Gratitude & Thanksgiving

  I recall a conversation some years back with a "free-thinker” friend.  Her notion of freedom was very clear to her: “ to be able to do what I like when I like” .   Such is the culture of society.   Today's   culture says we have a right to be free - in speech, thoughts and actions - and we increasingly push away control and authority.   The culture says we are free to pursue our own experience, pleasure and self interest.   The culture also indulges in seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.   Rev Fr Al Lauer (1947-2002) summarised it so well in a recorded homily: " Many misconceive that freedom means being able to do our own thing :  to do what we want, when we want.   There is no such thing as "our own thing".  It's just what the devil likes to promote/ manipulate.   But there is such a thing as freedom to do the right things.    True freedom is freedom to do Gods will.    That is the greatest...

    Some people say “I don’t want Jesus and his commands... It is restrictive, all these regulations.  I want to be free.”  What they do not know is that if we live by the Word of God, we are free to enjoy life. The precepts of the Lord give us freedom .    Here’s an analogy from Nicky Gumbel (of Alpha): "Some years ago, when my eldest son was eight years of age, they used to play football on Clapham Common. And they had their regular football during the year. Andy Busk was their coach, and he was the referee.  And I remember one time at the end of term they’d arranged a kind of sports day. And I went along — I think I was the only father at the match, actually, because it was midweek and in the afternoon — and Andy Busk hadn’t turned up.  So they kind of press-ganged a referee, and that was me.  I had a number of difficulties. Because first of all, at that time on Clapham Common there weren’t football pitches: so there were no m...

  "Charm is deceptive,  and beauty is fleeting;  but one who fears the LORD  is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

  15 April 201 7 Saturday - Easter Vigil Sharing my notes taken @ Church of the Holy Family, Singapore Homily by Rev Fr Donatien Davaine, MEP         Do we let fear drive our existence? Fear of the future, illnesses, our children, our job, what people think of us….. We can imagine the fear of the disciples as they made their way to the tomb For us too, we may be afraid... The tomb carries the burden of a life where God seems to be absent The tomb is opened and the angel proclaims that the Lord has resurrected. It opens everyone up to the newness of life.   The opened tomb left Mary of Magdala perplexed, full of questions It is the same with us when things unexpected happen,  we stop short, we do not understand,  we do not want to go in,  we do not want what God asks of us.   We prefer to hold on to our own security,  to just stay where we are, and stare In front of the tomb We are afraid of God’s surprises. But...

 '     John 19:34-35 "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water . This is the evidence of one who saw it…he give it so that you may believe as well.  Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture…they will look on the one whom they have pierced. ” My little one was listening attentively to the Passion Narrative at Good Friday service today, and when the readings reached John 19:34-35, she turned to me and whispered, “why blood and water and what evidence? ” The Office of Readings today has exactly the answer, quoting from 3rd century bishop, St John Chrysostom (347 - 407).   (He was Archbishop of Constantinople and an important Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church.  His many writings and commentaries offer us an inexhaustible treasure of dogmatic, moral and historical knowledge of the time.) From t...

  Sharing a Good Friday sermon by a second century bishop,  St Melito (died 180AD).   He was bishop of Sardis, Asia Minor.   Much of the work of this early Church bishop was lost,  and what little survives exists in quotations in the works of others or in fragments.  One of his   best-known work is the Peri-Pascha, a Holy (Good) Friday sermon pieced together from manuscript fragments in the 20th Century which shows parallels betwee n Easter  (the new passover) and the Passover . The writings of the early Church is as close as we can get to the original thoughts among Christians at the time close to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  What we take so much for granted today about the kerygma,  these early Christians proclaimed to the  ridicule  of others, and  at the risk of their lives.    The works of the  early Church writers and Fathers of the Church are precious treasures for us...

  13 April 2017 Maundy Thursday Still thinking about Judas....  in his sorrow he repented, But in the only way he knew how....  Without hope, and Not trusting in the mercy of God In our time of sorrow, confusion, or fear... How would we respond? What is the way we know how? I once read that the best time to learn how to navigate a ship is during calm waters. May we cultivate Our mind  to daily learn t o recog nise  the voice of God Our heart   to be sensitive  to discern the movement  of the Holy Spirit Our soul   to possess a stable disposition... So that during our storms of sorrow,  confusion, fear or doubt.... The only way we know how to respond will be the right way in grateful hope,  trusting in God’s mercy focusing on the Eternity… I once read that the best time to learn how to navigate a ship is during calm waters. May we cultivate Our mind  to daily learn t o recog nise  the voice of God O...

  12 April 2017 Holy Wednesday Today's Gospel (Matthew 26:14-25) speaks of Judas:  his denying our Lord for the sake of other gods...and the scary fact that we have not only the ability but also the inclination to be like him! Excerpted from the daily reflections of the Carmelites "The gospel reading sees Judas accepting thirty silver pieces for handing Jesus over to the Jewish authorities – hence the name ‘ Spy Wednesday’. We all have the ability to be like Judas at times a nd to deny Jesus Christ  for the sake of our other gods. Judas realised too late that what he was doing would not work and in his sorrow he repented in the only way he knew how because he also failed to hope in the mercy of God. How often do we truly feel sorry for having betrayed the Lord for the ways of this world and if we did feel sorry, when did we last truly do penance for it? We are called to rely on God’s help and to believe in the reprieve Christ gained for us so that we will become t...