A SEED IS A MYSTERY

In today’s Gospel Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,” (Mk 4:26-34). A farmer plants a seed but he doesn’t know how it grows. Science explains exactly how it grows. Heat and moisture cause the seed to germinate.

The mustard plant can grow to a height of fifteen feet. That is a huge plant from such a tiny seed. The Church of Christ started with only a few people and now it has grown into a global family.

Just as the mustard seed provides shelter for the birds, we find protection and shelter in God’s Kingdom. In God’s Kingdom we find rest from the weariness of life. Just as the birds find rest and shelter in the mustard plant, we can find rest for our souls in Jesus. As St Augustine said, “our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Him.”

God has called each and every Christian to scatter seeds of faith to grow and bear abundant fruit and make a difference in the world.

SUBMITTING OURSELVES TO GOD

When Jesus defined God’s family He said “Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother,” (MK 3:35).

Are we part of our family? Jesus affirmed those who submitted to the will of God are His family. Those who submit to the will of God are accepted into the family of God, the Church. God’s family cares for one another in tough times and stays together and celebrates together as a Body of Christ. What a great privilege to be part of God’s family.

Most of us talk a lot about finding God’s will in their lives. God is still speaking, but the most prominent way God speaks to us today is through His Word. As we immerse ourselves daily in God’s Word, He will use it to speak to us.

As we get into God’s Word, we get to know God so intimately that He can guide us with His Holy Spirit. Life’s greatest family is the Church. Are we involved in the Church where you can say, “We are family?” Life’s greatest objective is to do God’s Will. We won’t know God’s will unless we are willing to submit ourselves to Him.

Mother Mary, make my heart only for Jesus.

A SPIRITUAL RETREAT FOR REST AND RENEWAL

Immediately after the feast of St. Joseph on 1 May 2018, a thought came to me about making a silent retreat overseas. After much consideration and prayer, I made up my mind to do my personal directed retreat at the Seven Fountains Retreat Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. When I wrote an email to Rev. Fr. Paul Pollock SJ., he replied within 20 minutes saying, “the room is waiting for you.” That got me excited and I quickly I applied for my leave.

On 20 May 2018, I left for Chiang Mai but before leaving, I printed a copy of the latest Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father, Pope Francis on “Gaudete et Exsultate” (GE) or “Rejoice and Be Glad” which was published on 19 March 2018, the feast of St Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a document about the call to holiness in today’s world. While I was on the flight, I was glancing at the document and the words of the Holy Father echoed in me, “we leave no room for God’s word,” (GE #68).

As I was entering the retreat center, the words of my retreat master, Fr. Pollock (via email) and the words of the Holy Father from the latest document, were strongly inviting me to reflect a little deeper on the meaning of “room”. For me, room indicated “heart” and I was longing to hear the voice of the Lord in my heart again. Hence, I needed to make room available in my heart for Jesus to speak.

In January 2002, just before beginning of my final year as a seminarian, I did a one-month silent retreat at this center. It was the best and last silent retreat I ever did in my life. Since then, I’ve come to realise that I have been too preoccupied with my ministry and that I’ve hardly spent time in prayer and mediation. I hoped and prayed that I would hear the whisper of the Lord in the room of my heart, as I was about to begin the one-week silent directed retreat. I started it without any expectation from the Lord, but instead I took it as a week of vacation and relaxation with Jesus.

On the first day of my retreat, I met my retreat master, Fr. Pollock, and he was happy that I had come to celebrate 15 years of my priestly life. He didn’t want to set any timetable for me, and instead left it to my own discretion. I made myself available to meet him every morning for at least for 30 minutes, and during the rest of the time, I allowed myself to be led by the Holy Spirit - in silent conversation in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Word of God, meditating, spiritual reading and walking around praying the Rosary. During the retreat I was so obsessed with the document of Holy Father on “Gaudete et Exsultate” and with a book called “Joy of the Priesthood” written by Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti, 2005.

As my retreat drew to a close, Fr. Pollock asked me to reflect on the story of Jesus cleansing the ten lepers, where only one leper came to glorify at Jesus’ feet from a thankful heart, (Luke 17:11-19). He encouraged me to take time off frequently to be with the Lord, celebrating my life as a priest, with thanksgivings in my heart. As for me, this retreat was a time away from my normal activities, to be solely with God. I gained the strength and joy in my priesthood and I am so thankful to God.

CHRIST IS DIVINELY PRESENT

Today’s celebration of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, is the feast of the very center and heart of our Church, the center and heart of our faith, and the center and heart of the lives of each of us.

On this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, we remember that Jesus is truly and really presence in the Eucharist. It teaches us that as real food, the Eucharist is the true body and blood of Christ which nourishes our souls. We are fed with the “heavenly food.” It is a concrete way through which Christ is divinely present with us every day and every moment.

When we receive Holy Communion, we also receive a mission to “Go in peace and glorifying the Lord by your life.” When we go forth after the Eucharistic celebration, we grow daily into the Eucharistic Christ who reaches out to all people and who gives Himself fully for the life of the world.

Pope Francis reminds us that the Eucharist is to become what we eat, to be another Christ for the world, to be Eucharistic in our self-giving love, in our reaching out and in our embrace of all people in the manner Jesus showed us.

IN MEMORY OF REV FR JOSPEH PEREIRA

Last Sunday, 20 May 2018, we celebrated the Solemnity of Pentecost and with that, the conclusion of the Easter season. 

It has been a week since we returned to Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar, and the weekday readings will continue from the 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II (Monday, 28 May) and the Sunday readings will be from Year B, featuring the Gospel of Mark. Before continuing with the Sunday in Ordinary Time, we will celebrate two important feasts, spanning two weekends - Feast of the Holy Trinity and the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). After which, Sundays in Ordinary Time will stretch for a period of time, till the end of November 2018.

Just before concluding the Easter season we lost a beloved priest, Fr Joseph Anthony Pereira. His funeral Mass was held on Saturday, 19 May 2018 at St Joseph’s Church, Sentul. Father Joe (as he was fondly known) spent his early childhood in Sentul and when he was a teenager, his family moved to Petaling Jaya. He was ordained as a priest in Church of the Sacred Heart, Kuala Lumpur.

Last year, Fr. Joe was invited as a Celebrant during a novena day to St Joseph, the Worker. He shared with me about his joy of celebrating Mass in our Church, after a very long period away from the country. He didn’t expect that our community would invite him for the novena, and was pleased that we did. There have been other occasions when Fr. Joe celebrated daily Mass in our parish, when I was away. I usually tell visiting priests to keep morning mass short, as parishioners need to rush off to work or school, but he would always seem to extend it a little, asking the congregation, ‘which is your priority - Jesus or work?”

He was a man of prayer. His homilies and sharing were always rooted in the Word of God. He highly looked up to the Eucharist. He was a gentle and polite man and a well respected man. Fr. Joe always kept the Word of God and Sacrament dear to his heart. In any conversation, he liked to quote the Word of God - even in our Clergy whatsapp chat group, he would send scriptural texts and video clips pertaining to our Catholic Church. 

Fr. Joe loved meeting people and having meals with them. I still remember the joy of serving at his last parish - Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Banting, Selangor. He captured the hearts the community there, and they looked after him well.

I was glad that his wake and funeral Mass were held at our parish. His last rites were given according to the wishes of the family, and I would like to personally thank all those who have worked tirelessly to organise Fr. Joe’s funeral. We will continue to remember him in our prayers till we meet him again. May his soul rest in peace!

On 31 May 2018, during the Feast of the Visitation Our Lady to Elizabeth, we will conclude the Month of the Rosary by gathering at Church for Rosary and Mass, at 7.30pm. We remember the words of the Holy Father Pope Francis, in his latest Apostolic Exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (Rejoice and Be Glad), where he invites everyone to “say the Hail Mary whether we are in distress or anxiety - our Heavenly Mother doesn’t require a flood of words but all we need to do is whisper, time and time again - say the Hail Mary” (GE #176). So my dear parishioners, don’t stop praying the Rosary and take Mary to your heart.