Am Officially 48!

Catholicism at high altitude (Photo credit: blackenedsky)

I have just finished forty eight years of existence and now onto the forty ninth with no idea as to what the future may hold, except with some educated guesses and inferences from what goes on in the general public, the media, the life of the Church within the local archdiocese and in the world. On that, the future is challenging from all sides and certainly demands the life of a priest that goes beyond his usual comforts that he usually engages in. This is because we are heading into a culture that is deeply shaped by rejection of the Good News and by a sustained effort to live life on explicitly non- or even anti-Christian grounds.

Christmas Prelude - Of Sorts...

I am feeling a little Christmas-sy this evening.

I headed down to the parish bookshop a few doors down and got myself a 5 CDs of Christmas hymns, songs and music in this spur of Christmas spirit that seems to have pervaded my office today. One of the newly purchased CD is already playing, with the music wafting and weaving its unmistakeable magic around the room.

This was a far cry from a few days ago, or even a week ago when I had the dubious honour to be hit with the blues that made the past days rather moody and lost. I was feelnig myself getting much more irritated easily and wished I could hit out at something. I managed to reined in my emotions and decided yesterday to take a bus-ride towards ECP and did a spot of roller blading. But the ride was tediously slow due to the traffic jams that occurred along the Paya Lebar Road toward Tg Katong. Coupled with the fear that it may rain along the way, as I saw the skies were cloudy, I was getting impatient and feeling frustrated as the minutes wore on. Thankfully I finally arrived my destintion and the skies cleared and I had my first full-fledged roller blading in two years. There is this feeling of the freedom of doing something out of the usual office or ministerial work...

Part of my moodiness lies in the fact that I have been doing much fire-fighting and problem solving with the ministries currently under my care. On the surface, everyone seems nice to everyone. But scratch a little deeper, the ugliness and bitterness of the reality of politicking in any ministry begin to show. But, by God's grace (it's the only way can see how), things are slowly being worked out. They just demand a little sacrifice to walk a little way off the comfort zone a bit.

Another reason for the moodiness is the realization that I have gotten another year older and wondering what  good have I really done (my thanks to all who have given me the birthday wishes and greetings!). It is this good that Paul was beating himself over when he says that he wants to do the good that is called for in his life but ended up doing the bad instead. I can empathise with him on that.

But today, the curtain of gloom seems to have lifted up to reveal a picture of hope and freshness that takes one away from engaging in a seminar with the devil and to face the rubrics of happiness which God offers. Hence the Christmas mood of sorts. It is the reminder, once again, of how Godly power can be found in the weak, meek and lowly. Yes, it is difficult to flow with that when I am in a position that can force me to control and dictate the flow of events. Nonetheless, this is the way of the basin and water the towel. It can also be the 'lonely' way which few dare to walk on...

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44

It has been three days since I turned 44 and it became apparent to me that the number of my age is seen as something of a 'bad luck' in the tradition of Chinese superstition. Rendered in the Cantonese dialect, it literally means 'die, die'!

For me, however, because I never really bothered with such irrational fear of the unknown, there is only one way I see those numbers speak at this day and time that I am currently studying in Rome: die, die I must get back to Singapore by June 2009!

Over here are listing of some significance of the number 44. None about the Chinese superstition, though. Come to think of it, the president-elect, Barack Obama, is going to be the 44th President of the United States! Now, there's a lot of fodder you can cough up to use for another round of conspiracy theories...

Birthday Suspicions

I went for morning Mass today, being my birthday and all, to give thanks to the Almighty for my continued existence and for all the abundant blessings received. I had almost wanted to sleep in late and celebrate Mass on my own later as I have no classes in the morning. Anyway, it is a practice for the community here to mention those who have birthdays or anniversaries of their sacerdotal ordinations at the intercessions during Lauds (morning prayer) that is incorporated with the Mass.

Well, my name was mentioned as 'Ong, Aloysius', having a birthday today, in the usual manner. However, it was only during breakfast later when another fellow priest came to wish me Happy Birthday that some more other priests realised and came over to greet me too. One even asked if an intercession was made during Mass because he did not hear it.

So, this confirmed my following suspicions:
a. Most of us (sometimes, myself included) tend to sleep through the Mass, especially the morning ones.
b. Many of us (again, myself) have not known many of our fellow priests despite living under the same roof for some time (with about 200 of us, it really is quite a challenge to know all well enough).
c. The intercession made can be too garbled to be understood (it happens sometimes as the acoustics in the chapel is horrible).
d. The Italian language is still very foreign for many of us (it would be, if you are forced to undergo it under duress of sorts).

God bless you all and have a nice day ahead! :-D

(pic from humancalendar dot com)

Birthday?

As one gets another year older, there are a few ways to acknowledge this celebration of aging they call birthday:
a. celebrate as if there is no tomorrow
b. drown your sorrows with several bottles of Erdinger because you have just moved one year closer towards the natural end of your life
c. pretend that nothing has happened and ignore the occasion of your birth
d. remain sleeping in bed till the following day arrives and your birthday ends
e. -- fill in your own suggestions here --

I did none of those today, as I arose this morning at 5.00 a.m. for my Morning Office and then prepared for Mass later at 6.45 a.m. One of the intention mentioned at Mass was for the occasion of my birthday. It is the usual practice here to pray for those celebrating their birthdays or ordination anniversaries. Then for the rest of the day it was business as usual with classes, lessons, the travelling to and fro the university.

By the time I got back, it was already dark and time for dinner. A group of us headed down to the basement and we cooked ourselves a gastronomic meal that ought to outshine any usual offerings the College's kitchen can muster! :-D Amidst our eating and drinking and the camaderie that went round the table, we swop/shared stories from our priestly ministries that gave fascinating insights of how God continues to use our limited and sometimes frail capacities as humans to work and bring about miraculous outcomes. You may want to call this 'holy gossip' ;-)

In short, I allowed my occasion of my birthday to be inserted into the ordinariness of the day which acknowledges that the Father has always been the principle reason of all that has transpired. It is a waking contemplation of the Divine Love in the very heart of humanity's existence.

To those who have sent in their greetings and best wishes, a grateful thanks to all! It certainly made my 43 years of living a little less tiresome... :-)