I was in church last Friday to celebrate the Solemn Profession of three brothers who would officially be welcomed into the brotherhood. 3 Friars were born that night.

It was truly a touching night as hundreds of people gathered in church to witness this moment, to rejoice with the three and to give them our blessings and well wishes.

The joyous mood was extended when all of us broke out with lightness in our footsteps and smiles on our faces as we collected the blessed bread and proceeded to the Piazza for some sumptous food awaiting. The festive ambience was high as the church also celebrated its 50th anniversary of the Franciscan Order, and everyone was busy congratulating Friars William, Justin and Derrick.

That was a special night for everyone, and also very much for me too. While 3 Friars were born after 7 years of pupilage, if this is the right word to use, I also had my moment of truth and discovery about life and death.  

The ‘aha’ moment dawned on me when we were singing the hymn “Canticle of the Sun”. Specifically, what touched me was this:

Praise for our death that makes our life real, the knowledge of loss that helps us to feel;
the gift of yourself, your presence revealed to bring us home.

Death makes our life real.  Be it our deaths or those people around us - including strangers whom we have never met like the recent shocks Singaporeans got with the loss of 2 sons, Rec Andrew Cheah and 2LT Clifton Lam. Their sudden departure brings sadness to us, even if we didn’t know them in person, but we can also feel the pain their parents must be going through, and the anguish of their team mates and buddies in camp. It makes us realise the unpredictability of life, and how we should make even better use of our time to cherish our loved ones.

This knowledge of loss helps us to feel. We know that we aren’t devoid of emotions and empathy even as we are caught in the race for a better future. We are still living with love in our hearts.

I sincerely hope that the bereaved family and friends of the departed would find peace in their hearts and the courage to continue living as these two boys would love to see if they were around.

If we can feel the sadness of death, so can we feel the hope in life.