Catholic News issue 26, 2017

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

ARCHBISHOP’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

equally significant is that He was born in a manger, not in a palace!

“TODAY in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” (Lk 2:11) This is the news of great joy that we are called to share with all of humanity. This is what Christmas is all about, the birth of Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

We are not simply commemorating the birth of any great man on earth. We are celebrating the incarnation of God. That God could assume our humanity in Jesus is unimaginable. What is

He is truly the Immanuel; the Lord who is with us. He knows our pains and our sorrows.

He knows our sicknesses and our struggles. He carries our infirmities in His body (cf Mt 8:17). He has come to bring us peace by reconciling man with God and man with each other.

This peace is given to us through the forgiveness of our sins by His total self-emptying at the incarnation and at His death on the cross. Upon His resurrec-

tion, He bestowed His Spirit of sonship and daughtership upon all who accepted Him. “But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12f) So today, let us rejoice in faith, hope and love. Let us bring the message of joy not just by our words but by our lives.

Let us announce the Christ in us. “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in

you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27) We do this by being people of joy and hope. We live a life of goodwill and peace.

This is what Paul wrote to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for Himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:11-14) So at Christmas, let us be like Christ, reconciling with our loved ones by forgiving them,

sharing our gifts with them and those who are without the good things of this earth, comforting the sick and making time for the lonely, especially the elderly and those who are abandoned.

Let us not just rejoice with our loved ones and friends whilst forgetting those who live in the shadow of death. Let us share with them the joy and hope of Christ in us by reaching out to them. Let us help those who live in darkness and are forlorn to find Christ in their midst and in their hearts so that they know that Christ is truly their Lord and Saviour, the Prince of Peace.

Have a blessed and Holy Christmas!

Archbishop William Goh

BUILDINGTHE THE CHURCH CHURCH OF OFTOMORROW TOMORROW 3 BUILDING

Sunday December 24, 2017  CatholicNews

thanksgiving mass held to celebrate generosity in archdiocese

Archbishop William Goh, giving his homily during the thanksgiving Mass. Photo: Catholic Foundation.

A year since the Catholic Foundation first launched the GIFT (Giving in Faith & Thankfulness) campaign, over $16 million has been raised to support the growth of the Catholic Church in Singapore.

On 5 December 2017, a thanksgiving Mass was held for the support garnered through the campaign. Over 400 participants, ranging from donors to volunteers, and representatives of various archdiocesan organisations, gathered for the celebration held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

“We have gathered to praise and thank God for so many people who believe in our dream to build a more vibrant, missionary, and evangelistic Church,” Archbishop William Goh said during his homily.

During the Mass, His Grace emphasised the impact that the generosity of the community can make, not only to build up the Church, but for the good of society.

“The Catholic Foundation, which many of you are helping

in different ways, helps to strengthen the operations of the Church,” he said. These operations include work like strengthening family life, leading young people to Christ, spreading the Good News, providing faith formation, and many others.

Archbishop William Goh urged, “We are Catholics

Spirituality Centre (CSC), Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore (CTIS), Office for Catechesis (OFC), Office for the New Evangelisation (ONE), and the Office for Young People (OYP).

Juliana Foo, Executive Director of Catholic Foundation, said, “It was especially meaningful to have

we are catholics not for ourselves, we are catholics for humanity. we need to worry about the future of our country, the future of the world. not for ourselves, we are Catholics for humanity. We need to worry about the future of our country, the future of the world.”

Special gifts symbolising the work of various archdiocesan organisations were also offered during the Mass.

They were brought forward by representatives from the Archdiocesan Commission for the Family (ACF), Catholic

A representative from the Catholic Spirituality Centre presents a crucifix during the offertory. Photo: Catholic Foundation.

the various organisations offer gifts representing their missions. We are thankful not so much for the funds raised, but for what God can do with these gifts we bring to Him. It means a lot to be able to offer up all our work to God. All that we do is for the glory of God.” Before the end of the Mass, the archbishop expressed his personal appreciation for the board and staff of the Catholic Foundation.

“Thank you for taking fundraising off my shoulders, so that I can focus on the mission of the Church. I am trying to grow and empower the community, and I cannot be thinking about money all the time. So I leave it to these people to think of that and I trust that God will provide for them,” Archbishop Goh said.

Mary Lim, a donor

and volunteer with the Catholic Foundation, said in agreement, “God will provide the needed resources for the mission of the Church.

The archbishop has difficult responsibilities as head of the Church in Singapore. It is good that there is a team in the Catholic Foundation to focus on raising funds.”

Leslie Chan, another donor, appreciated the event because it showed how the Catholic Foundation’s fundraising efforts are centred in the faith.

He said, “I appreciate the opportunity to come together and be a part of the community of followers, giving thanks to God. The contributions the Church receives are from different individuals, but it benefits the whole community. We could finally see some of the groups that were benefiting from our giving. They were real organisations with real people that work hard to bring Christ to others.”

The thanksgiving Mass was the first one the Catholic Foundation has organised, but will not be the last. Juliana Foo explained, “There are many more people we have yet to personally thank for their generosity, but we could not invite for the Mass because of space limitations. We will be holding more events in the future to express gratitude, because we know that every act of giving, no matter the size, is a blessing from God.”

Our archdiocese envisions a more vibrant, missionary and evangelistic Church. As the fundraising arm of the Archdiocese of Singapore, the Catholic Foundation has launched the Giving in Faith & Thankfulness (GIFT) campaign to urge every Catholic to participate in making the vision of the archdiocese a reality.

Gift Now

gift.catholicfoundation.sg

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

New Assisi Hospice officially opens Six-storey building includes 85 beds and new wards for dementia palliative care

By Jared Ng Assisi Hospice commits to provide palliative care for life, a care marked by dignity, respect and joy, said Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) Sr Jane Bertelsen.

“This is and always and has been a hallmark of this Franciscan ministry, said Sr Jane, congregational leader of the FMDM Sisters.

She was speaking at the official opening and Christmas lightup ceremonies of Assisi Hospice on Dec 1.

About 400 patients of Assisi Hospice and their family members joined in the celebrations at the new hospice located at Thomson Road.

Archbishop William Goh, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and Assisi’s patron Ho Ching were among those at the special celebration.

Sr Jane said that the FMDM Sisters who have worked in Assisi Hospice played a part in shaping a Franciscan culture, “one that says we will risk and do whatever it takes to care for our vulnerable brothers and sisters.”

Archbishop Goh prayed during the event that the hospice’s staff would continue to selflessly care for and love the patients,

The hospice will be able to serve more than 2,000 patients a year.

The new Assisi Hospice building, located at Thomson Road, was officially opened on Dec 1.

and that the work of the hospice would be an example for others in providing end of life care.

In his message printed in the hospice’s official-opening booklet, Archbishop Goh urged all to give “hope to our patients by offering them encouragement, support, love and understanding”.

“Hope is the greatest gift of love we can give to those who are forlorn ... we encounter love in our care for others, and it is this care that you give which is most cherished,” he wrote.

Assisi Hospice chairman Anita Fam, during the Dec 1 event, expressed her gratitude to all those who played a part in “making this new building possible.”

“Above all, I would like to give God all the glory for all that you see, for this is His work,” she added.

Other highlights of the event included Nanyang Girls’ High School students putting on a puppet show about the history

of Assisi Hospice, a presentation of a golden bronze aluminium art piece featuring St Francis of Assisi, and Christmas carols sung by Assisi Hospice and Mount Alvernia Hospital staff.

The Christmas tree lightup ceremony also wowed those present with a display of bright lights and fireworks.

The hospice moved to the six-storey building on Jan 10 this year.

Some of its new features include 85 beds, new wards for dementia palliative care and paediatric palliative care, as well as doubled capacity for home care and day care.

It will also be able to serve more than 2,000 patients a year, according to the hospice. n jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

At the presentation of an art piece featuring St Francis of Assisi were (from left) Ms Anita Fam, chairman of Assisi Hospice; FMDM Sr Jane Bertelsen; Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health; Archbishop William Goh; Madam Ho Ching, Assisi Hospice patron and Ms Choo Shiu Ling, CEO of Assisi Hospice.

A puppet show about Assisi Hospice’s history was a highlight of the celebration.

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Christmas concerts promote ecumenism, family togetherness

By Christopher Khoo and Jared Ng O what a night!

And it certainly was as the Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ put on a special Christmas concert at the Anglican St Andrew’s Cathedral on Dec 3.

According to the choir’s founder-director Peter Low, he and Rev Canon Terry Wong of St Andrew’s Cathedral agreed that it would be a good idea to have an ecumenical celebration to commemorate Christ’s birth.

A week later, the choir performed a similar concert at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, where it is based.

Before the start of the Dec 3 concert, which had the theme, O What A Night!, Canon Terry, the cathedral’s vicar, prayed an opening prayer. He also prayed the Lord’s Prayer, which saw the congregation, which included Anglicans and Catholics, joining in.

As is the norm for its Christmas concerts, the choir sang a vast array of Christmas carols ranging from the traditional to the modern, and in many different languages. The children of the choir members also got into the act as they sang several solos.

At the end of the concert, Anglican Bishop Rennis Ponniah thanked the choir for their gift of music. He prayed for peace and happiness to prevail in the world and gave the benediction.

People Catholic News spoke to said they enjoyed the celebration.

Mr Andrew Tay, 51, an Anglican who attends the Light of Christ Church in Woodlands, said he found it “very uplifting”.

His wife, Ing Chi, 45, shared that she was quite impressed with the choir’s singing of carols from different countries.

And how did they feel about a Catholic choir singing in an Anglican cathedral?

“The Anglicans and Catholics are quite close in our liturgical worship,” said Mr Tay. “But we are all one in the family so I thought it’s a good way to really worship as one body.”

The concert was in aid of St Andrew’s Mission Hospital and the Singapore Anglican Community Services.

Family togetherness There was an added element to the Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ’s Christmas concerts this year – families with children and married couples singing in the choir were introduced to the audience to showcase how music can bring people together.

This was a highlight of the

The Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ, led by founder-director Peter Low, poses for a photo with Anglican Bishop Rennis Ponniah and Rev Canon Terry Wong after the choir’s Christmas concert at St Andrew’s Cathedral.

The choir performs A Chinese Christmas Cradle Song during the Dec 10 concert at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Dec 3 concert as well as the Dec 10 one, held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, and titled Why This Jubilee?

The guest-of-honour at the Dec 10 celebration was Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam. He was joined by heads of diplomatic representations in Singapore.

Just as in the concert at St Andrew’s Cathedral, the choir entertained with a wide repertoire of songs including popular Christmas carols such as O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Silent Night.

The choir also performed a choreographed medley of carols from various countries which showcased the many cultural interpretations of Christmas.

As a symbol of peace and harmony between nations, a segment during the concert saw the diplomats decorate a sculpture, called the Tree of Peace, with miniature flags of their country.

Proceeds from the concert went to the cathedral’s Social Mission Fund. n christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg, jared.ng@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Commemorating pope’s visit to Myanmar, Bangladesh

By Christopher Khoo Pope Francis’ visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh and his outreach to the marginalised was specially commemorated during a Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Rector Msgr Philip Heng, in his opening remarks, shared that the Mass was held “in solidarity” with the pope’s Nov 28-Dec 2 trip to these two countries.

“Pope Francis’ ways and perceptions of the crises of the people and the refugees of the Rakhine State of Myanmar radically challenge us to see the sufferings of the world from the eyes of Jesus,” said Msgr Heng in his homily during the 10.30 am Mass on Dec 3.

He noted that Pope Francis referred to the refugees as “my brothers and sisters of Rohingya”.

The sad stories of the Rohingya refugees the pope met in Bangladesh “clearly

broke his heart”, said Msgr Heng.

After speaking to the religious leaders in Bangladesh, Msgr Heng recalled, the pope also said to them, “Let us not close our hearts, let us not look the other way. The presence of God today is also called Rohingya! Let us stay close to them so that their rights may be recognised.”

Msgr Heng urged the congregation to remember that “suffering people are also found in the faces of the people of our nation” – the homeless, the aged, the sick, the dying and the depressed “that can often be found in our homes”.

Video clips and slides of the plight of the Rohingya people were shown at the end of the Mass. The congregation also prayed a prayer for refugees.

The Mass, which aimed to highlight the social mission of the Church, saw representatives from the various Church social mission organisations carry signs with the names of their organisations

Slides on the plight of the Rohingya refugees were shown at the end of the 10.30 am Mass at the cathedral on Dec 3.

Left: Representatives of the Church’s social mission organisations walk in procession. Right: A mini exhibition on the Rohingya people.

during the entrance procession.

A mini exhibition on the plight of the Rohingya people

was also held outside the cathedral by Jesuit Refugee Service Singapore. n

christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg n Related stories on Pages 14, 15, 17

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Legion of Mary celebrates 70th anniversary in S’pore

By Patricia Ang The Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace was packed with about 900 Legionaries and their families and friends who attended the Mass celebrating the Legion of Mary’s 70th anniversary.

It was a joyous occasion for all who were present for the Dec 3 Mass, celebrated by Archbishop William Goh. In his homily, Archbishop Goh affirmed the Legion of Mary members for their fidelity and perseverance in doing God’s work. He said that they are fondly known as soldiers of Mary for Christ.

“In the early days, the Church was dependent on the Legion of Mary whose members were the jacks of all trades. They ... sold the Catholic News, raised funds, ran the canteen, conducted census, did outreach work, attended wakes and funerals. Legionaries carried out their work faithfully,” he said.

Archbishop Goh urged the Legionaries to renew and re-strategise in order to stay relevant and

Archbishop William Goh urged the legionaries to renew and re-strategise and to make the movement more attractive to Catholics for the work of the New Evangelisation.

Legion of Mary banners seen at the 70th anniversary Mass held at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace.

effective and to make the movement more attractive to Catholics for the work of the New Evangelisation.

Legionaries are challenged to see how they can use their talents,

charism and resources to align with the Church. They have to renew, rethink and conquer new frontiers in view of changing social and cultural conditions, he said.

After Mass, a dinner celebration for about 880 guests was held at Roland Restaurant in Marine Parade.

Mr Simon Chia, who joined the Legion of Mary in 1960, noted Archbishop Goh’s message on renewal was important.

He told Catholic News, “This is important, otherwise the Legion

will die out. Very often, whenever an officer post falls vacant, there is a reluctance to accept officership, resulting in officers swapping positions. This is not healthy and I urge Legionaries, especially the younger ones to come forward to serve.”

Ms Margaret Wong, Legion of Mary Singapore’s senatus president, said, “The archbishop’s homily was very encouraging and [he] advised the Legion to grow and to re-strategise as there are now many ministries assisting the parish. As Legionaries we need to reflect how we can reposition ourselves in the Church of Singapore.” n

Legion of Mary Singapore Senatus officers cutting the anniversary cake with Archbishop William Goh.

HISTORY As a lay movement, the main work of the Legion of Mary is evangelisation, working for the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active cooperation with Mary and the Church.

The first Legion of Mary meeting in Singapore was held on Dec 5, 1947, with three members and was named Gate of Heaven Praesidium with the late Fr John Roger Fox as its spiritual director and the late Ms Luna Pereira as president.

These Legionaries then started the Catholic lending library, the bookshop and the Catholic Centre.

From Singapore, the Legion expanded to West and East Malaysia and Brunei.

The national and regional council is the Singapore Senatus serving the eight archdioceses, dioceses and apostolic vicariate in Singapore, East Malaysia and Brunei.

To date there are 147 praesidia, or Legion units, in Singapore and 443 praesidia in East Malaysia and Brunei.

There are about 15,000 active and auxiliary Legionaries with 4,500 in Singapore and 10,500 in East Malaysia and Brunei. n

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Thai Catholics learn about catechesis in Singapore Forty-eight of them learn about RICA, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd during a four-day visit The Bishop of Chiang Mai, along Fr Terry Tapay of Mary Help with priests, Religious and lay- of Christians Church in Phanom, people from 10 Thai dioceses Surat Thani, commented: “It was were in Singapore recently to ex- interesting to see the use of visuperience some of the catechetical als and materials instead of just practices here. talking or teaching. It reinforces According to Bishop Francis that we are facilitators guiding Xavier Vira Arpondratana, the children’s development to let aim of the Nov 30-Dec 3 visit them discover the presence of Jewas to expose more Thai Church sus, especially through the Word workers to how catechesis is done of God and the liturgy.” in a nearby diocese.

Being keen to find out more A smaller delegation from Thai- about the RCIA process in Sinland had visited Singapore in 2005. gapore, the visitors joined in Bishop Vira said he hoped the weekly RCIA session at the the Thai participants Church of Divine would bring home new Mercy, facilitated by It was ideas on how to imassistant catechetical interesting prove catechesis, and director Fr Terence in particular the RCIA Kesavan. to see the use which he is trying to inThis was followed of visuals troduce in his diocese. by the celebration of The 48 participants and materials the feast day Mass at included children’s, the Church of St Franyouth and adult cat- instead of just cis Xavier which was echists and coordinapresided by Archbishtalking or tors. For some of the op William Goh. teaching. nuns and priests, there During their visit, – Fr Terry Tapay the visitors also toured was a sense of nostalof Mary Help of the CAEC and visited gia as some had spent time in Singapore dur- Christians Church in the Catholic News ing their novitiate and Phanom, Surat Thani Book and Media formation years. bookshop, followed The Office for Catechesis by a question-and-answer session (OFC) hosted the visitors. Their about catechesis in Singapore. first stop was the parish of St IgFr Augustine Prempree Wapiso, natius, where they were given an director of the Catholic Commisintroduction to the Catechesis of sion for Catechetical Education of the Good Shepherd (CGS). They the Catholic Bishops’ Conference spent the afternoon learning more of Thailand, said he was inspired about the spirituality, method and by the visit: “I am impressed by the practices of CGS. clearness of the vision OFC has to They also observed and in- achieve and the staff working toteracted with children, teenagers gether on the same track and dediand catechists in the Catechetical cating themselves to this work.”

Bridging Programme run by OFC Ms Sudhathai Noyomthom, asat the Church of Our Lady of Per- sistant head of Christian Studies at petual Succour and at the Catholic Sangthom College shared: “As a Archdiocesan Education Centre layperson, I am impressed by the (CAEC) at Highland Road. dedication of the laypeople working

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Thai visitors learn about the Catechetical Bridging Programme at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

Catholics from 10 dioceses in Thailand, hosted by the Office for Catechesis, pose for a photo at the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre.

together as a team as well as how they work together with the priests.”

The Office for Catechesis provides training and formation for catechists and those involved in catechetical ministries in the archdiocese. For more information, email enquiry@catechesis.org.sg or visit www.catechesis.org.sg n

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

The Catholic Charismatic renewal is a ‘current of grace’ This was a major theme of the recent ISAO Healing Rally which saw Charismatic representatives from Asia and Oceania praying over participants

By Christopher Khoo It was an afternoon of prayers, praise and healing for the hundreds who attended the ISAO Healing Rally at Holy Innocents’ High School on Dec 10.

ISAO is an acronym for the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services’ (ICCRS) Sub-Committee for Asia-Oceania.

Members of the group, who come from Asia and Oceania, were in Singapore for their annual meeting.

The organisation is responsible for strengthening fellowship within the Charismatic renewal in the region, convening consultations and events, and also for assisting those countries in need of guidance and help.

The rally saw ICCRS president Jim Murphy speak on the theme, Catholic Charismatic Renewal – Perpetual Current of Grace.

Mr Murphy noted that Pope Francis referred to the Charismatic renewal as a “perpetual current of grace” during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Charismatic renewal in Rome in June this year.

The pope had said that the Charismatic renewal was born of the will of the Spirit as “a current of grace in the Church and for the Church”, said Mr Murphy.

The image here is that of a river which brings life to people, he said, noting that “the Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life”.

He shared that the Catholic Charismatic renewal has transformed lives and motivated and empowered men and women for service to others.

Two people then gave testimonies on the work of the Spirit.

Ms Kaviratne Ranjana from Sri Lanka, shared how the Charismatic renewal took root in her country in 1971 and how it has

Ms Kaviratne Ranjana (above) and Mr Jude Deepak giving their testimonies of the power of the Charismatic renewal.

ICCRS president Jim Murphy (front), together with ISAO participants praying over the crowd during the rally.

Pope Francis referred to the Charismatic renewal as a ‘perpetual current of grace’ during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Charismatic renewal in Rome this year. changed people’s lives since.

Mr Jude Deepak from India shared how attending Charismatic meetings turned his life around.

He was living a negative lifestyle in his younger days, and was also smoking, he said. However, he was able to give up smoking as a result of prayers, and also began wanting to read the Word of God.

Young people were invited to lay their hands on those who needed prayers.

ISAO chairman Cyril John spoke on the theme, I Am Making Everything New (Rev 21:5).

He said he believed that the Spirit of the Lord is making everything new, and in areas such as communion, fellowship and unity.

He also noted that there has been a growth in the ministry of intercession in recent times.

A healing service followed in which Mr Murphy invited the young people in the crowd to lay their hands on those who needed prayers, as he and the other ISAO participants prayed on stage.

A Mass was later held with Bishop Francis Kalist of Meerut, India, as the main celebrant.

The Singapore Archdiocesan Catholic Charismatic Renewal (SACCRE) hosted the rally.

It was also scheduled to hold rallies on Dec 12 at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and on Dec 13 at the Church of the Holy Cross with Mr Murphy as the speaker.

The SACCRE Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/ saccre.sg n christopher.khoo@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

OBITUARY

Fr John Baptist Tou called to the Lord Fr John Baptist Tou, a diocesan priest in Singapore, passed away on Dec 7. He was 88. This was also the year of his diamond jubilee as a priest.

John Baptist Tou was born in Siping, China, on March 17, 1929. His father taught Chinese to foreign missionaries in the local seminary.

At 16, the young John Baptist joined the same seminary to begin his juniorate. In 1947, the war in China led to the forcible shut down of the seminary in Siping.

In order to pursue his vocation, John Baptist fled to Beijing and then to British Hong Kong.

He later received a visa to study in Manila, in a disused military camp donated by the Philippine government to the Jesuits.

He completed his philosophy studies in this repurposed site and subsequently finished his theology studies with the Quebec Missionary Society of Canada in

Montreal, Canada. His bishop in China had been a member of that missionary society.

Fr Tou was ordained a priest on June 29, 1957.

Under Rome’s instruction, in 1959, Fr Tou was assigned to Singapore where he served in Nativity Church in Hougang. He taught Mandarin in the Minor Seminary across the road from his parish.

With the help of several young Catholics, Fr Tou set up the Joyful Vanguard, Eucharistic Crusade, Legion of Mary, Young Christian Students (YCS) and Young Christian Workers (YCW).

With their help, other parishes also started similar organisations.

In 1978, Fr Tou had to return to the United States due to visa problems. While there, he made it a point to return to Singapore every year for his vacation. After his visa issues had been resolved, realising that Mandarin would be

OBITUARY

Marist Br John Lek called to the Lord Br John Lek Soon Tee, FMS, of the Marist Brothers in Singapore passed away on Dec 9. He was 77.

Br John had suffered from cancer in his final years.

John Lek was born in Singapore on Dec 27, 1940. He entered the Marist Juniorate in Singapore in 1953 and became a postulant in 1959. He entered his novitiate training at St Ann’s Hermitage, New York, in 1960 and made his first profession one year after, on Aug 15, 1961.

Br John graduated from Marist College, USA, in 1964 and was perpetually professed in Sibu, Malaysia, on Dec 8, 1966. He obtained his professional diploma of education in Singapore in 1980.

Br John’s life was dedicated to education and formation. After his graduation, he taught in St Joseph High School (1964) and then in Catholic High School in Sibu, Malaysia (1965 -1969).

He moved to St Francis Xavier’s College and St Francis Xavier’s School in Hong Kong (19721975) and then to Sibu again, before returning to Singapore in 1978 to teach in Maris Stella High School (MSHS).

He served as MSHS’ principal from 1982 to 1984, and as vice-principal from 1985 to 1988.

From 1989 to 1996, he was the provincial of the Marist Brothers of the China Province.

Three years after his term as provincial, in 1999, Br John volunteered to be involved in refounding the Marist Mission in

Br John Lek Soon Tee (1940-2017)

China. His work in China bore sweet fruit when a new Marist Brother was professed in 2010.

After serving as treasurer in the Marist community in Hong Kong in 2013, he returned to Singapore in 2014. He was diagnosed with rectal carcinoma, a suffering which he placed in God’s hands.

His wake was held at Champagnat House, 15 Flower Road, Singapore 549404, with prayers held nightly.

His funeral was held on Dec 12 at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Highland Road, with cremation following after at Mandai Crematorium, Hall 3.

We invite you to pray for him in your Masses and prayers. n Submitted by the CHANCERY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF SINGAPORE

of great advantage to evangelisation in Singapore, he returned in 1995.

Fr Tou served as assistant parish priest at the Church of the Holy Family, where he initiated Mandarin Masses and parish organisations for the Mandarinspeaking.

He was parish priest from 2000-2002.

In 2006, Fr Tou was appointed assistant parish priest at the Church of St Bernadette, ministering specially to the Mandarin community.

He found great joy in celebrating the Mandarin Mass.

Fr Tou’s wake was held at the Church of St Bernadette. His funeral took place on Dec 11 at 10.30 am at the Church of St Ber-

Fr John Baptist Tou (1929-2017)

nadette, with cremation after at Mandai Crematorium, Hall 4.

We invite you to pray for him

in your Masses and prayers. n Submitted by the CHANCERY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF SINGAPORE

12 WORLD

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Vatican renews call for peace, negotiated solution on Jerusalem VATICAN CITY – Following days of violence and backlash after US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Vatican appealed for “wisdom and prudence” to prevail.

The Holy See “reiterates its own conviction that only a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians can bring a stable and lasting peace and guarantee the peaceful coexistence of two states within internationally recognised borders,” the Vatican said in a Dec 10 statement.

President Trump announced his decision on Dec 6 to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

The announcement sparked antiUS protests throughout Asia and the Middle East, including a four-day protest in the Palestinian territories, Reuters news agency reported. An Israeli security guard in Jerusalem, the report said, was in critical condition after he was stabbed by a Palestinian man at the city’s bus station.

Pope Francis expressed his “sorrow for the clashes in recent days” and called for world leaders to renew their commitment for peace in the Holy Land, the Vatican said.

The pope “raises fervent prayers so that the leaders of nations, in this time of special gravity, commit themselves to avert a new spiral of violence, responding with words and deeds to the desires of peace, justice and security for the populations of that battered land,” the Vatican said.

Mr Trump’s decision also drew warnings from Middle Eastern and European leaders that overturning the United States’ long-standing policy would further complicate peace negotiations.

The Arab League, a regional organisation consisting of 22 Ara-

The gold-covered Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount complex is seen in this overview of Jerusalem’s Old City. Pope Francis has expressed his concerns about US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. CNS photo

bic-speaking member states, held an emergency meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec 9 to discuss Mr Trump’s announcement, calling it “dangerous and unacceptable.”

Recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital goes “against international law and raises questions over American efforts to support peace,” said Mr Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab League’s secretary-general.

Just hours before Mr Trump announced his decision, Pope Francis urged respect for “the sta-

is a unique ‘Jerusalem city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims who venerate the holy places of their respective religions, and has a special vocation to peace.

’

– Pope Francis

tus quo of the city in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.”

In his appeal, Pope Francis said, “Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims who venerate the holy places of their respective religions, and has a special vocation to peace.”

The Vatican consistently has called for a special status for Jerusalem, particularly its Old City, in order to protect and guarantee access to the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

“The Holy See is attentive to these concerns and, recalling the heartfelt words of Pope Francis, reiterates its well-known position concerning the singular character of the Holy City and the essential need for respecting the status quo, in conformity with the deliberations of the international community and the repeated requests of the hierarchies of the churches and Christian communities of the Holy Land,” said the Vatican’s Dec 10 statement. n CNS

POPE FRANCIS 13

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Pope comments on translations of ‘Our Father’ VATICAN CITY – The Italian and English translations of the “Our Father” can give believers the wrong impression that God can and does lead people into temptation, Pope Francis said.

The Italian bishops’ television channel, TV2000, has been broadcasting a series of conversations between the pope and a Catholic prison chaplain looking at the Lord’s Prayer line by line.

The episode broadcast on Dec 6 focused on the line, “Lead us not into temptation.”

Fr Marco Pozza told the pope that friends have asked him, “Can God really lead us into temptation?”

“This is not a good translation,” the pope said.

The standard versions of the prayer are translated from the Latin, which was translated from the

New Testament in Greek.

While he said nothing about ordering a new translation, Pope Francis noted how the French bishops had decided that beginning on Dec 3, the first Sunday of Advent, French Catholics would change the line to the equivalent of “do not let us enter into temptation.”

French-speaking Catholics in Benin and Belgium began using the new translation at Pentecost last June. The common Spanish translation already is “no nos dejes caer en la tentacion” or “do not let us fall into temptation.”

The Italian bishops’ conference in 2008 adopted a new translation of the Bible; for the Lord’s Prayer both in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, they chose “do not abandon us in temptation,” although they did not order the change in

The pope was asked during a TV programme about the line, ‘Lead us not into temptation’ in the Our Father prayer.

‘This is not a good translation,’ the pope replied. liturgical use. The New American Bible, revised edition, is the basis for the Lectionary used at English-language Masses in the United States; the petition from the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and

Guadalupe feast shows Mary’s closeness to the marginalised CNS photo

VATICAN CITY – The appearance

of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which mirrored that of the indigenous people of the time, is a sign of Mary’s closeness to those who are marginalised, Pope Francis said.

Like St Juan Diego, who felt of no importance at being chosen by Mary because of his indigenous heritage, marginalised people in today’s world are often made to feel worthless by conditions imposed upon them, the pope said in his homily during a Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Dec 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“Among them are the indigenous and Afro-American communities, who often are not treated with dignity and equality of conditions; many women who are excluded because of their sex, race, or socioeconomic situation; young people who receive a poor education and have no opportunities to advance in their studies or to enter into the labour market so as to move ahead and establish a family; many poor people, unemployed, migrants, displaced, landless peasants, who seek to survive on the informal market; boys and girls subjected to child prostitution, often linked to sex tourism,” he said, quoting a 2007 Latin American bishops’ council document he helped to write.

Processing into the basilica dressed in white, the symbol of purity, Pope Francis made his way to a replica of St Juan Diego’s tilma, which bears the image of Mary, who appeared to the indigenous saint in 1531.

Mary, shown “with dark-skin and mestizo appearance,” reflect-

Pope Francis swings a censer in front of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe as he celebrates Mass on Dec 12 marking her feast day in St Peter’s Basilica.

ed a “mother capable of taking on the traits of her children to make them feel a part of her blessing,” the pope said.

Pope Francis called on Christians to look to Mary and learn from her, to become a Church with a “mestizo appearance, an

indigenous appearance” that takes the form of the little ones.

It is “the appearance of a person who is poor, unemployed, of a boy or girl, old or young, so that no one may feel sterile and infertile, so that no one feels ashamed or worthless,” the pope said. n CNS

Luke is translated as: “do not subject us to the final test.”

Pope Francis told Fr Pozza, “I’m the one who falls. But it’s not [God] who pushes me into temptation to see how I fall. No,

a father does not do this. A father helps us up immediately.”

“The one who leads us into temptation is Satan,” the pope said. “That’s Satan’s job.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in its discussion of the Lord’s Prayer, says, “our sins result from our consenting to temptation; we therefore ask our Father not to ‘lead’ us into temptation. It is difficult to translate the Greek verb used by a single English word: the Greek means both ‘do not allow us to enter into temptation’ and ‘do not let us yield to temptation.’”

Referring to James 1:13, the catechism says, “’God cannot be tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one’; on the contrary, He wants to set us free from evil.

We ask Him not to allow us to take the way that leads to sin.” n CNS

Pontiff urges bishops to exercise authority in annulments VATICAN CITY – A diocesan bish-

op is the sole judge in the streamlined process for handling marriage annulments, Pope Francis said.

The simplified process “is not an option that the diocesan bishop can choose, but rather an obligation that derives from his consecration and from the mission received,” making the bishop the sole and exclusive authority in charge throughout the three phases of the briefer process, the pope said.

The pope made his remarks during an audience on Nov 25 with canon lawyers, priests and pastoral workers attending a course sponsored by the Roman Rota, a Vatican tribunal that mainly deals with marriage annulment cases.

The pope encouraged them to be close to those who are suffering and who expect help “to restore peace to their consciences and God’s will on readmission to the Eucharist.”

The new process “is an expression of the Church that is able to welcome and care for those who are wounded in various ways by life and, at the same time, it is an appeal for the defence of the sacredness of the marriage bond,” he said.

Pope Francis used the occasion to clarify and strongly emphasise how a bishop should not delegate completely the duty of deciding marriage cases to the offices of his curia, especially in the streamlined process for handling cases of clear nullity that were established with new norms that took effect at the end of 2015. The

norms were outlined in two papal documents, Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge) for the Latin-rite Church and Mitis et misericors Iesus, (The Meek and Merciful Jesus) for the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Pointing out the clear role of the diocesan bishop as sole judge in the briefer process was meant to help apply the new laws and increasingly recover an appropriate practice of synodality, he said.

The diocesan bishop has always been charged with exercising judicial power personally or through others; but, the pope said, that principle has been interpreted in such a way that the bishop no longer personally exercises that power and delegates “almost everything to the tribunals.”

Given the unique nature of the abbreviated process in determining the nullity of marriages, the pope set out a number of points that he deemed to be “decisive and exclusive in the personal exercise of the role of judge by the diocesan bishop.”

The abbreviated process was instituted not to facilitate annulments, but to simplify and speed up the processes necessary to determine and declare the truth about the nullity of a marriage, in other words, declaring that it never existed as a valid sacrament.

The changes, the pope wrote in 2015, were motivated by “concern for the salvation of souls,” and particularly “charity and mercy” towards those who feel alienated from the Church because of their marriage situations and the perceived complexity of the Church’s annulment process. n CNS

14 POPE IN ASIA

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

“The presence of God is

... says Pope Francis during his Bang YANGON – Jesus’ love “is like a

spiritual GPS” that guides people past the everyday obstacles of fear and pride and allows them to find their way to a relationship with God and with their neighbours, Pope Francis said.

Christ’s message of “forgiveness and mercy uses a logic that not all will want to understand, and which will encounter obstacles. Yet His love, revealed on the cross is ultimately unstoppable,” the pope said on Nov 29, celebrating his first public Mass in Myanmar.

According to the Vatican, 150,000 people attended the Mass at the Kyaikkasan sports ground in Yangon. Thousands of them had travelled hundreds of kilometres to be at the Mass and many of them camped out on the sports field the night before the liturgy.

Pope Francis acknowledged the sacrifices made by the people as well as the struggles Catholics face as a tiny minority in Myanmar and as citizens of a country struggling to leave violence behind and transition from military to democratic rule.

“I know that many in Myanmar bear the wounds of violence, wounds both visible and invisible,”

People wave the flags of Myanmar and the Vatican as they wait for Pope Francis to celebrate Mass.

the pope said in his homily. “The temptation is to respond to these injuries with a worldly wisdom” or to

Respect the rights of all ethnic groups cal – that have eroded trust and NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR – The plight of the ethnic Muslim mi- understanding, harmony and conority in Myanmar’s Rakhine operation between different comstate was front and centre in munities in Rakhine, the support speeches by Pope Francis and of our people and of good friends Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, but nei- who only wish to see us succeed ther publicly used the word Ro- in our endeavours has been invaluable.” hingya.

In his speech, After private Pope Francis repeatmeetings on Nov 28 edly insisted that the with Myanmar PresiThe future rights of each memdent Htin Kyaw and of Myanmar ber of society and Ms Suu Kyi, the state each ethnic group counsellor and de must be must be respected. facto head of governpeace, a He also praised the ment, the pope and Ms Suu Kyi gave forpeace based role of the United Nations and the intermal speeches to govon respect for national community ernment officials and in supporting peace diplomats gathered at the dignity the convention centre and rights of efforts.

“The future of in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital. each member Myanmar must be peace, a peace based Ms Suu Kyi, leadof society. on respect for the er of the process to – Pope Francis dignity and rights bring democracy to of each member of Myanmar and winsociety, respect for ner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, publicly acknowl- each ethnic group and its idenedged, “Of the many challenges tity, respect for the rule of law, that our government has been and respect for a democratic orfacing, the situation in Rakh- der that enables each individual ine has most strongly captured and every group to offer its lethe attention of the world. As gitimate contribution to the comwe address long-standing issues mon good,” Pope Francis said.

– social, economic and politi- n CNS

‘

’

think that “healing can come from anger and revenge. Yet the way of revenge is not the way of Jesus.”

Pope Francis prayed that Catholics in Myanmar would “know the healing balm of the Father’s mercy

and find the strength to bring it to others, to anoint every hurt and every painful memory. In this way, you will be faithful witnesses of the reconciliation and peace that God wants to reign in every human heart and in every community.”

Fr Francis Saw from St John Cantonment Church in Yangon said he had 400 guests at his parish.

“Many people came from the hill towns. I welcomed them and fed them” the night before the Mass, he said.

“We are very happy and encouraged by the pope’s visit,” he said. “It is good for our country and for our church.”

Some people had reserved seats close to the altar. “Every parish got some VIP tickets for those who are very involved in the parish, very poor or sick,” said Noeli Anthony, a ticketholder from the Myanmar Catholic community in Perth, Australia.

Salesian Fr Albert “Sam” Saminedi, pastor of the Perth community, said the immigrants he ministers to “love their country” and “are very strong, very loud and full of faith.” More than 100 of them travelled home to be with the pope. n CNS

Uniformity a greater threat to culture than differences YANGON – Pope Francis met with

various religious leaders and also celebrated Mass for young people during his trip to Myanmar.

In a small, informal meeting with a variety of religious leaders, Pope Francis went to the heart of his message for Myanmar: unity, not uniformity, is the secret to peace.

Representatives of the Baptist, Anglican, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim communities were present during the Nov 28 meeting at the archbishop’s residence.

“United does not mean the same; unity is not uniformity,” the pope said. “Each one has its values, its riches and also its deficiencies.”

Although the majority of people in Myanmar are Buddhist, the country also has about 135 recognised ethnic groups.

“Let’s be like brothers and sisters.

And if we argue among ourselves, let it be like brothers and sisters – they are reconciled immediately ... I think that is the only way peace is built.”

During his Nov 29 meeting with members of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, a government-appointed group of senior Buddhist monks, Pope Francis said Christians and Buddhists are called by faith to overcome evil with goodness and violence with peace.

Pope Francis greets young people after celebrating Mass with them at St Mary’s Cathedral in Yangon.

CNS photo

The pope insisted that in a land where the powerfully bonded pairing of religion and ethnicity have been used to prolong conflict, it was time for religious leaders to reclaim the greatest values and virtues of their faith traditions.

Bhaddanta Kumarabhivamsa, president of the committee, told the pope that religious leaders “must denounce any kind of expression that incites [people] to hatred, false propaganda, conflict and war with religious pretexts and condemn strongly those who support such activity.”

Before ending his visit to Myanmar, Pope Francis turned to the nation’s young Catholics, urging them to serve their tiny Church and their

struggling nation with prayer, solidarity and a defence of human rights.

Celebrating Mass on Nov 30 in Yangon’s St Mary’s Cathedral, Pope Francis said he wanted to speak to the young as a grandfather.

Pope Francis’ grandfatherly advice to them was to find a place away from the noise and distractions of modern life where they could learn to listen to God in prayer. And he encouraged them to rely on the help of the saints, who were men and women who made mistakes but learned to trust in God’s mercy.

Also, be young and be bold, the pope told them.

“Do not be afraid to make a ruckus, to ask questions that make people think,” he said. n CNS

POPE IN ASIA 15

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

s also called ‘Rohingya’”

ngladesh trip after visiting Myanmar Pontiff: Defend God’s image by defending the Rohingya DHAKA – Each human being is created in the image and likeness of God, yet so often people desecrate that image with violence as seen in the treatment of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, Pope Francis said.

“Today, the presence of God is also called ‘Rohingya,’” the pope said on Dec 1 after meeting, clasping hands with and listening intently to 16 Rohingya who have found shelter in Bangladesh.

“They, too, are images of the living God,” Pope Francis told a gathering of Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu leaders gathered in Dhaka for an interreligious meeting for peace.

“Dear brothers and sisters,” he told the crowd, “let us show the world what its selfishness is doing to the image of God.” “Let’s keeping helping” the Rohingya, he said. “Let’s continue working so their rights are recognised. Let’s not close our hearts.

Let’s not look away.”

The Rohingya, like all people, are created in God’s image, the pope insisted. “Each of us must respond.”

The refugees travelled to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar, the southern Bangladeshi city hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled Myanmar. More than 620,000

Rohingya have crossed the border into Bangladesh since late August.

Speaking directly to them, Pope Francis said, “We are all close to you.”

In comparison to the suffering the Rohingya have endured, he said, the response of the people at the gathering actually is small. “But we make room for you in our hearts.”

“In the name of all those who have persecuted you and have done you harm, especially for the indifference of the world, I ask forgiveness,” he said.

Pope Francis’ remarks, which he made in Italian, were translated for the crowd and for the Rohingya. Many of them were in tears.

In his formal speech at the interreligious meeting, Pope Francis insisted “mere tolerance” for people of other religions or ethnic groups was not enough to create a society where everyone’s rights are respected and peace reigns.

Believers must “reach out to

Pope Francis greets a young Rohingya refugee from Myanmar during a Dec 1 interreligious and ecumenical meeting for peace in the garden of the archbishop’s residence in Dhaka, Bangladesh. CNS photo

others in mutual trust and understanding,” not ignoring differences, but seeing them as “a potential source of enrichment and growth.”

The “openness of heart” to which believers of all faiths are called includes “the pursuit of goodness, justice and solidarity,” he said. “It leads to seeking the good of our neighbours.”

helping. Let’s continue working ‘Let’s keeping so their rights are recognised.

Let’s not close our hearts. Let’s not look away.’

– Pope Francis on helping the Rohingya

Pope Francis urged the people of Bangladesh to make openness, acceptance and cooperation the “beating heart” of their nation.

Such attitudes, he said, are the only antidote to corruption, “destructive religious ideologies and the temptation to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor, refugees, persecuted minorities and those who are most vulnerable.”

According to a Vatican translation, Farid Uddin Masud, speaking for the Muslim community, told the pope, “it is compassion and love which today’s world needs most.

The only remedy and solution to the problem of malice, envy and fight-

ing among nations, races and creeds lies in the compassionate love preached and practised by the great men and women of the world.”

Anisuzzaman, a famous professor of Bengali literature, told the gathering that in a world torn by strife, the pope’s message of encounter and dialogue takes on added importance.

“Those of us who are frustrated to find the forces of hatred and cruelty overtaking those of love and compassion can surely find solace in the pope’s message of peace and harmony and of fraternity and goodwill,” he said, according to the Vatican’s translation of his speech. n CNS

Pray for your priests, pope urges at Mass DHAKA – Ordaining 16 new priests

Pope Francis ordains one of 16 new priests during Mass in Suhrawardy Udyan park in Dhaka on Dec 1. CNS photo

in Bangladesh, Pope Francis kept to his practice of using the formal ritual homily for the occasion.

But, as often happens, he also felt a need to speak more personally to the people before him.

At the Mass on Dec 1 in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan park, Pope Francis’ impromptu remarks were not addressed to the candidates for priesthood, but to the estimated 100,000 people in thecrowd.

Pope Francis called the Mass “a feast, this great celebration” for the ordination of priests. “I know that many of you came from afar, travelling for more than two days. Thank you for your generosity.”

“This shows the love you have for the Church. This shows the

love you have for Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for your generosity. Thank you so much for your fidelity,” he told them. “Continue this way with the spirit of the Beatitudes.”

But he also had an admonition for the people: “Always pray for your priests, especially for those who today will receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders.”

Every Catholic, he said, has a responsibility to support priests.

“Some of you might ask me, ‘But, Father, how do I support priests?’

Trust in your generosity. Your generous hearts will tell you how to support your priests. But the first support of priests is prayer.”

The Mass and ordinations were celebrated on a simple, thatchroofed altar platform constructed

of bamboo, a humble material meant to reflect the simplicity and poverty of the majority of Bangladesh’s people.

Thanking the pope at the end of the Mass, Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, said the Mass in the park had great significance for the status of the Catholic faith in his country, where the vast majority of people are Muslim.

Celebrating a Catholic Mass at the park for the first time, the cardinal said, makes “the ground more meaningful” as a sign of the nation’s multi-faith character and symbolises “the special role of the Church in this nation.” n CNS n See also story on Page 17

16 OPINION

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Playing loose with the truth

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Nativity scene, Christmas tree signs of God’s compassion CNS photo

VATICAN CITY – A Nativity scene

and Christmas tree, like those displayed in St Peter’s Square, are visible reminders of God’s benevolence and closeness to all men and women, Pope Francis said.

The traditional Christmas displays are “the signs of the heavenly Father’s compassion, of His participation and closeness to humanity who experience not being abandoned in dark times, but instead visited and accompanied in their difficulties,” the pope said.

“Every year, the Christmas Nativity scene and tree speak to us through their symbolic language. They make more visible what is captured in the experience of the birth of the Son of God,” Pope Francis said on Dec 7 in a meeting with delegations from Poland and Italy, responsible respectively for the 2017 Vatican Christmas tree and Nativity scene.

The centrepiece of the Vatican’s Christmas holiday decorations is the towering 28-m spruce tree.

Thanking the members of the Polish delegation, the pope said the tree’s soaring height “motivates us to reach out ‘toward the highest gifts’” and to rise above the clouds to experience “how beautiful and joyful it is to be immersed in the light of Christ.”

The Nativity scene was donated by the Benedictine Abbey of Montevergine, located in southern Italy. Created in a traditional 18th-century Neapolitan style, it covers a surface of over 80 sq m and features 20 terracotta figures, some as tall as 2 m.

The Nativity scene and Christmas tree are seen after a lighting ceremony in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Dec 7.

The representation of the night of Jesus’ birth, the pope said, is “inspired by the works of mercy” and is a reminder “that Jesus told us: ‘Do to others what you would have them do to you.’”

“The crib is the evocative place where we contemplate Jesus who, taking upon Himself

The crib ‘ is the evocative place where we contemplate Jesus.

’

– Pope Francis

human misery, invites us to do the same through acts of mercy,” Pope Francis said.

As it was last year, the Christmas tree was adorned with ornaments made by children receiving treatment at Italian hospitals.

“These children, with their parents, participated in a ceramics recreational therapy programme”

organised by the Countess Lene Thune Foundation for young boys and girls suffering from oncological and hematological disorders, the Vatican said on Oct 25.

Pope Francis thanked the children and told them their ornaments are a personal witness of Jesus “who made Himself a child like you to tell you that he loves you.”

After the Vatican’s tree-lighting ceremony later that evening, he added, “pilgrims and visitors from around the world will be able to admire your work.”

“Tonight, when the lights of the nativity scene are turned on and the Christmas tree lights up, even the wishes you have transmitted through your decorative works will be bright and seen by everyone,” he said.

The tree will remain in St Peter’s Square until the feast of the Lord’s Baptism on Jan 7, the Vatican said. n CNS

IT CAN be quite disheartening to watch the news these days. Our world is full of hatred, bigotry, racism, and over-stimulated greed and ego. The gap between the rich and poor is widening and random, senseless violence is an everyday occurrence. One lives with hope, but without much optimism.

Among all of this, perhaps the most distressing thing of all is the erosion of our capacity to recognise and acknowledge the truth. From the highest government offices, to the major media outlets, to our local newspapers, to the thousands of bloggers, down to our dinner tables, we are becoming irresponsible, manipulative, and outright dishonest with the truth, denying it where it’s inconvenient, bending it to suit our own purposes, or labelling it as “an alternative fact”. Studies from major scientific institutes are dismissed as just another opinion with the result that we are creating an entire society within which it’s becoming more and more difficult for any of us to trust what’s a fact and what isn’t. That’s dangerous territory, not just politically but especially spiritually.

Scripture tells us that Satan is the Prince of Lies and Jesus makes it clear that, among all sins, failure to acknowledge the truth is far and away the most dangerous. We see this motif particularly in the text that warns us that we can commit a sin that’s unforgiveable because it’s a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. .

What’s this sin? Why is it unforgiveable? And what has it got to do with telling lies?

The unforgiveable sin is precisely the sin of lying which can become unforgiveable because of what lying can do to us. Here’s how the biblical text unfolds: Jesus has just cast out a demon. Part of the Jewish faith at that time was the belief that only someone who came from God had power to cast out a demon. Jesus had done that, but the Scribes and Pharisees who have just witnessed this found it to be an inconvenient truth since they denied Jesus’ goodness. So in the face of truth they had to either acknowledge something that they did not want to or they had to manipulate the truth to give it a different meaning. They chose the latter and, clearly aware that they were manipulating the truth, accused Jesus of performing the miracle through the power of Satan. They knew better, knew they were lying, but the actual truth was too difficult to accept.

Jesus initially tries to argue with them, pointing out that there’s no logic in suggesting that Satan is casting out demons. They persist, and it’s then Jesus utters His warning: “In truth I tell you, all human sins will be forgiven, and all the blasphemies ever uttered, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3, 28-29 parallel text in Matthew 12, 31-32). What exactly is this warning?

Jesus is saying this: Be careful about what you are doing just now, putting a false spin on something because it is too awkward to accept as true. The danger is that if you continue doing this you may eventually come to believe your own lie. That will be unforgiveable, given that you will no longer want to be forgiven because you will see truth as a lie and a lie as the truth. The sin cannot be forgiven, not because God doesn’t want to forgive it but because we no longer want to be forgiven.

Dictionaries tell us that blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God. We don’t blaspheme when we use foul language when we’re frustrated; nor do we blaspheme when we shake our fists at God in anger or turn away from Him in bitterness. God can handle that. The one thing God cannot handle is lying, where we lie to the point of believing our own lies (the real danger in lying) because that eventually warps our consciences so that we can no longer tell truth from falsehood or falsehood from truth.

Theology teaches us that God is One, this means that God’s inner integrity assures that all of reality also has an inner integrity, an intelligibility, meaning that something cannot be and not be at the same time; meaning that two plus two cannot equal anything but four; meaning that a tree is always a tree no matter what you say it is; and meaning that black can never be white. God’s Oneness allows us to both trust reality and trust our normal perception of it.

That’s what’s under attack today. n

POPE IN ASIA 17

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Pope expresses satisfaction with meetings on Rohingya crisis crying, ‘butI was tried to hide

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BANGLADESH – Well aware

he was disappointing some people by not using the word “Rohingya” publicly in Myanmar, Pope Francis said his chief concern had been to get a point across, and he did.

“If I would have used the word, the door would have closed,” he told reporters on Dec 2 during his flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Rome.

He spent almost an hour answering reporters’ questions after his six-day trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, but insisted that most of the questions be about the trip.

In his speeches in Myanmar, Pope Francis repeatedly referred to the obligation to defend the lives and human rights of all people. But he did not specifically mention the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Rakhine state.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled across the Bangladeshi border since August, joining hundreds of thousands already living in refugee camps there.

“I knew that if, in an official speech, I would have used the word, they would close the door in my face,” the pope told reporters who asked why he did not name the group. However, “I described the situation” publicly, knowing “I could go further in the private meetings” with government officials.

“I was very, very satisfied with the meetings,” the pope said. “I dared to say everything

it. They were crying, too.

’

– Pope Francis (left) on his experience meeting with Rohingya refugees

I wanted to say.”

It is true, he said, “I did not have the pleasure” of making “a public denunciation, but I had the satisfaction of dialoguing, allowing the other to have his say and, in that way, the message got across.”

Still, finally being able to meet some of the Rohingya refugees on Dec 1 in Bangladesh was an emotional moment.

Arrangements were made for 16 refugees to travel to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar, where the huge refugee camps are, so they could join the pope and Bangladeshi religious leaders for a meeting devoted to peace.

The refugees had travelled so far and been through so much that Pope Francis said he could not just let them shake his hand and be whisked away, as some event organisers seemed to think was proper.

He had a few minutes with

each of them, listening to their stories with the help of an interpreter, holding their hands and looking into their eyes.

“I was crying, but tried to hide it,” the pope told reporters. “They were crying, too.”

Listening to them was emotional, he said, and “I couldn’t let them leave without saying something” to them. He also apologised for all they had suffered.

The pope was asked what he thought of recent criticism by human rights groups of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and de facto leader of Myanmar’s civilian government, over her handling of the Rohingya crisis. Pope Francis responded that people must take into account the challenges that are part of Myanmar’s transition from military rule to democracy.

Myanmar is at a “turning point” where it will be difficult to move forward, he said, but it also would be difficult to back away from change.

And, he said, “I never lose hope.” n CNS

18 CHRISTMAS FEATURE

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Christmas: A time for dialogue, reconciliation

By David Gibson

D

id you ever hear a sound in the night that startled you from sleep, an unsettling sound that left you wide awake and demanded that you investigate its cause? The Gospel of Luke tells of a nighttime disturbance similar to this (2:8-14).

It startled shepherds “keeping the night watch over their flock” some 2,000 years ago in the Holy Land.

“Behold!” a voice called out to them.

Luke indicates that what happened in the night really frightened the shepherds at first. It captured their complete attention of course.

But it was an angel who spoke to them, saying, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news” – joyful news for all – that today “a saviour has been born for you.”

Surely the shepherds knew then and there that they would not sleep that night! Instead, they would make their way to the place described to them. First, however, “a multitude of the heavenly host” joined their angel.

All these heavenly visitors were “praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.’”

Pope Francis calls this “the song of the angels.” It is, he comments, “a song that unites heaven and earth.”

On his first Christmas as pope, he asked everyone to join in this song. He called it “a song for every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty.”

The shepherds of Luke’s Gospel must have been awestruck by all that they heard and saw in the night. “Behold!” an angel said to them, and quite soon they beheld an infant named Jesus.

Jesus’ birth is always recalled among Christians as an awe-inspiring event of astounding beauty – an event to behold and to celebrate jubilantly.

Yet, attaching the title “Prince of Peace” to Him assures that in celebrating His birth, Christians will always ponder His peacemaking mission in our world, which becomes a

Two siblings hug in front of Christmas trees. Peacemaking is threaded into the very fabric of the Church’s celebration of Christmas.

commission to His followers as well.

“God is peace: Let us ask Him to help us to be peacemakers each day – in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world,” Pope Francis urged on Christmas 2013.

Today, peacemaking is threaded into the very fabric of the Church’s celebration of the Christmas season.

There are wonders to behold and treasure every year during Christmas. Yet, every wonder of faith is like a two-sided coin. Its reverse

Christmas is a call to make peace, to give birth to reconciliations of all kinds in marriages and families, in neighbourhoods, within a single nation and among nations.

side calls believers into action.

So, Christmas is a call to make peace, to give birth to reconciliations of all kinds in marriages and families, in neighbourhoods, within a single nation and among nations. This is why the prayer of the Church at Christmas so often is a prayer for peace.

In “The Joy of the Gospel,” his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis stressed that “by preaching Jesus Christ, who is Himself peace,” the Church calls upon “every baptised person to be a peacemaker and a credible witness to a reconciled life” (No. 239).

In the mind of Pope Francis, a lack of human dialogue harms peace greatly. But isn’t that another way of stating that the willingness to

hear others, to lend time to them by listening with interest and respect to their voices, holds a vital place among the building blocks of peace?

Indifference towards others also harms peace profoundly, Pope Francis makes it clear. But he believes that “cold indifference” can be “won over by the warmth of mercy,” a “gift of God that turns fear into love and makes us artisans of peace.”

Christmas celebrates “the birth of a vulnerable child” called “the Prince of Peace,” Pope Francis points out. This is the incarnate Lord, who “shows us the real face of God, for whom power does not mean force or destruction but love” and mercy. n CNS Gibson served on Catholic News Service’s editorial staff for 37 years.

Finding peace amid challenging times

By Effie Caldarola At one time or another, we’ve all secretly yearned for the commercialised version of Christmas, where beautiful people, clad in designer clothes, gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes.

In reality, our Christmases don’t fit that image. Tired, impatient children, lopsided trees heavy with homemade ornaments, dogs smashing stolen Christmas cookies into the carpet – that’s where most of us live.

But for some people, even nagging children and unruly pets might be a welcome respite from struggle this season.

People face all kinds of conflicts and troubles, and sometimes the Christmas season as presented in our culture, can add to the pain and a troubling lack of peace.

Consider those who have experienced the recent death of a loved one. How to find peace with a gaping hole in our heart? What about the divorced or those separated by distance from loved ones?

What of those facing terminal

illness – a last Christmas? For those prone to depression, sometimes the societal imperative to be joyful can act like a weight on the emotions.

Financial difficulties, employment struggles, skirmishes over politics that set the holiday table on edge,

A boy holds his Nativity scene.

Christ came into this messy, gritty, troubled reality of human life to greet each person in his or her own struggle, sin and marginalisation.

CNS photo

an addiction problem, marriage problems – life is full of challenges.

Sometimes we are simply lonely in a season that celebrates togetherness.

How do we find peace and joy?

We might begin by once again reading the Gospel of Luke’s Christmas story. Christ was not born into a perfect world. He came into the messy, gritty, troubled reality of human life.

Use your imagination to experience the untidiness of giving birth in a cave or outbuilding. In your imagination, savour the earthy smells, the raw and human sights of the first Christmas.

When you go to this scene in prayer, do not dwell on your own struggles. Be with Mary and her little family in theirs.

From this beginning, fraught with uncertainty, Jesus spent His life among the poor, the marginalised, the troubled, the sinner. This is the real story of Christmas. It’s in our own struggle, sin and marginalisation that Christ waits to meet us.

Devote quiet minutes each day to giving your unrest and burden to Jesus.

It also might help to make a list of people, the people you love, the people you miss or worry about, including the people with whom you might be in conflict. Resolve to pray for those people daily, and reach out to someone on your list each day.

A short phone call, a hug, a note dropped in the mail, whatever seems appropriate. Focus on loving them. Do not demand or expect anything in return. Work on your own attitude and don’t dwell on theirs.

If you are experiencing pain or conflict, find a trusted friend, adviser or confidante. Don’t go through the holiday season nursing a grievance or hurt alone. Unburden yourself to someone.

Look outward. Lonely? Call someone who might be lonely as well. Take some clothes to a shelter. Volunteer at a food bank. Socialise.

Christ promised a peace that the world cannot give. Reach out to Him. n CNS Caldarola is a freelance writer and a columnist for Catholic News Service.

CHRISTMAS FEATURE 19

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

During Advent, surrender to God’s plan

By Susan Hines-Brigger As a woman and mother, I have always had a special connection with the season of Advent. Maybe I’m inspired by the strength displayed

by Mary in the face of an unforeseen and life-changing request. Or, maybe the mother in me basks in the memories of the weeks before my own children were born.

But it was 15 years ago that Advent really spoke to me. It was in a way that I never would have imagined, though. And it all began with a phone call.

“You have multiple sclerosis,” I remember the doctor saying, very matter-of-factly.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

After those four words, I don’t really recall anything else he said. I was too busy imagining my world crumbling around me, my future being wrapped up in an uncertain haze.

But I do remember one thing. I remember wondering, Why me? I was too young for this. I had plans.

I had kids.

“Try praying,” people would tell me when they found out about my diagnosis. “Maybe that will help you find some peace with your diagnosis.” All my prayers seemed to end the same way, though. Me ranting at God, and asking why I had to carry this burden.

And then it happened. As I have found so often in life, sometimes the greatest insights come at your darkest moments – in the most unforeseen ways. As in sitting in church, listening to the Gospel.

Mary and the baby Jesus are depicted in a 1997 painting by Elizabeth Wang.

Like Mary, Catholics should learn to trust in God’s plan when faced with challenges in their lives.

CNS photo

The week’s reading was the story of Mary’s “yes” when the angel Gabriel announced God’s plan.

I found myself wondering about Mary’s immediate reaction to the news. Was there ever a moment of “Why me?” I wondered. Because, if there was, it would have been completely understandable.

But, yet, there wasn’t. No, Mary simply said, “May it be done to me according to your word.”

A number of times over the next few weeks, I would catch myself thinking back to that reading and envying Mary’s complete trust in God’s plan. She didn’t know what the future held for her when she said “yes,” and yet she did it anyway.

Maybe, I began to think, there is a purpose for this path on which I’ve found myself. Maybe, like Mary, I just need to learn to trust in God’s plan.

I am in no way saying that I am anywhere near to being as open and trusting of God’s plan as Mary was.

My “Why me?” days are still much more frequent than my “Why not?” ones.

On those days, I try to remember that God has a plan – even when I don’t exactly know what it is or why He chose me for it. Mary taught me that. n CNS Hines-Brigger is a columnist with St Anthony Messenger

A more positive outlook on life

By Mike Nelson As nearly any of their Christmas shopping lists would suggest, parents know all about surrendering wants and desires – primarily, their wants and desires – for the sake of their children. Going without, or with less, is part and parcel of surrender.

In the context of faith, we – as Catholic disciples – believe that we are called to surrender to God’s will, to sacrifice “for our good, and the good of all His Holy Church,” as we declare in the prayer over the gifts at Mass.

Nothing encapsulates this more than the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the prototypical story of surrender: Mary’s willing acceptance of her role as mother of the Son of God. Certainly, as Luke relates, the teenage Mary felt bewildered and, no doubt, alarmed by the situation presented to her by the angel Gabriel, as would any “virgin with child.”

But in the end, Mary said yes to God.

Three decades later, her son Jesus, faced with an even more challenging situation – His own death by crucifixion – gave the same response, the same surrender, to God the Father: “Not as I will, but as you will” (Mt 26:39).

But another form of “surrender” warrants our attention and reflection during this Advent season (and beyond). It is sug-

Concentrate on your own potential and not on your limits. gested in a sign on the door of Pope Francis’ residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae in Vatican City, a sign that reads: Vietato Lamentarsi, Italian for Complaining Not Allowed.

As reported by independent Catholic news site Crux, the sign elaborates on this message, calling it “the first law in the protection of one’s health and well-being.”

To become the best of yourself, the sign advises, you have to concentrate on your own potential and not on your limits, therefore stop complaining, and act to make your life better.

Posted earlier this year, the sign embraces a core principle of Pope Francis’ outlook on life: Be positive.

That outlook is particularly meaningful in that it comes from a man who worked and served in Argentine slums, among people who had more right than most of us to bemoan their state in life.

It is an outlook that reflects a prayer attributed to St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the pope’s own Religious order, the Jesuits: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.

Amen.” n CNS

CITY CATHEDRAL OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD Dec 24 : 11.30pm Dec 25 : 8.30am, 10.30am & 5.30pm ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH Under renovation/restoration CHURCH OF STS PETER & PAUL Dec 24 : 9pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8.30am (M) & 11am CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES Dec 24 : 9pm & 11.30pm (T) Dec 25 : 9am & 10.30am (T) CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART Dec 24 : 5.30pm, 9.30pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 10.30am, noon & 5.30pm CHURCH OF ST TERESA Dec 24 : 8pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8.30am, 10.30am & 12.30pm CARMELITE MONASTERY 98 Bukit Teresa Road (Kampong Bahru Road), Singapore 099750) Dec 24 : Midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am CHURCH OF ST ALPHONSUS (NOVENA CHURCH) Dec 24 : 9pm Dec 25 : 8am, 10am, noon & 5.30pm CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE Dec 24 : 9.30pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am (M), 9.30am, 11.15am & 3.30pm (IN) CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL Dec 24 : 5.30pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am (M), 9.30am & 5.30pm EAST CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY Dec 24 : 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9.15am, 11.30am & 6pm (M) CHURCH OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE Dec 24 : 9pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am (M), 10am & 5.30pm CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR Dec 24 : 6pm, 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.15am (M), 8.45am, 10.30am, 12.30pm & 6pm CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN Dec 24 : Midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am (M), 11am & 6pm CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY Dec 24 : 8pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am (M), 9.30am, 11.15am & 6pm CHURCH OF DIVINE MERCY Dec 24 : 6pm, 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7am, 9am, 11.30am & 5.30pm NORTH ST JOSEPH CHURCH (BT) Dec 24 : 9pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 11am & 5.30pm

Note: M: Mandarin; T: Tamil; IN: Indonesian; Please check with parishes for updates.

CHURCH OF ST ANTHONY Dec 24 : 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9.15am (M), 11.15am, 12.30pm (T) & 5.30pm CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA Dec 24 : 6.30pm (T), 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.15am (M), 8.30am, 10.15am, noon & 5pm CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Dec 24 : 7.30pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7am, 9am & 11.30am CHURCH OF THE RISEN CHRIST Dec 24 : 8pm & 11.30pm Dec 25 : 7am, 8.15am (M), 9.45am, 11.30am & 6pm CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING Dec 24 : 8pm & 11pm Dec 25 : 7am, 8.15am (M), 9.45am, 11.30am & 5.30pm SERANGOON CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Dec 24 : 5.30pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.30am, 9.15am (M) & 11am CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY Dec 24 : 5.45pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 8am, 10.30am & 5.45pm CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER Dec 24 : 5.30pm, 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 11am & 5.30pm ST ANNE’S CHURCH Dec 24 : 8pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 11am & 6pm CHURCH OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL Dec 24 : Midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 11am & 6pm CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION Dec 24 : Midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am, 11am & 4pm WEST CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS Dec 24 : 5.30pm & 11pm Dec 25 : 8.15am, 10.15am, 12.15pm & 6pm BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH Dec 24 : 7.30pm (M), 9.30pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.30am, 9am (M), 10.45am & 5.30pm CHURCH OF ST MARY OF THE ANGELS Dec 24 : 6.30pm, 9pm & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.30am (M), 9am, 11am & 1pm CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI Dec 24 : 6.30pm (T), 9pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 9am & 11am CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS Dec 24 : 7pm, 9.30pm (M) & midnight Mass Dec 25 : 7.30am, 9.30am & 11.30am

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Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

By Jennifer Ficcaglia One day, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus decided to take a census of all the people living in the territories over which he ruled.

At that time, a man named Joseph was living in the town of Nazareth in Galilee, which was an area that the Romans controlled. Joseph made plans to travel to his ancestral hometown with his pregnant wife, Mary, so they could be counted. Joseph was related to King David, so he and Mary travelled to Bethlehem, the city of David, to take part in the census.

The trip was long, and Mary was very close to the end of her pregnancy. Bethlehem was so crowded with people who were there for the census that Joseph and Mary had a hard time finding somewhere to stay.

While she and Joseph were in Beth-

lehem, it came time for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn son.

Mary wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

As all of this was taking place, there were shepherds working during the night in the fields around Bethlehem. They were watching over their flocks of sheep to keep them safe from wild animals.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds.

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said, “for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a saviour has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

After the angel left, the shep-

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

St Andre Bessette Andre Bessette (1845-1937) was a native of Canada. As a young man, he moved to the United States and worked there for three years.

He returned to Canada in 1870 and joined the Congregation of Holy Cross near Montreal. He performed many different tasks for his community, such as gardening and being a doorman.

He modelled his life after St Joseph, and he began a healing ministry that was very popular.

He moved into Montreal in 1904 to help his congregation with a building project and lived there the rest of his life. We honour him on Jan 6. n

herds decided to find the child.

“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us,” they said.

The men quickly went into the city and found Mary and Joseph, as well as the baby lying in the manger.

When they saw that the angel’s message was indeed true, they told everyone in Bethlehem about it.

Everyone who heard the shep-

herds’ story was amazed, and Mary reflected in her heart on all that took place. n Read more about it: Luke 2

Q&A 1. To which city did Joseph and Mary travel?

2. Who appeared to the shepherds in the field?

Wordsearch: n KING

n TRUE

n MAGI

n CANADA

n MANGER

n PROCLAIM

n STAR

n CROSS

n ANGEL

n INFANT

n CHRIST

n JOSEPH

BIBLE TRIVIA: Who was not happy to learn of Jesus’ birth?

(Hint: Matthew 2)

Bible Accent: Answer to puzzle: Today in the city of David a saviour has been born.

Answer to Bible Trivia: King Herod

PUZZLE: Unscramble each word, and then place the words in the correct order to reveal a sentence from the children’s story. vausroi a avddi ni eneb yatod fo ronb sha ytci het _______

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The shepherds were not the only people who visited Jesus after He was born. In Matthew 2, we learn that there were Magi from the East who were searching for the infant Messiah. They saw a star in the sky and followed it in hopes of finding Him. The Magi stopped in Jerusalem to ask the people some questions. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” the Magi wondered. “We saw His star at its rising and have come to do Him homage.”

King Herod called together the chief priests and scribes and asked them what had been written about the Messiah’s birth. They said that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod gave the Magi this information, and the men continued their journey.

The star they were following finally came to rest over the house in Bethlehem where the child was. The Magi were excited. When they entered the house and saw the baby, they prostrated themselves and did Him homage. They also gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Every year, Catholics commemorate the Magi’s visit during the feast of the Epiphany. The feast day falls on Jan 7 next year. n

EVENT SUBMISSIONS WHAT’S ON submissions now require the completion of a form from the Archdiocese before the event can be publicised. For events with foreign speakers, please submit the necessary documentation for approval to the Chancery. For more information and to download the form, visit http:// www.catholic.sg/events/announcementadvertisement-request/.

Once forms have been submitted online, kindly send us details of your event for publication at www. catholicnews.sg/whatson/ at least one month ahead of the publication date.

JAN 6 LAUNCH OF CATECHETICAL YEAR 2018 Time: 3pm-5pm. Venue: CAEC 2 Highland Rd, S549102. Theme :Living as Missionary Disciples. Together with Archbishop William Goh and Fr Erbin Fernandez, the Office For Catechesis invite you and your catechetical ministry members to join us in this celebration.

Please register before Jan 3, 2018, via the link below: https://tinyurl.com/ ybw66o8g. For more information, W: www.catechesis.org.sg; E: formation@catechesis.org.sg; T: 69110400.

SEPT 27, 2017 TO MAY 1, 2019 SHARE THE JOURNEY: A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN BY CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS Organised by Caritas Internationalis, the campaign aims to increase spaces and opportunities with Caritas organisations and parishes to enable local communities and migrants to have more positive encounters. Do join in the campaign activities organised by Caritas Singapore and CHARIS. Follow CaritasSingapore and CHARISSingapore on Facebook for more updates.

JAN 21, 2018 TO JAN 27, 2018 WEEK OF GUIDED PRAYER AT ST ANTHONY’S CHURCH The Sojourners’ Companions invites you to learn how to pray with Scripture and develop a closer relationship with the Lord. Jan 21 (Taster) 2pm-5pm; Jan 22-26: Daily 30 mins at home and 30 mins with personal prayer guide at a convenient time between 9am and 10pm; Jan 27 (2pm–5pm) closure.

Venue: Church of St Anthony.

Cost: $30. To register: W: www. sojourners.sg; wogp@sojourners.sg; parish office; church foyer after Masses on Jan 13 and 14.

JAN 6 ‘O GOD, IT’S A NEW YEAR!’ DAY OF RECOLLECTION Time: 9.30am-5pm. Spend some time in silence contemplating Scripture and be engaged in guided activities based on Ignatian themes. Includes guided meditation, labyrinth walk and writing exercises. Facilitators: Ms Diana Tan and Ms Roselie Chia. Organised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Cost: $60. To register: http://tinyurl.com/ ogod2018; T: 64676072.

FEB 10 INTRODUCTION TO AUTHENTIC CONVERSATIONS Time: 9.30am-5.30pm.

This retreat day explores the art of listening, which is at the heart of an authentic conversation. Are we aware of what we really listen to?

Facilitator: Mr Lance Ng. Organised

by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Cost: $60. To register: http:// tinyurl.com/itac2018; T: 64676072.

JAN 6 MASS FOLLOWED BY PRAYERS FOR HEALING All are welcome and no registration is needed. Time: 2pm-4pm. You are invited to join us for praise and worship and Mass followed by prayers for healing. After Mass, prayer teams will be available to pray with you for healing. Please spread the word to your family and friends.

Celebrant: Fr Tom Curran. Organised

by SACCRE-Praise@Work. Venue: Church of Sts Peter and Paul. For more information, E: praiseatworksg@yahoo. com; T: 97472467.

MARCH 2 TO MARCH 4 HOMECOMING – A LENTEN SOJOURN March 2 (7.30pm)-March 4 (4pm).

This Lent, Jesus wants to invite you on a journey home to God’s love.

In the words of Pope Francis, “Lent is a beneficial time to rediscover one’s Christian identity, which is love that serves, not selfishness that uses.”

Facilitators: Fr Greg Tan and Mr Lance Ng. Organised by Kingsmead Centre, 8 Victoria Park Rd. Cost: $260 (non-AC), $300 (AC). To register: http://tinyurl.com/ hals2018; T: 64676072.

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deadly sins 34 Topic 35 PBS funder 36 Author of Atlas Shrugged 37 Liturgical color 38 Woody Allen animated film 39 _____ of reason 40 Like Esau 41 Some jobs 42 Attacked

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FRANCIS MOK BOON YEO Departed: December 24, 2014

ALBERT LIM LAM SAN Departed: Dec 21, 2008 Your presence is ever near us Your love remains with us yet You were the kind father Your loved ones will never forget.

Deeply missed and fondly remembered by wife, children, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and loved ones.

In loving memory of Eighteenth Anniversary

It hurts to think that you are not here anymore.

Although we can’t help but smile with tears in our eyes to think of each and every cherished moments of our lives together when you are alive.

We miss you always..

Fondly remembered and greatly missed

by Wife, Lisa, children, James, Alice, Andrew and Irene, son-in-laws, daughterin-laws, grandchildren and loved ones.

Thank you for the years we shared Thank you for the way you cared We loved you then and we love you still Forget you, we never will.

Deeply missed and lovingly remembered by children, grandchildren and loved ones.

Mass will be celebrated at the Church of St Teresa on Dec 22, 2017 at 6.00pm.

25 Cartoon company 27 Day on which Jesus rose 28 Taverns 29 Fourth man 30 Indefinite 31 Seize DOWN 32 Anger 1 High priest to whom Jesus was 33 Hydrocarbon brought first (Jn suffixes 18:13) 34 Dismas, the Good 2 Lincoln assassin ____ 3 Spoils 37 Earnings 4 Registered 38 A visit with the pope 5 Bureau 40 Father of Joseph 6 Language of the (Lk 3:23) New Testament 7 Actor and convert 41 Coin Cooper 43 Greek island in the Aegean Sea 8 Here, to Pierre 44 Trounced 9 Loafer letters 46 The ____ of saints 10 Catholic author of How the Irish 47 Brother Saved Civilization 48 Boredom 11 Reveal indiscreetly 49 Staggers 12 She, in Paris 50 Granary 13 “I’m hysterical!”

51 Egyptian sun disk in netspeak 52 Wander 21 ____ to Emmaus 53 Vaccines 22 Third Gospel 55 Consumed 24 Reverence 56 Literary initials

Biblical sea Musical staff sign A Gymnosperm Wife of Abram Sweet French wine “Take _____ leave…”

Make _____ in Number of choirs of angels Son of Jacob Paroxysm

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Lining Prime rating Antelope Greek goddess of strife

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H S T Y M E S A R E T E A R S R C I A I K I T A L H S I A T A M N E G R O O M E E V U D G T E R E I A E A M N S P L I A

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Thirteenth Anniversary In loving memory of

MARGARET MARY MONTEIRO nee GROSSE Departed: Dec 21, 2006 In our hearts you will always live; your love, your voice and your smile are forever imprinted in our minds.

Always remembered, forever cherished by family and all loved ones.

JOSEPH TAN MENG KIAT Called home to the Lord On Dec 21, 2004 Makan sessions and yearly Christmas gatherings just aren’t the same without our dear Joseph.

Thirteen years on and not a day goes by that we don’t miss you dearly.

Always in our hearts, Betty and family.

In everloving memory of Sixth Anniversary

Thirty seventh Anniversary

CYTHIA T. LAZAROO

JOSEPH TAN MARY ONG THIAM HOCK IM NEO Departed Mar 29, 1999 Dec 22, 2015

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Eleventh Anniversary In loving memory of

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

Second Anniversary

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1198

www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

to give this much of his possessions to the poor (Lk 19:8) Barrister Aspersion The Merchant of Venice character Apostle to the Gentiles Not a cleric Touchy One of the seven

Third Anniversary In loving memory of

Ninth Anniversary In loving memory of

SHUM SIEW HUNG JOHN PAUL Departed: Dec 22, 2015 Remembering you is easy We do it every day Missing you is the hardest part As it never goes away To hear your voice.

To see your smile To sit with you and talk for awhile Would be our greatest wish Today, tomorrow, our whole life through We shall always love and remember you.

Deeply missed by your loving wife, Marie and children.

CLASSIFIED

Crossword Puzzle 1199 1

IN MEMORIAM 21

WHAT’S ON

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

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THANKSGIVING My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Jesus, Mary and Joseph and Saints Pio, Anthony and Dominic Savio for prayers answered and favours received.

Grateful

Most Holy St Jude, thank you for the help you had given my family. It is indeed a great comfort that you are always here when we need your help. I am very grateful for your intercession and all the graces shown to my family and me.

Please continue to bless and guide us.

Please turn to pages 22 and 23 for more in memoriam advertisements.

AUSTIN LAZAROO Departed: Dec 21, 2011 Dec 12, 1980

Always remembered and loved by family.

In loving memory of Fifth Anniversary

Nineteenth Anniversary

KENNETH THERESA HENNRY JOSEPH AGNES JOSEPH Departed Dec 26, 2012 Mar 10, 1998

I am sending a dove to heaven with a parcel on its wings, be careful when you open it. It’s full of beautiful things.

Inside are a million kisses wrapped up with a million hugs and with a lot of prayers.

To say how much we miss and love you.

We hold you close within our hearts and there is where you will remain, to walk with us throughout our lives until we meet again.

From: Benny, Marie De Silva and family

22 IN MEMORIAM

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

In loving memory of

THERESA LIM AUGUSTINE GOH PUAY CHOO GEK SENG Departed Feb 23, 2013 Dec 23, 1971

One thing I ask of the Lord; This I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house All the days of my life, To gaze on the Lord’s beauty, To visit his temple (Psalm 27:4)

From your beloved children and grandchildren.

Fifth Anniversary In loving memory of

IN LOVING MEMORY

ANDREW F.M. EE Nov 17, 1911May 22, 1957

PETER PAUL PINTO April 30, 1916Dec 21, 1993

CONNIE PINTO nee DE ROZARIO July 20, 1916Jan 4, 2010

Dearly missed and will always be remembered by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Fourth Anniversary In loving memory of my dear husband

WILMAR TIMM Departed: Dec 29, 2013

Remembering you is easy We do it every day Missing you is the hardest part As it never goes away To hear your voice.

To see your smile To sit with you and talk for awhile Would be our greatest wish Today, tomorrow, our whole life through We shall always love and remember you.

Christina and family.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

CRUEZ FRANCIS Departed: December 30, 2012 We think of you in silence No eyes can see us weep But still within our aching hearts Your memory we keep.

Deeply missed and fondly remembered by wife, children, grandchildren and loved ones.

Twenty-seventh Anniversary In loving memory of

SIXTH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of

First Anniversary In loving memory of

In loving memory of

BRUNO CHAN CHEE FAI Called home to the Lord on 26 December 2011

JOSEPH SOH JIN TAT 1933 - 2017 Dear brother, God grant you eternal rest and peace and may His perpetual light shine upon you.

Amen.

Deeply missed and always remembered by all your siblings

MR MICHAEL RAYAPPAN Born: Jan 12, 1947 Departed: Dec 24, 1990 To us his name will ever be The key that unlocks memory Of a dear one gone but cherished yet A beloved face we’ll never forget.

Always remembered by wife, children, sister, brother, relatives and friends.

Seventh Anniversary In loving memory of

Second Anniversary In loving memory of

MAYMA FERNANDEZ Departed: Dec 24, 2016 In our hearts you will always live Your love, your voice and your smile Are forever imprinted in our minds.

Missed by husband, children & spouses, grandchildren and loved ones.

Mass will be offered at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour on Thursday, Dec 21, 2017 at 6pm.

The wounded heart is slowly but surely, Learning to let go.

We missed you loads We loved you We cherished you.

We thank God for wonderful you.

Loved always by wife Bridgette, children, grandkids & family.

Mass is celebrated at Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary on December 26 at 6.15pm.

SIXTH ANNIVERSARY In loving memory of

“I will go to the altar of God; To God, my joy and my delight” (Psalm 43:4)

CHRISTINA SYLVIA SUNDRAM NEE JOSEPH 24 Dec 1939-27 Dec 2009 Those we love can never be more than a thought away... for as long as there’s a memory, they live in our hearts everyday.

Forever cherished by Stanley, children, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

Please turn to pages 21 and 23 for more in memoriam and classified advertisements.

DYLAN CHRISTOPHER PETER Departed: Dec 26, 2015 We think of you Husband: in silence Harry Arthur No eyes can see Peterson (deceased) us weep You had a heart of gold But still within One of the best our aching hearts to behold Your memory we keep.

You were generous, Mass will be offered loving and kind These are the memories at the Church of the Sacred Heart on you left behind.

Dec 26 at 5.30 pm.

Dearly and deeply Fondly remembered missed by children,

by Mom, Dad, Bryan grandchildren and all loved ones. and loved ones.

MARIA PETERSON NEE LOW Departed: Dec 28, 2010

TERESA TEO LEE HUA Departed: Jan 1, 2007 Time changes many things but not the memory this day brings Till now you are still in our minds and hearts.

Mass will be celebrated at 10am on Monday Jan 1, 2018 at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, 4 Sandy Lane.

JIMMY LOW PENG LEONG Departed: December 27, 2011 God looked around His garden And found an empty place He then looked down upon this Earth And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you And lifted you to rest God’s garden must be beautiful He always takes the best Dearly missed and fondly remembered by your loving wife, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives, godchildren and all loved ones.

IN MEMORIAM 23

Sunday December 24, 2017 n CatholicNews

Twentieth Anniversary In loving memory of

Fourth Anniversary In loving memory of

JUNE LEE YUAN NGOR MR GORDON Departed: Dec 29, 2013 STEVEN Departed: Dec 30, 1997 “If I could have one wish today Time changes many It would not be for gold things but not the But just to have Memory this day brings you back again Till now you are still in our minds and hearts. As in the days of old”.

Dearly missed by wife James Kheng and all relatives and friends.

Manjula, daughters Caroline and Rachelyn.

Sixteenth Anniversary Twenty-second “We remember, Anniversary We celebrate, In loving memory of We believe!”

GEORGE FREDERICK de SOUZA Departed: Dec 19, 1995 I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me, shall never die.

(John 11:25-26) Always remembered by loved ones.

BOBBY YAP TEONG SAN Feb 5, 1923 to Dec 17, 2001 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Ps 27:4

Always loved and cherished by wife Rhonda and loved ones.

In loving and sweet memory of

CYRIL VICTOR JOSEPH REUTENS

JOSEPHINE MARY REUTENS

Born: Nov 4, 1898 Born: July 25, 1909 Departed: Jan 4, 1991 Departed: Nov 22, 1978

You’ll always be with us, dearest Mum & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa, and we’ll always love you.

In loving memory of

In loving memory of WILLIAM A. MURIEL (“ARTIE”) RODRIGUES RODRIGUES Departed: Dec 25, 2003 Dec 19, 2005

Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear Dearly missed by Vicky, Jerry, Melanie, relatives, friends and all loved ones.

In loving memory of Our Dearest Dad & Mom

CLYDE ERIC JONATHAN

MURIEL EVANGELINE JONATHAN Departed Dec 29, 2002 May 6, 1990.

In our hearts you both will always live.

Your love, your voice and your smile Are forever imprinted in our minds.

Greatly and dearly missed by loving family and loved ones.

Fiftieth Anniversary In loving memory of

PAUL TAN GOH LEE Departed: Dec 22, 1967 Love still bridges the chasm of the worlds.

For 50 years we live apart Memories still draw us together on the different journeys we embark Forever and ever you will always live in our hearts.

Fondly cherished by family and loved ones.

Memorial Mass will be celebrated in Church of the Holy Family on Dec 22, 2017 at 6.15pm Please turn to pages 21 and 22 for more in memoriam and classified advertisements.

JOHN TEO CLARA CHER ANDREW SIAK KEE POH SIOK TEO Departed: Dec 21, 84 Departed: Jan 10, 93 Departed: Jan 26, 91

Fondly remembered by your loved ones.

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