Presenting…Camp Seven: SURVIVOR! 2009

Holy Family Youth Camp

Camp Seven: SURVIVOR!

10 – 13 December 2009

Venue: Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre

Fee: $35

For early bird registration – Click HERE

Or download the Camp Seven SURVIVOR! Registration Form

For further enquiries: hfyouthcouncil@gmail.com

Material Girl On The Island

The next morning, Material Girl was rudely awakened by an uncommonly shrill screech made by one of those pesky island parrots.

She felt helpless.

Having failed to either start a fire or build a shelter, she had just spent the cold, wet night sitting upright against a coconut tree, and was now suffering from backache, neck ache and all kinds of aches.

Regretfully, she recalled how she had taken Mona, her masseuse, for granted aboard the luxury cruiser, “The World”, expecting immediate service at her beck and call, even during Mona’s break time. She could really have done with a good massage right about then.

What a tragedy that the great storm had destroyed every inch of the ship. It was nowhere to be seen on the horizon. “All my precious possessions would be at the bottom of the ocean by now”, she thought. “My phone, designer clothes, brand-new shoes that made me the envy of all the rest…”

It was only then that she remembered her travelling companions: Ken, Barbie, Paris, Tinkerbell and the others, and wondered what had become of them. Did they survive the wreck of “The World”? Then the fleeting thought about someone other than herself drifted away, and she started to pout again.

So she had somehow managed to save herself by swimming to shore. She still had no idea how to survive The Island…

This has been a publicity article for Camp Seven: SURVIVOR! 2009

Icons and a Litany of the Saints by Matt Maher

Icons are reminders of the spiritual world. They are windows into eternity; a holy space depicting sacred reality in the course of humanity.

Iconography is the Bible in Art and theology in color. The bible and iconography along with prayer of the heart are the gates into the mystery of Orthodox Christian spirituality. Icons serve as “windows into heaven” depicting our Christian history reflecting images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Apostles and other holy and heroic Christians of the past.

The icons found in Orthodox Churches are a celebration of the fact that Jesus Christ is indeed the Word made flesh (John 1:1-14). As the 7th Ecumenical Council held in Nicea in 787 proclaimed:
“Icons are in colors what the Scripture
are in words: witnesses to the Incarnation,
the fact that God has come among us
as a person whom we can see, touch
and hear, to offer us the new life
and begin the new creation.”

The eyes in an icon are made large and animated because they have seen great things. The ears are also made large to hear the commands of the Lord. The nose is made long and thin, therefore it doesn’t smell the things of this world only spiritual fragrances. The mouth is small, since there is less importance on physical food and drink (fasting), and more importance on spiritual food “the Word of God.” The halo encircling the head of Christ or the saint depicts the radiant light of the their divinity.

Orthodox Christians do not worship icons, of course; worship is for God alone. But we do venerate them, believing that the honor given to the icon passes on to the person it images. Just as pictures of our loved ones in our wallets or homes remind us of real people and significant events, icons are the same reminder of those we honor and love. Icons image those who have loved God and sacrificed their lives for Him. They are sacred friends and events representing a world regenerated by divine grace. They are the saints who exemplify human potential at its finest.

Icons are a part of the Orthodox Christian worship and prayer, lifting the heart and mind into God’s heavenly kingdom. Churches represent a celebration in color and form of God’s presence in His Church. Icons also revere a place of honor in our homes to which we direct our prayerful attention either as individuals or as families.

The Saint Song (a fun one!)

A short song naming over a hundred saints, sung to the tune of a popular Gilbert and Sullivan song (also known as ‘The Element Song by Tom Lehrer).

Amazingly sung by Dr. Paul Camarata. Dr Paul has always been fascinated by the lives of the Saints, and has been podcasting about it since 2006. He lives in the Kansas City area with his wife and three kids, enjoys running, playing piano, and spending time at home. In his spare time, he also does neurosurgery.

Listen to more of his podcasts about the saints at http://sqpn.com/category/educational/saintcast/

Exam stress? Prayers.

“Now I sit me down to study
I pray the Lord I won’t go nutty
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord I will not flunk.
But if I do, don’t pity me at all,
Just sit my butt down in study hall.
Tell my parents I did my best,
Then pile my books upon my chest.
Now I lay me down to rest,
And pray I’ll pass tomorrow’s test.
If I should die before I wake,
That’s one less test I’ll have to take!”

The above exam prayer is a joke. But what exactly should we pray for when we’re praying with regard to exams?

Last month, I attended a talk organised by the Catholic Students’ Society in NUS. The speaker was Fr Alex Chua, and one of the points he was making struck me. He brought up the idea of “catholic pagans”, who pray selfishly, making requests from God for them to win the lottery, or for students, that they would score well and that their competition would not. It was only then did it occur to me how sometimes we take God for granted, asking him things like we would a wishing well, instead of asking ourselves, how would God want us to pray? After all, Jesus suffered during his life on earth and we as Christians are called to carry our crosses. It doesn’t really make sense then if we continuously ask God to give us a comfortable life, by praying merely for our selfish wants.

For those of us who are students, it can sometimes be confusing thinking of how to pray. We really, really want to do well in our exams. Verses like “Ask and you shall receive” and old sayings like “God helps those who help themselves” seem to contradict each other. So where is the middle line?

I hope that the following prayers, taken from a christian university’s website might help us understand what it is that makes a prayer. I wish all students the very best in preparing for the exams.

The Dance – Courage and Inspiration

Ever had one of those days when it feels like there’s no point in living?

Watch this video… read this story… witness the celebration of life in dance!

“Imagine being a dancer and losing an arm. Imagine being asked to dance when you’ve lost a leg. That’s what happened when a female dancer (Ma Li - 馬麗) decided she wanted to dance again and searched for a young man who lost his leg to be her partner (Zhai Xiaowei – 翟孝偉).

Ma Li lost her right arm in a car accident in 1996 when she was 19. She had been training to be a ballerina. In 2001, she competed in the fifth national performing arts competition for the handicapped and won a gold medal. In 2005, she met a 21-year-old man who was training to be a cyclist for the Paralympics. Zhai Xiaowei had lost his left leg in a farming accident when he was four. Before cycling, he had tried high jump, long jump, swimming and diving.

Together, they entered a Chinese modern dance competition and inspired people. They were one of the 7,000 competitors in the fourth annual competition in 2007 and won a silver medal and the highest number of audience votes. This is from a Centre Stage CCTV 9 broadcast”

Inspired? Watch this 3 part interview on youtube to hear the full story.

Interview with Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei

Part 1 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UuA7qYrzeg&NR=1

Part 2 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=PL&hl=pl&v=I5TxNCSXBBw

Part 3 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=PL&hl=pl&v=LMY_rJXcRl8