CNY and CNY eve dinner go to which family side? replied by Chew Bakar @ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:43:50 +0800

Chew Bakar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:43:50 +0800

Originally posted by youyayu:

In chinese Culture. obviously is going to the "father" side of the family.

Yes, in Chinese tradition, you go to the "father side" on the eve and 1st day, but are now not strictly followed.

CNY and CNY eve dinner go to which family side? replied by youyayu @ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:12:11 +0800

youyayu — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:12:11 +0800

In chinese Culture. obviously is going to the "father" side of the family.

CNY and CNY eve dinner go to which family side? replied by Kuali Baba @ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:07:50 +0800

Kuali Baba — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:07:50 +0800

Tough question, because there isn't a protocol. You could visit both sides of the family within the same evening, or in alternate years. You'll probably end up seeing the other side of the family during the New Year itself anyway.

Lost Sheep Wondering Which Way to Go replied by Kuali Baba @ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:01:42 +0800

Kuali Baba — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:01:42 +0800

There is a programme for returning Catholics and it's called Landings. There is a ministry at Holy Spirit but I don't know if other parishes have already started their own.

Lost Sheep Wondering Which Way to Go replied by Happyinfo2 @ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:25:06 +0800

Happyinfo2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:25:06 +0800

Originally posted by Cowboy Caleb:

I have been away from the mother church for almost 3 years now, and have totally and utterly lost my way.

How do I return?

Is there a program?

Check http://www.veritas.org.sg/catholic_directory_group_detail.php?GroupID=450&TypeDesc=Lay%20Organisations

Lost Sheep Wondering Which Way to Go replied by the Bear @ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:06:38 +0800

the Bear — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:06:38 +0800

just come back

best person to ask is still the parish priest...

remember, the father ran out and welcomed the son who had squandered his wealth

Lost Sheep Wondering Which Way to Go replied by Cowboy Caleb @ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:04:38 +0800

Cowboy Caleb — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:04:38 +0800

I have been away from the mother church for almost 3 years now, and have totally and utterly lost my way.

How do I return?

Is there a program?

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM replied by SingaporeMacross @ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:56:03 +0800

SingaporeMacross — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:56:03 +0800

Pray for our pastors that they will do the will of God. St John Mary Vianney, patron of priests, pray for our clergy.

Tom and Katie's kid gets enrolled in a Catholic School replied by 4sg @ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:49:41 +0800

4sg — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:49:41 +0800

How old is good ol Tom Cruise? 40? 38? He still has that handsome good look of his.....

Tom and Katie's kid gets enrolled in a Catholic School replied by SingaporeMacross @ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:35:32 +0800

SingaporeMacross — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:35:32 +0800

Catholic education but not baptism?

CNY and CNY eve dinner go to which family side? replied by nORm@|^b0i @ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:29:29 +0800

nORm@|^b0i — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:29:29 +0800

If no one answers, at least Moderators can answer this question. T_T

thanks :D

CNY and CNY eve dinner go to which family side? replied by nORm@|^b0i @ Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:22:11 +0800

nORm@|^b0i — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:22:11 +0800

From a devote Chinese Catholic's point of view, Chinese New Year eve dinner (family reunion dinner) and the first day itself should be on husband or wife's family?

I am a guy and most interested in girls' point of view, especially a devote Catholic with chinese race.

guys' POV are also welcomed.

any view? thanks.

for me, the answer of "both going own's family side" is not so Catholic because 'both become one' and they have children too. So which side will the children follow if both parents going separated dinner?

Tom and Katie's kid gets enrolled in a Catholic School replied by Honeybunz @ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:31:09 +0800

Honeybunz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:31:09 +0800

ACTRESS Katie Holmes will reportedly enroll her daughter, Suri Cruise, in a Catholic school after a fight with her husband Tom, who is a Scientologist. According to entertainment media reports, Scientology has become a bone of contention between the couple. Cruise reportedly wanted Suri, 3, to be raised a Scientologist. However, last week it was reported that Holmes enrolled the toddler in a Catholic early education centre in Boston. The family are currently in the city while Cruise films the spy comedy Wichita. Suri's grandmother, Holmes' mother, flew to Boston to join the family for the 3-year-old's first week at preschool. "Katie has been listening to her parents who are devout Catholics," a source said. "She has told Tom that she wants Suri to be educated as a Catholic, as she was. They had been having huge problems agreeing on her school. To say they were having arguments is putting it mildly, but Tom came around to the idea in the end." Holmes, 30, has not been seen at the Church of Scientology for more than five months. But Cruise, who was raised Catholic before converting to Scientology in 1990, remains a follower reported The Courier-Mail newspaper.

Good for you, Kate! Good for you, Suri! May God bless you !

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM replied by Ne weng @ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:43:24 +0800

Ne weng — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:43:24 +0800

thanks for taking the action. I know many Filipino would like to stand up and be heard during that time and I 'm one of those...

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM replied by zaqb @ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:17:42 +0800

zaqb — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:17:42 +0800

Now its OK, Father John already replied to me :)

Dear Zaq,

Thank you for your feedback regarding Fr. Thomas’s sermon last weekend. You can be assured that I share with all of you your concerns and worries over the present catastrophe that is happening now in your country. On behalf of Fr. Thomas, I offer my apologies for the insensitive remarks that he made.

Perhaps you may wish to know, primary in our agenda for this weekend, our church is making an appeal to the parishioners of this church to make a donation of kind to help victims of the recent natural calamity.

At this point in time, together with my fellow priests and our parishioners, we join in earnest prayers for the Lord’s abundant graces, mercy and strength to weather the storm.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Sim

Parish Priest

Church of the risen Christ.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM replied by zaqb @ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:16:13 +0800

zaqb — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:16:13 +0800

This is a copy of open letter sent to Father John Sim of Church of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh Central;

I am sad as a Filipino because instead of a sermon of compassionate for all the filipinos affected by the floods, Father Thomas Lim was complaining about his 10 hrs delay from Manila to Singapore.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM
(Church of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh Central)

Dear Father Sim,

It may not be common for a Filipino to write to your good office to provide feedback. However, because of what transpired during the Children’s Day celebration 1130am mass, I couldn’t possible ignore it.

I will try to discuss the issue with objectivity and humility. So allow me to discuss it in this letter point by point.

Saturday, 27 September 2009 – Philippines

Residents of both the posh villages and common residences bravely evacuated the heavily-flooded portion of Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City and Makati City desperately to find a safer place for their family.

PLEASE WATCH THIS HEART WRENCHING VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923IKL9Lij4

Filipinos around the world were frantic because back in their country, they were unsure if their love ones were safe. Having heard from the news that there was no electricity and communication lines were cut.

In Singapore, we couldn’t sleep well worrying about our families, relatives, and friends. I have friends who were crying because their elderly parents where trapped inside the house and frightened with rising water. I was also informed that there were families who were sick and had to climb on the roof top and stay there helplessly until Sunday, shivering in cold, frightened with the darkness, hungry for food. All of these, we had to cry off being away from our families and unable to provide help.

Sunday, 28 September 2009 - Singapore

Full of hope that things will get better, we all woke up earlier than usual to hear mass. I was anticipating that a short prayer for the Filipino people who are still suffering the effect of Typhoon Ondoy.

Then Father Thomas Lim started the homily with his unfortunate experience in the Philippines.

He said, and I quote in the best way that I can remember

“There was a typhoon in the Philippines….”
“I checked in at around 11am ….then we were informed that there was a delay”
“I prayed very hard because I have to reach Singapore for the Sunday mass”
“At 430 pm, everyone is moving…..but we were informed that crew is not around yet!”
People in the church, including the children were all laughing.
“…. Then we were informed that the pilot is not around yet!”
People started to growl, sharing the priest disappointment. The children were laughing and overheard the kid in front of me saying “That is stupid! Then what? The co-pilot is missing?” and laughed so loud.

I really can not comprehend why a catholic priest, who is supposed to fulfill the role as a mediator between us and God and should teach the ways of God and His Church, can deliver a homily intended for the children with such negativity and selfishness.

If he wasn’t able to see the big picture or simply be sensitive about what happened, then for me and in my opinion, he was the biggest disappointment of all.

Allow me to visually and literally explain why I felt this way.

While Fr. Thomas was safe, dry and with unlimited source of food inside the airport terminal, thousands of Filipino people outside the terminal were suffering and some may even be dying.

When the crew and the pilot arrived late, I was hoping that he will say, “I thank these people’s effort because in spite of the heavy rains, they were brave enough to leave their family who might also be in danger, and courageously make it thru the 5ft deep flood outside just to fulfill their obligations. (Remember, the time this incident happened, it was during the time when our country was dumped with the heaviest rainfall in 4 decades.)

Instead, what we heard from him was, and I quote again with the best of my ability to remember “Philippines and Singapore are 2 different world! Tsk tsk tsk…. Can not compare”

Father Sim, whatever happened to the teaching that says, “We are all one in Christ?”

Am sorry but I wanted to ask him these questions, Father Thomas, you were very proud of having travelled to different Asian countries. During your visits, were you able to touch the lives of the unfortunate people or were you just busy thinking about the difference between Singapore and the 3rd world countries in Asia? What about the culture? Did you even find time to learn and understand the culture in order for you to appreciate and grateful (not boastful) of your life in Singapore more?

For you to question why you felt disappointed that Filipino people calls you Father Thomas and not just Thomas? Didn’t you know that Filipino people were instilled to respect people in the church, the elders, government officials and what have you? You should have been grateful! I bet my life that you were welcomed warmly and well taken cared of during your stay in the Philippines. I am sure that his most Reverend Fr. Gaudencio Rosales, did his best to give you the most comfortable accommodation only to criticise Filipinos in your sermon for respecting you by calling you Father?

I would have walked out and called on other Filipinos to walk out during the mass and lobby against you. But I said to myself, if Father Thomas can not be mature and sensitive enough to human feelings, it doesn’t mean that I have to be like him. So I just prayed for His intercession and asked the Lord that if He wanted me to relay what we felt, He would arrange ways for me to talk to Father Sim.

In the mass for children, Father Thomas could’ve just capped his unfortunate experience in the Philippines with the following virtues which we all hope that our children will be instilled with:

GRATITUDE
1.Thank the crew and the pilot for being brave enough to fulfill their duties even if it means that they have to survive the 5ft deep flood and leave their families amidst the calamity.
2.Thank God because Singapore does not have to suffer the effect of heavy rainfall which they said was the effect of climate change (This is the first time that posh villages whose got good drainage system and elevated lands were fully submerged. The highest recorded rainfall in Metro Manila since about 40 years ago).

COMPASSION
1.Offer sympathy and kindness to those who were affected by the calamity (As of Sunday night, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported 240 persons killed and nearly 470,000 families displaced due to floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy)
2.Show consideration and sensitivity amidst conflict and chaos. Isn’t he, as a priest, supposed to demonstrate this virtue?

POWER OF PRAYER
1.Let the children understand that prayers can move mountains. Isn’t that in spite of the heavy rainfall, Father Thomas was able to arrive in Singapore safe and sound? Yes, there was a huge delay, but there was a huge reason behind that. Did he fail to look into the other side of the story?
2.Ask the children to offer a short prayer for those who are still suffering… hungry… drying and sick…drenched overnight because their homes were submerged into the ocean like flood.

Father Sim, it was just 3 simple virtues that the children were supposed to hear during the mass. Highlighting the inefficiency of Philippines and comparing it to Singapore is UNCALLED FOR! We may have a lot of flaws. I am not stopping Fr. Thomas to talk about his disappointments with our country and our flaws. He can share this to his friends for all I care. However, in front of the children? Did he really think that the church was the appropriate venue? Not to mention that it was during the Children’s Day? He failed to exercise respect.

My heart, together with the rest of the Filipinos who were present during the 27 September Children’s ,1130 morning mass, sunk. We were physically battered by the typhoon and Fr. Thomas made it even more painful for us.

MY PERSONAL REQUEST:

I originally intended to demand Father Thomas to give a public apology. However, all were said and done. There is nothing else we can do.

I just want to request from you Father Sim, if we can offer the 1130am mass on 4th of October 2009 for all those who were affected. I hope that you can also show this video to the church goers so that they know what happened in our country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bCW7IkICKA&feature=related

Father Sim, I know that you want to promote compassion and unity. We believe in you as our parish priest. I hope that you will not take this for granted. Just please relay my opinion about this matter to Father Thomas.

Life in the Spirit seminar replied by SingaporeMacross @ Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:10:30 +0800

SingaporeMacross — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:10:30 +0800

Life in the Spirit Seminar @ Church of St Ignatius Life in the Spirit Seminar (LISS) is a powerful programme as participants experience a renewal in their lives as they encounter the love of God through the Holy Spirit.

Speakers:
Fr William Goh,
Fr. Philip Heng, SJ
Fr. Anselm Phang, OCD

Date : 22 July - 9 Sept (Every Wed)
Time : 7.45pm - 9.45pm (7.00pm fellowship)

Event Date : 22 Jul 09 - 9 Sep 09 Location : St Ignatius Hall, (behind main church, enter via 8 Victoria Park Rd) Organised By : St Ignatius Charismatic Renewal & Prayer Group Contact : Jan Teng (96360586) or Aloysius Soh (96645788 Contact Email : sohcbaloysius@yahoo.com.sg

Life in the Spirit seminar replied by Bless @ Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:27:42 +0800

Bless — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:27:42 +0800

Anyone attended Life in the Spirit seminar before please share? Is it for spiritual healing?

I cannot find one in the churches in the west.

I want to attend one, preferably a 3 day seminar.

Amutha Valli Krishnan loses "exorcism" case replied by viciouskitty74 @ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:55:21 +0800

viciouskitty74 — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:55:21 +0800

Only $300 plus k!!!!!

That is too cheap!

My last calculation. 1st month of Tito Issac's work is already clearing the $300k mark!

Amutha Valli Krishnan loses "exorcism" case replied by the Bear @ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:55:50 +0800

the Bear — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:55:50 +0800

i still wonder if Singtel would counter-sue her for what she did to them last time?

Amutha Valli Krishnan loses "exorcism" case replied by Honeybunz @ Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:57:14 +0800

Honeybunz — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:57:14 +0800

Amutha Valli's possession got seized cuz she couldn't pay the court fees and owes more than $300,000 to the defendants.

Read the Straits Times

The husband better not stop it. Sekali the court orders to seize their HDB flat, the whole family will be in trouble.

Christening/ Baptism Gown replied by Michelle Carvalho @ Thu, 28 May 2009 16:15:32 +0800

Michelle Carvalho — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:15:32 +0800

Parents who are keen to purchase heirloom christening gowns without incurring expensive shipping costs from overseas shopping can now visit

http://www.shayna-alexis.com

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/SHAYNA-ALEXIS/81177115746?ref=ts

The gowns for both boys and girls are designed in the USA with the finest material. As these are customised orders, please note that it may take a longer shipment time.

Where to get wooden crucifix? replied by Kuali Baba @ Sun, 24 May 2009 00:41:32 +0800

Kuali Baba — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:41:32 +0800

You're better off looking in the parish bookstores, because I don't recall seeing crucifixes in the Christian mall stores. Welcome back to the fold!

Where to get wooden crucifix? replied by dumbdumb! @ Sun, 24 May 2009 00:33:59 +0800

dumbdumb! — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:33:59 +0800

we all feel dried up from time to time.. =)

but it's times like these when we need even more, to be at the feet of Jesus, to be fed and loved and recharged.

i'm happy at this news. keep at it.

Where to get wooden crucifix? replied by Malingerboy @ Sun, 24 May 2009 00:18:26 +0800

Malingerboy — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:18:26 +0800

yup, ive gone to confession already. my heart feels lighter with less guilt....

and 93'guy -.- please...

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