Happy Easter !

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I read in one of the forum recently that someone claimed that celebrating Easter is "against God" and only Passover should be celebrated. How ridiculous!

HOLY WEEK COMMEMORATES the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. The Church helps the faithful to focus on Jesus by highlighting the significant events that preceded Jesus’ death on the cross. These are done with special liturgies on Palm Sunday (when Jesus enter Jerusalem), Holy Thursday (the last supper and washing of feets) and Good Friday (when Jesus was cruxified).

How can these be "against God"?

Easter mark the start of a new liturgical season. Though not part of the Holy week, it is the first day of a new liturgical season. The first celebration of Easter takes place at Easter Vigil, celebrated on the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday.

And on Easter, we celebrate the risen Christ, the resurrection of our Lord. As St Paul said: "If Christ had not risen, our faith is a delusion, is empty! Our life does not make sense! Christ redeemed us by His death and resurrection. We believe in Jesus who was handed over to death for our sins and raised up for our justification." (Rom 4:25)

As Archbishop Nicholas Chia said in his Easter 2009 message:

"Through Christ's death and resurrection our sins are taken away and new divine life has been given to us.

And so, dear friends, as we live the Easter mystery, we have the light of the Risen Lord in us ONLY when we recognise, respect and love each other as brother and sister in Christ. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark" (1Jn 2:8-9)

Christ is risen and He wants to light up our lives. Let us hare this joyful message with our fellowmen."

The inspring story of Anthony Payne and the love of his son Ralph.

Here is an inspiring story of Anthony Payne taking part in his first triathlon to raise funds for the Asian Women's Welfare Association School - a school for disabled children.

Another reason for this being special is the fact that Anthony is taking part in the triathlon together with his 10-year-old son - Ralph Payne.

Well Ralph is not just another restless, playful and energetic kid but one with severe learning difficulties and is also unable to walk without help. His condition is so rare that no doctor has been able to diagnose his disorder.

Imagine Ralph and Anthony taking part in a triathlon!

In the triathlon on April 19, after completing the swimming segment, Anthony will be running while pushing Ralph along. And for the cycling leg of the race, he has modified a bicycle he had bought from Denmark.

A triathlon is so challenging and demanding that not many would be keen to take that on. And Anthony has been training only for the last two months for this physically demanding challenge. But what is his biggest source of inspiration?

According to Anthony: "When I'm out with the push chair and the bike, he (Ralph) looks back at me and gives me an absolutely beaming smile and that's all I need."

A simple enough reason to overcome even the most impossible odds.

It's all about love, unconditional love that a dad has for his child.

The father and son team are taking part in the triathlon not just to raise money for the school but also to change perceptions in Singapore about disabled children.

To support their cause, you can go to the website at www.donation.org.sg.

Renovation contractors' body doing God's work too

Image by Dystopos via Flickr

After blogging about NTUC Fairprice Foundation doing God's work, now the Renovation contractors' body is also stepping in to help those in need by making their home improvement dreams come true. This despite their business being hit by the recession.

The news about loving and helping your neighbour during this season of lent is indeed inspiring and comforting.

Read all about the story here and God bless you!

It's Good Friday

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It's Good Friday and Christians flocked to churches to mark the day they believe Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and died.

The Catholics churches was stripped of all decorations and no music - on a day meant for prayer, fasting and abstinence.

There will be a celebration three days later on Easter Sunday, Christ is resurrected.

Charity and religious organisations are not wealth-generating engines

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A reader of Straits Times, Mr Paul Chan has written to the forum stating "It can't be about top dollar for top talent". What prompted him to write was the special report, 'Medical charities the best paymasters' (March 30), stating pay brackets of up to $300,000 for heads of medical charities and up to $550,000 for chiefs of large religious groups.

This bring to mind the so called mega churches whose self proclaimed pastor is paying themselves handsome salary in the name of God. Well, I am not against paying pastor and church workers well but to the extend of living in luxury of semi-D and conti cars is far too much.

Read about what the buddhist says about paying clergy here.

The reason ? "Charity and religious organisations are not wealth-generating engines. It is against the principle of charity and spirit of religion if office-holders reward themselves excessively from donated funds meant for targeted beneficiaries". So where does your "tithes" goes to?

And one of the mega church even goes to the extend of using donations to build business and property investment. It is ok to build a church for worship purposes but it is another thing to risk funds that should go to helping the needy into investments. Returns are likely to be "boosted" about and reason why the pastors should be paid even more....

So let's hope all these people can wake up and if you are one of such people's supporter, please do reflect.

Read about the full article here and you post your comments.

NTUC FairPrice Foundation doing God's work

The efforts of a small group of Singapore volunteers who help newly-arrived migrant workers received a huge boost on Monday.

NTUC FairPrice Foundation donated S$300,000 to the Archdiocesan Commission for Pastoral Care of Migrant & Itinerant People or ACMI. It is the largest donation ACMI has received in its ten-year history.

Read all about it here.

This donation send a message to us all that we should not forget our neighbour because when you do it to the least of one of my brothers, you do it to Me.

As Seah Kian Peng, NTUC FairPrice's managing director (group business), said: "Our priority is to the local workers first, but at the same time, we do not forget the foreign workers. And today's project is an example (of) how foreign workers are also an important group of the population that deserve our help."

If you too would like to help, you can contact ACMI and their website can be found at http://www.catholic.org.sg/acmi/

God bless you!

Celebrating Palm Sunday

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This week we celebrate Palm Sunday and following passage taken from Catholic News:

In 1969, Pope Paul VI gave Palm Sunday it's full name - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.

Palm Sunday has two focal points. The first is re-enactment of the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem; the second is the reading of Jesus' Passion.

Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey and his welcome by people waving palms is mentioned in all four Gospels (Mk 11:1-11, Mt21:1-11, Lk19:28-44, Jn12:12-19). The palm leaf is symbolic of triumph and victory in Jewish tradition.

The Church celebrates this event by holding a procession of clergy, acolytes and parish choir, and have the congregation wave palm leaves to symblolise the welcoming of Jesus.

Lea Tan from Church of the Holy Spirit, who had held her first palm leaf when she was an Elect, said, "I tend to feel guilty welcoming Jesus knowing that He will soon be crucified by us."

Indeed, the jovial mood then changes to one of sobriety as focus is switched to the cross and Passion of Christ. Palm Sunday memorialises the increasing hatred against Jesus from those who would not accept him.

The Passion Gospel is read by several readers; the priest normally takes the part of Jesus and the congregation, the Jerusalem mob.

Many Catholics consider this one of the most moving liturgy of the year. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion and helps the faithful to realise that we are accomplices in Jesus' crucifixion through our sins.

This sense of being involved is felt keenly by Agnes Tan from Chucrh of Christ the King. "Each time I say 'Crucify Him', I feel a sense of guilt," she says. "But I continue, as I take the 'guilt' as my penance and price for wanting a share of Christ's redeeming of my sins."

30,000 needy children and youth get help

Despite the economic downturn, SingTel Touching Lives Fund is determined to raise money for APSN Tanglin School, Autism Resource Centre, Fei Yue Community Services, Milk Fund, Singapore Children's Society and Students Care Service.

The money will go towards helping 30,000 needy children and youth. It was raised through various activities like golf tournaments and fun fairs.

In 2008, the fund managed to raise a total of S$2.2 million for its six beneficiaries and some S$14 million since the fund's inception in 2002.