LOVELINE JUL-AUG 2015

Transcription

1 Stories by the Encountered & Spirited, for the Spirited & Encountered Mar Apr 2015 Boardly Speaking Dear Couples, Priest & Religious, On 3 July, a few of our Board and a number of our team couples attended a dinner organized by St Theresa Church at the Summer Garden Restaurant, SAFRA Mount Faber to celebrate the joyous occasion of the 60th Sacerdotal Anniversary of our beloved ME Priest, Fr. Michael Arro. In our Comm Night on 8 July, we invited Bro Nickolas Seet to give us a talk on Mary, Star of the New Evangelization. Mary is not only the most powerful intercessor but also an evangelizer who never stops bringing people of God back to her son our Lord Jesus Christ. As disciples of Christ, we too are called to emulate Mary as the role model for us to be intercessors and evangelizers. Issue July August 2015 INSIDE Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary Sharing our Love - Introducing Adm/Set3 Presenting Couples Recent ME Weekend ME413, Mandarin ME Weekend 72 Recent ME Weekend ME414 7 Continuing Our Journey Love Circle 370 & On 26 July every year, the church celebrates the feast day of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the married couple saints traditionally honored as the parents of Mary, which makes them the grandparents of Jesus. The couple's strong faith and perseverance brought them through the sorrow of childlessness, to the joy of conceiving and raising the immaculate and sinless woman who would give birth to our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. Chinese ME 1) 一封情书 ( 俊雄诗蓉 ) 2) 我们第一次分享原始周末 - 感言 ( 刘景明洪秀丽 A Page from the Past Fr Michael Arro (Sacerdotal 60 Years) St. Joachim and St. Anne were loving and dedicated parents to their daughter, Mary. They laid the groundwork for Mary s faith, preparing her to answer one day to the Archangel Gabriel: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to thy word. St. Joachim and St. Anne serve as inspiring models of a holy marriage and parenthood. We can pray and invoke their intercession to defend and safeguard the incomparable splendor of marriage. On 1 August, we organized a talk on Understanding Gender-Identity Development by Bryan Shen, a registered professional counselor and lay missionary. The institution of marriage is now being challenged with the increasing legalization of same-sex marriage around the world. This talk would be useful for us married couples as parents to help in the formation of our children. Marriage Retorno 26-28Jun Hi Five to the ME Families of 5 17 Sharing the Vision, Sharing Our Dream Hi Five to the ME families of 5 or more, Page Love & God Bless, Gilbet & Millicent Boon On behalf of ME Board A Page from the Past Fr Michael Arro (Sacerdotal 60 Years), page 13

2 Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary The feast day of the Assumption of Mary is celebrated by the Church every year on or around August 15 in many countries. It celebrates the Catholic belief that when Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ died, her body was not subjected to the usual process of physical decay, but that God assumed the Virgin Mary into heavenly glory, body and soul. This belief has been part of the teaching of the Catholic Church since the earliest centuries of Christianity. This teaching in the Church was dogmatically defined by Pius XII on November Since Mary is closely associated with all the mysteries of Jesus life, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to belief in Mary s share in His glorification. So close was she to Jesus on earth, she must be with him body and soul in heaven. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the oldest and most important of all Marian feasts, and a Holy Day of Obligation. The Assumption of Mary and her Queenship in heaven are closely tied together. We celebrate the Queenship of Mary on the 8 th day of the Assumption. The bible does not inform us about the circumstances of the death of our Blessed Mother. One tradition attests that she died in Jerusalem, another points to the city of Ephesus, where she is said to have lived for a short time prior to her death. Scripture also does not give an account of Mary s Assumption into heaven. The Assumption of Mary has two purposes. The first is that we celebrate the happy departure of Mary from this physical life on earth, and the second is our firm belief that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free of all sin, including Original Sin, by a special favour of Almighty God. The Archangel Gabriel recognised her as full of grace, blessed among women, and one with the Lord. The Assumption completes God s work in Mary and her part in the work of redemption. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our earthly life is over. The prayer for the feast reads: All powerful and ever-living God, You raised the sinless Virgin Mary, Mother of your Son, body and soul, to the glory of heaven. May we see heaven as our final goal and come to share her glory. Today, the belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is universal in the East and in the West. According to Benedict XIV, it is a probable opinion, which to deny were impious and blasphemous. Holy Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 2

3 Sharing Our Love Introducing Our Adm/Set3 presenting couples Alphonsus & Cyrine Gregory Anthony & Helen Low Christopher & Lillian Mui Daniel & Shelley Ee Desmond & Jenny Lee Edmund & Christina Bong Gilbet & Millicent Boon Ignatius & Florence Soh 3

4 Joseph & Theresa Hui Patrick & Carolina Tan Sharing Our Love Introducing Our Adm/Set3 presenting couples Joseph & Theresa Hui Patrick & Carolina Tan Patrick & Linda Nai Patrick & Rachel Tee Raymund & Angeline Tham Stan & Alice Poh Peter & Christina Tan 4

5 Sharing Our Love Introducing Our Adm/Set3 presenting couples Francis & Agnes Chiam Francis & Cindy Tan Francis & Elaine Yeo Paul & Jenny Chio Roy & Ros Lee Titus & Grace Soh 5

6 Recent Marriage Encounter Weekend ME Weekend 413, 5 to 7 Jun 2015 顺发 + 秀琼 Presenting Priest : Fr Bruno Saint Girons; Presenting couples - : Set 3 AD - Edmund & Christina Bong ; Set 2 Patrick & Monica Tan; Set 1 - Thomas & Genevieve Won Participating couples : Andrew & Claire Ng; Andrew & Florence Ang; Chee Keong & Ji Yun KEE; Darren & Elsie Hing; Dominic & Evelyn Chua; Ed & Theresa Castro; Ignatius & Janice Chan; James & Adelene Pang; Jimmy & Christine Wang; Jojo & Ellen Santos; Ken & Melissa ; Lawrence & Lynette Chan; Manolo & Rhodora Fetalvero; Nick & Grace Chui; Raymond & Phebe Tay; Ronnie & Vivien Soh; Samuel & Fernanda Menezes; Sebastian & Audrey Lee; (not in photo ; Tony & Grace Koh) Mandarin ME Weekend 72, 19 to 21 Jun 2015 前排左起 : 李朝元 + 周银嫦, 詹尊忠 + 戴玉珍, 萧永伦神父, 王养毅神父, 刘景明 + 洪秀丽 后排左起 : 李作为 + 沈清华, 林庆隆 + 郑慧文, 黎志隆 + 蔡雅仙, 林泽士 + 陈雅梅, 王世良 + 李佩君, 翁庆成 + 吴福琴, 曾金杯 + 林仪贞, 林松涛 + 张雅嫒 6

7 Recent Marriage Encounter Weekend ME Weekend 414, 3 to 5 Jul 2015 顺发 + 秀琼 Presenting Priest : Fr Paul Goh; Presenting couples - : Set 3 AD - Al & Cyrine Gregory; Set 2 Eric & Cynthia Siah; Set 1 - Michael & Veronique Dawson Participating priests ; Fr Kenneth Gopal; Fr Moses Rayapan Participating couples : Joshua and Celina; Benedict & Heather[ Gregory & Elaine, Sriram & Shweta; Justin & Michelle, William & Beverly, Lawrence & Jenny, Raphael & Mary Something meaningful that has happened in our relationship after ME414 weekend is.. A great moment to discern my calling and to review my relationship with the people of God. Fr. Moses Rayappan After being married for 28 years, we finally made it to ME. We had a wonderful experience during the weekend sharing with one another in a deeper level to know one s needs and expectation. Now that we have the tools of building this marriage. We want to be an outward sign to others and may we continue our journey with God s abundant love and graces to stay as one!, Lawrence Joseph & Jenny Maria Wee It was a magical experience for us. We have been married 25 years. This weekend brought us back 25 years to our initial time together. We have re-connected at a deeper level and shared many moments of tenderness., Joshua & Celina Chiaw ME weekend was one of the most powerful gifts we ve experienced and allowed us to connect deeply as a married couple & feel like we ve fallen in love all over again. It allowed us to experience deep healing, peace & restore our love & faith in our relationship after 10 long years of marriage., Sriram & Shweta 7

8 Initially, since we were on a vacation from Dallas, Texas, visiting family in Singapore, ME wasn t on our to-do list during our 7-week visit. My sister Yvonne and bro-in-law Kelvin signed us up for weekend 414 encouraging us to spend quality time away from the kids and rekindle our relationship. We have benefitted so much from this weekend as a couple entering our 10 th year of marriage. We discovered Tools that seemed basic but very crucial in deepening our relationship. Thank you ME Singapore for this life-changing experience! Thank You Kelvin & Yvonne. Justin & Michelle Lim It was our first time to be part of something like this. We ve had our ups & downs in life as a married couple but we ve always learned to trust in God s understanding & not ours. ME has also taught us certain things on how to handle situations. William & Beverly Campbell We are so blessed to have experienced this weekend. The best gift we could share with each other. Our most enriching weekend in a long time. What a fulfilling experience. Every married couple should do this program at least once every 5 years. Couple A Appreciate the couples deep and open sharing, some of the stories shared moved me to tears. It is an emotional experience and nonetheless helps open up our communication. Couple 顺发 B+ 秀琼 Didn t know what to expect and was feeling uncomfortable initially. The ME host reach out to us warmly and I was able to join in with ease. ME host sharing made me realized that our encounter is not uncommon and our relation can improve like theirs. Couple C Something meaningful happened during the ME weekend. Through our love letters and dialogue session, we are able to discover and identify our innermost issues, concerns and worries of our marriage. The most amazing thing is that our issues are common and we are better now in our communication through expressing our feelings and not second guessing each other of what we are thinking and how we are feeling. Couple D 8

9 Continuing Our Journey.. Walking together - Love Circles 370 and 382 (from Left to Right): Angeline & Boon Ping, Veronique & Michael, Daphne & Arul Michael & Veronique : Our Love Circle has grown together through the years and we will be 5 this year! Our sharings have become deeper, more intimate and we have risked to trust in an environment of no judgment but much support. The Love Circle has kept us committed to dialoguing and many a time have we been heartened by the struggles, triumphs and unconditional love of the couples in our group. We are grateful that Arul & Daphne joined our Love Circle as LC 370 would have ceased to exist otherwise and Boon Ping & Angeline and us would have been orphaned. We felt right at home with the new couple from the get go. LC370 did not "adopt" LC rather we merged and became one family. We ask God to continue to pour down His blessing upon us and for Our Blessed Mother to intercede for all our needs. With our Love Circle in God's hands, we trust that the Holy Spirit will constantly refresh and inspire us. Arul Irudayam & Daphne Sim : The Love Circle enables us to strengthen our love for each other as a couple, to live in a loving community and also to find a deeper meaning in our devotion to God. Marriage Encounter opened our eyes to this special sacred sacrament and the Love Circle reminds us not to take it for granted. Lim Boon Ping & Angeline Lee: Our Love Circle has enabled us to consciously set aside 'air time' for each other without distractions. Through the dialogues, we express our thoughts and feelings to each other (be they positive or negative) in a safe and loving environment. These dialogues have brought us much closer and deepened our couple relationship. We have learnt much from the love and experiences through the sharings of the other couples in our LC. Last but not least, we have forged strong friendships with our fellow LC couples and their children, which have been great blessings to our family. Love circle resources are available on ME website under the tab of "Resources for Love circles to use. 9

10 一封情书 ~ 俊雄 + 诗蓉 ~ 记得俊雄在最近慕道班分享领洗后的见证, 他说这二十多年来, 由于我对耶稣基督的信任, 以及一直在为他默默的祈祷, 我的矜持感动了俊雄, 使他勇敢回应了天主的招叫 他在分享中不断的感谢我, 他的行动触动到我的心灵, 使我感动到眼泪直流 俊雄是在三年前领洗了, 成为天主教大家庭的一份子, 他也感激我邀请他参加华恳原始周末, 过后又参加更深周末, 让我们被招叫为分享夫妇, 有机会在华恳里认识到许多志同道合的夫妇 我们的生活从此过得更丰盛又充满喜乐, 也让我们更懂得珍惜彼此 成为恳谈会的一份子后, 我们加入了迎新组, 为华恳尽一份力, 每当在迎新组开会时, 我们都会写十对十 ( 一封情书 ) 然后在集会时分享 记得有个 < 十对十 > 题目印象深刻在我脑海中," 当我知道明天将失去你的时候, 你今天的感受是什么?" 俊雄在慕道班时, 把这份情书的内容公开与慕道者分享, 目的是让慕道者对夫妇恳谈会有更进一步的认识 情书的内容是 : 亲爱的诗蓉, 如果我知道明天将会失去你, 那也将是我的世界末日, 从我俩在一起直今, 从没有分开超过一星期, 那怕是短暂的分开我也知道在不久的日子我们又要重逢见面了, 那种短暂的分开也被形容为 " 小别胜新婚," 因为会期待着和你见面 妳还记得吗? 刚认识你时, 每当妳回家乡马来亚后, 我都会日日盼望妳, 以期待的心情去等待每一刻妳将回来的日子, 当我知道妳将要回来新加坡时, 我会提早一个小时到火车站等你的到来, 那种默默等你回来的心情, 真是甜中带苦, 可是我确是乐在其中 现在如果说明天会失去你, 那将是一个无尽期的等待, 甚至是一个不可能回来的等待, 说实在我真的不敢去想, 所以说今天我们都还能在一起, 我真得感到感激又感恩 我知道天底下没有不散的宴席, 活在当下就应该更懂得珍惜彼此, 也更懂得感谢天主所赐, 因为人生的得与失, 就在那一瞬间 与你分享这些我感到非常的激动害怕不平衡, 因为我真怕那天的到来 爱妳的俊雄 听了俊雄的情书分享之后, 我好感动, 我感受到被他的重视和疼爱, 此刻的我感到好幸福啊! 真得要感谢主! 我俩还未参加华恳的时候, 根本就不会写情书, 也不懂得向彼此说感激和珍惜的话, 现在我们能这样的转变, 感谢天主把我们带进华恳, 赐给我们这份珍贵的礼物, 认识耶稣基督的爱, 也体会到夫妇的爱和更懂得珍惜彼此, 感谢主! 俊雄 诗蓉 10

11 我们第一次分享原始周末 - 感言 ~ 刘景明洪秀丽 ~ 哇! 终于结束了! 这是我们在六月二十一号下午五点后的心情 看了在周末拍的全体合照, 我俩骄傲和成就感不禁油然而生 三年多前我们站在后排, 现在是坐在前排的分享夫妇 记得当初参加原始周末后, 我问景明 : 可有勇气像那些分享夫妇一样做分享? 我们面面相觑, 心想那不可能吧! 要对一群陌生人, 坦诚的吐露自己的弱点和恐惧, 分享自己的个性 家庭背景 夫妻问题.. 这可需要多大的勇气! 没想到这项挑战, 竟然幸运的落在我们头上! 我们之间没有动人心弦的故事, 要怎么分享经验感动别人呢? 这个挑战在我们被召选成为分享夫妇的那一刻起, 就时时考验着我们 在几个月的时间里, 我们和辅导夫妇朝元 + 银嫦在许多个晚上, 针对分享稿的内容谈了又写 写了又改, 改了再写 回家后, 我们夫妇之间多次深刻的情书与对话, 如此来来回回不知道几回合, 这份包含着多少柔情多少泪的分享稿终于定稿了! 天可怜见的, 琢磨得几乎脱了一层皮, 而这才只是第一套! 不要担心那么多, 祈祷加上祈祷, 兵来将挡 水来土淹, 我们终于要硬着头皮上场了 第一次上阵前, 伙伴们不停捎来鼓励的话语 虽然还有另外两对资深的分享夫妇压阵, 我们的心情仍然随着日子的逼近越来越忐忑, 景明与我恳请大家继续为我们祈祷, 也在最后一个星期的每天晚上共同祈祷, 祈求圣神带领我们, 并克服障碍及恐惧 周末的第一天尚称轻松, 懵懂的我们在旁边见习 第二天, 我们的重头戏来了, 在这一天内我们总共要分享三讲 在我们上台后, 与笃定的萧永伦神父并肩而坐时, 心情慢慢也跟着笃定下来 开始分享后, 我们在平静与平安的情绪中, 将我们的经验娓娓道来 在圣神的带领, 以及神父和分享伙伴们的鼓励与肯定下, 终于完成了我们的处女秀 结束后, 心想只剩明天最后一讲了, 我们暂时松了一口气, 却也不敢掉以轻心 晚上临睡前, 我们依然共同祈祷, 并互相提醒要改进的地方, 期望能透过我们的分享, 打开夫妇们的心门 终于到了最后一天, 心情轻松多了! 分享结束后在弥撒中重发婚姻誓愿, 这是我们最喜欢的部分, 简单而隆重, 为这次三天两夜的七十二期原始周末画上美好句点 结束后, 有一种激情过后的虚脱感, 然而身体虽然疲累, 心中却是收获满满 11

12 接下来的日子, 又要开始着手写第二套 第三套 前路遥遥, 还需要继续努力迈进, 就像这长长的婚姻路, 有坎坷 有甜蜜 有付出 有收获 有欢笑 有泪水, 夫妻二人必须同心协力 互相扶持, 才能共享收成的喜悦 第一套完成, 我们的婚姻彷佛已经经历了一场蜕变, 心想经过三次蜕变的婚姻生活会变成什么样子? 我们兴奋期待着 就像大部分的夫妻一样, 我们也曾经在婚姻生活中迷失 跌倒 心碎! 但因着对主爱的信靠, 我们愿意学习 改变, 为了爱配偶而使自己变得更好, 因为我们的婚姻就是圣事 能够担任分享夫妇, 是我们的荣幸, 我们愿意将我们的婚姻生活, 如何努力让它变得更好的心路历程和努力的过程, 野人献曝的和其他夫妇分享, 如果能够因此帮助到一对夫妇, 让他们知道 : 在婚姻的道路上遭遇困难时你并不孤单, 只要做出一个爱的决定 彼此努力对话, 夫妇就能渐渐走上坦途 若真能如此, 那么我们所有分享夫妇的努力都值得了! 愿一切荣耀归于上主 刘景明 2015/06/24 洪秀丽 Matrimonial Laughter A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman Which book has helped you most in your life? The woman replied My husband s cheque book!! Someone asked an old man : Even after 70 years, you still call your wife Darling, Honey, Luv. What s the secret? Old man : I forgot her name and I m scared to ask her. Wife : I wish I was a newspaper. So I d be in your hands all day. Husband : I too wish that you were a newspaper. So I could have a new one every day! 幼兒園今天上午開運動大會 小一班出場時喊口號 : 小一 小一 勇爭第一 小二班出場時喊口號 : 小二 小二 獨一無二 換小三班出場喊口號 : 小三 小三 爸爸喜歡 12

13 A Page from the Past, Fr Michael Arro FR MICHAEL ARRO ON HIS 60 YEARS AS PRIEST - 3 July 2015 (Adapted from FB Posting by St Teresa Church, with kind permission of Fr Arro) Often people ask me, Why are you in Singapore? I tried to find some explanation, but people did not seem to be satisfied with my answer. Until one day, I got the answer. Because of God. As simple as that. It is God who in His mysterious way, prepared me, and led me to Singapore. When I begin to respond to the priesthood at the age of 17, it was quite clear that I would be a priest overseas, not in France, that I would be a missionary. Where? I did not know. Could be Asia, Africa. And at the age of 18, I joined the Paris Foreign Missions Society, or the MEP, what you call here the French gang. Then I went to study, did my national service, and when I was in Rome at the end of January 1956, I got a message of my posting: Arro, Singapore. And Singapore became The Promised Land. Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you (Acts 7:3). That was what God said to Abraham, and God accompanies all those who are called to be missionaries. The first dimension of a missionary is to go out. To leave behind what I would call our comfort zone and to go into the unknown, knowing that the Lord is journeying with us. I arrived in Singapore in 1957 and after I landed at Clifford Pier, I went to the bishop s house and was told that it has been decided I would learn Chinese. That was one of the challenges for me to become a part of Singapore, to go into the minds of the people, to live with the people, to get into the culture, the tradition. It was not always easy. There were times when I asked myself what I was doing here. But the answer was clear. I have sent you. And you were the answer too, by welcoming me, by inviting me into your families. and there are now a number of families who call me yeh yeh (grandfather). Yes, that is the first dimension of a missionary, to leave your country and go to the land God will show you. And go for life. Not for a time, not for a number of years, not for a term, but for life. 13

14 When I first came to Singapore, the tradition was that we were allowed to return to our home land only every 10 years, because our mission is to be out for life. Then when it was possible, I became a Singapore citizen. Not for any political motive, but I belong here. Definitely my life is here, and I hope that when the time comes, my bones will rest in Singapore. And I thank God for allowing me to spend my whole life here. Some of my confreres (brother priests) have been expelled from the country where they started their missionary work. My whole life, with all the limitations I have, with different gifts according to different times, and different ways of serving being a parish priest, being a professor and formator in seminary, seeing Singapore as part of Malaysia and then independent Singapore; 29 years I worked in the seminary, and it gave me a tremendous opportunity to know the people. The other priority of a missionary is the non-christian. We give priority to the non-christians, to bring the Gospels to them. On the day of my ordination, there was a line from the Arts of the Apostles: Go, I have chosen him to serve me and to make my name known to Gentiles (Acts 9:15). So to reach out to people through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), it is definitely my priority. And I marvel every year when I begin with a new group of people, to see how they open up to God and to see how, in the end, like Thomas, they turn to Christ and say. My Lord and my God. When the Marriage Encounter and Engage Encounter, we reach out to so many couples where some may not be Catholic, and we get the opportunity to put across Christ s vision of marriage to those who are not yet in the faith. In the schools, at the convents around here, 1,200 children in the school, 200 Catholics, 1,000 non- Catholics. I enjoy sowing there, the seeds of the Gospel. What will come out of it, how many seeds will grow, I don t know. That is not my problem. That is the problem of the Holy Spirit. And of our faith. And here I want to thank you, because with you and by you, I am able to be missionary. I cannot do it alone. It is the whole faith community. During my past years in St Teresa, I have baptised many, and I rejoice because I have seen the Church growing in Singapore. When I came in 1958, there were 12 parishes here, now there are 32. Not just for the sake of having a new church building, but because of a growing community. And I still see the church grow. I see in you and in so many other people that search for scripture, for Sacraments, and for any other faith formation. The Church in Singapore is growing in number and in quality. I want to thank God and to thank you for being a part of this whole Church. Finally, we are called not only to love, but to love in a better way, to ask for forgiveness. In all my years of service, I am such I have upset quite a number of you. I have been pushy, wanting this or that. Please forgive me for what I have done, and for what I have not done. Together, I have the privilege of remaining among you as a priest-in-residence. I want to thank the Archbishop and Fr John Bosco, a joyful and youthful parish priest for St Teresa. May the Lord help us to grow together and with the Church in Singapore, to grow in love. I have come not to be a priest in charge, but a priest in love. Amen 14

15 Marriage Retorno Weekend June 2015 顺发 + 秀琼 15

16 * Reflections * Blessings * * Enriched & Reconnected * Pray as a Couple * These words about sum up the Marriage Retorno (MR) Weekend (26-28Jun 2015) that helped couples refocus on the Word of God in couples' lives. Andrew & Catherine Chong The MR weekend has taught us to pray with the scriptures. We were separated from each other and went into contemplative prayer. The silence and space allowed us to delve into the depth of our hearts and listen to God - to what He wanted to speak to us. When we came back together as a couple to share our personal reflections, we discovered that God was speaking to us with almost similar messages. After which, we did couple conjugal prayers. Through the prayers, we felt our innermost needs were met. MR has helped us to experience couple spirituality. 顺发 + 秀琼 Kevin & Ca-Mie Cheong The MR weekend has been a blessing! We've been blessed and encouraged by the sharing of the presenting couples and our fellow participants. We have also discovered another way to pray together. And the weekend has helped us refocus on our couple mission. Gregory & Joy Fok During the MR weekend, we fell in love with God and each other all over again! The Word of God has enriched our lives as individuals and as a couple! So glad that we are able to reconnect with God and each other through His Word. Damien & Serene Santhou - MR was an enriching experience for the both of us. As "typical Catholics", we hardly read the Bible and neither did we know how to pray the Bible as individuals let alone as a couple. The methodology of couple conjugal prayer that was taught has provided us with the ingredients we lacked in praying the Bible. We also discovered how we could turn to Scripture for guidance in all facets of our lives. We would highly recommend Marriage Retorno to all couples looking to develop or enrich their spiritual life within the context of their marriages! P.S. - It's not Retrouvaille! *:) Terentius & Rose - Before Retorno, I stayed away from the Bible thinking that it was a book containing highly spiritual teachings only applicable to the religious and "holy" people. It seemed beyond "normal" Catholics like me. After Retorno, the Bible came alive for me. I discovered that the Bible is like a life companion. The Scripture is full of wisdom and apt responses to life's queries and complexities. Now, I enjoy reading the Word of God and look forward to reading and contemplating on it. Conjugal prayer is a powerful reconciliation "tool". When we have our differences, it gives me the grace and helps me to shorten the "down time". During the "down time", despite the pain and anger, it just doesn't feel right not to pray and share God's Word together, or seek reconciliation. The Word of God constantly reminds me of God's Will of unconditional love and unity for couples. Couples, look out for the next Marriage Retorno Weekend! Watch this space! 16

17 Special Feature Hi Five to the ME families of 5 or more Alphonsus & Cyrine Gregory Is this the work of the ME magical chair(s)? 顺发 + 秀琼 Eric & Juliana LOH Ferdinand & Evon LOW 17

18 Klyve & Ashley NG Si Mien & Yuih Ein GOH Picture from Milk Grotto, Bethlehem The history of the devotion to the Mother of Jesus as Our Lady of La Leche may have roots in the 4th Century Milk Grotto at Bethlehem. Its centerpiece is the Blessed Virgin nursing the Infant Jesus. Thousands of visitors and pilgrims make their way to the Shrine every year. Many ask for the blessings of motherhood, beseeching the intercession of Our Lady of La Leche that God will grant them a safe and happy delivery, and healthy, holy children. Francis & Agnes CHIAM Note: Those who want to share your stories, viz; through His grace witness unexplained solution to teething matrimonial issues; amazing transformation of your spouse ; spin-off benefits of ME visible in your children, relatives and friends, a page from the past etc. please to loveline.wwmesg@yahoo.com.sg (Please indicate your couple names and Love Circle number ) 18

19 Sharing The Dream CELEBRATING LOVE & MARRIAGE IN THE WORLD! 19

20 Sharing Our Vision ME Deeper KL May 2015 Standing, starting from left, Joseph & Theresa (Malaysian NET couple), Aloysius & Jacintha, our WWMESG Formation couple (Tom & Ceci), Raymond & Judith, Joseph & Anita, Kevin & Bibiana, Ivan & Jenny. Front row, seated: Fr Edwin Paul (Malaysian NET priest and Presenting Priest) and Fr Aloysius (participant). (adapted from Malaysia's Catholic newspaper "Herald" ) CHERAS: The Church of St Francis of Assisi Formation Centre once again played host to a Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) event. From May 15 17, six couples and a priest attended this Deeper Weekend with the theme We are Sacrament. The presenting team was made up of Singaporeans, Thomas and Cecilia Chia, and Fr Edwin Paul, parish priest of the Church of Paul the Hermit, Bestari Jaya. The spry Tom and Ceci, in their 70 s, are shining examples of encountered couples. Our WWMESG Formation couple (Tom & Ceci), from Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, married 3 Sep1973, currently in Formation Service Team. Joseph and Anita Pragasam, who have been presenting for more than 20 years commented, This is our second Deeper Weekend. We are glad we came as the topics presented are relevant in the current world. The talks and discussions are different from our first Deeper Weekend, thus cementing the belief that the WWME programme is indeed a dynamic organisation which is sensitive to today s society. At the learner s end was Fr Aloysius Tan, a first timer, the parish priest from Kampar. He said he was called to ME. In the past, I had many invitations to join the different outreach programmes but I was always drawn to ME. Just as marriage is a sacrament, so are the Holy Orders. Other first timers were Raymond and Judith De Gracious. As pre-team, initially, we felt a little intimidated as the other five couples were senior and experienced presenting couples. Furthermore, this is their second Deeper Weekend. However, throughout the weekend we received so much encouragement and support. We are now more confident in answering the call to be the newest presenting couple. The weekend ended with a ME Mass and the commissioning of the De Gracious couple and Fr Tan, as well as the blessings to Go and continue for the other couples. 20

21 Advertorial Mandarin Community 29 th Anniversary Dear WWME community, priests and couples, Peace be with you. The Mandarin Marriage Encounter will be celebrating our 29th Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass on 15 August 2015 OLPS church 10am We would like to extend a warm invitation to share in this joyous event. We pray and look forward to your acceptance of this invitation. God bless. With Love & Affection, Francis & Cindy Tan, Fr Henry Siew Mandarin ME Team Francis mobile: Cindy mobile : Note : Please reply directly to Francis & Cindy (ongsycindy@gmail.com) for headcount and food catering Father of Jesus, We praise you and give you glory for the wonderful things you do for us; For life and health, for friends and family, for this splendid day To celebrate together and give glory in your name. Amen 21

22 Stay Connected as a Community We are on Miss out on Loveline? Visit us! Like us! You may now go back in time to read the past copies of Loveline. Password to access is wwmesg123 Keeping Our Relationship a Priority Dialogue & Quality Time Love Quote Dialogue 10/10 For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul. Judy Garland In what areas or ways am I experiencing you becoming sensitive and gentle with your words? HDIFTAT? Sharing In The Dream Inviting & Reaching Out Registering Couples for the Weekend Visit our website for information and on-line registration or Call Vincent & Ju-Lyn on *ME Weekend Gift Cards are available* Upcoming Events ME Aug 2015 ME 416 (Dedicated St Teresa s Parish) Aug 2015 ME Sep 2015 Mandarin Weekend (73) Sep 2015 ME Oct 2015 Sharing Our Love Host a Weekend, Have a Staycation at ME House! 2015 s Weekend Hosting Be Part of the ME Weekend again. Share your Love through Hosting the weekend! Love Circle / Weekend Group leaders are invited to Vincent & Ju-Lyn at julyntan@yahoo.com.sg giving the preferred month of hosting. Contact Us Articles for Loveline We welcome articles from couples and Love Circles. Please send them to : loveline.wwmesg@yahoo.com.sg Subscription / Change in Address? Write to us Loveline is for internal circulation only. All sharing are personal and views may not necessarily reflect the Board s. Please do not reprint any portion of Loveline without the permission of the Loveline Service Team. 22