The monsoon rains have severely affected our surrounding areas, particularly in Pekan, Maran, and Muadzam Shah. Heavy rainfall over the past week has raised water levels and caused road closures, making many areas inaccessible. As a result, I was unable to travel to celebrate Mass for the Orang Asli and Indonesian communities who live far from our Church of St Thomas, Kuantan. I sincerely hope that, in the coming week, conditions will improve and that I will be able to visit their settlements to celebrate Jesus with them. Let us continue to keep all those affected by the monsoon in our prayers. Several families are affected, and we shall reach out to them before and after the Christmas celebration by providing necessary household items and financial aid.
We are now entering the Fourth Week of Advent, with Christmas just five days away. Over the past three weeks, we have journeyed together in spirit, preparing our hearts and minds for the special season of Advent and Christmas. It has been a meaningful time of prayer, reflection, and quiet moments as we await the arrival of the newborn Jesus, the Saviour of the world.
Advent invites us to be vigilant and prayerful. Let us take time to pray earnestly and make space in our hearts so that the loving presence of Christ may become the true treasure of our lives. I am pleased to see many of you taking this call seriously – coming for individual confession, participating in spiritual recollection, and spending time in the adoration room before the Blessed Sacrament. These moments of grace help prepare you inwardly for the celebration of Christmas.
Many of you have also been faithfully following the daily readings, attending daily and weekend Masses, performing acts of charity, and reaching out with compassion. During this time, we have administered the Anointing of the Sick for our elderly and homebound Parishioners. Let us remember them in our prayers, especially those who are unable to attend Mass in church due to illness and those who do not have anyone to bring them to church. These sacramental encounters serve as a meaningful preparation for Christmas, reminding them that the Church has not forgotten them, especially the weak and vulnerable.
Since the first week of Advent, our church compound has been beautifully adorned with Christmas lights. At night, the church shines like a city of lights, a visible sign of hope in the darkness. These lights will continue to shine throughout Christmas and until the end of the Jubilee Year of Hope.
As Christmas draws near, may we “cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light” (Rom 13:12). May the Lord fill our hearts with true joy and peace, strengthen our faith, and enable us to be bearers of His light and hope for one another.
WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A PEACEFUL, JOYFUL AND SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTMAS!
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