THE GIFT OF PENTECOST

This week we shall recap and reflect on the “Homilies on Family” shared by “sons of our parish” during the Novena and Feast of St Joseph, the Worker  (24th April – 3rd May, 2015).

We long to live in a perfect family setting but families today are facing major challenges, trials and tests of faith. The institution of the family is in danger today. Many families are finding themselves fragmented, hurting,  depressed and in danger of breaking up. Divorce is on the rise, affecting society and the community. Family members are hurting in silence.

Why do today’s families go off-track? Some areas to ponder and re-examine:-
* Are we committed to slow down, to listen, to reflect on the Word of God, to re-examine our conscience; to take time to come together as a family to pray?
* What is our identity as a Christian family? There are times we lose our identity as children of God. We forget our Christ-centred roles as husbands and wives, parents and children to build up family, church and the community; may lead to rebellious tendencies and even separation!  * Family members find it increasingly hard to talk and to enjoy each other’s presence; not even during meal times (be it only once a week!), as the use of modern day gadgets has crept into family life, threatening to disrupt the bond and sanctity of family life.
* Lack of charity, compassion and understanding. We gossip and point out the wrongdoings within family members and neighbours to justify ourselves. It is hard to love our spouses, our children, our neighbours when we insist on being right; we react, with dire consequences!
* Married couples are not serious when it comes to marriage promises. Spouses fail to be content with the ten good qualities they see in their spouses and children and are tempted to be unfaithful.
* Many of our families do not take their faith seriously – e.g. parents of Catechism students are not serious in ensuring  proper attendance during Catechism classes; Ensuring family participation in the Eucharist will help uphold the sanctity of the family.

Today, more than ever, the Church needs “genuine Christian families” as role models and examples of Hope and Perseverance to weather these challenging times. We must stay together as a church (BEC) community rooted in Christ - for today’s family to emerge strong and purified in these trying times.

Even though there was a special grace about them, the Holy Family themselves were not perfect. They too had their share of troubled moments, doubts and misunderstandings. Being human, Joseph and Mary also failed in some way as parents but they remained faithful. We can’t expect to be a perfect family, but like the Holy Family, we can pick ourselves up again and journey on.

Because of Joseph’s and Mary’s love for Jesus, they went against all odds, suffering and persecutions and  yet lived a holy life. Let us never tire to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Family and make our families to be truly strong and holy today.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is observed on the second Sunday in May. This year we shall celebrate Mother's day by honouring our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, for their contribution to family and society. Let us acknowledge these special women and make them feel welcome and appreciated for their wide services within the Church. May our love, prayers and gestures enable them to hear the words of our heart: 

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children
 - we celebrate with you. 

To those who gave birth this year to their first child
 - we celebrate with you. 

To those who lost a child this year
 - we mourn with you. 

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed
adoptions
 - we grieve with you. 

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, disappointments and tears for years
 - we walk with you. 

Forgive us when we say foolish things to you.
 -We don't mean to make things harder for you. 

To those who have disappointments, heartaches and are distanced from your children
 - we sit with you.
To those who lost their mothers this year
 - we grieve with you. 

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother
- we acknowledge your experience and ask for God's healing touch. 

To those who have aborted children
 - we remember them and yourself on this day. 

To those who are single married woman mothering your own children
 - we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be. 

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and unexpected
 - we anticipate with you. 

Dear Jesus, we thank you for all mothers and care-givers around the world and for all they do for their children. We thank you for their patience when we don't get things right. We thank you for the encouragement they inspire when we find life hard. We pray that all mothers would feel really special today and that You, Lord, would remind us every day to show them as much love and help as they give to us. Amen

Dear mothers: This Mother's Day, we walk with you and we celebrate with you amidst your joys and sorrows and with all your ups and downs. 

Thanks for being a great murnl Wishing you a happy Mother's Day and God Bless.

St Joseph: Holiness and Simplicity

On May 1, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph, the Worker. He has been described as a saint who "knows how to roll up his sleeves and put in a hard day's work." St Joseph reminds us that we should give dignity and respect to our work and that the fruits of our labours which we offer to God are corresponding to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It is a good time for us to live out this dignity of work by following the example of SI. Joseph. We should redouble our attentiveness to the work and commitments, which are already laid before us. 

We have discovered about St Joseph's life of simplicity where he didn't take no attention of his own glory but seek God's glory alone. He didn't go around Nazareth working miracles rather, he lived his holiness wrapped in simplicity. God draws us to Himself through the ordinary means of simply fulfilling our tasks. 

Joseph was a great man. Right from the beginning, he was with his family, Jesus and Mary. His holiness and simplicity came through Jesus and Mary by serving and receiving from them. 

We know Joseph's family is not a normal family like ours. There is a special grace about this Holy Family. If we compare our families to the Holy Family, we will probably be discouraged because we are not able to live our lives like them. Nevertheless, they are intimately close to us and help us to draw closer to God. 

My dear parishioners, we are coming to the end of the novena and feast of St Joseph which reflected on the theme: "Jesus, the Heart of the Family." Despite the heavy rain almost every evening, I have noticed how devoted you are to St Joseph as you have been making yourselves present in Church, participating in the prayers and listening to the inspiring preaching by the celebrants during the Novena days. In our Eucharistic encounter with Christ, we receive Jesus' grace and His love. The little refreshments prepared by the various zones and the daily fellowship have strengthened our unity within our parish community. Thank you for being a devoted servant of God. 

How are we going to make our devotion to St Joseph and our focus of the year on family to be devoted servants of God? 

Here, we need to ask ourselves as individuals and families - Is there a need to forgive our spouse and children? Is there love that needs rekindling in our homes? Is there gratitude missing in my home and community? As members of family and community, we cannot grow in holiness and simplicity without the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus and those around us especially our parents and children. 

Though we have come to the end of this feast of St Joseph, it is not the end of our focus on strengthening our faith and family commitments but it is a good opportunity to examine our closest relationships with Joseph, Mary and Jesus leading the way by example and family prayers. 

Easter to Pentecost

Our 47 days Lenten journey which began with Ash  Wednesday  and culminated with the Easter Triduum  engaged us in prayer, fasting and almsgiving as a preparation to die to self and so live in Christ. It was a journey from Ashes to New life at the Baptismal font!  

The Easter Triduum: The liturgy of Holy Thursday moves us into the celebration of “Three Days” (Holy Thursday till Easter Sunday and Solemn Vespers), during which we make memory of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (Paschal mystery). These three days are really one solemn liturgy. We had a fruitful and spiritual celebration.

The most  significant celebration during these three days was the Easter Vigil, where we witnessed the 9 catechumens/elect who received Christ in their lives through the waters of baptism. We too renewed our baptismal promises by rejecting Satan and all his empty  promises and we professed our Faith in 12 Truths  (The Creed).

Divine Mercy Sunday: Observed universally on the 2nd Sunday of Easter, we at SJC celebrated the first ever chanted Divine Mercy  Chaplet by our own Choir followed by Holy Eucharist and        Benediction. The two important  elements so beautifully contemplated upon were "Mercy and Forgiveness".

Parish Activities: In the midst of the  above  solemnities and celebrations, we as a parish, families, BEC’s and individuals came together to ensure the huge success of the SJC Jogathon which took place on 11 April, 2015 as well as the 100% sale of tickets for the Easter Gala Dinner, 18 April, 2015. Syabas to our beloved Fund Raising Committee!

Events come and go but how do we, as Easter People / Resurrected People proclaim in our life the reality of our own Easter joy?

In the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost we will have ample  opportunities to do so, to reassess the mission we have received from our Baptism.

Let us reflect on the significance of the resurrection in our lives. The Risen Lord didn't abandon his disciples but He hung out with them till the Ascension and put the finishing touches on the three most significant years of His earthly life.

He too didn't leave us orphans. The first 11 verses in the Acts of the Apostles suggest that we, too, can go deeper with Jesus and discover what particular message He has for each one of us.

May Jesus, Heart of our Families enlighten your faith always.
God bless you and your families.

3 Ways to Practice Forgiveness

“This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us…”(CCC # 2840).

This Sunday we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday. The Church calls us to meditate on the gratitude of God’s gracious mercy shown to us and we should look sincerely  at the mercy that we show to others. Our God is a God of mercy.

3 Ways to Practice Forgiveness:

The English poet Alexander Pope stated: “To err is  human, to forgive is divine.” 
Following are three short and concrete suggestions to help us on the pathway to forgiveness and mercy!

1.  Beg for the Grace. To forgive our enemies, to pray for them and to love them goes far beyond our fallen human    nature. We desperately need God’s overflowing and   abundant grace. Saint Augustine says that we are all   beggars before God. Therefore, we should beg for the grace to forgive. God will not deny us this noble petition.

2.  Forgive Immediately. When we are offended, often the devil works on us right away fostering in our minds thoughts of revenge. Therefore, if we respond to God’s grace of mercy and forgive immediately there is a very good chance that the victory is ours. Be quick to reject unkind thoughts and be quicker still to forgive!

3.  Mercy is a Two-Way Street. Remember that receiving God’s mercy is not a dead-end but rather a two-way street. Jesus said: “Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is     merciful… and forgive…” (Lk 6:36). Therefore, if we want to experience God’s infinite mercy in our lives, we must extend our hand in forgiveness towards those who have offended us. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us the same    lesson:  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive        those …..”

Jesus told Saint Faustina that He desires that we practice at least one act of mercy every day. He specified that mercy can be carried out in any of these three manners:
1)  by kind words
2)  by kind deeds
3)  by prayer