tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post9172582131296288821..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: Formation of the Faith of our flockFr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-79483465102873611922011-02-01T18:12:09.386+08:002011-02-01T18:12:09.386+08:00I read the many comments with interest. Many are ...I read the many comments with interest. Many are saying that the secular world is squeezing out the little spirituality space that we have remained in our souls. Some are saying that we should stay relevant to today’s modern society by bringing the “marketplace into the church” (a common phrase used by our separated brethren to draw people into Christianity). Let us have another activity to do in church so that we can crowd out our time doing godly and churchy things. To fight fire with fire, one would say. <br /><br />However, I think Fr’s question remains unanswered - How do we make our people hunger for God? Our Holy Father is also very concerned with the onslaught of secularism. Pope Benedict seems (I use “seems” as it is not easy to understand “Vaticanglish”) to suggest to fight secularism, we need to put faith back into the hearts of people. Faith is the spirit in us knowing that there is an ineffable being who gives order and meaning to life. And to us Christians, the faith to know that this ineffable being is God who loves each and every one of us dearly. <br /><br />What is happening today is that we are our own fireman. We are so in love with our ego and our rights. One simple illustration – just look at how we dress to meet God who sacrifices for us at Calvary. <br /><br />Coming back to your blog… To have better formed Catholics, we need to put our faith in God back into our living. How do you put this faith back into our obligation-fulfilling flock? Father, I don’t have the answer. How do you immerse one in faith – when faith is intangible? How do you still one’s spirit so that one knows – without the need to understand - one is in presence of Love? Perhaps all that you can do is to just be that signpost of faith. A signpost fashioned in St Francis of Assisi’s “preach the Gospel always, if necessary use words”. This is because for some of us, our faith is formed when we experience great loss or great suffering. When this day comes, we need to know we have a priest to help fight our fire and to direct our gaze onto our awesome God who is love.Itisfaith allalongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-59988221046758335382011-01-28T14:40:11.387+08:002011-01-28T14:40:11.387+08:00We all recognize the issues of lack of Faith in ma...We all recognize the issues of lack of Faith in many Catholics; This is despite a strong yearning for Peace and for God's presence, still present deep within the hearts of many of such "Sunday Catholics".<br /><br />What created this:<br />a) Materialism, especially with the drive for Globalization the last 10 to 20 years.<br /><br />b) Internet proliferation and with that easy access to all kinds of information and perhaps too much information, that the message of the Bible gets "lost".<br /><br />c) Complacency<br /><br />d) Prosperity Christianity <br /><br />The list goes on ...<br /><br />So, instead of lamenting about it again and again with no end, the question we should then ask is this: With all of this, how do we reach out and touch the hearts of people, and to help them "find God" again and to allow for Faith Formation.<br /><br />We need to take a cue from the Bible, where we are told to "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16) to do God's work.<br /><br />We need to draw people back to Church again, by addressing the practical issues in their lives. When we do that, people tend to get drawn to their Church for activities of their daily lives. <br /><br />It does not matter if they are there because of practical issues or because of interest in a particular activity or because of the need to deepen their Faith. The thing is that it gives us a fantastic opportunity to touch their lives and this becomes the starting block in rebuilding the Faith, if it is luke-warm or even cold.<br /><br />What are some of the possible activities:<br /><br />1. Good tuition program, with GOOD tuition teachers, charging normal market rates, and the tutors being PAID market rates. So, instead of going for tuition to the tuition centers, they go to Church. The classes can start and end with a prayer.<br /><br />Needy children can be given a discount of perhaps 30% or even 50%.<br /><br />2. Regular Qigong / Christian Meditation classes (need to be publicized).<br /><br />3. Free Legal clinic<br /><br />4. Website community for Parents & would be parents to share, get involved in discussion forums and recycle kids' stuff, when their children outgrow it (prams, clothes, toys), etc.<br /><br />Can also develop support group from here for 1st time parents, struggling to adapt to a life with the responsibility of a baby.<br /><br />5. Business Networking within the Parish and with other parishes. This can be held in pubs, restaurants and sometimes in the Churches.<br /><br />6. Talks in areas of practical interest - <br />Examples:<br /> "Parenting Workshop - Motivating Your Child"<br /> "Health Talk - Collectoral and Throat <br /> Cancer".<br /> "Youth Talk - Tips To Study Smart"<br /><br />7. Making some rooms in the parish available for children to study in.<br /><br />8. Free Health Screening through tie-up with Health Promotions Board.<br /><br />9. Forming teams to participate in events organized by the local CC (that is to also leverage on the CC activities, as a Catholic Community).<br /><br />10. Reaching out to Young Working Adults by going out to their turfs, which include night-spots and clubs ... and getting them to have some of these sessions in the Church Hall.<br /><br />Etc, etc ...<br /><br />Basically, it is to make the Church a "community center" of sorts for the Catholic Community.<br /><br />To achieve this you need a full time staff to just handle matters on Community matters, Pastoral Care and formation and driving of support groups. That will be his / her KPI.<br /><br />With a full time staff, he /she will also be responsible to convince "targeted individuals" to help in the programs, while this full time staff drives the overall "building up" plans and processes.<br /><br />The world has changed drastically and we need to change the way we reach out to the Catholic Community and in our attempts to build and strengthen the level of Faith on the community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-59308774547478642842011-01-27T21:24:01.276+08:002011-01-27T21:24:01.276+08:00I think the best way for us to make people hunger ...I think the best way for us to make people hunger for God is by living lives that show our love for him and by acknowledging him as the source of all that is good in our lives. That is the seed; we can only plant that seed. God will help that seed to grow.NCSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17617227847364562989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-14235747200415952352011-01-26T00:41:03.810+08:002011-01-26T00:41:03.810+08:00Hi Fr Luke
I wonder how many priests appreciate t...Hi Fr Luke<br /><br />I wonder how many priests appreciate the fact that they have a potentially captive audience, even if it is for 15 minutes. In these 15 minutes, much can be done if the preaching employs good techniques of communication. <br /><br />The media clearly uses these techniques very well. Just think of how many points can be made (and are made)in a 30-second TV or radio commercial that is well written and well produced. Don't get me wrong, I am not proposing that priest should use the pulpit to 'sell' doctrines with glitzy audio-visuals. What I am getting at is that preachers can fully utilise the 15 minutes to connect with the people and share the key points of what being a Christian and living a Christian life entails. This can communicated not only by the preachers'words, but also by the authentic passion and conviction with which they preach. If necessary, preachers can consider additional training on how to communicate the most in the least amount of time from the media professionals on these techniques.<br /><br />Thanks for inviting input from us, here are some other random thoughts:<br />- preachers can lay greater emphasis and teaching on the fact that being a Christian means having a relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit (who has been sent to inspire and teach us);<br />- you may want to take a poll on what topics your congregation would like to have a 'refresher mini-course';<br />- then plan a series of these inputs/mini-course and have these included either as part of the homily or after the prayer after communion (if this is allowed liturgically);<br />- schedule such that we do not have one Sunday mass within 2 hours or lesser of the other. This will allow for more time to break the word, preach and also to mingle as a community; <br />- re-look at the car park situation so that parishioners won't have to be rushing off to clear the car from the car-park;<br />- all this means more work for the priests, who will have to be available for longer periods on Sunday, prepare preachings that are succinct yet complete.<br /><br />Much can be done with prayer. We often don't call upon the powerful prayers of our community of homebound parishioners to support the parish through their intercession.<br /><br />Thanks for spotting the gaps in our Christian education and living, and wanting to do something about it.<br /><br />God bless you,<br />JoanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-27141365438395391852011-01-25T19:59:03.009+08:002011-01-25T19:59:03.009+08:00I do believe that people today as in days of old, ...I do believe that people today as in days of old, do still hunger for God. This can be seen from the crowds flocking to Eastern-style gurus/ Transcendental meditation. - seeking and searching for interiority and meaning in life. However as one priest writer cum meditator said, " everyone is rushing to make time and money to be happy but seems to have lost the ability to just BE " <br /><br />As the laity becomes more educated and 'thinking', the hunger for God is not to be easily appeased by religious rituals, worship and even works of charity or theology for these cannot be ends in themselves nor are they just means. It is God himself who is the centre of reality and our knowledge of him is his love for us.So we need to know this Person of Christ ( ...'to have seen me is to have seen the Father.....' ) more fully, more personally.<br /><br />Perhaps there is now, a need for the Church to look to its rich treasury of the contemplative dimension...one of which is John Main's/Cassian method of prayer ( Christian Meditation) - where through this silent journey to the heart, we can invite others to share the Presence with us.Tessahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04211998984286520369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-62145778212040689762011-01-25T17:59:55.767+08:002011-01-25T17:59:55.767+08:00Within each person there is a yearning for love, f...Within each person there is a yearning for love, for community, a yearning for heaven, whether it is acknowledged or not. <br /><br />Many of our youths and even adults have indulged in the materialistic mentality because they seek to fill that void inside of them which is really the ultimate longing for communion in heaven. They are trying to find joy, and perhaps, if the truths about serial materialism are put forward, it may be the awakening of the realization that they are searching for something deeper. Essentially, pointing out the paradox of that way of living.<br /><br />Also, there are those in this generation who are seeking something deeper, searching for truth; however, many have been only giving them a watered down version of what people think the youth want to hear. I think it is imperative that the youth get a taste of authentic Catholicism, with all its richness of prayers, psalms, chants, history, philosophy, etc. and not only those things which came after 1970. There have been many youths who I know who have benefitted from such an experience and causes them to thirst for more. <br /><br />Many of our youths want answers and want God. We have to show that we can provide them the means for both. Also, we have to ensure that our churches are welcoming environments, as many youths will be coming from a secular mindset back to Christ and will have lots of questions and frustrations. However, in providing them the truth and being charitable, we mustn't compromise on the truth.<br /><br />I think ultimately it will all come down to evangelizing and reaching out to our lost brethren. We cannot wait for everyone to come us, but we must go to them. While it may be true that some may be bothered by this, but what is the loss? If we succeed, the person may return to the Church, and if we fail, well...they weren't coming to Church anyway, but at least we can say that we have tried and pray for them.<br /><br />My last suggestion, which is a bit different is First Friday Devotions to Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Church, which includes prayers for those who have lost their way and for the conversion of many. The efficacy of these prayers and devotions cannot be measured, and I believe it will have a positive result.<br /><br />These are just a few thoughts that I have.The Anti-Modernisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03108312974688755489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-46153645057549407032011-01-24T17:53:09.007+08:002011-01-24T17:53:09.007+08:00Yes, as 'a catholic' said, "PRAY"...Yes, as 'a catholic' said, "PRAY" because God hears and God acts. By the grace of God, this family of four (always @ loggerheads with each other), attended a family camp in 2002 and in the discernment process, we pledged that "we will place God as the head of the family: that everything we do, we do it for God and with Him. With God, we will be tolerant of each other's shortcoomings: we will love, respect, support and be positive with each other always." The SD then couldn't accept our pledge and we were asked to reconsider but we wouldn't budge so it stuck. <br /><br />Again by the grace of God, we were called to camp again and we our pledge & prayer was "we will continue to place God in the centre of our lives. In Him we will place our trust. For Him we will do our part. With Him we will share our love with our friends. AMEN!"<br /><br />He sees our desires and answered; and He is always the One who resolved our differences. <br /><br />wtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-91250051551167490822011-01-24T16:53:19.108+08:002011-01-24T16:53:19.108+08:00hi fr luke,
allow me to comment..
the reason why...hi fr luke,<br /><br />allow me to comment.. <br />the reason why generally catholics are inqdequately formed is the DISinterest in the faith. Simple as that. I've observed that most do not have a personal relationship with God.. theerefore most of them are NOMINAL catholics. <br /><br />Nominal catholics are those attending sunday mass out of obligation and the fear of going to hell as the case maybe. "I'm done" as americans use to say once out of the sunday mass.. <br /><br />2nd the society here is materialistically inclined and not so spiritually inclined.. cos God is intangible (cannot be seen) but yr cars, houses, bags, shopping and what have you can be seen and bought and best of all gives you that "oomph" sense of satisfaction. God is always put on the last of the agenda until something happens .. <br /><br />Oh.. on the young couple.. i've observed most are not adquately prepared spiritually except materially. the wedding days.. the dinners.. the make up.. etc.. they are more concerned that they are on their faith.. that's why they leave the teaching of catechism to the sunday catechist once they have children.. i suppose they just want to maitain that catholic identity... nothing more. .. that's why so little prayers are prayed everynite. that's why so few willing to join seminaries and religious.. cos the spiritually level is all time low.. secularization has taken over. <br />But nevertheless.. all is not lost.. all of us have to pray a bit harder to grow in faith..<br /><br />God Bless!<br /><br />a catholic..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com