New Year.. New Beginning.. New Blog..

This blog will no longer be in use... thank you for your visits... I really appreciate it... I've moved... Click here to see my new blog... God bless...

Have a Blessed Christmas!!

I take the opportunity now to wish all my blog viewers a blessed Christmas. May the birth of Christ the Lord bring salvation and joy to you and your families!

"Today, the twenty-fifth day of December
Unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth
And then formed man and woman in his own image.
Several thousand years after the flood,
When God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.
Twenty-one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah;
Thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges;
One thousand years from the anointing of David as king;
In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.
In the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
The seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.
The forty-second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus;
The whole world being at peace,
Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father,
Desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming,
Being conceived by the Holy Spirit,
And nine months having passed since his conception,
Was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.
Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh."

The Garden and The Ant Hill

The altar servers of the Immaculate Conception Parish had been assigned a garden plot , it was not a very promising plot though. Days before Christmas, in the morning, we came together to do something about the plot, to clear the rubbish at least, or flatten the uneven ground given. Below are some pictures of the barren plot...


Instead of clearing the existent mess, we found that there was a large ant hill (right below the palm tree to the left of the photo above) with large red ants with big heads in it. If stung by those little creatures, would leave you swollen for days. So we had to get rid of them...

So we spent the whole raging fire and water on the ant hill. We bought litres of petrol and burned the ant hill. After that, we flooded those ants with much water.






If you zoom close enough on the photos, you can see the ants, and their eggs as well. After much burning, they still live! Argh!!?!

The ants built their nest around the palm tree, the whole tree is infested. So the tree had to go as well. We spent hours just to get the tree out. Its roots were deep in the ground. We had to soak the soil with much water to try to topple the tree. All of us were afraid of getting too close as there were many ants.



Finally, early in the evening we toppled the palm tree, and dragged it to the rubbish dump. It was heavy. Sigh, with the tree gone the ants are still not eradicated. Even after much burning they still continue to infest the plot. But at least we managed to kill many hundreds of them, and suffered only one casualty (Andrew being bitten by an ant, luckily, a rather small one).

Much must still be done, pesticide is on its way... We're gonna turn the barren plot into a nice garden and I'll keep you updated...l

Nearer My God to Thee

Behold and listen...

If there is such great and wonderful music, there is a God. With this great music, I refute the atheists... =)

I stand in awe with great music, music which brings us closer and closer to God.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception 2007

"A picture says a thousand words," or so they say... I now bring you on a photo tour of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the titular feast of my parish. For many years we haven't had a procession out on the streets, some say that it has been about "20 donkey years" since the last street procession. Finally, in the year 2007, we
were able to do it again. So enjoy the tour...

Its about 5.30 in the evening parishioners begin to enter the Church to celebrate the feast day. This above is the palanquin made especially for Mary this year, much effort has been put into its design and construction. I take the opportunity now to thank all those who have given their help.

Right after the Mass, servers prepared themselves for the candlelight procession...



Flower girls were also ready, and in line for the procession...

The youth and some of the members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul prepared to carry the statue of our Lady...

Up she goes... as incense give the heavenly ambiance...







The candles are lit... The parishioners followed behind the statue of Mary as they begin to say the rosary... About 800 or more were present...

Here's Fr. Mark Michael, and Fr Stanley Antony, the new ordained priest...

Here's a photo of Mary being carried, and that's me in black...


The servers led the procession, offering their little service to the great Mother of God...











Above are photos of the procession, which was about 45 minutes. The rosary was recited, Marian hymns were sung and the Litany of Loreto was also chanted...

Many, after the procession, flocked to venerate the statue of Mary, a little expression of love to the Immaculate Conception...




Tantum ergo sacramentum... Right after the procession, it was followed by benediction, where the Body of Christ is exposed for all to worship and adore...


After benediction, servers and priests bowed at the front of the altar... Ite Missa, "procession and benediction" est...

Drinks and cream puffs and cakes were served, after a wonderful celebration... Btw, the long hair guy in the picture is my brother, Evan...

And there you have it, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 2007.

Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te

The Story of An Advent Wreath

The season of Advent has come, a wreath had to be prepared. To avoid funny and "innovative" modernistic designs. =) Myself, and a couple of my friends got together and tried to figure something out. So I approached an interior designer who generously donated the funds needed to construct the candle stand.

But we still needed some one to design it. Andrew from Unam Sanctam made the initial sketches on how it would look like. My brother, Evan, modified on the initial design and came up with something as well. Here below is a simple sketch by Andrew.
And this is a computer generated design done by my brother after some modifications...
After a week or so, the stand was constructed. But then Andrew and I realized that the holes that were meant for Advent candles were to small for the candles to fit. There was a miscalculation some where in the process of constructing it. So we had to figure something out again. It was a day before the 1st week of Advent, we had to be quick...

In the end, Andrew suggested that some gold plated brass candles holders should be placed on the holes, so to correct the defect. Due to the relatively small Catholic community here, there is not much of a variety in candles stands. So, we ventured into a Taoist store which sells candle holders and all sorts stuff like joss sticks , pagan idols , etc.. (hehe.. In a country where Christians are a minority, we don't have much of a choice.) Finally we got some brass candle holders which could fit the holes.

With that problem solved we still needed to find a wreath big enough to encircle the candle stand. While we were scratching our heads thinking of an idea, my mom just popped up with a wreath and some red flowers which were just nice for the size of the stand. (Praise the Lord! =>) I admit failure when it comes to decoration. With the help of my girlfriend, Angela, who has watch many of the David Tutera shows to know well enough to decorate it, we finally managed to get it done. The photo belows shows myself and Andrew in the final stages of getting the Advent wreath done.


And this is how it looks like when it is all done...
Here's another look of it...

Now I would like to end this post by listing all those who helped out:
Mdm Donor, Mr Carpenter, Angela, Andrew, Evan, my mom and myself.
It's like a small family project of the parish. Where many get involved to get things done nicely!!!

I'm back!!!

I have been absent from the blogosphere for about 2 months. I'm sorry for my sudden disappearance. Andrew from Unam Sanctam has also been reminding me that my blog has been left in the dark for quite some time... =( mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa... I thank all those who still visit my blog despite the absence of posts.=) I've been busy preparing for my Parish feast of the Immaculate Conception and for the season of Advent as well.

But now, I'm back... Still have many things to finish up. But I'll keep you updated on what have been going on in my parish, what are the preparation for the feast, Advent and Christmas... This time I'll make sure that my blog is updated!

Until then I want to wish everybody a blessed season of Advent!

Imperial March

I guess the imperial march music would be a great theme for purging and flushing out heretics from the Church.. hehe..

A Walk Into The Thoughts of Escriva

Here we shall dwell into the thoughts of St Josemaria Escriva. One of my favourite saints...


"Action is worth nothing without prayer: prayer grows in value with sacrifice."

"First, prayer; then, atonement; in the third place, very much 'in the third place', action."

"'Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God', said our Lord. Bread and word! Host and prayer.

Otherwise, you will not live a supernatural life."

"You seek the company of friends who, with their conversation and affection, with their friendship, make the exile of this world more bearable for you. There is nothing wrong with that, although friends sometimes let you down.

But how is it you don't frequent daily with greater intensity the company, the conversation, of the great Friend, who never lets you down?"

"You write: 'To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation.

In a word: to get to know him and to get to know yourself: 'to get acquainted!'"

"'Et in meditatione mea exardescit ignis. And in my meditation a fire shall flame out.' That is why you go to pray: to become a bonfire, a living flame giving heat and light.

So, when you are not able to go on, when you feel that your fire is dying out, if you cannot throw on it sweet— smelling logs, throw on the branches and twigs of short vocal prayers and ejaculations, to keep the bonfire burning. And you will not have wasted your time."

Plato's Parable of the Cave

Republic: Book VII

"And now," I said, "let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened. Behold! human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open toward the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets."

"I see."

"And do you see," I said, "men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking others silent."

"You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners."

"Like ourselves," I replied; "and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave?"

"True," he said; "how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?"

"And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows?"

"Yes," he said.

"And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them?"

"Very true."

"And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadows?"

"No question," he replied.

"To them," I said, "the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images."

"That is certain."

"And now look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error. At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive someone saying to him that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision - what will be his reply? And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, - will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him?"

"Far truer."

"And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take refuge in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer that the things which are now being shown to him?"

"True," he said.

"And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he is forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities."

"Not all in a moment," he said.

"He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and others objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?"

"Certainly."

"Last of all he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is."

"Certainly."

"He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and is a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold?"

"Clearly," he said, "he would first see the sun and then reason about him."

"And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them?"

"Certainly, he would."

"And if they were in the habit of conferring honors among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honors and glories, or envy the possessors of them? Would he not say with Homer, 'Better to be the poor servant of a poor master,' and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner?"

"Yes," he said, "I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner."

"Imagine once more," I said, "such a one coming suddenly out of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness?"

"To be sure," he said.

"And if there were a contest, and he had to compete in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the den, while his sight was still weak, and before his eyes had become steady (and the time which would be needed to acquire this new habit of sight might be very considerable), would he not be ridiculous? Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death."

"No question," he said.

"This entire allegory," I said, "you may now append, dear Glaucon, to the previous argument; the prison house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world according to my poor belief, which, at your desire, I have expressed - whether rightly of wrongly, God knows. But, whether true or false, my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual; and that this is the power upon which he who would act rationally either in public or private life must have his eye fixed."

"I agree," he said, "as far as I am able to understand you."

"Moreover," I said, "you must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are never hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell; which desire of theirs is very natural, if our allegory may be trusted."

"Yes, very natural."

"And is there anything surprising in one who passes from divine contemplations to the evil state of man, misbehaving himself in a ridiculous manner; if, while his eyes are blinking and before he has become accustomed to the surrounding darkness, he is compelled to fight in courts of law, or in other places, about the images or the shadows of images of justice, and is endeavoring to meet the conceptions of those who have never yet seen absolute justice?"

"Anything but surprising," he replied.

Man lives in the shadows. What we perceive are merely imperfect conceptions of the truth. Man is blinded by sin. Sin separates us from God, who is the Truth, not merely a truth. If not for God, we would still be imprisoned in the cave, only seeing shadows. Unlike Plato's parable, it was not the man who escaped from the cave and saw the sun. It was sun who came to release the man from bondage. The Sun of Justice visits us from on high, and revealed to us the Way, the Truth and the Life. Christ is the Sun of Justice, and through Him we are made children of the light!


However, the powerful rays of the sun may hurt us. Not that it is in any way evil, it is just that our eyes are not accustomed to such great light. We would need time to adapt, so that our eyes won't hurt anymore. So it is with our journey towards holiness. It is not so much of a quick-fix; that we would be unholy this day, and become holy the next day. The process of holiness is slow, and at times painful, for as we come closer and closer to God, we are tested again and again, not so to cause us to fall, but the show forth the depth of faith and love for God, that we love God not only in the good times, but also in the bad. Then the darkness that has so consumed us would all be purged away. Suffering then, can be considered as a blessing, as a mean to bring us closer to God.


As we continue down this parable of the cave, we realize that in the end, when the enlightened man went back to preach the truth to the other prisoners, they put him to death. They were so convinced that the shadows were all there were, and thought of the man as crazy. Well, this was what happened to many Christian martyrs and missionaries. They died for the sake of the Truth. All they wanted was having the Gospel preached, the truth heard; even hardships and persecutions would not stop them from preaching the truth. Are we not ashamed? When are faith withers so quickly when trials come our way? These men of faith stood firm to the end. Another way of looking at it, we too may be guilty of being one of the prisoners who killed the enlightened man. In our stubbornness we may have hardened ourselves to the truth, and choose to believe only whatever that is convenient to us, even though they may just be shadows.
In the end, there always comes a choice, to choose the Truth or to live in shadows...