FROM SPIRITUAL FATHER TO CARDINAL

On 9^th October, our Holy Father Pope Francis announced that the Universal Church will have 17 new Roman Catholic Cardinals. The consistory is scheduled to take place on 19^th November, the day before the Solemnity of Christ the King and the close of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Thirteen of the newly named Cardinals are under 80 years and are therefore eligible to take part in a papal election (conclave). The other four are not eligible to vote but they were given this title as an honorary title.

Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez has been appointed as the first ever Roman Catholic Cardinal in Malaysia. He is awarded this title in recognition of his extraordinary faith and service for the Church in Peninsular Malaysia. Cardinal-elect Fernandez was born on 22 April 1932 and became a priest on 10 December 1966. He was appointed as Bishop of Penang on 29 September 1977 and then as an Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur on 30 July 1983. He retired as an Archbishop on 24 May 2003. From ‘His Grace’, today we are proud to address him as ‘His Eminence.

Last year Tan Sri Bernard Dompok was appointed as our first ever resident ambassador to Vatican based in Rome. Today, our country is really privileged to have its first ever Cardinal and Ambassador. We thank Pope Francis for appointing our Archbishop Emeritus Soter Fernandez as Malaysia’s first Cardinal and Tan Sri Dompok as Malaysia’s first Ambassador.

Who are these Cardinals of the Catholic Church? The word “cardinal” is derived from the Latin cardinalis, which in turn derived from ‘cardo-dinis’, meaning “the hinge of a gate, and, by extension, support, and foundation.” The cardinals are the “hinges” upon which the doors of the Church swing open and shut; they are the “support,” the “foundation” of the Catholic Church. Cardinals come after the Pope in the Church hierarchy.

Cardinals are princes of the Church appointed by the Pope. They are the closest advisors for the Church's leader, the Pope and to assist him in his duties as universal pastor. There are currently 211 members in the College of Cardinals who are under 80 and they have the right to choose always among them with the help of the Holy Spirit a new Pope.

I was overwhelmed when I heard the news that Archbishop Emeritus Soter was named as Cardinal. I spoke to him over the phone two days after his appointment to congratulate him. He was very happy and told me that he would be leaving for Rome in November to receive the “red hat”. The red hats are given to the cardinals are the color of blood, signifying that they are expected to witness to the faith “even unto the shedding of blood” that is, even as martyrs.

Cardinal-elect Soter Fernandez was the one who accepted and sent me to the Seminary in Penang. He is like a “Father” to me because he has encouraged and guided me since I wanted to be a priest in 1993. He ordained me as a priest in February 2003 and sent me to Kuantan and Terengganu as my first posting. I was the last candidate ordained by him before his retirement and he always appreciates me very much as the “last son” ordained by him.

Your Eminence, our love, prayers and best wishes from Parishioners of St Joseph’s Church, Sentul.

Be Persistent

The widow in the gospel (LK 18:1-8), she has nobody to defend her rights so she kept making trips to Judge’s office day and night asking "I want justice from you against my enemies." Because of her pestering finally the judge was ready to give the widow her just rights. Persistent is her strong point. 

Well, we never make God tired with our petitions but persistence and consistence are most necessary in prayer life. We must never lose heart and never grow hopeless about any situation. We must never become pessimistic in our prayer life.

God may not answer our prayers immediately but wait patiently. He may have other objectives that are better for us in the long run. 

Prayer can’t change God; it should change us. If we get our praying right, the rest of our lives will fall into place. Don’t quit – keep on praying persistently! Start praying positively. Let us ask God to make us strong in our faith, unwavering in our hope and persistent in our prayers.

JOURNEYING TOWARDS AN “INTEGRAL EVANGELIZATION”

Last week I was in Penang Island for my annual retreat. It was a fruitful retreat and I have learnt one important aspect of my priesthood and prayer life. I realise my prayer life is not deep enough. So far I am unable to truly master my prayer life but it made me realise that prayer is an essential part of my priestly life. Without my daily prayer life and without the celebration of the Eucharistic I would not be able to carry out my priestly ministry.

Jesus prayed so many times. He even prayed the whole night alone (LK 6:12) to show us the face of life in His personal relationship with the Father. Prayer has to be a part of our daily life and it is a breathing of the spirit. Without this breathing of prayer in our life then our spirit dies in us. We should not diminish that spirit that we have within us. St Paul reminds us that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline”(2 Tim 1:7).

Many incidents and unfortunate events took place in the month of October in relation to our clergy. We lost two of our  beloved priests (Frs. Philips Muthu and Peter Kim SJ) in our Archdiocese. Fr Jean Claude (a son of our parish) was also hospitalized, but is now back resting in his parish. We the clergy are a little shaken up when we see what is happening to our brother priests in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.

This month of the Rosary we priests also pray to Mary to strengthen our priestly ministry and our mission of evangelising the Good News in our nation. We pray that she will make all priests to be courageous in the midst of all the problems either our health, personal crisis or with the community. Mary was there with her Son from His birth to Ascension and she was present and appears in all events of the public life of Jesus. We, priests are also assured that Mother Mary stands behind every priest. St Pope John Paul II has invited all priests “to have an ever firmer and more tender devotion to the Virgin Mary and to show it by imitating her virtues and praying to her often.”

The Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention (PMPC) IV is just over. There were 650 delegates from all over the Peninsular Malaysia who gathered at Majodi Center, Plentong, Johor Bahru from 2^nd – 5^th October, 2016. This is my second convention I have attended ever since I became a priest. The first one was in 2006. The Church in Peninsular Malaysia has journeyed for 40 years since 1976 and has decided to move forward with the new vision and mission: “Intergral Evengalisation” for the next 10 years and beyond.

All delegates, facilitators and presenters felt the movement and intervention of the Holy Spirit throughout the convention. All of us strongly believe that "the Holy Spirit is always the principal agent of evangelisation" in the Church. The Church in Peninsular Malaysia needs more discernment, dialogues, (particularly with the poor, cultures and religions) as well as initiating action plans in order to grow more progressively for the next 10 years. Let us together as a Church “Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of Spirit," (Rom 12:11). 

Mary, Mother of priests and Mother of the Church, pray for us!

Be Gratitude to God

As Christ was heading towards Jerusalem, He met ten lepers cried out to Him for help, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" Jesus had pity on the lepers and He healed them. They went off rejoicing because they were cleansed. But only one leper thought it worthwhile to return and say thanks. "Where are the other nine?” (LK 17: 11-19).

Jesus expressed disappointment at the attitude of the nine who stayed away and forgot to thank and praise God. God too has a heart, which can be hurt by our ingratitude.

We are unaware of our own ungratefulness and at time we fail to express thanks to God for favours granted. Whatever misfortune happens to us, if we thank and praise God for it, sure it turns into a blessing. We are expected to thank God not only for our happy days but for the upsetting days as well. 

We should not let a day pass without thanking and praising God for His blessings, for the good things, the crosses and trials that put us to test.

"The Lord has shown his salvation to the nations"

Honouring Mary in the Month of October

Will you pray the Rosary with your BEC members and families daily in this month of October? The month of October is devoted to Mary and praying the Rosary. It is a month during which we need to increase our Marian spirituality. It is good to get a statue or Holy picture of Our Lady and place it at a prominent place in your home. You can decorate it with a bouquet of flowers or in your own creative way. In our Church we have placed the statue of Our Lady and St Joseph side by side at the sanctuary. You can always bring your kids and your elderly or sick members of your family to pray the Rosary at the Church. You can light up candles at the grotto and pray inside the Church.

Some Protestants have asked me, “What is the purpose of having the rosary devotion in the month of October?” We, Catholics have great respect and great love for Mary, the Mother of God. Many of us have our personal experiences or favorite memories with Mother Mary and those experiences or memories have kept our families and us closer to Her.

Everything the Church teaches about Mother Mary is meant to teach us something about Jesus Christ. She always points us to Jesus, her Son. Only mothers know much about their children, thus Mother Mary too knows Her Son well. She will help us to increase our love for Jesus day by day. Just as our earthly mothers will not let their sons and daughters down, our Heavenly Mother too will never let us down and she will continue to guide us towards the heavenly path.

How did Mother Mary grow so significantly in my spiritual life? During my younger days I didn't have much affection towards her. It all started since 1995 during my seminary days. Every day after dinner we seminarians would gather together either as a class or community to pray the Rosary. We would walk at least 20-30 minutes around our College compound reciting the rosary and end it at the grotto. That is how the Rosary became an important part of my prayer life. I urge all of you to teach your children and others to love the Rosary and to develop a habit of praying it through your example and encouragement.

“The Mother of Christ and of the Church is always with us. She walks with us always, She is with us.” Particularly, in the month of Rosary, we Catholics should honour her. As we begin praying our rosary daily this whole month, we will be able to feel that she is on our side and we shall gain many rewards through her intercession to her Son, Jesus Christ.  As we give honour to her in this month, let us ask her to pray for our needs and the need of others. May she help us in our faith as we treasuring Jesus in our hearts and in our homes ultimately bringing peace to our lives.