Editor's Note - June '07

In this issue of Juvenis, we explore several topics that are important to us, such as the theology of the body, our call to evangelisation and the answers about our faith you always wanted to give to your non-Catholic friends. What does it mean to be a Catholic youth today? In an increasing complex society, where do we find the balance to cope as hip teenagers and also as Catholics? Or are most of us just Sunday Catholics? We leave you to figure out your answers and it is our hope that every issue will help you in your understanding of and relationship with God. So if you have something heavy on your mind and would like to share or perhaps you’d like to say hello, drop us an email! We’d love to hear from you!

The Juvenis Editorial Committee

Youth Ministry Diary - June '07

By David Wong
The Youth Ministry has been very busy of late. Our various activities since the last issue include a fund-raising car wash, praise & worship sessions, youth mass, canteen duty and a spectacular Passion Play on Good Friday. These events cemented many friendships and gave the youth a chance to work together for our church community.

Fund-raising Car Wash

Our fund-raising car wash was a first in Holy Trinity and we raised a total of $4204.75. Though many of us had to wake up as early as six in the morning on Sunday to prepare for the car wash, it was a memorable event for many. According to Juliana Teo, a participant: "it was fun and very enjoyable despite having to wash a car with a lot of bird shit, dirt and stains on it." She also mentioned a van that was so high it took one person climbing on top of another to clean the roof!





















Passion Play

The Passion Play was also a new experience for the youth. Rehearsals began more than a month before the event with Fr. Bosco as director. Our zealous efforts paid off with a touching performance on the evening of Good Friday. Parishioners gave feedback that the play was very moving, and many shed tears while watching the re-enactment of Jesus on the cross. One commented that the very real and horrific sound of the whips helped to create an emotional scene.

Members of the cast reflected that this Passion Play gave them a deeper insight into the suffering of Christ during his passion. Many of them hope to be part of the Passion Play again next year.

Archdiocesan Youth Day - 07/07/07

WANTED YOUTHS

By Gerald Ong and David Wong

It’s painfully apparent that “church” and “God” are boring concepts quickly losing favour with Catholic youth. “Where are the youths in our parish?” has become a common refrain, and we would be irritated by this constant nagging of older parishioners if we didn’t also notice that half the friends we used to go to catechism class with have gone MIA or skipped off to City Harvest.

So why the youthful exodus? Many who leave say that the church is boring / the mass is boring / the priests can’t preach to save their lives… Some may disagree with or misunderstand the church’s teachings, or perhaps feel that God isn’t answering their prayers and maybe doesn’t care.

It’s easy to lament and condemn, but how many of us actually take steps to seal the floodgates? The key lies in evangelisation.

Our Call to Evangelise

Think of the word “evangelise” and some images come to mind: aggressive members of Protestant churches handing out flyers and hassling people on the streets; a charismatic preacher at a rally.

But the thing is: all of us are called to evangelise. Perhaps you have friends who have left the church or classmates who have never heard about God. The Bible says that “man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). Being concerned about our friends, we need to help those that we know find God again and spread the Good News to non-Christians.

How do we do that? There are 3 simple steps:

Prayer

The first is to cultivate a habit of prayer. Jesus says that he is the vine and we are the branches (Jn 15:5). As branches we draw water and support from the vine; in the same way, we cannot do anything without God, but with God all things are possible! (Matt 19:26)

Prayer is the foundation of a relationship with God. We can pray anytime and anywhere: before and after meals, before sleep, in the morning when we wake up, before the Blessed Sacrament, in our rooms at home, by reading the Bible… Prayer is just time spent with God.

The most important thing is to be faithful. Sometimes prayers aren’t answered immediately, but each prayer builds your loving relationship with God. One thing to remember is that God is ever faithful (so we should be too), and in all things he works for the good of those who love him! (Rom 8.28)

Praise

The second step is to praise God. It’s strange that we sometimes feel awkward about praising God when indeed he has done many good things for us. God protects us and provides for us; Jesus died for us on the cross while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8). None of us are worthy of God’s grace (Rom 3:23), yet he continues to bless us and provide for us in ways we so richly don’t deserve. There’s no question about it: God deserves our praise.

We can praise God when we attend mass: the mass is the highest form of worship. We praise God also when we read the psalms: the psalms were written to praise God, and when we read them we also give praise. We can also praise God in song.

Another way is to praise God in community. In our church, the youth group Teens Connect holds praise and worship sessions every 3rd Saturday of the month at 7pm in the Music Room (3rd floor). (However, this month’s Praise and Worship is changed to the 30 June ‘07.) The Charismatic Prayer Group also holds praise and worship sessions every Tuesday at 7.45pm in the Chapel. All are welcome.

Intercession

The third step is to intercede for others so that they may find spiritual direction. The story of the prodigal son tells us that God is always waiting for lost souls no matter what. It is a great joy for the angels of heaven when a lost soul returns: Luke 15:31 “… he was lost and is found. And for that we had to celebrate and rejoice”. Christ is always knocking on the door of our hearts and can touch us in many ways, sometimes through our friends.

Intercession is important because God sometimes calls us to pray for others, especially in order to spread the Good News. The Bible is full of incidents where people intercede for one another. In 1 Kings 13:16, “the king said to the man of God, ‘Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.’ So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.” When we do not know what to pray for or how to pray, “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Rom 8:27).

We can pray for others in our own private prayers or together as a group. The Bible assures us that when two or three are gathered, anything we ask for will be granted (Matt 18:19). If you would like to pray in a group, our youth ministry intercedes for others every Sunday at 9a.m. in the youth room and all are welcome.

The need for evangelisation is pressing especially in light of the exodus of youth from our church. We invite you to pray, praise and intercede with us as we hope and prepare to welcome our brothers and sisters into our Christian community.

10 Questions : 1 Fr Bruno

By Russell Chander and Julianna Teo

We’re sure that everyone remembers Fr. Bruno, especially for his interesting sermons and joyous personality. He left for India a year ago to further his studies. He was recently in town for a short visit, so we got together and caught up with him.

1. Hi Father Bruno! How’s India?

First, I must tell you that I’m going to be in India for one more year!

It’s a very interesting experience, because India is so different from Singapore. The first week I told myself that I had to change my hard disk…

I live in a village, with many animals around, and the pace of life is quite slow, so if you intend to be as "efficient" as in Singapore, people will look at you in a strange way! And it may be better like that: after all, what is that "efficiency" for?

2. Could you tell us more about your work there?

I’m a student! I’m studying Tamil, and I’m also following a university course on Christianity and Asian religions. During the week, I join the Tamil masses in the parish or convents in other villages (I go there by bicycle). On Sunday I give a hand in the French parish in Pondicherry. But as soon as I can say the mass in Tamil, I might stay in the village!

3. What were some of the difficulties that you faced during your stay there?

No difficulties lah!

No, I’m joking. In Tamil, it seems that people use a lot of the imperative tense, so, even in English, people tell me "sit here" or "eat more of this", which was quite strange for me at the beginning. One day when I told someone I was a bit fed up being treated as a child, he told me that was a way for them to show their care for me. How two cultures will understand the same sentence differently! For myself, I still try to take other people’s wishes into account rather than just telling them what to do.

Another difficulty was the way they study at the university. Students learn a lot by heart (I’m not very good at that) even if they don’t understand what the subject is about. And so for the exams they expect me to write as many pages as possible, as if I should remember and write down all that the teacher had said!

4. Was there any particular event that had a significant effect on you?

Yes, a retreat in March in a Catholic ashram (local monastery) was a turning point in my stay there because I started to see more of the beauty of the local traditions there (the ashram adopts Indian spirituality). For example, there is a lot of silence, the mass makes use of many local symbols and speaks about "God our Mother and Father". We sit on the floor, eat vegetarian food and live in a very simple way (the bed is a wooden plank with a mat on it!). All this helps you to spend your day in God’s presence because you don’t have to focus on many other things. Of course, God is always here with us, but most of the time we are not!

5. How’s the food there?

Nice and not too spicy! My favourite is called "thosai" (besides the chocolate, of course, which is difficult to find and expensive).

6. Did you have any problems adjusting?

No. Through the university classes, I made friends quite quickly. But then it takes time to understand a different culture. And I also think that, as a foreigner, I will always remain a foreigner and there may be something good in that: there are certain things I may not be able or may not want to adjust myself to. The caste system, for example. I’m out of it, and I prefer it like that. I suppose being out of the system allows me to meet any person, whatever caste he or she is from.

7. Ever missed Singapore at any point?

Usually I don’t miss other places. I try to live and be happy where I am. Sometimes I have good memories about places I’ve been to, or I pray for people I’ve met, but it’s not really with the meaning of "miss"…

Or rather I should say I miss everyone always, as I believe we are called to a communion we can hardly fully reach. So better enjoy the present moment, keeping in mind and heart the past and the future.

8. How do you feel about the Youth Ministry’s progress so far?

Well, you would answer better than me I suppose…

Since I came to Holy Trinity 3 years ago, I’ve seen quite a few people involved in the youth ministry (and I must say Teens Connect were among the most active!) and so with Dorothy, Lawrence and a few others we tried to coordinate and encourage all that. Now it seems it has taken a higher speed, with Fr Bosco, a youth room, etc. So I think things are improving.

But the important thing is always to remember all the youths around you who may be searching for meaning in life, for Someone to meet, and to be there for them; to be witnesses of the love of God for all people.

9. Any advice for the youth concerning church, studies or anything?

Be yourself! Which means… because we will never finish discovering who we are… take time to live, to wonder at the flowers on the path, and give thanks! Life is beautiful when we share it.

And never be afraid to search deeper, to answer God’s call. He is calling each and every one of us! To love! In different ways. Which way, that’s not the most important. The most important is to love. That’s what Church, studies, and the rest are about! If you find that it’s not, it may mean that either you need to open your eyes, or that you can help improve things.

10. Any chance of seeing you again at Holy Trinity?

Yes, I may pass by once in a while. But when I come back in Singapore next year, the bishop will send me to a parish, and usually we don’t go to a previous one. I think it’s better like that: then you can see new faces, new gifts from God!

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568 – 1591) - Patron Saint of Youths

By Sharlene Singh

St. Aloysius was born in Castiglione, Italy, the son of a prince. When he was born, his father dreamt of a brave and honourable military career for his son. However, God intended for Aloysius to be brave and honoured and in a different way, and achieve a glory more lasting than any gained on the battlefield. Aloysius’ mother loved to pray and perhaps it was she who influenced him to appreciate the spiritual aspect of life. At the age of 9, Aloysius decided on a religious life after St. Charles Borromeo gave him his first Holy Communion. As he knelt down in adoration, he vowed to God, “I am Yours-completely-and I always will be!” He made a vow of perpetual virginity and asked to love God and Our Lady alone, praying to the Blessed Virgin to protect his innocence for life.

Even at such a young age, Aloysius wanted to suffer to show his love for God—just like how Jesus suffered and died on the cross because He loved us. He chose to ignore earthly pleasures such as rich food and clothing, and would even put bits of wood in his bed so that he could suffer some pain.

In his early teens, Aloysius’ father sent him and his younger brother to become pages in the court of King Philip II of Spain, and experience the worldly life of royal court. Although it was the last thing Aloysius wanted, he dutifully obeyed his father. Yet he never forgot his vow to God and continued with his unindulgent habits. To safeguard himself from possible temptation, he would keep his eyes persistently downcast in the presence of women. He strongly believed that he needed to imitate the life and poverty of Jesus in some small way.

During Aloysius’ time, a Spanish soldier had just founded a new army of Christ. This soldier was Ignatius of Loyola (a future saint) and his spiritual army was the Jesuit Order- a dedicated band of priests and brothers. Aloysius yearned to join them, but was met with violent objection from his father, the Marquis. In an attempt to pull Aloysius’ heart away from God, his father made systematic plans to tempt him into loving worldly possessions. Thus, Aloysius was sent as his father’s representative to various cities to attend balls and mingle with the elite society. Temptations abounded but Aloysius’ soul remained pure. In fact he prayed all the more for God to keep him strong and virtuous. Furthermore, his purity made those around him think twice about their actions and words.

The Marquis Gonzaga’s plan seemed to be backfiring—while his younger son was as other- worldly as ever, Aloysius kept up his many devotions and austerities, and was quite resolved to become a Jesuit. When his exasperated father confronted him, Aloysius refused to obey his father’s wish for him to forget God’s call to serve. The furious Marquis then banished Aloysius from his sight till he changed his mind. An upset Aloysius sought the Lord’s help in prayer and proceeded to scourge himself with a whip. He desperately wanted to sacrifice himself for God, but there seemed no way to do so. In answer to his prayers, someone had witnessed Aloysius’ scourging and informed the Marquis. Shocked, the Marquis relented and proclaimed that 18 year-old Aloysius was free to enter the Jesuits.

Donned in the plain habit of a Jesuit and poor like Jesus, the young prince gladly abandoned the glamorous life in the royal court in exchange for his new life of prayer and penance. Everyday, he worked hard to make himself more humble, more obedient and more pure. He loved Mary with all his heart and stayed on his knees for hours before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. His overwhelming love for God was more than he could bear.

In 1591, a terrible plague broke out in Rome. As the hospitals filled, people began to die on the streets alone, without help or comfort. The Jesuit Fathers rushed to open their own hospital to care for the ill and Aloysius went to the city in his poor clothing, to beg for money from the rich to feed the sick patients. He also tended to the patients’ wounds lovingly, comforting them if he could and prepared the dying for a good confession and holy death.

One day, he stumbled across a man so diseased that no one would go near him. Aloysius immediately thought to himself: “here is Jesus”. He carried the man in his arms and brought him to the hospital to be treated. That same day, Aloysius felt very warm and ill—he too, had caught the plague! Despite his fellow brothers’ every effort to save him, Aloysius suffered for three months before God called him to Heaven. During his time of pain, prayer was his consolation. On June 21, 1591, Aloysius passed away at the age of 23, after receiving the last rites from St. Robert Bellarmine. The last word he spoke was the Holy Name of Jesus. God carried Aloysius up into a glory that surpassed the earthly fame his father so greatly desired for him. Now he watches over Christian youths as their patron saint.

Saint Aloysius was a model example of courage and humility. His passion to follow in our Lord’s footsteps and strength to resist temptations were truly remarkable, and something to inspire us to live like Christ. Through him, God wanted to show us that even young people can do His work and remain pure in the face of temptation.

Prayer of Self-Commendation to
Mary

O Holy Mary, my Lady, into your
blessed trust and safe keeping and
into the depths of yur mercy, I
commend my soul and body this
day, every day of my life, and at
the hour of my death. To you I
entrust all my hopes and consolations,
all my trials and miseries,
my life and the end of my life. By
your most holy intercession and
by your merits, may all my actions
be directed and disposed according
to your will and the Will of
your divine Son. Amen.

~by Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Prayer to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Dear Christian youth, you were
a faithful follower of Christ in
the Society of Jesus. You steadily
strove for perfection while generously
serving the plague-stricken.
Help our youth today who are
faced with a plague of false cults
and false gods. Show them how to
harness their energies and to use
them for their own and others’ fullfillment
- which willl redound to
the greater glory of God.

Amen

Confessions of a Teens-Connector

By Melissa Chin and Juliana Teo

It’s difficult to believe that it is now 3 years to the day of our first meeting to discuss the formation of Teens-Connect. As one of its original members, the satisfaction and joy I feel at our group having made it thus far is immense.

Why the need to start a youth group? With Confirmation and the end of catechism lessons during our Secondary Four year, some of us felt that we wanted to participate more in church, beyond simply attending Sunday mass. We longed for a youth support network and for youths to see the church as a place to seek direction in their lives, as well as an avenue for them to meet new friends.

Today, the meaning behind our name, “Teens-Connect” still holds true, because we want to connect all youth to the church and make them feel that they belong. With help from Uncle Lawrence, our catechist, we took the first tentative steps towards forming our new youth group.

The journey has not been smooth. Commitment to the group has and always will be a problem. With our busy schedules (school, CCAs, hobbies, family, friends), it is always difficult to take time off to plan activities and to help out in church events. I myself wanted to withdraw on many occasions and it took a drastic re-evaluation of where church came in on my list of priorities to make me decide that I wanted to fully commit to the group.

Another challenge facing us had to do with our image in the church. The adults viewed us as only wanting to have fun and not making any serious contributions, while the youths we were targeting saw us as only doing ‘boring’ organizational work and not having any fun at all! Due to our limited manpower, the initial plan was to have the group gain some stability before launching recruitment drives. However, the image created became that of Teens-Connect being exclusive. It was frankly an extremely frustrating and demoralizing time. Much credit has to be given to Father Bruno, who supported us whole-heartedly through this difficult period, as well as to the sheer determination of the members to work towards what they knew was a worthy goal of growing our youth group.

On the 3rd anniversary of Teens-Connect, I am proud of what we have accomplished. From our initial membership of fifteen, we have expanded to more than thirty members and are still growing. Through our participation in church events such as running a stall on Feast Day, ushering for masses and helping out in confirmation classes’ plays, we have managed to contribute actively and have great fun in the process.

There is now a solid structure to the Youth Ministry, led by Father Bosco, with the coming together of the various youth groups in church: the youth choir, Agape Youth Theatre, The Saints and Teens-Connect. Our eagerly awaited Youth Room has finally been created and it is a cool yet cosy place for us to hang out after mass and to have discussions. Two recent events organized by the Youth Ministry, namely the Car Wash (which raised $4204.75 for the youth fund) and the Passion Play showcased what the youth were really capable of.

To help us grow in our Catholic faith, regular Praise and Worship sessions are organized and some of us have begun participating in external spiritual camps. Yet, despite all that Teens-Connect and the Youth Ministry have accomplished, there is still much progress that can be made.

On a personal note, I am grateful for the chance to be part of Teens-Connect. This fun-loving and crazy group of people has really brightened up my life and in them; I know that I have loyal friends whom I can turn to for support. The problems we faced in getting the group off the ground have made us even closer, while all the events we organized or participated in have provided me with wonderful memories.

Teens-Connect has also helped me to grow closer to God through our Praise and Worship sessions and the encouragement of my friends to understand more about him. In the end, the group has managed to ‘connect’ me to the church and make me want to come back to it, week after week.

What does the future hold for the group and for the Youth Ministry? It is not sufficient to be satisfied with what we have achieved. We know that the parish expects more of the youth and are definitely going to contribute in whatever ways we can. We have plans to provide a support network to youths, help our members develop a deeper relationship with God and provide a forum to discuss controversial issues.

As a parting note, I (on behalf of the group) would like to sincerely thank all those who helped us make it thus far: Uncle Lawrence, Auntie Dorothy, Father Bruno, our lovely parish priests and everyone who supported us in one way or another. Happy 3rd Anniversary Teens-Connect!

Cheers!

Our Body Language: Theology of the Body

By David Wong

The Theology of the Body refers to a series of 129 lectures given by Pope John Paul II between September 1979 and November 1984. In its simplest form, the Pope’s Theology of the Body answers two basic questions: "Who are we?" and "How should we live?" Once we understand these questions, we have to answer God's call.

Who Are We?

According to Pope John Paul II, God created the body as a sign of his own divine mystery. This is why he speaks of the body as a “theology,” a study of God.

Our bodies are not just vessels for our souls, but a way to understand and experience God. In Genesis 1, we are told that humankind was created in the "image and likeness of God, male and female" (Gen. 1:27). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1015) states that: "The flesh is the hinge of salvation... the Word made flesh in order to redeem the flesh”. When you know you are created in the image and likeness of God, you realize that through you others can experience the Light of Christ.

How Should We Live?
To truly understand how we are to live, Pope John Paul II challenges us to look at God’s Love.
One supreme example that the scriptures give us of God's love is the love between husband and wife. Here’s what the scriptures says about spousal love:

• James 4:4-5: St. James calls us adulteresses when we turn away from God, pursuing a friendship with the world.
  
• Eph 5:27: The Church is called the "bride" of Christ.
  
• Matt 22: Heaven is called the eternal wedding feast.
  

Next, let's look at how the Church defines marital love by looking at the marriage vows:

Have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other? Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your life? Will you accept children lovingly from God?

Break this apart and we have four key requirements of the marriage vows:

1. Free - Have you come here freely?
2. Total - Have you come here without reservation?
3. Faithful - Will you love and honor each other for the rest of your life?
4. Fruitful - Will you accept your children lovingly?

Similarly, God’s wants to “marry” us – in Hos 2:19, God says “I will betroth you to me forever… …in love and compassion”. And he wanted this great “marital plan” to be so plain and obvious to us that he impressed an image of it in our very being by creating us male and female and calling us to communion in “one flesh.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that God is “sexual.” We use spousal love only as an analogy to help us understand something of the divine mystery. Pope John Paul II says that there “is no other human reality which corresponds more… to that divine mystery” Thus, the original vocation to be “fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28) is nothing but a call to live in the image in which we’re made and to love others as God loves.


Summary: What will you decide?

We are called to love everyone (pesky brothers, un-cooperative parents and even grouchy school teachers) with this sacrificial, unconditional love. The foundation of every relationship has to be love, freely given, with no strings attached.


Only when we understand that we are created in the likeness of God, and that God is love, are we able to understand sex at all. Right now our view of sex, shaped by the world, is very warped. The world tells us that we can find satisfaction in earthly things; that we can quench all desires with acts of lust - pornography, fornication, adultery, contraceptives, homosexual acts and etc. None of these behaviours expresses God’s free, total, faithful, and fruitful love. Does this mean that people who behave in such ways are “inherently evil?” No. They’re just confused about how to satisfy their genuine desires for love.

The Pope’s teaching of the theology of the body helps us distinguish between the genuine and counterfeit ‘love’. It helps us “un-twist” our disordered desires and orients us towards the love that truly satisfies.


For more about the Theology of the Body visit:
Christopher West's Web Site - http://www.theologyofthebody.com/
Pope John Paul II's General Audience -http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2TBIND.HTM

Catholicism 101

By Samantha Chan

Ever had your faith challenged? Or wondered why the Catholic Church has some seemingly inexplicable traditions? In this new segment every issue, we give you the answers.

Why do Catholics worship Mary?

Catholics do not worship Mary. Instead, we honour her as she is the Mother of Jesus. When Archangel Gabriel approached Mary for the first time, the angel called her “Blessed” – “Blessed are you amongst women”; hence Mary is endowed with grace. As Mary is a human creature just like us, we cannot worship her. Instead, we honour her and ask her to pray for us.

Why don’t Catholics pray directly to Jesus, but through Mary and the Saints?

Catholics pray to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Catholics also do not pray through Mary and the Saints; instead, they pray with Mary and the Saints. When we pray with Mary and the Saints, we ask them to pray for us. Doing so makes our prayers even more powerful before God, our Father.

Why do Catholics confess their sins to the priests?

If we have committed sins and want to get rid of them, we have to acknowledge them and confess them not only to God, but also to a priest who acts in the name of God and the Church. Since the priest is a socially important figure who represents the Church, he is no longer seen merely as ‘man’. Therefore, when we confess our sins to the priest, we are apologizing to the Church for the misdeeds we have done to the Church and to society.

Sudoku Challenge

Fill in the grid so that every row and column and every 3 X 3 box contains number 1 to 9.

 

 

 

Solution :