WE ARE CALLED TO GO OUT AND BE ‘MISSIONARIES’

We had a lot of activities over the 22nd and 23rd October weekend. The Catechetical team led by Michelle Wong and the Standard 3 teachers and few other teachers organised a two-day stay-in camp for the 1st Holy Communion students in the Formation Hall. About 20 students attended the camp from Saturday morning till Sunday afternoon. Some of their parents were also present and assisted in coordinating meals for the kids and also looked into other necessary errands. Sr. Mary David from the Canossian Order helped in facilitating the entire camp with the theme: “Jesus is My Friend.” I would like to thank you teachers and Sr. Mary for the valuable time spent and your spiritual sharing with our First Holy Communion students and parents as well. They have benefited very much from this camp experience.

On Sunday, the Parish Integral Human Development Ministry (PIHDM) invited 300 school students, both local as well as migrant children, and gathered them at the Church Hall. These school children were from the low-income families who came with their parents to do their measurements for school uniforms and shoes. It was well coordinated by (PIHDM) led by Edwin Alpouns and about 15 of his fellow members. These past two months, the (PIHDM) members with the help of some BEC leaders, have surveyed and screened the total number of students from the low-income families who will be eligible to receive two sets of school uniforms, shoes and bag for the year 2017. The distributions of school uniforms will take place on 18 December 2016 (Sunday). It is the day that we shall be celebrating the “Christmas Get Together 2016”.

On 23rd October, the Universal Church celebrated Mission Sunday with the theme: “Missionary Church, Witness of Mercy.” This Jubilee Year of Mercy marked the 90th anniversary of World Missionary Day, which was first approved by Pope Pius XI in 1926. I too was happy to hear the theme chosen by the Holy Father for Mission Sunday which is almost similar to our parish theme this year: “BEC, Witnessing Jesus Through Works of Mercy”.

Jesus has given us a mandate to evangelise the Good News to all nations (Mt 28:18-20). On World Mission Sunday 2016, all of us are invited to “go out” as missionary disciples, by “offering our talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family.”

This whole year we have been organising many events, activities and formations on various topics such as spiritual development, family and community life, physical health and good works for all parishioners. I believe some of you have participated and were fully involved in these events, activities and formations, which have helped to motivate you in discerning God’s purpose, talents, gifts and insights in your lives (Eph 2: 8-10, Rom 12:4-8, Mt 25:14-30).

As we come to the end of the Year of Mercy, let’s continue to be missionary disciples by carrying out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy by bringing love to our homes, unity in our parish community and joy to the people that we meet daily.

Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector!

Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, was a rich man, (Lk 19: 1 -10). He was regarded as a public sinner, as a traitor and as someone who morally wrong before God.

Although he was financially well to do, he lived a life of loneliness, alienated from his own people and alienated from God as well. He was an outcast and he needed an acceptance, fulfilment and spiritually heal. His encounter with Jesus changed him completely.

Was Zacchaeus looking for Jesus? Or was it Jesus who found Zacchaeus? Apparently, it was Jesus who sought or desired Zacchaeus very much. It was Jesus who stopped under that sycamore tree. It was Jesus who looked up at the tree and found Zacchaeus.

"Today salvation has come to this house!" Zacchaeus was lost in sin, until Jesus intervened him in a merciful way. Zacchaeus experienced a new life and abundant life.

In the eyes of God, all of us are sinners like Zacchaeus. The Lord meets us at the point of our needs. Even when we feel that we are completely lost, we have to remember that Jesus can transform our lives, if we allow Him. Jesus will come into our hearts today to enlarge our souls.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 2016 - MISSIONARY CHURCH

On 23 October, the Church celebrates the Mission Sunday with the theme: “Missionary Church, Witness of Mercy.” This Jubilee Year of Mercy marks the 90th anniversary of World Missionary Day, which was first approved by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Jesus has given us a mandate to evangelise the Good News to all nations (MT 28:18-20). On this World Mission Sunday, all of us are invited to “go out” as missionary disciples, by “offering our talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family.”

The Holy Father, on this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, invites to “proclaim the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel,” in every part of the world. When mercy meets a person, it brings a deep joy to the God’s heart. Holy Father added, “Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the boarders and all those are in need of the light of the Gospel,” (Evangelii Gaudium, 20).

As missionary disciples, it is not just the priests and religious duties and commitments to go out as missionary disciples but everyone should have the missionary mind and “the mind of Christ.” We are to be missionaries not in the different countries but we can always start to be missionaries in our own home by bringing love to our home, unity in our own parish and harmony in our workplace. We need to cultivate cultures and languages and sense of love towards families, communities, society, church and country.

Let us not close our hearts within ourselves, but let us open them to every level of humanity especially in our nation. On this month of Mary, Mother of Mercy, model of missionaries for the Church, through her intercessions she may fill us with joyful mercy and renew our personal relationships.

(An abstract from the message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis on World Mission Sunday 2016)

Fr George Packiasamy

CHERISH MOTHER MARY ALWAYS

I am sure that you have prayed regularly on your own and with others during this Rosary month. I am sure that Our Lady is delighted by your affection and devotion. I must confess to that this month I have missed praying the Rosary a few times due to my tight schedule. My Rosary is dangling inside my car and I have failed to pick it up to at least pray a couple of decades before arriving at my destination. I am sure in this month of Rosary you would have initiated the practice of praying Rosary to some of our family and BEC members.

In less than three weeks we shall end the Jubilee Year of Mercy. On this month of October, we are focusing on Mary, Mother of Mercy whose heart is filled with tenderness and loving care toward all her children throughout the world.

She participated intimately in the mystery of salvation of her Son’s love from the birth till the cross. From the cross she has become our Mother, Mother of the Church and Mother of Mercy who is interceding for us from her merciful heart. That is the reason the Church always honour her and she has always been a part of Christian tradition and of our Christian faith. She has played an important role in our families by praying for peace and unity and for conversion of individuals and the rest of the world.

Whenever we pray the Rosary we mediate the four mysteries, the mysteries of salvation history. We pray 53 times the “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” We are relating to her with this prayer invoking her merciful love so that she may turn her eyes of mercy towards our families and us. That is why the Church calls her “the Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of Mercy and Mother of Divine Mercy.”

Ask yourselves these questions: Do you pray the Rosary every day and attend the Novena prayers to our Lady on Saturday? Do you prayerfully reflect on the meaning of Mother of Mercy? How often do you sing Marian hymns or read Marian stories or Marian miracle stories? The Church always invites us to enter the world of devotion to Mary. We, Catholics should place our hearts and minds under her tender and love care as Mother of Mercy. She is truly our Mother of tender mercy and compassion. As we are in this extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us not miss every opportunity to enter the world of devotion to Mary. We need to “learn from her how to recognise our need for, and imitate her and extend the mercy her Son brought into the world.”

As we come to the of closing month of Rosary and Jubilee Year of Mercy, we continuously pray to her for her maternal tender love and care. We too ask her to care for the homeless, the lonely, the sick, the tormented and the dying.

Mary, Mother of Mercy, PRAY FOR US!

Be Humble!

Jesus presents us with a picture of two people at prayer in the temple, one is a Pharisee and the other is a tax collector, (LK 18: 9-14).

The tax collector says he is a sinner and he sorrowfully confesses his sinfulness and asks for God’s mercy “O God be merciful to me, a sinner.” 

The Pharisee claims that he is a good man who keeps the law, faithfully fulfilling every precept. The Pharisee is a model of faithfulness and holiness with one exception - his pride. He just compares himself to the tax collector. By right he should have been comparing himself with Jesus' holiness. How do I see myself with Jesus? 

We pride ourselves on our achievements and we forget that pride cripples human hearts and and attitudes. Our basic need in our faith journey is God’s mercy and forgiveness. When we compare ourselves to the life of Jesus, all that we can say is: "O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner."

FROM SPIRITUAL FATHER TO CARDINAL

On 9^th October, our Holy Father Pope Francis announced that the Universal Church will have 17 new Roman Catholic Cardinals. The consistory is scheduled to take place on 19^th November, the day before the Solemnity of Christ the King and the close of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Thirteen of the newly named Cardinals are under 80 years and are therefore eligible to take part in a papal election (conclave). The other four are not eligible to vote but they were given this title as an honorary title.

Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez has been appointed as the first ever Roman Catholic Cardinal in Malaysia. He is awarded this title in recognition of his extraordinary faith and service for the Church in Peninsular Malaysia. Cardinal-elect Fernandez was born on 22 April 1932 and became a priest on 10 December 1966. He was appointed as Bishop of Penang on 29 September 1977 and then as an Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur on 30 July 1983. He retired as an Archbishop on 24 May 2003. From ‘His Grace’, today we are proud to address him as ‘His Eminence.

Last year Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was appointed as our first ever resident ambassador to Vatican based in Rome. Today, our country is really privileged to have its first ever Cardinal and Ambassador. We thank Pope Francis for appointing our Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez as Malaysia’s first Cardinal and Tan Sri Dompok as Malaysia’s first Ambassador.

Who are these Cardinals of the Catholic Church? The word “cardinal” is derived from the Latin cardinalis, which in turn derived from ‘cardo-dinis’, meaning “the hinge of a gate, and, by extension, support, and foundation.” The cardinals are the “hinges” upon which the doors of the Church swing open and shut; they are the “support,” the “foundation” of the Catholic Church. Cardinals come after the Pope in the Church hierarchy.

Cardinals are princes of the Church appointed by the Pope. They are the closest advisors for the Church's leader, the Pope and to assist him in his duties as universal pastor. There are currently 211 members in the College of Cardinals who are under 80 and they have the right to choose always among them with the help of the Holy Spirit a new Pope.

I was overwhelmed when I heard the news that Archbishop Emeritus Soter was named as Cardinal. I spoke to him over the phone two days after his appointment to congratulate him. He was very happy and told me that he would be leaving for Rome in November to receive the “red hat”. The red hats are given to the cardinals are the color of blood, signifying that they are expected to witness to the faith “even unto the shedding of blood” that is, even as martyrs.

Cardinal-elect Soter Fernandez was the one who accepted and sent me to the Seminary in Penang. He is like a “Father” to me because he has encouraged and guided me since I wanted to be a priest in 1993. He ordained me as a priest in February 2003 and sent me to Kuantan and Terengganu as my first posting. I was the last candidate ordained by him before his retirement and he always appreciates me very much as the “last son” ordained by him.

Your Eminence, our love, prayers and best wishes from Parishioners of St Joseph’s Church, Sentul.