BUILDING OUR MISSION OF RELATIONSHIPS

On Saturday, 7 December 2019, we had our Parish Pastoral Assembly (PPA) for the year 2019 at the Formation House. There were approximately 65 attendees, which was a slight decrease compared to previous years. Nevertheless, the PPA went well, with the presence of Archbishop Julian Leow, together with Monsignor Mitchel Anthony and his Pastoral team.

The Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur Pastoral Team led by Msgr. Mitchel had earlier on given us survey forms to discuss three of eight cluster findings, actions, plans and strategies in our Parish. The three clusters are – Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC), Ecumenical and Inter-religious Dialogue (EIRD) and Parish Youth. First of all, I would like to thank the three clusters for taking the time to come together to discuss, reflect and share before the PPA 2019. I believe you would have been enriched, and learned more about your areas of concerns which included your strengths and weaknesses.

The Archdiocese Pastoral Team divided the participants into 10 groups, and gave us four questions related to missions – i) Mission on Relationships, ii) Mission on Outreach, iii) Mission on Unity and iv) Mission on Social Media. The purpose of the group discussions and sharing was to find out what our Parish, as well as the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, need to focus on, for the coming year. Nine out of the ten groups chose to discuss the need of Mission on Relationships.

On the 1st Sunday of Advent 2019/2020, we, as parishioners of St Joseph’s Church decided our strategies for our Parish mission with focus being on the 5Ls (Lost, Little, Last, Least and Lonely). We have geared ourselves on mission for the year 2020 with the 5Ls, and we will strive to build relationships with them without qualms. At every mass during the weekends, we recite our mission statement: We as parishioners of St Joseph’s Church are sent forth joyfully to embrace, to care for and to heal the 5Ls. In this statement we clearly state the three “verbs” as our “values” to embrace, to care for and to heal in building strong and successful relationships with the 5Ls. Our ultimate goal is to ensure our parishioners build ties and foster healthy relationships with people of 5Ls.

In his speech, Archbishop Julian Leow highlighted that the various ministries and clusters should work collectively and take their roles seriously in the Parish. He invited us to engage with everyone, to have dialogues with people of other Faiths, and for the youth and leaders to be rooted in community life and use social media wisely. His Grace was quite happy with the various outreach programs we had in the past, particularly the success of the Third World Day of the Poor.

This past one year, I realised that our Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and Parish Council Coordinators (PCC) together with the leaders from the various ministries in our Parish, chose to be actively involved in the life of our Parish. I admire the characteristics of our leaders and committee members because whenever I assign them specific tasks, they do it wholeheartedly and with full commitment. Thank you for your time, effort and desire to serve in our Parish. Once again I would like to thank our PPC and PCC for all the preparations made in ensuring a successful and enriching PPA 2019.

Let us strive to build our Parish with shared leadership and feelings of connectedness with one another, as we build our Mission on Relationships, keeping in mind the 5Ls.

MAKE OUR HEARTS REJOICE

In the Gospel, we meet a discouraged and dejected John the Baptist, (MT 11: 2-11). He sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” 

Even though John the Baptist would not be released from Herod’s prison, the Kingdom of God was still advancing. With patience, we can be sure that God will not disappoint us. We are rejoice to know a day is coming when “sorrow and mourning will flee.”

Our situation in life may not have changed but, by the grace of God, all our sorrow and mourning will become something beautiful.

St. James gives us helpful instruction in our Advent time of waiting for God to keep all His promises: “Be patient, until the coming of the Lord.” We need patience in order for our faith not to fail us and “make our hearts firm” in our waiting and to seek virtue.

There is no better way to get ready for Christmas. The Lord who is about to come will make all things possible and will make us happy.

“Lord, come and save us” (Psalm 145).

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/building-our-mission-of-relationships/

THE KING WHO IS TO COME

The New Liturgical Year 2019/2020 has already begun with the first Sunday of Advent. At the end of this month, we will celebrate New Year’s Eve and then, of course, New Year’s Day. The season of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time and all the other annual feast days mark our day-to-day lives with Christ and His Church. Every time we celebrate each season, we have an opportunity “to let the mystery of time become His-story of time.”

It is already the Second Sunday of Advent and Christmas and New Year will soon be upon us. The liturgy leads us to celebrate Jesus’ birth and to walk together towards the Lord and fulfil the words of Prophet Isaiah, “come, let us walk in Yahweh’s light,” (Isaiah 2:5). As Advent prepares us for the Nativity of Our Lord, we are reminded of the calling of all people, “Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come,” (Invitatory Antiphon of Morning Prayer - Lauds).

Many homes, offices, hospitals and shopping malls excitedly set up Christmas trees, Christmas lights and decorations, but it is very hard to see people setting up nativity scene. This custom has slowly faded off from our generation. Pope Francis has published an Apostolic Letter on 1 December 2019 (1st Sunday of Advent) entitled “Admirable Signum,” on the meaning and importance of the Nativity Scene. The Pope hopes this Letter encourages families to carry out this admirable tradition of preparing the nativity scene. He hopes “this custom will never be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.”

Our Church purchased two beautiful nativity sets (1 foot and 4 feet in height) in December 2014. The one-foot size nativity set is always displayed at the parish office whereas the 4-foot size nativity set is at the Church. As far I know, we are the only Church that has the 4-foot size nativity set in the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. Initially, we placed this scene at the sanctuary of our Church but these past two years I placed them outside the Church because I noticed that many are only interested of taking photographs rather than spending time praying and adoring Baby Jesus in the manger.

I purchased it for the purpose of praying at the nativity scene and for evangelisation – “joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God.” The Holy Father says that “the nativity scene is like a living Gospel, rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture.” Each time we gaze at the nativity scene and contemplate the Christmas story (the Infancy narrative), we are “drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter” us and “we come to realise that so great is his love for us that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him.”

It is good to set up the crib in our homes, offices or churches, as the Pope says that “it helps us to re-live the history of what took place in Bethlehem” and “it touches our hearts and makes us enter into salvation history” in order to experience God’s love and to believe that God is with us and finally “we find true happiness.” As we “feel and touch” the simplicity, humility and poverty of Infant Jesus, we are invited to imitate him in our lives by showing mercy and compassion to those in greatest need (cf. MT 25:31-46).

As we gaze at the nativity scene this year, especially figures of Mary and Joseph, let us respond to God as Mary responded with obedience, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). In this manner, we should submit ourselves in faith to the will of God and commit ourselves faithfully in spreading the Gospel. St Joseph has “entrusted himself always to God’s will” and stood next to Mary, “protecting the Child and His Mother.”

St. Francis of Assisi, who created the first crib scene in 1223 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, will pray for us so that we may open our hearts and pray with gratitude and thanksgiving. 

“The Lord has made known to us” (LK 2:15).

PREPARE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

The Second Sunday of Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of Jesus and His Second Coming. The message of John the Baptist (MT 3:1-12), tells us how to prepare for the coming of Jesus in this Season.

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand,” and “Prepare a way for the Lord, make His paths straight,” (MT 3:3-4).

The word “repent” means “to change one’s mind.” Repentance is not a one-time thing in life? It is a continual repentance. Conversion is merely the beginning of a process of change.

In this season of Advent, we shall reset our clocks and relearn what it is like to be. It has to start with each of us – we cannot change the others’ minds and hearts but we can change ourselves first.

Let us start with our hearts and minds. Let us remove the sins that block the way of God and prepare the way for God as we embrace, care for and heal our fella brothers and sisters.

“In His day justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.” (Psalm 71).

https://www.stjosephsentul.org/the-king-who-is-to-come/

COMMITTING TO VISION AND MISSION 2020

At the end of 2017, the Parishioners of St Joseph’s Church set our parish vision – “Committing Ourselves To New Evangelisation” for three years (2018-2020) with three pastoral priorities as our parish missions. We laid our Parish vision and mission primarily to nurture, to renew and to make us grow in faith and holiness as one people of God. Every year on the last week of the liturgical year (34th Sunday in Ordinary Time), several of our committee members set a day and time to review, revise and re-examine our parish vision, mission and pastoral priority so that our parish always moves ahead in the right direction.

I am grateful to all of you for your collaboration and commitment towards our parish vision and mission. Each of you has contributed and shared your life, gifts, talents and love in the service of the Church as true stewardships. These past two years, we have been faithfully working hand in hand to make sure we carry out our parish mission and pastoral priorities on “Empowering Transformational Youth” (2018) and “Engaging in Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Dialogue” (2019). Now, we are at the threshold of our third strategy plan, which is  “Embracing the 5Ls” – (Lost, Last, Least, Little and Lonely) in the year 2020. 

On Saturday, 23 November 2019, about 10 of us from the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) and Parish Coordinating Council (PCC) came together once again to put our values and objectives into our parish mission and pastoral priority for the year 2020. Keeping in mind our three years’ vision on the work of evangelisation, we started with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Morning Prayer (Lauds) and an hour of silent adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Then we discussed, shared, and established the values and priorities, focusing on the “5Ls”. After 3 hours of praying and reflecting, we drafted our final mission statements for the year 2020: “As disciples of hope, we, the parishioners of St Joseph’s, are sent forth joyfully to embrace, to care for and to heal the Lost, Last, Least, Little and Lonely.”

Our Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur has chosen a theme – “Sent with Joy to Heal” for the year 2020. We have merged the above theme with our pastoral priority on the “5Ls” together with the values – embrace, care for and heal. The Lost, Last, Least, Little and Lonely are broken people and in need of healing. As a part of an evangelising community, we must always be on the frontline in contributing towards greater justice, peace and love for others.

Pope Francis says, “The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel,” (Evangelii Gaudium [EG] – The Joy of the Gospel, #114). As disciples of hope, we must constantly be ready in bringing the love of Christ to others in any place - on the street, town, work place and be available to those in need. We need to get involved by words and deeds in people’s daily lives in order to bridge distances - to embrace, to care for and to heal them. It is our duty to defend the rights and dignity of those who are poor by listening to their cries and to treat them as our brothers and sisters, (cf. EG no. 199).

Our encounter with the “5Ls” must not only involve listening, but more importantly being one with our fellow brethren. We should always strive to enrich our faith, strengthen our vision and mission and make the difference. Let’s commit ourselves in the spirit of New Evangelisation through our ministry of teaching, encouraging, reaching out and praying for the “5Ls”, regardless of race, status or faith. 

MAY WE HAVE A BLESSED AND HOLY ADVENT

AS WE PREPARE FOR THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD!