MICA (P) 043/07/2011
JANUARY 2012
FEAST DAY CELEBRATIONS
2011
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Prologue
New Year Message From Your Pastor Dear parishioners The Christmas season is just over and our parish feast day celebrations too. The New Year brings us new hopes and challenges. Soon we will usher in the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. There is so much to celebrate and thank the Lord for. The New Year is a time for reconciliation and mutual forgiveness; a time for showing sincere filial piety; a time for restoring lost friendship; above all, to remember God in all our celebrations. Although in the Bible, the term or concept of the “dragon” is considered the embodiment of evil, the Eastern tradition of the Chinese has just the very opposite meaning. The dragon is considered to give rain from the clouds to parched Mother Earth; it is life giving and creating, symbolising change and renewal. In Christian faith, it is God who is life-giving, creating, enabling renewal and change in nature and in man. God is the giver of gifts, who fulfils our needs and our happiness. May God grant us His abundant blessings in the New Year in all areas of personal, family and Church life. May we step boldly into our Mission, each one according to his calling and status in life and as one Church respond to the needs of all our brothers and sisters, regardless of faith or nationality. May we be a life-giving, creative community, enabling renewal and change in the face of new challenges and hopes of the time. Wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed New Year.
Fr Patrick Usher in the year of the Dragon Wishing you a year filled with peace, good health and prosperity in the Lunar New Year!
CONTENTS
新年快乐 岁岁平安 3
Prayer and Praise
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NCC blog
Importance of Family Prayer On-going Faith Formation
How NCC has changed lives The Christian Community in NCCs
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Biblical Reflections
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Leadership
Salvation History
Be a peace maker
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Mandarin Section 残而不废 生活喜乐慈祥老人！ 10 Event Blog
A life-changing experience It is not impossible to combine God and fun Re-discovering family Sharing, Contributing and Accepting
12 Insight
In Conversation (In pix) NCC Annual Thanksgiving Mass Apostolic Nuncio of Singapore at HolyFam
Cover pix: Photographer – Ronnie Khoo
On-Going Faith Formation Holistic Catholic Life team
What's Your Decision? How to Make Choices with Confidence and Clarity by J. Michael Sparough SJ, Jim Manney and Tim Hipskind SJ Should I go to graduate school? Whom should I marry? Should I change careers? What do I do with my life now that I am retired? All of us have important decisions to make that radically alter our lives. Yet without a sound process in place for making key decisions, we are likely to question whether or not our final decision was a good decision; more to the point, we will never feel fully confident that our decision was what God truly desired for us. What’s Your Decision presents a spiritual, time tested and trustworthy approach to decision making based on the insights of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits and author of the Spiritual Exercises one of history’s most influential spiritual texts. Throughout this fast moving and highly practical book, J. Michael Sparough, SJ, and Tim Hipskind, SJ - both of them experienced counselors and spiritual directors - present an Ignatian toolkit for making sound choices and provide answers to many common questions such as: What’s important and what’s not when it comes to making choices? Do I trust my gut? What do I really want? Ultimately What’s Your Decision helps us understand that a God decision always precedes a good decision. When we invite God - who cares deeply about what we do - into the decision making process we find the freedom to make the best choice.
Prayer and Praise
Importance of Family Prayer Friday, 30th December 2011 was a red-letter day in our Parish calendar as Archbishop Nicholas Chia concelebrated the thanksgiving mass on the occasion of the Feast day of the Holy Family along with Msgr Eugene Vaz, Fr Patrick Goh, Fr Damian de Wind and Fr Christopher Lee. Add to that the angelic voices of the combined choir, the full strength of the altar servers and wardens and a fellowship after mass – this certainly made the event a stirring and memorable one! In his homily, His Grace stressed the importance of family prayer which should take place at three levels – personal, group and communal. Personal prayer A father praying on his way to work, a mother praying for her sick baby, a child praying before going to bed – these are all examples of family prayer at a personal level where each member prays individually to God. There are several ways to pray alone – by reciting set prayers like the Lord’s Prayer or the Hail Mary or the Rosary; by reading the Bible and meditating on the scripture passages; by praying in our own words – speaking to God freely from our heart. Group prayer In this setting, the family members pray together, for example, when they sit around the table at meal times. His Grace quoted an ancient Jewish proverb, “Whoever eats food without giving thanks, steals from God” and added that praying together with the children is of vital importance. The two most precious gifts a parent can give to a child is an appreciation of personal and group prayer. There is no better way for parents to do this than through personal example. Contd from page 2...
Mark Ortega
Communal prayer Lastly, at the communal level, the family gathers along with other families every Sunday around the Lord’s Table at the Eucharist Celebration together as one big family. While parents should be concerned about the material welfare or physical well-being of their children, the spiritual well-being must not in any way be forgotten. To emphasize this point, His Grace quoted a verse from the Scripture: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his own soul?” Parishioners were invited to focus on the spiritual wellbeing of their families and to appreciate the importance of family prayer because “A family that prays together stays together”. Praying is not just a matter of reciting prayers but it is also about listening to God. If parishioners really pray from the heart, we will get the answers from God. God will speak to us and we will be guided. His Grace ended his homily by reiterating that every family is of vital importance to society. If we don’t have good families, we cannot have good societies. But if we have good, God-centered, close knitted families, there will be peace and joy and harmony in the world. Hence it is the role of parents to help their children and their families to grow closer to God and to each other through family prayer. Mark Ortega is a member of the PPC Exco 2011-13 and has been a catechist for 6 years. He works as a Legal Counsel to a public-listed company in Singapore and is married with three sons.
On-Going Faith Formation
Prayer for finding God in all Things The Daily Examen of St Igatius of Loyola It is easy to find prayer books with lists of sins drawn up to prepare penitents for confession. These books usually concentrate on the Ten Commandments and on gross and obvious violations. But they have little to offer to persons more concerned with advancing in union with God and generous service to their neighbours. When such persons find in the lists no remedy for their shortcomings, they are tempted to think of the daily Examen as a waste of time. For them, this short book can be a godsend. Following the true spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Sister Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J., shows how the daily Examen, moving beyond conventional moralism, can contribute to a loving relationship with God and blend into a prayer of trustful gratitude. Readers will discover that this little book is not a publication to be skimmed and cast aside, but one to be savoured and kept close at hand for frequent and repeated use.
Anchoring Yourself in Prayer In Experiencing God, Thomas H. Green, S.J., presents a brief and accessible guide to prayer and reminds readers that prayer life is, above all, a relationship with God and a deepening of our experience of God. After many years of teaching, praying and giving retreats, Fr Thomas Green SJ came up with his insights along with good practical tips into prayer. “Experiencing God” is a good summary of what prayer is and prayer is not and is a good introductory starter book for any budding person who wishes to anchor his/her spirituality in the Christian faith. It is also a good reminder for those who have ventured far into their faith journey. A simple yet interesting read to deepen your spiritual life.
The above recommendations have been made in consultation with and have been used with the permission of Wellsprings Bookstore.
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NCC Blog
How NCC Has Changed Lives
Seeing Catholic homes with new eyes One afternoon, a few of us from the home visitation team got together searching for Catholic homes in our Joo Chiat neighbourhood. Our joy knew no bounds when we found one!
Cheryl Wee
Reaching out to my neighbours Home visitation helped me grow spiritually. What little I offered in return for the gift to grow closer to God, to be more patient, to be more of a listener and less quick to speak my mind! It has also given me an opportunity to reach out to those in need. How much God helped me in my most trying moments, I now try to do likewise to those around me. On opening my home for 7-Step Here, we experience the living presence in our midst just as He promised us “For are gathered together in my name, there of them” (Mt 15:20). When the scripture I feel deep within that God is to me in a personal way, sometimes sometimes giving words of Whenever we share our encounter we are truly acknowledging disciples of Christ.
Gospel sharing of the Risen Lord where two or three am I in the midst is being read, talking admonishing, encouragement. with Jesus, ourselves as
Getting to know many Catholics in the neighbourhood! We have lived here for about two years but hardly knew anyone. Then we attended a neighbourhood home mass and were surprised to find many Catholics living around us. Bonding with our new NCC friends As we became more involved in our NCC, our friendship with members of the NCC deepened and we began to share our life journeys with one another – our struggles, joys, sickness, family situation, faith, etc. Prayer and support in time of need When we were faced with a very difficult situation last year because of our daughter's medical condition, the prayer and faith support from our NCC made us more aware of the importance of the Neighbourhood Christian Community in our lives.
- Martin and Christine Lee, COS NCC
- Marline Mathew, Joo Chiat NCC
Becoming ONE in faith Adelina progressed from a Sunday Catholic to once-a-year Catholic after her baptism and Church became nothing more than a building. It was only in 2006 that her faith was renewed after journeying along with me, Ignatius, in the RCIA. Since both of us shared the same faith, it took our marriage to a whole new level and we now fully understood the Sacrament of Marriage. “Come and See” We were determined to join a Church ministry to stay connected to our faith. After going through the list of ministries and a process of elimination, we were back to ground zero. It was then that we received an invitation from our NCC coordinator Cecilia to “come and see” their first NCC event. Having heard how Protestant cell groups work, we were skeptical, even worried. Would we be harassed if we didn’t continue? Our worries were unfounded. Since our first NCC event, we have never looked back. Growing stronger in faith We have grown stronger in faith and built up our knowledge of the Bible through our participation in NCC activities. We now see clearly what it means to “be of service to others” and to “put yourself in others’ shoes” and how people apply what they learn from the Bible to real life situations. While prayer is between us and God, faith is the direct opposite - it is between us and our neighbours in the community. “Our comfort zone” NCC has helped us find our balance in life although at times we do dread joining an activity especially after a busy day at work or when our favourite TV program is on. But God always has a way of leading us to our NCC - our comfort zone. If you’re wondering why we are equating NCC with our comfort zone, it is because it is here that we feel totally relaxed and free to share and learn not just life experiences but experiences that are intertwined with faith, from seasoned Catholics and newbies alike. NCC has become our magic brush adding meaningful punctuation to our lives in the rat-race, to slow us down and savor the life God has given us and to cherish our family, friends and neighbours.
- Adelina and Ignatius, Marine Crescent NCC
Faith is a journey My NCC has been around for close to thirty years. During my early childhood, I was close to the people in my NCC. However, as I reached my teens, I drifted away. It was only due to a special calling from the Holy Spirit three years ago that I returned to my NCC. NCC is “my home and family” Going back to my NCC was like returning home to my family. It was as if I had never left these twenty or so years. The people in my NCC are warm and always open to one another. We chat over small things in life and we share our stories over gatherings of prayer and fellowship. The strong bond within my NCC has helped us grow stronger in faith and to appreciate the friendship we have built over the years.
- Raymond Ang, Sennett/Lucky Heights NCC
NCC Blog
The Christian Community in NCCs Steven Ang, Telok Kurau NCC
our homes for gatherings, to give up time when we have so little of it. These are little obstacles, but even small things may stifle a young tendril.
Every Neighbourhood Christian Community (NCC) is a minor miracle of faith. Sometimes that miracle struggles to happen like a tendril unfurling from a vine. Some months ago, my wife, children and I, were privileged to join the family of James Lim and Cecilia Goh and their Marine Crescent NCC in a Mid Autumn Festival project. They were bringing homemade mooncakes to the more senior Catholic members in the neighbourhood. They knocked on doors: some householders were away, some shied away, perhaps because strange people at doors in housing estates are situations they have learnt to be wary of, especially at night, while some opened their homes to be greeted by children bearing lanterns, and the adults distributing cakes. Connections are made when we reach out or open to others and the miracle of community happens.
Last year, we journeyed through the Gospel of St Matthew, encountering the Kingdom of Heaven, being asked to be ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’ (Ch. 5 vv. 13-14) for Christ. We understood this as a challenge to seek a way of expressing Christ in our community. This leaven of the Word eventually grew into our Christmas Project raising funds from amongst ourselves and our friends to buy Christmas gifts for children in difficult circumstances - as a way of reaching out, without necessarily preaching, to express and share our joy and hope at the birth of the Christ Jesus with others in our society, especially children and their families who may need to know that even in the dark periods of our lives there is light. Our project embraced some thirty five children of cancer patients receiving assistance at the National Cancer Centre of Singapore and a few others.
And we spent Advent preparing the Way for Our Lord by wrapping and packing these gifts for his ‘little ones’ (Mt 18:3 and 19:14) to whom belongs the Kingdom of Heaven. For us, this was the climax of a journey of hope - begun when we were not sure if everyone in our community would accept the idea, where we have In our own NCC at Telok Kurau, we gather come to understand a new way of being Church – not monthly for Bible sharing, in addition to our more just worshipping together but allowing the Word to general gatherings and home Masses, broadly transform our actions into witnessing. The using the Lectio Divina approach. It is a perilous example of my friends and neighbours stepping A conscious action, opening oneself to the Word of forward to gladly embrace several tasks in this decision to take God, for it may actually ask things project and give of themselves in many on a new role of us. It may ask us to change ways, has been proof and assurance to When I first took over the when we would rather me of the reality of Christ amongst us Neptune Court NCC leadership, I stick with the and in our community. The growing was filled with much trepidation as it familiar, to be branch may be tender and may meant making time to care, share and commit generous in often struggle, but when to a home based community. I wondered how to opening rooted in Christ as the true balance my family commitments, lectoring and other vine (Jn 15), the Neighresponsibilities. bourhood Christian Drawing inspiration from others Community draws Recently, there was a wake for a 92-year old member of our NCC who had its life and its passed away. His wife was such an inspiration to me. Despite her great loss, she strength. remained steadfast and shared how her faith gives her much strength – attending mass daily gives her a chance to pray for others. Even after a cataract operation, she was back in Church within a week! All the Catholic neighbours who knew her well came to lend moral and spiritual support. As we prayed as one community, I sensed the care of our neighbours and the love and presence of God among us. Vibrant past After the prayer session, we gathered in a fairly large circle of twelve, catching up and enquiring about each others’ family. It was truly heartening to see the bonds of friendship renewed! As we walked back home, we continued to share more about our lives. As we reminisced about the old days, I heard little snippets of how Neptune NCC was a vibrant community in the 80s and 90s. In addition to home mass and rosary devotions, there were BBQs, potluck, canteen duty, even cha-cha sessions! Hope for the future I continue to experience and see acts of love and kindness that bond us as one family and one community. As I pray for faith and vision, I know God will provide what Neptune NCC needs.
- Kathleen Wong, Neptune Court NCC
Come, join the NCC and share your experiences with others!
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Biblical Reflections
Salvation History 25
Bible Apostolate Team
… the word of the Lord abides for ever.". (1 Peter 1:25)
“With this assertion from the First Letter of Saint Peter, which takes up the words of the Prophet Isaiah, we find ourselves before the mystery of God, who has made himself known through the gift of his Word. This Word, which abides for ever, entered into time. God spoke his eternal Word humanly; his Word “became flesh” (Jn 1:14).” (Verbum Domini – Introduction) What is this Word? It is The Bible, Sacred Scripture - the very words evoke reverence. The word “Bible” comes from Greek, a plural noun, ta Biblia, meaning “the Books”. When this word was taken over into Latin, it became singular, and thus “The Bible”. It is more than a book; it is a library of books recording God’s sacred plan for mankind’s fulfilment or salvation. "For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them." (Dei Verbum 21) The Bible is Divine Revelation, the inspired Word of God where God enters into human history as Jesus - the Word made Flesh – the Logos refers in the first place to the eternal Word, “the Word was with God, and the Word was God” ( Jn 1:1) God’s Word is spoken throughout Salvation History and most fully in the mystery of the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son of God. The Word of God, attested and divinely inspired, is Sacred Scripture, the Old and New Testaments. The first forty-six books tell about the covenant promises God made with Israel to bind them forever to Himself as His people. The remaining twenty-seven books introduce us to God’s Son, Jesus Christ as the fulfilment of the old covenants and the mediator of a new and universal covenant that welcomes all who will come into God’s family, the Church. CREATION AND COVENANT Our journey through the Bible begins with the Pentateuch – “five scrolls”, the first five books of the Old Testament Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy - which form the backbone for the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament and contain a chronological and theological progression – the establishment of God’s rule on earth, through man over evil and over all creation. The whole Pentateuch looks forward to the possession of the promised land. Life in the land of Israel forms the basic background for the rest of the Old Testament story. The Pentateuch lays out the direction for life in Israel and becomes a constitution of Israel’s existence in the promised land, or outside of it, as the situation later develops.
GENESIS The Book of Genesis is the first book in the “Torah” or Law of Hebrew Sacred Scriptures that was the
constitution and foundation of Israel’s spiritual and communal life. Though the term “torah” is often rendered law, it has a broader meaning. In Jewish tradition, “torah” designates the instruction, revelation or teaching of God.
The Book of Genesis also bears witness to the beginnings of God’s activity in the life of the world – his continuing blessing and ordering at every level. It has two main sections: Chapters 1 to 11 deal with Primeval history – a sweeping account of the earliest events, from the creation of the world to the spread of humanity over the face of the earth and describing in the process the worldview of the Israelite people – of God, the universe and humanity. Chapters 12-50 trace the Ancestral Story of Abraham, of Isaac and his twin sons Esau and Jacob in Chapters 26-36 and of Jacob’s family, the chief member of which was Joseph in Chapters 37-50. In order to link Abraham with “all the families of the earth”, God chose Abraham to be the father of all nations - the universal purpose of which is to extend God’s salvific goals through this family to the entire world. The relationship between God and the ancestors is formalized by covenants when God bound himself by oath to fulfill his promises to bless and to save.
EXODUS The Book of Exodus gets its name from the central event - Israel’s miraculous departure from Egypt – which was God’s action to deliver a people from bondage and to bind them to Himself in covenant. Israel’s deliverance from slavery and the covenant at Sinai have provided a language for understanding Christ’s redemption and the New Covenant in the New Testament. Exodus falls into two main sections – firstly Israel’s emancipation from Egyptian bondage and the Israelites’ pilgrimage to Sinai in Chapters 1-18 and secondly Israel’s sojourn at Sinai, where the covenant was made and the laws governing life and worship promulgated in Chapters 19-40. The events recorded in Exodus are a testimony of God’s work in fulfillment of His promise whereby Israel became “the people of Yahweh”, were saved from Egyptian slavery and bound together in a covenant. God provided them with a place of worship - the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant – thus assuring them of His continued “tabernacling” or presence in their midst. The journey of Exodus is the quest for freedom and life. It is the foundation of the Jewish faith and therefore at the heart of the Christian-Judaic heritage. Genuine freedom and fullness of life was the divinely inspired purpose of both Moses and Jesus; both called God's people to journey in faith. This journey is not just a historical event but a continuing journey towards God and towards understanding themselves as God’s people. It reveals a powerful story of passage from bondage
Biblical Reflections
to freedom, from death to life, and as such is the story of all God’s people. At the centre of the event stood Moses who was called to be the agent in the delivery of Israel from slavery; to be the interpreter of God’s redemptive work, and to be the mediator of the covenant. The word covenant, in Hebrew ‘berit’ originally meant ‘shackle’ but came to be any form of binding agreement. Berit is a term so rich it captures the heart of Israel’s religious beliefs – they are bound to an unbreakable covenant-union with their God. He has made known his love and his mercy to them, he has given them commandments to guide their daily life and they owe him worship, fidelity and obedience. The covenant created the unity of Israel based on submission to the divine will and the confession that He alone is God. In turn, God pledges Himself to be Israel’s personal protector and helper against foreign foes, against sickness, disease and chaos, with promises of fruitfulness of children and crops, permanent peace and the joy of knowing that God is near.
LEVITICUS The Book of Leviticus is pre-eminently a book of worship. It contains laws dealing with sacrifices, the consecration of priests to their office, laws setting forth the distinction between what is clean and unclean, the ceremony for the annual day of atonement, laws to govern Israel’s life as a holy people, an appendix on religious vows. Israel’s culture is established through a manual of ordinances to help with their needs when approaching God who is going to live among His people. Through the various rituals and laws, there breathes the conviction that the Holy God tabernacles in the midst of his people during their historical pilgrimage. The nearness of God not only accentuates the people’s sense of sin but prompts them to turn to Him in sacrificial services of worship. For, according to the priestly witness, God has provided the means of atonement and forgiveness, whereby the community is restored to wholesomeness and reconciled to God.
SUGGESTED READING GENESIS Ch. 1-3: Creation and Fall; Ch. 12: Call of Abraham; Ch. 21: Isaac and Ishmael; Ch. 25 -27: Esau and Jacob; Ch. 37-50: Jacob’s family, Joseph.
EXODUS Ch. 3: Call of Moses; Ch. 5-19: Moses, Egypt, the Exodus; Ch. 20-40: The Ten Commandments, Tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant.
LEVITICUS Ch. 1-7: Sacrifices; Ch. 8-10: Consecration of priests; Ch. 11-15: Clean and Unclean; Ch. 16: Day of atonement ceremony; Ch. 17-26: Laws to govern Israel as a holy people.
NUMBERS Ch. 1-10: Preparing to leave Sinai; Ch. 11-25: Israel rebels; Ch. 26-36: Moses’ final instructions and commissions to Joshua, a military census of Israel.
DEUTERONOMY Ch. 1-4: First address by Moses; Ch. 5-28: Second address; Ch. 29-30: Third address.
NUMBERS The Book of Numbers picks up the story of the Israelites after their dramatic deliverance from Egyptian slavery. A more fitting title would be “In the Wilderness” – the theme of their sojourn in the wilderness for forty years rather than “Numbers” which refers merely to the opening account of the numbering of the people. Many of the traditions portray Israel’s ‘murmuring’, occasioned by the people’s precarious existence in the wilderness and so are pictured as faithless, rebellious and blind to God’s signs. Yet the same traditions are infused with the conviction that God was marvellously guiding, sustaining and disciplining his people so that they might know their utter dependence upon Him and thus be prepared for their historical pilgrimage into the promised land.
DEUTERONOMY The final book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, means “second law” which is the renewal of the covenant. The Book is essentially Moses’ farewell address to the people on how to live in the land they are about to conquer, in which, he rehearses the mighty acts of the Lord, solemnly warns of the temptation of the new ways of Canaan and pleads for loyalty to love God as the condition for life in the promised land. A distinctive teaching of Deuteronomy is that the worship of the Lord is to be centralised in one place, so that the paganism of local shrines may be eliminated. It is a re-discovery and re-interpretation of Mosaic teaching in the light of later historical understanding.
The Bible is a place of dialogue for us to meet with God, to hear His voice, and respond to Him. We are called to be friends. He wants us to be increasingly united with Him in faith, hope and love so that we can be prepared for an eternity with Him. Encountering Him through Scripture on a daily basis is one of the secrets to this transforming journey from grace to grace. The next article will be on “History and Destiny” in our continuing series on Salvation History. The Bible Apostolate Team (BAT) invites all parishioners, MOG and NCC leaders / members to enrol for the Gospel of John – Bible Study Session by Rev Fr Ambrose Vaz which will be held every Monday from 6th February to 30th April 2012 at RCIA Room, Level 2, Holy Family Church to deepen their understanding of the Scripture and to experience God more fully. Registration closes 29th Jan.
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Leadership
Be A Peace Maker
Last week, I was branded a ‘liar’ by a dissatisfied client who sent me a venomous e-mail.
To put things in perspective, my company had developed and organized a Property Outlook Seminar at Suntec City. It was a sold-out event! Everyone left the event feeling good because I had invited authors and directors of real estate research companies and global real estate companies to share quality information on the local and overseas property scene. Not to mention the great breakfast! However this particular participant felt that the seminar did not meet her expectations and voiced her unhappiness over its contents. In fact, she was the ONLY participant who felt that way and wanted a full refund.
ALWAYS BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR RESPONSE
So how would you react when someone challenges your professional integrity and conduct? Do you choose to get involved in an all-out verbal or email war with the person? Or should you sulk and get upset? Emails can either be written with the greatest of intention as a form of constructive feedback or by some grateful person who just wanted a free meal and information. Since emails are an extremely important source of feedback, I decided to place myself in her shoes. If I went to the seminar with the greatest of expectations and the speakers were not upto the mark, wouldn’t I be angry? Indeed I would. In fact, more and more people are getting extremely aggressive and increasingly belligerent of late. Some of us seem to spend so much time being negative and unloving! Could it be life’s stresses that are wearing us down? Are we impatient because we think we know more? When we encounter or witness such anger and frustration, we, the followers of Christ, must be peacemakers and show the graciousness of Christ by responding in a peaceful manner. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom 12:18) reminds me of a simple yet powerful formula
EVENTS + RESPONSE = OUTCOME
Mark Chew
Remember that we can only control what is within our control. You cannot choose the things or events that happen to you. However you can determine and control your response. And when you respond positively, the outcome will definitely be much better than if you were to respond negatively or with hostility. If the car next to you cuts into your lane, most people would curse and swear. Their ride after that incident turns into an angry experience. But do you realize that the other car driver has already moved on? He or she probably doesn’t even know that you cursed him or her! And yet, there you are, still groveling in your own anger.
PRACTISE RESTRAINT AT ALL TIMES
In Matthew 5:39, “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”, Jesus is preaching restraint. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed restraint when he healed the ear of the high priest’s servant which Peter had cut and again on Calvary as He hung on the cross for our sins. As followers of Christ, shouldn’t we try to be more peace loving like Him? I therefore defused the pent-up anger in that email by responding to the lady that I would refund her the money. I even offered that she could keep the books and notepads that were given as part of the door gifts. More importantly, I wished her well and that she should enjoy the rest of her week! Although her reply after receiving the refund was curt, honestly I felt very good after that because I had defused a potential emotional time bomb. It would even be better if she became a friend! And I hope you can do the same as well whenever you encounter such situations. You see . . . I am not a liar. But with God’s help, I aim to be a positive outlier in everything that I do. Mark Chew was a cradle-born Methodist. He was baptized at Holy Family Church in 2006. He is the founder and principal strategist of Giants Learning Technologies. He specializes in Personal Mastery and Leadership. He is the author of "Discover Your Leadership Style". You may contact him at http://chewmark.com/ and www.facebook.com/Discoveryourleadershipstyle.
NCC ANNUAL THANKSGIVING MASS 11TH NOVEMBER 2011 Photographer: Ronnie Khoo
Mandarin Section
EVENT BLOG
A Life-Changing Experience
This is the second successive year my family and I attended the Family Camp. Our first camp last year had been an enriching experience and we were looking forward to an even more spiritually exciting and fulfilling time this year not just as a break from the daily hustle and bustle of our everyday life but because it provided us precious time where we could come together to reflect on our spiritual life and fellowship more deeply with God and with one another. It was indeed heartening for us to see many families (some with three generations) attend the camp and at the same time provided us opportunities to get to know our fellow parishioners during the daily prayers and team activities over four days. For me and my wife, the Family Camp was a very special experience as it helped us bond with our children, pray together as a family, attend mass together and enjoy family togetherness. It also provided an opportunity for families to spend time with each other, reflect on family values, strengthen family ties and enjoy each other’s company in the presence of the Lord. The workshops facilitated by Mr. Vijoo George of Family Life Society give us the opportunity to reflect upon ourselves in our past, present and future spiritual growth. The “Laughter Therapy” session was a hilariously
successful workshop session in which we discovered that laughter can be used not only to reduce stress but also as a form of exercise. In between the praise and prayer sessions and workshops, we also managed to get time to participate in teambuilding activities such as kite-making, telematch and also the Holy Family version of the Amazing Race. We really looked forward to the Para-Liturgy where members of each family take turns to wash each other’s feet - a symbol of humility and service. It teaches us all - priests and laypeople alike – to be humble and forgiving in our relationship with those we encounter daily - our spouse, our children, parents, priests, friends, our subordinates and to respect and love the people in our daily lives irrespective of their standing in society. The Family camp has been a wonderful experience for me and my family and has definitely left a deep and meaningful chapter in our journey with God. We strongly encourage other families in our parish who have a chance to attend the next Family Camp not to miss the opportunity to experience it. It could be a life changing experience for you and for your family! The Goh Family - Goh Kun Kee, Kimmy Tay Kim Choon, Nicholas Goh Jin Xing & Melvyn Goh Jin Xiang
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Event Blog
It is not impossible to combine God and fun What made us come back to Family Camp this year
I am a typical Sunday Catholic. Since I started coming to Holy Family in 2005, I have just been attending Mass and then rushing off after. Being new to the parish, I didn't know many people nor did I have the time to join any ministries. Over the years, many faces in Church became familiar to me, but that's all they remained - faces without names. In 2010, my son and I joined Family Catechism - the "homeschooling" version of Parish Catechism. It was here that I put names to some of those familiar faces from Church and found an aspect of Church life that I had been missing out for far too long - a sense of community.
Amazing Race
The same year, the Holy Family Church organised the first Family Camp. How could we not go? It was the Holy Spirit calling us to come closer into this community. Despite my husband falling sick at the last minute and having to pull out, my children and I had a wonderful time at the camp. I started putting names to more faces in Church, we made more connections with the people around us – may be not deep friendships but connections nonetheless. When the camp ended, we just knew that we would keep coming every year - there was no doubt about it. As soon as the forms were out this year, we signed up. Laughter therapy
How I feel about the Family Camp
I feel that there aren't many opportunities in Church for families, including young children, to interact socially together. There are ministries and prayer groups for adults and youth, the Children's Liturgy for little ones but, in all of them, the family members are segregated by age. Family Camp provides a flexible and stress-free environment for this interaction to take place among members. At meal times, different families sit together, we play games together, pray together, swim together. Even my non-Catholic husband, who joined us this year, had a good time. He participated in the games but stayed away from Mass and prayers that he felt would make him uncomfortable. It was a very important step for us as he has always been averse to anything religious. That he would come along and partake in this fellowship was a significant and meaningful moment for me.
Collage
What we have taken away
It gives me immense joy to see my eight-year old chatting away with Father as if he's an old friend. To see him so comfortable among this Church community warms my heart. Since it is so easy to get caught up in the rush of our daily lives, God tends to end up in a dusty corner. Joining the Family Camp serves as a sort of annual reminder to open our hearts and make some quiet space for Jesus. I felt it most during the para-liturgy - a beautiful segment and for me, the climax of the camp programme. Nature trail
On the beach
The four days of Family Camp made it so apparent that it is not impossible to combine God and fun in one's life. After a day running around on the beach, trying to fly a homemade kite, swimming with the kids till our fingers looked like raisins... at night, with cheeks burnt from our day in the sun, we came together so quietly, surrounded by candlelight to bathe in the wonderful presence of God. It was beautiful, touching and so very important. Will we be back next year? YES!
Among other things
I want to give a shout out to the Family Camp organisers for the superb job. My younger son's birthday happened to be on the second day of the camp and I figured out that I would just get to the hotel and buy a cake there. To my horror, there were no cakes being sold at the hotel. Worried that my son would end up having no celebration for his third birthday, I approached Mark to ask if he knew where I could get a cake. To my surprise, he had already arranged for a cake to celebrate the birthdays of all those born in November! Just imagine: This small group of people had so many logistics to take care of and they had thought of this small detail :)
Fraemone Wee, Saw Tek Meng (husband), Ryan Wee (8) and Taran Saw (3) Telematch
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Re-discovering family Jason Lee One of the best things my family and I did last year was to attend our parish annual family camp. Let me begin by saying that this event – only the second ever – was a blast! To be brutally honest, we signed up this year with some reservations after the teething problems of last year’s inaugural camp, which we had also attended. Nevertheless, we were more than eager to participate this year as the whole point of the camp was really family togetherness. And if some added creature comforts could be thrown in, well that would be a bonus! As it turned out, we DID get that bonus after all. The hotel, while no Shangri-La, (hey, we only paid $330 per person all-in!) was in fact quite good with excellent facilities and large rooms. Quite a step (or three) up from last year’s accommodation. But of course, that misses the real point of this camp, which was all about re-discovering family. And I must confess I was more than satisfied. Over the four days, there were more than ample opportunities to engage in various activities with the family. Each day began the right way - with morning mass, followed by a mix of ‘serious’ sessions (reflections, sharing) and fun stuff (a tele-match, a mini-‘Amazing Race’, and nature walks). In between the scheduled activities, we found time for lazy dips in the swimming pool and a spot of table-tennis here and there. I also enjoyed seeing a few sporting camp-mates get onstage in the hotel lounge to belt out a song or two. (You know who you are!) I will share one particular episode from the camp that will live with me forever. During a quiet moment with my son, he suddenly looked me straight in the eye and asked me very sincerely, “Papa, is it hard being a parent?” Even now I’m not sure why, but I was immediately swept up in a torrent of emotions, neither truly happy nor sad. Just overcome by the question, for a very very long time. I think it was because I realised at that moment how important it was to him that I be a good father. And also because I could do better, but haven’t. I will not disclose my response to him, but I think it is a question that all of us parents would do well to ask ourselves from time to time. It is no coincidence that a wise person advised me soon after to pray more to the Holy Family, and in particular to St Joseph. The camp also showed me why it is us – the parishioners – who help bring out the ‘family’ in Holy Family. While it was my wife and children who made this camp special, it was the entire group of camp participants that made the experience unforgettable. The camaraderie, raucous laughter and banter, and the love and charity shown by people... These will be remembered long after the camp has ended, and I am certain that the friendships made will endure. ‘Community spirit’ seems an inadequate description now. ‘Family spirit’ is much more apt I think. Heartfelt thanks must go to Father Damien and the organizers who worked selflessly and tirelessly behind the scenes to make this a truly meaningful and delightful four days. I am truly grateful to them, and of course to our Holy Family in heaven who I know were with us throughout. Even though I’d never really lost my family, it doesn’t make it any less beautiful to re-discover them again.
Sharing, Contributing and Accepting
Liesl Massang
On Sunday 27th November 2011 afternoon, while seated in one of the two tour buses hurtling on the Malaysian highway back to Singapore, I recalled the events in the past four days at my first Parish Family Camp 2011 at the Pulai Desaru Resort in Johore, Malaysia. Our journey began on Thursday 24th November morning at the Holy Family Church where I, my husband and teenaged son had assembled along with other family units comprising couples, parent/parents with children, siblings to individuals and friends to embark on the 2 ½ hour journey to Desaru. Even though some of us were already acquainted with each other, the majority knew each other mostly in passing. When we reached the hotel lobby, the sound of the sea was quite audible - it was refreshing to experience the sea so close at hand; being lulled by the rhythm of the pounding waves instead of the noisy road traffic. I especially enjoyed the combined tele-match held by the beach on the afternoon of the second day. Competing in groups of mixed ages, we saw the fun side of people and even some mischievous ones as teams ‘bent’ the rules to proceed forward. Everyone contributed; even the smallest child was involved. There was so much laughter that it did not seem to matter which team won in the end. Mass was celebrated every day by Fr Damien de Wind. The morning lauds and evening vespers held daily helped me to prepare spiritually and ‘keep watch’ for the coming of Jesus Christ which culminated on Saturday night with individual reconciliation, praise and worship as well as family affirmation. The Holy Spirit was certainly present with us that night while we prayed for each other. On Sunday morning, the last day of our camp, we celebrated the First Sunday of Advent. During Mass, each family offered up a nature collage using items gathered during family walks around the beach during the past three days. I could not help but admire the unique beauty of each offered creation. After Mass, we shared our views about the camp. Each family had a special insight on their nature montage gathered from their experiences. Many were visibly moved by their experience during this camp. As I looked around at the people in the bus, I felt the warmth from being part of a larger family that was our parish. Though we were not strangers before, there was now genuine bonding. People actively looked out for one another and treated each other’s children or parents as their own family. As we reluctantly parted company from our newfound family at the entrance of the Holy Family Church, I remembered the words someone mentioned during one of our program activities: “Sharing, Contributing and Accepting”. I certainly experienced this in a special way during our Family Camp 2011.
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Insight
In Conversation
In this series, the Exco endeavors to explain the working of the PPC.
Member: Hey Russ, did you know that all parishes have a Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and ours has one too? Russell:
Really? What’s the PPC all about?
Member: The function of the PPC is to investigate, ponder and propose practical conclusions on pastoral matters affecting the parish. It endeavors to be Christ-centred, in union with God, with various Ministries, Organizations and Groups (MOGs) and the Neighbourhood Christian Communities (NCCs) and with one another, to provide the energy for effective Mission. Russell:
How does the PPC function?
Member: It’s governed by the PPC Constitution, which has been approved by His Grace, The Most Reverend Nicholas Chia, Archbishop of Singapore. Russell:
Oh. Then who serves in the PPC? Can anybody serve?
Member: Yes. Parishioners across all ages with different gifts and talents with a certain level of maturity to lead, to engage and to share can join the PPC. It comprises the Parish Priest, Assistant Priests, elected members from ministries, organizations and groups (MOG) within the parish, elected members from the parish community who do not belong to any MOG and appointed members. At Holy Family, we have fifty-four members in our PPC who have been appointed for a two-year term from 2011-13. The PPC then elects from among its members the office-bearers (OB) and the executive committee (Exco). Russell:
So who are the current OB and Exco members. How can I contact or meet them?
Member: Rev Fr Patrick Goh is the President of the PPC. For the current term, the OB comprises Mark Wettasinghe (Chairperson), Anthony Lee (Vice Chairperson), Jacqueline Tan (Secretary) and Gregory Chia (Assistant Secretary). The Exco comprises Helence Lim (Chairperson), Joyce A De Costa (Vice Chairperson) Michael Fong (Secretary), Mark Ortega (Assistant Secretary), Andrew Lin (Youth Coordinator), Carlos Furtado, Gerald Tee, Gilbert Lye, Irene Sun, Joseph Sze, Kenneth Chew, Raymond Ang, Rocky Chan, Violet Rosario and Vivien Theseira. You would have definitely seen them around in church or you can always catch them on facebook www.facebook.com/churchoftheholyfamily Russell:
It’s good to know our PPC is in good hands but how can I help. I am just a Sunday Catholic. I am not a member of any MOG or
the PPC. Member: No worries lah! You can always join the next PPC. In the interim, anyone can volunteer – join the MOG / NCCs or support various Parish events or share your professional experience with the youth who are discerning about their calling in their lives – the list goes on. Since the PPC is really short of hands, any and all help is most welcome. Russell:
So what are the key focus areas for the PPC in 2012?
Member: Firstly, we need to understand that the Church is Mystery, Communion, Mission. The Church is a ‘mystery’ because of its divine foundation – the Church is the Lord’s, the presence of the mystery of God and the Lord’s resurrection. When the Holy Spirit works in and through the community transformed by the Good News of the love of God for every person, it leads to ‘communion’. Communion gives rise to ‘mission’ and mission is accomplished in ‘communion’. It is important to note that Ministry does not “direct” but is “directed” by Mission which has its origin in the Holy Spirit. The PPC will continue to focus on Holistic Catholic Life, Youth and the NCCs under the three pillars of Mystery, Communion and Mission. Our next Parish Assembly (PA) will be held on 11th March this year where detailed updates will be shared on our parish priorities. The PPC looks forward to active and wider participation from all parishioners and I hope to see you once again at the PA.
Apostolic Nuncio of Singapore, His Excellency Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli at Holy Family Church, 6th Nov 2011
Meeting parishioners EDITORIAL TEAM
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PUBLISHER Church of the Holy Family CHIEF EDITOR David Nayar EDITOR Violet Rosario SUB-EDITORS Sharon Lin, Leonard Yeo, 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.
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