Author: Eirene

Friendship and Holy Communion

Luke 22:19-20 teaches us that the Eucharist is the source of Christian friendship which is shared in the Christian community. Eucharist was a sharing of a meal among believers.


From the Gospel stories, many wonderful encounters happened when Jesus Christ was eating with His friends. Jesus ate with sinners. He spent time with them. It was at the Passover meal that Jesus called His disciples as His friends, and not servant. It was also at a meal that the disciples of Jesus whom Jesus met on the road to Emmaus recognised Him. Likewise, when we share ameal with our friends, our friendship is renewed and deepened.


For John Wesley, what binds Eucharist and friendship together is the experience of Presence of God. In Eucharist, we are invited not only to share the bread broken for us, but to share our brokenness; the friendship we share invites us to share not only the wine pour out for us, but to pour ourlives for each other as well . At Eucharist, Jesus’ invitation for us to remember that His body broken for us and His blood poured out for us takes on new meaning on what it means to be a friend to one another.

Reference:

Ripple, Paula. Called to be Friends. Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1980.

O Holy Night, the Night Jesus was born

Would you come into a filthy manger on a dark and cold night? Would you identify with the poor and rejected in society? If you were the king, would you stoop down to be a servant?

​Most likely, we would not. Yet, God’s Son did.

Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world as a helpless baby. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, was not born in a palace with servants waiting upon Him. Instead, He was born in a stable: a smelly, dark, and dirty place. He was born among the lowly and, therefore, identifies with the rejected and the poor in society.

Why? Because He loves us. Jesus chose to forsake all the glories of Heaven and enter into this world as a human being like us, just to show us that this is what love is.

Fourth Advent Candle: Love

We lit the 4th candle on the Advent wreath. This 4th candle symbolises Love.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 💕

God loves us while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). He sent His only Son Jesus for us so that we can be reconciled to Him and be His children.

Love should be the hallmark of a Christian. We love because God first love us (1 John 4:19).

How can you show love to others this Advent season?

Who do you need to reconcile with?

May this Advent season reminds us how deep and wide God’s love is for us and that we are to love others just as we love ourselves.

Third Candle of the Advent: Joy

We light the pink candle in the Advent wreath today, which symbolizes Joy. Joy does not equate with happiness. Rather, it is deep-rooted in peace that we can rest in God admit life’s difficulties.

Jesus came into this world as a baby. His birth was a great news of great joy because He, the Son of God, Emmanuel, came to live among us. died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Today, we can wait with joy that He will come back again for us and bring us into His eternal Kingdom.

Second Candle of Advent: Peace

The second Sunday of Advent pepares us of the coming Kingdom of God: one that is of peace, justice and righteousness. In God’s Kingdom, there will be no division, no disunity, no hatred.
In our everyday living, God also gives us peace. Though we are living in challenging times, the peace that comes from God shows us that we are not alone. We know He is with us.

What is Advent?

Advent (“adventus” in Latin means “coming” or “arrival”). It is the 4 Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to Christmas.

Advent invites us to reflect on the love of God for us by sending His Son Jesus Christ into this world for us. It is also a time of intentional prayers, reading the Scriptures and waiting for Jesus’ promised return to establish God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

The four candles of the Advent wreath symbolise: Hope (purple), Peace (purple), Joy (pink) , and Love (purple).

The fifth candle, symbolises Jesus Christ, will be lit on Christmas Day.

May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of God this Advent season. 🙏🏼

A prayer for those affected by the devastating fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong:

Gracious God,
You are our help in ages past and our hope for years to come. In the midst of fires, floods, or natural disasters, we trust in Your steadfast love.

Comfort those who have lost homes or loved ones and those who are yet to know the whereabouts of their family members. Fill them with Your peace and comfort their weary hearts with Your gentle presence.

Bless and protect the front liners: the firefighters, the police officers, the search and rescue teams, the medical personnels, the social workers, and the volunteers. Grant them wisdom, courage, and compassion, that through their rescue efforts, Your love and healing grace will be known to the world.

We pray for the leaders and the people of Hong Kong to be resilient as they rebuild the city. May they respond to the cries of the victims with generosity, protect the vulnerable, and show the love of Christ through their words and deeds.

We pray all these in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.