Reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel [27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 17:5-10] (Br Samuel Lim)

For those of us who are involved in church ministries – do we do it in the spirit of volunteerism? We commonly hear phrases like “I’m helping out in church,” and even “I do it for free, okay?” True, volunteers do things for free. When I’m a volunteer, I’m implying that I do things out of charity, out of my own effort and goodwill. Consequently, I’m also implying that it is up to me how much I want to give, so no one can dictate or impose. As a volunteer I’m also implying that the other party ‘needs’ my help, therefore I’m ‘helping out.’ Since it seems like the other party is at my mercy, whatever little I give is already a bonus and a privilege for them – therefore they have no right to demand for more. It is no wonder that there seems to be more people coming late for church meetings but most will be punctual for office meetings and job interviews. When church volunteers are being asked about their attendance or punctuality, we are not be surprised when we hear replies like, “I’m willing to come already very good, okay?”

Servanthood vs Volunteerism
In this Sunday’s Gospel [27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Luke 17:5-10], we are invited to move beyond the spirit of volunteerism, and to embrace our calling as servants, with Jesus being our Master.

God’s Will vs My Choice
Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? [Lk 17:7]
We can be quite certain that the servant mentioned by Jesus in the parable was ploughing and minding sheep in the field for his master, not for his own benefit. As a volunteer, I may choose what I want to give, how much, and to whom. As a servant, however, I serve according to the will of my Master. A servant obeys the commands of his master, and definitely does not demand things to be done his way. So the servant allows the master to be in control, whereas a volunteer seems to be saying, “I’m in control.”

God-Centered vs Self-Centered
Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? [Lk 17:8]
As servants of the Lord, we should always put the interests of our Master before our own – not because he wants to be treated like a king but because his priority is to build together the Kingdom of God on earth.

Commitment vs Convenience
So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.” [17:10]
We who are called to be servants should have a strong sense of duties and responsibilities. True servanthood even acknowledges the fact that the duties tasked by the master are themselves gifts, and that the opportunity to serve is itself a privilege to be grateful for. With these attitudes and dispositions then, the servant does his work out of commitment, while the volunteer may do it out of convenience. St Joseph Calasanz reminds us: “If in serving God you seek your own convenience, you are not serving God but yourself.”

“For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve…” [Mk 10:45]
How about us?

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Alphonsus Dominic on 2nd Oct 2010.

Reflections on the Visit to Boys' Town (Br Joseph Zhang)

“He ain’t heavy, he is my brother.”

Last Tuesday afternoon, the seminary community visited Boys’ Town Singapore. Entering the compound, one of the first things that caught my attention was the statue of a man carrying a little one. I was wondering what this statues was about. It was when I got closer to the statue and I saw the words inscribed on it, “He ain’t heavy, he is my brother.”



Later on we were led to the conference room by one of the Gabrielite Brothers and a staff member. They gave us a brief introduction and showed us a short video clip on the activities of the Boys’ Town. From their introduction and the short video presentation, I got to know that this Catholic charitable institution was first established in 1948 by the Brothers of St. Gabriel to take care of those orphaned during the Japanese occupation.

Over the past sixty two years, Boys’ Town Singapore has grown into an institution dedicated to providing shelter, guidance, education, vocational training and practical living skills to youths. With social development and the rising of new forms of problems facing the youths, Boys’ Town now not only takes care of boys that are orphaned, financially needy but also boys who are troubled, who have behavioral or family-linked problems.

After hearing these, it dawned upon me that even in the present time we still need such charitable institutions; we still need people like the Brothers who dedicate their lives for the service of the underprivileged. However, the sad fact I got from them is that there are not many people in Singapore willing to respond to this vocation.

Boys’ Town forms a part of the National Council of Social Service but it is not funded by the Community Chest. It raises the majority of its fund. It is not easy. When I reflect why the Brothers take such great efforts to do so, I realize that it is because of their love for the underprivileged, because they see the poor and troubled as their brothers.

The motto of Boys’ Town “He ain’t heavy, he is my brother” reminds me Jesus’ love for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Jesus loved us so much that he did not run away from the arrest, the passion, and the cross. Jesus loved us so much that he did not throw away the cross but carried it for us. He bore the cross for us because he calls us as his friend and as his brothers.



Are you willing to respond to God’s call to reach out and touch the lives of the troubled young people and to be the next one to say, “He ain’t heavy, he is my brother”?

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Samuel Lim on 30th Sep 2010.

Reflactions on Ps 64 (Br David Arulanatham)

In two days time…

In two days time I turn fifty, and I am told that I need to celebrate this occasion. For me it seems like just another day and therefore as usual, as my previous birthdays I am not looking forward to any celebration. It so happens that I am the prayer leader for that day in the seminary. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for me as I went about to do the needful to prepare myself The first line of the first reading for the day is as follows, ‘Perish the day on which I was born and the night that told of a boy conceived.’ (Job 3:3). I had a good laugh and at the same time asked myself if I felt like that when I faced hurts, pain and sufferings.


There were indeed occasions in my life when I felt pushed to the wall and there seemed no way out. It was during these times I felt that my life was in a total wreck and there seemed to be no way out. However, today when I look back, it was during these times that I felt the grace of God working so tremendously in my life, leading me out of those situations and helped me regain my dignity and self-worth.



Today as I reflect my life as I pray the third psalm for the morning of my birthday in two days time I am able to make sense of my journey in finding God and establish a deeper and more intimate relationship with him.

Psalm 64(65), takes me back to the events of the life of the psalmist and the community of his time. The psalm in reality is a prayer during a festal assembly. In the psalm we are able to trace the moments of sacrifice and atonement which leads to a celebration whereby the psalmist and his community also experience being called to a closer union, an intimacy with this awesome God. There is a sense of a peculiar joy, peace and happiness being experienced and these experiences are attributed to God. God is praised for the gift of being chosen and brought into an aura of his presence of love, peace and joy.

To you all flesh will come with its burden of sin.
Too heavy for us, our offences, but you wipe them away.

Blessed is he whom you chose and call to dwell in your court.
We are filled with the blessings of your house, of your holy temple
Psalm 64(65)

Just as St. Paul says, in his second letter to the Corinthians:

‘My power is at its best in weakness. For it is when I am weak that I am strong’ 2 Cor:12:7-10,

let us be reminded today that God is with us, by our side at all times and it is for us to enter into his presence to enjoy the moments of peace, and tranquillity especially at times when we are overburdened. We are a people who are not doomed but are predestined to his heavenly kingdom and therefore, we are not to let go and give up on ourselves when the storms of our life become overwhelming and excruciating, On the contrary, these are the moments we have to be most thankful to God for it is during these time that we find ourselves embracing God our Father and experience his immense love for us.

The ends of the earth stand in awe at the sight of your wonders. The lands of sunrise and sunset you fill with joy. Psalm 64(65)

In two days time the only thing I wish to do is to give thanks to God my Father, Jesus his son and the Holy Spirit from the depths of my heart for I wonder in what a wretched state I would be in if not for his hands that reached out to me and pulled me out of that wretchedness. He gave me back my life, my human dignity and most of all, calling me to serve in his vineyard of love, peace and joy. Glory and praise to you, My Lord and my God! Amen.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Joseph Zhang on 28th Sep 2010.

A Reflection on Time & Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11 (Br Aloysius Tan)

After being immersed into the life of the seminary for nearly seven years, the concept of time becomes so fixed and routine that life is “moved” by time.... reach chapel before 6a.m for Morning Prayer, meditation, Mass..... the timings are all fixed. Often the clock plays a very important role but sometimes when the alarm clock is not functioning, the world seems upside down.

The watch on my wrist seems to be a “must” in life. Perhaps in a good sense, it helps me to cultivate the sense of time and punctuality but in a certain way, I also see my tendency to have “control” over time. For instance, I know that I need to take 5 minutes to walk to the classroom, so, i will “make sure” I leave my room 8 minutes before with just enough time to compose myself before the bell rings for class. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with it but the way time is calculated indeed makes me want to organise my time and in this sense I lose my ability to “waste time” with people and worst still if I lose my willingness to “waste time” with God. There are times when I am tempted to take control over time in my relationship with God too.

During my last 30-day retreat in June, I had the experience of being in “His time”, “wasting” time with Him, I remember during one particular adoration session in the chapel, when I was deep in my prayer and experiencing His presence, I was shock to realised that the adoration last for more than 2 hours but seemed to me that it has been only about one hour.

Today as we are invited to ponder on the Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11, I guess the writer of the book clearly pointed out to me the necessity of letting God to be the Lord of time. Let Him be the one guiding me and leading me in the process of trying my best and also trying to surrender all to Him. He knows the bigger picture of my life. He knows what is best for me and He knows the burden I can bear. As I thank God for the beautiful passage, I also remind myself that I need to continue to learn to submit myself to Him as His time is eternal and He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. (cf Rev 21:6)

So, friends, let “waste time” with God!

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:
A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted.
A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.
A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.
A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.
A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for discarding.
A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking.
A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.
What do people gain from the efforts they make?
I contemplate the task that God gives humanity to labour at.
All that he does is apt for its time; but although he has given us an awareness of the passage of time, we can grasp neither the beginning nor the end of what God does. (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 11)

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br David Arulanatham on 26th Sep 2010.

Reflection on Ps 27 (Br Martin Arlando)

A wealthy businessman was now old and wanted to retire. So he called his three sons and told them, “I am going to give my business to one of you. What I want to find out is that which of you is the best businessman? So I am going to test the three of you. Whoever wins the test gets the whole business.”


So the old man gave each of the sons $1000. With that money each one was supposed to buy something which would fill a big empty room. The boy who filled the room most completely would win.



The 1st young man went out and bought a big leafy tree. He had it cut down and dragged into the room. It filled about half the room.


The 2nd young man went out and bought all the grass which some farmers were cutting off their field. They carried it in and filled most of the room.



The 3rd son was the smartest. He went to a small trade store and bought a candle for $2.00. in the evening, after dark he called his dad over to the large empty room. He then put the little candle down on the floor in the middle of the room and lighted it. after a while or so he turned to his father and said, “Dad can you see any little corner of this room which is not filled by the light of that candle?” That son won the business.



Likewise Jesus Christ alone, the light of the world can shine in our lives to the very tiny spot of our lives and make it radiate for His glory. In all our moments of frustrations and depressions, let Psalm 27 be our personal prayer of abandoning ourselves completely and confidently into the hands of God.

With the psalmist let us with full trust and hope pray “The Lord is my light and my help, whom shall I fear? He keeps me in the shelter of His tent and so my head shall be finally raised above my foes who surround me.”

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Aloysius Tan on 24th Sep 2010.

Reflection on 1 John 2:3-4 (Br Nicholas Lye)

A man was on a flight to Rome. Feeling bored, he turned to the passenger beside him and began striking a conversation. He was very impressed by how polite, friendly, and engaging this passenger was. He was even helpful enough to call for the air stewardess when he noticed another passenger looking pale and nauseous. When they arrived at the airport in Rome and reached the arrival gate together, his flight companion was greeted by a lady, “Good morning Father O’ Neil. Welcome to Rome.” Realising that the person he had been conversing with was a priest, he turned to him and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier you were a priest?” The priest then smiled, and politely replied, “If you are unable to tell from seeing, then why should you believe by hearing?”

It is not enough to know God just by hearing about Him. We only start to really know God, by seeing Him, as revealed in His Son Jesus Christ. Only by seeing and following what Jesus did in our lives, can we then start to understand and believe in Him and His love for us.

The scripture verse from 1 John 2:3-4 tells us that:

“We can be sure that we know God only by keeping his commandments. Anyone who says, ‘I know him’, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, refusing to admit the truth.”

‘To know someone’ in the biblical context is not just the result of an intellectual process. Rather, it is the fruit of a personal encounter with the person. For God, only by keeping His commandments, by following Jesus in the way He loved the Father and His neighbour, only then can we encounter God whose love then comes to perfection in us.

As we live each day trying to be open to a personal encounter with God and to keep His commandments, let us pray for ourselves in the words that the psalmist of psalm 138 proclaims:

“O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.
See that I follow not the wrong path
and lead me in the path of life eternal.”

May we, by seeing and following the path of Jesus, know God fully, so that the world may come to know God not merely by our words, but by seeing God reflected in us and in the church today.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Martin Arlando on 22nd Sep 2010.

Reflections on Luke 12:19-20 (Br Gabriel Wong)

There was this moth flying near the living quarters a couple of weeks back. Or was it a butterfly? Well, one ain't an expert on insects. Let's just called it a bug, which may not be the correct terminology. At any rate, it simpilifes matters and typing a three letter word is so much more enjoyable.

The bug was flying in escatasy around the flowers in the day, and then towards the light at night.


Someone found the bug’s carcass the very next morning. The bug was overrun by black ants, who were probably in for quite a feast. Contrary to what some of my brothers will conjure, no one was responsible for the demise of the bug. However, one must admit that there was no love lost.

I will say to my soul;
My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come;
take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.
But God said to him,
“Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?”

Luke 12:19-20

It had led me to reflect on my attitude towards life. Have I been complacent and taken God for granted? If my soul is demanded from me this very night, will I be proud of it? I will soon join my ancestors before me as a mere print on the sands of time.

But have I loved unselfishly ?

Have I forgiven unconditionally?

It is only when I have the end in mind, I can be more confident in the way I want to live towards it. This brings to mind of Your many love notes to me in living out this unique vocation;

Life is never about how much I have, but how much I am willing to give of it.

And it shall be Yours, Lord.

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Stay tuned for the next post by Br Nicholas Lye on 20th Sep 2010.