The Barefoot Journey Home

Last Wednesday, our Holy Father shocked Catholics around the globe when in an interview, he seems to have called for Civil Union for LGBT Catholics. In the documentary, Pope Francis appears to be in full support for allowing Civil Marriages between LGBT couples, especially when he said that they are beloved children of God, and that they have a right to a family.  It's no surprise that this statement from the Pope caused quite a stir among Catholics throughout the world. For people who know the traditions of the faith, including a few theologians, their first reaction was to denounce Pope Francis and his style. Their first reaction was to defend what the Church has taught for thousands of years. For others who approved of what the Holy Father said in the documentary, their reaction was one of full support. Many of them engaged in a war of words over the internet with the ones who tried to defend the teachings of Mother Church, and some even accused others of trying to be more Catho...

 Staying behind in Church when the celebration of the Liturgy ends is something which is quite a norm among many Catholics. For some, this is a rare chance for them to have some quiet time with our God, something which seems to be rather difficult to do during the week. For others, they know that having just received the Eucharist, they are as close as they possibly can get to our God, and they take comfort in savouring the moment. Some do it out of personal habit.  This post is not written with the intent to discourage people from spending that precious time with our God after the celebration of the Eucharist. I assure you, my dear reader, that it is not. Nor is this post written as an attempt to push any agendas. When I felt called to begin writing weekly musings and reflections at the start of this year, one key area in which I knew I was called to share with others by means of this blog is on how I practice the Catholic faith, which I dearly love. I do not write any of my ...

The worldwide situation for vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life definitely needs improvement. This is a fact. In Singapore, there are 13 seminarians who are currently in formation in the Diocesean Seminary, and there are probably no more than 20 men (and that's being generous) currently undergoing formation with the religious congregations. Within the next few years, more than half of the Priests in our Archdiocese will be above the age of 65. We certainly are facing a shortage of Vocations.  It's true that we need to get new vocations. And I don't just mean to promote Vocations and to encourage young men to give the priesthood or religious life a try. Sure, that's important. Quite frankly, I do feel that we as Church need to be more pro-active in promoting vocations. But beyond that, we need to nourish vocations. We need to provide an avenue for young people who are discerning their vocation to be intentional about their discernment journey. We need to help ...

No, I am not one of those Catholics who push for the Tridentine Mass to be the only form of worship officially recognised by the Church. It doesn't upset me when I enter a Church and see that the Altar Rails are absent, and I do not get irked when I see Catholics receiving the Eucharist with their hands. In fact, I'm all for allowing the Liturgy to be celebrated in our own languages, and I'd personally advocate for the Mass to be celebrated Versus Populum, rather than Ad Orientem.  I know that some might be starting to think I'm deluded. Or perhaps you might think that I just lied with the title of this musing, where I claimed to be a traditionalist, but in the very first paragraph of this blog, I expressed my views to be more in line with that of the mordenists. How are any of these things traditional?  In the 1960's, with the completion of the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, the Church saw a variety of changes to the Liturgy. Many Catholics were upset with...

Every year, I always look forward to the 3rd and 4th of October. For those of you who know me well enough, you'd know that these are the days where the Church celebrates the feast of my glorious patron. Each year's celebration would always be emotional for me. It always served as a source of joy, and a constant reminder of how much this man has given to me throughout my journey in life, and how much of myself I see in this man. This man is none other than Francis of Assisi.  On the night of the 3rd of October, I'd always find myself in the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, where I grew up, served, and made many friends who are closest to me even till this day. Francis always had a special love for this little church, to the point that he wanted to die there, and we'd celebrate his embrace of Sister Death in St. Mary of the Angels. On this night, after Vespers and Evening Mass, the Friars would celebrate the Transitus, celebrating Francis' transit from his life on ea...