JULY 21, 2002, vol 52, no 15

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In launching the start of the prepa­ rations, in July last year, the Holy Father delivered a message to the Youth, again a beautiful catechesis on his theme. It could well have been forgotten by now, and in any case it could well be dismissed by those who have long since ceased to qualify for the group that it was destined for. However, it remains a message that is relevant to all Christians and merits our deepest reflection.

Gospel Images The images of salt and light used

by Jesus are rich in meaning and complement each other. In ancient times, salt and light were seen as essential elements of life. the SALT of the earth’

In explaining the first image the Holy Father said: "One of the main functions of salt is to season food, to give it taste and flavour. This image reminds us that, through Baptism, our whole being has been

Pope John Paul II The inscription, on a plaque attached to the foot o f the cross, is in 4 languages, Italian, English, French, Spanish. The cross has travelled more than 16,000 miles since Pope John Paul II entrusted it to the world’s young people in 1984.

profoundly changed, because it has been “seasoned” with the new life which comes from Christ (cf. Rom

The significance of the image does not stop at seasoning. Salt is

6:4). The salt which keeps our Christian identity intact even in a very secularized world is the grace

The Holy Father continues: "As the salt of the earth, you are called to preserve the faith which you have received and to pass it on intact to others. Your generation is

"Through Baptism we are re­ born. We begin to live in Christ and become capable of responding to his call to “offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Rom 12:1)."

Writing to the Christians of Rome, Saint Paul urges them to show clearly that their way of living and thinking was different from that of their contemporaries: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal o f your mind, that you may discern what is the will o f God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

- Mt 5: 13 - 14

L ig h t

“ I entrust to you the Cross of Christ.

Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption.”

of Baptism."

4 You are t h e Salt of the Earth a n d t h e Light of the World. }

Vol. 52 No. 15

a n d

Pope John Paul II has become known for his passion for teaching the faithful - an ongoing process of catechesis in the full sense of the word, not just through his official teaching on specific issues as Sovereign Pontiff, but in his role of Universal Teacher of the Church.

He uses the practice of the "Blessing to the World" every Sunday with the recitation of the Angelus as an opportunity to de­ liver what has come to be known as the Holy Father's Catechesis, a systematic teaching of the Bible.

Currently, it is on the Book of Psalms.

It is also well known that the Holy Father always delivers the Homily, whether he celebrates the Eucharist or not, and even when he can't, it is read on his behalf by someone else.

The Theme of each celebra­ tion of World Youth Day is set by the Holy Father himself, and for this year he chose the theme "You are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World." (Mt 5:13-14):

M .I.T.A . (Pl N o. 032/01/2002 » pps 201 /4/2003

also used to preserve food.

being challenged in a special way to keep safe the deposit of faith.

Discover your Christian roots, learn about the Church's history, deepen your knowledge of the spiritual heritage which has been passed on to you, follow in the footsteps of the witnesses and teachers who have gone before you! Only by staying faithful to God's commandments, to the Covenant which Christ sealed with his blood poured out on the Cross, will you be the apostles and witnesses of the new millennium."

Referring to the quest for

"higher things", the Pope urges all of us not to be content with anything less than the highest ideals!

"Do not let yourselves be dispirited by those who are disillusioned with life and have grown deaf to the deepest and most authentic desires of their heart.

You are right to be disappointed with hollow entertainment and passing fads, and with aiming at too little in life.

If you have an ardent desire for the Lord you will steer clear of the mediocrity and conformism so widespread in our society." " ... the LIGHT of the world’

Commenting on the second image the Pope says: " Light evokes the desire for truth and the thirst for the fullness of knowledge which are imprinted deep within every human being.

but an experience to be had, a truth to be lived, the salt and light of all reality."

In this secularized age, when many of our contemporaries think and act as if God did not exist, it is you who must show that faith is a personal decision which involves your whole life.

Let the Gospel be the measure and guide of life’s decisions and plans! Then you will be missionaries in all that you do and say, and wherever you work and live you will be signs of God’s love, credible witnesses to the loving presence of Jesus Christ.

Never forget: “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a bushel" (Mt 5:15)!

Just as salt gives flavour to food and light illumines the darkness, so too holiness gives full meaning to life and makes it reflect God’s glory.

A Mission

When the light fades or vanishes altogether, we no longer see things as they really are. In the heart of the night we can feel frightened and insecure, and we impatiently await the coming of the light of dawn.

The light which Jesus speaks of in the Gospel is the light of faith,

A new millennium dawns in the light of Christ. But not everyone can see this light. Ours is the wonderful and demanding task of becoming its ‘reflection’.

Yes, now is the time for mission!

Study the Word of God and let it

God’s free gift, which enlightens the heart and clarifies the mind. “It is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out o f darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light o f the knowledge o f the glory o f God on the face o f Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).

Eucharistic Adoration.

That is why the words of Jesus explaining his identity and his mission are so important: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12).

Faith and Witness Our personal encounter with Christ bathes life in new light, sets us on the right path, and sends us out to be his witnesses. Faith, the Holy Father warns, "is not just a collection of theoretical assertions,

enlighten your minds and hearts.

Draw strength from the sacramental grace of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Visit the Lord in that “heart to heart” contact that is "Day after day, you will receive new energy to help you to bring comfort to the suffering and peace to the world. Many people are wounded by life: they are excluded from economic progress, and are without a home, a family, a job; there are people who are lost in a world of false illusions, or have abandoned all hope.

By contemplating the light radiant on the face of the Risen Christ, you will learn to live as “children of the light and children of the day” (1 Th 5:5), and in this way you will show that “the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Eph 5:9). □

I n te r n e t e d itio n o f T h e C a t h o lic N e w s : h t t p :/ / w w w .c a t h o lic . o r g . s g / C N .

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

International Criminal Court NEW YORK (CNS) - The Vatican declared its support for the new International Criminal Court by making a symbolic gift on the day it opened, July 1.

A press release issued by the Vatican’s U.N. mission in New York called the entry into force of the agreement setting up the court a historic day. “The Holy See has offered a symbolic contribution to the trust fund set up by the secretary-general of the United Nations to support the establishm ent of the International Criminal Court,” the release said.

Kofi Annan, U.N. secretarygeneral, expressed hope that the court would “deter future war criminals and bring nearer the day when no ruler, no state, no junta and no army anywhere will be able to abuse human rights with impunity.”

Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Nuncio to the United Nations, said in an interview that the Vatican’s contribution was $3,000.

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Vatican murder-suicide case

Official Warning VATICAN CITY, 10 July 2002.

The Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith has issued an official warning of excommunication, concerning the attempted ordination of seven women of various nationalities in the Diocese of Linz, Austria. The ordination was performed by a bishop of a schismatic church. The full text of the warning follows:

"On June 29, 2002, Romulo Antonio Braschi, the founder of a schismatic community, attempted to confer priestly ordination on the following Catholic women: Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, Adelinde Theresia Roitinger, Gisela Forster, Iris Muller, Ida Raming, Pia Brunner and Angela White.

In order to give direction to the consciences of the Catholic faithful and dispel any doubts which may have arisen, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wishes to recall the teaching of the A postolic Letter O rd in a tio Sacerdotalis of Pope John Paul II, which states that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to co n fe r p rie s tly o rdination on women and that this judgem ent is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (n. 4).

For this reason, the abovementioned “priestly ordination” constitutes the simulation of a sacrament and is thus invalid and null, as well as constituting a grave offense to the divine constitution of the Church. Furthermore,

because the "ordaining" Bishop belongs to a schism atic community, it is also a serious ;

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attack on the unity of the Church.

Such an action is anaffroont to the dignity of women, whose specific role in the Chruch and society is distinctive and irreplaceable.

The present D e cla ra tion , recalling the preceding statements of the Bishop of Linz and the Episcopal Conference of Austria and in accordance with canon 1347 § 1 of the CIC, gives formal warning to the above-mentioned women that they will incur excommunication reserved to the Holy See if, by July 22, 2002, they do not (1) acknowledge the nullity of the “orders’ they have received

from a schismatic Bishop in contradiction to the definitive doctrine of the Church and (2) state their repentance and ask forgiveness for the scandal

caused to the faithful." □ Rome, from the Offices o f the Congregation for the Doctrine o f the Faith, 10 July 2002.

Joseph Card. RATZINGER, Prefect Tarcisio BERTONE, S.D.B. Archbishop Emeritus o f Vercelli, Secretary [Original text: Italian with Official English Translation] Editor, Vatican Report

Imposition of Pallium Metropolitan Archbishop A. Hughes of New Orleans receiv­ ing his Pallium from Pope John Paul II. The picture shows clearly what the Pallium looks like. It is a white "stole-like" vestment made of pure lamb's wool with 5 black crosses around it and has two straight pieces hanging from the cirlet, one at the front and one at the back. It is the symbol of a Metropolitan's supervisory role over other dioceses in a given region. The Pope as Met­ ropolitan of the world also uses the Pallium.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican Press office issued a release on 6 July 2002 concerning a mur­ der- suicide case that took place in the Vatican in 1999. The Commander of the Swiss Guards and his wife were found dead of gunshot wounds as well as a Swiss guard who had apparently committed suicide.

Newspaper reports around the world as weil as locally, re­ ported a request fo r a re-examination of the case, and the Vatican issued the following release.

"Late in the afternoon of Fri­ day 5 July 2002, the press Office of the Holy See released the following communication: Follow ing press reports concerning presumed new facts regarding the case of the deaths of Alois Esterman and Gladys Meza Romero and Cedric Tomay, the following clarifications

are made.

A request for a reopening of the case, signed by lawyers Jacques Verges and Luc Brossolet on behalf of Mrs Muguete Baudat, the mother of Corporal Cedric Tornay, has been received by the Promoter of Justice at the Tribunal of Vatican City, which was transmitted to it by the Secretariate of State.

The request is currently being examined by the Judiciary Office according to article 295 ff, of the Code of Penal Procedure of Vatican City State.

However, the declarations which have been proferred against the Holy See and the V atican City S tate and its Judiciary, are com pletely unacceptable and offensive and are, moreover, without any foundation." □ (Original Text in Italian) Editor - Vatican Report:

V e ry C ritic a l Please continue to pray for: Rev Fr Simon Yim, 81 years old attached to the Church of St Stephen and

Rev Fr Frank Depoorter, CICM, 54 years old, District Superior of the Scheut Missions

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n I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I j

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

REGIONAL

Setting the record straight EAST MALAYSIA, Kota Kinabalu, (UCAN) — A Protestant group in Sabah, East Malaysia, has refuted allegations by a senior intelligence official that it promotes extremist religious teachings and is politically aligned.

Sidang Ingil Borneo (SIB, Evangelical Church of Borneo) denied accusations by Che Moin bin Umar, head of Malaysia’s National Intelligence Committee under the National Security Division of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Bin Umar named SIB and the New Testament Church as two Christian groups that spread “extremist teachings.”

He made the charge at a seminar titled “Regional Security Risks and Challenges: The Role of Civil Society.” The seminar July 2 in the Sabah capital Kota Kinabalu was organized by the Institute for Development Studies in Sabah, a state government think tank.

The security official presented his paper “Overview of National Security Challenges with Special Focus on Sabah,” in which he discussed the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

In outlining religious and political threats to security in Malaysia, he said Christian and Hindu groups could be guilty of extremism as well as Islamic groups.

After mentioning Islamic extrem ist groups ' such as Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (militant group of Malaysia) and Jemaah

Islamiah, he said the government had also come up against extremist teachings of SIB and the New Testament Church.

Members ofthe Islamic groups he named were arrested on three occasions between June 2001 and April this year.

Bin Umar accused the New Testament Church of an “aggressive and insensitive approach toward other faith followers.” He cited a clash between its members and others in Miri, in neighboring Sarawak state, in the early 1980s.

A Church observer said that the “aggressive and insensitive approach” could refer to attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Reverend Taipin Molidoi, president of SIB Sabah, told the press July 4 that his Church wished to express “its deepest regret and profound disappointment” at the statement made by the national security official.

He said the Church is one of the five founding members of the Sabah Council of Churches and has been a member of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship since 1984. SIB Sabah has drawn support mainly from indigenous peoples in the eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Over the many years of SIB’s existence in Sabah and Sarawak, SIB has not disrupted the peace and racial tolerance in existence in many communities,” Reverend Taipin said.

Bin Umar also alleged in his

seminar paper that the SIB had received full support from a certain political party in the 1980s.

Local observers believe that the allusion was to the Christianled Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), which ruled the state from 1985 to 1994 before losing to the National Front coalition led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

PBS left the National Front in 1990 on the eve of a general election and remained in the opposition until it rejoined the coalition a few months ago.

A number of high-ranking officials of PBS are SIB members.

However, Reverend Taipin said, “SIB emphatically states it does not engage in political activities, as enshrined in its organizational guide, and does not align itself with any political party.”

The SIB called on bin Umar to clarify his statement and make any necessary corrections immediately.

Present at the press conference were officials of the Sabah Council of Churches and Reverend Wong Kim" Kong, secretary general ofthe National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, who flew in from Kuala Lumpur.

Reverend Wong told UCA News that he was very surprised to hear such a strong accusation coming from an official in the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said there had been no previous indication whatsoever that the Malaysian government had held such a view of the SIB.

Living and growing in the Word

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Enquiries: 6858-3055 VIETNAM, Ho Chi Minh City (UCAN) - A priest in southern Vietnam has written a guide to Sunday Gospel readings and launched study programs to help Catholics live in accordance with the word of God.

Father Dominique Dinh Van Vang, pastor of Sao Mai parish in Ho Chi Minh City, said his threeyear liturgical guide “Live in Communion with the Word of God” and study programs aim to help Catholics understand the Gospel and live out their faith.

Father Vang told UCA News that “lay Catholics prefer reciting prayers or going to church to studying the word of God.” But “living the faith,” he added, “does not mean just practicing some religious rituals in church or observing some ecclesiastical rules.”

The 55-year-old priest described living the faith as “infusing the word of God into the daily activities of individuals, families and society." Lay Catholics’ thoughts, words, responses to adversities in life and service to others should be imbued with the word of God, he said.

Father Vang, ordained a priest in 1973, asserted that “a faith life without the word of God will become shallow and perfunctory.”

Many priests, however, are “too busy” with parish ministry to have time to prepare “deep explanations” ofthe word of God in their homilies, he said. Others talk about things “too difficult” for parishioners to understand.

He noted that lay Catholics,

especially in rural areas, are not encouraged to study the word of God partly due to a shortage of qualified instructors and also because of a lack of materials and methodology.

Father Vang said he publishes 300 copies of guide each month, including 50 copies ordered by priests as material for their homilies. He has published 32 issues of the planned 36 issues for the complete liturgical cycle.

The guide includes explanations and applications of each Sunday Gospel reading. A unit consists of three parts studying the word of God, learning to live in line with the word of God, and prayers.

In addition to the guide, the priest also wrote the book “Interact and Live in Communion,” featuring 108 stories imparting lessons on Christianity and how to put into practice the word of God. Father Vang said he has also formed 10 Bible study groups of 20-30 members each who pray the rosary and other devotional prayers, read Bible passages and study how to live according to the Gospel.

The sessions are conducted by a priest, Religious or a layperson with good knowledge of the Bible and catechism, and they usually last an hour but can stretch much longer, up to five hours, according to Father Vang.

Joseph Vu Hoang, a participant in one of these groups at Sao Mai parish, told UCA News, “I am 77 years old, and yet I do not know very much about the word of God. I go to this class to

improve my knowledge."

He said the course held by the parish priest has helped him understand and live in line with the Gospel in a more concrete manner. Hoang lauded Father Vang’s books, saying they are presented clearly with many examples.

A priest in Ho Chi Minh City told UCA News that Father Vang’s materials are very helpful for learning about the word of God. “Their explanations are suitable for parishioners’ comprehension,” he explained.

Father Vang, president of the Our Blessed Mother Association, said he will call on other priests to collaborate with him in the future.

He is also spiritual director of the Sacred Heart Association for Families and Catholic Mothers’ Association of Chi Hoa deanery in Ho Chi Minh City archdiocese.

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THE CATHO LIC NEW S

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FAMILY LIFE SOCIETY 1 The Family Life Society is a non-profit I organisation registered under the Societies j Act of Singapore in 1985. It was established 1 under the auspices of the Catholic Archbishop I of Singapore to make the family apostolate | a priority of the local Church, j We aim to promote a deeper i understanding and respect for marriage, j family and human life and to make our j services available to all.

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I A youth crisis hot line offering help for youth in distress.

(This series of articles explores the characteristics of the various types of suicide attempters, the forewarnings of suicide, the basic factors in suicide risk assessment, and the key tasks of suicide intervention. The writer, Bro. Collin Wee, fsc, is the Principal Therapist at the Family Life Society.)

By Bro Collin Wee, fsc

U nderstanding Suicide The following definitions should help us understand the nature of suicides.

us of an impending suicide attempt by an adolescent. These are: Verbal statements such as “I want to die”,

“How many sleeping pills will it take to kill someone?”, “After I am dead, they’ll be sorry” etc, which are overt statements that should warn us that suicidal thinking is operating. Other statements to listen to are the direct, subtle whispers for help such as “It is not worth living”, “My life is empty and hopeless”...

There is suicide if a person dies as a result of self-inflicted injury or self-poisoning. If the person does not die, it is called an attempted suicide.

The act is considered a para-suicide if the person does not intend to die but inflicts injury on himself as a coping mechanism for solving his problems.

“majority of cases involved depression with parental problems, school problems, and Many studies of attempted suicides problems with the have established that majority of cases involved depression with opposite sex” There are three types of suicide attempters: (a) those who do not intend to die; (b) one who makes an actual suicide attempt; and (c) one who is suffering from mental illness.

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Situational clues, which refer to

family and relationship problems.

This is an area where the earliest possible intervention can be made.

When hearing of a life crisis, the adolescent can be invited to an informal session with the aim of providing emotional support during the difficult time.

parental problems, school problems, and problems with the opposite sex.

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Behavioural clues, most serious of which are previous attempts or writing farewell letters.

A recent study on attempted suicides among adolescents in Singapore found the trend to be rising over the study period (1991 -1998) and for peaks to be occurring in October of each year (a month before examinations). An earlier international study has also established that Singapore is the only country (other than Japan) where the relative mortality by suicide is higher for females than for males among the 15-24 year-olds.

While every suicide is distinctly personal, the signs of suicide in adolescents are very readable if we know what to look for. A number of common signs are found in most suicides. They are: Reckless behaviour. This includes picking fights, impulsive actions, truancy, running away from home, previous suicide attempt/s.

Youngsters often engage in reckless behaviour to send a message to parents of their deepseated discouragement and of their inability to solve their problems.

Statements alluding to suicide. Four of every

5 suicide victims talked about suicide within a week of their death. Typical statements made to close friends or family members include (a) threats such as: “You'll be sorry one day”; (b) uttering comments such as "They'd be better off without me; (c) writing, talking or hinting about death such as: “I have nothing to live for” or “I can't go on.”

Giving away possessions. A teenager may

be making final arrangements when he gives away prized possessions.

Syndromatic clues, which includes (a) a history

of previous problem; (b) additional problems linked with adolescence; and (c) recent period of problems with significant persons.

When interviewing an adolescent with a life crisis, therefore, the therapist must focus on how the adolescent is coping with the problem.

For example, when the adolescent is experiencing feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, this question must be asked: “It sounds as if you are having a rough time of it - do you ever think of ending it all?”

Forew arnings and Telltale Signs There are several telltale signs that could forewarn

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Depression. Depression is the most common factor associated with adolescent suicide.

Depressed adolescents have a sense of loneliness, sadness and discouragement. And they make their feelings known. They display wide mood swings and sudden outbursts or seem not to care about anything. When a period of depression and gloom is followed by elation or euphoria, it may be that a decision to terminate his life has been made and hence depression is lifted. - To be continued. Next issue: Management of Suicidal Behaviour in Teens.

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(Left) About 150 people, including priests, religious, school principals, volunteers, and social workers from voluntary welfare organisations and family service centres, witnessed the official opening and blessing of the new premises of the Pregnancy Crisis Service (PCS) at Highland Road on 26 June 2002. His Grace, Most Rev Nicholas Chia presided over the opening and blessed the new premises.

(Right), Earlier, the Archbishop celebrated the Eucharist at the Immaculate Heart Of Mary Church to mark the occasion. Fr Johnson Fernandez, Fr Gerard Weerakon, Fr Ambrose Vaz and Fr Martin Low concelebrated the Mass.

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FLS’ senior programme executive Andrew Kong is pictured with Mr Christopher West, an advisor and educator on issues of human sexuality, marriage and family life, during the Human Life International Weekend Conference on “Unseating the Holy Trinity" held from 24-26 May at the Marriott Philadelphia Hotel. Mr West, who works for Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, spoke on the Theology of the Human Body as an Answer to Secular Sex Education. Mr West’s numerous tapes, articles, and speaking engagements promoting John Paul IPs “theology o f the body” have made him an internationally recognised authority in the field. Other well-known speakers at the Conference included Mary Beth Bonacci, a highly sought after youth sexuality speaker; Fr Mitch Pacwa SJ; Professor Peter Kreeft, author of many books on moral philosophy).

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MONGOLIA, Ulaanbaatar. On 8 July, 2002, The Holy Father raised the Mission of Urga in Mongolia to the rank of Apostolic Prefecture with the title of Apostolic Prefec­ ture of Ulaanbaatar. (See Map pg

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An Apostolic Prefecture is the first stage in the establishment of the hierarchy of the Church in a new territory. When the Vatican is satisfied that the prefecture is well established and has sufficient num­ bers in the community it could be raised to the level of a Diocese which would then be headed by a Bishop.

Pope John Paul II has named as the fist Prefect Apostolic, Msgr.

Wens Padilla, CICM, who has been the Head of Mission of Urga.

Msgr Padilla who belongs to the Congregation of the Immacu­ late Heart of Mary (CICM) was born in Tubao, Philippines, and ordained in 1976. He was named Head of Mission of Urga in 1992.

The Republic of Mongolia cov­ ers an immense area of 1,565,000 square kilometres but is largely unpopulated. The population is about 3 million.

Although in 1921, The Apos­ tolic Prefecture of Urga in Mongolia, had been established and assigned to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in fact the missionaries never went there because in 1922 Mongolia was involved in the Soviet Revo­ lution and although it retained a nominal independence, it was ef­ fectively under the control of Moscow and for 70 years de­ pended on Moscow to all intents

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and purposes. The church, mean­ while, remained non-existent in the territory.

In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Governor of Ulaanbaatar, the captial of Mon­ golia, requested the Holy See to send Catholic missionaries to the country, and at the same time established diplomatic relations.

The Papal representative in Hong Kong, Msgr Jean-Paul Gobel was entrusted with estab­ lishing the first contacts and was sent to the Mongolia on a fact­ finding mission to the civil authorities there.

The work of establishing a Catholic presence in Mongolia was entrusted again to the Congrega­ tion of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and a team of three mission­ aries was sent.

After an initial period spent studying the Mongolian language and culture, they established their mission. Initially in 1992, the

Catholic community conisted of only a few Europeans and one local Mongolian. Today the com­ munity numbers about 100 persons.

There are now 4 CICM mis­ sionary priests, 2 other Korean priests from the organization known as "Fide Donum" (the Gift of Faith), and soon there will be 6 Salesian Brothers who will start a Vocation Centre.

There are also religious sister, 5 from the congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4 Sis­ ters of Charity and 4 more from the Congregation of St Paul of Char­ tres.

The fervour of church endeav­ our will surely see and increase in the local community and augurs well for the future.

The new Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar will continue to be entrusted to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. □ - Editor, from Vatican Report

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Seeking cooperation and solidarity VIETNAM, Ho Chi Minh City (UCAN) — For the first time since the country's reunification in 1975, an official delegation of Vietnamese bishops is visiting the Catholic Church in the Philippines to foster educational cooperation and solidarity between the two Churches.

Bishop Paul Nguyen Van Hoa of Nha Trang, president of the Vietnam Bishops’ Conference, said he sees the visit as “a valuable chance to know more about the pastoral and educational activities of the Church in the Philippines.”

Saying that the bishops have been looking forward to the July 411 visit for a long time, the Church leader added that the meeting “will also serve as a preparation for new visits to other bishops’ conferences in the future.”

The five-member delegation headed by the conference president includes Bishops Pierre Tran Dinh Tu of Phu Cuong and Joseph Hoang Van Tiem of Bui Chu and two priests.

“We acknowledge that the Church in the Philippines has been a prominent pioneer Church in Asia in terms of its Church organization, running of international gatherings, and educational institutions, from which we can learn for our apostolate in Vietnam,” Bishop Hoa explained.

The Churches in the Philippines and in Vietnam started almost simultaneously in the 16th century, and Manila served as a stopover

for many European missioners before they came to Vietnam.

Six out of eight bishops among the 117 martyrs in Vietnam were Spanish and belonged to the Dominican Province of the Philippines.

“Based on missionary his’tory, we consider the Church in the Philippines as our sister in faith because we owe a lot to the Dominican Province which sent its missioners to northern Vietnam in the 17th century,” Bishop Hoa said.

“This time we want to express our gratitude for what the Church in the Philippines had done for us,” the Vietnam Church leader said.

The bishops are scheduled to visit the Manila-based apostolic nuncio, Car^nal Jaime Sin of Manila and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which is holding its annual plenary meeting in Tagaytay, 70 kilometers south of Manila.

The delegation will also visit seminaries, institutes, colleges and centers where delegation members will give talks about the situation of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, including seminary formation, religious congregations and the laity.

The delegation will meet and celebrate Mass with the Vietnamese Catholic community in Manila. In recent years, the Vietnam Church has sent many seminarians and Religious to

Catholic institutions in the Philippines.

Bishop Hoa said that the visit to San Carlos Seminary, one of the oldest seminaries in Asia, will be an opportunity for his delegation to learn from the seminary staff and to share with them experiences in priestly formation. The seminary was established in 1702.

Another institution on the delegation’s agenda is the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest Pontifical Catholic university in Asia founded in 1611. The Vietnamese bishops will express their gratitude to the Dominican Province for their support to the Church in Vietnam, according to Bishop Hoa. Father Antoine Nguyen Ngoc Son, one of the two priests with the delegation, told UCA News July 3 that some 150 Vietnamese priests, Religious, catechists and laypeople are studying at Churchrun schools in the Philippines.

Father Son, who is also the Vietnamese bishops conference’s • secretary, noted that the number will increase considerably in the future because in the Philippines, Vietnamese students have less problems of cultural differences, and that tuition fees are low.

The Vietnam Church’s official visit to the Philippine Church is part of the country’s move to cement friendly relations and foster cooperation for common development in the Southeast Asip region, Father Son said.

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JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

CHILDREN’S CORNER This quiz is open to children who are preparing to receive Holy Communion and are attending classes

Answers for Contest No. 4 (1st. Comm.)

at their Parishes.

Reconciliation

It has to be the children's own effort and parents are asked to use this as an opportunity to teach the children the value of honesty.

Across

Prizes will be awarded to the first three correct entries to reach the Editor, AFTER midnight Wednesday/ Thursday 24/25 July 2002, by e-mail to steeolelSisinanet.com.sa. The first three correct entries will be

1. The priest who hears our confession, forgives us in the name of Jesus. This is called the ABSOLUTION 3. The correct word for what we have to do to show that we are sorry is REPARATION. 6. Confession is actually the Sacrament of RECONCILIATION. 9. One thing we have to do when receiving the sacrament is to CONFESS our sins.

11. Sins that are not serious are called VENIAL sins.

12. We have to DO something to show that we are truly sorry. This is called PENANCE.

based on the date and time as recorded in the "Inbox". The Editor’s decision is final.

Closing Date: midnight. Fri/Sat 26/27 July.

All that is needed to send the answers, is to use the numbers of the clues as indicated and state the answer for each clue.

You must give your full name, address, and the First Communion Class you are attending at your Parish.

Do not forget to provide your OWN contact, otherwise it will not be possible to advise you, if you have won. All entries will be acknowledged.

Winners, the first three correct entries, will be announced in the following issue of the Catholic News, and will be informed of how they can collect their prizes.

i....

Down

2. We must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least ONCE a year.

4. We express sorrow for our sins when we recite the ACT of Contrition.

5. We must, however, confess all our SERIOUS sins.

7. We must also be truly sorry for them. This is called REPENTANCE. 8. Do we have to confess ABSOLUTELY ALL our sins? NO. 10. The priest will also give us some ADVICE.

2 “ Contest No.5 (1st Comm.)

B A P TIS M 4

5

r

6

CLUES

i

§

10

Across:

The WINNERS ARE .....

1. - The priest made Signs of the Cross on me w ith______.

4.

When I was baptized, the priest poured_____ on me.

6.

Living as a child of God means that I must follow h is________.

10. I was also given a _________garment.

1 Marian Ng Si L in ,.

Pri 2 - home-based class - Church of Christ the King 2 Joseph Gwee Ming Wei

Pri 3 -Holy Family Church

Congratulations to the winners.

You will be notified by e-mail about the collection o f your prizes.

Down: Created by CNews with EclipseCrossword.

5 Copyright

2.

2000-2002 by Green Eclipse Software.

3.

Prizes for Contest No. 5 (1st Comm.)

BAPTISM are very kindly sponsored by: a donor who wishes to remain annonymous.

5.

7.

8.

9.

Since I am a child of God, I must_ as a child of God. The priest also said: I _________you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism makes me a ______of God. I was given a lighted_______.

When I was baptized, my parents chose ______parents for me.

If I was still a baby when I was baptized, my parents made a profession o f __________ for me.

There were other entries, but none were completely right.

Good for you, for TRYING! That's what is important in life.

We need to try our best. If we succeed, all the better!

But never give up trying your best.

Maybe, next time you will succeed.

God love you all!

We are terribly sorry for the print error in the position of the numbers 4 and 7 in Crossword No 4 - Reconciliation, in the last issue.

You were clever enough to manage anyway!

THAVS GREAT!

Children please take note: You need to look at the DATES when you are to send in your answers and YOU NEED TO KEEP TO THEM. NOTES: The reason: some receive the Catholic News the Wednesday BEFORE the Sunday that it is dated.

For example some will get this issue on Wednesday, 17 July, others will get it on Saturday or Sunday 20/21 July. Still others will get it through the mail, even later. The winners are the first three correct entries, between those dates, according to the times indicated in the "Inbox".

The main "things" in Confession 1 CONFESSION - telling our sins to a priest. We don't have to tell absolutely ALL our sins, but we must tell all our serious sins or mortal sins as they are called. For serious sins we need also to say how many times we have done those things.

2 CONTRITION - This word means "sorrow". If we want to be forgiven we have to BE sorry and also SAY sorry. When we "hurt" someone we should FEEL sorry and also SAY so. That's what you always do (I hope!) when you "hurt" your Mummy or Daddy or sister or brother or anyone else, like your classmates or friends. In the same way, we "hurt" Jesus who loves us so much, so we need to feel sorry and say so, too.

3 ABSOLUTION - This is what the Priest does for you. Acting in the

name of Jesus, he forgives you. That is the meaning of the word "absolve", when he says "I absolve you from your sins... " 4 SATISFACTION - If we are truly sorry we need to do something

to "make up" for what we have done. It's very easy to SAY "sorry", but if we mean what we say we will try not to do the same thing again, and try to make up for the hurt by doing something nice for the person we hurt. It's the same with between us and Jesus.

Crossword No. 4 was about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament is also called the "Sacrament o f Penance" or simply "Con­ fession".

The way to make your confession is like this:* Start by making the Sign of the Cross

Then say "Bless me Father, for I have sinned."

CONFESSION PREPARATION

My last confession was a b o u t... (roughly how long ago!)

These are my s in s : .... (tell your sins to the priest. - You don't

We need to think about how we hurt Jesus and the people around us. This is called the "examination o f conscience"

Don't only think of the "bad" and "naughty" things. Think also about the "good" and "nice" things you did not do. You should confess these as well.

It's not enough that we don't disobey our Mummy or Daddy and that we have kept out of mischief. They love us so much and do so much for us. Shouldn't we be trying to DO something nice for them? We might be "little" and very young, but there are still little things we could do to help them, perhaps around the house, keeping our own places tidy so that they have less work to do. It's the same with other people outside of home, too. We could be helpful and nice to them!

* * * *

need to go into details and long explanations. There are little booklets that help you how to tell your sins. You may end by saying: "That's all, Father!)

Now, pay attention to what Father will say to you. Sometimes he may have to ask you sqme questions. If he does, then answer him. Then he wil give you some advice and ask you to do something to show you are truly sorry for having offended Jesus. (This is called penance or reparation). If you don't understand what Father says, ask him to explain.

Next, Father will ask you to recite an Act of Contrition, which you then do. If you don't know it by heart, you can use your own words to say how sorry you are to Jesus for having offended him, or you can bring a little book on How to make your confession, and it will surely contain an Act of Contrition for you to say.

When you have finished saying how sorry you are, Father will then give you Absolution which he will say loudly.

Then he will say to you something like: Go in peace or some other words.

You then say: "Thank you, Father", and leave.

Don't just run out of the church. Go to a seat and pray a little while, to thank God for giving you the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Tell him again how sorry you are for having offended him. Ask him to help you to be better. Think about how you can be better, in what way and how.

Then, when you have spent a little while quietly, you may go.

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

REGIONAL

Asia the Reconciler

from UCAN reports

INDONESIA, Yogyakarta — It would seem that Pope John Paul's call for religions to play a greater role in the pursuit of world peace is gaining momentum. Some 300 delegates of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP) met for their sixth ACRP assembly fromJune 24-28 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The theme was “Asia, the Reconciler.’ The previous five Assemblies were held in Singapore, New Delhi, Seoul, Kathmandu and Ayuthaya (Thailand).

The Conference was opend by Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The ACRP is an international organization that aims to promote cooperation among Asian religious leaders for peace, while maintaining respect for religious differences.

Participants included 120 religious leaders and experts from

24 Asian countries and territories, 58 honorary delegates and 145 international observers.

The participants represented almost all the principal religions of Asia: Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, Sikh, Tao, Zoroastrian and others.

The outcome of their deliberations was the “Yogyakarta Declaration" . Noting that their assembly had had to be postponed from last year due to the September 11 terrorist attack they stated: " We unanimously say

of militarisation, even nuclear, is increasing, political power tends to be authoritarian, an ever-enlarging vicious circle of more armament and more deprivation.

The agony of suffering echoes throughout Asia. The voices of grief of those whose human rights are violated, are not heard. Human dignity is not heeded. Social justice is not taken seriously. Violence and conflicts occur too easily. In Asia, a vicious circle manifests itself in the form of discrimination, disparity, deprivation and violence".

“Absolute No” to terrorism of any kind for any reasons.

Spirituality of Asia

The participants were quick to note that Asia is the cradle of all

Reality of Asia

the great religions of the world.

"Spirituality which animates the higher nature of humanity abounds in Asia. It is a force which makes us one in spite of our diversity".

They pointed our, however that

Painting a dismal picture, the Assembly noted that "Asia continues to be torn by conflicts and confrontations, rivalry and repression. Everywhere the level

ironically, "Asian spirituality has often led to transcendental indifference and escapism from the ground reality of Asia, thus serving unwittingly the cause of the status quo.

However, spirituality, is a strength in the midst of weakness, a hope in the midst of despair, and love in the midst of hatred. It has to be channeled into saving and serving action on the part of those who are activated by it and the test of its genuineness is to be found in its renewing power of humanization."

The conference was clear that "people of religion should stand on the side of the poor, the oppressed and the deprived. Religionists cannot be neutral. We are in solidarity with the suffering masses of Asia and we will continue to do what we can towards their empowerment and liberation from injustice and oppression, and the achievement of people-centered

development rooted in respect for human dignity.

They pointed our that while there are many divisions and conflicts in Asia, "mutual understanding and respect among followers of different religions is growing. This is a great step in the right direction.

The conference concluded: "We are now committed to continue our strides on the path we have chosen to widen the field of mutual understanding and respect which is the basis for peace and harmony in Asia and the world.

It is our challenge and our opportunity in this time of polarisation and discord to build dialogue, to uphold and establish genuine respect for diversity as the best guarantee of peace, harmony, security and peaceful co-existence, and so to create a new age of hope and reconciliation". □

/

The Asian Reality

Cardinal's M e s s a g e

— conflict or p e a c e ?

RUSSIA

KAZAKHSTAI Rev Chau King-Fun, Chairman of the Interreligious Dialogue Commission of Hong Kong diocese, read a message to the Conference from Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Cardinal Arinze noted that “Dialogue among religious traditions is the obligatory path to peaceful coexistence.”

However, dialogue “is not easy. The tragic heritage of war, conflict, violence and hatred often makes dialogue difficult.”

“Therefore, to w hole­ heartedly engage in inter­ religious dialogue impels us to take the path of forgiveness and reconciliation,” he said.

The Cardinal echoed the call of the Pope to all Christians to take the path of forgiveness and reconciliation by following the example of Jesus who said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” □

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AUSTRAL A glance at the Map o f Asia, and a mental recap o f world news suffices to realize that there are very few countries in Asia that are free from actual conflict and/or tension to a greater or lesser degree. Practically all are afflicted with poverty to a significant degree.

With the explosion of communication technology, mass media have become a beneficial and powerful instrument of expanding knowledge and information.

At the same time, mass media can be a baneful tool of moral degradation. To assure a humane use of mass media, it is the responsibility of religion to imbue them with ethical standards.

In the present-day society, mass media make it possible to bind a large number of people together, to bind group with group, nation with nation, so that it makes common destiny and solidarity of humankind much easier and closer.

In the light of the recommendations made by the Commissions, Women's Meetings and Youth Groups suggested that appropriate and suitable measures be taken to control the numerous problems, including conflicts resulting in violence, tensions, terrorism and war. O

Jokyakarta Action Plan The

Commissions

made

RECOMMENDATIONS for the

removal of the difficulties and problems arising from violation of human rights, denial of human dignity, economic problems emanating from a capitalist or socialist system, oppression of women and children and anomalies in the education system which does not cater to the needs of the common people, but is biased in favour of powerful dominating sections.

Promotion of education, protection of environment, development o f‘ natural capitalism” and international-isation of civil society networks.

In spite of the growing awareness about human rights and

setting up various commissions in many countries of Asia, human rights are violated and (the) worst sufferers are the weaker sections of society, discriminated-against people, women and children.

Stress was laid on the need and importance of peace education and also promotion of education in general.

Commissions also suggested education of religious leaders to impress on their minds the importance of peace and also against promotion of violence, terrorism and war.

Parents owe a responsibility

towards family and society. Proper education and a congenial atmosphere at home goes a long way to educate children to develop

into responsible citizen and to promote peace, harmony, and a responsible attitude necessary for peace and progress.

Education for a culture of peace

communities, our nations and our world. We must strengthen and deepen mutual understanding by sustained dialogue and by undertaking common work together, they added.

The participants also noted that

Rcognizing that Education for peace is more urgent than ever before, the Conference recognized the need to raise to public

consciousness the foundations of peace-making within Asia's own religious traditions, through education in temples, churches, mosques, synagogues and homes.

Also essential to peace education is learning about and coming to understand those of different religions, ideologies and cultures with whom we share our

with the explosion of communication technology, mass media have become a beneficial and powerful instrum ent of expanding knowledge and information.

The following suggestions were made to tackle the situation:

1. To establish a “Centre for Comparative Study of Religions and Cultures of Asia” to promote better understanding among the

people of Asia.

2. To launch youth exchange

programmes; 3. To show concern and promote human rights, especially to livelihood and development 4. To address discrimination and oppression affecting women and children 5. To study the problems of discriminated-against people and ethnic minorities in Asian countries; 6. To make ACRP an instrument of reconciliation and rapprochement to reduce or solve tensions 7. To organize ACRP consultations and dialogues with American religious leaders and the representatives of the European Conference on Religion and Peace.

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEWS

[16 Ordinary July 21

1

Rd: Wis 12:13,16-19 2 Rd: Rom 8: 26-27

17 Ordinary July 28

GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM The Texts:

FAITH IN LIFE "ORDINARY TIME’ Liturgical Colour: GREEN

VALUING THE KINGDOM

- Symbolizes ’HOPE’ Resp: Ps 85 Gospel: Mt 13:24-43

in the Christian context hope in eternal life,

First Reading: God is portrayed as a just judge who is demanding but at the same time just and merciful, even for those who go astray. ” You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned and you expose the insolence o f those who know it; but, disposing o f such strength, you are mild in judgement, you govern us with lenience."

Responsorial: Psalm 85 echoes the thoughts of the First Reading and sings of God's mercy and love. "You are good and forgiving.. full o f love to all who call... God o f mercy and compassion, slow to anger ..abound­ ing in love and truth..."

founded on Christ's promise.

The focus is on our Response to God revealing himself through Salvation History.

The Texts: 1 Rd:

1 Kg 3:5, 7-12 2 Rd: Rom 8:28-30

Resp: Ps 118 Gospel: M t 13:44-52

First Reading: The passage describes that occasion in the life of King Solomon when God wanted to reward him for his fidelity and told him to ask for whatever he wanted.: "Ask what you would like me to give you. "Solomon did not ask for more riches or power but for wisdom: "Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil..." His wish was granted and his wisdom became legendary even to the point of being equated with great wisdom in our modern languages.

Responsorial: Today’s psalm also expresses similar ideas when it says: My part, O Lord, is to obey your word. I rule my life by your precepts, I hate false ways. “The law from your mouth means more to me than silver or g o ld ... that is why I love your commands more than finest gold”.

2nd Reading: St Paul encourages us, weak as we are, with the assurance that we will receive help from the Spirit. Indeed, God knows our weakness, even before we ask for help.

2nd Reading: St. Paul says that “...we are the ones God chose specially long ago and intended to become true images o f his Son... He then goes on to spell out what that choice involves. "He called those he intended .. those he called he justified and with those he justified he shared his glory."

Gospel: The Gospel consists of three parables from a collection known as the “Parables o f the Kingdom “ - short stories that illustrate various aspects of the Kingdom of God. The first parable is that of the good seed and the darnel. A man sows good seed, but an enemy sows darnel among the wheat while he is asleep. To a request on the part of his disciples for an explanation, Jesus obliges. The parable is illustrative of the tension between good and evil in the world. It is, in fact, the story of the Cross and Resurrection. Christ assures us in today’s Gospel: “Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom o f their Father”.

Gospel: We have more Parables of the Kingdom in today's passage - the Pearl o f Great Price and the Treasure in the Field. In both these parables, the persons concerned, give up everything in order to obtain this one thing that they value most and therefore are prepared to do whatever it takes to obtain these things.

The other two parables share a point in common. They highlight the small and humble beginnings of the Kingdom. The tiny seed grows into a big shrub in which the birds of the air come and make their nests, while the little bit of leaven acts on a great amount of dough - in both comparisons, there is a disproportion between cause and effect, as it were.

Both parables make the same point of emphasizing the value that we should attach to the Kingdom of God. If we really value the kingdom of God, we should be prepared to give up everything and do what it takes in order to possess the Kingdom that Jesus has prepared for those who are faithful to him. This certainly echoes the words of the Responsorial Psalm: "The law from your mouth means more to me than silver and gold. That is why I love your commands more than finest gold."

Application in life

Application in life

Jesus has given us a mission to go out and proclaim the Good News to all creation. What we need, is to be conscious of the mission that has been entrusted to us, and our responsibility to work for the establishment of his kingdom already here on earth. Essentially, that mission is to be accomplished by living lives that are in conformity with the teachings of Christ. It is not so much a question of proclaiming our beliefs, but LIVING our beliefs, and thus proclaiming them through our deeds and actions.

If we reflected on the value we personally put on God’s Kingdom, we might find that it is far from being the supreme value in our lives. There are so many things in life that we strive so hard and earnestly for. This seems to be particularly so in our Singapore context. The materialism of the world around us, might very well affect us who claim to be Christians and followers of Christ. Sure, we need to cater to the material needs and well-being of ourselves and our families and make sure that our children's future and ours are well taken care of. There is nothing wrong about that - indeed it is our duty!

However, we are all keenly aware of how great is the discrepancy between those teachings and our practical living. We are certainly are keenly conscious of our weaknesses and our inability to live by what we believe. This is where the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm could be a great consolation to us, lest we give up, as "hopeless", the effort of trying to be faithful disciples of Jesus.

What we have to consider very carefully also, however, is what are the real priorities in our lives. Material needs come and go, fortunes can be made and broken just as easily, for that matter life itself is so fragile.

But what really matters in the final analysis?

We cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged either by the seeming lack of success, by the opposition we might experience, or by our own weaknesses. It is in our weakness that God’s power is demonstrated.

Our weakness and our inadequacies only serve to highlight the power of God and the part he plays, albeit through our instrumentality, how inadequate that might be. What is essential is that we fulfil our part as disciples of Christ to the best of our ability, weaknesses and all!

We profess to be Christians, we profess our belief in the after-life, we profess our belief in Jesus. Where does all this fit in with our material concerns. Jesus has said: "Seek first the Kingdom o f God and all these other things will be given to you as well."

We could well go on to ask ourselves what sort of disciples of Christ are we really. What does our following of Christ really mean to us? Does it merely content itself with going to church on Sunday?

Our own weakness, is unfortunately, not the only source of discouragement. What is even more discouraging, perhaps, is to see how little good we can indeed achieve, while it appears that evil triumphs despite the efforts of the just. We must take consolation in the promise of Christ that in the end, good will triumph. That's what the first parable is all about in today's Gospel, in which Jesus assures us: “Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom o f their Father”.

It is necessary for us to examine ourselves very frankly on this matter of the value we give to God’s Kingdom and his interests. When one considers to what lengths God has gone to save us - he sent his only Son into the world, who died on the Cross to save us from sin, then we should be willing to sacrifice everything to respond to God's overtures of love. We need to be willing not to compromise.

Meanwhile, our job is to ensure that we are making all the effort at achieving that necessary conformity between, on the one hand, what Jesus has taught us and what we claim to believe, and on the other hand, how we conduct our day to day living. □

The lesson today is that we should value the Kingdom above everything else. We should be prepared to sacrifice everything in order to possess it and not hold back in our desire to attain the Kingdom of God. □

Graphics: Copyright.. The Order o f St.Benedict Texts: Copyright 2002. D r (Rev) R. Balhetchet

Feasts of the Week: Mon 22 St Mary Magdalene (of the Gospels) Tues 23 St Bridget of Sweden, religious Thurs 25 St James the Apostle Fri 26 Sts Joachim and Anne (parents o f Our Lady)

Feasts of the Week:

Why not celebrate Y O U R Feastday with Mass!

Mon 29 St Martha (of the Gospels) Tues 30 St Peter Crysologus, Bishop, Doctor Wed 31 St Ignatius Loyola, priest Thur 01 Aug. St Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Doctor Fri 02 Aug. St Eusebius, Bishop : St Peter Julian Eymard

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

FEATURE THE BIBLE :

The Canon of the Bible The canon of the Bible is the list of divinely inspired books received by the Church and recognised by her as the infallible rule of faith and morals in virtue of their divine origin.

By the middle of the first century A.D., the early Christians had already accepted the list of Old Testament books in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (known as the Septuagint.)

The New Testament list was defined later. For Roman Catholics, the canon was definitively settled with a pronouncement from the Council of Trent in 1546, a decision that reflected the common practice of the Western Church from the time of St. Jerome’s translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate) at the end of the fourth century.

Today we speak of: 1) “proto-

canonical’ Old Testament writings, which consist of the

thirty-nine Hebrew and Aramaic documents in the canon (common to both Jews and C hristian s, b u t w ith som e d iffe re n ce s)] 2 ) “deuterocanonical “ Old Testament writings (that is, books that e n te re d the canon a t a secondary stage), which consist

of some of the Greek documents of the Old Testament (accepted bv Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, the latter having a few more o f these Greek writings; however, these deutero-canonical books are not a cce p te d as c a n o n ic a l by Protestant Christians, who refer to them as “the Apocrypha"): and 3) the twenty-seven Greek documents o f the N ew Testament (accented bv almost all Christians as canonical). □

Part 2 LIVING and GROWING in FULNESS of LIFE in HIM

“Through divine revelation, God chose to show forth and communicate himself and the eternal decisions o f his will regarding the salvation o f men.

That is to say, he chose ‘to share those divine treasures which totally transcend the under­ standing o f the human mind. ’"(Dei Verbum. Ch. I, No. 6).

If we keep this basic idea in mind, it becomes obvious that we must not read the Bible as though it were a philosophy or science textbook, or a presentation of purely objective history. Its purpose is not to present an inerrant philosophic system or an infallible lesson in science or an absolutely factual newspaper report. If we were to expect such from the sacred texts, we would be in danger of becoming bogged down in matters that do not pertain to the essence of Bible reading.

That would be a shame, for there remains a wealth of

material to weigh, savour, meditate upon, and live by with regard to God’s concern for our salvation : “Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books o f Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly, faithfully, and without error that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake o f our salvation" (Dei Verbum. Ch. Ill, No. 11).

The Bible does not deceive in pointing out the way of salvation, and it is in the light of this perspective that we may continue to speak of biblical inerrancy and at the same time remain free from the stifling strictures of a biblical fundamentalism, that is, an extreme literalism about al! aspects of the bible. In the Bible, Inspiration and Inerrancy are co­ existent in the revelation of living, existential truth : a personal encounter with God, Creator and Saviour.

The Second Vatican Council affirms this same teaching but goes beyond it to explain more fully the relation of the divine author to human authors : “In composing the sacred books, God chose men and while employed by Him, they made use o f their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which he wanted’’ (Dei Verbum. Ch. Ill, No 11).

The Bible is unique in that it does not merely consist of human words but is the word of

by

Reverend Am brose V a z, SSL P ro fe ss o r o f at S t F rancis X a v ie r's

We may be somewhat appre­ hensive about our ability to read and properly interpret the Bible on our own. Yet, the Bible was not written just for biblical scholars but for people of the widest and most diverse backgrounds and education. It must not be forgotten that God himself speaks through the biblical word to those who are open to dialogue and conversation with him. Of course, the more we know about the findings of biblical scholarship, the richer and fuller

God himself. Thus, while the human authors of the biblical writings addressed themselves to specific audiences, often with a specific purpose in mind, and even though they were almost certainly not aware that they were writing Scripture, these writings often have a significance that goes beyond the original historical setting, since God’s word has a vitality that gives the human words lasting significance.

Inspiration should be thought of primarily as one of the qualities bestowed upon the community of faith by the Spirit of God that has called it into being. New Testament writers express the conviction that in the words of Scripture, the Holy Spirit spoke by the mouths of human beings [cf. Acts 1:16]. Good descriptions of God’s involvement in the production of the Scriptures are found in 2Tim 3:15-16 and in 2Pet 1:21.

We should think of Inspiration as always a positive divine and human interaction, wherein God displays his condescension : “God has inspired a literature; he has infused into it his word, not by depriving it of anything human but rather by utilising all o f its meaning and diverse human qualities. He has accommodated himself to the ways of man : not an ideal, unhistorical man, but man in his only historical condition, precisely the man who needs to hear the saving word of God. This is the man we find in the Bible, and this word has come to him."[K. Rahner, Theological Investigations, VI, p.90].

Inspiration means that God is the author of the Bible without in any way denying the free and personal activity of the human writer(s).

Growing in the Word of God

S a c re d S cripture

Reading and Living the Word of God

Many different people, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the books of the Bible.

Thus, the Bible comes from the believing community (the Church) as a testimony of what our Jewish faith-ancestors believed about their relationship with God (the Old Testament) and what we Christians believe about our relationship with God (the New Testament). Thus, despite the fact that there were many human authors of the writings that make up the Bible, there is still a unity, in that all were inspired by the same Holy Spirit, so that we may speak of the divine authorship of these writings as well : “But the Church holds these books as sacred and canonical, not because, having been put together by human industry alone, they were then approved by its authority; nor because they contain revelation without error; but because, having been written by the inspiration o f the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author and, as such, they have been handed down to the Church its e lf (Vat. I, Dogmatic Constitution Concerning the Catholic Faith, Ch. 2)

The Purpose of the Bible God reveals his “good news” of salvation through the Bible. We come into personal contact with Him who communicates himself to us :

The Bible as the Inspired Word of God

M a jo r S e m in a ry

that conversation with God may become.

On the one hand, therefore, we must not be frightened off from reading the Bible because we are not biblical scholars; on the other hand, we should always be open to learning more about the Bible, making use of the findings of biblical scholars whenever we can. It would be an abuse of God’s good creation if we were not willing to develop our minds and seek to grow in understanding in spiritual matters.

To enable us to respond effectively to God’s invitation in and through his Word, we need to understand that reading the Bible has to be more than a mere activity; it has to be an experience we allow ourselves into - an experience of encountering the God who seeks to nourish us in our ‘hunger* and guide us in our ‘darkness’ : “One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. ’ [Mt 4:4]] “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ [Ps 119:105], and then resolving to walk with him in Christ : “See, O God, I have come to do your will.’ [Heb 10:7] * Begin with PRAYER ... seek the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit.

1. READ the sacred text ... slowly and attentively; some words or phrases may strike you more than others do; 2. REFLECT on what has been read; situate yourself in the setting; you may become

Graphics: Copyright.. The Order o f St.Benedict

aware of one (or more) message(s) becoming very prominent; 3. Allow yourself to REACT to what you’ve read and understood : Joy? Sadness?

Guilt? Assurance? Etc...?

4. RECOGNISE why you react in this/these way/s. What has the Lord spoken to you that has brought on this/these reaction/s? How does his message relate to your life?

5. RESPOND to the Lord speaking to you through his word - Re-affirm & Renew whatever you have recognised as positive in your response to Him; - Repent for whatever you have recognised as negative in your response to Him. 6.

RESOLVE : Make concrete resolutions as to how you w ill make real your response ** Conclude with PRAYER ... of thanksgiving for the gift of His Word ... and of petition, seeking his help to live out that Word in your daily life.

10

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEW S

FAMILY

...in sickness and in health...

H o m e -b a se d c a te c h e s is M a n y fam ilies h a v e m e m b e rs w h o a re not C ath o lics,

Divorce is on the increase all around the world, in utter violation of the vows that couples pronounce on their wedding day, " ... to have and to hold ... in sickness and in health ... till DEATH ("or divorce!" doesn't seem to figure in

e s p e c ia lly o ld e r re latives. T h e s e m a y o r m a y n o t b e h o u seb o u n d but m a y not b e a b le to a tten d form al B ap tism instruction c la s s e s , a n d y e t w o u ld like to b e

the formula!) DO US PART." In such a climate, the report that follows is indeed very heart warming, and should be a lesson

g re a t solution w h ich th e "old peo p le" a n d th e h o u s e ­

for all couples and intending couples.

b ound in g e n e ra l m ig h t w e lc o m e .

TAIWAN, Kaohsiung, (UCAN) — A Taiwanese Catholic couple, with the husband suffering from a serious illness for almost 20 years, renewed their vows after 30 years of marriage, promising each other mutual support despite hardships.

Married in 1972, Wang Yun-fei vowed once again to her husband Li Chang-chi on June 9 that she will be true to him in good and bad times, in sickness and in health, and to love him all the days of her life.

Her husband, a convert from Protestantism from Macau who was paralyzed seven years ago, made a little gesture in response to his wife's pronouncement.

In 1983, Wang’s husband was diagnosed as having a tumor in his pituitary gland, and she was informed by a doctor that patients with such a disease usually do not live long due to complications.

Almost two decades later, the couple made their pledge in a Mass officiated by Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi of Kaohsiung at the Holy Rosary Minor Basilica in

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Cardinal Shan told the congregation, “Marriage is (like) a building and the family is the pillar.

Once the couple divorces, the building stands steadily no more.

The deepest hurt done will be on the children.”

“For all these years, Wang has a deep understanding of her (marital) vow. With the care of God, she overcame the darkest period of her life,” said the cardinal, who prepared for the couple two rings blessed by the pope.

“The mutual support of the couple is a model for society and other young couples,” he said. The ceremony drew many people, including representatives from the secular media.

Several lay Catholics said they were moved by the couple’s story, which they believe could inspire Taiwan society in which two out of 10 marriages end up in divorce.

Wang originally planned to hold the marriage vow renewal on the couple’s 28th wedding anniversary in 2000 despite the fact that her husband was at that time in a hospital intensive care unit due to meningitis and pneumonia.

On the advice of her parish priest the plan was put off until “with the prayers of all people around,” their wish was finally fulfilled on June 9, Wang told UCA News in mid-June.

When Wang first learned of her husband’s illness in 1983, she kept the news to herself, unwilling to burden her family. But the stress made her temperamental and “angry” at her husband whom she initially blamed for not caring for his own health.

Fearing that her son and daughter might lose their father any time, she disciplined them so strictly that her son became

rebellious.

In 1995, Wang’s husband suddenly fell unconscious, and since then has been paralyzed and able to move only his right hand.

Wang, baptized at childhood but not a regular churchgoer, at first turned to the popular Taiwanese practice of worshipping Matsu, goddess ofthe sea, fortune telling, and burning “paper money” as an offering to the gods.

Then through Daughters of Jesus Sister Bernadette Chang, Wang joined the charismatic renewal movement. There, in the care of other members and with their prayers, Wang learned the message that “love will heal.” Since then, she has lived a faith life with Christ as the center of her family, Wang said.

With Cardinal Shan’s approval, she became a Eucharistic minister, bringing the consecrated host to her spouse every day after attending morning Mass.

Whenever her husband is fit for travel, Wang would take him on a pilgrimage around Taiwan.

On the marriage renewal day, Wang wore a wedding gown that she bought from a studio that sells used wedding dresses.

“God is really taking care of us,” Wang said, referring to the many times that her spouse recovered from near death over the years.

What also consoles her is that her son, who once refused her attempt to interfere with his religious belief, has resumed his studies and even attends Mass every day.

For now, the family’s new prayer is for the husband and father to be fit enough to visit his family in Macau before his birthday in November. □

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Miss Elizabeth Tay and M r Paul Chan, members o f the ministry which gives catechism lessons to the housebound.

By Mel Diamse Lee

THE housebound elderly, sufferers from serious medical problems and hospice residents can now learn basic catechism in the security and comfort of their own residences.

English-language catechism lessons are conducted by a group of seven laity under the New Evangelization Team (NET) of the Archdiocesan Commission for Missionary Activity.

“This ministry complements the RCIA process in the parishes,” said Miss Elizabeth Tay coordinator of the ministry.

“This is really a ministry to the underprivileged because you are reaching out to the spiritually poor.

These are the neglected as it says in Luke 4:18, ‘he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind and to set free the oppressed’ “, said co-coordinator Maryclaire Fan. Miss Tay helped out at last year’s Alpha programme at the Novena Church. That is where she met her first non-Catholic “seeker”.

The 80-year-old man had great difficulty going up the steps of the St Clement Pastoral Centre.

One of the Alpha coordinators suggested that Miss Tay go to his house to “talk” to him instead. She agreed and the man was baptised after Easter this year .

“We realised that there are a lot of people who are interested in the faith but are unable to join the RCIA in their parish because of various problems and they do not know where to turn to for help,” Miss Tay added, “If they can't come to the church, then the church has to go to them.”

Two ministry members now visit another seeker, a former policeman who is wheelchair-bound and needs regular dialysis treatment.

She said that a diocesan priest they consulted recommended the

teaching of the articles of faith stated in the Creed, noting that the elderly and sick do not need a lot of Theology.

Fr Paul Staes, a priest consultor of NET is the ministry advisor.

The journey with a catechumen varies in duration. Miss Tay, for example, journeyed with the 80year old man for four months.

The m inistry was conceptualised in November last year and had its first official meeting last January. Members meet monthly to brainstorm, for fellow ship and to share experiences.

It needs more volunteers, Miss Tay said. “ If we have more members, then we can reach out to more people.”

She hastened to add that as volunteers work closely together, “we have to meet would-be members and know his or her background. We have to be comfortable to work with each other.”

Catechists must also have a prayer life, a strong sense of commitment and good communication skills.

Before each meeting with the seeker, a catechist is expected to do his or her homework, that is pray and read up on the subject and figure out how to present it.

The catechist must be sensitive to the needs and personality of the seeker, said Miss Tay. Miss Fan said she enthusiastically joined the group when invited this year. “We are filling a void. As far as we know there is no other group doing this ministry,” she added. ?

If you know anyone who is interested in Christianity or who would like to be prepared for baptism but cannot go to the church RCIA due to age or illness, contact Elizabeth Tay (9324- 0471) or Andrew Goh (9322-0793). □

11

THE CATHO LIC NEW S IT H E I

EDITORIAL

CATHOLIC NEWS EDITO R Dr (Rev) Robert P. Balhetchet

The future of humanity

MANAG ER Rev Fr Johnson Fernandez STAFF CO RRESPO NDENTS Rev Fr Richards Am brose C hristopher Khoo Mel Diam se-Lee 2 HIG HLAND RD #01-03, SING APO R E 549102 TEL: 858-3055, FAX NO. 858-2055 e-mail: cathnew s@ catholic.org.sg.

To send letters, articles and fo r editorial enquiries e-mail: steeple@ singnet.com .sg

From the P e w s : e-mail:

steeple@singnet. com.sg please include full name, address, contact num ber/ e-m ail address.

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

One of the most, if not the most, deliciously vague term in English must be the word "youth". Apparently this vagueness is endemic to other languages as well. The problem that this gives rise to is that the age group covered by the term is not clearly defined as such and can range from early teens to young adults. Indeed, when one looks at so-called "Youth wings" of political parties and suchlike, the group seems to stretch even beyond the thirties.

The problem is more than just one of semantics. Other words which refer to groups of persons are reasonably clearly defined, such as babies, children, teens, adults, retirees. It is then possible to

BY DR (REV) address these as homogenous groups.

ROBERT P. The reason for this brief essay into BALHETCHET semantics is the fact that towards the end of this month, in Toronto, Canada, there will be a great celebration of Youth on the occasion of World Youth Day. Our Holy Father will be present, and he has always shown great concern for the youth of the world whom he has referred to as the "Future of Humanity."

Indeed, he is not the first to link youth to the future of humanity. It is obvious that on youth will depend the future - the future is their inheritance - they will be the citizens of the future. This is obvious, because those of us who are "of a certain age now" will not be around much longer!

That being so, however, one cannot help but wonder why we seem to reserve to ourselves the right to determine and manipulate the things that will precisely be

the future, or rather the "present" of the youth. They are going to be the ones who have to "live with it" - the "it" being what we now decide!

Of course, we need to look to the future and to plan for it, because the transition between the now and the future is a gradual one which we continue to be a part of till we pass out of it. The point, however, is, why are the youth not more involved in the shaping of the future which will be THEIR world, more than ours?

We suggest that one reason, is that the vagueness of the term youth renders it difficult to define the group more specifically. As a result one could subconsciously ignore the concerns, aspirations, hopes of the youth since it is such a non-descript, ill-defined entity. That, we feel, is not the only reason. The association of immaturity and lack of experience with the group known as "youth” is a serious reason for the deficiency. Obvi­ ously if we look at youth as teenagers this would be a justifiable association. Yet we need to ask ourselves whether planning for the future and decision-making (as distinct from decision-taking) is essentially tied to the number of years one has walked this earth.

Youth of any age are capable of thought - they have ideas, aspirations, hopes and, at the very least, we should be involving them in the decision-making process.

Perhaps, it is also a sign of our insecurity - lest the youth have better ideas than ourselves, have greater perception, are carrying less "baggage from the past" and are able to think more creatively than we can.'D

FROM THE PEWS

Bible Feature It’s a good idea to have a theme in each issue of The Catholic News to allow readers to ponder, discuss and argue various aspects of our faith and in doing so, learn more about it.

The topic on the Bible in the July 7-14 issue was probably the most useful because the Good Book, as you say, is “absolutely central to Christianity.” It's our manual of life.

Not being a Bible reader, I learnt a lot from the explanations given of the meanings of the Word of God and how they apply to our daily lives. I am sure many other C atholics, even ardent Bible readers, also benefited.

Since the Bible is central to our lives, may I suggest that it be made a permanent feature of CN as a special educational offering while you continue to publish other themes.

Of course, relevant sections of the Bible are read at Sunday Mass, and we can also read them ourselves in the Missal. We can even buy our own Bible.

But it’s not the same as having the Bible explained and interpreted for us as you have done in CN. It w ould make understanding the Good Book easier and would no doubt help to generate greater interest in the Word of God.

Anthony We beseeched Fr Ambrose Vaz to undertake a regular feature. Pray hard that he will say "Yes"! □

World Cup Witness As a football fan and a renewed Catholic, what can I say that has not already been said about the World Cup. It was indeed very gratifying to see that immediately after the final whistle was blown, to see three Brazilian players kneel down to give praise and also to see that underneath their jerseys, were white Tees with the following - “God Loves Me” and “I belong to Jesus”. Then what followed was simply spiritually uplifting to see that the whole Brazilian team knelt down at the centre of the field to express a prayer of thanks.

On the same day, it was reported in the Straits Times how Haron Hashim was acquitted of a molesting offence and the first thing he did after his release from detention, was to go to a Mosque to say a thankful prayer. The reactions of these people after a physical or mental struggle are indeed exemplary of gratefulness to fohow.

The two events have indeed touched me, especially, when gratitude these days is so often taken for granted.

As a Catholic, I only wish more people (Catholics) could emmulate the examples of the e ve n ts m en tion ed above, especially those who are in the eyes of the media.

Michael

For the 1.5 billion people who watched the World Cup final and saw clearly the words “I Belong To Jesus” and many “Jesus loves you” t-shirts worn by the victorious Brazilians, it could not have been b etter a dve rtise m e nt fo r the Catholic faith.

Throughout the tournament, numerous players made the sign of the cross before entering the field, after scoring a goal and even after defeat, signifying their Roman Catholic faith. And what about the Brazilians bowing down in a prayer of thanksgiving and that huge circle of prayer they formed after victory. I was certainly proud to be Catholic. I’m sure many fans would have asked what these players were doing crossing themselves and its significance and who knows how many fans may just want to emulate their stars in the spiritual aspects too.

If David Beckham could make people crop their hair like him and dress like him, what's to stop the fans wanting to believe in the sam e Jesus the B ra z ilia n s believed in. Ronaldo personally said he surrendered the whole World Cup competition to the Virgin Mary even before it started because of all his injuries and looks like she took care of things ever better than he could ever dream of.

In almost every match that Italy, Spain, Croatia, Mexico, USA, C am eroon, N ig e ria , France, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Braziland

maybe one or two countries I've m issed out, players showed respect for God by making the signs of the cross at various stages of the game. It goes to show that although a lot of these players are millionaires and enjoy pop star status, they know deep down inside that it’s God that has done it for them. They know it’s not by their talents but by the talents which God has given them.

So hopefully, we would see some conversions to C atholism or maybe someone just asking who is this Jesus who seems to be helping these players. And a report from a leading British newspaper said “it was a victory for Brazil and for spirituality too.” Whatever it is, it was a great World Cup and our great God played a major part in it and if you are Catholic, be proud o f it, we w ere w ell represented by our signature — the sign of the cross.

MG Indeed, that was some witness, what with a hugh portion o f the world's population watching!

Personally, I couldn't help link­ ing it with the words o f our Holy Father in his message to the world's youth, which we happen to quote in the lead article on page 1 o f this issue: Let the Gospel be the measure and guide of life’s decisions and plans! Then

you will be missionaries in all that you do and sav. and wherever you work and live you will be signs of God's love, credible wit­

nesses to the loving presence of Jesus Christ.

The operative words there are: in all that you do and sav. and wherever you work and live. That's where we all fail. We seem to think that all that is required o f us is to pray and go to church and then we are being "good Catho­ lics. " We seem to forget that Jesus gave us a mission to go out and bear witness to him. And even when we do bear this in mind, we seem to think that we have to do something dramatic and big and something which costs some great sacrifice and effort.

It didn't take those footballers much effort to scrawl some words on their T-shirts and it didn't take much effort nor did it cost anything to drop down on their knees and give thanks to God - but what an effective witness to so many!

We can all do something small in our own situations, at the office, on the street, in the neigbourhood.

It doesn't cost anything to give a cheery greeting, to lend a helping hand to someone, even just to smile.

TO THE PEWS The focus in the next issue will be Singapore's National Day our role as Christian citizens.

12

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SRI LANKA, Colombo (UCAN) — Music and dance lured those who have fallen under the influence of soft and hard drugs to an entertaining program in the Sri Lankan capital on how to end addiction.

The event held at Mel Medura (Mel’s house), a rehabilitation center set up 20 years ago, took place June 26, United Nations’ international anti-drugs day.

Lively music, dance and theater helped fuel discussions that attracted a group of about 75 people, mostly rehabilitated drug abusers and their families, and recovering addicts.

Ravindra Samarawickrema, the presenter, told the audience that

3,500 people visit their center every year and the staff have surveyed their lifestyles.

“In Sri Lanka, you start with cigarettes and beer,” he told the audience. He then posed the question, “What do you think are the most commonly abused substances?”

The audience shouted a list of products from cigarettes and alcohol to heroin, marijuana and non­ prescribed pharmaceutical products.

Father Benedict Joseph, pastor of Borella Parish, in which the drug treatment center is situated, warned that while certain food, drink and medicine is necessary for human existence, substances that offer life and energy can also be injurious to

a person’s life when abused.

The Church teaches a person to obtain the most out of resources that are available for a person’s well-being, he said. “But if the process goes topsy-turvy, then the results can be disastrous.”

“When people go to the extreme such as abusing alcohol, the individual life of the person, the mental equilibrium and his outlook on life, as well as the family, goes out of balance and the results are most destructive,” he said.

“This problem affects not just the poor but also the rich and members of the elite of society,” Father Joseph said. “The Church is deeply concerned that family life as well as social life is affected.”

P o p e to visit N orth K o re a ?

SOUTH KOREA, Seoul (UCAN) — Pope John Paul II “is still considering a visit to North Korea,” a top Vatican official told South Korea's President Thomas More Kim Dae-jung, July 5 in Seoul.

Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe said the Holy See will keep on pursuing exchanges with North Korea, according to presidential spokeswoman Pak Sun-sook.

During the meeting with Kim, the cardinal also wished success for reconciliation, collaboration and dialogue between North and South Koreans.

Cardinal Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, was in South Korea July 3-6 to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of

the Catholic hierarchy in Korea.

Reportedly, the cardinal invited Kim, a Catholic, to visit the Vatican again and Kim said he would do so at the next opportunity.

The South Korean president visited the pope in March 2000 at the Vatican. He asked the pontiff to visit North Korea, but the pope said no visit was then being planned.

At the July 5 meeting with Cardinal Sepe, Kim said a papal visit to North Korea would contribute much to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

The president also expressed hope that cooperation and exchanges between South Korea and the Holy See will grow further.

He noted the progress made since the two established diplomatic

relations in 1963.

Prior to Cardinal Sepe’s visit, Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, retired archbishop of Seoul, told UCA News that a papal visit to North Korea is unlikely to materialize soon.

North Korea had not responded to an invitation to join the World Cup games co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. “Having in mind that attitude, do you think it is possible to speak to them about a visit of the pope?” he asked.

While in Seoul, Cardinal Sepe attended the ordination at Jamsil Stadium of 43 priests for Seoul archdiocese. It is the largest number of priests ordained at one time in the history of the Korean Catholic Church.

Students’ Movement, as well as joining other youth associations.

He has also served as a volunteer and then a member of the Bangladesh bishops’ Youth Commission, formerly the Catholic Youth Service Team. Meanwhile, he has been involved with the Young Men's Christian Association for 12 years. He currently works for Caritas Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Amio said, “It is not enough to

love youth, they must feel that they are loved,” a maxim attributed to Don Bosco, is quite significant for those who are involved in serving or working with youth.

The Holy Father has been proving this statement through his worldwide activities for young people. The World Youth Day celebration is one of the most meaningful initiatives through which he proves his love for youth.

F e e lin g lo ved BANGLADESH, Dhaka. (UCAN) A Bangladeshi youth animator says those working with young people should play the role of shepherds who show the “way to life.”

Amio James Ascension, 30, has been involved with youth ministry since he joined parish youth clubs as a child. He went on to become active in the Young Christian Students and later served as president of the Bangladesh Catholic

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13

THE CATH O LIC NEW S

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

IN MEMORIAM COMING UP

In everloving m em ory o f

j E ig h th A n n iv e rsary In loving m em ory of

F irst A n n iv ersa ry In lo v in g m e m o ry o f

MALACCA-SINGAPORE RECOLLECTION 2002 Come and join the young adults (18-35 yrs old) of Malacca and Singapore for a weekend of discovery on Aug 9-11. Venue: Good Shepherd Seminary (Malacca).

Enquiries: Gary (9790-2533/ glee@alumni.nus.edu.sg) Serene (94776197/ renoir@pacific.net.sg).

Organised by Verbum Dei Missionaries.

SHARING THE GIFT OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER For those interested to learn and know more about Christian Meditation.

Date: Aug 1 to Oct 3 (10 Thursdays), 8-9.15 pm. Venue: Church of Christ the King, 2221 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8.

Registration: $10/- payable to Daulet Manecksha 147 Devonshire Rd #04-02 S239894. Enquiries: Daulet 6737-6279 dauiet@pacific.net.sg / Rebecca 6445-8062 rebeccalim @ pacific.net.sg Organised by: The Christian Meditation Community.

CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN PARISH FEAST (27TH ANNIVERSARY) Rosary Benediction Mass: Aug 20,21,22, 7.30 pm. Preachers: Redemptorist Fathers.

St Theresa's Home For The Aged, 6256-2532 Fax: 6256-5610 St Joseph's Home, Sr Maria Sim 6268-0482 Fax: 6268-4787

nc0071b@cyberway. com. sg FA M IL Y

R O SA L IN D (M AY) who was called to the Lord on July 19, 1998 Her life, a beautiful m em ory H er absence, a silent grief.

She rests in G o d ’s heavenly garden In the sunshine o f perfect peace.

R em em bered with love by all the family.

Third Anniversary In loving m em ory o f

TRIP TO FERRINGHI BEACH, PENANG Dates: Aug 2 to 4 Price: $399 per pax (inclusive of airfare, taxes, most meals and city tours). Enquiries: Caroline 9841 -7592, Dolly 9824-3564 or Paul 9524-8722.

Organised by the Catholic Singles Encounter of Church of the Holy Cross.

TALKS BY FR WILLIAM GOH (SACCRE SPT DIRECTOR) Theme: Charismatic Theology & Charismatic Gifts. Dates: Every Thursday, Aug 1 (except Aug 15) to Sep 26, 7.45pm9.30pm. Place: Church of the Holy Cross.

CHARISMATIC PRAYER COMMUNITY “LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR" Dates: Every Monday night (8 sessions), Aug 5 to Sept 23, 7.45 pm. All are welcome. Enquiries: Joseph Toh 9068-1195, Damian Low 9303-5459, Charles Cher 9723-1885.

THANKSGIVING M ay the sacred H eart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart o f Jesus, pray for us. Saint Jude, w orker o f miracles, pray for us. Saint Jude, helper o f the hopeless, pray for us.

Am en. T hank you Sacred H eart o f Jesus and Saint Jude for all prayers answ ered. D C T P

G rateful thanks to Jesus and St Jude for prayers answered.

Please continue to pray and intercede for me and my family.

W iny and Jordana

Classified Advertisements Minimum S$25/for first 25 words.

Additional w ords: 500.

H yphenated w ords a re co n sid ered two words.

Post, fax or deliver.

No p h one advertism ents.

L A W R E N C E TEE C H O O N SENG Departed: July 29,1994 You are gone, dear father, G one beyond the w orld o f tears, But the m em ory o f you will ever linger T hrough the passing years.

Always remembered

by Annie, Albert, Stephanie, A ngela, K ok Liam , A lbian A lston and all loved Eleventh A nniversary Iii loving m em ory of my dear husband

MDM DASS JOSEPHINE D eparted: Ju ly 30, 2001 O h d e a re st m o th e r T h e fa m ily c h ain is b roken, e v e r sin ce y o u le ft fa r aw ay.

N o w ords c o u ld ex p lain , the d e p th s o f sorrow , w a itin g to h e ar y o u r gra c efu l vo ice an d h o p in g to see th o se c h ee rfu l d a y s, n e v er w ill T h a t sm ile o f y o u rs leave the hearts w ho lo v e y o u e v ery day.

F ro m y o u r fam ily.

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me.

Though he dies yet shall he live.

J o h n 1 1:2 5

In ever loving mem ory of

“ A ll I a sk is th a t y o u rem em b e r m e a t the a lta r o f G o d .”

R O L A N D C E C IL SC U L L Y Departed: Aug 1, 1979 R est O nly Love Alw ays N ear Dearest R oly, Sw eet m em ories C om e U nbidden Lingering L ong Y our M ary Alw ays R em em bers You Every day I m iss you more.

Yours alw ays - Mary.

M ass w ill be celebrated at C hurch o f O ur Lady o f Perpetual Succour, Singapore on Thursday, A ugust 1, 2002 at 6.30 am.

IN MEMORIAM RATES C o st of a m em oriam insertion (with or without a photograph) is S$55.

An insertion ex ceed in g a ten-centim etre colum n will h av e an additional ch arg e of S$ 6 .0 0 p er centim etre.

Family Life Society 6488-0278 website: www.familylife.org.sg Morning Star Family Care Centre, 6285-1377 Fax: 6285-2715 C H IL D R E N Galilee Centre, 6454-0528Fax: 6454-3167 Clementi Children's Centre, Ms Maria Swee 6777-3893 ijhcc@singnet.com.sg Canossaville Children's Home, Sr Rose Low/Ms Anne Siew 6748-5777

K. ARONY SILVA C A R M E L SILVA Departed:Sept 18, 1989 Departed: Aug 3,1982

Though sown in tears Through weary years The seed will surely live; Though great the cost All is not lost.

For God will harvest give.

Your loved ones.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn o f my salvation, my stronghold Psalm 18:1-2

In loving memory of

Marymount Boarding, 6354-2245/ 6253-6816 Fax: 6353-4809 Nazareth Special Learning Centre, Sr Anne May Chua, FMM 6276-3200

T w enty-eighth A nniversary

K IN D E R G A R T E N Catholic Kindergarten, Ms Edna Ng Poh Tiang 6283-3821 Fax: 6284-7783 f.com.sg

Nativity Church Centre, 6285-6198, Fax: 6285-9556 nativity@pac'riic.net.sg Magdalene's Kindergarten, Mary Goh Boon How 6747-6554 ___ Canossian Convent Kindergarten, Sr Jane Chong 6469-2201 Fax: 6466-1307

Hai Sing Pao, Ms Catherine Chia 6337-2465 carlo@cams.org.sg W e b s ite :

http://www.cams.org.sg

Katong Catholic Book Centre R e Ltd, 6345-1413 Fax: 6440-0272

katongcathol'ic@padfic.net.sg

M IG R ANT C O M M U N ITY Filipino Catholic Community of Singapore, Nelly Faminialagao 9831-8044/6893-7609 Francophone Catholic Community of Singapore (French-speaking Catholics), Sabine et Antoine Huet Tel/Fax: 6472-5840 German-speaking Catholics, 6468-1534 Fax. 6468-2402

Korean Catholics, Esther You 6242-5607 The Commission for Migrants & Itinerant People 6280-5424

tcom.sg Jesuit Refugee Service, jrs@jesrefsg.org Fr Colin Tan 6463-6022 cxtsj@singnet.com.sg China Catholic Communication, Patrick Lee Kim Hwee 9060-5080 mail@zl.per.sg S P IR IT U A L IT Y

cankdg@singnet.com.sg

Cenacle, 6565-2895 Fax: 6565-3875

Maris Stella, Sr Marjorie Almodiel, FMM 6474-3590____

cenacle@mbox4.singnet. com.sg Centre For Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling, Br Gerard Choo, SJ 6467-6072 Franciscan Retreat Centre, 6567-9771 Fax: 6567-9786__ FMM House of Prayer and Formation, Sr Mary Chua 6474-2526

Bakhita Search-lnn, Christina/Sr Veronica (6367-6264 1 6467-1290)

Infant Jesus Retreat and Youth Centre, Sr Gerard Lee 6760-2461 Fax: 6769-9369

yscchris@yahoo. com/canosis@padfic.net.sg

Life Direction Team, SrTheresa Koh, FMM 6474-2422 Fax: 6472-5895 Sr Florence Wong, FMDM 6753-9602/ 9264-6733

Catholic Overseas Students Down Under Adrian (9836-5217) or Dennis (6274-2979) or

cosdu@yahoo.com.au

Choice, 9307-7752/9671-0767

choice@cheerful. com Hosanna! Music Ministry www.hmmonline.org <http://www.hmmonline.org> contact Tammy 9747-8570.

Catholic Students’ Society - University of Singapore, Mr Irving Teo 6296-0897

irvingteo@cathoiic.org Nanyang Technological University Catholic Students' Apostolate, NTU Branch: Mr Budi Susanto 9478-7827.

National Institute of Education Catholic Students' Apostolate (NIECSA), NIE Branch: Ang Mei Ling 96663234

G E R A RD FR E D E RIC K Departed:Jul 31, 1997

Praise@Work Juliana 9799-9184 or email

Like an angel o f love You lighted up our lives with your smile but gone now, from our lives, O ne so dear, in our hearts forever near.

Y our life was honest and truthful, kind and generous anxious to please, never offending anyone.

Som eday w e’ll meet in O ur Father’s prom ised land, to live and love forever more.

Lord said: W hoever lives and believes in m e shall never die.

St Patrick House, (Boarding) Br Collin Wee, FSC 6345-5929 Fax: 6345-4635

Deeply m issed and fondly rem em bered by: wife Patricia, sister, brother, ■K and all loved ones.

M

ccs55@singnet.com.sg

Japanese Catholics, Kiyoko Jarnes 6552-4060 james@pacific.net.sg

Poverello Teen Centre, Sr Maria Sylvia Ng, FMM 6544-2603 jub2000@singnet.com.sg

W e cannot forget you O ur loved ones so dear; Y o u r m em ory grow s Sw eeter y ear after year.

A lw ays rem em bered by children, son-in-law , daughters-in-law and grand-children.

Central Commodity Services (R e ) Ltd, 6337-4238 Fax: 6339-2583

Ang Mo Kio Home, Sr Jo Tham 6459-4801

Infant Jesus Retreat and Youth Centre, Sr Gerard Lee 6760-2461/92947521 Fax: 7699369 srtlee@yahoo.com

M A RY L EE JO SE PH W O N G LEE W AH SE N G TEE Departed:Aug 1, 1994 Departed:May 14,1974

http://www.cams.org.sg

Indonesian-speaking Catholics, Josephine Handojo 6235-2820

Kiong 6769-1618 Fax: 6762-7846

Eighth Anniversary

W e b s ite :

The Catholic News, 6858-3055 Fax: 6858-2055 cathnews@veritas.org.sg

Canossian School For The HearingImpaired, 6749-8971 Fax: 6749-8976

gaudette@boystown.org.sg Br Dominic

Fifth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

www.zl.per.sg

Hong Kong Catholics, 6737-9285 Fax: 6737-8502

Boys' Town Fraternity,

Francis Olivia & Sundaresh, Valerie and Rosanna David, Jonathan and Christopher.

w eb:

Carlo Catholic Society, 6337-7489 Fax: 6334-4370 carlo@cams.org.sg

rowiartdyeo@hotmail. com

St Francis Xavier Play Centre, Mrs Emily Goh Tel: 6280-8929

ISABEL D’COSTA Departed: Aug 1, 1999 Deeply missed and lovingly remembered by

mail@zl.per.sg

Catholic News Book & Media, 6858-3066 Fax: 6858-2055

YOUTH

LUCY CHIN YOK PIN Departed: July 25, 2000 Two years since you left us.

Leaving a vacuum in our hearts Which can only be filled with your love and the sweet memories we cherish.

Dearly missed by Paddy, Gilbert, Jasmine, mother, siblings and in-laws.

China Catholic Communication (Zhonglian Centre), Patrick Lee Kim Hwee 9060-5080/6286-1826

Marian Centre (before and after school care), 6250-0877

Marymount Kindergarten, Petrina Siow 6251-5049 Fax: 6252-67904

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

Catholic Audio-Visual Centre, 6858-3077 Fax: 6858-2077____

canossa@pacific.net.sg

H A N D IC A P P E D

J. J. GEO R G E C alled peacefully to be w ith the Lord on July 25, 1999 SID N EY M IN JO O T Eternal rest grant Departed: July 21,1991 unto him, Eleven years today O Lord and let your you left us and it only perpetual light seem s like yesterday shine upon him. w e were all together.

M ay he rest in peace.

I treasure every Amen thought o f you when M ass will be I am on m y own. celebrated at C hurch o f For the love we had O ur Lady o f Perpetual betw een us, Succour at 6 pm for the death cannot take away. repose o f his soul on You w ere som eone July 25, 2002. special Sadly m issed and Close to my heart w ill always be You will always stay rem em bered by: Loved and remembered w ife Lucy, children, every day grandchildren and all Agnes and Fam ily loved ones.

Bible Correspondence Course in Chinese, Fr John Baptist Tou 6337-2465

Apostolate of the Media, 6892-1639 Fax:6562-5857

Catholic Office for the Hearing Impaired, Friar Rowland Yeo, OFM

In loving m em ory o f CELIN A D E ’ CRUZ Sept 11, 1 9 4 1 July 20,2000 In the day o f the Lord, the sun will shine like the dawn o f eternal day.

All creation will rise to dance and sing the glory o f the Lord!

A nd on that day o f Christ in glory, God will w ipe away our tears, and the dead shall rise up from their graves!

M ass will be celebrated at the Church o f St M ary o f the Angels on July 21 at 8.15 am.

Christian Family and Social Movement, Francis Tamel Mane 9586-9938, 6792-6701____ ______ _______

Good Shepherd Child Care Centre, Ms Helen Tan 6242-5695 Fax: 6448-3454

MAY THEY R E S T IN P E A C E In loving m em ory o f

Villa Francis Home for the Aged, 6269-2877 Fax: 6368-4505

welcome@praiseatwork.org

LifeSprings Canossian Spirituality Centre, Sr Lily Tan 6466-2178 Fax: 6466-1307 lifspmg@singnet.com.sg St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary (SFX Retreat Centre), 6288-7901 Fax: 6858-2716 sbcrc@singnet.com.sg W e b s ite :

http//www. catholic. org.sg/SFX

The Sojourners' Companions, 9268-6723

sojoumers_companions@yahoo. com P R O F E S S IO N A L Catholic Nurses Guild of Singapore, Miss Janet Chan Poh Goon 6442-8546 Catholic Teachers' Movement, Mrs Gail Siow (R) 6454-4094 The Catholic Medical Guild of Singapore, Dr John Hui Keem Peng johnhui@cyberway.com.sg S P E C IA L S E R V IC E S Catholic AIDS Response Effort (CARE), Peter Lau 6353-4976, 9745-8991 Good Shepherd Centre, 6755-6496 Fax: 6752-0670 R. C. Prison Ministry, Sr Gerard Fernandez, RGS 6250-9151 Fax: 6250-1804

Youth Praise MinistryHelen Lee (9029-0118) email ypmsingapore@yahoo.com.

Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association Catholic Aftercare (Counselling) Service Committee SANA Co-ordinator: Tan Lee Hoon 6732-1122 Fax: 6732-4564

Young Christian Students' Movement (Mandarin-speaking), Mr Stephen Chia 6286-4166 95024549

Apostleship of the Sea (Catholic Seamen's Mission), Fr Romeo Yu Chang, CICM 6271-8464/9783-5191 Fax:6271-1175

Young Christian Workers (Mandarin­ speaking), Maria Ng Kim Luang 6763-0137

portchap@singnet.com.sg W e b s ite : www.steilamaris.net

Youth Life-Line, 6252-6300 Fax: 6285-5311

S O C IA L S E R V IC E Catholic Welfare Services, Michael Chua 6337-6165 / 6337-7954 Fax: 6336-1513

Gift of Love Home, Sr M Andrianne, MC 6251-6004 ___ 'Rose Villa’, 6253-6556

14

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATHO LIC NEWS

IN MEMORIAM

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In our hearts your m em ory lingers, Sweetly tender, fond and true, There is not a day, dear father, That we do not think o f you.

V ery much missed and always remembered by loving wife Elizabeth, children, in­ laws and grandchildren.

M em orial M ass w ill be celebrated at A L EX A N D ER the N ovena Church, JO SE PH BENNY on Friday, July 26, Departed: July 26, 1994 2002 at 12.15 pm.

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Tw enty-sixth Anniversary

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In loving memory of

FR A N C IS LEO NG PA K C H ONG Departed: July 22,1983 Eternal rest grant unto him , O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him. M ay he rest in peace. Amen.

Alw ays remembered by loved ones.

Ninth Anniversary In loving m em ory of

O p e n 2 4 H o u rs

M ARY TEE T E C K CHUAN Departed: July 29,1995 In our hom e she is fondly remembered, Sw eet m em ories cling to her name; Those w ho loved her in life sincerely, Still love her in death just the same.

Fondly remembered by loved ones.

C ECILIA DE SO U ZA Departed: July 21,1989 The depths o f sorrow we cannot tell, O f the loss o f one we love so well, And while she sleeps a peaceful sleep, Her memory w e shall alw ays keep.

All your loved ones m iss you very much indeed.

JO SEPH LOH ANTH O N Y LOH SZE W OO HONG HUAT Departed:Jul 29,1982 D eparted:Jul 29, 1976

Rest in peace, dear beloved ones Many long years have passed away You are gone; but are still living in the hearts of those who stay Sadly missed by family, Mdm Lim Soon Sim & children.

Third Anniversary In loving m em ory of

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PA TR IC K LEO NG K W A N G W AH Departed: July 22,1995 Sw eet is the memory deep in my h e a rt,.

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Always remembered by wife G racie and all loved ones.

In loving memory of C Y N THIA G E R A RD IN E R ODR IG U ES Departed:Jul 24,1999 Alw ays rem em bered by Brother: Adrian O sborne Rodrigues G odparents, aunts, uncles cousins and friends.

MARY BALAM BAL Departed: July 24,1993 W e often think of bygone days W hen w e were together; The fam ily chain is broken But m em ories live for ever.

Alw ays rem em bered by loved ones.

Eighth Anniversary

In loving memory of

JO H N TAN TEC K LIA N G Departed: July 29,1999 It has been three years since But thoughts o f you still tug at our hearts N othing can take your place as we rem em ber you fondly And wish that you are still around.

Sadly m issed by Jonathan, parents, siblings, cousins and friends.

Please turn to p ag e 13 for m ore “ In M e m o ria m ” a n n o u n c e m e n ts a n d classified ad ve rtise m e n ts.

ALICE KANDIAH

Departed: Aug 1, 1997 The depths of sorrow we cannot tell, Of the loss of one we love so well, And while she sleeps a peaceful sleep, Her memory we shall always keep.

Dearly missed by husband Johnson, son Collin and loved ones.

Mass will be celebrated at Church of the Holy Spirit, 248 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574371 on Thursday, Aug 1, 2002 at 6.00 pm. ^ -02 ^

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In the emptiness and silence of our mourning comes the comfort from on high.

With peace in our hearts and the joy that you are always nearby Dearly missed and always loved by Christina, Genevieve and Benett.

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15

THE CATHO LIC NEWS

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

YOUNG CATHOLICS

Learning from the life experiences of others...

WE HAVE heard it said often that “experience is the best teacher” but as teenagers you may not have lived long enough to learn from your own experiences so it is wise to learn from the experiences of others too.

This thought raced through my mind when I read the touching article ‘Rich Lesson On Poverty And Life’ in the Spice of Life sec­ tion of the Straits Times some time last month. My column this week is not only for those for you who missed this real life story of a Singaporean but also for those who read the story but have not given much thought to the lessons you could have learned from it.

Now for the story ... It is about a former textile merchant, Rajmani Rai who, until five years ago, spent lavishly. In his words - “I’d spend $200 to $300 on a shirt just to look good, and then never wear it more than four times’ (how often do you buy branded or trendy clothes only to use them for a couple of times before discarding them?) . Rai added that he cries when he re­ calls those times now.

In 1997, he served a week in Queenstown Remand Prison for his traffic offences and that was when he did a lot of thinking. This man only started thinking seriously about his life when he was in prison.

This is not something that we

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would want to happen to us. Don’t wait for some major disaster to strike before turning to God! God gives us many opportunities in life to turn to Him and change for the better. Whatever bad habits you may have picked up on the way don’t postpone your efforts but continue again and again until you succeed in giving them up. Don't put off trying until it is too late!

Let’s go on with the story be­ cause there is much, much more to learn ... This man, after his short term in prison, started to appreciate his family members. We often take our family members for

granted until, in some cases, they are lost to us forever. Treasure your moments together as a family because they are God’s gifts to you.

Rai, on being encouraged by his brother-in-law, went on to pur­ sue a computer course in India..

Soon, he found himself helping his brother -in-law with his social work. At first he found it disgusting and remembered his first words ‘Why are you showing me all this?

I don’t want to see poverty.’

But with the persistence of his brother-in-law he continued doing volunteer work with the poor. (Ask

yourself whether you have ever avoided friends and relatives who dress shabbily according to your standards and found it unpleasant to introduce them to others) It is not always that we are fortunate to meet people who help us to walk in the path of good­ ness. If and when you do meet such people thank God and pray for them as they are God’s bless­ ings in your life. Take such people as your role models to lead the kind of life that Christ wants you to lead.

On Oct 14, 1999, Rai installed a hand pump for a 65-year-old widow who suffered from elephan­ tiasis and earned very little washing plates.

He saw her with three young children and was told that their parents were fellow villagers who had died of tuberculosis. She took the kids to a shelter as she did not want them in an orphanage.

He couldn’t sleep that night, thinking of that old woman who didn’t know where her next meal would come from and yet had a heart big enough to care. ( Coming back to our own attitudes - do we make an effort to reach out to the less fortunate?)

The turning point in his life came when he was at the Ahmedabad Railway Station, wait­ ing to help victims of the Gujarat earthquake last February. There,

he saw a woman eating and feed­ ing her baby from a rubbish bin.

Overcome with sadness, he bought her a 10-rupee (S$0.80) meal of chapati and dhal curry. She was so happy, and blessed him over and over again. Her beaming smile filled him with so much joy and happiness, making him feel that winning the Big Sweep was noth­ ing compared to the experience.

Rai's experience proves that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. You will agree with me when you have tried reaching out by helping and giving to the less fortunate.

Today, his earnings of S$1,800 a month from the rent of his HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio, can help him to live like a king in India. Instead, he asks his family in Singapore to send him the equivalent of 3,000 rupees a month. He misses life in Singapore, but believes that he should help the poor because they are giving him the opportunity to help him become a better person.

Thanks to them, he says ‘I can hold my head high in society again.

If I can change, anybody can’.

I hope that this experience of one man will be helpful in teaching you, my dear youth, some rich lessons in life and poverty. □ Fr Michael Sitaram is youth chaplain of the Singapore Archdiocese. To contact him email: cathvctr<S>Dacific.net.sg.

Reflections of a youth Yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Every morning, you wake up and look at the face in the mirror.

You either choose to love it or you choose to hate it. It is actually you who makes a choice, whether you want today to be a good day or bad day. Because you realise with each passing day, you are growing and you have commitments, responsibilities you can choose to neglect or you can choose to carry out. When we’re young, we cannot wait to grow up. But when we grow old, we wish we were young all over again. The warmest part about maturing is being able to look back on the old times, taking a walk down memory lane, regardless of bliss or wounds and smile about it.

(Being youthful can venture the world over. Be promised of the phase:”Young at heart” to be true.)

As for beauty, youthfulness comes from within.

As a youth of the present generation. I have choices. I can choose to be plagued by stress, turmoil, discouragement, lonliness, self-hatred and a bagful of pressure.

And then again, I can choose to smile, to cry freely and be comfortable with my emotions, to come to terms with my well-being, to grab opportunities, to find laughter and to seek love. Looking back on

the time I spend seaching for an identity in society, I have regrets and I have reliefs. But as long as I don’t live in the past but learn from it, I will map my future. And I cannot promise myself that as I grow older I will stop making mistakes. As a youth, I still have alot to learn although I always feel that I know everything. But from what I have seen and experienced along the way, I realised that life is not only about finding a place in society, meeting up to everyone’s expectations, being the top of the class, having the most money or being prettiest in school. Because of all the commitments I have chosen to make and the responsibilties that come along with my acceptance in life, I hardly spend time with myself, with my surroundings. I realised that inner peace can be obtained with just five minutes of appreciating everything good that you have and what you have built for youself. And taking that just one second to thank God for the chance He has given you to receive the experience and see all that you have loved. Instead of remembering the bad mistakes and regretting your decisions, fault with yourself and making mental lists of what you must have to make you happy, learn to love yourself.

We always tend to blow bad things out of proportion. Do the reverse for a change. There is alot of peer pressure in growing up. But that is

because we want to be liked. I have changed my perception of what youthfulness is all about. I feel young, carefree and contented when I come to terms with the face in the mirror. When I learn to love myself and to pick among friends who love me because they see the real me. To be able to laugh with my parents and have mutual communication. To be able to leaf through the book of my past and not tear out the awfully stained pages but to polish and wipe them to reality.

As the youth of the nation, life at the moment is just the way it is.

Decisions, commitments and responsibilities. It is everything that you will go through to carve your world for your future. I can choose to have the world revolve around me or I can choose to break it apart. But growing up is never easy, our problems always seem to be worse than others. But maturity is choosing to widen your perspective in life and to turn mistakes into knowledge. At the age of sixty, I will still be learning.

I can still be young, young at heart.

And that will be when I let the Lord help capture the sunshine in my heart and to close the windows on stormy days. I am young, I want to be carefree and I want to be happy so maybe sometimes I tend to forget my responsibilities. I tend to forget God. But the most important thing is to always remember to

leave the door open to let the Lord walk in again and knock me to my senses and continue my complaining path of growing up.

It is all about choices. We see what we want to see. And we can let others see what we see.

Confidence and self-acceptance.

To describe youth is to paint it as bright, cheery and carefree. It is a colouful bird with great wings of ambition and a song of strength and courage. Growing up isn't so bad when you choose to enjoy it.

And you can enjoy it forever. That will definately have the Lord’s approval. □ - Felicia Neo

An example for youth At midday on Sunday, 7 July, our Holy Father gave his usual address and blessing to the world:

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters, A hundred years ago on the 6th of July 1902, Maria Goretti died. My predecessor, Pope Pius XII proclaimed her a saint in 1950, promoting her as a model of courageous fidelity to the Christian Vocation, till the supreme sacrifice of her life. I wish to propose this martyr of purity as a model to

adolescents and youth today.

St Maria Goretti is an example for the new generation, threatened as it is by irresponsibility, that they take serious cognisance of values that can never be allowed to be abandonned or compromised.

Though poor and deprived of educaion, Maria, who was not even 12 years old, possessed a strong and mature personality, formed by religious education received in her family. This made her capable not only of defending her person with heroic chastity, but in pardoning her killer.

Her martyrdom underscores the fact that being human cannot be realised by simply following the impulses of pleasure , but by living one's life in love and responsibility.

My dear young people, be sensitive to these ideals. In anticipation of the two weeks in Toronto, I would like to repeat today: do not allow the culture of wanting things and pleasure stiffle your consciences! Be awake and vigilant sentinels, so as to become protagonists of a new humanity!

Let us have recourse to Our Lady whose name St. Maria Goretti bore. May that most pure of all creatures help the men and women of our time, especially the youth, to rediscover the value of chastity and to live interpersonal relationships in mutual respect and in sincere love.

- from Vatican Report

16

JULY 21 - JULY 28, 2002

THE CATH O LIC NEW S

W O RLD A Catechesis in itself The themes of World Youth Days

World Day of Peace

Yet another example of how the Holy Father uses occasions and celebrations to expound the Word of God, can be noticed in his choice of themes for the International celebrations of World Youth Day. He himself chooses the theme each year and when one considers the whole series, it becomes apparent that the individual themes are not chosen at random but form a whole continuum, which merits the consideration, not only of the youth, but of all of us as well.

What appears is a progression on the theme of the Mission entrusted to all of us by Jesus:

"Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News."

1)

“Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you’ (1Pt 3, 15)

Rome 1986 2)

“We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves" (1Jn4:16)

Buenos Aires, Argentina 1987 3)

“Do whatever he tells you’ (Jn 2:5)

Rome 1988 4)

*/ am the Way, the Truth and the Life’ (Jn 14:6)

Santiago de Compostela, Spain 1989 5)

6)

7) ’ Go into all the world and

8)

14) "The Father loves you’

preach the Gospel’(Mk 16:15)

(cf. Jn 16:27)

Rome 1992

Rome 1999

7 came that they might have life, and have it to the full’ (Jn 10:10) Denver, USA 1993

9) and 10) “-As the Father sent me, so am

15) "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (Jn 1:14)

Youth Jubilee 2000 Rome, Italy 16) ‘ I f any want to become m y

fo llo w e rs, le t them d en y sending you’ (Jn 20: 21) themselves and take up their cross daily and follow m e’ Rome March 1994 (Lk 9:23) Manila, Philippines1995 I

11) "Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words o f eternal life’ (Jn 6:68) Rome 1996

Rome 2001

VATICAN CITY - (4 July ,2002) Not surprisingly, the Pope has chosen, for the theme for the celebration of the 36th World Day of Peace on 1st January 2003, "Peace on Earth: a permanent committment" To commemortate the 40th anniversary o f the famous Encyiical Letter "Pacem in Terris" (Peace on earth) o f his predecessor, Blessed

John XXIII, the Message ofthe Holy Father will focus on the four foundations of peace, in the light of the present situation. "Peace remains only the sound of words, if :t is not founded on the order that is treated in the Encyclical of Pope John XXIII with trusting hope. Peace must be founded on TRUTH, built on JUSTICE, given life and integrated with CHARITY, and placed in action in FREEDOM." (n.89) "Peace on Earth" was the very first Encyclical to address not only the faithful of the church, but all men of good will. In it, John XXIII, underscoring the bonds which bind man to God was laying the spiritual and cultural foundations for new forms of political organization in the

17) "You are the salt o fth e earth...

You are the light o f the world’ (Mt 5:13-14) Toronto, Canada 2002

12) ‘ Teacher, where are you ‘I am the vine, you am the branches’ (Jn 15:5)

staying? Come and see’ (Jn 1:38-39)

Rome, 1990

Paris, France 1997

“You have received a spirit o f sonship’ (Rom 8:15)

Czestochowa, Poland 1991

conviction of naturali and equal dignity of every human person. Such new forms need to seek the universal common good, and through a public and global authority protect and promote fundamental human rights.

In this perspective, the Peace message will draw attention to the precarious state of peace and encourage everyone to read carefully the signs of the times and come to a timely consideration of the fundamental values which are necessary for the construction of an authentic human living.

Taking into account the preoccupations that followed the ourbursts of terrorism and of other forms of fratricidal killings, John Paul II will reiterate the perennial relevance of the fundamental values and will launch an appeal for a new and courageous commmittment in favour of peace.

Given the consciousness of the limits of the human condition affected by sin, the Message hopes to open the hearts of all to a permanent commitment to peace. j - from Vatican Report

Into numbers?

The following statstics for WYD Toronoto, might be of interest!

215.000 participants have registered - 750,00 were expected.

(The Rome 2000 WYD had 2 million and the 1997 WYD in Paris had more than 1 million)

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13) "The Holy Spirit will teach you all things’ (Jn 14:26 )

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Rome 1998

There will be 5,000 priests and 500 bishops 4 million hosts have been prepared for Masses 20 miles of TV cables have been laid.

8.000 toilets not forgotten!

The price-tag - US$80 million - CNS Report

ST ANNE’S FEAST DAY CELEBRATIONS 2002 Annual Novena 19th - 28th July Theme: The Lord’s Prayer St A nne’s Church 66 Sengkang East Way

Singapore (548593) Tel: 6386 1129 w w w . richl020s.e0m

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DO NOT BRING1IS TO THE TEST

Fr Richards Ambrose Archbishop Nicholas Chia Fr Richards Ambrose (Outdoor mass and candlelight procession)

BUT DELIVER US EROM EVIL AMEN.

T h e re w ill be b lessing and c o n secratio n o f fam ilie s to the S acred H eart o f Jes u s and Im m ac u la te H eart o f M ary at all M asses PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP G. YONG, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY KHL PRINTING CO PTE LTD, 57 LOYANG DRIVE, SINGAPORE 508968.