Music Video

My rendition of Shawn McDonald's All I Need. Enjoy. LOL. :D



Credits:
Johnny (guitar)
Patrick (backup vocals)
Meity (choreographer)
Carmel (videographer)

Video shot @ Port Dickson, near La Salle House (?)

What's worse than shit?

Me: Shit lah... [grumbles under breath]

Holy Holly: *GASP* Cel don't use the "S" word!

Me: What..? It's not like the "F" word...

Holy Holly: Yes... but why don't you use other words such as "shucks"?

Me: Shucks? You know where that word comes from right?

Holy Holly: Err... no? Isn't it meaningless?

Me: Well, it's worse than saying "shit" ... it's actually a combination of "shit" and "f..."

...

Holy Holly: WHAT?! No it can't be. OK, I am not listening to you. [Closes ears] La~ la~ la~ la~

Me: ROFL!

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Penang

NOW ONLINE // CLICK HERE

The Soldier with the Cut-off Ear

My sheep - yes, that's what I call my friends at cell group - are really funny, the following is a discussion we had following a question on the incarnational principle (i.e. the concept following the principle that God became man, in Jesus Christ):

Person A: Jesus carried through the incarnational principle by using everyday objects to conduct his miracles, for example, Jesus healed the blind man with mud made with spit. He could have easily clicked his fingers and say: "Be healed!" but he chose to take the trouble just to make his point.

Person B: Just like a illusionist who asks the audience to blow his fist to add to the dramatic effect! LOL.

Person C: Hey, but when Jesus healed the soldier with the cut-off ear he just attached it without drama lah!

[The group takes a moment to think for a while]

Person C: Oh... I know why already ... Because what happened to the soldier was an emergency lah. As for the blind man, he was blind all his life, so it wouldn't make much of a difference to be blind a little longer.

[Cell group LOL!]

The Hierarchy of Truths

An interesting discussion on the hierarchy of truths happened at cell group today:

PERSON A: Well, basically the hierarchy of truths was employed by the Catholic Church to categorize truths that are important for our salvation (e.g. the necessity of Jesus' death on the Cross for our salvation) and truths that are less important for our salvation (e.g. Purgatory) ... Besides if all truths were to be equally important our Protestant brethren would be counted as unsaved by us Catholics since there are truths that we subscribe to but they do not.

PERSON B: That just seems like a cop out to me - just to include our Protestant brethren. I mean, if it's true, it should all be equally true.

PERSON A: No, it's not a cop out and yes, it is all equally true, it's just that some truths are more central to our salvation than others but that doesn't mean it cannot/does not contribute to our salvation. Think about it this way, the truths we embrace are like parts of a car which needs to be assembled together in order to function as intended.

PERSON B: Since you have used this analogy. Let's take the "wheels" of the car as the truths that are central for our salvation and the the "cushions" as truths concerning Mary - without which we could still arrive at our destination (i.e. Heaven) since the "wheels" are what we need. (HAHA!)

PERSON A: Yes, true... but think about it. It wouldn't be comfortable to drive without "cushions" (i.e. Mary) right? Also the car would be able to arrive at the destination even without "wipers" (i.e. the saints) BUT only on bright and shiny days would the journey be smooth, how about during stormy days? [Starting to get a little carried away] And not to mention stormy days are often dark and cloudy, if you do not have your "headlights" (e.g. the Eucharist) how would be able to arrive at your destination safely? And also if ...

The rest of the cell group: -_-" / LOL / ROFL / ^o^

Madonna and Child

- Image obtained from a postcard (all the way from Taiwan!) from dearest Brother Alberto -

A Chinese depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child Jesus - I am amazed at how much acculturation the Catholic Church in China has gone through in Taiwan.

One word: WOW.

Promo Poster

A prototype (hence the - "??") of the upcoming poster for HELP CSS. Suggestions for improvements?

Or is it already perfect?

LOL. :)

---

Update @ 10.18pm! Revised and finalised poster :)

What is ours?

Many times when we lose something or someone we have the tendency to blame God and ask "Why?" - as if He owes us an explanation of some sort. Thus we fail to realize that the good things which we lost never really belonged to us in the first place. The truth is the whole world and what's in it belongs to Him (Psalm 50:12)

Job showed a profound understanding of this truth in the midst of his suffering with the following statement: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21) The story of Job illustrates that if God allows suffering on a blameless man like Job, what less we who so often transgress against the Lord can expect? Of course there are occasions that God intervenes to alleviate suffering, which we call miracles. But when He does not, that is life, where pain and suffering is part and parcel of.

As I am writing this I am burdened with sore throat + cough and various worries; one of which was as a result of (being "forced to") taking up five "heavy-weight" subjects (Principles of Sociology, History of Western Civilization I, World Religions, Physics and Cognitive & Biological Psychology) this semester - God help me cope!

Come to think about it, the challenges that I am facing right now can be an opportunity for me to see the hand of God working in my life, He did say: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9) How can I say that my achievements are from God when I am all self-sufficient? It is when I finally pulled through the seemingly impossible that I am able to confidently acknowledge that it was God who had done it for me. And once again I am humbled by the realization that EVERYTHING that I have ever achieved and owned does not belong to me but to God alone.

Four days late - Happy New Year anyway!

... here are my (obligatory) new year's resolutions:

1. Maintain a CGPA of 3.5 and above
   Currently I am at 3.48 which is rather good I think, but of course I would prefer to have higher grade point averages - who doesn't?
   
   
2. Read at least THREE books a month
   It's manageable considering I did manage to read three books (An Exorcist Tells His Story, And When Did You Last See Your Father? and Christ the Lord) last month. *Beams!*
   
   
3. Sculpt great looking abs
   Though I might not get six-packs but I do hope to get better looking abs by the end of 2007 ;)
   
   
4. Go to gym at least 5 times a week
   OK - I am not going for BodyPump / weight-training for 5 days in a row. More cardio to burn off excess body fat (especially when I plan to drink one mug of milk everyday for protein) Step-machines - here I come!
   
   
5. Be punctual
   Father OC once said the following with a grin: "Celestine, one of these days you will be late for your own funeral." Mental note to self: 12.00pm means 12.00pm NOT 12.15pm.
   
   
6. Morning Prayer (Lauds) & Night Prayer (Complines) Everyday
   Catholic set prayers rock! Period.
   
   
7. Read the Bible cover to cover beginning from the New Testament
   I've done this before (from Genesis) but I stopped at one of the Pauline letters. Now I am doing it again - I need perseverance, pray for me people!

For those of you who are interested to know how you can make and keep your New Year's resolutions CLICK HERE [via Lifehacker]

All the best!

Signing off.

What is Love?

Love is an abstract concept and as I am writing this I find it difficult to define love because of our varied ideas about what love actually is. The Greeks have three distinct words for love: eros (ἔρως érōs), philia (φιλία philía) and agape (ἀγάπη agápē).

Christians are called to love one another with agape ("the love of God or Christ for humankind") for Christ himself said, "As I have loved you, so you also should love one another." (John 14:34, NAB).

In other words, Jesus calls us to love one another with...

1. ...a love that is without conditions, because God did not set conditions to save us; Christ died for us while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8) Though many Christians I know dread the idea (myself included ;)), we are called to love our enemies which is a "litmus test" for agapic love. Here's food for thought, can love still be agapic when we are drawn to a person because of a certain quality he or she possess? Would that already be a condition for "love"?
   
   
2. ...an agapic love that is summarized in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NAB:
   
   
   "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
   
   
   
3. ...God because "God is love [agape], and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." (1 John 4:16, NAB) Hence it is safe to say that if we have agape for someone this love should draw us closer to God and not away from Him.
   

So what is love? It is not just a feeling ("infatuation"; because what happens when feelings eventually fade away?) nor it is mere attraction ("like"; refer to point #1), rather love is a decision that we are in power to make.

To love with agape is a high-calling because as humans we know that "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41, NAB) ...but then again we also know that through Christ who empowers we have the strength to do anything (Philippians 4:13) and that includes the ability to agape.

Dear Lord help me to have a heart and a love like Yours. Amen.

Book Review: Anne Rice's Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt

Anne Rice the author who brought you books such as Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned now brings you Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt; the following is an excerpt taken from the book's cover:

"This is the book Anne Rice was born to write, a novel about the childhood of Jesus from Alexandria to Galilee in the turbulent 1st century – the story of the boy who was born to be King of the Jews, the ‘ultimate supernatural hero, the ultimate outsider, and the ultimate immortal’.

Incomparable in its boldness and daring, shockingly timely in its evocation of the Middle Eastern world in another era, hers is a unique and palpable rendering of part of the greatest story ever told. Evoking this crucial time in the life of Christ, based on the Gospels and her intense research into the period, Anne Rice magically recreates these years of drama, confusion, and enlightenment. The story opens in cosmopolitan Alexandria where the family has fled. But, when Herod dies, they take ship for Israel, a land under Roman occupation at a time of insurrection and confusion after the death of a tyrant king.

It is an astonishing child's eye view – part innocent, part knowing – of Jewish life in these unruly years of occupation; and of the boy's growing awareness, first of his extraordinary powers, and then of the whispered mysteries surrounding his birth… We watch him grow, steeped in the laws, rituals and traditions of his people, beginning to discuss and dispute with the Elders, and to ask questions that cannot be answered. And, at the end, we feel the strength of his resolve as the boy comes face to face with the truth about his past and the challenge of his future."

In case you were wondering whether this might be another Da Vinci Code, I can assure you that it is not and to add to the surprise, this book is quite sound in theology and history! I am amazed at how much research Rice has done in order to assemble this book, however I am much more amazed at her 180-degree turn from atheism to her return to Catholicism, from gothic-erotica to Christ-centred fiction; and I salute her for her courage to "write only for the Lord" - to quote Rice: "...the [Vampire] Chronicles are no more! Thank God!"

Rice fully utilizes her poetic license and although I do not find any direct conflict between what Rice has written and canonical Scripture, there are parts in Christ the Lord which has its origins from apocryphal texts such as the Gospel of Thomas or no scriptural or historical origins at all (such as Jesus being a pupil of Philo). Granted that Rice has made much effort to make Christ the Lord as historically/theologically accurate as possible, it is still a work of fiction after all.

Reading this book during the Christmas season intensified my appreciation for Christ's first coming even more - the invulnerable God became a vulnerable child - the thought of that just puts me in a state of awe and wonder. The book also gave me a lasting sense of empathy towards the Holy Innocents; children who were executed by Herod, my heart wrenched as I cried reading chapter 24 - and incidentally today's the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Most importantly, the book gave me a deeper feel and understanding of the environment and context Jesus lived in and I believe this will help me as I re-read the Gospels.

Needless to say I highly recommend the book! You can get the original softcover version for RM10 at the BIG BOOK SHOP WAREHOUSE SALE (Where? Atria Shopping Mall 1st floor, Jalan SS22/23 , Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Tell: 603 2070 8251. When? Everyday until the 31st of December; thanks shoppingNsales!) The last time I checked there were stacks of it still, so why wait?

Go grab it NOW before it's all gone!

Christmas Carols for the DSM-IV

by Respectful Insolence (via Doulos, thanks man! really made my day. haha!)

Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Busses and Trucks and Trees and.....

Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Ji ngle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle

I don't know about you, but I was laughing out loud when I read that! LOL! OK, maybe because I am a psychology major. But still it's DARN funny OK? :D

LOLs!

Quick Reflection: "Gift Exchange" or "Gift Giving"?

A gift is "something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present." [Dictionary.com] Therefore the term "gift exchange" is an oxymoron; how can we call something a gift when we are returning the other person something to substitute what we have given?

Just as God gave us His only Son without expecting us to be able to repay Him for this precious gift of His, we too should give without expecting others to return what we gave. For if we expect others to return what we gave, it would not be called "gift giving" (and definitely not "gift exchange") but just plain "barter".

For us Catholics Christmastide or the Twelve Days of Christmas begins from the Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr; i.e. 26th December up till the Baptism of our Lord; i.e. 7th January. [For more information CLICK HERE and HERE]

So have a pleasant time giving gifts throughout this blessed season! :D

Christmas Day Reflection

It still amazes me that God chose to become one of us; whenever this thought crosses my mind, there is this tingling in my heart and I am touched. Why did He chose to be human and not an angel? I don't know, perhaps that is why the Catholic Church calls it the Mystery of the Incarnation..?

As you unwrap your presents this Christmas morning do keep in mind that the tradition of giving gifts during Christmas is a reminder to the faithful that on this very day God gave Mankind the ultimate gift - Jesus Christ; who through His death on the cross we are given the opportunity to be reconciled back to Him.

How apt that our Savior was named Jesus which literally meant "God saves".

It's Christmas Eve!

Courtesy of Dayspring.com


Have a blessed Christmas filled with God's gift of hope, peace and joy!

Fa la la la la la la la... floods

As you might have heard from the news there were floods down south here in Johor due to the continuous downpour during the past few days. Thank God the rain's stopped now - except for a few drizzles here and there every now and then.

Guess what? I am experiencing water shortage since yesterday night.

"And isn't it ironic... don't you think"
- Ironic, Alanis Morissette

Book Review: "And When Did You Last See Your Father?" by Blake Morrison

Ever since the start of the holidays I have been on a reading streak to compensate for my lack of reading consistently for nearly 6 months. Because I read so little my English deteriorated. (*sigh*)

Anyway yesterday I have finally done reading Blake Morrison's And When Did You Last See Your Father? (AWDYLSYF); a memoir about his dying father - make no mistake, this is not a mere eulogy, it's also a character assessment of his father during his living years. He writes with no holds barred; happy, sad, good and bad. He's so honest that there are parts where I read and it made me cringe or made me read it again (just to be sure that I read it correctly).

I've read similar memoirs such as Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, which I enjoyed very much. Compared to AWDYLSYF I prefer Angela's Ashes because of McCourt's writing style. But Morrison's writing ain't bad either and his book will make you ponder the very question which became the book's title: and when did you last see your father? It did for me, but that's a post for another day. :)

After 07h:06m:13s

... in comes the new and out with the old!

What's new?

1. The blog's mainly Verdana and Trebuchet (previously Georgia was dominating)
2. Brand new banner - with the urban kinda look and feel; I think it looks MTV-ish. It was premade, I improvised it from the original and made it Blogger friendly. I've added some stuff to the banner, can you tell what have I added? :)
   
3. Far up on the sidebar I've added a Google Search field for my blog and the web. Yayness!
4. ... and other nitty gritty stuff lah
   

Tell me what do you think? :D

Christmas Isn't Christmas

"Christmas isn't Christmas
'Til it happens in your heart.
Somewhere deep inside you
Is where Christmas really starts.

So give your heart to Jesus
You'll discover when you do
That it's Christmas,
Really Christmas for you."

- Christmas Isn't Christmas by Jimmy and Carol Owens

LOL! Somehow I have to make a conscious effort NOT to sing: "So you give your heart to Jesus, You'll discover when you do" as "So give your heart to Jesus, You'll be sorry when you do..."

A case of a stubborn Freudian slip of the mind? :)

Book Review: Gabriele Amorth's "An Exorcist Tells His Story"

Goodbye Stephen King. Hello Gabriele Amorth! Ahem. I mean Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of Rome. Do not be fooled by it's publisher (Ignatius Press), An Exorcist Tells His Story is not your typical Catholic literature, it ain't boring and it ain't for the faint hearted; just say that I am very motivated to pray after reading past the first few pages. So for those of you who are looking for good true-story "horror" literature, this is for you.

For those of you who would like an introduction to exorcism, I highly recommend this book - an easy read even for the average Catholic.

Reading this book: made me appreciate even more the magnitude of Christ's death on the cross to free us from the grasp of satan / helped me to understand that the whole of Creation was made for Christ and whether or not Adam & Eve sinned, God's plan was for the Word (i.e. Christ) to become Man which stirred Lucifer's envy ("Why can't God become an angel instead?") and hence his rebellion against God and his plan to separate Man (i.e. God's very image and likeness) from God through sin / the devil is already launching attacks on us whether or not we are "provoking" him / made me appreciate the use of sacramentals (with faith in God) such as crucifixes, miraculous medals, statues as tools against the devil. Most of all it helped me reaffirmed the fact that the devil cannot tempt/hurt us if God does not allow it (Job 1:12, 2:6) and if He allows, it is always for a greater good and He gives us enough strength (Philippians 4:13) to deal with these hurts or temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13) that come our way.

I am so getting the sequel: An Exorcist: More Stories. :)