As I muscled my way through the shopping crowd this evening, an advertisement in the form of a signage caught my attention. It had an association with ‘ The Spirit of Christmas’. While it is not uncommon for marketers and advertisers to tap on and employ the use of that phrase this season, a question on whether that Spirit of Christmas reflects and authentically represents The Spirit of hopeful anticipation and joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2000+ years ago is something to be deeply pondered upon and not to be taken lightly.
Enter into any main-stream church at this time of the year and you’ll definitely see the depiction of this celebration in a pictorial and/or statuary form of the nativity scene – Baby Jesus surrounded by Mother Mary with Joseph, the 3 wise-men and the animals in a lowly manger. A stark contrast compared to the ‘celebrations’ of rich foods and indulgences that we partake in today.
As we approach Christmas - the birth of our saviour in just a few days, let us prepare ourselves by being conscious of the false notions of celebration along with the distorted messages and truly celebrate in the manner that pleases Jesus himself , which is to live out the commandments he left us with – To love God and Neighbour.
Below is a list of ways to celebrate and experience Christmas in truth :
1) Constantly Reflect upon the birth of Christ, his purpose and the love of God for us.
2) Avoid self indulgences (ie : excessive eating and drinking in parties ) but instead spare a thought for the needy through gifts and acts of kindness.
3) Appreciate those around you by spending quality time with them.
4) Make the above changes a way of life.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
October Recollection
October witnessed the unexpected return of Rev. Fr Iggy who came back specially to celebrate mass with us on a Sunday evening. Fr Iggy who is now currently an assistant priest at Divine Mercy Church, served in our parish for close to 2 years and is infamous for his dynamic preaching coupled with a tinge of humour and spirit-filled homilies. The mass was co-celebrated with Bro Clement who delivered yet another one of his inspiring and insightful sermons. In his closing address, Fr Iggy mentioned that sometime ago, one of our parishioners asked him about what food he missed having out at Katong. He replied that he missed the ‘Katong laughter’ and the warmness that encompasses it . He then went on to add that the place and the word Katong is very special, in that it is not written or recorded on any map but in the hearts of the people here.
Needless to say , I was really moved, almost to tears and could totally resonate with that because like him , I’ve spent a great part of my childhood days in Katong. Having once decked in white shirt and pants , as a Patrician , I used to spend long hours after classes prowling through the shophouses from carlton to the probably forgotten Tay ban guan (No longer in existence) past the ‘RedHouse’ and then to Katong shopping centre. Having tea and kaya bun on certain Saturdays/Sundays with my parents at CMC was quite a enjoyable treat for me. The peranakan food and architecture of the shophouses are very distinct features of Katong which I’m so glad and relieved, are being preserved till this present day. Beyond the comfort of familiarity , It is the uniqueness and colourful sights and culturally rich flavour and feeling of warmness that Katong continues to radiate and touch the hearts of people, something which cannot be experienced in any other part of this country.
Needless to say , I was really moved, almost to tears and could totally resonate with that because like him , I’ve spent a great part of my childhood days in Katong. Having once decked in white shirt and pants , as a Patrician , I used to spend long hours after classes prowling through the shophouses from carlton to the probably forgotten Tay ban guan (No longer in existence) past the ‘RedHouse’ and then to Katong shopping centre. Having tea and kaya bun on certain Saturdays/Sundays with my parents at CMC was quite a enjoyable treat for me. The peranakan food and architecture of the shophouses are very distinct features of Katong which I’m so glad and relieved, are being preserved till this present day. Beyond the comfort of familiarity , It is the uniqueness and colourful sights and culturally rich flavour and feeling of warmness that Katong continues to radiate and touch the hearts of people, something which cannot be experienced in any other part of this country.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Easter
As I join millions of Christians all over the world reflecting upon the passion of Christ – his journey of love, obedience, suffering, mercy and forgiveness and finally that everlasting victory which transcends across all ages and boundaries, I recall the times I fail to make things right, perhaps due to both personal and situational limitations and fall into despair , ever wanting to raise that white flag.
We all face different obstacles of varying intensities and pit holes in our daily lives and in dealing so, can all seem too unbearable. However, if we step out of our own personal bubble and re-examine our own crosses against God’s blueprint plan for us, we’ll come to realize that they seem to look so small and trivial as compared to that one single cross that Jesus had to shoulder on the road to Calvary.
Easter marks the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, his victory against death , the victory that gives hope for you and me, the hope of salvation and reconciliation with God the father if we make the choice to carry our own crosses with love, and to follow him.
Happy Easter!
We all face different obstacles of varying intensities and pit holes in our daily lives and in dealing so, can all seem too unbearable. However, if we step out of our own personal bubble and re-examine our own crosses against God’s blueprint plan for us, we’ll come to realize that they seem to look so small and trivial as compared to that one single cross that Jesus had to shoulder on the road to Calvary.
Easter marks the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, his victory against death , the victory that gives hope for you and me, the hope of salvation and reconciliation with God the father if we make the choice to carry our own crosses with love, and to follow him.
Happy Easter!
Monday, 15 February 2010
Lunar Valentine Reflection
As the cruxifix or cross has become the most revered symbol in Christianity,for both Catholics and Protestants alike- representing the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the mandarin oranges and red roses have become prominent symbols for the Lunar new year and Valentine’s day respectively.
For this year, it so happens that both these two commercially driven festivities happen to fall on the same day. For the Chinese, the Lunar new year has always been a season of extravagant lavishing on food and drinks , new clothes and shoes , the act of gifting money tucked in red packets, the exchange of mandarin oranges and many other action all adhering to that certain custom. While I’m not totally against such acts all in the name of tradition, I’m not an advocate for such beliefs and I cannot understand how some would go all out beyond their limits to make this, “a season to be remembered”. Just 3 days ago, a news report aired on channel8 caught my attention. It was about how some Chinese ladies would rent luxurious handbags which they cannot afford to own, just for them to bring around and ‘show’ in hope to make an impression on their relatives they are visiting. Apparently, the owner of the shop providing such services was interviewed and that person cited a substantial increase in revenue during this Lunar new year season. One customer even remarked that the bag she rented gives her confidence and that carrying it, marks a sign of prosperity. What do you make of this ? Do we really need to impress others during this season and/or all the time ?
Saint valentine’s day or more simply known as valentine’s day today, was named after Christian martyrs named valentine according to history. It was a day which honors the valentines whom were persecuted in the course of clinging on dearly to their religious beliefs. Certainly a far cry from what the day is being remembered for, today.
The valentine’s day celebrated in recent times, speaks of romance or intimacy between couples. It is usually accompanied with the act of gifting roses and/or confectionery or any form of commodity which spells out the ‘love’ from the giver represented in a physical form. Marketers often succeed in turning consumers into willing victims during this season all in the name of ‘love’ – “If you love your partner, you’ll give that gift which he/she desires for.” The problem with this whole notion lie with the danger of falling into the possibility of an individual quantifying and measuring love, in accordance to the monetary value attached to the gift regardless of whether he/she feels satisfied with the gift. This false concept of love undermines the true meaning of what love is , in the purest form.
Returning back to the symbols mentioned at the start of this entry, the mandarin oranges signifies wealth and all the celebrated beliefs of the lunar new year whilst the roses and confectionaries represent the perceived ‘love’ of valentine’s day. These 2 festivities are distinct and separate but yet, share a similarity which stands out, that is our response to them- simply our willingness to be deceived and/or our vulnerability to deception.
If we adopt rationality and logical thinking, it is not difficult to unanimously agree that there is no casual significance between mandarin oranges and prosperity or in the case of valentine’s day, the gift of roses and confectionery and ‘love’. The interviewed lady who rented that bag in hope to impress her relatives shows us how we can be so willing to deceive ourselves to in order to satisfy our pride. I think this calls for constant reflection on our actions which ideally should mirror our true consciousness that can only be unleashed when one understands the significance of the cruxifix or cross and embraces the faith.
For this year, it so happens that both these two commercially driven festivities happen to fall on the same day. For the Chinese, the Lunar new year has always been a season of extravagant lavishing on food and drinks , new clothes and shoes , the act of gifting money tucked in red packets, the exchange of mandarin oranges and many other action all adhering to that certain custom. While I’m not totally against such acts all in the name of tradition, I’m not an advocate for such beliefs and I cannot understand how some would go all out beyond their limits to make this, “a season to be remembered”. Just 3 days ago, a news report aired on channel8 caught my attention. It was about how some Chinese ladies would rent luxurious handbags which they cannot afford to own, just for them to bring around and ‘show’ in hope to make an impression on their relatives they are visiting. Apparently, the owner of the shop providing such services was interviewed and that person cited a substantial increase in revenue during this Lunar new year season. One customer even remarked that the bag she rented gives her confidence and that carrying it, marks a sign of prosperity. What do you make of this ? Do we really need to impress others during this season and/or all the time ?
Saint valentine’s day or more simply known as valentine’s day today, was named after Christian martyrs named valentine according to history. It was a day which honors the valentines whom were persecuted in the course of clinging on dearly to their religious beliefs. Certainly a far cry from what the day is being remembered for, today.
The valentine’s day celebrated in recent times, speaks of romance or intimacy between couples. It is usually accompanied with the act of gifting roses and/or confectionery or any form of commodity which spells out the ‘love’ from the giver represented in a physical form. Marketers often succeed in turning consumers into willing victims during this season all in the name of ‘love’ – “If you love your partner, you’ll give that gift which he/she desires for.” The problem with this whole notion lie with the danger of falling into the possibility of an individual quantifying and measuring love, in accordance to the monetary value attached to the gift regardless of whether he/she feels satisfied with the gift. This false concept of love undermines the true meaning of what love is , in the purest form.
Returning back to the symbols mentioned at the start of this entry, the mandarin oranges signifies wealth and all the celebrated beliefs of the lunar new year whilst the roses and confectionaries represent the perceived ‘love’ of valentine’s day. These 2 festivities are distinct and separate but yet, share a similarity which stands out, that is our response to them- simply our willingness to be deceived and/or our vulnerability to deception.
If we adopt rationality and logical thinking, it is not difficult to unanimously agree that there is no casual significance between mandarin oranges and prosperity or in the case of valentine’s day, the gift of roses and confectionery and ‘love’. The interviewed lady who rented that bag in hope to impress her relatives shows us how we can be so willing to deceive ourselves to in order to satisfy our pride. I think this calls for constant reflection on our actions which ideally should mirror our true consciousness that can only be unleashed when one understands the significance of the cruxifix or cross and embraces the faith.
Monday, 4 January 2010
Gratitude
As I logged into my facebook account and msn messenger on New Years’ day , I cannot help but to notice a central theme which stood out from the string of greetings and well-wishes. That theme revolves around ones’ hope for a ‘better’ – prosperity, greater certainty in the economy, Job re-creation and career progression etc. year ahead.
It has always been overly-emphasized to the point that I feel this lack of gratitude lingering in many of us, for the many blessings bestowed and experienced in the year that has come to pass. In good times and bad, I’m sure that God has touched us and made our lives different in someway or another. Some people choose to believe that the blessings they experience come by sheer chance – by luck , Some even think that they’ve earned them.
These are also the same people you see , turning back to religion and re-submitting themselves to God when nothing seems to go their way and reverting back to their old selves when their ‘paths’ are rid off all obstacles . God is only remembered in bad times. We tend to shun away from being openly thankful and grateful to God for his providence. We take him for granted.
For the past 4 – 5 years or so to date, I’ve been living life with this ‘newly discovered’ obsessive compulsion which has not only plagued my life with inconveniences, sadness and confusion, failure, fear of not being socially accepted but also contributed to the many ‘clashes’ with my loved ones. However, I would still consider myself fortunate and privileged to be ‘put’ in this situation, to be humbled - to learn how I should be understanding, more compassionate and sensitive to the feelings of others whom we do not know and/or fully understand. I guess it’s this hidden strength which God has provided so abundantly for. The strength that has allowed me to persevere on and against the many difficulties in life, keeping me sane and ‘opening’ my eyes to seeing things in a different light.
Today, As i put forth this entry, I’m truly engulfed in deep gratitude to the Lord for everything – this life that is given , the trials accompanying it and the many breaths that I’ve breathed so far – the very same breath that God breathed into Adam.
It has always been overly-emphasized to the point that I feel this lack of gratitude lingering in many of us, for the many blessings bestowed and experienced in the year that has come to pass. In good times and bad, I’m sure that God has touched us and made our lives different in someway or another. Some people choose to believe that the blessings they experience come by sheer chance – by luck , Some even think that they’ve earned them.
These are also the same people you see , turning back to religion and re-submitting themselves to God when nothing seems to go their way and reverting back to their old selves when their ‘paths’ are rid off all obstacles . God is only remembered in bad times. We tend to shun away from being openly thankful and grateful to God for his providence. We take him for granted.
For the past 4 – 5 years or so to date, I’ve been living life with this ‘newly discovered’ obsessive compulsion which has not only plagued my life with inconveniences, sadness and confusion, failure, fear of not being socially accepted but also contributed to the many ‘clashes’ with my loved ones. However, I would still consider myself fortunate and privileged to be ‘put’ in this situation, to be humbled - to learn how I should be understanding, more compassionate and sensitive to the feelings of others whom we do not know and/or fully understand. I guess it’s this hidden strength which God has provided so abundantly for. The strength that has allowed me to persevere on and against the many difficulties in life, keeping me sane and ‘opening’ my eyes to seeing things in a different light.
Today, As i put forth this entry, I’m truly engulfed in deep gratitude to the Lord for everything – this life that is given , the trials accompanying it and the many breaths that I’ve breathed so far – the very same breath that God breathed into Adam.
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