ARE WE MISSING OUT ON JESUS’ INVITATION?

What do we understand of the Gospel of St John Chapter 6, on the account of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, Jesus – Bread of Life discourse and the disciples’ testimony that Jesus has the words of eternal life? St John the Evangelist offers a kind of encounter with God. It is Jesus’ invitation to love and to live a life worthy of God’s children and which will sustain us for ALL times. When we stay truthful and faithful to Jesus, we can encounter God.

In giving us the Bread of Life, Jesus does not offer temporary nourishment, He gives us the eternal bread of His word. It will not pass away. It will nourish and give life to us forever. Jesus is this bread, and in offering to share it with us he calls us to have faith in him.

Jesus invites us to “come to Him, “believe in Him,” “look upon Him,” “be drawn to Him,” “hear Him,” and to “learn of Him.” (cf. John 6:36, 37, 40, 44, 45). All of these verbs invite the active  response of our faith in His word. His word is nourishment for our faith.

He is the true Bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger! The world around us is experiencing hunger and thirst of huge proportions. When we approach the Table of the Lord, the Table of Plenty, we expect to receive pardon, healing, reassurance and comfort. That’s cool, but our Lord has more in store for us – much more than we can ever imagine! 

What is stopping us from stepping forward – to boldly look out for a place where we can, in love and in trust, respond to his invitation? Is it our noisy surroundings, our preoccupation with self, our pride, our fears, our many attachments? To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come. Are we alert so as not to miss out on Jesus Christ’s invitation to love and to abide with him? May our participation in the Eucharistic celebrations continue to transform our parish community and the society around us into a civilization of love! May our longing for the Eucharist make us ever more patient and kind with one another in our homes and wherever we may be. Let us pray that we may truly become what we receive in the Eucharistic meal.

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never  hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst,” (Jn 6:35).

EMPOWERED TO WITNESS FOR CHRIST

This year, 52 students (39 of our own students and 5 RCIA candidates; 5  from Risen Christ Church, and 3 from Sacred Heart Church, Bentong), will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation during the 6.00 pm Mass at the Church of St. Joseph on Saturday, August 1st, 2015. The Archbishop will be present to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.

This year we are privileged to witness the Installation of Fr. George PackiaSamy, who has served for more than a year thus far,  as parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church for a term of  6 years.

The rite of Installation will take place before the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Archbishop will hand over the Parish Keys (Key of Parish house, Main Church door and Tabernacle). After the Gospel reading, the letter of  appointment as a parish priest will be read out from the lectern. The Archbishop will invite the Parish Priest to profess his faith as he recites the Apostles’ Creed with the congregation. Then, the priest will be invited to stand before the Archbishop and renew the promises which he had taken during his Ordination as a priest.  He, then, will take the oath of fidelity at the altar as he places his hand on the book of Gospel. Finally, the Archbishop will present the parish priest to the parishioners.

The rite of Confirmation will take place after the above rite. The candidates are called by name; the Archbishop addresses the candidates and then he will invite the candidates to renew the profession of faith which they made on their baptism day as a sign of union with the whole Church. The Archbishop will then extend his hands upon all the candidates and pray that God the Father will send the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – Spirit of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord, (Is 11:2; CCC no 1831). The Archbishop will then anoint the foreheads of the Confirmands with Chrism Oil.

So above is a gist of the rites of Installation as a priest and of Confirmation.

My dear Confirmands, teachers, parents and godparents: On behalf of St Joseph’s parish, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the wonderful journey you have embarked upon so far. Confirmands, now you are matured Christian Catholics and you are responsible to witness your faith in Christ and her bride, the Church. As you mature in Christ, we invite you to take every effort to pray and read the Bible and other spiritual books on your own, fulfil the Church obligations and to get involved in parish  activities/ministries.

Parents and godparents, be vigilant by being responsible to keep on guiding them in their spiritual journey. God bless you and your families!

The Investiture of Pallium

This year Pope Francis changed the way in which palliums were distributed to new metropolitan Archbishops. The pallium is a liturgical vestment comprised of strips of white wool embroidered with black crosses, held together with pins and worn over the shoulders of Archbishops at solemn events (see the image above).

About 40 new archbishops traveled to Rome to receive their pallium from Pope Francis who presided over the Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on 29 June, 2015, the feast of Ss Peter and Paul.

 The pallium symbolizes the sheep which the Good Shepherd bore on His shoulder and the bond between the Archbishops and the Pope. When worn by the Pope, the pallium signifies the fullness of his office and authority. When worn by Archbishops, it symbolises their unity with the Pope and their role as shepherds and their ties to one another and to the Pope.

Every year the Pope places the pallium around the neck of each new Archbishop, but this year the Holy Father simply blessed them and presented it to them. The Archbishops take their pallium back home to their region or Archdiocese and the imposition will be done by the papal Nuncio in the presence of the faithful as well as bishops from the neighbouring diocese.

As for our Archbishop Julian Leow, the investiture of the pallium will be held during the Mass at St John’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur when he is back from Rome. We may then have an opportunity to witness this rare and significant ceremony which will take place on Sunday, 2 August, 2015.

As a faith community, let us pray and join our Holy Father in his aspiration that the new Archbishops will be faithful witnesses and be men of prayer to care for the flock entrusted to them.

"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you" (Jn 21:17).

Making Space For Others

The Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Team (PMPT) has chosen a theme for this month of June:

“Making Space For Others” 

Our vision is to Strengthen Our Faith Community and it takes everyone’s effort. When it comes to serving the Lord, we need to make space for others, to acknowledge their presence, their individuality, to regard them with kindness and compassion. Many of us find it difficult to relinquish our hold on positions, whether it is at the workplace, within the family institution or within the Church. We think that, because we have been chosen or appointed, even more, when we have been in that particular position for a long time, we can call the shots! Please think about this –     making space for others is necessary for progression.

The moment we offer our services to God, we should leave behind  all our egos, pride and selfishness at the door and take on a humble mantle. To truly support the other’s growth, we need to keep our ego out of it and create a space where others can have the opportunity to grow and learn.  So why is it that we let our pride and ego get in the way of serving our God? Are we truly serving Him or are we serving our pride and ego?

Good leaders make space for others to succeed and to bring their skills to build community. It is all right to make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. None of us came into this world fully equipped. We should use our knowledge to teach the young blood. When they make mistakes, instead of chiding them and belittling them, we should gently guide and help them in the right direction. We need to trust the Lord and to have faith in Him. As we make space for others, we make space for God’s love and His power to reign. We make it possible for God to share the result of goodness and our good works with everyone. Making space for others involves sacrifices on our part. Let’s make that sacrifice and let the Kingdom of God grow!

Jesus: The Heart of the Family Part I & II

This week we shall recap and reflect on the “Homilies on Family” shared by “sons of our parish” during the Novena and Feast of St Joseph, the Worker  (24th April – 3rd May, 2015).

We long to live in a perfect family setting but families today are facing major challenges, trials and tests of faith. The institution of the family is in danger today. Many families are finding themselves fragmented, hurting,  depressed and in danger of breaking up. Divorce is on the rise, affecting society and the community. Family members are hurting in silence.

Why do today’s families go off-track? Some areas to ponder and re-examine:-

* Are we committed to slow down, to listen, to reflect on the Word of God, to re-examine our conscience; to take time to come together as a family to pray?
* What is our identity as a Christian family? There are times we lose our identity as children of God. We forget our Christ-centred roles as husbands and wives, parents and children to build up family, church and the community; may lead to rebellious tendencies and even separation!  * Family members find it increasingly hard to talk and to enjoy each other’s presence; not even during meal times (be it only once a week!), as the use of modern day gadgets has crept into family life, threatening to disrupt the bond and sanctity of family life.
* Lack of charity, compassion and understanding. We gossip and point out the wrongdoings within family members and neighbours to justify ourselves. It is hard to love our spouses, our children, our neighbours when we insist on being right; we react, with dire consequences!
* Married couples are not serious when it comes to marriage promises. Spouses fail to be content with the ten good qualities they see in their spouses and children and are tempted to be unfaithful.
* Many of our families do not take their faith seriously – e.g. parents of Catechism students are not serious in ensuring  proper attendance during Catechism classes; Ensuring family participation in the Eucharist will help uphold the sanctity of the family.

Today, more than ever, the Church needs “genuine Christian families” as role models and examples of Hope and Perseverance to weather these challenging times. We must stay together as a church (BEC) community rooted in Christ - for today’s family to emerge strong and purified in these trying times.

Even though there was a special grace about them, the Holy Family themselves were not perfect. They too had their share of troubled moments, doubts and    misunderstandings.  Being human, Joseph and Mary also failed in some way as parents but they remained faithful.  We can’t expect to be a perfect family, but like the Holy Family, we can pick ourselves up again and journey on.

Because of Joseph’s and Mary’s love for Jesus, they went against all odds,    suffering and persecutions and  yet lived a holy life. Let us never tire to follow in the footsteps of the Holy Family and make our families to be truly strong and holy today.


Part II:

A challenging question:  Do we agree with the title, “Jesus, the Heart of the Family”?

For many of us, going to church has become routine. Is Jesus the one attracting you to church? Why do you go to church? There’ll be many varied answers because each one has his/her own reason.

Has Jesus become personal to me, or is He just a ‘weekend Jesus’? To be in church means to be in touch with Jesus. I am living a cut-off life if I only live secure in the comfort of my home. To be fully alive in Christ, I must live within the family of Church. The challenge for     families/communities today is this – Jesus says, “If you are Mine, I want to break your walls.” I want you to make me known to all peoples around you. Let them know what you believe in, what you are prepared to give. When we begin to isolate ourselves as individual families, we cannot experience the fullness and joy of what it means to be truly family, to belong to the family of God.

Most of us do not know what Jesus said, because we are reluctant to read the Word of God. If we ignore God’s Word, then what do we live by? Is this what God called us to? We come to church but do we know what Jesus said in the Gospel, what St. Paul said in the Readings? What is Jesus asking me to do and not to do? The Word of God is meant to touch me, to re-examine my life within the family. Our religious practices have become routine and we do what we want to our satisfaction. Then, we complain: God, why are you not listening to me?  Why is it that we are resisting to read, reflect and internalize the Word of God? What is holding us back from listening and knowing God more intimately.

Vatican II says, “A family is a mini Church” – yes, we must be open to other families, to give and to receive with love. For families to find joy, Jesus must be the centre of that family. The family unit is the best institution God has created. Jesus asks: Am I there in your family? Bishop J. Fulton Sheen wrote the book, “Three To Get Married”. Is Jesus part of our good times and bad times? See what sufferings  Joseph and Mary had to go through because of their love for Jesus.

What is important is the Person whom we believe in. Do we allow Jesus to emerge as the central figure in my life? Why do we feel   perturbed when our world seems to be crumbling? We ask: Why are these things happening in my life? Where is our faith? Remember always that Jesus’ total trust and abandonment to His Father gave us salvation and new life!

We should not allow the world to tell us how to live as family.  We must allow Jesus the Word, to be Life in us and through us. Let us pray and ask God for the grace and strength to say, “Thy Will Be Done.”