July blessings

July has been going well. It has always been a period of introspection and reflection being my birthday month, but this year, it has been especially enriching.

Birthday vulnerability

It has been a great birthday week! The celebrations began days before my birthday itself and it will continue for some time to yet. That so many people sent their well wishes and love surprises me for I am, at heart, an introvert and I veer toward misanthropic tendencies. I admit to a sense of wonder that so many people love me, yet knowing full well that I have Jesus to thank for this.

It is because of the Lord that I say yes to loving others to the point of great inconvenience and hurt, at times, yet I can keep going. I can forgive and forget, because He forgives and forgets my sins. All the time. It is because of Jesus that I find myself in a web of communities, involved in a host of activities, doing things that scare, surprise and delight me in equal parts.

I find myself embarking on exciting, new adventures that refine my sense of personal mission. Every time I say yes to God, He sends me down new roads, putting me through the fire at the same time, purifying me.

It is not always pleasant. I get tired, discouraged and querulous. I often question the worth of what I am doing - is it enough, am I the right person for the job for I sure feel grossly inadequate... Truth be told, I will always BE inadequate. I can only sing:

Take, O take me as I am. Summon out what I shall be. 

Set a seal upon my heart, and live in me.

I give thanks to Jesus for loving me. I am immensely grateful He guides me to love others in wise and gentle ways - on my own, I would fall flat on my face. I thank everyone who blesses me with their love, especially all you folks who took time on my birthday to wish me.

My birthday wish for myself in this coming year can be summed up in a greeting sent to me by J, my former classmate: Blessings of vulnerability before God. What a beautiful sentiment!

Lord, may I never be afraid to humble myself before you, lay my failures at your feet and pledge a renewed effort to do better.

Jubilee jubilation

Gifts need not be given and received only on birthdays. One of my year-long gifts from God is my Spiritual Director, Father Michael Arro, who celebrated 60 years of being a priest just two days ago.

He is also my parish priest and the main reason why I am so active in Saint Teresa's. How can one say no to such a wonderful pastor, a gentle man of God?

Photo by Therese Jenny

When I asked if he could be my SD some 10, 11 years ago, he agreed most readily and he unfailingly makes time to see me on a regular basis. His wit, humour and wisdom have guided me all these years. He has helped me grow spiritually with simple, yet profound words of advice.

As someone commented during the celebration dinner, I see the face of God when I see him during Reconciliation, God's kind, loving and forgiving visage. He never makes me feel small, or like a failure, and his encouragement is like life-giving water on a parched and wilted plant.

Father Arro is a blessing to me and all the parishioners of Saint Teresa. May he continue to experience the joy of serving and may God grant him good health and abundance as he turns 84 this coming Thursday.

Proud to be Catholic. Proud to be Singaporean

Never has the importance of knowing where I come from made more of an impact on me than

yesterday's SG50 mass celebration at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

When I watched the video Our Catholic Light*, I was moved to tears (even PM Lee Hsien Loong was visibly moved) by the selfless and intrepid missionaries who left their homes for Singapore to spread God's goodness by bettering peoples' lives in multiple ways.

Certainly Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, but many of these religious and priests did more than just convert people to Christianity, they spared no efforts in spreading God's love and bringing hope, transforming lives in concrete and fundamental ways to believers and non-believers alike. They helped build Singapore up these last 50 years by providing education and healthcare, plus running homes and orphanages.

I, myself, am a recipient of the excellent education the IJ sisters provided, an education that laid the foundations of my Catholic spirituality and identity. Simple dans ma vertu, forte dans mon devoir - Simple in virtue, steadfast in duty. My school motto is one I subscribe to, even today.

It was a rush to be part of the 10,000-strong congregation and pray in unison as one church. Then there was the vastly enjoyable concert in the last segment after mass. My friend P who lives in Melbourne remarked that there is so much talent in the Catholic Church in Singapore. I was more impressed that they pulled off the entire event with such great success in just three months. By God's grace, of course.

I am inspired by those who have gone before me, and I aspire, as part of the Catholic community, to walk in their footsteps, to light up the darkness in Singapore and make a difference to this place I call home.

* To watch the video, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbdx9vjSwqA  and to enjoy the great concert, go to the last hour of the event link:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OAzBx4TGUk