What are Archangels ?

The ancient Babylonians believed God has attendants who are spiritual beings. Judaism maintained this belief, and thus the Catholic religion teaches that "purely spiritual creatures" called angels exist (Catechism of the Catholic Church 330).

The word angel comes from the Hebrew word malakh, which means "to send". The Bible has many references to different kinds of angels.  Some angers are messengers.  The prefix arch- means "important".  Thus, archangels are entrusted with very important messages from God.  For example, the archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of God (Luke 1:26).

Three archangels are mentioned in the Bible.  Biblical writers named them in reference to the messages they delivered: Michael ("who is the God"), Gabriel ("power of God"), and Raphael ("God has healed").  Their feast day is September 29.

Archangels are not human, but they fit the definition of a saint.  Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church added the archangels to the canon (list) of saints, because a saint is anyone who is holy, he or she lives in the presence of God and exists to serve God.

(Text taken from Fr. Don Kirchner, CSsR)

True and Fake Miracles

These are petty magicians who cheat for some gains.

There are also super magicians who can walk through the great wall of China, or make a building disappear before your eyes.

But there is no magician who can feed 5 thousand humans with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (John Chapter 6).

Jesus Christ is no magician.

That was a true miracle.  When they took 5 loaves from the table to distribute, another 5 loaves appeared on the table, and this happened repeatedly before thousands of eyes.  The loaves were not hidden behind some tablecloths or inside someone's sleeves or loose clothing.

If anyone can do this again today, and can walk around after being dead for three full days, today I will fall down and worship him as God.

Jesus Christ was the only one who can perform this miracle.

Of course, to justify that there was no such miracle, you can choose not to believe in the bible.  But then, where is faith in those many witnesses who carefully and conscientiously recorded what they saw for you and me? (Luke 1:1-3)

Prosperity Gospel: After 10%, what is mine is mine.

 

Why is it that 90% of the world's wealth is in the hands of 5% of the people?

Why is it that, if all the world's wealth is put together and equally divided and given to each person, in 20 year's time, 90% will again be in the hands of 5% of the people?

Obviously, some people are better in accumulating wealth, by good luck, by in-born talent, by hook, or by crook.

Apart from the few who become rich through winning lottery and super talent, wealthy people generally work hard to become wealthy.  So it's fair and square.  It's okay.  "I work hard for my money.  I slog day and night for my salary.  I sacrifice my family time, my fun time, my personal time, just to accumulate more wealth.  I also budget 10%, 20% of my wealth for God and for charity. I deserve to spend the remaining 90% and splurge on myself.

Pope St Gregory the Great gave another view, “The rich man is only an administrator of what he possesses; giving what is required to the needy is a task that is to be performed with humility because the goods do not belong to the one who distributes them. He who retains riches only for himself is not innocent; giving to those in need means paying a debt.”

Dear Gregory, how can you be right?  I slog painstakingly, and I sacrifice much comfort, on my way to become rich.  So the riches belongs to me! I deserve the best rich food, the best cars and the best villas.  My neighbors laze around the whole day, their whole lifetime.  They have much less.  They have less expensive food, no car, no villas.  But they enjoy themselves throughout their lives, and all the same, they are happy too.

So Dear Gregory, what is mine is mine.  I readily do my duty of give some back to the world.  Don't begrudge me.  When I die, I will give all away, but while I am alive, what is mine is mine.  I am the owner, not just the administrator.

God help those who help themselves, to be wealthy. 

This is another logical perspective.

King Solomon and his Thousand Wives and Concubines

Those who read 1 Kings 11:3 must be amused by King Solomon.  Haha! One wife plus one career is enough to stress a man out.  How did King Solomon manage with 1000 wives?

In olden days Jewish culture, just like olden day Chinese culture, having many descendants was the foremost objective in life.  God bestowed the ultimate blessing on Abraham Gen 32:12 "I will...make your descendants as the sands of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude." Wow, imagine how happy Abraham was !!

(By the way, Chinese culture under communist rule no longer cares about the number of descendants.  Husband and wife have to 'stop at one child'.  And recently 'stop at two'.)

There are many instances in the Bible where blessings were promised to the descendants when someone had achieved good deeds.  And conversely, punishments for one's wicked deeds were meted out to one's descendants. (Ps 37:28, 1 Kings 11:12, etc)

Hence in the Jewish culture and customs, one's descendants were an extension of oneself.  Blessings bestowed to one's descendants were considered as blessings for oneself.  And a curse on one's descendants was a curse on oneself.

And so King Solomon wanted a thousand wives and concubines.  He must be hoping to bring forth as many descendants as the number of stars on a starry night (Gen 15:5).

Today, even if the Jewish custom still advocates having large number of descendants, much of the world has changed.  Does it matter someone who is dead, if his/her descendants achieve great number, great honour, wealth and fame?  It does not matter, some would say.

Well, this change in custom has a profound effect.  It has resulted in a change in attitude.  Many couples have refused to marry and to have children;  and many married couples voluntarily choose not to have children.

Perhaps descendants should be part of oneself, after all.

Knowing our own Soul

All through the ages, humans instinctively know that they have a soul that lives on after the death of the physical body.  Hence many have attempted to research and learn more about the subject of soul.

Like many people, I have always believed that I have a soul.  Besides this, I know little, almost nothing. I do not know whether my soul will grow old like my physical body.  Nor whether my soul, since it is a non-physical entity, know the past and the future.

When I googled, I came across an article supposedly written by Witness Lee, a disciple of Watchman Nee.  It says the soul is of 3 parts, the mind, the will and the emotion.  You can read more about this in http://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/THE-SOUL-HAVING-THREE-PARTS.HTML 

Recently I found another description of soul.  Chinese tradition describes the soul as 3 entities ( 三魂七魄 ).  It struck me that this is quite similar to what Witness Lee wrote, except that, instead of 3 parts, it is now 3 separate entities.  Those of you who understand Chinese can read about it below. (The reference is at the end of the article.)

As for me, I am happy that, by dying on the cross and rising again on the third day, Jesus Christ has already promised my soul eternal peace.  Thank God for the Blessed Assurance.



The Belief of Reincarnation

Reincarnation is a topic that church pastors do not talk about in church.  It is both a difficult and contentious topic.

Before the birth of Christ, at the time of  the Greek and Roman Empires, the main religious beliefs were polytheistic.  Reincarnation was a common concept.  At the time of Christ, reincarnation was still a common belief.

In the East, in India, China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, etc, eastern mystics and religious philosophies embraced the idea of re-birth in one form or another.

There are 2 phenomena that strongly support reincarnation.  Firstly is the many cases where young children recall and remember their past lives.  And second is the many cases of young prodigies - very young children who already possess skills of  expertly-trained adults, whether in arts, in music and in language.

The 'academic, scientific' research by Ian Stevenson, on hundreds of children who could recall their past lives, is often used as a key reference by others studying this same subject.  The video below appears creditable and no-nonsense.  I have watch it a few times.

Over the years, most churches had followed the catholic church's precedence of dis-owning the concept of reincarnation.  A handful of bible verses touching on this topic, such as whether or not John the Baptist was the Elijah of earlier years, were normally not discussed.

As for me personally, I do think reincarnation is a possibility, and this possibility is NOT incompatible with the saving work of Christ.  The idea of reincarnation, and the Christian faith can co-exist, even though some bible verses seem to suggest or interpret that there is only one life, and thereafter comes judgment.  I think it is not possible to dismiss the plausibility of reincarnation, by simply attributing all the evidences to the works of satan. 

By the grace of God, Jesus Christ had died, had resurrected on the third day, and appeared before hundreds and thousands of people (Acts 1).  This is a fact.  On Judgment Day, Christ will present me to God the Father and welcome me to dwell in God's house forever (John 14).  This is faith.

Reincarnation may be true.  But it is irrelevant.

Watch this video:

Think Best at Theta State

Many of us understand the various mental states:

Gamma state:  brain wave at 40 to 100 Hz (over agitated state)
Beta state: brain wave at 13 to 40 Hz (the conscious, awaken state)
Alpha state: brain wave at 7 to 13 Hz (between the conscious and the subconscious state, relaxed)
Theta state: brain wave at 4 to 7 Hz (the subconscious state, creative, emotional connected, intuitive)
Delta state: brain wave at 0.5 to 4 Hz (deep sleep)

When we are relaxed or when we meditate, we slow down the brain wave and slip into the Theta state.  At the Theta state, our mind are peaceful, clear, uncluttered, and could reason more creatively than at the fully conscious state.

That is why we find monks who practice daily meditation are so good in answering difficult questions about life, and about spirituality.

When we get away from the our hectic lifestyle and be at peace with ourselves and with nature, we slow down our brain wave and could think better too.

How many people could view Jesus' 2nd Coming?

Acts 1:9-11 " ...After He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of sight. ...Man of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?  This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Really ?  Jesus will come again?  And will come like a Boeing airplane landing on the Airport?

Let's say, Jesus is as large as an airplane.  When an airplane approaches an airport for landing, how many people can see it?  Maybe 20,000, maybe 100,000, if these people are looking at that direction.

But let's say, there is a very very huge crowd near the airport.  Maybe a crowd of 10 million.

So only 10 million people can witness real-life the return of Christ appearing like an airplane from the sky and landing.

And the rest of the world can witness His return,real-time online via Twitter.

I think this is as wild a conjecture as anybody can think off.  Since the world is round, an object approaching to land from the sky can be seen by at most 10 million people only (stretch our imagination).

But please do not read the Bible and interpret it word for word.  Just understand the lessons it is trying to convey.

City Harvest: A lesson in Forgiveness and Blessing

At last the episode is coming to an end.  The case of criminal misuse of church fund in City Harvest Church in Singapore had rocked the world.  The secular court had established that a crime had been committed and that the Senior Pastor and 5 other church executives involved had been sentenced to imprisonment.

I am not against City Harvest Church.  I know that no Church and no Christian is perfect.  Through the years, CHC must had sowed the seeds on many; and many must had accepted Christ through CHC.

I have been reading the Books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel this past week.  The stories and exploits of King Saul and King David never ceased to intrigue me whenever I read these books.  Both King Saul and King David were God's anointed kings, God's beloved.  Both were flagrant sinners, particularly after they became king. They sinned all the time.  Sometimes they acknowledged their sins, sometimes they did not even do so and continue sinning.

So did God forgive them?  Yes I believe God forgave them time and again.  But God's forgiveness does not mean God's continual blessings.  In fact, King Saul died a horrible death - he committed suicide in the battlefield, but unable to die even though he pierced himself, he asked an enemy soldier to do him a favor by chopping off his head.

When we are God's children, God will forgive us unconditionally.  But God is just.  When we sin against Him, and do not repent, how can a just God continue to bestow His blessings on us?

I have no doubt that when the Senior Pastor and the church executives cry to God, and acknowledge their sins, and sincerely repent, God will bless them many folds.  But if  they deny being guilty and not repent, they will not be blessed.

May God's will be done.   

Platonic Relationship vs Sexual Relationship

In Gen 1:28, the objective of man-woman relationship is pro-creation, and in Gen 2:18, the objective is companionship and love.

The difference in man and woman status is largely similar in many civilizations.  Man is he-man, the fighter, the protector, the warrior, the samurai, the gladiator, the predominantly 'yang'.  Man is not the she-man.

The Chinese cosmic concept of yin-yang is easy to understand.  All individuals are a mix of yin and yang.  The male is predominantly yang, probably over 80% yang traits and less than 20% yin traits.  The female is probably over 80% yin and less and 20% yang.  But this yin-yang balance in male and female could change due to nurture and environmental factors.  For example, a female who needs to fight for her survival may soon develop 70% or 80% yang.  A male brought up in a feminine environment may nurture 70% or 80% yin.

As in all nature, there are always extremities.  There are yin-males who are born with 20% yang and 80% yin, and there are yang-females who are born with 20% yin and 80% yang.  Yin-males are born effeminate.  Yang-females are born manlike.  They are rare exceptions, making up 2% or 3% of the population.

However, if society allow these rare exceptions to promote themselves, and be accepted as the mainstream instead of the exceptions, then some normal people would be attracted to experience their lifestyle. The yin-male and yang-female group could grow to make up 50% of the population. 

I am fine with yin-man who are born effeminate in mannerism, or woman who are born with manly traits.

I am fine with man who are more comfortable relating to man, or woman who are more comfortable relating to woman.  Let this relationship remain platonic.

But I find it disagreeable when same-gender platonic relationship turns sexual.  That is disgusting and repulsive.

LKY - He 'Get Up and Cease to Exist'

I adore LKY.  He is my HERO.  He is a saint to me.

Remember his most famous quote?  "...even if you are GOING TO LOWER me into the grave...I will GET UP."  He could not have said this in jest.  This sentiment must be in him all the time.

In another of his quotes, he revealed his spiritual side: "...I wish...but I don't think I will.  I just CEASE TO EXIST..."

So he thought that WHEN HE'S GONE, HE CEASE TO EXIST.  Where is his soul? No soul.  Simply 'cease to exit'.  Cannot get up and do more for Singapore.  Can only get up while being lowered, but after being lowered, ceased to exist.

I always believe an excellent leader, an A+ leader, is probably 90% right, or even 95% right.  He is human, and no human can be 100% right 100% of the time.

I am very certain LKY was wrong this round.  He has a soul.  He could see his beloved wife again in the hereafter.  I wish them sweet re-union.

God bless this great leader.

God is Omnipotent..but God is NOT Omnipotent

God is all-powerful and all-knowing.

But there are some things that God cannot do.  For example,

1) He cannot change the PAST.
2) He cannot make everyone HAPPY.
3) He cannot do bad things, because God is good.

So don't pray that God do these things.  These are beyond God.

The definition of omnipotent does not include these things.

How did LKY come back for SG50 Parade?

a)  3 years ago, when my eldest sister passed away, I asked the undertaker "What happen now?" His reply was "Buddhism rite, so Buddha will come and guide her soul to heaven."

b)  15 months ago, when my father passed away, I asked the Taoist priest "Now what happen?" His reply was "His soul now travels through the various gates of hell, and you should do various rites to ease his journey as his soul embarks on the long and difficult journey."

c)  In time to come, when I pass away, Jesus had assured me that he had prepared a place in heaven for me to be forever.

Now what about LKY, a great man, who had passed away a few months ago?  He declared that he was a nominal Buddhist.  He was not a Christian or a Taoist.  He had done good, extremely good deeds during his lifetime, although he did hurt a few people while doing good to the rest of Singapore.

So during the SG50 Parade at the Padang, a seat was still reserved for him.  On the chair he was supposed to be seated, a sprig of yellow orchid said it all.

Did he managed to come back to enjoy the SG50 celebration on 9 August, with all the people he served during his lifetime?

A friend of mine commented that LKY was there at the celebration on 9 August. "He would surely make his way back to witness the Jubilee anniversary of the nation.  He was the father of the nation."

I think he was a great man during his lifetime.  Christian or non-Christian, God would have bestowed special reward to him who had done so much for Singapore.  Not biblical; just sensible thinking.

I think he was around during the SG50 celebration too.  Such a saintly guy, although not religious, could not be travelling in the gates of hell.

What Religion is this ?

I wonder what religion is this.  Perhaps it is the religion that is deep in our hearts... Just joking !

Catholics and Other Christians cannot partake Holy Communion Together

Catholics believe in "TRANSSUBSTANTIATION".  It's a puzzling new word to me.  Never seen the use of this word outside the Catholic Church.

Because of this belief, only baptized Catholics can partake the Holy Communion in Roman Catholic Churches.  Other Christians, who are baptized in other churches, even though baptized also in the same name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but do NOT share the same belief of Holy Communion, are advised not to partake.

FR Don Kirchner, CSsR explained:

Catholics believe in transubstantiation.  In short, this means that the bread and wine change at a substantial level, but the accidents remain.  The bread becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.  The wine becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.  Christ is not divided.  So if someone receives just the host, he has received the fullness of Jesus Christ.  And if someone only drinks from the chalice, he also receives the fullness of Jesus Christ. (Note: The 'bread' has became the 'Host'.)

However, the accidents remain.  Accidents are anything that your physical senses could perceive.  This is in contrast to the substance that is what something really is.  So it looks like wine, and all the physical properties of wine -- including the alcohol content -- remain.  But it really is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus.

This is a profound mystery.  The Eucharist can only be understood by trusting in the words of our Savior.

Can Eat, but Cannot Kill

This is an article from my Buddhist friend. After reading, I am still confused.  However, I did learn something.

Why did the Buddha allow monks to eat meat?

The first and most important reason is that eating meat is not, in itself, considered blameworthy. The Buddha allowe...d monks to eat meat if they had not seen, heard or suspected that any living beings had been killed specifically to make the dish for them. In such a case, having made no direct contribution to the death of the creature, monks made no kamma by consuming its flesh. The Buddha neither forbade monks to practice vegetarianism, nor did he praise it. His teachings on food focused on the importance of eating easily digestible foods in moderation, rather than on advocating any particular diet.

A second consideration underlying the Buddha’s attitude to vegetarianism in the Sangha is the long-term welfare of the order itself. Monks are mendicants, dependent for all of their food needs on the generosity of householders: they are not allowed to grow, store or cook food; they may not pick fruit from trees. If the Sangha was to became restricted to areas in which it could rely on vegetarian donors, its influence for good in society would be unnecessarily limited. The spirit of mendicancy would also be betrayed if monks were to request particular foods from donors, rather than being grateful for whatever is offered to them in good faith.

There have always been monks who choose to be vegetarians. In the case where they are offered meat on almsround, these monks do not refuse to accept it. They express appreciation for the act of generosity, but pass the meat on to others.
- from Without and Within by Ajahn Jayasaro

"Karma adheres to acts of sovereign choice. It is true that a butcher will only kill animals for the sale of their meat only if there are consumers who will want to buy the meat. But in so doing the butcher is making a sovereign choice. There is no compulsion for the butcher to have become a butcher rather than say a baker or a candle-stick maker. If there were no persons willing to supply the meat trade, meat eaters would be compelled to do their own killing if they want to persist in their meat eating, thus incurring karmic responsibility." -Dr V. A. Gunasekara

Wrong livelihood according to the Buddha:
"Monks, these five trades ought not to be plied by a lay-disciple... Trade in weapons, trade in human beings, trade in flesh, trade in spirits [intoxicants] and trade in poison." — Gradual Sayings III, p. 153. (AN 5.177)

In the Amagandha Sutta, the Buddha recalled an incident in his previous life during the Buddha Kassapa's time. Buddha Kassapa was his teacher then. It was an occasion when an external sect ascetic met the Buddha Kassapa and reviled him for meat, which he said is a stench compared to eating vegetarian food.
Buddha Kassapa replied: "Killing ... wounding... stealing, lyng, deceivng... adultery; this is stench. Not the eating of meat.
... Those who are rude arrogant, backbiting, treacherous, unknd... miserly... this is stench. Not the eating of meat.
...Anger, pride, obstinancy, antagonism, deceit, envy, boasting... this is stench. Not the eating of meat.
... Those who are of bad morals, ... slanderous... pretentious... beng the vilest of men, commit such wrong things; this is stench. Not the eatng of meat..." - Sutta Nipata 2.2

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (9)

Many of us know that Australia was the place the Great British Empire sent their convicts. Betwee1788 and 1868, approximately 162,000 convicts were transported to the various Australian 'jails' by the British government.

 Sunday was my final full day in Tasmania. Everybody said must visit Port Arthur. So I drove there. Along the way, I stopped to admire the fame coastal attractions too - the blowhole, the tessallated beach, the Tasman Arch, and the Devils Kitchen. All the...se were interesting to me ! In the photos, I explained a little of these.

 Port Arthur was an 'open jail'. There were no barbed wire fences. However the inmates were shackled with welded iron, so they cannot run away too. The convict site was 100 acres, but I could only see about 10 acres before me. The prison area was closed in 1877 and the prisoners were transferred to other prisons in Hobart and elsewhere.

 Hey! why was I walking around an 18th century prison area ?? A bit eerie, a bit rundown and unreal, a bit sad. I should flew back to S'pore tomorrow, Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (8)

It was Saturday. We drove to Hobart's Salamanca Market to see what it was. On the way, I snapped some photos of Hobart City. The Market had many stalls. It was crowded as expected since it was opened only on Saturdays.

 After visiting the Market, I drove South along the 'Huon Trail'. I intended to drive to the southern-most town of Southport. The maps said there was a place called Glen Hon where we can see Alpacas Farm. We first reached the town of Huonville and then detoured to Glen Hon. These are the pictures of the day.

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (7)

The next day, we planned to drive down from Bicheno to Hobart. 180Km, towards south and west direction. Our first stop was Kates Berry Farm http://katesberryfarm.com. My wife bought many bottles of berry jams to give out to friends and ahjumahs back in Spore, so I was not 'paiseh' to scoop big spoons for free tasting. We drove to a Fruit Farm too, but no fruits in winter. We stopped for lunch and replenished our supply, passed more rolling hills and beaches before reaching an Airbnb house in Hobart suburb.

 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania 28June to 6 July (6)

Since we saw penguin tracks in the morning, we went back from Freycinet to the beach house before dark to watch penguin parade. We sat on the beach sand quietly. It was 5 pm and the moon was already there. As it got darker, the silvery reflection from the moon got broader on the ocean floor. Our eyes got accustomed to the darkness. An hour passed. We could see penguins, silhouette only, playing on the water edge about 60 meters away. Then, some wagered quickly to the gr...ass patches a few feet away from where we sat. Once safely in their burrows, they chipped and called out loudly. What an experience!! We groped back to our house at 6.30 pm.

 When I looked out of the window at 8.30 pm, the clouds were gone. It was full moon. The fat band of silvery moonlight was reflected on the ocean floor. I looked out again at 10.30 pm. The full moon was high overhead, and whole ocean was basked in silvery moonlight. It was a calm and placid moon-lighted ocean. Nature's most beautiful moment. God's gift to human beings. An unforgettable night.

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (5)

I was bored at Bicheno Wildlife Park since those animals could not be converted to food for lunch. We then drove 100 km south to Freycinet, another 'must-visit' site.

 We paid $24 per car entrance fee at the National Park. There were many mountain trails to lookouts, beaches and summits, but since we were rushing to go back before dark for an adventurous night, we chose to climb a short 2-hour trail.

 The weather was good. We trekked and trekked and were mesmerized by the beauty of Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay from the lookout points. Wineglass Bay was superlative in the afternoon sun. The Best is Yet to Come...
 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (4)

It was dark (5 pm) when I came down from Bay of Fires and reached the beach house. The next day was exploration time. The house was on a sheep padlock and 120 metres from the beach. Cozy and charming. Sure enough, we saw penguin tracks on the beach sand. We then took a short drive to the Bicheno Wildlife Park to feed Tasmania Devils, Kangaroos and carried wombats. The best is yet to come...

 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (3)

Leaving Launceston's Cataract Gorge, it was time for a long drive to Tasmania's East Coast. The map says there are lots of wonderful attractions there. The route was littered with small towns, but it was mostly through rolling hills with sheep and cattle (haha, I love both mutton and beef).

I reached St Helens town on the coast after 170 Km. Then I headed north 35 km to Binalong Bay and Bay of Fires. Bay of Fires is a famous pristine beach - no washed-up seaweeds on the powdery sand. I took the video below. Then drove south to stay for the night.

 The Best is Yet to Come...

 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (2)

From Melbourne, I flew to Tasmania Launceston Airport. It was foggy, and the plane had to circle the airport for an hour before it landed. I immediately collected my rental car, got a map and started driving. Brrrr it was mild winter and it was cold. After checked-in, I walked around the city streets, city park, shopped at Coles Supermart. Next day drove to the famed Cataract Gorge to enjoy nature. See my car and the Cataract Gorge.

 

 

 

Self-drive Holiday Trip to Melbourne/Tasmania (1)

While wandering along Melbourne's grid streets over 2 days, I chanced upon the largest Church in Australia -- St Patrick's Cathedral. Built between 1858 and 1939, it was enormous and majestic. Larger than St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

I managed to step inside to admire the atmosphere. I was blessed.
 

 

The Glory of Being Dead

I was at Port Arthur, the UNESCO Heritage site in Tasmania.  That was where the Mighty British Empire housed their vilest convicts in the 1800s. I read this poem on its walls.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am now a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Mary Elizabeth Frye

 

Death is something that we all need to confront one day.  There are many views on death.  There are views from wise men, views from different religions, views from those who claimed to have Near Death Experiences and had glimpsed the other side.

 

Mary Elizabeth Frye's view is glorious.  She almost implied that its good to be dead.  It is not a learnt view.  It's like wishful thinking.

 

But it is beautifully written.  It is eloquent and joyous.  It is something to look forward to face without fear.

 

I do not have as great expectations.  I simply wish that I could 'rest in peace' when the time comes.