| Catechetical Sunday 2009 |
January 11, 2009
My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
The theme of Catechetical Sunday 2009 draws its inspiration directly from last year’s Synod on the Word of God: “The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church”.
Pope John Paul II, indicated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that parents are primarily responsible when it comes to educating their children in the faith (2223). A parent’s responsibilitygoes beyond that of just dropping off their children for weekly catechism class. As parents, you are called to serve as models of faith to your children in concrete ways like bringing them to Church on time and breaking open the Word with them at home. Children are looking for witnesses and not just merely teachers of the faith. My dear parents, is your faith lived as a joyful response to the challenges of modernity? What are you actively doing to nurture the desire of your children to know more about Jesus and His plan for their lives? I encourage all parents and the wider parish community to cooperate with their respective catechists in creating a faith community where the mission of Jesus is truly experienced as an invitation that springs from the prayerful reading of the Word!
Let me also take this opportunity on Catechetical Sunday to affirm those individuals who have dedicated themselves to the ministry of catechesis. I want to assure you of my prayerful solidarity with you as you witness to the Word each weekend. I know that the challenges you face are many in trying to make the faith relevant to the young person who seems at times distracted or unappreciative. Do not be discouraged! For as St. Paul declares, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth!” (1 Cor.3:6) Jesus Christ is the only answer to the cry of every human heart! This cry is especially relevant for our young people who are hungering for meaningful friendships. My dear catechists I encourage you to continue building a Gospel of communion with our youth so that you too will experience your own vocation anew. To all of the countless individuals who are committedto nurturing the faith of our youth through their work in our parish catechetical programs, I say to you: Keep up the good work! Job well done! May your enthusiasm and passion for this ministry serve as an inspiration to those whom you teach.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Your archbishop,
Nicholas Chia
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| Announcement Date : |
2008-12-31 |
| Submitted By : |
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| CHRISTMAS MESSAGE – 2008 |
My dear People of God,
Christmas is just round the corner and everybody is preparing to celebrate this feast. Let’s ask ourselves seriously how are we preparing for this celebration.
Christmas is a sacred feast commemorating the birth of Christ but in today’s world, Christmas has become a secular celebration for many people. In Singapore and in many other countries, streets and buildings are beautifully decorated and resplendent with lights. People are busy buying new clothes, preparing sumptuous meals and arranging parties. These externals can enhance the celebration of the feast, but concentrating on these externals can divert our attention from the real meaning of Christmas.
Let us bear in mind. There is no Christmas without Christ and so Christ must be the center of our celebrations. This means that our celebration of Christmas must be a celebration of love: “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son.”
And so our celebration should focus on love. It’s a time for us to extend our love and friendship, a time to be reconciled, a time to reach out to the less fortunate – the poor, the sick, the aged, the lonely, a time to promote peace and harmony.
In the world today unfortunately many are encountering so much sufferings, merciless killing, financial crisis, immorality, political crisis… Why so? Because people do not know Christ; because people refuse to accept Christ: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not!”
And so, my dear people of God, let us prepare to celebrate Christmas in the proper way. Make Christ the center of our celebration. Share Him with others by reaching out in love especially to those in need. In doing this, Christmas will truly be CHRIST-mas for us.
A joyous and blessed Christmas and a grace-filled New Year to one and all.
Devotedly yours in Christ
Archbishop Nicholas Chia
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| Announcement Date : |
2008-12-17 |
| Submitted By : |
- |
| Final Declaration Of Catholic-Muslim Forum |
VATICAN CITY, 7 NOV 2008 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was the final declaration of participants in the First Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum, which took place in Rome from 4 to 6 November on the theme: "Love of God, Love of Neighbour".
Each of the two sides in the meeting was represented by 24 participants and five advisers who discussed the two great themes of "Theological and Spiritual Foundations" and "Human Dignity and Mutual Respect". Points of "similarity and of diversity emerged, reflecting the distinctive specific genius of the two religions" the English- language declaration says.
1. "For Christians the source and example of love of God and neighbour is the love of Christ for His Father, for humanity and for each person" reads the first of the fifteen points of the declaration. "Love of neighbour cannot be separated from love of God, because it is an expression of our love for God. ... Grounded in Christ's sacrificial love, Christian love is forgiving and excludes no-one; it therefore also includes one's enemies".
"For Muslims ... love is a timeless transcendent power which guides and transforms human mutual regard. This love, as indicated by the Holy and Beloved Prophet Muhammad, is prior to the human love for the One True God".
2. "Human life is a most precious gift of God to each person. It should therefore be preserved and honoured in all its stages".
3. Human dignity is derived from the fact that every human person is created by a loving God and has been endowed with the gifts of reason and free will, and therefore enabled to love God and others. On the firm basis of these principles, the person requires the respect of his or her original dignity and his or her human vocation. Therefore, he or she is entitled to full recognition of his or her identity and freedom by individuals, communities and governments, supported by civil legislation that assures equal rights and full citizenship.
4. "We affirm that God's creation of humanity has two great aspects:
the male and the female human person, and we commit ourselves jointly to ensuring that human dignity and respect are extended on an equal basis to both men and women.
5. "Genuine love of neighbour implies respect of the person and her or his choices in matters of conscience and religion. It includes the right of individuals and communities to practice their religion in private and public.
6. "Religious minorities are entitled to be respected in their own religious convictions and practices. They are also entitled to their own places of worship, and their founding figures and symbols they consider sacred should not be subject to any form of mockery or ridicule.
7. "As Catholic and Muslim believers, we are aware of the summons and imperative to bear witness to the transcendent dimension of life, through a spirituality nourished by prayer, in a world which is becoming more and more secularised and materialistic.
8. "We affirm that no religion and its followers should be excluded from society. Each should be able to make its indispensable contribution to the good of society, especially in service to the most needy.
9. "We recognise that God's creation in its plurality of cultures, civilisations, languages and peoples is a source of richness and should therefore never become a cause of tension and conflict.
10. "We are convinced that Catholics and Muslims have the duty to provide a sound education in human, civic, religious and moral values for their respective members and to promote accurate information about each other's religions.
11. "We profess that Catholics and Muslims are called to be instruments of love and harmony among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism, especially that committed in the name of religion, and upholding the principle of justice for all.
12. "We call upon believers to work for an ethical financial system in which the regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of the poor and disadvantaged, both as individuals, and as indebted nations. We call upon the privileged of the world to consider the plight of those afflicted most severely by the current crisis in food production and distribution, and ask religious believers of all denominations and all people of good will to work together to alleviate the suffering of the hungry, and to eliminate its causes.
13. "Young people are the future of religious communities and of societies as a whole. Increasingly, they will be living in multi- cultural and multi-religious societies. It is essential that they be well formed in their own religious traditions and well informed about other cultures and religions.
14. "We have agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a permanent Catholic-Muslim committee to co-ordinate responses to conflicts and other emergency situations.
15. "We look forward to the second seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum to be convened in approximately two years in a Muslim-majority country yet to be determined".
The declaration concludes by affirming that all the participants "expressed satisfaction with the results of the seminar and their expectation for further productive dialogue".
OP/CATHOLIC MUSLIM DECLARATION/... VIS
081107 (860)
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| Announcement Date : |
2008-11-08 |
| Submitted By : |
catholicdirectory@catholic.org.sg |
| Weekday Lunchtime Workplace Masses |
WEEKDAY LUNCH-TIME WORK-PLACE MASSES
Organised by Catholic Prayer Society
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SUNTEC - THE ROCK (3rd level Mall, above Carrefour) - TUESDAYS and days of obligation
12:15pm and 1:15pm
RAFFLES PLACE - VICTORIA THEATRE (Terrace, lvl 3) - WEDNESDAYS and days of obligation
11:30am, 12:15pm and 1:15pm
OUTRAM - SGH ALUMNI BLDG (Lvl 2 Hall) - WEDNESDAYS and days of obligation
12:15pm and 1:15pm
ORCHARD ROAD - GRAND HYATT HOTEL - FRIDAYS and days of obligation
12:40pm and 1:20pm
SHENTON WAY - SINGAPORE CONFERENCE HALL (Lvl 2) - FRIDAYS
1st/3rd/5th Fridays - 12:40pm and 1:20pm
2nd/4th Fridays - Talks at 12:40pm, Mass at 1:20pm
Days of Obligation - Mass at 12.30pm and 1.20pm.
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| Announcement Date : |
2008-11-01 |
| Submitted By : |
anthonyl@pacific.net.sg |
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