A Lesson on Prayer In May 2008, my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. At the point of her diagnosis, the cancer had spread to her liver. Doctors gave her just six months to live if no treatment was sought. Her treatment options were limited and at best, palliative. I was devastated by the news and [...]
Mothers hold their children’s hearts for a lifetime “Mummy can you keep quiet”, “Mummy I need money”, “Mummy I need help”. How many times do we recall ourselves saying all these to our mothers? And how many times do we recall ourselves being truly grateful for their presence in our lives? Well, I guess many of us tend [...]
Jesus is My Home Have you ever dreaded going for a Catholic retreat? I have. That was how I felt going for SHINE. It’s a 4D3N combined tertiary retreat organised by Office for Young People (OYP), where Catholics from different polytechnics, ITE, and those pursuing diploma studies come together to not only improve our relationship with God, but [...]
Come Away with Me The Repentance Experience was a great retreat which allowed the participants to experience how the early Christians celebrated the Easter Triduum in the catacombs. As participants, we reflected on how the disciples of Christ felt when Jesus was crucified and their thought process after His death. We were brought into the columbarium (catacombs) after [...]
重生在耶稣基督里 约翰 (陈斌) 分享了他选择参加慕道班的原因 说实话，刚开始我连听都没听过，不知道要想成为天主教徒要参加慕道班，也不知道什么叫领洗，更不知道要领洗后才算真正的天主教徒。我以为只要去教堂就是天主教徒了。后来，只是偶然间听陈松兄弟跟别人提过一次慕道班，那时候不知道什么是慕道班，所以也没在意。那时我以为我是天主教徒了，所以，也就这样我几乎每周日都会跟陈松兄弟一起去教堂。直到半年后，有一天晚上陈松兄弟就跟我说，叫我最好去参加慕道班，说这句话的时候我其实没什么感觉，因为那时候还不知道什么叫慕道班。然后陈松兄弟又跟我说了一句，去慕道班学点道理，这句话触动了我，我连考虑都不考虑直接说可以。不过很不巧，我那个月都是上夜班，然后就跟陈松兄弟说等下个月。可是呢，说来也奇怪，一周后的周五早上，慕道班的陪同员永隆兄弟给我发简讯，问我这周日能不能去教堂吗？那时候我没回复他，当天晚上我还在上班，永隆兄弟就给我打电话，还是问我这周日能不能去教堂。我跟他说这个月我都是夜班，所以就没答应。第二天晚上，陈松兄弟就来叫我周日跟他去下教堂，先报名参加慕道班，我心想只是报名那没问题。可是，让我没想到的是当天报名当天上课，就是这样，稀里糊涂的上第一节自我介绍的课。这也是我头一次跟慕道班的人接触，虽然人不多，但我发现他们都好好呀。那时我就下定决心，我一定要来参加这个慕道班，同是我也明白了，主的召叫，主的安排，你想拒绝或推脱那是不可能的。 约翰 (陈斌) 对他的慕道班旅程的想法 自从我知道什么是慕道班之后，我就一直很期待每周日快点到来，因为我发现我喜欢上了慕道班。确实就像陈松兄弟说的，我从中学到了很多东西也学到了一些道理。慕道班的每位讲员都讲的很好，我很喜欢听他们讲课，还有慕道班的每一位兄弟姐妹的分享都让我从中学到一些东西及道理，真是让我受益匪浅呀。虽然课程越往后越深，但是大致上我都听得懂，不懂的也可以在分享中等到解答。其实，有的时候分享就是最好的学习，在慕道中也让我明白了，为什么要领洗后才能算是真正的天主教徒。当我明白领洗的涵义的时候，我都有点小激动了，就想着快点领洗。当时我在想，是不是主的感召呀？既然会让我都有点小激动了。当然，在慕道中也有让我印象最深的课程，那就是刚开始慕道的前几节课，然而这几节课讲员既然都是思聪兄弟，其中印象最深的是思聪兄弟讲过的两句话，第一句：不要为了领洗而领洗，第二句：信则有不信则无，还有就是Veronica讲的婚姻圣事，让我明白耶稣的爱是多么的伟大，也让我明白爱的真谛。 约翰 (陈斌) 解释了他洗礼后的感受 其实，在刚开始上慕道班的时候，思聪兄弟就有跟我们讲，只有领洗了才是真正的天主教徒。那时候我就开始渴望领洗了，抱着一种只想要领洗的想法，想着快点成为天主教徒。但是后来，思聪兄弟又跟我们讲了一句，不要为了领洗而领洗。突然间，我就意识到了，这是一个错误的想法。当时，我就做了决定，我要认真的学习慕道的每一节课。随着课程越来越往后，深度也越来越深，对于主耶稣也是越来越了解了，参加弥撒的次数也就越来越多，同时看着他们领圣体的次数也是越来越多。当时我心里就在想，什么时候我也可以领圣体？那种感觉你们应该明白。随着时间的推移，主耶稣对我的爱，我也是体会到了，在复活节即将来临之际，让我参加洗脚礼，还有体验主耶稣的受难，更加让我进一步的了解主耶稣。终于在4月1日也就是复活节那天，我们迎来了两件圣事，圣洗圣事、坚振圣事。复活节那天是我重生了日子，我很激动，也很开心，内心有种说不出来的喜悦。同时我也在想，我终于也可以领圣体了。我也很感恩，感谢主召叫我加入这个大家庭。从这一刻起，我就是真正的天主教徒了，感谢主的恩宠，感谢圣神的降临，同时也很感谢慕道班的兄弟姐妹陪同员及讲员，也感谢我的代父。因有你们的陪伴，在这近一年的慕道里，我学习到了很多，也让我认识了主耶稣。 采访和文 : Julianne Lim | 编辑和英文翻译 : Charlene Sng Faith Stories Encountering God Testimonies Reflections Parish Buzz Liturgical Reflection
Grown Men Don’t Cry After being diagnosed and treated for two types of Cancer in 2010-2011, I wrote my own book to help others who may be going through the same struggles. In the book titled Grown Men Don’t Cry, I share how I had to put on a mask to go through the emotional ups and downs, [...]
Speak Lord, Let me Hear your Voice I am a wonderfully-made special child of God and an Alleluia person! “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have no known.” – Jeremiah 33:3 My soul had been thirsting for the longest time to be still and hear God’s [...]
‘For the whole creation is waiting with eagerness for the children of God to be revealed. …..We are well aware that the whole creation, until this time, has been groaning in labour pains. And not only that: we too, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we are groaning inside ourselves, waiting with eagerness for our bodies [...]
Change, Conversion and New Beginning When I first heard of Lenten Reflections, a programme for us to journey together in these 40 days of Lent, I did not hesitate to be a part of it. As a cradle catholic I had never participated in such a programme before in Church and all my previous lent experiences have been [...]
God is Within Her Before the 2018 prayer workshop for teenagers, I had always felt the need to excel in whatever I did - my academics, my co-curricular activity and many other external activities I had. I thought that only when I was outstanding enough that I would be loved by God and the people around me. I [...]