SCC - Small Christian Community

Dear All

As you know, Bert & I attended the Apr & Jul PRE respectively. Lucky us, Fr Edward Lim

decided to hold a SCC (Small Christian Community) Workshop over the 28 & 29 Aug weekend. He intends to hold one after every 2 PRE sessions. As there are only 2 priest serving our parish of 10000 parishers, Fr couldn't cope...so instead of 4 PRE, we'll have 3 PRE sessions per year.

PRE (Parish Renewal Experience) is actually a very "old" concept started from Vatican II. As the catholic church is very vast, the Church, being wise, has decided to reach out to us parishioners to reconnect with our fellow catholic and build communities.

After PRE, then what? We have come to feel so much more connected to each and every member of the Body of Christ, and I must say I am a changed person. In the past, any fellow catholic "sin" used to be their problem, and not mine. I used to be indifferent. With a deeper appreciation of God's love for all of us, I cannot not feel the pain which Christ feels when a fellow catholic errs. Now, if I can do something about it, I try to be a model and initiator. If I can't act on it, I will pray for my fellow catholic. That's because whenever a part of our body is in pain, our whole body feels the pain and is affected. A fellow SCC participant so aptly shared the same feelings that I was feeling, so I know I'm not alone.

In order to give us an opportunity to build a small christian community like the very first christians did in the Acts of the Apostles, Fr Edward had given us some "training". SCC is actually our neighbourhood cell groups...but the difference is, most of us are from PRE. The danger of SCC failing is that they tend to be inward looking and exclusive. We are reminded that we are all called to be missionary and all-inclusive.

We met a couple, also from PRE, but had not attended SCC. They belong to a neighbourhood cell group. As we talked, they asked if they can sometimes join our SCC especially during Advent. I told them I actually thought we'll be joining their cell....then to my horror, they say can't, not because we are not welcomed, but their cell group comes from a certain industry. Huh? I thought...this was exactly what Fr Edward warned us about. If the cell is exclusive, it will die a natural death over time. I didn't say anything cos the cell only started last year. Whereas, we haven't even started yet. We have been forewarned by Fr though, that some will flourish, but

there will also be some who die.

Guess what, since our cell members do not belong to Simei nor Tampines, but from Bedok, Loyang and Pasir Ris, we are in the "Belonging" group! Haha....hoping to belong somewhere!! And being the "lost" child, we are so blessed to have Fr Edward himself as our Spiritual Director! Yippee!

Since 29 Aug is also Bert's birthday, we couldn't spend time as a family to celebrate it with him. However, I think it's nice to spend his birthday together with me, learning more about the early Christians struggle to give us the faith and God that we all believe in! With that model in mind, we will try to be like the early Christians, spreading the Good News so that others would be added to the flock.

We, however, did have a birthday cake for our dear Bert, the man and centre of our little family, though belated by a day :) Here's 2 shots of him with his birthday cake.

A Sad Day - 1 Elephant Nose Fish died :(

Dear All

I was so sad that one of our elephant nose fish died. We couldn't find him yesterday. Then Bert noticed that he was swimming in a zig-zag manner. He was caught amongst some cotton wool (that was holding the roots of some plants in the aquarium) at the bottom of the tank this evening.

Tiffy and I were trying to push the pump as a goldfish seemed to be stuck between the pump and the side of the tank. As we pushed the pump away, the goldfish shot downwards and away. Later, as I walked by the tank, I was shocked to see the elephant nose fish dead.

This evening, we surveyed that found the other elephant nose fish swimming amongst the plants. He looked a little pale. Hopefully he'll survive and grow big.

Our hamster, meantime, is really a sloth! Did you know hamsters are the 4th laziest creatures around? He practically sleeps all day and a major part of the night, perhaps staying up for about 4 hours darting around up his "space" station, sand-bath and wheel. He likes to sleep hanging upside down the tubes..he must think he's a bat!

Love Theresa

Sermon by Fr Ignatius Huang - 22 Aug 10

Dear All

Our visiting priest, Fr Ignatius Huang, who is also teaching our novices, gave an insightful sermon today.

Today is Lay Apostulate Sunday. The readings include disciplining is important for children to be taught was is right from wrong, and about the gospel when a disciple asks Jesus how many can be saved, and Jesus didn't reply his question but instead told him it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

The eye of the needle is the name given to the door that is opened in the night in a fortress to allow an unloaded camel to pass through. A fully loaded camel cannot enter such a door. Fr. Huang explained that Jesus didn't bother to answer such frivilous question that doesn't add any value to our lives, except to satisfy an idle curiosity. Instead, Jesus focused the disciple on how he should be concerned how he could save his soul. To do so, we need to be detached from worldly and material things. We have to know how to unload and be detached in order to enter the kingdom of God.

He said Jesus was constantly surrounded by people who ask immaterial and insignificant questions, that do help them enter the kingdom of God or make themselves better people. E.g is Peter,when told how he will die a matyers death, asked Jesus what about John. He said Jesus told Peter, to the effect of, mind your own business...don't be KPO about other people's affairs. Instead, be concern about your own affairs.

He shared that once, when he was having lunch with some priests, one of the young priests was re-telling them the question he had posed his primary school catechism children...which angel is the head of all angels...Fr was agitated and couldn't stand it, and decided to tell the young priest, what value does it add to the children to know such frivilous question except to satisfy their curiosity? A better use of the catechism time is to teach the children more about their faith. So parents, teachers and catechists, please sit up and take note!

The last story that he shared was quite moving.

A rich old man had a collection of paintings done by the masters. As his only son was killed saving another soldier at the Vietnam war, he willed that all the paintings will be auctioned off. Amongst the paintings was his favourite...the only portriate of his son done by the soldier whom his son had saved. The soldier did it as a remembrance of the man who saved him, and gave it to the father as a heart-felt gift.

When the auction started, the first painting to be auctioned off was the old man's favourite...the painting of his son, done amateurely by the soldier. The gathering of art collectors did not want the painting as it was not a masters and insisted that the auctioner moved on with the main "course". The auctioner said he could not until the first painting is sold off. As no one wanted the painting, a single hand shot up to make a timid bid. It was the gardener who served the old man and his son for many long years. He said he treasured the painting but he could only afford at most $10 for it. The auctioner asked if there were any bid higher than $10. The gathering of buyers roared get on with it. They want the real deal.

The auctioner then threw down the gravel to seal the deal, then to everyone's surprise, declared the auction over. This drew anger from the crowd. The auctioner then explained that according to the old man's will, the person who bought his son's painting gets the rest of his collection of master paintings!

The lesson Fr Huang wants us to take away was this...the kingdom of God is the same. If we set our eyes and heart on Jesus and treasure Him, we get all the treasures of the kingdom of God as well. Personally, I was touched and moved by this analogy.

Just to share this sermon with you today :)

Love Theresa

Pictures of our elephant nosed fish

Dear All

Here's some pixs of our elephant nosed fish.

(Top pix: Elephant nose fish swimming around plant. Above pix: At the pump)

Picture of our 1st hamster, Hammie....we didn't know then that he was sick. I think this was a photo of him sick...

(Above: Our 1st hamster, Hammie, sick in the sand-bath)

Pictures of our current hamster, Furball, and his duluxe home....even bigger and nicer looking than a human's home!

(Top pix: Our new hamster, Furball, chewing cheese flavoured chewies. Above : His duluxe hamster cage - home! The envy of even humans!)

We bought Elephant Nose Fish on Tue - 17 Aug 10!

Dear All

We bought a pair of elephant nose fish on Tues! What made us buy them was because they look so unique. They have long snouts, look as if they are wearing a balletrina skirt and are so tiny.

They swim like dolphins in the water. I joked with the girls that we now have dolphins in the aquarium!

Then, later on, we found out that elephant nose fish is one of the most difficult fish to keep in the aquarium. The ones we have (about 1.5cm long) are just babies! They can grow to about 13 - 23cm. Next, they are difficult to feed. They have no scales and are very shy creatures, but very aggressive to their own kind. Guess what, they emit electric charges too! Cool right?

The guy at the fish shop got an electric shock when he was trying to catch the 2 largest elephant nose fish for us. He quickly got his arm out of the water and I got hit a little by the aquarium water on my pants as he flung his hand. He got an electric shock and wondered if the aquarium light was faulty or what. He doesn't know that they emit electrical charges.

They do that at their tail in order to find food, as they have bad eyesight. Just found out (as our fish looks a little pinkish at the head and paler in colour compared to the 1st day we bought them) that they are paler when they are stressed. If they are too stressed, they'll fall ill easily and get the dreaded disease ich which though there's treatment for it, most fish will die from it.

We recently bought another 3 goldfish to add to our current 4, and 1 of the new ones died of ich.

When we returned the Tiger Oscars (as we realised later that they can grow unless 1 foot long!) but kept the smallest one, that fellow also died a few days later.

Since the elephant nose fish is tiny and shy and darts fast, I will try to get a good snapshot of it and upload it on the blog.

Meantime, I'll upload a picture taken from the internet for you to see what it looks like.

Love

Theresa

Strongly Recommended Read - The Smart Way of Loving by Father Henry Siew

Dear All

About 2 weeks ago, we attended Divine Mercy mass and a ME priest, Fr(also Dr) Henry Siew was giving the sermon. He was also promoting his newly published book "The Smart Way of Loving".

It's a summary of the experiences husband and wife journey through in married life & from his experience in counselling troubled marriages and as an ME priest....it's a very concise gist of what we, ME couples, have experienced during our ME weekend.

It's a great book to read. Easy to read & digest (I read almost half of it whilst walking on the treadmill for 40minutes). It's not "heavy" or philosophical but a handy book of advice on how couples could communicate in the language of their spouse. How to reconnect and re-kindle the love you've had when you were dating your spouse. How to love your spouse in the way they appreciate rather than the way you are accustomed to (remember the 5 languages of love?). Namely 1) Affirmative words, 2) quality time, 3) giving gifts, 4) acts of service & 5) physical touch.

So, have you been showing your spouse how much you love them lately, in the language that they understand? If you can't remember, well, either dig up those ME notes or pick up this handy book by Fr Siew. Cost only S$15. Should be available at your nearest catholic bookshop. :)

Love Theresa

A personal reflection - The speck in my brother's eye

Dear All

It's been a tiring long weekend for me.

I've suggested to a group of volunteer parents to do something for teachers' day. As with all typical NS or govt style, the one who suggest is the one arrowed to do.

Needless to say, I was kinda cheezed off. Hello? This is supposed to be a group effort and group gift to the teachers from all of us parents rite? Not Theresa's teachers' day gift to teachers!

I've learnt a few things from this experience about being catholic and living the gospel life. Firstly, thanks to PRE, I've tried turning the whole project as something done for Christ's name. I must admit that after that, I really enjoyed surfing the net for free designs and ideas, and even enjoyed seiving through the bible for appropriate quotes. I've got learn some biblical text which I had not read before like Sirach and Proverbs. So in whatever we do for the Lord, He blesses us many more folds!!

The next thing I've learnt (and sadly, it is also a mistake I myself make), is we tend to always see the speck in our brother's eye. When I sent out an email to get a decision on what quotes to use for teacher's day, instead of replying on my request, I've gotten 2 replies pointing out the mistake I had made!! I then recall the time when I did the same to a fellow parent. But I believe I was a bit more gentle, as I looked out for things to praise before I point out the mistake. Was the mistake just a minor one? If so, perhaps I shouldn't have pointed it out. I'm sure the parent then, like me, must have already realised the mistake they have already made without needing others to point it out (and done so TWICE! Aiyo...it hurts!).

Lastly, what I've learnt was best not be quick in criticising others. I was upset that hardly anyone is responding to my emails. Then our co-ordinator called me and I groused that there's no response to my emails, and she gently told me I didn't respond to another parent's email. I told her I thought I did not have to, as it was already decided what should be done, so I don't know why she was doing something unnecessary. It seems I didn't hear that she was proposing something else and she'll send out a sample. Anyway, bottomline is, instead of grousing about lack of support from other, let's initiate and be the supporter. I've tried it, but hardly get support back. However, if I change my attitude and do it for God, then the motivation is different. It's no longer from selfish human reasons, but just simply do it for the sake of God for this will make Him so happy.

Love Theresa