I attended the Episcopal Ordination of Monsignor William Goh last evening and it was a joyous occasion marked with the solemn beauty of Catholic tradition. I felt privileged to be among the 13,000 who had gathered at the Singapore Expo's Max Pavilion to witness this momentous event and to pray with and for our Coadjutor Archbishop.
This Roman Catholic Church is in transition whether at home or abroad, for change is inevitable in life. With the recent announcement of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who officially steps down on February 28, the new pope will be in for rocky times for there are recent reports of sex scandals and blackmail in the Vatican.
Is the Church in crisis? Yes, for we are living in times of crises. One has only to look around to see the social fabric of nations being ripped apart by sexual infidelity, dishonesty, greed and violence daily.
Integrity, honour, virtue have fallen out of favour with humankind for we are living in a world caught in a miasma of secularism and relativism. How else can one explain when a group of high-ranking clergyman excuse and indulge in behaviour completely lacking in truth and purity, most unbefitting of the vows they made before God?
I am hoping the reports are fallacious but if they are true, do I lose heart when I see a canker festering within the Vatican? Do I leave the Church, disillusioned, angry and bitter? Now, more than ever, I am called to question how I can make a difference through my baptism: to be an agent of change and renewal for the good of all humankind and to help Mother Church heal, instead of walking away.
As Monsignor Eugene Vaz asked those present during a talk on baptism last Thursday, what is the quality of my faith during this period of Lent in the Year of Faith? Each of us who makes up the Church is called to a renewal and deepening of our faith during this special season.
The effects of baptism are manifold as he explained. First and foremost, I have been washed free of the guilt of original sin. I have a supernatural life and its attendant graces (if I choose to cooperate with the Holy Spirit that lives within me). I have been infused with supernatural powers that give rise to virtues, gifts and fruits of the Spirit.
I am also a member of the Church who is the universal sacrament of salvation and sanctification. And finally, I bear the indelible seal and character of Christ who is the vine I am been grafted onto and hence I enjoy a unique relationship with Him not found outside of baptism.
If I wish to fully experience the effects of my baptism so as to carry out the threefold office of priest, prophet and king with any measure of success, I must fully appreciate the ramifications of baptism and cultivate the gift of faith that is mine.
I must persevere beyond despair, and love beyond hurt and pain, for the trials and tribulations of life will certainly include suffering and persecution.
The hallmark of Monsignor William Goh's ministry is "Passion and Compassion", one I am appropriating for I don't ever wish to lose my passion for the truth of God's love and how I can live out that love, sharing it with others. And as truth without mercy can be harsh and unforgiving, compassion must be integral to everything I think, feel, say and do.
Through the upcoming storms, if we hold fast to the truth of faith and walk the distance with hope, defending it with love, we will see change for the better. Prayer will be the weapon of choice for it is only with and through prayer that we will be given the wisdom and heart to live and act with passion and compassion.
Thank you for your fiat, Monsignor William and your motto, Ut Vivant, That They May Live. I look forward to being part of an energized, evangelistic flock led by a dynamic and Spirited shepherd.
This Roman Catholic Church is in transition whether at home or abroad, for change is inevitable in life. With the recent announcement of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who officially steps down on February 28, the new pope will be in for rocky times for there are recent reports of sex scandals and blackmail in the Vatican.
Is the Church in crisis? Yes, for we are living in times of crises. One has only to look around to see the social fabric of nations being ripped apart by sexual infidelity, dishonesty, greed and violence daily.
Integrity, honour, virtue have fallen out of favour with humankind for we are living in a world caught in a miasma of secularism and relativism. How else can one explain when a group of high-ranking clergyman excuse and indulge in behaviour completely lacking in truth and purity, most unbefitting of the vows they made before God?
I am hoping the reports are fallacious but if they are true, do I lose heart when I see a canker festering within the Vatican? Do I leave the Church, disillusioned, angry and bitter? Now, more than ever, I am called to question how I can make a difference through my baptism: to be an agent of change and renewal for the good of all humankind and to help Mother Church heal, instead of walking away.
As Monsignor Eugene Vaz asked those present during a talk on baptism last Thursday, what is the quality of my faith during this period of Lent in the Year of Faith? Each of us who makes up the Church is called to a renewal and deepening of our faith during this special season.
The effects of baptism are manifold as he explained. First and foremost, I have been washed free of the guilt of original sin. I have a supernatural life and its attendant graces (if I choose to cooperate with the Holy Spirit that lives within me). I have been infused with supernatural powers that give rise to virtues, gifts and fruits of the Spirit.
I am also a member of the Church who is the universal sacrament of salvation and sanctification. And finally, I bear the indelible seal and character of Christ who is the vine I am been grafted onto and hence I enjoy a unique relationship with Him not found outside of baptism.
If I wish to fully experience the effects of my baptism so as to carry out the threefold office of priest, prophet and king with any measure of success, I must fully appreciate the ramifications of baptism and cultivate the gift of faith that is mine.
I must persevere beyond despair, and love beyond hurt and pain, for the trials and tribulations of life will certainly include suffering and persecution.
The hallmark of Monsignor William Goh's ministry is "Passion and Compassion", one I am appropriating for I don't ever wish to lose my passion for the truth of God's love and how I can live out that love, sharing it with others. And as truth without mercy can be harsh and unforgiving, compassion must be integral to everything I think, feel, say and do.
Through the upcoming storms, if we hold fast to the truth of faith and walk the distance with hope, defending it with love, we will see change for the better. Prayer will be the weapon of choice for it is only with and through prayer that we will be given the wisdom and heart to live and act with passion and compassion.
Thank you for your fiat, Monsignor William and your motto, Ut Vivant, That They May Live. I look forward to being part of an energized, evangelistic flock led by a dynamic and Spirited shepherd.
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