Advent Reflection

We have just crossed the half way mark of the 4th week of Advent. A time where Christians ought to examine and prepare themselves spiritually, to be reconciled with God in order to fully welcome Jesus back into our lives this Christmas. This presents a great opportunity for those of us who have somehow or rather strayed and drifted away from our Lord's grip!

In last weekend's Gospel, Luke reveals to us that Mary experienced what was to be, a concoction of fear ,anxiety and perhaps doubt due to the uncertainty of how things would subsequently unfold, having been greeted and foretold of her role in God's divine plan which sets the tone to our salvation history, by Angel Gabriel. Despite all this ,she responded with great faith and trust in God, " Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word."(Luke 1:38)- Mary's own special way of saying YES to God! How many of us are able to say YES with such unwavering faith when things don't go our way? How many of us are able to fully trust in the Lord in times of uncertainty and distress ,allowing him to take control and not rely on other means ? How many of us are still willing to bear witness to Christ in the midst of this secular world of distractions? These questions and many more , represent the many challenges faced by Christians today.

This Christmas season in itself is one such big challenge - for us Christians to bear witness to the truth. What truth ? That the gift to all mankind from God has been revealed to us 2000+ years ago in a lonely manger and is still relevant in our lives today. This gift which goes beyond all gifts that any Mall could possibly offer is meant to be shared for all. The only gift that we will ever need. Once again ,the material and commercial success of the "Secular Christmas" fantasy of sumptuous treats and indulgences have masked and robbed away all the glory of the truth which took place in that lonely manger. We must not allow that stab of Ham, that log cake , the fattened turkey , the gifts we pamper ourselves or others with , the carols and glitter of this 'white christmas' ,or in short , objects that do not make the slightest reference to the truth or represent it, take centre stage and overwhelm us.

We can only pray that these distractions will inspire and prompt individuals to ask questions about this season which will in turn (i hope) set them back on that right path and lead them to the golden origins. Indeed, this has always seem like, to me , a dark season for Christians, but also one which presents to us a chance to shine forth as bearers of Christ's light for others to see. To bear witness to the truth by proudly proclaiming with joy that we are waiting for Christ to re-enter into our lives this Christmas and to rejoice that our savior is born and is with us - our Emmanuel ,Christ Jesus. This season of advent is meant to prepare us for all of this. If you maybe 'distracted' with all that is going on in the secular scene, perhaps this tradition hymn ,written and composed sometime in the 15th century will help you find some focus...

Many Firsts

Greetings! It has been quite an unexpectedly long hiatus from this blog space partly due to the demands of daily events causing much fatigue ,leaving one to desire for more quiet time and rest.

Tonight's entry will be one of many firsts - My very first entry penned with an aid of a whole new physical interface, a Macbookpro. (Though acquired since last nov) . This will also mark my first reflection ever since accepting a contract work stint with a german bank.

Recalling what took place about a year ago, when I was approached at the main entrance of Holy family after mass one evening by Auntie Ann, a parishioner whom I've got to know from attending daily mass who spoke to me about the Catechetical Ministry and the shortage of catechists, it's hard to imagine that I've journeyed this 'far' as a Catechist Assistant (CA) and am currently looking forward to another year of assisting, God-willingly. Auntie Ann is the Catechist I'm assisting and has been an exceptional mentor and a personification of being Christ to others.

We have just had our last session for the year with our P4 class which ended with a mini potluck party. The kids brought "healthier" snacks as requested and were happily engaged in the balloon scalping activity while consuming the vast variety of food at irregular intervals. Though it wasn't clearly written on their faces, I could somehow sense a tinge of sadness and the reluctance that this was it ,the last lesson for the year. For myself , I know that i'll miss all of them and more so for some of them whom I've grown to be emotionally attached to through the many conversations and interactions we've had.

In the course of the year , what truly touched me was the untainted innocence that each and everyone of the kids possessed- something that the 'real' world is clearly lacking and must learn from these young ones. The innocent mistakes that they make, very often unintentionally , even if intended ,are indeed excusable as the ability to discerning right from wrong hasn't been fully moulded. What was humbling for me was the eventual realization that the pressures and demands that kids have to deal with in the course of their daily struggles though somewhat more simplified, mirror to that of what we, as adults experience. This class is made up of children coming from very diverse family backgrounds , with some enjoying the luxuries in life that many can only imagine but can't put a finger to, and contrasting to this , we have single parents trying to make ends meet. To top it off , these kids will have to deal with the many distractions of what this world has to offer (i.e. Negative impact of various forms of media, gaming) , the pressure and pursuit of being socially acceptable to others (i.e. Social roles, Social Stigma, Social Statuses) ,the strong emphasis on education and the stresses revolving around it and the list goes on…

I really hope and pray that our Good Lord and Shepard will constantly watch over each and everyone of these children and that their walk in life's journey will be a close one with the Risen Christ through prayer. I'll like to close this entry with a verse from a Psalm of David -

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

(Psalm 23:4 ESV)

Time

We are almost coming to a close of the first week of this brand new year. Much of the dust would have already been settled from the countdown parties and perhaps, most of us are trying to get started in fulfilling those new years’ resolutions. I am not going to touch on new years’ resolutions on this entry but what we normally physically or spiritually participate in , at the eve of most festivities – the very notion of ‘counting down’ time.

While it maybe exciting for some to be part of the hype and participate in these sort of countdown party events, most of us tend to overlook or consciously avoid thinking about that personal countdown to the end of our lives. We can never be certain waking up to a brand new day not to even mention living out 20 more years.

Reflecting upon this, I think it’s crucial for individuals to live each day like the last in order to fulfill that personal ‘bucket list of things’- whatever that maybe for you. In Rev Fr Pat’s Christmas Midnight Mass homily, he mentioned that the best gift that anyone can give to another person is his/her presence and companion, in short, to spend time and BE with that someone – and likewise with God. Who would you want to spend time with most? What are you going to make time for ?

I used to think that physical distances and boundaries ( ie between Chicago and Tokyo ) and death separates one being from another. I recently realized that it was just time. Whenever you’re planning to meet someone, it is the time that you need to take to travel to get to the location of your friend that separates the two of you. When your dear one has passed on, it is also time which separates the two of you for the simple reason that your time isn’t up yet. You might have already realized or will eventually come to know that it is also time that separates an individual from his/her personal goals and aspirations. Think of the time you spent accumulating credits to see you through that graduation ceremony. The time you spent slogging hard to get to that job promotion. The time needed to service an apartment loan.

Time separates but yet we can be assured that it binds the whole of humanity together. It is through the universal timeline that the historical, present and future events are interconnected. It is vital to note that what we do today could possibly impact future generations. We are all stewards of our personal time and thus are responsible for making good use of it for the purpose of a greater good. For it is also through this passage we call time, that we will have to arrive at that common place and eventually meet our maker.