ARE WE LIVING OUR LIVES JOYFULLY?

-

 

2 June 2018 Saturday
Sharing my notes taken during Novena homily by Rev Fr Simon Tan, CsSr
@ Church of the Alphonsus
 
 
 











 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fr started with a question:  How many of us live our lives joyfully?


WE ARE CREATED IN GOD’S LIKENESS - HIS JOY IS IN US
  • God created us in His image and likeness, and His joy is in us.
  • Living our live with joy will help us understand our missionn in life.
  • Jesus wants us to live our life to the fullest and to rejoice.


A LIFE OF JOY - A BLESSING TO OTHERS
  • We must be able to see our life as a blessing for others.
  • Even in suffering - sickness, cancer, financial woes, struggling relationships… - our life is still a blessing to others.
  • Despite everything, do we see the blessings in our lives and that we can be a blessing to others in each our unique situation.
  • Even though we may not have all the answers, even though we may only be able to do small things, there can be joy and we can be a blessing to others.

TAKE SOME TIME TODAY TO ASK
  • Am I a blessing to my spouse?  
  • Am I still a blessing to you after all these years?
  • Even in my dementia, am I a blessing to my family?
  • Am I a blessing to my children, my parents, my siblings, my colleagues, friends, neighbours?
  • In what way has my life not been a blessing to others?

WHEN WE DON’T SEE OUR LIVES AS A BLESSING TO OTHERS
  • The moment we fail to see the joy of being a blessing to others, we become frustrated, miserable and negative. 
  • We can no longer be proactive nor outreaching.
  • It is a blessing to be able to give.

IN EACH OUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES
  • When we are in situations that makes us unhappy, do not blame others.
  • Rather, let us have the courage to ask God to bless us.
  • “God, you created me in Your image and likeness, with Your joy in me, please help me to find the joy that is in me, joy that cannot be taken away.”
  • “God, give me Your wisdom to see Your blessings in my life so that I can bless others.
  • “Mother Mary, thank you for teaching us how to live a life of joy."

Fr Simon ended by urging us to make a decision today to live our lives joyfully.  

God’s joy is already in us.  The decision is ours to live it.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE WORD OF GOD

-
A person who has the Word of God inside will slowly find every emotional problem healed.  If we operate from God's Word, we will find success. When the Word of God comes, everything changes. Anointing comes with the word of God. Love for the Word of God can change lives.
Read more

ARE YOU BOUND FOR HEAVEN

-
PERSONAL NOTES taken @ SSVP Annual Retreat (16 May 2026) Conduced by Rev Fr Richards Ambrose RETREAT THEME:  ARE YOU BOUND FOR HEAVEN? [This is not a verbatim transcript (& Fr did not have visuals/slides).  These are brief notes taken for reference.  The notes are not compiled in the exact sequence of Fr's delivery, but re-organised to a small extent, and put under headings for better clarity.   Any errors or omissions are mine alone.] For personal sharing only.   Strictly not for posting on social media apps please.  PART A - THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND THE FULLNESS OF LIFE We are all called to be saints. What state do I need to be in to be in heaven? WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? To know Jesus and to follow Jesus God created us to  know him love him serve him We can enter the Kingdom of God because God has given us The Word of God His Holy Spirit . THE FULLNESS OF LIFE The fullness of life is to be found in union with ...
Read more

FORTITUDE

-
Fortitude is a virtue.  I t is one of four cardinal virtues.   It is also known as courage or bravery. Fortitude is about overcoming fear in order to do the right thing,  even when we do not want to. Fortitude prompts us to take action,  to keep going ,   even w hen we’re threatened by significant suffering and loss.   Because we know that the good we are pursuing  and protecting  is more important than the good we are risking. Transcript -  FEAR FEAR OF DEATH The primary human fear is the fear of death because death represents the loss of every created good, everything in this world. That’s why our Lord says that no one has greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friend. Because in laying down our lives, we are laying down all earthly goods at our disposal. So to be really brave, we can’t be dominated by a fear of death. If we are, then as the book of Hebrews says, we will be kept in slavery to the devil all our lives....
Read more

GENESIS 48 TELLS US MUCH ABOUT GOD'S CHARACTER

-
  Sharing Rev Fr Bobby’s* sermon as part of the Bible Pentecost Pilgrimage programme.  We were at Day 24, and Fr expounded on Gen 48 - the story of Jacob blessing his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim.   The link to Fr Bobby’s video sermon is  here     * Fr Thomas Bobby Emprayil VC,  Divine Glory Ministries, Manipur, India   After arriving in Egypt to survive the famine in Cannan, Jacob lived in the land of Egypt in the region of Goshen for 17 years, and his death drew near.     Apart from leaving instructions about his dying request to be buried with his ancestors in Canaan (Gen 47:30-31) , Jacob also requests for Joseph to bring his sons to him.   In the narrative in Gen 48 ,  Jacob surprised everyone by saying that the two sons of Joseph belong to him (Gen 48:5).       Fr pointed out three points:   (1)   EVEN WHEN WE DISQUALIFY OURSELVES, GOD ADOPTS US AS HIS CHILDREN...
Read more

BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT

-
The body (soma)  Is our physical nature Is   our solidarity with all of material creation. Relates us to others. The soul (psyche)  Is our intellectual nature Is the natural principle of life, resulting from God’s creative act.   Belongs to the mind with its ability to reason, organise and think. The soul’s horizon is what reason can see. The spirit (pneuma) Is our spiritual nature  Is the highest part of the person. Is the person’s openness to the transcendent , to mystery , to God . In the human person,  The body relates us to material creation The soul  organises our life The spirit  is our reaching out beyond ourselves. The healthy development of the human person happens when all three of these are functioning properly and their activity is integrated. ——— Archbishop William Goh spoke about the body, soul (mind) and spirit (heart) in his Scripture reflection (15 Jan 2021): “As human beings, we are constituted of body, soul and sp...
Read more