Gratitude & Thanksgiving

  Excerpts from the homily by the Most Rev Archbishop William Goh, 28 Apr 2020 ___         The true mark of Christ’s disciples is love, compassion and forgiveness.  “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it isbetter to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.”  (1 Pet 3:16-17)   We can do this only if we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are able to be good witnesses only when we allow the Spirit to take charge of our lives and all that we do and say.   The Spirit is given to us thorugh our faith in Chirst.   “I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me wil never thirst.”  Jesus is the One who revelas to us the truth about life and love.   Without reading the Word of God and contemplating the Scriptures, we cannot expe...

      Today’s readings are filled with reminders that in the final analysis, all that ultimately matters is to safely reach our promised homeland... We make our way towards the light of our heavenly home with the grace of Christ leading us and showing us the way Note 1 .   We are a Royal Priesthood, because we are united to the body of Christ, we hope for an everlasting Kingdom Note 1 .  We have no lasting city in this life, but we look for one in the life to come Note 2 . Reveal the light of Your truth and enable us to return to the right path. Note 3 .  We offer to God the sacrifice of a blameless life Note 1 .   May our prayers rise up to You, O Lord, purify us by Your graciousness that we may conform to the mysteries of Your mighty love Note 4 .  Help us work not for food that cannot last but work for food that endures to eternal life Note 5 .  One day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere…the threshold of the house...

  Words cannot convey what this image does. May humanity have the wisdom and grace to know the right priorities and make the right choices. May the innocent little ones be running and playing in heaven's playground. May the gentle and merciful love of God give healing. Story behind the image https://vimeo.com/87136247            

Sharing beautiful words by St Basil the Great (From the 2nd Reading of the Office of Reading 16/3/2020). " It is God who is active within me, Giving me both the will and the achievement, in accordance with his good purpose. God gives power and strength in my labours. It is not I but the grace of God which is in me. He rescues me from all dangers beyond human expectations. The man who boasts must boast of this that he knows and understands that I am the Lord." I am so often asked how I can achieve so much in my days, juggling my many roles at home, at work, at church. The wise words from St Basil speak my heart....I desire to live in the gift and grace of the Lord.

    “He asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.”  Luke 24:41-43     [Excerpt from Commentary on the Gospel reading from the Universalis, 16 April 2020]   The important lesson of this is that, in our resurrection to true life, it is the whole person that is raised, not just the soul.   Our bodies will be so real that we will be able to eat.   Christian teaching is that a person is an animated body.  We work out our salvation with fingers and toes and our bodily members, and all wil be raised to life.   It is not just a matter of thoughts and intentions.   The whole body is baptised into Christ and is the instrument of our salvation.  We shall be raised as a true person.      

  [ Excerpt  from His Grace Archbishop William Goh’s Easter Message 2020]         "Easter does not mean there is no more suffering, there is no more pain.   Easter means with all these struggles, with all these uncertainties, we are ceratin.   We are certain that the Lord is with us.  And we are certain because we share in that new life."    So, from now on, look towards haavenly thing, and not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:2     Link to full message here:  https://youtu.be/6o-wAadfbVE

   [Notes taken from Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis at Easter Vigil 2017]     “After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” (Mt 28:1). We can picture them as they went on their way. They walked like people going to a cemetery, with uncertain and weary steps, like those who find it hard to believe that this is how it all ended.   We can picture their faces, pale and tearful. And their question: can Love have truly died?   We can see our neighbours' the faces in those women If we try to imagine this scene, we can see in the faces of those women... Those who bear the grievous burden of injustice and brutality, those who, walking the streets of our cities, feel the pain of dire poverty, the sorrow born of exploitation, those who are greeted with contempt, those whose eyes bespeak loneliness and abandonment, those who weep as they see the lives of their...

  [ Notes taken from Cardinal Tagle's homily @Good Friday 2020]     A friend shared this sermon by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines, who is currently based at the Vatican.  I received this on Good Friday, a bit late for Lent, nonetheless a wonderful sermon so worth listening to.     The cardinal creatively linked and reflected three points of the coronavirus and the bible - the washing of hands before meals, Pontius Pilat's washing of his hands and the Corona (Corona in Latin means crown) vs the Crown of Jesus.     Here’s a snapshot of his three points, but please take time to listen to his sermon in full.  The gems of wisdom and his heartfelt delivery cannot be conveyed in these few words.   #1   The washing of hands before meals   (Matthew 15:2) - As we go about washing our hands to ward off the coronavirus, may be too let God wash us from within.  A proud heart no longer listens to God’s voic...