[stephenkhoo]

Today you can read in the papers and media about the shocking misuse of funds amounting to up to SGD50MIL. It seems this scheme has been planned and intricately worked out amongst the few in the circle.

If you want to read the case from the comissioner of charities here

Comission of Charities media release statement

[stephenkhoo]

In today's reading, read what Father William Goh reflection writes


LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION AS THE WAY TO AVOID DISASTER

Scripture Reflections
Thursday, 28 June, 2012, 12th Week, Ordinary Time
LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION AS THE WAY TO AVOID DISASTER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2KG 24:8-17; MT 7:21-29

The message of the scripture readings is clear: what kind of foundation do we lay down for our lives, those under our charge and for our organizations? The kind of foundation we build for our lives will determine our future happiness. This is true for the future of our children and society at large. The greatest threat in our time is the lack of a strong foundation for the younger generation to build their lives and the future of humanity. We have not transmitted a Christian culture to our younger generation; instead we have allowed them to be nurtured by the materialistic and worldly culture.

Just consider the kind of foundation that society is built upon, namely, individualism, relativism, pragmatism, pleasure and self-centeredness. These are the societal values that we are inculcating in our youths. These are the values promoted by the mass media in our TV programs, movies and even in schools. It is one of competition, of being above everyone else. Schools are more concerned whether they outrank others, rather than attending to the weak and marginal students. Those who are better get all the attention whilst those who are weaker because of lack of opportunities are left behind. Success is measured in materialistic terms. Parents are reinforcing such values in their children by their inordinate focus on academic results; not whether they are imbibing the right values and living an honest and virtuous life. Indeed, we have lost our younger generation to the secular and relativistic culture. The current trend in the world today in our society must be traced to the kind of foundation that this generation has received from their parents.

This has resulted in our current leaders, even among religious leaders, lacking a strong moral foundation. We can no longer assume that those who enter the seminary or religious life have the fundamentals of the Christian Faith, much less a strong moral foundation. Many come fragmented in life and have weak values and personal commitment. Many come from homes which model values that are contrary to the gospel. So how can we expect future leaders to be trusting and dependent on God when they have never experienced trust even in their parents? How can we expect them to be compassionate and forgiving when they never experienced these as children? In truth, most of us are very much affected by the cultural relativism promoted in our time. Today, there is no longer an objective moral foundation from which values flow. Values are based on a pragmatic consideration of serving the needs of the individual and society.

This is why Jesus warns us about the consequences of building on shaky ground. The house that is built on sand will collapse, especially when trials set in. This was the case of Judah in the first reading. Because they did not obey God and were unfaithful to the covenant, both the rulers and their people, they were conquered by the Babylonians. The country could not withstand an external attack because the interior house was in disarray. When corruption set in from the top, it also affected the rank and file as well. When leaders failed to mentor and serve as exemplary models, inevitably the people followed suit. As a consequence, there was injustice, corruption and oppression. Divided among themselves, they were ill equipped to rally together to face an external opponent.

What about us? What values have we built our personal life on? What is perhaps most needed today is character formation. Many of our young people are unable to make right choices because the foundation is lacking. The inculcation of virtues, especially from young, will determine the way the child will act in future. Habits determine our approach to life. There is nothing like discipline. Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Within this context, the question of Catholic education comes to the fore. Parents today send their children to schools that can provide the best academic formation for their children. They fail to realize that although academic performance is important, it is not everything. What is the use of having our children do well in their career but lack integrity, moral values, compassion and kindness? If we choose to send our children to Catholic Schools, it is because we believe and expect that Catholic schools provide a holistic integration of faith and living; helping our young people to integrate what they learn in science and other disciplines with their beliefs and values. Such scientific knowledge and values must be rooted in the Christian understanding of God’s creation, the dignity of human life and the life beyond this earthly life. Unfortunately, some Catholic Schools do not seem to be offering a distinctive Catholic character compared to the secular and government schools. If our Catholics schools fail to help our young people to grow in their faith and moral life, regardless of how well they perform in academia, they have failed in their mission. Then we cannot fault Catholic parents for sending their children to those schools that excel in academic performance rather than one that simply offers “catholic education”. In the face of a rapidly changing society, where families are breaking apart, educators have the great challenge of helping our young people to stay firm in their Christian values in the midst of a secular and materialistic world.

So what are the core values that we wish to impart to our children and those whom we are leading in Church and society? Everyone in leadership or in authority must examine the core values that he or she seeks to foster in the community that he or she is in. Unless these core values are inscribed in our hearts, we cannot move the organization forward or lay a strong foundation for our young people in the face of changing values.

Regardless, the values we hold must be rooted in the gospel. Today, the gospel text, which is taken from the Sermon on the Mount, comes to a close. The Sermon on the Mount contains the blueprint of Christian values. More succinctly still, it can be said the beatitudes is the blueprint for Christian life. It is the way of the blessed life. The beatitudes are the Be-Attitudes that every Christian must cultivate in order to live the kingdom of God here on earth. It is therefore important that we need to reformulate our values in line with the Sermon in the Mount. Can we honestly say that the values we foster in our children and those that underpin the ethos of our organizations are based on the values in the gospel?

However, laying the foundation is only the first step in character formation. Fine words cannot replace good deeds. What is the use of inscribing beautiful and lofty values that we do not uphold? The values are not to be inscribed only on our walls and books but in our hearts. Hence, Jesus in the gospel exhorts us to act on them, not just talk about them. He warned His disciples: “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. … Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against the house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock”.

Jesus is the exemplar of one who lives by His words and the values He taught. Whatever He taught in the Sermon on the Mount was lived by Him, whether it is the question of forgiveness, service, charity, authenticity, sincerity, fidelity, truthfulness, humility, compassion, generosity, fortitude, meekness, mercy and poverty. Jesus was a man totally available to God His Father and a man for others. He walked the talk. “His teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.” This authority was felt because they knew that the teacher not only taught with wisdom and conviction but was identical to His teaching. We too then must imitate Jesus especially those in leadership. Parents, teachers, Church leaders must lead by example at the end of the day. Formation of values is much less taught than caught.

For this reason, let us turn to Jesus and spend time discerning His will for us and for those whom God has entrusted to us. A leader who is not familiar with the Word of God, who does not pray, does not meditate on the Word, does not consult the Lord but who only uses his ingenuity and only consults the world, seeking cheap popularity and passing values will bring destruction to those under his care. He will end up like the Israelite leaders in the first reading. These words of Jesus would surely be fulfilled in their lives, “But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell: and what a fall it had!