New Year, new beginnings. New Year, clean slate. Perhaps what makes a new year so enticing is its untapped potential and promise, the perfect opportunity to make and experience newness and change. Isn’t this the reason why so many decide to make New Year’s resolutions? While I, like many in our fraternity (admit it, teachers!), enjoy both the idea and making of an airtight plan and SMART- goals, 2024 has taught me that God can change the best laid plans overnight, but always with good reason, and always with love. In my teenage years, a friend once remarked that God’s idea of a joke is watching Man make plans. I used to wonder about the implications of this, baffled by the thought that God would upend things when He was the one who gave us free will, confused by the possibility that God could be cruel.

But God is never cruel; He is good all the time. This truth is the only thing that can endure time and outlast civilisations; and to stop holding on to this truth, would mark the beginning of a long and painful downward spiral that takes us further and further from our faith.

No one exemplified pure faith better than Mary, whose surrender to and trust in God gave us the most precious gift ever, and showed the world that God is indeed good all the time. To be visited by Gabriel out of nowhere and informed so abruptly that she would conceive the son of God despite being a virgin, must have been overwhelming and disturbing. The reactions that this scandal would have caused must also have been troubling to imagine and anticipate. Yet two things stand out to me. First, that the most unimaginable or unpleasant news and situation can be reframed if we remember that God holds us in the palm of His hand. I think of how certain pieces of news and requests at work are sometimes delivered with a preamble or a disclaimer, as a complaint, or even accompanied by compliments to put us in the right mood and set the context. Gabriel had announced his arrival saying “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (Lk 1:28), and upon delivering the news, assured Mary that she had “found favour with God” (Lk 1:30). How striking it is that the emphasis was on how this was neither a punishment nor a travesty, but a special gift of goodness, and a favourable blessing! Uncertainty, pain and worry are part of life, but even if we do not feel exceptionally “favoured” in the moment, we must remember that God is always with us, just like He was with Mary. Without this reminder, we tend to forget that God’s plan is always the best plan and that His favour is all we need to carry us through life. The second thing that strikes me is the way Mary accepted this announcement and upheaval to her life. She asked only one question, confused by the idea that she could conceive despite being a virgin, and then accepted this bold and sudden news, surrendering herself to God’s will and accepting that she was “God’s servant”. Her courage and grace fill me with curiosity, humility and inspiration all at the same time. One might argue that her reaction isn’t just stoic, but downright muted and worlds apart from the reactions that every single one of us is prone to having, especially when things do not go according to our plan. We rationalise our behaviour and reactions all the time, consoling ourselves that we are only human. Well, Mary was human too. Did God choose Mary for this extraordinary task because He knew that she would fulfil His will without complaint? I would like to believe that she rose to the occasion through trust, faith and surrender; she became Mary, Mother of God.

And so, I have no grand plans for the New Year. I think about how Mankind came to have a saviour because one woman chose to say “Yes” to God; and if this is not a reminder that God is good all the time, waiting patiently for us to surrender to His will and say “Yes” to His loving call and plans, then what else can be? Mary’s “Yes” paved the way to the birth of Christ, and she had to bear witness to His pain and suffering later and experience tremendous heartache herself; but this “Yes” also enabled many, many miracles that remind us of the power of faith, and the power of our wonderful and loving God. In 2025, may we be courageous, faithful and “full of grace” like Mary, our Mother.

The author shares some reflections on the Jubilee Year of Hope, with special emphasis for educators.

…

A happy New Year 2025 to one and all! And to everyone reading this on or before January 12, a blessed Christmastide too! We have just ushered in the Jubilee Year of Hope, declared by Pope Francis in May 2024 through a Papal Bull of Indiction (official Vatican document) entitled Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint, SNC). 1 This holy year was officially inaugurated in Rome on 24 December 2024 with the Pope’s opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and here in Singapore with an opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal William Goh on 28 December 2024 at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. It will end on 6 January 2026, the feast of the Epiphany. To help us reap fully the fruits of this Jubilee Year, which is themed ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ , let us ponder on the following:

1. Jubilee

Under the Old Testament Mosaic law (Leviticus 25:8-55; 27: 16-25, the 50th year occurring at the end of 7 cycles of 7 years was to be a year of special grace and restoration dedicated to God and the remembrance of his mercy, where creditors forgave all debts owed to them, mortgagees returned land to their ancestral owners, masters set their slaves free, and land was allowed to lie fallow. Each such year was proclaimed by the blowing of a trumpet fashioned from a rams’ horn, in Hebrew yovel, from which the English jubilee is derived. In the age of the Church, Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of this law, and Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. ” (Luke 4: 18-19)

Now proclaimed every 25 years, rather than every 50, today’s jubilee years are opportunities given to us by the Church “to re-establish a proper relationship with the Lord, with one another, and with all of creation.”

2. Hope

The Jubilee Year of 2025 is centred on hope. The source of this hope is Jesus Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “[Christ is] the true shepherd, the one who knows even the path that passes through the valley of death; one who walks with me even on the path of final solitude, where no one can accompany me, guiding me through: he himself has walked this path, he has descended into the kingdom of death, he has conquered death, and he has returned to accompany us now and to give us the certainty that, together with him, we can find a way through. The realisation that there is One who, with his ‘rod and his staff comfort me’ so that ‘I fear no evil’ (Psalm 23:4), this was the new ‘hope’ that arose over the life of believers.”

Pope Francis reiterates that the death and resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our faith and the basis of our hope,^ and assures us that “Hope is not an empty word, or a vague desire of ours that things may turn out for the best; hope is a certainty, because it is founded on God’s fidelity to His promises. And this is why it is called a theological virtue: because it is infused by God and has God as its guarantor.”

3. Pilgrimage

The Vatican Jubilee website explains: “The word pilgrimage comes from the Latin per ager meaning ‘across the fields’ or perhaps from per eger meaning ‘border crossing’; both possible origins point to the distinctive aspect of undertaking a journey.

In the Bible, Abraham is described as a person on a journey: “Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house” (Genesis 12:1). With these words Abraham begins his adventure, which ends in the Promised Land.

Jesus’ ministry can also be seen as a journey, from Galilee to the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Christ himself calls His disciples to walk this road, and even today Christians are those who follow him and set out after Him.”

Pope Benedict XVI reflected:

“To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.”

4. Encounter

The Jubilee Year’s theme reminds us that we are all members of the pilgrim People of God making their earthly journey towards the heavenly Jerusalem, led by Jesus the Good Shepherd, called to “step out of ourselves”.

In the words of the Vatican Jubilee website: “When we travel, we do not only change place physically, but we also change ourselves. Hence, it is important to prepare ourselves well, to plan the route, and learn about the destination… Along the way our traveling companions enrich us with new ways of understanding things and fresh perspectives.

Contemplation of creation is also part of the journey. Pilgrimage is an experience of conversion, of transforming one’s very being to conform it to the holiness of God.”

Our recent participation in the Synod on Synodality has surely prepared us for this Jubilee, having trained us to walk together as Church, sharing and listening to each other from and with the heart in honest and open dialogue, and discerning collectively on where to go next as Church and individual.

May this holy year continue to offer us “precious times for taking stock of our lives, both as individuals and as communities” and “opportunities for reflection, recollection, and listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today through hearts open to the Lord.”

5. Mission

The hope of the Pope is therefore: “For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope!’.”

He reminds us why we are sent to proclaim the Good News of Christ our hope:

“Hope is not an empty word, or a vague desire of ours that things may turn out for the best; hope is a certainty, because it is founded on God’s fidelity to His promises. And this is why it is called a theological virtue: because it is infused by God and has God as its guarantor. It is not a passive virtue, which merely waits for things to happen. It is a supremely active virtue that helps make them happen.

A Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope. It is the most beautiful gift that the Church can give to all of humanity” especially in our present time, when war, violence, natural disaster and ills of every kind seem to overwhelm the world.

He writes: “The apostle Peter exhorted the first Christians with these words: ‘Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope’. But he added a recommendation: ‘Do it with gentleness and reverence’ (1 Peter 3:15-16). This is because it is not so much the strength of the arguments that will convince people, but rather the love that we know how to put in them. This is the first and most effective form of evangelisation. And it is open to everyone!”

The logo of the Jubilee of Hope

The official is a beautiful representation of what we must strive for this year.

“The logo representing all of humanity, coming from the four corners of the earth. They embrace each other to indicate the solidarity and fraternity which should unite all peoples. The figure at the front is holding onto the cross. It is not only the sign of our faith, but also of our hope, which can never be abandoned, because we are always in need of hope, especially in our moments of greatest need.

There are the rough waves under the figures, symbolising the fact that life’s pilgrimage does not always go smoothly in calm waters. Often the circumstances of daily life and events in the wider world require a greater call to hope. That’s why we should pay special attention to the lower part of the cross which has been elongated and turned into the shape of an anchor which is let down into the waves. The anchor is well known as a symbol of hope. In maritime jargon the ‘anchor of hope’ refers to the reserve anchor used by vessels involved in emergency manoeuvres to stabilise the ship during storms.

It is worth noting that the image illustrates the pilgrim’s journey not as an individual undertaking, but rather as something communal, marked by an increasing dynamism leading one ever closer to the cross. The cross in the logo is by no means static, but it is also dynamic. It bends down towards humanity, not leaving human beings alone, but stretching out to them to offer the certainty of its presence and the security of hope.”

Stepping out into the Jubilee Year

As we begin the new school year, let us ponder, with the above as guidance, what the Jubilee Year might mean for us as educators, and for our schools, our families and our faith communities. May it inspire us to think about concrete practical ways we can proclaim the hope we have in Christ to those God has put into our lives, especially our young people.

A good way to begin is with Pope Francis’ Jubilee Prayer:

As we approach the end of the school and calendar year, let us ponder the question above as we reflect on the following, adapted from an article I wrote for Catholic News, and published on 15 November 2020:

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the liturgical year. This year, it falls on 24 November.

The feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 at a time when the world was in chaos – World War I had just ended with a loss of an estimated 50 million lives, governments were hostile to one another, their economies were crumbling, and people were suffering in poverty. Fascism, Nazism and communism were rearing their ugly heads. The faithful grasped at the straws of false hopes and empty promises offered them by these new regimes, many abandoning the Church whose spiritual and moral teachings were made out to be anachronistic, irrelevant and burdensome.

It was in the context of this secular post-war society that Pope Pius XI dedicated his reign as Pope to the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ (Pax Christi in regno Christi).

When he first instituted the feast day, Pope Pius XI set its date on the last Sunday of October, one week before the feast of All Saints “to proclaim and extol the glory of Him who triumphs in all the saints and in all the elect.”

He wanted the whole Church to reclaim the throne of Christ for the world and affirm her profession of faith in the Creed that “His Kingdom will have no end” because, as he wrote in his encyclical Quas primas, “The rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences i.e:

• the seeds of discord sown far and wide;
• bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still hinder much the cause of peace;
• insatiable greed which is so often hidden under a pretence of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so many private quarrels;
• a blind and immoderate selfishness, making men seek nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these;
• no peace in the home, because men have forgotten or neglected their duty;
• the unity and stability of the family undermined;
• society, in a word, shaken to its foundations and on the way to ”

If we add to this catastrophic climate change and global pandemics, the Holy Father’s observations are uncannily spot-on descriptions of both our real and virtual worlds today.

But worse was yet to come – World War II, the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the chaos of decolonisation, among many other societal upheavals, led Pope Paul VI in 1969 to change the name and elevate the rank of the feast to the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, moving the date to the last Sunday of the liturgical year – just before Advent – to emphasise Christ as “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, who was and is and is to come.” (Revelation 1:8)

So, as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King on Nov 24, let us reflect on the signs of our times and ask ourselves: Who sits on the throne of our heart?

Is it our Self (S) who sits there as master of our little universe, with our egos, desires, passions, worldly attachments and sins (the blue circles) crowding Christ (the Cross) out of our man-made kingdom, and banishing Him out of our sight, hearts and minds?

Or is it sin that rules our hearts, a disordered affection for, or an addiction to, a person or a thing that has taken control of our Self so that we are helpless to help ourselves, or to cry out to God to help us, because we have banished Him too far away?

Or does Christ our King reign supreme in our hearts and lives, such that, obedient to the rule of His law of love, our Selves are docile and surrendered to His Holy Spirit, our human desires and passions are under control, and we are free enough to allow Him to bring peace and order into our otherwise chaotic lives?

If Christ is the King of our hearts, we will taste and see the Lord is indeed good, and we will have the desire to share Him with others, especially those of the young people under our care, whom God has given over to us as their stewards, shepherds, and servants on their earthly pilgrimage home to heaven.

Outside of the Church, where best for our young charges to learn about our benevolent all- merciful, all-compassionate Master than in our Catholic schools – where Christ is ideally the centre of everything – a place where faith is not only taught, but caught, because it is so infectious?

Let us pray, especially on this coming feast of Christ the King, that we may always be faithful ambassadors of Christ, and that our homes, faith communities and schools may be vibrant “embassies”, building bridges of relationship, peace, communion and love with all who enter, conquering more hearts and minds for the glory of God and His Kingdom.

As the academic year 2024 draws to a close, students who have taken major national examinations would now have to consider the direction they would like to embark on for the next phase of their education journey, in consultation with their parents and guardians. In particular, those who have just sat for the Primary School-Leaving Examination, the choice of secondary school requires much thought as school life would be more complex and demanding, not only in the academic domain but also the social-emotional and psychological domains. The years of secondary education covers the critical phase of personal development as the student will be at the threshold of teenhood and puberty. For some, this may be a tumultuous period of their development.

As Catholic parents and teachers, how would we be guiding our children in making the choice of school where they could bring to fruition the best versions of themselves? What would be the overriding criteria for making this important decision? Would we be having a conversation about “roots and wings” like that recounted in the poem below?

Roots and Wings

If I had two wishes, I know what they would be

I’d wish for Roots to cling to, and Wings to set me free;

Roots of inner values, like rings within a tree,

And Wings of independence to seek my destiny.

Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,

To let me know you love me, when I’ve done something wrong;

To show me by example, and help me learn to choose,

To take those actions every day to win instead of lose.

Just be there when I need you, to tell me it’s all right,

To face my fear of falling when I test my wings in flight;

Don’t make my life too easy, it’s better if I try,

And fall and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.

If I had two wishes, and the two to make me happy

And they could be granted, by school and family;

I wouldn’t ask for money or any shop bought things,

The greatest gifts l’d ask for are simply Roots and Wings

Adapted from poem by Denis Waitley

Which environment would best nurture our child into a thriving, fulfilled and compassionate child of God? A faith-filled one or a secular environment? As Catholic parents, we are fortunate to have our faith as the natural bedrock on which to “plant” the “roots” and “grow” the “wings” of our children. The truths of the gospel will make us free from doubt, from ignorance, from sin. The Lord said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). They will give us hope for the future, faith in ourselves, strength to meet adversity and a direction that will lead us to do much good. When God our Father created us, He made us “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8:5). In so doing He guaranteed us the right of agency; and second, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, He has provided us the way to salvation and exaltation. To accomplish this noble goal that God our Father has for us, we must love the truth; love it enough to seek for it, to understand it, love it and live it.

This can come to fruition only through immersion in a Catholic education experience. As parents what would be the best gift we can give our child? As the poem says, “roots and wings”. Through a Catholic education experience our child will understand that all learning is about the search for the Truth. Every discipline(subject) they are taught is about understanding how the laws of nature govern our world and how to ascertain the truth. Mathematics introduces them to proofs and axioms. In the world of Science, they are introduced to the scientific method and the empirical method of ascertaining truth. The Humanities use critical thinking tools and sources of evidence.

In the context of Catholic education, the attainment of knowledge is so that we can better serve the common good and we ourselves, by cultivating our intellect and imagination become better human beings. From the perspective of Catholic education, empowerment is the realisation that our talents, be it of different magnitude, have the power to enrich the lives of others.

I Forgot Her Birthday

Catholic education and the act of remembering

8 September 2024 was a regular Sunday for me.

The liturgical calendar screamed “23rd Sunday in ordinary time.”

Even the Church was telling me “Chill, it’s just another Sunday of the year”.

I guess it was slightly different. The next day was the start of term 4. Exams are coming. I went for Mass with the family.

Thereafter I went to the gym.

I came back home and began finishing the setting of my history exam paper. It was 10pm. Time for bed… or maybe Facebook?

Scrolling…

“Happy Birthday Mary!”

Alamak! Donald Trump remembered that it was Mother Mary’s birthday. And I didn’t.

Did he remember because ahem… there were Hispanic votes to be won? Did I forget because… there was “nothing” in it for me?

Remembering is what I always hope my kids can do well enough.

After all, I teach history. And as the stereotype goes “history is all about memorisation.” But what makes something memorable?

And why are some things forgettable?

I guess the image of our lady of Guadalupe (which Trump shared) can give us a clue.

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculous. Nevertheless, that was not what made it memorable.

Rather, it was familiar, but with a twist.

In 1531 (the year the image originated), our Lady had the dressing of a pagan Aztec (Mexican) princess.

But her head is bowed even as she was carried by an angel. Unlike the gods of the Aztecs who would look straight, she does not as she has her arms folded. And she is standing on the sun, indicating that she has defeated the dreaded Aztec sun-god who demanded human sacrifice.

Perhaps that is the key to the renewal of Catholic education in Singapore.

Take what is familiar, that is the curriculum, but give it a twist, give it the Catholic perspective.

The Holy Father Pope Francis, in his visit to Singapore, did that masterfully in his addresses to various audiences.

In his state address, he used what was familiar, our story line that we are proud of and which foreigners praise. “Singapore’s story is one of growth and resilience. From humble beginnings, this nation has reached an advanced level of development, which can only stem from rational decisions and not by chance.”

But then the Holy Father pivots. “In this regard, I would like to highlight the risk entailed in focusing solely on pragmatism or placing merit above all things, namely the unintended consequence of justifying the exclusion of those on the margins from benefiting from progress.”2

Your complacency is now disrupted. He is discussing familiar concepts, but letting you know the potential problems. Whether you agree or not, you are paying attention.

He did the same during his homily. Commenting on the skyscrapers in the CBD area, he praised the great and bold architecture, especially of the National stadium. But then added the twist.

“Dear brothers and sisters, if there is anything good that exists and endures in this world, it is only because, in innumerable situations, love has prevailed over hate, solidarity over indifference, generosity over selfishness. Without this, no one here would have been able to give rise to such a great metropolis, for the architects would not have designed it, the workers would not have worked on it and nothing would have been achieved.”

When I heard that, I can’t help but recall a famous national day song, written by someone who is also a Christian.

“So now we look around us and we see. A nation built with love by you and me. A land to treasure right down to the core. Our home, our heart, our Singapore.”

At my school, we have a statue of Mother Mary at the ground floor.

I have two choices once I arrive in school.

The longer route would bring me past her statue and up the stairs where I have to make a loop to the staff room.

The shorter route would bring me straight up the stairs and straight to the staff room.

If I am early, it’s nice greeting our lady before going to the staff room.

But if assembly is about to start, the shorter route will do. Saying “good morning” to Our Lady can be skipped.

But being late would be unprofessional.

I think after seeing the Pope’s tender love for Our Lady, when he prayed the Salve Regina, I think I should strive to remember to greet her every day.

“The mission of schools and teachers is to develop an understanding of all that is true, good and beautiful.” Pope Francis (October 2017)

Pope Francis views education in three aspects. In his address at a Conference of Catholic educators in 2022, he described education as an act of love which removes people from self- centredness to help others discarded by the globalizing society. He states that change is impossible without motivation and a process of education.

Education is also an act of hope which helps to break the vicious circle of skepticism, disbelief and the attitudes contrary to the dignity of the human being.

Lastly, he states that education is a factor which humanises the world. Education helps people to transcend individualism, appreciate differences and discover fraternity. It aims to build community and be responsible for the environment.

As the world and technology develops, Pope Francis emphasises that education plays an important role to nurture the desire for truth, goodness and beauty that lies in the heart of each individual so that all may learn to love life and be open to the fullness of life.

As educators, we are called to not only develop the maturity of the human person but also to ensure that those who have been baptised become more appreciative of the gift of faith received at baptism.

I am sure the messages of the Pope resonate with us as educators in Catholic schools. We welcome in our schools, children of different faiths and beliefs and value them as they are. We strive to teach all students to go beyond themselves and be contributors to our world. We challenge our students to appreciate nature and grow to be hopeful people in spite of the difficulties and issues posed by the modern world. I feel educators are keenly aware of our vocation to help our students to know themselves and recognise that they are capable of loving and being loved.

We model this in the way we overcome the daily challenges and clashes in our classrooms. We are resilient and walk into class with renewed enthusiasm and motivation each morning, no matter how difficult the class might have been the day before. We dig deep into our hearts and minds to get involved with our students, build rapport and mend fences with our students. We find new ways to connect with students whose minds race ahead of ours. We remind ourselves that each child is built in the image of God and we seek to find the face of Jesus in each child. We have faith and work with trust in the plan of God for each child.

That is very hard work – work that takes a huge toll on our hearts too. Perhaps for some, this also drives them to despair. Educators must take the time to also get to know ourselves as we progress through different seasons in life. We too need to renew our belief that we are capable to continue loving and that we are loved ourselves as children of God. As much as we work to bring hope in the lives of our students, we need to take time off to heal our own wounds and refresh the hope in our own lives. Pope Francis reminded all those engaged in Catholic education to grow in wisdom and to be aware that the work we do cannot be done without God’s help, without the support of all and with the strength of the Spirit of the Risen Lord. (Vatican News, 1 Dec 2022)

Our archdiocese celebrated Catholic Education Sunday on 25 August, the feast day of St. Joseph Calasanz, Spanish priest, educator and founder of Pious Schools which provided free education to poor boys during the 17th century.

On occasion of this Catholic Education Sunday, let us take the time to focus on educators, from heads of schools to the teachers and administrators of schools. In his book entitled Gently and Firmly, Fr C.P. Varkey, SJ recommended that teachers also need to connect with other responsible adults to build a fraternity that cares. We too need to find positive ways to ensure our basic needs of acceptance and achievement are met. As individuals, let us practise some self-care and fill our own cup first and allow our students to benefit from the overflow.

Sources: How Pope Francis Sees Education, Lacivilta Cattolica, www.laciviltacattolica.com, 2023

Catholic education is vital in an age awash in information, Catholic News Agency, www.catholicnewsagency.com, 2022

Gently and Firmly, CP Varkey, Better Yourself Books, India, 1995

As the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) Sisters are celebrating 75 years of their presence in Singapore this year, we often think of the wonderful work the Sisters have done as doctors, nurses and medical personnel, including the founding of Assisi Hospice. However, as we celebrate Teacher’s Day, we would like to pay tribute to those among them who worked as teachers in colleges and the seminary.
One such Sister was Sr June Shirville, a strong, larger than life personality who taught Mathematics in Catholic Junior College (CJC) in the 70s and 80s. She was an excellent teacher as her students would attest to, and a most exacting one as well. By the time Sr June arrived in Catholic Junior College, she had been a missionary in Africa, novice mistress in England and a teacher of Science and Mathematics at the Leprosarium in Trafalgar Home in Singapore.
Some of Sr June’s students remember her fondly, as in the case of Dr Euan Murugasu. Dr Euan kept up his correspondence with Sr June after he left CJC. He also visited her many years ago in Ladywell, United Kingdom where Sr June resides today.
He shared, “I hated Mathematics. She threatened me once -‘Young man, if you’re not going to do your Maths homework you can leave my class and don’t come back.’ Well, I got her an A for my A level Maths so all was forgiven and we became good friends. I nicknamed her ‘battleship’. Today, I am an ENT surgeon.”
The Sisters were always attentive to those most in need and would be ready to reach out, not sparing any effort. This was clear in the character of Sr June. She was present, walking alongside and supporting whoever needed her help. The quality of the FMDM presence over these 75 years is impossible to quantify as they touched countless lives by their loving and selfless presence in schools, hospital and aged care homes and parishes.

“When Pope Francis visits us in Singapore next month, may he find in us true servants, shepherds and stewards with the hearts, minds and hands of Christ, rendering God, our political leaders, and each other our proper dues by using our God-given gifts to build community, practise charity, promote peace, and do good with mutual respect and fraternal friendship. And when it comes to casting our votes in the general election when the time comes, may we do “as we ought”, exercising our free will responsibly and in good conscience for the common good of our nation.”

…

2024 news has been filled not only with the latest updates of how climate change is impacting the environment, but also of how political change is sweeping the globe.

A July 7 report by The Guardian UK highlighted that more than half the world’s population in more than 80 countries is going, or have gone, to the polls this year to elect their political leaders. A general election also seems imminent in Singapore.
Perhaps it is timely to reflect upon how Catholic Social Teaching treats the relationships between private individuals and the political community in civil society, especially as Catholic educators in Catholic schools under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. As members of the Civil Service, how “civil” and of “service” does the Church call us to be?

The kingdoms of God and Caesar
In 2004, Pope St. John Paul II approved the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (CSDC) which was put together, at his request, by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (PCJP).
The CSDC proposes Jesus of Nazareth as the model ruling authority – the king – chosen by God and anointed with the wisdom and compassion of the Holy Spirit to bring justice to the poor and peace to the land (CSDC 378).
When Christ came, He inaugurated the Kingdom of God which was quite unlike the kingdoms of the world.
“Christ reveals to human authority, always tempted by the desire to dominate, its authentic and complete meaning as service…. [Although] sovereignty belongs to God, the Lord, however, has not willed to reserve to Himself all exercise of power… The way God acts in governing the world, which bears witness to such great regard for human freedom, should inspire the wisdom of those who govern human communities who should behave as ministers of divine providence.” (CSDC 383)

What belongs to Caesar?
In New Testament times, the people in Israel were subject to the rule and reign of Caesar, whose imperial forces’ occupation of the Holy Land, aided by local puppet leaders, was deeply resented by the people.
Even though the occupiers may have worshipped Caesar, and not God, as divine, and actively encouraged the people to do so in exchange for political or financial favours, Jesus “does not directly oppose the authorities of His time. In His pronouncement on the paying of taxes to Caesar, He affirms that we must give to God what is God’s, implicitly condemning every attempt at making temporal power divine or absolute… At the same time, temporal power has the right to its due: Jesus does not consider it unjust to pay taxes to Caesar.” (CSDC 379)
Although absolute authority belongs to God alone – creatures can never be more powerful than their Creator – temporal power has “the right to its due when it is “guided by the moral law” (CSDC 394) i.e. “the natural law written in the human heart” which God makes known to us through our conscience.”
When governments enact just and fair laws that seek the common good of the individual and individuals in society as a whole, when public officers truly live up to their vocation as civil servants, then “citizens are conscience-bound to obey” and do their part for the common good of society by paying taxes, and by being law-abiding and civic-minded etc.
St. Paul explains, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God… For the same reason, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the [moral] law.”

What belongs to God?
All life belongs to God, and all human persons are endowed with an inherent dignity that stems from their having been created in the image and likeness of God.
The Church therefore teaches that “The human person is the foundation and purpose of political life.” (CSDC 384)
This means that political authorities must “in the first place, work to recognise and respect human dignity through defending and promoting fundamental and inalienable human rights: in our time the common good is chiefly guaranteed when personal rights and duties are maintained.” (CSDC 388)
However, we often forget that rights always come with corresponding duties to respect ensure the rights of others.
For example, among the fundamental rights to life, liberty, a fair trial, equal treatment, and freedom of speech and movement, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore acknowledges the right of every person to profess and practise his religion and to propagate it. In addition, it states that every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children and provide therein instruction in its own religion. So, for example, pursuant to this right, we have our Catholic schools imbued with a Catholic ethos providing Catholic education.
However, the Constitution also makes it clear that Catholic schools have a corresponding duty to respect the right of non-Catholic students to profess their own faith, and decline to receive instruction in or to take part in, any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than their own.
In the same vein, St. Peter reminds us: “For the Lord’s sake, accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by Him to punish those who do wrong, and to praise those who do right… As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honour the emperor.”
To quote Catholic English historian, politician and writer Lord Acton (1834-1902), “Freedom is not the power of doing what we like, but the right to be able to do what we ought.”

When we respect the dignity of our fellow human beings in this way – when we love our neighbour in obedience to God’s moral law of love – we give Him His due.

Rendering our dues in real life
In essence, the Church teaches that “Life in society takes on all its significance when it is based on civil friendship and on fraternity.” (CSDC 390).
“The Gospel precept of charity enlightens Christians as to the deepest meaning of political life… The goal which believers must put before themselves is that of establishing community relationships among people. The Christian vision of political society places paramount importance on the value of community, both as a model for organising life in society and as a style of everyday living.” (CSDC 392)
The Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter on whom Christ built His Church, and the head of the Curia, the ultimate political and religious authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
Yet the Pope is also titled the Servant of the Servants of God, to rule over the People of God in imitation of Christ who stooped to wash the feet of His disciples and to lay down His life for them.
When Pope Francis visits us in Singapore next month, may he find in us true servants, shepherds and stewards with the hearts, minds and hands of Christ, rendering God, our political leaders, and each other our proper dues by using our God-given gifts to build community, practise charity, promote peace, and do good with mutual respect and fraternal friendship.
And when it comes to casting our votes in the general election when the time comes, may we do “as we ought”, exercising our free will responsibly and in good conscience for the common good of our nation.
In meantime, let us in unity and hope, heed the words of St. Paul: “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God.”

Read more on August Sowers Publication.

“The mission of schools and teachers is to develop an understanding of all that is true, good and beautiful.” Pope Francis (October 2017)

In writing this article, I have been provided with an opportunity to reflect on my 40 years as both a teacher and Principal in the Catholic system of Education. I have recalled pupils, colleagues, parents, clerics and government officials who I have encountered over the years, the impact and at times the challenges that they have presented me with, as I strove to deliver the ideals of Catholic Education.

Read more on Reflections on Catholic Education – Carmel Dunn.