Advent Reflection

We have just crossed the half way mark of the 4th week of Advent. A time where Christians ought to examine and prepare themselves spiritually, to be reconciled with God in order to fully welcome Jesus back into our lives this Christmas. This presents a great opportunity for those of us who have somehow or rather strayed and drifted away from our Lord's grip!

In last weekend's Gospel, Luke reveals to us that Mary experienced what was to be, a concoction of fear ,anxiety and perhaps doubt due to the uncertainty of how things would subsequently unfold, having been greeted and foretold of her role in God's divine plan which sets the tone to our salvation history, by Angel Gabriel. Despite all this ,she responded with great faith and trust in God, " Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word."(Luke 1:38)- Mary's own special way of saying YES to God! How many of us are able to say YES with such unwavering faith when things don't go our way? How many of us are able to fully trust in the Lord in times of uncertainty and distress ,allowing him to take control and not rely on other means ? How many of us are still willing to bear witness to Christ in the midst of this secular world of distractions? These questions and many more , represent the many challenges faced by Christians today.

This Christmas season in itself is one such big challenge - for us Christians to bear witness to the truth. What truth ? That the gift to all mankind from God has been revealed to us 2000+ years ago in a lonely manger and is still relevant in our lives today. This gift which goes beyond all gifts that any Mall could possibly offer is meant to be shared for all. The only gift that we will ever need. Once again ,the material and commercial success of the "Secular Christmas" fantasy of sumptuous treats and indulgences have masked and robbed away all the glory of the truth which took place in that lonely manger. We must not allow that stab of Ham, that log cake , the fattened turkey , the gifts we pamper ourselves or others with , the carols and glitter of this 'white christmas' ,or in short , objects that do not make the slightest reference to the truth or represent it, take centre stage and overwhelm us.

We can only pray that these distractions will inspire and prompt individuals to ask questions about this season which will in turn (i hope) set them back on that right path and lead them to the golden origins. Indeed, this has always seem like, to me , a dark season for Christians, but also one which presents to us a chance to shine forth as bearers of Christ's light for others to see. To bear witness to the truth by proudly proclaiming with joy that we are waiting for Christ to re-enter into our lives this Christmas and to rejoice that our savior is born and is with us - our Emmanuel ,Christ Jesus. This season of advent is meant to prepare us for all of this. If you maybe 'distracted' with all that is going on in the secular scene, perhaps this tradition hymn ,written and composed sometime in the 15th century will help you find some focus...

Many Firsts

Greetings! It has been quite an unexpectedly long hiatus from this blog space partly due to the demands of daily events causing much fatigue ,leaving one to desire for more quiet time and rest.

Tonight's entry will be one of many firsts - My very first entry penned with an aid of a whole new physical interface, a Macbookpro. (Though acquired since last nov) . This will also mark my first reflection ever since accepting a contract work stint with a german bank.

Recalling what took place about a year ago, when I was approached at the main entrance of Holy family after mass one evening by Auntie Ann, a parishioner whom I've got to know from attending daily mass who spoke to me about the Catechetical Ministry and the shortage of catechists, it's hard to imagine that I've journeyed this 'far' as a Catechist Assistant (CA) and am currently looking forward to another year of assisting, God-willingly. Auntie Ann is the Catechist I'm assisting and has been an exceptional mentor and a personification of being Christ to others.

We have just had our last session for the year with our P4 class which ended with a mini potluck party. The kids brought "healthier" snacks as requested and were happily engaged in the balloon scalping activity while consuming the vast variety of food at irregular intervals. Though it wasn't clearly written on their faces, I could somehow sense a tinge of sadness and the reluctance that this was it ,the last lesson for the year. For myself , I know that i'll miss all of them and more so for some of them whom I've grown to be emotionally attached to through the many conversations and interactions we've had.

In the course of the year , what truly touched me was the untainted innocence that each and everyone of the kids possessed- something that the 'real' world is clearly lacking and must learn from these young ones. The innocent mistakes that they make, very often unintentionally , even if intended ,are indeed excusable as the ability to discerning right from wrong hasn't been fully moulded. What was humbling for me was the eventual realization that the pressures and demands that kids have to deal with in the course of their daily struggles though somewhat more simplified, mirror to that of what we, as adults experience. This class is made up of children coming from very diverse family backgrounds , with some enjoying the luxuries in life that many can only imagine but can't put a finger to, and contrasting to this , we have single parents trying to make ends meet. To top it off , these kids will have to deal with the many distractions of what this world has to offer (i.e. Negative impact of various forms of media, gaming) , the pressure and pursuit of being socially acceptable to others (i.e. Social roles, Social Stigma, Social Statuses) ,the strong emphasis on education and the stresses revolving around it and the list goes on…

I really hope and pray that our Good Lord and Shepard will constantly watch over each and everyone of these children and that their walk in life's journey will be a close one with the Risen Christ through prayer. I'll like to close this entry with a verse from a Psalm of David -

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

(Psalm 23:4 ESV)

Time

We are almost coming to a close of the first week of this brand new year. Much of the dust would have already been settled from the countdown parties and perhaps, most of us are trying to get started in fulfilling those new years’ resolutions. I am not going to touch on new years’ resolutions on this entry but what we normally physically or spiritually participate in , at the eve of most festivities – the very notion of ‘counting down’ time.

While it maybe exciting for some to be part of the hype and participate in these sort of countdown party events, most of us tend to overlook or consciously avoid thinking about that personal countdown to the end of our lives. We can never be certain waking up to a brand new day not to even mention living out 20 more years.

Reflecting upon this, I think it’s crucial for individuals to live each day like the last in order to fulfill that personal ‘bucket list of things’- whatever that maybe for you. In Rev Fr Pat’s Christmas Midnight Mass homily, he mentioned that the best gift that anyone can give to another person is his/her presence and companion, in short, to spend time and BE with that someone – and likewise with God. Who would you want to spend time with most? What are you going to make time for ?

I used to think that physical distances and boundaries ( ie between Chicago and Tokyo ) and death separates one being from another. I recently realized that it was just time. Whenever you’re planning to meet someone, it is the time that you need to take to travel to get to the location of your friend that separates the two of you. When your dear one has passed on, it is also time which separates the two of you for the simple reason that your time isn’t up yet. You might have already realized or will eventually come to know that it is also time that separates an individual from his/her personal goals and aspirations. Think of the time you spent accumulating credits to see you through that graduation ceremony. The time you spent slogging hard to get to that job promotion. The time needed to service an apartment loan.

Time separates but yet we can be assured that it binds the whole of humanity together. It is through the universal timeline that the historical, present and future events are interconnected. It is vital to note that what we do today could possibly impact future generations. We are all stewards of our personal time and thus are responsible for making good use of it for the purpose of a greater good. For it is also through this passage we call time, that we will have to arrive at that common place and eventually meet our maker.

True Spirit of Christmas

As I muscled my way through the shopping crowd this evening, an advertisement in the form of a signage caught my attention. It had an association with ‘ The Spirit of Christmas’. While it is not uncommon for marketers and advertisers to tap on and employ the use of that phrase this season, a question on whether that Spirit of Christmas reflects and authentically represents The Spirit of hopeful anticipation and joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2000+ years ago is something to be deeply pondered upon and not to be taken lightly.

Enter into any main-stream church at this time of the year and you’ll definitely see the depiction of this celebration in a pictorial and/or statuary form of the nativity scene – Baby Jesus surrounded by Mother Mary with Joseph, the 3 wise-men and the animals in a lowly manger. A stark contrast compared to the ‘celebrations’ of rich foods and indulgences that we partake in today.

As we approach Christmas - the birth of our saviour in just a few days, let us prepare ourselves by being conscious of the false notions of celebration along with the distorted messages and truly celebrate in the manner that pleases Jesus himself , which is to live out the commandments he left us with – To love God and Neighbour.

Below is a list of ways to celebrate and experience Christmas in truth :

1) Constantly Reflect upon the birth of Christ, his purpose and the love of God for us.
2) Avoid self indulgences (ie : excessive eating and drinking in parties ) but instead spare a thought for the needy through gifts and acts of kindness.
3) Appreciate those around you by spending quality time with them.
4) Make the above changes a way of life.

October Recollection

October witnessed the unexpected return of Rev. Fr Iggy who came back specially to celebrate mass with us on a Sunday evening. Fr Iggy who is now currently an assistant priest at Divine Mercy Church, served in our parish for close to 2 years and is infamous for his dynamic preaching coupled with a tinge of humour and spirit-filled homilies. The mass was co-celebrated with Bro Clement who delivered yet another one of his inspiring and insightful sermons. In his closing address, Fr Iggy mentioned that sometime ago, one of our parishioners asked him about what food he missed having out at Katong. He replied that he missed the ‘Katong laughter’ and the warmness that encompasses it . He then went on to add that the place and the word Katong is very special, in that it is not written or recorded on any map but in the hearts of the people here.

Needless to say , I was really moved, almost to tears and could totally resonate with that because like him , I’ve spent a great part of my childhood days in Katong. Having once decked in white shirt and pants , as a Patrician , I used to spend long hours after classes prowling through the shophouses from carlton to the probably forgotten Tay ban guan (No longer in existence) past the ‘RedHouse’ and then to Katong shopping centre. Having tea and kaya bun on certain Saturdays/Sundays with my parents at CMC was quite a enjoyable treat for me. The peranakan food and architecture of the shophouses are very distinct features of Katong which I’m so glad and relieved, are being preserved till this present day. Beyond the comfort of familiarity , It is the uniqueness and colourful sights and culturally rich flavour and feeling of warmness that Katong continues to radiate and touch the hearts of people, something which cannot be experienced in any other part of this country.

Easter

As I join millions of Christians all over the world reflecting upon the passion of Christ – his journey of love, obedience, suffering, mercy and forgiveness and finally that everlasting victory which transcends across all ages and boundaries, I recall the times I fail to make things right, perhaps due to both personal and situational limitations and fall into despair , ever wanting to raise that white flag.

We all face different obstacles of varying intensities and pit holes in our daily lives and in dealing so, can all seem too unbearable. However, if we step out of our own personal bubble and re-examine our own crosses against God’s blueprint plan for us, we’ll come to realize that they seem to look so small and trivial as compared to that one single cross that Jesus had to shoulder on the road to Calvary.

Easter marks the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, his victory against death , the victory that gives hope for you and me, the hope of salvation and reconciliation with God the father if we make the choice to carry our own crosses with love, and to follow him.

Happy Easter!

Lunar Valentine Reflection

As the cruxifix or cross has become the most revered symbol in Christianity,for both Catholics and Protestants alike- representing the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the mandarin oranges and red roses have become prominent symbols for the Lunar new year and Valentine’s day respectively.

For this year, it so happens that both these two commercially driven festivities happen to fall on the same day. For the Chinese, the Lunar new year has always been a season of extravagant lavishing on food and drinks , new clothes and shoes , the act of gifting money tucked in red packets, the exchange of mandarin oranges and many other action all adhering to that certain custom. While I’m not totally against such acts all in the name of tradition, I’m not an advocate for such beliefs and I cannot understand how some would go all out beyond their limits to make this, “a season to be remembered”. Just 3 days ago, a news report aired on channel8 caught my attention. It was about how some Chinese ladies would rent luxurious handbags which they cannot afford to own, just for them to bring around and ‘show’ in hope to make an impression on their relatives they are visiting. Apparently, the owner of the shop providing such services was interviewed and that person cited a substantial increase in revenue during this Lunar new year season. One customer even remarked that the bag she rented gives her confidence and that carrying it, marks a sign of prosperity. What do you make of this ? Do we really need to impress others during this season and/or all the time ?

Saint valentine’s day or more simply known as valentine’s day today, was named after Christian martyrs named valentine according to history. It was a day which honors the valentines whom were persecuted in the course of clinging on dearly to their religious beliefs. Certainly a far cry from what the day is being remembered for, today.

The valentine’s day celebrated in recent times, speaks of romance or intimacy between couples. It is usually accompanied with the act of gifting roses and/or confectionery or any form of commodity which spells out the ‘love’ from the giver represented in a physical form. Marketers often succeed in turning consumers into willing victims during this season all in the name of ‘love’ – “If you love your partner, you’ll give that gift which he/she desires for.” The problem with this whole notion lie with the danger of falling into the possibility of an individual quantifying and measuring love, in accordance to the monetary value attached to the gift regardless of whether he/she feels satisfied with the gift. This false concept of love undermines the true meaning of what love is , in the purest form.

Returning back to the symbols mentioned at the start of this entry, the mandarin oranges signifies wealth and all the celebrated beliefs of the lunar new year whilst the roses and confectionaries represent the perceived ‘love’ of valentine’s day. These 2 festivities are distinct and separate but yet, share a similarity which stands out, that is our response to them- simply our willingness to be deceived and/or our vulnerability to deception.

If we adopt rationality and logical thinking, it is not difficult to unanimously agree that there is no casual significance between mandarin oranges and prosperity or in the case of valentine’s day, the gift of roses and confectionery and ‘love’. The interviewed lady who rented that bag in hope to impress her relatives shows us how we can be so willing to deceive ourselves to in order to satisfy our pride. I think this calls for constant reflection on our actions which ideally should mirror our true consciousness that can only be unleashed when one understands the significance of the cruxifix or cross and embraces the faith.