This Sunday 1st April 2007 is Palm Sunday

The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy Week. It celebrates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Great crowds of people thronged the streets waving palm branches to welcome Him. The people shouted "Hosanna" and laid their cloaks and palm branches from the nearby trees in His path.


Scripture Reading
Matthew 21:1-11,14-17

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read," 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

After this week comes

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

Holy Saturday

Easter Sunday

Look out for the stories about these days coming up on this blog!!

Lenten Penitential Services 2007

CITY DISTRICT
CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE - Monday, March 26: 8 pm
CHURCH OF SS. PETER & PAUL - Tuesday, March 27: 8 pm, Sunday, April 1: 1.30 pm (Chinese)
CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL - Wednesday, March 28: 8 pm
CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES - Thursday, March 29: 8 pm
NOVENA CHURCH - Monday, April 2: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. TERESA - Tuesday, April 3: 8 pm

EAST DISTRICT
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR - Monday, March 26: 10.30 am & 7 pm, 9pm
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY - Tuesday, March 27: 10.30 am, 7 pm & 9 pm
CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY - Wednesday, March 28: 10.30 am, 7 pm & 9 pm
CHURCH OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE - Thursday, March 29: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. STEPHEN - Friday, March 30: 8 pm

WEST DISTRICT
CHURCH OF ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS - Monday, March 26: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. IGNATIUS - Tuesday, March 27: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI - Wednesday, March 28: 8 pm
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS - Thursday, March 29: 8 pm
BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH - Friday, March 30: 8 pm

NORTH DISTRICT
CHURCH OF THE RISEN CHRIST - Monday, March 26: 10.30 am & 8 pm
ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH - Tuesday, March 27: 8 pm
CHURCH OF CHRIST THE KING - Wednesday, March 28: 10.30 am & 8 pm
CHURCH OF OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA - Thursday, March 29: 8 pm
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - Friday, March 30: 10.30 am & 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. ANTHONY - Monday, April 2: 8 pm

SERANGOON DISTRICT
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BVM - Tuesday, March 27: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER - Wednesday, March 28: 8 pm
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY - Thursday, March 29: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. ANNE - Monday, April 2: 8 pm
CHURCH OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL - Tuesday, Apr 3: 8 pm

Courtesy of Veritas

haha this is a long awaited and overdue post but anyhow here goes =D!! haha and i shall let the photos do most of the talking la hehe :)..

RCIY HIKE 2007 - 04.03.2007

firstly, BIG THANK YOU to the hike I/Cs Daryl, Freddie, Daphne and of course, by default Jasmine :)..

Start of hike at Bishan Park

haha as you can see, all of us look so refreshed and energized hahaha.. then we slowly made our way to our next pit-stop: SHELL STATION.. along the way we got randomly paired up and we had to interact and get to know each other better.. and we got quizzed about our partner after that HAHA!

(and MUAHAHA i ace-ed the quiz la wheeheehee =P)

short cam-whoring session :)... doris was really excited about borrowing simon's cap to pose and take pictures hahaha..

more walking and getting-to-know-each-other-better =D

at our 2nd pit-stop (Casuarina Road Junction), we got handicapped! some of us were tied at our wrists, while wee seng and eugene had their arms tied together haha..

and after a while, we got handicapped further!! poor doris and alastair got blindfolded =X.. but no worries cos iggy and i were there to guide them along :).. along the way we were also asked to look around and pick out an item that would represent us, and we were to share about it later.. (so as u can see, iggy is posing very lame-ly with his leaf HAHA)

at the gate of Upper Pierce Reservoir, we took a very short break as we each shared on why our chosen item represented us, afterwhich all the inquirers had to individually and silently walk to the next junction so that they could do some quiet reflection on their own..

(some of the inquirers were distracted by the numerous cute little monkeys at the second half of the journey though hahaha)

the next pitstop was at the carpark of Upper Pierce Reservoir, where we had yummy--licious chicken rice and ice-cold sugarcane juice for lunch, courtesy of joy and jasmine :)!!

the next activity for the day was the very tiring but fun TREASURE HUNT!! it was conducted stations-of-the-cross style, and we either said a short prayer, or had a sharing question at each station..

but obviously, we first had to source for the clue based on the photo that we got from the previous station, and our Mister Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson of the day was WEE SENG and ALASTAIR =D!!! wahhhh they could find the clues at all the ultimate hidden places la haha :))..

and the photo below shows THE HORRIBLE AND TIRING slope that we had to climb up and down TWICE!! it isnt as easy as it looks, especially under the hot and scorching sun which literally drains you of all your energy!!!!!!! haha..

To wrap up the hike experience, here is the summary of the day and some self reflections:

When we decided to proceed with the hike, I’m sure all of us had doubts as to whether we could do it, where we’d go and what we’d be doing. Some of us may even be thinking about what if I needed to pee, what if I got injured, what if it rained? Many many “What ifs” would have come to our minds.
But we still tried and persevered.

I’d like to draw your attention to how we kicked off the journey from Old Upp Thomson Road. By that time, I’m sure we’d be thinking how far we are going to go. We started to talk to each other, in an attempt to distract ourselves from the difficult journey that is to come. Some of us chose to keep quiet and distract ourselves with other thoughts.

Unknowingly, when we had arrived at the Casuarina Rd Junction, It got worse. Some of us got blindfolded, crippled and handicapped. This was going to be a long day.

Reaching the Lower pierce Gate, Some would have already wanted to give up. Silently walking up and down the slopes really took the breath out of us. Who was going to help me? I need to talk. I need to vent myself. But I can’t!!! HOW LONG MORE!?!?!

Finally we reached the lunch point. It was so so so tiring..

What we had to go through was just a little taste of what Jesus had to go through. Think of the time when he was humiliated, slapped, tortured, laid with a heavy burden, thirst, fell and didn’t have anyone to talk to except God.

Think of this: Did anyone of you think of praying to God during this journey?

The treasure hunt was made so that we can understand what Jesus went through before he died. And to allow us to be able to relate to his sorrow with our troubles.

Sharing with each other is the way that we have been taught. We are a community, and a family of God. Sometimes, I won’t be able to see God or feel him. But when I share, another person may have a similar experience and was guided by God in his / her after-actions. Sometimes, Listeners may even be inspired by God with a message for the sharer.

It is when we are the weakest, Jesus is there.
It is when we are the most tired, that Jesus is there.
It is when we are sad, Jesus is there.
It is when we listen, that we can feel him.
That does not mean that Jesus isn’t there at other times, but we need to be empty. To empty ourselves of our troubles, worries, thoughts, then we are able to listen.

Hence, Let us, during this period of Lent, repent on our wrongdoings and lift our worries to God. So that Jesus can be there for us and to lead us and comfort us.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED :)!! EVERYONE MADE IT =D!!

even though we cldnt finish the last few stations as the rain was quite heavy towards the end, i feel a sense of accomplishment for completing the hike :).. haha and im sure everyone who attended the hike share the same sentiments as me =D!!!