Friar’s Musings: Friar Clifford Augustine, OFM
CHURCH OF ST MARY OF THE ANGELS
5 Bukit Batok East Ave 2, Singapore 659918 | [email protected] | www.stmary.sg
Lent Begins in the Middle of Celebrations
In an article in the Sunday Times (11 January 2015), many
people were quoted as saying how much they were looking
forward to the long weekend of festivities come Chinese
New Year. People are even including Valentine’s Day (14 February) as the
beginning of the celebrations and ending with the long weekend.
And in the middle of these celebrations, we Catholics mark Ash Wednesday. It is
almost like the Church is always out of sync with the world and culture.
When shopping malls start playing Christmas carols, the Church does not sing
carols but focuses instead on Advent. When the Christmas decorations come
down, the Church continues to sing carols till the Feast of the Baptism of the
Lord.
And now, when we are sending greetings for the Lunar New Year, the Church
sings about Ashes and returning to the Lord. Well, we Catholics can almost
develop schizoid personalities! We manage often to be out of kilter with the rest
of the world.
Yet this is an incredible opportunity for us to reflect more deeply about our
lives. As we make merry and enjoy ourselves, the reality of the Cross remains in
our lives. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust – for all that we do, this is the one surety
of our lives – our physical lives will come to an end.
But Lent is not about gloomy looks and sad faces (the Gospel reading of the Ash
Wednesday liturgy reminds us of that). It is all about God breathing his life into
us when we return to ashes. It is all about us opening our hearts to the life of
God so that we can rise from our sins, our fears, our anxieties and death.
If Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year are occasions for us to celebrate,
surely Lent is a time to celebrate even more because salvation is ours; given to
us by a God who did not allow death to have the last word.
Let us bless this God always, in all the celebrations of our lives.
Mass Timings
Novena
Intercessory
Tue, 10am-11.30am
Sat: 6.55am, 5.45pm (Sunset Mass) To Our Lady: Sat, 5pm
Sun: 7.30am (Mandarin), 9am, 11am, To St Anthony: Tue, 7pm Thu, 7.45pm-9.15pm
(except Feast Days & PH)
12.45pm, 5.30pm, 7.15pm
Rosary Devotion
3rd Mon, 7.45pm-9.15pm
3rd Sun: 3.30pm (Indonesian)
Mondays
Saturdays:
4th Sat: 7.30pm (Tamil)
Pastoral Services
Weekday: 6.55am (with Morning Prayer) after Morning Masses
Family
Rosary:
For Baptisms, Weddings and
& 6.30pm (Adoration at 6pm)
Every Sat, 4.30pm
Anointing of the Sick, please
Reconciliation
call the Parish Office.
20 mins before Sunday Masses
Infant Baptisms: 1st and 2nd Sunday
Parish Office
Tel: 6567 3866 | Fax: 6562 1824
Columbarium Office
Tel: 6560 6361
Parish Priest
Asst Parish Priest
Asst Parish Priest
Asst Parish Priest
Friar Clifford Augustine, OFM
Friar Joseph Lee, OFM
Friar Justin Lim, OFM
Friar Derrick Yap, OFM
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
17 / 18 January 2015
REPENT
Repent and believe the good news! Come, follow me! Andrew, first
to respond, brought along his brother Simon whom Jesus nicknamed
Cephas, which means Peter, which means rock. Then came the fisher
brothers, James and John.These four are the great witnesses to Jesus’
public work. We hear the same call: “Come, follow me” into new life.
The Baptism God raises us up, too, if we follow Jesus. Time is short. The world we
of the Lord, know is passing away. Are we ready to give witness?
Year A.
Next Sunday’s Readings:
Jon 3:1-5, 10
1 Cor 7:29-31
Text, Philip J. Sandstrom, STD © 2000, OCP. All rights reserved.
Mk 1:14-20
Evangelising With Joy
The liturgy begins with the Church’s most basic blessing, most
fundamental prayer: the Sign of the Cross. It is both a gesture and a
vocal prayer. In doing so, each time we say a prayer or enter Church, we
acknowledge the paschal mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. In
fact, it encompasses the basic message of the kerygma. That we, whom
the Father created, are His beloved and are redeemed through the gift
of His son’s sacrifice and victory over death. Through the Spirit that
continues to live with us today, we proclaim that Good News. For as St
Paul says, “It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me.” How
beautiful then are those of us who are Baptised; those of us who share
in this identity, those of us who take up the call to spread the Gospel.
Even the gesture marks the cross that we all carry as Christ’s chosen
people. That with such an affiliation to a supreme God, no cross is too
heavy for us.
So this week, in the moments we sign ourselves, let us remember the
power of this gesture and prayer. That in all our temptations, struggles,
intercessions and prayers we remember the extent of Jesus’s love to
overcome all. That through this sign, we have been claimed by Christ.
| Download the bulletin:
NCC MEETINGS
19 Jan to 25 Jan 2015
Bukit Batok Area
Blk 203, Bt Batok Road St 21 | Wed 21
Jan 8.00pm
West Mall NCC | Raymond 9060 6050
Regent Height, Tower A, | Wed 21 Jan
10am
Regent Height NCC | Idawidjaja 9863
3697
Blk 383, Bukit Batok West Ave 5 | Wed
21 Jan 8.00pm
IMmanuel NCC | Irene 6515 0508
Bukit Timah Area
Toh Tuck Place | Wed 21 Jan 10.30am
Mystical Rose NCC | Monica 9870 0668
15, Jalan Bangket | Wed 21 Jan 8.00pm
Mayfair NCC | Timothy 9835 9798
Choa Chu Kang Area
Blk 681, Choa Chu Kang Crescent | Fri
23 Jan 8:30pm
Yew Tee Branch NCC | Elmer 9724 4531
http://stmary.sg/latest-bulletin/ |
Facebook:
COMMUNITY NEWS
Ash Wednesday – 18 February 2015
Mass Times: (with imposition of Ashes)
6.55 AM, 1.15 PM, 4.00 PM and 6.30 PM. (All in
English)
The Catholic Bishops Conference of MalaysiaSingapore-Brunei has advised that fasting and
abstinence can take place on Ash Wednesday
itself OR on any other day(s) to be decided by
the individual.
Chinese New Year – 19 February 2015
Mass times: (with blessings of oranges)
6.55 AM (English)
9.00 AM (Mandarin)
11.00 AM (English)
6.30 PM (English)
Palms for Ash Wednesday
Please bring your palms from last year to be used
for this year’s Ash Wednesday. Leave them near the
Piety Shop.
Chinese New Year Dinner for Parish
Date: 28 February 2015 (Saturday)
Time: 7.30pm
Blossom Garden Restaurant
CHURCH EVENTS Venue:HOME
TEAM BUKIT BATOK CLUB HOUSE
2 Bukit Batok West Ave 7
Upcoming Talk
Singapore 659003
This coming Wednesday there will be a (Near to Bukit Gombak MRT Station)
talk by Derrick Chee (CTIS)
Ticket: $60/pax or $600/table
Topic: “Faithfulness in this Community”
Date/Time: 21 Jan, Wed at 8pm
All parishioners are invited to celebrate CNY
Venue: Room 6&7
together as a community. Please contact Angela
23 Jan 2015 (Fri), 8pm. Tickets at $20.
Call 63384080 or email
[email protected]
(96521903), Teresa (96287896)
(92734183) for further details.
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/stmarysg |
LITURGICAL UPDATE
Ordinary Time
The colour green in the church tells us that we are back in Ordinary Time.Actually the
word “ordinary” does not mean routine but “counted” or “ordinal” time. We enter
into these 2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays ... all counted one after another. Winter Ordinary
Time is just a few short weeks until we enter into the season of Lent. Summer and
Fall Ordinary Time comprises the longest portion of the Liturgical Year, covering as
much as six months of the Calendar. Ordinary Time challenges us with the demands
of building the Kingdom. We listen to the Word of God which keeps reminding us of
our call as Christians to internalize the teachings of the Lord and to live out what we
proclaim. The miracles and the parables of Jesus are, for the most part, the subject
of the Gospel readings. The task that we are given is the same task Jesus had—to
proclaim the reign of God in our midst—so this is hardly an ordinary mission. The
prayers of the Mass ask for the gifts necessary to accomplish this task and they carry
the same message: “Bring forth the Kingdom!”
Copyright © 2010 Resource Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Please contact the respective NCC
coordinators for more details.
Spirit and Grace
Ricky Manalo Concert, composer of
“Beyond the days” & “By the waking of
our hearts” will be here at St Mary’s
for a fund-raising concert for Cenacle
Sisters & Daughters of St Paul.
www.facebook.com/stmary.sg |
or
Jasmine
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2015
All services begin at 8pm.
19/1 (Mon) - Church of St Ignatius.
21/1 (Wed) - Covenant Community Methodist
Church. 11 Blackmore Drive.
22/1 (Thu) - Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea.
23/1 (Fri) - St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Cathedral.
650 Yio Chu Kang Road.
SPIRITUALITY
RCIA
Introduce your friends and family to the Catholic faith. Please contact [email protected] for the
RCIA details.
Teh-o-logy: Are Protestants Christians?
“Ever wondered whether Catholics regard other denominations as true followers of Christ? Encountered a friend who has challenged your understanding of who Christians are? Join us at this
month’s Teh-o-logy session on 23rd Jan, 8pm at Gubbio! Bring a friend and an open mind. Teh-O
will be served.
Altar Servers Recruitment
Is your son is above 9? Received Holy Communion? Does he have an interest in serving? Then sign
him up! Just get a registration form from the parish office and fill in your particulars to join our
large family! Do take note of the high level of commitment required.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CANA invites you
BEING CHRIST TO ONE ANOTHER: CELEBRATING THE EUCHARIST TODAY
Fr Ricky will help us renew our understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist.
Date: Sunday 25 Jan 2015@Cana, 2.30 pm.
Reservation of seat - email [email protected] or call 63384080
god’s EXTRAVAGANCE.
Who is it for? Am I included?
Fr John Quigley ofm offers insights to Franciscan Spirituality.
TALKS: 27 Jan: Introduction to Franciscan Thought;
28 Jan: Stories of St Francis of Assisi;
29 Jan: The Franciscan Presence
VENUE: Cana, The Catholic Centre; 55 Waterloo St, #02-00 Singapore 187954.
TIME:
730pm. Please register online:
http://goo.gl/forms/eylCNZM6ze