Thursday, September 07, 2006

Happy Birthday Mother Mary!

Thank you for saying "Yes" to the angel who visited you more than two thousand years ago, to fulfill the most humbling yet the grandest mission ever bestowed to anyone --- to carry and bring to human life our very own Saviour!

Thank you for showing us in Cana how to follow our Lord and Saviour --- to do whatever He tells us!

Thank you for revealing to us where to follow our Saviour --- up to the foot of His cross!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Bbbbbrrrrrrr......!

It's Septembrrrrr !!! Christmas is around the corner, so they say. You may be preparing a list of gifts for your inaanaks. And I'm preparing a list of places where I can hide from them!

I come to think what could this month meant during the times of Jesus. For the Jews, ELUL (or the "biblical" September) is a time for repentance. Elul is seen as a time "to search one's heart" in preparation for the coming Day of Judgement, Rosh Hashanah, and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. In Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, the word “Elul” means “search.”. I wonder what Jesus must have been doing during the Septembers when He was here on earth.

But according to Jewish tradition, which Jesus must have also followed, more prayers were done. Especially during the morning where Psalm 27 is prayed.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evil men advance against me

to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,

even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the LORD,

this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.


Let us search our hearts to prepare for the coming of our Lord
---- with music and singing!