Ahead...

Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy: The Three Wise Men" (named Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar). Detail from: "Mary and Child, surrounded by angels", mosaic of a Ravennate italian-byzantine workshop, completed within 526 AD by the so-called "Master of Sant'Apollinare". (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are in the New Year and I am facing a new academic year ahead.

The Feasy of the Epiphany revealed the infant child Jesus to the world represented by the Magi who offered the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh.

Revelation, newness and an anticipation of what the year ahead can offer.

What is your outlook for the year 2014 ahead?

Cusp of the New Year

Descending... (Photo credit: Annoysius)

She walked out by the Seminary's porch area, awaiting the transport which will take her to work. With a smile on her face, she said, "It is the eve. We are at the cusp of the New Year!"

Indeed we were.

We just finished about of spiritual direction (SD) and there were several matters we discussed which we set in place for her to get into the New Year on a better footing. Instead of just allowing the year 2014 to enter with a whimper, it would be better to make attempts to renew her position to greet it with a better perspective of life she would like to have as a person and a Christian that can make a difference in a world of today.

2013 Resolutions

Forget your usual attempts at thinking up resolutions for the New Year. Here are some better and practical manner to get more mileage on any resolutions you can ever make to have a more blessed and fruitful year for 2013:

2013 is Here!

Happy New Year! (Photo credit: erjkprunczýk)

A Blessed and Happy New Year 2013 ahead! Stay well and keep on doing the good work God has started with you!

Related articles

• Out With The Old, In With The New - Happy 2013
• As we say goodbye to 2012 & welcome 2013
• The World Didn't End, Bring On 2013

Fly Kites!

The next time someone tells you to "Go fly kites!", you can get in touch with these gentlemen at Ponggol End, aka Ponggol Promenade, to teach you how to!....

Welcome to 2012 and may your new year be fruitful and blessed!

Into 2011

Image by Yulian Firdaus via Flickr

In the midst of arriving back to Singapore and having to look into the various administrative work needed to be done, I have been unable to provide anything substantial here.

I have also allowed the New Year to slip by unannounced!

It has been 5 days already since we crossed into 2011. I am in the midst also of shifting into my new quarters, one floor down from my temporary rooms upstairs. Renovation work has been rather slow, with all the contractors and workers being taken up by other projects even as they hurry to finish my rooms - office and sleeping quarters. So far, only the office area has been, more or less, completed and is being use now - writing this, especially! The sleeping quarters, well, it seems like be fully functional and be able to live in by early next week.

Meantime, it is the New Year, so we make the best of everything.

Up to Speed...

Alright, I am catching up on the past week of inactivity and to come up to speed over the days where we are already in full swing into the year 2010.

1. That is about 2 years away from the 'impending disaster-end-of-the-world' event - if you believe that nonsense....

2. This year marks the time in April when the catechumens from the RCIA journey of the parish of IHM will make their life-changing decision as to whether they want to approach the waters of baptism. I spent the last weekend with them at a retreat in the Majodi center, together with Fr Joseph Tan. The retreat master was Bro Collin Tan from the La Salle brothers (at St Pat's). Sis Susan Thomas, fmm. joined in the  fun too! In all, everything went well and the catechumens were greatly touched by the graces and presence of God that profoundly marked the occasion.

3. I begin teaching again in the Seminary with an additional course to my schedule, taking my presence in there up one notch. My teaching days now are on every Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Thankfully I don't start my Tuesday and Friday classes, i.e. on Salvation History, till the second quarter, i.e. late March. This gives me a little more time and breathing space to further do up my new course for the Monday classes. I managed to survive my teaching ordeal last Monday with 9 seminarians on the topic of Mystical Theology. Just barely!

4. Oh, I have found an old friend (always wondered what she gotten herself up to after Reuters...)  and her family, whose doctor-husband (Leslie) operates a fascinating food blog. So, next time I want a GP or a friendly tip on which great places to go and get a  good bite, I know where to look!

5. We are in Ordinary times in the Church's liturgical calendar... I need to do up an article for this weekend's bulletin. I haven't figured out what to write on yet and I am getting desperate! (update, 1.10pm - managed to do up that article!)

Relak Lah and Happy New Year 2010!

I thought I'd do this later in the day of the new year but in the end after much procrastination, I decided to just put this here now or else I might just forget all about it.

The New Year of 2010 is upon us and it is time for a good look at ourselves to shed off our old and useless ways and to adopt and take on a better outlook in our lives for the good of the person and dignity that we are before God.

I had spent dinner with my godson's family on New Year's eve and when I introduced my Macbook Pro Photo Booth software to play around with, they came up with a series of fascinating and utterly guffaw wrenching shots that I can't help but feel that they have shown a way for our lives to enter into the new year - with great simplicity of joy and laughter that permeates our very being which help us look at the world with a touch of humour and light-heartedness.

Happy New Year to one and all!

A Blessed 2009!

Happy New Year!

We have now crossed over to 2009!

It has already been a little over a year already since I first set foot here in Rome. It seems only like yesterday that I was packing my bags and flying off to the Eternal(ly crazy) City and now I have only 6 more months left before I can finish my tour of duty here and head back to Singapore.

Meanwhile, as we let go of 2008 and look towards 2009, I know for some, it may be an exercise in futility to look or hope for a more peaceful and tranquil year for the world in the midst of all the current strife and killing we see all over. Would 2009 be any different from 2008? Is it going to get worse instead? Is there chance for real peace to come about? Your guess is just as good as mine.

Whatever you may feel about the new year ahead of us, I believe we need to be more positive and constructive about it all and not fall into the trap of letting those bleak scenarios lead us into despair and pessimism. Yes, we all will certainly face some form of trials or difficulties. Perhaps some are already feeling it already. However, I am reminded of a very positive verse which is also abound with truth. It is found in chapter 8 of Paul's letter to the Romans. While he was encouraging them to keep to their faith and to know what life in the Spirit is all about, he ended with this consoling verse:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8: 38 - 39)

So, keep on to that verse whenever you feel a little down and be assured that eventually all will be set right. We just do the best we can in our own small little way to contribute to make the world a little better place for all.

Have a blessed and fruitful New Year ahead and may the blessing of God's peace and love be with you all!

Can It Be Any Worse?...

It's already the 7th day into the new year and this would be my first entry for 2008!

As I look at the days and months that went by, I am happy to see that I have just clocked up a little over 6 months of my stay here in Rome for studies. That means it is, about, another year and half left before I can get to really pack up and head back to the Garden City. :-)

Meanwhile, exams are looming and the subject to kick of this off for the examination weeks would be on the 30 January! Not that far away... I have a total of 6 subjects to be be examined on. I am now wondering how am I going to get through all that with a mind of an aging adult who has seen better days.... I am unable to retain memories as I used to before :-P But I need to pick up pace on my revision if I want to be sufficient ready for the dreaded exams.

On the other side of things, I have noticed that I haven't complain so much in my entire life till I came to Rome. It must be the 'super efficiency' effect of Singapore that is taken for granted by those of us living in the city-state which riles against all things inadequate or incompetent. It takes at least a month for any letter or package to reach its intended destination in Rome. Not that the journey takes a long time for the item to reach Italy but it is that the item under the ministration of the so-called postal service here takes its own sweet time to get distributed and sent out to the places it is suppose to go! Most, if not all, my mails/package thus far took an average of a little over 1 month to arrive. Imagine, I received the Archbishop's Christmas card for Fr Stanley and myself two days ago, on Saturday! I am just glad that the items arrived in one piece or that they arrived at all! Living here in Rome can be very trying on the dignity and competency of one's mind. You just do not know what these Romans will do next...

Enjoy your New Year and may it be a blessed one!

Waiting for an End...

For some, especially those of you in Singapore, it is already 2008. Here, as I pen this, it is still 2007 and with two and a half hours left to go.

How fast the year seems to have flown past, you may say. Perhaps, it is because we don't really expect it to end so soon! ;-) However, since I am here in Rome, I am desperately waiting for the days to go by quickly, so that I can head back to Singapore and not worry about:

a. not receiving letter/packages from Singapore because they get utterly lost in the local mail when they get here
b. the thought of walking to the university because of the transport strikes that can happen anytime
c. the thought of walking back home from anywhere because the buses stop after midday because it is public holiday like Christmas and New Year
d. having to wear layers of clothing to fend off the cold and have to bear with rashes because of these layers of clothing

In about two hours from now, a small group of Malaysians and myself will be celebrating our own New Year mass of thanksgiving as we welcome 2008. I am just thankful that I have managed to stay alive through the year 2007 and make it, albeit a little knocked up here and there, into 2008!

So, what was I wanting to say?... Oh yes! Have a blessed New Year and catch you all in 2008! :-D

(Fr Wilbert - India [l], Fr Nicholas - M'sia [far r], Fr Paul - India [back]. taken in kitchenette at basement)