I really loved the last session's community reading, so I've decided to post it up here and do a short conclusion after. Here goes:
"How is it that the people who hail Jesus with branches and song as he enters Jerusalem also revile and taunt him a few days later?
They have an idea of what a messiah or a prophet or a king should be. They have decided beforehand what Jesus should do and be for them. It is not Jesus himself they are welcoming to Jerusalem that day, but rather Jesus as a means to bring about their plans and schemes. For them, messiah means power. They have no use for a messiah who is love. Love does not solve their problems in the way they expect power should. Yet perhaps some of them will later repent and rejoice because love himself has forgiven them from the cross as power never will or can.
Who is Jesus for you? Is he a fix-it man whom you accuse when things are not fixed to your satisfaction? Or are you open to welcome him as he chooses to come? Are you so busy looking for him to show his power that you never recognise how he is showing his love?
We are his welcomers, and we are his revilers. May repentance always bring us to welcome him again. And may each new welcoming be more and more enduring."
As Bernard said, God is always giving. He gives so much, and his blessings for us are in abundance. Yet, in spite of all we have received, we continue to ask for more, and God, in His magnificent love, keeps giving.
Must we wait till we lose our gifts before we realise how much we have been given? As Lent comes to a close, let us be more appreciative of the people and things around us. We are so, so blessed, and let's remember that the next time we attempt to blame God for our shortcomings.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Lenten Session V
After returning the blind man his sight, Jesus' journey towards Calvary continued. This time, however, he got a little sidetracked: a dear friend of his, Lazarus, had died.
The death of Lazarus, as Jesus said, gave him a chance to display God's power. Jesus proved himself greater than death by raising Lazarus from the dead, though he had already been entombed for a few days. Jesus wanted us to know that nothing on this world was more absolute than God, and since God is love, nothing is more powerful than love.
Most of us in this choir are young, and have not yet had to experience the death of someone dear to us. But when we do, or if we did, what would our response be? Would we blame God for taking away someone we loved? Would we mourn a loss, or should we be strong and realise that death is not the end?
Love persists even after one's death, and love ensures that a person does not simply disappear after they have passed from this world. Thanks to God's great love, our lives need not end--we can live on, both in heaven, and in the hearts of those who love us.
As seen on a gravestone in a commercial (or was it an MV?): "We loved him very much, but God loved him more."
The death of Lazarus, as Jesus said, gave him a chance to display God's power. Jesus proved himself greater than death by raising Lazarus from the dead, though he had already been entombed for a few days. Jesus wanted us to know that nothing on this world was more absolute than God, and since God is love, nothing is more powerful than love.
Most of us in this choir are young, and have not yet had to experience the death of someone dear to us. But when we do, or if we did, what would our response be? Would we blame God for taking away someone we loved? Would we mourn a loss, or should we be strong and realise that death is not the end?
Love persists even after one's death, and love ensures that a person does not simply disappear after they have passed from this world. Thanks to God's great love, our lives need not end--we can live on, both in heaven, and in the hearts of those who love us.
As seen on a gravestone in a commercial (or was it an MV?): "We loved him very much, but God loved him more."
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Lent Session IV
As he continued his journey towards his death and ressurection, Jesus encountered a beggar whose physical blindness Jesus cured. The significance of this act of kindness was so great that it sparked a rather big controversy amongst the Pharisees and some of the Jews, for Jesus had healed on a Sabbath, an act which was akin to crime in those days.
This story of one of Jesus' many miracles raises two important points. The first comes from the actions of the Pharisees. Many a time we tend to blow things out of proportions. We tend to misread the intentions of others because their actions seem out of the current social norms. Sometimes, we even allow those standards to be our excuse for not doing the right thing; we allow ourselves to be suffocated by social norms, and fail to reach out to the lonely, fail to heal the sick or love the unloved. Jesus proved himself greater than the Sabbath and the laws which the Pharisees had twisted and contorted--we, too, have to be greater than the boundaries this physical world has constructed around us.
The second point stems from the blind man. He showed us a quality that we often overlook: steadfastness. He did not fear the Pharisees, who probably had the power to punish him for defying them. Instead, he allowed himself to revel in the Truth--that Jesus was the saviour of the world, the only Son of God. Jesus is always there, always healing and guiding us through the difficulties of our lives. Yet when he needs us most, where are we? When the Pharisees of our modern world condemn him, do we stand up for the Lord who has returned us our sight? Or do we shy away, afraid of what the blind might do to us?
The road to the cross was not easy for Jesus, yet he never backed away from those who needed his grace. Let us then walk in his footsteps, and allow our blindness to be washed away in his wondrous love.
This story of one of Jesus' many miracles raises two important points. The first comes from the actions of the Pharisees. Many a time we tend to blow things out of proportions. We tend to misread the intentions of others because their actions seem out of the current social norms. Sometimes, we even allow those standards to be our excuse for not doing the right thing; we allow ourselves to be suffocated by social norms, and fail to reach out to the lonely, fail to heal the sick or love the unloved. Jesus proved himself greater than the Sabbath and the laws which the Pharisees had twisted and contorted--we, too, have to be greater than the boundaries this physical world has constructed around us.
The second point stems from the blind man. He showed us a quality that we often overlook: steadfastness. He did not fear the Pharisees, who probably had the power to punish him for defying them. Instead, he allowed himself to revel in the Truth--that Jesus was the saviour of the world, the only Son of God. Jesus is always there, always healing and guiding us through the difficulties of our lives. Yet when he needs us most, where are we? When the Pharisees of our modern world condemn him, do we stand up for the Lord who has returned us our sight? Or do we shy away, afraid of what the blind might do to us?
The road to the cross was not easy for Jesus, yet he never backed away from those who needed his grace. Let us then walk in his footsteps, and allow our blindness to be washed away in his wondrous love.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Lenten Session III
Since last week's reading was rather long, I thought it would be good to do a little song analysis instead. The hymn we'll be analysing will be Fill My Cup, Lord. We'll go through the hymn two lines at a time.
"Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy"
The nameless woman at the well had an appetite. She had had five husbands and was living with another man when she first met Jesus. We could even assume she was rather attracted to Jesus, which prompted her to make conversation with him, a Jew. At heart, this woman with a bad reputation was simply lonely and looking for love in all the wrong places. Like this woman, often we find ourselves wanting things we do not need. We fill holes in our lives with material possessions in the hopes that they can make us happy. But material things are not permanent. Eventually, they lose their value, and cannot provide happiness. They do not satisfy.
"But then I heard my saviour speaking:
'Draw from my well that never shall run dry!'"
The words in this hymn are a little different from what Jesus said. Jesus said that 'whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again'. Nonetheless, the point here is that Jesus speaks to us. He offers us this everlasting water, and he offers us himself. Why is this important? Because, at the end of the day, Jesus is always first. Had he not made the first move, had he not made the initial offer, we would be left wanting and forever thirsting, no matter how great our faith. This new life Jesus gives is not our birthright. We do not deserve it. Jesus offers it because that's how much God loves us.
"Fill my cup, Lord! I lift it up Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul!"
Now that Jesus has offered us the living water, we have one more important thing to do. We have to accept his invitation, and we have to want it with all our heart and soul. There is no point accepting a gift when it's going to be thrown aside. God's gifts cannot be wasted. We have to want it, to thirst for it. We have to lift up our cups and ask God to quench our thirst.
"Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!"
Now at last we arrive at the true focal point of this hymn, and of our very religion. What can really quench 'this thirsting of my soul' is the Bread of Heaven. We find God's greatest gift again and again each Sunday in Holy Communion, when the host becomes the true Body of Christ. If we partake of this feast and be witnesses of Christ and his Holy Spirit, we can find true happiness even in the face of adversity.
And that is the Spring of Living Water.
"Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy"
The nameless woman at the well had an appetite. She had had five husbands and was living with another man when she first met Jesus. We could even assume she was rather attracted to Jesus, which prompted her to make conversation with him, a Jew. At heart, this woman with a bad reputation was simply lonely and looking for love in all the wrong places. Like this woman, often we find ourselves wanting things we do not need. We fill holes in our lives with material possessions in the hopes that they can make us happy. But material things are not permanent. Eventually, they lose their value, and cannot provide happiness. They do not satisfy.
"But then I heard my saviour speaking:
'Draw from my well that never shall run dry!'"
The words in this hymn are a little different from what Jesus said. Jesus said that 'whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again'. Nonetheless, the point here is that Jesus speaks to us. He offers us this everlasting water, and he offers us himself. Why is this important? Because, at the end of the day, Jesus is always first. Had he not made the first move, had he not made the initial offer, we would be left wanting and forever thirsting, no matter how great our faith. This new life Jesus gives is not our birthright. We do not deserve it. Jesus offers it because that's how much God loves us.
"Fill my cup, Lord! I lift it up Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul!"
Now that Jesus has offered us the living water, we have one more important thing to do. We have to accept his invitation, and we have to want it with all our heart and soul. There is no point accepting a gift when it's going to be thrown aside. God's gifts cannot be wasted. We have to want it, to thirst for it. We have to lift up our cups and ask God to quench our thirst.
"Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!"
Now at last we arrive at the true focal point of this hymn, and of our very religion. What can really quench 'this thirsting of my soul' is the Bread of Heaven. We find God's greatest gift again and again each Sunday in Holy Communion, when the host becomes the true Body of Christ. If we partake of this feast and be witnesses of Christ and his Holy Spirit, we can find true happiness even in the face of adversity.
And that is the Spring of Living Water.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Lenten Session II
Last Sunday, we learned about Christ's magnificent transfiguration and the effects it had on the disciples who were there to witness it. Jesus was transformed into an image of splendour and beauty, and through this change, the disciples, too, were changed.
There is so much in our world and lives that requires that which the disciples experienced: change. Nations wage wars, sin is ever making its presence known, and somewhere in our lives, someone is lonely or sick or depressed. There is so much for us to do, so much for us to make right. But none of this is possible until we exact this change on one very important thing: ourselves.
Before we can set out to carry out God's work, we must first be transfigured as Christ was. This means our very attitude and outlook on life must be reshaped to fit God's will. In this life, intention is everything. Are we doing good deeds so others might notice, or are we doing them because it is the right thing to do, and we genuinely want others to be happy? Are we befriending others so they can be our latest 'pet project', or because they provide us with some sort of advantage?
Likewise with our Lenten penance; if we give up the world, but refuse to give our hearts to God, then our resolutions will be for naught.
So as we journey together in this season of Lent, let us take a step back and rethink our intentions. Only when our hearts are open and our intentions pure can we truly be transfigured and start changing the world and people around us for the better.
There is so much in our world and lives that requires that which the disciples experienced: change. Nations wage wars, sin is ever making its presence known, and somewhere in our lives, someone is lonely or sick or depressed. There is so much for us to do, so much for us to make right. But none of this is possible until we exact this change on one very important thing: ourselves.
Before we can set out to carry out God's work, we must first be transfigured as Christ was. This means our very attitude and outlook on life must be reshaped to fit God's will. In this life, intention is everything. Are we doing good deeds so others might notice, or are we doing them because it is the right thing to do, and we genuinely want others to be happy? Are we befriending others so they can be our latest 'pet project', or because they provide us with some sort of advantage?
Likewise with our Lenten penance; if we give up the world, but refuse to give our hearts to God, then our resolutions will be for naught.
So as we journey together in this season of Lent, let us take a step back and rethink our intentions. Only when our hearts are open and our intentions pure can we truly be transfigured and start changing the world and people around us for the better.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Lenten Session I
Before he began his ministry, Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness. The trials he faced, along with his 40 days of fasting, are synonymous with the season of Lent.
Jesus was not alone in the desert. The devil was also with him, desperate to tempt Jesus into breaking away from his Father's will. Much like himself, Jesus' temptations were far from ordinary. He was asked to turn stone into bread, to jump from a great height and be rescued by angels, and to worship Satan for all the possessions of the world.
As Berenice so aptly put it, Jesus' temptations represent very real trials in our lives. Often we go out of our way to obtain things we think are necessary for our happiness; but Jesus, who was aching with hunger (YOU try fasting 40 days), refused to be swayed despite having the power to turn stone, not just into bread, but into a grand feast for himself. Don't ask God for more than you need; instead, be grateful for what you have and seek the Kingdom first in all that you do.
The second trial represents our tendency to test God's love for us. When situations seem hopeless, or when we want something we cannot get, we pray. Which is fine and dandy, except that a lot of us make 'deals' when we pray. "God, if you give me this, I'll do this and that..." Is that truly necessary? God asks nothing more from you than your faith and trust in His will, however dire a situation may seem. He doesn't need to 'prove' his love for us; we should know how much He already loves us. Jesus rebuked the devil: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." We should do well to remember those words.
Finally, the third temptation is one we've all faced: idol-worshipping. Wealth, power, fame. It is not just the obsession or the pursuit of it; how often have we treated a person better because they are richer, famous, or in a position of power and authority? God is the only being worthy of our worship, and Jesus reminds of this when he says, "You shall not have any other god except the Lord your God."
The way of Christ is not easy, but we know it is achievable because Jesus, who was as human as you and me, managed to do it. Isabel and Michael mentioned that perhaps Jesus had an unfair advantage; after all, he is the Son of God, and possessed the knowledge of what was to come. But very often, we, too, know the consequences of our actions. We can differentiate between right and wrong, so why do we still sin? It is our human inadequacies that prevent us from focusing on what is beyond the here and now, driving us to seek immediate gratification instead of long-term goals. This, I believe, is also a weakness that Jesus faced, and so brilliantly overcame.
So as Lent begins, let us all pray that the Spirit (which both we and Jesus have access to) will lead us on our road to salvation. Pax Vobiscum.
*Based on STAC Lenten Session I*
Jesus was not alone in the desert. The devil was also with him, desperate to tempt Jesus into breaking away from his Father's will. Much like himself, Jesus' temptations were far from ordinary. He was asked to turn stone into bread, to jump from a great height and be rescued by angels, and to worship Satan for all the possessions of the world.
As Berenice so aptly put it, Jesus' temptations represent very real trials in our lives. Often we go out of our way to obtain things we think are necessary for our happiness; but Jesus, who was aching with hunger (YOU try fasting 40 days), refused to be swayed despite having the power to turn stone, not just into bread, but into a grand feast for himself. Don't ask God for more than you need; instead, be grateful for what you have and seek the Kingdom first in all that you do.
The second trial represents our tendency to test God's love for us. When situations seem hopeless, or when we want something we cannot get, we pray. Which is fine and dandy, except that a lot of us make 'deals' when we pray. "God, if you give me this, I'll do this and that..." Is that truly necessary? God asks nothing more from you than your faith and trust in His will, however dire a situation may seem. He doesn't need to 'prove' his love for us; we should know how much He already loves us. Jesus rebuked the devil: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." We should do well to remember those words.
Finally, the third temptation is one we've all faced: idol-worshipping. Wealth, power, fame. It is not just the obsession or the pursuit of it; how often have we treated a person better because they are richer, famous, or in a position of power and authority? God is the only being worthy of our worship, and Jesus reminds of this when he says, "You shall not have any other god except the Lord your God."
The way of Christ is not easy, but we know it is achievable because Jesus, who was as human as you and me, managed to do it. Isabel and Michael mentioned that perhaps Jesus had an unfair advantage; after all, he is the Son of God, and possessed the knowledge of what was to come. But very often, we, too, know the consequences of our actions. We can differentiate between right and wrong, so why do we still sin? It is our human inadequacies that prevent us from focusing on what is beyond the here and now, driving us to seek immediate gratification instead of long-term goals. This, I believe, is also a weakness that Jesus faced, and so brilliantly overcame.
So as Lent begins, let us all pray that the Spirit (which both we and Jesus have access to) will lead us on our road to salvation. Pax Vobiscum.
*Based on STAC Lenten Session I*
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Easter Vigil Song List
Hi all. This is the song-list for Easter Vigil, provided by Leonard.
Ordinaries & Misc.:
Ordinaries & Misc.:
- Exultet
- Service of light
- Gloria (ray repp)
- Kyrie elesion (same as Christmas)
- Alleluia (2 years ago)
- Litany of the Saints (by flowing waters)
- Our Father (normal one)
- I Saw Water
- Springs of Water
- Holy Holy (Christmas)
- Memorial Acclamation (Creation )
- Doxology (Great Amen)
- Lamb of God (St. David)
Offertery:
- To Be Your Bread
- Take My Life and Let It Be
Communion:
- Panis Angelicus
- At the Lamb’s High Feast
- I Know that My Redeemer Lives (soper)
Recessional:
- Ye Sons and Daughters
- Regina Caeli Laetare (chant)
Please prepare your scores! =)
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