Prophets of a Future Not Our Own

I managed to find the poem by Archbishop Oscar Romero. Many times we expect immediate results, and we become so carried away in "Working for God, that we forget that it is His will, and His work". Like Fr John said, "We do our best, and God will do the rest."

Prophets of a Future Not Our Own

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a small fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant the seeds that will one day grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it well.
It may be incomplete but it is a beginning,
a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

Archbishop Oscar Romero

Purpose

Today the word "PURPOSE" kept coming to me.

Firstly, when I got back in the evening, I saw the lovely bloom of the hibiscus flowers in the garden, and so I remarked that I should take a photo of it. To which my mum, remarked, "If you want to take, better take now. The hibiscus flower only lasts one day and wilts at night." Which made me wonder... What a waste that this beautiful flower blooms for just one day, and then dies. But I came to realise, that the flower functioned for the purpose it was designed for. To bloom, attract insects, get fertilized and wilt.

For those who remember, I found it hard at the last retreat to pick something to describe what I felt. But looking at that flower, made me reflect on my own purpose in life. What was the purpose of God giving me breath and life each morning. I also realised that many days just go by, without me thinking of the purpose.

And then as I was in the goood shepherd room, I saw the poster which had the words from Archbishop Oscar Romero's A Future Not Our Own. This was also telling us about God's purpose for us in our lives. And lastly the passage for sharing from Eph 3, alsp spoke about the revealing of God's purpose through Christ and St Paul to the gentiles.

So the challenge for me is to take some time each day, to reflect on my purpose for that day. Whether I can be like the hibiscus flower and bloom each day a different flower, to attract others with the sweet Love of Christ. (At the moment its talk, and hopefully someday can reach)

And I also realised that just long as I have stopped blogging, I have also stopped reading the Purpose Driven Life. I really should finish up the last few chapters.

Metanoia

Today Kristine shouted for me. Turns out there was a wierd looking caterpillar with a giant green bump on its head crawling on her bed. So I caught it and put it in a container with leaves. Hopefully this time I can use my digital camera, and capture the different phases it goes thru from caterpillar to butterfly/moth.

And then I was reading Marcus' email about the suggestions for the name for the YA Mass. And one of it was Metanoia. Which got me to think abt metamorphosis which the caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly.

And so I went to search the meaning of metanoia and found it means "spiritual conversion or awakening; fundamental change of character" from Greek for `change one's mind, repent'.

While metamorphosis is about the physical transformation. Metanoia is about the spirit, the mind, the character. And I hope that if I look back at these postings, I will be able to capture my own metanoia, like the way my photos will capture the metamorphosis of the caterpillar.

Mass for the Tsunami Victims

2 things really disappointed me today.

Firstly, when I saw the attendance today at mass. Quite sad, that many Catholics can't even come together on one evening, to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters who are suffering.
Which got me to think, either we are really indifferent, or the "I already donated money" syndrome, or maybe Catholics don't see the mass as an important form of prayer.

Second thing was that they changed the readings for the mass.
The gospel for the day was supposed to be the one where Jesus healed the paralytic Mk 2:1-12. Personally I felt that was so apt for this situation, where the friends of the paralytic went out of their way to climb the roof just so that that Jesus could heal their friend. And today it could have been used to remind us to be friends to those suffering and in need of Christ's healing power. To go out of our way, out of our comfort, and allow God to use us as his instruments to bring healing and peace in this world.

And I was too caught up with my own thinking, that I can't remember what the actual gospel passage was read, and that there was the reading of the bishop's letter instead of a sermon didn't help me to relate the gospel in anyway.

And then again.... I think i'm becoming a bit too crititcal about such things. Time for a "Pride Check"

The Lion King & The Wedding Dinner

Today at Mass, during the consecration, when Fr Ho was lifting up the Host, I all of a sudden had a flashback of "The Lion King", where the Rafiki, the wise man of the jungle lifts up Simba, the new king of the jungle, all the animals gathered bow down to pay homage. And I guess, that's what I should be feeling during that time of consecration, when the Host is shown to me. That is my king.

And then at our Tuesday sharing, Colin chose the passage from Jn 6:22-59. The topic on the Eucharist. And I guessed I've come to realise that in this year of the Eucharist, i have subconsiously focused on the Eucharist in my life. And I've been trying to make it relevant in my life.

Take for example my Sunday's sharing on the eucharistic celebration compared with a wedding dinner. I've come to realise that how interested we are in the mass stems from our relationship with Christ. Much like our attitude / joy at a wedding dinner depends on our relationship with the couple.

There are those wedding dinners, that we dread to go because we barely know the couple, and we are there because its a neighbour or boss' daughter. And we can't wait for the last course to be over, so that we can go home and sleep.

And then there are those wedding dinners, which we look forward to weeks ahead, we talk about what we are going to wear, how we can help. And at the actual dinner we actually spend time talking to the couple, to our friends around. And at the end of the dinner, we stay on to continue the celebration of that joyous event with the couple.

And so, I guess, for most of my first 24 yrs of life. Mass was a chore, or a habit, something I just did, without much focus on God's presence, or in a word "Sacrament".

And I thank God for sending Fr Erasto last year, and posting Fr Ho here and making the mass more reflective & meaningful in my life.

Thy Will Be Done

Today Fr Bill Heng preached a really fiery sermon. He always does.

But one thing which he said really struck me. (Although I can't remember how he linked it with the Baptism) That when Christ prayed, it was always about doing His Father's will. From the finding in the temple, to teaching His disciples to pray, to the garden of Gethsamane. And finally, on the Cross before He died, he said "It Is Accomplished".

Which made me think. My whole life, I always checked myself with "If I die today, am I ready / Holy enough to meet God. But today's sermon, made me think, I should be thinking, "If I die today, would I be able to face God and say 'It is accomplished'."

I won't say it is a sudden realisation, but I guess today's sermon just sparked something. But this idea of doing the Father's will, is something that has been coming up, from reading "Weeds among Wheat - Where Prayer and Action meet" by Thomas Green. And even Ernest's comment that day, that if he dies, he'll go up to God, and say, 'I did the best with what you gave me.'

So, the challenge this year for me, is to continually discern, not only for the future, but even for the present... What His will is for me. And to strive to do it, such that I can say, 'I did the best with what you gave me.'

Long Time Coming

A New Year has arrived
Its been a long time since I last blogged...

With the confirmation camp and the whole Parish Assembly and PPC process, was too busy and just lost the momentum to update.
Also I realised that I took too long to compose my postings, and it was making me very unproductive in my work.
But I have realised 2 things about myself in the last few months, and it kinda applies to why I stopped blogging.

1) I'm a person of habit and fixed timing.
I realised this one day when I forgot to switch my phone to silent before mass. And then I realised that I would check and switch my phone to silent at the same place in church before I entered. And that day I did not walk by that particular place. So I didn't do it.
So even my prayer life and blogging. If I don't fix a set timing to do it. It will just pass me by and I wouldn't even remember. Like I used to do the morning prayer in the office before work, but once I stopped that, it took me a while to get used to doing it after I wake up.

2) I'm a perfectionist in the most inefficient way
I've come to realise that I waste a lot of time wanting to be perfect in small details. Using the theory that 20% of the effort would give 80% of the results, and the remaining 80% of the effort would only gain the last 20% of the results. I would spend a lot of time trying to get that remaining 20%. Like when I blog, it takes so much effort for me to put my thoughts in a proper way, must have flow, must make sense, must be spelled correctly.

Well today, I hope after the second long break, I would frequently update this blog, and spend less time perfecting my postings which of course might mean that the postings would not be that easy to read ;-Þ