Gratitude & Thanksgiving

Watching the 3-hour long movie "The Odyssey" was exhilarating.  Several parts of the dialogue made me sense that the 3000-year-old ancient poem is far deeper than what it seems.   After the show, I tried to search out those parts of the dialogue that moved me to deeper thoughts.  This led me to resources that enlightened me, especially a particular Youtube video which gave me what I was looking for.  Below are notes from the video transcript, organised for easy reference, and given headings (my own) for clarity.  Link to the Video A DIFFICULT RETURN We would use the word odyssey for any long, difficult journey. But Homer gives more of the Odyssey to the broken household waiting for him, the disguises he wears after returning, the people who do or do not recognize him, and the violence required to make his home his own again. It is whether a man can return to the life that once made him who he was. ESCAPING THE BURDENS THAT MAKES LIFE MEANINGFUL In the land ...

Personal NOTES taken during mass Personal notes taken during homily by Rev Fr Edmund Chong, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour 26 July 2026 Sunday

Sharing a valuable resource that very clearly explains the SSPX issue. Click here for the 33 min video:   Rev Deacon Sherman explains ------------------------- "Many faithful of the Church misperceive the issue of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) as simply being a problem with the newer liturgical form celebrated by the Catholic Church. The real disagreement they have with the Church is actually much deeper and wider than that. In the video, Rev. Deacon Professor Dr Sherman Kuek OFS gives us a very clear synopsis of who the SSPX are, and the historical background against which they exist. He explains very clearly why they have been excommunicated again from the Church. He also advises what our attitude ought to be as faithful Catholics, towards this society and their current state." ----------------- Quoting Rev Deacon Sherman: As faithful Catholics, what should our attitude be towards the SSPX? We can recognise that there is truth in their frustration.  We can sympath...

David Hockney was introduced to me i n 2025, by Kuan, my first watercolour instructor.  During a Zoom session on colour theory, Kuan showed us a photograph of Hockney to illustrate his masterful use of complementary colours - not only in his paintings, but also in the way he dressed. I became more acquainted with Hockney and his artistic wisdom only when news of the passing of this artistic giant reached me this June. As I read and watched more about his life and work, many of his thinking and ideas captivated me.  I may not understand all of what he said yet, so I took notes, hoping to return to them at some point in the future. Note: To my best recollection, I have coded his own words in blue.   The rest of the  notes (in brown ) are what I read/hear of people talking about Hockney.   ----------------- David Hockney's career spanned 70 years,  He passed away on 11 June 2026, aged 88. The breadth of his career is hard to overstate: from abstraction t...