Reflections on Ps 8 (Br David Arulanatham)

God saw all that he had made and indeed it was very good

Each time I am confronted with this psalm especially verses 4 & 5; I feel an awesome feeling of the surging of goodness within me. For me as I perceive what seems to be ‘Glory and honour’ in the psalm simply as the goodness that God claimed when he had completed his creation on the sixth day;

God saw all that he had made an indeed it was very good

Genesis 1:31

It is indeed this goodness that we were created in and created for. However, we somehow are not able to embrace and live this goodness to the fullest. It seems a struggle for us for we seem to be attracted to the world around us, and its attraction as goodness. We join in the rat race to the illusive and deceptive goodness of idolatry which eventually lead us away from our ever loving and merciful God.

A few years ago when I visited a BEC [Basic Ecclesial Communities – Malaysia; Small Christian Communities -Singapore] for their word sharing meeting as part of my pastoral work, I found that the people in this group started their reflection hurling criticism, hurtful feelings, resentment, anger and frustrations. I was taken aback and was wondering what was happening there and made up my mind that I had to take control of the situation and turn things around for them that evening.

I suggested that maybe for a change instead of pointing fingers and feeling miserable why don’t we look into ourselves and speak of the goodness within us. Everyone became very silent and occasionally nudging the other to speak up. After some moments I added if that is difficult maybe we could try affirming each other in this group of their goodness for I am sure you all know each other quite well and have been engaged in some form of relationship for a while. Well, this turned out to be very successful, there were beautiful stories, experiences shared, joy being expressed, a display of emotions and even tears streaming down on their faces. It was simply a wonderful time. God’s immanent presence among us was felt. He was mentioned, acknowledged, praised and glorified.

At this point I decided to make them feel guilty for the disposition they were in at the beginning of the evening by asking them which was a better time. Here I took the opportunity to infuse some teaching that I share with you readers of the ‘Blog.’

Each time we look into ourselves and sense the goodness within us, in the persons around us, in the world around us we truly experience the presence of God and we allow the goodness of God to grow a hundred fold or even more. The God that we experience in these moments is not one who is silent but one who speaks to us in the silence of our heart.


Take a moment now, become very silent and still while reflecting your life remembering the goodness that you have lived and expressed to people around you. How do you feel?
If you feel good then give praise to God and allow the goodness of God within you to surge out of you even more freely and unconditionally.

How great is your name,
O Lord our God , through all the earth!

Psalm 8:9

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Joseph Zhang on 01st Nov 2010.

Reflection on FEAR vs TRUST- Matt 8:23-27 (Br Aloysius Tan)

Based on the episode of the Calming of the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27)

Most of us have certain fears in life that range from the minor fears of darkness, rats or dirt, to the paralyzing fears of separation, illness or death, among others. A lot of times, these fears come part and parcel with life experiences.



We, as people of faith trusting in God, are supposed to “fearless folk”. But, in reality, we know we are all still struggling to be “fearless” as we go about our daily lives. This is similar to the experiences of the disciples.

If we read the episode of how Jesus calmed the storm in the account of Matthew, we can see how the disciples, despite having accompanied Jesus and having witnessed His numerous miracles, healings, and teachings, went back to their normal “humanness” with their thought processes and fears when they were crossing the sea with Jesus. When the storm broke out, it must have been a terrifying storm. Otherwise the disciples, who were mainly fishermen, wouldn’t have been so frightened as they would have surely encountered numerous storms at sea before in their lives as fishermen.

This fierce storm caused great fear in the disciples. Just imagine -- they had witnessed how Jesus had cast out demons, healed the sick, performed miracles -- and yet, they were still cowed with fear despite Jesus being right there in the same boat.



Then, Jesus calmed the sea. His disciples were stunned by the miracle. Although they personally knew who Jesus was, yet, they were very impressed by His power that could even control nature.
Can we identify ourselves with the disciples in this gospel passage? Though most of us hardly experience storms while tossed in a boat of angry waters, the storms of life hit us in many ways and stages. For some, their storms may be facing a financial crisis, for others, problems in their marriage, career, family relationships, sickness, injustice in the work-place, the struggle to support their children’s education ... the list can go on and on! All these difficulties in life can be considered storms in our life.

The question is whether we allow our faith as Christians to be tested as the disciples did. Do we also forget all the wonders and blessings God has showered upon us and only feel that “we are being let down” as the disciples did? Do we allow the trials of life to overwhelm us until they become the great storm that will cause great fear within us?

The faith of the disciples was being tested as part of their discipleship and sanctification. We too, should be motivated to turn to Jesus during all the storms in our live, knowing that the boat of our life can never sink when Jesus is in it.

Perhaps it is only when we experience a storm that we can identify who the real disciple of Christ is. We have the choice to “stick on” to Jesus to let him lead us through or we can “jump out” from our boat, trying to look for alternative human strength or other worldly power to overcome our problems.



In fact, I have encountered quite a number of Christians who are generous with their time and money in Church when it was smooth sailing for them in their business or career. But when a life crisis hits, you see them turn to other sources for help. They seek out feng shui masters, wear crystals and stones that can “change their misfortune”, or seek advice from fortune tellers. They would rather spend money and misplace trust to seek help from these other sources than go straight to Jesus…. Our Lord and saviour who provides free help, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Let us all TRUST....and be fearless!

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br David Arulanatham on 30th Oct 2010.

Reflections on A choice between God or $ (Br Martin Arlando)

In spite of our dedication and absorption in daily chores, these are in themselves, vain pursuits whereby we should actually aspire for true riches which are found only in heaven…with God. Well let me illustrate with a story to show how wealth can make us unhappy as it is when God is absent in our lives.


There was once a poor shoemaker who was always in a good mood. He was so happy that he sang from morning to night. There were always children standing at his window and listening to him sing.





Next door to him lived a very rich man. He spent entire nights counting his money, and then went to bed in the morning, but he could not sleep because of the shoemaker’s singing. One day he figured out how he could keep the shoemaker from singing.

So he invited the shoemaker to come over and see him. He did. To his great surprise, the rich man gave him a little a bag filled with gold coins. When the shoemaker got back home, he opened the little bag. Never in his life had he ever seen so much money. He counted it all out carefully and the children watched him. It was so much that the shoemaker was afraid to let it out of sight and so he took it along to bed at night. But even there he kept thinking about the money and could not sleep.

So then he got up and took the bag of money up to the attic. But on second thought he was afraid it was not safe there. So the next morning he brought the money downstairs again.

He then thought of hiding it in the fireplace. “But I’ll just put it in the chicken coop. no one would look for it there,” he decided.



But he was still nervous about the money and so he dug a deep hole in the garden and hid it there. He was so preoccupied with the money that the never got back to making shoes. Nor could he sing any more. He was so worried that he could not produce a single note. And worst of all, the children did not come around to visit him any longer.

Finally the shoemaker was so unhappy that he dug up the money and hurried back to his neighbor with it. “Please take this money back,” he said. “Worry about it has made me sick, and even my friends do not come to see me anymore. I would rather be a shoemaker, like I was.”


Soon the shoemaker was again as happy and contended as before and he sang and worked the whole day.

Another day of our life is gone and just like today which is no more, our life here on earth will someday come to an end. Why, then, should we fear evils that do not last? And why do we put our hope in ourselves, in wealth…with it we cannot buy everlasting life nor avoid coming to the grave. But do not be afraid as the Psalmist of Psalm 48(49) says, evil days will end just as the days of both wise men and fools… just as their wealth and all their plans will perish. But there is salvation – a treasure that will never perish, because it has been revealed by Jesus Christ for this is our Christian hope, it is a hope that overcomes all pessimism. Let us than make a resolute choice in choosing God and God alone in our lives :)

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Aloysius Tan on 28th Oct 2010.

Reflection on God’s Power (Br Nicholas Lye)

If you have seen commercials like the ones above, I wonder how many of us truly believe in the magical transforming power of such products. We don’t seem to get the same kind of effect in our own homes, kitchens or everyday lives.

But one particular morning hymn that we sing for lauds on Monday: Week 4 seems to express that the magical transforming effect that we don’t see in reality, actually happens in our spiritual reality! – once we allow Creator Spirit to make a home in our hearts...

Come, O Creator Spirit, come,
and make within our hearts your home;
to us your grace eternal give,
who of your breathing move and live.

Our senses with our light inflame,
our hearts to heavenly love reclaim;
our bodies’ poor infirmity
with strength perpetual fortify.

Our earthly foe afar repel.
grant us henceforth in peace to dwell;
and so to us, with you for guide,
no ill shall come, no harm betide.

Sounds as unbelievable as a commercial? But our challenge is precisely to believe! That whenever we invite the Lord to fill us with the scent of His love every morning, we are challenged to ask ourselves if we truly believe in the mind-blowing, awe-striking intensity and magnitude of God’s power and might. Do we believe that a simple prayer each day, when sincerely prayed from our hearts, can truly affect, and sanctify, and intercede for all peoples across every land and nation? Do we believe that receiving a small, tiny host we which we profess to be the Real Presence of Jesus, can truly transform our entire being and cause rippling life-changing effects on all whom we meet each day? Do we also believe that as children of God, we have the potential power to be life-changing instruments of God’s love even with our small acts done with great love?

With our child-like imagination and conviction, we can move away from what seems unreal in real life, and enter into what is the deeper truth and reality in our spiritual life.

For only when we can believe in the mind-blowing power of God’s scent of love that fills our hearts and our lives, can we then be effectively SENT out to bring that scent of God’s love to the people all over the world, so that their broken, terrorised, sinful, hurting, depressed, lonely hearts may be transformed as they are filled with that powerful, life-changing scent of God.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Martin Arlando on 26th Oct 2010.

Reflections on encountering God in unexpected ways (Br Gabriel Wong)

Fr Ignatius has shared on the importance to be aware of God in the surrounding environment. For him, nature seems to be the most prevalent medium in which God uses to touch him. God reaches out differently to different people. For someone who has served in the navy, He chose to reveal His message in a more suitable fashion.

Right across the Straits, Pasir Gudang Port stood just a few kilometers away from the Seminary. God’s message subtly reveals itself through the sound blasts made by the ships transiting at the Straits. His message comes in two fold which consists of two different sound signals.

The first signal will be one prolonged blast, which will last from four to six seconds. This is a signal used to show the ship’s intention to leave the dock. His subtle message:

Remember the excitement each time the ship leaves the dock to embark on a journey. Each journey is an encounter with me, filled with many surprises. Don’t let the fatigue and burdens of yesterday prevent you from noticing the surprise I have in store for you today. Let each day be an exciting day of your yearning to come and meet me.

The second signal will be five short blasts, with each short blast lasting for a second. This is the DANGER signal. If a ship doesn’t understand the nearby ship’s manoeuvring intentions, or feel that their proposed manoeuvre is dangerous to either vessel, then there is a requirement to sound the DANGER signal. His subtle message:

Watch out there! You seem to be maneuvering away from me and the community I set around you. WAKE UP! You must neither take for granted the blessings which I bestowed on you, nor slacken in your daily attempts to converse with me. If you continue in your attempts to move away from me, somebody gonna get hurt…real bad.
And I think you know that somebody very well. Check your maneuvers.
I love you always.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Nicholas Lye on 24th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 62 (Br Cornelius Ching)

Have you ever craved for a plate of char kway teow so bad that you just got to have a nice meal of it... the succulent kway teow and mee.... the crunchy tau gay and chai sim... the bouncy lap cheong... the fresh see hum... all bound together by the slightly charred egg and fried to perfection in its sweet sauce and with a hint of the aroma of lar pok... Mmmm!!!

I have this craving once in a while and will not rest until I hunt down a nice plate of it, or visit one of the famous stalls scattered around Singapore (like Old Airport Rd, Chomp Chomp, High Street Market etc).

When I have this craving, the longing in me is so deeply rooted that I just have to fulfil this urge to satisfy my want. I am sure the psalmist of Ps 62 must be feeling this way or even more when he composed this psalm. Everytime I pray this psalm, especially on Sunday, Wk 1 of the Liturgy of the Hours, I cannot but feel this deep need and longing for the Lord to be in my life and set it straight. Sometimes, this feeling is so strong that it even draws a tear to my eyes.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.

How I pine for the water of the Lord to irrigate the arid spiritual life I have. My prayer is to continue this deep pining for the presence of the Lord in my life and let him lead me where he wants me to go..... now I can go dig in to my plate of char kway teow.....

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Gabriel Wong on 22nd Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 134 (Br Terence Kesavan)

Recently, my sister made some cupcakes for a friend's wedding. There were many who came to tell me how great & irresistible they were. As I listened to their comments, and seeing how much they enjoyed eating the cupcakes, I wondered why I did not have the same enjoyment that they had.

As I reflected on the smile on the faces, I could only conclude, that I was so used to eating my sister's delicious cakes, that it was nothing out of the ordinary. For my friends it was better than the cakes they normally have, while for me, it was the norm.

There is a Chinese saying that goes <生在福中不知福> (sheng zai fu zhong bu zhi fu), which means one who is living a blessed life does not know his blessings. Similarly I realised that I had started to take my sister's cakes for granted, not fully appreciating the blessing that I had in my life.

This can also be seen in many other areas of our life. Our economic stability, our low crime rate and the cleanliness and hygiene standards of our country are often quoted examples of things that we so easily take for granted in our society. But more than that, all these are just a small portion of the many blessings that God showers on us everyday of our lives.

Our freedom to worship, the love of our family and friends, God's forgiveness and the many small miracles that works in our lives are just some things that we can get so used to, that we forget to be grateful and thankful for what God is doing for us in our lives.

As the Psalmist in Psalm 134 says

Praise the name of the Lord...
Praise the Lord for the Lord is good...
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving...
For I know the Lord is great...

Let us not take out blessings for granted, and be grateful to the Lord for all that he is doing in our lives. I'm sure that the blessings that we have here on earth, are just a foretaste of what we will experience in heaven. If that is the case, I'm looking forward to the chocolate fountains, chocolate roads and chocolate houses in heaven.



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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Cornelius Ching on 20th Oct 2010.

Reflection on Praying the Rosary as Imitating Mary’s Openness (Br Jude David)

October is traditionally the month of the Rosary and Catholics all around the world observe this special month of devotion to our Blessed Mother with various activities centred on the praying of the rosary and meditating on its mysteries. One of the significant liturgical celebrations of this month is the Memoria of Our Lady of the Rosary which is celebrated on 7th October every year and was instituted on the anniversary of the Christians victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 attributed to the praying of the rosary. Today, we are still able to celebrate a similar victory of many Christians who are conquering the battles of their daily their lives on their knees with their rosaries in their hands. The rosary is still an all-time favourite devotion of Catholics all around the world because it is a prayer that is simple enough to appeal to diverse peoples. What is the most significant effect of praying the rosary?

The rosary is often misunderstood by many and Catholics are often accused of babbling it like the pagans which Jesus warns us against in Matthew 6:7. This seems like a valid accusation when the rosary is understood only from face value instead of going deeper into the essence of this prayer. The Church has always taught that at the heart of the Church’s recommendation of praying the rosary is not the centrality of Mary but the Mysteries of our Faith which we are called to enter into a deep contemplation of during the reflective praying of each decade. Essentially, we are called to contemplate the Face of Christ as Mary did when we enter into this prayer.

Personally, the rosary forges in us a simplicity and openness to God that Mary herself is honoured for. In the simplicity of the rosary, one is invited to transcend the ego of the self that seeks to be in control or to be excited and enters into the docility of a heart that is waiting upon the Lord. The repetition of the prayers is not to be understood as a means of pestering God but one of stilling our easily excitable spirits and centring us to be open to Christ and His action in us. This is the hallmark of our Blessed Mother who was herself so thirsting and open to the Lord that the God of the Universe was able to find a worthy dwelling for His Son in her womb. This is also the call for each of us who desires to honour our Blessed Mother; that we too shall imitate her in her disposition of total openness to the Lord.

St Augustine once said, “Mary conceived Jesus in her heart long before she had conceived him in her womb”. The clearest sign of the openness of Mary was the Incarnation and so it shall also be for us. If we are truly open to the Lord, then, the clearest sign of this openness in us will also be that the Word will become flesh in us and we will be “pregnant with Jesus” for Christ will continue to make His sacred presence felt in the ordinary situations of human life through our own being which becomes the open channel for the Incarnation to take place in our daily lives. God is desiring to transform our world today into His Kingdom through our openness to His Incarnation in our lives and this is the most significant call of all who pray the rosary with such devotion.

When we have truly embraced the spirit of praying the rosary as it was meant to be and thereby allowed the Word to become flesh in us, then we too shall sing with Mary, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness.” (Luke1:46-48)

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Terence Kesavan on 18th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 126 (Br Anthony Liew)

During the mid-term break, I met a group of Catholic friends in Penang who recently started a restaurant by the name of New Manna. It serves as a mean to ministry to the Orang Asli. They supply food, medical stuff to them and help them to build their basic facilities in their village. In fact, they are very prayerful laity who always seek God’s will and His help before they start this ministry. I was deeply touched by their effort to come up with this restaurant as it involves risk to run it. I must say I am inspired with their courage and their trust in God as stated in their little booklet in which they share their insights with those who come to their restaurant.

The psalmist of psalm 126 reminds us about the importance of clinging onto God and His will in whatever we do. It says, “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest.” Though the restaurant does not earn enough for them to get rich, it has brought a significant message to the people around. Many Christians have realised the ministry of Orang Asli. Their little booklet in the restaurant, with some scriptural texts, has inspired many to get themselves involved in this ministry.

I especially like the statement they put in the conclusion: A wise man once said – there are 3 kinds of people in the world… (1) those that MAKE things happen… (2) those who WATCH things happen… (3) those who SAY what happened?...Are YOU willing to make things Happen?

(If you wish to know more about this ministry, you may go to – http:/new-manna.blogspot.com)

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Jude David on 16th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 100 & Phil 2:6-11 (Br Peter Anthoney)

Integrity is doing the right thing,

even if nobody is watching…

There was a King who wanting to find someone to take over his reign, someone who not only was able and intelligent but one who was trustworthy and held on to the virtue of integrity. Therefore, he summoned some of his wise young men and gave each of them a seed. They were to sow the seed and bring back the plant that grows from the seed a month later. A month later every one of them except for one returned with a healthy, lush green and well-grown plant. This exceptional one young man presented himself looking rather sad and disappointed with a pot that showed no sign of any form of growth.

With much fear he trembled to say that he tried very hard but his seed simply would not germinate. Everyone in the king’s court was watching him and the king closely waiting for the king to react to him. However, to their amazement the king welcomed this young man to his side and announced that the seeds that he had given all of them were boiled seed. They were actually dead seed. As such it was impossible for any germination to take place. All of them with their healthy, lush green and well-grown plant were undeniably dishonest and lacked integrity. He praised this young man for his integrity, humility and courage and appointed him to take over his reign as king of that country.


Like the psalmist of psalm says

“I look to the faithful in the land
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of perfection
shall be my friend”

Psalm 100(101): 6

Like the young man who exercised integrity, humility and courage in the task assigned to him we too are called to follow our Lord Jesus Christ who showered love, peace, joy and hope on us to continue his mission with faithfulness and integrity. Our call is not a call to be successful or to be attractive for the Lord but a call that will lead us to become naked in truth, humility and faithfulness before God and his people.

Our leadership role must take on the virtues of Christ who is ‘the’ perfect model who was truly a servant king.

Though he was in the form of God … He emptied himself taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of man And being found in the human form, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on the cross…

As St. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians (2: 6-11), there is a need for us to let go of ourselves and embrace the cross to become faithful and virtuous before our Lord and his people. God is forever inviting us to his presence, to be ‘His’ , so let us start living our life of faithfulness by keeping his commandments and embrace the virtues of humility, integrity and obedience. Let each and every one of us pray for the grace of His mercy and justice to prevail among us, to mould and shape us according to His will for us.


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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Anthony Liew on 14th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Exodus 3:1–12 (Br Jovita Ho)

As God called Moses, so is He calling you… do not be afraid but response in faith and freedom.

Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. He led his flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in the shape of a flame of fire, coming from the middle of a bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing but it was not being burnt up. 'I must go and look at this strange sight,' Moses said 'and see why the bush is not burnt.' Now Yahweh saw him go forward to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 'Here I am' he answered. 'Come no nearer' he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father,' he said 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At this Moses covered his face, afraid to look at God.

And Yahweh said, 'I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave-drivers. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. I mean to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land to a land rich and broad, a land where milk and honey flow, the home of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. And now the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have witnessed the way in which the Egyptians oppress them, so come, I send you to Pharaoh to bring the sons of Israel, my people, out of Egypt.'

Moses said to God, 'Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?' 'I shall be with you,' was the answer 'and this is the sign by which you shall know that it is I who have sent you... After you have led the people out of Egypt, you are to offer worship to God on this mountain.'



* ‘Moses was looking after the flock…’ Moses was doing what he did almost everyday for 40 years, ‘looking after the flock’ when he was ‘called’. What about you? God calls us in the ordinary circumstances of our lives, and yet His call puts in that extra-ordinariness into the circumstances that you are called. Do you allow yourself to be attentive to God’s voice speaking to you in the ordinariness of your life?



* ‘I must go and see this strange sight…’ Moses could have ignored this strange sight and think it is a figment of his imagination. Or he could have been struck with fear and ran away, rather than moving forward to see this burning bush sight. What about you? What are the ‘burning bushes’ in your life? Do you try to encounter it with eyes of faith, or do you run away from it in fear? Perhaps there are some ‘burning bushes’ in your life that you fear sighting because you cannot comprehend it. Bring it to the Lord in prayer, and pray for the grace of wisdom to understand, and the courage to respond.



* ‘Take off your sandals…’ Moses wanted to do things his ways when he was a prince in Egypt for the first 40 years of his life, then he went into self-exile for another 40 years before encountering the Lord in the burning bush. Moses seemingly wanted to live life in his own terms and conditions, yet God’s command is clear, ‘take off your sandals’. Moses is to come into God’s presence under God’s terms. What about you? Where are you at this point of life? The tension between Moses’ will and God’s will that Moses faced is much the same and real in your life. ‘Take off your sandals…’ is easier said than done, but it is possible with God’s grace. It is in prayer that your aspirations meets the mind of God, thus God’s will becoming yours as well. Pray for the humility and docility in taking off your sandals.



* ‘I have seen the miserable state of my people… I shall be with you.’ God’s call does not appear out of the blue nor is it plucked out from thin air. God’s call is rooted in the realities of your life and the circumstances in which you live in. There is a purpose in God’s call, and sometimes that purpose may seem overwhelming. Have you felt that way sometimes too? Have the circumstances of your life, in your home, college and workplace seemed to speak to you of God wanting you to ‘renounce yourself, pick up your cross and follow him’? Moses was hesitant, and perhaps for you too. But God’s promise is clear and certain! ‘I shall be with you’. Do not be afraid to respond!

(Thanks to http://www.thebricktestament.com for the above pictures)

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Peter Anthoney on 12th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Celebrating Success (Br Gregory Chan)

The secular world has a very unique way of celebrating success – they peg it to material achievement. They use the imagery of “height” to convey to us the “dizzying heights of success.” The Property Market speaks of “high-end living” and “the height of living” to convey to us this exclusivity, this privilege of living it up. Even universities are not immune from “scaling the heights of knowledge.” The commercial world depicts this in high-rise mega corporate offices, in sophisticated boardrooms and plush executive suites. “Ahh! This is the life!” One is almost tempted to murmur, contentedly. However, if this does not translate into capital, or that projection does not convert into sales, or a project ceases to be income generating, one is looking at a very swift spiral into the doldrums. That is the reality.
My reflection looks at height in a very different sort of way.

“High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, Our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops down from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth?”
(Psalm 112:4-6)

God is taken to be on high, exalted, holy, set apart from humanity. Nevertheless, we too are not excluded from this holiness, for we are a people who have been “sealed by an eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20) the covenant of his blood. This is Christ’s exaltation on the Cross, this is why he is lifted up, for in his passion, death and resurrection, he has “raised up” for us “the cup of salvation” (Psalm 115:13). Christ’s exaltation is that he was brought down, laid low, to be beneath contempt, made to suffer intolerable indignities beneath a human being, to be treated even worse than a slave.



This then is why “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name” (Phil 2:9), for he does not look at whether we are able to convert projection into sales, etc. Rather, he has, by his blood, redeemed us, and by so doing “made us ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ.” (Heb 13: 21) Thus, celebrating success is not the about celebrating the dizzying heights of mega-corporations. It is about relationship, our relationship with Christ and each other. So, today, let us celebrate success, Christ’s success, in having won for us our salvation. Let us in turn bend our knee and “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2: 11).


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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Jovita Ho on 10th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Luke 17:5-10 (Br Edward Seah)

THE POWER OF FAITH AND HUMBLE SERVICE

For some years I had the privilege to live with a man even secular governments had acknowledged as a man of great faith who trusted in God’s providence. He was one who had renovated chapels or made big improvements to schools’ facilities without first raising the funds needed. In fact not only did he change the physical aspects of schools, he also exercised his creativity not attempted by many educators and which benefited not only his immediate students but the generations which followed. When he started La Salle College of the Arts some years after his retirement as the principal of St Patrick’s School, the Brothers were so stressed because they were afraid of the debt that he might accumulate.


Whenever I read in the scripture describing faith as strong enough to uproot trees and move mountains, I cannot help but remember Bro. Joseph McNally who moved huge chunks of metal and rocks even in his later age and transformed them into sculptures which speak to people about life experiences and its values. Nothing was impossible. These include his belief that everyone is made in the image of God and is basically good with all the potentials and giftedness. By sharing a fragment of his life story here, I am not canonizing him for like many of us he will likely remain anonymous in the liturgical calendar although the secular organizations and authorities had decorated him with many awards. Among these are the Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, Montblanc de la Culture and the Singapore National Day Meritorious Service awards.


When the apostles asked Jesus ‘Increase our faith’, glad with their request, our Lord replied that if they had faith even the size of a mustard seed they could have the power to command trees to be uprooted and be transplanted into the sea. Indeed faith is a key factor in our lives and it is the quality rather than the quantity which needs to be increased. Faith does not depend on its size for it can grow in a qualitative way becoming deeper and richer resulting in the bearing of good fruits. Of course it does not mean that faith gives us the power to literally uproot trees and move mountains but rather that it gives us the grace to cope with difficulties and especially obstacles which come our way so that we may attempt greater things for the greater glory of God. Yet some people like Bro. McNally had faith which moved rocks and ‘mountains’.



His installation at the chapel of St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary here bears testimony to this for those rocks were moved from across the straits even though it was impossible even to get soil across. In the mid 70’s Bro. McNally also gave St Patrick’s School a beautiful refreshing landscape with huge red earthen rocks scattered around looking like fallen meteorites blending with the softness of bamboo and palm trees. It seems to me that these installations and some art collections there were gradually removed or destroyed by his detractors who of course also had no art education. One thing I remember about Bro. McNally is his belief that if the project is for the good of humanity and the Church, God will provide the funds needed. With such disposition he actually lived out the Lasallian Spirit of Faith, as found in the Brothers’ constitution called THE RULE, for ‘it is in faith that the Brothers are aware of God’s presence in their undertakings, their cares and their joys’ and it is also ‘by faith that the Brothers learn to see in every happening and in every person, especially the poor, a sign and a call of the spirit.’ And in God’s providence He sent many ‘guardian angels’ to deliver the funds needed.



With regards to humble service I must say that the noble thing about Bro. McNally was that he did not spend his life deliberately working to get those awards I mentioned earlier. He received those awards because he had great passion in education and totally immersed in being a steward in the creative kingdom of God. Often going beyond his call of duty, he gave his all not only to education and the arts but also for humanity beyond political boundaries.

What we need as Christians is to believe that in Jesus all things were created in heaven and on earth. That our Lord truly reigns and his decrees are to be trusted. May our faith, no matter how small, can always renew our lives and move us to share the Good News to the world solely for the greater glory to God.


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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Gregory Chan on 8th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 121 (Br Benedict Chng)

Shalom! Shalom! Shalom! These are words of greetings heard when the Israelites reached Jerusalem. In psalm 121, the first 4 stanza echoes the joy of a pilgrim.

“I rejoiced when I heard them say – Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within the gates O Jerusalem”

These Israelites when they make their annual pilgrimages, they have to travel a long journey, their eyes, faces and whole bodies would be filled with joy at the first sight of the holy city. There in the holy assembly the people would mingle together like one people. It was like they used to do in the desert, gathering together around the meeting tent and the Ark of the Covenant. There the Israelites who had issues with each other would find justice because the doors of the palace of the king was where the tribunals of justice were held. It was there that the traditional greetings of Shalom were heard. It was indeed a cause of great joy to be invited “Come let us go to God’s house”.


As we come together to give glory and praise to the Lord…We too are like the Israelites gathering together exchanging our greetings of Peace, singing praises to His holy name. For those of us who are undergoing trials and sufferings in our journey, do not despair because there is always hope when you seek the Lord. Continue to persevere and not to give up, have that childlike confidence like St Theresa of child Jesus, trust our Father…for he is ever loving and ever forgiving. Shalom…Shalom.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Edward Seah on 6th Oct 2010.

Reflections on Ps 79, 80 and Isaiah 12 (Br Alphonsus Dominic)

“Gratitude by Evangelising”

On 30 Sep every year, we celebrate the Memorial of St. Jerome. St. Jerome, as we all know translated the bible to Latin. He has also written many bible commentaries..

Just as St. Jerome was chosen to translate the bible, we too are chosen, each one of us for a mission of helping to build God’s Kingdom. Psalms 79 & 80, and Isaiah 12 reminds us of the greatness of our God. We are encouraged to rejoice and renew our relationship with our all merciful God. Just as the Israelites, during the time of the Psalmist, recalled giving praise and thanksgiving to God, let us this morning recall all the marvels the Lord has worked in each one of our lives and give praise and thanksgiving to God.

This is further emphasised in the scripture reading from Romans 14:17-19 as we are encouraged not only to rejoice but to evangelise by sharing our God experiences and what we have learned from Wisdom herself.

As we reflect on the above psalms and passages, with gratitude and faith, let us ask the Lord to bless us with the grace of being more open to being His instruments in the mission that God has planned for each one of us.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Benedict Chng on 4th Oct 2010.