The Franciscan Friars have been organising pilgrimages designed specifically for young adults since 2019. In fact, Friar John Paul Tan led a group of young adults, aged 18 to 35 years, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land last December.
An objective of these pilgrimages is to help young adults make sense of what they have learned and heard – in their catechism classes and during the pilgrimage – and lead them to an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ.
Tagbha
As Yossi, our archaeologist tour guide in the Holy Land, is fond of saying, the distance between the human mind and the heart is about a foot but it can be the longest journey. By that he means that the historical, religious and cultural significance of the places we visit could remain at the head level without reaching the heart to make a difference at the faith level.
One of the places on the pilgrimage is the Benedictine Monastery of St Mary and the Church of the Resurrection which was built by the Crusaders. Located in the Arab village of Abu Gosh, this church commemorates the event in Luke 24:13-35 when Jesus appeared to two disciples on their way to Emmaus. They had become disillusioned after the crucifixion of Jesus.
Jesus taught the disciples as they walked, about Moses and the prophets and about himself being the fulfilment of the scriptures. But it was not until the “breaking of bread” that the disciples encountered Jesus in person and recognised him. “Were not our hearts burning …,” they said. It was the moment when the mind met the heart!
“During the pilgrimages, our pilgrims are invited to make their own Emmaus journey; to allow the knowledge that they have gained to move their hearts,” said Friar John Paul Tan.
The Church of the TransfigurationSea of Galilee
“Our young pilgrims have their lives ahead of them. Many obstacles and hurdles, disappointments and disillusions will block the journey from the head to the heart. It is our hope that these pilgrimages will give young adults the impetus to discover Jesus more in the scriptures, and reignite their faith in the person of Jesus who continues to be present at the Breaking of the Word and at the Breaking of Bread.”
An important part of our preparation for Christmas is the use of special antiphons from 17 to 23 December. They are called “O Antiphons” because each Latin text begins with a long beautiful chant expressing the longing of the Church for the coming of the Lord. Many are familiar with the texts because they provide the verses to the familiar Advent song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Let us reflect on a few of these O Antiphons.
O Wisdom of our God most high, guiding creation with power and love: COME and teach us to walk in the paths of knowledge!
The early Church saw Christ as the Wisdom of God and recognised Christ’s presence in the creating activity of God. The Church prays that we may learn to live by the very same Wisdom of God. We have gone our own way long enough, and our “wisdom” has produced nothing but disaster. Call us back, prays the Church, to the path which leads to glory.
O radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light, sun of justice: COME and shine on those lost in the darkness of death!
People looked to the East where the sun came up and saw the hope of a new Dawn as a vision of the power of God. Everyone has known what it is to live in the hopelessness of darkness and shadows. Now a new light dispels the darkness. The Church prays that this light, which the darkness cannot overcome, will enlighten all people and cast away the darkness which creeps in even now.
O King of all nations, source of your Church’s unity and faith: COME and save humanity, your own creation!
Isaiah the prophet offered a vision of all people streaming to God’s holy mountain, and all people united in common bond in the true God. Now, prays the Church, let the unity which was once accomplished be not just a goal, but a way of life.
O Emmanuel, God’s presence among us, our King, our Judge: COME and save us, Lord our God!
A young maiden would be with child and bear a son and he would be called Emmanuel (God-with- us). Our ancestors saw the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. They were certain that Christ is among us! The Church prays that we can be assured of what Christ has accomplished and recognise that he is still saving and creating us to this very day.
What do we hope and dream for? Do we hope and dream in the Lord? What difference will Christmas make this year?
The Custody sent a sizeable contingent to this year’s Malaysia-Singapore Young Priests Gathering. Our nine young priests joined 33 other young priests from the two countries for the gathering hosted by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur from 10 to 13 October 2022.
The annual Young Priests Gathering is organised by the Episcopal Commission for Diocesan Priests and Seminaries headed by Bishop Richard Ng of Miri. It is a time of ongoing formation, and allows the young priests to catch up with each other and strengthen fraternal bonds as they share their experiences and challenges in priestly ministry.
The gathering is for young priests who have been ordained for less than five years. Our participants this year were Friars Aiden Peter Jr, Claurence Motoyou, Cosmas Francis, Crispus Mosinoh, David Au, Don Don Ramerez, Esmond Chua, Gerald Terence and Sixtus Pitah.
Nine OFM Franciscan Friars together with an OFM Capuchin friar.
It was a fruitful time for our young priests. Not only were they able to exchange ideas and share their challenges and personal struggles, they also had a day of recollection with Fr Michael Raymond OFM Cap and Msgr Mitchel Joseph.
Both speakers shared important and useful tips, touching on the psychosocial aspect of priestly ministry, compassion fatigue, stress management, the importance of accompaniment, and defence mechanism.
Msgr Mitchel invited them to deepen their understanding of the priesthood. He said,
“It’s vital for us, as priests, to continue to pay attention to the pulse of our own spiritual growth. We tend to be functional in ministry rather than looking into holiness seriously. There is no real ministry without holiness”.
The participants also had the opportunity to visit churches around Kuala Lumpur such as Church of Holy Family in Kajang and Church of Divine Mercy.
The next Young Priests Gathering will be held in Sandakan, Sabah from 1 to 5 May 2023.
Let us continue to pray for these young shepherds who have given their lives to care for the Lord’s sheep, and to minister to their needs. We praise and thank God for the gift of their vocation.
We’re happy to announce that the 2023 Franciscan calendar is on sale now!
Collaborating with The Way We Mend (TWWM), this unique calendar features the original artwork of Anna Dinh, a talented local artist from Sarawak, Malaysia.
Besides being able to keep track of liturgical events throughout the year, your days will also be brightened by his whimsical depictions of your favourite Franciscan saints.
To pre-order, please fill in the Google Form below.
For Singapore : 
