Door to Heaven

Photograph showing the Risen Christ at Church of St Mary of the Angels

It was not raining.  The sky was bright.  I was going to post about my vaccination yesterday.  Before that, I was reading email.  I came to the bulletin of Church of St Anthony of Padua.  As I was looking at the message below:

 The door to heaven and key to paradise is through the cross

The centrality of the Gospel message is the cross - but fortunately it does not stop there. Through the cross Jesus defeated our enemies - death and Satan and won pardon for our sins. His cross is the door to heaven and the key to paradise. The way to glory is through the cross. When the disciples saw the risen Lord they disbelieved for joy! How can death lead to life, the cross to victory? Jesus shows us the way and he gives us the power to overcome sin and despair, and everything else that would stand in the way of his love and truth. Just as the first disciples were commissioned to bring the good news of salvation to all the nations, so, we, too, are called to be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to all who live on the face of the earth. Do you witness the joy of the Gospel to those around you?

Source: www.dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager 

This week is the third week of Easter.  The Scripture in the bulletin is from Luke 24:35-48:

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Photograph showing my second uncle, died on 28 February 2021

There was a loud thunder just as I was reading the passage Door to Heaven.  The electricity tripped.  Everyone was so surprised.  There was no rain at all.  Until now, the sky was fine, no rain until now.  And no more thunder now as I was typing the post.  

Today is the 81th day my father had passed on.  I myself was 'resurrected', I experienced it.  Is this a sign to tell me that father is really in heaven now?  I am sure he is, for he is such a kind and generous person.  

My second uncle was not so fortunate.  He had a sudden death and died in the ambulance.  There was no last prayer, no anointing of the sick.  His cause of death was coronary artery disease.  I helped him to call a priest to offer him prayer and was able to notify the priest at Church of St Anthony to go there one evening, on the Thursday night.  Our Lord is merciful.  I am sure uncle Anthony will be in heaven too.  

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49 Days After Death

 

                                                                         My Father

Last Saturday my mother celebrated 49 days after death for my father.  It was supposed to be on Sunday, but the priests would not be free on Sunday to pray for him.  

Early in the morning my mother cooked his favourite food and dessert.  My brother went to buy his favourite food too.  On the table was placed all his favourite food.  

My mother said that for daughters we would mourn until today.  But for sons, they will mourn for 100days.  During the days of mourning, we cannot go other people's houses, cannot attend other funerals and weddings.  We were not supposed to wear red or bright colours.  

 

       My Father when he was young

 So you can see that people grow old.  We are not forever young.  That is the life cycle of human being.  After death, we are resurrected -- the belief of Catholic.  Because of this belief, it gives us hope.  It gives us reassurance that our father is still alive and we that we will meet some day to come. 

Luke 11:9, 10  -- So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.…

I prayed that my parents have everlasting life, and I am willing to sacrifice myself for them.  I do not know what is God's plan for me now.  Having experience death and resurrection, I place all my trust to the Lord and God Jesus Christ now. 

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A Saved Soul

 

Above: 11 April 2010 -- A flock of pigeons at the neighbourhood while we were walking to the church.

11 May 2010 at church of St Anthony of Padua

Jesus loves to share with stories and parables.  In Christianity, there were so many symbolism too.  According to Exemplore, it says that birds have become prominent symbols all throughout the world and across various cultures. They are often seen as the supernatural link between Heaven and the living here on Earth. In certain cultures and religions, like those of the Middle East or Asia, birds represent immortality. In the traditions of the original peoples of North America and in East Indian myth, birds are considered departed souls or spirit messengers. In Christianity, birds can represent peace or may be used to symbolize a saved soul 

Matthew 9:10-17 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”   On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” .   

Do you understand what this means?  If I just said, some people might not believe what I said without any proof.  And there was no eye witness.  It happened in the bathroom, it happened while I was awoke and everybody were sleeping.  Who would believe what I said?  Am I in the right mind?  So I encountered all these sightings so that you might believe what I said.  

Jesus is the pure one, depicted in white.  I had NEVER ever seen a white dove before in my life until 11 April 2010.  Of course I had seen white dove in magic show.  But that was what they purchase in commercial.  What I mean is in nature.  So Jesus is the unblemished one.  Yet he had come to mix with the impure ones, as can see from the pigeons.  The white one symbolized Jesus and the mixture of black and white ones symbolized the sinners.  

In the photograph above from church of St Anthony of Padua, Jesus was resurrected from the tomb.  He was dressed in white.  

So I am the lost lamb, a sinner, that Jesus had saved.  Just like Jesus had resurrected, I was dead and was resurrected too.  He had saved my soul.  

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My Father

 

Today we celebrates my father's 48th day of his passing.  Tomorrow will be 49th day.  My mother cooked his favourite dishes and my brother bought his favourite food to pray to him.  

Many years ago, before Jesus came, I would be scared that I would lost my parents one day.  I always pray for their safety and for them to have a long life.  I am scared that I would not be able to see them anymore should one day they died.  However, after I had experienced 'death' and resurrection myself, I do not fear death anymore.  

It was written in the scripture that Jesus died and resurrected.  And in today's prayer at the columbarium, we had a reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians -- 1Thess 4:13-18 

Believers Who Have Died: Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Yes, I experienced it myself on that night of transcendence -- I was not sleeping.  I was closing my eyes.  Then at the point of transcendence, God came.  My room was so filled with white light, so bright until even though I closed my eyes, my eyes could experience light.  (No wonder St Paul's/Saul's eyes were blinded by the light of Jesus on the way to Damascus -- Acts 9:1-19 , for me I was so scared, I do not dare to open my eyes.)  There were 3 flashes of light, and various sound I heard later on on both ears -- birds, dogs and wolves.  After that it was victory at last with the blowing of the trumpet sound.  It was dawn by then.  Beside me was Richard, all asleep the whole while. 

And my father often mention the words "Hock Wack" meaning Jesus 复活。  So I believe my father will be resurrected too.  

This is a picture of me and my father.  I must thank my sister for being the photographers for families events.  Without her, I would have no memoir to keep.  I must also thank my father for supporting me, paying all the education fees for my studies.  And yet I had not repay him...

 

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