THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

After completing 40 days of Lent, Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum, we are now in the midst of the Easter season. This year Eastertide began on Easter Sunday, 4 April 2021 and it will last for fifty days, ending on the Solemnity of Pentecost, which falls on Sunday, 23 May 2021. Easter is a very crucial celebration in our liturgical calendar, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christian faith – “If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and so is your faith,” (1 Cor 15:14). Thus, His resurrection has confirmed and secured our Christian faith. 

It is already a week since Eastertide began and the festivities of the season are important for our Christian faith because:

i)               Jesus’ resurrection has ascertained that He is our true God. He keeps His word and His promise is unchangeable, true and alive.

ii)              Christ’s resurrection has ensured our salvation. He gives us the gift of salvation freely. We are saved by Him. By his death and resurrection, we have eternal life – “For the wage paid by sin is death; the gift freely given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 6:23).

iii)         Jesus has conquered sin and death. By his resurrection, sin will no longer have any power over us. Instead, we live under the freedom of God’s grace, (cf. Rom 6:14).

iv)           Jesus assures us victory over sin, and we share in His glory and one day we will behold His glory in Heaven (cf. Jn 17: 24). In this present life and as we journey with Him, He gives us hope, strength and courage to live and share in his richness and glory.

v)           We love and serve a God who sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our freedom and salvation. He is physically risen and alive in our midst as He promised.

vi)            The resurrection of Christ brings hope of eternal life. He stands as a sign of hope in all our trials, temptations, sufferings and even death. We can hold onto this hope until He returns.

We will commence our 9-day Novena to St Joseph, the Worker, on 23 April 2021. During this nine-day Novena, we will focus on the 7 virtues of St Joseph, which have been highlighted by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his apostolic letter on “Patris Corde” – (With the Father’s Heart). Last year we had our Novena and Masses online, but this year we invite you to be physically present in Church. We will be streaming the Novena and Mass live, so those at home may join us too.

We invite pilgrims - particularly those in the Klang Valley - to travel to our Parish, which is the Pilgrim Center Parish in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. Come and pay your homage to St Joseph and pray your thanksgiving prayers any time of the day. Ask for his continuous intercession for your personal needs, that of your family and your community.

“St Joseph was a just man, a tireless worker, the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care. May he always guard, protect and enlighten families,” (Saint Pope John Paul II).