JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN 19
I suppose the entire leukaemia experience is akin to a fruiting of sorts , where all I had preached and taught and shared as a priest began to be put into action . There are no particular spiritual moments in the trying days of my chemotherapy and stem cell transplant period , as I was very aware that each moment was indeed a gift .
Suffering is given a whole new redemptive value only when it is seen and accepted with the Cross of Christ .
If we don ’ t , we will simply be suffering with nary a purpose , and this can easily lead to one being bitter and angry , resentful and even rancorous .
Father Luke Fong required much nurturing and care and attention by many people I was graced to be surrounded by in my life . From my parents , to my teachers in school , my catechists , and my catholic friends , each played a part in building up my faith . One never really examines the growth process till one is tested and the fruit becomes visible when the limits are within sight .”
Using the same analogy that Jesus used about bearing fruit but applying it to his leukaemia experience , he added , “ I suppose the entire leukaemia experience is akin to a fruiting of sorts , where all I had preached and taught and shared as a priest began to be put into action . There are no particular spiritual moments in the trying days of my chemotherapy and stem cell transplant period , as I was very aware that each moment was indeed a gift . Suffering is given a whole new redemptive value only when it is seen and accepted with the Cross of Christ . If we don ’ t , we will simply be suffering with nary a purpose , and this can easily lead to one being bitter and angry , resentful and even rancorous .”
Fr Luke also had much to say about how we can keep God at the center of our lives even with all the distractions of today ’ s world . “ Keeping God at the centre of our lives does become harder and harder as our lives become more complex . The temptation to see our time as “ spiritual ” and “ secular ” will always be there , where we only see God during our time spent in prayer and spiritual work , with the other times as being rather godless , like our time at work , play or even rest and recreation . A changed mindset is required to see that in all that we are given , be it time for nurturing our spiritual selves or time spent in worldly works , we are always in God ’ s presence , enabling us to make all things serve a holy purpose .”
It is not a secret that one of Fr Luke ’ s Godgiven talents is his ability to sing . When asked if he ever had aspirations of becoming a professional singer , he replied , “ No . This has never crossed my mind , but whenever I do watch an enchanting performance in a stage musical or get lost in the wonders of a spirited performance given by a very talented artiste , I sometimes wonder if I too , could do something similar .”
For students who are feeling the stress that comes with examinations , Father had this to say : “ Stress is caused by many factors , external and internal . The environment that we find ourselves in contributes greatly to the external factors . A lot of the time , it is the spoken and unspoken expectations of those outside of us that contributes in no small way to the stress that we feel in our lives . Whilst these are not all wrong , we have to always ask ourselves if they are reasonable and congruent to what we ourselves expect of our own efforts and endeavours . Then of course , there are our own internal expectations that determine how much stress we want to accept . When we understand these components , we can take a sensible approach to the stress that we feel and filter out the unnecessary and perhaps harmful components that feed this stress , and take the relevant expectations that are not healthy . Having said that , it is not possible to live stress-less , as stress does help one to grow and to develop untapped strengths , giving one the opportunity of reaching a greater potential . Many students resort to prayer to cope with stress and anxieties , but often as a last resort . If God has constantly been placed at the fore of one ’ s life , God ’ s presence should allow one to take stress in the light of the Cross .”
Fr Luke ’ s wish for students and adults alike is to keep God as the focus of their lives . He himself lives this out by example , incorporating God into all that he does , just as he hopes everyone too may weather any storms that come his or her way .