The Ascension of Christ and His Glorified Existence

by Fr. William G. Most

Forty days after his Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. During this period between his Resurrection and Ascension, He actually gave the primacy He had promised to Peter, as we read in John 21. The many events between His resurrection and ascension preclude the theory that He ascended on Easter. His ascension does not mean that heaven is somewhere up in space. This was a way of making clear that He was leaving the present mode of existence. St. Paul in Colossians 3:1 urges us to live our lives now as if we had already died, had risen, and had ascended with Him. In a mystical sense we have done that, in that our Head has done that. In the physical sense it is still in the future.

Collections and Second Collections

Collection

§  2 – 3 May – RM1424.00

Second Collections

9 & 10, May – For Good Shepherd Sunday (Vocation Sunday)

§  18 & 19 May – For St. Vincent de Paul

§  30 & 31 May – World Communication Sunday

§  20 & 21 June – Peter’s Pence (For the Holy Father, Pope Francis)

§  20 & 21 July – Corpus Christi (For the Diocese)

§  26 & 27 Sept – Migrant Sunday (For Migrants)

§  17 & 18 Oct – Mission Sunday (For the propagation of faith)

Collection for Natural Disaster Fund – 29 – 30 August; 28 – 29 November

The Angelus Prayer

 Bells rung in the Church are meant to be calls to prayer. That is why we ring the Church bell before weekend masses. It will ring three times on other days at 6am, noon and 6pm. That is traditionally meant to accompany the prayer of the Angelus.

The Angelus is a wonderful prayer that brings to mind the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with the news that she is to be the mother Jesus. Mary calls herself the handmaid, the servant, of the Lord, in the Angelus (Luke 1:38). She expressed most famously of the joy of God working through her in the canticle of Magnificat, "My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior"

The Angelus pays tribute to a crucial aspect of Mary’s role in the Incarnation, when it quotes from Luke’s Gospel “be it done to me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38). This event could not have happened without her consent which was saying “yes” to God in allowing herself to become His mother, she showed us the ultimate example of trust in God! Many Churches have stated ringing again the Angelus Bell though it is a beautiful prayer one can pause to say in the midst of an activity. The prayer is said as follows:

(V-Verse, R-Response – when praying in group)

ANGELUS

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace… our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

Reflections: Silence and Liturgy (Part 2 of 3)

In 2000, Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, offered an insight into the silence of the liturgy. “We respond, by singing and praying to the God who addresses us, but the greater mystery, surpassing all words, summons us to silence. It must, of course, be a silence with content, not just the absence of speech and action. We should expect the liturgy to give us a positive stillness that will restore us.”

Pope Benedict described the liturgical silence as a “silence with content … a positive stillness.”  He meant that our silence in prayer is not to be an emptying meditation alone. Instead, silence in prayer is an occasion to more deeply understand the Mass itself.

Quotes:

"To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted." (Saint Josemaria Escriva)

"Prayer gives us strength for great ideals, for keeping up our faith, charity, purity, generosity; prayer gives us strength to rise up from indifference and guilt, if we have had the misfortune to give in to temptation and weakness. Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God's perspective and from eternity. That is why you must not give up on praying!" (Pope John Paul II)

Reflections: Silence and Liturgy

Reflections: Silence and Liturgy (Part 1 of 3)

The reason the Church calls for silence, and a great deal of silence, during the liturgy of the Mass.  Silence amplifies the reality of what we experience.  Silence is a proper response to a reality which words cannot express—in the case of the Mass, to the reality of God’s presence.

We are invited to silence several times during the Mass.  We are first of all called to be silent before Mass begins.  We need that space of time to recollect ourselves in order to enter into prayer. This is why there should be no video presentations or even choir rehearsal during those five or 10 minutes before Mass begins.

We are then called to silence as we recall and repent of our sins.  We are called to silent reflection after each Scriptural reading, and after the homily.  We are all called to silence after we have received Holy Communion.  And we are invited, at the conclusion of Mass, to kneel down for a silent prayer of Thanksgiving before departing for the parking lot.

These periods of silence are intended to bring reality into focus.  At Mass we express to God our contrition, we hear his word, and we receive his physical presence sacramentally.  These realities go beyond our comprehension.  To hear and understand the Word of God is an expression of his great love for us.  To receive the body of Christ is the deepest kind of communion with God.  The silence in the liturgy punctuates a rich and profound time of prayer with opportunities to reflect on the reality of our experience.   The silence of the liturgy is a gift which helps us to understand the greatest gifts we can receive.

….continued next week

Quotes On Prayer…

To pray, I think, does not mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God. As soon as we begin to divide our thoughts about God and thoughts about people and events, we remove God from our daily life and put him into a pious little niche where we can think pious thoughts and experience pious feelings. ... Although it is important and even indispensable for the spiritual life to set apart time for God and God alone, prayer can only become unceasing prayer when all our thoughts -- beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sorrowful or joyful -- can be thought in the presence of God. ... Thus, converting our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer moves us from a self-centred monologue to a God-centred dialogue.

- Henri Nouwen, Clowning in Rome

Moving On...

 
Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.

Henry David Thoreau

spending, possesing and giving...

''What I spent I lost; what I possessed is left to others; what I gave away remains with me.''

我花的都丢失了； 我拥有现在是别人的； 我大方给的还在我身边。

The Quality of Mercy

“The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
 

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings,
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings.
It is an attribute to God himself.
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. 

Living Freedom as God’s Child through Forgiveness

Parish Recollection in conjunction with our parish feast day, St Henry's Feast will be held from Friday, 12 July 2013 to Sunday, 14 July 2013 on The theme “Living Freedom as God’s Child through Forgiveness” by Bro Dominic Yeo Koh, a Gabriellite brother. Open to all. More details will be given later. All PPC, PFC and BEC leaders are to attend. Including Extraordinary Ministers of Communion and Hospitality. Please clear your dates.

Voter's guide for Election 2013

Pope Francis

Pope Francis

Francis is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. He was elected on 13 March 2013.

Born: December 17, 1936 (age 76), Buenos Aires
Nationality: Argentine
Education: University of Buenos Aires
Parents: Regina Maria Sivori, Mario Jose Bergoglio

New Office-bearers for Parish Pastoral Council 2013 - 2015

pix from left - Anna Lee [secretary], Martin Lim [Chairperson], fr lawrence ng [just standing there], Francis Ong [Vice-Chairperson] and Grace Sia [Vice-Secretary]

Congratulations and let's do some good :)

Reflection

 Dear God,

I am so afraid to open my clenched fists! Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to? Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?

Please help me to gradually open my hands and to discover that I am not what I own, but what you want to give me.”

― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life