Saturday, February 12, 2005
*.* From Ashes and Dust We are Formed... to Ashes and Dust We will Return *.*
Today officially marks the start of Lent in Singapore, even though the rest of the world had started Lent earlier by 2 days. It brings one back to wonder about the issue if Ash Wednesday should be postponed till Friday, in view of the CNY celebrations. Which one should come first - Culture or Religion? If Ash Wednesday is indeed on Wednesday, the first day of CNY, would it hurt at all if we fasted and abstained? After all, we are supposed to "not to pull long faces" but to do it joyfully, as an offering up to God. I think, taken in the right perspective, we should have Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, the first day of CNY and not on Friday. It brings us to another point that let's jsut say, a relative passes away during CNY, does that mean we don't attend his/her wake? Hmmm.... I believe if taken in the right perspective, that fasting and abstinence are not signs of mourning but rather as a joyful offering up to God, it should be on Wednesday, instead of today. Father Yim's homily struck a chord in me today and it made me reflect on many many things. He started off his homily by relating how he held his grandfather's ashes and placed his ashes in the urn (because his grandfather's grave had to be exhumed). It reminded me of my dad's death last year, April 14th. Very soon, it's going to be a year, in 2 months' time. It reminded me of how fragile life was.The fragility of life... think of us as the clay and God, our creator has moulded us and shaped us to become what He wants us to be. As I was thinking about this during mass, I found myself imagining that I was the clay being shaped into a beautiful vase with small flower prints. Just as God has shape us into beautiful items, He is, likewise, able to destroy and crush us. But most of the time, God does not destroy us. If we look deeper, it is actually WE, OURSELVES, who destroy and crush ourselves. God is ever so loving and merciful - Would He ever destroy something He took pains to create?Yes, the image about the clay demonstrates how fragile our life is. We are as minute as the ashes and dust and yet, God first formed Adam and Eve by purely only using dust. And when we die, we will return in the form of ashes and dust. Life is so fragile and so breakable. Shouldn't we use each day as a pleasing offering up to God? Shouldn't we harp less on our shortcomings but instead, to make use of our beautiful points to glorify God? As human beings (and Singaporeans), we tend to amplify out weaknesses and shortcomings and shortchange ourselves by blinding ourselves to the beautiful traits we possess. We should no longer dwell in harping continuously about waht we should do, or shouldn't have done but instead turn these situations around with our God-given talents.After all, the harsh reality is this... we never know when it is the time to which God calls us to go home. The imposition of ashes reminded me how weak I am as a person, as a child of God. It reminded me of my own brokeness and encourages me to come face to face with my own iniquities. I am indeed broken but if "God says the word, may I be healed". I prayed then, that I may always have a humble and contrite heart, that during this Lent, may I experience the joys of conversion.I have a couple of resolutions I have made during my quiet time in the Adoration Room. They are:1) To remain positive in my teaching stint in AJC. Things are getting more difficult and sometimes, I feel a bit down. No matter what, this should not affect my enthusiasm I bring into class. If I remain positive, my students will remain positive too. I always have a special role to play in my students' lives.2) To pray a decade of the rosary everyday.3) To reflect on the bible everyday.For pts 2 and 3, eversince I have stepped into AJC, it has become a struggle for me to remain faithful to my daily rosary and bible reflection. I had bought myself a missal so that I can flip to the day's readings for reflection.As for the rosary, may I offer up each bead for a person I find it hard to love.4) To attend stations of the cross every Friday.Every stations of the cross offers something enlightening for me to reflect on. May I offer each week of stations as a form of penance and prayer for other people.These are my 4 confirmed resolutions which I am going to try to follow. Most importantly, it is not the acts which matter. It is the desire of the heart... the humility to examine one's own conscience and to explore the innder depths of my life that matters. May God bless me and all of you with a blessed and holy Lent.
A Child of God blogged @ | 3:15 am
