His Knowledge:

Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

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I invite you today to look to Christ. When you wonder about the mystery of yourself, look to Christ who gives you the meaning of life. When you wonder what it means to be a mature person, look to Christ who is the fullness of humanity. And when you wonder about your role in the future of the world, look to Christ. Only in Christ will you fulfill your potential as a citizen of the world community.

- Pope John Paul II the Great (October 3, 1979)

You Have Known Me:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

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As love is paid for in love, I must imitate him, sharing in spirit all his sufferings. I must consider how much I owe him and what he has done for me. Putting these sufferings between God and my soul, I must say, "What does it matter my God, that I should endure for your love these small hardships?"

- St. Alphonsus Rodriguez (1533-1617)

Your Example:

You watch over heaven and earth, Lord Jesus.Your power exceeds all power.Lead us to life eternal, and watch over us with your love.May we, your friends, be filled with grace and righteousness, inspired by the example you gave us to follow.

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Let us kindle the love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in the hearts of all people.

- Blessed Gaetano Errico (1791-1860)

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jer 31:7-9
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Heb 5:1-6
Mk 10:46-52

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today's Gospel story of Blind Bartimaeus, the man who receives his sight from Jesus, brings back memories. In grade school I read a fictional story of the life of Bartimaeus prior to that encounter with Jesus. It's what's called the "back story" in movies, the history of the character not portrayed on the screen. I don't remember the name of that book, but the memory has been with me all these years.

Imagining a whole life history for Bartimaeus helps me to put his response to Jesus into a context. We don't know the real story, of course, and can only work with what Mark gives us.

But I think that, like Bartimaeus, each of us is a person with some degree of faith. You wouldn't be attending to my words here if you weren't. Like him, we want to see. Our deepest wishes, our courage when we take a risk, the generosity we might feel in response to God's grace are all inside of us, like they were in Bartimaeus.

Today, God invites us to step out of our personal stories into the lights, in front of the camera, and into the story of the Kingdom. What a thrilling and dramatic moment it is, as we hear the Lord ask us, "What do you want me to do for you?"

And our response…?

Scripture:

•The Lord has delivered his people, (Jeremiah 31:8)

•Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy. (Psalm 126:5)

•You are my son: this day I have begotten you; (Hebrews 5:5)

•He threw aside his cloak, sprang up and came to Jesus. (Mark 10:50)

•Jesus told him, “Go your way your faith has saved you.” Immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:52)

Reflection:

•What hope is there for a blind beggar?

•How committed is Bartimaeus in receiving a cure from Jesus?

•What does he do once cured?

•If you were healed of your affliction today, what way would you follow?

And once he heard and understood the Word of God, he tried to put it into practice in his own life. For him the Word was life and not to live it was to deprive himself of really living. That was what the dream was really about in his own mind: to dare to live radically and simply, to take a chance on Christ. And what caused inestimable joy in Francis and his brothers was that the Gospel worked. If you tried to live it without reservation, you suddenly experienced a whole new worldview and you felt as though you had never lived before.

Unfailing Light:

Most high God, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you, our lives proclaim your goodness, our works give you honor and our voices celebrate you forever. Amen.

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Make your people known for the unit and profession of their faith. Inspire the hearts of your people with your word and your teaching. You called us to preach the Gospel of your Christ and to encourage them to lives and works that are pleasing to you.

- St. Cyril (827-869)

Bless Us:

The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Inconsistencies:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus points out that we are “shrewd and all knowing” when it comes to secular matters of our life. However, we do not use these qualities to learn to know God’s ways better. We are each challenged to be more consistent and sincere in the practice of our faith.

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Prayer enables us to meet God at the most profound level of our being. It connects us directly to God, the living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a constant exchange of love.

- Pope John Paul II the Great (1920-2005)

Be With Us:

Loving God, we thank you for all that you have given us. Be with us as we seek to do your will. Keep our minds and hearts and wills fixed on you. Amen.

God’s Will:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asserts that His Father’s Will must have the highest priority in our decisions in life. This may cause us pain and even division in the family. However, if we dare to choose God’s Will, His graces will sustain us at all times. We need to Trust in Him.

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The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The Christ child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. But you, Herod ... while you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.

- St. Quodvultdeus (d. 450)

Recall Notice

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subequent units.

This defect has been technically termed "Subsequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed. Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

GOD

Life is a gift

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she's blind.

She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He's always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she can see everything, including her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend asked her, "now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend is blind too, and refused to marry him.

Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying. "Just take care of my eyes dear."

This is how human mental thoughts changes when their status changed.

Only few remember what life was before, and who's always been there even in the most painful situations.

Life Is A Gift

Today before you think of saying an unkind word, think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food, think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Today before you complain about life , think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children, think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn't clean or sweep, think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive, think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job, think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another, remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around.

Life is a gift

Live it

Enjoy it

Celebrate it

Wisdom of the Ancestors:

Lord, may the wisdom of the ancestors always guide our journey.May the year’s end meet us laughing and stronger.May our children honor us by following our example in love and struggle.

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Love for your neighbor consists of three things: to desire the greater good of everyone; to do what good we can when we can; to bear, excuse, and hide other's faults.

- St. John Vianney

Worthy to Be Praised:

Almighty God, mother and father, creator and sustainer of all, we thank you for waking us up this morning and clothing us with your love.We thank you, God, because you didn’t have to do it, but you did.So we gather together to praise you, for you are worthy to be praised.

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I recommend to all of my brothers and sisters that they serve God faithfully. Granted, it is sometimes difficult to resist evil and remain virtuous. But with the grace of God that we obtain from prayer we can do anything. All we have to do is to will it.

- Blessed Arnold Reche (1838-1890)

Remembering and Honoring:

Lord, may our eyes be like the eagle, our strength be like the elephant and the boldness of our life be like the lion.And may we remember and honor our ancestors and the legacies they left us for as long as the sun shines and the water flows.

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Charity is that with which no man is lost, and without which no man is saved.

- St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Is 53:10-11
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Heb 4:14-16
Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I've worked in Church communications for many years. Over that time I've met many public relations professionals—talented people who work hard to put out the positive stories about their companies or organizations.Most are devoted to the truth, and deal with negative news honestly and directly. But I suspect some of them might have urged Mark, the author of today's Gospel, to re-consider his portrayal of the disciples!

Mark doesn't paint a very positive portrait. Throughout his Gospel, the disciples just don't get it! They misunderstand Jesus' message, engage in behavior contrary to his proclamation of the Kingdom, and abandon him at the end.

Today's passage is a good example, as James and John vie for the top jobs in the hierarchy—right next to the Lord himself. Once more, Jesus must make an example of such behavior, promising that these enterprising brothers will indeed share his lot. But through sharing the cup of suffering. His only wish is that they would choose that outcome through self-giving service.

In a way, I’m glad no one "cleaned up" Mark's portrait of the disciples. It gives me some comfort to hear how they stumbled toward the Kingdom, when I consider my own failings! Their humanness gives us hope that God will work in our lives and will patiently remind us, as Jesus does today, that true greatness comes through serving others.

Scripture:

•…the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. (Isaiah 53:10)

•…through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, (Isaiah 53:11)

•Our soul waits for the LORD (Psalm 33:20)

•For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

•whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; (Mark 10:42)

Reflection:

•How do you as parish serve the community around you?

•How do you reflect Christian values in your life regardless of the cost?

•How are you a servant not to those who look or think like you but to all?

•How do you model Christian values that are in conflict with secular values?

The Church’s mission, in the perspective of this theology (church as servant), is not primarily to gain new recruits for its own ranks, but rather to be of help to all men, wherever they are. The special competence of the Church is to keep alive the hope and aspiration of men for the Kingdom of God and its values. In the light of this hope the Church is able to discern the signs of the times and to offer guidance and prophetic criticism. In this way the church promotes the mutual reconciliation of men and initiates them in various ways into the Kingdom of God.

Called to Be Free:

To our sisters and brothers, our daughters and sons, we are called to be hearts and hands, joy and hope, sojourners of truth, light to the world, a song in a weary land.We are called to be free.As we remember, let us rejoice and be glad. Amen.

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I strive always in all things to understand as clearly as possible and follow the will of God.
- Blessed Charles of Austria (1887-1922)

Raise the Fallen:

Our Lady of Victories sees the thrones of the mighty destroyed, their royal chambers ruined, their fragile egos shattered. She knows that all who are trampled and manipulated will be raised up to take their place in the palace of the King. She offers tribute to God for the lengths to which he will go to raise up all who are fallen.

Harm - Faith:

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that people can harm us in different ways. However, we should avoid the greatest harm, i.e. the one that can harm our faith. Thus, all other forms of harm e.g. to our reputation, should be measured in the light of how they affect our relationship with God.

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Live in such a way that all may know that you bear outwardly as well as inwardly the image of Christ crucified, the model of all gentleness and mercy.
- St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)

Mary Cries Out:

Mary cries out for the saving power of God to shatter the illusions of sin and heal the disintegration of the human family. She clamors for the freedom and salvation that can come only in accepting God’s love, which will be expressed ultimately in the casting down and the raising up of her son.

Responsibility – Faith:

In today’s Gospel Jesus warns us that we have to use our freedom responsibly. If we misuse it and lead others astray in their faith in God, then such irresponsibility is serious. Ponder on this question, “Do I draw people closer or away from God in my daily living?”

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No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ bears to our souls. He did not wish that between Him and His servants there should be any other pledge than himself, to keep alive the remembrance of Him.

- St. Peter of Alcantara (1499-1562)

Prayer to Become God's Instrument

O, my heavenly Father,
I give all of my life to you
in the name of Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ,
and through the power of Your Holy Spirit.

I choose to follow wherever Your Son leads me.
I want to help others find their way into Your kingdom.
I want to serve others so that they can experience Your love.
Send me.

Use my talents, my resources, my time, my experiences,
my hurts, my spiritual growth
and everything You have given me.
Send me.

Help me to love all people unconditionally
to reveal the true nature of Jesus to them.
Today, and every day, help me to decrease
so that You may increase in me.

Help me to love purely, humbly, and generously.
Show me how to receive more of Your love
so that I may have more love to give.

Heal me of every obstacle that holds me back from serving You.
I give You permission to change me.
Here I am, Lord, I want to do Your will.
Send me.

Amen.

St. Luke

Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him "our beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). His Gospel was probably written between A.D. 70 and 85.

Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion. "Only Luke is with me," Paul writes (2 Timothy 4:11).

Comment:

Luke wrote as a Gentile for Gentile Christians. This Gospel reveals Luke's expertise in classic Greek style as well as his knowledge of Jewish sources.

The character of Luke may best be seen by the emphases of his Gospel, which has been given a number of subtitles: (1) The Gospel of Mercy: Luke emphasizes Jesus' compassion and patience with the sinners and the suffering. He has a broadminded openness to all, showing concern for Samaritans, lepers, publicans, soldiers, public sinners, unlettered shepherds, the poor. Luke alone records the stories of the sinful woman, the lost sheep and coin, the prodigal son, the good thief. (2) The Gospel of Universal Salvation: Jesus died for all. He is the son of Adam, not just of David, and Gentiles are his friends too. (3) The Gospel of the Poor: "Little people" are prominent—Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon and the elderly widow, Anna. He is also concerned with what we now call "evangelical poverty." (4) The Gospel of Absolute Renunciation: He stresses the need for total dedication to Christ. (5) The Gospel of Prayer and the Holy Spirit: He shows Jesus at prayer before every important step of his ministry. The Spirit is bringing the Church to its final perfection. (6) The Gospel of Joy: Luke succeeds in portraying the joy of salvation that permeated the primitive Church.

Quote:

"Then [Jesus] led them [out] as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God" (Luke 24:50-53).

An Invitation:

The holiness of God’s name is not meant to frighten us and make us cower in our fragility, vulnerability and sin. The holiness of God’s name is an invitation to draw closer to him and to open our lives to the Love who can do great things for us.

Serving God:

In today’s Gospel Jesus cautions us that if we want to serve Him, we must be prepared to trust Him fully even when we experience objections and persecutions. Our main goal in serving God is to bring His Peace of salvation into the lives of all peoples. Millions are hungering for this “Peace.”

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Clearly, what God wants above all is our will, which we received as a free gift from God in creation and possess as though our own.

- St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)

My National Service Story

As promised.....a personal sharing of my national service years......kinda long.......read at your own interest....otherwise....you are most welcome to move on to another realm in this cyberworld that excites you.....

Wednesday, 18^th August 2004 was a milestone in my life. It was the day that I would have to enter into service for the nation. A duty which every able bodied male Singaporean would have to serve. National Service has called and it was time for me to join in this duty for the next 2 years and 2 months.

I remember vividly that the last night as a civilian was spent working on my friend’s computer. A last minute hard disk crash that required a new hard disk and a clean reformat. Stayed up the whole night working on the computer until the next morning when I handed back a repaired system back at about 8am.

After that, I got down to packing some essential staffs to bring for my enlistment and also finalize, settle and make some arrangements with regards to my personal life. After all, there was an initial 3 weeks confinement in camp waiting to welcome all new enlistees to “initiate” them into army life. That’s about 21 days of disappearing from this world except for the privilege of making some phone calls at times.

My enlistment time was 1500 hrs. I was to be enlisted into the army to serve my national service. Some of my friends got into the police, while others the civil defence. After having lunch with my family, we left home at about 1300 hrs and made our way to Pasir Ris Bus interchange by taxi. My grandmother had come down from Penang for a visit and had specially extended her stay to see me enter into the next phase of life. Felt kinda honoured about that.

I was to attend Basic Military Training (BMT) at the Basic Military Training Center (BMTC) located on Pulau Tekong Island – the place in Singapore whereby the weather is always a degree higher than mainland. The center has 2 schools and I was to be in School 1.

My official brush with the military was when we reached Pasir Ris at about 1415hrs and was ushered to take a feeder bus which was to take us to the SAF Ferry Terminal for a 30 minute ferry ride to the sunny island.

I had my shirt tucked out back then and remember being told by a 3^rd Sergeant to have it tucked in. Well, that’s a reasonable request asked using a gung ho tone. I guess those guys back then just wanted to impress the many sisters of the enlistees who might be around. Guys will just be guys.

Finally at about 1445hrs, we stepped foot on Pulau Tekong island. This would be the place that I will call home for the next 16 weeks. I got separated from my family members as they were ushered into the auditorium while I have to get my in processing done.

I went to a holding area whereby a video was shown. Propaganda in progress I suppose, the video showing all positive aspects of the military. However, anyone with a basic sense of thinking will know that in life, there are always 2 sides to everything. Indeed it was already very evident in the way the staffs handled the family members and us, the enlistees.

After the video, we had to exchange our pink identity cards (ICs) for a military one. This part was kinda unpleasant for me as the guy who took over my IC actually damaged it!

He kinda cracked my IC and hence it was unable to be read by the barcode scanner. To add fuel to fire, he damaged right in front of me and best of all, had the audacity to say that it was my fault that the IC was damaged.

Well, I saw no point in arguing with him as back then, it was common knowledge that new enlistees were the lowest life form in the army. I just gave him a pissed off stare and snatched my new military IC (SAF 11B) and just walked off. I suppose that already pissed him back much as he was disrespected in front of everyone.

The whole group of us were then brought into the auditorium and given further dosages of propaganda on having to be super gung ho and “act like a man” and etc. This was to prepare us for the oath taking ceremony which was to take place moments later.

After a while, all our respective family members returned from a tour around BMTC and the oath taking ceremony took placed. Said what was needed to be said, did what was necessary. Everyone then adjourned to the cookhouse for a meal.

After that, it was time to bid my family members farewell for the next 3 weeks. Walked them to the ferry terminal and watched them leave in the ferry against a beautiful and serene sunset.

Up next, we were then taken to our respective companies to begin our new life in the army. Over here, we witnessed the first major screw up that SAF could offer. Firstly, we were brought to a training shed whereby all our military kits have been prepared “ready” in individual black duffle bags for us.

Why the quotes on the word ready? Well, it is very debatable on the definition of the kits being ready when 80% of the items inside practically do no fit your size at all. Everything is either too big, or too small. The very “helpful” attitude of the logistic staff there didn’t help make things any easier. What a wonder eh, why do they ask for your size and measurements when you do your pre-registration at CMPB only to give you items that wasn’t what it was to be.

After much hassling, the next stop was to be the individual companies that we were allocated to. This company would be our home for the whole duration of stay in BMTC. Dragging our duffle bags along the road, we reached company “K” and were made to sit outside for almost 2 hours. Apparently, manpower side has so graciously screwed up the postings that the company is actually over allocated. Hence, reallocation had to be done to evenly spread out everyone.

Finally at 2200hrs, the few of us were asked to get our stuff and walk towards another company across the school. We ended up at “E” company and were led up to our bunks. It was then 2215hrs, 15 minutes more to lights out (sleeping time). the Sergeant told us to just dump everything into our cupboards, wash up and then go to sleep.

Oh well, imagine 50 people having to rush through this process and use the toilet which very well can only accommodate 15 people at one go. Feeling peeved off, I just washed my face and went to rest. What a nice way to start life in the SAF, no bath for the first day.

0600hrs was the beginning of the next day, washed up and went for breakfast before booking out of camp for my Poly graduation. Imagine having to repeat the whole process of going from the east side of Singapore to the western side. Mind you, I had to return back early the following morning to take the 0730hrs ferry. Except for weekend book outs, for any other book outs, there is no feeder bus to bring you to Pasir Ris. That literally translates to about an additional hour of traveling time.

Fast forwarding, the coming days were spent basking and experiencing what the army has to offer. The regimentation, discipline, order, skills, culture, language and etc. Everything and anything just came straight into your face.

It was also the time whereby you have the chance to know better the people around you. People from all walks of life are available for scrutiny.

Thinking back, I am indeed thankful to have been allocated to “E” company. Life over here was very relaxing. This was because I was enlisted into the obese company for obese BMT. This meant that we had 16 weeks to complete the basic training as compared to others who had only 9 weeks. The programme and schedule was hence more slow paced and not so jammed packed.

In addition, the Officer Commanding (OC), Platoon Commander (PC), Company Sergeant Major (CSM) and Sergeants was people who earned your respect. The care and guidance given was invaluable. I must say that compared to other companies, these men who have been tasked to look after and train us have done their job well and treated us like little brothers or friends.

Conflicts were inevitable; unhappiness persisted from time to time. However, the happy memories of laughing off together over a silly act, a joke, resting after a very tough training session, the chit chat sessions spent outside training hours, built up a relationship between everyone that was so close that the negatives seems so minimal.

I was in platoon 4, section 1, and bed 7. The platoon was generally made up of nice guys who are caring, unselfish and gentlemanly. It can be said that in the whole company, my platoon was the most united. We braved through together everything and constantly encouraged each other to perform. No one was left behind, the whole platoon would always work towards the weakest person’s level.

My section was made up of 11 other unique guys that gave me many laughter, joys and sweet memories. Back then, those days were filled with having to wake up early every morning at 0515hrs, the “talk cock” sessions, the illegal sleeping sessions when we were supposed to do area cleaning, the spying on the up coming week’s training programme in the platoon office, the chill out sessions in the midst of our firing range and etc.

All these and many other memories are timeless and I suppose only the people who have gone through it and truly understand the feelings and the experiences of those events there and then.

Week 10 of BMT, it was field camp time for us. All packed and good to go, I had spent the day with my company in the jungle learning the tips and tricks of jungle warfare and survival.

Prior to enlistment, I had injured my back during my secondary school days and was found to have slipped discs on my lower back. As fate would have it, during one of the little training exercise during field camp, my back was injured and my legs went numb.

I tired to continue but when evening came, things didn’t turn out too well and the situation looks bleak. My legs were still numb and were also losing strength. It was with much reluctance that I sounded off and was taken to the medical centre for treatment.

With that episode, I slowly lost touch in the training as the coming weeks saw my back problem worsen a little more before recovering. I had to return to NUH for specialist treatment. It was then decided that this combat BMT, though relaxing enough, was not my cup of tea. I was placed out of course and spent my remaining days in BMTC helping out in the company office.

That feeling wasn’t at all nice. After all, I had spent close to 10 weeks training with everyone and going through everything with them. The bond was there and now, I could only watch from the sides as they continued to strive on towards Passing out parade (POP).

Monday, 1^st November 2004 marked a new chapter of my life in SAF. I was at NUH for follow up consultation when I received a call from my company sergeant asking me to return back to the sunny island as soon as possible.

My posting order was out; I was to go and receive it from the manpower office before day end as I had to report to the new unit the very next day. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled at all to receive that news. I had thought that I could stay with the guys until they passed out on 5^th December 2004. It kinda left sadness and regret in my heart. It didn’t helped either when high fever prevented me from witnessing them pass out on that very day. I suppose till today, this would be the greatest regret that I have in my NS life.

Moving on, I found out that I was to be posted to Headquarters, 4^th Singapore Armoured Brigade (HQ 4 SAB) as an administrative support assistant (clerk).

Went back to my company, packed up my stuff and did my out processing. It was a rather emotional moment for me as I could see my platoon and section mates, not bearing to see me leave. I didn’t want to leave either. I remember very vividly that day, when everything was done and I was about to leave for the 1830hrs ferry, My OC and CSM came up to me and shook my hand, wishing all the best. I remembered the parting words of my OC, “Take good care of yourself, unit life is never going to so protected like now, so simple and straightforward. You will see how complicated SAF can be and the extreme ends of human nature.”

With those words, I left and one of the sergeants was kind enough to walk with me, helping me with my staff on the 1km trip to the ferry terminal.

With this, I left Pulau Tekong for good and back to mainland Singapore.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. The memories just flooded my mind and the parting words of my OC just kept repeating. True enough, what he said was what I got to experience in the remaining months of my national service.

The next day, I reported to my new unit at Kranji Camp. I was posted to Company HQ was a facilities management clerk. The name sounds nice but the job isn’t. I was in charge of the camp complex, taking care of the structures and their well being. It was a mixture of old and new buildings and every single defect that occurred was my problem.

In addition, I had to deal with the numerous hygiene and building inspections that came about during my tour of duty. I also had to assist in the company’s administrative issues and to top things off, my unit being the unofficial custodian for the camp complex, I had to assist my CSM in complex management of guardhouse, security and etc.

One would not be wrong to say that I was the jack of all trades. Officially, I was a clerk but in actual fact, I was everything.

Life over here in the unit was indeed different from BMT. Friends are made, bonds are fostered no doubt. However, at the end of the day, it still cannot be compared to the ones that were forged during BMT. I suppose the reason is just very simple, over at the unit, everyone is just busy in getting their respective jobs done and had many other things to worry about while in BMT, apart from training, we had nothing else to worry about and being stuck on the sunny island for 5.5 days a week meant that the people around you was the only source of companionship. Its either you join in, or you stay lonely.

Working with the many people in the unit has brought new dimensions to the way I see things in life. You see more types of people over here. You get to see leaders or officers who are truly good leaders and competent in their area of work. They earn your respect through their actions and make you want to just put in the extra effort for them. While, you see another group who basically leave you wondering how did they get into Officer Cadet School in the first place? They know nothing but act as if they are the “hot shots”, use their rank as and when possible to make you comply with their wishes, cannot be bothered about your well being and only plan to use you to help them in their career advancement.

Honestly, apart from my CSM who takes good care of everyone and a small group of office people, I have no sweet memories of my unit. To me, it is just a place where I got to serve out my national service everyday. It is indeed sad but a very true fact for me. I had hoped to have something else better to give me more sweet memories but that was not the case.

Coming to a close, I have finally served out the 2 years 2 months of my national service. Paid my due to the nation and can close a chapter in my life.

The feeling of seeing your pink IC after so long cannot be described with words. Again, I suppose one has to go through this process in order to truly understand the feelings.

There is of course some tinge of sadness at having to leave the organization and place of work which one has been around for the past 2 years regardless whether the experience was positive or negative. I guess it is just the feeling and connection that one has built up and got to know with. Human beings after all, are emotional creatures.

Looking back, I have to say that national service for me wasn’t a waste of time. It is not about propaganda or national education here but the experiences, memories that one has gained. It has opened my eyes and widens my perception of the things in this world. Over a national service, you get to do things which in your ordinary civilian life, it can only happen in your dreams.

As this chapter of my life closes, I can say that I have grown up in my own ways and have turned from a little boy to a man in certain aspects.

God’s Victory:

God’s victory will forever be manifested in the distinctive and particular details of Mary’s life. Her history has become the history of God. God’s victory is the union of humanity and divinity in a relationship of love that will never end.

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What a weakness it is to love Jesus Christ only when He Caresses us, and to be cold immediately once He afflicts us.

- Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

the clock is counting down...the days are proceeding as scheduled....

tick tock...




tick tock...




tick tock...




tick tock...

ORD lor !!

lalalalalalalalalala.... =D

2 years 2 months ago today....i entered into the service for the nation....my pink IC was traded in for a green one....

time flies...now 790 days later....the pink IC is gona be returned back....a transition from NSF to NSmen...

lots of experiences gained...things seen..heard and pondered about......

stay tuned then....come 17th October 2006.....on the day of liberation.....a personal story will be shared...my experiences......

coming to a cyber blog near you.... =D

Gift of Self:

Mary’s gift of self confirms the fact that holiness is more than an absence of sin; it is the work of the Holy Spirit in those who willingly embrace their vocations. It is the experience of living one’s humanity in all its fullness, living as God intended.

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Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity, and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support?

- St. Gerard Majella (1725-1755)

Intercede for Us:

As the Mother of the Eucharist, Mary forever intercedes for the church. She does not wait for us to have recourse to her. An intuitive mother such as she knows the needs of her children even when they do not address them to her. Every hope, every prayer, every sorrow, every movement of the mind or heart to God, touches her and resonates within her very being.

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There is no such thing as bad weather. All weather is good because it is God's.

- St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Wis 7:7-11
Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Heb 4:12-13
Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You've heard the expression, "How hard can that be?" We usually employ it to point out the obvious ease or simplicity of some task. But in today's Gospel, Jesus shocks his disciples by saying-not once, but twice-how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. "How hard can that be?" Impossible, Jesus declares, without God's help.

Our culture looks up to and encourages us to become like those with wealth and power. We at least want to have enough of the world's goods to ensure security for our families, and provide to for the future in an uncertain world. And yet, there's an element of the Kingdom that pushes us to consider the alternative.

Today's Gospel recommends, even urges, divesting ourselves of goods and attachments for the sake of God. To take the risk of letting go, of seeking alternatives to possessing more and more, in a society that promotes "conspicuous consumption"-that is indeed an impossible task without God's help.

I can't begin to spell out what such alternatives might mean in your particular case-I confess to having enough trouble living up to my own religious vow of a simple and unattached life! But I do take heart in Jesus' assurance that God wants to work with us to explore the possibilities! That brings the Kingdom a little closer for me when I hear these Scriptures.

Scripture:

•Beyond health and comeliness I loved her, And I chose to have her rather than the light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep, (Wisdom 7:10)

•Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. (Psalm 90:15)

•Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

•“Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” (Mark 10:26b,27)

Reflection:

•What is beyond health, beauty and unlike daylight never rests?

•Do you count days, make days count, or use a different scale?

•What penetrates to the inmost self ("between soul and spirit") perceiving reflections and thoughts of the heart? (Note: reflections and thoughts are hard to see!) How do you find what is true in your heart?

•What is impossible but possible?

Stumbling under the weight of contradictions in our lives, for a fleeting moment we glimpsed the possibility of building within ourselves a place of simplicity and light. Horrified at our own selfishness, we burst asunder the chains of the senses, at least in our desire, and glimpsed the possibility of true freedom and love. Bored by a middle-class conformist life, we suddenly saw ourselves on the streets of the world—bearers of a message of light and love, love of all sisters and brothers, and ready to offer on the altar of unconditional love, the witness of a life in which the primacy of poverty and love would make communicating and relating an easy matter. This is when Francis enters our lives in some way. It would not be easy to find a Christian—Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox—who has never identified with the figure of Francis of Assisi, and who has not in some measure desired to imitate him.…I think that Francis of Assisi is in the depths of every human being, for all are touched by grace—just as the call to holiness is in the depths of every human being.

Human Activity:

Christianity is not simply living without sin; it is an active and engaged love of God that must express itself as an active, attentive and engaged love of others. The Mother of God confirms charity as the greatest theological virtue and the greatest human activity. She challenges all Christians to love sacrificially, confidently trusting God to rightly order their humanity for this singular purpose.

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What are these few orphans we attend to, these few people we bring the good news to, compared to the millions who are lost and abandoned as sheep without a shepherd?

- St. Hannibal Mary Di Francia (1751-1927)

Triumph:

Mary’s submission to the Father is a triumph of her freedom. By stepping into the rich, incomprehensible possibilities of God, Mary allows herself to become a celestial expression. Her humanity, her virginity, her maternity, will be forever part of the language of the divine in its self-communication.

Superficial Living:

If we are caught up by the attractions of the secular world i.e. feeling good when people look up to us, driving a big car etc. then, we are living a superficial life. Ponder on how you live your life daily. Learn to find the deep peace and fulfillment with God in the centre of your life.

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The heart of a Christian who believes and feels cannot pass by the hardships and deprivations of the poor without helping them.

- Blessed Louis Guanella (1842-1915)

To rediscover the Rosary means to immerse oneself in contemplation of the mystery of Christ who 'is our peace.'

-Pope John Paul II

It is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
- John Bunyan

A desire realized is sweet to the soul.
- Proverb 13:19

Mother of the Eucharist:

As Mother of the Eucharist, Mary is not a symbol, a metaphor, an archetype or an allegory. Her life in the communion of the Trinity is as substantial as the bread we eat and the cup we drink. Mary’s willingness to do whatever the Father asked enabled the Bread that came down from heaven to become real food and real drink.

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Love must come from within, from our union with Christ, an outpouring of our love for God. Loving should be as normal to us as living and breathing, day after day, until our death.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering,
known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.

- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Our Lady of Victories:

The victory the church celebrates in the person of Mary is God’s refusal to allow sin to have the last word. Our Lady of Victories celebrates what God planned from the beginning. She is the gateway through which the Lord of glory enters.

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Earthly honors count for nothing, and money and wealth count even less and are extremely dangerous, but holiness and the effort to make others holy is the height of human happiness; this is the greatest importance for our life and the life to come.

- Blessed Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“Humility means the eagerness to learn, to keep growing, the willingness to receive and be helped by the love and gifts of others.”

- Flora Wiellner

The Invitation:

Those who accept the invitation to entrust their lives to Mary will discover the presence of Jesus in bold, new and exciting ways. They will embrace the church with love and celebrate it with joy. They will awaken to the goodness, truth and beauty of reality.

Priorities – Faith:

We cannot do everything that we like because as human beings we have limited time, energy, talents, money etc. Thus, we need to set our priorities daily. Unless our priorities are in line with God’s Will we cannot hope to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.

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As missionaries we will have to labour hard, to sweat, to die: but the thought that one sweats and dies for love of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the most abandoned souls in the world is far too sweet for us to desist from this great enterprise.

- Saint Daniel Comboni (1831-1996)

Heaven:

We can begin experiencing here and now what God wants for us in eternity: intimate, loving communion through, with and in the Person of his Son. The word heaven describes a relationship that has already begun, one that is lived in communion with the entire church.

Genuine Love:

In today’s Parable, Jesus explains that genuine love goes beyond all rank, race and religion. We should love everyone unconditionally because Jesus has shown how His love for all peoples led Him to die for the salvation of all. Do we love” people of high social status only?

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Those who want to work for moral reform in the world must seek the glory of God before all else. Because he is the source of all good, they must wait for his help, and pray for it in this difficult and necessary undertaking.

- St. John Leonardi (1542-1609)

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Gn 2:18-24
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
Heb 2:9-11
Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Many years ago I had the privilege of working with a number of married couples, presenting weekends for engaged couples. Our programs always included lots of personal storytelling, and I got to hear the wonderful stories of how these dedicated married couples found God through their partner in the day-to-day project of making marriage work.

This Sunday, we center on the theme of marriage. Jesus connects a call for fidelity in marriage to our first reading from the Book of Genesis, which describes the creation of man and woman. That connection seems to say that faithfulness in marriage, working hard to make it work-is rooted in our very humanness, in how we are created by God.

Now, there are lots of self-help books and plenty of jokes stressing the differences between men and women. But out of those differences, expressed in many cultures around the world, comes the stuff of which good marriages are made. The stories I heard on those engaged couples' weekends bore witness to that creative work.

In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is busy proclaiming the Kingdom. He wants marriage, the relationship of man and woman, to be part of that proclamation. It is in that most human of institutions, in the nitty-gritty of daily life, that God is at work. Let's celebrate that this weekend.

Scripture:

•This is why man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

•The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (Psalm 128:5)

•He who consecrates and those who are consecrated have one origin. (Hebrews 2:11)

•For this reason a man shall leave his mother and father and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. (Mark (10:7)

Reflection:

•How would you improve relations with the other?

•How could the other improve your relationship?

•What could you do today to improve your life?

•How is your God like or different from the other that you love and who loves you?

Touch me with that hand, seek me with those eyes, run toward me with those limbs. I am not far from you; I am the God who is near, the word in your mouth and in your heart. And what is nearer to any man than his heart? It is there, entirely within, that I am found by all who seek me. For that which is outside concerns sight alone. My works are real but they are only fragile, transient things; whereas I, their creator, dwell in the depths of the pure in heart. (Anonymous)

When Mary Said Yes:

Mary is Our Lady of Victories because she accepted the way God chose to exalt her. When Mary said yes, she was saying yes to what God had already accomplished in and for her and yes to what God wants to accomplish in and for us.

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We have vast promises in the supernal heights stored up with our hidden Lord who cannot be seen. It is he we should please, but we fail to do so; it is for him that we should adorn our bodies and souls but we fail to do so.

- St. Pelagia the Penitent

Our Lady of the Rosary

Pope St. Pius V established this feast in 1573. The purpose was to thank God for the victory of Christians over the Turks at Lepanto—a victory attributed to the praying of the rosary. Clement XI extended the feast to the universal Church in 1716.

The development of the rosary has a long history. First, a practice developed of praying 150 Our Fathers in imitation of the 150 Psalms. Then there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Marys. Soon a mystery of Jesus' life was attached to each Hail Mary. Though Mary's giving the rosary to St. Dominic is recognized as unhistorical, the development of this prayer form owes much to the followers of St. Dominic. One of them, Alan de la Roche, was known as "the apostle of the rosary." He founded the first Confraternity of the Rosary in the 15th century. In the 16th century the rosary was developed to its present form—with the 15 mysteries (joyful, sorrowful and glorious). In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Mysteries of Light to this devotion.

Comment:

The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the gospel. The main focus is on Jesus—his birth, life, death and resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus' Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and heavenly existence. The Glorys remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity.

The rosary appeals to many. It is simple. The constant repetition of words helps create an atmosphere in which to contemplate the mysteries of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us in the joys and sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the glory of Jesus and Mary forever.

Quote:

“[The rosary] sets forth the mystery of Christ in the very way in which it is seen by St. Paul in the celebrated ‘hymn’ of the Epistle to the Philippians—kenosis [self-emptying], death and exaltation (2:6-11).... By its nature the recitation of the rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life as grasped by the heart of her who was closer to the Lord than all others” (Paul VI, Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, 45, 47).

Our Truest Friends:

The saints are more than Christian role models; they are our truest friends. Our communion with them is a gift that Christ extends to us, a gift of tremendous value for those who choose to accept it.

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He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.

- St. Faustina Kowalska (1905- 1938)

“The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer.”

—The Late Pope John Paul II

Holy Secrets:

O Mystical Rose, my existence often seems a complete mystery to me. Inspire me to accept the answers that are right in front of me, in the poetry and symbols and metaphors that surround me, in the people I encounter, in the beauty of creation, in the God-events that surprise me daily.

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We must desire our neighbor's good and rejoice when he obtains it. And on the other hand, we must be sorry for his misfortunes.

- St. Alphonsus Liguori

St. Faustina (1905-1938)

St. Mary Faustina's name is forever linked to the annual feast of the Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter), the divine mercy chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day by many people at 3 p.m.

Born in what is now west-central Poland (part of Germany before World War I), Helena was the third of 10 children. After age 16 she worked as a housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener and porter in three of their houses.

In addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving the needs of the sisters and the local people, she also had a deep interior life. This included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ and of her confessors.

At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do not want to punish aching mankind,” he once told St. Mary Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588). The two rays emanating from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured out after Jesus' death (Gospel of John 19:34)

Because Sister Mary Faustina knew that the revelations she had already received did not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God” (Diary 1107).

Sister Mary Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her in 2000.

Comment:

Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”

Quote:

Four years after Faustina's beatification, Pope John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' (chaplet of Divine Mercy).”