TO LIVE FOR THE LORD

The Day of the Lord is the day the world will come to an end. The gospel passage (LK 21: 5-19) today reflects on the end of the world. It wants us to reflect on that moment when the world will pass away. It wants us to ask ourselves, “How prepared will we be for that moment when it comes?’’

The Church invites us not to get panic, fear, and disaster rather, she invites us to be confident and trust that we have God is in charge of us, if only we are willing to walk his way. Let us be ready for the end of the world with confidence and faith.

Jesus is coming again! Our task is to live for the Lord. We should stay faithfully. We ought to

live responsible lives, taking our spiritual growth very seriously. We stay awake, grow deeper in our spiritual journey and stay engaged in serving others.

“The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness.”  (Ps 97)

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/the-hope-of-the-poor-shall-not-perish/

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING

Our Sunday Sacred Liturgy for the year 2018/2019 (cycle C) will come to an end, three Sundays from now, before we begin the new  liturgical year 2019/2020. In the meantime, I invite all parishioners to fully participate and spend time throughout the week – reading and reflecting on the readings of the upcoming weekdays and weekends. God speaks to us in many ways, including through the daily and Sunday Scripture readings. We should fully engage in and reflect on the Word of God and fully participate in the Mass for the next three Sundays before the First Sunday of Advent, to mark the beginning of the liturgical year. It is our responsibility to connect the Word of God to our daily life in a meaningful way.

The Liturgy for the next three Sundays is meant to take us deeper into our spiritual lives, bringing us closer to God. We cannot just sit around doing nothing, without changing for the better. The end of the liturgical year and its readings, invite us to look deep within ourselves as to which way we are heading – towards God or away from Him? The Lord is coming again whether we are ready or not!

Below here is the synopsis of the Liturgy for the next three Sundays:

10 November 2019 – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture calls us to be aware of the end of the world and of our death at the end of our life. The church encourages us to prepare ourselves for that moment. God never abandons his children, even when this life comes to the end, for he is the God of the living and not of the dead. This is to say, God will transform us to be the perfect reflection of his own glory. In this Eucharist, let us profess our faith in the resurrection.

17 November 2019 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

With the Solemnity of Christ the King, we conclude our Liturgical Year C. Created by pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, this feast reminds us that Jesus is the humble King of the universe and Savior of all. By his incarnation and sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus showed us all the depth of God’s love and his boundless mercy. He is our King and Leader who rules by truth and love. This Sunday’s liturgy sums up his liberating and leading  mission. Let’s declare our loyalty to our King, Jesus by allowing him to take control of our lives and by serving others.

24 November 2019 – Christ the King

While listening to the eschatological discourse, as our liturgy relates on this Sunday, we ask ourselves, “which sentiments prevail in me: doubt, anguish or hope?” Surely, there will be a great elapse of time before Jesus’ final coming, yet we should not be alarmed. Jesus reassures us that God is present with us even in times of trouble. The “Day of the Lord” will be a day of darkness, fear and destruction for the wicked and evildoers. However, for the righteous, “there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.” Live well and all shall be well. Trusting in God’s mercy and protection, we pray that we may remain a people of hope and perseverance.

OUR COMMITMENT OF CARING

During the Extraordinary Missionary Month – October 2019, Catholics throughout the world prayed the Rosary for the Church’s mission and for peace in the world. The month of October has awaken our missionary responsibility to announce the joy of the Gospel to all people. We shall continue to pray the rosary as BECs, families and individuals daily for the strength to carry out the Church’s mission and walk in the path of Mary, who surrendered to the will of God.

We are in the month of November now. We started with the solemnity of All Saints Day (1 November). We ask ourselves of what use is this feast day? Saints are friends of Jesus. Our Christian vocation first and foremost is to grow in holiness and to be saints. The beauty of holiness is revealed in the Beatitudes (MT 5:1-12) – poor in spirit, be merciful, peacemaker and pure in heart. We should set our eyes on things above (Col 3:2). In celebrating this solemnity, the Church assures us that “With so vast a multitude praying for us”, one day we may be numbered among the saints in heaven.

November is also a special month dedicated to the deceased. The Church commemorates this month for the all the known and unknown souls who have departed from this earthly life but have not been admitted yet into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Church always teaches us to remember all departed souls who are in Purgatory.

Many of you have written the names of your beloved departed souls in the Book of Remembrance, which was placed at the Parochial House this past one month. There are about 4450 names listed in the book. We shall collectively offer all these names together with all other souls whom we have forgotten, during the weekday and weekend Masses throughout the month of November.

Besides offering them during Mass, we should also devote some time every day to pray for the dead. Why not start praying for those who were closest to us – our parents, children, siblings, etc. When we pray   continuously for them, one day when they have passed purgatory, they will pray for us from heaven. It is important to pray for the dead, and the Catholic Church encourages this habit of praying for the holy souls. The Church also includes and offers them collectively in every Eucharistic celebration. 

Some of you would have paid a visit to the cemetery on All Souls’ Day (2 November). Although few of us observe this practice, many still use this occasion to meet at the graveyard of their beloved ones. During this month, let’s find time to pay a visit to the cemetery.

Since August 2019, the committee of the Parish Ministry of the Poor (PMOP) has worked tirelessly to raise money for the free school uniform project. This Sunday (3 November) we will be taking measurements for school uniforms for 404 under privilege students from 10.30am to 3.00pm at our Parish Hall. I would like to thank you for all your kind donations and support toward this project. We have succeeded in reaching our target. On 14 December 2019, we shall distribute the uniforms to the students personally.

We are in the midst of organising an exciting event – the Third World Day of the Poor cum Parish Family Day 2019 from 10.30am to 5.00pm at our Church premises. It is our annual event primarily held to benefit the underprivileged families and low-income families living in our vicinity. I would like to make an appeal to parishioners to contribute and support this event, either in terms of cash or kind so that we can celebrate the event joyously. Your generous contributions towards our project will ensure that we are able to continue our commitment of caring for the poor.

Our Parish is very effective when it comes to outreach for the needs of the poor. Everyone gets involved to make all our activities and events successful. We, the parishioners of St. Joseph, can do it!

OUR DESIRE TO SEE JESUS

Today’s Gospel (LK 19:1-10), we see how Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector of the city of Jericho, he was hated by everyone in the city because he overtaxed the people.

The most important part of the story is the transformation that happens to Zacchaeus after encountering with Jesus. His determination to see Jesus made him to a sincere conversion.

For Zacchaeus, the day ended with a changed life. He had his sins forgiven. He experienced friendship with Jesus and peace with God. 

This story pursues each one of us to bring us into a loving personal relationship with God and in doing so, to change our entire life for the better. We should do everything possible to find a way around all obstacles and overcome all spiritual handicaps.

We need to allow Jesus to come into our heart and life and surely he will save us.

Today is day of salvation. Let us know that it is never too late to accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord.

 “I will bless your name forever, O God my King.” (Ps 144).

SIMPLICITY, HUMILITY AND HOLINESS

The memorial of Saint John Paul II is celebrated each year on 22nd October. The Dioceses of United States of America inscribed St John Paul II as an Optional Memorial into their Proper Liturgical Calendar in 2012. Then, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of St John Paul II into the General Roman Calendar in 2014, as a Memorial of the Common of Saints.

In 2020, the Church will celebrate the 100th anniversary of St John Paul II’s birthday and the 15th anniversary of his death. In conjunction with these anniversaries, the President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, requested Pope Francis to declare St John Paul II as a Doctor of the Church and Patron of Europe. The Bishops’ Conference saw the richness of the pontificate St John Paul II and his personality as poet, philosopher and theologian who led the Universal Church to great heights. He changed the face of the Papacy through his personal testimony of holiness, his writings and his contribution towards the restoration of unity in Europe, after more than fifty years of division.

Last Tuesday (22 October 2019) the Church commemorated the Memorial of St. John Paul II. I remembered how influential Pope John Paul II was to the Church and to the world. He brought about a New Evangelisation in the Church. The greatest gift of John Paul II to the Universal Church was the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) which was published in 1993. With this CCC, many of us are certain about the doctrines and teachings of the Church. At times, I pray to him for guidance to understand my life as a priest. He encouraged priests to remain faithful in their vocation through his message, especially on Holy Thursdays and through his experiences as a priest in his book on “Gift and Mystery”.

After his death, many wanted the Vatican to speed up his sainthood (“Santo Subito” means Sainthood now). On 27 April 2014 (Divine Mercy Sunday), Pope Francis canonised Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) together with Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) who initiated the Second Vatican Council. (St John XXIII’s memorial is celebrated on 11th October).

I was reading two articles this week pertaining on St. John Paul II and I recalled my pilgrimage to the cities of Wadowice and Krakow in Poland in August 2005. My pilgrims and I had the opportunity to meet Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz at Church of the Mother of Perpetual Help, Wadowice, Poland (where John Paul was born, baptised and raised). Cardinal Stanislaw was the long-time personal secretary of Pope John Paul II then, however now he is retired. We had few minutes of conversation with him and then we dedicated a Malay Song to him – “Betapa Hati Ku”. Before leaving he gave us his blessing.

I feel blessed to have visited his hometown and also his tomb at Vatican. I am fascinated by his pastoral zeal, his teachings and writings. He impacted me a lot during my initial stage as a priest. He has become the Pope that so importantly influenced my priestly ministry.

After John Paul II’s death, the Church started to give him a title of “John Paul the Great.” He is labelled as the “Great” because he possessed the extraordinary ability to imitate the example and teaching of Jesus Christ. Three other virtues that make him worthy to be called the “Great” are simplicity, humility and holiness.

Oh St. John Paul II, from heaven's window, where we see you next to Mary, send God's blessing down upon us all!