Step into the Peranakan Mass Sambot Kepala Taon Baru celebrated at Midnight of Lunar New Year and one may feel like a misplaced poinsettia pot amidst the gaily embroidered peonies of the Nonya sarong kebayas, and the festively intricate phoenixes on the Baba baju lok chuan. However, the resplendent cultural outfits are not the only markers of cultural identity that [...]
The Gospel of Matthew concludes with Jesus commissioning his disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20) [...]
The theme of the readings today centres on Love. The love of God and love of one's neighbour cannot be separated. In the first reading, Moses reminds the Jews of the covenant with God, to fear God, to follow, and to observe the statutes and commandments. In return, there would be promised blessings for obedience to the law. What does [...]
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah tells us about the tender heart of our Lord. Our Lord has a particular care for people who are marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed. He looks after us and our concerns matter to Him. We matter to Him, our identity matters. If we repent and turn to Him, He will accept us as a loving [...]
Why People Leave - A Parable There was a man, and it so happened that it was not the best of days for him. He had had a long day at work, and had exchanged a number of unpleasant words with his boss. He was on the edge of burn out, and his manager had just given him an entire [...]
The premise started off promising, but as the evening wore on, it became clear that the speaker had neglected to put in the necessary preparatory work and was merely rambling and repeating the same points in a manner that lacked logic and cohesion. This was lazy catechesis, and its lacklustre fruits could be seen around the room, as the participants [...]
In the timeline of the Earth, there have been five major cataclysmic mass extinction events that caused life on Earth to cease either almost completely or definitely. The first occurred around the end-Ordovician period around 450 million years ago. The Ordovician period was marked by a diversity of marine invertebrates. With the presence of tetrahedral spores dating to this era [...]
Many years ago, in 2015, thereabouts, I was praying at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at the Catholic Spirituality Centre when completely tired out, I fell asleep. When I awoke it was about 2 or 3 in the morning. I had missed the timing for the last bus home, and the only options were to stay on in the adoration chapel [...]
The Church is facing an unprecedented crisis that had been steadily creeping up over the past twenty years. The alarm bells should have sounded, when the early warning signs came about, but complacent in its status as a moral authority and as an institution, the Church did not pay heed to the grumblings and rumblings that were felt on the [...]
I was recently asked by a friend who is currently undergoing a difficult time, “Why must people suffer?” and “Why is there suffering in the world?” We all know the head knowledge about how suffering is redemptive, and that which would eventually lead us to deep joy when we find meaning in the suffering and when we unite our suffering [...]