Lent 5

FLAVOUR OF THE DAY

The Way God Calls Us
I would like to share some elements from Fr Thomas Green SJ’s book ‘Prayer and Common Sense’ in the chapter called “Theology of Vocation” namely:
God always makes the first move, either directly or through another human being;
God takes each of us precisely where we are, in our uniqueness;
God’s call is never compelling. God respects freedom – inviting us and awaiting our response.

God always makes the first move…
We see this clearly in John’s account of the call of the first disciples. There are five: Andrew and John himself, then Peter, Philip, and finally Nathanael. In each case it is Jesus who makes the first move. He calls Philip directly, but usually he works through a human instrument. John the Baptist points out the Lamb of God to Andrew and John. Andrew, in turn, calls his brother Peter. And Philip calls Nathanael. In our lives, too, God normally works through instrumentality – the preaching or good example – of another human being.

God takes each of us where we are…
In John’s account God approaches each of us where we are, in a highly personal way. John and Andrew could be described as sensitive souls. Their encounter with the Lord has a mysterious, almost mystical quality about it. “What do you want?” “Rabbi, where do you live?” Come and see.” They did go, they saw and they stayed with him.

Peter’s initial encounter with the Lord is quite different, because Peter is a very different person – dramatic and impulsive. The very first thing Jesus does is to change his name: “You are Simon, son of John; you are to be called Cephas (Peter), meaning ‘Rock.’”

Philip is the simple, unimaginative one. In John 1:43 Jesus simply calls him: no mystical depths, and no dramatic change of name – which Peter loved, but Philip would have found totally confusing. After all, he had been called Philip from the day he was born. And all his family called him Philip. How could Jesus change his name now? So Jesus takes Philip where he is and says, very simply: “Follow me.”

Finally Nathanael is the good Pharisee, the man of the law. Jesus also meets him where he is, discussing with him how any good can come from Nazareth. He explains the messianic hopes of the Law and the Prophets to Nathanael, the lover of the Law.

God respects our freedom…
Not only does Jesus meet each of us where we are in our uniqueness, but he also respects our freedom totally. John and Andrew had to decide to “come and see.” So did Peter, Philip and Nathanael. The decision to do so was not as immediate and wholehearted as John’s account might lead us to think. One of the central themes of Mark’s gospel is the first disciples’ slowness to comprehend and their hesitancy to respond totally. Jesus was infinitely patient with them, sometimes to the point of exasperation (Mk 7:18; 8:17, 33; 9:18-19). He respected their freedom and unfreedom. He danced to their music, while teaching them to dance to his.

Let’s remember when Jesus said: “You did not choose me, no I chose you, and commissioned you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (Jn 15:16)

- Contributed by Nicholas Tan, 27 March 2007


TOPPINGS

New Life
As one journey ends, another begins; when a door closes, somewhere else a windows opens… many different expressions but essentially, the same message. What is this message?

As we draw close to the end of our Lenten journey, can we reflect and ask ourselves: Are we ready for Easter, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus?

I am reminded of something a tour guide said as he took us past a forest of Mountain Ash not far from Melbourne, Australia. It was the first time I had seen such trees: so tall and straight, with smooth looking bark that was ash gray – almost white (not a familiar sight in tropical Singapore). Yet some had been scorched, blackened by bush fire. What the guide told us surprised me: The extreme heat of a bush fire allows the tree to release its seeds – thousands and thousands of them. Even though the tree may die, its seeds are spread far and wide in the forest. I could not imagine how this could make sense until recently, when I finally saw a picture of these seeds. They were tiny, as tiny as the ants that harvest them on the forest floor. The seeds that are not harvested by ants will germinate and grow into new trees.

The Australian Mountain Ash Eucalyptus regnans is the world's
tallest hardwood tree and the world's tallest flowering plant.

Only in destruction of the tree can it bring new life and life in abundance.

Call it a cycle, a circle of life, whatever you wish. It is a call to be recreated. Are we ready to step forward towards this call to change, not because we are forced to, but because we choose it?
It may not be a baptism of fire (although for some, it may be); it may just be letting go of the baggage that weigh us down, the ghosts of our past. It may simply be taking a deep breath and walking with our heads held high, towards whatever the future may hold.

So let us leave behind the things that impede our journey: the guilt, the anger and irksome self-doubts. Let us welcome and celebrate our New Life!

- Contributed by Liesl Massang, 27 March 2007

EXTRA GOODIES
Easter is right around the corner leading us into the ordinary sundays. A fairly popular parable will be the Good Samaritan. Do check out Who Is My Neighbour (VCD) produced by the Daughters of St Paul. This piece is great because it tells the story from the Singaporean point of view and this product is 100% made in (uniquely) Singapore! ;O)

Great for our little brothers and sisters from L3 to C2. It is available for loan at the cat office library. Don't all go looking for it at the same time because there is only one copy at the moment. In case many of you are planning to use this on the same week, there is another video, The Miracle Maker, on DVD for loan too. Although this is just a few minutes of the parable, the animation involved is fantastic! Enjoy!!


TAKE AWAY
Halfway on the other side of the globe, in a little town called South Pasadena, in Los Angeles, Holy Family Church (So. Pas.) prepares their parishioners for Holy Week.

On Friday (30 Mar) at 2pm in the afternoon, the eighth graders (14 year olds) put up a 'live' Station of the Cross in church. The play happens every Friday during the season of Lent.

Jesus meets his mother.

Jesus dies.

Women and children weeping.

Women and children watching.

At 6pm, soup is served at the St Joseph's Centre followed by a movie screening and a reflection by Fr Tony. This week's movie, Miracle of Marcelino, is heart-warming tale set in Spain about a little orphan who finds solace in the crucifix of Christ.

Parishioners and priests having a simple meal at St Joseph's Centre.

Now Screening: The miracle of Marcelino.

- Contributed by Alf, 30 March 2007

LENT 4

A note from the Scoop Factory:
Some changes to our Seder Meal's date,timing and venue.
Look out for it in this week's TAKEAWAY!

FLAVOUR OF THE DAY

My dear brothers and sisters in the Catechists Ministry,
It’s been a week since the Confirmation 4 Retreat began, and I’m hoping that our desire to praise and thank God for all He’s done for us in that short time never ceases. As a team of Confirmation catechists, it was arguably the most meaningful time we’ve ever had with our teens.

Trying Something New…

At the beginning of the term, we the Confirmation 4 catechists were excited yet apprehensive about the Youth in the Spirit Seminar (YISS) materials we were told to use over the next six weeks. Most of us had not experienced the YISS in any form for ourselves, and yet, now we were supposed to prepare our teens? Yet, filled with a confidence that we ourselves could not explain, and could only have come from God the Father, we overcame our fears and tried to do the best we can.

In the five weeks prior to the camp, we created opportunities for the teens to share in their groups about various topics, such as “Experiencing God’s Love”, Come, Be My Disciple” and “God, the Holy Spirit”. This sharing was done to varying degrees of success. It was a struggle for us. Over time, however, as each of the catechists found our own ways of creating an attitude for sharing, we began to better experience the teens and how they felt about these topics.

We knew the teens were desiring an experience of God, but so far, despite the sharing sessions in class, it was difficult to gauge whether they were ready or not for the Sacrament of Confirmation. A couple of us were worried if they’d ever be ready.

With God’s grace, however, the Retreat this past week became, without a doubt, the climax of our YISS programme and, as I said earlier, arguably the climax of our whole Confirmation journey.

Overcoming Difficulties With Love And Humility
It was almost a Retreat that wasn’t going to happen. We had secured the location at FMM House of Prayer along Holland Road, but the priests were difficult to confirm and we barely managed to rope in the help of the Youth Council a month before the retreat proper.

There are two lessons to be learnt from this, of course:

First and foremost, do ALL your planning way beforehand! Priests are extremely busy people and are likely to turn you down, VERY reluctantly, if you contact them even a fortnight before. We were most fortunate that our own Father Chris was able to rope in our former Altar Server chairperson, Father Damian De Wind to help Father Aloy out with the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the last minute. As we had over 50 teens in attendance, we were also blessed to have Father Jivan Daniel OFM from the Church of St Mary of the Angels help out as well.

Secondly, and more importantly, do ask for help from other ministries in the parish and show your teens that there’s more to the parish than just the catechists. For our camp, the Youth Council (YC) was instrumental, possibly crucial, in their role as group facilitators, musicians and leaders for Praise and Worship, but most significantly, as representatives of the youth of the parish. About 15 members of the YC showed up at various points during the Retreat and at least half of them stayed throughout the whole event, despite having their own commitments that weekend. I’m sure the teens were well aware and moved by this gesture of love.

The Importance Of Being A Team
Despite all the generous help we received from the YC and the various priests involved, including Father Clifford Augustine OFM who presided over our in-house Mass, the Retreat wouldn’t have been a success if not for the wonderful team of catechists I have been blessed to work with.

Shaun, our co-ordinator worked tirelessly in ensuring that no detail was omitted during the planning of the camp. He was so dedicated to his role that he even took leave on the first day of camp in order to ensure that all the logistics were accounted for. He did this so that no one else would be inconvenienced.

Yet, despite his role as leader and co-ordinator, Shaun chose the attitude of a servant as he remained opened to the ideas of the other catechists and tried his best to accommodate all the suggestions that were brought up during our meetings. He alone worked with the strength of two and freed us all to serve the teens to the best of our ability.

We continue to thank God who, in His infinite wisdom, has seen fit to equip our team with catechists who have invaluable gifts, not least of all, driving licenses and fast cars. Seriously though, the gifts this team were blessed with, including prayer, administration and story telling, complemented one another so well that it is beyond a shadow of doubt how God’s hand continues to guide our way.

Based on these experiences:

My recipe for a successful Confirmation retreat:
2 scoops of servant leadership
1 scoop of detailed administration
1 scoop of honesty, sincerity and respect for your teens
1 HUGE scoop of trust in God and fellow human beings (including priests and everyone you might have roped in to help out)
Sprinkle a generous amount of fervent prayer and unconditional love, and serve with a huge dollop of openness!

This recipe may be tweaked to meet your needs and wants, but we, the Confirmation 4 catechists definitely know one thing:

It worked for us.

-Contributed by Peter Lin, 23 Mar 2007

TOPPINGS

The Prayer of Peace

Peace before us
Peace behind us
Peace under our feet
Peace within us
Peace over us
Let all around us be peace.

This song was used as the closing for our recent catechist formation. I felt a kind of serenity within me as the tune was being played. The actions which Sr Francisca taught us also added meaning to the soothing tune and simple lyrics. The word “Peace” can be replaced by “Love”, “Light”, “Christ” and finally the whole song replaced by “Alleluia”. Praise the Lord for “The Prayer of Peace”. You can find this song from the CD “Blest Are They” vol 1 by David Haas.

-Contributed by Linda Heng, 12 Mar 2007

EXTRA GOODIES

A sneak peak of treats at a Passover Meal (Pesach)!

The Unleavened Bread (Matzah)
The sweetness of unleavened bread as compared to the sourness of leavened bread symbolizes the sweetness of freedom out of slavery in Egypt. Another symbolism was that the Hebrews baked the bread with haste.

They had no time to wait for the bread to rise.

Hard-Boiled Egg (Beitzah)
A symbol of new life and hope for the future!

Bitter Herbs (Maror)
A symbol of bitterness of life in bondage and the suffering of the Israelites.

Green vegetables (Karpas)
It represents hope and redemption

Haroses ( a mixture of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon)
It represents mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings when they were slaves.

Wine - A symbol of celebration and rejoicing.
Represents God’s 4 Promises
Cup of Sanctification
Cup of Deliverance
Cup of Redemption
Cup pf Praise and Thanksgiving

Zeroah (a piece of roasted lamb)
It symbolizes the paschal sacrificial offering

TAKEAWAY

Why is the night of 05 April going to be different from all other nights?
Because you are warmly invited to partake in a special meal to remember God's promises to His people!
Let us join together in this meal to also remember what God has done for us and give thanks for his saving grace.
What can make it more special?
None other than your humble presence!

Passover Meal
05 April 2007, Holy Thursday Night!
Time: 8.15pm- You'll find out when you're here!
Venue: Holy Family Church, 3 Sea Ave (#02-02)

Some ice-cream for your diaries?

Penitential Celebration - 28 Mar 2007
10.30am, 7pm, 9pm

Holy Thursday- 05 Apr 2007
10.30am: Chrism Mass
6.30pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Adoration till midnight)

Good Friday – 06 Apr 2007
8.30am: Stations of the Cross

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
9am, 12pm, 3pm, 5.30pm (Mand)

Holy Saturday – 07 Apr 2007
8pm: Easter Vigil and Baptism
No mass in the morning
No Novena Service

Easter Sunday! – 08 Apr 2007
7.15am, 9.15am, 11.15am, 6pm (Mand)

LENT 3

Note from the Scoop Factory:
From today, "Coming Soon" will be replaced by "Takeaway".
Same good stuff with a different name.
So don't panick, and enjoy your visit!

TODAY’S FLAVOURS
Faith & Reason
One of the often asked questions that we Catholics face is “How do we know there is a God?”

Some of us respond by saying that we experience God in our lives. Others simply by relying on blind faith. But can we go further and argue that by purely by reason of logical thinking, there must be a God in the design of the Universe?

I have just read a book titled “Faith and Reason by Austin Schmidt and Joseph Perkins which attempts to make such an argument and I will endeavour to summarise their views.

1. A design requires a designer
The radio (or TV or telephone) that we listen to didn’t just come together by chance. It is quite impossible that all the parts of the radio came together purely by chance and in a certain order of arrangement. The only logical explanation is that the radio was made by someone with intelligence who had a purpose in making it. So we can reason that complicated order and design prove the existence of an intelligent designer.

The ever-running water cycle, no doubt free,
is something we cannot take for granted.

2. Nature’s order and design prove God’s existence
No equipment made by man can ever equal in delicacy, beauty and efficiency the wonderful works of nature. Consider how our eyes, ears and brain work for example to appreciate the wonderful design of it all. A robot designed by man can never equal the creation that is Man.

3. Chance cannot explain order
Was it chance that particles moving about randomly in space just came together and created the sun, moon, the earth, the seas, animals, plants and men? Did it just happen that we have eyes with which to see, ears with which to hear, and minds with which to think?

Some of us know of the Big Bang Theory. In simple terms, our universe was created from nothing and in a single blinding pulse, a moment of glory much too swift and expansive for any form of words, this nothingness assumed heavenly dimensions, space beyond conception. While science is able to explain how the universe was created from this point on, it cannot explain how we could get something from nothing. All that science can really say is that at some indeterminate point in the very distance past, for reasons unknown, there came the moment known to science as t = 0 and we were on our way.

The beautiful and intricate folds of the Canadian Rockies
are signs of the unseen forces of our Creator.

What is extraordinary from our point of view is how well it turned out for us. If the universe had formed just a tiny bit differently – if gravity were fractionally stronger or weaker, if the expansion of the universe had proceeded a little more slowly or swiftly – then there might never have been stable elements to make all the things that we see on earth today.

The person who deny the existence of a supreme Creator is asking us to believe that this immense universe, full of so great a number of things most delicately arranged, is the result of blind chance.

If chance really did bring about the existence the thousands of living things that we see around us, why is it that chance, when we give it every possible opportunity to work and even help it, does not create any living thing today? A human cell is a very simple and tiny thing and we know what its structure is and what materials enter in to. But we cannot make one of these tiny cells nor do we find that chance is making any cells.

4. Proof of God’s existence surrounds us
Whether we look upon the little violet growing in the garden, or whether we lift our eyes to the innumerable stars in the heavens, we see everywhere evidence of wonderful design, of wise and loving purpose. This has even prompted a great scientist to remark that “Overwhelming proofs of intelligence and benevolent design lie around us … teaching us that all living things depend upon one ever-acting Creator and Ruler.”

Everything from the huge redwood trees to the tiniest
of creatures are part of His wonderful design.

The universe proclaims the existence of a Supreme Being, a Being of incredible wisdom, power and goodness. This Supreme Being we call God.

- Contributed by Mark Ortega, pictures by Alf, 14 March 2007.


TOPPINGS
Love & Prayer
To quote Blessed Teresa, “Love is a fruit in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. Everyone can reach this love through meditation , prayer, sacrifice and an intense inner life.”

Blessed Teresa is referring to God’s consistent and unconditional love for us and the need for us to love one another as love is within us. Her words are worthy of noting as she (had been) and the Missionaries of Charity are indeed living examples of God’s love in action, which are real and we can emulate.

Drawing her inspiration from God who is love, she succinctly shows us the joy of loving, of seeing God in every person, of being one with God through prayer, sacrifice and service. We are reminded that each one of us is created in God’s image to love and be loved. Through prayer, we are brought closer to God, to His love for us and to love within us.

-Contributed by Roy Tan, 12 Mar 2007.


EXTRA GOODIES
Myself: My gift to this Ministry

Last Sunday the catechists of Holy Family were given an interesting session on ‘Myself: My gift to this Ministry’ by Sr. Francisca Tan, a Cenacle Sister. It was a very enlightening afternoon, which took us on a soul-searching journey to find out who we really are as individuals and where our strengths lie. We had to participate in a written exercise in which we were asked to list our talents or strong points under 3 main categories: namely, I AM, I HAVE and I CAN.

It was interesting, yet a bit awkward too, as we shared our strong points with fellow catechists of the same teaching level; who later also added to our personal list, other talents they thought we possessed. It was a great experience which enabled us to look inside ourselves to find out more about our abilities and strong points, some of which probably we had even forgotten existed. All in all, I believe this session deepened our commitment as catechists and teachers of the faith.

-A sharing by Merle DeSouza, 14 Mar 2007.


TAKEAWAY
Come, all ye who hunger! We invite you to a table fellowship at the seder meal or what is commonly known as the Passover. Some of you may have done this with your children in class on a simpler level but we invite all catechists and children liturgists to join together in this meal to explore the theological, confessional, and educational dimension of the festival. Yes, there will be real gastronomic food as well as spiritual food.

1. “Seder Meal”
31 March 2007, Saturday
Venue: Holy Family Church, RCIA room (Priests’ House)
Time: 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm
As shared by some Catechists above, we believe the recent formation touched many who attended. We fully encourage all our Catechists and Children Liturgists to attend these future sessions. Don’t miss them!

2. “My Prayer Life/ Teaching Children how to pray”
5 May 2007, Saturday
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Venue: Holy Family 4th floor, Canteen (Spirituality)

3. “You are a Gift to our Catechetical Ministry”
27 May 2007, Sunday
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Holy Family 4th floor, Canteen (Group Dynamics)

LENT 2

TODAY’S FLAVOURS

Essence of Lent
Lent has gone by year after year for me. After all the research on Lent, what dawned on me is that I don’t seem to be a better person after each Lenten season. What has gone wrong? It all boils down to lack of understanding and too much focus on self-gratification and the individual.

To understand the whole nature of Lent, there are two ESSENTIAL themes any Catholic should know: the first being the recollection of baptismal promises and the second, repentance. In addition, there are three main things we practise during Lent – PRAYING, FASTING and ALMSGIVING.

Let’s look at REPENTANCE. Yes, this word sounds rather downbeat and all too depressing. Nah, it’s nothing like that. Sometimes, we approach the whole nature of repentance the wrong way. When one repents, one rethinks his past actions and also takes on new courses of action. What’s the consequence of repentance? You’re accepting God’s invitation to place yourself before Him so that He can transform you in love - think of water changing into wine. Wonderful!

FASTING (or Abstinence). Contrary to what many believe, the ability to abstain comes only when God allows it, not out of his or her own free will. Seek guidance and permission from God to practise abstinence. Give up practices that hold you in bondage. At times, the things we give up are not bad in themselves but rather, out of balance.

Abstinence from certain foods is less complicated than abstinence from negative behaviour and actions. How many of you have supposed “toxic” colleagues in your office? Abstain from judging them or giving them the little finger. Smile at them! Abstain from being glued to CSI Las Vegas or Days of Our Lives (horror of horrors!). Use the time to pray a little more; communication is the key to flowing and growing love in all relationships!

ALMSGIVING
I prefer to see this as COMPASSIONATE MINISTRY.Remember the Good Samaritan? Take some time out for those who need you. Abstain from buying 3 pairs of branded shoes during these 40 days; instead buy cheaper pairs or not at all (I can imagine many ladies rolling their eyes now) and give the money saved to the needy. Cut down your time playing online games and use the time to research on which charity you might want to help during this Lent? Extend compassion to your enemies. The outcome? A more compassionate heart and a highly possible solidarity with the needy!

Lent has never been so important to me this year. God has been good to me through all the adversity and blessings but unfortunately, it has taken me a long time to realize that I’ve not embraced the all-encompassing significance of Lent. To all who say “It seems so fake” and “Why only in Lent..?”, let’s refocus: It is about God’s abundant love. It is about compassion, contrition and change.

“Father, change my heart this time.” Amen.

Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.
(Joel 2:13)

-Contributed by Bernadette Yew, 26 Feb 2007




TOPPINGS

A Different Approach to Fasting...Fasts have a tendency to be oriented toward things like giving up food or television. But there are many other creative ways we can welcome Jesus' healing touch.

Here are suggestions you may want to consider:

1. Fast from anger and hatred. Give your family an extra dose of love each day.

2. Fast from judging others. Before making any judgments, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults.

3. Fast from discouragement. Hold on to Jesus' promise that He has a perfect plan for your life.

4. Fast from complaining. When you find yourself about to complain, close your eyes and recall some of the little moments of joy Jesus has given you.

5. Fast from resentment or bitterness! Work on forgiving those who may have hurt you.

6. Fast from spending too much money. Try to reduce your spending by ten percent and give those savings to the poor.




EXTRA GOODIES!

The Pursuit of Happyness (2007)

This is a story about perseverance especially for the destitute and the marginalised. It's also about making things happen in our lives, and not just waiting for that something to happen. Takes a lot of WILL power if you know what I mean... ;p

Screening in theatres NOW!

More Reviews:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808722062/details

Watch the Trailer!!
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/thepursuitofhappyness/medium.html

- Contributed by Alvin Tan, 4 Mar 2007



COMING SOON...

We welcome all members of the catechetical ministry to come for these sessions by the Cenacle Sisters specially arranged by the Formation Committee. In order to create a vibrant community of faith builders, we must first build a strong foundation in ourselves.

Please submit the reply slip indicating your attendance for these sessions (available in email sent last week or through your level coordinators).


FORMATION SESSIONS:

11 March 2007, Sunday
“Myself: My gift to this ministry”
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Holy Family 4th floor, Canteen


5 May 2007, Saturday
“My Prayer Life/Teaching Children how to pray”
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Venue: Holy Family 4th floor, Canteen


27 May 2007, Sunday
“You are a Gift to our Catechetical Ministry”
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Holy Family 4th floor, Canteen