GIVE CHEERFULLY

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury,” (MK 12:41).

A poor widow gave two small copper coins which she could have kept one copper coin but she gave everything she had to the temple. It is called “Give Sacrificially.” This widow’s sacrifice needs to be much-admired. Jesus measures our giving by watching how and what we give to God and others.

The value of a gift is determined by how much that gift costs the giver. The poor widow’s gift cost her everything. The widow’s offering was a costly sacrifice. That’s why Jesus says she gave more than all those who contributed.

God will bless what we do for Him, even if the world doesn’t recognise the value of our gift. It’s not just about money; we must give our very lives to the Lord sacrifically and cheerfully. We need to give of our time, our talents, and our financial gain. The Lord can use our giving to bless others beyond our understanding.

“My soul gives praise to the Lord,” (Ps 145)

PRAYER AS A SIGN OF HOPE, IN THE PROMISE OF GOD

The Catholic Church begins the month of November by remembering all the known and unknown saints collectively on the Solemnity of All Saints Day (1 November). We also remember the Commemoration of the faithful departed on All Souls Day (2 November). It is our duty to pray with gratitude for the departed souls and all Souls in Purgatory, who are still being purified of their sins, waiting to be in communion with the saints in heaven.

We place the Book Of Remembrance with 4500 names in it at the altar and offer all their names, including all the forgotten souls, continuously in our weekday and weekend Masses. On individual levels, we continue to pray on our own and make penance and indulgences, so that they may be purified from the punishments of sins, just as the Scriptures of the Old Testaments say: “Hence, he had this expiatory sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin,” (2 Macc 12:45). We also obtain a partial indulgence by making a trip or two, together with our families, to the graves of our departed loved ones during this month. At the cemetery, we recite the Rosary or any other form of prayer, in the memory of them. These acts of prayer, penance and indulgence provide us consolation here on earth, till we meet them again in the world to come.

Most parishes hold special memorial Masses and prayers everyday throughout November, for the departed souls. I invite all individuals and families from our parish to come together on Friday, 9 November 2018 to pray for our loved ones’ souls to rest in peace. We will have a special Evening Prayer for all the departed souls, which will take place during Holy Hour at our Church. We will begin with the Eucharistic celebration followed by Evening Prayer at 7.30pm, and if time permits, we will have a fellowship in the courtyard, after mass.

It is important to pray for others, especially the dead. Praying for both the living and the dead is one of Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, which gives us a sign of hope, in the promise of God. The separation is only temporary, and when we extend our prayers for our deceased loved ones, we live in the words of St Paul, “May God who has begun a good work in you bring it to completion” (Phil 1:6). As we remember them with love, we pray that the Promised One will speed them along, to enter the gates of paradise.

Who are the departed souls, which we could pray for, during the month of November? We could pray for our parents, deceased family members, friends, relatives, clergy and religious, separated brethren, people of other faiths and all the forgotten souls. We could also include the recent 189 passengers who were onboard Lion Air Flight JT610, which crashed into the sea off Jakarta, the 239 passengers onboard MH370, which went missing on 8 March 2014 or the 289 passengers onboard MH17 that was shot down 17 July 2014.

As we count our blessings, let us be grateful for our departed souls and keep them always in our prayers, so that our God of Mercy forgives all the sins they committed during their lives, and grants them admittance into the kingdom of heaven.  Throughout this month of November, we pray ceaselessly for all those whom we dearly miss. We pray for their eternal happiness and peace, and for them to be in communion with God. We pray and hope that they will become personal patron saints for us and for our families.

Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them O Lord, and Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them.

May They Rest In Peace.

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS

In today’s Gospel a lawyer who wants to do his best and he asks Jesus which commandment is first of all. Jesus answers him with two commandments, repeating what is in book of Deuteronomy; “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second commandment is; you must love your neighbour as yourself, (MK 12: 28-34).

The nature of the Christian life is summed up on these two commandments. All the other commandments are expansions of these two and clues of how we are to put these two commandments into daily practice.

Without a love for God we will never love others. Our love for God must be the ultimate priority. We cannot love our neighbour without loving God and we cannot genuinely love God without loving our neighbour. They are the two sides of the one coin.

Our love must be genuine and real, not just an outward show. We must express our gratitude to God by serving him and people of God daily. Let’s live a life of love and ask God to pour out his love into our hearts through his Spirit.

PRAYING WITH REVERENCE AND FERVOUR

The entire month of October has been dedicated to the Rosary, and on Wednesday, 31 October 2018, we will celebrate its closing. We will gather at the Church as a community, to recite the Rosary at 7.30pm, followed by the Eucharistic celebration.

Throughout the month of October, many of us have been praying the Rosary individually, as families and as Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) and while we do so, we hold on to Mother Mary’s hand. It can sometimes be challenging for us to get together to pray, and often we are distracted and lose count, occasionally adding an extra Hail Mary to our decade, or perhaps end up not saying enough. Sometimes, we may forget to finish the five decades of the Rosary, or find ourselves giving up halfway. However, in general, most Catholics have a tremendous amount of respect for the Rosary and pray it with reverence and fervour.

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God… and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” (Pope Saint Pius X).

Eventhough the month of Rosary is coming to an end, I hope you will continue praying it daily. You will experience transformation in your faith life, as Our Lady of the Rosary prays with you!

November begins with All Saints Day and All Souls Day and they are very much rooted in our Catholic belief. All Saints Day reminds us how we are suppose to live on this earth. We are called to live as saints, so that one day we will be with God and our loved ones in heaven. Just a reminder that the Feast of All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation and all Catholics are expected to attend Mass.

All Souls Day is a day of reflecting and praying for all souls, and asking God's mercy for them. Throughout the month of November, the Catholic Church invites us to pray for the faithful departed so that they may be free from the punishments of sin and enter into the Communion of all saints in Heaven. It is a good time to dedicate the last decade of Rosary to the dead and the suffering souls in Purgatory, so that they may soon enter into the fullness of life in heaven.

These past weeks, many of you listed down the names of departed souls in the Book of Remembrance, which was placed at the Parochial House. There are approximately 3500 names in the book, and throughout the month of November, The Book of Remembrance will be placed at the altar, where the souls of those we remember and of those who have been forgotten, will be offered up at Mass. We pray for the repose of their souls.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

THE BLIND BARTIMAEUS AND US

As Jesus and His disciples left Jericho, they encountered a blind Bartimaeus who was sitting at the side of the road. We can learn a great spiritual lesson from the story of blind Bartimaeus (MK 10:46-52). The blindness hindered his daily activities. He couldn’t hold a job or earn wages, thus, he was a beggar. He depended on the sympathy and generosity of others.

The blind Bartimaeus heard Jesus would be passing him. He had never met Jesus of Nazareth before but he believed Jesus could help him to see again. Even the crowd tried to keep him quiet he cried out the more – “Jesus, the Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus said to Bartimaeus, “Go, your faith has saved you.” His faith was key to his cure.

Jesus can heal your brokenness, forgive your sin, and save your soul. We must have faith. Jesus is the only way; no one else can provide us healing.

Every day we have the opportunity to lose our blindness but God gives us His grace to see the suffering world with open eyes, to see the beauty of His creation and to see everything through the eyes of faith.

“What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad," (Ps 126).