Saturday, April 16, 2011
Hi guys, Soo here. Just got back from the passion play practice and supper and I feel really strongly about this so I think it has to be said. I think first off I gotta affirm those who turned up for the practice, it's a Friday night and most of us have exams coming up, and it's not easy to make time for something that seems so unconnected and unrelated to us.
I apologise in advance for any feathers I might ruffle in this post but I felt that this has to be shared, if you have anything to say (or feel a need to be vindicated) please approach me personally! I guess I left the practice with a huge sense of disappointment. After Mark Tang's constant reminders and Swee's semi speech last week after the first incident I expected the response today to be much more encouraging. Maybe it was my expectations being set too high, or maybe I was being too judgmental, but I was disappointed with LOG today.
Let me try to put things into perspective, for those of you who don't have any clue of what I'm talking about - basically we (the youth) have been asked by Fr. Bosco to help out in the Good Friday Passion Play for the outdoor stations of the cross, which is normally done by the altar boys. We're working with the Children's Liturgy and Altar Boys to help Fr. Bosco re-enact Jesus' passion, with some of us playing the soldiers, apostles, the angry crowd etc. Today was our second practice, which was held in place of our normal bible sharing, and is the last practice before the actual event on Friday.
I guess my main feeling comes from the fact that so many of us can come down on normal bible sharing Fridays, but yet when we are called to serve in a larger community (by our very own parish priest no less) we choose to shirk our duty and stay away. For me, it boils down to selfishness. The reason why we can come so willingly for bible sharings is because we receive. We receive the fellowship, the support and love that we are looking for after a long week at school. However, when it comes to a parish project, it seems harder to commit and be a cheerful giver - by the very reason that we are not receiving (as much, or not at all, compared to bible sharing), but rather having to give while seemingly being given nothing in return. I am guilty of this too, which explains my feeling of resentment and anger last week when I was arrowed to play John, Jesus' disciple. I guess sometimes we are too focused on what we call LOG love, but we forget something so much more bigger and more important - Church love, the love for our Church, whom each of us are called to serve, before and over whatever community/ministry we belong to. Main point of this being, sometimes we forget that what Jesus calls us is to love, and to love is to die to oneself. I'll let you figure out what this means in relation to this little event.
Liver's session last week showed me the power of acting out Jesus' passion and death, and I really believe that this Passion Play will touch the lives of many, but only if it is done with the right spirit and disposition. Honestly, this whole Passion Play is NOT going to work/have any effect/fail miserably if the youth are not there. Think about it, the others serving in this are the Altar Boys and Children's Liturgy kids, and they do not have the maturity to take this seriously as we do. Sometimes, we forget that we are called to be role models for the younger ones in the church, and one way we can do so is to show each and everyone there how to cultivate the right spirit in engaging in this parish activity. I really feel sorry for Fr. Bosco and the adults of the Children's Liturgy (remember they are probably more busy than us, even when we have exams) who have spent so much time and effort preparing the props and costumes, and I really don't want all their efforts to go to waste. I guess the point of this paragraph is to show you the practical side of things, that even if you don't agree with me regarding how we are called to serve the larger church and community, I hope that you'll see the dire need to why WE as a youth community HAVE to be there to participate and to lead the others in this aspect.
My point of this post is not to condemn, nor is it to make you guys feel guilty. It is only a call for each and everyone of us in this community of Leaven of God to ask ourselves this one question - Do we love Him enough to be able to sacrifice our time so that His glory can be revealed this Friday? I just ask that we put aside our excuses (I can't act/I don't see the purpose of this/Why must the youth be involved/etc), and just BE THERE on Friday to truly serve the Church in our acting and portrayal of Jesus' passion and death. I pray that many people will be touched by Him through this Passion Play, and that we ourselves may be able to gleam the depths of His love for us.
Love, Soo.
Hi guys, Soo here. Just got back from the passion play practice and supper and I feel really strongly about this so I think it has to be said. I think first off I gotta affirm those who turned up for the practice, it's a Friday night and most of us have exams coming up, and it's not easy to make time for something that seems so unconnected and unrelated to us.
I apologise in advance for any feathers I might ruffle in this post but I felt that this has to be shared, if you have anything to say (or feel a need to be vindicated) please approach me personally! I guess I left the practice with a huge sense of disappointment. After Mark Tang's constant reminders and Swee's semi speech last week after the first incident I expected the response today to be much more encouraging. Maybe it was my expectations being set too high, or maybe I was being too judgmental, but I was disappointed with LOG today.
Let me try to put things into perspective, for those of you who don't have any clue of what I'm talking about - basically we (the youth) have been asked by Fr. Bosco to help out in the Good Friday Passion Play for the outdoor stations of the cross, which is normally done by the altar boys. We're working with the Children's Liturgy and Altar Boys to help Fr. Bosco re-enact Jesus' passion, with some of us playing the soldiers, apostles, the angry crowd etc. Today was our second practice, which was held in place of our normal bible sharing, and is the last practice before the actual event on Friday.
I guess my main feeling comes from the fact that so many of us can come down on normal bible sharing Fridays, but yet when we are called to serve in a larger community (by our very own parish priest no less) we choose to shirk our duty and stay away. For me, it boils down to selfishness. The reason why we can come so willingly for bible sharings is because we receive. We receive the fellowship, the support and love that we are looking for after a long week at school. However, when it comes to a parish project, it seems harder to commit and be a cheerful giver - by the very reason that we are not receiving (as much, or not at all, compared to bible sharing), but rather having to give while seemingly being given nothing in return. I am guilty of this too, which explains my feeling of resentment and anger last week when I was arrowed to play John, Jesus' disciple. I guess sometimes we are too focused on what we call LOG love, but we forget something so much more bigger and more important - Church love, the love for our Church, whom each of us are called to serve, before and over whatever community/ministry we belong to. Main point of this being, sometimes we forget that what Jesus calls us is to love, and to love is to die to oneself. I'll let you figure out what this means in relation to this little event.
Liver's session last week showed me the power of acting out Jesus' passion and death, and I really believe that this Passion Play will touch the lives of many, but only if it is done with the right spirit and disposition. Honestly, this whole Passion Play is NOT going to work/have any effect/fail miserably if the youth are not there. Think about it, the others serving in this are the Altar Boys and Children's Liturgy kids, and they do not have the maturity to take this seriously as we do. Sometimes, we forget that we are called to be role models for the younger ones in the church, and one way we can do so is to show each and everyone there how to cultivate the right spirit in engaging in this parish activity. I really feel sorry for Fr. Bosco and the adults of the Children's Liturgy (remember they are probably more busy than us, even when we have exams) who have spent so much time and effort preparing the props and costumes, and I really don't want all their efforts to go to waste. I guess the point of this paragraph is to show you the practical side of things, that even if you don't agree with me regarding how we are called to serve the larger church and community, I hope that you'll see the dire need to why WE as a youth community HAVE to be there to participate and to lead the others in this aspect.
My point of this post is not to condemn, nor is it to make you guys feel guilty. It is only a call for each and everyone of us in this community of Leaven of God to ask ourselves this one question - Do we love Him enough to be able to sacrifice our time so that His glory can be revealed this Friday? I just ask that we put aside our excuses (I can't act/I don't see the purpose of this/Why must the youth be involved/etc), and just BE THERE on Friday to truly serve the Church in our acting and portrayal of Jesus' passion and death. I pray that many people will be touched by Him through this Passion Play, and that we ourselves may be able to gleam the depths of His love for us.
Love, Soo.