We have come to the end of the Advent season - a time of preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent now gives way to the celebration of His first coming as Baby Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem, and for the next three weeks, we will read, hear, and reflect on Christmas stories again. These stories tell of the long-awaited Messiah entering human history, including his birth and his childhood narrative, before his public ministry.
Since the First Week of Advent, the front view of our church compound has been decorated with lights, Christmas trees, a crib and other decorations. Inside the church, the red and gold-coloured linen cloths hang ceremoniously. Our Church looks simply majestic with more decorations this year. For this, we must thank Ah Lek, La Seng, Melisa, Francis Loh, Peter Tan, Anthony Dass, Maria and a few others for working together to make our Church even more beautiful.
The Parish Christmas Carollers have been rehearsing for several weeks now, and they will come together to perform for 30 minutes at the altar just before the Christmas Eve Mass. The performance will take place in front of the entire congregation. This year, we are proud to have university students from East Malaysia join the choir and carolling group, making it even more special. The Carollers have also been invited to perform at the Swiss Garden Hotel in Kuantan on December 24th. The Mandarin Carollers have performed at the old folks’ home, orphanage, and in several residential homes. After the Mandarin Mass last weekend, they also sang carols at the Church’s main entrance.
During the Advent season, we had the opportunity to administer the Sacrament of Holy Anointing and Holy Communion to 15 homebound individuals. These are old folks and elderly who live alone and long to experience the presence of Jesus.
Advent is also a time of reconciliation and being at peace with one another, and it is a time to experience the mercy of God by forgiving someone who has hurt us. On Tuesday, 19th December, eight priests were available for the Penitential Service at our Church, and about 200 Parishioners made a good confession to prepare themselves for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Christmas is a time of excitement, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas music is always enjoyable, and we all like to hum and sing along to classic songs such as “O Holy Night”, “Silent Night”, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, “Joy to the World”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, etc. Christmas is indeed a time for happiness and joy, as we remember and celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Saviour.
We have celebrated many Christmases before, but how can we make this Christmas special for ourselves and our family? Let’s embrace the true spirit of Christmas by spreading kindness, generosity, love, and peace. This year, let’s make an effort to reach out to those who are lonely and in need. And if you are alone this holiday season, seek good company to spend it with!
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