Matric Fair!

Heya! :)

I guess most of the NTU and NUS legionaries must be busy in preparing for the matric fair. A good time to recruit more members! A note of encouragement here.

About 5 years back when the NUS legion consisted only of 5-6 people, all members were needed to be down for the matric fair almost daily. Just because of our small numbers. But busy students as we are, understandably, not everyone can be there all the time so we had to resort to 'sharing one more legion slot' to the numerically superior CSS. It was good that we did that too because it utilizes the slots available more effectively.

What was good was that we all recognised that each of us knew we had to put in as much effort into matric fair because it was one of the greatest avenue to recruit members to the seemingly dying praesidium. And so we did. But we did it with the focus that we recruit members to be in a catholic community - we are not recruiting in competition with CSS. It was fun working with CSS in terms of sharing ways how each of us do recruitment. CSS did it with publicising the activities like mass, outings, CGs etc. Legion did it the 'book-barrow way' - giving out articles on the faith, distributing MMs and subtly inviting potentials for legion meetings.

Oh yea there were a long list of contacts after the week of matric fair. But it seemed that the CSS list was so much longer but it was also much due to legionaries selflessness in referring people over to a more encompassing catholic organisation. It is funny that we recognised that we needed people to fill up the ranks of the legion but at the same time, know that it is often better to place names in a ministry where people might be more interested at the first glance. Moreover, the legion is an 'acquired taste' where you can't expect people to know and love it almost immediately after a glance at the matric fair. Legionaries consoled ourselves then by saying that we are 'planting seeds', even if it was not for the legion at the end of the day.

As expected, we had only a few invitees to our meetings and not all of them expressed interest. The legion system weeds out those who are not suited to the ministry yet. And so we struggled with the low membership (but amazingly great attendance) and continued to do the work we are called to do.

Looking back, the subsequent spurt of growth in the legion was powered by an unseen force. People started joining from the oddest places - opus dei referrals, contacts in CSS, book barrow. One of them was special. There was a person we thought was a great legionary potential in CSS and she had a non-catholic friend. And so we wooed her like mad by following up. And not to make her non-catholic friend feel left out because they were together so often, we included her in our wooing as well. Guess who became the legionary in the end, and a good one at that.

The rambling above seems to derail from the topic of matric fair. But it is important also to see beyond the matric fair. Our seeds that we plant now would grow in unexpected ways and reap fruits unseen. Though the event might seem not to yield much from past experiences, you would never know if you don't try to put in that little bit more effort in just being present. Most of all, have fun at the matric fair! Because when you cast away your worries and let God do the recruiting, you enjoy what you do and do it well in God's name.

Clapping during Mass

Hold the Applause: Confessions of a Conflicted Clapper

Whenever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of the liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.

The above words were penned by our Holy Father Pope Benedict the XVI, (then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) on p. 198 of his book entitled The Spirit of the Liturgy. I first read this book before our Holy Father became pope. The book did three things to me. First, it made me acutely aware that there was much about the meaning of the liturgy to which I was blind. Second, it deepened my love for the liturgy. Third, it put me in conflict with respect to how I needed to approach Mass. One area of conflict was in clapping at Mass.

Having read Cardinal Ratzinger’s words on clapping, I wondered how I could continue to clap at Mass in good conscience. As one who has been to Masses where there was clapping for just about everyone, from musicians, lectors, altar servers and church decorators to priests giving homilies and lay people giving testimonies, I began to wonder why we clap at Mass at all.

Read the rest of this interesting article here
Via the AmericanPapist

Imagine a state in Amercia with no abortion clinics

It's called "South Dakota."

Praise God.

From the AmericanPapist

Being counter-cultural...in little things

Last Friday our department had a day out at Changi Village Hotel. Lunch and dinner were buffet but since it was a Friday, I decided not to have the chicken and beef dishes that were available. Was rather hard actually and I was thinking if there was any other sacrifice I could do instead...but I guess it's when you deny yourself something when you really want it that it is actually a sacrifice.

That's not the point of this post though.

When I glanced across the table I saw Angie, a Catholic colleague, explaining to a Buddhist colleague why she wasn't having any meat dishes as well. That was encouraging!

But what I want to share is Linda, my Buddhist colleague's response:
"Oh I forgot you were Catholic"

It's when you work among non-Catholics that you realise that Catholicism is truly counter-cultural. We do some things differently...and people notice it.

Not eating meat on Fridays would seem something insignificant or ritualistic to a non-Catholic but it carries a lot of meaning for us, and it is also one thing that identifies us.

Remember how McDonalds had to introduce its Fillet-O-Fish because sales fell every Friday thanks to the Catholics who didn't visit its outlets because they abstained from meat? A huge fast-food company changed its menu just because Catholics quietly lived their faith.

Another colleague once asked me "Because you're a Catholic, you can't divorce or use contraception right?"
That's another thing that defines us...

Young minds through the ages have always looked to be counter-cultural, to be revolutionary. That's why Marxism used to be so popular on university campuses.
And one way they express this radicalism is by disobedience, disrespect towards authority...
Well...disobedience is not really radical anymore is it? It's pretty much the culture in many parts of the world.

Goodness, purity, obedience, loyalty, fidelity, respect...these are countercultural today.

It's Catholics who live these that make observers say "Oh they're Catholic...they do things differently"

And maybe in time they'll realise that the way we do things is in fact very beautiful.

"Whatever things are true, whatever honorable, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable, whatever of good repute, if there be any virtue, if anything worthy of praise, think upon these things."
Philippians 4:8

Feast Day of St Joachim and St Anne :) (26/7/08)

Hello everyone, today is the feast day of St Joachim and St Anne, our Lady's parents! So, if our Lady is our Mother, then....Happy feast day to our dear grandparents ...hehe :)

Here is from http://www.catholic.org/

Sts. Joachim and AnneParents of Our Lady
Feastday: July 26

By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of
Mary, the Mother of God. We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names. Any stories about Mary's father and mother come to us through legend and tradition. We get the oldest story from a document called the Gospel of James, though in no way should this document be trusted to be factual, historical, or the Word of God. The legend told in this document says that after years of childlessness, an angel appeared to tell Anne and Joachim that they would have a child. Anne promised to dedicate this child to God (much the
way that Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah -- Anne -- in 1 Kings).

For those who wonder what we can learn from people we know nothing
about and how we can honor them, we must focus on why they are honored by
the church. Whatever their names or the facts of their lives, the truth is that
it was the parents of Mary who nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me as you will." It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe. Such parents can be
examples and models for all parents. Anne (or Ann) is the patron saint of Christian
mothers and of women in labor.

Prayer:
Parents of Mary, pray for all parents that they may provide the loving home and faithful teaching that you provided your daughter. Amen

Allocutio by Fr. Frans, 24 July 2008

Significance of the World Youth Day

The WYD event reminds us that all of us, whether we are lay people or religious, are called to be missionaries! The theme of WYD 2008, which centered on the Holy Spirit, recalled to the new Pentecost. Just as what we said in our opening prayers, Holy Spirit is the One to renew the face of the earth. This spirit teaches us how to live our life, to fulfill our human dignity to its fullness as daughters and sons of God.

The Church with all of her teachings, supports humanity by elevating the human value, the humanized and divinized humanity. God, the Father, as our creator, knows how we have to live best. The creation story portrayed in the book of Genesis showed how God changes the chaos to cosmos. It shows that when the spirit of God present, we become one family.

We, as young people need to have a guideline in our live since we are the architects of the new world in the spirit of brotherhood. We live to make the world as the Kingdom of God, to live as human just as how Jesus lives as human, and to spread the Gospel, with the spirit of the living God within us. May the Word of God become flesh and blood in our lives. Preach always, sometimes use words, but all the time using our lifestyle. Let's kindle the fire of His Love in our world!

Back from World Youth Day 2008

Hello fellow Legionaries! I just got back from Sydney after attending World Youth Day 2008. As of now, I am still sorting out my thoughts and the rotting emails I've received these past two weeks.

My mind is not yet capable to recap everything that I've experienced in WYD, so I guess my reflections will come in short blogs when inspiration (and memory!) prompts me.

Going to WYD has indeed been a blessing. Getting to know the people from CSS better and seeing the positives and negatives of everyone (including myself) has been an eye-opener. Many of us came with expectations and seeking to find answers. Some were perhaps waiting for some particularly miraculous or grand moment to help us in our renewal of faith.

But something Fr. Val said during the last mass he celebrated with us before departing Sydney, stuck with me. He said that whether we were disappointed or not, if there was one thing that we should have obtained after the whole thing, it should be a greater love for the Church. And I think that for me, personally, it has been the case. I renewed the fragile tie I had with my Lord. And after seeing so many nations united under one church, one faith, one shepherd, I was extremely encouraged and hopeful for the future of the the Catholic Church.

One amusing experience that I had was when my group boarded the train on our way home on the first day of WYD week. We were just talking amongst ourselves. Then suddenly one Polish Catholic introduced himself to us and just started talking to us. Then a priest from Colombia came in at the next station and we greeted each other as well. At the next station, some German pilgrims boarded the carriage and started singing "I love you, Jesus" complete with actions. And we started singing with them, without thinking that it was weird or strange. Afterwards, we talked to two guys from Melbourne about their own parishes. For me, that one night was very special. It may strike anyone else as mundane and insignificant but for me, I was just happy because we were strangers, and yet this one Church brought us together. Just as Pope Benedict mentioned during the Saturday night vigil at Randwick Racecourse, the Holy Spirit's "particular quality is unity."

Thanks to all the people who prayed for the CSS contingent and for the Holy Father and for the success of WYD.

Prayer

Today I was rushing from Risen Christ Church to Ravenhal centre for the weekly doctrine class by Joel (since Alvin is away for WYD*) and Clarabelle saw me off from tao payoh. She was with me (details not important haha). From Toa payoh to Heng Mui Keng required numerous change of buses and I was already running late. She was really anxious that I will be late for the class and she continously check on my progress (hahaha more anxious than me haha). The journey went rather smoothly till the last change of bus. I need to take bus 151 in order to reach school before changing to an internal shuttle. I waited for a long while and the bus still would not come. Meanwhile, I was exchanging messages with Belle and informed her about the long wait that I'm experiencing. She replied saying that she pray that the bus comes now! I was rather taken aback and replied saying that her prayer seems rather demanding. While waiting for her reply, I'm contemplating how prayers should be made instead. A thought suddenly struck me, in the morning I was reading the book 'Christ is passing by' (it belongs to Dom haha) and in that book something made me ponder: to beg as little children beg. St. Josemaria was teaching us how to be like little children infront of God. I understood the part of to trust as little children trust, but to beg as they beg? I don't get it! And soon enough, my dear replied saying that struck me alot:

Nothing is too small to be asked dear.. It's like how u tell me no matter how small sth is if it's bother me, u would wan2 hear me rite. So i think God will b more than happy to hear anything even sth as trivial as wanting a bus to come. u know how He feels..... (the rest of the message is privilege and private wahaha).

Above is the extract of the message she sent to me. In the course my relationship with her, she would seem trouble but refuse to tell me what it is because she thought it was trivial. But it is her not telling me that trivial thing that really troubles me hahaha therefore she says I should know how God would feel if I feel something is too trivial to ask. Her message really made me understand what it means to beg as children beg, that in prayer we do not choose nice words but to speak from our heart. I really thank God for Belle, she was instrumental in letting me know more about God through my relationship with her. Just a sharing =).

Another one on Tony Snow

This one's by Raymond Arroyo, the EWTN News Director

Tony Snow, Requiescat In Pace

Raymond Arroyo Raymond Arroyo is an internationally recognized, award-winning journalist, producer, and bestselling author, seen each week in more than 100 million homes around the globe on EWTN. He has worked for the Associated Press, the political columnist team of Evans and Novak, and as a Capitol Hill Correspondent. As host and creator of EWTN’s international news magazine, "The World Over Live", Arroyo has interrogated the leading figures of the day. Highlights include: The first, exclusive, sit down interview with Mel Gibson on the set of his film, “The Passion of the Christ” and a landmark interview with Pope Benedict XVI: the only English language conversation ever recorded with the pontiff. Arroyo and his work have been featured on "The Today Show", "Good Morning America", "Hannity and Colmes", "Access Hollywood", “CNN Headline News”, "The Laura Ingraham Show", and other programs. His writings have been published by Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Financial Times, and The National Catholic Register. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Arroyo is author of the New York Times Bestsellers: Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles (Doubleday) and Mother Angelica''s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality (Doubleday). Sunday, July 13, 2008

Like many Americans I am mourning the passing of Tony Snow, the journalist and White House spokesman who lost his battle with colon cancer on Saturday. Tony and I had many friends in common and knew each other a bit. Years ago, before he joined Fox News, I met him in Washington and bumped into him occasionally on the road at functions and conferences. He was a class act and a passionate journalist. He was also a committed and practicing Catholic; though I hear little mention of it in the scant media remembrances. Over the last few weeks another Sunday morning Washington institution, Tim Russert was saluted from all quarters for his civility and faith. Russert's Catholicism was highlighted in nearly every televised memorial. Not so with Tony Snow. And this is unfortunate. Tony was not only a convert to Catholicism, but he publically stood with the Church on all those issues that separate the goats from the sheep. He was pro-life, an advocate for the less fortunate, and committed to the common good. Still, near as I can tell, no Cardinals came rushing forward to minister to his co-workers in the wake of his passing. As a friend observed recently, "When you do what you're supposed to do the praise comes in heaven." According to Tony, his brush with colon cancer (which claimed his mother's life) deepened his faith and instigated a reappraisal of priorities. In 2007, during a commencement speech at Catholic University, Tony offered his thoughts on faith. He said: "Don’t shrink from pondering God’s role in the universe or Christ’s. You see, it’s trendy to reject religious reflection as a grave offense against decency. That’s not only cowardly. That’s false. Faith and reason are knitted together in the human soul. So don’t leave home without either one... Think not only of what it means to love but what it means to be loved. I have a lot of experience with that. Since the news that I have cancer again, I have heard from thousands and thousands of people and I have been the subject of untold prayers... never underestimate the power of other people’s love and prayer. They have incredible power. It’s as if I’ve been carried on the shoulders of an entire army. And they had made me weightless. The soldiers in the army just wanted to do a nice thing for somebody. As I mentioned, a lot of people — everybody out here — wants to do that same thing.” As Paul said 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' And once you realize that there is something greater than you out there, and then you have to decide, “Do I acknowledge it and do I act upon it?” You have to at some point surrender yourself. And there is nothing worthwhile in your life that will not at some point require an act of submission.” Tony submitted himself to the Church, and later, in his struggle with cancer, to God's will. This later submission is difficult for us to accept, but it is perhaps Tony's last lesson for us. May we all follow his example and learn to accept God's Will with the same grace and consistency that he displayed in both public and private life. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace Tony.

Allocutio by Fr. Frans

The word Jesus 'exclaimed' - 'exclaiming' used in the Gospel shows a special excitement of Jesus. We can imagine how Jesus is excited to see how the Gospel works to tranform the people who hears it. This message is still relevant for us today, the message of the Gospel, that we have already had within us, is to bring about the changes in life, changes in the world, to bring the Kingdom of God.

Today's (Thursday's) Gospel reminds us to live as a children of God, with great simplicity and joy. Most of the time we need not to carry 'that much'. We need not to be weary, just simply and humbly ask for forgivenes and come to the Father. As Legionaries, we are to do our works with enthusiasm. Don't be afraid to face those who seem neglecting our enthusiasm. Jesus' and Mary's presence have made difference in our life. It is such a big treasure to be treasured in the whole of our life! Don't go weary. Imagine that God is an immense energy, like a huge sea and each of us is a drop of water. Let's put our burden on Him, the Immensity. Reflects on the immense energy in that drop of water and we can always do much more than we can imagine.