A tribute to Aunty Adeline

The 40th day memorial for late aunty Adeline Loh  

We are gathered here tonight to pray for the repose of the soul of the late Mdm. Adelene Loh on the 40^th day of her death. We are also here to celebrate the life of this wonderful woman whom we fondly called Aunty Adeline who passed away at the ripe old age of 91. I do not know her personally as she was already old when I came to know her a few years ago. But her calm and pleasant look struck me like many others who see her even for the very first time.

I understand that she had a very difficult time during her earlier days, struggling to bring up her six daughters. The untimely death of her husband in the mid-seventies left her all alone to care for all her children. I am sure in her arduous journey of over the 91 years on earth, she would have encountered numerous problems and challenges that would have given her extensive experience which she would have imparted to her children. The fact that her children have all become successful in their own ways speaks volumes for her care for them.

As we pay tribute to aunty Adeline we must not forget the members of her family that has sacrificed a great deal of their time, money and energy to care for her especially overt last few years when she was physically infirm and needed constant care and company. We pay special tribute to her daughter Josephine who sacrificed her own personal likes and conveniences and devoted much of her time to care for her ailing mother, a rare attribute these days. She was indeed a great daughter to an extremely old mother. I am aware she spent sleepless nights in agony when her mother fell ill.

We also salute her husband Bro.Augustine who was a very understanding husband and a caring son-in-law. In fact I was touched by his words after the mother-in-law recovered from a severe infection last year, “The longer she stays on the more I seem to love her like a mother”. We also salute their two children,Sharon and Rodney, who also took great pains in caring for their grandmother who spent a large part of her life with them. They are especially grateful to her for taking care of them since they were children.

On behalf of the TBC Community we register our utmost admiration and respect for Augustine and his family to whom many of us should look up for guidance in caring for our elderly parents.

As we bid the final farewell to our beloved aunty, let us adopt her good values into our lives and especially the caring and loving attitude of Augustine, Josephine and their children towards their sick old lady of 91 years. Let us offer them whatever help we can to encourage and support them during their bereavement and the years that follow.

We pray that God grant aunty Adeline eternal rest in His heavenly home in the midst of His angels and saints. We also pray that God bless her family that she has left behind with us.

May Aunty Adeline rest in peace

Thank you & God bless you  


For video tribute to Adeline please go to:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PTaxEzaX0c

Easter Reflections 2014

Today we see evil winning over good. The bad seem to be happy as they continue to have win after win. The good people are being suppressed into pain and suffering, they seem to get one failure after another and all hopes for a better future are vanishing by the day.

This is clearly seen in our country where the rich and powerful continue to get away with blatant abuse of power, corruption and racism. The righteous who are committed to peace are suppressed and punished for doing good. The very people entrusted to defend the people are abusing them.

In our families children who are irresponsible,disobedient and abusive seem to succeed in life whereas those who are caring fail. In our places of work those who 'angkat' the boss are rewarded but those work sincerely and loyally in silence are not appreciated and denied their dues. Even in our parishes such injustice is becoming rampant where ‘political cliques’ form and fight with one another ironically in the name of God. In fact those who want to do good are accused as promoting 'ajaran sesat' and are side-lined.

Today we are living in a world where there is no place anywhere to do good and those who do good are side-lined and at times even abused. For the good, life appears to be gloomy but for the bad it seems to be bright and  promising as they accumulate wealth and more wealth at the expense of the poor.

In the midst of all these frustrations and disappointments we celebrate Easter that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. His rising from dead signifies HOPE at its highest. How does that hope translate into our lives surrounded by an environment of hopelessness?

The mammoth crowds of ordinary citizens of all races who came out to pay their last respects to the late YB Karpal Singh, who is seen as an icon of justice, gives a little hope that good will finally triumph over bad.

As we celebrate this great feast of Easter, let us strengthen our hope in God to deliver us out of the sinful and evil in our lives. Let us strengthen our hope that by continuing to do the right against all the odds against us, He will bring us out into a better and happier future. We need hope and patience that one day good will overcome the bad.

Have a Joyous Easter