May 17, 2024
Friday of the 7th week of Easter
True Love
“Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:18–19
On this, the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples, Jesus enters into a threefold discourse with Peter. Each time that Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, Peter responds that he does. And Jesus responds back each time, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” The passage quoted above concludes Jesus’ discourse with Peter using very powerful language. Jesus tells Peter that when he grows old, “someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” This was Jesus’ way of saying to Peter that he would ultimately express his love of Jesus by dying for Him. As we know, tradition states that Peter was ultimately crucified. And at Peter’s request, he was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy of dying in the exact same way Jesus died.
As we consider this conversation between Jesus and Peter, it is clear that Jesus’ understanding of love is very different from the way many others understand it today. Jesus was not only telling Peter that he would die for Jesus, but Jesus was clearly offering His approval of this act of love Peter would one day offer. Most often when we love someone, we would do all we can to keep them from any such fate. In fact, when a loved one suffers, we often will do all we can to look for a way to relieve them of that suffering. So which approach is most loving?
Clearly, Jesus sees suffering differently than most of us. For Jesus, suffering is not opposed to love when the suffering is freely embraced for a higher purpose. Suffering in and of itself is of no value. But when suffering is embraced sacrificially out of love for another, it is able to take on tremendous power. And when Jesus offered His clear support to Peter who would one day die out of love for Jesus, Jesus was focusing upon the eternal merit that would be won by Peter’s cross. The fact that Jesus did not shy away from Peter’s future sacrificial suffering is one of the clearest signs of Jesus’ more perfect love for Peter.
My most compassionate Jesus, in Your great love for us all, You desire that we unite our sufferings to Your Cross so that all suffering shares in Your redemptive love. Give me the grace I need to not only embrace my own sufferings in life out of love for You but to also help those whom I love to live sacrificially by embracing the crosses they carry out of love. Jesus, I trust in You.
Reflect, today, upon your attitude toward the sufferings that your loved ones endure. Do you find that your primary goal is to rid them of their sufferings? Or do you understand that even their sufferings have the potential to become a source of their own holiness and the source of grace for others? Strive to see suffering as Jesus sees it. Look at the sacrificial love that is made possible when your loved ones unite their sufferings to the Cross of Christ and try to commit yourself to the mission of helping them embrace that sacred gift of love.
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Welcome! Whether you are a visitor, long-time parishioner or new to the Parish, we welcome you to our Community, our parish family.
Church of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Singapore
A Parish community vibrant in prayer, steeped in God’s word, celebrating deeply the Sacraments and witnessing and proclaiming with enthusiasm the presence of Jesus in their midst
Mass Timings
English Mass
Saturday: 5:30pm
(Anticipatory Mass)
Sunday: 6:45am, 8:30am, 11:30am
& 5:00 pm
Weekday Mass
Monday – Friday 7:30 am & 6:15pm
(Rosary Devotion: 40 mins before Mass)
Saturday: 7:00am
(followed by Novena Devotion)
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Main Church: 30 min before MassMass in Mandarin
Every Saturday 4pm
(Anticipatory Mass)Mandarin Rosary
(3:15pm on every 2nd, 4th & 5th week of the month)Teochew Rosary
(3:15pm on every 1st & 3rd week of the month)Mass in Vietnamese
1st & 3rd Sunday of the Month
2:30 pmMass in Burmese
2nd & 4th Sunday of the Month
2:30 pmLatest SUNDAY BulletinMass in Mandarin
Every Saturday 4pmMandarin Rosary
(3:15pm on every 2nd, 4th & 5th week of the month)Teowchew Rosary
(3:15pm on every 1st & 3rd week of the month)Ash Wednesday 2024 Mass timings
14th Feb 2024:
7.30am 12pm 6.15pm 8pm
Office Hours
Mon/Tues/Thur/Fri 9am to *7pm
(* subject to changes)
Wednesday 9am to 5pm
Saturdays & Sundays 9am to 12pm
Closed on public holidays
Walk-in Confession at
Priest’s OfficeMonday & Tuesday: 9am to 11am
Thursday & Friday: 4pm to 6pm
(Except on public holidays)Priests of our Parish
Rev Fr. Paul Ngo, (Parish Priest)
[email protected]Rev.Fr. Luke Fong
[email protected]Rev Fr Joseph Kace
[email protected]Rev Fr. Paul Ngo, (Parish Priest)
Rev.Fr. Luke Fong
Rev Fr Joseph Kace
Deacon of our Parish
Deacon Dexter Chua
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Location
24 Highland Rd, Singapore 549115