At that time, the Jews murmured because Jesus had said, “I am the Bread which comes from heaven.” And they said, “This Man is the Son of Joseph, is He not? We know His father and mother. How can He say that He has come from heaven?”
Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent Me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets : They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to Me.”
“For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; He has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the Bread which comes from heaven, so that you may eat of it, and not die.”
“I am the Living Bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this Bread will live forever. The Bread I shall give is My Flesh, and I will give it for the life of the world.”
Do not sadden the Holy Spirit of God which you were marked with. It will be your distinctive mark on the day of salvation. Do away with all quarrelling, rage, anger, insults and every kind of malice : be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ.
As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate Him. Follow the way of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave Himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God.
I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the lowly hear and rejoice.
Oh, let us magnify the Lord, together let us glorify His Name! I sought the Lord, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.
They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, the Lord hears and saves them from distress.
The Lord’s angel encamps and patrols to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!
Elijah himself disappeared into the desert going on a day’s journey. Then he sat down under a broom tree and prayed to die, “That is enough, YHVH, take away my life for I am dying.”
He lay down and went to sleep under the broom tree. Then an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” Elijah looked and saw, at his head, a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and went back to sleep. The angel of YHVH came a second time to him, saying, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too long for you.”
He got up, ate and drank, and on the strength of that food, he travelled for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Today marked the 48th year since the independence of the Republic of Singapore, which occurred on 9 August 1965, when Singapore left Malaysia to be a fully sovereign nation on its own.
Singapore has gone through many difficulties and trials, and yet as one united people, a melting pot of people from many different races and backgrounds, they have overcome those challenges, and today, they emerge as a First World nation, prosperous and respected by many in the world.
Let us pray for Singapore and the people of Singapore, that they will continue the hard work they had done all these while, and may the Lord continue to bless and protect them, and of course, reminding them that, while looking after themselves and their own nations, they should not lose sight on those less fortunate among them, and therefore pledge themselves to help one another, that everyone will rejoice together and be happy together, sealed with God’s love.
Happy 48th anniversary, Singapore! God bless the Republic of Singapore!
(The National Pledge (0:00 – 0:30) and National Anthem of the Republic of Singapore (0:31 – 2: 16))
National Pledge :
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
National Anthem (Majulah Singapura/Onward Singapore) :
Official (in Malay)
Mari kita rakyat Singapura
sama-sama menuju bahagia;
Cita-cita kita yang mulia,
berjaya Singapura.
Marilah kita bersatu
dengan semangat yang baru;
Semua kita berseru,
Majulah Singapura,
Majulah Singapura!
Marilah kita bersatu
dengan semangat yang baru;
Semua kita berseru,
Majulah Singapura,
Majulah Singapura!
Official translations (in English, Chinese, and Tamil)
English
Come, fellow Singaporeans
Let us progress towards happiness together
May our noble aspiration bring
Singapore success
Come, let us unite
In a new spirit
Together we proclaim
Onward Singapore
Onward Singapore
Come, let us unite
In a new spirit
Together we proclaim
Onward Singapore
Onward Singapore
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 