Reposted from https://catholicnews.sg/
The sanctuary of the Church of the Sacred Heart, beautifully decorated for the Advent recollection by Courage. Photo: Courage Singapore.
Dominic Ng
Beyond the festivities and singing of Christmas hymns, I have always looked forward to seeing the giant Christmas tree on display in church when I attend the Christmas midnight Mass each year.
My siblings and I had always taken pride in setting up our own tree at home, decorating it not only with ornaments, but also embellishing it with personal items of our own. Even though I felt largely disconnected from the faith as a child, Christmas remained a big part of my life.
Over the last decade, when I had placed my faith aside, I would sporadically appear in church. At best, I was a “Sunday Catholic”; at worst, I would only attend the yearly Christmas Mass.
I often joked with my friends that I would not receive the calling from God to come closer to Him because I had cut off the phone line.
Nevertheless, when His calling came earlier this year, it was like noticing a present I had missed out under the Christmas tree. This present, sent by God, was the Courage community, one that pried open my box full of questions about faith, then answered them and strengthened my desire to belong in church. Journeying with my brothers and sisters in Courage, I have been unwrapping what my relationship with God looks like.
An Advent of Courage
In preparing for Christmas, the Courage community held two Advent events.
The first was a retreat on the theme “Because You Matter!” held at the former major seminary premises in Punggol from Nov 24-26. Inspired by the order of the Christmas Masses at Midnight, Dawn, and During the Day, we prayed and reflected on the prayers and readings in each of these Masses.
The second event was a recollection themed “Seeking the King: A Journey to Bethlehem”, co-presented by Courage and Father Adrian Danker at the Church of the Sacred Heart on Dec 6.
I had thought the retreat would be a good time for me to quieten the overwhelming anxiety I felt every year’s end, when I would wonder if I had accomplished all I had set out to achieve that year. Instead, I felt myself give way to tiredness, and it did not help that it rained all weekend. When Fr Danker, our spiritual director, recommended we take a walk to Coney Island, the downpour deterred many from doing so.
But my two companions and I persevered, and on our walk, we engaged in faith-filled conversations. Although our respective relationships with God were unique to our lived experiences, there was a resonance in how we spoke about Him.
A journey of faith
During those conversations, I was reminded of the ornaments on a Christmas tree: although each one of us differs in our talents and our stories, we belong together in God’s “family tree”. This insight came alive when I saw how the different gifts of the Courage community – singing, playing musical instruments, and storytelling – came together at the Advent recollection.
The recollection, focussing on the story of the wise men who followed the rising star, resonated with many participants.
Sarah, a fellow Courage member, shared that she had been feeling lost and was looking for that “star” as an anchor. During the recollection, she saw herself as the camel that carried the wise men in the story. Gazing every now and then at the star as her guide, Sarah described it as her “light at the end of the tunnel”.
“I now realise that, on this faith journey of mine, all I need to do is trust in the Lord’s providence, keep Him in my sight, and follow where He leads me,” she shared. Her reflection reminded me of how many of us in Courage are following the same star, on the same journey to God.
The Courage Advent retreat and recollection helped me to understand what Advent means to me: it is a grace that stills our hearts so that we can recall God’s gifts to us, preparing us to welcome the Infant Christ into our lives.
It also helps us to recognise that God never ceases to reach out to us amidst the challenges of our lives, urging us to embrace our identity as His children, and to bring forth Christ within ourselves and through our connections with one another.
Although unique individuals, we are like Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior, looking up at the Star of Bethlehem, and trusting it will lead us to Jesus. Even as we follow their example, we know we will not be alone on our journey, for God is with us.
Dominic Ng is a member of Courage Singapore.