CARING FOR THE POOR

The Holy Father, Pope Francis has declared the First World Day of the Poor to be celebrated on 19 November 2017 (33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time). He has announced it on 13 June 2017, the feast day of St Anthony of Padua, the great Franciscan Doctor of the Church, to make it the event a regular annual observance.

St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, took the words from St John: “Let us not love in words but in deeds” in order to identify with the poor. On this November 19^th the Holy Father invites us to proceed with a week, “Of numerous moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete aid.” He also suggests, “Invite the poor and the volunteers to take part together in the Sunday Eucharist, so that the celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is revealed even more genuine the following Sunday.”

On a regular basis, our Parish Integral of Human Development Ministry (PIHDM) has been doing something every week in terms of providing cash and provisions (groceries) for the poor who are staying around our vicinity. The poor in our neighbourhood always seek protection, assistance and love. Without fail we have been working continuously the “works of mercy” stressed by Holy Father during the Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016.

Every first Sunday of the month we have a second collection for the poor during all the weekend Masses. We collect approximately RM2,500 to 4,000 plus in order to support the poor and the underprivileged. We have almost 250 adoptees mainly the refugees and we spend RM10,000 to RM15,000 every month. Our expenses are more than our income but we trust in God’s providence.

When it comes to the outreach to the needy in our neighbourhood, it is all about “heart, head and hands.” The “heart” is the one where we reach for “the lost, the last, and the least.” The “head” is to do with the outreach plans and strategy through planning, games, activities, etc. for the needy. The “hands” is to do with the outreach with one another and empowerment where the members or volunteers are trained, equipped with resources in order to bring others to the Lord Jesus.

The PHIDM provides space for learning, mobilising, connecting, and engaging every parishioner to involve in their outreach. Most of the time they find their work and commitments are overloaded and they do not have the manpower to assist the poor. We know everyone is busy, stressful with our own personal carrier and we too are overcommitted with many other tasks at home and work places. Despite this,  over the years this ministry is steadily growing in their outreach to the poor and marganislised. They too have brought a lot of success through number of events. No matter what, we do still struggle to engage all parishioners to build bridges with those in need and to find place of effectiveness and service in the community.

The PHIDM is a vibrant ministry in or parish looking for more volunteers and donours to serve the poor. We try to listen unceasingly of the struggles of the poor people and find ways to address to them and try to bring an awareness to them. United with a passion to serve the needy, let’s together as one family of St Joseph to fulfill our vision and mission.

St Anthony of Padua: “Actions speak Louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.”

ONE IN CHRIST

What is this bread that we share in the Holy Eucharist? It is such a small piece of bread that it is hardly sufficient to satisfy the hunger of anyone. We believe that it is no more the bread made of wheat. But it has transformed into the Body and the Blood of Jesus. We should look at it with the eyes of faith. 

For this reason we make the sign of the cross in preparation to receive it and we say AMEN when we receive “The Body of Christ”.

This transformation will be meaningful to us only if it makes a transformation in our own lives. That means, the meaning of the Eucharist for us depends on a certain transformation in our lives. What is this transformation?

Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador said, “My hunger is my physical problem, but the hunger of my neighbour is my spiritual problem. It needs more attention than my own hunger”.

Let us pray on this Solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ that we shall unite ourselves with Him in the Holy Communion, the true and real Presence of Jesus.

THE UNITY IN TRINITY

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,” (2 Cor 13:13). 

There are many mysteries in the Christian faith, one of which has to do with the nature of God. How can we understand God who is described in the Bible as both the one true God and the God we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

There is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. In this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. The whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. The Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped and glorified.

We are to baptise “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” thereby bringing people into a direct relationship with God as we believe in Him:
First, we learn to believe in God the Father, who has created us and all the World.
Secondly, in God the Son who redeems us and the whole world. Thirdly, in God the Holy Spirit, who Sanctifies us and all the people of God.

The Holy Spirit is always with us, so it will help us to fulfill mission of Christ. By His Spirit we can bring the Gospel to everyone and use what the Father gave us for the well-being of others. 

MAY WE BE ONE AS WE JOURNEY AS A PARISH

We have concluded the Easter season last weekend with the feast of the Pentecost. Our Easter spiritual experiences and the Pentecost celebration have made us as disciples of hope and a new people filled with the Holy Spirit. As we continue our journey “Towards Strengthening Our Faith Community” with a new heart we are constantly reminded to live the gospel values of mercy and love, justice and peace.

We have completed half a year of 2017. We shall be journeying for the next six months in the Ordinary Week of the liturgical calendar till we reach the season of Advent in early December. I have completed three years journey in this parish of St Joseph Sentul. I guess I have another three years ahead to accomplish my mission here in this parish.

My three years journey with you my dear parishioners were rough and tough, steep and winding. Frankly speaking, I enjoy ministering here. In doing and being with you in this parish I have learnt much about myself as an individual and as a priest and I am still learning. In these past three years, I admit that there are some areas I still find hard to minister and collaborate especially with our parish youth. I find myself often ‘nagging’ the young people. I know I am sent here for a reason and I hope you appreciate me.

In the coming years, we will see some of you finishing your catechism. Some of you may move into institutes of higher learning, some may be getting married, having kids, getting big jobs, and whatever it may be. The truth is that we all grow with different interests and goals in life. At the end, you are responsible for your own happiness. If you have an interest in something for our ministry, go after it. Time will fly when we are having fun and be actively involved in the parish activities. That is how our time should be in the Church.

Last Wednesday 7^th June, we formed and commissioned the new BECCOT team under the leadership of Mary Bernadette Peters. She and her team have taken their commitment of being the core-team of BECCOT in front of the rest of BEC coordinators for the next three years. They have agreed to give their time and cooperation in assisting and fulfilling the initiatives, which our parish undertakes. We are also grateful to the outgoing BECCOT Chairman, Joe Fernando and his team who made many events and activities into a reality and success. Joe Fernando will take on the leadership of the Parish Fund-Raising Committee soon. On behalf of the Parishioners and BEC coordinators, I humbly request the outgoing BECCOT Core-Team to continue to stay with our parish and to be continuously involved in various activities to fulfill our parish mission and vision. For the New BECCOT Team, we hope that you may prayerfully, reflectively and effectively channel your talents and the gospel values in our 34 BECs and parish at large.

We shall continue to walk and work together and be always on the move in assisting one another in our BECs. It is in progressing forward that we will receive the fulfillment of God’s promises in our life. My wish for everyone is that  “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, and press on toward the goal…” (Phil 3: 13-14).

PREPARING OURSELVES TO BE WITNESSES THROUGH THE SPIRIT

We had some significant celebrations during the time of Lent and Easter season and Feast of St Joseph. The joy that the Risen Lord has prepared for us, “something that no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived,” (1 Cor 2:9). After seven weeks of celebration of Easter we come to an end with the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost - Christ’s Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in us.

“When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed as resting upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…,” (Acts 2.1–4).

The apostles received “the power from on high,” (LK 24:49) and they began to preach and bear witness to Jesus as the Risen Christ, the King of glory. This moment has traditionally been called the birthday of the Church.

As the St Joseph parish community, we should be proud when we look back these past three months where we were so intense and busy with many events and formations and even draining for some of us. I believe strongly that Jesus was really working in us through our commitments in various ministries to lead everyone into a deeper relationship with Him. Today we have come to celebrate the birthday of the Church once again with the hope of continuing to build, animate and sanctify our parish life.

We have learned that God’s Spirit is a Spirit of transformation, to bring about a personal change in us so that we could do much better in our lives. As true Christians we must let the Holy Spirit really change us from the inside out. We must grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3: 18) and focus on loving one another. As St Paul says, Spirit-filled Christians should be “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Cor 10:5). True Christians should obey God from the heart more deeply than ever have before, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Pentecost!

Every ministry in our parish is working “Towards Strengthening Our Faith Community” by preparing and enabling every parishioner to be active disciples of Jesus Christ, who realised that God calls them to witness to and share their faith. The Spirit of God is working in us and the joy of His work will allow us not to be short-lived but to be renewed in our faith and to grow, glow and go in the Spirit in our ministries. We hope to encourage more parishioners to be involved in all areas of preparation for our vision and mission 2017.

Our parish vision and mission will continue with the next most important event of the year which is the Parish Retreat. It is scheduled to be held in September 2017. The Parish Retreat committee led by Mary Bernadette Peters has started their ground work preparations. They will officially announce the details soon. Let’s pray that God’s plan for all individuals and families may be strengthened to be living witnesses to the Good News.