IMPORTANT: Sponsor Me To Rome!

Recently I have been introduced to the Emmanuel School of Mission (ESM) which is a Catholic missionary formation school based in Rome. According to its brochure it is a "one-year experience, rich in missionary, spiritual and doctrinal formation." And - "Whoa!" - is exactly what I thought. The more I mull over it the more interested I become; as I begun to imagine how it must be like to be in Rome, learning the curriculum and going on missions! ... So what's stopping me? Money, or rather the lack of. :P

You see, the school runs for 9 months from October to June and the cost of going to ESM is 700 Euros (or around RM3500, i think) per month, which translates to RM31,500! This calculated lump sum is enough to pay for my tuition for least 6 semesters... So now you see why I cannot possibly approach my parents to sponsor me to Rome.

That is why I would like to appeal to all of you reading this post, that you would be generous with your money to sponsor me for my studies in Rome. In return, in addition to my regular blog posts, I pledge to create weekly podcasts (possibly video podcasts) updating you guys of my recent happenings whether when I am in Rome or on missions! How 'bout that? Sounds good? ;)

By the way, I would like to make it for this year's intake in October so that means I have about less than 3 months to raise funds. So please hurry and sponsor me to Rome! Any amount big or small is appreciated. Please contact me at celestinetan@gmail.com :)

p/s: I would gladly email you my curriculum vitae if you decide that you would like to know more about me before making your contribution. Also you are most welcome to request for verification, to determine whether or not your contributions would be channeled to my studies in Rome.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF BROCHURE FROM THE EMMANUEL SCHOOL OF MISSION

*Philosophical Chews: Brilliance

The brillance of an invention is dependent on the brilliance of the inventor. However, the invention will never be as brilliant as the inventor. For instance, a computer is only as good as the engineer who built it, but it is not equal to the engineer for its intelligence is only a fraction of its creator.

Therefore if the sophistication of the computer is derived from the engineer, where does the sophistication of the human derived from? Just in case you were wondering - no... the word "random" is not in the answer scheme. ;) If you don't already know it, press CTRL+A for the answer.

Answer: God.

*I was inspired to write this after reading my philosophy text

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"It is not sin that most grievously wounds My Heart, but what rends and lacerates It, is that after sin, men do not take refuge in It once more."

- JESUS (message to Sister Josefa Menendez, 29 August 1929)

Seeing God in Freud's Theory

I know of many Christians who dislike Sigmund Freud and are disgusted of his theories on human personality, namely his controversial theory on psychosexual development. However despite that I do appreciate Freud's theory on the ego, superego and id because somehow I find it interesting to see that it sheds some light on my faith as a Christian.

Allow me to give you a crash course on Freud's theory. According to Freud our mind is made up of the ego, superego and id. The ego is the largely concious part of our mind, the superego is the largely unconconcious and the id is in the unconcious. The id is like a child: pleasure-seeking and totally selfish. The superego however is like the judge and it wants us to be moral in our actions and induces guilt when we break moral codes. And the ego is the mediator between the id and superego; sort of like a middleman who negotiates and makes a compromise between the two. These three distinct components of the mind is crucial and we cannot have one without the other because they work together as a whole.

So what has this got to do with my faith?

For starters I find it fascinating that in Genesis the Bible mentions that "God (editor's note: who is Trinitarian in nature) created man in his own image" and that we ourselves possess an inner trinity (i.e. the id, ego and superego) which is inseperable and has distinct "persons" within, just like the Holy Trinity! Of course, ours is no where as united and perfect as the Holy Trinity and I attribute the cause of the disunity and conflict between the id, ego and superego to our fallen nature.

I have a few questions running through my mind and I would like to share it with all of you. :) Could it be that the superego is the law God has put in our minds and has written in our hearts? And the id is the consequence of our fallen nature? What about the ego? Could the ego be "the willing spirit" which Jesus mentioned in Matthew 26? And "the flesh be another word for the id?

Ahh... I love psychology. :D

Apologetics: Da Vinci Code

Tired of reading long explanations on why Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is fiction in every sense of the word?

CLICK HERE to download a concise two page (A4 sized, 223KB) article: "20 BIG LIES IN THE DAVINCI CODE".

Print it. Read it. Spread it.

We are mirrors of God

I find it amazing to know that the God who made us, did so in His own image and likeness - whoa, imagine the dignity we all bear! And we reflect Him in a variety of ways. For instance, we are skillful artists because He was the painter who first coloured the sky. We can invent to improve our lives but only because He was the one who invented life itself. We come from families of two parents (a father and a mother) because God is a family of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Most significant of all, we are able to love because God is love. :)

Blessed Trinity Sunday.

Stiff neck

Good Lord, I have a stiff neck! It's been three days now. I can't look up or down, nor can I turn left or right without cringing in pain. Arrggh!

Oh by the way, the potrait on the left is of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland AND stiff necks.

St. Andrew pray for me.

Friary / The Omen

Technically I was at the friary and it was different from what I had expected it would be but I enjoyed it still. This was what I gained (in no particular order):

• Learnt how to discern my vocation
• Made new friends
• Got to know my existing friends better
• Experienced mediation with the whole of creation just as St. Francis of Assisi did
• Got to know the life of the Franciscans and the different charisms of each order
• Had a good rest and solid prayer sessions

I still have yet to discern my vocation because it is a PROCESS, well I guess I am still young and when the time comes I'll know. :)

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Oh yeah, I watched the Omen this afternoon with Tessa and Su-Lynn at GSC OneU. Thank goodness we paid only RM6 each, the movie sucked BIG-TIME: It was very predictable (although, I have forgotten how the original was like), cheap scares abound (and I got startled only ONCE throughout the movie) and the actors were not convincing enough (therapists breaking confidentiality, hello?)

QUESTIONS: What's up with Catholic priests/bishops acting like some ignorant Christian fundamentalists? I.e. using bible verses to support the fundamentalist notion that current tragedies (e.g. 9/11, tsunami, etc. ) are signs of the End Times. And what's up with the Final Destination moments?

In comparison to Emily Rose, this movie would have scored 1 out of 5. On it's own... well, I give it a 1.5 out of 5. The 0.5 is for effort. See? I am being appreciative.

Now someone please recommend me a really creepy movie! *sigh* It's so hard to get a good scare nowadays. :P

Weekend at the Monastery

I am going to a Franciscan Monastery at Cheras later in the day (i.e. after class) for the weekend. No, I am not (yet) joining the Capuchins - just the vocations retreat for now. Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been in the mood to procrastinate lately. *sigh* Looks like I can procrastinate no more since the semester's already here. Do keep me in your prayers, I need to know what God wants of me despite how much I dread to know.

A big thanks goes out to Mark who agreed to "chaperone" this Friday's cell group while I am away and to George for bearing much of my responsibilities this coming weekend. I know that you guys don't read my blog, but if you do: please know that I appreaciate the help and support you give me. :)

Don't Click Unless You Have Watched The American Idol Finale

TAYLOR HICKS: THE AMERICAN IDOL

Taylor you made me proud. :)

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Related post:

MY American Idol: Taylor Hicks

Song of the Sheperd / Rosary Chaplets

Last Sunday me and a few of my church mates caught David M. Sanborn's one-man show performance of the "Song of the Shepherd" at the ACTS Church in Subang Jaya! The acting was good and singing was of Broadway quality (a friend of my commented that it was better than the main lead of Grease!). Believe it or not, according to Sanborn: his script was taken word-for-word from the Bible itself! :) If you do not take my word for it, do check him out yourself; pssstt... I hear he will be performing at Glad Tidings next month. :D

On a different note. Aren't these beautiful! These are rosary chaplets (which consists of only 10 beads) and are mini-versions of the full rosary (consists of 59 beads). The beads you see are actually seeds from a bush called the "mani plant"; which is an incredible plant because its seeds are natural beads (shiny and hard on the outside and hollow in the inside), no drilling required, just push the soft fibre out from its centre. Here's my confession: I did not bought these... I MADE THESE MYSELF! *beams* So far I got two done, both with medals (as opposed to crucifixes) of the Crowned Christ / Mater Dolorosa and St. Benedict's Cross / Image of St. Benedict. Oh did I mention, you may wear them as bracelets? Hehe. :)

Ahhh.. I have found my new love: making rosary chaplets! :D

Anything but the DaVinci Code!

Almost everyone now is talking about the DaVinci Code - family, friends and even ASTRO! Haha! Just yesterday I received an email from a friend:

FW: On May 19 watch a movie "other" than Da Vinci Code

WHAT ARE YOU DOING around the day the Da Vinci Code movie opens. A movie based on a book that wears its heresy and blasphemy as a badge of honor.

What can we as Christians do in response to the release of this movie? Here are the usual suspects:

A) We can ignore the movie. ........

The problem with this option: The box office is a ballot box. The only people whose votes are counted are those who buy tickets. And the ballot box closes on the Sunday of opening weekend. If you stay home, you have lost your chance to make your vote heard. You have thrown your vote away, and from Hollywood's point of view, you don't count. By staying home, you do nothing to shape the decision-making process regarding what movies will make it to the big screen.

B) We can protest. ........

The problem with this option: It doesn't work. Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they make all Christians look like idiots. And again, protests and boycotts do nothing to help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will
make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make *more* movies that will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up.)

But .....

On May 19th, you should go to the movies. Just go to another movie. Save the date now. May 19th, or May 20th. No later than Sunday, May 21st -- that's the day the ballot box closes. You'll get a vote, the only vote Hollywood recognizes: The power of cold hard cash laid down on a box office window on opening weekend.

Use your vote. Don't throw it away. Vote for a movie other than DVC. If enough people do it, the powers that be will notice. They won't have a choice. The major studio movie scheduled for release against DVC is the DreamWorks animated feature Over the Hedge. The trailers look fun, and you can take your kids. And your friends. And their friends. In fact, let's all go see it.

Let's rock the box office in a way no one expects -- without protests, without boycotts, without arguments, without rancor. Let's show up at the box office ballot box and cast our votes. And buy some popcorn, too. May 19th. Mark your calendars now: Over the Hedge's opening weekend.

Buy a ticket. And spread the word. Forward this e-mail to all the Christians in your address book. ( First, remove all headers please) Post it on your blogs. Talk about it to your churches.

And let's all go to the movies.

Oh by the way, he is from Opus Dei. Surprise, surprise. ;)

Saying Grace

Sometimes dining with fellow Christians is quite a bother because there will be the "issue" of saying grace (i.e. giving thanks to God), often outloud. And there will be much delegating,(or taichi-ing, as it is known here colloquially) often to the youngest member of the group to do the honours. I for one get this rather often in the past. :P Not that I have not been asked to say grace these days, it is just less often when there are younger people around me. ;)

Here is a disclaimer: I do not hate saying grace, on the contrary I feel inclined to say grace for most of my meals (unless I am really low on blood sugar, hehe.) It's just that I dislike saying grace on behalf of others and I get annoyed when others expect me to say grace on behalf of them.

QUESTIONS: Why do you need me to be thankful on behalf of you? Can't you be thankful yourself? Can't you be grateful on your own? And if you want me to say grace, then do not complain when I say it my way, whether it is the traditional: "Bless us, O Lord and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your bounty. Throught Christ our Lord, Amen." or the less-conventional-seemingly-flippant: "Thank you Jesus for the food. Thank you and Buh-bye."

So there. *sigh* :)

"Why I am not a priest?"

I was requested by Wei Fen to write a post on this topic. :) However I believe the correct question should be: "Why I am not yet a priest?". ;) Of course, as with most Catholic males, I must admit that I have entertained thoughts of becoming a priest. But there was only one period in my life which I remember that I have seriously thought of joining the priesthood. That period was when the Catholic church went "popeless", as it were; when John Paul II died. You see, I was worried that the next Pope would be one whom I would not see eye to eye. So I figured that the best way to solve this dilemma was to be the Pope myself. Starting with priesthood, then to becoming the bishop, and then a cardinal before finally being selected as the Pope! However that problem was solved when Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI. Hehe. :)

But I confess, every now and then there were fleeting thoughts of joining the priesthood. I must say, priesthood is certainly a tempting career to consider (Just in case you were wondering: I am not in anyway being sarcastic). Job security, you get taken care of rather well; FREE food and shelter and cool perks; parishioners vying to buy you gifts and your own "church" car to boot! Believe me, I am not exaggerating. :)

What is stopping me then? Number one, I have yet to finish my degree of four-years and this is only the start of my second year, and I plan to continue until (at least and hopefully!) my Masters. Read: still a long way to go. And I really really want to be a psychologist! Unless the priesthood is willing to fund my studies in psychology... *Grin*

Number two, I have my family to think of. I am the eldest of my siblings and if I turn a priest who is going to support my family when my parents grow old and weary? Plus, I feel really bad becoming a priest when they have invested in me so much, I know that education ain't cheap.

Number three, and most important one of all: I do not know if God is calling me to be a priest. My cell phone's on but God never called. ;) Seriously, I am not sure which vocation God is calling me to. I love the Jesuits, I think they are really a cool bunch and if I were to be a priest I'll definitely join the Society of Jesus. Funny, I do not remember the topic of marriage ever crossed my mind... Being single seem more appealing. Then again, I am not sure.

So yea, these are the reasons why I am not yet a priest. I think my next serious consideration will be when Pope Benedict XVI dies.

'Till then... ;)

Bar Council's Online Petition: Movement Towards A Better Police Force

from MalaysianBar.org.my

To: The Malaysian Government

I/We the undersigned:

1. Commend and support the Prime Minister for having, in the past two years, set up two Commissions of Inquiry to look into matters concerning the Police; illustrating the Government’s concern for a better society, greater openness to views and criticisms, and the willingness to have a more open and honest appraisal of our institutions.

2. Urge that the above trend be continued, and the pace of reform be hastened.

3. Commend the chairman and the commissioners of these 2 Commissions for the sound and useful recommendations that they have put forward.

4. Believe that the recommendations of the Police Commission are comprehensive and balanced; as they do not merely focus on the conduct of the police, but also address problems faced by the police force, their terms of service, as well as issues such as human rights, crime, and corruption.

5. Believe that full regard must be had to the recommendations of the 2 Commissions, set up in the public interest and using public funds, which recommendations have been made after extensive fact-finding and research, and which recommendations will ensure best practices by the police force.

6. Believe that it is imperative that our nation immediately implements all the major recommendations of the 2 Commissions, including, in particular, the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Sincerely,

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION ONLINE

Ten Thousand Angels Cried

by Leann Rimes (lyrics by Azlyrics.com)

Stillness filled the Heavens, on crucifixion day.
Some say it rained, I don't know if it's true.
Well, I can just imagine ten thousand angels cried
That would seem like rain to me and you.
The angels all stood ready to take Him from the tree
They waited for the words from His voice.
And when he asked the father why has thou forsaken me.
They watched the saviour die of his own choice.
I've never seen ten thousand angels cry
But I'm sure they did
As they stood by
And watched the saviour die.
God turned his head away
He couldn't bear the sight
It must have looked like rain
When ten thousand angels cried.
As the sun slipped away
The skies turned to grey
And when Jesus gave his all
That's when the tears began to fall
I've never seen ten thousand angels cry
But I'm sure they did
As they stood by
And watched the saviour die.
God turned his head away
He couldn't bear the sight
It must have looked like rain
When ten thousand angels cried.
It must have looked like rain
When ten thousand angels cried.

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I know this is a belated post, but have you noticed that it seems to rain on EVERY Good Friday?

Baptism on Easter Vigil

It was Easter Vigil last Saturday and I had the privilege to witness a baptism upclose. The girl in the picture on the left is Lily @ Patricia (her baptism name) and as I was on the steps of the altar positioning my camera for a good angle, I hear Father Larry proclaiming out-loud:

"Patricia, I now baptised you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Immediately, an image of a newborn baby was conjured in my mind. It warmed my heart and gave me a different kind of joy, the feeling was similar to the one I got when my mother gave birth to my baby sister. In any case, it was a joy which I will remember.

Happy Easter :)

Good Friday @ CKA

We almost missed Good Friday service, instead of going to St. Francis Xavier's we went to Chapel Kristus Aman in TTDI. We were 10 minutes late and needless to say (as with most Catholic celebrations), there was a huge crowd which extends to the street. It was kinda funny (the haha-weird kind) for me to see a chapel sandwiched between restaurants and other retail outlets. :) The service ended with the Veneration of the Cross, where the faithful express their gratitude to the Lord's cross which is the instrument of our salvation by kneeling and kissing it.

After seeing so many people kissing/touching the cross, I was a kinda "ewwwwed out" of the idea of me kissing the cross... Yes fellow Catholics, judge me! :P Although the cross was wiped everytime it was kissed, I was concerned that I might catch something by kissing the cross, you know saliva, bacteria, virus, dead skin cells et al. But still! God knows (and I mean it literally) how much individual DNA samples could be found with one swab of a cotton bud. I confess: I did not kiss the cross, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the Lord's cross. ... I just express my appreciation in a different way. :)

'We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has Redeemed the World.'

Amen.

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More information on Good Friday CLICK HERE

Abnormal Scrapbook

This is my scrapbook for my Abnormal Psychology class; had a scrapbook display + voting event today. Each student who participates in this event (regardless of whether he/she owns a scrapbook) is entitled to vote for the scrapbook of their choice (even their own).

Contrary to popular belief, I DON'T vote for my own scrapbook. :) True, I would love to be in the TOP 10 for best scrapbook but I prefer to be chosen based on the opinion of the masses. So yeah, here's debunking Myth #1.

But truth be told, I do appreciate MY own work, especially those I spent lots of time and effort on. And I have the tendency to perceive my work as the cream of the crop. Yes, I know I have a slight chance of developing Narcissistic Personality Disorder... :P

Anyway, see the card pieces stuck onto my scrapbook? I got them from the Postsecret blog. If you are one who likes to nose around and get to to know about other people's secrets, check this blog out. ;)

I AM ADDICTED

Downloaded and installed a copy of the TYPING OF THE DEAD DEMO for the PC, a few days ago and I've been hooked ever since. It's basically a variant of the House of the Dead 2; everything's the same except for the gameplay - where instead of using your mouse to point and shoot monsters, you are required to type words that appear on them to kill them! Very addictive. That's an understatement. It's very very VERY addictive and its an excellent stress-buster too. Thump! Thump! Thump... goes the keyboard! :D

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE DEMO!
FOR REVIEWS CLICK HERE.