Soli Deo Gloria

Everyone needs a prayer - to be prayed over, to say a prayer for someone, or to pray for oneself ...

I need to pray as well ... for myself, my family, my friends, my colleagues, for strangers ...

When there are things that had happened and yet we do not understand, we pray - be it to understand the situation or to ask for God's guidance or even a prayer to learn to let go and let the truth be revealed to us in His own time...

When you are angry - say a prayer - for yourself, for the person that you are angry with ...

When you feel for someone but are helpless about their situation, say a prayer for him/her ...

Pray when you are confused, lost, lonely, not at peace, scared or frightened ...

Pray when you are happy, sad, moody ..

When you just wanna talk to God, just go into the quiet and listen to His voice and He will guide you ...


p.s this post was inspired by some event that happened before and after my class today ... some say laughter is the best medicine, but I think prayers are the best medicine :)

Labels: Journey

This seems so timely for me ... taken from veritas.org.sg -> readings for today



Judges 6:11-24
Psalm 85
Matthew 19:23-30

WITH OR WITHOUT?

' 'I shall be with you,' the Lord said.' Judges 6:16

Gideon asked: 'If the Lord is with us, why has all this' misfortune 'happened to us?' (Jgs 6:13) God simply answered: 'I shall be with you' (Jgs 6:16). Jesus' disciples 'were completely overwhelmed' (Mt 19:25) at His 'impossible' demands (Mt 19:26). Jesus' answer was: 'I am with you always' (Mt 28:20).

Humanity is in a rough spot. We have a fallen nature, a twisted heart (Jer 17:9), and are prone to self-deception. God doesn't throw money at our problem, enroll us in self-help classes, or simply eliminate our problems. God's answer is to send us Jesus, ' 'Emmanuel,' a name which means 'God is with us' ' (Mt 1:23).

We need relief from suffering; Jesus is with us in our suffering to strengthen us and guide us safely through our crosses. We need money; Jesus is with us as our Wealth (Phil 3:8). We are victims; Jesus is with us as a fellow Victim, our 'Vindicator' (Jb 19:25), and 'our Justice' (1 Cor 1:30). The Lord is with us as our Love (1 Jn 4:8), Peace (Eph 2:14), Strength (Phil 4:13), Counselor (Jn 14:26), Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30), Life (Jn 11:25), and our All.

Would you rather have good health, or the God of health? Would you rather have a life with no problems, or God with you amid your problems? Would you rather have the supplies you need, or the God Who can supply all things? (Phil 4:19) To prefer the loot instead of the Lord is to live a preview of hell, that is, a life without God (see Catechism, 1035). The great reward of heaven is not riches, but being with the Lord forever. Choose Him now.

Labels: Journey

this verse ...

appeared to me during my scrutiny ...

i knew what is required of me ...

i tried to be what He wants me to be ...

along the way, i got lost again ...

i felt many emotions ...

there was no mercy, only feelings of sacrifice ...

i turned self-centred again ...

i began to take things into my own control instead of following Him ...

today, this verse came out again ...

He knew ...

He heard my prayers during today's Mass ...

this verse appeared again ..

i know what is required of me ...

i should let Him take control ...

Labels: Journey

God the Father - Galaxy Maker
Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Many world religions have been around for a long time. Some believe in one God. All teach the gist of the Ten Commandments.

But in a few respects, Christianity is absolutely unique. That the supreme Being is not just King of the Universe or Master but Father, that He desires a close, familiar relationship with Him, this you dont find anywhere outside the teaching of Jesus.



This shocking intimacy with the Galaxy Maker is made possible only by Christs death and resurrection. Through faith and baptism, our old self, cut off from God, dies with Christ on the cross. We begin a new life in Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me (Gal 2:20). Jesus shares everything with us, since we are now members of His body. He shares with us His own righteousness, so we are forgiven every one of our sins (Col 2:13-14). He even shares with us His Father. So when He teaches us to pray, were told to address God as He does, as Abba.



To call God Father does not mean to say, of course, that He is an old man with a white beard. Only the second person of the Blessed Trinity wedded Himself to a male human nature in the womb of Mary. The Father and the Holy Spirit are pure Spirit and transcend male and female, masculine and feminine (CCC 239). This is no new insight brought to Christianity by the feminist movement. It has always been taught that the word Father applied to God is used by way of analogy. Analogies tell us something very true despite being imperfect. Until recently, the father was recognized by Western society as origin, head and provider of the family. To call the first person of the Trinity Father means that He is the origin and transcendent authority of all and cares for the needs of all.



But we all instinctively know that a father who pays the bills and barks orders is not enough. We expect a dad to have an intimate, affectionate relationship with his children, to spend quality time with them. To call God Father means, then, that He is near to us, intimately concerned with us, fond of us, even crazy about us. He is not the distant, clockmaker God of Thomas Jefferson and the Deists. This aloof God of the philosophers created the world to run by virtue of its own natural laws so that he could withdraw and occupy himself with more interesting pursuits.



No, the God Whom Jesus calls Father cares about us and knows us intimately. Every hair on your head is numbered (Mat 10:30). He loves us more than we love ourselves and knows us better than we know ourselves. He tells us to ask Him for our daily bread which stands for all that we need to grow physically and spiritually. Lukes version of the Lords Prayer (Lk 11:2-4) leaves out Thy will be done, but it is implied in Thy kingdom come. Gods kingdom means God having His way, not necessarily us getting our way.



Sometimes God gives us exactly what we ask for because this corresponds with what is best for us and everybody (His will always involves this). But we know that sometimes our kids ask for things that may be appealing at first glance, but really are ultimately not Gods best. Abraham asked that Sodom be spared for the sake of the innocent. But God saw that it would be best to get Abrahams righteous cousins out of Sodom and destroy the city to protect humanity from its predatory violence. So Abraham got what he really wanted, but not the way he wanted it (Gen 18:20ff).



God wants us to pray relentlessly for our needs and the needs of others. He is always listening. But He listens through our words to hear the true desire of our hearts. And that is what He gives us. It may come wrapped in some unexpected packaging. And it may take some time. But it comes. After all, Hes our Father.

Labels: Journey

Read Exodus and saw how Moses was ‘bargaining’ with God when God wanted him to lead his fellow men out of Egypt …

While reading, I thought it was a rather comical scene…

Just barely 5 minutes ago, my choir spiritual leader asked me if I can help her … and like Moses, questions surfaced.

‘eh, what am I suppose to do?’

‘my knowledge of songs is very limited lei, I cannot even memorize lyrics … ‘

@ this point, I remembered Moses telling God that he is not a very articulate person and may not be able to convey the message … nonetheless, God said the He will guide Him.

Anyway, I asked what I need to do … and I think I can do it la …

: )

Labels: Journey

FORTITUDE ....

This word came to me when I accidentally 'gate-crash' a rosary session on Tuesday while the man was reciting one of the decade (can't remember which).

Things have been unfolding to me since last week (or maybe even before last week?) and I am making plans to take flight

Somehow, at the back of my mind, something tells me that I shouldn't be doing that...

Then I was chit chatting with Francis ... told him about my latest "joke of the day", told him my plans ... he gave me his 2 cents and the word fortitude came to me again...

Hmmm, what's the meaning of fortitude. I searched and found this:- Strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage.

hmmm, sort of ties in with the Psalm 33 that I read on Wednesday ....

Yes God, what must I do? Can you show me the way?

Labels: Journey, Life

Psalm 33

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all who dwell in the world show reverence.

For he spoke, and it came to be,
commanded, and it stood in place.

The Lord foils the plan of nations,
frustrates the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the Lord stands
forever,
wise designs through all generations.

Happy the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people chosen as his very own

Psalm 33, 8-12

Labels: Journey

The group of Romans (with God Parents) whom God had called 2 years ago.

In a twinkling of an eye, two years just swept past us ... It felt like only yesterday when we sat in the class, not knowing each other really well, carrying our own baggage to class, not really knowing what to share etc ...

Over time, I have seen how most of us have changed - for the better ... God's love is really powerful and He heals all wounds - emotional, physical etc ...

It also seems like time stood still for us when we were going through the two-year process. All our energy, attention are on the process ...

After our baptism, it seems like we are all sent to go on a different path.

Some are busier with work (not because they want to but because things turn out like that), some went on to further their studies ...

Our weekly group gathering became smaller and smaller... maybe it is meant to be this way ...

Anyway, I am thankful for the beautiful journey that I had gone through ... and I am looking forward for what lies ahead ... Thanks be to God

Labels: Journey, Life, random tots

tonight is the opening night for the new process ... wonder who God has called this time round =)(for a start, all the new facilitators are left handed ... haha)

i just noticed that there are two signboards in my parish ... one says something like "come and find peace...", the other says "God knows your past and He holds your future" ...

yea, i think the two signboards have been there for a long time but i only saw them these few days .... haha

i feel comforted by these words and reflected about my own process. yes, it was when i needed a rest and peace that i began to search and coming to St. Anthony, i found the peace ... joining the process has let me re-focused on life's priority and on the days leading up to my baptism, i could feel Him telling me that everything will be alright and He knows my past and He knows what lies ahead for me ... i am really thankful for the process, for the people that I have meet along the way ...

i am also thankful that there are people coming forward, to give their time, energy and effort to help this new batch of enquirers. i pray that they will have a fruitful journey and may His word be a guide for them...Amen.

Labels: Journey

Beautiful hymn ..

can't wait to receive the CD in my mail ...

Click on to listen to a 'sample' version of the song ...

the first time i heard the hymn was when the 11am choir sang it during one of the Mass ... the singer's voice was nice and the song suited him well... looking at the lyrics, it speaks of what makes a Christian family and that we are all a part of the Christian family because of what Jesus has unconditionally done for us ... His is the perfect love...

Ang Katawan Ni Kristo
In the presence of our God, as we gather here in Christ, feel the Spirit breathe upon us, the breath of life, grace and divine.

We have come to break the bread; we have come to share our lives. Let us bring these fruits to the table, the love of God, yours and mine!


Refrain

Behold the Body of Christ, Jesus our Saviour and Life!
Rejoice O people of God! We are the Body of Christ!


When we gather in our homes, through our prayers and our meals, we are fed and nourished together, our families, broken and blessed.

In the household of the Lord, where we come to share the meal, we are fed the words of our Saviour, one family, strengthened and healed.


In the presence of our God, by the justice that is shown,
We will build a kingdom together;
The love of Christ given to all

Labels: Journey

What I had learnt on Wednesday ...

there is only this much you can plan/do, there is only this much you can control... it is only when you let go and let God take control, then you will be able to see the plan being unveiled, not in the way you want, but in the way He wants us to see...

during the Mass, we had a paralit (which was developed at the really last minute). We blindfolded the facilitators plus Father T. and led them round the compound. this brought us back to our opening night - where we were led round the church compound blindfolded. We need to depend on the person leading us. the journey will be easy if we trust that person. if there is no trust, and we try to walk on our own in the dark, we will struggle and find the journey tough. this is the same idea brought forth in the TGM ... (see how we started with blindfolding and ended with blindfolding) ...

Father T ended with his homily that our faith is all about our walk with Jesus, Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit. We need to continuously trust Him to let Him lead us. We may not know what is going to happen next. We may not know what will come across our way but just walk on with Him and believe that He has the best plans for us...

Thank you Lord for guiding us in our preparation of the Thanksgiving Mass. Lord, I thanked you for your guidance and blessings that you have so generously sent to us. Lord, I asked that you continue to guide us and may we open our hearts to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, to do your will and not my own personal will. Thank you Lord, Amen.

Labels: Journey

Received this email from a brother-in-christ... hope to share it with you all...

=)

The Gifts of Pentecost: The Charisms of the Holy Spirit
Dr Marcellino D'Ambrosio





As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out.



This is why many inactive Catholics (as well as Baptists) are so resentful of their upbringing in the Church. For them, religion means frustration, failure, and guilt.



Somehow they, and I, missed the good news about Pentecost. OK, we Catholics celebrate the feast every year and mention it in Confirmation class, but lots of us evidently didn’t “get it.”



Because if we “got it,” we’d be different. Bold instead of timid, energetic instead of anemic, fascinated instead of bored. Compare the apostles before and after Pentecost and you’ll see the difference the Spirit makes.




The gospel is Good News not just because we’re going to heaven, but because we’ve been empowered to become new people, here and now. Vatican II insisted that each of us is called to the heights of holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter V). Not by will power, mind you. But by Holy Spirit power. Holiness consists in faith, hope, and especially divine love. These are “virtues,” literally “powers,” given by the Spirit. To top it off, the Spirit gives us seven further gifts which perfect faith, hope, and love, making it possible for us to live a supernatural, charismatic life. Some think this is only for the chosen few, “the mystics.” Thomas Aquinas taught to the contrary that the gifts of Is 11:1-3 (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord) are standard equipment given in baptism, that all are called to be “mystics.”



Vatican II also taught that every Christian has a vocation to serve. We need power for this, too. And so the Spirit distributes other gifts, called “charisms.” These, teach St. Thomas, are not so much for our own sanctification as for service to others. There is no exhaustive list of charisms, though St. Paul mentions a few (I Cor 12:7-10, Ro 12:6-8) ranging from tongues to Christian marriage (1 Cor 7: 7). Charisms are not doled out by the pastors; but are given directly by the Spirit through baptism and confirmation, even sometimes outside of the sacraments (Acts 10:44-48).



Do I sound Pentecostal? That’s because I belong to the largest Pentecostal Church in the world. Correcting the mistaken notion that the charisms were just for the apostolic church, Vatican II had this to say: "Allotting His gifts “to everyone according as He will” (1 Cor. 12:11), He [the Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank ... These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the Church" (LG12).



Powerful gifts, freely given to all. Sounds like a recipe for chaos. But the Lord also imparted to the apostles and their successors a unifying charism of headship. The role of the ordained is not to do everything themselves. Rather, they are to discern, shepherd, and coordinate the charims of the laity so that they mature and work together for the greater glory of God (LG 30).




So what if you, like me, did not quite “get it” when you were confirmed? I’ve got good news for you. You actually did get the Spirit and His gifts. Have you ever received a new credit card with a sticker saying “Must call to activate before using?” The Spirit and His gifts are the same way. You have to call in and activate them. Do it today and every day, and especially every time you attend Mass. Because every sacramental celebration is a New Pentecost where the Spirit and His gifts are poured out anew (CCC 739, 1106).



That’s why the Christian Life is an adventure. There will always be new surprises of the Spirit.

Labels: Journey

25th Sunday of the Year [A] 2005

The homily from this sunday came back to me ... you know, i had this habit of scribbling down homilies back in 2005 (when I first attended Church) ... then i also used the same book to scribble down notes when i go for my RCIA class. The book is more or less used up but i still have not buy a new book to replace.

That Thursday, I was feeling not very happy - disgruntled maybe.... and during class, while looking for a blank page to fill up my notes, i turned to this page and the homily that i wrote was looking back at me. It is as if God telling me to just do whatever tasks that lie ahead. Focus on Him and not on the noises.

He said ... When two or three are gathered together, I am in their midst.... Father's homily was abt focusing on Jesus

Yes, FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS ... that's what I need to do...

Labels: Journey

I had a good time at Mass today ... dunno why ... the church organ sounds good, the choir sounds good ... even the homily is good ... it talks about love one another ...

i have not had such an enjoyable time at Mass for a while - coz for the past few weeks i was really worried about playing badly during Mass as i tried to understand the new organ.

after each Mass, i have people coming to me and asking me why the organ sound like this and not like that, comments like i still like the old organ...

hai, poor me gave up explaining but just gave them a look that says "i am still trying to figure it out/ get used to it .." sometimes, they may just be concerned but still, i prefer constructive comments and some advice ... though a bit hurt, i just take it in my stride to reflect and improve...

thank God, that i think i had finally got the sound - thanks to Matilda & Steph spending one afternoon with me trying to figure out the "best mix" ... and also thanks to the Holy Spirit who guided my hands today =)

the night before, i had a nightmare. i dreamt that there was no priest at the Mass. Choir sang so badly that the congregation walked out!!! so scary ... thankfully, it was only a dream ...

Labels: Journey

Hmm, some friends are confused with the pronounciation of my name. I was confused as well and hence I consulted the web and it threw up this result. The Italian way to pronounce =)

The girl's name Francesca \f-rances-ca, fr(a)-nce-sca\ is pronounced fran-CHESS-kah. It is of Italian origin. Variant of Frances.

Labels: Journey

This song is singing in my head since morning. It is singing so loudly that I want to sing it out and skip along as I am humming the tune. Praise the Lord!!!

God is good, all the time
He put this song of praise
in this heart of mine
God is good, all the time
Through the darkest night
His light will shine
God is good, God is good all the time

If you're walking through the valley
And there are shadows all around
Do not fear, He will guide you
He will keep you safe and sound
He has promised to never leave you
Nor forsake you and His Word is true

We were sinners so unworthy
Still for us He chose to die
Filled us with His Holy Spirit
Now we can stand and testify
That His love is everlasting
And His mercies they will never end

Though I may not understand
All the plans You have for me
My life is in Your hands
And through the eyes of faithI can clearly see

Words and music: Don Moen and Paul Overstreet

Labels: Journey