It has been a while since i wrote something here. Well, i have been sick for the past few days. Had a high fever on Sunday and i got 5 days MC since then. Maybe it is God’s plan to give me this break.

It is hard to keep my prayer time with God everyday. I still remembered when it was my first 2 weeks of my confinement, i struggled alot within myself. Before enlisting, i reminded myself that i have to fill up my mp3 with lots of P&W songs and Br Fritz’s “Prayer of Surrender” inside. Sometimes at night, i have no energy to pray, so i just let the music and prayers flow into my ears. It is like God fixing me up every night. Making me ready for the new morning. All these really made me survive this far… (:

I also realised that i’ve been losing my cool and temper at times. I normally have good control over this outside, but never did i know it would be my weakness inside. Especially being the 3rd oldest in my squad, i tend to get frustrated with the younger ones when they are slow or ask the sir stupid questions and get us extras.. 

I think the real challenge for myself is have i really been a witness inside the police??

It is not easy but i know i’m trying my best. Especially when people ask me about my faith. i’m also glad to have known someone who is interested in becoming catholic who attends mass at SFX. Once, i went with him to SFX to pray. I guess it is a good experience for the both of us. 

Another struggle is i have been missing out on Nativity activities. So much is being planned out and i can’t be there. Not even for my weekly young adult community because the meeting is on sunday night. ): But i still have my drama ministry on sunday mornings. At least i still have my drama community. Thank you Jesus.

I feel that all these changes i have been through. God teaches me to embrace the time i have. Somehow it brings me closer to my family, friends and God himself. Changes brought me closer.

Love

Gab

Hi Sowers, Just a quick update on D2BD - dare 2 be daniel weekend. We were wondering whether to go ahead with the weekend with the poor response. But in the end we had 8 people and it was worth it.

Thanks for chipping in with the mask mime again. The participants were challenged on Friday night at the ministry time to really examine their lives and see if Jesus is leading them. Like daniel we are challenged to be witnesses in our areas of influence i.e. college, University, home, church etc. We haven’t got a place in uni just to study for a degree. jesus has put us there to influence the culture like daniel did in the midst of a lot of idolatry.

The Prayer walk on Orchard road was an awesome experience. It was a Saturday night and orchard road was steeming with consumerism. Another thing that many of us noticed was the increase in the number of sex shops/adult shops.

Shaun, Rebecca, Ivy and Sharon did a fantastic job as facilitators. Ivy, you lighten up the place with your presence. You have the special gift of being a joyful nagger. It’s a joy to have you around. Thanks for responding when you were called at the last minute.

We hope to see all the participants this friday at Fr. Antoinne’s session at cayc. They have started networking already. 

Edwyn

Hi guys! This blog has been pretty quiet for a while now, so I’ll just share a few of my own reflections and thoughts.

Have you heard the song “Healer” by Hillsong? It was written by a Christian pastor called Michael Guglielmucci, expressing his faith that God will heal him from his cancer. In many of his live performances, he would wear an oxygen tube to aid in his breathing, and many people have been able to relate to this song as a cry of faith to God. I believe this song is one of Swee’s favourites too!

But guess what. On 25th July 2008, Michael Guglielmucci shocked the entire Christian community in an interview with Today Tonight by confessing that he did not have cancer at all. No one was ever aware of this cover up, and his own parents (his dad is also a pastor and founder of a church) were deeply affected by the news. He admitted to making up the cancer scenario to create a diversion from his addiction to pornography, as he had been trapped in that cycle of addiction since he was 12. He even exhibited cancer like symptoms like sudden hair loss and vomiting but I guess that was just the psychological turned physical side effects from all the guilt and shame that he bore all those years.

My first reaction upon hearing this news was disgust. How could a person stand in front of thousands and proclaim of his faith and trust in God’s healing grace when he was living a complete lie deep down inside? How could he take God’s name in vain and brandish it and tell others how to live their lives, when his own was in a mess?

But God then moved me to a sense of compassion for Michael. Imagine the guilt that he bore as he faced thousands of believers, proclaiming God’s word. Imagine how terrible he felt when each time he tried to free himself from the chains of addiction he would fall back into it, and find himself having to invent new lies to cover up for it. Imagine the burden of living a double life like his, and the fear of what people would say or judge him to be when he finally came clean about his problems.

Upon further reflection, I realised that I am not so different from Michael Guglielmucci after all. How many times have a been to praise and worship sessions, declaring my love and devotion to God, but only to fall back into sin as the days go by? How many times have I denied Him again and again, despite all the things that He has blessed me with? I believe that most (if not all) of us suffer from dualities in our lives, and Michael Guglielmucci is just another one of us. I think this was a lesson for me not to judge, but more importantly, to recognise how much I need to change and break out of this dualistic behaviour that grips me ever so tightly.

Just today I was watching the his “tell it all” interview on youtube and stumbled upon a comment, saying how despite the song Healer being written under the wrong intentions, it still is able to bless people and ultimately is a prayer of praise to God. God made use of sin to bring goodness into this world, and I think that’s the silver lining. Jesus has already triumphed against the devil, and His power has made it possible for sin to result in conversion. No matter what everyone says about Michael, we cannot deny God’s faithfulness and compassion that is reflected so strongly in this song. I would like to believe that Michael wrote this song as a cry of desperation for God to heal him of his addiction to pornography, and God did hear his prayer and finally gave him the courage to confess and come clean with everyone. That is the first step to real healing, and I dare say the prodigal son has finally made the decision to return to the Father. Let us pray that Michael Guglielmucci is able to let Jesus redeem him from all his guilt and shame, and finally break out from his cycle of addiction, and to be made into a new creation for His glory.

“He said to me,

      ”’My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ 

2 Corinthians 12:9

I’m quite amazed at how much I could take away from just one song and the events that transpired because of it. Just shows how much God is trying to speak to us every day of our lives, we just have to train ourselves to listen (:

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You’re my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my Portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

This is for all of us who need His healing in our lives, and is a call for us to trust in His plans for us, for He is our portion, and He is more than enough for us. Praise God!

Love,

Soo

hello

i want to share this because I am just completely in awe with the Catholic church after Easter Vigil mass. super proud to be catholic! haha just in awe of our traditions

So many things that struck me, God sent people to go for mass with me at SPP, and the mass was the longest i’ve attended (2130 - 0100 3.5 hours!!!). Actually Holy Thursday to Saturday is one super long mass so in total mass was about 8 hours lol.

- Sometimes we genuflect without realising why, but it’s to show reverence for the God’s real presence in the tabernacle. My friend was telling me Holy Saturday cannot genuflect cos the host is not back, but actually it was put back already! Only Good Friday it’s not there. Apparently there is one particular mass where we are supposed to genuflect on both knees anyone knows?

- Same for Holy Water, it is removed on Good Friday. Signing yourself with Holy Water is not just for blessing but also to remember you baptismal promises, and you don’t have to do it at the end of mass. We know that no sacraments are celebrated on Good Friday, but then why do we still receive holy communion if Jesus is in hiding?

- I felt that since Baptism was done when we were infants we don’t truly grasp what it meant and don’t truly say yes, so it’s important to reflect on the renewal of our promises, on why we first entered the church(: At SPP they actually aligned the baptismal font such that people walk from the west (away from Satan), and came out from the east (towards God, the rising sun). The 3 steps into and out of the baptismal font also symbolise dying to sin, just like Jesus’ death for 3 days.

- The litany of the saints showed me how much we are all in communion together in God, and the power of praying for each other, intercessions. Got me thinking also about the canonization process, and our 8 secrets. So why is Mary a Blessed only and not a saint? And how do we know whether someone is still in purgatory or in heaven? (I hear some masses read out intentions: holy souls in purgatory)

- My friend who abstained from meat during Lent accidentally ate meat after Holy Thursday mass. Actually it’s okay cos Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. Do you know why the Easter Triduum is from Thursday to Sunday (4 days)? Cos in the past the day used to start in the night. So the triduum is essentially Thu 6pm to Sun 6pm

- When asking ‘Are you a Christian’ - Jews and pagans say no, but catechumens and faithful say yes. Catechumens and pagans have to be dismissed before prayers of the faithful. It all makes sense!

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03430b.htm

- The paschal candle and service of light is another tradition i enjoyed, symbolising God’s presence, God’s light and fire among us. For me this year Easter was about focusing on God, when he became man, when he died on the cross, when he resurrected, and not on other things (like preparing spices in the gospel).

haha it’s a bit long but it’s just amazing how every single thing makes sense, and to know just a bit about the rich tradition of the church and be able to explain why this and that, im just in awe(:

happy easter! (:

shaun

Last year I was told by an observant kid that every Good Friday, it rained. So this year I kind of expected it to rain too. Besides that, I thought the rain was a way for God to express his sorrow at the pain that Jesus had to go through for us..

I also personally felt that Good Friday was a very sorrowful and sad day because Jesus had to go through so much pain for us. Who would be happy to go through so much pain? Who would be happy to see his friend go through so much pain for him? Not to mention, Jesus died for us voluntarily, he had a choice, and he chose the pain. How could you be happy if your friend had a choice and chose to suffer for you because he loved you so much?

Today Fr Aloy talked about how this week is HOLY Week and today was GOOD Friday. How this week is the holiest week in the church calendar and it’s a good Friday because of Jesus’s sacrifice, which ultimately saves us from sin. (Which is a really good thing!)

Wherever I went, it didn’t rain. For a moment, dark clouds passed, but nothing dropped on my head. No raindrops around me either. As I sat on a long bus ride home, I looked at the clouds in the sky.. and I couldn’t help but be amazed by their beauty. The clouds decorated heaven so prettily today that I couldn’t help but wanna be up there too one day, in a wonderful place decorated by beautiful clouds. The sun shone brightly and the entire scenery looked like it had been photoshopped. A pity I didn’t get a photo of it for you guys.. But what struck me about the entire sky was that, God was happy.

God was happy that Jesus saved us.

Ivy