Okay, I am asking for the impossible. Unless another ice age occurs, there will never be snow in the part of the world where I live. But Christmas is coming, and I just finished a very marvellous carolling session. We went to some blocks of one- and two-room flats specially catered to the elderly who have either been abandoned by their families or have no families of their own.
I was roped into this carolling session by my RCIA sponsor, who was roped in by his girlfriend as one of her Legion of Mary's (a Catholic prayer group) mates coordinated the outreach. My sponsor got a couple of people from his church choir, and the organiser got some others from her own church and other prayer groups.
I wonder if it was a coincidence that 90% of them were tertiary students from the various Catholic groups like Catholic Student's Apostolate, Immaculate Conception and Legion of Mary? But seeing a group of strangers come together with nothing in common except the same religion and a desire to make a difference in others' lives is really heartwarming. A sight like this tends to tug at your heartstrings and gives one the hope that not all young people are self-centred, and the Catholic faith is just as charismatic as the other Christian denominations.
The elderly people we went to were so appreciative too. One of them even cried after we finished our session, and a couple even gave us food and drinks, saying they specially bought them as we were coming. Really sweet of them. Before we went to their places, we pooled in some cash and bought canned food and beverages to distribute to them.
Come to think of it, carolling is really a fun and meaningful thing. Why did I not take part in any carolling before this? When I was in NIE's Catholic Student's Apostolate, none of the members ever suggested carolling, although we did go to an orphanage and spent a day with the kids.
If I remember correctly, I did wanted to go carolling years ago when I was attending the church of my first ex, but he told me not to as he said I could not hold a candle to his church singers, so if I went along, the entire effect would be spoilt. But the rationale of carolling is to outreach to people, not to determine who can sing better, is it not? Does it really matter how badly I sing then?
My second ex was not active in his church, so I did not get to participate in any church activites while I was with him. Now I feel I have wasted a large part of my life away, when I could have done something meaningful. It is such a satisfaction knowing you have made a lonely elderly person happy for just that one night. We sang in parts, and I was asked to take some solo parts as well as the high notes. It is all in the name of making a difference, not to show off or whatever. Still, it is also a good feeling when people come up to you after the whole thing and commented on how well you sang.
I hope I have more opportunities in the years to come to go carolling again. It is really a wonderful and meaningful thing to do!
I was roped into this carolling session by my RCIA sponsor, who was roped in by his girlfriend as one of her Legion of Mary's (a Catholic prayer group) mates coordinated the outreach. My sponsor got a couple of people from his church choir, and the organiser got some others from her own church and other prayer groups.
I wonder if it was a coincidence that 90% of them were tertiary students from the various Catholic groups like Catholic Student's Apostolate, Immaculate Conception and Legion of Mary? But seeing a group of strangers come together with nothing in common except the same religion and a desire to make a difference in others' lives is really heartwarming. A sight like this tends to tug at your heartstrings and gives one the hope that not all young people are self-centred, and the Catholic faith is just as charismatic as the other Christian denominations.
The elderly people we went to were so appreciative too. One of them even cried after we finished our session, and a couple even gave us food and drinks, saying they specially bought them as we were coming. Really sweet of them. Before we went to their places, we pooled in some cash and bought canned food and beverages to distribute to them.
Come to think of it, carolling is really a fun and meaningful thing. Why did I not take part in any carolling before this? When I was in NIE's Catholic Student's Apostolate, none of the members ever suggested carolling, although we did go to an orphanage and spent a day with the kids.
If I remember correctly, I did wanted to go carolling years ago when I was attending the church of my first ex, but he told me not to as he said I could not hold a candle to his church singers, so if I went along, the entire effect would be spoilt. But the rationale of carolling is to outreach to people, not to determine who can sing better, is it not? Does it really matter how badly I sing then?
My second ex was not active in his church, so I did not get to participate in any church activites while I was with him. Now I feel I have wasted a large part of my life away, when I could have done something meaningful. It is such a satisfaction knowing you have made a lonely elderly person happy for just that one night. We sang in parts, and I was asked to take some solo parts as well as the high notes. It is all in the name of making a difference, not to show off or whatever. Still, it is also a good feeling when people come up to you after the whole thing and commented on how well you sang.
I hope I have more opportunities in the years to come to go carolling again. It is really a wonderful and meaningful thing to do!
0 comments:
Post a Comment