicious circle that perpetuates one wrong doing after another. Is it no wonder then we always find ourselves in one terrible predicament after the next? Unless, of course, we break the cycle.

For many, this 'breaking' or 'spiritual surgery', of excising the malignant tumour of our lives, is a tough call. But as they say, 'no pain, no gain'. We can spend tons of money, effort and time to want to look good and be presentable as the next Miss World. But we can't even spare to lift a finger to cure and overturn our wretched life and eventually save our souls.

Such times we live in! Hamlet was right. To be or not to be. That is the question...

Wonders Never Cease

2004-07-25T23:54:00.000+08:00

When to a wake this evening. The deceased was the same person whom I had earlier tried to see at Changi Hospital last Thursday morning. Better yet, I shall be doing the funeral Mass also this Monday morning. What can I say but that God is a great joker!...

Lethal Weapon

2004-07-24T11:04:00.000+08:00

Finally, Mr Black showed us what he is capable of! :D

The moral of the story is: The guy with the gun doesn't always win.

In fact, you'll be surprised at just how lethal trumpets coupled with some yelling can be (Jos 6:5). :P

Be guai and don't pray pray ok?

Anger Management - Use Stikfas!

2004-07-24T09:39:00.000+08:00

To all who are having a bad day at work or when things don't necessarily go the way we want them to: Take that! And that!...
Posted by Hello

Huh?

2004-07-24T02:26:00.000+08:00

Overheard at a talk on the Lord’s Prayer:

“There was the Big Bang … then one star died and our Earth and the Solar System were born ... See how we’ve come from the stars? That’s why when, at night, you look up at the stars, you feel a connexion.”

“Then there was the Black Death in the 13th Century which led to the discovery of Penicillin.”

A friend not given to hyperbole like I am, and whose words are always weighted with wisdom, had this to say of the speaker and the talk: What a scream!

Wherefore art thou?

2004-07-23T13:18:00.000+08:00

This is not the ideal of ‘premiere’ messages to post. It gives the wrong idea. It suggests arrogance. And me, arrogant? Never!

Fr Aloysius put me and another at the helm of overhauling a parish programme. He calls us ‘consultants’. I usually brand myself as the Resident 'Kay-Poh'. But seriously, what we do really, I think, is to be in touch with our God of surprises in searching for creative ways of doing things.

Besides the two Resident 'Kay-Poh's, there are also the ‘do-ers’. It sounds awfully dismissive and, dare I say it, perhaps even a tad disdainful, of me to call them such, I know. One of our tasks is to inspire these ‘do-ers’ into appreciating the ‘wherefores’ above the ‘hows’. I’ve tried. I’ve often suspected, however, that we’re banging our heads against the wall. Fr Aloysius and my partner-in-crime, happily, are more sanguine. Don’t get me wrong, these are genuinely nice people whom I like and who have a great capacity for giving to God and church. I’ve often been humbled by their dedication. (You’ll see more of that in a moment.)

Sadly, I’ve recently received further confirmation of my secret suspicion …

The ‘poetic license’ I claim is in entertaining inspiration that comes at the last minute. I mean, it does have more than an inclination for the eleventh hour, doesn’t it, inspiration? The do-ers have, of course, been absolutely brilliant in executing these last-minute plans. We're helpless without them. Absolutely! I once asked for materials for craft at 4pm on a Saturday. And, voila! All was ready by 9am the next day! Oh, bless them, they’re daar-links!

I finally received a plea to spare them of such late notices. This I entirely understand for it is legitimate and it’s not the cause for any concern. A plea that I ought to listen to and respect.

They went on to suggest, however, that when ideas come late they can always be executed the next time around. Sigh! In this suggestion, I thought, they showed lack of an appreciation for the right activity at the right moment. And so, in their ‘doing’, I suspect, they hadn’t spent time to see how the realisation of each ‘project’ was a deeper and more fruitful way of approaching the matters and issues at hand. And therefore, making the ‘project’ a necessary hassle. How can one put this succinctly? Indeed, if one doesn’t see the ’holiness’ behind the hassle, then, yeah, of course, the hassle becomes just another hoax! Hai-yah! I know it's unfair of me to latch onto this one remark of theirs and come to such a conclusion. However, I can't help but feel that it's indicative of deep differences in approach ...

Worse, I thought I might’ve heard a faint longing for those days when everyone knew exactly what’s to be done for the next session because it’s always the same, leaving little for the imagination … ad infinitum, ad nauseam …

'You think I should come off my high horse?

Bleahh and Bleaahh Again!

2004-07-22T13:50:00.000+08:00

With the anaestheasia wearing off and the numbness setting in, I gave the cab driver directions to head for 'Katong church' as I left the Dentistry faculty after my dental appointment there. The words came out in slobbering tones and saliva almost flew out from my mouth as I tried to articulate the message. Still, we reached our destination with not much mishap...

Listening is certainly an art and the cabdriver was patient and certainly understanding with my predicament. Getting the message across is another activity that needs to be clear, concise and correct in order to get the desired effect.

I had a phone call this morning at 8.00 a.m. I had just got up then and was still a little groggy. It was a request to go to Changi hospital to see a patient there in the ICU ward. Took down all the details of the ward and bed location, patient's name. The caller insist that I can go down as there would be at least one family member there and that the nurse on duty had assured them that they will allow the priest to enter. However, the caller forgot to leave behind a contact number in case of referral, and I forgot to ask. Rushed down to the ward but found everything to the contrary. No one family member was there and that I was told by the nurse-in-charge through the intercom that I cannot come in except during visiting hours. Bleaahh!

Made arrangements, through our office, for another priest to go instead and rushed off for my dental appointment. Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902) said that "Life is an art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises". In my case it was probably the other way around...

Defining Each Day

2004-07-21T10:07:00.000+08:00

Send in my piece for the editorial page for the forthcoming parish newsletter...

To conduct the last adult confirmation preparation class this evening...

A niche to install in the columbarium in the afternoon...

Series of activities and work that define the day. Doing all those and whatever that may crop up along the way, it can be easily forgotten that I may only need to do the following:
a. act justly - trying to be fair to people who don't want to listen is an act of acquired taste.
b. love tenderly - try loving the dog that bites the hand of the master...
c. walk humbly with God - especially when we are going against the other equally 'important' god since time immemorial, 'No Time!'.

Can we get anymore complicated than this?...

My Day Begins...

2004-07-20T10:27:00.000+08:00

Today is my turn at the Advisory Counters.
Today, I set out to encounter God for 5 solid hours in the people I meet, who ranges from the absolutely docile to the absolutely demanding/irritating.
Today, I set out to bring the Christ that I have encountered over the weekend, yesterday, today, to the people I meet.
Today, My Daily Bread Chp 107 Nature and Grace tells me

"Nature is irritated at unkind and harsh words, but grace knows how to keep an even temper in the face of cruel and mean persons."

and it ends with a prayer, similar to one that has been imbued in me...

"Grant me grace to be more for You and less for this blind and unreasoning self within me. Amen."

May this prayer be for you as much as it is for me.

My duty begins in 3 mins...

The First Step

2004-07-20T01:04:00.000+08:00

So we begin. The invitations are out. Let the dance of life proceed...

For Now

2004-07-19T23:31:00.000+08:00

A new beginning for this entry that charts a new course for thoughts and ideas on what we are doing with our lives these days. Each of us have one life to live. What are we doing to give it values that matter most and enriching the moment with worthwhile activities?