Our Lady

I seemed to have overstretched my blogging hiatus a little, seeing it was a little under a month since my last entry....

Anyway, for all of us Catholics in Singapore, as well as other Catholics in the world, the special celebration of the consecration of the world to our Blessed Mother Mary was the profoundest moment for the Church as an act of solidarity with the Holy Father in Rome where he did the same celebration.

The Pope Who 'Jokes'

Isaiah 43: 19....

The Lenten period continues as we cross the halfway mark with Laetare Sunday last week.

With the months that went by as we make our way towards the great feast of Easter, we were given experiences that spoke of the work of God that would want to instil in us a proper sense of the dynamics of God's activity - He is still actively working in our world, as I write, and continues in His unique and mysterious manner that always circumvents all human machinations and motives.

The recent ordination of His Grace Archbishop Coadjutor William Goh at the Max Pavilion of the Singapore Expo, offers the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore (clergy, religious and lay faithful) an opportunity to move into the year ahead with renewed vision to face the challenges ahead, with the values of His Grace that spoke of passion and compassion. This stems from his motto of his coat of arms, "Ut Vivant", i.e. "that they may live..." (Jn 10: 10 - 11). Our archdiocese need to sorely return to basics and know how to care for the flock like how the father in the prodigal son parable of 4th Sunday of Lent gospel reading did, when he dealt very magnanimously and with love as well.

How Are The Ashes After Wednesday?...

We are 3 days into the Lenten season and many more weeks to go before we get to celebrate that great solemnity of Easter.

In the meantime, what we to do with that great call that comes out during this period that urges us into prayer, fasting and almsgiving? What can we do for our spiritual preparation the midst of the Pope's sudden declaration of his resignation and of the coming episcopal ordination of the Archbishop-Coadjutor?

If we follow the series of readings that began the Lenten season, starting with Ash Wednesday and moving to today's, we can draw out several important themes which we can meditate on:

Wet, Wet, Wet!

Well, Easter has finally arrived and now we move towards the Octave season with all those 'Alleluias' that seem to ring on and on until you feel that enough is enough!...

The Easter celebration here was very much like a wet blanket because since Friday night, it has been plagued by rain and the drizzle which went on non-stop till today. It was cold, wet and utterly dreary that especially spoilt my Easter Sunday outing at the Vatican piazza. Having gotten tickets to attend the Mass, I had to leave an hour before it began because of the heavy downpour. Fr Nick and myself headed for the nearest church nearby and attended Mass there instead.

Plans for taking pictures and video of the Pope's Mass went down the gutter with the rain that continued to pour and made the day a total washout. Still, I managed to take a few shots while I could before the rains came. The rest of the day after that was spend lazing around and getting some forty winks before we headed down to our kitchenette to cook for ourselves dinner.

I hope you had a better Easter! To all my family, friends, you all know who you are, Happy Easter and may your week ahead be fruitful and blessed! ;-)

(Easter pics here!)

Chrism Mass

Another outing this morning to the Vatican for the Chrism Mass, concelebrating together with the Pope and the rest of the cardinals, bishops, priests and congregation there. I shall let the video tell its own story and the pics here show the distinct flavour of the celebration that was the morning of Holy Thursday.

After that, I practically did not do much for the rest of the day...

Trying Hard Enough

A little astronomy news item caught my little eye. The story can be checked in my other blog but what caught attention is the video presentation behind this incredible project. It's what this astronomer said: "If I try hard enough, I can do anything".

I figured that this video has enough gems that show up and tell us how quick we sometimes like to give up at the first signs of any trouble or discomfort, and also how providence always works in unexpected ways and using person or persons who may not necessary be famous or prominent. All it takes is what this person said: "I don't how to do it, but I'll figure it out".

I know of a person who was beatified recently who said something along this similar lines and changed the world with her outlook and care for the poor which many had earlier said was fool hardy...

Another incredible piece of news item is a little closer up my alley. Somewhere in Rome at the La Sapienza University, the Pope's scheduled speech has been cancelled. The full story is here. I find this whole incident utterly bizarre (especially about those protesting) and I wonder if it had to do with an earlier effect reported here (which is equally mind-numbing!) . Since this IS Rome, I'm suspending all disbelieve, for now, as some Romans in the intellectual field or in the civil service are possibly good candidates for brain surgery!

One Morning...

one Wednesday morning, this week... ;-)

Città Eterna!

Buona sera! Come va? :-)

I am now safely sequestered in Collegio St Paolo (St Paul's College) on via Torre Rossa. It's the place where priests under the study scholarship in Rome stay. The other place where this kind of stay is offered is at Collegio St Pietro (St Peter's College). It just so happens that I was sent/assigned here.

So, this is the first entry since I arrived here some three days ago. The trip with Qatar Airways was rather long with a transit of about 2 hours in Doha. I spent the next two days after arriving here recuperating and slowly getting use to the people and environment. First thing you will notice is that the time difference is 6 hours behind Singapore. So the time post you see on this entry is one of evening. Hence 'sera' :-D You were probably sleeping away when I was writing this! :-)

The residents here speak Italian and their own language from where they came from. We have Africans (the most), S Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Indians (just as many), Myanmarese, Vietnamese, Thais, Indonesians and of course your own Singaporeans. I am in the midst of a cosmopolitan group here in this college. I am not that alone though. My classmate from the seminary is here, Fr Stanley Pang. He just finished his second year of Canon Law. He has been 'baby-sitting' me for this week, helping me to familiarise with the place.

I shall have to go for a 3-month Italian language course at Terni (up north) beginning next Monday. A group of us will be heading there and will spent that time to pick up and learn to speak Italian as it is meant to be ;-) During that time, I shall have to do with io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi and loro. It's back to school for grammar! :-P Hopefully when I return to St Paul's after that stint in Terni, I can order a good cup of kopi and a nice plate of mee pok ta in Italian without blinking an eye! :-D

I shall post up some pics later and there will quite a few as this place and area around here is HUGE! :-) Meanwhile, I had the fortunate time to goover to the Vatican for purpose of opening a bank account there. Being there for the 1st time and looking at the place in all it's realness was quite a breathtaking experience. Unfortunately I did not bring a camera but I should be able to get some pics later as I would be passing by that place now and then. ;-)

So, till the next one, ciao! a presto!