- The Paschal Candle being brought into the church gave me Christ's light to alleviate the dark church; light overcomes the darkness.
- The passing of the flame to one another made the church seem magical, like bright stars in the dark church.
- The new way of Baptism; going into a water tank dressed in black, and having the head ducked under thrice before surfacing, made it seem like a show rather than a sacrament. God was forgotten in the process. I thus felt a greater motivation to instill a prayerful mood through my singing.
- There is a need not to allow personal agitation to affect my singing; self-denial.
- In the midst of exhaustion, there is paradoxically more inner strength to fight it and sing better.
- Due credit is indeed to be attributed to the unsung heroes who work hard behind the scenes for overall perfection.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Good Friday
- The heavy rain was to me, God crying for His Son.
- The empty tabernacle was a physical reminder of emptiness and the absence of our Lord; His death.
- The intercessions were an opportunity for me to pray for bigger intentions than just my usual and immediate ones.
- The veneration of the cross was my expression of love to Jesus.
- The distribution of Communion was a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
- As fellow Catholics, we were one in commemorating the suffering of Jesus.
- The empty tabernacle was a physical reminder of emptiness and the absence of our Lord; His death.
- The intercessions were an opportunity for me to pray for bigger intentions than just my usual and immediate ones.
- The veneration of the cross was my expression of love to Jesus.
- The distribution of Communion was a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.
- As fellow Catholics, we were one in commemorating the suffering of Jesus.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maundy Thursday
- A time for giving to Christ instead of receiving from Him, as I usually do.
- He may have emptied Himself to the point of being deprived of love, but I will still love Him even if He can't feel it.
- He deserves even more praise to counter the mockery from the soldiers.
- He may have emptied Himself to the point of being deprived of love, but I will still love Him even if He can't feel it.
- He deserves even more praise to counter the mockery from the soldiers.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Fasting during Lent
Fasting is internal as well.
Mind: no critical thoughts of others.
Tongue: no gossip or slander of others.
Heart: no bearing of grudges against others.
Mind: no critical thoughts of others.
Tongue: no gossip or slander of others.
Heart: no bearing of grudges against others.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
An apathetic world
I was walking past a bakery with glass walls and saw a small girl waving at the passers-by. Unfortunately, no one noticed this poor child who was trying to get their attention. By the time I wanted to wave back at her, she had lost her patience and had gone back to her seat.
This little incident showed me how the world is so busy with its own activity that it fails to notice the needs of others. Jesus came as a baby 2000 years back but if He were to come now, I am not so sure if He can catch our notice, what more obtain our love. The world was simpler and more tranquil back then.
This little incident showed me how the world is so busy with its own activity that it fails to notice the needs of others. Jesus came as a baby 2000 years back but if He were to come now, I am not so sure if He can catch our notice, what more obtain our love. The world was simpler and more tranquil back then.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Close to death
I just learnt that the sense of hearing is the last one that will go from a dying person. This is a poignant fact to me.
When my late mum was in a coma during her last days, I still sang hymns to her by the bedside and shared with her my happy memories of her throughout our life together. Her friend saw her hand twitch as I spoke. A doctor said it was merely reflex action but now that I have learnt the above fact, it affirms what her friend saw. My mum could hear me singing and sharing.
This is such an overwhelmingly joyful moment for me :)
When my late mum was in a coma during her last days, I still sang hymns to her by the bedside and shared with her my happy memories of her throughout our life together. Her friend saw her hand twitch as I spoke. A doctor said it was merely reflex action but now that I have learnt the above fact, it affirms what her friend saw. My mum could hear me singing and sharing.
This is such an overwhelmingly joyful moment for me :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Musings from Mother Teresa's No Greater Love
Prayer
"Prayer is in all things, in all gestures" but this does not apply to sins committed. When there is the intention to pray; to please God, the action becomes a prayer. In what way does sin fulfill this?
Lord, help me to always be aware of my own sins before I judge others.
When we pray for those who need prayers, God answers by filling us with Himself so that He can give Himself to those people through us.
When we fail to stick to a prayer schedule or resolution, we cannot let the failure consume us. Instead, we need to get back to it, to begin anew, and not to look back at what we did not do.
Lord, forgive me for not praying all the time. How can I be the one to pray for others who do not pray then? Yet Lord, you deem me worthy to be used by you, I who am such an undeserving and weak soul!
Prayer is not made up of words but of the sincere desire to lift people to God. In praying for them, we are loving them.
Repentance from having sinned is a form of prayer.
It is during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that I see myself as merely a soul before its God.
When we are humbled and love, we identify with God.
What we say to others and about others are important because God is really speaking through us. Condescension can result. An awareness of my own judgements is essential before I judge others for judging.
In silence we will hear His special message to us. It creates such beauty within us when we recollect it.
"We need to give Christ a chance to make use of us. Today He loves the world so much that He gives you and me to be His love, His compassion and His presence."
"We must have a clean heart to be able to see."
"We shall not waste our time in looking for extraordinary experiences... but live by pure faith, ever watchful and ready for His coming."
Thank you Lord, for listening to my heart and giving me the things it desires, even if they are indulgences. Thank you Lord, for giving me the grace to turn to you in prayer for every need .
"If we don't pray, our presence will have no power, our words will have no power." The Holy Spirit will then lead us in our counsel and use us to radiate peace to others.
"The greatest mistake is to think you are too strong to fall into temptation." This can be put in another way. When you attempt to resist temptation with your human self and not with God's grace, you will fall into temptation. Lord, reawaken in me a sense of conscience!
Humility enables us to be aware that everything we are and have come from God, developing a sense of gratitude, that we have limitations as humans, cultivating a sense of acceptance, and that we need to be patient with our neighbour, since he/she is human too.
Sincerity is essential in prayer. Hence, conversation with God from the heart is my personal style of prayer :)
We, as Christ's disciples, need to correct sin and dispel the darkness around with His light of firm gentleness.
Lord, allow me to have complete faith in my prayers to you, and not base it on prior proof.
"Pray for the light to know the will of God, the love to accept the will of God and the way to do the will of God." This is such a beautiful prayer!
Love
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary."
Be faithful to your spouse. Spout "words of kindness" to others. Sometimes, remaining silent and not confronting is a way of loving.
"He comes and uses (me) to be His love and compassion in the world in spite of (my) weaknesses and frailties." As long as I stay open to His promptings that people need help, I can be His instrument to them.
Lord, when you were angry with me for my ingratitude, I turned to your love that "(does) not forget (me) and (has) carved (me) on the palm of (your) hand."
Thank you Lord, for this grace of focusing on the good things in life, of contentment.
Lord, help me rise above my pride and self-consciousness to love.
Thank you Lord, for granting me the chance to know what true love is.
Thank you Lord, for showing me Your marvellous hand at work so that I can testify about You to those who need hope.
Thank you Lord, for having chosen me to love, to "strengthen what is weak".
"Where there is love, there always is an openness to serve."
No prayer is too small for God.
Lord, let me not be petty-minded when I do not get reciprocation or even gratitude for my love. Lord, forgive me. I still have so much more to go on this. Give me intense love that does not measure but just gives.
Thank you Lord, for allowing me to glorify You with Your gifts to me.
Lord, why should I be disturbed by opinions of externalities as long as decency is the overall intention? Yet I am. I am not humble enough. Give me more of it.
Lord, you will provide for me. Allow me to trust in this fact.
Thank you Lord, for giving me faith that looks past self-interest to fully appreciate the gift of Your creation to us. Thank you Lord, for giving me a loving touch towards those with illness.
"Faith in action through prayer."
Thank you Lord, for your gift of joy to me, and through it, strength within me. Thank you Lord, for giving me the love that enabled me to let go.
"We may not be able to give much but we can always give the joy." We meet that hunger (for God's love) by spreading joy."
"But for His sustaining presence, all things would cease to be and fall back into nothingness." Lord, thank you for Your merciful power over us!
Lord, we are like embryos within your protective sac :)
"Prayer is in all things, in all gestures" but this does not apply to sins committed. When there is the intention to pray; to please God, the action becomes a prayer. In what way does sin fulfill this?
Lord, help me to always be aware of my own sins before I judge others.
When we pray for those who need prayers, God answers by filling us with Himself so that He can give Himself to those people through us.
When we fail to stick to a prayer schedule or resolution, we cannot let the failure consume us. Instead, we need to get back to it, to begin anew, and not to look back at what we did not do.
Lord, forgive me for not praying all the time. How can I be the one to pray for others who do not pray then? Yet Lord, you deem me worthy to be used by you, I who am such an undeserving and weak soul!
Prayer is not made up of words but of the sincere desire to lift people to God. In praying for them, we are loving them.
Repentance from having sinned is a form of prayer.
It is during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament that I see myself as merely a soul before its God.
When we are humbled and love, we identify with God.
What we say to others and about others are important because God is really speaking through us. Condescension can result. An awareness of my own judgements is essential before I judge others for judging.
In silence we will hear His special message to us. It creates such beauty within us when we recollect it.
"We need to give Christ a chance to make use of us. Today He loves the world so much that He gives you and me to be His love, His compassion and His presence."
"We must have a clean heart to be able to see."
"We shall not waste our time in looking for extraordinary experiences... but live by pure faith, ever watchful and ready for His coming."
Thank you Lord, for listening to my heart and giving me the things it desires, even if they are indulgences. Thank you Lord, for giving me the grace to turn to you in prayer for every need .
"If we don't pray, our presence will have no power, our words will have no power." The Holy Spirit will then lead us in our counsel and use us to radiate peace to others.
"The greatest mistake is to think you are too strong to fall into temptation." This can be put in another way. When you attempt to resist temptation with your human self and not with God's grace, you will fall into temptation. Lord, reawaken in me a sense of conscience!
Humility enables us to be aware that everything we are and have come from God, developing a sense of gratitude, that we have limitations as humans, cultivating a sense of acceptance, and that we need to be patient with our neighbour, since he/she is human too.
Sincerity is essential in prayer. Hence, conversation with God from the heart is my personal style of prayer :)
We, as Christ's disciples, need to correct sin and dispel the darkness around with His light of firm gentleness.
Lord, allow me to have complete faith in my prayers to you, and not base it on prior proof.
"Pray for the light to know the will of God, the love to accept the will of God and the way to do the will of God." This is such a beautiful prayer!
Love
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary."
Be faithful to your spouse. Spout "words of kindness" to others. Sometimes, remaining silent and not confronting is a way of loving.
"He comes and uses (me) to be His love and compassion in the world in spite of (my) weaknesses and frailties." As long as I stay open to His promptings that people need help, I can be His instrument to them.
Lord, when you were angry with me for my ingratitude, I turned to your love that "(does) not forget (me) and (has) carved (me) on the palm of (your) hand."
Thank you Lord, for this grace of focusing on the good things in life, of contentment.
Lord, help me rise above my pride and self-consciousness to love.
Thank you Lord, for granting me the chance to know what true love is.
Thank you Lord, for showing me Your marvellous hand at work so that I can testify about You to those who need hope.
Thank you Lord, for having chosen me to love, to "strengthen what is weak".
"Where there is love, there always is an openness to serve."
No prayer is too small for God.
Lord, let me not be petty-minded when I do not get reciprocation or even gratitude for my love. Lord, forgive me. I still have so much more to go on this. Give me intense love that does not measure but just gives.
Thank you Lord, for allowing me to glorify You with Your gifts to me.
Lord, why should I be disturbed by opinions of externalities as long as decency is the overall intention? Yet I am. I am not humble enough. Give me more of it.
Lord, you will provide for me. Allow me to trust in this fact.
Thank you Lord, for giving me faith that looks past self-interest to fully appreciate the gift of Your creation to us. Thank you Lord, for giving me a loving touch towards those with illness.
"Faith in action through prayer."
Thank you Lord, for your gift of joy to me, and through it, strength within me. Thank you Lord, for giving me the love that enabled me to let go.
"We may not be able to give much but we can always give the joy." We meet that hunger (for God's love) by spreading joy."
"But for His sustaining presence, all things would cease to be and fall back into nothingness." Lord, thank you for Your merciful power over us!
Lord, we are like embryos within your protective sac :)
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