Goodbye Pope Benedict, hello Pope Francis

You might be wondering why it has taken me more than a month to pen down my thoughts on the resignation of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Just one reason - I dreaded saying goodbye. It is even more so when I've been so used to Benedict XVI. Eight years of pontificate - that is not a short time!

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

But I do have a confession to make. When Benedict XVI was elected Pope, he didn't appeal much to me as I was still grieving the loss of my most beloved John Paul II. Even when I saw him up close during World Youth Day Sydney in 2008, I wasn't really impressed. However, ever since I started working in the media office of the archdiocese about four years ago, I've grown rather fond of Benedict XVI. How can I not? I had to follow him almost everyday, to keep track of what was going on in the HQ - the Vatican. Since then I grew to love him and his teachings gradually.

That sudden announcement of his resignation had definitely shaken me. I still can vividly recall what happened that day. It was the second day of Chinese New Year. My friends and I were visiting another friend when I got a text message, saying that the Pope was resigning. I was having a mild headache then due to the warm weather. But after I received the message and verified that the news wasn't a hoax, my headache worsened - it was so bad that I had to take the painkiller (painkiller is never my favourite unless the pain has gone more than I can bear). Yes, it was THAT bad; I was shocked beyond words and heartbroken. It felt as if I was being disowned by my father!

While my heart wanted so much that he would stay, I knew he just had to go. I was very sad, but at the same time I admired him for his courage to admit that he could no longer carry out the petrine ministry entrusted to him. I believe he made the right decision - not that he was running away from the many scandals that surfaced throughout the years; it was the total opposite. He knew his strength was failing, and if he continued to hold on to the office, he could be the stumbling block of the Church. This humble Servant of God is a great example for all of us, especially for our politicians here in Malaysia as they fight for power among themselves.

Dearest Pope Emeritus Benedict, we can never thank you enough for the sacrifices you've made as the Vicar of Christ, as our shepherd... my shepherd. Seeing you off on 28 February was simply painful. I watched as you gave your final blessing to the crowd at Castel Gandolfo. We saw you turning away and disappearing from our sight... did you hear our hearts breaking? I pray that you will have all the rest you deserved. I'm happy for you too, now that you can live the life you've always wanted. Hopefully you will be writing more books to share your thoughts and reflections with all of us who love to read your writings. You are in our hearts always! We are joining you in your prayers for the Church and for the new Pope, your successor.

Pope Francis - our new Holy Father

I prayed intensely with and for the Cardinals ever since the resignation of Pope Benedict, and I believe many Catholics out there did the same too. I was aware of the St Malachi's prophecy. I read about a group of cardinals since Benedict XVI's time who wanted to have things their way. Not sure how true they were, but whatever I was reading and hearing definitely worried me. I feared the Church - our Church - would fall into the wrong hands.

I followed the "Smoke Watch" during the Conclave anxiously. Unfortunately, I missed the white smoke and the "Habemus Papam" announcement, but I was just in time to watch the newly elected pope on the balcony as he ended his address and blessed the people. I leapt for joy as I saw this new shepherd of mine. The days that followed were even more exciting. I took every opportunity to follow the online broadcast of his first Mass, his audiences with the cardinals and the media, his Mass at Sant'Anna church and his first Angelus. I not just read about his humility and simplicity, but witnessed it through his speeches and his meetings with the people. Well, it was all because of Pope Francis that I did not have enough sleep for the past few days!!

This is the first time for me to follow the Conclave so closely! Undoubtedly, Pope Francis is the result of my prayer and yours - the prayer of the whole Church. Perhaps, it is our unity in prayer that we come into a communion with each other. Even though we have only seen him on the screen (through live broadcasts) and we do not know him personally, a special bond between us and this shepherd is formed. We already love him although he's just in the office for a few days. Of course, this is just the beginning. We still need to be united in our prayers for the Holy Father so that he is able to carry this heavy responsibility which he accepted from the the hands of the Lord.

Christina Mead of LifeTeen in her post A Father Like Francis said it all - we need Pope Francis not only because we are Catholics, but because we "need a constant reminder how to be like Christ".

Since Pope Francis is a visible sign of Christ's authority on earth, putting our trust in him is to put our trust in the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis is an authority figure that we can feel safe placing our trust in. I have.

Source: LifeTeen

 And so have I. What about you? :)

Pondering on the paradoxes of Christ

Initially, I wanted to entitle this post "The Paradox of Christianity", only to find out later that there is another better post with this exact title.

Now, how should I put this? I knew that Christ's teachings are full of paradoxes. I do take them seriously, but have never really sat down and reflected on them. Until that one fine evening last year when the hymn "Lord, We Touch You Today" was sung during the Mass, the chorus stirred my peaceful spirit.

Here's how the chorus goes:

To live is to die, and to laugh is to cry
To live is to love with all our heart
To live is to walk and to talk in your love
And to live, is to sing in your love

(The hymn ends at 2:16. This is the best video I can find on YouTube.)

I've been singing this hymn for at least a thousand times throughout the years and yet, I only realised it that very day that I did not really understand the words of the chorus! Oh dear. What have I been doing all these years?

One of the youth leaders I know used to put it very bluntly that while the world tells us that we should live our lives to the fullest of our ability, Christ tells us that we must die everyday. The world sounds more promising and "life-giving" instead, eh?

It was Jesus who said it, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (Mt 16:25). Putting it in layman's language - if I strive to live and make myself happy and comfortable, I would lose it despite the effort put in; but if I generously give my life away for Christ's sake, I will gain life instead. Isn't that quite confusing and mind-boggling? (Ouch, my brain's hurting!)

What Jesus really meant is that, it is through dying to our self that we may receive life eternal. Therefore, "to live is to die."

Perhaps, if we just think about these paradoxes given by Jesus, they somehow do make some sense.

Without sorrow (to cry), do we know what joy (to laugh) really is?

Without love, is it still worthwhile to live?

Without death on the Cross, would there be Resurrection?

Without lowering ourselves, how can we expect to be lifted up?

Without taking up our own crosses, can we still follow Christ who has never promised us an easy life as a follower of His?

Without the heart of a servant, can a leader identify himself with his/her subordinates and thus lead them effectively?

Without giving away what we have, how can we receive anything when both our hands and hearts are full?

So the list goes on and on...

What a mystery, but our faith is built exactly on these paradoxes of Christ. Lighting Rod said it well, that "Christian paradoxes reveal deeper wisdom. Self sacrifice helps us to better appreciate the gift we have been given, and suffering gives us the opportunity to strengthen our wills and to become more Christlike."

Perhaps - just perhaps - God purposely leaves these mysteries with us to keep us wondering and searching, so that on the day we finally see Him face to face and when these mysteries are unravelled, we would experience that everlasting joy and glory He has promised, which is now far beyond the human minds and hearts can grasp.

"The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Where the journey started

(Photo courtesy of http://jporquerino.wordpress.com)

Most people would ask me this question when they learned that I was only baptised at the age of 14, “You are not born Catholic?” My “yes” would make them ask another question, “Then why such late baptism?” There’s a story behind it, of course.

My Dad is a born Catholic, while my Mom is a convert because of their marriage. When my brother and I were born, my parents decided that we should choose our own belief. So when both of us were in early primary school, my parents sent us to ‘Sunday Classes’ – Anglican’s, Methodist’s and Buddhist’s and Tao’s – one after another, in hope that we would find where we belong.

Unfortunately, none of the classes worked for me. I remembered that all I did was just cutting, pasting, colouring, drawing, learning origami and reading some texts. All the classes were boring and I learnt nothing. In the end, I refused to go to any more classes. When I was around 11-12 years old, my parents decided to send my brother and I to Catholic Catechism class. The nearest parish to where I live was Holy Trinity Church. At first, I joined the class in Chinese but having some difficulty understanding the religious terms and saying the prayers, I requested to try the class in English instead. And that was where my journey of knowing God actually began.

I remember that I was a diligent child. I did my homework and revision, learned the prayers and some basic teachings of the Church by heart, I was always the one to score the highest marks for quizzes. At the age of 12, I even taught a classmate in school how to pray the Rosary. I tried not to miss any classes because I wanted to learn even more. During those days (not sure if it’s still the same today), children preparing for Baptism had to attend Catechism class for two years before being baptised. And since I was six months behind when I first joined the class, I had to wait for two and a half years. Finally, at the age of 14, I received the Sacrament of Baptism and First Holy Communion.

I used to blame my parents for not getting me baptised when I was a baby. It was in their marriage vow, that they would “bring them [children] up according to the law of Christ and His Church.” I told them that they have broken their vow! I was angry with my parents each time I thought about it.

But as years gone by, I started to see the whole situation differently. If I were baptised an infant 30 years ago, would I still be who I am today? Would I still love the word of God this much? Would I have discovered God’s love for me and strive to be faithful to that love? Would I be able to know my Faith enough to defend the Church?

Instead of saying I chose God, I think it was God who chose me. He was the One who set me apart and gave me the opportunity to know Him. He has His own plan, in His own time. And His plans are always perfect.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...” (Jeremiah 1:5)

Our God is the One who always makes the first move: the Creator who came down to the world He created to become one of us; the Shepherd who searched for the lost sheep; the Father who ran to embrace the prodigal son; the King who sacrificed His Beloved to make us His beloved.

I thank the Lord for His love for me and allowing me to respond to this love.

A little musing on Liturgy

 A fellow friend commented on a recent happening at our parish having to do with the topic of liturgy, encountered by the Youth. I witnessed it too. Long story short, a parishioner approached the youth choir and said that the lyrics of the new Gloria (the new Mass of Light version by David Haas) they sing during Mass was unliturgical. If you like to know the whole story including my friend’s personal opinion, you may do so here.

I don’t really agree with what my friend has to say about liturgy. While I do agree that “everyone has their right when it comes to professing their faith in God in whatever ways they feel comfortable,” it’s a different story with Liturgy.

I sincerely admit that I’m not liturgically trained, but I know enough of the importance of the liturgy to help me recognise the significance and beauty of the liturgy in the Holy Mass. Here is what my simple mind, with the help of the Holy Spirit, understands it:

Liturgy includes words and texts, gestures, music, colour, vestments, furnishings, etc. – these little details are expressions of our worship. In Liturgical celebrations, the mystery of Christ is made present. Therefore, our worship brings us to encounter this mystery. In other words, liturgy draws us to God.

Here’s a translated excerpt (by VIS) of Pope Benedict XVI’s speech (on sacred liturgy, active participation, inculturation, and the Holy Mass) when he addressed the bishops of Brazil in April 2010 during his ad limina visit:

“Paying less attention at times to the rite of the Most Holy Sacrament constitutes,” he said, “a sign and a cause of the darkening of the Christian sense of mystery, such as when Jesus is not the centre of the Mass, but rather a community preoccupied with other things instead of being taken up and drawn to the only one necessary: their Lord.”

Benedict XVI emphasised that “if the figure of Christ does not emerge from the liturgy ... it is not a Christian liturgy”. This is why, he added, “we find those who, in the name of enculturation, fall into syncretism, introducing rites taken from other religions or cultural particularities into the celebration of the Mass.”

[...]

The Pope highlighted that “behind many alleged motives, there exists a mentality that is incapable of accepting the real possibility of divine intervention in this world to assist human beings. ... Admitting God’s redeeming intervention to change our situation of alienation and sin is seen as fundamentalism by those who share a deist vision and the same can be said about the sacramental sign that makes the salvific sacrifice present. For such persons, the celebration of a sign that corresponds to a vague sentiment of community would be more acceptable.”

“Worship, however,” he continued, “cannot come from our imagination: that would be a cry in the darkness or mere self-affirmation. True liturgy supposes that God responds and shows us how we can adore Him. ... The Church lives in His presence and its reason for being and existing is to expand His presence in the world.”

Emphasis added.

Source

Thanks to the Second Vatican Council, the faithful have an active part to play in the liturgy. The changes were not made so that the community can worship comfortably or to make us feel good, but rather, that the community joins the priest to celebrate together. In other words, the Mass is about worshipping God in the manner He has prescribed through the Church (i.e. the liturgy or rite). It is not about our relationship with one another in the community. This partly explains why holding hands during the Our Father prayer is liturgically inappropriate. In fact, the prescribed gestures during Mass (e.g. bowing, striking breast, priest extending hands, etc.) have their own significant meaning, which we who are not liturgically trained do not know.

Here's what the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) has to say:

(GIRM 42) [...] A common posture, to be observed by all participants, is a sign of the unity of the members of the Christian community gathered for the sacred Liturgy: it both expresses and fosters the intention and spiritual attitude of the participants.

“All of these prescribed physical gestures help make the act of worship at Mass one which involves our whole being, body and soul, thought, words, and actions. They also help create a spiritual disposition to receive our Lord in Word and Sacrament. Moreover, these gestures are prescribed, just as the readings from Sacred Scripture and the Order of the Mass are, to make the Sacrifice of the Mass a unified act of worship throughout the whole Church — in a sense, every Catholic is doing the same thing, the same way.” (Fr William Saunders, Catholic Culture).

Emphasis added.

Let's look at the above quote again. "These gestures are prescribed... to make the Sacrifice of the Mass a unified act of worship..." If the Mass is a gathering of people where unified worship is taking place, then our profession of faith is no longer just a personal matter. It is this one faith we profess that unites us as a community [common unity] of people. If in the Mass you can do what you like while I do what I'm comfortable with, then where is unity? Without unity, is there still communion?

Taking the practice of hand-holding during Our Father prayer as an example, how is this gesture able to "signify togetherness and unity" when half of the congregation chose to hold hands while the other half wouldn't want to?

We also need to keep in mind that charismatic events such as praise and worship, rallies and seminars are different from the Holy Mass. No other form of worship can supersede the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is the highest form of worship. So, introduction of gestures and words etc. into the Mass is considered extraneous. No one, including the priest, has the right to introduce, impose or even remove a rite or practice from the liturgy (Canon 826.1).

Sad but true, a lot of people including the young see the Mass as something very boring and dry. There is a Malay saying "Tidak kenal maka tidak cinta", which literally means "you don't love it because you don't know it." This same saying applies to the Mass and its Liturgy. If we do not understand or see its significance, how can we not feel bored during Mass?

We know that as human, we cannot be perfect when it comes to liturgy. More often than not, we miss out what we should do and do what we should not. Even though so, the least we can still do is try to follow the rubrics (regulation governing the Mass) as much as we can. Otherwise, this highest form of worship will lose its true meaning and purpose. And eventually, we might even lose our identity as Catholics.

Many might see these "liturgical issues" as trivial matters, but little did we realise that it is exactly these matters and our own personal views (that are not in conformity with the teaching of the Church) which are the causes of division.

Having thought the incident over for a few times, perhaps it is a good sign that that parishioner raised the “liturgically incorrect” issue. Looking at the positive side of things, it proved that some people are paying attention and are still concern whether the Mass is celebrated the way it ought to be.

Saying "I Do"

A couple of days ago, I posted a song from Youtube on Facebook and asked for the opinion of friends whether the song is suitable as Communion hymn. I am helping my brother with his wedding Mass, which is less than 3 weeks from now.

My Editor must have seen that post, so she flew me some questions through Google Chat… 

“You’re getting married?!” She asked. I could sense her excitement. 

“What I’m getting married???” I snapped. Ridiculous question, I thought to myself. 

“Hehehehehe…”  

“The only marriage I’d ever want would be when the Archbishop’s the one who places the ring for me…” 

Even before I managed to finish the sentence, her next message came on my screen. 

“Hahahaha… you wanna marry our Archbishop?” 

I almost fell off my chair! 

The ‘wedding’ that I was talking about is the Final Religious Profession (The Perpetual Profession) I witnessed on 12 May for the three Sisters of St Francis, which was held at St Joseph’s Cathedral. 

Each of the sisters knelt before the Superior General. With a lighted candle in hand, she pronounced her perpetual profession, and then kissed The Book of the Gospel as a sign of her commitment and covenant.

This was witnessed by the congregation, and the Archbishop who presided over the Mass. 

After the profession, the Archbishop blessed the rings, placed them on the sisters’ ring fingers and said to each one of them: 

“I espouse you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty Father, and may He keep you ever in His love. Receive this Ring of Faith and Fidelity, the sign of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called spouse of God, ‘in whose embrace you are already caught up; Who has adorned your heart with precious stones and has placed priceless pearls in your ears and has surrounded you with sparking gems as though blossoms of springtime and placed on your head a golden crown engraved with the zeal of holiness’ (cf. 1EpCLAg. 10-11)” 

"I espouse you to Jesus Christ..." Perpetual profession of 3 Franciscan sisters

The newly professed sisters then signed the Document of Profession, witnessed by the Superior General, two other sisters, and the Archbishop. 

Beautiful, isn’t it? 

“I vow for the rest of my life to live in chastity, poverty and obedience […] I give myself to this family freely and with my whole heart…” These were parts of the words of profession. 

Just like a wedding ceremony. But I found this ‘wedding’ to be more moving, especially when the Archbishop placed the ring on the sister’s finger and said “I espouse you to Jesus Christ…” 

“The only wedding dress I would ever want to put on is the religious habit.” That was what I said almost 10 years ago when someone asked me when would be my turn to get married. 

10 years ago! I guess that desire has never left me. Every time I was invited to a wedding Mass or/and wedding dinner, I was reminded of that special ‘wedding’. Another ‘format’ of walking down the aisle, and saying “I do” to my First Love.

I am still not sure what is stopping me from pursuing this desire. But I really hope the Lord would show me the way. If it’s really His will, I have no reason to say ‘no’. 

Lord, you know my heart. You know that I love you. 

[Please pray for me so that I’d know my vocation soon. Thank you!]