LET’S WORK TOWARDS INTERFAITH HARMONY

The Muslims are celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It is the day that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. Hari Raya is the longest holiday in Malaysia especially for the Muslims. They return to their family home (balik kampong). Even school children and non-Muslims too are enjoying their holidays for a couple of days.

During Hari Raya, the Muslims meet up with their families and friends, seeking forgiveness from one another, visit graves of their departed loved ones, praying at the mosque and visiting friends and relatives. Some of you would have visited and greeted your neighbourhood friends, working colleagues and schoolmates and wished them Selamat Hari Raya. You would have tasted their delicacies like ketupat, lontong, ayam masak merah, beef rendang, satay, lemang and kuih-muih. YUMMY!

I remember tasting all these delicacies when I was in secondary school. I used to hang around with my Muslim school friends almost every weekend and we cycled almost everywhere. We played football together. We went swimming and jungle tracking too. We paid visits to each other’s homes not only during festive seasons but every school term holidays and public holidays. We rejoiced in the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood at that time. Many of you would have experienced this personally in your lives during school days.

Over the years we have lost this spirit of friendship and relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in our nation. Personally, I feel it is because of the interest of certain politicians. They have created a lot of fractions among the races and religions, which cause hate and intolerance. Today, we fail to see the good will among everyone and we lose a part of who we are as people of faith. Now, with all these extremists and ISIS and the personal interest/agenda of politicians we are living in fearful times and also fear for the future of the next generation.

Our Catholic Church consistently invites the Muslims to dialogue. When will we put aside our personal prejudice and embrace each other as one nation? Let us hope and pray that Muslims and non-Muslims will move towards living together in peace and harmony in Malaysia.

Last Saturday (2nd July), 38 confirmands received their Sacrament of Confirmation. Thirty of them were Form 5 students; four were adults from the RCIA of our own parish and the remaining four from Church of the Risen Christ. On Sunday, 3rd July, I invited our newly confirmed form five students to come for a one hour class with me. During the session, they came forward one by one to share their experiences on how they felt before and after receiving the Sacrament. They were able to identify the movements of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit during the celebration. We hope and pray that they will treasure what they have experienced and learnt during their catechism days. It was a conclusion catechism class for them. On behalf of the Catechetical Ministry, I would like to say a big “Thank You” to all the teachers and coordinators who have formed them in Christ in these past years.

THE PRIMA PROCESS

THE BIBLE SUNDAY was celebrated on 10 July 2015.

I would like to share with you “The PRIMA PROCESS” which I took it from the CATHOLIC YOUTH BIBLE 2004 (CYB). PRIMA is the Latin word for “FIRST.” Each letter of the word stands for a step in reading and studying the Bible individually or with a group.

P – PRAY: Begin with a prayer that your time with the Bible will draw you closer to God.

R – READ: Read attentively, trusting that God will give you what you need to learn or grow.

I – IMAGINE: Imagine what was going on when the passage was first written. What is its cultural and historical context? Try to put yourself into the story. What was the authour trying to get across?

M – MEDITATE: Meditate on what you have read. How does this fit in the context of the best of the Bible’s teaching, with the Church’s teaching? What do you think God is teaching you?

A – APPLY: Apply what you have read to your life. God may be calling you to address a particular issue or relationship. Or you may find words of comfort and support you need at this particular time. Carry God’s word into the rest of your day, the rest of your life?

Using PRIMA process assists you remember to keep God first in your life. It is God’s Word in the Bible can change your life!

The Good Samaritan

In the parable, we see the Priest and Levite were self-centered people. They put themselves first. The Samaritan, on the other hand, was an unselfish person. He put the other person first. The Samaritan was a carer. Carers are very special people. They are “the salt of the earth and the light of the world.” Each of us has the capacity to care for everyone.

The Priest and the Levite ignored their opportunities but the Samaritan didn’t. The opportunity to care comes our way every day and in every other way. It is within our power to say a kind word, to offer a little sympathy, to give a little support and care. At the end of the parable, Jesus said to the lawyer, “Go and do the same yourself” (Lk 10: 37). Those words are spoken to us, too, go and do likewise.

Mission of the Church is for All!!!

In the gospel of LK 10:1-12, 17-20, Jesus sends out the seventy in groups of two. He sends them out two by two because it provides companionship for their journey, and the ability to hold up each other when the going gets tough. The seventy disciples or missionaries are told that they may not be successful or well received in every town and not everyone will receive the message of Christ with open heart.

Every authentic Christian is called to participate in the spreading of the message of Christ through a total commitment in prayer and action. He calls us to commit ourselves completely to Him, and hold nothing back.

Mission is for all of us. You have been invited, you have been sent, you have been entrusted to carry out the mission of the Church. We shall continue to pray for the increase of consecrated vocations to the priesthood and religious life and the involvement of laity in the life of the Church.

AMORIS LAETITIA – ON LOVE IN THE FAMILY

Last weekend I was away from our Parish as I was focusing on the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC) at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre, Kuala Lumpur. I was one of the main presenters for the 27 couples who were preparing themselves for marriage. The weekend’s course was basically to help couples reflect on the significance of marriage and family from the perspective of the Catholic Church’s teachings. It is a great preparatory course and very practical too, in order for couples to understand the ultimate meaning of marriage life and how to relate to one another in relation to the Church, culture, community, family as well as personal relationships.

During the weekend of CMPC, I really took time to complete my reading on the new document on Marriage, which is called in Latin, ‘AMORIS LAETITIA, (The Joy of Love)’. Pope Francis released this great teaching document of the Church on love in the family dated 19 March 2016. It is 214 pages long and I read it in between the sessions and during my break time over the weekend prayerfully and thoughtfully. While reading I sensed my exhilaration, excitement and enthusiasm was greatly heightened.

The ‘Joy of Love’ primarily focuses on pastoral care in line with the Year of Mercy, which covers a wide collection of topics connected with the family and marriage today. The Pope inscribed it with Scripture, the actual situation of families and how to keep firmly grounded in reality. This document is to help us grow towards realising the Church’s   teaching on Marriage in our own lives and to help integrate us into the life of the Church. For the priests, the Holy Father stresses the importance of tenderness, compassion, and encouragement when issues facing families, divorce, those civilly remarried, couples who are living together, same sex union and upbringing of children. The clergy are reminded to carefully and prayerfully discern and take care of them with affection and encourage them along the path to conversion and the Gospel without watering down the Church’s teaching on marriage.

Presently, people face painfulness of marriage because they fail to provide love, support and security in the family. Many partners have done much damage and failed to save their marriage and closed the door forever. For couples who are in crisis give your marriage a second chance and put the pieces back together again. Have faith and hope and pray that you will always stick together and I’m sure you can make your marriage better and stronger than it was before.

Married couples can’t be sure of your family life but you need to focus on yourself, and on each other in the family. The Church always invites the individuals to focus on spiritual and moral life.

My dear parishioners, I strongly recommend you to read this document at your own pace. You can purchase it from our parish office.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL