Feast of the Holy Family (A)

Sir 3:2-7, 12-14
Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Col 3:12-21 or Col 3:12-17
Mt 2, 13-15, 19-23

This Sunday we celebrate the Holy Family as well as our own families. All the scriptures at Mass give us instruction on how to be a holy family.

The first reading tells children (young and old) to "honor" and "revere" their parents, to be considerate of them when they get old and feeble and to be kind to them even if they fail to love us well. It does NOT say that children have to obey their parents ALL the time. This scripture never uses the word "obey".

We are to only obey God, and if a parent instructs us to do what God wants us to do (as in the responsorial Psalm), then by obeying Mom or Dad, we're obeying God, but if a parent disobeys God, we are not to follow him or her into sin. We can honor and revere our parents by respecting their personhood even while refusing to cooperate with their sins.

The second reading instructs us to "put on love, the bond of perfection", and to make sure that the peace of Christ controls our hearts. How? Saint Francis de Sales said, "Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."

Verse 18 is NOT saying that wives should do this by obeying their husbands as if in a child-father relationship. To understand the message here, replace the word "subordinate" or "submit" with "respect". God has put the husband in charge of providing protection for the family (which is why in the Gospel reading it's Joseph, not Mary, who was given the dream) — including spiritual protection (teaching holiness and leading the family to heaven). When a wife respects her husband's personhood (the man God created him to be), she's placing herself (subordinating herself) into his protection, which is also God's protection.

And the husband is commanded to love his wife. Why isn't the wife told to love her husband? Because by nature she's a nurturer and a care-giver. But the man, created to protect, is by nature a warrior. To be holy, the husband must overcome his innate urge to protect himself so that he can make sacrifices for his family, just like Jesus.

Questions for Personal Reflection:

Which family relationships need to become holier? What can you do this week to improve these by (choose the ones that fit your situation) honoring your parents, teaching your children, and showing respect and love for your spouse (or ex-spouse) in imitation of Christ?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:

Husbands (and ex-husbands and widowers), explain how important it is to feel respected. Wives (and ex-wives and widows), share how respect for husbands is effective in nurturing the marital relationship. How does the husband's protective nature imitate Christ? How does his love also imitate Christ? How is this similarly played out in a priest's relationship with his parish?

Published by Jacob Soo
Credits to Good News Ministries

Christmas Message from the Archbishop

Greetings all,

His Grace, Archbishop Nicholas Chia has written a special christmas message to all Altar Servers. Below is the transcript of his message.

Dear Altar Servers of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi,

Christmas is a very special feast for all of us and I would like to extend my prayer and blessing to you all on this glorious feast.

When we celebrate Christmas we are reminded of Christ's birth in Bethlehem to be the light of the world to dispel the darkness of sin and evil.

To celebrate Christmas we must invite Christ into our hearts so that we can radiate his light to those around us.

To invite Christ into our hearts we must be filled with love. "Where there is love there is God" as St John says.

As Altar Servers, you show your love by your dedicated services at the altar and contribute towards the meaningful celebration of the liturgy. Apart from your dedicated services at the altar you make Christ present to others by your kindness and friendliness, reaching out especially to the poor and lonely.

I pray that Christmas will truly be CHRISTmas for you all. May Christ dwell in your hearts during this season and all the days of your life.

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS to you all.

God bless

Archbishop Nicholas Chia, D.D., STL

Christmas (A)

Is 52:7-10
Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
Heb 1:1-6
Jn 1:1-18 or Jn 1:1-5, 9-14

Merry Christmas! The Lord has come!

"A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us" (from the responsorial Psalm). Let the joy of "THE LORD HAS COME!" shine from you. But how, when troubles make the world seem dark?

It’s only possible when we keep our eyes on Jesus. Don't focus on what destroys your joy, for nothing can destroy the coming of the Lord. The absence of joy is merely a blank area in your view of what God is doing.

Look at the love that Jesus has for you! Jesus was born not only to save you from the darkness of sin; he was born because he loves you – he loves you! Even if you had never sinned, he would have come into the world so that he could love you on your level, human-to-human.

Sometimes, great things come in surprising packages that do not seem to be great at all. The Eucharist – in the form of a little wafer of bread – does not look like it contains the full presence of Jesus with all of his humanity and his divinity. The baby Jesus – a tiny, helpless child – does not look like the conqueror of evil. But he is! And so is Jesus in the Eucharist; he is here for you.

And you! You might not seem to be a great person, but you contain Jesus. You contain greatness beyond imagining! This greatness does not dwell only in you; it comes out from you in the form of love.

We can know for sure that we have Jesus within us because of the love that we give to others. We know for sure that we can be victorious over evil when Christ's love extends outward to others from within us. It is Christ's love in the world – through us – that defeats the darkness of hardships and troubles.

Jesus comes to us, not to be served, but to serve our needs. He even laid down his life for you!

To be a follower of Jesus means we learn to imitate him. Christians are not here to be served by those who treat us poorly. We are here to serve them, and in this goodness evil is defeated. In this goodness, the greatness of Jesus extends outward from us.

Each time we give love to others, whether they deserve it or not, we give them the gift of Jesus. We are like Mary, giving birth to love himself, making every day a Christmas day.

And when the giving gets tiring, we need to return to the Eucharist to be nourished and healed and restored by Jesus himself, for his love is our Christmas gift from God.

Have a Very Blessed Christmas
in the gifts that the Lord
has given!

On this day the Church focuses especially on the newborn Child, God become human, who embodies for us all the hope and peace we seek. We need no other special saint today to lead us to Christ in the manger, although his mother Mary and Joseph, caring for his foster-Son, help round out the scene.

But if we were to select a patron for today, perhaps it might be appropriate for us to imagine an anonymous shepherd, summoned to the birthplace by a wondrous and even disturbing vision in the night, a summons from an angelic choir, promising peace and goodwill. A shepherd willing to seek out something that might just be too unbelievable to chase after, and yet compelling enough to leave behind the flocks in the field and search for a mystery.

On the day of the Lord’s birth, let’s let an unnamed, “un-celebrity” at the edge of the crowd model for us the way to discover Christ in our own hearts—somewhere between skepticism and wonder, between mystery and faith. And, like Mary and the shepherds, let us treasure that discovery in our hearts.

Comment:

The precise dating in this passage sounds like a textbook on creationism. If we focus on the time frame, however, we miss the point. It lays out the story of a love affair: creation, the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, the rise of Israel under David. It climaxes with the birth of Jesus. From the beginning, some scholars insist, God intended to enter the world as one of us, the beloved people. Praise God!

Published by Jacob Soo
Credits to Amercan Catholic.org

Padre David Thexeira

Our Spiritual Director, Padre David Thexeira was laid to rest today at Choa Chu Kang cemetery after being called home to receive his eternal reward.

His sudden departure has shocked and sadden many of us, who appreciated his love, support and company during this tenure at Saint Francis of Assisi parish.

We will always hold dear to our hearts and reminisce,the moments and experiences that we have spent with him.

Padre David, we love you.

Thank you for everything that you have done for us; the love, care and concern that you so generously give to us, your humble Altar Servers.

We will definitely miss you.

Until we meet again in the heavenly kingdom, Rest in peace.

Padre David Thexeira
6.11.1956 - 13.12.2007
Aged 51

Always loved, cherished and remembered in our hearts...

Gethsemaus 07 Conclusion

Gethsemaus 07 camp has come to a fruitful and successful end after 5 days 5 nights of games and spiritual inputs.

We sincerely hope that the participants have enjoyed themselves during the camp and leaving it having learnt and attained memorable experiences.

The organisers would like to thank everyone for their participation and support in making this camp a successful one especially when we have just lost our Spiritual Director; Father David Thexeira who loved, supported and walked with us during his time with us here in Saint Francis of Assisi.

Thank you and God Bless!

Itinerary for Gethesemaus 07 -- updated

In view of the passing of our beloved Spiritual Director, Father David Thexeira, there will be some changes to our camp itinerary to accomadate for his funeral preparations.

Any queries can be directed to the organisers.

Thank you.

Day 1 (141207)

- Report at IJ @ 1600hrs; Jeremy and Jacob will be on scene to receive all participants
- Camp briefing/Bag check will be carried at IJ centre.
- Settling down in sleeping quarters at IJ centre.
- Dinner will then be served.
- After dinner, participants will travel via public transport to the funeral wake of Father David Thexeira at Church of the Holy Spirit.
- Travel via public transport back to IJ centre after the performance.
- Wash up and Lights out upon return to IJ Centre.

Day 2 (151207)

- Reville @ 0715hrs and wash up.
- Breakfast will then be served at IJ centre
- Spiritual Activity at IJ centre.
- Lunch will then be served.
- Travel to SFA Church for games.
- Games time at SFA Church.
- Games end and travel back to IJ centre for wash up
- Preparation for Novena and Sunset Mass
- Travel to SFA Church for Novena and Sunset Mass
- Novena and Sunset Mass
- Travel back to IJ centre after Novena and Sunset Mass
- Dinner
- Spiritual Activity II
- Supper
- Wash up and Lights Out

Day 3 (161207)

- Reville @ 0730hrs and preparation for respective masses at SFA Church.
- Lunch at IJ centre at 1200hrs.
- Briefing for Superstars.
- Superstars begins at 1430hrs at various locations islandwide

Day 4 (171207)

- Superstars end at IJ centre @ 1430hrs.
- De-brief for Superstars at IJ centre.
- Wash up at IJ centre .
- Siesta or personal time at IJ centre.
- Dinner at IJ centre.
- Father David's funeral mass rehearsal at Church of the Holy Spirit (1900hrs to 2100hrs)
- Back to IJ centre, supper and wash up
- Lights Out

Day 5 (181207)

- Reville @ 0600hrs, breakfast.
- Pack up and check out of Choice Retreat House
- Travel to SFA Church to prepare for Father David's Funeral mass.
- Travel to Church of Holy Spirit for Father David's funeral mass via chartered bus.
- Serve/attend funeral mass.
- Proceed after mass to Choa Chu Kang cemetery for Father David's burial via chartered bus.
- Travel back to SFA Church via charted bus.
- Games at SFA Church.
- Dinner with parents and priests/ prize presentation at SFA Church.
- Break camp @ 2100hrs.

Padre David has gone home...

Dear Servers,

Our Spiritual Director Padre David Thexeira was called home to be with the Lord on Thursday, 13th December 2007 at 2340hrs.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Let us pray for Padre David's soul and for comfort and peace to be upon the family.

Thank you and God Bless.

1 more day to Gethsemaus 07

hohoho! 1 more day to our servers camp; Gethsemaus 07!

See you all @ 1600hrs at Choice Retreat House, 47, Jurong West Street 42.

Brief Itinerary for Gethsemaus 07

Greetings all, here is the brief itinerary for Gethsemaus 07

Day 1 (141207)

- Report at IJ @ 1600hrs; Jeremy and Jacob will be on scene to receive all participants
- Camp briefing/Bag check will be carried at IJ centre.
- Settling down in sleeping quarters at IJ centre.
- Dinner will then be served.
- After dinner, participants will travel via public transport to Esplanade for a performance; "Pedal & Pipes: The Magic of Christmas".
- Travel via public transport back to IJ centre after the performance.
- Wash up and Lights out upon return to IJ Centre.

Day 2 (151207)

- Reville @ 0715hrs and wash up.
- Breakfast will then be served at IJ centre
- Spiritual Activity at IJ centre.
- Lunch will then be served.
- Travel to SFA Church for games.
- Games time at SFA Church.
- Games end and travel back to IJ centre for wash up
- Preparation for Novena and Sunset Mass
- Travel to SFA Church for Novena and Sunset Mass
- Novena and Sunset Mass
- Travel back to IJ centre after Novena and Sunset Mass
- Dinner
- Spiritual Activity II
- Supper
- Wash up and Lights Out

Day 3 (161207)

- Reville @ 0730hrs and preparation for respective masses at SFA Church.
- Lunch at IJ centre at 1200hrs.
- Briefing for Superstars.
- Superstars begins at 1430hrs at various locations islandwide

Day 4 (171207)

- Superstars end at IJ centre @ 1430hrs.
- De-brief for Superstars at IJ centre.
- Afternoon tea and wash up at IJ centre .
- Siesta or personal time at IJ centre.
- Spiritual Activity III at IJ centre.
- Dinner at IJ centre.
- Spiritual Activity III continues at IJ centre.
- Supper and wash up
- Lights Out

Day 5 (181207)

- Reville @ 0800hrs, breakfast.
- Spiritual Activity IV at IJ centre.
- Lunch.
- Travel to SFA Church for games.
- Games at SFA Church.
- Travel back to IJ centre for wash up.
- Wash up and pack up.
- Camp de-briefing.
- Travel to SFA Church.
- Evening Mass at SFA Church.
- Dinner with parents and priests/ prize presentation at SFA Church.
- Break camp @ 2100hrs.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Information about the Feast:

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century. It came to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the universal Church.

In 1854 Pius IX gave the infallible statement: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

It took a long time for this doctrine to develop. While many Fathers and Doctors of the Church considered Mary the greatest and holiest of the saints, they often had difficulty in seeing Mary as sinless—either at her conception or throughout her life. This is one of the Church teachings that arose more from the piety of the faithful than from the insights of brilliant theologians. Even such champions of Mary as Bernard and Thomas Aquinas could not see theological justification for this teaching.

Two Franciscans, William of Ware and Blessed John Duns Scotus, helped develop the theology. They point out that Mary’s Immaculate Conception enhances Jesus’ redemptive work. Other members of the human race are cleansed from original sin after birth. In Mary, Jesus’ work was so powerful as to prevent original sin at the outset.

Comment:

In Luke 1:28 the angel Gabriel, speaking on God’s behalf, addresses Mary as “full of grace” (or “highly favored”). In that context this phrase means that Mary is receiving all the special divine help necessary for the task ahead. However, the Church grows in understanding with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led the Church, especially non-theologians, to the insight that Mary had to be the most perfect work of God next to the Incarnation. Or rather, Mary’s intimate association with the Incarnation called for the special involvement of God in Mary’s whole life. The logic of piety helped God’s people to believe that Mary was full of grace and free of sin from the first moment of her existence. Moreover, this great privilege of Mary is the highlight of all that God has done in Jesus. Rightly understood, the incomparable holiness of Mary shows forth the incomparable goodness of God.

Quote:

“[Mary] gave to the world the Life that renews all things, and she was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.

“It is no wonder, then, that the usage prevailed among the holy Fathers whereby they called the mother of God entirely holy and free from all stain of sin, fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature. Adorned from the first instant of her conception with the splendors of an entirely unique holiness, the Virgin of Nazareth is, on God’s command, greeted by an angel messenger as ‘full of grace’ (cf. Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word’ (Luke 1:38)” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56).


Published by Jacob Soo
Credits to American Catholic.org

Advent

The Church begins a new liturgical year this weekend with the season of Advent. Most of us would probably relate Advent as a countdown to Christmas.

Is Advent merely a ticking timer for us to celebrate Christmas? What is the actual purpose of this season of waiting? Ever wondered what the liturgical year cycle is about?

Read on for more insights......

The Meaning and Purpose of Advent

The season of Advent is one of particular importance. It is a sacred season. As the Holy Spirit says, it is the time of the Lord's favour, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation. The patriarchs and prophets longed and prayed with all their hearts for this time. That just as the man Simeon at long last saw this time and his joy was boundless.

The Church has always kept this season in a special way. So, we too must continue to celebrate it fittingly, giving praise and thanks to the eternal Father for the mercy he has shown us in this mystery of the coming of his Only-begotten Son.

The Father sent His Son out of His immeasurable love for us sinners. He sent him to free us from the tyrannical power of the devil, to invite us to heaven and lead us into its innermost sanctuary. He was sent to show us truth itself, to teach us how we should live, to share with us the source of all goodness, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace. Finally, he was sent to make us sons of the Father and heirs to eternal life.

The Church calls this mystery to mind each year to stir us to renew constantly our memory of the great love God has shown us. This commemoration teaches us that our Saviour came not only for the benefit of the people of his time. His goodness is still there for us to share in. On our part, through faith and the sacraments we must lay hold on the grace he won for us and live by it in obedience to him.

The Church wants us to understand that there are three distinct accents to the liturgy of the Advent season, which are defined by the three comings of the Lord:

Yesterday, at Bethlehem, when the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary;

Today, in our world, where He is ready to come to us again at any minute or hour, to make His home spiritually within us in all His grace;

Tomorrow, when He returns in glory.

Like a devoted mother, keenly concerned for our salvation, the Church uses the rites of this season, its hymns, songs and other promptings of the Holy Spirit to teach us a lesson. She shows us how to receive this great gift of God with thankfulness and how to be enriched by its possession. She teaches us that our hearts should be as prepared now for the coming of Christ our Lord as if he were still to come into the world.

In addition, we can find other meanings in Advent. In the structure of Christianity it can be taken as indicating the deepest level. Christianity is the religion of the coming of God, of his breaking through into human history and life - an aspect which makes it stand out from other religions.

Such is the rich meaning of Advent. From this beginning of the liturgical year, we celebrate the whole panorama of the mystery: from the beginning, when God created heaven and earth, until its fulfillment at the end of time, passing through the times of preparation-through the Scriptures-nearer and nearer to the approaching realization of "today in our world."

The Liturgical Year

The liturgical year sets forth "the whole mystery of Christ from the Incarnation and Nativity to the Ascension, to Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord."

Typically, "the liturgical year" calls to mind only the Christian calendar of Sundays and feasts that, instead of beginning on January 1 and ending December 31, begins instead from the first Sunday of Advent to the Saturday at the end of the Thirty-Fourth week of Ordinary Time. This deviation from the common secular calendar does not create a real problem. Christmas is the only date one needs to know in order to determine the date of the first of the four Sundays of Advent. However, this first, superficial picture of a simple, annual schedule of Christian celebrations is not enough to fully appreciate the profound reality of the liturgical year and all it values. We must begin, therefore, with a certain understanding of time.

In pagan religions, historical time is sacred only insofar as particular events reproduce the primordial time of the Gods. In the Bible, there is no history that predates the creation by God of the universe and of humankind. History is sacred because in it is unfolded the plan of God that, after the sin of Adam and Eve, comes the sacred history of redemption.
This sacred history is marked by interventions of God:

- He reveals himself;

- He appeals to the responsibility of men and women that they might choose to enter freely into his plan and turn back to him when they have sinned;

- He guides events toward the fulfillment of his plan of redemption.

This history moves toward an end: the full realization of the desire of God for the salvation of each and every person by the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour.

The liturgical year demands that one enter into its mystical, sacramental perspective. This requires a "full, active, and conscious" participation which, in turn, depends on our progress, and that of the whole Church, towards the Day of the Lord and the full realization of the plan of salvation that God accomplishes in time.

The liturgical year develops, therefore, a spirituality of responsibility, of acting to bring about the reign of God, its peace, justice, and joy in a world that is never without meaning, into our own historical time. It opens the pathways of our creative imagination; enlightened and stimulated by the Word of God.

A Happy and Blessed Christmas in advance to all.


Written by Rev. Fr David Thexeira
Published by Jacob Soo