Monday, October 31, 2011

On death and dying


Every once in a while, it is healthy to set aside some time to ponder about where our lives are heading, and to really appreciate the fact that our life here on this earth is going to end some day. I think it was Woody Allen that said that he’s not afraid of dying. He just doesn’t want to be around when it happens. I wonder if he speaks not just for himself but for quite a lot of other people as well.

I’ve read about it in books and other people’s reflection when they describe the change in the seasons from Autumn to Winter, how the seasons themselves are nature’s reminder to everyone that life doesn’t remain static, but is on a constant change, where one season gives way to another. I guess, I am blessed to be able to experience this for myself now that I am in Washington DC, where we are in the middle of Autumn, and everywhere I turn, I see nature’s reminder that life is in transition. The leaves are all turning colour, as can be seen from the enclosed photograph of a tree that I passed on the way to school on Friday. The cold that is seeping into the north east of America is telling the leaves that it is time to stop the chlorophyll manufacturing that goes on in the leaves. This withdrawal causes the green chlorophyll to be stored in the trees, leaving behind the other non-green chlorophyll that gives autumn its characteristic colours of gold, red and orange. Soon, all these leaves will fall too, leaving nothing but the denuded branches to survive the harsh and cruel cold of winter.

The Church also has her own ways of reminding us of the transience of life around this time. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we celebrate two very special liturgies that serve as timely reminders of our fragility. On November 1, we observe the Solemnity of All Saints. It never fails to remind me that this is what we are all ultimately called to become, and this is really God’s grand plan for us all. We celebrate that there are millions who have gone before us who really have gone through life’s arduous journey and passed with flying colours. We don’t know how many such saints there are, but we know that there are many. Many more than there are canonized saints, for sure. For all we know, some of them are our very own blood ancestors who in God’s eyes, have lived the faith well, and have joined their lives with the life of Christ in the most concrete of ways.

Is it a high celebration? It certainly is, and there is great call for it to be. It is a celebration of heaven’s entire population whose cause for its existence is the generous and overflowing love of God. And it also reminds us that we are not alone in this journey of ours, no matter how few friends we may actually have. These unseen friends of ours are the saints who are constantly in God’s presence, and are praying for us so that our journey in life becomes as fruitful as theirs. They pray that we will make the right choices in life; that we will choose to love rather than hate; to respect rather than disdain; uplift rather than trod down; that we will put God before all else in life, and to know that no life on earth is not worth living. And they know that these choices are not easy choices because they consciously made those choices in their lives. So, though they are no longer with us, All Saints’ Day is really a celebration of life; a celebration of the Church Triumphant, as the Fathers of the Church called them.

The next day is another celebration of the Church as well, but that of the Church suffering or Church Expectant. These souls are in their purgative way to be readied for the beatific vision that awaits them. Too little has, in my opinion, been preached about the beauty and richness of the theology of Purgatory. If heaven is sublime, and it is, purgatory is next in terms of sublimity. It gives all who are there in that state of purification the greatest promise that heaven is indeed a blessed assurance. It is a day to remember at Mass all our deceased relations and friends whom we have shared many things with. With some of them we have shared joys, sorrows, meals, interests, surnames (as family) and our beds (as spouses) as well. Their passing from this life has left us with many a lacunae in our own lives. Our prayers and works of mercy carried out with their intentions become them our way of joining hands and hearts across the barriers that life and death have formed.
Some say that the Catholic Church is rather morose, citing these celebrations as dark and somber. I suppose if one were to use the wrong lenses to look at these celebrations, one could be left with a searing sense of ennui and languor. But what we need are the correct lenses so that the image of life that we get from these celebrations are uplifted and enlightened. I hope this blog entry gives this hope to all its readers.

Indeed, as the leaves on the branches of the trees outside my window turn from green to amber to gold, they will soon all fall to the ground when the last vestiges of life get sapped from them. The season is truly changing here. It was German theologian Karl Rahner who said that in this life, all symphonies remain unfinished.

To Rahner's erudite reflection I venture to add this - as we we live our lives, let us try as best as we can to harmonise with those unfinished symphonies so that the completed chords can join with the choruses of angels in their unending symphony of praise.

35 comments:

  1. Dear Fr Luke

    Happy Halloween! By the time November comes around, there is a distinct chill in the air, with the shortening days and lengthening darkness. Winter is approaching and there is a sense of foreboding. Yet, there is something comforting about both All Saints and All Souls Day, which calls forth a powerful image of solidarity where all of God’s people, on heaven, earth and in purgatory are joined in prayer. As you so beautifully put it, it is a way of joining hands and hearts across the barriers that life and death have formed. The saints are the friends who have walked on different paths to holiness, but light the way when darkness conceals the day. They are there and I believe that they will help us to make the right choices if we open our hearts and minds to them.

    On choices. As you know, good does not exist without evil. Through your vigilance, you have censored out lewd, and sinful comments to preserve your aims of this blog to provide good catechesis and the spiritual uplift to readers like myself. With kindness, you have provided some warning system to soften actions that would have caused hurt and mental suffering to me. As such, to the person who has the temerity to hide behind the cloak of anonymity, it is timely reminder that there is a baseline level of manners that are expected and have only this to say:

    ‘Hearts, flowers and macarons will not work. I do not know you, will not know you and have no real affinity but only animosity for you. You are an anonymous creep who will soon be regretting pressing the send button on your computer. It is in this context that I hope you register pause ... REAL pause and take to heart that you need to take a good hard look at yourself. Firstly, understand that people are not objects that you can possess and control. Secondly, do not try to achieve through fantasy what cannot be attained in reality. Thirdly, recognize that you have an emotional void in your life and get help in relinquishing all your unhealthy (vile and perverted) delusions. Most importantly, stay the hell away from me (and Fr Luke) and Get. A. Life.’.

    Peeved Pumpkin

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  2. Dear Father

    Our world is always changing. There are floods in Bangkok and sudden heavy rains in Singapore. This afternoon I was utterly drenched when I went out for lunch and feel cold and miserable and alone. In such times I feel comforted with the generous love of God overflowing with love.
    I am sorry to see the earlier post with such strong language. The starting paragraph was so beautifully written and I found myself shocked at the way it ended. I believe that whatever unhappiness can be resolved and that we should behave with Christian love and charity. Take care father and please wrap up warmly.

    Michelle

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  3. Indeed Michelle and “peeved Pumpkin”, the world is indeed full of twisted and sick people who have no idea what it is to be civil and Christian, and sometimes, it does take seemingly shocking and drastic measures to get the point across that good Christians are not pushovers, not should we let others get their sick way with us.

    I have been silent about this ‘suffering’ long enough, and so has this stalked and harassed reader. Many people think that to be Christian means that we need to be sweet and lovey to even the worst of twisted minds and perverts. That is not Christian. That is sweeping justice under the proverbial carpet.

    Why have I been silent so far? What most of my readers do not know is that the comments setting of my blog requires that I moderate each and every comment that comes in via my personal email. This twisted person knows this, and has kept sending me (in an anonymous way) emails that reveal to me very graphically the sick and obscene things that he wants to do to this particular reader of my blog. There is no filter in his mind, and he is happy to be almost pornographic in detail. No one should drag another human being to that kind of sub-level of existence. And contrary to what his very ignorant mind thinks, such revelations are not at all bound under any ‘confessional seal’. He’d wish. For his information, a confession requires true repentance and sorrow, which he has not shown one shred of. Instead, he takes greater and greater delight in trying to sully a priest’s mind. Trash will always hope to garner more trash. He can hope all he wants.

    For the information of everybody out there reading this, he has written again (about 4 hours ago) and has threatened to make the reader he is stalking ‘pay the price for this’. We are indeed faced daily with terrors of floods, and heavy rains, Michelle. But far worse are people who have to deal with terrors that come from dangerous minds with criminal intent.

    My advice to ‘peeved’ is – be fully aware of your surroundings, don’t go into lifts alone, and throw all anonymous gifts in the bin (don’t even give them away as they may be poisoned). He will probably go into further hiding now that his game is exposed. And if he realizes that what he has been doing is downright evil and sinful, let us all pray that we will truly be remorseful for causing such turmoil in the lives of people.

    Fr Luke

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Dear Fr Fong

    Thank you for the confirmation in writing. The bitch has style even while being so toxic and stinging. If you think I am going to give up on my one of a kind flower you are sorely mistaken. She is in duty today and Thursday so she will have to turn up for work at some point. I will wait and I will watch and a suitable time will come for her to pay for hurting me and spurning my affections in this public humiliating way.

    Regards.

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  6. To those of you who are looking on, this is the kind of evil intent that I have to deal with. As you can see, even when he has been told off, he is unrelenting in his immoral pursuit. I am sorry to have you all see this kind of language on this spiritual blog but this has to stop!

    Fr Luke

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  7. STOP STALKING PEOPLE, YOU INSANE PERSON!
    FR LUKE

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  8. Dear father,

    I have been a reader of your blog only starting this year. You are indeed inspirational to all of us.

    I am sadden that amongst us readers, a sister in Christ is suffering from this kind of stalker. Perhaps you could help gather suffice information (past and present) of the stalker and produce it to the police? There are ways to know the Identity of the stalker.

    Meantime, the community will pray for the both of you that you could be able to get rid of this stalker.

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  9. Dear Fr Luke

    Victims can seek legal redress if the bully/ stalker has verbally abused them, with the intention of causing alarm or distress. And this is quite clearly the case, with criminal intention.

    Firstly, the victim should file a police report immediately. Secondly, the IP address of the stalker can be found with the Internet Service Provider. Thereafter, the police will be able to take some form of action against the stalker, and the victim can bring intimidation, criminal charges against the stalker.

    To the stalker who has absolutely no respect for another human being. You ought to be glad that you have not received harsher words that those posted by Ms Peeved Pumpkin. It would only do you good to stop this harassment now.

    Jack

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  10. To Fr Fong

    I have contacted Pumpkin. Understandably she wishes to have nothing to do with me. However faced with backlash and fury, I wish to apologize for the pain and suffering I have caused to both her and yourself through my thoughtless actions. I will stop this and undertake to seek help. I wish to say that I truly admire pumpkin as a person having watched her under pressure but this is not the way and I am remorseful.

    Regards.

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  11. Dear Fr Luke,

    Am so sorry to see that your blog has been tainted by one particular scumbag who derive evil pleasures by intimidating and taunting readers (and a female one at that)from behind a keyboard?! How low is that? No _alls, I say.

    Hey Pumpkin - Shalom. Just to let you know that there are people unbeknownst to that jerk who has been holding you to ransom, keeping you in prayer and ever ready to bring down unto that jerk-off a couple of tonnes of bricks.

    To Scumbag - i know where you hang out. Just wait for the tap on the shoulder.

    Kew

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  12. To Fr Fong

    I am sorry that it has to end this way. I really wish I can get to know Pumpkin better. I did not start out liking her but as I observe the way she work and how she argue in court I begin to develop a grudging admiration and become hooked by her. I suppose I am jealous because I know I cannot be as good as her in what she does and I feel inferior because she is so young and so talented and so supportive of your blog and I just know she will never bother with a loser like me. However I know my way is not right and I again apology to you and her.

    Regards.

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  13. Good morning Father Luke. Happy Feast Day of All Saints! May the Saints protect us from evil and guide us, especially the stupid ones.

    Hey bozo! I pray as fellow Catholics that you are not evil. This is a blog that I, and many others, read so that our lives may be transformed. Where do you find the stupid in you to think otherwise and write nonsense? What you have effectively done this week is to hijack a beautiful blog about celebrating life into a dark alley. Really, I pray that you are not evil, just asinine.

    Stop stalking Pumpkin! What you are doing is despicable. You are a disgrace to men. I am glad to see in a latter entry that you have apologised to Pumpkin. Seeing you have contacted her, I trust you are sincere enough to tell Pumpkin who you are. Otherwise, I wonder whether your entry above was to gather sympathy from us readers or that you are truly sorry and are seeking help. (Pumpkin – you are right not to accept anything until you see real remorse.)

    In case you are evil, who sent you?

    Now, if you were really evil, you must be a doofus too. I deduced from above you have been cyber-stalking pumpkin for a long time. I think you have been shown mercy by her and by Father. Any retard would know that if one wishes to report you to the law, it will be easy to catch you. Don’t believe me? Try googling “tracking Internet stalkers and reporting them”.

    Father Luke – thank you for revealing to us. I know as a priest, you have to be charitable and loving to lost sheep. However, I will be totally peeved if I were Pumpkin’s husband or father that you let this go. Father Luke, you mentioned he had made many comments. Reading the threatening one he has just made, I get the impression that the earlier ones are just as bad, if not worse. Please don’t let your Christian charity mar your vision that what is before you is criminal. It is time you apply the right justice.

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  14. Dear Angry ( did I say Bird?)
    You GO and tell the _alless off! He thinks it can end on his terms? An anonymous apology??

    To the Sicko - what about showing genuine remorse and reveal your identity to Pumpkin, whom you admire so much and apologise profusely?Maybe in doing so, you may at least redeem some shred of decency.

    Zen

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  15. To the troublemaker who has sullied and tainted this spiritual blog.

    I am still not convinced that this has ended. The only way that I will be slightly convinced is if the stalker reveals himself to me. You have my word that I will not reveal you publicly (believe me you WILL be stoned). I will only share this information with the said Pumpkin who needs this as closure. You owe her and me this much if you really are sincere. Write to me in the same way as you have done so in the past, but let me see who you are, I want your full name, your Singapore address, your phone number and I will contact you just to make sure that you are genuine. Once I get this, I will make a blog post to communicate to all that this issue is officially closed. This way, said Pumpkin will be able to go on with her life in peace, and you can either print all this out and show it to your shrink so that he has a rough picture of the sick person that he is dealing with, or if you are a Catholic, show this to your confessor and truly be repentant for the turmoil that you so selfishly and stupidly have caused in the lives of innocent and kind people.

    I await your response.

    Fr Luke

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  16. To Fr Fong

    I am only prepared to share such information with Pumpkin. I am ashamed to face you as you probably know who I am.. I want to give her the assurance that I am sincere and let her be the holder of the information if I transgress again. I hope that is acceptable to make amends and show my sincere that I will not disturb you or her again.

    Regards.

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  17. No deal. You don't set the parameters of this solution. These are my terms and conditions, and as I said, you have my word that I will not reveal you to anyone except the said Pumpkin. So what if I know who you are? Are you aware of the countless number of confessions that I have heard in my life and have not divulged anything to anyone? This is the only way that I will be at all convinced you are sincere - to me, to her, and to all the readers who are so angry with you for tarnishing this blog space.

    Again, NO DEAL.

    Fr Luke

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  18. Just do it troublemaker. Better to face Father than the Judge.

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  19. The Stalker is suffering too. We don't have to make it worse for him. Screaming at him in print surely does not help. Help him. No need to trample on him.

    You have beautifully crafted holy words. They sound hollow when a sick man is beaten down. Be Jesus to him. Don't let Satan get the better of you. You care more for the blog than you do a sick man. Sigh.

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  20. There are always 2 sides to the proverbial coin and what had transpired here is probably a very shortened version of what had been happening behind heavily censored postings to be mindful of people's sensitivities. If you are just commenting from the sidelines with no full knowledge of the whole story or even have an inkling of how long it has been going on, please don't pass cheap judgements like "you care more for the blog than you do a sick man". They are not appreciated. Ask Pumpkin for her side of the story. Sigh!

    Sharon

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  21. I have to agree with Sharon. The Stalker does not appear to be suffering at all before Fr Luke decides to put up the Stalker's (many) intimidating post. And when he is exposed, he suddenly becomes the suffering one? So kindly give me a minute while I wait for my toes to stop laughing. If the stalker had not been exposed, I am 100% sure he would have continued with his harrassment and intimidation.

    Justice has to be done when someone's life is being threatened and at risk. (Please go read Fr Luke's post to Michelle again). We do not wait for a tragedy to happen before bemoaning the fact that we ought to have done something to prevent it. If screaming in print helps to force the stalker out to the open and stop his harrassment, I say go for it.

    Be Jesus to him, you say. I say Jesus would have this to say: If you are truly repentent, you will confess and you will be forgiven. But that does not mean you do not have to bear the consequences of your sin.

    Jack

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  22. The guy said sorry.
    That's good enough for Jesus.

    Jesus to the thief: TODAY
    you will be with me in paradise.

    To the adulterous woman: ... neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.

    Thank you Jesus for being one of a kind saviour.
    Amen.

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  23. Are you and the stalker one of the same person? Trying to justify the actions of one which amounts to modern day terrorism and now trying to spew out forgiveness as though it can be bought like any bread roll from a bakery? You don't give the readers of this blog enough credit.

    Sharon

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  24. Angry no more...hopefullyNovember 2, 2011 at 10:21 PM

    To anonymous. You have an interesting take on the Scriptures. Wonder if you are the same guy who said to take pity on the stalker. If he were really remorseful and wants to change his ways, I believe this community will gladly welcome him back.

    As for you, I urge you to be careful when quoting Scriptures. Even the devil quotes Scriptures – remember him in the desert with Jesus?

    Let us take a closer look at what you have quoted. In both the thief and the adulterous woman, there was real repentance. The thief acknowledged who Jesus was. To the thief, he was the Christ. And we all know the adulterous woman sin no more after that encounter with Jesus. She became a disciple. However, I am unsure what happened to the Pharisees and scribes who tried to corner Jesus on that eventful day with Scripture and the Laws to condemn the woman.

    Another interesting point was that there were witnesses to the thief’s confession and the adulterous woman’s “sin no more”. They were able to stand before the community to be judged, and more importantly, to be forgiven. Christian forgiveness is not throwing justice out of the window. It is the community lifting the sinner up in love and integrity.

    Remember, “Condemn the sin but not the sinner.” Is the stalker ready to condemn his sins? If so, we are ever so ready to welcome him back to the kingdom. There will be much rejoicing in heaven as we have found the “lost coin” or the “lost sheep”.
    The stalker did say sorry. I hope he means it. Otherwise, he is betraying us the readers with empty words. In which case, “it is better if he had been born”. If he continues his errant ways and be unrepentant, he may just end up as the “wilted fig tree”.

    Finally, can we get back to the purpose of this blog which is the providing of spiritual food to our hungry souls. To the stalker – “Stop turning my father’s house into a robbers’ den.”

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  25. We must remember that when our actions cause scandal or has hurt others we not only need to say sorry but we need to do restitution - we can never ever restore a hurt or injury to it's original state for the fissure is there but by trying to make amends or restitution is a sincere sign of one's repentance. This is our Church teaching - that's why we ask for penance from the priest at reconciliation . We must remember that our God is a loving n forgiving God - yes but He is also All Just and compassionate to those who have been injured too. Remember He listens to the poor - these include those anawim - those who have no one to rely on but only on Him- ie the weak, the victims of crime - ( that include victims of stalkers too ) is it therefore too much to ask for a true closure for pumpkin ? God bless !

    Tessa

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  26. Angry no more...hopefullyNovember 2, 2011 at 10:26 PM

    Errata:
    ...In which case, “it is better if he had NOT been born”. If he continues his errant ways and be unrepentant, he may just end up as the “wilted fig tree”. ...

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  27. Dear Fr Luke and Everyone here,
    It’s me Pumpkin again. I believe that Stalker truly hated me at first as he felt that I had unnecessarily deferred to Fr Luke’s opinion on a sensitive topic. He tried to identify me to talk about it, butsomewhere along the way, hatred turned to infatuation.

    Stalker dealt with this infatuation by pouring out his deepest thoughts to Fr Luke about his feelings and fantasies about me without any filter. I think that he sincerely believed that he was in a ‘confession’. Stalker was clearly schizophrenic – sprouting both terms of endearment and hatred of me in the same vein. Imaginative in thought but unimaginative in coarse vocabulary, this caused poor Fr Luke to react with alarm. Fr Luke became concerned about my safety and gave me warnings about Stalker’s intentions when he could, after censoring out vulgarities like the good priest that he is.

    In a way, I was luckier than the average stalked-person because Fr Luke’s information was helpful and gave me a window into Stalker’s mind. I think that Stalker’s wild imagination was not actually borne out by vile actions, because in one email to Fr Luke he stated that he knew better than to touch me.

    I did extensive research about mental illness and stranger stalking, gathered some good friends and we set about formulating a plan to catch Stalker. However, sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. Last weekend, Stalker reached the height of his delusion that he could have a meaningful relationship with me, and through Fr Luke asked me to post some indication on the Blog this week that I would return his affections. Of course one thing led to another.

    Yes, Fr Luke and I have had difficult arguments about whether we should lodge a police report. However, to me, at the end of the day, justice is not all about retribution. There is no dignity in hunting down and killing a mentally ill person, especially with knowledge that he thought (erroneously) he was in a ‘confession’ with a priest. The lodging of a police report also takes any decision out of either mine or Father’s hands even if we forgive him. I don’t want to attract media attention this way as no one will emerge unscathed. Also, I wish to protect my privacy and my family if this can be resolved quietly. Of course, this does not exclude the possibility that we will take this up with proper law enforcement authorities if the necessity arises.

    Stalker had indeed approached me and tried to identify himself and apologize the other day when his first post appeared on this Blog. Unfortunately I lost my temper spectacularly and just told him that I never wanted to see him again. I still don't. Given the backlash, I don’t think he has the courage to face Fr Luke or myself again. I just hope that he will appreciate that he has been given a chance, and go away and sin no more.

    A very warm thank you to everyone here for the prayers and supportive words, and to the anonymous person for the reminder that there is scope for forgiveness and second chances.

    Pumpkin.

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  28. Dear Father

    My hat is off to Ms Pumpkin for showing courage, dignity and no small amount of compassion under pressure, like gold that's tested in fire.

    Fr Luke, I feel sorry for Stalker. Most of us have private fantasies which are too disgusting to share. Yet he unleashed them on you believing he was in a confession. You represent the church and we often confide our personal problems to priests just maybe not to the full extent. Stalker Has said sorry. Even if he cannot face you, he offered a decent suggestion to see Pumpkin and he tried. You did not want to deal. There is no point to further screaming at him in print and insisting on doing this your way. Let us move forward and put this behind us.

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  29. Brilliant move Fr. Praying for you n pumpkin to be covered and protected. Enough air time for Mr Trouble. November is a good month for us to re-read the book of Revelations or the Screwtape Letters keep our perspective right.

    joan

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  30. Thank you for taking the time to enlighten all of us Ms Pumpkin. I now see Stalker's actions and his email to Luke in context.
    To Stalker: You are a total idiot. Better get some help and brush up on your social skills. That is no way to pursue a girl. Do not live on false hope and accept rejection more graciously. Respect Pumpkin's wishes and stay away from her.
    To Fr Luke: I see your pain at having to look at the real unadulterated terrible thoughts of another fellow human. You were in a dilemma but behaved honourably to help Pumpkin out of this.
    To Pumpkin: You are one resourceful and brave girl. I have nothing but admiration for the way you have expressed your sentiments and how you handled this with Fr's help. I agree that there is no dignity in hunting down and killing a mentally ill person. We will all pray that stalker lives and learns.

    God Bless.

    Bill

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  31. If we all agree that Stalker is mentally ill and that there is no dignity in hunting and killing this person, shouldn't Stalker be properly treated by trained professionals?
    We have mentally ill priests in our diocese but he is receiving treatment and not unleashed like Stalker.



    Rachel

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  32. Hi Rachel

    I think in life only those who want to be treated can be treated. By not answering Fr Luke's request at revealing his ID, there is not much indication that he is sincere about his remorse, let alone being at all interested in treatment of any sort. He is probably out there on the loose, awaiting his next victim.

    Jack

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  33. To 'regards' and all who have taken pains to address this very unpleasant incident,

    I have just received a very remorseful reply to my request from the said "Stalker", and am satisfied that he has realised his egregious acts. I will not be posting what he said, but I do believe that he is sincere in his words of regret. Thank you for your courage, and I do hope that you will find the needed courage to go to any priest and seek divine absolution. I will offer up a fast day for your courage, and pray that your heart will be mellowed and your mind enlightened with time.

    To be clear to everyone concerned, I am certainly not more concerned for my blog than for a human soul. In fact, to allow this whole episode to come out this way shows that I have far more regard for the safety of human souls and bodies than for something as practical as a blog.

    Is it sullied? Let's put it this way - its purpose is to help everyone who comes here to be lifted in spirits, to be formed in the Lord, and to be more and more mature in living the baptised life. Sometimes, the road to these higher levels of living go through a meandering of pains and struggles, as can be seen in this unpleasant episode. It's, I guess, what is commonly called the writing of 'straight with crooked lines'. But this certainly does not laud the fact that these things should be encouraged to happen.

    So, "Regards", as you pray for healing and forgiveness, this community also want to see you healed and forgiven. And if you do come back regularly to visit this place, we pray that you do so with the greatest of respect for human lives, and with a prayerful spirit, eager to learn, to love (in the most Godly way possible) and to live.

    oremus pro invicem
    Fr Luke

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  34. Errata (grammatical error)- last but one paragraph:
    "this community also wants to see you healed and forgiven". Fr Luke

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  35. Dear Fr Luke,

    The 2nd reading touched a chord as I recalled a colleague shared with me 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 on the demise of my mum some years back. It was indeed comforting....

    When the command by the arch-angel's voice is given, the Lord will come down from heaven, while the divine trumpet call is sounding. Then those who have died in the Lord will rise first; as for us who are still alive, we will be brought along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the celestial world. And we will be with the Lord forever.

    Thank you for giving me a fresh outlook of death... God bless. Mat.

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