Birthday Present for Jesus!

We definitely had fun cleaning up and packing House of David today (and there's more to do tmr!) Guess what i read in next Sunday's first reading?! King David was thinking..“Here I am living in a house of cedar,while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” and God replied him..‘Then should you build me a house to dwell in?’ (2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16). Then now here I am thinking...cool...now that David built Jesus a house, here we are helping him keep it clean! I hope you like it Jesus...caz We sure built lots of muscles flipping those tables and fixing them and cleaning them. =p

I would just like to share with u some tots I had when I cleaned those tables. Some tables had my small dots and stains on them. Every time I managed to clean off one stain by using some cleaning agent and some of my might, I felt so happy and contented with myself. It might sound lame but I'm sure some of you felt the same way too haha! Then suddenly I thought of confession...imagine if cleaning a table could make a person happy, what joy it would be to clean a soul! Similar to the table with many stains, we are filled with many sins. Cleaning one stain off wouldn't make much difference to the whole table but if we put enough effort to clean off each small stain, the whole table would be sparkling clean! It would also be a much greater present to Jesus if we concentrated on cleaning our soul compared to cleaning a table. (though cleaning tables is a gd start =p )

Now we get to the fixing of the table leg! Yay there was at least one spoilt table leg that we got to have our fun on haha! Fixing table legs are definitely much tougher than cleaning table stains. It's a gd analogy to how some of our sins are quite major that it causes us to be broken. Such sins are tough to "fix". It was so tough to fix that Priscilla and I had to ask Marcus for help. Fortunately Marcus being a gd handy man taught us a skill of using a screwdriver and a mallet tgt haha! Guess wad..we girls can fix tables legs now too =p Anw my point is, some sins are tough to get out of and we need the help of others, and some times it needs to be a particular other person who has that skill or personality. Do not be afraid to ask for help esp if u think the person is up for it. =) We were made to help each other, no man is an island.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who came to help make this birthday present for Jesus, although its not fully done yet, I'm quite sure its going to be presentable to Jesus by tmr =p Charlene, Charlotte, Priscilla, Stephanie, Marcus and Chris...THANK YOU! Let's think of a special personal present (only u and u alone have this present)u can give to Jesus this Christmas =) if u need a clue...its bout preparing urself =p

Love,

Francesca

Bro Con's update to our previous "why do we go for Mass"

Came to my mind that in the session that Ben gave on the Mass, I am not sure if I downplayed the importance of the Eucharist. Vatican II states that it is the source and summit the life and the mission of the church. Such is the importance of the Eucharist.
I want to bring to your mind again that the celebration of the eucharist is the re-presentation of the life and more importantly the death and sacrifice of Christ, and also his resurrection.
The priest, in the preparation of the gifts, will put a drop of water in to the wine. This is to signify the mingling of our humanity with the divinity of Christ and that we are one with him.
When the priest places his hands over the gifts and invokes the Holy Spirit to come down and make them into the body and blood of Our Lord, it is the celebration of his incarnation when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived the Lord.
The separate consecration of the bread, and then the wine signifies the celebration of his death as the body and blood is separated.
After the 'Lamb of God', when the priest breaks the bread, it represents the body of Christ broken for us and this is when he redeemed our sins as the sacrificial Lamb of God.
After that, the priest will break off a piece of the bread and drop it into the chalice. This represents the uniting of the body with the blood and we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord.
So you can see, the Eucharist is a celebration of the whole paschal mystery of the Lord Jesus.
Saying this, I also do not want to downplay the importance of the other sacraments as well. Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony and the Anointing of the Sick are important as well. We should not 'grade' the sacraments but see these as signs that the Lord has left for us to signify that he is still here with us.
Please forward this mail to your members and whoever else you think can benefit from this and feel free to email me of you or they should have any more queries or need any more clarification.
I remain with you Always in Christ

Cornelius Vianney Ching

Amplify Friday in the City!

Man it was good! Leonard (the very anointed speaker), God bless you!



I'll share with you what I learnt from there. I encourage the rest to share how they felt too =)



There is so much insight to the 'woman at the well' story, which I never knew before!here goes..



Jn 4:1-30 (careful its not letter of Jn, its Gospel of Jn)

1.When Jesus heard the Pharisees had found out that he was making and baptising more disciples than John

2. though in fact it was his disciples who baptised, not Jesus himself

3. he left Judea and went back to Galilee.

So here we begin with Church politics...very common in our lives..imagine pple comparing the JCFC(Jesus Christ Fan Club) who is holding a huge party at sentosa and getting more members than the JBYM (John the Baptist youth ministry) who only have a small NTUC chalet party.

We totally miss the point sometimes, that we are all one, all Christians.



4.Jesus had to pass through Samaria.

Jesus made it sound like he had an appointment..of caz from Judea to Galilee, Samaria is the shortest route..but who every takes that route?! It's filled with disgusting Samaritans.



5. On the way he came to the Samaritan town called Sychar near the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6. Jacob's well was there and Jesus, tired by the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the 6th hour. (in our terms..its 12 noon)

7. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water,

Now isn't this odd...y would one want to draw water at 12 noon when it was hottest?! Everyone tries to go when there's no sun, in the morning or evening. Either this woman is trying to beat the ERP charges and the mad rush, OR she is out to avoid meeting anyone. Why avoid? Maybe she is ashamed of herself or she is outcasted...we'll find out later.



7. Jesus said to her, " Give me something to drink."

8. His disciples had gone into town to buy food.

9. The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew. How is it that you ask me, a Samaritan for something to drink?" Jews, of course, do not associate with Samaritans.

The background of why Jews do not associate with Samaritans is because Jews are considered the pure race, while Samaritans were Jews who intermarried with other people who entered the country. The Jews hated the Samaritans also bcoz they had other gods. So she was considered the lowest of the low since she was not only a Samaritan but also a woman (the lesser of the two sexes) so she was very shocked how come Jesus even talked to her..and even asked her for a favour.



10. Jesus replied "If you only knew what God is offering and who it is that is saying to you: 'Give me a drink', you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given tou living water."

11. "You have no bucket, sir", she answered " and the well is deep, how could you get this living water?

12.Are you a greater man than our father Jacob who gave is this well and drank from it himself with his sons and his cattle?"

Over here, Jesus is telling her, if you knew I was the Son of God, and what eternal life God wants to grant you, you would not care about this water, you would ask me to give u that eternal life!

Unfortunately, all of us... like the woman, do not get it that quickly. She thinks of material things...does not get the drift of what Jesus is offering her. "So without the bucket you can get water?! how? Oh i know...ur from PUB right?!"



13. Jesus replied "Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again;

14. but anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again. The water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life."

15. "Sir," said the woman "give me some of that water, so that I may never get thristy and never have to come here again to draw water."

Yea...this woman sorta half half gets it but not quite...she is thinking...I dun wana be thirsty again...So you mean you have pipes that lead to my house and I can get water by just turning the tap?! Way cool and convenient! I want! Help me install!



16. "Go and call your husband" said Jesus to her " and come back here."

Jesus knows she yearns for salvation, but He needs to heal her first before she can accept this salvation. To heal her, he has to touch her wound...a very deep wound...



17. The woman answered, "I have no husband".

18. He said to her, "You are right to say that you have no husband for although u had 5, the one you have now is not your husband. You spoke the truth there".

Ouch. (guess she is avoiding pple caz of this) Jesus sure poked her open wound really hard. However he acknowledges her honesty.



19. "I see that you are a prophet, sir" said the woman.

20. "Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, while you say that Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship"

21-24. Jesus said: "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know; for salvation comes from the Jews. But the hour will come- in fact it is here already- when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; that is the kind of worshipper the Father wants. God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth"

Now the woman understands better, that he sure is some1 great, how else could this stranger know my dirty background so well! Then she admits that they have not been following the right paths. Jesus tells her, no matter, if u start now to worship the right God with truth and in spirit, you will be saved. Jesus looks past the sin n sees us for what we really are. He comes at any hour, He doesn't wait for us to get our act together..He comes to heal us.

The Spirit is the one who makes a new creature of man.

Worship "In truth" because that is the only worship that meets the conditions of God revealed by Jesus.





25. The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah-that is, Christ- is coming; and when he comes he will tell us everything".

26. "I who am speaking to you," said Jesus, "I am he."

This woman dares not trusts all he says... so she tells him that Christ is coming and when he comes he will tell us everything. implying that there is no need to tell me so much now for I dun even know you.

To her surprise...The Son of God is speaking to her now! So she better believe it!



27. At this point the disciples returned, and were surprised to find him speaking to a woman, though none of them asked "what do u want from her?" or "why are u toking to her?!"

28. The woman put down her water jar and hurried back to the town to tell the people

29. "Come and see a man who has told me everything i ever did; I wonder if he is the Christ?"

30. This brought pple out of town and the started walking towards Him.

Wonderful news is that the woman has been healed. Remember that she was trying her best to avoid everyone...but now, she runs towards the town where there are many people! And she is even so brave to tell everyone that she has met Christ! urges them to go c 4 themselves!

More wonderful news is that if u read on, many more pple believed in Jesus because of this woman =)



There is more to this story than just that...Leonard tells us that this story shows us what sin is...to fill the hole in your heart, the yearning of your soul with pleasures and satisfaction..but not God =( and sin...is addictive, worse still it kills you without you even knowing it.



I hope this sharing has helped you =)

Love,

Fran

Why do we go 4 Mass?

As teens, it is inevitable that we will ask oursleves one day "Why must we go for mass? It's the same thing every week!". I got my answers today at the monthly YM session. We were grateful to have Benedict Luo sharing with us in this session and God also sent a helper, Brother Cornellius =) .


Anw, Ben had a very good point that the mass procedure is the same every week but every mass is different, not only coz the readings and sermons are different but it is what we bring to Jesus that day that is different. It then made me reflect that mass is a communal prayer, of caz we can pray at home and ya,God is everywhere, but that is personal prayer. There is a reason why we are a Church, because we come together as a community to pray. Every week we have gone thru a different thing from the last therefore we bring different prayer intentions to God, we bring different sorrows and pain to ask Jesus to heal.



So just interpretations of some impt words...The word "Mass" comes from the Latin word "Missa" which means send off. This implies that we are sent off to proclaim the Good News of God, to live it out in our daily lives, to be witnesses of Christ.

Consecration unites the past, present, future, the heaven and earth. How beautiful, impossible to us but possible to God.

The word "Eucharist" means thanksgiving. So, we ought to be happy and be thankful during Mass because we get to hear the special msg from God himself. However this might not always be the case...some of us think Mass is a bore and a chore. Aptly, Ben and Bro Con shared with us the deeper meanings and actions in Mass that helped us to appreciate the Mass more.



Did you know...?

All 33 years of Jesus' life is summarized in our 1 hr Mass!

During the blessing of the gifts (offertory) where the priest says, " Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth have given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life." This is Jesus' birth. The Passion and death of our Lord is then reenacted in the Eucharistic Prayer. Interestingly, when the priest breaks the host, he places a small piece back into the chalice together with the wine. This indicates that the body and blood of Jesus is reunited thus resurrected. (In Jewish customs, death is when the blood and body separates.)



Another interesting fact about Jesus. He died before the soldier could break his knees and pierced him by his side. As Br. Con explained, when you are hanging on the cross, to take a breath in one would have to push himself up with his legs so that the rib cage could elevate. Therefore, by breaking their knees, it would actualy kill them by suffucation. However, Jesus was not killed by the soldier, He choose to die for us. He said "Father into your hands I commend my Spirit".



Q&A

1. Why can't we eat 1hr before communion?

This is called Eucharistic Fast. This is to prepare ourselves so that we can be empty and absorb all we can of Jesus. It's just like how you do not drink coke, then eat a sweet...you cant taste the sweetness of the sweet. You do not want other food to interfere with the "taste" of Jesus.

2. What do we say/do when the whole church is kneeling down and quiet after communion?

Yes, it is tempting to take a seat and start talking to the friend next to you or read the bulletin. However, as Br. Con puts it, after a good meal, all you wana do is rest and enjoy the satisfaction. Same with communion, we should enjoy the presence of our Lord in ourselves. No need to have any words for prayers, just plain silence and adoration.

3. Why do we make the sign of the cross?

It is blessing ourselves and also to remind us of our baptism. We were cleansed of our sins at baptism.

4. Why do we make the sign of the cross on our foreheads, mouths and chest before the Gospel is read?

It is to signify that we want God to be in our thoughts whenever we think, on our lips when ever we talk and in our hearts whenever we feel.

We had many more questions during the session and these are just the gist of it. I hope this would help you appreciate the Mass more. If you are interested in knowing more, here are some web sites to check out =) do share with us cool websites and stuff if u find any!

http://www.frtommylane.com/homilies/other_homilies/mass_explanation.htm

http://www.threeinonegod.com/mass.htm

A TEENAGER'S VIEW OF HEAVEN

A very thought provoking email I received.
Take a while to read it till the end. (:

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class.
The subject was what Heaven was like. 'I wowed 'em,' he later told his father,
Bruce. 'It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote..' It
also was the last.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial
Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off
Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from
the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family
portraits in the living room. 'I think God used him to make a point. I think we
were meant to find it and make something out of it,' Mrs. Moore said of the
essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death.
'I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him.'

Brian's Essay: The Room...
In that place between wakefulness and
dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except
for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in
libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these
files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either
direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the
first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have liked.' I opened it
and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that
I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew
exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude
catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment,
big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and
curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening
files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a
sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see
if anyone was watching.

A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked
'Friends I have betrayed.' The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright
weird 'Books I Have Read,' 'Lies I Have Told,' 'Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I
Have Laughed at .' Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've
yelled at my brothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in My
Anger', 'Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' I never ceased
to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I
expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of
the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to
fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed
this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my
signature.

When I pulled out the file marked 'TV Shows I have watched',
I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed
tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I
shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I
knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked 'Lustful
Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an
inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its
detailed content.

I felt sick to think that such a moment had been
recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No
one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy
them!' In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had
to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding
it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and
pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning
my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

And
then I saw it.. The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.' The
handle was brighter than those around it,seemed newer, almost unused. I pulled
on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my
hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the
tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my
stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of
shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled
in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it
up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.

No,
please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began
to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And
in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper
than my own.

He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He
have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room.
He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me.
I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He
walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He
didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back
to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and,
one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted
rushing to Him. All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I pulled the card from
Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so
rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His
blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the
cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next
instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.

He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood
up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were
still cards to be written.

'I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.'-Phil. 4:13 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only
son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' If
you feel the same way forward it so the love of Jesus will touch their lives
also My 'People I shared the gospel with' file just got bigger, how about yours?

Oolong Tea

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed Oolong tea. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the Oolong out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked,

"Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and Oolong tea," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the Oolong. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The Oolong tea was unique, however. After they were in the boiling water , they had changed the water color and taste.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a Oolong tea?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the Oolong tea? The tea actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the tea, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a Oolong tea?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.