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November 2012

Verbum Dei Missionaries Singapore

73 Taman Mas Merah Singapore 128195

Tel: 62740251 Email:

verbumdeispore@yahoo.com.sg Website:

www.verbumdeisingapore.org/

We so often miss the power of Advent with so many distractions and busyness of this season. Well, don't worry! I am not going to denounce the commercialism of Christmas or frown upon the glittering lights and Christmas decorations of the shopping malls. Just the other day, I wandered into a nearby mall and found myself enthralled with the familiar Christmas songs I have known and loved. Why! I myself could not wait for Christmas to come!

Well, the world has already started to celebrate Christmas with parties and fun. As Christians, we must never miss the Power of Advent that beckons you and I to reflect and contemplate the real reason for the celebration. It is not jolly old Santa with his jolly 'Ho! Ho! Ho!', but Jesus the Christ in whom we see the human face of a loving God. He IS the reason for our celebration.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3, 16-17).

In Jesus, we see God, not condemning, but loving us and desiring for us to belong to him. God actively pursues us in love.

Yet, we tend to ran away and spurn his love. Advent beckons us to return to God's arms of love. It is time to clear away all the other loves that entangle our hearts and open ourselves for Jesus to come. This is the Power of Advent!

The typical hymn of Advent is, ' O come, O come, Emmanuel...' which expresses the deepest longings in all of us. In fact, Jesus stands at the door of our hearts each day, knocking gently, saying, 'I have come. I am here. I will stay with you. If you open the door of your heart, I will enter.'

Well, the choice is ours to make. The power of Advent captivates us to come close to Jesus in love, and bids us to de-clutter ourselves first from all that squeezes his presence out of our lives. The power of Advent is the power of Love that seduces, captivates, beckons us to the real meaning of Christmas: God loves and wants us for his own.

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National University Singapore

J.O.Y Series

"Christ the King"

7th November 2012

This was the final J.O.Y series (School of the Word) as the students started preparing for their exams.

For the final session, we focussed on the important feast of Christ the King. At the end, we celebrated the birthdays of all

the November babies! So till we meet again when school reopens in 2013!!!

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Catechist of the Good Shepherd @ St Ignatius Parish 13th November 2012

"Christian Faith: The Source of Life"

Maria Jose and Sandra were invited to give a retreat to the CGS

catechists.

The catechists who attended had a really good time of renewing

once more their faith in the Person of Jesus through the

guidelines, silent prayer times as well as various group sharing.

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Moments of prayer... Moments

of group sharing... Moments of

saying what belonging to CGS

means to each catechist.

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Verbum Dei Family Annual Silent Retreat

23rd to 25th November 2012 "I AM"

Grace, Maria Jose and Sandra with a group of 17 Verbum Dei Disciples and Friends went

to Majodi Retreat Centre at Johor, Malaysia, for a weekend of silent retreat.

Away from the busy life of Singapore, everyone really appreciated the time to be silent so

as to listen to God and allow him to speak to their lives.

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Rosary time: Special moment

with Mother Mary

Long hours of silence and prayer

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Our final lunch... Yup! We talked!

Silent retreat always brings me closer to God, and

this time round, it has also brought me closer to

Mother Mary. It reiterates the obedience of

focussing my life with God first, without the noises

of the world, smartphone included! ~ Yvonne Tan

It was a "go with the flow" retreat for me

this time. I did not expect too much, but

God knew I needed to hear that was a

message of His great love with my constant

struggle of "who am I". Truly grateful for

the weekend which made me appreciate

and look forward to a deeper meaning of

Christmas. ~Joan Loh

This retreat showed me that I need to exercise spiritually and

pump God's word daily or else I risk becoming deflated and

weak. And this in turn would adversely affect my relationship

with others. ~John Jegathesan

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Michaela Lim Yew Shin

Congratulations to Michelle and John for their beautiful baby daughter!

May God continue to bless his little Angel with his Love all through her life.