Inspired by this post on youhf.wordpress.com (where by the way, I have recently been published) and in honor of the Year of the Priest, some videos done by a priest:-











Also, have you guys ever heard "The Priests" an amazing group from Ireland.

This post was meant to be written for May, Mary's Month. And it's now almost the end of June. I do not know how the time slips me by. I think of something I want...no NEED...to express, and then forget it, let it slip through my mind -- forgetting things that really matter so easily distracted by other less important, more frivolous things.

And what did I do in May or for that matter, in June? Not as much as I would have liked.
I have been steadfastly continuing with my Rosary chain...but not always with the concentration it deserves. :( So today I will write this post, which will help me concentrate I believe...
I've meant to write this for a while now. Many people wonder about the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church. She has always been a great part of my life -- from rosaries prayed daily in childhood, to the Our lady of Fatima statue that stands in my room today.
But who is Mary? What does she actually mean to us? Why do we Catholics hold her in such high regard?

I have been toying around with this idea for a while, and here it is finally. As I remember that I forgot to finish this post in May. As I remember that I often forget about Mary. To remind me, and all of us, why our veneration of the Blessed Virgin is important. Because there REALLY is "Something About Mary"

As for me, I'm trying to devote myself more fully to my own part in the rosary chain that we WYDers took on ... and from time to time I sit and devote myself to contemplating the full rosary. But praying it alone is difficult, and I long for the semester to start so I can find some friends to pray with.

In the meantime,

Here's my list ...

• Live a life of chastity
  

( Mary said to the angel, "How can this be since I am a virgin?"Luke 1:34)

• Show care and concern for those around you, put others before self

(In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country. Luke 1:39)

• Praise God

( And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness (tapeinosen) of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name.His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly (tapeinous); he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." Luke 1:46-55)

• Contemplate the words and deeds of Jesus in your heart
  

(But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51)

• Bear witness, even when it seems dangerous, and few remain faithful

(Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. John 19:25)

• Say Yes to God
  

(Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Luke 1:38 )

And the last (and possibly most important) thing that I learned about Mary in the Gospels and through my own life?...

• Mary is Our Mother, and Mary's intercession is powerful
  

(When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. John 19:26-27

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. John 2:1-12)

All bible verses from: http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/bible.html

Hello Hello.
I've been MIA. TV and reading and makaning have been ruling my world this past month....but here I am...1 month into researching. It's interesting: in case you didnt know, I'm looking at how religion (both theology and inter-religious dialogue) can help create peace in post-conflict situations, especially when societies are divided by religious differences!
woah. cheem. i know. :P
It's been an interesting summer. I'm living with Qian Hui, who's also from Singapore.
My typical day/week:
Wake up after snoozing my alarm obscene numbers of times. (thankfull Qian is also a lazy bum like me and we both snooze and laze in bed for AGES until one says to the other "erm...i think we should get up." or "OH NO! 9AM! DIE! GET UP!")

• Breakfast
• Go into "office" (me sitting in the polsci department reading my work and chatting with Marge.)
• Eat lunch
• "work" more
• eat dinner
• read books (for fun, not polsci); watch tv.

on mondays and thursdays i work as a TELEHAWK. which sounds scary i know. but mostly it's just boring. I call up people who might be itnerested in my uni and talk to them (or their parents) about school. it was funner at first (i know that's not a word, chill) because I was calling students who already were definitely coming here, so i could talk to them about impt info -- eg which dorm to choose, what mealplan, what to bring, etcetcetc. Now i'm just calling random ppl in highschool to tell them about OpenHouse. but it's not too bad. som days weirder than others.

I also bake brownies. Hang out with some friends from time to time. and in general try to have fun, without missing my home terribly.

My parents just celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary, and I'm bummed I'm not home to celebrate with them. They truly are an inspiration to me. I hope to find love like theirs someday. And be able to dance like they do.

But since the 21st, it's become LESS THAN 6 MONTHS TO GOA 2009. Which is fabulous. (I'll be arriving December 21st 2009 in what we like to call God's Own Abode ~ GOA!) I cannot wait, especially since I heard about the newest addition to our giant clan...the new Baby Boy Mascarenhas. (born June 18th).

It's going to be a fabulous Christmas season....all I need now is to find myself a dress! :P


Me on a trip to DC


Jess and Qian Hui when we attended GeoKids and then helped collect the kid's garbage.


Sam and our amazing chocolate chip chocolate syrup brownies. YUM!

Me and Qian Hui!









Some funny videos for you to watch:



This one was shown to me by Sam (not the same one pictured above) and I laughed so hard...because as a fan of both Buffy and Twilight, I KNEW that's exactly how Buffy would have treated creepy-controlling-obsessive Edward. lolations...

Happy Trinity Sunday!
Very lovely article I read:

http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=33757


Deathbed Request: 'Tell me About the Trinity’

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - It was June of 2005. I was at the bedside of a dear friend, a faithful and inspiring Catholic.

He was dying; just the night before he had received the news that he had less than two weeks to live. The cancer that he fought with such heroic courage had spread throughout his lymph glands. He was preparing for the passing to the Father with the dignity and beauty that authentic Catholic Christian faith can forge in a soul receptive to grace.

Jerry lived a full and fascinating life.

He was always a staunch and courageous defender of the Catholic faith. He reminded me of the great lay evangelist Frank Sheed - at least what I imagine Frank Sheed was like, since I never met him. My friend loved to tell anyone who would listen of the beauty and fullness of truth found in the Catholic Christian faith. In fact, he would engage any issue concerning that faith, with anyone, and at any time.

He especially delighted when Christians of other communities would come home to the full communion of the Catholic Church.

As a Deacon of the Church, I had the privilege of bringing Viaticum to him on that day. His beloved wife sat next to him, displaying the courage, beauty and dignity of sacramentally grounded, faithful married love.Theirs was the kind of transforming love that had stood the test - and the invitation- of so many years and had only grown stronger and deeper. It no longer needed words, only presence.

I prayed with them both that day, at that bedside.

After the completion of the Viaticum Service, during a tender and profound moment of silence, Jerry turned to me, focused his piercing, peaceful, and intensely inquisitive eyes upon my own, and asked a question that was so unusual - and so profound- that I have dwelt upon it since.

I will carry it within me for many years to come.

“Tell me about the Trinity”, my friend asked me, “are they really happy?”

By God’s grace, I was not taken aback by such a profound and unexpected question. In fact, the Holy Spirit gave me an immediate response.

“My friend, they are intensely happy -and soon you will join in their joy” I said.

I continued, “There is a Greek word used in Eastern Christian theology in an attempt to open up the mystery of the intra-Trinitarian relationship to us mere mortals.”

I could tell from his eyes that I had captured his attention.

He and I had shared many times about theological truths and the deeper meaning of our Catholic faith. He was such a wonderful example of the great gift whom John Paul the Great referred to as the “Lay members of Christ’s Faithful” in his letter that bore that title.

A natural theologian, my friend had deepened his own practical and mystical prayer life with a lifelong program of theological and spiritual reading.

“What is it?” he asked

“The Greek word is ‘perichoresis’”, I told him.
I continued, “It is loosely translated as a joyful dance of love. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are joined in continual dance of love and, very soon, you will be invited to join in.”

Without missing a beat, a smile broke out on his hollowed face; he leaned toward me and responded: “I hope I can keep up with them”.

“You will”, I assured him, “and you will pray for all of us.”

I have learned in my years of Diaconal ministry in the Church that people die the way they live. I have seen this truth demonstrated many, many, many times.

On that precious day, right before my eyes, I was witnessing the transforming power of faith and the reception of the last gift given to those who really believe; the grace of a peaceful death.

A priest friend told me when I was a young man that the most requested prayer he received from people facing death was the “Hail Mary”; a prayer that Catholics are taught from their childhood.

In that prayer, after reciting the message the Angel gave to the Virgin of Nazareth, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus”, we ask Mary, the mother of the Lord and our mother, to pray for us in these words:

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

After I left my friend’s house that day, I prayed that prayer all the way home. I thanked God for the witness of this faithful Catholic man who was ready to die, because of how he had lived.

Words quickly became inadequate. I arrived home and sat in silence.

“Tell me about the Trinity” Jerry had asked me. In the inquiry he brought me closer to the Dance of love that he has now joined. The entire encounter filled me with unspeakable joy.It still does every time I reflect upon it.

My friend taught me a lesson at the hour of death; one that I will treasure for eternity. Now, at almost every Mass where I serve as a Deacon, I pray for Jerry. I know he also prays for me. I periodically ask him the question which he asked me on that day. I know he has the full answer.

“Tell me about the Trinity?”

On this Trinity Sunday, Jerry is joined in the joyful dance of love.

uh-oh. it's been a while. weirdly enough, it's when I am really busy that i find i need to blog. when i have hours and days and an entire summer spear out before me, i feel so reluctant to blog.
it's been almost 1 week since i' ve been back at school. 2 weeks since Spring 09 ended.
Spent the 1st week at clive's after having moved EVERYTHING out of wynnewood. that was tortorous.
and Clive bought a WII!! which was a lot of fun. he also decided to have a bbq party...which meant JoAnn was put to work cooking. but i cooked really well! marinated all the meat. marinated like 15 chicken breasts after cutting them up intop chucks for skewers. and then 9 pounds of beef and made burgers. let's just say it was hard work. and then i was running around during the party too.
saturday went to the SPA...finally. after having put it off for ages (clive gave me the gift card in Dec 07) had a nice manicure and a fabulous massage....only after the massage had to go to the beef burgers....so all the knots returned.,.,.,and remain.
Moved back to school on Sunday.
and here I am at St Mary's. It's allegedly haunted. but i dont believe that. i believe that it is old and decrepid....but i ant really complain. i have my own toilet, and the shower is right down the hall. it's not as nice as wynnewood was, but you cant always live the high life. my only major complaint is the internet being kind of sucky here.
it's been slightly lonely. i dont really know many of the ppl here....and they arent really my 'kind" of people. hoping that when we do some of the SSP activities i'll be able to bond with them.
on the bright side, sam atten and sam koch are around, so i get to hang out with them.
tanya is still here. but that's bittersweet, because on tuesday she's leaving to go back to india. tis sad sad.
i try my best to go into the polsci office to do work so that i actually accomplish some. otherwise cooped up in my room nothing gets done. in the meantime, i;m returning to reading fiction for pleasure. and watching all the shows i missed.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
i'm pretty bumbed that terminator:the sarah connor chronicles wont be returning...wld have been cool to see what wld have happened....
as for prison break...series finale...oh gosh. PB became a bit crazed this season. the last couple of episodes returned to the cool plans/action/ticking clock thing, and came kind of full circle (special S1/2 guests!) but that ending? ridiculous. seriously? seriously? and that's how the show ends forever? like that? i know we cant always have happy endings. but seriously?
speaking of SERIOUSLY? that grey's finale. omg. shonda keeps delivering amazing tv. i just hope that the rumors arent true...because...i've always loved george. from the first episode....when he remembered what meredith was wearing...haha.
(trying to blog without giving stuff away)

on the bright side, CHUCK got renewed. and i LOVE Chuck. i;'m super excited.
have to wait forever for my tvshows to come back.

in the meantime, i'm hoping that roach can come visit me (roach if you are reading this, remember....no pressure!) waiting for my mum to come visit. i need a healthy dose of home.
and in 7 months....i get to be home in Goa. so different from being home in Singapore. but somehow Goa is always magical...especially this year...we're adding at least 4 new members to the clan in 09. and i cannot wait to meet all of them.

i've always been a homebody. and i dont think i'll ever stop.
so now when i'm away from home. i'm ust going to have to make my own home-ness whenever/whereever i can.

<3 Jo