DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SUNDAY "TIME WITH THE LORD"

These past couple of months I noticed a tremendous drop in the number of people attending the weekend Masses. I don’t know it’s because you find my sermons boring or whether it’s because of the holidays or due to some other reason. Whatever it is, I hope that after so many years of being a Catholic, you have not begun to ask “Why do I need a Church and why do I need to attend Mass?” You and your families may have your own agendas and commitments during the weekends but I strongly urge you to observe closely your Sunday obligations by coming and participating in the Eucharist. The Church law insists that every baptised Catholic must worship God on Sunday and Holy Days by participating in the Holy Mass.

There are almost few main Parishes in and around the Klang Valley and if you cannot make it to our Church for certain reasons I hope that you make it a point to go any of the parishes in KL or PJ for your Sunday Mass. Perhaps you are travelling on vacation within the country or to any neighbouring country but make sure you find out about the closest church within the vicinity and the Mass times before you leave for your holiday. If you go to any part of the world definitely you will find a Catholic Church. You can always goggle and get the necessary church locations and Mass times and not give excuses like work, busyness and other business matters just for not attending the Mass. Every Catholic should avoid making unnecessary excuses that would obstruct them from observing the Day of the Lord.

In our parish itself we have four to five Masses over the weekend. I have made the schedule as such for your benefit and I hope you will make an effort to attend one of the Masses. When I see so many of you at the weekend Mass, it makes me a happy priest. You should not skip Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation unless it is a “grave cause” like childcare, personal sickness or the care of the sick, necessary travel, etc., which would excuse you on a particular occasions. An individual should not give same reasons continually just for not attending any of the Masses during the evening.

I do appreciate some of our family members or individuals who take a lot of effort to bring the home bound for weekend Masses to our parish. Our Eucharistic Communion Ministers too make it a point to bring the Holy Communion to the home bound in their respective BECs who are unable to make it for the Mass.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This feast day reminds us that we should continue to come to receive our Eucharistic Lord every Sunday so that we live our lives with God’s presence with us always, holding on to us till the very end. His Eucharistic presence is all about setting us free from sin, selfishness, worries, bad habits and all things that hinder our freedom from becoming what God wants us to be. Jesus’ real and true presence in the Eucharist mysteriously nourishes and strengthens us with His own body and blood so that we can overcome all things and journey to the very end with Him in our lives. Jesus comes to us in every Eucharistic celebration.

One of our mission commitments this year is celebrating Jesus in the Sacraments particularly in the Eucharist as a touch of God. He comes to give us what we need most – which is His presence with us. Let Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord, be ever present in our lives to free us, to guide us, and to strengthen us with His Body and Blood always.

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

What are we afraid of? It’s been said that everyone is afraid of something. We have phobias that we can be afraid of just about anything. What are we afraid to lose? What are we afraid to give up? What are we afraid to let go of? We are afraid of evil. We worry about uncertainties! What if? We may struggle with faith at times. When we are facing trials and difficulties we can become afraid.

In this Gospel today, Jesus tells us to each and everyone of us: “So do not be afraid…” (MT 10: 26-33). His word reminds us again and again that we really have no reason to be lonely, frightened, or terrified. God is with us.

We shall not be afraid but trust in God. God is with us. Sometimes God’s presence is hard to trust in because we have to believe that He is there with us. Whenever we face a fearful situation we need to realise He is there. Prophet Jeremiah wrestles within himself between doubt and faith. In the end, his trust in the Lord’s vindication wins out.

God will fight a lot of our battles for us but there are some where He has trained us to fight. We are called to “Fight the good fight” in our race. "The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" (Ps 27:1). Let us seek the Lord today so that we too can be delivered from all our fears.

CARING FOR THE POOR

The Holy Father, Pope Francis has declared the First World Day of the Poor to be celebrated on 19 November 2017 (33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time). He has announced it on 13 June 2017, the feast day of St Anthony of Padua, the great Franciscan Doctor of the Church, to make it the event a regular annual observance.

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, took the words from St John: “Let us not love in words but in deeds” in order to identify with the poor. On this November 19^th the Holy Father invites us to proceed with a week, “Of numerous moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete aid.” He also suggests, “Invite the poor and the volunteers to take part together in the Sunday Eucharist, so that the celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is revealed even more genuine the following Sunday.”

On a regular basis, our Parish Integral of Human Development Ministry (PIHDM) has been doing something every week in terms of providing cash and provisions (groceries) for the poor who are staying around our vicinity. The poor in our neighbourhood always seek protection, assistance and love. Without fail we have been working continuously the “works of mercy” stressed by Holy Father during the Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016.

Every first Sunday of the month we have a second collection for the poor during all the weekend Masses. We collect approximately RM2,500 to 4,000 plus in order to support the poor and the underprivileged. We have almost 250 adoptees mainly the refugees and we spend RM10,000 to RM15,000 every month. Our expenses are more than our income but we trust in God’s providence.

When it comes to the outreach to the needy in our neighbourhood, it is all about “heart, head and hands.” The “heart” is the one where we reach for “the lost, the last, and the least.” The “head” is to do with the outreach plans and strategy through planning, games, activities, etc. for the needy. The “hands” is to do with the outreach with one another and empowerment where the members or volunteers are trained, equipped with resources in order to bring others to the Lord Jesus.

The PHIDM provides space for learning, mobilising, connecting, and engaging every parishioner to involve in their outreach. Most of the time they find their work and commitments are overloaded and they do not have the manpower to assist the poor. We know everyone is busy, stressful with our own personal carrier and we too are overcommitted with many other tasks at home and work places. Despite this,  over the years this ministry is steadily growing in their outreach to the poor and marganislised. They too have brought a lot of success through number of events. No matter what, we do still struggle to engage all parishioners to build bridges with those in need and to find place of effectiveness and service in the community.

The PHIDM is a vibrant ministry in or parish looking for more volunteers and donours to serve the poor. We try to listen unceasingly of the struggles of the poor people and find ways to address to them and try to bring an awareness to them. United with a passion to serve the needy, let’s together as one family of St Joseph to fulfill our vision and mission.

St Anthony of Padua: “Actions speak Louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”

ONE IN CHRIST

What is this bread that we share in the Holy Eucharist? It is such a small piece of bread that it is hardly sufficient to satisfy the hunger of anyone. We believe that it is no more the bread made of wheat. But it has transformed into the Body and the Blood of Jesus. We should look at it with the eyes of faith. 

For this reason we make the sign of the cross in preparation to receive it and we say AMEN when we receive “The Body of Christ”.

This transformation will be meaningful to us only if it makes a transformation in our own lives. That means, the meaning of the Eucharist for us depends on a certain transformation in our lives. What is this transformation?

Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador said, “My hunger is my physical problem, but the hunger of my neighbour is my spiritual problem. It needs more attention than my own hunger”.

Let us pray on this Solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that we shall unite ourselves with Him in the Holy Communion, the true and real Presence of Jesus.

THE UNITY IN TRINITY

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” (2 Cor 13:13). 

There are many mysteries in the Christian faith, one of which has to do with the nature of God. How can we understand God who is described in the Bible as both the one true God and the God we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

There is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. In this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. The whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. The Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped and glorified.

We are to baptise “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” thereby bringing people into a direct relationship with God as we believe in Him:
First, we learn to believe in God the Father, who has created us and all the World.
Secondly, in God the Son who redeems us and the whole world. Thirdly, in God the Holy Spirit, who Sanctifies us and all the people of God.

The Holy Spirit is always with us, so it will help us to fulfill mission of Christ. By His Spirit we can bring the Gospel to everyone and use what the Father gave us for the well-being of others. 

MAY WE BE ONE AS WE JOURNEY AS A PARISH

We have concluded the Easter season last weekend with the feast of the Pentecost. Our Easter spiritual experiences and the Pentecost celebration have made us as disciples of hope and a new people filled with the Holy Spirit. As we continue our journey “Towards Strengthening Our Faith Community” with a new heart we are constantly reminded to live the gospel values of mercy and love, justice and peace.

We have completed half a year of 2017. We shall be journeying for the next six months in the Ordinary Week of the liturgical calendar till we reach the season of Advent in early December. I have completed three years journey in this parish of St Joseph Sentul. I guess I have another three years ahead to accomplish my mission here in this parish.

My three years journey with you my dear parishioners were rough and tough, steep and winding. Frankly speaking, I enjoy ministering here. In doing and being with you in this parish I have learnt much about myself as an individual and as a priest and I am still learning. In these past three years, I admit that there are some areas I still find hard to minister and collaborate especially with our parish youth. I find myself often ‘nagging’ the young people. I know I am sent here for a reason and I hope you appreciate me.

In the coming years, we will see some of you finishing your catechism. Some of you may move into institutes of higher learning, some may be getting married, having kids, getting big jobs, and whatever it may be. The truth is that we all grow with different interests and goals in life. At the end, you are responsible for your own happiness. If you have an interest in something for our ministry, go after it. Time will fly when we are having fun and be actively involved in the parish activities. That is how our time should be in the Church.

Last Wednesday 7^th June, we formed and commissioned the new BECCOT team under the leadership of Mary Bernadette Peters. She and her team have taken their commitment of being the core-team of BECCOT in front of the rest of BEC coordinators for the next three years. They have agreed to give their time and cooperation in assisting and fulfilling the initiatives, which our parish undertakes. We are also grateful to the outgoing BECCOT Chairman, Joe Fernando and his team who made many events and activities into a reality and success. Joe Fernando will take on the leadership of the Parish Fund-Raising Committee soon. On behalf of the Parishioners and BEC coordinators, I humbly request the outgoing BECCOT Core-Team to continue to stay with our parish and to be continuously involved in various activities to fulfill our parish mission and vision. For the New BECCOT Team, we hope that you may prayerfully, reflectively and effectively channel your talents and the gospel values in our 34 BECs and parish at large.

We shall continue to walk and work together and be always on the move in assisting one another in our BECs. It is in progressing forward that we will receive the fulfillment of God’s promises in our life. My wish for everyone is that  “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, and press on toward the goal…” (Phil 3: 13-14).