The Barefoot Journey Home

Over the last weekend, Catholics from all around the world would have no doubt become aware that the Holy Father has issued a Moto Proprio. It appears that after years of Pope Benedict acknowledging the right of all priests to celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form, Pope Francis has decided to revoke this right and impose certain restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.  Apart from the fact that the Traditional Latin Mass can no longer be celebrated in parishes, the new Moto Proprio dictates that the Diocesan Bishop must give authorisation for any priest to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, and that the Bishop must only grant such authorisation to clergy and groups who do not deny the validity of Vatican II and the Magisterium. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to accompany a friend of mine to attend a Traditional Latin Mass at a SSPX chapel. While I found the rite to be beautiful, I must admit that what I encountered at that Mass was nothing short ...

"Forgive and Forget" It's something we often tell to our children and even to ourselves. It's no secret that all of us get hurt from time to time. It's also no secret that all of us hurt others from time to time. As Christians, we know that we ought to forgive those who hurt us. Our scriptures remind us of the importance of forgiving one another in many passages and stories. The grace to forgive one another is part of the Lord Prayer, the prayer which Jesus himself taught us, the prayer which most of us pray on a regular basis.  However, is there really truth in this term, to Forgive and Forget? Certainly, we ought to forgive one another as freely as we have been forgiven by our compassionate God. But have the scriptures ever indicated that we ought to erase from our memories all incidents in which we have been hurt? I don't think so. I might be wrong, and I'm open to being corrected if so, but none of the passages in the Bible which speak of forgiveness i...

In the first reading from our scriptures last weekend, the prophet Ezekiel heard the spirit of the Lord speaking to him, sending him to the camp of the Israelites, to the rebels who have turned against God. God chose to send Ezekiel to a place where people really needed God, to a place where the people seem to have abandoned God, and abandoned their faith. Sounds familiar? Maybe because the people who live in our world today have also abandoned their faith.   Two years ago, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris caught fire. And of course, there was quite a lot of damage done. Many of our Catholics were posting on social media about how sad the situation was, and about how sad it was that such a beautiful Church had been destroyed. But how many of us actually were crying over the fact that people in Europe have abandoned their faith, rather than for the destruction of a Church which is also in fact a tourist attraction? The Churches in Europe are almost empty during Mass on Sunday. T...

I came across a Facebook post from a friend of mine last week, which brought back memories of a popular comedy from the 1970's. For those who followed the comedy, you'd know by the title of this post that I'm referring to the show Mind Your Language, a British sitcom about a group of adults from various parts of the world who come together in London to learn how speak English.  Although from the time of the previous century, this show is loved by many even till this day. I have to admit, I watched quite a bit of this show last week after coming across that Facebook post. In fact, in this day and age, many English teachers use this show to aid them in helping their students to improve their command of the English language (and this is how I was introduced to this show, as my Form Teacher showed this to us during our English lessons).  One of the catchphrases often heard in this show from one of the characters is the phrase "A Thousand Apologies" . For those who fol...

 It has been a week since the authorities in Singapore have tightened movement restrictions in response to the pandemic. From being able to dine out in groups of 8, and from being able to gather with up to 250 people in our Churches for the celebration of the Eucharist, it seems as though we are back to square one. As much as it is not a full lockdown like we had last year (as we still can have up to 2 visitors to our homes each day), but with orders to work from home and to go out only for essential activities, it has left many of us rather frustrated with the whole situation. I have to admit, I was most upset when the Taskforce made the decision to order the gyms to close, as much as I understand why this needs to be done.  As much as it is more than understandable that people are frustrated with the whole situation, I'm a firm believer in making lemonade when life gives us lemons. As much as it breaks my heart to know that I won't be able to celebrate the Eucharist with the...

If there's one thing that always strikes me about the gospel of John, it is the fact that during the passion, we see a very different side to Jesus than what is portrayed in the other gospels. While the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke show us the brutality of the passion, and how much Christ suffered out of love for us, John depicts something quite different.  In the gospel of John, we see a very calm and collected Jesus during his passion. For one, when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane with his apostles, he did not sweat blood, nor did he ask his father to remove the cup of suffering from him if it were his will. In fact, you don't even have Judas coming up to kiss Jesus to signal the authorities to arrest him. Instead, we see Jesus give himself up on his own accord. John shows us that as much as Jesus did suffer the brutality of the passion, Jesus was in control. Jesus gave his life for us on his own accord, and he did so out of love.  It's interesting that the go...

The manner in which we conduct our lives usually comes from a reference point, and in most circumstances, we are free to choose the reference point from which we make our decisions. For instance, when choosing what to eat at a coffee shop, we have a choice to take reference from the point of our cravings, from our dietary needs, or even from our budget. Every decision that we make should be made with reference to something.  This topic came up during one of my conversations with a mentor priest last week, where it came to light how sad it is that many of our parishes seem to operate from a point of convenience.  Many of our Catholics seem to have adopted the mindset that our faith is not all about following the rituals. And while I fully agree that it is not, I can't help but wonder if the way that this is pitched from the pulpit may have something to do with the fact that many of our Catholics don't seem to see the importance of understanding what we celebrate. Understanding ...

As many of you might be aware, last Sunday was Good Shepard Sunday, which is also known as Vocation Sunday. This day was instituted in 1964 by Pope Paul VI as a day to pray in particular for an increase in vocations, especially to the Priesthood and Religious Life.  Fittingly, many Catholic institutions shared posts on their social media pages to promote vocations to their congregation. I came across more than a few posts from the religious orders, encouraging young people to consider if God might be calling them to live the Gospel by their way of life. There were also posts about how one should go about discerning his or her call to a particular vocation, but one particular post stood out to me. This post was about what a vocation is and is not, and I must admit that I was rather bemused by the very first point made in the post; Vocation is NOT an Urgent Matter .  What I'm about to write in today's post might not sit well with some of you, and I'm not saying that I'm o...

Among all the clichè sayings that the human race in this day and age has grown accustomed to, there are many which Catholics ought not to be saying at all. If there is one clichè saying that annoys me more than any other, especially when used by a Catholic, this is it: "Heaven Has Gained Another Angel" .  Of course, it is understandable why many of us use this clichè. It is often used at the passing of a loved one, and these words do bring some form of comfort to those who mourn. However, for those who are well catechised, we should know that this clichè is completely out of line with our Catholic theology. It is a downright lie that we tell our grieving friends, which honestly could do more harm than good, and I think that we need to know why we should stop using it.  First of all, we need to understand that Angels are beings that do not share the same nature as Humans. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Angels are spiritual creatures who glorify God without ...

 Ever since the start of the Pandemic, even when we were allowed to resume the celebration of the Liturgy in the parishes, the Liturgy has never been the same. I can't remember the last time we were allowed to sing during the Liturgy, which is rather sad because music plays an important role in drawing us into the Mystery of Christ. The restrictions on having music in the Liturgy is also meant to keep all religious services as short as possible, so as to prevent further risks of cross contamination.  Of course, I'm not complaining about this. As much as here in Singapore, we have been able to bring the pandemic under some form of tentative control, the pandemic is far from over. The last thing we need at this point, especially with the sacred days of the Easter Tridumn around the corner, would be for a cluster to form in one of our parishes, which would lead to further implications for the entire Archdiocese.  However, as much as the safety regulations from the authoritie...

To many of us, if there's one thing that Jesus really showed during his public ministry, it's the fact that God is love. From healing the sick, to casting out demons, to giving his life on the Cross for all of us, Jesus' ministry encapsulates perfectly, the heart of God. Whilst many in the time of Jesus thought of God as an angry and vengeful God, who's wrath needed to be appeased, Jesus shows us that we have a loving and merciful God.  By no doubt, charity is at the heart of Jesus' public ministry, which continues till this day. In fact, Pope Benedict has said more than a few times that Charity is the heart of the Church. The hallmark of a true Christian isn't about how much Scriptural or Theological knowledge he possesses, but in his love for his neighbour.  However, I do wonder sometimes if we are picking and choosing how to love others as Jesus did. I do wonder if we have been picking and choosing on which elements of Jesus we want to be impacted by. Many of...

 In our readings for this weekend, we see a preview of what we are going to be celebrating as Church at the end of our Lenten Journey. We also see what we are called to become during Lent, and at end of our life here on Earth. Last weekend, we saw Jesus in his purest and highest state. The story of the Transfiguration in the Gospel needs no introduction to most, if not all of us. We know how Jesus took his disciples up the mountain, and how he was transfigured. We know how two of the most important figures from the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, were also there and conversed with Jesus. But did you know why Moses and Elijah were there?  To answer that, we need to go back to the Old Testament, and really look at the purpose of Moses and Elijah’s ministry. For Moses, apart from his mission to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, he was the giver of the law. The Jewish Torah, which is where we get the first five books of the Bible from, are in fact attributed to M...

 Let's be honest. All of us seek happiness. The world encourages us to do so. In fact, for many of us, as we get older, we care less about what others think. We buy into the mentality that those who mind don't matter and that those who matter don't mind. I must admit, I personally buy into that mindset.  It's true that self-care is important, and that we should seek to be happy. It's also true that those who are our true friends will support us in every decision that we make, even if it means giving us the space to allow us to live and learn. However, I do wonder if whether or not, in the pursuit of personal happiness, we might be compromising on the message of the gospel.  The problem with many of us is that in our pursuit of happiness, while we are right to say that we should not care too much about what others have to say (as we live in a world where no matter what we do, there'll always be somebody with something to say), but we sometimes can get a little ca...

 "If it's not appropriate at the Foot of the Cross, it doesn't belong at Mass" This is often cited by more than a few Catholics who wish to speak out against liturgical abuse. To many of such people, things such as the guitar, the piano, and even the drums in some parishes have been a cause of liturgical abuse. Many of us feel that there is a need for the restoration of the Pipe Organ and Chant, so as to restore the holiness which should be found in the Liturgy.  It's definitely true that the GIRM calls for an emphasis on Chant, and for the Pipe Organ to be held in high esteem. Quite frankly, I do feel that we should put a bit more of an emphasis on these things during the celebration of the Liturgy, so as to remind our Catholics that what is being celebrated is indeed sacred. However, does this really mean that the guitar, the piano, and the drums do not have a place in the Liturgy? Is the music from the composers really a cause of Liturgical Abuse?  While it...

 Chinese New Year is around the corner. Some of us have been shopping in Chinatown during the last couple of days, in preparation for our Reunion Dinners this weekend. Others have already started cleaning and decorating their homes. Many of us have already put in our orders for YuSheng. And most of us are looking forward to a weekend filled with family gatherings (according to the safety regulations of course), red packets, bakkwa and pineapple tarts. It is a wonderful time for many of us.  Catholics also look forward to Chinese New Year every year, regardless of whether or not they come from Chinese backgrounds. If not for the fact that the world is currently in the midst of a pandemic, many Catholics would make it a point to celebrate the Eucharist in Church on the first day of Chinese New Year. In fact, in a few parishes, those who attend Mass on the first day of the New Year would be treated to a Lion Dance performance outside the Church, when the Mass ends. Some parishes ...

It's no secret that the life of a Catholic Priest is not easy. The role of the clergy is onerous, and we often do not see how hard most of our clergy actually work, to build the kingdom of God. Our priests have generously given of their lives to the service of the people of God. It is a 24/7 role.  I've written recently about how more than a few of us are to blame for the fact that a number of our priests have grown jaded and tired from their ministry. I've also written about how some of us are at fault for the fact that many of our priests are not in the best health, both physically and mentally. However, after two incidents that I've witnessed this week, I felt compelled to remind my readers once again, that we need to be more loving towards our priests. While I am certainly not trying to play the blaming game here, it would be morally repugnant for me to sit back and remain silent on such issues. Our priests are human beings, and we ought to treat them with love and ...