Our Lady Queen of Sorrows Praesidium

mar

2007-03-19T21:46:00.000+08:00

hallllllllllo
hope legion retreat was good for you
ok anw quick update

inspirational verses
: j2s, Br Jason, Br David, Sr Vivian, Br Geovenn, Sr Teresa
Thurs (stations of the cross) : Sr Anastasia, Br Leonard
Mon : Sr Lynette
Wed : Br Brendan
Fri : Sr Germaine
no morning prayer on tuesday cos of the welcoming ceremony.

next meeting's 22mar, thurs 4.30pm
dont forget to bring your timetable! IMPT!
seeeeee u thennnn!
(:

2007-02-13T14:52:00.000+08:00

helllllllo alllllllllllllllllllllllll
:)
hope your legs are back to work again..im sure they've unnumbed themselves from the x country :/
how'd yer olvl results come around?
:(?
:)?

ok ok anw.

allocated weeerk.
morning mass
M : sr mag
W : sr anne
morning mass on friday will be in the audi since its chinese new year mass

morning prayer
Tu : br geovenn & br david
Th : sr teresa & br brendan

Ins. Verses (on decision and encouragement!)
br daniel, sr vivian, sr denise, br linus

CT FOR J2S COMING UP!!!!!! ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
hey j1s hope ya'll choose cj again for JAE ok? must stay in legion! :D!~~~

and thanks sr lynette and sr germaine for helping to do up the legion notice board which is currently in a wonderfully lonely state since sr eunice's bright yellow board with br darren's head was taken down last year :(

anne.

2007-02-03T12:51:00.000+08:00

hallo! :D!
ok update update!
many things added on since this year started..so yay! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

CHECK YOUR EMAIL! AHHHHHH! cos i sent many many things in there including 2007 contact list attached so go check it out aight?
(ps : its not finalised cos im missing out quite a few details and like who's staying on after first 3 months and whether there's gonna be auxillary members or whether some are staying as visitors and lalala but this is the complied one for now!)

(pps : j3's i CC'ed the email out to ya'll too cos of the plenty plenty stuff in there so you can be updated on the wonderful world of our presidium!:)!)

We have Br Kelvin as our new spiritual director!!
thank God very much for him and also dont forget to still keep Sr Martina (our former spiritual director) and her family in our prayers :)

ALLOCATED WEERK
morning mass
F : Br Linus & Sr Vivian
M : Sr Mag
W : Sr Teresa
F : Br Alex

morning prayer
TU (bible sharing) : Br Daniel, Br Geovenn
TH (rosary) : Sr Anne, Sr Denise

contact work! ( <3 )

inspirational verses : cross country! yay!
(so that's stuff along the lines of perserverance, strength, endurance, impossible is nothing (sounds like adidas o_0), good sportsmanship)
and email them to Sr Susan ASAP!

Other Relevant Business (ORB) (orb -> hurhur)
legion's handling the first friday morning mass now onwards! :)!
so come early esp. on that day to help set up the place for mass yeah

there's going to be a praise & worship at cannosaville children's home, 7feb @ 730pm! (nearest to Aljunied MRT, 154 from CJ bus stop)
Sr Denise & i will be playing for the p&w, along with Sr Eunice (or do i call you Ms Ong now? HEE :D) so if you'd like to come along and sing with the children (& if you still have energy after leh wonderful cross country) ..come along for this! (J3s : come along as well! it'd be wonderful after a long tiring day at work! :)!)
if you wanna come for this..email/mehsage me and we'll figure out how to meet up yeah?
note : this isnt a CIP thing or a legion activity (its just that legionaries are part of the p&w) so it isnt a compulsory thing to go for!!

tag the board cos there's a new tagboard! :)!
oh yeah and j1's..if you got a blog..just tag it and it'd be added in the links!

alrighty that's all for now
we need another fellowship soon! :)

toodles and God bless!
Anne

2007-01-31T22:31:00.000+08:00

hey hey!!

ok ok many many stuff to update on ..but'll leave it to next post cos there's meeting tommorow!
well just a round up for this week for now..

Allocated work
m : sr mag
w : br linus
f : br alex

tu : br daniel t
th : sr anne and sr denise

ok proper post very very soon promise!
next meeting 1st feb 330pm
but ms gail ng wants to meet us first to train us for setting up stuff for mass..so meeting will start after that maybe around 4 yeah?
see you then!

Children Home Visit=>Postponed (no more 6 december)

2006-12-03T23:07:00.000+08:00

Schedule (Coordinator: Anne T.)

1) Help out with the Christmas decorations (Morning – 3pm)

* Want to throw in a Praise & Worship Session as requested???
2) Painting (4pm-5pm)
3) Team Building Game (5pm to 6pm)
- Captain’s Ball
- Hoop la Hoop
- Pass Message
4) Movie (7pm to 9.00pm)
5) Moral of Story (9.00pm to 9.30pm)

*Times Tentative

Games
- Captain’s Ball (IC: Aloy)
1) Divide to groups (1 receiver each)
2) Receivers in hoop (feet must be in hoops)
3) Mark area with tape/cone & position hoops
4) 15minutes per half
5) MUST PASS TO DIFFERENT TEAM MATE
6) No dribbling/Running with ball

- Hoop la Hoop (IC: Linus)
1) Two teams (Required to step on consecutive nos. on floor)
2) Team mates hold hands
3) Hoops passed from one end of the chain to the other
4) Fastest team’s rewarded

- Pass the Message (IC: Darren)
1) Team to pass a message from an end to the other verbally
2) Station players some distance from each other
3) Team with most accurate at the fastest time is rewarded
4) Difficulty of message increased with length

INVENTORY

- 2 Balls
- 4 Hoops
- 4 Cones
- Masking tape (Funded by Legion)
- Paint & Canvas (by Clare)
- Chips *Movie* (by Linus)
- Video (by Jon C.)
- 1 Whistle (by Legion)
- Numbers *hoop la hoop* (by Linus)

PRIZES
- Grand Prize ($10)
- Runner Up ($5)

Remarks

Take note that the date of the home visit is no longer on the 6 of December as planned, due to certain problems, therefore Br Aloysius & Br Davin might not be able to embark on this project..

Any comments about the planning or suggestions or improvements please dump on the tagboard or inform members of the planning Committee(sr mag, br jon chan, br linus, sr eunice, br darren, br alvin, sr denise, br daniel j)

2006-11-18T12:40:00.000+08:00

HARLOW!! (:

the old tagboard died :(
starved from lack of posts?
:)?
:(?
my bet too
so new one! start tagging!!!!

anw.
ALLOCATED WORK : contact work
we all contact well so its no biggie!

ORB
<--orb.

AGR 23dec @ st pats!(:
cannossian childrens home (?) visiting date undecided yet ( :( )
come up with a proposal to do something either at AGR / CCH!
for AGR skit or dance or song or vid presentation with *koffkoff* upholding christian values! mind you! *koffkoff* or for CCH uh..something! to interact with 12yrs & beeelow.
AGR : br william, sr anne, br daniel t, sr clare r, br alex, sr clare w, br aloy, br davin!
CCH : sr mag, br jon chan, br linus, sr ~~barebear~~eunice, br darren, br alvin, sr denise, br daniel j
come to SFX canteen on 26nov 8-12! support LOG canteen duty!(:
next meeting 445pm 24 nov.

okie dokes.
toodleloo! & God bless,
anne

& say your catena!

2006-10-16T22:24:00.000+08:00

Hello fellow legionaries...

Indoor function was good wasn't it!
say yes!
ahaha

anyway...
i've blogged up the photos of legion indoor fuction and cjc open house on my blog...
dont know whats my blog add? well its linked to this blog! duh..like at the side haha..and leave a tag on my new tag board! its rather empty ahhaa

well i hope all you J2s have really had a great time is CJ... Praise God! for bringing all you J2s into CJ and us, your Juniors' lives!

All of you must come back for meeting ok!!!!!!!! MUST! OR I WILL GO AND FIND YOU! haha
will try to burn the legion farewell video for all of you by then... i don't know how to...for some reason ahhaah

As for the J1s, i hope we will NOT be discouraged..if the seniors fail to show...(hint hint).. and that we do our best no matter what.. and good luck with budgeting hahaha

Well...like Darren said.."once a legionary...always a legionary" :)
(thats what he said right? hahahaha)

well maybe you can all continue your legion journey in Uni hahah or for the guys...go create one in NS hahahaha

ahhhhhh im talking like you all gonna die like that! choi choi!

something to reflect upon...
(i know i sent this out through email..but some people just dont read you know!)

Fighting the law of Entrophy

What happens after a person accepts salvation from Jesus? Can we live a good Christian life without working hard at growing in holiness daily? It's easy to get lazy on the path to heaven. It's even easier to give in to the impulses of our flesh-nature. It takes conscious and conscientious effort to stay close to God.

While we're still here in this sinful world, we suffer from the Law of Entropy. In scientific terms, "entropy" means that everything decays, disorder is natural and order is unnatural and requires great effort. So, too, in our spiritual lives. Growth in holiness takes effort, and without that effort, our holiness decays. Daily. And demons try subtle and not-so-subtle ways to entice us onto the easy path. Daily. As Jesus points out in today's Gospel reading, we can end up worse off than before our conversion.

Jesus is the "someone stronger". He overpowered Satan by dying on the cross for our sins and then by overcoming death. It was our death that he took to the cross, and it was his life that he brings to us in his resurrection, if we choose to live in him. Jesus has swept our houses clean, but now it's up to us -- with his help of course -- to keep it clean.

The best and most effective way to defeat demons is to do the opposite of whatever they want us to do. Are you tempted to get angry? Forgive instead. Feel like insisting on your own way? Do what the other person is demanding of you (as long as it's not sinful).

We need to stop living in automatic mode and identify the ways that our lives are being controlled by the Law of Entropy. Putting effort into living holy lives is so eternally and vitally important that the cost of our time and energy, spent focusing on our spiritual purification, should not seem like too high a price.

We have to be overcomers, working on our holiness daily and consciously choosing behaviors that fight against the Law of Entropy. One of the saddest examples of entropy is the case of someone with addictions who, although he (or she) desires to grow spiritually, is unwilling to pay the cost of recovery. An initial conversion to Christ will turn destruction into resurrection, but it cannot keep faith alive. On-going addictions cater to the flesh-nature, and so the spirit disconnects from Christ and decays.

Remember, with God all things are possible. Everyone can be rescued from the Law of Entropy, but often it doesn't happen until they become miserable enough in their decay to desire change. We must continually pray for those who are on the road of destruction. We must take time to discern what God is asking us to do to help them seek recovery. And we must choose to trust in God's desire to resurrect all those we bring to him.

by the way...
one thing im quite annoyed about...
WHY DONT WE HAVE A LEGION TSHIRT!!!!!!!

(hint hint)

Nise Loves God
God Loves Nise
so..
Nise Loves you too!

Bye!

(can other people update this blog too...)

AW + ORB

2006-09-26T00:42:00.000+08:00

Why don't you update the blog Denise?! =)
Alright alright..

Allocated Work
Mass Reading-
Monday: Sr Anne
Wednesday: Sr Clare Ryan

Morning Prayer-
Tuesday: Sr Magdalene + Sr Eunice
Thursday: Br Alvin + Br Daniel John

12.30PM Prayer-
Monday: Br Daniel Tay + Br Linus
Wednesday: Br Alex + Sr Denise

Attendance and Invitation-
Monday: Br William
Tuesday: Br Aloysius
Wednesday: Br Darren
Thursday: Sr Clare Wong

Inspirational Verses:
Br Jon Chan + Br Davin

Other Relevant Business
Indoor Function
Open House, 14th October
Catena SMS, same order as last week!

That's all folks!
God bless! =)

2006-09-12T22:55:00.000+08:00

Hello! Nise here! hahahahahaha

Invasion! hahaha

William what happened! u said you'd try to blog regulary hahaa

Anyway the blogs kinda dead so i shall bring it back to life!!!!!!!

Got this from the LOG blog! (http://leavenofgod.blogspot.com) It was quite some time ago but i still remember it!

(you can go check the site out..i designed the template hur hur...anyway we post inspirational stuff there and stuff that just strike us so yeah...)

So here goes...

Once upon a time, it was announced that the devil was going out of business and would sell all his equipment to those who were willing to pay the price.

On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively displayed. There were Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and other implements of evil display. Each of the tools was marked with its own price tag.

Over in the corner by itself was a harmless-looking, wedge-shaped tool that looked very much worn, but still it bore a higher price tag than any of the other tools. Someone asked the devil what it was, and he answered, "That is Discouragement."

The next question came quickly, "And why is this tool priced so high even though it is plain to see that it is more worn than the others?"

"Because," replied the devil, "This tool is more useful to me than all the other tools. I can pry open and get into any person's heart with this tool when I cannot get near the person with any other tool. Once I find my way inside the human heart, I can manipulate the person that I am attacking in whatever way suits me best. I have used this wonderful tool to my best advantage by sending people to their graves earlier through suicide, by turning the hearts of people away from God and away from His salvation plan through Jesus Christ, by shaking, destroying and ruining the faith of every Christian around the globe, by setting off an amazing domino effect of discouragement and discord in so many churches and their ministries, and by causing all backsliders and prodigals to believe that there is no hope in life so that they may remain utterly lost in their sinful state. Discouragement is a tool which is so worn because I have used it destructively on everybody in the world, and very, very few people even realise that this tool belongs to me."

This tool was priced so high that no one could buy it, and to this very day it has never been sold. It still belongs to the devil, and he still uses it on mankind.

Beware the wiles of the evil one who seeks to destroy our lives through his ever wicked tool of Discouragement..

- Author Unknown

There is no room for discouragement in the lives of those who keep their eyes on Jesus and refuse to look down at the situation that consumes them. There is no mountain that God will not remove for those who love Him and are living according to His direction.

- Anne KaestnerHaha aye.

This is not meant to be a DISCOURAGING (laugh people) post but just felt that I needed to share this after reading it. We just got to HANG in there people.. and let God's love fall upon us. Yep, so lets be there for each other and not let discouragement get into our way.. no matter how bad circumstances are.. because God makes all things possible and easier to bear!

..Fear not, neither be discouraged.. ~ Deuteronomy 1:21b

God Bless and take care!

Good luck for all your exams!

Nise.

Reflections for Wednesday 30th August

2006-08-30T21:18:00.000+08:00

Hi! Since I receive these emails once everyday, I thought I should share these with you! So I'll be blogging them up as regularly as I can!

God Bless!
William

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Aug. 30, 2006
Removing the masks of hypocrisy
[en Español: http://gnm.org/ReflexionesDiarias]

Today's Saint: Fiacre
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Fiacre.htm

Today's Readings:
2 Thes 3:6-10, 16-18
Ps 128:1-2, 4-5
Matt 23:27-32
http://www.usccb.org/nab/083006.shtml

Reflection:
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus defines hypocrisy as being a "whitewashed tomb" -- looking holy and clean in outward appearance but deadly and dirty on the inside. This is the danger of being religiously legalistic, as Jesus addressed in the previous verses.

We all fall into hypocrisy from time to time. For example, when an act of kindness has a legalistic motive (i.e., doing it out of duty rather than out of compassion), our goodness is only skin-deep, not heart-deep.

When someone says to us, "I don't like the way you treated me when ---", we put on the mask of listening, but our hidden faces contort with rapid-fire thoughts of self-defensiveness, because we're more concerned about ourselves than about the other person's pain.

We wear the mask of hypocrisy because it helps us feel protected and safe. In reality, it's deadly to our interactions with others; it interferes with life-giving love. Only when we're vulnerable can we give genuine caring and open ourselves to receive goodness from others. This is true even when we're right and the other person is wrong and even when a kindness is inconvenient. Of course we'll sometimes get hurt, but Jesus is always with us, kissing our wounds and leading us to people who DO treat us lovingly.

Hypocrisy slowly kills our true, God-given identity. If we wear this mask for a long time, we lose awareness of who we really are and what our value truly is. Those who encounter us do not see the person that God created us to be. Thus, the Pharisees became "full of filth and dead men's bones." How dirty and dead are you inside? Answer this by asking: To what extent am I neglecting to serve others because I'm serving myself?

In today's first reading, St. Paul differentiates between those who wander from God's ways and those who follow the tradition passed down from the Apostles. As Paul describes it, that tradition is one of loving service: no disorderliness, no impositions upon others, and working hard in the service of God's kingdom. Paul and his team of traveling evangelists cared so much about the people they shepherded that they served them even in toil and drudgery, night and day.

Why does Paul tell us to avoid socializing with those who stray from the path of Christ and the Apostles? Hypocrisy is highly contagious! As the responsorial Psalm reminds us, we are happiest when we walk in God's ways, because our hard work of loving and caring about others produces the fruit of being loved and cared for. Hypocrisy interferes with this. O God, help us to dare to be truly who you created us to be -- imitators of Christ your Son; amen!

Catena Smsing and Allocated work

2006-08-28T00:40:00.000+08:00

check the updated ezinfo that is located in one of the previous posts.

Catena Smsing and Allocaated work

2006-08-28T00:37:00.000+08:00

check the updated ezinfo that is located in one of the previous posts.

2006-08-25T01:48:00.000+08:00

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
j3s meeting up on the 26th august 2006, this saturday, 19:00hrs at somerset mrt station.
dinner.
chill out.
anyone wanna come along?
you wont wan to miss this,
trust me.
the suspense will KILL you.
i'll catch you there.
:)

your beloved,
june alison yen si hui!
hahahaha...

Catena Smsing (5th July to 12th Aug)

2006-08-05T23:13:00.000+08:00

Alex
Alvin
Anne
Aloysius
Clare Ryan
Daniel John
Daniel Tay
Darren
Denise
Davin
Eunice
Joan
Jonathan
Linus
Magdalene
Susan
William
Clare Wong (new member)

For those who do not have their A6 book yet, hurry up and get it or else you would lack behind everybody else. I do not want to start chasing people!
Privacy is number one and so resist the temptation of reading the affirmation letter written by others. However, if there are very private letters or issues and you do not wish to take the risk, you can attach that section to the booklet or place it into the plastic slots (if there are).
Bro Jonathan will come up with the permutations for every meeting each week so that there will not be any overlaps and that everybody would have the chance to write for the other.
For this week, I know that it is the first time, but I hope that you will try to communicate with your partner more efficiently, passing your book to their partner and collecting it back too. I wanted you all to return the book so that you can read the affirmation before the next meeting.

2006-08-05T22:43:00.000+08:00

Mr Pang is not in the chain as he is not in Singapore for two weeks. For Maria Legionis we will follow a list which is the names of all our members accoring to alphabatical order. This is the list:
Alex
Aloysius
Alvin
Anne
ClareRyan
Clare Wong
Daniel John
Daniel Tay
Darren
Davin
Eunice
Joan
Jonathan
Linus
Magdalene
Susan
William

1643rd Meeting

2006-08-04T21:58:00.000+08:00

Hello! Here's the ORB for this week!
Pass the money for the ice-cream to Br Linus
Bible Knowledge Quiz - 9th September 2006
Indoor Function - 15th September 2006
Annual General Reunion - 23rd December 2006
Please pass around the Maria Legionas, See the Catena SMS chain for next person to pass to.

For your convience, download the EZ Info from http://geocities.com/willieorch/Legion/ezinfo.zip

Catena SMSing Version 2.0

2006-08-04T21:13:00.000+08:00

Mr Pang is not in the chain as he is not in Singapore for two weeks.

For Maria Legionis we will follow a list which is the names of all our
members accoring to alphabatical order. This is the list:

Alex
Aloysius
Alvin
Anne
Clare Ryan
Clare Wong
Daniel John
Daniel Tay
Darren
Davin
Eunice
Joan
Jonathan
Linus
Magdalene
Susan
William

Catena SMSing Version 2.0

2006-07-30T16:48:00.000+08:00

Aloysius
Anne
Eunice
Denise
Clare
Susan
Darren
Alex
William
Daniel John
Davin
Daniel Tay
Jonathan
Alvin
Magdalene
Joan
Linus

Catena Smsing (29th July to 4th Aug) Version 2.0

2006-07-30T14:34:00.000+08:00

Aloysius
Anne
Eunice
Denise
Clare
Susan
Darren
Alex
William
Daniel John
Davin
Daniel Tay
Jonathan
Alvin
Magdalene
Joan
Linus

For this week, we have to write an affirmation letter in our partners A6 booklet. Thus, you would have to obtain an A6 booklet and pass it to our partner by next week, if you have not already done so.

For example, Darren would have to write an affirmation for Alex and remind him of his allocated work. While Sis Susan would have to write one for Darren and also remind him of his allocated work.

For the affirmation, we all have to agree that we will respect the privacy of each other and so resist the temptation of reading the affirmation letter written by others. However, if there are very private letters or issues and you do not wish to take the risk, you can attach that section to the booklet or place it into the plastic slots if there are.

If you have finished writing for your partner before the next meeting, you can return the booklet before the next meeting. I encourage this, as you at least have sometime to read the affirmation and not just pass it to the next partner.

Bro Jonathan will come up with the permutations for every meeting so that there will not be any overlaps and that everybody would have the chance to write for the other.

1641th Meeting

2006-07-26T23:13:00.000+08:00

ORB! :)
Ice-cream selling!
BKQ on 9th Sept
Legion Congress on 16th Sept
Legion Feastday on 15th Sept
AGR on 23rd Dec
Pass around the Maria Legionas, if it can be found!
Remind your Catena buddy to do Allocated Work!
Book Affirmation! Get an A6 book!
Wednesday Session at 10am
JC2 Retreat, please bring a rosary!
Sacrifise yourself!!!

=)

Catena Smsing (15th July to 21st July)

2006-07-24T20:58:00.000+08:00

Clare
Darren
Magdalene
Daniel Tay
Jonathan
Linus
Mr Pang
William
Joan
Daniel John
Alex
Aloysius
Alvin
Eunice
Ms Susan
Davin
Anne
Denise

Now you have to remind your smsing partner about his or her allocated work. You do not need to message the reminder for allocated work everyday, maybe twice a week, once the day before the allocated work.

You also have to buy an A6 book by the next meeting so that we can carry out the next improvement in out catena smsing. The legion will not be paying for it, so if you want to buy an expensive one, and are willing to pay, then go ahead.

1640th Meeting

2006-07-19T01:21:00.000+08:00

ORB

Sell your ice-cream!
BKQ on 9th Sept
Council thingy on 18th July
Indoor Function on 15th Sept
Pass around the Maria Legonas
Break Prayer on Wednesday at 10am, all are invited

Next meeting is on 23rd July at 3.30pm

Catena Smsing (15th July to 21st July)

2006-07-16T22:36:00.000+08:00

Daniel John
Darren
Alex
Davin
Aloysius
Sis Susan
Joan
Mr Pang
Clare
Alvin
William
Magdalene
Eunice
Jonathan
Daniel Tay
Denise
Linus

Catena Smsing Chain (8th July to 14th July)

2006-07-09T21:08:00.000+08:00

Order of SMSing:

1)Alvin
2)Darren
3)Daniel John
4)Mr Pang
5)Eunice
6)Daniel Tay
7)Jonathan
8)Aloysius
9)Denise
10)Davin
11)Joan
12)Magdalene
13)Susan
14)Alex
15)William
16)Linus
17)Anne
18)Clare=> Back to 1) to complete the chain

1639th Meeting

2006-07-09T08:38:00.000+08:00

ORB
Sell your ice-cream!
Feast of Mount Carmel on 16th July
BKQ on 9th Sept
Council thingy on 18th July
Indoor Function on 15th Sept
Pass around the Maria Legonas
Morning Prayer on Monday at 8.30am

Next meeting is on 16th July at 3.30pm

Catena Smsing (30th June to 6th July)

2006-07-01T02:02:00.000+08:00

1. Anne
2. Alex
3. Alvin
4. Joan
5. Daniel John
6. Daniel Tay
7. Clare
8. Linus
9. Jonathan
10. Magdalene
11. Mr Pang
12. Denise
13. Sis Susan
14. Darren
15. William
16. Davin
17. Aloysius
18. Eunice

2006-06-23T21:40:00.000+08:00

Catena Smsing ‘Game.’ (By drawing lots)
From the 23rd June to 30th June.

Similar to the smsing the past weeks, we will sms the whole presidium according to the lots picked.
You are to pray the catena and then sms the person that you have been allocated.
You can also affirm them as well when reminding them to recite the catena.
It would be challenging to affirm your friend daily for a whole week, so this is when your imagination will come in and take over. So I hope that we will have a lot of sharing during the next week meeting, but not too long please.

Objectives:
To try and fulfil the second standing instruction (to recite the catena daily).
To build up a better community spirit.

Rules are that
You must receive 1 and send 1 sms, if you do not want to sms, you can also use msn, but there must mutual consent.
Try to do it within the timeframe of 9 pm to 12 midnight
Please do not wait for the other to sms, so when it is getting late please pray the catena then sms.

This is the order.

Joan
Daniel Timothy
Aloysius
Mr Pang
Clare
Sis Susan
Alex
Daniel Tay
Anne
Davin
Magdalene
Alvin
William
Eunice
Jonathan
Darren
Linus
Denise

Thanks & God Bless
Darren

2006-06-20T22:27:00.000+08:00

Hello! Here's you ORB for the week! =)

Feast of Mount Carmel on the 16th of July
Bible Knowledge Quiz on 9th of September, we shall be the judges!
Annual General Reunion on the 23rd of December, held in St Patrick's School
Curia this Saturday
Legion Congress, we will be in charge of logistics
Legion Elections, 30th June

Thank you and God bless!
William! =)

Catena Chain

2006-06-20T22:22:00.000+08:00

Catena Smsing ‘Game.’ (By drawing lots)

From the 16th June to 22nd June.
Similar to the smsing the past weeks, we will sms the whole presidium according to the lots picked.
You are to pray the catena and then sms the person that you have been allocated.
You can also affirm them as well when reminding them to recite the catena.
It would be challenging to affirm your friend daily for a whole week, so this is when your imagination will come in and take over. So I hope that we will have a lot of sharing during the next week meeting, but not too long please.

Objectives:

To try and fulfil the second standing instruction (to recite the catena daily).
To build up a better community spirit.

Rules are that:

you must receive 1 and send 1 sms, if you do not want to sms, you can also use msn, but there must mutual consent.
Try to do it within the timeframe of 9 pm to 12 midnight
Please do not wait for the other to sms, so when it is getting late please pray the catena then sms.
This is the order.

Denise
Linus
Eunice
Joan
Darren
Mr Pang
Daniel John
Jonathan
Clare
Alex
Aloysius
Alvin
Sis Susan
Magdalene
Daniel Tay
William
Anne

Thanks & God Bless
Darren

1635th Meeting

2006-06-11T08:53:00.000+08:00

Good morning/afternoon/night? fellow legionaries or anyone passing by!!!
Here's your ORB for this week!

Please invite someone for next week's meeting. Please don't invite yourself or current legionaries!
Badminton on the 16th of June! If possible, bring extra rackets! Bring extra clothes!
Ice-cream selling for CIP at hopefully SFX
Pdm visitation, visitng us!, on the 16th of June
Feast of Mount Carmel on the 16th of July
Bible Knowledge Quiz on 9th of September, we shall be the judges....hopefully
Annual General Reunion on the 23rd of December, held in St Patrick's School
IRO Prayer Service for victims of the earthquake. Meeting at Bishan MRT on Saturday at 8.45am.

Ok, scrape the last one..it's over

Thank you and God Bless! =)

Catena Chain

2006-06-11T00:17:00.000+08:00

Catena Smsing ‘Game.’ (Complete Chain now the other way)
From the 9th June to 16th June.

Similar to the pair smsing and the one last week, we will now sms the whole presidium the other way around, so as to bond everyone.
You are to pray the catena and then sms the person that you have been allocated.
You can also affirm them as well when reminding them to recite the catena.
It would be challenging to affirm your friend daily for a whole week, so this is when your imagination will come in and take over. So I hope that we will have a lot of sharing during the next week meeting, but not too long please.

Objectives:
To try and fulfil the second standing instruction (to recite the catena daily).
To build up a better community spirit.

Rules are that
You must receive 1 and send 1 sms, if you do not want to sms, you can also use msn, but there must mutual consent.
Try to do it within the timeframe of 9 pm to 12 midnight
Please do not wait for the other to sms, so when it is getting late please pray the catena then sms.

This is the order.
Sis Magdalene
Br Jonathan
Sis Eunice
Br Linus
Br Alex
Br Daniel
Sis Joan
Br Aloysius
Sis Clare
Br Daniel Timothy
Sis Denise
Sis Anne
Br Darren
Br Alvin
Sis Susan
Br William

Thanks & God Bless
Darren

1634th Meeting

2006-06-05T00:00:00.000+08:00

HEY!!! You're secretary here! =)
Here's the week's stuff!

Allocated Work

Spiritual Reading
Do your Assemble Prayers, Insipirational Verses and Spiritual Readings
Check up on people's prayer life! Basically, stalk them... SMS them!
SMS Catena Chain game!!! Starting with William =(

ORB

June: 12th - CIP, 16th - Pdm Visition from St Patrick's, 16th - Badminton day
July: 7th - Initation Ceremony, 16th - Feast of Mount Carmel
September: 9th - Bible Knowledge Quiz, 15th - Queen of Sorrows Anniversary, 16th - Legion Congress (CJC is involved in logistics)
December: 23rd - AGR in St Patrick's

1633rd Meeting

2006-05-26T21:37:00.000+08:00

Hey people! Here's your ORB!
But first a look at the Allocated Work!

This is for everyone! Do as many Assemble Prayers and Inspirational Verses as you can so that we can stock up...

Now your ORB!

Morning Prayer is to have 2 people assigned to it. Changes may be made to the order of the Morning Prayer
Ice cream selling for CIP at SFX. Date to be confirmed
Catena Chain game! Details attached at the bottom

This is the bottom

Catena Smsing ‘Game.’
From the 25th May to 2nd June.
These are the grouping for this week’s catena smsing ‘game’.
You are to pray the catena and then sms the person that you have been allocated.
Objectives:
To try and fulfil the second standing instruction (to recite the catena daily).
To build up a better community spirit.
Br Jonathan & Br William
Sis Susan & Br Alvin
Br Darren & Sis Anne
Sis Denise & Br Daniel Timothy
Sis Clare & Br Aloysius
Sis Joan & Br Davin
Br Daniel & Br Alex
Br Linus & Sis Eunice
Rules are that
You must receive 1 and send 1 sms
Try to do it within the timeframe of 9 pm to 12 midnight
Please do not wait for the other to sms, so when it is getting late please pray the catena then sms

1632nd Meeting

2006-05-24T06:07:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! here's the ORB for the week!=)

Read Marai Legionas!
Ice cream selling for CIP!
Next meeting is on Thursday at 10am
Singing for Ascension Mass on Wednesday
J1s are to take officership trials! Presiden: Br Linus, VP: Sr Anne, Secretary: Sr Denise (too bad!!!), Tresasurer: Br Daniel Tay
Curia on 27th May

1631st Meeting

2006-05-14T21:39:00.000+08:00

Hey people! Thanks for coming for the BBQ! Your presence really made this BBQ special and we the J2s hope that the J1s will invite us for the next one! =)
That aside, the ORB for this week!

Ice-cream selling for CIP. Thanks to Br Linus
Read the Maria Legionas

Errr..that's all?

1630th Meeting

2006-05-10T00:17:00.000+08:00

hey! William here,
here's the ORB for this week!

Lotus Folding finale on 6th and 7th May
BBQ on 11th May, meet at Paya Lebar MRT at 4.30pm. Those involved are to meet on Wednesday
Curia Camp is cancelled
Read Maria Legionas
Officer's meeting on Wednesday

Well, that's all for now!

Regarding Borrowing of Books & Posting up of Reflections

2006-05-07T22:29:00.000+08:00

Dear Fellow Legionaries ,
If you are doing the Book review for allocated work , you may wish to post your reflections here to share with the other legionaries about what you have learn about the faith. You may wish to post other sharings here that you may wish to share , this is in a bid to cut down the report time during meeting yet not compromising on the spiritual input and output for all. So if you want the encrypted login file to enter this blog's account , please email me , my email address is stated in the contact list. I think it is important to post sharings on the blog as can be seen in many other Catholic Youth Group , their blog is used as spiritual exchange among themselves, so i strongly feel we should do the same, hopefully we can initiate this idea into action .

Regards,
Jon Chan

1629th Meeting

2006-05-01T20:26:00.000+08:00

Hey hey!
ORB for this week! =)

All J1s are to attend Curia on 29th April. Meet at SJI at 1.50pm!
Curia Camp in June
Ice-cream selling CIP, thanks to Br Linus
Lotus Folding on the 6th and 7th of May...the journey ends here...
Updated Legion contact list has been err...updated! Please contact Darren for
it!
Legion BBQ on 11th May. Meet at Paya Lebar on
that day! Those involved have to go 1 day before to prepare! Invite at
least 1 person, who is interested in Legion, to go!

Thats all guys and girls! Have a great...but surely tiring week ahead!

God bless! =)

1628th Meeting

2006-04-21T23:43:00.000+08:00

Yawn..William here..sleepyyyyy
Due to stress for efficiency, we are now going to be more stress due to over-efficiency! But there is no such thing as over-efficiency..or is there?
But that aside!
Here's the ORB for the week!

Fellowship at Marche after meeting
Collect money for Legion BBQ!
Buying of Legion handbooks!
Lotus folding sesson at St Ignatius Church tomorrow from 1 to 4pm, meet at Orchard MRT at 12pm!
Curia on 29th April. All J1 legionaries are to attend!
Legion BBQ on 11th May after Sports Carnival. Meet at 4.30 at Paya Lebar MRT.
Curia Camp in June
Astronaut Ice-cream selling!
Have more sharings
The NEW and IMPROVED Contact List will be given out next meeting

That's all folks! Zzzzzzz....

Lotus Folding Session

2006-04-18T21:28:00.000+08:00

posted by Daniel

Hey legionaries,there will be a lotus folding session this saturday afternoon
at St Ignatious church similar to the folding session two weeks ago.You are storngly encouraged to come and feel free to bring ur friends who wanna fold lotus too.

Allocated Work For This week(17-21th April)

2006-04-16T23:52:00.000+08:00

posted by Daniel

Morning Mass:

Monday-Alex
Wed-Linus
Fri-Eunice

Morning Prayer:

Tuesday-Denise
Thursday-Daniel John

Inspirational Phrases:

Anne,William,Daniel Tay,Darren,Alvin

Assembly prayers:

Alvin

Borrowing of book:

Alvin,Daniel John,Darren

2006-04-16T00:17:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! WiLlIaM here..
Here's the ORB for the week!

Teaching of lotus folding on Thursday during NE period
Curia Camp in June
Fellowship on 21st April at MARCHE!!!
Curia: 29th April, all J1s are to attend..or else...
Selling of ice cream for CIP
Buying of Legion handbooks!
Intro to Legion/BBQ on 11th May, at5pm. That is the day after the Sports Carnvial which ends at 1pm.
Lets go Church hopping!!!

Alright! Thats all folks!

GOD bless! and HAPPY EASTER!

2006-04-14T10:48:00.000+08:00

Hey! William here..
Tomorrow's meeting is at the Church of St Francis Xavier, 63A Chartwell Drive (S)558758..
but we are meeting at Serangoon MRT! which is 3.64km away from the church. The bus ride will probably take about 11minutes, not counting traffic etc..
So,

Church of St Francis Xavier
Meet at 10am at SERANGOON (NE12) MRT
Meeting starts at 11am
Bring the items assigned to you

See you there!

Thank you and God bless! =)

P.S. Thanks to Anne for booking the place!

Legion of Mary 1626th Meeting

2006-04-08T00:13:00.000+08:00

Allocated Work

Morning Prayer duty

Tuesday: Sr Anne
Thursday: Br William

Morning Mass duty

Monday: Br Daniel John
Wednesday: Br Davin
Reserve: Br Daniel Tay

Assemble Prayer: Br Daniel Tay, Br Linus
Borrowing of books: Br Linus, Sr Eunice, Br Jon Chan
Inspirational Verses: Br Alex, Br Jon Chan, Br Darren, Br Alvin, Sr Eunice
Lotus folding session of Monday at 5pm in LT5

ORB

Curia Camp in June
Buy Handbooks
Do Allocated Work
Legion blog must be updated
Reflections/Book reviews to be put on the Legion blog
Saturday, 9th April, meet at Hougang MRT at 9.30am for Lenten Reflections
Intro to Legion for J1s on 21st April
All J1s are to go for Curia this month
Fellowship is on 21st April
Selling ice-cream for CIP, initated by Br Linus
The Legion will be attending Good Friday service at Cathedral of the Good Shepard. Meet at 2pm
Maundy Thursday mass in CJ at 4pm
Next meeting on Saturday at 11am at St Francis Church

Personal reflections on Prayer

2006-04-04T22:31:00.000+08:00

hello hunks and babes. this is my personal reflection on prayer. you may or may not agree with it, but still, i hope it's useful in your spiritual journey in a way or another.

first and foremost, we would all definitely agree that prayer is one of the most important aspect of our christian lives. prayer is our communication with God. It is in fact, one of the best gifts that we can receive from God. it is without any cost, but filled with rewards.

prayer comes in many forms. some of us pray by reflecting on the Holy Word of God. some, contemplation. and of course, there is the most Holy Rosary of our Blessed Mother.

like what Pope John Paul II said of the Rosary:
"we must rediscover the profound mysticism contained in the simplicity of this prayer." -Pope John Paul II
the Rosary is indeed a favorite prayer amongst catholics. and we should be greatly encouraged to pray it. having our Blessed Mother to intercede for us is indeed a privilege for us.

i was pondering on how many people used to confine in me that they dont know how to pray or what to pray especially in their times of trouble or when they are down. but however, we often forget that we are talking to someone who is so powerful. our very own creator. God. He already knows what we are about to say even before we say it. like what is mentioned in Psalm 139. and so i urge all of you not to despair and feel depressed whenever we feel that we are not in the mood to pray. there are many forms and ways of praying. some of us choose to kneel. some prefer to lie on the comfy bed to talk to God. or, some would comfortably talk to God in the bathroom. even if we dont know what to say, or how to say what we feel like telling God, let us just remember that, fret not, for our Father already knows. we just have to keep God in our hearts. and according to mr pang, "pray not with feelings but with faith."

trust in God that He will bring us through any obstacle in our lives. so once again, pray with your heart always and even if you have nothing to say, keep in mind that your Father already knows. in times like this, i think i will pray the rosary, so that i can stay focused in God and yet tell Him what i want to say; without saying it out in words/verbally. in certain times, words are just not enough to express what we truly feel or what we've gone through that we want to tell God about.

keep God first and everything else will follow..

"perhaps your prayers are not heard because you have ceased asking.."
-St. Augustine.

when you need to find the way to go ASAP,
Always Say A Prayer!

-alison! :)

2006-04-02T17:03:00.000+08:00

Hey! Your secretary here again! Heres the Allocated Work and ORB for this week! =)

Allocated Work

Morning Prayer duty
Morning Mass duty
Borrow Catholic books from the library
Writing of Inspirational Verses
Stations of Cross

ORB

Take more pictures of legion functions
Curia Camp in June
Update Contact list
Buying of handbooks. All legionaries are to purchase one! Come on! This book is special! You can't get it from Popular or Borders!
Bring your own Rosary and handbook for every meeting
Wear your Legion Badge always!!! Even while you sleep!!!
Bring your diary or a small book to take down notes on the Allocutio or Allocated Work..so I don't have to keep doing this!
Update Legion blog.. why do I feel like laughing?
Mass Good Friday Service going!
Day of Intro to the Legion for mainly J1s at Br Daniel Tay's house on 22nd April
Fellowship on 21st April, so we can eat MEAT!!! yummy!
Think of CIP to do
IRO is organising a 1000000 lotus folding project. Meet at Tanah Merah MRT at 1pm on 8th April
But!!! Lenten Reflections on 8th April from 8am to 1pm! Place will be confirmed!
Contact J3s for meetings! haha..J3s!!! Come for meeting! Next meeting is on Friday at 3.15pm! Same place!

Thats all for now! muacks!

God Bless!

A Self-Reflection of DEUS CARITAS EST

2006-04-02T12:07:00.000+08:00

What is Love:
" Love embraces the whole of existence in each of its dimensions, including the dimension of time."

" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. "(St Paul)

"God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him" (St John)

This phrase from ST JOHN reflects the importance of love in believing in God , as if we say we believe in him is to say we believe in love as well as. So God and love come as one package, to reject the idea of love is to reject the Idea of God.

"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction."

Christianity is more than just to believe and proclaim but the encounter to find meaning in life, so it is not the exterior that matters but the inner spirituality and communion with God that matters. Evangelisation without inner spiritual communion with God is just hypocracy.

* " The term "love" has become one of the most frequently used and misused of words, a word to which we attach quite different meanings."

Types of Love:
Eros: Love between Man and Women
Philia: the love of friendship
Agape: Christian love, "charity"
Dodim: a love that is still insecure, indeterminate and searching

Controversy of Eros:
" According to Friedrich Nietzsche, Christianity had poisoned eros, which for its part, while not completely succumbing, gradually degenerated into vice."

To the Greeks Eros was thus celebrated as divine power, as fellowship with the Divine due to their believe of "sacred" prostitution which flourished in many temples.

However the Old Testament firmly opposed this form of religion, states that counterfeit divinization of eros actually strips it of its dignity and dehumanizes it.

" An intoxicated and undisciplined eros, then, is not an ascent in "ecstasy" towards the Divine, but a fall, a degradation of man. Evidently, eros needs to be disciplined and purified if it is to provide not just fleeting pleasure, but a certain foretaste of the pinnacle of our existence, of that beatitude for which our whole being yearns."

" Man is truly himself when his body and soul are intimately united; the challenge of eros can be said to be truly overcome when this unification is achieved. Should he aspire to be pure spirit and to reject the flesh as pertaining to his animal nature alone, then spirit and body would both lose their dignity. On the other hand, should he deny the spirit and consider matter, the body, as the only reality, he would likewise lose his greatness."

Man is made up of body and soul, he cannot neglect completely neither the body and soul. For if he rejected his body completely and completely accept the spirit, his body is not given the respect. However if he were to accept body completely, and reject the spirit totally, he will lose the communion with God. Therefore, this phrase is trying to show us that even though we seek spiritual perfection, we still have to accept our imperfections of the body. As both must co-exist in harmony in order to reflect the greatness of God's Creation as both the body and spirit were created by God.

"(In Modern Society) Eros, reduced to pure "sex", has become a commodity; a mere "thing" to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity. Man now considers his body and his sexuality as the purely material part of himself, to be used and exploited at will."

In Modern Society, man has started to reject the spiritual nature of "Eros" and focus completely on the bodily nature of "Eros", that is when "Eros" has been degraded to "Sex" which is perceive by our society today as a commodity which can be bought and sold.

About "Dodim":
" Love now becomes concern and care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking, a sinking in the intoxication of happiness; instead it seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation and it is ready, and even willing, for sacrifice."

About "Agape":
" We become "one body", completely joined in a single existence. Love of God and love of neighbour are now truly united: God incarnate draws us all to himself. We can thus understand how agape also became a term for the Eucharist."

Agape can be seen as the type of love that keeps the religion together, as it emphasis unconditional love for God as well as for neighbour; this reflect in the Eucharist which serves as symbol to keep the church united with God as well as among the believe. When we all receive the holy Eucharist together as one church, we are symbolical expressing that we are a family bounded by Agape love.

THE PRACTICE OF LOVE BY THE CHURCH

"Love is therefore the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly to man's sufferings and his needs, including material needs."

posted by Jon Chan

The "Jesus Loves Me' hymn

2006-03-24T14:04:00.000+08:00

hey guys! a new version of the well-loved childrens' hymn that we used to sing at sunday school! or rather, maybe an "older" version; jus for "older" peeps like us! 17s, 18s,19s,20s, 30s?? 40s?? oh no!!!!

JESUS LOVES ME
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME...
YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go.
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He's begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love.

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does he know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

(CHORUS!)

hope you guys love it. sing it as a legion man! hahaha...

-alison! :)

2006-03-24T01:06:00.000+08:00

Sorry guys for the inactive-ness. Just to update you before the next meeting.

ACIES! its coming... When? This Saturday! We are meeting at 12pm at Yishun MRT. Please note that it is 12pm not 12am! Curia starts at 1pm, and ACIES starts at 3pm. Through Mathematics and Logical Deduction, we will be going for Curia as a Praesidium! So please report at 12pm SHARP! ouch!
Could the J2s please contact their J1s. If they have other CCAs, it would be a good opportunity to introduce a forgotten something...Auxilary Membership! Though we may not have them in person, but we have them spiritually. And I feel that that is the most important thing.
I hope we will clean the Legion cupboard soon...
I'm sure Br Alex Chua wants it, and I want it too! We should have a Legion Fellowship soon... I propose next week. This would give us an opportunity to get to know the J1s better, and to strenghten our friendship, or relationships ;)

Thats all for now! Thank you and God bless!
Your secretary, Pope William the Stupid aka Pope Stupid

Hi!

2006-03-14T21:21:00.000+08:00

Hey! This is your sad sad sad secretary! Just to update you on what's going to happen!

Our meeting is on Wednesday, most probably after 12pm.
Lenten Vigil, please meet at 6pm for our ushering duty. This is compulsary. If you can't, please give us a VALID reason. This will be taken into consideration by our officers
Acies is on the 25th March, Saturday. ALL Legionaries have to attend. Please set the day aside as it is one of the most important events in the Legion calendar.
Curia Camp in June

Now for your Allocated Work

Borrow a CATHOLIC book from the school library. Remember to switch off or silent all handphones before you enter! We don't want to give Legion a bad name now..or do we? HAHAHAHA!!!
Stations of Cross.

Good luck for your exams and test! Please study hard, but don't let it get in the way of your religious life! God bless!

New Blog Revamp

2006-03-11T15:53:00.000+08:00

Ok guys , i spent 4 hours to revamp the entire blog design , hopefully none of you have violent objections especially John Sim , Yah i did my research on colour schemes and i shorten the code by almost 50% -60%, so loading should be faster. So do me favour and start posting reflections on this blog ok, you know the acts have a very nice and active blog , while ours is kinda of dead.
You Guys should know what to do, Seniors who are super free, do post more...
If you think this layout totally sucks , tell me and i will revert back to the old design

Oyah, I cant make it for next meeting, can we re-shedule to either monday ,tuesday or wednesday????? Since Darren is away , i m presiding meeting, or unless William wants to preside????? Guys response ASAP ,k???

Take Care , God Bless
Jon Chan signing out.....................

Personal Reflection Sharing

2006-03-03T22:41:00.000+08:00

Hey guys,
I feel that our blog is becoming too adminstrative and losing spirituality , how about this , why dont we post our reflections or some interesting reading especially since we have been allocated to scout the School library Catholic section. Hope everyone will cooperate to make our blog more spiritual and cultivate a greater understanding.. Please dont just take and copy articles , reflect and analyse , God Bless!!!!!!!!!

William or somebody who has got better design taste than me , improve the blog layout

Greatest Regards,
Jon Chan

Allocated Work + Other Relevant Business

2006-03-03T20:59:00.000+08:00

Allocated Work

Morning Prayer duty
Morning Mass duty
Borrow a book from the Catholic section in the school library, share about it next meeting

Other Relevant Business

Curia camp which is in June, memebers encouraged to attend.
CCA Passa
Acies on 25th March at 3pm. Curia is at 1pm. We, the members of the Legion of Mary, will be going for Curia. Meet at Yishun MRT at 12pm.
Please carry out you;r Allocated Work assigned to you
Update Legion blog! :P
Lenten Vigil on 17th March

CCA Passa/Bazaar whatever you want to call it..

2006-03-03T20:53:00.000+08:00

Here are the details, not much though, about the CCA Passa.

its on this coming wednesday, 8th March 2006 (duh). Time will be confirmed and updated
all legionaries are to encouraged participate, especially the seniors!

Prayer Intentions 3rd March 2006

2006-03-03T20:48:00.000+08:00

Hi! this is your hopefully beloved secretary!
here are your prayer intentions!

CLB
Catholic teachers and students to be stronger in their faith
Those starting Poly
Those struggling with difficult relationships
New CJ students
Sr Theodora
Br John Sim's enlistment
Those unhappy with results
Commen Tests
Recuritment drive
Repentance

Release of results

2006-02-24T14:02:00.000+08:00

Release of 2005 GCE 'A' levels results is confirmed to be on the !st of March 2006.
Candidates please proceed to cjc after 14:00hrs.
Good Luck.
and oh, btw, prayers are needed!

2006-01-05T01:08:00.000+08:00

posted by alison!

eh who put ex-legionaries.... make me feel so OLD. lol.
REMINDER! GO TO CHURCH! lol. cheers people.

2005-12-27T18:44:00.000+08:00

Church of Risen Christ. Morn mass 18dec05, sunday.

Origin of the Date of Christmas

2005-12-23T15:48:00.000+08:00

Calculating Christmas

William J. Tighe on the Story Behind December 25

Many Christians think that Christians celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25th because the church fathers appropriated the date of a pagan festival. Almost no one minds, except for a few groups on the fringes of American Evangelicalism, who seem to think that this makes Christmas itself a pagan festival. But it is perhaps interesting to know that the choice of December 25th is the result of attempts among the earliest Christians to figure out the date of Jesus’ birth based on calendrical calculations that had nothing to do with pagan festivals.

Rather, the pagan festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Son” instituted by the Roman Emperor Aurelian on 25 December 274, was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance to Roman Christians. Thus the “pagan origins of Christmas” is a myth without historical substance.

A Mistake

The idea that the date was taken from the pagans goes back to two scholars from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Paul Ernst Jablonski, a German Protestant, wished to show that the celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25th was one of the many “paganizations” of Christianity that the Church of the fourth century embraced, as one of many “degenerations” that transformed pure apostolic Christianity into Catholicism. Dom Jean Hardouin, a Benedictine monk, tried to show that the Catholic Church adopted pagan festivals for Christian purposes without paganizing the gospel.

In the Julian calendar, created in 45 B.C. under Julius Caesar, the winter solstice fell on December 25th, and it therefore seemed obvious to Jablonski and Hardouin that the day must have had a pagan significance before it had a Christian one. But in fact, the date had no religious significance in the Roman pagan festal calendar before Aurelian’s time, nor did the cult of the sun play a prominent role in Rome before him.

There were two temples of the sun in Rome, one of which (maintained by the clan into which Aurelian was born or adopted) celebrated its dedication festival on August 9th, the other of which celebrated its dedication festival on August 28th. But both of these cults fell into neglect in the second century, when eastern cults of the sun, such as Mithraism, began to win a following in Rome. And in any case, none of these cults, old or new, had festivals associated with solstices or equinoxes.

As things actually happened, Aurelian, who ruled from 270 until his assassination in 275, was hostile to Christianity and appears to have promoted the establishment of the festival of the “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” as a device to unify the various pagan cults of the Roman Empire around a commemoration of the annual “rebirth” of the sun. He led an empire that appeared to be collapsing in the face of internal unrest, rebellions in the provinces, economic decay, and repeated attacks from German tribes to the north and the Persian Empire to the east.

In creating the new feast, he intended the beginning of the lengthening of the daylight, and the arresting of the lengthening of darkness, on December 25th to be a symbol of the hoped-for “rebirth,” or perpetual rejuvenation, of the Roman Empire, resulting from the maintenance of the worship of the gods whose tutelage (the Romans thought) had brought Rome to greatness and world-rule. If it co-opted the Christian celebration, so much the better.

A By-Product

It is true that the first evidence of Christians celebrating December 25th as the date of the Lord’s nativity comes from Rome some years after Aurelian, in A.D. 336, but there is evidence from both the Greek East and the Latin West that Christians attempted to figure out the date of Christ’s birth long before they began to celebrate it liturgically, even in the second and third centuries. The evidence indicates, in fact, that the attribution of the date of December 25th was a by-product of attempts to determine when to celebrate his death and resurrection.

How did this happen? There is a seeming contradiction between the date of the Lord’s death as given in the synoptic Gospels and in John’s Gospel. The synoptics would appear to place it on Passover Day (after the Lord had celebrated the Passover Meal on the preceding evening), and John on the Eve of Passover, just when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple for the feast that was to ensue after sunset on that day.

Solving this problem involves answering the question of whether the Lord’s Last Supper was a Passover Meal, or a meal celebrated a day earlier, which we cannot enter into here. Suffice it to say that the early Church followed John rather than the synoptics, and thus believed that Christ’s death would have taken place on 14 Nisan, according to the Jewish lunar calendar. (Modern scholars agree, by the way, that the death of Christ could have taken place only in A.D. 30 or 33, as those two are the only years of that time when the eve of Passover could have fallen on a Friday, the possibilities being either 7 April 30 or 3 April 33.)

However, as the early Church was forcibly separated from Judaism, it entered into a world with different calendars, and had to devise its own time to celebrate the Lord’s Passion, not least so as to be independent of the rabbinic calculations of the date of Passover. Also, since the Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months of thirty days each, every few years a thirteenth month had to be added by a decree of the Sanhedrin to keep the calendar in synchronization with the equinoxes and solstices, as well as to prevent the seasons from “straying” into inappropriate months.

Apart from the difficulty Christians would have had in following—or perhaps even being accurately informed about—the dating of Passover in any given year, to follow a lunar calendar of their own devising would have set them at odds with both Jews and pagans, and very likely embroiled them in endless disputes among themselves. (The second century saw severe disputes about whether Pascha had always to fall on a Sunday or on whatever weekday followed two days after 14 Artemision/Nisan, but to have followed a lunar calendar would have made such problems much worse.)

These difficulties played out in different ways among the Greek Christians in the eastern part of the empire and the Latin Christians in the western part of it. Greek Christians seem to have wanted to find a date equivalent to 14 Nisan in their own solar calendar, and since Nisan was the month in which the spring equinox occurred, they chose the 14th day of Artemision, the month in which the spring equinox invariably fell in their own calendar. Around A.D. 300, the Greek calendar was superseded by the Roman calendar, and since the dates of the beginnings and endings of the months in these two systems did not coincide, 14 Artemision became April 6th.

In contrast, second-century Latin Christians in Rome and North Africa appear to have desired to establish the historical date on which the Lord Jesus died. By the time of Tertullian they had concluded that he died on Friday, 25 March 29. (As an aside, I will note that this is impossible: 25 March 29 was not a Friday, and Passover Eve in A.D. 29 did not fall on a Friday and was not on March 25th, or in March at all.)

Integral Age

So in the East we have April 6th, in the West, March 25th. At this point, we have to introduce a belief that seems to have been widespread in Judaism at the time of Christ, but which, as it is nowhere taught in the Bible, has completely fallen from the awareness of Christians. The idea is that of the “integral age” of the great Jewish prophets: the idea that the prophets of Israel died on the same dates as their birth or conception.

This notion is a key factor in understanding how some early Christians came to believe that December 25th is the date of Christ’s birth. The early Christians applied this idea to Jesus, so that March 25th and April 6th were not only the supposed dates of Christ’s death, but of his conception or birth as well. There is some fleeting evidence that at least some first- and second-century Christians thought of March 25th or April 6th as the date of Christ’s birth, but rather quickly the assignment of March 25th as the date of Christ’s conception prevailed.

It is to this day, commemorated almost universally among Christians as the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel brought the good tidings of a savior to the Virgin Mary, upon whose acquiescence the Eternal Word of God (“Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten of the Father before all ages”) forthwith became incarnate in her womb. What is the length of pregnancy? Nine months. Add nine months to March 25th and you get December 25th; add it to April 6th and you get January 6th. December 25th is Christmas, and January 6th is Epiphany.

Christmas (December 25th) is a feast of Western Christian origin. In Constantinople it appears to have been introduced in 379 or 380. From a sermon of St. John Chrysostom, at the time a renowned ascetic and preacher in his native Antioch, it appears that the feast was first celebrated there on 25 December 386. From these centers it spread throughout the Christian East, being adopted in Alexandria around 432 and in Jerusalem a century or more later. The Armenians, alone among ancient Christian churches, have never adopted it, and to this day celebrate Christ’s birth, manifestation to the magi, and baptism on January 6th.

Western churches, in turn, gradually adopted the January 6th Epiphany feast from the East, Rome doing so sometime between 366 and 394. But in the West, the feast was generally presented as the commemoration of the visit of the magi to the infant Christ, and as such, it was an important feast, but not one of the most important ones—a striking contrast to its position in the East, where it remains the second most important festival of the church year, second only to Pascha (Easter).

In the East, Epiphany far outstrips Christmas. The reason is that the feast celebrates Christ’s baptism in the Jordan and the occasion on which the Voice of the Father and the Descent of the Spirit both manifested for the first time to mortal men the divinity of the Incarnate Christ and the Trinity of the Persons in the One Godhead.

A Christian Feast

Thus, December 25th as the date of the Christ’s birth appears to owe nothing whatsoever to pagan influences upon the practice of the Church during or after Constantine’s time. It is wholly unlikely to have been the actual date of Christ’s birth, but it arose entirely from the efforts of early Latin Christians to determine the historical date of Christ’s death.

And the pagan feast which the Emperor Aurelian instituted on that date in the year 274 was not only an effort to use the winter solstice to make a political statement, but also almost certainly an attempt to give a pagan significance to a date already of importance to Roman Christians. The Christians, in turn, could at a later date re-appropriate the pagan “Birth of the Unconquered Sun” to refer, on the occasion of the birth of Christ, to the rising of the “Sun of Salvation” or the “Sun of Justice.”

The author refers interested readers to Thomas J. Talley’s The Origins of the Liturgical Year (The Liturgical Press). A draft of this article appeared on the listserve Virtuosity.

William J. Tighe is Associate Professor of History at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a faculty advisor to the Catholic Campus Ministry. He is a Member of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is a contributing editor for Touchstone.

Details of Legion Retreat

2005-12-11T12:03:00.000+08:00

Date of Retreat: Sunday, 18 December 2005
Time: 9.30am to 9.30pm
Venue: Lifesprings: Canossian Spirituality Centre
Retreat Director: Sr. Priscilla Ahin, F.D.C.C
Cost per person: $5 (for retreat) + some money for dinner

Time	Session/Activity	Speaker/IC	Venue
0930	The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass	-	Church of the Risen Christ
1030	Breakfast and Travel	-	-
1115	Arrival and Settle at Lifesprings	-	Lifesprings
1120	Opening Prayers of the Legion	Officer	Centering Room
1125	Session I: Know Thyself, Know Others	Sr. Priscilla	Centering Room
1310	Angelus	-	-
1315	Lunch	J1s	Canteen
1400	Session II: Know God	Sr. Priscilla	Centering Room
1545	Catena Legionis	Officer	Centering Room
1550	Break	-	-
1620	Session IV: To know is to Love	Sr. Priscilla	Centering Room
1805	Vespers [Psalter IV: Sunday Evening II]	ALL	Centering Room
1830	Break	-	Canteen
1840	Session IV: Affirmations		Centering Room
2000	Thanksgiving and Goodbye		Centering Room
2020	Concluding Prayers of the Legion	Officer	Centering Room
2025	Leave Lifesprings	-	-
2026	Dinner	-	-

Nota Bene:

Each session is 1 hour 45 minutes long (max).
Meals will be ordered from outside (i.e. pizza hut, Canadian pizza, KFC, etc).
For those who cannot wake up early enough to attend Mass at Church of the Risen Christ, please attend the Saturday Sunset Mass and meet us at Toa Payoh Bus Interchange at 10.45am SHARP. But it is strongly recommended that all try to attend the Mass together.
Please bring along writing materials.
Please have enough sleep before coming for the retreat.

Please send a reply on whether you are going or not, to Jon Chan either by email or sms, or leave as a comment to this post if your name is still not on the list below.

(Try to come , dont pangseh, unless you really cannot)

Confirmed List:

Coming:
Jon Chan
John Sim
Alex
Daniel
Eunice
Audrey
Darren
William
Alison
Mr Alfred Pang

Not Coming:
Benny(over-commited)
Meryl(overseas)
Davin(overseas)
Sarah(??Choir??)
Alvin(Overseas)

Status Pending:
Pamela (MIA)

Legion Retreat

2005-12-09T16:02:00.000+08:00

As the Legion Chalet has been cancelled, there will be, in its place, a Legion Retreat. This will be a ONE-DAY retreat. Details are as follows:

Date: Sunday, 18 December 2005
Time: Whole Day. Exact timing yet to be confirmed. Probably ends at around 9-10pm
Venue:
LIFESPRINGS - Canossian Spirituality Centre
100 Jalan Merbok S(598454)

Please if possible, go for Sunset Mass on Saturday if you cannot wake up early on Sunday itself.

Cost: Approx $10 per person, not inclusive of food.

Legion Resource

2005-11-30T14:32:00.000+08:00

Behold a new Legion Guide to meet your demand for information of the Legion Of Mary ,
Legiopedia

created by Jon Chan

Next Legion Meeting

2005-11-27T01:11:00.000+08:00

Please note that the next Legion meeting will be on Tuesday 29 November 2005 at 10am in CJC.

Need a Favour

2005-11-26T22:26:00.000+08:00

Hey guys can you all do me a favour?????
Can help me find all kinds of photos , cause Mr Pang wants them as material for reflection during combine retreat of the Catholic Socities.
Any kind of photo will do, but no taboo stuff , i need about 50 photos, can you bring by next legion meeting??????

Regards,
Jon Chan

The Empty Chair

2005-11-22T21:03:00.000+08:00

Got this from an e-mail from a Coptic priest. Enjoy!

God bless!
JJPS

The Empty Chair

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said. "No, who are you?" said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I see the empty chair; I figured you knew I was going to show up." "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bed ridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door.

"I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head." "I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus.

Here is what I suggest." "Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you always." Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now." "So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, and when I left the house about two o' clock, he called me over to his bedside and told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. "But there was something strange about his death.

Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?" The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

Prayers by the Lake

2005-11-21T21:41:00.000+08:00

Prayers by the Lake

by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic

Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, a bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, is regarded by many as a saint yet to be canonized. Little by little his writings are being translated into English. He died in 1956. He is best known for The Prologue from Ochrid, a four-volume work on the lives of the saints (published by the Lazarica Press, 131 Cob Lane, Birmingham B30 1QE, England). The first volume of The Holimies will soon be available from the same publisher. Our thanks to Sinisa Rakic of the Wolkentheater in Amsterdam for suggesting publication of several of his "Prayers by the Lake" and to Mother Maria Rule for the translation.

Men can do me no evil as long as I bear no wound.

I saw two caves, one of which gave off an echo, while the other was dumb. Many curious children visited the former, incessantly engaged in shouting matches with the cave. But visitors quickly left the other cave, because it gave them no echo in return.

If my soul is wounded, every worldly evil will resound within it. And people will laugh at me, and will bear more and more strongly on me with their shouting.

But evil-speaking people will not really harm me, if my tongue has forgotten how to form evil words.

Nor will external malice sadden me, if there is no malice in my heart to resound like a goatskin drum.

Nor shall I be able to respond to wrath with wrath if the lair of wrath within me has been vacated and there is nothing to be aroused.

Nor will human passions titillate me if the passions within me have been turned to ashes.

Nor will the untruthfulness of friends sadden me if I have chosen Thee for my friend.

Nor can the injustice of the world overwhelm me if injustice has been banished from my thoughts.

Nor will the deceitful spirits of worldly pleasure, honor and power delude me, if my soul is like a spotless bride, who receives only the Holy Spirit and yearns for Him alone.

Men cannot send anyone off to hell unless that person sends himself, nor can men hoist anyone up on their shoulders to the throne of God, unless that person elevates himself.

If my soul has no open windows, no mud can be thrown into it.

Let all nature rise up against me; it can do nothing to me except a single thing -- to become as soon as possible the grave of my body.

Every worldly crop is covered with manure, so that it will sprout as soon as possible and grow better. If my soul were, alas, to abandon its virginity and receive the seed of this world into itself, then it would also have to accept the manure that the world casts on its fields.

But I call upon Thee day and night: "Come, dwell in my soul and close all the places where my enemies can enter. Make the cavern of my soul empty and dumb, so that no one from the world will desire to enter it."

O my soul, my only care, be on guard and learn to distinguish between the voices that smite your ears. Once you hear the voice of your Lord, abandon your dumbness and echo it with all your strength.

O my soul, thou cavern of eternity, never allow temporal thieves to enter into thee and kindle their fire within thee. Be dumb when they shout at you. Stay still when they bang on you, and patiently await your Master -- for He will truly come.

* * *

Thou hast filled thyself with peace, O Glory of the realms on high, and the anger of all lands cannot shake Thy peace.

Among mortals there is little peace; therefore anger has gained in strength.

Anger makes its nest in the breast of arrogance and murder lies in the breast of anger.

All sins tend to murder, and none stands so close to murder as anger.

One-eyed earthly laws do not punish anger, because they do not see that anger kills. But Thy discerning law, O Glory of the realms on high, calls anger murder.

I have striven, in sunlight and moonlight, to penetrate the mystery of Thy law and, once my striving began to wear away all my worldly hopes, I began to perceive how my anger towards neighbors was killing me.

The children of anger are slaves, while the children of peace are sons. Therefore Thy wisdom speaks to men and reiterates to them: Be sons! A son looks into the face of his father, and turns his own face towards that of his father. When he sees peace in his father's face, how can he distort his own face with anger, and yet not turn his gaze away from his father?

Anger brings infirmity into both the one who is angry and the one against whom the anger is vented. And infirmity is the precursor of death.

A wonder worker does not work miracles among children of anger, for the children of anger bring infirmity unto him.

O my neighbors, why do you feel stronger among those who love you, and weaker among those whom your presence angers? Is it not because the former add to your life by love, and the latter take from it through anger?

It is therefore my delight to be constantly with thee, O Glory of the realms on high. For only in Thy presence I neither kill them nor they me.

Just as drop after drop of water wears away even the hardest stone, so anger wears away the life of two people.

Like a murderer waiting in ambush with a knife, so anger turns in a proud heart.

Truly, arrogance knows that it is guilty; therefore it places anger at the gate, to act as its sentry.

Arrogance knows that it is sinful; therefore it has found itself an advocate in another sin.

Fill my heart with humility, O Glory of the realms on high, with the humility of the angels before Thy throne, for humility gives no abode or resting place to anger.

Grant me the humility of a son, and I shall be ashamed to become angry at slaves or kill slaves. Arm me with Thy peace, that the anger of the children of anger will not be able to confound.

* * *

The Father looks down from heaven and sees me all covered with wounds from the injustice of men, and says: "Take no revenge."

On whom should I take revenge, O Lord? On part of a flock on its way to slaughter?

Does a doctor take revenge on his patients for cursing him on their death beds?

Or whom should I take revenge? On the snow for melting, or on the grass for withering? Does a grave digger take revenge on those going down into the grave?

On whom shall I take revenge? On simpletons, for thinking that they can do evil to someone else in the world besides themselves? Does a teacher take revenge on illiterate children for not knowing how to read?

Eternity is my witness that all who are quick to take revenge are slow to read and comprehend its mysteries.

Time is my witness that all who have taken revenge have accumulated poison in themselves and have, with this poison, blotted themselves out of the Book of Life.

In what can you avengers boast before your adversaries, except my being able to repeat their evil? Are you not thereby saying: "We are no better than you?"

God is my witness that both you and your adversaries are equally reckless and equally incapable of good.

I have seen a cherry tree stripped of its bark and set fire to by children, yet it gave ripe fruit to those same children.

And I have seen cows, which men tormented with heavy burdens, patiently give milk to those same men.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I asked: Why is nature more compassionate to men than man is to his fellow man?

Nature is my witness, O ye avengers, that only he is more powerful than those who do him evil who is powerless to copy their evil deeds.

There is no end to vengeance, and the descendants continue the work of their fathers and then go hence, leaving it unfinished.

Evil hastens along a wide road, and from each new duel it gains strength and territory, and increases its retinue.

A wise man gets off the road and leaves evil to hurry on.

A barking dog is more quickly silenced by a piece of bread than by many hurled stones.

He who taught men: "An eye for an eye," also taught them how they would all be left blind.

On whom shall I take revenge, O my heavenly Father? On part of a flock on its way to slaughter?

Ah, how wretched are all evildoers and all who take revenge! Truly, they are like a flock of sheep on the way to slaughter that, unaware of where they are heading, butt horns with each other and wreak a slaughter before the slaughter.

I do not seek vengeance, my Father; I do not seek vengeance, but rather that Thou grant me a sea of tears, so that I can bewail the wretchedness of those who are on their way to slaughter, not knowing where they are going.

[ from In Communion number 5 / Apostles Fast 1996]

A Very Good Read

2005-11-19T23:56:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone!
Here's a very interesting article. About an exorcism that took place quite some time ago. Worth reading.

Begone Satan!

Prayer to St. Michael (Shorter Form)

In Latin	In English
Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.	St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Namings

2005-11-14T23:28:00.000+08:00

HAIL YE! HAIL YE!
From the First MSN Synod, we have hereby titled and decreed the titles and names of the following people, with the decree from Pope Stupid (who didn't really say much but probably went bollywood hunting).

Results of the Synod...

Proposition Zero:
- Br. William shall hereby be named Pope Stupid ,the dumbest Pope in History
- Br. John Sim shall hereby be named H.Em Cardinal Lamer, Prefect of Crapping Faith
- Br. Davin shall hereby be named Archbioshop Mugger, President of Pontificate Council of Mugging
- Br. Jon Chan shall hereby be named Father Mugger, HDF (Order of the Himbo Darth Failure)
- Sr. Eunice shall hereby be named Mother Superior of the Money
- Sr. Pamela shall hereby be named Sister Blur
- Br.Darren shall hereby be named Superior General of the Lasalle Brothers
- Br.Daniel shall hereby be named Br Bolly,FSC
- Br.Alvin shall hereby be named Deacon Act-Shuai , behave like a deacon lah!!!!! Stop acting shuai!!!

All who detest the namings shall be excommunicated (or made to buy chocolates for us all).

With Christ During Exams

2005-10-28T10:52:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!
To all who are preparing for the A level Exams and for those taking AO Chinese, here's some exam tips by a Coptic Bishop.

God bless!
John Sim

With Christ During Exams

by H.G. Bishop Moussa

How many of us go through bouts of stress and fear during examination period, when we feel how much we are in need of God's help? How many of us have doubts that cause us to approach our studies with difficulty? Here, we examine spiritual and practical advice for studying and taking exams. May the Lord be with you.

It is during examinations that we feel how much we need God’s help, Who when He met His disciples, “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” (Lk. 24:45). No doubt, we have different feelings during exam time, such as these common thoughts:

+ I feel that I have sinned a great deal against the Lord during the year; has the day of reckoning arrived? Impossible! The Lord is bigger than that and much kinder than to cause me to fail my exams. He deals with us as sons, not as slaves!

+ Am I going to achieve the success that I desire, and to the required degree?

+ Does God love me and will He help me in my exams?

+ I want to confess and take Holy Communion so that I may be close to the Lord and that He may bless my exams.

+ I may feel that the matter is no longer under control, for I have neglected my studies thoughout the year. Will I fail? Impossible! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7). Let us approach Him with the little and He will bless it; He will surely bless!

+ I may dread the final results. How will I face myself, my family, my friends?

These and similar ideas occur to us at that time of every year. But didn't the Lord promise us saying: “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28: 20)? Is He not the loving God and “perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn. 4: 18). The future is in God’s Hands, so let me do my duty and leave the result to Him, for He certainly gives what is good.

Let us put our trust in Jesus, the Omnipotent God, and the loving Shepherd, and let us have faith in Him, so that we experience something marvelous every day. Let us sit at His feet, and if we feel guilty because of our sins, let us humble ourselves before Him in repentance, confident of His acceptance of us. He is infinitely welcoming and He is pure tenderness.

Come and sit with your father of confession, so that we may erase the past with all that is in it and let us unite with the Body and the Blood of the Lord and our hearts will be calmed and will be filled with peace. Next, let us consider some important matters:

1. Before the examination:

+ Organize the time that is left to you so that you achieve the following objectives:

Studying what has not been learned yet.
Reviewing the whole syllabus.
Mastering it through answering past exams, questions, solving problems, and doing exercises.

+ Being organized makes you productive. You do not feel distracted and heavily burdened, but allot to every day its share of work and effort without collapsing under the load and feeling extreme stress. A suitable and practical schedule is important to achieve this.

+ Preserve your spiritual calm through a living fellowship with the Lord through regular prayers as well as arrow-like prayers. Be certain that this will save time, for inner peace will help you produce work that is well done.

+ Be careful to organize meal times and sleep, and make sure you have enough of both.

2. During Examinations:

+ Do not talk too much with your colleagues outside the examination halls. Rather, feel the presence of God so that His peace may fill your heart.

+ Pray calmly before reading the examination paper and read every question more than once so that you know:

what is required of you in each and every question;
the questions you will choose to answer; and
any attempt to cheat is unacceptable to God as well as being illegal. So beware of depending on it or of resorting to it so that God does not refuse to help you.

+ Review your answers and do not leave before the time is up so that you do not have any regrets later on.

+ At home, review your answers quickly and without wasting time or getting upset so that you do not detract from your efforts for the coming exam.

3. After the examinations:

+ Submit all your efforts and your answers to the Lord Jesus Christ who loves you and prepares what is good for you.

+ Beware of imagining that your thoughts, desires, or your ambitions are going to make you happy. Real happiness is in Christ, daily satisfaction is in Him, and our eternal and infinite portion is in Him. As for the things of the earth, no matter how high or great, they are nothing but dust, believe me. Have a calm and serene spirit in the Lord, that may He provide for tomorrow: “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Mt. 6: 34). May the Lord Jesus be with you... He is the only secret of your success.

+ + +

A Prescription for Exam Preparation:

+ Organize your time, scheduling your studying at those times when you are most energetic.

+ Give your body sufficient rest, and do not get less than 8 hours of sleep daily.

+ Avoid fat and rich food. A nap after lunch is a good idea to renew your energy.

+ Avoid staying up too late; staying up late one night makes you feel heavy and lethargic the next day.

+ Do not consume too many stimulants like tea and coffee, and beware of stimulating pills, such as caffeine pills.

+ Break your study periods with short fervent prayers from the heart.

+ The temptations of the flesh increase when you are studying, so do not give in to them.

+ Reduce your television watching, especially the fictitious programs such as films and soap operas/dramas, for they will distract you from your studies.

+ Studying in groups is useful only on rare occasions, depending on the subject matter.

+ Develop the habit of summarizing in writing what you have studied.

+ When you make a study schedule, do not overburden yourself.

+ When you start studying one subject, do not place the papers and books of the other subjects on the desk so that you keep your concentration focused.

+ Whenever you feel bored, get up and walk around the room for a little while; then offer a short prayer and go back to work.

+ Make your final review consist of the answering of questions on past exams or taking practice tests, if available.

+ Do not spend too much time on the details of a subject the night before the exam.

Practical tips for the examination room:

+ When you enter the examination room, pray silently then read all the questions on the exam paper and begin by answering the easiest question and so on.

+ At the beginning of the exam, you might feel like you have forgotten everything. Do not be afraid; this is normal. Give yourself time, then read the questions again and you will recall the information gradually.

+ Do not keep looking at your watch, and remember that the questions necessarily need equal amounts of time.

+ Do not pay any attention to what is going on in the room between the proctors and the students. And do not look around a lot, for the proctor might be severe or question your movements.

+ Don't take up smoking! Smoking is one the things that will spoil your concentration the most.

+ Answer the question to the very end, if you can, for this will increase the marks you get on the exam when it is graded.

+ When you feel that you have written all you have, rest awhile, then reread the answers for you will certainly find something you can add to them.

+ After the exam is over, do not linger to compare your answers with your colleagues, but rather concentrate on the next exam.

+ Naturally, this advice will be useless if you have not made enough of an effort in studying.

+ Remember always that God blesses your work. And the more effort you put forth, the more God blesses it.

The Lord be with you.

Openhouse debrief

2005-10-11T21:52:00.000+08:00

Mr Alfred Pang wants me to convey his gratitude to all the J1s who help out. Great work guys , it is no just the numbers that matter but the quality that matters more, this is just a warm up before next year CCA exhibition, we will improve on the concept ok???? Those J1s who were not there and the J2 thanks for the prayers , the prayer force plays a very important role in the work of God. The important thing is that we all stick together and focus on the mission of God unlike the other groups, keep this commitment up and we will be fine.

In God we trust

Regards,
Jon Chan

2005-10-08T00:54:00.000+08:00

posted by chikobu!

Hey guys... check this out. http://www.donghaeng.net/english/duty/duty.swf hmmm. quite.... heartwarming. enjoy life j1s! and nononono playing fer the j2s... dun be naughty naughty... hahah. mug hard pray harder!

Legion Promotion website

2005-10-04T08:29:00.000+08:00

Here is the link to Legion promotion website
Help me check got any bugs , the website is not able to be opened with firefox programme , so only Microsoft Internet Explorer. comments???help me check the loading speed, especially those with slower connections ?????
John , i know the layout very bad, but give me some credit lah, i did this during promos

regards ,
Jon Chan

Openhouse Legion Testimonials

2005-10-01T16:32:00.000+08:00

Hey Seniors ,
could you guys send me the testimonials as soon as possible, try to infuse some propanganda into them , cause we are promoting with "THE ACTS" & "SVDP" so we got to make our promotion stand out ,above theirs .(winks) .So far only Benny & Audrey have send me theirs , and meryl testimonial which i took half an hour to convert from bitmap format to MS word document. Please do me a favour , if your microsoft word spoilt , please use the notepad ,adobe or wordpad programme to write so i can copy , DONT EVER USE PAINT OK , I WILL GO MAD TRYING TO CONVERT IT TO WORD .
Can latest by this wednesday 5/10/2005, the J1s will start working on it after promos for openhouse on saturday 8/10/2005, 9am-3pm. Please pray for the openhouse to be a successful one especially since Mr TaN Jek Suan wants us to work with the other catholic groups .
If you guys want to help out in openhouse , please notify me so i can make the necessary preparation, Thanks!!!!!!!

To Darren: can ask Alexandra to send 2 people whos knows alot about the Acts ( try asking for Firmin Lee)and any of their members whos knows web design. also applies to SVDP. Ask each of the CCA to assign one member to withdraw laptops from library for their own presentation.

To william : i got some problem with writing CSS style codes , they are all not working , help me to correct the code error , remember to withdraw a laptop from the school library

Regards,
Jon Chan

2005-09-30T22:08:00.000+08:00

Attention all! hey hey.... yes, the long-awaited season's here....... Singapore's Next Top Model!
and here we have the pictures of the finalists taken at a photoshoot at Far east plaza. whee! now, vote for YOUR fav model and get a chance to win attractive prizes if you voted for the right one! =)
(p.s. i'll vote for the sexy mama at the top left corner of the pic! The name's Alison! Whee!)

posted by Chikobu!

HAPPY FEASTDAY!

2005-09-15T21:09:00.000+08:00

Wishing everybody here in the Legion a happy Feast of Our Lady, Queen of Sorrows!!! (oh the irony!)

Mater Dolorosa! Ora pro nobis!
Our Lady, Queen of Sorrows! Pray for us!

Stabat Mater Dolorosa

Stabat Mater dolorosa
Juxta Crucem lacrimosa,
Dum pendebat Filius.

Cujus animam gementem,
Contristatam et dolentem,
Pertransivit gladius.

O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater Unigeniti!

Quem maerebat, et dolebat,
Pia Mater, dum videbat
Nati paenas inclyti.

Quis est homo, qui non fleret,
Matrem Christi si videret
In tanto supplicio ?

Quis non posset contristari,
Christi Matrem contemplari
Dolentem cum Filio?

Pro peccatis suae gentis
Vidit Jesum in tormentis,
Et flagellis subditum.

Vidit suum dulcem natum
Moriendo desolatum,
Dum emisit spiritum.

Eia Mater, fons amoris,
Me sentire vim doloris
Fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
In amando Christum Deum,
Ut sibi complaceam.

Sancta Mater, istud agas,
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo valide.

Tui nati vulnerati,
Tam dignati pro me pati,
Paenas mecum divide.

Fac me tecum pie flere,
Crucifixo condolere,
Donec ego vixero.

Juxta Crucem tecum stare,
Et me tibi sociare
In planctu desidero.

Virgo virginum praeclara,
Mihi jam non sis amara:
Fac me tecum plangere.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem
Passionis fac consortum,
Et plagas recolere.

Fac me plagis vulnerari
Fac me cruce inebriari,
Et cruore Filii.

Flammis ne urar succensus
Per te, Virgo, sim defensus
In die judicii.

Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
Da per Matrem me venire,
Ad palmam victoriae.

Quando corpus morietur,
Fac, ut animae donetur
Paradisi gloria.

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had pass'd.

Oh, how sad and sore distress'd
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One !

Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
Whelm'd in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to behold ?

Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?

Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,
She beheld her tender child
All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above;
Make my heart with thine accord.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ our Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.

Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,
All the days that I may live.

By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins best,
Listen to my fond request
Let me share thy grief divine.

Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd
In His very blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defence,
Be Thy cross my victory.

While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.

Mass Readings for 24th Week in Ordinary Time: Friday

2005-09-15T21:06:00.000+08:00

Twenty-forth Week in Ordinary Time: Friday

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to Timothy [6:2-12]
"As a man dedicated to God you must aim to be saintly."

This is what youa re to teach the brothers to believe and persuade them to do. Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit - with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. 'The love of money is the root of all evils' and there are some who, pursuing it have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.

But, as a man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called whn you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm [Ps 48:6-10, 17-20. R/ Mt 5:3]
R./ How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Why should I fear in evil days
the malice of the foes who surround me,
men who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches? R./

For no man can buy his own ransom,
or pay a price to God for his life.
The ransom of his soul is beyond him.
He cannot buy life without end,
nor avoid coming to the grave. R./

Then do not fear when a man grows rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
He takes nothing with him when he dies,
his glory does not follow him below. R./

Though he faltteredc himself while he lived:
'Men will praise me for doing well for myself,'
yet he will go to join his fathers,
who will never see the light any more. R./

Gospel Acclamation [cf. Ps. 94:8]
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.
Alleluia!

or [cf. Mt 11:25]

Alleluia! Alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!

Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Luke [8:1-3]
"With Jesus went several women who provided for him out of their own resources."

Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been curted of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod's stweard Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

The Gospel of the Lord.

CCA Openhouse 2005

2005-09-14T17:18:00.000+08:00

For presentation for the college open house on 8/10/2005, we have to prepare our multi-media display, that means that we only have 2 days after the JC1s promotional exams to do it, so i would require all the J1s to come down on 5 october 2005 at 10:15am to help write and edit the content for the presentation. this is urgent because we have very little time to do it, so i would really appreciate it if you could all help out. The web layout will be done by me and william , all you guys have to do is to help vett on the content. J2s , could you guys take some time off after your prelims to write a testimonial of the legion using MS Word together a passport sized photo to my email . it is for promotion purposes. Thank you all for your Cooperation.

Jon Chan

Bible Knowledge Quiz Duty

2005-08-27T18:14:00.000+08:00

Ok people , Junior Curia needs our help with regards to manpower for the Inter-School Bible knowledge Quiz. We are needed as Quiz Masters and to help around .Dont worry , no experience or knowledge needed. J1s this is allocated work , J2 you guys go and study for your prelims , no need to worry about this .
P.S Bible Knowledge Quiz is on September 3 3005 10am at SJI . We might have to be down there earlier to get ready. Remember J1 members ,this is compulsory , we need all the manpower we can get ,ok????
Dress code:Black shirt or T-shirt and jeans

Regards,
Jon Chan

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff

2005-08-24T21:11:00.000+08:00

Please print this out and pray it daily and bring it for Legion Meeting.

God bless!
John Sim

PS: I don't know who posted the previous prayer. But it's good to also pray for that person.

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff

God our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of Your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place of Mary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery. In his immense desire to share this insight with others and in filial dependence on Mary he formed her Legion to be a sign of her maternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her children in the Church's evangelising work.

We thank you Father for the graces conferred on him and for the benefits accruing to the Church from his courageous and shining faith. With confidence we beg
You that through his intercession you grant the petition we lay before You . We ask too that if it be in accordance with Your will, the holiness of his life may be acknowledged by the Church for the glory of your Name, through Christ Our
Lord, Amen.

(With Ecclesiastical Approval)

Concilium Website
http://www.legion-of-mary.ie/

Prayer for the Beatification of Servant of God Alphonsus Lambe

2005-08-24T17:09:00.000+08:00

God, who by your infinite mercy inflamed the heart of your servant, Alphonsus Lambe with an ardent love for you and for Mary, our Mother; a love which revealed itself in a life of intense labour, prayer and sacrifice for the salvation of souls, grant, if it be your will, that we may obtain, by his intercession, what we cannot obtain by our own merits. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
with ecclesiastical approval

Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Edel Quinn

2005-08-24T17:07:00.000+08:00

Eternal Father, I thank you for the grace you gave to your servant, Edel Quinn, of striving to live always in the joy of your presence, for the radiant charity infused into her heart by your Holy Spirit and for the strength she drew from the Bread of Life to labour until death for the glory of Your name in loving dependence on Mary, Mother of the Church.Confident, O Merciful Father, that her life was pleasing to you, I beg you to grant me, through her intercession, the special favour I now implore ..........., and to make known by miracles the glory she enjoys in Heaven, so that she may be glorified also by your Church on earth, through Christ Our Lord, Amen

with ecclesiastical approval

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff

2005-08-24T17:04:00.000+08:00

God our Father, You inspired your servant Frank Duff with a profound insight into the mystery of Your Church, the Body of Christ, and of the place of Mary the Mother of Jesus in this mystery.
In his immense desire to share this insight with others and in filial dependence on Mary he formed her Legion to be a sign of her maternal love for the world and a means of enlisting all her children in the Church's evangelising work.
We thank you Father for the graces conferred on him and for the benefits accruing to the Church from his courageous and shining faith. With confidence we beg You that through his intercession you grant the petition we lay before You . ............... We ask too that if it be in accordance with Your will, the holiness of his life may be acknowledged by the Church for the glory of your Name, through Christ Our Lord,Amen.
with ecclesiastical approval

Mass Reading for Feast of St. Bartholomew & Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Friday

2005-08-23T21:25:00.000+08:00

To Alison and Benny... Below are some guidelines as to what you ought to be doing as part of your preperation for Lectoring for the Mass.

1. Pray.
2. Read all the passages, first reading, psalms, acclamation and the Gospel.
3. Read each text slowly this time, taking time to understand the meaning and to reflect on it.
4. Read it aloud in front of the mirror.
5. Read it to somebody.
6. Keep reading the text over and over until you beome very familiar with it.
7. Pray.

Note that when lectoring, you are not merely reading, but telling people the story. This is why it's very important that you pray and reflect on the passages so that you know what message is when you are to tell to the people at the Holy Mass.

To Alison... I am soooooo sorry!!! Realised I've put up the wrong readings. Didn't realise that tomorrow would be a different set of readings until I saw the Church Calendar.

If there is anything, please call me or ask me or something.

God bless!
John Sim

Proper of Saints, 24 August
Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
Born in Galilee, one of the twelve apostles. He is probably to be identified with Nathanael, whom Philip called to follow Jesus. Tradition says that he preached the Gospel in India and was martyred there.

First Reading
A reading from the book of the Apocalypse [21:9-14]
"Each of the twelve foundation stones bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
The angel came to speak to me, and said, 'Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married.' In the spirit he took me to the top of an enormous high mountin and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the anems of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. THe city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of the one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm [Ps 144:10-13, 17-18. R./ cf. v. 12]

R./ Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God. R./

They make known to me your mighty deeds
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule lasts from age to age. R./

The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts. R./

Gospel Acclamation [Jn 1:49]
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Rabbi, you are the Son of God,
you are the King of Isreal.
Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. John [1:45-51]
"There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit."
Philip found Nathaneal and said to him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth,' 'From Nazareth?' said Nathanel. 'Can anything good come from that place?' 'Come and see' replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, 'There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.' 'How do you know me?' said Nathanael. 'Before Philip came to call you,' said Jesus, 'I saw you under the fig tree.' Nathanael answered, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.' Jesus replied, 'You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.' And then he added, 'I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descenging.'

The Gospel of the Lord.

Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year I: Friday

First Reading
A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians [4:1-8]
"What God wants is for you all to be holy."

Brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from fornication, and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honourable, not giving way to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God. He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm [Ps 96:1-2, 5-6, 10-12. R./ v.12]

R./ Rejoice, you just, in the Lord.

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
the many coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
his throne, justice and right. R./

The mountains melt like wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory. R./

The Lord loves those who hate evil:
he guards the souls of his saints;
he sets them free from the wicked. R./

Light shines forth for the just
and joy for the upright of heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord;
give glory to his holy name. R./

Gospel Acclamation [Ps 129:5]
Alleluia! Alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!

or [Lk 21:36]
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Stay awake, praying at all times
for the strength to stand with confidence
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew [25:1-13]
"The bridegroom is here, go out and meet him."
Jesus said to his discplies: 'The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the brideggroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, "The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him." At this all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out." But they replied, "There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves." They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us." But he replied, "I tell you solemnly, I do not know you." So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.'

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading for 21st Week in Ordinary Time: Wednesday (24 Aug)

2005-08-22T22:27:00.000+08:00

To Alison and Benny... Below are some guidelines as to what you ought to be doing as part of your preperation for Lectoring for the Mass. Benny, i'm too tired to type out the Friday's reading. Shall do it tomorrow.

1. Pray.
2. Read all the passages, first reading, psalms, acclamation and the Gospel.
3. Read each text slowly this time, taking time to understand the meaning and to reflect on it.
4. Read it aloud in front of the mirror.
5. Read it to somebody.
6. Keep reading the text over and over until you beome very familiar with it.
7. Pray.

Note that when lectoring, you are not merely reading, but telling people the story. This is why it's very important that you pray and reflect on the passages so that you know what message is when you are to tell to the people at the Holy Mass.

If there is anything, please call me or ask me or something.

God bless!
John Sim

Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year I: Wednesday

First Reading
A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians [2:9-13]
"Slaving night and day, we were proclaiming the Good News to you."

Let me remind you, brothers, how hard we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden to any one of you while we were proclaiming God's Good News to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, that our treatment of you, since you became believers, has been impeccably right and fair. you can remember how we treated every one of you as a father treats his children, teaching you what was right, encouraging you and appealing to you to live a life worthy of God, who is calling you to share the glory of his kingdom.

Another reason why we constantly thank God for you is that as soon as you heard the message that we brought you as God's message, you accepted it for what it reallyt is, God's message and not some human thinking; and it is still a living power among you who believe it.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm [Ps 138:7-12. R./ v.1]

R./ O Lord, you search me and you know me.

O where can I go from your spirit,
or where can I flee from your face?
If I climbv the heavens, you are there.
If I lie in the grave, you are there. R./

If I take the wings of the dawn
and dwell at the sea's furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast. R./

If I say: 'Let the darkness hide me
and the light around me be night,'
even darkness is not dark for you
and the night is as clear as the day. R./

Gospel Acclamation [Mt 4:4]
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!

or [1 Jn 2:5]

Alleluia! Alleluia!
When anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God's love comes to perfection in him,
Alleluia!

Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew [23:27-32]
"You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets."

Jesus said, 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, "We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers' day." So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.'

The Gospel of the Lord.

Current Meeting TIme

2005-08-20T15:04:00.000+08:00

Current Meetind day and Time:
Monday , 5:15pm

Updates:
CCA Plannning (Proposals , details still to be worked out) for J1s :
Special Projects
1)Conduct session of spiritual leadership during LTC 2006
2)Help out at J1 retreat and the end of the year
3)Help out with P6 Retreat at some Catholic Primary Schools
4)Adopt a home

Jon Chan

Youth Fest & Contact List

2005-04-19T17:49:00.000+08:00

Please download and have a look at the info about Youth Fest (18 June). On top of that, please review the contact list and see if any information about yourself is incorrect. If so, please e-mail to me and let me know.

Youth Fest

CJC Legion Contact List

- JJPS

Keeping Sunday HOLY!

2005-02-26T22:16:00.000+08:00

Keeping Sunday Holy
Emphasizing Mass as Center of Christian Life

ROME, FEB. 26, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Trying to ensure Christians celebrate Sunday as a special day is one of the aims of the Year of the Eucharist the Church is now observing. In his apostolic letter on the year, "Mane Nobiscum Domine," John Paul II wrote: "In a particular way I ask that every effort be made this year to experience Sunday as the day of the Lord and the day of the Church" (No. 23).

The Pope also called upon priests during the special year, which continues through October 2005, to pay more attention to the celebration of Sunday Mass as an event that unites the entire parish.

During his homily last Oct. 17 at the Mass held to mark the start of the special year, the Pontiff noted that particularly on a Sunday the Church lives the mystery of the Eucharist. Moreover, through the Eucharistic celebration the Christian community is called to a greater brotherhood and service to others.

The Holy Father's call to reinforce the importance of Sunday Mass has been followed up in a recent meeting of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, held Jan. 18-21. The commission issued a series of pastoral recommendations on how to maintain the Sunday Mass as a central feature of Christian life.

When Sunday loses its special meaning, it becomes absorbed into the generic concept of "weekend," the commission observed. Christians, instead, need to keep in mind that Sunday Mass should be at the heart of their religious life. Sunday Mass attendance is also an important means to ensure the Church maintains its missionary fervor, which is strengthened through a regular contact with Jesus in the Eucharist.

The commission insisted on the need for a dignified celebration of the Eucharist. This covers everything from the ornaments used by the priest, to the music used in the ceremony, to the way the liturgy is organized. This dignity must be safeguarded even in circumstances that present special difficulties, such as prisons, hospitals and nursing homes.

The Lord's Day

Another recommendation concerns the need for an active participation by everyone in the celebration. To ensure this, the commission called upon priests and laity alike to meditate on the meaning of Sunday Mass as the central moment of the Lord's Day.

The commission urged priests to increase their reverence at Mass, reflecting in their words and acts the great value of the mystery they are celebrating. The panel also recommended that adequate care be given to the preparation of the Sunday homily, basing its content on Scripture, the Tradition of the Church and the magisterium.

For those who participate in some way in the liturgical celebration as acolytes, readers, Eucharistic ministers, etc., the commission asked that they be given a careful preparation in the roles they carry out.

Another way in which the Christian community can value better Sunday Mass is through an adequate catechesis. The commission called for an increased effort in communicating the value of the Mass. Part of this involves a greater awareness of the connection between the sacraments, for example, baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist. As well, a more-frequent participation in the sacrament of reconciliation is suggested in order to ensure worthy reception of Communion.

The commission also noted the importance of ensuring that the whole family participates together in the Sunday Eucharist. Related to this is the need to teach within the family the importance of the Eucharist.

In Australia and Ireland

In recent weeks other countries have also responded to the Pope's call to reinforce Sunday Mass during the Year of the Eucharist.

A Jan. 20 press release by the Australian bishops' conference announced a program prepared by the National Liturgical Commission. The initiative will get under way during the Sundays of Easter and is linked with a proposal for a period of Eucharistic devotion from Trinity Sunday to Corpus Christi.

In the introduction to the program, the chairman of the episcopate's Committee for Liturgy, Bishop Kevin Manning, recalled the invitation of John Paul II for Catholics to dedicate the current year to the Eucharist.

"The Australian bishops have responded to the Holy Father's invitation and now offer the program, 'Sunday: Sacrament of Easter,' to the Australian Church as a means of enlivening our celebration of the Eucharist and to encourage devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament," Bishop Manning wrote.

In Ireland, meanwhile, the Diocese of Down and Connor announced last Monday that it will be starting a series of lessons in its parishes on the meaning of the Eucharist, reported the Irish Independent.

Launching the campaign, Bishop Patrick Walsh warned that Sunday is no longer a family day, let alone the Lord's Day, for many people. "The purpose of the Year of the Eucharist is to open the eyes of our faith so that we will come to recognize Christ more fully in the breaking of the bread, in the Eucharist, and stay with him in his presence in the Blessed Sacrament," he explained.

Christ's victory

This is not the first time John Paul II has insisted on the need to ensure that Sunday remains a special day for Catholics. In his 1998 apostolic letter, "Dies Domini," he noted that the Church has always given the Lord's Day special attention. On Sunday we recall Christ's resurrection and celebrate his victory over sin and death. "It is the day which recalls in grateful adoration the world's first day and looks forward in active hope to 'the last day', when Christ will come in glory (cf. Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) and all things will be made new (cf. Revelation 21:5)" (No. 1).

The Pope commented that until recently is was easier to preserve the special meaning of Sunday, because in most Christian countries it was practiced by virtually all the population and was also a part of civil society. Now, however, Sunday is submerged in a series of cultural and sporting activities that can cause us to lose sight of the day's spiritual meaning.

"The disciples of Christ, however, are asked to avoid any confusion between the celebration of Sunday, which should truly be a way of keeping the Lord's Day holy, and the 'weekend,' understood as a time of simple rest and relaxation," the Pope added (No. 4).

Achieving this requires a greater spiritual maturity and for Christians to act in accordance with their faith. Sunday should be a day that is at the heart of the Christian life, the Pope urged. "Do not be afraid to give your time to Christ! Yes, let us open our time to Christ, that he may cast light upon it and give it direction" (No. 7).

Moreover, he added: "Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human." A lesson that the Pope hopes many will learn during this year dedicated to the Eucharist.

--JJPS

Spiritual Reading + GP supplementary!

2005-01-09T23:00:00.000+08:00

haha... it's about Science and the Church

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13598b.htm

Spiritual Reading

2005-01-08T23:16:00.000+08:00

Hey all!
Here's an interesting article about why God allowed the tsunami to occur. A very interesting viewpoint which is quite enlightening.

http://skellmeyer.blogspot.com/2005/01/god-and-man-at-tsunami.html

- JJPS

Reminders...

2004-12-02T22:16:00.000+08:00

Hi guys!
Below are the allocated work, prayer intentions and thanksgiving that were brought up during legion meeting on 30th November 2004.

God bless!
Jonathan Sim

Some important dates to remember:

07 DEC 2004 - Next Legion meeting
18 DEC 2004 - Legion AGR (1.30pm - 4pm+)
21 DEC 2004 - Legion Retreat (whole day)

Allocated work:
Reflect on what it means to be a legionary and think about what ways we are lacking as a legionary and try to improve on it.
(Please do this allocated work. very important)

Prayer Intentions:
- JC2s grad night
- A levels
- John Sim and his mother
- Souls in purgatory
- Charles' friend to get promoted
- Audrey's grandma
- Safe return for Angela, Alison and Benny
- Alethea
- Meryl's sungei buloh trip
- All grandparents
- Friends & Family
- Sr. Martina and her chapter meeting
- Fr. Joaquim Kang
- Those getting confirmed
- Meryl's friend who just came to Singapore

Thanksgiving:
- Charles found his games
- Friends and family
- Gift of music
- Surviving CIP

- JJPS

Spiritual Reading Material

2004-11-25T10:06:00.000+08:00

For your own spiritual reading... This would hopefully give you a better understanding of purgatory. Quite an interesting article. Not morbid. btw, you can report this as spiritual reading too.

Journey into Purgatory

- JJPS

meeting mins 131004

2004-10-13T19:48:00.000+08:00

Allocated Work:
~ Put God in the center of our activities; quality relationship with God in our lives.

ORB:
~ Morning Prayer, roster: Jon Ng has it... ask him :)
~ group reflection (more like pair reflection): starting with Jon Ng and Daniel
~ noticeboard: Oct, starting with Angela and Audrey
~ next meeting: Thurs, 21 Oct, 5.30pm, venue: unconfirmed
~ Indoor function: 24 Oct, Sun, 5.30, venue: awaiting confirmation
~ CIP: help needed from 22 Nov onwards
~ Lourdes in Singapore: 4 Dec

Prayer Intentions
~ J2s' A levels
~ Graduation Day
~ Benny's grandma
~ Promos (esp that we all promote)
~ Jon Ng's friend and family
~ Jon Sim's grandma
~ Ashley
~ Sarah's sister
~ Meryl's grandparents and maid
~ Audrey's grandma
~Audrey's friend
~ one of the girls in the childcare centre
~ one of the boys in the childcare centre
~ friends and family
~ Angela's sister and brother
~ Alison's parents
~ canoeing

Thanksgiving
~ Jon Sim's grandma
~ promos over
~ family
~ Legion
~ friends

5 Fingers' Prayer

2004-10-09T21:40:00.000+08:00

1. Your thumb is nearest to you.
So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.
They are the easiest to remember.
To pray for our loved onesis, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger
Pray for those who teach, instructand heal.
This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.
They need support andwisdom in pointing others in the right direction.
Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders.
Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators.
These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
Also include our servicemen and women here and abroad who always stand tall inthe duty of defending and protecting our nation.
They need God's strength and comfort.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.
Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify.
It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.
They need your prayers day and night.
You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all.
Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others.
As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you."
Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.
By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

posted by ak

meeting mins 081004

2004-10-09T21:20:00.000+08:00

Allocated Work:
~reflect on celebration of God's love

Prayer Intentions:
~All J1s to promote
~All J2s to pass A levels
~friends
~souls in purgatory
~Benny's family to secure a permanent house
~Alex's friend
~Meryl's friend, Rosie
~Alison's parents
~Audrey's grandma
~studies
~Project Work
~launching of China Era
~repose for the soul of Fr Dan (erm.. spelling?)
~those who seek direction in life
~1T09
~Sarah's friend
~everyone's health
~sick, dying and dead
~people not to get too stressed
~everyone's friends and families
~Jonathan Ng's dad to be safe
~our parents
~those who lost faith

Thanksgiving
~we survived so far
~all our friends
~family
~hard work paid off
~Sarah's study partner
~Angela's brother
~best friend
~God

ORB
~next meeting Wed, 13 Oct, 2.30

Meeting mins 090904

2004-09-10T08:49:00.000+08:00

Prayer Intentions
~History CA
~Promos
~those who have not studied
~PW
~everyone's health
~Benny's choirmaster Mr Leong
~Sarah's Grandmother
~Benny's Grandmother
~Meryl's Grandmother
~Alison's youngest sister
~family
~Poly friends
~friendships
~Jonathan Sim's friend
~unity in the legion
~souls in purgatory
~children in Russia
~those who are losing faith
~everyone to be able to get promoted
~Angela to be able to sing

Thanksgiving
~Alethea
~friends
~Alethea getting out of Jr Cats
~Jonathan Sim's competition

Allocated Work - it's here so don't say you don't know
set aside twice a day 15 mins each of quiet time with God

ORB
~Bible Quiz: 11 Sept, Sat, 7.40-8.30am, report @ SJI
ppl confirmed: Benny, Alex, Alison, Sarah, Jonathan Sim
~Next meeting: Tue, 4.45pm, prayer room
~Feast Day of Our Lady, Queen of Sorrows: 15 Sept, Wed, 2pm, prayer and gathering

Meeting mins 030904

2004-09-03T17:52:00.000+08:00

I need a new minutes book!!! Benny, I dun care how but we're going to buy a new book before the next meeting :p
Anyway, here's the stuff that everyone's waiting for:

Prayer Intentions:
~Fr Gerard
~Mrs Matthews
~souls in purgatory
~Linette
~Jonathan Sim's friend
~PW
~History CA
~Promos
~everybody's health
~Jonathan Sim's competition
~women's group praying for God's grace

Thanksgiving
~Sarah's class booth
~Teachers' Day
~ice-cream -dun you wish to have some now? I know i do :p
~Meryl
~everybody

Allocated Work - meaning you die die also must at least TRY to do
~ find quiet time for reflection and share with everyone during next meeting

ORB
things you should know cos they are already said, but are here as a reminder, so take note! :p
~ holiday meeting: Thu, 9 Sep, 10am, prayer room
~ Bible Quiz: Sat, 11 Sep, 7.40- 8.30am, help out in registration.
ppl involved: Benny, Alex, Alison and Sarah
~ prayer room usage: NO studying, sleeping or eating

posted by secretary ak (for those who havent figured it out, ak is my initials)

prayer intentions and thksgivin'

2004-08-24T21:35:00.000+08:00

posted by sorethroated-pippin

stuff to pray for (means you have to):
sick, dying & dead - what daniel looks forward to saying in meeting
pw
mr pang's friend - can't stand those who spell it as 'fren'
recovery of ashley
j.sim's competitions
outreach grps
everone's health
upcoming CAs
golden jubilee
family
ppl struggling with faith - i sense a pb sentiment coming this way
those with problems with 'A' level computing prac - esp. j.sim, as much as he tries to act like it's his classmates who need the prayers

Thanks:
sarah's econs CA - the lack of it lah
the wonders of photocopying
volleyball - seriously, the satisfaction that is derived... no o/c incurred...
religion lesson

Meeting mins 130804

2004-08-14T15:28:00.000+08:00

Haha. Friday the 13th.

AW
~ go for Monday morning mass & do 1 contact work

ORB
~ Year-end retreat: collaboration with CAC
- details to be revealed later.
~ Childcare center: CIP
- anyone who is interested to go back there to fulfil their CIP requirements are to inform J.Sim about the possible dates and time, asap.
~ Golden Jubilee Mass: 28 Aug morning.
- Compulsory attendance unless with valid reason. We are to act as the main choir of the event.
~Internal Practice: for Golden Jubilee Mass choir:
- Friday, 20 Aug, 2.40 pm. Benny is the appointed organist. - Good Luck-
~ Outing: for dinner & fellowship
- after internal practice. Compulsory
~ Study Leave:
- for those who wish to apply for a leave of absence from legion to study, please inform J.Sim as soon as possible about the desired duration of leave. -All legionaries are encouraged to continue to come for legion meetings, as in times of exams stress there is a greater need to pray even more.-
~ Bible Quiz:
- Sat, 11 Sep, morning. Legion is to help out. more details later.

PI
~ sick, dying and dead
~Benny's friend Mark
~Fencing competition
~ souls in purgatory
~ everyone's health
~ Jon Ng's friend who has family problems
~ All going through troubled times
~ All legionaries
~ Charles' NAPFA
~ Jacinta's application for MOE
~ Mr Pang
~ Sarah's friend
~ those who have not studied
~ Jacinta's friend, pray esp for healing
~ Benny, to be able to be organist.

Thanksgiving
~ Sarah's brother's operation
~ entertainment
~ friends
~ surviving Physics test.

~~ secretary-duh~~

Important!!!

2004-08-04T20:00:00.000+08:00

Legion is to go for National Day Mass! We are to sing in the combined choir with the CAC.

There is NO practice for the hymns for Golden Jubilee mass tomorrow, friday.

who-else?-secretary-lah

Our Lady Queen of Sorrows Praesidium

mar

Children Home Visit=>Postponed (no more 6 december)

AW + ORB

Reflections for Wednesday 30th August

Catena Smsing and Allocated work

Catena Smsing and Allocaated work

Catena Smsing (5th July to 12th Aug)

1643rd Meeting

Catena SMSing Version 2.0

Catena SMSing Version 2.0

Catena Smsing (29th July to 4th Aug) Version 2.0

1641th Meeting

Catena Smsing (15th July to 21st July)

1640th Meeting

Catena Smsing (15th July to 21st July)

Catena Smsing Chain (8th July to 14th July)

1639th Meeting

Catena Smsing (30th June to 6th July)

Catena Chain

1635th Meeting

Catena Chain

1634th Meeting

1633rd Meeting

1632nd Meeting

1631st Meeting

1630th Meeting

Regarding Borrowing of Books & Posting up of Reflections

1629th Meeting

1628th Meeting

Lotus Folding Session

Allocated Work For This week(17-21th April)

Legion of Mary 1626th Meeting

Personal reflections on Prayer

A Self-Reflection of DEUS CARITAS EST

The "Jesus Loves Me' hymn

Hi!

New Blog Revamp

Personal Reflection Sharing

Allocated Work + Other Relevant Business

CCA Passa/Bazaar whatever you want to call it..

Prayer Intentions 3rd March 2006

Release of results

Origin of the Date of Christmas

Calculating Christmas

Details of Legion Retreat

Legion Retreat

Legion Resource

Next Legion Meeting

Need a Favour

The Empty Chair

Prayers by the Lake

Prayers by the Lake

A Very Good Read

In Latin

In English

Namings

With Christ During Exams

With Christ During Exams

by H.G. Bishop Moussa

1. Before the examination:

2. During Examinations:

3. After the examinations:

Openhouse debrief

Legion Promotion website

Openhouse Legion Testimonials

HAPPY FEASTDAY!

Mass Readings for 24th Week in Ordinary Time: Friday

CCA Openhouse 2005

Bible Knowledge Quiz Duty

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff

Prayer for the Beatification of Servant of God Alphonsus Lambe

Prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Edel Quinn

Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Frank Duff

Mass Reading for Feast of St. Bartholomew & Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time: Friday

Mass Reading for 21st Week in Ordinary Time: Wednesday (24 Aug)

Current Meeting TIme

Youth Fest & Contact List

Keeping Sunday HOLY!

Spiritual Reading + GP supplementary!