July 2012

MICA (P) 017/07/2012

JULY 2012

DETOX YOUR

STRESS

2

Prologue

Message From Your Pastor Dear friends Peace and Love.

Looking back I “missed” addressing you in the last issue of The Connection as I could not keep up with the timeline. So I advised the Editor to invite our new assistant priest, Fr Damian, to introduce himself in the Message column.

On reflection, this is not the first time I had to miss some action. Of late, work seems to be a continuous attempt juggling deadlines for various requests, programmes, projects, reports.

Am I becoming a workaholic like so many Singaporeans today or perhaps age is catching up with me? Am I shouldering more than what is good for me? Some parishioner friends kindly advised me to let go, let others do it, get another assistant priest. I wish things were that simple.

We have been coping with two priests for some time and this has taken its toll on me. An Australian friend who specializes in natural medicine recently made a stopover here for a day. I met her briefly for dinner and in a short span of time she diagnosed that I had changed for the worse. She noted my tiredness and some behavioural changes; in her words, “I do not look good”. When I updated her that I am on various medications, she attributed that as one of the main factors and advised that I switch to naturopathy, which I did recently. Yes, medication has been increasing, not to mention various potions or supplements showered by kind parishioners. I cannot possibly take all of them!

Of late, I have noticed that I get tired easily and become irritable and curt in my response. For the last part, I must apologise as I know it’s not good for me or the parish.

Fortunately, there is some light on the horizon. In July, the Holy Family parish will be welcoming a second assistant priest in the person of Fr Donatien Davaine from France. Please join me and Fr Damian in welcoming him and making his ministry in Singapore a truly happy and fruitful one.

I do hope that parishioners understand that we priests are human and can be under lots of stress. So please do not expect us to be at our best all the time, either in work or in behaviour. Put simply, I cannot be smiling all the time or at each and every encounter. I hope you will grant me some discount.

I have chosen to speak from the heart today, hoping that this will help me cope better with the demands of work and the expectations of parishioners and be a happier person and pastor. It has been ten years since I came to this parish.

I realize that I am not the same person as before.

For better or worse, you decide!

God bless.

Fr Patrick

CONTENTS

ANSWERS TO QUIZ ON THE HISTORICAL BOOKS IN THE BIBLE (Refer page 6 of the April edition of The Connection) 1. David was anointed King of Israel by Samuel at Bethlehem. (1 Sam 16:1-13) 2. David was thirty years old when he began to reign over Judah. (2 Sam 5:4) 3. The Lord sent Prophet Nathan when David committed adultery with the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite. (2 Sam 12:1) 4. Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, who was crippled in his feet was given a permanent place at King David’s royal table. (2 Sam 9:11) 5. Saul, a former King of Israel, tried to kill David out of envy. (1 Sam 19:2) 6. Solomon began to build the temple on Mount Moriah where Abraham had offered Isaac. (2 Chronicles 3:1) 7. It took Solomon seven years to build the temple. (1 Kings 6:38) 8. Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress for the temple.

(1 Kings 5:8-10)

Cover pix: “Managing stress for families” event (see article on page 3)

Insights

Keys to Effective

Stress Management Liesl Massang We bring you excerpts from David Kan’s talk on “Managing stress for families” organized by the Family Life Ministry where he used anecdotes from his life experiences as well as interactive activities to draw the attention and participation of the listeners. David is Executive Director, Family Life Centre and the first part of his talk titled “Stress-Proofing Your Family Relationship – Keys to Effective Stress Management” outlined what stress is, the characteristics of excessive (therefore unhealthy) stress, causes and the harmful effect on individuals, couples and families.

People are disturbed not by things, but by their perception of things - Epictetus Stressors or Stress Activators can be real or imagined; hostile or exciting; pleasant or unpleasant; caused by change or crisis, marital differences, parent-child conflict (quarrels, fights), work pressures, financial difficulties. However hidden or unrecognized stressors can be the most dangerous!

Lies produce emotional misery. Truth produces emotional health. Hence it is essential to reprogram from negative to positive truthful self-talk; accept the truth about yourself; get the past into perspective.

The worried person must lose himself in action lest he withers in despair. Hence be an initiator not an immobilizer and honestly decide what you need to change; what you want to change and what you are willing to change.

A couple or family can deal with stress together by planning meals together; eating healthy foods; drinking plenty of water throughout the day; making time to exercise together; having fun and laughing more; spending some time together on a regular basis; getting enough sleep.

Work your days – Sleep your nights Manage your sleep time by getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night; switching your mind off early; avoiding late night snacks and meals; worrying in the morning – not at night; not carrying other people’s problems;

Juggling multiple roles while striving for fulfillment and success in the family, career and self; self-absorption and preoccupying anxiety in a pressure-packed time crunch; being drained by challenging demands to perform or downsized by burning competitiveness or disoriented by the need to balance work, family and personal life - give rise to the super couple syndrome.

The Power of Laughter Laughter is the human gift for coping and for survival.

Laughter helps us roll with the punches that inevitably come our way. The power of laughter is unleashed every time we laugh. In today's stressful world, we need to laugh much more.

In self-transference effects typically observed in the parenting process, a child’s self-confidence is much affected by what parents say to him or do with him. When a child is conditioned in a version of rush and hurriedness, the child becomes the parents’ partner. A hurried child is bound by physical, psychological and social trappings of adulthood prematurely to be a survivor. This pressure to cope without cracking is a stress in itself. If children see parents living in states of constant readiness, prepared for something to happen, they learn to be hyper-vigilant.

Tackle Stress with E.A.S.E

Stress is inevitable, but struggling is optional Although a person may not be able to avoid stress, he/she could certainly change his/her reaction to manage it. The second part of the talk titled “Stop Feeding Your Stress” focused on how to recognize the body’s physical warnings of stress overload and how to take concrete steps to control it. The participants took away techniques and ideas on how to break the cycle of stress; even learning a few simple exercises to relieve tension (see accompanying box).

Take time to relax by taking short breaks during the day; do something you really enjoy; use progressive relaxation and regulated breathing control techniques; engage in physical exercises and recreation; eat a well-regulated, healthy diet.

Deep rhythmic breathing helps to reduce stress levels by slowing the stress response thus allowing the body to recover and function more efficiently.

One memorable point made by David was the following quote

by Marcus Aurelius:“Our life is what our thoughts make it!”

By using self-awareness, positive self-talk and humor, we certainly can cope with and survive unhealthy stress.

E

mpathetic to Emotional State

A

ppreciate personal strengths

S

earch for reasons /sources of disruptive behavior

E

xplore ‘Win-Win’ options

Acknowledge feelings which may be dismissed or ignored Regain control of one’s emotions

Convert hostile and helpless physiology into energy of recognition Alleviate discomfort and restore state of well-being

Broaden awareness of causes, demands and pressures Replace negative assumptions and prejudices with reasonable concern

Eliminate hazards of blame with hearty dialogue Redirect reactive outlook to solving problems proactively

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4

You h f

Journeying with YOU hf

Andrew lin

YOUhf, a word-play of “Youth” & “Holy Family”, is the catch-phrase for the youth ministry being built up in Holy Family. The Connection catches up with the young and debonair Youth Coordinator, Andrew Lin, as he shares his dreams, his vision and the plans for Gen X, Y and Z of Holy Family Parish.

My reasons for taking up this new role Most of my formation years as a teenager and as a young adult took place right here in Holy Family Church in various ministries like the Youth Council, Catechists, Choir and Parish Pastoral Council (PPC). No matter which ministry I was involved in, I was somehow always facilitating spiritual formation and growth. On further introspection, I found I had a passion for journeying with youth. Despite enjoying and learning a lot in my previous job in insurance claims investigation, I felt called to full-time ministry and decided to give it a try. It also greatly helped that “Youth” is one of the key pastoral priorities of our parish over the past few years.

I found it especially meaningful to journey with young people who are searching for God and desire to take their faith seriously, and to witness their joy when they have truly encountered God’s love which gives new depth and meaning in their lives (see Andrew’s testimony in box below). That is the main reason I decided to take on this new role in our church.

What it is to be a Youth Coordinator My main responsibilities will be to discern and identify the pastoral care and spiritual formation needs of the youth and young adults in our parish together with our Spiritual Director for Youth, Fr. Damian De Wind, and to align the objectives of the Youth Office to the larger vision and direction of the parish as laid out by the PPC. Together with the PPC, we will decide and implement organizational structures and programs that would help meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of the youth community in the parish.

Living Out Christ’s Mission in my Family

by Andrew Lin

I’d like to share with you my experience with God that has changed my life significantly.

I was born to devout Catholic parents who gave me and my siblings a good foundation in the faith which greatly kindled my interest in the Bible, in the Eucharist Celebration and in the church. I joined many ministries, the choir, catechists and youth group. But as time passed, I realized that although I knew a lot about God and Jesus, I didn’t know God, and I never had a personal relationship with Him. I could not relate to God as my Father, and I realized that the obstacle was in my relationship with my own father and mother.

I had good and loving parents who showed their love for us in their own ways but in some ways I did not feel loved in the way I wanted to be loved. So while I knew that they loved me from the things they did, I felt somewhat distant from them, and I craved for their affirmation and loving touch.

The turning point came at a retreat session during a six-week program “School of Witness”. I had heard the parable of the Prodigal Son umpteen times but for the first time, I could actually relate with the older son, who felt that while he was always in his father’s house, he never really knew his father, and never really felt like his father’s son. During the session, the facilitators portrayed a father and mother figure that would pray for us. It was during their prayer that God showed me how real He is, because He knew the exact words I needed to hear, without me telling the facilitators what I was feeling - “I love you” and “I’m proud of you”.

When I first heard those words, my immediate reaction was to reject them, and I literally screamed out, “No you don’t!” in disbelief.

I then realized that I had hardened my heart and believed that I had gotten over the matter and didn’t need to hear those words.

But God showed me my brokenness deep inside that he wanted to heal me. I had a new and deep experience of God’s love for me, that no matter what, I was his Son and He loves me. With this new conviction that God my Father loves me, I felt set free to be myself and that I did not need to carry this burden and hurt anymore.

I went back home from the retreat the next day and could not help but feel a burning desire to share my joy with my parents and I said to them, “Mum, Pa, can we try something different? From now on, I’m going to hug you everyday before I leave the house.”

It’s been six months since I made that decision and it’s still awkward at times, especially when I hug my dad. I still haven’t plucked up the courage to tell them “I love you”, but things are getting better. I managed to share with them the truths I learnt at the retreat, about the wrong concepts of God, sin and repentance and forgiveness.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this is truly the Good News I have experienced and want to share with you today, that through my encounter with God my Father and the conviction that I am his Son, there is an automatic burning desire within me to share God’s love with my parents, and indeed with everyone around me, to be a witness of His love through my actions.

I would like to end with a Bible verse that continues to give me strength. When Jesus was baptized at the river Jordan, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down on Him and God said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”.

What can our youth expect from youhf The mission statement of YOUhf is “To walk with each youth on his/her faith journey, mentoring and empowering him/her to build vibrant communities as a disciple of Christ and a witness to His love.”

Article to be continued on page 5...

Faith Blog

5

“He’s waiting for us to say yes” Cheryl Wee Lauren Lye, baptized at the Easter Vigil mass this year, is the first Christian in her Paul and Buddhist family. Here, Lauren along with her husbandhola son Luke with Archbishop Nic s Chia she shares her Rite for Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) journey with Cheryl Wee. Recollections of the first RCIA Lauren embarked on her first RCIA journey some twenty years ago before she got married. But during the Rite of Election she realized that she was not ready to be baptized as a Catholic.

She recalls, “You got to be very convinced about the faith.

It was not just for my husband’s sake. However it was only during this second RCIA journey that I realized I had abandoned Jesus at the altar when I chickened out at the Rite of Election. I guess maybe I was young or whatever but I still felt I abandoned Jesus”.

She continues “At first, shortly after I had met my husband, I accepted Christ in a Methodist church but was not baptized. We had our struggles - he being a Catholic and I a Protestant. We tried to resolve this issue by seeing a priest even before we got married, during my RCIA. I tried to thrash out the differences between the Catholic and the Protestant Church. I had my doubts about the devotion to Mary, praying the Rosary, about the Eucharist - the Body of Christ. The priest was very patient. He tried to explain to me, but I still wasn’t convinced”.

Needing God in the face of adversity Lauren’s son Luke was baptized when he was three months old. In Primary 5, Luke then eleven, was diagnosed with Asperger’s, a form of autism. Children with Asperger’s have difficulty communicating and interacting with others and struggle to fit in at school and other social settings.

Meltdowns are part of Asperger’s condition.

Lauren found herself angry with God for giving her a special needs child. She was desperate for an answer as she didn’t know what else she could do to help Luke. She felt she needed to know God in order to bring up this special child.

Then about a year ago, despite being a non-Catholic, Lauren attended the Conversion Experience Retreat (CER) at the Catholic Spirituality Centre. At the CER, her eyes were opened and she saw the beauty of the Catholic faith. In her words, “I knew God up here (in my head) but not in my heart”.

Lauren then signed up for the RCIA at Holy Family Church in July 2011. “He truly doesn’t force us” she says, “He’s waiting for us to say yes. During my second RCIA journey, they taught us the meaning of Epiphany. When I was three-quarters into my second RCIA journey at Holy Family, I realized that actually, my husband is my first Epiphany”.

The journey continues Lauren chose Marie (a variant of Mary) as her baptism name.

For now, she is keen to build up her faith and to be there for her son who is in secondary school. Lauren feels it is important to pray for others especially through intercessory prayers and is also very keen to help out as a catechist.

She says daily quiet time is important to start the day right.

She continues “At home when I go about doing my chores, I turn on gospel songs and listen to talks given by priests to enrich myself and form my faith even further. I just try and learn as much as I can during this period about the teachings of the Church, concepts about suffering, the meaning of suffering within the Christian life, awareness of God’s presence in one’s life.”

Watch out for more sharing in our special October edition on “Year of Faith” as Cheryl Wee continues to journey with our neophytes. If you too would like to glorify God by sharing your faith experiences, do email us at editor@holyfamily.org.sg or drop in your testimonies at the Parish Office along with your contact details.

Continued from page 4... Journeying with YOUhf Through the formation of Christ-centered youth communities based on the example of the early disciples of Prayer, Scripture, Sacraments, Discipleship, Community Living and Mission and Evangelisation, we hope to provide the structure and guidance that our youth need to become true disciples and ambassadors of Christ.

YOUhf is here to love and serve our young people, to believe in the potential of each young person and to listen to their needs.

Its role is to help young people make their faith a joyful reality in their daily lives, and to grow in Christ-centred community.

However, while the Youth Office will act as a facilitator, we would like to invite our parishioners to joyfully come forward and help shoulder this responsibility to support the faith formation and spiritual development of our youth and young adults.

Parting words…

I’ve had the wonderful honor and privilege to meet and share Christ with some of you, as you have with me through your lives and your brokenness, and that is one of the most beautiful things we can ever do: to grow as one community through our common love for Jesus. This is my hope for all of us youth here at Holy Family.

It is said that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I would like to invite each one of you today, to take the first step towards an encounter with Christ, who believes in us and loves us, and calls us to do the same for each other. You can make a difference in the life of your friend. Our youth community meets every Friday at 6.15 pm for mass, dinner and activities in the YOUhf Room, make a date and come with your friends!

For more information about the youth community and other activities, please visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/YOUhf or contact Andrew at 9185 8886 or email him at youth@holyfamily.org.sg

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Reflections

Holy Spirit, Come!

Damian Boon

“Receive the Holy Spirit.” (Jn 20:22) - these words of Jesus, when he first appeared to the apostles on that first Easter Sunday, came alive for most of us participating in the Praise and Worship and the Eucharist Celebration at Pentecost Triduum 2012 as we received a new and fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Rev Fr Gino Henriques, CSsR was the main Celebrant and Preacher at this three-day event organized by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) in line with our parish pastoral priority “One Church, One Mission” to highlight the importance of Pentecost in our Parish community and to help parishioners understand how the Holy Spirit helps us live out our mission as baptized Catholics.

Called to One Family

The very first question posed by Fr Gino on the first day of the Triduum to the over eight hundred strong congregation was “Who is the Holy Spirit to you?” He then went on to explain that for many Catholics, the Holy Spirit is a somewhat hidden and forgotten God. However, the work of the Holy Spirit is vital to us because He makes known God the Father to us and brings us closer to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes us sons and daughters of God (Rom 8:14) and a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). He empowers us to bring others to also become this ‘new creation’, to bring about the ‘new heaven and new earth’ (Rev 21:1-2). Since the Spirit has been poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5) in full measure, not merely drop by drop, Fr Gino encouraged all of us to allow this ‘volcano of God’s love’ to burst forth from our hearts continually.

He described the early Christian Community (Acts 2:42-47) as hallmarks of who we should be as Catholics – One Family - a people who are faithful to the Word of God in fellowship with one another in love and unity; celebrate the Eucharist with devotion; pray at all times and who stay close to God through personal, family and community prayer.

Throughout the Triduum, Fr Gino continued to urge us to pray daily to the Holy Spirit and taught us to sing this beautiful hymn to the Holy Spirit.

“Holy Spirit, Come!

Make my eyes to see, make my ears to hear, make my heart to love.

And teach me the will of my God.”

As the congregation moved by the Lord’s Spirit and led by Fr Gino sang this hymn with all their hearts and with great faith and love each night, many of us could indeed feel the awesome, intimate and loving presence of God in our midst.

Called in the One Spirit

On the second day, Fr Gino reiterated that God, through the Holy Spirit’s action in the world and by working in us and through us, makes all things new (Rev 21:5 and Ps 104:30). He then preached about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to grow in holiness (Is 11:2-3) as well as the charisms that empower us (1 Cor 12:4-11) for service to others. He reminded us that the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the charisms we have all received are to be used in humble service for the building up of the Church and the community, and most importantly, to promote love, unity and oneness.

After Holy Communion, Fr Gino led the whole assembly into a time of praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

He asked all of us present to reclaim the fire of Pentecost in our lives. We prayed to the Lord to banish all fears, negativity and lack of trust; we also prayed for faith and love to come alive once again in our hearts. As we bowed our heads in fervent prayer and surrendered ourselves to the Lord, we once again received a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and many experienced in a new way God’s great and immense love.

Reflections

Called to One Mission

On the last day, Fr Gino challenged us with the question: “How can we bring about this ‘new creation’ among all people?” The answer - by being Jesus’ witnesses and to be on mission (Acts 1:8). Having received the Holy Spirit, the command of the Lord to us is clear – “Go make disciples” (Matt 28:19). How? By first being a disciple of Jesus, so that we can truthfully declare that ‘I live, not I; but Christ lives in me’ (Gal 2:20). Fr Gino emphasized that this is true discipleship – Jesus living in us!

The next step in witnessing is to befriend others and show them genuine love, care and concern. He encouraged us to let them experience Jesus truly alive in us and share with them our personal faith experience with the Lord. He also reminded us that this drive for mission begins with those nearest to us – at home among husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters and neighbours. He concluded by once again reiterating that we need the help and power of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives and reminding us to pray at all times to the Holy Spirit.

A personal encounter

Many parishioners who attended the Triduum felt uplifted and renewed by the experience. Vivien Theseira experienced a deep sense of God’s peace and love during the prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and felt this was a wonderful opportunity for all to get to know the Holy Spirit better, especially for the newly baptised Catholics.

Joseph Khoo commented: “I found the Triduum to be very inspiring and the homilies provided me with a good reminder of who I am in God and helped me to renew my thinking and my faith. I really enjoyed the Praise and Worship and found it to be very uplifting. This is my first experience of praying to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and I found myself being enlightened by the Holy Spirit. It was a truly wonderful and powerful experience.”

Daniel Tham summed up beautifully the thoughts and feelings of most participants: “The Triduum gave me a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. It was good to be reminded that we often take the Holy Spirit for granted, and that sometimes we even forget he exists in the grind of daily life and work! During the anointing, I was reminded of the need to open my heart, to surrender and put "Me" aside and allow God in, to allow the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts and actions. In that moment, I felt a sense of peace and joy just being there with the Spirit. I will continue to take to heart Fr Gino's advice to invite the Holy Spirit into my life daily, even a hundred times a day, in the simple prayer - that beautiful hymn he taught us.

I was deeply touched to see so many people come from all over Singapore to share in the Triduum. In the words of St Catherine of Siena, "If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire!" I pray that this personal encounter with the Spirit that we have all experienced be with us all our lives. Praise God!” Indeed, Pentecost Triduum 2012 was a great experience for most of us, in varied and different ways. The message is clear and direct – We are called to be people of the Spirit and architects of the ‘new creation’ in the Spirit’s power, to use our gifts to bless and serve others by the witness of our lives, words and actions in love and unity.

As one family, we should continue to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit to bless our parish community as we pray unceasingly, “Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Your love, Alleluia!”

Damian Boon has been a member of the Parish Pastoral Council since its inception in 2005. He has served the Holy Family Church as an Altar Server from 1972 to 1980, in the Kristokos Choir since 1983 and as Coordinator with the Holy Family Charismatic Prayer Group since 2000. He is a business trainer, facilitator and coach and is extremely passionate about sharing the experience of God's love with others through various church ministries and in the community and workplace.

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Biblical Reflections

THE PROPHETS

Bible Apostolate team

Prophecy is fundamentally God addressing man, calling him to repentance, truth and liberty. “The Prophets” collection of the Hebrew Bible contains an account of Israel as a nation, from conquest to exile. The books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings - the Former Prophets - are a prophetic history of Israel, interpreting Israel’s history as a consequence of the nation’s relationship to God. The books of the Major Prophets or Latter / Classical Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel on account of the size of their work and those of the twelve so-called Minor prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi - are a collection of pronouncements of individuals within Israel who applied this perspective to special situations.

Role of the Prophet

The role and function of the prophet have an unparalleled significance in the literature and tradition of both Judaism and Christianity. The most basic function of biblical prophecy was to analyze political and social policies in light of Yahweh’s demands of justice, loyalty, and faith in Him. Hence the prophet was most concerned with the moral and religious principles that governed the corporate and personal lives of God’s people.

A prophet was called a “nabi” in the Hebrew Bible –“for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer” (1 Sam 9:9). In the active sense, the prophet is “an announcer” – one who announces the purpose and activity of God. The passive meaning may be related to the initiation call to prophetic service. The seer, “ro’eh”, exercises the same function as the prophet – of “seeing” that which is not normally accessible; speaking forth, proclaiming, that which is thus “seen”; apprehending not necessarily that which is smooth but emphatically that which is right –“For they are a rebellious people…who say to the seers, ’See not’ and to the prophets, ‘Prophesy not to us what is right, speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions’” (Is 30:9-10).

Many of the “literary” prophets worked with circles of disciples who cherished, preserved and “edited” the original, basic, oral utterances of the master, not only during the prophet’s lifetime but also for an extended period after his death. Many prophetic works were the product of decades and even centuries of a fluid, oral process. The preaching and teachings of the great prophets achieved written form only after sustained oral life among their disciples. The prophet Isaiah himself wrote and on occasion he committed his message for subsequent delivery in oral form to his disciples.

Judgment

The prophetic utterance, be it invective or judgment, cry of anguish or assurance, always presupposes the action of Yahweh in history. Since God Amos, the Prophet of God’s chose Israel to be his people, formed an enduring relationship with justice, denounced Israel as well them and intended them to be his holy people, therefore, everyas her neighbours for reliance upon thing that happened to Israel in history was a reflex of their military might, for grave injustice in social relationship to God. dealings, for abhorrent immorality and The prophets of the eighth to the sixth centuries are all shallow, meaningless piety. 12 For I know how predominantly oriented in catastrophe – either the fall of many are your transgressions, and how great are the Northern Kingdom in 721 or the end of the survivyour sins - you who afflict the righteous, who take a ing Southern state in 587. Unequivocally for them bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. 21 "I hate, I despise this temporal-historical-political event is divine your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. judgment, the creation and establishment of justice, 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, the rebalancing of the scales between Yahweh and I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts Israel. The act of judgment as political death - a I will not look upon. (Am 5) figurative return to Egypt – is conditioned by the

Amos

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The prophets endeavored to cut away the vile malignancy of Israel’s cultus when the enthusiastic performance and perpetuation of formalized, regularized, prescribed acts of piety were unsupported by justice and righteousness revealed as the character and demand of Yahweh upon whom centered the whole cultus. “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”.

(Am 5:24)

character of Israel’s rebellion and is appropriate and necessary to rectify the nation’s totally willful, arrogant rejection of Yahweh. The prophets, from Amos to Isaiah before the destructive events, to the subsequent Second and Third Isaiah and other prophets after the final catastrophe, proclaim this judgment with staggering power and in stunning language.

The basic message of Amos stresses God’s moral rule over the Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because entire world and the divine demands for justice and concern for you despise this word, and trust in oppression and the outcast or oppressed. The Book ends on a note of hope, that perverseness, and rely on them; therefore this iniquity after punishment, God’s mercy and forgiveness will again shall be to you like a break in a high wall...which is bring blessing to Israel. 11 "… I will raise up the booth of smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old” (Am 9:11) water out of the cistern”. (Is 30:12-14)

Hosea

Hosea, the Prophet of God’s Divine Compassion, is a prophet of the Northern Kingdom. His own painful life - his marriage to the prostitute, Gomer, who bore him three children, of whom Hosea was presumably not the father, and then left him again - mirrors the tender bond of love between God and Israel and how sin affects the covenant relationship. But Hosea brought her back publicly - 3 And I said to her, "You must dwell as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you." (Hos 3:3) - and took her again to himself.

Biblical Reflections

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Jeremiah

Micah

Isaiah

The Prophet Isaiah, was of noble birth, a man of culture and a poet of genius who carried out his ministry in Jerusalem from 740 BC onwards. The Book of Isaiah preserves the legacy of not just one, but three major prophetic figures, each of whom lived and prophesized during a distinct and unique time Like Amos, he preached the same message of judgement for the period. Chapters 1 to 39 in 1 Isaiah carry violations of justice and the oppression of the poor, pointing to the the messages of the Prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem. broken commandments and calling for a return to covenant Brilliance of style and freshness of imagery make fidelity and obedience to God. In particular, Hosea brings out his work pre-eminent in the literature of the Bible; he the compassion of Yahweh and his sorrow at having to punish wrote a concise, majestic and harmonious prose unsurIsrael for its sins. He singles out fidelity, loving compassion passed by any of the biblical writers who were to follow. and the knowledge of God. He pleads in Yahweh’s name: 6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the “Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings. disciples.” (Is 8:16) We are told of a critical moment early in (Hos 6:6) his prophetic career when Isaiah did something no other prophet before him had done - he bound up and sealed his “instruction” from God “in the heart” of his disciples - that is, he had a group of his followers memorize his messages and thereby established an Isaiahan group or “school” that was responsible for preserving the spiritual legacy of its founder.

Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, left a far smaller collecThe prophetic calling of Isaiah took place in an awesome vision of Yahweh tion of sayings. His concrete and Sabaoth as king enthroned high above the temple, with fiery seraphs, one direct language is reminiscent of of whom pressed a burning coal on his lips. Three convictions broke Amos’. His book speaks of messianic upon the mind of the Prophet and remained with him for the rest of his restoration, returning again to the theme life - firstly, the holiness of Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel; second, of the ‘remnant’ and stressing the Davidic the sinful condition of his people was so great that there was no hope origin of the Messiah – “But you, O Bethfor reform short of a devastating invasion that would soon sweep lehem of Eph'rathah, who are little to be through the countryside laying waste the towns and villages until among the clans of Judah, from you shall everything was destroyed; and lastly, a stump or a ‘remnant’ would come forth for me one who is to be ruler in remain faithful and out of the ashes of the Israel, whose origin is from of catastrophe, a new people would be old, from ancient days.”

Jeremiah, born.

(Mic 5:2) born of a priestly family, was a man of great sensitivity and deep piety and among the last of the pre-Exilic prophets together with Zephaniah, Nahum and Habakkuk. Throughout his ministry, he was a model of fidelity in spite of suffering and had to struggle continually with violent enemies. “Because they have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them..” (Jer 5:11-14) Nowhere else in the Old Testament does the eternal invisible God become so involved in human experience and communicate so much within it as in the person of Jeremiah who paradoxically combines exceptional obedience to God with vigorous argumentation against God; who struggles with doubt and anger, and at times succumbs to them, only to rise purified and transformed. The touch of Jeremiah shows up in compassion and prayer and in fidelity to a covenant inscribed upon the heart. Herein lies the climax of Jeremiah’s message and at the heart of all prophetic utterances: "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah... I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts;” (Jer 31:31-33) Jeremiah’s covenant was not ‘new’ - it reminded people of the covenant terms they had forgotten or neglected. The newness is not found in the essentials of the covenant but in the realm of realisation and the new means used to assure faithfulness to it – the thorough “interiorization” of the commitment. The primacy of interior values - obedience, love, knowledge of God - is the condition required for the true practise of religion.

The humanity of the sacred writer includes the struggles to know what God wants and then the courage to seek it, step by step, at times with missteps, and a return to the right path, eventually with wisdom and peace. Jeremiah is the classic example of the rejected and persecuted prophet who eventually became one of the most popular and accepted prophets.

His genuine expressions of piety made an impact on the community for generations to come.

Ezekiel

Biblical Reflections

For all their invective, the prophets are misunderstood if their proclamation of judgment against Israel is interpreted as Ezekiel, like Jeremiah was a an arbitrary or vindictive action of Yahweh. They priest in Jerusalem during the Exile. Taken want to make it plain in the intensity of their own to Babylon in 598 with the first group of exiles, feelings and emotions - the restoration of he began foretelling the fall of Jerusalem as a justice, the setting right of the woefully punishment for the sins of Israel. After the city had wrong. been sacked in 587, he became the prophet of hope to the exiles when he assured the abiding presence of God among The highest projection of prophetic faith them. To a helpless and hopeless people, he brought hope of is unmistakably expressed in Second restoration to their homeland and temple by their just and Isaiah in the Servant Songs. Although holy God. the intentional identity of Servant is

unclear – whether Israel personified, or the remnant of Israel, or someone out of Israel – the prophets in the New Testament had no hesitation in identifying Jesus Christ as the Servant. “And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant…It is To those who were tempted to think themselves finally abandoned by too light a thing that you should Yahweh because of the sins of the nation, Ezekiel taught the doctrine of be my servant to raise up the tribes individual responsibility, explained the purpose of punishment, and of Jacob and to restore the affirmed the possibility of each one finding favour again with God who preserved of Israel; I will give you will shepherd his people himself and make a new covenant with them. as a light to the nations, that my 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting salvation may reach to the end of the covenant with them; 27My dwelling place shall be with them; and I earth”.

(Is 49:5-6) will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then the nations Jesus Christ, “a shoot from the stump of will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary Jesse” (Is 11:1) is that “light to the nations” is in the midst of them for evermore." (Ez 37:24-28) - he will be totally endowed with the Spirit of Yahweh for “He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Is 11:3-4)

In his vision of the dry bones, he proclaimed the certainty of salvation. 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them," Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD." (Ez 37:11-14)

The message of the prophets was rooted in Israel’s covenant traditions. The covenants of Moses and David defined Israel’s relationship to God. On the basis of the requirements laid out in these traditions, the prophets called the people back to faith and recalled Israel’s covenantal roots to reaffirm the truth of God and to ground God’s faithfulness.

QUIZ

We, the church, the new Israel, “..are reborn, not from a corruptible seed, but from an incorruptible one through the word of the living God, not from the flesh, but from water and the Holy Spirit..” (Lumen Gentium, 9) and share in His prophetic office through our baptismal incorporation in Christ and by being a living witness to Him in a life of faith and love.

1. Jesus read the scroll of the prophet __________ when he said "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor..." (Lk 4:17-19) 2. Jesus referred the sign of the prophet _____________ to describe his death and resurrection.

3. What was written on the scroll that God told Ezekiel to eat?

4. Which prophet did Jesus refer when he spoke of "the desolation" in Mark 13:14?

5. In the Book of Hosea, which animal did the Lord liken Israel's stubbornness to?

6. Who prophesied "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;….”?

7. Which prophet had foretold that although Jesus would do many miracles and signs, many would not believe (Jn 12:37-38) 8. Who was the one of whom Ezekiel said the throne over Israel would be given to one yet to come.

9. Daniel interpreted the writing for King _____________, son of Nebuchadnezzar, which had been miraculously inscribed by the fingers of a human hand on the wall of the royal palace.

10. To which prophet had God said "See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

11. The shortest book in the Old Testament 12. In the Book of Jeremiah, the influence of which Canaanite god was still strong.

Answers: 1. Isaiah (Is 61:1-2) 2. Jonah (Mt 12:39-40) 3. Words of lament, mourning and woe (Ez 2:8-10) 4. Daniel (Dan 8:11-14) 5. A heifer (Hos 4:16) 6. Amos (Am 1:3) 7. Isaiah (Is 53:1) 8. Jesus Christ (Ezek 21:27) 9. Belshazzar (Dan 5:5-29) 10. Jeremiah (Jer 1:10) 11. Obadiah 12. Baal (Jer 2:8)

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Mandarin Section

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Prayer and Praise

Ongoing Faith Formation

Holistic Catholic Life Team

The Prayer that Changes Everything – Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen by Jim Manney For most people most of the time, prayer is hard. It is especially difficult not to mention unsatisfying when people experience it as formal, dry and repetitious. But what might happen if you discovered a simple prayer that changed all that? What if you discovered a prayer that changed you? In delightfully readable text, Jim Manney introduces Christians to a five hundred year-old form of prayer that dramatically altered his perception of prayer and the way he prayed and provides examples of how this prayer can help us encounter God in contemporary life.

The prayer is the Examen which St Ignatius Loyola developed for the purpose of nurturing a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God’s presence. The Examen is both a structured contemplative prayer practice and a way of viewing the world. It provides a way to embrace this spiritual reality but, as Manney explains, the Examen is “actually an attitude more than a method, a time set aside for thankful reflection on where God is in your everyday life.”

The subject matter of the Examen is your life - specifically the day you have just lived through. The ebb and flow of your moods and feelings are full of spiritual meaning. Nothing is so trivial that it’s meaningless. What do you think about while sitting in traffic or waiting in a long line at the grocery store? What’s your frame of mind while doing boring and repetitive chores? You’ll be surprised at how significant such moments can be when you really look at them.

If you’ve ever tried completing the Spiritual Exercises and then given up on engaging in a daily Examen, this book which puts the Examen in simple (but not simplistic) terms will help you re-discover the value of this prayer practice.

To the question, “What do I pray about?” the Examen answers, “Everything.” Every encounter, every challenge, every disappointment, every delight is a place where God can be found. At the core of Ignatian spirituality is the ongoing and grateful awareness that God is in all things, everywhere and at all times. That’s what the Examen does. That’s why Jim Manney calls it the prayer that changes everything.

Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making by Timothy M. Gallagher Drawing from the timeless methods of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, this thoughtful meditation is enriched with examples and stories that offer practical and profound wisdom for aligning personal desires and goals with God’s will.

Every Christian has a mission. What's yours? "Is it time to change jobs?" "Should I marry?" "Am I called to religious life?" Sooner or later, every thoughtful Christian asks such questions. For everyone ready to make the shift from "What do I want for my life?" to "What does God want for my life?", Fr. Gallagher offers this new book to help you in making spiritual sense of your major life decisions. Drawing from the timeless methods of Ignatius Loyola and richly illustrated with examples and stories, this book offers practical, profound wisdom for conforming your will to God's will. Fr. Gallagher takes you through each step of the process, including recognizing God's infinite love; opening your heart to whatever God wants; making use of silence, the Eucharist, scripture, and spiritual direction; finding clarity (and what to do when you lack clarity); and understanding discernment as part of the greater spiritual life in Christ.

While this book focuses on major decisions such as marriage and career and vocation choices, the insights gained here can be adapted to any of life’s decisions as well, helping the thoughtful Christian find a spiritually inspired mission. Fr. Gallagher's clear style makes this book an important resource for all who want to discover where God is leading them, as well as for spiritual directors, retreat directors, and counselors.

“What I most admire is what lies behind Gallagher’s book - an extraordinary patience in gathering so many opposite examples . . . in part from his own experience . . . and in part from his reading.” - Reverend Brian O’Leary, SJ, spiritual director and professor, Milltown Institute of Theology & Philosophy

The above recommendations have been made in consultation with and have been used with the permission of Wellsprings Bookstore.

EDITORIAL TEAM

PUBLISHER Church of the Holy Family CHIEF EDITOR David Nayar EDITOR Violet Rosario SUB-EDITOR Lisa Marie Tan DESIGN & LAYOUT Karlyn Goh All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be published in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

We welcome your feedback, suggestions and comments.

editor@holyfamily.org.sg

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