The Holy Father, Pope Francis has declared
the First World Day of the Poor to be celebrated on 19 November 2017 (33rd
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 19th
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.”
No comments:
Post a Comment