Feast of St Bartholomew/Nathanael

Reflections following the Daily Liturgical cycle

Friday, August 24, 2007
Rv 21:9b- 14

Psalm 145:10-11. 12-13. 17-18

John 1:45-51

From today’s readings: “The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.... The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.... Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Bartholomew/Nathanael

Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.”

“There is no duplicity in him.” What a great compliment Jesus gave when he spoke thus about Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael). So often, sin sits in a stealth mode in the duplicity of our hearts, as we delight in our own cleverness in disguising our motives and misleading others in ways that are not “technically” dishonest.

To be sure, charity and humility demand something from us akin to duplicity, as we endeavor to focus on one aspect of a given action while downplaying another. For instance, if I were to make a generous donation to a charitable cause, but sought to stay out of the limelight, I wouldn’t necessarily be guilty of duplicity. However, if I flatly denied my contribution, or conversely, if I were motivated primarily by secret hopes to gain fame from it, then the charge of duplicity would be justified.

Too often, we excuse our lapses into duplicity, and can even convince ourselves of its necessity and inevitability, when the light of Christ’s Truth would remind us that the opposite of duplicity is sincerity and integrity, traits which shine so brightly in the life of Christ and are thus also found in the lives of those who, like Bartholomew, seek to follow Christ and model their lives on His example.

Courtesy of Immaculate Heart Retreat Center

A Dream

The evening star does shine,
Led by the wand'ring light;
The little girl took delight,
The feet of angels ever bright:
The moon, like a flower
In heaven's high tower,
He kissed the child
And led by the hand,
Sit down by the sea
And pour sleep without cease.

A PRAYER FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

Holy Mother Mary, we all rejoice with you today on the feast of your glorious Assumption into heaven. Long ago in the Garden of Eden, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were told that they would have to earn their bread in the sweat of their brow and that the earth would be cursed, bringing forth thorns and thistles. Now, after Christ our Redeemer has come, and taught us how to make use of the thorns and thistles of this life, and turn them into blessings, you, like Him, have been taken up body and soul into heaven. There, with your Divine Son, you await our coming, and prepare a place for us.

Mother Mary, it is a great comfort to us to realize that your precious body, the tabernacle of the infant Christ, is now in heaven with Him. Your being taken into heaven is also, like the resurrection of Christ's body, a pledge to us of the resurrection of our own bodies. It is wonderful to think that these hands, with which we earn our bread now in the sweat of our brow, will, because of the merits of Christ, one day, with our bodies, be glorified forever in heaven.

O most pure Virgin Mary, help us to realize this as we go about our work from day to day. Help us to have great respect for these bodies of ours, and for those of others because we recognize in them the temple of the Holy Spirit, and because we look forward to seeing each other, body and soul, with you and your Son Jesus Christ forever in heaven.

Amen.

The Feast of the Assumption


(Holy Day of Obligation - 15th August 2007)
Courtesy of http://www.newadvent.org

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 August; also called in old liturgical books Pausatio, Nativitas (for heaven), Mors, Depositio, Dormitio S. Mariae.
This feast has a double object: (1) the happy departure of Mary from this life; (2) the assumption of her body into heaven. It is the principal feast of the Blessed Virgin.

THE FACT OF THE ASSUMPTION
Regarding the day, year, and manner of Our Lady's death, nothing certain is known. The earliest known literary reference to the Assumption is found in the Greek work De Obitu S. Dominae. Catholic faith, however, has always derived our knowledge of the mystery from Apostolic Tradition. Epiphanius (d. 403) acknowledged that he knew nothing definite about it (Haer., lxxix, 11). The dates assigned for it vary between three and fifteen years after Christ's Ascension. Two cities claim to be the place of her departure: Jerusalem and Ephesus. Common consent favours Jerusalem, where her tomb is shown; but some argue in favour of Ephesus. The first six centuries did not know of the tomb of Mary at Jerusalem.

THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION
Regarding the origin of the feast we are also uncertain. It is more probably the anniversary of the dedication of some church than the actual anniversary of Our Lady's death. That it originated at the time of the Council of Ephesus, or that St. Damasus introduced it in Rome is only a hypothesis.

A new hope is born....

On the 4th of August 2007, A little boy namded Thomas was born. He was to be the first son of Simon and Louisa..

How happy and blessed they are.... to have been blessed with a gift from God... a Son....

Yup yup.. You've guessed it!

Simon's Kid is out of the tummy!! He's happily born!!!

Congratulations Simon and Louisa on this very special day..

Those who wanna catch a glimpse of the yan dao kia, Thomas, go look for Simon!!!

REACHING OUT IN ONE SONG


There's a concert to be held in the Church of St Mary of the Angels.
This is to raise funds for BEYOND SOCIAL SERVICES & FRANCISCANS INTERNATIONAL.
If you'd like to go, don't hesitate to give your sponsor a call. He/she may go with you too!

Venue: Church of St Mary of the Angels
Time: 8pm
Cost: $10, $20 and $50 donation tickets

Wanna go?!

FESTIVAL OF PRAISE 2007




Hey guys, the Annual Festival of Praise is back in Singapore.
This year they have Delirious, Don Moen, and Dr Phil Pringle. This Christian event used to be something that we would go for every year!!


You interested to go?
I think it starts tonight...
heee

A bit late right?


But well... those who are keen, the tickets are free...
In fact, there are no tickets needed.
Just have to be there early to get good seats.

And I tell you... I love Don Moen... His songs are inspiring...
I suppose you might like delirious too!



Sms your sponsors if you're planning to go k?

WOnder who's going though..