Seeking God Amidst Struggle
By Rebecca Tan
Liturgical Reflection – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (7 June 2020)
Liturgical Reflection for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity The solemnity of the Holy Trinity which we celebrate today is a mystery of love and the central mystery of our Christian faith. “It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them (Catechism [...]
Human Life and Dignity
A recent outrage swept over the globe as the news of a Minnesota policeman murdering George Floyd, an African American whose neck was pinned under his knee came into light via social media platforms. The victim was seen pleading for air as the police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over 9 minutes. Of controversy was how [...]
Truth, Beauty, and Goodness as Strategies for the Disaffiliated
Timothy P. O’Malley in his review of Stephen Bullivant’s Mass Exodus, which examines the phenomenon of the mass exodus of Catholics out of the Catholic Church in the United States of America and the United Kingdoms, states that “Disaffiliation is rarely a single moment in the life of a Catholic. Instead, it is a process in which one no [...]
And the Disciples Ran
When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, we read that the disciples were so filled with fear that “they all left him and fled” (Mark 14:50). This was not an ordinary fear that the disciples experienced, but the fear which was intense to the point of even a young man tearing himself out of the [...]
Liturgical Reflection – 3rd Sunday of Easter (26 April 2020)
There are several aspects of today’s gospel that we can ponder upon. We reflect on one of them. The two disciples were in deep discussion about what took place in the past days with little or no depth of knowledge of the truth. They were both trying to make sense of their disappointment without a reference point. They only had [...]
A Joyful Exile
After the Crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples spent most of their time in a kind of exile – this was seen physically – they locked themselves indoors, and this was also seen psychologically – they returned to the things which they knew, they were familiar, and comfortable with – they returned to their trade as fishermen. It was not easy [...]
If I were a rich man…
In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman is delivering milk, pulling the cart himself as his horse has taken the day off. He has a question for God: Dear God, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor But it's no great honour, either. So what would [...]
Difficult Conversations with Truth and Grace
One of the things I dislike more than public speaking is difficult conversations. According to Google, “A difficult conversation is any situation where the needs/wants, opinions or perceptions of the involved parties are diverse, with their feelings and emotions running strong. Usually the reason behind such strong feelings and emotions is that they have a lot at stake and they dread the [...]
Catholic Solidarity in a Time of COVID-19
The Covid-19 virus otherwise known as the 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease has as of the 12th of February 2020, killed more than 1,000 people, infected over more than 42,000, and reached some 25 countries, according to the World Health Organisation. The virus is thought to have originated from bats, and was transmitted to human beings via intermediary contact through other [...]