SHINE FORTH HIS LIGHT

We have chosen a special theme to focus on this Lent season - “Arise and Shine” – and it comes from the Book of Isaiah (60:1) – “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you”. We will use this theme for our Parish Lenten Retreat 2023 and for other formations, including Mandarin, Tamil and Bahasa Malaysia throughout this Lent season.

The Lenten Retreat committee has been organising, planning and preparing for this since April 2022. They have been communicating with Rev Fr Michael Payapilly and his team since then, and we are grateful to him for accepting our invitation to conduct this retreat. Fr Michael is somewhat of a celebrity priest, and most Catholics in Malaysia have come to know him since the pandemic when he celebrated Holy Mass via live streaming. Each committee member worked around the clock, and so far, everything is going according to plan, despite the rainy weather condition.

The Catechetical team has started preparing for the Catechism Camp, which will be held on Saturday, 18 March 2023. This year’s theme - “The Light of Christ” - was chosen by the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD). However, due to the long school holiday break, we haven’t had catechism classes during this important season in our liturgical calendar. We realise it is a missed opportunity not to spend time with our students - teaching them about the season of Lent, the Way of the Cross and the Lenten observances of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

In this season of Lent, we should arise from our spiritual slumber, and let His light shine in our lives. We must make the effort to grow in our relationship with God in a more profound way, so that this light may shine brighter. We should also stand up, get out of our comfort zone and radiate His light on those who are in darkness. Our reaching out should create an impact on the lives of others. 

During Lent, we are asked to rise up by turning from our wicked ways and from worldly attachments. We are asked to put our trust in the one, true and ever-living God. Many of us have the habit of using unhealthy words, disrespecting the elderly, condemning one another, cheating, blaming, cursing, etc. We use mobile devices and the internet for wrongdoings as we are engrossed and addicted to the negative influence of the internet and other forms of media. Instead, I urge you now to be more concerned about the well-being of your faith.

We still have a few more weeks before we celebrate Easter, so it will be good if we start to amend our ways gradually from now on. Lent shouldn’t be a time for feeling down and out. In fact, it is the right time for us all to arise and begin to shine by letting our faith lead us forward to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

Allow the transfigured Christ to transform our lives gradually during this Lent. May His light radiate in our lives so that we can share His light with the world around us.

ARISE AND SHINE

Greetings to all of you and a warm welcome to our humble Parish of St Thomas, the Apostle, Kuantan. I welcome you in Jesus' name!

We have been waiting for this moment for a long time, and we want to express our gratitude to God for His guidance and blessings and, most of all, an opportunity to meet each other to exchange our gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in this Retreat.

 

Thank you for participating in this Lenten Retreat 2023. We have 338 participants have registered for this Retreat– 190 are from our own Parish, and 148 are from various Parishes throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

 

We would like to welcome Fr Michael Payapilly and Fr Joseph Kalampally, and brother Vincent (Musician) for accepting our invitation to conduct our Lenten Retreat in our Parish. Both of them are from Vincentian Congregation. Fr Michael is a director of the Divine Retreat Center, Colombo, Sri Lanka whereas Fr Joseph is from Hyderabad. Both are priests for 17 years. Fr Michael is a celebrity priest and almost every English-speaking Catholic in Malaysia knows of him. He has captured the hearts of these people since the early pandemic. Fr Michael and Fr Joseph, we pray that you will grow and glow in the Spirit through your preaching and healing ministry. 

 

The chair persons, Sheila Fernandez and Anna Thong, and all the committee members have been doing the groundwork and preparation since April 2022. Hats off to my committee members for working around the clock to make this Lenten Retreat possible for all of us today. 

 

The theme we have chosen for this retreat is – “Arise and Shine.” We hope and pray that this retreat will make you arise from your spiritual slumber and His light shine on your face and in your life. We are to stand up, get out of our comfort zone and radiate the light to those in darkness. 

 

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, in his message for this year's Lent, reflected on the story of the Transfiguration of the Lord, inviting us to listen to the voice of Jesus and not to be afraid to arise and witness Christ in our lives. Do listen attentively to the speakers and pay attention to the working of the Holy Spirit.

 

My best wishes and prayers go with you for these three days retreat (3-5 March) that you will be transformed and transfigured in Christ. Be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I am sure all the impossibilities will be made possible by Jesus. 

 

God bless you with a new heart, new spirit, new hope, and new enthusiasm as you arise and shine forth. 

A TIME OF GRACE

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen the theme for this year's Lent: “Lenten Penance and Synodal Journey.” His Lenten message reflects on the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus at Mount Tabor, which can be read in three Gospel accounts - (Mt 17:1-13, Mk 9:2-13 and Lk 9:28-36).

He highlights that Lent is a journey that is “synodal” - climbing of Jesus with three of His disciples - Peter, John and James - to Mount Tabor. During this Lent, we will make a “synodal journey” in ascending “a high mountain” with Jesus to accompany us “to experience spiritual discipline.” Therefore, our Lenten journey is like going on an uphill mountain track which requires “effort, sacrifice and concentration.” As we climb the mountain, we should fix our eyes on our path, and once we reach the mountain top, we will be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views. 

“Lent is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcome our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus and the way of the cross.” The Holy Father proposes two ways to reflect on experiencing the Lord’s passion and cross with faith, hope and love as we arrive at Easter.

a)      Listening - Lent is a favourable time - a time of grace – that we should “Listen to Him!” (Mt 17:5) as He speaks to us. Jesus speaks to us through the Scriptures. We take the initiative daily to read the Word of God, which occurs in the liturgy throughout this season and study the Bible through various sources. Jesus also speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the face of all kinds of challenges and in need of others.

b)      Jesus affirmed his disciples, saying, “rise and do not be afraid”. We shouldn’t fear anything in facing the reality of the world and daily struggles and hardships. He realises that the journey of Lent and the Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality may be arduous and challenging, but we should be focused on our goals and stay committed always. Our synodal journey towards Easter may help us “to understand better God’s will and our mission in the service of His Kingdom.”

May the Holy Spirit inspire and sustain us this Lent as we ascend with Jesus to experience His divine light and deeper faith. 

(An Abstract from the Lenten Message of the Holy Father for the year 2023)

Lent is an opportunity to make our inner selves more beautiful by allowing Jesus Christ to rise and shine forth in us. This Lent, we shall focus on the theme chosen for our Lenten Retreat 2023 - “Arise and Shine” - which will take place from 3-5 March 2023. Thus far, we have 260 participants registered for this 3-day retreat. It will be conducted by Rev Frs Michael Payyapilly and Joseph Kannampally from the Vincentian Congregation (VC).

As we make the synodal journey this Lent, we take the initiative to listen to His voice and experience His light, as how the three disciples experienced “seeing and hearing” Him at Mount Tabor. We pray that Jesus will slowly and steadily transform and transfigure our minds, hearts and souls into a more beautiful and spiritual state of life. May the Glory of the Lord rise among us and shine in our lives.

LIVE LENT FAITHFULLY AND FRUITFULLY!

The Sundays and Weeks of Ordinary Time will stop at the 7th Week, making way for Lent and the Easter Cycle. The holiest season - Lent - will begin on 22 February with Ash Wednesday, and it will conclude on Holy Saturday, 8 April 2023 - a day before Easter. Ordinary Weeks will then resume after Pentecost with the 8th Week, on 29 May 2023.

On Ash Wednesday (A Day of Ashes), we are marked with blessed ash on our foreheads. A symbol in the shape of a cross will be displayed on our foreheads and the words – “Repent, believe in the Gospel!” (MK 1:15) will be spoken to us. This phrase is like a splash of ice-cold water on our faces to wake us up from our sinful nature and turn towards Jesus, remembering the Paschal Mystery - Passion, Death and Resurrection.

 

Ash Wednesday is a day of obligation and of abstinence (not eating meat). It also marks the first day of fasting, repentance, prayer, self-control and self-discipline. We are also strongly encouraged to abstain from consuming meat every Friday during Lent - remembering the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross on Good Friday - and unite ourselves in that sacrifice through abstinence and prayer.

The next six and a half weeks, a 40-day period of penance, invites us to engage with the three pillars – Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Lent is a gift to us to reflect on how we can draw ourselves closer to God. During this coming season of Lent, make every effort for personal and communal conversion by leaving behind all our selfishness and self-interest. Allow ourselves to learn more about God’s will and let Him to transform us towards greater joy, love and service to one another.

The Archdiocese of Human Development has set the theme “The Light of Life” for Lent 2023. Jesus is Our Light; whoever follows him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life, (cf. John 8:12). We encourage every family in our Parish to purchase candles with stickers, and light them up daily in your home, during family prayers. You can purchase these candles (8” or 3” in height) from our Gift Shop. The remaining candles will be brought to Easter Vigil Mass and left at the grotto after Mass. Catechists and Catechism students are encouraged to light candles during their classes throughout Lent.

This Lent, we do our best to live our lives with faithful and good intentions that are centered in God’s way. May we not allow our pride, ego, ambition, worldly desires and all sorts of trials present around us, to distract or draw us away from the grace of God. We place our trust in Him wholeheartedly and acknowledge Him in every course - He will make our path straight, pleasing and perfect in the eyes of God (cf. Proverb 3: 5 -6). Let us discern and do God’s will as we make our Lenten Penance by taking a synodal journey of listening to God. Let’s live our Lent faithfully and fruitfully!

WALKING IN FAITH AND NOT SIGHT

Children may be educated by school and tuition teachers, catechism instructors, and even the media - but parents are still their “primary educators” and have the main responsibility of educating their children with moral, ethical, and religious values. Home is where we teach our children to be tender, compassionate, forgiving, respectful, faithful, loving and caring. The book of Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” (Proverbs 22:6). When we train, educate and raise our children in the right way, they will discover and rediscover their purpose, and not turn away from us.

This Sunday (12 February), catechism classes officially begin for the year 2023. There will be a spiritual orientation and briefing for children and parents in the St Giles’ Room at 9.30 am. So far, we have a total of 117 students registered for catechism classes, from pre-school to Form 5. There are a total of 24 teachers who have committed themselves to the catechetical team. We also have 10 teachers under the supervision of Sr. Assunta Leong - to coordinate RCIA candidates - which will be available in three languages. This Easter Vigil, we may have 15 candidates who will receive their Sacrament of Initiation, 8 for the Sacrament of Confirmation and 2 will be received into the Catholic faith.

 

During our Parish Pastoral Assembly, one of the findings was on Mass attendance and our youth involvement in Parish activities. We want parents to make an extra effort to focus on our children’s faith and bring them back for Weekend Masses and catechism classes. As a Parish community, we have a crucial role in strengthening the faith of our younger generation by supporting, encouraging and, most of all, praying that they will grow in the life of the Church and serve in holiness.

 

Catechetical Sunday was on 29 January 2023, and we celebrated with the theme “Renewing the Church with Families of Faith” (cf.1 Cor 16:13-14). It is of utmost importance that everyone in the family “be watchful, and stand firm in the faith, and be courageous and strong,” (cf. 1 Cor 16:13-14). At the end of the Mass, all catechism teachers and RCIA facilitators came forward and renewed their commitment to the faith education of our children. During the Mass, Archbishop Julian Leow blessed all the catechism teachers and RCIA facilitators after commissioning them as faith instructors. We will have, once again, commissioning of faith education on the spiritual orientation and briefing day, for the children and parents. We expect everyone involved to be present.

 

We would like to thank all our catechism teachers and RCIA facilitators for their rededication to the mission of the Church and for being witnesses of the Gospel. May the Lord guide and inspire you as you continue in our Parish Catechetical Ministry. We are solely and completely responsible for transmitting our faith, deepening the knowledge of God - from fear to faith in Christ Jesus - so that our children may walk by faith and not sight. We will build and rebuild their future together, by the grace of God.