Tomorrow Newspaper St Mary of the Angels
Issue No. 60 | September 2012
MICA (P) 045/09/2012
someone we do not love; we will not love someone we do not know,” says Ann Yeong, director of SMOTA’s Youth and Young Adults Office. “Many of our youths and young adults have vast, even deep knowledge of popular culture, sports, music and celebrities. Some of a more intellectual bent may also be quite knowledgeable and passionate about the sciences, literature, philosophy or other subjects. But how can our young people be disciples and apostles of Christ if their experience, knowledge and passion about Him and His Church remain at a crude and rudimentary level?” “They also need exposure to formation in the faith at deeper and more intellectually stimulating levels. Such sessions (at the parish retreat) can help our youths and young adults to realise that there is much more to the faith they profess than they realise, and hopefully, instil a hunger in them for more,” Ann continues.
Building a Community of Intentional Disciples
“T
ake ownership of your faith and discipleship,” Parish Priest Friar John-Paul Tan, OFM, encouraged parishioners in the lead up to the Church of St Mary of the Angels Parish Retreat 2012 from Aug 22 to 25. “May we as a parish, be a community of intentional disciples, spreading the love of God to the people of our neighbourhoods.”
And at the parish retreat, parishioners truly brought to life this message of “service to others”. “What amazed me was how, when approached, various groups and ministries in the parish willingly stepped forward to help out in the running of the actual event by contributing the gifts they have been blessed with,” says Stephen.
And Fr JP’s call was answered with much enthusiasm. More than 650 participants turned up on each of the first three evenings, as we were guided through the roles, characteristics, and path of a disciple by Catholic evangelist Thomas Smith, who was flown in from the US to facilitate the parish retreat.
The full-day seminar on Aug 25 was also a delightful success, as more than 200 participants packed into St Clare Hall for a session based on St Paul’s message to the Corinthians “By virtue of our Baptism, all of us are called to be disciples of Christ. How do we respond? How do we live as His disciples? How do we form others as disciples? The talks at the parish retreat were meant to form parishioners and
“It’s very apt. In life, you always think that everything revolves around you, your achievements, and how things fall into place for yourself. But it should be about serving others,” says Fiona. “It’s in serving people and giving ourselves in the service of others that we find the purpose of life and God’s plans for us,” she adds. Indeed, as Thomas told Catholic News in an interview, people are attracted to Christianity because of “individuals who embody the good news”. “What’s leading people to Christ now is seeing … a Christian who’s doing something for the poor; so concrete works of mercy,” he said. “That’s compelling to people in a post-Christian world.”
By S ta n is l au s J u d e C h a n
“I was really tired actually, coming down after work and all that,” says 26-year-old Fiona Sng, who had signed up for the event because she found the theme of the parish retreat “very compelling”. But, she adds, “It was quite good for me because the information I took back was very useful”.
The parish retreat with Thomas Smith was a fulfilling, Spirit-filled experience, with more than a few lessons for each participant to reflect on. One of the highlights for many – myself included – was when Thomas talked about serving the poorest of the poor, just as the “Son of Man came to serve and not to be served”.
Even as the Parish Retreat 2012 drew to a close, many parishioners were already looking forward to more of such events to help form and grow the SMOTA community. equip us to be better disciples for Christ. We hope that by attending the parish retreat, it will be start for parishioners to answer their call to intentional discipleship more seriously,” says Stephen Wong, director of SMOTA’s Adult Faith Formation Office, which had started preparation afor the retreat from as early as Oct 2011. Indeed, events such as the parish retreat are vital to our growth in faith and discipleship. “Whether young or old, we are all called to become disciples of Christ and witnesses to the world. We will not follow
“I thought it was excellent, and not just because Thomas Smith is such an anointed speaker or because the content of the retreat was so rich. I think it is wonderful that there is a week set aside in the parish calendar where regular ministry activities are suspended so that everyone can come together to rest and be formed spiritually,” Ann says. “That the parish is generous enough to bring a speaker of Thomas Smith’s calibre to preach at the retreat and to subsidise the cost so heavily is a real demonstration of our parish’s commitment to the making and formation of disciples,” Ann adds. “I hope that this will continue to be an annual event!”
2 SMOTA Seniors
Deep Play
Sharing the Gift of Love What better way to share the joy of Christ than by bringing love as a gift for others? Abraham Christopher and the SMOTA Seniors visit the Gift of Love Home, a home for the destitute elderly set up by the Missionaries of Charity Singapore. Photos by Valentine Liew.
O T e x t By S G L e e . P h oto s by B e n e d ic t L au.
N
o, no, not going off the deep end. Nor Deep Tissue Therapy! Just a very intense (deep) play on words and the meanings and images that those words evoke, by Anne Lee Tzu Pheng, an acclaimed poet, Cultural Medallion Winner (Literature) and Franciscan tertiary. Anne also revealed how her poetry gave her insights into her spiritual experiences, and the work and presence of the Holy Spirit in her life. The nearly 60 persons who attended the session on Sunday, Aug 12, were far from disappointed. Although some came uncertain about what to expect, all went away enriched (and entertained!) by Anne’s explanation of how to use words to explore reality and communicate at a deeper level (hence ‘deep play’).Jeanne Toh, a Secondary 1 youth who attended the fair with her friends expressed that although the games did not appeal to her and the satay was sold out the moment she wanted to get them, “what was fun was the experience and the time spent hanging out with friends.” Like many others, Jeanne felt that the Parish Food and Funfair was an opportunity for her to give back to the Church. The funfair was indeed a fun-filled affair for parishioners, visitors and the volunteers involved. As we gathered for this joyous occasion, we are reminded that through these fun and fellowship, our participation and involvement in the Parish Food and Funfair contribute to the building of a communion of communities in the Church of St Mary of the Angels. Well, here are some myth-busting facts about poetry [betcha didn’t know]: • Poetry is not ‘abstract’; on the contrary, its impulse is to concretize the abstract so as to connect the material with the invisible reality; this is what is ‘spiritual’ in poetry in the broad sense. • Contemporary poetry need not have regular end rhymes; that is ‘old school’. Today, poetry is “free verse” but sometimes with clever internal rhymes. • A poem is an art object, that draws attention to itself, as a painting or sculpture might. Its ‘frame’ is the empty space around it on the paper, and the ‘art’ elements of line, shape, colour and texture are important and integral to it; but it has, in addition, an intellectual element because its medium is intellectual (words). • A poem is meant to be heard, to be read aloud. • One cannot fully control the impact of a poem on the hearer. Words have a life of their own. But a good poem will largely succeed in what it is meant to do.
Here are two delightful samples of Anne’s poetry which she ‘analyzed’ for us: All Crooks we are all crooks caught in the hand of the Chief Shepherd he uses us as hooks to bring the strays back we are all crooks Kuai-zi (chopsticks) quickly extending our power to stab, thrust, wrench beyond our natural reach before we even open our mouths Can you figure out their nuances and what the words mean to you? Finally, here is a very recent composition of Anne’s which pretty much sums up our idea of God (if we’re honest with ourselves): An extract from: God God is our rejected lover, whose presence we ignore, whose visits we overlook, whose gifts we squander, whose promises we fail to cherish; God is our garbage collector, on whom we dump our failings, our stupidities, our weaknesses, our wickedness, all the dross of our lives; God is our slave, whom we order to do the impossible, call on day and night, reward with lip service, vent our bad temper on; whose name we reverse in our vocabulary to DOG; God is only app-parent, the Father whose word we largely disobey, whom we nag for favours, whom we assume will tolerate our repeated delinquencies; whose works we desecrate; but from whom we expect to inherit everything; God feeds our greed, our wastefulness, our perverse behaviors, our destructiveness, our childishness. Want to try your hand at poetry? Submit your original works to jude@stmary.sg and it might just be chosen to be published in the next issue of Tomorrow!
n Aug 6, the Seniors set out for the Gift of Love Home located at 35 Boon Lay Avenue. With the aim of spreading cheer, the Seniors arrived at about 2pm and provided an array of entertainment for the residents. As the residents gathered in the dining hall, the Seniors went out to greet and chat with them to make them all comfortable and excited for the day ahead. Many stories were shared among the residents and the Seniors, and the joy within the Home could be clearly felt. The entertainment began with a game of Bingo that got the residents excited. As the game progressed, one could feel the tension in the dining hall. Some of the residents even sat at the edge of their seats, waiting with bated breaths for the next number to be called. Until – hoorah! – there was a winner. The grand winner of the first game was the oldest resident in the Home, who recently turned 100. As the clock struck three, Sister Treslin, a guardian nun at the Home came down to recite the Divine Mercy prayer with everyone. It was a unique experience for the Seniors to be in prayer with the wonderful people at the Home. And after refreshing the soul, David Pattiselanno, one of the SMOTA Seniors, began his entertainment segment by first leading the residents in a simple music therapy. He then sang songs from the old days, many of which the residents could recall, such as “Rasa Sayang” and “Di Tanjong Katong”. There was also a karaoke session, where the residents got so enthusiastic and sang in so many different languages, from Cantonese to even Japanese. It then ended with David’s National Day song medley, which got rousing applause. Just before dinner time, another round of Bingo was played since it was a hot favourite. Residents also played “who can blow the biggest balloon” and “pass the ball with a spoon” game. These games were designed by the SMOTA Seniors to get the residents active and to show them that age is just a number. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the games and their energy caught the Seniors off guard. Many of them were still very active and strong! The atmosphere was further enhanced by the presence of Friar Joseph Lee, who helped lead in the sing-along session and the distribution of goodie bags to the residents. The “Grace Before Meal” prayer was sung to the tune of Edelweiss before dinner was served. The residents were treated to a whole array of succulent food, such as Briyani, Sambal Prawns, Satay, Chicken Curry and even Bubur Cha Cha for dessert. The residents enjoyed the food so much and kept asking for second helpings. The Seniors worked tirelessly to ensure that all the residents were fed to their hearts’ content. After that hearty meal, the residents then said their thanks, shared some hugs, and went back to their rooms with large smiles on their faces as they held happily to their goodie bags. The Seniors were filled with delight at the look of such happiness on the residents’ faces that even before leaving the premises they were already making plans for their next visit. Indeed, there is no greater joy than sharing Christ’s love with others!
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“Check-in, Please!” BY TIMOTHY DE S OUZ A
“O
ur parish population of Church of St Mary of the Angels has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. We know from the attendances at the weekend Masses, the population exceeds 8,000. On special feast day Masses, we can expect the weekly total to far exceed this figure! At the end of September, we will be launching a simple registration exercise and our parishioners will be asked to “check-in”. This check-in can be done online or in hard copy form for those who do not have computer facilities. The checkin will be an easy “one-stop” activity of simply filling in one’s personal information of name, address, contact number, and email address. “This current exercise is not a complete census per se but a simple exercise to collate basic information of our parishioners attending our Masses so that our Parish Pastoral Council can have a better idea and data to plan for the on-going development of our parish,” says Parish Priest Fr John-Paul Tan. “The information gathered will be safeguarded and will only be used for official matters and planning of our PPC,” Fr JP adds. “Having a clear picture of where our parishioners are, we are then better able to plan and serve them in the pastoral care of the parishioners.” If you have been wondering in which part of our parish you could use your gifts or perhaps you have always wanted to know more about what NCCs are, just refer to the list of ministries and NCCs for more information and links. (www.stmary.sg) You may wish to also share with us your thoughts on any aspect of our church that can be improved upon. All suggestions will be very welcome. Chairwoman of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), Shirley Leow, says “‘Check-in, Please’ is one of our term’s key initiatives. It will tell us about our parish, its needs and its aspirations in a very simple exercise which everyone can take part in, so we appeal to each and every one of our parishioners to please check-in.”
Parish NCC Day cum Day of Recollection All NCC Members are reminded of the following NCC events: NCC Day of Recollection Topic: Becoming a Church for Others Date: Sat, 22 Sept 2012 Time: 9am - 3pm Location: Classroom B1 - B4 Cost: $3 (To cover lunch & refreshments) Parish NCC Day Celebrations Date: Sun, 23 Sept 2012 Time: 12:30pm Mass followed by lunch celebration at 1:45pm Location: Mass is in Main church + Lunch in St Clare Contribution: $5 (To cover buffet lunch subsidised by parish)
Thanking God for NCC BY HELEN S I E W
A Letter to Jesus
W
hen Ben and I were first approached by Sebastian and Gladis to join their Small Christian Community (SCC) group, we gladly accepted their invitation. The thought of having a small community within our neighbourhood had been with us for very long. Looking back at the past 4 years, SCC or Neighbourhood Christian Community (NCC) as it is now known, has created a very comfortable and warm group for the members to pray, share and work together as a team. Our group is like a slow but steady fire, warming up the members to open up their hearts and share their many experiences and encounters with God during the sessions. The bonding and love among the members has slowly grown over the years. I am very happy that our group has slowly grown strong over the years. I especially enjoy the 7-step Gospel Sharing. Listening to the Gospel at each session and sharing our thoughts and personal experiences on how we are touched by His words, I am sure many of our members have grown spiritually closer to God. We are very glad that we have said “Yes” to joining an NCC. Since then, our journey together with the rest of our members has been very heart-warming and enjoyable. I thank all who are involved in starting the NCC groups and those who are still working towards its success.
Dear Lord, You led me to join the NCC. I was a little proud to think that I have much to share and give, but it was my fellow members who have given so much to me. Each one of them so special, with their gifts they enlightened me. They taught me to love unconditionally. They gave their time to me, they taught me prayers and showed me humility. We laughed and cried in our sharing. We shared meals together. We saw the little crosses in each one of us, the strength you give us... I wasn’t the only one with the burdens and pain; others bore their sufferings stoically, I shouldn’t complain. I look forward to our bible sharings, your word will strengthen me, in spite of my failings. Your dear mother, our mother, she is here with us guiding us to you. You never let us out of your sight, my dear Lord Jesus. I love you. From, Josephine
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Fruit of the Spirit Mario Ho reflects on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, after attending the Parish Retreat 2012 with Thomas Smith.
is to recognise our nothingness: that we are limited and powerless, that everything we have comes from God who is unlimited and in Him everything is possible. 3. Watered with the Word & Nourished with the Eucharist To grow in our knowledge of who God is, we need to sink our spiritual roots in Christ through the Word of God and the Eucharist. A spiritual life devoted to reading and meditating on the Word of God daily, attending Mass faithfully, receiving the Eucharist frequently, and listening to God speak quietly to us as we contemplate on the Blessed Sacrament regularly, will help us learn how we can live the way God wants us to live, how we can develop an intimate relationship with Christ and how we can grow spiritually. 4. Pruned & Cleansed for Fruitfulness For any real growth to take place, we need to allow God to prune the weeds that grow alongside us in His cultivated land. These weeds are our bad habits and sins which, if left unchecked, will drown out our seedlings of faith and the good works we are trying to establish in our lives. Jesus tells us in John 15:1-2 that “He is the true vine, and the Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does He prunes so it bears more fruit.” We allow God to prune us when we examine our conscience daily and present our sinful behaviours to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God’s repeated pruning will heal and strengthen us, and sanctify and reunite us to Christ. 5. Fertilized by Trials and Suffering With humility, we can also recognise that our sufferings and struggles in life are part of the whole process of spiritual growth. When God planted the Seed of Christ in us, His ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more like His Son (Rom 8:29). Hence, trials and sufferings in our lives are what He allows to mould and shape us for the working together of all things good (Rom 8:28). Trials develop godly character while suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, His gift to us at our baptism. (Rom 5:3-5)
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lives, we will notice that not all the parts of our fruit are well developed. Some of us might be kind and good but lack patience while others might have abundant joy and peace but need to be more gentle and self-controlled.
To imitate Jesus is to become like Jesus, to live like Jesus, to be Jesus always and everywhere. It is living out God’s plan for us.
So, how do we cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit in us so that it is well developed in all the nine areas for us to live out our discipleship? Thomas Smith gave 7 Indispensable Ingredients for us to reflect on:
n simple terms, to be a disciple of Jesus is to bring Jesus to people, to make Jesus known and loved in the world. This is not by only proclaiming the Word of God, but also by our deeds and the way we live our lives in imitation of Jesus.
Living out our discipleship means we physically manifest the visible attributes of a true Christian life. These attributes or virtues are summed up in the Bible by St Paul as the Fruit of the Spirit, a single fruit comprising nine collective parts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5: 22-23). From the retreat, I learnt that love is the ‘mother’ of this nine-fold Fruit of the Spirit while the remaining eight are her ‘offspring’. Love binds all the other virtues together. It is something not difficult to comprehend though – if we are loving, we will have joy and peace; if we are loving, we will also be patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. When we scrutinise closely our own spiritual
6. Planted in the Garden of Mary Mary lived a grace-filled life. She was a woman of prayer (ponder), deep faith and trust. When we mirror our lives in Mary’s life, we honour her and find relevance for our own lives. Mary is a model for us to imitate as disciples of Christ. When we imitate her humility, obedience, trust, purity and innocence before God, we will learn to discern God’s graces for us and how to faithfully follow Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6). In Mary’s Garden, we will learn what it means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Mary will nourish us in our love for Christ and help us to grow healthily in our spiritual life.
1. Cultivating the Seed of Christ The Seed of Christ is a pure gift from God. If we see God as the Farmer and Christ as the Seed that God planted in us at our baptism, then we are God’s cultivated land (1 Cor 3:9) for Christ to grow within us. We need to stop living our lives the way the world wants and learn how to live our lives the way God wants us to. We need to put God and Christ first in our lives, in everything that we do.
7. To be Generously Shared with the World The Great Commission by Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” says that discipleship does not end with us, but rather it is given unto us to pass on to others what we have received. Hence when Christ gave the commandment, “Love one another, as I have loved you” in John 15:12, He expects His Disciples and us not only to reach out to others but to do it with love, compassion and charity.
2. Welcomed with the Soil of Humility God is humble. He says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit.” To know the heart and mind of God, we need to be humble like Jesus. To be humble
As disciples of Christ, our first step is to bring Jesus to people, make Him known and loved through the manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit in us. Whether people believe in Him or not is up to the grace of God. Our faith is in the person called Jesus.
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SSVP: More than a Job; More than a Ministry By R a p h a e l C h e o n g
“W
hat’s the difference between a job and a ministry?” asked retreat master, Fr Thomas, OCD, at the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) Induction Retreat held at Church of Ss Peter and Paul on Aug 18 2012. “And what does it mean to be a ministry with spirituality?” His “simple” questions were especially apt for the group of new Vincentians gathered, who were preparing to be pledged into the Vincentian vocation at the Feastday of St Vincent de Paul on 27 September. For the “older” SSVP members, it was a timely reminder of the solemn promises each of us pledged to undertake in our Vincentian vocation. A job is something we get paid for, and more often than not, it is simply work to be done; a ministry tends to others and ministers to those who need our service. But SSVP does not stop there, it is a ministry with spirituality. Spirituality brings about changes in our lives, goes deep into our being, and brings meaning to the ministry. And the very people we serve are those who help us build our spirituality. “Just as the religious take vows of chastity, obedience and poverty in their vocation, SSVP members too make promises to God with the solemn Vincentian pledge at the start of their Vincentian vocation,” said Fr Thomas. And these promises – be it the vows of the religious or the pledge that Vincentians take – are not meant to tie us down but are there to guard and to guide, to help us live our vocation and deepen our spirituality so that we can serve Christ better through serving those he loves. So what exactly is Vincentian Spirituality? Before I can touch on that, I would like to share the history that led to the eventual birth of SSVP. Its history is closely tied to the socio-political history of France and Europe in the 1800s. When one of our founders, Frederic Ozanam, was in Paris to complete his degree and later doctorate from 1831 to 1839, he was appalled by the living conditions of the poor in Paris. The French Revolution had led to the destruction of many Catholic churches. Catholicism was badly shaken and the rise of secular liberalism and rationalist doctrine had permeated even into schools. At the same time, the industrial revolution had led to a widening income gap. Much of the working class was becoming poorer, forced to live in tenements and slums with lack of proper sanitation as a result of poor city planning and all-too-rapid urbanisation. Labour exploitation was common and the transitional period was hard for many people who had to take up low-skill and low-wage jobs that barely allowed them to survive. Ozanam wished to repair the damage done to the Church and to restore people’s faith, but he later realised that it was hard to evangelise when the people’s basic needs were not even met. It was hard for Ozanam. Paris was flooded with the atmosphere of disbelief and Catholicism was seen as increasingly irrelevant in an era of liberalism. A majority of professors and students
viewed the Catholic Church as too conservative and thus they are seen as an unwelcomed influence on French society. Wanting to defend the faith, Ozanam joined the Conference of History presided by Emmanuel Bailly. Along with several other Catholic students in his University, he would argue in defense of the Church against other mainstream intellectuals who view Catholicism as generally corrupt and irrelevant. In one debate, a student challenged Ozanam: “Christianity has done wonders in the past, but what is it doing now in Paris for the poor? Show us what practical benefit the working man reaps from your religion and we too will believe in it.” Basically, it was a challenge to Catholics to evangelise through their actions. Together with Emmanuel Bailly, Frédéric Ozanam and five other students in their early 20s rose to the challenge, founding the Conference of Charity, which would later be known as the Society of St Vincent de Paul. By the grace of God, the SSVP has since grown to more than 51,000 conferences with more than 700,000 active members in 148 countries worldwide. The poor is the face of Christ. Jesus in the Gospel identified himself with the poor and and said the things done to the poor He would consider it done to Him. Vincentians believe that through loving and serving the poor, we are loving and serving Christ. We not only bring Christ to the poor, the poor have also become Christ for us. And our commitment through person-to-person contact with those we serve has given us ample opportunity to encounter Christ. When I first joined SSVP, the personal contact and visits to the homes of those we serve was a little awkward for me as I was unfamiliar with the FINs (Friends-in-need) and was worried about how to behave sensibly during the visit. But I kept on going to these visits and slowly the awkwardness gave way to friendship and better familiarity. The Thursday night meetings with the conference members was very touching for me as I
could see their concern and dedication to serve despite their limitations and busy schedules. Truly, as individuals, we are poor and weak in numerous ways but God was generous with us and helped us with our weaknesses. During a visit to FINs, she shared with us her difficulties but at the same time I could remember her joyfully giving thanks to the blessings God has given her. Her earnestness and contentment really struck me. Christ has taught me many things through these FINs and I believe that this is what being in a ministry with spirituality is about. That as we serve in Christian Charity, we encounter God and our own lives are changed. Everyone has a mission or vocation given by God and it is through these mission or vocation that God can sanctify us further. We can feel our faith being inspired by the impressive words of those who preach and by the exemplary life of saints who followed Christ but it cannot be deepen unless we take ownership of it and actively seek to serve and to allow God to use our deeds to sanctify and change us from within. As we ended the retreat with an evening Mass, I was reminded of the pledge I took few years back and that I am convicted to live up the spirituality even more than before so that God may sanctify me, allow me to serve him better and to see his face in those whom I serve. SMOTA SSVP meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 8.15pm in Room 8. Those interested in observing or joining SSVP may email Anthony at ssvp.stmary@gmail.com. The Youth Conference holds its session every Saturday at 7.45pm in Heartspace. Those interested may email Raphael at cheongqingfa@ gmail.com.
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L o re
LoveWorks C
By As h ly n Tay
all wo r
“No one can learn to love by following a manual and no one can lea
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f I had to choose one thing that inspires me, it is “learning to love”. It was God’s love that pushed me to sign up for this trip; I wanted to share His love by serving His people. And, through His grace, my heart was opened to receive peace and do His will. Although we did not build any houses or schools, we brought along gifts that God had bestowed upon us and shared it by building relationships. I think of it as a bridge that connects our hearts right to the hearts of the Cambodian children. We sing, we cook, we dance, we take photos, we laugh and we cry. We hug, we smell, we see, we sense, we feel, we talk and we listen. Some years ago, I ignored the voice I heard because of a lack of courage. I thought I was too small to do great things. Never did I know it is when I am weak that I can do the greatest things through His name. I received an amazing grace when I signed on the registration form. Every little thing fell into place. Sometimes, we tend to control too much and ask God to help make sure our plans are successful. What fools we are! All we need to do is to allow God to work everything out; we are merely instruments in His great plan. The 12-week preparation course before the trip allowed me to prepare my soul, mind and body. Although I still didn’t feel very prepared for the challenges ahead, through prayers and
faith I knew God would eventually straighten all the crooked lines. We were welcomed by the warm and polite greeting from the children at Light of Mercy Home by Providence Sisters (PS) in Phnom Penh. After a simple introduction to the children, the hearing-impaired children gave me a name in sign language. I felt very special yet awkward because it was my first time interacting so closely with disabled children. I reminded myself to be more sensitive and careful in what I say and how I behave. Dolly and I were in charge of the music team and headed to the “lounge” in PS. We were so nervous and did not know what to do. I was afraid that I would say something wrong that would hurt their feelings. However, we soon broke the ice through music. We taught them the song “River of Glory”, going through the lyrics line by line. Borey, one of the visuallyimpaired boys, started writing the words in Braille. Amazingly, they memorised the lyrics instantly and learnt very quickly how to sing the song. It was heart-warming, indeed, to find them singing so well – and with such joy! On our third day in Cambodia, I was feeling quite despondent because I can’t find my watch. But everyone started to console me and told me to pray to God through St Anthony’s intercession. I looked at the boys
ove
Cambodia Mission Trip 2012
all y rks!
arn to write by following a course.” – Paulo Coelho in “Aleph” singing, and saw how happy they were. How simple it was to be happy and easily contented. It was then that I realised I shouldn’t be upset over losing material things like a watch. I was too blind to see what should be most important in my life – God. I shrugged off my emotional turbulence and started to give my all to the people that He wants me to serve.
I buried the old Ashlyn, and let the little seed of love start to grow.
As I got to know the children in PS better, I sometimes forgot that they are disabled, because they are more capable than me. They were like little angels flying here and there, taking care of me, offering me iced mineral water, reminding me to drink and not fall sick.
The children in WC were more active and mischievous. However, I was touched by their sincere hearts. In WC, God opened my eyes to living a simple life. Living in today’s “complex” world has made me lose my ability to identify the essential things in my life. Live should be simple; love, faith and hope should be the only essentials. With these, I would be able to seek the kingdom first, and all shall be given. This visit to WC made me understand the meaning of dependence on God. I’m an anxious person. But as Matthew 6: 25-34 tells us, we should seek first the kingdom of God. There is no need to worry because our heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide.
At PS, I also got know one of the most inspiring people – Sister Marie. She is a symbol of Love; I see Jesus in her. The kindness, patience and loves that she showers on the children touched my heart so deeply. It’s a blessing for me to know Sr Marie. She loves the children unconditionally. She is strict, of course, but only because she loves them so much and dedicates herself to them. There were a few occasions when I almost cried while talking to her. I could see the kindness in her eyes, and enjoyed her presence at the Home. “Ashlyn, you are now one of the PS family members,” Sr Marie told me one day. “You need not ask permission as long as you are helping the children. Come and visit and stay with us whenever you like.” It was there, at that very moment, that
With a heart that was filled with love, we left PS for Wat Champa (WC), a small village near the Mekong River. Made up of around 300 Vietnamese families, most of them were fisherman and they lived a very simple life in their “kampong”.
Throughout LoveWorks’ 10-day stay in Cambodia, I not only opened my heart to love, but I received love. I do not know how much I can continue to do for the children or for the society in Cambodia, but I remember the story of five loaves and two fishes. I offer an empty self to let Him, to use me so that I can be His instrument, to serve the little ones that He loves. Amen.
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Prophet, Priest and King By M a r i a H o
F
rom the Scriptures, I understand that when I received the Sacrament of Baptism at St Mary of the Angels 14 years ago, I was to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, grafted onto and into Him, and partaking in His divine nature. Until I attended the retreat by Thomas Smith, I didn’t know that when Fr Giles Setter anointed my forehead with oil on that beautiful Saturday evening of 11 Apr 1998, it was a sign to the congregation present that I am joined to Christ and that I share in His three-fold mission as Prophet, Priest, and King. The retreat set me pondering: What does it mean for us Christians to share in the Prophetic, Priestly and Kingly mission of Christ? The Old Testament says much about prophets, priests and kings. From the pages, we have a basic understanding of the three roles. A prophet is someone who speaks the Word of God to the people. We find prophets in Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Jonah etc. A priest is someone who mediates between God and the people. To the people, he communicates the mind and will of God. To God, he offers sacrifices and praises on the peoples’ behalf as well as their cries for aid and mercy for sins committed. We find priests in Aaron and members of the Levite tribe. A king is someone who rules and governs the people under his reign, as in David and Solomon. In the New Testament, we experience God’s love, mercy and compassion through Jesus, and we discover God’s plan for us. In Jesus, we have a ‘bridge’ to God because in His humanity, He knows our pains and sufferings and each time we pray confidently to God in His name, He brings our needs and petitions to the Father through His once and for all sacrifice of Himself in atonement for our sins. But unlike the kings on earth, Jesus is a King crowned with thorns who truly loves, feels, serves, and has the capacity to make sacrifices for His people. He is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” who lives and reigns in the hearts of the faithful.
By virtue of our Baptism, we are all called to share in Christ’s triple functions in our lives. As laity, there are many ways to do so. To be a prophet means to believe and to accept the Gospel in faith and to proclaim it in word and deed that uplifts, encourages and comforts others. It means to give personal testimonies to God of our conversion stories to inspire others and tell all of His wonderful acts, to share with others our spiritual insights and reflections, to participate actively in bible study discussions during NCC meetings, to facilitate in Adult Faith Formation programs conducted by LRBM and Alpha etc. It also means giving direction, correcting and admonishing others who have strayed from the truth when necessary. To share in Christ’s priestly mission means to let all our activities become spiritual sacrifices such as to pray, intercede and do mortifications for those in need, to unite our sufferings with Christ so that our sufferings become redemptive, to serve during Mass (as lectors, Communion ministers, wardens, choir members), to worship and thank God in good and bad times – carrying out all these deeds in the Spirit and with love. To participate in the kingly mission is to live out the royal dignity of Christ. We do this when we make our feet His feet by going where He is needed, when we make our arms His arms by making ourselves available to those He wants to comfort, when we let Him speak the truth through our mouth, and when we make our hearts His heart when He wants to make Himself known to others through us. To reign in Christ’s Kingdom is to serve, especially service to the poor and the marginalised. It entails dying to self, being free and fruitful to those around us, making a gift of ourselves to others, like what Jesus did. A kingly mission also means protecting and guiding those under our care or authority, be it at home as parents, in church as ministry leaders or at the workplace as superiors.
and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”, He too gave us this same command at our Baptism. As Christ’s disciples, it is a role we need to take seriously to build up and strengthen the Church which He instituted.
Indeed, to be a prophet, priest and king for Christ is a tall order. But that is what we are all called to by our Baptism. When Christ commissioned His Disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son,
Join Maria and the Little Rock Bible Ministry (LRBM) in “Walking Toward Eternity”, an eight-session scripture study course from 3 Oct to 29 Nov. For further enquiries, please contact chief coordinator Michael Arteche at michael_arteche@yahoo.com
It was Barnabas who took Paul and introduced him to the apostles, at a time when “no one wanted to touch him with a 10-foot pole,” Thomas Smith reminded the 200-strong crowd gathered at St Clare Hall for the final day of the Parish Retreat 2012 on Aug 25. And it was Barnabas who gave a second chance to John Mark, who had earlier deserted the disciples and did not continue with them in the work. Indeed, Barnabas means “son of encouragement”. It was only because of this “second chance”, Thomas Smith said, that we are able to have one of the most beautiful Gospels – the Gospel of Mark. Will we too, like Barnabas, give others a second chance? Will we have
the spirit of
Barnabas
If you feel called and desire to be part of the pilot project that includes reaching out and befriending ex-convicts in our neighbourhood, contact nccso@stmary.sg or the Parish Social Work Office.
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Reflections and Catechism Intended for Youths! A session on God’s unconditional love, compiled by Erika Loh, Catechumen, RCIY Cycle 2012/13. Additional information provided by Jeannette Yeo, RCIY Catechist.
E
veryone knows of the RCIA but did you know that St Mary’s has an RCIY too?
RCIY (Rite of Christian Initiation for Youths) is the youth version of RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). It is the Catholic Church’s response to Jesus’ command to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...” Sponsor-and-Catechumen Tag Team Many people often have the understanding that the ministry only prepares a non-Catholic for the sacraments of initiation, namely Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation; however, the main role of RCIY is to go beyond just the sacraments and to transform people into disciples of the Lord. In order to do that, young adult sponsors are needed and they become companions to the youth catechumens who are on their journey to know more about the Catholic faith and to be disciples of Christ. Through this close-knit way, catechumens get to witness how a Catholic sponsor lives his/ her life in a Christian manner. What better way to
learn how to be a Christian than when you are immersed in a community of believers? Session: God’s Unconditional Love RCIY gathers every Saturday afternoon for sessions that are based on the four pillars of the Catholic Church - The Creed, Sacraments, Life in Christ and Prayer. Through paraliturgies (activities paralleling the liturgies) and personal reflections, the catechumens begin to not only learn more about the teachings of the Church but also more importantly, encounter Christ and deepen their relationship with Him. For a recent session exemplifying “God’s Unconditional Love”, we started off brainstorming on the word “unconditional”. To us, it meant “limitless”, “without boundaries” and “steadfast”. We then took some time to reflect on what the word meant to each of us in relation to God’s unconditional love, and expressed our understanding through drawings (see below). We also learned that God’s way of telling us that He loves us unconditionally is when He sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for each and every one of us in order to absolve our sins… and He expected nothing from us in return. Painting 1 (Left) God’s love is the Eucharist. It is just a small humble piece of host and a cup of wine, but is greatly emphasised in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” God sent His Son to die for our sins and that is the reason why I created this painting. - Shirley Lim, Catechumen Painting 2 (Left, Bottom) God’s love is without limits and unconditional. God fulfilled every condition that I need. God is love – “Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). His
love is very different from human love. He doesn’t love me because I am lovable or because I make Him feel good but He loves me because He is love. He created me to make a loving relationship with Him; He sacrificed His own son to build this relationship. No one loves me more than God. God + Me = Love unconditionally. - Bettina Lim, Catechumen Painting 3 (Extreme Top) The blue sky, covered with a layer of cloud, reminds me of God’s unconditional love because His love has no boundaries and limits. Regardless of who we are, the rich or poor, healthy or sick, the beggar, the prisoner or common people like you and I, He loves us all the same. Likewise, the sky covers everyone without any conditions attached; it just does its work - to provide a shade for all. - Jeannette Yeo, RCIY Catechist Painting 5 (Above, left) God portrays His love to me through His generosity and mercy, which I feel is reflected through His creation – dog. Like God, dogs are generous with their love. As for mercy, well, I believe God can strike me down anytime but He chose not to. Similarly, for dogs, they can always choose to attack us with their sharp teeth/ claws but they don’t! - Dominica Candy Chua, Sponsor Painting 4 (Above, right) The ultimate sign of infinite love: sacrifice. God sacrificed His only son for us to die on the cross just to show how much He loved us - nothing speaks about it more than the crucifix. - Jeanne-Marie Ho, Sponsor
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Book Reviews
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit… By Peter Hong
Beatitudes: Eight Steps to Happiness by Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. Cap. ($21.90) Anyone who has tried to live the beatitudes will confirm that the task can be daunting. What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Do you really want to be reviled by others? If you’re not rich compared to your immediate neighbours and friends but you’re rich compared to most of the world, what are you supposed to do about that? Father Raniero Cantalamessa will lead you not only to a deeper appreciation of these famous words of Jesus but also into the presence of Jesus himself who lived them perfectly and who will give you the ability and enthusiasm to do the same. The beatitudes are not a burden to be shouldered but an invitation to a joy filled life of surrender to the Lord who came not to be served but to serve. Embracing Our Blessings: Faces of the Beatitudes by Kathleen O’Connell Chesto ($21.90)
Family Focus
“Psst… Let’s be Honest!” By C a r o l S e o w - L e e
J
esus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. If Jesus is truth, then it is clear as day that lying will separate us from God and not following in the footsteps of His son, whom He has sent, will be disastrous! As parents, we work hard at teaching our children to be honest, yes? You know, how we sometimes readily call out the phrase, “Honesty is the best policy”— encouraging our children to tell the truth and to let us know what’s on their minds. Honesty is a virtue that can be taught to our children. Yet, it is not something they finish learning at a specific age or skill level, such as learning to walk at about one year old or learning to tie shoe laces at five or six and so forth. Teaching honesty to children begins very young and will take different forms and approaches to suit their age and level of understanding and is continually nurtured along with their level of maturity. Just like any virtue or values, teaching honesty by example is the most effective. Young children copy or mimic their parents and therefore, a “do as I do” approach is always more successful than a “do as I say, not as I do” approach. We cannot deceive them; as children grow up they will begin to question these discrepancies. Perhaps sometimes we are the bigger culprit of dishonesty ourselves! Maybe at that moment, being honest can sometimes mean acknowledging
or accepting failures and we all know how hard it is to accept our own failures. Other times it may be an attempt to protect our own child’s feelings, or to soften the blow for our child’s disappointment, we as parents keep the truth from them or even tell a white lie to others to protect them from feeling shame. But honestly, this does not help make situations any better. What lessons are we teaching our children if we do not accept failures or face realities? Are we, to begin with, guilty of demanding or imposing nothing but perfection from them, where quite often, we ourselves are unable to attain? I recall an awkward experience with a parent whose response completely mismatched her child’s pure and honest reply to his unsuccessful placement in the school of his choice then. That incident brought embarrassment to the child and he was dumbfounded. Sadly, a quote from author, Krista Delle Femine, had its moment of reality right there, when “children lose their innocence the very moment they are forced to make excuses for their parents’ bad behavior.” We need our children to learn that “honesty” is very important in life, as it leads to others seeing us as being “trustworthy” and friends will know that they can rely on us. There are many verses in the Bible that teaches us about honesty. To help us “grow” in honesty together with our children, in Luke 16: 10, we learn that “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
What if we took Jesus at his word and simply believed what he said: that we are indeed blessed? We would then see the beatitudes as a love song, one that invites each of us into a life of prayer and service in keeping with the gift we are. Who were the poor in spirit, the meek and those who mourn, who were gathered on that hillside the day Jesus preached his sermon on the mount? Embracing Our Blessings walks us through the life of Jesus, through the stories he told and the people he touched, and identifies these people of blessing. Each of these stories casts powerful new light on a particular beatitude so that you might be better able to identify these gifts within yourself. Let this book touch your heart and mind. Let it lead you closer to the blessed way of life which Jesus teaches is possible for us all! All featured books are available at Wellsprings Catholic Books or at the bookcart at the Piazza.
Infant Baptism Congratulations and welcome to the St Mary’s family! • Adriana Giulia Margaret Cole • Bernice Ng Cai Xuan • Chantal Reese Duremdes Eirian • Gadiel Sebastian De Vera • Sitoe Yu Kang, Jarrett • Lucas Kit Hon Meng • Mary Elaine Salim • Matteo Xamuel Castor Cruz • Toh Sui Eng Natasha • Kaylee Regina Moerti • Yuji Andrei Vidal Cruzana • Claudia Teo
• • • • • • • • • •
Linnea Paige Mundo Ochoa Matthias Lee Yee Yang Arielle Sim Le Ya Claudia Teo Cuento Carl Lhanz Enrile Celeste Sia Xie Zhilei Tylor Gerard Clark Timothy Riady Kertamendala Mateo Matt Daniel Enriquez Francheska Venize Gatdula Olympia • Tylor Gerard Clark
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Good Manners at Church
by
a rl i n a M ny Len
LIVING THE WORD
So then, as long as we have the opportunity let all our actions be for the good of everybody, and especially of those who belong to the household of the faith — Galatians 6:10
Do you show good manners at home? At school? Or when your parents bring you to their friends’ house? What about when you are at Church? It is important to have good manners wherever you are, especially when you are at Church – God’s house. There we mee t God and listen to His words, as well as worship the Lord toge ther with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Here are some proper manners when in church: • Dress up properly; • Come to Mass on time; • Listen carefully when the re adings and Gospel are being re ad; • Listen to what the Priest is sharing about; • Pray and gi ve thanks to God; • At certain parts of the Mass, we stand, bow, kneel, or sit; • Sing the hymns; • No running around during Mass; and • Talk sof tly if you need to ask mummy and daddy some thing. For some of us, it may be a bit hard to do all this, but practice makes perfect. If we keep tr ying our best to behave well in Church, at the end, it can be our good habit, too. By doing so, we are ple asing God and we also make mummy and daddy happy. So, le t’s gi ve it a tr y starting from now!
Activity
Dress it up !
Find the missing le t ters for e ach of the words and you will ge t the comple ted stor y! The first one has been done for you.
PRAYER
I always go to church on sunday with my parents.
God, I’m so glad to be able to go to Church, your own house. Guide me in my learning to always behave myself well at Church, to respect and love you, as well as to listen to your words. Amen.
Mummy says we need to d r e s s up properly when going to church to show our re _ _ _ ct to god. We always arrive on time for Mass, so that we can pr _ p _ _ _ e our hearts to w _ _ _ h _ p god and
_ is _ _ n to his words. Daddy also teach
me to have good _ Ann _ _ s at church. When the time comes to st _ _ _, b _ w, k _ _ _ l, or _ it, i will follow. I love the songs at the mass. I always s _ _ g although sometimes i don’t know how to, but i try because daddy says we can pr _ _ se god by singing, too. I won’t r _ n around during mass; it’s not nice to do so. If i can behave well during mass, you can also do it, my friends!
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Timetable By C h r is to p h e r C h o k
D
o not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me (John 14:1).
Life can be so mechanical and demanding at times. In today’s society, many of us live our lives in accordance to a strict schedule, an organiser of sorts. We do our best to juggle between work and family commitments, studies and friends, co-curricular activities and leisure activities – our entire life is pretty much packed to the brim. There is always so much to do and so little time to do it. Amidst our crazy schedule, do we then, still have space for God? Is it even possible to allocate a small portion of our time for prayer, to not just bombard God with our incessant wants but to actively listen to His voice? Have we reached a point in our lives that God is merely another commitment, added to our juggling act? Pictured here is my timetable for this semester. And yes, I have a 6-day work week. For the past month, my average day has been something like this: Wake up, have a quick breakfast, head to school, (try to) pay attention in class, grab lunch, (attempt to) catch up on lecture notes and readings, eat dinner, fetch Dad from work, say goodnight to Mum, sleep and repeat. I am sure some of you have schedules that are just as hectic, if not more so, than mine. But the point that we can all agree upon is that such a lifestyle is exhausting and so very draining. Moreover, it does little to help that I am still reintegrating back into my school’s system; I feel like a clueless freshman all over again, having spent a year away from NUS. Just the other day, I misread my timetable, went for the wrong class and appeared in another class two hours after it ended. Suffice to say, I had quite a lot of explaining to do to both my professors. (Thankfully, they were quite sympathetic and forgave my muddle-headedness). On a more serious note, I am slowly but surely finding it increasingly hard to set aside time (and space) for God – a luxury that I used to have when I was studying overseas.
Yet, on deeper analysis, can I really say that I have absolutely no time for God? Can I really be oblivious to the little pockets of time that exist between classes, time that can actually be devoted to prayer? Am I not aware that my time spent waiting in traffic jams along Clementi Road, can be used to contemplate about God’s amazing grace, to thank the Lord for a beautiful and fruitful day? Has my schedule then become a convenient excuse to place God as a secondary component, something that is prioritised beneath the mundane mechanisms of my life? Perhaps, a personal paradigm shift is needed to tackle this issue. Instead of force-fitting God into our schedules, let God be the centre of our schedules; let your personal relationship with Him help, guide and support your entire life. Let us see past our temporal (and fleeting) lifestyles, contrary to societal expectations and culture, and live a life of service, virtue, goodness and love, a life for Him. Let us have the faith and confidence to offer up our myopic schedules to Him, trusting that He will not just guide us through our lives, but use us, as willing instruments, to bring the face of Christ into our world and into our society. I know very well that this semester is going to be gruelling, challenging and very exhausting. However, there’s a deeper knowledge – one of both heart and mind –that He is with me, every step of the way, walking this journey with me. I am grateful that amidst this hectic schedule, I am still allowed the opportunity to serve Him at Mass, to continue to build His Kingdom, to help, to guide and to love. Let us then, grow to see past our petty little timetables – schedules that may have caused our hearts to be troubled – and entrust our lives completely to God, trusting that He knows the plans that He has for all of us, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
“Commandment” Fritz Ng and the Luminaire photography ministry reflect on the Gospel of Mark 7: 1-23.
“L
et’s say God gave more than 10 commandments – like 11, or maybe even 20. Would that make you less happy?” This rather thought-provoking question was posed to me during my days as a Catechumen. The commandments have always sounded like a difficult set of rules for the high and mighty to follow. Admittedly, there has always been a temptation to turn into a “self-righteous Pharisee” when I manage to follow these commandments. Following them also felt like adhering to the list of “Dos and Don’ts” that my parents set aside to restrict me from the freedom I felt I deserved, like a padlock on the doors of my soul. Why would more commandments make anyone a happier person? Of course, while contemplating on their restrictive nature, I forgot the main function of a lock – it protects. Think about it: the commandments have the power protect us from our sins and the sins of others. Like all other rules and regulations, they are probably much easier to follow when we understand the reason it was made. The commandments were made by God’s love for us, and not for self-glorification or to rob us of our freedom.
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