Evangelization

Today Ben and Fran gave a session on Evangelisation - with regards to a talk they attended a few Fridays ago about Faith.. (I cant rem the exact title)
I actually went to google on the definition of 'evangelization' itself.

And it says:

Evangelization means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel
itself.
(This is the definition for Evangelization used by the Church from the writings of Pope Paul VI - On Evangelization in the Modern World [Evangelii
Nuntiandi], no. 18, 1975.)

I used to think that to evangelize is something not done by the laity, but only by the religious priests, brothers and nuns. It's like something that needs to have authority to perform on other people. St Francis of Assisi once quoted - 'Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words'. This further confirmed for me then that it wasnt something common people like us could do, rather you have to be trained for it officially.

Not only that, evangelization was a term that I associated more with the non-Catholics, put more simply - the Protestants. Its always seems that its their innate nature to go out into the streets handing out flyers and telling strangers how good God is. And I always found these people intimidating.

Apparently I was wrong, evangelization does not only consists of preaching the word of God to other people. but it also involves living the Christian faith and doing good to others in your own way. As how Pope Paul IV puts it. " Evangelization is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize."

As I googled more into this topic, I came across a phrase ' New Evangelization', and it was coined by Pope John Paul II, that in this new age and century, evangelization is no longer just a task performed by the religious brothers and sisters, but also by the congregation.

In The Mission of the Redeemer, he wrote [Redemptoris Missio], “the
moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies to a new
evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no
institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all
peoples.”

And this reminds me of a Peanuts cartoon/comic strip I saw from one catholic blog that I stumbled onto cos i was googling about comic strips for a cathechism class about family.

This defensiveness can be seen in many of us - Catholics today, especially when we meet someone who knows more about our own religion, or is more out-spoken about Christianity/Catholicism. We think we know everything, yet we get stumped at questions/views posed to us. But after all that, it just goes to show that we take our religion for granted.

But now, the question is, have we shown that we are good Christians through our actions and the words that we say. Or are we only Christians on Sundays? That was the question posed to us during the session today, and that got me thinking. We take for granted that there is always someone who will start the ball rolling, but the irony is.. everyone is waiting for that someone to take the first step. So then, what exactly is the thing that holds us back from being Christians to others, from evangelizing to others about Christ's love for us? What are we waiting for anyway?

What is your take on this? Pls do comment. (:

Love, angele

Come & Be Re-Charged!

Deacon Harold from Portland, Oregon is regularly featured on the globally broadcasted Eternal Word Television Network – EWTN. Many of his talks onMale Spirituality, Family & The Eucharist have been received with rave reviews globally.

He has a talk in OLPS this Sat!

Topic: Youth As Warriors Of The Faith

Venue: St. John-Luke Room (Level 2)

There are also other talks available, just click on the poster!

If you are interested to listen to his talk, do contact Marlene @ 96420214. (:

Addressing the Pastoral Needs of the Catechist

by Br Collin Wee
30 May 09 @ CAEC

What would you say the synopsis of a talk titled like that could be? I went thinking I was going to learn a thing or 2 about how to connect with teens, and help shepherd them through life’s problems. However, I was surprised to find out that Br. Collin would be talking about suicide instead! Haha reminds me of my counseling days =p But before we go into the details…

Fran and I were the 2 earliest participants. So we did a really nice thing, we helped Br Collin compile and distribute his handouts to the other participants. What a way to start a beautiful morning, in service of others =)

The talk started with us doing a questionnaire to get us thinking about how we viewed suicide. Br Collin also gave us some background to how people viewed suicide in the past. Not too long ago in the church, a catholic victim’s body had to stay outside at his own funeral mass because of the nature of the mortal sin. The police used to handcuff dead bodies of people who had committed suicide because it too was a crime. Lol sounds a bit crazy? Mind you that was the practice just under 50 years ago.

Thankfully, views on suicide are changing to become more accepting. Accepting of what? Namely that suicide is only the surface of a much deeper and longer problem and it is less a crime and a mortal sin (not that it isn’t), than it is more of a medical and psychological state that people are in which causes them to commit the act. A simple way of understanding this is like, no one really steals because he thinks its right, he is usually driven by a need or has something like an addiction/impulse to steal.

Similarly, people who contemplate suicide and finally commit the act are often saddled with so many problems, that they use suicide as a final means to get rid of them forever. All studies have shown - and we know cos we are also human beings - that people DO NOT want to kill themselves, they only want to kill the problem. Tragically, the former is always implicated in the latter.

Even though on an institutional (church and society) level we are more understanding of the problem now, we still have to work on our acceptance of it on a personal level. That’s the only way to healing. Suicide is a taboo issue, especially when someone close is a victim of it. Very few people will openly talk about it even with their family and close friends. However, reconciliation can only come about if we let our wounds be mended through communication, both with others and with God. If not, like a physical wound, it may fester inside and decay our minds and souls.

There were so many things that were covered at the talk about how do we identify people who may be suicidal, how should we go about helping them, what are the dos and don’ts. Listing them down here won’t be able to convey the appropriate background meanings and nuances, so I’ll just share the summary of what I took away as the right disposition and attitude when working with others on this issue.

1. Every human creature is a blessed creation of God, and bears his likeness. It is from the fundamental dignity of each human person that we try and help them to treasure and find meaning in their lives.

2. Suicide isn’t the problem; it is the tip of the quick-fix method to solve the real problems.

3. Engaging a suicidal person in a sincere and dignified way is the best way to help.

4. Listen, listen and listen to him. Never judge, but suggest helpful advice in a Christ-like manner.

5. Find out the underlying problem by getting to know him and gaining his trust.

6. Apply a wholesome approach to therapy. Work with the person in body, mind and soul, together with person, family and friends, including where necessary faith, religion and society.

7. Let God work through you, just place yourself and your charge in his care. Pray, pray and pray.

It was truly a morning filled with touching moments where Br Collin shared his personal encounters with many teens he has helped over his 27 years as a counselor; the little and huge differences he’s made in their lives. It was also a hilarious morning peppered with humour as he shared joke after joke. Here’s one based on a true story.

A man from IMH had threatened to jump off the 6th story at a HDB block one morning. Many people were at the scene and police and civil defense personnel had also arrived. All of them were unable to coax him off the parapet of the floor. In Bro Collin’s animated pose and tone, ‘I’m going to jump, I warn you ah, I’m going to jump. All of you don’t come near me, you all treat me like that, I don’t want to stay with you anymore.’ After many hours, one of his friends, also from IMH, happened to walk by and saw what was happening. He nonchalantly walked to the base of the block and asked his friend what he was up to. The protagonist repeated the words he told everyone else. His friend replied, ‘Aiyah you want to jump from 6th floor? Who cannot? I also can, everyone here also can. Why don’t you try coming down here then jumping up there instead?’ Whereupon his friend promptly got of the ledge, took the lift down to the first floor and was rescued.

Hahahaha!! I was laughing my bum out of the chair! It truly takes a crazy person to understand another crazy person sometimes. Fran thoroughly agrees! =p

So after the session ended, we went over to IHM and said our rosary for the YM and all of you. The church was beautiful and peaceful. Only the 2 of us were there, and the quietness was truly blessed.

And the day didn’t end there just yet, for there was something even more wonderful, ecstatic and breathtaking to come! But, that is a story for another time =)

Love,
Ben

Here are the 2 songs that you can practice for before coming to our Worship Workshop =) Do reflect your attendance on facebook thanks.

My All in All

Verse 1

E B C#m
You are my strength when I am weak

G#m A
You are the treasure that I seek

B E B7
You are my all in all

E B C#m
Seeking You as a precious jewel

G#m A
Lord to give up I’d be a fool,

B E B7
You are my all in all


Chorus

E B C#m G#m A B E B7
Je - sus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your Name


E B C#m G#m A B E B7
Je - sus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your Name

Verse 2

E B C#m
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame

G#m A
Rising again I bless Your Name

B E B7
You are my all in all

E B C#m
When I fall down You pick me up

G#m A
When I am dry You fill my cup

B E B7
You are my all in all



Shout To The Lord
Darlene Zschech

Verse 1
A E/G#
My Jesus my saviour

F#m7 E D
Lord there is none like You

A/C# D A
All of my days I want to praise

G D/F# E
The wonders of Your migh-ty love

Verse 2
A E/G#
My comfort my shelter

F#m E D
Tower of refuge and strength

A/C# D A
Let every breath all that I am

G D/F# E
Never cease to wor-ship You

Chorus
A F#m D E
Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing

A F#m D E
Power and majesty praise to the King

F#m D
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

E D E
At the sound of your name

A F#m D E
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands

A F#m D E
Forever I love You forever I stand

F#m D E A
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You


Fran

Youth Mass

It's our very first Youth mass.. in goodness knows how many years!!!

We are so blessed to have a band from Saccre Youth to help us with Praise & Worship!!!

And of cos, Fr Simon to celebrate mass for us!

All is invited!! Do come and join us!!!

Food For Thought

JOB vs MINISTRY

Some people have a JOB in the church;
others involve themselves in a MINISTRY.

What is the difference?

If you are doing it just because no one else will, it's a JOB.
If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it's a MINISTRY.

If you quit because somebody critized you, it was a JOB.
If you keep on serving, it's a MINISTRY.

If you'll do it only as it does not interfere with your other activities, it's a JOB.
If you are committed to staying with it even when it means letting go of other things, it's a MINISTRY.

If you quit because no one praised you or thanked you, it was a JOB.
If you stay with it even though nobody recognizes your efforts, it is a MINISTRY.

It's hard to get excited about a JOB.
It's almost impossible not to be excited about a MINISTRY.

If our concern is success, it's a JOB.
If our concern is faithfulness, it's a MINISTRY.

An average church is filled with people doing JOBs.
A great and growing church is filled with people involved in MINISTRY.

Where do we fit in? What about us?

If God calls you to a MINISTRY, don't treat it like a JOB.
If you have a JOB, give it up and find a MINSTRY.
God does not want us feeling stuck with a JOB,but excited and faithful to Him in a MINISTRY.

===========
So many times I neglect the real purpose of why I continue to serve esp when times seem so tough; I cant see the light. But yet, after reading this old email that I received 2 years ago, suddenly makes sense especially now when i am more involved.

Hope this appeals to you as much as it did for me. (:

Hugs, angele

Day of Recollection (DOR) for YM

28 Feb 2009, Saturday was the day of our DOR. This is my sharing on what I learnt that day. I found it totally useful =) Thank you Eugene! (theres the urge to call u brother still haha.)



Activity 1: Silent amazing race

Rules: No talking unless instructed to do so.

Only the leader for that station is allowed to read out the instructions.



Station 1: Walk to ECP (mind you we were at QOP!) in a single file and each to pick up a handful of sand and a seashell.

My thoughts: Oh man...just when I'm getting all hyped up, he makes me play this game which has no talking...its rarely that i have so much energy in me...now i gotta supress it -_-

Anws, i can live without talking. Lalala..oh wow the nice warm sun after coming out of that freezing cold room. (after walking for 10 mins)...crap its damn hot...oh how nice the clouds r moving to give me some shade =) oh now got some wind =) wow God is good =p he listens to my complains haha! Thank you! k i should stop complaining...



now that we are reaching ECP..what were we supposed to do again? Oh i only rem something bout everyone having a handful of sand. Oh phew, ben rems the seashells. ok sign language isnt tt effective. Anw what i learnt here was tt after a long journey, thru all the toils n snares =p we forget our Mission! But no worries, that's y we travel in a group, each helps to rem different stuff. We need reminders every once in a while =)



Station 2: Going to Holy Family Adoration rm

My tots: Wow..i had catechism lessons for 2 whole years in holy family n I've never been into the adoration room! Tsktsk, this just reflects my longing for my wanting to be in God's presence. I'm ashamed.

(Damien joins us at holy fam with his car)



Station 3: Find the lamb with the 7 seals, where the shamrock resides, by bus.

We never guessed the right place(holy trin)...we got stuck at st pats. We are tired n lost! Can we pls go back! lets call eugene...can we skip to station 5 (which is QOP)? due to time constrains..yes =) we managed to skip station 3n4.



Station 5: Split into groups of 2 or 3. Able to talk to own group mates. Take a bus back to QOP.

My tots: omg its finally over! Ah who cares bout the toking...n the bus! Let's take damiens car!



BIG LESSON: *I sold my FREE WILL for convenience, saving face..etc*

Why? We compromised so many rules, taking the car, talking to each other in the end ..etc. Why did I take the car? Caz I was tired and everyone was going to take the car. Why did I not tell my grp to not take his car? Caz I tot its ending..plus its just a game..we dun have to stick to the rules..or more like caz i knew everyone wanted to take the car and objecting would be so malu. Why did I talk to the other grp? caz we were in the same car n i did not want to seem as if i was such a sticker for rules.



My resolution: Next time when making decisions, I should look deep into the real reason of why I'm choosing that. Is it out of convenience? (usual thinking: no harm breaking stupid rules with no consequences right?) even when I know it is wrong.



Activity 2: Pick fotos that relate to me

http://www.herronisland.org/home/geoduck/Blood....jpg this isnt the exact picture but same meaning...It represents me falling down and getting dirty and hurt.



http://www.naturalperson.com/New%20Website/5%20Advance/Adv%20Site%20Pics/Red%20Pill%20Hand.jpg pill in hand. I have my pride, I hate eating med or going to doc, just like how I dislike receiving external help. I try to do everything on my own first. But I realised, for a speedy recovery (from my falls), I should humbly accept this external help.



http://www.michigan.gov/images/mdch/hands_in_sand_243183_7.jpg (if u go search goolge for "hands" you will find my hands doing many things. Our pair of hands have served us well, they can do millions of things. What more if we be humble and work together. We would be able to acheive 7X 70 X 70 million. =) Each hand has a different talent. Isn't that beautiful.



http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1433/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1433R-102025.jpg If only I kept quiet more often and tried listening to God. I would be able to c the beauty in everything around me http://media.photobucket.com/image/meditation%2Bhands/Xina1/Fantasy/l_8861f96a51c72e77950a1774b698be-2.jpg I know God loves me =)



Activity 3: The Seven Sacraments



Reconciliation: We can do this in our daily lives when we allow forgiveness to happen. Not only do we have to forgive others, we should let others forgive us...and let us forgive ourselves. Reconciliation is the reuniting of 2 parties, to have a closer relationship.



Eucharist: Jesus sacrificed himself to allow others to live. Have I sacrificed anything to help others live better? Eg: Sacrifice my time to listen to other people's complains, so that they know and feel that other pple care for them. Hence they feel more like living.



Holy Orders: A priest or nun?! I do not have to be any of those to live this our in my life. I can spread the word of God to others in my daily life! If people do not go to God, I can bring God to them. =)



Marriage: This seems so far away..I'm still studying...but guess wad, Marriage is about commitment. Commitment to love others thru thick and thin. I can love all my YM members =) even though we do dumb things and get angry over stuff...Unconditional love means that there are no "if's". There is no "if you were good, or if you did not have AIDS, or if you did not smoke, then I would love you." NO! I love you no matter what you do, or have or are. =) Ez to say..hard to do...but with God, nothing is impossible =)



Anointing the sick: Caring for people when they are in need of SOMEONE, not something. To be there for the person. No early thing (ipod, car, house..etc) can or will console a dying person. What they need is to know that someone is there with them, and they are not alone. Do not be afraid.



Confirmation: The bishop says "Be sealed with the Holy Spirit" and in the past, they give you a tight slap!(WAKE UP!) We are to be soldiers for Christ! no more babies drinking milk. Soldiers means we defend and protect. We fight for what is right! Has anyone insulted your friend and you did not say anything to defend him/her? How about ur religion? Do you feel unprepared or ill armed with knowlege? For me honestly...yes. My plan =) is to go for more courses and read more to learn more n more...never ending amt of learning.



Baptism: We are to give 3 promises which lead us into 3 missions

3 promises are Poverty (poverty of spirit meaning that we depend solely on God), Chastity (in Latin it also means love...to love only God) and Obedience (listen to God, willingly, becaz you love Him, not becaz u are afraid to go to hell)



3 missions: Priestly (bring Jesus to people)

Prophetic (the voice that dares to speak the truth)

Kingly (we are heirs to God's Kingdom, let us BE a good example)



In these 7 sacraments, we have to bring God to ourselves first before we can bring them to others. How do I love others if I do not know what loving myself is?



BIG question to ask yourself: Who owns YM?

if your answer is WE DO! the answer is wrong/insufficient. The correct answer is I DO!

When we say "we" there is this idea that if I do not do xyz, someone can cover for me. Hence it is not a 100% commitement from each person. If you say "I" then there is a 100% commitment for each person! so imagine how much more powerful we are =) 10X100=1000% ! Do not underestimate yourself and what God can make you become. God takes the weak to shame the strong.



After all this, what are you going to do about yourself? What are you lacking that could be improved? How can this improvement help YM? What is YM lacking? How can I improve that?

God's answers to your problems

How many times have we said "I cant..." and gave up on ourselves?
How many times have we had the intention to run away from our problems?

I have.

It's amazing how the bible has so much enouraging words for me, that everytime I feel horrid, like giving up. When I feel myself falling backwards into a deep valley, there always seems to be a pair of hands that grabs me and pulls me up again.

And tt, I know is You, Lord.
Thank you for always being there, for never letting me go, no matter what I do. (:

I hope some of these will answer your problems too, like how it answered mine.

You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: 'I'm too tired'
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: 'Nobody really loves me'
God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34)

You say: 'I can't go on'
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: 'I can't figure things out'
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: 'It's not worth it'
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: 'I can't forgive myself'
God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: 'I can't manage'
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: 'I'm afraid'
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: 'I'm not smart enough'
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: 'I feel all alone'
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Hugs, angele

St. Paul's msg

Do you remember last Sunday's 2nd reading?

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters:If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,for an obligation has been imposed on me,and woe to me if I do not preach it!If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.What then is my recompense?That, when I preach,I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.



I didnt understand it at first, but after Fr. Ambrose Vaz explained St. Paul's msg...which was, "The revelation of God's justice; the fact that God has already reconciled humankind in himself in death and resurrection of His Son." Meaning, we don't need to earn our salvation! It is given to us! Hence the reason for doing good should not be because we are afraid to go to hell, or because we wana earn a place in heaven. It's because we are rejoicing and we want to share this joy with everyone else!



The analogy Fr. Ambrose gave was...imagine I gave you a million dollars. I come to tell you that I have put the million dollars into your bank. You can 1. not believe me, and do not even bother going to the bank to take a look or 2. believe me and be very super happy and go to the bank to check it out. However you cannot be proud of this money because you did not earn it, but can only be thankful. Similarly with St. Paul when he said "this is no reason for me to boast", caz whatever he preaches is not from his own intellect but from God.

"woe to me if I do not preach it!" in our words...Im so happy I need to share this news with everyone! if not someone ought to smack me on my head!

"If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship." Meaning, if St. Paul preaches willingly, then thats his extra reward..he gets joy for preaching the good news. If unwillingly, then preaching is just like a job.

"What then is my recompense?That, when I preach,I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel." So what does St. Paul get for preaching? He doesn't want to be paid because that would seem like he is preaching to earn money. It would be suspicious...like..is his ulterior motive to earn money for himself? NO! He removes all these suspicion, by not collecting money so everyone will know that whatever he preaches is not for himself, but for God.

Going back to St. Paul's main msg that is green above, "The revelation of God's justice.." Since all our sins have been reconciled thanks to Jesus, God's justice is not referring to punishment. It is a restorative justice. Hence purgatory is not a punishment, it is to restore our soul, to make us whole again. =) Isn't that great?! All this while I was fearing terrible things that did not even exist haha!To me, purgatory now seems like a choice, for me to cleanse myself and make me whole again =) before I go into heaven to meet God.

Anw, just to let you know, I was totally lost last Sunday during Mass, caz I din understand. Luckily on every Monday, there is an Introduction to St. Paul and his letters @OLPS 8pm (open to anyone who is interested). It's very interesting and enlightening. Fr. Ambrose explains really well. Thank you Fr. Ambrose!

Veil

Did anyone read the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia? I remember vaguely, somewhere in the last few chapters, CS Lewis mentioned that when they entered the new world, everything seemed the same just much brighter and fuller in colour. As if their whole lives the were looking through a veil.
I was reminded of this because this morning I was heading to my brother's room to study at his table. His room faces the East where the sun rises. His windows (those with the tainted sunex thingy) were closed. From inside the room, it seemed like the sky was dull and it looked as if it would rain in the afternoon. Anws, I opened the windows n man, was I blinded! It was super duper bright outside la! Those are some powerfully tainted sunex..Oh and plus after I opened those windows, there were sunbirds singing! (Felt like a fairy tale..I should have started singing and then those birds could help me with my housework haha!)

Then it came to my mind that if i took this as an analogy,life could seem so dull and sad here on earth if our mind was wrapped with worries, unhappiness and sin. If only that veil of darkness could be taken away, we could have such a different approach to life.
I guess that's what He was trying to point out to me, caz during my exam periods I am totally drapped with this veil of darkness haha!You should understand what I mean if you saw me.. I am filled with frustration, worries, not forgetting how grouchy I can get =p
I was ever told by frens "how can you let exams get to you like that? Is it worth causing everyone around you to be miserable as you are just over that dumb exam?" Well, easy for her to say, wait till its her exam haha! But true true I get her point, its not worth. I've been trying to be less miserable...if you saw me last year during an exam period..I dun think you would want to see me at all haha! This year, I'm not that grouchy..just looking stressed =p

To everyone out there who feels like they got a dark (dun mention heavy) veil over you, I challenge you to take a more optimistic approach to life together with me =) Stop looking at the problem and work on the solution WITH JOY (not frustration, anger, complains and all those curses haha!)

Love,
Fran

Be Careful!

Another nice story that I wana share =) from Our Daily Bread, Reflections for the New Year (20 Jan)

Several Years ago my wife Carolyn and I were hiking on Mount Rainier in Washington when we came to a swollen, glacial stream. Someone had flattened one side of a log and dropped it across the river to form a crude bridge, but there was no handrail and the log was slippery.

The prospect of walking on the wet log was frightening, and Carolyn didn't want to cross. But she found the courage, and slowly, carefully she inched her way to the other side.

On the way back we had to walk on the same log, and she did so with the same care. "Are you afraid?" I asked. "Of course!" she replied, "That's what keeps me safe." Again, fully aware of the danger, she made her way to safety.

Much of life poses moral danger for us. We should never assume in any situation that we're incapable of falling. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" 1 Corinthians 10:12. Given the opportunity and circumstances, any of us are capable of falling into any sin. To believe otherwise is sheer folly.

We must watch and pray and arm ourselves for every occasion by putting our total trust in God (Ephesians 6:13). "God is faithful" (1Corinthians 10:13), and He will give us the strength to keep from falling.


Fran =p

Why Go to Church?

Taken from Our Daily Bread Reflections for the New Year
In a letter to the editor of a British newspaper, a man complained that he saw no sense in going to church every Sunday. "I have been attending services quite regularly for the past 30 years" he wrote, "and during that time...I have listened to no less than 3000 sermons. But to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitable spent on something else."
That letter sparked many responses. One, however, was the clincher: "I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32 850 meals - mostly of my wife;s cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I canoot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago."
The Bible assumes the importance of going to church, and the only admonition to do so appears in the context of the danger of forsaking the practice (Hebrews 10:25). We need help to keep our faith and hope from wavering (v.23), and to love and do good works (v.24). Just as physical food keeps us alive and strong, so alsot he spiritual nourishment of teaching and fellowship are necessary for our survival.

Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not absent yourself from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage each other; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.

-Fran- =)Just tot this was very interesting n wanted to share it!=)

The Dance of Guidance

I received a beautiful email on guidance. Here it is =)

G U I D A N C E
***************
Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

God bless
Ben

The Breath of Life

Just something interesting that I read. (:

Catholics believe the things of creation are a testament to God’s word. Any physical thing I do — the scratching of my pen across this paper — is God speaking to me.

One gateway to this sense of the sacredness of physical things is our breathing. We are sometimes conscious of our heartbeats but rarely of our breathing. Just as we breathe, unaware, so God works in human lives. Without conscious thought we inhale and exhale. From the slap after birth that got us started until the last dying breath, all is done for us.

Life is God’s gift.

We so often think that God lives “up there” or “out there,” overlooking the presence of God “in here.” We may seek God by seeing, hearing, feeling, and especially breathing.

Genesis tells us,“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”

Breathing, an intimate and holy physical action, is a perfect symbol of God’s presence — quietly at work, always here, keeping us alive. God’s place within me is like that rising breath. The power that lies in breathing is a constant reminder that God is always quietly present.

Like all else, breathing is a gift that requires thanksgiving. Without it, I die physically; without God’s tender loving breath, I die spiritually.

Passage after passage in the Bible suggests that attention to breathing is one of the best ways to listen to God. Samuel responded to the whisper of his name in the night, saying, “Here am I.” God’s grace is in the breath that formed us as living souls and created our own breath, through which we can learn to feel God’s presence. “Breathe on me, oh breath of God,” a 19th century hymnist wrote.

St. Ignatius of Loyola wrote, “For it is not knowing a great deal that satiates and satisfies the soul, but feeling and savoring things intimately.” God breathes quietly these days, at times so softly it is hard to hear above the noise of our world. We have to be utterly quiet in order to hear the still, small voice of the All in All.

One of the most difficult things to learn in the spiritual search is this need for doing nothing, of merely being. We are all made in God's image — our true selves exist deep within and require only the gentlest uncovering.

The atmosphere is charged with God's presence. Inhale God as you inhale the air.

Breathing expresses the presence of God, and we must seek God in silence, in the everyday, in the way our breathing goes on moment by moment, hour by hour, decade by decade.

In our busy lives, it seems impossible to follow the directive, "Be still and know that I am God."

Cheers, angele

What has shit got to do with anything? from an Environmental Engineer's perspective

Hi everyone! I’m here to share a Franciscan moment I had the other day. A Franciscan moment means something like a light bulb moment which suddenly occurs to you and which is relevant to our faith =)

I am an environmental engineer and part of what I learn is dealing with shit. Not the shit that comes from your boss, or work, or demanding and mean people you serve, I do mean the shit that comes from your backside, literally. I know some of you might be turned off at this point, it’s true not many people are enamoured about shit, can’t blame you but if you’re interested to hear what I have to say, read on! haha =p

Ever wonder where all that shit flushed down the toilet goes? There are a few ways to deal with wastewater.

1. The most heck care way is just to dump it into the river or sea. In which case it’ll kill all the fish there, stink the place to hell, and generally make everyone in the surrounding area sick and depressed.

2. The next way is to filter out whatever shit you can from the water with primitive means, leave it to dry a bit and then burn all of it in a fire. In which case, most of the time the air gets quite polluted and you become a contributor to global warming.

3. The last way is to send it to a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In the treatment process at a WWTP, the wastewater is poured into a large basin where bacteria are allowed to consume most of the shit. After a few days, the sludge (this term refers to the bacteria and remaining waste left) will collect at the bottom of the tank and can be removed.

The sludge is then put into a digester where the shit is allowed to digest further to produce methane gas (which is a good fuel for burning). After the digestion is finished, what is left is a lump of black stuff, which can then be used to make fertilizer for your plants and crops. Tada!


What occurred to me and I want to share with you today is this. Sometimes, life can be quite shitty. Your school, your work, your relationships, your social life, and many other things can be very tough and get you down. But while life may seem unfair, there are a few ways you can deal with it.

1. The most heck care way is not to do anything about your problems. Just dump them by the roadside and hope someone else will come along to clear your rubbish for you. More likely, your problems will kill your relationships, grow stinker each day, and make your life more miserable than ever.

2. The next way is to try and siam your problems and take the quick way out. Try and filter through them as fast as possible, if an opportunity comes to pass the problem on to someone else, do it. If you see a quick fix method use it, don’t worry that it contributes to a bigger problem elsewhere, that’s for other people to deal with.

3. Lastly, you could look through your problems and sort them out in a careful and meticulous way, and send them to a ‘what would Jesus do’ facility (WWJD). In the treatment process at a WWJD, the shitty problems are poured into the lap of God in prayer. ‘Come to me all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28.

Your guardian angel helps you sort out the various problems and carries them to God. One by one the problems are consumed by the love of God. ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ John 16:33.

After a few days, the whirlpool of feelings of guilt, despair, anger and loneliness settle to the bottom of your heart and can be removed. ‘Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my saviour and my God.’ Psalm 42:11

They can then be put into a thought digester, where you reflect on what went wrong in your life, what caused you to feel so shitty, how God was with you all those times; the things you learnt through those shitty circumstances, what you gained from them and how they helped you improve yourself, how can you proceed on from here and tackle your problems with trust in God. Suddenly when the digestion is complete, a shining gold mass remains, purified and ready to be a fertilizer in other people’s lives. Tada! ‘But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’ Job 23:10


Moral of the Story: Not all shit needs to remain as shit, consult with God and He will be able to transform it into nourishment for you =)

This reflection is dedicated to God and Fran, both of whom inspired it out of nowhere haha! Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this piece as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Love,
Ben

Epiphany! & Day of Recollection for catechists

Something occurred to me while reflecting on Sunday’s readings on the feast of the Epiphany. Ever wondered how gift-giving got its roots during Christmas? I’m guessing it probably started cos of the 3 Magi haha. But guess what? The biggest gift at Christmas was actually given by God, His only Son Jesus. ‘God became Man’ and the everlasting effect of that present is eternal life for all of us.

Essentially that was Fr Erbin’s message for all of us at an inspiring ‘Day of Recollection’ for the QoP and St Mike’s catechists, ‘God became Man’.

As volunteer workers in church, we encounter difficulties all the time. We face rejections and disappointments; we have to put up with unresponsiveness, inactivity or lack of appreciation from the people we serve; sometimes we also start questioning whether what we’re doing is the right thing for us. As doubts and fears increase in us, our hopes slowly disappoint.

How true this is for me. Many times after class, I always have nagging worries assailing me.

‘Did I talk too much today?’ ‘How come some of the kids looked so sian when we did the activities?’ ‘I think I’m such a failure and so unqualified to teach’ ‘I feel like I have to live up to so many people’s expectations, my students, my facilitators, my big boss JC’ ‘Ah, it’s so tiring being a teacher and preparing for classes, I just want to give it up.’ Adapted from Chronicles of the Agonies of a Catechist by Ben =)

But there is a hope that does not disappoint. Our faith is unique because ‘God became Man’ for us, and this is a hope and a promise that can never be broken. ‘Man will live forever more, because of Christmas day’. There’s the reason for our hope. God has already come to us and showed us the way to eternal happiness. The big HOPE comes from God, not from the circumstances in the world around us.

Have you fallen in love before? Isn’t it a wonderful feeling? God became Man cos he fell in love with us since the very first day he created us, and he’s never stopped loving us. All of us must have fallen in love with God at some point in our lives too. Or we won’t be still in church, and helping others to love God too.

Sometimes when troubles come, and our hopes look dim, it’s time for us to reignite the flames of love. ‘Fan the gift of faith into a flame’ as St Paul would say. Rediscover the first love that we had for God, remember the feeling that we had when we first fell in love. Be intimate with God; pray and dialogue with him and we can revive the hope in us. Let our hearts of stone become flesh once more. When we have done that, we are ready to be catechists again.

Our job as catechists is to ‘Awaken the Heart of a young person to Jesus’. We need to be witnesses, more than just teachers. Jesus was a great teacher some may say, but his unconditional love was witnessed in the end through dying on the cross for us. Before anyone listens to what we have to say, they like to see how we act first. Therefore, our love for God must inflame us like the seraphim. When our kids see that, they will also want to follow and love God of their own accord.

This is not only true for catechists but for every baptized catholic on Earth. When we work on our love for God, we’ll always influence those around us to love Him too. There would be less wars, less hatred, more love, more peace in the world.

At the altar of the mass, the love of Jesus transforms the bread and wine into his body and blood. At the altar of marriage, the love of Jesus transforms the man and woman into one body. At the ‘altar’ of the catechist’s classroom, the love of Jesus transforms hearts of stone into hearts of love.

Blessed Saviour, source of all life,
We are beginning a new calendar year,
And it offers me a chance to begin anew with those I teach.
My New Year’s resolution is
To be a more enthusiastic catechist.

But how can I carry through?
What can I possibly say or do
To make the time worthwhile
For the children you have placed in my care?
Warm me up, please,
With the fire of your presence.
Touch my reluctant heart
And be with me as I try
To touch the hearts of your ‘little ones’
With my own joy and enthusiasm.

With you, dear savior
I can do all things.
Without you I can do nothing.
Come along with me to every class
And be our ‘unseen guest’,
The one who lights the way
For the children and me
With great joy and enthusiasm.
Amen.

Taken from ‘A Prayerbook for Catechists’

Hope this is fruitful read for you =p

Love,
Ben

Things I learnt over the New Year

Just wana share with everyone 2 valuable things I learnt =)

I attended Mass at olps on New Year and the Bishop was reading the Pope's msg to us. What I got from it was that to bring peace to the World, let us do it by helping the poor develop..or something along those lines =p Not just those financially poor, those poor in character, poor in faith...

The other thing I learnt was from the visitors and my Dad on New Year's Eve...To work as if it was a service to God. I used to imagine how dreadful work could be..seeing sick pple, dying pple, annoying pple...all those paper work, politics n all...how could one ever even think of staying a second over time at such a horrid place called work! So now I c...now I understand. To truly care for every person I would meet..that would make my day's work a joyous miracle. I hope I would be able to do that when i start work next time. As for now...I gotta study hard for all those pple I need to care for in the future =p

Fran